You're 18 right? Don't answer, you are.

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"You karking sleemo! You.. you fripping bishwag!"

To say that the Twi'lek currently standing outside on a rather dirty sidewalk beside what one could only assume was a pile of clothes was angry would be something of an understatement. A scuffed duffel bag was thrown out a second story window and landed on top of said pile.

"I prepaid! I should-"

She angrily bit off her words. Never threaten. Not when chances were you were going to follow through. She was fairly easy to pick out in a crowd, even on Nar Shaddaa, best if people didn't remember an orange tiger striped twi'lek screaming death threats at this particular business so when she came back to burn the filthy hovel to the ground, she wouldn't be top of the suspect list.

Fuming, she started packing the clothes in the bag. Bad enough that she'd finally got most of the stains and bugs out of the closet that horrible human had called a room, bad enough that she'd lost some of her precious and rapidly dwindling store of credit prepaying for said closet, what was really unforgivable was that he'd thrown her clothes out a window. They'd touched the ground. The ground was filthy.

She sighed, leather, silk, lace and the like was not meant for this sort of treatment, and following the inverted rules of fashion, the smaller the clothes the more they cost. Her clothes cost a lot, and she couldn't replace them. Not yet anyway.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

It had been a long week on Nar Shaddaa. Tugoro had arrived on the planet many days ago with his master, having been assigned a few missions to complete. Criminal activity was always present, for it was either born or came to Nar Shaddaa, usually in the form of petty smugglers. Seeing as one could hardly trust an other on the planet, Tugoro found himself dressed in his casual wear, which consisted of a shining brown leather flight jacket, along with a pair of boots of the same material. His beige pants were loose and moved slightly as he moved, for they were actually the lower half of his Jedi tunic. Even so, nothing about his appearance hinted at the fact that he was even affiliated with the Republic. Tugoro didn't like to admit it, but his work on Nar Shaddaa wasn't really going as he had planned. They had been able to locate and shut down one slave operation, though that had been it. Nothing else very exciting had happened on the planet, other than the crazy Rattataki assassin known as Skrik Piper attempting to take his life.

That had been one fight, it had left him rather exhausted, causing him to yawn loudly as he walked down the street. Slipping past and between the bustling crowds, the young boy would make his way towards the nearest hangar, the one he had stationed his own fighter in. The Padawan thought of the Aleph super fighter as his child, for it was definitely his most prized possession. Even while day dreaming about his baby, Tugoro would notice a voice yelling in the distance, one that sounded like an angry female. He had heard a lot of those before. Stopping in his tracks, the young boy would slowly turn his head to the side, laying his gaze upon [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]. She was a pleasant looking Twi'lek, who seemed to be very angry at the moment. She did well in hiding her emotions, though Tugoro could feel them through the force. He didn't even need to focus on her force signature, thus preventing him from actually feeling the darkness within her. The boy was really out of it apparently, for apparently her strange markings hadn't given it away. Curiosity would begin to consume the Jedi, as he turned on his heel, slowly strolling over to the female before noticing the clothes she was stuffing into bags, particularly the small ones. He wondered why her clothes were on the ground, though that question would be answered as he turned to watch another bag come flying down from the building.

"Hey." He would say, standing behind the female quietly until now. His vision had narrowed, for his eyelids were squinted, allowing his optics to focus on the two lekku that hung down from her head. They looked smooth, just like his own fair skin. Even so, he was mainly focused on the black markings, for he had seen similar patterns during a massive battle on Ossus. He had fought against a Sith pureblood, who also dawned black tattoos. He wondered if they were real or not. When the Twi'lek turned around, the Jedi would quickly avert his gaze to her eyes, giving her his full attention.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

I am going to kill him. If he has a cat, I will kill his cat. If he has a mother, I will kill his mother. If he has a favourite bank teller, I will kill his bank teller.

The Twi'lek fumed in silence as she stuffed the last of her clothes into the bad, she grabbed a pair of particularly small and see through knickers off the top.Was that gum? Agh. She shoved them back in, they might be salvageable. Even if they weren't she wasn't just leaving them here for anybody to find, that was creepy.

