Private Daybreak on Dorin

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze | Valor the Forsaken

“That’s the true power of Sith culture. It’s easier to understand, and thus a more seductive path for many. It’s a false promise however. But that’s just the opinion of an old teacher. As for the history of this planet, it’s actually pretty boring most of the time. There’s a few notable key points in Dorin’s history, such as the time of the three great nations, its imperial era and the Sith terrors. The Barran Do have done their job at maintaining a harmonious society in such a tumultuous ecosystem.” Xojo explained to the teen. Offering some of his own insight into the subject of the Sith and the world they now stand on.

. . .​

Later on in the evening a ‘mild’ storm had swept into the valley. Powerful sustained gusts of wind raced between the mountains. The natural barriers and careful architecture of the estate kept the four of them inside save for it except for possibly the noise. Droplets of rain zipped through the air as well with the wind. Practically raining sideways at some points for water to slam into the mountain sides and cascade downwards. Creating risks of flash floods for lower elevations.

The storm created a thick vile that hid the surrounding landscape from the estate. Only with the occasional flash of lightning in the sky could anyone see the silhouette of the valley and mountains. Only for the crack of thunder to follow afterwards. Even a relatively ‘gentle’ thunderstorm like this had the risk of blowing any unfortunate hikers off the mountain side.​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

Braze hadn't planned on wrestling with nature's fury that evening. The walk had seemed like a good idea—a chance to clear his mind, maybe even process the tangled mess of his thoughts. But the storm had other ideas. As the winds howled, they found him an easy target, all wiry limbs and not nearly enough weight to anchor himself against the gale.

The moment he lost footing, he knew he was in trouble. The wind grabbed him, greedy and unrelenting, sending him sprawling and airborne like a discarded scrap of cloth. He flailed, panic snapping at his composure, and his fingers barely caught the cold metal railing of a nearby balcony. The impact stung, his shoulder wrenched painfully as the wind continued to batter him like a child tugging at a toy. Teeth gritted, muscles burning, he clawed his way along the rail and dragged himself onto solid ground. By the time he staggered inside, his whole body was shaking.

Cold. He hadn't thought it possible to feel this cold without being dead. His clothes clung to him, soaked and useless, the icy wetness seeping through to his very bones. Braze grimaced as water dripped from his hair and pooled at his feet. Shivers racked his body, his core fighting to stay warm despite the betrayal of the storm.

"Suffice it to say," he muttered through chattering teeth, "that was a stupid idea."

He knew what he needed. Heat. Comfort. A living radiator who couldn't protest too much. Ko was perfect. Without ceremony or even much thought, Braze padded through the dimly lit hall, his sodden boots leaving faint trails of water as he made his way to the bed where Ko was already lounging, blissfully unaware of the impending ambush.

Ko barely had time to react before Braze flopped onto him unceremoniously, a sodden bundle of misery. Braze burrowed closer, trying to maximize contact like some soggy, opportunistic vampire.

​

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

Ko was currently having a rough night. He was sound asleep, but the rather familiar commotion influenced his dreams. The thunder filled his mind with vivid images of conflict both past and present. Maybe even of different futures as well. He didn’t hear the boy enter the room seeking comfort from the Jedi knight.

Dreaming of a dire scenario. Where he struggled against a former enemy. A large mancing mandalorian. Braze’s body falling on him registered in his mind as him getting violently smothered and choked out by the physically larger and stronger mandalorian. “GAH!!!” Ko suddenly stirred himself away from the bad dream. Caught in the mental borderlands of lucidity and sleep. His sight through The Force hadn’t yet cleared enough to show him he was simple in his room and that the intruder was Braze.

Ko’s claws violently lashed out and grabbed Braze by their collar, holding the boy out as he pulled his other fist back as if he was going to strike the padawan. He glared at Braze with a panicked expression. He wasn’t wearing his goggles so Braze was offered a glimpse now at the scared sockets that remined. Only then did his senses begin to clear and he realized that he wasn’t in mortal danger, and was being crushed by an old foe. With labored breaths he spoke out. “B-Braze? Wh-what are you doing here?” Ko asked before letting go of the boy.​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze whimpered miserably, his voice barely a whisper as he looked at Ko in the darkness. "I'm cold," he whispered, the words barely rising above the silence, a shivering plea. His small body shook in sporadic bursts of shivering, each wave a reminder of how powerless he felt in this moment. Ko could feel the way Braze's small frame was racked by involuntary tremors, his body unable to fend off the chill that clung to him.

