Junction Sun & Starlight [ME][TSO][THR][TSC] | [Empty Hex][Dahrtag][Iphigin][Phu]

[Guinevere Cavello]

​

As he slipped an arm around her shoulders, Gwen caught the faint scent of him, clean, warm, so familiar. It made her glance up, really look at him for perhaps the first time in years.

Had he always been this handsome?

The thought startled her.

Maybe she had simply never allowed herself to notice. Ever since she was little, her future had been spoken for. She belonged to someone else, or so everyone had always told her. Stay away from boys. Be careful. A husband wouldn't want a woman who had been with other men.

For most of her life, she had accepted it. She had wrapped those expectations in fairy tales and convinced herself that somewhere at the end of the path there would be a grand romance waiting for her. A prince. A happily ever after.

Now she knew better. Marriage wasn't a love story. It was an arrangement. A duty. There was no Prince Charming waiting for her.

And yet…

There was Elian.

He had always been there. Through every triumph and every disappointment. Quietly loyal. Steady. Dependable. Like the hero of a story she had somehow overlooked while searching for a prince.

As he spoke about his struggles, about trying to keep his head above water while everything around him seemed determined to pull him under, Gwen felt her chest tighten. Her problems suddenly felt small by comparison. She had lived a sheltered life, protected from hardship and loss. Meanwhile, Elian had endured more than anyone should.

What right did she have to complain about an unwanted marriage when he had already lost so much?

She wished she could take some of that burden from him.

Turning toward him, she offered him a small, sad smile.

"I'm always here for you, Elian," she said softly. "I wish I could make things better. I wish there was something I could do to ease even a little of what you're carrying."

Her eyes lingered on his.

"You've been there for me my whole life. Honestly…" She swallowed against the sudden emotion in her throat. "You're the only person I truly cherish."

Elian Abrantes

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd | Courtesy tags: Ria the Cat | Quinn Varanin | Seris Mataan
Wearing: [X]

The sun had nearly lulled Adelle into a doze when something frantic in the Force came charging towards her. Her eyes flew open a second before weight and the pain of small claws digging into her thighs for purchase landed on her. The next second, the creature was gone, a small feline of orange striped fur streaking past others and weaving between Quinn and a redhead before it disappeared.

A feline with a peculiar collar.

Ria?

Adelle tipped her glareshades down and scanned the shoreline for the ‘Not-cat’ as Phantom called her, and as she had later found out for herself. If Phantom had been here, Adelle would have asked if she could go check on her. That sprint from Ria had been distressed, if Adelle had learned anything about felines.

But surely Ria’s droid was here, if she was. Adelle remembered the moment in the bar, when the feline had mentioned falling asleep somewhere and getting transported somewhere else. Then again, maybe not. Still, if Ria was truly in trouble, the collar that allowed her to speak would be of some use. And Adelle had no idea where the poor feline had gone.

She leaned back on the lounger, Ria’s panic in the Force fading. Well, if anything else happened, Adelle would go help. For now though, she intended to enjoy the sun.

No sooner had she relaxed again than a shadow fell across her. The familiar Force presence drew a small smile from her even before she opened her eyes. Aselia stood next to her, confident and wearing a bikini that inspired a myriad of thoughts. Her girlfriend’s fingers trailing along her skin sent thrills down her spine and did not help rein in Adelle’s wandering imagination.

"You look very peaceful," she said, the corner of her mouth curving. "I almost brought a datapad, but I figured you might throw it into the water..." Her eyes cut sideways to Adelle. "It's good to see you relax; you work too hard."

“I would never,” Adelle protested, but without any true strength to it. If having a datapad was how someone relaxed, so be it. She did doubt that Aselia would have actually used the datapad to relax. “It’s . . . hard, unlearning old habits. I’m trying to do better at balancing things.”

Aselia turned to look at her and Adelle couldn’t help but tease her.

“Enjoying the view?” she asked, a mischievous smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. “Y’know, if you take a holopic, it’ll last longer.”

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

​

Outfit: Beachwear
Tags: Aiden Porte

Dreidi shook her head with a chuckle, "well, unfortunately it is coming whether you like it or not. But I am sure that you will be as prepared as you can be. I always thought you would be a good father some day." There was a soft smile on Dreidi's lips as she looked over to Aiden.

Taking a sip of her drink, Dreidi thought about being fine, about the meaning behind that. "I am already doing more than just fine. Dating was never a top priority of mine. I was always bad at it, I never could capture the hearts of those I eventually found myself desiring as well as some others can." Shrugging her shoulders, there was plenty of people who were masterful in the art of flirting and seduction. Dreidi just tended to approach life with just desiring to get things done.

"Perhaps, Naboo felt too stiff, too formal for me. Dathomir always has a raw honesty that is far more appealing." Dreidi leaned back a little, feeling the sun on her skin, "but having somewhere called home is always important. Being lost in the galaxy was never fun for me." Dreidi confessed, remembering how things felt after the fall of the Confederacy.

