Locked Out

[Meltina]

Crawling out from her little "home" in the ground (which was concealed by the bushes next to Yog's), Meltina stood outside the B&G and shook herself furiously. Dirt, grass, and an unlucky beetle flew off her cat costume and she grinned triumphantly. A smudge of marker was on her nose, but the ten year old didn't seem to notice. In her little "hovel", she had been drawing - but, unfortunately, her stomach cried out for food. Preferably crackers.

So, going up to the doors, she tried to open them but they wouldn't budge. Frowning, she tried again to no avail.

"Hejy! Lemme jin!"

Throwing herself against the doors which seemed to be locked, she let out a sigh of frustration and tugged on her fake cat ears angrily. So what if she didn't have any money to pay for what she ate? It was only some crackers! ... And juice, and all those times she stole pieces of food from platters ... But, frell, that didn't mean she deserved to be banished.

The Cizerack wannabe sat down on the ground and sniffled pathetically.

[Jackson DeWitt]

Jackson approached the doors to the bar and grill in the early morning, having completed his cleaning work at the Academy. He yawned sleepily, and went to unlock the door, when he spotted a little girl beating at the door.

"Hey there...we're not open yet. Just hang on for a bit, ok?"

[Kyle Krogen]

I was walking to the B&G to get some breakfast, I came to the entrance see'ing what looked like a cizerack cub and a man, I walked up to Jackson, Is the B&G open yet" I asked then looking down on the meltina "are you hungry young one."

[Meltina]

Jumping up to her feet, she turned her blue eyes onto the man that came to unlock the door.

"jI'm ssso hungrrrjy jI could eat an elephant!"

Grinning, she began to fidget, not being able to stand still. At the sound of a new voice she spun around.

"Of courrrssse jI'm hungrrrjy! jI wanna eat! Food jisss good! But not thossse mjice thjingsss that Daani eatsss," she replied, crinkling up her nose.

[Ansatsu]

Ansatsu came from the shadows and smiled, "Hungry....thats all you cizerack do is eat." Ansatsu laughed. "As soon as they open I will get you something to eat. Anything you want okay." Ansatsu smiled.

[Kyle Krogen]

ooc: hey I was going to get her something to eat Ansatsu

ic:

"Would you mind if I join you Ansatsu?" I said with a smile.

[Diego Van Derveld]

A hand reached down and tussled the little girl's hair.

"Hey there, little girl."

Diego dropped down onto his haunches, still slightly above eye level with the wannabe Cizerack. He reached in his pocket, pulling out a small lollipop.

"It may not be the best way to start breakfast, but I'm sure it'll tide you over."

He winked, and smiled.

[Lion El' Jonson]

Lion smiled from the roof of the bar and grill...he had gotten up early to run, and while practicing his force jumping had accidentally ended up on the roof and had no idea how to get down...he'd just wait for Wei to come by...

But, in the meantime....

Lion sat down on one of the gutters, accidentally knocking it down and hitting...Diego...

"Ah, damn....he's gonna kill me..." Lion thought, trying to run up the roof tiles out of Diego's view.

[Meltina]

Looking at the one man who seemed to have appeared from nowhere, her grin grew wider when he classified her as a Cizerack. Finally, someone noticed her efforts!

When a hand came down and tussled her red hair, she looked up at the man with wide eyes. He seemed rugged, but he gave her a lollipop. Immediately she reached out, hands covered with fake cat paws, and gripped the lollipop.

"Thank jyou ssso much!"

Barely containing her excitement, the girl ripped the wrapper off her teeth and then shoved the lollipop in her mouth. Since she had A.D.D., these sort of treats were forbidden to her until she ran away from home.

"Thjiss jisss verrrjy good," she remarked a second later.

It was then when a gutter fell down.

"The ssskjy jisss falljing! The ssskjy jisss falljing!" She screamed, at the same time trying to keep the lollipop in her mouth.

[Diego Van Derveld]

The gutter came crashing down, and was deflected at the last moment by a quick forearm swipe, sending the falling pipe over Diego and the others as it fell. Immediately, Diego's eyes snapped up to the roof, where he saw bits of debris kicking off the side, in time with a repetitive "thud thud thud" of somebody running on the roof. It wasn't really his concern, but at the same time, there was a kind of dangerous curiosity inherent in the Lupine mind. He turned, patting Meltina on the head.

"Hang on there, princess."

Diego cleared half the way up on a single leap, catching hold of a nearby storm drain. Slowly, he worked up its length, climbing up to the roof.

[Kyle Krogen]

I watched as Diego climbed up onto the roof wondering what he would do to the person who had knocked the gutter down on him just to make sure he did't hurt someone I went after him, I used the power of the force and jumped up on the roof I saw lion running away.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego whirled around as Kyle jumped to the roof, the spike of the Jedi's force aura buzzing in his head. He paused, blue eyes regarding his shadower.

[Lion El' Jonson]

Lion dove behind a chimney and peered around the side. He noticed that Diego wasn't advancing on him with a gun, so he sighed and stepped out from his hiding place.

"Er...sorry, man...not a good way to start a morning, eh?"

There was another guy running towards them. Lion couldn't tell what Diego was pissed or not, but he knew the Lupine reacted...weirdly...to force probes.

[Kyle Krogen]

I wondered why Deigo wad staring at me maybe he didn't like jedi's or something I desided to back off I walked over a small distence away from the strange man and waited for what he might do.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego stepped closer to Kyle.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

His blue eyes narrowed, and he turned his thick neck, popping it a few times.

[Kyle Krogen]

I took a few steps back, watching diego's every move.

