Faction The Family: A Lifeday Story

[Dedata | Celty Ree]

Life Day - Michael Kramer - Play this

The Grand Pearl descended down onto Coruscant as the morning sun began to rise over the horizon. Down below many remained in their cosy beds deep in slumber. Even the centre of the galaxy grew quieter on Life-day for ordinary people remain at home with their families and loved ones. Boys, girls and non-binaries would soon be waking up to jump on their parents beds excited to huddle around their Life Day trees. However it was not just your usual family that would be huddled together for this is the first life day together The family would spend together since being reformed.

The luxury yacht remained on its steady course as it passed through the ship lanes close to the surface. They soon passed Moonveil's headquarters "The Spire" and slowly towards a landing platform that had a fresh thick blanket of snow.

The Grand Pearl would land and its crew hands moved out with snow crunching underfoot, to tackle the many tasks like loading containers filled with food, drink and other assorted goods. The more senior hands however stood wondering what was inside the largest container of them all with a label stating to load last. Other hands were about hooking up the fuel hoses and waste. Of course each of them working today was given an extensive bonus more than any of them thought they would be paid. Many of them had chosen to wear festive jumpers and hats over their uniforms.

As the sun rose higher in the morning sky golden hues bounced from panes of glass glistening and snowflakes sparkling. Soon there would be the guests arriving. A regal red carpet was rolled out over the snow, strands of tinsel attached to the sides. Soon there would be the guests arriving. A regal red carpet was rolled out over the snow, strands of tinsel attached to the sides. Once all had been sorted for the the crew returned inside to where it was warm.

Two women sped through the morning streets inside of a Super Speeder car. Frost still clung to the corners of the windshield that had taken some scraping enough to see out. The back seats were taken up with most of the presents in a red sack, except for the one that had to be sent ahead of time. For that reason the two did not make use of a driver, least of all on a day like this. Dedata was thankful the two women were alone and that the seats were heated at least. Nothing was worse than crawling out of bed early to venture into the cold. Even still everything seemed scenic and calm.

The woman wore a newer bodysuit with a buttoned festive jumper. The woman turned her head over to Ivory. “Low key excited, despite the cold. Though, not gonna complain. Was me who suggested all this. Not celebrated life day in a good few years, now… well I have a family I like enough to spend it with. More importantly with you.”

Not before long the two were first to arrive at the landing platform. “Wanna put the night bags in the room, wanna check out what they have done.” Dedata hopped out and leant over the side of the speeder to haul the heavy sack. As she walked over the red carpet the woman could hear and feel the snow crunching under the fabric. Dedata headed inside glad to see the largest of the twelve presents had arrived before heading up to the third floor where the restaurant was.

As she entered the whole room had been changed up. Half the room had been changed out for two long buffet tables while the other side had been covered with festive tablecloths and tables pushed together. So far her eyes were sparkling from excitement as she pushed on to the private area that was limited to the Family members.

The room had been changed out for sofas lining the wall either side of the door with a view of the tree and the windows. Decorations lined the wall; baubles, figures and even mini snow globes, dangling from tinsel and even stockings behind each seat. Dedata took the sack over to the tree then took a seat over at the far right. She counted through the blankets noticing only ten. Taking one from the pile with a light underhand throw she chucked them over to one of the other seats. The woman took off a few things, placing it down the side. Celty laid the blanket she got over her lap and lit a cigarette while waiting for Ivory to catch up and others to arrive.

Ivory
Merry Christmas/Lifeday to our Family! We mark our first Christmas together, and only days after New Years, our 1-year anniversary of The Family’s return to Chaos. I want to thank everyone for your continued support - each of you make every day worthwhile! You all make this the best Faction on Chaos, and that is no exaggeration! I want to thank my Caporegime for all their diligence and hard work; you’ve helped me immensely. Here’s to another year!


Celty
I wanna thank everyone firstly for the great year, THE FAMILY IS BACK!. There have been ups and downs but the people in the family have helped me keep sane and I truly appreciate it. Every story I feel excited to be in and having a chance to explore Celtys story has been amazing and the best part is it’s only just begun. Come the new year new stories will come and I cannot wait to see how our characters grow together. Not only that but I have gained more friends while here too and hope to make more.


