We could be brothers

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Rosedge Manor, Chandrila, 1700 hours.

Gherron paced back and forth through the manor, not for the first time marveling at its size. His old apartment on Coruscant didn't hold a candle to this place, which now belonged to him as well as his wife, Nefertari. She was out somewhere with their son, perhaps getting ice cream or something similar. Gherron however, could not stay still for the life of him. He'd wanted peace and quiet, but now that he had it, he didn't know what to do with it. As he continued to pace, he looked over to one wall and saw a rack with strangely thin swords. Upon closer inspection, he made them out to be fencing swords, and he picked one up, studying it closely. Perhaps he could work on a new hobby? He'd always been good at sword fighting in general, and he recalled the saber for Makashi being very much like fencing. Adopting a rather crude fencing stance, he jabbed the air quickly. Then did so again. And again. Smirking to himself, he began putting his own spin on a few moves he'd seen used before in the form. He went about this for a good ten minutes, and in no time, he was immersed. In fact, if someone were to walk into the room, he would have never even noticed.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Post-both of our timeskips, to make this thing easier​

A manor huh? Geez, even with his decent salary owning a business, he didn't have a manor. Not that he minded too much, Jedi tended to be simplistic, especially ones who had served the Order their whole lives. But he hadn't seen Gherron in quite some time... Why? Well, that was simple, really. Both of them had settled down and had their families and had taken lesser schedules in their Jedi work. Gherron had married [member="Nefertari Sovint"] and had their child, while Josh had married [member="Shmi Labooda"] and had their own child. It had been two years, since Josh had settled down, and he was quite enjoying living a double life. A Jedi by day, a husband and father by night. He felt... Whole, for the first time in his life.

Even if he could never forget the events of the past.

Josh had been let into the manor, at Nef's request, and had gone looking for Gherron. He hadn't seen Gherron in several years, so it would be interesting to see what his former apprentice had gotten up to...

Josh himself had grown his hair out, though kept the blonde look. His face was still youthful, as though the Force had kept him young despite his years... He was 28 now, but still looked to be in his early 20s at the least. And yet, that expression, his eyes... They spoke the story of experience.

Josh would stop at the entrance to the room, watching Gherron fence with a smirk spread across his face.

"You're getting a bit sloppy, aye?"

The jest was met with a wider smirk, but it was jest and nothing more. Though when Gherron would turn around, he would realize...

Josh had not come alone.

In his arms was a child, a boy... Who looked to be about a year and a half at least. The child was the spitting image of his father, even down to the blonde hair, though kept short. Did he have his mothers eyes or his fathers eyes? It was impossible to tell, because it turns out, as the writer only remembered now AFTER the "have his mothers eyes" chat with Shmi, that both parents had the same eye colour. So, more or less the spitting image of Josh, I suppose.

The child hid in his father's arms when he heard the noises Gherron was making, a little bit timid around strangers.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

As Gherron continued to spar with his invisible opponent, he started to get a bit more smooth with his made-up maneuvers and swings. However, he seemed to be the only one who thought that. "You're getting a bit sloppy, aye?" His face twisted into a lopsided grin as he turned around to see his lifelong friend, Josh. "I don't know man, I think I had 'em on the ropes." He made a quick assessment of the Jedi now, as it had been quite a while since their last meeting. He looked the same for the most part, except for the little bundle in his arms. That caused him to raise his eyebrows and smile again. "So, looks like we both went off and did the same thing, huh? Got yourself a wife and kid too, I see." Putting the sword back in its place, Gherron stepped closer to get a better look at the child. He was in almost every way a mirror image of his father, just like Gherron's own. Smiling at the boy, he turned his full attention to him. "And what's your name?"

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I don't know man, I think your imaginary opponent had you beat if you're sparring like that" The Jedi Master would crack, with a grin of his own as he would step forward. It was true, Josh did look the same. It was funny, really... Sure, he had the look of an experienced Jedi Master, but [member="Shmi Labooda"] liked to make jokes about the fact that he just didn't seem to age, no matter how many years passed. At this rate, he'd look 40 when he was 80, she once said. He'd wondered if the Force had something to do with it... Or perhaps just genetics.

