Private Crazy Rich Jedi

[Xian Xiao]

Xian watched her go, standing still for a heartbeat longer than she meant to before her body finally remembered to move.

"…You're being dramatic again," she called after her, already pushing into motion, boots crunching softly along the path as she hurried to close the distance Noriko had so pointedly created.

She slipped through the drifting clouds and between the rows of trees, refusing—on principle, mostly—to let herself be left behind over whatever that little performance was supposed to be.

"I do trust you," Xian added, raising her voice just enough to be heard, though it sounded more like she was arguing with the air than admitting anything to an actual person.

A beat passed. "…Mostly."

She caught up at last, falling into step beside Noriko with a look that tried very hard to be annoyed and didn't quite manage the conviction.

"But if you actually leave me to get lost in a palace in the clouds, that's on you," she muttered, the words slipping out with more resignation than threat.

Then, quieter, almost reluctant, as if the admission cost her something small but real.

"And your heart isn't broken. You were smiling."

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

Noriko looked at her. "I can do two things at once, sometimes I tear up when spending an enjoyable time with a paramour padawan..." SHe said it while walking between the trees and up another set of stairs as there was more people around. NOriko was skipping though as she walked... not worried about Xians reaction as she moved. "Come on if you are going to follow me might as well show you where to go. The things I do and go back even though you are so cruel to me over and over again." She mocked cried but was moving now through the hallways before she opened up large doors and the room was massive filled with a central bed but also a large panoramic window that wrapped around and gave a view of the mountains, clouds and the sun setting to the side. "THis will be your room."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian followed, still half-annoyed, half-curious—until the doors opened.

She stopped.

Completely.

Her mouth opened just a little, but no words came out at first.

The room stretched out in front of her, the light from the setting sun spilling through the panoramic windows and painting everything in gold and soft orange. The clouds drifted below like an ocean, the mountains cutting through them in quiet silhouettes.

For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

"…This is… mine?" she asked quietly, like saying it too loud might make it disappear.

She stepped forward slowly, almost carefully, as if the space might reject her if she moved too quickly. Her hand brushed lightly along the edge of the bed, then turned toward the window, drawn to it without thinking.

Xian moved closer until she stood just in front of the glass, staring out at the horizon.

"…You can see everything," she murmured.

The earlier irritation was gone.

Completely gone.

She glanced back at Noriko, her expression still wide with quiet disbelief.

"This isn't a padawan room," Xian said softly.

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao Xian Xiao

"Oh." Norrko looked at her as she was standing in the room and raised an eyebrow as she looked at the girl. "If it isn't to your liking you can go and tell the Lady Unaga of the house. She took care to pick this room out for you but if you want to tell herr she was wring. I am sure she'll understand. She is used to being told no and that she is wrong.... all the time." NOrriko said it while she was walking. "She is down the hall to the right. In the throne room of the palace. I believe she is hearing the latest information on what some of our less savory family members are doing and debating what she is going to do and wherre she is going to put them but if you know better you should tell herr."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian blinked at her, the awe still written all over her face as Noriko immediately twisted it into something else.

"That's not—" she started, then stopped, trying to untangle her words before they came out wrong again.

She glanced back at the window, then the room, then back at Noriko.

"That's not exactly what I meant," Xian said, a little quieter this time.

Her hand rested lightly against the edge of the bed, grounding herself.

"I didn't mean it like… it's too much or wrong."

A small pause.

She looked back out toward the clouds, her voice softer now, more honest.

"It just doesn't feel like something that's supposed to be mine," she admitted. "Not yet."

Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric before she looked back at Noriko again.

"It's… really beautiful," Xian added quickly, like she needed to make that part clear

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

Noriko sighed and looked at her. Then she was moving and stood tall over the teenager... or as tall as she could with her arms crossed. "Stop repeating that, if you think you don't deserve things, that you aren't allowed to have them you are going to be in constant misery. You don't have to be entitled but when family gives you something you say thank you master Noriko, you are so pretty and smarter then me... and I am learning everything awesome from you and if I run away cause I am a stinker head then I will forever be cursed to be in the bog of eternal stench." She said it and crossed her arms as she was waiting there. "Well I'm waiting."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian's fingers tightened at her sides, subtle at first, just a shift in posture and a growing tension in her shoulders as Noriko kept talking in that exaggerated, playful tone.

