Conversations with the dead 2018

[imthepilot]

Bodhi suggests a hike up the mountain. It's starting to get chilly but Bodhi's use to the cold. With the warmth of Milliways' summer, he was almost starting to miss the feeling of cool, crispy air.

Leaving the cats in Teja's care for the night, Bodhi hefts his pack and takes Galen's hand. "Ready?"

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[imthepilot]

Malika grins as she leads them up to a little cottage in a clearing, two speeders parked under a lean-to. "I need to hear that story!"

There's more of the purple flowers around the cottage. And several very large vegetable patches.

[galen_erso]

"Oh, are those...?" Galen says, pointing. He remembers that specific plant from their own garden, and knows how fickle and difficult they are.

[imthepilot]

"The blicci?" Malika asks. "They're almost ready to fruit."

Bodhi is dragged around the garden by Pema, taking excitedly in a Jedhean dialect.

leaving Malika standing with Galen. "Do you garden?" In that awkward way of someone trying to work out how to make small talk.

[galen_erso]

"Bodhi grows his own produce, and I make the irrigation system," Galen says. "So yes, I sort of garden. I know that plants can be difficult, and they need to be pampered differently."

[imthepilot]

"That's Pema's work. She's the serious one." She answers, distractedly. She clearly has something on her mind. "How did Bodhi die? Did it hurt?"

[galen_erso]

"Grenade," Galen says. "It probably hurt, but only for about a quarter of a second."

[imthepilot]

her breath catches in her throat as she swallows a sob. "I knew. I don't know how, I just knew." She swallows again, dropping her voice low. "Don't tell Pema. Even if she asks."

[galen_erso]

"Doesn't she deserve to know, eventually?" Galen says, gently.

[imthepilot]

"Not from you." There's an edge to her voice. "You seem nice and Bodhi likes you. But you don't know her. She's a sensitive soul."

Bodhi and Pema return, arms full of vegetables. "Dinner?"

[galen_erso]

"I won't," Galen answers, "if you promise me to tell her when she asks."

Then, he turns to the other two. "Oh, you harvested some of the blicci -- great!"

[imthepilot]

Malika gives him a very level look. One that says he has no say in the matter.

Bodhi grins triumphantly. "My sisters have the most amazing garden." He ruffles Pema's hair. "Now, let's see if they have a kitchen to match. He reaches for Galen and follows the girls in.

The cottage is cosy and tidy, with Jedhean hangings on the wall.

[galen_erso]

"You saved all of these," Galen breathes, going to admire the hangings and appreciate the subtle meanings of their designs.

[imthepilot]

"Some of them." Pema answers softly, setting their harvest down. "We wove others. From memory."

"Oh Pema." Bodhi hugs his younger sister tight, burying his face in her hair. "Stars, I love you. Both of you."

[galen_erso]

Galen admires the hangings even more, trying to discern which are old, and which are new. It is hard -- the sisters have brought all the old skills from Jeddha, it seems.

[imthepilot]

"I wish I had time for you to teach me." Bodhi makes himself at home, setting himself to chop and prep. "But I think we only have dinner."

"Then we'll make it enough." Malika says firmly, laying the table.

[galen_erso]

"Set me to work," Galen says. "I know how to chop most things, by now."

[imthepilot]

"Nope." Malika pushes Galen to the table, open to the kitchen with only a bench between them. "You get to cook with him all the time. He might be your husband, but he's our brother. Besides, we need to hear how you met. So talk!"

[galen_erso]

Galen sits, and accepts a drink, and then tells them everything, except the gory details, and then the personal detail. But his love for Bodhi will, probably, shine clear through his discretion.

[imthepilot]

"He's being gallant." Bodhi chuckles, leaving over his sisters to steal a bite of something they're chopping, tossing a morel of a peppery crisp green to Galen. "I was far more of a mess than he makes it sounds. You should see the scars."

Pema shudders. "No thank you. I don't want to have nightmares about you burning." Bodhi hugs her tight, whispering into her hair to calm her.

Malika, on the other hand, scoffs. "How did you get a gallant one? You use to fuck fly-boys. Not smart, kind keepers."

Bodhi swats her without letting go of Pema. "And you use to get your mouth washed out of language like that!"

[galen_erso]

Galen laughs, catching the piece of vegetable.

"I was wondering what he saw in me, but I'm not going to complain, because he's wonderful," Galen says.

[imthepilot]

"Compassion, intelligence, bravely." Bodhi lists, smiling warmly. "kindness above all."

"And he's clearly a good lay." Malika shrugs.

Pema grabs the pan as Bodhi chases Malika around the kitchen and into the living area, tickling her mercilessly when he catches her.

The younger of the sisters smiles to Galen. "What did you see in him?"

[galen_erso]

"Bravery and boldness and so much heart," Galen says. "And the most beautiful large brown eyes to drown my soul is. You do realise that your brother is dramatically lovely to look at, and has this deep fire flickering at his core?"

[imthepilot]

Pema smiles. "A poet at heart. How lovely." she glances over to where her siblings are still play wrestling. "He's always hated his eyes. Because of the colour. Boys don't get the gene for purple eyes but I think it always made him feel different, left out. Like he wasn't really one of us. Silly really. He's the noblest person I know but he still thinks of himself as Jedhean gutter trash."

[galen_erso]

"Why should he want his eyes to be purple?" Galen says. "He's beautiful just as he is."

[imthepilot]

"To be more like our grandmother. And less like our mother and brothers." Pema explains.

Malika and Bodhi return, both flushed with play. "I keep trying to tell him he's more like Grandmother than any of us. Even without purple eyes." Malika points out.