Private There's No Place Like Home... Anymore

[Ko Vuto]

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A new organism to look after. That was the gift Ko found himself with after getting knighted. A certain snow haired boy seemed to have pieced together a neat little ecosystem for some sort of water based creature. The Kel Dor was unsure still if it was a fish or some sort of amphibian. Now he had to move along with much of his personal items from his former padawan dorm. He was diligent in making sure that certain posters, animated holo-dramas, and graphic novels of artisan origin were sealed away in nondescript boxes. Which he wanted to get stored away before his other stuff. He still had his tea making kits, bonsai care, and old calligraphy tools still to go.

After Which he could get his old canisters of Dorin gas from his closest as well. Remembering how he only got to use them once years ago to make his room more climate controlled for himself. Until certain gas detectors started to go off and scare others into thinking a fire had been set off in his dorm.

Ko had asked one of his peers to aid him in getting things moved out of his old room. Not that he really needed the assistance, but because he wanted the thank the teen boy for his gift. The Kel Dor wondered if it might be a little pointless now moving between rooms. Considering that the fate of the temple was rather cloudy now. But living in the present was a good value for a jedi, and not being too worked up over potential futures.

Setting down a box of atrisian media on his old bed Ko stepped back for a moment. Going to his desk where there was a cool bottle of tea. Grabbing it and slotting the bendy straw into his mask he took a few idle sips.

Braze ​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"Moving boxes, eh~?" Braze asked as he appeared in the doorway. He was so quiet—when did he get there? It was much harder to sense Braze now. His mind and presence were more somber, more subdued, and yet his tone held that playful note. "You don't want me to drop any of these ones, do you, Ko~?" he asked in a teasing manner, fully aware that Ko did not want any of his personal belongings dropped like the heavy crates he had Braze drop during that testing phase of his own theory.

"Oh... what happened to the other tadpole?" Braze asked curiously, only seeing one left in the tank. "Did you decide to give him, or her, away?" he inquired as he came to look at the setup.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Ko’s body straightened up some as he heard Braze’s sudden approach. Pretty sneaky, perhaps the boy fancied himself a Jedi Shadow? “Well I’d prefer you not drop any boxes. What if one of them had my precious little bonsai tree in it?” Ko remarked with a soft little laugh. But then it occurred to Ko that he wouldn’t want Braze stressing himself out over moving some simple boxes.

He then raised a brow at the echani boy’s question. “What do you mean ‘the other tadpole?’ I’ve only seen the one in there.” He asked. It also seemed that Braze answered his question as to what the creature inside the little vivarium was. It was an amphibian and not a frog. “I wasn’t aware that there was another. Perhaps they grew some legs and hopped out?” Ko suggested, finding that idea much more digestible than the other that crossed his mind. “But speaking of the creature, I wanted to thank you for the gift. Although I’m not quite sure what it is yet. Is it just a cute little frog?”

Braze

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"Don't worry, I won't drop any. Where are we moving these boxes to, Knight Vuto?" Braze inquired as he curiously snooped around, attempting to peek into some of the boxes.

"Umm... well... It's a tadpole, but it's about the size of a mug... Or maybe a small dinner plate?" Braze offered lightly. "The white one with the pink eyes is the one that's left in there." He continued, gesturing towards the box. "Maybe it did hop out... I can't imagine it must have gotten far... though the thought of someone finding a polywog is pretty funny. I won them at a fair. I'm glad you like 'em."

 

[Ko Vuto]

“Knight Vuto… It still feels weird hearing that outloud. At least for now, before I get used to it.” Ko commented, still feeling unfamiliar with his new rise in rank. The doubtful and self conscious parts of him questioned if he really deserved the rank. Maybe they just wanted more knights for the upcoming war?

The Kel Dor would shake those doubts from him. Imposter syndrome would only undermine himself and those that helped him get this far. That would be a great disservice.

Ko didn’t mind Braze’s idle peeking into one of the boxes. All the echani boy could see was the cover of some light novel with a convoluted title that detailed the plot of the story. About some teenage boy who got reincarnated as an alternate universe Jedi after getting run over by a repulsor truck and effortlessly forms a harem made up of a fellow padawam, a Sith acolyte, a nightsister and mandalorian…

“Well, I kinda just gotta move to my new room. But I’m just not sure how long I’ll keep some of my stuff there. But right now I’m just trying to pack things so that it’ll be a lot more straightforward while moving stuff.” Ko replied before listening to Braze explain more about the creature he now left for Ko to look after. It seemed like he had some sort of albino frog. Braze could also tell that the single tadpole was noticeably larger than when he last saw it. But that could just be because it had more food for itself now.

