Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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It was another stretch of few days without her sister. Madalena sat on her bed and leaned against the wall, utterly exhausted. Cardinal was off on a mission this time around, so she couldn't call him to come keep her company. And when she had no company, the days stretched endlessly. She woke up in the morning and went through her physiotherapy routine, after which her body was always too tired for her to be able to stand without the aid of crutches.

She hated those damned crutches. Madalena was a free spirit; before the switch to that body, she had always been bustling about, running off from mission to mission or event to event, never much carrying for proper rest or all of those stuff that it was only other people that needed it. The Kaomians and her sister had promised her that this would improve, that she would cease feeling so old once her body adjusted and she could go back to the activity levels she was so used to, but at present it seemed more like a distant dream than a reality.

It was with much effort that she walked herself to the kitchen, Baal walking carefully by her side until she got there and sat herself down by the counter, only now realizing that her comdevice had been on the counter that entire time. Sighing, she opened it and ran her thumb through her contacts. So many people she had known while in Scherezade's body, yet could not reach out to. Not yet. It was too early. Once she could walk normally, once she could fight normally, if fighting was what she wanted to do at all…

Except one.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"].

Madalena had wanted to reach out to him every day since her return, but she could not bear to have him see her like that. The first days had been hellish to her, unable to even chew and swallow food without guidance. She'd wanted no one to see her then, no one save her sister.

But now… Cardinal had already seen her. Had already loved her. Maybe it was time at last to reach out to who she had thought was her best friend and see what had changed after that miserable day in Kashyyyk.

Her fingers working slowly, she chose to send him a text message.

If you're not busy, wanna come over? Scherezade's out for the next few days and I could use some company.
 
Josh had made a promise to a woman named Madalena Antares, and no matter what body she had been in, it was a promise that he had intended to keep. But when word reached him that Madalena had returned, he had found in return that she did not wish to see just about anyone. A source of frustration for him, and a source of self consciousness as well. Did she no longer wish to see him now that she had gotten what she wanted, a body of her own and a life of her own? Did she still resent him for being part of her transfer to this world in the first place? He gave her the benefit of the doubt, he felt he knew her better and knew she'd never abandon him and Jason. But he couldn't help but wonder either.

But when the message came to his screen, he didn't hesitate. He knew exactly where she was, and had already dropped everything, taken Jason and left the Rest in a hurry, punching in the coordinates to Geonosis. In the time since she had been gone, Jason had been found out as a Force Sensitive, and had been welcomed into the Silver Jedi Order as a youngling Padawan. A source of great stress for Josh, but things hadn't changed as much as he had thought they would. At least not yet. Either through getting directions or ones she gave herself, Josh and Jason would arrive at Madalena's ship. The moment he was in, he would glimpse around until he found her. Sensing her presence even in a new body, his eyes widened.

"Maddy!"

He immediately rushed toward her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He did notice the crutches and tried to be careful, but it was a little difficult as he felt himself choking up into uncontrollable sobs. It hit him hard, here and now, just how much he had missed her so. Jason would recognize the word "Maddy" and take off at a run soon after toward them. "Aunty Porgiana!"

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
Her heart had been beating nervously the entire time that it took Josh to arrive. Every second, she had wondered whether or not she'd made the right call. Yes, he had promised her. But for months, he had also been part of the deception to make her thing she was who she was, not thinking for a moment what her removal would mean. It was simply by a stroke of luck that it turned out that Madalena Antares was more than a mixture of falsified memories created by Scherezade deWinter. It was luck that, had a single drop been missing from it, would have resulted in Madalena not being dead, but never having existed in earnest in the first place.

And yes, she was still angry about it. She hadn't planned on being so for such a length of time. If there hadn't been the entire body growth and adaptation to deal with, she'd have probably contacted Josh much sooner than that. But maybe… Maybe this was for the best. Because in the previous times she'd thought about it, she still wanted to scream at him. And now… Well, she still wanted to scream at him. But she also wanted to hug him. And to figure out what the heck their relationship was.

