Private Good Day for fishin' ain't it?

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

The waves. They lapped up against Reina's line as she had tossed her fishing rod out. Sure, she could have just thrown herself into the ocean and hunted with herself now. She didn't need a harpoon, or a fishing rod to hunt down the fish, but today wasn't about the catch. It was about the moment of relaxation. To relive old times. It was part of a series of things that Reina was trying to go through once more. Relive the old past times that she enjoyed before she was changed against her wishes. To see if she still enjoyed them. She might have been changed physically...but Reina wanted to see if who she was had been changed. And so far? She was still the same. She still enjoyed fishing. The moments of peace it gave her mind as she stared out at the waves.

Her eyes flicked over the water, taking in the reflection staring back at her. It wasn't her looking back. Not in her eyes. It was almost amusing the way she wished her reflection would show her that "Darker" self again, instead of what it showed now. At least when she saw that darker version of herself, she knew that wasn't what she looked like. That it was all in her head. But looking at her reflection now? Reina knew it was what everyone else saw now. Glowing gold eyes staring back at her, from a scarless and freckled face. And every so often, if Reina wasn't careful, a flicker of sharp teeth. The small amount of shapeshifting that Reina had access to was hard to control for her. Her legs and skin was something she could focus on...but the teeth was another thing entirely. Same with her claws. At least with her claws, Reina could look down at her hands and notice when they were out...

All of this was going to be hard to get used to. Could she get used to it? She needed to stay positive. Have a good mindset. But that was much easier said than done. For now? She needed to focus on what kept her in a positive place. And that was simply fishing. So she stood there, fishing away.​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

The novelty of exploration was still very fresh for Valaine after having spent most of her life isolated to the lower levels of Jutrand. Bodies of water were practically unknown to her, so when she learnt of a planet that was entirely water besides a singular city she thought to see it for herself.

It was a mistake.

The endless ocean frankly terrified her, an expanse so open and empty that it made her feel so very small and vulnerable in the presence of it. Not to mention the fact she couldn't even swim and that if she fell in, she'd likely never come back out. With that in mind she had kept a safe distance from the edge of the water as she trudged along it with lazy steps.

Long dark hair blew in the wind behind her, revealing more of her pointed ears that only ever had their tips peak out from behind the curtain of black. Her attire was also rather casual for it wouldn't help her to dress in black robes in places still controlled by the Galactic Alliance after all, and so she sported a grey hooded jacket instead, though the hood remained down.

Her tired eyes looked ahead and spotted a red-headed figure holding what looked to her like a stick and a string. She'd seen a few of these already after having landed on the planet, but she didn't exactly understand what they were. Being that Reina was alone she found this the perfect chance to inquire about it.

Valaine made no attempt to hide her presence as she approached, her eyes following the rod and the line into the water for a moment before she came to a halt before Reina. "Hey, what are you doing?" she asked plainly in a soft spoken voice as she kept her hands in her pockets, her head tilting slightly in curiosity.

Such a question must've been odd to anyone that knew about fishing, but to Valaine it truly was an alien concept.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

Her eyes flickered over towards the new arrival, raising an eyebrow as she took them in. Well. They were pretty pale. Reina didn't know the last time she had seen someone that pale. Plus the pointed ears? Sephi possibly? She shook her head. It would do her no good to assume stuff about other people. Either way, the stranger had asked a question and it would be rude of Reina not to answer. So she held up her index finger for a moment, rummaging around to her side to pull out her datapad.

See, since Reina had been...changed for a lack of a better term, she had found herself not wanting to speak. Her voice had felt wrong. It had some kind of power that she couldn't control yet, and she didn't want to accidentally use it. It meant she had to try and learn other ways of communicating. Learning Sign Language had been difficult enough for her, and she wasn't entirely sure how many people would actually know it. So instead she had been relying on her datapad, tapping away at it with one hand whilst the other stayed wrapped around the fishing rod.

