The Chosen as Swain. By Kondoru
Standard Disclaimers
Thanks to JP for Betaing.
Um, this story is about You-know-what, or failed You-know-what. If you wanted something detailed, then I'm sorry, this isn't for you. You have been warned.
Part Three; First Thing in the Morning Things.
Every morning Anakin is first to rise. He gets up, inspects the charge level of his cybernetic arm, he puts the kettle on.
He pokes his head into Ashokas cell.
Ashoka isn't a morning person.
There is a huge pile of blankets on Ashokas sleeping mat, the only certain part of that individual showing is her feet and left montral. Anakin snaps his towel expertly at the exposed flesh, a shocked yelp is the only reaction.
Anakin departs and enters the shower of their shared bathroom. He begins to wake himself up with that unspeakable luxury, -endless water.
And here comes endless Togruta. (Which isn't exactly a luxury, despite what the Zygerrians might think).
She enters without warning, and plonks her ass on the fresher.
Anakin allows himself a moment's reflective pride; he has successfully managed to train his Padawan to poodoo first thing in the morning instead of just after he has cleaned the fresher...
The bathroom is so small there is only a few inches between Ashokas bony orange knees and the door of the shower. Ashoka stares at her master through the glass, daring him to comment on her complete lack of common courtesy.
Anakin is busy giving himself the `Why did I ever take on a Padawan? ` Lecture.
Without asking permission, Ashoka gets up and enters the shower, wriggling neatly between Anakin and the wall.
"Oh, Snips, at least wipe your backside first." Chides Anakin miserably.
His Padawan solemnly takes his sponge from his unresisting hand and begins to pass it all over all sorts of smelly areas...Including...
"Why thank you!" He growls.
Ashoka looked up at her master with endearingly wide blue eyes. She looked like she was going to ask a question.
`She's going to ask an embarrassing question` thought Anakin with trepidation.
"I want to ask you a question, Master"
"Fire away, Snips," he sighed.
"Do you humans have special shampoo for the hair on your chooblies?"
Anakin stiffened. It was really too early for this sort of thing. "Not that I know of."
"But Bariss said..."
Bariss Offee was a Mirulan girl of Ashokas age. She was the Padawan of Luminya, the healer, and looked to follow her Master in that branch of Jedi training. Anakin had high hopes for her, and approved of his Padawans friendship, Bariss would be a steady influence on the sometimes too unmanageable Togruta girl.
"Bariss says all sorts of things that aren't reliable," Anakin chided.
"Oh?" says Ashoka with genuine disappointment. She brightens "But there's all sorts of products in the chemist...Surely..." She has a sudden ingenious thought "And there must be special shampoo for beards, too?"
Bariss had a cupboard full of bottles of strange content and mysterious intent. Ashoka simply used what the Temple Quartermaster issued. It did the job, and was free. (Ashoka didn't believe in spending her extremely limited amount of credits on things that she was given for nothing). But Bariss…Bariss…
Bariss had told her it was to be attractive to boys. Ashoka had just shrugged. She knew her best frenemy held boys in the same disdain she held Seppies in…As did Ashoka. Bariss was an enigma.
Anakin hangs his head. "Maybe you can ask Obi-wan about that." He passed the buck deftly. "Is there a special product for washing montrals?" Anakin asked her in a political move worthy of Padme herself. (Or so he thought).
This was a cue for Ashoka to turn around, inviting her master to rub her montrals, and inspect the soft folds for patches of dead skin which might harbour fungal infections or mites. "I have no idea. I haven't been to Shili in ages." She said. This was one way of saying she was a Jedi and no Togruta.
So Anakin gave his Padawans montrals a good caress and inspection. Idly he wondered if this was sexual play; the Guide had been silent on that matter, merely saying that a Togrutas sensory array was a sensitive part of them, massaging montrals was an important part of family life. (Certainly Plo Koon gave his special pupil a rub whenever he met her…Ashoka regarded him, her finder, as a father figure).
He rubbed his fingers thoughtfully along the line of calluses where her Akul tooth headdress had bedded in. Ashoka didn't take it off, ever. Not for showers, sleeping, medicals. Anakin had often applied bacta cream to the sores, his Padawan must have been in a lot of discomfort but she never complained; it was one of the few aspects of her own society she possessed.
He had not sussed Ashoka out…Yet.
Anakin doubted he ever would.