Private ...Are You My Brother? [Dayr Verd]

[Torva Verd]

Verd Estate, Mandalore

Ever since losing her home and her family to the fires on Ketaris, Torva had worked hard at rebuilding herself as a Mandalorian. It had been a struggle in the very early days, especially as she learned to embrace what it meant to be a Mandalorian, a foundling brought in under the watchful eye of a warrior people she’d only heard stories about prior to actually seeing them.

She had expected them to be aloof towards her, wary of a stranger. Instead, she had been embraced as a new member of an extended family. The grace and welcome she had received had been mind blowing, and it helped to ease some of the pain of losing everything she had ever known or cared about in her life.

Time had moved forward since that fateful day. Since then, Torva had grown in many ways. From a seamstress working for her mother with her sister, to a young warrior in training, a humanitarian, and a Force initiate. She had found herself a man she cared deeply for, and had been formally adopted into the Mand’alor’s own family. Aether Verd had become her Father, and while she mourned and missed her biological father, the Manda had blessed her with someone who was perhaps a better man, a better father, than the one she’d been born to.

Torva was proud to call herself a Verd, and she bore their House sigil and colors with joy.

But there was another side to the Verds that Torva hadn’t truly explored - and that was the others who were related, somehow, to Aether. Either directly or indirectly. Her family. For over a year, the red head hadn’t truly bothered to reach out to any of the others - so focused had she been on her training.

But now she was beginning to truly feel the restlessness in her heart to find others she could connect with. So on one of her free days, Torva found herself relaxing in her Father’s estate on Mandalore, searching through the records to locate others that called themselves a Verd.

Several names jumped out at her immediately - the first being the Patron of the family line, Isley. Her grandfather - someone she had seen via a holoscreen but never in person. She would one day change that, she told herself. There were others too - but most of them were connected to Isley, instead of her Father Aether.

Except for one name that jumped out at her. Dayr Verd - the adopted son of the Mand’alor.

That would make him…her adopted brother?

Torva bit her lower lip in thought as a near overwhelming desire to reach out to Dayr came over her. She hesitated, her shyness creeping back in for a moment, before she pushed it aside and took the risk to message him directly.

She introduced herself in the message, gave a small explanation, and asked if he would be willing to meet her at Aether’s estate as she was interested in getting to know the other Verds out there. She figured that if he was the son of Aether, then he would likely know where the Mand'alor's estate was. She had no idea if Dayr would agree to the impromptu meet up or if he would even respond back to her. All she could do was wait, and lounge around while she was at it.

Or raid the kitchen. That was always an idea.

The call of food became too tempting, so Torva decided to busy herself until she got a response back from the young man who could quite possibly be her newest sibling.

​

Dayr Verd ​

 

[Dayr Verd]

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HOUSE VERD

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FIELD NOTES

MANDALORIAN CLAN ARCHIVE

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DAYR VERD

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WARHOST // WARRIOR // GUNSLINGER

VERD ESTATE, MANDALORE

LOCATION

OBJECTIVE

MEET WITH TORVA

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Torva's message reached Dayr while he was away from the estate. He knew the name.

From what Dayr could recall, Aether had adopted her roughly a year ago, and he had been aware of her since then, though he had never gone looking for an introduction. It hadn't been avoidance. She was settling into a new family and a new life, and there had never seemed much reason to crowd her simply because they shared a father. Dayr figured they would cross paths eventually. If she was the one asking to meet now, that meant she was ready, and Dayr wouldn't feel like he was intruding.

"Yeah. I can come by."

He sent the reply and took the swoop.

The estate was familiar long before the main house came into view. Dayr eased off the throttle as he approached, brought the swoop down outside and killed the engine. In the sudden quiet, the cooling machinery ticked softly behind him while he crossed the grounds. His beskar'gam was mostly habit for the ride, helmet still sealed against the wind, and he left it on as he headed inside.

