Private The Sands of Fate

[Arcturus Dinn]

On a bustling ecumenopolis like Denon it was easy to overlook the minute among the masses. One small stand, tucked down into an alleyway, was never going to be spotted by more than the lowest civilization had to offer, those who were fleeing on foot from some crime or danger, or those who had nowhere to call home and so slunk into the darkness away from the blinding lights of constant advertisements that stretched on from dusk 'til dawn. And yet despite that, a stand could be found there all the same. Nary a single person had even cast it a glance since it had popped up, and among those only two had dared approach it.​

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Neither had left in the same state they'd arrived.​

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It had been quite some time since Arcturus Thesh had graced Realspace with his presence. Lost for so long within the Nether - no thanks to the pesky ring endowed by none other than one Ashin Cardé Varanin - he had finally made a point to return. He had not been expecting such a bustling hub of activity to be where he was spat out, but then he had not been expecting a great many things he'd been presented with since. No ship, no way to contact those few individuals who even knew of his existence in the Galaxy, Arcturus had been forced to find new and intriguing ways to stay alive. Peddling wares he wasn't even certain were market safe. In fact in some cases he knew they weren't. Experiments he'd dabbled with during his time away, things he'd pulled with him on his escape from Hell.​

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Escape wasn't exactly the right word for it, however, for Arcturus had found quite the place for himself among the oddities of the realm beyond realms. Part of him was sad to see the back of it, though he knew deep down it would not be long before he found a foothold within it once more. It was as a drug, far too tempting to leave alone.​

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His eyes had been set upon the entrance to the alleyway, watching like a hawk for the right kind of person to drift on by. Nothing... Nothing... How long had he waited? How long since he moved from his chosen perch, where he dabbled over incomprehensible musings and tinkered with a dozen different projects. How long? ​

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Nwit nudged him, little hands held aloft with some sort of filled-and-fried bread he'd managed to nick from another streetside stall. Long enough that his tiny companion was growing concerned, in so far as a non-sentient being, a mere construct brought to life by his own feeble thoughts, was able. Just as he took his first bite in Force knew how long he spotted him, bright against the general drudgery of a planet which never slept. His eyes narrowed, and the Force flowed freely from him as he tried to nudge and tempt the boy to glance his way.​

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Come.... he beckoned, through the darkness of the alleyway and into the boy's psyche. Come...​

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But would the boy heed the call?​

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Cartri Keswoll ​

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Arcturus Dinn
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As days would go this was a pretty calm one, no trouble seemed to be on the horizon for now as he weaved in and out of the curious market crowds. Cartri was coming back from a side job that almost took the entire day to complete, thanks to some kark putting a virus on his Darkwire datapad. Thankfully, he didn't go the extra mile and leak it onto the network, else that would have been a whole other disaster. How he did it was beyond him, but at least he'll learn a lesson from handling something he didn't know how to use.

Adjusting his heavy backpack he was determined to grab a bite from his favorite food stall to help him wind down, and a demon street burger would hit the spot. Although, just when he walked past an alleyway something peculiar stopped him in his tracks.

The teen slowly came to a stop and listened carefully to what seemed to be a voice coming from the left of him, one of which led into the dark abyss of a quiet backstreet. His head turned and glared into the unknown, unsure if he should follow the beckoning voice and see who was behind the source. A part of him urged it was a trap, and all he needed to do was simply walk away to avoid the problem. Yet, the interest to see what it was overshadowed his own thoughts to be safe. Hesitantly, Cartri turned and cautiously walked in the direction of the voice "Uh... hello?" he said into the wall of darkness, unsure if he will get any reply back at all.

