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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jun 21, 2011 22:30:12 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jun 21, 2011 22:30:12 GMT -5
"About Jazen? Oh, he's an interesting kid, yeah. Situation that brought him to me was too..." Locke's voice trailed off when she made her apology. He lifted a brow quizzically, knife and fork frozen in place where he'd been cutting his meal.
"Well... alright. If you think eating is going to be that bad, I don't think I can blame you if I vomit..."
Both of his eyebrows lifted further when she produced a little rodent from her box. It was... cute enough, he had to admit. Locke wasn't overly drawn to animals, but he could see the charm in the little rodent.
Wait a minute... His brow furrowed. [/i]Why is she-[/i]
Realization bloomed in his mind and his eyebrows nearly shot off the top of his head when he realized what was happening. And then she killed it. With her teeth.
Locke just stared at her, his expression incredulous.
The thing died and she just started to eat it, as if nothing had happened. It wasn't even that he was disgusted; the whole thing was just weird.
"Riiight," said he, after a few moments. "Thaaaaaaaaaat's.... What were we talking about again?
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Jun 22, 2011 1:23:53 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jun 22, 2011 1:23:53 GMT -5
Sherasti swallowed a bite of the thimiar she'd dispatched and smiled slightly. Locke had handled it better than she'd expected. Most of the other humans who had watched her eat turned green, excused themselves immediately, or had looks of sheer horror or disgust plastered on their faces.
In contrast, the investigator seemed merely surprised and distracted. He bounced back quickly though, trying to resume their conversation.
And that made Sherasti Rin quite happy. Now she had at least one potential lunch partner for future meals. And that was quite reassuring.
Unable to resist another little jab about her diet, she provided some information about their diet. "A lot of people mistakenly think Togruta are poisonous because of our coloration and the fact that thimiars spasm when their spines are severed. I'd offer you one and the chance to try, but I don't think you're capable or willing." Another impish grin appeared on her features.
Despite being serene as a calm river, there was also a lively and playful nature that emerged. It didn't lessen the serenity at all, it just complemented it in an unusual way.
"You were starting to talk about Jazen," she reminded him as she took another bite out of the rodent, a slightly sickening crunch accompanying the bite. Despite being 'adorable,' the thimiar was a tasty creature. It was flavorful, and a bridge between red meat and light meat. If it was cooked on a skewer with some peppers and sauce, humans would probably enjoy it too.
Sherasti redirected her attention to Locke, curious to hear what he had to say.
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jun 25, 2011 13:36:00 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jun 25, 2011 13:36:00 GMT -5
{Sorry for the wait, lmr. Had a few other threads I've been catching up with}
"Poisonous?" Locke asked, brows furrowing slightly. "Interesting." He'd never thought of Togruta as poisonous before, but maybe that was because he'd never put much thought into that particular subject.
Or because he'd never seen one eat a little shrew-rat-thing right in front of him before.
"Guess it might not be a bad reputation to have, dependin'," he added with a light shrug. Then he chuckled, shaking his head at her offer. "And no, no... The offer's nice, but I think I'll pass on it. Least until it's dead and already cooked, anyway."
He tapped his fork and knife contemplatively on his plate for a moment, until she reminded him what he'd been speaking of. "Oh! Yes, I was telling you about how I came to have Jazen as a student. Or I was about to. Before..." Locke just chuckled and shook his head again.
Before he spoke, he took a few moments to eat some of his fish. No use letting it go cold while he ran his mouth, after all. It was good; cooked just right, lightly spiced and flavorful. Very much enjoyable.
"See, the funny thing with Jazen comin' to be my student is that we shared a master. In a way. My official master was a different man than his own." He grinned a bit, remembering Tiino. He still spoke with the old Iktotchi, and had picked up a number of his mannerisms, blaster use and foul language included. "My master was Tiino Xies. Loved the guy like father. Still do.
