Bastion- Thursday
Jaina had been on Bastion for two days, and she'd decided that hanging out in the Empire? Still kind of weird.
She didn't have a ton to do here or anything, which was fine. She barely felt like she even remembered how to sightsee, and so keeping herself entertained while Jag was working (and he did work a lot) meant that she might wander around a bit to get a feel for the place and then go back to the upscale, Jag-paid-for hotel. That part was okay by her, since she still wasn't feeling especially social yet, and people kept finding ways to keep her from getting bored. The weird part was looking at this place and realizing that it was pretty normal. She didn't think of the Empire as the enemy anymore, but spending her formative years fighting them or being kidnapped by people who thought continuing what Palpatine had started had made her expect something... different from this planet. Or maybe it was the thought that she could end up here someday that weirded her out so much.
That unsettled feeling that came with having your expectations rattled a bit ended whenever Jag was able to get away. While they were definitely together, they weren't exactly letting that get out yet. They both had their own reasons to not want the media hounding them about something like this right now, and Jaina didn't want to make Jag's job of dealing with the Moffs harder than it had to be. It was common knowledge that they were friends, so getting together wasn't a challenge. But it did mean they had to make concessions, like him coming to her rather than staying at his place, or staying in rather than going out someplace nice, and Jaina suspected that bothered him more than it did her.
Tonight they'd had dinner in, and then afterwards she'd curled up with him on the sofa, where he finally had to say it. "You've been quiet tonight."
"I've been thinking," Jaina replied.
"About...?"
"I've decided what I'm going to do."
He definitely looked even more interested at that, even if he probably knew what she was going to say. He'd been one of the main people telling her that she didn't have to go back to the Jedi right now if she wasn't ready, that maybe she'd be better off getting off Coruscant altogether for a while. It'd been harder than she'd thought to admit that she really and truly wasn't ready to jump back into things, and that maybe he and her grandfather were right. "And?"
"I'm thinking Fandom," she said, looking up at him for a reaction. "At least for a semester."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Jag said, and sure enough, he looked like she'd just said 'my eyes are brown' or 'I had breakfast today,' like he didn't see how she wouldn't say that.
"You'd rather I be here, though."
"You know I would. But that's complicated right now," he conceded. Plus there was that part where Jaina was just getting used to visiting here. "You're going to teach?"
"Yeah. Going there, keeping myself busy, being around people... It's worked for me before. Maybe I can pick up a bar shift, too, so I don't get bored."
That he did look surprised to hear. "You are feeling better."
"More like I'm ready to start feeling normal again," Jaina admitted. It still felt a little strange to actually say things like that, to not completely hide everything she felt, but she was getting better at it. "Plus I'll be around the alcohol in case I decide I need to get really, really drunk. Yes, you'll get calls if that happens. Maybe in the middle of meetings."
"It would definitely make them more entertaining," he mused.
"Gotta keep you awake somehow. And maybe you can even get away to visit finally?"
"I can't guarantee anything," Jag said, and she knew it wasn't because he didn't want to. "But if I'm able to get away, I definitely want to see this place."
"And check up on me," she assumed.
"And check up on you," he agreed, and smiled at her. "You look happier."
"Do I?" She did feel a little relieved, like she was doing something for the first time in over a month. "See, we're getting to normal."
"Good. Keep that up."
[Establishyyyy.]
She didn't have a ton to do here or anything, which was fine. She barely felt like she even remembered how to sightsee, and so keeping herself entertained while Jag was working (and he did work a lot) meant that she might wander around a bit to get a feel for the place and then go back to the upscale, Jag-paid-for hotel. That part was okay by her, since she still wasn't feeling especially social yet, and people kept finding ways to keep her from getting bored. The weird part was looking at this place and realizing that it was pretty normal. She didn't think of the Empire as the enemy anymore, but spending her formative years fighting them or being kidnapped by people who thought continuing what Palpatine had started had made her expect something... different from this planet. Or maybe it was the thought that she could end up here someday that weirded her out so much.
That unsettled feeling that came with having your expectations rattled a bit ended whenever Jag was able to get away. While they were definitely together, they weren't exactly letting that get out yet. They both had their own reasons to not want the media hounding them about something like this right now, and Jaina didn't want to make Jag's job of dealing with the Moffs harder than it had to be. It was common knowledge that they were friends, so getting together wasn't a challenge. But it did mean they had to make concessions, like him coming to her rather than staying at his place, or staying in rather than going out someplace nice, and Jaina suspected that bothered him more than it did her.
Tonight they'd had dinner in, and then afterwards she'd curled up with him on the sofa, where he finally had to say it. "You've been quiet tonight."
"I've been thinking," Jaina replied.
"About...?"
"I've decided what I'm going to do."
He definitely looked even more interested at that, even if he probably knew what she was going to say. He'd been one of the main people telling her that she didn't have to go back to the Jedi right now if she wasn't ready, that maybe she'd be better off getting off Coruscant altogether for a while. It'd been harder than she'd thought to admit that she really and truly wasn't ready to jump back into things, and that maybe he and her grandfather were right. "And?"
"I'm thinking Fandom," she said, looking up at him for a reaction. "At least for a semester."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Jag said, and sure enough, he looked like she'd just said 'my eyes are brown' or 'I had breakfast today,' like he didn't see how she wouldn't say that.
"You'd rather I be here, though."
"You know I would. But that's complicated right now," he conceded. Plus there was that part where Jaina was just getting used to visiting here. "You're going to teach?"
"Yeah. Going there, keeping myself busy, being around people... It's worked for me before. Maybe I can pick up a bar shift, too, so I don't get bored."
That he did look surprised to hear. "You are feeling better."
"More like I'm ready to start feeling normal again," Jaina admitted. It still felt a little strange to actually say things like that, to not completely hide everything she felt, but she was getting better at it. "Plus I'll be around the alcohol in case I decide I need to get really, really drunk. Yes, you'll get calls if that happens. Maybe in the middle of meetings."
"It would definitely make them more entertaining," he mused.
"Gotta keep you awake somehow. And maybe you can even get away to visit finally?"
"I can't guarantee anything," Jag said, and she knew it wasn't because he didn't want to. "But if I'm able to get away, I definitely want to see this place."
"And check up on me," she assumed.
"And check up on you," he agreed, and smiled at her. "You look happier."
"Do I?" She did feel a little relieved, like she was doing something for the first time in over a month. "See, we're getting to normal."
"Good. Keep that up."
[Establishyyyy.]