Private Secret Tunnel!

[Klar]

A ring of stones to arrest the flame! Sand was basically just little stones. It made sense when you said it out lout, but Klar had spent her whole life in the city or in space. Basic survival skills were still new and exciting to her. She studied intently as Xuko demonstrated the proper way to make a small fire pit, helped gather fire wood and stack it in a useful spot, and kept their provisions secured in the trunk of the speeder bike. It was honestly pretty exciting - making a little home away from home out of nothing! She sincerely hoped that getting to teach her a thing for once was as fun for Xuko as it was to learn from him,.

Putting up her little tent took some doing. All the collapsible rods and catches and holes and such. Klar eventually figured it out, but it wasn't the easiest thing she'd ever done.

As she settled in on the grass with a thermos of iced tea and a bottle of antiseptic, Klar considered Xuko's question. "I kind of want to swim? But I have no idea how." She laughed, dabbing antiseptic gel on the small cuts and abrasions she'd gotten all over her legs and arms down in the cave. "I think it could be fun to walk around the lake, check the area out. We might even be able to get back by nightfall if we go right now, but I'm noooot sure. I guess it depends on how many interesting things there are to look at or talk about."

The Codru-Ji glanced up from her work with a grin. "Sunbathing must sound like the dumbest thing on the planet to you, huh?" She laughed. "I just realized. "Do you think there's any good things nearby we could forage up for an authentic 'roughin' it' experience? Mushrooms or whatever?"

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko considered the options that Klar laid out, glancing out at the lake and trying to estimate it's circumference. She was right, he realized; a walk around the lake would most likely take up the rest of their sunlight, and then some. That didn't rule out the possibility of a shorter walk, but it did knock it down the list for Xuko.

As interesting as foraging sounded, Xuko was hesitant to commit to that as well. "Were this Iridonia I could tell you what was safe to eat and what was not, but I am not confident in my knowledge of Tython's plants" he replied. "Better to eat what we have brought with us this time." If her survival book had a guide they could use that, but he'd wait for her to confirm or deny.

That left swimming or sunbathing. The ghost of a smile appeared on Xuko's face as he recognized the irony behind Klar's statement, but in truth he didn't feel strongly one way or another; this was Klar's expedition, and whichever she preferred he would be fine with. "Sunbathing or swimming" he suggested, leaving the final decision to her. "The feeling of sun on one's skin is pleasant and I would enjoy that" he said, "Or I could also show you what I have learned about swimming" Although open water- especially open water not immediately used for drinking- was exceedingly rare on Iridonia, his father had made sure to give him lessons when the opportunity arose. Xuko decided that he wouldn't emulate his father's method of throwing him into the deep end and yelling, "Varr Shak!"

Probably.

"Which would you prefer?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

Klar considered her options, weighing her desire to learn how to swim against the fact that her arms and legs were covered in tiny cuts she'd just treated, and that her shoulder was still a bit sore from being squeezed between some rocks. Going down that 45 meter climb hadn't been too hard, but coming back up in a hurry had been. "I think we've faced down enough elemental forces for one day." Klar decided with a sheepish laugh. "Tomorrow we can look into swimming or a hike. I think I'd like to relax for a little."

Embarrassing herself might be fun, though. "Moonlight swim might be fun, too." She added slyly. "In the shallow bits."

Klar stood, stretched, then offered Xuko a warm smile. "I'm glad we're out here." She promised earnestly, patting his shoulder. "Thanks for trusting me back there, too."

And with that said, Klar departed towards her tent. "Gonna get changed! Find us a good spot to lay out and relax!" The blonde requested cheerfully as she bounced off.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

"Sunbathing it is" Xuko nodded in acceptance of the choice. Given their earlier experiences in the cave system, time spent either prone or supine on the ground sounded just fine with him. The sun on Tython was much less harsh than on Iridonia, making the pastime something to be enjoyed instead of endured. "If you wish to go swimming later, just let me know." Although the Codru-Ji had expressed interest in learning to swim, given his own experience earlier today Xuko wasn't about to force her to do something that could potentially be outside of her comfort zone.

Even if a moonlit swim with Klar sounded nice.

"Thank you for helping me" Xuko found himself replying to the Codru-Ji as she walked towards her tent. "You might have saved both of our lives." It wasn't an exaggeration, he realized; he'd been mere seconds from pulling out his lightsaber and hacking away at the rock, which could've caused all number of consequences; none of them good.

