Shadows of Bankor

It had been a long day. But Petrus had one more mission. His goal: greasy food, and lots of it. His target: Big Sleemo's Diner. "Target acquired." He murmured to himself.

His stride lengthening, Petrus started to walk just a little faster. It was a walk he'd perfected in the slum: head down, hands in pockets, hood up. Easy to avoid notice.

Also easy to avoid noticing things, but that wasn't usually a problem...

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:24 am

It had been a long day. But Petrus had one more mission. His goal: greasy food, and lots of it. His target: Big Sleemo's Diner. "Target acquired." He murmured to himself.

His stride lengthening, Petrus started to walk just a little faster. It was a walk he'd perfected in the slum: head down, hands in pockets, hood up. Easy to avoid notice.

Also easy to avoid noticing things, but that wasn't usually a problem...

Why'd there have to be an inquisitor doing customs? It wasn't like she'd even come within two shakes of a bantha's tail of causing trouble. And he'd stabbed her, ungentlemanly behaviour in any contest.

Floats sighs with a wince, a large bandage visible on her left shoulder as she hunches slightly, head down, heading for the nearest bar with speed.

Gosh, what if he did come to the store? What if he knew? She'd be deader than space-disco. And all over what? Some refugees?
The faces of the Rodian family swelled up in her mind's eye again and she shook her head angrily. No way she could forgive herself if they got pulled into all this. Maybe if they were lucky they'd just find her charmed remains when they came back to the shop. Then they could claim her last name and just take over.

Mulling all these problems over the Nautolan is hardly looking forward, let alone left or right as she continues on.

Two Padawans, walking along, heads down. It may have been the Force. It might have been destiny. It was going to be a disaster.

CLONK

"Oof!" Petrus fell back a step, one hand coming up to rub his forehead, and the red welt that suddenly appeared on it. "Hey, sorry, my bad, I wasn't looking. Sorry, sorry..."

As he rubbed, his hood fell back, revealing his distinctive red hair, lightly tousled as usual. Petrus' blue eyes narrowed as he looked at this tall fellow he just ran into...

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:37 am

Two Padawans, walking along, heads down. It may have been the Force. It might have been destiny. It was going to be a disaster.

CLONK

"Oof!" Petrus fell back a step, one hand coming up to rub his forehead, and the red welt that suddenly appeared on it. "Hey, sorry, my bad, I wasn't looking. Sorry, sorry..."

As he rubbed, his hood fell back, revealing his distinctive red hair, lightly tousled as usual. Petrus' blue eyes narrowed as he looked at this tall fellow he just ran into...

THUNK

"Naw, that's my bad. Although I would have appreciated it had you not run into my stabbed arm, you see it's-"
The Nautolan looks down, worried she'd bowled over some poor red headed woman

He almost didn't recognize her with the stabbed arm. Well, that and he never expected to see another Padawan again. He hadn't spent a lot of time with Floats, but enough that he knew her instantly. His blue eyes widened.

This is conspicuous. We should go somewhere. Say something casual.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Petrus said, his eyes still wide.

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:46 am

He almost didn't recognize her with the stabbed arm. Well, that and he never expected to see another Padawan again. He hadn't spent a lot of time with Floats, but enough that he knew her instantly. His blue eyes widened.

This is conspicuous. We should go somewhere. Say something casual.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Petrus said, his eyes still wide.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Mental screaming, that...no...it...yes? It certainly looks like.....

"Hello Pe-stranger, someone I am unfamiliar with....what are you doing here?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Finally, Petrus shook his head.

"Oh, you know! Walking! Like I do. Walk walk walk!" He waved his arms, pumping them, as though speed-walking. Or maybe milking a bantha; it was hard to tell.

"What..." He swallowed. "How about you? Walking?"

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:58 am

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Finally, Petrus shook his head.

"Oh, you know! Walking! Like I do. Walk walk walk!" He waved his arms, pumping them, as though speed-walking. Or maybe milking a bantha; it was hard to tell.

"What..." He swallowed. "How about you? Walking?"

A little too quickly

"Uh, yes! Walking! You know...that. But not because you are...I was walking separately, and it's just a coincidence we were both walking. I mean, lots of people walk. I bet the emperor walks, nothing wrong with walking."

"Actually," Petrus said, frowning, thinking of the Senate platforms. "I think he floats."

A beat.

"I mean, not that I know you're Floats." He said.

A beat.

"I mean... I still don't know that." He said.

A beat.

Petrus sighed, defeated. "You wanna go sit down? There's a kaff shop nearby. Probably."

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:08 am

"Actually," Petrus said, frowning, thinking of the Senate platforms. "I think he floats."

A beat.

"I mean, not that I know you're Floats." He said.

A beat.

"I mean... I still don't know that." He said.

A beat.

Petrus sighed, defeated. "You wanna go sit down? There's a kaff shop nearby. Probably."

Double sigh "Yeah Petrus, there's no good puns on your name anyway. Wanna go to O'Moloch's? They got that Ithorian barrista who grows his own beans."

Now that the awkwardness was past (well, most of it anyway), Petrus' expression was more serious. "Yeah, okay. Sounds good."

He gestured for her to lead the way. A Jedi might be patient, but Petrus' blue eyes were burning with curiosity as he looked at her.

