Ask Part Of Your World

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani scowled but held her tongue. She knew the moment she announced diving into danger, Shaw would jump right in with her. How could she nicely explain that there were some things she specialized in and his joining would just be an added liability? Prani sighed, meeting Shaw’s gaze and nodding to let him know she was going after Alex while he had to console Simon. They couldn’t afford delays, but she pointedly let Shaw know she was starting to move.

She arrived at the thin crevice, grimacing and talking herself out of any claustrophobic anxiety. Prani glanced over her shoulder, “I ain’t sure if Simon can squeeze through here without collapsing the roof..” She mumbled, leaving it to Shaw to make the judgment call.

Prani squeezed through the crevice, her face pressed against the mossy walls and her hair covered in goop. She stumbled out on the other side and spotted the boy right away. Alex looked pale and sickly, and he grew weaker by the moment. As she predicted, he began to slow down his vitals to preserve himself, but he wasn’t strong enough to stay conscious through it.

She began to rush towards him, but that was when the water in the pools began to ripple. Without warning, one of the dark tendrils shot out and coiled around her neck, slamming her down to the ground. She didn’t have the chance to scream as she was dragged across the slick floor towards the pool to be drowned.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

To look at Alex anyone might have assumed he was dead, but Prani was right. He was still hanging on, still clutching on desperately for life by a thread in the force. Probably thanking his lucky stars that he had paid attention in class somewhere in the back of his mind if he was capable of any coherent thought at all.

The scrawny teenager had been drained of all his natural color. Veins along his neck and face more visible than ever. The rise and fall of his chest was barely perceptible. If Prani looked closely she would notice that the tips of his fingernails were jet black. One hand was at his side, while the other had fallen limp in one of the pools, reaching for his lost lightsaber that Simon had tossed in the lake. Prani might notice that, too, if she looked closely enough.

Simon and Shaw were bringing up the rear, several feet behind Prani since she had gotten a head start. They reached the crevice and both looked at each other. An unspoken conversation passed between them that followed with, "Bro, no. There's no way."

"Five credits says I can," Simon challenged. Now he was feeling brave?

"At least me get through first—just in case—Simon...urgghhhh...get off my foot...you're on my foot!" Both teenagers had attempted to get through the crevice at the same time, and now half of Shaw was sticking out on the other side of the crevice while his foot was pinned under Simon's and one of the Yoda ears poked him in the eye. "Shift your weight! Just let me—"

There was a thud as Prani hit the ground, and both boys stopped struggling to look. "Prani!" Shaw screamed, calling upon the force to push himself free. Unfortunately it sent Simon stumbling out the other way, back the way they had come. Shaw pitched forward, tripping in one of the pools and landing flat on his stomach. He caught hold of one of Prani's ankles as he landed.

That black amorphous had ahold of her by the neck and was just as unwilling to release her as Shaw was. It jerked first one way and then the other. One by one more of its tendrils rose out of the water, but Shaw had no intention of letting her go. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani’s eyes began to water as the tentacle fastened around her neck. She clutched at it, feeling the grasp on her ankle as Shaw grabbed onto her. Her head was submerged underwater and she could only let out a silent scream as fear overwhelmed her. Prani emerged from the water again when Shaw pulled her out, only to be dunked again. The tug of war was wearing on her and she couldn’t breathe.

She brought up her hands and did her best to focus, channeling the Light in a brilliant beam. The impact was immediate, the tendril searing against the Light and faltering for a moment. However, Prani was too weak to sustain it and the grip firmed up again before she was lifted into the air and tossed across the chamber like a rag doll.

The searing light incensed the creature and more of the amorphous tendrils began to extend out from the pools in an attempt to now grasp at Shaw. The platform where Alex lay seemed, for whatever reason, a safe place where they couldn’t reach. Or perhaps he was already lost.

Prani was dazed, pain coursing through her body as she coughed and sputtered the water she swallowed from the near-drowning. There was a terrible, black imprint across her neck where the tendril had its hold, and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Force..Light...Shaw...believe..that you can do it..." She choked out hoarsely, half wondering if he could even hear her.


@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Prani!" Shaw's panicked voice came out in a high pitched squeak that sounded like it had never hit puberty. His heart dropped into his stomach when he saw her hit the ground. There was a second or two of agonizing uncertainty as he waited for her to stir. To move. To do anything just so he knew she was still alive. She coughed and then spluttered. It was just about the best sound Shaw had ever heard.

His relief was short lived. Something hard and solid struck him across the back. Something—the force he guessed—told him that it was raring back to strike him again, and he rolled to his left just as a black tendril as thick as his head bashed into the ground. It missed him by inches, slinking away. Shaw started to army crawl away, hurling rocks and chunks of earth at the shapeless being with the force, but it did nothing to slow the being down.

One coil, a little bit of pressure, and Shaw was dangling upside down from its grasp. The ground below was spinning around in circles as he swung back and forth from a pendulum of disgusting black goo, back and forth between the cavern floor and the water's edge. It was the teenager's first instinct to reach up and attempt to wrestle his ankle free, but the voice of reason told him to call upon the force. That voice was Prani's, as usual.

