All Stories are True

[Josh Dragovalor]

Oh he was definitely lying. But he was going to get his kicks in over this apparent "drunk like like hell" story that Scherezade had set up to excuse her present issues. Or was that just a conclusion she came to? Either way, he was going to run with it, and oh boy run with it he would.

"Oh ho! But you did!" Josh would accuse with a laugh. "You said you wanted to fly with the porgies! You were drunk like all hell, Maddie, you don't remember? You ran around the room screaming "GROOO-GYYYYY-GROOOOO-GYYYYY" He joked as he imitated a porg sound, which got the attention of Porgbert who began imitating the sound as Josh couldn't help his laughter.

"You even flapped your arms around, thinking you were a porg!"

Jason had taken notice of this whole thing, and had started giggling.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena just stared at him as he went on to mimic what she had allegedly done. It sounded... Nothing like her.

"Josh DragonsFlame," she half hissed at him, "you will stop that right now!" and then her face returned to neutral, "I've never gotten that drunk before in my life. And I doubt I did that even if really was that drunk that night. Why was I even drinking? I don't remember a party or anything like that."

Still, she noticed the reaction of both Porgbert and Jason. She rolled her eyes quickly and then... Did exactly what Josh said she had done, doing Porg sounds and flapping her arms, hoping to get a reaction from Jason.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh only started laughing harder at her reaction, but it intensified further when she began making Porg sounds and flapping her arms. Jason though, got an even bigger kick out of it as the child burst into uncontrollable giggling. "Daddy! Daddy! She's a porgie!" Jason would cry out as he pointed at her between giggling fits.

Josh did appreciate what she was doing though, trying to bond with Jason. Even if she did have her pride, she put Jason over that, even in public. It warmed his heart, really. It was... Kind of like what a mother would do. But Josh would push those thoughts away, trying not to ruin the moment she was trying to make with Jason as Josh would then smile. "She's a porgie, Jason" He cracked with a laugh.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

It was a few minutes later that Madalena let her arms down, taking a deep breath. She thought nothing about making some funny sounds in public. There were worse things she'd done in public, though a table with a two year old sitting by it was not the place to mention them.

"Josh!" she whined, "food! now!"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Alright, alright" Josh would remark when the laughter quieted down. "Excuse me, waiter? We're ready to order" He called as their orders would quickly be taken, along with their asked for drinks. Once their orders were taken, Josh would slump back, as he watched a giggling Jason stare at Madalena.

"... Are you actually a porgie" Jason would ask, staring at her with big eyes. Josh couldn't hold in the snort.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena grinned at Jason's question, and faked a cough while she made some thespian movements as though she was preparing for a big performance.

"I shall tell you a tale, little Jason," she said, "a tale of lands that are far, far away!" Her voice was deep, booming. She wasn't really looking if there were other people nearby, didn't care if they were listening, "and in that land far, far away, were the Porg King and Porg Queen, and they had many, many Porg-kiddies of their own! But above all they loved their first-born girl-Porg, and named her Porgiana!"

She paused dramatically to take a sip of water, "One day, a terrible Porg-eater arrived in the lands of the Porg King and Porg Queen, and the terrible Porg-eater wanted to EAT! ALL! THE PORGS!" For that one, she made a scary face, moving her fingers like spiders.

"The King-Porg and Queen-Porg quickly hid all many many porg-children so that they would be safe, but they could not find Porgiana anywhere! Where was Porgiana?" she asked, her voice high-pitched now, "Where was Porgiana?"


[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh meanwhile, was in stitches. The Jedi had to bury his head in the table to keep from openly losing his chit in laughter at Madalena's porgy tale to Jason. But Jason stared at her, with big brown eyes as he seemed completely taken with her story. Sure, it was nonsensical, but a two year old, out of what they could understand from the story, was taken in. But when she got to the cliffhanger, she couldn't just leave it there!

"What happened to Porg-y-annah?" Jason would manage out, staring at her, his eyes demanding that she explain. Josh told him stories fairly often, so this was a game to him.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena just shrugged carelessly. "I don't know. Probably got eaten by the terrible Porg-eater because they couldn't find her on time."

She leaned back in her seat, drinking her water again. Only when she put her glass down did she look at Jason, her eyes opening wide.

