You're going to go far Kid [Ibaris]

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer shook her head lightly and smiled, she knew her daughter wouldn’t be able to focus through the distractions, especially how fast and quick they bombarded her. The girl was only five years old and Spencer remembered how entertained she was with the mud on Dathomir instead of learning the witch spells with the Force. A part of her wished her own mother was a bit harder on her and Aston, though she would have eventually given up on the teachings from Dathomir for the teachings she received from Ashin. Pushing the small memories away from her, she reached over and ran her fingers carefully and comforting through the child’s hair. It was something her own mother did.

“Hija, it’s alright. I wasn’t being completely fair to you. I know what you wanted to see and to find and used it against you. That’s something that you must remember. Know who you’re up against – know what they want and give it to them to hide what you want from them. Distract them, it’s how you’ll protect yourself and those important to you.” Offering a chocolate as a consolation prize, she focused again on a different number. “Okay, try again. I’m going to still show you distractions focus as hard as you can and find the number I’m thinking of okay?” A smile and then Spencer went to guarding her mind with the images Ibaris was fond of.

This time instead, Spencer showed Ibaris the same memory she had been shown earlier. Along the memory items, such as animals, cookies, and toys all were grouped up in fours. She hid hints to the number four throughout the memory she replayed for Ibaris with her and Papa. In the back of the child’s mind she would hear her mother reminding her to focus.

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

She was thinking to sit up and try again - if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again, was the mantra - but her mother’s hand came to stroke her hair and she stayed flopped over just a little longer because of it and listened to the words that were given to her now. Advice, applicable advice, words that helped with what she was trying to learn and why she should want to succeed. She always wanted to succeed, and the increasing lack of ease wasn’t a deterrent.

“Okay, Mama,” the chocolate was a great help, “again.”

So she tried again, unflopping herself and taking a deep breath before sinking into communion with the Force and seeking out the vast mind of her mother. Again she was hit with a deluge of distractions, memory and things of favour. It was a blur to start with, but the soft, niggling reminder to focus urged her to do just that; after taking account of each different item, it all became clearer, items in groups of four and the memory with hints that were only a slight bit more obscure. She went to the animals, the treats and the toys again, and…

“Four,” she murmured while still looking, then a little louder: “Four, Mama?”

That had to be right.

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=13.3333333333333px]The girl thought and thought and Spencer could feel her mind working weaving through the distractions. She did of course nearly spoon feed her the answer, but she was young and still learning. Soon she would be able to figure it out on her own. It was the little things, the little steps that they needed to take. A smile crossed her face as she instantly pushed the girl from her mind. She offered the chocolate again as a prize, but this time she offered two chocolates. Two was always better than one. They would continue with this drill a few more times, with Ibaris guessing words and numbers from Spencer’s mind. In a way it was training for the older woman as well - it was a rare feat that people were allowed in. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.3333333333333px]“Good work Ibby. You’re getting stronger every day.” Standing from her seiza, Spencer made her way towards the cabinets. There, she pulled out a few picture cards and then returned to her spot in front of the child. Once again, Ibaris had to guess and try and read Spencer’s mind. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.3333333333333px]---------------[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.3333333333333px]Spencer sat in the middle of the small medical ward that was on the base on Annaj. She held a small scalpel and waited for the girl to arrive for their lessons. The older she got, the more and more like Spencer she had become. Distractions and other things seemed to be a priority. Still, Spencer scheduled the training sessions and hoped that the girl would make it on time and pay attention. Today the prize was cake.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.3333333333333px]Looking up towards the clock in the examination room, Spencer frowned and sighed softly. “I never kept Ashin waiting like this...did I?” [/SIZE]

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

She would never understand boys, and she wished her Uncle was around so she could carefully pick his brain without tipping him off as to what exactly she was getting at... nah, [member="Jared Ovmar"] would be much too clued in. Never mind. She would never understand what was going through that farmboy's mind to make him think that snogging a girl to give her water was the way things were done.

Why she was so annoyed about it was surely obvious - her pilot, her pilot had been screwing around when there were people that needed help. And what was with his dogged need to tail her everywhere, to protect her? The idiot was going to get himself killed. So this was her state of mind as she came home to visit her parents and train with her mother, having told her pilot to take the Peregrine, bugger off and go make out with his girlfriend in some other part of the galaxy... in nicer, less obvious words.