“Honestly a rogue frog hanging around the temple might be nice. It could eat any of the pests it comes across. A building as big as the temple could surely use the added pest control.” Ko remarked optimistically. “Oh a fair, so I guess this new pet of mind is a prized creature and I should cherish it dearly. Maybe Champion, or Champ would be a good name for them then." ​

Braze

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze flashed a cheesy grin at KO. "Well, Knight Vuto, you should feel honored. You've earned your place among the other knights of the order. Even without the traditional Padawan braid, you still look the same as before. I'm really proud of you and so happy for you. It's been a long time coming. Now, you get to do all the cool knight stuff on your own if you want." His voice trailed off gently, and he quirked an eyebrow. "You sure do like some eccentric titles, huh? No... Echanni warrior princess?" he teased.

He picked up several boxes with ease. "Alrighty, just tell me where we're going," Braze chirped.

"How about the chomp champ, huh?" Braze asked with a smirk. "They sure can pack it away. I wonder if fishing might help supplement their diet..." He trailed off lightly. "A rogue frog might bug some people late at night and keep them awake. But if we hear them, we might be able to catch them again."

As Braze prepared for the potential move from the Coruscant temple due to the Dark Empire's recent attacks on Tython, he felt a mix of emotions. There was a tangible tension in the air, the kind that filled one's chest with a cold dread at the thought of leaving behind a place filled with memories and learning.

 

[Ko Vuto]

He listened to Braze, their encouragement was appreciated. It wasn’t just Braze either, but it seemed like most of her peers found the idea of him getting knighted to be obvious. Although Ko never really imagined that they saw him in such high regard. If anything he believed that they would’ve thought it came too soon since much of his teens wasn’t spent as a padawan but as a service member in the Agricultural Corps. “Well, I don’t think I could've ever gotten a genuine or proper padawan braid. Plus my master never asked that of me.” Ko replied with a slight chuckle. “But thanks Braze, and I’m sure you’ll get knighted as well one day.” Ko wasn’t sure what that would look like mentally. His heart would go out to whatever padawan would end up learning under a Jedi Knight Braze.

Ko then listened to Braze’s remark on the title, taking a moment to realize what was being referred to. “Oh yeah, I used to read artisan graphic novels like that a lot back when I was farming. To be honest I’m not really sure why I have them anymore. I guess it’s just sentimental…” Ko couldn’t read or see the illustrations anymore so there wasn’t really much use he got out of those things these days. Perhaps it was just something to return to if he ever got his eyes back.

“What do you mean Echani Warrior Princess?” Ko question, followed by an audible tisk. “I’m not moving any boxes just yet. I wanna get everything boxed first. Then we can start moving them. Actually my bonsai tree and new vivarium are what I wanna get boxed up next. After that is my tea and calligraphy tools. All that will be left is my old canisters of Dorin Gas.” Ko explained to them.

“Hmm, that'd be a good point. But I guess we’ll just have to see… or listen in this case.” He said back, regarding the missing frog before starting to pack more of his things. He could sense some of the tension coming from the Echani padawan. Figuring it had to do with the situation they were all put under here at the temple. Something he could certainly sympathize with.

“Do you know what you and Jasper and planning to do next. Your Master has always been one to get highly involved with humanitarian issues. I figured you’d…” Ko paused for a second and cut himself off. “Sorry, we don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Braze ​

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"You could have made yourself a bead stand. Didn't Jonyna have a somewhat interrupted padawanship? She may not have been familiar with the tradition since she wasn't, you know, your typical kind of padawan, I imagine," Braze mused.

He listened to what Ko said about the novels. "No, I understand wanting to keep nice things that remind you of better times. Was it a good story? Is it a book I could borrow?" he asked with a mischievous grin knowing full well some of the graphic novels that exsisted were perhaps geared towards older individuals.

"I mean, I figured you'd want to read books with kissing in them about characters that might seem like Lily Decoria . You DO LIKE her, don't you?" Braze teased, his tone playful.