"Got a kid yourself too, huh? We really have some catching up to do. You managed to afford a mansion, the "needs" of your wife... And now a kid. What's your secret? I could use some of your financial tips if we ever decide to renovate" The Jedi would crack. When Gherron would step forward, he would gently place the child down, who seemed to be able to stand on his own two feet. Though when he would get too close and address him, the child would immediately hide behind his father's leg.

"Jason" Josh would respond in his place.

"Jason DragonsFlame."

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron smiled at the child once more before looking back up at Josh. "Jason. It fits. As for the house, well that's Nef's. She's a Countess here, and well, I didn't argue. It's a nice place." Running a hand through his hair gently, he thought of his own son. It would be nice if their kids could meet, perhaps they'd even become good friends. "I'd love for you and Jason to meet Articus; Nef has him out with her currently. Something tells me they'd make a great team." The more Gherron thought about the current situation, the more he couldn't help but smile at it all. When they'd first met, they were anything but but family men. Josh had issues with a few relationships, and well, Gherron had been rejected by a ghostling. He was sure he'd never live down how he'd acted then. Both men were completely different people in those days, mainly built for war and service. However, it seemed the galaxy had finally given them both their much needed rest. The only difference was, Gherron was taking full advantage of that rest, while he'd heard Josh was still running his Jedi business.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Ah, right, she's a countess, isn't she? Damn, who do I have to kill to earn some kind of fancy title?" He joked, chuckling in turn. "But so long as Shmi and Jason are happy where we are, I don't mind" He would remark. "His name is Articus, huh?" He would add as Gherron would talk about his own son, as he would place a hand down on Jason's hand, ruffling his hair a little bit to calm the toddler down. "People are going to start calling him Arty, just watch.

But... I'm sure they'll make a great team."

He would walk around, Jason scrambling to stay behind his leg at all times, though the child himself seemed as curious about the environment as he was. Josh meanwhile simply surveyed the area. "You've really got it made, huh? A nice house, a wife, a child, and you don't seem to have much in the way of duties, by what I've heard" Josh would add with a light smile.

Well, technically they both got friendzoned by the ghostling... It just happened that she changed her mind on Josh a little too late. Regardless, both hadn't been anywhere near family men before... But well, here they were now. But it was true... While he didn't go on mission as much, Josh had decided to continue his Jedi duties. Even Shmi had decided to take up hobbies over work, but Josh... Well, he wasn't able to let go of what had given his life meaning for so long.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron laughed at his friend's comment on "Arty". "In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised at that. Hell, I might even call him Arty. Or Art." He pondered the names for a moment, smiling to himself as Josh confirmed his thoughts on their children. For a brief moment, he envisioned the two boys playing together, having the most fun they could. However, his smile wavered when the vision turned them into young men, fighting back to back on a battlefield. "Hey, Josh... Do you ever think about the future? With Jason, I mean. Are you scared he'll grow up to be just like you? Like us?" When he thought about it himself, his heart almost stopped sometimes. When he was a kid, all he wanted was to be a Jedi, fight in wars, win them. Now that he had been through all of that though... It pained him to think of his son going through such pain. He'd talked it over with Nefertari; they agreed on doing their best to keep him out of that line of work. But what if, when he became old enough, he chose it anyway? Too many questions flooded his head.

(OOC: Sorry about the wait dude, I've apparently lost track of a few threads.)

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi Master couldn't help but chuckle at that. "It's official. You're going to give your child a nickname that will embarrass them forever" The Jedi Master would joke, shooting Gherron a cheeky grin in turn. But then came the big question... What if?

He found himself frowning as he thought it over a bit and the joking tone became a serious one quite quickly. Admittedly, he and Shmi hadn't really had a chance to talk about it... It just seemed like such a far and away possibility. Jason wasn't even two years old yet, he was still at least another few years away from the Jedi potentially knocking on their door to take Jason away. And even if they refused, then it wouldn't be until Jason was older that he could choose to be a Jedi if he wished...

He found himself thinking about it for the first time, before finally coming to a resolution as he would let out a sigh in turn.

