Log:Toy Shopping

Toy Shopping

OOC Date: August 8, 2017
Location: Entertainment Plaza, Corellian District, Nar Shaddaa
Participants: Vraag Rengh, Rhani Aeternum, Mandl, Rheisa Dirleel

Rhani Aeternum strays among the open air stalls, her gaze traveling here and there clearly seeking something. Eventually, she finds Mandl by the sound of the Aqualish' voice. She waves a hand, "Mandl." The smile that lives in her tone and eyes does not make it to her lips. "Hello." Reaching an area near the person, she pauses, "H'llo."

Mandl *shlor-lor-lor-lorrup.* "Rhani! Mandl regrets being unable to forward the processed data from our first journey together until LR5H can be safely reactivated? Also Mandl must occasionally make trips to Hutt court, to defend Mandl's mineral claims. Mandl has just returned from another proceeding."

"I really am not sure what all the fuss is about," Kee'tch'ka commiserates over the scene unfolding in the stall next door. This little street in the plaza is apart from the large buildings, the main attractions, and geared more towards those interested in a bite on the go, exotic snacks, and cheaper, simple-minded amusements. Toys.

Rheisa lets the little flashy, whirly thing held in hand clatter back into the pile she fished it from and rolls her eyes around to look first to her chrome companion, then cranes her neck farther to see the service droid getting fitted with a restraining bolt after the hysterical vendor can finish filling out company forms and 'law enforcement' of some sort offers to "take it from here."

"I do not know...." Rheisa muses lowly while her hands resume grazing the shiny, squeaky, furry selections laid out before her on the table. Her lips purse into pensive thought, but moreso over what plaything might stand a better chance at surviving Umak's brutal affections, than why a droid's getting hauled off to the looney bin.

Rhani Aeternum shrugs, "That's okay, Mandl. Your droid friend's safety takes priority." She stands near Mandl and Rheisa by a stall selling myriad tiny toys for small fingers to enjoy or mutilate. Depending. She remains focused on the Bith before her. "I was not aware that you had to defend your claims in court. I wonder if I should also do so with mine." The notion seems unsettling at best. Turning to watch Rheisa, she tilts her head a little, "Um... What are you looking for? Maybe we can help?"

Mandl shrugs. "Claim-jumpers endanger Mandl's royalty checks. Mandl must fend them off, but has good lawyer." It waddles over to Rheisa and Kee'tch'ka, also curious. "... for Umak?"

The approach of a rather burly human male can be seen from a ways away, the big man holding the control bar of a hover sled designed for hauling heavy equipment or wares. The cart is currently loaded down with stacks of what appears to be raw ore, and the human himself is quite filthy. His face and bared arms are covered in grime and soot, his face streaked oddly and in a fashion that suggests a sweaty hand swipe. The man is wearing a simple rancor hide apron, and has two swords slung around and dangling from his waist.

Rhani Aeternum turns to Kee'tch'ka, nodding a silent greeting. Her attention is stolen when the human male hoves into view with his hoversled and its load. Tilting her head a bit toward him, she adds a lift in silent greeting. Thinking better of silence, she smiles at the smith, "Evening." Or afternoon. Depending. "That is quite a load. Would you like help with it?"

"For Umak," Rheisa nods. She looks like she's suffering a loss of inspiration here. Where she's from, kids play with sticks, stones, and what they kill. Quite literally. These things are soft, but not edible. Also won't poke your eye out, so maybe it's a step up from what she's used to. A silky-soft ball of adorably artificial fluff has found its way into her hands. Aw. What yellow eyes it has. HER eyes have moved on though, and are tracking the big guy lumbering along with his rock in tow.

"Do you think this is what happened to the security droid, before it suffered a worse malfunction?" Kee'tch'ka is still watching the sad thing happening next door. "It's a shame to see such useful models neglected so. Surely attentive maintenance can avoid such tragedy."

Mandl nods appreciatively. "Iron ore. Does the metalsmith have plans for it?"

Vraag turns his head as the Bith speaks out regarding his ore. The large human slows the maneuvering of his cart through the crowd of pedestrians, and gestures toward the ore. "Yeah," he grunts by way of reply. "I am an armorer and weaponsmith. This will be shaped into one of the two soon enough."

Rhani Aeternum looks at Kee'tch'ka and shakes her head, "We don't think it is a malfunction, really. At least... That is not the theory we are working with. An older model, still reliable and strong, but older, said that he hears a constant signal but can't make any sense of it. Kadi may be running a diagnostic on it, but I hear that Siya is the expert." She does watch Mandl with Vraag, but does not approach herself. Ore is cool and all, but not really her thing. The smilth is given a smile and wave, though. Ore? Uuusually does not wave back.

Mandl asks Rhani: "Is the signal audible to only droids? Many races hear above and/or below the Human spectrum..."

"I...oh. Oh dear." Kee'tch'ka finally swivels his head 'round to mind his own business, then, toddling over to point out the flaw in what Rheisa's holding. "Those eyes are likely more easily detached than the organic variety, Mistress. Umak will certainly dispose of them before his next meal." Then he's snooping again, turning around to watch the droid get speeded away. Certainly appears distracted.

Rheisa looks down, from Rhani to the plush. She returns it to the table with a little sigh, then reaches for some higher tech gizmo but halts mid reach to frown at a 'toy' blaster there. "Why you would want your child play with this?" her wilted expression looks back up to survey Vraag's sooty visage, where she forces a small, polite smile, then snatches the cuddly option back up from the table. Plastic eyes be damned, she can remove them herself.

