Don't Touch That!

[Ignatius]

The door closed to my room. Arekk and Jyn had just dropped off their newly adopted daughter at my room. Closing the door behind them as they walked away, I just stood at the door for a moment. Wondering what I had gotten myself into. Yes, I thought friends would be able to watch out for the place when they were gone, but... children? I could barely get over the fact that I didn't have a childhood. How could I teach a child, or keep them from destroying everything? I pray to the force or whatever being would listen to me that would answer. Please let this child be one with common sense. Please let this child understand some things and not drive me up the wall.

Turning around, I looked at the little being. She was very small compared to me. I stood just around two meters tall, and this girl was barely a barely half of that. I did notice the stripes on her neck from when she was walking into the room. As well as the feline looking eyes. Was she a hybrid of two species? I was unsure which ones. However, I knelt down onto one knee. Getting down onto her level so I could look at her.

Closer inspection showed bright vibrant eyes as I held out a hand too her.

"Well hello there Atefeh. I'm Ignis a... friend of your moms."

I didn't know if she knew what shaking hands meant, but it was still offered because I wanted to be polite around the child. Considering we were both still in the hall that led to the door, there wasn't quite much that she could see. Other than the coat rack that had my vest, leather jacket, and a belt with a sword hanging from it. However, at the base was a pair of boots that were well worn, and two pairs of shoes. One for running, and the other were light leather ones that I wore when training in my Matukai studies.

"It seems like I will be taking care of you for a while. You okay with that?"

I asked the question. On a serious level wanting to know what she thought about it. Becoming a child of a prominent figure within the Je'daii Order, and then only to leave on a mission and leave the child behind so that she would be safe. I asked the question because unlike my own childhood, I wanted to treat her with respect and show her that not all adults, or beings of the universe were evil or bad.

Even if I was wearing a pair of pants that had holes in the knees, and tears at the ankles, with a tank top of some deathmetal band and various tattoos, piercings, and scars along my body that were easily visible.

[member="Atefeh Lorr"], [member="Sahna Te"],

 

[Atefeh Lorr]

Atefeh had been having the greatest days of her life, one after the next, since her arrival to Aurum. It was easy to make a child that had never really understood happiness feel it, when faced with the truthful characteristics of it. She had also learnt a lot, and part of her learning was that [member="Jyn Sol"] 's and [member="Arekk"]'s 'job' was the type that occasionally kept them away from home.

She had been very understanding and put on the best smile when saying her goodbyes. But in truth, she was a little scared. It was the first time she experienced this new life without the guidance of either of them, without the comfort they provided nearby. Her green eyes were trained on the couple as they left, and only once they were out of sight did she silently enter the room, shyly looking at [member="Ignis Imura"].

Jyn and Arekk had told her he was a good friend of them, and that she had nothing to worry about as long as she stayed within sight and listened to what he had to say. That might have not stopped the shyness and slight insecurity from taking over, but it certainly gave her more determination to fight against them.

Ignis' appearance was certainly unique and the type that she knew most people would associate with words like "bad" or "rebel". But Atefeh believed it was a horrible thing to judge people by the way they looked. She had often been on the receiving end of such conclusions. And the dark drawings on his skin were curious to her, reminding her of her own markings and ignorant to the fact his were of artificial nature.

The little girl extended her hand, taking Ignis' and acknowledging his greeting. "Hi" She said, her voice still lacking certain energy since she was still slowly starting to get more comfortable around him. Then, he asked her if she was okay with him looking after her. She nodded her head, "Mommy and daddy said you are good." Was her reply, which spoke highly of the trust the girl had gathered for both her adoptive parents in relatively short lapse of time.

Suddenly, a glimpse of light caught her eyes and she briefly looked over Ignis' shoulder to see a long metallic object hanging from a garment she recognized to be a belt. Since it was in such a strange location and she had never truly seen one, the little girl failed to recognize it as a sword right away. "What is that?" She inquired, her attention deviated from the previous subject.

