Private Aggressive Meditation

[Jand Talo]

Jand tilted his head, as he considered.

"Colors?" He asked, somewhat perplexed by the explanation. "Colors, around us? I see colors, yes, but Force colors? Not so much."

Since his arrival at the Jedi Temple, Jand had been told - by numerous individuals - that many things were possible with the Force. He supposed seeing colors could be one of them, though it was simply a guess if that was the reason. For all he knew, perhaps Iris' violet eyes were able to see into different visual ranges, which might explain it.

Jand had no reason to doubt Iris' claims.

"What do your Force colors say about me, if anything? Is that how it works?"

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"It's.. Unique, to me. I think."

At least, she had yet to meet someone else who could see the Force as she did. Iris blinked, then frowned. Not an annoyed frown, rather one of concentration. She'd realized it before. He was hard to read. Emotions always in check. Logic first, not feelings. Her brow knitted together before she shrugged.

"I can't easily tell what's you and what's the city around us. Curious, calm. .. That's all I can see."

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

"Ah, I see," Jand said with a nod. "Perhaps similar to how I am able to sense the past of an object?"

In his early years, Jand had been scared of the phenomenon when it happened, at times when he - as a child - had touched some objects. The visions had entered his mind unwillingly, startling the youth. It hadn't been until his arrival at the Jedi Temple that Jand had been informed the happening was known as psychometry.

Both of the Padawans seemed to possess uncommon gifts.

"And you see this way, all the time?" Jand asked, eyebrow raised. "Yet the colors... bleed together? That sounds like it would take considerable time and effort to become accustomed to. Yet another example of your suitability as a Jedi, I believe."

Jand turned and started to walk across the training room. He reached a spot where his upper robes were neatly folded, along with the training lightsaber placed on top of them, to which he picked up the latter in hand. The Nagai turned back to Iris, and spoke in a louder voice:

"Would you like to continue discussion, or perhaps we can train? I admit, I would like to see your combat skills more closely, with the new understanding of your Force colors."

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"I'm still not accustomed to them, and I've been dealing with them all my life." She gave a more sheepish smile. Suitability to be a Jedi, huh? With how calm and factual Jand was, Iris couldn't help but take some pride in what he said. Some. Her brow knitted together after a moment of thought, though.

"I can show you. The colors. Meld our perspectives together. Well, that's technically what would happen. For me it's more.. Mixing the colors. Our colors. It's.. Very overwhelming, though. People tend to get headaches. It's the most direct way I can show you, anyway. Otherwise, we could spar."

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand was now conflicted.

On one hand, sparring; on the other, exploration into Iris' mysterious Force colors.

The Nagai's jaw muscles worked, as he considered which option to go with. He couldn't deny the lure of training, it was his life to battle. But, he also recognized the need to connect and strengthen bonds with others, specifically species who weren't Nagai or in his family circles. There was also the abstract thought of whether Jand's color looked different, what with the momentary indecision.

"Show me your Force colors," Jand said as he walked back toward Iris. He clipped the training lightsaber to his belt, before he stopped in front of her. "I accept the repercussions of a headache. Do you require me to do anything for this to work?"

There.

Jand could contain his want to consistently fight.

Mostly.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Alright. Just.. Close your eyes. Open your mind. Breath."

The usual thing for Force mediation, at least as taught by her master. Iris did the same. Closed her eyes, relaxed. Then, reached out. Her colors, his. Swirling and blending them bit by bit until two were one.

Chaos. The chaos of Coruscant, of life and emotion, in a constant swirl of different colors all around them. Colors the human eye could see, colors that had no name because no one else could actually see them. Everywhere, from everything. Hard, impossible to sort through, and with no off button. Close your eyes, cover your ears, the colors were there. Always swirling, always there, always overwhelming.

"Don't freak out."

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand felt his mental discipline was fairly high, especially after years and years of martial conditioning, but that didn't mean much when the world exploded into sensory overload. With a grimace, the Nagai was quickly overwhelmed by the swirling mass of disorientating color, even as he tried to make any sense of what he experienced. He could make out brief instances of nearby individuals, passing fogs of differing colors, but they were soon lost in the entirety of the spattered environment - there were even some colors Jand hadn't known existed.

"Hmh."

With no real escape from the bombarding colors, Jand closed his eyes, but it didn't work. Still there, still swirling, like a thousand different smoke trails that represented a thousand different things. It only took several minutes, before Jand decided he had had enough, and he stepped back from the closest and brightest mass of color. He assumed that was Iris, but couldn't really make out much detail, not as he would visually with his own eyes.

"I think that's enough."

There was relief when the connection stopped, and the colors faded from his eyesight, with the Nagai once again back to his normal senses. Despite the sensory overabundance, Jand nodded and offered a thin-lipped smile to Iris. He now had more understanding of her everyday life, what she dealt with, alongside all the rest of it - and that included learning to use the Force alongside that visual stimuli.

