One Cage for Another? (Ludia)

[Blair]

She didn't know it's name but the planet was called Bespin. She didn't knwo the place but the city was called Cloud City. She didn't know where she was, only that it was as scary as everywhere else she'd been dragged to. All of it was a horrible and grim place for Teeka. She missed being back home. The forests of Endor were so much more quieter and less dangerous. She missed her adoptive family, her "fellow" Ewoks she would dance and sing and hunt and play with. It brought back memories of the children, the woklings, she would need to look after and tell scary stories to. She felt as though she was living in one. ​

​

Teeka was a human raised by Ewoks on Endor until recently when she was captured by slavers. They in-turn had sold her to a crime lord who tried to make her into a 'private dance scene' for their customers. It was hell. Teeka barley understood anything they said or wanted, always having some droid, which she saw as a shiny angel, translate for her. Even then she often refused which lead to her being shocked or hit for the trouble. They still ferried her around in the hopes of having an exotic thing like her as a prize exhibit of sorts. It was only now, when she had the rarest of opportunities, that she escaped. ​

​

One of the guards was often lax around her when he was watching her. She'd noticed this the few nights he would keep eye on her. It was then she formulated the means of having him come close enough, pretending to be dead and forcing him to open the cage. From there she quickly choked him with her own energy cuffs before taking the keys and running. As a hunter she was good and sneaking around, even in the confines of a ship; especially one she was ferried in for the last few weeks. She'd managed to get out but only found herself in deeper trouble as she was somewhere she didn't know. ​

​

Her hands bound and nowhere to go Teeka only kept running through the alleys until her feet were tire like the rest of her. She stopped and sat down, catching her breath. But all the more the realization of how lost she was sunk in. She couldn't go back but she didn't know where else to go. She began to cry, despite trying to be strong. It was all she knew what do to now, crying and wanting her ewok mother to come and rescue her from the dark as she had all the time before. ​

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[member="Ringmistress Ludia"]​

 

[Nyx]

Ludia sighed and rubber her forehead, trying to stave off the incoming headache that was about to wrack her head. The Freak Show's ship was breaking down again, and they had to bring it in to get repaired again. Sometimes the Ringmistress was ready to scrap this piece of junk, and wash her hands of the headaches it brought her. But instead of doing that, she handed over the desired amount of credits to the greasy mechanic, whose gaze never went above the Zeltron's neckline. But she was rather used to that by now.

A few minutes later, she found herself walking through the streets of Cloud City, one of her Freaks by her side. Gunum was waddling slightly behind her, his pink flappy skin preventing other pedestrians from getting too near them. The albino greatly appreciated that, not really wanting to deal with the wandering eyes and hands for one day. She found that the hairless Ewok was a natural people-repellent, and she could see why. If she was anyone other than who she was, she would be disgusted as well.

As the two were walking, she found herself hearing a strange sound. It sounded distinctly like a young woman crying, and nearby. She looked to Gunum, who was listening as well.
"You hear it, too?" She asked, her brow furrowing in concern. The Ewok nodded. "Yeah, I hear it." He chattered in Ewokese, as he looked around, his beady eyes settling on a nearby alleyway. Ludia isolated the sound at about the same time, and followed Gunum as he waddled to the alley, and walked inside, spotting the girl.
"Hey! It's a girl!" He shouted back to her, not expecting the girl to understand him. The Ringmistress ran up, and a gaze of pity came over her. She recognized the state of the girl, for she once experienced it.
"Escaped slave." She muttered.

[member="Teeka"]

 

[Blair]

The sudden sound of someone approaching had caught Teeka's attention. She glanced up, seeing two figures coming closer, and scrambled behind a nearby garbage can. It didn't seem to help since the short one spotted her, pointing her out to the taller one. Both were odd but to Teeka everything looked odd. She hissed and growled at both of them, standing up despite her hands still cuffed before taking a few steps back. She gave them both very angry looks, obviously not recognizing an ewok without his fur. She only knew they were both aliens to her who couldn't be trusted.​

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"Pish ro cheka!" she said in ewokess, growling again. "Tusko meta no ruchi!"​

<Get away from me. Or I'll bit your noses off!>​

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[member="Ringmistress Ludia"]​

 

[Nyx]

Gunum and Ludia both blinked in surprise as the girl hissed at them in Ewokese, not expecting that at all. It had taken the Zeltron years to understnd the language, though she could only speak it to a certain degree.
The Ewok looked her over, recognizing some of her apparel as Ewok-made. He grew a small smile, and spoke to her in Ewokese.

"Easy, easy." He assured her, slowly stepping forward. "We're friends, we're friends. Listen to my voice." He was so relieved to find someone that fluently spoke his language that he had momentarily forgotten his hairless state.
"What's your name? I'm Gunum."

