Ask Spoonful of Sugar

[Elidan]

While the shuttle moved through hyperspace, Elidan was reading an article on his Datapad. It was about the Oceanarium of Thrinaka, one of Sesid’s many tourist spots. Located in the world capital, it was full with aquatic creatures from across the entire Galaxy. The boy couldn’t wait to arrive there and visit this place.

The half-Sephi still couldn’t understand why Asadra had invited him. After one of his weekly meetings with her, the Healer had invited him to a trip to Sesid. She said that it was for relaxing and therapeutic purposes. Elidan really preferred to stay reading at the Jedi Temple, but the Twi’lek was really insistent and the possibility of visiting the Oceanarium made him accept her offer.

However, he wasn't the only one that Asadra had invited on this trip. Clove was also going with them. Elidan remembers her from the beach party on Chandrila. She had entered in panic after Severus talked with her telepathically. He still didn’t know what exactly happened there, but he suspected that it could be related with what the girl had seen during the Battle of Dantooine.

They barely interacted before they entered the ship and now Asadra was seated between the two of them, making it more difficult. Elidan didn't want to force a conversation with the girl, they barely knew each other so he thought that it would be awkward. Clove probably also wanted to rest, although with the snores of the Twi’lek it would be a bit difficult. As soon as the ship entered hyperspace, the Healer had fallen asleep.

Sometime later, the shuttle exited the hyperspace and a robotic voice announced that they had arrived on Sesid. It made Asadra wake up. “Did we arrive? Good!” she yawned, before smiling at them. “Isn’t it exciting? We have three days to relax and visit all the tourist spots of the island! Where do you want to go first?” Elidan looked toward Clove, waiting for her to answer first. Meanwhile the ship started to descend on the planet.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove had been struggling to avoid regressing to her old behavior of locking herself away in her dorm room after the Chandrilla beach party, which had been a personal disaster for her. To help her struggle, she increased the number of dance lessons she took and the number of therapy sessions she attended each week. That increase led her to meet a Jedi Healer named Asadra, a kind woman who did everything she could to help Clove.

It made her busy, but busy was good. It meant her mind couldn't wander.

That's why, or so she assumed anyway, Asadra dragged her aboard the ship to Sesid, a lovely ocean planet with small islands, volcanoes, and massive water lily leaves. The goal was to relax, something she hadn't done since the beach incident.

Because a Jedi ship couldn't take the short route through Sith space and had to go the long way around, the journey to Sesid took a long time. Clove didn't mind a long flight normally, but now she was with Elidan, the autumn-red half-Sephi she met on the beach. They didn't talk much after Chandrilla, and she admittedly didn't know how to start a conversation with him. And judging by the other half-Sephi, he, too, was at a loss for words. As a result, the flight was quiet. Minus Asadra's loud snoring.

The fact that she was giddy didn't help matters. ATraveling with another half-Sephi? The only other half-Sephi she's ever met? There's Emryc, who she's seen on the holonet, for sure. But in real life? Elidan was the first. And that only added to her sense of shame; she wanted to impress him, not scream at him like a lunatic.

Eventually the ship began to descend towards the beautiful blue planet, and Asadra seemed to be awoken by the robotic voice. And all eyes turned to her. "Erhmm... Three days huh? I don't know a lot about Sesid... Is there a place with fishes? Like an aquarium?"

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

Elidan smiled when Clove mentioned an aquarium. Was she also interested in the Oceanarium? The boy picked his Datapad and started to type a message on it. Normally when he was with Asadra, the half-Sephi used sign language. However, he didn't want the girl to think that he was rude. "There is the Oceanarium of Thrinaka! It has several marine creatures from across the entire Galaxy!" he showed it to the two.

The Healer nodded in agreement. "So it's decided, we will visit the Oceanarium first!" she said "But before going there, we will need to leave our things in the hotel that we are going to stay." the Twi’lek smiled at the Padawans. They were two of her patients that needed more help. Elidan’s trauma damaged his confidence and made him develop selective mutism, he still didn't find someone with whom he felt comfortable enough to talk with, not even with Zana. And Clove, poor girl, she suffered terrible things on Dantooine. The Healer had thought that they were having progress, but after what happened with the girl in Chandrila, the Twi’lek feared that the half-Sephi would return to the state that she was in the early months after the battle.

Interestingly enough, the trauma of the two were related to the Sith and Ajan Kloss. Elidan was there and watched his friends being killed by the Sith, while Clove was attacked and forced to see the events that happened there through a vision. The Twi’lek hoped that this trip would help them become more relaxed and perhaps interact with each other. Asadra didn't reveal the similarities between their traumatic cases to each other, it was something that they would need to do by themselves. If they desired to do it, of course.

