Private And You Are?

[Iris Arani]

"Have you ever been curious about what others might think on seeing something only you can see?" It was a random question in an otherwise quiet evening. The rooftop Arlo Renard had shown Iris had become a staple for any free evening. Sometimes she'd train, sometimes she'd paint. No matter what though she'd end up staring up at the sparkling lights of Coruscant above, watching the colors of the people who lived there. Seeing how they changed day to day in a curious attempt to see what didn't. Her gaze stayed up, tracing over the swirling trails of red, blue, and yellow before falling back towards the Doppleganger.

"Mm. That doesn't make sense. Have you ever wondered what it might be like to see my world of colors?"

 

[Arlo Renard]

"Have you ever been curious about what others might think on seeing something only you can see?"

Kai stopped eating his sandwich in mid-bite. <Huh?>

This was one of Iris' hypotheticals, and as usual, she had posed the question out of nowhere. Kai chewed slowly, considering what his answer would be, but before he could reply, she spoke again, dismissing it as nonsense. Kai wagged his eyebrows and smirked.

"Have you ever wondered what it might be like to see my world of colors?"

<Sure.> Kai gestured toward her canvas. <I figured this was the closest I'd ever get to seeing the world the way you do.>

Swallowing the rest of his sandwich, he got up from the edge and walked over to her side, peering at the unfinished painting. <You painted the city as you see it, but I don't even usually see the city. You know?>

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

<You don't see the city?> Iris tilted her head, glancing up towards Kai before looking back to her painting. Another vast swirl of colors, though this time there seemed to be shapes to it. The city, mingled with shades instead of the abstract clouds she usually painted.

<Do you want to see? I've been working on.. I'm not sure how to describe it. Domxite and I usually.. Meld? It's.. You might be able to see what I see, I guess.>

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai shook his head. <When I was born, I didn't have eyes. I used the Force to "see", but that kind of sight is without color. I didn't even know what color was. I still don't pay much attention to what my eyes show me, at least not as much as humans do. The city is made up of living things. I see the parts of it, but not the city itself.>

He wasn't sure if she would understand, though he did his best to explain. Most humans had a hard enough time wrapping their head around the idea of being blind. He'd had none of their five senses.

She offered to let him see via a meld. <Sure,> he replied, taking her hand in his.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Surprisingly, that seemed to click with Iris. She nodded, giving a smile. <Like Domxite.> Maybe it wasn't that surprising. Still, she squeezed Kai's hand for a moment, then reached out. Like her thoughts, her emotions. Like back when they first met. But instead of just sending, she left herself open for him to do the same. A conduit to combine their perspectives together.

The result would be blinding to most. A constant, overwhelming swirl of colors. All life, thoughts, and emotions on display with no off button. It wasn't even through sight that she saw these colors, more it's own sense that she couldn't describe. <Is it working?>

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai laughed. <Yes, like Domxite. Only I am much more charming.>

Though he was the one who had made the first move by taking her hand, when Iris opened her mind to him, he seemed suddenly reluctant... or perhaps transfixed. He tentatively reached out, the fingers of his free hand curling gently but firmly around her neck as he sank into her mind...

"Kai?"

Eyes snapping open, he jolted out of the meld and whirled around. A mass of vines and leaves had begun to creep up over the edge, surging across the roof towards them. Seated among the foliage like a trapeze artist was a slender brunette in her late teens. Her most distinct trait were her legs, which were deformed in a way that made them look like the roots of a tree. It was obvious that she couldn't walk, so the plants had evidently borne her up the side of the building.

<Claudia?> Kai addressed her with obvious familiarity—and some degree of guilt. <Thank goodness you're here—>

"What are you doing?" Claudia demanded. She gestured to Iris. "Who is this?"

<This is Iris. We were doing a Jedi mind meld.>

"And does a Jedi mind meld normally require you to hold her hand, caress her neck, and lean toward her until your noses are almost touching?"