[member="Teeka"]

 

[Blair]

As the little one spoke in clear ewokees it became all the more clear to her that he was in-fact an ewok. She gasped a little, seeing the fact he was a hairless one, before glancing back at the pale woman next to him. And odd pair though again everything was odd to Teeka at this point. She knelt down, looking back to Gunum, as he introduced himself, while holding her hands out with her palms up. The look on her face made it unclear if she was scared, confused, or trying to draw the in for a surprise attack.​

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"Bo....bo tusak ni ve Ewok?" she asked, pointing at him. She then pointed to herself and explained "Mara we Teeka. Teeka burso weta. Bar rouchi me tao?" pointing at [member="Ringmistress Ludia"] .​

<You...you're an ewok? <I am Teeka. Teeka of the High Root tribe. Did that thing do this to you?>​

 

[Nyx]

Gunum smiled at the girl, walking closer.
"I am Gunum, and I am afraid I no longer have a tribe." He had left Endor long ago, and with it his tribe. In fact, this was the first interaction with something from his homeworld in years.
He chuckled as she asked if Ludia did this to him, knowing exactly what she meant. "No, no, I was born like this. In fact, this woman saved my life by getting me away from Endor."

Ludia decided it was time to come forward, and stepped up, a smile on her face.
"Hello, I am Ludia. Pleasure to meet you, Teeka." She greeted in broken Ewokese, hoping she was proficient enough in the language for [member="Teeka"] to understand her.

 

[Blair]

Not fully understanding Teeka had titled her head to the side at Gunam's story. An Ewok without a tribe? But then again, thinking on it, neither did she. Not anymore. It was a little sad thought to think this ewok had gone so long without a tribe until this woman had saved him. She she approached she Teeka took a hesitant crawl back, looking at her and then her hand. Obviously she wasn't easy to trust, giving [member="Ringmistress Ludia"] and more cautious look. Eventually she came over but instead of shaking her hand reaching out a smelled it like an animal. She stood and smelled her clothing before feeling her hair. She was examining her like an ewok would, even to where she checked to see if her hat was actually part of her head.​

​

"She look human, but doesn't smell like one." Teeka said in ewok again.​

 

[Nyx]

Ludia was a bit weirded out when [member="Teeka"] began sniffing and feeling her, but then she remembered that this was much how Gunum had treated her, only it was a bit weirder back then because of his weird skin.
When she mentioned not smelling human, Gunum chuckled.
"She isn't human; she's a Zeltron. They're much like humans, but a bit different." He was a bit hesitant to explain. How did he explain to this girl that she was dealing with a pleasure-crazed albino?
Ludia simply laughed as she took a hold of her hat, letting her take it off her head. She tried to think of how to say what she wanted, then gave up and turned to Gunum, a pleading look in her eyes.
Gunum, catching on, asked: "How did you end up here, Teeka? How did you get away from home?"

 

[Blair]

The term 'zeltron' was new to her. Much like hearing of 'human', 'hutt', 'zebrak' and the few other aliens that she'd encountered. She stopped after putting Ludia's hat on just as Gunum asked how she got here. She gave a little sorrowed look before looking around, as if expecting someone to show up. She seemed nervous about something, obviously it being to be re-captured by the slavers again. She calmed a little before showing both of them her shackles.​

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"Get this off me." she pleaded in ewok again. "They come and take me away from home. They kill everyone and take me because they say I'm 'freak'. They put me in flying box and take me away to be with worm. I don't like worm. He touch me. Make me feel sick. They put me in cage and try to make me dance. They hurt me if I don't. I get away, but they might find me. Help me. Please?' she said, now turning back to Ludia to actually ask for help.​

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[member="Ringmistress Ludia"]​

 

[Nyx]

The albino felt her heart melt as [member="Teeka"]'s pleading gaze fell upon her, and without hesitation began fiddling with the shackles. By worm, she knew the girl meant a Hutt. Those creatures disgusted her. Her parents had sold her to one at a young age, and had spent most of her life dancing for his entertainment. She had ended up choking the slug to death in his sleep.

Gunum was filled with rage at the enslavement of this girl. He was not violent, but the mere mention of slavers made him more furious than the hatred of his own people. When Ludia got the shackles off, he approached her, his face showing his concern.
"Teeka, would you like to come with us? We can take you to somewhere safe, with others like us."

 

[Blair]

Teeka gave little fidget noises as [member="Ringmistress Ludia"] bega to work on her cuffs. She was more worried she might make them tighter or something. But upon release she watched them drop to her feet before feeling how sore her wrists were. She looked to the girl and smiled, glad that she was the first one truly nice to her. She even did the favor and handed her hat back to her. And then when Gunum asked Teeka looked between both of them, a little anxiety in her eyes.​

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"You let me come with you?" she asked in ewok again. "Teeka come with Gunum and Zeltron girl? Where?" ​

 

[Nyx]

Gunum smiled and answered.
"To our 'flying box'. No one will hurt you, and no one will make you do anything you don't want to do."
Ludia put her hat back on, sighing in relief as she felt it's familiar weight settled upon her head. The Zeltron grinned at [member="Teeka"], giving a deep bow, her dramatic flair coming back.
"My dear, we will treat you like a queen; after all, who better to look after a freak than more freaks?" She hoped that her use of the word would help the girl feel more familiar with them, rather than scaring her away. The performer was used to dealing with slaves, and knew that if could go either way, depending on their hatred of the particular term their masters used on them.

