Ask Into the Unknown

[Dash Pavan]

Dash nestled further into Ezra's shoulder, emboldened when the other teen didn't throw him off at once. He smelled brilliant, even wet, and there wasn't an ounce of fat on the lithe body between the Padawan's arms.

"I know what that's like, stuff just happening. I've spent way too long worrying about it" Dash said softly. "Don't make my mistake". Kashyyyk had started to make him feel differently about his own bursts of power and he was a lot less anxious since he started trying to embrace them. Maybe he could help Ezra do the same.

"Only when I'm mad" Dash joked, referring to icy lips "but you're pretty hard to be mad at". He flushed when Ezra brought up the lemonade and it hurt to see his little face so confused, especially when it had been so close to a smile. "I was babbling" his eyes closed "please don't hate me for it. I'd never thought beyond that cafe, never dreamed we would come sailing - which is amazing by the way". A small part of him wanted Ezra to just try to throw him overboard, he would make sure he went over first.

The sun glinted above a small island just ahead, which seemed to be where Ezra was heading. Dash was taken aback when he was offered the wheel, but it was an exciting chance he couldn't pass up.

"Ok then" he breathed, taking hold of the polished circle. He'd always been an average pilot, hopefully this wasn't harder than that. He nudged the wheel left and right, watching with glee as the prow turned in response.

Ezra started telling him about how it all worked and Dash lapped it up, enjoying hearing the other teen talk about his passion and taking it all in. Dash's handling wasn't perfect all the same, and a bit more spray than before seemed to leap into the air. Ezra's arms reached around him occasionally, making sure they actually ended up where they were going. "I can see why you like this so much" Dash said excitedly.

He felt very safe there, with Ezra's voice in his ear and his long arms around him and the wheel. Content and relaxed, he was amazed when, not only did he not crash, he was able to bring the Zephyr into the shallows of a small beach on the island.

"Will I make First Mate?" he asked, blue eyes seeking approval. Who knew if they even had first mates, but he could get a taste for this boat racing stuff.

The island was pretty idyllic and looked like they might actually have it all to themselves. Dash couldn't decide if he wanted to explore or just sit and talk to Ezra all night on dry land. Day pass or not, he didn't want this one to end.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra had to pause when Dash mentioned he was difficult to be mad at, “We are talking about me, right?” He had to verify, genuinely surprised by the suggestion. He knew himself, and he was quite happy to present as aloof and distant to most people he met. Truth was that he generally didn’t like people very much. Probably not the best Jedi candidate. He thought no further about it as Dash expressed he liked sailing. This time Ezra had no quip in turn, but he could tell the boy was being genuine.

He felt an odd sense of comfort as he helped Dash guide the yacht towards the island. It was different from that constant sense of being flustered, though he was very keenly aware of being so close to a shirtless Dash. His breath was hot against the Jedi’s skin as he spoke, his hands layering over Dash’s to gently guide the wheel to ease them in.

The mention of First Mate drew out the first semblance of what almost sounded like a laugh against the back of Dash’s shoulder, “Perhaps Tactician,” Ezra said, “Racing boats have their own titles.”

The private island was stunning, the sands white and powdery and the water crystal clear and warm. His family owned many islands here, though this was a personal favorite of his. Ezra briefly walked off to finally change, putting on a simple white button down and some shorts. He was definitely not self confident enough to parade around shirtless near Dash.

It was clear Ezra often got away on this island, as he was well prepared. He brought out towels, the service droid bringing along an assortment of snacks and drinks. The sun was just setting over the horizon as Ezra rolled out the towels on the sand. There were hammocks strewn up between trees behind.

He sat down and cracked open a drink, gesturing for Dash to sit down next to him. Ezra reached into the cooler and tossed Dash a lemonade, flashing him a playful wink.

There was a calm here that couldn’t be matched. There were no industrial noises, no humming of speeders, no sound of people, nothing. It was just the winds rustling through the trees, the soft waves and the distant sounds of seagulls.

