[D6EA] Relationships are Built on Hope... (closed)

[Xanna Teevou]

"Hey!" She rubbed her bum where he had snapped the towel at her. "That's going to bruise. Demoted."

She laughed and started gathering up the tools. "Now, can we get out of this oven please? I like baking but this is ridiculous... Oh, and you can tell me your other story as well if you like? Does Master Kenobi's bare chest make an appearance?"

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus grinned impudently. "Totally worth it. Besides, I think your hydroyoga is stronger than this cloth." He used it himself, wiping away the worst of the grease and sweat, before offering it back to her. "And yeah, let's get out of here. I'll tell the second story back at the ship."

It was a short walk back to the ship. In no time at all, they were sitting in the ship's lounge, a series of bolted down stools around a table. The airconditioning was blowing, and a pair of fruit smoothies had been made

Petrus sat, next to Xanna if she also sat. "So, this second story, it's a fairy tale." He smiled. "It does not feature shirtless Master Kenobi. At least, I don't think so. Actually, it stars a princess. A Pantoran princess, in fact." He looked at Xanna, his expression a little curious.

[Xanna Teevou]

She laughed warmly and walked with him as the screenwipe showed them sitting inside the Warrior's Heart.

She finally felt like her temperature had returned to something vaguely sensible. She lifted an eyebrow as he began. "A fairytale? About a Pantoran princess? Mhmmm. Do go on."

What are you up to Petrus Karath?

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus nodded slowly. "Well, I'll do the best I can. But if I get any details wrong, maybe you can help me out, huh?"

He took a long sip of his smoothie, before turning to face her in his stool, their legs close together. "So, this Pantoran princess, she lived in a palace, of course, or near enough. And like many princesses who lived in palaces, she didn't want for anything." His lips pressed together a moment. "Anything material, anyway."

He went on. "But when she was still a child, she was found by an order of knights. These knights took her from her family, and trained her. They taught her not just to be strong, but they also nurtured the core of goodness in her, so that it grew." He looked at her, his blue eyes serious. "It was always in her, you see. Maybe it just needed some help."

[Xanna Teevou]

In response to his first question she wobbled a hand but gestured for him to continue. "You are the expert on melodrama, yes?"

As she listened she occasionally added comments: "This first part sounds quite close to a true story. I thought you were going to tell me a fairytale?"

She breathed out when he took a pause. "Hmm. Your story is missing a few things I am thinking. There are no ghosts for a start. Although I like this main character, she sounds like she managed to be nice, despite her upbringing, if it could be called that."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus shrugged. "Fairytales usually have some truth in them. What, isn't the order of magic knights good enough? And she certainly did, but we're getting ahead of ourselves."

"So... for one reason or another, she changed from one, uh, knight monastery, to another. Maybe she fit there better. I don't know." He shrugged. "Anyway, in this new, more remote monastery, she thrived. She learned, and she made friends, and she began to grow into the woman she would become."

He paused, taking another sip. "But there was a war. And while the Princess was brave, and she helped people, it was a hard war, as wars often are. And she lost a close friend." His blue eyes were sympathetic; one hand came down to give her knee a gentle squeeze.

[Xanna Teevou]

She nodded. It was close enough.

"Yes. She did. She saw him die. Only...it turned out, by some miracle he survived, which meant she had left him there, all alone." Her eyes shifted to the glass and she chewed her lip. "So he was taken by dark powers and turned into...something else. Not completely though, when the story ends there is still a spark within him, so the princess has to try to save him. Even if in the end she cannot."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus reached out, taking her hand. "The Princess couldn't have known." He said, gently. "And the story's not over yet."

He smiled, as gently as his words, and as his touch. "And if anyone can bring out the good in him, it's this princess. Because she has a way of bringing out the best in people, whether it's a tough teen girl who used to run with gangs..." his lips quirked, "-or a hapless but handsome young man who spent a little too long afraid of doing what's right."

[Xanna Teevou]

She was quiet for a few moments before determination took over and returned that look of certainty to her face. The spark was back in her eyes as she looked him. "Well, she knows now. And she will do what she can."

A faint smile lingered for a moment. "The rest of this story is unwritten. So we shall have to wait to see how it ends."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus smiled as he saw that spark. "I'm looking forward to it. I've got a good feeling about it." He shrugged. "And hey, like I said, there's bits and pieces I don't know, like the Princess's real name, but you know, I'm okay with that. Just... I figure I'll learn when the time comes." There; he let her know he'd picked up on that ... but also let her know that he didn't need to know if she wasn't ready to tell him.

