The Night Before Life Day

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Life Day used to be a time that she looked forward to with a heady anticipation. It was a time of magic and excitement, and a time when she used to always be happy. Life Day used to be when she, her Dama, and her dad all spent a week together. Sometimes they'd spent the time alone on Schartzweld, and sometimes they celebrated the yearly holiday with others.

But that was then.

And this was now.

Now, when everything was so very different. When everything was turned upside-down and just... wrong.



She'd spent the day in a sort of daze, lost in memory while still existing in the present. She did what chores were expected of her, finishing them without much thought. Classes had been stopped for a few days to allow the students time for whatever celebrations they wished to have, and while many branched off into their own groups to carouse and have their fun, she'd remained mostly by herself.

A transport had come in during the lunch hour, and opting to skip her midday meal, Teagan found herself waiting with a detached air at the outer perimeter of the landing tarmac. It was a freighter, with Alliance markings, and as the ground crew began the mundane task of beginning the unloading process, she watched. Watched as parcels and cargo crates alike were passed down from the hold and onto a waiting hoversled. Suspecting that it was a shipment of Life Day gifts from the parents of many of the Jedi students, the young Lupine's spirits seemed to both rise and fall at the same time. Did she hope that her mother had sent something along? Of course she did. Would she be surprised if there was nothing? No, not really. But still, there was a bare flicker of anticipation.

It was a rather large shipment all told, and Teagan watched the proceedings in their entirety. She watched the ground crew close up the hold's hatchway once more, giving the freighter's outer hull a slap as they moved away to begin moving the hoversled along the tarmac and toward the receiving area.

A sigh, and the girl stepped back. Not really satisfied, but not sure what she should've been satisfied with, Teagan turned on her heel and started off away from the landing area.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Wow."

Hands on her hips, Draiya watched Tak turn away from the holiday scrum wearing a mildly dirt-kicking expression on her face.

"I figurred if anyone would make out like a bandit on Life Day, it would be you."

The Syragori padawan's PT gear - a sleeveless top and mid-calf shorts, wore about as much dirt on them as the rest of her. Her black hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail, with a grimy strand or two slapping her forehead with about as much grace as she could muster.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Oh gods.

Not now. Not her.

Teagan made a disgusted face while rolling her eyes. Any thoughts on whether she had anything waiting for her were dashed away to the winds in a heartbeat at the sound of Draiya's voice.

"Hardly."

She shook her head in exasperation. Past experience had taught her that there was no way around the Syrgori girl, and so the young Lupine tried to brush her off with whatever lame excuse she could think of.

"Don't really have anyone that'd want to give me anything."

She purposefully neglected to mention anything about her mother, as the last time that subject had reared its' head, things had gone less than swimmingly. Instead, she tried to divert Draiya away.

"There's probably something for you from your parents, though."

It was better than nothing, she supposed, and Teagan jerked a thumb at the hoversled in the distance.

"Should probably go check."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

For a moment, a chink appeared in Draiya's gruff armor as she followed the jerked thumb and glanced beyond Tak at the hoversled. Her devil-may-care expression softened, and she opened her mouth as if to say something, and then clamped it shut.

"We don't celebrrate Life Day. We get prresents on Saanjarra'ge'deeyati."

Draiya tried to look unimpressed, but she didn't fully cover over the wistful glance over Tak's shoulder.

"It's all corrporrate anyway, you know."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It was in a way contagious, and Teagan allowed a wistful look of her own, sent over her shoulder to the hoversled and the gaggle of youths gathered around it.

"I guess."

Another sigh.

"My... "

She stopped abruptly before going further. But the sight of so many happy kids crowding around trying to grab what'd been sent to them was one that only filled her head with memories.

"... my... Mom and Dad used to always make sure I was happy on Life Day. Didn't matter what I cobbled together for them, they always said that night that me smiling that morning was the best present they got from me."

She looked to Draiya then.

"What about your parents?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya's heels screwed into the ground uncomfortably as Tak reminisced and asked about her own happy upbringing.

"Yeah I guess."

A small shrug. Averting eye contact, the Syragori chewed on a broken fingernail.

"We went to temple on Solstice. Frree food, even forr forrda, so we'd barrbecue. We didn't, uh, all that rreligion stuff. Rrou'mai and Arr'tai took us to see a holo, usually a musical.