Suddenly, Braze sneezed—a soft, mousy sound that ended in a high-pitched squeak, almost as if his body was embarrassed by its own frailty. He followed it with a few wet sniffles, curling inwards, as though trying to find warmth within himself that simply wasn't there. The darkness around them felt more oppressive as Braze's normally brave front crumbled into something small and helpless.

​

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

Feeling the cold yet body of Braze cling to him so pitifully it finally registered for Ko how awful it felt. “Ugh, what the… why are you so wet? What did you…” Ko paused before he could finish his question. “Were you outside in the storm?” He already seemed to know the answer to his own question although the Kel Dor still wondered why Braze would wander off during a storm at night. Even for ‘mild’ storms like this people could end up hurt.

Letting out a huff Ko would break away from Braze and quickly get off the bed. Without a word he walked away and out of the room. Seemingly abandoning the boy in need. But it wouldn’t be long until he made his way back into the room with towels in his clawed hands. Stepping back to the bed he grabbed Braze and propped him up to sit at the edge of the bed before patting him down with the towel. Primarily working to dry off his head by rubbing and shaking the towel over their damp hair, making his snow white locks rather messy looking. “It’d be nice to be able to use pyrokinesis, I’d try to blow dry your hair with some hot air”. Ko lamented.

He was quite unceremonious and rather ungentle with how he was trying to tend to Braze’s cold dampness. “Erg, your clothes are still soaking wet, I can’t dry you off with them still on.” Letting go of the towels he grabbed Braze’s top to pull it off of them one layer at a time. Finding no issue with striping the boy. It’s not like they lost any modesty with him. They still looked the same to the blind Kel Dor. Discarding the damp clothes he went back to patting him down with the towels.​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

"Yes..." Braze mewled softly. He shivered, rubbing his hands together as he moved to curl up on the bed, drawing himself into a tight ball. By the time Ko returned, Braze was still trembling, his body shivering as he struggled to sit up. He sneezed, followed by a bout of coughing.

His clothing was wet, heavy, and had to be shorn away as it was peeled off him. He shivered violently, his skin feeling like ice.

​

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

Ko continued to bat down the shivering boy with the dry towels. Making sure to remove as much dampness as he could from Braze. Moisture was the enemy of trying to stay warm. “Here’s some survival advice Braze…” Ko began to talk, hoping to impart some wisdom. “If you ever find yourself wet and cold in the rain try to find some sort of shelter. Then shed your clothes off and start doing some sort of exercise. Get your body moving, burning calories and heating up your core temperature. Don’t stay still and bundle up, get yourself moving.” Ko felt like it was a little too late to get apply his advice now but maybe Braze will remember it in the future. “For now just, wiggle your fingers and toes to keep blood moving throughout your body I guess…”

After Ko got the boy all dried up he kept Braze on his bed under an avalanche of blankets. Ko even pulled out an old electric blanket to lay on top as well. The Jedi Knight had stepped away. Leaving the Padawan to shiver and sniffle alone for a brief moment. The only company being the howling winds, pour rain, thunder outside. Until Ko returned to the bedroom with a small tea set. Pouring the kettle’s contents into a cup he handed the steamy liquid to Braze. “Here, this should warm you up from the inside.” A two pronged attack against Braze’s core temperature and his icy pale skin. "Now do you wanna tell me what in possessed you to go out during a night like this?" ​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Shivering under the pile of blankets, a small, squeaky voice emerged. "I was just going for a walk when the storm picked up. I thought the one from earlier had passed," he offered, his words trembling with cold before a harsh coughing fit overtook him. He sneezed several times in quick succession, barely managing to catch his breath.


Reaching for the hot cup with both hands, he brought it close, savoring the warmth before taking a careful sip. "Why's it raining so much…?" he mumbled, his voice trailing off, heavy with exhaustion.

​

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

“A walk huh? Even if there wasn’t a storm right now that’s still a bit risky considering we're on the side of a mountain.” Ko said, standing over at the side of the bed, crossing his arms over his bare chest. He was still in his pajamas. “This is one of the more fertile and lush river valleys on Dorin. We get pretty high levels of rain and snow here.” Since there weren’t any slag summits around here, the mountain tops could collect plenty of glacial ice that can melt sustainably for the water table here and be able to build hydro-electic dams as well.

“Well when we go on our little field trip to the black mountains we’ll be taking plenty of gear to weather any storms we might face out there. Plenty of rain gear and ear protection.” Ko wondered if Braze was still planning on testing himself against the storms here. Or if this little cold he’s gotten already has put things into perspective now.​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze huffed, letting out an overly dramatic sigh as he shook his head vigorously, spraying water everywhere like a drenched dog. "Well, how was IIIIII supposed to know any of that?" he whined, dragging out the words with an exaggerated, petulant tone.

