Private Adventure Time!

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

Location: Tython
Wearing: middle
Tag: Kyra Perl

Tython. It was a trip that every Jedi needed to make at some point in their lifetime, so when JJ was given the task of bringing back certain artifacts he jumped at the chance to bring Kyra with him. The young Padawan needed any excuse she could get to find herself off world, and since JJ had his own ship, there was a decent amount of space for Kyra to have some semblance of freedom as they traveled as well. In truth, JJ was looking forward to the trip. It had been a couple of weeks since the two had seen each other and had any decent amount of time together. She had become a dear friend, and despite their age difference, very close. Perhaps JJ would go as far as to call her family, because she certainly held secrets only family would ever know.​

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The proximity alarm went off as JJ took to the pilot chair once more. Flipping the comm on, reach out to Kyra, wherever she was on the ship.​

​

"About to drop out of lightspeed. Better get up here and strap yourself in..."​

​

JJ did his best to give the girl her own space considering the mental bond they shared in the force. Both of them tried their best not to pry, but certain things came naturally. Usually it was emotion for both of them. JJ and Kyra were both natural empaths, despite JJ's focus on the more physical aspects of the force. It was not always possible to keep each other out, especially when certain feelings were high, and Kyra... the excitement for adventure rang clear out across the entire ship. It made JJ happy.​

​

He waited for Kyra to get set before starting their descent. JJ was a skilled pilot so the remainder of the flight and the landing were smooth. After running post flight checks, JJ got out of the pilot seat and headed for the boarding ramp of his YT-1930. They were not going to waste anytime as they were headed to the old temple ruins.​

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"Sometimes old security measures trip and bug out... be careful as we go along and stay close. Other than that, let's try and have some fun with this one huh?"​

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra ran and slid smoothly into the space at Judah's side. She hadn't noticed the time gap between their last encounter and now. Padawan life had her very busy, dontcha know. She could split rocks now!

Still, the chance to get out and about was a welcomed one. The daily drawl of classes was repetitive enough to cause her to start acting out in classes. Nothing serious, just a bad cause of sass and exploding energy ... of many natures.

The fun had started the moment they had boarded his ship. She had tried to help him fly. But.

She had almost hit an asteroid.

"Do you ever feel like changing your name?" She chirped, walking with hi. "JJ sounds distinctily childish, don't you think? JJ. JJ . JJ." She continued to roll his name off her tongue, testing out the feel of it with different tones.

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

"And what would I change it too," JJ asked with an inquisitive look on his face. "It literally stands for Judah Junior, and my dad is Judah so?"

JJ shrugged and kept walking. The pair had little time to waste on the planet as they were not supposed to be away from Silver Rest for long. At least this was not JJ's first time to Tython. For Kyra, perhaps it was. The young knight had actually failed to ask. Sure he was curious, but today for some reason he was focused on the mission at hand. Perhaps it was the recent encounter he had with Amilthi Camlenn that had him in an all business mood. He still was unsure of what to make about the emotion he felt during that entire encounter, or why he would allow a stranger to stir certain kinds of feelings.

He sighed.

The temple was ahead of them, and Judah kept moving at a pace that was sure to make Kyra complain or ask him to slow down.

"We really should just focus on the mission at hand. We can figure out my name later. You remember what you're looking for right?"

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Well I don't see your dad anywhere around, do you?" She huffed, her short legs making quick work at trying to keep pace. As they moved-- well as he practically jogged and forced her to scramble to keep up-- his strange drive was not missed on her. Since when was he another singular-focused Jedi with no sense of humor?

Kyra frowned up at him, stubbornly not asking for him to slow as she side stepped to avoid tripping on a rock.

"What is up with you?" She asked bluntly. "You're determined. And not like, 'I must avenge my mother' crazy wacko driven. You're trying not to think back. It's cause I'm here isn't it. What is it you don't wanna deal with," she called out, her voice echoing in a sing song voice.

"Come on, it's not like you actually thought I wouldn't notice."

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

Of course she noticed. It wasn't like Judah expected her not to. There were just certain things which they both would want to remain private. The confusion JJ was feeling around his feelings for a particular person was one of those things. When Kyra had found out about Sasha, she had wanted to hunt the woman down for how she had broken JJ's heart. Why would he open up about potentially liking someone, especially when he was unsure if the things he felt were of a romantic nature? Yet, he knew Kyra would persist.

