Open Coruscant Picking Up Beans in the Park

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: OOC

No worries if this thread gets no biters. Just looking for some light and mild roleplay so will leave the fishing rod hanging and check in on that hook. Nothing profound with this one, no real plan or goal and will see where it goes. I’ve been out of the loop so did not want to deal with the political scene or Jedi-vs-Sith stuff or whatsuch. Just having fun!

There’s this pretty park on Coruscant called Pretty Park where people go to do park things like go for a walk, walk the dog, kiss on the bench, play ball and, in the waning hours of twilight, go stabby-stabby on passers-by with knives and other sharp things because of mental problems and other colorful reasons.

Well Armen Westyll was in the park today to pick something up in a sense. Beans. That’s the reason he was there that morning and what a lovely morning it was! The sun was out and the day was warm, with plenty a park-goer going to and fro and maybe ignoring the young man trying to plead with them.

“Hey, sorry to stop you like this, I’m looking for . . . ” Armen held up a picture.

“Nope. Sorry. Come along, Dorothy, we don’t want to miss the Ewok dance!”

The persons went about their business. Armen blew through his lips, unzipped his jacket and waltzed along. “Good morning, ma’am, just wondering if—“

“Piss off.”

It was hit or miss. After a handful of such encounters it was all Armen could do to sit on a bench, awkwardly apologize to the two lovers cuddling beside him, watch them leave then watch the leaves of a pretty park Pretty Park bush and wonder if his quarry was somewhere inside it.

“Guess I’ll just eat some beans for now.” They were edamame and his mommy always warned him to watch his soy intake but oh well she was washing dishes at home or something so whatever.

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

If the cities of Coruscant were just a little quieter, Ruus'all would've considered living in the beautiful metallic planet.

Currently, he was just hanging out at an outdoors noodle bar where he heard a boy asking if strangers knew someone or something like that. Ruus looked over his shoulder to see the kid awkwardly bother an intimate couple not afraid of showing a little PDA.

Poor dude. Or should he have thought that with a question mark? He was kind of awkward in the very least- especially now that he was eating beans, that came right out of nowhere.

Ruus'all finished his cup of noodles and walked over to the kid, sitting next to him with his Mandalorian helmet sitting in his lap facing the kid. "Who you after, kid? Mom and dad?"

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

They weren’t really savory, weren’t really spicy, weren’t really sweet, they were just, well, edamame. Armen popped bean after bean into his mouth from the pink packet that looked less like a packet of edamame beans and more like a packet of bubble gum or something but edamame, Mommy.

While thinking of beans and Beans and bushes between trees some guy with a helmet that was unmistakably Mandalorian took a seat on the bench to his right. Armen half-expected this stranger to be a bounty hunter but fought off the feeling of shifting uncomfortably.

“Nah,” the young man answered as casually as a cold Christmas. Big bad boy Mandos were known for being jerks so jerking a two-years-from-twenty-year-old’s chain about Mommy and Daddy was also half-expected. “I’m looking for Beans.”

With that, Armen held out the packet of edamame beans, waited a moment for Mando to accept or decline and likely poke more fun, then held up a photograph with much more color than some stupid grainy holoimage.

“This is Beans.”

Spoiler

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus took a few beans, after the Padawan's strange remark. Ruus'all didn't mean any harm by his comment, he was just teasing. Did this kid know how to take a joke? Because he sure seemed to be making one up.

"Looking for beans? You've got to be-" Then the boy showed him the picture of one damn cute lloking dog that must have been 'Beans'. "Holy...We're finding your dog, little man." Ruus'all said determinedly, placing his helmet on. To lose a dog in such a busy and ginormous, literally world-sized city was serious bad luck and Ruus'all felt a little bad about his joke from earlier.

