Homestead of woe

[Meeristali Peradun]

It all happened so fast. He'd thought nothing of [member="Vexen"], deeming her a non-threat - so easily, could he get the measure of another, but only to a point; he knew more about [member="Avalore Eden"], but even so there was so much of her he wasn't privy to, after so many years. This reaction wasn't something he could have predicted, and for the first time in a long time he could admit to being confused. Citric eyes slipped from the Defel to the healer, and back again. [member="Micah Talith"] defending his scent, then joking in an attempt to diffuse, and [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] doing the same without the levity, until [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] came about, looking for a cold one.

Stali for his part was about to open his mouth, when another mouth beat him to the punch, a waking wail rising above the tension. His brows knit, eyes on Ava with a look of apology, then he was gone, a streak departing the kitchen for the upstairs and the source of that wail: Armaud. The blur became a solid form as he entered the room in which the boy had been sleeping, in which he had been sleeping until scant minutes prior... and his nose wrinkled.

"Come on, Armie," he said with a gentle sigh, hoisting the boy up and holding him to his chest, "let's get you cleaned up."

 

[Avalore Eden]

"Vex-vexen?" Avalore stammered, brown eyes peering at the shadow clinging to the unknown man in a way that made her shudder. What was that thing?

Looked like a dog. A wild dog.

Destin continued to cry, Avalore gently smoothed a hand over the green baby's head, keeping him turned away from the Defel. Brows knit, lips having gone thin and white, the Healer eyed the creature with intense wariness, "Jacen I'm afraid of dogs," she admitted, a bit more tersely than she would have preferred, "I don't want it near the twins."

 

[Vexen]

She hadn't realised she'd scared the human and the infant. It had happened before. Perhaps Micah should have made her a cloak to wear around so people could see her more clearly. Her little heart was still thundering in her hear, but she managed to step back away from Micah. Drawing herself up to her - admittedly diminutive - full height, she whispered: "It's...it's okay Micah, I can wait on the ship." Her voice still faintly trembled as she spoke.

 

[Micah Talith]

Well things certainly escalated quickly.

Micah’s eyes practically bulged with confusion. The Talith was normally sensitive to others feelings and emotions, being Lorrdian and observant lended to that. Micah took more after his mother in this regard, which is why when the young man appeared to be a bit too social or inclusive of others, it was done to make others feel welcomed. The young man didn’t enjoy having anyone feeling as if they were an outsider, and would strive to have them enter and meet and greet with jokes and banter.

Seeing [member="Avalore Eden"] react so in such a frightened manner troubled the Talith. All the more when he didn’t need the Force bond between him and [member="Vexen"] to learn that she was petrified. Any more and he’d be surprised if Vex didn’t regress to wetting herself again.

“Dog? Oh… no no. Vexen isn’t a dog,” He kept his smile on his face, hands up as if to apply a bit of calm to the situation.

“Wouldn’t hurt anyone either. She’s just a wraithe.” he’d add. Turning to Vex, he held out his hand for her to stop. No, they had to at the very least do proper introductions. Micah had grown up with Vexen at his side. He’d nurtured her, helped her heal physical, mental, and emotional scars. For him, Vex was just his best friend.

Comparatively for others, she might not be perceived the same.

“Looks quite bedazzled under an ultraviolet light.” he said with a cheeky grin in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

“Vex, come on over and say hello.” he’d add, “Don’t mind her shyness…. she tends to be afraid of meeting new people.”

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

Not particularly understanding what the big deal was, Gabe took the beer in his two hands, softly, and moved over to the island counter top. Pressing the lift, the chair slowly rose in elevation until he was on level with the granite top. Sliding the beer over, he pulled out a scrunchy plastic straw and slid it into the bottle. Eye balling everyone in the kitchen, somewhat flabbergasted, he sighed a sipped loudly from the beer bottle. Piping his head up, he stiffened his back as he looked towards the young man.

"Micah, was it? We met on Ord Vaug, right?"

 

[Avalore Eden]

Going from 0-100 and back again wasn't something accomplished easily by most anyone. Even a Master Jedi Healer. Avalore had yet to shake the shock from her veins and could still feel her heart racing as brown eyes flickered from one face to the next, landing finally on the strange amalgamation of shadow still lingering near Micah.