"Of course that's not what happened!" she announced, "you see Jason, Porgiana was a very fiercy Porgie! She was a battle-porg, like your daddy is for the Silver Jedi, and she decided to save her kingdom and remove the threat of the terrible porg-eater!"

She leaned closer now, looking deadly straight into Jason's face, "It was a long and very hard battle. Porgiana and the terrible Porg-eater went at it, fighting very, very hard. Feathers flew all around as they tried to win each other out. The fight lasted three full days and three full nights, but in the end, it looked like Porgiana was going to win!

But what no one knew was that the terrible Porg-eater was also a terrible sorcerer, and when he realized that the wonderful Porgiana was going to beat him, he put a curse on her! Porgiana won the battle and all the porgies were safe again, but Porgiana now was cursed. The terrible porg-eater-sorcerer put a spell on her, and because of that spell, Porgianna is now doomed to wander around the galaxy, always far away from her family. She's not allowed to look like a Porgie anymore, she looks like a human. But once a year, if Porgiana is at the right place at the right time, she turns into a Porgie again and hoots to the moon for her family, whom she misses very, very terribly."

Madalena sighed and leaned back in the chair. She thought it sounded like good enough of a story. She knew how to weave fairy tales at the tip of the wand, or so the saying went.

"And one day, little Jason," she said with a little smile, "I'll break the terrible porg-eater-sorcerer's curse, and I'll fly back to the rest of my porgie family."

And with that dramatic end, she clicked her tongue again, looking at Porgbert. The porg immediately flew from Jason's head to rest on her shoulder.

"But all the real Porgs know I'm their princess," she said with a wink, still looking at Jason.


[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh tried his best to stifle a laugh. He knew a mile away where this story was going, but he remained quiet for Jason's sake. While Jason didn't understand half of the story - no duh, he's two - he would hang onto every word, and he seemed to at least understand the key parts. Which was good, at least. So when she would indicate that yes, she was Porgiana, Jason would begin giggling without stop.

"Porgiana!" Jason would chirp between laughter. "You're Porgiana!" Josh would laugh, shaking his head. "Alright Porgiana, I think you've had your fun" He spoke with a big grin. He did appreciate it, all the same. As their drinks would arrive, Josh would take out the sippy cup he had for Jason, would polish it off and then begin to pour Jason's drink in - not without checking it for poisons using the Force as he always did - before he would seal the lid on the sippy cup and hand it to Jason.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

"I am Porgiana," Madalena said with a firm nod, ignoring Josh's comment for the moment, "but you must never tell that to anyone, little Jason. It's a secret! You can call me Porgiana if we're alone with your daddy, and you can call me Porgiana if you're talking about me with Porgbert, but everywhere else you must call me Maddy. Can you do that and help me protect my kingdom like that?"

Drinks that were not water had arrived. Madalena's, as usually, included a tall glass of ice cold cream. It was the only thing she usually drank if it wasn't water.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Jason would nod his head a few times. "Okay Porgiana" He whispered as he would take the sippy cup and begin drinking. Of course, even with drinks the kid was a little glutton, which got a laugh out of Josh every single time. It seemed it was going to take awhile for him to know what a "Maddy" was.

Josh had soda. It was good. Nice way to cool himself down while also keeping caffeine up for those long nights. Josh would smile lightly. "So, you're excited to start at work then?"

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena looked at Josh. Her smile was still tired, but there were more than enough hints of enthusiasm in it. "Wish I could've started right away," she admitted, and then added, "but if I had, I'd have called you to let you know."

At last, their food had arrived. A big pile of steaming hot bantha wings were placed in front of her, and she was sure she was about to start drooling. It was such a shame that they needed a minute or two to cool down so she could have them without burning her tongue.

"What'd you get?" she asked, eying Josh's plate. Maybe if it wasn't as hot she could steal a bite from it.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Chicken" Josh would respond. Porgbert would perk up and stare at it, then at Josh. Then at the plate. Then at Josh. And it let out a "GRRR-REEEEEE" in turn. "And no, before you ask... Not porg. I don't eat porg. I don't know how anyone could eat porg."

