Faction Jungle Partay (New Cov Temple, Jedi Welcome)

[Iris Arani]

War, war, party with fights, party with terrorist strikes, parties as jobs. There was never a chance just to unwind without something going wrong. At least with others in some kind of party scenario. So.. Yeah. New Cov. Farther away from everyone's problems and such. Maybe. It was at least far from the noble issues and just.. Jedi. A Jedi temple to unwind the Jedi way. Iris let out a sigh as she stood before the Temple's fountain, staring up at the running water. Just patiently trying to let the waters calm her mind.

Somewhat, anyway. It did little to lessen the trouble on her mind. So many dead. Again and again. War really wasn't a place for Jedi, and yet they were needed. What could they do? What was the path forward? What was her path forward, especially with her own Padawan now in combat.

Cailen Corso | Others?

 

[Starlin Rand]

Every now and then, Starlin came to the Fountains to think. It was a good place to stop and rest a while, away from the hustle and bustle of Coruscant and the rush of life. The water ran in a predictable direction, and the current was endless and untiring.

Today, he found that he wasn't alone. That wasn't unusual. Plenty of other people liked coming to the Fountains, drawn there for the same reasons he was. They brought their troubles to be washed away, or their sins to be washed clean. They came seeking a fresh start, a reset, a rejuvenation of the mind.

Most of the time Starlin left them alone, letting them work out their problems on their own without him bothering them. But this time, he felt oddly compelled to approach the young woman sitting on the rim of one of the fountains.

"If you're looking for answers, this isn't the best place for it," he said. "People come here to forget about their problems. Water has no memory; it all just gets swept away." Maybe that was what she was looking for, and he was being presumptuous. But it was the first thing that came to his mind.

"Iris, right?" he asked, giving her a friendly smile. "My name's Starlin. I don't know if you remember me. We were in a few classes together."

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"What makes you think I'm not here to forget?"

She turned her gaze, watching the other that approached. Familiar. Starlin? Her eyes widened for a moment as she did recognize him. Not him exactly, but she did know who he was. The surprise faded as quick as it came, her eyes again settling on the waters.

"I don't remember much, but I do remember a lot more lately. I'm sorry. About Eli."

Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

"I dunno," Starlin replied. "It doesn't seem very Jedi-like to run away from your problems."

He approached the fountain and sat down on the edge, lightly skimming his fingers over the surface of the water.

"Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for Eli. It looks like he lost his family when the Maw attacked Empress Teta, and because of his coma he wasn't there to even attempt to defend them." Starlin set his jaw, then managed a small, hopeful smile. "I have other students, so I'm not idle. And maybe one day, Eli will be able to resume his training. I'll try to be there when that day comes."

"What about you? You're a Knight now. Taken on any apprentices yet?"

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"True. Though I don't plan to forget. Just.. Be at ease, if only for a little while." She shrugged. Being overwhelmed by the sensation of death wasn't something anyone should have to go through. The privilege and curse of being a Jedi.

"One. Zak Dymo. He's a good kid. Sees.. More hears I guess, the Force in a similar way to me. Similar enough to help me think on how to teach him, anyway."

Starlin Rand

 

[BB-4001A]

NEW COV JEDI TEMPLE
[ attire ] [ lightsaber ] [ wristlink ] [ headphones ]

[ cake.by.the.ocean ]​

"WA-HOOOO!"

There'd been talk of a party.

Zak had originally planned to DJ. He'd also brought his xantha, just in case anybody showed up and wanted to show out. Zak had been rocking Jedi Temples for as long as he could remember. He'd rocked Commenor. He'd rocked Coruscant. Kashyyyk even had a Room of a Thousand Speakers (in a soundproofed room) just to try and contain the Padawan Menace's desire to share the music with the entire planet -- if not the galaxy.

Zak's philosophy was a simple one: Our Jedi listen to great music... whether they want to or not.

All of that, however, went out the proverbial window when Zak saw the waterfalls.

Waterfalls led to water.

Water led to swimming.

Swimming led to AWESOME!