The original setting, of best friends, had indeed been a false one. They hadn't been. Josh had been Scherezade's friend and had gone along with Scherezade's plan. Madalena had spent so long thinking he was a dear childhood friend, that he had been friends with her brother, that they shared half a lifetime together. She had memories from his wedding! One she'd never even attended. Even now, knowing that the memories were all falsified, Madalena could not deny just how real they all still felt. How she had to consciously work on separating them from reality.

And yet despite all her tumbling emotions, the moment the ship's door opened and she could sense the presence not just of Josh but of Jason s well, everything was washed away like waves on a beach. Madalena wanted to jump up from her seat and rush to the both of them for a hug, but her body refused to work with her on it.

Maddy. Who called her that? Only Josh. Everyone else around her insisted on the full name. Ma-da-le-na. And suddenly Josh was hugging her, and there was nothing she wanted to do but hug back. Everything felt so different now; she'd noticed it the first time she and Cardinal had kissed, and she noticed it now that she and Josh were hugging. It was a different body. It responded differently, and it felt differently.

Before she could breathe, Jason was upon her as well, and this time there was laughter too as she bent down to kiss him. "Oh my Force, Jason, you're a big boy now," she said between a few happy sobs, "I can't even pick you up anymore!" Which… Was true, sadly. Not in her current state, though she wanted him against her hip as they always did before this entire mess had unraveled itself.

Averting her gaze to Josh, Madalena sighed. "Don't suppose you've brought any food with you? Scherezade's diet was specifically built to make people go insane."

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
Josh tried his best to wipe the tears away when he hugged her, but he knew it wasn't happening. He had missed her, he had missed her so. He had been afraid that they might have been lying and she might not come back. A situation he had been prepared to hunt down both the old lady and Gerwald and kill them both for causing, if it came to that. It was uncharacteristic of him, but... Madalena had become someone worth that. If that didn't state just what she had become to him - outside of Scherezade - it was doubtful that anything else would. Her body felt different, but... He didn't care. She was here, she was back. He wished he could have come earlier, but she had not allowed it.

All he could do was cry against her shoulder, just happy she was here. Happy this had all worked out and he didn't have to do without his best friend.

Jason would giggle at her compliments, before pulling the Padawan braid upward. "Look Aunty Porgiana!" Jason would chirp, trying to motion toward the lock of blonde hair that had been tied into a braid. "Daddy says this means I'm like him now!"

Josh would take a deep breath, wiping his eyes again as he would pull himself from her gently. "I suppose a lot has happened while you were gone" Josh would admit, scratching his head in turn. When it came to her question though, he nodded his head. "Restocked the ship recently. You want anything?"

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
Madalena saw the tears on Josh's face, and she smiled gently, summoning a pack of tissues to her hands with the Force. It was the only thing that worked properly for her; her control of it. But that was what she had been told. Her body would need all the time to adjust while her mind functioned at peak condition. It was maddening.

When Jason chirped about his braid… Madalena froze, glowing green eyes moving in complete shock to look at Josh instead of his son. She knew what this meant. She knew exactly what this meant. "I warned you there was a good chance this might happen," she said under her breath before looking at Jason again, forcing a smile to her face. "Really, Jason?" she asked him, making her voice sound all excited about this, "does this mean you've begun your training? Are you moving things around to drive your daddy crazy?"

How Josh had fought her on it when they'd discussed it in the tree house… When had it happened?! Were there warning signs? Sighing, Madalena closed her eyes, forcing herself to regain her control.

"Anything that isn't meat, cheese, and eggs," she answered as her eyes fluttered open, smiling a little, "bread would be nice. Snacks. Candy. Coffee. Ice cream? Honestly, anything except what Scherezade eats on the daily."

Noting the presence that was waiting patiently at the entrance to the kitchen, Madalena's smile returned to its former glory and she looked at Jason again. "Jason, do you remember Baal?"

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
The truth was that Madalena had been right about Jason needing to be trained in order to control it. Something that Josh had realized when Jason's Force sensitivity had come out while they were at home, the Naboo home - and Jason had to be escorted back to the Rest in order to keep their abode a secret. Jason had been taught to hide it right away the moment he had been able to control the Force just enough, meaning they were able to return home again now. Jason had been growing irritated about how long it had been since they had gone home, so Josh was glad he was a quick learner. Josh himself had been growing irritated about how long it'd been too, but he had done his best not to show it.

