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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Futures and Dreams (Kessel Run Challenge 2023)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by ViariSkywalker, Jan 16, 2023.

  1. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    Title: Futures and Dreams
    Author: ViariSkywalker
    Timeframe: 51 ABY & beyond; Enter!verse AU
    Characters: Ben Skywalker, Allana Djo Solo, Tahiri Veila, Darth Festus (OC), Darth Ferrus (OC), Roan Solo (OC), Davin Solo (OC), Dolan Solo (OC), Demetrius Ulin (OC), R2-D2, Myri Antilles, Syal Antilles, and other characters from Enter the Foreign
    Genre: AU and everything else, probably

    Summary: It was time for all of them to live... (a series of ficlets picking up after the events of Enter the Foreign, in which our heroes – and villains – adjust to life after the war)

    Notes: This collection is my response to the 2023 Kessel Run challenge, featuring stories that take place after EtF. Familiarity with my Enter!verse is helpful but not, I hope, necessary. Thank you endlessly to @Mira_Jade for giving me my own set of secret prompts so that I could participate in the challenge along with everyone else! [:D] The title for this collection comes from Starset's "Starlight", because I liked how the phrase sounded, and because I love the song. :p [face_love]

    Disclaimer:
    I stole it all! (jk, the words and OCs are mine)

    Enjoy! [face_batting]




    Index:


    Week 1:
    Telescope | 52 ABY, 6 months post-EtF | Ben Skywalker & Roan Solo (OC), Davin Solo (OC), Dolan Solo (OC)

    Week 2: Force Bond | 51 ABY, post-EtF | Darth Ferrus & Darth Festus (OCs)

    Week 3: Home | 52 ABY, approx. 1 year post-EtF | Tahiri Veila/Demetrius Ulin (OC), Cyril (OC)

    Week 4: Firefight | 57 ABY | Darth Ferrus & Darth Festus

    Week 5: Light Years Between You and Me | 52-59 ABY | Allana Djo Solo, Ben Skywalker, Darth Festus, Darth Ferrus, Tahiri Veila, Davin Solo, Roan Solo, Dolan Solo

    Week 6: While There Is Breath in Your Lungs | 51 ABY, in an AU of EtF | Darth Festus & Allana Djo Solo & Darth Ferrus | Angst Challenge #2

    Week 7: Old Friends | 56 ABY | R2-D2 & Davin Solo & Assorted Characters

    Week 8: Where the Black Sand Meets the Raging Seas | 59 ABY | Allana Djo Solo/Darth Festus

    Week 9: “The Knight” | the Force & one (or many) of its knights

    Week 10: Corellian Gambit | Late 55 ABY | Myri Antilles, Tahiri Veila, Syal Antilles, Demetrius Ulin, Davin Solo, Dolan Solo, Valin Horn

    Week 12: Words We Never Say | 51-61 ABY | Darth Ferrus & Darth Festus


    ~~

     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2023
  2. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    Notes: Were you guys worried I wouldn't make it? o_O

    My Week 1 prompt was to write a story between 100 and 1,000 words that starts with the sentence: “But he’s a pirate.” It also had to use the following picture as inspiration:
    [​IMG]

    Thanks again to Mira for providing me with my prompt! [:D]




    Telescope | 52 ABY, six months after EtF


    “But he’s a pirate.”

    Ben Skywalker surveyed the scene again, slowly. Davin was standing in front of a makeshift fort built from durasteel scraps, and at his feet, bound with a tow cable and sitting quietly cross-legged – and looking thoroughly unruffled – was Roan.

    “I captured him and now he’s my prisoner,” Davin continued, puffing his chest up as he folded his arms across it. “Those are the rules.”

    Ben looked down at Roan again. His little cousin stared back at him with those serious brown eyes, his placid expression disturbed only by a tiny ripple of curious amusement. It was an expression he better recognized on Allana’s face, but he was quickly growing used to seeing it on her brother’s.

    “Roan.” Ben addressed himself to the younger boy, ignoring the way Davin defiantly adjusted his stance to plant his feet even more firmly in place. “Are you okay?”

    Roan’s calm gaze never wavered. “Yes, I’m fine.” Another ripple of amusement. “I’m a pirate.”

    Ben sighed and ran a hand across the back of his neck, looking from one boy to the other. “Did Aunt Tahiri say you guys could play with all this stuff?”

    Davin’s face puckered a little at that. “Yes.”

    Did she?”

    Yes. She said to have fun.”

    Ben seriously considered whether to explain to Davin that “have fun” was still not the same thing as “yes, by all means, please play with garbage and try not to contract some sort of infection” but decided it probably wasn’t worth it. And anyway, his ruminations were interrupted by a loud whoop as several more children – Dolan among them – came running and jumping down the steps, brushing past Ben like he wasn’t even there. With a sigh, Ben took a few steps back to sit on the steps the other kids had descended.

    “All right, you got him!” Savl Horn shouted. He slapped palms with Davin and grinned wide. “We caught Dolan sneaking around the back.”

    Davin’s puckered expression changed instantly, and he looked past Savl at his twin, eyes glittering triumphantly. Dolan had gone from exuberant playmate to sullen captive in a heartbeat. “Yeah, you got me,” the dark-haired boy said evenly, arching one eyebrow.

    Throughout all of this, Roan sat completely still. The cable drooped slightly around his torso, but he didn’t attempt to move. Ben frowned a little, and he raised his voice to be heard above the din.

    “Hey, why don’t you guys take a break? It’s after lunch time anyway.”

