Curious and eager to learn

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara had been wandering around the publicly accessible areas of the grounds containing the buildings of the inhabitants of the GJO; actually she was originally looking for that sweet kid, Zeke, to ask if he might possibly show her around a bit.

Since she was unable to find him, she took it upon herself to check things out. The people that she passed by during her little travels were kind; well kind enough to bid her a g'day or offer a casual smile.

Ocassionally, she did glance up towards the skies. Just to make sure there weren't going to be any strafing runs by any ... Rebels? Was that what Zeke had said those were? She thinks that was it.

Noticing the sign, indicating the name of the bar and grill, she pushes the door open and slips inside. For a brief moment, the interior was bathed in the radiant light from outside. Once the door closed, she was able to see a bit better; as soon as her eyes adjusted that is.

A bit nervous being in a strange and new place, she walks over to the bar, running a fingertip along the outer curvature of her right ear; tucking her hair behind it.

Sliding herself up onto a barstool, she pulls a drinks menu towards her and begins reading over some of the unusual names for the concoctions.

"Hm. My Gods! How in the name of all that is plentiful does one pronounce the name of this!?"

Ciara tried to sound it a few times. Confident that she had it down to atleast something understand, she looks up and smiles to the barkeep.

"What can I get fer ya' miss?" He asks her while wiping out the inside of a newly washed glass.

"Um. I'm not sure how to say this, but may I please have ... A'foos mak bubon h'lok?"

The barkeep bursts out in riotous laughter, slapping his knee as he has to lean back against the counter behind him to stop himsel from falling over.

Ciara scoffed, "And what is just so funny?" She asks the man, who's face is nearly as red as a beet from laughing so hard. After a few minutes, the man composes himself enough to tell her,

"You just said you'd like have your head shaved ... in Sullustan." Once again, he's off into that laughing fit and Ciara is really no longer amused.

"Well. When you are through having a good laugh at my expense, could I just have a glass of water!?"

The barkeep wipes the tears from his eyes, slipping into the back to fetch her a glass of water.... his laughter echoes out from wherever it is he went off to.

[Zeke]

"Hey, barguy causin' ya trouble?"

Zeke was looming over her shoulder, his face right next to hers. He looked up at the bartender.

"Back off or I'll loose m'buddy on this Bar and Grill."

The bartender shuddered and handed her the water without another word.

"Muuuch better. In my house, we give our props. And what are you doing in my kitchen makin ham sandwiches? You best bring me one!"

He grinned as the bartender waddled off to make Zeke's sandwich.

"How goes the war, Ciara?"

[Ciara Myst]

"War? What's a war?"

Ciara was still scoffing a bit at the bartender.

"What's Sulusstan?"

Ciara cants her head to the side sharply, and smiles as she sees Zeke right there over her shoulder.

"Hello Zeke. I'm glad you're here. I tried to order a drink and that man said I wanted my head shaved!"

[Zeke]

"Ah, you mispronounced it is all. I can't speak it either. Just show him the menu and say 'that one', he'll serve it up right away. War is a big fight with lots of people."

Zeke grinned as the bartender brought him his stuff.

"Thanks much. Usually when I say that, I mean 'How's life?'. I'm not really talking about a war. Oh, and Sullustans are...um...I think doglike humanoids...I don't remember."

[Ciara Myst]

Her smile brightens as Zeke continues to help her learn bit by bit of the ways of the galaxy. He's so sweet. She idly wonders if the other beings she will inadvertently cross paths with are just as kind.

"Ok. So, if I can't pronounce something, it's best to just point to the picture. Got it. I'm curious to learn more about what these Sullustans are. Where are they from? Are they from here? Will I get to meet more people from here?"

Ciara's questions were endless. As she stops to take a breath, she realizes that she must be some burden on the young lad.

"Zeke, I'm really enjoying your company, but if my questions get to be too much, please don't be afraid to tell me to shush up. Ok?"