Halfway into the backstreet he eventually caught sight of an outline, one being a stall and a figure. What was it doing all the way down here out of all places? something of which only raised more questions than answers. Coming to a stop, he looked at the shadowy outlines with a tilt of his head. Right now his breathing was steady and content, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease the more he got closer "What are you?" he inquired to the stranger, unsure of what to make of this bizarre scene.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Somehow that had done the trick. Luring this one in had been far simpler than the others, that was for sure, there was a genuine sense of curiosity radiating from the boy... Curiosity was perfect. Though it went unnoticed due to the shadow cast by not only the darkened alleyway but also the hood he wore, the Sandman smiled.​

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What am I? he inquired, for now upholding the mystical pretense which hung around him and refraining from vocalizing his words aloud, What, pray tell, are you?​

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Where previously he had been sat crosslegged, immobile in place, all at once Arcturus rose with a flourish, his too-long robes billowing down 'til the ends pooled at his feet. Small cones of incense which had been dutifully placed in various locations upon the stall ignited with one single and short wave of his hand, though no source of fire could be noted as coming from him.​

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"And what will you become?"​

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He tipped his head into a mischievous bow, as smoke began to rise up from the various conical incenses to waft toward him. They had something of a calming effect, the scent inherently different to all who perceived it. After all, what soothed one might not soothe another. Arcturus preferred it when his patrons were at ease, they were far more malleable and accepting that way.​

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Cartri Keswoll ​

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Arcturus Dinn​

Narrowing his eyes at the robed figure who repeated his question, keeping up his mysterious presence for now as he shot the same question back to him. Cartri tilted his head to the comment and stayed silent for a few moments "I guess I'm just a kid who is doing his best to survive in the galaxy, nothing more, nothing less" he said, choosing to keep specific details away considering this could have been literally anyone.

Unexpectedly, the stranger stood up from a cross legged position and with one motion lit up the stall. It was that fast he couldn't help but take a few steps back in surprise, but once his nose caught a whiff of the incense that was neatly placed around the stall he couldn't help but loosen up.

"Cool..." the teen said to himself with a quick smirk as he wondered how the man had achieved such a feat without the use of fire. Surely the force couldn't do that, right?

"H-how did you do that?" he questioned as he took a few steps back to regain his lost ground, a bit more confident than he was before "Are you one of those traveling magicians? you know, the ones that fake it to make it?" the boy said bravely before walking more closer to the figure, trying to catch a sight of any facial features under the dark hood he wore

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Behind all the smoke and mirrors the reality was rather simple. Arcturus held their attention in some way or another, and his tiny little assistants took care of the rest. Careful to remain out of sight until the boy deemed it fit for them to be noticed in the background, tending to general machinations. Cleaning old relics, sorting through parchments, weighing out portions of sand. He integrated them into the environment so seamlessly that none would ever doubt the part they played in amplifying the atmosphere he'd formed.​

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"Just a kid?" he mirrored back, the hood peeling back just enough to cast some light across his face wherein it revealed a raised brow and curious expression. "No one is ever just an anything." Whether the boy took that to be inspiring or otherwise Arcturus didn't rightly care. He projected his words with an air of indifference, watching with grim fascination as the boy proved both spooked and enticed by the show of fiery prowess and calming waves of smoke.​

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"Do I seem fake to you?" he inquired, at this point in time quite used to the fact that most called him a charlatan. It was the way in which the brain liked to process such things, to deny it outright. It was too strange, too impossible. In some ways the brain had the right of it, but others?​

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Arcturus was no charlatan, not deep down.​

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With a wave of his hand and a well practiced push of the Force he sent a few objects moving from the stall to the ground between them. Out of seemingly nowhere two cushions appeared on the ground, one of which Arcturus planted himself upon. The other he gestured the boy toward. A couple of miniature dishes were set down first, and a flurry of sand was pulled from each of the different pails kept beneath the stall. Each settled into individual dishes, a mere handful each. Then came a few more curios. Tiny, sunbleached skulls, a small deck of cards, a smattering of pebbles no larger than one's thumb, two rolls of parchment.​

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Each thing found its place upon the ground. To begin with Arcturus ignored all save just two of the pebbles, which he rolled between the thumb and index of his left hand.​

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"So what do you say, kid... Is there something I can assist you with?"​

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Cartri Keswoll ​

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Arcturus Dinn​

On top of the stall, Cartri was sure he saw something small move around in the darkness, a small being that appeared to be carrying something around. Although, in the end, he seemed to take it as the shadows playing tricks on him.

