Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Private Don’t Feed the Holographic Rancor

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

Jack was looking at more of it, Zeltros was always the same but he had slightly changed. The reinvigoration from visiting Alexi had done wonders for getting out of a funk he hadn't known he was in. More so it had given him the chance to bust out a few thing she didn't often when the long coat was there. The moon was temperature controlled but better for this and he had promised something she hadn't seen before... He didn't know if she would like it or enjoy it but he would endeavor to give the best of times and avoid the worst of times. He allowed a little styling for his hair... better styling as it were and after telling his pilot he had only gotten an odd look here and there. He was near the platform overloking it with a small nod of appreciation as the sounds of the people and the smell of food came to them.

The transparisteel tube shuttles slide to a silent halt at Hologram Fun World's main concourse, depositing visitors into a rotunda of softly curving white permacrete. Overhead, the moon of Zeltros hangs like a pink pearl against the velvet void, but inside, the air is cool and still, recycled through whisper-quiet vents. No blaring music or shouting barkers here only the gentle hiss of atmospheric seals and the muted shuffle of boots on polished floors. The entrance hall stretches into a wide, low-ceilinged gallery, where holographic kiosks flicker with serene blue light, each advertising a different immersive realm. Twi'leks in shimmering resort wear consult datapads while a stooped Ithorian murmurs to his children about the "Crystal Caves of Christophsis" exhibit. A pair of Toydarians hover lazily past a fountain that spits no water, only translucent, shimmering shapes of leaping fish that dissolve before they touch the ground.

Beyond the rotunda, the first attractions unfold like chapters in a dream-logic book. The "Jedi Temple Challenge" looms to the left a maze of mirrored walls and floating training remotes that project ancient Coruscant architecture around each corner. Visitors step through its archway into sudden silence, their footsteps swallowed by the illusion of polished stone floors. Adjacent, the "Podracer Velocity Simulator" takes the form of a semicircular bank of repulsor-cushioned seats, where patrons lean into invisible G-forces while the only sounds are the low thrum of engines and the occasional gasp of delight. Deeper in, the "Sarlacc Pit Plunge" offers a vertical drop through slow-motion holographic sand, its descent so carefully paced that one can count the shimmering teeth on the way down. Each attraction respects its own space, separated by soft, light-absorbing panels, ensuring that no stray laser blast or roar bleeds into the next experience.

The crowd itself is a quiet menagerie, each group moving at its own unhurried pace. A Mon Calamari family drifts past, their large eyes reflecting the pale blue signage as the youngest points at a "Droid Factory Build-A-Bot" station where customers assemble holographic components with thoughtful, almost meditative focus. Nearby, a lone Zabrak in dusty spacer leathers leans against a pillar, watching an advertisement for the "Cloud City Walkways" attraction his expression unreadable, perhaps nostalgic rather than eager. A gaggle of juvenile Rodians scampers between their parents' legs, chirping in rapid-fire Huttese about which ride to queue for next, while an elderly pair of human retirees consult a paper map (a deliberate retro touch) and debate the historical accuracy of the "Battle of Endor" log flume. Even the service droids glide by with unobtrusive beeps, their photoreceptors dimmed to avoid startling children.

At the far end of the central promenade, the "Underwater Gungan City" exhibit stretches across a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling holotank, filling the corridor with a gentle, wavering aquamarine light. Bubble-shaped platforms float within, and visitors can step onto pressure-sensitive discs that make the illusory water ripple outward from their feet. A young Pantoran woman presses her palm against the glasslike surface, watching a holographic colo claw fish swim lazily past her fingers. No splashes, no noise just the soft, rhythmic pulse of artificial bioluminescence. Across the way, the "Mustafar Forge Walk" offers a narrow bridge over a simulated lava river, its heat lamps barely warm, its red glow casting sharp shadows across determined faces. Between these extremes, a refreshment stand sells chilled glasses of blue milk and cubes of compressed fruit, though even the vendors speak in hushed tones, as if the entire fun world were a library of impossible places rather than a carnival. The chance for Alexi to come and find something that might be interesting was highish he hoped but he was prepared to listen and talk with her as well.
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
The shuttle doors parted with a soft hydraulic sigh, and Alexi stepped out into the cool stillness of the concourse without hurry. Her gaze lifted almost immediately; not toward the attractions themselves at first, but toward the structure of the place around them. The symmetry. The pacing. The deliberate restraint in it's design.

