First Meetings (Dasquian)

[Cassidy Williams]

The Jedi living quarters were among teh most peaceful places in the vast temples. It was here that busy members of teh Order went to relax and escape from their hectic schedules. Though it wasn't silent--the soft buzz of hushed conversation and the trickling of numerous fountains enchanted teh halls-- the sound was anything but obnoxious. Usually.

"XAAAAAAAAAAZOOOOOOOOR!"

Cassidy Williams had, at one time, known where Xazor lived. But having only been there once, and then having had the helpful guidence of another padawan, she had promptly forgotten where it was located.

It was a gorgeous day out and never one to pass on opportunities, Cassidy had decided that the two needed to spend more time together. After all, they had much to talk about.

Frowning, the girl marched down the corridors, glancing at doors for any clue as to where the Knight was staying.

"What's the use of havin' a sister if you can't even find her?"

She mused out loud, annoyance creeping around her happy aura. The girl shook her head and then took another deep breath, preparing herself for another peace-shattering call.

"XAAAAAAAAAAA--"

[Dasquian Belargic]

The yell was cut off as Cassidy’s voice spiraled instead into a shriek of fright. The girl had rounded a corner right into a tall figure, with a frown etched across his face.

“Sorry.”

He looked a little preoccupied with his thoughts and thus it took a few moments for him to register the name that the girl had been shouting.

“If you’re looking for Xazor, she’s busy… with… training right now.”

[Cassidy Williams]

"Oh."

Her look of surprise was replaced by one of agravated disapointment.

"Well that's just stupid."

Cassidy yanked her cascading brown hair from her face and crossed her arms over her chest. After a moment of brroding thought the twelve-year-old threw up her arms.

"Well great, I guess I gotta go amuse myself."

She was about to walk away when her manners got the better of her. She stopped and turned to Dasquian.

"Hey, thanks for the help an' I'm sorry I just about ran you over."

Cassidy stuck out a hand, though considering the rather abrupt way of meeting just moments earlier it seemed out of place.

"I'm Cassidy. Who're you?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

The distant and vaguely troubled expression was smoothed over with a reassuring smile.

“Dasquian. Good to meet you, Cassidy … are you a Padawan here?”

Dasquian frowned, and mentally scorned himself – if she was, he had not heard of her, and this was bad form on his part.

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy nodded affirmatively.

"Yep."

She eyed Dasquian with an unreadable expression and then quite bluntly echoed his question.

"Are you?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Jedi Knight.”

He smiled slightly.

“You know, if you want me to pass a message on to Xazor I can. I’ll be seeing her later on so…”

[Cassidy Williams]

"Oh."

SHe didn't know what else to say. Thankfully, he filled in the silence that followed. Cassidy thought for a minute and then nodded.

"I'd appreciate it if you tell her that her sister is going to start calling herself an only child if she doesn't come and visit soon."

[Dasquian Belargic]

A blank, slightly confused look came over Dasquian as he arched a brow.

“… her sister?”

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy nodded, oblivious to his confusion.

"Yep. Apparently that's me."

It was a new situation to her as well and after the initial discovery, Cassidy had decided not to make a huge deal of it. Well...she had decided to try and not make a huge deal of it. But it was still rather disarming news.

"So you'll tell 'er for me?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Of course,” Dasquian smiled, embarrassed.

“I, ah, wasn’t aware that she had a younger sister. She’s never spoken about you before.”

[Cassidy Williams]

"Oh don't worry. We weren't aware of it either. Well, until a couple of days ago at least."

Cassidy shrugged and blushed, uncomfortable.

"Tell you the truth, I think the whole thing is weird. Not weird-weird but...scary-weird, y'know?"

She nodded in agreement with herself and then shrugged again.

"But I didn't expect y' to know about it. I mean it's not like you're married to her or somethin'...She wouldn't've told y'."

Cassidy giggled good-naturedly, unaware how very close she actually was to being somewhat correct.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian chuckled.

“Well, that is true. For the moment at least.”

The Knight couldn’t help but smile to himself at this. Soon, he hoped, that would be all changed.

“It’s great that you’ve found each other, though. Siblings can come in quite handy,” he remarked, thinking amusingly of his twin brother Aaron.

[Cassidy Williams]

Being only twelve, Cassidy didn't pick up on the insinuation the first remark carried. Instead she just rubbed her arm awkwardly and frowned thoughtfully.

"I dunno. I'm not...used to it. It's hard to adjust to."

She looked up at Dasquian curiously.

"Hey, you know her, right?"

Obviously.