I wanna specially thank Ivory, Marcella, Star for their hard work. Even with real life busyness, they all still work hard to bring amazing stories and ideas for all of us. Glad to be working alongside a team that is filled with wonderful people.

Finally, thank you to everyone who participated in the secret santa, it was a tight window to make things but damn y’all smashed it outta the park. Next year we'll get things ready in advance and there are more people to join in the fun.

Wish you all a happy xmas.

Stardust

Wow I cannot believe it's the end of the year already, the faction has flourished way beyond expectations, I am proud of everyone who's come and gone and those that have stayed. I look forward to 2023 to be filled with stories.

Marcella

Holy smokes! Merry Christmas & Lifeday everyone! We've come incredibly far compared to the beginning of 2022 and even from the previous iteration of The Family~ twenty-plus unique writers is incredible and we should all be proud to be a part of this welcoming and lovely community, each and every one of you make us who we are and everyone plays an important part in our big, happy, dysfunctional family.

We've got lots of 'things' coming in the new year to look forward to, lots of new threads and with the addition of our new and wonderful creative team, even greater variation.

Luv me Donna. Luv me fellow Caporegimes. Luv me family. You're all amazing!​

The Donna: Ivory Stroud
The Caporegime: Dedata | Celty Ree | Stardust Solus Skirae | Marcella Fiora
The Mades: Mairéad Solus | Kardek Alpha | Jai'galaar Gred
Trusted Associates: Samuel Exel | Dominik Borra / Arturo | Skorvek

 

[Dominik Borra]

Dominik was more the type to show up early, check the place out for traps or cameras or bugs. He'd arrive inconspicuously and sneak in. But Niki Priddy had convinced him not to, that there wasn't any way the Donna would slack on security for this occasion. And Niki had a nice vehicle she wanted to show up in, and she wanted to show up with him next to her. Well, when a lady asks politely...

Niki Priddy and he showed up in one of her new sporty and sleek vehicles, dropping them off at the entrance. He figured this would be another get-together with fancy clothes but, oddly enough, they had been told to wear pajamas or other comfortable clothes. Dominik thought that was odd, Niki already chuckling as she knew he had nothing of the sort. Dominik simply never wore clothes for comfort, but for utility and a little bit of style. He didn't own a sweater or a pair of fuzzy pants. The agent-for-life also had to be explained to by Niki that families on Life day normally wore all their comfy clothes,

and The Donna and her Capo's probably wanted the same for this one. Dominik knew about the tradition but he hadn't pieced that together. So when they got out of the car, they were both standing there in clothes that made them- or at least him- a bit uncomfortable to be standing in the street with.

She looked adorable really, with these salmon-colored pajamas with cute mouse faces all over it. They were loose enough to not hug her figure but fitting enough that you still got to see a bit of her form through it all, when she moved right. Her hair was down straight, which he thought looked warm and inviting on her, making him want to hold her and push his face into it, smelling her shampoo and sharing a rare moment to be intimate. She didn't wear a whole lot of makeup. Though she still wore her poison-detecting nails.

He wore a dark green silk shirt with a long red... well shawl is how he would have described it, but it was fitted for a man, had a rather deep hood in the back, sleeves down to his wrists and went down almost to his toes. It was like a coat that had no buttons, a robe without a tie. It was an odd thing and Niki had picked it out for him, but he didn't dislike how he looked in it. He finished it off with these pants that were equally comfortable as they were ridiculous. Or was it supposed to be cute? It had a navy blue base and had little drawings of Niki's face and hair all over them. She hadn't said anything, but he was pretty sure she was trying to send a message to the other women of The Family. And just like she didn't skip out on her nails, Dominik had his gun tucked away in his waistband.

They were led up to the top floor where the party was to be held and found the room neatly redecorated. Tables and chairs and baubles and snow globes littered the room. It was really pretty, but he was sure both Niki and he were of the sort to notice all of that after they did a headcount of the room and found... only Dedata | Celty Ree and Ivory Stroud , the former sitting on the couch smoking a freshly lit cigarette. They had arrived earlier than everyone else, then.

