Of Fallen Stars | The Confederacy

[Kelsie Sylvan]

She smiled right back at him. Compliments weren't something she thought much of, especially when they were directed at her, but she tried her best to stay genuine here -- that was what she wanted most out of a relationship like this. "That makes me feel pretty good, y'know?"

Nik was right, Kahlil was in the best hands that she knew -- after all she trusted no one more than herself. But perhaps Kahlil would start trusting himself a little more. She'd taught him just about everything -- or at least, parts of everything. Considering how well he'd picked up on it he was probably superior to most commandos... so long as he kept up those skills constantly. Kelsie had been slacking a little herself, but she felt this little night off was warranted. Tonight was special, or at least she'd make it special.

"You should come with me sometime, then. Get away from all the advertisements," she said with a smile. Perhaps it was in a slightly joking tone, but the offer was real. She wanted him to come with her, even for a short while. So they could travel, explore, live... she wanted something a little spontaneous from him, but it wasn't something she was counting on. He had the right to his own life, and that was something she'd respect until he decided to come with her.

Next steps, though... "No idea," she said with a shrug. "The galaxy will take us where it will, I guess. And that's fine by me." She smiled to him again. With a special someone by your side, you can do just about anything.

[member="Niklaas Azthal"]

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

Location: Lyceum
Wearing: Nothing, but polished very well
Projected Face: Human

LE-03 (known to a chosen few as 'Leigh') was currently in her least dangerous configuration, having set her arm cannon to concussive shots and dialed the intensity down as far as could be managed, but no one had to know that other than her partners. Calculations had shown that the figure she cut, towering over all the humans and many of the droids at this particular gathering, served as an excellent deterrent for anyone who might be willing to interfere with their shipment.

Granted, this was far from the most dangerous shipment the AI had ever had to deal with. Tray upon tray of delicate pastries were wheeled out from the back kitchens; Leigh noted with bemusement that the smell already had caught the interest of several well-dressed patrons. One, a man in an expensive suit (a quick Holonet search revealed his name to be [member="Kei Raxis']), was already headed to the table where her partner [member="Vidalu Na'an'] was stationed. Several more were also drifting in their direction, Karre Noba had chosen this assignment well, if not the workers; every pastry rolling out of these kitchens had been made with flour ground out of the tritacale they had grown over the last season. If things worked out well here, a high-society event on a planet high in the Confederacy, the value of her simple farming operation could rise over 500% in resulting trade contracts. It was a gamble, to be sure--tritacale flour was not a common ingredient in these circles--but their employer had asked Leigh to check her numbers. Karre Noba was a brutally clever woman; if she decided to take this shot, it was the job of LE-03 and her crew to see it through.

It would have helped if Leigh had been able to discard the cannon, but she would do the best she could.

Which meant helping to defuse Na'an's embarrassment before her rising temperature caught the curtains on fire.

Kicking an inactive processor to life, Leigh made a quick assessment. Her other partner, [member="Adelle Bastiel"], had been remarkably quick in unloading the last of their cargo for the kitchen droids to work with. Once the last droid rolled off, its happy beeping muted by the flour sack it carried, the two of them would essentially be done for the night, and free to enjoy the festivities. That was, Leigh surmised, likely Na'an's motivation for taking the one task in this job she was least suited for. Both she and Leigh knew that Adelle had not been sleeping well again, and both of them had an idea what that likely meant.

The Healer deserved to enjoy her night.

Which meant Leigh had an additional reason to ensure success.

"I believe that means we are finished," the droid finally said, flipping rapidly through her library of holographic projections. A quick scan of the Lyceum noted no non-human attendees to this particular occasion, and she settled on a face to match--the blonde, freckled face her partners still liked to think of as her 'signature'. "I will ensure everything here proceeds smoothly while you change. Unless you intend to socialize in what you are wearing now?"

 

[Genesis Rostu]

Location: The Gardens, Nivek​

Tag: [member="Valencia Hadley"]​

She rivaled the Starlight.