"I know" Josh spoke softly when Madalena would remark that there was a good chance this would happen. He still wasn't happy about it. Jason would be encouraged, pressured even, to complete his Jedi training when he was old enough to be fully apprenticed under someone. He didn't like that, but he knew that it was entirely Jason's decision now. There was nothing he could do. Josh had to let go and just ensure Jason grew up with the maturity to make that decision when the time came.

Josh would nod his head and get up. "Watch him for me?" He asked. She was one of the few people he'd trust to do so. That was a Madalena thing, all her. With that, he would leave to grab some things from the ship.

Jason meanwhile, would nod his head. "I started yeah" Jason responded. "Daddy says I have to be resphsob... Reshonsib... Responsible with my power" He added, squinting a moment while he tried to get the longer word out until it came out to satisfaction. When she would bring up Baal, he nodded his head again. "Doggy?"

Well, he remembered sort of.

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
Josh was so lucky that he hadn't said that she was right. Even without the falsified memories and personality installation by Scherezade, there were a few things that Madalena and Scherezade still shared, one of them being their love of being told they were right, and the willingness of both ladies to drive that ever so gently further in to ensure it would be remembered the next time.

He was less lucky when he said I know, which, if you think about it, is close enough to having said you're right in that scenario. Madalena gave him a smug told you so smile, and then nodded as she was left alone with Jason.

Alone with Jason… That was easier. Madalena still loved that child with all of her heart, and Jedi or no Jedi, he would grow to enjoy protections that neither she nor even Scherezade afforded his father. She couldn't wait for him to grow up so she could tell him her home and ships or anywhere else she was would always be a refuge for him to come and go as he pleased whenever he needed a break from that iffy Jedi training.

She absolutely melted when Jason attempted to say responsibility. But, he did it. It was awesome. "Your daddie's right, y'know," she said kindly, "and if you ever need any help with that, you can always call on your Auntie Porgianna. I'm a Force User too, though my training is quite different than the one they teach at the Jedi Temple."

At the sound of Jason saying doggy, Madalena positively burst out laughing. "Wolfy, kidlet," she said, and motioned for Baal to enter the kitchen. It had been months since the last time Baal and Jason had seen each other, and Baal now was large enough to reach Madalena's shoulder height. Yet as soon as he was close to the both of them, he flattened himself to the ground to appear shorter than Jason, and gave him a goofy grin of his own.

Would you like to ride on my back again, young Jason? Baal asked. Again Madalena frowned at him. She hated that bit he did where he only talked to children. "You can go ahead and climb if you want to, Jason," she gave the child an assuring nod, "and if you don't want to, that's fine as well."

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
“Wolfy” Jason repeated in turn, blinking a few times as he looked the monster of a canine over. Now, considering Jason’s size, and this monster’s size, he was obviously a bit intimidated. But the wolf would move down to be more his height. They would then ask Jason if he wanted to ride on their back. Ever the animal lover, Jason jumped at the opportunity, as Madalena appeared to allow the idea. Jason would climb up on the wolf's back, a bit nervous about it as it had been some time and the child was ever that aware of his ability to fall compared to before.

"Wolfy got really big!" Jason would proclaim, giggling as he would hang on tight, looking down below them once Baal had moved to their full height. Josh would arrive soon after, brandishing a variety of treats in a bag.

"I see you've gotten him reacquainted with your companion" Josh would comment with a light chuckle.

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
The smile was plastered on Madalena's as she looked at Jason climb on Baal's back. "Yes he did," she laughed as she walked over to make sure Jason was properly balanced. "And you will be as big as your daddy when you finish growing," she added, giving him a small kiss on the top of his head before Baal stood up right, ever making sure that the child atop of his back was safe.

As Josh returned, Baal carefully turned around and walked himself and the child out of the little kitchen. Jason would be cared for while he was with the Loth Wolf; neither of the adults had any need to worry about it.

