Populate A Winter's Blessing | THR Life and Name Day Thread [Resource Hex]

[Shade]

Shade accepted the mug from his hand with a quiet nod, fingers closing around the warmth as if she'd been aware of the cold only after it was gone. The steam curled faintly between them, carrying the soft sweetness of cocoa, and she took a measured sip—more out of acknowledgment than need—before her gaze followed Elian's retreat through the crowd.

There was no surprise in her expression at Cassian's assessment. If anything, the faintest lift of her brow suggested agreement.

"He is," she said calmly. "Impressing someone. Possibly himself."

The corner of her mouth shifted—not quite a smile, but close enough to register as one for anyone who knew her. Cassian's nudge earned a brief sideways glance, crimson eyes steady, amused in a way that didn't require emphasis.

"Practice is rarely wasted," she added, tone even. "Especially when ambition is involved."

Her attention moved to the competitors as his had, noting posture and balance, the way some overcompensated. In contrast, others underestimated the axe's weight or the bow's pull. She watched without judgment, simply cataloguing, the way she always did.

When Cassian gestured toward the lantern-lit stretch of the market, Shade followed the motion with her eyes, then returned her gaze to him. She didn't hesitate. She adjusted her pace to match his without comment, the shared movement an answer in itself.

"That would be agreeable," she said softly.

As they turned away from the contests and toward the glow and music, she took another small sip of the drink, then spoke again, quieter, meant only for him.

"Thank you. For the warmth."

It applied to more than the mug—but she left it there, walking beside him into the lights of Life Day, content to take the evening as it came.

Cassian Abrantes

 

[Isla Reingard]

Isla dragged herself fully upright, brushing snow from her sleeves with sharp, irritated swipes. Her ribs protested immediately and she sucked in a breath through her teeth, then waved it off when Phillip came skidding toward her, pale and frantic.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, a little too sharp. "I'm annoyed. There's a difference."

Her eyes flicked to the bag clutched to Phillip's chest and narrowed. "Where did you go?" she demanded. "You were supposed to grab the bag and follow me. Not… vanish with it like some kind of very polite goblin."

She took a step closer, lowering her voice but not her intensity. "I had him. I almost had him."

Then Elian spoke again, far too cheerful for someone who had just been used as a landing pad. Isla turned and smacked him flat-handed in the chest. Not hard enough to hurt. Hard enough to make a point.

"Oh don't," she said, rolling her eyes. "I know exactly who you are, Easy E."

She looked him up and down, unimpressed. "You absolutely got in my way. I was one step away from grabbing him and instead I got launched into you like a thrown pillow."

She gestured vaguely back toward the market, where the crowd had already swallowed the chaos. Music and laughter carried on like nothing had happened, which somehow made it worse. She groaned and tipped her head back. "Well chit is right."

Isla looked down at herself, at the wet snow soaking through her coat and the slush clinging to her boots. She flexed her shoulder, winced, then sighed.

"I'm freezing, I'm soaked, I smell like market snow," she muttered. "And the thief got away."

Phillip Slate | Elian Abrantes​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Dominic Praxon //: Solaina Embarri //:

"How unfestive," Quinn chirped in response to Dominic's reassurance.

She hummed along as Ms. Chief Engineer explained her experience. In truth, Quinn didn't care how accomplished the woman was. Part of her hoped she wasn't experienced at all — perhaps then this little venture of the Republic's would fail spectacularly. A sizable portion of whatever military force Dominic was gathering, Isotope-5 for, would be wiped from the galaxy.

Fewer problems for the Princess. It is easier for the Empire to cut through its eastern neighbors.

Ms. Embarri mentioned plasma, which did catch Quinn's interest. While the Empire had access to Isotope-5, power of that magnitude wasn't always necessary. Plasma access would be useful — something she could even divert toward Black Sun. Another chip to slide across the table in her dealings with the Underworld Prince.

She didn't acknowledge much more of the woman's explanation, offering only a polite smile. Quinn kept her eyes on the pair and those gathered around them. Though Dominic reassured her she wouldn't be arrested, she kept her reservations. Mr. Praxon was a politician, and politicians were more untrustworthy than Sith.

When Dominic lifted the canvas doorway, Quinn paused, letting her senses stretch outward for a brief moment. It seemed safe enough, and the man appeared to be telling the truth. Still, she remained alert as she stepped inside. The space was open, warmer than outside — which, she hoped, might settle whatever errant energy bounced between them. Both Dominic and Solaina were beginning to irritate her with it, but she made no outward show of it.

Quinn removed her jacket and draped it over the back of a nearby chair, her gaze sweeping the accommodations.

