Ask A Melody to my Heart

[Atias Zaldreell]

Even after six years living at the Jedi Temple of Yavin 4, Atias never visited the inhabited moons Yavin 8 and Yavin 13. It was mostly due to lack of interest, since the half-Morellian had wanted to seek adventures beyond the safety of the Yavin System. After all, nothing interesting happens near home.

Due to that, this was his first time that he visited Yavin 8. This tundra covered moon was famous for its large lakes that were deep like the sea of Mon Cala. Among the several species of aquatic animals that lived on them, there was also the Melodies.They were the only sentient species that lived on the moon, making cities under the water.

He wasn’t visiting Yavin 8 for a mission, but to have some relaxing time with Knight Clove Vanhoop. She was the previous Padawan of his Master and for months he had wanted to meet her. However, she always seemed to be busy and they never were able to find a day to talk more than some few words. During one of these occasions, he mentioned that he knew how to use an energy bow and she showed interest for it.

Recently, his Master had told him that Clove seemed to be stressed and needing some time to rest. Being good at finding ways to have fun, Atias approached the half-Annfyn and proposed that they could travel somewhere to relax and where he could teach her how to use an energy bow. Since Yavin 8 had no one on the land, except some occasional merchants, it was perfect for them to practice without being disturbed.

Now, they are in one of the valleys of the moon. It was spring on this part of Yavin 8, and the brown tundra was covered by flowers of several colors. On the horizon, it was possible to see the violet mountains and one of the moon’s lakes where the Melodie lived.

It was a beautiful sight, but the Padawan wasn’t paying attention to it. He was more interested in showing to Clove how to perfectly hit a target with a shot of energy bow. “You hold it this way, focus on the center and then, let go.” after saying it, a blue colored shot left Atias’ weapon and collided against the center of the bullseye. He had toned it down so the shot can’t kill someone, but it was strong enough to leave a burn mark.

“Now it’s your time to try it.” he offered the bow to Clove. Both the weapon and the bullseye had been of his mother, before she passed it to him. However, he didn’t mind sharing it with others. “It’s very easy! You can even use the Force to increase the chance of hitting the target, but I see it as cheating.”

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove hadn't expected Atias to approach her about going to Yavin 8. He was Crix's new Padawan, making him her Padawan brother. And, well. She'd been avoiding him a little. She didn't feel like she was a good role model, a good "Padawan Sister." Not until she had sorted her thoughts. But the allure of learning how to use an energy bow on a distant planet was too much to resist. She couldn't possibly say no to such an offer.

And, to her surprise, Yavin 8 was everything she hadn't expected. She expected it to be more... moony? But it was lush, with flower meadows, the most beautiful lakes, and a wild array of animals. And to think she'd always flown right past the moon without a second thought. She couldn't help but stare at the many colorful flowers while following the half-Morellian through one of the valleys, her lips curled up into a relaxed smile. Everything that had happened no longer mattered for that moment.

When the boy began to explain how the bow worked, the half-Annfyn paid close attention. She had a very big interest in long-range weaponry, thanks to Xi's lessons, and the energy bow was no different. The idea that she could shoot tiny thin blue beams from that bow was incredible. Like a blaster, but far more precise. Clove clapped when Atias hit the middle of the bullseye, her eyes revealing how impressed she was by that shot. "You're quite the marksman!"

Clove took the bow carefully in her hands, moving it up and down for a moment to get a feel for its weight. "Okay! So exciting!" She said with a bubbly giggle as she approached the spot where he had just stood. She took the back of the energy string, which was made up of a bar of material designed to protect the user's fingers, and began to pull it back. To her surprise, there was more tension on the energy string than she had imagined. So when she finally let go of the arrow, it was safe to say she missed the target by a wide margin.

"Errhmmm." She smiled sheepishly over her shoulder at Atias. "I have to be honest. I expected it to be a little easier. Any feedback, teacher?"

---

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tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

”Thanks! My mom taught it to me.” Atias smiled at Clove, memories of his mother coming to his mind. “You should see how she is good at it. She used to practice with it while she lived in Brentaal, even participating in some competitions here. You should see her collection of medals!” he felt excited talking about it. These medals were some of the few things that she could bring with her after being expelled from home.

