Efnir and Nomi 6

Nomi and Efnir have been spending a lot of time together, just hanging out, getting to know each other better, enjoying each other's company, but on the night after the trip into the artifact, Nomi's emotions broadcast her concern as she finds Efnir (wherever he may happen to be).

"Hey, how are you doing after everything today? Maybe I can't fully understand what happened, but I'm here for you, if you want to talk about it or swap theories, or I'm cool with just playing a game if you want to not think about it." Her eyes search his face for any sign of what he is feeling.

“Of course, Nomi. I found it quite interesting actually. Do you want to get some of that Wookie drink leftover? I think I remember it being tasty and I promise I will sip it this time. Then we can find a comfy sitting place. I can play a game AND talk about it if you actually have a desire and not meant as a distraction.”

Nomi looks relieved. "I shouldn't be surprised that you are more interested than upset. There's a lot of that Wookie drink left. I'll go get it." She looks back over her shoulder as she leaves to get the spicy orange stuff. "Wanna play Dejarik? I owe you for last time when you slaughtered my Strider. It died before its time, poor monster."

It takes Nomi a few minutes, but she finally comes back hauling a load. She has the giant jug of orange spice drink, a couple mugs, a bowl of crunchy snacks that are usually salty, but Efnir can predict she has sprinkled them with something to impart sweetness as well to satisfy her sweet tooth. She's also carrying a big floor cushion and the Dejarik board. Nomi thumps the cushion down on the other side of the low table in the common room, leaving Efnir to sit on the couch. She pours them each a generous mug and presses the button on the Dejarik board to start the holographic display.

"Remember to sip it... Though maybe I shouldn't remind you, if you get drunk I'm bound to win, right?"

Nomi shrugs out of her customary leather jacket, leaving her in a comfy, soft v-neck, which she untucks. She settles on the cushion with crossed legs.

"So, what exactly happened in that meditation? How come you are shrugging it off like no big deal when the others are practically soiling themselves?"

Efnir watches her settle in and takes an actually small sip of the spice drink.

Thinking for a moment, “perhaps it is like a rock that rolled out of a fire. I reached but pulled my hand back, while the others got burned. So I do not fear the rock in the same way. It looked like there was no true damage done, thankfully, unless Vesper crashed into something when he ran out.

“What actually happened? I don’t know that I can say more than I did earlier. With what Vic saw on this end I can only guess but maybe we were like hacking into something with the Force? Maybe the encompassing tentacles were a representation of a firewall or other similar protection. But I don’t know about what was contained. This white magma, but it also felt like a consciousness. Alive.”

He looks at her, cupping the drink just below his chin. “We all seemed to agree that there was no way the artifact could store the amount of data that the Archives would amount to, so maybe it was simply like an access node. But that wouldn’t solve Firith’s issue of there only being one Archive. What if there is a backup, and instead of a technological server, it was biological. And its out in wild space somewhere. And Damasa is the Key.”

With a quick shake of his head and one more sip, which is done before he realizes it was out of habit and really not that long after the last sip, he turns attention to the Dejarik board.

“Oh, you went already. Of course. I think I got lucky last time, but I won’t fall for your wiles this time.” There is a faint reddening of his cheeks which would be difficult to notice except she has seen before when flushed. He moves a piece on the side in what Nomi can easily spot as set up for a flanking maneuver.

Nomi leans forward and rests her elbows on the table as she looks up at Efnir. "So, the question is, is the tentacle wall/fire wall there to keep others out or to keep that presence in?" She taps her lip with a finger as she looks at the board, then moves a piece in to foil his flanking maneuver, effectively cutting off Efnir's advance on that point unless he wants to activate a special ability her piece has which would damage his. "If Firith was so worried about the archives being a single point of failure there would be no point in creating the artifact to solve that unless there was a second point right? There would be no solution whatsoever if the artifact was made as another way to access the archives which may then fall or be erased. Do you really think that the data could be written on something biological? Is that even possible? Wouldn't it make more sense that the secondary archives had attracted the attention of something else which is biological?" Nomi picks up a crunchy snack bit and pops it onto her tongue. She gestures at the board and her cup. "I'll drink when you damage one of my pieces."

