Ask We're (Not) On A Boat

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan awoke from one of his most pleasant naps in recent memory, covering a yawn and stretching. The life of a Jedi rarely left time for leisure, so the Togruta had jumped at the chance to go on a beach getaway with a few other Padawans. That was how he'd ended up on a sandy island on a tropical world, with both stomachs full and the warmth of the sand and the midafternoon lulling him to sleep on the beach. His clay-colored skin still felt a little warm where it had been exposed to the sun, even after the sun had vanished beneath the horizon; a welcome guard against a sudden cool night breeze.

The sun had set.

Ruzaan was suddenly much more awake, time suddenly a concern. The Togruta grabbed his beach towel and scampered towards the northeastern end of the island, dodging other tourists and partygoers as he went. Bare feet kicked up sand as he tried not to look as worried as he felt; the final transport to the mainland left at sundown, and he'd be stuck on the island all night if it had already left. That in itself wasn't the end of the world- the island's attractions and bars never closed- but he'd deliberately packed light and had only a few credits to go with the swimsuit he was wearing, and his oversized beach towel. Still, as he ran Ruzaan held onto the hope that he could still make the final boarding call. Then, he rounded the corner and the dock came into view, and the Togruta's shoulders sagged in disappointment as he realized that he'd missed the boat. The twinkling lights of the ferry were already several hundred feet away and getting more distant by the second.

A split second later, Ruzaan had ditched his towel and was sprinting into the surf in a desperate attempt to swim out after the boat.

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

As much as Lia enjoyed training at the temple and with her master in general, she also enjoyed her little times off with some other padawan. The day at the beach had been a blast and she couldn't remember a time in which she had laughed that often and wholeheartedly, but it was nice to be back to fun.

As the sun was setting, she was still wearing her colorful dress as a cover up for her floral bikini, but it was still pleasantly warm so that she didn't freeze at least even though her hair was still a little damp. Her skin was still covered in sand and the dried salt water still left a slightly dry feeling, but over all she just felt great and was in a fairly good mood again.

The thing about the mood changed though as she finished the fun volleyball tournament with the local teens and suddenly realized that she had to get going real fast!!! "Kriiiif...the time! That was fun guys!! I'll see you on TokTik!". With that, she began to run, hastically grabbing her belongings and then dashing towards the ship, but even after the first meters she began to realize that something was wrong.

"Nooo no no", she mumbled under her breath as she sprinted towards the bay, but by squinting she could already see that the ship had departed without her in the distance. She slowed down and broke into a jog, her facial features changing into desperation as she stared at the ship wide-eyed. She finally stopped as she reached the short where another padawan was trying to catch up with the ship, which actually brought a smirk to her lips. She was not alone at least! "Ruuuuz!", that was his name, right? "Waiiit. We're too late...". She let out a sigh as she began to catch her breath, stemming a hand in her hip. "Oh my...I can't believe that happened...I mean I'm glad I'm not the only one, but on the other hand I feel bad we are both stranded here".

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

About 20 meters into his desperation swim, Ruzaan's montrals registered that someone was calling his name from the shore somewhere. A final glance at the ferry- now even further in the distance- and the Togruta admitted defeat and began his swim of shame back to the beach.

Due to the lights on the island being behind Liana, Ruzaan couldn't identify the girl until he got closer. He must've cut a strange sight- breathing hard from his swim and squinting in her direction while emerging from the surf- but with his initial fear of missing the ship settling into the definite certainty that he had missed the ship, he didn't much care.

As one of the more experienced Padawans, he sometimes felt isolated from the more recent recruits that had joined the Order. Most of the friends he'd made as a Padawan were Knighted, dead, or had left the Order, leaving him with few close relationships amongst his fellow Padawans. His frustration- both at this nagging, unspoken sensation, as well as the helplessness he felt about missing the boat- wasn't helped by the fact that he continued to draw a blank as to the girl's name. "Sorry... you're going to have to help me" he said, beginning to towel himself dry and trying to hide the edge in his tone stemming from things far outside of the girl's control. "What's your name?"

