Faction (DIA) Cold Hands, Bright Spirits

[Misfits Delight]

The cold announced itself before anything else.

It crept into boots and gloves, traced the seams of coats, and carried the clean, sharp scent of snow that had never known cities or crowds. Valskar stretched out beneath a pale sky—rolling white plains broken by jagged ice shelves and the distant rise of the Frostwall mountains, their peaks catching the light like shards of crystal.

This was not a battlefield. Not yet.

The staging camp sat low against the wind: sleds stacked near thermal tents, cargo crates half-buried in powder, laughter already echoing despite the bite in the air. Someone had taken the first sled down a nearby incline, carving a reckless line through fresh snow. A burst of cheers followed, then a second sled, faster, less controlled. Snow exploded upward in a glittering arc.

Snowballs soon followed.

It started harmlessly, one tossed wide, another retaliatory, but quickly devolved into chaos as groups formed and lines were drawn. Fortifications rose from packed snow. Someone dove behind a supply crate. Someone else absolutely deserved the hit they took to the shoulder.

Beyond the camp, Valskar waited.

Ice caverns yawned dark and inviting along the ridges, their interiors glowing faintly blue where light filtered through thick ice. Old paths once used by hunters and prospectors wound between stone and snow, leading toward half-forgotten outposts and frozen overlooks perfect for exploration…or trouble.

And beneath it all, subtle but unmistakable, the Force.

It did not press or pull. It did not demand attention. Instead, it rested cool, balanced, and quiet. A neutral nexus lay somewhere beneath the Frostwall, its presence like a steady breath beneath the world. Those sensitive to it might feel their thoughts sharpen, their emotions settle, or a strange sense of being gently observed by the planet itself.

Valskar did not care who you were.

But it offered space to test yourself. To race. To explore. To laugh. To listen.

The wind shifted, carrying snow across the camp in a soft, swirling veil.

The adventure had begun.

mooney Aknoby Xian Xiao Veyran Solis Jayna Ismet-Thio Jerrik Molten Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

Enigma of Snow​

Perched there on the lowest branch of a naked tree was a Rishii, with a facemask of white powder, eyes of amber surveyed the terrain while his tail dangled down like a waiting tree snake. His coat of warm, fluffy feathers swayed in the boreeal winds, as he observed like a cautious and silent predator. Only his head twitched, as he heard rodents scurrying about beneath the dazzling white blanket. He couldn't see them, but he knew where they were but he wasn't particularly interested. No, his mind was dedicated to unravelling this natural wonder before him.​

​

Snow they called it, but to him it was a puzzle. The concept was foreign to someone raised in the tropical jungles of Rishi, the very idea was more alien to him than the ships that travelled between the marbles in the sky. It was wet, cold, and fluffy. It melted in his feathers into silver beads of water, but the water he knew came in droplets. This had a physical form, he could see the others knead them into spheres and throw it against one another in some preculiar ceremony.​

​

Perhaps, this was what constituted for hunting practice but he wasn't sure how compacted snow would fare against the beasts he preyed upon. Not very well he imagined. Alternatively, others seemed to build fortifications and barricades. Maybe it was a case of teaching the importance of resourcefulness, or maybe he was just overthinking it and this was simply a game for fun.​

​

That concept wasn't so foreign, although the games he knew served pratical purposes, the game of air-tag taught them to fly. Others taught them to use their mimicry to deceive predators and attract prey. Ultimately, Viari was not yet certain what to make of this wonder, the only thing that was certain, was by the end of the day he'd have his answers.​

Div created by Makeb​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian felt the cold the moment she stepped fully into it.

Not the sharp, biting kind she'd known on durasteel decks or half-heated corridors, but something cleaner, deeper. The sort of cold that did not try to hurt you so much as remind you where you were. It slipped into her gloves, crept along her boots, and brushed her cheeks pink beneath the open sky. She drew in a breath and tasted snow, real snow, untouched by exhaust or city haze, and something in her shoulders eased without her quite realizing why.

Valskar stretched out before them in quiet invitation. White plains rolled outward like a held breath, broken by ice shelves and distant mountains that looked carved rather than grown. The Frostwall loomed far off, crystalline and ancient, catching light along its ridges in a way that felt deliberate, almost watchful.

