Public A Step into the Light | Eshan Solstice Festival

[Noelle Varanin]

The Echani capital sits in the far north of the hemisphere, lending to its long summer days and dark, harsh winters. On the day of the Summer Solstice the sun never sets. Its light hovers along the horizon and creates a dusky twilight that lingers until sunrise. It is a magical sensation, where the concept of time does not match the world around you.

The Echani celebrate this event with a night-long festival. Carts of food and handcrafted wares line the street. Dancing, courting, and bonfires are commonly found in the courtyards along the roads.

At dusk they send lanterns up to the sky. They believe the illusion of stars will help the lost night find its way back to them. A sister celebration is done on the Winter Solstice.

The recovering Echani nation celebrates this event again for the first time in a decade. All are welcome to attend as Eshan takes its first steps back onto the galactic stage.

Spoiler: OOC- An Updated Account of Eshan

Over a decade ago the planet found itself victim to a nasty invasion. Orbital bombardments and underground attacks left the city's architecture shattered. Survival meant rebuilding from the underground up. The city now bares an entirely new face.

Instead of erasing the horrors that had occurred, the scars of that day were turned into something beautiful. Lakes and ponds now dot the landscape, the horrid craters from the invasion turned into a source of food and tranquility.

The most noteworthy body of water is the lake that surrounds the palace. It is the spot of the orbital bombardment. The water flows into channels that entwine with the palace and the city roads. Likewise, a new mountain range encases the city like a basin. One day it will act a border that will prevent expansion, but that level of prosperity is a distant dream.

Echani appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. Those values have not been sacrificed in the slow rebuilding of this city. Eshan remains to be a shadow of its former glory, but it does not prevent the community from enjoying the first proper Solstice Festival since that horrid horrid year.

In fact, it makes this day taste even sweeter.

The Palace gates have been opened to the public. The newly restored estate is well made but sparsely furnished. The strapped resources were pooled for the Ball being hosted by the Queen. For many there this is the first time that things feel... normal again. There is a sense of ease and comfort that permeates throughout the hall.

All are welcome to attend. Weapons are not permitted.

Spoiler: Headers

Nameplate: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bwDBmbV.png[/IMG][/CENTER]
Picture: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/18jat7G.png[/IMG][/CENTER]

Dusk is a fine time to enjoy the walking paths around the lake. The sensation of perpetual twilight will leave tingles along your skin. The force is heavy in the air tonight. Enjoy a private moment with a friend or perhaps a lover . Turn left to reach the Palace gardens. Turn right to find yourself staring at the calm expansion of the lake. This was the spot of the Orbital Bombardment that destroyed the city.

Spoiler: Headers

Nameplate: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/CZkMVgs.png[[/IMG][/CENTER]
Picture: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/WmUQaeu.png[/IMG][/CENTER]

This event will greatly boost the struggling economy. You'll find the vendors very grateful for your business. Carts of food and handcrafted wares line the street. Lantern making, cheerfully music, and bonfires are commonly found in the courtyards along the roads. At dusk they send lanterns up to the sky. It has been a tough decade. The people celebrate with an equal measure of cheer.

Spoiler: Headers

Nameplate: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/XoSTVuJ.png[/IMG][/CENTER]
Picture: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bHga00H.png[/IMG][/CENTER]

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Nerves.

She wondered if her mother felt them when she first became Queen. Spencer had stepped into the role at a much less turbulent time... Truth was, Noelle had nothing to be nervous about. The budget had been settled, the city had been prepared. Everything was as it should be.

Which meant something was likely to go array.

Could the city handle the population that would be migrating back from the countryside? She could only hope. She could hope, and prepare, and stop obsessing because it was far too late, the hour was here.

They were waiting for her downstairs.

She opened and closed her fists, resisting the urge to dry their clamminess on her dress. It was simple, but it was silk; there was no reason to punish the fabric for her neurotics. She let out a long breath and raised her chin, her door closing behind her as she stepped out into the hall.

A figure stepped forward at the same time. They collided with a sudden yelp.


Kal

 

[Kal]

Noelle Varanin​

Two weeks ago, Anric Ferevin Vae was born - or rather, reborn. The old Anric had been twenty-two years of age and on a decade-long exodus from Eshan, with no intent to return; he had, however, acquired not insignificant debts with some rather nasty people to maintain an aristocratic lifestyle without the estates to match. After a bit of negotiating, he had found a new name and a new life on a resort world and Kal had found an identity.

