First Reply A frozen wonderland

[Aristodemus]

Aristodemus du Couteau
Location: Ilum
Tag: Phobos

Arist turned his head from the edge of the bridge entrance and back to Phobos, he did so a few times before he rubbed his chin to keep his head still. He really had figured it all a joke but if Phobos would take it seriously, then Arist considered potential possibilities. He imagined himself being lifted up by underneath his arms, something like a pet being hoisted by their owner. The next image was being cradled as if he was back to being a year old. Arist blushed at the embarrassing thought, he cleared his throat and returned his attention to the tow cable release hatch.

“Yes actually that sounds pretty cool and I’ll only bring a few things with me to keep myself light.” Arist added, if he needed to be carried it would be rather rude of him to carry too much equipment.

Arist eyed the frozen hatch and with a few kicks he heard the release and he dragged the cable hook and threw it down the crevasse. The cable rushed and made the whirl sound as the hook end attempted to find the bottom. Arist for his part also silently hoped that the cable would stop suddenly, which unfortunately did not, the whirling sound only ended when the cable ran out and the tow cable box made a locking sound.

“Alright, I’ll take it slow for the first bit and move faster once I establish a comfortable rhythm.” Arist explained as he tied his rope around himself into a makeshift harness.

He clipped on his climbing latch-clip, it was a bit snugged on the cable itself as Arist positioned himself near the edge. Not entirely an issue, as long as he did fall down too fast, but with Phobos nearby Arist put on a positive mindset. He turned around and gave Phobos two thumbs up before adjusting his second flashlight on his other shoulder.

“Okay Arist, easy does it.” He spoke to himself quietly as he sat and slid down the side of the crevasse.

Arist kept a firm grasp of the tow cable and eased himself down, tiny bit by tiny bit. He breathed evenly and smiled despite himself as he continued to shimmy himself deeper into the darkness below. He’d occasionally attempt to look below but with how his shoulder lights moved it was rather pointless. Arist knew he couldn’t see the bottom anyways.

“Mmmmhm. Hmmmhm.” Arist hummed a soft tune, a way he would give himself a tempo to act and perform a few special tricks that required a bit of timing.

Here he needed to match his climbing along with his breathing, and his little tune was perfectly suited for this sort of pace. All in all, Arist felt confident, maybe this was the path he was supposed to follow, and once he grasped a kyber crystal in his hands he’d be able to hope for an even brighter future.

Arist wasn’t sure how long he had been climbing but he began to feel exhaustion rise up to his arms. A few moments later he felt the cable move more than it should and quickly stopped to brace himself and began to use his right hand to turn his little screwing tool, it wasn’t the quickest tool but sure enough Arist had drilled out enough ice for him to screw in one of his plasteel hook and latched his rope harness to it for the moment.

“Ah, we’re near the end of the cable,” Arist commented as he could more steadily adjust himself with another secure hook attached to his harness. With his free hand he flashed his light down and the tow hook end dangled below a few meters away from his feet.

Arist eyes lit up though as something caught his light below, he wasn’t sure what but something different reflected his light differently than ice. Perhaps a glacier had moved below here and caused an ice shelf that would catch things that fell from above. It was certainly worth a shot in his mind.

“I see something catch my flashlight below us, definitely not ice shards or anything.” Arist voiced his mind as his smile grew.

Below though laid a terrifying sight for Arist, yes there was an ice shelf for him to walk around on without fear of it collapsing. But what he would find would be more than he bargained for, and answer a question he never asked. Were there more bodies of workers, soldiers and other explorers?

“Don't look too far down for you to carry me, but do let me know if you get tired, Phobos.” Arist spoke eagerly as he readied himself to be carried by getting his hands on both latches to the cable and hook.
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[Phobos]

Ilum
Tags: Aristodemus

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Phobos was careful to float diligently below Arist as he descended, her eyes trained on him at all times. She waited to ensure there was no slip up of any kind, anything that might require her to step in. Fortunately the Jediling seemed to be quite capable of handling himself. Many of his kind were. After all, this place provided an important trial in their Force journeys. They spent much time training to attempt to traverse the perils of Ilum.

After a while, though, the cable came to an end. Arist shined his light down and illuminated what was clearly the bottom. They were close.

“Don't look too far down for you to carry me, but do let me know if you get tired, Phobos.”

"I believe I can do it," Phobos insisted. "Hold still for one moment."