He tried it once, before he'd ever actually seen a porg. He didn't know how people could stomach it. But Porgbert somehow seemed to understand enough to calm down, so Josh threw the porg a little porg treat. Jason meanwhile, got something from the kids menu. But it wouldn't be long before he'd be eating like the big boys. He was already eating things for big boys as it was. Little glutton. Regardless, he would blow on the chicken a bit, not seeming to be able to wait for long for it to cool. He even pinched a bit with his fingers to see if he could eat it. And he did. Though judging by him (seemingly) calmly taking a drink immediately after, he probably regretted it immediately.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Nope, Josh's meal was also too hot. Madalena waited the maximum possible amounts of minutes she could before her hunger got the best of her, and she grabbed the first wing. She put it in her mouth, and when she took the bones out a mere moment later, only bones came, clean an white and lacking any hint of meat being them a second earlier.

They were heavenly.

And just as with the steak the day before, her body protested. Madalena tried to force it down, but it was a no go. Into the napkin it went instead. The second wing, the third wing...

Madalena was almost ready to give up and push the plate away, when at last, it was the fifth wing that went down smoothly. Maybe she'd need to see a physician before the trip was over.


[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh watched her as she would try to stomach food, watching as each one went into a napkin every time. As Josh and Jason were waiting for their food to cool, Josh had nothing else better to do. Finally, she would manage to get some in and keep it in this time. Figuring she would likely eat the rest that she'd put on her napkins now that she could stomach it, he would smile and check his own food. "How're you holding up?" He would ask her as he would seem at least satisfied with the temperature of his food.

Oh Force, now it was time to finally be able to eat this tasty food! He already knew it was tasty, he'd been here before, so now it was time to stomach it down! Oh, he could not just wait anymore!

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Okay, no. You do not eat food that you spit into a napkin. That's just nasty. Whatever was in the napkin was gone for good as far as Madalena's care went. Besides, it was a huge platter, and besides #2, she could always order another one.

When Josh asked her how she was holding up, Madalena blinked. "My mouth and stomach are being all weird," she answered truthfully, "I should be able to devour this without a second thought."

Still, she was eating. Some of the other wings were making their way to napkins as well, but others were going down. She couldn't understand her body's reaction to any of it. But she was still hungry, and she was not going to stop trying until her appetite had been satisfied.

"How's your food?" she asked the other two.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Hmm..." Josh would muse aloud as Jason would mimic his father and immediately check his food, before beginning to dig in with his hands regardless of whether it had been hot or not. He was just mimicking his father. Not that it was too hot right now, he'd waited just as his father did, seeming intent on mimicking everything about him that he possibly could.

When she would ask her question, he smiled lightly. "'tis good. Want to try some?" Josh would ask as he motioned toward the chicken.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena shook her head. "No thanks," she said with a grin, "chicken is sub-par meat. I like real meat."

Looking over at Jason, she couldn't help but smile. He was absolutely adorable as he ate.

A few moments later, Madalena pulled her holodevice out, checking her messages. Somewhere inside of her, she hoped something from Brayden would arrive. But her notifications were all set to zero.

With a sigh, she put the device back in her pocket, and grabbed another wing.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I prefer steak myself, but I just had it yesterday, good to bring out some variety, aye?" Josh would remark as he would tear a drumstick from the chicken and spin it between his fingers, sticking his tongue at her. Considering the size of Josh's hands, that was a big drumstick too. He'd ordered the large, this was going to take some time to get down. But the truth was that he'd hardly eaten since breakfast anyway, so the opportunity was a good chance to properly fill his stomach.

He watched her check her messages, and the frown that followed. "You got a date you're waiting for?" Josh would tease, shooting her a grin. He looked toward Jason who was just laying into his food. He wouldn't take very long. And then he would probably want dessert. Glutton.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Madalena shrugged at the mention of variety. She didn't care about such things too much. After all, it wasn't like she was going to have access to steak every single day. Two days in a row weren't going to hurt or bore her. And still, she had opted for the wings.

When he teased her about her date, she just shook her head. "I was hoping something from Brayden would've made it through," she sighed, "but I now it's futile. It'll be months before I hear anything." With a gleam in her eye, she suddenly grinned, "but I expect dates will happen soon enough. A bunch of Knights training and getting sweaty together, there's no way it's going to be completely innocent. It'd be nice to meet guys... Or girls? I don't know. Been a while. It's not why I joined though."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]