He didn't ask the other question on his mind, and hoped that she wouldn't either because he had no answers. And what do we do now?

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

To say she was relieved after seeing the other padawan was an understatement. Ever since the 'incident', she sometimes found being alone difficult. She had never found a particular liking in solitude and the time as a slave and captive had worsened that.

She had not interacted with the other padawan before, even if she knew countless people and had always been with the Order, but it mattered little. Lia was always quick and eager to meet new people and start new friendships, so even in this slightly hopeless situation, she was excited to spend the evening with him. "I'm Lia! It's nice to meet you! I picked up your name earlier", she explained with a soft grin, letting him catch his breath for now while she glanced around. There was still a but going on, but the beach was definitely less busy now.

Empathetic as she was, she could see how the other padawan was struggling a little. The only thing that kept her from being frustrated was the fact that she was still glad she had run into him and that they were in the same boat...or well, actually not in the boat, which was their core problem, but metaphorically speaking it was true.

"It's okay! You don't need to worry. Like honestly. You're not alone. I'm stranded here go and I feel like we will have to wait for the first ferry tomorrow morning, but that's not too bad. We'll be home in no time" If Liana was good with one thing, it was encouragement, and yes, that even after she had been forced to move on from her unapologetically optimistic naivety she had had months ago. Her little detour into the criminal world had taught her a lot, but she was refusing to let a fellow padawan down. "How about we look for dinner? I still have a few credits on me and we have to wait until sunrise", she suggested, offering him a warm smile while hoping she had managed to soothe him a little,

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Lia. Well, that was one question answered. The girl continued on, trying to encourage him to see the positives in their situation, and Ruzaan realized with a pang that he recognized something of a kindred soul in Lia. The optimism, the encouragement... a chill ran through the Togruta as he realized that somewhere along his tenure as a Padawan, he'd stopped looking on the bright side of things.

Ruzaan chewed his lip in embarrassment as he realized that he'd let his frustrations get the better of him. It wasn't fair to Lia that he was stewing in the wake of the missed boat, especially when she'd been so nice to him in spite of that. His fellow Padawan's words struck a chord within him; he'd been looking at this situation wrong. He and Lia weren't stuck on the island; they'd been given an extension on their vacation.

First, an apology was due. "You're right" Ruzaan said, mustering the courage to meet Lia's dark blue eyes, his tone apologetic. "It's good that we have each other, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. I'm sorry for being angry, and I hope that we didn't get off on the wrong foot." It wasn't Lia's fault that he'd been grouchy, and she'd definitely helped calm him down.

The mention of dinner piqued the Togruta's interest, and he reached into the pocket of his swimsuit to check how much money he had left. "I have seve-" he began, quickly amending his statement. Apparently, one had fallen out during his swim. "I have six credits" he announced, wholly unsure of how much that might actually buy on an island like this; by his guess, not much, but he was willing to pool what little he had with Lia. Part of him recognized that he'd grown up too quickly, but perhaps tonight he could make up for some lost time. "What kind of food are you feeling like?"

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

It took another moment, but Ruz was finally seeming to get both, calmer and less frustrated which was a relief. She would have understood if he had chosen to remain grumpy for a while, as missing departure of a ferry was no pleasant experience, yet it definitely wasn't too bad! "You don't have to apologize, we're good. We screwed up a little and it's okay to be a little affected by that, but I promise we will have a great time. I am looking forward to it too". A sweet smile followed as she slung her backpack over both shoulders instead of still having it dangling from just one. The sun was now completely sunken into the ocean and vanished from the horizon, shedding a dark blue hue across the sky.

She pondered on his question for a moment before she started sharing her thoughts.:"Pizza is always an option!". She glanced around and scouted their surroundings for a second. "But I'm fine with anything. And don't worry, I should still have enough for us to survive on", she then assured him with another encouraging smile before she nodded to the wooden terrace of the restaurant just up the little sandy hill. "Shall we?". She didn't expect him to hesitate and so she went her way, still overplaying her own negative, slightly worried emotions by just keeping that smile and telling herself that being stranded in such a pretty place with friendly company wasn't too bad.