"How are things with you? Have you spent much time with Aileni? I haven't spoken to him in a while since he has been so training focus."

 

[Elian Abrantes]

Guinevere Cavello
​

The way she stared, the way she looked at him. No one had ever looked at him like that before. And for the first time in his life, he truly didn't know what to do. His eyes locked on hers, listening to the words she said. They were friends for years. Constant, strong, and unyielding.

"It's okay, its......" Elian found himself stumbling with his words now. He felt a not in his throat, he wasn't sure what was happening. "It's okay. It's not your burden to bear, that's mine alone."

"You've been there for me my whole life. Honestly…" She swallowed against the sudden emotion in her throat. "You're the only person I truly cherish."

"Thank you, so much Guin.....I'll be here as often as I can." Elian said a smile, and while he stared at her, he so badly, wanted to move closer. To close that distance, if this would've happened prior to all this eventful chit that happened to him. He gladly would've, even with the knowledge that she was betrothed to someone. Things were different now, he was different. While still slightly the same in nature, he had caused damage.

He cleared his throat and looked away from her. "I'm sorry, when you look at me like that....." Elian raised the glass to his lips, finishing what was left, before setting it to the side.

"I know what I want to do, I just cant. Not because of you, but because of me. I've caused enough damage to my family and myself because of my actions. I can't jeopordize you, and yours." Elian withdrew his arm from around her, as he relaxed a little bit.

He would reiterate what was said before. "I can be here for you as often as I can. You can count on that."

 

[Guinevere Cavello]

​

Her brow knit together as she watched him stumble over his words and shift uncomfortably in his seat. A moment ago they had been talking easily, and now he seemed nervous, almost flustered.

What had changed?

She was still young, perhaps younger than her years in some ways. She had never been allowed to date or spend much time around boys her age, and the subtleties of these interactions often escaped her. There were entire conversations hidden beneath words that she had never learned how to hear.

"I'm sorry. When you look at me like that..."

His voice trailed off.

She frowned, puzzled, watching as he pulled his arm away and finished the rest of his liquor in a single swallow.

"How do I look at you?"

Elian let out a quiet breath and shook his head.

"I know what I want to do. I just can't..."

The answer only deepened her confusion. "What is it you want to do?"

For a moment he didn't respond. Instead, he offered one of those small, gentle remarks that always seemed to reassure her, and despite her lingering questions, she found herself smiling.

She knew he meant every word.

Elian was the only person in her life who truly cared about her, not for what she could do, not for what she represented, but simply for who she was.

"Elian, there's nothing you could ever do that would jeopardize me. You're the only person in this galaxy who means this much to me."

Elian Abrantes

 

[Arris Windrun]

Direct: Mercy
CC: Lysander von Ascania Varin Mortifer Seren Gwyn Naniti Rayia Si | OPEN
​

Ugh. Anything but this - that's how Arris felt.

Being about 80% cybernetic, if not greater, meant going to the beach was tantamount to attending her own roast.

'Careful, don't get sand in your joints!'

'Won't the water fry your circuits?'

'Don't get in, toaster, these people want to live!'

But she owed Mercy after ditching her at the bar in 1313, for killing Vestra Tane, and for 'failing' to mention they arrived on Humbarine right in time for the Covenant to pull off a coup. Hell, she wished she could've taken credit for the rogue Mandalorians, too. That would've just been funny. But all that teasing came with a bill, and eventually, Mercy had to be appeased.

She wondered if Arris Windrun was going to join them or if she was still grumbling on Coruscant.

So yeah... the Talusian joined them. She could grumble anywhere; it didn't have to be Coruscant.

Her arrival was announced by muffled feet in the sand. Her dark cyber body was contrasted only by the ghostly pale flesh of her head, eyes obscured by the messy strands of her raven hair. It was her, alright, Arris Windrun in the metal. Her shadow cast over where Mercy sat, and she looked down as the Titan slurped her tiny drink.

"That umbrella's doing a lot of work to make this awkward. So - here I am, kindest woman in the nether damned galaxy, here to ease its day."

 

[Iuuna Talon]

​

The boat let her off and the gold did the rest.

Iuuna stepped from the outrigger onto the jetty with the unhurried ease of a woman who had never once arrived anywhere late in spirit, whatever the chrono said. The light here was almost insolent in its generosity, pouring, the way the Vizier's people had no doubt been instructed to ensure it poured, and she let it find her: the platinum waves, the terracotta of her swimwear, the sunglasses she drew down from her hair and settled with two fingers against the glare. There. Now she could see properly. Now she could look.

And she looked.

It was the first thing she did anywhere, before a word, before a drink, before she had even fully decided to stay. The shore unrolled before her and she read it the way she read everything, spine by spine, pulling each one a little way out to see what it offered. Servers, beneath notice, useful only insofar as the trays they carried. A cluster of dignitaries near the cabanas, decorative, the sort who mistook proximity to power for the possession of it. A few faces she half-knew and did not care to know better. The Commonwealth had done its work beautifully; she would give it that. Hospitality so seamless it became a kind of argument, generosity worn as lightly as the linen. She admired the craft of it the way one professional admires another's, without for a moment forgetting that craft was what it was.

