Private Secret Tunnel!

[Klar]

"I'm honestly not sure." Klar chuckled, settling in with Xuko beside her. After the episode in the cave, the relatively placid setup of camping, and the emotionally fraught conversation that'd followed? It was simply nice to exist next to each other. Physical proximity with no expectations. Klar was very much a touchy sort of person, and Xuko wasn't so much - this felt like a nice compromise, even if she gathered that he didn't mind her contact quite so much. "I'd be happy to spar with you, though! It'll be a great way of getting a better idea of what we're each capable of."

The blonde stretched her legs out languidly, peering upwards as the sun steadily made her way towards the horizon. The afternoon was getting tired now. Bugs were waking up, the light was dimming a little. Soon sunbathing wouldn't be worth it. But that was fine. They had a fire and hanging out by that waiting for them. And whatever came tomorrow. Hikes and swimming.

"I like Soresu." Klar mused thoughtfully. "It makes sense to me. I want to protect people. I don't want to hurt anyone if I don't have to." She explained. "Probably related to that, I also have a soft spot for Form Five. Shien just makes sense to me, but I'm less comfortable with it than I am with Soresu."

She tapped her lip thoughtfully. "I guess, though, it mostly depends on how you define 'strongest'. If you're asking what form I have the most technical skill in, it's probably Soresu. If you're asking what I'd best be able to strike somebody down with, that's probably still Jar'Kai." Klar added. "Even if I'm not exceptionally good or practiced at it, most opponents aren't used to fighting somebody with four hands. I try not to rely too heavily on the tactic of overwhelming somebody when I spar, but it is a pretty consistent way to score hits."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko enjoyed hearing the reasons behind decisions being made, and it further helped that they were discussing battle tactics. Although he sensed that he and Klar had differing ideologies when it came to how best to end a fight- Xuko, by contrast, had no qualms about subjecting his opponents to a little Vorr'kath Zhen- he couldn't accuse the Codru-Ji of not thinking things through. He also had to admit that her more pacifistic style was more likely to be approved of by their instructors, since Jedi were not supposed to be needlessly violent. Xuko was of the opinion that it could be dangerous to put too much focus into not hurting an opponent who was actively trying to kill you, but kept that thought to himself; not wanting to interrupt Klar's stream of words.

Funny how time spent with Klar flew by. Xuko glanced at the sun and judged there to be a few hours of daylight left, but not much of it would be ideal for sunbathing. Sooner or later they'd have to turn their attention to dinner and a campfire; Xuko, sensing that this particular conversation had likely run its course, decided to take advantage of the natural break.

"Thank you for your insight" he said, brushing an intrepid bug off of himself and sitting up on the towel. "It will be evening soon, and we can build the fire we spoke of earlier" he suggested. A fire probably wasn't necessary on a jungle planet like Tython, but if Klar wanted an authentic camping experience then a campfire was absolutely needed.

A thought occurred to him as he stood up and considered the food in his go bag. He had no expectation that Klar had packed food for him- Iridonian diets were very unique- but he realized he should probably include something in his bag that Klar enjoyed, now.

"How is your spice tolerance?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

"Oh, awful." Klar laughed, springing up from her towel. "I thought I had a fairly good tolerance, comparatively? And then I came here, and everybody's eating the spiciest things I've tasted in my entire life like it's no big deal." She complained good-naturedly as she scooped up her towel and flopped some of the sand off of it. "Now, I don't want to say that I'm a completely lost cause. I'll try anything once... but if we make chili, please don't laugh if I dress it up with sour cream and a fistful of crackers?"

Klar bound back to her tent with her things, idly tossing in her little radio so she could let it sing her to sleep later.

Of course, she didn't stop talking as she got dressed. A pup tent was hardly enough barrier to mute a conversation over, even if Xuko was likely dutifully building a fire while she did so. And why wouldn't he? He didn't have a bikini to change out of, the lucky scad. "I brought some sausages, and a few frozen eels." Klar reported cheerfully. "Along with rolls for them. Oh! And potatoes. Four GOOD sized ones. They're in the speeder. I read that if we put one wrapped in foil in the embers of the fire overnight, it'll be nice and soft and warm in the morning, and that sounds a little exciting!"

