First Reply Brewing Bonds - [First 1-3 Players]

[Braze]

OOC: Open for the first 1-3 players. No posting order. Nor more than 3 other players please I'd like to keep this short and small.

LOCATION: Grand Jedi Temple
TAGS: @open

​

In a quieter corner of the Jedi Temple, Braze was deeply engrossed in a task quite different from his usual routine. Today, he was focusing on a softer aspect of Jedi life: fostering community and tradition. In front of him lay an array of ornate, handmade invitations crafted with utmost care. His fingers, usually trained for lightsaber combat and strenuous exercises, were diligently engaged in inscribing the parchment with elegant calligraphy.

The invitations read:

"You are cordially invited to an afternoon tea sampling, hosted by Padawan Braze. Join us in the East Meditation Garden for a variety of teas, reflection, and fellowship. All are welcome.
May the Force be with you,

~Padawan Braze"​

With a finished invitation in his hands, Braze headed toward the various communal areas of the temple where he knew they would garner attention. He posted them on the main bulletin boards, near the training grounds, and even outside the archives. Each placement was done with the thought that someone, whether a Master, Knight, or fellow Padawan, would see the invitation and feel called to attend.

Finally, the setup. Braze chose the East Meditation Garden for its calming ambiance and natural beauty. The garden was known for its lush greenery and tranquil water features, making it a perfect spot for a tea ceremony. He arrived early, blindfolded as part of his sensory training, but moving with the certainty and precision of someone who had memorized every stone and bush. Setting up a small table and a small array of cushions for seating, he neatly arranged the tea set, complete with a kettle, cups, and a selection of rare teas.

Completing his preparations, Braze took a seat near the arrangement. He set to work brewing one of the teas he had selected for this and made sure to neatly set out some accompanying treats. He folded his hands in his lap and closed his eyes, feeling the Force flow around him as he waited for potential guests to arrive. Would anyone come? He wasn't certain, but the mere act of hosting, of reaching out to others in a place where he often felt out of place, filled him with a sense of accomplishment and hope. He allowed himself a small, hopeful smile and waited.

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Corucant
Tags: Braze

Loomi would step into the meditation garden with a rather chipper attitude. It had been a few weeks now since she had seen her friend Braze, and her heart was practically fluttering with excitement to see him again. She was always happy to be in his company, but it was different from other friends she had.

The Godoan would not be met with a very exciting site, however, as Braze sat there with a blindfold on. He was blind? Almost immediately Loomi's heart began to race. What had happened? Did he get hurt? Should she have been there for his recovery?

"Braze!"

The young teen would run over in tears, throwing her arms around the white haired boy and hugging him perhaps a little bit too tightly.

"You didn't tell me your eyes got hurt!" she wailed, letting out a very unflattering sniffle. "A-are you okay!?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

Braze was aware of the new presence entering the garden, his Force sensitivity picking up the unique signature that he recognized as Loomi, and a smile spread across his lips. The sadness that soon followed however confused him- When he heard her distraught voice and felt her arms tightly enveloping him, he couldn't help but feel a mix of concern and amusement.

"Loomi! Woah, woah, easy there!" He gently pat her back, trying to soothe her obvious worry. "I'm fine, really. My eyes aren't hurt. I'm just training, trying to enhance my Force sight and other senses. The blindfold's a part of that."
He carefully unwound her arms from around him, lifting the blindfold just enough so she could see his eyes for a moment—hopefully putting her at ease.

"See? All good. Now, how about we focus on some of the tea I've prepared? I could use your expert opinion. Or perhaps you might like to sample some of the chocolate cakes?" He winked before pulling the blindfold back down, grinning.

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"Oh, okay."

He was fine, so she was fine. There would be an immediate and almost jarring shift in her attitude following that revelation. Loomi's smile was back now, and she had settled down onto the cushion immediately next to Braze and looked on intently at what was laid out on the table. It all looked good, but the Godoan wasn't really picky at all. Having grown up eating whatever scraps she could gather up, Loomi was very much fully prepared to eat anything that was put in front of her. The food being good was just a bonus. Something very much did catch her attention, however, a word that brought out her crippling addiction.

"Or perhaps you might like to sample some of the chocolate cakes?"

