Private Stomachs A-Growlin'

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

"Most would argue it's a good thing to be a bad liar…" Colette said and scrunched her nose with a happy little smile.

She took a seat on the couch again and wrapped an arm around Shan again. It was still early in the day all things considered. Waking up to a burst pipe was an experience, but understandably something that also made you a little more tired than usual.

Especially if you had to redirect a violent burst of water back into the sink.

Maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea.

The vid came up on the screen and Colette's eyes widened at the sight of the big, bulky, placid giants. The waters around them were so blissfully blue and the ice was nearly teal instead of merely white. A sense of wonder booted Colette right up as she leaned forward to get a better look.

No, a nap was a bad idea. At least before this hour-long documentary on sperm whales had ended.

"They are so beautiful." Colette whispered. "Like big nerfs of the sea."

"I love nerfs, they are so cuddly."

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan grinned at the little nose scrunch, before snuggling into Colette to watch the film together. Though he couldn't expect them to be getting to sleep anytime soon, since it seemed like Colette was getting ready to get properly into the documentary. A small grin on Shan's face at the talk of nerfs, rolling his eyes slightly as he put his arm around Colette.

He let his mind wander for a moment. He wasn't as fascinated by the documentary as Colette was, but it was still quite nice. Resting his head against Colette, letting his thoughts wander away.

"...I guess the idea of living by the water would appeal to you huh?...I wonder how many rooms would be perfect..."

He mumbled, mostly to himself, rubbing his chin before shaking his head to try and turn his attention back over towards Colette instead, giving his partner a bright grin.

Colette

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

"Wreeeeeeeeee!~~"

"But their solitary nature does not mean that they are alone. The Manaanian sperm whale is known for their frequent shouts for-"

"-how many rooms would be perfect…"

Wait, that wasn't part of the show, that was Shan. Colette shook herself out of the show and turned to look at him and then the whale before giving a lazy point at the screen.

"I mean, it's a whale. You can't fit that in a room, Shan." The girl had entirely missed what and why Shan was musing about. He had officially been placed in the backseat for this one. Nature was talking, and Colette was as ever unwilling to not listen.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"...I meant for us, silly. For the...future. Probably won't be able to get any place by a lake..."

But getting it near nature probably wouldn't be too out of the way...He rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. He also ignored the fact you technically could fit a whale into a room. It just had to be a big enough room to get them to fit. Instead he was going into his own little world again, trying to focus on the future.

In SHan's mind, focusing on the Future, meant focusing on hope. Focusing on happiness and that was everything he wanted to do right now. He wanted to focus on his and Colette's future, and not on any of the...well, battles that were definitely going to be coming up in the war.

Colette

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

"... Oh…" Colette whispered as she leaned back in the seat. Part of her was scared of the coming change, she supposed. It was a very basic and irrational fear of loss, but it was still there and it worried her just the same as it always did when she felt these emotions and realized that she had something to lose.

"D-don't uh," She cleared her throat and fell back into the better vibes again. "Don't suppose there's nomadic doctor colleges?"

 

[Shan Pavond]

"...I don't mean for my doctorate Colette. I mean for us. Sure. The Jedi Order will always be our home...but I want us to have our own home. Just for us. And all the animals we're going to have. It won't be used in the immediate future but...afterwards. Give it five years or so. Our own place, with as many animals as you could possibly want."

Shan wrapped his arms around Colette, trying to comfort her. It was clear to him that Colette obviously didn't like the idea of settling down in one place and if she was really determined in not doing that...Well, they didn't a home. As long as they had each other.

Colette

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

Five years weren't a very long time. In five years, Colette would be in the middle of her twenties. Her attention was broken away from the whale songs wailing from the screen.

"I don't want animals in my home. Other than Nibbles, at least." She frowned. "Animals belong in the wild, where they can do their part for the world."

"And five years is a really short time. We'll both still be twenty by then." Oh boy, now she wasn't quite sure what she meant by that. "Which- I mean, that's-"

"It's really young, and I just don't see right now that I'd-" She exhaled, very clearly panicked. "I don't want to settle down yet."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I...don't mean in the house. I meant...having our house in nature. Away from people. Away from the cities. The pollution. Having a farm that we can both just work on..."

Shan sighed, seeing how panicked Colette was getting and just wrapped his arms around her softly, giving her space to leave if she wanted to. He didn't want her to feel all backed into a corner.

"That's fine...We don't...We don't need to settle down yet. We can do what you're comfortable with Colette. Don't worry."

Colette

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

"I'm sorry." Colette frowned. "I know I'm annoying."

She leaned into Shan again and slowly let herself look back at the documentary again. An uneasy sigh blew from her nose and she swore she could feel the way Shan was churning it all over in his head. Well no, he was probably being too kind again, but that didn't make Colette's mind assume anything less.

"I miss being on the road, not sure when I would see civilization again. Life was… Simpler. I hunted when hungry, or foraged, and slept beneath a sea of a thousand stars."

"I starved, I was dehydrated, but I felt…"

"At ease."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I'm...the opposite. Life has never been simple for me. I've never really felt like I belong anywhere. Everywhere I went, I felt like people looked at me differently because I didn't want to fight...because I believe in people...but I don't feel like that anymore. I feel at ease when I'm with you. I just...want us to have a place to call our own. We don't have to stay there but..."

Shan bit his tongue for a moment. Was the idea of just living on a ship so wrong?...yes. Yes it was. The idea of being stuck in a metal container wasn't going to appeal to him no matter what. He just wanted nature. Fresh air. The stuff that he didn't have back on Nar Shaddaa.

"...Also you might be annoying, but you're my annoying partner. And that makes you perfect to me, no matter what Colette. And if you don't believe that...Well, no Ko movies for you."

Colette

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

No words, just snuggles. Colette shuffled around against Shan's arm for a moment as he spoke before eventually letting out an amused 'tsk' at his threat. No more Ko vids?

"Fine, more sperm whales and megacreatures for me then…" She teased him back. "Anyway, it's just… I don't want to define who or what we are on something like a house. Or a temple, or an order."

"They are all things. Things that can and will be destroyed."

"And honestly, claiming ownership over something like that is bad for the soul. Everything should just be free to exist as it is. There is no need to have these… Things in place, you know? Life finds a way with or without being tucked into one folder or the other."