    A chorus of complaints and refusals was shouted back at him; but to his credit, Davin merely groaned dramatically and began to unwrap the cable from around Roan’s torso. Then he flashed a grin at his twin and the others and waved a hand wildly in the air. “Last one to the dining hall is a nerfherder!”

    Ben held out a hand to catch his youngest cousin’s attention. “Hey, Roan. Come here a minute.”

    Roan waved to the others as they ran past, and he walked over to join Ben on the steps, twisting a length of metal piping between his fingers. Ben nodded at the pipe, noting that it was about the same length as the lightsaber he usually wore at his hip; and he wondered if that was what this object was supposed to be, a play lightsaber. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

    Roan sat down next to Ben, not as close to him as Davin or Dolan would have done, but not so far away either. He turned the metal cylinder over in his hands. “A telescope.”

    Well, he hadn’t expected that. He probably should have, though, considering that “pirates” had been his cousins’ favorite game for going on a week now.

    “Oh yeah?” Ben said with a smile. “Can I see?”

    Roan handed over his prop without a word; Ben saw him watching intently as he examined the “telescope”. The spiraling grooves along the inside of the cylinder suggested something had been screwed into it at one point, though Ben couldn’t say for sure what it had been. He held the toy up to his eye, careful not to let the rough edges scrape his skin. The rays cast by the midday sun narrowed to a disc of light smaller than the palm of his hand, and he pretended to study something in the distance.

    “Huh,” he said after a few seconds.

    “What?” Roan’s voice was quiet, but curious.

    “It looks like the fortress is deserted.” Ben lowered the telescope and tilted his head conspiratorially toward his cousin. “No better time to escape.”

    A very faint smile crossed Roan’s lips before he reined it in. “I can’t escape while the game is paused.”

    Ben nodded slowly. “I suppose that’s true.” He watched Roan’s face as the boy looked over at the makeshift fort, and he sensed something elusive about his emotions in that moment, something he couldn’t quite place. Maybe now was a good time to mention what he’d considered bringing up earlier.

    “You know… you don’t have to play the way Davin tells you, if you don’t want.” Ben hesitated; he didn’t want to paint Davin as some kind of bully. Force, this wasn’t coming out at all like he’d intended. “What I mean is, it’s okay to say no, or to speak up if you want to play the game differently.”

    Roan tore his gaze from the fort to stare up at him. “That’s okay,” he said simply.

    Ben tried not to frown. So did that mean he understood? “It’s okay because you like playing Davin’s game?”

    “Yes.”

    “You like playing all of Davin's games, or just this one?”

    “I like all of them.” Roan stood and picked up his telescope, and he started to take a step forward before appearing to think better of it. He looked up at Ben. “Can I go play now?”

    “Sure, kiddo.” Ben watched him run off, the telescope clutched tight in one hand, and he shook his head and smiled. “Have fun.”


    ~~
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2023
  3. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    children and their play. Using garbage. Always fun to read about that.
     
  4. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    Yes :p [face_batting]

    As someone who was always the quiet and serious child, I like Roan a lot :D

    And here I relate entirely to Ben. Kids :p

    Yes, I like :D Did you ever use the cardboard tubes at the end of a roll of paper towels as your pirate telescope? Because I did :D

    Aw, Ben is playing the game to make Roan feel more comfortable but Roan is already comfortable and isn't going to cheat, my heart, I love them both :_| [face_love]

    Sometimes there's a real communication gap, isn't there? The adult is trying to explain something very important, and the kid is all, "okay, and...?" :p

    You know how much I love ordinary real life moments in fic, this is perfect :D [:D]
     
  5. Nehru_Amidala

    Nehru_Amidala Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2016
    This is the sort of pretend game I liked playing when I was little, this sounds like a lot of fun!
     
  6. Vek Talis

    Vek Talis Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2018
    Lol. He's like: It's all good, man. What's the deal?

    Cool challenge and cute the way you handled it. :)
     
  7. UltramassiveUbersue

    UltramassiveUbersue Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2022
    Awww, I love this! :) And I love the title, too.

    Oh, what a fun kid!

    I read this and thought, "Ben's acting just like Dad!Luke!" He reminds me of Luke dealing with Artoo and Yoda fighting on Dagobah... but a bit less exasperated.

    [face_laugh]

    Aww, this is so sweet.
    I see this child has a Lawful Good alignment. :D

    Aww, Ben's such a sweetie that he thinks this is wording things too harshly!

    Great job-- I'm looking forward to reading more!
     
  8. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    He's a cute little fellow; I think he'll handle himself well in any play group, calm and steady, just happy to play well with others.O:)
     
  9. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    @earlybird-obi-wan
    After all the angst I've put them through, these characters needed some fun. :p




    @Gabri_Jade
    [face_laugh] ;)

    Lol, I figured you would. ;)

    Right? 8-}

    I did! And my kids have all followed in that grand tradition. :D I tend to find them all over the house. :p

    They're so adorable together, and this is the first time I've really written them interacting? Other than like two lines in EtF, anyway. :p And I imagine this is about six months after EtF, so Roan has had some time to adjust and acclimate to his environment and all these new family members and friends and people who treat him like a person and not a tool to be shaped and used. For the first time in his life, Roan gets to be a kid, and Ben gets to enjoy his time as the big brother/cool uncle. I love them so much, Gabri. :_| [face_love]

    This happens to me all the dang time. 8-} :p

    I doooooo. ;) :* (And thank you! :D)




    @Nehru_Amidala
    They have some big imaginations! Thanks for reading!