And they walked through the sand, she thought this all was a great opportunity to get the other to know better indeed, and so she started but curiously wondering where he had been all day. "How did you spend the day here?". She hadn't seen him that often, actually, but she bet he had had plenty of fun as well.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan felt a sense of relief as it appeared that his earlier grumpy mood hadn't scared away Lia, quickly replaced by gratitude for the other Padawan's company. Her willingness to work with him through negative emotions, her selflessness in sharing her money, and a shared love for pizza all made a positive first impression on the Togruta, so he hurried to catch up to his new friend.

Ruzaan tried to gather his scattered memories about the day as they walked towards a nearby restaurant, stifling a yawn as he did so. "This morning I went searching for seashells" he recalled, producing the one he'd kept for Lia to inspect. "After that I went snorkeling for a bit on the western side of the island." Lia probably had a much more exciting afternoon than him, and the Togruta felt a little embarrassed to continue recounting his day. "Then I had lunch, and after that I fell asleep on the beach until just a few minutes ago" he admitted, deciding to tell the truth. Come to think of it, most of his activities during the day had been solo ones, and he was looking forward to spending time with another person.

A sign instructing patrons to "Please Seat Yourself!" welcomed the Jedi to the open-air restaurant, and Ruzaan pointed out a table for two on the side closest to the beach. "There?" he asked Lia, before turning her question back around at her. "And how did you spend your day?"

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

With the other padawan's mood lightening up as well, it was even easier for Lia to maintain her levels of positivity. The pair walked up towards the restaurant and Lia had no idea whether it was good, but it didn't look too bad from the outside. It was an open seating area with Rattan furniture and colorful flower garlands dangling from the thatched roof. The scent that lingered in the air was a mixture of old oil and burnt meat, but Lia assumed that was fairly normal for busy beach restaurants!

She listened to her new found friend's accounts and smiled at him warmly as he mentioned the shells. She let out a fascinated "ooooh" as he offered the shells, her eyes widening in excitement as she admired them for a moment while he went on. "Oooo that sounds awesome! I didn't manage to snorkle today, but I bet it was breathtaking!", the pun wasn't even intended, but at the realization, she let out a giggle. "Did you see any cool fish?".

After walking up the little wooden staircase and heeding the signs advise, Lia nodded at his suggestion about the table near the beach and started telling her little story after they were seated: "Hmm...the day was rather busy, but the good kind of busy that made me forget about the time. I participated in a few matches of beach volleyball and water ball, went swimming, relaxed a moment while listening to music, made it to the second place in a sand castle competition and then I finished off with volleyball again...hence I was a little late to the boat", she then admitted with a chuckle before they were already approached by someone she noticed in the corner of her left eye.

"May I take your order?", the Twi'Lek waitresses tone was dripping from discontent and Lia couldn't help but to feel sorry for her. It was not that she seemed grumpy or annoyed, but there was a deep rooted sadness and displeasure behind the gentle, brown eyes. As Lia was still studying the menu and trying to assemble her pizza ingredients, she gestured for Ruz to go first. "You can begin, I need another moment".

@SlagathorTheUnknown

Spoiler: Roll

How good is the food: 3/20...oh no

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

"Want one?" Ruzaan asked, offering Lia a choice of the shells he'd collected. "I'm going to put one on a necklace, but I have too many." He was having difficulty narrowing down which shell he was going to use, so besides wanting to offer Lia one it would have the added benefit of making his choice somewhat easer.

The Togruta gradually began to settle into Lia's company- enthusiasm seemed to be the Echani's default setting- and he smiled at her joke. It had, in fact, been breathtaking- if one counted accidentally swallowing some water and spending the next thirty seconds spluttering for air- but he decided to simply nod in answer to her statement rather than divulge that particular detail. "I saw several unique fish!" he said, warming to the conversation. "And some kind of weird squid thing..." he trailed off as a waiter walked by. A nervous finger pointed at the tray while his nose wrinkled at the odor left in its wake. "I saw one of those."