Vraag's eyes move over to spy the situation with the droid being hauled off and then the debate over the safety of toys. When Rheisa turns her eyes on him, Vraag can only shrug and gesture toward the swords hanging at his waist, "Children learn war from an early age where I am from. It is a lifestyle."

Mandl says, "Bith homeworld is a sealed bubble; atmosphere reduced to toxic green gas. Bithlets learn the *consequences* of war before anything else. Cannot 'go outside.' Is no 'outside.'"

Rhani Aeternum looks from one to the other and back again, "It all comes down to choices, really." Tucking her hands into her pockets, she nods once as though agreeing with herself but adds, "Please excuse me. I need to get back." Heading toward the south, she winds her way through the crowds.

"Our children learn to kill for food, to feed the pack. Not to do harm." Rheisa's hand recoils from the offensive object and she snugs the stuffed loth cat to her belly. "I will take this one," she's decided. Her left headtail also shrinks away from proximity of the pretend weapon, having lost several ounces of its flesh to the real thing already this year. "Death which does not give life is a waste." Her right hand fishes some grubby credits out of her belt pouch and she shoulders through some other shoppers to make the exchange with the shop keeper.

"It is true," Kee'tch'ka belatedly comes to defense of the two cultures at odds with his owner's own. "The Mandalorian are esteemed warriors. And /everyone/ knows the sorry state of that poor atmosphere. It has not hampered the Bith from developing their genius, however, of that I am certain..." The droid's head cocks to the side, as though he's listening to something, looks around in a moment of brief disorientation, then shuffles quickly to join Rheisa as she returns from paying. "Really all this talk of what ails the undersung workers of this city /has/ made me quite fearful for my own sanity. Might we hurry home? The airwaves could be teeming with viruses, for all we know."

Mandl nods. "The curator's droid is wise. Culture is what we do apart from war."

"Our children are not taught war for the sake of inflicting harm on others. There is a peace to be found in the ritual of combat... self discipline... honor... respect... even peace," Vraag says with a slight smile. He looks toward the toy that Rheisa settles on and he can only chuckle before he says, not in a disapproving way, "Softness has its place, as does the path of the blade."

Siya rushes through! She has a rather distraught look on her face as she rushes through.

Mandl nods, sharply. "Mandl concludes Mandl requires intoxication. Good day, curator. Kee'tch'ka. Blacksmith."

Rheisa's lips twitch. "The path of the arrow leaves a smaller cut," she quips wittily with a little smile in spite of herself. No less lethal a cut, but indeed a small one! "Tell me, in all the work you do to turn this," she gestures vaguely to the stack on the cart, "into tools of war, have you ever ..." one hand makes the hammering motion to fill in where her vocabulary fails, "tiny blades? For arrow." A forefinger and thumb indicate just how small the heads are. She offers Mandl a bow of her chin as he takes his leave.

Kee'tch'ka chimes in "Do be careful!"

"Of course I have," Vraag says while he crosses large forearms over his chest and looks down at the Togruta woman. "Arrows are a popular weapon of my people, believe it or not. Blasters are the weapon of the universe now, so that is what must be used when away from home, but back where I come from most still use the primitive form of weaponry. There is honor in the kill when it is with such tools. When you must get within the range of a blaster and face death from that which you wish to kill. When you test your spirit against that of another."

"You are only within range, if they know you are there. Quiet feet are the most useful tool." Eyes uplifted to look between the crosshairs of dangling headdress beads and teeth (some of which look suspiciously human) at the big guy, Rheisa nods once. "I have need for more. If I bring you shapes, you will make for me?"

"I--this /is/ pertaining to your Shili travel plans, yes?" Kee'tch'ka's mono-emotive face could be envisioned as concerned, given the slight cant of his head. She shushes him with a few taps of her fingers. "Is okay. Mine are old. Not as sharp."

Vraag nods again and says, "You bring me what you need and I can make it. Arrowheads are not that expensive. You'll have a little bit of a price increase for them being custom made pieces, rather than my designs, but it won't be anything that is outrageous." His eyes shift toward Kee'tch'ka before saying, "And how are you? You aren't about to go crazy and kill the lot of us, are you?" Apparently the large human doesn't have a whole lot of sympathy for the droid situation.

"Well, I daresay that was uncalled for," Kee'tch'ka huffs lightly, taking a half step closer to his mistress. "I am programmed to be of utmost use and import to Mistress Dirleel and her visitors at the Muse. I'm poorly equipped for violence. Anyone can see that."

Rheisa raises a hairless brow to this sassy turn of remark from her trusty, no-longer-rusty advisor. "Kee'tch'ka is just fine..." she intercedes on his behalf and places her toy-free hand on the protocol droid's shoulder. "I will bring you my design. Where is it you do this work?"

Vraag nods his head, even as he examines the protocol droid from beneath a thoughtfully furrowed dark brow. It is clear he likely meant no offense, but is rather just not one for mincing words. "I have a shop in the Gearhead District, just come over whenever you wish."

"I will do this," Rheisa bows her head, then takes Kee by his cold, metal hand and tugs him along after her delicately hobbled gait, loth cat plush tucked under her other arm for safe keeping, till she can present it to the boy.