"The fact is, Gherron..." He began as he would knell down to place a hand on Jason's head. "If we tried to force them to not be Jedi, then we'd be just as bad as the Republic" He remarked, as he would look dead into Gherron's eyes at that with a fierce expression. The Republic had used them both, made the Jedi do things they wouldn't normally do then spit them out when they weren't needed anymore after they'd pretty much conquered the galaxy.

"If our kids want to be something, what right do we have to stop them? Sure, I don't want Jason to be in the field of battle, just as much as you don't want Arcturus to... But it's not right to stop them if it ends up being what they want either" He would add, letting out a breath as he shook his head. "All we can do is guide them. Be parental figures... Not dictators.

In the end... It's not about what we want. It's about giving them the freedom to choose what they want. That's why we fought for so many years, right? To give our future, now present children... The freedom to choose?"

[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron listened intently to what his friend had to say, at the same time he wasn't quite 'there'. Not for the first time, he found himself picturing Articus as a teenager, and eventually a grown man, fighting battles just like his father. He didn't want that for his son, but Josh was right. He couldn't force the boy to do anything in the long run. If anything, if he tried to he'd probably wind up pushing him away eventually, and he didn't want that. "You know, I really hate it when you're right", he replied, smiling sadly at his friend. All he could hope was that both Jason and Articus would find someone to watch over them, just like Gherron and Josh had in each other. That was the only way to win the war within oneself; to have someone there next to you when the going got tougher than you can handle. "Well, enough sad talk for now. What do you say we get this little guy some ice cream?" He smiled down at Jason, hoping the sound of "ice cream" would draw the little boy out of hiding.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"We have to let them make their own choices, just as we were allowed to make ours... Sort of. To be frank, we followed an ideal and an order without question more due to indoctrination then anything... But we've grown out of that" Josh would remark. "Now we're free men, able to do what we please and fight for the ideal that we have, instead of what someone else convinces us to follow. We should work hard to make sure that our sons have that same freedom."

Though he couldn't help but smirk at his bit about him being right before.

"I mean, I'm your teacher for a damn good reason. Apparently you still have much to learn" Josh would speak with an amused tint to his voice. "You gave up Jedi work a bit too early, I'd say. Still so much to learn about this life, this world... No harm in taking a lesser schedule to be with Nef and Arty though" He would add, with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not like I haven't, you know? You think I'm going on missions all the time, and leaving Shmi and Jason to be without me 24/7? I'm not that man anymore, Gherron..." Josh would add, pacing about a moment as Jason would scramble to keep up with his father, and letting out a sigh.

"... I'm a family man now, I've learned to accept that. I also know if I let myself get sluggish and don't keep learning, I think I'll go crazy. The day I get complacent is the day that I stop learning. And Shmi understands that. Even she's considered spending time at the Silver's Temple, maybe doing some teaching or at least being someone on-hand for stuff."

He chuckled, then, as he realized he'd forgotten a little detail.

"Only so long as there's someone to take care of Jason though, of course."

But Josh couldn't help but laugh when Gherron would say "Ice cream" because right then and there, Jason's eyes grew wide and seemed to light up. "I like to take him to the ice cream parlor when I can, maybe a bit more then Shmi would like us to... It's a favorite treat, for the both of us" He would admit, laughing a bit more.

"Suppose we could have a bite while we wait for Nef and Arty to return. Shmi said she'd come as well if she found time and the opportunity" Josh would admit. "No guarantees, but if she shows, she shows. We haven't had a chance to have a family gathering yet, so it would be nice."

[member="Gherron Vael"] - [member="Nefertari Sovint"] Vael - [member="Shmi Labooda"] DragonsFlame

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron laughed a little as the young boy appeared from behind his father's legs at the mention of ice cream. "I agree, a family gathering would be nice. To be completely honest, i'm not sure what Nef and the little rugrat are doing right now, but if they happen along, so much for the better. Then we could let the little ones play for a bit." He chuckled a little more as he stepped in the direction of a nearby parlor. As they walked, Gherron noticed that Jason had started to become a tiny bit less skittish around him, and for that he smiled. He wasn't the best with other's kids, but this was a pleasant start. Upon reaching the place, he opened the door for the two other blondes before entering himself. He walked to the counter and spoke to the server. "I'll have a mint chocolate ship, and whatever these two like, all on me."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I'm sure if Shmi will be here, she'll be here rather soon. She doesn't like to be away from Jason much, and this is one of Jason's first forays out of the house, if I'm being honest" Josh would admit, taking a deep breath. "Or at least, out of our compound... We're not heartless monsters" He added, with a light chuckle. It seemed though that Jason was out of his shell just a little with the mention of ice cream, so clearly the child had a soft spot for sweets... Or at least the benevolent frozen treat. But they had been on their way when they would arrive finally, at the ice cream parlor.