Kai blinked, not understanding what she was getting at. He did feel guilty about what had just occurred, but not because he feared Claudia's jealousy. The temptation of Iris' open mind had nearly caused him to succumb to his hunger. Claudia's arrival had prevented him from feeding, and he could not be more grateful for the distraction.

Claudia moved closer, a sickly-sweet smile on her face as she addressed Iris. "Hi, I'm Claudia. Has Kai mentioned me yet?"

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Confusion filled her mind. Kai touched her neck, leaned in, but the colors were.. Hungry? Iris was far too trusting for her own good. No matter what was happening, Kai wouldn't hurt her, right? Yet there was still fear. Not fear of him, but fear of what was going to happen. There was no ignoring how close he'd gotten, how he held her neck.

It was another who stopped that from being tested. Too caught up in whatever this meant Iris hadn't even noticed the shift of colors as not just another but new life arrived. Plants writhing over the wall. Fear. Iris froze where she stood, eyes wide, skin pale. Her grip stayed on Kai's hand, squeezing until her knuckles turned whiter than she already had. The hunger, the plants.

Drengir.

All at once she was back in the jungle, alone, running from a creature who's only desire was to eat. Unable to fight back.

"Hi, I'm Claudia. Has Kai mentioned me yet?"

Iris blinked. No jungle. Roof. City. Right. Shame and embarrassment took over, though not for any reason that might make sense for what Claudia had arrived to. "Ah, no. I don't think he has.. Um.. I'm Iris." Kai had already introduced her, but she still seemed to be reeling from the memory. She flashed a brief, hollow smile before stepping away back to her painting.

"Do you like painting?" Right. Distraction. Claudia controlled the plants. She didn't need to be afraid of them. Iris reached down to lift up the canvas with her gloved hand, only to notice she was still shaking. She gripped the disfigured hand to her chest for a moment, closing her eyes. Taking a breath.

"Ah.. I'm sorry."

 

[Arlo Renard]

Claudia blinked at the out-of-the-blue question. "What, painting? No? I was looking for Kai." She turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Though if I'm interrupting anything..."

<It's done,> Kai said firmly, making a sweeping motion with his hand. <What do you need?>

"Well, for starters, look at me!" She manipulated the vines with the Force, grinning from ear to ear. "I figured out how to control the plants' growth with the Force. I can get around without a hoverchair now!"

<Oh.> Kai's eyes widened as he put a hand out to touch the plants. One vine coiled delicately around his fingers. <Wow.>

"I can use them for all sorts of things. Fighting, spying, multi-tasking... But I'll need to get some practice in first. That's where you come in, Kai. I want to start sparring with you and, uh, stuff like that."

She looked at him so brightly, her violet eyes full of hope. He didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm. <Sure.>

"Okay! So... can we start now?"

<Right now?>

"Yes!"

<Okay good, okay fine.> Kai turned to Iris. <I gotta go. Unless you want to come with—with us, ow?> He jerked his hand out of the vine's too tight grip.

"Whoops, sorry," Claudia blurted. She eyed Iris, hoping the other girl would take the hint.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris glanced between the two, blinking. For once she actually caught on to what Claudia was hinting towards. The Padawan staying behind. Letting Kai and her be alone. Iris's lips thinned for a moment as she looked down to her painting. Why was it she felt like she was intruding now?

"I'll come!" She blinked, more surprised at how abruptly she spoke. But she set her painting down regardless and smiled. "I've been curious on plant manipulation. If it's alright."

 

[Arlo Renard]

"Where are we going to spar, then?" Claudia asked rather pointedly. She had been planning on doing it back at the Reef, but if Iris was coming along...

<We can go to the Jedi Temple.> Kai beamed at Iris. <Come on, I'll give you a lift.>

Claudia looked more than a little wilted at this turn of events, but she followed Kai and Iris across the cityscape. Her plants drew a lot more attention from passerby than Kai's web-swinging, but at least nobody tried to chase them.