Soon the shuttle landed on the spaceport of Thrinaka, capital of Sesid. Asadra was the first to rise for her seat after stretching a bit, she turned to the Padawans. "Come, we need to pick our luggage and find a cab to bring us to the hotel." she started to walk out of the ship and Elidan followed her.

Outside the ship, a member of its crew and a worker of the spaceport were putting their luggage on a cart. "I'll push it." Elidan signed to the Healer, who nodded in agreement. Growing up in the Jedi Order, he had learned the importance of being polite. Asadra was already so nice by inviting him to come here that he had decided to compensate for her kindness.

After all their luggage was put on the cart, Elidan started to push it. They would need to cross the spaceport to reach the exit. Inside it, they were cornered by two female Draedans dressed in local clothes. "Welcome to Sesid! We hope that you have a wonderful stay!" they said in unison, before putting flower collars around their necks and giving to Asadra a pamphlet with the island map and tourist spots.

When the two Draedans walked away, probably to corner other tourists, the three finally reached the exit. Asadra turned to the two Padawans. "I'll go find a cab for us. Please, wait for me there." she said to the two and walked away.

With them being alone now, the silence became awkward. Wanting to stop it, Elidan typed a message on his Datapad "I barely saw you after what happened in Chandrila. How are you?" he showed it to Clove, while smiling at her.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Going to the Oceanarium sounded wonderful; she'd always loved everything ocean and sea related as a child, so the Thrinaka Oceanarium was a good place to start their three-day trip. "Sure, that sounds like a good idea."

When the shuttle touched down, it shook for a second, and Asadra was the first to get out of her chair after stretching. Clove took her lead and started stretching her arms and legs. And really, she realized how stiff her body had become after the long flight now that she was stretching them properly.

Out of the ship and into the spaceport, the half-Sephi followed the other half-Sephi and Healer. Before she could offer any help, Elidan beat her to the punch and began to push the cart. And t hat caught her off guard. Heavily. She was used to being the one to give help simply because it was the right thing to do, but now all she could do was walk alongside them sheepishly.

Before she could linger on it, two very happy-looking ladies approached them and began to adorn them with beautiful floral necklaces, all in the most stunning vibrant colors. Despite seeing them place a necklace around Elidan's neck, it took a lot of willpower not to slap the lady's hand away as soon as it reached for hers.

Even more effort was required to push Aadya's memories aside.

Still, she managed to snap out of it before it took on a life of its own, thanks in part to the lovely necklace and in part to the view that greeted them as they approached the exit. The planet was stunning. The bright blue waves let massive plants and lily leaves glide on the surface, the sun reflected and turned the water into tiny diamonds, and the salty yet refreshing scent of the sea. It was all incredible. And Sesid quickly rose to the top of her list of favorite planets. Ever.

The healer had left them, leaving Elidan and Clove to fend for themselves. Clove stared awkwardly at the water in front of them, unsure of what to say. And then the silence that followed became deafening. That is, until Elidan took the initiative and grabbed his datapad to write a message.

And boy was his message an ice breaker.

"Yeh. I've been... a little anti-social lately." That was the day's understatement. "But I'm doing okay, sort of. What about you? I had no idea you were also seeing a therapist." It was a direct remark, but Elidan had also been direct, so she assumed it was fine. "Oh, uhm. I've been experimenting with... Something. Please don't laugh, okay?"

The half-Sephi turned around nervously to face Elidan and began to raise her hands in a sign language attempt. "Hello. Hello, my name is-" She came to a halt for a moment, the individual letters having been a source of frustration for her. "C l o v s. Goodbye." One small mistake was the record.

Clove smiled shyly at the half-Sephi before lowering her gaze to her own hands. Despite everything, she desperately wanted to make a new friend, especially one who was also half-Sephi. Learning a language so he wouldn't have to use the datapad seemed like a good place to start.

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

Elidan nodded, he could understand why Clove was avoiding people lately. Since they first met on Chandrila, the boy had heard more rumors about what happened with her in Dantooine. Much was exaggerated, but all say that the girl suffered fighting against the Sith, nearly being killed by an Acolyte. Some even say that she saw people being killed.

The boy thought that such events probably made her suffer psychologically, after all it wasn’t too different from what happened with him in Ajan Kloss. It traumatized him, made him remain in shock for several months and, the worst of all, it made him develop selective mutism.

"I'm good, too. Still trying to find a Master." Elidan answered her question. He was learning through occasional meetings with other Jedi, but he really needed to find a Master. "Asadra has been my therapist since I was eleven, after I arrived in Yavin IV. I developed some problems after Ajan Kloss." he explained to Clove, not wanting to say much details about it. These events were still painful.


When he saw the other half-Sephi doing sign language, Elidan became full of joy. He ignored how she signed some words wrong, the boy only cared that now he knew another padawan that also knew how to use it. He was smiling at her, his eyes sparkling with excitement "It's wonderful! With time you will learn how to do it. I can help you with that, if you are ok with it." he risked signing it to her. If Clove didn't understand, he would type on the Datapad.

