Finding Home [Hazel]

[Mishel Kryze]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ATzReD4f6A[/media]​

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Mishel slung the duffle bag over her shoulder as she put her sunglasses on. Dressed in a red leather jacket, black pants and boots that had seen better days the teenager adjusted the red tinted sunglasses. Monastery was where her mother still resided, the good doctor Hazel Zanteres worked with the patients and refugees who still came to the planet even if the Order of the Sacred Lotus was no longer a major galactic power. It was still a place of healing and a place of peace, the brunette ran a hand through her hair as she walked along the white stone steps of the sanctuary. In the wake of Hoth, the teen had been at Ossus and even made a stop on Rishi, exploration and seeking comfort among the stars, finding new lightsaber crystals and recording them had become something of a past time. Mishel gave a wave to a few of the healers there as she squeezed by them, "where's ma?" She asked matter of factly, and was directed to a room down the hall.

"Of course, thanks," she said to the woman and headed for the open room at the end of the hall. It figured her mother was busy, working on this or that after all she was an elder now and it was her duty to basically take care of everyone. Or so it felt that way, "ma," she called out as she got closer to the room, "ma." Mishel unshouldered the duffle bag and set it down on the ground. With a swift motion of her hand, she took off her sunglasses and knocked on the door frame with her knuckles, beneath the red leather jacket a gray t-shirt with the words UNIVERSITY scribbled atop the jacket swung open just enough to reveal OF AVALONIA. It was the guise, the personality the story she stuck with as a young first-year university student at Avalonia.

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

Hazel had indeed been plenty busy as of late, although now a days she was more involved in Sanctuary than she was answering calls from across the galaxy. While she was still available to her more recent patients; like [member="Allyson Locke"], the Hapan had closed off any further appointments now that she had a more deeper responsibility on Monastery.

And that wasn't just referring to the Sacred Lotus.

"Now what have I said about the ovens hmm? You know you're fireproof, somehow. I know you're fireproof, but the others don't." Hazel's voice echoed down the hallway, from somewhere out of sight. "Although I should probably send out a memo to everyone, just incase."

The fact was the Hapan wasn't in the room the nurses had indicated to Mishel. It was the last place she had been seen in, but Hazel was typically on the move around Sanctuary unless she was otherwise occupied. She had in fact just returned from the kitchens, having spoken to Yune there before returning.

"Ma?"

As Hazel turned the corner, she heard the familiar voice of Mishel. It brought a smile to her face, as well as surprise. After all it had been some time since she had last seen her adopted daughter. She had been worried of course, but knew the young woman could handle herself.

"Mishel!" The Hapan's smile didn't waver as she walked over to her. As she turned around, Hazel took note of what she was wearing, particularly the university shirt. She went in to hug her, but Hazel quickly halted when she realized that wasn't going to be quite possible, considering her arms were currently occupied.

Resting within her embrace; and burying herself close to Hazel's chest currently was a one month old Esmeralda, dressed in a dragon onesie.

It was in that same moment that the Hapan realized that she hadn't told Mishel about [member="Cinder Rose"] and Esmeralda.

"It's been a while." She chuckled lightly, a slight sheepish look on her face.

[member="Mishel Zanteres"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Ma!" Mishel said with a smile as she hooked the sunglasses on the inside of her university t-shirt. The teenager went in for a hug, but it quickly became awkward and when the brunette looked down she spotted a tiny little thing, dressed in a cute oneside. Pushing her lips to the side she lightly scoffed, "ma, do we need to have a talk about how babies are made?" She asked in jest and gave her adoptive mother a wide smile. "Who's the cutie?"

She asked and then stepped back to grabbed her duffle bag, and began to head down the hall to her usual room. "Yeah, yeah it has, sorry I thought I, I thought I called." Mishel called from the down the hall a bit, as she was glad to have found her room and set her bag down. She pulled her hair to one side before she crossed back to give her mother her full attention. Everything in the last few weeks, months maybe? Had been completely hectic, "I mean I thought I did but um, signals seemed to have gotten fuzzy or lost out of Rishi. Some wild stuff went down there, and then I was on assignment for this externship with the University near Ossus."

