The Princess and the crow

[Felicity Mason]

Blue eyes narrowed, and she turned her head completely away from this... Owain person. If you could call him a person. He looked like a bird.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she apologized with as much fake sincerity she could muster, "I didn't realize that this was your home now and you got to decide where I can and can not sit!"

She rolled her eyes, looking at Uncle B as if to say 'Can you believe what this guy just said to me?' But at the mention of this 'sad little rock', she just about lost it. her hands clenched into a fist under the table.

"Naboo," she snapped, "I'm from Naboo. Have you ever seen Naboo? Or does your species not migrate that far south?"

She looked at the boy now, all smug superiority. Bird joke. He must have gotten that before. No way could someone with a beak like that not have gotten a few comments.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"I'm sorry uncle, but it seems your lessons about manners never stuck," Owain siad with clear sympathy to Elliot, looking at Felicity. What a spoiled brat. Oh, how wonderful, a cheap shot at his looks? SHe had no idea what she had unleashed. "Naboo? Then why are you here...aaaah of course, mommy and daddy fed up with your whining little songbird?" he shot back.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

"Why you-!"
She stood up, both hands planted firmly on the table.

'Felicity, a Lady never raises her voice.'

...Shut up mom. You're not here.

Still, she took a deep breath and her hands went soft again. Just like mom taught her. Deep breath. Let it all out. She looked as calm as a gentle breeze, but much like the weather outside these walls, a storm was raging.

"I guess you would know, sir. Isn't that why you're here? Mommy and daddy got sick of you too?"

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

His fist slammed into the table and his chair screeched on the floor as he surged to his feet. "Shut. Up," he hissed. "A mere civilian like you doesn't deserve to even talk about them. They fought, and bled and DIED for others." he glared at the girl, fighting down the urge to hit her. "I did not come here to have their memoeires besmirched by an uppity, haughty, over bearing, arrogant trumped up little brat like you!"

Elliot sighed as he stood, and Owain's eyes immediately swung to him, seeming to shrink back from the older man, rmemebering where he was, why he was there. But Elliot just nodded at the two children before speaking. "I'm going to make some tea. You two want any?"

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Now the two teenagers were both standing, glaring at the other. The tension in the room could be cut with a chainsaw. She hated him! How dare he raise his voice to her like that! She opened her mouth to shoot back with something positively nasty. Then Uncle B stood up too. She expected a lecture. Expected him to separate them. But instead he just offered tea.

"Tea would be lovely!" she almost shouted, nails digging into the hard wooden surface of the table.

Her eyes never left Owain's. She was going to remember those eyes. She was going to think about those eyes all the time. Think about how much she hated them. Then something that he said made her sink back into her chair.

"...Sorry that they're dead," she apologized, with a shrug. That was the best her pride would allow her to do. But it was a start.
...Mostly sorry, because you're here now because of it.

But she didn't add that last part.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"Yes please," he manage dot say from his grit teeth, turning his gaze onto the girl again. How DARE she. He stayed stnaidng, staring into her eyes. The arrogant eyes of some self-entitled brat. He felt sorry for her parents already. No wonder they sent her away from Naboo. He doubted ANYONE would be able to put upw ith her longer than a day. He watched her sit down, smirking briefly at his momentary vicotry at making her back down first before also sitting back down. "Thanks," he said, though he doubted she meant it. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for Uncle Elliot to bring their tea.

It only took five minutes before he came back with a tray holding a teapot and three cups. It was such a domestic look for the old soldier that Owain actually blinked in surprise as the man set out the cups and poured the tea, retaking his seat. "Now then, Owain," he said, making the youth's eyes turn to look at him. "I was thinking it might be good for you tos tay here for a week, settle in as it were. Though prone to duststorms, the surface of Immeria is very good for training if you would like to accompany me sometime."

He seized the chance to avoid another awkward silence by nodding and offering a genuine smile.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The girl took her tea and sipped at it just like mom taught her. Little at a time. Savour it. Enjoy the flavor. She used to just try to gulp it down or absolutely overload it with sugar, hating the taste. Now she was used to it. Mom made her drink the leaf juice until she was used to it. Still didn't make it much more than hot leaf juice though.

"What!?" She burst out, almost choking on her tea, "but, I thought you were going to teach me how to shoot a rifle before I left!"

