Ask Takodana Where Flowers Bloom

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani giggled as Shaw took up the role of tour guide again, projecting his voice very convincingly. She saw where he was going and she paused for a moment, concern flashing on her face, “I dunno..should we..?” She muttered, always one to stick by the rules at all times. Then again, she did steal that jet ski. But she brought it back! In fact, she even refueled it when Shaw wasn’t looking just to spare the owners any inconvenience. She used mind trick on a door guard! Prani grimaced as her mind began to spiral through all the ways she stepped out of line. But those catacombs sounded so interesting.

This was all for history, right?

She looked around and the coast was clear. With a mischievous smile, she followed behind Shaw and descended down the stairs. It was much cooler down in this level and she hugged herself, goosebumps lining her skin. Being Force sensitive, she felt an odd absence of presence. It was just blank. It was unsettling. And it was perhaps something she felt only because she was so aware of a presence everywhere else.

There were ornate statues and intricate designs for what looked like sarcophagi. The plaques spoke about Clone War eras where Jedi used to be cremated and lowered into the lower levels of Jedi temples that had since been destroyed. It was haunting and incredible at once to be here and Prani could tell there was another level below.

“PRANI SHALRAZI!” A nasally voice croaked loudly from the top of the stairs. Prani’s eyes went wide. How did a staff member learn her name? She looked over towards Shaw who was a few steps ahead, “Hide!” She whispered to him, “Go up only when the coast is clear.”

Prani was terrible at breaking rules, so she shuffled up the steps to face the worker. The woman gave her a stern glare.

“Being one of those little glowbat wielders does not give you the right to go into a restricted section and attempt to do depraved things such as bringing corpses to life!” The woman yelled at her shrilly, causing a few others to stop and glance Prani’s way.

Prani’s eyes widened in confusion, but she didn’t dare say anything. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Regina and the clique practically in tears from trying to contain their laugh.

“You are no longer permitted in this museum,” The worker snapped, “Get out now.”

“Yes, m’am,” Prani said politely with a nod, chewing her lip as she practically ran from the scene. She felt a million eyes on her, judging, pointing, mocking. She heard those whispers about why ‘this is why everyone thinks Jedi are weird’ and other comments from the same thread.

Prani was nowhere to be seen because she never looked back. She found a quiet, secluded place by the edge of the water where no one could see her tears.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Don't sweat it," Shaw grinned, temporarily dropping the tour guide act to assure Prani that it would be alright. The teenager was unfazed by the sign above the catacomb entrance. He had a lot of experience breaking the rules. Realizing he had let his act slip, he added, "I can assure you, madam, that the corpses are perfectly tame. They haven't attacked a guest in a good four or five months! Not to fear! We tour guides are trained for situations such as these. No harm will come upon you while—"

He never finished that sentence, a voice bellowing from the top of the stairs and echoing through the halls of the catacombs startling both of the padawans. The jig was up! "Good idea. Let's go," Shaw agreed when Prani told him to hide, ducking behind a large, painted sarcophagus in the center of the room they had come to.

If the museum worker followed them into the room, they could circle around the sarcophagus and make a rush for the stairs. "I didn't think—" But when Shaw turned to whisper to Prani she wasn't there. He looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. He had just assumed that she had been right behind him when he ducked into this room. "Prani? Prani?" No answer.

Creeping back toward the hallway, he caught the tail end of her conversation with the museum worker. You are no longer permitted in this museum. Get out now. Shaw caught a glimpse of Prani's blue and white dress as she disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs. Shaw swallowed hard. Oh no. This was all his fault, wasn't it?

It didn't take the museum worker long to find someone else to bring her wrath down upon, this time a couple of teenagers drawing glasses and large mustaches on a portrait of some Jedi long gone. Shaw snuck out of the catacombs unseen, past Regina and her clique who were all laughing their heads off about something.

Even outside in the light of day Prani was nowhere to be seen. Shaw looked everywhere for her. Around the bailey, around the gardens outside of the castle walls. Eventually he found her down by the shores of the lake, crying. His stomach twisted into a knot of guilt as soon as he saw the tears running down her cheeks. His first instinct was to leave her alone. He was probably the last person she wanted to see right now. But he eventually worked up the nerve to approach her.

"Prani?" he said in a soft voice. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

She was supposed to be the rock. She was supposed to keep it together. She kept it together when Ma fell to pieces over Feroz storming off and telling their father he had no interest in becoming a chief or leading the caravan. She was the rock when her sister vented about how healing was too difficult. She was the rock when her parents faltered as they sent her to go be a Jedi. And yet, she finally had a crack. She finally had a chink in the armor. That tiny little fracture threatened to overwhelm her.

