( he looked at me like i was stupid, i'm not stupid )

[falconing]

Who: Members of the Huntress and visitors!
Action: The U.S.S. Huntress!
When: It's a mingle for the month of March!

[ it's that time of year! also, pr was on hiatus for a bit, and needs to throw herself into things, so indulge me!! ]

Comments

[diplomacme]

It's good to know that most of our fellow passengers are the decent sort. Most of the people I've met are good, in different ways.

[beardstrokes]

[ Decent sort. Like the Huntress. Hm. ]

Well, they're certainly very open and receptive.

[ That sounds nice enough. ]

[diplomacme]

[ She can tell he's being diplomatic. Takes one to know one. ]

It seems that way.

[ Oh, before she forgets. ]

It's good that I've found you, actually. I have something for you.

[beardstrokes]

For me?

[ He sounds a little baffled. ]

Did I miss a special occasion?

[diplomacme]

[ She matches his bafflement with amusement. ]

Not as far as I know, though I'm sure it's a holiday somewhere.

[ Padme pulls out a small, but heavy, bag from within her larger bag for Koala. Inside is a porcelain teacup that's carefully wrapped in cloth, a small tin of fragrant tea leaves, and a bottle of strong liquor that is also wrapped in cloth.

She holds it out to him. ] Perhaps a celebration of being docked somewhere with a decent selection of stores.

[beardstrokes]

[ Getting gifts is still a new concept to him. Though, less new as he seems to be acquiring things from others at an odd rate since he got here. Still a little nonplussed, he tries to accept them gratefully. ]

Thank you, Padmé. It might be some time until that happens again.

[diplomacme]

[ She knows he isn't one for gifts. She went for practical gifts, though, assuming he'd enjoy something practical rather than something purely decorative. ]

You're welcome, Obi-Wan. You can open it, if you like.

[beardstrokes]

Or I could savor the surprise. It's not often I get gifts from a Senator.

[ It's a lot of trouble for his sake. ]

[diplomacme]

That's true. I just hope it's something you'll like.

[ Jokingly: ] No pressure.

[beardstrokes]

In that case, I'd be happy to oblige.

[ Carefully, he sets it down to unwrap it neatly. Because it's more civilized that way. ]

[diplomacme]

[ She watches politely, keeping her face relatively neutral. Regardless of whether he likes the gifts, at least receiving them had the affect she wanted. Hopefully he's a bit cheered. ]

[beardstrokes]

[ He pulls out the cup and examines it carefully. ]

Impressive. It's hard to find one that's not too ostentatious.

[diplomacme]

It wasn't as difficult as you would think. It caught my eye almost immediately. Perhaps because the design is simple.

[beardstrokes]

Qui-Gon had a set similar to this. It's probably still back at the Temple. Thank you, Padmé.

[diplomacme]

[ Padmé can't entirely mask her surprise when he mentions Qui-Gon. It's not as if the subject is taboo, but it's not something they've really talked about. ]

You're welcome.

[ A brief pause. ]

Being here has made me a little nostalgic, actually.

[ It sounds like she's mentioning something unrelated out of the blue, but if mentioning Qui-Gon isn't a bit of nostalgia, she's not sure what is.

[beardstrokes]

How so?

[ He has an idea, but he won't voice it just yet. ]

[diplomacme]

I think... explaining things to Luke and Leia has brought back details and memories that had faded over time. And there are things I see more clearly now that I'm older.

[beardstrokes]

. . . We are fortunate to have been given the gift for hindsight.

[ "Lucky" is the proper word, but he won't use it. He doesn't believe in luck. ]

[diplomacme]

"Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."

[ A common philosophy, particularly among the Naboo. A horrible, violent war scars their history. They learned their lesson the hard way. ]

I didn't appreciate the lessons I learned on Tatooine and Coruscant until long after the blockade had ended. I had felt like such an ignorant child once I saw how things really work.

[beardstrokes]

It's a large galaxy.

[ Made larger by the wars, by Mortis. Even now, he thinks of what Yoda said and all that has come to pass. ]

And we are all still learning.

[diplomacme]

We are. Every piece of knowledge brings with it a lesson. Even if we can't see it at the time.

[ She goes to sit not far from where Obi-Wan had originally been playing. She sets her bag down (it was getting a little heavy) and smooths out her dress, more for something to do with her hands than anything. ]

When we were together in Mos Espa, I spent most of my time either irritated at or baffled by Master Qui-Gon. He was so calm and so vague that I very nearly blew my cover several times in frustration. [ An amused smile ] Though, even if I had, he would have continued to do what he felt he had to, just with a few more "your majesty"s thrown in.

I didn't appreciate it until after it all, and I didn't start to understand until more recently.

[beardstrokes]

[ He sits down next to her, out of politeness. His hands are clasped together on his lip. ]

He never listened to anyone. Not to me, not the Council -- He moved through the Force like no other.

[ Like Anakin does. Anakin was so much like Qui-Gon, that sometimes Obi-Wan wasn't sure if there was anything of himself in there. Now, he knows that's not true. But he wonders all the same. ]

[diplomacme]

Is that something you can describe?

[ She can't sense what he and the other Force-sensitives do. She knows Qui-Gon had a different air to him, but that's not the same. ]

[beardstrokes]

I doubt I could do it justice. He was connected to the Living Force while I better understood the Unifying Force. Qui-Gon never saw much of consequences or my "bad feelings" of a situation.

[ He strokes his beard quietly. ]

But I don't need to describe it. You just need to look at Anakin to know.

[diplomacme]

[ She gives him a small, almost apologetic smile. ]

You lost me at "living force" and "unifying force."

[ She and Anakin don't really talk about Jedi stuff or Senator stuff when they spend time together back home. ]