She stood near the edge of the camp, Veyran beside her, and took it in.

The camp itself was alive already. Laughter carried over the wind. Someone went tearing down a slope on a sled, wildly unbalanced, and vanished in a spray of powder that earned cheers and shouted commentary. Another followed, faster, bolder. Snowballs began to fly not long after, first tentative, then gleefully excessive, thudding into shoulders and exploding midair. Someone had started building a wall. Someone else immediately ruined it.

Xian watched it all with open curiosity, dark eyes tracking motion and momentum the way they always did. Not a threat assessment this time. Just observation. Absorbing.

Beyond the noise and motion, she could feel the Force here, cool and steady beneath the surface of things. It did not tug at her attention or crowd her thoughts. It simply existed, like the planet itself, breathing slowly and evenly, content to let her decide how much she wanted to listen. The effect was subtle but undeniable. Her thoughts felt clearer. Her chest felt lighter.

She glanced sideways, just briefly, to make sure Veyran was still there, and then looked back out at the slopes.

"I've never been somewhere like this," she said quietly, more to the air than as an announcement. Her voice did not carry far in the wind. "It feels like the kind of place that lets you choose who you are for a little while."

Her gaze settled on a line of sleds stacked near the tents. Simple. Functional. Promising a very specific kind of trouble.

After a beat, the corner of her mouth lifted.

"…I want to try that."

Not a challenge. Not a demand. Just a decision, spoken with the calm certainty of someone who had spent most of her life moving forward and learning on the way down.

Xian stepped toward the sleds, boots crunching softly in the snow, the cold biting but welcome. Whatever waited beneath the Frostwall could wait a little longer. For now, there was speed, laughter, and gravity to negotiate.

And Veyran was with her.

That felt like enough to begin.

Veyran Solis

 

[Veyran Solis]

Xian Xiao​

He shifted closer again, arm lifting to rest around her shoulders, not tight, not possessive, just a steady embrace that offered warmth and presence in equal measure. The kind of hold that didn't ask her to be anything other than exactly what she was.

"If you want to try it," Veyran continued, "we try it."

A pause, his thumb making a small, absent stroke along the edge of her shoulder as if the motion came from instinct rather than thought.

"And if you end up laughing," he added with a softness that bordered on reverence, "I'm going to pretend I'm not affected by it."

He tilted his head, eyes bright with quiet devotion.

"Pick a sled," he said, voice gentle. "Pick a slope. I'll be right there."

The wind tugged at their cloaks. Somewhere in the camp, someone shouted triumphantly and got hit in the face with a snowball.

Veyran didn't look away from her.

"I love you," he said, like it belonged in the air as naturally as breath. "And I love that you're choosing this."

Then, with a fondness that warmed every word that followed, he nudged the sled forward with his boot and offered her his hand.

"Come on," he whispered, smiling. "Let's give gravity something to talk about."

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't answer right away.

She looked at his hand first, then up at him, and whatever tension had been lingering in her shoulders finally slipped free. Not all at once, not dramatically, but enough that her breath came easier. The wind tugged at her cloak, cold and playful, and for once it didn't feel like something she needed to brace against.

"I love you too," she said simply, the words steady and unguarded, like they had always been waiting for the right moment to be spoken out loud. There was no ceremony in it, no hesitation. Just truth.

She took his hand briefly, squeezing once in quiet acknowledgment, and then let go—not pulling away, just moving with purpose as she stepped toward the stack of sleds. Xian crouched and tugged one free, testing its weight and runners with the practical care of someone who liked to understand how things worked before trusting them. It was simple. Light. Fast enough to be interesting.

Her eyes lifted to the slopes beyond the camp, scanning them the way she always did—angles, incline, runout. One hill caught her attention immediately. Not the tallest, not the steepest, but long and smooth, with a gentle curve near the bottom that promised either a clean finish or a spectacular mistake.

Perfect.

"That one," she said, nodding toward it, a spark of anticipation lighting her expression. "If I'm going to do this, I want time to regret my choices."

She dragged the sled over, boots slipping slightly in the packed snow, and positioned it at the top of the slope. Instead of lying down like most of the others she'd watched, Xian dropped herself onto it, sitting upright, knees bent, boots planted lightly on either side like she was bracing for a speeder start rather than a sled run.