The pair walked forward and sat on a couch facing both the Capo and The Donna, giving deep bows with their heads to The Donna before sitting down. They sat rather close together and Dominik put an arm around her shoulders. "Didn't expect to be the first ones to arrive." Dominik said. "Is this going to be a full house like last meeting or...?" He let the question hang.

 

[Mairéad Solus]

Location: The Grand Pearl
Objective: Lifeday
Tags: All of you wonderful people

Spoiler: Equipment:

Velmorite bladed lightsabers
Knife on ankle
Ladies Watch
FDS-4F blaster pistol in thigh holster
Empyrean Gland
Marzanna
Datapad

Accompanied by: Snøvinge in vulpine form

Mairéad was excited for this party, this was nice, this was that separated the Kosa Nostra from other crime families, the genuine sense that they were a real family, it was a more casual affair than the recent reorganisation meeting and runour had it that some of the attendees might be in their pjamas, she smirked a little as she thought of that.

The Capodecina had decided on something a little more modest but hopefully similarly relaxed for her own outfit. She had collected her Caporegime, Marcella Fiora from her accomodation on Coruscant and the pair had made sure to fit in a short pre-drink before hand, enjoying the private company. Mairéad had decided to bring her dog tonight and the white vulpine creature bounded happily behind her, excited to meet new people.

As the speeder pulled up to the location and the two business women made their way aboard the ship of Dedata | Celty Ree Mai joked to Marcy. "She's a little bigger than the Marzanna isnt she, what do you think? Club on vanquo or a star cruiser for my next investment?" she laughed and the pair entered. Quickly as she went through security she checked in her secret Santa gift to be administered later, and gently checked her bag for the other gift she had brought along. "Shall we join the others?" she gestured to the others already seated and they made their way over, taking one of the other sofas nearby Ivory Stroud , Dedata | Celty Ree , Dominik Borra and Niki Priddy . She laughed warmly when she saw that the rumours about nightwear was true, she also noted that Dedata had removed her helmet for the occasion.

"Happy lifeday everyone. I love the outfits you two,". Mai grinned at the pair in pjamas, then respectfully nodded at Ivory and Dedata. "Looking beautiful as always." There was a touch of humorous irony in her voice considering how infrequent always was, for the usually masked slicer. But the woman really was beautiful under that visor.

Mairéad would allow Marcella to sit first, as befitting her rank, then would make herself comfortable too, picking up a flute of the glorious sparkling Epican wine to wet her lips. She offered up her glass to tap to the others before taking her first sip of many tonight. The four legged Snøvinge, happy to find a comfortable spot, curled up at Mairéad's legs and the witch absent mindedly stroked the top of his head as he dozed. She smiled to Marcella Fiora , the Caporegime knew what this animal was, as did Stardust Solus Skirae and Cynthia Solus , but it would be their little secret for now.

 

[Jai'galaar Gred]

Jay took a breath as the Cloud Breaker slowly slipped onto a landing pad. The man was in something a bit different. Pajamas, which funny enough included pants covered in all sorts of critters. Ki'tala definitely had a sense of humor for a little hermit of an engineer. Yeah yeah he wasn't always in the most comfy gear for stuff, but it was nice to not be wearing armor and bounty hunting gear for a change. Teilden, the Loth-bat, tried to follow before his owner tossed some food into the ship, tricking the little guy to head back in. Jay then seemed to realize how cold it actually was. Ok he needed to go now. He quickly got moving, and soon spotted the ship, and red carpet. Well he didn't expect that. The man would soon trek his way through the snow, and would be lead up to where he assumed they'd be having Life Day. He looked around, and soon his cybernetic eyes noticed all the people that had gotten there before him.

There was Ivory Stroud and someone who seemed... familiar ( Dedata | Celty Ree ). He couldn't put his finger on it though. Maybe he needed to have these things adjusted. Still needed to get use to all the features too. either way, the next people he would recognize were Dominik Borra and Niki Priddy . He then saw and heard Mairéad Solus , and spotted Marcella Fiora . He couldn't help but smile walking a bit closer to everyone.