He knew his way around well enough that there was no need to stop and ask where anything was. His boots sounded heavier indoors, the plates shifting quietly with him as he moved through the house and eventually found Torva in the kitchen.

The red hair made the guess easy enough.

"Torva?"

His voice came back at him through the helmet's vocoder as he stopped a few steps away.

"I'm Dayr. I got your mess-"

He caught himself halfway through the word. One hand went to the side of his helmet, and there was a short hiss as the seals released.

Dayr pulled the buy'ce free. Sandy-blond hair had been flattened beneath it during the ride, and he ran a hand back through it once before tucking the helmet beneath his arm.

"Sorry. Habit."

He looked at her properly then, taking a moment to put a face to someone whose name had been somewhere around the family for the better part of a year. He knew where she fit. He knew Aether had taken her in. That was about the extent of it.

Apparently the same could be said in reverse.

There was no awkwardness in that as far as Dayr was concerned. They just hadn't met yet.

He shifted the helmet a little more securely against his side.

"I'm glad you called. I wanted to give you space until you wanted to meet. How are you?"

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TAGS

Torva Verd

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HOUSE VERD

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FOUNDLING

 

[Torva Verd]

Verd Estate, Mandalore

It didn’t take long for Dayr’s response to come through, a confirmation that yes, he could come by, and that message alone made Torva’s belly churn with anticipation. She tried to distract herself by throwing together a small snack, an attempt to keep her thoughts from racing - but it was no use. Small questions and curiosities shot through her mind, but she had a feeling they would be answered once he arrived and they actually met face to face.

Apparently Dayr had been close by, because it wasn’t too long after he had sent his message that Torva picked up the sounds of heavy bootfalls on the hard floor. His voice calling her name reached her next, and the red head whipped her head around to see an armored figure appear in the kitchen. He started to introduce himself then paused and realized his helm was still on, so he took a moment to unclasp and pull it off, revealing a shock of sandy blond hair that he ran his hand through.

“Sorry. Habit.” he said, before taking a moment to properly see her, and she took that moment to look at him in turn - finally putting a name to the face. "I'm glad you called. I wanted to give you space until you wanted to meet. How are you?"

Despite the shyness that crept over her, Torva felt a smile spread across her freckled cheeks. “I’m good - better now, actually.” Torva replied, still staring at Dayr. He was taller than here by a few inches, slightly older - though still youthful. His eyes were brown and warm, and he carried himself with the ease of a warrior. There seemed to be no awkwardness within or around him, from what she could sense. He’d been waiting for this moment, and she was touched by the fact that he was glad she called him and wanted to finally meet - and the fact that he had given her space, until she’d been ready. That was rather thoughtful of him.

After a moment, Torva realized she had been staring without saying much else, and she cleared her throat and briefly broke eye contact as a hint of pink touched her cheeks. “Sorry - don't mean to just stare at you like this.” She muttered, though her smile was still loose and easy on her face. “It’s uh…good to finally meet you, Dayr. I've seen your name pop up from time to time - figured it was time to reach out.”

She shifted her weight on her feet and glanced around the kitchen area briefly before she glanced back at Dayr. "Want to go sit in the lounge with me and chat? Catch up and whatever?" ​

Dayr Verd ​

 

[Dayr Verd]

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HOUSE VERD

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FIELD NOTES

MANDALORIAN CLAN ARCHIVE

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DAYR VERD

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WARHOST // WARRIOR // GUNSLINGER

VERD ESTATE, MANDALORE

LOCATION

OBJECTIVE

MEET WITH TORVA

x

The answer, especially the better now, pulled a tight smile from Dayr. It stayed while Torva continued looking him over, and since she was doing it, he took the opportunity to do much the same.

Her red hair was impossible to miss. He had known that much before walking into the kitchen, but up close it was her eyes that held his attention. They were bright blue, clear enough that they stood out against the warmer colouring of her features, even the freckles across her cheeks and nose. Dayr suspected it was her eyes he would remember most. She kept them on him until she seemed to catch herself, colour rising beneath the freckles before she finally looked away.