The body had been an equally complex matter, but in the absence of expected DNA testing a pragmatic solution had been chosen - a Changeling originally intended for some less time-sensitive purpose or another, requisitioned while a custom-made body was nurtured forth in a laboratory.

---

He had arrived with time to spare, beating the introduction proper by at least a while. There had been guards, of course, but his papers were in order and his moral compunctions about mental influence nonexistent, which was how the smartly dressed "Echani" found himself right in Noelle's path.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to stab me with your cheekbones."

He could not help himself but opt for an obnoxiously surprising introduction, but unlike last time he had at least avoided a crowd. Who knew, the court might still be talking at her reaction to an overly casual blue-haired stranger. If so, Kal was likely to find it a lot more amusing than Noelle.​

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Location: Walking the halls down to the ballroom
Tag: Kal

Noelle made a noise of pain into the hand that cupped her face. The other clutched at the top of her head, reposition the crown that had jostled in the run in.

"Well, I'd nev-" A sense of familiarity crashed over her like a wave. Her hand dropped from her mouth as she looked up, a set of well-sculpted cheek bones looking down at her.

"...Kal?" Oh, she would know that informal smirk anywhere. She straightened with a huff, her caution churning into her usual agitation. Their acquaintance was a turbulent one; he could at least have watched where he was going. She huffed again and stepped around him, resuming her walk down to the ballroom.

"I seen you've made it on time. I trust there wasn't any issues with-" she glanced left, a look of distaste leveled at the skin he wore. "...Yes, why does he look familiar?" Came the wary question.

She pressed the back of her wrist into her nose and checked for blood. It came up clean, but she had a seeping suspicion she'd be entering that room with a red mark or two. Never mind that, she was late.

He would be forced to keep up, the sound of music drifting up to greet them through the thick stone halls.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Tag: Open

Omen walked down the path in his regular spacer gear, his face hidden under the outfit's hood. He was here looking at the aftermath of history that had occurred years before the current time while his cargo was offloaded and his ship was refueled. The trooper thought about the events back then, reading signs and plaques that told visitors about the events of the battle. He had always loved history and the city around him certainly was filled with it. Blaster scoring still had yet to be removed from the buildings and he felt like he was in a city the GAR had just defend from a CIS invasion. The whole city was a certain... taste only someone had been through war could appreciate.

All these blast craters filled with water, recycled to make something new and utterly beautiful. If only I could have been defrosted at that time to help defend this stunning place... No, let us not think about that... This is time to relax, who knows how much we will get of that in the future.

He turned right at the split in the walkway, walking to a nice sitting log that had been washed up on the Lake's shore. The ARC popped a squat onto the log's trunk before pulling out his Bes'bev flute and starting to play. The tune was very light and airy, filled with hope for the future as the player started to feel like he didn't have a care in the world. For right now, he and his thoughts were alone. Whether they would stay that way is another thing entirely.

Equipment: Besbev flute, 10 feet of det cord plus a detonator for it, and a Mando butterfly knife.
Bountry:1,000,000 alive on Denon

 

[Kal]

Noelle Varanin​

Smirk remaining a constant both during and after their little collision, he watched her correct both crown and posture without comment, seemingly content to watch her with amusement - could he have avoided letting her walk into him? Yes, yes he could, but where would be the fun in that.

"The wayward son of House Vae, returned at last - you suggested him, remember." He did of course wait to speak until he had confirmed they were alone, at least for now. Telepathy would have been better, but that did oh so often seem to agitate her. "Don't worry, the real Anric is enjoying a new life on Lorinia, a distant resort world - with a healthy stipend. Like many aristocrats, his financial management skills leave much to be desired."

Was that a poke at her own affairs? Hard to say, given the source.

Noting the nearby presence of a few servants, he stepped forward, gracefully removing a speck of blood with a flick of his wrist and a brief display of telekinesis. Precision, not power - his speciality. "I trust you are ready to greet your people - and the usual pariahs and leeches?"

She probably preferred to think of those as separate categories - how nice of her.​

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Location: Grand hall, in front of Ballroom
Tag: Kal

Her tongue clicked. "Do not let anyone hear you call them that." Her voice went low, doing a poor job at hiding her amusement as they entered the main hall. The lanterns engulfed them with its warm light, candle sticks and rugs and paintings all set just right inside this grand entryway. It made the rest of the estate look... barren, but the guests would not be going back there tonight.

