[MillietheWarrior]

(Rosie in Human Form)

Rosie wasn’t sure that coming to a cantina for the evening was a good idea. She was seriously re-thinking her choice of bars the moment the man at the door stopped her and her ‘pet.’ He’d told her there were no animals allowed. Rosie had looked at the man, then down at Teacup, her Rabbot and faithful companion. The blue furred creature had sat up on it’s hind legs, ears twitching. ‘I am her translator,’ Teacup had told the man, voice ambiguous. There was no way to tell if the Rabbot was a male or female, and Rosie had never asked; she just took Teacup as it was. ‘She cannot speak.’ The man had apologized a couple of times, and had personally led Rosie over to a bar stool. The Rabbot had curled up at her feet, it’s thick tail twitching slightly as it kept an eye on the patrons.

Rosie had managed to order a water, pointing to what she wanted even though she had no clear way of indicating that she didn’t drink alcohol. The bartender was fairly good at figuring out what she meant. The ivory haired woman, leaned lightly on the counter, foot tapping nervously against the stool. Teacup glanced up, it’s large ears falling against it’s back, before it wrapped the tip of it’s tail around her ankle in concern. Rosie smiled lightly down at her companion, waving it off with a sign of her hand. Teacup shrugged, and curled it’s paws beneath it, closing it’s eyes to snooze in the quiet thrum of the cantina’s busy atmosphere. Rosie, meanwhile, was leaning back against the counter, her eyes roving over the patrons. She tilted her head, curly hair falling over her shoulder, and frowned; there certainly were a lot of strange faces here tonight.

Normally, she didn’t make it a habit or a point to go to bars, or even go out at night. She tended to be very reserved, usually staying at home as often as she could and only venturing out when she absolutely needed to. Her inability to speak was a big deciding factor in her social life; who wanted a friend they couldn’t understand, after all? And Rosie was loathe to drag Teacup to all kinds of awkward social situations; it just didn’t seem right. Her red eyes strayed to a couple of men who were eyeing her from across the bar. They seemed nice enough, and one even smiled at her. Rosie waved lightly, though hoped they wouldn’t decide she was fair game to talk to; she didn’t want to have to explain that she couldn’t speak. That was always the hardest thing to do, especially since she had to have Teacup do it for her. The men, however, were not attuned to her train of thought, and instead, sauntered over in a small group. There were three in all.

Teacup lifted it’s head as two settled on either side of Rosie, smiling pleasantly, and one stood in front of her, arms folded lightly across his chest. “Hey there miss,” the one in front of her said. “How about we buy you a drink?” Rosie blushed lightly, not hearing the subtle hiss that came from the Rabbot at her feet. The woman shook her head lightly, and the man’s expression changed from good spirits, to annoyance. “No? What do you mean no? What, too good for us?” Rosie looked embarrassed, holding up her hands and shaking her head violently. The man’s expression didn’t change, and he stepped a bit closer. His hand shot out to wrap lightly around her wrist. The bartender was at the other end of the bar, and seemed not to notice what was going on; Teacup, however, did.

Without warning, the Rabbot shot out from beneath the chair and sank sharp teeth into the man’s leg. He yelped, and kicked at the creature, which jumped clear of his foot before it could connect. “What the heck is wrong with you?” he demanded, his eyes now burning with anger. “Sicking that freaky little pet of yours on us? Who do you think you are?” Rosie shook her head again, signing desperately to try and tell them she didn’t ask Teacup to bite him, and she was very sorry, but they neither understood her, or cared to. The man grabbed her hand again, and smiled darkly. “We can teach it some manners for you, if you like.”

[1]

((Blah. Terrible post. Sorry about that. Feel free to do as you please with the NPCs))

[Flame]

(Human Form)

One of the first things that Ijaat had learned from his mentor was that if you were seeking a specific person or information, the best place to start was at a bar, where tongues were loose, and gossip flew like raindrops in a storm. As long as you knew where to be and what to pay attention to, there was nothing that you couldn’t find out if you had the skills and patience to wait it out. Thus, today found him seated at the cantina, apparently engrossed in his drink, although his cup was barely touched, and even though his gaze was fixed in front of him, every other sense was on alert, carefully sifting through the barrage of information flooding in from all sides. He was currently hunting a bounty, and this haunt just happened to be one of the main hubs for gossip of all natures and sorts from across the galaxy.