[Zeke]

Zeke's grin broadened so much his eyes squinted.

"If I want you quiet, I learned this trick from every starship captain I've ever known."

He put the edge of his hand against the base of her skull. His tone bore no annoyance, no malice at all. He was simply giving an explanation.

"A quick blow here will K.O. anyone. But be careful, too much strength will kill. Remember that if you get jumped. As for your questions...I like them. Make's me feel special, somehow. Sullustans should be from Sullust, unless I'm mistaken. Give it time, and you'll meet lotsa people! I'll take ya to my quarters later if ya want. My roommate likes parties, and we should be able to meet lotsa people."

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara looks up to Zeke as she feels the edge of his hand against the base of her skull.

"OK." She lets him know she understands. However, understanding the point to hit and actually doing it were two very different things. Ciara wasn't a violent person, she harbors no ill feelings towards others and she has a good heart. She genuinely cares about others and in her naivity, this more than likely would end up bringing about her own demise.

She smiles when hearing he doesn't mind her questions. Felt good to know that she made someone feel important. The more time she spends with Zeke, the more she finds herself liking him as a friend. She had a few friends back home, those she missed very much, but her thirst for knowledge and to see the universe is what keeps her from going back.

"I look forward to meeting those you call friends. I don't know what a party is, but I hope it's something fun."

[Zeke]

"A party is where lots of friends hang out and have fun. It's basically um...ever have a festival, or a holiday? Parties are like that but on a smaller scale."

[Ciara Myst]

Her brows knit gently as she thinks of what he is saying.

"Oh yes! We use to have what we called, Yenearsira and then there was another we called Faradome. Um, let me think of what that would translate into in basic."

Ciara thinks back to what her nana had taught her when she was no taller than the swamp grasses.

"Oh! Faradome is for the warm season, like a summer solstace and Yenearsira is for the cold season, like a winter solstace."

[Zeke]

"Swizzle."

Zeke hadn't really understood the whole solstace bit, but he still thought it was cool.

"We had a dance a while ago."

[Ciara Myst]

"I know what dancing is!" Ciara nearly beams as she states this. One thing she loved to do back home was to dance during their 'parties'.

"Whats swizzle?"

[Zeke]

Zeke burst out laughing.

"Swizzle is copyrighted Zeke, and it means the same thing as 'sweet', but much much more so."

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara nods as if she understands, she'd already asked enough questions.

[Zeke]

Ciara suddenly and mysteriously shut up. Zeke ate some of his sandwich, then poked her.

"You clammed up. Something wrong?"

[Ciara Myst]

She shakes her head.

"No. Just ... " she sighs. ".. Seems that there is so much I still don't know and that there is not going to be enough time for me to learn it all."

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

A girl sitting near them with a glass of water laughed a little.

"Tell me about it..."

She looked suprised when they turned to look at her. "Oh, sorry. Did I say that aloud?" She blushed under her load of dark blond hair.

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara looks over to the girl, a small smile on her face.

"You did. I take it you understand what I mean?"

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"Oh yes," said Valeska with sigh, "I have just gotten here, you see."

She looked at Ciara. "Everyone knows ever so much more than me."

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara pushes out a chair, "Would you care to sit with us? I've just arrived too. Maybe we could be blind and learn together.." She offers a friendly smile to the girl.

"My name is Ciara. My friend here is, Zeke."

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

Val gave a shy smile and sat in the seat she indicated.

"I'm Valeska. Valeska Vercingetorix. Pleasure to meet you Ciara, Zeke." She bowed her head briefly as she was drilled to as a child.

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara smiles back. "A pleasure to meet you as well, Valeska. Hm. Valeska... that's a pretty name. Where are you from?"

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"I thank you," said Valeska in her odd formal way, "For the complement on my name. And I come from Anlyn, in the Silian system. From where do you come?"

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara's interest was piqued even more so! Here was Valeska, sitting right by them and she could help Ciara learn more about Anlyn than any ol' database ever could. Her eyes nearly dance with the fires that just fuel her passions to learn more and more.