Curb and channel your emotions.

It was Jedi 101. And yet the tears flowed freely and she felt pathetic. Did any of this even have to do with Regina and her clique? Or was this a sign that she clearly didn’t belong? She thought of her life back on Gennaria. Maybe that was where she belonged, after all. She didn’t understand anything about the cities, anything about modern teenagers and their perplexing ways. She didn’t fit in and she never would. Even her cheerful and positive outlook had its limits.

Prani normally played her hallikset to cheer herself up, but she didn’t have the energy even for that. She tossed rocks into the water, but applied hints of the Force so they skated across the surface instead before sinking. Prani quickly looked back when she heard her name, one of the rocks abruptly sinking with a splash.

“O-Oh hey..” She said quickly before sniffling and aggressively wiping her face off. Prani gave him a sheepish smile, “Sorry for ditchin’ you back there,” She said, “I heard my name and just ran. Ya know, I panic over the silliest things,” Prani chuckled to herself. She, of course, had no idea that Shaw heard any of her interaction with the worker. She wouldn’t admit that it was Regina setting her up to get publicly shamed. She wasn’t going to tell him that she was kicked out and forced to leave.

“Um.. I think I’m gonna head back,” Prani mumbled while looking at the ground, “I’m real tired…” Her tone was entirely unconvincing, but she didn’t know how to navigate around her own embarrassment.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Prani wiped the tears from her face with record speed, but Shaw had already seen them. He could still see the tell tale signs of crying. The red, puffy eyes. The curled lips. The shrunken shoulders. All of it left his chest tight and constricted. "Mind if I sit down?" he asked.

Somewhere in his brain he smacked himself for that. What kind of a question was that? The teenager sat down across from her. As hard as it was to look at her and see the defeat in her downcast eyes, he was unable to look away. He just stared at her. Not sure what to say. Not sure what to do. All he knew was that he felt awful. The growing knot in his stomach was surely the least he deserved.

"It's not silly," he said lamely, unsure what else he could say. Really there were a lot of things he could say to help make the situation better. A lot of things he could do. But Shaw was sixteen and young and inexperienced and had no idea what he ought to do or say. He just sat there, making the whole situation even more awkward.

Wait. Was she apologizing to him? After he got her kicked out of the museum? Shaw scratched his chin. He was confused. "Hold up," he said, shaking his head. "Why are you saying sorry to me? I'm the one that got you kicked out of the museum. I should be apologizing to you." He swallowed hard and stared at her. "I am apologizing to you. I'm sorry, Prani. I don't know what I was thinking." Really the answer was that he hadn't been thinking. Breaking the rules to have some fun was no big deal for him, but he shouldn't have drug Prani into it. She wasn't the type.

After that he fell silent again. He really didn't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Except for his little sister, but that was different. Prani wasn't a little girl. Shaw couldn't just wrap his arms around her, tell her it was all gonna be okay, and turn on her favorite cartoon while he fixed her her favorite snack. Words weren't really his strong suit. He was more of a take action kinda guy. Even if he often took the wrong action.

So when Prani said she was just gonna leave, he said, "Wait—listen. I'll go tell the museum worker the whole story." He stood up, resolute. "That it was my idea and my fault." It was the truth after all. "I don't care if I get kicked out of that old museum for life." That was also the truth. But Prani... obviously it meant a lot more to her. "Just... wait here, okay?" @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani’s mind was already drifting towards the transport to take her back to the temple. She would have to face the whispers all over again, but perhaps if she left early enough no one else would be on the shuttle. She gazed in surprise as Shaw began to apologize before declaring that he was going to explain himself in the museum. Her eyes widened in horror at the prospect and she grasped his wrist as he started to march his way back.

“No you won’t!” She called out, “Please don’t,” Prani pleaded with him, looking him in the eye, “I ain’t a kid, Shaw, you didn’t make me do anything. I went down with you because I wanted to. I wanted to see what was down there too,” She said before sighing, “This has nothin' to do with the museum or you,” Prani realized she was still clutching his wrist and she quickly released it, looking down at the ground.

“I just…feel like I don’t belong. I know a lotta other folks feel that way, but I really feel outta place,” Prani admitted, “Like I ain’t cut out to do this whole Jedi temple life or knowin’ how to deal with the other padawans. I know there are bigger problems in the galaxy but I just..feel like I ain’t good enough for this,” She said. It would begin abundantly clear that it was Regina and the clique that sabotaged Prani.

