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[Kaili Talith]

A set of small metal legs gently tapped with a tinned clang against the tabletop with steady rhythm. Its composition, a set of ten rods and a ball bearing for a head, the small individual seemed to be in the middle of a very elaborate dance at the moment to a rather energetic beat. The small wooden table was the perfect surface for this little dude to get all the movement that it needed to be rid of from its system should it have had the need for it. It kept its arms held by its shoulders and pushed back and forth in a pumping manner as its feet dragged against the ground as if walking in place.

Next to it sat a tall yet somewhat inconspicuous blonde woman. At least as inconspicuous of a blonde as one could get with a small machination dancing to the song playing in your ears at that moment. Her eyes seemed focused on an equally metallic little dude lying on the table in front of her. This one was as remarkable as the other guy, except this one had more limbs.

With its assembly finished Kaili raised her hand above the little creature and closed her eyes. The chest of the small person rose with a jerk before it sat up under the cover of her hand. The small person’s head bobbed around as if to imitate someone looking at their hands and feet with a sense of wonder before it rose from the table with a small jig.

The other machination seeing this promptly stopped its dancing to look at its own hands and feet, or rather the lack thereof, before it hunched with disappointment. A small metallic stumped arm moved up to wipe away a tear before Kaili beckoned it closer as well.

“Come on, you.” She whispered and let it have a seat in the palm of her hand.

Her index finger gently patted its head and it looked up at her as she pulled another four limbs out of the pocket of her jacket. The machination seeing this began to climb out of her hand and laid down on the wooden surface of the table again with its arm pointing at the other in excitement much to Kaili’s own amusement. In the end they were both figments of her own imagination given life. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of it yet, but she also hadn’t ever really questioned it to begin with either. They lived, that was marvelous enough for her.

The new limbs connected with the rods of the little dancer who proceeded to get up, wiggle its foot, glance at its hands, and do a quick celebration dance before going off to hang out with its new little friend. Kaili let her eyes divert from her creations and the big sign of the building she had taken a seat outside of. It was a cafeteria of sorts. Inside there had been rows of long tables, but out here there were options that allowed for more privacy. Small tables with the same kind of access to tea and caf alike, which wasn’t to mention that the smell of food and drink wasn’t as overbearing outside as it was inside.

Glancing out across the campus she could see the medcare section’s big symbol kiss the walls of one of the buildings. It hadn’t exactly been Kaili’s first choice to bring Allyson here for her recuperation, but they had both mental and healthcare that Kaili couldn’t really offer her partner alone.

And that wasn’t to mention the audiences someone like Kaili seemed to draw from the younger generation, some wide-eyed amazed by the sight of a little mechanical man acting out what Kaili herself wouldn’t have the courage to do or carry out under most circumstances. One such child had been sent away instead a good fifteen minutes ago by now. Kaili hadn’t expected anything to come of it, but she hadn’t ever been one to handle crowds as well as one would think. Her peace came from isolation, and Allyson. She wasn’t a social creature, and so when the child began to ask questions, well… It had to go.

Kaili had asked it to go seek out [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] and send him to her. Did she know if the man was even here? No, she did not know anything of the sort, but it meant that the child would be gone and in the end that had been all Kaili wanted.

The little machinations kept walking around her table for the time being. She wasn’t exactly in a rush to go anywhere for the next few days.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

If one was to look for this Jedi Master, one would never find him in front of a class filled with padawans giving a lesson in the force, nor would he be found in the meditation rooms, or the libraries, in fact to find Théo Heavenshield in a Jedi Temple or campus at all, was rare thing. One needed to look for him in the outdoors, he had always been inclined to it no matter the planet. One thing about Kashyyyk was that the weather was consistent, consistently hot, humid and come the late afternoon tropical rain by the bucket loads. You could set your chronometer by it, and quite frankly it was rather boring. But it did provide Théo with plenty of opportunity to indulge himself in the one thing that he loved to do, which had had not the time nor the place in the recent past, and that was to go to the beach and surf.

He had already been out in the surf for a good couple of hours, although the swell was not all that great today and the breaks choppy but he would wait patiently for the perfect wave, after all he was out here alone, so no competition to cut in on him. Since his return to the Silvers and coming to Kashyyyk he had picked up a tan, gone was the pale skin that never got to see the light of day on Midvinter, his black hair was long and curly again and hung loose in wet ringlets over his shoulders and the crust of salt and sand clung to his face and body. He always felt so good out in the water, healthy of mind and spirit. But looming on the far horizon was the tell tale signs of the coming storms and the day would end for him soon enough, in fact sooner than expected.

