bakerstreet | Keep it secret. Keep it safe.

Keep it secret. Keep it safe.

SECRET relationship;

The fact that you're in a relationship with this person isn't public knowledge. Actually, no one knows about it except for the people involved. Maybe you guys are just private like that; on the other hand, it may be a necessity to keep things a secret from others. Maybe you're both team mates, and others on the team would give you grief, or you're not suppose to be dating, or you're not the type to usually date and you're only testing the waters. Perhaps it's the combination of you two, possibly an odd couple, that would bring some controversy or some teasing. Or, you know, you could not want to deal with friends and relatives being busybodies. Your reasons are your own.

Are you content with stealing moments to be together as a couple? Do you want to make your relationship known and the fact that you can't drives you batty? Remember, there are lots of benefits to dating in secret. You can be yourselves completely, away from prying eyes, and get to know each other better as potential longterm romantic partners. In a way, it's ideal.

...still, do you ever wish you could scream from the rooftops how much you care for your significant other?

how to play.

★ Comment with your character, preferences, and information.
★ Reply to others.
★ Play out stolen moments (◡‿◡✿), secret dates (◕‿◕✿), secret handholding (⊙‿⊙✿), and secret kissing ( /)w(\✿)!

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No. [because there's no point in lying about it and it's too good to have ahsoka here to make a fuss. the togruta is up to something, barriss knows, but that's not exactly a surprise, either.

getting to her feet in one graceful motion, barriss smooths out her skirt and keeps talking, unable to resist an attempt at teasing.]

You may excel at sneaking up on droids, but you can't sneak up on me.

Edited 2016-03-30 01:38 (UTC)

You better watch out! I'll manage it some day.

[All joking aside, though, Ahsoka's expression becomes a little more serious as she holds out the object she was hiding in front of her for Barriss to take. You know, casually. Very casually.]

I picked this up on Iyrilia. [Well, more accurately, the locals gave it to Anakin as a token of their appreciation. Anakin had handed it to Ahsoka to make sure it found its way to the local museum. Ahsoka had other plans.]

I don't know if you can read it, but I thought you might find it interesting. You know, 'cause you're a nerd.

[It's a book.

Not a data pad, or a holocron, or any other kind of digital information storage. An honest-to-Force book. With real pages, yellowed beyond belief, script printed in an alphabet used before Aurebesh. Anakin was right-- it should be in a museum.]

I am not a--

[okay, maybe she is, because the book surprises her where ahsoka didn't. they're always such old things that any particularly useful ones have been updated into some longer lasting storage medium, usually by jedi sages or particularly enthusiastic historians. barriss has had the opportunity to study from a couple, but she's certainly never owned one.

taking it delicately, reverently in her hands, she examines the inscribed leather covering, holding her breath without meaning to. when the front doesn't give her any indication of what sort of book it's meant to be, barriss very delicately opens it to a random page, careful with the spine, and scans over the script. enough characters are familiar that she's certain she could translate it given time, but for now, she's still just in awe. which means silently gaping at the book and forgetting that saying anything else at all to ahsoka would probably be polite.]

[Ahsoka doesn't need to read the Force to know that Barriss is lost for words. The reverent awe tells her that much.

Fairly pleased with herself, she grins. Job well done.]

I rest my case.

This is very old, Ahsoka. I'm not quite sure what it's for, but it must be important if someone tried to keep it in readable shape this long.

[or it was an accident, or the will of the force. it's always hard to tell with these things, and barriss can't sense anything force-specific about the book itself, just ahsoka's quiet pride. it's a warm sensation and so it's not entirely barriss's fault if her cheeks flush a little under her tattoos.]

I'm sure Madame Nu will be thrilled to have it.

What--? [That makes Ahsoka double take.]

No! I'm giving it to you, not the library!

To me? But why? [it's fascinating, sure, but barriss is pretty sure she isn't worthy of something this potentially important and it's always safe to assume mysterious things are important until you can rule that out. she closes the book again, cradling it in her hands.]

This belongs with the Archives. What if it's important?

[Ahsoka takes a half-step back, feeling defensive.]

What do you mean, "why"? Can't I give a present to my best friend?

[It's not exactly typical, a traitorous part of her mind thinks.]

[ahsoka's defence, in response to some sting barriss didn't mean to cause, just makes her flush more for some reason. she doesn't want to be ungrateful, just reasonable. and being reasonable is hard around ahsoka, she learned very soon after they first met. it could be frustrating, but barriss chooses to look at it like a puzzle that constantly needs to be resolved, a little different every day.

it's a really good thing barriss likes puzzles.]

I'm not trying to be ungrateful, really. But this is a little different from tea or incense, don't you think?

[those are, of course, barriss's default best friend gifts.]

[The stripes on Ahsoka's lekku darken ever so slightly, and she looks away. How did this backfire so spectacularly?]

Oh. Well. Um. Sure, I guess. Maybe. It's not-- I mean, I didn't put that much thought into it. [Liar liar pants on fire.]

You can give it to Madame Jocasta if you want.

I really should. [she swallows, watching ahsoka's face and sensing something so keenly off about her all of a sudden that she can't name. but barriss messed up, she realizes. this meant something to ahsoka.]

But I don't think it'll hurt if I take a stab at translating it first. If it's nothing important, well... it is rather nice to look at.

[Ahsoka's relief is palpable in the Force.]

... Exactly! No harm no foul, right?