He set aside what he had been doing. "Right... uh, I'm not sure if you should box plants and animals but rather just move them. Boxing them might mess things up unless we're super careful," Braze advised. "But whatever you say, you're the boss. I'll help you box anything you want."

He perked up at the mention of the gas. "Gonna do anything special with the leftover gas?" he asked, his eyes gleaming deviously. Braze could certainly think of a few entertaining uses for it.

At that last question, Braze's excitement faded softly. He frowned and seemed to become rather upset by this.

Braze's frustration was evident as he recalled Jasper Kai'el 's words. "He said, 'I'm not going to allow you to even think about protecting me until I know for a fact that you aren't just going to run off and get yourself killed,'" he mimicked Jasper's stern tone even gesticulating with his hands like a stern father might do when scolding their child, then shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't agree with it. He's treating me like I'm still a child. I'm 14, Ko! A full 14!" Braze began to pace, his snow-white hair reflecting his agitation.
"A Padawan's job is to protect and watch their master's back, and he won't even let me." Braze huffed, a silver glow of his eyes sharpening.

"He just thinks I'm going to get hurt, like he did—some gruesome fate. I get that it's because he cares about me and wants to keep me safe, but I think I should be able to fight for what I believe in and do my part. It's not right that he's sidelining me."

He stopped pacing and stood firmly, his posture embodying a warrior spirit. "On Eshan, by the time you're 14, you've already faced the Telc'ta, the Warrior's Right. It's a declaration that you're ready to shoulder more responsibilities. During the Telc'ta, you endure the Tea Ceremony's pain, reflect deeply in the Meditation of Chal, and demonstrate your combat skills in the Right of Ascension against your own father—It's meant to be grueling, it's enlightening, and it marks the transition from child to warrior."

Braze's voice carried a mix of pride and frustration. "Completing the Telc'ta means I'm recognized as capable within my culture. It's a symbol of recognition to my endurance, my commitment, and my ability to uphold the principles of honor and combat. If I can face that, I should be trusted to face real-world dangers alongside my master."

He glanced at Ko, his expression earnest. "I'm not just some novice anymore. I'm a warrior, trained to read the battlefield like a book. My culture teaches that the true measure of a person is shown through their actions in combat. I'm ready, Ko. More than ready. And I need him to see that too. But just... Jasper... he just doesn't trust me. I don't think he respects me. I'm only a child in his eyes. His child... and nothing more than that, as far as he's concerned."

Braze's movements conveyed his inner turmoil, his silver green eyes clouded with distress as he grappled with a conflict that stemmed from the core of his identity. "But what can I do?" he lamented, his voice tinged with frustration. "I can't just disobey him, and arguing seems futile. He's not only my Master but also my keeper. It would be a grievous dishonor to disregard his wishes."

His words slowed as he paced, each step measured and heavy. "It's like being trapped between honoring the teachings of my culture and respecting the authority of my Master. Echani honor dictates that we stand ready to protect, to prove our worth through action, yet here I am, being asked to sideline those very principles."

Braze paused, looking deeply troubled. "To ignore his commands would disrespect the bond between a Master and Padawan, a bond as sacred as any Echani vow."

 

[Ko Vuto]

“I believe a term to describe Master Si was a 'Bokken Jedi.' One that was not trained by any orders or institutions. Also when considering that she could hardly read or write galactic basics. I would agree that she was far from a traditional icon. The way I kinda viewed it. She wasn’t really the master I deserved, but the master I needed.” Ko then listened to Braze talk about the books. Asking if they were any good. “Well it’s…” With the power of hindsight and growing up it allowed Ko to realize that the light novel was pretty trashy. But when it was younger he certainly did enjoy it, and was the same age Braze is now. “Hmm, they’re not really the kind of stories that I'm interested in reading anymore. But that doesn’t mean you might find them fun reads. So you could borrow them if you want.”

“Huh? Why would I just wanna read books about kissing and-” Ko’s voice choked up some as Braze suggested that Ko liked Lily. The echani boy could even make out a faint bit of blushing around his antiox mask. “Ugh, just forget it. Just help me by boxing up some of that stuff over there.” The Kel Dor seemed to just wanna switch the subject and pointed over to some of his old calligraphy stuff organized on his desk. They made a good point on maybe not boxing his plants and pets. Ko didn’t really think much of it since it would only be for a brief moment. But were likely right.