"A bit quick to throw money around, aye?" He would ask, a bit stunned for a moment as he'd intended to pay himself. "This combined with the size of your home... Holy kamoli... You make our little compound look, well... Little. And our funds look even worse. I almost feel bloody poor just standing here" He would admit, laughing in turn and shaking his head. "You married well. Good man" He joked with another laugh to add, slapping Gherron on the back. "Guess not pursuing the Ghostling was the best thing you ever did."

He held no ill will toward him for it, of course. His tone indicated he was joking around... Like he always did.

With a silent thanks for him paying for it, Josh would order two vanilla cones, one for himself, and one for Jason. Jason of course had been staring at the ice cream the entire time, just completely transfixed... He soon made grabby hands toward them. It was clear what he wanted.

[member="Gherron Vael"]

Optionally [member="Shmi Labooda"] & [member="Nefertari Sovint"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron smiled at the words of praise. They were to be expected; after all, he himself was blown away when Nef had revealed to him the whole extent of her position. At the ghostling joke however, he feigned hurt, dramatically placing a hand over his chest. "Ouch, you got me there." A small chuckle would exit his lips then. "I sure gave you and her both a lot of headaches back then, didn't I?" As he talked, he found a table for them and sat down, almost immediately after taking a bite out of his ice cream.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

Rosedge was certainly coming back with a vengeance with the homes and businesses popping up there.
Nef walked by the ice cream parlor with Articus at her side, clutching a shiny rock. Seeing her love through the window; Nef entered, getting a neapolitan cone for herself and a swirl for Articus.
"Hi, darling." she said, sitting next to her love and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Across from her, she noticed Master DragonsFlame with a youngling she could only assume was his.
"Long time, no see, Josh. Looks like you have an adorable little one as well."
Now that she saw the two men and their children together, she couldn't help but sense a bond between them. Something that went very deep.

[member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"]​

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh couldn't help but start to laugh at Gherron's response. "You did, but... Honestly, she gave us both even more headaches" He would admit. "I mean seriously... Hey, look at me! Ima Ghostling, oh I just LOVE the boys attention from my... Err... Friends!" He would coo in a mocking, Aleidis-like voice with his free hand on his heart. "Oh I'm just so indecisive, I know they're giving me attention and I love it, but ohhh I just can't bring myself to address it, I'll just ignore it and hope it goes away... Oh! One of them found a girlfriend! I'll give them my attention now... Oh, I'm sure they'll just love that, no frustration or headaches at all! Oh woe is me, such a trifle!" He cracked, continuing the mocking voice before letting out a bellyfull of laughs.

"Only seems to like guys who aren't interested. Such trouble she was... At least until she discovered she liked girls more. What a day that was... Yes, some of this really did happen... She was an interesting case, that girl. Also she once feigned death using her illusions during our sparring match. Gave me a scare as a Padawan... Right schutta she was back then" He would admit, shaking his head at the thought. "There was this one time... Well, maybe I shouldn't detail that story. Gotta keep some privacy, I suppose." He cracked, shaking his head amidst his laughter.

He would take a bite out of his ice cream once they had sat down, while Jason enjoyed his in silence throughout the jokes. Next came the appearance of Gherron's wife, Nef, and Josh would casually wave, trying his best to ignore the PDA between them. He didn't need that when his beloved wasn't here, after all.

"Greetings, Nef. Yeah, I do... Did you happen to see Master Labooda on the way here?" He would inquire as he would take out his datapad, indicating to [member="Shmi Labooda"] that should she have taken the invite, they were at the ice cream parlor nearby... If she wasn't drawn out by the house visit offer, something told him that him having the kid around sweets might make her poke in a cautious head...

