Tied Together With A Smile

[Jamie Pyne]

"It's a little funny." She declared. "You know it is. You just don't want to admit it."

So much for I'm watching you...

That had been the best part of this whole thing really, that Aela was so sure of herself, so certain that Jamie couldn't surprise her with revenge. The very fact that it had worked to her delight was astonishing.

"I like to think it was just cold enough."

Jamie had no intention of finding out for herself just how cold it was, but judging by the reaction she got from the girl, it was plenty cold.

"What would have been the point if it was refreshing? That would hardly be revenge."

She collected her own food and plopped down beside Aela, enjoying her meal. "You'll get over it. I'll even buy you some cute new boots to replace those ones I ruined."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"I liked those boots!" She actually did. They were handmade by a tailor back home, comfortable wore quite well overtime, the only issue was getting them wet. She let out another loud huff, looking at Jamie and staring daggers at her. Aela wasn't actually mad at her Padawan of course, not in a real way, more a playful way. No real harm had been meant and she knew that, but she could at the very least mourn some of her clothing...and the fact that she couldn't feel her feet and face.

"You'll get me new ones though!" She told Jamie. "We're going to Borleias after this and you're paying for a new pair!"

They had to be custom made.

She frowned for a moment more and then eyed the tent, wondering if it was going to be bedtime soon. She still felt like she wouldn't be getting warm any time in the next century. Maybe if they were back on Sullust and she could sit next to some of the lava flows she would recover, but in this cave?

Didn't seem likely. "Get me warm food!"

Aela demanded of Jamie.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Her eyes bulged as she reared back away from Aela's shouting. "Okay! I already said I'd pay for them! Jeez!"

A stark eye roll followed a head shake of frustration. "New boots from the royal tailor for Princess Talith! Will that make you love me again!?"

What a drama queen! Jamie sat up, pushing herself from the ground as she moseyed over to the bags again to get the bit of food she could heat atop the stove. A few canisters of to-go Nyork Chowder. She carefully removed the lids and set them each atop the stove to head, the thermal bottom allowing the heat to rise through the cylinder and warm the chowder within.

"It will take a few minutes, my apologies Princess Talith."

The chowder was actually one of Jamie's favorites. She had enjoyed it a number of times when visiting the Gungan cities beneath the waters of Naboo, and had even learned to make it on her own at home, often times making enough to take throughout the week to her studies, as well as the children she cared for in the YAFCIN program.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Don't you forget it!" Aela told her padawan. "I worked hard for my royal title by doing absolutely nothing and I won't have you sully it!"

Jamie would be able to tell that Aela was starting to joke again.

She'd shared with her padawan before that technically speaking she was royalty. Her grandfather had been the King of Byss and one time Emperor of the Sith Empire. Her father had been next in line to the throne of Byss, but hadn't taken the position. In the very odd lines of succession Aela was actually a princess, though she supposed she was actually a Princess in Exile. The title held no real meaning, and even if the Alliance took Byss she would never actually claim the title.

It was still there though. "Chop chop!"

Aela clapped her hands together, the palms stinging a little bit extra from the cold that still encapsulated them.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie made sure Aela could see the eye roll this time. "Ya, it sure sounds like it!" She glared at the girl clapping her hands as if Jamie were some sort of servant. "You'd better be careful, your highness. Or you'll be wearing this Nyork chowder!" She certainly wouldn't be cold anymore, but Aela would definitely start to smell after a few hours. That in and of itself was enough for Jamie's threat to be untrue. A few minutes would pass before she could hear the slight bubbling from the contents within the cylinders, indicating the chowder was ready.

"I hope you're not planning on asking me to feed you. I'll make you starve."

Carefully the blonde took the cylinders off the stove using the heat resistant grip around the center of the metal before handing it to Aela with a long spoon.

"Here, If you haven't had it before you're in for a treat. It's one of my favorites."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela sniffed the concoction first, unsure, though eventually she took a bite. A small smile spread across her face, though she hid it from Jamie, mostly to tease the girl. For a second she looked like she was considering tossing the soup away, though of course Aela would never do that. "I suppppppose."

The Jedi Marshall drew out the word.

"It's okay." The chowder was in fact quite delicious, but right now she still wanted to have the upper hand over Jamie, and admitting the girl had done anything at all right would mean that she was out of the doghouse. Aela couldn't allow that. At least not yet. She shifted slightly, feeling a warmth grow over her a she slowly took another spoonful. Her eyes closed for a few moments as she started to wiggle her toes, feeling a bit of energy come back.