: Fishing. You want to try? Easier than it looks. :

It might have seemed like an odd question but thanks to Reina's experience amongst the Jedi, she had come to realise that not everyone would have the same upbringing as her. Not everyone was familiar with the ocean. Some people might have came from landlocked planets...The idea of which disgusted Reina far more than it used to.

Once she was sure the stranger had read the message, Reina pulled the datapad back to herself and tapped away at the screen once more, sticking her tongue out in concentration. Spelling was hard for Reina. She hadn't always been able to read or write that well. It was something she was slowly getting more experience with nowadays however.

: I'm Reina. :​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

Valaine hummed curiously as she watched Reina pull out her datapad and start tap tapping away on it. She waited patiently before it was shown to her as she leaned forward to read. "Hm...? Fishing? I've heard about fish before, but I've never seen one." she responded and looked to the water. "They're in there...?" she asked as a slender finger gestured to the ocean.

Despite her questions she gave a nod, reaching a hand to accept the rod. Naturally she had no idea what to do with it and so she simply stood there holding it as tired eyes followed the line into the water with uncertainty. The thought that things lived in that vast expanse of ocean unsettled her, mostly because she couldn't see them.

She glanced back to Reina upon seeing her tap out another message and again her eyes narrowed slightly to read it. Afterwards she offered a soft smile, "Valaine." she responded with her own name before she looked back to the water.

A few more seconds passed.

"... How long does this take?" she asked as she looked to the rod in her hands as if she was somehow doing something wrong with it. She studied the water for a moment, and though it would be difficult for Reina to notice, her sight was slowly adjusting to view heat as her pupils seemed to constrict into a more narrow shape. Much like one's eyes adjusting in the dark it wasn't an instant transition of sight, but after a few moments she searched the water with it and was even more horrified to realize that she could see absolutely nothing in the cold ocean that masked the presence of whatever was in it.

How truly terrifying the ocean was.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

Reina nodded at Valaine's question, asking if there were fish in the ocean before stepping back to point at the bucket next to Reina. It wasn't entirely filled with fish, but there were a couple she had caught whilst she had been out here. Reina wasn't catching as many fish as she used to, but that was out of choice. She was no longer selling them to survive. These were just...going to be snacks for her.

She returned the smile that Valaine gave when she introduced herself. It was funny in a way. As much as Reina wasn't entirely a social creature...the change had made her enjoy being with people somewhat more. Crowds weren't fun for her. She still felt like she was being watched, but when it was just a few people...She found herself able to relax. Though then Valaine asked how long it would take, and Reina couldn't help herself.

A soft little giggle escaped her mouth. A melodic tone escaping out that hung in the air for a moment before fading, like a soft music note fading away. Reina hadn't meant to laugh, but it was amusing to her to see how fast people thought fishing could be. Even with that giggle however, Reina still wouldn't talk, returning back to the Datapad.

: Can be long. Can be short. It's entirely up to the fish. It's like hunting. Instead of you going to them, they're coming to you. It's less about the end results and more about the journey. Relax. Talk. The ocean is always listening. :

Always listening. Always reflecting back at you. Whenever Reina went fishing, she never truly felt alone even if she was not a fan of her reflection anymore.

: Sorry if reading is annoying. I don't like talking. :​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

Valaine glanced over into the bucket to see what few fish were within it. Her expression was one of mild surprise at the sight of them, "Oh... Those are kind of weird, aren't they?" she commented as she watched them idly circle within the bucket. If they couldn't escape a bucket then these creatures must not be very clever at all...

Her tired eyes were drawn to Reina as she heard her chuckle, and she couldn't help but smirk lightly in response before she read another message on her datapad. The mention of hunting seemed to cause her to frown ever so slightly as for Valaine that meant only one thing; to hunt people and slake her thirst. It wasn't something she ever enjoyed doing, but that was her concept of it. Though the words that stated the ocean was listening caused her yet further concern as she looked to the waters suspiciously. Was the ocean alive?

