Ice Cream? Why are we Screaming?

[Cairyn Midore]

Believe it or not, there was a brief -very brief- period in which the son of Midore could enjoy something akin to peace. This was before his extended stay with the Sith, before he'd once again feel the stinging embrace of lightning, before he'd have an inkling of an idea of what death felt like. In that time, he was content to remain for the most part in his sanctuary that was the arena, wasting the days away tending to his pets in all their glory. It was a simple life, caring for the animals that would spell the misery and carnage of so many. One could almost get used to it.

One also could forget just how young the Teevan was. Only 17 and yet the ruler of such a gruesome domain. Sure, one could argue that many had done far worse at younger ages, but that didn't take much away from the fact that he was still a child. The sun might have been setting on his claim to childhood, with it books chalked full of experiences he'd missed out on, and yet he'd managed to maintain some sort of childlike wonder.

Or perhaps that, too, was an illusion.

For one of the few times in years, he was almost timid in his approach. Taking a break from the arena, he'd ventured out to pay a visit to his, well, almost mother of sorts (though he would never think to acknowledge such a thing). He hadn't seen much of Grace, with both of them focus on their areas of expertise. Considering how many times he'd thrown her into near-death situations probably didn't help, either.

"Chase?", he was almost hesitant to speak. As if he was embarrassed to ask the question just on the tip of his tongue. It was several moments before he continued, biting his lip, hands a fidgeting mess. "I have a question."

[member="Lady Psyona"]​

 

[Grace Darkson]

The library was quiet, nearly deafeningly so, as she worked, the books arrayed before her in a pattern only she could see. Cold yellowed eyes scanned the pages as if hinting for something. It had to be here. She couldn't be wrong again, could she? No, it had to be in here. Maybe she just needed a different angle. A new perspective. Or perhaps just a break.

Her name, or rather the name that Cairyn used for her, broke her line of thought. What was he here for? What did he want from her? And was that fear in his voice? Slowly, she turned, yellowed eyes staring, almost curiously, at the youth. Almost habitually, she ran a hand through the tips of her hair and tilted her head to one side. Was he being vulnerable? He was never vulnerable. She gave a hint of a smile, before speaking. "Sure. What is it?" She tried to sound curious, and keep the tired tone out of her voice. It wasn't his fault she was tired. She'd been working for hours on end. Maybe a break would do her some good.

Maybe then she'd find a way to get her mother back.

[member="Cairyn Midore"]​

 

[Cairyn Midore]

This was stupid. His question probably wasn't worth Chase's time. He could imagine her chastising him for even bringing it up, treating him like an annoyance rather than telling him the answer. Yet, he wanted to know and who better to ask than Chase? She was smart, right? She sure acted like it sometimes.

"So I've been listening in the arena." After all, when wasn't he there? "And all these kids have been asking for ice cream." He meandered closer to Grace, taking his sweet time, with a couple detours to read couple titles of the library shelves, taking his sweet time and really beating around the bush. "And it got me a-thinking - you know what I'm talking about right?" Again, the hesitation was back. Maybe he shouldn't bother asking her. No, if he was going to ask anyone, it'd have to be Chase. Anyone else would probably laugh. "What is ice cream?"

[member="Lady Psyona"]​

 

[Grace Darkson]

The Vahla was quiet for a moment, her face a mask of shock. Cairyn, the precious, childish one with so little care and a love for all things fuzzy and/or sweet, didn't know what Ice Cream was? How was that even possible? Her childhood hadn't been great, but at least she had some nice things from it. Happy memories of hot days by a lake, with cones piled high. One of the few treats her parents had given them. How much had she been given that was denied to this child? How much did she have that he would never know?

"It'll be easier to show you. C'mon." She motioned for him to follow as she headed for the door, looking to the assistant librarian as she reached the door. "I'm heading out. Be back later." He grumbled something between shock and annoyance. She thought she heard some comment about it not being two in the morning, she wasn't supposed to leave yet. Ignoring it, she continued to the street,

There was a really good ice cream parlor down the street, and on a hot day like this, she couldn't think of a better way to spend it.

[member="Cairyn Midore"]

 

[Cairyn Midore]

He was waiting for it, the laughter, the unamused sigh, the chastising, the complaining about him wasting her time. He should've asked Muad or someone else who wasn't hunched over research or whatever mumbo jumbo Grace associated herself with. It all seemed silly to Cairyn, all of it going over his head in more ways than one.