It was not what she had expected. That realization did not show openly on her face, but it altered something subtle in her expression as she moved forward from the shuttle platform. Her attention drifted across the rotunda slowly, absorbing the muted lights, the careful spacing between exhibits, the almost meditative cadence of the crowds moving through them. For a world so often associated with indulgence, there was remarkable discipline here.

The observation lingered with her as her eyes finally settled on Jack. And there - just briefly - that near-smile returned. “You were intentionally misleading,” Alexi said as she approached, her tone calm, though touched by quiet amusement. “I was expecting sensory warfare.” Her gaze shifted toward the softly glowing corridor leading deeper into the park. “Not… this.” There was no criticism in the words. If anything, it was the complete opposite.

She slowed beside him, her attention briefly catching on the immense holotank farther down the promenade where waves of aquamarine light moved across the polished floor. The reflections danced faintly against the pale fabric of her sleeves before fading again. “It feels curated,” Alexi said after a moment, more thoughtful now. “Not chaotic. Every section separated enough to preserve the illusion of it's own world.” A slight tilt of her head followed as she watched a family disappear into the Jedi Temple attraction. “That requires more precision than most people would notice.” Only then did she look fully back toward him again. “I think,” she added softly, the faintest trace of warmth threading through her voice, “you were hoping I’d realize that.” Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer before drifting upward slightly, taking in the styling of his hair, the coat, the unmistakable effort that had gone into the evening despite how carefully he was trying to make it appear natural. The near-smile deepened just enough to become visible. “And for what it’s worth,” Alexi continued lightly, “you clean up rather well for someone attempting to lure me into a holographic death trap.” A small pause followed as her attention flicked briefly toward the Sarlacc attraction. “Though I reserve the right to reconsider depending on where you take me first.” Then, quieter now, but genuine, she added: “Thank you for arranging this, Jack.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He looked at her arrive and gave a chance for it. Breathless might be too much but she did look beautiful when she arrived and she was taking all of it in. Herr appreciation and surprise even if minor was an impressive thing. "There is a time for sensory overload but they know the balance of it. Here it is about attracting the most people outside the casino's. It makes the planets economy quite strong and their exports of holgram technologies and hardlight technologies are some of the best in the galaxies." He said it but bowed to her statement about it. He wasn't sure what to show her but smiled. "Well then we'll go with something easier. What is a place that you wish that you would be able to go to but have never had the chance?"
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi’s attention lingered briefly on the shifting lights of the promenade as he spoke about the technologies behind it all. There was something fitting in the way Zeltros had transformed indulgence into infrastructure; spectacle refined into precision. She could understand the appeal of that far more easily than she might have expected.

But his question caused a quieter pause. Her gaze shifted back toward him, thoughtful now in a more inward way than before. Not guarded exactly….just searching for an answer she had never given much reason to articulate. “A place?” Alexi repeated softly. A small silence followed as she considered it properly. “I don’t think I’ve ever measured travel by desire,” she admitted at last. “Usually only by necessity.” The words carried no regret. Only honesty. Her attention drifted briefly toward the immense holotank again, watching the pale blue currents move in slow, artificial rhythm. “Most of the worlds I’ve visited were chosen because there was something expected of me there.”

Then, just slightly, something shifted in her expression. Subtle, but real. “When I was younger,” Alexi said more quietly, “I used to study old surveys of Naboo.” Her gaze remained on the shimmering waterlight for another moment before returning to him. “Not the cities. The lake regions. The terraces. The way everything was designed to exist alongside the landscape instead of over it.” A faint breath followed, almost thoughtful enough to become distant. “It seemed....peaceful. And intentionally so.” The near-smile returned, gentler this time. More self-aware. “I realize that’s probably not the answer you were expecting in a place with holographic Sarlaccs and podracing simulators.” A slight tilt of her head accompanied the remark. “But I suspect you asked because you wanted a real answer.”

Her gaze met his again then, steady and softer at the edges. “And you?” Alexi asked. “What’s the place you still haven’t managed to reach yet?”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He was waiting and thinking of something clever about how she had an expectations here namely enjoyment and fun.. then she spoke and the Naboo Lake Country. A surprise but he was for it as he spoke. "The Lake Country." Hmm he moved a hand over as a hologram appeared with a map and directory. Sliding through it and all the information so that he would be able to check it but he spoke. "I have always wanted to see the oceans of Lehon, many have said the contrast between the waters, islands and crashed ships makes a time capsule of history.... but there has always been a reason to stay away fro the world." He said it but had the directory showing where they had holograms of Naboo and he spoke. "THey have being able to explore Gungan cities and the lake counrty as well as the swamps."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi’s gaze followed the holographic directory as it unfolded between them, pale light reflecting softly across her expression. She listened as he spoke of Lehon, of wreckage suspended in beautiful waters like history refusing to fully disappear beneath the surface. There was something unexpectedly fitting about the choice, and she seemed to recognize that too.

