Troublemaker, Part 8: This Means War!
Sitting outside the Comet's Delight, Qui-Gon surveyed the zoo that was his responsibility. The children were quietly chatting and eating their ice cream. There had been no incidents so far...
"Master Jinn, can I have some more ice cream... please?"
Qui-Gon looked down at the little Dresselian, ready to say no, but when he saw how sad Reeft looked he found himself compelled to give in. /You're getting soft, Jinn,/ he thought.
He took the boy back to the serving window, satisfied that the others would remain calm for a few minutes.
"Hey, Obi, the ice cream goes in your mouth, not on your tunic," Nosnibor called, noticing the mess down his friend's front.
"Yeah, well," Obi-Wan scooped up a spoonful of Taron's ice cream from beside him and bending back the utensil flung the dessert at Nosnibor, "take that." It missed him but instead smacked into Garen.
"Hey, that's mine!" Taron yelled. He grabbed what little of Obi-Wan's ice cream that had not been either eaten or dripped on his clothes and dumped it on him. At the same time Garen was retaliating and both Obi-Wan and Taron were struck. It was not long before the others joined in and an all-out ice cream war started.
When Qui-Gon returned and saw the children laughing and tossing ice cream all about, he froze dead in his tracks. Reeft happily downed his new portion without seeming to notice what his friends were up to, even when he was smacked in the face by the flying snack. He licked his lips and returned to his own dish; the delicious treat was too dear to him to waste.
Qui-Gon on the other hand was a little more shocked by the scene. "Stop this!" The little ones stopped suddenly, abruptly remembering about their chaperone. Six heads lowered to gaze at the hard grey ground.
"Who started this?" the Master demanded, looking at the soiled initiates before him.
No one spoke for a moment. Not wanting to tattle on her best friend but not wanting Master Jinn upset either, without looking up, Bant said, "I did, Master Jinn."
Qui-Gon was doubtful, but before he could say anything Obi-Wan's head jerked up. "No! It was me, Master, I'm really sorry."
"Oh, I see."
Looking at the Master, Obi-Wan's face flushed when he realized he had been made to confess. "But it's Nosnibor's fault! He made me do it!"
"Well, I would say you are all guilty of participating, except Reeft of course." Beside him Reeft gave a toothy, ice creamy grin. "If this is how you behave when I take you for a treat, we won't be going again." The already downcast children looked further repentant.
"Now come along, we've got to get you home and cleaned up." Qui-Gon sighed; it was going to be more of a punishment for him to have to clean up the initiates and get them in fresh clothes. He would have to think up a really good punishment for them; maybe he would put them in an extra one of Master Yoda's classes. With that thought in mind and an odd smile on his face, he herded his charges home.
Sitting outside the Comet's Delight, Qui-Gon surveyed the zoo that was his responsibility. The children were quietly chatting and eating their ice cream. There had been no incidents so far...
"Master Jinn, can I have some more ice cream... please?"
Qui-Gon looked down at the little Dresselian, ready to say no, but when he saw how sad Reeft looked he found himself compelled to give in. /You're getting soft, Jinn,/ he thought.
He took the boy back to the serving window, satisfied that the others would remain calm for a few minutes.
"Hey, Obi, the ice cream goes in your mouth, not on your tunic," Nosnibor called, noticing the mess down his friend's front.
"Yeah, well," Obi-Wan scooped up a spoonful of Taron's ice cream from beside him and bending back the utensil flung the dessert at Nosnibor, "take that." It missed him but instead smacked into Garen.
"Hey, that's mine!" Taron yelled. He grabbed what little of Obi-Wan's ice cream that had not been either eaten or dripped on his clothes and dumped it on him. At the same time Garen was retaliating and both Obi-Wan and Taron were struck. It was not long before the others joined in and an all-out ice cream war started.
When Qui-Gon returned and saw the children laughing and tossing ice cream all about, he froze dead in his tracks. Reeft happily downed his new portion without seeming to notice what his friends were up to, even when he was smacked in the face by the flying snack. He licked his lips and returned to his own dish; the delicious treat was too dear to him to waste.
Qui-Gon on the other hand was a little more shocked by the scene. "Stop this!" The little ones stopped suddenly, abruptly remembering about their chaperone. Six heads lowered to gaze at the hard grey ground.
"Who started this?" the Master demanded, looking at the soiled initiates before him.
No one spoke for a moment. Not wanting to tattle on her best friend but not wanting Master Jinn upset either, without looking up, Bant said, "I did, Master Jinn."
Qui-Gon was doubtful, but before he could say anything Obi-Wan's head jerked up. "No! It was me, Master, I'm really sorry."
"Oh, I see."
Looking at the Master, Obi-Wan's face flushed when he realized he had been made to confess. "But it's Nosnibor's fault! He made me do it!"
"Well, I would say you are all guilty of participating, except Reeft of course." Beside him Reeft gave a toothy, ice creamy grin. "If this is how you behave when I take you for a treat, we won't be going again." The already downcast children looked further repentant.
"Now come along, we've got to get you home and cleaned up." Qui-Gon sighed; it was going to be more of a punishment for him to have to clean up the initiates and get them in fresh clothes. He would have to think up a really good punishment for them; maybe he would put them in an extra one of Master Yoda's classes. With that thought in mind and an odd smile on his face, he herded his charges home.