She smiles a bit more, "Oh, you're quite welcome. I'm from a planet called Mhaar. Where is this Silian system? What is An-lyn? like? "

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"The Silian system has fifteen planets, all with life on them but one, all under the control of my planet, Anlyn. It is near Garbohn Space Station." Valeska was glad she was on a topic she knew. "I have not been off Anlyn for all of my thirteen years. It is a beautiful planet, rather old-fashioned, and there are millions of rules, but once you know them it is wonderful.

"I am from the capital city, Adasina. We are monastically ruled, but only figuratively. Truly a democratic system controls our planet." Valeska smiled wistfully. "My home was by the river. The day I left it was warm and wonderful, my brothers and my sister were going swimming. I wanted to accompany them but Mother told me no, I had to catch the ship. My brother Tyrel told me he would make a rainbow for me on the river when I left. I could see it from the air..."

[Zeke]

Zeke sat in silence, listening as each girl bombarded the other with questions and answers, learning some stuff himself and relaxing, no longer having to think at hyperspace-worthy speeds to keep up with questioning. Suddenly something she said clicked.

"Millions of rules?" he repeated. "What kinds of...rules?"

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

Valeska giggled. "When I was little, I broke every one you could. 'Don't leave your house without a hat, don't greet people without gloves, don't let your children run wild on the town'. Social rules. Etiquette rules." She shrugged.

[Zeke]

Zeke blinked stupidly.

"Don't...what? Now, the rule about not letting the kids go nuts is understandable, but...don't greet people without gloves? Don't leave without a hat? What kind of uptight people rule your planet?"

He wasn't trying to be mean, it wasn't Zeke did well. He told things the way he understood them, and usually offended by mistake.

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

Valeska frowned at him. No one wrote these rules down, of course, but every child knew them from birth.

"The uptight people on my planet," she said irritatedly, "Also do not approve of insulting people they've just met." Vally rarely got angry, she was usually a very good natured, calm, sweet soul, but a homesick, overwhelmed Vally who was just shoved into a new enviroment only to have a strange boy insult the one from which she came.

[Zeke]

Zeke slouched in his chair.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to."

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"I accept your appolagy, and I should not have been short with you. Now that bit is over, I wish to know what planet you come from, that such ideas are unheard of?" Valeska's question was quiet and inquirative. "And how old are you?"

[Zeke]

"Me? I was born on a starship, so I have no clue what homeplanet I'm from. I've switched ships so many times I don't remember the name of the one I was born on, and as for my age? Haven't given that one any thought since my 15th birthday."

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"Fascinating," said Valeska, and she definatly meant it. "I'm thirteen, anyway. Have you traveled all over and seen the worlds?"

If there was one thing Valeska loved more than music and her family, it was travelling about. She wanted to see the universe.

[Zeke]

"I've seen lots of worlds. Corellia, Thyferra, Imperial Center/Coruscant, Borleias, Yavin, Arcan, Yaga Minor...why?"

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"I've never been off Anlyn," said Valeska matter of factly, "I mean, I've seen the data and everything but it's not the same. On Anlyn you don't really travel unless you're going on assignment or if you have family somewhere."

[Zeke]

"You should go adventuring with me and Ciara. We did that once. Lots of fun, that was."

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

''Adventuring?" Whatever it meant, it was probably something Valeska's family would disaprove of. But it had adventures in it, and Val's interest picqued. "What's that?''

[Zeke]

Zeke sighed. It would appear that Vakleska was as close to being a Ciara clone as she could get.

"Adventuring means to go explore stuff and get in deep trouble and fight your way out and have fun and be neato."

A lame explanation, but Zeke had run out of nifty answers.

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

Valeska decided to back out now, she wouldn't or couldn't later. "I'm not sure I'll have time for that," she excused herself lamely, "I'm going to be training hard here, I think. And as I don't have a master yet, I mustn't get into any trouble." She learned very, very quickly back home that children who got in trouble weren't favoured.