"Well, what's...What's she like around people? I know it sounds strange but we're still sorta strangers.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“It depends who you are.

She can be a bit… antisocial and quiet with those outside of her close circle of friends and family. She is a very caring person however, don’t get that wrong … at least if you’re not a Sith. I’ve not seen her in combat for a long time against a darksiders, but I have heard about it. Let’s just say she isn’t one for peaceful tactics.”

He continued, folding his arms behind his back,

“I’m sure, since you’re her little sister, she’ll treat you well. Apart from perhaps making you baby-sit sometimes,” he added, grinning.

[Cassidy Williams]

"Let’s just say she isn’t one for peaceful tactics."

Cassidy giggled again.

"I've never used 'em myself. They take too long."

Brightening a bit, she cast a look behind her toward the sunny grounds.

"Hey, Mr. Dasquian... Do you wanna take a walk or somethin'? I mean if you're busy it's okay, but it's nice out."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Ahum … certainly. I don’t have anything planned, so that’d be nice, yes. Perhaps you can tell you a little more about yourself. After all, I should probably know a little about my future … sister-in-law.”

[Cassidy Williams]

"..."

Cassidy stared at him blankly for a moment before it dawned on her. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she put her hands on her hips.

"You're Marrying Xazor!?"

It echoed in the halls and she blushed. Lowering her voice Cassidy smiled wildly, her canines glinting.

"Are you being serious or are you just joking?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian literally jumped as the girls voice suddenly became almost a shriek.

“No, I’m serious … at least; I will be if she says yes. I haven’t been able to ask her yet …”

[Cassidy Williams]

The girls face was gleeful and she could barely contain herself.

"That's so...romantic! I didn't even know she was dating anyone."

Cassidy sighed like someone watching a happy holovid.

"My Uncle Eddie once asked someone to marry him...but he didn't do it right and she slapped him and said she never wanted tos ee his face again and if he ever did come back that she'd have her brother kill him and my dad and even me!"

She frowned at herself and then shrugged, trying to be upbuilding.

"...But I'm sure you'll do it better."

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian chuckled nervously. Quite obviously, this sister of Xazor’s and Xazor herself had not spoken much, if she wasn’t even aware of her siblings’ turbulent love life.

“Well I think Xazor is aware of the fact that I love her very much, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise when I do ask her.”

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy quite suddenly grabbed Dasquian’s arm and pulled him out the doors. The precocious youth had had plenty of time to do a bit of exploring and already she had decided on a particularly shaded part of the gardens as her favorite. There was a mass of trees around it, which were excellent for climbing and which had been the deciding factor for her love of the grove.

“I can’t bee-lieve this!”

She let go of the Knights arm and spun around before collapsing on the slightly damp ground and squinting up.

“Auhg, it’s all just too crazy to be real.”

Cassidy laughed and draped her arm over her face. She started to count off things on her hand.

“First, I come to Coruscant so’s we can lay low and end up becoming a Jedi apprentice, then I find out who my mother is, then I find out I have a sister, then that I’m some sort a weird wolf thing and then I almost kill you—(a bit of enthusiastic exaggeration on her part)— who just happens to be going to ask the sister I didn’t know I had to marry you!”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“I’m just waiting f’r my Dad to pop up and tell me that he rigged the whole thing.”

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I bet you will have to be a bridesmaid,” he laughed, smiling impishly.

Following suit – if it could be called that – Dasquian sat down opposite to Cassidy. What an eventful childhood she must have had. He would have given anything to have that amount of lively goings on when he was young; after all, anything would have been preferable over working in mines until his ‘parents’ earned enough to send their sons off to the Jedi Academy.

“I know it’s a little like living in a holovid being here,” he said, making a rather large understatement, “but you get used to it. I mean, once you’ve seen one walking, talking mongoose, you’ve seen them all.”

[Cassidy Williams]

I bet you will have to be a bridesmaid.

Cassidy wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“If you ‘n Xazor want a bridesmaid wearin’ jeans, then it’s a-okay. I don’t wear girly stuff. The robes here are bad enough.”

Which was why she rarely wore them. To date, Cassidy had only worn the Jedi attire once—with awful results that had caused her to stay away from the lower levels of Coruscant ever since.

She raised her eyebrow at the mention of the ‘walking, talking mongoose’ and gave Dasquian an odd look that implied she didn’t quite believe him—which, considering everything that had already occurred, was a little ignorant.

“Well I guess if you’re gonna ask my sister to marry you, I should make sure that you’re worthy. Can you go without sleep for days at a time?”