Then her gaze reached the far stretch of the sand, and she did not let it linger there.

Srina. The shape of her registered the way it always did, instantly, completely, the one figure on any beach Iuuna could have found blindfolded. And beside her, that other shape. Empyrean. Iuuna's mouth did something cool and small that was not quite distaste and not quite anything she would have named aloud. Well. That settled the geography of the afternoon, didn't it. She had no intention of crossing sand to stand in his company; the man curdled a room simply by being in it, and she saw no reason to volunteer for the souring. Convenient, that. A reason already supplied, requiring nothing further of her. She let her attention move on as though it had merely passed over that part of the shore rather than refused it, and if there was a difference between the two, she did not examine it. There was gold on the water. There were better things to look at.

And then there was Quinn.

Something in Iuuna's expression, that fractional, lacquered cool she wore the way other women wore jewelry, loosened by a single degree. Not warmth, exactly. She did not deal in warmth; it cost too much and returned too little. But fondness, the safe and uncomplicated kind, the kind reserved for the rare creature who asked nothing of her she could not afford to give. Her cousin. She shifted her lips to the side and thought on how that word still amused her, faintly a glimmer of a smile appeared on her features. Their family was one of borrowed architecture, of a family that had assembled itself out of bargains and adoptions and dead sisters' debts.

There was another, a non-Echani near Quinn. Iuuna plucked a flute of champagne off a wandering droid-servant's platter. She made strides across the black sands, making her way toward her cousin.

Quinn Varanin | Srina Talon | Seris Mataan | CT-312​

 

[Kaivaan Raaf]

Myra Arceneau Dashiell | et al​

By the time Iskendyr ambled back, two drinks in hand, having finally noticed somewhere near the bar that he'd been monologuing to nobody, the girl was already a retreating silhouette headed up the path toward the resort proper, and Kai was standing very still in the wreckage of whatever had just happened, wearing the particular expression of a man replaying a conversation and losing every round of it again.

Iskendyr followed his cousin's stare up the beach, then looked back at Kai. He did not need the Force to read this one.

"Ah," he said.

"Don't."

"I wasn't going to say anything." He pressed one of the drinks into Kai's hand, something tall and absurd and faintly luminous, a wedge of fruit bullied onto the rim. "I'm simply going to stand here and hand you a beverage, like a gentleman."

Kai looked down at it. It had an umbrella. Of course it had an umbrella. He took a sip anyway, because the alternative was speaking, and he'd done quite enough of that for one afternoon.

"It went poorly," he said finally, flat.

"I gathered." Iskendyr settled in beside him, easy as ever, looking out at the gold water rather than at his cousin, which was, Kai understood, a kindness. It was easier to be honest with someone who wasn't watching your face. "What did you do, exactly?"

"I told her how her book ended."

A pause. "Kai."

"I'm aware."

"No, that's," Iskendyr's shoulders shook with a laugh he was at least attempting to suppress, for which Kai supposed he should be grateful. "That's almost impressively bad. You found the one person on this entire beach who came here to be left alone, exactly like you, and your opening move was to spoil her," He gave up and laughed properly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's not funny."

"It is, rather."

"It's a little funny." Iskendyr knocked their shoulders together, then let the humor settle out of his voice, because that part was done now. "Listen to me. That," he tipped his glass toward the path she'd gone, "was not about you. Not really. People come into a moment already carrying everything that happened to them before it, and then the next poor soul who opens their mouth gets the weight of all of it. You handed her an excuse, yes. But you weren't the cause. You were just there."

Kai said nothing, which was Iskendyr's cue to continue, because Kai saying nothing usually meant he was listening.

"You walked in expecting her to be kind because you'd have been kind, in her place. And that's," he searched for it. "That's a decent thing about you, cousin, genuinely. But it's also a way to get yourself wounded over and over, because kindness isn't common. It's rare. It's rationed. Half the galaxy is running on old hurts and short tempers and they will hand you the bill for things you never bought." He shrugged. "Not everyone is going to like you. Some of them won't even bother being civil about it. That's not a verdict on you. It's just the weather."

"Comforting."

"I'm a comforting man." Iskendyr grinned, and then, because the lecture had run its course and they both knew it, slung an arm around Kai's shoulders and turned him, bodily, away from the empty stretch of beach and the path she'd vanished down. "Now. You've had your one disaster. Quota met. We are not going to stand here marinating in it while you compose a tragic poem about a woman you knew for ninety seconds."

"I wasn't going to—"

"You absolutely were, I can see it happening behind your eyes." He steered him up the sand, toward the music and the brighter clot of people gathered near the bar, where a sodden cat was currently grooming itself atop the counter with tremendous dignity and several genuinely friendlier faces had begun to gather. "Come on. There are people over here who haven't had the chance to be charmed by you yet, and I intend to ration you out before you ruin it. Drink your umbrella. Smile. Try, for me, to mention no one's reading material whatsoever."

