Private Ruck March

[Haro Aven]

Mildly confused and irritated by Naami's response, Haro furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t back down from the bullish eye contact. Haro wasn't sure if he should feel invalidated or flattered but it was clear the stubborn Zabrak wasn't going to make this easy. As much as he didn't want to fight Naami on this, he definitely wasn't about to let him just get away with it without at least demanding an explanation. That said, there was a part of Haro that was still a little worried about pissing him off while they were all alone and so far away from any witnesses.

“W’ll, thanks I guess but…" he mumbled uncomfortably. Then he sighed, exasperated, shaking his head.

"If you weren’t gonna let me get hurt, then what’s the point of making me feel like you were?” He leveled a pointed look at Naami as he finished his question but continued to press on before allowing an opportunity to answer, becoming more worked up as he did so.

“You’re top of your class, everyone and their droid knows who you are at school, you’re surrounded by powerful allies and loyal friends" He counted off on his fingers then gestured at Naami, "I mean, you’re a kriffing Force user for stars' sake.”

“So, what exactly do you get outta bullying some new kid from the bowels of Coruscant? Like, is there an angle or does it just give you some kind of sick satisfaction?" Haro was surprised by the bite behind his own words but it certainly felt better to get it out rather than stew on it any longer.​

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

At first, Naami scoffed, a snorted breath escaping his nose as it seemed like he might interject. Instead, he listened and the bullish, defiant air seemed to fade away into something more contemplative. He truly hadn't put much thought into his actions beforehand that day, and since Leshanna had scolded him, the zabrak had spent a lot of time playing the moment over in his mind.

The way Haro put it now though... It sounded so bad. It certainly didn't sound like the spur of the moment, if somewhat mean-spirited, playful teasing that he'd intended it to be. It sounded a lot more like targeted malice.

Naami broke eye contact, looking out across the rolling desert, straightening up a bit from the casual lean he'd been assuming moments before. Eventually he grunted an acknowledgement to Haro's words, but didn't yet answer. Instead he twisted, reaching behind to pull his pack closer and unzipped a top pocket. He revealed an extra large pack of candy- the kind normally shared between people, and tossed it gently underhand at Haro. Then he pulled out a large citrus fruit and a pocket knife, preparing to carve into his dessert of choice.

"Didn't think about any of it like that," he admitted honestly, "Was just curious- found it hard to believe you're not a Force user. Tried to test it-" he shrugged, not making eye contact now.

What he didn't add, what had been nagging at him since Haro's arrival at school, was that he felt somewhat threatened by how easy being the new kid seemed for Haro. He'd charmed practically everyone who spoke with him, he was a quick study, clearly very smart, and already had a lot of worldly experience that a lot of people twice his age couldn't claim. In truth, Naami felt threatened by the way Haro made it all seem so simple, all the hard work and hard earned friendships Naami had been building for months just seemed to be something so easy for some "new kid from the bowels of Coruscant".

 

[Haro Aven]

As Naami straightened up and pulled his pack closer, Haro eyed him, suddenly worried that the Zabrak might just decide to ignore him and start packing up to leave. He nearly spoke up again when Naami pulled a couple more things out and tossed the larger one at Haro. He caught it, immediately identifying it as a big bag of candy. Briefly, Haro lit up at the unexpected gift before he schooled his expression again, stubbornly attempting to affect a frustrated pout. He didn't want Naami to think he would be so easily swayed from holding him accountable for his actions.

"Was just curious- found it hard to believe you're not a Force user. Tried to test it-"
"What? Really?" Haro screwed up his face in confusion, genuinely surprised and maybe a little flattered. He eyed Naami suspiciously, trying to figure out if he was just making something up. He assumed there might be more to it than that but he figured that was all he was going to get from the boy in terms of explanation so he decided to play along for now.
"Tsch! I wish," he scoffed pulling open the bag.
"I mean, I'm down to test it..." he glanced sidelong at Naami with narrowed eyes, then said pointedly, "as long as I'm given the chance to consent to that." He reached in and grabbed a piece of candy–a smooth perfectly round little bite-sized morsel that was brightly colored.
"Aren't I too old for that to start manifesting now though?" He asked before he popped the candy into his mouth. The hard exterior gave way to a gooey center and Haro hummed happily, despite himself.​

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

The zabrak settled back into a more relaxed pose. He began cutting into the fruit, turning it into neat little slices that he ate one at a time, rind and all.

"Maybe," he answered about Force manifestation with a shrug, "But maybe not."

He waved the knife in his hand like it was a magic wand and intoned dryly.

"The Force and its mysterious ways, y'know."

Naami considered Haro as they both munched on their treats, a nagging thought still present based on Haro's tone in bringing the topic up. He wouldn't have let Haro get hurt. The situation had been blown out of proportion and it would've turned out fine. But that clearly wasn't good enough for Haro.

Somewhere deep within himself, Naami understood why. He'd put the new guy through the ringer, probably still would, until he could prove himself trustworthy enough. Just because Naami felt justified in vetting him, didn't mean Haro just had to sit there and take it. In fact, the zabrak rather preferred this side of the boy. He liked seeing the proof of the kid's backbone and self respect.

"Hey, Aven?"

Ice blue eyes, piercing in the morning sunlight, rose to gather Haro's attention.

"I hear you, ok? I'll lay off."

His voice was low and serious. He wanted his peer to know he meant it.

"I won't go easy on you. Nothing about our training is easy. But I'll be fair."

 

[Haro Aven]

Haro huffed a short laugh at Naami's reference to the universal saying about the Force and its mysterious ways, before he too fell into contemplative silence. He sighed and popped another candy in his mouth, squinting against the morning light as he looked out at their incredible view, taking in the beauty they'd worked so hard for while he could. He was feeling a bit lighter now that he'd gotten all that off his chest but, most importantly, he was relieved that Naami's suspicions seemed to be far enough off target to be safe. Still, it was clear the Sith acolyte had suspected Haro was hiding something from him, whether that was his sensitivity in the Force or something else. Haro still wasn't sure he could trust him, but he was glad they'd had this time together and that Naami had shown the initiative to make it happen.

When Naami broke the silence with the gruff soldierly use of Haro's last name, Haro glanced sidelong at him with a "hm?"

The gravitas of Naami's tone, the sincerity behind his eyes, gave Haro pause. He studied the boy for a long moment before he nodded.

"Alright... I appreciate that," he said, matching Naami's sincerity. He glanced down at the bag of candy, then smiled a bit sheepishly, feeling guilty for not thanking him sooner.

"Thanks for this," he lifted the bag a bit. "And for the sandwich. It really was delicious."

He peered out over the edge of the platform and down the steep slope they'd climbed up just earlier and sighed.

"We should probably head back, huh?" He asked, yawning and stretching his arms out to either side before he started packing up. "At least it'll be easier heading back down."​