Maximum Effort!

[Zac Grayson]

"Would you rather I be a boring, nice boy? Come on, I know what you are doing. I may have never met one, but your kind is just like me and you are afraid to be that, but I don't know why. There are many ways to be a Jedi" Jonathan believed this whole heatedly. Mainly because he was the son of a Jedi who was worse than a Sith. Most of the bruises and broken bones Jonathan received in his life time were from his father. Hence when he found something good like Joza, his natural instinct was to ruin it.

He leveled his blade in a mid guard waiting for her next attack. As she moved he pivoted his right foot forward slightly to give him that extra power needed. He spun his blade to sweep her blade and then pivoted sending his own strike for her stomach.


[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

A roll of her eyes and a scowl accompanied her reply to his remark. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had me all figured out. How astute you are.” The taunting was only made worse when he commented on what was, to her, one of her more complex issues. Harassing her for her looks was one thing, but acting like he knew her from their short interactions only continued to tick her off even more.

Eyeing his movements, she charged forward with her blade held at center guard, similar to his own. He successfully shunted her saber off to the side when she went in for a swipe, moving quickly to jab at her midsection. Pivoting on her heel, Joza figured she had allowed enough room to avoid his blade, but overestimated his reach. She grimaced when the saber clipped her stomach, a red welt beginning to rise beneath her robes.

Maybe it was the strike that cemented her anger—not that she couldn’t take the pain, she’d had far worse—but Joza could feel herself giving in to her rage. It was similar to the time she’d dipped her toes into the dark side, and she wanted to stop it before it could grasp hold of her and pull her under. Leaping back, she disengaged her saber and clipped it to her belt. Turning to face [member="Jonathan Hex"], she stared at him with a hard look in her eyes. “We’re done here.” Was all she said, turning on her heel to leave.

 

[Zac Grayson]

He hit her? He was honestly surprised since his skill was low. "I don't know everything about you, I just know a little simply because I can see in you what I see in the mirror." He twisted his blade that connected to bring it back to a middle guard. He wa prepared for more until he saw something he didn't expect; true anger. His head finally connected with what he was really doing. He was being like his father, something he detested and he was breaking relationships. He didn't know what to do, should he stay acting cool? Should he try to stop her? He knew one thing, he didn't want to end things like this. He decided to run after. He reached to grab her hand, but didn't as he knew it would be too much. He deactivated his blade before speaking.

Joza, wait, I am sorry. Honestly I just wanted to make you laugh and have fun, but I can see i have done the oppisate." He sighed loudly and walked away from her with his hands behind his head. He didn't like this and didn't want to be this person, but he didn't know how to say it. He turned back towards her, "I don't know how to do this or what to say. I am not good at making friends and anytime I try to talk to someone I just Karl it up. I understand if you don't want to get to know, but please believe me when I say I am sorry." His tone had changed from carefree and fun loving to stressed and a bit shakie. Not shakie like he was about to cry, more so that he was nervous and unsure of himself.


[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza moved away from [member="Jonathan Hex"], her anger apparent and radiating off of her in waves. She could feel him approaching her from behind, and her body prepared to lash out at him should he try and touch her. But he didn’t, and that surprised her.

When he began to apologize, Joza stopped and listened. She still didn’t face him, but instead closed her eyes and remained silent. She listened to the intonation of his voice, reaching out with her natural empathetic abilities to feel his emotions. She wanted to know if he was truly sincere. If he was not, she would just scoff and walk away.

In listening to him, she was able to take the focus away from her anger briefly. Without fuel for the fire, it died down slowly until all she could feel were the glowing embers of irritation in her chest. Damnit. Why couldn’t he just be a jerk through and through? With a heavy sigh, Joza’s shoulders fell and she slowly turned toward the young man.

“Listen, Jonathan. I know you have daddy issues with Jericho, but that’s not my problem. I don’t deserve to have that taken out on me.” She spoke firmly, the same hard look in her eyes. Another exasperated sigh, though smaller, at what she was about to say. “If you want to try again, we could spend an hour or so talking. I have a lecture after that.” Her features began to soften, just a mite. “But you have to treat me like a person. And no touching.” Again, her words were firm, but not threatening. As much of a hardass as she could be, she did feel a little bad for his situation. Anxiety did some pretty crazy things to your mind and actions, as she’d found out on her own.

 

[Zac Grayson]

He could still feel the stress of being real with someone in him. He did not like to reveal so much. Even with the stress he could not help, but smile. He nodded as she spoke, she was right, he was an ass, but he didn't want to be. "I promise I will never touch you unless you want me to. I would really like to talk and start over. Hey, I am Jonathan Hex and I can be a complete ass, but I rather not be towards you." He smiled again, he was being honest, but also trying to make a better joke.

