Private Gluk Me

[Delila Castillon]

Matra VI, Authority Arc Trade Route, Tingel Arm | Dante Castillon​

Stretching her back while sitting at the countertop, Delila listened to the conversations around her as she waited for her gluk soup from the aptly named named You've Got Gluk stall. To be fair, she had picked the stall partially based on the name, partially because it seemed to be a place many humans were at - meant the food should digest fairly easily. Hopefully. Maybe.

"Can you believe the gentrification of gluk? I heard some Yum Bunnies locations got 'em now."

"Yum Bunnies? I bet they don't even make it right! Gotta have broth boiled for days."

"Can't forget the dumplings and mushrooms."

"Just mark my words, the minute I see a McYoda's gluk menu..."

Apparently people were passionate about gluk, who knew. Dells normally had the instant packets on the Saegassum, the kind hot water was added to and one waited for the noodles to soften while adding the seasoning packet. A cheap meal she didn't have to think about, especially if Xin wasn't cooking. Couldn't burn instant packets...well, she probably could. Speaking of home, she was ready to go home. She had parted ways with Xin and their crew to do a side job, a security job for a week for some higher up corpo that was visiting the planet. An odd caste system on the planet, Dells supposed her job was to keep the poors away from the guy.

Good thing the job was done, wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. Some weird encounters as of late ; a lot of pompous Jedi, a murderous Ithorian, a rather interesting Nun. When did her life get so interesting again? She wasn't so sure she liked it this way, eking out an existence in the black for the last decade and she had gotten comfortable, a traveling hermit if you will.

Being pulled from underneath her rock was making her grumpy.

 

[Dante Castillon]

Walking up to the counter, the young man ran a hand through strawberry-tinted blonde hair and looked about, and seemed to almost preternaturally jerk to the side as a ladle soared past his head. Catching it on the rebound, Dante wagged the ladle at a furious male twi'lek who was ranting about something in Hutteese. Whatever he said, low and almost growly, the slightly older tail-headed cook relented and extended his hand as Dante handed back the ladle. A disarming smile was met with grumbles from the apparent owner of the stall. Rustling his hands through pockets and fumbling, he pulled up a greasy credit that if any knew him was probably of dubious origin and paid for his meal - a rarity for the young street rat, but he liked this stall despite the earlier conflict. And Shushoon had a reason to throw the ladle, he had utterly fleeced him at Corellian Spike the night before last. And it was a good thing he hadn't lost a hand on his dice when claims were leveled of them being loaded. Which, of course, they were.

As he sat next to an older redhead, he nodded almost absently and eyed his gluk somewhat glumly. It would keep him from starving, but it had been Nothin But Gluk for almost a week, and he was feeling the less-than-nutritious effects of his lean diet. Muttering about 'Bloody fat cats' as a richly clothed person walked by with a companion, the only thing that stopped his itching palm was the lightsaber at the person's hips. Though young, even Dante knew better than to mark a Jedi or Sith. The bastards were too quick on the uptake.

Resuming his muttering, he eyed the Gluk and willed the noodles to soften faster.

Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

Dells had her head down, looking through her comm as she ate her gluk. It was okay, better than her instant packets but it was no nerf steak that was for sure. A sip of some local bottled lager made it a bit more palatable.

Mumblings caught her attention and her gaze settled on a rather thin looking redheaded kid. Humans weren't in the majority on the planet and she wondered if by circumstance the kid had grew up in the slums. Seemed like it.

Credchip was placed on the countertop, pushed to the attendant.

"Some extra protato protein balls for the kid. Looks like he needs 'em."

Gaze fell back on the teenage boy.

"Fellow gingers got to stick together, y'know."

Dante Castillon

 

[Dante Castillon]

"Fellow gingers got to stick together, y'know."

For once, and almost visibly, Dante bit back a smart comment. Something told him this woman was better at that game than him, and with the way his stomach growled at the sight of the add-on she had paid for, he wasn't really in a position to argue. So he took the blessing with only a crooked smile and a dipped head in thanks.

"Yeah, they sure as hell ain't much use"

With a jerk at the passing lightsaber-bearer, he indicated who 'they' were in his envenomed statement, words dripping derision nearly. Dunking some hotsauce the bottle claimed was made from 'Mustafarian Pepper Seeds' over the gluk, he began to eat as slowly as he could make himself do so. Which was still unseemly fast.