Gotta focus... gotta focus... he told himself over and over. That was always his problem. Focus. Well, he had a lot of other problems too but that was one of the main ones. Concentrating the force in both hands, he wouldn't give himself the chance to overthink it. He would just pull up and envelope his ankle with both hands. It was just a small manifestation of light that appeared in his palms—it could barely even be called a flicker, but the close contact made the being shrink away, if only for a moment.

A moment was all he needed. Shaw landed on his shoulder and rolled to his feet, jumping half the length of the cavern to put as much distance between him and the being as possible. Something he had lots of practice with on Cularin trying to climb that mountain as quickly as possible every day. He skidded to a halt next to Prani, clumsily smacking into the wall.

"What's going on out there?" Simon was calling out from the other side of the crevice. "Is everything okay? How's Alex?"

They needed to get back through the crevice if possible and take Alex with them. Otherwise they would have to make a stand here and now. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

“Shaw!” Prani cried out, but it came out as a hoarse gasp because she still didn’t have her voice fully back. He was dangling upside down and the tendril threatened to slam him to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, pain surging through her body. She ignored it and ran towards Shaw, using the Force in an attempt to hold the tendril in place. Fortunately, Shaw acted fast and was dropped, rolling over to end up near her.

Prani almost bolted away to grab Alex, but she paused and looked at Shaw, “Together,” She said with a nod, not running this time. She waited for him before rushing over to Alex to hoist him up. Being around Alex gave her an uneasy feeling, but she guessed a Knight could cure him of his affliction. Prani and Shaw would both have to dodge the tendrils and hoist Alex out.

“I will hold them off!” Prani rasped out, straining to talk. She was exhausted but adrenaline powered her for that last push through towards the next section of the cave. One of the tendrils slammed harshly against her back, causing her to collapse face down. However, Shaw would have an opening to shove Alex through the crevice where Simon was waiting.

“ALEXX!” The costumed man screeched as he yanked his buddy and toppled backward into the next room.

Prani stumbled to her feet and followed after Shaw, all of them finally pushing through and collapsing on the other side. There was not enough water in this segment of the cave for the tendrils to form. She took a moment to catch her breath, clutching at her neck where the bruise remained firm.

“Why does he look so weird?!?" Simon called out, looking at Alex and his nails, “He looks gnarly! Is he possessed!?”

She had no answer, but the ordeal had been terrifying. She said nothing as she all but collapsed against Shaw’s chest, trembling from everything that happened. Prani held tightly onto him, burying her face against his shoulder, “I woulda died without you,” She said barely above a whisper. They weren’t out of the mess just yet, but she leaned into where she felt safest after such a traumatic moment. In his arms.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Together then. Shaw shoved Alex through the opening, scooping up the other teenager's lightsaber in the process while Prani bought them time and singlehandedly held off the being. The fissure began to split and break, falling to pieces as it made a horrible cracking sound and collapsed right as the last of them made it through to the other side. Prani had been right about them all trying to fit through it. There was no going back that way now. Not that any of them wanted to with that thing on the other side.

Alex was cold to the touch. skin clammy and forehead lined with drops of sweat. There was definitely something wrong with him, apart from his vital signs being low. "I—I don't know," Shaw answered uselessly as Simon pried one of the unconscious teen's eyes open. It had rolled to the back of his head and was bloodshot. Why hadn't that—that being, whatever it was, killed Alex while it had the chance? Before Prani had showed up? Why had it been keeping him alive?

Questions for later. Shaw's focus shifted to Prani. He wrapped his arms around her trembling frame and pulled her close, resting his head on hers as he flopped back against the mossy wall of the cavern. He ran a hand along her back. "You sure you're okay? Did it hurt you?" Redundant questions really, but Shaw just wanted to make sure that this moment was real. That they had really made it out of there alive, and that she was really alright. "I'm so glad you're alright," he breathed, squeezing her tight.

Regardless of whether she answered or not, Shaw would let out a huge breath. He just wanted to sit there and let the relief sink in. To hold Prani in his arms until he felt her quit shaking, until they were both dry and warm and rested, but they needed to keep moving. They were safe here for now, where the cavern was dry, but they couldn't stay here forever.

"Here... let me see," he said gently, pulling back to examine her neck. He brushed her wet hair aside, jaw setting when he saw the horrible black imprint across her skin. He met her gaze and met the same bloodshot eyes that Alex had. They really needed to get out of here. He could kiss her and tell her over and over again how relieved he was that she was alive later.