"Classy," she remarked with a soft smile.

"I hope negotiations don't take too long. I do plan on admiring a bit of the Republic's festivities, in particular. There's someone I'm hoping to run into." Quinn sounded almost cheerful as she slipped off her dark gloves. Unlike the rest of her attire, they were noticeably worn.

She removed them carefully, finger by finger, before tucking them into her coat pocket.

"Now that we're away from the prying eyes of your fellows," she continued, turning her attention back to Dominic, "what exactly do you have to offer me, Mr. Praxon? As we both know, the only viable source of Isotope-5 at present runs through me."

Her smile sharpened as she considered the complications between the Republic and Black Sun. They held Mauve du Vain in their custody. Quinn doubted Praxon had enough pull to free her without drawing attention — too many eyes would be watching.

Meanwhile, Black Sun held the Chancellor.

Messy and inconvenient. But beneficial to the Sith, for now.

"I'm all ears for how you plan to trade," she added lightly, "or you could always remain in my debt."

Another sickeningly sweet smile.

"I promise not to tell."

 

[Naniti]

Keelah, as some would say. Naniti's first throw wasn't anything to write home about, and far better than she'd dared to expect. Holding the ax and throwing it felt so awkward compared to a saber or even a blade. Not to mention timing and force. Just the right number of tumbles between you and the target. But the second and third throws were... well, the Togruta paused after each. She didn't dare turn to look at anyone else. What manner of Force insanity was it that she managed to actually hit the target well. Not good, but really good. Like she'd done this countless times before.

After the third, she slowly turned around and met the gazes of those around her boldly. If they had something to say, she was braced for it and prepared to defend herself! She hadn't used the Force to cheat. Not even her unique talent. Unlike dueling, Naniti wasn't trying to outshine Lysander in everything. He wasn't her hated enemy, after all.

Intention? "I was taught to destroy my enemies. Today's enemy happens to be a plank of wood." That... didn't really sound that cool to say aloud even if it were true. Maybe it that last throw had split the other ax that would have been cool. Seemed like she'd just have to settle for 'what the kark?' Which was leagues above where she thought she would have ended.

Then Acier played his hand. Naniti nodded. "Awesome." Was he used to throwing them? Pretty good toss.

Blue eyes slid over to where Acier stood after Lysander's remarks. Jedi again. Maybe that was something that'd favored the Togruta? Having been trained in the Dark Side since a child she didn't question the expertly restrained wrath within and all the instruction that'd come with it. Jedi later Sith didn't have the killing instinct drilled into them for nearly their entire life.

Varin's throw was a touch less... graceful. It landed handle first in the ground though, which was something. Not at all something he probably wanted any remarks about, but something.

Lysander took to the fore once more, which immediately drew Naniti's gaze. All their first throws were bad. Even her own. Nothing wrong with-- And then it happened. His second even managed to break a lantern post. Who'd put a lantern post in the flight of an ax? Or, more honestly, how'd Lysander manage to throw an ax in such a way it could hit one?

Brows rose as Lysander 'merrily' turned back to them and commanded silence. The Togruta blinked and then drew out a miniature holoprojector from a pocket. With a few taps the visage of A'Mia, the Neti, appeared, pointed in Lysander's direction, and said, "Nice." Was it an actual transmission or a prepped or manipulated response playback? Mysterious.

Tag Lysander von Ascania | Acier Moonbound | Varin Mortifer
FYI Madrona A’Mia

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ukatis

Equipment:
Winter Outfit| Lightsaber | Cybernetic Arm

Ace's brow lifted. It actually landed? It wasn't a bullseye, but it was respectable. Better than he expected at least with a weapon that felt like a drunk hammer taped to a stick.

He stepped back from the line, hands sliding into his coat pockets like nothing happened. The ashen-haired Acolyte offered Naniti a nod and a faint smile when she commented on his throw, and shook his head when Lysander mentioned the Jedi.

"Beginner's luck." He retorted.

Ace's eyes flicked to Varin as the giant lined up for his attempt. The force behind it was undeniable and for a split second it looked promising… right up until the axe betrayed him and buried itself handle first in the snow. Ace didn't comment, just lifted a brow slightly, the kind of reaction that said noted. Strength was there. Control? Apparently conditional.

Lysander was back at it, preparing for his second attempt. Ace cautiously watched as the Covenant's Golden Boy fumbled the next throw. It abandoned all loyalty to physics and assassinated a lantern instead. He just stared at the ruined post for a second, then slowly turned his head to look at Lysander.

Ace didn't judge or make fun, but he was quietly cataloguing that Lysander was... lacking with tools. When Lysander grinned and demanded silence, Ace exhaled through his nose - a ghost of a laugh, barely there.

