Snippets of Ahch-To (AU) (discontinued)

#6: Happy Now

Three forms sat huddled around a small table, watching the orange flames outside the hut flicker toward the wooden sticks that held roasted fish moments ago. The smell of cooked seafood wafted in the air, drifting towards the stone domes of the Caretakers.

A blob of grease trickled down from the fat fish, sliding down Luke Skywalker's flesh hand. He sloppily threw the fish onto one plate, wiped the oil from his appendages, then moved to dissect the warm meat with a primitive knife. In a few precise cuts, the flesh was exposed, and the junior Skywalker neatly removed the bone tissue, throwing the plucked strips into a make-shift trash bin. His father had trouble differentiating between white bone and flesh, and the feel of the sharp bones were not entirely pleasant on the elderly man's sensitive, barren gums.

The remnants of the fish were then cleanly cut and placed onto Anakin's plate. After wiping his hands one more time, Luke spooned a bit of mushy, roasted white flesh into his father's awaiting mouth; the senior Skywalker's hands were not steady enough to hold utensils without aid.

"The fish tastes wonderful, Son," the old man mumbled softly as he did his best to chew with his few teeth.

Luke left Rey to help her grandfather with his meal, so he could move to fix up his daughter's dinner. Occasionally she had to clean up the drool that dripped out from Anakin's sagging lips, while other times he completely missed contact with the spoon altogether, though Rey was mature and understanding, therefore not disgusted at Anakin's failed attempts.

Her father worked fast- soon, a fish was thrown onto Rey's plate. Just like Anakin's, its bones were removed, for Luke did not know if his daughter was accustomed to consuming animals such as this, though he doubted she did. The fish slid sideways a little, its grease leaving marks on the shiny porcelain. Its rather appetizing aroma drifted up, into Rey's nostrils and making the young woman inhale in excitement. She had never eaten a fish before!

Anakin gently pushed her hands away, stating he wished to take a break from eating. Rey smiled, gave a quick kiss on Anakin's ravaged cheek, then, without any hesitation, dug into the lubricious, delicious feast on her plate.

Her eating was gruesomely savage, to say the least, though Anakin tolerated it, for she was from Jakku, a less... civilized planet. Loose hairs dangled dangerously towards the globs of grease, and her utensils were shamelessly cast aside. Instead, the fish was barbarically picked up with calloused fingers (especially the dirty ones that needed to be washed after contact with Anakin's saliva), any etiquette non-existent. Soon, she had gorged it down with loud bites, flesh and brain and all.

Anakin tried not to lift an eyebrow. His granddaughter's methods were rather... interesting, though he did recall his own mother Shmi trying to stop him from eating too fast when he was in his youth. Perhaps this was all passed down in the genetics.

"It's delicious!" Rey proclaimed, a few morsels falling out from her agape mouth. Both Anakin and Luke noticed she did not bother closing her mouth when she chewed, though none minded. (It wasn't like Anakin could see the bits of fish that fell out, anyway. It was getting to the later hours, and he was tired, which meant his eyesight would be failing. In fact, even with much straining, he had barely heard her words of wonderment from moments ago.)

Luke placed a bowl of soup by her side, in which she immediately snatched away and slurped down. A bit of grease from the fish trickled down her hand, and she wiped it onto her pants without a second thought. After licking her plate squeaky clean, she rolled down her sleeves and habitually wiped her mouth with the fabric edges, subconsciously ignoring the napkins that were offered to her by Anakin.

It took quite some time for Rey to notice her grandfather's unfocused stare, and even when she did, there was no embarrassment on her face. Not yet, at least.