"It's not that... I just don't want to be thinking about any of it," he said without actually saying anything. "I met someone when I checked out that Hssiss rumor, and I might like them. What I can't figure out is if it is because they resemble my mother, or if I actually like them, like them."

It sounded so juvenile coming out of his mouth like that. Maybe Kyra was right and he did need to start going by Judah. At least part of him would seem like that young adult he was.

Judah sighed, something he seemed to be doing a lot of recently.

"You know what happened with Sasha, and you know about every other short fling that has always ended since. I'm just tired of putting myself out there and getting hurt or left alone okay. Just trying to let this go before it just becomes that all over again."

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra frowned, deeply concerned by her friends words. Ew. A relationship? Not good. Never good. For all the reasons he already knew, and then many he didn't, she recoiled from the concept all together. But with a surprising display of willpower she bit back that response, wrapping her arms around her and giving a singular, delicate shrug.

"So don't. I mean. What's that thing that guy said-....definition of stupidity-- no, insanity is doing the same thing all the time and thinking it'll turn out different, right?"

She nodded, pleased with her words.

"You have me. Isn't that enough?" To her, it truly should be. A slight skip entered her step-- an easier way for her to keep pace. "What about a middle name. You got one? We could use that."

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

"You have me. Isn't that enough?"

Kyra could have no idea how those words would hit the Jedi Knight. Did she even truly realize what she was asking? Could Kyra be such a dear and close friend that JJ would not have need of companionship elsewhere, and there was the matter of other needs the Knight might have which Kyra simply could not fulfill. No, JJ was convinced she did not know what she was asking, even though he understood the reasons behind it.

"I am not about to abandon you for some woman that I don't even really know yet. We have our bond, and it is unique, something I will never have with anyone who is not you."

Was the answer satisfactory, JJ didn't know, but what he did know is it was true. There would never be anyone to have the same kind of bond the two shared. She was his first student, and with how much of herself had been thrust into his mind during their training, JJ was closer to her than anyone he'd known. The training accident certainly did impact them, much more than any amount of pheromones the girl could ever produce would. Whether the pair liked it or not, they were intimately linked through the force in a way few would ever experience or understand.

She wanted to know his middle name. He sighed. His father was the only Lesan with a normal name as far as he knew. JJ's grandfather was named KeRon, and he was happy that was not his middle name. Judah simply nodded.

"It's James... another reason JJ works. Look... I'd prefer Judah than James... and JJ it's just always been a thing. Childish or not... I am okay with it. If it makes you happy to call me Judah then do that."

The Knight really did need to loosen up.

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

"James it is," Kyra snipped, not yet over the reveal of Jedi considering feelings for another woman. Not that she thought of him that way. Kyra thought of no one that way. Nor would she ever! What did she look like, some bimbo.

It was more just-- gah. Just every time she saw someone get together with someone else they abruptly DISAPPEARED-- always riding the other persons dick until-- and then came back crying like--

Why he have to go make life complicated just! Kyra was enough! Wasn't she?

Why wasn't she ever?

She kicked at the ground, giving a noise of frustration. The padawan had unwittenly absorbed his tense mood, her good one flickering out of her.

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

"Whatever," Judah said with a slight huff. "You'll be back to JJ by the weekend, just you see..."

Was he making a bet, not really, but it was fun. Even if the padawan was absorbing his mood, JJ didn't have to keep it. Besides the mission itself would end up loosening him up. It bothered him still that Kyra seemed to be upset by the idea JJ could like another woman in a romantic sense, but what was he supposed to do? In reality, Kyra could be enough, but that would require both of them to cross lines and boundaries that existed for their benefit, or by their own choice. JJ simply wasn't going to do that, even if it meant he was going to have to make more runs than was usual for him.

The pair approached the temple, or were getting close to it, about the time Kyra kicked her foot into the ground. She wa frustrated with JJ and with the situation, and the Knight blamed himself. He should have known this was not going to sit well with her, but truth be told, Kyra had other mentors, and she went on adventures without him. Was it fair for her to want JJ tied to her when she was not tied down to him?

His thoughts may have betrayed his frustration on that regard if Kyra was paying attention. JJ would never voice it, and hopefully Kyra was learning the difference between thoughts and what was voiced. He could only hope because the pair had reached the entrance to the temple.

