The Living Room was warm and comfortable this afternoon, a few days after Omega got the concussion all clear. She's sitting with Cut, watching television on the soft sofa. Omega is more relaxed than before she got hurt.
She's enjoying her time with her big brother/adopted father, Cut.
Now that she was clear, she hoped Alejandro would ask to do something to spend time together because, once Omega's left Dantooine, it could be weeks or months before they see each other in person. In the meantime, she was glued to the television, watching a home improvement show that was currently on. Having never been allowed to watch TV while in Nala Se's labs and not having cable TV to watch on the Havoc Marauder or in Cid's Parlour, this was an all-new experience for her.
Suddenly, she got a message on her Datapad from Alejandro.
"Are you available?" was all the message said. Cut looked over and asked, "Is that from Alejandro?"
"Yeah," Omega replied, smiling as she replied, "Yes, I'm available. What's up?"
"Do you want to walk with me through Alzo Park?" Alejandro's message came through a minute later. Omega looked at it, then looked at Cut, almost as if she was asking for permission.
"I'll inform Hunter and the others when they get back home. Aurora or Astro will probably accompany you anyway," Cut replied, waving her question away.
Excited, Omega replied, "Cut's OK'ed it. Where are we meeting?"
"How does the front of where we first met sound?" Alejandro's response suggested
Omega stated, "Sure. See you there."
"So, you want me to talk to you at the restaurant?" Cut enquired,
Omega replied, "That'd be great, Cut."
Cut nodded, then went and grabbed his keys while Omega carefully brushed her hair to tidy it up a bit before they headed out.
Half an hour later, they arrive, and Alejandro is waiting for them, along with his mum Aurora and an unusual animal.
It had an otter-like head, a moderately broad and flat skull with plenty of widths between the eyes and ears, full cheeks, an alert, fearless and determined body posture and expression, naturally floppy ears and a medium-length hard, double coat.
"What's that?" Omega asked, pointing to the animal sitting next to Alejandro,
Cut replied, "It's the Dantooine Tamed Canid. They're popular in this sector," He turned to Omega and stated, "You have no experience introducing yourself to animals like this, do you."
Omega shook her head.
"Didn't think so. Never mind, I'll show you how," Cut replied as they got out and headed for them.
"Hey Meg, how are you this afternoon?" Alejandro asked as he waved to her. Returning the wave, Omega replied, "Tried, but pretty good. How about you?"
"About alright," Alejandro replied. The canid tried to run for Omega but was gently pulled back on his leash.
"He's excited to meet new beings, but he's also jumpy, and you're unlikely to have experience with these kinds of animals," Alejandro explained, looking at Omega's questioning gaze. Omega nodded, then replied, "That's OK. Feels a little wrong to keep him on a leash like that"
"He's used to it. I wouldn't worry too much, Omega," Aurora replied before she turned to Cut and asked, "How's everything going with Suu, Jek and Shaeeah?"
"The morning sickness has lessened for Suu, so that's always good. Jek and Shaeeah are doing well," Cut replied.
Aurora continued, "That's good to hear".
Cut then turned to Omega and said, "Follow my lead,"
"Alright," Omega replied, and she watched as Cut asked, "Is it OK if I stroke your canid?"
Aurora looked at Cut with bemusement, then remembered that he was doing this for Omega.
"Sure. Just be careful. The canid will try to jump on you," Aurora replied, smiling. Cut returned the smile.
Cut kneeled to the Canid's level and offered his hand. A couple of moments pass and the Canid approaches and sniffs his hand.
"Watch the signals. Is this a good or bad, Canid?" Cut said to Omega, who enquired, "How do you tell?"
"The face and tail mainly," Cut replied. Once the Canid finished sniffing, it gently bumped his hand, which was a good signal. Coming in from the side, Cut stroked the Canid down his back.
"Thank you for allowing me to stroke your canid," Cut said.
Aurora beamed, "Anytime", and just as he went to get up, the Canid jumped up onto his knees.
