Log:Fire and Stones Meditation

Fire and Stones Meditation

OOC Date: January 9, 2016
Location: Takodana
Participants: Rax Vaelus, Jaxon-Dax vel Amth

It's at least in the middle of the late morning or early afternoon depending on your timing, and within the woods right now JD is dressed in a tank top and shorts with a flat sort of shoe on. Unstable a bit due to her concussion as well as trying to work out with her vibro sword, though she's humming a bit as any Echani would do in 'battle'. She's not as graceful as she would be normally though her years of training show though again the state of mind she's in does cause her a bit of slowness. She lets out some hu's, ah's and swiping while she's trying to keep herself focused while the world around her is double and at times triple visioned.

"Pick up your feet. Move as you go through the motions." Rax is carrying a light stick with him, and it appears to have been crudely fashioned into a short pole with a knife. He taps it on his shoulder as he strolls through, wearing a black shirt under a brown leather jacket and grey pants. His boots have been replaced by...moccasins. "Don't fight the air."

Spinning around to at least hold the sword right as she nods her head. "Thank you ... I know. Mind isn't right at the moment right now. Going through the motions of what I was taught when I was younger to find balance again within my head." She says while standing on one leg letting her other leg bend rests her other foot against her knee. "It's been a while since I have been knocked around like this." She states and slowly moves the sword down and then moves her other hand to gesture to a large log by her. It has her regular clothing laying on it as well as that blanket. "How can I help you?"

The swordsman chuckles, tapping that stick on his shoulder, "I'd actually come to practice..." He grins, twirling the stick lazily about at his side before whirling it in a slow figure eight around him, "Bit of a swordsman myself, after all, as you saw on Serenno." He shrugs, "But since you're here...I had a question." He lifts his eyebrows, gesturing to her with the wooden stick, "...Why did you want the robes? Wouldn't you rather have, I don't know, credits or something?"

Looking over the man slowly, the slivery/pink locks flow a bit in the breeze as she nods her head. "I saw your tactics. They are rather blunt and straight forward. You tend not to mince your meanings much, though I have to wonder why the rage?" She asks before slowly moving to sit down herself and get a small towel by the blanket she had ready. She wipes her forehead slowly. "What do you know about the Echani?" She asks softly before letting her legs start to stretch and then her arms.

The human smiles easily, "Just that you're pale-skinned, know wicked martial arts, and are generally hard to read." He shrugs, closing his eyes briefly to do so. "I never did ask about the rest." He grins, inclining his head to the side, "As for myself, well... I've been stuck using that hunk of crystal for months now. Blunt. Heavy. ...Not swift or elegant like my..." He almost says another word, but just lets it fade away. "...Like another blade I used to own. Before it broke." He smirks, "And the rage... The rage keeps me alive. It replaces my fear, fuels my blood. If you are angry, fear cannot hold you back."

There is a soft nod of her head while she lets herself rest a bit. "Then you weren't taught how to handle a sword or fight properly, how where you trained?" She asks while watching him for a moment before standing. She walks over to him and moves to touch his arm. "Rage isn't the top of emotion you need to fight a battle. And why would you fear? Going into battle, there is no fear there is the objective." She says while she touches the man's arm briefly. "We are known for our hand to hand and bladed combat; as well as our very understand ways. The emotions cloud you, like mine did up on that roof. I would never let my ... pain take hold me of like that ever."

Rax Vaelus raises an eyebrow as his arm is touched. "It's easy to say that when you grow up in a quiet dojo, play-practicing until you are old enough to play-fight, with wooden swords." He smiles faintly, "I had a blaster thrust into my hands as a child, and was told to repel boarders... Until I was the one running through the hole of molten steel and rubber, listening to the hissing of venting atmosphere, as two wrecks of a ship plummeted through a gravity well... Over and over again... Charging the breach, watching scores of men die."

He's still smiling. He never stopped. "And then, one day, I found a fancy sword, and people started listening to my commands. I just swung it until I got good at it, making sure I never cut off a chunk of my own body." He shrugs, "Fear of a single sparring opponent is nothing. Fear of flame, plasma, vacuum, gravity... Those are harder to overcome. Yet rage does nicely." He grins, "And it's one hell of an anthesetic."