    @Vek Talis
    Taken straight from my RL parenting experience - I try to impart some sage wisdom or advice, and my kids are all: o_O

    Thanks for reading! :)




    @UltramassiveUbersue
    Thanks so much! :D

    He takes it all in stride. [face_mischief]

    [face_laugh] I love this comparison!

    They're so cute together, I love them. [face_love]

    lol, accurate! (Although once you know more about his upbringing, it's kind of amazing that he turned out that way. :p)

    He really is. [face_love]

    Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D




    @pronker
    He really is, and after how he was raised, it's a relief to write him being happy and having friends and family that love him. [face_love] Thanks for reading!



    I'm about done editing my next prompt, so I'll be back with that in a few!
     
  10. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    Notes: So I learned something new this week – apparently there is such a thing as fourth-person POV. [face_hypnotized] My prompt for Week 2 was to write a story between 400 and 800 words using fourth-person POV in which a character is found/finds something. Now I’ll admit, I was fully prepared to throw my hands up in surrender and take the substitute prompt… but then I got an idea. [face_mischief]

    I bestow upon you a stream of creative nonsense, featuring the Super Evil Chaos Twins of Evil…




    Force Bond | 51 ABY, not long after EtF


    It’s not that we ever really stop being ourselves. All the things we bury and all the things we can’t let go of… they’re all still here (pushing, tugging, gnawing, one cut, two cuts, three cuts, four) and we know who we are, we know what is him and what is me and what was before and what came after; but it still blurs a little in this place. The edges blur, just enough, and we hate it, and we need it, and we don’t know how to live without it.

    We know where each thought comes from (usually we know but we’re not always sure) and we try to hold on to whose is whose, we try to keep it straight, we put up walls and make rules we never say out loud: only in battle, never in bed (someone always fragging forgets that rule) because that’s just weird, but there are exceptions to every rule, maybe we’re all just exceptions to some rule, ever wonder that?

    Sometimes we get weirdly philosophical and obsess over random shavit no one else gives a damn about.

    (obsession is how we cope, some of us just don’t like admitting that)

    (some of us don’t know how to)



    Only in battle, isn’t that what we said? Or didn’t say? Gods, who even knows half the time, communication has never been our strength. The only time it’s easy is here, twisted up in the threads of our bond, where the words don’t matter half as much as what we feel and see and want, even if what we feel is resentment and rage and loathing, and what we see is lack, lack, lack, we’re so diminished from what we were, but why would we want to go back to that life, to any of those lives, and what we want more than anything is—

    hands around her throat, squeeze, don’t squeeze, so soft, one quick cut, watch her bleed, stop it, everyone bleeds out the same don’t they, so soft, too soft, lips on her skin, what does it feel like, how does it work, what if, what if, what if

    no no no get out get out

    (someone always forgets the rule)

    (someone is a sick kriffing bastard)



    Sometimes we find out things we shouldn’t.



    The edges between us still blur – they will always blur – but we know better than to indulge in pointless fantasies and reckless dreams here.

    (it isn’t a dream, it’s a nightmare, gods, what does it feel like?)

    (did we mention this isn’t a happy place?)



    we hate it

    and we need it

    and we don’t know how to live without it


    ~~
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2023
  11. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Those twins living like that hating and needing. The fourth-person POV reminds me of Gollem
     
    Kahara and Vek Talis like this.
  12. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    So. Having just read EtF, I came here expecting a lot of angst and despair, and Telescope kinda threw me off balance, because it's anything but. Cute kids playing cute games with cute garbage :p and an adult wondering if someone is going too far, but not at all! Although I did feel that there was a hint of what Roan has been through in his quiet attitude, the fact that he begins to smile but reins it in, or that he asks for permission to go and play again – I remember that supremely creepy scene where he receives his instructions from Jacen in EtF, and it seems that he hasn't yet got over his upbringing in an environment where the father figure was his master (in the bad sense of the word).

    Force Bond, on the other hand... Yeah, that's closer to the angsty stuff I was expecting, although watching these two bickering is always a treat. I had no idea about the 4th-person POV either, and I'm in awe at how you pulled it off, speaking for both twins at the same time yet still managing to highlight the differences between them. I really, really need to catch up with the gazillion other stories where they appear; every time I read even a little story about them I want to know more.
     
  13. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    I didn't know this either. How does Mira know all this stuff? [face_hypnotized]

    I lol'ed :p

    Their voices are extremely distinct despite the joint POV, good job, babe :cool:

    You really do get kind of a sense for what a Force bond like this would be like, from this POV and format and the way you wrote it. Such an intangible thing, and hard to comprehend beyond a telepathic, straightforward conversations but mentally sort of way, but I think you really did it here [face_thinking]

    This is really excellent stream of consciousness writing. That's not easy to do, and it doesn't always read as authentic, but you did it, it's almost poetic (in a creepy way, because obviously :p )

    I can sympathize with both viewpoints :p

    This was a hard prompt, but you did it, look at you go [face_party]
     
  14. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    [​IMG]

    but maybe for a minute :p

    You may not thank me when we're through. [face_mischief] But it's my absolute pleasure to be a peddler of prompts, as always! ;) :* [:D]

    THIS IS SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE!!!

    Yep, this was a fantastic answer to the prompt! I loved seeing all of the kids happy and playing and just being kids - especially with how dearly won that is in this 'verse. [face_love]

    Also, Roan is such a dear, I just can't even. [face_love]

    This was a great character detail. [face_love]

    Such. A. Dear.