She turned in the middle of zipping the bag as she heard a voice behind her. A kid. Pretty tall, but he probably wasn't shaving yet. Not her type then, maybe in five years or so. No need to be rude just because her faith in humanity had been utterly destroyed.

"Hey. Don't suppose you know a cheap apartment that rents by the week?"

It was more of a rhetorical question really. The way this day was going he'd probably rob her now.


[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The youth's previous look of seriousness would distort, becoming a visage of amusement. As if he would ever consider renting anything on this disgusting planet! Tugoro's cheeks would puff out suddenly, as he restrained his laughter, doing his best to stifle it as he turned his head for a moment. Keeping his arms relaxed at his sides, the Jedi would make a subtle movement, wagging his finger through the air briefly, releasing a stream of telekinetic energy. It would wrap around the zipper's handle, causing it to move and close shut. "You should move planets, not apartments" he would remark, turning to offer her a somewhat apologetic smile despite his cheeky remarks. His galactic basic was quick and toneless, when he wasn't thinking of the proper words to say. He had grown up among Wookiees, instead having shyriiwook as his first language.

Averting his attention from her eyes, the Jedi would continue to examine the patterns on her body, still not sure as to how she had gotten them. Oh, how unpleasant it was to be uncertain, for he truly could not discern whether or not they were natural or branded upon her orange skin. Even if they had been branded, the Padawan was not in the mood to start a fight in the slightest. He was already tired, and didn't feel any noticeable negativity off of the Twi'lek. Lifting an arm, the boy would point directly at her head with his gloved hand, before furrowing his brow curiously, "Those real?" He would ask, before attempting to touch her lekku gently with a single robotic digit. Perhaps the texture of her skin would change, when trailing over the dark markings. A sudden sense of danger would creep up the Jedi's spine, though he had no idea as to why.
[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

He had an interesting accent this lad, and one she'd never heard before. That was no surprise though considering how vast the galaxy was. Foul mood or no, she crack half a smile at his retort.

"That's the plan. Why I don't want a contract so I'm stuck in sleaze-pits like this."

She sighed. That was the price of being on Nar Shaddaa when she was short on credits she supposed. She could find something half decent for the same price if she signed a contract, but she had no intention of being here that long. Nah Shaddaa was fine when you were rich, otherwise it was best seen from afar. Very far. Preferably just over holo.

She stiffened slightly but did not move as he raised a hand to touch her lekku. If he'd been fully grown that sort of intimate gesture would have met with immediate and harsh reprisal, but he was just a kid. He probably didn't know that much about Twi'leks yet. They tended to learn that sort of thing a little bit older. For now she let him experience the silky smoothness of her skin unmaimed.

"The markings? For the most part. Some of the ones on my face aren't, they were just.. aesthetic."

It was true too. She'd been born with most of the markings, rare to have that many and that defined, but not unheard of. The others had been added when she was still in the dance academy. It was striking and dramatic apparently. She didn't regret them, she was of the opinion her markings were quite beautiful. They hadn't been overly pleasant to acquire though, and being the vain little butterfy that she was she'd stayed in her room until the swelling and discoloration went down.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The strange chill that had ran up his spine would quickly fade, no danger having presented itself yet. Tugoro looked on edge actually, his eyes darting from side to side as if he expected to get hit by a speeder. The youth's arm would lower to his side, after gently sliding itself across her lekku. She was right, they were natural, and not brandings of any sort. Her skin had been soft and smooth, shooting down his theory completely Though, she had alluded to other marks being tattoos or something. The force energy within and around the Jedi would begin to fluctuate wildly, before becoming harnessed by his mind. With his sensing abilities, the Padawan would survey her entire being, allowing his warm, soothing presence in the force to wash over hers and access it. She was definitely a force sensitive, though perhaps untrained?