She quickly glanced up to meet his gaze, “I know what you’re gonna say..about how I can use the Force, how I can do this or that, but I don’t need to hear that right now, Shaw..” Prani mumbled. She knew Shaw was great at being a hype man, but she couldn’t stomach that right now, “I know I ain’t ever gonna fit in here.”

She glanced towards the shuttle that arrived and was preparing to leave. Prani chewed on her lip nervously, pondering stepping aboard, “And I’ll just drag ya down with me. People will stay away from you too for hangin’ around me.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

For once Shaw knew exactly what he was gonna say—that Prani was a terrific Jedi and gad all sorts of powers and remember when she had captured Chaz? And freed Elyna? And ensnared that three headed dog? He did know just what he was gonna say up until Prani said that that was exactly the sort of thing she didn't need to hear right now. Shaw looked dumbfounded. How had she know that that was what he was going to say? Was it the force that told her or something?

Back to square one then. At a loss for what to say. At a loss for what to do. The teenager ran a hand over the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his, racking his brain. Why was this so hard? She was his friend. He liked her a lot. Respected her and admired her. Why couldn't he find the right words? Talk about useless.

Then he looked at her again, and the words just seemed to find him. Who knew if they were the right words. Knowing him they probably wouldn't be, but they were sincere. Hopefully that would help. "Who says you gotta fit in?" he asked suddenly. "Isn't being a Jedi all about being different? Doesn't the order need all kinds of different Jedi? So why can't you just be you? Prani Shalrazi? If you ask me she's pretty do—" That would probably be considered hyping up, so he didn't finish that sentence.

Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he glanced up the till toward the castle where Regina and her cackle were walking by. Chattering amongst themselves and still laughing their heads off. Now he knew what they found so amusing. Somehow or another this was all their doing. All their fault. Shaw moved closer to Prani, between her and the other girls just in case they decided to look down the hill or if Prani happened to look up they would only see Shaw.

"Do you really wanna fit in with girls like that anyway?" he asked. "I like you the way you are. Plenty of people do. You like you the way you are." That was all the really mattered, right? "So why you gotta go fitting in with people we don't like anyway just because they say you gotta fit in with them?" He hoped that made sense. It made sense in his head.

Shaw followed Prani's gaze to the shuttle and then back to her. He wanted to stay and make the most of their day together. To try and cheer Prani up, but he would go along with whatever she decided. If she wanted to call it a day and go back to the temple, he would ride back with her. They could try again some other time. There would be plenty of other opportunities.

As for his social status, that was the last thing on his mind right now. "Hey," he said in a soft voice, "We're buddies, remember?" He held up his right hand, showing her the friendship bracelet around his wrist. He wore it practically everywhere. "I'm not going anywhere. Like it or not you're stuck with me, aight?" He gestured to the bracelet. "Sorry, I don't make the rules." @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani remained silent as Shaw spoke, managing a smile as he rattled off that he liked her and so did others. However, when he said she liked her, that caught her attention the most. That put the wind back in her sails. She looked at the bracelet when he held it up, remembering yet again that he still held onto it. It wasn’t just a trinket to him, it mattered. He remembered its value even if she sometimes strayed from her faith in it.

She couldn’t help it as more tears leaked out, but these weren’t of sadness. She rubbed her eyes and chuckled, “You ever think about bein’ a motivational speaker?” She asked between sniffles as she smiled at him, "Add that to the resume after modeling for La'ococo..." She trailed off.

“Thanks, Shaw,” Prani said quietly after taking a deep breath, gazing at him. For a moment it was almost as if she had more to say, but she left it there. She looked away and towards the water. Away from the padawan crowds and gossiping.

“How about we take out one of them boats?” Prani pointed to where tourists could rent canoes and other boats out into the water, “You do all the work and I play you a song?” She suggested with a giggle.

If he agreed, she would start to walk in that direction. After a moment, a thought sparked in her head, “Hey, did you ever sell Chaz’s sleeve on Holonet?” She asked suddenly.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw got a good laugh out of that. "Me?" he asked, pointing an index finger at his own chest. "A motivational speaker? Prani, I wasn't even sure I said your last name right a minute ago." He was half joking, half serious. Words were not his strong suit, but he gave her a little appreciative nod anyway. "Now who's hyping up who, huh?"

At the mention of La'dfjdsoco or whatever it was called, Shaw chuckled. "You know I still get emails from her? Mostly leave em unopened." Mostly. Occasionally he did like to open them and feel a little pampered and appreciated, but he was never going to admit that to anyone. Especially to Prani. "Keeps trying to get me to order some of that Finesse by Effusion or whatever, but I like what I got." As a sixteen year old teenage boy, it was basically the law that he use and sometimes overuse Hatchet Body Spray.

