Leaving her after school class, Cassia doesn't immediately notice her friends until they've ambushed her out on the field. The fact that she had her nose deep in a book was probably to blame, but she would have guessed she would have at least heard them coming with how rushed they were when they run up on her. Considering that being aware of her surroundings is something dad keeps trying to instill in her and Damocles, she'd think she'd have been prepared, but maybe it's just a good sign that Cassia isn't quite so jumpy as dad makes it seem. She just couldn't imagine always being so paranoid, but then again, her parents have certainly been made so after all the horrible things they've been through, all the people who've been underhanded around them.

"So," Mimi says, dragging the word out as she grins. "Are you going to the bonfire tonight?"

"The what?" Cassia shifts her bag from at her side to slip her book in. "Who's bonfire?"

Gelta shrugs. "The older kids always throw one at the end of their last year. Kinda like a party at finally getting out of school."

Stopping in her steps, Cassia looks between her friends and raises a brow plate. "The bonfires are only for the senior students," she says, her tone speaking to the fact that it should be painfully obvious that they are still in school after the summer break, and thus not invited. "Younger kids aren't allowed to go to the bonfires."

"That's where you're wrong," Alexia, the youngest of the group, pokes Cassisa in the chest with a grin. "They're finally letting the younger kids in. Well, to a certain age."

"Why?" Cassia hums in suspicion, concerned just what could happen if younger grades take up the offer.

"I heard it's because there are some students that aren't complete assholes in the senior class. Who'd have thought they all aren't complete jerks?" Mimi nudges Cassia's side, smiling as they start walking once more. "So … Are you going?"

"I …. Uh …." Cassia flickers her mandibles shyly and looks between her friends, all three of them wearing equally excited looks on their faces. "Yes?"

Gelta snorts. "Well, are you or not?" Her smile softens and she lowers her voice in mock whisper. "You can invite Saren," she sing songs, smirking when Cassia trills in embarrassment.

"Nuh uh!" Alexia shakes her head firmly, thankfully pulling away everyone's attention from Cassia's nervous mandible twitches. "He's too old to go."

"Well…" Mimi argues, drawing out the word, "He's technically not even a year old…." She looks sideways at Cassia and smirks wider. "You should bring him."

Cassia's mouth opens and closes a few times as her mind blanks at the idea. Should she take him? Well, of course she should because it would be a great way to show him how to open up and relax in the company of others - something they are still working on - but then there's the growing affection for him that's starting to make it awfully hard to do anything in his company. Sure, she considers him a great friend, and hopes that he thinks the same of her, but the longer she's been with him, showing him all the joys of life the tank couldn't teach him, the harder she seems to be falling. He may be stiff in the eyes of everyone else, but Cassia has come to know him better in the short time she's wedged herself into his life.

Where her company started as a self-imposed obligation for waking him up early, it soon changed to a genuine want to know him as a person, as a friend and member of her extended family. That, though, quickly developed into a desire to just be in his presence over others' just because her desires switched from wanting friendship to something more. She admired his determination to better himself and thrive to never be stagnant in his life, always occupying his time with something or another. She also isn't ashamed to admit that she's let her eyes linger on him too long at times, taking in the regal way he carries himself - and just plain attractiveness, but she feels much too guilty to acknowledge she's caught herself ogling her friend more often than not.

So many compare him to his dad, Saren being a clone the major argument of their similarities, but kunkle is different. She doesn't know how to explain it to even herself, but the two males are just different in so many ways. At least, she considers, her family is starting to see Saren as an individual - even if appearances are still considered the same - in his attitude, his self-identity. Cassia knows the concept of a full grown person just appearing in their lives genetically the same as kunkle wasn't an easy one to immediately get used to, even kunkle boiling down to awkward silences when it came time for anything resembling father-son bonding, but familiarity settled over their group over the year.

Now, Saren is one of the family, a cared for person in their circle, but the fact of his creation can still leave some anxiety in how to proceed. Cassia's never had that problem, but she can see it in other people, and knows Saren does as well, but perhaps the fact that he, too, is just as out of his element helps the situation from becoming painfully uncomfortable. That, or her friend is just too good at hiding his emotions on the matter. She'll admit he's still hard to read in that aspect, despite her attempts to understand.

She'd like to say that bringing him out to the bonfire will be for his benefit - and though it will, in small part - she really just wants to bring him for the company, for his presence. If he'd let her, she may even get to show him off and imagine something more than friendship between them. That's a pipe dream, if she's ever heard one, though, so it's best to stay a guilty secret in her own head.

"Yeah," she says, smiling to herself as she nods. "I think it'll be nice to bring him."

"If he's even on Virmire and not working-"

"He's not," Cassia interrupts, unintentionally cutting Mimi off. Her quick answer gets the others giggling and sharing knowing looks, but she clears her throat. "I mean … Yeah. If he's not working."

