Private Cherished Past, Bright Future

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Korriban
Kor'ethyr Academy
Dorm Rooms
Tag: Haro Aven

​

All Haro had been told was that Naami expected him to be ready just before sundown. The big zabrak clearly had something in mind but wouldn't answer a single question other than to provide a neatly ironed pair of slacks and dress shirt with the instruction that it was for something important.

On the dot, precisely five minutes before Naami had told him to be ready, he was knocking on Haro's dorm room door. The zabrak was dressed in fine attire and adorned with accents of jewelry, such as a cuff on one ear and a ring of hammered silver around one horn. He also held a pair of brand new leather dress shoes in one hand as he leaned nonchalantly on the doorframe.

When Haro answered, Naami grinned while looking him up and down. Admiring the impeccable aesthetic he'd hand chosen for his buddy on this special occasion. After taking a long moment for each of them to size up the other, Naami pushed off the doorframe and walked in to the room.

"Brought you these," he offered the shoes, "To complete the look."

The big man looked happy and incredibly smug but still refused to answer any questions, insisting that his buddy finish getting ready. Once done, Naami led them out and down the hallway to the nearest corridor to the outside. Sunset was just starting and late afternoon light gleamed on the side of Naami's shiny new AV-21 landspeeder. Just one of the many perks of being Elmindra Xitaar's Apprentice.

"Hope you're hungry," Naami grinned before getting into the driver's side.

 

[Haro Aven]

LOCATION: OUTER RIM TERRITORIES > SITH HOLY WORLDS > KORRIBAN > KOR'ETHYR ACADEMY​

ATTIRE: SLACKS & DRESS SHIRT​

OBJECTIVE: GO ALONG WITH NAAMI'S PLAN​

TIMESTAMP: SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING FROM THE FEAST OF IRON & FLAME ​

Haro was fussing with the odd asymmetrical cut of the dress shirt Naami had insisted he wear to... whatever he had planned, when a knock at the door made him jump. Was it really time already? He was aware of his own time-blindness, but he really thought he'd been on track this time. Glancing at the clock on his datapad, he shook his head and smiled. Of course Naamino Zuukamano was early. What did he always say? Something about "if you're on time you're late, if you're early you're on time."

Haro snatched the dress pants off his bed and slipped them on in a rush as he moved toward the door, hopping on one foot then the other, almost stumbling before he caught himself on the wall.

"One sec!" He called, fastening the pants and hurriedly tucking in the dress shirt. He ruffled his unruly hair then shook it out before he pressed the button and the door hissed open.

Struck by that confident dimpled grin and the statue of a man leaned against his doorframe, Haro's eyes took in the sight of the handsome visage of his zabrak friend in a brief moment of transparent awe before he was able to pull it together. He heard the faint click of his own teeth as he snapped his mouth shut, then flashed a grin in effort to regain his cool.

"Hey," he managed in greeting before stepping aside as Naami passed. The moment Naami was turned away from him, Haro winced at his own idiocy. With a sharp shake of his head, he squared his shoulders and sighed, forcing whatever awkwardness he was feeling away. It was just Naami, his best buddy. Why did he feel so nervous?

"Thanks." Accepting the shoes, he eyed the zabrak suspiciously.

"So... you gonna tell me where we're goin?" He asked as he moved over to take a seat in a chair in the corner of the small dorm and slip the shoes on. Once again, his inquiry was deflected and the aura of mystery maintained, though Haro certainly had his suspicions. His leading theory was that their girlfriend was somehow involved and this had to do with the three of them celebrating their imminent graduation. Though, Leshanna had told them she would be returning to Brosi after the feast at the Imperial Palace on Jutrand to continue her duties with her master. A part of him hoped she was secretly in on the surprise, but another part of him hoped that whatever this was just for him and Naami.