Her holo rang, and she grimaced slightly forgetting it was set to loud. "Sorry," she apologized as she grabbed it and looked at the number, the brunette put a hand up and stepped out into the hall again to take the call. "Lindsay? Hey, what's up? Yeah, yeah, no go ahead I won't be back for a couple of weeks so you can, yeah you can use the dress sure. Um, I'm at my mom's house right now, yeah externship went well - it was short, didn't really have a whole lot to do though. Yeah, it's cool, okay well hey yeah I'm gonna let you go, yeah thanks, no problem. See you soon."

Mishel stepped back up again, "sorry that was Lindsay Dantonio, my roommate, well I mean dormmate. So who's this again?"

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

She gave Mishel a deadpan look, but smiled a moment later and broke into a small laugh. It was always good to have Mishel around, rather than worrying about whatever danger the young woman might be up to. Hazel had tried to keep an ear out for anything major, but that was becoming more and more difficult to maintain with how hectic things became in quick succession.

"Well this is-"

But Hazel cut herself off as Mishel began to walk down the hall; the Hapan following after her daughter, who began to apologize for the lack of communication. The Hapan waved it off.

"It's fine Mishel, we've both been busy. And that doesn't exactly mesh well with trying to stay in touch often." Hazel tried to remember if she had indeed received a call from Mishel, but as far as she could remember there hadn't been one. Although it could've been easily lost within the amount she usually got back when she was available for 'house calls'. Beyond that though, she was the most interested in the fact Mishel had enrolled at a university.

"So you got into university?" Hazel asked, a smile on her face. It was certainly a newsflash for her too, given the majority she knew involved the Ren and fighting. "I'd love to hear what you've decided to study." There was no denying in her voice that the Hapan was proud of Mishel.

By that point Hazel had settled down on the couch, shifting Esmeralda so she was more comfortable. Then Mishel's holo rang out, and the young Dravala let out a whine and buried herself further into the Hapan.

"Shh, it's alright." Hazel cooed quietly, as she rocked Esmeralda gently. The Hapan waited until Mishel returned, before managing to coax Essy away from her chest so the Tygaran could see it more better.

"This is Esmeralda." As she moved, the onesie's hood shifted and fell backwards slightly. It revealed the healthy tuff of dark hair, along with a pair of small horns and her slitted amber eyes. The only thing that wasn't in view, was the baby Dravala's tail, which was currently hidden away in the onesie's. However it wouldn't take long to notice the; what one would presume was just a stuffed tail attached to the outfit, was in fact moving around a lot more than it ought to be.

"She's-" Hazel paused at that moment, a realization dawning on her. The words 'my daughter' were lingering on her tongue, but it occurred to her whether she should call Essy that. Did she have the right to?

It had never been vocally brought up between her and Shay. Hazel had realized a while ago she had fallen for the Dravala, and it seemed she had just naturally come to care for Esmeralda as though she was also her own.

"Essy is Shay's daughter, and well Shay..." A warm smile creeped across Hazel's face as she began to talk about Scheherazade. How the Dravala had first arrived on Monastery as a refugee along with her people. That Hazel had become her doctor, caring for her during Shay's stay in Sanctuary, which encompassed looking after her child who at the time was still in her egg. "We went on a cruise...although that didn't turn out well in the end." Hazel paused as she recalled the events on Ord Mantell, and became silent for a moment. "But we've since gone out together several more times, now that Esmeralda is born and Shay isn't keeping herself confined to Monastery."

[member="Mishel Zanteres"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Well we should talk more often," Mishel answered as she came to settle herself down on the sofa beside her mother. "I haven't really decided, I mean this is technically me repeating the first year because I didn't um, well I wasn't there for finals." Because she had been busy with Skor and the like and completely missed all her resits as well. "So I haven't really, well, I'm supposed to pick something in administration but I think I might just do something in the humanities, not sure."