Gelta snorts. "That was a horrible save, Cass."

"Come on," Alexia says, rolling her eyes and smiling playfully, "We all know you have a big crush on him-"

"For whatever reason," Mimi cuts in, grin on her face teasing.

Cassia scoffs and flicks her mandibles. "Okay, I like him. So what?" When she pauses to get an answer, her friends merely laugh and she sighs. "Is it obvious?"

The other three girls nod emphatically, trying and failing to hide their knowing smirks or control their waggling eyebrows.

"You're horrible," Cassia says, exasperated before shaking her head. "Alright. I'll go." She groans at the task it'll be to get everyone she wants to go to actually agree. "I'll try to get others to go too."

"Great!" Gelta bounces on her feet and clasps her hands. "That settles it! Come to Paradise Pass in an hour. That's where they're having the bonfire."

"'An hour?'" Cassia's eyes widen and she trills in shock. "How am I supposed to get everyone to agree to coming in only an hour?"

"Please, we all know you only have two people to convince, Saren and your idiot brother," Mimi says with a snort, quirking her lips as the four of them stop at the edge of the residential district where Cassia will split from the others to walk to her house opposite of the living sector.

Cassia frowns, not completely agreeing to her 'idiot brother.' Lately, he's been closing in on himself, withdrawing and going quite. She has a feeling it's because of the changes ever since Saren was woken up, but she doesn't know why it's affecting him so much. Sure, kunkle has cut down on his biotic training to almost nothing and Damo really enjoyed testing himself on the strong barriers, but it's not like kunkle has completely left their lives. If anything, he comes to mom and dad more often because he's obviously at a loss on how to have a son. Ellie too, but she's not as out of her element as he is. Cassia is happy for kunkle, knowing that even if it's not really a normal way to have a son, he and Ellie are happy with the decision. Cassia guesses that it just isn't the same to have - in essence - grandchildren as it is to have their own 'child' to lead and carry on when they can no longer work. Saren may be an adult, but even Cassia will admit that he still has much to learn from his dad that can't be taught by a computer in a tank.

Still, it really seems to have bothered Damo, and she just can't understand why. It seems like, over the year, she has lost more and more of him, fallen further away from knowing his mind and emotions. It's frightening, but knows it isn't fair to force her own will on him even if she hurts seeing him like this. She hopes that she will still continue to be a confidant for him even if he comes to her less and less.

The others seem to see her concern as their expressions drop. Mimi lays a hand on Cassia's arm and frowns. "Are you okay?"

Cassia nods and smiles, even if giving it feels like a physically lifting the weight of her emotions. "Yeah. Just got lost in thought." Laying her hand on Mimi's, she thrums reassuringly. "I should hurry home while I still have time."

Mimi and the others smile weakly, but don't push. Waving goodbye, they head further down the main street of the residential district, leaving Cassia to walk home alone. She misses the afternoons of walking side by side with Damocles, but he's taken to training himself after school, while she signed herself up for various after school classes. She works on her physical and biotic strengths with mom and dad, but she uses her free time to keep her mind challenged, to continue to build on her knowledge. Her brother, on the other hand, spends his time pushing himself to be better than the day before and looks forward to the first time they'll finally see combat. She barely sees him relax anymore, the only person able to distract him their cousin, Aeson, when he comes over with new comics or video games.

When she arrives home, mom and dad are gone somewhere. It's not too surprising that they'd be out of the house, finally confident that Cassia and her brother can be left alone without destroying something, and Cassia is both proud that she is trustworthy enough and happy for them to finally be able to relax. She can't imagine what it's like to always be looking out for the next big mess she and her brother would get into just for fun and the thrill.

Setting her bag down in the entryway, Cassia checks the armory, then the workout room, and finds them both empty. She hums in thought over where else Damo could be, she walks into the living room and glances to the second floor banister.

"Damo? You home?" she calls out, giving a moment for her brother to answer. She doesn't hear music, so she knows he'd be able to hear her if he wanted, but opens her omni-tool and sends him a message just in case he has headphones on.

Getting no response, she frowns in frustration, but has one more place to look. Perhaps he already visited the armory and is practicing out on the beach. Dad did give them new rifles to test out and, unfortunately, Damo seemed to be struggling with keeping his shots straight and center, so maybe he's working on the skill outside. She steps out onto the porch and catches him standing at the edge of the water, seemingly throwing something into the water. She walks out to him, rumbling in concern when she can finally get a good look at what exactly he's doing.