"Oh... You don't like talking? That's fine. I'm not usually much of a talker myself-" she paused suddenly as the rod in her hand tugged, it seemed to greatly alarm the young woman as she turned her attention fully to the fact that something was trying to pull her into that cold foreboding water. Her response was a panicked one as she suddenly pulled on the rod with all her unnatural strength and the line snapped immediately as she stumbled back and fall onto the ground with a grunt.

She appeared startled and confused, "Wh-... What was that?" she stammered. "...Is it even safe to be this close to the water?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

Ironically, in Reina's eyes, the ocean was alive. The waves were its breath. The currents its pulse. Yet she didn't think much of that. It was in the same way that she believed the Force and the Ocean were one and the same. It flowed. Her eyebrow raised at the comment about the fish being weird, before slowly furrowing into a frown. That meant Reina was weird. Obviously. Since she was basically part fish now. The redhead stared down at her hand for a few moments, contemplating to herself...

Though she was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of something on the line. Almost straight away, the line snapped causing Reina to blink in surprise at the sudden amount of strength that she hadn't been expecting from Valaine. Well then. Don't judge a book by its cover. Though as soon as Valaine fell onto the ground, Reina crouched down to try and help her up.

"It's...fine. It was just a fish on the line...I should have actually shown you how to use a fishing rod..."

She finally spoke. It wasn't as if she wanted to, but considering the fact that Valaine seemed startled and confused...Well, let's just say Reina was willing to do something she didn't like to help someone out. Even so, she cringed at the melodic tones that escaped her lips. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, her voice had a natural tune to it, one that more often than not influenced people to just want to listen to her. The unfortunate Siren song that came with what she was now.

"You're okay. I promise you. Focus on me. Not the water. The ocean is safe. It won't hurt you. As long as I'm here, at least."

Reina could feel her heart racing from her own nerves. She had to concentrate. Focus. If she gave into her panic, she'd revert to her more...aquatic like appearance.

​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

Valaine looked up at Reina and accepted her assistance as she was pulled back up to her feet. But then she heard that voice and paused as she looked at the woman with light surprise. What a beautiful voice she had thought to herself, so very melodic and easy to listen to... She seemed entirely unaware of the fact that it was perhaps not a normal voice and that it had subtly influenced her own thoughts, and perhaps that would come across in the look she gave Reina.

That being said the voice, while it had some power of its own, did in fact help to calm Valaine down at least. "Oh, uhm, sorry. I didn't mean to make you speak." she replied, Reina did after all state that she didn't like to talk.

A particular phrase uttered by her however seemed to have more effect on Valaine than the rest.

Focus on me.

And focus Valaine did. She wasn't thinking about why she was suddenly focusing on Reina, only that she felt she should, and steadily the more she thought about it the more confusion seemed to flicker across the Sangnir's pale face. Why was she focusing on her? She tried to clear some space in her thoughts to reply.

"... Uh, thank you, for your words and helping me back up." she commented, "I can't even swim you know? It would've been bad if whatever that thing was dragged me down... It must've been huge." she spoke, and although she was talking to and referring to the ocean she wasn't looking at it, she was looking at Reina.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

Kark it. Reina hadn't been wanting to speak for this exact reason. How was she meant to explain this? It was easier said than done if she was being honest to herself. Having someone's gaze fully focused on you didn't help much in the way of confidence either.

"Don't...be sorry. It's just...My voice has an effect on people. I don't know how to control it...so I just don't speak, unless I need to. Easier that way. It wasn't always like this."

She turned her gaze towards the ocean, wrapping her arms around her front out of pure awkwardness. Like when you don't know what to do with your hands.

"Even if you can't swim, I'd be able to get you back before you drown. I'm a natural in the water. You don't need to thank me though. It's my fault you fell over in the first place."

Her iridescent golden eyes continued to stare over the waves, still feeling the pressure of Valaine's gaze on her. Breathe. She had to stop herself from panicking. Even as the subtle gills on her neck worked with her mouth to blow out stressed breaths. She didn't have to use her mouth for it but it was just...a force of habit. Whilst she managed to keep most of her instincts under control, the urge to fight or flight was kicking in as Reina's hands shifted for a moment, her claws forming as she gripped onto her arms.