There is a soft smile. "Hard to practice fighting when you have brothers in the Imperial guard, a sister in the Imperial navy and another sister that is a bounty hunter." She says softly while letting go of the arm softly. "You're assumptions are amusing and inaccurate, I can assure you those dojo's and my brothers' training were not something that where play fighting at all." She then pauses and tilts her head. "Wood swords? How does one learn to fight with that?" She asks softly before moving to sit down.

"You sound like my son." She says to slowly move the towel over her arms. "He was keen to emotions, my husband after our son died caved into those emotions as well." She states before sliding the towel over her hair and slowly pulls it up before she looks to him. "Do you wish to go down that path they did? Clouded choices, bad decisions and causing more pain and fear in the galaxy?"

The human just keeps that mysterious smile as he listens. Eventually, he shrugs. "Whatever they use in Echani dojos... As for your question..." He spreads his hands apart, looking amused, "Pirate? What burning holes did you think I meant?" He sighs, "It's not like I chose this life. I never asked for this." He drops his arms. "But it's what I know, and it's what I do." He grins, "And you also totally avoided my question as to why you wanted the robes. My coat got blasted and soiled to oblivion by all the blood and plasma on Serenno. I could use a change of clothes."

She tilts her head a bit as she starts to put the blanket over her shoulders a bit. "I haven't avoiding the question, I just haven't provided you an answer yet. And your cosmetic issues can be resolved at Maz's, I'm sure there are wares in there for you." She says before cracking her back a bit while tilting her head a bit to the man. "You, a pirate? No, not the way you fight nor the way you act. You're moves are more calculated and far more thought through like your battle work. And I remember you back at the hanger, you enjoy the rage and battle that you gloat in the blood of the fallen. You soiled your clothes for a reason, to make a point." She states while watching him closely. "What does the robes mean to you?"

His eyes do dip down when she cracks her back. He'd been a perfect gentleman, but, well, /there they were/. Hello. But then his eyes rise as she makes her assessment, and his face is neutral stone. Eventually, he tilts his head a fraction of an inch, "...I am a pirate. A very good one. But considering what we went through together, and the fact that I accidentally spilled the beans on the Infiltrator when Kadi nearly got her head taken off by a trap..." He lets the words trail off, watching the martial artist. "...I went to Serenno in the first place to follow the masked wizard. I wanted his lightsaber. Or, more specifically...his crystal. I have one too."

His face is still stone as he looks down at her, still standing. "...Those robes were under a magic box in a Force-sealed room on a wizard's ship. ...I suspect they may be lightsaber resistant. That makes them priceless to me." He glances up and off to the side, shrugging, "Assuming I ever find a crystal, now. The Lost World will probably be my next destination, once we're done here."

The look is noticed, though JD doesn't stop nor comments about the reaction of the human male. She tilts her head as she looks over to him, while she pauses her next movement on what he says. A silver eyebrow arches slowly a moment as she thinks about what he says. "Pirate is the mask you wear, and you've been doing it for so long well ... in human terms. You are cut of from time which is rather sad." She states before folding her hands onto her lap. "Yes, I remember that rather well. What does this crystal do and what's the point of them?" She asks before thinking a moment. "Really?" She thinks a moment while her own eyes drift off a moment trying to think before the hand moves up to her forehead. She shakes her head slowly as the towel slides down and lets go of her hair. "When I went to my room, I didn't notice any residue.

A sly smile. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea... But I've had a Mandalorian engineer trying to fix the thing for three months now and everything is done...except for the focusing crystal, which cracked. Only a certain kind will work, and they only come from one world--Ilum. Er." He blinks, looking a little surprised at himself. "I mean, the Lost World." He sighs. "Whatever." Waving it off with closed eyes, he keeps going, "Regardless, the only crystals I've seen since were in the hands of a powerful wizard and the girl that fell to her death. ...And I don't fancy a trip back to Serenno any time soon." He smirks, "But still, those robes might just look fancy. Or they might give me that small measure of breathing space I need while whirling a blade of light about myself. So color me interested."