There's one thing they've noticed about Damo recently, he often uses his biotics to vent his emotions. Mom and dad even purchased biodegradable disks usually made for shooting practice on moving targets when he cleaned their section of beach of any rocks he could throw into the waves. On one hand, he was working on his biotics, honing his ability to hold and propel objects, but on the other, Cassia knew he was hiding something, using the rush of biotics to drain himself and ease whatever emotion he was feeling. She knew him all too well to know he reasons were mostly the latter.

"Damo?" She steps closer, sticking to the opposite side of the disks, and he grunts in acknowledgment, but thankfully pauses his throwing. It's a good sign, one that shows he's willing to at least listen. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to a bonfire tonight. The senior students have actually open the celebration up to some of the younger classes."

"Yeah. I heard." He turns to her. "You're taking your boyfriend." His tone makes it painfully obvious that is far from any question, more akin to an accusation.

Still, Cassia doesn't take the bait and pulls her mandibles in, squaring her shoulders. "Yes. I think it'll make a nice evening. You should go too."

"No thanks," he says, a low rumbling to his tone as he returns to his biotic throwing, the force in it noticeably stronger.

She sighs and drops her shoulders. "You don't have to hang out with him. There are other people." Scowling when he merely hums and puts more energy than necessary into a launched disk, causing it to explode in the air above the water. "Damo-"

"No. I don't want to go," he says, stopping to turn his head to her. "Especially if he's going."

Growling, she slaps the disk out of the air as if hovers in the air, before he can throw it. "What's your problem? Saren hasn't done anything!"

Damo doesn't flinch at her growing anger as he turns to face her directly. "I'll tell you what my problem is. How about the fact that he just shows up and suddenly gets all the things we have had to work our asses off to even be considered for? It hasn't even been a year, and he's out their taking jobs! Think about it, Cass! He had three months training and suddenly he's out their on his own!" He growls and waves his hand towards the majority of the Wraith compound. "We spend our entire lives training, and we still have to work together straight out on the field."

"Wow," she says, scoffing as she shakes her head. "If you don't like the idea of working with me, you could've said it better than that."

"I like the idea of being able to choose," he responds, emphasizing his words. "Saren didn't go through the shit we've gone through to prepare for combat. He learned everything sitting on his ass, being fed data through a tank. What the fuck does he know about work? About having to fight for everything? Just because he's kunkle's son, he gets preferential treatment-"

"And we're mom and dad's kids? Did you forget they're the bosses too?" She crosses her arms, getting tired of her brother's unfounded hate for her friend.

"Do you see us being giving jobs when we ask for them? When we work for them?" He waits, as if for an answer, and continues when she merely glares at him. "Right. You don't."

Sighing, Cassia rubs her forehead. "That's not the only reason you don't like him. There are more personal reasons." She looks at him, growling low and threatening. "You just don't like him. Maybe he rubs you the wrong way, maybe you're upset about him getting attention when you had it all this time-"

"It has nothing to do with that-"

"It has everything to do with that!" She throws up her arms. "I can tell you one thing off the top of my head. How about the time you spend with kunkle? You used to always go to him to train your biotics - looking forward to it - and now Saren is here, occupying kunkle." Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and fights to keep her anger down. "You're jealous, Damo."

She feels him step closer to her and she opens her eyes, coming face to face with his curled withering glare. "You know nothing about what it's like. You don't have any idea what it's like to be pushed aside suddenly when you did nothing because you're too attracted to Saren. It's easy for you because you don't need to prove yourself, you just succeed at whatever you do," he says, snarling in his vocals as he uses his drastic height difference - the two of them shooting up in height in one really painful growth not too long ago - to tower over her. "Don't lecture me unless you've walked in my shoes."

She hates him in her space, aggressive and radiating in wisps of dark energy that lick at her own biotics. Shoving him to take a step away from her, she shoves a finger in his face. "I can't believe you! You're such a selfish child! You shove everyone away when they try to help!" Backing up a step, making it obvious that she will get the last word in and leave him to stew in his anger, she lets her rage fuel her words as she yells at him. "It's no wonder you don't have any friends!"

All her fury, every hateful word on her tongue, vanishes in the immediate moment she realizes what she's said. Sudden hurt flashes in her brother's eyes, gone before she can react to the solid mask of indifference he wears all too often now. She keens and steps closer to him, clenching her hands in a burning regret at her callous words that she knew would cut deeper than any blade.

"Damo, I'm sorry," she whispers, mandibles quivering as she inwardly curses her stupid, vicious reaction.

"No, you're right," he says, returning to his place beside the throwing disks and lifting one. "Have fun at the bonfire tonight."

Keening and trilling softly, Cassia reaches out to him, but stops. She opens and closes her hands, mouth working with silent pleas to forgive her, but she drops her arm with a sad sigh. Nothing she can say or do right now will make him forgive her, forget the horrible things she said to him, and she knows him enough that the only remedy is for her to leave him be. She gives him one more apology that he doesn't respond to - not that she expected it - and heads back to the house.