Music

​

@Alhon

 

[Dash Pavan]

"Yepp" Dash replied "You look like you're mad at yourself half the time, who would want to add to that?". He couldn't see Ezra's reaction behind him, but he was glad to hear the half-laugh escape the other teen's lips. He was too hard on himself. "Tactician, that sounds cool!". At least Ezra thought he was up to more than cabin boy. Dash half pictured the two of them competing together in one of those races Ezra had mentioned. He was sure he could learn to do something more useful than just falling overboard.

Within moments of arriving, Ezra busied himself producing towels, refreshments and everything they needed for a little sunset picnic on the beach. Dash was impressed. He grabbed his white top off the rail and pulled it on, dry enough now to keep him warm as the sun went down. He kept the rolled up shorts from Ezra's wardrobe; they were pretty nice after all. Ezra himself disappeared briefly to change, which was a shame, but Dash did his best to look totally disinterested, fiddling with a knot that looked like it needed tightening.

When Ezra re-emerged, Dash grabbed his pack and hopped down onto the white sand, planting himself next to the other teen just in time to catch the lemonade. "Very funny" he said, feigning a sneer "have you got anything stronger?" looking from Ezra to the droid. Nobody hung out on the beach at night with a lemonade and he couldn't have Ezra thinking he was some little Milky Way Kid. That would be super unattractive.

Dash was suddenly conscious of how quiet it was here, with barely a sound except the soft waves and gentle wind. Sitting next to Ezra, the two of them alone in the near silence, started to feel quite intense again.

"Do you want to see something I brought?" Dash said, to break the tension more than anything. He reached in his pack and pulled out the witch's book. The unknown symbols and jewels embedded in the hide cover glistened in the fading light. "I picked it up on Kashyyyk, it's got some interesting stuff in...."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

The droid had several uses, one of them mixing basic drinks. Within moments, Dash had a mixed rum drink in his hand. Ezra was used to the silence here, but it felt different when it was with the other teen. There had been tension between them even from when they met on Kashyyyk. He replayed the last few hours in his head.

The droid stacked some wood between them, Ezra staring at the sunset. He had seen it many times before, but he enjoyed it particularly this time. He glanced over when Dash spoke, quirking a brow. He eyed the book suspiciously, “Is this the part where you put a curse on me?” He asked as he stared at the binding. Ezra was always sketched out by anything Force or arcane related, and that book looked creepy.

“When did you have time to raid a library on Kashyyyk?” Ezra scoffed. There was something a bit unsettling about that book, as if it hummed with an energy. It wasn’t unlike when he found his crystal.

@Alhon

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash took a swig of the rum mixer and nearly choked with laughter at Ezra's mention of curses. "No!" he bemoaned, nudging Ezra with his shoulder "you're lucky I don't know how to!".

He set his drink down, making space and laying down on his front on the towel, opening the book between his elbows in the firelight. "Look" he said, motioning to Ezra to cozy up next to him so he could read it. "There was no library, I grabbed it off the witch - I think you'd run off before she came along - anyway look at this bit...."

Something told him that trying to hold Ezra's attention if he didn't want to give it would be like trying to play chess with a squirrel. Still, he persevered, turning the dusty pages to the one that had caught his eye.

"This bit about this witch - Jadis Charn - it says she lived a long time ago and could freeze water with a breath and throw spears of ice." He traced the words with his finger, looking across into those silver eyes, an uncertain look on his face. "You said about things 'just happening' well you've seen my things - I thought they were just that - but she could do the same. Maybe they're not like totally...weird?"

He didn't really know what he was asking, or why he was asking Ezra. He just needed to talk about this with someone and for some reason he wanted to trust the other teen with it. Besides, it stopped him thinking about kissing him.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra ignited the fire like he had on Kahsyyyk, a warmth crackling between them. He moved over to sit right next to Dash. He felt an odd sense of comfort as he sat next to him, though still suspicious about the book. Ezra listened as Dash spoke, glancing up right when he did. He felt that familiar rush again, Dash’s face real close now. He saw the way the fire cast shadows against the lines of his face and jawline.