    [face_rofl] [face_rofl] [face_rofl]

    A+ use of the prompt is A+!!!

    I WAS SMILING SUCH A STUPID GRIN BY THIS POINT, YOU HAVE TO KNOW!!!

    Because the angst is always there and you just can't resist, can you? [face_mischief] In all seriousness, though, I love how Ben is taking care of Roan here. He's not truly a prisoner, he has choices, and Ben wants to make sure that he knows that. And I love that then, in the way of kids, Roan is totally a hundred percent chill and doesn't exactly know what the adult is going on about. :p

    [​IMG]

    (I can't believe I'm already using this gif for Week Two, but I am. [face_mischief])

    [face_hypnotized] [face_hypnotized] [face_hypnotized] [face_hypnotized] [face_hypnotized]

    GAAAAAAAAH, THIIIIIIIIIIIS!!!

    MASTERCLASS IN WRITING, RIGHT HERE!!!

    I love how this shows both twins' journeys, with one morphing into another as befits the fourth person POV. The more physical verbs transforming into those cuts, and then the repetition made that detail all the more horrific and added to the disjointed feeling of the piece so perfectly! =D=

    [face_rofl] :oops:

    And yet somehow you managed to keep both voices so separate and distinct! Look at you go. :cool:

    Also: ouch! =(( :_|

    Just . . . this is so separate and distinct and then the narration muddles together and that is exactly what a Force bond between twins would be like, wouldn't it? [face_hypnotized]

    And of course, I love how you never shy away from the horror of this moment or its longer lasting repercussions.

    I'm curious as to what this is. [face_batting]

    So succinct and cutting for being so!

    Even the lack of punctuation and upper-case here was a masterstroke to convey a shared stream of conscious thought. I really don't have much left to say except brilliant and well done and I love it all! [face_love] =D=


    Your Run is off to a FANTASTIC start, and I truly can't wait to see what you write next! [face_love] [face_dancing] =D= [:D]


    I is nerd. :-B

    But, in the interest of full discloser, I had no idea about fourth person POV until a Pinterest pin, of all things. :p From there, I had a set of drabbles where I challenged myself to write fourth person, but I couldn't pull it off and I scrapped them. But in the back of my mind I knew it would make a great KR prompt and I jumped at the chance when it presented itself. [face_devil]

    Dang, though, but reading this makes me want to go try again! [face_love] [face_hypnotized]
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2023
  15. vader_incarnate

    vader_incarnate Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 29, 2002
    I was on a trip this weekend in a timezone an hour ahead of my own and I FORGOT and kept checking the boards at 11p rather than 12a and was about to send you a PM and then eventually you posted the thread an hour later than I thought you would, and I was like OH YEAH TIMEZONES :p So yeah, but that was my bad. ;)

    You write such good children. :p Children are so fun and so chaotic and so cute, and this is so perfectly fluffy and lovely and these children with all their past traumas but also all their resilience just taking this moment to play and it's not happy AU but it's OF COURSE happy things can happen even in dark timelines - the rainbow in the rainstorm, etc. I'm so happy that Ben Skywalker can get these little happy moments in his crapsack future world too. [face_love]

    I just enjoy that description of the Force here; I feel like it's such an abstract concept :p and different authors always describe it in their own ways, and I'm always so curious and eager to read how different people understand perceptions within the Force. Because that's like the most subjective thing about writing in the GFFA isn't it? It's completely philosophical and theoretical, and I just really like seeing how different people choose to describe it.

    Someone get the tetanus boosters ready though :p

    Vi Vi Vi I think I expounded at length to you at one point or another about my fascination with the way a lightsaber is intrinsically linked to someone's identity as a Jedi - and then how Luke's ultimate rejection of his lightsaber, throwing it away during the climax of RotJ, is what ended up defining him as a Jedi instead. And like. I'm just so excited by lightsabers and identity. And these kids! They're not playing with lightsabers! One assumes they're going to be Jedi at some point, by virtue of their heritage, but they don't have to be yet that's a big burden on children - and also please don't whack each other with metal poles guys that sounds like it'd hurt. My kid and a neighbor were doing it last summer, I'm glad no one lost an eye.

    But then I'm also thinking - how do the games that children play reflect their experience? Like in the comic The Watchmen, right, where superheroes were real, so comics weren't actually interested in fictionalized versions of superhero stories anymore - and instead the comics within that universe were about pirates. And I realize that particular obscure connection probably isn't intentional, but: why play at stuff that has such a real and personal meaning to you, if you're trying by virtue of play to escape into fantasy?

    Kids. :p There should be an alignment option for lawful chaotic.

    Have fun, you deserve it. <3

    I'll come back with more later. :p
     
  16. Vek Talis

    Vek Talis Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2018
    *points to self

    Oh yeah.

    Well written multiple-angst with all kinds of delicious imagery. =D=
     
  17. vader_incarnate

    vader_incarnate Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 29, 2002
    Did I inappropriately snort a giggle here because I thought of Dr. Seuss? Most definitely.

    Hey hey hey I am fascinated by the idea of twin bonds, because - they're so open to interpretation! Or just Force bonds generally, I guess, which is my current theory for how brain bugs spread through the JCF boards. And I find concepts that are really intangible like that really really hard to describe because they can literally be anything - but you did such a great job here, and it's so awful and poetic, and such a pretty stream of consciousness

    Yeah, that'd be bad, don't do that. [face_worried]

    Relatable, though.