...if we could afford it was left off intentionally.

Looking up again at the freighter with an uneasy expression, Draiya smoothed over aloof after a moment.

"Hey, you wanna get out of herre? It's sappy."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Another last look at the group of youngsters, and Teagan finally nodded.

"Yeah."

The pair headed off, with no real destination in mind. They walked in a strange sort of silence, as Teagan tried her best to be as gracious as possible. Considering their last tussle, she was almost unwilling to try. But, it wasn't what her Dama or Master Vymes would want, so she put on a neutral face.

In an effort to appear more sociable, the young Lupine broke the quiet between them.

"What was it like, temple?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Borring and dumb."

Draiya paused mid-stride to kick a rock down their path, watching it skitter and careen off the side of a prefabricated wall.

"Okay I guess. We only went on Solstice. I mean, we'rre unclean and all, so you can't get into heaven but if you prray rreally rreally harrd therre's like a smaller not-as-nice heaven. We had to go to Maieer'a'taalja when we'rre little to learrn all the dumb rreligion stuff and I forrgot most of it. The prrayerr towerr's rreally tall though. The prriestess goes up everry morrning and sings laa dee daa hope you don't burrn in hell you mutt-spawn heathens."

Draiya made a silly scolding face, wagging her finger as she rolled her eyes.

"But I guess Solstice was fun. They'd brring like a million Kaatho in and kill 'em all and get blood everywherre and therre was music and dancing and, uh..."

Canting her head a little, her expression went impish.

"...then everryone did it."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

It was a strange sideways look that she gave to Draiya, but one that certainly held no surprise. She'd heard enough stories about Cizerack culture from Daani years ago, and wasn't too entirely unfamiliar with how things went in the Cluster.

"Sounds... interesting."

It was still different though, hearing about things from the perspective of someone who came from the Cluster that wasn't a Cizerack.

A sudden thought occurred to her then, and Teagan slowed to a halt, casting a look back to the group in the now distance before turning to Draiya.

"You can go see what you got, you know. You don't have to walk around with me."

She had a suspicion that there were few Padawans who even wanted to be seen with her, let alone wander about with her.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

There wasn't any way to change the subject, was there? Draiya didn't even look back this time.

"Therre's nothing. I don't have to look. I know."

She'd grown up poor and had always been poor. That wasn't new. Birthdays, Solstices, or Life Days without presents didn't bother her. Well, not much. All she really wanted was something you couldn't put in a box, anyways.

"Hey, uh, I'm sorrry. Forr rripping on you and stuff. You'rre okay when you'rre not a dweeb. I didn't mean all that otherr stuff, you know."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan gave a look of silent apology, but said nothing beyond that. She understood quite well how difficult it was to talk about sore subjects. Instead, she gave a simple nod and let the matter rest. At Draiya's apology though, there was a mildly surprise look that fell over her face, and she looked at the other girl.

"Thanks."

Silence fell then, and Teagan kicked at the dusty road, dislodging a small pebble.

A few of the other Padawan's came running by, holding packages and heading for their rooms... no doubt to stash them away for tomorrow. It caused a frown to draw down the corners of her lips, and the young Lupine focused her attention once more to the Syragori girl.

"Um, so, I was gonna go see Master Vymes; my Mom asked me in her last comm to visit him on Life Day Eve. You can come with me, if you want."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Normally it wasn't something Draiya would do. Even in the best of times, she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Still, it was the day before Life Day, and no matter what she'd say or not say, Draiya didn't want to be alone. She nodded.

"Okay."

They passed through the scrum of joyful tots and gifts, and had to sidestep at the last moment to dodge a howling Hwooroc, who threatened to bowl everyone over in a shiny new Tiny Tots Action Speeder as he beeped on the horn. The chaos subsided, leaving only Draiya and Tak to stare at each other in a that just happened moment.

"You and yourr mom arre prretty close to Masterr Vymes, huh? Did you spend yourr whole life hiding frrom the Empirre orr something?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Watching as Hwooroc zoomed off down a side-alley, Teagan pursed her lips in amusement as she and Draiya started off once more.

"He and my Mom knew each other from back before the Clone Wars. They were both at the temple."

Both girls kept pace with one another, and Teagan stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her trousers.