"Happy Life Day, folks." It almost felt... normal. Which honestly scared him a bit, but.... He had to stop worrying about things for a change. This was to have fun, and he'd do his best to have it.

 

[Kardek Alpha]

His fingers gripped a bit tightly onto the controls of the speeder, a rather muted contemplation on his face that was hidden underneath the helmet he wore. Alpha was behind him, holding on for dear life as they sped quickly towards the festive randevu. They had both been silent for a while now, as was their custom during such holiday seasons.

Kardek’s earliest memories of life day were from when he was a small boy with his father… when he was still alive. They hadn’t been anything special, but it had been deeply meaningful to the young Kardek as it was a moment when he got to spend good time with his father, someone he had admired and looked up to greatly. After his death, he hadn’t celebrated a single holiday for many years. Droken, as a Mandalorian bounty hunter, had little nostalgia or interest in such things. And being that he had been his caretaker, it was something that had all but disappeared from the young boy’s life. Still, Kardek remembered the pain he had felt during that time of year. A time of celebration had become a pained reminder of his fathers eternal absence.

But then he had met Sashia. She was as nostalgic as they come, and she had pulled him back into the holidays. For a few years they had enjoyed life day together, bringing a sense of redemption and joy back to such occasions for the rogue. Those were surely the best years of his life.

But then she died.

Kardek hadn’t celebrated a single life day since she had passed, unless you count the drunken heartache as a yearly tradition around this time of year. This would be the first time since she died that he would attempt to engage with the holiday, and he was… a bit conflicted about it.

The speeder came to a stop beside the monstrously impressive Grand Pearl, his feet crunching down into the snow as him and Alpha unmounted. He pulled the helmet off, taking a moment to look at the vessel in front of him as he rallied the courage to engage with the Family… his family.

He let a soft sigh escape his lips, his breath visible as he set the helmet down on the seat. No words were exchanged as the two trudged through the snow and made their way onto the red carpet, entering the ship at last.

Alpha not only shared a sense of empathy for the rogue, but in some ways suffered more than Kardek during these seasons. Due to the process that had saved Kardek’s life, a neural connection had been linked between the two, and Alpha had taken on many of Kardek’s necessary subroutines. Because of this, his programing was heavily altered, and he took on the personality of Kardek as a young boy. But it was more than that. Alpha shared Kardeks memories of his own father, and somehow, Alpha felt just as connected to the man as the rogue. Sometimes Kardek resented Alpha’s sense of grieving during these times, because it only served to remind him of himself… that little boy, who had lost so much.

He took off his overcoat and scarf, handing them to the crew member awaiting at the door, nodding in gratitude. He was wearing a warm green sweater underneath… one that Sashia had bought him for such occasions. He pulled it down a bit, his mind drifting back to her as he felt its texture against his skin. The Rogue pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on carefully. He didn’t care to draw attention to any mistaken expressions he might let slip across his face. Hopefully this would help.

They walked through the main room, surveying the decor and setup, making their way to the private lounge where everyone else would be congregating. He had already given his contribution present to Dedata, and so he carried nothing else notable on his person… save for his mini blaster attached to his wrist and hidden underneath the sweater.

As he entered the room, he breathed in and let out a sigh, forcing a smile as he nodded greetings to everyone present… Dominik Borra , a man he wanted to get to know better... Niki Priddy , who seemed to be his plus one, also someone he didn't know enough about... Jai'galaar Gred , a familiar face, as well as a fellow Made... Mairéad Solus , someone who was beginning to feel almost like a sister to him, with their musing competitive nature yet enjoyable interactions, and speaking of competition... Marcella Fiora , the Caporegime who seemed to be Mai's plus one for the evening. Very well. Probably for the best... Dedata | Celty Ree , at least he assumed it was, due to her close proximity to Ivory Stroud , the Donna. He gave a special honorary acknowledgement to the Donna and Caporegime's with his head.

"Happy life day everyone." He said before sitting down on the couch furthest away from the current attendees. Alpha sat down beside him. Kardek removed a metal flask from his pocket, unscrewing the lid and then taking a gulp of the burning liquid inside. He then followed in Dedata's footsteps by placing a Fiora cigarra on his lips and lighting it, however this was of the Ebony variety.

