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Thread: Redefining "Me" - 10.241

  1. #21
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    Karin rattled off a bunch of things that James was only barely aware of, peripherally, as it were. The Wheel wasn't exactly a state secret anymore, but she just smiled and nodded while wondering if the other woman really meant the Jedi were riding a whaladon through space. Probably a ship name...probably.

    Her infatuation with Jedi made James feel a little uncomfortable, and she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I never heard Jedi stories when I was growing up," she said finally. "But from my experience with...Jedi...they're jus' people, Karin. People with power. I've seen their ability f'compassion...an' how flawed they can be." Her face darkened, and she looked off into the distance, Loklorien's face looming in her memory. Her face as it was - full of rage and anger - and also as calm and composed as a Calanic monk.

    and if you go, furious angels will bring you back to me

  2. #22
    She'd seen James' faraway look a million times - on Pierce. The posture, the moody expression; it rang all the right bells. "What have you seen?"

    Her companion didn't respond immediately, leading Karin to give James' shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, I know I'm no Chosen One, but I'm willing to help. If you're willing to open up, maybe we can talk it through."

  3. #23
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    James laughed a little nervously, enduring the affectionate touch. "Let's jus' say I had a front row seat to the whole Battle of Ossus. I knew Lok - Loklorien - before. I know how fragile th' thread is that holds a person together, an' how easily it can be undone, y'know?" Her fingers rubbed together on her right hand, a non existent stim cigarette on her mind while her Nar Shaddaian accent thickened with her anxiety.

    She shrugged, shaking her head a bit as if to clear it. "The Force scares the shit outta me, t'be honest."

  4. #24
    She was so tense. Not just the shoulder, which Karin still had hold of, but everything about James just screamed anxiety. And it wasn't the first time Karin had seen that tension; at Jane's funeral, at the lunch tables earlier, hell, even on their walk here James always seemed off. Like she was on the watch for a vicious ghost that would leap out from the shadows and devour her unless she maintained constant vigilence.

    It occurred to Karin to jokingly wonder if James' guts were made entirely of knots.

    Karin let go of James' shoulder and made a mental note to try and make sure she had consent before doing something like that again.

    "Okay," Karin said aloud, starting to vocally walk through what James had said. "So the Force scares you. Why does the Force-"

    The logic of the situation started to settle in. Why would the Force scare James? There weren't a ton of reasons. She might've seen it in action, which didn't seem likely given how far away from any action James seemed to want to be.

    But then she'd mentioned Ossus. Why would the girl of an Alliance spook be anywhere she could see that fight? She'd have to have a reason to be there, which meant she was either there already or she knew someone - General s'Ilancy, maybe - there. But that still didn't explain how she knew that person in the first place or why she'd stay in a position to get herself killed. Either James had a real strong sense of loyalty to people she trusted, enough to push through her anxiety and spectate a firefight, or...

    Or. Or or or or or.

    Karin's eyes scanned James from shoe to eyebrow. No. Surely she wasn't.

    Was she?

    "Are you-" Karin paused, fishing for a word that wouldn't come. "I forget what to call it, but can you- could you be a Jedi?"
    Last edited by Karin DeLumiar; Aug 1st, 2015 at 11:05:56 PM.

  5. #25
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    James nodded, reluctantly, inwardly berating herself. Here we go, trusting people you barely know with your whole life story in three...two...one...you should try just shutting up maybe.​ "An adept. Yeah. I guess." She grimaced. "It's only brought me pain. Like, literally."

  6. #26
    "Okay," she said. "Wow, okay."

    Karin found herself split three ways on how to react to James' admission. The first part of her wanted to squeal, grab the woman, and bear hug her. But, even if James hadn't come across as sketchy about personal contact, she saw her abilities as a problem. The 'fangirl' option would not be well-received.

    The second option was to probe and ask questions, figure out the source of the problem and attack it. She was okay at that, but honestly Pierce was always better at the examine-correct approach. Besides, it kinda wasn't her way anyway.