When the Viceroy turned at the sound of his voice, Genesis was afforded the opportunity to truly appreciate her efforts. Just by a glance, he could guesstimate how long she had spent fretting before the mirror, cycling through options and narrowing down her ensemble for the evening. Her radiance brought back old thoughts - of hours spent sitting upon her sofa whilst she got ready. Of being the judge whose opinion truly didn't matter when it came to "option A or B" - but he would always try regardless. The smile those memories plastered upon his face was warm and punctuated by a slight chuckle. When she answered him, the chuckle escalated a a hearty laugh.

"Lead the way, Haddie. The worst that can happen is we ask for directions." The clone clearly thought he was funny and strode along after the woman. It felt natural that she led the way, as this was typically her element. The limelight, social gatherings, and anything which revolved around public perception were where Genesis gladly stepped back. He preferred it that way, and would always follow where she led at a gala. But...there was something more to it than just social events in truth. Valencia always was the one who blazed the trail in their relationship, whereas Genesis tended to cling to idealistic things. She grounded him and steered him forward; and in turn he was her pillar of strength.

His lengthy strides put him right where he belonged - beside her - where his arm was casually offered for her to take. She didn't expect him to say no, huh? Well, that was...painfully accurate. But, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of a verbal admission. Instead, he simply chuckled aloud and grinned as she spoke. When it came to the matter of finding her however, he was happy to share. "I asked where the most stunning woman of the evening was. They pointed me here - after which I just took rights until I found the Viceroy." Okay, he really thought that he was clever - even when he clearly was not.

Jests aside, Valencia had invited him to catch up...and the scabs of the past were itching. The clone couldn't help but say: "I should have followed your lead."

The admission carried years' worth of weight and dove straight into the moment their paths diverged. A much younger Clone held a gilded perspective of the Republic he served. He was proud to be a Commando. Proud to protect the "cradle of Democracy." But Valencia...she swam in the ocean of their corruption and saw the downfall leagues off. She made the hard decision to leave everything that they had killed for behind...but Genesis couldn't follow. He wouldn't. He should have. His life would have been do much different. The blood he wasted on the Republic would have preserved and, above all, he would have wasted precious years away from her.

He should have followed her lead. That much was the simple truth.

 

[Maur]

(wrong character)

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

"I believe that means we are finished," the droid finally said, flipping rapidly through her library of holographic projections. A quick scan of the Lyceum noted no non-human attendees to this particular occasion, and she settled on a face to match--the blonde, freckled face her partners still liked to think of as her 'signature'. "I will ensure everything here proceeds smoothly while you change. Unless you intend to socialize in what you are wearing now?"

Their pallets finally empty, Adelle straightened and stretched her arms as far as she could over her head. Tension released along her spine and she relaxed with a huff, wiping back her sweat-slicked hair. She snorted at Leigh's insinuation and turned around, flinging her arms open wide so that her drenched tunic was fully visible. Even without sleeves, she had worked up quite a sweat.

"Na'an needs to tweak your humor setting," she said. "It's a little off."

She knelt and pulled the pallet onto one side, beginning to stack them off to one side of their loading dock as they had been instructed. "First time in a long time we get to party? No way in Corellia's nine hells am I not dressing up for it."

First things first, she thought as she made a neat stack: she badly needed a shower. When the pallets were stacked finally, she nodded to [member="Leigh"] and then quickly made her way to the Hawk. It was time to relax a bit.

 

[Vyra Silara]

Location: Approaching Fountains
Target: [member="Vyra Silara"]
Objective: 'Social Interaction'

When he stopped behind her, just out of arm's reach, he paused a long moment, wondering how he should interrupt her. Should he? His eyes lowered, and then he realized that this was another combat simulation - hesitation got you killed. Don't shy from an ambush; embrace it. "Mind if I join you?" He asks, baritone muffled by his mask.

"You seem..." the word struggled to form in his mind, "...preoccupied."

- Location -​

[Capital City Fountains And Celebration Vendors]: ‘Artemesia’s Solace’ fountain​

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- Appearance -​

Simplicity​

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- Status -​

Interacting with: [member='Carbon']​

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[[OOC Note]]​

If you choose to interact, please know my replies will be very slow as I am still sick. Thanks for your patience! <3​

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The comment pulled her immediately from her reverie. Vyra perked up and shifted, turning to meet the voice with a ready smile and a handful of possible options for continuing conversation.