"I can't pay you back in much way for that, but thanks and a bit of shadywork since you look the type that won't turn me over for it. Just passing through, looking for a family member..."

Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Yeah, they sure as hell ain't much use"

"Very useless. I typically let them kill one another and give wide berth. Of all the things the 'verse needs and we've got cults pokin' each other with swords."

Delila rolled her eyes as she finished the lager. It was helping the gluk go down...or stay down maybe. The kid seemed to enjoy it, she was certain he was going to choke. At least her first aid knowledge was still there, although putting it to use was best to be avoided. Gluk bowl was pushed away as she finished up, the gluk bar attendant swiftly picking it up.

"I can't pay you back in much way for that, but thanks and a bit of shadywork since you look the type that won't turn me over for it. Just passing through, looking for a family member..."

"No payback needed. I'm just an old lady trying to burn in slightly cooler hellfires when the time comes."

Delila turned her head to look at the kid again. What was he, sixteen, seventeen? Looked to be about the age she set out on her own. Granted she had a plan but perhaps the kid did too, something about finding his family.

"What happened, folks leave you with a family member to find work? War torn homeworld? Galaxy is a massive place, odd you'd start in this hellhole of a planet."

Dante Castillon

 

[Dante Castillon]

"Dunno. Came home one day and the whole damn town was deserted, like everyone vanished. Not even a scuffle. So I'm hitchhiking the galaxy from the family junkyard to here, trying to find my aunt. If she's even alive. It's something at least."

Slurping a mouthful of noodles down, he eyed the other. She was old, but just how old was hard to say. A hard knock life, for sure. But something in her still cared he wagered. She had a soft spot somewhere, to feed him. With a grimace he disguised as a spicy burp, he shut off the cutpurse part of his mind and merely sighed after composing himself.

"But I'm out of credits and ideas, so... I've just been drifting around this place trying to not be noticed."

Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"I grew up on a junkyard. Most miserable fuckin' experience in my life, and trust me, that's saying a lot. Once I left around your age I only went back once, when I married my ex-husband. Guess what? It was still miserable. Not to bash on where you're from kid, or what your parents did, but you ever hear of the Scraplands on Ord Mantell? If you have then need I say less"

Delila realized she had gone off on some tangent and reeled herself back in.

"I'm sorry to hear about your family. About your town. You.No one deserves that. If the 'verse is a big place you've got an impossible task ahead of you. Know what this aunt of yours does? I'd start there...say, if she's a wandering dancer or something, start hitting up clubs before they open and ask around. Sorry, that's my lame attempt of an example. Try the HoloNet if you've got her full name, maybe you'll get a hit."

Dante Castillon

 

[Dante Castillon]

"Delila. I know she got married at some point, so I'm not sure if her and dad had the same last name even. I know she joined some war or something and never came back. Dad talked about her half like a traitor to Ord Mantel itself, and half a hero none could ever outdo. I grew up being told I was too much like her. And taking a few beatings when the old man hit the bottle."

He hadn't the slightest clue why he was telling her all this, but part of him was still numb.

His dad's yard had been called the Scraplands, and as that sunk in, he muttered as much, the world listing a bit to the left as shock as the possibility set in. For once in his short life, the young urchin was without retort or sarcasm.

Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"....I actually hyphenated my name when I got married. Dropped his last name when we divorced, so just Castillon now. Wasn't a war either, I joined CorSec then branched out from there and joined a war."

Pieces had been put together enough to realize this kid had been looking for her. Delila had zero idea she had a nephew, last visit to Ord Mantell her nerf herder of a brother hadn't been with anyone. Granted, that was much longer ago than the kid next to her had been alive. The redhead turned fully now to look at him. Ruddy red hair. Finer features. Far too skinny to be a teenaged boy in her eyes. If her brother wasn't most likely dead she would have torn off to Ord Mantell to slowly torture her sibling to death. There had been no reason to abuse the kid ; hell, she would have taken him in long ago if her brother didn't want him.

There had been debate earlier on inviting the kid onto her crew, onto the Saegassum. Now it was settled knowing he was most likely her nephew. A few more questions would clear it up but it seemed highly possible. Typically, herself and Xin Boa would discuss such a matter about inviting someone onto the ship , onto the crew. They were a strong partnership and the Saegassum was a democracy. Rarely one did something without consulting the other - this was one of those rare occasions. She'd have to give him a heads up soon.

"Not a hero though. Just foolish."

Dells motioned to the stall-tender.