    Though maybe she'd ask Pierce to talk to James later on.

    So Karin went with option three: trust. "So, that's pretty amazing," she told James. "And really sad, too. I don't know what's happened to you and if you don't want to talk about it, I don't want to know. But if you need a friendly ear or someone who's not gonna push you one way or the other to help figure things out, just know that you've got me on your side."

    She leaned back, using the bike's handlebars as a shoulder and arm rest. "I guess what I'm saying is, it's up to you. If you want, we can keep talking about this. If not, the races are calling!"

  7. #27
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    The urge came to spill her guts, to tell Karin everything: all her fears, all her impossible choices, her life story up until this point and why she was with Byl and, and ...

    James shrugged, and smiled, forcing down her oversharing instinct. "I'd like t' go t' th' races, they sound great."

  8. #28
    James' decision brought the enthusiasm back to Karin's demeanor. "Good deal!"

    Karin hopped off the bike and fished along the seat edge. Her fingers found a spring-lock pin, which she pulled.

    The bike's seat lifted, revealing a small compartment. Inside, a pair of helmets rested atop a pair of riding jackets. A quick look showed the jackets were mainly black, except for a pair of diagonal purple stripes across the front and back plus a few pieces of purple trim. The helmets had a matching color style.

    Karin picked up one of the helmets and held it in front of James, eyeing the fit. "Mmm, looks a little big, but should do fine. Hold this."

    Passing the first helmet off to James, Karin pulled the second helmet out and hung it from a handlebar. She then pulled out both jackets, again passing the first to James and keeping the second. "Gloves and a hair-tie in the-" Karin caught herself. "So, gloves in the pockets. You won't need the hair-tie."

    When they'd finished gearing for the ride, Karin looked James over. "Not bad," she said. "The black and purple kinds fits you."

    Karin pressed the seat back into place until it locked with a firm snap. "You should still hold on to me, but there's a lap belt and a pair of passenger stirrups to help keep you safe," she said, pointing them out.

    With the two of them now ready to ride, Karin settled herself into the forward seat. She pressed a small thin cylinder into the ignition slot, then fit the bangle on her bracelet into a cavity atop the cylinder. One twist and the bike's engine woke up with a delighted purr.

    As the engine came on, James heard a slight crackle by her ear. "The helmet comms run when the bike's on," Karin's voice explained. "The ride to Bayshore's about twenty minutes, so this'll give us a chance to chat a little on the way."

    James wrapped her arms around Karin's waist. With a deft stomp, Karin released the kickbrake and the bike was off.

    About half a minute out, Karin spoke up. "So, I gotta ask before this burns me up. Earlier you said you didn't really have anything on your plate. D'you mean to tell me you just sit around all day everyday? No hobbies, no interests? Nothing to pass the time?"
    Last edited by Karin DeLumiar; Aug 18th, 2015 at 09:49:39 PM.

  9. #29
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    James was grateful for the fact that she was hiding behind Karin on the bike as her face burned with embarrassment. "No, it's not - I do stuff. I just don't have a job." There was a pause, where Karin thankfully didn't pepper her with more questions, and then James blurted, "It's not that I couldn't get one, it's jus' at first I didn't 'cause we didn't know where we'd be staying, and then 'cause we didn't know how long we'd be staying, and now I guess it's just inertia holding me back. Going from ...well, waitressing is sort of a step down, y'know?"

  10. #30
    Karin alternated between listening and driving. "So you were a waitress?" she asked when they had a clear stretch of road. "Sounds a bit bottom rung, honestly. I mean, it's not trash compactor maintenance, but I can't imagine getting any fulfillment out of it myself."

    Deftly weaving through a set of slower landspeeders took her attention for half a minute, then she was free again. "Let's say you could do anything you wanted: job or hobby. What would it be?"

  11. #31
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    "Well, like you said, my qualifications are bottom rung. I mean, I studied - it doesn't even matter," she said, rather glumly. "I don't know what I'd do if I could do anything. I've never been the 'go out and save the world' type. I'm just...trying to do my best by the people around me. For a long time that meant taking care of Byl. Gods, I sound so useless."