[member="Ignis Imura"] [member="Sahna Te"]

 

[Ignatius]

The little girls voice was small and almost quite. Even I didn't need the force to tell that she was nervous or scared. Being in a new place, with a stranger, while the people who you had learned to trust were leaving. It was quite daunting. I knew some of this feeling from my own youth, and I didn't want her to feel it as strongly as I had. While the little child's hand eased into my much larger one, I gently shook it. She just simply stated Hi. Which is fine. I didn't expect her to just go off and give me a huge introduction like some people would. Throwing titles and ranks around like it was credits. Nor did I really think she had a rank other than youngling. Either way, I kept a small smile on my face.

A moment after, she indicated behind me. Asking what was that. I turned my head around to where she was pointing to the coat rack. My neck craned a little to see what she was pointing too, but I got the idea fairly quickly when I noticed the sword hanging there. Yes, I always had it there and with me, but it wasn't something that was always on my mind. It was like a set of keys or a wallet. It was there, but you never remembered it until you needed it, or were going out. I smiled a little. Rising from my position, I walked over to the sword and grabbed it, and the sheath with the belt still attached. Even though I could be clearly seen wearing one already, this one was meant to hold the sword alone.

Kneeling back down in front of the girl, I pulled the weapon out just a bit so she could see the base of the blade. In a sense, presenting it to her.

"This is a sword that I have made. I use it to defend myself when I am out in the Galaxy. While your dad and mom use different weapons, I like my sword. Careful of the edge though. It's very sharp."

The sword may have been too heavy for her to lift as I was unsure how strong she was. Nor did I want her to try and swing it around and smack the wall or break something. The wall or whatever she would hit would be destroyed while the sword would not. I mean, it was intended to be nigh indestructible.

"Unlike some weapons, this one has a name. Oathkeeper."

I let her inspect it for a bit more before closing the weapon up and wrapping the belt around the sheath and held it in my left hand.

"Atefeh, Right? What do you normally do with your parents when you are with them?"

I wanted a good question for her to think over, as well as provide me some more information. Not that I was spying or being a stalker to her parents, but I wanted to know her schedule. What she normally did. Interrupting that could be bad, or look bad on me for not being an adult about this. If she just played games, or if she hung out and did whatever the parents were doing or if they just simply sat down and watched holovids all day. I didn't want to change it up all too much.

However, if other things came up, then sure. I am more than willing to work around it.

[member="Atefeh Lorr"],

 

[Atefeh Lorr]

Tefie's eyes followed Ignis movements as he stood up to retrieve the object she had pointed out. Upon seeing it in his hands as he slightly drew the blade, the image became much clearer in her head and identification quickly followed. Her interest was deeply caught by the weapon, but she wouldn't dare to lift her hand and touch the dangerous object.

She smiled slightly as Ignis told her about his weapon and its uses. Luckily for her, she hadn't had the misfortune of seeing any weapon back at the orphanage. Of course, right now she was looking at one without it being a threat, but not even the imagination of a child was extensive enough to think of a positive scenario involving a weapon set in that horrible building.

"Oathkeeper." She repeated, her pronunciation slightly off though it was clear she had done her best to say it correctly. "What oath do you have to keep?" Came another question, the endless curiosity of children not making an exception with her. Of course, she had given a literal meaning to something that was probably symbolical.

As he fully sheathed the sword once more, she looked up to him. Tefie pondered on her answer for a while. She had been doing lots of things with her parents, so she was trying to select the ones she thought were most important and relevant. "We have breakfast together, they teach me to read more difficult books and to write, we meditate, play holoboard games...Oh! We also go out to walk around the city and I make drawing for them!" She answered, her face adopting a new brightness towards the end of her reply.