"Another bowl of gluk for the boy, please." Stall-tender turned to get around round for the kid as Dells put a credchip on the countertop. "Whats your name? Tell me a bit about yourself."

Dante Castillon

 

[Dante Castillon]

"Dante. Supposedly after some relative of dad's. I 'unno. "

For a moment, Dante just stared at the second bowl of gluk in stunned silence. Something had went right. He had found her. How he wound his way along the Outer Rim to some random backwater, stumbled to a gluk stall and wound up sitting next to his Aunt? Was he really this lucky? Did he win the favor of some benevolent deity of one of the backwaters he had visited? Either way, he was grateful. As the pause stretched on, he slurped up some gluk and finally began talking in a rambling manner.

"Not much really to tell. I'm handy with a wrench. Really good with people. And ma always said I was luckier than any boy had a right to be. Fell off a shuttle once heading out of atmo. Landed in a bulk container line ship. Open topped. Full of pillows. Stuff like that is always happening..."

Shrugging again, he smiled this time, looking at her.

"I found an estranged aunt through coin flips, fortune tellers and picking directions at random. So I'm pretty handy I guess."

Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Uncle Dante. I was never personally a fan but apparently my brother was."

Delila listened with a touch of amusement on her features as he rambled. It sounded like part of an job interview and part odd tale of how lucky he had been throughout the years. The boy seemed eager, she would give him that as he finished rambling for a moment and started to slurp down the bowl of gluk again.

"Well, it would probably be hard to find me otherwise. I live on a freighter and we do a great deal of moving around. Sometimes weeks in the black so I imagine you are fairly lucky."

"Are you interested in joining us for a bit? Its not a bad gig, you'd have your own tiny room and run of the galley. Just myself, a Nautolan, a Barabel, and a Monkey-Lizard. We take whatever odd jobs run a profit, from merc work to hauling cargo to rich villages in far-flung areas. It can get boring and our boat is a democracy, so if you cant handle both of those things its going to be a rough ride. I think you can handle it, you can pull your weight."

"Or did you just want to shake my hand, get my comm number, and part ways?"

Dante Castillon

 

[Dante Castillon]

Music of Moment

For a moment, Dante's heart skipped a beat as he fought to control a smile at the offer Delila Castillon made. To be a spacer. To see the 'verse and make the wide Galaxy his home. In searching for his Aunt, that is all the young man had really come to want. To wander out into the black and never really come back from it. He felt a thrill creep up the back of his neck, fine hair standing on end as he finished the second portion of gluk almost ravenously.

Finally a smile broke as he looked at his Aunt, seeing the other Castillon for the first time, and nodding.

"I'll go with you. You just need to let me fly something one day. I always told da I'd be a pilot one day..."

As he finished speaking, he stuck out his hand to Delila, offering to seal the deal. He didn't think they were quit to hugging, not yet. But an eagerness and joy was sparking in his eyes that only the adventure of youth could ignite, and he grinned ear to ear now, feeling as if the spiraling arms and many stars of the Galaxy were all alight in his mind, fueling infinite impossibilities.

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Whoa, one step at a time. Let's crawl before we walk. I highly doubt Xin is just going to let you touch the boat for a bit, however, we will get there in due time. Teach you so you can Captain up a ship of your own, there's more than just flying. Especially if you got a crew... these lessons I'll be happy to pass along. Not that I'm the Captain of the Saegassum, more or less the resident smart ass."

Delila shook his hand, sealing the deal for Dante's passage aboard the ship. Now, how was she going to break this to Xin? Couldn't leave the kid out in the cold even if they didn't have the Saegassum or the means to do so. She suspected Xin would have questions but would overall trust her judgement. Hopefully.

"Alright, grab your bag. Do me a favor? Don't call me Auntie Dells, just Dells is perfectly fine. Kind of weird to start the whole 'Aunt' thing after all these years, you know?"

The redhead got off her stool and stretched a little, nodding for the kid to follow.

"You know how to shoot? That's going to be something high on the priority list. Second on the priority list is holochess, its a competitive sport on the ship."

Dante Castillon

 

[Dante Castillon]

"Never was allowed a gun. Kinda usually stuck relying on wits and fists most the time... But I learn fast. Holochess I've read about, in magazines. Never had the money for a set to learn on. Kinda always wanted to though."

As he grabbed his ever-present duffel, he looked at his aunt and nodded, smirking a bit.

"Well lets go then. And... Thank you, Dells."

Delila Castillon