"Don't forget we are walking away with an artifact, and the temple security sometimes forgets that Jedi are not intruders. Stay close just in case... hmmm?

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Right," she agreed, not enthusiasm to her voice.

Fair or not, Kyra was unable to see past the foreshadowing of a repeat experience. She was childish and she was selfish. She didn't want him to have someone. Just like she didn't want Nida or her mother to date-- and oh. Did she have stories there on things she did to make that happen.

There was no lesson yet learned on voice and unvoiced. There was no lesson yet learn on respecting what they received through the bond, accidental or otherwise.

There was only pure grump.

She crossed her arms, pushing her way up the temple stairs. She didn't see any temple security come by. No guards. No wookies with spears. Just an old worn down door, solid stone clunked closed. Without waiting for him, she waved her hand to open it. Many a grunts were had.

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

JJ simply rolled his eyes. This was just one example why JJ could not answer the question Kyra had poised with the answer she wanted. Her behavior highlighted one very real fact. They were near 10 years apart in age, and while they were alike in their personalities and needs when it came to training, Kyra was that much more immature than JJ. He needed adult companionship as much as he needed what being Kyra's mentor gave him. The bond gave the pair an intimacy they would never experience with another, but it did not mean the two would find everything they needed in that bond. Many Jedi would want them to think that, but JJ knew better. He had seen otherwise.

"Right, you just keep throwing a fit over there about what is going through my head. You should be focused on the mission instead of my love life or lack of it. How would you like it if I suddenly started complaining about all the friends you have... and the very real fact that one of these days they will end up taking you away from me, hmmm? Because I've seen that before too you know!"

There was not a scenario Kyra could come up with about Judah leaving, that he could not counter with why she might. The two either had to trust the bond would keep them together, or choose to stay in the cycle of distrust and watch what they feared truly happen.

JJ sighed as he caught up to Kyra who seemed to be the one barreling ahead into the mission now. His hand reached for her arm, grabbing it and spinning her around to look him in the eye.

"Hey... you realize the more you say a thing will happen it likely will... so why don't you just choose to think about us different okay? I don't know what I'm doing here. I've never had a force bond with anyone this deep before. Life is gonna happen, but I got to trust the Force is up to something... otherwise why even allow the bond anway?"

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

" I dunno!" She snapped, an edge of moisture to her eyes. She yanked her arm out of his hands and wacked him in the chest, the door behind them unmoving. “But I don’t want it! I don’t want it, I didn’t ask for it! It’s horrible, an intrusion of my privacy. I never agreed to be tied to you and your horny little mind!” An unfair statement, and an in accurate one to boot. She knew the moment that it escaped her lips that she had crossed a line and would regret it, but there was a piece of her that was hell bent on running rampage and destroying the things around her.

Color her scared. This bond thing highly overwhelmed her. Sure it was fun at first, doing a little neat force trick and all, but now that shit was getting real....

She hit his chest again, her lip wobbling against the stress of it all. “Fix us, its not fun anymore!”

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

“Fix us, how, break the bond? Do you realize how empty that will make you feel?”

JJ paused and wrapped Kyra in his arms. She could beat against his chest all she wanted to, but the truth of the matter was the Knight was stronger than her in every way. He did not care about her thoughts on privacy, he even let her comment about his mind go. They both knew it wasn‘t true. As far as JJ was concerned she needed to know that he feared losing her as much she feared losing him.

Judah let the lone feeling wash over her. Fear. He was afraid that Kyra would be gone, the bond would break, and he’d ache for her in the same way he ached over the broken bond with Sasha.

His eyes refused to look at hers.

“I can‘t live through that again. Do not make me.“

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra gasped, going limp against him.

And then she was silent, no room for her fears or confusion inside the emotions he poured through the bond. Even as an empath, she had no yet mastered receiving emotions one on one while maintaining her footing. With this strange pathway she had carved between their brains?

His pain was her own. Not just a reflection of his past, but a shadow of her future. Their future if she pushed this rash decision. She hitched a breath, shying away from it all together.

He would feel her acceptance— refusal to go through on that. She didn’t want it anymore than him. But that didn’t make what had happened to them any easier. She squirmed in his arms, then pushed him away, desperate to shut him out again. “It’s too much,” came the cry.