She glanced back over her shoulder at Veyran, eyes bright now, almost daring.

"Don't laugh," she warned, though the hint of a smile already betrayed her.

Then she pushed off.

The sled lurched forward, runners catching, speed building faster than she'd expected. Cold air rushed past her face, stealing her breath in a startled laugh she hadn't planned on making. For a few glorious seconds, it worked. She leaned into the descent, boots skimming the snow, balance holding just long enough to feel triumphant.

Then the curve hit.

The sled fishtailed, one runner catching slightly, and Xian had just enough time to think, Oh, before gravity made its opinion known. The sled spun sideways and tipped, dumping her unceremoniously into the powder in a soft, rolling tumble that ended with her flat on her back, snow clinging to her hair and cloak.

For a heartbeat, she lay there, stunned more by surprise than impact.

Then she laughed.

Not a quiet breath or restrained chuckle, but a bright, unguarded laugh that burst out of her as she pushed herself up on her elbows, cheeks flushed, snow dusting her lashes. She looked back up the hill toward him, still laughing, still very much intact.

"Okay," she called, grinning wide and unapologetic. "That was absolutely worth it."

She scrambled to her feet, brushing snow from her sleeves, eyes shining with the kind of joy that came from choosing something simple and letting it be messy.

"Your turn," she added, tilting her head, clearly expecting him to follow—but perfectly content if he didn't, because right now, she was already having fun.

Veyran Solis

 

[Jayna Ismet-Thio]

Objective: Fun in the snow
Location: Misfit Camp, Valskar
Outfit: Warm clothes
Tags: Viari Banu | Xian Xiao | Veyran Solis

This was not Jayna's first time in the snow. She had been all around the galaxy and experienced almost every climate imaginable. Though a nice temperate forest like Veradune was her clear preference, snowy planets were certainly more enjoyable than the arid heat of Iridonia. It was much easier to get comfortable adding layers of clothing than taking them off.

Despite it not being a foreign climate, Jayna wasn't sure exactly how she was planning to enjoy this outing. She had been a late addition to the trip and wasn't exactly sure who had come along. Keeping an open mind she ventured out into the white landscape in and around the camp to see who she could interact with.

Xian and Veyran appeared to be heading towards the sleds. Though Jayna was not in a place in life where she wanted to pursue anything romantic, she also was beyond the time when it was something that got a gag reflex. Unless it was her parents of course. Parents are old. They aren't supposed to do that sort of stuff anymore. Though she accepted the lovey dovey stuff, she was also wise enough not to make herself a third wheel.

Jayna watched Xian walk to the sleds, make a selection and start her run. Jayna would take a try at sledding before they left, but for now she would allow Veyran and Xian space. That meant she was going to have to find other people to talk to…Or throw snowballs at. She heard the yelps of pain and victory from the current snowball fight going on. Jayna was not the type to just jump into a game midstream. So she would wait for the next chance to throw snowballs.

Deciding to just take a walk around for the moment, Jayna put her gloved hands into her jacket pockets and just set out to enjoy the cold air and fun landscape. As she walked, she saw the snow speckled form of Viari. Jayna tilted her head to the side before approaching. "Hey Viari. Wasn't sure I'd see you around here. I'm glad though. Do your feathers keep you warm in the snow? I would have thought they would gather it and make it even colder."

 

[Dante Phantomhive]

The young duke sat inside the cottage watching the others have fun. Not only is he more than accustomed to maintaining a serious demeanour all these years, but it is not advisable for his fragile health to participate in a snowball fight.

He drinks a little of his hot chocolate and watches the snowball fight, but his eye momentarily turns towards the caves with curiosity.

 

[Aknoby]

Aknoby is feeling great in the cold weather; after all, even though he is half-Chiss, he is naturally suited to these climates.


Then the snowball fight begins. Aknoby wastes no time joining the team and helping to build snow walls and things like that. Laughing, he has fun and has no problem using his stealth training to give his team an advantage.

 

[Veyran Solis]

Xian Xiao​

Veyran's worry was instinctive.

The moment Xian's sled fishtailed and she tumbled, something old and sharp in him snapped awake, muscle memory from a life where a fall could mean a broken bone, a broken bone could mean you were left behind, and being left behind meant you didn't come home. His body shifted forward before his mind caught up, breath tightening, hand already half-raised as if he could reach her from the top of the hill by sheer will alone.