Warm grey ayes found Lia's; a touch of concern present as he wondered if she shared his sudden uncertainty about the food in this place. There were no pictures in the menu, so he tried to imagine the best from each dish while listening to Lia's day. She'd definitely been more active than him, and he wondered how she had the energy to still be this cheery so late in the evening. "There was a sandcastle competition?" he said, slightly jealous that he'd missed out. "You did have a busy day! Which part was your favorite?"

Their conversation was put on pause as a Twi'lek arrived to take their order; melancholy tugged at her features, and Ruzaan wondered if it was appropriate to ask if everything was ok. But she seemed to notice the question in his eyes and fixed her eyes firmly on her notepad. "Want to split a pizza?" he asked Lia, when the Echani bade him order first. "I'll eat anything" he assured her, hoping that she was having a better time than him deciphering the menu.


@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

When the fellow padawan and newly made friend offered her a shell, her eyes lightened up further in awe. "Oh...wait, really?". She was just about to mention that they'd look great on a necklace while he said the exact same thing which immediately made her chuckle. "I'd love to! Thank you, that's really kind and I'll do the exact same thing", she added, letting her fingers hover over the whole assortment before she finally reached for a rose colored, shiny one. "They are sooo pretty! Thanks again". With that, she carefully put the shell in a separate, cushioned compartment of the outside of her bag and happily followed along, even brighter than before as a reaction to the sweet gesture he had offered.

"Oh that's so cooool!", she happily remarked as he mentioned the fish and other sea creatures, realizing once again that this day had been fully lighthearted, fun and wonderful which made Lia once again grateful. Admittedly, this end was rather unpredictable and still a little frustrating, but all in all there was no reason to be mopey.

The little squid mentioning and soon appearance made her wrinkle her nose a little at the smell before she couldn't help but to clear her throat. "Let's just...hope it wasn't the exact same one", the overall odor in this place wasn't great, but Lia wasn't sceptical just yet as you shouldn't judge a holobook by its cover and also no restaurant...by its smell? Well perhaps. She decided to find that out.

"Oh hmmm", the question he raised actually made her think for a moment. "The sandcastle competition", was her final verdict and she smile was back to her lips, however she added a sympathetic, "Oh no...I sorry you weren't around...the shells would have been an awesome decor. You didn't miss that much though...it wasn't as spectacular as I first thought". Her happier smile turned into an almost apologetic one and she was hoping he wasn't too upset about it, but she already knew the two ot them would have a fun night to come!

"Splitting sounds good", she glanced at the menu again, her tongue slightly sticking out before she made her, or well, now rather their choice. "Then we'd like to have the, uuuuh, recommendation of the day, please. Thank you!". While she still felt somewhat obliged to help the waitress somehow, she decided to let some time pass to observe first, but it seemed like Ruz had also realized that something was off with her. Right as their waitress turned, another waiter went past her with a pizza that didn't look too bad and so Lia was just hoping they'd taste alright, especially because in the exact moment her stomach began to rumble. "Oh...sorry. I had so much fun I forgot about lunch...", she softly chuckled before she leaned back with a grin. "Tell me...do you have any ideas what we could do tonight? Have you seen anything that still piqued your interest?".

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan was beginning to have his doubts about their choice in restaurants; despite the open-air nature of the place, he was having a difficult time explaining away the various smells that came from the food around them. Seeing one of the squid from earlier, which looked no more appetizing as part of a platter than when it had been alive, made his stomachs somewhat queasy.

The Togruta distracted himself by focusing on Lia's recounting of her sandcastle, managing a smile as she described the fun she'd had with the competition. He was having second and third thoughts about ordering food here, but before he could say so Lia had bravely ordered them the dish of the day to split. Ruzaan shrugged away Lia's stomach rumbling; having two stomachs made him twice as susceptible to that, and his would be having their own contest by now if he missed a meal.

