MCA #6- Thursday all day

[solo_sword]

When Jaina first arrived four/eleven years ago, she hadn't thought she'd be here this long. At times she'd practically been running for the nearest portal that would take her anywhere but here. So the fact that she was even a little bit upset about leaving Fandom now was kind of a shock to her. She never once thought she'd be leaving here feeling even the slightest bit centered, or thinking that maybe dating shouldn't be off-limits forever (she knew she still wouldn't have time for it but that was not the point), or feeling like she could handle the next few years even knowing what might happen.

She wasn't actually leaving until first thing Friday morning, but she didn't want to be upset when she left. She just wanted to get up and go before she had a chance to think about it. So she sent out an email to let people know today was the last day she'd be around and give them her contact info in case she didn't get to see them, and set about to doing all the last-minute tasks she had to get out of the way. Things like making sure her X-wing and Sneaker were both in working order, cleaning, packing up another box to send off for home because she had too much stuff to take along to fit in said X-wing, wondering how the kriff that had even happened, things like that. In related news, moving was annoying.

A lot of things had changed during Jaina's collective time in Fandom, but one thing definitely didn't: keeping distracted so she didn't have to think was always going to be her default coping mechanism.


[Jaina's last post in Fandom. If you think you got/want to have gotten an email, you did. Totally open with SP during work. *CLINGS*]

Comments

[weetuskenraider]

"I know people from at least four different versions of your family already," Tahiri retorted good-naturedly. "Under the circumstances, I think I'm the one of the most qualified ever to talk about it."

[solo_sword]

Jaina opened her mouth to speak, and realized, "I have no good argument for that."

[weetuskenraider]

"Leaving me to enjoy the rare opportunity to beat you at something." Tahiri had obviously been in Fandom too long, since the two seconds of purely dorky dancing that happened right then were due to some Earth-based culture's bad influence. "I'm going to enjoy that for a while."

[solo_sword]

Oh, like Jaina wasn't going to laugh at that. "I think I'm glad to be beaten just this once, if it inspires victory dances."

[weetuskenraider]

"But no spontaneously hugging random strangers by the school gates," Tahiri pointed out. Like she wasn't going to bring that memory up at least one more time.

[solo_sword]

No more laughing. Now there was groaning. "You had to bring that up, didn't you? Do you know how long ago that was for me?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Long enough that I was worried you'd forgotten?"

Nobody believes you're innocent right now, Tahiri. Nobody.

[solo_sword]

"Nice try," she said dryly. "I guess this is what happens when I don't get bitten for a year. You get old stuff dredged up."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri grinned. "So does that mean I shouldn't get a hold of any footage to show to my Jaina?"

[solo_sword]

"No, because there shouldn't be any footage," she decided immediately. Please let the footage have left with John...

[weetuskenraider]

"I should have known." Tahiri sighed, which wasn't as effective when she was almost laughing. "You would take away all my fun. At least I still have the memories."

[solo_sword]

"And you never know, I still have time for another bite..." Not that it would happen.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri pretended to check her chrono. "True. Should I set up camp by your X-Wing just to see if it happens right before you leave? And in that case, should I ask for a hug now, so I'm getting one from you and not some overdramatic singer with a heavy accent?"

[solo_sword]

"Ugh, you're just bringing up everything bad now," she complained. "But yes, you can have a hug for that very reason."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri didn't really waste any time going for said hug, then. "It's important, actually," she tried to explain. "It would've taken me so much longer to stop being nervous around you, just because you were Anakin's sister, if I hadn't seen that. So it's a good thing. I'm so glad we actually got to be friends."

[solo_sword]

Just for that, she was getting hugged harder. "Me too," she said honestly. "And I'm so glad I was able to get to know you away from home, without everything there happening..." She still wished she could know her Tahiri better, without all the context of war and trauma. "I'm glad you've been around."

[weetuskenraider]

"It's definitely mutual," Tahiri replied, not exactly being delicate about the hug either. It really had been good getting to know Jaina, who got bitten by gremlins and faced a definite challenge with cooking sometimes and actually was capable of having her brain broken by some of the weird things Fandom had to throw at them, instead of 'one of the (in)famous Solo twins' or 'Rogue Squadron pilot' or 'the Sword of the Jedi.' Maybe she didn't know the Jaina back home as well, but this was a good reminder that it was still a worthwhile effort.

"I'm not really sure what else to say, since this isn't really goodbye," she finally added. "Except, of course, may the Force be with you."

[solo_sword]

"May the Force be with you," she returned, pulling back and giving her a little smile. Jaina was plenty used to goodbyes, but that didn't mean she liked them. "I'll see you soon, Tahiri. I'm not sure when yet, but soon."

[weetuskenraider]

"I look forward to it." Tahiri made a complicated little gesture with both hands in front of her, a Yuuzhan Vong sign of respect and honor. "Until then, take care."

In so much as they ever really did, anyway.