And then she laughed.

Gods.

It wasn't polite laughter. It wasn't restrained. It was bright and unguarded and hers, and it hit him right in the center of his chest like warmth breaking through ice. For a heartbeat he simply stood there, stunned by how quickly the fear dissolved into something that looked an awful lot like gratitude.

Her laugh undid him more than she could ever know.

He found himself smiling without permission, the kind of smile that felt unfamiliar on his face, like a muscle he'd forgotten he owned. He started down toward her, then stopped when she called up, grinning, 'Your turn,' like this was the most natural thing in the world: joy shared, offered, expected.

Veyran swallowed around a sudden tightness in his throat and turned back to the sleds.

There was something in him as he got one ready, something that hadn't existed in him before this. Humor, maybe. Joy. A reckless, boyish happiness he hadn't earned so much as stumbled into and decided not to let go. He checked the runners out of habit, tugged the rope, tested the balance with the seriousness of a man preparing for battle…and then shook his head at himself, because he could feel her eyes on him and the whole thing felt absurdly wonderful.

Too good to be true.

That thought tried to rise, tried to plant itself where it always had, like a warning, like a shield.

But Xian was down there in the snow, cheeks flushed, eyes bright, laughing like the galaxy hadn't spent years trying to teach her to stop.

And Veyran, Veyran was standing on a hill with a sled in his hands, about to do something fun on purpose, and somehow that felt like the most honest thing he'd done in a long time.

He glanced down at her and his expression softened into something openly tender.

"Don't laugh," he called, voice carrying, but the warmth in it betrayed him completely.

Then he settled onto the sled, lower than she had, because he'd seen what arrogance earned. He braced, breathed in air so cold it burned, and for just a moment, right before he pushed off, his breath hitched.

Not from fear of falling.

From the strange, aching awareness that he didn't expect this kind of life for himself. That it felt like someone might snatch it away if he held it too tightly. That happiness had always seemed like something other people carried, something he guarded, not something he got to have.

He pushed off anyway. The sled caught and surged forward, faster than he expected, and the rush of speed ripped a laugh out of him before he could stop it. Wind slapped his hood, snow blurred white and silver, and something in him, something tight and careful, let go.

He went faster than normal. He leaned, corrected, felt briefly triumphant, and then he lost it.

The curve stole the back end of the sled, the runners bit, and he shot sideways into a bank of snow with a thump that knocked the air from his lungs and replaced it with pure exhilaration. Powder exploded around him. For a second he lay there half-buried, stunned and laughing, heart hammering like he'd just survived something heroic.

It was a rush, it was fun.

He shoved an elbow into the snow to push himself up, and promptly sank right back down with a dramatic, defeated exhale. The cold packed around him like a soft coffin.

And then a thought sparked, mischief, of all things. The kind of impulse he would've judged in someone else as irresponsible.

A rouse.

Veyran went still, he let his head fall back into the snow as if it weighed a thousand credits. He arranged one arm just so, let the other flop.

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian was still half on her back in the snow when she saw him go down.

For one sharp, breathless second, her laughter cut off entirely.

She pushed herself up on her elbows, heart leaping into her throat as she tracked the skid of the sled, the violent spray of powder, the solid, unmistakable thump of impact. Fear flared fast and instinctively, mirroring the way he had reacted to her fall earlier, only hers came tangled with the sudden realization that she cared far more than she had ever meant to admit out loud.

Then he laughed. Not a careful sound. Not restrained. A real laugh, ripped out of him by speed and snow and surprise. Relief hit her so hard it made her dizzy.

"Oh, thank the stars," she muttered, and then she was laughing again, too, breath fogging the air as she scrambled upright and half-jogged, half-slid her way down toward him. She nearly wiped out again and didn't even care.

She skidded to a stop near the snowbank where he had vanished, boots sinking deep as she crouched beside him, brushing snow off his shoulder and chest with clumsy, mittened hands.

"You're terrible at this," she informed him solemnly, eyes bright and cheeks flushed pink from cold and adrenaline. "Which makes me feel much better, actually."

Only then did she register how still he'd gone.