The boy watched Clove pick the plasma bow and take position. He remained in silence, only watching what she was doing. While she held the weapon properly, Atias noticed several errors that she commited. She wasn’t pointing it to the right direction and her pull in the energy string wasn’t firm enough.

Due to that, it wasn’t any surprise that she missed the target. The Padawan watched the shot moving away and disappearing in the distance. He hoped that it would not hit anyone. Even toned down, it could still be painful to be hit by it. At least the inhabitants of the planet only lived underwater.

After the half-Annfyn asked him for feedback, Atias turned to her. “You need to point the bow directly toward the center of the bullseye and while you pull the string, don’t be afraid of it. You ended up putting less strength on it and the shot ended up missing. It’ll not break if you use some more strength.” the Padawan said, mimicking Crix’s way of giving lessons. He was the teacher here, after all.

“Now, I want you to try again. You don’t need to be delicate with it, the bow will not break so easily.” Atias had noticed how Clove seemed to be the type of girl that acted like a princess most of the time. If she wanted to use this weapon, the half-Annfyn needed to be a warrior. “Put your strength in the string and hold the bow firmly.”

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove couldn't help but smile when she noticed Atias imitating Crix's teaching style. But she didn't say anything about it; instead, she focused on the boy and his explanation. "Oh, I see. To be honest, I was surprised by the string's tension and wasn't sure how hard I could pull. So it's good to know I can give it more power!" She paused. "Bullseye. Okay."

When her Padawan-brother told her to try again, she nodded silently and turned on the balls of her heels to face the targets once again. She made a point of holding the bow more firmly in her hands, planting her feet more firmly in the grass, and taking deep but calm and collected breaths this time. Because the bow felt different than the other weapons she'd used before, where it was as simple as aiming and pressing the trigger. It wasn't a simple tool.

Now that she was better prepared, she drew the string back, the tension no longer surprising her. She allowed herself to exert more power in her pull, causing the string to draw back further than before and allowing for far greater power. She could feel the muscles in her arms slightly wobble, many of them complaining because they weren't used to such activity, but she ignored them and focused on the target. She took two more deep breaths, re-adjusted her aim slightly, and let the arrow fly.

The energy arrow whizzed through the air before slamming into the target's bottom left corner. It wasn't the bullseye she was aiming for, but it was a world of difference from her first shot.

Clove lowered the bow and looked at Atias with a bright grin. "Would you look at that! To be honest, you're pretty good at teaching. Are you planning on becoming a teacher in the Order?"

---

​

tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

”You can put enough strength on it. The string will not break so easily. It’s very resistant.” Atias wasn’t afraid that Clove would break his bow. The thing was durable, it would need much strength to do it. He doubted that the tiny half-Annfyn would be capable of doing it if she didn’t try to break it on purpose by using the Force. To be honest, he should be more concerned with the possibility of her getting hurt.

For a half-Annfyn and a Knight, Clove was so small and seemed to be so fragile. He wondered how she was capable of walking with such high heels. Falling because of it, would be the same if someone of his height fell from an abyss. Now Atias wanted to laugh because of his exaggeration.

Ignoring the fact that Clove was tiny like a ten years old girl dressed in a pink princess costume that lacked a crown, Atias watched her prepare to use the bow. This time the half-Annfyn was far more confident in what she was doing. Her concern in using the bow had disappeared.

A smile appeared at Atias lips when he saw his Knight-sister hit the target. “Good work! With some more training you will soon be hitting the bullseye.” it was a good beginning for her and he was certain that doing it properly would be easy for her. Maybe she will become a warrior princess later. He really needed to stop with these mental jokes.

Clove’s praise made Atias smile while his cheeks became a bit red. “Well, I never thought about it. Maybe? I’m still only a Padawan.” there was many things that the half-Morellian wanted to learn before he became a Knight. “Do you want to teach? I heard that you went to some battles. Maybe you can tell classes about your experiences here.”

While the two talked, Zephyr, Atias’s pet ruping, remained in silence watching the scene. He had a bowl of food in front of him, from where he slowly picked pieces of food to eat. Being a chick, the things around him were still new. So far, he was curious with the tiny pink thing that was talking with his dad.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

It was strange, but the way he praised her and smiled made her smile brightly. Perhaps because she was the more senior and experienced of the two, she felt a strong need to impress him and come across as a capable Sister-Knight? Show him he could rely on her when he needed help? Regardless of the reasoning, impressing him made her happy, and it showed. Her fluffed ears twitched up and down as she laughed. "That'd be the ultimate goal! The bullseye."