"Name's Ruus'all Solus. You can just call me Ruus." He said while he stood up to stretch. "You don't happen to know psychometry, do you? That's alright- we'll find your Beans. But you gotta promise that I get to snuggle him a bit." He said cheekily. Ruus'all had always been partial to dogs and sought after getting an Anooba for a while now but hadn't gotten any luck. He was glad the Padawan had some good taste in companionship and was going to make this reunion happen one way or another.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Dang, finally, someone who was willing to help another in need! This Mando man hadn’t actually seen the beloved dog but he volunteered to help search for him so say no more.

Except Ruus’all Solus said more and one word was enough to betray himself whether he was masking his Force signature or not. As he stood up the crest on his right shoulder was undeniable. A fellow Jedi.

“Wish I did but didn’t get that far in training. In fact, my last lesson was on…” Trailing off, Armen gazed at a few beans scattered in his palm. “…Growing beans in the gardens…very…patiently…”

Those beans had died as much as these ones were littered from the Padawan’s hand just then. Some lessons were harder to learn than others and patience was among them even for some souls so laidback as this one. Mama said.

“Anyway, the only thing more important than beans right now is Beans so let’s not sit on ceremony.”

Now both Jedi were standing. “I’m Armen Westyll since we’re doing surnames and such but my family’s got nothing on Solus.” He didn’t actually know a damn thing about Mando clans but hey. “So I’m really stoked you’re helping me out man, no joke, might not show on my bored facial features but I am.”

All in all this Ruus was really just doing the Jedi thing but also so much more. “When we find my best friend rest assured you’ll get to hug him to your heart’s content! Beans loves meeting people. That’s how I know he’s gotta be around here somewhere. He loves the park. Loves people. And loves peeing. So…yeah.”

Shrug.

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus appreciated the kid's word-play and moxie. He was going to love working for him for sure! "Don't worry about that- now I wish I had practiced it." The man chuckled. Armen began rambling about classes and whatnot ,and while he was going off on his tangent, Ruus'all was thinking of the first place a lost dog would go to in a city.

A garbage can.

What cut off those investigative thoughts was Armen's introduction. "Nice to meet you, Armen. I'm stoked, too!" He tried acting borderline enthusiastic because he knew how much it sucked to lose something so special to you. For Ruus, it had once been his lightsaber, and he groaned and bickered all day until he found it. But a companion such as Beans most have been a lot worse than a death-glowstick. Besides, if Ruus'all was overly excited, it might come across as faked emotions out of pity or something- and Ruus'all did not pity the kid who was actively searching for his lost dog, despite the responses coming from others.

He had determination and ambition, and Ruus could respect that. "Hey, you said he likes people, right? Is there a restaurant nearby that you passed by with him? He might poking around their garbage and getting some scraps from the chef or something. Beans is a cute dog, so he'd probably get some sort of attention." He asked, stopping to think of some sort of food stop that wasn't the food truck he sat at that sold noodles.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Armen rubbed his chin in investigative thought. “Hmmmmm… Beans does like to eat as much as the next dog… He was barking at this bush just after I took him off the leash, might’ve been a bird in it or something, hmm, but he is pretty fond of leftovers more than birds…”

He looked left, spotted a noodle truck, looked right, spotted a little girl throwing twigs at her grandfather snoring on the grass or something, then jabbed his finger to the sky as though a light bulb just appeared above his own head.

“I think you’re onto something, sir! We stopped for lunch at this joint called Folly’s Diner. Outside seating. Cheap and tasty. I had a burger and fries—big fat fries and a solid amount of cheese on the patty—and a strawberry shake although I meant to order a chocolate shake but anyway Beans had a steak I snuck his way and oh I also had this pie, walnut or almond or—“

Clearing the rambling out of his throat in the hopes or excusing himself, Armen nodded as though Solus’ theory was a done deal. “Man I have friggin’ scoured this park for Beans but I bet you a box of beans he’s back at Folly’s! Hey you got a ride? It’s not that far from the park but maybe a five minute drive versus a twenty minute walk.”