Madalena nodded, and poured them drinks. "Baal has missed him," she said quietly, "he loves children, and he doesn't get to play with them often enough considering neither mine nor Scherezade's life exposes us to many of them."

Handing Josh his drink, she sat back on the chair, the fatigue all too visible on her features. Yet it was physical tiredness alone; her mind was sharp and focused as always. "What have I missed?" she asked him, offering a little smile.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
Josh smiled gingerly as he would watch Baal take Jason into the kitchen. He knew that the wolf would keep him safe, though he would always have his senses stretched outward to ensure he knew where Jason was at all times - and his condition. He would then begin to slowly take things out of the bag. Things she had asked for, mainly. Especially ice cream. He had ensured there was plenty. Jason loved ice cream as well, so he had ensured he brought more than enough to spare. He'd also brought cones since Jason preferred the soft serve, as did he. Holding out a hand, he would emit a bit of cyrokinetic energy that would renew the freshness and cold of the ice cream.

"Interesting, that. Being at the Rest, I tend to visit the nursery fairly often" He would admit softly. "Makes me happy to see so many kids being well taken care of. I'd bring Porgbert, but I don't want the kids to be too rough on him" He spoke up as he would take the offered drink with a gentle thank you, before moving to her question.

"Hmm..." He would mutter as he thought it over. "I'm not the leader anymore. The Assembly has been granted higher power and function as a whole, with a Senior Assembly at the head and a Assembly Leader over that. I'm on the Senior Assembly, which puts me in the public face role" He would explain. He was relieved he wasn't doing the duties of Grandmaster and Master of the Order by himself anymore, as it was a lot of work, but... He did admittedly hold a bit of resentment toward them making that decision and never acknowledging him as Grandmaster. Or even acknowledging his holding down the fort for months and months by himself, without any sort of recognition. But it would pass.

"Aside from that, and, well... What you just found out. Not a whole lot, I guess."

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
A nursery. Of course there was a nursery at the Rest. Madalena didn't know why she hadn't thought about it before now; she was also pretty sure Josh had mentioned it on at least one occasion before. Still, if the Confederacy had anything like that to offer, she didn't know about it at all.

Wordlessly, she took the food Josh offered, calling for spoons from the drawer. She dipped into it – vanilla – and took the first bite. Her eyes closed as she stifled a moan. It was delicious. How could she have lived for nearly an entire year without such delights in her mouth? Next was a bread roll, another piece of food that almost had her moaning with pleasure. Food. Food was wonderful. She was going to have to beat a lot of sense into her sister's head when she came back.

At the mention of the change in Silver hierarchy, Madalena frowned. "That's dumb," was all she had to say about it, "but you do remember that if they mistreat you there's always place for you here, right?"

And not a whole lot of else. To that she could just nod.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
"It is what it is" He responded, with a casual shrug in turn. "The fact of the matter is that for all I've done over the years, I am not above the Assembly. If they do not wish for me to lead, then I will not. Besides... Ra and I have been talking about starting a business anyway. This means more time to invest in ventures for myself... And time to spend with my son. So I guess its not all bad."

He did miss leading the Order, but not being recognized for his role in that was definitely not something he was happy about. It did make separating himself from his former role a bit easier though. But it didn't help his confidence either. It bothered him. He could admit to that. Had he done something wrong while he was leading the Order to be snubbed that way? Perhaps he was taking it the wrong way? He'd been demoted, sure... But it was a hierarchy change, not simply dialing him down. Or was it? He wasn't sure. The whole thing was peculiar... But there wasn't much he could do for the matter. Regardless, what was done was done. Madalena would offer that he would have a place with her, and he supposed she meant the CIS, and he nodded his head.

"Thank you" He spoke softly. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the CIS were too brutal for his tastes. As allies, fine. It was not his business so long as they didn't step over that line. But being directly involved, being one of them... It would be difficult to call brother those that operated the way they did. And Josh knew he would not be a fit. He did not have the taste for blood or the killer instinct that they did. He may work with them... But he knew that he did not belong with them. He knew it was better to stay in his lane. But he wouldn't tell Maddy that. She'd had enough problems lately.