Rustling, bustling. Klar emerged in a pair of loose, flowing workout pants and a similarly loose t-shirt, large enough to fall to her mid-thigh. Her usual sleeping clothes, with the exception of sandals. Because bugs. Comfortably androgynous, both because she'd both come out to him and they'd settled that they wouldn't be sleeping together. She bounced right past Xuko and any fire he was making to the speeder and began digging through it with eager delight. "Aaaaalso....." She sang.

Klar lifted up a sealed bag of mallows, chocolate, and cinnamon crackers. In her typical fashion, they were carefully portioned and labelled for what her preliminary research had suggested was the optional ratio. "...I brought the stuff we need for more'stufars!" The Codru-Ji exclaimed proudly, brandishing a pair of cooking skewers styled after lightsabers. "It wasn't easy to find the crackers, but I think it'll be well worth it!"

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Tag: Klar
Mentions: Azurine Varek

Xuko didn't change out of his swim trunks yet, but he did throw on a sleeveless shirt that served as the base layer to his Jedi robes. The Zabrak smiled to himself as Klar's commentary continued in spite of them being in two different spaces, making a mental note that the Codru-Ji could probably not handle the Iridonian rations he'd packed. That was no slight on her, of course; the diet he had grown up on used spice liberally and in ways many species' taste buds couldn't decipher. What was a burst of different flavors to Iridonians usually translated to varying degrees of my mouth is on fire!1!!1! to other species. Spice was to Iridonians what the color white was to Kaminoans.

As he listened, Xuko also kept an ear out for the things he couldn't eat: the rolls, the potatoes, and most regretfully, the more'stufars. And while he and Klar had decided not to share a tent tonight, Xuko still didn't want the discomfort that came with ingesting chocolate or marshmallows. Idly, Xuko wondered if Azurine Varek had any advice for navigating the galactic food scene when so many species had evolved beyond being carnivorous.

"I regret that I cannot eat the more'stufars" he said, coaxing the fire to life, "but that will leave more for you." Simple math, as far as he was concerned. "I do appreciate your preparedness, though."

A few minutes later the fire was blazing happily and Xuko breathed deeply, appreciating the feeling of dry heat on his skin once again. He would wait until the fire died down to a more consistent temperature before beginning cooking the eels and sausages. "What are some of your favorite foods?" he asked Klar, to help pass the time.

 

[Klar]

While the allure of melted mallows and chocolate was tempting, Klar had been assured that a core part of the more'stufars experience was the communal aspect of eating something burning and sugary and mildly dangerous with friends. Xuko not being able to participate did sap a bit of the allure. She considered the bag for a moment, then decided she'd maybe try some later if she was in the mood. She did pop a mallow into her mouth, though, completely ruining her carefully-planned ratio of ingredients.

Though, Klar could only have been honest with herself - that ratio would not have survived for very long.

Making her way back over to the fire with a fresh thermos of iced tea, Klar found a spot nearish to Xuko and set herself down. The fire was... nice. She wished she'd paid more attention to how it was made, but there was always time to learn and refine that lesson later. Still chewing the overlarge mallow, Klar pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and wrapped it around her wrist while fiddling with her thermos. Unbound, her blonde hair fell to between her shoulderblades.

"You already know this one." Klar snickered once she'd cleared her airway of sugar. "The corned beef, cabbage, cheese sandwich I mentioned. That's my favorite." She explained. Rather than pour a cup of iced tea, she simply sipped directly from the thermos. Unsweetened cold brew - she'd made a whole jug of the stuff, and it currently sat in the speeder for safe keeping. Klar offered the thermos to Xuko with a smile.

"Are we doing questions, now? Does that mean it's my turn to ask one?" She asked curiously, her eyes lighting up playfully. "You might rue that decision, my darling dearest friend. Think carefully, for there's so very much I want to know!"

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

As soon as he asked the question, Xuko mentally facepalmed; he knew this. He'd even gone so far as to search for a place that sold the type of sandwiches Klar enjoyed, but for some reason her favorite food had escaped his memory in the moment. He'd rarely had sandwiches himself, on account of being unable to digest most breads. However, it appeared that this particular sandwich shop had a variety of options for a variety of needs. As he was reminded of this, Xuko filed the possibility away for later.