Continuing to listen to the man as she slowly puts her hand down, her fingers fold while she listens. She blinks a moment as she thinks upon the information. "A Mandalorian that can't fix a weapon? Wow that's rather unheard of, they are supposed to be versed in every weapon that is known at least the truly talented of course. And I do mean that with the utmost respect to their craft." She states before shaking her head a bit. "I can't say that I have ever heard of that planet. I take it it's been lost for some time." She states before remembering the battle and the girl. "Such a waste of life and unneeded. I believe the masked man took her ... ah lightsaber? At least I recall he might have taken it, I do recall she dropped it." JD states before thinking a bit. "Well I was going to try and see if those robes would be better for fighting." She thinks. "I propose a trade. I will give you the robes after I have made a pattern for the design and cut of them; and you tell me more about these lightsabers, crystals and the other information you've eluded to but have omitted that would better paint a picture of yourself. I will hold the right to question things as I need."

Rax Vaelus stares at the woman silently, thinking it over. "...Information, huh?" He grimaces, twirling the stick he's holding. "...I can't hardly argue with the price... But..." He shrugs, his eyebrows lifting, "...Sure. If you wanna know about me, I can tell you. It's not a happy tale, though... And though Jedi were involved, I'm not one of them." He glances sidelong, off toward Maz's castle. "Considering the crazy dance Ax did around that evil box, though... I have a feeling there's something the Senator isn't telling us."

He grins back at her, sidelong, "And now you know why I train with a light stick, rather than my crystal sword."

There is a moment JD almost reacts but she continues to listen relaxed and rather calm. "Ax is Echani, he could have been emotional at the moment due to everything we have been through and the stress got to him. Echani males handle battle and post battle far differently than we do. For him to crack thusly, I am sure is far more post stress than anything. I'm not one either though my brothers did serve the Emperor until their service was done. I'm sure if I ask them about that." She says before making a mental note. "As for Jedi, they are nothing more than a myth now if I understand. I was born before the purge." As if that explained it all. "There are tales that are happy and sad, depending on the point of view. Though no one asks for the path they are lead down, I believe each lesson is to teach us about ourselves. About us and how we effect the galaxy. My question to you is, why do you want it to be a sad tale instead of a glorious one?" She says before letting her smile come to her lips. "Oh, I will ask for quite a bit though it could take days, weeks, months ... maybe years to ensure the price is paid." She says with a wink before standing up to move the blanket upwards to hang it on branches to create a cover.

Rax Vaelus gives a lopsided smirk at that last bit, "Oh joy..." But then he frowns, his gaze unreadable as he appears to consider her questions. He grimaces finally, losing the half smirk, and sharply looks aside. "Look... Being a pirate is what I do, okay? It's my reputation, my history. I..." Finally, the large human's facade cracks and his eyebrows lift as he looks off to the side into the forest. "...I don't know any other way of life. I'm not a farmer. I'm not a merchant. And I'm nobody's slave." He continues to watch the forest. "In fire, I was born. In fire, I live." He shrugs slowly and turns those lightning-colored eyes back toward the Echani, "...I kill. It's what I do." He grimaces again, looking annoyed. "It's not like I planned on making the galaxy a darker place. It just kind of...happened that way."

As the blanket is set, the Echani moves to get dressed. She takes her time listening while getting dressed. Of course there is some water sounds, like someone had a bucket prepped for an impromptu shower. There is a moment where the movement stops and her head slowly moves from behind the blanket.

"Ah, but you see that the path you're moving down is making things darker. Do you want to make it lighter or balanced? Since you've made things dark, you would have to reverse the darkness to keep things balanced and true to your soul." She states before moving her head back before the sound of water splashing. "Why fire? You seem as sturdy as rock and as solid as the ground. Why not be more the ground, remember if you pour enough dirt onto a fire it does become smothered. Out of all the elements to pick ... fire ... has the most flash but it never lasts." The sound of clothes being put on comes after that.

