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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 21, 2006 0:33:53 GMT -5
Neelah and Xath entered the cantina. She threw a few of her hard-earned cred chits in the barman's direction and scooped up two Jumas in return. She walked with her drinks to a table in the back that would ensure them a moderate amount of privacy as they talked. Xath, in particular, seemed curious about the details of her quest.
Neelah wasted no time in taking a few sips of the Juma to relax her nerves. The atmosphere in the cantina was lively as always, with a cacophony of music pumping in at a strong, steady pace. She resisted the urge to get up and dance seeing as she had more important things on her mind.
"I think...something might have happened," she began, choosing her words very carefully. "I can't explain it really -- I mean, I don't know, I can't really be sure. But it's just this...feeling I have. I know that must sound ridiculous to you."
She took another sip of her drink.
"I mean, there's a window of time I can't account for. It's like it all just slipped away. But I got what I was searching for, so no big deal, right?"
She was hoping the creature would echo the sentiment, but Xath was probably going to question her further now that she had opened her mouth about her uneasiness concerning her recent quest.
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 23, 2006 12:36:29 GMT -5
~Xath sat quietly for a long moment, trying to calm his nerves. Too many people, to many angles that an attack could come from. Too many personalities, loose thoughts floating around. But he was careful not to show his unease.~ "You may be right and it may be no deal at all Lady...but it is odd that time could simply slip away from one. We hope you will excuse the intrusion but we took the liberty of taking a shallow glance into your mind and it seems...tampered with somehow...something isn't right. But we can't figure out what it is. And of course you do not sound ridiculous at all. We trust your feelings, without instinct and intuition few could survive here on Nar Shadaa, you should be sure to always trust your feelings as well." ~Xath quieted down and listened to the music. In truth he wasn't all that worried about it. If it had been something suspicious wouldn't the supplies have been taken? Still he had to admit that he had a bad feeling about it to, but then that could have been his discomfort around so many people.~
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 23, 2006 17:57:20 GMT -5
Neelah was taken aback. Xath had looked into her mind somehow, without warning and without her permission. She had to admit that thought made her feel just a little more vulnerable around him. What was he -- Jedi? Sith?
The thought chilled her, so she dismissed it and signaled for another drink. She could sense Xath's uneasiness in such a public setting, so she resolved to not detain him for very much longer...
"Well, I'm pretty sure it was nothing," Neelah said, trying to downplay it a little to assuage her own fears. "I shouldn't even have mentioned it."
To tell the truth, she was even more nervous than before. If anything, her little chat with Xath had only made her more terror-stricken at the possibility that her mind had somehow been tampered with. If Xath himself could look into the depths of her mind at will, what could someone else do?
"I don't mean to keep you here," Neelah said apologetically, feeling stupid, "You can leave whenever you like."
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 24, 2006 18:31:55 GMT -5
~Xath nodded in gratitude at her statement but did not move to leave.~ "We do apologise, we would not have looked into your thoughts had we not been worried something was wrong." ~Xath seemed embarrased as he apologised. Sometimes he did so wish he was better at socializing.~ "Perhaps we could play you at Pazaak as an apology? Whatever rules you like, though you may have to explain them to us."
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 24, 2006 23:51:59 GMT -5
"All right," Neelah said with a smile. "How about Republic Senate rules? The goal is simply to waste as much time as possible. We don't bet any credits; it's more of a social game to pass the time, I guess."
This seemed suitable enough for the creature, so Neelah began dealing from the nearby pazaak deck on their table. When they had all the necessary cards, she flipped up the first and, to her chagrin, got a 1.
"Your turn," she told Xath, trying to find some topic to pass the time. "So...you're not from around here, are you?"
But Xath seemed more interested in the game than actually answering the question. Perhaps she was prying too much. She was curious...and yet, at the same time, afraid of what answer Xath might supply her with. He didn't seem like a savory sort of creature, and she would venture guess that he tended toward the Dark Side. Not that sides mattered much to her anyway; she went where the money was.
Still, she was smart enough not to make too many deals with these would-be Sith types. She couldn't figure out if Xath belonged in this category or not.
