better to burn out than to fade away ☼ may catch-all

[hopesparks]

Who: Anakin Solo, some CR, and maybe you
What: Catch-all with open and closed prompts
When: Throughout May
Where: Throughout the Trench

Content Warnings: None yet but they will be noted in the subject lines as needed!

Comments

open • Airy's garden • mid-May

[hopesparks]

The sunny weather (and lack of hope-sucking butterflies) has brought Anakin out into the open. Airy had invited him to the garden when he'd first arrived, and he'd been meaning to stop by. He may be used to traveling through space and living on Coruscant (as much as he lives anywhere), but there's nothing like spending time in nature. Anakin strolls through the park and soaks up the energy of the Living Force moving through the garden.

He can be found walking the pathways with the ever-present bugs seeming to avoid him as if he's wearing bug repellent, even though he's constantly munching on something. Every so often, he'll stop to read the plaques and rest a hand against the bark of the trees.

Anakin occasionally stops and meditates under a tree. He's easy to overlook, all tucked away on one of the piles of pillows lying around. In fact, the only easy way to spot him is by his omen, a large tusk cat, resting next to him. It doesn't seem overly interested in others. Rather, it simply stretches out in a patch of sunlight and waits for Anakin to come out of mediation.

[seaboard]

She cannot help it, for all her severity that time had fostered, one look at any kind of pet, and she has to attempt to befriend it. Was not always easy, that tickling scent of saltwater that followed her about did not always endear them so quickly to her, no matter her affection.

But she digs for a piece of dried fish she had purchased that morning. Offering it up with a soft murmur. "Do you want it? It is tasty? It is all yours."

[hopesparks]

The Omen looks up, its intelligent eyes looking carefully but not unkindly at the stranger. Decision made, it stands and walks over to Gilia, clearly interested in the food offered. Gently, the tusk cat takes the dried fish and chews at it with barely-concealed contentment.

A voice comes from the bushes:

"Don't be too greedy, Silva."

From the shadows of one of the trees comes a teenager, brushing leaves and dirt off of his robes. His Omen doesn't seem to care about the gentle chastisement and continues to chew on the dried fish cheerfully.

"She didn't bother you, did she?"

His Omen is generally pretty easygoing, but he's still getting used to having an Omen at all.

[seaboard]

One piece of fish becomes another and another.

And Gilia was glad to give them all.

Her own omen was nothing so grand or big, but the delicate floating creature idly floats like a living ornament, draped in Gilia's veil, tucked to hide against the back of her neck under it. Serene and painfully shy, but easy to see why: Sea-Dragons were delicate creatures with little in the way to protect themselves.

"Not at all. If anything I bothered her. I miss my Hounds from home, so I could not resist giving a treat to her."

[hopesparks]

Anakin doesn't immediately notice her Omen until it moves in a way a hair ornament wouldn't. It doesn't look exactly like anything else he's seen before. He can't help but find it interesting.

Anakin gives her a slight smile. "Silva is pretty easygoing-- I doubt you really bothered her. It looks like she really appreciated it, though."

Silva lets out a soft trill of agreement that seems contrary to her intimidating stature.

[distant_one]

Exploring is too active a word for what D seems to be doing, wandering around seemingly at random and giving no obvious attention to his surroundings.

His face is perfectly expressionless, and hidden from the sun by the wide brim of his traveler's hat. Every so often, though, D pauses and tilts his head to allow the sun to reach his skin.

None of the insects will come within about three feet of D. They all seem to get about that close and suddenly decide it's better to go in literally any other direction.

For a moment when Anakin first comes into sight, D's attention focuses on him so heavily it's almost like a physical weight. But whatever attracted his attention doesn't hold it, and D returns to an apparent state of tranquil disinterest.

[hopesparks]

Normally, Anakin wouldn't think much of someone staring at him-- it happens to him from time to time back home-- but the weight of the stare is off-putting. That and the insects giving the mysterious man a wide berth is interesting.

"How are you keeping the bugs away?"

Anakin is using the Force, of course, but he doesn't sense any particular Force-sensitivity coming from the other man. ]

[distant_one]

It was the lack of insects around Anakin that had drawn D's attention.

"They won't come near me." Even when he was keeping as much of his vampiric side hidden as he possibly could, animals could always sense his unnatural aura when they got close enough. The promise of danger and death for any who strayed too close. "It's just how I am. I thought you might be the same, but you're doing something else."

[hopesparks]

Anakin has been around beings of all kinds with abilities and Force-presences that varied wildly. But there's no malice, nor is the Force warning him of anything. For all he knows, D just secretes something that keeps bugs away.

"I'm using the Force to dissuade them."

[lightthedarkness]

Usagi had come to the garden to try and handle the ache in her heart, if only because the alternative was to think of all the people missing in her life right now. She was currently looking at some roses, swiping away some more bugs and whatever bugs she didn't swat away, Lua, her margay omen would jump up and catch them and... eat them, actually.

She looked up when she saw Anakin come towards her and then back to looking at the roses. When he came to the plaque beside her.

"They're Blue Moon Hybrid Tea Roses. Pretty, right?"

[hopesparks]

When Anakin comes to stand next to her, the insects nearby seem to get distracted and fly away. He leans toward the flower, and it leans slightly toward him as well.

"Yeah. I wonder where Airy got some of these."

[lightthedarkness]

She glances at the leaving insects, grateful.

"I could guess, but I don't know for sure," Fern, came to mind, but she didn't know if Airy even knew Fern. "So does the Force act as a natural bug repellent or something?" she lifts a brow, gesturing around them.

[hopesparks]

Anakin shakes his head.

"Not exactly. I'm using the Force to 'suggest' they go elsewhere. It's a way to practice control. And keep the bugs from destroying Airy's garden."