Standing up and helping Prani to her feet too if she was ready, the teenager began to look around. Surely there was another way out of here. It would be difficult to swim back out the same way they had come in, especially now that they had Alex to carry. Not to mention Simon. Shaw still wasn't convinced he could swim. "We've got to find another way out of here," Shaw muttered aloud. They could always try and cut a path through the rock with Alex's lightsaber, but there was no guarantee that that wouldn't flood the entire chamber with water. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

“Ouch..” Prani winced when Shaw squeezed her tighter, having forgotten that she was slammed around multiple times. Her entire body was bruised and sore, and yet she didn’t want him to stop holding her. Prani tilted her head to let him see the mark on her neck, the look on his face betraying how serious it was.

“How are we getting out of here?” Simon asked, panic in his voice.

Like Shaw, Prani considered their options, neither of which sounded great. After a moment, she glanced around and saw something that gave her an idea, “Shaw, I’m gonna try somethin’...somethin’ that lets us get out safely,” She explained to him, “But it might make me too weak or even make me pass out,” Prani stared at Shaw, “You..you’ll have to bring me up,” She said. She would wait for him to offer his input. If he agreed, she would turn to the underwater plants and waterweeds that wove into the mossy surface of the cave, channeling the Force.

Within moments, the plants began to form a thick layer of a makeshift barrier on the pools of water that connected to the larger lake. The dark form began to resist, but it was no match for a manifestation of such a pure Light-sided power.

With the darkness trapped in the small pools of water, the path up to the surface was clear. However, the effort completely drained Prani. Unless Shaw caught her, her eyes would roll to the back of her head and she could collapse with a thud on the ground.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Sorry!" Shaw cringed. It hadn't occurred to him that squeezing the girl that had literally just been choked, hit, and thrown by a malevolent being far stronger than its shapeless form would suggest was not a good idea. Most things didn't occur to him except by trial and error. A whole lot of trial and error. Mostly error.

After some trial and error of another kind, poking his head around corners that ended up being dead ends, rolling over large rocks in the hopes of a crawl space behind, tapping on the walls for... really no apparent reason if he was being honest with himself, Shaw was no closer to finding a way out of the cavern than he had been before he had started. It was Prani that came up with an idea. Her body might have been exhausted, but her brain was as active as ever, and her resolve as willing as always to push her body to the brink to help those around her.

Shaw just stared at her, contemplating the expression on her face. He could tell that she was really serious about this idea, whatever it was, and he certainly hadn't come up with any of his own. Alex was hanging on by a thread in the force. The mark on Prani's neck looked awful. Simon was losing his chill. They needed to get out of here. "Alright," he agreed, heart skipping a beat at the thought of whatever might come next. He found her hand and gave it a little encouraging squeeze. "You know I won't leave you."

Then Shaw would step back to give Prani room to work her magic, and when it was over he would step forward to catch her before she could hit the ground. The teenager's pulse sped up just as he checked hers, unable to tear his worried gaze away until Simon started to make a fuss. "Uhhhhh that thing looks ANGRY, dude!" By 'that thing' he was, of course, referring to the amorphous being, now trapped behind walls of vegetation. It writhed and pulsed and, when no escape could be found, began to make a horrendous, ear spitting hissing sound.

Prani had bought them time—time to go. Simon scooped Alex up in his arms, and Shaw scooped Prani up in his. Back into the lake water they plunged. Moments later, with no inky liquid to impede their path, they would emerge above water to the shrieks of three teenage boys on the shore. Drew, Carl, and Jax helped pulled them from the lake.

"WE THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNERS FOR SURE!"

"A knight is on the way!"

"Don't worry! I didn't take your lightsaber!" @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

As promised, two Knights promptly arrived on the scene looking mortified. One of them scowled at the teenagers, “You should have called for help first thing. What were you thinking?”

“S-Sorry Master Rel..” Drew mumbled.

“But Shaw and Prani were so brave!” Simon spoke up, surprising the other teens with his sudden boldness, “Alex would’ve died if not for them!”

“And why were you down there, exactly?”

“I uh well… I didn’t want Shaw to go alone..” He mumbled, looking at Shaw.

“Ugh never mind, out of the way!” The other Knight said, both of them rushing to tend to the unconscious Jedi.

“Whatever that was down there…you’re lucky to be alive,” Knight Rel said grimly as she looked at Shaw and Simon, “It is a manifestation of the dark side… a corrupted nexus. A powerful one,” The Jedi explained, “One shouldn’t be able to exist so close to a Jedi temple but..” She trailed off, grimacing at the potential meaning of all this, “We will purify it. But until then, no one comes near this lake. And that also means your comic conventions,” She said sharply to Drew.

“Comic?! Master, we ar-” Drew began, but Carl promptly elbowed him in the ribs to shut up.

After the Knights applied their heals, Prani and Alex just barely stirred. The Knights had come prepared - two droids having accompanied them hover-stetchers to take them to a med bay.

“Think we can tackle this thing?” Knight Rel could be overheard saying to Knight Tiev as she looked over at the lake.

“Not sure,” Knight Tiev said, “I heard Master Valtiere may be in a nearby system so we can try contacting him.”

“Oh?!” Knight Rel asked excitedly, suddenly fixing up her hair as if the Sephi would pop up from behind a bush. She cleared her throat, “I mean.. Hm, yes that would be prudent.”