"They escaped together when the Emperor ordered all the Jedi killed, and were together for a long time after that. Then they met my Dad, and joined up with the Rebellion."

Another kick at the dirt-packed road as she strode along.

"I didn't meet him until I was about six though. He was... different back then."

At the thought of those early times, the girl let a small chuckle escape.

"Back then, he was more like a crazy old spacer, really."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Rrou'mai and Arr'tai werre spacerrs too. Well, sorrt of. We lived on a ship forr a few yearrs. Kind of like when we werre on the wheel."

Of course, none of that involved being chased by the empire or living on the run.

"Don't rreally get attached to anything when you'rre moving all the time. Did you have a home orr werre you always moving?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"My Mom had me when she was living on Cathar. We were there until I turned six, and then left to travel with a friend."

She could still remember vividly her time aboard Layla. Such happy times, yet dangerous all the same.

"We lived on a shuttle for a while, then moved back in with my Dad on his ship. I spent some time living with Master Vymes, then with another L- "

She caught herself at the last minute.

"... lady. Then after all that I went back to live with my Mom and Dad."

All told, it was a sort of wild transitioning, her living arrangements. No roots, nothing to call home except... except, well, Dama.

She shrugged.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Catharr huh? Kuu'ai. We lived next to the Catharr quarrter on Syragor. They all sold windchimes and crrappy computerrs and smoked a lot. Rrou'mai said not to hang arround them too long orr we'd get fleas."

Draiya rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

"Was it fun on Catharr?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

At that, Teagan cracked a crooked half-smile.

"It was. I remember going to the big market in Joffa, and we'd always get something at one of the stalls there. My Mom never really let me have sweet treats when we went, so I always got pastry rolls that had namana berry cream drizzled on top. Sometimes we went to the old Holy City, Imram'Lien. It was boring there, but if I was good she'd take me to the market in Kyba and get me a picture book or a color book."

They turned a corner, and she caught sight of Master Vymes' tent in the distance.

"I learned Cathari before I learned Basic, but that's only cause no one really spoke Basic at the markets. The older sellers who'd been around since forever ago were loud, too. And they spoke fast. It was really crazy, and I could never keep up with what they were saying."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Yeah we had to learrn Cizeri in school, but I spoke basic at home. Syragor is funny because you can kinda talk in one and lapse into anotherr and everryone knows what you'rre saying and nobody else does. It's ourr thing I guess."

Talking about home was cathartic, and Draiya felt a little bounce in her step. It wasn't the same as hearing from mom and dad, but it felt good to talk about good times.

"And yeah, Catharri sweets! Goddess, I used to trrade my lunch forr two yearrs to get 'em. I'm lucky I still have teeth!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The crooked smile formed fully, and Teagan sent a look to Draiya.

"Yeah, the few times I was able to sneak the soft candies were the best."

She gave a soft hmph, voicing the fantasy of many children.

"Maybe someday I'll get to go back, and take enough credits to buy a whole crate-full. And some other stuff too, I suppose. Like a jar of kosari sauce and a few bags of roa nuts. Those were so good."

The more she talked, the more she felt at ease around the Syragori girl. It wasn't a complete transition, but it was smoother by far than any of their other meetings, and for that she was grateful. Master Vymes' tent now loomed before them, and Teagan instinctively reached pulled a hand from her pocket, but stopped just as quickly as she failed to find any surface hard enough to knock. Her brow knit, and she turned to look at Draiya.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Kuu'ai. We should totally do that. Kosa, wish we got actually paid..."

Arriving at the tent, an awkward moment was shared in figuring out the protocol of exactly how to announce one's arrival. Draiya fired back an expression of what the hell do you want ME to do.

She squared her shoulders, staring at the heavy canvas curtain and shouted "HEY!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan gave a wince, automatically taking a small half-step back.

While Draiya's method was certainly not unnoticeable, the young Lupine felt compelled to soften it a little bit, and she raised her voice only somewhat; enough so that she'd be heard from the inside without being heard all across the camp.

"Master Vymes?"

[Zem Vymes]

The tent flaps parted by unseen hand, and Zem could be seen at his desk, in the midst of a sip of caf. He set his mug down.

"You've got a big set of pipes on you, Naaianeya."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

A furtive look to Draiya, and Teagan sent an apologetic heh to the Jedi. If she'd been alone, she would've simply stepped inside, but with Draiya, she wasn't entirely sure if proper manners or whatever called for something else. So instead, she simply pulled her other hand from her pocket and clasped them both in front of her.