Looking back to the figure, the dim light of the candles seemed to deflect off his face, revealing a raised ginger eyebrow aimed at him. His own eyebrow raised from the color, was he seeing things again? or what that actually what he thought it was? but for right now that wasn't his top concern "I'm afraid so, I'm nothing special by any means" he remarked with a sigh, his lowered head only raising from the sound of another question being asked by the stranger

"I'll be honest with you, right now there's a lot of things you're doing which can easily be staged. It's not rocket science to set up" but like the other statement, he was about to be proven wrong. With a wave of his hand, a mixture of items hovered slowly to the ground. One of them was a few plates and sand, a combination that made the teen tilt his head in wonder. As he looked at each item, he was confused as to what this man was planning. Yet, Cartri's curiosity to see what he was doing was getting the better of him again.

Hesitantly, the boy stepped closer to the man and his oddities. At all times, the boy seemed to cautiously look back as if the hooded figure was about to jump out at him at any point. Opening his mouth, nothing came out for a few moments before he finally spoke his mind

"I-I doubt you can help me with this, but I want to know how to be truly one person" the boy gulped and looked over to the burning candle in deep thought, while at the same time choosing his words carefully "Right now I'm trying to control something beyond my understanding, a power that is splitting me in two. I could be a regular kid the one minute, but the next I could turn into a monster no one wants to know."

"It's almost as if I'm living two different lives..."

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus was priming himself for a real spectacle. Something to knock the doubting socks off the kid before him. He was obviously seeing through the more theatrical effects on show, but all of that was for the sake of those who needed to see something happening to believe it was happening. To many the Force was far too abstract, metaphysical. And when one dealt in visions and the like it could be difficult to get them to even give it a shot. Smoke and mirrors had its place.​

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But he was quickly realizing none of that was necessary here.​

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He didn't say anything at first, waiting for the boy to join him on the cushions. Waiting to see what service he could provide, what information he could glean... For his own growing curiosity. But what the boy actually asked for, if indeed he was even really asking at all, brought all of that tumbling down. Instead Arc simply stared at him. A wave of his hand sent everything but the sand flying back into place upon the stall. The sand itself was momentarily ignored, as he rose back to his feet and stepped over the dishes to where the boy stood.​

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Still no words uttered.​

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He reached out though, settled his fingertips against the other boy's temples. 'Show me." In the swift and unexpected motions of it all, his hood had fallen away entirely revealing his entire countenance. For Arcturus it was like looking in a mirror, back to the boy he'd been many moons ago. Equally as lost, equally as confused.​

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At least this one was free. In some regard. Apparently a slave to a whole different beast, though. Not man, but his mind? The Force, perhaps? Arcturus knew he was Sensitive, he could taste it on the air at the boys initial approach. It was why he'd called for him. Why he'd lured him in...​

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Fingertips in place, Arcturus closed his eyes. Tried to push forward into the mind of the other, to see what was actually going on. Two beings in one mind? An inability to truly control the Force? Something else entirely? He had to know. This wasn't an act anymore, this wasn't The Sandman... This was Arcturus Thesh, genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of another.​

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Cartri Keswoll ​

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Arcturus Dinn​

It was a risk to say such vulnerable things to a complete stranger, and a hoodied one by that fact. Although, if there was a chance he could help him be one with himself it was a risk he had to take.

While he spoke his case to the magician he noticeably became more and more intrigued by the second, to the point where he motioned his hand again to remove the items off the floor to get up. The man stood before him now, silent and speechless to what he was saying. When Cartri finished, his head lowered slightly with a frown, dark memories of the past flooding back into his conflicted brain.

