I wanna be a mongoose! ^___^ (Sejah)

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet has found the most interestind daddy in the whole wide world. Usually the boy can be found walking at the heels of the waitresses or female patrons, but today he stands across from a humanoid mongoose, gawking over the edge of the table at him. Kwiet has never seen such a being, but has already decided that he is the height of cool, and that he just has to be like him!

"Hey! M'name is Kwiet!"

He waves from the end of the table. Gosh, but this guy is cool...

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah looked up, startled, from the copy of <u>Around the Universe in Eighty Days</u> he was deeply engrossed in reading. Glancing around, the mongoose searched for the source of the voice, and saw nobody.

That was, right until he looked back down to his book again when he saw a oung boy lookign up at him. Closing the book over his thumb to mark his place, Sejah smiled politely and replied, "Hello there, I'm Sejah. You looking for something, kid?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Um...um...no."

After a moment's fidgeting, Kwiet boosts himself up to sit on the table and simply blurts what's on his mind.

"You're cool lookin'! Where are you from?"

[Sejah Haversh]

Chuckling lightly to himself, the mongoose quickly took note of his page before setting the book aside and replying, "I'm from Nehantish, it's a planet a long way from here, about a week by most travel."

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Nehnatish?"

Kwiet butchers the pronunciation, but pays it no mind.

"What's that like? I've never been there!"

[Sejah Haversh]

"Most people haven't," Tevit assured the boy.

"It is what is known as a desert planet. Much hotter than this one, and very sandy, too. Most everybody who lives there looks a lot like me. Except for the females, of course."

[Kwiet Ideya]

Desert planet? Kwiet's seen movies about people on desert planets! They're tough and noble and fight for good!

"Ooh, can you swordfight and beat ten guys at once? I seen on TV where a desert guy beat ten guys at once!"

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah couldn't hep but laugh, hsi smile very wide, and it exposed most all his teeth, even his natural fangs. Even the pink in his eyes sparked with mirth as he shook his head and replied, "Well, I probably could beat ten guys at once, but not if they were all very good. And I doubt anybody will make a movie about me."

[Kwiet Ideya]

Sejah is Kwiet's hero.

"It'd be the bestest movie EVER!!"

Kwiet wriggles with excitement, stumbling over what he wants to say and do next. He definitely wants to hang out with Sejah, so he decides he'll do whatever Sejah's doing.

"What'cha gonna do today, Misser?"

[Sejah Haversh]

Sejah was caught off guard. The boy had no apparent parents or guardians to be seen, and seemed quite comfortable approaching complete strangers. It was an uncomfortable situation, and the mongoose was not sure what to do.

Glancing back at his book, he picked it up and pointed to it as he explained sheepishly, "Um, I was going to read some more, then, I really don't know. Maybe work out a bit or take a drive. I don't really have any plans to speak of."

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Wanna go play Jedi? We can fight Siff Lords just like the smelly Grampa does! I betcha could beat ol' smelly Grampa! You're more neater than him!"

[Sejah Haversh]

"The smelly grampa?" Sejah asked, quite perplexed. This boy had no inhibitions abotu strangers at all, it seemed.

[Kwiet Ideya]

"He's smelly b'cuz he has a pipe. It's icky smellin'. He has scratchy whiskers and a big cloak, too."

[Sejah Haversh]

Pipe? Whiskers? A cloak? The words turned over in Sejah's head.

"Sounds like an interesting fellow," the mongoose said. "Where did you meet him?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"I met him at th' other restaurant with the greasy four armed daddy! He hits me with a spatchala when nob'dy's lookin'. Onced the mommy saw him an' she beat him up!"

[Sejah Haversh]

"Greasy, four-armed daddy?" Sejah asked, now quite puzzled. "Sounds like an odd place you ahng out at, kid. What is it called?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"I dunno! They just said to call it home, b'cuz I live there."

[Sejah Haversh]

"You live in a restaurant?"

Okay, this kid was getting straight-up weird.

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Uh huh! Upstairs isn't a restaurant, so I can live there."

[Sejah Haversh]

Oh, like apartments over a street level shop, Sejah thought.

"Oh, well, that makes sense, then," he said, then picked up his water and took a drink. "So, is it far from here? I hope you can find your way back."

[Kwiet Ideya]

"I can walk there! I ran the whole way once an' didn't stop! The mommy was proud o' me an' said I'm gonna be a really really good runner when I get bigger! Hey, can YOU run really fast?"

[Sejah Haversh]

Sensing a bit of a fun challenge, Sejah smiled smugly and sat up.

"Fast? If we raced, you wouldn't even be able to see me after a few steps," he boasted.

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Nuh uh!" Kwiet protests, shaking his head side to side like a dog drying itself. "I'm the fastestest EVER. I'm gonna win."

[Sejah Haversh]

Placing his paws on the tabletop as if in defense of his own prowess, Sejah lifted an eyebrow and asked, "Well, I think that's a challenge. Shall we take this outside, young man?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Uh huh! We'll run from here to...to...someplace else! I gotta go out b'fore I can tell where the finish is," he says huffily, stalking out amidst the amused giggles of guards and patrons. "We'll run...to...that big ol' wall over there!"

The target is down the street, to the left of the Bar and Grill's entrance. The walls surrounding the Living Quarters of GJO.

[Sejah Haversh]

Leaving his book on the table, Sejah followed Kwiet outside, nodding in approval at the point he had slected.

"Okay, so, on the count of three, go?" He asked shaking out his legs to get ready.

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Uh huh!"

The boy doesn't think to do a warm up of any kind. He just takes a deep breath and gets into position, toeing a line between the squares of durracrete that form the walkway.

"One, two, three, GO!"

[Sejah Haversh]

Kwiet beat him off the line, but Sejah's longer legs quickly propelled him into the lead. It was fun to play such childish games, but he also knew how much more important they were to the child involved.

Keeping their distance close, the mongoose tried to make it look like he was giving it his all, but was intentionally letting Kwiet gain on him. It was no fun if he beat him by a long shot.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet's little legs beat the pavement frantically. The little boy has to take five strides to Sejah's one, and he's almost out of breath, but he's grinning broadly and giggling a little. He's gonna win!

[Sejah Haversh]

In the last leg of the race, Sejah could hear Kwiet breathing heavily, and knew that it was time to slow down. Acting nearly spent, the mongoose made a grand show of trying to keep up the pace, and let the boy overtake him at the last moment.

Stopping in front of the wall, Sejah put his paws on his knees and bent over, breathing deeply. "You, *huff*, you won."

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet holds his hands out and runs full into the wall, leaning against it and trying to find the breath to giggle.

"I win!" he says with a big grin. "Le's do somethin' you wanna do now! Like swordfight!"