The slightest parting of her lips and the softest of startled intakes was all the indication she gave of her surprise at the being before her eyes.

She’d come to expect the unexpected at any gathering featuring the Confederacy, and years of working with, living with and loving some of the more…’extraordinary’ individuals of this universe had indeed left her lacking in the shock-value reaction department. Though, she couldn’t say the masked vision before her wasn’t jarring, to some degree. It was.

But it would be horribly rude of her to let it show.
Besides, as she acclimatized to his choice (or, perhaps, a necessary look to allow him to breath? She wondered…) of outfit, her interest grew.

There was the quickest of pauses as the brunette regathered her thoughts. “I suppose I was for a moment there,” she admitted, her cordial but curious gaze lingering on the newcomer in the peculiar gear. “This alcove reminds me of Naboo. Family I’ve lost, friends I’ve…let go of.”
Not wishing to make him too uncomfortable, Vyra swept a glance back at the statue of Artemesia, dipping a few fingers in the murky water as she ushered along a few wayward nightlily petals struggling to regroup with the rest. They bobbed along the surface, glowing like the stars above. “But it does not do to dwell on the past and forget to live in the present.” She smiled softly at him, a hint of levity in her voice. “So thank you, for saving me from my memories.”

He was close enough that the Viceroy didn’t have to rise to extend her dry hand in greeting. “Viceroy Queen Vyra Silara of Relovian, please, join me.” She’d been tempted to forgo formal titles, but she was still getting to know her fellow Confederates and she couldn’t do that unless she knew everyone’s roles. “I can’t promise it’s as exciting over here as it is on the dance floor, but if you were looking for a break from the tambourines, you certainly found the right spot.”

 

[Helly Reyne]

Location: Fountains
Outfit: Get a load of this
Tags: [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

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Helly had gathered a bit of a crowd in her corner of the block, singing to the tune of a local guitarist. He didn't know the chords to any song by Hartlite, so she had to compromise and perform popular songs she could remember by heart. It wasn't like she was new to covering those songs, but they weren't hers, and so there was less of a personal connection to them.

"Please take me out of my body up through the palm trees to- smoke my nirvana just temporarily. Floating, my senses surround my body, I- wake my nose to smell those teen years burn."

What followed was a series of "la-da-da's" that she used as an opportunity to gaze out at the audience, barely catching a glimpse of [member="Scherezade deWinter"] making her way on by. When the song came to its end, Helly quickly gave props to the guitarist and let him receive the audience's admiration as she slipped past the crowd, quickly chasing after the Obsidian Knight with a brisk walk.

"Madalena!" she announced with a smile across her face, hoping to catch her attention. "Like the dress! How've you been?" She may not have known Madalena all that well, and Scherezade even less so, but staying in good faith with the woman seemed practical for someone in Helly's position. Not to mention, she needed more friends in the CIS.

 

[Valencia Hadley]

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Location: The Gardens, Nivek
Tag: [member="Genesis Rostu"]​

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Haddie... There it was again. She shot him a look as he came up beside her, the smile having died on her lips. She wouldn't be able to keep that displeased look in place for long, however, as she shifted the empty champagne flute to the hand that held her shoes and slid her arm around his. The movement was so automatic for her that she didn't even really think about it until the shimmery material of her sleeve lay across the arm of his jacket. As they walked along beside one another, she also found her mind wandering to a different time - nights spent in similar states, her shoes in her hand, her arm wrapped around his, musing about the evening's gossip while he patiently walked her to the car. Though in earnest, most of those nights she'd had way more than just one small flute of champagne.

Those thoughts brought the smile back, and for a time she remembered how easy that life had been - how easy life with him had been. He had a way with her that made everything feel simple, made her feel safe and comfortable with such ease that it was staggering at times... But all that mattered next to nothing when the time had come for him to choose. When it became apparent that his choice wasn't going to be her she had done what needed to be done to protect herself. She was always the one that was better at doing what needed to be done.