Things had felt... different between the two of them since returning to the academy after their break in a way that was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. They had been through so much together, become men together, built a bond closer than anything Haro could've hoped for, and their connection seemed to be only be growing stronger. But the lie had always been an invisible, nefarious barrier around Haro's heart because he knew, eventually, he had to leave it all behind. Recently though, as graduation loomed, he'd been working a new angle—why pull the plug now when he'd gotten so far? With his position as a Hand of the King and the connections he had to the apprentices of some of the most powerful and influential Lords of the Sith, he had access to information the Galactic Alliance needed now more than ever.

Pushing away worries about the future and the schemes of his double life, Haro forced himself to be present in the moment and fully sink into the joy of being with his buddy and the thrill of his impending surprise. With a pep in his step and a generous dose of bright enthusiasm, he followed Naami's lead out of the dorms and into the rich crimson light of Horuset's sunset. His eyes went wide when he saw the speeder, wondering for a moment what academy student could afford such a gorgeous machine until he noticed Naami approaching it. His mouth fell open.

"No way! Are you fething kidding me?! An AV-21?!" He approached the classic speeder with awestruck reverence, one hand hovering just above the curve of its thruster before smoothing over it. A rush of eager elation buzzed through him watching Naami climb into the drivers seat and he couldn't help but loose a buoyant laugh as he climbed in beside him.

"Oh hell yes!" While he hooked up his datapad to the sound system to play some tunes, he immediately launched into all the reasons why AV-21's were so astral—from their exclusive limited-production status, to their powerful dual-engines, to the history of their superior aerodynamic design built to replicate a Y-Wing cockpit.​

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Haro's excitement about the classic, mint condition speeder was honestly more satisfying than when Naami had first picked the thing up at auction. It still boggled the mind that he had those kind of credits at his disposal, but the thrill of buying such a fine gift for himself was made complete by the joy and appreciation shown by his companion.

It had been a somewhat warm day and the temperature gave way to a mild evening as they cruised toward their destination. Naami couldn't keep the grin off his face and listened as Haro rattled off all he knew about the vehicle. The zabrak took evident joy in speeding through the streets of Vardin and soon enough they'd arrived in a rather affluent part of Vardin. Naami pulled in to the front entrance of what appeared to be a swanky restaurant, entrusting the speeder to the valet droid before gesturing for Haro to lead the way through the front doors.

The place was even more spectacular on the inside, featuring a huge salt water aquarium, full of vibrant fish, that spanned the wall of one half of the front end of the restaurant and modern art scrupulously chosen to adorn the other walls. Naami gave his name to the host expectantly and soon the pair was led back to their table. It was a good set up, fairly private but still with a view of the restaurant at large and just close enough to the kitchen that sizzling platters and lush salads would be visible frequently in the middle distance. The host poured them water and left them to settle in.

Naami grinned across the table at his buddy, clearly very pleased with himself.

"Order anything, ok? We've both been working hard, you've more than earned an extravagant meal."

The zabrak reached for a drink menu but his eyes kept glancing at Haro to take in his reaction. Naami hadn't yet fully revealed why he'd set this up, but it was true he felt his buddy deserved to be properly celebrated.

 

[Haro Aven]

Haro had to make a conscious effort to keep his mouth from falling open in awe at the opulence of the restaurant. Though he was dressed to the nines, thanks to his buddy, he couldn't help but feel a bit out of place among the upper echelon of Korriban society. Looking like they'd just stepped out of a holo-advert, a beautiful young man with a stunning Falleen woman on his arm passed by and Haro noted how perfectly his hair swept over his brow. He ruffled his own unruly mop of charcoal hair self-consciously, wishing he'd taken more time to make it look nice. Though, he wouldn't know the first thing about how to do that. Watching Naami give his name to the host, he smiled fondly and relaxed a bit, mirroring the zabrak's confidence until he felt his own return.