Xuko nodded an affirmative to Klar's question, sensing the playful challenge in her voice; and he was rarely one to back down from a challenge, even one that might require talking about himself. Assuming he could think of questions even half as fast as Klar could, the conversation would be more or less balanced by their respective communication styles. "Go ahead" he said, idly wondering if he'd ever come up with a nickname for Klar. "We can take turns asking questions. What would you like to know?" Given the depth of their earlier conversation he felt comfortable opening himself up to her questions.

As they talked, Xuko unfolded a flexible pan and its telescoping stand, adjusting its height over the fire. While they could use the oddly adorable lightsaber skewers for the sausages, the fully-frozen eels would require a different approach.

Klar

 

[Klar]

Compared to Zuko's portable grill setup, Klar almost felt that her dinky little skewers were a bit childish. Admittedly, she'd gotten them specifically with the intent of roasting marshmallows for what she'd heard was an iconic childhood camping treat, BUT STILL. As always, she couldn't help but admire his diligence and quiet level of preparedness. How many times today had he quietly taken care of things around the camp while she was occupied? Setting up the fire pit, laying out their towels, bringing proper cooking equipment she hadn't known even existed?

Her desire to ask Xuko an embarrassing question all but evaporated. She was too busy appreciating him and his quiet, unasked acts of service.

Hugging one leg to her chest, chin on her knee, Klar considered Xuko thoughtfully. "In your opinion - and be honest here - what do you think is your most attractive feature?" The Codru-Ji asked curiously, her cheeky smile suggesting that she thought she was being rather clever. And perhaps she was. Her question was a roundabout way of flirting by asserting that he had more than one attractive feature he might name, an attempt to build him up by having him compliment himself. Mostly, though, it was in line with her current train of thought. "And no cop-out answers, mind!" She warned sternly, raising a finger. "Like 'eyes' or something! I want a real answer. Juicy. If it doesn't make you blush a little, you're probably not digging as deep as you aught!"

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Although he was wholly unprepared for Klar's question, Xuko nonetheless appreciated it. Unlike his admittedly shallow question- which he should've known the answer to- Klar's was indicative of her approach to a lot of topics. It summed up a lot of what Xuko valued about Klar; her curiosity, playfulness, inquisitiveness, and authenticity.

That didn't mean that he was immediately ready with an answer, though. Xuko found himself thinking for several seconds, and one point even holding up a finger to assure Klar that he was working on an answer. Firstly, there was little about himself that made him blush. Second, he found himself trying to picture himself through someone else's eyes, which was made more difficult by the fact that he had little concept of what another person might find physically attractive. Third was that it was somewhat difficult to think with Klar sitting there, smiling cheekily at him. Na'vuz...

After nearly a minute of silence, Xuko finally had his answer.

"I would have to say that it is my sparkling sense of humor" he said, fixing Klar with a stare and daring her to disagree with his cop-out answer. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he mostly kept a straight face as he decided to give the one example he could think of that was probably more in line with what she was looking for. "Although I was once told, and I quote, that I have 'Iridonia's ass'. Whether or not that was true he had no idea.

Channeling aside thoughts of that strange catcall, Xuko turned the question back at Klar. "Now, your turn. What do you think is your most attractive feature?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

Whatever Klar had been expecting him to say, it certainly wasn't that. Given Xuko's dry sense of humor, perhaps she SHOULD have - but his deadpan delivery combined with the cheeky little smirk that threatened to break ground on his face sent the Codru-Ji into peals of delighted laughter. Clutching her side, she seized and threw a small twig at him because it was nearby. "Oh, fark off!" Klar giggled, unleasing an extremely rare - for her - expletive. Real limited edition collector's stuff.

Her grin was positively radiant as she settled, though. "It IS a nice bottom." Klar agreed readily and without reservation. "I'm not sure if it's planetary-grade, but it IS rather nice." She promised.

In response to his own question, Klar fixed Xuko with a dry smirk and rolled her eyes. "Oi. You can't just repeat my question back at me." She complained. "You'll have to come up with some of your own, you know! It isn't fair if I'm the only one doing so. But! In the spirit of having-not-established-that-beforehand."

The blonde leaned back on her lower hands without hesitation, pointing directly to her chest - or at least the area of her long, thick shirt that occluded it "These. Easy." She promised. "As far as physical goes, it's hardly even a contest. I've a fantastic pair, and now you know why I'm sometimes a bit conflicted about that." Klar explained with a crooked smirk. "On the larger side without being too obnoxious, well-shaped, and they look fantastic no matter what I dress 'em up in."