"Because passion burns."

Glancing over at the raised blanket, he smirks as he folds his arms. "And you're right...fire is flashy, fierce, and bright. It's a catalyst for change--violent and swift. And it never lasts. ...Much like humans." He smiles, ruefully. Mostly to himself, since the naked Echani is out of sight. "Much like me." He shakes his head, "I'm no rock, lady. The waves may crash against me, but that is not how I would have it be." He shakes his head again, more to clear it as he furrows his brow in concentration, "And light? Balance? Darkness? Those are concerns for the living Force. And those who wield it. The Force has never spoken to me. Not even once. What do I care about the balance of the galaxy? I'm here and gone... A footnote that did what it could to survive."

Slowly the blanket is down as she tilts her head a bit. "I don't know anything about ah ... the force to know if it's living or not. You brought the thought of darkness into this conversation, I'm seeking to say you can balance that out with action. Not some all mystical power of the galaxy and you're wrong about what one human can do. Do I have to point out the former human Emperor from Naboo? I do recall he made a large pack on the galaxy; imagine what you could do to correct the darkness of your past." She states while moving to fold the blanket up a little and set it on the log.

"No rock hum?" She asks looking him over, and then looking into his eyes. She stares at them a moment and mmmos softly. "You're not air, and you're not water. You do have fire though it's not you, you make yourself think that but your fighting style says ground." She nods her head a bit. "You're far more ground than fire, you use fire like magma to push the ground within you. Though if you let yourself meditate and allow yourself to breath you could see what you really are." She says before moving back a bit. "And in an Echani mediation ..." She takes a breath and smiles. "... is far more clearing and calming than most people think. And you'll have to forgive me, I feel like I had this conversation with my son years ago. Though he didn't talk about darkness and trying to be a footnote; he wanted to change the galaxy for the better." She says and smiles a moment remembering. "Funny, so many years later and I'm having it again but in reverse."

Rax Vaelus twirls that stick-sword again. He stares at her, thoughtfully, but remains silent for several moments. Finally, he inclines his head. "Echani meditation, huh?" He glances aside, considering. "...Sure." He looks back. "Why not. How does it go?" He smirks a bit, though, "And saving the galaxy? Making an impact? Never works out so well for the people who do it... And then it's right back where it started...needing rescuing all over again." He shrugs, "Seems like a good way to get yourself killed." His words lack conviction, though. His heart isn't in the denial.

Watching the stick and she reaches out to stop the hand gently while she tries to listen to him. She does take a pause to breath in deeply and force herself for a moment. "It goes with first stopping to distract yourself, and finding ways to ignore your inner self." She states while trying to see if he will stop. "Second, you have to know how to quiet yourself and be able to sit in silent to allow yourself to be where you are. Not exist, but to be."

"And we all make an impact within the galaxy. I've done it, you've done it. Do you want to be remembered for glory or pain is up to you." She states. "We, as in the Echani, have songs of warriors after they die and we remember many of them thousands of years after they have passed. My son and husband are among those beautiful songs." She states before looking to him and smiling. "The cycle of life is always changing, I'm sure the galaxy has been this way before nothing new to it. Just our reaction will ripple into the future for other generations to learn from and grow."

"Oh, is that all?" But the sarcasm isn't sharp, and he does let her stop the twirl mid motion. He lowers the stick to the ground. "...All right. I'm willing to give it a shot." He smirks, watching her warily, "Still not sure about the whole Earth vs. Fire thing, but... Perhaps we shall see." He nods aside, "...So. How do we begin?" Flexing his grip on the stick, he's about to tap it against the leather moccasins he's wearing. But he stops, looks at it, and shrugs, tossing it off into the distance a short ways. "I don't need songs... The galaxy will remember me...or it won't." He grimaces a bit, looking a little uncertain. She's clearly found the chink in his armor.

