Take Me To The River [Boo Heavenshield]

[Théodred Heavenshield]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ar2VHW1i2w​

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Kashyyyk​

Finding Paradise​

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It had only been a week or so since coming the Kashyyyk, Theo and Boo had been staying in the quarters at the Temple provided for them by Knight [member="Kei Raxis"] for which they were most grateful to him. It was a pleasant enough place and everything Boo could want was here and available to him to his hearts desire, same for Theo for that matter, but he knew that they would need to have a place to themselves away from the main body of the Temple to be alone and for Boo to have a different life to what Theo had experienced as a young child. His parent had done the best they could, provided everything for him and Nina and they never wanted for anything. But the childhood of a force user so vastly different to the average kid, and when your name is Heavenshield .. people got over protective, especially the family.

Boo would not escape this, but Theo would at least try and shield from it, and try and give him a childhood as free from duty, and the riggers of galaxy, to try and provide a place in which Boo could simply be a kid. On Midvinter, Theo had that freedom, Voss not so much. Even if only for a few hours a day, he wanted his son to run free.

He had not slept very well that night, the steamy hot night air still clinging to his skin made for a restless bed, sheets thrown to the floor in hope that his body would get some breath of air on it to cool him down. No such luck, so Theo woke just as tired. He sat up in bed a pulled his legs up turning to look out the open window in a hope of seeing something that might ease his core. There was nothing, not one leaf stirred on the trees outside, even the avian perched on a limb looked like it had had enough. Was it like this all the time?

Theo threw his legs over the side of the bed and made for the refresher, maybe there was solace to be found there. He did not get far, as the sound of slithering grew louder by the second and in came Azi with a small ball in her mouth eager for a morning game of catch. She loved this place. "Seriously?", Theo could hardly think at this time of the day, and he looked through the door wondering if Boo was awake too.

He picked up Azi from the floor, allowing her to coil around his thick arm, "I don't suppose you know where I can find a large block of ice", he asked watching her eyes flick around the room. "Maybe I could go and sleep in the freezer in the mess hall for a few hours". Azi was not much of a conversationalist, she just wanted him to throw the ball.

Not making it to the refresher, Theo walked to Boo's room and threw the ball on the bed that looked like a lump of arms and legs. Theo smiled, children always look innocent when sleeping .. until they open their eyes.

[member="Boo Heavenshield"] ​

 

[Zak Dymo]

Coruscant's Undercity had a weather all its own.

Near the industrial complex, the heat from the foundries created something of a lake effect off the kilometers and kilometers of sewer lines. It could create quite the humid environment. The smell of which was revolting to say the least. And pervasive. The stench would find you no matter what you did or how far you tried to get away.

As a result, the Pantoran had developed a talent for sleeping anywhere. Originally, he'd slept like a cat. Short naps. Ready to wake at the first sign of trouble. It was only after he'd fallen into the care of [member="Irajah Ven"] that the boy had started to develop a normal sleep pattern. Now the boy was happy to sleep in... just getting him to go to bed could be a bit of a struggle. Once he was in bed, Théo could count on about nine hours of childless freedom.

Now, as far as Azi, there was no such thing as too early for a game of fetch. The most venomous snake in the known galaxy, and one of the most powerful weapon systems in the Yuuzhan Vong soldier's arsenal, the playful biot was likely not at all what people expected an amphistaff to be.

The ball landed on the bed, with the biot launching from off of Théo's arm in pursuit.

There were a muffled squeak from under the covers, as the amphistaff dragon dived onto the bed. A blue foot became visible, as Coi -- the SnuggleSnek -- eased her head out from under the duvet at the foot of the bed. Picking up the ball in her mouth, Azi rolled around the top of the bed like a happy sidewinder.

Coi saw the movement and launched out from under the covers to play with the amphistaff, and pretty soon there were two snakes chasing one after the other like a pair of squirrels high on McYoda's magic dragon sauce.

As the two snakes were racing out of the bedroom, a blue hand reached over to chuck a pillow at the retreating serpents. Which just meant there was now a pillow flying at Théo's general direction.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Leaning on the door frame to Boo's bedroom with arms folded across his chest, Theo chuckled at the scene unfolding in front of him before being hit in the face with a flying pillow. He caught the pillow before it hit the floor and now he had ammo, which soon struck the sleepy Boo still under the covers of his duvet, how he could sleep with any form of bedding in this heat was beyond Theo's understanding. "Come on sleepy head, time to get up and go for a swim". Another light thud with the pillow hit Boo, just as the two serpents tangled around his legs before racing off under the bed.