After that, Shaw just looked at Prani. She was still crying, talking through a sniffle here and there as she tried to compose herself, but at least she was smiling again. It made him feel warm all over as cheesy as that sounded. Girl just had that kinda smile. "If I was a good tour guide I'd offer you a tissue like a real gentlemen, but uhhhh I don't have any tissue with me."

She could probably tell by the look that came over his face that Shaw was glad that she hadn't decided to head back to the temple just yet. "That sounds awesome!" he grinned, getting up and brushing his cargo pants off. Any excuse to hear her sing again. Plus he had really been hoping to take a boat out. "Just don't start playing the theme from that shark movie, okay?"

Regina and her followers were nowhere to be seen when they topped the hill. "So I did put it up for sale," Shaw said, running a hand over his fade. "Bidding got up to a few hundred credits! But uhhh I can't find it. It's somewhere in my room." Maybe under the clothes pile over in the corner. Or in the clothes pile in the closet. Or maybe even under the clothes pile by the bed. Or had he stuffed it under his overdue homework? Now that was a thought. He would check there next. He gave Prani a sheepish look. "Don't worry. I'll find it."

The boat shop owner was real nice, talking Shaw through all of the instructions and showing him what to do since the teenager had never been on a boat in his life. Coruscant wasn't known for its bodies of water. He just considered himself lucky he knew how to swim. After they had lugged the canoe down to the shore, they were ready to push off. "Ready?" he grinned over at Prani. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani laughed when he cautioned her not to play the shark theme, “I’ll only play it if I see Regina and them girls nearby,” She blurted out. However she quickly gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth, “Golly that was rude of me,” Prani mumbled, her face turning red. It wasn’t in her nature to badmouth others, but that completely slipped out. She had a feeling Shaw wouldn’t care, however, so she didn’t linger on it.

She blinked a few times at his explanation about the sleeve. Prani could only stare for a moment before she burst out laughing, “You lost it?” She had a fit of giggles again, forgetting all about her earlier moping, “If those girls from Listehol knew…” She trailed off, shuddering as she thought about the swarming fans.

Prani nodded as she got into the canoe. She had been in these quite a few times, but she wasn’t worried about Shaw capsizing them. And if he did? It would just be another funny story to tell later. As he began to take them out, Prani took out her hallikset, tuning it before she began to strum.

“I wrote this when Warden Vanya first called that big gatherin’ of Jedi and them crusaders..when there was no direction for a bit,” She began to play the tune, singing shortly after. Once again, Shaw would be transported briefly away from the present and into the galaxy of fire and destruction in Raze’s wake. But through it he would see a shining light, a beacon that shot right through the darkness. It would grow slowly steadily till he could see faces he recognized. Faces of his brethren - of Jedi.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw got a good laugh out of Prani's comment about Regina and her friends, throwing his head back as they rowed out away from the shoreline. It was mostly funny because of her reaction that followed, gasping and covering her mouth as if she had said something really scandalous and vicious. Shaw wondered if she had every truly been vicious a day in her life. "Nah," Shaw assured her, glancing back over his shoulder at the boat owner. He was waving them off with a big grin on his face. "Regina totally deserves it."

A gentle breeze brushed against the teenager's faces, tugging on their clothing as they floated slowly toward the center of the lake. Shaw rowing when he thought it appropriate. He had tried his best to listen to the owner, but he still really didn't know what he was doing. Experience was the best teacher, and Shaw had always been a hands on learner. He tried to row in a straight line, but they ended up floating in a sloppy zig zag pattern with no particular destination. It was anyone's guess where they would end up.

Still, Shaw took his job as 'captain' very seriously. Well, up until the moment Prani pulled out her hallikset. Then he got distracted, and they sort of just ended up floating along, carried by the lake.

Without even realizing it, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. The music transported him again, this time to a dark place—a place filled with fire and destruction and agony. To all the atrocities of the galaxy that he had actively ignored until he had been forced to flee from them on his own planet. Turning away from the darkness, the notes of Prani's song would lead him toward the light. Toward faces of the Jedi he knew and cared for. One familiar, shining face after another until he came face to face with himself.

