A Plentiful Harvest [Festival - SJO, ALLIES]

[Gianna Aegis]

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Location: Pumpkin Patch​

Tag: [member="Cassius Droma"]​

Festival Costume: Red Riding Hood​

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Of course, she wanted Cassius to come home. She always did. Granted, her idea of ‘home’ was not necessarily his ‘home’ but the details were never meant to be looked that far into. The point of it all was that she wouldn’t willingly leave her Padawan out in the cold. He had his ship. Now he had this too. If he wanted it. “It is nice this time of year.”, she amended, a little put-out with the silence until he finally amended his statement.

So. A larger hanger would bring him around? Was that all?

“You know there’s enough space. Silly...The landing pad is already finished.”

Her cherry glossed lips had formed an excellent pout before she took a long sip of her apple cider and it was all but forgotten. She knew how he loved his ships, and, it didn’t hurt to have a place to keep them when company stopped by. Gianna knew quite a few Jedi that often needed somewhere safe and comfortable to sleep. They were good friends and the smaller house on the property would give them the seclusion and respite they needed. It really made her feel like she had a purpose other than bouncing nomadically from mission to mission.

Cassius knew some of her feelings on it but they hadn’t really had a chance to talk in depth since his work with the Jade Squadron took up quite a bit of time. The thought made her feel fond, warm, where he was concerned. No matter how they delved into the Force—He was ever the pilot.

Gianna had an unhealthy love of old paper-and-glue bound books. They were a rarity in most parts of the galaxy but there was something to be said for holding a novel, a tome, or a scholarly publication that had been printed or written by hand. There was a certain weight, a certain sense, which holo-docs simply didn’t have. “They are hard to find. Most collectors don’t want to part with them. If you come across any on herbal tinctures I’d be very interested.”

They relied too much on bacta and kolto these days. There were many ways of healing, including, through the Force but she’d come across patients that were either resistant or allergic to traditional methods. It always helped to be prepared.

By the time they made it to the Great Pumpkin, she was all smiles and cheer. Nothing kept sadness on her face for long, especially, not when there was so much fun to be had. She hadn’t even really waited for Cassius to find his footing in the uneven earth and hay before she issued her challenge and took off. The race to find the perfect pumpkin was short-lived, and by the time she made it back to the table, he already looked deep in thought. “I’ll bet you an entire candy bar that mine is prettier..”, she teased, using the little, strange knife to cut off the top.

She left a little notch so that she could settle the lid back down properly. Regardless, Gia then began to scoop out the insides. Her reaction was a mix of ‘gross’ and ‘hilarity’ because they felt rather cold and stringy. A mischievous look crossed her angelic features as she wung a little bit of the pumpkin innards at Cassius, before turning back to her own pumpkin, of course, perfectly innocent. Soon she would begin carving out the eyes. Then a nose, then a crooked, toothy mouth.

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius shot her a sideways glance as she proposed a fun little wager. “Well, you know what they say…” Cassius said, stabbing his knife straight in so that he could start on an eye-hole. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” First, it was about speed, now it was about aesthetics… Gianna seemed to be rigging the game against him. It brought a childish smile to his face, bringing him back to when he was a kid playing in the hallways of their colony on Rinn, the rules always changing to benefit someone.

The young Jedi scooped out the insides of the pumpkin without incident – he’d been in worst messes before. His arm came up to deflect the little bits that Gianna threw at him, and in kind, he flicked some of the leftover residue from his fingers in her general direction, but made sure she didn’t distract him for long. Soon enough, he was laser-focused in on his pumpkin, tunnel vision taking over.

He made surgical-like strokes with his knife, making large swooping motions with his elbow for better leverage and control. The result were smooth curves in the cuts. Amateurish, perhaps, but not for a lack of trying. Cassius didn’t dare peek at Gianna’s pumpkin – he didn’t want to be tempted to copy her.

“You know, you should come visit the base on Teth sometime,” Cassius said, as casually as he could. “I mean, it’s certainly not ocean-front property on Naboo, but the entire planet is this shade of purple that I know you’ll love.” Was he trying to get her to move there? Of course not. He just wanted her to see it, to understand. Not that she didn’t already, but Cassius felt like she needed to know just what he was doing out in Wild Space for so long.

With one last swipe, it was done. “Alright, there,” he said, spinning it around and patting its side. It was really just a simple face, with some disproportionate eyes, nose, and mouth, but it was just a creative decision. At least, Cassius certainly hoped it looked that way.