After some time, Asadra returned. "Sorry for the delay, I finally was able to find a cab. Follow me." she said, before starting to guide the Padawans to where the speeder was waiting for them. Elidan continued to push the cart with their luggage, while he thought how good it was to meet another Padawan that was learning sign language. He wondered if Clove would like to be his friend.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

The half-head Sephi's tilted to the right as he considered Elidan's lack of a Master. While she had only met him once before, she frequently noticed him in the background with his nose in a book. Someone who is so eager to learn must be the ideal candidate for the position of pupil, right? Then he went on to explain that he too had issues thanks to an invasion. She didn't know much about Ajan Kloss, and she avoided talking about it because the few stories she'd heard were horrifying. But, in a strange way, she was relieved to have found another person who could relate to what she was going through. "I'm really sorry to hear that, Elidan. I hope you are recovering or beginning to recover. And you totally deserve a Master."

Elidan's eyes sparkled with excitement, and his joyful smile was enough to make her slight embarrassment vanish. Her eyes squinted as he began to sign a few words she'd barely seen before, but she got the gist of what he was saying. "Okay!" was the only response she knew how to sign back. She then began to softly smile at him. "That sounds good; if you don't mind, I'd like some help with it."

Clove silently followed Asadra and Elidan to the cab. Even now, with the ice broken between the two Padawans, she wasn't sure what to say, especially since their therapist was still lingering around. So she decided to just enjoy the view to the cab in silence and not worry about it for the time being.

Once they arrived at the speeder, Clove opened the back of the vehicle for the luggage and began to pick one of the suitcases off the cart. It was much heavier than she had anticipated, but after a few grunts and her cheeks burning from the strength she pushed in her arms, she finally lifted it off the ground and shoved it into the back of the speeder.

She gave Elidan an embarrassed smile after deciding it was a lost cause to do the rest. "I'm sorry, they're a little too heavy for me; would you mind helping me? I'll do the lighter ones."

She began to lift the lighter and smaller items off the cart and into the speeder at a much faster rate than she had with the previous heavy suitcase. After they were done, she climbed up the speeder and took a seat in the back, leaving Elidan and Asadra to choose where they wanted to sit.

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

Clove's answer made Elidan smile. She was really kind. With the conflict against the Sith, the Jedi Order had a reduced number of Knights and Masters. The half-Sephi would need to increase his efforts in trying to convince someone to train him. "Thank you! Even after five years, I'm still struggling with it." he signed to her. The boy didn't want to comment much about these events. It could spoil their trip. They were there to distract themselves from this type of thing, not to remember traumas.

Elidan became even more excited when Clove accepted his offer. It would be a pleasure for him to teach sign language to her. With the exception of Zana and Severus, the boy didn't interact with many Padawans that knew it. For him, it was wonderful that the girl wanted to learn it. Knowing that there were more people with whom he could communicate, made the auburn-haired boy feel less lonely.

While they walked toward the cab, the two Padawans didn’t interact again. While he pushed the cart, Elidan was looking at the things around them. From there, he could see the blue ocean in the distance. It reminded the boy from the trip to Chandrila. Hopefully, this time it would not end with Clove crying again. Elidan had decided to not allow it to happen again. It wasn’t fair for someone so kind to cry this way.

After they arrived at the cab, he watched Clove opening the back of the vehicle, but struggling to put the luggage inside it. Elidan was already going to offer to help her when she asked. He smiled at the girl and nodded his head in agreement. Then he started to help her. The boy could understand why she wasn't able to do it, some of these things were really heavy. He wondered if Asadra had decided to bring her entire office inside it.

With everything inside the speeder, Elidan joined Clove at the back of the vehicle, while Asadra sat next to the driver, wanting to give him instructions on where they should go. When it started to move, the boy turned to the other half-Sephi “We never finished talking about the book that I was reading back in Chandrila. The one about the marine creatures of Naboo. Did you know that they have the bones of a subadult Sando Aqua monster at the Oceanarium of Thrinaka? It’s mounted in a swimming position at the main hall.” he tried to continue a conversation with her, this time he was using his Datapad.

Elidan and Clove would be able to have a conversation, if she wanted. Would take some time until they arrived at the place where they were going to stay. It was a relatively small hotel outside of the capital, but close to the beaches. The owners were an elderly couple of Mon Calamari, whose one of their sons had joined the Jedi Order. Since then, they would offer rooms for half of the normal price for Jedi that were visiting Sesid.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove noticed Elidan's data-pad light up from the corner of her eye, and she turned around to face him, eager to read what he had to say.

To her surprise, the autumn-haired boy began to discuss the book he mentioned back on Chandrila.