Then he opened his eyes, and he was back on the lake. Staring across the canoe at Prani. "How do you do that?" he asked, a big grin spreading across his face. He knew she wouldn't say, but he couldn't help but ask anyway. "Think you could show me how to play a little bit sometime?" he requested, strumming an invisible hallikset. Did they make electric halliksets? Nothing fancy like what she played of course. Just some basic notes. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani kept performing despite Shaw’s terrible paddling. It took a lot of willpower not to laugh and interrupt her own song as they began to slowly spin in a circle at one point until the current began to naturally carry them away. When he looked at her again, he would find her smiling at him after the song finished.

“Well I can show ya right now!” Prani said cheerfully, motioning for him to set the paddle on the boat. She had to bite back against cautioning him not to put it somewhere it could slide right into the water. The boat was gently cruising at a glacial pace, so she wasn’t concerned for now. Prani gently handed her hallikset over for him to hold, shifting to sit closer across him.

“Now put the neck here like this,” Prani adjusted it against his shoulder, grabbing his other hand to place near the strings, “Lemme show you just a few chords, okay?” She asked, adjusting his fingers on the neck, “Now this is a G major..” Prani explained.

“Pretend you’re holdin’ a pick..and now with your thumb strum across all the strings at once,” She waited for him to do that, nodding, “Okay now this is the C once you move your fingers down juuuust like this.” She said, showing him how to position his fingers by moving them for him at first. After showing him a few more chords, she sat back and nodded.

“Now you try!” Prani said, clearly just as excited for him to play as he was.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"For real?" he perked up when she said she could show him how to play a little bit right then and there. He had started to ask her the same question earlier, back on the shuttle, but Regina had interrupted. It was nicer out here anyway. Shaw set the paddle aside, eyes sparkling with excitement as he traded it for the hallikset. "Ooh this is dope!" he complimented, running a hand over the polished wood.

Prani had mentioned earlier that she used to make lots of stuff with her gypsy caravan, so he wondered if she had made this too. "Did you make it yourself?" he asked. That was Shaw. Easily distracted. Little did he know just how distracted he was about to be.

"Alright," he nodded along, allowing her to position the instrument against his shoulder. That was fine. He was ready to learn. Excited to learn! It wasn't until she started adjusting his fingers, situating each one on the correct strings for whatever corresponding chord she was teaching him that that his focus started to drift. Suddenly every time her fingers brushed against his, his skin would tingle beneath her touch. It made his pulse race and his heart skip a beat.

"G Major," he managed to repeat, but his thumb got caught on one of the strings when he tried to strum it. They moved on to the next chord. C. C, right? Much like the canoe at that moment, Shaw's eyes drifted of their own accord to Prani's. The sunlight sure did bring out the amber flecks in her eyes, didn't it? That's when he realized that she was waiting on him to play.

Diverting his gaze to the instrument, where it should have been all along, he cleared his throat and stretched his fingers. Now that there was some more distance between them again, the tingling sensation faded. It would be easier to concentrate now too, but that wouldn't help him play any better. Not when his thoughts had been elsewhere up until now.

Shaw grinned over at her and said, "Here goes!" The teenager strummed his thumb across the strings, but each chord sounded more sour than the last, and he got the order she had instructed him to play them in all mixed up. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani shook her head when he asked if she made it herself, “My great grandpa made it,” She said with a smile, “He became a Jeedai..back then I guess you couldn’t have attachments or whatever since the Order was being rebuilt so he left this with my great grandma. They were pretty young when they split, but Grandma had my grandpa alone and raised him and it’s been passed down since,” She explained, “I guess there was a bit of resentment towards Jedi which is why members of my family avoided ‘em until the attack on Gennaria. Great grandma always hated great gramps for what he did.. Grandpa said she never talked about him once..but if she hated him so much, she wouldn’t have kept the hallikset all those years, eh?” Prani asked with a fond smile. Unbeknownst to her the Jedi Archives still held records of a Jedi Master from Gennaria as one of the foundational members of Rey's Order that led countless victories before he was killed in combat. His personal effects were still with the archives along with the many letters he wrote but never sent.

She sat back and watched Shaw, smiling at the sight of him sitting there holding her hallikset. Truth be told, she was normally very protective of it. It was the only thing that would make her act if Regina and the other goons tried to mess with it. But she knew she could trust Shaw with it.

She gave him an encouraging nod to start playing, her smile turning into a wince as he started to strum a dissonance of chords. Prani chuckled to herself, “Not bad for a first try,” She said, “Try moving your fingers like that..no there..no…wait let me..”