He could hear his name being called, a child's voice just barely audible over the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore, and Théo turned to see the kid waving his arms above his head, jumping in the air trying to gain his attention. "Master Théo, Master Théo!". This kid was not going to go away, and with reluctance Théo paddled in.

"Hey kid", he strode toward him with surf board tucked under his arm, and he smiled at the youngling standing sweating in his little Jedi robes. "Master Théo? A lady asked me to come find you. She is in the campus playing with some toys", the kid most excited by all this. "They're really ace, like mega awesome, they dance and everything! like little people in the palm of her hand". This kid had come got him out of the surf for some crack pot woman with dancing toys?

"This lady got a name?". The kid shook his head no and looked sheepishly at the Jedi Master for he had failed his mission, in his mind. "Never mind, I'll go find her myself .. and you had best get back to classes". Are the irony of that statement, and the kid looked very disappointed at the thought of it too before he ran off to class once more. Théo soon found himself walking into the campus and found the small cafeteria in which this young woman was to be found, he did not bother to change or anything as he suspected he would be heading home soon enough. As he approached a strong sense of the familiar began to prickle at his senses, and he found the reason for it sitting at a table.

It was [member="Kaili Talith"].

He walked up beside the table, pools of water forming on the floor from his skin and swim shorts which was all he was wearing .. save for a big smile. "You had better introduce me to your little friend".

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

The two small figures continued to dance across the table and Kaili leaned back to watch it all happen. She had at least a few hours to kill until Allyson was allowed to come out of her therapy session with the healers. There were worse places to wait too, the humidity in the air reminded her of home during certain seasons. Borleias was all things considered a tropical jungle planet. If anything that just meant warm temperatures, thick air and the smell of stale seawater. It was like being at a home away from home in a sense which brought both good and bad memories to the forefront of her mind.

A voice called from behind her, a man in swimming trunks and very little else stepped up next to her. A brow perked as the man asked about her friend and she turned around to see who it was. To her great surprise Theo had actually been found and now he was standing right here towering above her as she remained seated by the table. Words escaped her, her mouth opened to speak and her head tilted as she tried to process it all. Kaili squinted and slowly exhaled.

“I… Didn’t think you were here…” She said with a slow but awkward chuckle. “That kid liked to ask way too many questions.”

Finally her head neck straightened out as she motioned for Theodor to take a seat in front of her.

“Well, I didn’t give these two any names yet, but for the sake of it I’ll just call them Lou and Jaden.” She said and smiled at the two as they waved at the tall man. “Figure, if we are to meet by chance like this we might as well make something more than a passing matter. Surely Jedi aren’t busy enough to say hello to a friend?”

“And if they are,” She said with a growing grin. “Offer of tea or caf to make them stay for a catch-up session?”

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

It was unexpected to see Kaili on Kashyyyk and among the Silvers and of course, Théo was curious why she would come all this way and he suspected it was not to seek out his company, not as the primary reason for the trip. But regardless, he was pleased to see his friend and so he took the seat opposite her at the table without a moments thought to his surroundings. "Well I must say I am disappointed, I was hoping one was called Théo", he grinned back but the marvel of them had not gone unnoticed.

"Look at me", he put his arms out to display his 'wears' or lack of them, "Do I look busy? .. but I am pleased to see you Kaili, but what brings you to Kashyyyk?". He leaned forward and watched the small figures on the table mucking about in front of him as if they had a life of their own, he knew a certain something how would love these little people.

"Did you make them?", he pointed to them before looking up into her face for the answers. However, he suddenly heard the sound of giggling and he felt the sudden unwanted attention for several eyes in the café and it was then he realised just how under dressed he was for such a place, not to mention for the company of Kaili. "You want to grab a caf to go?", he asked started to laugh himself. "I think I need to find a shirt", he said playfully covering his nipples to make play of embarrassment for the young teenage girls on the table near them.

Besides there were far more beautiful places on Kashyyyk that would be more inviting to catch up with a friend. Théo stood up and made to leave, but waited for Kaili, much to the delight of the woman that ran the place who had not been amused by Théo's actions for attire in the slightest, and was happy to see the back of him.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

Kaili looked at his command, eyes wandering up and down along the clearly well-maintained body that took a seat in front of her. It was a good physique overall with signs of care, or genetic luck. Kaili herself wasn’t out of shape, but she wasn’t as keen on letting the world know as some others in the particular conversation was. It wasn’t a complaint, but her brow perked regardless as he made the point to ask if he looked busy.