A more genuine smile crept up her lips, and she leaned back against the chair with greater ease. He really was great company. "Oh, yeh. I had no idea. We'd better make sure we see it once we get to the Oceanarium, though I doubt it'll be difficult to miss if it's in the main hall. I wonder how big the bones must be." Clove's voice became whimsical for a brief moment. "Did you know that the human body is made up of 206 bones? Actually, I believe most humanoid bodies have the same number of bones. Makes me how many bones the Sando Aqua monster has. Do you know by any chance?"

For a brief moment, the half-Sephi shifted her gaze away from Elidan and toward the outside. Sesid was truly lovely, and it quickly became one of her favorite planets of all time. Something about the endless body of water, small islands with bright beaches, and countless massive lily pads was mystical, something she'd only see in her daydreams. Or would've. Daydreams have been a little less innocent since that day.

Clove pushed the thought from her mind before it could spiral, and returned her large brown eyes to Elidan. "Before we leave the planet, we should definitely go jump on some of those lily pads. I'm curious if they wobble. I doubt it because they are so large, but wouldn't that be cool, like a boat rocking on the ocean?" She paused for a moment, realizing Elidan could be seasick or dislike the water. "Of course, only if you want."

"Are there any other interesting places to visit on Sesid? I've never heard of this planet before, until now obviously." Clove confessed with a shy smile. She figured she should make the most of the speeder ride before Asadra took over again.

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

Elidan paid close attention to what Clove had said. When she asked if he knew about the number of the bones that humans had on their bodies, the boy remembered from what he had read in a holobook about anatomy at the Temple Library. “Yes, I know. I read about it sometime ago.” The other half-Sephi was right, most of the humanoids and near-humans also have 206 bones on their bodies..

“The Sando Aqua Monster has 223 giant bones. The ones at the Oceanarium were of an individual that was still growing. These creatures can reach between 160-200 meters and live for 100 years. However, the colossal adults are rarely seen, being only known from legends told by the Gungans. The ecology of these creatures is poorly known.” Elidan explained to her. He thought that it was fascinating how there were still many things to learn about the animals living on the different planets of the Galaxy.

He noticed that Clove had turned to look toward the outside. Elidan briefly did the same. The landscape was amazing, Sesid’s beaches were more beautiful than the one of Chandrila. There were so many small islands that he would love to visit. He turned back to the girl when she talked again. “ I read that these lily pads grow at some lagoons of the planet. They are very resistant, but they are smaller than the imperial lily pads of G’wenee. A Wookiee can stand over it without sinking.”

“Well, we can visit the beaches, the lagoons or have a ship trip to one of the islands.” Asadra said after hearing Clove’s question. She had remained in silence since they entered the speeder, only listening to what the two Padawans were talking. The Twi’lek was happy to see the two interact. They were young, but already suffered so much. “According to this pamphlet, there is a ship that takes tourists to visit some of these islands. We could go there tomorrow, what do you think?”

Elidan would nod in agreement and turn to Clove, waiting for her answer. Maybe they could go explore some of these islands. He had read that many of them had their own fauna and flora, which didn’t exist in other places. Would be very cool to see it by himself. The more he read about natural sciences, the more fascinated the boy became.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

"223. That's a lot of massive bones, Elidan. I had no idea they could be that old or that long." Clove sighed and leaned back a little more. "That's fantastic. I'm hoping to see something like the colossal adult one day. Imagine standing next to a 200-meter-long creature. You're already tall, but in comparison to one of those beasts, you'd be a midget!" The half-Sephi laughed more freely.

Thankfully, Elidan didn't mention anything about having a fear of water or not being able to swim, and instead provided her with some fascinating new information about the massive lily pads. "Is it possible for a Wookiee to stand on one? Then we definitely can as well. Hmmm. I'd like to visit G'wenee now; I had no idea they had such massive lily pads."

Clove had more to say, but Asadra interrupted her thoughts with the mention that there were many things they could do. Still, she had a brilliant suggestion. Clove's gaze returned to the autumn-haired boy, who nodded in agreement. "That sounds fine to me. I can only imagine how adorable those islands have to be. Oh, I was wondering if there was any space for some shopping. I'd like to purchase a pin to remember this trip as well as a postcard for my parents." Her parents had become far more concerned and borderline obsessed after being scared to death by her near-death experience. So whenever she visited a new place, she made a point of sending them a little card with a short message. That way, if something went wrong, they'd have a memory— No, stop that train of thought right now, Clove.

No gloom or doom today.

"What will the rest of our day be, after the Oceanarium?"

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

Elidan smiled with what Clove said. She was right, even with him being tall, he would be nothing next to a Sando aqua monster. He thought that it was fascinating how a giant creature like that was so poorly known. The boy would like to someday visit Naboo and talk with the Gungans about it. They probably know more about the Sando aqua monster than anyone else.