It was an odd question.

“’Cause when there’s a baby around, nobody sleeps.”

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I’ve been married and had children before. Two in fact, and we were living in a close knit community at the time so there were often babies wailing at all hours of the night.”

Dasquian smiled, albeit sadly. As much as he liked to think back to those days, it still pained him to think of the tragedy that had occurred.

“So that’s a yes.”

[Cassidy Williams]

"You have?"

Cassidy sat up to get a better look at Dasquian. He didn't look old enough to have already been married and had had a family. But neither was her father and so she didn't pursue the matter.

"Okay, you pass question one. For now. Next one...Do you have a history of unprovoked violent acts?"

It was almost as if she were reading off a phsycological evaluation sheet and coming form such a little person, who didn't at all look twelve, it was quite humorous.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I’ve been a Jedi all of my life and it is very much against the archetype of the Jedi to act as such… so no.”

Dasquian tried not to smile too much, getting the impression that Cassidy was taking this all quite seriously.

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy nodded approvingly and began to 'hmmm', trying to think of another question. Grinning, the girl looked at Dasquian, one eyebrow raised mischieviously.

"If I did something stupid, and you caught me, and I told you not to tell Xazor, would you?"

She gazed steadily at him, waiting for an answer. It was a bit of an awkward question and Cassidy knew it too. But she found it humorous and so she didn't change the subject.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“That all depends on what you’d done,” Dasquian replied, with an innocent smile.

[Cassidy Williams]

"Fair enough."

She absently plucked blades of the stiff grass, thinking.

"Well, I can't think of anything else yet. So you pass for now. But I will continue this so don't get too comfy."

Cassidy grinned and pranced up and over to a tree. Her shoes skidded against the bark as she tried to pull herself up, but finally she succeeded and nimbly climbed onto a large branch. From her perch she looked down at Dasquian, her long brown hair hanging like little vines off the tree.

"So what I should know about ya?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Hmmm… well, I’m a couple of hundred years old, theoretically. I’m not human – hence the ears. I’m a Jedi Knight, I’m currently on the Council… I… ahum… I’m not sure what else.”

Dasquian blinked, shrugged, then smiled cheerful.

[Cassidy Williams]

"...well, I’m a couple of hundred years old, theoretically."

Whump.

Cassidy cleared her throat and picked herself off the ground gingerly. Thankfully the fall hadn't been far enough to cause any real damage, save a little jarring. The girl eyed the Knight incredulously.

"But you don't look old!"

She squinted her eyes, as if she wasn't seeing things correctly.

"Are you sure?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I was alive in the times of the Old Republic, and I’m alive now,” he replied, admitedly evasively.

[Cassidy Williams]

"How?"

Cassidy realized, a little too late, that she should have had the dicernment to pick up on his reluctance about the issue. She winced and shook her head.

"Oops. Nevermind."

But she kept staring at Dasquian in wonderment. Of course, she'd read about these things but never once had she actually seen someone who personified it. Her iconoclasmic personaltiy had just led her to assume that it wasn't neccesarily true. Until now.

"Um...Well. I'm pretty boring. I'm just twelve."

Cassidy mentally cursed herself for not being able to leave the age matter alone.

"I mean...I'm not old enough to...I'm pretty boring."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Some of the most exciting things to happen to you normally happen when you’re young… I’m sure you’ve had some adventures,” Dasquian smiled.

[Cassidy Williams]

"I guess so."

She shrugged, and then walked back to the tree. She hoisted herself up again and then swung her legs onto the branch, gripping it and hanging upside down with her hands stretching to touch the ground.

"I was shot once. Wanna see the scar?"

Cassidy pulled herself into a sitting position and the rolled up her right pant leg. She pointed the a scar that was beginning to fade.

"Right there. We got boarded by pirates when we were leavin' Kessel a few years ago and my dad doesn't like to negotiate. So 'boom!' we got into a bit of an argument and one thing led to another."

The girl grinned and unrolled the material, resuming her upside-down state.

"It was freaky."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Pirates on Kessel? See you have had a lively past! I’ve never met any pirates before, just mad scientists,”

Dasquian couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I have a scar on my hand from when I originally came here, and even though I could heal it away easily I haven’t. It’s sort of like a living memory. Silly, no?”

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy shook her head.

"I don't think so. I like my scars 'cause they remind me of stuff."

Swinging back and forth from her legs the padawan's eyes twinkled, and she looked at Dasquian imploringly.

"Mad scientists? Like in a book? What happened? Did they try to do weird experiments on you? How'd you get away?"