Although he melted into the noisy, bustling crowd relatively well, it was discreetly noticeable that most people gave him a healthy berth (and wisely so). Even with his helmet off, revealing hair of varying shades of brown and startlingly blue eyes, he still cut an imposing figure in full beskar’gam, sitting alone at the bar. His expression was a mask of imperturbability, so well-rehearsed that it came naturally, although there was always the faintest hint of a scowl on his brow, perhaps another reason why people chose to steer clear of him. His look clearly said ‘leave me alone’, and all of the clientele seated in his proximity seemed more than happy to oblige.

Ijaat had been sitting in the same seat, almost completely unmoving, for the past hour or so without much progress, and had just begun to consider switching locations, should nothing else turn up soon, when there was a subtle shift in the dynamics in the room. As it was, he’d been aware of every person who had entered and left the cantina since he arrived, a necessary skill for a person whose profession dealt in faces. He’d seen the woman with the Rabbot enter and noted her apparent muteness, judging by the way she communicated with those around her. Ijaat had dismissed her as being inconsequential to his personal goals, and soon, paid her as little heed as he did to the wall in front of him. It probably would have remained that way too, and he would have left the bar without consequence, had it not been for the two men that decided to pick right here and right now to make trouble. Normally, he wouldn’t bother himself with resolving the petty issues which tended to spring up amongst civilians, but in this case, the young woman seemed either uninclined or incapable of defending herself, and it did not look as if anyone else was planning on intervening.

Slipping a coin onto the bar next to his untouched drink, he slid off of his seat before slowly making his way over to the unfolding scene, his gait smooth and unhurried. He arrived just as one of the men grabbed the woman’s hand, his expression and words less-than-friendly as he bore down on her. In a moment, Ijaat had inserted himself into the picture, not yet physically intervening, but using his presence alone as a momentary deterrent. One hand rested casually on his holstered blaster, a subtle, but very clear signal that said that he meant business. His expression was still unmoved as he appraised the two men, although there was a harsh glint in his cold, sapphire eyes which alone, seemed to cut to the bone. ”Is there a problem here, gentlemen?” His voice was deep and rich and friendly enough, but there was a hint of an edge to his tone as he regarded the antagonists. ”If so, I’d ask that you take it up with me, and not with the lady. It's quite unseemly for grown men to take advantage of an unwilling woman, especially if it takes two of you to do it.” The discreet threat in his words was now even more evident and there was a low, rumbling growl in his voice, although it was still veiled by a mild and somewhat pleasant tone, his gaze switching from one man to the other, briefly coming to rest upon the woman who stood between them. Once again, he was glad for his armor: usually that alone was deterrent enough to change any troublemaker’s mind, but if things should get messy, he wasn’t opposed to using whatever methods were necessary to 'deter' the men.

[MillietheWarrior]

Rosie saw the armored man before the three rowdy patrons even had time to turn. She watched him, eyes wide, barely hearing the hissing growls of Teacup, or the rumblings of the men as they demanded her attention. Her gaze was solely on the armored man. She squinted slightly, feeling as though she’d seen the armor somewhere before; it had a great air of familiarity about it. And then he was upon them, close, quiet. If Rosie had not seen him coming, she probably wouldn’t have known he was there. The two men turned slowly as his voice, so rich and deep, filled the small space they occupied. Teacup had darted back to her feet, hissing at each man in turn.

The two at her sides stood from their seats, advancing forward a bit as the man in the middle turned and folded his arms. “Give me a break,” the first guy muttered, clearly looking unimpressed by the armored man. “What are you, a knight in shining armor?” He scoffed, looking rather amused. “Mind your business, cowboy, and mosey on out of here. We’ve got things well in hand.” Rosie didn’t seem to notice the three men any longer; she seemed fascinated by the man in armor. It was a strange, child-like fascination, the kind that wouldn’t let you look away, and had you wanting to poke at the object of your fascination.

Her breath caught in her throat when his eyes came to rest on hers, blue locking gazes with red for the briefest of seconds. She lifted her hands, and made a sign, clearly trying to say something as she smiled at him. Rosie seemed to have a very limited attention span, and the three men, she had decided, had been told off and were going to leave, even if they really weren’t deterred in the least. This strange new man in fascinating armor was enough to drive them off, she decided, and she wanted to talk to him, to ask him questions, to figure out why he wore that armor and where it came from.