The goal was to give them the greatest sense of normalcy and comfort that she could manage.

The illusion did nothing for her. Her expression grew somber, the nerves returning as she glanced up at him. "I suppose so. I have to be," she reasoned.

"I trust you won't cause too much trouble," she countered, watching from their side entryway as the crowd mulled into the ballroom at their own pace. No one had noticed her yet. She took a few deep breaths.

"Are you really willing to help me? The coming weeks will not be easy, and once we step in there there is no going back."

 

[Kal]

Noelle Varanin​

"Worry not, I can be quite helpful when I want to be." She should know, given the quality of the advice he had occasionally provided while bound, in between the usual teasing. Alright, so the latter had been more plentiful, but then he had been an unwilling guest, so to speak.

"Hah, as if. I relish a good challenge and besides, you're not off to a bad start as far as rulership is concerned."

Coming from him, there was little doubt that it was the truth; she would know all too well that he was not opposed to calling out her mistakes.

As if to prove a point, he extended his will though his face remained carefully schooled - it was not this body he was exercising, after all, but his will and the strength of his spirit. She would be greeting the crowd, no doubt, and he had every intention of lending her a subtle kind of charisma, the kind that lent further weight to her words without being overbearing. The kind which only the most focused of Force Users were likely to notice.​

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Ballroom
Kal | Open​

His energy washed over her. Her features soften, her tension melting into back into the planes of her young face. She raised a brow at him. "...Very well. Let us face the den of lions together, then."

She offered him her arm. It was a gesture of familiarity she had never given him before. She never expected they could become friends, but she wondered in this moment if perhaps she had been wrong. His presence did wonders for her nerves, whether it be force altered or otherwise.

She ignored the smug look she was sure he was wearing and walked them both through the ballroom doors. She was grateful that the festival had already been in full swing. The room was full of echani in both formal and informal wear. Those on the street were welcome to wander in for a bit of a drink and a dance.

They could stay all night, or they could rejoin the lively bone fires and lantern construction taking place beyond the palace. There were no lines between noble and not, not tonight.

"How about we start with a drink?"

 

[Yula Perl]

“Is it just me, or is everyone here hot?”

Yula waved her hand so that Phalsi wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

“And by hot, I mean really attractive.”

The city streets were swamped with svelte, white-haired beauties. Even the men. Yula’s head turned this way and that, more out of admiration than interest. “It’s a little weird how they all look so much alike, though.” The closer she looked, the more she saw similarities than differences, even down to the subtleties of their facial features. Maybe that was just speciesist. Either way, she had no intent on straying from Dagon—if the Jedi had been here, she’d likely point out the same observations to him.

“What do you wanna do first?” She’d looped her arm around Phalsi’s own, eyes now scanning the myriad of carts and stalls that lined the city streets. “Ope,” They swerved to avoid a pair of fair-haired children, shouting and laughing as they weaved their way through the crowd on quick feet.

“I want to stop by that weapon booth at some point. You know, the one with the fancy knives.”

Phalsi Drynchen

 

[Kat Decoria]

Tags: Open to Interaction
Outfit: Link
Location: On route to the palace

It had been years since Kat had really been on Eshan, her family lived here and she knew that her sister was working hard with the government and ensuring that the restoration project was going well. It had been too long since she had seen her niece, sister and mother, it had been hard for Kat to return to Eshan since she lost so much of her family in the troubled past. Checking herself in the mirror, she nodded her head, while she knew the outfit was not standard for the setting there was part of her that didn't really want to wear a dress and try to look fancy. She was here to meet this daughter of Spencer Varanin.

Spencer had been leading Echani people for as long as Kat could really remember but she saw how distant things had come when the Mandalorians attacked and then aftermath of it was tricky. The ordeal left a sour taste in Kat's mouth towards the royals but she had also seen more of the galaxy and how people function successfully without a monarchy and was curious to see how Eshan would work without one. Just use the palace for something more practical than it was currently being used. Her sister had been trying to convince Kat that the current status quo was working and the demand for change was just too much.

Weapons were prohibited for the palace which was sensible and her weapons were back at her family's home. The lack of her pike on her back was weird but she realised that it was needed. Wandering over to the palace, Kat enjoyed the Eshan air, it didn't matter where she went and the amazing sights she saw, Eshan would always hold a special place in her heart. Entering the palace, Kat looked around and saw a collection of different people mingling and enjoying their times.

