Private Lazy Sunday | Ryv

[Auteme]

P E A C E
Tag: Ryv ​

---

Absolutely nothing. Nil. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not even a burrito.

A free day. When was the last time she'd really had one of those?

Most of her time was spent researching, but just yesterday she'd finally finished collecting her work on the Suerton probability manipulation she'd learned with Master Jend-Ro Quill . She'd gathered her sources and finished a short academic paper on the subject. Nobody would read it of course -- she wasn't a name in the academic community outside of Peace -- but it was satisfying to have finished something that'd taken up so much time. Now, she could think about what to tackle next. Tython's role as a planet attuned to the Force, and what that said about the nature of the cosmos? Read up further on Master Fay? Possibilities of using Yuuzhan Vong shaping to repair worlds devastated by the Sith and Bryn'adul? Learning a new language? Working to certify herself as a medical professional? So many possibilities...

Her second time sink was, of course, Ryv. Every Sunday she came over to his room, in part to clean up his awfully messy quarters, but also to hang out. When he was away on a mission or whatnot, she often spent time in the meditation rooms, trying her best to check up on him from what limited farsight she could muster, or just hiding so people wouldn't see her so worried. She wasn't that worried, but there wasn't much else for her to do that might help Ryv. Oddly enough, the more worried she was, the more likely he was to return completely fine.

Whatever the case, it was Sunday. Or she thought it was. Peace was out someplace in the galaxy, so she couldn't technically be sure of the time. Everyone ran on their own schedules here anyways. Today he'd been less messy, so by noon she was lying on his futon on the floor, just chilling and thinking, until finally she broke the silence.

"Ryv, do you know about the Killiks?"

 

[Ryv]

By the time Auteme rolled around to Ryv's room and entered, the sound of his snoring had attracted a small group of younglings. Recognizing the older Jedi, they scurried off, most likely hoping to avoid getting in any trouble. She'd almost immediately notice the room was far cleaner than usual. Whether by a sense of guilt or responsibility, it appeared the kiffar made an apparent attempt at keeping everything in some kind of order. While most of his books and datapads sat piled atop his desk, some had, unfortunately, slid off to the floor. Most of his clean clothing was hidden away in his closet, while the dirty clothes sat within a hamper. That left mostly busywork and organizational tasks for his guest to accomplish.

About midway through cleaning up, Ryv's snoring abruptly stopped at the sound of his beeping holodevice. He rolled over, blindly reaching for where he left it the night prior. Unable to find it, he reached out further until his body slipped from the bed and thudded against the floor. A soft groan escaped the jumbled up mess on the floor a few seconds before he tossed his blanket back onto his bed. He lazily stood up after that, reaching high up in the air as an echoing yawn sounded from deep within his form. The kiffar wore a pair of worn sweatpants but lacked anything covering his upper body. It didn't seem to bother him at all up until he turned and noticed Auteme.

"Ah! Babe! You aren't supposed to be here ti-" Ryv's eyes shot over to the digital clock hanging over his desk, his protest halted as he noticed he'd overslept an hour. "Shoot, uh, oops," he smiled apologetically before stepping over to his closet. He pulled it open and tugged out a Ziggy Starborn and the Supernova's tanktop before pulling it on. "Yeah, uh, my bad. I ran a late-night class for some of the padawan-learners. Well, technically, it was an early one for them, late for me. Time on the station is weird," he spoke as he strode across the room to the adjoining washroom. He went through the morning routine, washing his face and brushing his teeth before hopping back out into the room.

"You're honestly too good to me, Auteme," Ryv leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on her cheek before looking towards the mostly cleaned room. He made his way over to his desk and helped finish up the organizational efforts. Once they finished and she took up her book, he snagged a Holocron from his desk, crossed the room, and sat down across from her on the floor. His legs crossed beneath him, and he set the small device down before him. He closed his eyes and focused, allowing himself to fall within the familiar clutches of the force. The device acted as a beacon within his concentrated state, drawing his attention away from anything else.

It slowly lifted from the floor, bobbing up and down on invisible waves of energy. Portions of the device began to shift and move, similar to clockwork, as Rystartedan the painstaking process of trying to open his father's final gift. Half an hour went by before Auteme's voice cut through the silence. His eyes opened, and the Holocron tumbled to the ground between them.

"Killiks? Can't say I have," Ryv answered the question honestly while he snagged the Holocron from where it landed. He tossed it back onto his bed before shimmying over to sit beside her. "What are they? Are they cool?"

Auteme ​

 

[Auteme]

P E A C E
Tag: Ryv ​

---

"Why, do you have something to hide?" She looked at Ryv, all serious-like for a moment, before breaking out in laughter. "Don't worry about it, Ryv... but you should get to sleep earlier, I think. Also, you should position yourself to stop snoring. If you lie on your front, you can prevent obstructive sleep apnea, and you'll feel less tired during the day. Probably." It was possible that the snoring was just an effect of Ryv's previous addictions -- smoking and drinking were both factors to snoring and sleep apnea, and came with a myriad of other symptoms and effects. She wasn't about to talk about that, though; he was clean now.

