fandomtownies | The Park, Friday Afternoon

So, it was another just-below-freezing one today, which, perhaps predictably, wasn't about to stop Kanan from his regular Friday training in the park.

At least this time he'd had the bright idea to bring hot chocolate. He'd ordered one for himself and one for Gratuity, but for some reason - one that actually wasn't his fault - the machine at the Perk had refused to stop pouring, and rather than pour it all down the drain, Kanan had promised the Baristas that he'd find a good home for the several extra cups worth of hot chocolate that had been filled before they could figure out how to make it stop.

Kanan had reached across the counter and smacked the machine, and that had done the trick. Several years of odd jobs around the galaxy had taught him to never underestimate the power of a good, solid thump.

Anyway, here he was, lightsaber in hand, training sword and hot chocolate sitting on the park bench nearby, in case Gratuity needed seconds in order to stave off the chill or in case they wound up with more spectators again this week. Either worked just fine for him.

[OOC: Open!]

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It was chilly, yes, but with a warm coat it was actually nice to go for a walk. Breq was humming to herself and kept doing it even when she stopped to watch Kanan practice. She would leave soon if he preferred to be left alone.

Kanan rarely minded company in the park these days, and really, he wouldn't be here in the first place if he wasn't at least sort of hoping for it, and so, when he was finished the next sequence of steps in his old familiar forms, he turned a smile and a nod toward Breq and called, "There's hot chocolate, if you want some. I mean, there's plenty."

"Are you expecting company?" Breq asked, amused. "Thank you, I have never tried that before."

She headed towards the bench.

"That looks like a good way to keep warm."

"Just my Friday sword lesson," Kanan clarified. "The equipment at the Perk went a little haywire and I wound up with extra."

He grinned faintly and gave his lightsaber a spin in his hand.

"Which part looks like a good way to keep warm? The hot chocolate, or the exercise?"

"I was thinking of the exercise," Breq said, reaching for a mug. "But this might help too, now that you mention it. I drink tea though, most of the time. I should really try other things."

"It can't hurt to branch out," Kanan replied, slipping easily back into a ready stance. "Live a little. Get to know what this reality has to offer. Tea's fine, of course, but sometimes you just want to drink your dessert."

Kanan also happened to be a big fan of dessert.

"Dessert?"

Breq took a sip of the hot chocolate. "Dessert. I've never had much dessert before."

Before arriving here. Ancillaries weren't given dessert, or even tea. Breq would never admit to herself how much she liked dessert.

"There was a time in my life when I could say the same," Kanan mused. "Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much now."

Admittedly, he preferred fruity things over chocolate, most of the time. But now and again...

She took another sip.

"Anything else you would recommend I try?" Breq asked, because of course she should try things when she was here, shouldn't she?

Kanan considered that for a moment, moving easily into his next stance.

"Depends," he mused. "Ice cream? Milkshakes? Is there anything here you've tried already that you wouldn't mind more of?"

"Mostly what's been served at the picnics," Breq said. "The pizza, but that's not a dessert."

But she'd had a lot of pizza.

"Well, I can't fault anybody for liking pizza, anyway," Kanan replied, smiling faintly. "How about cake? Or pudding?"

"It sounds like I have a lot to explore," Breq said, making sure her amusement showed on her face.

"An entire' planet's worth of junk food," Kanan agreed easily. He moved into his next step, and then chuckled and shook his head. "I haven't even begun to explore much, admittedly. That's where working at the diner comes in handy. Every now and again the cook comes up with a dessert I haven't heard of yet. It's pretty great."

"I haven't been to the diner," Breq said, her fingers wrapped around the mug, watching Kanan.

Tip was nonplussed by that mass of to-go cups. "Did you sign up a whole slew of new students without telling me or something?"

"Equipment malfunction at the Perk," Kanan explained, waving her toward the cups. "If you like hot chocolate, there's enough there for... fourths. Help yourself."

Oh boy.

"Nah? Well, I work there on Sundays if you ever want to swing by and poke at the menu," Kanan noted, turning and sliding into his next stance. "It's a lot easier to suggest you try things if those things are actually nearby, you know?"

"That sounds a lot easier, yes," Breq agreed. "Do you cook there?"

Kanan shook his head.

"Mostly I just keep the cooking staff in line," he admitted. "I can cook, sort of, but I'm not familiar enough with the local food yet to make anything you should be serving in a restaurant. That part is a work in progress."

He had, at least, learned what Earth spices went pretty well on nerf steaks from back home.

Breq gave a nod in reply, a response she had decided she should try and use more often as part of her decision to improve her facial expressions.

Taking another sip of hot chocolate, her gaze moved to the training sword.

"May I try it?"

Kanan glanced toward the training sword as well, and then tilted his head, lowering his lightsaber and looking thoughtfully back toward her.

"I don't see why not," he said, shrugging. "Have you ever used a sword before?"

He didn't want to make assumptions.

"Yes, a long time ago. Our enemies used them."

The Radchaai didn't use them, but on some annexed worlds they did, and she had let some of her segments practice using them. They didn't stand a chance against guns and Radchaai armor, of course, but knowing how your enemies fought was rarely a bad thing.

Kanan nodded, wondering how long 'a long time ago' really was, and waved his free hand toward the bamboo sword.

"Then by all means, feel free. You can follow along, if you want."

A little more than a thousand years ago.

Breq picked up the bamboo sword and flexed the wrist of the hand holding it.

"This one is longer. No, maybe not."

Her body was shorter than the ones who had practiced. She felt a sudden short stab of sadness and loneliness when reminded than she couldn't do this kind of practice on her own anymore.

She looked at Kanan, smiling. "I'll follow."

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The Park, Friday Afternoon

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