At a bit of a loss, she looked to the side for only a moment before returning her eyes to Zem.

"My mom said I should visit you today."

[Zem Vymes]

"Oh. Right."

A dawning recollection brought a smile to his face, and he gestured for both girls to enter. Zem stood, and headed to a nearby cabinet to rummage through it's contents.

"Damn near forgot what day it was. Should've guessed with all the hootin' and hollerin' from the tarmac ways."

Standing up momentarily, Zem realized how unprepared he actually was, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Where'd I put that damn thing? You girls hungry?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

On cue, Draiya's middle made a noise that sounded like a rancor being drowned.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan cast a funny look to Draiya's midsection, but soon enough her attentions were drawn back to Zem and the Lupine moved forward to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"A little."

She watched him pause from his search, and blinking, she let her eyes wander about. Things had been changed around in his tent from the last time she'd been inside. Little things, but they were noticeable enough. A small chest that hadn't been there before, another chair that sat along a side wall, a second section of cabinets that now butted up against the first set. Even some of the sparse furniture had been slightly rearranged, but only in such a fashion as to allow the new additions a little bit more space.

Teagan scratched at an itch on her forehead, gave another look to Draiya, and spoke up once more.

"Mom said she was going to be coming back through in a few weeks, and might have a few days to visit."

[Zem Vymes]

Finding something resembling hospitality in one of the cabinets, Zem pulled out a tin of biscuits and set them on the desk in front of the two girls. Draiya wasted little time in prying the lid off and stuffing one of the sugar-dusted confections in her mouth.

"That's good to hear."

Hopefully more than that went unsaid, but he had enough of an understanding with the youngster to know they both wanted the same thing.

"Maybe we'll get a chance to do this sort of thing properly. Ain't any good spending the holiday apart. Guess that's why she sent this on ahead."

Finally finding what he'd been looking for, Zem pulled out a medium-sized parcel. It had been trussed up in brilliantly-foiled paper with a tuft of curly ribbon around it. He set it on the table across from Tak, and returned to his caf.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

What... was this?

It was certainly not what she was expecting, and for a moment Teagan's wide eyes took in the parcel before shifting to Zem. Her mouth opened, but with nothing immediate to say, the girl closed it with a snap.

Dama hadn't said anything about a gift, and Teagan had simply assumed that she'd been too busy to send anything. She supposed that it made sense that Zem would be the one to have received any sort of package, but still. The young Lupine hadn't thought much about her mother's request to stop by and visit the older Jedi, other than to suppose it was to keep the two from being too entirely lonely during the holidays. But this was a shock, and Teagan sat frozen for a minute before leaning forward to peer at the parcel and its' wrapping paper.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Mouth full of biscuit, Draiya was beginning to feel a bit like dead weight in the room. She half-smiled and swallowed, lacing her fingers together in her lap as she tried to feel less awkwardly out of place.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Draiya's reaction wasn't lost on her, and Teagan leaned back in her seat once more. She bit her lip while looking to the other girl, suddenly feeling as awkward as the Syragori.

"Um... "

Her brow furrowed in thought, and she offered a small smile.

"Whatever is in there, I'll share with you... "

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Mortified, Draiya started to shake her head at Tak's words.

"I can't do that!"

Frantic to duck out of the line of fire of Tak's charity, she stammered a bit before blurting out "We don't celebrrate Life Day, rrememberr?"

A weak save. Staring at another sugary biscuit in her hands, she turned the confectionery over a few times, no longer feeling so hungry.

[Zem Vymes]

"You don't?"

Zem again set aside his cup of caf, looking confused.

"That's odd. I seem to remember..."

Getting up from his seat again, he returned to the cabinet, rummaging about for a few moments before pulling out a second box. The paper on this wasn't shiny or decorative like Tak's, and wrapped somewhat more haphazardly in what appeared to be butcher's paper. Still, there was a label affixed to it that read D. Naaianeya. Vymes turned it over in his hand, the confused look remaining on his expression until he handed the package over to Draiya.

"This came in a few days ago. Not sure where from."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Looking on, she gave Draiya a small nudge as the girl seemed hesitant to take the parcel at first.