Clove's mention of wanting to visit G’wenee made Elidan excited. He also always wanted to visit the planet too. It had so many interesting creatures living there. Unfortunately, it would be impossible for any Jedi to visit it. "Yes, I would like to visit this planet too. But it was conquered by the Sith recently. It's too dangerous to go there." he showed his Datapad to her with this message. Even with it being dangerous, he would still love to visit it someday.

"There is a mall in the city. We could go there after visiting the Oceanarium." Asadra answered Clove's question. Elidan was unsure about that. He didn't have money to buy anything in a mall. Like all the orphans that became part of the Jedi Order, the half-Sephi lived with a small fund destined for them. All his clothes were hand-me-downs, the only really valuable thing that he had was the necklace that the boy had since he was found as a baby on Chardaan.

However, if it made Clove happy, he would not mind going there. After all, this trip is for both of them. She has all the right to choose where they could go. He would only need to ignore his shame for not being able to buy anything at the mall.

After some time, the speeder finally arrived in front of the hotel where they were going to stay. While they walked out of the vehicle, a female Mon Calamari approached them and started to talk with Asadra. "Hello, Master Seh! It's good to see you again. Follow me, we need to make the check-in." then she noticed Elidan was going to pick the luggage from the speeder. "Oh dear, you don’t need to do that. We are sending someone to pick it up and put it in your room." then she walked inside the main hall, being followed by the Twi’lek.

While Asadra signed their check-in. Elidan turned to Clove. "I think that she is a relative of Jedi Knight Grirgar Relkee. Do you know him? His parents are the owners of this place. They allow Jedi to stay here for half of the price." he explained to the girl. He thought that they were very nice for doing it. It's becoming even more difficult to find people that were sympathetic with the Jedi Order.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove's smile faded for a moment when she heard about the Sith holding a captured planet, especially one as beautiful as G'wenee. It was a shame they kept ruining everything fun, and all she could hope for was that the civilians on that planet were safe and healthy. Or as safe and healthy as they can be given the circumstances. "Oh, well... I'm confident that we'll eventually free that planet and then we'll be able to return there."

Thankfully, her idea for a trip to the mall was accepted, and her faint smile returned. "Wonderful, thank you so much!" While she genuinely wanted to go send that card, it was no secret that clothing made the half-Sephi happy. She wouldn't go to hell and back to protect clothing; no, she wasn't shallow enough for that. But holding a new pair of shoes in her arms always caused her Dopamine levels to spike for a short time. So the prospect of buying some new clothing, clothing designed by a completely different culture than her own, was incredibly exciting.

Elidan, on the other hand, was deafeningly silent about the mall idea. She shifted her gaze to him for a moment, only to notice that his clothes were old. It wasn't obvious; the fabrics had faded slightly, and the seams were just a tad less snug. Secondhand clothing was a common telltale she discovered on most Jedi's outfits. Those Jedi couldn't help it; the Jedi tried to pay them whatever they could spare, but with so many orphaned Jedi, it was nearly impossible to give everyone what they deserved. Because of this, his stunning silver necklace stood out like a sore thumb. Clove bit the inside of her cheek, realizing that he might not have enough money for shopping and that she wanted to assist him when the time came. Or, at the very least, try.

The half-Sephi let go of the subject and looked out the window, allowing the natural silence to dance through the speeder. But it wasn't long before a stunning tall hotel came into view. Despite having tasted wealth before, something like this was beyond her wildest dreams. It was something out of a holo movie, something she couldn't describe.

Clove jumped to her feet after exciting the speeder and looked around at the breathtaking sight of the planet itself, its bright blue sky, and the hotel that stood nearby. She couldn't stay too long looking around because the sight of the autumn-haired boy's datapad drew her in. "Huh. I don't believe I know them. That's incredibly kind of them, especially in this day and age." Jedi were portrayed as monsters, almost as bad as Sith. So it came as a surprise to hear how nice they were.

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

After hearing Clove’s answer, Elidan started to type another message.When he finished, the boy showed it to her. “Sometimes Knight Relkee helps with the training of younglings. He is nice.” he had some interactions with the Mon Calamari, who was always very patient and liked children. The Jedi used to say that he was this way because he ended up needing to help his parents take care of his seven young siblings. “He is also a relative of the Rebellion hero Admiral Gial Ackbar, by his mother's side.”

“Yes, people don’t seem to like the Jedi Order so much nowadays.” it was very unnerving how the Galaxy seemed to be starting to turn against them. Elidan had seen the holonet, he couldn’t believe the news that said how Master Voran tried to use the Force to influence the Chancellor of the New Republic. This couldn’t be true. The Grandmaster would never do something like that. When they return to the Temple, he would try to talk with her about what happened.

Then, Asadra returned to where they were. “We are going to stay in room 53. Follow me, we need to use the elevator to reach there.” she smiled and walked toward it, gesturing for the Padawans to follow her. Elidan would walk after the Twi’lek, joining her inside the elevator. Since it was made of glass, it allowed them to see the landscape, including the beach ocean. The boy smiled, it was beautiful.