When it was the Padawan's turn to be flustered, the half-Annfyn grinned. "That's fine; take your time and figure out what you enjoy doing. Rushing those things only leads to disaster!" She kept grinning until the boy mentioned she'd been in some fights. Her smile dropped, and while she tried to look cheerful, her drooping ears and darting away eyes said it all. "Uhmm..." What was she supposed to say to him? She couldn't just go out and tell everyone how she had lost almost every single battle. "My field experiences haven't been great; don't think we should traumatize the kids!" She tried to make a joke before looking around at the lovely grass fields.

And then the Rupin caught her eyes.

"Hah! Master Crix also taught you how to befriend Rupins? It was one of my first lessons with him, though I never took one home with me. Did you like the lesson?" She knelt in the grass and extended her hand to the chick, allowing it to smell her scent and become acquainted with her. "They are such beautiful animals!"

---

​

tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

Atias noticed the change in Clove’s demeanor after she heard his question. To be honest, he would need to be very dumb to not see it. Her ears were like flags, showing how she was feeling. The Padawan was grateful for not being a half-Annfyn, so everyone would be able to read him.

For a prankster like him, having people capable of reading his feelings so easily would be terrible. How he would be capable of setting a prank if his ears would make him look like a scared Lothal cat?

“Well, I think that you are right.” from what he had heard about Clove’s experiences in combat, she didn’t have a history of victories. Perhaps she needed to learn more about combat. He wondered if the two of them could learn together. He has no experience on the field and would probably end up getting himself killed.

While he contemplated this idea, Clove had approached Zephyr. The Ruping stopped eating and paid attention to the tiny pink thing that was getting close to him. He looked in confusion at her, never having seen someone with this color before.

Atias’ thoughts were interrupted by the half-Annfyn. “Yes, it was a really fun experience. We fought a pair of rabid drexls here.” he smiled, remembering how they jumped out of the rupings to attack the creatures. “Zephyr was an orphan here, his parent were killed by the drexls.” the half-Morellian approached the chick and picked it on his arms. “Crix said that it would teach me about responsibility.”

“Talking about teaching, why don't you show me what you learned in the field? I think that I can survive some trauma.” he smiled, hoping that it would encourage Clove to trust him and talk more about what happened.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

"An Orphan hmm?" Clove hummed while patiently kneeling in the grass, allowing the Ruping to become accustomed to her scent. "You saved his life. It's sad they killed his parents though." Ruping meat was extremely lean, much like the meat of most flying creatures, making it baffling for anyone to hunt down a Ruping for meat. The hunters were probably starving if they had no other choice, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking. At the very least, the creature was now in good company, and it looked incredibly healthy. "Crix is correct; carin' for a pet is a good way to learn responsibility. In my case, Crix allowed me to approach a mother Ruping who was incredibly protective of her children..." Clove's voice trailed off as a thought popped into her mind. Was Zephyr's mother the mother she saw that day?

Shaking her head, the half-Annfyn raised her gaze to the Padawan. "That sounds good. But where to begin... hmm." Clove's face scrunched in thought. "Okay, so to begin with, I believe what I learned the most is how your environment is you—"

Clove's words were cut short by a sharp hissing sound, loud enough to silence the Jedi's surroundings. Even the previously happy birds grew quiet. Clove squinted her eyes and turned her head to the right, where she heard the hissing. And then she noticed it: a massive snake with night black scales slithering up to the Jedi and the Ruping. It had a burn wound on its right neck—do snakes have necks?—with black and grey plumes of smoke still dancing from the skin.

And it looked angry. Very very angry.

"... Atias? We need to back away. Slowly, very slowly. Can Zephyr fly?" Clove whispered all the while the black Reel slithered closer and closer through the grass, its brilliant emerald eyes almost blazing with rage. "I think we... I... really enraged it..." As if hearing her words, the Reel coiled its upper body, lifting its head into the air before striking through the sky with large fangs bared.

---

​

tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

”Well, I’m not an irresponsible person.” while Atias felt fine in taking care of Zephyr, the half-Morellian didn’t think that he needed it to learn how to be responsible. He never did anything to make people think that he wasn’t. There were his pranks, but they were harmless. He felt very responsible by doing them and not getting anyone in danger during it.