He sure hoped Mr. Mando was packing a vehicle and not just a helmet. One day Armen would have his own speeder—just as soon as he learned to drive.


@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

After Arman mentioned a ride, Ruus'all sighed as he remembered he didn't have any and a twenty minute walk didn't sound like any fun. So, the Mando began scouting out the park until he laid eyes upon a slick looking M-68 Landspeeder that was parked to the side of the road.

Ruus hustled over to the speeder and quickly hopped in, took out an electrical panel and began trying to hot-wire the speeder to life. After he got the engines started, an angry Bothan began exclaiming at the Mando to stop and get out of his speeder. Ruus was only laughing, however, and gestured for Armen to hurry up- he wasn't planning on keeping the speeder but to just use it for the time being before returning it.

"Hurry, kid! I ain't stun proof!" He called out as he began to slowly accelerate the Landspeeder down the road. If Armen was as fast as he looked, he'd be able to catch up and hop in no problem before the Bothan got them.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

“Hoo-wee,” Armen whistled as he scoped out the M-68 Landspeeder. He knew more about vehicles than Mandalorian clans and this one was a racer’s go-to. Walking toward it, it was pretty obvious why a Mando like Ruus would own such a ride.

“Guessing the green and red paint job is to go with your beskar’gum and the— woah woah woah woah wait this ain’t yours!?”

That question was as useful as asking your mother if she’d like your help washing the dishes after peeking round the corner waiting until she finished washing the dishes.

“Hey um dude I don’t think—“ Protest against vehicle theft and promote the Jedi code (quite poorly) as he might, Armen was rather unsuccessful in deterring this Jedi-Mandalorian-person-guy from hotwiring said vehicle.

By the time Armen was finished rambling he found himself standing like an idiot staring at an M-68 Landspeeder gradually going further away from him. The same could not be said for one angry Bothan. That guy was out for blood and one young man had plenty of it.

“YOU DARN DIRTY DRUKHEADS!” Bothan’s boulder of a fist shook like a mighty…boulder. “I’LL HAVE YOUR THIEVING BALLS AND YOUR BROTHER’S TOO”

“Wait what? He’s not my brother, I hardly know—“

Armen’s would-be sibling called out just then for him to climb aboard and the former wasn’t willing to stand on ceremony. He took off running in a fist-pumping heartbeat. A natural sprinter, he didn’t even have to summon Force Speed!

“And I ain’t prison-proof!” Armen insisted as he jumped into the passenger’s side like a dog named Beans. “How’d they let you in the academy anyway? Yo yo take that left—I mean the right—NO NO I mean left.”

Yep, we’re screwed.

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Man, this kid was fast! He surpassed Ruus'all's expectations completely as the kid hopped into the speeder while the Bothan screamed insults and threats.

"I'll bring it back! I promise!" Ruus said before ducking abruptly as the Bothan had actually fired a red hot blaster bolt in their direction. Or maybe not- the paint job suits me better anyways, heheh. He chuckled to himself before realizing that Armen was still there, protesting against his slightly unethical choices- but ethics were just one giant loop-hole that not even the Grandmaster could unravel.

"Uh, I was adopted into it by another Jedi Knight. We used to do bounties together and offered to train me even before I joined the Jedi Order. His name is Russel Monti, and probably one of the coolest cats out there- besides me of course." He said as he quickly got the speeder up to speed, swerving and gliding through the streets to get to that restaurant to find Beans.

The Bothan's words then began to repeat themselves in Ruus'all's head- thieving balls and your brother's, too. Ruus mused the thought for a bit before his master, Russel Monti appeared in his head giving Ruus his reoccurring lecture about becoming a teacher. While the Mando-Jedi began thinking about potentially teaching Armen, he passed the restaurant without even glancing at it.