“You tell me, business, yes, aaaand...” Kaili said before she broke into a grin. “Yes you do.”

The two people on the table had since stopped their dance around the table and come to a stop in front of the man. Their hands scratched at their heads as if contemplating what he was doing, and Kaili herself wasn’t looking all that different except for the lack of a head scratch. The reactions of the teenage girls as well as the lunch lady made her give them each a passing glance before she looked back at the man asking for a caf-to-go.

The metal chair squealed against the stone floor and she rose to her feet.

“I mean, it’s tea for me, but if you do caf you do caf.” She spoke with yet another smile. There hadn’t been a whole lot of those the last time they met. “The paradox of my life. Calming, yet oddly energizing. Addictive.”

She poured herself a cup, applied the burn protector, and then the lid before going back to her conversation in full again with a quick glance at whatever Theo had gotten if he had gotten anything at all.

“Well, I am not one to judge.” She teased and sipped from her beverage.

They began to walk and Kaili couldn’t help but chuckle. Maybe by now Theo would have noticed that despite having built a saber it was oddly absent. Kaili had a satchel around her shoulder housing the two little dudes and their hijinks in transit, but no real indication that the saber was there either.

Obvious observations had obvious answers. She never brought it.

Kaili’s grin faded somewhat and she looked at the road ahead.

“I haven’t forgotten that day in the cave.” She said and frowned for only a second before smiling again. “Not sure how clear I was thinking when I got there, but I left it feeling less angry than I could have.”

“I will always thank you for that.”

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Back there", he threw a look back to the table on which they sat, "Where you checking me out?", he grinned, knowing full well her attentions were elsewhere but he was never one to pass up an opportunity to tease his friend. He took his order of caf off the scowling barista with a nod of thanks and wink, and despite herself she blushed. The two friends left the cafeteria in their wake, Théo grabbed with board once more and tucked it under an arm while the other carried his hot caf.

"Well I was glad I could help, on all fronts. But how are you now?", after all she had every right to be saddened that day. Fate or the force had thrown them together and boy had they faced the riggers of the cave of Ilum. Théo walked Kaili across the small lawn and they soon entered the surrounding jungle, although in these parts it is not thick but rather picturesque as it all lead down to the rivers that flowed to the sea.

Regardless of the force, Théo could tell she was much happier in herself, and with life which made him smile. Although she was still not the social butterfly and probably never would be, that was Kaili.

"You got some time at your disposal?", he suddenly asked, and it was time he got properly attired, there would be no returning to the beach as it was. A quick glance toward the horizon told him that, the dark clouds were rolling in fast and the tropical rain would soon arrive. It was time to get home and changed.

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

A loud and ungraceful albeit amused laugh forced Kaili’s lips to part with a grin at the man’s question. It wasn’t exactly wrong to assume she had checked him out, but something in the way he had to ask was hilarious. Kaili shook her head as she peered straight into Theo’s eyes with a glance that gave away her amusement. She tried to look calm down and give him another glance, but a small chuckle forced its way out of her nose before such a thing would prove possible.

“No.” She said and wiped the smile from her face by dragging a hand up to swipe at the corner of her lips. “No, Allyson would tear either you or me apart if she caught word of it.”

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Besides,” She said. “You got the wrong curves.”

Admiration wasn’t the same as attraction in the end. Kaili could appreciate a man or woman, or anyone really that took care of themselves. Not that Theo had made the implication that he thought Kaili was doing anything like that. The chance to poke someone’s ego was, by all means, a great time.

Taking a sip from her tea Kaili looked out into the jungles and took in the sounds.

“I feel good.” She grunted in a moment of struggle to regain her breath from the gulp. “Last time we met, I thought that Allyson was dead. I struggled to find her, but I did.”

“We had another close call, but she made it out alive. Now she’s here for rehabilitation.” Kay frowned and looked over at Theo. “So, yeah. I got a lot of time on my hands.”

“Got anything in mind?”

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

It was Théo's turn to roar laughing, "I don't know my curves are rather fetching". The walking was leading them away from the main compound of the Silver Jedi and toward his home in the trees. Yggdrasil was his place and Boo's for more privacy for the young boy, his son. It gives Boo a chance to get away from those in the Silvers that may not share the same views of darksiders as Théo does. But Val, his friend and grand master of the Silvers, had assured Théo Boo could attend classes and that is where he was today.