Giving Klar all the privacy she needed, Xuko headed down onto the short beach with a pair of towels and laid them out neatly. He then did a thorough inspection of the beach, water, and the nearby jungle before returning to his own tent to change; content that they could relax in safety. Once there he changed into a pair of black swim trunks. Boring? Perhaps. But Xuko rarely troubled himself with making a fashion statement.

The feeling of sand beneath his feet made Xuko think of his homeworld as he emerged from his tent and headed to the beach. Had it really been only a few months since he'd left Iridonia for the Jedi Order? Xuko decided that despite the distance, the lessons he'd learned on Iridonia would stay with him throughout his life; for example, always having a weapon close by. Fortunately for Xuko, a lightsaber was an easy thing to bring to the beach.


Klar

 

[Klar]

"Literally whenever, Xuko." Klar promised earnestly, smiling as she put a hand on his shoulder in passing. "I know you'd do the same for me."

It didn't take Klar long to change into a swimsuit. Plain black seemed to be the order of the day - Klar was a little pleased that they matched. While she ALSO would have preferred to wear trunks, this desire lost out to the aversion to looking like a dope with an uneven tan.

Klar fetched a pair off water bottles, lotion, and small radio with a bright smile, bouncing down to the towels that Xuko had oh-so-thoughtfully laid out. "Back on Coruscant, they have places you go to sit in a tube of light and get a tan." She explained cheerfully. "They're pretty nice! It's usually too cloudy to sunbathe, and you're too likely to give somebody crazy an eyeful." The blonde explained. "Also I just don't like an audience."

Howevermuch she was concerned with washing away the antiseptic gel she'd put on her arms and legs, Klar didn't seem bothered enough to not smear sun protection over it. Four hands and flexibility made relatively quick work of it, since Klar was in a hurry to get to the good part.

The good part was, of course, when she laid back on the towel with her arms behind her head and some pleasant background music playing on the radio. Let the heat soak in, listen to the modest freshwater waves, and just relax. Let the cave fade into memory. It was less important than roasting things over the fire later.

After a moment, Klar glanced over towards her companion curiously. "Do you have sisters?" She inquired. "Just asking."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko glanced up as the sound of a small radio- borne by Klar- approached, noting with some surprise that they'd unknowingly matched swimwear. The Zabrak surmised that this must be what was known as "unintentional twinning." Xuko wondered momentarily if this counted as making a fashion statement, then remembered that he didn't care enough about fashion to be bothered one way or another.

Xuko listened as Klar described tanning beds on Coruscant, as well as the privacy hazards that came with not using them. They had been raised in two very different environments; her without hardly any nature, and him with way too much. All the same, Xuko knew which he preferred. "That sounds..." -he amended his words mid-sentence as Klar expressed a positive- "...interesting."

A few minutes passed in silence as Xuko eased into the flow of not doing anything. Unlike Klar he didn't bother with sunscreen; his people had evolved to withstand much harsher sun than the one on Tython. That didn't mean that he didn't enjoy the sensation on sunbathing, however- as he'd mentioned earlier, the sun on his skin was a pleasant warmth, and one he had missed.

The silence was broken by a question from Klar, and Xuko momentarily debated whether or not to launch into an explanation of Iridonian familial structures. "That depends on how you define a sister" he responded. "Why do you ask?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

'Interesting' was, Klar suspected, Xuko's way of not saying anything at all when he couldn't come up with something nice to say. And that was fine - she certainly wasn't about to come up swinging on behalf of tanning salons or anything. His dry commentary on such things continued to be funny. The rare instances when he didn't speak his mind as plainly and bluntly as usual stood out as remarkable, unusual events worth noting. She couldn't help at his motives. Stoic as he was, Xuko gave little away.

Rather than answer a question with a question, Klar rolled over on her belly so she could look in his direction without having the sun in her eyes. She wanted an even coat, anyway. "I can't think of another guy I'd have come up here with who'd have kept his eyes and hands to himself like you do. Like right now, and the whole ride up here on the speeder." Klar stated plainly, propping her head up on her chin. "I don't wanna make you think I'm criticizing you or questioning you or anything - I'm not. Promise. You're probably one of my closer friends in the Order, and that means I put a lot of thought into trying to figure out how you tick and what's going on in your brain. I like to know where we stand."

The Codru-Ji propped her head up on one hand, looking thoughtful. "I've seen you hang out with other guys, and I don't THINK you're into guys." She explained plainly. "And I apologize if I'm incorrect about that. Or correct about something you wanted to keep to yourself."