"Down," Aurora stated gently but firmly, and the Canid obliged.
"What's his name?" Cut asked.
Aurora replied, "Denny,"
"Hey, Denny," Cut replied as he patted the Canid affectionately. Cut then turned to Omega and said, "Your turn now."
"Alright," Omega replied, and she turned to face Aurora and asked, "Is it OK if I pat your Canid?"
"Sure. Just be a little careful. Denny likes to jump on people," Aurora replied. Omega nodded, then did like Cut did, and kneeled to its level and offered her hand to sniff.
Denny approached Omega and sniffed her hand. It took a little longer for Denny to trust Omega, but as soon as he did, he jumped onto Omega's knees.
"Hey there," Omega replied as she started patting Denny, marvelling at everything.
"So this is a Dantooine Tamed Canid," Omega said as she gently patted Denny.
Alejandro replied, "Yep, they're good pets. He'll be accompanying us, along with Aurora. We've got to walk him regularly, and this is one of those times we can walk him. He seems to like you, so that's a good start."
"Lovely," Omega replied. Aurora called Denny's name, and he climbed off Omega and walked back to Aurora.
"I'm sure Omega will be safe in your hands, Aurora. I'd better get back. Her brothers will be home soon," Cut said to Aurora, who nodded and replied, "Take care" before Cut nodded, he returned to his hovercraft and departed.
"Let's get going," Alejandro said, and he, Omega, Aurora and Denny started making their way towards the park.
It quickly became apparent how Alejandro's back issues affected him as they set off slower than Omega had expected.
"So, how have things been for you?" Alejandro asked.
Omega replied, "Pretty good, overall. My side isn't itching much anymore, and the intimate issues passed for a month, so I'm feeling better than I was. Jek and Shaeeah are staying with me during the night, and that's helped keep the nightmares and night terrors away,"
"Oh, that's great to hear, Omega," Aurora replied fondly, smiling warmly, which Omega returned. She then turned to Alejandro and asked, "How about you? How have things been going with you?"
"Pretty well, overall. School's pretty intense, but that's always been the case, so I don't mind too much. Got Denny, mom and dad, Alexis and Mrs Sasori to help me cope, so it's been easier," Alejandro replied before they noticed Denny sniffing nearby trees and ferns.
"Checking out what's going on with the other Canids in the area, hey Denny?" Alejandro asked.
Denny yapped once in confirmation.
"Heh, thought so," Alejandro replied. They reached the park, which had a large expanse of green grass, with ferns, bushes and trees dotting the park. In one area was a bike track with jumps. Further was a pond and river with ducks and other water creatures playing around. On the other side were a few playgrounds for people of various ages and two pen-like areas for Dantooine Tamed Canids, Loth Cats, and other pets to play. A long path snaked its way along the park, with benches at regular intervals. Alejandro took a seat on one of these benches, and Denny leapt lightly into his lap.
Omega sat next to him and asked, "How long have you had Denny?"
"Two and a half years. Denny's a therapy dog for Alexis and me." Alejandro replied, sighing sadly. Looking concerned, Omega asked, "What's up with Alexis?"
"She was trying to support her brother after his injury but failed to care for herself mentally, so she self-destructed. It's been a long road to recovery for her. Even now, she's broken down a couple of times at school. It's been rough for all of us." Aurora admitted sadly.
Omega replied, "That sounds familiar."
"How so?" Alejandro asked
Omega explained, "As you know, my mental health isn't great. Tech accidentally triggered a panic attack when he was doing a regular checkup on me, and I find it hard to handle spikes in stress and anxiety. So I know what it's like"
"That's awful. I hope your brothers, adopted dad, mom, and siblings have been helping you." Aurora replied.
"They've all been nothing but supportive. Cut and Suu have had to adjust the bed I sleep in because Jek and Shaeeah want to stay with me every night to help keep nightmares and night terrors away. They've got first-hand experience with one of my night terrors, so they don't want to experience that again. I'm glad that they do. It's improved my sleep pattern," Omega replied, smiling gently.