She then slid the the small back pack holding her belongings down her shoulders and brought it forward, quickly opening it and withdrawing a sketchbook from it. Tefie opened the sketchbook in a drawing that depicted some sort of unidentifiable animal. The name "Keepo" was untidily written on top of it. "I made this one yesterday!" She claimed, smiling sweetly.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

It seems the child was quite intelligent. Asking her own question of the blade, and the oath I had to keep. I sighed a bit as she herself thought over the question that I gave her. She happened to answer first though. Coming up with what they did on a more daily basis. Play games, read and write, meditate, which was likely Jyn's doing, and even walks or her giving them drawings. I did think it was kind of cute of her making drawings for her parents. Even if they were adopted. It showed that she really did have a connection with them. The bond that they shared. I almost envied the two and the connection they had to this child. So tender and young and innocent.

Turning the backbag around her shoulder, and producing forth her own drawing. I gently took it from her and inspected it. Seeing the drawing of some kind of animal with the name almost scribbled down of "Keepo." Likely one of the animals that Jyn has been keeping as pets. I knew she had quite the number of them, and I could only assume this was the monkey creature that hung around her neck, and was given to her by Arekk. Handing it back to her with a smile,

"That's very nice. Thank you for showing me this."

I sighed a little as I stood. Gently placing a hand on her head while I moved around the child in the hall, it was to keep her still so I wouldn't step on her toes. My large hand barely rested upon her hair that was up in a bun. Likely done by Jyn before she left. And going to be oh so difficult for me to replicate. For the time that the couple was going to spend away, I would need to learn how to braid, or bun someone's hair. And it's not like I could go to Sahna for that. She had crown and montrails. Not hair. though, she was a girl...

I let the thought leave me as I exited the hall and into the main room. A couch with a high-tech game system was hooked up but currently off. The holoset was currently playing some kind of show. Honestly, I kept it on just so then I had any kind of noise in the room. In the left corner next to the window was a bench. Various tools and parts of electronics were up on the bench holding some blueprint down for a lightsaber that I owned. Taking quite the long time to recreate it and fix it from its broken pieces. Otherwise, the room was a little bit of a mess. A flick of my hand picked up various clothing pieces with the force and were then folded neatly onto the work bench to cover up the tools and whatever else.

Calling out behind me to the little girl as I assumed she would follow.

"So, your question of the sword? I made a promise to my own mother. And as a sign of that promise, I have the sword. It's near a dear to my heart. Anyways. I had not expected your arrival. I don't have a whole bunch of toys or places for you to play."

I reached over into the couch to pick up the remote for the holoset and turn it off for the time being. I wanted to be able to talk to her, as well as hear her. The soft and squeaky voice of the child would be hard pressed to battle against the videos that played.

"Actually, there is something we can do. I have not eaten yet today. Would you like me to cook us up something, or are you not hungry?"

I had a few things that I might try and eat, but all of that was in the kitchen. And that... that was a mess way beyond my cleaning. So while I stood there, I was flicking my fingers behind back with one arm as the kitchen was being cleaned once more like the clothes were. Well, if you counted cleaning the dishes as throwing them into the cubbard high and away from her vision as clean, then sure. The Kitchen was being cleaned up just fine.

[member="Atefeh Lorr"],

 

[Atefeh Lorr]

The child's face lit up in a bright smile as she replied with a small 'you are welcome', before taking the sketchbook back between her little hands and carefuly putting it back into her backpack. As she lowered herself to reach the zip a ray of light caught her cheek, making the silvery lining of her cheek bones shine slightly. Firrerreo's scars adopted a silver color, since she was a hybrid of of the species hers did too.

However, she also displayed a sort of silvery highlight in the areas were the skin was thinner, such as her cheekbones, nose bridge and over her ribs. It was usually not very visible, unless these areas were caught in direct light like in this moment. "I can make some for you later, if you like them. I brought my colors!" She offered, once again her eyes following him as he moved.

As Ignis moved on to the next room, Tefie lifted her bag from the floor and followed him, exploring her surroundings with her gaze as she did so. She liked the place, not noticing how the young man used the Force to tidy things up as she advanced through his home. She used to know nothing about the Force, least that she herself was closely entwined with it. Jyn and Ar'ekk had taught her a lot during the time they spent together. She knew it had three faces: the Ashla or Light, the Bogan or Darkness and the Bendu, the balance.

