Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private Enlighten Me

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"Can the horse climb the stairs?" Starlin asked Mysa as they stared out at the College of Enlightenment. Force, this place was bringing back memories. He could practically feel his feet aching just like the last time he had ascended those mammoth steps. More than ten years ago... Crazy.

As eager as he was to get inside the library, he obviously wasn't looking forward to walking ten thousand steps to get there.

 
"Some of them," she remarked, turning her head to glance briefly over her shoulder at Starlin as they remained atop Floknir, "But some along this path are much too... shallow, and steep. There's a stable when the way forward gets too tricky."
Until then they could rely upon the fleetfooted nature of their steed to bear them some of the way. The rest? Would be on foot.
"Want to try switching places?"
He still hadn't been behind the reins yet, and for now at least it wasn't an impossible route forward. No, that came once they were no longer able to travel further on the stallion.
 
Oho.” Starlin sounded intrigued. “Sure, why not.

He switched places with Mysa, sitting in the front of the saddle. “Make sure you hold on tight,” he teased, patting her arm around his slim waist. He took the horse’s reins and gave them a light, experimental flick… so light that the Flokinator didn’t even respond to it.

Chuckling awkwardly, he flicked the reins again, harder this time, and the horse began to trot forward.

 
She slowed the steed, steadied Floknir while they switched places, and then wrapped her arms around his waist once he was settled ahead of her. Her chin soon settled upon his left shoulder so that she could watch over what he was doing, and the route forward.
Starlin flicked the reins twice, and the second time it did work to spur the horse on but Mysa could not help but chuckle all the same.
"You've seen too many holofilms" she mumbled, "Here, your control is more in the stirrups than the reins. Bring your heels in, and gently apply pressure. He'll respond more readily to that. Use the reins to guide instead."
All in all though he was doing well.
"And don't fight the motion of the saddle, rise and fall with it if helps."
 
Heh, right,” Starlin said with a slightly embarrassed grin. Too many holofilms indeed.

He listened to her advice, and soon he was riding along smoothly. “I noticed you talk to your animals,” he said. “Can you teach me some commands? I assume Floknir won’t respond to ‘giddyup’ or any of the other space cowboy words.

 
"Quite the receptive student" she proclaimed, a hint of mirth and genuine praise mixing within her tone. As always she was smiling, it was easy to do around him. "I wonder what else you'll take to so well... What more I could teach you, or indeed you me."
When he mentioned how she spoke to her animals, she couldn't help but beam further. "It is a mixture of Runian, our mother-tongue, and the Force, my friend. I have long since learned to utilize it to bridge the level of comprehension between my animal companions and I. Animal friendship, or some might call it beast control, are you familiar?" Mysa herself did not much like the second term. You could not control a beast, not truly.
Either way he'd asked for commands, and she obviously nodded her head in response. "To calm or slow, sort of like, erm... 'easy', as your holoflicks might state, I say 'Sakta'... Means slowly, but it works I've found. '' for 'Go', to urge them on with more than just the stirrups, and 'Kom' or 'Här' for recall."
Leaning forward with one hand, her cheek temporarily pressed against his shoulder to make it so, she stroked Floknir's neck and then uttered her next phrase. "Duktig pojke" she cooed, before she drew back her hand to Starlin's waist, "And plenty of praise to sweeten the deal. 'Good boy', they're highly receptive of such."
 
I've never been praised so much before in my life, Starlin thought. It was reaching a point where he was actually beginning to feel modesty creeping in, which for him was rather abnormal. Surely he wasn't as brave and smart and wonderful as she made him sound.

"Lots of stuff, probably," he answered. "Just don't try to get me to learn how to phase through objects or teleport."

She described how she communicated with her animals. "I've heard of Beast Control, though I never learned it. How about you teach me Animal Friendship?" It sounded less badass, maybe, but was probably better all around. Starlin was far from dogmatic when it came to Jedi teachings; if he saw a better way to do something, he'd use it.

"Dukdig pokey," Starlin tried to say, and flinched, fully aware that he had mangled her language. "Uh... Gå? Gå!"