She was whining again. It was a very unattractive sound. She didn't care. The more she could irritate Owain, the better. She crossed her arms, glaring at Owain as if her minor irritation was entirely his fault.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Sipping his tea, Elliot cocked an eyebrow at Felicity. "One does not exclude the other. I will teach you tomorrow morning, and the evening will be spent with Owain. Simple enough, no?" he said, looking from one youngling to the other.

Owain nodded at his uncle's words. They made sense. "Awww, little songbird getting her feathers ruffled up becuase she's no longer the centre of attention?" he siad with a falsely sweet voice, grinning at her.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity's face went red again. Anger had a color. This was it.

"Does this crow know how to stop squawking?" she asked, turning to Uncle B, "I'm serious here. I don't think he knows how."

She casually glanced at Owen for just a moment, giving a very judgmental look up and down. She wanted it to look as if she thought he was less than worthy to even be in her presence, let alone speak to her. She wasn't really that stuck up, but with this guy? She could fake it, as long as it pushed his buttons. How far could she push him?

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He rolled his eyes again, leaning back in his chair and drinking his tea. It was too strong for his tastes. WHere was the honey and the lemon? Best ask later, so as to not undermine his Uncle. "Have to go for help already? Can't handle someone saying no, darling?"

Elliot sighed as he drank his tea. Ah to be young again.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity smiled. Her sister knew that smile. Her class mates knew that smile. It was the smile that you just did not want to see.
She took a slow sip of her tea, set it down, then stood up. She did this all as if she hadn't even heard what was said to her. As if this were just a friendly tea party, and she was excusing herself for the moment. She pushed her chair in, and walked towards the door, pausing just in front of Owain.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Owain Barnabus."

She bowed to him, just like mom taught her. And just like Daddy taught her, she refused to forgive and forget. Still smiling, she took the moment while she straightened up to aim a heavy punch right at that beak of his.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

His eyes narrowed as she walked away, all smiles and calm. Something was wro-

He crashed onto the floor, tasting blood. He spat it out as he glared up at the girl, ready to repay the blow when he heard the scratching of a chair against the floor and his uncle loomed over him, offering him a hand up, stnading between him and the brat. He took the proferred limb as he was hauled up, glaring daggers at the blonde girl.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Felicity knew she was in trouble. Fine. She'd take it. Any victory was still a victory, even if it was only a momentary one. Uncle B could scold her all he wanted. He could even tell her mother that she'd been fighting again. Fine. Fine. Fine.
Besides... she hated cute pet names. 'Darling' was one of those that really got to her. When he said it, she just couldn't resist.

The blond girl bowed again like the perfect Lady. She was still smiling. All charm, as if nothing had happened. She learned from the best. She could imitate moms perfect charm at the drop of a hat. But she knew how to fight dirty like dad. And Uncle B was the one who showed her how best to hit someone. Not her fault that she was using what she learned.
And she didn't hear the crow squawking anymore. She turned on her heel and started walking out.

"You might want to clean up a bit," she called over her shoulder, "You are a mess, darling."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Elliot barnabus chuckled as his nephew glared at Felicity as she left, making the young man stare at him, outraged. "Oh donb't look at me like that. If you can't handle some retaliation, then you shouldn't be mouthing off in the first place."

Owain opened his mouth to speak, then shut it and bowed his head, wiping blood from his mouth. The brat has split his lip. Oh she would pay for this, somehow. He had no idea how he'd do it, but he would. She would learn not to mess with Owain Barnabus.

"Come on, let's get that cleaned up," siad his uncle.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The second she was out of the kitchen, she stopped to take a deep breath. Man. She hadn't gotten that ticked off in a good while. It took a special kind of idiot to make her that mad. The last time she punched someone, it was because Kera from the next class over was teasing her friend Tanea about her new haircut. (It was a perfectly fine haircut, Kera! Short hair is fashionable this year!) Mom had been so mad, she threatened to pull her from the academy and make her work in the Palace kitchens until further notice.

She wondered how mom was going to react when she heard she'd punched a guest. Well... That was just something she was going to have to deal with later. As she stormed up the stairs, Celeste waited. She knew that look. She knew what it meant.

"So.... I take it you met Uncle Barny's Nephew?"
"Yup."
"And it went... well?"
"Yup."
"You hit him, didn't you?"
"Yup."
"Oooo! You like him!"

Felicity stopped and turned to glare at her little sister.

"Don't be stupid!" The blond snapped, "I punched him in his stupid face! Since when does that mean I like someone?"

The little girl laughed and ran ahead.

"Felicity's got a boy friend! Felicity's got a boyfriend!"
"Eww! Stop it! So gross!"
"-Got a boyfriend! Felicity's got-"
"Ugh!"

