Private Timeless Ebb and Flow

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Hurikane
​

Braze was taking his time adjusting to the rules Jasper Kai'el had laid out for him. Though still sluggish from his recovery, he was beginning to show signs of renewed energy. The news that Aris Noble was going to visit had given him something to look forward to, and he set aside some of his favorite trinkets and memories from their past adventures for the visit.

As Braze watched the radar and sensor screens, his anticipation grew slowly but surely. His eyes, though a bit tired, carefully scanned the display for any sign of his friend's arrival. The gentle hum of the machines provided a comforting background noise. Finally, a small blip appeared on the map, indicating Aris's approaching ship. A faint smile crept onto Braze's face as he rose from his seat with deliberate movements.

He made his way outside, his steps slower and more measured than they used to be. The fresh air felt good, revitalizing him a bit as he walked. The sunlight was warm on his skin, and he took a moment to appreciate the simple pleasure.

As he reached the landing area, he spotted Aris's ship descending. Braze lifted his hand in a gentle wave, his smile widening slightly.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris still didn't care too much for flying. His hoverboard was one thing, but a full ship? No. Thankfully, he had a droid for actual flight, and he patted the dome of the R unit with a smile once the ship finally landed at his destination. Braze. It'd been a bit since he last saw the other boy. Aris was older now. Much taller, at that, having grown over a foot in height.

Grown emotionally.

He stepped down the ramp, giving a brief, small smile before returning the wave to Braze as he walked over.

"Hey, Braze. How have you been?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze blinked, his vision clearing as he took in the figure before him. 'Who was THAT?!' he thought to himself, the figure towering over him in a way that was almost intimidating. That couldn't be Aris... could it? Braze's eyes widened for a moment or two, and he tilted his head, trying to reconcile the image before him with his memories.

"Wow... Aris, is that you?" he asked, his voice a blend of awe and uncertainty. He hadn't grown much himself, remaining starkly smaller, and the contrast was startling. "You've uh... you've grown," he stated the obvious, still somewhat bewildered and in disbelief that Aris was now so tall—taller even than Jasper.

"I'm uh... okay... yeah, I'm alright," he managed to say, his voice carrying a hint of dazed acceptance as he tried to process the change in his friend.

"How was the flight."

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris blinked in surprise. He had grown quite a bit, but for him he hadn't changed much at all. If anything, the fact it'd been this long since he last saw Braze brought a more.. Saddened smile to his face. Only briefly, though, as he instead grinned. "Just a little. Epicanthix are naturally much taller than most. I'm still pretty short myself among them." Given how much he was growing, though, that wasn't going to be the case for too much longer.

"It was alright. R3 is a decent enough pilot, so there was no trouble. You.. Been up to anything fun since we last talked? I- admit I don't know much on what's been going on out here."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze offered a wry smile as he responded to the question about fun activities. "Fun? Well, we painted after we took the temple back from pirates," he said, his tone casual. Notably, he wasn't wearing his arm brace and moved just fine without it.

" Loomi and I have been learning saber staff combat from Mr. @A'Runda," Braze continued, trying to add a touch of enthusiasm to his voice. "I'm not very good at it. My body's been playing catch up since I got out of the hospital." He paused, clearly searching for more examples of 'fun' activities.

"Oh yeah... We went for a little trip atop a train full of explosives and tried to defend its contents and keep it cool with freeze guns. That was pretty exciting," he added, a hint of genuine excitement creeping into his voice. "And I've been working on putting together a few ships that are submersible. I have a small prototype that took its first voyage on Krinemonen III. I met Miss Rayne Lo'to there and started to help her develop a big harpoon gun for dealing with sea monsters."

"Hurikane is supposed to be famous for purple Hurikane Crystals, the kind Mace Windu had. I'm hoping to try and find one. I want to make a special saber for a special occasion. Maybe we could try finding them together?" Braze suggested, his eyes lighting up at the thought of the adventure. He thought about it then added. " Have you met Balun Dashiell ? He's here too."

He looked at his companion, curiosity shining in his eyes. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"You've been fighting a lot."

There was little Braze mentioned that didn't involve violence in some form. Even just getting together with someone involved making a weapon. His own life mirrored the same, though. The path of a Jedi was a thorny one, no matter where they went. "It's been a lot of training. I've been learning from Jonyna Si . She taught me how to create lightning, sort of. It's my own bioelectrical signature, so I can control it in my body. It's pretty nice, I think, since I can use it to disable people without killing or maiming them."

His eyes did widen a little at the mention of a crystal. Excitement, thrill. There were more emotions in his expressions now, though still subdued and hard to notice for those who didn't know him. Compared to how he was before, though? He was full of emotion. " Zaiya Ceti and I have been exploring more ruins together. We found some old sites of the Epicanthix and it was interesting to see. A lot of old lore of my people, from the time before they truly spread across the Reach. The crystal seems fun, though. Master Si was talking about making another weapon for me, so maybe another lightsaber might be good too."