 
"I don't know the first thing about doing either of those" she chuckled, "I'm best known for my sensory pursuits. I'm a good read of others, I've been told." Their intentions, their alignments, their sincerity, and emotions. To say nothing of her physical senses being far more heightened than most. Even now she could hear the beating wings of Odiir up above as he circled in search of a snack in the snow.
"They are technically one and the same, I believe, I just find my methods... softer. Working with them and their nature, not against it. If this makes sense?" Could she teach him? Before she could make any decision on that he did his best at replicating her words and she felt butterflies fluttering around in her stomach in response.
"Duck-tig Poy-keh" she corrected gently, no judgement in her voice. When he bid Floknir to go, the second more assertive time, the horse sped up from a trot to a measured canter. "You got this" she remarked with pride. "Let me know if you want to switch back, it will be easier to teach you Animal Friendship when you're not trying to steer sweet Floknir too. Learning any new skill requires a level of focus, as I'm sure you know."
There was no condescension to be found, she managed to be informative without ever making him seem less then or childlike for not knowing what she had already been taught.
 
Yeah, it makes sense,” Starlin said. Some Jedi powers tended to overstep boundaries. He would know—he’d just gotten arrested for using a mind trick on somebody important. But was the mind trick ever morally permissible, really?

Ducktig… poy… keh?” Starlin tried again. At any rate, Floknir seemed to be having a good time, cantering along the path.

Uh, sure. How do I get him to stop?” So they could dismount and all that. Unless she knew how to trade places while the horse was moving...

 
"Poy...keh, yeah! Pojke." She said it far more fluidly the second time around, showing how the two halves formed to one, "Literally just means boy" she chuckled, as they slowed to a halt in order to switch places far more safely. Mysa hopped down first, then took the reins and steadied Floknir so that Starlin could shuffle back.
Then she reached up a hand toward him for support as she settled in front once more.
"Gå, min kärlek" she encouraged the stallion, and only once they'd reached a suitable pace did she turn matters back to Animal Friendship. "I presume you're familiar with Telepathy?" she began, lowering one of her hands to touch his as they tightened around her waist once more. "It's along a similar vein, at least in terms to how you.. reach out, connect. Focus on Floknir, touch him with your palm if it helps."
That was why she'd brought a hand down to his, to help keep him in place should he need his other for connecting to Floknir.
"You're seeking a connection with him, a level of... understanding. It's not words, like telepathy, it's more... feeling, intent, instinct. Animals are much smarter than we give them credit for, they pick up on things, especially with the Force working to bridge that gap. You can force it, apply your will to the creature and make them do as you bid, but..."
She grimaced, and physically shivered at the thought.
"That never felt... right to me."
 
Does that mean I’m a duktig pojke?” Starlin asked, smiling goofily. “Or is it different if it’s an animal rather than a person?

They switched places. “Very familiar,” he answered. She told him to reach out to Floknir, so he closed his eyes and focused, relying on the steady rhythm of the horse’s gait and his grip on Mysa’s waist to keep him from falling out of the saddle. Mysa’s voice drifted away as he honed in on Floknir, bridging the gap between their minds.

Either in reaction to the connection or because of some subliminal command, the horse stopped in its tracks and turned its head, mist billowing from its nostrils as it snorted softly. Then it resumed walking.

Starlin chuckled under his breath. “Nice. I’m in, baby.” What now?

 
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Mysa chuckled, unable to keep the beaming grin from her lips for even a second around this goofy Jedi. "Yes, Sir Starlin, you are most definitely a duktig pojke." She left whether it worked for man and beast unanswered, more to tease him than anything else, and instead switched places and saw Starlin begin to focus on the task at hand.
She kept one of her hands touching his, in case they came upon a bump or jolt in the road. Well, it wasn't exactly due to the road, but there was an unexpected pause as Floknir adjusted to the presence of a new commander in his wake.
With her free hand, still grasping the reins, she gently brushed her fingers against the horse's head and once he was satisfied Floknir began to slowly trot onward once more.
"Well, that depends on what you want him to do," she said, as she felt the anticipation and curiosity engulfing the man. It wasn't difficult to 'read his mind' so to speak, even without the Force involved, "Try to see if you can encourage him to go a little faster, or take this trail that's to the left instead of continuing straight on. No using your heels, or reaching for the reins."
 