"Relax." He said flatly. "You're still winning in property damage."

Then he stepped forward again, reaching for another axe. Rolled it once in his hand, adjusted his grip, just slightly different this time. The first throw had been instinct. This one would be correction. Ace planted his feet, shoulders squaring as his dark eyes narrowed on the target.

And once again, the axe was airborne. Was the previous throw pure luck, or was Ace tapping into a new hidden talent?

Lysander von Ascania | Naniti | Varin Mortifer ​

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Isla Reingard Elian Abrantes

For the briefest of seconds, Phillip glared at the stranger, letting his gaze focus in on Elian. Was he the reason Isla had gotten hurt? He seemed...polite enough. Phillip could remember Isla having some kind of issue with him, back in the Thought Shield class...but he shook his head, trying not to focus on that. He had to be polite himself. Even if he felt awful right now. He just held his hand out once Isla was safe, to give Elian a quick handshake.

"Phillip Slate."

His gaze flickered off down towards the market, clenching his jaw for a moment...and then came the onslaught of questions from Isla. Phillip clenching his eyes shut for a moment, as he did his best to stay calm.

"I couldn't see you through the crowd. I karked up, okay?"

With the way he snapped...It was clear that his best wasn't good enough. It never was. That was the thought going through his mind. He couldn't do anything to help in this moment. He wasn't the strongest. He wasn't the smartest. He wasn't the fastest. Unlike Isla, he didn't have some fancy Force abilities. He had no skills of his own that helped him to stand out.

Phillip sighed to himself either way, and as Isla complained about being cold and soaked, the Padawan shrugged his jacket off and practically threw it at Isla. He didn't say anything. In his eyes, it was the least he could do after being a colossal kark up.

 

[Nir Si]

​

Tag: Varin Mortifer​

The Cathar chuckled as he watched the sith go at it, only to fall short.

Axe throwing was in his blood. Part of the culture of a Cathar was learning how to craft the jade axes they used for tribal dueling. As he walked up, he idly picked up one of the axes and tested it's weight. He knew how these things went.

That was, before hurling it in a practiced manner. He'd definitely had better throws, but it was pretty damn good all things considered.

"Looks like I win round one, eh?"

Roll of 18

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Objective I - Lights of the Ovli Market​

Interacting with: Dominique Vexx Roman Vossari Liana Organa
Mood: Dominique is the best!

Goodness, the Ukatian Dream was handsome, but he really could not read the room very well.

The more Roman spoke, the more the situation seemed to drift toward absurdity. Even Junior Ambassador Liana Organa regarded Sibylla with a spark of curiosity as she asked whether she had truly punched a Gen'dai in the face.

Never mind that it had been one of her handmaidens, Inez, who had done so. But not the sort of information one wanted to leak out. So to clarify matters, Sibylla inclined her head toward Roman.

"I believe we have not been properly introduced. I am the interim Queen Sibylla of Naboo, in the wake of King Veruna the Second's emergency appointment to the High Chancellory."

Thankfully, Dominique offered the perfect alibi at just the right moment. Sibylla managed to maintain her composure, her smile gentle and cordial as she nodded, adding with a quiet chuckle, "I imagine there would be quite an uproar if I were involved in such a scrap. There were no Gen'dai during the Senate attack that I recall punching, but I do remember, rather unfavorably, the nauseating avian creature that crashed into me."

She nodded first to Dominique, then to Roman.

"Security has made it necessary to increase the number of attendants to distract any potential attackers."

With that settled, Sibylla turned her attention to formal introductions.

"Well, I am glad you are both unharmed," she began, her smile softening as she glanced at Liana before gesturing to Dominique.

"I am unsure if the two of you have met properly, but this is Senator Dominique Vexx of Denon, Junior Ambassador Organa. She is one of my most trusted associates and has been an invaluable resource not just to the Republic but to our efforts as a whole. Denon has a wealth of opportunities in trade and service, and I would wager it could prove a valuable partner to Alderaan should the need arise."

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

​

Objective I - Lights of the Ovli Market
Outfit: x | Equipment: x x x x | Tag: Makai Dashiell

Myra gave a nod, glancing around at the options while Makai ran through his list of gifts for the family.

Although he wasn't wrong. Shopping for Balun was difficult. What exactly did one get a Jedi who didn't put much stock in material things? At least not in the same way everyone else did. Makai had done his best with Dashiell Retrofit and Jhassa Prime, but even then… it was always a guess.

"Not just Balun but also Kellan… unless you think Kellan would enjoy having an orb with bioluminescent algae to place on the tree and then on a shelf?" she suggested lightly. Kellan was half aquatic, though Myra wasn't entirely sure which species of aquatic.