The smile was still there when Dayr shook his head.

"No, you're fine. I was staring, too."

He didn't see much point pretending otherwise. For the better part of a year Torva had mostly existed to him as a name in the family, with word of her exploits shared around. He knew Aether had taken her in and that she was another Verd, but that wasn't the same as knowing what she looked like when she smiled, how she sounded when she was embarrassed, or the way those blue eyes seemed determined to take in everything in front of them.

Dayr found he was comfortable with her attention.

It helped that she had reached out first. House Verd came with enough faces to get to know without him adding himself to the list before she was ready. When she mentioned seeing his name about, he nodded, understanding exactly what she meant.

"I've seen yours around too." He shifted the buy'ce beneath his arm, the corner of his mouth still carrying that tight smile. "I figured we'd cross paths eventually."

Torva's suggestion of the lounge got a nod from him, though rather than head straight for the doorway Dayr moved further into the kitchen. He stepped past Torva, noting her impressive height and stature as he did, before approaching the cooling unit. The ride over hadn't been long, but the armour held heat and he had come inside without stopping for anything. He opened the cooling unit and took out two bottles of water.

"Yeah. Lounge works." He motioned through the door he had come from. "Let's go."

He carried the bottles by their necks between his fingers, his other arm still holding the helmet against his side. Dayr walked into the hallway, turned right and started toward one of the common areas nearby. He didn't bother putting the buy'ce back on. There was no reason to inside the house, and less of one now that Torva had already seen him without it.

Most didn't.

The estate was familiar enough that he moved through it without thinking much about the route. He had known these rooms in one form or another for most of his life. There were places around the property where his memories went back far enough that he could remember looking at furniture from somewhere much closer to floor level, or being told for the hundredth time not to touch something before he was old enough to understand why.

That familiarity made Torva's position interesting to him.

Dayr had been young enough when Aether took him in that becoming a Verd had happened alongside growing up. He remembered pieces of the life before it, including his father and mother, but there hadn't been enough to make him long for something he missed. House Verd had simply become the place where most of his memories accumulated.

Torva had walked into it old enough to know exactly what she was leaving behind.

Once he reached the lounge, Dayr picked one of the seats and set his helmet nearby rather than keeping it in his lap. He placed one of the bottles on the low table for Torva, kept the other in his hand, and sat down.

There were plenty of things he wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to make it sound like an interrogation. The last thing he wanted was to sound like he was questioning some captive in a cell instead of meeting someone who was now, technically, his sister. The way House Verd grew meant siblings could enter his life with years behind them that he hadn't shared. Dayr had learned to adapt to that quickly.

Dayr opened the seal on his bottle, eyes settling on Torva again.

"What's it been like?"

He gave the question a moment before adding enough to make clear what he meant.

"Coming into Verd. The last year."

His own experience wasn't much use as a comparison, and Dayr was curious what that looked like for her.

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TAGS

Torva Verd

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HOUSE VERD

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FOUNDLING

 

[Torva Verd]

Verd Estate, Mandalore

For a moment, both of them just stared at one another, taking the other in. Dayr had a smile on his face, and it didn’t slip or falter when Torva apologized for staring. He didn’t seem to mind, though - admitting that he was doing the same. He told her too that he’d seen her name around as well, and figured they would cross paths eventually.

At the mention of them taking their conversation to the lounge, Dayr nodded before stepping past her to one of the cooling units and withdrawing two containers of cold, crisp water, before moving them both to the lounge in one of the common areas. Torva mentally scolded herself for not offering him something to drink sooner but she let it go, blaming her lack of attentiveness on being distracted.

Dayr moved through the Verd estate with the ease of someone who was very familiar with the place, and that made sense to Torva. The red head knew that he’d been here longer than she had, so he had had more time to figure out his surroundings.