Klar sat forward again, hugging her leg to her chest. "Has a movie or song ever made you cry?" She asked curiously. "And if so, what was it?"

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Humor did not come readily to Xuko, but hearing Klar's laugh made the stretch worth it. He tossed the twig she'd thrown at him into the fire, using that as an excuse to hide the flushing on his face as she complimented his butt. Hearing the term, 'planetary-grade' in relation to glutes called up mental images that he was eager to dismiss from his mind.

Xuko nodded his acceptance of the new stipulation, doing his best to think of a unique question while Klar rattled off a surprisingly-quick answer to the one he'd just thrown back at her. "There are a shortage of perfect breasts in the galaxy" he agreed solemnly, understanding a little better part of Klar's conflict.

He was a little more prepared to answer her next question, fortunately. "I have not seen any holomovies" he admitted, wondering how many of the galaxy's citizens could say the same. He pursed his lips, his gaze settling on a point many years in his past. "As for songs... when my Ka'irak'sha died, there was a song sung at her burial. I do not think it was the song, itself, but while it was being sung I noticed that my father was crying." Xuko took a breath as the memory washed over him. "I had never seen my father weep before, and I think that made me emotional as well."

With some effort, he returned his focus to happier times- the present, with Klar. She would be waiting on him to ask a question.

"If you were not a Codru-Ji, which species would you want to be and why?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

Perfect was a big word. Klar didn't know if she agreed that they were perfect, but it was nice to hear that Xuko thought so. Coming from him, both in regards to his preferences and his proximity to her, that meant a lot.

As Xuko talked about the funeral of a loved one (Klar assumed, from context) she was appropriately saddened. Though she did not have a family to speak of, losing any of her loved ones would be devastating. The only thing that might possibly make such an experience worse would be watching somebody else she loved grieving the loss, knowing that she could not help - only time would be able to. How could you pull somebody up when you were also drowning in sorrow? What if the person you'd lost is the one you would have clung to most in your dark hour?

Klar reached out to put a brief hand of solidarity on Xuko's leg, squeezing in what she hoped was comfort. Or at the least, solidarity.

His question gave her pause. For all the time she spent thinking about what if she'd been born male, or at the least less feminine in presentation, Klar had never really considered what it might be like to be another species. In her fantasies, she was always a thing shaped more or less like herself - just less round in parts, more squarish. Did she answer Besalisk? The idea didn't really appeal to her. Too bulky, and why not be a bit adventurous while you were playing in the space? "...Never really considered it, but. I suppose... a Twi'lek, or perhaps a Nautolan?" She guessed thoughtfully. "The idea of Ryl as a language is fascinating, and water has always mystified me. I think it'd be wonderful to be able to explore it more naturally, in the case of Nautolan." Klar decided. "Barring that, probably a human. Wouldn't be much of a change. Worse hearing, less arms, blend in more." She snickered.

"If you had to make a million credits in, say, a week - or something absolutely horrid would happen, just the worst - how would you try to do it?" Klar asked curiously, grinning up at Xuko.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko nodded his thanks to Klar's gentle squeeze, noticing that he'd gradually gotten more comfortable around the Codru-Ji. He thought back to their first interactions together, and how unprepared he'd been for how hands-on Klar was. Bumps, gentle taps, and other touches were part of how she communicated and now, he was understanding, part of how she expressed connection. And while it wasn't a way in which he typically connected with others, Xuko guessed that Klar would probably enjoy receiving touch in the same ways.

The Zabrak was mildly surprised that, out of the thousands of species in the galaxy, that Klar had managed to narrow her choice down to three. For someone who had more than likely gone down the research rabbit hole on dozens of species, Xuko thought it unfair to chide her for not picking one. Her choice of a human was not one he'd expected, but then again humans could be found in every corner of the galaxy.

As for how to make a million credits in a week... Xuko knew that was an astronomical sum, and there was only one option he could think of. "I would have to enter the Kaggath tournament" he said, naming the very public and very expensive combat tournament he'd been introduced to a couple days ago. It wasn't much of a plan, he reflected; although Xuko considered himself to be an above-average combatant, entering the Kaggath would be akin to a death sentence. "Either I would win, or it would not be my problem anymore." Morbid, but pragmatic.

