jannat al-ma'wa [OTA]

[candor1]

WHO: Cassian, Jyn, K-2SO, Revan, OTA
WHERE: Neojedha in Maurtia Falls
WHEN: huh? continuity? (your choice)
WHAT: The dojo opens (multithreads welcome)
WARNINGS: facepalmingly pompous mun!wish-fulfillment re: community service and indie start-ups; any of the reasons someone might need a shelter situation; PTSD sublimation; TL;DRing up the tauntaun. 1 and 2 are kinda infodumps. 3 (knowing us) could did get smutty. 4's accessibly friendly!

P.S. on taking cultural references from karking everywhere (title: Arabic, passcode: Sanskrit, setting: Americanization of Japanese, characters: none of these…) Cassian's trying to avoid cultural appropriation without even knowing the term; I'm stomping carelessly through the tulips. Hopefully not to conflate any of the cultures or schools of thought. Thinking more of The Cloisters: a museum Frankensteined from many different religious sites and relics, exploring the differences and finding underlying agreements, resulting in a space that feels secularly holy.


1. Neojedha: the dojo (attn. Jyn Erso, K-2SO, Revan, OTAnyone who wants to stop in while the place is active)
2. Haven: the safehouse (closed to Jyn, Kay, Revan)
3. The Bridge: between them (closed to Jyn Erso)
4. Outside: the street, the back alley, the fire escape, the roof, etc (OTA - WHAT a proper prompt)
5. The world: NPC neighbors and friends (if you ever come while they're closed and ask the neighbors about the dojo's staff, this is the info you'll get)



[+ image references: Colleen Wing's Chikara Dojo from "Iron Fist" …babeh]

Comments

The fire escape

[stretchy_girl]

Time had passed since Gemini's first encounter with Cassian Andor, and while other tasks for the Constellation had taken up her time she had certainly not forgotten him. Keeping her ear to the ground as she did, it hadn't taken Gemini long to hear about the opening of a dojo, and a combination of late-night boredom and continuing curiosity had made her decide to take a look for herself to see what tall dark and handsome was up to.

So it was that a small black bat flitted through the close night air, winging it's way towards a particular rooftop, chiropteric eyes narrowing as it noticed the figure on the fire escape. Seeing an opportunity, the bat descended, flapping past the man's head and landing in the shadows, a faint oddly viscous sound then followed by a long silence.

"Isn't it a little late to be out checking the fire escape?" The voice came from the shadowy figure one story up, the voice clearly female to go with the figure, although how she'd gotten there was anyone's guess.

[candor1]

Cassian always went to liminal spaces. Though Neojedha was proving to be one of the rare enclosed, definitive sites he could spend a lot of time in without feeling stifled, he still wound up in the boundaries on breaks.

He'd come out to close his eyes and feel the wind on his face, as he used to climbing up the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4. The gridwork of the escape itself was very good for grabbing to stretch out his shoulders and neck.

He reflexively ducked to avoid the bat; wasn't bothered by it… until the impression he got so strongly was that the bat had directly turned into the human now above him. And he had to shake the fanciful thought away.

"Sorry if I bothered you," he answered, looking up. He'd thought the apartments directly above Neojedha were vacant. (Though he'd soundproofed the whole place in the event that changed.) She may have climbed down or over from another. "I won't stay out long."

[stretchy_girl]

Moving through the shadows almost as if one with them, Gemini moved languidly to the fire escape's guard rail and swung her legs over it and sat herself down on the edge feet dangling into nothingness, seemingly uncaring about the several story drop.

"Won't you?" She commented softly, a glint of teeth showing what might be an amused smile, black hair as dark as the surrounding shadows hiding the rest of her face from his view.

[candor1]

He raised an eyebrow. Okay… instant tone shift. He leans back slightly on the rail, to what looks like a more relaxed posture but is actually a preparation for any number of moves. "Can I help you with something?"

[stretchy_girl]

"Not necessarily." She shrugs, glancing at Cassian before turning her attention to the night sky, her body language even more languid than his.

"Although I am curious what you're up to here."

[candor1]

"Which 'here'?" he gave back. It wasn't sarcasm, and he wasn't going to give the information of assuming an interpretation: the fire escape, the building, the city, the planet…

[stretchy_girl]

"Here...as in this training dojo you've set up. Neojedha I think you call it?"

Someone's been doing a little spying and while Gemini doesn't understand many of the details, not being from Cassian's world after all, she's overheard enough to get the gist.

[candor1]

How interesting, that the best answer was actually the true one. That had happened a few times in this life and it was still novel. And good.

"We're veterans. We're tired of war. Just looking for a way to use the skills we've got in a civilian way. For peace."

…There was no embedded (slightly ironic) threat in his intonation. But it was inevitable in content. We don't want to fight. But we're prepared to defend ourselves.

[stretchy_girl]

"Peace?" There was a distinct sneer to Gemini's voice, her utter disdain for the concept sounding loud and clear.

"Peace is an illusion. One that you clearly see through if you're training yourself for a fight." Folding her arms, Gemini's shadowy form cocked a head thoughtfully before adding.

"Don't be one of the sheep, you're better than that."

[candor1]

Or it's just choosing a different fight.

But that wasn't the track to follow.

"How do you know?" he said mildly. (What I'm better than) "Have we met before?"

[stretchy_girl]

"I can see it in the way you hold yourself."

She answered, sidestepping the question, her mastery of body language having told her things about Cassian the moment they first met in that bar.

[candor1]

It was probably proving the point that he didn't shift his position, the way most people would the moment it was commented on.

These maze still…

"Who are you?"

[stretchy_girl]

"A neighbour."

Not a very close one either, but Gemini doesn't feel the need to elaborate any more than that.

[candor1]

"Then you've likely seen what we get up to here," he said mildly, deliberately misquoting her. "What you see is what you get. You can take a class yourself if you like."

[stretchy_girl]

"Perhaps." She responded to both of Cassian's statements with just the one word, letting it linger on the night air.

[candor1]

Cassian didn't raise an eyebrow again, stayed outwardly casual and calm, but, instinctually, this vaguely strange (…strangely vague) exchange was making his skin crawl.

If she wanted something… leaning in was just allowing her to lean back… so perhaps retreating might force her to move forward.

"I'll look for you," he said amiably. "Have a good night." Giving a nod of clear farewell, and moving away from the railing, back in the direction of indoors.

[stretchy_girl]

"I'm sure you will." Gemini replied, a flash of white teeth in the shadow to show her smile. With that, she grabbed the railing and vaulted herself over it, dropping away presumably to her death.

But should Cassian look over the edge there'll be no body spattered in the alley below, no sign of anyone in fact.