“A time capsule,” Alexi repeated quietly. “That sounds less like a destination…and more like a conversation with something unfinished.” Her attention returned to him then, steadier now. “I can understand why that would appeal to you.” The faintest trace of that near-smile lingered as her gaze shifted toward the Naboo listings on the display. Lake Country. Gungan cities. Quiet water rendered in shimmering light. For a moment, she simply looked at it. Then, softer now, with a touch less distance than before, she added: “You actually found it.” There was something almost quietly amused in the observation, as though she hadn’t entirely expected him to take the answer so seriously so quickly. Her attention drifted toward the holotank nearby, where pale aquatic light rippled gently across the promenade floor before returning to him again.

“I think,” Alexi said after a moment, “there’s something strangely appropriate about seeing a place designed around peace….inside a world built around spectacle.” A slight tilt of her head followed as she regarded the Naboo attraction more fully now. “And if your goal was to choose somewhere I’d actually want to explore…” that near-smile returned, subtle but unmistakably present this time, “…then you may have already succeeded.”

Her gaze settled on the listing for the lake regions once more before finally returning to him. “Show me your version of Naboo, Jack.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He gave a nod of his head to that and presented it. Making the movement as he took what she said as almost a challenge but something fun when he moved it and spoke. "Well stand right here." He said it and lightly moved to adjust while setting it up. "And hopefully it can be something." The gondola drifts soundlessly from the embarkation platform, and the simulated air cools by a single, precise degree. Before you, the holographic vista of the Naboo lake country unfurls in layered bands of green and silver. Rolling hills, their curves soft as resting breath, are cloaked in a velvet-like projection of swaying grass that never quite rustles.

Between these gentle landforms, the surface of a great lake lies perfectly still, a mirror of burnished quicksilver that reflects the twin pastel moons of a dusk that never deepens into night. The gondola's shadow, a crisp cutout of geometry, glides across this water without a single ripple of displacement. You notice the cypress trees standing in silent groves along the shoreline, their root-knees breaking the mirrored surface like the knuckles of a submerged giant. As the holographic vehicle rounds a headland of sculpted topiary, a new feature resolves itself: a series of narrow waterfalls that spill down a stepped escarpment of pale sandstone.

The water, rendered as a constant, repeating simulation, does not roar or mist; it falls in unbroken, shimmering sheets of light, each cascade folding into the next with the silent precision of a silk scarf being drawn through a ring. The lake water below receives this flow with the same placid indifference, absorbing the silver torrent without a single splash or eddy. Beyond the falls, the hills roll on, their contours now steeper, terraced with the faint, geometric lines of holographic vineyards. Each row of simulated vines is a perfect, repeating texture, casting a slight, unchanging shadow. The gondola seems to pause, hovering over a deep cleft where the water turns from silver to a deep, unreal sapphire.

Further along, the landscape opens into a wide basin where multiple smaller lakes are linked by narrow, winding channels. From this height, the water resembles cracked and polished slate, its surface broken only by the stark, leafless branches of more cypress trees, their reflections forming perfect, inverted duplicates. The rolling hills here are at their most serene, their slopes so gently graded they seem more like the swells of a frozen sea than solid ground. Each blade of holographic grass is distinct in its own dim way, yet none stir. The only sense of motion comes from the gondola's own stately progress, a silent bubble of observation floating over a countryside that is both breathtaking and deeply, profoundly inert.

Jack was looking at it and Naboo was ideal and he was having it so that they could move. "My ideal Naboo is an area below Theed, Queen Feena once had a garden there she invited everyone to. She grew jewel fruits she had received as a gift. They were beautiful and she taught a lot before the CIS attacked her to take the planet."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi stood quietly beside him as the gondola carried them through the illusion of Naboo. Her attention moved slowly across the projected landscape; the impossible stillness of the water, the repeating perfection of the vineyards, the waterfalls that fell without sound or consequence. Beautiful. And unmistakably artificial. She noticed all of it. Not with criticism, but with the same careful awareness she seemed to bring to everything else.