Theo threw the pillow in the general direction of where Boo's head should be, it was not there of course, naturally .. his feet where. "I am going to prepare some breakfast for us to take to the river and we can break fast in the cool". If there was any 'cool' to be found on this planet. Two heads popped out from under the bed at the mention of food, and soon Theo was shadowed all the way back to his bedroom where he changed into his swimming trunks, the refresh, to the kitchen, anywhere he moved.

"Boo! come feed your pets!", he yelled back down the hallway, but Theo could have sworn that Azi raised an eyebrow at that comment, that is if amphistaffs have eyebrows, which they don't, but if they did .. it would be raised. "Okay you are not a pet, you are family". Theo soon had a small bag filled with food to take, the water they could get at the river, there was no point in packing a towel, the humidity would not allow for one to get dry anyway, but at least they could be cool for a little while.

There was also a hidden mission on this morning exploration trip to the river, he would tell Boo about it all on the way down, if they are to find a new place for their home here, Theo wanted Boo to have a say in it.

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[member="Boo Heavenshield"]​

 

[Zak Dymo]

The regal amphistaff raised her head in indignation.

She was the deadly and powerful amphistaff. If anything, she was royalty! Possibly somewhere along the spectrum between a goddess and Xena: Warrior Princess.

...Théo and Boo were the pets. But they were her pets, which made them special. But still, it was important to note who was the pet and who was the owner in this equation. And Azi was positive that owner was her.

The biot turned her head so that her personal assistant could make a note of this offense against her royal personage for later. However, the SnuggleSnek was currently chomping on a chew toy at present.

It was so hard to get good help these days.

Meanwhile, at the Legion of Doom, the Pantoran was not under the covers because he was cold, but rather because it was light out. Growing up in the Undercity, Boo wasn't used to natural light. The Undercity was a world of darkness, so he was buried under the covers in order to have a nice dark environment in which to sleep.

Except he couldn't, because Théo.

Because Théo seemed to be the inception of many things worse than the Dark Side. Like cleaning his room.

The boy sat up, thoroughly not enjoying this get out of bed concept that Théo seemed to be pushing. Rolling out of bed, the sleepy-headed boy made his way down to the kitchen in order to rustle up some food for the snakes. GenPals brand pet food for Coi. Some raw nerf steak for Azi.

Then the boy went back to his room. And stood in the doorway, thinking about putting his swim trunks on.

Instead he flopped back down on top of the bed.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

A short blue zombie child sloped into the kitchen, thought processes on minimal but enough to give reason to the actions of feeding Azi and Coi although dexterity lacked in aim and he missed their plates. But neither Coi nor Azi appeared to mind gobbling up their breakfast and cleaning the floor. Not a word was spoke, zombies lack this ability yet from Theo came a genuine chuckle at the sight of his son as he vanished back to his room.

Theo placed the packed bag on the kitchen table along side a couple of towels, everything was ready for their day out.. everything but one thing.

It was too quiet in Boo's room, and he would have placed his life on the bet that Boo was asleep again and confirming his suspicions when enter this room again, Theo stood watching him sleep for a moment. Apart from the fact Boo now had means in which to eat well, sleep well and be cared for by someone that loves him, Theo delighted in the fact that Boo was starting to be, and enjoying being, a kid.

Theo walked to the bed, and lifted up the heavy lump of a kid and placed him over his shoulder holding onto him by the legs as Boo's dead weight form hung down his back. Back in the kitchen, he gathered the bag over the other shoulder and looked down at Coi and Azi, now filled with food and sluggish in movement with their bellies swollen. "Come on you two", he crouched with laden back and extended his arm for the both to slither up and find a place to ride.

And so Theo walked through the Silver Temple residential quarters, with bag, child and snakes, much to amusement and surprise to the other Jedi in the hall. It did not take long to find the shade of the jungle close by, the heat of the day dropping by a couple of degrees but not the humidity .. it was this that 'killed' him the most but the use of the force has able to stop Theo from falling into a melting heap on the ground. Regardless of all this discomfort, it was a lovely day, early morning sun not yet above the tree tops, the incredible wild life active with their start of the day and filled the air with sound as their calls which echoed around the jungle.

He found the river soon enough and turned them all up stream walking along the bank of the wide and churning waters.

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[member="Boo Heavenshield"]​

 

[Zak Dymo]

A large pale sasquatch lumbered into the snake den that the resident serpents generously allowed their Pantoran servant to occupy.