She would reach out with her hands and hook them under his arms. Then a warm sensation would wash over Arist. His hair would begin to float upwards, as though he were underwater. His clothes, if not tightly fitted, would flow in a similar manner. The ashspawn would guide Arist out into open air before the two of them would slowly begin to drift downward like leaves in the autumn breeze. Phobos would keep her eyes fixed on the boy to ensure that she maintained her concentration. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a minute or two, she felt the solidity of ice below her feet. Arist's feet would touch down not long after, and the fiery woman would draw her hands back.

"There," she affirmed, beaming. "Easy as... as pie... oh dear."

Phobos winced and reached up, rubbing at her temple. A minor headache swept over her, as did a sense of weariness. It seemed she needed to work that metaphorical muscle a little more.

"Right... lead on. I'll follow."

No time to linger. They had to see this through to the end.

 

[Aristodemus]

Aristodemus du Couteau
Location: Ilum
Tag: Phobos

Arist wasn’t sure what to expect, he never actually felt any sensation like this before, he expected some sort of sensation of weightlessness. Even as he fought against the rigidness in his body, muscles tense and slightly nervous, he couldn’t help it but started to ease himself into the gentle fall. His feet touched the surface and Arist giggled, reminding him of experiencing a new magic trick for the first time.

“I hope you know you’re pretty awesome.” He smiled as he turned to face his friendly guide.

Arist gave Phobos a concerned look, they floated down with seemingly no trouble. It was a strange sensation for him certainly, but rather comfortable which had the added effect that made him a tad guilty as he hoped Phobos was alright. But to honor her words he knelt down and removed his crampons and clipped them to his waist.

The area was of course dark and to make finding his way back easier he placed his spare flashlight near where they landed. Arist then walked a bit ahead and looked around by shining his other flashlight to scan the area. There were what looked like broken pieces of fallen equipment or bridge parts, but he focused on attempting to find where the strange light reflection had been.

“Uh,” Arist gingerly stepped a bit away as his light shined on what appeared to be remains of a body.

While he was nowhere near the edge, he still felt the sensation of being near one and immediately swiveled around himself. A few more bodies, but much of them covered by debris, Arist tensed and quickly averted his light and eyes away to find something else. He took a few more steps forward before he slowed, then the next few steps even slower and ultimately he froze. His light caught something small that shimmered differently from the ice, but Arist couldn’t move.

Arist’s mouth opened, as if wanting to scream or yell, his memories rushed forward, front and center of his mind. While in reality the frozen bodies were numerous, his fears multiplied them in his head. He was taken back to his home on Teta, there was a complication in his evacuation, as the complication was himself because Arist refused to leave without his parents. Soldiers, civilians, sounds of explosions and air raid sirens. He blinked and was brought back to reality, he wondered if the people here had been pushed off, or perhaps attempted to keep a crystal away from an enemy. An act of defiance. Bravery? Courage?

“Ahh, nn-no. . .” He finally managed to utter, his eyes shut and he began to take a single step back. His body undecided while his mind battled to keep him present.
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[Phobos]

Ilum
Tags: Aristodemus

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Phobos followed along until Arist seemed to experience some sort of vision. She could feel the fear in the Force around him, weaving a dark cloud. That was the purpose of this place. The Jedilings came here to face their fears and find themselves. It was still a bit unsettling to witness in the flesh. She could see the shimmer of something that wasn't ice, clearly a part of what he was experiencing. Living stone that tested those who seek it. Either that or it was the remains of all these people... After a moment of deliberating, Phobos stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Easy now... you're almost there, remember?" she told him in a soft tone. It was, in a way, almost some sort of older-sister instinct that she had. She was unsure where it came from though.

She would lean down to his height and give him a warm smile.

"It's okay to be afraid," Phobos remarked. "Everyone is afraid of something... but it's important to remember that if we don't want bad things to happen, we need to face what we're afraid of. Especially if we want to protect the things we love."

After a moment of deliberation, Phobos would offer her hand to the teen. Of course, facing your fear was a choice that only you could make, but it was always nice to have others to support you.

"If you would like, I will walk with you."

 

[Aristodemus]

Aristodemus du Couteau
Location: Ilum
Tag: Phobos

Arist instinctively began to turn around, his body froze halfway through the motion, as if this decision needed to be deliberate. It needed to be his choice but Arist’s fear grew, his eyes clenched shut. There was almost an idea in his head, whenever there was something that needed to be overcome, Arist imagined himself capable. And yet.