"But, when I was growing up, there was another man that came into a sort of secondary mentor role for me. Tylan Kairos. He was a friend of Ol' Tinno's, and helped me train. Taught me a lot. He was like a second master to me."
Locke set his silverware down momentarily to drink from his cup. Memories of his youth played through his head. Memories of nights spent sparring with Tylan or listening as he gave joint lessons with Tiino. He smiled.
"He was a good man. Bit of a prodigy too, the strong bastard." He chuckled softly. "Even saved my ass once.
"Anyway, after I made it through the Trials, he took on a student of his own. Not that I knew until I went to meet Jazen. Tylan vanished for some reason. We don't know where to. I don't even know when it was, exactly. But he left Jazen behind." Locke leaned back in his seat a bit, picking idly at some of the vegetables on his plate.
"I still haven't told him I knew Tylan the way I did yet," he said with a sigh. "I don't even know why. I just haven't. Guess I'll have to get on that at some point."
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Jun 25, 2011 14:27:45 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jun 25, 2011 14:27:45 GMT -5
Sherasti took a break from eating her thimiar to nod. She understood what it was like to have a master who was very much a father. Hult Pedara was that to her, though they were an unlikely surrogate father/daughter pair. He was a short Corellian with a beard and neatly groomed hair. She was a tall Togruta, a species with no hair at all.
They were just about as different as they could be, yet they meshed like they were cut from the same cloth. There was more to life and to the Force than met the eye. Locke probably knew that full well as she did, given his rather unique appearance and manner.
When he described the disappearance she frowned and looked up from her mostly eaten rodent. It was... rattling. For a master to just disappear without a trace was, well, odd to say the least. For not a trace to be found was even more unusual.
"I don't understand, surely there must have been a search. Some sort of clues must have emerged. And Jazen must have some idea of what could have happened."
Vaguely she wondered if Locke had already had this conversation, perhaps with Jazen even. But she couldn't resist asking questions that had probably already been answered. She was curious.
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jun 27, 2011 12:06:23 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jun 27, 2011 12:06:23 GMT -5
"Yeah, there was a search," Locke answered softly. "I wasn't put on the team that went looking for him. Council believed I was too young and inexperienced at the time, and gave that bantha sh*t excuse that I might let my emotions get in the way." He snorted roughly and shook his head to tell what he thought of that.
"Course, either somethin' bad happened to Ty or he just doesn't wanna be found. Team didn't find anything. Nothin' more than quiet whispers that lead to nowhere." Locke sighed, remembering how he'd felt when he got the news that Tylan was gone. And how he'd felt when they couldn't find him.
"He's out there somewhere," he went on, his voice barely colored by the edge of sorrow. "Galaxy's a big place. Even with the Council forbidding me from getting in on the search officially, I sent out my own feelers. I knew Ty, after all. Hoped that would make a difference." He pushed a vegetable around on his plate and shook his head. "Nothing but dust and echoes."
It was disconcerting to think about. Tylan was nearly as responsible for turning him into the Jedi he was today as Tiino. Locke had always believed they'd work together when he became a Knight, as Jedi, side by side. But now he was gone, like dust blown away on the wind.
Had he been captured, or worse?
Had he fallen?
No, he told himself with a gentle shake of his head, best not to think about that. We'll find him again. He ate another piece of his fish. Eventually.
"As for Jazen... He's about as in the dark as the rest of us are. From what I've been able to tell from talking to him, Ty just left without much word or warning to him." Locke paused and sighed heavily, looking up at Sherashti from her plate. "Couldn't have been easy for the kid, just having his Master abandon him like that."
I just hope I can be half the Master Tylan could be. Those were some very large shoes to fill.
"Anyway, Jazen's a good kid. Not without his headaches, but I wouldn't trade him for anyone." Locke chuckled softly. "Been together for about a year now, but we've been through a helluva lot together."
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Jun 27, 2011 12:51:08 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jun 27, 2011 12:51:08 GMT -5
It was still troubling that a master could simply disappear that way without a trace. But it seemed an honest effort to find him had been made. And had failed.
