Leverage Cassian AU: First Day of School

[last_kallig]

The work and the struggle to 'catch up' in time for the start of the school year has been a LOT, but Ibani and Cassian have managed it. (For the most part, she'll definitely be needing to put in more time at home than her classmates on almost every subject.)

It would be a lie to say she isn't nervous this morning as she gets ready to go to school for the very first time. (Korriban shouldn't count, by any reasonable standard.) With luck, she won't stand out much in a plain green T-shirt, bluejeans, and sneakers.

By school regulations she really SHOULDN'T be wearing her warblade in a spine sheathe, but Ibani figures her having the weapon is less dangerous for the faculty and student body than having her being a nervous wreck without it.

She's checking that she has all of the supplies she needs for the THIRD time this morning as Ash barks excitedly at the squirrels outside.

Comments

[childofrebellion]

"They should. No, you don't but we'll go over the student handbook to make sure you're within the rules." He doesn't want her to get into trouble she can avoid.

[last_kallig]

"Good idea," Ibani admits. "I'm used to working AROUND authority figures, not with them."

"The rules, such as they were, were never on my side."

[childofrebellion]

As they come inside, Cassian nods and moves towards the kitchen, "These aren't going to be fully on your side, but they'll be more than others."

[last_kallig]

"It would be difficult for them NOT to be more on my side than any I've had previous," Ibani replies, tone darkly humorous.

She washes her hands. "Given that most of them wanted me dead. Overseer Ragate just didn't care if we lived or died, which was honestly a great improvement." Overseer Ragate being the one she's mentioned as poisoning them daily for months. "At least her interest means I already know what the organ systems in the body do and roughly how they work, which should be useful for Health."

[childofrebellion]

Cassian clutches the knife he has harder than he probably should, "No one here will treat you like that. If they do tell me."

[last_kallig]

"I will," she promises. "And I wouldn't put up with that from them, anyway."

Her smile is a sharp and wicked thing. "Korriban and the Force have given me skill enough to run circles around them, if I needed to. I doubt any of them have the will to withstand a Mind Trick, for one."

[childofrebellion]

"I don't think most humans could," His grip releases and he goes back to chopping vegetables, but some times he wishes he could take his rifle and destroy all her former teachers.

[last_kallig]

"You could," Ibani says, certain. "I'm not sure of the percentages, of course, and it depends on the strength of the Force user in question.

Ibani would be all for him shooting her former teachers with a rifle, honestly, except that it would put him where they could HURT him, which is not an acceptable risk!

"I know Imperial Intelligence agents were trained to resist mind tricks and other efforts by Force users to read them or take information from them, even though they were Force blind. I don't know HOW though, or I'd teach it to you." To keep him safe, even from her. Or, perhaps, ESPECIALLY from her. If she ever Fell, could anyone in this universe even stop her?

[childofrebellion]

"That's okay. I'll learn what I can from you about the Force. Now let's get this dinner ready. Do you have a lot of homework?"

[last_kallig]

Ibani beams at his saying that he'll learn what he can from her about the Force. "Ooh, I should show you the Force cloak. Never got around to it, what with school and all."

"A moderate amount, I think? I've never really had HOMEWORK before, except for the odd translation project. There were techniques I had to learn, missions I had to complete, but nothing like this."

[childofrebellion]

"Then I'll help you figure it out but I think once you get the hang of it, you'll find it easy," He finishes up the last parts of dinner and starts to get the table ready.

[last_kallig]

"Mostly reading and retaining information, except the math problems."

Ibani helps with whatever needs helping with. "It smells really good!" And she feels very hungry, for some reason.

Her bruises remind her of their existence. "Ugh. I'll have to keep the bruises, since they were noticed. Can probably get away with fixing my rotator cuff though."

[childofrebellion]

"I'll help you with the math. I think you can and then you can ice the bruises, so that heal partway but not all the way," Dinner is one of her favorites.

[last_kallig]

Ibani really likes Cassian's chilaquiles! Not surprising, perhaps, as a version of the dish was the first real food she ever had, and the first thing Cassian ever gave her all those years ago.

"Thanks, it still gives me trouble."

"How fast DO bruises heal, normally?" she asks. "I suspect I was unconsciously pulling on the Force to heal even before I knew what it was, and I've got Sith DNA in me too, along with the human, even if it's not enough to show in any obvious way."

[childofrebellion]

"I can show you. I know a site that shows you how long various injuries take to heal," That will help her understand what will work best for blending in.

[last_kallig]

"Thanks!"

Ibani starts to eat, before it gets cold.

"I knew it would be tricky, blending in, but there's so much to try and keep track of. I have to dial things back, sometimes a lot. I'm just hoping the hunches don't get me into trouble. I don't know that I CAN ignore the Force giving me those, after depending on them to stay alive so long."

[childofrebellion]

"I think its a matter of figuring out how to react and when. As they happen, we'll figure them out," That's all they can do, plan and adapt.

[last_kallig]

Ibani nods.

"How has your day been?" They make small talk over dinner and dishes, and math homework is conquered.


Ibani could go and do her reading now, but she'd rather show Cassian something. She can't hide her excitement when she asks "Would now be a good time for me to talk to you about a force cloak?"

[childofrebellion]

"Good, pretty quiet. I"d like that," He enjoys learning what she'll show him.

[last_kallig]

"There are two versions of it," Ibani explains. "The first, sometimes called the lesser force cloak, involves pushing a little on people's minds. The brain filters out things that you perceive all the time, or you'd be overwhelmed with the amount of sensory input. The lesser cloak takes advantage of that, nudges people's minds into including what they sense from you into the input that gets ignored."

"Most force sensitives can use that one, to one degree or another, but there are some downsides to it." She bets Cassian can guess at least some of them!

[childofrebellion]

"I've done something similar to that, if you look like you belong, no one sees you. People are fairly easy to fool in the right circumstances, but all the factors need to work," One person paying more attention and you'll be blown.

[last_kallig]

"Very similar!" Ibani agrees. "It won't work at all on things without brains, such as droids or cameras. And it makes you MORE obvious to anyone who's Force sensitive."

"But I can also do the OTHER version, sometimes called a true Force cloak. It's a LOT harder to do, supposed to be nearly impossible if you don't have a natural aptitude for it."

"You have to use the Force to bend light, sound, other stimuli, even your own Force presence if you expect to be facing other Force sensitives. It's a lot to manage, you have to move very slowly and carefully, and it won't hold at all if you come into physical contact with someone."

"I'm going to use that version of it now on myself. I promise I won't move, so you can find me if you're worried."

She smiles reassuringly, and then she's just....gone. None of Cassian's senses will tell him that she's there, unless he touches her, which will make the cloak break.

[childofrebellion]

He stares at where she should be and whistles, Ash comes over and sniffs and whines, he doesn't like this.

[last_kallig]

Ibani blinks back into being and hugs Ash. "I'm sorry boy, I didn't mean to worry you."

She's very pleased at Cassian's whistle though.

"It's why I got put on the Assassin track, on Korriban," she explains. "I can cover spectra humans can't normally see too, like infrared or ultraviolet."

"Help me get lock-picking down, and I can get to ANYWHERE you need me to."

[childofrebellion]

"But not as an assassin," He doesn't do that anymore and doesn't want her to have to. Ash gives him a lick and Cassian gives him some scritches.