Despite himself, despite all of it, Kai felt the corner of his mouth betray him.

"...One poem," he said. "A short one."

"Absolutely not."

 

[Viers Connory]

//: Lucette Raaf //:

Lucy did her best, but Viers was a stubborn mule, and it was on full display. When she tried to coax the Monk to walk through, it didn't look natural — it was black like the sands that covered the ground in the Nether. Viers remembered vividly how it churned and threatened to swallow her up if she stood still too long.

Her eyes remained fixed on the sand, her lips pursed as she stubbornly stood on the small staircase that led down to the sands. While her grip on the railing tightened, her other hand, the one that Lucy held, was loose. Even though she was fighting with every fiber of her being to remain where she stood, Viers would never use that annoying strength to harm someone precious to her.

A small whine escaped the Monk as her eyes softened, almost pleading as she shook her head. The weeks leading up to this moment had been stressful. She understood nothing; she only knew to nod her head and make sure Lucy had everything that was needed.

If this was what getting married was, Viers didn't know if she would ask again. There was too much happening, and the single brain cell was overworked. Still, the moment Lucy had turned back at her after explaining what was happening and why they were there.

Viers calmed down as she looked at Lucy, watching every bit of her excitement about what was happening. There was a small smile that spread across her face, erasing the previous stubbornness.

It wasn't the mention of food, not even her favorite food; it wasn't the upcoming wedding; it was just Lucy.

It was the way that wonderful smile just made everything seem okay.

"Okay," Viers murmured, still extremely unsure about the sand. But she tried. One foot, then the other, she'd let her toes sink in and feel the cooling of the black sand. Looking down, she waited for the monster to swallow them whole. Nothing happened, and Viers felt ease wash over her.

As her mind settled, something else caught her attention. Without the strain of the sand, Viers was able to take in the woman who was beside her. Blinking several times, her eyes wandered… catching every curve, every way the fabric seemed to stretch over Lucy.

She swallowed hard, her eyes forgetting where it was proper to look.

"We can't do the stuff we do in your room here, can we?" She asked, with a glimmer of hope that Lucy would tell her what she wanted to hear.

Viers's mind was locked in, and the rest of the beach faded away. She didn't even care that the girl's cousins were moving up the jetty, most likely towards them.

A part of her did wonder their thoughts on their marriage… the rest of the family assumed Lucy was too young.

But they loved each other.

"Lucy." Viers tilted her head back, hoping her eyes would follow. Still, they remained glued to the temptation that she had suddenly become aware of.

"I, so beautiful and love you're… yes."

Without a single thought, Viers stepped closer, and a hand moved, resting itself against the small of Lucy's back. She did her best to pull them closer as she attempted to kiss her fiancée quietly on the bow of her lips.

 

[Maiza Vex]

Theme: Margaritaville
Outfit: [X]
Tags: OPEN

---

​

It wasn't often the failed sith ventured out of the wilds she had disappeared into. Even less so that she traveled to highly populated areas. The last time she was seen by the wider populace of the Sith order was on Korriban when she won the Race of Beasts. Soon after she had vanished back into the wilds.

Yet through some remote rumors she had heard of some sort of party or gathering being thrown on Gilaria. At first the feral Maiza thought nothing of it, just another party for the rich, fancy, and powerful. No place for the jungle dwelling savage like her. Still curiosity got the best of her, and she pulled out some star maps she had acquired as she wondered exactly where this world was.

The next thing Maiza knew, she was stepping foot onto this fancy world. What motivated her to come here was the realization she might if lucky catch a glimpse of the pretty boy Iskendyr Yvarro . Since the world was in his family's sphere of influence, it had been a long time since she had seen his face.

He had no doubt moved on past the memory of her but to Maiza she would never forget the man the man who had cared about her once. When she had lost everything, her family, her pride, her honor, and her heritage he had carried her from the battle with Nami to a healer. It was something she would never forget. That is why she came here hoping maybe she would get a sight of him.

See that he was doing well, before she returned to the wilds where she now dwelled. As she stepped into the golden city of the world, she found herself surrounded by people. All in beach wear or casual dress, as she wore her lightest leathers. She stuck out like a swore thumb in those leathers, her peachy pink skin with white zabrak tattoos, and wild unkempt red hair.

Her golden eyes stared at the architecture of the world and just grandeur of this world as she made her way towards the beach. Taking note, she might have to steal a few things before she left, this world had too much profit on it to let it go to waste. That pirate instinct in her still alive and kicking maybe she hadn't gone completely feral just yet. A smile crossed the half breeds lips.

 

[CT-312]

//: Quinn Varanin Seris Mataan Iuuna Talon //:
//: Attire //:

A vacation.

