Who: Barriss and Ahsoka What: Ahsoka shows Barriss a few things - like aliens When: Backdated to middle of November Where: A park near where Barriss works Rating/Warnings: Low, some swearing
Status:Ahsoka waited for Barriss at the appointed place and time, fiddling with the watch on her wrist as she did so. It was relatively simple to show, rather than tell, but Ahsoka wasn’t sure how Barriss might react, especially if she was already nervous. Ahsoka couldn’t exactly blame her, but still.
Unable to sit still, she paced in front of a bench.
***
Barriss had almost messaged to cancel about ten or twenty times, logic trying to override curiosity. But in the end, like a cat, curiosity got the better of her. She’d been watching the network for a while and everyone was obsessed with dreams. She hadn’t thought Ahsoka was the same, but then she’d made that very strange post and Barriss was brave enough to broach that subject.
And now here she was, after her shift at the hospital, still in her scrubs.
She stopped not far from Ahsoka - not close like they were friends about to confide in each other, just, far enough away that if this turned into a kidnap-murder situation, she might have a chance at getting away.
“Alright,” she said. “What is it that you want to show me that can’t be explained over the internet?”
***
Barriss had always looked good in green. Ahsoka smiled at her and held up her hands, palms facing Barriss, and smiled lopsidedly. “It’s just...You really get to the point don’t you.”
Ahsoka twirled her finger, and a bottle of green tea floated towards Barriss. “Thirsty? Go ahead, check for strings.”
***
Barriss didn’t comprehend what she was seeing at first. So the bottle of tea floated quite the distance before Barriss startled and hopped back.
“What are you doing?”
***
“Proving to you that these dreams are more than just dreams,” Ahsoka said, the bottle bobbing a little as she wriggled her fingers. “It’s like dreaming of another life, and… sometimes that life bleeds over when you’re awake. I dream I have special powers, and that I’m an alien.”
***
Shock her expression for the moment, Barriss gapped at Ahsoka. Her eyes darting between the bottle and Ahsoka.
“You’re not making any sense. Dreams bleeding over- what? You are human. Are-are you insane? An insane magician?”
***
Oh this was going to go badly, Ahsoka thought. But she wasn’t sure what to say next. “I’m not human, Barriss. I can prove it. And I know exactly how crazy it looks and sounds, but I don’t know of any way to prove it. You wanted to know what people were talking about. I’m showing you.”
***
“Alright,” she leveled a look at Ahsoka. “Prove it.”
What was she doing? She was a surgeon, not a psychologist, which she was sure would be better equipped to handle this. And yet, here she was, challenging someone she barely knew to… to indulge their delusions?
Oh she didn’t know what she was doing, but she tipped chin up, standing her ground on the choice she’d made.
***
“Okay. If you faint I’ll catch you.” Ahsoka winked, then lifted her wrist up and unclipped the watch she was wearing. Immediately, her appearance changed. Instead of a human being, she was a tall alien, mostly red with white markings and tall horns, and twin, fleshy tails lined with blue and white that fell over her shoulders and chest. She didn’t appear to actually have ears, though her eyes were the same shade of almost violet blue.
“Ta’da!”
***
To Barriss’ credit she didn’t faint but she didn’t accept the truth of what she was seeing either. She was still stuck in disbelief.
She stared for a moment, appreciating the originality of what was surely Ahsoka’s costume, what else could it be? At least it wasn’t a green alien costume. That would be unoriginal.
Finally, she smiled and said, “Alight,” she sounded impressed - just for the wrong reason. “How did you do all this.” And she gestured to all of Ahsoka.
***
“No strings. No mirrors, or holograms or special effects,” Ahsoka promised, smiling with too sharp teeth. She held her right hand, palm up, and slowly levitated Barriss just a few inches off the ground. “It’s kind of like magic, a part of all living things, only I have … access to it.”
***
Barriss’ admiration blazed out in a flash as she felt something lift her up.
She was no longer appreciative.
“Uh! Whoa! What are you doing?” she said, actually scared. “Stop! Let me go. You said you wouldn’t do anything to me.”
