Faction Capital Letters [DCN + Friends]

[Judah Dashiell]

"It was the most gentlemanly thing I could do - be your scapegoat. Fall on the sword, I believe is the phrase?"

True to his word the dance remained a very basic, wide box step. The best solution for the both of them, especially considering he had not danced in some time. Making them both look a fool at an important wedding was not something he was eager to do. Beyond the simplistic dance it gave a chance for better and sustained conversation.

"Life outside business? Sounds preposterous." Hand flexed against her hip as they turned, lost in thought. "I am assuming your niece means hobbies? Vacations?" Tone was playful, aghast even. "To suggest such a thing while Primo Victorian is in a critical stage. It is near blasphemy."

A small smile broke out on his features. He was a mix of playful and serious all at once. If anyone could understand the pull between two worlds it was him.

"Congratulations on the growth however. I know how difficult it can be to not only obtain but sustain."

Talk turned to his life and he shook his head as they made another sweep with the music. By now it had changed but they were marching to the beat of their own drum, off in their own little corner of the party.

"Every father with sons reaches a point where the son outdoes him. It is a point of pride but also a signal I need to do more. So I have. A decade or so ago I was heavily focused on the Tingel Arm. The Corporate Sector. Parts of the Slice. I'm redoubling my efforts there in various forms. While the salvage is where the wars are at, doesn't mean other parts of the business can't flourish where they once did."

Shoulders shrugged slightly.

"It is best I stick to work these days."

Ryssa Yvarro ​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Aurelian Veruna

Sibylla had been watching Aurelian.

Not the room or the celebration still roaring behind them.

Just him.

She saw the flicker in his amber eyes when she stepped beside him. The brief turn of his head, those inky dark forelocks falling over his brow in the way that made her fingers itch to brush them back. She clocked the way irritation still lived in the tight line of his jaw, even as that connection she felt with him that made her gravitate towards him slipped through the moment their shoulders touched.

It made the guilt worse.

By the time he was done, the apology already sitting on her tongue faltered, her lips parting slightly as words failed her -- because simply recounting and relaying how much fun she had on Denon hadn't been the entirety of what she had been doing. She had been trying to provoke him, to see if he would be jealous....and she knew that.

"Aurelian…" she began in a quiet murmur, even as her drink sat forgotten in front of her. Instead, her hand slid down from his sleeve to gently cover the hand resting against the bar, her thumb brushed lightly over his knuckles.

"I am sorry. I was being petty." There was no pride in the admission. No defensive humor. Just honesty. They were both learning and trying to navigate this. How to be with each other. How to interact and deal with all the emotions that come from it. From the present... from the past. The future. And all the irrationalities and complications that come from that.

"You were not the only one unsettled about parties and what may occur within them," she continued quietly so they wouldn't be overheard, glancing briefly toward the dancing crowd before returning her gaze to him. "And I am aware, quite painfully so, that it is not entirely rational of me....but the thought of your grand parties and how..." she paused, then took a breath, exhaling slowly.

A faint, rueful breath left her.

"I do not want to dance with anyone else either. " The words were simple, but they landed with quiet certainty. "Nor, if I am to be perfectly honest, do I much care for the idea of anyone else dancing or doing anything else with you."

There was a tightness to the delicate features of her face. A vulnerability there in experiencing jealousy, even knowing that Aurelian loved her. A faint smile touched her mouth, gentle and apologetic at once.

"... I find myself working through emotions that at times make me feel irrationally foolish, while the more sensible parts of me assure me otherwise."

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Her apology hit him harder than anything she had said on the dance floor. Aurelian felt it settle almost immediately, easing the last of the tension in his chest. The look in her eyes, the way her hand covered his. He exhaled slowly, realizing just how far he had let himself get carried.

He had been irrational. Worse than that, he had made it her problem.

He turned toward her fully as she spoke, studying her face, the honesty there. When she finished, his arm slipped around her without hesitation, drawing her closer against his side as he leaned back against the bar.

"Irrationally foolish?" he repeated, quieter now. A faint huff of amusement left him. "If that's what you are, I am something far worse."

His thumb brushed lightly against her arm as he looked at her. "I find myself working through new emotions when it comes to you," he admitted, nudging her gently. "Jealousy being the worst of them."

Aurelian let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "I have never been a jealous man. People are usually jealous of me." He tossed his hair back slightly, tugging his shirt open a fraction more in mock emphasis, though the humor softened quickly.

His gaze steadied on hers. "You make me feel things I have never felt before," he said, more quietly. "Most of the time that is a good thing. Sometimes…" He exhaled. "It comes out wrong."

His hand tightened slightly around her arm before easing again. "For what it's worth, that Aurelian is gone," he added. "I changed when I fell in love with you."

He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to the side of her head. Then, softer again, a hint of mischief returning, "But next time you go clubbing on Denon… I'm coming with you."

A small smile tugged at his mouth. "I want to see this 'rougher, more alive' version of my Sibylla."