Pretty. Smarter. Stinker head. Bog of eternal stench.

It should have been funny. It usually was.

But not now. Not when she had just tried to say something real.

Her gaze flicked briefly to the window, grounding herself in the horizon and the quiet outside, before she looked back at Noriko.

"I didn't say I didn't want it," Xian said, her voice controlled but strained. "I didn't say it was wrong."

Noriko kept going, waiting, expecting, and something in Xian shifted with the sharp clarity of realizing she wasn't being heard.

"I'm not saying that," she said, more firmly now. "And I'm not going to stand here and call myself stupid just because you told me to."

The air stirred.

A soft current slipped along the floor, then gathered. The sheer curtains lifted and fluttered in the golden light as the wind moved through the room, brushing past the walls and the bed.

Xian didn't move. She didn't raise her hands.

But the Force answered anyway.

The air curled around her, lifting strands of red hair and tugging lightly at her clothes before easing outward again in a controlled surge. Not wild. Not destructive. Just present.

"I said thank you," she continued, her voice tight but steady. "And I meant it."

The movement softened.

"I just…" She hesitated, her eyes flicking around the room, taking in its size, its weight. "It doesn't feel like something that belongs to me yet. That's not the same as not wanting it."

The air settled. The curtains fell still.

Xian drew a slower breath, holding her ground.

"I'm not ungrateful," she said, quieter now but firm. "I just don't like being talked to like I'm small."

She didn't look away.

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

Noriko looked at her. "Xian, you are the smallest person here." She said it and disengaged as she was already out of the room but was closing the door with a shrug while she was moving and skipped a little towards her room. The beautiful parts of the palace wide opened so that she was able to climb the stairs into another hall that overlooked the courtyard and cloud gardens. She entered the room while she moved around with one hand coming out as she opened the doors across the way. So a breeze from the gaarden with the scent of fruit trees could come to her while she got to change into something a lot more comfortable.

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian stayed where she was after the door closed, the quiet settling heavier than it should have. Her eyes lingered on the space Noriko had left behind, the words still sitting wrong in her chest. Smallest person here. Maybe it was meant as a joke. It didn't feel like one.

She let out a slow breath, the last trace of stirred air fading as the room stilled around her again. For a moment, she considered following. Saying something, fixing it, but the impulse passed.

"…I know," she murmured, the edge gone from her voice.

She turned away from the door and stepped deeper into the room. The bed, the wide window, the way the light stretched across the floor—it was all beautiful, thoughtful, and still unfamiliar. Too much and not enough at the same time.

Setting her satchel down by the bed, she lingered on the fabric a moment longer than necessary, grounding herself in the small, deliberate motion. No rushing. No reacting. Just staying.

She moved to the window and rested her hand against the cool glass. Outside, the cloud gardens drifted in soft layers, fruit trees catching the last of the sun. Her reflection hovered faintly, red hair slightly out of place, expression still unsettled.

"…It's just a room," she said quietly, as if the words might make it true.

But it wasn't. Not yet.

She drew a slow breath and let it out, shoulders easing as she made a quiet decision.

She wouldn't follow.

Instead, she pulled back from the window and began to settle in, small things first. Moving her satchel. Straightening the blanket. Taking stock of what was hers and where it might belong.

If she was going to be here, then she would make it hers.

Quietly.

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

Noriko got a chance to stretch out as she spread herself out on the bed. Limbs popping where she was and her feet moved as she slipped and kicked and moved them to get the boots off.. and then monkey lizard toes to grab and pull down socks to unleash the beasts... the cool sensation of the air on the soles of her feet were welcoming before she was moving on the bed... Rolling over so that she would be able to pop her back and spine. Her outfit was fine but she was able to really get to do this before she had something to drink. The little droids flying around as she could see the makie droid come back around. Its boxy form there with arms but it was gathering her boots and socks to take them for the refresher.