"Hm," the boy would hum, his eyes looking curiously at the orange skinned Twi'lek. "You have an amazing gift. Could earn some credits, putting it to use." The boy would remark excitedly, not sure if she realized she was sensitive to the force. Whether she took his comment an entirely different way was up to her, though it would be obvious what he meant as his aura touched [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]' own.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

The kid looked positively jumpy. She wasn't quite sure what was up with him, but sometimes it was better not to pry. He probably had a heart-rending story about how his parents and his puppy were murdered and now he was scared forever and also the murderer was after him so he had to be on alert all the time. That would just be depressing. Better not to know.

Her lekku twitched, giving away more of her surprise than her face did when she felt the boy through the Force.

Should have been paying attention. He even zipped the bloody zipper.

With all the fuss over the apartment she'd not been paying attention to her other avenue of input. Nor even her regular ones if truth be told. Hadn't noticed that he was force sensitive at all and that was unlike her. Especially here where everyone and everything was a potential danger. She didn't have enemies per se, but this was Nar Shaddaa. At least he felt decidedly non-aggressive.

"You're not so bad yourself there boyo."

She commented with a smile and a nod at the bag.

"I might eventually. Meant to get training once, before I did, the folks who were offering got wiped out. I heard they made a come back but when I looked into it they were a bit.. Culty. I don't really do cult."

He could take that as he liked. It was a commentary on most of the force using groups really. Besides, she thought the hooded robes that seemed compulsory in all of them were tacky.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

She noticed the zipper! Tugoro would laugh briefly, though he seemed enthusiastic about it. The young boy would remain silent as [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] continued to speak, vaguely describing some sort of event in the past. The boy's fast working mind would listen to her words, beginning to pull at memories from his brain at the same time. It was almost as if she was talking about the Sith Empire that had risen years ago, before the One Sith and the New Order. He hadn't heard much about the Sith Empire of old, but he knew of the One Sith, having fought their forces many times during the course of the war. It sounded like the Twi'lek was not interested in them, that was good to hear at least.

"Interesting," the Jedi would mutter, pretending to be oblivious while looking up to the small looking apartment, and back to the bags on the dirty ground. He couldn't help but pry further, even though he intended to leave her past alone. "What did you want to learn?" He would inquire, before looking at her bags. "Where are you going anyway?"

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Aw, he was pleased with himself! That was cute. She supposed most kids would be impressed with themselves for moving things around with their mind. Probably thought it was a grand old game. For that matter a lot of adults likely did as well now that she was thinking about it. She smiled a little as he laughed. This kid was.. surprinsingly tolerable. Maybe it was just this one or maybe it was the age. Who knew? She wasn't going to go visiting any schools to find out. Kids just normally seemed.. grubbier and louder.

She shrugged one shouldered at his question.

"Everything. That was a good trick you just did. Touching things without touching them. Speaking in peoples minds. That could be awfully handy."

Eventually being able to manipulate peoples minds, but that likely wasn't something a person admitted to wanting to do. That was likely considered questionable in polite company.

She sighed at the next question and looked both ways for a moment before wrinkling her nose.

"There were a few places I turned down originally that way. I suppose I'll have to go back and hope they're still available."

She'd turned them down because they'd been disgusting. So more of her precious credits would need to go to the new places rent and then cleaning supplies, while leaving enough to get off the planet. She was definitely going to have to start getting men to invite her out for meals. It was a hard life.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro usually made a good first impression on most. He didn't know of many that disliked him, other than the numerous enemies he had fought in the past. He liked talking random individuals, especially if they were force sensitive. The boy had a naturally kind heart, which allowed him to empathize with others and really analyze them. Others had been kind enough to impart knowledge to the young Padawan, so why shouldn't he do the same? "Telekinesis, telepathy," he would pipe in, giving her the correct terms after she was done speaking, a smug smirk on his youthful face. He knew both techniques, and excelled in telekinesis more than anything, excluding his prowess in the third form.

"Do you want to learn?" The Jedi would question curiously, looking into [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]' eyes. He had taught other Padawans in the past, despite his current rank. He was somewhat of a senior Padawan, even though he was still young he had faced many challenges. He was confident in his teaching abilities, and depending on their further interactions would begin to debate what he would teach the Twi'lek. Exerting a thin stream of force energy, the boy would guide it through the air, causing it to wrap around the female's bag. Turning his back to Chiasa for a moment, the Padawan would extend his arm towards the bag, leaning only slightly, allowing it to raise into his hand the rest of the way. "Got enough for an off planet ticket?" He would also ask, now holding her bag. He intended to hand it to her, though that depended on which way she was going.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

It was funny, things that might annoy her coming from someone older were.. cute wasn't the right word. It was close though.