"I might as well...bite the bullet. I'm an Ersansyr. They're like mermaids. Or...Sirens, I suppose."

There was no way she was going to start trauma dumping on someone she had just met, so that's where Reina would leave it unless asked for more details. Either way, all this talking would make for good practice at controlling herself.

​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

Valaine wasn't certain she understood. "Some... sort of effect? What kind?" she asked, unaware that she was already being effected by Reina's voice. It was difficult to separate her own thoughts from her influenced ones, to the point she couldn't even really tell at all that it was happening, all she had was an underlying sensation that something was amiss. Though the more Reina spoke the more steadily that influence built, it was slow but apparent.

She managed to tear her gaze away to follow Reina's back to the ocean. When the Ersansyr said that she'd be able to rescue Valaine if she fell into the sea, she truly believed that she would be able to despite having no ground to think that a stranger would do that for her. She just knew it to be true. But that wasn't like Valaine at all to think that way, no, the whole galaxy couldn't be trusted, that's what she believed. So why did she think differently here?

Her eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment as she raised a hand to her head and tried to focus her thoughts, but when Reina continued to speak, that focus just shifted back to her instead until she found she was looking at her again. It was then that she noticed the barely visible gills at her neck, but that didn't seem too overly odd to her, there were plenty of species she didn't know about after all.

"I might as well...bite the bullet. I'm an Ersansyr. They're like mermaids. Or...Sirens, I suppose."

"What's a... Mermaid?" asked Valaine. Naturally someone who had never lived near any body of water might not even know of such storied and mythical creatures. The word siren she was perhaps a little more familiar with, it had more applications after all. It was clear however that the more Reina spoke to her, the more she was going to be influenced by that voice of hers, and Valaine wasn't an especially strong-willed person...

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

"I..."

Reina hesistated to answer. She could see clear as day see the effect that her voice was having on Valaine. This wasn't good. Not whatsoever. There was a chance that Reina could have taken advantage of this...but Reina was not the kind of person to do that. The idea of being able to influence someone like this...It felt wrong. It made Reina feel like Her. And that thought disgusted Reina with a passion as she sighed, pulling the datapad back out, and tapping away at the screen...freezing halfway when she noticed her claws were out...She shook her head and carried on typing.

: It makes people listen. They want to pay attention. It urges them to listen to my every word. I don't like it. It's happening now. You keep looking at me. I don't want to influence you. :

Then came the question of what a Mermaid was. Reina couldn't exactly use her words to describe it...but since she had the Datapad, Reina at the very least go onto the HoloNet and show Valaine various images of mermaid. It was...annoying to go back to typing through the Datapad but Reina was the kind of person who'd rather suffer herself than risk influencing someone else. As she showed off the images, Reina pointed at herself as it was time for some good ol' fashioned charades.

After pointing at herself, the redhead took in a quick series of breaths before pointing over towards the ocean. It was her way of trying to say she could breathe underwater. To try and add more detail to it, she pointed at Valaine, doing the same series of breaths Reina had just done before pointing at the ocean and shaking her head. Did any of this make sense? Was Reina just making a fool of herself? All of the above? Who knows.
​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

Valaine took note of the claws that were used to tap out another message. Not so unlike herself, at least when she wanted them out, so they didn't bother her too much. Her gaze read the message as it explained to her the effects of Reina's voice and finally she understood that strange sensation she had. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but when it was described as such to her it immediately all clicked together. A steady sigh escaped her lips as she regarded Reina with a light frown.

"Has it been like that your whole life? That sounds awful, I'm sorry." she offered, ever the sucker for those that struggled. "I... didn't even realize, if I'm honest. But, yes, I can see that now. It's a powerful thing you have there, but I couldn't imagine having that kind of influence over others. I'd feel like... nothing is genuine, you know?" she answered.

Her tired eyes were drawn back to the datapad as images and references of mermaids were shown. She tilted her head curiously and noted one distinct feature that Reina seemed to lack as she looked to her legs.