“The restraint is impressive,” Alexi said softly after a long moment, her gaze remaining on the silvered lakes below. “Most recreations try too hard to convince you they’re real.” A slight pause followed as the silent waterfalls folded endlessly into themselves. “This one doesn’t.” There was something thoughtful in her tone now. “It understands it’s an interpretation.” The faintest trace of her near-smile returned as she finally glanced toward him. “Which, strangely enough, makes it feel more honest.”

Her attention drifted back outward as he spoke of Queen Feena and the gardens below Theed. This time, something quieter settled into her expression. Not distance. Reflection. “A garden open to everyone,” Alexi repeated softly. “That feels very Naboo.” Another small silence passed as the gondola floated over the unmoving sapphire waters. “Beautiful things always seem to become targets eventually,” she added, not bitterly, but with the calm certainty of someone who had seen the pattern too many times to romanticize it.

Then, just slightly, she turned her head toward him again. “But I think,” Alexi said more quietly now, “there’s something worth preserving in the attempt anyway.” Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer before shifting back toward the holographic horizon. “Even if it only survives in memory. Or in imperfect recreations like this one.”

For a moment after that, she simply allowed herself to exist within the illusion beside him; not trying to dissect it further, not searching for flaws beneath the projection. Just watching the artificial twilight settle endlessly over a world neither of them had truly reached.

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He gave her a nod as she was at least looking like she enjoyed it. The projection was not overly sensory in it but that helped with some of the experience. "I think so as well." He said it while he was on the gondola was moving for now. THe look while he turned around at her was one of enjoyment. At least for a moment here now she looked to be enjoying. "And at least I hope I have managed to not make everything bad or terrible for your time offworld and we'll be able to enjoy more. They have great food here." The smile was on his face and reaching his eyes while he finished. "Paark food is something to indulge in from time to time."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi’s gaze remained on the artificial horizon a moment longer before drifting back toward him. The soft silver light of the projection caught faintly against her expression, smoothing some of it's usual sharpness into something quieter. “You keep assuming that I’m enduring this,” she said softly, and there was the clearest hint of amusement in her voice now. “Which suggests you’re more concerned with my opinion than you intended to be.” The near-smile returned as she glanced briefly toward the endless still water below them. “But no,” Alexi continued, calmer now, easier somehow within the slow rhythm of the gondola, “this hasn’t been terrible.” A slight pause followed. “In fact, I think I understand the appeal better than I expected to.”

Her attention drifted toward the holographic vineyards again, each perfect row frozen in permanent twilight. “It’s strange,” she said after a moment, more thoughtful now. “Everything here is constructed. Carefully managed. And artificial.” Her gaze lowered briefly to the motionless reflection beneath them. “And yet people willingly step into it because, for a little while, they want to believe in something gentler than reality.” A faint breath followed. “Politics does something similar. Most of it is presentation. Controlled narratives. Simulated certainty.” Her eyes lifted back toward him then, steady but quieter than before. “The difference is that places like this are honest about being illusions.”

A small silence settled between them before she let some of the weight ease again. “But,” Alexi added lightly, the near-smile returning once more, “I suspect your argument about park food is significantly less philosophical.” Her head tilted slightly toward him. “Though now I’m curious what exactly qualifies as a delicacy here.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He gave her a grin as she spoke with a moment. "It would be selfish to invite you here and to not wonder how you feel about it and there is quite a few here. Delicacies on zeltros are rich in flavor and calories, the zeltrons can burn through them normally so their fair food are indulgences for taste and surprises." He said it as they continued on. "But to be sure there isn't any food you are allergic to?" He asked it while letting the gondola come to another dock on the far side and give them a chance to exit. He was moving while offering a hand. "Fair food is very much a subject of debate in some cases... Mostly how one can eat it but there is something good about it as it is a rarity."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi stepped from the gondola with the same composed ease she carried into most unfamiliar places, though this time her hand settled naturally into the one he offered rather than merely accepting it out of politeness. The artificial twilight of Naboo faded gradually behind them as the quieter hum of the promenade returned. “Allergic? No,” she answered after a moment, the faintest trace of amusement still lingering in her voice. “Though I suspect that may not entirely eliminate the danger.”

Her gaze drifted toward the nearby food stalls, studying them with the same quiet attentiveness she gave almost everything else. Rich scents lingered in the air; sweet spices, fried doughs, roasted meats, things unfamiliar enough that she couldn’t immediately identify where one ended and another began. “That explains a great deal about Zeltrons,” Alexi said lightly. “Any species capable of treating excessive calories as recreational probably develops a very different relationship with food than the rest of the galaxy.” The near-smile returned as she glanced back toward him. “And I appreciate that you asked,” she added more quietly. “Most people tend to discover those things after the damage is already done.” There was dry humor in it that was subtle, but real.