Meanwhile, Prani coughed as she regained consciousness, the pain from her throat subsiding. The mark was more faint now, but still there. She blinked awake, lying on the ground on her back and gazing up to find Shaw there. Right where she knew he would be. Prani stared up at him with his soaked clothes, drenched hair, and concern in his eyes. She thought of the unwavering faith and trust she had placed in him without a second thought and how it all worked out just how she believed without a doubt.

She could hear everyone talking around them, the excited chatter and everyone patting each other on the back. Through it all her gaze remained locked on Shaw’s. Knight Rel wandered back over.

“Ah, good you’re awake,” The Knight said with a sigh of relief, “Now Padawan Shalrazi, you have really overexerted yourself and put yourself and others-”

“Pardon me, please, Master Rel,” Prani cut her off politely as she grasped fistfuls of the front of Shaw’s clothing, yanking him down towards herself to meet his lips with her own. Maybe it was the Ranger. Maybe it was Prani. But this girl was done waiting and she didn't care who saw.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw had never been so relieved to see two Jedi Knights in his entire life, tearing down the hill at full speed toward the lakeshore. That usually meant nothing good was about to happen, but this time they were a sight for sore eyes. The teenager hovered over Prani like a mother hen, waiting for that first sign of movement. It came when she coughed, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Shaw was going to ask her how she was feeling, if she was alright—something like that, but Prani never gave him a chance.

She did the absolute last thing he ever would have expected her to do. Something he had been wanting to do for a long time. Something he wouldn't allow himself to admit he wanted more than just about anything. She grabbed him by the shirt, pulled him down, and kissed him. His heart throbbed in answer before he ever did. Shaw just stared at first, unblinking and ramrod still until the shock of it wore off and he allowed himself to give in to that impulse that had been clawing away at him from the inside for days. Once he gave in he wondered how he ever had been able to resist it at all.

A tingling surge simmered in his chest and burst, spreading throughout his entire body until it left him feeling lightheaded and scatter brained. He didn't know what he wanted to imbibe and get drunk on the most—the feeling of her lips pressed against his, her hands tangled in the collar of his shirt, or the sensation in the pit of his stomach. Shaw had discovered, to one's real surprise, that he loved kissing Prani. That he could kiss her all day. Her lips were soft, exactly what he imagined summer sunshine might taste like—warm and welcoming and light and all consuming.

The teenager was unsensible of the spectators, of the two Jedi Knights and four teenage boys crowded around watching the exchange. Up until each of the boys let out a chorus of, "Ooooooooooh boiiiiiii!" and exchanged looks with each other. It had been a single kiss, and yet it left Shaw winded, out of breath as soon as they pulled apart. Brown eyes were wider and more alive than ever, snared by Prani as an unrestrained grin spread across his lips. It was just about the goofiest look he had ever had. He was waterlogged but had never felt lighter.

"That—that was—you have no idea how long," Shaw started to say rapidly, unable to stop himself from the declining articulation that followed. He could have said nothing at all and simply basked in the moment, but he felt like he had to say something. "How long I've—I mean that was—that's gonna live rent free in my head," he finally settled, unable to come up with anything better. He wanted to come up with something clever or romantic, but he couldn't get his brain to work properly.

Knight Rel seemed content to the let the scene play out a little longer, but Knight Tiev didn't care and just wanted to get the injured padawans back to the med bay as quickly as possible. When you had worked with padawans as long as he had two teenagers kissing for the first time was just another Tuesday afternoon. They helped Prani onto one of the stretchers the droids carried.

"Uhhh can I come too?" Shaw asked right away, jumping up. He didn't want to leave Prani's side until he absolutely had to.

"Of course!" Knight Rel agreed before Knight Tiev had a chance to say anything to the contrary. She gave the teenager an appraising look, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger and thoughts on a nearby star system. "You're... you're Master Valtiere's apprentice, aren't you?" @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani had never kissed anyone before, but she knew she wanted to share one desperately with Shaw. She had envisioned it on many occasions, even before they formally became a couple. She always imagined some dramatic scenario or after a date or with some beautiful build-up. Hell, she even imagined it on that cheap futon in Shaw’s room. She never could have predicted that it would happen here - in the view of Knights and a gaggle of padawans after a traumatic event and a crisis that almost claimed their lives. Never in a million years could she have imagined it would be while she and Shaw were soaked and shivering and when they probably smelled like the lake. And yet it was perfect.

She found herself lost in the sensation, knowing what to do even if she was inexperienced. Her hand eventually released his shirt, sliding up along the side of his head and through his trimmed wet hair. She savored the moment, temporarily forgetting about anyone who saw them and forgetting that she was normally never this bold.

When they drew back, she had a dazed, happy look on her face. Shaw fumbling over his words anchored her back to reality and she began to giggle. Her face was turning bright red and she eventually moved to sit up. She didn’t have a clue what living rent-free inside his head meant, “Well I’m your girlfriend, ain’t I? You can kiss me whenever you want,” Prani reminded him with a quirked brow. Never mind that she herself didn't have the nerve until now.