    The repetition and the lack of capitalization here really give it an urgency that makes it seem like it's unfiltered thoughts from across their bond, and the whole concept was communicated very well

    Aaaaah that lack of privacy. O_O

    Pointless fantasies and reckless dreams =((

    Oh these broken boys. =((

    Lovely piece, Vi. [:D] And very good challenge idea, Mira. :p
     
  18. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    I'll be back to reply to everyone, but since I took so long to finish my Week 3 fic, I'm down to the wire and need to get this thing posted!


    Notes: My prompt for Week 3 was to write a story between 500 and 1,000 words in which I made up a new OC (original character). My OC had to interact with at least one EC (established character), and my story had to include the following line of dialogue: “Please know that you were mine as well.”

    Going back to some lighter and fluffier fare this week, you're welcome. ;)




    Home | 52 ABY, about a year after EtF


    Tahiri Veila heaved a quiet sigh as she entered the docking bay, taking in the sight of the beat-up old freighter nestled there. It had been a long day, and Tahiri was more exhausted than she would ever care to let on – but that was okay, because she was finally home.

    There’d been a time when she wasn’t sure she’d ever have a true home again. Back then, home had been a nebulous concept, something that belonged to her distant past, when she’d toddled along the sands of Tatooine or raced through the jungles of Yavin. And then she’d gone to war, and home had become people more so than places – people like Anakin and his family and all of their friends. That hadn’t really changed in the years since Anakin’s death. Even during her time on Zonoma Sekot, the living world had never truly become her home as it had for Danni or the surviving Yuuzhan Vong; and she’d wondered sometimes – only sometimes – if there was any one place she would ever belong.

    In a way, she was right. Home was still the people she loved, and now she got to take most of those people with her wherever she went. She had to admit, though: it was nice that the ship that carried them to each of their destinations was always the same.

    Tahiri smiled up at the Happy Ho’Din as she passed beneath its well-worn frame and ascended the open ramp, the sounds of laughter echoing from within.

    It was nice that the pilot was always the same, too.

    Tahiri made her way to the ship’s commons, a cramped space with room enough for a small circular table and chairs in one corner and a long cushioned bench along the opposite wall. Just as she was about to enter the room, she heard a deep and distinctly male voice that she didn’t recognize at all, followed by the high-pitched tones of her twin nephews arguing with one another. Tahiri heaved another sigh and stepped through the doorway.

    She was greeted with the sight of five people arranged around the table, all holding sabacc cards in their hands, and a messy pile of cards laid out before them. Davin and Dolan, who had been shouting at each other and waving their cards in each other’s faces, stopped their bickering and turned to look at her.

    Tahiri spared the twins only a glance. Her gaze passed over Roan, who was seated quietly at Davin’s side, watching his cousins; and it passed over the portly, dark-haired stranger to Dolan’s right, who was trying to suppress a smile, like a schoolboy caught in the midst of some mischief. Instead, her eyes sought out those of the thin man sitting directly opposite the doorway, and she arched both eyebrows.

    Ulin brushed a hand through his short gray hair and smiled that big open smile of his. “Hey, Master Jedi. We were just playing a round of cards with the boys.”

    “So I see,” she replied, eyebrows still raised. This time she did level her previously squabbling nephews with an uncompromising stare, the meaning of which she knew they both understood. Her gaze shifted to the stranger. “I didn’t know we were expecting company…?”

    “Right, I forgot.” Ulin set his cards face-down on the table and slid out of his chair, and he crossed the room in two strides to stand next to her. “You remember my friend Cyril?”

    Tahiri looked up at Ulin, at the eagerness shining bright in his blue-green eyes, and she tried very hard not to wince. She didn’t remember this “Cyril” at all. She didn’t even remember the name.

    It must have been her uncharacteristic hesitance that gave her away – or maybe Ulin really had gotten good at reading her expressions and body language. Either way, she saw his mouth curve down in a sad little pout, one that she had to force herself not to smile at.

    “You don’t remember?” Ulin shifted so that his back was to his friend, and he lowered his voice so only she could hear. She was pretty sure the boys and Cyril were eavesdropping anyway. “I mentioned him back when we first met.”

    Oh, sweet Force, this ridiculous man. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to kiss his ridiculous pouting face right here in front of everyone.

    “Demetrius,” she said in falsely dulcet tones, “it’s been eight years since we met—”

    “Eight-and-a-half,” he quickly interjected, a grimace replacing the pout.

    Tahiri nodded her head slowly. “Eight-and-a-half years, you’re right.” She stared up at him expectantly. “Why don’t you introduce me to the famous Cyril, who you’ve told me so much about.”

    Ulin shot her a sheepish grin. “Point taken, Master Jedi.” He looked over his shoulder and called out to his friend. “Hey, Cyril! Quit eavesdropping and say hi to the most amazing Jedi in the entire galaxy—”

    Ulin.”

    “It’s the truth. You wouldn’t want me to lie, would you? We have to set a good example for the kids.”

    Tahiri surveyed the scene once more. “And is a high-stakes card game part of that good example?”

    At the table, Cyril grinned. “That was my idea, Master Veila. Ulin and I used to run a sabacc club back on Trellis, when we were in the dorms. I couldn’t resist starting up a game, for old times’ sake.” The man’s grin widened. “Ulin always was my enabler.”

    Ulin’s expression grew deeply thoughtful, and he looked at his friend and said in a serious voice: “Please know that you were mine as well.”

