First Reply The Art of Defying Gravity

[Braze]

The roar of the waterfall filled the air, its powerful rush of water cascading down with unyielding force. There was a young boy seemingly standing on water, defying the laws of nature. Drenched and gasping for breath, his determined gaze fixed on the majestic waterfall before him. Braze stood at the edge of the lake, his eyes fixed on the mesmerizing sight before him. His mind was set on a seemingly impossible task—to walk on the surface of the water using the Force. With a burst of adrenaline, he charged forward, his feet skimming the surface of the water as if it were solid ground. Each step was a delicate balance of concentration and sheer will.

Leaping towards the cascading torrent, he attempted the impossible – to run up the vertical wall of water. His legs pumped furiously, propelling him upward with all his might. But despite his determination, the forces of nature proved too formidable. His footing faltered, betrayed by the slippery surface, and with a resounding splash, he was engulfed by the crashing water.

Emerging a few feet away from where he fell, he sputtered and coughed, water cascading from his soaked form. Undeterred by the setback, he quickly resurfaced. He knew it was a daring endeavor, taxing his concentration, skill, and energy. Others might have deemed it insane, a fool's errand. Yet, Braze was driven by an unyielding desire to surpass his own limits.

Time and time again, he threw himself at the formidable challenge, running across the water's surface, leaping towards the waterfall, and attempting to conquer its imposing ascent. Each failure fueled him further, igniting a fire within him to improve, to master the art of defying gravity.

As the sun cast its golden glow upon the scene, Braze's relentless pursuit continued. With every plunge into the water, he emerged stronger, more resilient. He knew that there were alternative paths, simpler ways to cross a body of water, but he craved the thrill of pushing himself to the edge.

With a deep breath, Braze centered himself, focusing his energy and concentration yet again. The sound of rushing water and the misty spray enveloped him as he took his steps.

His heart was pounding. He attempted to scale its cascading wall, muscles straining against nature's force. But gravity prevailed, sending him crashing back into the lake with a resounding splash. Gasping for air, frustration etched on his face, Braze knew the task demanded immense concentration and physical endurance.

Undeterred, he rose from the water, soaked and yet still determined. Each time, he steadied himself, reaffirmed his resolve, and took another step toward his elusive goal. The cycle repeated, each attempt pushing the boundaries of his abilities, fueled by his belief in the impossible.

Although soaked, defeat did not dampen his spirit. Braze embraced the challenge, viewing the waterfall and the lake as his training ground. With every splash, he learned, adapted, and grew stronger. Time, energy, and unyielding determination were the price he paid to test the limits of his connection to the Force.

Despite the repeated setbacks, Braze persisted. The waterfall and the lake became the backdrop of his relentless pursuit. ​

 

[Uki]

Waterfall
Tags: Braze

​

Uki sat in a tree, frowning. She had a bag of jerky, which she was stuffing her face with. What was this kid doing? He seemed to be trying to run up a waterfall? It seemed kind of silly. Why didn't he just use the wind to fly over it? Again he was knocked back, which the Twi'lek couldn't help but snicker at.

"Good effort!" Uki shouted. "You'll get it in the next twenty tries for sure!"

It was amusing at least, whatever this training was.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Uki

Braze shook off the water, gasping for air, his attention instantly drawn to the sound of laughter and words. He swam towards the small stone ledge jutting from the water, coughing lightly to clear his throat. Glancing around, he finally spotted her up in a tree, her tone giving him a hint of uncertainty.

Pausing for a moment, he debated shedding his soaked clothing, unsure if it was the right move. Instead, he decided to remove his over jacket, boots, and gloves, pouring out the water and even finding a fish nestled inside one of the boots. He then took off his middle shirt, wringing it out before hanging it up with his overcoat on a nearby tree.

Squinting at her, Braze tried to gauge the sincerity behind her words. There was a hint of sarcasm, but he couldn't be certain. Shaking off the excess water like a dog, he ruffled his wet hair before responding.