Despite her protests, it took one stern look from Shaw before she sighed and laid down on the hover-stretcher to be floated back towards the temple. Knight Rel fell into step beside Shaw.

“Your training is going well, Padawan?” She asked, “He..speaks often? Yes?” The Knight was attempting to probe about Master Valtiere without making it obvious. And going about it the most awkward way possible.

Eventually, they arrived at the medical bay and Prani was allowed a chance to dry off and ease into a bed. Once the Knight left, it was just Shaw left in the room. Prani sighed, “I don’t know why I gotta stay in here overnight,” She said moodily, her voice still hoarse, “I’m fine!” She insisted, though she was extremely weak in the Force and physically taxed. It was nothing a solid nap in her room couldn’t fix.

“It…scares me..” She said after a moment of silence, “Knowin’ you’ll be facin’ things like that on the regular,” Prani admitted.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw was daydreaming. Reliving the kiss over and over again in his head, thinking about what Prani had said about kissing her whenever he wanted. He didn't realize that Knight Rel was walking in tandem with him until she spoke up. It was a little bit jarring, to go from thinking about Prani's lips and her hand running through his hair to Master Valtiere, so it took the teenager a few seconds to come up with a response. Until then there was just a dumb buffering look on his face. "Uhhh yeah," Shaw replied, side eyeing the knight. Another admirer of the sephi's? You would think Shaw would be used to it by now, but they kept coming up with new roundabout ways to bring the Jedi Shadow into conversation. Shaw wondered if Knight Rel even knew what his name was. "He speaks... often." Did he though? The teenager could tell that that answer didn't satisfy her, but he really wasn't sure what else to say.

Inside one of the rooms that lined the hallway of the medical bay, it was just Prani and Shaw for the first time since their lazy afternoon on the futon playing video games. It had only been a handful of hours, but it felt like a long time ago. "Uh oh," Shaw grinned, sliding into the chair next to Prani's med bed. "You're a bad patient, aren't you? I knew it." Then more seriously, "Maybe they'll let me stay the night. So long as you're cool with it." He shifted around in the armchair, trying it out. It leaned back and everything. "It's actually pretty comfy," was his appraisal, nodding, "We could watch a movie or something. Or I can just sit here while you sleep." Wait. Did that sound weird? "Not in like a creepy way! I can scroll my phone or something." He hadn't pestered Master Valtiere in a while, not since that night alone in his dorm room eating monkey bread. Prani had occupied his free time since then.

Shaw would have suggested lugging his video game equipment down, so even if they didn't let him stay Prani could play games, but maybe now wasn't the best time to get her all worked up after everything she had just gone through. It wasn't the best time for her to be fretting over Shaw either, but here she was lying in a med bed with bloodshot eyes and a mark across her neck, exhausted and worrying about him. Every day Shaw came to the realization all over again that he didn't deserve this girl. "Girl, don't make this about me! Let me focus on you every once in a while, okay? You know it's okay for Prani Shalrazi to be the center of attention, right?" he teased her, picking up the bottle of bacta salve the nurse had left behind for Prani's fading wound. He held it up and, if Prani gave the okay, would unscrew the lid to apply some.

Still, to hopefully put her mind at ease so she could relax, "You know I'm gonna be thinking about you the whole time I'm gone." He meant it too. "What better reason is there to make it back than you?" There wasn't one. Not for Shaw. Cocking his head to one side and staring into her stunning brown eyes, he said, "You were really out there playing on new game plus today, you know it? You saved all of us." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead and muttered, "Thank you." @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Knight Rel gasped and snapped her fingers, “I knew it!” She exclaimed as if Shaw just revealed something exceptionally profound. She seemed somewhat in a daze the rest of the walk as if thinking very hard about what probe question to ask next. Unfortunately, her time ran out as they arrived at the medical room. She began to give Shaw a lecture about no sex in the medical bay because it was 'not the Jedi way' but fortunately, Knight Tiev caught up and she got distracted and left. Likely leaving a horrified Shaw behind.

Prani was out of earshot and still grumpy about being stuck in a hospital room, but Shaw was making her feel better by the second. She began to giggle as he fumbled about not being creepy, “I bet you had an entire evenin’ booked. You don’t have to waste it in a hospi-” Prani cut herself off right there. She took a breath and exhaled, “Thank you for staying here with me,” She amended the statement instead, reaching a hand over to grasp his while he applied the salve. Prani may have kept up appearances, but he would notice how she winced and how her eyes watered when he made contact with the wound.

“Tell ya what, I’ll watch Ring of the Lords with you,” She said as she scooted over to make room for him to sit on the bed. Prani cleared her throat and mustered her most over-the-top seductive voice, leaning in close to look into his eyes, “The extended edition,” She said before she burst out giggling which ended in a pained cough. She knew he was borderline obsessed with those movies and she was more than happy to sit through almost 4 hours of it with him.

