"See you when you get there." Dei thumbed her comm off as she also tried to muffle her panicked giggling in the sleeve of her robe. Closing her eyes, she willed her breathing to return to normal, her pulse resuming its calm cadence. She slowly turned around to find the face of Obi- Wan inches from hers. /I'd have enjoyed this position had I not had this difficult situation on my hands/ In her flustered state she hadn't noticed the twenty year-old edge up behind her to pick up on her conversation.
"I didn't hear anything!" Kenobi threw up his hands as Dei's jaw clenched in that way it did when she was about to draw blood. "I just wanted to know what's been so important as to call you so many times in the last hour…"
Dei's face resumed its natural color as she calmed yet again. "It's just Master Darsaln from the Creché. They're running tests with the toddlers and I'm helping."
"Why do they ca-" Kenobi was cut off with a wave of Bant's hand.
"You've reached your daily quota of words. Silence." The Calamarian tossed Dei a kind look in return of the relieved one Dei sent her. Obi-Wan resumed the look of desperate confusion.
Dei laughed, looking around for something else to do. "We got few options. Bar. Market. Bar...Club…Bar?"
Nodding, Obi-Wan and Bant hurriedly pulled Dei in the direction of the nearest establishment. Obi-Wan glanced back. "Can you get in? You're not eighteen yet."
"I can get in. I just can't buy the alcohol." Dei called back to him as they entered. The three stepped up to the bar, and minutes later headed for a booth in the back corner, Obi-Wan and Bant with bright orange drinks, Dei's milky and blue.
"You know, we're not in the Temple- you don't have to drink that tasteless milk. Why don't you have something more…interesting?" Bant suggested, motioning to Dei's choice.
"Hey, I like it. When you're old and on the floor because of a broken hip, I'll be there to point, laugh, and carry you to the healers. And, just for the record, I'm not planning on sharing my liver with you when yours shuts down." Taking a deep breath, Dei turned to Obi-Wan. "Obi, Master Jinn's going to be gone for the next day or so. He's been detained for…Well, he's been detained."
Kenobi's smile faded into a look of shock and worry as he stood to leave, but was quickly dragged back down by the hand Bant had twisted in his robe. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. They would have come to you if it were a serious problem," Bant assured him, at the same time giving Dei a wide-eyed 'What-Did-You-Do!?' kind of look. Dei returned it with a look of innocence, shrugging.
Obi eyed the both of them before he relaxed back into his corner. Normally he would have escaped to rescue his master, but he wasn't exactly in the mood. Trying to distract himself, he stared into a nearby saltshaker. Soon the white specks inside whirled around within in a tiny tornado.
Seeing this, Dei laughed before concentrating on the next nearest shaker, whirling the dark pepper within. In seconds, all the glass containers in the trio's reach were rattling and skittering around their tabletops, attracting several amused stares. Obi-Wan glanced around sneakily before his little whirlwind of salt sucked itself out of its container, depositing it all on the head of Dei, who in turn blasted Obi-Wan with her pepper, making a small effort to keep it out of his eyes. Bant sighed at the two young adults, turned her head, and dumped the load of salt she had been gathering off of tables surreptitiously during the other two's distraction.
Both froze, mouths opening in surprise as the crystals poured like rivers down the Padawan's faces, before turning to stare accusingly at Bant. Time seemed to freeze within the dark corner- Bant's huge eyes flipping between her two whitish victims.
Suddenly, the hiatus was broken with Dei, who had just registered the amount of salt that had gathered in her mouth. The sputtering broke the spell, in which Kenobi gathered himself, and rushed out of the suddenly loud establishment, a rather blushing Dei and Bant following behind. The three made a brisk walk through the market, losing themselves in the crowd.
Finally, Obi-Wan ducked into a small shelter to lean back against the shelves within. Bant and Dei stood side by side outside staring in at Obi-Wan. Dei smiled directly at Kenobi "I give him thirty seconds to figure out what he's leaning o-"
Her remark was cut short with a shove from the fleeing Kenobi, who had just noticed the porn merchandise he'd been sticking his elbow in. They calmly followed their blushing charge to the next, less illegal, shop over.
"Are you done making my life miserable?" Obi-Wan asked, eyeing the shopkeeper who stared from the corner. Dei gave a rather unlady-like snort, while Bant patted Kenobi's arm in a motherly fashion. A shrill beeping came from under Dei's robe interrupted the moment. All three gave a silent glance to the sky as Dei blushed and dug the comm. link from behind her back.
Dei quietly excused herself yet again from her two friends to answer the chirp of her comm. Standing a good five feet from the bickering two, she spoke "Yes?"
"Jahzea. Scratch one Council Member, and I'm on my way. Are you sure it's safe up there?"
Dei smiled to herself as she ruffled a crystal shower from her hair; Jahzea had a hint of apprehension in her voice, but then again, it could have been the comm… "Very."
/It had better be/ she thought grimly as she returned to her waiting friends. /If it's not, N'erek's going to have one angry Padawan on his hands… or maybe a good dozen./
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While Dei took the comm. call, Bant worked to calm Obi-Wan down again. Although Dei and Bant were only supposed to keep him occupied, it wouldn't do to return an annoyed and peevish Obi to the Temple and expect him to have a good time at his party. Deciding that the quickest and easiest way to appease her friend would be to play on his sympathies, Bant scrunched up her face in sorrow and turned to regard her friend.
As Obi-Wan noticed the expression on the Mon Cal's face, his own immediately softened. "What's wrong Bant?" he asked, his tone the calm and caring one she usually equated with her friend.
"It just doesn't seem like you're having a good time," Bant sighed. "Dei and I were so excited to get to spend some time with you, and yet you don't seem to be enjoying yourself at all. If you'd rather go back to the Temple and study or sleep or something, I'd understand…"
Drawing his friend into an embrace, Obi-Wan smiled softly. "I'm sorry Bant, I didn't mean to make this day miserable for you and Dei. I guess it's just been too long since I've had a chance to have some fun. Can we maybe try again, and I'll promise to enjoy myself this time?"
"I guess so," the Mon Cal replied, hoping that she wasn't overplaying on his sympathies.
"Good," Obi-Wan answered giving her one of his rare, but blinding smiles. "Then perhaps when Dei is done with her call, we can go check out one of the markets? I lost my only set of casual clothes when Master Jinn and I were on Kaverna, and I'd really like to find something to wear out, other than my tunics and leggings, that is."
Grinning, Bant winked. "Perhaps Dei and I can help you to pick something out?" she asked, knowing that normally Obi-Wan would absolutely refuse to trust the two girls with any of his clothing selections.
After weighing the decision in his mind, Obi-Wan sighed. "I guess so," he replied. "I guess I do owe you two for being such a pain earlier today."
"Yup, you do," Bant acknowledged, sharing a secretive grin with Dei as the Kiffar joined the conversation. "And we know just where to take you…"
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The first part of this is by the wonderfully talented dparis! CK added the last little bit.
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