Questions

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

A chestnut brow quirked up. "Whaa?" She laughed. "Guess that means midnight snacks are out." And he had kids! His age really was hard to tell. Family man?

She was lost in thought and when he came over in her personal space she almost didn't notice. Knees jerked up, legs knocking lightly against him as she moved. "Oh. Sorry!" Teeth found the soft flesh of her purple lip for a moment. She stood and wandered over next to Gabe.

"I work in healing clinics a lot. But I don't have anything like a hobby. Not sure what I'm good at besides healing, making the weather go berserk or trying not to die or get captured by sith," she cracked a small smile and inched a little closer.

"Do you need help or..."

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"I'm used to preparing meals for my guests and family...but if you'd like to help." He looked over towards the fridge. "I forgot the cheese. I will need to be sliced as I buy in large bulk. Cutter should be underneath cupboard...over there." He motioned towards the far end of the kitchen with a sharp brow.

Taking a piece of meat from his set of slices, he rolled it up and took a bite. "Everyone has to have something they do, when they're not busy saving the world or healing the injured."

He might have been talking with his mouth full.

He wasn't one for manners.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

"Is that so?" A playful chestnut-brow lofted in mock challenge. She laughed again. Huh. Gabe could really lighten a mood pretty quickly. She already felt a little lighter and it wasn't just because her clothes were getting dryer. Brushing past him, she found the cheese cutter and placed it on the island, spreading out a little ways away from him.

Had to give the man some room at his preparing station.

"Apparently I'm good at translating men munching on food without protocol droids as well," there was some fruit on the counter. She grabbed a grape and popped one into her mouth. He also seemed to be good at making strays feel at home. It was definitely a gift.

She paused in front of the fridge. Green fingers wrapped around the handle. Oh yeah.

"A little help here? Unless you want a cheeseless sandwich but that kinda seems like a crime to me. And I don't know," shoulders shrugged. "How did you find your...erm...hobbies?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Oh yeah, sorry..." What he meant was please don't break my fridge. Leaning over, he placed his hand on the sensor strip and waited for the green light to chime. "There, have at it."

Going back to his work at the meats, he sort of shrugged. He didn't really have a good comment about her ability to decipher his speaking while eating. That sounded more like a talent then an actual hobby.

"Well, we tend to make use of the resources that are available to us. A child born on Korriban is far more likely to feel the pull of the darkside then...one born here, for instance." He looked over, making sure she was navigating the cheeses properly. Not that it was hard. Well, there were a few hard cheeses but that was mostly for snacking and not sandwiches. "Most of the cheeses we have here are made locally. Not really sure how to pronounce the names but I'm told they are native Sullustan. Might just be a lottery pull on that."

He went back to chopping. "I had this farm here. And then I had access to various woods and various jewels, obtained throughout my adventures. I put them to good use, to better myself and to make something productive of my idle time." He felt he had the appropriate amount of deli meats, so the chopping stopped. And an odd thought occurred to him."How do you feel about bees?"

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

"This fridge thing Gabe. I mean seriously. What if I got hungry in the middle of the night?" She paused. "Not that I'm staying and/or invited to stay the night butyouknowwhatImean!" She quickly finished, pushing through that awkward moment like a meteor plowing through a ship.

Finding what looked like a good pepperjack and cheddar, she began slicing herself two samples.

"Mmm," that little sound escaped before she could stop it. But it was good! And she was hungry. Local was definitely better. "You want spicy or non-spicy?" Knife hovered over the cheese. "And jewels?" Inquisitive gaze drifted to his face. She didn't know much about artifacts or enhancements or jedi magic - whatever-it-was-called. It had never been her thing. "What kind of jewel stuff? And yeah, bees and I are fine. I don't bother them and they don't bother me."

A pause.

"Why?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Well..." He tried to think of a witty retort but he couldn't. The truth was that it was there simply for Armaud and Destin. "We can always program your fingerprints in." He paused again and looked over his shoulder. "Spicy, I think. Seems like a good day to try and warm up."

He got to work on the bread. It would need to be sliced so he pulled the appropriate knife. And once that was done, he'd need to slather it with the appropriate sauces to match the meat and cheese. "When I first arrived here, I was very quick to volunteer to assist the Galactic Alliance. One of their missions required work on a sovereign planet. It was there that I found a cache of items. Particularly, Kasha Stones."

He stopped chopping and set the knife the down. Walking over to her, he opened up a drawer and pulled out a ring that was wrapped in cloth. Ever since he parted ways with Chevu, instead spending his time with Cerusia who often seemed sensitive, he had stopped wearing the ring. But for the balance that Taheera maybe needed, he wondered what impact the ring might have. Setting the cloth down on the countertop, he unfolded it and stepped back. Placing a thumb nail between his teeth, he nodded. "Kasha stone and Meteorite. Maybe not the jewels you were thinking of...Pick it up, see what you think."