Rose came rushing over to her, Kat could see the disapproval in her eyes over her outfit since her sister was much more appropriately dressed for a ballroom party. Kat simply cocked an eyebrow and shrugged before grinning and picking her little niece in the air. "Oh! How big you have gotten since I last saw you! Guaranteeing that you will best Echani warrior if you decide to be one!" Kat smirked and tickled her niece a little to make her giggle.

 

[Phalsi Drynchen]

Objective: Have a Blast
Equipment: Under-Armor, Clothes-How they look, utility belt, Wrist Device, Slicing/Gaming Tool, The Encoil, Stowaway Node, Clarion Personal Translator
Weapons: Four Zenji Needles
Tags: Yula Perl
​

There was an sharp and assessing look around the pair. It wasn't disdain that painted her face, but it was disappointment of some variety.

"The attractive people have only just arrived." She informed Yula quietly when she commented about everyone being attractive.

"Besides, when everything is gold you suddenly want for silver." She commented dryly. Though the smirk didn't fail to express the humor she felt about the whole situation.

Sure, the people had a certain appeal, but she wasn't about to stray for anything strange.

"Are you hungry? I'm peckish but don't want to sit down for anyth-" She interrupted herself as they danced around the goblins known as children. Those especially had no appeal to her at the moment, but it did make her remember something.

"And yes, a stop by the weapons booth is a must. Especially for knives." There was a curious draw to her words, her arm tightly looped with Yula's as she glanced at the other with a question that had been burning since Denon.

"I am curious though." She tapped her finger along the top of Yula's hand before following up her statement with a question.

"The knife for you or an apology for whooping on booty boy that interrupted the shock-boxing match?" Her hand held Yula close, and firmly. That strange smile having sudden purpose behind it.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“Oh, no!”

Breaking off from a comatose conversation with a group of identical-looking Echani, Nimdok turned toward his daughter, alarmed by the panic in her tone. Miri was clutching a frosted glass full of a bright red liquid, the color reminiscent of candy. Miri was now wearing some of it in the form of a pink drip stain on the front of her white dress.

“Here.” He stole a napkin from a passing server and handed it to her. “It’s not that bad.”

She shook her head. “It’s never going to come out.”

“You could try using telekinesis.”

“Wouldn’t that count as a frivolous use of the Force?”

Nimdok shrugged. Miri sighed and, with a flick of her wrist, wrung the liquid from the cloth and back into her cup. “Tastes too sweet anyway,” she muttered, setting the cup and saucer down with a clatter, then reaching up to smooth her hair. “How do I look?”

“Better than the Queen of Eshan,” he said, turning her around to face the arriving queen amid the cheers and greetings of the crowd. “You said you wanted to see her in person.”

“Oooh.” Miri gazed upon Queen Noelle’s royal radiance as Her Majesty walked past, then her attention shifted to the young man at the queen’s side. “Ahhh.”

"Have you satisfied your curiosity?"

She turned back to her father, one eyebrow raised. “Eh. You’re right, I am prettier than her. Can we go look at those fancy knives now?”

Noelle Varanin | Kal | Kat Decoria | Open​

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

Home
Elisea Apollodor

---

​

Time did not heal all wounds. Some merely became more bearable to live with.

The aftermath of Eshan's sacking was forever imprinted into Nylea's mind. While certain memories had been locked and impossible to forget, these were unforgettable for the pain it still made her feel sometimes. In an instant, the woman had become the last of her family. The city she had been born and raised in had been reduced to nothing but rubble. Not a single speck of her innocent youth remained after that day, a tragedy that had caused immense and long-lasting grief.

Now, ten years later and a pain that had dulled enough to be unnoticable most of the time, Nylea was finally back home. With Elisea by her side, she had walked the streets of a familiar city earlier in the day, yet it was not the same as the one she used to walk. The sights and sounds that were just that little bit off from what Nylea reminded her of a time she could never go back to, but also of a hopeful future. Eshan was healing. Her home was healing. It would never be the same again, but its people marched onward.

A beautiful thing, despite the pain that had preceded it.

With the fall of dusk, Nylea and Elisea had made their way out of the city and now walked the path that surrounded the new lake. The sight put a soft smile on the echani's face. They served as a memory of the tragedy that had occurred here, but also as a symbol of new beginnings. To turn destruction into creation, into beauty, was powerful. Nylea was visibly moved, a bittersweet feeling overcoming her. For all she had lost, not just a home but her family, she was still here. She was alive and blessed with other, equally valuable things. A new home, peace of mind, her incredible wife- for those who could not, it was only right to keep on living.