...if Master Iris Arani thought she was going to see her padawan, she might require a wetsuit and fins, as the Nautolan had splashed down into the swimming hole behind the Jedi Temple. His headphones turned up, the aquatic teen was a one-man party machine, finding himself in his element in the water even as he danced to the rhythm of the Force that ebbed and flowed through the planet.

So hopefully Starlin Rand could fill in as the party DJ, because Zak had totes checked out for a party waterfall side.

The mouth breathers could shuffle in that ol' Jedi Temple. Under the water would always be where the party be at.

 

[Starlin Rand]

A loud splash temporarily drew Starlin's attention away from Iris. He watched the Nautolan swim in the depths of the Fountains.

"Waterproof headphones? Nice. I gotta get me some of those."

He turned back to Iris, grinning. "You're the one who sees the Force as colors, right? Zak hears it as music, and I hear the Senator from Alderaan can taste it. If we get people who can touch and smell the Force, we'll have the power of all five human senses on our side."

Iris Arani Zak Dymo​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

New Cov, Jedi Temple
Tags: Zak Dymo, Iris Arani , Starlin Rand

​

A retreat to New Cov had sounded mildly interesting. It was the first time Jalen had been out of the Coruscant Temple in a while, and he was excited when he heard it was meant to be a place of peace and relaxation....

"WA-HOOOO!"

And also his roommate was there. Jalen very much wanted to swim. It seemed to be perfectly available, seeing as Zak was not being scolded by the nearby Jedi. Unfortunately, there was a certain fear to what he couldn't see. Water was strange. There was life in it, usually on the micro scale, but any body seemed to have no sign of finality. It was like feeling a void beneath your feet, locked in a place with no end. In that way, the water was very much like the sky to Jalen, another equally terrifying unknown.

"R-right," he muttered to himself, prodding at the surface of the swimming hole behind the temple. "I-its fine. There's a bottom."

Jalen didn't budge. He simply sat there, curled up at the edge of the water, his empty eyes gazing towards where he assumed it to be.

Was there a bottom?

 

[BB-4001A]

[ hakuna.matata ]​

Zak had swam out a little further than he'd realized.

Which, wasn't his roomie supposed to have been right behind him? What had happened to Pirate Bro?

Subconsciously, the Nautolan adjusted his body's buoyancy as he arced upward. Gliding to the surface, the boy's head broke the surface. Large, black eyes fluttered open, as he swallowed to clear his sinuses and prepare for the gulp of air that marked the transition from water to air respiration.

There he was. The Brave Pirate Bro: Cabin Boy edition. On the shore. Where the water wasn't.

"Bruh," the aquatic uttered, wading forward until he was close enough to the edge that he found some footing. Walking forward, the boy stood waist-deep as he motioned to the lake.

...yes, Jalen couldn't see him gesturing.

...no, Zak wasn't smart enough to catch on to that fact.

"Ready. Set. Get wet!"

Iris Arani Starlin Rand Jalen Kai'el​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Speak of the devil, mm?"

She snickered, watching Zak dive under the water and go off to.. Get another Padawan? Iris tilted her head, watching them just for a moment. Wasn't the boy blin- Oh dear. Nope, Zak was going to have to learn that at some point. God speed, young Padawan.

"Alicio technically can smell the Force too. Taste and scent go hand in hand. Which means we're only touch away from being human."

Starlin Rand | Zak Dymo | Jalen Kai'el

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Alicio technically can smell the Force too. Taste and scent go hand in hand. Which means we're only touch away from being human."

"That's right!" Starlin snapped his fingers. "I wonder if he thinks any of us smell bad, poor guy..."

It looked like Iris was in better spirits now that her Padawan was getting into some shenanigans. Or maybe it was just a distraction. Starlin opted not to pry, instead reaching into his pocket and retrieving some ancient-looking coins. After tossing a coin into the fountain, he offered Iris another one. "Make a wish?"

Iris Arani Zak Dymo Jalen Kai'el

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris stared blankly at the coin. It was confusing enough he tossed one in. Especially with how old they looked. Weren't those relics? Why? ".. What are you doing? Aren't you an archeologist? Shouldn't you know how to handle artifacts like that?" She did take the coin. If only to keep him from throwing that into the well like the other.