OOC: Perception or Vigilance check at Average with a setback due to the mass of people.

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:18 am

Now that the awkwardness was past (well, most of it anyway), Petrus' expression was more serious. "Yeah, okay. Sounds good."

He gestured for her to lead the way. A Jedi might be patient, but Petrus' blue eyes were burning with curiosity as he looked at her.

O'Moloch's wasn't to busy at that time of night. Just a few workers nursing some kaff before heading back home, and the odd trader trying to stay awake for the market night shift.

Floats spots a small table at the back without much trouble, but...does she see something?

Day 1 EE average Perception Check with setback from crowds: 2eA+2eD+1eS 1 success, 1 threat

Petrus was even more alert.

-----------------------------------------

D1EE, Perception, 1 setback: 1eP+2eA+2eD+1eS 2 successes, 1 threat

They both spot an armored man watching them, but he also noticed that they knew he was watching. He turned on his heels and started down an alley.

Squint

"Hey...you saw that guy right?"
I am being followed! Oh this is bad!

Petrus swallowed, fighting down a wave of fear. "Yeah, I saw that."

He turned to Floats. "Was he following you? Or was he following me?"

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:36 am

Petrus swallowed, fighting down a wave of fear. "Yeah, I saw that."

He turned to Floats. "Was he following you? Or was he following me?"

"....I...I don't know. Why'd he be following you? I'm over 6 foot tall and red, so I kinda stand out, but you not so much."
She glances back at the alley, clearly worried
"Think we should put some distance between here and us? You got a bolt hole nearby? Or a boat? Or a boat hole even?"

Petrus gave her a quick incredulous look, but didn't say anything.

"Not... nearby. But maybe just a safe place where we can't be watched."

Even with the seriousness of the circumstances, he paused, giving her a smile. "Boats, huh? You've got one?"

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:11 am

Petrus gave her a quick incredulous look, but didn't say anything.

"Not... nearby. But maybe just a safe place where we can't be watched."

Even with the seriousness of the circumstances, he paused, giving her a smile. "Boats, huh? You've got one?"

"Absolutely, she's a beaut. Fine sails, great lines, bilge hardly leaks......"
Wait no, on land now!

"Safe places sounds good, I can tell you about the Flotation Device there."

Petrus smiled, bemused, as Floats described her boat. "Yeah, okay. Let's do that. Talk about boats. I love boats."

He lead the way around until they found a quiet kaffe, taking an even quieter place in the corner. "Guess we'll try O'Moloch's another time." He gave her a look. "Tell me about your boat."

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 8:05 am

Petrus smiled, bemused, as Floats described her boat. "Yeah, okay. Let's do that. Talk about boats. I love boats."

He lead the way around until they found a quiet kaffe, taking an even quieter place in the corner. "Guess we'll try O'Moloch's another time." He gave her a look. "Tell me about your boat."

Floats keeps her black eyes peeled for even more heavily armoured stalkers, not her type.

"Well, she's 24 foot masted laser. I cobbled her together from some narboral wood I found lying around and-"
She pauses

"Petrus....why are we talking about boats?!?!? Don't we have like....a hundred other things to talk about?...I mean, I love talking about boats, but I can prioritize...sometimes."

Petrus grinned. "Yeah, no kidding. And you know, I don't know I've ever been on a boat before. Submarine, yeah, but I don't know if that counts."

His smile slowly faded. "I guess... what have you been doing since I saw you last?" How did you survive? He would probably get to that, but... not yet. Soon.

Petrus Karath wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:25 pm

Petrus grinned. "Yeah, no kidding. And you know, I don't know I've ever been on a boat before. Submarine, yeah, but I don't know if that counts."

His smile slowly faded. "I guess... what have you been doing since I saw you last?" How did you survive? He would probably get to that, but... not yet. Soon.

"Travelling mostly.....lotta travelling...you know. But my uh, my old mentor had this place here on Bankor he mentioned ages back. And when we went our separate ways after.....the big shindig, I thought I'd head to the place and do my thing. Since most of my on the job training was of a physical nature, employment opportunities were limited."

She holds up a finger with a grin

"But you see, I'm both a trained mechanic anda Nautolan, so, boat mechanic, BOOM! 'Course, nobody uses boats except in Jaklu, so that's where I moved. took over my mentor's shop and been running it these past two years. I'm just lucky that when the Shindig went sideways there weren't any uh....um....struggling with my euphemisms here, one sec......weren't any.....vats? Yeah, vats. There weren't any vats nearby."

Boi, why'd it have to be so difficult to talk sideways at a fella?

"What about yourself? I mean you know, after the shindig I just assumed everyone was gone."

"Jaklu. Of course.". Petrus shook his head. "I can hardly believe it. I've been here almost four years, and never to Jaklu." Not until today. If he didn't already not believe in coincidence...

His gaze drifted away. "Yeah. The shindig." He was silent a few moments, chewing on his lip.

Finally, he shrugged. "Some friends brought me here. Got me started. I do odd jobs to get by, sometimes mechanic work." He smiled. "Not boats, though, so don't worry about me crowding in on your business."

Petrus shrugged again. "I watched a lot of holovids. Probably too many. Did you know they run for years and years? There are shows that are on the second generation of characters now."