AU week

[iprotectyou]

The front door opens, letting the deep song of the temple bells through as they toll the hour. Soon after, it allows in two older men, both in the heavy robes of the Guardians of the Whills. Chirrut is giggling as he weaves through the door, laughing at the tales of the initiate class Baze had been teaching.

"You did this on purpose," Baze mock-grumbles when the warmer air of the bar alerts him to their change of venue. "I shouldn't have told you we were out of sapir."

"My friend, that's not a feat even a Jedi could master. But I will take advantage of the opportunity."

The two Jedhans--one a Guardian and the other a Master--living and breathing and thoroughly content with their lot, make their way towards the counter. Bar materializes two earthenware cups of tea for them, so they settle in on the stools.

(OOC: Chirrut and Baze are coming in from a universe where the Empire does not exist. The Temple of the Kyber still stands, and Jedha is a thriving tourism hub.)

Comments

[iprotectyou]

"I should have Eiko train Althin," Baze says, blowing on his tea. "He keeps bringing frogs into class. I don't know where he's keeping them; I've even checked his robes."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut grins, his hands cupped around his teacup.

"I can't imagine why he would do such a thing." He offers, beatifically. "Frogs in class, who would have imagined."

[iprotectyou]

Baze snorts. "He's copying you, you know. Someone, I don't know who, or why, but someone told him that you once brought a frog into class. Now, given that this happened before most of the current crop of acolytes were born, who do you think would have told him?"

The large Guardian has his suspicions, Chirrut. And you're the prime suspect.

[idontneedluck]

"Some great storyteller, no doubt, if he is inspired to bring in so many frogs." Chirrut points out cheerfully. "And so cleverly as well."

[iprotectyou]

"You bastard," Baze says, slamming his cup down onto the counter hard enough to annoy Chirrut with the clatter, but not hard enough to break the mug. "I can't believe you. Stop sabotaging my class!"

[idontneedluck]

"I am not doing a thing - if children wish to hear of the times before they were born, who am I to refuse them? They seek knowledge." Chirrut replies serenely, even as he reaches out to straighten out the poor abused plateware.

[iprotectyou]

Baze drags his cup away from Chirrut's questing fingers, tempted to slam it on the counter again. The larger Jedhan nearly spills the tea in his haste to get the mug away from the smaller one.

"Oh, my Force. Kriff you, Chirrut Imwe. Kriff you sideways. I knew someone was screwing with me, and I never thought that my friend, my friend, whom I love more than anyone in the galaxy, would be so bold as to corrupt my children."

Honestly!

[imthepilot]

The sound of the bell makes Bodhi look up sharply from his datapad, eyes wide at the sight of the two men. Alive, vital and arguing.

It's almost more than he can bear.

[iprotectyou]

Baze notices Bodhi eventually--after Chirrut, no doubt, since he can pick up on people's presences through the Force. The giant of a Guardian beams at the man from Baze's seat.

"Hello, Bodhi!" he says, waving. "Wait, what happened to your right arm? Chirrut, it's the tea seller, and he has a prosthetic."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut smiles, and beckons the man over.

"May the Force of others be with you, Bodhi Rook! You mustn't think we are cheating on you, you still have the best tea in the market. What has happened to your arm?"

[imthepilot]

"Chirrut. Baze." His voice is oddly flat, controlled, just as his movements are as he comes over to them. "You're-" Alive? Here? Taking about tea?

[iprotectyou]

Bodhi moves like a soldier, and Baze's attention on him sharpens. The smile on the larger man's face dims slightly, though it's still as incandescent as it ever is. "What on Jedha happened to you, Bodhi? We saw you just the other day, and you..."

Weren't like this.

Baze shakes his head. "Are you all right?"

[idontneedluck]

"The Kanjiklub enforcers haven't tried to gain a foothold in the market again, have they? You think they would have learned after last time." Chirrut shakes his head in disbelief.

[ostro_goth]

There is a man with a guitar and a kitten by the fireplace, nodding a greeting at Baze as they come in. "Afternoon, Master Chirrut," he adds. "How is life treating you both?"

[iprotectyou]

"Teja," Baze says coolly, returning the nod. The Jedhans have never liked the rocker--Baze thinks he's a sanctimonious prat at the best of times--but the boys are adults. "We're well. And yourself?"

[idontneedluck]

"Teja." Chirrut nods politely as he accepts his tea from the Bar. "As Baze says, we have been well. I hope the same may be said of yourself?"

[ostro_goth]

"It may," Teja says, "thank you. I haven't been arrested for months, and nobody tried throwing stones at our windows for absolute ages. Politics are still fucked up beyond all recognition, but that is the new normal.'

[iprotectyou]

"Well. That's good," Baze says, drinking his tea resentfully. He's never quite sure what to say to the rocker. The larger man hopes Chirrut is a better conversational partner than Baze is. "Your girlfriend must be tired of paying fines when you get arrested."

[idontneedluck]

"It is easier to settle into a community when not behind bars." Chirrut agrees, sipping his tea. "Avoids the problem of being the perpetual outsider."

[last_kallig]

The Temple bells can be heard again as the door to Milliways opens. Ibani can be seen in the doorway, wearing her red initiate robes. She's taller now, stronger, healthier, than she was the first time she found Milliways. A little older too, coming up on 10 years old.

"I told you not to use that much fire-paste, Kall," she sing songs, looking back over her shoulder. There's a faint smell of smoke coming through the door now as the wind shifts. "Didn't I tell him, Sabla?"

Then she notices where she is and that her dads are both here. She steps through the door and allows it to shut behind her.

"Hi Dad!" she shouts cheerfully and bounds over to them. "Is Althin still smuggling in frogs?"

[iprotectyou]

Baze turns to her immediately, raising his teacup in a salute. "Ibani! Hello! And yes, of course he is. What's this about firepaste?"

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut holds out an arm for a hug, it's been hours since he last got one, surely he's due for more.

"You aren't terrorizing the kitchen staff, are you?" He asks, bemusedly.

[last_kallig]

Ibani stretches her arms as far as she can in order to hug both of them at once!

"Kall was trying to make a fire, only he used at least three times as much fire-paste as he needed. He lost an eyebrow!"

"I would never terrorize the kitchen staff," she says, all innocence, "that's your job." But there's laughter and teasing in the Force and in her smile.

[iprotectyou]

Innocence! Innocence! She must have picked up that tactic from Chirrut. Unfortunately for her, Baze has decades of experience seeing through that particular facade. He laughs.

"Three times as much? What did he set fire to? Hopefully not the tapestries in the main hall--I liked those."

[idontneedluck]

"They do have a nice texture." Chirrut agrees, shaking his head. "Or is that 'had'?"