A bit embarrassed, the blonde shrugged a shoulder and smiled. "Dunno. I figured maybe you grew up with a bunch of sisters or something, so you were just comfortable around women in a way most guys usually aren't. If that makes sense? I don't think it's a BAD thing, obviously. I wouldn't have come up here alone with a guy I wasn't completely comfortable being isolated with, Jedi or no. You get that, right?" She'd chosen and invited carefully, after all. Reality had a way of sucker-punching you when you got too complacent and started making assumptions. Xuko might've just realized that Klar was his friend, but she'd made up her mind on that subject shortly after they'd been partnered for the big project - and Xuko had spent the time since entirely deserving her faith in his character.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko matched Klar's roll, turning over onto his stomach and giving her his attention; sensing that this was an Important Topic. As her train of thought wound on, it dawned on Xuko that this was a conversation he'd never had before, and as a result he was having difficulty gathering his thoughts on the matter.

He decided to start with what he did know, based off of what Klar was telling him. Xuko trusted her to be honest, and he appreciated her giving him both clarity and context in regard to her questions. He also recognized that she was asking for honesty and clarity from him. Xuko decided, in the absence of better options, to borrow a page out of Klar's book and just start talking.

The honesty part he could do. Clarity- at least in regard to his own feelings- was something that he was still searching for.

"That is a valid question to ask. Thank you for your trust in me" he started, wanting to acknowledge that. Something that he wouldn't think twice about was a major consideration, for her and many others. He almost stopped there, but decided to forge on, even if that meant exploring topics he hadn't fully settled on, himself. "Part of it is that Iridonian relationships, like much of what we do, are very passionate" he said, feeling a flush in his cheeks as he recognized how little he'd had practice speaking about this topic. "There are very clear discussions and boundaries are set before anything physical takes place." He decided it probably wasn't necessary to further explain how laws and traditions on Iridonia also protected people against unwanted advances; it was not something he had struggled with, anyways. "You and I have not had any of those discussions" he simply pointed out.


Xuko paused again, gathering his thoughts; there was more to answer. "You are correct that I am not physically attracted to men" he said, "and sometimes I wonder if I am physically attracted to women as well." There were other genders, of course, but at this point he found it simplest to focus on two. "For example, I admit that I do find you attractive" he admitted, "but that does not translate to me wanting sex" he said.

That was the part that confused him the most, and he didn't anticipate it would make much sense to Klar, either. "Does that... answer your question?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

Klar took a moment to process this. While she was absolutely a motormouth most of the time, those who knew her - Xuko undoubtedly included - knew that she tended to take a moment to carefully process and chose her words when it came to Important Subjects. Things that needed to be handled with care and delicacy. Normal people behavior, honestly.

"I... suppose it does." She reflected quietly, gazing at the water. The consideration passed a moment later, giving way to a smile. "I'm fairly- I think the term is 'positive'? About the subject myself." Klar explained sheepishly, more than a little embarrassed. She hadn't really discussed the matter with anyone, especially not another Jedi. "So it is a little alien to me. But! If you're happy, Xuko, I'm happy." She promised.

Klar folded her arms and lay her head atop them, using them as a pillow. "I confess that I AM a little curious about the tradition of having long talks about limits and boundaries before anything starts happening. I almost wish more people did that." She added cheerfully. "Mostly they just put what they want or don't want in their Zindr profile. Or allude to it. Which is hardly the same thing, doesn't really... replace an actual conversation. Of course."

"If I may ask." Klar continued quietly, her eyes slightly wide - she was locked in, studying him now, trying to drink in every detail. "When did you know? Was there a point where you realized you felt differently about sex, or has a part of you always known?" The Codru-Ji asked intently.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko shrugged off Klar's embarrassment; as far as he was concerned, there was no shame in being sex positive. If anything, he was intrigued by the possibility of being able to pick someone else's brain, especially someone who was closer to the norm that he envisioned the rest of the galaxy falling under. The Zabrak couldn't help a grin show when she mentioned Iridonian customs, however. "Sometimes they are quite short" he said, "depending on how long they have known each other and any existing history between them." The grin faded as he returned to seriousness. "But the point is, as you say, to ensure clear understanding between potentially interested parties."