"What do you mean make a wish?"

Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

".. What are you doing? Aren't you an archeologist? Shouldn't you know how to handle artifacts like that?"

"It's an old tradition. You throw a coin into a fountain and make a wish for something." He grinned as she took one. "I do a little archaeology, yeah. These coins are basically worthless. There's tons of them in circulation throughout the galaxy. I keep them literally just to throw them into water."

Iris Arani​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

New Cov, Jedi Temple
Tags: Zak Dymo, Iris Arani , Starlin Rand

​

"W-Wait!"

It was to late however. Jalen had gone down face first into the water. Sinking down into the infinite, wet void, no clear end in-

In a few seconds, Jalen could feel his body settle gently on the bottom of the pool. He sat up, finding the water to be up to his shoulders in such a position. He reasoned that, if he were to stand, it would probably go up to about his waist. The young padawan's face flushed up, becoming red with embarrassment. He had probably looked stupid.

"Oh," he muttered, letting out a faint sigh of relief. "J-jeez. A little warning next time would be nice."

Jalen could faintly overhear the talking of the nearby knights, one of whom he was sure was a friend of Jasper's. He had seen him talk to her a few times, or felt her presence from a distance to be more exact. Were they talking about him? He only heard murmurs, so it was hard to tell, and he couldn't make out what exactly they were looking at on account of not being able to see. That only increased his nervousness and embarrassment.

 

[Iris Arani]

".. Humans are weird."

It had to be a human tradition. Humans were the weirdest of all species she'd met in her lifetime. Still, why not make a wish. She looked back to the fountain, ready to toss a coin in. Make her wish. As Jalen fell into the waters. She blinked slowly. Shame flashed in the colors. Embarrassment.

No hurt. That was enough for her to just play it off and turn her gaze back to her own wish. No one liked to be stared at.

"What'd you wish for?"

Starlin Rand | Zak Dymo | Jalen Kai'el

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Good thing I'm only half human." Starlin winked, allowing his antennapalps to briefly emerge from amidst his curly hair.

In front of them, the blind Padawan had fallen into the fountain. He looked a bit embarrassed, but was unharmed.

"Galactic peace, of course," he replied, doing his best Miss Universe impression. "Nah, I wished that all the Padawans of our generation would grow up well-adjusted. I want absolutely no stinkers turning rotten and going over to the Dark Side. Don't want anyone to slip through the cracks, either."

Iris Arani Jalen Kai'el Zak Dymo​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Mm. Then you're only half weird." Iris nodded once as if that was fact before glancing back to the water. And her expression soured almost immediately.

"Guess that just means these wish things don't work at all. Kinda a shame." There were already a couple who fell through the cracks. She tossed the coin back his way before turning to sit on the edge, turn her gaze out towards the temple instead.

"It's peaceful here, at least."

Starlin Rand | Zak Dymo | Jalen Kai'el

 

[Starlin Rand]

"You mean we've already lost a few?" Starlin grumbled, pocketing the coin she had tossed back to him. "Chit... Who is it, and what happened to 'em?"

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Kai's in jail. Thalia fell to the dark, though I got her back." Corin, too. Though she was pretty sure that was supposed to be a secret for the time being. That, and she was tired of having a hand in all these problems.

She laughed. More scoffed, but it was still a laugh.

"I seem to be involved in all the cases, one way or another."

Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Kai is in jail?" Starlin hadn't heard about that, nor had he heard about Thalia. Granted, neither case particularly surprised him. "I'm glad Thalia's back, at least. I wouldn't count the redeemed among the rotten." He tossed another coin in. "Here's a wish for Kai to make a comeback."

"I seem to be involved in all the cases, one way or another."

"Huh, no kidding?" He studied Iris, wondering if she was hinting at something, or merely remarking upon a strange coincidence. "I mean, the Jedi are a pretty close-knit group. Pretty much everybody knows everyone else. It might not have anything to do with you, is what I mean."

Iris Arani​