As the boy was lifted up, he made a sound that was rather like a squeak. Hanging over Théo's shoulder, Boo pondered doing something about this situation. Except it was entirely too hot to do any thinking, much less any do-ing. So he just hung there. And soon had a couple of snakes hanging out with him.

The boy use Azi like a blindfold as they moved outside.

Kashyyyk was sunny. And green. And sunny. And warm. And more sunny.

He was from the Dark Side. They called it the Dark Side because it was supposed to be dark! All this fresh air and sunshine was entirely too much... Théo-ish behavior.

There should at least be snow on the ground!

...at least then he'd have something to throw at Théo.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

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Finally! there was a soft breeze to give them all some relief from the heat. Theo could feel his blood cooling but even still he struggled along with the heavy burden on his shoulders. He did not really feel it to be honest, his Valkyri strength kicking in, but to have fun with the sleepy Boo, the less than excited Boo, Theo made noises as though the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. "Time for you to walk on your own I think", she lowered to the ground and set Boo's feet to the sandy bank.

"Now doesn't this place look a picture", he grinned. And the water looked so inviting, but he would leave it up to Boo to decide where they might pause and consider their surroundings, a place in which they can build their home.

"I have brought you out here for a reason Boo. I think we both need a place of our own in which to live. The Temple is great and has everything we need but, we need a place in which we can have more privacy", he was thinking of him and the necessity for Boo to be able to relax with his forced application of the dark side. The Silver Jedi are accepting of this, but there would be some among their ranks that are not. It is not something Boo has a choice in, that was taken from and now the lightside would be his death. Even if the young man wished to change.

But not all choices had been removed from Boo, Theo had seen many darksiders use their abilities for the good in life. It is all about actions, deeds one does in life that build the picture of the boy, and the man he will one day become. He has that choice still.

"And this could be a good place to start looking. But first a swim?". Theo dropped the bag to the ground along with the towels .. and a packed pair of swimming trunks for Boo.

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[member="Boo Heavenshield"]​

 

[Zak Dymo]

With Boo still slung over Théo's shoulder, Azi had coiled up on top of the boy's butt as the beach had come into view.

Tail wagging vigorously, the viper-like alien had peered down for a good spot. Then, spring-boarding off the butt, swan-dived onto the snake like an Olympic swimmer. It didn't even look like the amphistaff had hit the ground. Instead, the biot slid into the sand like a stick into water. And began trashing about playfully.

Slick amphistaff, warm amphistaff, little coil of snake.

Happy amphistaff, burrowing amphistaff, mew mew mew.

Coi was much less certain about this beach thing. As Théo set the boy down on his own feet, the SnuggleSnek traveled down the child's leg and tenuously stretched out with it's snout to test this 'sand' thing. Then, deciding it didn't like the grainy ground, traveled up to the boy's shoulder.

With the sun beating down, and his feet now on the hot sand, it seemed that Boo didn't have much of a choice.

Théo was doing a lot of talking. Boo was doing a lot of not listening. Bending down, he rummaged through the bag and found the swim trunks inside. Changing into them, the boy reached up and disentangled the SnuggleSnek from around him. Depositing Coi inside the bag, the boy took off to go jump into the water.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Théo was already dressed for the swim, expect for his loose shirt which was wet with sweat and could probably use a wash. And so he did as Boo and Azi thrashed about in the waters of the river. Going to the bank, dunking his shirt in the water he rinsed it before standing the ring it out and hang it over a branch of one of the tropical plants along the river bank. He could not help but smile and laugh at Boo's sudden burst into life from his sleepy demeanour previous and although Coi was not one for this adventure, happy enough curled in the bag, it should be a fun day out for them.

Already on the far horizon was the cloud build up, after all Kashyyyk is prone to tropical rains which would probably reach them in the afternoon, so they had plenty of time to relax and enjoy themselves. Or at least so he thought, Théo is student of the study of weather patterns of Midvinter, able to read it with authority but here? that was work in progress.

Happy that his shirt would dry out soon enough and be fresh for their journey back to the Temple, Théo suddenly vanished within the foliage and made his way upstream a reasonable distance. Boo would hear a loud splash as he entered the waters, he would not see him however, but immediately, his hot skin reacted to the change in temperature and his body shuddered as if the water was cold, but it did not take long to adjust, it was like a warm bath. Théo found the current in the center of the river and laid in it, his face to the skies floating and allowing the current to take him where it will.

It would not be long before he would be visible to Boo again, floating fast on the current he whipped passed him, riding the waters with a large smile. The current spat him out a little way down stream, and Théo wadded back to do it all over again.

"Come on try it, it is fun".

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[member="Boo Heavenshield"]​