That was what this was… or that was what CT-312 had been told with varying degrees of patience and insistence. Vacation. She blinked absently behind the visor as the word sat in her head. A vacation was different from being off-duty, but similar enough that she was still trying to understand the distinction. BARCA defined it as rest and relaxation, to enjoy oneself.

As to not interrupt a private moment of rest and relaxation, CT-312 stood at a respectable distance from the Queen of Eshan. The Scout had insisted on keeping her armor on. She was told it was not “proper” beachwear. But that did not really make sense as her armor was all-purpose and can be used in any situation. By any reasonable metric, it was the perfect proper beachwear.

Her visor moved slowly across the shoreline, noting the beachwear amongst those around consisted of a distinct lack of clothing. Some wore fabrics tied with no apparent concern for function. They were soaking up the sun as sand clung to bare skin. It was an odd sight for CT-312. Despite being within Sith territory, she had never been to the Commonwealth. Yes, the Sith were here, but so were the Mandalorians and members of the High Republic. All minding their own business.

CT-312 had linked up with the Commonwealth security before the Princess settled on to the beach. They were polite and efficient. The Scout accepted the reassurance, but still refused to let her guard down. Not after the recent events that had transpired. BARCA pinged inside her helmet. CT-312’s head snapped towards the movement approaching Quinn. Her HUD isolated the figure, BARCA pulled up a familiar profile match. Seris Mataan . The event on Corellia, the one whose hand Quinn had reached out for.

Her eyes closed for a moment longer than a blink. There was nothing alarming from Quinn. Nothing like the wrongness that had dragged her through the window at the Embassy. Only softness, warmth,... and some kind of anticipation? CT-312 opened her eyes again, watching the exchange between the two. Remaining where she was, her visor drifted away to continue sweeping amongst the clutter of guests on the beach before looking down at her boots.

CT-312 lightly shifted her right boot as it dug into the sand. The black grains gave way, swallowing the edge of her sole. BARCA chirped helpfully. Data of text scrolled across the inside of her visor, explaining the sand’s unique color makeup and recreational activities one does at the beach. She pressed her foot a little deeper. More of the sand shifted around the armored boot. Her brow raised, apparently this was a thing people willingly sought out.

The Scout glanced back towards the two, they had settled closely beside one another with the Queen’s book that had been set aside. Her eyes dropped again at the sand. Once more her boot moved through it, the helmet tilted. And this was enjoyable… How? CT-312's visor jerked up—

Something passed through the bond. A faint feeling of uneasiness. Her focus was on Quinn. Watching attentively as she brushed her hair back, thumb tracing down the curve of her ear. To anyone else it would have looked like nothing more than a casual gesture, a simple adjustment against loose hair. CT-312’s legs were already moving before the thought finished forming. The black sand shifted under her boots as she crossed through at a controlled pace. Not fast enough to draw attention from the crowd, but not slow enough to waste time. Behind the visor, blue eyes locked with hazel for a brief precise moment.

Seris was not the source, but something was wrong. BARCA pinged again. An encrypted message from the Commonwealth Security. CT-312 halted mid-stride, the report opened across her HUD. Suspicious activity. The HUD swapped to infrared, helmet snapping toward the direction BARCA marked for her. There. It was some distance away, just in time as the figure seemed to be retreating from the beach. The HUD’s vision swapped back, the Commonwealth file loaded. It was a familiar face… a familiar name. CT-312’s jaw tightened.

“Tch.” A bitten click of the tongue against teeth scraped through the vocoder as a muted, irritated growl. The suspicious figure was retreating, Commonwealth security had eyes on them. The Queen had signaled for her, CT-312 resumed her approach, where Quinn needed her to be.

As she neared, a wet frantic cat ( Ria the Cat ) shot through the crowd, zipping directly between Quinn and her company. Running off in a panic, the cat vanished. CT-312 positioned herself near the Queen, sweeping the surrounding beach area once more before settling it back on Quinn. The introduction spoken had carried more weight to her than CT-312 had expected. “Ma’am.” giving a formal nod of her helmet. BARCA chirped and beeped immediately in her ear. Manners. Her expression flattened behind the helmet.

CT-312 adjusted, correcting herself. “Seris,” Her visor faced Quinn's company. “Thank you for accompanying the Queen during the Corellia event.” A respectful acknowledgement that Seris had been there when she had not. The words: Troubles in the High Republic, echoed in CT-312’s head. A quiet breath left her mouth as it opened, it was too soft for anyone outside her helmet to hear. BARCA picked up on it and knew what to do, transmitting a copy of the Commonwealth security notice to Quinn’s datapad, marked for later to review.

Her mouth remained slightly open, stopping herself. Quinn was smiling. Not the diplomatic smile or the smile she showed and wore when surrounded by people. CT-312 noticed, It was smaller. But it radiated like the sunlight as it was filled with warmth. Brightened by Seris’s presence and the simple act of introducing the two of them… Or maybe it felt that way because they were outside too long.