There was a sly grin that cut her lips, then.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Setting the cookie aside, Draiya reached to take the offered package. It was lumpy and crude, and she inspected the tag. It was her name on it, alright, but not in handwriting she recognized. Not from Rrou'mai or Arr'tai. She held the present close to her, listening to the paper crinkle as she looked at both Tak and Zem.

"But I don't..."

Which was a lie. Of course she celebrated Life Day. Everyone in the galaxy did, probably. It was the best day ever. Or was. The past two years, it was a day to be alone, and to wish to be anything but.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"Come on," Teagan had slid from her seat at that point, laying a hand on the table's edge as she did.

"Let's go put these up, yeh?"

She wouldn't be opening hers until tomorrow, but for now she could at least have a small degree of the excitement of the day and night before Life Day - when you tried to think of all the things that could be in the wrapped boxes waiting for you. When you tried to guess and figure out what could possibly be inside.

Suddenly, this Life Day wasn't so lonely, and Teagan pulled her own gift toward her, lifting it off the table.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya followed in a daze, stopping just short of the tent opening to look back at Vymes in confusion before heading out to follow Tak. She still clutched the present against her chest guardedly, shuffling her feet a bit.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

As they made their way closer to the dormitories, Teagan looked to Draiya with a small bit of curiosity as an idea began to form in her mind.

"You know... "

They both drew up as one of the youngling, a Nautolan girl, skipped by with her own wrapped gift.

"There's enough daylight left... maybe we can go to the woods and find a small tree. We could cut it down and put it up somewhere to decorate it... ?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

She'd never had a tree. Even on Syragor. The closest she came was oogling at the trees in the Tei'naarra market, glittering with a million baubles and ornaments on their impossibly high branches. Each year there were three, set up in the open air plaza of the market dominating the human quarter. They were so impossibly bright at night. But a tree of her own? She grinned, nodding.

"Yeah, let's do it."

Draiya rushed back to her dorm, whooshing open the door as she carefully placed her gift on the pillow of her bed. She dawdled a moment, wondering what it could possibly be, and who it could possibly be from, before heading out to meet Tak again.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She was waiting just outside the dormitory doors, and when Draiya emerged, the two set off.

"You know where we can get a vibro-hatchet or something? Cause it'd be horrible to find the tree we want and then have nothing to cut it down with."

Teagan lightly chuckled at a memory.

"We watched a Life Day movie once, and this family went all the way out into the woods to get a Life Day tree; they found the perfect one, then realized they'd forgotten a saw."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"I saw that one too! It was dubbed in Cizeri, and therre was a cousin frrom Dantooine who came in an old rrusty frreighterr with his rrou-rrou bumpkin family."

Draiya chuckle-snorted, and then thought about the initial question.

"I don't have a vibrro-saw, but, well..."

Reaching to her belt, she pulled one of two identical cylinders from a leather holster.

"...I neverr leave home without this, and that should worrk."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Initial inspection of what Draiya held out seemed satisfying enough, and Teagan gave a nod.

"That'll work, I think."

They rounded a corner, turning into a seldom used alley between buildings that would lead them into the outskirts of the woods beyond the camp.

"Did you ever see the holo about the kid that kept asking for a Red Rodian BB Blaster?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya shook her head.

"They neverr played that one at the holodrrome, I don't think. Maybe they did."

Her lips puckered a moment, and she sighed.

"Couldn't afforrd the holos usually. Guess I grrew up in a latch-key worrld. I'm surrprrised I even left the clusterr at all."

They continued walking, and at last arrived at the beginning of a stand of trees. The waning light from the sun was setting behind them, letting slivers of orange sky through the branches as they walked up a hill.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

They'd have to hurry if they wanted to find a tree that'd be good enough, but Teagan had faith. She scanned their surroundings with a critical eye.

"I might have that holo somewhere, or we can find it on the 'net to watch while we set up the tree."

She shrugged.

"If you want to do that, and all."

The girls continued to walk, looking at every bit of foliage around them as they went. It was a critical eye that Teagan afforded each tree she saw, and it wasn't long before she saw one that might just be what they were looking for. Not too big at all, and not too skinny, either. She pointed it out.