Unfortunately, her signing was useless, as teacup was still too busy hissing and growling at all four men from in front of Rosie’s bar stool.

[2]

[Flame]

Ijaat did not seemed phased in the least by the men’s less-than-complacent replies; they seemed comfortable, assuming that being greater in numbers gave them an unsurpassable advantage over their lone adversary. For a person outnumbered three-to-one, the armor-clad man did not look at all worried about the possible outcomes of this situation. Instead, he let his gaze settle upon the man in the middle, as he seemed to be the leader of the small posse, judging by his cockiness alone. Ijaat never let his attention waver from the other two men flanking him either though, as despite the fact that he was not looking directly at them, he could still keep track of their every movement out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that the men were currently distracted by his presence and the woman in question was not in immediate danger, he allowed himself to focus directly on the problem at hand.

”I wouldn’t describe myself as such,” he replied dryly, his expression unchanging, although the faint scowl seemed to darken just a little, the only sign of his growing annoyance at these three arrogant men. He was not exactly notorious for having a great deal of patience, and he could feel his temper rapidly building to its exploding point. Personally, he’d rather not make a scene here, in the center of a bustling bar – after all, he needed to keep a low profile if he wanted to use this place for gathering intelligence again in the future – but if the men didn’t have the sense to back down while they were still ahead…well, they’d certainly get what they were asking for, no doubt.

”Now, I hate to repeat myself, but I’d greatly appreciate if you’d let the lady be.” His tone was cynical as he locked gazes with the first man, a challenge flashing in his sapphire eyes. ”I can certainly make trouble for you, if you’re looking for it, but I highly doubt that the officers over there would be all too happy about it.” He briefly jerked his head towards a point a little further down the bar, where indeed, two officers sat, now looking over somewhat curiously at the strange gathering of men and the single woman in their midst. Ijaat himself didn’t particularly care if the situation turned into a full-out bar brawl. It would be short and sweet, and it wouldn’t hurt for him to brush up his hand-to-hand combat skills every once in a while. He knew the laws here like the back of his hand, and as a result, he knew all the loopholes as well and exactly what he could get away with, scot-free. As long as he didn’t kill the men, he could use the fact that he was protecting the young woman as his cover for any violence that might ensue.

[MillietheWarrior]

The ring-leader’s expression turned into a deep scowl, and his gaze followed Ijaat’s gesture to the two officers down the bar, who seemed a little more than curious about the altercation than before. Unfolding his arms, the man jerked his head to his two comrades. “Fine,” he growled out, casting both Rosie and Ijaat similarly dark looks. One girl wasn’t worth all the trouble, especially not when two cops, a fully armored man, and a snarling rodent were involved. He stepped around the Mando, giving him a rather wide berth, as his two companions shot Ijaat disgusted looks. All three brushed past and meandered back over to their little corner to stew and grumble. A few of the waitresses sauntered by, and their moods immediately lifted, having found a few girls who were all too happy to return the attentions the men bestowed upon them.

Rosie watched them go with a frown, shaking her head. Her curly white hair fell over her shoulders, and she lifted her gaze to Ijaat, staring up at the man in the strange armor with an odd fascination. Teacup’s growling had not subsided, and it seemed that even though the man had essentially saved it’s master, it still did not trust him. And for good reason; it was not stupid. It knew what those things at his hips were; they were blasters, weapons, deadly. It’s ears twitched, laying back on it’s head; it didn’t want those weapons near it’s master. Rosie broke her stare with Ijaat long enough to reach down and haul the disgruntled creature into her lap, it’s forepaws hanging over her arms, and it’s tail whipping angrily as it chattered and growled at the Mando.

Rosie lightly tapped it between the ears, and Teacup instantly quieted, looking up at her with a forlorn look. She tilted her head managing to situate the creature so she could get her hands free, and made quick, rapid signs, her gaze once more sifting to Ijaat. Reluctantly, Teacup translated. ‘She says,’ it began, it’s voice penetrating the minds of both humanoids. ‘Thank you. That was very brave of you. My name is Rosie. What is yours?’ The Rabbot chattered in annoyance, wilting in the woman’s lap at having to speak to the man; but it was her translator, and translate it would do.