His jokes about how he'd found her did produce a small smile upon her lips, those pale blue eyes lifting from the grass where they had settled to find his own. There was honest joy there, causing tiny lines at the edges of her eyes as she gave his arm a small squeeze. Her head bowed forward a touch as she tugged herself in close against the side of him, hugging the arm she held for a brief moment before relaxing again, continuing to walk along beside him. "You know, Gen, if I didn't know better I would think that you were mocking me." She glanced up once more to give him a playful wink.

All pretense of joking fell flat at his next statement, however. I should have followed your lead. She couldn't stop the immediate pang of pain that rocketed through her chest from bleeding into the pale blue depths that had been gazing back into his own sable eyes. Valencia looked down at her feet almost instantly, but she knew how poorly she'd done at keeping that brief moment of pain from her eyes... The number of times she'd thought her mask was perfectly in place and he'd seen right through - and this time she hadn't even had time to try and hide it. Her pace slowed, that arm that was wrapped around his acting as an anchor. They'd come across one of those little nooks in the hedges that occurred every so often, a small stone bunch illuminated by the warm yellow glow of the lights along the top of the greenery. It was an idyllic little spot if the Viceroy would have looked up from the grass she was starting at so diligently.

"You're right." Her voice was low, barely above a whisper as she turned her face up to look into his. Her expression was trained to appear perfectly neutral, those that look in her eyes was still there. "You should have followed me. You should have trusted me, Gen..." Her voice broke on the end of his name as she felt a twist in her chest. She took the briefest of moments to swallow around that pain and continued, still not sounding fully herself, "I would never have steered you wrong, you know that, right? I would have done whatever it took to keep us both safe if you had just trusted me... I would have given you the stars." She carefully removed her arm from his as she finally took stock of where they stood, moving to seat herself on the small stone bench, setting her shoes and the empty glass in the grass at her feet. The blonde moved her hands to rest in the pool of shimmering golden fabric against her lap and regarded him.

"Though I don't suppose you need me for that now... You've done exceptionally well for yourself, Grand Marshal Rostu." She offered him a tired smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes.

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Location: Lyceum, near the kitchens
Attire: Working Wear
Tags: [member="Kei Raxis"]

Na'an took another deep breath, and did her best to discreetly wipe the sweat from her hands. Most of the people who came to the table didn't really notice her at all; their eyes seemed to glance off her on their way to the cheese tarts, and if they heard any of the nonsense she was rattling off they weren't acknowledging it. That didn't make her feel any better, no, but knowing no one was staring at her scars or the roughness of her palms did keep things at an even keel...and if Vidalu Na'an prided herself on one thing it was her ability to endure pressure.
This was nothing. This was nothing. Mandalore had been worse. Felucia had been worse, psychologically speaking. Kashyyyk had been hilarious, but still worse. And Yavin IV, that had been worlds worse. No one was trying to kill her or [member="Leigh"] or [member="Adelle Bastiel"], there were no explosions or ship chases or mercenaries, this is just a bunch of rich people at a terrible party! Hell, there was even a chance that she'd be able to beat most of them in a fair fight.

If this were a fair fight. As it was, this was their battlefield, and she wasn't even a combatant.

Which, Na'an thought as she organized a fresh tray, was the most comforting thought she'd had the whole night.

Another patron was approaching the table, a curly-haired guy in a suit that must have cost as much as Na'an's ship. She made herself smile again, and gestured to the new tray, praying to whatever gods were listening that she'd gotten all the moisture off her palms. "You're in luck, sir, we've just pulled a fresh batch. Careful with the ones on the left, though--doroon tends to retain heat when baked. " She pointed to the most delicate-looking item on the tray, a fluffy nest of pastry with a single dollop of the purple stuff at its heart.

 

[Daxton Bane]

Daxton’s patience, what little there is, was wearing thin. One merely had to look at the sigms to see that the Zabrak was clearly more than a little agitated. The way he glanced at each guest in his vicinity with orange tinged gaze, as if by gazing upon them hard enough he would be able to find his target. His nostrils flared in impatience as he mutters under his breath about the ten thousand tortures he wouinflict if she did show up.