[member="Gianna Aegis"]

 

[Gianna Aegis]

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Location: Pumpkin Patch​

Tag: [member="Cassius Droma"]​

Festival Costume: Red Riding Hood​

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Gianna huffed a little bit at his time-honored quote. The Jedi with the crimson cloak waggled her knife at him, her nose scrunching, while she very decidedly cleared things up for him. “Well I am the beholder and I say it’s beautiful.”, she spoke with a teasing glimmer in her green eyes. He was smiling, despite her silliness, and it warmed her heart. She loved to see him relax just a little bit. Cassius always seemed to give everything his all. Even something as silly as pulling the pulp and seeds out of a pumpkin.

She feigned offense when he flicked some of the orange goop back at her but went back to carving herself. Gia wanted to win. Sort of. More than anything she just wanted the Padawan that she had been entrusted with to keep smiling. If it meant she had to stick her head in a vat of cold water and bob for an apple? It was a loss she was willing to accept with grace.

Slender fingers guided her knife through little details and surprisingly quick scrollwork began to make an appearance. Gianna had learned a multitude of ways to carve gourds for a variety of different celebrations. She could do flowers, faces, and even little monsters on request. This time she kept it relatively simple for the swirling cut vines around the edges. She almost, almost slipped and cut her finger in her haste but caught it at the last second. The pumpkin innards made her hand feel like the knife handle had turned into an octopus.

The sparkling, cheerful Jedi, perked up even more when Cassius suggested that she visit his base on Teth. Pearly white teeth flashed behind cherry-glossed lips for a moment before she nodded her head merrily. “It’s a date.”, she spoke without hesitation or any real deliberation. She followed her instincts almost implicitly and they hadn’t reared up in refusal at the notion. With that in mind, why not? She’d been working on the homestead on Naboo for so long that she already felt a little out of touch.

It was so peaceful, so tranquil, that on occasion she sometimes found herself wondering when the other shoe would drop. “I could use a little adventure. Visiting your purple planet would be just the thing.”

Cassius finished his pumpkin a moment before she did. Her shoulders hunched for a minute whilst she fixed the eyes the way she liked, girlish, and wide—before she turned it to face her Padawan. A laugh spilled from her lips, full of light, full of life and she happily admired his handiwork. “Ooooh I think he’s just a touch oddball scary. Mine is cuter.”

And it was. Even with little eyelashes cut in the top.

The flame-haired Jedi Knight corralled a few younglings and brought them over to judge their creations. They giggled, laughing while Gianna teased and told them silly jokes, promising baked goods from her picnic basket. Once they were all saddled up with a cookie she let them choose the pumpkin they liked better. Pretty, not pretty, beauty was in the eye of the beholder he had said…So she let them pick. One for him, one for her, one for him…And so on and so forth until they found themselves at an impasse. They’d tied.

“Thank you!”, Gianna chirped, resting her hands on her hips, before she looked toward the area where the apple bobbing was to take place. The kids ran off, sugared up, and ready for more shenanigans. The pale young woman returned to Cassius and reached out to tug on the front of his shirt teasingly. “I guess that means we both have to play.”

She walked backward, spatially aware, and little pieces of delight could be seen sprinkled all over her face. “New game. Whoever gets an apple first wins.”

 

[Cassius Droma]

His ears perked up somewhat when she actually agreed to visit the base on Teth. Maybe he could actually show her what he was doing, and the value in it. Since he’d begun to set up the old B’omarr monastery, he’d felt conflicted, torn in two directions. There was his Jedi duty, the one to Gianna. He’d promised that he would finish his training under her. And yet, there was his other duty – the one to the galaxy as a whole. There were people in pain, especially out in Wild Space. Someone had to be there to protect them.

Could those two things live in harmony, though? Maybe, but not if they were in two completely separate places. There had to be a way to do both – maybe he’d just have to visit Naboo more.

“Yeah, well… I guess I’m not much known for my artistic ability,” Cassius lamented, in response to her comment about her pumpkin being more ‘cute’. It was true – even a steely man such as Cassius could see that. A smoother, softer hand had certainly carved her pumpkin.

The time came to judge their work, and Gianna called some children over. In all honesty, Cassius was surprised Gianna didn’t win by a landslide. How they had somewhat tied was beyond him. Then again, kids were idiots. That was probably it. Something he’d noticed was that the female children had gravitated more towards Gianna’s pumpkins, whereas the males had ogled Cassius’s.