By this point the fire had died down enough that cooking could begin. First, Xuko spread the frozen eels out on the portable griddle, adjusting the height so it was a little further away from the fire to help them thaw more evenly. Then Xuko speared a couple of sausages on each of the lightsaber skewers, handing one to Klar while keeping the other for himself.

This brief interruption gave him time to come up with another prompt. "What is the earlies happy memory that you have?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

"Yeah - fair." Klar snickered, twisting the sausage to ensure it was fully on the skewer before lowering it onto the fire. She had a dim idea of the best way to cook one, though it involved patience - not her strongest suit when it came to tasty food. Knowing where to place the sausage relative to the heat was an art more than a science, and Klar was not exceptional at art. Sure, she could conceptualize it in terms she understood. Lightsaber rings of defense made sense, but that didn't mean she really knew which one was the best. Too close, the outside burns and middle was raw. Too far, and it took all night to cook.

She settled for the middlest distance possible, mostly mirroring what Xuko did - but slightly closer, since she suspected he'd like his meat a little more raw than hers. "I could watch you cook every day." She commented idly, watching the half-thawed eels sizzling in the pan. While she liked eels, Klar hadn't the foggiest idea on how to cook them. She was glad that Xuko seemed to know what he was doing, because her plan had been to just heat them up on a stick until they looked done and didn't bleed too much. Cover in sauce and enjoy. "Sincerely."

"...my earliest happy memory. Hm." Klar mused thoughtfully. "Well. I already mentioned how my nanny would take me about on walks. Parks and cafes and the sort." She explained warmly, turning her sausage. "Aside from that. Hm."

Klar considered for a moment, longer. It wasn't that she didn't have happy memories - it was going that far back that was a little difficult, peering through the sands of time. She then snapped her fingers and smiled. "I know the one. My mom was sick with something when I was little. Really little. Not like, Chronic. Just for a week or two." Klar explained. "But when she started feeling better and moving about, they let me around her again. We spent all day for days on the couch, watching holofilms and reading books. My parents were always very busy people, so it was rare to feel like I was the center of their world. But for almost a week, I was. It was... it was nice."

Klar sighed softly, smiling a bit as she twisted her sausage too and fro. "Maybe that's why I watch so many films." She considered for a moment. "It was something we did together as a family, about once a week. My parents had a massive collection, almost an entire room. Mom took it with her when she left. I'm not sure which loss dad took worse. I was pretty young."

She glanced up from her sausage and smiled impishly. "Have you really never wondered what it'd be like if you were born a girl?" She asked sheepishly. "I assumed everyone did. But you kind of seemed confused at the idea. And I've never been brave enough to ask anyone else to find out if I'm wrong about being normal or not."

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

As they cooked- and as Klar regaled him with an early memory- Xuko again considered how different their paths had been. The two of them had come from different planets, different familial structures, different cultures, and different lived experiences. It was a minor miracle that they had met, let alone gotten to know each other. Call it what you will- luck, fate or the Force- Xuko was grateful for it.

"Anytime you wish" the Zabrak said, in response to Klar's statement about him cooking. Although there were few opportunities to cook at the temple, he'd had an idea to partner with Azzie to make some Iridonian recipes; just for a taste of home. He'd already decided that he'd make special, significantly less-spicy alternatives for Klar to try.

Xuko merely shrugged in response to Klar's next question. "Not particularly" he replied. "There are few gender norms on Iridonia; everyone is expected to contribute in every area. And since I did not develop much of an interest in the physical differences, the thought simply did not cross my mind." He held up his skewer to check how the sausage looked, then decided to resume cooking it. "So I am afraid that I cannot give you much perspective." Xuko also wanted to add something about how he didn't care if Klar was 'normal' and that he liked her no matter what, but the words were frustratingly jumbled inside his head well beyond the window to speak them.

That meant it was his turn to ask a question, but not before he turned over the eels. Juices sizzled and popped as they continued to cook. "If you had to choose any occupation outside of the Jedi Order, what would you choose to do?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

Well, if Xuko hadn't ever wondered that more or less sealed it. He was the most normal guy she knew. It didn't bode well for her, but in a way that meant she could process the details later. Worry about it later. Maybe talk to a professional? Maybe talk to nobody and just quietly burn in shame and discomfort behind closed doors.