Then suddenly out of shadows on his left, a figure dressed in grey and gold appeared amd greeted him. “Good evening Lord Daxton. Such a lovely evening dont you agree?”

“You’re late.” He said in an accusatory manner. “The information should be worth this insult.”

“No insult was intended your grace. Sometimes things happen beyond our control and well things just happen. Do you have what I need in return?”

 

[Djonas Vile]

The Lyceum


A dark skinned male entered the Lyceum. He wore a black suit, finely tailored to his form and made out of fine fabrics that one would think was only attainable by the most premier tailors. A small smirk graced his visage as he walked about, basking in the festivities and merrymaking. Djonas felt a bit out of place being in the public eye again, but he was also eager to make a name for himself. So many new faces he noticed in the Confederacy. Young faces, even. Naive to the history of the Confederacy. The true past. Some familiar faces were around, but none that Djonas knew intimately.

Djonas found himself a seat. Alone. From there he looked around the immediate area, his eyes shifting from face to face. A quick lean to his right and he grabbed a glass of champagne. It was red in color and delightfully bubbly. He took a quick sip, teasing his taste buds with the sweet beverage. As Djonas looked on, a pair of women, dressed rather promiscuously, walked over to him and, without a word, sat beside him. They held onto his arms, wrapping their arms around his. They're smiles sparkled in the light as they giggled softly.

"I'm sorry, but, do I know you ladies?" Djonas asked with an awkwardly forced smile on his face.

"No, sir, but we know you." one said, giggling.


[member="Alwine Lechner"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Fountains
Wearing: Dress
Wielding: 5 Czerka knives [concealed under the dress]
Tags: [member="Helly Reyne"] + Feel free to join!

There was a glass of drink in her hand. Not the cheap stuff that she had gorged on while being a broken drunkard, but something fancy shmancy with bubbles. One of the waiters walking around with trays had just given it to her, as if she was among equals, as if she was somewhat a genuine part of the group that had gathered at the festival to celebrate.

Scherezade wasn't sure what to make of it. The flow of it all seemed so natural to everybody else, like this was just any other day. But it wasn't. Not for her, anyway. For her, it was borrowed time, a mere few days or weeks before she'd come clean and this would all end. Everything inside of her knew that parading around pretending to be Madalena was wrong; not because she was fooling others, but because she was directly profiting, albeit in the most pathetic of ways, from the work that the woman who was her sister from another dimension had put in during all these months while she thought she was her. It would be years of hard work before she could properly make it up to Madalena.

And despite had done, Madalena had thanked her. For saving her, even if she hadn't known that was what she'd done. For giving her a second chance to live as she was meant to. Oh, she was furious as well; did not enjoy the prospect of having her memories tampered with in any sort of way. Furious that she had found someone to give her heart to but could not truly be the one to inform him what happened. Furious that she was going to have to design herself on her own once she had her body. But in the end… Madalena not only had understood. She wanted to remain, but not just remain – but to be sisters. In the fullest sense of the word. It was Scherezade's single point of brightness thus in the mess that had been in part created by herself. And she wished that Madalena already had her body, that she would be here with her, that they would be holding arms and smiling and united as true sisters ought to be.

Such were the thoughts crowding Scherezade's mind until she realized someone had called her. No, not her. Madalena.

She turned around, glowing green yes falling on a beautiful mess of pink that brought a genuine smile to her face. "Hey!" she returned, her mind reeling to remember the woman's name. Not one of Madalena's friends, no. She was quite certain of that. A mission partner?

Scherezade twirled around herself to show the dress off. "Busy," she answered, realizing quickly that Madalena would never answer something so distant, "been working my butt off with all these missions they got me going on. And then what do I do the one free evening I'm given? I march right back here to spend it with the rest of the Confederates," she laughed. Yeah. That sounded more Madalena. But wait, this pink dressed woman, wasn't she on stage a few moments ago? "How was your gig?" she asked, "got any audience members to cry with emotion?"