"Damn it- that was Folly's wasn't it? No worries. Evasive manuevers!" Ruus swung the speeder into a hard u-turn, narrowly avoiding other speeders in the process but otherwise was success nonetheless. When he got to the diner, he pulled over in the next-door alleyway, partially because that's where dumpsters would be where they could find Beans, and partially so they stayed out of sight from any authorities.

"Alright, Beans. You can hide, but you can't run...or whatever." Ruus said, shutting the landspeeder off and jumping out to look for the little puppper.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Russel. Ruus’all. The names repeated in Armen’s head like a barking dog. Was it just a coincidence that those names sounded similar? As much of a coincidence that this ride matches one Mando’s color scheme maybe.

Now certainly wasn’t the time to dwell on relationships, however, except where one dog was concerned. One blaster-toting Bothan (similarities ensue) was at a safe distance away now which left just one (cool) cat beside a man maybe a few years younger. Who knew how long the pair would last together?

“I sure hope we find Beans before the cops find us,” Armen sure hoped as he unfastened the seatbelt he had been squeezing back during that U-turn. Ruus was already hopping out of the speeder while his counterpart moved like they still had all the time in the world, natural sprinter notwithstanding.

“Oh crap,” Armen looked down at the dirty alley ground. “Yep, that’s pork, and I think those are onions.” The slab of meat he had just stepped on looked freshly thrown out. “Beans never did like onions. Might be he toyed with it then moved along?”

Armen realized he was following a trail after the fourth or fifth bone strewn in a row. “Wonder where this leads…” Further away from the street and to an alleyway junction, evidently.

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

"Well considering the Bothan shot at us while screaming at us, other people in the area are either gonna think he was shooting at two brothers trying to get away from him, or side with the Bothan because we barrowed his M-68. The cops are gonna have one hard-as-hell of a time trying to figure it out, so we've got about an hour or so to find Beans before they clear everything up." Ruus explained nonchalantly.

Then he sighed a bit, remembering that he was a Jedi Knight. The Mando had to be responsibilities now! The example Ruus was giving probably wasn't the best one for the Padawan either, but it wasn't that big a deal. It was just one speeder! Well, there had been more in the past, but that was before he was a Jedi- he could sneak the landspeeder back into the park and the hitch a ride in Vendetta III get off Coruscant and stay away for a while and maybe give his beskar'gam a new coat of paint, just in case.

Armen really loved his dog as he described Beans' personality and what he disliked and preferred- Ruus got an idea. "Hey, this would be good time to use the Force!" Ruus nudged Armen with his elbow. "You've got a connection with Beans- try and use that or something and see where it takes us. Worse case scenario, we get a little closer to Beans than we were before." He explained. If Armen could at least sense the animal's presence, then they could find the right direction to search in.

"It's worth a shot."

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Armen stared down the two alleyways that split from the main one they were in, each one poorly lit amid shadows to swallow two brothers whole like the maw of a Sarlacc. Only we’re not brothers. Except maybe brothers of the Order? Good golly molly that sounds lamer than a one-legged bantha.

“Use the whaty-what and connection with the who-who?” He scratched his head as vigorously as Beans scratches his butt. “Oh, right, yeah, I’m a Jedi Padawan protecting the light with my nonexistent lightsaber and yaddy-blah-blah.”

It was Armen’s turn to sigh as he halted his walk just before the forked alley. He looked left, looked right, waved a hand for Ruus to shut up if he hadn’t already so that the Padawan could concentrate on the something-something he shared with his dog.

“I was always better at flinging plates against the wall than sensing animals I mean it’s not really my forte and c’mon it’s a dog and shut up shut up shut up I think I sense something!”

He breathed in, breathed out, slow and steady just like Master—crap what his name again?—taught him. “I sense…I feel…I feel…”

There was air between his fingers, first cool then warm then somehow both at once. Armen heard horns blaring behind him but no sirens; saw the interior of Folly’s behind his eyes and the piss-stained apron of its owner; smelled the pork patty grease smothered to the bottom of his sneaker; felt the fur of his dog and—

“It’s this way. Come on!” With that, Armen took off running down the left alleyway in front of Ruus, stopped, doubled back. “Nope, nope, my bad, it’s this way. Yep, I’m sure of it.” Went with the right path instead and hoped to the stars that it was the right path.