[She walks over to where Barriss is standing and then casually plonks herself down on the simple bed behind her, bouncing animatedly for a second before crossing her legs.]

Anyway, enough of that. I just got back from a mission! You need to catch me up!

[crisis averted, barriss smiles to herself some, still flushed, as she moves to put the book down on top of her desk, far from anything that might damage it with a little pat to its cover.]

I'm sure your stories would be much more exciting than mine. You and Master Skywalker always get into so much trouble with your men. [hanging out with the 501st gives her chest pains, to be honest. moving back to the bed, she sits next to ahsoka, closer than she needs to be.] My most exciting story is that one of the younglings in the Swan Clan toppled off a practice post while I was meant to be watching them and his clanmate caught him before I could.

[That earns Barriss a small chuckle. Yes, this is much better, Ahsoka thinks.]

What, don't tell me you were distracted?

[barriss almost bristles at that. almost.]

They weren't supposed to be on the posts yet. I was busy with another youngling at the time.You know, I'm really not certain I could ever dedicate too much of my time to exclusively training the younglings. I worry I wouldn't have the patience for it, not when they do things like this.

Barriss, you're the most patient person I know. Even more than Master Kenobi. Don't be so hard on yourself.

You're underestimating how frustrating a truly headstrong youngling can be! I'll bet you caused your masters a headache or two when you were younger, even the patient ones.

[sort of like how she probably causes obi-wan headaches even now, barriss suspects from talking with her own master.]

[Ahsoka shrugs. Guilty as charged.]

I'm pretty sure I still do.

Like when we were on Iyrilia-- the Separatist forces there were unusually clever, so we...

[Ahsoka launches into a rousing tale from her last mission, complete with all the standard Ahsoka trademarks: her and Anakin getting into trouble, foolhardy plans, near-miss escapes, Ahsoka disobeying direct orders but turning out okay in the end, a rousing victory for the Republic. You know. All in a day's work.]

[this matters more to barriss than the book did, as much as she was excited to get to work trying to translate it for herself. but that was a physical thing, at most playing to how keenly barriss sought new knowledge. barriss loved this because it was just ahsoka being ahsoka, enthusiastic in her storytelling, cringe-worthy in her bad ideas. but, like skywalker, ahsoka makes things work even when they look like they shouldn't. ahsoka is a remarkable being that way and barriss is honoured to know her.

that almost but doesn't quite explain the entirely dreamy smile she has on by the time ahsoka's done, watching the togruta with a very un-jedi-like combination of reverence and adoration. it takes her a moment to shake it away, forcing her expression back to a friendly smile when she realizes her emotions are trying very hard to get the best of her.]

See? I knew your adventures would be more exciting than mine.

Oh yeah?

Well-- maybe after you're a knight, you can come with us on another mission again!

[She knows Luminara disapproves of Anakin and his methods. Inwardly she suspects that's why she and Barriss never get to do anything together anymore.]

Maybe when I'm knighted, we can go on missions together!

[The height of romance, as far as Ahsoka is concerned.]

[that sounds nice to barriss, too — ahsoka as her travelling and problem solving companion instead of master luminara — but she can't figure out how to articulate just how nice that could be. so she just smiles at ahsoka again, reaching out to idly pat the togruta's thigh.]

I don't know how long I could keep up with your level of excitement or danger. But that would be... nice, I think, if this war would ever hurry up and end. Master Skywalker will probably insists he needs you until then.

Anakin's not the boss of me. [She pauses.] Well. I guess technically he is. But he won't be once we're both knights!

[Emboldened by the physical contact, Ahsoka leans in a little closer unconsciously.]

It'd be fun, right?

It would be. We seem to just miss each other a lot lately.

[the lean is confusing for a moment, earning a blink before barriss accepts it, rubbing her thumb over the side of ahsoka's tight-clad leg with something that must be affection. it's not born of attachment, though. she's being very careful of that.]

I'm just thinking of how close your Master always seems to want Master Kenobi. I sense it'll be much the same for you even when you've become a Knight.

[If Barriss found the lean-in confusing, Ahsoka finds the hand on her thigh positively mystifying. And torturous. Keep it together, she desperately thinks at herself, even as her stomach does a weird flip-flop. But Barriss is touching her leg. Barriss is touching her leg. It's such a small, relatively innocent gesture, but coming from Barriss it's enough to send Ahsoka's brain into immediate overdrive. She can feel her face heating and her brain short circuiting.

Ahsoka looks nothing so much as like an animal caught in the headlights.]

Oh. Um. Yes.

[Intelligent, her brain provides.]

Well, I mean... [What were they talking about again? Right. Missions. Anakin.] I'm sure you'd be welcome to come with us...? [She finishes lamely, and her voice sounds unnatural even to herself.]

[barriss needs to move her hand. she knows this, but she can't, because something inside her isn't quite within her usually firm control. ahsoka is always a nice thing to look at, fitting colours and naturally attractive patterning that barriss, with her intentional designs, can't help but find fascinating. but she's exceptionally nice to look at now, all vibrant stripes and wide blue eyes.

every youngling was taught to avoid passion and attachment but it was no secret that so many of them dabbled with it, curiosity and hormones getting the better of them briefly as they reached sexual maturity for their species. it happened, they learned not to do it, it didn't happen again. but barriss has never felt that same draw— or if she had, she hadn't been able to recognize it as such until now, which seems like a bad thing.]

If... if the Council wishes, yes. Our duties must come first.

[but she's not moving her hand.]

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