Happy New All Skate!

[raptorcanaria]

"You know what, let's have a party."

Dinah threw her platinum card (thanks, Oracle) on the Bar and as a result there is free flowing champagne for everyone whose culture, age and religion permits champagne - and top quality soft alternatives for the rest. There are bar snacks doing the rounds around the tables, and delicate winter flower arrangements on each surface.

And most importantly, on the TV screen is a lot of dancing, a giant countdown, and a big ball ready to drop.

...and when the ball drops, something happens.



Welcome to another Milliways All-Skate!
All welcome - yes, that means all. Whether they're retired, deleted, AU, original or already being played by someone else, bring 'em along.

Usual all-skate rules apply:
1. Everyone's stressed out of their mind right now, so have fun!
2. Communication is key.
3. Gratuitous behaviour (either of a violent or sexual nature) will not be tolerated in the bar proper. Take that to an OOM, and then Content Warning the hell out of it before you link it.
4. Much like Vegas, what happens in All Skates, stays in All Skates (in most cases)
5. Please don't be a dick.

Comments

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'm glad," she beams, pleased. "Those are some of my favorites, especially when the day needs some brightness. Do you have chocolate, where you're from?"

Because she may be gathering three of the bite-sized Chocoholias for him, also.

[twoforce]

"It's not common," Warlock admits. "Easier to get hold of on the core worlds, but I haven't been back there in years."

His hunt for his brothers rarely leads him to the populous core anymore, and it's dangerous for him and his remaining brothers to spend too long there.

He pauses then, watching her with the chocolate, and decides it's safe to ask:

"But you have some idea where I'm from, yes? You recognised my face."

It's sort of a question. But not really.

[sunbaked_baker]

"When I saw you from the corner of my eye, I mistook you for a friend of mine," she replies, slightly wry, as she holds out a saucer with three of the crunchy-gooey-melty-happy Chocoholias with their five kinds of chocolate.

[twoforce]

That's true, and impressively evasive of the actual question he wanted the answer to. Warlock is impressed.

He smiles as he takes the saucer and delicately picks up a treat from it, savouring thhe smell at first.

"I get that a lot," he admits. "A lot of people say I remind them of someone or other. Mistaking me for their friends. Even their enemies, sometimes."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Just one of those faces, I guess," the baker says with a wry shrug. "That happens sometimes, though, here, people coming from different times and worlds but looking very similar."

[twoforce]

"Different times and worlds?"

He's sure she knows, now. And given that she's not even slightly curious, Warlock's conclusion is that she is specifically protective of her friend. This is a good thing, because it means his brother has at least one person looking out for him.

So he lets his curiosity follow the change in subject.

"But they look the same?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Folks come here from all over, by which I mean all over, including sometimes different versions of the same place, and wildly varying time periods," Rae replies. "It's somewhat rare to get people coming in who look the same, but it's definitely not unknown. When it does happen, the faces match pretty closely but the small differences add up - hair styles, clothing, mannerisms, speech patterns, body language - and there's rarely any chance of mistaking anyone once you get a good look or start talking with them."

After a moment of mistaken identity, of course.

[twoforce]

Despite this, there are some mannerisms, still, that Warlock shares with his brothers, artefacts of very similar upbringing and lives.

But he also stands out due to his own unique training, and rarely gets mistaken for someone else.

"And it's usually just coincidence? Not some grand plan on the part of the Force?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"I've no clue," the red-haired woman snorts with faint laughter, plucking three of the little chocolate bites from the baking tray for herself. "Is the Force in the habit of revealing its grand plans to random bakers?"

[twoforce]

"You never know, it does move in mysterious ways," Warlcok says sagely. "But there's no such thing as a random anyone."

[sunbaked_baker]

"If nobody's random, then it must be the Force, mustn't it?" she asks, with the wry tone of one who has heard of the Force, sure, but isn't exactly familiar with it and doesn't fully trust it.

[twoforce]

"Must be," he says, with a casual grin.

"But maybe I should have said - no one is insignificant. And it does flow through all things."

He does trust the Force, at least. It's organised religion he has an issue with.

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'll definitely agree with you on the first part," she grins, taking a bite of one of the Chocoholias she'd purloined for herself, "and take your word for it on the second."

Might as well ask.

"You a Jedi?"

[twoforce]

He pauses. Not really that he's hesitant about telling her, and more to add emphasis to the weight of the question, and how significant it is that he chooses to answer.

He finishes his chocoholia and shifts, pulling his robe back enough to reveal thin legs, underfed hips, and the lightsaber secured on his belt.

"Used to be."

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'm sorry if I overstepped, by asking. I've met, like.... one Jedi before," she says, hands moving automatically to put one of those gigantic cinnamon rolls on a plate for him. "That's the only time I've really heard someone talk about the Force."

[twoforce]

"You overstepped nothing," he assures her. "It's only that it's illegal these days. Your friend is probably from a different place or time from me."

He wonders briefly if she was reminded of the Jedi, rather than a brother, as she seems to have some sensitivity, but decides the casual evasiveness was not in that direction.

[sunbaked_baker]

Something in her expression clears - his hesitation to answer was quite reasonable and understandable, it turns out - only to be replaced by somewhat incredulous confusion. "Illegal?"

Definitely from a different place or time.

[twoforce]

He lets his robe fall back gently to cover his weapons again as he reaches for the cinnamon roll, holding it to smell again before thinking of eating.

"Naturally," he says. "Can't have heretics threatening the security of the Empire, can we?"

Don't worry, it's only fractionally more illegal than having his face and not being a stormtrooper. He can see a long explanation in his future, but still - if her friend knows in advance, would it help?

[sunbaked_baker]

"Of course not," she answers, mildly, passing him the plate with its gooey, warm and fragrant offering (and a napkin). "Must've been a big day when the Empire realized they needed to take action. When was this?"

Tact is one thing (which Sunshine sometimes has). Subtlety is another (which she generally doesn't).

[twoforce]

He is of course, more than willing to share this information, but it might take him some time.

"If you want a year, I can only say year 1, by the Imperial calendar," he says with a wry smile. "About ten years ago, give or take. The third year after the start of the clone wars."

The last is the only one he assumes will be of use to her.

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'd have thought they'd make it some civic holiday or something."

Okay, maybe that was a bit too bitter. She gets a cinnamon roll for herself, as well.

At least, she has that information. She can pass it on to those for whom it means something.

"Did they, like, erase the record of the previous year-numbering system?" That's not indicative of a complete ruling power overhaul at all.

[twoforce]

"Oh they did," he confirms. "The fault's entirely mine - I haven't kept count nor did I much beforehand. It's not a celebration me or my brothers participate in.

"The old system would have been... Nine Fifty Eight? Seventy nine fifty eight."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Lot of years, to just start over like that," she remarks, turning to drizzle her cinnamon roll with icing and maybe hide the hesitation his previous comment had given her.

"Your brothers?"

[twoforce]

"Mmmm," says Warlock, pausing to take a bite of cinnamon roll, "we travel together, where we can. Safety and danger both in numbers.

"When it doesn't put them in danger to be with a fugitive like me," he adds, his hand dropping to brush where his lightsaber sits under his robes.

He knows she knows. So he assumes she knows he's a descrepancy.