"Hmmm..." Ruzaan thought aloud as Lia asked him a question, thinking back to his scattered memories of the things he'd seen and experienced on the island. Despite a very full day, Lia apparently still had plenty of energy; and now that Ruzaan had embraced the idea of a night in his fellow Padawan's company, he was determined to make the most of it.

Two ideas popped into his head. "I'd like to go dancing" he said, after a few moments' thought. Neither he nor Lia were dressed for that occasion, but he'd discovered a love for the activity on Naboo with Arctus and Clove and the thought of dancing in the moonlight greatly appealed to him. While he was still hesitant to approach strangers for dances, Lia no longer qualified as a stranger; she was fast on the way to becoming a friend.

The other idea he had was something easier to arrange. "I also think that you and I should have our own sandcastle competition" he suggested. Ruzaan couldn't keep a cheeky smile from breaking out across his face, and his eyes danced in mirth as his gaze met Lia's. "You can come in second place again!"

Then, their food arrived...


@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

While Ruz pondered on her words, Lia was brainstorming as well while letting her gaze wander around. At this particular part of the island - the little Port- there was not much going on, yet they could freely move across the whole island. They could even do star gazing, go for a midnight swim or explore the little town by night...the possibilities were almost endless!

As Ruz suggested dancing, her eyes immediately lightened up in excitement. "I love dancing! The last party on Zeltros was great! I think I've saw a little beachclub while passing through!". Given that they'll let them enter, that was, as they were not of age yet. However, the idea that followed was even more intriguing as Lia immediately noticed the challenging smirk. "Heeey now. I bet plenty of opponents. It will only be fair to warn you that I'm a pro", she playfully teased back, pretending to throw her hair in a arrogant manner before she started giggling.

The giggle, however, had to die down the minute their food approached, making the smells that danced around in the air intensify and drawing her attention onto the...whatever this was. With her nose wrinkled and her brows furrowed, she regarded whatever was on the plate and suppressing the immediate urge to shove that away.

She then threw Ruz a short, perhaps even obviously nervous grin before she reached out and actually took all of her courage to move the first slice into the direction of her mouth, but even the way the slice of 'pizza' bent down and the way the soggy piece felt like made her even more queasy. Still, shouldn't they be grateful that they could sit here being able to afford food under the moonlight?

Also, some measures had to be taken against this rumbling stomach that Lia could no longer ignore and so she bravely took a bite. The lukewarm, wobbly slice immediately dissolved in her mouth, leaving nothing but a weirdly sweet, still somewhat bitter and mostly fishy taste in her mouth.

The vegetables on top of it somehow tasted as though the had gone bad and apart from the smell, the odd consistency was gross enough, but then Lia remembered something. They were obviously prosperous and privileged enough to pay for a portion, so she forced herself to gulp it down in one piece instead of spitting it out, but the way her eyes immediately began to follow already alluded to the little gag that followed.

Instantaneously, there were goosebumps all over her body and her stomach was already rebelling against a possible second bite. "I...", maybe this was a local delicacy? Maybe food just tasted differently here? Or maybe trying to justify it was naive. "It's...uhm". She was literally lacking words. "Interesting. I...feel like it might not be my taste...". Now she was choosing extremely polite words to explain that the food was actually inedible. She had to warn Ruz somehow though...or would he maybe find a liking in such...exotic flavors? "As a waning, it tastes like it smells...but oddly enough worse-eeh intense. I mean intense". She stiffled a chuckle, slightly shaking her head. "I might try to grab a bite in town or so...".

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

As Lia smiled, Ruzaan breathed out the nervousness he'd felt while voicing his ideas aloud; as if they might draw criticism or be otherwise rejected by the Echani sitting across from him. The Togruta couldn't think of a good comeback to her prediction about a possible sand castle competition between them, so he just enjoyed the sound of her laugh.