    Before Tahiri had time to wonder at this exaggerated display of sentiment, both men burst out laughing. Well, maybe not laughing so much as giggling, which was actually pretty damn endearing. She really was going to have to kiss Ulin’s ridiculous face.

    “All right, forget the introductions,” she said as she scooted past Ulin, tossing a wry grin over her shoulder at him. “Why don’t you deal me in?”


    ~~
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2023
  19. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    nice to see the friends having fun. I like Tahiri joining the friends at their game
     
  20. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    It looks like the universe was conspiring to prevent Tahiri from being a stern mom today, and possibly to force her to give Ulin a big slobbery kiss in front of her adopted sons and nephew :D (which I'd like to see their reaction to, it would be an interesting moment on the boards given these little rascals' antics in your stories). I've only read bits and pieces of your post-EtF stories, but I'm really enjoying these more relaxed slices of life after all that angst. However, the impact of the various tragedies that struck the galaxy is still present in so many aspects, from Tahiri not being really able to call a place home to the various effects that the nomadic lifestyle in hiding has had on the children, to the fact that Ulin never got to introduce his dear friend to her, and that she doesn't even remember him mentioning Cyril... and, of course, that these two haven't figured out yet that playing high-stakes card games with kiddos is not something you're supposed to do! [face_laugh]
     
  21. Vek Talis

    Vek Talis Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2018
    I don't know much about these characters, but they work well together. They fit and that makes for good reading. :)
     
  22. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Grand stream of consciousness, really drew me in! :)

    Hee, what a wise statement ... so much backstory given in that one word ... Fun scene of hesitation on Tahiri's part giving way to smoothing over any awkwardness.
     
  23. vader_incarnate

    vader_incarnate Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 29, 2002
    Vi, this is so fluffy. [face_love] It feels like a well-deserved coda for Tahiri (AND SHE DESERVES IT) even though I well know that more shenanigans are in store for her and her galaxy in the EtF sequel. But for now, she gets a breather, and I love it for her. :_|

    This was such a concise and also heartbreaking reflection on Tahiri's past. =(( And even though it's very Tahiri specific, the sentiment feels so universal for Our Favs within the GFFA, who seemingly are never able to settle down and claim a permanent place as home; there's always a galactic crisis going on to pull you away, or your murder cyborg biodad aided in blowing up your homeplanet.

    [face_batting] Get it, Tahiri.

    So concise and descriptive! I can see it. And also that heaving sigh. :p "I'm not paid enough for this - wait a sec, I'm not paid at all for this."

    Daww, the man pouts like a puppy. [face_laugh] I didn't know how much I wanted to see this character dynamic in this romance, and you wrote it so perfectly. Ulin's such a sweetheart, and I'm ferociously Team Tahiri/Happiness.

    [face_love]

    When I read that line, I automatically thought angsty dramatic star-crossed romance. But you went wholesome dramatic bromance, and I love it!

    Well, if you've gotta you've gotta.
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2023
  24. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    And thank you! ;) [face_mischief] [face_love]

    As soon as I saw that Tahiri was the POV character for a story called Home, I just melted. Yaaaaaas, all of the happiness and healing for our girl! This is the only canon I accept for Tahiri. [face_love] Beyond how much I just adore the premise of this story, her introspection was spot on. She hasn't belonged to a single place in so long, and now, as beautiful as it is to have a home in the people she loves, it's wonderful to have the same ship binding them all together in a literal sense of home, too. [face_love]

    Is that all that's nice? [face_batting]

    This is such a homey scene - complete with gambling children. :p (Hey, they're Solos. They were going to pick up sabacc sooner rather than later!)

    Isn't that feeling just the worst? :oops:

    Also, Ulin is so adorable, I just can't even! [face_love]

    Just. So. Adorable. [face_love]

    [face_laugh] [face_love]!!

    [face_love] [face_love] [face_love]!!!

    Point. :p [face_laugh]

    Like Elli, I too can't believe that you took this uber romantic line with all the bittersweet, angsty potential and ran with it in the complete opposite direction with teasing bromance. Well done. =D=

    (You're still side-stepping the story I want, however - know that I'm going to harp until I get it! [face_mischief] [face_whistling])

    Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. [face_mischief] [face_love]

    That's the spirit! :p [face_love]

    Here, take all of the heart smileys, because you've earned every last one of them: [face_love] [face_love] [face_love] [face_love] [face_love]


    Keep up the fantastic work! =D= [:D]
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2023
  25. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    @earlybird-obi-wan
    It's a very complex and messy bond between them! o_O

    It's been nice writing these characters getting some happiness after all the trauma canon (and I) put them through. Thanks for reading! :D




    @Chyntuck
    I literally giggled at this. :p These stories won't be completely devoid of angst, but I'm trying to keep up at least some of the hope from the ending of EtF!

    I'm glad the subtle hints of Roan's past came through for you here. I didn't want to put a neon sign on Roan's particular brand of trauma, but yeah, his experiences are so different from the rest of his family's, even in a family that has experienced more than their share of loss and trauma and darkness. But I did want to show that he is starting to adjust and heal and learn how to be part of a family, and some of his quiet nature is also Roan being Roan, in a way that is sometimes reminiscent of Allana. I hope to also shed a bit more light on Roan's relationship with Jacen in the future, prompts permitting. If not here, then maybe in my poor neglected drabble thread. :p

    [face_laugh] I am truly predictable with the angst, I know. :p But I'm glad you enjoyed reading their interactions! I really was a bit stumped for how to write something in fourth-person until I saw one of the examples featured twins, and I was like, "oh, I have a set of twins and a twisted Force bond for that!" It ended up being pretty fun, trying to find ways to communicate whose distinct thoughts were whose while still blurring those edges a bit.