She had been learning how to better understand all the feelings and sensations that the Force used to guide her, how to find them and interpret them. Up to now, she found it immensely easier to do when they meditated together, for her mind was still to young to be able to clear itself from distractions and other thoughts at any given moment. It was a skill she would develop over time, with training and only as her understanding of the Force grew together with her.

"So its like a symbol for a remimer" She said. Tefie had been learning about what symbol's were too, things that represented others. Of course, she didn't notice the slight slip in her use of the word 'reminder', though in accordance to the meaning of it she had employed it correctly. Ignis then mentioned not having been prepared for her arrival, but the child was quick to reassure him there was nothing bad about it. "Its okay. I don't need many toys. I have my plushy here." Her little hand pointed at the bag. Tefie had grown up with no other personal belonging besides the tattered clothes on her back and the plush toy, which had been too in precarious conditions until Jyn patched it up and cleaned it for her.

At the mention of food her stomach sprung back to life, emitting some vibrations that had her putting her small hand over it. Tefie nodded her head while looking at Ignis. "I am hungry. I can help cook too." She claimed, adding the last sentence after giving confirmation. She didn't really know how to cook, but the thought of sitting around while Ignis cooked for both of them made her want to help.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

I nodded my head to the little girl. She hit the head right on the nail with the explanation of the sword. However, I didn't continue with it because there was not much else I had to do to explain it. She got the idea of it, and would understand. While she might not grasp the entire idea at the moment, maybe later on, she would. Later on when she learned how important promises were to be kept. As the little girl followed me into the room, she explained soon after that she already had a toy with her and the coloring utensils that she came with. I looked at the little toy. It seemed worn and well used during scary nights, or snuggled when alone.

However, My eyes opened wide with the grumbling of the little girls stomach. She spoke up that she could help cook. I smiled a little and crouched down a bit to be at her eye level.

"Well with your tummy grumbling that much, I would hope so!"

Chuckling a little with her about needing to help cook so I could actually feed her. Indicating to the kitchen, I started to walk that way.

"Is there anything you want specifically? or are you just hungry for any kind of food? If you are up for it, I can make a dish that my mother used to make for me. Though, I will warn you, I am not as a good cook as she is."

I couldn't help but laugh at myself. I never thought in years that I would have to cook for a child. Still, it got me to do something other than study my blueprints and sit around doing nothing, or out doing dangerous stuff. Maybe this was for the better? I really hoped that Jyn wasn't using this as a way to get at me and make me do something.

[member="Atefeh Lorr"],

 

[Atefeh Lorr]

Her eyes explored leisurely, not necessarily attentive at the moment but just taking in the notable aspects of her surroundings. Before following him out of the room, she quickly dropped the backpack from her shoulders and took the plush toy out, then proceeding to leave the bad against the door frame as tidily as she could. Tefie didn't use to be necessarily tidy, but since she has arrived to Azar City and seen the beauty of it all, she started feeling the urge to interfere as little as possible with the state of the places she visited.

She laughed happily at Ignis' comment, hugging Boog tightly against her. Apparently, she had also found the sounds of her own tummy quite funny. Progressively, Tefie started to become more comfortable in this new place and as a result, started to show herself more open and curious. She was an energetic but moderate girl. New to the world most children her age accepted as common, she often found herself proceeding with caution where others would simply bask in experiences they already knew to be completely safe.

"Um, anything is okay. I'm not picky." She truly wasn't and, up to now, everything she had tried had been far better than what she used to eat back in Kaas City. However, his next words caught her attention and a bright smile decorated her happy face. "Yes, let's eat that." She said, not asking what the dish was about as she put her trust in him. No mom-recipe could be bad, anyways. She then stood at the ready, waiting to see if she could help in any way. Tefie knew she wasn't allowed around knives and most kitchen stuff, but would be contented with simply passing on the ingredients to him if that was the only manner in which she could aid.

[member="Ignis Imura"]