Balun was here though? His expression tightened a little as he nodded. "I have, yes. It'd be good to talk to him again, I think. Maybe I should."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze nodded. "Yes, fighting is pretty much what I do now," he agreed, not wanting to delve into the complexities of why he was struggling to connect to the Force. It felt as though his connection was fading away like a candle at the end of its wick.

"That sounds really fun. You can spark weld circuitry if you get good at precision," he offered simply. "Did you and Zaiya Ceti find anything interesting whilst skulking around old sites? I have this old holocron I haven't been able to access. I've been training to try and unlock it. My uncle told me my father left it for me in his will," Braze shared. "It's not very fun, and I haven't really gotten that far with it," he added.

" Jonyna Si makes pretty good weapons," Braze stated, pressing a hand to his chest over his heart and rubbing it gently.

"I'd like to craft a specific kind of saber for when I become a knight. We can start there if you want, or I can show you around the temple. But I feel like crystal hunting might be a little more exciting."

 

[Aris Noble]

"Nothing too crazy yet. Some tales on my people's past." The giant talking snake and Forge of Ascension he wasn't ready to talk about yet. He still wasn't even sure what to make of the whole thing, or what it meant for him, his family. No, he'd rather focus on the now. On what Braze was talking about. "I'll leave that up to you, on which we do first. I'm excited for both either way. It's been too long, really. I'm just happy to be with my friend. So, what do you want to do first?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

​

"Stories are good. When I was little, my dad would tell me all kinds of great stories about legendary Echani warriors," he nodded. "It must be nice to see the important places of the past in person."

"Hmm, I think I want to look for purple space rocks. I've found a few different crystals with a few different friends... I'm not sure if I've done that with you yet. It's kind of a tradition for me now," he nodded certainly. "I've been researching other kinds of weapons and reading up on stuff. I'm not really sure what else to work on presently. I met Colette recently, not too long ago. I have to catch up with Corazona von Ascania too. I've been saving a few nice things to show her," he added. " Oh, and I met Toby Perris recently too. He was... sweet. Have you met any one new?"

He shrugged gently considering things as his train of thought popped around from subject to subject.
"Not really sure where to start. We can take an interceptor or go for a walk and see if we can locate some rocks," he added. "I haven't been able to sculpt much lately as I don't have any material for sculpting on hand. so my hobbies are kinda... tunnle visioned I guess. "

 

[Aris Noble]

"It was nice. With Panatha destroyed there's not much of anything of my people's homeworld left, or at least was assumed. It's good that there's another planet with such ancient places to explore." Even if he didn't like what he found exactly, it was still good to know that the history of his people weren't all lost. Though, he blinked at Braze's question. Had he met anyone new? No, not since the last time he'd spoken to Braze.

"I'm still not the best with making friends, turns out. I haven't. I really should get out more." Make new friends, find new people. "But.. Purple rocks first. You should be able to sense them, right? I'm not too sure how that whole thing works, honestly. Not more than what I've read at least."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

​

"Well... You're supposed to hear them in the Force in a way. You've got good hearing, right?" Braze asked,

"I've been... struggling with my connection. I'm not sure how hard it will be now," Braze admitted, the frustration evident in his tone. "On Centerra, everything was so full and vibrant that the Force was overwhelming when I was really in tune. You know, before I took you and the others to Ilum, I failed my crystal gathering test a few times. And even then, Loomi had to step in and help me." He offered this gently, hoping to convey his vulnerability without sounding defeated.

"Didn't you find a crystal on Ilum?" he asked, turning his jade green eyes up to the now taller boy beside him. The boy had grown so much, both in stature and in spirit.

As they walked, Braze's thoughts wandered back to his time on Centerra. The planet had been a haven of life, each corner bursting with the energy of the Force. It had been both a blessing and a curse for someone as sensitive to the Force as he was at that time. The memories of his struggles and eventual triumphs there were bittersweet now, especially in light of his current struggles.

"I met some one neamed Nil. ( Nil Heska ). They seemed pretty fun to talk to. I think tehy might make a good new possible friend. " Braze added softly. " Maybe we can set something up with Balun Dashiell too? I think he's kinda lonely. "

 

[Aris Noble]

"I can hear your heart beat, your breathing, but I can't actually hear the Force. Vera was the one who helped me find my crystal." Without Vera Noble he likely wouldn't have found it to begin with. The Force didn't work for him that way. He looked around das they walked, a calm smile on his face as he just studied. There was life here, watching them in turn from their nests.

He just liked to see life.

"That could be fun. Both of them, I mean. I'd like to meet new people. And, well, Balun and I haven't met up since Jutrund. It'd be nice to check in on him."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"Uh... can you feel the Force... at all?" Braze asked, his voice tinged with the lingering weariness of his recent illness. "I suppose we're both going to have a difficult time then..." His words trailed off as he grappled with the unfamiliar void where once the Force had flowed so freely, trying to fathom how to rekindle that elusive connection.

His thoughts drifted to distant memories and fragmented pieces of his training. "Mnn... Jutrand? What were you doing on Jutrand?" Braze inquired.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Not without someone else to help me. I know I can use it, since, well, the whole fire and lightning I can do with my body. But that's the limit. I can't reach beyond myself unless someone acts the medium for it." And even with a medium, all he could do was feel what they felt, not actually influence anything. It was his strength and his weakness, of sorts.