Klar's follow-up question was a little more difficult to answer. "Part of my struggle is that I do not think that I fully know" Xuko said, after a pause. "I do know that I have spent a long time wondering, but I suppose only time will tell." That was an incomplete answer, and Klar deserved better than that. "By that I mean that I do not know if I only experience sexual attraction under specific circumstances, or not at all." There was a surprising amount of nuance to this, he was discovering.

Xuko decided to throw the question back at Klar. "What about you? Your overall attitude seems very different to mine, and I am curious to know more if you are willing to share. Barring that, I would also like to know where we stand."

Klar

 

[Klar]

"Where we stand?" Klar asked, gesturing between the two of them with a mildly surprised expression. "I mean. Hm." The blonde thought for a moment, then chuckled sheepishly. "...I'd considered the idea that this trip might have developed into something 'romantic' when I suggested it." She confessed. "And I was fine with that happening. I didn't invite you because I wanted to get entangled with you, I invited you because you're my friend and I thought it'd be fun to have you. I feel safer when you're around because I know you're reliable and you've got my back. You're perfect to go on an adventure with." Klar explained. "And if we had wound up sharing a tent, I would have been fine with that. But I don't want you to think that was my only reason for having you along."

"You're my friend, Xuko, and that's more than enough for me." Klar promised. "If you ever decide you want to have that talk with me, I'll hear you out. Even if you're not looking for somebody to... confirm yourself with. But I'm perfectly happy just being your friend. If that's alright with you."

The blonde rolled onto her side to better face him, laying on her hip with her head still propped up. "I've come to realize that I kind of got hit by everything when I came out of my cocoon." She confessed. "I skipped most of the growing-into-yourself that I think a lot of species have. One week, I didn't really think about sex at all. A couple weeks later, I was stumbling around on two legs, learning how to speak words and wearing a bra and noticing.... everyone, really." Klar explained, blushing to the tips of her ears. "It kind of sucked. Nobody really explained how any of it worked, and my being confused about all of it just seemed to frustrate the people in charge of me. Think they were just upset that their exotic pet wyrwolf turned out to be an awkward girl who didn't know anything about being a person."

Klar's blush became downright incandescent for a moment as she awkwardly laughed. "I mean, before that point I always thought I was going to come out of the cocoon as a boy." She added sheepishly. "I mean, I knew I was a girl. I understood there was a difference in equipment. But I figured that if I was going to be remade completely anyway, maybe I'd get to pick? "

"But. No. I didn't always know. Very specific sort of day where I knew how I felt about... basically all of it." Klar added with a crooked smile. "Some of the finer points I had to work out over time, but... Girls are beautiful. Boys are beautiful. I love both. And everything between."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko nodded, digesting Klar's words and approving of them. Her honesty rang clearly in the Force, and some tension he hadn't realized he'd been holding eased. True to what Klar had said, he hadn't sensed an ulterior motive in her invitation, but it was also oddly... gratifying?... to be considered potentially more than a friend. It was an honor that was not bestowed lightly. Xuko also highly appreciated that while she had left the door open to a future conversation about becoming "entangled", as she put it, that there was no promise of anything other than a conversation. Strong boundaries and an openness to other opportunities. That is healthy.

First was to acknowledge what she'd said considering the two of them.

"Thank you for your transparency" he said, fully meaning his words. Iridonians appreciated clarity, and while Klar's words had brought more questions to his mind, that had nothing to do with what she'd said and everything to do with his own journey of discovery. "I am grateful to hear that you consider me a friend and potentially more."

Xuko paused while having a brief internal fight with himself. He knew that he moved slowly in this area- hadn't he just come around to understanding Klar as a friend earlier today?- but Xuko was also beginning to understand how being more open could be helpful. There were no guarantees in life, he realized. Waiting until he was certain as to his feelings risked sending the message that he wasn't interested in getting to know Klar as more than a good friend, when he still definitely was interested in that.

What helped solidify his decision was the lack of pressure from Klar who, if he was understanding her correctly, was open to a deeper relationship but just as happy with being his friend. They were honest words from someone he trusted- and could continue to trust- to advocate for herself and respect his boundaries; just as he would respect hers.

"I am also interested in dating you" he said, "although I do not think I am quite ready to be very physical; you will have to be patient with me in that area. Of course, if you would prefer to be friends that is acceptable to me as well." He meant it; Klar had earned his friendship, and anything beyond that was not required.

Second, there was another clue to her past; the more Xuko heard, the less he'd liked about her upbringing. "I am grateful that Master Chase shut down that operation. You deserved so much better than what you experienced."