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Life day, one of the most widely celebrated holidays around the entire galaxy, it was a holiday stardust had sporadically celebrated until she had married her wife Cynthia Solus but recently it had not been on her mind until quite literally a week ago as she had bene to busy tracking leads and following the trails to dead ends that caused her to be infuriated with herself.

So when the message came through that she needed to get a gift for a sorta secret gifted thing stardust was sorta miffed! Nearly outright refusing before her wife had convinced her it would be a good idea to attend with the family to relax and enjoy a moment of calm and well...stardust couldn't say no to her wife not easily at least! So as their speeder slowly descended down onto the thick blanket of snow she took a deep breath and let it out standing from her seat

should be fun yeah? Just gonna feel a but weird...

Weird in the fact that none but very few had seen stardust in a setting so calm and peaceful it was a stark contrast from her job and from who she was. Taking a joint out she lit it before putting her ring on as she took a draw and then started inside with her wife, standing in the doorway she looked everyone over ans raised a hand in greeting

happy life day everyone good to see we didn't arrive too early

 

[Cynthia Solus]

Cynthia clung to Star as her riduur drove the speeder through the light show falling own onto coruscant. This was perhaps the woman's first time on the planet. Usually she would avoid coming to the capitals of governments she less than agreed with, however this was an exception to that rule. Star had invited Cynthia along to this lifeday gathering with the Group known as the family. They'd soon descend to the landing platform with a large luxury Yacht star cruiser.

Her arms would slip from around Star's shoulders as the woman stood up and the Alor would follow hopping down from off the back of the Solus BARC. "Don't see why it wont be fun. I mean a little different from how we spend today." Cynthia chuckled while taking off the side bags and threw them over her shoulder. The pink haired woman clad in red, gold, black and white beskar'gam followed her wife as she pushed the speeder onto the ship. She had come light in terms of weapons, both Haran tracyn tracy'uur's hung on her hips in holders and Multi Weapon in its sword form that was slotted into a sheath on her back. Cynthia knew they would not be needed, but she never left home without a weapon it was second nature.

Cynthia kept following Star till her wife stopped and light a joint with her power. She herself could spark up a joint, though for the next few months that would not be possible, in the end it would be worth it. Her hand slipped down onto her belly with a glowing face and a smile. Star slipped on the ring and entered the room that seemed cozy. "Su cuy'gar burc'ya and happy lifeday. Thank you for having me."

Looking around there was a few familiar faces already as they had attended the wedding on Vanquo not so long ago. Remembering right there was Ivory Stroud who lead the group, then Marcella Fiora was an upper echelon along with her wife. Of course Cynthia knew Mairéad Solus and knew of Dominik Borra from Star. Though the other faces was not so familiar, there was a man in a green jumper with an IG droid. An amusing thought passed her mind at the idea of a IG play date with the one that guarded her house that was fairly independent for a droid. She looked around to also see a woman with red hair who was also at the wedding and a woman with short ashen who Cynthia did not recognise at all.

She would take a seat besides her wife wondering when Jade Solus Skirae would make an appearance.

 

[Diocletian Kahmen’’a]

Location: The Spire
Ojective: Non-Combat
Pyjamas: These
Tags: Ivory Stroud | Dedata | Celty Ree | Stardust Solus Skirae | Marcella Fiora
| Mairéad Solus | Kardek Alpha | Jai'galaar Gred | Samuel Exel | Dominik Borra | Arturo | Skorvek

Diocletian had woken early to prepare, and everything has been freshly laundered including his pyjamas, the Family have a party today and he was indeed invited to join, His clan don't celebrate this particular holiday, but then again, why not go for the food and warmth? Ms, Stroud invited him so he will not miss out. He looked at the chocolate credits he brought with him and he knew they would go down a treat. Getting there took less time and the Vampire's thrusters thawed the snow. It looked deep and the Ubese's inner child took over and he dived into a large snow drift, the inner child needed some childishness. Not as if anyone owns the snow.