There is a soft laugh as she gives Rax a look, it's that mother look like don't start I will bop you. "Alright, -word in Echani-." She then pauses and laughs for a moment. "Forgive me, it means ah ..." She pauses to translate. "... having smarts in the ass." She says and heads back to the log. "I know you don't believe me and it's understandable. You've hidden for so long when you listen to someone who has fresh eyes on you; you question my validity and my reason for my observations." She says turning to sit down slowly. "Mediation isn't taught in a day, nor a month or a year. It takes time, dedication and a sincere want to help you balance within your fighting style and your ability to handle yourself in situations of battle and stress. It helps you to work through things unlike what happened to Ax." She says while she looks the man over.

Rax Vaelus walks over slowly, peering at the Echani. "I think you severely underestimate just how much control I bring to a battle..." He shakes his head a bit, eyes closed. "But there is always more to learn, so I will concede." He eyes her warily as he sits. "And I don't think it was battle stress. I distinctly remember Ax warning us that someone was in the room before we went in... And before he did his crazy dance were he ended up getting shot by Kadi's droid." He shrugs, sitting down and closing his eyes. "All right... So... Now what? Just...don't think? At all? Even internally?"

Softly watching as she folds her hands onto her lap slowly and then listens though she tilts her head. "Well I have seen you in two battles at the moment, maybe I'll see that control later?" She says before gently relaxing herself and letting her mind go slowly. "Well this is your first time, I would suggest one word. Just one, so that you can softly say it over and over again. Though you have to tell me the word so I can agree with it or see if I can find a word better for you to focus on. Ax is an Echani that wasn't raised within our culture, I have seen that with other Echani." She says softly before thinking. "You'll have to say the word out softly over and over until you can lull yourself into that relaxed and lost mode. You'll think it silly and possibly a waste of time. But if you thought that you wouldn't be attempting this now right?"

Smiling ruefully, Rax bows his head, "Fair enough... I'm sure that, to an outsider, my battle fury appears to be chaotic and disorganized. But, well..." He grimaces, glancing aside with narrowed eyes. "...Lets just say I know someone on Coruscant who recently gave me a lot to think about, regarding my nature, and my place in the universe." Nodding along as she talks, his eyebrows lift at the mention of a word. When she asks for it, he narrows his eyes...and just laughs quietly, apparently disregarding the first thing that popped into his head. "Ah...that one won't do. How about...ah...Whirlwind."

Listening to what he says as she smirks at the comment. "It is, at least to me." She says while giving a pondering look to the man. "Well that must have been a profound conversation, though weight your options carefully. For a person like you, your nature is your own, your place in this galaxy is your own. Some of us can guide you through it, others ... might want to lead you down a path that will end up just using you." She says before closing her eyes. "Whirlwind is too long, you can say that quickly. Mmmm ... what describes you in a short brief word. And do not use fire." She says as she opens her eyes and gives him the Mom look again. "Mmmm, what describes you the best." She slides a finger to her lips to gently bounce the finger there.

"Everyone uses everyone else, lady." His expression is flat, his eyes lidded. "You're probably just trying to steer me away from the innocent crowds, like a Nexu trainer." He shrugs, "But, well..." He glances off toward the forest again. When whirlwind is rejected, he grimaces. And he grimaces even more when she asks for a word that describes him. He appears lost for something that would work, his expression changing several times in subtle ways as he works through the question. Finally he just shakes his head. "Nothing that comes to mind will work. You choose something."

There is a soft smile as she tilts her head. "I'm not steering you in any direction to be utterly honest and frank. You can go among the innocent if you wish, and I'm far from any sort of trainer to animals. You are not an animal." She states while looking to him and watches his reactions. Gaging from his words she smiles. "Tell me the words." She says as she then stands up and walks around a moment among the trees to hear the words he had picked. She moves her hands out to touch the trees and help her walk steady among them.

Rax makes a face, rolling his eyes. "Well, the first word that came to mind was 'Light'. But that sure as the seven Corellian Hells not appropriate. Darkness is much more apt, but too long. Pirate is kind of a dumb thing to be meditating on. I'm sure as hell not a crystal. And 'swordsman' isn't any shorter." He watches the woman walk around silently, grimacing as he waits.