After they arrived at the floor where their room was, Asadra started to walk through a corridor. She would stop in front of a door with the number 53 on it. The Twi’lek would use a card to open it. Inside there would be probably the most luxurious room that Elidan ever saw. It had three beds, a holoscreen and a glass door that went to a small balcony. Their luggage was already there.

“There is one bathroom, but I think that will be no problem for us to share it.” Asadra said to them. Elidan knew that she was a very organized person like him, so they would maintain the place clean after using it. He thought that Clove probably was this way too. Now he was happy for her being the one on this trip with him. He remembers that the Twi’lek mentioned that she at first thought about inviting Thelian too. The auburn-haired boy had nothing against the Echani, but he didn’t seem to be the type that cared for organization or for leaving things clean for others to use. He felt guilty for feeling relieved that the other didn’t come.

“Now we can organize our things and take a shower. Then we can go to the Oceanarium.” Asadra walked toward the luggage with her things and opened it. She started to put some of her clothes in a part of the wardrobe, leaving space for the two Padawans to put theirs. Elidan approached his luggage, another hand me down, and started to pick his clothes and put on a space in the wardrobe.

Once they finished doing it, the Twi’lek would turn to the two Padawans. “So, who is going to use the shower first?” Elidan turned to Clove, he didn’t care about it. For him the girl could go before him.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove walked into the elevator with the two and gazed out the magnificent glass window. The view was breathtaking, and the three Jedi were able to see more of the limitless blue ocean as they climbed higher. The sun bounced off the gently swaying waves, scattering light like a layer of millions of tiny diamonds. Clove found herself wishing she could stay in the elevator for just a minute longer by the time it arrived at the correct floor.

But she managed to take her gaze away from the glass and follow the two down the corridor. By the time the door opened, her eyes were almost popping out of their sockets. Despite its small size, the room was lovely and oozed elegance. Clove walked over to the balcony door and pushed her palms against the glass while listening to the Jedi discuss the bathroom.

Her mother would've loved this.

A feeling of despair she couldn't put into words flooded through her body, knotting her gut to the size of a walnut. It was a strange mix of longing to belong, wanting to be among her closest friends and family, homesickness, and plain old melancholy.

The subject of who would shower first jolted her out of her weird mood swing. For the most part, anyway. It also reminded her that Elidan was around, so she wasn't entirely alone. And who knows, Elidan might turn out to be a close friend as well. She turned around on the ball of her foot and looked at the two of them. "If it's okay with everyone, I'd like to take the first shower. I need to get some of that salty air out of my hair and those curls take forever to dry." She came to a halt, her gaze drawn to the organization that both Jedi had done while she was zoning out. Sugar. That was awkward enough for her cheeks to start burning. "I'll properly unpack my things once I've finished showering, sorry about that."

She entered the bathroom with only her toiletries bag and a robe and locked the door behind her. The luxurious bathtub was the first thing she noticed. A bath. Since leaving her family's home, she hadn't taken a proper bath; the Jedi normally just took a shower because they didn't have the time or luxury for a long bath. Oh how badly she wanted to dive in. But it would have to wait, for Elidan and Asadra were still waiting for her. Her pale hand traced the rim of the tub as she made a vow to herself to take a bath either that night or the next morning.

She undressed and stepped beneath the shower after neatly stashing her toiletry bag and collecting her shampoo and conditioner. She looked at the buttons for a few moments, wondering which one to press, so she just pressed the center one and hoped for a warm shower. She was, however, entirely incorrect. Instead, she was greeted by a jet of ice-cold water. Clove let out a shriek and screamed, "Cold, cold, COLD!" before pressing down another button, the one right of the jet-stream one. Thankfully, that one appeared to be the correct one, as the jet stream shut off and the shower head was switched on instead. A warm downpour of water fell down on top of her silky pale skin, reminding her of a summer storm in Yavin IV's forest. But with less wind and humidity. It was honestly very relaxing.

_____​

The warm shower was exactly what the half-Sephi needed to help her overcome what melancholy had remained. She unlocked the bathroom door and entered the bedroom with her hair still soaking wet and a bathing robe wrapped around her body. "If you don't like cold showers, don't click the middle button." With her hands reaching into her luggage to retrieve a microfiber towel, the half-Sephi informed the two Jedi. She sank into one of the seats and began scrunching the water out of her dripping curls. "But it's a wonderful shower, plus there's a bathtub!"

Clove started putting her baggage away as promised, neatly folding her clothing into the area designated for her clothes and plopping the pillow she took from the Jedi Temple on top of the unclaimed bed. She went back into the bathroom after everyone had finished showering to take off her bathing robe and jump into her clothes from earlier in the day.