It didn't exactly inspire confidence.
Still though, the Consular knew a lot about behavior despite her more limited experience. Master Pedara had taught her well. And she could relieve one of Locke's concerns by hazarding an educated guess.
"I doubt he fell to the dark side, if you were wondering. When a master falls, he always tries to recruit his Padawan or kill him. They don't leave a foe who knows them behind. That was a lesson Master Pedara taught me. He always said it was important to know the enemy so you could bring them back to the light."
She sat silently for a moment, then took a sip of water. Meeting Locke's eyes again, she added another bit of speculation.
"If he did leave on purpose, then maybe he went grey but didn't want Jazen to feel a need to follow him. Or maybe I'm just guessing wildly without knowing any facts..."
The Togruta took another bite of her thimiar, noticing the food-staple from her planet was now reduced to a skeletal frame with a fuzzy tail. She dropped it into the box and pulled out another one, setting it on the table and pinning it by the tail to prevent it from scampering off.
Time to move on to a topic she could discuss with certainty.
"I understand about a lot happening in a short while. Time has never been as important as how much you grow together. I knew some Padawans who never really bonded with their masters at all, and then there are totally different stories. Like yours. Or mine."
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jun 28, 2011 20:50:56 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jun 28, 2011 20:50:56 GMT -5
Locke's stormy grey eyes wandered up from his plate to look at Sherasti when she spoke. "Perhaps so," he said, nodding. "But there's always exceptions to the rule. I think the same, though. I dunno why Ty left, but I don't think it was cause he fell. He was a good Jedi; devoted as any other I've ever met."
What if he fell after? a little voice asked. Locke pressed it down. He wasn't going to stress himself thinking about all the possibilities. Tylan was gone. And until he was found, there wasn't any need to make those kinds of assumptions.
Instead it was likely true that he'd left the Order for his own reasons, on terms that--while maybe not the best considering the way he'd left--weren't terrible.
Too many ways. Locke cut the last piece of his fish into two and stacked them both on his fork. Too many possibilities.
He chewed on his fish as she continued to speak, and through all of the chewing--and despite watching her pin another helpless shrew-thing to the table--he grinned.
"Aye, I'd toast to that," said he, grinning boyishly once his food was down. "Never did understand how you can spend near all your youth with someone and not bond with 'em. Hell, Ol' Tiino and I were two peas in a pod from the start." That made him chuckle. "For better or for worse. Jazen and I have grown pretty close. Don't doubt the same'll happen with Elys."
He took a few moments to finish off the rest of his vegetables, then picked at his fruit, which wasn't yet quite ripe enough for his tastes. When he was finished he rinsed it all down with a drink from his cup and gave a satisfied nod to no one in particular at the juice's sweet, full taste.
Finally he looked up at her again and chuckled softly. "Anyway, feels like I've been ramblin' about myself damn near since we met. So what about yourself? Got any students, or thoughts of students? Or... anything you wanna talk about, I guess."
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Jun 29, 2011 11:09:10 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jun 29, 2011 11:09:10 GMT -5
Students… Now there was a thought. Even though she was a Knight now, Sherasti still tended to see herself as the learner rather than the instructor. It was going to take time for her to transition roles. She assumed she was going to have a few years before taking a Youngling as a Padawan.
Of course the assumption was totally wrong. The next time she found herself at the Temple after a rapid series of missions, she was going to end up with a teenage Padawan to guide into Knighthood. But she had no way to know that.
“I’ve never really just sat down and thought about it. All throughout my time under Master Pedara I vaguely assumed I’d take a Padawan of my own some day, but I never actually put any thought into it. I have no idea what kind of master I’d be. Master Pedara is a great example to follow, but I know better than to think I can actually be him. Those are some big shoes to fill. Well, I don’t wear shoes but you get the idea.”
Sherasti stopped toying with her food and dispatched it with a well-placed bite. As it twitched she set it back on the table and contemplated what else to say about herself.