The moment was ruined when the food arrived, and Ruzaan couldn't keep a flicker of doubt from crossing his face as the smell of the food hit him. He briefly locked eyes with Lia, enough to understand that she shared his concerns about how edible the food was as he listened to her report. Reluctantly, Ruzaan grabbed a piece of pizza, managing a smile. "Cheers?" he said, refusing to let her suffer alone in her heroic endeavor of trying the food. Being a teenage boy with not one but two stomachs, Ruzaan had plenty of experience with food. Spending time in the Jedi Order, with its kaleidoscope of species and dietary needs, had only exposed him to more.

The pizza was probably the worst thing he'd ever tried.

The problems started with the temperature. The dish had clearly been cooled and reheated for a while, leaving the texture inconsistent and tenuous, and the most recent reheating hadn't finished warming it up all the way. And where some foods exploded in flavor, a better term for this particular pizza was that it disintegrated into flavors; each of them more surprising and less pleasant than the last. Then, after Ruzaan managed to force down a bite, the aftertaste hit; sending him reaching for a long drink of water to try to cleanse his mouth of the horrors it had just endured.

"That's... unforgettable" he managed, trying not to shudder at the thought of going back for a second bite. How was anyone supposed to finish an entire pizza? He nodded in agreement as Lia suggested trying something else, piling his few remaining credits on the table and hoping they would cover most of this failed experiment. "Sorry it's so..." he sensed the waitress moving closer; no doubt to ask them how their first- and last- bites were. "Unique."

Suddenly, he had a hypothesis as to why their server was so melancholy; in a field where most of one's income depended on tips, how lucrative could working at a place like this be? For that matter, given that she was the point of contact and likely had to deal with a lot of disappointed customers, how much abuse had she endured? Ruzaan glanced back towards Lia, a slight panic in his eyes as he considered that leaving so suddenly would be very rude. "She's gonna ask us how the food is... what do we do?" he whispered. It'd been a long time since he'd been in a restaurant, so he hoped that Lia might have an idea for how to handle this situation gracefully.

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

Lia found it actually pretty brave of Ruz that he actually started taking a bite despite inhaling the same smell she did. Was he doing that so that she alone didn't have to bear the burden of testing whether that horrible, horrible smell also resulted in a horrible taste.

She couldn't help but to chuckle, deciding to take it all humorously instead of getting upset or dwelling on that awful flavor any longer, but obviously she had to flush it down immediately as well. It was good that she had gone for the menu, so that they had the possibility to even flush it down with a halfway cool drink, but this weird taste just lingered...

"I-eh...yeah. Unforgettable is fitting", she agreed, however she began sharing his concern for the approaching waiter. With her brows furrowed, she went through a few options in her head, but it seemed like she had to improvise immediately. "The food is fine, thanks!" She blurted out nervously before the waiter even managed to ask, followed by a wide grin and brushed cheeks while she taste in her mouth left her nauseous.

Catastrophe averted? She didn't even wait to check, but immediately grabbed Ruz' hand and yanked him off the table. "Oh no! Leroy is in trouble again! No time you finish off!". She left it all rather vague at this point and just started walking as if there really was a Leroy and an emergency. She threw the waitress an apologetic smile before she tried to bring as much distance between them and the horrible food as quickly as possible.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Thank the Force, Lia had a plan, and Ruzaan hoped that his face wasn't giving away their ruse as he similarly feigned concern for "Leroy". "Sorry we can't stay; have a good niiiight!" he called back over his shoulder towards the waitress as Lia grabbed his hand and they dashed out of the restaurant. Soon the smell of the ocean replaced the smell of the restaurant, and only then did Ruzaan come to a stop; his faked concern fully dissolved into giggles by this point. He managed to stop laughing for a moment until he caught Lia's eyes and began laughing again. It felt good to laugh.