"What about that one?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya took her appraisal seriously, pacing around the tree with a critiquing eye. Symmetrical, no gaps, a straight trunk. She ran a hand along the branches. They gave a little, but didn't sink against downward pressure too far. The needles on the branches were small and firm, but not prickly. Withdrawing her hand, she placed it under her nose and inhaled the sap scent deeply.

About head high, it would be a two person haul back to camp, but doable. She nodded.

"I like it."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan gave a nod, glad that they were both in agreement. And with the sun having gone below the mountain range, it made things even better. She squatted down to peer at the tree's trunk, and after a moment gave it a gesture.

"I think it'll be easy to cut. It's not too wide or anything."

Another look, and she nodded to reaffirm her original assessment. Yes, this tree would do just fine. A quick look over her shoulder at the waning light lent a small bit of haste to her next words.

"Should probably hurry," she gave a cutting motion while looking back to Draiya.

"It'll be totally dark soon."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The small green shoto blade sparked to life, illuminating the work site as Draiya squatted down beneath the lower boughs.

"Alrright hold onto the trrunk."

Pressing her tongue between her lips in concentration, the Syragori padawan carefully severed the trunk flush with the ground, taking pains to make the cut straight and perpendicular. An acrid smell of burning wood and sap puffed around the trunk, and a second later it was done. Draiya heard the branches rustle as Tak bore the weight at the top, and she smiled.

"I'll get the base. Rready?"

Holstering the shoto blade, Draiya gripped the trunk with one hand, and a sturdy bottom bough with another as she pulled it free, allowing her to stand up and hoist the base.

"Got it!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

At the tree's top, Teagan gave a nod as Draiya hefted the base. It wasn't a glorious task, getting a tree, and while Teagan had only really done such a thing once - on Schwartzweld - it was something that had become firmly entrenched in her mind as 'the thing you had to do'.

As the two girls began the trek back to the dormitories, the young Lupine was mindful that her grip didn't slip.

"Do you want to set it up in your room, or mine?"

Another thought occurred to her.

"We're gonna need decorations, too."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya nodded at Tak's words, having increasing trouble swallowing down the smile that was creeping onto her face. This was really happening, wasn't it?

"We can put it in yourr rroom."

It had been Tak's idea, so it seemed only fitting. As they walked, Draiya took in deep breaths through her nose, smelling the bracing piney aroma of the little evergreen. She felt like a kid again, back in a time where she might not have had much, but everything seemed to make a little more sense.

As for decorations, the Padawan was at a loss. The market trees on Syragor were all so beautiful, with twinkling lights and delicate glass baubles catching every radiant glow and casting it in a thousand directions. Even if Draiya had half a creative bone in her body, she'd be hard pressed to offer even a pale imitation.

She remained silent for lack of a good idea, even as they headed back into camp and caught the gawking stares of a dozen padawans and younglings on the way.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan kept her head down as they passed by the other padawans - not out of shame, but more out of the effort in carrying a small tree. It wasn't a long trip back to the dorms, but it was still a decent walk. Getting their prize through the front door proved to be a small challenge, but it wasn't one that presented much trouble, and the girls soon enough had it inside, heading down the hallway to Teagan's room. Her arms were beginning to get tired, but she soldiered on, her mind a whirlwind of thought as she tried to think of any sort of decorations they could come up with.

Stopping at the door, the Lupine pulled one of her hands away to reach out and key in her lock code, and after a few seconds the door whisked up, and they shuffled their 'catch' inside.

"We can set it down here, along the wall."

As they lowered the tree, Teagan looked about at her own sparse furnishings, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Gotta find something to stand it up with... "

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Hmm, she was right. Try as they might, and no matter how level the cut was, the tree wasn't going to stand on it's own without something to support it. Draiya thought about the logistical problem as she fussed with clingy sap on her hands, frowning at how tenaciously tacky it was. Tak's room was effectively identical to her own, and the Syragori noted that neither of them had much to really liven up their living spaces.

Just as Draiya was about to concede her uselessness to her partner in holiday mirth, the door chime beeped. Draiya snapped out of her introspection, looking at the Lupine expectantly. Selfishly, she thought it better not by Wyl.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The door chime pulled her from her dilemma, and Teagan frowned for only a second before turning to look at the door.

Well, it wasn't going to open itself, she surmised, and biting her lip, she gave her surroundings one last once-over. A holo on her bedside caught her eye - of her father sneaking a kiss to her mother's cheek, both very obviously smiling - and the young Lupine reached over to shut it off.