She waits until the back door closes before dropping her head, trilling in regret. Damo was being a jerk, but he didn't deserve that, nobody does. It's not like he can just make friends with the kids at school with how they're either afraid or disgusted of him. She is lucky because she has her friends, but, then again, it seems like the boys are meaner kids than the girls in class. Cassia doesn't blame Damo for not wanted to have any friendship with girls, rather easing tension instead. 'Less attachment,' he once said to her, and it hurts to know that's what his relationships have boiled down to.

She knows, though, that going out there again to try and be heard will go over just as well as trying to get a chew toy from Xero. Glancing outside once more to watch her brother, Cassia takes a deep breath and forces her mind to wash away the regret, to imagine what tonight could be like if she lets herself enjoy it. That is what she holds onto as she heads into the downstairs closet and searches for the large blanket she uses out on the beach when she just wants to relax instead of swim. It keeps sand from getting between her plates when she lays in the softest of it just beyond the waterline, and she thinks it'll come in handy tonight, because she can just imagine the amount of complaint she'll get from Saren if he gets the gritty stuff in his plates.

Spirits, it was bad enough when she first dragged him into the water waist deep and he promptly pulled her right back out, stating something about the fact that he just had water full of fish excrement touching his bare waist.

He could be such a baby when he overthought things.

Finding her blanket, Cassia tucks the bundle under her arm and heads for the door. She doesn't think she'd need much else, and if she does, she can always rush back home or to the general store near the beach under dire circumstances. She stops and looks over her shoulder at the back windows and beach beyond, but sighs and gives her head a single shake. She won't let the argument ruin her night with her friends. Damo will just have to stew for the night and they'll talk later once they've both cooled down. Nothing will come out of her going out there now besides more frustration and a ruined evening.

She leaves the house and heads towards kunkle's, knowing that there is the best place to find Saren, or at least to ask kunke where she could find him. It saves her the time it'd take to walk all the way to the compound where he could be working or training, so she's really hoping today is one of those rare days Saren is home. Climbing the few steps to the sleek, well kept home, Cassia taps the intercom console and hears the resulting chime through the door as it echoes throughout the house. She also hears the sound of footsteps and fidgets on her toes, hoping she doesn't have to literally wrestle Saren into going. After the blow out with Damo, she just wants someone to go easy on her and agree without too big a fuss.

The door slides open and Cassia smiles up at kunkle as he immediately looks at the blanket before glancing up at her, a brow plate lifted in question.

Cassia chuckles, stepping in when kunkle motions to enter with a wave of his hand as he moves aside. "I was hoping I could drag Saren out to a bonfire the senior kids are having."

"Good luck," kunkle says, crossing his hands behind his back once the door closes. "He is in the armory."

Cassia smiles and nods once, leading the way to kunkle's armory. "Is Ellie home, too?"

"No. Unfortunately, it seems you have just missed her." When she looks over her shoulder, rumbling curiously, he responds in kind with his own vocals. "She seemed quite interested in a new shipment of tech the Wraiths have received. I believe she intends to compare the newest omni-tools to her own."

Cassia chirps at how enthusiastic her aunt Ellie can be when it comes to tech that could come in handy on her own jobs. Cassia doubts any of the new tools coming in will come close to Ellie's customly modified one, but it never hurts to look. Cassia sometimes finds herself digging through the newest mechanical parts for the shuttles and gunships when they come in, so she doesn't find her aunt's excitement all that strange. It actually makes her happy to see that her aunt still gets excited over her work.

Coming to the armory, kunkle stops her at the threshold by placing a hand on her shoulder. Looking up to him with a confused thrum, Cassia opens her mouth to ask what's wrong, but stops when he holds up a hand.

"See if you can pull him away from the modifications he has been installing on his drone," kunkle says, glancing into the room and at Saren, his head down as he works. Cassia knows that look well enough to know he's completely zoned out, comfortable enough at home to let himself focus completely on his work instead of have half of his attention on his surroundings.

"Okay, kunkle.." Cassia nods and smiles up to him. "One relaxing distraction, coming up."

Kunkle nods in approval and removes his hand, remaining in the hall as he watches Cassia go in. She knows kunkle is trying to be the dad he wanted to be when he thought about having Saren, but she can tell it's still a new concept to him. It's not as uncomfortable awkward as before, where neither of them really knew how to breach the topic of their relation to one another, but it seems enough has built that Saren looks to kunkle for guidance and as someone to strive to emulate.