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 25, 2006 14:37:46 GMT -5
~Xath flipped his first card, a 7, then leaned back.~ "We're from...Tatooine. At least that is the first place we remember living. What about yourself?" ~Though his hood still hid all but his mouth his own curiousity was quite obvious. It wasn't often that he found someone he could so easily talk to.~
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 25, 2006 23:41:05 GMT -5
Neelah's luck was not much better the second draw. She flipped up the card--a 3--and groaned. At least they weren't playing for credits, or Xath might've cleaned her out quite as quickly as he had paid her.
"Kuhlvult," she said, without looking up. She studied her cards to alleviate the tension that came with saying that name. Recalling her memories was not something she liked to do very often, even in the company of strangers. "Though I consider myself more from Tatooine anyhow. I spend a lot of time in the Mos Eisley cantina looking for jobs and extra creds."
The creature's anxiety at being in such a public place seemed to be dissipating the more they talked. She felt put at ease by his presence and decided that--Jedi or Sith--it didn't matter. Just finding another decent sentient somewhere in the galaxy to talk to who didn't abandon her at the first sign of trouble was enough to keep her happy right now.
"So," Neelah asked, eyeing his twin vibroswords that hung dangerouly from his utility belt, "What is it you do exactly? I mean, I know you're not a bounty hunter or anything...yet you insist on hanging around with them in this dump of a joint."
She wondered why he insisted on wearing a hood in such a public place. If anything, it drew more attention to them both--which made her nervous.
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 26, 2006 22:58:22 GMT -5
~Xath flipped his next card, a 4, and pondered the question for a moment.~ "We are...complicated. In training we are Sith, in profession we are assassin, in heart we are..." ~Xath stopped, though whether from confusion or having said too much was hard to tell. For a moment it seemed as though he would say no more but just as the silence was about to become awkward he piped up.~ "It would seem to us that this 'dump of a joint' is not without its good points."
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 27, 2006 0:52:49 GMT -5
"Oh? That so?" Neelah asked, trying not to smile. She didn't pretend to know what Xath meant, but she was sure it was complimentary. The cantina, up until Atton and Xath's arrival, had hardly been an exciting place. There was the occasional dancer or two with the take-your-breath-away kind of beauty that stalled even Neelah in her tracks, or the occasional bar brawls and fist fights that broke out into full-fledged fights in the streets...but aside from that, nothing interesting ever happened here.
Until now.
She flipped up her next card--a 2.
"Too bad those good points don't include me winning a hand at pazaak."
She thought she noticed Xath concentrating very hard for a moment...perhaps shifting around the order of the cards...but she couldn't be sure. When she drew her next card, it was a 6. Her luck was only slightly better. She thought she could sense some real amusement in Xath's voice.
"In that you are mistaken, my lady."
The fact that he was a Sith didn't bother her in the least. The fact that he had owned up to it quite openly actually made her more at ease with him so she knew he was hiding nothing from her. The Sith and the Jedi were pretty much the same, after all--except for a few details she didn't want to think about. Was he really any different than her? She had brought in bounties and killed people for credits, so she certainly wasn't one to judge.
"So," Neelah said, prodding him a little, "You never finished your little diatribe. You said 'In heart we are a...'? I'm curious. Humor me, please."
She didn't know if this was wise or not, but decided that she felt comfortable enough with Xath to speak her mind. Her head was swimming with a great many thoughts--who and what was this Xath creature? She couldn't be sure, but she suspected he was an elusive Echani, which made it all the more thrilling to be sitting here talking with him now.
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 27, 2006 12:38:03 GMT -5
~Xath's smile waned only slightly at the question, for a moment he simply concentrated on reading the cards again to make sure he had properly fixed the game.~ "We wish we could, Lady Neelah. But in truth we do not know our heart. Do not know what makes us so...so...alone." ~Confusion dripped in every word Xath spoke. His body had always been a point of mystery and shame, that he had always accepted. But until now he had never realised how little even he understood about himself, and how whatever it was he didn't understand seemed to be speparating him from the rest of the galaxy. Even from the 'free' minds he so adored to be around. Attempting to shrug it away Xath flipped his next card, a 2, not much better than the 1 he'd drawn last turn.~
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 27, 2006 14:52:17 GMT -5
Neelah had to smile at her sudden winning streak when she next drew a 4--though she attributed it more to Xath's intervention than her own luck.