"We're going to have to talk about Master and Padawan ettiquette." Aela told Jamie as she waved her spoon. "You're supposed to be showing me respect."

That was silly of course given that their methods of doing...well everything was different than those of regular Padawans and Masters.

"From now on I'm putting you on a demerit system." Her voice was flat, serious.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie stared at Aela, lips pursed with puffy cheeks. "We are huh?" Even not having been the one thrown into the frigid lagoon water Jamie found the chowder to be delightfully warming. She let go of the utensil, clinking it against the metal of the canister before looking back at Aela. "Didn't you tell me earlier that you were knighting me? I think it's too late for both this talk," The blonde made quotation fingers in the air. "as well whatever this demerit system is."

Picking the spoon back up she took several more bites, quietly enjoying herself.

"Besides, you need to earn respect. I'm nobility as well, you know." She sat up a bit straighter, "I could be Queen of Naboo one day."

There was a job she didn't want, of all the jobs in the galaxy.

"And, as the Master, you should be setting a better example for me."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Queen of Naboo?" She sounded bewildered. "Pfff."

A hand waved towards Jamie.

"That's an elected position." That was of course, something Aela rather liked. She had learned about Naboo's system of democracy long ago, and she had always found it rather good. Many worlds had copied it, others had similar ones just by nature. It seemed to be one of the few worlds were some form of Tyranny never really took reign, something that amazed and astounded her. Perhaps it was just the nature of the Naboo, or maybe there was something else.

Aela didn't know, but she did find it interesting.

"That's basically just being a puppet." She told Jamie with another wave of her hand. "No no. Some of us are born to rule."

She looked at Jamie and offered her a smug look. "You wouldn't understand."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"There's more of that Sith talk coming out of you!" She growled. "Do I need to throw you back in that water?" The blonde pointed with her spoon over the edge. "Hmmm!?" Her hand made a dipping motion, as if dropping Aela. "I think you might be in need of rehabilitation." There was a wide grin on her face now. "You dirty little Sith." Her head shook once again. "I thought you were better than this." Several clicks of her tongue were made, echoing through the air.

"To think you call yourself a Jedi. If only the Order could hear you now."

Jamie was getting pretty good at this teasing business.

"Queen or not. I'm still noble, you still knighted me."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Just because I'm Royalty doesn't make me a Sith! That's profiling." True enough in a weird sort of way. Just because someone was a King, Queen, or Emperor didn't mean that they were necessarily Sith.

The Empress of Teta for instance wasn't a Sith, though her father had once worked for them. She frowned for a second and tried to think of more than just the one, but eventually Aela decided that she really didn't need to given that the argument wasn't a real one. "You're just profiling."

Aela told her Padawan as she finished her chowder.

"That's classist." She waved the spoon. "I taught you better than that."

A small smirk pulled over her lips, and then she eyed the tent.

A small yawn escaped her lips, the hot food slowly beginning to settle in her stomach and her eyes becoming rather sleepy. Her body was worn out, both from the climbing and having been thrown into ice cold water. Apparently working up your core temperature was difficult.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Did you teach me that? I don't seem to remember any sort of lessons of the sort."

The girl tapped her chin, finishing her own food before setting down the canister. "No, nothing coming to mind."

Standing up she scooped the two cans from the ground and set them aside near the backpacks for the morning. Cleaning could wait until they were ready to leave. Her own legs and arms were quite tired as well, and even though she hadn't fallen into icy cold water, she was still a bit exhausted from the overall trek they'd made that day.

"I'm allowed to profile when my master speaks like a Sith about being born to rule, and monarchs as puppets."

She stuck out her tongue, "People born to rule are more often selfish, spoiled, and arrogant, Princess."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Classist again." She clicked her tongue. "You can't just assume things about people until you meet them, that's wrong. That's like saying all Toydarians are cheap and will try to get the best deal possible."

Aela shook her head. "I'm disappointed in you."

For a second Aela narrowed her eyes, gaze falling towards Jamie and then back at the tent. She really did feel like it was bedtime pretty soon. Her body was standing on it's last leg, and if she didn't get some rest soon she would collapse into a heap of herself and just fall asleep on the ground. That wouldn't be good for a number of reasons.