Deciphering charades however was perhaps not the young Sangnir's strong suit. That Reina could breathe underwater she seemed to understand, and likewise that she herself could not, and so she gave a nod in response. "I suppose that's how you'd be able to help me if I fell in? Ah but, where's your tail?" The lack of words from the other woman seemed to steadily be losing its influence over her.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

: Not always. I was turned into this. I used to be.. :

Reina seemed to struggle for a moment, hesitating as she stared down at the datapad. She used to be what? There was a lot of words she wanted to use. Arrogant. Ignorant. Aggressive. But none of those were what Reina wanted to use. Instead she settled for a word that was quite accurate to the inner turmoil she was going through.

: Normal. Well. I didn't look normal. I was missing a leg as well before I was transformed.:

She waved down towards her right leg, where well...a complete regular and normal leg was. It was still something Reina wasn't used to. It was a habit of hers to put all of her weight on her left leg now. It meant she was getting a lot of different cramps now but that wasn't important. Then came to the question as to where her tail was...Reina didn't want to shift her legs to show off the tail. It still felt strange and wrong to her. Plus it wouldn't work with her trousers. so instead it was back to charades.

The redhead held her hand out for Valaine to see, with the claws and everything on full display, alongside a few orange scales scattered across the hand. Then she closed her eyes to focus, letting the claws slowly shift away back to regular looking nails, with the scales seemingly reverting back into Reina's skin to reveal just...regular skin. And then she pointed down at her legs in an attempt to say how she could do the same with her legs. Only for Reina to blink as she came to a sudden realisation, tapping away on the datapad.

: I could have just said I shapeshift. :


​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

Upon hearing that this was something Reina was turned into she offered her a look of sympathy. She knew all too well how that felt and so she decided to open up a little in response to the woman's honesty. "It seems we share some common ground, Reina." she spoke as she opened her mouth slightly and tugged at the corner of her lips to reveal a fang. It was relatively short, but a fang still. "Some couple years ago I was attacked and turned into something else. I'm... forced to drink blood if I want to survive." she added, leaving out the fact that such a nature all but guaranteed she had to harm people to keep living. But she found it fitting to inform Reina, both of them had been turned into something else against their will, and both of them had a dislike for what that change made them do.

Her tired eyes watched as Reina demonstrated her shifting abilities, looking to the orange scales and claws upon her hand with a soft hum. As her eyes turned back to the datapad she smirked lightly. "That doesn't sound so bad, though. You get to choose to hide it after all. Could be worse, mm?" she asked in response as she folded her arms behind her back and swayed lazily back and forth as she looked out to the ocean. "Was this a recent thing for you? You might still be able to learn to control your voice perhaps, it's not all hopeless just yet." she spoke, there was a sense of melancholy in both her voice and eyes despite her casual swaying. In truth she was just offering some of the hope she personally wish she could have, but after some research she knew that her own fate was all but sealed. At the very least it felt nice to her to offer such to another.

"I think breathing underwater is pretty cool." she said as she glanced back towards Reina with a light smirk. "I sure wouldn't mind being able to do that."

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

At the revealation that Valaine needed to drink blood to survive, Reina went quiet. Or well, quieter than she already was. Her gaze staring out towards the ocean for a moment. In the past, Reina might have recoiled away. Called Valaine some kind of monster out of a misguided belief. But she had changed. Good and Evil wasn't as simple as Black and White anymore. She took in a deep breath, before trying to speak again. This was something important. Something that needed to be said, not typed.

"...Do you drink from people who deserve it?"

A question. Not a command. That was...one way that Reina thought of trying to control the powers of her voice. She knew telling someone to do something could affect them...before nodding at Valaine when she asked if it was a recent thing. It was very recent for Reina. The emotional scars were still there, but she was trying to grow from them. Yet...as much as she had her own scars to heal from, the way Valaine spoke, it was clear the the Sangnir had her own to deal with.

"It's not hopeless for you either. What you have to do to survive doesn't change who you are inside. It's what you choose to do that does."