"Chocolate!" She echoed with excitement, turning back to Braze with a shimmer in her singular eye. "I want that, please!"

That was good. Chocolate was very much at this point explained to Loomi to not be good for her, but she was too far gone to stop now. She had developed quite the sweet tooth, and something about her first ever little piece that she had managed to scavenge when she was on the streets of Coruscant a good several months back now, well before joining the Jedi, had flipped a switch in her brain.

Needless to say, Loomi really liked chocolate.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

Braze couldn't help but grin at the sudden burst of excitement that overtook Loomi. Her energy was infectious, and it momentarily pushed away any lingering frustrations he had. "Well, when someone reacts to chocolate like that, how could I say no?" he chuckled.

Carefully picking up one of the chocolate cakes with a small serving tool, he placed it onto Loomi's plate. "Here you go, one chocolate cake for the connoisseur. Just be careful, these are pretty rich. Though, something tells me you'll be just fine with that. I have a few different kinds of teas do you want to try the rose-hips one?"

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"Here you go, one chocolate cake for the connoisseur. Just be careful, these are pretty rich. Though, something tells me you'll be just fine with that. I have a few different kinds of teas do you want to try the rose-hips one?"

"Mhmm."

Loomi was already eating the slice of cake. It was indeed very rich, but the Godoan showed a rather powerful resistance to it's effects, munching down on bite she had cut off with a fork. She was very eager to try the rose-thingy tea. Flower petals were also rather tasty, she found, though she was unaware of how one might react to such a thing.

"I like the cake," she affirmed. "It's very good."

She'd turn to Braze, tilting her head curiously. Was he taller? It was hard to say. Loomi hadn't seen him in a few weeks now. Maybe a month. Time was weird. That felt like forever, but nothing all at the same time. He certainly seemed a little older.

"How are you?" Loomi asked him. "I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. I... I missed you."

 

[Braze]

LOCATION:
TAGS: @ Loomi

Braze carefully poured another cup of tea, his blindfolded eyes not detracting from the elegance of the gesture. The fragrant steam wafted through the air as he set the teapot back down on the table with practiced ease. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to Loomi, who seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate cake he'd served earlier.

"I'm...okay," he began, a subtle pause betraying the complexity behind such a simple word. "Could be better, but I've learned it can always be worse. So, I'm trying not to dwell on the negatives too much." His fingers lightly traced the rim of his teacup, as if searching for grounding in its familiar shape.

He straightened up, a touch of enthusiasm creeping into his voice. "I've been diving into a passion project, actually. You know the old temple on Lothal? I've been focusing my efforts on restoring it, or at least as much as I can."

A wistful smile crossed his lips, albeit hidden beneath the blindfold. "It's consumed a lot of my time, but in a good way. I've Also been consumed, by taking on different categories of training exercises, I'm trying to broaden my horizons and add as many new skills and techniques I can to my repertoire," he concluded, before shifting the conversation back to his guest.

"How have things been on your end? I heard you've been traveling to some rather interesting places recently. Anything exciting you'd like to share?" Braze leaned in slightly, genuinely interested, his blindfolded eyes seeming to focus on her despite their lack of sight.

His words, although measured, carried a gentle, inviting tone. It was as if He was encouraging her to speak openly.

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"I... I don't know," Loomi sighed, giving an embarrassed smile. "I've been going so many places that I can't keep track of them all. My memory still isn't very good..."

She retained little, and older forgotten memories seemed to keep her from retaining the new ones. At least Loomi had little trouble remembering people. It was faces that she could never forget.

For better or worse.

The young padawan would take a sip of her tea, pondering on what Braze had said. These emotions he felt... she had felt them all along, even over the vast distance they were separated by across the galaxy. His pain, anxieties... She didn't know what caused them, but they caused her a great deal of stress. There was clearly something more at play than just her being susceptible to emotions or bonding through the force.

"It's... strange," she continued. "The stressful stuff you mentioned... I feel like I could feel it. A lot of it... but we were so far away..."

She took a sip of her tea, and almost immediately her eye lit up again. Loomi was in an entirely different moment now.

"Woah," the girl exclaimed. "It's weird. I love it!"