Then, Clove agreed to teach Atias what she had learned during her time fighting the Sith. Now it was far more exciting for the Padawan than their talk about responsibility. He never went to a battlefield before, so he embraced any opportunity to learn more about combat. While Crix was a good teacher, the half-Morellian appreciated learning from others. Every individual had different experiences in similar situations.

Before the half-Annfyn could start to teach him, they were interrupted by a loud sound. It reminded the Padawan of the sound made by a serpent, but a very large one. Turning to look from where the sound was coming, Atias saw a reel slithering furiously toward them. Apparently, Clove’s shot didn’t disappear in the horizon as he had thought.

“Yes.” he whispered at Clove, then he looked at Zephyr. To his surprise the Ruping had disappeared, together with the bowl of food. “This little piece of…” he said, seeing his pet flying away toward their ship, holding the food tightly on his foot. He didn’t want to stay behind to see the reel coming. “He already fled. I think that we should do the same.”

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove clenched her teeth as she watched the Reel prepare to launch an attack on the two Jedi. Thankfully, Zephyr had long since bailed, so she no longer had to be concerned about the bird. Now just the young Jedi. Clove wasted no time in channeling the Force through her legs, once again grateful for the lessons Crix had taught her on Force Speed. Then in the blink of an eye, Clove sprinted toward Atias, grabbing him by the shoulders, shoving him away from the Reel's fangs and throwing both of them down into the grass close to the beast's large head.

"Up, up! Come!" Clove hissed as she quickly rose to her feet, her sandy curls dancing behind her. The Reel had already turned its head to the two while they were still recovering from their fall, its long tongue flicking into the air, 'smelling' both the Jedi and the ground beneath them.

The half-Annfyn grabbed the Half-wrist Morellian's and dragged him along as she sprinted through the long grass, past the beautiful flowers she had once gazed at but now had to ignore if she didn't want to die. "We need to get some distance so we can think!" She yelled as the girl's large eyes scanned the area ahead of them, hoping to spot something high up.

Then she saw it: a cliffside. Perfect. "Oh! There! Can you Force Jump, Atias? If so, we're going for a climb!" Truth be told , she wasn't sure how well she could climb. It was one of the few things she hadn't tried with her cybernetic spine, but she wasn't about to let her Padawan-brother down.

---

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tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

Atias had barely turned back to prepare to fight the Reel when he felt Clove grab his shoulders and shove him away. In a matter of seconds, the giant serpent closed its mouth in the exact place where the half-Morellian had been. If it wasn’t for the Knight’s fast thinking he would be dead.

Rather than contemplating his nearly death experience, Atias could only think about how the half-Annfyn was able to move so fast without breaking her heel. Even with use of the Force, it would be nearly impossible to avoid it. He was impressed with her, she was indeed a warrior princess.

“Thanks, sister!” he said before getting up from the ground. He wondered if the half-Annfyn would mind him calling her sister. They already shared a Master. Even if he thought of her as a fancy princess or futurelly gave her a silly nickname, the Padawan thought that he would love to have a sister Clove. To be honest, who wouldn't? She was sweet and nice, but was prepared to save him if necessary. It was everything that he would want in an older sister.

Although, given her tiny size, Atias should call her as baby sister.

After rising from the ground, Atias followed Clove as fast as he could. The Reel was still coming after them, hissing with fury while trying to bite the two Jedi. Atias thought that if they survived that, he was going to teach the half-Annfyn more archery, but this time inside a empty building. Less chance of hitting a furious beast by accident.

“Yes, I can.” Atias said, when they reached the cliffside. Crix had taught it to him when they were in Onderon. However, this time seemed to be easier since he wasn’t going to jump from a furious drexl. Then he remembered something. “Can you do it? I mean, your back.” he looked concerned at the half-Annfyn. he knew that she had replaced her spine and wondered if she would be capable of jumping.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Sister, huh? Clove's cheeks burned up. Nobody had ever called her that before. But it made sense... she was his Knight-sister, after all. Sadly enough, she couldn't linger in those thoughts for long. They had to run for their lives. "Of course!" She replied, her breathing uneven and hurried due to the speed she was running to avoid the Reek.