Oh gross, are these maternal instincts? I love my hips, I am not having any babies, forget it biology! Things start to sag. Never.

She had known the words, but she had gotten into the habit of speaking in a way that most everyone could understand, not just the educated. Most of the time the folks she dealt with were decidedly uneducated. And uncivilized. Uncouth. Most of the un's really. It raised some questions about this kid though. He was clearly at least half educated. Could he be a Jedi or one of the other lightside cults? He definitely wasn't a darksider, the way his aura felt was proof of that. She supposed it didn't matter, and didn't want to ask. Oh you're a Jedi? Yeah I tried to join the Sith back in the day. Lovely.

"Of course I still do."

The comment was off hand, and you could see from the widening of her eyes exactly the moment when she realized what he meant. Was he offering? Could he? He was so young! But then, if he'd started early, why couldn't he? He was a serious little beast, that was for sure.

"You would show me?"

His next question grounded her again. She smiled.

"I do! Always have a way out. I'd brave sleeping on the street before I stranded myself here. I'm glad to say things aren't quite that grim yet!"

Almost, but not quite.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

After asking his questions, Tugoro would remain still, his eyes looking into the Twi'lek's own attentively as she answered his questions. She still possessed a drive to learn, that was a good thing. The boy would smirk slightly as she realized what he was actually asking, now replying to her question, "Of course. We should leave here, though." He would say, giving the surrounding area a quick glance, before shooting his gaze back to the orange skinned female. The youth's emerald irises would look [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] up and down for a moment, assessing her appearance with his sight while he sensed out her aura once more. There was nothing really noticeably dark about the Twi'lek other than the suspicious markings, which made her strangely prettier. In the Jedi's experience, most pretty females were trustworthy(except for the crazy ones), so he had nothing to worry about. Right?

Pivoting on his foot, the Padawan would slowly turn before walking in the other direction, lifting his free arm to beckon the Twi'lek along. His other one still held her bag, which he would carry with no complaints. Thinking about what she had said about a way out, Tugoro would smile to himself, having thought of a great idea. He liked helping others with their problems, depending on what they were. "How much was the ticket?" He asked, obviously planning something.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

This day was surreal. She was following someone barely into puberty boy around Nar Shaddaa in the hopes of learning what was essentially magic. Which was not really as out of character or uncommon as you might think, but still, one did have to step back and chuckle a little at her life in comparison to the average persons now and again. At the very least one could say her day had definitely turned around. Oh there was still the inconvenience of having to find somewhere to sleep later, but she'd deal with that when she had to.

She followed. Oh she followed. Sometimes the forced nudged and off you went. Or you could ignore it and have the flesh stripped from your bones in a sand storm. Either way. Disobediance in this case would likely not prove as fatal, but the point stood. So far the Force had kept her alive. She had no reason to think it would stop, and every reason to think improving her skills with it were a good idea.

"Haven't bought it yet, I haven't totally verified where I'm going.Can't imagine it'll be too far though. I've five hundred credits set aside."

She was not really a fan of saying this sort of thing out loud. Not here on Nar Shaddaa, but he had asked. Five hundred credit would be more than enough for a quick hop, if she wound up having to go to the other side of the galaxy.. She'd probably have to make a few credits along the way. She had reason to believe she wasn't going far though.

They would decide to start a war and scarper just before I got here wouldn't they?

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Jedi were not usually paid for their efforts and deeds, for they did them out of the goodness of their own heart. Tugoro however, was unlike most Jedi, for he was involved in several military operations and teams. Of course, whatever currency he earned wasn't exactly in large amounts, but it definitely was more than locals of Nar Shaddaa saw on a day to day basis. Even though they didn't like it, sometimes the members of Strike Squad even pitched in on occasions, whenever the Padawan wasn't paid credits. They knew he liked to explore, outside the confines of the temple. He hated the thought of being trapped, for it reminded him of his past. "Five hundred." Tugoro repeated, nodding a few times. It was a solid number, though he wondered how long it had taken to save up. "I can buy it," the boy let her know, his hand delving into his jacket's pocket as they walked.