"That's an easy one, actually." Klar chirped, studying Xuko's sausagetech so she could replicate it. "I'd like to teach kids. Anywhere tween or down, ideally, but I wouldn't mind if it were teens once I'm... further away from being one myself and more likely to be taken seriously." The blonde laughed. "I suppose I could do work like that in the Jedi Order as well, but why not aim high?"

Klar flexed her lower arms with a broad smile. "I've spent so much time studying forms and katas and trying techniques that I'm SURE to be a decent Guardian someday." She boasted hopefully. "The Galaxy is full of primary school teachers and tutors. But it could always use more people to get between the kids and the bad guys, and if I have even the slightest bit of potential that could lead to being that protector - I should do it, yeah?" Klar explained. "Pursue that potential and grab it with all four, really make the most of it. Anyone can wrangle kids, but not anyone can be a Jedi Knight."

Idly spinning the sausage, Klar thoughtfully considered eels again. Eels weren't her favorite food ever, but they were probably in the top twenty - and seemed like they'd make for good grill fodder. From the scent of it, that was proving true. For a minute or two, she enjoyed the scent of cooking meat and the sound of the fire crackling, the building quiet security of a close friend. The catharsis of having opened up to somebody

"Have you ever tried spice?" Klar asked curiously.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko probably should've seen that reply coming, too, but it was nice to have his suspicions confirmed by Klar. Xuko had no doubt that due to how she'd engaged with the younglings at the temple during a recent class project, the Codru-Ji would make a fine teacher. However, he was grateful for her current path, and optimistic about it as well. "You will make a fine Guardian" he said, "and the things that you learn along the way can be shared with the Younglings." After all, Vorr'kath Zhen meant little if one's victories and lessons were not shared.

Fortunately for Xuko, Klar's next question was easy to answer. "Spice is central to Iridonian cuisine" he replied, misunderstanding her question, "and it is in most of our foods." Having heard of her spice tolerance earlier he was reluctant to bring out some of the rations he carried in his go bag. "I am told that what is flavorful for us is incredibly hot for most other creatures." The Sarlacc Spit jerky was one of his favorite snacks, but it was difficult to obtain because it lacked widespread demand.

"If you could commit any crime, knowing that you would get away with it, what would you do?"

Klar

 

[Klar]

She should have expected that.

It WAS pretty adorable, though. Klar hid her grin, eyes half-lidded as she leaned her chin back on her knee and listened to him completely misunderstand her question. It wasn't worth correcting. His repy had answered the question in an indirect sort of way. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is." She giggled. "I'd love to at least try the real thing, someday. I hear there's different kinds of spicy - such as garlic being a different kind of spicy than hot peppers." She mused. "Maybe I can handle Iridonian spice? I'd like to at least attempt."

Klar thought about her answer for a moment. "I... I feel like my answer SHOULD be 'depose or disarm the Sith Emperor for the good of the galaxy'." She confessed after consideration, looking a little uncomfortable. "Not that I think I could be capable of doing such a thing. And I don't think that I'd want the... you know. Weight of killing somebody from ambush like that. Because I do believe it would require killing to matter for more than a few minutes." She explained. "I don't think I'll ever want to kill somebody. We have trials for a reason. A process. Not that I think the Emperor would ever stand trial in Alliance space."

A smile. "Maybe the law I should break is rigging the Kaggath so you can win that million credits and we both get away scot free?" She suggested playfully. "Maybe take me somewhere nice to celebrate before we fake our deaths so They can't get us."

She snickered again, eyes lighting up. "Oh, there's an idea. We have to fake our deaths and disappear. Where do we go? What's our cover?" Klar asked excitedly.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Alarm bells went off in Xuko's head as Klar described garlic as spicy. Those were the words of someone who could definitely not handle Iridonian spices. A wave of concern washed over the Zabrak. "I do not think that is a good idea" he said, choosing honesty in the face of Klar's optimism. "But if you must... make sure I am aware? And that your schedule for the following day is clear." Hopefully she didn't make him explain how ingesting extreme spice was difficult on most humanoids' digestive systems.