They reached the Temple, which at this point was still in the process of being rebuilt. Kai set Iris down on the front steps, and the trio headed for the training rooms.

"Now what?" Claudia asked. In the confines of the chamber, she and her plants looked very out of place.

<We spar, right?> Kai shrugged. <Hit me with your best shot.>

She immediately coiled a vine around his ankle and started to lift him into the air, hanging upside down. It happened quickly, but not fast enough for him to react. He whipped out his lightsaber and cut through the vine, dropping to the floor and rolling to his feet again.

<Now try Iris!>

Claudia's vines went for Iris' neck.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

This was fine, right? The colors didn't lie. Kai was happy to have her along, but Claudia didn't seem to be all that thrilled. Was being alone with Kai that important? She wasn't going to ask anyone out loud. Once they arrived she settled by the door, more expecting to watch.

Only to be involved pretty quickly. The Force gave it's warning, but Iris was still too slow to stop the vines from wrapping around her throat. Her saber came up, cutting the vines shortly after she was lifted, but she dropped and immediately started coughing.

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Are you okay?> Kai asked Iris as the girl began coughing. Turning toward Claudia, he demanded, <Why'd you go for the throat?>

"I didn't grab her that hard!" Claudia protested.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris was still coughing and rubbing at her throat, but she did respond. Mentally. <I'm fine. I just didn't expect it.> Once she got her breath back she stood up, smiling a bit. The same smile as always.

"Now that I know I'm involved though, wanna see how good those vines are for defense?"

 

[Arlo Renard]

"Sure," Claudia replied.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Good." Then she was off. Iris rushed forward, Domxite in hand. Though her stance was vastly different from the more rigid and wide of before. Small, precise thrusts towards Claudia, aiming to thrust through the vines and catch her herself. One handed, at that. She'd been training, so why not use it now?

 

[Arlo Renard]

The vines undulated and writhed, jerking Claudia out of the way of Iris' blows with dizzying speed even as her lightsaber sliced through them. Kai watched from afar, not wanting to interfere, but he was a little concerned. The air reeked with the smoky scent of singed plant matter. Was Iris wielding her lightsaber on the lowest intensity setting?

Claudia was left woozy from all the sharp movements. Her next attempt at an attack was off-center, aiming for Iris' sword arm. Instead it slammed into the floor beside her with enough force to chip the tile.

<Claudia! Not so hard!> Kai exclaimed.

"I'm trying!" she called back, exasperation apparent in her voice as she continued to evade Iris' strikes.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

The intensity seemed to change depending on where Iris was thrusting out. Neither her or Domxite wanted to hurt Claudia, but that was just another part of the training. Control. Precision. The smile turned to a grin. She was enjoying this. A challenge for her new skill set.

"It's fine! Don't hold back!"

 

[Arlo Renard]

Claudia had bitten off more than she could chew. Her disability had kept her from engaging in sparring prior to this moment. It was her first day of combat training, and she had no idea what she was doing. But pride kept her from admitting that fact out loud.

She didn't hold back. Iris would find herself smacked by thorny vines, shoved by branches, grabbed and (if she didn't cut the vine holding her fast enough) even thrown across the training room.

All the while, an increasingly disoriented Claudia was getting sloppier, more prone to mistakes...

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Cuts, bruises, they didn't stop Iris. Even being thrown around didn't seem to. This was a lot, but nothing like the Drengir she'd met on New Cov. More, it was good practice. Almost too good of practice though. If it wasn't for the fact the whole point was to be in control and realize what was happening around her she might've taken it too far with Claudia.

Instead, she saw the colors. The fatigue. As she was thrown again before cutting through the vines around her ankles she stood, turned off her blade, and spoke aloud. "Solah." An old Jedi way of surrendering a spar. Why wouldn't Claudia know it?

 

[Arlo Renard]

"What did you just call me?!"

Claudia (or rather, her vines) charged at Iris from all angles.

Iris Arani​