She found her bed room and slammed the door shut, but he could still hear Celeste's taunts as she skipped down the hallway.

"...Ew."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Owain sat in the kitchen, holding a bag of frozen food against his jaw to prevent a bruise forming and messing up his jawline. His uncle was chuckling to himself as he sipped more tea and did the dishes, though Owains was still in front of the youth with his food. "Well, I think that went well," the soldier said.

"Well?! How did that go well?! She was a stuck-up, arrogant, preening, screeching and barbaric harpy!" Owain fumed, growling out the words as his uncle just laughed at him.

"You'll understnad when you're older," the man replied whilst shaking his head. "Now eat your dinner and get some rest. I have some patrols to do."

"Sending me to my room huh?" Owain replied sullenly.

Elliot seemed to think on this before sighing. "Alright. There's a library down the hall and up the stairs, third floor. Do some reading alright? I'll see you later in the evening and we can...swap stories."

The boy smiled, none of his usual self in it. The smile was warm and gneuine. "Yeah...I'd like that."

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

"I can't believe I'm going to have to share the same planet with that... that... beak-nosed, trash-talking, self-centered, son-of-a-wampa! I shoulda hit him harder."

Well, at least now he knew she wasn't going to take his insults easy. Now he knew who the queen of this castle was while mom was away. Furiously, she went around her bed room, packing more into her bag, cleaning things that were left on her floor. When she was angry, she cleaned. It was one of those weird things.

Down the hall, she could still hear her sister chanting that ridiculous little song of hers.
"Felicity's got a boy friend. Felicitys got a boy frieeennnd...."
She'd change the melody here and there, add something stupid about a tree and K-I-S-S-I-N-G. She wanted to scream and throw things at her until she stopped, but she knew that if Celeste knew how much it bothered her, she'd never quit. Best to ignore it.

She looked around, suddenly realizing that her bedroom was now spotless, and she had already finished packing. She groaned and looked around her room. She didn't want to go out there. What if he was out there? She might be expected to apologize! Could you even imagine? She grumbled, falling back onto her bed. If only the storm would just calm down already. Then she could at least go outside...

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Owain walked back to his room alone. Elliot had gone off to do...whatever it was he did here that was so important. The youth had to get changed into a proper shirt, having gone to dinner in his under-armour. And that had spots of blood on it now from the swing Felicity had taken at him. Stupid brat. He muttered darkly about the girl as he entered his room and changed. She was so infuriating. FOrutnately, she had mentioned leaving, which meant he wouldn't have to put up with her for long. Then he could get back to bonding with his uncle.

WIth a fresh shirt, he stomped out of the room and went abck to the kitchen, before following his uncle's instructions to get to the library. He had to admit, he was impressed. This castle was large, and well furnished. And it felt lived in, like an actual home. Heh, he'd have something just as awesome within two decades, he was willing to bet. There was no way someone like him could fail to achieve such magnificence.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

When Felicity did finally dare to leave her room, deciding that if she really was in any trouble, she would have been spoken to already, the storm had not gotten any calmer. No, instead, it was actually quite fearsome. Loud. Annoyingly loud.
Celeste was in her room now, and she only had to listen to her mumble 'Felicity has a boyfriend' every so often. She was getting sick of it. Good. Soon she would forget all about that.

She went down a floor to the third level. Moms office was down here. So was the library. She could look through moms files, or she could find something new to read. Or she could try to move books with the force again, just like she'd failed to do earlier. No matter what she did, it was better than staying cooped up in her bed room all day.

As she walked by the grand staircase, she made a face. Why wasn't he in the guest room? Away from her? She did everything she could to avoid looking at him as she walked by. Still, she did sneak a peek to see if he was bruising yet. A smile pulled at her freckled cheeks. No bruises yet, but she'd split his lip. Good.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He had found the library after a short while, and gasped at the sheer size of the place. Good thing no one had been around to hear that. He set off amidst the isles of books, gathering a few choice tomes. Mostly history texts, as well as some combat manuals. Some of the tomes present were esoteric to say the least. He shook his head at all this. Just who the hell did his uncle work for? Sitting down at a reading table, he turned on the lamp and began reading about the various forms of unarmed combat practiced by the Jedi. He paid no mind to the sound of footsteps as they entered the library, triyng to memorise the movmeents displayed on the pages. Hmmm, yes, he could see how that would work. Fascinating...

[member="Felicity Mason"]