[3]

[Flame]

Ijaat’s expression never changed as the men reconsidered their situation, although he seemed satisfied as they made their disgruntled departure, his dark eyes flashing as he carefully watched them walk by, clearly still highly mistrustful of them. His hand still remained casually at his blaster, prepared to whip it into action should the men decide to change their minds. Only when they had finally skulked back to their corner of the cantina to flirt with the more-than-willing waitresses (he assumed they were going to get a generous tip tonight) did he let his attention drift away from them, his gaze settling upon the woman he had just ‘rescued’. For the first time, he got a proper look at her, and his gaze was curious, but polite as he briefly regarded her. To the three men’s credit, she was rather striking, he’d admit. Plus, not many people would be bold enough to sport bright ivory hair, a feature that alone, set her apart from the various mix of brown, black and blonde heads that milled about the room.

Ijaat’s attention was drawn by the angry growling which he’d been ignoring up until now. A quick glance showed him a Rabbot crouched at the woman’s, and a clearly unhappy one, at that. He paused for a moment, wondering whether the three men had returned, but then, after following the creature’s line of sight, realized that his blasters were the source of offense. He would have addressed the issue, if not for a voice suddenly entering his thoughts, startling him somewhat. All else aside, Ijaat was used to having his thoughts as a sanctuary, something that was private and couldn’t be intruded upon, but apparently, he was due for a rather surprising wake-up call. Nonetheless, he composed himself quickly, his gaze switching from the Rabbot back to its owner to watch as she ‘spoke’. At her words, he dipped his head briefly in acknowledgement. ”Just doing what any decent person would have done,” he said reasonably. ”I hope the men did not harm you in any way?”

”A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rosie, although one may have hoped for better circumstances. My name is Ijaat.” He paused for a moment, wondering whether telling her his real name had been a wise move; he generally went by an alias when he was on the job, but for whatever reason, his impulse had been to give her the truthful answer. Well, there was nothing that could be done about it now. Another sound of annoyance came from the creature now in Rosie’s lap, and once again, Ijaat glanced down at it. Well, seeing as it was her translator, he might as well try to make peace with it. Finally taking his hand off the still-holstered blaster, he let it hang casually at his side instead, away from the weapon. ”And you would be…?” He spoke directly to the creature, addressing it as an equal instead of treating it like a dumb pet. Obviously, since it was capable of some sort of speech and was able to translate for its mistress, it had a considerable amount of intelligence, and to neglect that fact would probably just get him put into further disdain.


{Sorreh…fell asleep halfway through writing this post last night x3 Curse Starbucks for not being open past 8:30pm! –shakes fist-}

[MillietheWarrior]

Rosie smiled brilliantly; this man n the strange armor was certainly…as odd as his attire. She looked him up and down, her hands lifting from the top of the Rabbot’s fuzzy head to make more signs. The Rabbot huffed, ears flicking lightly as it watched her hands, before turning an annoyed gaze back onto Ijaat. It’s ambiguous voice filled his head once more as is translated. “No, not at all. They were just a bit pushy; people like that should learn to be kinder to those they meet. Perhaps I would have been more inclined to enjoy their company if they hadn’t gone about their introduction in such an ugly manner.” Her hands settled once more on the Rabbot’s back as the thing hissed at Ijaat.

It clearly didn’t have any intentions of trusting him, or giving him any leeway; it seemed he’d already managed to make a terrible impression on the creature. Rosie seemed to ignore her companion in favor of making more hand signs. “Ijaat? That’s a terribly clever name. Does it mean something? I’ve never heard a name so…strangely exotic.” She seemed fascinated by him, but then again, Rosie was fascinated by anything strange or peculiar, and it was quite apparent that this man fit that category. Her eyes sparkled with the thirst for new knowledge, her encounter with the wayward group of men forgotten. She seemed to be able to instantly switch gears, a trait that came in handy when one dealt with strange looks, behind the back whispers and snide comments on a day to day basis.

Rosie was used to those kinds of things; she worked at a small clinic on the outskirts of town five days a week, and her inability to speak often led many of the more uptight or upscale patients to comment on her disability behind her back. It never seemed to make a dent in her personality, however, and she remained happy and patient, despite the often rude or hurtful remarks. Her eyes glanced down to the Rabbot on her lap, who didn’t seem too impressed at being addressed by the man with the blasters. If anything, it looked offended. It wanted nothing to do with him, but it’s mistress insisted on speaking with the man. Apparently, helping her out of a tight spot didn’t count for very much in the Rabbot’s book. It hissed, and turned it’s head away, though it’s thoughts drifted into his mind reluctantly.