Leaning back, Nomi sighs. "What if that dark presence is Damasa? We've been running toward this mysterious being who has been missing, presumed dead for years and we have thought that she would solve it all when we find her. But Firith knew that Damasa predicted Lilikai would fall to the dark side and yet he wanted to give her the artifact to take to Damasa. What? Hoping that she wouldn't actually fall if he got her out of there or that Damasa would redeem her? What if Damasa's self-isolation and the things that she saw, but had no way to deal with, caused her downfall too? I am starting to think that when we find her we shouldn't tell her straight away about the artifact or why we are looking for her. Not until we find out more about her and what she has been up to." She snorts. "Maybe we should take the warning that master Yoda gave to Firith and Lilikai." She frowns wryly. "And besides that I am a little mad at her for what she said to Lilikai. She apparently didn't care that her words were the tip to that prophecy coming true."

“With those stakes I need to be careful with this. I will note I am 2 drinks up on you.” Efnir sets the cup down nearby.

“We can speculate all kinds of things. Who knows what it really could be. I agree with caution revealing too much to Damasa whenever it is we find her. Lessons learned from Lilikai. I will admit that I have a fascination with Damasa. Another Iktotchan Jedi. Well, former Jedi I guess, since she abandoned the Order. From what we have heard and seen she seems much more kindred spirit to myself than Master Tiin was and I maybe was hoping she would be able to teach me things outside his specialties. Maybe she still could, but I hear what you say about she could have possibly also fallen.”

Efnir makes a move on the opposite flank.

“Keep an eye and ear alert and if you feel something is off I will listen to you.”

Nomi shrugs. "I like to speculate. It keeps me on my toes. I wouldn't have to do it so much if I could predict the future." She gives Efnir a grin and ignores his flanking maneuver on the opposite side in preference for attacking one of his pieces with one of her own. "It takes damage now, when it moves," she reminds him of the bitten piece. It appears that she has forgotten that a piece he has moved into position can attack twice, or perhaps she has left herself open to a double attack on purpose.

"I can understand why you would feel a potential connection to Damasa and I appreciate that you will listen to me if I feel like something is wrong. But I think that you, Somi, Vesper and the Night Sisters will have a better chance of telling something like that, right? I can wish all I want to have the ability to sense the Force, but it's not tangible to me. I know that I work with it and it with me, but not so directly as the five of you. Now, I can detect a bull-shitter, as long as it's not Lilikai, apparently. So if it comes to that, I'll let you know."

Efnir smiles and takes the double attack. “There. Two drinks for you?”

Nomi has much more Dejarik experience due to her more frequent space travel over the last 5 years. Efnir on the other hand, plays exactly like one who first learned to play 6 years ago then hadn’t seen the game again until here on the Ronto. With her smarts, cunning and experience she will be able to quickly tell his strategy. There could be two choices here: first, employ effective counters and board position and end the game quickly. With this impromptu damage for drinks wager, the loser is going to be taking a lot of sips regardless, but a quick end would at least leave her not sober, but far less drunk. Second, to purposefully draw the game out. Efnir would still lose unless he got lucky or she missed something, but it would be closer. She would end up drinking much more, however.

Efnir tries to concentrate on the board, but even with only those 2 sips he is starting to feel a bit wobbly. He tries to keep a strait face and not stare at her. Not too much at least.

Nomi makes eye contact with Efnir as she sips her drink twice, then sets it down on the table and moves an unused piece into the space just vacated by the piece Efnir had killed. The holographic display causes her piece to rear up and slash his and holographic blood splatters. Nomi puts a hand over his cup. "That makes us even. Maybe we should move this game to your room so you won't have to go anywhere after it's done?"

Nomi shuffles things around, carrying the two cups, bowl of snacks and cushion. She has Efnir take the game board, which, being holographic, won't spill no matter the effects of the alcohol on his system. She leaves the jug behind.