  12. #32
    James reminded Karin a lot of herself ten years ago, only with a little less fire and a little more fear. "No, that's good, see? You've got an entire galaxy of stuff out there to explore."

    The road ahead was clear, so she gunned the bike up to a higher speed. Scenery flew by, mirroring Karin's own passion for their topic. "I mean, so what if you're bottom rung today? Imagine where you could be ten years from now! Or a year! Hell, imagine where you could be tomorrow? You've just gotta start making some choices for yourself. The more I hear you speak, the more I feel like you're afraid of becoming. Who do you really want to be, James? 'cause the longer you wait to figure that out, the more regrets you're gonna have when you finally do."

  13. #33
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    They rode in silence for a few minutes, and James finally found her voice. "I'm too scared to be a Jedi. I know it's the right thing to do, but I - Everything I've read or heard makes it sound like approaching it from a place of fear is a really bad idea. And I've seen what happens when Jedi go bad."

    They'd reached their destination, and Karin brought the bike to a stop. James sighed, pulling her helmet off. "I don't want that to be me."

  14. #34
    James returned the helmet, which Karin returned to the bike's storage compartment along with her own. "Nah, keep the jacket and gloves on," she warned James. "It'll help keep you dry."

    "Dry?"

    "I'll show you." Karin finished locking the bike down and beckoned James towards a small cluster of buildings.

    The walkway between the buildings opened out into an almost carnival-like atmosphere. An interspecies throng clustered among a series of shops, food carts, and stands. Past the crowds, the street split and ran in either direction around a large natural bay; the height from. Rocky outcroppings stretched from the shore, neatly enclosing the bay and separating it from the vast ocean beyond. The light breeze occasionally turned strong, kicking salt spray into those closest to the bay's guardrails. A seafood smell hung in the air, but did not overpower the scent of the ocean's breeze.

    "See those craft out there?" Karin pointed into the distance of the bay. "Those are refitted DS-9J Surface Combat Skimmers. Used to be piloted by clones during aquatic fights back in the Clone Wars. The Calamari and Quarren got their hands on some and liked them enough to adapt them for their species; the Quarren took double the interest the Cals did. Thing about the DS-9 series is the weapons are a big drain on the power. Once the oceangoers figured out that you double the engine power if you remove the weapons, they adapted the skimmers for pleasurecraft."

    Karin's finger shifted to a wake trail out by the edge of the bay. "They navigate the course in two-person crews: you've got drivers and surfers. The drivers have to pass through the yellow rings and the surfers have to go through the blue ones. Miss a ring and it'll flash red. In time trials, that adds time to your score. In placement races, it disqualifies you."

    The wake trail they were following vanished as the skimmer dove beneath the surface of the bay. "Oh yeah, and there are rings underwater, too. So, the surfers have to do jumps and the drivers have to do dives."

    Karin's finger picked out a cluster of shops at the shore's edge; wetsuits hung from stands and vehicles stretched in a line out front. "They rent gear and skimmers if you want to go out. It's the perfect place to practice some courage if you're up to it. And if you're not-" here Karin pointed to the stands "- it's a perfect way to pass the time."

    "Welcome to the Bayshore skimmer races, James. What's your pleasure: watch?" Karin grinned. "Or play?"

  15. #35
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    James studied the spectacle, and said, "Oh, watch, definitely." She found herself grinning back at Karin. "I'm not a skilled enough driver to take part. Are you...?" She indicated the course, happy for the moment to put talk of the Jedi behind her.

  16. #36
    Karin smiled and beckoned James in the direction of a food cart. "Girl, I fly a slim; that's an A-Wing in case you don't know flight-jockeyspeak. I've been flying or driving something for the past- gosh, has it been twenty years?" The raven-haired woman began ticking off fingers. "Yeah. Five years racing speeder bikes plus five driving speeders for the cell plus another ten in the cockpit. Time flies when you're flying, I guess."