As they continued walking, her attention shifted briefly toward a stand where brilliantly colored pastries rotated slowly behind transparisteel, almost too elaborate to look edible. “I imagine some of this is imported,” Alexi mused thoughtfully, “but a place like this probably manufactures just as much as it recreates. Replicating flavors, textures, experiences.” A slight tilt of her head followed. “Curated indulgence.”

Then her eyes returned to him, steadier now, carrying that same calm curiosity that had remained with her most of the evening. “So,” Alexi said, just lightly enough to place the responsibility back in his hands, “what exactly is the delicacy you intend to convince me is worth all this philosophical build-up?”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He gave a nod of his head to that. "Food and alcohol, they have two livers which makes processing it incredibly easy and so their best and more planetary dishes uses a high concentration even when cooked to burn it off." He waited a little though and was guiding her towards the stalls as the first was showing drinks, shaved ices with different flavors in obscenely large cups. "Decorative cups, to remember the experience with different fruit flavors pressed and absorbed by the ice. Good for drinking or eating with a spoon." He was moving a little more as there were atrisian rice bowls with meats, sticky buns filled with meat and noodles. Another stall as he was walking and grinned. "You won't be able to see it proper, it is a sponge cake filled with cream filling, tightly wrapped with strips of bacon and meat and then breaded in super and bread so that it can be fried and sealed in."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi followed beside him at an unhurried pace, her attention moving from stall to stall with growing fascination hidden beneath her usual composure. The entire promenade felt engineered around excess; not careless excess, but deliberate indulgence refined into spectacle.

The oversized frozen drinks earned the faintest lift of her brow. “Decorative cups,” she repeated softly, watching someone carry one nearly the size of a small astromech dome past them. “So the experience remains profitable long after the actual flavor is forgotten.” There was dry amusement threaded through the observation now. “Efficient.”

Her gaze shifted toward the steaming Atrisian bowls next, lingering briefly on the careful layering of noodles and glazed meats before Jack continued explaining the final dish. Alexi slowed. Then stopped entirely. For perhaps the first time since arriving, her expression lost some of its carefully maintained neutrality in favor of genuine disbelief.

“A sponge cake,” she repeated slowly. “Filled with cream. Wrapped in bacon and meat.” A pause. “Then breaded.” Another pause followed as she turned her head toward him fully now, somewhere between horrified and deeply intrigued. “And then fried.” The near-smile appeared again, though this time it threatened something dangerously close to actual laughter. “That sounds less like cuisine,” Alexi informed him calmly, “and more like an assassination attempt on the human digestive system.”

Yet despite the words, her gaze drifted back toward the stall anyway. Curious. “I assume,” she added more thoughtfully, “that the point is the contrast. Sweetness against salt. Texture against richness.” Her head tilted slightly as she studied the stand like a strategic problem she was trying to solve. “An intentionally excessive combination designed to surprise the palate strongly enough that people remember it afterward.”

Then her eyes slid back toward him again, quieter now, but unmistakably entertained. “You were absolutely waiting to see my reaction to that description, weren’t you?”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

"Yes but also to convince you to try it." He had a wider grin when he was moving a little to still walk. "The contrast is key to it but it is also the atmosphere. This is a place you come maybe once, twice in a lifetime. SOme come more yes but most won't come here nearly as often so they go for memorable experiences. The holograms are there and you can see so much but the food, the commemorative clothing and items. Cups, necklaces and even costumes or shoes. There is a booth sells hardlight clothing programmed by year for the gala's. It is expensive yes but it is also something people like to be able to have. To say that they were here. Or the holoimages that you can get in various locations. Dressed in novelty hologram outfits. It is like a year long fair and party but less alcohol poisoning and streaking."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi listened to him with growing suspicion written almost entirely in the subtle narrowing of her gaze rather than any overt reaction. The wider his grin became, the more certain she seemed that she was being very deliberately maneuvered toward a catastrophic culinary decision.

“A year-long fair designed around emotionally significant overconsumption,” she summarized calmly as they continued past the glowing stalls. “You make it sound almost anthropological.” Her eyes drifted briefly toward a group posing for holographic souvenir images in elaborate Naboo royal attire before returning to him. “Though I admit there’s something strangely honest about it.” A faint pause followed. “People rarely want objects. They want proof they existed somewhere meaningful for a little while.”