“Teacup,” it said at last, a strange name that sounded more like a statement than anything else. Rosie shrugged one shoulder, her arms coming up beneath Teacup’s front paws and hugging it close. Her hands made more signs that the Rabbot’s eye followed diligently. “Don’t mind Teacup. It just doesn’t like strangers…especially ones with blasters….May I ask what brings you to town?” Her eyes shifted discreetly to the blasters; she wasn’t stupid. This man was here for a purpose.

[4]

[Flame]

Given the circumstances, Ijaat was inclined to find the Rabbot’s behavior almost comical, seeing as how its words (which were actually Rosie’s, by right) so blatantly contradicted with its apparent demeanor and attitude towards him. His dark gaze was certainly somewhat amused as he glanced at the creature, who had taken the momentary lull in the conversation to hiss rather venomously at him. He decided to ignore it for the moment, and instead, focus on his more receptive company. ”Well, there’s a fine line between being pushy and being rude if you ask me, and in my opinion, those men had definitely crossed it.” He spoke matter-of-factly, justifying his recent actions in her defense. If there was one thing that he hated (well, besides an exceedingly stupid bounty), it was women being taken advantage of. In this sense, he differed somewhat from his culture, where women were expected to be just as capable as men in the arena of battle, if only for their own self-defense. Ijaat though, believed that women should be treated with respect by their male counterparts, as they had much more on their plates to deal with than men did, in his opinion.

If he had dedicated his life to the upholding of that belief though, then his existence would consist of nothing but rescuing ‘damsels in distress’. So, he’d learned to set his priorities straight and focus on his job at hand instead of being sidetracked by distractions. Up until now, that apathetic façade had served him well enough…at least until today. He paused to reflect on that momentarily; Ijaat usually made it a point never to give more attention to those outside of his missions than absolutely necessary, but somehow, however unexpectedly or uninvited, this particular ivory-haired young woman had been an exception. Perhaps it was her ‘impediment’, but something had flipped that ‘protective switch’ which he’d been so convinced had been shut out of sight and thought, and had ultimately landed him in this somewhat awkward role of the knight-in-shining-armor, as the man had so aptly put it.

”It’s Mando’a,” he replied to Rosie’s question, somewhat startled out of his thoughts as he glanced back over at her, starting to get used to the strange, ambiguous quality of the Rabbot’s ‘voice’. ”The name means ‘honor’,” he explained simply, not exactly sure why he was so openly striking up a conversation with someone who was little more than a complete stranger to him. After all, he had a job to finish, and the clock was ticking. At the Rabbot’s statement, he wondered exactly what it had meant by ‘teacup’ until a moment later, Rosie referred to it by that name. Well, that was a unique name, if he’d ever heard one. After all, one didn’t often name their pets after china. Ijaat noticed the slight shift of Rosie’s eyes towards his blasters, which happened to be the source of Teacup’s aggravation as well. ”I’m here on business,” he said, purposefully vague. ”These are for safety,” he added, patting the holstered weapons at his side. ”Occupational hazards, personal safety and all.” He shrugged diffidently."So...what might you be doing at a bar at this time of day?" he questioned lightly. "After all, you don't exactly strike me as the drinking sort."

[MillietheWarrior]

Rosie tilted her head, watching the man with a small smile. She didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he was a strange or even a potential threat; she simply watched him, with that small, accepting smile that lit up her tanned face. For someone who hadn’t been in a situation like this before, she was taking it decidedly very well. Teacup, on the other hand, was still another matter entirely. Whatever it was about Ijaat that ruffled it’s fur, it seemed to be permanent. There was a deeply etched anger on it’s face, and it was bristling unhappily, still hissing venomously at the armored man in front of it’s mistress. Why couldn’t the man just take the hint and go away? Rosie, however, didn’t seem so inclined towards animosity. She lightly flicked the translator’s ear, gentle fingers pressing against it’s head in a silent warning to be nice.

Teacup glanced up at her warily, looking unhappy at being silently chastised, before it settled down in Rosie’s lap. It didn’t, however, refrain from glaring openly at the armored man in front of it. Rosie lifted her hands, grinning brightly as she signed away. ‘Mando’a? I’ve never heard of that before. The name sounds very lovely. Is it…part of your culture?’ She tilted her head, watching him with a quiet acceptance, as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ‘ ‘Honor.’ It…suits you, I think.’ Her eyes shifted to his sides as he patted his weapons. Clearly, he must’ve noticed her discomfort with the things, but Rosie wasn’t one to question someone’s motives; if he was carrying them, then he obviously had a reason.