His gaze moved to the kitchen a moment.

"He's growing up fast" He remarked. "Too fast, if you ask me. It feels like only yesterday he was babbling, and now he's speaking in sentences. It won't be long before he takes his leave of me, at this rate. I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready for that."

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
The mention of Ra did not bring a happy expression to Madalena's face. She remembered the woman, and that day in the hot tub, and she was far from being a fan of the entire thing. But on the plus side, that business would mean more time for Josh to spend with Jason, so she was not about to voice any protest.

Nodding in response to Josh thanking her, Madalena moved back to the food. There was more ice cream to be had, and not to mention bread – her new favorite food. She'd even sent Scherezade on more than one hunt to get her some good loafs, as well as recipes. Whereas her sister's ship was full of meats or cheeses and ways to make them, Madalena had taken a love for baking, and she had messed with various flours on more than one occasion. But… While it was fun, the waiting was boring. She couldn't wait for the day her control of her body would be great enough so that she would not need to rely on braces or crutches anymore and she'd be free to roam the 'verse as she was used to.

Josh speaking of Jason grabbed her attention again, and she offered her friend a soft smile.

"It'll happen before you know it," she agreed, "but you're never going to be ready. Al you can do is offer him the best of what you have to give, and hope it's enough and he won't turn into one of those people who hate their parents."

Grinning, she chuckled then. "But don't worry. Scherezade and I will be the cool aunts and his place to run away to when things get through during his teenage years. It takes a village to raise a child. We're part of that village."

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
Josh smiled gently and nodded his head. "I'm dreading it. I don't think I have the stomach for a kid that hates me" Josh admitted. "I guess its good Ra's around, she's a bit harder and sterner headed when it comes to these matters than I am. I'm the dad who likes to spoil the kid and I know its going to come back to bite me" He spoke, scratching his head. He was glad to know that Scherezade and Madalena had been on speaking terms though, and that they were there to help. Force knows he was going to need it.

"So uh..." He spoke up, shifting a bit uncomfortably. "I... I'm sorry. About Fire and Smoke. Since I know what your memories associated to them are" He spoke up, when he had noted that the blades were no longer on her waist. He had guessed that Scherezade had taken them back.

It was then that he would pull out a leather-lined package and hand it to her. "But this is yours and only yours."

When she opened it, she would find a saber-staff, clearly designed by Josh in its make - but its design and shape appeared to be based around Josh's ideas of Madalena. When she would grasp the lightsaber however, she would feel a familiar heat radiating from it. Josh had once again projected his own pyrokinetic energies into the hilt. This time for Madalena, who he considered one of his closest friends and who he felt deserved to always have a warmth like that.

The truth was, Josh had seen this coming and had felt the urge to do so for a very similar reason as to why Scherezade had been gifted Fire and Smoke so long ago. She needed something that was hers, and truly hers. A memory to call her own. He didn't know how she would react, but it had come from a place of love. And he wouldn't normally do this, just as Scherezade had been a rare exception - lightsabers were difficult to get the parts for and make after all... Madalena was special.

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
Dad who likes to spoil his kids. Sure. It was easy to say when your kid was of a single digit age. She wondered if Josh would still be saying the same once the teenager years came in. She was still grinning though when Josh apologized and shifted uncomfortable. Her eyes narrowed as he wondered what this was about and-

Oh. Fire and Smoke. Two weapons that she no longer possessed, and would never possess. Scherezade had let Madalena hold them both, train with both. She had been willing to part with them for her sister. But despite that, Madalena returned them quickly enough. They were not her weapons. They did not feel natural in these arms. When she used them, there was no song, no song of battle that she often heard her blood singing when she fought inside Scherezade's body.

The memories of them still existed. Images of a warm and cozy living room on Coruscant, where Madalena received hers because of the werewolf lore, and Brayden received his because of witches lore. But that day had never happened. Those memories were never real. And now Brayden was not even around. Neither she nor Scherezade knew where he had disappeared to, and the one guess both had made – Endelaan – was off the table for now. Neither of them could go there just yet, each for her own reasons.

And suddenly there was a Saber Staff in her hands.