"Yes, Sir Starlin, you are most definitely a duktig pojke."

"The duktigest of pojkes." He winked.

She's touching my hand, and it feels grand. Do dodo doo doo, Midvinter Girl... He'd begun writing a little ditty in his head since they set out that morning. Floknir seemed to approve, headbanging along with the telepathic melody.

Go a little faster, buddy. Floknir went from a trot to a canter. Take a left there. Floknir turned right. No, left. There ya go, ducktig pojke!

Alas, in seemingly no time at all, they had reached the College itself, putting an end to their adventures with Floknir. Starlin dismounted, petting the horse. "You deserve a sugar cube for that."

Mysa Snowstrider Mysa Snowstrider
 
Beyond her initial suggestion, Mysa hung back and let Starlin do all of the work insofar as guiding them to the stable at the base of the College was concerned. Though there was still a mighty path ahead, it was not one safely traversed by mount and thus Floknir had to be left behind.
"We'll be back for you, sweet one" she whispered softly, as she swung her legs over the side and dismounted in one swift motion. Then she offered up a hand to help Starlin down, though much to her surprise he did not need it.
Instead she watched as he gently pet the stallion, her heart brimming and her cheeks turning a very soft pink.
"And you, Sir Starlin? What do you deserve for getting us here safely?" He had taken to Animal Friendship quite wonderfully, and though she knew she had no right to do so she felt a bristle of pride on his behalf. After petting Flonkir herself, she fished an apple from her pack and offered it to Starlin.
"Place it flat on your palm, keep your fingers from folding up. He won't mean to bite but even a nip can feel nasty." It was important, in her opinion, that he be the one to give the treat. It would help them form a better bond.
"Alright, let's go. We'll make it to the College before sundown if we make haste."
 
"And you, Sir Starlin? What do you deserve for getting us here safely?"

Starlin turned toward Mysa. "How about a ki--" He broke off, the grin dropping from his face as he went pale with panic, then flushed crimson. "Uh, I mean... Uhhhh. I dunno. I don't need a reward. The, uh, the experience was rewarding enough!"

Force, his cheeks were burning. Her cheeks were a little pink too, he noticed. Must've been the cold. At least, that's what he told himself...

There were no sugar cubes, but she handed him an apple to give to Floknir instead. Starlin followed her instructions carefully, holding out the apple in his flattened palm. The horse nibbled happily, munching and crunching away.

"Alright, let's go." He gave Floknir one last pat before turning toward the stairs. "How about a race?"

Regardless of her answer, Starlin took off like a shot, his long legs bounding across the stone steps.

 
It took a moment for Mysa's brain to process what it was that Starlin had been suggesting, in fact only when his cheeks turned as beet red as her own and he fumbled away to something else did the penny drop. By that point they had already moved on to feeding Floknir his treat, and she did her best to move past it, to put it from her mind. He'd been joking, right? Surely he'd just been joking.
Watching him with the Flokinator did little to help, and when he turned to race on ahead she sprinted after him in hopes of catching up. A very sudden burst of energy, much like a cheetah, which would be short lived yet achieved the goal of reaching him.
One hand extended out, grasping him by the arm as she pulled him to a halt. Then she leaned in, up on her tiptoes, and set a kiss to his cheek. Without a word, or time for him to process it, she hurried on ahead of him, boots slapping against each stone step along the way.
 
Starlin was caught off guard when Myse caught up with him and grabbed his arm, bringing them both to a halt. He was even more startled when she pulled him to her and kissed his cheek.

Staring at her speechlessly, he finally started to mumble. “Mysa, I—

But she was already gone, racing on ahead of him. It took him a moment to buffer, then he jumped back into action, running after her.

That wasn’t fair!” he exclaimed, his feet pounding against the stones. “I’ll show you—

But before he could reach her, his foot slipped on a loose stone. Flailing in a vain attempt to keep his balance, he went tumbling over the edge of the steps.

 

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