As she turns she does watch his face as he speaks, her head moving from side to side trying to focus and she stops. She walks over to him and lets her head tilt to the other side. "Yes, that should be the word." She ponders a moment and then looks to him. She says the word in Echani slowly, clearly and carefully for him to hear it. "It means blade. You are something of a blade, you are a warrior without a doubt however you need to balance yourself to be a *Echani word*. What does a blade due?" She asks while moving to sit again happy with the word.

"Ekcha, huh?" He nods... "...All right. That works. Ekcha." He gestures with his head a bit, more for himself than for her. "What -does- a blade do, huh?" Folding his legs into a lotus position, Rax sets his hands on his knees and closes his eyes. Doing his best to clear away the chaotic clutter of the past few days. Serenno. Kylo Ren. The ship. The girl. The frozen plasma. Ekcha. Blade. ...Blade. ...Blade. Rax's thoughts start to slip away.

She waits to watch what Rax's answer is though she doesn't expect one. She watches while she keeps quiet and lets him slip into that stance she knows well enough. She watches and looks around her to make sure that he's not interrupted. Keeping guard almost even in her own state at the moment. Though her face has a bit of a look of regret, maybe even sadness though it is there and gone shortly after she lets it pass through her.

Silence. It's imperfect, and the sounds of birds and animals occasionally distract him. Sometimes, a word or thought will come to him, and he'll lose track for a while, but: Blade. Blade. ...Blade. It's a good anchor, and he's almost, just about slipped somewhere else entirely when a pirate ship roars off the ground at the landing pads. Rax's eyes come open, and the world rushes back in. The moment is lost. "Hmm..." is all he says, peering aside with narrowed eyes.

Those silver eyes watch him, she hasn't moved from where he last saw her at. She smiles and looks to him, not moved by the ship nor the noise. Her hands still folded up on her lap. "So? How was it and did the word serve you well?" She asks while watching him slowly and yet, looking rested for a moment or two like she was her old self again before the two medium concussions.

Rax Vaelus rubs the back of his neck, wincing. "It was...interesting. Quiet. I may have to try it again on a ship, sometime." He glances back over his shoulder...and slowly turns his eyes back to her. "I'll give it a chance, at least." He raises an eyebrow. "What about you? How are you holding up?"

She smiles softly. "I tend to have a warm towel around my neck to keep my neck loosen up for long mediations. Little pro tip." She says with a wink before taking herself to sit up a bit more. "Shaken but doing better. Feeling the concussion is taking a bit of a turn and I'll need to see a doctor soon. I know I'll have to meditate for some time to get myself back to being balanced and ready but it's all about the journey right?" She asks while looks to him. "Please do give it a chance, when you're lost, alone, injured or well having a sever bruising of the brain. It does set things to right, gives you a clear vision and you can really see what someone is truly about. I hope that it does wonders for you on the paths you tread on."

Rax Vaelus smirks and slowly gets to his feet. "I'm still not sure that my destination is going to be what you think it is... But... I'll think about it. A little." He flashes a grin, showing teeth. "When I have time." He offers a hand to her. "I'll help you cut out those patterns. I don't plan on staying on this planet for long... But I'll stay in touch. Especially if I end up going to Ilum to retrieve a new lightsaber crystal from whatever horrors await there."

Taking the hand as she stands up but she does move to let go to get her things. "Well we have nothing to cut those patterns with here. I have a friend on Nar Shaddaa, and I know she does an excellent job. When we return back, I'll get the patterns and send them to you. You have my word on that. Plus we will have another session as I give you the robes. I would like to know a bit more, though right now I'm hungry. This was good first session." She says as she moves to take her things and head to the castle.

The blue-eyed pirate turns to watch the Echani go. "So be it... And thank you." Walking over to where he tossed the stick, Rax whirls it about and starts to do a few warm-up moves, testing the hit locations, practicing slow-moving combos. "Tell Maz I said hello. I still haven't actually seen her." A practice thrust, a whirl. And then Rax is back to the basics, testing the hit locations, going through a few combos... Takodana has a way of centering a person, all on its own.