She sets the blanket down on the weapon's bench, knowing well enough that none of them would allow the surface to be dirty to the point that it will ruin the fabric. Walking up to Saren, she steps beside him and waits to see how long it'll take him to notice her presence. She clasps her hands behind her back and lifts onto the tips of her toes, then lowers, her vocals trilling with her amusement, but when that doesn't even get his attention away from a circuit board, Cassia sighs in exasperation. Closing the gap between herself and Saren's side, she waits until he sets the soldering tool down before she leans down into his line of sight and grins.

"Hi," she says when she sees the spark of surprise before it quickly turns to recognition, even if there's still a bit of confusion mixed in those brilliantly golden eyes.

"Cassia," Saren says, watching as she rights herself before glancing back to kunkle in the hallway. "Is there something wrong?"

She nods her head, rumbling in excitement. "Uh huh." Smiling, she releases her hands and jerks a thumb over her shoulder as she says, "There's a bonfire happening down at Paradise Pass with all the older kids." When he doesn't react, his expression still not showing that sudden realization, she giggles. "We're going."

Saren shakes his head softly, humming as he turns in his seat to get back to his work. "I have multiple tests to run once I finish these modifications-"

"Saren," kunkle says, his voice urging, yet still holding that bit of sterness he can never seem to quite let go of, "You have been working since you returned to Virmire. Your work can wait." Kunkle looks to Cassia, as if in question, and she nods with a purr. "Go, son. You should enjoy it."

Saren makes a unconvinced buzz with his vocals, and Cassia knows he's about two seconds away from coming up with another excuse. Seeing him pick up the soldering tool once more, Cassia growls, leans forward, and clicks the tool off. He grunts in surprise at her invading his work space, but she ignores him as she grins and plucks the tool from his hand and sets it on its stand.

"Come on, workaholic," she says as she grabs his hand and pulls on him, literally dragging him out of his seat. Grinning at his highly unamused glare, she purrs and jerks him one last time so that the two of them are right at the doorway to the armory. "Now, grab the blanket and let's go."

Saren must know what the blanket means and, though he grabs it, rumbles in exasperation. "You're really planning to be there all night, aren't you?"

"Pretty much," she responds with a chirp and grabs his hand once he takes the blanket in the other. Putting some force into making him follow, she waves at kunkle as she heads for the door. "Bye, kunkle!"

She knows kunkle's nod for what it is and thrums, smiling to Saren over her shoulder once they exit the house. "You'll like it, trust me."

"I reserve judgement."

She snorts and laughs at his grumpiness, not sure she'd want Saren any other way. Sure, he can be a bit of a pain to get to do anything concerning socializing or getting out of his deep, dark corner in the workshop, but she thinks it just adds to his character. It also makes a huge statement when she can actually get him out and about. Eventually, he even stops resisting on the walk and moves in step with her. It doesn't stop his occasional question of the purpose of this gathering, but she can deal with that, answering every question she knows he mostly has just to tempt her to give up. It seems that he still has to learn that she has her parents' stubbornness and will get her way whether he grumbles about it or not.

The sun is setting as they reach Paradise Pass and there are already so many kids around the beach, some mingling about the food tables, others cooking on small fires, and even more at the water's edge to swim and show off in the waves. The large bonfire hasn't been set yet, some of the older boys setting up the long pieces of wood into a steeple, but Cassia figures that's probably because they're waiting for the sun to completely set before lighting what's going to be a huge fire. Looking over the beach, she tries searching for her friends, leading Saren into the party.

"We should get something to eat," she says, glancing his way and smiling. "You hungry?"

"Even if I say 'no,' you're still going to get me food, aren't you," he says, not really asking what should be obvious.

She grins and nods. "Of course. It's beach food! You should enjoy!"

"It's food cooked by underagged students." He hums and flicks his mandible in discomfort. "I'd rather not."

She laughs and yanks him to the tables, grabbing two tuparis. When he gives her a dubious look, glancing at the bottles, she responds with a playful glare and stern growl. He's going to enjoy himself. He's not going to turn into a hermit on her watch.

"Cassia?" A familiar voice stops her and she cringes at being called on by her brother's best friend, their cousin Aeson. It all just brings the fight the two of them had back. When she turns to the younger male, she sees him frowning and looking around the crowd. "Where's Damo?"

She feels Saren's gaze on her, his knowing look itching at her plates, but she smiles weakly at Aeson. "He decided to stay home."

"Oh," Aeson says, rumbling in disappointment. "I kinda figured you'd make him come."

She hums and lowers her head slightly. "I … yeah, he didn't want to go." Getting an idea, she trills and releases Saren's hand to grip Aeson's shoulder. "You should go see him! I bet he'd love it if you brought him a big plate of food."

The younger turian smiles softly and nods. "Yeah. The bonfire probably won't be any good, anyways." He looks between Cassia and Saren, flickering his mandibles as if he wants to say something else, but he just nods and smiles warmly instead. "Thanks, Cassia."