Looking away from the lake she had been gazing upon and to the side, Nylea turned her attention to her wife admiring it. Her eyes swept past the silver bracelet, bearing the hallmarks of echani craftsmanship, before looking up at Elisea's face. The bracelet had been bought earlier that day. Nylea thought it fit Elisea well.

"I remember what it looked like right after..." The echani fell silent for a moment following a wistful sigh. Eventually, she smiled. "They did incredible work, rebuilding Eshan. The city... it felt like home." Nylea was grateful for the efforts of those who put in the work to make that happen.

"The last time I celebrated either Solstice was back when I was fourteen. Hopefully, this is the first of many more," she explained, her tone quietly optimistic. From the traumatic years spent on Coruscant, to living on Monastery, to the many years of Eshan's rebuilding, Nylea had missed out far too many times. This was the start of a new chapter.

"It all reminds me of just how lucky I am. Especially with you here."

 

[Khyra Tani <inactive>]

When Khyra stopped to think about it, being here on this planet was a bit odd. The history of Arkanian influence, inconsequential warfare, and lingering emotions of spite and superiority on both sides should make her feel decidedly uncomfortable here. The stark differences in culture, though still distinctly similar when the dressings were removed, should have her be an outcast in such a place as this, walking the paths of the Echani capital. Instead, she felt this was almost as much a home to her as any other place among the stars, especially on the Solstice. She was of Thyrsian blood, had been taught some of their ways, but was herself a student of unarmed and unarmored combat, the hallmark of the Echani.

When she was growing up, her surrogate parents had brought her here a few times. It had changed drastically, the last time she had been here having been before the planet had been assaulted, but the feeling remained the same. The people were as ever, undaunted by tragedies of the past where strangers could see them. There were others who were as clearly not Echani as she was, someone who appeared to be a Zeltron ( Yula Perl ) was talking to a hooded figure ( Phalsi Drynchen ) nearby, and a few other species were present, scattered among the crowds.

Khyra stopped at a booth selling filled pastries and bought a spicy-savory pie, and took a small bite after paying and stepping away. She made her way to a niche between stands where she could stand out of the way and bask in the sun bathing the square in its light while watching the people mull around.

​

 

[Kal]

Noelle Varanin​

After he took her arm, it immediately became clear that he knew how to act according to courtly decorum, he simply oh-so-frequently opted not to.

"That sounds lovely." They walked side by side, but he was a subtle quarter-of-a-step behind her, as befits a male accompanying the monarch, in a matriarchal society no less. Of course, that subservience was quite illusionary, as Noelle would know. He was quite willing to prod her telepathically.

En route to the drinks, his eyes briefly flickered to Inanna Harth and his attention remained a bit longer. There was nothing remarkable about her in the visible spectrum - a human or human-like child in white - but her casual use of the Force was interesting and indicated unusual talent.

Or perhaps she had simply begun her training particularly early, a boon in this chaotic galaxy. No matter, he was no recruiter.

Gaze flickering across the assorted beverages, he picked up a pair containing a lightly bubbling liquid - the glasses were less elegant than usual, but that seemed a sensible decision. It was a lively event with plenty of commoners, razor-thin crystal glasses were just asking for plentiful breakage and spills. "Your favourite, I believe." There was a hint of smugness in those eyes, once more - he prided himself on knowing things, even minor details.​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“I said that only to be nice, you know,” Nimdok replied, once he was finished laughing at Miri’s assessment of the queen’s looks.

“Does that mean I’m not actually prettier than her?” Miri asked, eyes wide in mock alarm.

“Oh Force, I walked right into that one…” he muttered, rubbing his face. “Let’s just say I’ve never been all that impressed with white-haired ethereal types.”

“You seemed to like Inanna just fine.”

Nimdok glared at her. She beamed at him, then picked up a plate and began heaping it with food. “You never answered my question about the knives.”

“We’ll go in a few more minutes.” He was a little reluctant to leave, dreading what was to come after. Horrible traffic, chilly night air, weirdos coming out after dark, potentially life-altering news he would have to deliver in the least upsetting way to his teenage daughter… But he’d simply have to deal with it all in time. After he’d taken full advantage of the free food and drinks here, of course.

“Oh no, he’s looking at me!”