Now the teenager had not missed the sight of the baby, nor had the baby's whines gone unheard by the Tygaran. She waited patiently for her mother to say who it was she held in her arms. Ah, Esmeralda, such a pretty name MIshel thought when she heard it. Horns and eyes were certainly something to note, and it took Mishel a moment to adjust to seeing them rather than reacting with a knee jerk Imperialist reaction. Reminding herself she was Tygaran a land of men and women with pointy ears, and then there were the folks who lived in the mountains, rather short and stubborn lot. So, horns, eyes and - the tail were nothing, as she gave a soft smile looking at Esmeralda.

More importantly, Mishel caught her adoptive mother's tone and that she paused to think of how to refer to Esmeralda. Clearly, the infant meant a lot to her, not that children, in general, did not but this one seemed to have something more. "Who's Shay?" The teenager asked as she smiled down at Esme. Essy. Mishel would not dare to call her Essy, it seemed to be a personal nickname. And she rather liked Esme instead. Carefully she listened to her mother's story, nodding in acknowledgment here and there. Remarking when appropriate to show active listening. "I see," was the reply that the teenager gave, "so what you're saying is, long story short, this one could very well be my baby sister?"

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]

 

[Hazel Zanteres]

"I'm sure whatever course you choose in the end, you'll succeed in it." Hazel spoke with a warm smile, settling down a bit more comfortably in the sofa. It emphasised in her mind that she didn't know Mishel all that well, outside of what usually ended up causing them to cross paths.

The fact she was in university was fantastic in the Hapan's mind, although it was a bit troubling that her duties to the First Order and the Ren had caused her to miss her finals.

But then again, given Mishel's circumstances when it came to the Order, it wasn't that surprising.

"Hmm, yeah. I suppose that could very well be the case." The Hapan looked down at the bundle in her arms, tucked away closely, little hands digging into her shirt. It was a sight and moment Hazel never thought she'd ever have. Outside of not having kids herself, there had always been adoption. But life and work had always gotten in the way, there was hardly time to go about adopting let alone finding time to raise a child amongst it all.

She looked over at Mishel.

And yet, not one but two of them had somehow found their way into her life.

"So, how have things been with you Mishel?"

[member="Mishel Zanteres"]​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Mishel acknowledged her mom with a smile and did not say much else on the subject. She was about as driftless as anyone could be at her age, perhaps more so because of all she had endured. The Tygaran leaned over to take a little peek at the baby. She settled back into the sofa and gave the Hapan a nod of approval. There was a bit of sigh as she thought of what to answer, seeing as lying through her teeth about a few things had failed. Forgetting that the blonde beside her knew quite well what and who she was, with that in mind the brunette blushed slightly and then decided to come out with what she could. "Outside of trying to study? Not sure, just doing what I'm told mostly, was at Ossus and Rishi." She paused, she mentioned that already didn't she?

"And I was just looking for parts on Rishi, bought a raptor and then the droids just sort of went all crazy." Mishel wasn't quite sure how else to explain it, "they were trying to murder people and it was like, their programming went haywire all at once. It got messy real fast, and when it was over - it was like none of it had happened, but it did. I know it hit the holo, and yeah, then there was a bit of business on Ossus and I'm likely returning to Ossus to finish up there."

Which meant the disciple of Ren would be returning to the fight quite soon. "But uh, yeah that's really about it, I haven't had a lot of time to get out here and I'm sorry for that." She apologized with sincerity, "but I'm happy that you've found someone - well two as it were." Mishel gestured with a cute express to the baby. Mishel felt about as off as Hazel about it all she supposed, but it was only because they had not had the chance to spend time together. "We're gonna have to change that I think, find a way to spend more time together."

[member="Hazel Zanteres"]