Prani smiled fondly at him as he thanked her, the sentiment about coming back to her causing her face to flush. She rubbed a thumb over the back of his hand where she held it, “I’m really thankful for you, Shaw,” She said, “I haven’t been this happy since…” She took a pause, “Since I left home,” Prani admitted, the significance of such a statement in the tone of her voice, “So just…just keep comin’ back to me,” She said.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Why didn't real life come with Ctrl+Alt+Delete? Shaw just stood there, the real life equivalent of lagging. If this had been a quick time event he would have missed every single prompt. Which actually would have been a blessing in disguise because it meant he could reload an old save, figure out which dialogue options had led him to this exact moment in time, and choose the exact opposite. Even a long winded speech or a fetch quest would be better than this.

There was a vacant expression on his face, eyes dull and lifeless, but on the inside he was freaking out. He felt like his heart had slowed down to a crawl, and he wished more than anything that he could melt into a puddle and be absorbed by the lake. Suddenly he didn't know what to do with his arms or his hands or his legs. Why did his arms just hang there? And why did his legs just stand there? It was like he was right back in seventh grade, learning all about the birds and the bees in class, except this was so much worse because he had been singled out. This was his own private lecture. His own private nightmare.

That was a memory best forgotten, but Shaw feared it was seared into his mind for forever. Why was it stuff like that that always ended up being a core memory? Still, he tried to push it to the back of his mind as he applied the bacta salve. It was impossible not to miss the way Prani flinched every time he touched her and the way her eyes began to water. "I'm sorry," he sucked in a breath, screwing the cap back on the bottle and setting it aside. "They say how long until that fades?"

Shaw settled next to Prani on the med bed, watching her thumb trace circles across the back of his hand. It occurred to him that this would not be Knight Rel approved. "The extended editions? You know about the extended editions?" he asked, eyebrow raised. "You do realize it's almost four hours long, right?" He just wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting in to, but he already had the remote out and was pulling the first movie up on the monitor. He looked at her with something like wonderment in his eyes. "Just so you know, if you ask any questions, there are no short answers."

The teenager pulled their intertwined hands onto his lap and grinned over at her like the excited teenager he was. "Are you hungry? I can run down to the cafeteria real quick. Load us up on snacks!" There had to be plenty of vegetarian options, right?

Then, "I wouldn't let anything keep me away from you, Prani," he muttered, leaning down and planting a kiss on the top of her head. Shaw had felt so lost and alone when his parents had dumped him with the order. Now that he had Prani and Master Valtiere he had never felt more at home. Had never felt more like he belonged. Had never had so much purpose. Prani made him feel like he could do anything and be anything, and yet she wasn't afraid to put him in his place and keep him humble. The fact that he could make her feel even a little bit as happy as she made him? That rocked his world. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

“Ugh..” Prani grimaced when he asked how long before it faded, “Is it real ugly?” She asked him, suddenly concerned. Did he find her gross because of this thing? Suddenly self-conscious, she grabbed her blanket and threw it over her knees upon which she rested her chin. She smirked when he expressed surprise at her knowing about the extended editions, “You’ve only mentioned ‘em about…2 million times is all. No big deal,” She smiled.

“Yeah! Snacks sound great,” Prani said, already starting to feel hungry. She was still guilty about Shaw being stuck here and giving up his entire evening, but she kept telling herself he wanted to be here. The nuances of having a boyfriend were all strange and new to her. She didn’t even have a chance to pat herself on the back for not completely messing up their first kiss or making it weird. Okay, it was definitely weird because there were so many people watching, but she would do it all over again. Wait, did she cross a line?

Oh no. She felt a ramble vomit coming on. Oh no.

“Hey Shaw..” She blurted out before she could stop herself, “So I know I just kinda grabbed you and kissed ya in front of all those people. I prolly should’ve um.. Asked you.. And I think you were probably waitin’ for the perfect moment and like maybe I ruined it? Or maybe you didn’t wanna kiss at all and I just assumed..I’m just new to all this and I don’t really know what I’m doin’..but I felt very sure and honestly I’d do it again, but only if you would be cool with it..” Why did her entire family ramble so much? It was the worst.

Prani cleared her throat, quickly fumbling with the remote to switch on the Holomovie. If she simply said nothing about the topic, nothing would have been lost. They could have just moved on peacefully. But no, because the Shalrazis always had to blab nonstop and make a fuss about everything. She stared intently at the Holoscreen as the movie panned to the chobbit village and their peaceful life. Prani distracted herself with the movie, “That reminds me of Genassa,” She said, pointing to the rolling hills and beautiful landscape of Chobbiton.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Nothing about you could ever be ugly to me." Cheesy much? But he meant it. Normally Shaw wouldn't pick up on something like this, but since she had come right out and asked and had thrown the blanket over herself, even Shaw could pick up on the fact that he was feeling a little self-conscious about the mark. He put two and two and actually came up with four for once, gently tugging on the blanket that she had bundled up in. "Unless you're cold..." What? Was he gonna tell her not to use the blanket? That's what he wanted to say, just like he had told her not to call herself the nature freak back on that jet ski, but maybe right now she needed a more gentle touch. The choice was hers, but she would know how he felt. "I don't want you to hide it from me, Prani."

