Do You Wanna Paint A Snowman?

[Josh Dragovalor]

If you were to ask Jedi Master Joshua DragonsFlame what his favorite planet was, he'd say hands down it was Naboo. But what wasn't there to like about Naboo? It was usually quite sunny and hot out, the water was fresh and clean, there was hardly ever a cloud in the sky, and the beaches were some of the best locales one could find. And he lived here. That was a good enough reason.

Sure, there were giant killer monster fish... And gungans. But Naboo was great, and it even had great cantinas. Like the one Joshua was in now, at a table at the corner of one of Naboo's local cantinas, gingerly sipping an alcoholic beverage, just happy to be back home for the first time in... Well, quite some time. He didn't need to wear his hood here, or his robes. People just knew him as Josh here, and that was all he cared about. He could talk to people like a normal person, unlike... Well, pretty much anywhere else. During his time in his self imposed exile, he'd gotten to know most of the regulars here pretty well, so they saw him like family, and he saw them as family too.

It was nice to not have to just be "the Jedi Master" for once. Still, there were a lot of people that he left behind when he left the Jedi Order and struck out on his own. Crazies, psychos, and even pink Twi'leks. Most of which he never saw again.

Or perhaps goodbyes were only temporary.

 

[Beowoof]

Tacitanya hated bars. Ever since she was small, the atmosphere alone of cantinas and similar liquor joints was enough to scare her away. There was too much that could and indeed did go wrong in such establishments--especially on her homeworld of Nar Shaddaa. Just passing by some of them gave her the creeps, and there had been occasions when she had heard the unmistakable sound of a blaster going off and she was off in a cloud of dust to wherever seemed safest at the moment.

But as she grew older and became a sort of watchman--as the Jedi might call them--the apprentice of the "good bounty hunter" found that it was nearly impossible to forever avoid the bars. If she was called to enact justice in the galaxy, then a noisy cantina was, unfortunately, one of the best places to start. And it had been proven thus far in her vagrant career that there was never a lack of trouble to be had in these places. She had already dealt with angry drunk ruffians on several instances. The fear never really went away.

Naboo had been an interesting place so far, however--very nice and peaceful on most accounts. It came about at lunchtime that she was directed to a quaint sort of joint near one of the many lakes that had good enough food for a good enough price. Sure, it was a cantina. But it was also Naboo. Maybe things would be different for once.

And yet the strangest feeling of familiarity washed over her as she stepped inside the door and made way to the bar counter. The short twi'lek had never visited Naboo before, so that made no sense to her. But there was just this itch that she knew something about this place. Or someone. Had she dreamt of it prior?

She could think on that later, though. She had just spotted the fish and chips.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The cantina was noisy, yes, but for Joshua, it was home. It felt so familiar, so comfortable, that he was happy just being here for the time being. Sure, there were ruffians and rough sorts, but many people here were like his new family to him after the time he'd spent socializing, drinking and making jokes with many of the regulars. So he didn't mind the noise or their ruffian nature so much, he was just here to have a good time and forget.

The young man would reach toward the fish and chips bowl, not really looking at it, but he knew the direction it was in. Thing is, he'd done so just when [member="Tacitanya"] would likely do the same, their fingers intertwining for a moment before Josh realized that he wasn't actually clutching fish and chips, but a hand! His head darted in her direction, and he could hear the sound of "Ohhhhhh!" Coming from several patrons, poking fun at it and insinuating that there was something more or less going on before the people in the cantina started laughing. Joshua gave a merry laugh in response, taking the situation in good humor before releasing her hand and bowing calmly.

"I apologize for that, miss. My friends can get a little... Irresponsible at times. But they mean well" He would speak politely. They had both changed, of course, and he did not yet recognize her as the same painter girl from so long ago.

 

[Beowoof]

There was the sensation of a much larger hand grasping the back of hers momentarily, then its grip was released and the echo of what sounded like a thousand jeering voices erupted, taking Taci aback and prompting her to withdraw her digits from the basket. She backed away a few steps, unsure of what the situation was. Use the Force... or something. Do what Asemir taught you. She was no pro at this. But she tried to get ahold of her composure and discern the nature of this outcry.