‘Business, huh? What kind of business could be so very dangerous?’ she asked, honestly curious. Her eyes were open as she watched him, showing no animosity or suspicious, but only honest inquisitiveness. At his own question, she felt her dark cheeks light up with a blush, leaning against the bar and looking down at her shoes. ‘I-I’m not…’ she signed, wishing she could hide her face. ‘I just got off work an hour ago, and when I got home…I realized how very boring it is being alone for so long. I…well, I came here for a bit of socialization, but I suppose I attract the wrong kind of crowd.’ She winced, looking almost apologetic, as if she should be sorry she’d brought such an inconvenience to the cantina and, essentially, to Ijaat himself.

‘Sorry about that…Maybe…I should be going.’ She slid off the bar stool carfully, inching around Ijaat and cradling Teacup close before setting the hissing Rabbot on the ground. 'Thank you again...and sorry I got you involved.'

[5/5]

[Flame]

Ijaat watched the young woman with a mild curiosity: what he found so intriguing was the fact that Rosie had maintained her calm, even cheerful demeanor, despite the potentially dangerous situation which she had just narrowly avoided, and the fact that she was now conversing with a fully-armored man whose intentions she had no way of knowing. In any other person, he might have viewed it as sheer stupidity, but that didn’t seem to be the case here. ”Indeed,” he replied evenly to her question, ”speaking as a Mandalorian.” He was a little surprised at the fact that she’d never heard of Mandalore before, seeing how its inhabitants had a way of…getting around. At her next comment, he simply shrugged indifferently. ”A name is a name. I’m sure that my parents would have been happy to hear from someone that they’d managed to shape my character from a young age, though.” He seemed somewhat amused by the thought, his mouth quirking into a small half-smile.

Rosie’s next question was slightly more probing though, and Ijaat paused for a moment to regard her carefully, as though he could read her intentions like a book. She seemed genuinely interested though, and he could see no trace of any ulterior motives behind the innocent inquiry. While on one hand, instinct told him that he had nothing to worry about, common sense and past experience said otherwise. There was a beat or two of uncertainty before he finally decided to throw caution to the wind, although he was not entirely sure exactly why. ”I’m a bounty hunter; danger’s my job.” He watched her, unsure of what her reaction would be to his statement. ”I’d appreciate if you’d not spread that around though…it would make my work considerably more difficult.” It was true; if she blew his cover here, then he’d have to go through the trouble of finding a new hub for gossip that tied into his line of work. It would definitely be a tedious chore that might take anywhere from days, weeks, or months to do, and would doubtlessly set him back on his bounty hunting.

Rosie seemed clearly discomfited at his mirror question, if the blush which now tinted her cheeks was anything to judge by. Ijaat tactfully ignored it, acting as if he hadn’t noticed. ”I’m stricken that you see me as the ‘wrong kind of crowd’, he replied, feigning hurt as he tried to alleviate her embarrassment. ”It’s probably true though,” he added thoughtfully. ”I generally don’t make for very good company.” It was true; he wasn’t exactly much of a social-butterfly. The truth was quite the contrary, seeing as he was usually a loner and tended to avoid contact with others outside of his clients and his bounties. Needless to say, his conversational skills were a little rusty. ”Please, don’t leave on account of me,” he interjected as Rosie slid off of her stool to make her departure. He felt a little guilty that he’d inadvertently pressured her into leaving, and instinctively, reached out a hand to stop her by gently but firmly taking her by the forearm. ”I came to your aid in the hopes that you might still be able to salvage an enjoyable evening once those…obstacles were set aside.” He glanced over at the corner where the three men were now seated, apparently enjoying themselves with the sport of flirting with the cantina’s waitresses. He turned back to Rosie, gesturing at the bar around them, ”I’m sure that there are plenty of nicer people here that would love to socialize with you.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Rosie found herself standing awkwardly between the stool and Ijaat, the small space between them barely enough for her to fit. Her eyes darted towards the door; although she wasn’t exactly bothered by what had happened, she felt as if she was holding Ijaat up. Surely he had far more interesting things to do, and far more lively people to see. Teacup was already standing behind him, glaring at his back as if it would make him move a little faster. Rosie found herself at an impasse; on one hand, she wanted to go home and forget about her earlier encounter entirely. And on the other hand, she wanted to stay and learn more about this interesting man who called himself a ‘Mandalorian.’