The near-smile returned as she glanced toward the stand containing the fried monstrosity he had described earlier. “I also notice,” Alexi added lightly, “that you’re still attempting to distract me from the fact that your featured delicacy sounds medically inadvisable.” Yet despite the words, she slowed near the stall again; studying the display with the same dangerous curiosity she gave most things that challenged her expectations. Then, quieter now, with unmistakable amusement threading beneath the composure: “You know,” Alexi said, “the truly concerning part is that I’m no longer entirely certain I wouldn’t try it.”

Her gaze lifted back to him, steady and warmer now than it had been at the beginning of the evening. “I blame the atmosphere,” she informed him with calm seriousness. “And possibly your propaganda.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

He looked at her and made a quick point with a finger. "THat is the power of it. It is a moment, something that might never be had again and it isn't predatory like it is the fear of missing out on it. The zeltrons don't force it, aside from admission there is little you have to do here if you don't want to and many also bring their own food. It is the novelty and the chance to indulge in something you know you shouldn't. The other benefit of that is this is within your control compared to other things, there are others who would indulge in worse impulses then to eat something that they know is bad for them but at the same time is clearly packed with flavor."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi’s expression softened into something quieter as she listened to him explain it, her attention resting more fully on him than the stalls around them for a moment. There was conviction in the way he spoke about it; not salesmanship, not really. More like someone trying to articulate why harmless joy mattered. “That’s an unusually measured defense of reckless behavior,” she observed lightly, though there was no real criticism behind it now.

Her gaze drifted back toward the glowing food stands, toward families carrying oversized drinks and visitors laughing over things that would almost certainly regret existing several hours later. “But I understand your point,” Alexi admitted after a moment. “There’s a difference between indulgence chosen consciously…and indulgence used to escape yourself.” A faint pause followed as she considered the impossible fried dessert again. “One is experience. The other is avoidance.” The near-smile returned as she folded her hands lightly in front of her. “Though I suspect Zeltrons are very skilled at convincing people those two things are occasionally the same.”

Then her eyes slid back toward him, calm and quietly amused. “And now,” Alexi added, “you’re attempting to frame deep-fried cream-filled meat cake as a morally responsible life choice.” She continued to observe him with a slight tilt of her head. “You’re surprisingly persuasive when you care about something, Jack.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Jack Sheltrak

Senator of Zeltros, Former Supreme Chancellor
Alexi di Garthos

"You need to care about the little things, it prepares one to care about the bigger things. One of the reasons I was a decent chancellor at the time was looking and caring for many of the smaller aspects of the Republic rather then only the elite and high paying donors." He said it but held one hand up as he got one for in case but grinned. "ANd yes zeltrons are some of the most persuasive and that is before you factor in they naturally make pheromones that appeal to ninety percent of the galaxy. THeir control is the real power and their empathy work but they know how to work deals over holocalls and com channels so never able to just rest on one aspect that helps."
 

Alexi di Garthos

Guest
Alexi listened closely as he spoke about the Republic, about smaller concerns and overlooked people, and this time the humor in her expression quieted into something more thoughtful. Not because she doubted him; but because she could hear the sincerity beneath the observation. “That explains more than you probably intended,” she said softly after a moment. Her gaze lingered on him as crowds drifted around them in slow currents of light and conversation. “Most people who pursue power become interested in larger and larger abstractions,” Alexi continued. “Systems. Influence. Legacy.” A faint pause followed. “But the people most affected by those decisions usually experience them through very small things.” Her eyes shifted briefly toward a nearby family sharing one enormous frozen drink with complete seriousness. “Food prices. Safety. Whether something in their life becomes easier… or harder.” The near-smile returned, quieter now. “So yes,” she admitted, “I can see why someone who pays attention to the little things would probably govern differently than someone who only notices crises once they become impossible to ignore.”

Then his explanation about Zeltron pheromones drew the faintest lift of her brow. “Ninety percent of the galaxy?” Alexi repeated lightly. “That is either an extraordinary evolutionary advantage....or the foundation of several ongoing diplomatic incidents.” A small pause followed before she added, with unmistakably dry amusement: “And here I was beginning to think your persuasion was entirely personal skill.”

Her gaze drifted briefly toward the fried dessert stand again before returning to him with calm resignation. “Unfortunately,” she said, “I suspect this means I now have to try the assassination pastry on principle.”

Tag: Jack Sheltrak Jack Sheltrak
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom