First Reply The Monster And The Boy

[Firrerreo]

"You know what to do."

Firrerreo stared up at his Familiar, a calm smile on his face as he watched the fluttering batlike shadow. It shifted and changed, though, molding into the typical creature of this planet. Womprat. The teen was used to living here on Tatooine now, used to the heat, the people. The problems. Food was hard to come by for those without money. Worse, getting caught stealing even from trash was grounds for slavery. Hence, the Womprat familiar. It doubled as a container, able to store the food it would 'eat' for the budding Sith.

Sith being a term Firrerreo named himself.

An affinity for Sith Sorcery and the luckiness of stumbling upon such rituals had given the homeless boy his monster to better survive. He found a spot to sit, letting his consciousness shift to that of his familiar so he could begin his scrounging for the day.

 

[Tempo]

Firrerreo

There was an unusual presence nearby, yet somehow familiar. Tempo had just exited Anchorhead and paused, spotting the source of the sensation. His long ears twitched as his red, slitted eyes narrowed. He sniffed at the air, picking up subtleties in the hot, arid breeze.

He padded closer to the creature, who seemed to be a boy by all appearances. Long, sharpened claws adjusted the rifle strap as his powered boots tread closer to where his speeder had been parked. He settled on the speeder and started it up but decided to come see what this curious creature was doing.

"Hello... Awfully early to be out and about," Tempo commented as he leaned back on the speeder bike.

 

[Firrerreo]

There wasn't an immediate response from the boy. His senses were elsewhere, further in the market as he peered through the eyes of his familiar. But he felt it. Someone had approached. Usually they left when he didn't show interest, but this one lingered.

His eyes seemed to refocus, the gold staring at the figure who had lingered. Firrerreo just frowned. He didn't hear what was said while he was focused on his familiar, but given the appearance of this figure? Swooper gang.

"Go away. I'm not interested."

Tempo

 

[Tempo]

TAGS: Firrerreo

​

Tempo blinked and tilted their head, cocking it to the side. He looked up towards the sky. Was the sky cooler in the evening? But it was still early day, with glinting orange-pink goggles caught in the morning light. Tempo briefly looked back. Perhaps it wasn't late enough in the day for it to be heatstroke.

A wrinkled little nose and a roll of their red eyes. "Yeah-huh. I didn't even offer you anything, ya' dirty little brat. If your brain's not working, you might be dying of dehydration, kid," Tempo said, adding particular emphasis on the last word. He shifted on his bike, moved to open a saddlebag compartment, and adjusted a small satchel inside before opening a small cooler box and taking out two cold fruits, one resembling a fresh juicy apple.


Tempo leaned back and bit into the apple with his fangs, then moved to draw out a small round sphere-like bottle. He closed everything and set the bottle down on the seat along with the large orange-colored fruit. He grasped the apple and slurped on it, pulling back and swallowing the piece he'd bitten off.

A few more bites of the crisp apple filled the air as he scrutinized the youth. He continued to eat the apple, core and all, as he moved his right hand tipped with long sharpened claws up in a delicate, elegant gesture as he focused. The round bottle was then levitated over slowly and settled down in front of the youth. Next came the bright orange, its outside frosting over with a thin sheen of moisture from the difference in cold. They were almost ice cold.

"Don't see too many of your sorts out this way."

 

[Firrerreo]

"You're bothering me because you want something. I'm not interested."

And it was difficult to focus on his Familiar to ensure it was properly gathering the food he wanted without getting caught, but he couldn't fully focus on both sides. Splitting his mind like that just wasn't the type of skill he'd mastered yet. At least the stranger here was busy feeding himself.

"Then you're blind. We're all over the place here."

Tempo

 

[Tempo]

TAGS: Firrerreo

​

Tempo leaned back, letting the youth's words hang in the air for a moment. The boy's sharp tone and dismissive attitude were met with a calm, almost amused expression. Tempo's keen senses picked up on the subtle struggle the boy was facing—balancing his attention between his physical presence and whatever he was doing with his mind.

Tempo took another bite of his apple, savoring it before speaking again. "Everyone wants something, kid. Doesn't mean it's always a bad thing." He paused, allowing the boy to register his words. "Maybe I can make things smoother for you. I've got resources, connections. Might be worth your while."

He tossed the apple core aside and looked directly at the boy. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Just thought you might recognize an opportunity when you see one. Or maybe you're too wrapped up in your own problems to see a good deal."

Tempo smirked, adding with a hint of sarcasm, "You're such a charmer, after all. I'm sure you get tons of great opportunities in a place like this."

 

[Firrerreo]

Firrerreo let out a sigh, a loud, exasperated one at that, as he felt his Familiar finally reapproach. The womprat that it was crawled onto his shoulder as he haphazardly reached into it's mouth. It looked disturbing, especially since he went right down to his elbow into the smaller than his forearm in length rodent, before he plucked out his own fruit to eat.

"I don't see opportunity with you in the slightest."

Tempo

 

[Tempo]

Firrerreo

Tempo watched Firrerreo's odd method of retrieving fruit from the womprat, a look of mild fascination mixed with disgust on his face. He leaned back on his speeder bike, considering his next words carefully.

"Opportunity isn't always obvious, kid. Sometimes it comes in strange packages," he said, wiping juice from his chin. "You might not see it now, but a little help can go a long way. You survive here because you're resourceful. Imagine what you could do with a few more resources at your disposal."

He paused, letting the offer hang in the air, then added with a smirk, "Or you can keep digging through rats for scraps. Your choice."

Tempo's expression grew more serious, his tone hardening. "You think you're getting by, but all you're doing is wasting your talents, just as you waste away scrounging on stolen scraps. Depending on the fortune of others, taking what you can... wouldn't you rather have your choice of food or comforts?"

He leaned in, eyes locking onto Firrerreo's. "Sooner or later, pests get dealt with. Don't be one of them. You have potential, but not if you keep living like this. Make the smart choice before it's too late."

Tempo softened his tone slightly, offering a glimpse of the possibilities. "I run a terraforming outpost out in the dunes and crags. It's not glamorous, but it's mine. I deliver goods, find oddities buried in the sands. It's a hard life, but it's a life of my choosing. You help me out, and I can offer you more than just survival and a few spare credits. Imagine having your own space to hone your skills, access to artifacts hidden in the sands, and a chance to carve out your own destiny. You won't have to rely on luck and stolen scraps. Think about it."

 

[Firrerreo]

"You're assuming I'm trapped here, or don't already have my own plans. I think I've repeated myself enough on this." The Familiar shifted then, it's form molding into shadow before it sat on his shoulder in it's 'true' form. It didn't truly have a proper form, as it was more an amorphous blob when he summoned it, but the shadowed, winged lizard he had eventually chosen worked as good as any. He scritched under it's chin, his golden eyes regarding the figure before him passively once more.

"I told you from the get go, wasn't interested. Hasn't changed. I don't care for or want your help, stranger. This is Tatooine. Slavers are a dime a dozen, criminals and theives even more common. You're weirdly adamant, but that only makes you seem desperate. Move on, find some other kid to scam. There's plenty on these streets."

Tempo

 

[Tempo]

Firrerreo
Tempo rolled his eyes. "Well, kriff you too," he muttered. He turned his bike on and swung it around. "Suit yourself, kid," he said, his tone dismissive and cold. "I've got better things to do than waste my time. But hey, enjoy your grand plans. I'm sure they'll work out just fine."

He adjusted his rifle strap and revved up his speeder, not bothering to hide his disdain. With that, Tempo started off into the desert sands, leaving the boy and his stubborn attitude behind.