"I'm not so sure..." he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty. His gaze returned to the dauntingly tall waterfall before them. "It's not an easy task, that's for sure," he admitted. "But you know what? It's a challenge that pushes me to develop more control, both in my movements and in channeling the Force. And it's definitely giving my stamina a run for its money."

His words held a touch of self-reflection. Braze knew the difficulty of his self-imposed task, but he also knew the benefits it brought.

"I bet you couldn't do it~"

 

[Uki]

Waterfall
Tags: Braze

​

"I bet you couldn't do it~"

Uki reeled her head back, letting out a much larger laugh than her snicker before. A grin came to the Twi'lek's face, her sharp canines very apparent from even a distance.

"You're on, marshmallow head," Uki grinned, leaping out of the tree.

The very wind seemed to wrap around her, slowing the girl's fall. There was certainly a smug air about Uki as she tucked her hands behind her back and strode out onto the water. She stood atop it's surface with relative ease, as the wind wrapped around her bare feet and kept her on it's surface.

"Watch and learn, little man," she laughed, flashing a toothy smile. "I could do this in my sleep."

The Twi'lek didn't even run. She walked, casually lifting up one leg to the surface of the waterfall to kick herself up. The wind caught her back, lifting the girl up and into the air. With relative ease, Uki was casually strolling up the waterfall, her lekku hanging down behind her head. She turned to stand sideways, crossing her arms and before giving the boy a smug look.

"It was a bet, right?" the teen asked. "What do I win?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Uki

Braze's eyes widened in astonishment as Uki effortlessly walked on the surface of the water and scaled the towering waterfall with the aid of the wind. He watched in awe as she showcased her natural abilities, her confident demeanor making it all seem effortless. A mix of admiration and a touch of competitiveness filled his expression.

"Wow!" Braze exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine amazement. "You make it look so easy! That's incredible!"

Uki's smug smile and confident demeanor only pushed Braze towards a competitive mood. He couldn't let her win this bet so easily. With a playful glimmer in his eyes, he took a step forward, ready to give it another try.

"You've definitely shown me a thing or two with your neat tricks," Braze responded, a grin spreading across his face. "However, let me clarify, I'm not using the wind as you did. So, I'd say the game is still on!"

He focused his attention on the water beneath his feet, summoning the Force to create invisible steps that would carry him across the surface. With intense concentration, he stood carefully, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

"No wind; I'm using the Force to create these invisible 'steps' beneath my feet," Braze explained, his voice filled with determination. "And these steps have to be in tune with the surface of the water. It's a test of concentration and stamina, working them together."

With a mischievous smirk, Braze added, "And as for what you win, how about a treat from the Interstellar Emporium's Cafeteria? The choice is yours!"

His playful challenge was accompanied by a glint of competitiveness in his eyes. Braze was determined to prove that he too could conquer the challenge of scaling the waterfall, relying solely on his connection to the Force.

There was a purpose for why he was going about this in a fairly difficult way; Braze chose this difficult way of scaling the waterfall in this manner because he saw it as an opportunity for personal growth and development. He was driven by a desire to push his limits, both physically and mentally. Braze believed that by challenging himself with such a daunting task, he could enhance his control over the Force and refine his concentration and stamina. Taking the easier route, like using the wind or finding an alternative path, wouldn't provide the same level of growth or satisfaction. Braze wanted to prove to himself that he was capable of achieving the seemingly impossible.

 

[Uki]

Waterfall
Tags: Braze

​

"Seems like a really convoluted test of stamina," Uki frowned, drifting back down to the surface of the water. "Doing something the hard way doesn't always make you stronger. Sometimes it just makes you stupid. Or injured."

A sinister grin flashed across her face.

"Or dead. But I digress."

Uki began to lazily skate around the boy, her arms crossed as she listened to him speak. Jeez he talked a lot. What did he think he was, a politician?

"And as for what you win, how about a treat from the Interstellar Emporium's Cafeteria? The choice is yours!"

