Faction Naboo Cultural Exchange

[Lancel Atria]

The shadows still obscured his expression. But the sharp punch of breath that left his lips would reveal his displeasure. "And you fancied a prolonged deception would make you appear more trustworthy when the truth finally came to light?" His words were hurried, clipped, and altogether derisive.

Even despite his frustration, and clear disdain for her lies, Lancel found his heart thumping against his chest. A heat rising within him, as it so oft seemed to do when they met like this. Despite the risk, the need persisted.

Hands in his pockets, Lancel finally moved closer, meandering almost through the bars of light and shadow that fell across them.

He had never seen Calypso like this, her fire diminished so greatly. As he contemplated the circumstances, he found her slightness to be oddly comforting. As if it alone was enough to convince him to keep faith with her.

But the reality of Sith deceptions gnawed at him.

His head slowly shook. "By what possible exertion of reason am I to place my faith in you now?" He said, through gritted teeth.

His gaze moved away from her eyes. The gravity of her pulled him, but he resisted.

"What part of our acquaintance has been real? I doubt I even know your true name." He said, as a mere passing complaint.

Clouds passed over the moon, throwing them into momentary darkness. So much so that he could only now feel the slight heat of her presence, as his eyes adjusted to a world without light.

"You killed him..."

| Outfit: xxx | Tag: Taera 'Calypso' |​

 

[Ephram Pryce]

Ephram chuckled at the description of 'fetish' item in terms of the carved statues. The elder Senator was certain Elias Merrow was trying to persuade him not to purchase the folks art but the explanation of their use did quite the opposite. The booth keeper came back around and he indicated he would take two, one for himself and one as a gag gift for Senator Symth.

"I would say then Senator Merrow that these items are perfect. I'll never divulge their origin and it will be quite the interesting conversation starter for those who know their history. Which will not be many given the planet I currently represent. Thank you for you insights this evening, you've been helpful."

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

"They do have a way of becoming the same thing," Briana said, a rueful smile touching her lips. She understood more of that frustration than she could easily explain over the course of an evening. For now, she let the observation rest, following his gaze toward the statue. There was something pleasing about watching someone discover a place she knew so well and had often overlooked or taken for granted. Watching him study the statue, Briana found herself taking to the time to look more closely at the details, herself.

"Was it built by your ancestors? Or did they inherit it when this became their land?" That felt like a safe question.

"A little of both," she answered. "Most believe the temple was commissioned by King Kodo the First, an ancestor on my mother's side. But by the time Evenfall passed to another of my ancestors, Vero Ee'everwest, it was already centuries old."

Her blue eyes shifted, glancing towards him.

"Kodo is said to have designed this entire estate for his wife. According to the legend, he was so jealous of other men's attention that he wanted to keep her here, away from the city. The temple was of course built for the same purpose, so she could come here to pray without ever needing to leave the estate," she continued. "It's why people believe he went to such lengths with it. Everything she might otherwise have gone into Theed for, he made sure could be provided here. The story ends with her jumping to her death to escape him, of course. Supposedly, that's where the name Evenfall comes from. Some historians discount the entire story." Her shoulders gave a soft lift with the admission.

"By the time Vero inherited the estate, much of the temple, and the Estate, had been destroyed during the Time of Suffering. The war that basically created Naboo's entire government system that we still observe today. He had to have it rebuilt."

There was a warmth gathering beneath Briana's words as her sense of pride slowly eked its way out. She'd grown up hearing these names from her mother and her aunt, forced to learn the history of the places she wandered through every day. She could remember how much she hated the lessons as a child, how often she'd complain and grow restless, every time she had to recite the dates and lineages of some person that died centuries ago, when she could see the gardens waiting beyond the windows. Now, she was grateful they'd insisted. In explaining a particular detail, she could almost hear her mother explaining it to her.

"The foundation is believed to still be original, along with some of the stonework along the walls. The goddess though, she was commissioned from Orren Ee'everwest, one of Vero's cousins and one of Naboo's most celebrated sculptors at the time. Vero wanted her to look as much like the original as possible and you can see how much care and thought went into it."

Her gaze travelled upward to the goddess's carved face, a trace of amusement softening her expression.

"When I was a kid, I was terrified she was going to come to life, because of how realistic she looks." She glanced toward Keppler. "Sometimes I could swear I saw her moving."

After a quiet moment, Briana opened her clutch and drew out her datapad again. Her eyes passed over the lack of messages before settling on the time. She'd stopped keeping such careful track of it while they talked, and seeing how late it'd become brought a slight crease to her brow and made her stomach drop all over again. "Uh, I didn't realize how late it was getting. I should probably go and see if I can find my fiancé," she said, returning the datapad. "I may have missed him coming in." She closed the clasp of her clutch and tucked it beneath her arm. "Thank you for keeping me company, and listening to my ramblings, Captain Danvier. I'm glad we had the chance to talk, and it was very nice meeting you." She offered him one small, courteous curtsey, then gathered her skirts and turned to leave.

| Outfit: XoXo | Tag: Keppler Danvier​

 

[Keppler Danvier]

// Temple of Shiraya
// Evenfall Estate

Listening with quiet interest, his expression gradually darkened as Briana explained what had supposedly inspired the estate. A beautiful prison was still a prison.

Jhorna had wanted to leave Naboo, and Keppler had never tried to stop her. At the time, he had considered that an act of trust, perhaps even proof that he was a good husband. Then weeks became months, calls became less frequent, and eventually they discovered that distance had quietly accomplished what neither of them had intended. Perhaps King Kodo had feared something similar.

He understood the fear, better than he cared to admit, but he could not fathom building a cage.

"I think I prefer the historians who believe it is only a story," he said, his tone becoming noticeably more subdued. Though he found himself to have lied, the story was fantastic, and gave the Estate so much more gravitas and tragedy. Not that it was needed.

The story of Briana fearing Shiraya's statue as a child at least coaxed a small smile from him. "I can hardly blame you. I have been staring at her for some time now, and I am not entirely convinced she hasn't been staring back." He thought of the reports he had read of the Force being claiming to be Shiraya. A chill ran up his spine, imaging an invisible being watching from beyond the statues eyes.

When Briana checked the time and announced that she ought to find her fiancé, Kepp straightened and gave her a respectful nod.

"Of course. Thank you for the history lesson, Lady Sal-Soren. I do hope you find him."

He allowed her a moment before adding, almost as an afterthought, "And if your Jedi manage to resolve this Vanguard business, the Outbound Flight could certainly make use of Battle Meditation from time to time. I would be a poor Captain if I failed to extend the invitation."

| Outfit: xxx | Tag: Briana Sal-Soren |​