[Day 1 - MA] The Secret to Good Soup

[Dapper Dog]

Liua walked over and said, "Stand down newbie, he gets real excited."

"So why you looking for Xanna? You working with sleemos? The Brute of Rygor?" she quipped. She poked him in the chest, "Want the best damn bowl of soup on Bankor? Well?"

[Rannek Nire]

He stood up straight after getting poked the chest and tried to stammer out some responses. “Uhh, workin’ for no one... so not the sleemos or the brutes... I ran across some lady from around these parts who got caught up in that mess this morning... there was mention of her having some kids... I’d like to find them and let them know what happened. Some commander lady with short hair said Xanna was the one to talk to... Also mentioned some soup... but I’m thinking maybe next time, kinda wanna find those kids before it goes too long.”

[Dapper Dog]

"Okay let's say I believe you, and I don't, but who are you looking for?" she said stepping outside and lighting a cig.

"It's my break time."

[Rannek Nire]

“A lady named Riala. About yay high.” He put his hand up to an approximation of the woman’s height.

“Somewhat slender. Dark hair...”

[Dapper Dog]

“Riala Yims, yeah I used to beat up her son… he had it coming. Good kid, gave as good as he got… sometimes. His mom died? Rough, why you care about that? Slums is filled with kids like us, parents die, about the only thing some are good at,” she said after taking a drag and then letting out smoke.

“You got a big heart or something?”

[Rannek Nire]

“Mah... I mean... I feel for the kids... I lost my parents in a similar way... Want to make sure... you know... They know and are okay... I’m new here so I don’t got anyone or anywhere else to go to... felt like the right thing to do.”

[Dapper Dog]

“We had Imps roll through here but I don't recall seein’ you or Riala… not that that means anything but kriff, who did her in? The Hutts? Fourth Avenue Lizard-Hawks? Bet it was the Bantha-Dogs? Or was it the Imps? Kriffing Imps,” she spat and then took another drag.

“Kill em’ all I say.”

[Rannek Nire]

“I’d prefer not to be too fast and loose with the tale... don’t wanna piss off the wrong folks... but I would like to let the kid... kids...?” He said with a rising intonation. “know. You know where I could find ‘em?”

[Dapper Dog]

She almost asked for creds but looked over her shoulder at Xanna and said, “Sure, I’ll do you one better.”

Liua called back inside, “New guy, keep working, Xanna I am going to show this sleemo… ahem, help this guy out… you know helping people like a loser. That’s you.”

She then gestured to Rannek, “Follow me Sleemo.”

[Rannek Nire]

He nodded, “Thanks uhh... miss.”

He nodded a brief farewell to the rest of them and followed after the youthful smoker.

[Dapper Dog]

He nodded, “Thanks uhh... miss.”

He nodded a brief farewell to the rest of them and followed after the youthful smoker.

“Just call me Liua, Xanna’s the boss but I basically run that place,” she said as they navigated the maze that was the slums.

“You got a blaster right because down here you either get quick or you get dead. I used to run with the Fifth Vinecats, but then I started running with the Jays, that’s me and Xanna it’s our new crew.”

“And no you can’t join, it’s real exclusive. So why come to Bankor… you know what I don’t want to know. Okay tell me.”

[Rannek Nire]

“Sounds pretty intense...” He said in reply to the description of the slums and what he could only assume were gangs.

“Came looking for some work because my old gig ran out of room for me. Was doing some protection work for some villagers out in the middle of nowhere.”

[Dapper Dog]

“You like one of them helmet guys… the Mando-whats-its? I used to think bounty hunters were cool, but now not so much,” she said as she ducked under a collapsed building and through a narrow walkway.

“Watch your head.”

[Rannek Nire]

He ducked low, “Nah, nothing like that. Just a guy with few skills other than fighting... and not a big fan of being muscle for people who don’t care about where they flex theirs.”