Generally she talked about concepts, issues, disputes, or other people. Not herself. It was a little different, but not unwelcome.
“Well if you want to know about me, I was born on Abregado-rae, away from my own culture. I learned some things, like how to eat a thimiar for example.” She picked up the dead rodent by the tail and let it dangle in front of her for a moment before taking a quick bite. “You know they’re also pretty good when grilled with a sweet and spicy sauce. Sometimes we cook food. Mostly on special occasions.”
Her thoughts darted to the headdress of akul teeth and the ornate sash she wore. Both were very Togruta. And had been given to her at one of those special occasions.
“Master Pedara was always bothered by those special occasions. Too much meat for his tastes. I have to admit, I wonder how I’ll manage a Padawan if we can’t eat together. It could be awkward. It’s the little things like that I find myself questioning. I hope in the next year or two I’ll have a better idea of what exactly I need to do, and what I need to be. If that makes any sense.”
Another bite of thimiar, and a statement that was almost an afterthought. “Of course if you have any advice I’m all ears.”
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Rugs
The ring-dang-doo, now what is that?
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Jun 30, 2011 23:28:01 GMT -5
Post by Rugs on Jun 30, 2011 23:28:01 GMT -5
Locke nodded as Sherasti spoke, even chuckled a bit at her talking about her culinary tastes. He tried to ignore her eating her second little shrew-thing.
"Interesting that you always thought you'd have a Padawan," he said, setting his arms on the table comfortably. "See, I never thought I'd have one. Figured I wouldn't be a good influence, let alone a teacher. But..." he lifted his hands, spread his palms a bit, "here I am, with not one, but two of 'em. And I like to think I'm doin' alright by 'em.
"But as for advice... Hmm...." Locke leaned on one of his arms and scratched his beard. "I'm not really sure. Honestly, I'm still getting used to it, even though I've been with Jazen for a while."
He tapped his finger on the side of his jaw for a moment. What had he learned from dealing with Jazen? "All I can really say is to be ready for anything. And I mean anything." Laughing softly, he shook his head. "In the time I've had Jazen... Well, I don't even know where to start.
"It's had it's good times. But there's been the times when I wanted to give up. Wanted to just throw my hands up and let the kid go." There was a pause as Locke thought on that. He didn't mean it the way she probably took it. The biggest fear, the biggest trial he faced in raising Jazen and Elys came from himself, not the them. He held his fears close to his chest, but he'd always doubted his ability to teach, always doubted his worth as a mentor to the next generation of Jedi. And though he'd thought time would see to healing that, his fears still persisted. With reason.
But he wasn't going to bring that up. It was locked away, deep within him, and he preferred to keep it that way. It was the single glaring chink in his emotional armor.
"But I keep on, in spite of the hardships. Owe it to them. They've already lost a master apiece; I can't let 'em lose another. Besides," he added with a little grin, "most of the time, it's pretty rewarding. I gotta admit it."
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Jul 1, 2011 11:32:56 GMT -5
Post by Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy on Jul 1, 2011 11:32:56 GMT -5
Sherasti finished up her second thimiar and embraced the pleasant full feeling in her stomach. She also finished her glass of water. From personal experience she knew the water was important, if she skipped it then bits of fur sometimes got stuck in her throat and prompted coughing. And nobody liked that.
The Togruta ran her tongue over her teeth to make sure nothing was wedged in them before smiling at the Jedi across from her.
"Thank you for joining me Locke. Its been a real pleasure. I don't often have company, but you made up for that fact. I'll also try to take some of that advice. I'm not sure if I'll be ready for anything but I will give it a good-faith effort."
Sherasti rose to her feet, depositing the second thimiar corpse into the box and dropping it into a nearby waste receptacle.
"Well, I'm scheduled for saber practice with one of the instructors now. May the Force be with you."
She dipped her montrals in a polite bow before straightening and heading off on her way.
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