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't rush.

The quiet in the room settled into something softer, giving her space to breathe without needing to react to anyone else. She moved slowly, testing the space rather than filling it.

Her satchel came first. She picked it up and set it on a small table near the window, not hidden away, just placed where it could be seen. A small shift, but it made the room feel a little less distant.

"…Better," she murmured.

She crossed back to the bed, smoothing a crease in the blanket that didn't really need fixing, her movements steady and deliberate. The room still felt large, but not as unfamiliar as before.

She slipped off her boots and set them neatly beside the bed, a small habit carried over without thought. Then she sat, fingers pressing lightly into the fabric, grounding herself before easing back to lie down.

The ceiling above her was still. The light from the window was softer now as the sun dipped lower.

"…I'm allowed to be here," she said quietly.

This time, the words didn't feel as uncertain.

After a moment, she turned her head toward the window, then toward the satchel resting where she'd left it. She would unpack later. Not everything, just enough.

Enough to leave a trace.

Enough to make the space hers, slowly, in her own time.

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

THe small relaxing nap she could have didn't last long.. her mind was racing with ideas and thoughts and ideas of future thoughts before her eyes opened and she launched herself out of the bed. "I have to pee." She said it and the makie droid looked at her as for a moment it gave a thumbs up with its hands that it used to fist bump them. SHe was looking at more as she finished but stood there stretching out. There was fresh clothing as she got into a kimono with a smile but walked onto the balcony looking towards one of the garden. "Xian is likely wailing without me.. I should return to her... make my way back and let her welcome herr awesome and cool master who teaches her so much." The makie was looking at her and they never spoke. "You are right... she should come to me... good talk cornhusker."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian hadn't meant to rest, but the quiet had pulled her under just enough to blur the edges of her thoughts. When her eyes opened again, it took her a second to remember where she was.

The room. The window. The stillness.

She pushed herself upright, exhaling softly as her feet touched the floor. Nothing had changed, but it felt different now. Less distant. More real.

She crossed to her satchel and opened it, pulling out a few small things and setting them on the table by the window. Not much, just enough to leave a trace of herself in the space.

Her gaze lingered there for a moment before drifting toward the door.

"She's not coming back," Xian said under her breath, not upset, just certain.

A small pause, then quieter, more settled.

"I can go find her."

She moved to the door and pulled it open, stepping into the hall without hesitation. The room remained behind her, no longer unfamiliar, just waiting, while she went to close the distance instead of sitting in it.

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

Noriko had stepped out and was walking as she looked over parts of it all. The cloud gardens were every bit as beautiful as she knew them to be and there was always more. She looked aat a cousin sitting on one of the rocks as the woman had swirling clouds around herself, her eyes completely closed. Her dark hair is gathered and secured into a high, tension-bound topknot, with specific stray strands escaping to frame her jawline. The upper chest is encased in a rigid, layered cuirass constructed from hardened kappa leather and non-reflective jade metal alloys. The armor engineered with overlapping articulated plates that allow for maximum tactical mobility while protecting vital internal organs.

The underlying garments consisted of a dark, heavy-weave materia sunless land silks, designed specifically as a mixture of monastic style robes with heavy thermal regulation and friction reduction against the outer armor plating. Intricate scrollwork and geometric filigree, highlighted by delicate electrum and aurodium trim, are etched deeply into the primary breastplate, catching the diffuse ambient illumination of the gardens. Every leather strap and metallic buckle is fastened with absolute uniform tension, demonstrating a meticulous approach to her looks. The woman's breathing was shallow, measured, and highly rhythmic.