[member="Nefertari Sovint"]
[member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

"Oh you were looking for me?" he said smiling as she walked up. Of course she'd seen Nef from a distance but was unable to catch up to her in time before she entered. She ran her hand along Josh' shoulder before stopping right by his side while they all sat. "Gherron, how are you? and Nef! Oh my god!" because she hadn't seen either of them in quite a long time. "You guys look amazing...and who this adorable little guy huh?" she motioned for them son.

"Sorry it took me awhile...I see you guys got ice cream" she peeked over at a smiling Jason, who was silently sitting them to himself. Of course she'd known that that was never a good sign with him. She winked before making her way over, picking him up and placing him on her lap so she could sit with the group.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"] | [member="Nefertari Sovint"] | [member="Gherron Vael"]

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Gherron smiled as his wife walked over to join them with his son, taking the little boy into his arms and holding him close. Well, there's one, he thought to himself, remembering the invite had been sent to both women. He couldn't help but to break out into a silly grin at Josh's comments, and even more so upon hearing his spot-on impression of Gherron's one-time fleeting romance. He did raise his eyebrow at DragonsFlame's reason for stopping the story, but smirked all the same. He was quite aware of his old master's exploits back then, as he was quite the storyteller. It was then when Shmi had at last joined the party, at which Gherron offered her a warm smile. "Shmi, it's been too long. I'm great honestly. And this..." He paused and hefted the small child with another smile. "...is Articus Vael, newest member of the family." The boy, upon seeing Shmi, instantly began reaching for her, a curious look on his face. "It seems he likes you. Then again, he is quite the social one."

[member="Shmi Labooda"] [member="Nefertari Sovint"] [member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Nefertari Sovint]

Nef was glad to see Shmi. In the little interaction they'd had, Nef had grown to really like and respect her.
"It certainly has been a long time." said Nef, agreeing with her husband's previous statement. "For the most part, I've been quite good. What have you been up to?"
Articus had apparently made a friend, and Nef noticed Jason looking curiously at her. Last time Nef saw Articus act like this...it was that afternoon where her sister decided to become visible and pay a visit. The child now affectionately referred to her as "Auntie Miyuki"

​

[member="Gherron Vael"], [member="Shmi Labooda"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"]​

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

His features softened immediately as his dear wife, Shmi would make an appearance. His lips twitched into a tender smile as she would walk over, picking up Jason and placing him on her lap so she could sit beside him. "Aye, kid's been quiet since we got him ice cream. Might actually be the quietest he's been all week" He would joke as he would lean over to sneak a quick little peck on Shmi's cheek. He'd allow her to catch up with Gherron and Nef as he would casually eat his ice cream. "I can tell a few more stories in a bit. I'm sure I can think of something" He would crack in turn before stopping to just listen.

All the while, he noted Articus, who had arrived along with Nef, seeming to take an interest in Shmi. He smirked lightly in turn, but as Shmi was busy chattering, he would lower his ice cream a moment as he would reach over and wiggle his fingers in front of Articus, taking a moment to try to get his attention before moving to one finger. "Boop~" He would chirp as he would poke Arty's nose with his finger, a cheeky grin crossing his lips. It was crazy how quickly he had gone into a far more immature mode upon being in the vicinity of small children. But Shmi would recognize this, he'd shown to be surprisingly good with children since Jason had been born...

[member="Shmi Labooda"]
[member="Gherron Vael"]
[member="Nefertari Sovint"]

 

[Pinda Solthar]

She laughed at what her husband said about their son, Jason was indeed a bit much at times...though in a really good way. She hated being away from him for more than a few seconds. She smirked, and nodded along as Nef and Gherron both responded rather well to her questions. It was always good to see them and hear that everything was going well. A curious expression when Gherron mentioned Articus had taken a liking to her. When she looked over at he indeed was reaching for her,

"Awwee come here little guy" she looked to his parents, "May I?" Of course she'd ask first before reaching over and picking him up. She held him in her arms while Jason giggled looking up at him. The two had taken a good liking to one another, hopefully their bond would be just as strong as their parents.

"Oh jeez...was Josh telling stories again?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]
[member="Nefertari Sovint"]
[member="Gherron Vael"]