[Jenna Karath]

As the strands of destiny wove together she began to make stew. Her voice was quite melodious, although it was a tune that would be unfamiliar to most.

With the guy and the kid gone, Jenna looked around for something she might be able to use to dig a few pebbles out from the bottom of her boots. Calling out, somewhat passively and not totally prescient of the Neimodian in the room, "Xanna, you around?"

[Xanna Teevou]

Pausing her song at the kerfuffle Xanna waved as Bankor's coolest and smartest teenager led the Mirialan off. She raised her voice: "Very good Liua, I will not tell anyone you are becoming so helpful. Be careful!"

With the guy and the kid gone, Jenna looked around for something she might be able to use to dig a few pebbles out from the bottom of her boots. Calling out, somewhat passively and not totally prescient of the Neimodian in the room, "Xanna, you around?"

"Jenna! Come in come in! This is Bowse, he is our newest helper here. Bowse meet Jenna, she has also helped me from time to time. Today we are making fresh Nerf Stew, and a vegetable soup as well." With a smile she placed some vegetables into a pot and started to heat them.

"So how have you been doing? Did you know that I met you brother yesterday?"

[Dapper Dog]

He ducked low, “Nah, nothing like that. Just a guy with few skills other than fighting... and not a big fan of being muscle for people who don’t care about where they flex theirs.”

“I’m decent with a blaster I guess, or good enough,” she said patting her poncho/coat where her piece was.

She paused in front of a large, perhaps massive u-shaped structure that seemed to tower over them, easily several dozen floors in height and there were many such similar structures. There was a web of lines for drying clothes or giving power… it was a chaotic mess.

“Uh… 37th floor, I think, and have fun the lift don’t work,” she said grinning. “Once there just ask an old person, there’s always some old person but they know because they are old and got nothing else to do.”

“Got all that sleemo?” she finished.

[Rannek Nire]

He nodded, “Thanks Liua. Maybe I will see ya ‘round. Get some of that soup you were toting on earlier.”

[Dapper Dog]

He nodded, “Thanks Liua. Maybe I will see ya ‘round. Get some of that soup you were toting on earlier.”

“Sure… wait what’s your name, sleemo?” she said realizing she either never asked or just forgot.

[Rannek Nire]

“Rannek. Rannek Nire.”

He then turned his eyes to the giant building and 37 floors of walking he had in front of him.

[Dapper Dog]

"Cool," and then made her way back to the soup kitchen, just enough time for another cig.

[Rannek Nire]

Rannek walked inside the building and looked for the staircase. Once he found it he took a deep breath and began plunking his way up the stairs... thoughts running through his head on who’d be there and what to say...

[Dapper Dog]

The 37th floor was cramped like all the floors he saw and many of the apartments seemed to spill out into the hallway so it made for a precarious situation of navigating chairs or potted plants or just piles of old magazines. A couple apartments had no doors just beads or curtains, and every now and then he had to dodge a child or pet running by.

Also he noticed that the turbo-lift is very much not broken as an old woman, a togruta, leaves it holding some fruit that she promptly spills as she loses her balance. She starts trying to gather the fruit and said, “Sorry, young man!”

[Rannek Nire]

He stopped and immediately began helping the woman pick up her fruit. "No problem miss. Let me help you with that."

[Dapper Dog]

He stopped and immediately began helping the woman pick up her fruit. "No problem miss. Let me help you with that."

“Well ain’t you a sweet thing,” she said finally getting all her fruit back.

“You must be new I have not seen you around here, nice to know we got a new nice young man around here. I got a granddaughter, she’s about your age, you single? She’s a little round about the waist but she’s a good cook and has a prettyish face in the right light.”

“I tell her, Y’mela you need to find a good husband or wife, you never know these days and I try to be open to them things. Did I mention she’s a good cook and I mean I know I am old but in my day I had all the boys in the building lined up at my door, on account of my large personalities,” she said with a mischievous laugh.

“Which she has by the way, runs in the family.”