"I see," Jand said simply as he imagined the effect in his mind, though still thankful it was gone. "I do not envy you seeing that. It felt like I had no depth perception, all the colors mixed together, unrelenting from everywhere. And I have never seen some of those colors."

Still, Jand assumed his own experience differed from Iris' present one, at least in terms of being able to handle that sensation; it also stood to reason that she might not have known any other form of sight, it was possible she was born that way. Nonetheless, Jand was thankful for the opportunity, as it was another lesson to learn. Jand offered a small chuckle:

"Well. I did not freak out, at least."

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris couldn't stop herself.

She laughed. A lighthearted and surprised giggle at his laugh of all things. So he could laugh? The Keshian smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "No, you really didn't, did you? .. Thank you." For not freaking out. It was overwhelming, for everyone, but most people seemed full of anxiety at least when they came out of it. Not really him. Kai was the only other who didn't look stressed.

"Did you find your answers?"

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand watched Iris laugh, to which he gave a small smile, but was otherwise just glad to be back to normal.

When she asked about if he found answers, the Nagai nodded. He supposed he had, in some ways; but in others, perhaps not. One thing Jand had noticed, was the Force had been able to flow into him easier than normal, but whether that was because of Iris' efforts - or because he had shared her connection to it - remained unknown. He still felt some kind of limitation on his natural connection to the mysterious power, once the pair had stopped sharing the link, though.

"Do you see different objects at different intensities?" Jand asked suddenly, as he reached down and unclipped his lightsaber. He held the weapon up and activated the blue blade with a snap-hiss. "The blade, for example. Does the brightness affect your perception?"

Whether intentionally or not, it seemed Jand was interested in discovering Iris' perceptional weaknesses.

"What about danger or threat? Does that have any bearing on your Force colors?"

If it wasn't obvious, the young Nagai was now in the process of trying to determine how Iris might be able to utilize her gift, if those aspects hadn't been considered before now...

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"People are brighter. Objects not as much, but I can still see them. Space. Out of atmosphere, the colors aren't as strong and I can just.. see." She shrugged her shoulders a little, then nodded. Smiled. "The Force moves darkly around people about to kill. I can see danger in the colors around us. .. Well, now I can. I've started to learn the patterns and what they mean so I don't just.. So I don't get any more scars."

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

"I believe I understand more now, yes," Jand said solemnly, the moments just passed of seeing the colors personally fresh in mind. "I do not pretend to understand the Force colors, or how you've managed to co-exist with them, but if certain stimuli result in certain colors... could it be possible that a lack of stimuli on certain colors could allow you to dull them?"

He paused, then raised his eyebrows.

"Like buildings. I believe I saw buildings as colors."

In truth, the whole thing was beyond Jand's understanding. He approached things directly, solution focused, as one might associate to a warrior in a battle. His thought process involved something to overcome, so he did so tactically. Whether that translated to the Force - or, more specifically Iris' Force colors - was something she had to determine. But, given she had lived in such a way for so many years, and still had some issues... well, it wasn't promising.

Still.

Maybe.

"It seems space could be considered a kind of refuge from the senses. Do you do that often?"

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Not as often as I should, really. I actually really enjoy piloting. Keshian eyes can see a lot of different colors left behind from starships, stars, the like. It's really pretty, but not in a way that's super distracting."

She let out a sigh before sitting up. Standing again to stretch her arms out. She was already feeling a little stiff from just the workout alone. "So, what do you think? Time to put our metal to the test and get some more practical training?"

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

It seemed the discussion about the Force colors was over, which suited Jand just fine, he felt he had showed an acceptable interest for furthering connection to Iris. Her lack of consideration for some other points raised implied she wanted to focus on other things, with the Nagai only too happy to oblige, as the suggestion arose of practical training.

"Yes," Jand said simply, as he looked to the blue blade that hummed in his hand. "I am ready if you are."

Jand was always ready to start combat, at every opportunity presented.

"Shall it be with lightsabers?" The pale Padawan asked with an eyebrow raise. "And what stipulations do you propose?"

Secretly, Jand hoped Iris would elect to have the training lightsabers at full contact intensity...

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"I'm fairly competent with a lightsaber, so yes. I've been training my unarmed but I'm afraid you'll find it almost as bad as Kai and Silas's fight."

She flashed a smile before unclipping her blade. Igniting the nonlethal edge within before flicking the blade around. Just getting a feel with it for the moment as she watched him. "You can use your blade, or your sword. Whichever. I'll make sure you don't fall on your face." As per usual, Iris didn't explain what she meant fully. Instead the Padawan just grinned, turning the blade down, to the side. The classic Makashi stance.

"Shall we?"

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

The duel was agreed to, both were prepared.

