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[not_the_philistine]

Artificial night fell on the City, and Goliath and Bronx both awoke with their usual roars. The gargoyles bursting out of their stone skin were a familiar sound at sunset, and their roars carried over the darkening City.

Goliath dropped from his turret and glided towards the wall that surrounded the castle, landing before the gate that would open it to the rest of the crew. Elisa must have still been asleep or otherwise occupying herself in the castle, because the gate was closed. Goliath considered the gates, and the high, newly repaired wall that kept most visitors out of the castle. His instincts to keep the castle fortified against entry during his sleep were still strong, but he considered them as objectively as possible while examining the gate.

In times of conflict, this castle COULD still be used as a fortress. But if he was to open it to the crew formally, perhaps it was time to leave them open, and trust to the crew that he sought to protect.

Or perhaps that was still a step that could wait until he had met more of the crew, and trusted them a little better.

[ooc: a few players have expressed an interest in having their characters sneak into the castle to explore while Goliath is asleep during the day. If you have a character who would snoop around an old castle uninvited, feel free to tag in!]

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[rancorgem.livejournal.com]

It wasn't any particular desire to snoop that had brought Tenel Ka to the castle. The tall curved shape of its walls and towers had just been too tempting to a young woman itching for a good climb.

She had found the Jedi Temple within a few days of arriving and eagerly scaled it several times, but its insides were unfamiliar to her, the appointments of rooms and decor from another time in the buildings history well before her own. She could not quite find herself comfortable there and so sought out other places to linger, finally lighting upon Wyvern and it's walls riddled with cracks perfect for slipping fingers into.

Pulling herself up the tower wall with only grappling hook, rope and muscle power was a satisfying task, invigorating and distracting from her thoughts and worries, and it provided a lovely view of the city's artificial sunset.

She hadn't expected echoing roars and a shower of fragmented stone that came from the balcony above her when she stopped to watch it however. Pulling herself further up the slope of the balcony Tenel Ka peered over the railing's edge, her grappling hook and one of her feet wedged between its posts, red-gold braids pulled into a tangle by the breeze.

"Hello?"

[not_the_philistine]

Newly awoken, Goliath heard the salutation and leaned over the side of the turret to spot the young female and her climbing gear.

"What are you doing here?"

He was too surprised for the moment that a human had managed to climb this far to react with anger to her trespassing.

[rancorgem.livejournal.com]

"I simply wished to climb, for fun." Tenel Ka tilted her head to the side a touch as she peered up at the big winged creature above her. She did not recognize his species, though similarities to many that she DID know of were easy to pick out.

"My apologies. I was unaware that I was invading upon your resting place."

[not_the_philistine]

The apology went a long way to helping Goliath accept the trespass. The reason for it was unusual enough as well that he found himself not very angry at the young human.

"An unusual hobby for a human." He eyed her climbing gear. "Very well. I assume you got in the same way?"

There WAS a wall to bypass, after all, though the gate was probably easy for an experienced climber.

[rancorgem.livejournal.com]

Even more unusual a hobby for a human missing most of an arm, but the missing limb didn't seem to hamper Tenel Ka in pulling herself up to sit on the balcony railing, a position a sight more stable than dangling on the side.

"I did. It is an excellent wall, quite a challenge. I promise you I have not damaged it.

[not_the_philistine]

"No more than it already was," Goliath agreed, unconcerned. He put new holes in the castle every night when he climbed it.

"You are among the newly awakened, I believe. What is your world?"

She didn't appear to be surprised by his inhumanity. That meant she was probably not from his Earth, or an Earth.

[rancorgem.livejournal.com]

"I am. I have been to many worlds but I was born on the planet of Hapes. Humanity has colonized much of known space in my time, along with millions of other sentient species."

She bowed her head respectfully.

"My name is Tenel Ka."

[not_the_philistine]

"Goliath." He nodded his head to her in return.

Millions. Then there could have been no fear of the unknown other that caused them to persecute his people on the Earth he knew. Not when the unknown was the everyday.

"I come from a world with only two species. I would be glad to hear more."