They had never really gotten to know Kellan's mother, save for that one family dinner -- and truly, the woman hadn't seemed very talkative at all.

"Maybe a trip to Hologram Fun World?" she added, half-teasing, half-thinking aloud.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

Varin smirked at the Cathar with amusement. His control was impressive.

“You certainly won the warm up round.”

What could be mistaken as sarcasm was a genuine jest from him. He chuckled lightly as he picked up the next axe, he sighted in the wall, measuring his distance. He then reeled back his arm and…

CRASH

The sound of a decimated lantern filled the air tearing Varin’s attention over to Lysander and his decimated…..target. He then watched as Acier planted another axe. The competitive blood started pumping in Varin’s veins as he reeled to his side for his next throw, slinging the axe forward towards the board.

The axe whisteled again, making a near perfect angular curve.

A heavy thunk echoed around them from the force he put in, the blade nearly poking out of the back of the board.

Nir Si | Lysander von Ascania | Acier Moonbound | Naniti​

(Rolled total 18)

 

[Makai Dashiell]

OVLI MARKET

Wearing | Gear : X | X | X | X | X | L3-37 | Interacting With : Myra Arceneau Dashiell

Eyes drifted off to another booth, lost in thought. His gaze caught a ceramic herb stripper-infuser type bowl. Balun didn't seem to be big on cooking but he was aware his half-brother was in to herbology. Never really having paid attention to the little set-up he had seen before, Makai couldn't say with certainty if one was already owned.

A small, gentle nudge signaled his wife to turn her gaze to the next booth with hand-thrown ceramics.

"What about something like that? He does have that very large herb garden. I know he doesn't really cook but I think he does tinctures and infused oils. Could be practical but also thoughtful."

As for Kellan, his wife was thinking big. Makai arched his brow, wondering how Bale would take such a thing. He couldn't picture his brother having the kind of fun Holo Fun World typically required. A great idea but perhaps something for them to do and bring Kellan along with them. Might be easier if the boy had a companion similar in age.

"Here I was thinking of ordering the same toddler microscope I ordered Phoebe. Oh, and the tricycle too."

Maybe he was way off mark. The two were similar in age and he could see Kellan being excited. Or he was completely off base and the items would be returned for a credit. The kid was a burgeoning Jedi after all - when did they stop letting them be kids and start the training process? Agian, something he didn't know.

Another sip of his hot toddy, maybe alcohol would make it clearer on gift giving.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aurelian Veruna | Open

Adelle raised her eyebrows with interest when he mentioned a date but kept her mouth shut. So he and Sibylla were getting serious--if she had read the room right, anways. There was always a possibility she had been mistaken, but that tension on the yacht before the Mandalorians had arrived had lingered. She was willing to bet a buy'ce full of tihaar that they were, at least clandestinely, an item.

And it showed. Aurelian had none of the arrogance from earlier, none of the charm as weapon and shield. Just something soft and real. Even in his quip to head off any of her jokes about his being bored. He sounded genuinely hopeful. Happy, even. Adelle took another drink from her mug, smiling to herself.

"Let's be real, I'm okay company," she said, smirking. "But I do hope your surprise goes well. If you've put in as much thought and care into as it sounds like, I'm sure she'll love it."

Then he turned the question on her.

Life Day was not a festival for sad stories.

So Adelle lied.

"Yes, I've got people," she said with a touch of exasperation to hide the truth. Then she grinned mischievously. "And yes I have a place, I'm not homeless. Phantom lets me stay in her apartment."

Which was true, having the apartment bit. But the joke should redirect attention away from her lie.

The falling snow seemed to muffle the sound of the market beneath its white blanket. This had, she decided, ultimately been a good idea to show up, bittersweet though it was. Talking with a friendly face had made the holiday feel less lonely--even if she had to lose at an impromtu competition for it to happen at all. Adelle breathed in the cold and chased it down with another drink of hot cider. Aurelian had offered her honesty; she should give some back.

"I fully intend on inflicting my new favorite tradition on anyone I can rope into it," she said. "My friends from Dantooine, they introduced it to me. There's a Life Day-themed propaganda holovid from the Rebellion era, made some time between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor. I don't know what kind of spice the writers were on but it's a fever dream. They even managed to make actors look like General Organa, General Solo, and Master Luke Skywalker. So my friends made me watch it the night before Life Day and played a drinking game through it. Only way to survive the 'vid with your sanity intact, I swear."

Maybe one day, she'd inflict the horrendous propaganda holovid on her clan and the couple of friends she'd made. It seemed like something they'd love to hate.