But still, there was no reason to ruin it. CT-312 shifted closer instead, leaning in as though she was checking something near the Queen’s shoulder. Her gloved hand moved to one of her pouches, rummaging. Her helmet’s speaker grille came next to Quinn’s ear. CT-312’s words were pitched low enough that only she could hear them, beneath the music and wash of the waves. “Everything is fine. The Commonwealth security flagged it. It’s being handled. I saw the report.” Her voice softened, remembering the Embassy. “I am here.”

CT-312 leaned back, withdrawing her gloved hand from the pouch. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Holding out a bottle of sunscreen towards Quinn and Seris with complete seriousness. “I observed the beachgoers applying this at regular intervals.” Her visor dipped briefly towards the Queen’s exposed shoulders and then shifted towards Seris with the same assessment. “You both should reapply.” BARCA supplied a phrase from its earlier research, CT-312 regretted allowing it to access beach terminology. Still… she committed. Her voice remained even, but there was an faint hesitation, “You don’t want to become… crispy.” CT-312 paused. BARCA chirped loudly, letting out another small quiet sigh to herself. “Or become burnt toast.” Only then BARCA beeped and chirped approvingly. CT-312 ignored it.

Just as CT-312 was about to tell BARCA to mute itself, another ping cut across her HUD. A new signature moving towards their direction. Another figure who was crossing the beach with a champagne flute in hand. ( Iuuna Talon ) “Another guest is approaching us.” she said to Quinn and Seris.

 

[Ria the Cat]

Ria's tail flicked back and forth, a slow metronome of indecision. She wanted to know whether her transponder could be salvaged, but she also did not want to draw that kind of attention to herself, the kind that ended with someone trying to pick her up. So she did what any self-respecting cat would do: pretended, with great dignity, that the fancy lady was not a person of interest whatsoever.

The fancy lady was, in fact, a person of considerable interest.

She had the look of someone competent. Steady hands, the sort that might know their way around a gunked-up bit of machinery, if a cat were inclined to ask. Which a cat was not. Obviously.

The orange-and-white feline padded delicately toward her, then thought better of it and turned away, then, after a beat of visible reconsideration, came back, because the alternative was admitting she'd changed her mind, and cats don't. Curiosity got the better of caution. Ria leaned in and sniffed the fancy lady's drink, sitting innocently on the bar, and immediately reared back, head snapping away, deeply and personally offended by whatever the sea-people had decided to ferment.

Recovering her composure as only a creature with no shame can, she made an executive decision. She flowed up the fancy lady's arm in one smooth motion and arranged herself across her shoulder like she'd been invited, a warm, smug, slightly damp stole that had not been there a moment ago.

From this superior vantage she surveyed the beach: the glittering crowd, the music, the absurd black sand, the hundred little dramas playing out across the sun-warmed bodies below. She gave her paw a few idle, regal licks, the picture of a cat who had always meant to be exactly here, all the while scanning the throng for a face she knew.

[ Helena Cross | Alistair Sterling ]​

 

[Seris Mataan]

Seris' smile softened at Quinn's explanation, her gaze briefly following the book as it disappeared from between them. "I know the feeling," she admitted quietly. "Sometimes a story finds you at exactly the right moment in your life. Then one day it doesn't seem to fit quite the same way anymore." People change, circumstances change, and sometimes a story remained the same while the person reading it did not. The admission that Quinn had set it aside because she had arrived brought a faint warmth to her expression.

When Quinn's arm brushed gently against hers, Seris made no effort to move away. Instead she settled comfortably beside her, allowing the closeness to remain while her gaze wandered briefly toward the ocean, the waves rolling steadily toward shore as sunlight scattered across their surface in brilliant reflections. It was peaceful. Perhaps that was why the subtle shift in Quinn's attention stood out so quickly.

Seris noticed the glance toward 312 and the small gesture that followed. It was practiced enough to suggest familiarity, though she could only guess at its meaning, and whatever concern had crossed Quinn's mind seemed real enough even though Quinn gave no outward indication beyond that. Seris did not ask. If Quinn wished to explain, she would. If not, Seris trusted there was a reason.

When the clone finally approached and Quinn made the introduction, Seris offered a small smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, 312." When the trooper thanked her for accompanying Quinn on Corellia, Seris shook her head gently. "There is no need to thank me. I was happy for the company." Her eyes shifted briefly toward Quinn, the faint smile lingering before returning to the clone. "Still, if it allowed your mind to be at ease, you are welcome."

The appearance of the sunscreen bottle finally earned a soft laugh from Seris. "Crispy?" she repeated, amusement finding its way into her voice. Grey-green eyes drifted toward Quinn before returning to the very serious clone. "I will defer to the professional assessment." There was warmth in her expression, no hint at mockery or attempted humor. As 312 announced another guest approaching, Seris glanced in the indicated direction, spotting the approaching figure with the champagne flute before looking back toward Quinn. "It would seem our peaceful afternoon is becoming popular."