 

[Braze]

LOCATION:
TAGS: Loomi

Braze paused, his own cup of tea momentarily forgotten in his hands as he looked at Loomi. His thoughts scrambled to align themselves, finding an unexpected sense of clarity in the fuzzy emotional bond they seemed to share. It was something deep and resonating, an echo in the Force that he'd only recently become aware of.

"Yeah, it's strange," he agreed, his voice tinged with both awe and a whisper of caution. "I've felt it too—your emotions, your feelings. And it's not just a one-way thing, it's mutual. Like, even when we're apart, even when you're worlds away, I can still feel you... there." He pointed vaguely toward his chest, as if indicating the heart or perhaps the soul.

"As if you're always with me, in a way." He paused briefly considering things, " I'm glad you enjoy it I don't think i'm anywhere near as good as Ko Vuto . I think he has more patience than I do when it comes to making tea."​

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

" I'm glad you enjoy it I don't think i'm anywhere near as good as Ko Vuto. I think he has more patience than I do when it comes to making tea."

"Golly, I don't think you gotta be as good as Ko," Loomi remarked, giving a reassuring smile. "Just try your best, y'know?"

Her mind did drift back to what Braze had said about their connection. It was such an odd thing the more she thought about it, like a flip had switched in her mind that she couldn't flip back. They tended to be drawn apart so often, yet it felt as though they were always together. It was strange, but not like a bad strange.

"Well," she continued, "I-It feels like you're always there for me as well... but I would like to actually spend more time with you. In the flesh and all that."

She'd frown, tilting her head a little.

"If you want to, I mean."

 

[Braze]

​

TAGS: Loomi

​

As she spoke about their peculiar connection, he felt an unspoken agreement well up within him. It was odd but comforting, like a melody he didn't know he'd been yearning to hear.

Hearing her desire to spend more time together, his heart lifted. "I'd like that, Loomi. Really. It's one thing to sense each other from afar, but it's entirely different to be in the same place. Besides... "

He gave her a warm smile, putting extra emphasis on his next words to convey his sincerity.

"I'd love to spend more time with my ~favorite~ little Lady Bug~. In the flesh and all that," he echoed, chuckling softly.

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

Loomi's stomach fluttered as Braze spoke. It was always such a weird thing, one that she didn't quite understand. Perhaps it was just a byproduct of whatever this strange connection in the force was that they seemed to be forming. It was growing rather strong by the day after all.

That being said, Loomi really just liked hearing all of the nice words. She'd beam with sheepish joy and bob her head a little.

"Yeah," she'd nod. A simple answer that spoke for a lot.

Her mind shifted pretty quickly to where they may go to hang out. The Godoan's wings began to flutter as her mind turned, trying to recall any place that she had overheard in a conversation. It was very hard. Loomi's memory wasn't a very great thing at all, but she could formulate in her mind a place that she may like to go hang out. That did a lot for coming up with a location that had been told to her in the past. Her eye would light up with excitement when she finally did think of something.

"I heard about a museum on Bar'leth in passing," Loomi noted. "I-I've never been to a museum before. We could go there."

She'd be okay with anywhere really, but Loomi didn't want to have Braze be forced to pick the spot every time.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

Braze considered Loomi's suggestion, a gentle smile tugging at his lips as he felt her enthusiasm ripple through the Force. "A museum on Bar'leth, huh? That actually sounds like a great idea," he affirmed. "Museums have a way of making history and culture come alive, far better than just reading about them or listening to someone drone on and on in a lecture."

He cradled the teacup in his hands, taking a slow sip before setting it back down. "I'll have to look into arranging transportation. I don't have a pilot's license yet, but there must be a way to get us there."

His eyes met Loomi's, reflecting the shared excitement of their upcoming adventure. "It'll be a nice change of pace, and besides, who could say no to a chance to learn something new in a fun environment?"

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"I'll have to look into arranging transportation. I don't have a pilot's license yet, but there must be a way to get us there."

"Oh, you don't have to," Loomi insisted, puffing out her chest with some degree of pride. "I got two seats in my ship. I can take us."

The Epo-1 Delta-class Light Interceptor had a navigator seat along side the pilot's seat. It was the perfect starfighter for bringing along a buddy, which Loomi quite liked. She wasn't too fond of traveling alone these days. It was just the right size for both of them to go on a trip.

