Junction Sun & Starlight: Evening Gala

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Tessa Monroe | Aselia Verd
Wearing: [X]

“‘You snooze, you lose’ comes to mind,” Adelle said, eyebrows ticking up briefly in curiosity. She and Tess had been flirtatious but nothing had ever come of it. And Adelle had always gotten the impression that Tess wasn’t interested. Adelle watched the interactions between her friend and girlfriend closely, hoping they’d get along. She’d seen coworkers have significant others that hated their friends and vice versa. While Adelle had the great fortune of never having experienced that for herself, it had always seemed incredibly awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved.

“You too, Aselia.” She smiled. “I’ve heard a lot about you from your brothers… Brother.”

Well that was an interesting slip. Almost immediately, Tess was answering her question about being here with all her usual confident charm. Adelle gave a knowing smile. She’d let the smuggler off the hook for now but she was absolutely going to grill her about it later.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt,” she said. “But in my case, I kept accidentally finding myself rubbing elbows with the well-connected. And then Aether said ‘I’m going to make it your job to do it.’”

“Although this isn’t strictly job-related.” Adelle smirked impishly. “This lets me maintain good relations and play hooky at the same time.”

 

[Aselia Verd]

Tessa Monroe said:
"I've heard a lot about you from your brothers… Brother."

Aselia's eyebrow rose slightly at the correction, though she let Tessa finish rather than interrupting her escape into safer territory. Only once the conversation had moved on did she glance back toward her, the beginnings of a smile already pulling at one corner of her mouth.

"Which brother?" There was little more than curiosity behind the question, though the slip had clearly not gone unnoticed. "You may have to narrow it down a little. There are a lot of Verds in the galaxy." She left it there, turning toward a passing server and collecting three glasses from the tray before offering one to Adelle and another to Tessa.

"Playing hooky?" Her attention shifted to Adelle as she took a sip from her own glass. "And here I thought this was all very serious diplomatic work." The smile that followed made it clear she wasn't buying that for a moment. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She settled easily beside Adelle, her shoulder brushing against hers as she glanced around the room. "Besides, I heard there was a free bar. That was enough to convince me."

TAG: Adelle Bastiel Tessa Monroe
​

 

[Aoi Tanaka]

THE STARLIGHT TERRACE - GALA EVENT

Outfit: Link
Tags: Colette

“Oh I know, it’s just ya know…meant to be here ‘networking’.” Aoi replied, her eyes shifting out across the crowds of people that filled the hall. Completely missing what Colette was doing. “Got all dressed up, came all the way over to this side of the galaxy, only for it to end up being uneventful.”

Her eyes fell on Colette again as she approached. “Then again…” Aoi muttered, a small smirk on her face. One that shifted into surprise as she took a hold of the offered piece of paper.

The Atrisian chuckled, shaking her head lightly. “Funnily enough, I was thinking of doing something similar.” Slipping the folded note into her purse, Aoi rifled through it for several moments until she pulled out a card, handing it to Colette.

One side bore the name and emblem of ‘Tanaka Industries’, while a quick flip of the other side would reveal the name ‘Tanaka Repairs’, with an address beneath it that pointed to a location on Naboo, Theed.

“We just recently opened up a workshop in the city. Feel free to pop over and pay a visit sometime, I’ll be happy to give you a personal tour.” She said, a small grin on her face.

“Until next time Colette, hopefully it’ll be much more exciting.”

With that, Aoi turned and headed towards the nearest exit..

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Adelle Bastiel Aselia Verd​

Tessa caught Adelle’s smile and shot her a look that said, in no uncertain terms, shut the feth up. Lucky for her, her friend was kind enough to leave it alone, but she’d hear about it later. Her nose wrinkled at the idea that Aether was cruel enough to make this someone's job. "Please don't tell him I'm here then, then last thing I need is him to give me responsibilities."

The fact that she was, technically, diplomatically trained was neither here nor there.

She accepted the glass Aselia offered, sapphire eyes settling on her as she picked her answer carefully. “Aether,” she answered, not untruthfully “He drops by the Relentless from time to time. Apparently I make a good cup of caff.”

Adelle’s impish smirk was infectious. “You? Play hooky?” she placed her free hand against her chest in mock surprise. “I’m in shock, I would never have imagined you capable of such a thing.” She offered a wink, before taking a sip of her drink.

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Tessa Monroe | Aselia Verd

The look Tess shot at her nearly cracked Adelle’s composure, or at least the composure that wasn’t going to tease Tess in public. And judging by the subtle sly look Aselia had, she hadn’t missed the correction either. Adelle did scoff a laugh at Tess asking her not to tell Aether about her presence here, that she didn’t want any responsibility. The daughter of the Warmaster and a former Mand’alor—but then they’d had a discussion already about parental reputation and comparisons made to those who came before.

She accepted the glass of sparkling wine from Aselia and took a drink, using the moment to tamp down the rather unprofessional urge to poke Tess about the slip up like a school girl.

"Playing hooky?" Her attention shifted to Adelle as she took a sip from her own glass. "And here I thought this was all very serious diplomatic work." The smile that followed made it clear she wasn't buying that for a moment. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

“Yes, because wining and dining my future partner at a wedding reception was very serious work,” Adelle murmured dryly. When Aselia continued, Adelle paused taking a drink, glass held just in front of her lips. She thought she had told Aselia: their entire stay had been covered. It hadn’t just been the bar that was free.