"What did you do for fun at the Temple? You never really came out with us to clubs or venues. At least not when I was there, which I admit wasn't all the time."

Once at his room, Nomi settles the floor cushion next to his bed and uses the bed as a table of sorts. She hands Efnir his mug and let's him decide if he will sit next to her or on the bed.

Efnir follows with a bit of concern from the swift loss of the monster. Feeling a bit out of his league- at least it’s practice, and you can’t expect to get better without practice.

He sits next to her on the cushion with the board in reach of them both on the bed nearby.

“For fun? Well I suppose I found reading about various lore in the archives was fun. I liked my classes and spending time with Somi and Vesper since basically all the other padawans were half our age or less. Lightsaber dueling, learning about the Force, I really did like it. I didn’t really feel welcome out and about on Coruscant, people were either scared of my looks or that I might predict some terrible fate. When Master Tiin was out in the war I had to entertain myself with study and practice. I would carry various things around the temple to hone that ability, sometimes toss a ball against a wall and so forth. Looking back now it seems so simple and boring. We might be fugitives in frequent peril but it’s also the most fun I have had I think in my life.”

Looking over at her, “so is that one drink for one attack or what? We should really have clear rules.” He then reaches over to make his next turn. With her moving her unit, it opened a clear path for his ranged K’lo’slug to hit her Savrip three times, taking it out. He then picks up both cups and hands hers over, then clinks them together before they take agreed upon sips.

"One drink for me each time one of my pieces takes a hit. I never said you had to play." She winks at him and takes three sips. Then she leans her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes momentarily. "No one worth any attention would be afraid of you if they knew you. I certainly do not find you scary looking. Quite the opposite, actually." Nomi gives him a glance through her lashes then sits up to contemplate the game board. With the loss of her Savrip and Grimtash she is left with only her Molator and Houjix on the board. The range on his K'lor'slug gives it a big advantage. Nomi doesn't attack this turn, just moves one of her pieces so that they are now both out of range and on the wrong tiles to be hit. Efnir will have to move his pieces closer to do anything, which will make one of them vulnerable, at least.

She puts her hand on his knee. "Well, you know what I said about these being the best times of my life. So I get it."

"Hey, is everything ok, personally? I mean you were pretty insistent about the money thing the other day. Is there something you need help with or some kind of debt you need to pay?"

“I am the one who suggested the drinks. I will play along.” He takes another sip. With only two units left vs. his three he is feeling confident. And the warm spiciness of the drink chases away any thoughts of strategy. He moves the Ng’ok up the middle, leaving the Ghhhk and K’lor’slug behind.

“I just thought it little strange to ask someone to sell an item for me then find out nearly all the credits would go to the bank Nawah controls. And I maybe spent nearly all my remaining credits on the opera tickets and wouldn’t have enough to do that again if there was opportunity. Being able to buy some parts to tinker up my saber and the armor inserts was bonus. Well, I mean I would have enough with the lesser amount, but it felt wrong, but I get it that maybe the armor wasn’t mine really. I never had to worry about having credits before and I want to get things sometimes.”

She can tell he is getting a bit rambling in speech but is tolerating better than at the dinner before.

Nomi smiles sweetly and gives Efnir a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for taking me to the opera. It was a fantastic experience. And you are either being incredibly gracious - or have forgotten - to not mention my own upset I had with Nawah about money. I'm not even sure if she paid me after all that shook out. I think she's really used to having her own income independent of what we do on the ship, so she has no concept that the rest of us need money too and would rather not have to go ask her for it any time we want to buy a new pair of underwear."

Nomi leans forward over Efnir's knee to move her Molator into range of his Ng'ok and activate it's special ability, stunning Efnir's piece for two rounds. She's carefully positioned it between the Molator and his other pieces, offering her piece shelter from a direct attack at the moment.

Then she leans back and takes a few pieces of the salty sweet snack, crunching them as she waits.

TO BE CONTINUED