​

 

[Aselia Verd]

Wearing: [X]

Aselia's hand closed around Adelle's as she led her out onto the floor, her grip steady, assured, though not overly firm. The movement into the dance came naturally, muscle memory settling in even if it had been some time since she'd last done this. She adjusted their position with quiet precision, one hand settling at Adelle's side while the other guided, her posture straight but not rigid. There was a brief moment where she took in the rhythm, the flow of the music, aligning herself with it rather than forcing it.

"I might be a little out of practice," she admitted, though there was no real hesitation in the way she moved. If anything, the admission carried a faint hint of dry amusement, like it didn't concern her nearly as much as she let on. Her gaze settled on Adelle, steady and focused, but softer than it had been earlier in the evening.

As the dance continued, Aselia's movements remained fluid, measured, each step deliberate without feeling rehearsed. She didn't rush, instead, she set a rhythm that was easy to follow, subtly matching Adelle where she was.

A faint smirk touched her lips at the earlier comment. "As I said," she said, her voice low enough to stay between them, "I don't need to count." There was a brief pause, her hand guiding another turn, her attention never leaving Adelle as she continued more quietly,

"But if you do, I won't hold it against you."

The tease was light, but the way she held her gaze lingered just a second longer than necessary, something warmer threading through the confidence now that they were moving together.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
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[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Aurelian Veruna

Just like that, Sibylla's attention betrayed her before she could stop it as it flickered down, and then very quickly back up again.

There was absolutely no hiding it -- not three drinks in, not with Aurelian standing that close, his shirt now far too obliging in how little it concealed. For a fleeting, dangerously curious moment, her mind wandered somewhere entirely inappropriate.

Honestly, who was responsible for that? And were they taking appointments? How, precisely, had they managed to get him so… smooth?

The thought nearly pulled a laugh from her, but it dissolved the moment his gaze fixed on her and he spoke with that quiet, disarming honesty about his own hovercoaster of emotions regarding her, their relationship, and what it all meant -- like the changes that came with it.

So it wasn't just her.

The admission settled that obnoxious feeling that came about when her mind decided to focus on Aurelian's past and prompt her to compare herself to ghosts that were no longer of consequence. Aurelian told her he loved her. Only her.

"Then we work through them together." She murmured quietly, her body softening instinctively into AUrelian's when his arm slipped around her. And when he pressed that kiss to the side of her head, Sibylla leaned into it without thinking, her lashes lowering briefly as she let herself feel it.

And just for a moment, the room faded. The music, the laughter, the celebration -- all of it slipped into the background, leaving only him. Would it matter anyway? In a closed reception, with the music blasting and the lights down low.

She wanted to be greedy of the time. Of the opportunity where attention would be elsewhere. To take advantage that they were well beyond the prying eyes of Naboo. Just... just for a moment. To be normal.

Well, as much as a King and Voice delegation at a wedding reception could.

"Careful," Sibylla murmured softly, glancing up at him. There was affection there now, but threaded through it was an ember of something bolder. The faintest upward curve tugged at her lips as her gaze dipped just briefly to his mouth before returning to his eyes.

"Do not tempt me with a good time," she added lightly with quiet mischief that did very little to hide the way her attention lingered.

Then, just a touch more daring --

"You may find yourself rather unprepared for the consequences."

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

"I can assure you," Aurelian murmured, a slow smile forming, "I am ready for whatever consequences may come."

He meant it. Or at least he wanted to.

He took his drink and turned, leaning back against the bar with her drawn in close at his side. The room carried on around them, laughter rising, music pulsing, attention fixed anywhere but here. There was still that quiet risk, the awareness of who they were supposed to be in a setting like this.

He found he did not care. Not tonight. They were far from Naboo, far from watchful eyes that dissected every gesture. For once, he allowed himself to simply stand beside her in public without calculating how it might look.

Her words lingered in his mind. Together. They would work through it together. That alone settled something in him.

His arm tightened slightly around her as she shifted, turning toward the dance floor again. He followed her gaze for a moment, then let his attention drift back to her, to the warmth at his side. Without thinking, his hand slipped lower along her back to quite an inappropriate place! A fleeting indulgence he doubted she would miss.

Aurelian exhaled softly, then nodded toward the floor, trying to distract from his shameless act.

"Is that Adelle?" he asked, tone lighter now, the edge gone. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to make out the figure through the moving crowd. "Who is she dancing with?"

​

 

[Cyrine Zereth]

Wearing: [X]

Cyrine entered Ambassador Hall alongside Rowyna, matching her pace without effort as they moved with the steady flow of officers transitioning from ceremony to reception. She had changed in the interim, the rigid lines of her uniform replaced by a deep navy gown that carried the same sense of precision without the weight of structure. The fabric moved naturally with her, catching the light in restrained flashes of gold along its subtle accents, understated enough to avoid drawing attention unless one was already looking.

Her awareness moved ahead of them as they crossed the threshold, not lingering on the spectacle but on the arrangement beneath it. Light refracted across the marble in controlled patterns, conversations had shifted in tone from ceremonial to deliberate, and the room itself had begun to reorganize now that proximity was no longer assigned but chosen. Where the gardens had imposed order, the hall allowed freedom, such as it was in a controlled space.