    The two women paused before the food cart and Karin considered the menu. "I know you just ate, but want to share some popped kernel crisps? My treat!" she offered James.

  17. #37
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    "Oh, I meant..." James' voice trailed off as Karin continued to detail her flight experience, and instead she smiled at the offer. "I love that stuff. I'd say no, but I'd be lying."

    She looked around. "Where's the best place to watch from? Are we still meeting...Pierce?"

  18. #38
    A quick check of her wrist chrono showed that Pierce would be along in about twenty minutes. "He'll be here soon," Karin nodded, showing the food cart server what she wanted. "You can say hello if you like. He's really sweet once you get to know him. Most people prefer not to though."

    She fished a couple of vendor tokens - fixed-value credit chits that the street cart vendors preferred - from her jacket's coin lining and passed them to the merchant. The merchant returned her change, along with a bag of light, fluffy, delicious white popped kernel crisps. She plucked a few off the top, held the bag out to James, and then popped them into her mouth. The taste of sea salt, a little curry spice, and that wonderful fluffy crunch was the perfect snack for the woman who'd skipped lunch to pack for shipout.

    "Like I was saying," she said as she munched. "I can drive or fly anything; I've got the know-how. What I'm missing is the equipment. Aqua speeder rentals are expensive, and you can't go out without a proper wetsuit, including breathmask. I can afford one or the other, not both. At least, not without someone else chipping in."

    Karin stared out across the bay, her mood dipping into "glum" territory. "Doesn't look like I'll get the chance this go-round, anyway. Maybe next time I finish a tour of duty."

    "Oh," she said, remembering her earlier conversation with Pierce. "C'mon, I want to go say hi to Gorial. He's got a shop by the waterfront - it's a great spot to watch without getting wet. 'sides, you oughta get to know a few people around here."
    Last edited by Karin DeLumiar; Oct 9th, 2015 at 08:47:14 AM.

  19. #39
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    It was all... a bit much for James. She nodded and followed Karin as instructed, her eyes darting from side to side as she tried to take in all her surroundings without looking like she was trying to take in all her surroundings. It had been months here on Dac, and she was still jumpy at times, getting that feeling that something bad was going to happen and she and Byl were going to have to pull up stakes and run for it.

    But no. They were safe here. She was safe. James looked up at Karin, realized the other woman had said something, and blinked. "Sorry, I missed that. What?"

  20. #40
    James was in "womp rat in headlights" mode again. The girl did not handle surprise.

    "C'mon," she said, passing the half-finished bag of crisps to James' left hand and taking her right one. "We're going to visit someone."

    Karin (gently) tugged James in the direction of a stone path leading down from the main court towards the sea level where a small cluster of buildings stood. As they neared the water's edge, smells of salt, butchered marine life, and engines replaced the gentler aroma of food trucks and clean air. On the way down, she spied a Mon Calamari situating themselves onto a skimmer by the water's edge. Without breaking stride, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled "Hey N'giliaf! Your last run cost me fifty credits! Quit sucking and manage those dives!"

    The Mon Cal offered her a rude flipper gesture. Karin returned it with a blown kiss and the Mon Cal laughed before returning to his prep. She gave James a friendly nudge. "Never met that guy before, but I always figure acting like you belong somewhere gets you half the distance to fitting in."

    The path leveled off and Karin led the way to a small, sturdy looking shop at the very end of the cluster. Navigating through some wetsuit racks out front got them into the shop proper, where the pair were greeted by a gruff-faced male Besalisk. "Well, Little Soft-Step!" he boomed, wide mouth breaking into a wider grin as he carefully maneuvered his bulk out from his shop counter. "Good ta see ya. And ya brought a friend!"

    "Gorial!" Karin threw herself into a big hug. "Good to see you. This is James Prent. She's a friend."

    "Ahh, pleased ta make yer acquaintance lady," the Besalisk offered as formal a bow as his four-arms would allow. "Welcome to me humble shop. You a race-lover like Soft-Step?"

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