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

Location: Lyceum, then the Fountains
Attire: None, but polished very well
Projected Face: Human
Potential Tags: [member="Vyra Silara"], [member="Curupira Hawk"], [member="Scherezade deWinter"], [member="Carbon"], [member="Niklaas Azthal"], [member="Kelsie Sylvan"] (leaving it open for interpretation, first come first serve--literally)

"First time in a long time we get to party? No way in Corellia's nine hells am I not dressing up for it."

Leigh flashed her friend a human-projected smile. "At least you require no coercion. Enjoy your night."

With that, the droid bent slightly and swept through the kitchen door.

The Lyceum was slowly getting into the swing of the party. Richly-dressed celebrants dotted the polished stone floor, which reflected the twinkling lights embedded in the crystalline ceiling. Leigh weaved through them as gracefully as her bulk could manage, murmuring polite pardons whenever the gap between her and one of the humans grew too narrow. It did not take long to reach the food tables, where an increasingly red-faced [member="Vidalu Na'an"] was fielding more and more requests. LE-03 had calculated correctly when she decided to assist--without help, the probability that her human partner would embarrass herself skyrocketed. Rather than interrupt her transaction with [member="Kei Raxis], she sidled past Na'an to reach for one of the trays under the table, acknowledging her friend only with a solemn wink. In a single smooth motion, she swept the tray up to her cannon arm, sliding it onto a mag-lock she had installed for the occasion. Then she was away, gliding back into the smattering of people on the still-unused dance floor.

The tactic was simple--she would bring the food to their patrons, rather than having the patrons go to Na'an. The more patrons Leigh could without requiring them to leave their spots, the fewer of them to cause her partner undue stress. She calculated her strategy quickly as she strode towards the far end of the Lyceum, and decided to start in one of the alternative areas--after all, preventing them from needing to enter they Lyceum for food at all would be optimal. The droid shouldered the gates to the fountains open easily, and approached the first couple she could see.

"Pardon," she said in her gentlest of human tones, "Refreshments?"

She then lowered the tray smoothly to the human eyeline. It was with a note of irony that she noted that despite her inhumanity, she was by far the best at this out of the three. Being able to scientifically modulate your voice was quite useful, and it really was not too difficult to make a holographic smile look genuine.

 

[Alwine Daye]

Location: The Lyceum
Wearing: Dress
Tags: [member="Djonas Vile"] + Feel free to join

Alwine was lost. Not in the sense that she did not know where she was, for that she knew too well at this point. But she did not know why she was here at all. The mood for festivities was entirely lost on the young Lupine. It appeared that recently nothing in her life was going according to any plans; her brother was still intent on sharing his life with the dog that was ruining his family, the men who were training Alwine had disappeared one by one, and as a result, her own progress, both in her personal life and her professional life, was halted.

She had some alternate plans, yes. There was an idea that had been slowly developing in the back her mind, one that she had first thought of when she stepped on Confederate soil that was not of Stewjon, and had learned about the volume of things she would have to learn simply to catch up and be on par with the average Confederate. She had also made huge strides to that direction, but her idea; that she had left entirely untouched. At least for now.

Chocolate brown eyes scanned the people gathered. Many of them seemed happy. One ([member="Djonas Vile"]) she was not sure about. The skanky women who put themselves on him like a moth eaten scarf on a homeless seemed… Out of place? Since when did the Confederacy include skankily dressed females anyway?

Alwine decided to just continue to openly look. If the women tried something stupid, she would not object to a good fight.

 

[Carbon]

Location: Fountains
Objective: Continue Interactions with [member="Vyra Silara"]

It wasn't a reaction he expected. More accurately, it was a reaction he'd been told to expect. Widening eyes, a vague part to the lips; perhaps a subtle start. It was natural, he'd been told. Masks weren't common among the citizenry. At least, not this kind of mask. He'd been warned about psychological masks, of the kind a spy might wear to veil their real identity and intentions, but it had taken him quite some time to wrap his head around that particularly abstract idea. Naboo? He'd been there.

Once.