***
“Sorry! Sorry!” Ahsoka gently let her down, the same way one might set down a baby bird in it’s nest. “Just… figured that was the quickest way to show you it’s not a trick. None of this is a trick.”
Definitely too soon to tell her they knew each other. That they were friends, that they’d fought alongside and then eventually against one another.
“It’s as...natural to me as breathing.”
***
Barriss stepped back, regaining her footing. She wanted that distance between them, even if it didn’t matter. She’d never felt this powerless before.
“So you’re an alien… with super powers…?” She kept looking Ahsoka up and down, but frantic, waiting for something else to happen. “What do dreams have to do with it again?”
***
“I … dreamed I was this, before I became this. But it wasn’t like a regular dream. These felt real. Almost more real than it feels standing in front of you right now.” Ahsoka rubbed the back of her head. “Some people say it’s like we’re dreaming of another life. Reliving it or living it for the first time or… something. Like there are multiple universes out there and when we sleep we get to see them.”
She gestured at herself. “I’m a Togruta. My dreams take place in another galaxy and another time. I have a weapon, and a space ship, and even a robot from this place…”
Ahsoka chuckled nervously. “Once took a girl into orbit on a date...”
Aaaand she’d meant to not say that out loud. ***
Saying that this was a lot to take in was an understatement. Everything in Barriss screamed that this was all fake, an elaborate magician’s trick. She was a woman of science and logical thinking.
But how did Ahsoka lift her like that? And everyone on that Network seemed to be in on the ruse… like a magician’s guild… was that even a thing?
She found herself sitting on the bench, it was easier than standing.
“You set a high bar for dates.” It was the easiest part to comment on.
Okay, she had to think.
“How have I only learned about this now? Surely aliens and people with powers should be common knowledge.”
***
The Magic Guild would have to be something they eased Barriss into.
“What can I say, I learned from the best.” She made to sit next to Barriss but stopped herself before she did anything but stand near the bench.
Awkwardly, she folded her arms. “I’ve noticed a couple of things that make it hard for people to notice unless they’re afflicted by the dream madness. The first thing is the same kind of thing where mass crowds can ignore something strange happening. The second is there’s an … Agency of sorts. I’ve looked into them, they basically cover-up what’s happening here, mostly to prevent the government from sweeping in and like...abducting people like me.”
She did the airquotes, “LSD in the water.”
***
Barriss’ jaw dropped, because that made everything sound worse.
“There’s a… non-government? government agency?” Barriss lowered her voice conspiratorially on those last two words. ***
“Basically.” Ahsoka wasn’t sure how she felt about it herself, but she was an alien and she didn't want to end up at Area 51 on some gurney being disected.
“I can’t tell you I’m comfortable about it but I also don’t like the idea of reenacting Roswell.”
***
Barriss stared at Ahsoka, to the point of awkwardness. That fear made sense, Barriss couldn’t fault her there.
“Sorry,” she said, looking forward again, focusing on the middle distance, nothing really. “This is a lot to take in.”
What a time to be alive, she supposed
“How did you… you were looking human before. How?”
*** “It’s okay. For all you know you could dream you’re an alien monk too.” Ahsoka tried to make light of the situation, even if she did know the truth. She wasn’t sure how to even begin to explain the truth to her, but figured it would be one step at a time. Get Barriss understanding that strange things happen, before telling her that they shared those strange things a lot more than many dreamers.
She held up a watch. “Long story short, my best friend is a sorceress and she made me a glamour that is related to my own abilities.”
And then she was her human self again, complete with actual hair, with only the faintest glimmer to show that anything had changed.
***
“Huh,” Barriss said. “Okay, that it explains… that.”
She blinked a few times, trying to process how easily Ahsoka changed faces.
“Umm… thanks,” she finally said, “you know, for explaining this.” Maybe in a few hours or days, she won’t feel so confused.
***
“I know it’s tough and confusing.” Ahsoka tucked a strand of not-real-hair behind a not-real-ear. “so if you have any questions … you can always ask. Or just want to hang. Or whatever.”
Oh, she hoped Barriss dreamed sooner rather than later, so she could let her know she wasn’t alone.
***
Barriss nodded. Yes, she would reach out to Ahsoka when she had more questions she was brave enough to ask.