"Sounds boring," she dismissed. "I was hoping for something more interesting..."

In an instant she'd be in front of the boy, using the wind to lift herself higher so that she could loom over him. She smiled, almost in an animalistic way, her sharp canine teeth very apparent.

"Like your arm maybe?" Uki suggested with an evil tone.

But before long she had backed away, laughing as she began skating once more.

"Kidding!" she insisted. "Keep going for it if you want. Don't let my judgement keep you down, marshmallow."

 

[Braze]

LOCATION:Waterfall
TAGS: Uki

Braze frowned at her as he stood on the water's surface trying to keep his concentration and listen to her which was a difficult thing to do as well. His gaze followed her as she seemingly zipped about with ease.​

"Seems like a really convoluted test of stamina," Uki frowned, drifting back down to the surface of the water. "Doing something the hard way doesn't always make you stronger. Sometimes it just makes you stupid. Or injured."

A sinister grin flashed across her face.

"Or dead. But I digress."

"It's a good thing I'm practicing somewhere I feel relatively confident ins practicing then. " He huffed. In truth what Braze was doing was in actuality very stupid and could very easily get himself killed or drowned if he found himself stuck under the waterfall's current for too long without a fresh breath of air. It was that verge of life or death struggle that made up the crucible that Braze was forging his new self-image in.

"Sounds boring," she dismissed. "I was hoping for something more interesting..."

Boring? How could she find sweet treats boring?! Braze had to double-take as she was making him dizzy as well as he tried to keep his gaze following her.

he smiled, almost in an animalistic way, her sharp canine teeth very apparent.

"Like your arm maybe?" Uki suggested with an evil tone.

Braze was startled by this and his eyes definitely noticed the sharp little teeth in her mouth he flailed before falling, losing concentration at that moment, and with a splash he fell back into the depths of the lake. He resurfaced sputtering for air. He padded off towards the shoreline of that center stone where he hung some of his clothes previously before climbing up onto the rock. He coughed out a bit of water and squinted at the Twilek girl before flopping back into the stone and just laying there taking in a few heavy breaths and letting the exhaustion weigh on him.

 

[Uki]

Waterfall
Tags: Braze

​

Uki walked over to the boy, frowning as she looked down at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Jeez, I didn't think you'd try to drown yourself."

He barely fell into the water. She didn't think he'd be out here if he couldn't keep it from getting into his reparatory system. Now this wasn't fun anymore. Pranks were supposed to be harmless. Uki hadn't come out here to watch some dumb kid try to kill himself. Now what was she supposed to do? There was no fun to be had in punching down.

"Maybe you need to go about this differently," Uki frowned. "Almost dying for no reason doesn't make you stronger, it just makes you stupid. There are better ways to train that don't wind up with you at the bottom of a lake."

She crossed her arms, a skeptical expression growing on her face.

"I bet you assigned this training to yourself," she added. "No master would be hair-brained enough to tell you to do this."

 

[Braze]

LOCATION: Waterfall
TAGS: Uki

​

"I wasn't trying to drown myself!" Braze squeaked indignantly.

Braze looked up at Uki, her frown and skeptical expression mirroring his own thoughts. Her words hit him with a mixture of concern and a tinge of frustration. He knew she had a point, and her straightforwardness cut through any illusions he had about the risks he had taken. That didn't mean he had to be happy with the fact that she was right.

"Yeah, you're right," Braze admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of humility. "Maybe I did go about this the wrong way. I guess I got caught up in trying to push myself to the limit. I didn't consider this might be a little too dangerous to do on my own either now that I'm thinking about it from a different perspective."

He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to the water and then back to Uki. He took a deep breath, his playful demeanor momentarily replaced by a more serious tone.

"I don't have any better ideas...I thought I was making some progress... " he seemed to argue still wanting to cling to his own idea of trial and error till he improved it seemed.