He walked up next to her, "I have issues with my dad, but that is not why I am an ass." He looked around, not really wanting to say what his reasons were. "I know you must think I only acted a fool simply because of your looks and species. Though I have been told my mother gave the genes to resist the aroma. Honestly, I just find you really cool, but talking to girls has never been my strong suit. Well, except my childhood friend Abbey."

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza watched him with a scrutinizing eye, remaining silent with her arms folded over her chest as she listened to what [member="Jonathan Hex"] had to say to her. As he finished speaking, the Zeltron deflated physically, her defensive posture slackening. It was a subtle change, but one that made her appear more vulnerable and open.

“Much better. Now that we’ve gotten past all that,” Joza waved a hand absently, indicating his antagonizing behavior and her anger. “Tell me about yourself, Jonathan Hex. Where are you from, how long you've been with the Sanctum, that sort of thing.”

 

[Zac Grayson]

Jonathan noticed her change, but he did not perceive it's meaning so he himself did not know what to do. He liked to have fun and make people laugh which could be a good or bad thing as this day was proving. He listened to her question, he was curious about the way she asked it. "I grew up on Fondor with my mother in the Omega Protectorate and then I moved here at a young age to be with my father. He has barely trained me so I know very little in the ways of the Force or being a Jedi. I sometimes train on Mandalore as well. Combat is something I have always been good at and I can hit basically anything with a knife, but hard to use in a spar." He grabbed a knife from the holster on his leg and threw it and his an apple off a tree at 10 meters away. "I mean like that. So what about you? I assume that if I didn't mess things up you would have been a much harder fight."

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“So you’re a Jedi brat.” She nodded, indicating that he’d been raised around Jedi as opposed to her. Her brow raised at the mention of Mandalore as her gaze followed the knife. “Not bad.” She idly stretched an arm that she’d over extended during their little duel. “You’ll have to teach me that trick sometime.” She stated matter-of-factly, as if he had no choice in the matter. Though, there was a hint of teasing under her tone.


She tilted her head and began walking at leisurely pace, indicating that he join her. Shrugging at his question, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure. We’ll have to revisit that later when you don’t irritate me so much.” She gave him a wry sidelong smirk before her face took on a thoughtful look. “Not much to tell, really. I grew up on Zeltros with my mom, never met my dad. I didn’t start training as a Jedi until a few years ago. Would have been a lot sooner if my mom had let me leave earlier…” She mused a little bitterly, remembering the fights she and her mother had up until she left.

[member="Jonathan Hex"]

 

[Zac Grayson]

"Not exactly. I agree that you can protect without killing and I prefer the light over the dark, but the Jedi... They seem to hold a lot of fears. They resist letting people be humans because they fear they will fall. The Silvers seem more understanding though." Jonathan smiled as he looked over at her and turned a very light red he saw her smile, it was nice. He listened to her story and noted how similar their lives were. He heard a vibration in his pocket, their class was canceled. This now gave him an idea, "I still want to help you let loose, but lets try it a different way, want to throw some knives?" He smiled as his face began to fade as the suns began to fade and the stars filled the sky.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“That’s why I’m here.” She said simply with a nod, indicating that she agreed. The Sanctum was the most accepting light sided faction, taking in pretty much everyone except for hard-line Sith. Raising a brow at his request, she almost chuckled. “Throw some knives?” In the back of her mind she wondered how something like that could be relaxing, but at least it was something different. Jedi didn’t usually go around throwing knives, and admittedly she had no experience with a bladed weapon. Glancing up at the sky, she noted how late in the day it had become. “Sure.” She shrugged. “Why not?”

[member="Jonathan Hex"]

 

[Zac Grayson]

He reached to his left leg where he also carried knives and unhooked the holster that held 6 knives and handed it to her. "Follow me, I live near by and have a place to practice there." He began walking with her when he indicated his place out in the distance. The stars and moons lit that ground they walked on as they walked in silence for a little while. He then turned towards her as they walked, "So what do you want to be when you get older?"

An odd questions, pretty much out of no where. He wasn't expecting anything more than a Jedi. It seemed everyone in this Galaxy wanted to be a fighter which made him wonder if that was all life was, a giant fight.


[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Oh?” Hearing that he had a “place” nearby was a bit of a surprise to hear, but she supposed it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities. His father was a well-known Sanctum Master, after all. Joza closed her hand around the holster, taking it with a nod as they began to walk toward his home. A light breeze rolled by, rustling the foliage around them and Joza tilted her head upwards to look at the night sky. Voss didn’t have nearly as much light pollution as Zeltros, so something as simple as a starry sky could easily take her attention.