So, the competition was over. Maybe they could go back to the square and people watch… wait. He could see that Gianna was eyeing the apple bobbing area. “Oh, no, no no no…” Cassius shook his head and wagged his finger, matching her every step backwards with a step forwards.

Fearing that she would speed off like she had done before, he sprinted forward, throwing his hand out. An apple from a bucket of water leapt out, impacting Cassius’s hand with a wet slap. Hand dripping in cold water, he held it out in victory, a smile crossing his face. “Hey, you said the first one to get an apple!” He lightly tossed it to her. “I win.”

[member="Gianna Aegis"]

 

[Gianna Aegis]

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Location: Pumpkin Patch​

Tag: [member="Cassius Droma"]​

Festival Costume: Red Riding Hood​

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He seemed surprised. Of course she would go with him. All her Padawan had to do was ask. Gianna felt guilty for stealing him from that which he so clearly loved, despite, her desire to teach him more about the Force. He was one of the most interesting pupils she’d ever had. Eventually, they moved on, as students were want to do—But he was different.

A gentle laugh escaped her while he made fun of his own art skills, or lack, thereof. He could be too hard on himself. Carving a jack-o-lantern wasn’t always about who had the best technique. Younglings liked silly things, scary things, and it showed when the pair were left at an impasse. When it came to the tie-breaker the young woman couldn’t stop smiling. His response was priceless. “Yes, yes, yes…You will have a little fun if it kills me Cassius Droma.”

The flame-haired pixie felt a surge through the Force. Infinitesimal, but, present as her Padawan ran past her. She turned on her low heels but he was too quick. An apple was already leaping out of the barrel and into his hand. Jade eyes filled with light when he tossed it toward her. The playful Jedi Knight caught it and slowly shook her head at him. “I would have never pegged you as being such a cheat…”, she trailed off, bringing her lips to take a bite, smiling, behind it.

No matter what the words were he would see that she was pleased. There was a certain grace about her, a certain light, that seemed to hum with life when happiness filled her heart. Gia chewed thoughtfully for a long moment before her head tilted when she swallowed.

“I suppose, I’ll allow it. You win.”

But what did he win?

Jade eyes held his while she backed toward the marketplace. Her smile had slipped from sweet to mischievous. There was still plenty more to do and she didn’t intend to let him off the hook so easy. Besides, soon enough, they would have to put the costumes and cookies away. Training couldn’t be all fun and games, no matter, if she wished it could be. Her job was to prepare him for what lay hidden on the horizon. For the things, he wouldn’t see coming.

“We’ve got another hour or so…Let’s make the most of it.”

And they would. With or without his permission really. No one in their right mind ever really told Gianna Aegis ‘No’ when it came to something like this, especially, with any real meaning behind it. Generally, she just pretended not to hear them. As it were, they would spend the rest of the evening talking, briefly shopping, and eventually watching the costume parade.

They wouldn’t stay on the world long after that. For some reason—Gianna was insistent that they return to Naboo. At least, for a little while, before they took to the stars again to visit his purple planet of Teth.

[Exit]​

 

[Tyrell Caphey]

''The Force. Luck. And heck of a good deal of great skills from everyone!'' the antarian ranger pointed out while observing the wicker ball game. ''Teamwork at it's best.'' he continued and looked back at Sam. If anyone had asked him about the Force when he was a young grunt back on Taris, he would have called it nonsense like so many others of the galaxys population. However, after joining the rangers who worked closely with and fought along side the Silver Jedi, it had become so much clearer. Getting to know Sam

''Yeah, I heard that from the colonel. Thing's a little stirred up in the rangers too... Days off like these dosen't come often now. You've been dispatched anything lately?'' he said and took another sip of the apple cider. It hit himself that there were better and more pleasant topics to discuss than their dangerous, and at times, fatal work. Sams chuckle and explanation of the game brought their chat back on the right track.

''Oh, now you're being lippy miss Raine!'' he said jokingly and nudged her with an elbow before taking another sip of the sweet alcoholic beverage.

''Sure! And no, have you? I'm afraid it would turn more into pumpkin mash if I attempted it.'' he uttered with a slight chuckle and stood up, giving her a polite hand to help her up.

[member="Samara Raine"]