He wondered how she would react. Between her now chopping cheese on a plank of ankarres and picking up a ring made of such power, he wondered if that was what was needed. Of course, the memories would have no impact, but the inherent powers of the kasha stone may be potent enough to even notice. After that, maybe he'd tell her about the bees.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

Knife sliced through the pepperjack easily enough. Green fingerpads pressed against the cutting board for a moment and her distracted mind seemed a little less distracted. Her lightside connection to the force seemed to shimmer and for a moment, her palms felt as though they were healing something. Well, the peace she got when she was healing someone.

Of course, she didn't know or recognize the wood of the board.

Fingertips of one hand remained on the board as she set down the knife. The cheese slices were ready and free for the taking. Curiosity filled orbs followed Gabe's movements. "Definitely not the kind of jewelry I was thinking of," she mused. Palm wiped against her clothes as if she was worried she'd smudge or ruin the ring. Curiosity snuffed any further hesitation. Thumb and index finger reached forward wrapping around the metal.

A vision immediately filled her head. One of children laughing and playing. Snow. Ice-skating? And in that moment with the connection of the ring and the wood, the lightside didn't just shimmer - it blazed. Her doubts, worries, and struggles with the darkside were still there. But they seemed pushed back and a little further away. A shadow instead of a looming solid-beast.

Fingers pulled back, leaving the ring on the cloth. Myrtle-ellipses widened and tracked quickly to Gabe with an almost accusatory-look. "What was that? I felt....I saw kids, skating? And I felt....I felt different."

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Hmph." He did that thing where he didn't so much as laugh as he just pushed air out of his nose. "Not many people are sensitive enough to pull the memories out like that. At least, not immediately. Maybe the wood and ring are commingling."

He let out a slow breath of air as he leaned against the island, crossing his arms. His thumb nail, once more, found it's way between his teeth as he looked down at the cloth and ring. "I built these rings when I first came here. Partially for practice, partially for a friend. Sort of a way of tempering anger when the need arose." He motioned to the ring. "I built in peaceful memories. Snow falling, children skating on a lake of ice, leaves clinging to branches in a light wind, et cetera."

He leaned forward. "I brought up bees because they are tied to that piece of wood you're chopping cheese on. If you are truly having issues controlling the presence within you, I think we should seek to treat it from multiple angles." He held up his finger. "But first...we need food."

Moving back over to his station, he finalized the setting up the bread with the condiments, necessary vegetables, and meat. All that was left was the cheese.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

She frowned and stared at the ring, then looked further down at the wood. There was hesitation and perhaps a little distrust in her gaze. She'd never seen anything like this - maybe just heard of the healing crystals. But not this. And Gabe talked about treating her problem from different angles. A green palm passed Gabe the cheese. Mouth was already watering. Still...

"This must be what my patients feel like," she grumbled. "I'm not usually on this side of the healing bed."

A small smile. She had enough sense to laugh at herself.

"So...how long do you think my stay here will be, for this um, treatment?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

And with the cheese, the sandwiches were complete. He cut the first one, diagonally, before handing her a triangle. Taking his in hand, he tongued the side of his cheek before taking a bite.

Again, he was content to talk with his mouth full.

"I don't know a lot about you Taheera..." He openly admitted. "But I can sense just as much as anyone else. No one in need is ever turned away from this homestead." He pointed the half eaten sandwich at her. "The nature of this treatment is that you determine if it's needed and for how long."

He lifted both hands. "A day, a week, a month. However long it takes. Or, if you want...we don't have to do any of it all."

He was more than happy to help. But only if it was desired.

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

She had no qualms about eating in front of near strangers. Her own triangle of a sandwich was nearly inhaled. She wandered back over to the stool and perched back on the defiance, using her hand to check her mouth for any...leftovers.

So good.

She hadn't realized how hungry she'd been or when the last time she'd ate since parting from Val. Fingers folded in front of her as she pulled the rest of the cheese over, starting to pack and gather it up so it could go back in the locked fridge.

"No," she said quietly. "I want...I think I need it and maybe this is naive or preemptive of me but I trust you, Gabe."

He had offered to program her into the fridge. That didn't exactly say serial killer. So...yeah. She stood.

"And you're right. We don't know each other well but I'm willing to share anything you want to know. Just ask."

There was vulnerability in sharing. But she'd shared so much with him already. And for some reason, she felt comfortable talking to him, more than most.