Thankfully Atias seemed to be more than capable, and he ran and ducked just fine. Not that she should've doubted him, after all he was a student of Crix, but she felt care and worry for the boy.

Another wave of relief washed over her when he told her he was capable of Force Jumping and climbing. A relief that vanished when the boy turned around and asked if she could do it. Well. Sugar. Way to call her out like that. "I... don't know, but we can't wait to find out!" Clove channeled the Force through her body once more, directing the light to her legs. She took a deep breath, bent her knees, and jumped up to the first natural edge of the cliff.

The half-Annfyn was as light as a feather as she soared through the air, her feet and fingers effortlessly grabbing hold of the ledges. She would've loved every second of it if it hadn't been for the Reel trying to eat the two Jedi alive. The wind in her hair, the cape-like sleeves and skirt, the gorgeous view of Yavin 8 and the scent of the leaves. It gave her the same sense of freedom she felt when dancing or holding onto Altair's back as he jumped through the air. But she couldn't linger.

Clove quickly looked around for the Padawan, hoping he was okay, before leaping up into the sky again, her fingers gingerly reaching for the next edge as it came into reach.

Yes, it sucked they were about to become dinner, but what an experience.

---

​

tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

Atias didn’t take much certainty in her answer. The Padawan feared that Clove wouldn't have enough strength to make the jump. While he didn’t doubt her abilities with the Force, the half-Morellian wasn’t sure if her back was going to survive this effort. He would be prepared to help if something went wrong.

In the end, Atias didn’t need to do anything. Clove used the Force to make a perfect jump, perhaps the most perfect one that he saw in his entire life. Even better than the one that Crix did in Onderon. If it wasn’t for the mad Reel coming after them, the Padawan would have picked his Datapad and raised it with a big ten here. Because it was the grade that the half-Annfyn’s performance deserved.

When the Padawan jumped after he gathered the Force around himself, he did without any sign of the grace that the Knight had. He looked more like a bird trying to fly for the first time, than the elegant fairy that Clove was. It occurred to him that with her size, the half-Annfyn really looked like a tiny fairy, like this one from the tale that her mother used to tell him. The one called Thumbelina.

“Thumbelina!” he screamed, while landing and holding on to an edge. This was the perfect nickname for Clove. It was common for the Padawan to give these to those that were close to him. It could be considered his way of considering the people as part of his family. Since he saw the half-Annfyn for the first time, he had been trying to come to one for her. Now he already knew.

She would be Thumbelina, his older Knight-sister. Emphasis on the sister.

It would be with a silly smile that the Padawan would continue jumping from edge to edge, trying to escape from the Reel. if she looked back at them, the half-Annfyn would probably think that he went crazy. However, Atias was feeling as if his family had received another member.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove was relieved to see Atias jump around effortlessly, almost as gracefully as Crix. On a bad day. At least Atias gave it his all and actually got up!

While she was climbing and jumping higher and higher, relying on the Force rather than her back and legs, she heard her Padawan-brother scream out "Thumbelina!" with a gleeful tone in his voice. Clove blinked and snorted as she looked over her shoulder, back at the Padawan. Was that her nickname? First Sugar Day Fairy and now Thumbelina. Her snort turned into a lighthearted laugh, not minding the nickname.

Clove reached the edge of the cliff after another jump and she realized it was now her turn to come up with a nickname for Atias. But sadly, she wasn't very good at nicknames. After all these years, the best she could come up with for Crix was 'horns.' Not exactly something to brag about or use with pride. But surely something would come to mind, and if not... she'd keep trying.

The half-Annfyn's fingers grasped the grass growing at the very top of the cliff, her right foot swinging up to land on top of the land. She huffed and dragged herself up until her body fell into the purple grass. As enjoyable as the jumping was, it was undeniably tiring. She lay there for a few seconds before slowly pulling her upper body out of the grass, leaning on her lower arms. The sight that greeted her chocolate brown eyes was breathtaking; the meadows they were on only minutes before lay in a golden ray of beams, with soft rolling hills framing each patch of flower and green and purple grass, all while a few tall mountains stood proudly in the background.

Clove let out a relieved laugh, her eyes closing for a moment as her fluted ears danced with delight. "Look at that! That's worth getting chased by a big snake trying to eat us, don't you think, lil' brother?"