His fingers would begin to rummage around the contents of his pocket, which happened to be a few credit chits that equaled about five thousand credits. Not a lot compared to some people in the galaxy, though the Jedi considered it a bit seeing as he had more at home. The youth would wince slightly, his face distorting in pain as he looked away from [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]. He had almost forgot about the wound he had sustained, after fighting the Rattataki assassin earlier on. His lower leg had received a deep cut, causing blood to stream down his limb and into his boot. Tugoro had been heading to the Turhaya Freighter he had arrived on the planet in, to receive treatment. He might as well just take the Twi'lek with him, if he was willing to pay for a ticket. Quickly shrugging the pain off, the young Padawan would force a smug grin, pointing to the docking bays that were further ahead. "Or, we could leave now."

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Chiasa was not certain how she felt about this. If he'd been a grown man she'd have been happy to smile and tilt her hips and have him pay for everything. But he wasn't. He was a boy. Maybe he came from some rich family, and maybe he was just nicer than was good for him. On the other hand she didn't have many credits. But she still had some, and she would find a way to acquire more one way or another if she had to. If he spent all the money he had on her, he would have a harder time getting more, likely being bound by more morals than she was.

"I'm not broke yet, but thank you."

She declined with a smile. She caught his wince and frowned slightly, studying him a little closer. Was that just the slightest of limps? Was he a little paler than he ought to be? She found it hard to tell with humans, their skin tones were already so.. Uninspiring. She'd keep an eye on him, if he keeled over she'd assist. It might be a permanent condition, assuming she hadn't imagined it, it might be uncouth to bring attention to it. Surely if he needed assistance he would say.

Her gaze rose to look towards the docking bays as he pointed and her smile returned.

"I've places I need to be eventually, but no where I need to be this moment, for now, I'll go where you go. My name's Chiasa by the way."

It had just occurred to her that perhaps if they were going on a space jaunt to learn magic together, names would be good to know.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The young Padawan's skin was already naturally fair, however the rather hefty loss of blood left him looking rather exhausted. He had spent some time resting alongside the assassin after the battle, having swayed her onto a path of redemption. The painful cut on his leg was the price he paid for his good deeds, a strange way to think about it. However, Tugoro liked being a Jedi, and was always open to helping others as long as they didn't cross the line. Nodding slowly, the youth would beckon for [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] to follow him, as he walked along the street and towards the nearby docking bays. Entering the large structure, the Jedi would lead the Twi'lek through the many corridors, until he stood before the hangar he had reserved. He could have taken her to the Jedi Enclave upon the planet, though it seemed unnecessary, seeing as he doubted she wanted to become a Jedi.

Placing his hand upon the console, Tugoro would type in a few numbers, before stepping through the opening doorway. Within the hangar was the Turhaya Jedi Freighter, taking up a large portion of the space. A few Republic officials stood around the ship, handling pipes that refueled the craft they were crewman upon. The Padawan would continue to walk, not turning to see if the female was behind him or not. He would give a wave to the few that stood about, not bothering to have them pile in just yet. Slowly pivoting on his heel, the Jedi would look in the female's direction, beginning to speak as he walked up the loading ramp backwards. "Not leaving? Where do you need to be?" He questioned curiously, eager to learn more.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

This.. wasn't some little ship for a favoured son to zip around in, nor a commercial cruiser either this was.. This was something all right. Having stopped momentarily to take in the ship she moved to catch up with the boy once again. Looking at the Republic officials, she was not entirely certain what she'd just gotten herself into. Just be calm, she didn't have a record and from the waves it looked like he really was meant to be here. She had an invitation. It was legitimate. While she was perfectly at home on the arm of big name politicians, she tried not to get too caught up in or known by organizations like the Republic. As a whole she would allow that they were good things and kept the galaxy from dissolving into chaos, she just liked them to be good things that did not involve themselves with her or her actions.

