She nods, giving a bit of a grin. "Yeah, that's a good way to put it. And we want to know how we can help with that - we can figure out some things, but not all of them."

He pauses, reminds himself she had just said he could ask questions. And he wants to be able to do what she wants of him, just isn't sure how to.

"I- what if. I. don't know what would help?" He curls a little smaller into Daisy, almost sheltering against her.

She gives him another squeeze. "Then we'll figure it out. We're pretty good at that part. But we won't always be able to figure out what you want; that part you'll need to tell us, sometimes."

"Mmhmm. How you feel is an important part of it, and I can tell how you feel, so that's enough, sometimes. But it's not the only important part, and you'll need to figure out for yourself how you want to choose between those things - we can't do it for you, we would get that wrong. And if you can't - well, then sometimes we'll get it wrong; that's not good, but it happens to everyone."

He swallows thickly, nods again. "I- I'll try. I-if that's- what you... want?"

"I do, yeah. I think you will too, though, and that's the important thing."

"But if you don't want to, that's important too, and you should tell us. Okay?"

He nods. "O-Okay," he agrees tiredly. (He has no idea whether he wants to or not, but he can try, Pradnakt wants him to.)

"All right. I'll be around; if you want to go in, just go, I'll grab the bed and catch up."

"All right," Daisy replies, and Pradnakt gets to her feet and returns to the other side of the pillar.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. (That's...the most he's ever spoken he thinks.)

Daisy gives him another squeeze. "You did well."

He rests his head against her shoulder, and just...doesn't respond to the words, because he has no idea how to.

Pet pet.

"You seem like you could use a rest, do you want to lie down?"

After a moment, he gives a tiny, hesitant nod. He's tired, and he doesn't understand why he's as tired as he is.

She eases him onto the bed and arranges the blanket carefully to cover him as much as possible without getting scorched. "It'll get easier," she soothes. "It's hard when everything is new."

He lets his eyes close, and lets himself hope, just this once, that this is real, and what Daisy is saying is true, and maybe it can get easier. "Thank you," he mumbles sleepily.

"You're welcome," she murmurs, and lowers herself to the ground by the head of the bed. "Go ahead and sleep, I'll be right here if you need anything."

And he sleeps, deep and exhausted. (But still light enough that he's likely to be disturbed by people moving around him.)

Sith can be pretty quiet when they want to be; Pradnakt is careful not to wake him when she comes by, a few hours later in the wee hours of the morning.

Hey, she signs to Daisy. We okay?

    Yeah. She looks him over - I wish you could let him be, more.

Yeah. I think that was the worst of it, though. At least for the next while.

    Good. Thank you.

Nod. We should keep him, you think?

    He needs more than just Force training.

Yeah. But he's comfortable with you. And you like him too, I think.

    She considers. I suppose I do. You're okay with me spending this much time with him?

She nods again, grinning slightly. You're cute with him.

    Okay. She shifts position, slightly uncomfortably.

I'll tell you if it's a problem. But I don't think it will be. It's been almost two years.

    It has, she agrees. I suppose it's not that much of a risk.

Compared to anything else we could do with him, especially. But I do think it'll just be fine.

    All right.

I trust your judgement, though; if you think he shouldn't stay then he won't.

Daisy considers that carefully, and after a few minutes Pradnakt signs again. You have something in mind; tell me?

    I don't know if it's a good idea.

That's okay.

    All right. She shifts again. I'm worried that there's only one of me; if.. you both need me, or you stop getting along... I can only be in one place at a time.

That's fair. And you have a solution in mind?

    She nods. There's a droid I know, in town - we've been talking for a while -

Pradnakt peers sharply at her.

    I wasn't - I don't think his owner is going to wipe him. And I wasn't sure how you'd react to having a new person around.

Well, now we know.

    Yeah. Ah - he's a battle droid.

That's okay.

    All right. I'll talk to Nova, and get him next time I'm in town.

Good.

He stirs towards the end of the conversation, and starts abruptly upright when he realises Pradnakt's there. And then- stops. Because he's pretty sure she would've woken him if she had a problem with him sleeping.

"It's all right, Nova," she says as he sits up. "I'm just talking to Daisy."

He calms a little at that nodding. "I- m'sorry. Didn't mean- to interrupt." (As though he had that much control over when he woke up.)

"We were just finishing up, actually. Unless there was something else?" she asks the droid.

   "No, that was all."

He breathes out carefully, and does the not-quite-relaxing thing he does. He tilts his head slightly at Pradnakt, half-expecting some indication of what to do now. (He's not entirely awake, and it's instinct to wait for an order.)

"I was about to go to bed myself, but I can stay up a bit longer if you need me for something."