“Uh..” He quickly cleared his throat, looking back at the book, “Yeah but isn’t your ice thing just a Force power? You’re sure the Jedi can’t teach you more about it?” Ezra asked. He knew nothing about this and it was unsettling. If it had been anyone else, he would have ignored the entire thing. But it wasn’t just anyone else.

“Okay well, let’s find out about this hag,” He said casually as he reached for his NalPhone. Ezra still had satellite service here and he scrolled for a bit, brows furrowing, “Something about a legend on…your home planet, actually. But it’s all vague.”

@Alhon

 

[Dash Pavan]

"It probably is a Force power for sure" Dash said, his brow scrunching "but that's never explained how I do it without being taught, and why it's always that". He had spoken to other Padawans a bit; he knew most Jedi accidentally did things when they were young. But everyone else's random Force bursts seemed to be - well - random. Different every time. For Dash, it had always been the frost. On more recently the ice, and it was getting worse.

"This lady seems like me. I want to find out who she was and what happened to her". He felt quite sure about it, strangely so.

Ezra brought him back to reality, the crude chime of him entering a search on his NalPhone disturbing the peace. The results were too much of a coincidence.

"Home?" Dash couldn't quite believe it "a legend back on Rhinnal?". He leaned across to look at Ezra's phone screen and that earthy cologne filled his nose again. There was little information to read and being so close to Ezra made it near impossible to concentrate anyway.

"Then I guess I'll have to go home..." he said, trailing off as he turned to look at Ezra, drawn like a magnet, their faces now barely inches apart.

Dash wasn't sure when he started kissing him. He just was, and properly this time, leaning forward and locking lips. It was electric, like a short-circuited release of all the day's pent up feeling. The book was forgotten, slipping from his fingers as he leant into Ezra.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra wasn’t sure how he felt about Force powers without being taught. It was exactly the kind of agenda his Pops and ISC pushed against Force users and how unstable their powers could be. In the past it was easy to look at Force users as an ‘other’, a bunch of problem freaks that needed to be regulated. However, since he had his own strange occurrences, he had felt entirely alienated and alone. No one else in his family would ever understand and he felt an odd sense of belonging when he was around other Jedi. What Dash explained sounded very similar to his own journey.

“Yeah, apparently the village ousted her because of her abilities and she walled herself off from everyone,” Ezra explained, “Apparently anyone that went looking for her never returned and-” He looked up briefly, trailing off as he spotted Dash looking right at him. His silver eyes widened just slightly right before the Jedi leaned in to kiss him.

A jolt went right through him as their lips met, and he tilted his head and closed his eyes. He leaned into it, acting on what he had wanted to do this entire time. Ezra’s hand came up to curl against the back of Dash's head, fingers brushing against his soft hair. He took his time, his desire manifesting in the way he kissed Dash, his entire body ignited.

He drew back after a long moment, teasingly tugging against Dash’s bottom lip before he released. Ezra’s heart was pounding against his chest as he looked at Dash. He kept his grip on the Jedi, “I like you too, Dash..” He whispered softly against his lips.

@Alhon

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash heard Ezra's words just before their lips met, but they got filed under 'don't care right now'. They each had their own gravity and they could no longer keep apart.

Then Ezra kissed him back. The spark in Dash's chest flared into an inferno, the gamble he'd instinctively taken made and repaid. They kissed long and deep, Dash's stroking Ezra's neck and Ezra's own hand pulling him closer. It was dreamy.

When they finally came apart just a little and Ezra whispered those magic five words, Dash had the biggest smile on his face. It turned out Silvereyes had a heart after all. Dash had known it from the start.

"Hopefully enough to come to Rhinnal with me then" he replied "but for now what do you say we do that again?" he didn't wait for an answer, grabbing Ezra's shirt and pulling him closer in the firelight.

/ END