"We've still gotta get you something to eat, since that didn't count as food" he said, after he managed to compose himself. Behind them in the distance, lights twinkling, was the restaurant, and ahead of them stretched the shore and the ocean bathed in moonlight. "Want to take the scenic route on our way back?" he suggested, indicating the calm shoreline. Wet sand squished between his toes while a gentle night breeze played across the waves; Ruzaan always felt more grounded when taking a walk in nature, and this way they could make their way back into the collection of shops, stands, and restaurants without being spotted by the waitress they'd left behind.

If Lia agreed, Ruzaan would set off along the shore, trying to think of a question for conversation in order to better get to know his new friend. After a moment's pondering, one occurred to him. "If you weren't a Jedi, what would you do?"

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

While it seemed like the little bite she had chewed and swallowed was possibly planning on finding its way back out to the surface, that feeling left, alongside with the strong nausea once they had finally brought a vast distance between them and the restaurant.

Lia let out a relieved breath as they slowed down giggling and started strolling across the moonlit sand. "Scenic route sounds awesome!", she immediately replied, happy to focus on the breathtaking scenery instead of what had just been before adding, "but we can't forget about Leroy" and breaking into laughter again.

She was really glad the improvisation had worked so well and so she had absolutely no objections in regards to his plan. "Food...yes food. Maybe we will find a food truck over there", she mused as she strode over to the wet parts of the sand. She tried avoiding getting splashed by the incoming waves, yet at one point one was higher and stronger than expected, so that she almost lost balance by getting her clothes soaked up until the knee.

The night breeze was definitely colder than the average temperatures they had had all day, but it was still mild enough so that it didn't make her freeze or anything. It only drew another giggle from the blonde before she thoughtfully pondered on his words for a few moments. "Hmm...I think I would have either become an animal caretaker or I would have done something with younger kids...they are so adorable and I just loved animals" - or living things in general. Hence, she was glad to be a Jedi because she saw herself as a protecter of all living things!

"What about you, Ruz?". She didn't mind chatting while making their way towards the city as Lia has always been the talkative, curious kind. Thus, she was even happier that Ruz seemed to be just like her in that regard!

@SlagathorTheUnknown

Spoiler: roll

Beach walk and possible complications 13/20, so that's fineee

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

After another round of giggles over "Leroy" subsided, Ruzaan managed to calm himself enough to actually think of an answer to the question he'd just asked Lia. The girl's enthusiasm for children and animals brought a smile to the Togruta's face- it was certainly in keeping with her cheery disposition, and he momentarily wondered if Leroy had been a pet or a child in Lia's imagination. He himself tended to like animals as well, although experiences on his home planet and more recently on Kashyyyk had taught him to be respectful of them first.

Ruzaan found his mind wandering as he thought about the trajectory his life had taken since becoming a Jedi. His tribe had been one of the more remote ones, with little to no contact with the outside galaxy. His life could've been spent in complete ignorance of the Jedi, Sith, AMS virus, Killiks... Ruzaan wasn't surprised to feel a slight pang in his chest as he remembered the world he had left behind. It was something he'd struggled with ever since joining the Order.

However, the more he thought on it, the more he was convinced that he was more satisfied with the path he had taken. His journeys as a Jedi had brought him to an ever-expanding list of new worlds, he'd grown stronger in the Force, and he'd made some very good friends along the way. "I'd probably still be on Shili, with my tribe" he said. "It's strange to think about how much different my life could've been if I hadn't joined the Jedi... it's rare that a male Togruta can use the Force" he admitted. "But, I'm glad that it happened. I've had experiences that nobody on my planet could even dream of, and of course I've met some pretty special people along the way."

The distant lights of several food trucks growing slowly closer brought with them more appetizing smells than what had been experienced earlier. Ruzaan guessed that they had time for one more question before reaching the trucks, but he was also okay with walking in silence and just enjoying the scenery and Lia's company.


@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

Liana's eyes softly widened while her smile broadened ever so slightly. Ruzaan was just another kind, beautiful soul and she was grateful for having gotten the chance to meet him here - regardless of how the circumstances had been an accident and definitely not planned by either of them.