He looked her over as he stood up and shook off much like a dog might. He took a seat on the edge of the stone plateau and dipped a hand in the water and smirked up at her. He then briskly tried to splash her with water using the force to make the arch of water he threw her way large and shoot further. " What makes you such an expert anyhow?"

 

[Uki]

Waterfall
Tags: Braze

​

Uki grinned at his attempt to splash her. He'd find that the wind would move around her, parting the wave that he had made, deflecting it off in either direction.

" What makes you such an expert anyhow?"

"Experience," she shrugged. "My home is a hellscape. You get a narrow band between the scotching hot brightlands and the pitch black nightlands to live comfortable, and that isn't even going into the predators."

The girl drifted up into the air, raising her hand up really high as a reference of scale. It wasn't that great, but it got the idea across.

"We got this big ass thing back home called a Lylek," Uki explains, "They got big ol' maws that can tear people apart and are basically immune to blaster fire. I've seen one tear apart a man in three seconds flat, and that isn't even the only predator on the planet. Gutkurr, Doashim, and all kinds of other crazy stuff."

Uki floated back down, crossing her arms as she looked into the boy's green eyes. He was soft, no doubt pampered as a kid. He likely had no idea what it was like to live anywhere other than the comfortable Jedi Temple. The Twi'lek couldn't exactly get mad at that, but it was frustrating. These were the kinds of people that got themselves killed after all.

"Training isn't just about getting stronger," the teen noted. "It's about keeping yourself alive so that you can keep others alive. You can't really help anyone else if you can barely help yourself."

She sat down on the shore of the lake next to the younger teen, skipping a stone across the water. 17. Not her best. Uki sighed a little, tilting back her head.

"If you really wanna train, find a teacher," Uki suggested. "The Order has hundreds of them, and they all seem like they need more interaction in their lives anyways."

 

[Braze]

LOCATION: Waterfall
TAGS: Uki

Braze's brows furrowed as he listened intently to her words, his expression filled with a mix of concern and empathy. The grim reality of her situation unfolded before him, painting a vivid picture of the hardships she had endured. She had faced unimaginable challenges in her own home. He couldn't fully comprehend the depth of her struggles, but he could sense the weight they carried in her voice and demeanor. As she shared the threats she had encountered, Braze's frown deepened.

It was hard for him to imagine a place filled with such danger and adversity, a place that seemed far removed from the sanctuary of the Jedi Temple. He wanted to offer words of comfort, to ease her pain in some way. But he knew that sometimes, all one could do was listen and acknowledge the hardships faced by others.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Braze's voice carried a gentle tone as he responded, "I can't begin to imagine what you've been through. It sounds incredibly tough, and I'm sorry you had to endure all of that." He perhaps thought, briefly, that maybe she viewed what he was doing as some kind of sick joke in comparison to her own upbringing, as she was forced to survive in hardship, while he was putting himself in danger of his own accord.

At her next suggestion, Braze scoffed slightly and looked aside plucking up a rock and throwing it into the water. It didn't skip like hers did but instead plunked down with a little splash before sinking to the bottom of the lake. Braze's shoulders slumped, and a hint of uncertainty crept into his expression. "I... I don't know... I don't think I'm very good at the traditional path... I am trying to find adversity after all." He trailed and picked up another rock and turned it about looking it over idly.


"How do you even hover like that? You move so fast. " He asked curious to know in what manner she manipulated wind about herself. Creating wind was something relatively new to Braze and he'd only developed his skill in a few simple ways.

 

[Uki]

Waterfall
Tags: Braze

​

"I can't begin to imagine what you've been through. It sounds incredibly tough, and I'm sorry you had to endure all of that."

"Don't apologize, silly," Uki snickered. "It's just how it is. Apologizing doesn't change the past."

His mention of looking for adversity was... odd. That was just life. He didn't need to go looking for it. All the kid had to do was get himself out there.

"Who gives a womp rat's ass about the traditional path anyways," she shrugged. "Adversity is out there, marshmallow. All you need to do is step out of your little bubble. Just... give it time. You won't achieve much if you just wind up killing yourself along the way, ya hear?"