"Hey, Ma," she drawled, coming into the ward with the efficient step she'd gained from her Papa, dropping her small pack on the nearest available surface and pulling the cap off of her head before going straight for the woman, eyeing her up as she approached, and going for a big ol' hug, "Told you I'd make it."

If there was one thing, Ibaris had the habit of meaning the words she said.

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer knew her daughter would arrive on time, she had her Papa’s timing. That timing of course was pushing it right down to the wire. Pulling out the cookies she had baked, she started to place them onto the cooling rack, carefully not to lose a corner or a chocolate chip anywhere. A smile crept across her face as she quickly picked up on the girl’s busy mind - of course her mind was always busy, but this time now that she was older there was more than animals and food dancing around in there.

Placing the last cookie onto the cooling rack she turned to face the girl who was coming in for a hug. The hug was tight and welcoming, it had been a while since she had seen Ibaris. Blinking, Spencer was surprised as she patted the girl’s head for a moment. “You’re getting tall.” She blinked again rather quickly, seeing that the girl was only a couple of inches shorter than her now. Smiling softly, she reached back and handled one of the hot cookies. “I made chocolate chip, your Papa is trying to stay away from them, but you know how she is.” Sighing softly, she wondered if there was something on her mind beyond the training. “What’s new with you, it's been some time since you’ve been home.”


[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

She took her time with the cookie, savouring it and pausing to swallow. Sure, Liam had proven he could bake, but it just wasn't her Mama's baking. There was a difference, and it might not have been obvious to anyone else, but it was to her.

"Oh well, her loss," she said between bites, "more for us."

She swallowed another bite, some approximation of a cheeky grin pasted on her mouth. Really, things like this were one of the reasons why she came back. Why she'd come back as long as there was somewhere to come back to. She'd had the acute sense that nothing was forever for longer than her parents were probably comfortable with, but it was a side-effect of this life. Their life, in particular.

"New pilot doesn't wet himself," she managed before scarfing down the last bite, chewing a few times before launching into more words, "but I think he's missing something between his ears."

And she swallowed that last bite, making segue right into something else entirely - as much as the towheaded Mandalorian filled a need, he was by no means her favourite subject.

"So what we doing today?"

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

After removing the apron from her slightly curvier frame, she grabbed a cookie herself and tasted it. It was the right amount of sweetness and she hummed happily to herself. After she finished it, she cleaned up a little bit then started to head out of the kitchen sure that Ibaris would be following her. They headed down towards the training room in the penthouse on Annaj. The girl behind her spoke about the pilot and Spencer remembered the story of how the previous pilot wet himself with Ibaris particular taste in adventure.

“Well, that’s good. Its a first step to hopefully a happy situation.” Stopping at the door, she looked over her shoulder somewhat confused at what Ibaris meant about the boy missing something between his ears. “What do you mean missing something? You should help him find it especially if he’s going to be piloting for you.” Turning back, she opened the training room and entered.

“I doubt you want to be looking at cards and telling me what is on the other side. So instead I’m going to show you some valuable skills that you can use to keep yourself safe.” Tilting her head, “along with others around you hopefully. You need to make friends in this galaxy Ibaris.” There it was, one of those mom lessons. Spencer grabbed one of the small darts that were against the wall and slowly dragged it against her skin. It cut and blood started to seep through.

“We’re going to learn healing. You know a little first aid but it's clumsy and would end up leaving damage if the wound is more than you can handle. So to start off I want you to heal me, focus on mending the wound carefully trying not to scar me.”

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

As expected, the girl did follow her mother from the kitchen to the training room. She didn't come home to stand around in a room by herself; she didn't come home to be alone. There were ways of accomplishing that, but being alone was really, really the last thing she wanted. As for whether her shipside situation would lead to any measure of happiness... the jury was long in deliberations on that, and as far as she was concerned, they could stay there. Ick.

"Yeahhhh... no comment."

She followed her mother into the training room, much larger than the small space dedicated to the same purpose aboard the Peregrine; she missed this space every time she used the training room on ship, but counted her blessings and was happy to have such a purposed space at all, everywhere she went.

"Friends?" she said, frowning a little, "um..." well, that was a hard thing, considering what she spent her time doing. It was a head-scratcher. She'd grown up around grownups. Adults. Powerful people. Dangerous people. Sith Lords, Jedi Masters and those in-between. Conquerors and peace-makers alike. How exactly did making friends work? "...I'll... try?"