"Come in... !"

[Hwooroc]

Hwooroc stepped two feet through the threshold, dark eyes homing in through his bedraggled headfur past the two human girls to the object he'd seen them both carrying. He gawped a big open-mouthed grin at the tree.

"Gnaa!"

Clapping his paws together with glee, he ran to the evergreen, stopping short of touching the totem of holiday bliss, and looked back at the two girls, remembering at last a little etiquette. He switched on the vox module hung around his neck, standing up straight.

"You got a tree for Life Day? Can I help can I help can I help?"

Waiting expectantly, Hwooroc mouthbreathed in rapid expectant bursts.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"I, uh, well..."

Two's a company and three's a crowd. Draiya cast a glance to Tak, not sure how they should proceed with the over-excited third wheel they'd picked up.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Looking more than a little perplexed, Teagan glanced at the tree, then to Rocky. She was unknowingly as hesitant as Draiya was, at this new addition to their endeavor.

"Well, um... "

A thought hit her.

"Well, do you have anything we might, uh, stand it up with... ?"

[Hwooroc]

This was his moment. He knew he could do this. Glancing to the tree momentarily, he looked at the problem at hand, thinking of how best to tackle it. A paw scratched at the scruff on his chin as he thought, and then he turned back to Tak, a look of serious determination on his face as he nodded.

"Hroof!"

And with that, he ran out of the room in a flurry of pumping feet. Two seconds later he ran back to the room, grabbing at Tak's hand and pulling her along.

"Mmmrow oogghf nrraa aa!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

With eyes as wide as saucer plates, Teagan looked to Draiya as she was dragged through the doorway of her room.

"I - wha... ?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Betterr go along with him I guess. I hearrd wookiees can pull yourr arrms out of yourr sockets if they want."

Draiya picked up the pace to catch up as Hwooroc frenetically led Tak along, out of the dorms and back outside, weaving through the thinning crowds in the streets as they headed toward the droid repair bay.

[Hwooroc]

Hey! He was right here! Hwooroc cast an indignant look to the Syragori.

"Haaughaawawa!"

Still, the lesson was taken to heart, and Hwooroc mindfully curbed his enthusiasm to prevent the aforementioned wrenching of arms from shoulders as he slowed from a sprint to merely a determined trot, heading into the open bay door of the repair bay. The overhead lighting cast unevenly over rows and rows of droids in various states of repair and disrepair, as well as a dozen or more shelves of haphazardly-arranged droid parts. Only now did Hwooroc slow to a halt, and his intent little eyes scanned the racks around them, looking for pieces to a puzzle only he could see. Dashing ahead after letting go of Tak's arm, he rummaged through a pile of things, tossing aside parts here and there as he dug through. An astromech's domed head went flying as he shimmied into a tall cardboard box.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

There was a moment of confusion, followed by curiosity that seemed to settle over her, and Teagan stepped further back. Standing beside Draiya, she gave a sideways look to the other girl. Whatever it was that Rocky was going on about, she was completely in the dark, and the look on her face showed that fact.

The few times she'd been around the younger Wookiee had been mostly passing, and their encounters fleeting. Nothing had ever been spoken, and she certainly had no classes with the youngling.

Teagan leaned over slightly, inclining her head as her voice lowered to a whisper.

"Is this... normal... ?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya ducked a flying part, then caught a hydrospanner in the air at the last moment. She shrugged haplessly at her Life Day co-conspirator as they watched Hwooroc clamber out of the box, holding a hollowed-out frame that once belonged to a mouse droid. He looked rather pleased with himself, and set it on the ground at Tak's feet before darting back into the myriad of shelves once more.

"O...kay."

Tapping at the mouse droid with her boot, Draiya scratched at her head, suddenly annoyed at how strands of her hair clung to her sap-smeared fingers.

"I guess ourr trree will be on wheels."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"I s'pose we could take them off," she ventured, crouching down to inspect the droid. She tipped it over on its' side, looking at the wheels. If they could find a hammer or a pry bar, they might be able to get them off.

"I don't think it'd be too hard to take them off."

She looked up again, her eyes going to where Rocky had once more dashed off to, and she bit her lip.