As they were led to their table and seated, Haro's attention was drawn every which way. There were so many interesting things to look at, so many beautiful people, so many tantalizing smells. Even the wait staff were dressed up nice, all matching and moving in perfect synchronicity, and they were humanoids too—not droids. He leaned over to peer down over the balcony where they were seated to watch a waiter step out of the kitchen and cross the lower dining room with a steaming platter of some mouth-watering slab of meat with a side of root vegetables in hand. Naami's voice pulled him back to the moment, and his brow raised in surprise. So he was footing the bill then too, Haro inferred. He smiled curiously, the gears of his mind visibly turning for a long moment as he watched Naami watching for his reaction. The table was only meant for two, which meant it was likely no one else would be joining them, though there seemed to be way too many menus for two people. He narrowed his eyes, then his smile turned mischievous and he leaned back in his seat, dawning a smug swagger in an effort to counter the fluttering excitement in his stomach as he picked up one of the menus.

"Anything, hm?" He scanned through the menu only to find, much to his dismay, that he didn't recognize a single thing on it. He pretended he knew what he was looking at while he wondered why the items all had dates next to them. Did fancy people date their meals? He found Naami's eyes again, setting the menu down open-faced and leaned in with his elbows atop it.

"What are you getting then?"​

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Utterly charmed by Haro's clear excitement and awe, Naami allowed himself a long moment of soaking in what was almost certainly a new experience for Haro. Ever since the zabrak first learned of the half-kage's humble origins, he'd relished more and more the various opportunities he found to provide his buddy with the kinds of resources and opportunities he might never have dreamed of having otherwise. Something as simple as handing down his old clothes to Haro could make the man giddy, so he knew something like this was sure to evoke joy and excitement.

Naami couldn't quite keep the grin off his face when Haro made such a show of reading about various vintages with such interest, but it was his posture in setting down the menu and asking that simple question which drew a chuckle from the big man.

"Never took you for much of a wine connoisseur, Aven. Maybe this is more your speed."

He turned his smaller cocktail menu around and slid it to Haro before pointing one out in particular.

"You might like Bogan's Brigand, two types of rum, tropical fruits and a hint of citrus."

Naami's grin widened knowingly before he added.

"It's sweet."

Just then, an orderly looking togruta woman stepped up to their table. She wore a simple but chic black dress with silver accents and fashionable, though not gaudy heels in the same color palette.

"Good evening gentlemen. My name is Xanikka and I'll be your server this evening. Tonight's specials are: a whole roasted golden pheasant served with taki roots simmered in cream sauce, or the braised shaak roast served with a medley of potatoes, mushrooms and dark greens all cooked in a red wine reduction."

Her hands, which had been neatly folded behind her back, came forward in a gesture of questioning.

"While I let you think on that, can I start you with any drinks?"

Naami spoke up in a self assured rumble immediately.

"Cassandran Breeze, extra stiff. I'd also like to order the cojayav wings as a starter, and whatever my fine compatriot here would like."

He turned his attention back to Haro, eyes glittering with deep seated enjoyment.

 

[Haro Aven]

Naamino Zuukamano ​

Realizing his little ruse had failed, Haro glanced down at the cocktail menu with a bashful smile, ashen pink creeping up his pale skin from his open collar to his cheeks. His eyes flicked back up at the "sweet" comment and he couldn’t help but grin back at that smug dimpled face, despite his own embarrassment.

Before he could remark on how familiar Naami was with all this, the server stepped up to their table. He watched her well-practiced mannerisms, impressed by how she effortlessly pitched the complicated dishes. He'd half expected Naami to tell the server they were waiting on one more before ordering, but he didn't. Idly, Haro wondered what she thought of the two of them, all dressed up and grinning at each other. He found that he kind of hoped she assumed it was what it looked like.

He smirked at the confident way Naami made his order, amused by the fancy speak he and the server seemed to be engaged in—an ostentatious, almost pretentious tone to the interaction.

“Bogan's Brigand, please,” He said. He wasn’t sure what “extra stiff” meant but he decided against tagging it on for now.

The server didn’t even note anything down, storing it away in memory as she nodded to them both in turn.

“I’ll have those right out for you,” she said with a warm smile before turning to leave.

With the server gone, Haro honed in on Naami again and gave him a curious look, the hint of a smile lingering on his lips.

"Wow, didn't realize I was being wined and dined by Mr. Fancypants over here. You come here often?" ​