Aurora smiled and replied, "That's lovely to hear," before she turned to her son.
"How's your back?" Aurora asked.
Alejandro replied, "It feels better now. I think I'll be able to at least walk to the vans so we can grab something,"
"That sounds like a lovely idea. Maybe we can get something for Omega?" Aurora suggested.
Alejandro turned to face Omega, put a hand on her shoulder, and asked, "Do you want something from the vans?"
"I don't know. I'll have to see what's available," Omega replied, taking Alejandro's hand in hers. Smiling, Alejandro nodded and replied, "I'm sure we'll find something" before Omega helped him get back up, they made their way towards the vans.
When they arrived, Omega was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer variety of stuff available. It was mainly food and drink, but it was truly breathtaking.
Omega stood there for several moments, just taking in the variety. Burgers, Hot Dogs, Dippe Dogs, Chips, Yiros, Ice Creams, and many drink brands.
"I don't know
"Well, how about we go to this one? We can get a puppuccino for Denny, and we can get our favourites, and you can pick out what you want," Aurora suggested as Alejandro wrapped an arm around her.
"Come on. I'm sure you'll find something, Meg," Alejandro said, smiling, and guided her to the Ice Cream van.
"Hey Gavinso," Aurora called as they approached the van, which had an old, brown-skinned male Twi'lek serving it. He looked at everyone, then asked Alejandro, "Who's your new friend?"
"Oh, this is Omega. She moved here for a holiday recently," Alejandro replied. Omega nervously waved at him, smiling awkwardly, and said, "Hello."
"Nice to meet you, Omega. I'm Gavinso, and I run this Ice Cream van. Pick whatever flavour you want, and I'll scoop it up. How does that sound?" Gavinso replied, giving Omega a reassuring smile.
"Thank you," Omega replied, feeling a bit more relaxed. She looked around at the flavours while Aurora ordered a Chocolate swirl for Alejandro, a Mocha for herself, and a puppuccino for Denny. After a few moments, Omega decided to try the strawberry.
"A classic choice, Omega," Gavinso said as he made everyone's order. Once Aurora paid, they took their treats and headed for a nearby table.
"So what are those closed-off parks for?" Omega asked, pointing to the parks with the Loth Cats and Dantooine Tamed Canids. Alejandro looked at them.
"Oh, they're special parks for Loth Cats and Tamed Canids. Normally they have to be on a leash the whole time they're at a park, but in those, they can run freely."
"Cool," Omega replied. As she ate, Omega watched as Denny lapped up the puppuccino, loving it.
"I didn't know that he did special things for pets," Omega said.
Aurora replied, "He does them for both Canids and Cats, it's just something nice, and so the owners don't offer anything else to them that might be dangerous to their health,"
"Oh," Omega replied, nodding. After a few moments, Denny leapt lightly into Omega's lap.
Patting him, she asked Alejandro, "So you're going to school, Al. Which one is it? And what is it like?"
"It's interesting, though intense. I'm currently in Grade 8, having lost a year after my back got damaged. There are classes where a teacher teaches students about a particular subject. There are seven of those a day, and they each run for fifty minutes. There are breaks for morning snacks and lunch, and the days go from 9 am to 3 pm, totalling eight hours a day. There are different teachers for different subjects. You usually have some form of homework to reinforce what you've learned, and tests and assignments to test how much you've learned and broaden your knowledge base." Alejandro explained.
Omega nodded and replied, "Sounds like something Tech would be interested in."
"I'm sure he could find a role in there somewhere," Aurora replied.
"Who's Mrs Sasori?" Omega then enquired.