When Rowyna spoke, Cyrine’s attention followed the same line of thought without needing to search. The naval tables were easy enough to identify by the quiet clustering of familiarity, posture, and rank. She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment, her expression composed but not distant.

“Blackwood doesn’t strike me as someone who needs encouragement,” she said, her voice even and unhurried, carrying just enough to be heard without competing with the ambient hum of the room. “If he’s here, he’s already where he intends to be.”

Her gaze shifted outward again as Rowyna noted the company present, taking in the same figures from a broader angle. Mandalorians outside of their armor at the edges of the space, industrial figures moving easily among diplomats, political presences that drew gravity without overt display, and a scattering of Force-affiliated guests who either blended seamlessly or hovered just outside the natural flow of conversation.

She accepted a champagne flute from a passing attendant without breaking stride, her fingers settling lightly against the stem as her eyes lifted briefly toward the head table and the skyline framed behind it. The positioning was precise, the symbolism layered but controlled.

They reached the naval tables together, the presence of other officers forming a subtle anchor within the broader movement of the hall. Cyrine paused for a moment before taking her seat, allowing the space to settle, observing how clusters formed and shifted now that the structure of the ceremony had given way to choice.

“It's politics, you’ll get more out of tonight than any briefing,” she added, her tone softer now but no less assured, her attention already drifting toward a nearby exchange that had begun to draw interest from more than one direction. "Most of the people in this room either want to work with us or they have something that benefits us." Cyrine lifted the flute of champagne to her lips and took a sip. "That is why they are here."

TAG: Rowyna Galeway Kurayami Bloodborn Jasper Blackwood + Open

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Adelle scoffed at Aselia’s claim of being out of practice. The redhead practically glided into the first steps. Her own movements felt stiff at first but Aselia proved herself a capable leading partner. As she trusted her lead more, she stopped trying to anticipate Aselia and instead listened to the subtle pressure of her hands, the light pulls. The dance flowed into something more natural and her body began to remember how dancing worked.

"As I said," she said, her voice low enough to stay between them, "I don't need to count." There was a brief pause, her hand guiding another turn, her attention never leaving Adelle as she continued more quietly,

"But if you do, I won't hold it against you."

She gave the Verd a stern look but the smile playing on her face ruined the effect. “Rude. I just needed a moment to work off the rust.”

They danced a few steps while the music carried them. Adelle felt more relaxed than she had in a while. Perhaps the most relaxed she’d been since the planeshift.

“You mentioned complaining while learning to dance,” she said, feeling comfortable enough that she didn’t need to devote her full focus to the steps now. “Do you still feel that way about dancing?”

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Aurelian Veruna

Sibylla's breath hitched sharply.

Then her head snapped toward him, hazel eyes wide, her mouth parting in clear flustered incredulity before she could stop herself. For a moment, she simply stared at him as she was utterly betrayed by the heat rushing to her cheeks.

The audacity.

"Aurelian --" she began under her breath, incredulous… only to immediately cut herself off as the bartender arrived.

Of course.

"Thank you," she said a touch too quickly, seizing her drink like a lifeline and taking a very necessary sip to try and compose herself. A second passed before her voice piped up quietly in a slight huff:

"You are incorrigible."

With an adorable, if amusing slight huff, Sibylla's gaze shifted toward the dance floor where he had gestured, latching onto the distraction and not the rather inappropriate thoughts of just where else those hands could go. The woman in the red dress caught her attention immediately, and despite herself, Sibylla couldn't help the look of admiration of Aselia Verd 's dress.

"I do not know who she is," she admitted, tilting her head slightly, "but I adore that dress."

She took another sip, and then because clearly her restraint had abandoned her somewhere around her third drink:

"What do you suppose they are talking about?" she mused, eyes still tracking the pair.

A second passed, then suddenly, Sibylla brightened, turning back to him with a spark of mischief that had not entirely recovered from the earlier offense.

"Hmm," Sibylla said lightly, lifting a brow with a mischievous half grin. "Shall we make it interesting?"

"Care to play a game?"

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian felt the grin before he could stop it. He tried to hide it behind his drink, but it was already there. Her reaction had been immediate. The breath, the look, the way she turned on him like he had just committed a crime.

Worth it. Entirely worth it.

He took a slow sip, eyes sliding back to her with quiet amusement. She was flustered, and worse, thinking about it. He could see it written all over her face. Dangerous territory.

His attention shifted back to the dance floor as she followed his distraction, though the smirk lingered. He studied the pair for a moment, then leaned slightly closer, voice dropping into a low, mock-gruff tone.

"Oh how I wish I was in a violent battle right now instead of dancing," he murmured, dry as sand. "I hate this dress, I wish I had on a full set of stiff armor to dance in." He glanced back at her, amusement flickering.

Her expression changed. That spark returned. A game. Of course. His grin sharpened instantly.

"Only if you are prepared to lose," he shot back without hesitation. He shifted his weight against the bar, eyes flicking toward the floor again as if assessing the field. "Are we betting?" he added, tone light but competitive.

Aurelian watched for a beat, then scoffed quietly. "I give it a minute. Two at most."

His gaze slid back to Sibylla, challenge clear. "Adelle trips over her own feet," he said. "Spectacularly."

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