Lost and Found
Locations
Barcrawl
Factions
Players
Tia O'Mandalorio (Laurie)
Sabbath Rune (Jack)
Syatt Walker (Scott)
NPCs
Short Public Excerpt/Summary
After an explosive exchange at the Barcrawl, wherein a tearful Lee unequivocally shuts down Sabbath’s attempts at camaraderie and basically calls him a walking corpse, he storms out into the night. Though she hesitates, awkwardly looking between Lee and Sabbath’s retreating back, Tia ultimately runs after him. Offering him a shoulder, she helps calm him before returning to the Barcrawl to check on Lee.
Tia hastily pushed open the door to the Barcrawl and hurried after Sabbath. The door swings shut behind her. "Sabbath! Hold up a second!" Sabbath stopped, his shoulders square, his entire body as rigid as iron. As he turned, Tia could not imagine the rictus his face might be, but she was surprised to find that the tension in his body did not reach his eyes. He faced her, tears streaked his cheeks. He brought up his arm and wiped at his tears with a sleeve. He never looked as much like a lost child since… since he was a lost child. A child who could move mountains. Tia could feel the radiant Force as a tingle all over her body. Around him, small objects shuddered and vibrated. Tia's eyes widened as she hurried over to Sabbath. As she saw his face, her steps faltered for a breath, but then her features tightened with resolve. Without a word, Tia closed the remaining distance and gently put her arms around him. She brought one hand up and softly ran her fingers through his hair, holding him to herself and quietly offering up her shoulder. Sabbath's rigid posture tightened more painfully, as if he expected her embrace to crush him. But, as she held him in her warm embrace, her fingers stroking his hair, he melted into her arms and brokenly sobbed . He held her desperately, crying like he never cried, even as a child. They stood like that until his sobs ebbed and the rippling vibrations stilled. “...I'm alive...,” he begged her to believe him. Then, he cried some more. Quietly, she just held him through his tears, her hand continuing to move comfortingly through his hair in time with his heartbeat. At his words, she pulled him more tightly to her, leaning the side of her face against his and continuing to gently soothe him, waiting for his tears to slow. After his tears finally stopped, she brought her hands up to cup either side of his face, pulling back just far enough to get a good look at him. She gave him a small, somewhat sad smile. "Sabbath, I don't know what you are. But you are here, and I'm glad that you are." She paused, then continued quietly. "I talked to Lee earlier. If I'm understanding this right, if you hadn't been made Vanguard, you would really be dead." Her eyes were softly empathetic, but one corner of her mouth gently quirked upward, as if inviting him to share a joke. "You realize that if you hadn't walked through whatever door they used to bring you back, we never would have even met? You never would have locked me in a barrel, or carved my door open with a lightsaber." Her eyes held him, gently teasing. "Look... As far as I'm concerned, you started out with a fair amount of strangeness to begin with - I mean, it's not as if everyone can go around throwing shit at people with their mind. All this Force stuff - " She gave a careless shrug, still holding his eyes. "It doesn't make much sense to me. I doubt it ever will. But I don't have to understand it to know that you can use it." She paused. "This Vanguard stuff - it's another layer. But it's the reason why you're still here at all. Take that as a win. At the very least, it means that you have the time and space to decide where to go from here, to look for other options. Breathing room is seldom purchased without a cost." Her eyes darkened for a moment before she summoned a smile and continued, "And I can't say it surprises me that a reprieve from a horrible death would be particularly costly. But that doesn't mean it's not worth the price. As long as you're still here, you still have the freedom to decide what you will do, where you will go - and regardless of what anyone else says or thinks, they can't take that away from you. Who knows, maybe you'll find some brilliant solution that lets you keep your Force powers without being a Vanguard. Maybe you'll find that guy Bandit was talking about, and you'll be able to trade your Force powers for your freedom." She shrugged. "I've made do without - you could, too, if that's what you wanted - although keep in mind that it's never easy to start over." Again, her eyes darkened briefly before she continued. "Or, if at some point you got tired of all of this, I suppose you could go hunting for more lizards and hit the escape hatch." She grimaced. "Not a choice I'd recommend, but..." Her voice softened. "You have options, Sabbath. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have agency. If they do, they're lying. You of all people should know that the future hasn't been written yet." Sabbath listened quietly, all the while comforted by the warmth of her hands. He had neither the strength nor the desire to look anywhere but into her eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, bringing his hands up to cover hers, holding them there warmly. Then, he took them and kissed them both before lowering them, his fingers twining with hers. He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly, without demand. Syatt was right. The galaxy needed people like Tia, unclouded by the Force and all its mysterious complications. HE needed that. He needed HER. And because of the Vanguard, he HAD her. "... thank you...," he whispered, his lips still close. Then, he slowly withdrew. "I am going to be alright, Tia," he let go of her hands as he squared his shoulders. "I..." He wanted to say it, but intuitively knew now was not the time. "You know how I feel about you," he confessed, breathing deeply. "And you know why. Because of... " he indicated her, being here, not just with him, but for him. "Go be with your friends. Have that drink. Tell Lee...," he stopped, shaking his head sadly. "Go. She needs someone to save her, too." Sabbath looked up at stars. Yes. He was going to be alright.
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