"Sometimes, I even- Wait! hey!" Cartri yelled in surprise as the man reached out and touched him on the temple for some kind of mind control technique. Taking a few steps back he raised his arms and pushed him hard away from reach, his body getting into a stance that suggested he was ready to punch him in the face at any moment. For a few seconds, Cartri's head would tilt from the sight of seeing his ginger hair and face, one that seemed to mirror himself

"What are you trying to do?!" he said to him with an edginess in his voice "I'm not showing you anything until you tell me who you are. Right now, all you're offering is more questions than answers!" Cartri huffed, his arms lowering slightly when he looked him up and down.

"I'd expect a bit more clarity coming from a fellow ginger..."

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Mind control technique it was not, but even so he found himself batted away by the boy who looked understandably shaken. Arcturus' softened gaze hardened just a touch, and though he didn't step back he also didn't pursue the slightly fleeing boy. Not immediately, at least. He just listened as he frantically said his piece.​

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"My name is Arcturus," he stated plainly, giving his true name for the first time since coming to this wretched place, "And if you let me, I can see what's eating you up inside." He raised both his hands, fingers flexed outward to reveal empty palms. "No trickery. No price."​

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It might have seemed strange, the way in which he'd gone from showman to concerned bystander in little more than a skipped heartbeat. It should have seemed strange. But he could not help himself, he'd always had a soft spot for fellow broken things.​

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"Look kid, it could be something simple. Easy to fix. An inability to control your Sensitivity..." If he didn't know, now he did. It wasn't a ceremonious announcement, but given the circumstances? Well, there was no ceremony. "That we can work with. But it might be something else, you catch my drift? Something you don't want to let rot in ignorance."​

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Hands still raised and empty, he took one step toward him.​

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"Show me?" he said again, only this time he made sure to ask...​

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Cartri Keswoll ​

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Arcturus Dinn​

Cartri's scrunched hands seemed to loosen up the more he talked, proving to be more reasonable as the seconds passed by. He seemed honest when he told him a name and looked like he meant it when he promised not to trick him. His showman persona had all but faded into a worried stranger, who wanted to dive deep into his thoughts to figure out an agony to his torture.

At first, he didn't want to trust the man at all in case he decided to use tricks to mind control him. But now, things were different. He looked genuine and concerned about what he said, something not many people did if they were lucky enough to know his story. Looking to his outstretched hands, he watched him take a step closer and ask for him to show his pain.

"I...I trust you okay? please, don't do anything you'll live to regret" That wasn't just a warning, but a promise. If he chose to mess with his feelings he'd be more than willing to drop him where he stood.

Hesitantly, he leaned his head forward and let Arcturus put his fingers in the same spot as before. He stared straight into his eyes with a look of concern, afraid of what the man would dig up in his search for answers

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

It took him a moment, but he noticed as the hostility waned in the boy's expression. His hastily thrown up guard softening at the promise of potential respite. For his own part, Arcturus had never felt so suddenly thrust into a different role than he had in that moment. He was so often in charge of himself, if not his surrounding fate, that it took him by surprise also. But it had been a necessary transition.​

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Then came his words. Trust, something often so difficult to build up, was offered his way. So too a warning. Arcturus was not so stupid as to ignore it for what it was, either. Especially when the boy had already stated that there were times he was out of control. Times he was not himself. A monster in the making, if not stemmed. His solemn nod was the only response he gave.​

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One more step brought him toe to toe with the other redhead, and his fingers settled back into place upon his brow, steeping around his temples. Arcturus held his gaze, and oddly enough the boy stared right on back at him. Perhaps waiting for any sign of betrayal, for deception. He'd find none though. Instead the former showman closed his eyes, and utilized the physical touch he'd asked for in order to bridge the gap between them on a truer, deeper sense. He pushed past what lay on the surface, information he'd already gleaned for himself, and toward the heart of the boy. Where the Force lay and his supposed beast raged.​