---

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tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

Atias continued climbing the cliff, right after Clove. By this point the Reel wasn’t capable of reaching them anymore, but the creature still seemed to be pissed with them. The serpent had started to hiss more loudly and hit its tail against the rocks, as if in protest for the two Jedi having escaped.

Soon after Clove had reached the top of the cliff, the Padawan’s right hand touched the grass there. Using some strength, Atias dragged himself up and laid next to the half-Annfyn. He took a moment to rest, watching the clouds move through the sky. After the rush to get up here and escape the Reel, he really needed some time to recover from all the effort that he did.

When the half-Annfyn started to laugh, Atias did the same. This was probably one of the most risky things that he did in all his life, only staying behind from the time that he and Crix fought against the drexl. He wondered if people would think that he was strange for laughing off nearly death experiences after surviving them unscathed. Even if they thought it, the half-Morellian would pay no mind to them.

Raising from the grass, the Padawan sat next to Clove, watching the sight in front of him. He smiled when the Knight called him little brother. “Yeah! It's really beautiful, big sister!” while it was ironic to call such a tiny person as big, Atias felt that it was the right thing to say at the moment. He could make some jokes about it later. For now, he would only appreciate such a nice moment with his new found sister.

“Do you have siblings?” Atias asked, they didn’t have talked much about their personal life, so he wanted to know more about his sister. If she asked him anything, the Padawan would answer that with pleasure.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove let out another laugh before lowering her head back into the grass and taking a deep breath to calm down. Because, despite her recovery, there was still so much in her body that wasn't as strong as it once was. Her gaze lifted to Atias, who sat in the grass next to her. Big sister. She could get used to that.

It was an oddly peaceful and relaxing moment, especially considering they had just survived a near-death experience. But she embraced it wholeheartedly. So when Atias asked if she had siblings, Clove's lips curled into a relaxed smile. "No, not by blood. I just have a father an' a mother, both very kind people that I'm incredibly lucky with."

The half-Annfyn hummed, her ears dancing as happy memories passed through her mind. "I do have two friends who are so close that I consider them brothers. Ruzaan an' Arctus, both Jedi Padawans, you may have seen them in some classes? Although I believe they are a class ahead of you." Clove laughed softly. "So they are family through connections. Annn' of course, there's you. Brother through Force!" It hadn't dawned on her until now that she had a large family; they weren't blood related, but they were family nonetheless. And, while Crix wasn't her father, he certainly felt like family too.

"How about you, Atias? Do you have any siblings or interestin' family members?" Clove finally sat up straight, her hands brushing through her hair to remove bits of dirt and grass.

---

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tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

”I think that I heard about Ruzaan.” Atias thought that this name wasn’t strange. “I think that he participated in some funny events in Felucia, but I’m not sure.” he had no idea who the other Padawan was, though. “Maybe you can present me to them someday.”

The Padawan smiled when he heard Clove call him as brother through the Force. It seemed to make this relationship even more real. It was good to know that he could now add a sister to his family.

Her question about his family made the Padawn’s smile falter, uncertain of how he could explain the problems that his mother had with her relatives. “I don’t have siblings, it was only me and my parents back in our house on Commenor. To be honest, I don’t know any of my other relatives. My father was an orphan and my mother broke relations with her parents because of her marriage.”

“She was part of the Dejaal family from Brentaal and they aren’t fans of non-humans. My father is a Morellian, so they nearly had a stroke when she declared that they were going to marry.” it wasn’t a happy story, but the Padawan didn't mind talking about it with others. “So they expelled her from home.”

“Anyway, let's talk about more interesting things.” Atias didn’t want to continue talking about these bad things. “What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobby? Or maybe a significant other?” he winked playfully. The last question was more a joke, than anything else. She didn’t need to answer.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

"Oh, yeh, Ruzaan was on Felucia. He's very sweet, much like Arctus." She paused with a smile, the mere mention of them filling her heart with joy. "I'm sure they'd love meetin' you, Atias!" She would definitely try to arrange the meeting between her two closest friends and her Padawan Brother because it was such a sweet idea.