Madalena blinked, the surprise clearly showing on her face. "How did you know?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper. Carefully, as though the weapon would break if she gripped it too hard, her fingers curled around it. It was warm to the touch, a warmth she'd known deeply as her friendship with Josh developed.

Looking up at him, the glow of her eyes seemed to soften. "How did you know?" She would tell him... She would tell him what it meant, why the surprise, but... But not yet. She needed to know first.

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
He was elated by her reaction. Sure it wasn't anything super emotional but he could tell it meant a lot to her. She asked her question instead though, and he gave a coy smile.

"I think you underestimate the time we've spent together, Maddy" He pointed out, laughing a bit in turn. "The truth is that I don't normally just make lightsabers for people willy nilly. I've only ever done it once before this. It was for someone that I felt deeply for, a very close friend, during a time where I felt they needed something of their own... And a memory of their own. Something that was theirs and only theirs. This is no different."

Things had been confusing for Maddy, he had been sure. While she was indeed her own person, she had little in the name of memories and things attached to her that weren't of Scherezade. While the circumstances were the tiniest bit different from Scherezade's... It was close enough for Josh to want to do something for someone that he deeply cared for, to help in some way. Not for her ties to Scherezade, but for the times they'd shared after Madalena had been brought into this world. It was why he had designed this lightsaber with not Scherezade in mind, but Madalena as he knew her. The wolfsbane theme wasn't there, which may be the biggest indicator of that fact.

For Scherezade, he had chosen wolfsbane and heat to protect her from people like Gerwald, and had chosen duel blades to mimic her knives. For Madalena, he had chosen a flashier looking style, with a saber staff being because he knew she likely would want to differentiate her style now. He had chosen this style in particular as Josh's own blade was extended, and as he'd worked with her plenty of times, she probably knew parts of his style fairly well. He figured it would be a good start.

"I decided to include the heat because you're never going to be alone" He admitted, with a gentle smile. "I'll always be here, even if not physically. That lightsaber has my own pyrokinetic energy embedded in the hilt because I don't ever want you to forget that. You are never alone."

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 
Only done it once before now. Madalena nodded, not really needing to hear more in order to know who and what he was referring to; Smoke and Fire, the lightsber twins that were now held by Scherezade herself once again. They had been made for her and with her in mind, and Madalena had no right to them, even if she'd still been a Warrior. But she was not – no longer. The song did not exist when she fought, and her skills in the physical were substantially lesser than those of her sister. It did not mean that she was not every bit as powerful – but merely, it played and came about in different ways.

And this… This showed her that Josh understood. He comprehended it. This was not a gift for Scherezade or someone that resembled her. This was something more sophisticated, something that was not quite as in your face as a knife or a giant sword.

Josh had more words to say, but Madalena just closed the distance between the two of them, her arms carefully wrapping around him into a bear hug as she was very careful to not accidently ignite her new weapon.

"I love everything about it," she whispered before the hug came to its end and she sat back down, her legs already tired, "and I love you." She was going to need months more of getting used to being in this body. But she had faith; faith that she would soon enough be normalized in it, and be able to go back to doing her thing, finding her new place, exploring everything that the new body and this new life had to offer her.

"Meymad," she said, looking over the weapon, almost caressing it, "that is what I shall call it. Meymad."

[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
 
This was for Madalena. Entirely for Madalena. His way of showing that she was an individual, a person, with their own tastes and their own specifications for crafting a weapon. And most importantly -- that he valued her just as much now as when she was merged with Scherezade. Their split changed nothing, only that her tastes had changed and thus Josh had felt the need to fashion her a new weapon to fit her specifications. Something that was hers and only hers.

He smiled gingerly as she hugged him, wrapping his arms around her in turn. He was happy to see she liked it. He wasn't sure what her reaction would be, if he was being honest, considering she had memories of a similar experience as Scherezade and he didn't know what that would trigger. But it seemed that she completely understood his intent, which was good.

"I love you. And I always will" He promised softly as he helped her to sit back down. He smiled when she decided on a name for her new weapon. "I like it. It fits."

[member="Madalena Antares"]
 

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