They continued their relaxing, lighthearted and happy walk along the shoreline while the sound of the waves were a relaxing background noise. With each and every incoming wave her feet were washed over by the chilly salt water, but the breezy night air was still warm enough. The smell of the old frying fat had finally ceased and so the overall scenery was just breathtaking.

Lia carefully listened to his story with excitement in her features. "Oh...I mean I'm glad you're with the Jedi as well, but this thought experiment sounds exciting!", as she didn't want the mood to change, she wasn't going to let him elaborate too much. Thoughts about home troubled some padawan and she didn't want to force it. "I didn't even know that...but that's interesting. Have you ever met another male Torgruta who was force sensitive?". She thus wanted to now, cocking her head curiosly.

Liana maintained eye contact while talking, however her gaze flicked ahead every now and then, watching the outskirts of the bustling center of the island grow closer in the distance again. "There! Up ahead! Colorful lights...oh I bet there are many interesting food stands and friendly vendors...but maybe this time we trust our sense of smell and intuition?", she suggested with a careful smirk, trying not to dwell on memories from their horrid experience earlier.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Was it Ruzaan's imagination, or did he catch a brief flash of discomfort in Lia's eyes as he talked about his home? It was probably nothing, but it was worth being aware just in case something about that conversation was, in fact, troubling to her. In light of that, he decided to let her steer the conversation; not a difficult thing to do at all, given how much he was coming to enjoy her company. Lia had an active way of listening that made him feel grounded and present in their conversation.

"Oddly enough, yes" he replied. "But Councilor Zak is the only other one I know of." A flush of embarrassment colored his cheeks as he thought about the last time he'd run into his fellow Togruta. Now it was Ruzaan's turn to want to change the subject, which fortunately came with Lia's discovery of potential food stands. "Sounds good" Ruzaan agreed to her suggestion, shuddering despite himself at the horrid experience they'd escaped from back at the restaurant. He had no credits left, but that was okay because he also had no appetite. Even some rather tempting smells weren't enough to make him feel hungry.

"See anything you like? Er, Smell anything you like?" he hastily amended his question while gazing around at the several colorful stands promising different foods and other wares. It was, as Lia said, probably smarter to trust senses other than their sight when it came to choosing food. The place was undoubtedly touristy, but there was also a prevailing sense of ease and laughter that seemed so different from his usual life as a Jedi. Grey eyes flicked over towards Lia's face; Ruzaan had quickly come to appreciate how expressive it was, and it made him smile to see the lights from the market reflected in her eyes.

@LadyRen

 

[Liana Mason]

Lia enjoyed how Ruz seemed as chatty and her and that they had already had some beautifully organic conversations about a lot of things - from nonchalant, rather silly nonsense to some actual deep talk and somehow it seemed like it was easy to reach understandings with him. Lia was already grateful for having been able to make yet another friend along the way.

"Ooh...right. The Councilor. But oh wow...it's still remarkable that there are so few! It's almost like you're a miracle of the Force!", she happily remarked before the focus of the conversation shifted onto the approaching colorful lights and the countless, tasty smells that promised a much better food related experience.

The two made their way up the little slope, away from the beach and right into the bustling street. Lia's eyes excitedly darted from one stand to the next, quickly examining the goods offered before her dark blue eyes fixated a stand to their left. "Mhhh...burritos. Just look at them! They look fantastic and I can already smell the spices. Come! You're invited again!". Lia was someone who loved spoiling her friends and despite never having been rich or anything, she loved to spend money on those she liked.

She grabbed Ruz' hand and led him over, her dark blue eyes scanning the displayed sortiment. "See, we can choose the ingredients ourselves. Four are free, additional cost a little, but take whatever you like!". She beamed at him happily and Ruz would notice that the prices here were really fair. They'd get a personalized burrito with meat, vegetables and sauces of their choosing, but Lia would let her new friend order first and signaled that with an encouraging nod.

@SlagathorTheUnknown