The way his chest didn't quite rise. The arm flopped just a little too deliberately. The stillness that felt… staged.

Her brow furrowed as she leaned closer, studying his face. Suspicion crept in, sharp and quick, and her eyes narrowed before her mouth caught up.

"Oh no you don't," Xian said flatly, unimpressed. She poked his shoulder once. Then again, firmer. "You laughed. I heard you laugh. Dead people don't laugh."

She brushed snow from his collar more slowly now, the concern melting into something playful and very aware. Her gloved fingers tapped his arm once more.

"…You're pretending."

A beat passed.

Her lips pressed together, then curved despite herself. She shook her head, a small laugh slipping free as she shifted back to sit on her heels, snow crunching beneath her.

"You scared me," she admitted quietly, not accusing, just honest. After a pause, she added, "That was rude."

She nudged his boot with hers, gentle but pointed.

"If you're actually dead," she went on, voice warming again, "I'm taking your sled. And your hot chocolate later. It's the law."

Around them, the world kept moving. Snowballs flew. Someone shouted in triumph. She caught flashes at the edge of her vision: Aknoby darting between snow walls with reckless confidence, Jayna lingering near the edges of the chaos, Viari perched, observing with quiet curiosity.

Xian didn't really look at any of them.

Her attention stayed right where she knelt in the snow beside him, one gloved hand resting against his arm, grounding herself as much as checking on him.

"…You can come back now," she said softly. "I already checked. The snow didn't win."

For now, the galaxy could wait.

Veyran Solis

 

[Viari Banu]

Enigma of Feathers​

"Hey Viari..."​

​

Hearing his name, the small Rishii ruffled his feathers and snapped to attention locking eyes with friend-Jayna beneath him. Mind overruled instinct and he quickly relaxed, allowing new emotions to blossom.​

​

In his excitement, the Rishii hastily leapt from their perch and down onto the carpet of snow. His talons sunk into the powder, until it was up to his waist. Above, from his perch, a small avalanche caught him covering much of what remained and leaving only his golden beak and long, sweeping tail exposed.​

​

Shaking his head he dismissed most of it, although a white mask remained. Despite this, he seemed completely unphased, and quite happily addressed Jayna, "Hello Friend! How friend-Jayna been?" He asked, with the same enthusiasm as a dog reunited with it's family. His feathers clung to him like an multilayered barrier, isolated pearls of snow turning into silver beads and rolling down his plumage.​

​

"Viari is fluffy." He chirped, as though that was a sufficient enough answer. Wings outstretched, he stepped forward, struggling to heave his talons through the snow offering to wrap them around her waist, "Friend-Jayna cold?"​

​

Jayna Ismet-Thio Aknoby Dante Phantomhive ​

Div created by Makeb​

 

[Jayna Ismet-Thio]

Objective: Fun in the snow
Location: Misfit Camp, Valskar
Outfit: Warm clothes
Tags: Viari Banu | Xian Xiao | Veyran Solis

Viari's descent was not exactly graceful. But unaccustomed surroundings could do that to the best of folks. Besides, Jayna wasn't one to judge. She had slipped on ice twice in the campground and she probably looked quite odd tramping through the snow. Just like Viari, this was not something that Jayna was used to. Viari's words showed no sense of shame, so Jayna wouldn't give him any reason to feel it either.

"I have been quite good Viari. Traveling here and there with my parents. Doing some training…" Jayna thought for a second and then smiled. "Oh! Big news. I found out that I'm gonna be a big sister. Not completely sure how excited I am yet. But it is certainly exciting. My parents are great though. So I doubt they will let a new arrive change too much for me. Except that I have a new life to cherish and help protect."

The fluffy response to being cold was confusing, but somehow managed to bring a smile to Jayna's face. She wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but she guessed that Viari's outer layer of feathers etc. kept him from getting too cold. The offer to keep Jayna warm made her regret being prepared just a little. Perhaps if she did not have a good coat on, she would have been able to feel what "fluffy" meant. "My mom made sure I have enough layers to keep me warm. And she made me promise to wear them. So I'm actually kinda sweaty inside this jacket," Jayna answered the last bringing a bit of a giggle. "Did you find anything fun while you were up there checking things out? I was going to join the snowball fight, but there is a lot to explore too I heard."

