OOM: Kidlets

[iprotectyou]

Young Baze was never the most patient of people. That award belongs to his friend, Chirrut--or so Baze thinks. So when the elders of the Temple of the Kyber told him that he would be the one running the children's martial arts class, he balked.

"Hello," Baze says, entering the class where the children--ages anywhere from six years old to nine--are waiting for him. He steps lightly despite his massive bulk, and stands at the front of the lined up students. "My name is Baze Malbus, and I'll be teaching you today."

"Hello, teacher Baze," the students say in unison. Sort of. There are a few stragglers.

"It's time to learn how to breathe. First, make sure you're standing up straight," Baze says, clasping his hands behind him to keep from fidgeting. "Next, we'll draw a breath. Pretend you're sucking air in from the bottoms of your toes to the tops of your heads..."

Comments

[idontneedluck]

"Merely stepping stones on my path to victory. I won't fail again." Chirrut promises dourly, "They will take to calling you Baze the Silent."

[iprotectyou]

Baze snorts, stepping through the open doorway to the kitchens. "Baze the Silent, huh? Has a nice ring to it. What will they be calling you? Chirrut the Triumphant?"

[idontneedluck]

"I don't see anything wrong with this." Chirrut sniffs, and then smiles when that sniff is rewarded by the smells of the kitchens. "Mmm, curry tonight, that will be something to look forward to."

He's still being hauled along like a sack of potatoes, so he twists again, trying to loosen Baze's grip.

[iprotectyou]

"Quit wiggling," Baze harrumphs, eventually setting Chirrut down next to the tiled island. Baze places his friend's staff in his hand, and putters about making tea. He's about to say something else to Chirrut when Elder Koroban enters the room.

"What sorts of trouble have you gotten yourselves into this time?" Koroban says, folding his arms in his voluminous sleeves.

[idontneedluck]

"We are making tea, honored elder." Chirrut's tone is innocence itself, as he rises from the stool he just managed to seat himself on to bow. He hopes, fervently, that he managed to hide the stiffness of his movements - sometimes that doesn't come off as well as he thinks it should have. "No trouble here, unless Baze ovebrews the tea."

[iprotectyou]

Baze resists the urge to bury his face in his hands. His face, which is red and swollen and starting to turn purple with bruises.

Koroban regards Chirrut with a suspicious squint. "I'm keeping an eye on you," he says, and turns on his heel to exit the kitchen.

Baze holds in his laughter as long as he can, and then cracks up.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut holds out for longer, waiting until he can no longer hear the elder's robes drag against the stone floor.

And then he laughs, leaning on the island for support and holding his ribs. At least no one can say that life as a Guardian is boring?