“Hm?” She brought her focus back to [member="Jonathan Hex"] before taking a few moments to ponder his question. “I’m already where I want to be, I suppose.” She shrugged, never really having thought about it. “I left Zeltros because I wanted to become something more in life. I’m just not sure what, yet.” More and more she wondered if she was truly suited to the Jedi lifestyle. “What about you?”

 

[Zac Grayson]

He smiled warmly, an almost completely different person from when she first interacted with him. That was the funny thing when writers became involved, things new usually changed. He looked over to her, "Well I am happy you are here at the very least. I am sure you will find your calling soon enough." He went around his house and opened the gate, holding it open for her and entering the backyard after her. "As for me, I have Mandalorian blood in me so I will use that to help the Silvers and my Kinsmen. I wish to become a bounty hunter and tracker Jedi. Even us good guys need bounty hunters, but with morals to hunt down enemies too great and elusive for armies."

He drew a knife and spun it in his hand as they came near the targets. "I assume with a better understanding of the Force then I have, you will get this better. First before anything you need to understand weight and balance. These knives are perfectly balanced, but some are not and so you must take that into consideration. Even slight weight differences can effect your aim drastically. For a Jedi, precise aim is key as you want to hit someone effectively and not cause unneeded pain. SO take a moment to feel the weight. Spin it, throw it up, do whatever helps." He himself spun his like a drum stick in his hand.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Hmm…” A Mandalorian bounty hunter Jedi? That certainly was something she hadn’t heard of before, but she supposed that it would not be out of the realm of possibilities. Contemporary Jedi seemed to have more freedom compared to their ancient counterparts. But as a wise Knight who had chosen the light path once told her, the Jedi have become more lax for a number of reasons. Too many restrictions lead too many Jedi down a dark path, which seemed to be something the Sanctum was aiming to change. Hell, even the Grandmaster openly had a wife and son! Though love was not the same, if she had to remain completely chaste to become a Jedi, she may as well have just stayed on Zeltros.

Joza glanced at the knife in his hand before drawing one for herself. Jonathan seemed to completely contrast how he was acting earlier, and she was surprised by his methodical approach to the throwing knives. At his suggestion, she balanced the knife on the flattened edge of her fingers and tilted her hand slightly, trying to get a feel for the weapon’s weight. The only thing she had wielded thus far was a lightsaber, so it made sense that this would feel different for her. Gingerly, she tossed the knife only to catch it a bit awkwardly. She considered it a victory that she didn’t end up slicing her hand open. “How long have you been doing this for?” Joza’s eyes found the knife in his hand again, noting how he spun it with a practice flick of his wrist.

[member="Jonathan Hex"]

 

[Zac Grayson]

Jonathan stopped the spinning of his knife at her question. He actually wasn't sure of the answer. He had been doing it as long as he could remember. Well a form of it. "I am not sure, my friend Abbey and I had been throwing rocks at targets for ages, but I believe I started with knives when I moved here, so 10 years I assume?" He nodded, agreeing with his own answer and returned to twirling his knife. He now walked up to her to stand close, but not like a creep close. He stopped spinning his knife again.

He held his knife up in front of him, "There many ways to throw one, I hold the blade near the tip and behind the blade." He held his hand close to her body showing her what he was doing. He had his blade held with three fingers, thumb, index and middle. He was pinching his blade with a firm grip. As the wind whipped around him, he smelled her perfume again and was distracted a second, but got his mind back quickly. "O-ok, from what I have learned you get power from the arm, but aim from the wrist. Together is how you get a perfect throw." He stepped away from her a bit to not hit her.

He pulled his arm back and then forward and at the flick of his wrist he sent the knife in his hand out. It spun in a fast rotation, but moved in a straight line. He compensated for the distance and the knife dipped from the distance only slightly, but hit the target perfectly in the center. "Give it a shot." He smiled and grabbed another knife from his holster.


[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza watched Jonathan go through the motions of properly grasping and throwing the knife with a nod of her head. “Seems simple enough.” She mimicked the hold he had shown her, hoping that she’d gotten it right. It felt a little awkward to her, but she supposed that this was something new for her. The Padawan arched a brow as the wind blew and he stuttered slightly in his explanation, but chalked it up to the cold…or so she told herself.

“Alright, I’ve got this.” Her voice was hard, laced with confidence. Seriously, how difficult could throwing a knife be? With a swing of her arm, she sent the knife hurdling towards the target. Unfortunately, it didn’t hit dead center as his had did. Or hit it at all. Or anywhere near the target. Instead, the knife veered off trajectory and fell unceremoniously into the grass about half the distance from the target. Oh… Joza frowned, a clear line of frustration forming on her face. “That’s…my hand slipped.” She cleared her throat, too prideful to admit that it was harder than it had looked.

[member="Jonathan Hex"]