    I'm just thrilled any time someone is interested in reading more about my chaos twins, and please, take your time. I know there's a lot to wade through. 8-}

    lol, I haven't quite worked out the timeline for Tahiri and Ulin's courtship or how soon everyone else finds out that they're a thing, but I like imagining that they're so low-key (or at least, Tahiri is so low-key) that almost no one realizes until months or years later that they're actually together together. [face_laugh] At the same time, I'll bet whenever they do tell the boys about it, they're just like, "duh? we already knew that, can we play sabacc now?" :p

    I'm very glad to hear this! I've enjoyed getting the chance to finally write some of them. [face_love]

    I love this observation! As much as I want all of these characters to heal and live their lives to the fullest, I also don't want to forget the events that shaped them and the traumas they endured, or pretend that they never happened. That doesn't mean they can't all go on to lead perfecty fulfilling and wonderfully happy lives, though, and I love balancing all of those things as realistically as possible. :D Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!




    @Gabri_Jade
    Right?! She's just talented that way. :p [face_love]

    Ferrus isn't as gifted at shielding, and Festus does not appreciate that particular window into his brother's thoughts. :oops:

    Hee, I'm pleased you thought so! :D

    High praise indeed! And I feel like my own thoughts on how this sort of bond would work are sort of in flux themselves, and I'm not sure this piece fully or accurately represents all of them, but it was a fun experiment and an interesting way to explore how that sort of bond would look when it's between two very traumatized individuals.

    Aww, thanks! [face_blush] (lol, because obviously :p)

    lol, same [face_laugh]

    I was so anxious when I started reading through the article for fourth-person pov, I thought I was doomed, but this turned out way better than I imagined it would, and I'm so glad you liked it, creepy as it was. [:D]




    @Mira_Jade
    [face_laugh] [:D]

    [face_rofl] [face_mischief] :*

    Also:

    [​IMG]

    [face_rofl] [face_rofl]

    It's an actual relief to let them have these moments of happiness after everything they've endured. [face_love]

    He is, I love him. [face_love]

    I haven't gotten to explore Roan's character all that much before now, and it was only after I'd written his reaction here that I realized, "Oh, that's kind of like Allana, isn't it?" Which ended up fitting perfectly.

    He's finally getting to play games like a normal boy, Mira! :_| [face_love]

    Kids, I tell ya. :p

    Credit where credit is due, it was totally my sister who came up with the telescope idea. I kept thinking it had to be someone looking up from the bottom of a well, and then I showed her the picture and she said it could be someone looking through a hole in the wall, or if I had to write about pirates, then maybe a telescope, and I was all, THANK YOU, YOU GENIUS. [face_laugh]

    HE'S SO PRECIOUS, MIRA!

    Nope, I couldn't resist. [face_mischief] And really, this shows just how far Roan has come in a relatively short time, because it's not that he's too timid to say no to Davin; he genuinely enjoys playing all of those games because he never got to do that before, and now he can.

    This also may have been inspired by my RL parenting experiences. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled one of my kids aside to impart what I think is some sage maternal wisdom or try to bolster their self-confidence, and they're just like, "okay, that's nice, can I go play now?" o_O :p

    Aw yeah, and I didn't even have to write an acrostic sonnet to get it this time. :cool:

    [face_blush] [face_blush] [face_blush]

    (Thank you for making me write this. :*)

    It was really interesting deciding how each of the twins' voices would present in this story. You can see Ferrus's no-nonsense, matter-of-fact nature mixed in with the crushing parentheticals that usually mark Festus's POV, and even though Festus is usually the more observant and eloquent of the two, when they're sharing heads like this, he tries to keep a lot of himself hidden away, so that was a unique challenge to write. And I feel like I'm not properly expressing my thought process well enough here, which seems strangely fitting, given the sort of fic it was. :p

    Ferrus needs to work on his mental shielding a little more, is all I'm saying. o_O But then, I guess he's probably too distracted to notice... [face_whistling]

    As much as I like to highlight the differences between Festus and Ferrus, they're also the same in some key ways. Ferrus's obsessive tendencies don't manifest the same way that Festus's do, but they're still there. [face_worried]

    I like to think that if Dorian and Veeran had grown up relatively trauma-free, they would have developed a healthier bond and learned how and when to block things out naturally and instinctively to allow for privacy and appropriate levels of intimacy with each other, etc. But since they each have mountains of trauma and have developed this highly antagonistic and yet co-dependent relationship, I think it twists their bond into what you see here and in the other stories. =((

    I will say, this part was meant to be more of a daydream than a memory, which might make the whole thing even more disturbing, tbh. [face_worried]

    I was probably a bit too veiled with this one, but given the timeframe of this piece (maybe a few weeks/months after EtF), this is actually the first time Ferrus catches his brother thinking about Allana - "finding something" (per the prompt :p) that Festus doesn't want him to see. [face_whistling]

    Thanks! [face_mischief]

    I'm glad you noticed that! It felt right as a way to convey even further the breakdown and blurring of their POVs, as well as that stream-of-consciousness aspect to it. I'm really happy you liked it all! :D

    Aw, thank you, my friend! [face_love] [:D]

    [face_rofl] I love all of this, and yes please, I'd love to see you take a crack at fourth-person! [face_mischief]

    :*

    That really means so much to me. [face_blush] I've only written Tahiri once or twice outside of this 'verse, and I've spent so long writing this version of her that it's sometimes hard for me to imagine her being any other way. I'm always pleased to hear that my version of her resonates with others. [face_blush] :D

    And then I'm glad you liked the introspection! It took up a lot of my limited word count, but it felt like an important piece in bridging the gap between the end of EtF and this story.