The young Mandalorian took a seat, setting his buy’ce nearby but still within reach. He set one of the bottles of water on a table as Torva took her seat in a separate space, but within conversational distance of Dayr. She reached out for the water and drew it back to her, feeling the coldness of the container against her palm.

“What’s it been like?” Dayr asked her as he twisted open the water bottle in his hand, letting his question linger for a moment before he clarified what he was asking. “Coming into Verd. The last year.”

Torva crossed one leg over the other as she leaned back into her seat, popping open her own water and taking a sip before answering.

“Challening, but worth it. I couldn’t have asked for a better space to…heal. To figure out a little more about what I had agreed to become.” she answered, her voice soft and reflective, before her smile returned and her eyes brightened. “I was surrounded by great people too that helped me through that process - who are still helping to guide me.”

She took another small sip before sealing the bottle and setting it in her lap. “I didn’t actually realize whose House I had been accepted into at first either, and then when I did it came with its own challenges too.”

Torva shifted in her seat suddenly, angling to face Dayr a bit better, her eyes settling upon his youthful and, admittedly, handsome face. “What about you?” ​

Dayr Verd ​

 

[Dayr Verd]

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HOUSE VERD

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FIELD NOTES

MANDALORIAN CLAN ARCHIVE

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DAYR VERD

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WARHOST // WARRIOR // GUNSLINGER

VERD ESTATE, MANDALORE

LOCATION

OBJECTIVE

MEET WITH TORVA

x

Dayr noticed Torva ease back in the chair, seeming more comfortable in his company, and listened.

He watched her closely, noting the small shifts in expression and posture. He wanted to become familiar with her mannerisms. Dayr took a drink of water as she answered. Her voice softened around the word heal, but he left it alone. Whatever sat behind that belonged to her to explain when she wanted to. Her smile returned when she spoke about the people who had helped her, her eyes brightening along with it, and he returned his own faint smile in response.

Dayr knew that part of Verd well enough. The family had a habit of getting involved, usually with the best of intentions.

When she admitted that she hadn't realised whose House she'd joined at first, one of his brows lifted. Aether had always been buir to Dayr before anything else. Mand'alor, war leader, whatever title or reputation followed him beyond the estate, none of it changed the man Dayr had grown up with. He had seen enough people react differently once they understood who his father was to know it mattered to others. Torva had come into the House from outside. She'd had to meet Aether and everything attached to his name at roughly the same time.

Torva shifted in her seat and turned more fully toward him when she asked the question back. Dayr rested the bottle against his knee.

"Straightforward, really." He considered. "I've taken part in the Warhost. Been involved in battles. I feel I've taken to it well."

Dayr paused as he offered the faintest smirk.

"Unless you mean when I became a foundling?" He suspected she did. "Well, buir took me in when I was four. My father died. Before he did, he asked Aether to look after me. Aether agreed."

There was a little more to it than that. Dayr paused and considered. He decided there was no reason not to share.

"Aether was the one who killed him."

He took another drink.

"But he never hid that from me. I always respected him for that, trusting me with the truth."

There had been no later discovery waiting for him. Dayr remembered pieces of his life before Verd, including his father and mother, but they sat around the edges of something much larger. Most of what he remembered clearly had happened after Aether brought him into the House.

"I don't really remember becoming a Verd. Too young, really. It's just been my life."

Dayr's eyes moved briefly around the lounge. He had known these rooms for most of his life, long before he understood what House Verd meant beyond the people inside it. His attention returned to Torva. Unlike him, she had entered House Verd with another life already behind her, old enough for joining it to mean something very different than it had for him.

"What changed when you figured out whose House you'd joined?"

Dayr raised his eyebrows.

"Did you want to talk about where you came from?"

She could say no.

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TAGS

Torva Verd

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HOUSE VERD

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FOUNDLING