[Hwooroc]

Rocky once again returned from the scrum, this time with a box loaded full of dozens of little parts, tools, and wire spools. He beamed triumphantly as he took off, running past Draiya and Tak back the way they came, pausing a few meters past once he realized they were slow in following. What were they waiting for? They only had a few hours left in Life Day Eve!

"Angwaaa raa!"

Come onnnnn....come on come on come onnnnn! He shuffled his feet impatiently.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Rising to stand, Teagan gave a final look to Draiya, accompanied by a shrug, and bent down to pick up the mouse droid. It wasn't too heavy, and she started off after the young Wookiee.

"I hope he has a plan," she murmured as they stepped out into the fading light of day.

Again she looked down to the lifeless droid she carried.

"I really hope he has a plan."

Despite the confusion, the young Lupine couldn't help a small ball of growing excitement in her chest, and a smile crept over her features.

"My Mom showed me once, how to make paper snowflakes; all you gotta do is fold a piece of paper a certain way, then cut designs in it. We should do that for our decorations."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The work list was getting daunting, and Draiya wondered as they returned back to Tak's quarters if they hadn't bitten off more than they could chew. The door opened and Hwooroc immediately ran to the middle of the room, dumping the contents of his box all over the floor as he plopped down beside his haul. It only took a moment of finagling the tree to allow Tak to slide the mouse droid underneath it. The trunk fit into the aperture in the top of the casing, with a little wiggle room on each side. The tree wobbled, made all the more dangerous by the wheels underneath, so Draiya continued to brace it as she looked back to Tak.

"Can you find something to put in herre so it fits tight?"

Behind, Draiya heard a high pitched whine as a power source activated, and turned to see Hwooroc wiring a power module to what looked like a protocol droid's visual receptor. The small artificial eye glowed gold, and he harrmfed in approval, snipping another length of wire.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

At Draiya's request, Teagan stepped back a little bit, her eyes going from the tree to roam about her small room.

There wasn't much she had to offer, but it didn't stop her mind from racing, trying to come up with something to help stabilize the tree. She bit her lip, unsure if she really had anything that'd help.

"Well, I dunno if I have much," she trailed off then, her gaze going to Rocky and... whatever he was tooling with.

"I have an old towel that we might stuff inside?"

[Hwooroc]

Another electric whine kicked in as another ocular circuit was hooked onto an increasingly-complicated string. Now a dozen twinkling droid eyes glowed as Hwooroc moved to tether a new strand together. The stink of ozone picked up as he worked quickly with a soldering iron, sealing wires with an easy touch as he moved. It was all going so well, until he had to untangle himself from the fruits of his labors.

"Hrooaah!"

Uh oh! As the strand length doubled with the soldering of a new segment of wires, Rocky started to realize he was now quite tangled in the haphazard strand of lights!

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Pulling a towel out from the small shelf next to her closet, Teagan paused as she stepped over a strand of 'lights'. She gave the little Wookiee a strange look, and going to her knees the Lupine started to shove sections of the towel into any opening available. It didn't take long thankfully, and for now the tree was secured tightly. Satisfied for the time being, she rocked back on her haunches and reached through the branches to give the trunk a mild shake. Other than the wheels on the mousedroid giving a bit more movement, their tree would be staying upright.

She nodded to herself, then turned to regard Rocky.

He was a mess of wires and fur, and his squawling was certainly not helping his situation.

She frowned, leaning over to grab hold of his shoulder.

"Stop yelling and be still, ok?"

[Hwooroc]

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no...it was impossible!

"Mrroooaa au aaggawaa!!"

The more he tried to get out of this mess, the more it seemed to tangle. What if there was a knot? What if it was in his fur?

"Gnaaaawwaaa!!!"

Tak came to help, putting a hand on his shoulder in the middle of his tantrum, and he looked up at her lamely, shoulders slumping as he admitted defeat.

"Hnauwuuf."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"Come on now... "

There was a small bit of wrangling that followed her soft order, and despite the little Wookiee's earlier flailing, Teagan found it relatively easy to extricate fur from wire.

"You're not that bad tangled up."

She gestured at Draiya, a wordless request for the other girl to help.

"Me an' Draiya will get you out."

Which wouldn't be a difficult thing to accomplish at all, judging from the ease with which she was already unraveling the string of 'lights' from around Rocky's body.