(no subject)

[faithfulson]

Who: Luke Skywalker and CR
What: Catching up on desired CR activities. Prompts in comments; message me if you want one, or feel free to start your own.
When: Through the month of September.
Where: Throughout Trench

Content Warnings: Will be updated as needed.

Comments

Darth Nox

[faithfulson]

Luke was quickly finding himself the person to check up on all the craziness that came from his galaxy.

Granted, it was a bit of a self appointed role, even if he was doing it subconsciously. Still, with his open mind and willingness to listen and learn, others didn't seem to be bothered by him, even Savage despite the fact that half the time he popped in it looked like he was debating to drag him out by his ear and start throwing lightsabers to see how fast he could get him to fight back.

Honestly, he was surprised that hadn't happened yet.

Luke was keeping up that role with the new arrival, though until now he had been keeping his distance. He didn't know what to make of the person he now knew to be a Sith Lord after the message on the omni the other day, if only because he had never felt a person that seemed to be multiple people at once. At least he wasn't that hard to find; asking around Trench for a large man in a mask led to a lot of pale faces and questions as to why he would go looking for the man, but he was eventually pointed in the right direction.

Arriving at the location he was pointed to, however, showed that the pet the man had been warning others about took particular interest in its master's safety. The moment he felt the low growl, even before he heard it, Luke came to an immediate stop, all senses on alert. He couldn't see the creature, but he wasn't about to take his chances, instead making himself look as non-threatening as possible while radiating calm in his immediate area, hoping the feline would get the hint that he meant no harm.

"Good kitty," he murmured absently, eyes flicking back and forth, trying to catch a glimpse of the creature. "I'm not here to cause trouble."

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

Luke would have probably had an easier time of things if not for the fact Nox had recently taken to exploring the areas to the southeast of Darcmouth. Something about a strange, horned [helmeted] figure dressed in black fading in and out of the mist probably didn't sit right with the locals. Especially not when Nox's wanderings had taken him into the nearby graveyard on more than one occasion.

Nox himself was content to remain hidden for the time being. He may not have been wary of Luke, the man certainly had an opportunity to kill him if he'd really wanted to when he first arrived, but that didn't mean he didn't see the value in observing his behavior. Knowing how the jedi responded to certain scenarios could come in handy if he ever did become a problem. For now, his chosen response was at least earning Luke a point or two with Nox, even if it was the sort of response he'd expect from a jedi.

Whether it was fortunate or not that Jen'taral didn't share Nox's interest in Luke was the sort of thing the Sith would leave for the Jedi to decide. But he'd soon see why he had difficulty spotting the big cat, once she dropped to the ground from up above. Not to pounce on the Jedi, despite her obvious irritation, but more to voice her displeasure at his intrusion. After initially circling the jedi, the nexu lifted herself as high off the ground as she could to give Luke one last snarl at something closer to eye level for good measure. But rather than attack the jedi she instead turned away to sulk off deeper into the woods--all the while letting out a strange mixture of low growls of protest and emphatic, oddly aggrieved trilling.

"Don't mind her. She's just upset you woke her."

Evidently, Nox was satisfied enough with the turn events to uncloak himself. He'd appear only a few meters to Skywalker's right. Just because Luke had kept a level head before didn't mean he'd continue to do so, and Nox preferred to at least appear somewhere that would force the Jedi to be at a minor disadvantage if he reached for a weapon. If he were right-handed, anyway.

"But I take it you didn't come all the way out here just because you were eager to make a bad first impression with my nexu."

[faithfulson]

Luke started at the Sith Lord's sudden appearance, staring at him with wide eyes. He hadn't even been able to sense where he was, which was impressive considering how unusual his presence was. Now that he was visible before him, he could sense the multiple existences that made up his being, much more clearly than he had been able to in the middle of the snow storm. As before, he couldn't quite... perceive one from the other, almost as if the man was all of them and yet none of them at the same time.

He paused a moment, reaching out with his senses, trying to see if the man (or... men?) meant any hostility toward him, before he eased back a little, the barest hint of a smile coming to his face.

"It wasn't my intention to wake her," he said. "I'll make it up to her another time."

There was probably enough out there that a nexu would eat, no question there.

"Forgive me, but I wanted to check up on you," Luke continued. "When I last saw you, you weren't in the best of shape."

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

Certainly an unexpected admission, though the Sith still made sure to keep any hint of surprise well hidden. Mentally, at least. Physically, he'd still allowed for a barely perceptible tilt of his helmet to slip through before he stopped himself. Without the helmet, it was likely something that could go unnoticed entirely, but clearly there were some unexpected disadvantages that came with headgear designed to make one appear distinctly inhuman.

"Is anyone, when they wake up in this place?"

He had something of a habit of dismissing any sort of concern when it came to his own well-being, even if he tried not to be obvious about it. Not out of the sort of misplaced pride or arrogance expected of Sith, either--though the real reason was arguably just as unhealthy. Although, even with Nox's emotions and thoughts as guarded as they were, the ease with which he dispassionately brushed aside Luke's concerns might have been reason for worry on its own.

"But your concern is noted, jedi...if misplaced. I didn't wake alone, there are no doubt others who would benefit considerably more from such attention."

[faithfulson]

Oh, Luke was certainly used to interpreting the emotions of individuals that did not show their face, and did not seem the least bit bothered by Nox's terrifying visage as it was. Instead, he chuckled faintly at his question, offering a small smile.

"No, and the cold hasn't helped," Luke replied. "I assure you, I'm making my rounds to everyone I can, but I want to put priority on Force users that end up here. The... changes that happen when brought to this place can be disorienting at best."

He definitely knew that one from experience; it was still hard for him to adapt to the fact that he wasn't as balanced of a Force user as he used to be. It was nice that the mental aspect he struggled with was stronger now, but to take such a hard hit to everything else was difficult to adapt to.

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

"This is hardly cold, at least not to anyone with the distinct misfortune of having set foot on Hoth."

Or Ilum, once he took the time to really think about it. But Hoth was by far the least pleasant of the two. He could at least find his way around Ilum without the risk of snow blindness setting in...and all the settlements on Ilum at least had proper heating.

"And, at the risk of sharing too much, I can safely say this is not the first time my mind has been fragmented. I admit the temporary amnesia is a new and novel experience, but not an overly concerning one. More memories return with each passing day--I don't doubt that I'll remember everything with time."

[faithfulson]

Luke very visibly winced at the mention of Hoth, showing that he absolutely knew what Nox was talking about when it came to that particular planet. The less he thought about that, and the wampa that almost made him dinner, the better; he shook his head after a moment, taking a deep breath.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he replied. “I’ve been here a few months, and it seems each group of sleepers that arrives goes through worse arrivals than the last.”