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And then, provided the boy kept his eyes open, he was staring at himself. His tight lipped expression, his closed eyes, the grime and the scars which lay here and there, his own gaunt countenance. Kriff, Arc, you're a mess he thought, perhaps foolishly given this newfound connection between them. The words would be audible within the other boy's head. A quick apology soon followed like a wave, just the feeling of it.​

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With bated breath Arcturus waited for any sign of what lay within the boy. To witness it for himself, directly at its source.​

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Cartri Keswoll ​

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Arcturus Dinn​

The boy stood still and let the man place his hands back in the same spot, his eyes staring back into his. He was trying to spot any signs of betrayal, a hint that he was looking to brainwash him or do something to break the vow. Yet, he saw none of that. Instead of intent, he saw concern over the fellow ginger's face.

Cartri slowly began to ease up and let the magician do his thing, opening his mind to the deepest of depths to expose who he really was. And for Arcturus, it didn't take long to break through the initial mold.

Crashing through the information he already knew, the sith finally fell upon his first sight of a different boy. His vision revealed the earliest thoughts of him being abandoned at the orphanage, a place where his other side truly began to grow. Going deeper only provided relevance to his madness, enough to give a good idea of what he was going through early on. The man would see experience after experience of Cartri at his lowest, from being separated and locked away from the other kids all the way down to the teachers who looked after him constantly calling him a monster. They truly treated him like nothing and spread rumors of his nature to the other kids, making him out to be a scary villain from a nightmare story.

Spending days on end in the confinement only increased his anger of being cast aside like trash, condemned to live a life of misery until fate finally met him. In all that time, he had no hope. Up until the kids finally took a chance to know the so called "monster" better. They were cautious of him at first, but in the end, they couldn't help but look up to him. If it wasn't for their curiosity, the madness that was consuming him surely would have taken over by now.

In some of the other visions he saw, Arcturus saw him fight back, a front row viewing of him going berserk and losing control of his body. Although, that was only a slither of what he was capable of. As he got into the deepest cores of his imagination, something didn't seem right by the slightest. Everything was dark and Gray, lacking any positivity or positive memories that were previously available to him were nothing but gone. A sense of pure anger was palpable, to the point where even Arcturus could feel the very energy. Dark, depressing... all those emotions that were linked with the negative energy sat dormant in preparation to be released. And when the time came, the boy wasn't going to be the same again.

"What do you see..." the boy questioned as the connection between them grew stronger. They shared the same feelings and thoughts, to the point where he heard Arcturus call himself a mess. Was the man before him suffering the way he was?

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

He witnessed it all in what felt like a flash. The misery and grief wrought at the hands of others, the names and the shame they brought down upon him, isolated, set apart, feared. A beast of their devising, not his own.​

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Arcturus pulled back, released his hands gently from the boy's temples and allowed them to fall back to his side. His eyes were the last thing to return to him, as he opened them and peered back at the boy. It took him longer still to shake away some of the haze inherent with the process they'd undergone.​

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Letting out a soft breath, he shook his head solemnly.​

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"You need to be taught to control it, before it consumes you."​

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That was his first verdict. He turned away from Cartri then, returning to his stall with furrowed brows forming creases in his face.​

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"Your emotions are the source, but the origin is not of your devising. Ostracized, demonized... Those meant to raise you did a terrible job at it. You've repressed much, boy. Too much. You need to either let it out, or find a way to let it go. The choice is yours..."​

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He could lean into it, chain the beast within and in doing so break another set of chains. Make like a Sith and use it to his own benefit. Or he could meditate on it, try to purge himself of the demons of his past, come to terms with all that happened, and accept it for what it was. Move on from it... Something told Arcturus that he didn't have much access to resources that could provide him with either.​

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"You need someone to guide you. I suggest you figure out what you want, and seek out those who can benefit you to that end. Jedi, Sith, heck Je'daii, something different entirely. It matters not. All I know is you'll burn out soon enough if you don't."​

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Cartri Keswoll ​