"A training lightsaber will suffice," Jand said simply, as he took a step back and brought the weapon up into a cross-body guard. "I appreciate your honesty. And I am more capable with weapons, I admit."

The combat form Iris used was known to Jand from his studies at the Jedi Temple.

Form II, Makashi - a duelist's combat method.

Jand could appreciate that, it had been a form he had almost considered, though in truth his upbringing had paved much of that forms foundation already.

His own guard reflected Form IV, Ataru.

"We begin."

From where he stood, some yards away, the Nagai stepped forward with a shift in blade position, as the lightsaber twirled upward and came down for a high swing toward Iris. The movement was deft, precise, and with some degree of speed as the gap was closed and Jand moved in to deliver the strike with the low intensity blade...

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

The aura around Iris changed. Her generally unfocused expression sharpened. Dialed in on the colors around Jand all at once. Her eyes narrowed, her posture stiffened without becoming rigid. She saw the colors move before he did. Her fight with Ara had shown her how the colors could ebb and flow with strikes. Showed how to predict them. Her blade flicked up, shifting to catch the strike. Shift it, move it away from her as she stepped closer. Twisted her wrist to start the riposte as a quick cut for the Nagai's chest.

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand saw the subtle shift in Iris.

A lifetime of dueling had taught the young Nagai many things; such as shifts in weight, how to estimate intent by foot placement, changes in expression to hint at action, and a host of other subtle - but potentially beneficial - opponent tells. Of course, skilled combatants could be aware of some of those, and use that to likewise lure an opponent in, so for Jand it was a consistent balance of true or false. But, in this initial instance, the Nagai was confident and felt prepared:

Iris came forward, the high strike from Jand was parried, before a riposte had her cutting at his chest...

Only he wasn't there.

Jand had spun and stepped outward, had used the momentum of his parried strike to come about in a half rotation, with his arm outstretched toward Iris. He stood with his lightsaber blade held near her neck, her own blade parallel to his back, but the Nagai had anticipated the counter and riposte, which he had used for his own counter.

"For what it is worth, your form was excellent," Jand said in a low tone, as he glanced over his shoulder to Iris. "But this is a killing strike. Again?"

Jand stepped away, as he turned back to face Iris, and brought his lightsaber up into a defensive stance once more.

"I will wait for you to engage now."

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris moved. Or, well, tried. The colors shifted just as she struck out, showing her just what was going to happen before it did. She'd been read. Halfway turned to try and salvage the botched riposte, she found the hum of the saber just close enough to feel it's heat. She'd absolutely been read. The Padawan took a breath and nodded. ".. You're quite knowledgeable on the forms."

He stepped back, and she turned fully. The faintest of a smile formed on her lips as she again flicked her blade to the side. Makashi ready, a stance to recenter herself. Give focus. It was her turn to strike, then?

No sooner did the words leave his lips then she sped forward. She brought forward a rapid thrust, aimed right for his dominant shoulder. Baiting him to deflect before she flicked the blade around to instead hook for his thigh. In a fight, a nonlethal wound. But Makashi had never been about lethal wounds. Death by a thousand cuts.

Jand Talo

 

[Jand Talo]

It was a good start, Jand thought. When Iris commented on his knowledge of the lightsaber forms, he nodded.

"My dueling upbringing helps, I am picking up form fundamentals quickly."

It was a shame Jand couldn't say the same about the Force.

Iris attacked, as she delivered a thrust, her speed considerable. Jand started to parry, however the other's blade twisted and turned into a low strike for the Nagai's thigh. With a smirk, Jand took the hit to his thigh, as the weapon... didn't hurt him, the limb itself barely affected like other training blades, instead the 'sliced' section became numb. The swinging arc from the thrust, based on Iris' footing and limb extension led him to anticipate a nonlethal hit by standard lightsaber attacks, but this...

Jand didn't quite know what the blade did.

It certainly didn't sting like other ones.

Yet, with Iris' blade on the hook trajectory and across his thigh, Jand twisted his wrists and whipped his own blade outward, toward her exposed upper body and head. The likelihood of a clean counter being delivered was unlikely, given the opposing angles of the two blades and balance distribution of both combatants, so Jand didn't aim to land hard contact - just a tap.

Still, Iris was no pushover with the lightsaber, and Makashi was a solid form, which meant Jand prepared himself nonetheless...

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

The blade came, and Iris dipped. Literally. She bent backwards to an almost unnatural degree. Under the colors that lead into the strike. She let the blade sail over as she continued down, aiming to bring her leg around and catch Jand's leg. Throw him off balance, maybe even to the ground as she scooted further away to get back up to her feet. Spin on a knee, bring her blade around for a follow up if Jand followed after.

Iris's smile only widened now, though. Unorthodox, no hesitation. All the lessons she'd been taught over the years were going to come into play now.

Jand Talo