Skip back to lying down on the futon, staring up at the ceiling.

She looked over when she heard the Holocron clatter to the floor, and immediately realized she'd interrupted him. "Sorry! You were being so quiet, I..." Well, that probably should've been a sign that he was doing something, because Ryv wasn't one to stop talking for no reason. Still, now that she'd gotten his attention, it'd probably be rude to stop talking. The Killiks were super interesting anyways, and she loved teaching Ryv things.

Auteme shifted to get comfortable and give Ryv a little space. Her gaze returned to the ceiling, and her mind spiraled into deeper thought. "The Killiks are an insectoid race. They form hive minds, where they share information and memories. They can actually integrate other races into the hive mind, and get their memories, too. But they've got this thing -- I'm not sure if it's cultural or biological -- where all memories are real to them. Like, if a Killik watched a holodrama, it would be part of the Killik hive's history. To them, it happened. Which is really sketchy to me, because that technically makes them unreliable sources. They're one of the oldest races in the galaxy, as old as the Celestials, and the oldest hives have memories of them, but it's impossible to tell if it's reliable... and I really want to learn about the Celestials. I mean, the older races like the Rakatans, the Kwa, the Gree... they had so much, obviously. And yeah, humans are old too but we're so... disadvantaged. Like, a Columi will outsmart me every time... and again that just makes me want to learn more about the Celestials, because even the Columi were afraid of the Celestials..."

She brought a hand up to scratch her head. "And the Zeffo, too... I really want to know about when they were around. Maybe I'll take a trip to Zeffo and try and carbon date their structures. If they were among the races around when the Celestials came around... or maybe even before. Or way after." Finally she stopped, realizing she was more going into her own mind than talking to Ryv.

She tactfully changed the subject, sitting up and looking at the holocron. "Where'd you get this holocron? Is it yours?"

 

[Ryv]

Ryv leaned back into the futon and propped the back of his head up in his hands, listening to her quick lesson in silence. One of the few times he chose to keep his mouth shut often followed anytime she offered unique and interesting information in regards to the galaxy. He knew lots about recent history when it came to the Sith, Jedi, Republic, Alliance, or the Empire. All the crazy groups like the Bryn'adul and the Agents of Chaos were also studied. Things like ancient empires and species on the other hand? Even on his best day, he couldn't fathom putting the time in to learn something about them. It likely had something to do with the fact most of these subjects required some inkling of knowledge ahead of time to study appropriately.

Auteme's information on the insectoid species caught Ryv's attention. There so many strange alien species out there that made kiffar and other humanoid peoples look boring. He couldn't imagine what it is like to live as a part of a hivemind. The idea of sharing his opinions and emotions left him a tad overwhelmed at times. Living in a community where everyone else had access to that kind of information just seemed unnatural to the Jedi. Though, it probably is weird for any of their inducted to consider life outside of a hive. The thought brought a smile to his face. Her mention of the Celestials also garnered some attention. He'd heard them mentioned time and time again, yet he could never make any ground on figuring out who or what they were. It was a frustrating search for information, though, Auteme likely experienced that feeling far more than Ryv ever would.

"Yeah, not going to lie, the Killiks seem pretty interesting. I think chatting with one and hearing what they had to say on literally anything would be neat," Ryv chimed in after she finished speaking. "It be cool to learn more about the Zeffo, yeah, same with the Celestials. I hear about em so often, and I have no clue what they are even about. In Alcoholic Massacre, they are a special of divine beings, usually taking the forms of angels or gods. Are they anything like that?" he asked before looking towards the Holocron atop his bed. The small device thrummed with power, sending gentle waves within the force lapping up against the two Jedi in the room.

"My old man put it together for me. He told me when I was older I'd be able to open it and learn a bunch of stuff he found out during his time as a Jedi," Ryv reached out with the force, taking hold of the item before pulling it across the room. His outstretched hand took hold of it, and he offered it to Auteme. "If you wanna take a look, be my guest."

Auteme ​

 

[Auteme]

P E A C E
Tag: Ryv ​

---

Of course... if there was one thing Ryv would study, it'd be the lore behind a video game. She already thought he spent too much time on Alcoholic Massacre. Still, if it helped him learn, it couldn't be terrible; and she knew how much fun he had with it. "Actually, yeah, they're supposed to be like that. It's probably something to do with the name 'Celestial'. Nobody knows what they look like, so there's speculation that they were formless, or shapeshifters... I think the more interesting idea is that they're inherently connected to the Force, and may even exist today as they guide it. There's the theory about the Ones -- I call it a theory, because there aren't many sources, aside from the Thuruht hive, Anakin Skywalker's account of Mortis, and some recordings of the Dark Jedi Xendor... oh, and the Nightsister religion, I think they appear in a form there. Basically, they're these three immensely powerful Force users, somehow connected to the Celestials. Well... there's also the fourth one, Abeloth, but she comes in later. Anyways, the Killiks thought that the Ones were related to the Celestials, sort of like their descendants, but I think they're more like a coalescence of the Celestials themselves. Like... they combined themselves, lending their power and intellect to create the Ones."