    Maaaaybe. [face_tee_hee]

    It felt so domestic, I loved picturing it. :p And yeah, there's no way those kids get through their childhoods without learning sabacc and probably a dozen other card games. o_O

    Ugh, the worst. :oops: :p

    Ulin is the cutest slicer dork, he's the best. [face_love]

    He's also not very good at hiding his feelings. [face_laugh]

    They're so cute, Mira. [face_love]

    :D

    [face_tee_hee]

    Let's just say that, I'd pretty well covered all the romantic, angsty, bittersweet potential for a certain pair of characters in other stories - at least in this 'verse - and also, that particular line probably isn't one that either of them would say out loud. ;) [face_whistling] But for a happy, dorky slicer with somewhat of a tendency to give exagerrated compliments? It fit. :p

    Besides, I need to keep you guys on your toes. [face_mischief]

    That's right. [face_mischief]

    Woohoo! [face_dancing] [face_batting]




    @vader_incarnate
    [face_rofl] [:D]

    I love all of these thoughts more than I can say. [face_love] (Also, I'm always glad to hear if I do a good job writing kids, so thanks for that. :p)

    Agreed, I love seeing the various metaphors people use to describe all these made-up abilities and experiences. :p

    lolll, I almost said tetanus! But then I didn't know if that would be like a thing in the GFFA or not, so I was playing it safe. :p

    You did! And they were some excellent thoughts, too! :D

    [face_rofl] My kids did the same thing, is this a universal truth of children or something? :p

    I really did enjoy just giving these kids a chance to be kids, and not have to worry about cosmic destiny or Force shenanigans or legacies or anything like that. They'll probably get there someday, but not now. [face_love]

    I never read The Watchmen, but I vaguely remember knowing this about it, and I love it? And yeah, I think that makes total sense; sure, these kids could play at being Jedi, but why do that when they could be pirates or who knows what else? [face_batting]

    OMG YES. 100% agree. [face_laugh]

    He does, he really does. [face_love]

    It feels kinda weird to say this, but I think I actually may have been channeling Dr. Seuss a little? Like, a) because we've been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss at bedtime lately, and b) because Dorian loved stories and loved reading, and his experiences with vivisection and experimentation occurred at a foundational age, and he used parts of those stories to help him cope, I can see him as an adult still processing that early torture through a child's lens, if that makes sense? [face_thinking]

    Go ahead and giggle inappropriately, Elli. You know Festus probably would. :p

    Why thank you! [face_blush] :D It was interesting trying to get into that shared Force bond mindset, and a little challenging, too. It's still pretty hard for me to truly imagine what it's like to have that sort of mental link, but I tried my best. :p

    Super awkward [face_whistling]

    Very. :p

    I was really pleased with how this section turned out. Run-on sentences and commas and repetition are my go-tos whenever I want to convey someone's thoughts spiraling out of control. [face_mischief]

    SUPER AWKWARD, ELLI [face_hypnotized]

    =(( =((

    I really did a number on them. =((

    Why, thank you! [:D]

    SHE DOES DESERVE IT, YOU'RE RIGHT. :_| [face_love]

    And lol, luckily the shenanigans in the EtF sequel are on a much smaller scale than they were in EtF, and they mostly don't involve Tahiri. [face_mischief] [face_whistling]

    Seriously, everyone in this galaxy needs a hug. (Or, as Mira put it in a comment over on EtF: "Everyone here deserves a nap. And a drink. And a vacation full of naps and drinks. And therapy." [face_laugh])

    [face_tee_hee]

    lolol, motherhood in a nutshell, right? 8-} And I'm glad you liked the description! Sometimes I'm good about including those setting details, other times not so much, so I'm always happy to know when someone can see it. :D

    I didn't know how much I needed it either, Elli! Not until I was editing chapter 15 of EtF and needed to make some changes and ended up having Ulin meet Tahiri and the others on Tatooine, and the moment he walked off that ship and greeted her, it just slammed into me. And I love them so much, and I really never expected to, but I do, I can't unsee them now. [face_love] And YES, let's be ferociously Team Tahiri/Happiness together! [:D]

    [face_tee_hee] [face_whistling]

    lol, what's funny or maybe ironic about that is that it's sort of an in-joke with Mira, because both that line and the one I gave you guys are from Snow Patrol's "The Lightning Strike", which is also where I stole the title for What If This Storm Ends? from, and it's very likely that the title of the EtF sequel will come from that same song. All of that to say... yeah, that line screams angsty dramatic star-crossed romance, and so does the song it comes from, and under different circumstances I probably would have played the line straight. But it's almost too dramatic for the characters in this 'verse, at this time, and so I decided to lean into it and play it for humor. And bonus, it's actually made me really interested to explore Ulin and Cyril's wholesome bromance more! [face_love]

    You do indeed. [face_batting]





    @Vek Talis
    Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!

    I'm happy you enjoyed it, thank you for reading! :)





    @pronker
    Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

    I really will have to expand on that particular bit of backstory one of these days. :p Thank you so much for reading! :D
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
    Kahara, Mira_Jade , Chyntuck and 2 others like this.