Snacks Prani wanted, snacks Prani would get. Shaw was getting hungry too. He rubbed his hands together and hopped up, a silly grin on his face. "A boatload of snacks coming up!" That was when Prani started rambling. Not just any ramble either, like a full on ramble ramble. Shaw just stood there by the bed staring at her, not blinking and soaking in all the words she was hurling at him. In typical Shaw fashion it took him a few seconds to pick up what she was trying to lay down.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Did she actually think he hadn't wanted to kiss her? That she had somehow ruined something? How could she possibly think that after his reaction? Didn't she know how it actually made him feel? How could he convince her? Without thinking about it, without planning it out, Shaw just kissed her. On the lips. Kissed her mid sentence, just about the time Gandalf was saying that a wizard is never late nor early, that he arrives precisely when he means to. Kinda like kissing, now that he thought about it.

Shaw started to lose his nerve just about the time their lips met, so he doubled down and slid his hands around to the base of her head where her hair was still a little damp, thumbs resting against her cheeks. It was nothing like the kiss by the lake. It was firmer and more intense and definitely sloppier. And yet Shaw liked it every bit as much. Would every kiss be this exciting? This thrilling? Would it always stir something deep within him that wanted to ask for more? He hoped so.

"Sorry!" he blurted out as soon as they pulled apart, breathless. Heat was creeping up the back of his neck. Prani had told him earlier that day to stop letting her ramble so much, but maybe she would feel differently about it now that he had actually interrupted her. "I just didn't want you to go on thinking that I don't wanna kiss you. I wanna kiss you. I wanna be kissed. By you!" Was Shaw the one rambling now? Yeah, probably. Thinking back to the lake, "I liked that kiss. A lot. I loved it. It was perfect and—and the way you grabbed my shirt and yanked me down was—was—well it was h..hooo—" Nerve gone. Could he really look Prani in the eye and tell her that it was hot? No. No, he couldn't.

The teenager shifted from one foot to the other and then jerked a thumb toward the door, "Better go get those snacks! Don't... don't go anywhere, alright?" he said like she really had a choice, and he ducked out of the room. He half expected Knight Rel to be standing there, waiting to pounce on him and say, "NOT IN THE MED BAY!" but the hallway was empty. Phew. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

It took a bit of coaxing, but Prani lowered the blanket, remembering that moment on the jetski or even after the museum.

Her rambling was like perpetually chasing after a balloon she accidentally released and attempting to reach the string. It was always just out of reach, but she could vividly see it. Just like she could hear her own out-of-control rambling and Shaw just staring at her. He wasn’t even blinking, just staring. Was this how she looked in that tower when he struggled to ask her out?! Because this was terrible!

“But only if-mmf!” Her eyes widened when he kissed her to cut her off. For the first time ever, he actually cut off her nonsense blabbering. Prani was too caught up in the kiss to appreciate the timing of the wizard quote. She felt him gently grasp her head, his thumb brushing along her face, his tender lips against her own. Prani had no idea what she was doing, and there were a few teeth collisions, but she didn’t want to pull away. Eventually, they both figured it out and she sank into it, her heart racing and her entire body tingling as they kissed. It was different from their first, and passion wove into what started off as an inexperienced effort. By the time he drew back and apologized, Prani had a dazed look on her face, entirely unfamiliar with all these sensations and that urge to keep kissing him. She blinked at him a few times before her face burned hot, color rising to her cheeks.

It was Prani’s turn to sit there beet red as Shaw rambled about the kiss and how he wanted it and then the shirt grabbing was…what? It took every ounce of her being not to pull up the blanket and hide her head under it. Once he awkwardly mumbled about the snacks, she nodded furiously, exhaling a breath she didn’t know she was holding once he shuffled out of the room.

By the time he returned, Prani wasn’t blushing and awkward, the movie paused. Once he scooted in next to her, she helped herself to some of the veggie snacks, dipping them into hummus, “Thanks for this,” Prani said with a smile, putting the movie back on.

She didn’t hesitate to get comfortable, leaning her head against Shaw’s shoulder as she munched on her snacks. Now and then she dipped a snack into hummus, holding it up for Shaw to eat, her gaze on the screen. Prani was exactly where she wanted to be, even if it was in a medical bay with intense exhaustion and an ugly bruise.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

It was a warm, cloudless afternoon. A perfect summery day that left all the padawans staring out the window, daydreaming and wishing they were outside basking in the sunshine instead of sitting indoors in class. Alina was no different, slumped over a wooden desk next to Prani, a screwdriver in hand as she fidgeted with an old, outdated mouse droid at her feet. At least this was their last class for the day.