“I’m not sure, I haven’t really touched the old gas in years. I really just don’t wanna leave it here.” Braze’s tone however, suggested that they might have an idea. Pulling the old canisters out of his closet they were already packed up like they were when he’d had them shipped to him.

Then Ko began to listen to Braze’s response. Very quickly understanding that the younger boy was venting their frustrations over their situation and doing his best to actually listen to what Braze had to say and how they must be feeling. The Kel Dor didn’t really say anything, choosing instead to let them speak uninterrupted.

From the sounds of it Braze really sounded like they were between some sort of rock and a hard place. Two conflicting ideals that seemed impossible to compromise on. As though it needed to be one or the other. Internally Ko found it a little upsetting that the Echani people put that kind of pressure on mere 14 year old children. Especially for a young boy, who was likely expected to just accept being a second class citizen in their own culture. It’s a tall order to ask so much for a boy and give so little in return.

But Ko believed that it would be wrong to just dismiss that as an unimportant relic of Braze’s cultural heritage. That would be like someone telling Ko to be okay with letting bad people be allowed to live free of consequence and turn his back on justice.

Right now the Kel Dor let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, it’s pretty clear to me now that there’s certainly an internal struggle inside of you. Like you said, you’re stuck between honoring your heritage, and your master. That’s not a position I envy.” Ko said honestly. “But I don’t believe it has to be viewed as a zero sum game. All or nothing.”

He was still trying to think over everything that Braze had told him, and not get too distracted by treating every little word that was said as of equal importance. He was trying to find the root or source of the conflict that was expressed just now. The two of them have had similar discussions before, and Ko has taken different approaches to trying to help and support Braze with their feelings. But he was never really sure if he ever said the right thing.

Maybe there wasn’t a correct thing to say? Maybe he was going about this wrong by thinking there was a simple solution. Or that he could say some special words and give Braze all the answers. Perhaps Ko’s best course of action was just to be honest and genuine about how he felt.

“Braze it’s… I don’t know…” Ko tone hinted at some vulnerability he was feeling right now. The younger padawans like Braze and Loomi had both looked up to him in some way. He was older, and wiser in some ways. He felt he had to live up to being some kind of reliable role model for them. Especially now more than ever that he was no longer a padawan like them. “... I just can’t help but feel like it’s really unfair the position that you’re in. In fact I think we’ve all really been put in unfair and unjust positions lately, as an order.” Ko’s shoulders sagged some as he stepped a bit closer to Braze. “It’s probably a little rich and hypocritical to hear this from me. For only being a few cycles older than you. But I think it’s pretty messed up to ask 14 year olds to shoulder the world.” Maybe those added years just offered Ko a lot of hindsight bias. Gently he raised his hands up some and placed them on Braze’s shoulders before pulling him into a gentle hug.

“I know that I probably can’t fully empathize with the Echani experience and expectations. But I don’t blame you for feeling the way that you do. It actually seems pretty reasonable given the circumstances and situation.” He added, expressing the limits of his understanding and knowledge. But more importantly wanted Braze to know that he was being heard and that he wouldn’t think less of him because of it. However, Ko was also trying to communicate the fact that Braze was still just a kid. A ‘warrior’s right’ was never going to change the fact that he was just 14 no more than being a knight changed the fact that Ko was still quite young as well.

Braze ​

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze nodded slowly, absorbing every word from Ko like the rarest of lessons. There was a tension in his young shoulders that seemed to lessen slightly under the reassurance of the gentle hug and understanding words. He looked up, his eyes reflecting the ongoing inner turmoil.

"Yeah, Ko, it's... it's a lot," Braze admitted, his voice a soft echo in the room filled with Ko's packed belongings and memories. "I'm trying to figure out what it means to be a good Jedi, a good Echani, and just... a good person. It feels like walking a tightrope sometimes." His gaze drifted toward the window, perhaps seeking the stars for guidance.

Shifting his focus back to the present, Braze gestured toward the boxes. "So, about these old calligraphy supplies—think they could be useful for practicing Jedi scripts? Might as well turn them into something educational, right?" His attempt to lighten the mood marked a return to the task at hand.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Ko could certainly empathize with what Braze said back. “That’s a pretty good way to explain it I think. It can be applied to just about every person who becomes adept with The Force and could relate to the sentiment. Riding the razor's edge. I think I can understand the feeling pretty well.” Sometimes Ko himself wondered if he was actually doing a good job at living up to the ideal of his own Dorin heritage.

