Private Nice Day For Fishin', Ain't It?

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Aiden Porte
Location: Commenor

When was the last time she just got to go fishing? Life had been pretty chaotic from her. Moving from one thing to the next. Pushing herself harder and harder to make herself known on the Galactic Stage. But there was a part of her wondering if it was worth it in the end? What was the odds that she'd just been discarded and thrown off to the side like she always had been? People she had trusted and needed had nearly always abandoned her. There was only a small selection, perhaps one or two people who hadn't. There was a part of Reina, a large part that was growing more and more every day, that believed everyone would abandon her. Her life would always be a lonely one. That was her belief. Someone like her didn't deserve happiness.

Even if it might not be the actual truth, it was the truth for Reina as she sat out at the ocean, whipping her fishing line off ahead of herself. She couldn't help but wonder if she was like the fish that she was trying to catch. Had she been baited and caught on a hook? Was she being reeled in by the Sith? The dagger at her hip felt oddly heavy at that thought, as it made her more keenly aware of the darkness flowing through her. Strength. Power. All that she tried to deny. She didn't want to be some kind of Dark Knight. But was she truly even a Knight? Or was she just some foolish girl playing dress up? Cosplaying as a Knight, serving a Queen that may have been taking advantage of her? She was far too used to that. People trying to take advantage of her. Especially those of the Sith.

It was why she had sent a rather simple holo message to Aiden Porte . Reina needed to talk to someone. About what had been going on with her life. None of the people she interacted with closely right now were suitable. Quinn didn't want to talk about Brosi, and Reina wasn't ready to talk to Quinn fully about her fears. Of course the Echani perhaps knew some of them from when Reina had talked about Serina in the past...Yet there was also Darth Carnifex. And there was no chance Reina would open up to her Dark Master, just yet. She didn't know how to feel around him. With Valery and Everest also nowhere to be found, there was only person Reina trusted enough not to judge her. And so she continued to fish, just waiting for Aiden's arrival.

​

 

[Aiden Porte]

Reina Daival​

Aiden's ship had touched down several minutes earlier, and by the time he reached the shoreline, he had everything he needed in hand. A simple fishing kit, a small tackle case, and a cooler slung comfortably at his side. He was dressed far from his usual Jedi appearance, wearing casual outerwear better suited for the sea breeze and salt air than temple halls or battlefields.

From a distance, he spotted Reina near the water's edge, her line already cast, her silhouette quiet against the ocean. Aiden smiled the moment he saw her. It was genuinely good to hear from her, and more than that, he was glad she had chosen to reach out. He had always felt close to Reina in his own way. There was a protectiveness there, something almost like an older brother looking out for a younger sister.

As he drew near, he called out to her in a warm, familiar tone.

"Hey you."

He set his gear down a few feet from where she sat, careful to leave enough distance so their lines would not tangle. He did not press her with questions right away. He did not force the moment. Instead, he moved with calm ease, opening his tackle case, hooking bait onto the line, and casting it out into the water with a smooth flick of his wrist.

Only then did he glance over at her, the corner of his mouth lifting into a soft smile.

"It is good to see you, Reina."

His tone was light and simple, but the warmth in it carried more than the words alone. He settled in beside his gear, one hand resting loosely on the rod as the waves rolled in and out.

For a moment, he just sat with her in the quiet, letting the ocean speak first.

Aiden had not come to drag answers out of her, nor to corner her with questions she was not ready to face. He had come because she asked him to, and that alone meant enough. If she wanted silence for a while, he would sit in silence. If she wanted to fish and talk about nothing at all, he could do that too. And if she wanted his advice, truly wanted it, then he would give it without hesitation.

He glanced over at her with a small, reassuring smile, then looked back out toward the water.

For a while, he simply focused on the line and the sea breeze, giving her the comfort of his presence without demanding anything in return. There was a steadiness to him in that moment, the kind that said she did not need to perform, explain, or pretend.

Aiden was just there, beside her, as a good friend.