His mind tracked back to an auburn haired woman, staring at him with a feline's intensity, obscured by shadow near the top of the stairs upon which she sheltered. Vaguely, he recalled the gentle echo of a piano, playing in a gilded room, it's sound reflecting from the same glass that let in the mid-day sun. And through it, that deathly stillness from the woman. All it had taken was the barest flicker of his attention - a bird landing on the railing outside - and she was gone when his attention returned.

The Primogenitor never acknowledge who the woman was. But Carbon had learned of her identity later.

Ironic, then, him saving her from her memories when his own seemed jogged by her words.

"You would be right, of course." He remarks, taking the invitation and sitting himself on fountain's edge with his back to the water. Where her focus was inward, to the water and the statue behind, his was outward and wary. A stoop of the shoulders, a head on a swivel, and there was no mistaking he was keeping himself alert for the moment. "You will pardon me, I'm sure, Queen Silara, if I don't salute you as I should." He smiled tightly and without humor beneath his mask. "It would not do to give away your station with such a display, even here among friends."

It was then he realized that his years of training had instilled in him the same paranoia as that which he'd seen in his Father. Carbon found himself hoping he'd find the necessary balance his father had, at some point in the future.

The lenses of his mask turned to her, and in the dim light it was easy to catch the suggestion of his eyes beneath - human eyes, obscured by darkness. With his legs parted for stability, he rested his forearms down the inside of his thighs and clasped his hands together between them. His attention would roam periodically, surveying their surroundings before returning to her. "If we're being formal, I'm Clone Trooper Zero-Zero-Zero-Zero-One. Or, colloquially, 'Carbon.' I'm afraid I don't dance, but I've been in enough trenches to hold a conversation, which it seemed you needed."

 

[Kaden Farr]

Capital City Fountains
Nivek
Wearing: xxx

Tag: [member="Maur"]​

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Kaden had been content to watching the crowd as they parted for a massive cat. The creature reminded him of Ra's warmaster. She seemed to be quite proud of herself for managing to care two large pints of whatever passed for alcohol at this celebration, and sat down to observe the crowd. Her eyes moved his direction, and he simply just nodded. To his surprise she shoved a pint into his chest with some force, still managing not to spill a drop. This woman was impressive in that regard.

The mando'ad nodded again as he let out a sigh and took the mug into his hand.

"Thank you," he simply replied before taking a healthy gulp of the potent drink.

The liquid burned the entire way down, and Kaden coughed once he was certain all the contents in his mouth had reached his stomach. It was certainly better than ti'har when it come to the strength of the drink. Kaden found that to be something this culture had gotten right.

"They seem to know how to make a stiff drink here."

It was a way to make light conversation, but from what Kaden had picked up this one was mute or maybe even deaf. That was fine with Kaden. He was used to the silence and loneliness of the Netherworld. Hell was both loud and silent at once, and it was a place Kaden never wished to return despite knowing he was destined to spend eternity there.

Kaden looked about around the crowd again and saw another that looked as occupied as he did. There was a man with her, in an unusual mask. Perhaps what Kaden needed was good time, and to drag as many people into it as possible. Kaden could not remember the last time he forced himself to enjoy life. He turned back to his newfound companion.

"The name is Kaden... see those two over there... that gal that looks as miserable as I do... you think they could use some of this stuff too?"

 

[Maur]

"Thank you," he simply replied before taking a healthy gulp of the potent drink.

The liquid burned the entire way down, and Kaden coughed once he was certain all the contents in his mouth had reached his stomach. It was certainly better than ti'har when it come to the strength of the drink. Kaden found that to be something this culture had gotten right.

"They seem to know how to make a stiff drink here."

A sound hissed from the grey-furred Torgorian's mouth. Without a voice, Maur's laugh wheezed out instead of a deep-throated rumble. She'd like to introduce this human to the stuff the males of her species made whenever they came in from their hunts. He seemed good-natured enough that she thought better of the idea. It might kill him from simple taste alone.

"The name is Kaden... see those two over there... that gal that looks as miserable as I do... you think they could use some of this stuff too?"