His scrutinizing look made her a little uncomfortable; she wasn’t used to people openly studying her to her face. They usually tried to do it discreetly, behind her back. She wondered why he was so interested in her. Her eyes quickly fell to the floor, a small blush appearing on her cheeks, before his answer to her question made them dart quickly back up. Her hands raised, signing almost frantically; there was something akin to horror in her eyes. ‘Bounty hunter?’ she asked, Teacup’s ambiguous voice flowing freely as it watched it’s master sign away in front of the man. ‘I had no idea. I…I must be holding you up…You, um….’

She was trying to salvage the situation; his words didn’t strike her as fake, and when he sounded hurt, she took it as genuine. ‘I am sorry; you are good company. You’re a good person. I’m sure your not the wrong kind of crowd,’ she tried to reassure, one hand reaching forward as if to rest lightly on his shoulder. She seemed to think better of it, however, and quickly pulled her hand back. ‘I, well…I’m not leaving because of you…it’s just…’ Why was she leaving? It wasn’t this man, and it wasn’t the three from before.

Maybe it was the cantina in general; she didn’t like these kinds of places, and it had been a stupid idea to come here and think she’d find anyone less than savory to talk to. Besides, the looks on people’s faces when she started ‘speaking’ to them always made her relatively uncomfortable. ‘I…It’s been a long day, and this isn’t my kind of ‘scene,’ so to speak. It’s not you, I promise.’ She smiled somewhat awkwardly, tilting her head, her eyes once more darting towards the door. ‘Ah…well…I…should probably…be going….’

[6/6]

[Flame]

Ijaat saw Rosie’s reflexive reaction to his words when he mentioned that he was a bounty hunter despite her attempts to cover it up, and he had to keep from wincing slightly at her apparent distress at this new discovery. He hadn’t meant to upset her with the statement, but he certainly didn’t expect that it would have this strong of an impact upon her. ”No, don’t worry, you aren’t. But…” But what? What could he say in this situation? He wasn’t exactly accustomed to making conversation with others as it was, and he felt as if he’d been tossed in the deep end without any way to stay afloat. ”It’s fine,” he started up again, sounding distinctly uncomfortable as he glanced up at Rosie, struggling to recover his poise. ”I understand.” Which he did. He tended to have that sort of effect on people – if his appearance alone wasn’t intimidating enough, his occupation (when he chose to make it known) certainly had a way of getting people ‘in line’. Not to mention terrified of him.

Rosie was clearly uncomfortable in his presence, judging by the way she kept glancing over at the door, and…well…he wasn’t the kind of person to impose his company upon others. Even though he had been about to leave himself, he decided to wait around for a few more minutes, give her some time to put a comfortable distance between herself and the cantina before taking his leave. Stepping somewhat awkwardly to one side, he made way for her to pass comfortably by him, trying to avoid jostling the packed crowd around them. ”Well, it was nice meeting you, ma’am,” he said, feeling self-conscious. Generally, he could take most social situations thrown at him pretty well in-stride, but this just put him completely out of his element. His armor hissed softly as he shifted his weight, waiting for her to leave so that he could hopefully go back to doing something he felt completely at ease with, his job.

[MillietheWarrior]

Rosie was studying Ijaat out of the corner of her eye; she was fairly good at reading body language. She had to be, of course, when it came to deciphering people’s opinions about her. She had the distinct impression that her reactions were making him uncomfortable, and she instantly felt bad about it. She shouldn’t have acted that way; in truth, it wasn’t really him that was making her uncomfortable, it was her surroundings. She was out of her element here, and to be honest, it wasn’t often that someone like him stopped to talk to her. It was just the situation that made things awkward, not he himself. Rosie glanced once more to the door, and then back at Ijaat. She watched him carefully, not acknowledging his words.

Everything he said just made her feel worse about herself; he looked and sounded so uncomfortable and dejected that Rosie honestly felt like one of the worst people in the world. Of course, teacup could care less about whether or not this man’s feelings had been hurt; it understood the term ‘bounty hunter’ as well as it’s master and it knew what kind of danger a person like that presented. It would be best to get out of here, to leave and not come back, and to put a suitable amount of distance between themselves and this strange man. Rosie, meanwhile, was still watching Ijaat, frowning as she did so. He just looked so awkward and uncomfortable, she had to do something about it.

