Friendship is Magic

[Phoebe Draclau]

Phoebe was falling rather hard for @[member="Darth Metus"] and rather fast as well. He not only saved her and cared for her but he treated her like a princess. He went out of his way to do nice things for her and make her feel like she was the only girl in the world. Whenever she was around him she got butterflies in her stomach and was as giddy as a little school girl. Phoebe loved these feelings and never wanted them to go away. She only hoped to go their relationship which was part of the reason that she had agreed to this little adventure.

In the few weeks she had known the teenager Phoebe had to admit that she had already grown on her. She was spunky, full of energy and life which was something Phoebe could use more of sometimes. She also knew Ginnie was important to Isley and to get closer to him and be part of the family she ought to be friends with his sister. Phoebe figured that would be easy enough as she had been hoping for girl time with her anyway. Phoebe really didn't have many friends and it would be nice to have some to chat with about girly things.

"It should be right up here," she turned to smile at @[member="Ginnie Verd"] before continuing to tromp though the forest. Phoebe thought about having a slumber party in the castle and building a blanket fort but that seemed a little too easy and not enough fun. She knew Ginnie liked adventure so she was taking her to this old temple she heard about in the forest. Phoebe had never been there herself she she hoped it actually did exist and if it was haunted so much the better. It would make their stay there that much more interesting. "So far your enjoying living at the castle?" She wanted to know if there was anything she needed or wanted. Perhaps a shopping trip? Phoebe wasn't sure at the moment what the teenage was all into.

 

[Ginnie Dib]

For the event Ginnie had borrowed some of her brother's Beskar'gam polish and made sure her private suit of armour was pristine. The pink and purple Beskar'gam stood out like the sorest of thumbs, but the teenager couldn't be happier to be out with @[member="Phoebe Draclau"] in it having an adventure. The thirteen year old Mando knew there was something emotionally up with Phoebe and her brother Isley, and not wanting to lose her brother to the gorgeous Master completely, decided it would be better to bring the woman into the fold properly. An adventure was perfect for that. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Ginnie had, of course, gotten off track.

Astounded by the amount of sound in the forest, the little deaf girl tuned up her specialized audio receptors built into the helm to listen in on what the rest of people took for granted. She'd been standing off in the middle of the near trees, wind rustling, birds singing, bugs buzzing and footsteps crunching on the munchy ground. "Sounds like there's some sort of block making the wind go around it up ahead. Could be a building. Something thick and big enough to redirect the wind currents." Since getting her Beskar'gam not long ago she barely took it off, too proud of her sudden ability to hear.

"It's so totally awesome! I get tons of space to play and practice my warrior skills and Isley's there! You have no idea how much I've missed my brother. After our older brother died, the Clan Verd fell to pieces. Well, we fell to pieces when Isley left. NO one smiled, everyone scowled and left me alone or tossed me around. Dad was the worst. I'm so glad I found Isley. You guys are way better than a bunch of people who push you around and throw you down. Although…"

Ginnie's hand scratched at her armour weave cape's attachment around her neck collar. "Think Isley'll let me get some books? I miss reading and I didn't get to pack any with me. And new blankets for my bed? Think if I ask him nice he'll let me buy some things? How are you enjoying the Castle? Is Isley treating you okay? 'Cause if he doesn't, I'm gonna blast a hole in his leg like none other!"

 

[Phoebe Draclau]

She stopped walking to wait for Ginnie to catch up with her. Phoebe was pretty sure the temple that she had heard of still existed as well. It was something she had heard of 400 years ago but never went to see so now since she lived here and all thought it would be nice to tour it with a friend. It would be a good bonding experience for both of them. She was sure they had more in common than their love of Isley.

"Family is complicated isn't it? I'm sure they mean well and are only doing what they think is best. They want the best for you." Phoebe had learned that the hard way after losing them. She didn't want that to happen to anybody else but she certainly didn't want Ginnie to leave. She rather enjoyed having her around. "We love having you here at the castle and I'll make sure that you stay there. If you don't want to go you don't have to." The last thing she was ever going to do was break up a family.

"Yes, we can get you lots of books. I was thinking of converting one of the rooms to my personal library. I'm sure I can make space for you too. I'm a big geek, I read a lot so while there are already libraries I want my own. What do you like to read?" Phoebe questioned as she began walking again slower this time. "I'm sure Isley will let you buy things and if not I'll buy you things and even take you shopping. He's very sweet and affectionate with me. I'm quite taken by your brother. He means a great deal to me." Stopping for a second she pointed to a old looking building not too far in the distance. "Hey, I think that's it."

@[member="Ginnie Verd"]

 

[Ginnie Dib]

"Complicated isn't the half of it, is it? I'm just a kid, but even I get that there's a lot of problems caused when some of their backs get out of joint." She kicked a stone and hustled over to @[member="Phoebe Draclau"] with a hand on the butt of her blaster carbine strapped to her leg. The weapon was a fair bit larger than it should have been, scaled not as it was for a child, but the girl loved it. She could handle a big-girl gun. "Isley and everyone at the Castle are the only ones who want me to be loved and safe. Dad didn't even notice. I never want to go back. Never ever. Not without Isley."

Moving forward, she strafed through the brush. Phoebe would be proud of how silently she stalked wouldn't she? Of how smoothly the little girl disappeared, even in bright pink, into the forest and growth? "Adventures, magic fantasy adventures and battle tactics books, the science of plants and what they do and stuff! But I'm not smart, so I gotta get the kid versions. I! I ah, I don't know how to read Common, but! But I can read Mando'a. And . . and there's .. . " She toed the dirt, fondling the butt of the gun and her helmeted head glanced up at the Sith Master. "Don't tell Isley. Promise? He'll laugh or get that weird funny face that he gets when he thinks I'm doing something too old for my age… but… romance."