Cassia nods, rumbling in goodbye as Aeson heads for the tables to gather food he'll take home to Damo. Hopefully, having his best friend around calm some of Damo's anger, soothe the pain she left. She doesn't know how or why, but her cousin always seems to be a cooling salve for her brother. Maybe it has to do with being the only boy, and they share in the feeling of being outcasts because of Aeson's dad, but, whatever the reason, Cassia is thankful for it. She sometimes feels like she's abandoning her brother the further apart they grow in days like today, but she can't force herself to give up her friends because her brother is withdrawn where she's outgoing.

She doesn't even know she's been walking until she's stopped with a hand wrapping around her elbow. Blinking away her daze, she looks over to Saren and he releases her, motioning to the water with a tilt of his head.

"You're getting too close to the water. We'll be soaked when the tide comes in if we go any further," he explains and, without prompting, turns away to roll out the blankets.

"Oh." Looking around, she flutters her mandibles in embarrassment. "Guess I was daydreaming."

"No. You were worrying."

"What?" She looks down to him in surprise, not knowing he could read her so easily. "How did you know?"

"You make the same vocal hum everytime." Standing straight, he looks to her expectantly.

Snorting at her forgetfulness of the obvious expression of waiting for her to sit down, Cassia sits down on the blanket, the soft sand beneath cushioning her rear. She grabs Saren's hand and tugs, forcing him to finally admit defeat and sit with her. No way he's getting out of enjoying tonight now that he's sitting down beside her. If he tries, she can always resort to her other tactics of going limp on him or just plain getting in the way of his retreat.

It's still a mystery to her how he can really put up with her childish tactics, but he does, never once getting angry with her. Now, exasperated is a different story, but she never feels ire from him directed at herself.

"Here," she says, holding up the two tupari. "I grabbed two flavors. Which would you like?"

"You couldn't have grabbed water?" He looks between the drinks, his face showing his absolute refusal to drink either of the two flavors.

"Bor-ring!" Chirping, she reads the flavors and hands him the less sweet bottle. If he won't chose, than she will. She pops open her drink, and has to grab his pant leg when he uses the moment she's drinking to stand. "Mm umm!" She swallows and scowls at him, pulling on his pant. "Sit and drink or I ruin your pants. Or you have to walk home without them." She grins teasingly at the last bit.

"You wouldn't," he challenges, but still gives her a weary look. When she grins and nods once, he sighs and sits down, resigned to pout.

Snorting, Cassia recloses her bottle and grabs his to open it for him. "Come on. You haven't even tried tupari before."

"How do you know I haven't tasted it when you weren't around?" He leans away from the offered bottle. "And hated it?"

Rolling her eyes in a human expression, she grabs his arm and pulls him closer so he has no choice but to get the bottle or have it spill all over him. He rumbles grumpily, but takes a hesitant drink. The resulting expression of his disgust makes her laugh aloud, stealing her breath. She gasps for breath without having to stop laughing, leaning against his side as her mandibles flap rapidly and she clenches her eyes against the burn in her chest. Through it all, Saren looks like her in bewilderment, as if astounded that she could find the situation so humorous.

"Sorry," she says in between gasps, her voice hoarse. "Sorry …." Her giggles obviously don't convince him of her sincerity as he huffs, recaps the bottle, and set it far away from his side of the blanket. "What? You're not going to drink any more?"

"No," he says firmly, glancing down to her still leaning against his arm. "You seem to enjoy it well enough for the both of us."

Rumbling away the last of her amusement, she smiles at him and lifts herself off his side. "Fine, fine. More for me."

He stands by his insistence to stay far from the tupari, but she eventually gives in and goes with him to get some bottles of water. She still doesn't believe him enough to let him go alone and expect him to return, so she waited until her friends came around to watch their blanket. When they had finally gotten settled, some of the students tending to the fire pit called everyone's attention to them.

With the stars sparkling high above and moon in the clear sky, the bonfire was lit. It took a bit for the fire to grow and engulf the massive pile of wood, but once the flame took to it, it could be seen even at the farthest reaches of the beach. Many of the kids were comfortable just watching the fire, maybe cuddling or sharing the last of their meals, but there were still some active in the waters or on the fringes of the beach. Cassia was content surrounded by her friends as she watched the fire flicker and dance.

The longer the fire burned, the more relaxed others became. Some of the younger students, and even her friends, returned to their homes. Cassia noticed the fact that most of the younger students leaving were of species where their age would be considered still young, but at only a year away from her fifteenth birthday, she didn't feel the urging to go home. It didn't feel late to her, and after sending her parents a message that she'd be out later than usual, mom and dad agreed that she could stay as long as she felt. They trusted Saren, she knew, and she felt at ease this late out on a beach with many students who would rather want nothing to do with her.