His lips quirked. "So... were you really a princess? Or not quite?" He leaned a little closer, his blue eyes glinting playfully.

[Xanna Teevou]

"Not exactly, but wealthy enough for there to be little difference. My family had acquired much over thousands of years. Whatever the noble intent of my ancestors the house had sunk into decadence long ago." She took another gulp of the cooling smoothie.

"I have tried to explain to Liua that this was a bad thing, but it is so different from her lived experience. Anyway, the Jedi gave me more than limitless riches ever did." She thought about telling him her real name there and then, but it had been a risk telling Liua. Once the situation with Valus was resolved one way or another, then she could tell him. "We can save the princess's name for another time."

[Petrus Karath]

"I think Liua's figuring it out." Petrus said. "Having friends she can count on means a lot to all of us, but I think we're her first. That means something huh."

He smiled gently, nodded. "Sure." He said. "When the time is right. In the meantime..." He leaned closer still, hands coming up to gently hold her waist. "I always wanted to kiss a princess."

So he did. This time, his lips were cool and sweet, from the smoothie he'd been drinking.

[Xanna Teevou]

"Yes, it really does mean something Petrus." And then he kissed her, and she kissed him back but then pulled back. "Wait. Is this one of those things from your shows? Kiss the Princess, ride on a mega-rancor, become the King of the Mandalorians?"

She booped him on the nose with her index finger. "Like I said, not a real Princess, so I will be watching you Petrus Karath. No trips to Alderaan or Naboo without supervision."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus' lips quirked. "You always see right through me." He said, his blue eyes glinting as they met her yellow. "After we're done here, I was gonna go find a mega-rancor..." His eyes drifted back to her lips, "-but I'm not really in any hurry to go."

He grinned as she booped his nose, snapping playfully after it with his teeth. "I'd expect nothing less, Xanna Teevou."

He paused, then, looking at her curiously. "We do have a ship now. I mean, I'm not saying we should go to Alderaan or Naboo or anything, but..." he shrugged, "Is there anyplace you'd want to go? If you could?"

[Xanna Teevou]

"I am glad you do not wish to rush off. I suppose, well. Wherever I am needed is where I would want to go." She smiled and raised the smoothie to her lips. "But maybe somewhere cold. Have you ever been to Hoth?"

[Petrus Karath]

"Hoth? No..." Petrus frowned, wracking his brain. "Is that an ice planet? I'm sorta remembering that's an ice planet. Oh." He smiled at her. "Well, I suppose it's only fair, after you've been too hot for years now." Although, Petrus thought, his eyes flickering down, he did like her hot weather clothing.

"So you'd wanna give it a shot?" He asked, leaning casually against the counter. "Have you been before?"

[Xanna Teevou]

"It is an ice planet yes. There is nothing much there though, it was simply the first cold world that appeared in my head. I suppose Pantora, or Ilum, but the Empire has Ilum under a blockade."

She shrugged. "I will go wherever the force needs me to be. I think that is with the Resistance, although it would be difficult to leave Bankor now."

[Petrus Karath]

"I think maybe I'd like to see Pantora if we get the chance." Petrus said. "Although I'm so used to Rygor, it'll probably feel like I'm stuck in a freezer. That happened once, at the Jedi Temple." Petrus half-smiled, half-grimaced. "I'll tell you that story another time."

He took a deep breath. "But yeah. This is where we're needed now. And I don't think I could leave when I'm needed. Not anymore."

Petrus looked at Xanna, smiling fondly. "You feeling better now? I guess we shouldn't just hang out in here, drinking smoothies and making out all day, huh?" It did sound appealing, but... there was still more to do, alas.

[Xanna Teevou]

"I have not been back to Pantora since I was seven, but my homeworld may well be keen to join the Resistance." That was a problem for another day.

"I can believe you got stuck in a freezer once. But do not worry, if you need a thermal cloak we can find you one. And yes, I feel energized again, thank you Petrus." She stood and kissed him on the forehead on the way up.

"Let us go and finish turning this new base into something we can be proud of."

[Petrus Karath]

Petrus closed his eyes, smiling at the feel of her cool lips on his forehead. "Hey, sure, anytime. Jays gotta stick together."

He rose after her. "Okay, back to work. Maybe let's start on the air hydroconditioners first..." Casting another smile towards Xanna, he led the way back to the entrance of the ship, and back to real life.

/scene