She fluttered through the word and moved off through the jungle toward the ruins, her helmet bobbing up and down through the brush. "Yes! Let's buy me things! I want to make my room homey! I can tell. He takes off his helmet for you, no Mando lets someone get that close. You have to be family, or close to. And I figure you fit in pretty good to our little family! It's small and all, but it'll be a good one. We'll defend each other. Help each other and love each other. What more does anyone want? Don't stop with the meaning a great deal. I don't want this house to be made of sabaac cards. . . oh cool! It is it! Let's find some spirits of the great beyond! Or! Or old weapons! Or! Do you think there's something useful in there!?"

 

[Phoebe Draclau]

"Your right, we are very close. Honestly I love your brother very much. I have never felt this way about someone before." She smiled and shook her head sighing. Phoebe would love to be apart of their family one day. In truth what she had here with @[member="Darth Metus"] and @[member="Ginnie Verd"] was the only thing that she had. Everything that was hers was now gone. "I would like that," she smiled lightly as she continued to walk. "I don't have a family of my own. My brother and sister are long dead along with anybody else I knew. I don't even know if the Draclau line still exists. You see I was frozen in carbonite 400 years ago and your brother saved me."

Her love for Isley was much more than her crushing on her savior and "protector". She didn't need a protector really anymore but it was still very sweet that he did.

"I don't expect any hocus pocus in this temple and I don't sense anything. Though if there is something don't worry I have your back. Now how do we get in?" Phoebe questioned placing her hands on her hips. She looked up the the massive brown building.

 

[Ginnie Dib]

"I can tell. You both look at each other with that squidgy-eyed sort of … I know you love him. I'm gonna give you a secret about Isley. Isley and I didn't have the greatest example of parental affection. Sure, my Mommy loved me to pieces, but our Dad's a goon. He rode us hard then hit the bottle and 'cause of that, I don't think Isley realizes how much he loves you. He does though. You're already one of us, and he'll figure it out. Just don't forget I exist." Ginnie laughed, stepping over a pile of rubble and clucking her tongue. The noise was something she didn't realize she did, but it felt good when she was thinking. "Four hundred years, huh? You look great for being over four hundred. Do you want to look and see? Or would you rather relax in the Honorary Clan Verd love?"

Scoping out the castle ruins was a task and a half, Ginnie's concentration wasn't the pinnacle of Mando'ade. She walked up to the castle and pushed at a wall. Solid. She went a few feet over and pushed. Solid. Ginnie looked up, up, up and hopped, tapping another rock. It jiggled. "HUM. I got your back too, but I think you're better at the whole staying alive thing. I'm a mouse compared to you! As for the how? I got one idea." Ginnie held up a small grenade. "Fire in the hole?"

@[member="Phoebe Draclau"]

 

[Phoebe Draclau]

"Don't worry, no matter if in the future Isley and I get married and have kids of our own we could never forget you. I'll never let that happen." She could understand not having the greatest childhood ever because she definitely hadn't had a great one. She had been forced to do things she didn't want to and had no love from her parents which was probably why she had ended up where she was. The only reason she had changed now was the carbonite. She had learned the hard way that family was important when it was too late."I do want to find family if I am able to. I want to know what happened. It's something I feel I need to do."

She at first had thought she didn't want to go through that pain but the more she truly thought about it the more she did want to go off in search of her long lost family. It was a journey however she felt may be best done alone.

"Wait wait before you do that maybe should walk around it and see if there is a door. A grenade would surly just wake up all the spooks in the castle unless that's what's your trying to do and than by all means go for it."

@[member="Ginnie Verd"]

 

[Ginnie Dib]

"Spooks!?" Ginnie lept away from the ruinous wall and scrambled behind @[member="Phoebe Draclau"]. "I don't wanna wake up no spooks!" A giggle stole her serious voice, Ginnie bounded off around the side of the ruins, "Doors are better! Better by far! They open! And And we might need my grenades for the spooks!"

Ginnie's sneaking was as loud as a bunch of Rancors, but she tried to act quiet as she stumbled through the treeline. "It'd better not happen, I wanna be the best super auntie ever! If you feel you need to do it, you should do it quick. Trust me, waiting before I went to find Isley was the worst thing ever. It's best to know. Good or bad. Oh look! A tunnel looking thing!"

 

[Phoebe Draclau]

"I know you'll be the best aunt ever! I want a big family. I'm planning on doing the finding my family thing soon just as soon as I get a little time. I know they used to be rulers actually I was next in line for the crown but well things happen and here I am! Honestly I have never been happier so things really worked out for the best. If I could find the person whom back stabbed me today I would probably thank him," she laughed a little as she looked down the tunnel @[member="Ginnie Verd"] had found.

The tunnel was dark and a little creepy but she was much to old to believe in actual spooks. She had seen so much though that she was inclined to believe that just about anything in this galaxy was possible if one just believed. "I'll go in first just in case there is something there." Grabbing her light saber from her belt she ignited it as she went into the tunnel first. The red blade shone throughout the tunnel lighting the way. That was her main purpose for grabbing it, to light the way. She wasn't expecting any ghosts. The tunnel as expected was cold, damp and smelled almost like a dungeon of some sort which may be what it led to. The tunnel seemed to go on for ages.

"What is that smell?" It smells like dead things but she didn't want to tell a teenager that and possibly spook her more. She knew she was a Mandalorian but at the same time she was a little girl all the same.