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

”No problem.” Elidan didn’t mind that Clove was going to the shower first. He understands very well how difficult it could be to dry hair. The boy used to lose some time drying his own. He tried to not use a hairdryer most of the time, but sometimes it was really necessary.

While the girl walked to the bathroom, he continued unpacking his things. Elidan never cared for what he dressed and how all of it were hand-me-downs. However, after what Clove said about going to the mall, he started to think about it. He would not have money to buy anything there. The half-Sephi also noticed that the other Padawan was always well dressed, which meant that she had some money. Near her, he looked so underdressed. These thoughts made him feel a bit ashamed.

After he put all his things in the wardrobe, Elidan picked up his Datapad and walked toward the balcony. From there he started to take pictures from the landscape. Since the party at Chandrila, the Padawan had developed the habit of photographing the places that he visited. These images became cherished memories for him.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Asadra’s voice made him stop and turn to face her. He nodded in agreement, the sight was really amazing. From there he could see the blue ocean and some islands. The Twi’lek approached the half-Sephi, stopping beside him. “I saw your conversation with Clove. Eli, I’m so happy that you are making new friends! This shows that you are opening to new people.”

Elidan doesn’t know if it was something to be happy about. Being sincere, he could say that he had only three friends: Zana, Ruzaan and Asadra. Clove was still more a colleague than a friend. He thought that more time would be necessary before he called the girl this way.

When Clove finished her bath, the two would still be in a conversation that seemed to be more like a therapy session in Elidan’s opinion. The girl’s mention of a bathtub made the auburn haired boy think that he never used one. He walked to pick the things that he would need, smiling at the other half-Sephi when he passed near her.

Entering the bathroom, Elidan noticed how luxurious and large it was. It was larger than the ones of the Jedi Temple. He undressed and entered the shower. If Clove hadn’t told him about the buttons, the boy would have no idea how to use them. While the warm water fell over his body, the Padawans started to think how he would love to have a shower like it every day.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Scrunching her hair with a towel and then applying hair cremes to enhance the curls was always a time-consuming task. And the end result would be a mystery until everything was dry. That's why Clove chose to straighten her hair or wear it in huge braids on some days. But, now that they were on vacation, she spent some extra attention on her hair.

Just to be a little happier with the end results.

Clove started organizing her clothes into the closet when the majority of the water was squished out of her hair. There was no doubt about it: she had packed the most clothing of the group. But she didn't want to request additional room because, after all, she had chosen to bring too many skirts and summer dresses. So she sucked it up and piled everything together as neatly as she could until everything was as orderly as possible.

Shoes went in the shoe rack, coat on the hanger, her towel in the washing bin.

Then she was done, and all that remained was to wait for everyone to finish before getting dressed. So the half-Sephi sat on the edge of her bed, still in her bathing robe, her gaze fixed on the windows. "I can't believe how lovely this place is." She turned to face the therapist. "Do you often book a hotel room?"

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Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

While Elidan was at the bath, Asadra stayed talking with Clove. “Sometimes. I’m a friend of Grirgar and his parents allow me to book a room there so I can bring my patients. I learned that a time for them to relax and distract themselves is important for their recovery.” the Twi’lek said, with a smile on her lips. “They are very kind. I’ll present you to them later.”

Asadra watched Clove. That poor girl suffered so much at Dantooine. The Twi’lek was trying to do the best that she could to help her deal with the aftermath of this battle. However, like what happened with Elidan and all of her patients, marks of this trauma would remain. Sometimes she wonders why the Order still allows the children to go to battles.

Elidan finished his bath and dried himself. After dressing with the clothes that he had brought with him, the half-Sephi left the bathroom. He saw that Asadra seemed to be talking with Clove and felt bad for having disturbed them.

After seeing him, Asadra smiled. “Now is my turn. When I finish, we are going to the Oceanarium.” she picked her clothes and walked inside the bathroom. Now that it was only him and Clove there, Elidan felt a bit awkward. He picked his Datapad and sat on his bed, deciding to read while the Twi’lek was still using the refresher.

While he scrolled through it, Elidan saw the pictures that he had taken at the balcony. Then he looked at Clove. He typed a message and showed it to the girl. “Did you see the sight from the balcony? It’s so beautiful. We can see the ocean from there. Before our trip to Chandrila, I had never seen the sea before.”

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

The half-Sephi returned the Twi'lek's smile. "I'm willing to believe that. This place is, to put it mildly, quite distracting. I can't remember the last time I saw such a beautiful place." Clove shifted on the bed, her gaze returning to the windows. "It's really kind of Grigar and his parents to help the Jedi this way."

Clove couldn't think of anything else to say, so the sound of the door opening and Elidan's slightly damp footsteps on the tiles was a welcome one. Her head tilted to the right, in the direction of Elidan. "Sounds good. I forgot to change, so when you're done, I'll do that and then I'll be ready as well." She replied to Asadra.