"Wraith?" the woman piped over the continued crying of her green son, Destin.

Avalore didn't know what a Wraith was, but as the panic wheels in her head slowed their spin she became more cognizant of the fact that ... well, no one else was alarmed. That knee-jerk reaction would get her every time, she was sure. Embarrassment didn't quite describe what she was feeling, but it was pretty close. Lips thin she quietly shushed the baby in her arms and attempted a very small step towards this wraith that was presently at the other end of the kitchen, on the other side of the middle island.

Her frown remained firmly planted on her face.

 

[Vexen]

Vexen froze in place, unsure of herself. A palatable silence would have descended but for Jacen and Gabriel deciding to generally ignore all tension of favour of starting to drink. She took a few tentative steps to draw up beside Micah again. Her head tilted to one side and she regarded him with one eye for a moment. Then her focus turned back to the woman who had only just peeled herself away from the wall. Her little heart still managed to make her pulse thunder within her own thought,

"Umm. Did'n mean to scare you or the little one," she said in a very quiet voice. Her paw had come out of its own accord to tug at the back of Micah's shirt. He was always her anchor in these situations. "Would have though' he was scared a' dogs anyway," she added, pointing to the Felicatian. Perhaps humour would make being mistaken for a household pet a little less painful.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen could sense both fears intertwine through the Force. A deeply unpleasant sensation for him to feel that cocktail mix itself up and reverberate out.

Stali had headed off with the second twin, Gabe had started talking to Micah as the Wraith introduced herself. The Jedi Marshall made a show of stepping close to Destin and pulling a broad grin at him.

Instead he had simply moved closer to Avalore so he could whisper just for her ears: "Are you alright?" His voice was full of concern, despite being barely audible. Just because it wasn't apparent why she'd startled quite as readily as she has, it didn't mean she didn't need their concern.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"] [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Vexen"] @Avalore Eden [member="Meeristali Peradun"]

Things were slowly starting to make a bit more sense.

Bright orange eyes went panning over to another familiar face. AH! Right! Fingers rose up in a gesture of 'ah hah!" "Yes! Org Vrag!" a quick thought back to that time under the tunnels and all.

"You caught me without the mask." a gesture to his swarthy visage along with the friendly grin provoked the following, "Now you leave me no choice but to bribe you into silence."

A glance would shot out towards the woman with the babe, "Pardon the intrusion." and a dip and bow to express remorse at the upstart.

"We only came to visit, didn't expect there to be trouble. I oft forget that most never seen a Wraith before." he would attempt to explain.

"Met her when I was ten." he gestured to his friend, "Found her in the sewers in one of Ithor's floating cities... Skinny little thing." he cast a grin over to [member="Vexen"] 's direction. "But she's filled out since then. You should see her under a black light; lights up brighter than a life-day tree much to her pleasure." he'd say in a light tease, coaxing Vexen to come forward, his hand lightly soothing the Defel by gently cafuning her right behind the ears.

 

[Meeristali Peradun]

No longer wearing merde, Armaud was in a much happier state as the Felacatian descended the stairs with the child in his arms and a shirt on his torso just when the Talith boy was explaining how he'd come to gain the young Defel's company; Stali looked across the way to Avalore and Destin, out of mild concern. He'd already gotten a measure of Vexen, and found her to be no cause for concern.

"She's not going to hurt anyone," he said, backing Micah, his eyes having never left the healer with whom he raised the two boys, "least of all you, cyar'ika."

These words weren't dismissive; rather, they carried the slightest tone of a promise... or a threat, depending on your point of view.

"Let's get these boys fed," he continued, adjusting how Armaud sat against his hip, "and anyone else that hungers," he insisted. The Homestead was a place of care, a safe place, a welcoming one. And fears? Fears were to be faced, and overcome... so for the sake of the young, these fears would not form. He glanced sidelong at Micah and Vexen, then made his way over to Avalore.

"I can take Des off your hands if you need," he said to her, his free hand now on her shoulder, the thumb making little circles, "if you want."