"Searching for information on my people, my family. I'm a prince of the Epicanthix, technically. Masheem is the worldcraft my grandfather made to house his faithful. Odds are, a lot of what my people on Niv Hani fear they lost forever are there, on Masheem."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze thought about this for a moment, considering the complexity of their situation. He paused, then a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "How about... meditation? Are you good at that?" he asked, his tone gentle yet hopeful.

The young Jedi looked puzzled, but intrigued. Braze continued, "Maybe you can focus on sensing the crystal within yourself first, then use that internal connection to extend your awareness outward. Even if you can't reach out directly, perhaps you can create a sort of internal beacon. Try... to imagine sending out a beacon of your own essence, your own connection to the Force. Let the crystal know that you're here, that you're ready. It's like... extending a hand in friendship, waiting for the crystal to respond."

Braze paused thoughtfully. "The Force flows through all living things," he began. "Since you can use the Force in some way, you do have a connection, however small or limited. I think... maybe... You just need to find it and open it up... make it a wider entry."

He leaned in, peering up at Aris. " Try and think of your connection as a tiny spark. Focus on that spark, let it grow, and use it to.... " he paused not wanting to say reach out... maybe a differnt idea or visualization might work better for Aris. "Push back. Even if you can't project the Force outward, you can create a beacon that the crystal can sense. By pushing back first, you're showing your willingness to form a bond."

He smiled warmly. "Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let the Force flow through you. Trust in the Force, and trust in yourself. The crystal will find you."

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris paused his walk as he listened, blinking in surprise as Braze spoke. After a moment, though, a calm smile formed as he reached out to poke Braze right on the forehead. "Opening myself up to be reached to isn't a bad idea at all. But I can't extend that from beyond myself. Master Si is experimenting with the idea of making my own relay rod, so perhaps that might be a good next step. But right now? Maybe you should try that advice. Trust in yourself, yeah? You've always been the more confident one."

He carried on then, hands behind his head as his smile widened further. "When you rekindle your connection, who knows. Maybe you'll be able to show me more on this through a bond we forge."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

The small, snowy-haired youth blinked as his forehead was poked, drawing him from his thoughts with a confused look. Aris thought he was confident? Ah, his ruse had worked! He had faked it long enough and well enough that others believed in the facade he presented. Braze felt a blend of thoughts and emotions as he considered Aris' words. He was going to say something but didn't, holding on to his thoughts a bit longer and processing them. Aris wouldn't even try? Why not try? Even if he knew the outcome before, why not try something new or slightly different?

Braze now understood the exact reasoning why, as Aris reflected such advice back to him. He thought about it and his current problem. He had been trying less and less because he thought he knew what the outcome would be. He would be a hypocrite to insist that Aris at least try when he himself had started to give up on trying things, feeling as though he knew how it would turn out.

This was a good wake-up call and a reminder that the Force had a will of its own and things could change.

He paused, crossing his arms and thinking a little more about it. He'd never seen Aris like this before. He had changed. Braze shifted his green gaze to the floor, then around the area, as his mind raced, going over a slew of different topics, tangentially related.

"I... I haven't felt my connections... with anyone... it's like... it's kind of like always hearing everything cranked up to eleven on blast and then suddenly waking up one day and you're deafened to everything," he tried to offer.

"Would you be willing to work with me? Force bonds came very naturally to me before. I can't even feel Loomi anymore, even when she's rightnext to me... maybe... you and I could try to connect in meditation?" Braze asked.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris paused as Braze spoke. He couldn't even feel Loomi? That was odd. Very odd. The Epicanthix didn't understand much about how connections worked, but even he could feel the connection with Vera Noble or Zaiya Ceti when they were close or touching. But Braze couldn't, despite how strong his bonds were before? There were more questions he had, but he didn't voice them, not yet.

"Yeah. We can try that. I think it'd be a good first step anyway, especially with trying to find the crystals. Maybe they'll pick up on it and reach out themselves, mm?"

He smiled warm, though did blink in thought.

"Wait how do you meditate? I meditate through combat routines."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

"Different ways," Braze chirped gently. "I think you've seen me do my tightrope and slack-line routines. It's more mentally taxing to do Faalo's cadences, though. Sometimes I meditate when I stretch; other times, it's just settling down or trying to focus on levitation or small mechanical puzzles and locks; or even trying to focus and feeding a flame atop a candle. Things like that. Different kinds of meditation for different results. " Braze offered lightly. "Other times, it's more about thinking about an idea and putting everything else in my thought process aside for a bit. Have you never done quiet meditation with visualization?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"Haven't tried it while stretching. That could be fun."

Not that that was the intent now. Quiet meditation with visualization. He hummed in thought before tilting his head. "No, I can't say I have. Is that what you're thinking we should try? I can give it a shot. I involve a lot of physical movement because, well, it's the closest I can get to feeling the Force when I'm using my strength and the like."

Braze