TAG: Quinn Varanin CT-312 Iuuna Talon
​

​

 

[Mercy]

Direct: Arris Windrun
CC: Lysander von Ascania Varin Mortifer Seren Gwyn Naniti Rayia Si | OPEN

Right as Lysander was about to respond to her about the whereabouts of a certain Togruta... said Togruta made an appearance.

Like a wishing bone.

Don't fuck it up. Mercy muttered under her breath. The frequency tuned specifically to the depth they had used previously to train Lysander's ability to magnify his own senses the way his Master could.

It seemed they were all pairing off and so perhaps it shouldn't have surprised her as someone appeared for her as well.

Her arrival was announced by muffled feet in the sand. Her dark cyber body was contrasted only by the ghostly pale flesh of her head, eyes obscured by the messy strands of her raven hair. It was her, alright, Arris Windrun in the metal. Her shadow cast over where Mercy sat, and she looked down as the Titan slurped her tiny drink.

"That umbrella's doing a lot of work to make this awkward. So - here I am, kindest woman in the nether damned galaxy, here to ease its day."

She slurped from her drink some more, as if to make a statement.

"Girl, if you are the kindest woman in the Galaxy, I am the most sane one." Mercy drawled without skipping a beat before gesturing for the open spot next to her.

"Ready to finally get absolutely plastered? I haven't gotten properly shit-faced in a way too long a time."

Her hand was already flagging down the robot butler to bring them more tropical drinks that were quickly become a favorite to Mercy.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Varin shifted Lysander a look when Naniti appeared. A raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. It was wordless, but the meaning was loud and clear. For him to enjoy himself, and as an echo from Mercy's lips, a similar phrase given to him without even thinking.

Don't fuck it up.

Wordless, but definitely clear and definitely meant for him.

He then looked back at Seren.

“You know, if I remember correctly, last time you fell in first and I jumped in after you.”

That was when he noticed Arris approaching Mercy, her mechanical body certainly doing little to hide her. Varin's first though of course was

What if she gets sand in her joints? Would she rust? The maintenance must be a pain…

All these thoughts almost formed into words out loud but he choked them down. Perhaps a conversation for another time.

When Mercy stated she had not been plastered in a while Varin gave Seren a bit of a nervous look.

“Best take cover within a mile radius of her. I have heard stories and even if they are largely exaggerated, it's quite a spectacle.”

He looked over to Naniti and gave her a slow nod, a bit more of a formal greeting.

“Anything interesting at the bar besides the fruity drinks?”

Rayia Si | Arris Windrun | Mercy | Lysander von Ascania | Naniti | Seren Gwyn​

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren caught the exchange between Lysander and Naniti and, despite herself, felt a smile threaten at the corners of her mouth. It was subtle, gone almost as quickly as it appeared, but it was there nonetheless. The sight of the two of them finding their way back into each other's orbit after months apart was difficult not to appreciate. There was something reassuring about seeing people reunited when so much of their lives were spent being pulled in opposite directions by duty, war, and circumstance.

Her attention shifted briefly toward Mercy and Arris just in time to hear Mercy's declaration regarding future drinking plans. The image alone was enough to inspire concern. Not fear, exactly. Concern. The sort of feeling one felt when observing a potentially natural disaster forming on the horizon and recognizing there was very little to be done about it. "I suspect a mile may not be sufficient," she observed with complete sincerity. "If the stories are even partially accurate, we may need to consider evacuation procedures for neighboring systems."

Her gaze returned to Varin afterward, lingering there for a moment before a quiet laugh escaped her. "And yes, I remember." The memory surfaced easily. The water. The unexpected plunge. The fact that she had somehow ended up in the ocean first, despite generally being the more cautious of the two. "Though if memory serves, you followed quickly enough that I did not have much opportunity to enjoy my victory."

The smile remained as she looked between the gathering of friends, the lanterns overhead, and the orchestra playing somewhere beyond the crowd. The evening felt unusually light, free from the burdens that so often accompanied their lives. "For the record, I believe we should all appreciate this moment while it lasts," she said, her amber eyes drifting briefly toward Mercy's rapidly accumulating drinks before returning to the group. "Because I have a distinct feeling tomorrow's stories are already writing themselves."

Varin Mortifer Mercy Arris Windrun Rayia Si Lysander von Ascania

 

[Arris Windrun]

Mercy Varin Mortifer Lysander von Ascania Seren Gwyn Rayia Si Naniti
​

"Y'know, sometimes you are, Merce." Sane that is.

Her eyes flicked to Varin. Then back to Star-Arm. She tilted her head, one hand on her hip. The idea of getting 'plastered' around here seemed unwise, but with a defeated sigh, Arris nodded once.

"Yeah, okay."

She saw the approaching butler droid bringing more tropical cocktails with little umbrellas. One impulse was all it took, and suddenly the droid tripped forward, spilling the drinks into the sand.

"Oh no!" Arris feigned shock - her hand even went up to cover her mouth before returning to her hip.

Eyes glanced back at Mercy, tone flat again. "Shame that. I'll find us something."