When he felt Phobos’ hand rest on his shoulder Arist’s eyes slowly opened, welled up with tears as he muttered softly; “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He needed to apologize to his parents he needed to. . . He turned his attention to Phobos and the memory hole he was trapped in shattered.

Arist removed his gloves and slowly rubbed his eyes with his hands, as attempting to rebuild the floodgates. Despite the cold, his cheeks burned with embarrassment as his fears subsided for a moment. He enjoyed illusions and trickery, the amazement and wonder of magic that drove him to explore the inexplicable and wondrous of the galaxy. Here though, this felt extremely different, a memory or a vision of the future?

“I’m very scared. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to protect everyone or anything.” Arist shook his head, a futile attempt to clear his head. Despite his own protest he accepted Phobos’ hand. An anchor to reality, to stop his mind from running rampant with total fear.

As the two walked closer the kyber crystal grew into his blurry teary sight, how it shimmered in his eyes as he tentatively stretched out his free hand. Arist retracted his arm but instead turned around and placed his hand on top of hers.

“Thank you.” He spoke as he slowly let go, fearful of leaving the edge of the pool to swim out alone in the middle.

Arist moved closer and held both hands out, he concentrated on the Force and shuddered as he fought through memories to find a semblance of calm. Gracefully he levitated the kyber up and between his hands, slowly he closed them together with a deep sigh of relief. Arist opened his jacket and placed the crystal inside and put his gloves back on while nodding to himself.

“I want to protect my home even though I’m scared of all the death, bodies.” Arist knew where he stood needed to change.

“It’s silly really, I’m scared but I want to try, but all I think about is a question; Is that enough to just want something?” He believed that maybe with his own lightsaber then perhaps he could go back to Teta and find his grandfather’s saber. Something from the past to help the future, to give him hope that the ideals of the past could still be used. Maybe.
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[Phobos]

Ilum
Tags: Aristodemus

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“It’s silly really, I’m scared but I want to try, but all I think about is a question; Is that enough to just want something?”

"It isn't silly at all," Phobos assured. "Wanting something can move stars... it's just a matter of seeing it through. Want is more than just selfish desire... sometimes it's selfless. It's grounded in the things you believe and care for. Having clarity even if you are afraid, that is a very strong thing. You said you want to protect your home, in spite of the death. That's worth more than anything else anyone could offer."

A warm smile spread across her face.

"Take that crystal and do great things," she told him. "That can be anything... even saving one life is an action of incredible importance."

And that was something she believed to be true with her whole being.

 

[Aristodemus]

Aristodemus du Couteau
Location: Ilum
Tag: Phobos

Arist wasn’t sure how to respond to her words, he was someone who wanted to believe after all. Maybe if he learned how to wield a saber properly his confidence would grow a tad, though when he had last broached the subject he was directed to read about forms from the library first.

He quickly rubbed his cheeks and face, “Nothing's ever easy,” He laughed softly at his naivety. With a gentle grasp to where he placed the crystal within his jacket’s inner pocket, he returned Phobos’ smile with an eager but concerned smile. “I made a promise that whenever I ignite my saber, it is never to kill but to light a different path instead. . .” Arist’s determination grew but doubt flickered behind his eyes.

“I uh,” Arist took a few steps forward and flapped his arms twice, some internal argument over what to do next. His old conduct and manners instructor drilled in just enough lessons for that part of the argument to win out.

“Thank you for your words, I hope to carry them in my heart faithfully.” Arist bowed deeply, his words stiff and wooden. He still was a bit unsure of how to address Phobos. She was a Guide and Bendu sounded very important to him, surely she deserved proper respect like any Noble back home.

But. Arist never felt the inclination to just hug someone outside of family or close friends, yet Phobos gave him a very trusting vibe of sorts. Besides the fact that she had floated him down from a height that would have probably ended very poorly for him even with his own Force abilities.

“I still owe you plenty,” Arist cleared his throat with a cough, “If your duty is on Ilum, I can bring holo-devices or whatever you want. Unless, er. . . I mean if you need a ride to a Starport or Station too.” He posed the offer. Arist found his options of repayment rather slim, he doubted she needed credits, nor a performance of a few magic tricks sounded like a fair trade.
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