The half-Morellian started to describe his home situation, which was strangely similar to hers, and that same smile lowered ever so slightly. "Ah... Ati, I'm so sorry to hear that. You deserve to know about your family an' meet them, an' it's a shame that interspecies drama nonsense is ruinin' everythin'. My mother's family is the same way. Human father, Annfyn mother. Annfyn family disowned her once she pregnant from me." She exhaled sharply, her twitching ears indicating how much the subject irritated her. "Well, the Dejaal family are the ones who lost because they ruined the wonderful opportunity to meet you."

He changed the subject to something more lighthearted, and she didn't object. She'd gladly move on to something more cheerful. That is, until he brought up a significant other. A brick landed in her stomach, and the beautiful sight ahead of them couldn't keep her mind from reaching for Altair. How was she supposed to explain any of that to him? 'My one and only crush is in prison because I had to capture him on Dantooine because I couldn't come up with a good enough escape plan.' No, it was better if he didn't know.

Clove cleared her throat and returned her gaze to Atias. "No significant other, I'm afraid." It was upfront, plus, it was no lie. They weren't even dating. "But... hmm. In my spare time... Let's see!" She hummed, desperately trying to get Altair out of her head and remember what she actually does in her spare time. "If we're talkin' about Jedi Order spare time, I'm studyin' to be a doctor on the side. But that's still considered non-free time! So, aside from that, I mostly do some doodlin', help my mother with fashion thin's, work in the gardens, an'... hmm... oh! I enjoy dancin' when my legs allow it!"

Her relaxed smile had returned by the time she finished naming everything. "How about you, what do you enjoy doin' in your spare time? Are there girls you fancy?!"

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tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Atias Zaldreell]

”I would love to do that! I bet that they have some interesting stories to share about your adventures together.” Atias smiled at her, wondering how much she saw during her time as a Padawan. If the rumors about Ruzaan were true, then Clove and her friends probably got in so much trouble together.

Atias shrugged when Clove tried to comfort him about the rejection of the maternal side of his family. “I really don’t care about what they think. My mother used to act sad sometimes, missing her homeworld, but most of the time we act as if they don’t exist. Our life in Commenor was very happy without them.”

The Padawan stared at her when Clove mentioned that her mother had also suffered the same exile by her parents. Now that he thought about it, such a thing really made sense. The Annfyn were known for being full of prejudice with hybridization of their species, even surpassing that of the Brentaalan nobles.

“You are right! These prejudiced people had no idea of what they missed! You are also an incredible person.” Atias smiled at her, happy for being able to call the half-Annfyn as sister. “Maybe someday we could visit Commenor and meet my parents. They would love to know my Knight-sister.”

While Clove denied having a significant other, Atias noticed how she took some time to answer the question. He smirked, wondering if she was hiding a secret boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe someday he would discover it. “Do you want to be a doctor? It’s so cool! Would you help me with it? I would like to learn more about healing.”

“In my free time I like to practice archery, read and make pranks.” he said, while thinking if she would mind being part of one of his pranks someday. “Regarding girls, I don’t have any that catch my interest. At least for now.”

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Clove smiled at Atias as he complimented her and referred to them as prejudiced people. Turning the conversation into something less depressing appears to have worked, owing in part to Atias himself, who changed the topic afterward. "If you need any help with that, Ati, I'd be happy to help you. We can track your parents down an' all that." Her voice was determined, a promise without words; she'd be there for him.

"I do want to become a doctor, yeh! I'd like to enroll in the proper fancy studies once I get my medical licenses, which will allow me to legally perform medical things other than Force Healing. Got my eyes on Carosi XII, they have a lot of medical schools there! Some are state of the art!" Clove's ears began to dance the possibility of enrolling in a medical school on Carosi XII clearly excited her. "Oh! I'd be delighted to teach you, Ati! I have some healin' secrets." She grinned.

"Pranks, you say?" The archery and reading did not surprise her. But pranks as a hobby was new to her. Then again, Crix was his Master, so perhaps it was no surprise after all. "In that case, what are some of your best pranks? I'm not goin' to tell anyone!" She smiled and leaned back on her hands.

"Personally, I've only ever pranked somebody once, but it was with Crix! He taught me Force Illusion so that we could sneak a green dyed hairbrush into the Grandmaster's office!" Clove laughed warmly, recalling the memories. "The prank didn't work, but it turned into this charade between the Grandmaster an' us, actin' as Sith!" They had been truly incredible times. Oh, she was so carefree back then.

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