"I lost my mask somewhere outside—I couldn't even see it!" he continued, throwing his arms up in frustration. "I think I need a weighted belt or something. The winds are way too strong for my light frame…" His voice trailed into a full-on complaint, clearly bemoaning the fact that the storm had effectively turned him into a human kite.

​

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

Letting out a dejected sigh, Ko listened to the padwan’s answer. “Uh huh, well I hope you learned your lesson. Well if it makes you feel better if you’d flow off and perish somewhere in the valley your body would’ve likely been well persevered here. Even in death you’ll maintain your grace. Well… by human standards. If local Kel Dors found you they’d think you’d had been horrifically disfigured and mauled by some animal.” Ko teased, before stepping away from the bed.

He moved over to some of the bags he took with him here. Rummaging through them to pick out something. It was another mask. “I brought two spares, since I foresaw you two bozos losing at least one. While we’re here.” Ko said before stepping back to the side of the bed. Leaning down he fastened it to Braze’s face. “Might be part of why you’re feeling bad right now. Cold, exhausted and deprived. Not a winning strategy if you’re trying to fight off a cold."​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

"No… NO! That doesn't make me feel any better! That's awful and depressing!" Braze's voice rose, an indignant squeak that filled the room as he glared at the elder Kel Dor. His protest barely masked the underlying exhaustion in his eyes, a touch of vulnerability that lingered after the outburst. He stayed still as Ko leaned in to secure the spare mask onto his face, adjusting it with practiced precision.


"Thank you," Braze murmured, his words now subdued, trailing off as a small shiver escaped him. He sniffled, blinking against the persistent chill. The indignation had deflated, leaving behind something raw, fragile. "Can you… can you bring me dry clothes from one of my bags?" The request came in a quiet, almost pitiful tone, his voice cracked just slightly, each word weighed down with that unmistakable undertone of pure, miserable discomfort.

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

It wasn’t surprisingThat Braze was unamused by what he was suggesting if Braze had perished. “Yeah it would be pretty awful. I would hate to need to explain to Master Kai’el what had happened to his student.”

“Sure, hopefully then you can get back to your room once you’ve been warmed up.” Ko would still like to go back to sleep, and that was gonna be difficult with the padawan hijacking his bed. Stepping out again Ko went to the guest room that Braze’s stuff was in. Opening the door he walked in. Using the Force to locate the boy’s bags. The device to ensure Braze and Valor could rest without needing their masks were already set up and working.

His sensitive eye sockets, mouth and throat began to sting suddenly and quickly through Ko in a coughing fit. The air in the room had trace amounts of oxygen in it from the device by the bed. Feeling like someone had unleashed a can of pepper spray into the air. But it wasn’t deadly and had to be from some minor leak in the set up. The Kel Dor didn’t want to be there for long. Making his way to the bags Ko looked through it to find some dry clothes for Braze. Trying to find something that would keep them warm and comfortable, which was a bit hard with all of the rather revealing garments they brought with them. Eventually he picked out comfortable clothes before his face started to burn.

Soon enough Ko returned to his bedroom, coughing some still, with the clothes and plopped them onto Braze. The Kel Dor’s face looked noticeably more red as if he had had some allergic reaction and had been crying. "At least I can say the device in your room works..."​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze hurriedly grabbed his satin pajamas, the fabric slipping through his fingers as he moved to cover himself. His cheeks flushed, and his voice came out in an uncharacteristic squeak. "Thank you," he murmured.

He let out a soft sigh, a quiet exhale that seemed to release some of the tension in his frame. Adjusting the loose fabric, he finally met the other person's gaze. "Are you okay?" he asked gently

​

 

[Ko Vuto]

​

Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze

“Yeah…” Ko simply replied, his voice was far more raspy and hoarse than usual, even without the somewhat robotic tone that his antiox mask often gave him when amplifying the volume of his speech. He sounded like he'd been turned into a lifelong chain smoker in the span of a minute. “Just know that privacy for you and Valor shouldn’t be an issue while you’re here. Xojo and I are gonna be staying away from your rooms.” The Kel Dor added, wondering if he should probably drink some water to rehydrate his throat.

“Just, finish up your tea, it’s late and I wanna go back to bed.” Saying that outloud Ko wondered if he actually wanted to go to bed. Thinking back to how prior to Braze’s sudden invasion he was having a bad dream. “Oh and sorry for almost decking you in the face earlier.”​

​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"Keldor don't cuddle... do they?" Braze asked simply, finishing his cup of tea. He shivered and moved to get up, abandoning the warmth of the bed with a forlorn look as he secured the mask. "I'm sorry for scaring you," Braze squeaked.

​