Laying back on the blanket, Cassia looks up at the stars peeking through the wisps of smoke from the flames. She notices Saren glance down to her and smiles, reaching for his sleeve and tugging gently. "Lay down?"

He rumbles, as if considering, but lays down beside her, shifting around a bit to get comfortable. Apparently settled, his eyes lift to the skies above them and Cassia takes a long moment to watch him before her mandibles flutter shyly, forcing her to turn away before she's caught staring.

"Where do you think the Serpent Nebula is?" She feels his gaze on her, knowing there's a question in his expression, and she shrugs. "I've never been to the Citadel before. I'm curious where it is."

He hums beside her. "The Widow system only contains a single star. It'd be difficult to find it. Granted, if we're even in a position to see it."

Cassia snorts and tilts her head at him. "Shush. You're ruining my imagining."

He merely flicks a mandible, but doesn't protest or bring up any more - completely logical - arguments. That reacting, in and of itself, makes her chuckle.

Her chuckle slows and soon dies as her mind drifts. With Saren's attention on the stars, could she make the smallest of shifts closer? Does she even want to? Well, yes, but the question is really does she have the guts to do it? What she has with Saren, to be in his self-imposed barriers, already is more than she could have hoped for, so she's stuck on whether or not she should move for anything more.

"You're worrying again," he says, a single golden eye taking her in as he still faces the sky. Her mandibles move on their own in her embarrassment, at being caught just staring at the side of his face, and she tries to say something, only succeeding in gaping like a fish in response. "Cassia."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

He finally turns to her. "I wasn't talking about that." Rumbling curiously, his eyes flick over her face. "Something's wrong."

"I said something horrible to Damo earlier," she lies, already resigned to accepting her mistake and vowing to make it up to her brother. She can't really admit that she's really debating if she should make a move or not on a guy that, she'll admit, doesn't have a clue about social interactions if he hasn't learned it from her. She knows he's got the whole 'blowing off steam' thing down, something she hasn't even touched thanks to her inability to consider how to disassociate during sex with just anybody.

It's different with Saren, and she's afraid of the consequences of feeding that desire to open herself up to someone who has no idea what that really means. Or, if he did, he even wanted to share with her. Is it worth messing up a friendship?

Oh, hell …..

"Saren?" Her voice is soft as she speaks, scooting slightly closer to him and giving him a shy smile. When he rumbles in acknowledgement and lifts a brow plate, she thrums and swallows down her nerves. Now's the time to be daring - and suffer the consequences. "Can I …. Uh." She clears her throat and hums in nerves, biting it all down to close the gap and press her forehead to his once before dropping a flat kiss to his mouth.

She closes her eyes as she purrs and slowly backs away, afraid to see his reaction. He's not growling or yelling at her, so that's at least good, but she wonders just how much that is acceptance and how much is just not knowing what a kiss means, and that he should probably be offended for having one without his consent.

Cracking her eyes open, she smiles weakly, but sees no upset in his face. "Do you … have any idea what a kiss is?" she says, really hoping his lack of reaction is just because he doesn't know how to express whatever he's feeling and not that she short circuited him with such a rude violation of his person.

"I know what a kiss is," he says, as if that's obvious.

"And … are you upset?" She trills in apology, but he shakes his head. "What? You're not?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because I kissed you without your okay?" She quirks a brow plate before sighing. "Don't you kiss other girl? Know that just kissing someone is rude?"

"No." He rumbles and sits up on his elbow, explaining when she gives him a confused look, not sure what he's saying 'no' to. "I don't kiss. It's too personal."

Cassia visibly shrinks. "Right …. And I just did that. Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he snaps, but his vocals aren't harsh. His tone is one of finality as he lens closer. "I don't know how to do it appropriately, but if you still want it, I can learn."

Her mind completely blanks as her mouth falls open, mandibles dropping slack. Certainly, he knows what he's saying, what he's offering. It's all too much to process, from his acceptance to his actual offer to try again. What does that say about right now that he's willing to kiss her after just saying it's too personal for anyone else? Does she really want to dive into the train of thought while it seems like her brain just fried itself?

No, she doesn't. She wants to accept the moment before he can change his mind.

Purring, she lifts her head closer. "I don't really know how to, either," she admits, voice soft as she hesitantly presses her forehead to his. "I'm kinda just improving it."

He simply hums in response as he presses back before parting. She admits to whining pathetically in protest, but he silences her when he presses his mouth to hers. She's seen enough vids and others kiss to know to relax her jaw, slipping her tongue out to tease the edge of his mouth plates. When he responds in kind, rougher tongue meeting hers to curl and stroke one another, she thrums deeply at his smoky taste, the strength of him in his saliva dancing across her tongue.

