Private Pathways of Power

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"A board~?" Braze asked excitedly. "That actually sounds super nova. You'll have to show me sometime," he said, smiling as Aris took hold. "Don't worry... I'll catch you," he promised with a smirk, grasping Aris' hand. The wind picked up around them, and it felt as if there was something solid pressing against the bottom of Aris' feet. Slowly but surely, they started to ascend upwards. There was a strong sentiment of excitement exuding from Braze as the winds whipped around them, and they began to turn slowly within the vortex, cloth billowing around them. Braze's somber jade green eyes were alert, and his pale irises dilated with joy.

Nothing spoke more to Braze's heart and soul of freedom than flight. And now he could use this ability, this uplifting power, to not only lift himself up but to uplift another. There was always a way to improve his attitude with his altitude, to just rise above it all. He absolutely loved the skies, but being able to share it with someone else was next level. There was just something intrinsic to his very being about it all. If there was anything that let him open up, let go, and just... exist in the moment, this was it. And it was something he wanted to share with Aris.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Nova..?"

Aris tilted his head in confusion. Which only worsened at Braze's assurance that he would catch Aris. "No, that's not the problem you should catch yourself!" He wasn't really shouting so much as just trying to speak up over the wind as they were lifted from the ground. He was.. Conflicted, at first. He could jump very high when he had to, but he wasn't used to just remaining in the air.

It was weird. But a good weird?

"Do you normally fly like this..?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"If... I lose focus... I just fall... and before I hit the ground... I use something kinda like Force Push... to slow my descent and land softly on my feet," Braze explained simply. "If I 'drop' you... I'll be sure to catch you and do that as well," Braze offered. "Not always... this is more... of developing a new skill... It takes a lot of concentration or happy feelings to do this; I just sing a song in my head when I do this. Or just think of Loomi . " Braze purred and smiled at Aris. "Plus... between you and me... I like to free fall... Wanna give it a try?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"Okay stop with the whole catch me thing. I don't need to be caught. I'll land just fine on my own so please, take care of yourself." They were both Padawans, after all. The fact that he was routinely trying to prioritize Aris over himself was slightly.. Annoying? He tried not to focus on that though, instead looking out over the plains they were flying above.

It was beautiful here.

"It's a fun sensation, yeah."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"Are you ready for me to let go?" Braze asked seemingly excited since the air was starting to get pretty cold and thin with how high up they had gone. There was a small shift in the sensation as a weightlessness took over.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Oh you mean now- Oh."

Aris glanced down. He was faintly glowing now, just a dull red glow as he kept himself warm even as the air got frigid. It was half conscious, half unconscious at this point. He'd been training almost constantly to keep his temperature under control. ".. Yes. Yes let's dive down." There was an excited tone to his usually level voice. He was excited about this. There was no danger here, not for him at least.

Just pure thrill. Maybe he should make it so his board could fly even higher up, just so he could experience this again.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze enjoyed this thrill for many reasons, one of which was because it could be very dangerous if things didn't go according to plan... but it was unlikely to happen. He started to shift forwards and moved to outstretch his arms with Aris' , slowly but surely... letting go as they started to take into free fall.​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris took a breath as he looked down towards the world below them, and just smiled. Yeah, he could get used to a view like this. Even the feeling of it, floating down towards the surface. Yep, he'd have to make sure the board could reach this height.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

The wind swept by at an exhilarating rate, blowing back hair and allowing long bits of cloth to billow. Aside from themselves, it was unbelievably quiet. It was so quiet up here, a normal person could hear their own heartbeat. As the ground came closer and closer, Braze had to correct his descent and slow his fall by using the Force. With a deft maneuver, he performed a small spin mid-air, skillfully reorienting himself to bring his feet down first, ensuring a smooth landing.​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris did not have as much of a smooth landing as Braze did. He didn't slow, he didn't shift his position. He was all smiles and grins as he stared down at the rapidly approaching ground before he twisted midair to land feet first. He landed with quite a loud crack of the earth, practically shattering the ground beneath him. But he stood up straight easily enough, smiling faintly.

He was unharmed. Unperturbed.

".. Yeah. I like that."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze was somewhat startled, to say the least, by how Aris had chosen to land. He surveyed the ground with a look of concern. Drawing a slow, steadying breath, he exhaled and relaxed, shaking his head to dispel the jumble of thoughts swirling around.