Some blond guy right next to her apparently owned the hand she had just met, and his face gave off a relaxed--though perhaps slightly embarrassed--demeanor. Apparently this was all in good fun, as he explained in his apology. "It's alright. Just startled me a little." Then she pointed at the basket. "That's not yours... is it?" Mentally, she began to prepare an escape route if that should be the case. Despite her courage in other circumstances, Tacitanya was still as self-conscious as ever.

She felt something familiar in here, oddly. Something reminded her of her painting--but there was hardly any art to be found in this bar. That was weird. So she brushed back those memories. This was not a good time to reminisce. "Don't mean to bother anyone..."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The young man would shake his head at her question. "No, it's the bars. It's free to take, go ahead" He remarked, chuckling. "If it wasn't, I wouldn't have reached into it either. It looks like she wouldn't have to plan out an escape route after all, and Joshua simply found the whole thing amusing.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the girl before... Somewhere, sometime, at some point in his life that wasn't spent alone all the time. Back when things were simpler, he was... Happier. Just looking into her eyes for some reason reminded him of those happier times, but he couldn't shake it.

Her remark simply brought out a laugh from him, and the blonde lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "No worries, you're not bothering anyone, miss. Just relax, everyone is friends here" He spoke warmly.

"I do have to ask though... Have I seen you somewhere before?" Josh would question, tilting his head. His curiosity needed to be sated.

[member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Beowoof]

"Oh. Well, that's good. I mean... That's what I thought." At this point, however, the twi'lek would not be reaching back into that basket, free or not. She had embarrassed herself enough already. No need to tempt fate for more punishment. Just order and get on with things.

Taci hopped onto a stool and took one last nervous glance around the premises before attempting to relax about it all. Everyone was friends here, he said. And, so far, Taci had found Naboo to largely be welcoming even if the people were a little private. It must be the climate. Or maybe the food, if she ever got to tasting that for herself.

And if she could quell that nagging sensation. The man continued to address her and asked the million-credit question for her. Apparently they both were feeling the same thing. But where had run into him? "I feel like I know you as well. But I've never been to Naboo before." She scratched an itch on her cheek in pause. "What's your name?"

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Joshua couldn't help but laugh, just a tad, at how flustered she had become. "No worries" He remarked, smirking faintly. He didn't seem to mind the situation, just took it in stride like he took everything. He was easygoing and laid back, calm and collected.

He would chuckle once she would hop onto the stool, and would think for a moment when she would ask for his name. "Hmm... I know I've seen you before..." He remarked. "Hmm... Well, my name is Josh" The Jedi would respond.

"What would yours be?" He inquired. It was on the tip of his tongue, he just knew it... But what? And from where?

[member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Beowoof]

"I'm Taci," she returned, eyebrows crooked as she tried to match the man's name with someone she knew she had met before. There was far too much familiarity in the air, and she could tell that he felt the same. Maybe if they shared defining details of themselves, they might figure out who was who...

Wait. There was something more to this guy. She was no expert in handling the Force by any means, but she swore she could feel that abstract sort of touch of another gifted person--someone like her. And it was the man before her. Was there a chance he was a Jedi? His silhouette in her memory became clearer with the moment, and she knew this was exactly the person she had met before. Her intuition had been correct. But she lacked the scenery to her recollections. Where had she met him? "I do know you. I know I do."

She was presently interrupted by the barkeep, and Taci timidly ordered her own entree of fish that was probably not fresh and possibly not even from Naboo despite the proximity to some beautiful lakes. But she had been told the food was great. And she had an old acquaintance to share it with. If only they could figure out how they knew each other...

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Taci... He knew that name from somewhere before. And by the sounds of her, she knew who he was too. But to put a name to a face... A face to an identity... He couldn't just feel it in his mind, but in the Force as well. There was something uncannily familiar about her. Something from happier times... Happier times...

"Taci, beautiful name" He would tease with a playful smile. "But... Gah... I know I've met you. I know it" He would admit, scratching his head. He would order himself another drink. It probably wouldn't help his memory, but having anxiety wasn't going to help either. He just sat there for a moment, studying her face, trying to pick out something he would recognize...

Then it hit him...

The painter!

"Wait a minute.... Taci, Taci, Taci.... You wouldn't happen to be a painter, would you?" He would inquire curiously. He remembered when he was with the Republic's Jedi... He'd met her on Coruscant, no?

[member="Tacitanya"]