“So you seem to know a bit about crime and cops, huh?” Armen shrugged while following a trail of chicken bones or something such. “More than the average Mandalorian Jedi speeder thief, anyway.”



@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

"I was a bit of a wild child growing up. That was when Clan Solus wasn't up on the high-roads taking out human traffickers though. Stuff changed quick." He chuckled as he followed the kid who Ruus trusted to be on the right path as well.

Armen was a pretty well rounded kid, and Ruus found himself liking him more and more the longer they hung around each other- almost two dogs sniffing each other's butts. But less weird.

Ruus hadn't been paying attention to the bird bones until he crushed one under his boot.

Then it clicked and Ruus'all bolted forward, "C'mon, kid! Bird bones and bad for dogs! They get stuck in their throats and choke 'em out- Letsgo letsgo!!" He called out seriously. Ruus couldn't imagine the pain Armen would feel if they were too slow and couldn't save the dog in time- hopefully Beans was alright, and if not, Ruus was a practiced learner of Force Healing and would do everything in his power to make sure the dog would be as happy as he looked in the picture Armen showed him.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

“Man I wish I had a clan…” Armen mumbled. That was the thing that stood out most in Ruus’ tale of his family’s heroism—the mere fact that they were called Clan Solus instead of just the Westylls. But not even that. Just Westyll. You’re not ‘the’-anything unless you’re known, it is known. But oh well who cares all Westyll really needed was Beans and everyone loved Beans so cool beans.

But Beans might not be around for much longer to be loved if those bones made him choke his life out like a Sith’s fingers around the throat. Ruus was well on target with that warning and it wasn’t one that his partner would dismiss.

“You know…” Armen pondered as he thought further on those bones. Chicken bones, bird bones, bantha bones—whatever-bones. It wasn’t what they were that worried him so much as where they were and how many they were. “Dude…um…these are a druk-ton of bones for my dog to have sucked dry like this…”

Hurry along as they did, Beans’ owner could not help but glue his gaze to the discards of meal after meal. The scattered trail of beastly remains led the pair deeper and deeper into the dim dank alley and that’s when it hit him like a speeder.

“rrrrRRRrrrroooaaaAAOOOHHHHhhhh”

The guttural growl, beastly in a whole different way, came from the dark distance ahead, and it sure did not sound friendly.

“That…that was no bark…not a dog…”

With an uncomfortable swallow as though there was a lump of pork in his throat, Armen exchanged a look with his more muscular and much more Mandalorian counterpart, suddenly glad that the guy was right there beside him.

“…That wasn’t Beans…”


@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus'all was slightly taken aback by the strange feral noises coming from the dark smelly alleyway. Instinctively, Ruus grabbed his lightsaber and ignited the teal blade so it lit up the darkness in a light blue- almost white -shine.

"Alright, mongrel. You wanna dance? Let's dance!" He shouted as he forced his fist forward, sending a plume of fire in the direction coming from the yowls. The greatest thing about being a Force user was that you didn't need to worry about forgetting to bring your flame thrower.

You were the flame thrower.

After his usage of Pyrokinesis, he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be looking for Beans, and facepalmed before patting Armen on the shoulder apologetically.

"Yeah, uh, let's bounce. I think I got it pretty good." He deactivated his lightsaber and ushered the kid to get a move on.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

The yearning yowls had come from some shadow within shadows, a poetic parallel that sent shivers up and down Armen’s spine, but then there was light. First blue then white, like a star’s sheen upon an ocean, and then there was fire, brilliant and blazing and brilliant.

Armen always hated poetry class, having skipped many lessons to smoke leafies with the ladies, but right there before his eyes was the painting of the person that the Jedi Order demanded he become. A...Jedi... Maybe it was time to stop skipping those lessons?