"I came here for an interview. The company I was interested in moved off-world just before I got here though, too much competition. From what I can tell it looks like their head office is on Antecedent now. I've just been trying to find out where exactly as since they're not done set-up, it's not public knowledge yet."

That was all.. Broadly true. All right, so the Red Ravens were not precisely a company, and it had been less an interview and more her just showing up but.. Broadly true.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Tugoro would remain attentive as [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] spoke, his head nodding slowly as he listened to her words. He would smirk slightly as he turned, noticing that she had fallen behind while examining the large freighter. He didn't know what was so surprising at first, but given a few seconds to think about it the youth would shrug, confidant that the Twi'lek wasn't a bad person. Tugoro felt her nervousness, and paid little attention to it as he spoke, "Use a computer to search for them, maybe," his voice sounding toneless as he struggled to form his sentences. He would let the Twi'lek use whatever was in the ship, though he was set on visiting the meditation chamber first. Having walked into the freighter now, Tugoro would wave the female along, as he admired the shining corridors that led to one of his private rooms.

Sliding his fingers over a few buttons on the door's console, the metallic panel would slide into the wall, allowing the two to step into the circular, dome-shaped room. It's floor was something akin to grass, it's bright green blades swaying gently as a artificial breeze rolled in. There were a few trees along the room's border, though the area consisted mostly of grass, and a considerable big pond that had many flat rocks protruding from it's depths. Tugoro loved to spend time in here, for it was the closest one would get to peaceful nature in the dark vacuum of space. Slowly turning to look at the Twi'lek, the boy would remember her introduction, having completely forgotten to introduce himself. "I'm Tugoro. Nice to meet you."

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"Mmm, that's true. Even if they've not posted the location yet, I can likely follow the permits to see where they are."

Well. She could have someone else follow the permits. Who knew, it might even work. Word was they were going to build something big, she had a few names and there might be some publically available information she could use. If not, well, she'd just have to dig a little deeper, or slice a little deeper as the case may be.

Chiasa had been following along beind the boy, but paused again, her breath catching for a moment as they stepped into the circular room. It was an amazing place to have within a ship. To have anywhere really. Ryloth was deserts. Beautiful in it's own way, but harsh and fierce. After that there had mostly been cities, where beings lived and died without ever seeing the sky, let alone grass and pond. It might get boring eventually, but for now it was a beautiful novelty. She'd always meant to visit planets like Naboo, but somehow there had always been things to do.

"Tugoro, nice to meet you as well."

Her attention had switched back to the boy as he spoke, and a smile tugged up the corners of her mouth. She'd been wondering if he was ever going to give her a name. She hadn't been going to push the point though. Some cultures did not give out their names. The galaxy was a vast and strange place, it took all sorts.

"This is.. Impressive."

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

It really was a habit, and so Tugoro found himself taking in a deep breath after examining his seemingly natural surroundings. Of course the room smelled somewhat pleasant, however the youth's keen senses could easily pick out the artificial aspects. While listening to [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] speak, the young Jedi would reply quickly, before stepping further into the meditation chamber. "I'm sure everything will work out," he commented, somehow knowing that the Twi'lek would be fine. Stopping at the pond's edge, Tugoro would avert his gaze to one of the big stones in the middle of the water bed. He knew it was stable, for he had spent time in this place before. There was a set of lined stones that created a path along the pond's surface, though instead the boy decided to show off, seeing as a pretty girl was around and well, it was just in his nature.

Bending his legs at his knees slightly, Tugoro would push off of the ground and into the air, his torso leaning forward to perform a neat little front flip before he landed. The youth's booted feet would tap against the rock quietly, the Padawan having learned to control the amount of sound he gave off. Even so, his wound was not healed, and thus an unpleasant sensation of pain would shoot up Tugoro's leg, causing him to fall right over and into the shallow water. Lifting his face from the liquid, the youth would sigh, having caught her last comment at the last moment. "If not the room, then what?" He joked mildly, not enjoying making fun of himself. However, he would rather make his failures into a joke than flat out deny them.