Alejandro replied, "She's a teacher at the school. She mostly teaches languages, but she's also a councillor for students. She's a lovely woman, and I'd love for you to meet her,"
"She's very nice. I'm sure you'll get on well," Aurora replied, which made Omega smile and reply, "I hope she's as lovely as you portray her"
"I remember she said that she's hoping Alexis will be at Dalmon High School. Considering how much she's helped with your mental health, I'm sure she'd be of great help to Alexis and Omega," Aurora said to Alejandro.
He nodded and stated, "That she has. I've told Alexis that she should look out for Mrs Sasori when she reaches high school."
"Oh, by the way, Omega, the school has a library nearby where you can go onto the hold pads and do things. You can borrow books and holos and generally hang around. I recommend you visit it sometime." Alejandro said.
Omega replied, "Library? Sounds interesting. I'll be sure to check it out,"
"Oh dear, someone's got ice cream on their lips," Aurora chuckled as she saw that Omega had strawberry ice cream stuck to her lips. Grabbing a tissue, Omega wiped her lips down.
"Didn't even notice I had ice cream there," Omega said as she finished. Alejandro seeing Omega finish, asked, "What did you think?"
"Loved it. That was awesome. Thanks for the suggestion," Omega replied, which made Alejandro and Aurora smile.
"So. Are we heading back?" Alejandro asked.
Aurora replied, "Maybe Omega could check out the playgrounds?"
"Not with the stitches and bacta patch on my side. It's still another week before they've dissolved," Omega sighed. Alejandro once again put his arm around her and said, "You don't have to go on them, but we can show you what they look like"
"Alright," Omega replied, and after Denny leapt lightly off Omega's lap, the quartet waved to Gavinso and headed for the playgrounds.
When they arrived, Omega marvelled again at the wonder of these playgrounds. There were climbing frames, slides, swings, rocking horses, and everything a kid, or teenager, would need.
"These are amazing. I'm feeling jealous about not being able to go on the playground," Omega said as she pointed to the rules and regulations, which included recommendations for not using them if injured.
"It's OK, Omega. Once your side's healed, you'll be able to go on them all you want," Aurora smiled.
Omega returned the smile and nodded.
Omega noticed a number of the kids were talking about how cute they found Denny, who barked happily and excitedly at being complimented.
"He's certainly popular with the kids," Omega said as they started making their way back to the restaurant.
Alejandro replied, "Tamed Canids are very popular with the kids, so it isn't a surprise."
"One day, my brothers and I could get one ourselves. I certainly feel better with him around,'' Omega said.
Alejandro smiled warmly at her and replied, "That would be very beneficial to you and your brothers, I reckon,"
"I'm surprised the Lawquanes haven't got one," Aurora admitted.
Alejandro said, "I think they may have been planning to, but the pregnancy has probably put paid to that. They've only been here for about a year, and they're only now fully established."
"That's true. I think it'd help." Aurora replied.
Once they reach the restaurant, they find Hunter waiting for them. Omega was worried that Hunter would scorn them, so she was relieved when she saw him smiling.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" Hunter asked.
Omega replied, "I sure did! I got to taste Strawberry Ice Cream, and we met the pet Tamed Canid,''
She pointed to Denny. Smiling, Hunter did the same routine he'd seen others do and quickly gained Denny's trust.
"Cute pet you've got," Hunter said as he petted Denny.
Aurora replied, "He is cute, and he's been helpful for Alejandro and Alexis especially. It seems like he's helped Omega a bit too,"
"That's good to hear," Hunter replied.
He then turned to Omega and said, "Ready to go?"
"Yep," Omega replied.
She turned to Alejandro and Aurora and said, "Thanks for the walk. It was fun and informative,"
"Glad you enjoyed it," Alejandro replied, giving her a quick hug before they went their separate ways.
"He's very affectionate," Hunter said as they headed back to the Lawquanes, to which Omega replied, "That isn't a bad thing though"
"No, it isn't. I think it's just a little protective dad instinct coming in," Hunter admitted. Omega didn't know what Hunter meant, but she didn't mind. It had been a good afternoon with Alejandro and Aurora, and she hoped to have more days like this.