Closing her eyes, Cassia lifts a hand to cup his face, both to selfishly hold him against escape and to help plant herself to reality. The feel of his plates, the sound of his vocals, and shift for a better position is all too good to be true, but it has to be. No dreams she's had have been even close, even gone as far as to taste him, feel his own touch as he lifts her chin to get a better angle for their kiss.

She pants into his mouth and pulls back to look up at him, to make sure he isn't about to suddenly realize what he's doing and bolt. She sees nothing but that special, relaxed look he gives her and only her, and she smiles, leaning up to nuzzle his forehead. Soon, though, it's not enough and she has to dip down for another taste of him, another tangle of their tongues as they slide and caress against one another. Each lick and soft thrum of him against her tongue send a flush of heat through her and she slides her hands along his face in search of something to make him feel good.

Her fingers slide along his long fringes against his cheeks before dipping beneath them to glide her talons against the hide she's read to be sensitive. That makes him pause a fraction of a second before he growls heavily and presses harder into their kiss. She purrs, the sound making her body react and need more, but he pulls away.

"You need to stop," he says, breath slightly hitched with each touch of her fingers and talons along his neck and fringe. "If you don't want this to go any further, it's best we stop." He dips his head to her neck when she frowns in confusion, and she hears him inhale deeply. "I can smell you, but I don't know if you're sure. You need to be sure."

Cassia leans her head against his and closes her eyes. Is there really a question? She might regret it later, but she also really hopes their relationship can be more than just friends. If that means it stops at friends who have sex with each other, then she can live with it.

She hopes so, at least.

Nodding, she rumbles and nudges his shoulders to lean up. She smiles at him, taking in his darkened eyes and flaring nose plates. She's sure she's just as out of sorts as he is if the electrified heat tickling her spine and hyper awareness of him are any indication.

"I'm sure, Saren," she says as she presses her forehead to his. "I'm sure."

That seems to be all he needs as he dips he head to her neck and runs his tongue along her pulse, making her gasp. He doesn't need to work on her hide long before she scrambling for his clothes, whining needingly and pressing flat kisses to his face and neck. He cups her face to force her into a rough forehead press, rubbing his plates against hers before he lets her pull him over her leg to settle against her.

She shamelessly presses to him, growling when he pulls away to do the logical thing and actually get there clothes into a position where they can actually have sex. She helps him push down her shorts, but pauses, fluttering her mandibles in embarrassment once she's bared to him. She knows her plates are parted, and that it's natural in her state, but she's never had anyone see her bare before, seen this part of her.

Instead of speak, but obviously noticing her discomfort, Saren presses his mouth to hers softy and rumbles in question. He doesn't need words for her to know that he's looking for reassurance. That he cares enough to push aside his own obvious desire makes her smile and thrum shakily, nodding and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him into a kiss.

He uses her occupied state to enter her, making her gasp at the sudden sensation. She jerks and stares at him wide eyed, and he pauses to gauge her expression.

"Please don't stop," she whines, gripping his shoulders. "But go easy?"

"Of course," he says, a tone of bewilderment she needed to even ask in his voice, and she huffs an airy laugh at him still being so … Saren even now.

He doesn't take the laugh seriously as he watches her face as he pushes further into her. She has no idea how much of him their is or that she even could fit anything, but there's no pain, so it must be possible. When his body finally comes flush and they're keels are pressed side by side in a way that their vocals create a resonance, Saren pauses and lets her pull him into a kiss, even if it's a bit messy.

She doesn't last but a few moves of his hips, but he doesn't seem too bothered by it as he waits it out. Ashamed that she can't continue, too sore already for it to be anything but a nuisance, Cassia can't look him in the eye when he pulls from her unsatisfied.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, ducking her head even as he lays down beside her.

"Why?" He rumbles and turns his head to look at her, confusion on his face. "Tenderness is a natural response to your first sexual encounter."

She sighs in exasperation, yet happy that he hasn't changed even if she's taken pleasure and given him none in return. True, he probably won't want to do it again, but he doesn't seem to be holding it as a tarnishment to their friendship.

"How about we try to forget you just equating this into a science lesson and enjoy the rest of the fire?" She smiles and scoots closer to him on the blanket. "And I'll try to find a way to make it up to you. Just say it and I'll do it."

Her only answer is a soothing sounding rumble as Saren turns to the sky, eyes flicking over the stars. Cassia smiles at him, seeing him in a new light, before she rolls against his side and joins him before he can call her out on her staring again.

Author's Note: This is not an ending to the Parable universe, but I will be taking a short break to plan out the next part. However, to fill the gap, I will be starting an ABSc of smut with Jane and Garrus, so look foward to that. If you have any words for a letter you'd like to see, either comment or PM me. :D