The awkwardness that's been there during the drive had returned to the dorm room. Clove awkwardly shifted on the bed again, her fingers fidgeting with the robes' belt. Elidan, by the sound of it, was using his datapad and scrolling across the screen. Then the scrolling became tapping, causing her head to turn instinctively. She took a long look at the message before smiling softly. "I haven't been on the balcony, but I've seen the view through the windows. It is very pretty, for sure. And, really? Do you like the ocean?"

It made her curious about Elidan's life. She planned on asking him at some point, but this didn't seem like the right time. They were on vacation, not a walk down memory lane. "I can't wait to see the Oceanarium, how about you?"

---

Tag @LouJoVi ​

 

[Elidan]

Elidan typed an answer for Clove’s question on her Datapad and then showed it to her. “I really like it! It can be so big on some planet and full of life!” he had studied about how oceans are formed, but he still thought that it was amazing how these places could be the home to many species. “I think that even before I saw it, I liked the sea. I always liked to read about marine creatures.”

“I can’t wait, too! There are so many cool creatures living there. I read that they even have river uiaras from G’wenee.” after he discovered the existence of the Oceanarium, Elidan had read everything about this place. He already knew each of the species that live there. “Did you know that there are people that think that uiaras are Force sensitive? I want to see them.”

Then the awkward silence would return to the room. Elidan was in doubt of what he could do to maintain the conversation. She was the first other half-Sephi that the boy had met, he wanted to talk more with her. “Clove, have you ever visited Thustra?” he was curious to know if she had met a pure Sephi that lived there. He heard so many bad things about them that he wanted to know if they were true.

“I never went there.” he would admit to her. To be sincere the only other pure Sephi that he met was Master Sevrin, but he never talked with him. He thought that Clove had lived with her parents before joining the Order. He wondered if they brought her there at some point. He hoped to someday visit this place.

After some time, Asadra finally finished her bath and walked out the bathroom. She was already dressed to go to the Oceanarium. “We can go now. Clove, while you change your clothes I’ll call a cab.” the Twi’lek would say to the girl, before picking her comlink and walking out of the room.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

There was something incredibly endearing about Elidan's love for the ocean, even long before he'd ever seen one. And when she read his messages on the datapad, it made her smile all the more genuine. "I fully agree. The ocean holds an incredible amount of life. Some people are afraid of it for that reason, which I understand, but fearing something we don't understand is a shame. Just imagine how much secret knowledge exists in a single planet's worth of ocean, let alone a galaxy or universe."

"No way, I had no idea people think they are Force Sensitive. That's interesting. I'm curious if there are many animals who are Force Sensitive... Should find a book for that." Clove hummed as she looked out the windows again, the sight of the waves rolling towards the beaches and the massive lily pads dobbing on the clear blue was so relaxing. It was so soothing that she didn't notice the awkward silence that followed. This made Elidan's next message all the more jarring.

Thustra. The home planet of Sephi. Pure Sephi.

Oh, how many times her mother had warned her not to set foot on Thustra, or told her stories about her 'exile' from the community for having a child with a human. She fiddled with the ribbon of her robes awkwardly, her gaze avoiding Elidan. She had to not only open up and talk about herself, which she never liked, but she also had to discuss a fairly sensitive subject. Still, Elidan was a half-Sephi as well. It'd be unfair to keep him in the dark. "No. For lack of a better way to describe it, my mother's forbidden to return to that planet. I mean, she can still do it, but it won't be a good time if she does. So, we've avoided Thustra ever since I was born."

"I, um. Aside from my mother and Master Sevrin, I've never met another Sephi. And I honestly try to avoid Master Sevrin. He looks so much like a pure Sephi. Like my mother, I guess. It's a little confronting." With a faint smile, the half-Sephi lifted her gaze for a second before returning her gaze to her own pink hands. "What about you and your family? You never really bring them up." Well, she hasn't had a lot of conversations with Elidan in general, but still.

When Asadra finally left the bathroom, Clove scooped her clothing off her bed and into her arms. She politely said to the therapist and Elidan, "I'll be back in a minute," and stood up on her bare feet. After excusing herself, she entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She tossed the robe off her body, jumped into her underwear, and began pulling a light cream with light pink floral dress over her body after a quick check in the mirror to see how her curls had dried; a little wilder than usual, thanks to the salty air. She quickly tucked two strands of hair into a half updo and held it together with a white bow, and slipped her feet into wedges with a matching ribbon. Although it took some effort, she was pleased with the end result when she took a step back and looked in the mirror once again.

All ready for the first vacation trip!

She exited the bathroom with a satisfied smile on her face, after having neatly hung the bathrobe on its designated hanger, and returned to Elidan. "Should we go after Asadra?"

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Tag @LouJoVi ​