And third, something in her tone when she talked about her transformation. "Do you... wish that you had been born a boy?" he asked, curious.

Klar

 

[Klar]

Oh man was she ever not ready for that last bit. A discussion about where they stood, where they might be going, what they both expected from each other, and that might mean? That was the sort of stuff that would suck up the rest of the night and then some. And sure, Klar had been ready for that conversation. She knew what she wanted from a partner, she knew enough to walk away if it wasn't going to happen, and she had enough faith in Xuko to be confident their friendship would likely endure such an event. Which, to be honest, was the sort of thing she selected for - he was datable because she had that faith in him, she didn't have faith in him because he was datable.

A non-physical relationship was a new frontier for her, but Klar was nothing of not adventurous.

The blonde Codru-Ji opened her mouth, shut it again, then rolled onto her belly and looked thoughtful for a moment. Several moments, as she anxiously smoothed her hair and internally tortured herself. Did she really? Did she want to say it out loud? Was it the real thing, or just a kink? Was she even qualified to decide one way or another? Her guts twisted at the idea. "I mean..." Klar began, then laughed unsteadily. Possibly the first forced laugh Xuko had ever heard from her, and it was plainly so. She covered her face and quietly groaned. "Doesn't everyone, sometimes?" She finally squeaked quietly, glancing at Xuko through her fingers. "Wonder about it, I mean. That's a normal, healthy thing to think or fantasize about, yeah?"

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko had fully been expecting to be turned down- he had, after all, begun picking apart Klar's words in his head in a most unhelpful way, twisting them into a soft rejection so as to ease his feelings when she said no. However, even he picked up that Klar's attention had shifted. Xuko had seen her excited, happy, worried, and even serious before. But he'd never seen her flustered like this.

Unfortunately, if Klar was looking for someone to validate her experience, Xuko was the wrong person. As a result of his own orientation, he had no idea what was normal, and as a result he was left similarly unsure. "I... do not know" he said, regretting that he had no worthwhile experience to share. "It is entirely possible and even likely that it is, but I am not well-positioned to comment."

Silence lapsed as Xuko considered how best to approach the new topic. "Is this... something you would like to talk about?"

He was a little confused, but he had the spirit.

Klar

 

[Klar]

Klar chuckled again. This time, it was a bit more genuine. Mostly embarrassed. It felt less like lying, though, so she was thankful for that. "I'm not sure." She confessed quietly. "It's not that I don't want to talk about it to you, Xuko. It's that I don't know what to say about it, or even what 'it' is. I don't want to misrepresent myself now and give you the wrong idea of a thing that I don't know the shape of yet, if that makes sense?" She explained quietly.

"I mean... yes. I wish I were a boy and... whooo is it crazy to say that out loud to somebody." Klar quietly laughed, heaving a heavy sigh. She hid her face again, burying it in her arms. "Ugh. Out loud. I feel like I'm going crazy. Yes, yes yes yes yes. Yes. I do wish that so much and please don't tell anyone."

"Am I ready to tell that to anybody else? Or transition? Is it a phase? I have no idea. I don't know." She explained quietly. "Most of the time I don't even really think about it. I go about my day, I do my work and I talk to my friends and then some days it suckerpunches me out of nowhere and some days it isn't even a thing." Klar added. "I can't even decide if it's a fantasy I'm stuck on or if I'm just... like this."

The Codru-Ji smiled weakly. "I feel like I sound like a crazy person. I really do." She confessed. "I mean, where does that even leave us? You're not attracted to men, and I don't look like one but if I think of myself as one what does that mean for you? If I transition later, how do we even handle that? I don't know if I'll ever want to get surgery, but like- ugggh."

"Can we talk about anything else? And I wouldn't mind a hug. If that's alright."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko allowed space for Klar to talk, simply giving her his attention and refraining from interrupting. He understood not wanting to talk about things he didn't fully grasp himself- after all, that had shaped a lot of his struggle to describe his approach to sex just moments earlier. He had definitely felt nervous about misrepresenting himself then, and so he felt sympathy for what Klar might be feeling now.

Klar's questioning seemed to be a source of anxiety and perhaps even shame, but she would find no judgement from Xuko. A simple, "I will keep what you have told me in confidence" were his only words before pulling Klar into an embrace that he hoped was enough to banish any doubt Klar might have about what he thought about her. Or him. Or whatever Klar might be feeling at any given moment.