"That doesn't hurt?" he asked, with a grimace in his voice.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris blinked, glancing to Braze for a moment. The grimace, the obvious twitch in his face. It wasn't hard to guess what was going though Braze's mind. But this time, Aris just smiled and shook his head.

"No. I was made strong."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"Like... stronger than the average Epicanthix?" Braze asked, his brow furrowing with uncertainty. He hadn't fully grasped the depths of his heritage, still grappling with what it truly meant to be 'made'. "What does it entail, being 'made'?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.​

 

[Aris Noble]

"I'm a clone. When my father was Sith he made me to be his escape from his own father. I am enhanced."

Aris lifted a hand, idly flexing his fingers. "I don't know the process, but I do know I am not normal."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"That uh... yeah... " Braze didn't really know what to say to that. Sith family dynamics were certainly something. He didn't understand the Sith Ideology nor did he pretend to.

"That sounds rough. " He offered simply and stepped back in to a fighting stance. "You know you could always do light contact sparring... Kinda like a game of tag. "

 

[Aris Noble]

"For him, I imagine it is. Not for me though. I'm different, but I'm not bothered by it." Aris shrugged, just a little. Was he actually bothered by it? He hadn't had to face just how different he was head on, so it was hard to say. To him, though, he truly believed he wasn't bothered in the slightest. He nodded, though frowned even as he did.

"I.. Can. But that's more akin to holding back. It's insulting to hold back. 'I don't think you can handle it.' .. And I always have to hold back, anyway. I still don't know the actual limits of my strength."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"What do you suppose will happen if I place my footing wrong, or time a dodge poorly?" Braze asked, the breeze tousling his hair as he looked across the field speckled with vibrant flowers. He took a deliberate step forward, the soft earth underfoot slightly giving way to his weight as the grass shifted.

Aris was surrounded by a swirl of colorful petals stirred up by the wind.

Braze narrowed his gaze and re-initiated their spar. He executed a quick sidestep, stirring a flurry of petals around his boots. He moved, sweeping a kick towards Aris's left flank.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Cave in your chest, break something. I see your point." Which didn't hide the disappointment in Aris's smile. A smile that turned to focus as he lowered himself into his own stance like before. Expressionless, emotionless. Controlled, technically, but it certainly seemed blank. His eyes narrowed as the wind picked up. Petals? Braze might not have realized it himself just yet, but those were likely going to be the biggest problem for Aris.

Without the Force to guide him, he needed his eyes as much as every other sense.

The kick came and Aris planted himself, swinging down an arm to catch the kick along it. turn into the block, and bring around his right fist for a lightning quick jab. Or at least, fast. It was clear now that he was indeed holding himself back.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

​

Braze knew about Aris's hypersensitive hearing and suspected that this acuity extended to all his senses except perhaps touch, given how seemingly impervious he was to pain or damage. The petals and the wind, while subtle tools, were now being manipulated by Braze. It wasn't with the intensity he would use against a true enemy, but he couldn't resist testing Aris in a more playful, creative manner. The myriad colors from the wildflowers surrounding them in the grassy meadow undoubtedly carried a light, perfumed scent, potentially adding another layer of distraction.

As the petals continued to flutter in the wind, creating a curtain of color that could obscure Aris's vision or disorient him with their sweet fragrances, Braze executed his next move. He leaned back, dodging the jab, and placed a hand on Aris's arm, not to block but to subtly guide its momentum past him. Using this redirection, Braze spun lightly on his heel, harnessing the wind to lift more petals into the air, enhancing the visual spectacle. He then attempted a feint, shifting his body as if to deliver a kick but instead used the moment to test Aris's reaction to a sudden burst of colorful petals aimed directly towards his face, a playful yet cunning ploy to see if he could momentarily confuse his well-trained opponent.

He hopped back with a devious little giggle. " You know Airs... There is a difference between light contact.... and going easy one some one. "

 

[Aris Noble]

Braze was aware. Aris's brow furrowed as he took a half step forward with his punch, all to keep his footing as best he could as Braze weaved out of the way. He wasn't going to let himself be thrown this time, though that didn't seem to be the case as he found a face full of petals. He blinked slowly. His senses weren't that confused, but Aris himself certainly was.

Those did nothing to him. Why did Braze do that?

".. There isn't, not if you don't want me to hurt you anyway."

Braze