[Zeke]

"No master? Get in all the trouble you want. When you get a master, that's when you have to watch out, because the trouble you get into pays you back tenfold in training. Come ooooonnnnnn, this isn't your uptight rule-ridden society! This is the GJO! More importantly, this is Yog's Bar and Grill! You're SUPPOSED to get in trouble here! It's almost a rule!

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

"It is a rule?" If it was a rule, it was important to obey it. This she knew. She nearly told him so, but then thought that almost a rule was a different story. She decided to ignore his crack about her society as unthoughtfullness. "But I wish to aquire a master, and therefore I shouldn't make trouble, as they'd think me bad, right? When I was little, Father told me if I stayed with the way I was (I was a terrible troublemaker) I couldn't become a Jedi."

[Zeke]

"Troublemakers not accepted? You should see the crowd I hang out with! We cause the GJO more trouble than any Sith in all of history, but we all have masters and are treated well. Actually, a lot of the higher-ups enjoy our antics and join us in our endeavors."

He recalled a party Dios Kane had thrown in the Bar and Grill, and the day the Bar and Grill was cleaned.

[Valeska Vercingetorix]

Valeska's eyes showed her shocked suprise.

"You are allowed to make trouble? Oh, I could hurt Amir, he told me that I couldn't act as I usually did and become a Jedi."

[Zeke]

"Its not that troublemaking is encouraged, its that we do some wierd stuff and get away with it. Like this party we had once. Everyone got intoxicated, and it was fun.

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara was remembering the things that Val had mentioned about her homeworlds rules, customs, and the other information. Ciara seemed to have gone pretty quiet as Zeke and Val spoke, her eyes taking in a far-off dreamy look to them as she atleast let a small smile grace her face.

It'd be fun to have Val along with them on their adventures. Ciara was taking a liking to the girl immediately; probably because Val was like Ciara in many ways. Atleast Ciara wouldn't feel so left out of the ways of the universe or like she was a fool for not knowing much of anything that she hadn't learned while spending her whole life on Mhaar.

Ciara really enjoyed Zeke's company. He didn't give her funny looks with all her questions and he didn't make fun of her. Zeke's been extremely kind, helpful and even seemed eager to want to go adventuring with her.

Jumping in with her own words a bit past the proper time to do so, she looks to Val..

"Oh yes! It'd be positively grand if you'd like to come with Zeke and I. We're going to ... "

She looks to Zeke, making sure she pronounces it correctly.

"Cor.. Corellia? Was it?"

[Zeke]

"Corellia. The planet of no odds. That's the one."

Zeke put his feet up on the table.

"We might have another person along on our little adventure. I just gotta figure out where I put him last."

[Ciara Myst]

"Put him last? You make it sound like he is a bug in a jar you forgot to return to the shelf he'd be kept on."

Ciara chuckles.

"All is well. The more the merrier."

[Zeke]

"Um...actually he is a bug. I can't remember where I had him last. He might be under one of the flaps on m'box."

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara blinks.

'A bug? Can those travel in space?'

[Zeke]

"Sure can! We can find 'im later though."

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara shrugs

"Okies"

[Zeke]

"Now lets go do something. I'm bored."

[Ciara Myst]

"Okies, and what do you suggest we do? "

[Zeke]

"You're the big adventurer here! YOU decide where we're going!"

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara thinks. Well, if they were on Mhaar that would be easy. She could show Zeke the incredible gardens her people were able to create and maintain in the caverns far below the planet's surface. But, they weren't on Mhaar and she didn't know what there was to do around here.

"Do you have any gardens here?"

[Zeke]

"To the Living Quarters!"

Zeke stood and was out the door before either girl could speak.

[Ciara Myst]

Ciara blinks, then runs after him.

[Zeke]

OOC: continues in the LQ, I'll make the thread.