He'd would wait for Klar to disengage the hug, trusting her to know how long of a hug she needed at the moment, and then do his best to fulfill her other request; changing the subject.

"I noticed that we fight with different styles" he said, falling back on memories of their first meeting when they had been attacked by fleshraiders. "How did you come to choose Form Three?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

If he was waiting for Klar to pull away from the hug, he'd be waiting for a few minutes. The blonde turned to embrace him with four arms, latching onto Xuko for a minute. Or two. Maybe a few. She ran the full gamut of resting her head on his shoulder while squeezing to relaxing a little and breathing quietly while loosely holding on. At the end of it, Klar was tentatively rubbing Xuko's back with one hand as she held him, trying to work up the courage to run her fingers through his horns. Today, she lacked that courage and reluctantly released him while wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

It was a VERY fraught day. She could forgive herself for crying a little bit.

"Oh, Soresu?" The Codru-Ji squeaked out, a little raspy. She chuckled, cleared her throat, and continued. "Soresu. Form Three. I didn't really choose it. It's just the one that I feel I'm best at." She explained with a little more of her usual cheer. "It's easy for most trainers to assume my calling is Jar'Kai, but I just think that's because. You know."

Klar held up all four appendages and waggled them, an ensemble of jazz hands.

"Truth is, I've attended basic classes for all of the classic forms. They're tools, after all. Never hurts to have more tools." Klar explained sheepishly. "I've always been really interested in their roots, how they're used, new styles as they develop and get incorporated into established forms. One era's standard becomes the next era's weakness. Today's genius becomes tomorrow's rote lesson for children. That sort of thing."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko didn't mind waiting a few minutes.

He simply enjoyed embracing Klar; tightly, loosely, and everything in between, holding eye contact until it got weird and one or both of them looked away, wondering if he should tell her that it felt good to have his horns rubbed but ultimately lacking the courage to say so, and deciding that he'd never say no to an embrace from Klar in the future.

The Zabrak tactfully said nothing as Klar wiped away a few tears- after all, she'd seen him cry already today. Instead, he listened as she described her lightsaber training, approving of her flexibility. "Being well-rounded offers options in a fight" he agreed. It was one of the reasons he was studying Form V; between Shien and Djem So, he would have tools for fighting against opponents wielding both lightsabers and blasters.

"How did you discover the split saber?" he asked. Since Klar had showed him her sabers when they'd first met, he'd harbored a curiosity about the unique design.

Klar

 

[Klar]

Klar sat back on her towel and got herself situated. Swimsuit adjusted, smoothing out the spots where her lotion had rubbed off on Xuko, moving her towel a little bit closer so they could lay at something approaching next to each other if not hip-to-hip.

"I mean, you know me, right?" Klar pointed out with a playful grin. "I did my research on it. I know, I know, there's old traditions about the saber finding the Jedi, or your master picking one for you, or inheriting one - but I'm impatient, I don't have a master, and I'm not inheriting anything." She listed, counting off on each finger. "I looked into the handful of recorded Jedi masters with four arms I could find - mostly Besalisks, actually! Like a SURPRISING amount of them. And studied what THEY'D done. Which was mostly stabersaffs and double sabers." She explained.

"I'm not a FANTASTIC duelist, but I am pretty good at memorizing katas and exercises, and I didn't want to lock myself out of any forms by using only two sabers or a pair of doubles or whatever." Klar added, fully rambling now. "So it just made sense to find an option where I'd be able to leverage my biological abilities while retaining the flexibility to adopt the rudimentary forms of all those styles I've studied. To that end - splitsabers! That way I can have four singles, two doubles, a single, three - whatever arrangement I need in the moment." The blonde chirped as she laid back once more.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko scooched himself and his towel so that it was adjacent to Klar's, meeting her halfway across the foot or so of sand that had separated them. It wasn't graceful, but it was effective, and the Zabrak smoothed out his towel while listening to Klar talk. He should've known that her unique sabers were grounded in research, and her decision-making made sense. Throw in a fundamental understanding not one but six unique forms of lightsaber combat, and Xuko was willing to bet that the Codru-Ji was a better duelist than she let on. Besides, there was something to be said for wielding four sabers at once.

"We shall have to spar sometime" Xuko suggested. His fighting was more instinctual at this stage in his training, while from the sound of things hers was more textbook- there was probably plenty they could learn from each other. "You mentioned that you use Soresu because it is your strongest at the moment. Do you foresee that changing?"

Klar