Too much to feel. Too much to handle. This simple mention of a crush had her feeling utterly at risk, and they weren’t even like that.

“How can we live like this? How can we-“ be normal with each other in our minds, came the unfinished sentence, accidentally slipping through the link.

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

Acceptance.

JJ sighed knowing it was the one thing he needed in that moment. She needed to feel it too, so Judah let go of the fear and gave her what she needed. It also meant letting her go when she pushed off his chest. They were tied to each other, but that did not mean JJ would force her to stay if she wanted away. She knew him well enough by now to know she was free with him.

“I don‘t know,” he answered honestly.

Her thoughts had come through even though she had not intended them to. JJ sighed again realizing that was the case.

“This isn’t normal, so I don’t know how to answer that.”

A shrug.

Judah started walking down the corridor once more. His mind went into itself trying to answer the question, even for himself. How was it she could confuse him so much. If JJ admitted what he truly thought or felt, Kyra might blush. The Knight was constantly trying to stamp down the confusion which was similar to the confusion with Ami. Their bond made things different, and he couldn’t help but try and determine what was the bond and what his feelings were.

“Kyra... I don’t know.“

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra watched him go, both relieved for his honesty and lost over it all at once.

He was suppose to have all the answers. If he didn’t know how they were meant to function with the scars of her psionic mistake, then...

No one told her using the force could hurt you. She wrapped her arms around herself, stamping out both their confusions from her mind as she followed after.

“So...” she croaked, keeping that can of worms firmly closed. “Is there... anyone in here?” She knocked on the door in, her previous attempt to open it failing. It was a heavy ass stone.

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

Right, the door. Judah waved his hand and opened it with as much ease as Kyra had difficulty. The man smirked as he walked past her and through the open door.

“I guess we need to work on that one too?”

JJ was certain the Zeltron would want nothing to do with him and training anymore after tbe accidental bond they had formed. Anything could go wrong, and yet they needed each other to progress in the path the force had for them. It wasn‘t something Judah was too worried about though. She had many mentors, and they would teach her if he didn’t. He wanted to, but the decision was always going to be hers.

Judah snapped and brought the torches on the walls to life. Elemental skills had always be an easy thing for him, his father as well. Where his father seemed to master wind best, JJ found water to be easiest. Fire, that was for fun.

“The chamber we want is straight down and to the left. So far so good...”

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

He didn't need the bond to feel her glaring into his back.

She reached her hand out, giving him an abrupt force tug on his leg. Hard. She walked past him as he recovered, her chin held high. Bruised ego much? Yes.

"My training is going just fine without you, thankyouverymuch." She moved towards the end of the hall, not pausing to check for traps or sense things out through the force.

 

[Judah Lesan Jr.]

Her training was going just fine, and a force push to Judah's leg to prove it sent him almost crashing to the ground. He caught himself with a quick levitation and sent the same force push at both Kyra's legs. If her training was going fine, then should try on a taste of her own medicine. This was what made Judah such a different instructor than others she may have had. Where many would likely have scolded Kyra, JJ simply turned the tables on her. Sure, she would eventually use her pheromones to get what she wanted, but the man was not going to miss an opportunity to get a few of his own licks in before she did.

"Going just fine without me, hmmm?" JJ questioned after Kyra reacted to his attack. "At least you aren't wearing that outfit from the ball the other day right now otherwise it would be quite the view. I don't see why you had to wear something so short anyway."

JJ sounded something like a cross between an older brother and a jealous lover at the same time. It was odd as to why that combination stuck out to him, but it did. For a moment he just looked at Kyra, then waved it off. They did need to keep moving. The problem was JJ had already said something, which meant that a retort was likely to follow.

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra had no time to react. Not even squeak. The girl thought she had as good as gotten away with her insolence. She usually did. Her spoiled nature paired with her lack of situational awareness left her splatting into the ground.

Hard.

She panted there for a moment, flabbergasted. How- how dare he! Pain throbbed in her head. Her wrist ached from catching herself wrong. All things she could have avoided herself, but she preferred not to think of it that way. She lifted herself up with a scowl and turned on him, her eyes alight. "You're just jealous I had friends to go with." And a date, though she was hard pressed to think of Kat that way.

"I saw you drinking alone. What? Feeling sorry for yourself?" She practically spat back. She force pushed against him hard, the torches rattling in their holders.