"It seems unfortunate, doesn't it? To not know oneself...I sometimes feel the same way. The galaxy can be a cruel and lonely place."
She tried not to attach herself to too many people after landing on Tatooine and working up a reputation. Friendships meant vulnerability, another point of weakness her enemies could tap were they given the opportunity. Occasionally she ventured into the cantina for a drink and some conversation, but she largely kept her socialization to a minimum. Perhaps that was why she had reached out to Atton, in whatever way it was she needed...
"You probably think I can't understand you," Neelah said with a laugh. "But really, we're like creatures. I think I understand you more than anyone else I know, and I've only just met you..."
But there it was: the truth. No lies, no deception. She hadn't expected to find many things in common with a Sith, but being isolated in this universe was certainly one of them. Not for her exterior shell--like Xath--but her career path. It usually made her rich quick (though now business was at an all-time low), and as a result she'd had to make a great many sacrifices.
Talking to Xath was strangely comforting. Even if they didn't share much in common in the way of physicality, their feelings certainly were concurrent.
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 27, 2006 20:22:21 GMT -5
~Xath flipped over a 4 but was hardly paying attention by now.~ "Truly Lady Neelah? Can you truly comprehend us? Then perhaps we are...what is the phrase...kindred spirits?" ~Xath's voice was hardly the unemotional sound he normally kept it. Apprehension, curiousity, confusion, and an almost childlike sense of wonder were quite obvious. Noticing his slip, Xath cursed inwardly and shoved the emotions down...hard. He buried them underneath anger, underneath bitterness, and most of all underneath pain. He had no room to feel those emotions, not somewhere so public. He was still shaken however, and hadn't been fully sucessful in driving the feelings away, so he did the only thing he could think of.~ "So what rules shall we play by next?" ~It hadn't occurred to Xath to play the same rules twice in a row. He was a creature of chaos and such patterns were beyond him.~
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 28, 2006 0:13:09 GMT -5
"Your choice," Neelah said, "I only know two ways to play anyway, and Nar Shaddaa rules is definately out of the question. I was only trying to get a rise out of that creep Atton when we played by those rules."
She didn't really care anyway; the game was not on her mind. Xath had admittedly called her a kindred spirit, which was just what she found in him. She wondered what it would be like to tag along with a Sith, but also knew that Xath certainly wasn't one to play babysitter.
"And as to your question, yes, I feel I can comprehend some small part of what you are, if not fully. I don't pretend to know what life is like for one such as you, but if the galaxy has treated us both with the same indignities...then I guess it can't be all that different."
She shuffled their pazaak cards for another hand of whatever Xath chose to play.
"So, where are you planning on going next? I mean, any big plans? Surely you're not staying in the cantina the whole time," Neelah said with a cryptic smile. "What I mean to say is...do you perhaps have anymore work for a kindred spirit?"
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Post by Xathos Banethogen on Mar 28, 2006 10:08:32 GMT -5
~Xath grinned in amusement. He truly liked this creature and found her rather entertaining. Especially how, though she tried to be vague and mysterious, she eventually found herself talking her way into saying exactly what she meant. Perhaps he would travel with this one, he could use a partner, maybe even an confidant.~ "We might...depending on how certain...business endeavors turn out. Hmm...perhaps you could explain to us what Nar Shaddaa rules are? We found ourself to distracted to have picked up on them."
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Post by igrayne01 on Mar 28, 2006 12:03:03 GMT -5
Neelah blushed a little. Explaining exactly what she and Atton were doing was more than a little uncomfortable.
"Well...Nar Shaddaa rules is...it involves the loser taking off pieces of clothing as they go. So basically I was trying to make a fool of Atton back there."
She smiled, hoping he wouldn't think she was cruel for a little bit of amusement. She rolled her shoulders casually in a shrug.
"I'd make a good partner. I can keep you company with good conversation...or silence. I can do silence too."
She smiled and began dealing the cards, waiting for Xath's response.
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