So much for not rambling so much. To be fair, Ryv had triggered that by asking about such a complex issue. Auteme wanted to learn more about the Celestials because they were so mysterious and linked so closely with the nature of the galaxy. Hyperspace barriers, Centerpoint Station, the Killiks, Rakatans, Gree, Kwa, and so many other things. Still, she couldn't live in the past forever. If she got too lost in her studies she'd forget everything she had in the here and now -- there was a delicate balance to strike. Spending time with Ryv was a good distraction from the past, and more a gateway into the future.

Auteme took the holocron, studying the blue crystalline cube. Honestly she thought they were worthy of being works of art purely on aesthetic merits. The crystals used in their construction were beautiful, equal to diamonds or rubies. Of course the knowledge contained inside was of even greater value. "I've only ever opened one holocron..." She thought back, trying to figure out what it had been that had allowed her to open it. "Try again. Moving the pieces is only part of it, you've got to connect to the holocron's Gatekeeper. Think about your dad," she said, putting the holocron in front of him again.

 

[Ryv]

Ryv tugged his leg up, wrapped an arm around it, and rested his chin on his knee. The Ones? Another thing he'd never heard anything about in his life. Listening to Auteme talk about all the scholarly stuff gave him so much homework, whether she knew it or not. He'd need to take a trip down to the archives sometime soon and see if he can familiarize himself with some of the basics. While the kiffar couldn't hope to learn anywhere near as much as she did, putting her teachings to good use could only benefit him. Plus, it might even get him some points if he managed to impress her with what he could find. Nothing wrong with wanting to show out for your girlfriend from time to time. Even if it happened through means, he usually ignored altogether, such as in-depth study and research.

While Auteme looked over the holocron, Ryv kept his gaze on the cube. It was never a matter of not being able to open it. He could feel his father's presence within the object, beckoning him towards the correct answer. With enough time, Ryv felt confident he could crack it open and learn everything it had to offer. The baggage behind his father's final gift weighed more than the young Jedi cared to admit to himself. His amber gaze followed the cube as she set it down, eventually rising back up to meet her eyes.

"Auteme, I uh-" Ryv reached out, his hand hovering inches above the cube. "This is it, you know? I've got my old man's jacket, the lightsaber he left me is out there somewhere, taken from me after the Sith captured me. There isn't anything else for me after this. Once I open it and learn what it has to offer, it'll be the last time I'll feel like this again," he paused and took hold of the holocron. "We didn't do gifts much when I was younger. We didn't have the credits to spare on that sorta stuff, but he and my ma always managed to provide something to me. I just don't know what I'm gonna do knowing everything my old man wanted to impart on me is finished. I guess it's kinda like a final goodbye. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to say goodbye."

Ryv tossed the holocron up in the air and caught it once before setting it back down. What would it be like to face the rest of his life without the promise of something more?

"I just don't know, Auteme," Ryv's shoulders slumped. "What do you think I should do?"

Auteme ​

 

[Auteme]

P E A C E
Tag: Ryv ​

---

Ryv had listened to her ramble enough about the Celestials and whatnot, it was only fair that she returned the favor. Auteme listened intently as he explained his dilemma. Slowly she reached out and took his hand, holding it in both of hers, allowing the emotions to flow between both of them. She regretted her initial reaction to hearing about the Holocron; Auteme always was searching for knowledge and thinking about what could be learned that sometimes she forgot to think about the emotional weight such things held. Cultural sensitivity aside, she'd forbidden herself from learning about the dark side for a reason -- it'd draw her in too quickly, and the curiosity would swallow her whole. "Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed," she said softly.

Still, she was being asked for an opinion, but in truth she didn't feel qualified enough to give one. "I... I'm not very good at goodbyes," she admitted. Now that she thought about it, having control over when such a thing happened was incredibly enticing. "So I understand wanting to keep it around, to kind of... pretend that he's still with you." Her gaze wandered away, fixing on that old jacket that he'd mentioned. For six months she'd held onto that jacket. She'd been so afraid to let go, and then when he'd come back... she'd been so happy. Should they hang onto the past, hang onto hope? Auteme had taken solace in the idea that no one could be sure if Ryv had been alive or not, morbid as it sounded, but Ryv's father was actually gone. Was it right to store one's feelings in a little Holocron, avoiding that final confrontation?

"But... I don't think it's healthy, to bottle up those feelings. Even when you open it, you'll still have it, and his jacket, and his lightsaber when you eventually find it," she said, knowing he'd get it back someday. After a short pause she continued. "Maybe... maybe you don't want to talk to him just yet. But I think he made this Holocron for you. Don't you think he'd want you to open it? To learn from him?" Maybe it was her own curiosity talking. She could only hope this was the right advice she was giving.