[democratically]

The sun. There is no denying that Padmé loves the sun. With it having been gone for a month, she loves it all the more, taking the time to walk beneath it when she can. Armed now with her blaster, for as much as she dislikes the need, she will not be caught off-guard again. Her own omen flints back and forth, a small shadow of eleven pounds, silver and sleek, yet alert.

She'd gone out for food, again. That ever gnawing hunger that just never seems to leave. A bad of some fruit this time, although half of them are already gone as she traverses home. She does admire Ariadne's garden as she strolls by, stopping mid-bite as she sees a familiar-ish face, and breaks off to stroll down the pathway as well. "Enjoying the sun as well?"

[hopesparks]

Anakin has his own bag of snacks, which is running rather low. So far, he's waved it off as a potential growth spurt. What else could it be?

Padme's voice gets a smile out of him, and he stops to give her a chance to catch up.

"I never thought I'd miss it so much."

[democratically]

Padmé wouldn't lie in that pregnancy may have crossed her own mind, but there's any numbers of reasons why that hadn't made sense. She'd never really been a regular eater anyway, as life has often been hectic.

She does make her way over, coming next to him. "Mm. Sun, lovely weather, a pleasant view. Good company... A nice way to spend the day."

[hopesparks]

Anakin's smile becomes softer, a touch bashful. He's not used to being called good company.

"I think so too."

He dusts off the last crumbs of his snack and resists the urge to dig into his bag for a new one.

"How have you been?"

Aside from Anakin Skywalker apparently not telling her about her grandson.

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul is crouched in front of a small tree that has grown just a little bit since he first gave it to Airy for Christmas and examining it carefully. It's a tiny avocado tree named Riot.

Maul's presence in the Force is much unlike the last time he was in front of Anakin in person. While the Dark Side still swirls around him in a thick miasma, it's not nearly as oppressing and cloying with feelings of anger, hate, and fear like it normally is. Instead, it's subdued and quiet, almost tame as threads of calm and pensive energy weave through it. Here among nature, Maul can relax in a way he hasn't since he was a small child. He doesn't even notice Anakin coming up towards him.

Suddenly, a strange, pig-monkey creature comes divebombing out of the trees and lands in front of Anakin. It's a Mankey and he's got a glare in his red eyes. He hops about and screeches as if challenging the boy to a fight, waving his little paws like he's going to start boxing him at any moment.

Maul whirls around at the sound. "Cranky, don't do that to people! You'll--" Then he realizes who it is his Pokémon just did that too. "Oh, it's you," he says flatly and then waves a hand towards Cranky in a flippant manner. "Carry on then."

[hopesparks]

The moment Anakin sees Maul, anger wells up in him. It's the first time they've met in person since Ezra told him about the soul bond Maul had forced on Anakin Skywalker. It was an act of cruelty that makes Anakin doubt Maul's best intentions. How can you 'turn over a new leaf' while doing something so obviously cruel and selfish?

Anakin's Omen, a tusk cat, places herself firmly between the Mankey and Anakin. His jaw tightens and he glares at Maul before abruptly turning around to go back the way he came.

"Come on, Silva. He's not worth our time."

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul shrugs and turns away. He's content to let Anakin the Lesser go about his business and go back to feeling the energy surrounding the avocado tree he'd given Ariadne as a present. But Cranky apparently has other plans.

With surprising agility, he suddenly jumps up into the nearest tree and blocks the path in front of Anakin, growling at him with a glare in his red eyes that makes him bear a shocking resemblance to his owner. That makes Maul take notice again. Oh, dank farrik, this is about to go bad very quickly unless he does something right away. "Don't move," Maul hisses out and there's a clear, present warning in his voice. Look, just because he's not fond of the kid doesn't mean he wants him to end up with a broken bone. "Somehow you made him mad." Possibly just by breathing the same air as the Mankey. He had a hair-trigger temper that way much like his owner. "I've seen him smash through boulders before without flinching, you don't want to end up having to fight him." Pokémon when put into a real world setting were absolutely terrifying creatures.

[hopesparks]

Anakin stops, annoyed but not particularly scared. He's had worse than broken bones, after all, and he's pretty adept at dodging attacks. His own Omen stands defensively next to Anakin, ready to pounce the moment the Mankey so much as takes a step. Anakin, for his part, places an hand on his Omen's head. He speaks quietly and comfortingly to his Omen.

"Relax. If he wanted to hurt me, he'd have done it without warning."

Over his shoulder, to Maul. "So call him off."

[thisislife]

Lexi doesn't feel anything similar to what Anakin does, except maybe enjoyment of spring finally beginning to show itself. She has an apple tree in her backyard that she needs to ask about, but she decided that it could wait when she saw Anakin wandering through the paths.

She smiled nervously and approached. "Um. Hey. It's--it's pretty here, isn't it?"

Wow, wasn't she the brilliant conversationalist?

[hopesparks]

Anakin gives her a smile in return.

"Yeah. Airy put a lot of work into it."

Speaking of brilliant conversationalists... Anakin is notoriously bad at smalltalk.

[thisislife]

His smile makes hers a little wider, less nervous.

"Oh. Wow. I didn't even know someone did this, I just...thought it was a park. We could use parks, there don't really seem to be many. Or any?"

She's awful at it, too. At least at first, once she gets over that first flush of nerves, she improves at it. She thinks so, anyway?

[hopesparks]

Anakin is rarely taken by nerves, though it's happened more often than not lately. Mostly because talking to one's dead grandparents and too-young uncle is a bit nerve-wracking. He's just terrible at talking about nothing.

"I think this is the only one. The corruption probably makes it hard to grow things, and I doubt the people of the Trench have the time or energy to devote to something like this."

When you're struggling to survive, making something pretty and not strictly utilitarian is usually low on the list of priorities.