Taking a step back he raised one of his clawed hands and gave the younger boy a few pats on the head. Right now he didn’t believe that he had the right answer to address and satisfy Braze’s feelings. Even so, was it really a good idea? Maybe Braze deserved to be allowed to be upset and to process these things himself without someone else telling him how he should feel through reassurance.

He then turned his attention to the calligraphy stuff as Braze brought up something about it. “Jedi Script? I mostly just used them to keep practicing my skill with the Dorin language and handwriting. Now I haven’t really put much effort towards that. Things started getting very splotchy and disorderly.” Ko failed to see the artistry in how he made use of it now. “What sort of educational stuff did you have in mind?”

Braze ​

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

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Braze pondered the challenges presented by Ko's blindness. "Oh, I don't know... something to do with writing... I imagine it's harder to do now," he offered.

"Perhaps you could explore the art of tactile writing," Braze suggested, " I imagine you used them for making poetry or pretty writing stuff. " He didn't really know what else to say. Ko probably had sentimental value attached to these items. Being blind was a big change for Braze when he practiced blind folding himself. It wasn't something he enjoyed.

 

[Ko Vuto]

It seemed as though Braze wasn’t really sure what to use the calligraphy supplies for as well. Ko still wasn’t quite sure what Jedi scripts were either. He was a tiny bit knowledgeable on the existence of Jedi Runes that Jasper supposedly had. Maybe the two ideas were related and or synonymous.

“Using calligraphy for tactile writing?” Ko wasn’t sure how good of an idea that was. Ko understood that tactile written languages were meant to be pretty practical. Not needing to be discerned just because a writer wanted to be expressionistic with their craft. “Hm, well poetry was never really something that ever interested me. Not even Atrisian haikus. I mostly just practiced calligraphy as a holdover from my short time with the Baran Do as a kid. To teach me the virtues of patients. Like tending to my bonsai tree.”

Ko stepped over to the desk in his room. Sliding out one of the doors to pull out a few pages. Old pieces of calligraphy work he’d done years ago. To him they just appeared as blank sheets of paper. But Braze could see the artsy black swirls and curves that spell out Dorin words and characters in a stylized manner. There was a clear distinction between when he could see what he was working on and pieces made after the loss of his eyes. As he said they were much more splotchy. Yet they were no less artistic.

Braze ​

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

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"What do the Barand do?" Braze asked, tilting his head. He moved to take a look at the papers Ko was holding. The intricate designs looked like fancy ink patterns to him, completely indecipherable.

"I can't read what they say," he admitted. "But they look nice. Kinda pretty, like wrapping paper." Braze smiled slightly, appreciating the aesthetic if not the meaning.

"Do you want to put those somewhere specific?" Braze asked, uncertain where to place the papers for the time being. He thought that moving them might risk crinkling or bending them. "They really need a tube or something to keep them safe."

"Did you find it boring?" he asked, his tone considering. Braze struggled with patience, finding exercises in it particularly tedious. The very thought of it made him fidget, but he tried to focus on the task at hand.

 

[Ko Vuto]

“What do barand do? Huh?” Ko questioned before letting out a soft chuckle. “Oh They’re called the Baran Do, it’s the local Force Tradition on Dorin, my homeworld. This is something you could’ve learn back when the Jedi were reestablishing their enclave on the planet you know…” The Kel Dor explained with a slight tease in his tone over Braze not knowing this. “I was a student there very briefly before getting transferred to the Jedi. I guess you could say that I’m technically a foreign exchange student here in the NJO. Just… one that’s been here for a long time haha.”

Then he brought his attention back to his old calligraphy pieces. “They’re really just different Dorin characters and phrases. Mainly things of natural significance on the planet, like mountains or storms. At least what I can remember, I can’t really read them to tell you specifically what they say now. But you’re right, a tube might be best if I wanna keep them safe.” However, Ko wasn’t entirely sure if he did want to even keep them. Part of him wondered if someone like Loomi might like them. She had a knack for making use of discarded items and objects after all.

“Initially yes I did. As a kid I was pretty annoyed with how often I was told to practice writing exercises. I didn’t even think the more masterful works of my teachers were interesting. But soon enough after being made to do it over and over I got pretty good at it, even though I never wanted to. After joining the NJO I kept it up in private on my own. Suddenly not having anyone telling me that I had to do it made the practice much more soothing and enjoyable.”

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