Apparently she hadn’t.

“You? Play hooky?” she placed her free hand against her chest in mock surprise. “I’m in shock, I would never have imagined you capable of such a thing.”

“Oh you haven’t even begun to unravel the tapestry of what I’m capable of,” she said, offering a brief eyebrow wiggle in response to Tess’s wink. Adelle brought her glass up to her lips again.

“But Aselia might find out later,” she muttered beneath her breath then took another sip.

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia took a slow sip from her glass as Tessa answered, though the name did little to resolve the question. "Aether," she repeated, considering it for a moment before a faint smile touched her mouth. "That does narrow it down slightly." Only slightly. There were enough Verds scattered across the galaxy that hearing one had been aboard the Relentless was hardly shocking, and she had no intention of interrogating Tessa about it in the middle of a gala.

Whatever the correction had meant, she could leave it alone until it became relevant. Her attention shifted back toward Adelle just in time to catch the dry comment about winning and dining a future partner, and the smile grew. "Ah. Of course." She nodded as though the distinction had suddenly made everything perfectly reasonable. "Critical diplomatic groundwork."

The muttered comment that followed made one brow rise. Aselia turned her head toward Adelle, amusement already showing in her eyes.

"Might?" She let the word hang for just a moment, enough to make it clear she had heard her, before taking another drink and allowing the smile to soften. "I'll try not to get ahead of myself." Her shoulder brushed lightly against Adelle's as she settled beside her again, then she glanced between the two women.

"So this is what diplomatic networking looks like. I think I've been doing it wrong."

TAG: Adelle Bastiel Tessa Monroe
​

 

[Caelan Mataan]

Caelan listened as Lily explained the difference, a small smile touching his lips at the assumption tucked neatly into the beginning of it. She had called him Mandalorian several times now, and he had yet to find a reason to correct her. There were certainly worse things to be mistaken for. "Maybe that's why I like the sound of it," he admitted as he followed her through another turn. "I've spent plenty of time learning how to win a fight. Learning how to have a conversation with one sounds a little more interesting."

Her admission about flying drew a quiet laugh from him. "Bad luck?" That certainly explained some of her hesitation. "Then we'll start somewhere with a very large landing area." His smile broadened slightly. "Give you every possible advantage."

He let Lily guide them onward, comfortably matching her movements as the conversation shifted toward something heavier. The change in her was difficult to miss. The easy smile and playful confidence gave way to something more distant as she spoke about the Jedi, the Sith, and a war that apparently left precious little room for anything else.

Caelan didn't interrupt her.

When she apologized, however, he shook his head.

"You didn't."

His hand remained comfortably at her waist as they continued moving with the music, though his expression softened slightly when he met her eyes.

"And I'm not going to pretend I know what the Jedi need from you." He gave a small shrug. "But I don't think being a dancer makes you any less of a warrior." The corner of his mouth lifted again. "Seems like I've spent most of tonight being told the two have quite a lot in common."

There was just enough amusement in his voice to pull the conversation away from becoming too serious, and Caelan allowed another few steps to carry them through the music before speaking again.

"Besides, you came here." His smile returned easily. "So either the galaxy managed without you for one evening, or you're currently being very irresponsible." His brows rose slightly as he regarded her. "I'm hoping it's the first one."

​

TAG: Lily Decoria

 

[Tessa Monroe]

Aselia Verd Adelle Bastiel​

That Aselia seemed content enough with her answer made her shoulders relax just a touch. She’d dodge the bullet for now, now she just had to hope that the next time they met Aselia would have forgotten about it and then everything would be fine. Adelle on the other hand would not forget. Tessa took a sip of her drink, filing it away as a problem for future her to worry about.

“Oh you haven’t even begun to unravel the tapestry of what I’m capable of,”

A grin split her features, the retort ‘Likewise’ on the tip of her tongue when Adelle’s muttered response reached her ears. She let out a snort of laughter. “Damn, Aselia, looks like you’re in for a fun evening.” Tess offered a wink, raising her glass in a small salute. “I might have to go find myself something pretty to play with just to offset my jealousy.”

Her eyes scanned the room again, she was mostly joking, but having someone pretty to talk to and shower her with attention seeing as Jonah wasn’t here to do so would make the evening a little more enjoyable.

"So this is what diplomatic networking looks like. I think I've been doing it wrong."

Tessa’s sapphire gaze glittered with mischief as she looked back at Aselia. “If this is what diplomatic networking is like these days, I should do it more.”

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

HEADER TEXT
Tags: Aselia Verd | Tessa Monroe
Wearing: [X]

Apparently beneath her breath hadn’t been quiet enough, not when her friends had hearing like hawk-bats. She flushed when Aselia called attention to it and Tessa laughed, holding her glass a little higher in front of her face as if to protect her from ridicule. Aselia’s shoulder brushed hers and the smile undid some of the unease Adelle felt from being called out.

“I can’t have any secrets around you two, can I?” she said, tone lacking any heat or bitterness. “Fething ears better than hawk-bats.”

Aselia saved her from further embarrassment by joking about diplomatic networking. Adelle rolled her eyes but smiled at the joke all the same. When Tessa added her quip, she had to scoff.

“I wish,” she said. “I mean, yes this is part of it. But if this was the whole job? My life would be so much easier.”