"Since you're still my Padawan until we return I now command you to finish setting up the tent and placing my sleeping bag in it." Her hands clapped together.

"I think that's a fair punishment." She smiled. "Don't you?"

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I'M NOT YOUR SLAVE AELA TALITH!"

She shouted, her voice booming off the walls of the cave and through each and every tunnel, likely finding its' escape back where they had entered.

"Pick your perky ass up and bring it to the tent yourself! I already set it up and fed you!"

A loud hmph followed.

"Padawan or not, I'm not some servant of yours."

Who did she think she was!?

Jamie stood up, indignantly grabbing her bag and dragging it into the tent to get out her own sleeping bag and change of clothes for bed.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela let out a giggle, the first since Jamie had thrown her in the water.

She shifted slightly and slowly stood from her place, putting the can of food away inside of a side pocket in her bag so that they didn't leave any trash behind. She quickly followed after Jamie into the tent, not really caring about her Padawans modesty.

The Jedi Master was too sleepy to care. "Move that big butt over."

Aela said as she crawled into the tent, Sleeping bag still wrapped around her. She plopped herself down onto the ground, which was surprisingly soft, and then wiggled around for a few moments as she moved the sleeping bag so that she could zip up the side of it. The zipper got stuck once or twice, but eventually Aela managed to get the metal tab up all the way and a moment later she let out a comfy cozy sigh, rolling to one side of the tent so Jamie had enough room to change.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie turned and glared at Aela, clearly knowing how Jamie was when it came to this sort of thing. Her eyes practically burned holes in the back of the woman's head as she stared for several long seconds with almost seething anger from both the interruption as well as the comment. "Do you mind!?" What was the point in even asking? She knew Aela didn't care in the slightest. "I'm trying to change in private." She groaned, watching Aela cozy herself up in the sleeping bag.

For a second she considered dragging the girl out and rolling her over into the water again, deciding not to solely for the reason being that she would then have to share her own with her after.

That wasn't happening.

She pulled at her hair, trying not to throw herself into a tantrum before quickly turning away from Aela, stripping out of her clothes while hastily changing. "Don't look!" She shouted, her back turned.

After she finished she climbed inside her own sleeping back, notably facing away from Aela. "You know, you're insufferable sometimes."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Oh please." Aela said as she let out a loud yawn. "What am I gonna see? Some breasts?"

The Jedi Marshall rolled her eyes.

"I have two younger sisters, not to mention I've seen plenty of mirrors." Modesty hadn't exactly ever been a top priority for Aela. Growing up with that many siblings it was simply inevitable. Not to mention that she had been a Jedi for ten years. Being naked was about as natural as wearing clothes. It wasn't that big of a deal.

"Don't be such a prude." Aela said as she wiggled herself comfortable. "Weren't you the one always talking about how great sex was?"

She teased Jamie as she let out another yawn.

Aela really did feel like she was about to pass out at any moment.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie's face reddened like a beet at the word. "Be quiet!" She barked, shivering a bit beneath the fabric of the sleeping bag. "Sex is great. But I'm not having sex with you."

She shook her head. "It's just not the same!"

The Padawan had grown up entirely by herself. Nobody had ever seen her naked, aside from her mother as a much younger child, her family's doctor, and obviously Kurt. But that was it. Nobody else. Even being entirely comfortable with Aela, it still seemed incredibly invasive, strange, and embarrassing, even if there was no reason to feel those things.

"It's not being prude, it's being decent."

She turned over to cast a glare towards Aela. "Besides, you're the one who gets all jumpy when I poke your butt. So don't talk to me about being prude."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Stop being such a worry wort!" Aela told her padawan.

She of course didn't at all care if Jamie saw her naked, or if anyone really did. Nudity didn't necessarily express anything but being naked, at least that's how she saw it. Perhaps others would disagree, likely did, but that wasn't really on Aela's mind.

"Just relax!" She told Jamie. "Go to sleep."

A yawn escaped her throat. "Don't worry about my vengeance. I won't throw you in the lagoon during the middle of the night."

The thought was tempting in it of itself, but also seemed a little bit too easy. She felt like Jamie would see it coming, and Aela wanted this to be a long, long con. There would come a time when Jamie wasn't ready, when it was completely unexpected, that was when she would strike.

"I would never do something like that." Another yawn.