She scooted closer again to place his fingers back where they needed to be, “You gotta keep the fingers pressed, see? It’ll come easier once you get some callouses,” She said with a laugh, glancing up at him. That was when she actually looked at him in such close proximity. Prani’s entire face grew hot and she could have sworn her chest was tying up in knots. She had looked at him a million times, but it was always so easy to get swept up in the Reginas and Macotes around them. It was so easy to become the side characters in a story where they weren’t the focus. So easy to get caught up in the missions or solving crimes.

But there was none of that now, no distractions. It was just them and Prani was completely flustered and confused. She blinked rapidly and tried to think of something clever to say while operating with a brain that had the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Maybe she could mention the weather or ask about Chaz?

SPLASH!

Prani didn’t register what happened at first, glancing to the side. For a moment she watched the paddle that was peacefully and happily drifting away. After a second, she suddenly gasped, snapping out of her daze, “THE PADDLE!”

The current was rapidly taking it away and with it their means of getting back. Prani tried to call upon what she knew, trying to desperately channel the Force to see if she could tug it back. Using the Force on stationary objects was one thing, pulling back something moving away in water? That was going to be a challenge.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw listened to Prani explain the history behind the hallikset. It was a family heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next. Now that he knew some of its history, it dawned on Shaw that he ought to feel privileged to get to hold it like this. Especially to get to play on it. The instrument must have really meant a lot to Prani. Had a lot of sentimental value. "That's so neat," he said, eyes traveling the hallikset with even more appreciation now. "Guess being a Jedi flows in your veins, huh? I bet he really loved her too," he added. The meticulous details across every inch of the instrument said it all. "Your great grandpa. Even if he did have to leave."

After the last sour note Shaw looked up from the hallikset with a sheepish smile. Only Prani would be kind enough to say 'not bad for a first try' after that performance. It was horrible. Shaw knew it was horrible. Prani knew it was horrible, but only Prani would still believe in him enough to think all he needed was a second chance. "Not bad?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Girl, you know I ate and left all the crumbs."

That was the end of that he thought, and he was about to hand her grandfather's hallikset back to its rightful owner when she got up and moved closer again. His heart jumped in his chest right away in response, not prepared to have her right beside him again so soon. "That's okay. You don't have to—" he started to say, but the words died in his throat as soon as her fingers slid over his once more to position them correctly along the strings.

The unfamiliar tingling sensation returned, exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. Like a moth to the flame, Shaw's gaze searched for Prani's. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her sun kissed face. Time would have felt like it was suspended in that moment were he not acutely and painfully aware of his own breathing, quick and shallow. Were it not for the fact that, perhaps most surprising of all, he found that this time Prani was staring right back at him.

SPLASH! It was Prani's voice that broke his concentration. Blinking, he looked over to see the paddle floating away. Oops. That was his bad. "Don't worry!" he assured her, leaning forward. "I'll get it!"

Trying to use the force would have been a great idea, but Shaw wasn't really known for his great ideas. Especially when his head was still whirling from everything that had just happened. Instead he stretched his arm out, grasping for the paddle. Only water slipped through his fingers. If only he could reach just a little further. Just a little... just a little... further. Shaw tumbled out of the canoe and hit the water with a second SPLASH! @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani stared in wonder at Shaw making a reference she didn’t get, “Ate what? What crumbs?” She looked around inside the canoe for actual crumbs. Did he sneak a cookie at some point?

All of her thoughts were dashed with the paddle fiasco. She had a look of horror on her face as Shaw reached over the canoe towards the water, “What’re you doing?!” Prani screeched, managing to only yank the hallikset off him before he tumbled into the water. She didn’t get a chance to do anything before she toppled into the water with a yelp, the canoe tipping over as well.

Comically, her arm remained up in the air above the surface of the water, holding onto the hallikset. She waded over to place the hallikset on the flattest part of the overturned canoe. Prani gasped from the cold water, looking around for Shaw. Once he surfaced, she started to giggle, “Did we both just eat and leave crumbs?” She started laughing even harder, her hair matted to her face and her dress poofing up from the water.

“Can you grab the paddle?!” Prani called out when she realized Shaw could actually swim. There was a bit of a current, but if he swam he had a chance to retrieve it. Meanwhile, Prani tried unsuccessfully to tip the canoe back over. Unfortunately she had to grab her hallikset again and it was getting soaked.

The current picked up and Prani cried out as she was carried away, but she managed to swim against it and claw herself to a riverbank. If Shaw came by, she would grasp his hand and yank him up as well. However, the canoe continued to drift off, leaving them on foot. They had a very long walk back, but the coastline would eventually put them back at the castle.