Maur held up a hand and fished around in the large pockets of her trousers—a must for any self-respecting female. There was an app she was dying to try. It was in its early stages with promises of better services later but it still offered a program she desperately needed. And it was cheaper than an implant surgery. She finally fished out her datapad, started the program then held the base of the datapad against her throat.

"Maur," the datapad said in a grating mechanical voice. Maur winced. Those promises of different voices had better be delivered on. "The dame looks like she could buy her own distillery. These were neither easy nor cheap. If you've got the creds, be my guest."

A distorted rumble rattled the datapad's speaker. "But alcohol is a solution and I am all for problem-solving."

She flashed a sharp-toothed grin at [member="Kaden Farr"], foreseeable victim of her terrible humor. Idly, she wondered how many puns the human could withstand before she made him groan with their terrible burden.

 

[Otor Blank the II]

Location: Lyceum

Goal: Continue Enjoying Himself

Tags: [member="Vidalu Na'an"]
-----------------------

The party was, suprisingly, continuing to go quite well. The waiters and waitresses were polite, the small appetizers he had eaten were quite good, even if he got looks while he ate, and the drinks were good as always.

As Otor scanned the room and saw all the other guests a few instances caught his eye. First a man was approached by to women dressed in very suggestive attire. As they sat down next to the man he flashed what seemed to be a few confused faces. The ordeal was interesting but not Otor's business, best not to interfere. Next he saw a young woman who looked visibly lost. She looked quite nice in her dress and normally he would have ask her what was wrong, but he had a feeling maybe she wouldn't appreciate being approached by a 'squid-man'. Finally he saw the tables of food at one end of the Lyceum. "Perfect," thought Otor, "a meal will be quite nice after so much drinking." He smiled to himself. "Oh yes it will."

Otor reached the food tables he spotted a noticeably scarred woman in working clothes standing by the tables and serving other partygoers. Assuming the woman was another server for the party Otor walks up to her and asks, "Um, hello there. Tell me, what is your most exotic meal here?" He ends his setence with a bit off-putting Belugan smile and waited for a response.

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

"I- wait, really?" Kelsie blinked several times. She really hadn't been expecting a yes. She'd gotten the impression that Niklaas truly loved his home -- and in a way that made her even more happy about his response. After a short pause she gave another beautiful smile. She wasn't being very attentive to her surroundings anymore -- there was only the man beside her.

The pair eventually found themselves at a small raised balcony of sorts, overlooking the beautiful gardens of Nivek. There really was so much for them to do, so much she wanted to do -- for Kelsie there was an odd feeling of urgency for them to explore the galaxy, to spend time together. She knew there was always a timer on these sorts of things; she knew that better than most. So despite his little warning part of her did want to push, to make every moment special and memorable.

"There are so many places... ever been to the Crystal Caves of Dantooine? I've wanted to go climbing in the mountains on Coruscant..." She stepped up to the railing of the balcony and looked out at the sparkling green gardens. The galaxy felt big sometimes.

[member="Niklaas Azthal"]

 

[Helly Reyne]

Location: Fountains
Outfit: Get a load of this
Tags: [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

Helly laughed along with 'Madalena' as they exchanged greetings, marveling at the glowing green of her eyes in contrast to her own hazel eyes. "I'm on a vacation of sorts myself," she mentioned. "Working through some chit that probably should have been worked out a while ago, y'know?" Her struggle with her own ethics weighed far more heavily on her than she let on, but she had come here specifically to give her brain a rest from all that for just a little while. Nothing was better at doing that than music, at least for Helly. She knew, however, that this vacation would end in her making a drastic change to her life, one that would be brutal for however long it would last.

At the mention of her gig, she waved a hand as if to dismiss it. "Oh, I don't have a gig here. Just that... when you're a famous musician, you're sorta just allowed on any stage at any time. It's like having a master key, only you're the key. I've even got some of the others from Hartlite around here somewhere, but they're not so big on the CIS, so..." What she didn't mention was that only one other member of Hartlite was there with her, while the other two were on the brink of quitting. It was probably for the best, as they had only lasted that long for miraculous reasons. Who they would be replaced with was another question for another time.