After turning the ferocious beast into toast, Ruus was yanking his partner along as though the dance had ended without a song. Armen made a mental note to sign up for the Burn Things Up course when it clicked as to who he was looking at.

“Yo! That was ace! Was that Fire 2 you cast or something? I need that. Hey, you need a Padawan? I…lost…my other master.”

Hopefully the question wouldn’t halt Ruus in his tracks. Armen was using his surging excitement to pick up the pace. The beast was dead but wherever Beans was, well, he better not be. If he is I'll kill him.

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus felt popular all of a sudden as Armen began asking about the Mando-Jedi's ability with Pyrokinesis. Then, the kid expressed his need for a master- and Ruus'all, ironically, wanted to be that master just as Armen had asked him to be. Ruus'all had been super reluctant about taking an apprentice, but Armen was awesome, and Ruus would rather spend his time with this kid than most of the other options he had.

"Hell to the yeah, man! I'll teach you everything I know and more- but we gotta catch that dog of your first. He owes me a snuggle!" Ruus exclaimed as he continued onward past the toasty beast wasn't as scary as the Mando had thought it would've been. Poor thing looked like an overgrown cat- which...didn't really phase the guy. He never had a thing for cats.

There was this unspoken agreement that Ruus'all and any feline creature he came across were automatically the greatest of enemies.

Good thing Armen was a dog person.

As they continued forward on the path, Ruus'all sensed the presence of another animal, but this one was confused, lost, and scared all at once.

"Yo! I think I feel your dog through the Force, or whatever- try establishing that connection again just to be sure- it might just be another stray."

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music [OOC]

“We’re close!” The Force was strong with this one—and his dog too. Well, they were always close, but right now it was kind of like the sensation of knowing that someone was around a corner without even seeing them.

“He can’t be far! I can feel it!” Reaching another junction, Armen halted his newfound master so as to find his bearings, sniffing down that dirty alley and this dreary one as though Beans was sniffing his own master's shoes all over again.

“ROH!-ROH!”

The barking came from the balcony above! “BEEAA— Oh no my bad wait wait that one’s too fat. Dang, sir, is that a dog or a bantha!?”

“I’LL HAVE YER BALLS FOR BREAKFAST” Cried a strikingly familiar Bothan who began to throw potted plants at the pair. Then it was Armen’s turn to yank Ruus onward. “RUN!” The former had not learned Force Catch yet!

Onward they ran, darting down the backstreet as a pair of backstreet Jedi and backstreet boys. Whatever that meant, Armen could care less, his heart throbbing with the thunder of chariots of fire.

“WOOF-WOOF!”

Springing from the shadow…leaping into the light…was . . .

“BEEEEAAAAAAAAANNNNSSSS!!” Armen Westyll cried as he lunged for his best friend. It happened so fast but might as well have been in slow-motion like in that one holofilm called Sith Samurai: Slow-Motion!

There they were, man and dog, about to have a huge hug! Except Beans went flying right past Armen to land in some other guy’s arms. The younger man whipped around as though a record had just scratched.

Beans had found a new friend, greeting the Jedi Mando with Force Lick! It was all Armen could do to smile and laugh and join in as man and dog shared a moment…and the other man shared it too!

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus was not ready for the sudden attack from the furry friend and fell on his butt. The dog even managed to get underneath his helmet so he could lick Ruus'all's face!

The Mando-Jedi couldn't help but laughed as the licking was both a surprise and ticklish one at that. Finally, the dog stopped and padded over to his owner; Beans was such a freaking cute dog and Ruus'all was so glad he was able to reunite him with Armen.

"Well boys..." Ruus said, standing up and wiping his face and helmet off from the dog slobber.

"Lets get you two out of here- before that Bothan gets my balls, heheh." Ruus giggled like a little kid as he patted the kid on the back.

@Die Shize