 

[Blair]

Looking between both of them as they spoke to her in ewok Teeka felt all the more comfortable. She didn't fully know what the term 'freak' meant, but knew it had to do with people who stood out. A hairless ewok and a white skinned girl. Not to mention herself, a girl who believed she was a rare breed of ewok before learning about humans and how she really was one. It seemed she had more to relate to with them than anyone else.​

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She nodded and said "Go with you. Back to flying box. Go, we go. Yes?" ​

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[member="Ringmistress Ludia"]​

 

[Nyx]

Ludia shot to her feet, a wide smile on her face.
"Wonderful!" she cried as she turned, glancing back as she touched the brim of her hat. "Do try and keep up, [member="Teeka"] darling."
She strode along the streets, her ewok companions behind her. She knew the girl to be a human, but from what she could tell, the girl thought she was an ewok. She decided to play along for now, until she could figure out how to break the news.

As the albino walked ahead of them, Gunum leaned close to Teeka.
"You know, you're lucky you ran into us. Ludia is an escaped slave herself, so she knows where you're coming from."
When Gunum had met the Zeltron, she had been a wreck, barely functioning. It had taken awhile to coax her out of her shell, and get her to herself.

 

[Blair]

Teeka hurried with the others as they walked, keeping close with [member="Ringmistress Ludia"] while often looking back to make sure they weren't followed. She felt all the more anxious, worried there would be some last minute attack or jump from the slavers. At least she was among friends. Even as Gunum had mentioned that Ludia was a slave Teeka looked to her, smiling more. She now knew she could depend on them for real help. She reached out and took both of thier hands, needing to reach down for the ewok's, while simply saying "Teeka, friends." ​

 

[Nyx]

As [member="Teeka"] grabbed their hands and called them friends, Gunum and Ludia smiled at her. This. This was why she founded the Freak Show. A haven for outcasts, for oddities, for the ones people hated.

They soon came upon a number of the other Freaks: Gryyr, the Albino Wookie; Qalti, the Corellian Sword Swallower; and Thok, the Gammorean Acrobat.
The three looked at them, curious. Gryyr came up to them, and stared at the girl.
"Who is she?" He growled, the gruff Wookie regarding the girl strangely as the other two came up as well.
"Freaks, this is Teeka. She's one of us, now." She said in basic, then turned to the girl in question, switching to Ewokese. "Teeka, these are a few of my friends: Gryyr, Qalti, and Thok." She pointed to each as she said their name.

 

[Blair]

Upon arriving at the ship among the other freaks Teeka hid behind [member="Ringmistress Ludia"] out of a fear. More aliens she didn't know and were hesitant about. The large white looking hairy thing that growled at her. Then were was the pig-like beast that seemed fat and yet not. And the only other normal-like one even she wasn't sure about. It was one strange face after another. Teeka only poked her head out from behind as Ludia told her there names, Teeka saying "Hello" in ewok to them while still seeming shy.​

 

[Nyx]

When [member="Teeka"] hid behind her, Ludia grinned in amusement. "She doesn't speak basic." She informed the other Freaks. "And I think you guys are freaking her out."
The Freaks backed off, Gryyr going back to staring menacingly at the mechanics, Qalti to flirting with a Twi'lek girl, and Thok to doing several backflips. Ludia turned to Teeka and Gunum.
"Well, I can show you to your quarters."
She led them into the depths of the ship, the walls covered in patches and dents, and the corridors filled with strange sounds and smells. They came to a small room; not much more than a bed, refresher, and a closet. "Welcome to your home, Teeka darling."

 

[Blair]

Even as Ludia spoke to the others Teeka still kept herself hidden before walking off with her and Gunum again. She looked back, seeing at they went about doing odd things, wondering if there were more like this to be seen during her time with them. She stayed closed to Ludia, again, before coming to her room. She looked a little amazed by it before stepping inside. She cautiously opened the closet, making sure no one was inside, before feeling the bed. A push pushes against it, seeing how comfy it was, before smiling and lying down on it. She let out a little noise that sounded nice and relaxed. But then a low but apparent grumble could be heard, coming fro Teeka's stomach. She looked up as it grumbled again, holding her belly before looking to both Ludia and Gunum with an embarrassed look.​

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[member="Ringmistress Ludia"]​

 

[Nyx]

Ludia laughed as [member="Teeka"]'s stomach growled, and Gunum let out a small chuckle.
"Hungry, darling?" She turned to leave the room. "Simply follow me; we'll have the chef get you something."
Gunum snorted as he and Teeka followed, shaking his head. The 'chef' in question was a Sullustan named Dua, who scowled as they walked into the mess hall.
"What the kark do you people want?" He hissed as they approached him, narrowing his large eyes. Ludia laughed and told him to get some of the food for Gunum for the new Freak, which he reluctantly did. The food was a small rodent, which Gunum eyed hungrily. Dua plopped it on a tray and presented it to Teeka, scowling.
"You had better eat it all."