Then she watched her mother cut herself as if it was a normal thing to do, a nonchalant act in the midst of conversation. The teen's eyes went wide as saucers and she watched the blood well up, but the panic associated with the average person - people who'd think her mother crazy right at this moment - was absent. Blood didn't squick her out at all. Not much did, except... well, never mind that. Her eyes reverted when an explanation was supplied.

"A little vague much, ma?" she quipped, "How exactly is this supposed to work?"

And she watched the self-inflicted wound bleed, as if it ain't no thang. Yep, she could use the Force, but was never satisfied that it was simple bippity-boppity-boo. The worst her mother could say was 'figure it out', and her eyes locked with those of her mother's, in demand, in challenge. Pushy much, girl?

[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

One day Ibaris will learn that her mother doesn’t function with much of a plan and she expects everyone to pick up things as fast as she does. Today was no exception. She figured the girl was as terrible at social interaction as she was before she had met Ashin – who in turn became a buffer for those around her and allowed her to carefully introduce herself to society. Spencer wondered if Ibaris would ever find someone like that. Her mind put away the thoughts of her daughter and the social life she hoped she would develop especially for diplomacy among other things. Then focused on the wound that was bleeding.

The teenager didn’t jump into action like she had expected, well half expected. Ibaris was thoughtful and liked to think things through a trait she learned from her papa. So because of this time and thought, Spencer had to focus on healing herself internally – away from Ibaris’ attention so that the girl would focus on healing the outside of the wound. Still, nothing and Spencer looked at her child and frowned. The girl expected an answer, she expected some sort of guidance. “You know the basics. You’re not a child Ibaris, focus and figure it out.” Nodding her head towards the wound, she attempted to get the girl to at least try something. "I'm not going to be there to hold your hand through everything. I need you to think and build your own ideas on how things work. You know how to do basic healing, stop the bleeding, then move on."

Spencer couldn't help it, she wanted the girl to succeed and she wanted to stop bleeding - maybe they should have started with a simpler task. Oh well.

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

Her mother was right. Even as a child, she had still been expected to figure things out, to use her head. The time away from her mother's teachings, amongst others her own age had shaped the way she thought, somewhat. Not too, too much, though, as she was strongly bound to the ways of her parents, and identified with the family image, the beliefs and doing what had to be done. It was why she connected with the group that she did, in the first place, but she was a teenager and the attitude was part of the territory. Definitely not on purpose. At least she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, sucking in half of her bottom lip, and eyeing the self-inflicted wound on [member="Spencer Jacobs"]' forearm, halfway between her wrist and the crook of her elbow.

"You're right, you're right," she said, her tone only faintly dismissive, "Of course I can do this."

She nodded as if doing so would make her verbalized confidence more valid, and stepped towards her Mama, and took her forearm gingerly with one hand just above the wrist - between it and the wound - and the other moving to hover over the wound.

"Alright."

She flicked a glance up to Spencer's face, then back to the wound. The Force was with her, as always, and was easily accessed, pulled to her at the command of her will and directed to where she now placed her thumb at one end of the cut. Like doing up a wonky zipper that would catch if done up too fast, she moved her thumb across the length of the slice, with a soft, consistent pressure, willing the healing energies of the Force to knit flesh in the wake of her thumb's passing; her eyes never left the process. So far, so good - the work looked clean to her.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer examined the wound closure, she flexed her fingers and moved her hand at the wrist. Everything seemed in working order, which was a good thing and was expected. The wound was something basic and once Ibaris put her mind to it – she was capable of healing it right up. “Good work” Spencer had to make things harder on the girl, as much as she wanted to – there was so much she do to herself. Pain wasn’t something Spencer was fond of – if she could she’d remove all the pain and everything would be dandy. Of course there was no possible way to do something like that in this day and age. No matter how hard you wished.

“Well hopefully you’re warmed up now. Uh guess we’ll make things a little harder.” Frowning, Spencer focused her mind towards Crucitorn, the next thing she did was going to sting a bit and probably sting for awhile as Ibaris would work herself through it. Moving them towards a small table, Spencer picked up one of the daggers that were laying there waiting. Taking a deep breath, she raised the dagger and drove it through her hand. The crack of bone and ligaments echoed under the grunt the older woman emitted. Of course if Ibaris couldn’t handle the multiple issues with the wound – Spencer could heal herself, still she needed to remain as hands off as possible.

“W-wounds like this have multiple issues. As you heard, there was some bone damage and the blade is stopping much of the blood from just spewing everywhere. So what do you do first?”

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]