Now she was all excited about that. Her heart was hardly contained within her small torso, the wings on her back beginning to flit about with a degree of excitement.

"I'm glad you wanna go," she noted with a soft smile. "Thank you."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

​

"When would you like to go? I'll have to check if it's alright, but it sounds like a great idea," Braze said cheerfully, taking another sip of his tea. Just as he was about to put his cup back down, that unusual sound caught his ears once more. He turned his head toward where Loomi was sitting.

Curiosity piqued, he extended his hand toward the origin of the sound and made contact with something—something that felt like a wing. He jerked his hand back in surprise, almost toppling over from his chair in the process.

"They're...they're REAL?!" Braze nearly squeaked, astonishment flooding his voice. Fumbling a moment, he swiftly removed his blindfold. He had seen Loomi with wings before, but he had always assumed they were some kind of costume accessory. "When did this happen? Have they always been real? Are you a natural butterfly?"

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"I can go whenever," Loomi told him. "My training has been... off and on lately."

The slight touch of Braze's hand against the wings made them twitch ever so slightly. Loomi was stunned for a moment. He... didn't realize they were real? She had the wings for a few months now. How had that even happened. Her face flushed with embarrassment as Braze lifted his blindfold.

"When did this happen? Have they always been real? Are you a natural butterfly?"

"Natural butterfly?" she reacted, tilting her head with confusion. "I-I don't know what that means, b-but they are real. I... grew them. Maybe like a month ago. It was weird, and it made me feel real sick."

Not to mention the stress. But they were here now, and very much not a decoration. She was already awkward, now she had a tiny and very useless pair of wings to contend with.

"Th-they don't fly," the Godoan noted with a pout.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

​

Braze's jade green eyes, filled with a quiet sort of gravitas, met Loomi's single good eye as he pondered her wings.

"Do you think they might not be fully grown yet? Maybe they'll develop more as time goes on," he suggested, his voice tinged with a hopeful note. "I honestly thought they were some kind of decorative accessory. I had no idea they were real."

His eyes flickered back to the wings, absorbing their intricate details before he looked back into Loomi's eye. "I can imagine they might be somewhat cumbersome at times, especially in tight spaces. Is that the case?" he inquired gently, showing both curiosity and concern.

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"Th-they don't get any bigger," Loomi sighed, hanging her head a little. "And they're awkward. It makes sleeping weird, and sometimes I bump into people."

Worst of all was just how she appeared. So many conflicting things that drew attention, from her mechanical legs to the scar on her face. The wings were just one more thing to draw the eyes of curious individuals. Loomi wasn't a fan of being stared at, not when it was because of how bizarre she was.

"I feel so silly all the time," the Godoan lamented. "I-I wish I was normal like you..."

Her face turned a bright red. Was that offensive?

"I-I don't mean that as an insult," she quickly backpedaled. "N-normal is like, a good thing, right?'

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

Braze couldn't help but let out a suppressed snicker, trying hard to contain his amusement. "You think I'm—wait for it—N-O-R-M-A-L?" He drew out the word, enunciating each letter as though it were its own sentence. "That's honestly the most entertaining thing I've heard in ages," he continued, his jade-green eyes rolling in gentle mockery.

Sensing her flustered state through the Force, he took a moment to adjust his elegant black silk sash. Then, with a practiced motion, he tied it back over his eyes, once again plunging himself into a world devoid of visual cues but rich in other sensations.

"Nah you're not silly... I think the truth is no one really is truly and completely 'normal', and anyone who is, isn't normal... it's normal to be abnormal just a bit..." He offered softly.

 

[Loomi]

Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Tags: Braze

"Thank you," Loomi sighed, giving a genuine but sad smile. "I'm glad you don't look at me like everyone else does... even with a blindfold on."

It was reassuring, at the very least. There was one person who didn't see her as some kind of messed up other, or weird thing to gawk at for how unnatural she appeared. He wasn't the only one, of course, but there was something about the way Braze assured her that everything was fine that made her feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

"I'm looking forward to going on that trip with you," she decided, shifting away from her insecurities. "It feels like we haven't done something like that in forever."

Her smile became more joyful. She was very happy to spend time with her friends. It helped remind her that, despite her own doubts, there were people out there who genuinely liked her.

And that was nice.