"Heard anything about Alex?" the twi'lek asked Prani in a low voice, looking across the room to Alex's empty seat. He might have been a couple years younger than them, but he was a whiz when it came to droid programming. He practically carried the entire class when it came to group assignments, so it was a big deal when he wasn't there. No one had seen him in days. Not since that day at the lake. The Jedi Knights wanted to keep the whole incident quiet, so of course the entire academy knew about it. Most padawans avoided the lake like it was the plague now, a few of them even referring to it as the Black Lake. Other padawans, the more enterprising bunch, had started selling I Survived the Black Lake! t-shirts or bottles of black goop that they tried to pawn off as the mysterious amorphous itself. Regina had even organized a protest down by the lake demanding that steps be taken to ensure the student's safety.

Alina yelped when she looked back down and noticed that her mouse droid was gone. "Beep beep! Coming through! Sorry!" she apologized to their instructor in passing as she rushed out of the room. She found the droid out in the hallway, repeatedly bumping into the feet of a statue of a Jedi called Corvo Vis. Leaning against the wall was Prani's boyfriend, Shaw. "Hey, Shaw!" she waved, scooping up the wayward droid in her arms. Each had heard a lot about the other. "I'll let Prani know you're waiting for her. Class is almost done." That was the only logical reason he would be sitting outside of droid programming class. He was terrible at it.

"Your eye candy's outside waiting for you," Alina wiggled her eyebrows at Prani as she slid back into her chair a few minutes later. The other students were already beginning to clean up their desks and collect their things, everyone eager to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. It also happened to be the last night of the fair. She waved a finger at Prani. "Oh, when you're done playing with your boy toy don't forget you promised to swing by my room and show my plants some love." Alina was many things. Outgoing, energetic, lively, and intelligent. She was a talented athlete that wiped the field every weekend at the anti-gravball tournaments she organized. She was team captain and very popular with the boys, but a green thumb she did not possess. The plants her gran kept sending her had been on life support for months, and Prani was that life support. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Unlike the others, Prani was very focused on getting the droid parts working. She was the type to stress over homework and she knew she would spiral out of control if she didn’t get this thing working. Prani looked up when Alina asked about Alex, “I think he’s still in the medical bay for a few more days for observation,” She explained. The moment she looked back, the back of her droid gave a small explosion. The people around her began to laugh as she wiped the residue off her face, though Alina gave a stern glare to make everyone shut up before she went off chasing after her droid.

Prani scrambled together her project, managing to salvage it by the time Alina returned. When Alina spoke to her, Prani’s face flushed. Boy toy? What a terrible term! Prani hastily put away her poorly made droid that was barely held together with duct tape and hope, “I’ll come by, but let me borrow the Court of Vines and Daisies series!” She pleaded.

“Okay okay! It’s all yours,” Alina said, smirking, “The steamy scene in Book 1 is in chapter 22 in case you’re wondering.”

“That’s not why I wanna read it! Golly Alina!” Prani gasped, face bright red. Alina just laughed and packed up her things.

Alina and Prani were different in many ways, but they became fast friends over their obsession with romantic fantasy books and movies. They also watched the same sappy shows, spending hours gossiping about them.

Prani eventually walked out of the classroom, carrying her heavy bookbag and soot still covering parts of her face. She lit up when she spotted Shaw, “Hey!” Prani said, leaning in for a tight hug, “How was your class? You’re comin’ outta Clone Wars history right?”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

The quiet, empty hallway was full of life and chatter by the time all of the padawans filtered out of the classroom. There was nothing quite like the thrill of accomplishment and finality, however brief, at the end of a long, draining day of classes. Everyone was in a hurry. Everyone had somewhere else they wanted to be. One of the padawans bumped into Prani and Alina as he pushed past them. "Hey! Watch it!" Alina called after him, "You ought to be that aggressive out on the field, Brad! You might win a few games!" Brad just waved her off and disappeared around the corner.

Shaw grinned from ear to ear when he spotted Prani amongst the other padawans. "Hey there!" He leaned into the hug, lingering a little longer than was probably necessary, and slipped Prani's book bag off her shoulder in one fluid motion. It had taken him a few times to actually get good at that. The first time her books had ended up scattered all across the floor. Shaw stared. What was all over her face?

"Yep! Learned all about..." What had he learned about? He had been doing better about listening in class. He really had. It was just that today he couldn't quick thinking about his date with Prani. "Uhhh something about the Battle of Geonosis!" he answered, nonchalantly brushing a thumb across her face to try and wipe some of the soot away. Mace Windu had lopped off the head of a bounty hunter. The gory details he remembered. "You still wanting to go to the fair?" He glanced between Prani and Alina, Prani's friend, and hesitated for just a second before asking, "Uhh you wanna come with?"

Alina looked a little surprised at first, glancing over at Prani, before shaking her head firmly. "Nope. Got practice in half an hour. Gotta wipe that smirk of Brad's face tomorrow." She took a step away, spun around on her heel, and threw Prani a finger gun. "Don't forget to swing by later. Their poor little lives depend upon you!" @Sreeya