Prani shivered as she glanced at Shaw, drying out her instrument as best she could. She wasn’t upset about what happened, still laughing to herself as she looked at him, “You know, I had a feelin’ we’d capsize but I didn’t know when,” She said with a knowing grin as she glanced towards the path that would hopefully take them back while soaked to the bones.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw hit the water with a splash, resurfacing seconds later to find that he wasn't the only one that had fallen in. Apparently he had taken Prani and the canoe with him. Yeaaaaah, that one was on him too. At least they both could swim. Shaw's third grade buddy with the inground pool coming in clutch once again.

"Sure did," he laughed, head bobbing above the water as he reached a hand up to wipe away some of the water from his eyes. It didn't really do much good since his hand was also covered in... well water. He realized that she had no idea what that saying meant, which just made him laugh even harder. "Drowning in em more like."

It wasn't lost on Shaw that Prani wasn't sore. She had every right to be, but she wasn't. He had let the paddle fall into the lake, and he had overturned the canoe trying to retrieve it. Now her pretty dress was soaked, and she was shivering. That wasn't even taking into consideration the whole museum incident earlier. Prani really was something special.

The teenager's gaze followed the paddle. "Got it!" he called back to her, swimming toward the wooden paddle as the water swashed around him. Seemed he had said that before. The current started to pick up, and Shaw used its power to help him drift toward the shoreline where Prani pulled him onto dry ground.

Shaw just laid there, catching his breath as he stared up at the blue overhead. "Got the paddle!" he said, holding it up proudly. "Lost the canoe." Leave it to Shaw to only manage to save the least valuable of the two. He laughed and propped himself up on his elbows, watching the water flow past. "That guy that loaned us the canoe is not gonna be happy."

Getting up, Shaw pretended to be offended when Prani said she knew they would capsize eventually. All while rubbing a finger in his left ear to try and get some of the water out. "Questioning my seafaring abilities?" he asked, adopting his old tour guide voice. "I'll have you know that Shaw Tours has only had one wreck ever in all its many... hours of service!" But he couldn't keep a straight face and just laughed.

Shaw looked around and tugged at his sopping wet shirt. Hopefully they would dry off as they walked. "We better get goin if we wanna make it back before dinner," he said. @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani started to giggle when Shaw slipped back into his tour guide role, “While I’d normally rate this experience a 2 out of 5, I may have to up that ratin' because the captain has a great sense of humor,” She said with a laugh.

Fortunately the material of her white dress wasn’t flimsy, or this could have been an embarrassing walk back. Prani hugged herself, shivering from the cold as they walked back. Her hallikset was on her back, dried as best she could.

“I really hope they have somethin’ good at the cafeteria today,” Prani said suddenly through chattering teeth, “I don’t think I can do another day of mystery meatloaf..” The terrible meals made no sense. Didn’t EZPhones bring in a ton of cash for the Jedi? They could be rolling in gourmet foods and luxury quarters. Instead the food was garbage and the dorms were bare minimum. Maybe it was all to ‘build character’.

Prani gave him a sideways glance, her mind briefly flicking back to the strange moment on the boat. She was certain she had never felt that before and it left her confused and baffled. All she knew was that she caught herself finding excuses to look his way or reasons to sit close to him. Had things always been like that? Was it just because they were good friends? Prani’s mind began to churn, but she was entirely ill equipped to understand it.

Her head started to hurt. She was sure he could read her thoughts. Quick, randomly blurt something out!

“You know, sometimes bein’ a Jeedai seems scary because everyone is lookin’ at you to be a hero,” Prani said as they walked, “And like..what if I ain’t good enough? And I just totally mess up right in front of an entire village o’ folks,” She mused, “Back home I didn’t think about usin’ the Force for every day stuff because no one was really watching for my performance or waitin’ for me to fail.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"High praise, madam! He also has a verrrry charming smile. All the passengers say so," and there he flashed her his best charming smile. It was a lot more goofy than it was charming. Now that he had secured a higher rating, he would press his luck like any good tour guide would. "Shaw Tours is currently accepting tips. Credit app, whatever is most convenient for you of course!" He winked at her just in case she didn't catch that he was joking and took him seriously. He could see her scrounging together some credits as soon as they got back to the temple.

The two padawans walked side by side, following the lakeshore back in the direction they had come from. There was a little foothpath they could use along parts, where fishermen had spent hours enjoying their favorite pastime or animals had knelt down to drink. Through other sections they had to wade through grass that came up to their calves, but luckily that was few and far between. Shaw had been so distracted that he hadn't realized just how far they had floated.