He was almost stunned into compliance when she stood, heading out the door. He was slow to follow, not quite realizing what she'd said until she'd already taken several steps and then he rushed to catch up to her with a little skip in his step. "Wait, where are we going?" He asked, nearly tripping over his baggy clothes as he went. He cast a curious look at the librarian, eyeing the flask near the man's grasp with curiosity before offering an overly enthusiastic wave and grin. The librarian didn't spend much time on the boy, continuing his grumbling as he went back to sorting.

"Geez, he's in a good mood," the Teevan noted.

[member="Lady Psyona"]​

 

[Grace Darkson]

"That man has three settings; Drunk, asleep, and angry." She grinned as she continued down the street. "He's currently awake and he knows if he gets drunk on the job again I'll reorganize a section of the library so he can't find anything." Casting a glance over her shoulder, she glimpsed the flask, shook her head, and simply kept walking. "He's good at his job, though."

"As for your first question, there's an amazing ice cream shop down the street. My treat." Her golden gaze seemed almost excited as she spoke, something that was almost out of place for this situation. "I needed to get out anyways. Been working for almost a month straight." Okay, that wasn't entirely true, but she had been working more than was healthy. She'd have a location on Darth Nox's holocron soon, she knew it. Just a little more work. Another page, another hint. It had to be there. She knew that.

But that could wait. Now was the time for Ice cream.

[member="Cairyn Midore"]

 

[Cairyn Midore]

Listening to her brief explanation, Cairyn wasted no time grabbing the nearest book off a shelf they passed and placing it on another shelf entirely. If Grace was going to rearrange the library to spite this man, the Gamemaster would happily contribute. He was an agent of chaos, after all, it would be almost criminal for him to pass up on an opportunity to spell annoyance for another.

"But what is ice cream?" he asked again, brow furrowing as he stared up at her countenance. Was Chase...excited? No, that wasn't right. Chase was scarcely anything more than gloomy and impatient. "Is it poison?" He mumbled under his breath. Was Grace trying to kill him again? Sure, the last time was his fault. And, according to her, she was actually saving his life, but he still mourned the loss of those pets. Even with the bugs clinging to his flesh now.

"Y'know, I don't get how you can stay cooped up like that," He said, voice high as he switched subjects. "Like, I'm pretty sure I'd die of boredom doing what you do."

[member="Lady Psyona"]​

 

[Grace Darkson]

"No, it's not poison." She responded with a laugh. How did he seriously not know about this? He had to be pulling her leg. There was no other explanation. Still, she doubted even Cairyn could keep an act like this up for this long. But that raised uncomfortable questions all over again. What else had he missed from his childhood? What had he needed of her? How much of his needs had she missed in trying to forge him into the Dominion's weapon?

And why did she care so much about him?

"Somedays I wonder that myself." She replied, her head tilting as his pitch rose. "I have a tendancy to get burried in my work, and loose track of time. In colladge, I tended to get the required reedings for the month done by the first week if I liked the topic. When I find something intresting, I find out everything I can about it." A small frown crossed her face. "And then I move on. I have a lot of information in my head about Sith History, Force Traditions, and even theories on how to raise the dead, but I have no idea how to handle romance, or kids, or anything like that." Golden eyes glanced up at the sign. Moe and Joe's Ice Cream. "Well, this is the place. C'mon!"

[member="Cairyn Midore"]

 

[Cairyn Midore]

"Then what is it? One of those dumb survival exercises again?" He remembered the last time they did anything involving ice. If he remembered correctly, she'd threatened to cut off his head and use him as an example to the others? Funny how that affair worked out now, with him at the top of the food chain, master of games, tamer of a thousand creatures. Still, he didn't fancy enduring the elements ill-prepared yet again.

"Geez," a hand found itself running through his hair. What a nerd. He'd known that about Chase already, but still, this made her sound like a super mega nerd. And not the cool kind, either, if she couldn't take care of herself in the process. Oh, well, it'd make her all the more easy to kill later. "You should take a break," he said, nodding to himself. "Go on a vacation. Why, you could even visit the arena. My pets would love another playmate every so often." One could scarcely keep up with tending to his creatures, making certain they got the attention they deserved. It didn't make things easier that he was so intent on adding more to his collection. Still, he wanted the best arena in the galaxy and he would make it so.

A brow rose, taking in the shop. "This place serves ice cream? Seems fishy to me."

[member="Lady Psyona"]​