Shifting her gaze quickly to Teacup in a meaningful way that the Rabbot did not like, she quickly took one of Ijaat’s hands in her own, briefly lifting it to get his attention, before relinquishing her hold on the appendage. Her own hands began to sign, and she smiled brightly, cheeks slightly pink; this felt somewhat out of character for her, but Rosie couldn’t just let him stand here all alone. ‘Why don’t you come with me? The night is still young, and this place is rather lovely; the walks around here are never dull. I could show you around, if you like.’ Rosie wondered if she’d just made him even more uncomfortable, or if he’d take the opportunity to flee the cantina with her, and enjoy some of Idalani’s more memorable scenery. She certainly hoped it would be the latter; she would probably feel like an idiot if he declined.

[7/7]

[Flame]

Still standing there awkwardly, Ijaat let his gaze wander around the room, everywhere but towards the woman standing next to him. His hopes were that the next time he turned around, she’d already be gone, and he could put that somewhat embarrassing event behind himself and move on with his life. Just being in the social ‘scene’ was already something of a stretch for him, and definitely not in character. A job was a job though, and some sacrifices to his own personal comfort were necessary if he were to succeed in his line of work. Adaptability was key. That didn’t mean that he enjoyed being forced into the company of others though. Nonetheless, here he was…standing. Awkwardly. Of course, knowing his luck, he was always the one to end up in a disconcerting situation.

A few moments later, Ijaat chanced a glance over at where Rosie had been a moment ago, then jerked his gaze away once again just as quickly. Damn. She was still there. It wasn’t that he disliked her as a person; no, it was just that the earlier situation had made their proximity somewhat awkward, to put it mildly. He was briefly wondering why she was bothering to stick around for so long when he was suddenly caught by surprise by the unexpected sensation of a hand in his own, and he glanced down, startled, to see the young woman smiling up at him. He was somewhat confused by this sudden change in demeanor on Rosie’s part, but trying his best to play the gentleman, he took it in stride, studying her mildly inquiringly.

If her actions hadn’t surprised him already, her next words certainly did. Ijaat had to make a conscious effort not to mouth like a fish out of water as he struggled to find a reply to the unexpected question. On one hand, he felt as if she would be uncomfortable around him if he were to accept her ‘invitation’, of sorts, not to mention the fact that it seemed like it could turn out to be equally as awkward as the current situation right now. On the other hand, he had the feeling that declining would probably make her feel even more embarrassed that she already was. There was a moment’s hesitation as he wavered between the two choices before he finally settled on one, hoping fervently that he wouldn’t regret this decision later. ”That sounds like an agreeable idea to me…If you don’t find my presence too imposing, that is.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Rosie couldn’t help but notice how very awkward he was making this all out to be. Why couldn’t he just readily accept and save her the embarrassment of fidgeting in place while she waited for an answer? His quick glance towards her wasn’t helping either; he just made her feel even more uncomfortable. What was he waiting for? Another invitation? Rosie was only going to ask once, and the fact that he was drawing this out was something akin to mental torture for the poor girl. She was certain he was going to decline, certain she’d be standing there with egg on her face and have to make a hasty exit with her tail between her legs. But then he spoke, and his words seemed to startled her, though she tried very hard not to show it on her face. At his agreement, she broke out into a wide smile, nodding her head.

Words were not needed to show how happy she was; happy that she didn’t look like an idiot, and happy that he had agreed to come along. She wasn’t sure if this was a mistake, or if she would regret it later, but he had helped her, and she owed him at least this much. Teacup wasn’t exactly happy with it, and showed it’s obvious displeasure with an annoyed whack of it’s tail against Ijaat’s leg and a bristling of it’s fur. But it would do whatever it’s mistress asked it to, and her stern look was obviously meant to placate it. Rosie quickly grabbed Ijaat’s hand, tugging him towards the door; it was a very odd sight, she was certain.

A tiny, white haired woman tugging a massive, armored man out the door for a walk? They must look hilarious. But Rosie didn’t mind. She nodded towards the door, urging him outside, before she opened it and stepped into the cool night air. Her hands had begun to sign again, and she smiled at him over her shoulder as Teacup, who had followed her, translated. ‘It really is a nice out. How about we go to the falls? I hear they’re lovely this time of night. Or…’ She paused, considering his preferences. ‘We could go somewhere else?’

[8/8]