The cousin's upper extremities are fortified with asymmetric, segmented plating, particularly focusing on the right arm. The pauldron and rerebrace interlock via a system of sliding mechanical rivets, featuring concentric circular motifs that perfectly echo the electrum and aurodium trim found on the central cuirass. From the elbow down, the forearms and metacarpals are heavily bound in layered, high-tensile wraps, completely obscuring the dermal layer to prevent structural abrasion and significantly enhance grip friction. Her hands cradle a massive polearm calibrated, mathematical precision. The weapon's primary shaft is constructed of a dense, dark jade metal and wood.

Culminating in a disproportionately large, spherical kinetic striking head. This fluted, multi-ribbed metallic sphere exhibits significant surface oxidation and microscopic scoring, indicating historical high-velocity impacts. Around her lumbar region, a wide, frayed orange sash is tightly knotted, its long tails draped downward, contrasting sharply with the strictly tactical nature of the armor. The lower extremities feature prominent cuisse and poleyn assemblies over the thighs and knees, stamped with matching spiral engravings. The greaves are similarly secured with fabric bindings, leaving the feet entirely bare as she sat there and looked over at Noriko.

"Cousin."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian slowed before she meant to.

She hadn't planned on it, but the moment she spotted Noriko and the woman she was speaking with, something in her instincts pulled back. Not fear. Just awareness.

Her steps softened as she moved through the cloud gardens, quiet without trying. She didn't call out. Didn't interrupt. She just watched.

The armor stood out first. Not flashy, but lived in. Every piece was set with purpose. Then the weapon. Her eyes lingered there a second longer than she meant to.

"…okay," she muttered under her breath, barely audible, "that's a lot."

Her attention shifted back to Noriko, and that was where it clicked. The tone. The posture. This wasn't casual.

Xian tilted her head slightly, watching a moment longer, reading what she could. The space between them felt heavier than it should have.

"…yeah," she murmured quietly, "definitely walked into something."

She exhaled, then stepped forward on purpose this time.

Not loud. Not disruptive. Just enough to be noticed.

She angled in near Noriko's side, giving space but making it clear she wasn't just passing through. Her hands slipped behind her back as she rocked lightly on her heels.

"Hey," Xian said, her tone easy, eyes flicking to Noriko before settling on the armored woman.

A small pause.

"So… should I come back later," she added with a faint grin, "or is this one of those family conversations I accidentally joined just by showing up?"

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

NOriko looked over when she heard XIan approach but kept her eyes on her cousin as the woman rose up but stood there looking for a moment. "Xian, when I tell you, sweep the legs, I'll tactfully back up and lock the door." The woman looked at the pair before Noriko laughed and then she did as well. "You look healthy." She said it standing there though as she looked at Xian with a look. "Our new cousin seems nervous... tell me you have been nice" Norriko looked at the woman. "I am always nice, people think I am adorable like a ropo covered in chocolate sauce... or a pile of credits with free on them."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian blinked once at that, her gaze shifting between the two of them before settling briefly on Noriko, then the cousin.

"…yeah, I picked up on the 'nervous' part," she said lightly, one brow lifting. "Not sure sweeping legs is going to help that."

A faint smirk tugged at her mouth as she shifted her weight.

"And for the record, I have been very nice," Xian added, glancing back to Noriko. "I even waited before walking into whatever this is."

Her eyes flicked back to the cousin, curious but relaxed.

"Also, if she's nervous, I'm pretty sure it's not because of me," she added dryly. "I'm thirteen. I'm not exactly terrifying."

Noriko Ike

 

[Noriko Ike]

Xian Xiao

Noriko looked at Xian and laughed with the other one as the woman spoke. "Ankle biters are the worst." She laughed but moved forward as Noriko stepped there for a moment but then they were hugging. "You are just as serious and unrelenting as ever... also look at you. almost too fat for your armor." Noriko said it as the woman looked at her and then turned to Xian as she spoke. "You cousin, you heard her... go get the breastplate stretcher." NOriko looked at her as she spoke. "Hey, my padawan, my go for okay." SHe said it but looked at Xian as she spoke. "Padawan, let me catch up with her for a moment.. go get the breastplate stretcher for her from the droid."