In the same way that Reina was choosing to speak. To help. As much as it scared her. There was every chance that she could have curled up inside of herself and rejected the Galaxy once again after she had changed. But that was what She had wanted. And Reina wasn't going to do that. Reina would continue to care for people in the Galaxy. Even Sangnir Strangers she had just met. Maybe...Maybe she could still be a Jedi if she thought about it.


​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

"...Do you drink from people who deserve it?"

As Reina spoke Valaine continued to watch her. It didn't seem like the influence of her voice had hit her as hard as it did the first time, now being aware of it, but it was the Sangnir's response that might've been more unsettling. Tired grey eyes watched Reina in utter silence at the question, her expression betraying more than she could ever say for it was one that held deep regret. Whenever this kind of question was brought up her mind always went back to the first time she had fed, when she didn't understand what she was, when the agony of the hunger had driven her into a mindless frenzy; the memory of blood on the walls.

She forced her gaze away from Reina without voicing the answer.

With a deep sigh she looked to the ocean again. "You seem like a nice person. I think you'll be able to get through it. Especially if you're speaking words like that." she spoke. She appreciated the words of hope, but it seemed Valaine was too entrenched in her belief and acceptance that she was already too far gone. "You're... aware of yourself. Aware of the danger you might be to others. That means you've got a fighting chance to not let it change you. Things might look bad at the start, but I'm pretty confident you'll be able to do it. You've got friends, right?" she asked as she looked back to her. "They can help you. Isolation's probably the worst thing for you right now, like being out here by yourself. Getting stuck in your head is a real problem you know?" she forced a smile at her.

Valaine genuinely thought it'd be nice if Reina could get through this difficult part of her life relatively unscathed. By all accounts she was a terrible Acolyte of the Sith.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

She didn't pry. She didn't need to. The fact that Valaine avoided the subject spoke volumes to Reina. It's what she used to do herself. That moment when it felt like you couldn't look anyone in the eyes. And so...Reina didn't pry. It wouldn't help as much as most people would think. Instead...Reina just spoke herself, her gaze flickering back towards the waves.

"I'm not nice. I'm stubborn. I've killed people because I thought it was the right thing to do. It's how I lost my leg. I stopped myself from helping people who need me because I can't forgive. I'm meant to be a Jedi, but I've always thought I was a poor excuse for one."

Reina leaned against the railing, her mind abuzz with dozens of thoughts. For some reason, Valaine reminded her of herself. Yet whilst Valaine could bring herself to look back at Reina, the redhead couldn't do the same.

"You're a good person yourself. Not many people would take the time out of their day for a stranger. I presume from the way you mentioned that friends can help me...that you don't have many, if any of your own? I was like that. A lot. Though I actively pushed people away. I didn't want people admiring me. Or respecting me for what I've went through. I'm a mess."

If only she knew who was training Valaine. Would Reina have left immediately? Would she try to find some way to get Valaine out of that environment? Doubtful. She couldn't save herself. For all intents and purposes however, for as much as Reina believed she was a terrible Jedi, she had one thing that always proved otherwise. She cared. She couldn't just turn her back fully.

"...Well. You've got a friend here. I might not be a good one. But...I'm here all the same. I know how it feels to be isolated. I don't want to let anyone else feel like that."


​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

The mention of the word Jedi caught Valaine off guard for a moment as she regarded Reina in a slightly different light now. If she were Jedi then her power to influence through her voice could prove very dangerous for herself. If she started using it to pry into her past, who she is, what she is, then things could turn south very swiftly.

But Reina was talking a lot now, and although Valaine was aware of her nature, that influencing power of her voice was slowly started to seep into her mind again as she looked towards her. "Well... You know, if that's what you used to do, you've changed already. You did just offer to save me if I trip into the ocean, after all, and I'm just a stranger too, right? All I wanted to know was what the deal was with all these lines in the water." she replied, though she appeared slightly agitated as she brushed a hand through her long dark hair.

"But... you're right, life growing up wasn't very conducive to friendship. Which is why you should keep yours close. Support's good. Can't imagine they'd care much if you're a mess or not. It's not like I'm an expert, though." she continued, and for a moment she tried to turn her gaze away, but she found it difficult now.

