( sometimes in feb, backdated, don't @ me )

[jedies]

[ the feed turns on to show you a small child in white robes, looking like he got out of bed with tousled hair and sharp blue eyes. he seems to be looking around warily, his jaw tight. ]

So this is a kidnapping right? By one of those slavers?

[ he lets out a quiet breath like he was taught. gehren. he hoped she was safe. ]

Fine, whatever. Where is the closest space port?

Comments

[jedies]

[ he shakes his head. ]

I just want to go back. I'm supposed to go back.

[tealeafs]

.. well, I don't think you'll have to worry about that for long.

[ Please, Chizuru. No matter how sweetly you say those words, they're a little ominous all the same, aren't they..

But she means it. After all, he'll probably turn back into the older Obi-Wan sooner or later, she figures. ]

You just have to be strong for a little while.

[jedies]

Strong?

[ strong for what? ]

[tealeafs]

Yes. I mean-- this place can be scary. [ .. probably? Granted, Obi-Wan seems pretty mature even as a little kid, but Chizuru thinks most kids would find this place kind of scary..

If not just because she finds it scary, and she's not even an adult. ]

And it sounds like you're having to handle a lot of other things on top of that, with all these people who recognize you.. It takes a strong person to deal with all of that.

[jedies]

[ is he strong? maybe gehran would say so. ]

I guess it's not really important. If they know me, what this place is. I already lost something, so I just want to make sure I haven't lost anything else.

[tealeafs]

.. you lost something?

[ Sure, he could be talking about his home. But maybe-- ]

Something specific?

[ Chizuru is just concerned enough to ask. ]

[jedies]

I didn't . . . really lose her. She was a friend. She left the Order.

[ she left me is left unspoken. ]

[tealeafs]

Oh..!

[ Welp. Chizuru was imagining this was more about a thing he lost. She figured there was even a tiny chance he lost it here, and she might be able to help him look for it, just to be able to do something for the poor man-turned-kid in the first place..

But this is a whole lot deeper than that, huh. And something way less can be done about. The gaze in Chizuru's eyes turns sympathetic. ]

I'm sorry.. [ For his loss, of course. ] Did she have a reason for leaving..?

[jedies]

Yes. She felt her father was in danger and wanted to be with him. I understand that.

[ he didn't like it and he made that clear, but he respected her decision. ]

[tealeafs]

[ .. well, if that isn't something that suddenly hits very close to home. Chizuru is surprised enough that it leaves her quiet for a moment, speechless - though she quickly tries to resume talking the moment she realises she went quiet. ]

Yes. Family is.. important, isn't it? Maybe she would've come back to you after things with her father were resolved..

[jedies]

[ he shakes his head. ]

No. She won't.

[tealeafs]

.. you sound sure about that.

[ And maybe she should be asking as to the reason behind that, but-- it's probably something kind of sad, and the last thing Chizuru wants to do right now is make him feel worse. ]

I'm sorry to hear that. But-- even though this place is scary, I want you to know one of its good sides while you're here. And that's the fact that there are a lot of kind people to meet here. People you might not ever have met otherwise, you know..?

[jedies]

But it's not me they're waiting for, is it? It's the older one.

[ not that he minds, but he's cautious right now. wary of letting himself connect after losing gehran. ]

[tealeafs]

Not everyone. There are so many people here in the city.. you could easily meet people who have never heard of you before.

[ Though it's a little hard to gauge. Chizuru isn't exactly sure just how sociable Obi-Wan was - though he had seemed kind to her, so maybe a lot of people did know him.. ]

And.. um, this may sound a little presumptuous, so I'm sorry.. [ Yes, of course Chizuru is even going to apologize to a kid. It's how she works. ] But I think that even the people who know the older you wouldn't mind getting to know the younger you. It's still.. 'you', after all.

[jedies]

[ hmm. his expression flickers, a little vulnerable. ]

You think so?

[tealeafs]

[ She'd say 'of course', but that feels a little too strong here. Even if Obi-Wan is so young now, Chizuru doesn't want to lie to him, even if it's just by expressing her own subjective views a little too strongly. ]

I do think so. [ That much she can say, at least. ] I.. um, if I'm entirely honest, I knew the older you too.. though just a little bit.

[ Chizuru hopes that last part softens the blow. It's just the truth, after all. ]

But I know I'm just glad to see you doing alright, regardless of how old you are.