Klar's answer to his question was noble- Xuko had half been expecting some kind of harmless mischief, or even what he would term as "good trouble", but Klar went straight for the personification of evil in the galaxy; the Emperor. Xuko had little specific knowledge of the wider Jedi/Sith conflict, but he could appreciate targeting the biggest evil and removing it.

By this time, the eels were done and Xuko sensed that the sausage he was cooking was nearly so. Xuko moved the eels onto a plate and gestured for Klar to help herself while he pondered her latest prompt. "First I would take you anywhere you wanted, yes" he said, envisioning a cafe that sold Reuben sandwiches. The cover story and location eluded him, however, and he had a sense that his answer was going to be boring.

"The simplest way to truly disappear would be to move to a planet like Tatooine or Jakku, and live in poverty" he said. "In my experience, people's eyes tend to ignore the poor" - a harsh truth that Xuko despised- "and nobody willingly chooses to go to Tatooine."

"Do you have a favorite holofilm?" he asked around bites of sausage.

Klar

 

[Klar]

Klar was eager to help herself, wiggling her fingers with delight as she was served. While Xuko finished up the cooking, Klar took a moment to handle the plating - springing up to retrieve the rolls she'd stashed in the speeder, refresh her iced tea, and grab a bit of cheese. Sausages - and eel - were better with a little dressing up, and Klar was all to happy to assist Xuko with this. Honestly, it just felt like the kind of day to have grilled sausages on buns with some cheese.

"Absolutely, and it's not even a contest." Klar promised as she took a bite. "Firstly? Favorite actor, Blik Nayge. He might be a crazy, half-stimulant loon, but I love the energy he brings to his films. Bickerman was amazing, Wild at Parts was legitimately good, but my favorite is likely The Stone." The Codru-Ji explained eagerly. "Three brilliant leading men at the top of their games, playing the three most THEM characters they could ever play, shot by a director who knows to send art out of the room from time to time for the benefit of action? What more could you want?" She gushed.

"Which isn't to say that I don't also love some more cerebral classics." Klar added quickly. She didn't want Xuko to think she was cultureless. "Quiet Nexu, Silent Dragon is just the tip of Atrisian cinema. I watch Bodyguard every. Year. The old one. Grainy footage and shaky cameras really help sell the period piece." She rambled. "Oh! Also! ALSO! Empire of the Star is a personal favorite, my dad watched it every Life Day. I don't normally go in for the war films as much, unless they're certified bangers like Saving Lt. Rian, but Empire of the Star did an absolutely beautiful job showing the rarely-seen side of a conflict (from our perspective in the Alliance) while still keeping a compelling, tragic narrative. You can really feel as though the war itself is more a character and less a setpiece, from the weight it carries in every scene." Klar yapped.

She took a second bite. Delicious eel dog.

"Oh! ALSO?" Klar continued, turning to address Xuko more directly. "Comedic classics! Starcarrier! is fantastic, though I love everything Nelslie Lielsen does. Did you know he was a dramatic actor before he found his footing in comedy? Rally, The Bare Blaster was kind of transformative for him."

"Oh. And The Princess Bride." Klar added. "Of course. Speaking of! Did you know that Bel Moukz is-"


They were going to be here for awhile. Xuko had inadvertently stepped into a bottomless ravine.

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko hoped that Klar got to enjoy her eels and sausages while they were still hot. The Codru-Ji spent much of the next few hours talking, mostly uninterrupted, as only she could. Xuko did his best to follow but was soon buried by an ever-growing list of actors, cinematographers, and holofilms. Still, knowing that this was important to Klar, he paid attention and did his best to ask questions along the way, although it was probably quite apparent that he had little understanding of what or whom he was talking about.

Despite that, it was still a very enjoyable few hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The food was put away, the sun had fully set, and the fire was now just softly-glowing embers interrupted by the occasional foil-wrapped potato. Xuko had spread out his towel again on the sand and was sitting with a blanket loosely draped over his shoulders looking up at the twinkling stars of the galaxy. The constellations on Tython were foreign to him, and he had no idea if his homeworld of Iridonia was even visible from here, but the beauty of the night sky still took his breath away.

The Zabrak sensed Klar's presence as she approached, and he wordlessly lifted one arm; offering space under the blanket to sit next to him.

Klar