Miri darted behind Nimdok, who craned his neck to peer back at her in confusion. “What? Who?”

“The guy next to the queen!”

Nimdok looked around, unable to pick out a single guy amid the sea of identical Echani faces. “Which one?”

“The one with the cheekbones!”

“That doesn’t narrow it down much…” He tugged on her sleeve. “Stop hiding behind me.”

She reluctantly peeked out, plate of snacks carefully balanced in one hand, pointing with the other toward the guy she was referring to. Nimdok focused on him right as the young man’s attention shifted away from Miri and to the drink glasses.

“Do you know him?”

“No.”

“Why was he looking at you?”

She shrugged, though he thought he detected a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

“Should I go get my shotgun?”

Her entire face turned bright red.

“I’m kidding, gelfling. It is a little strange that he would stare, though…” Nimdok glanced back at the smirking young man, raised an eyebrow, then added, “If he does it again, make a face at him.”

Miri stared directly at Kal and stuck out her tongue—then gasped when she saw the flash of a camera going off out of the corner of her eye. “Dad!”

Noelle Varanin | Kal | Kat Decoria | Open​

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Kal Jacen Nimdok​

Noelle's eyes snapped up as his implication hit home. She looked between the glass and him in clear alarm. How did he know- a scream of exhilaration from a child pulled her attention up. She watched as a father tossed his daughter high into the air, then caught and swung her back into their dance across the floor.

A twang of something hit her chest, the sight a reminder that her own mothers were not expected to arrive. Quinn was though. She scanned the crowd for a familiar face, but found none at this this time.

She glanced back at Kal and settled for plucking the glass out of his hands, her lips pursing at his tease.

"You're not to mention that to anyone."

She went to sip her drink, only to be caught halfway blinded by a flash.

On Jacen Nimdok 's reel would be a rather unflattering picture of the queen, eyes half lidded, with her lips reaching for her cup like they were an extendostraw. Miri was making a face closer by.

Noelle blinked several times, recoiling in shock.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Alina Tremiru //: Noelle Varanin //: OPEN //:
​

It felt as if the palace changed overnight. Quinn hardly recognized the decor and the halls. Noelle seemed to have stepped into the role she played quite easily despite her objections. People had already arrived. They talked, gossiped, and there were whispers about her mother and those that had tried to come after her. A few nobles spoke ill, and the less tempered of the twins fought the urge to snap back.

No, she couldn’t do such things. She had promised her dear sister the Queen that she would be on her best behavior. If she didn’t behave, the promise to be nice to Alina would most likely be ignored. As much as Quinn wanted to frown, she kept it hidden behind the smile she learned to wear while at court.

As the splitting image of the Queen and the one before her, Quinn entered the room. She spoke quietly to those who recognized her, pleasantries that the young crowned Princess could care less about. Her attention was entirely focused on finding her vampiric noble. A part of Quinn wondered if the Tremiru girl decided she was above all of this and left the system. Although where would she have gone?

Nerves started to settle as Quinn chewed on her lower lip, trying to find Alina in the small crowd that gathered. Where are you...

​

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula snorted at Phalsi’s comment about the attractive people only having just arrived. “Can’t argue with that, can I?”

“Mmm…” She let the thought sit in her head for a moment. “Yeah, I could eat. Maybe something like that?” Her finger pointed to a young silver-haired man who’d passed them by, nibbling from a skewer of meat and vegetables. He noticed the gesturing in his direction and arched a brow at the one-eyed Zeltron.

“The kebab, not the guy, I mean.”

The sudden tap to the back of her hand caused her head to tilt to one side. Why did Phalsi look as if she had something on her mind? And then…

An unexpected heat bloomed across Yula’s face, reddening her pink cheeks to a deep scarlet that crossed even the bridge of her nose.

“You- wha- don’t tell me you saw that.” She dragged one hand dramatically down the side of her face before a spark of an idea hit her. “But wait, you couldn’t have been there. You were off doing- oh god no, don’t tell me that there are videos!” Her groan was loud enough to elicit a few glances from passersby.

“I will have you know that booty boy slept on the couch for two weeks after that little stunt.” Yula grunted, tightening her grasp on Phalsi’s arm as a means to funnel her embarrassment into something. “But. I did nearly choke him out, so I thought it would be a nice gesture.” She paused. “Maybe a knife isn’t the best gift for a guy you’ve almost killed.”

Phalsi Drynchen