[Lion El' Jonson]

"Hmmm...interesting..." Lion thought. He focused a probe towards Kyle, making sure nothing "leaked" towards Diego...

[Diego Van Derveld]

OOC: Lion, you can't do that...my sense of the force is different than someone who is traditionally 'force sensitive'.

IC:

Diego's step faltered, and he stood still, gritting his teeth against a piercing pain in his mind.

"Call it off.....NOW!"

[Meltina]

She watched with awe as the man climbed up on the roof. After a while, he disappeared from view and Meltina frowned, starting to chew on the lollipop.

"Eee! A bug!"

A little butterfly fluttered out from the bushes she crawled out from and, since she had a short attention span, Meltina started to chase it with out-stretched arms.

[Kyle Krogen]

"Call what off?" I said walking to the edge of the roof.

[Lion El' Jonson]

(ooc: I know, I was planning on that, but forgot to add it in...sorry...)

IC: "This is going whack...." Lion said, as he cut off the force probe...Diego was wracked with agony right now, despite Lion's best efforts to concentrate the probe.

[Jackson DeWitt]

Jackson's attention was torn between the bubbly little girl, unlocking the door, and the scene on the roof. He watched the long-haired man scramble up after Lion El' Jonson, and was in turn pursued by Kyle Krogen. Would it end up becoming a real fight? Jackson wanted to watch, but he couldn't...finally turning back to Meltina.

"Lets see about that breakfast..."

With a swipe of a keycard, Jackson opened up the B&G, stepping inside and cutting the lights on. Above, he could hear the muffled sounds of feet.

[Meltina]

When she heard the man speak to her, she immediately stopped chasing the butterfly and glanced at him, taking the lollipop out of her mouth.

"Alrrrjight!" She yelled, waving the lollipop above her like some sort of banner.

Hopping right by his side, she blinked rapidly as her eyes got adjusted to the bright light and then ran over to the counter.

"Crrrackerrrsss! Lotsss and lotsss of crrrackerrrsss!"

Then, as if remembering something, looked at the one who let her in.

"Do jyou want anjythjing? jI can put jit on mjy tab!"

Not like she knew what a tab meant, but thought it sounded adult-enough to make her seem mature.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego remained where he was...breathing heavily and eyeing Lion with a stern glare. After a few tense seconds, he tossed his hair back, and popped the knuckles in his broad hands.

[Lion El' Jonson]

"Whhhh-aaaat?" Lion asked, emerging from his hiding spot.

[Jackson DeWitt]

Jackson laughed a little, sliding a basket of complimentary crackers to the little girl.

"Oh, no thanks. I had breakfast."

Which was a lie, as he could barely afford other amenities.

"Besides...can't eat on the job anyways."

He went through the rounds of preparing the B&G for the new day's business. Still, he couldn't help but feel a connection with the little girl, who was obviously poverty-stricken, and too proud to beg. He knew the feeling all too well. Living on a moisture farm in a bad harvest, the only thing you had to eat at times was your dignity.

[Kyle Krogen]

I would have taken more steps backwar but I was at the end

I peered over the edge of the roof to see a small alley filled with garbage cans

I turned to diego "What is your proplem you want to fight or something?" I said staring into diego eyes.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego cocked an eyebrow at the Jedi, leaning his head to the side a bit...a strange look on his face.

"I won't lose sleep over the prospect, son."

[Kyle Krogen]

Fear came into my heart as diego spoke my hand went to my belt I unclipped my light saber and ignited it infront of me the purple blade cast a glow on my face

I put up a defencive position and waited for anything diego might do.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Eyeing the saber, Diego brushed back a strand of hair.

"Thats a bit excessive...peacekeeper. A lightsaber-wielding Jedi, against an unarmed man? Where's your chivalry?"

[Lion El' Jonson]

"Yah, dude...." Lion replied, stepping forward, his saber resting loosely in his hand. "We don't need a fight...yet..."

Lion was on Diego's side of this argument, even though it had been Lion that Diego was after.

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Run out of gutters to kick?"

Diego glanced back icily at Lion.

[Kyle Krogen]

" I dont want to fight" I said turning off my light saber jumping off the roof and entering the B&G

I walked up to Meltina and jackson "hi guys can I have some crackers please meltina?"

[Lion El' Jonson]

"Hush, Diego...I didn't mean it, dude..." Lion replied, his voice ice-cold.

[Meltina]

As soon as the man placed a basket full of crackers infront of her, she immediately grabbed one and tore off the wrapping, eating the two crackers together hungrily. After swallowing them, she glanced back up at the man, who was busy preparing Yog's for another day.

She ate two more crackers.

Right when she was ready to grab another pair and rip the plastic off, Kyle came and asked for some crackers.

"No! Mjine!"

She grabbed the basket and hopped down, a few crackers spilling out during the process, and started to run to Jackson.

"Help! Thjief!"

[Kyle Krogen]

Kyle laughed "im not trying to steal you silly little umm..... kitten hey jackson can i get a glass of water please?"

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Even accidents still happen."

[Jackson DeWitt]

"Sure."

Jackson went to work, filling a glass for Kyle, and sliding it down the counter.

[Zereth Lancer]

sorry wrong char

[Kyle Krogen]

"thank you" Kyle said siping his water slowly while wathing the young girl eat her crackers.

[Meltina]

"Hmph."

Stopping in her tracks, the little girl hurried back to her place to the counter and hopped up into her seat, placing the basket of crackers back in its original spot.

However, she still glared at Kyle suspiciously while resuming eating.

[Kyle Krogen]

Kyle saw her glare at him then turned to Jackson "hey do you know anything about that little girl over there?.