Just the mention of food was usually all it took to get Shaw's mouth watering. Everyone that knew him knew that he was a big eater and rarely went anywhere without some kind of snack on him just in case of emergency. That emergency was usually nothing more than the munchies. He liked to think it was because he was still growing. At least that's what his mom always told him.

But this time it didn't work. Shaw was hungry, sure. All he had eaten today was ice cream, but casting a furtive glance over at Prani, sopping wet hair stuck to the sides of her face, he really didn't care. Food could wait. What he couldn't shake was the feeling that had gripped him whenever her fingers touched his. Running a hand along the back of his neck, he almost worked up the nerve to ask her to give him a second lesson on the hallikset sometime but thought better of it at the last second.

"No one's waiting for you to fail," Shaw responded once Prani had finished, considering her words. "At least no one that matters. Of course you're gonna mess up. Everyone does." He gestured to himself, trying to make her smile. "Just look at me. I mess up all the time. But you're gonna be a great Jedi, Prani. I just know it. You just gotta believe it too. You just gotta see how incredible you are. I see it. Lots of people see it. You'll see it one day too. You just gotta be patient with yourself."

They walked a few more steps, and then he cast a playful smile her way. "What? You can't say something like that and not expect me to gas you up. You walked right into it." @Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani listened as Shaw reassured her. It was similar to what she told others, but why was it so hard to see it in herself? She always prided herself in her positivity and her faith in her abilities. And yet she couldn’t help but feel as if she would be on stage when it came to helping civilians. When the stakes were so much higher.

She walked in silence, giving a small smile as he quipped about hyping her up. Prani chuckled to herself, but it died down shortly after, “Do you really think so?” She asked shyly, tucking a strand of her damp hair behind her ear. Prani ventured to glance at him, “Do you really think I’m incredible? Or..I dunno…are you saying all that to cheer me up..”

She quickly looked away again, her face suddenly starting to burn hot, “I mean you say that to all your friends, don’t you?” She chewed on her lip, “That they’re incredible..” She knew she was saying stupid things. Prani briefly looked at the water, wondering if she could simply jump in it and swim away in shame.

She quickly cleared her throat and looked around for any other random thing to discuss, “Oh..these flowers are so different from the ones back home. You see a lotta flowers on Coruscant?” Prani asked out of the blue. Why was she suddenly terrible at talking to him? They could talk about anything before! She didn’t want to be apart from him, but at the same time she felt like a fish floundering on a pier when it came to bringing up topics.

Fortunately they only had about half a mile left to go, the castle looming ahead.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw almost broke out the tour guide voice again, "I can assure you, madam, that we here at Shaw Tours pride ourselves on our honesty and aboveboard... edness," the line he already had ready to roll of his tongue, but it died in his throat as soon as he looked over at Prani. She had glanced at him, wet strands of brown hair tucked behind her ear, smooth and tawny features on full display. How that sales attendant back at L'orulajhik could ever call Prani's skin waxy of all things he didn't know. Suddenly the old tour guide bit didn't seem so appropriate.

"Of course I do," he said instead, losing awareness of their surroundings as he stared at her. The birds flying above them in the sky, the gentle flow of water, the trees tugged by the wind—it was all in the background now. He hadn't even realized just how long he had been staring at her until she quickly looked away. So he looked away too, not noticing the heat that settled in her face. "I'm not just saying things just cause I think you want to hear em." He thought about that. "I mean, I guess I do think you need to hear em," he added honestly. Unnecessary elaboration certainly but he had a bad habit of saying whatever came to mind. "But I do mean em."

He gave some thought to her second question. Did he tell all his friends that they were incredible? He really wasn't sure whether he did or not. But he knew that they were, so there was that. "So what if I do?" he asked, realizing that her back was to him as she looked at some flowers. He leaned down and picked up a single bloom. He didn't know what is was called because he didn't know anything about flowers. It was just the one that stood out to him the most.

Flower in hand, he would wait for her to turn back around to face him again before tucking the orange bloom behind her ear with a big smile. He didn't think much of it, but he did try to make it as quick as possible before that tingling sensation could return and throw him off track. It would've been weird if his hand had just... lingered there, right? "But you're more incredible than most." Maybe even more than just most. Maybe even more than Shaw realized himself. "You'll see it for yourself one day, and I'll be there to tell you I told you so." Just like any good friend would do.

They could see the castle now, just up ahead on the hill. On the other side, at the bottom of the hill, the shuttle that would take them back to the temple. A childish idea came to Shaw. Not the first and probably not the last. "Last one back is a rotten nuna egg!" he grinned before he took off running. @Sreeya