"Gosh you were in such a state, and rightly so but I am so pleased for you and for Allyson that things worked out so amazingly", Kaili had mourned so hard and deeply as anyone does when they loose their beloved so he was most happy for his friend by his side. "I would like to meet her one day, when she is feeling up to it".


The path turned and his home came into view, and Théo raised his hand to direct her attention to the wooden home. "I need to get out of these wet shorts and if you like, we can sit and catch up. Also, I am hungry so I will make you something to eat". The bridge that leads them up to the higher platforms was already down, Théo only really draws it up come night fall to keep the creatures of the jungle from getting curious. Otherwise it remains below as their is little fear of Silver Jedi coming to rob the place. Besides there was not that much there of value to take.

As they approached the bridge, he offered her to go first with a sweeping arm. His mothers lessons of good manners, forever ingrained in the man. "Ladies first".

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[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

Whether Theo’s curves where ‘fetching’ or not mattered little in the end. By all intents and purposes of what Kaili was trying to convey he lacked two particular ones and yet had one too many, and what that meant was something best left to the imagination. The two approached a treehouse and with it Kaili was reminded of the Kashyyyk architecture that she had read about. Silver’s Rest was impressive in its own right, but in the these structures were what Kaili had expected out of a visit to Kashyyyk.

The conversation shifted back to the day on Ilum and Allyson. Kaili’s head nodded at the suggestion that Theo meet her. As it was, Theodred had become one of the few friends Kaili even had. It would be weird not to introduce them, right? Probably. Kaili and social interactions weren’t always the most appreciative lovers. Or lovers at all.

Offer for food was made along with an invitation into the home proper.

Ladies first.

“Well then, be my guest.” Kaili said and bowed back while she extended her arm as an invitation of her own. Of course, before Theo got the chance to play along (or not) Kaili would have set off towards the house.

“I’ve been wondering where the typical Kashyyyk dwellings were.” Kaili mused and glanced around the immediate area. “Silver’s Rest is good and all, but… I mean, this is what I came here expecting to see.”

“I think I prefer this.”

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

He just screwed up his face at her joke of 'ladies first', but followed her up the bridge leading toward the main part of the house. On the first small platform he placed his board to lean on the rails and threw the wet towel out to dry. "Well this is not in the tradition of the Wookiee dwellings, more in keeping with my Midvinter heritage in a sense with the design along the lines of long boats", he looked at her with a slightly coy look, "I built it myself, with a little help".

Théo guided Kaili into the main living room which was very breezy and light and spacious. Off this main room are the kitchen and sleeping quarters and more exits out to the outdoor platforms. "Make yourself at home, take a look around, I will quickly go change and after that see if I can find something to eat in the kitchen". With that he left her for the moment, and headed into his bedroom. A quick brush off of the sand clinging to his skin would have to do for now, but he found his fresh pair of long trousers and changed into a dry white shirt.

Upon his return, "If you want to see the Wookiee tree houses we could go after we eat. They are sight to see for sure", and he would be happy to take her to meet some of the local residence. All the water activity has made him hungry and his belly would voice approval at the thought of food, "Come with me, lets see what I have in the cupboard". He indicated toward the kitchen, so they could talk while is rustles up something for lunch.

[member="Kaili Talith"]​

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

Oh, well at least it was somewhat more in-tune with the Wookie’s architecture. Kaili thought to herself as she stepped into the living room. Midvinter or not, it was still nice to see the wooden finish. And the fact that Theo had built it himself, with help, was impressive as well. Kaili would acknowledge as such by pursing her lips and giving him an impressed nod.

She gave the house a quick tour to see where things were and such, but before long she was right back in the kitchen with her friend. As far as houses went it was actually quite impressive. She had said as such to herself in quiet while walking around the home, but it was hard not to state the obvious. It reminded her of home in how open it was. The breezes certainly rolled in the same manner though they carried a different scent. Not that Kaili wanted to be thinking of home in that particular moment. It carried a certain weight she felt she could do without.

“I think that sounds like a good idea.” Kaili said and agreed with Theodor’s idea to go see the sights later. “And sure.”

The cupboards it was. Kaili of course took a spot right out of reach from it to let Theo dig through his own ingredients. It was just courtesy, right? Cooks didn’t mess with the system others set up, at least not in their home? She remembered something vaguely like that from a show she had caught once or twice.

“Got any particular idea what would make a good lunch?” Kaili spoke before a chuckle. “I’ve had waaaaay too much Atrisian lately.”