Reina was being nice to her, more than she probably deserved, and she liked her. But if after this conversation she learned who she was? It'd be a cruelty she didn't want to inflict on her, especially when she was at her most vulnerable. For her sake she needed to get away before anymore questions.

"...Well. You've got a friend here. I might not be a good one. But...I'm here all the same. I know how it feels to be isolated. I don't want to let anyone else feel like that."

"I... Appreciate that, really." she answered honestly. "Not sure I'm the type of friend you'd want, though." she continued as she placed a hand on the railing besides her, of which she clenched tightly. "But yeah, I like you Reina, I think we could get along all things considered. We can both be awful friends to one another." she smirked.

Now all she had to do was make an excuse to leave.

... So why couldn't she?

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Valaine Valentine
Location: Manaan

"Because it's the right thing to do. I want to protect people. I've always tried to. Even at the expense of myself..."

Reina's voice drifted off for a moment. She was far too into her own head to even notice the way Valaine had reacted to the revelation that Reina was a Jedi. Instead the Ersansyr stared at her reflection, biting her lip in thought. Chewing away at it as she tugged at the skin.

"...I nearly took myself out to save a village. But my blaster had no shots left."

It felt so much worse to admit that outloud. To a stranger of all people. That Reina had tried to take her own life. Because of Her. That monster. Reina knew she should have felt so much hatred but...since the Change, she had struggled to find herself being able to hate anyone. Or anything. It was like she was numb in a way. She didn't truly enjoy things as much as she used to...

"You might be a stranger Valaine, but that doesn't make you any less important. It's hard for me to keep my friends close anyway...They're scattered along the Galaxy. They fought for Coruscant whilst I basically took a nap."

That was one thing that plagued Reina's mind more than anything. Whilst her friends had been out there, bleeding and potentially dying for Coruscant, Reina had been stuck in some liquid tub, getting transformed.

"I think we could be good friends. Awful? Maybe. But we...understand each other better than most people do I think. My master...My friends...They don't fully understand what it means to have everything that made you, you...ripped away from you. Twisted and changed. And then...having to find yourself again. Having to look in the mirror and not recognise your own reflection."
​

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Reina Daival

"...I nearly took myself out to save a village. But my blaster had no shots left."

Hearing the words made her frown lightly. Survival was one of the biggest driving motivators Valaine had, something she practically built herself around, so to hear that someone could have suffered enough to want to simply end it all? It was a struggle she couldn't fathom, because for her no matter how hot the fires of hell burnt she'd keep moving through it. "That... Would've been very silly of you." she voiced, "I'm not about to say that all life is precious or anything like that... But to accept the end?" she shook her head, "I'm glad that you couldn't. I wouldn't have met you otherwise."

Reina's influence had already afflicted her enough to the point she couldn't draw herself away now, she was stuck until she was released from it. Her hand continued to clench onto the railing, her unnatural strength imprinting it with her clasped hand as the metal lightly creaked. It was becoming difficult for her to consider why she wanted to leave now, the reasoning becoming lost by the influence being pressed upon her. And as such she started to look less agitated too as she gradually lost track of why this was such a dangerous situation for her in the first place.

"Ah... Coruscant. I heard about that. Are your friends all okay?" she asked with a light tilt of her head. "You couldn't really help that you weren't there, I'm sure they understand that." Her expectations and thoughts on what friends were was exceedingly optimistic, it was after all quite the novelty to herself.

What a nice conversation Valaine had thought. To have met this girl by chance, and to now be talking so openly with her. She could certainly stay for hours just chatting away at this point. Her hand left the railing as her arms crossed over her chest with a soft smile. She gave a nod of agreement in response to the two understanding one another. "It's nice, right? Having someone you can share some common ground with. I'd only really met one other person I could relate to like that before now, I'm rather fond of her as a result, and I don't doubt I'll become fond of you too for the same reasons. To think the galaxy had people like that... I should've left home sooner. Maybe it would've helped me when it mattered."