[member="Avalore Eden"] | [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] | [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Vexen"] | [member="Micah Talith"]​

 

[Avalore Eden]

"Uhm..." Avalore stammered, still feeling tense, unable to shake the nerves. She felt foolish under the gaze of everyone here - embarrassed that she couldn't simply see [member="Vexen"] for the harmless thing she really was. Avalore couldn't help it, the creature's presence made her skin crawl and her lungs seize.

"I'm just...nervous is all," the Healer managed to whimper back to [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] just as Stali reappeared through the side kitchen entrance, "I was attacked by two dogs when I was a kid. I've never gotten over it..." she forcefully cleared her throat in an attempt to dislodge the knot forming there. Brown eyes broke their gridlocked stare on the defel long enough to look up at Jacen before Stali's own words helped to break the tension...somewhat.

"She can stay," Ava said in a low voice to Jacen before addressing [member="Meeristali Peradun"] as well, "I'm sorry for being rude about it. I'll feed the boys in the living room, you enjoy your visit with your friends."

 

[Vexen]

[member="Micah Talith"] [member="Avalore Eden"] [member="Meeristali Peradun"]

"I'm sorry," Vexen whispered, paw still firmly holding onto Micah's shirt. She wasn't quite following the dynamic in the room, but then she was only twelve and hardly the most worldly creature. "Wouldn' hurt no one," she reiterated quietly. Her nerves were still jangling, Avalore have given her a serious fright.

Ever so slowly, she rounded on Micah as she picked up on something she'd missed.

"Filled out?" she asked plainly. In this instance, she chose quite deliberately to ignore the rest of his comment altogether.

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

Loud slurping noises originated from the temporarily crippled figure, obnoxiously drinking beer with his green scrunchy straw.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

"Seriously?" Jacen asked incredulously. "I bring you good beer and you drink it through a straw? I don't care if Vornskr knocked half your teeth out, if you're drinking like a university frat you can have the cheap stuff too."

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

He held up his hand to show his still healing scars, totally forgetting that his middle finger was sticking out while all the others were tucked neatly away. "Unless you plan to come and hold it for me, I'll drink with a straw all I want. Thanks."

He drank a bit more. Some might say defiantly.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]

One eyebrow arched just a fraction of an inch. "Of course, you've suffered greatly for your bravery. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help out in your time of need."

He panned, ever so slowly, towards [member="Avalore Eden"]. "Do the twins happen to have sippy cups around?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Hear that everyone?" Gabe broke away from his straw just long enough to point towards Jacen. "He said I'm brave." A grin slowly crawled across his face as he scooted the beer towards him. "Now I see what it takes to get a little recognition."

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"] [member="Micah Talith"] [member="Avalore Eden"] [member="Kana Truden"]

"A man forced to drink good beer through a plastic straw at least deserves some recognition for his troubles," Jacen replied, not managing to keep the twist from his lips.

Sighing he turned back to the Talith sibling and his companion. "Haven't seen you in a good while Micah, shall we grab some chairs - or just park -" he added, looking to Gabe, "- and catch up?

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Gabriel Sionoma"] [member="Avalore Eden"] @Vexen @Meeristali Peradun


"That's a good thing!" recognizing that the Defel was pinpointing on that specific phrase. What was it about women? This is what happened to him. He was surrounded by women and they all had their points of sensitivity.

Thankfully, the scruffy visage of the one they had come to visit came over to finally say hello.

"Hey Jace!" considering the type of family Micah came from, standard greeting was a bit more touchy-feely than others. Micah gave him a good clap on his shoulder, grinning wide. The copper of his eyes went drifting over his friend's face, and a mite bit of concern bloomed as he asked him.

"How are you?" he asked, only to give a slight gesture for the Jedi to pause. A thumb would jut out to point at the door. "We've some fresh Mountain Nerf, already dressed." A dip in his head as a gesture towards Avalore would suggest that it was a house warming gift.

 

[Avalore Eden]

Avalore had since vacated the kitchen for the adjoining living room and set up the highchairs for the boys, managing a smile finally as she overheard the conversation between Jacen and Gabe about the latter's choice of drinking instruments.

"Should have heard him a few days ago, he wanted me to give him beer through his IV. The bendy straw was a compromise."