Private A Slice of Life

[Ichika Masudo]

THE PINK JEDI OF ATRISIA
NEW JEDI ORDER
LEVEL 1342 - CORUSCANT
Jasper Kai'el

Already it was starting.

The process of… reacquainting herself with others that had fit the definition of ‘friend’. The invitation hadn’t exactly come unexpectedly, since she made an appearance at Jand’s ascension ceremony, clearly visible for all that had attended. Her pink skin and white hair was an unmistakable combination in the context of the Jedi Order. It could only be her.

The location Kai’el asked to meet at shouldn’t have surprised her either, but the memories of a simpler time earlier in her days with the Order, when life had seemed so straightforward tended to hurt a little. When she knew with such clarity who she was and where she was going. How the tables had turned. More than one ambivalence met her at the diner door, and she hesitated at touching the surface to push her way in.

But irritation at herself was quick to join it, “Force sakes, Ichika,” she muttered under her breath, and pushed through the door in the next moment, to be treated to the delicious smells wafting out on the chorus of the noises of a busy kitchen. A young lady came to greet her and ask if it was for one, snapping her out of the spell that had drawn her brows towards the centre as memory coalesced, provoked into being by scent. Ichika shook her head.

“I’m here to meet someone,” she glanced around the staffwoman, seeing a mop of blonde hair… at least this time trying not to bond with the tabletop, and felt a faint smile rising out of the flat expression in her face that was too easily quashed by nerves and misgivings; she turned back to the woman, “Thank you, I think I see him.”

The staffer gave way, and Ichika moved towards the back of the diner, to the same table she had once invited herself to sit at.

“Jasper,” Ichika greeted, in a voice not any less soft than what it had been before, “hello,” and she slipped into the seat across from him as she did, folding her hands together in her lap, and looked at the face on the other side of the table, and how it might be different, this close. Looked on him without the undercurrent of warmth that used to suffuse her interactions with most. She was trying.

“How…” she swallowed and shook her head, then tried again, a different tack, remembering how perceptive Jand Talo had been to her evasiveness when she asked after his wellbeing on Sedri to shift the focus off of her - the first familiar face she had allowed to see her in months, “...I hope you have been well.”

Hope that seemed an apology, wrapped in the propriety woven through the fabric of her being. While she worked to knit herself back together, within.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, 1342
Tags: Ichika Masudo

​

"I've been alright," Jasper sighed, managing a smile.

Daisy's state was very clear. Losing her master seemed to only be the surface of everything she had been through. It hurt to see, especially if he could have done anything to help. Maybe that was just hopeful thinking. There may have been nothing Jasper could have done to help her... but it still felt wrong.

"I missed you, you know," he stated, a frown forming on his face. "But... I understand why you left. I'm glad you're back though..."

It wasn't long before the pizza he had ordered was out, delivered to their boot pretty quickly. He thanked the waiting staff briefly before turning back to Ichika.

"Well, I guess there's no beating around the bush," he continued, opening the box and taking a slice. "I figured you could use a familiar face to catch you up to speed... and I wanted to check on you. I sort of owe you that much."

It had felt like so long ago now that they were at this very same table. Jasper had been wallowing in his self loathing, grappling with the discovery of his scientific origins. Daisy had been the first person he really poured himself out to, something that he had really never done before in his life. He wanted to at least repay the favor.

"You don't have to get into specifics if you don't want to," Jasper assured, "I'd rather not make you feel worse... but you can vent a little if you need to."

Jasper took a moment to take a bite of his slice before quickly recomposing himself.

"Right... what do you want to know?"

 

[Ichika Masudo]

THE PINK JEDI OF ATRISIA
NEW JEDI ORDER
LEVEL 1342 - CORUSCANT
Jasper Kai'el

It was at once both nice to hear those words - that she had been missed - as it should, and a thing that provoked a small pang of guilt. Unlike the average, she didn’t shy away from this feeling, but it did cause one hand to slip out of the fold with its counterpart, fingers curling into the fabric of her robes that draped over one leg. Her brow creased faintly, but only for that moment. Ichika felt an apology catch in her throat, and it died against the sense that he was not done speaking.

And the food arrived. She had wanted the pizza in this instance; the thought of eating something reminiscent of home still felt akin to eating ash, at times, when a flavour or scent evoked a strong memory of the meals she had shared with the closest thing that stood for kin. When Jasper opened the box and took a slice, she followed suit, carefully lifting the triangle of gooey cheese and other toppings free from its place in the box, and starting to eat the slice with careful bites while her friend continued to speak. She didn’t want the crumbs and grease all over her robes.

The assurance that he didn’t wish to pry was some small relief. She wasn’t sure how ready she was to open that can of worms, but he had trusted her with his burdens… that path could go both ways. Maybe, or maybe not yet. “Thank you, Jasper,” Ichika started, after swallowing another bite of that slice, “for--” a light sigh escaped her, “--taking time out of what must be a busy schedule,” she laid the half-eaten slice on a napkin, “and… congratulations on your appointment to the council.”

It had been obvious from where he stood at Jand's ascension. A finger idly scratched at the crust of that slice, “I… was on Exegol, and therefore I’m well aware of those events, but –” she frowned faintly, “--I know little of what happened between that, and as far back as just after our mission to Imperial Dorin.”

That had been about the time that everything changed; that was a large gap, and she wasn’t exactly asking for an excruciatingly detailed account - she could dig into the reports and records at another time if she felt the need to - but…

“Did I miss anything else important? Has there been any significant changes I should be made aware of, in the Order? The Alliance? Did we--" the next words came out closer to a whisper, "--did we lose anyone?”

She didn’t wish to appear ignorant, and she hadn’t yet had the opportunity to see everyone for herself. She wished to avoid any rude surprises.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, 1342
Tags: Ichika Masudo

​

“and… congratulations on your appointment to the council.”

"...Thank you," Jasper sighed, giving a slight smile. "It... happened pretty suddenly. I think I'm still processing it to some extent... Schedule's no trouble though. My priority was the wellbeing of everyone before getting a seat. That and you're my friend."

He had come to more-so accept his role as a supportive figure. Maybe it was finding stability in overcoming the hurdles of his days as a padawan, or perhaps he simply liked being that for people. It didn't matter either way. What mattered was that he took time to make sure his people were okay.

The mention of loss did bring a more somber expression to Jasper's face, however.

"...Calix," he muttered. "We... I couldn't find him. The Order's new relief vessel, the Dawnbreaker... I left a marker for him in the gardens if you ever want to pay your respects..."

Losing Calix at Exegol had been hard for Jasper. The boy looked to him with such respect, and to not even be able to give him a proper burial tore him apart. It was worth more now than ever the work Jasper did, overseeing relief. He didn't want the little warrior's sacrifice to go to waste. The councilmember couldn't leave the galaxy Calix had died for in ruins.

"Things have changed for the better though," Jasper added, trying to lighten the mood. More so for himself, at least. "The war being over has given us time to lay down our weapons for a while, focus on building back up what the Maw destroyed. The council's organized funds for knights to go on pilgrimages, and students having their focus shifted away from the war has made the air around the temple more light. I think we're all getting the chance to come to terms with it all..."

He exhaled ever so slightly before sinking his teeth into his slice of pizza. Not everyone had experienced the war the same way. Iris had laid down her weapons and committed herself to completing her medical degree while Amani and Val filled their life with children, more in the case of Valery. Everyone seemed to be adjusting to peace time in their own way, and Jasper still wasn't sure what he was doing.

"It's strange being through to the other side," he admitted. "The war was... well, the only constant we ever had. Not that that was a good thing..."