The cyborg marched off and returned with a bottle of wine in each hand. She uncorked the first with her teeth, spitting it in the direction of Varin and the others. A wretched smell not unlike starship fuel hit the air immediately. She didn't pause before topping off Mercy's dwindling glass with the stuff, then took a swig straight from the source for herself.

"Better, yeah?"

The droid was still struggling to right itself.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Taiia Mataan //:

Allyson didn't give the shrouded man another thought. Her wife was right, this wasn't the time or the place for her to be working. Despite that knowledge, there was still a weight pressing against her chest. While Taiia was capable, Seris and Caelan were still in the vicinity. They were off living their lives carefree, and she wanted that to remain the same.

She didn't press the issue further, as she settled into the thought that Taiia was right. The goal for this trip was to relax and enjoy the fact that, right now, there was no looming conflict. Allyson paused as she let Taiia tease her, understanding that she was keen to enjoy her vacation. Mischief once more touched Allyson's lips as she turned her head slightly towards her wife.

"If that was the plan," she mused, pulling the woman closer, having noticed that her eyes once more drifted to the man in the shadows.

"Then why are we on the beach? We should have just stayed in the privacy of our hotel room." A kiss against the Eldorai's cheek, again with a whisper meant to express wholeheartedly what Allyson intended to use this vacation for.

Enough detail to make her wife flush once more.

Leaning away, she began to lead Taiia along the beach again. Doing her best to ignore the nagging itch about their earlier conversation. She focused hard on the concept of relaxing, but even then, it was something foreign to both of them.

She laughed despite everything. Her mind returned to the memory she had dug up. Seeing that it still crawled under Taiia's skin made the Corellian lean into it.

"I mean," She smirked, "Do you blame them? As I've said before, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever been blessed to see." Allyson, letting go of Taiia's hand momentarily to put her own together, was praying. Only to emphasize her statement.

Another laugh as she reached to grab Taiia's hand once more, in an attempt to curb the small ache of not having contact with the woman. She was determined to do her best to make up for lost time… or to avoid any more of it.

"I will argue, though, they did cut up that tent pretty well… I tried to repair it afterward, and it was a mess." A hand rested on the back of her neck, remembering how close one of the sabers had gotten.

"Will say, the one that cut through the tent," She continued, emphasizing the disaster of the tent, "either has great control of their blade, or I was just really lucky."

Her hand rubbed her neck as she did her best to seem dramatic. "How terrible it would have been if I had been decapitated so early in our relationship."

Allyson sighed softly as she looked out towards the beaches.

"Do you think we would have taken a lot of vacations? Or are we both just two workaholics? I'd like to think we would have, and not because they're free of charge."

Again, she laughed to feel relaxed after everything felt unnatural, but she'd do her best to let it just happen.

 

[Elian Abrantes]

Guinevere Cavello
​

"How do I look at you?"

Elian cleared his throat and chuckled. "Well, its like...you know when...." Elian's mouthed closed once he lost the words, He stole a glance to Guin before looking away once more. Gods this is too dangerous. He thought, taking a deep breath. Then her next question came, that one was a bit trickier, but he was able to get out of it better than her previous one.

"What is it you want to do?"

"It doesn't matter really. Not anymore." He stood up, dusting his hands off on his shorts, even though there was nothing on his hands. Perhaps dusting away the thoughts that were on his mind in that brief moment.

"Elian, there's nothing you could ever do that would jeopardize me. You're the only person in this galaxy who means this much to me."

"Oh no..." Elian said with a small smile and nod, and he didn't mean it to come across how it did. "There's a lot I could've probably done. I'm just glad I stopped myself before it happened. But it doesn't matter."

Elian held his hand out to her. "Come on, we should probably get back."

​

 

[Aiden Porte]

Dreidi Xeraic​

"I was worried about that." Aiden spoke with a laugh, as she mentioned it was coming whether he wished it or not. That much Aiden knew was true, that was life. Growing up, going out there and taking on the galaxy, yet for as strong as he was, that was something that he couldn't stop. Aiden knew Lira had him wrapped around her finger, for the most part.

His heart was full, that wasn't so bad at all. The topic shifted to dating, and Dreidi's prospects. "Not to worry, they will show up before you believe it. I know mine did...." Aiden said with a smile as he glanced to the side, thinking of his first meeting with Alina. And that was something he wouldn't ever forget.

He raised the glass to his lips once more, taking a small drink. Talk of Naboo came, and Aiden nodded quietly at first, as he listened to her speak. "Naboo is always going to be home, but there is part of me that wishes I was out there, in the galaxy." He was doing much good on Naboo, for the people, their hope. They would see him and they would smile, he was a beacon of shining light, even with the darkness plauging him.

"And Aileni!" Aiden chuckled lightly. "Oh that boy of yours......" Aiden teased lightly, shaking his head. "Whether he wants to admit it or not, hes got a lot of your stubborn side. I ran into him a few weeks ago, I'll let him fill you in on those details."

"He's strong, he's good. I'm proud of him."