Child-like interest. (open)

[Mack O'Riley]

It was too hot, the boy thought, tugging on the collar of his shirt as he walked. He was thirsty but broke. He continues to walk until he comes apon on building, he squints at the sign, but since he can't read he doesn't know what it says. The boy guesses it might be a place were he could get drink of water, or maybe juice if he was lucky. He hefted the large sword he is carrying onto his back as he headed for the door of the building. When he got there a large (well to a 10 year-old) man with a gun stopped him.

"Excuse me young man, but you'll have to give that to me."

The man's tone of voice threw the boy off guard, the man wasn't angry at the boy, but polite. So the boy handed over the sword and was premitted entrance to the building. What he saw took his breath away, so many people in such a small place......He wondered how they all fit.

[Zeke]

Zeke walked into the Bar and Grill, tossing the guards his sabers with a smile and stopped behind the boy.

"Need help finding a seat?"

[Mack O'Riley]

The boy turned an looked at the man who spoke to him.

"Need help finding a seat?" the man had said. The boy simply nodded, his short blonde hair bobbing up and down with the vigrous movement of his head, his blue eyes still wide in a we at this place.

[Zeke]

Zeke grinned as a couple got up from the bar.

"Come on."

He led the kid to the bar and set him on a stool next to him.

"What'll ya have, li'l guy?"

[Mack O'Riley]

Oh, the man had gotten him a seat, and he so wanted to thank the man, but didn't know what to say. And now the man was offering to get him a drink, and he grinned.


"......................"

Darn.....He forgot, the one thing, he didn't say anything to the man, and frowned. Expecting him to yell at him and tell him to talk and hit him.

[Zeke]

Zeke's face became thoughtful.

"Don't tell me, some kinda juice right?"

His voice bore no malice for the child. In fact, he sounded quite happy.

[Mack O'Riley]

He nodded again, making his hair even messier, and grinnned.

He then pointed at his chest, "Mack!" then he pointed at the nice man, and waited.

[Zeke]

"Mack, are you? M'name's Zeke. Hey bar guy! Get me and m'buddy some juice or something!"

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack grinned, he liked Zeke, mostly because Zeke hadn't yelled at him or hit him yet.

"Zeke!" he said, pointing at Zeke, his grin growing wider."A-a-a...puhll joo-ce." he said slowly, hoping the bar tender would understand, or at least Zeke.

[Zeke]

"That's m'name! Hey dude, make it app...YOU SPOKE!" Zeke grinned at the kid. "That wasn't half bad!"

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack cringed when Zeke shouted, but when he wasn't hit he relaxed a little. He grinned, and kicked his feet back and forth against the bar drumming a little tune while he waited for his juice.

[Zeke]

The bartender set the glasses down and Zeke gave Mack his with a smile.

"You keep cringing, dude."

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack grabbed his glass and eagerly drank the juice in one gulp.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh....G-g-uud." he said grinning.

"You keep cringing, dude." Zeke had said, and Mack just looked at him blankly.

[Zeke]

"A minute ago I was like 'YEAH!' real loud, and you cringed. Y'know, curled up sorta."

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack just blinked again, and then held his empty glass out to Zeke.

"Joo-ce!"

[Zeke]

"Demanding bugger, aint'cha?" He slid the glass over to the bartender, who slid it back refilled. "Got a mom? Or a dad?"

[Mack O'Riley]

He blinked.

"Moom? Da-had? Wu-wu-at's th-th-ems?"

he blinked again, and thought maybe Zeke might be sick, speaking of funny things like Mom's and Dad's.

[Zeke]

A mom and dad? Y'know, parents? Take care of ya?"

[Mack O'Riley]

"oooooo! Rah-huh!"

he clapped his hands together.

"Rah-uh! Rah-uh! Sh-sh-e t-uu-k c-c-c....Sh-she wuh-wuh-atched muh-e."

[Zeke]

Zeke raised an eyebrow.

"Come again?"

[Mack O'Riley]

"Rah-uh!"

he frowned, and forrowed his brow.

"S-s-ill-vuh h-ha-rrr.....Rah-uh. S-s-s-itch! N-n-noh...S-s-s-uth."

[Zeke]

"Um..can ya write, li'l guy?"

Zeke didn't quite get it.

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack shook his head no.

"Rah-uh cuh-cuh-dint tuh-tuh-eech muh-muh-ee."

[Zeke]

Man...so this person.. Rah? Girl or guy?"

[Mack O'Riley]

"Guh-url."

Mack grinned.

"Suh-ee and Taah-kee ah-ur mu-mu-my s-s-siss-turs."

[Zeke]

"Cool. Rah and Taki, eh? I got no family myself."

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack stood up on his stool.

"No! Ra-aye and Tah-ka!"

He leaned foreward and hugged Zeke.

"And bad man t-t-too."

[Zeke]

"Um..'kay..." Zeke said, returning the hug. Then something clicked. "...bad man?"

[Mack O'Riley]

"U-u-huh...."

He went and sat back down, tears in his eyes which he quickly rubbed away with the sleeve of his shirt.

"N-n-o pr-pro-buh-lem, h-he wuh-wuh-n't f-f-ind me."

[Zeke]

"What about the other 2? Are they safe?"

[Mack O'Riley]

He nodded, and then noticed the bar tender brought him his juice and grabbed it and took a sip.

"Ra-ye i-s-s and add-olt a-a-nd s-s-so is T-ah-kay."

[Zeke]

"Ray and Takai are adults, huh? What do they do?"

[Mack O'Riley]

"Ummmmmmm........"

he took another sip of the juice.

"Ra-ye i-i-s.....N-nuh-o, wuh-as a S-s-s-ith."

[Zeke]

"She was Sith? What is she now?"

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack just shrugged.

"S-s-she wuh-orks with the bad man."

[Zeke]

"And what does she do for him?"

Zeke knew he was prying, and probably shouldn't be, but if his family was in some form of trouble, he'd have something to say about it.

[Mack O'Riley]

"St-uff. H-h-e made hu-r and Tah-kai and Ooh-pum......."

Mack drank his juice, draining the glass so it was half-empty. he looked at Zeke with his big blue eyes.

"H-h-e's ni-ss wuh-en he's not muh-ad."

[Zeke]

"Izzat so...then why do ya call him the bad man?"

[Mack O'Riley]

Mack didn't say anything.

"N-no ruh-son.......He....."

[Zeke]

Zeke looked seriously into Mack's eyes...the boy was hiding something from him...

[Mack O'Riley]

He just glared at Zeke.

"No!"

he almost tossed the glass at Zeke as he hopped off the stool and ran for the door of the bar and grill.

[Zeke]

Zeke fielded the glass and watched the child go.

"Hm...I did something wrong."

He watched Mack nearly run into someone on his way out. He got up and lifted the child, then walked outside.

"Hey buddy, what'd I do wrong?"