 

[Veyran Solis]

Veyran held the act for exactly one more breath.

Her flat, unimpressed tone should have been his warning, but it was the way her hand stayed on his arm steady, present that finished him. The concern in her voice had softened into something playful, but it was still real, still tethered to that brief second where she'd thought something might have happened to him.

He could not keep pretending in the face of that.

A laugh slipped out of him, quiet and warm, and his eyes opened properly, meeting hers with a look that was equal parts sheepish and hopelessly fond.

"Fine," he murmured, surrendering the charade as if it were a white flag. "I'm alive."

He pushed himself upright through the drift, snow sliding off his shoulders in loose sheets. Before he could say anything clever before he could spoil the moment with humor he reached for her with a gentleness that felt like instinct and gratitude combined.

Veyran leaned in and kissed her.

It was soft at first, a simple press of lips against hers, warm against the cold air and the lingering bite of snow. Then it deepened just a fraction, not hungry, not urgent just affectionate, honest, the kind of kiss that said I'm here, I'm real, I'm yours without needing any other language.

When he pulled back, his forehead hovered close to hers for a beat, breath fogging between them, his smile quiet and unguarded.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and the apology carried genuine tenderness. "I thought it would be funny. I didn't think about how fast you'd come running."

His hand slid to her cheek, thumb brushing away a stray fleck of snow near her lashes with reverent care.

"I love you," he added, simple and certain, like it belonged there as naturally as the wind.

Then he rose to his feet, boots sinking slightly in the powder. He offered her his hand immediately steady, patient and when she took it, he pulled her up with an ease that made the movement feel less like assistance and more like a shared rhythm.

Once she was standing, he didn't let go right away. He kept her hand in his, thumb stroking over her glove in a small, absent gesture that betrayed how much he liked having her close.

His eyes flicked toward the camp snowballs, shouting, the distant chaos continuing without them and then returned to her with that soft warmth that seemed to live behind his ribs now.

"And," Veyran said, trying for stern and landing somewhere near pleading, "please don't take my hot chocolate."

A beat, and the corners of his mouth lifted, amusement brightening the affection.

"That's some good stuff," he finished, leaning in just enough to bump his nose lightly against hers, as if sealing the request with a fond little dare.

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian froze for half a second when he laughed.

Just long enough for relief to fully register, for the last echo of fear to drain out of her chest and leave her a little shaky in its wake. When his eyes opened and met hers like that, sheepish and warm and so unmistakably alive, she let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding.

"Idiot," she said quietly, but there was no bite in it. Only fondness, and a very real aftertaste of worry that had nowhere to go now.

Then he kissed her.

She made a small sound of surprise at first, more breath than voice, before melting into it without thinking. Her gloved hand tightened in his sleeve, anchoring herself as much as holding onto him. The cold, the snow, the camp's noise all faded into the distance and unimportance as she leaned into the kiss, returning it with a softness that matched his. It was not rushed. It was not desperate. It was just there. Solid. Real.

When he pulled back, close enough that she could feel his breath fog between them, she smiled. Not wide. Not teasing. Just open.

"Don't ever do that again," she said, still quiet, forehead brushing his as she spoke. "I mean it. I thought you were hurt, and I—" She stopped herself, shook her head once, then exhaled and softened. "Just… don't."

Her hand lifted to his cheek, brushing her thumb over where the snow had melted against his skin, lingering there like she needed to reassure herself that he was warm and solid under her touch.

"I love you too," Xian said, simple and steady, the words settling between them like something already known rather than newly spoken.

She let him pull her to her feet, trusting the motion without hesitation, and when she was standing, she did not let go of his hand either. Her thumb traced back over his glove in the same small, unconscious way, mirroring him.

At his plea about the hot chocolate, she huffed a quiet laugh and tipped her head slightly, eyes bright again.

"You're lucky," she told him. "I was absolutely going to steal it."

She leaned in just enough to brush her nose against his, playful now but still close.

"But," she added, squeezing his hand once, "you scared me. So I get at least one sip."

Then she stayed there with him for another moment longer than necessary, snow swirling around them, the chaos of everyone else carrying on, because right now she wanted him close and the world could wait.

Veyran Solis Jayna Ismet-Thio Viari Banu Aknoby Dante Phantomhive