The kid seemed to have a good moral head on him, but he was young. Brazen, even. He really needed a mentor who could handle all of that. As for her, Uki was a bit further along in her journey. She needed someone to show her place in all of this. That would come eventually. It was just gonna take time...

"How do you even hover like that? You move so fast. "

"Huh?" the Twi'lek frowned. "I dunno. I sorta just think and stuff happens. It's like... second nature, I guess."

She shrugged, shaking her head a little.

"I don't know how I'd go about teaching it."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Uki

​

Braze nodded in understanding as Uki snickered in response to his apology. She had a point; apologizing wouldn't change the past. It seemed like Uki had a more seasoned perspective on life's challenges, and she didn't believe in following the traditional path. Her advice to step out of his bubble and face adversity with patience resonated with him.

"I suppose I just have to take life as it comes and learn from the experiences."

As Uki explained her hovering ability, Braze's eyes widened with fascination. Her effortless and almost instinctual control over the Force intrigued him.

"Wow, that's amazing!" he marveled. "It must be incredible to have such a natural connection to the Force. I guess it's something you can't really teach; it's just a part of who you are."

Braze stated as he admired Uki's effortless flight. "I can kind of use wind. " He offered lightly.

Braze moved to hop to his feet in the heart of this lush forest. Braze found the memories of a special moment filled his mind. The sound of the nearby waterfall provided a soothing backdrop to his movements as he started to gently reach out as if grasping another. Leaves rustled and danced around him, their response to the gentle Force of wind he created.

As if Aliris Tremiru were by his side once more, Braze moved with fluid grace, his eyes closed to better recall their shared experiences. He imagined reaching out to take her hand, the softness of his touch guiding her in the steps of an imaginary dance. A bittersweet smile adorned his face as he allowed himself to relive the cherished memory.

His arms moved with a sense of familiarity and longing, drawing upon the Force to infuse the air around him with a playful breeze. The leaves swirled and twirled as if they, too, were caught up in the essence of the dance.

Braze's heart was filled with a mixture of happiness and wistfulness as he recreated the scene in his mind. The Force seemed to echo his emotions, adding an air of enchantment to the forest surroundings. In the midst of his solo dance, Braze spun more rapidly, his movements evoking the playful exhilaration he felt in Aliris's presence. The wind gathered strength, forming a gentle vortex around him, swirling leaves and water droplets together in an exquisite display of harmony. With each passing second, the memory became more vivid, and Braze immersed himself fully in the recollection of their shared dance. He could almost feel the warmth of her presence beside him, and see the sparkle in her eyes as they moved together in unison.

As the dance reached its crescendo, Braze slowed to a graceful stop, holding the imaginary Aliris in his arms for a fleeting moment. Though she wasn't physically there, the memory of her touch lingered in his heart. He took a deep breath and sighed slowly.

In this tranquil forest glade, amidst the rustling leaves and the murmuring waters, Braze had shared a dance of the heart with the Force itself. drawing on that feeling in the Force's presence around him, he moved his arms in a sweeping windmill motion, and the winds responded in kind. The once calm breeze now transformed into a swirling torrential vortex, encircling him like a protective bubble, pushing back against anything that dared to draw near.

The forceful wind streams he channeled took on a life of their own, playfully tugging at leaves, pebbles, and even water droplets, outlining the mesmerizing spiral motion of the vortex. The nearby water responded with a gentle patter, as if in awe of the power emanating from the young Jedi. As the winds gently subsided, Braze stood amidst the aftermath of his 'dance with the Force', feeling a deep sense of peace and accomplishment. The leaves settled at his feet, and the water returned to its calm surface.
"I don't really know how you lift yourself... Maybe I'm just not open-minded enough or creative enough in my imagination," he trailed looking to Uki


With that Braze finished up his crazy chaotic training session and departed his newfound ' friend' .