He was far from caring about how others saw him at that moment. Getting up he made his way to where they are supposed to go, easy enough, but then he realised he hasn’t got anything else but the chocolate credits and a high-end fragrance for Ivory, he remembered putting it in a fresh satchel. So he hasn’t come empty-handed at least.

He knew this place was going to be warm when he noticed a ring of dryness around the building. Stomping off the snow on his boots he made his way in, placing his gift with the others and settling down to warm up. Looks like people are getting here and the steady trickle of guests meant that it’s going to be great too.

He gave his weather data pad a once over, going to have heavy snow intervals and the same with all of next week too. Too much snow is as annoying as saturated salt pretzels. He can fry up some of his treats to share, and there is no harm in that.

<“I’m here.”> he announced announcing his presence to the other guests.

 

[Ivory Stroud]

As the two sped along through the wintery Coruscant skies, Ivory took the opportunity to relax & marvel at the scenery. The heated seats & powerful environmental controls in the Speeder kept her warm & cozy. The bitingly-cold air outside the speeder would have stolen her breath away, especially at the speed they were moving… but thankfully, the enclosed operating area protected them. Mostly.

“Low key excited, despite the cold. Though, not gonna complain. Was me who suggested all this. Not celebrated life day in a good few years, now… well I have a family I like enough to spend it with. More importantly with you.”

Ivory smiled, leaning over and planting a kiss on Celty's cheek. "You really pulled it off." She complimented, glancing out the window to her side - recognizing "The Spire" in the distance, standing prominantly above the Coruscant skyline. "A vacation will be lovely... far away from business. Far away from the city." She said wistfully. It was the beginning of a perfect holiday.

Only a few minutes later, they were touching down on the landing pad. The Pearl, a gargantuan luxury starship, awaited them - preparing to ferry The Family away from Coruscant for a Life Day vacation. Ivory disembarked the speeder, assisting Celty in transporting the package of presents into the ship. The luxurious & spacious Atrium had been transformed by the crew into a festive, colorful atmosphere. Leaving Celty to organize the presents, The Donna helped herself to a glass of creamy yellow egg-nog (and a double-shot of Fiora Bourbon) then took a seat not far from where Celty herself had chosen to sit. When the silver-haired Slicer tossed over a blanket, Ivory took it out & prepared it for the two of them.

A short while later, Dominik Borra & Niki Priddy arrived, joining the two of them in the Atrium. Ivory greeted them with a raised glass and a hello, grinning to herself at Dominik's... peculiar... outfit. She reasoned that it had been Niki, herself, who'd selected it; there was no way Dom would have chosen such a look for himself.

Mairéad Solus & Marcella Fiora were next to arrive, with Ivory getting up to hug them both. She returned Mairead's compliment with a grin and a wink, "You look very comfortable. I almost prefer this look to the classy appearance. Happy Life-day, help yourself to drinks."

Jai'galaar Gred was next to arrive, and Ivory waved at him pleasantly.

Next to arrive was Kardek Alpha - with the Droid 'happily' taking a seat beside the tall, dark, and handsome gunslinger. "Happy Life Day to you too." Ivory replied, grinning at the man. "Why so far away?" She playfully whined. "Bring that flask over here, and let's have a drink!"

Next to arrive was Stardust Solus Skirae , with a familiar face in tow... Cynthia Solus , Alor of Clan Solus, and a woman of worth to-be-sure. Ivory stood, approaching & greeting them both with excitement. If time permitted, she fully intended to speak - privately - with the powerful Mandalorian leader, as this was the first time since the wedding they'd been in one-another's presence.

When Diocletian Kahmen’’a arrived, Ivory greeted him with a smile, clapping the Ubese on the back & shaking his hand, glad to see him. Since their recent discussion regarding business on Uba IV, she'd begun to take a special interest in the Bounty Hunter. He'd shown initiative & qualities of leadership; both of which, she was always seeking in people who earned her ear. "Welcome." She said. "Glad you could make it. Happy Life Day."

 

[Samuel Exel]

As per usual, Samuel had a good dosage of paranoia when it came to gatherings like this. However, that was manageable. Today, it was almost nerve-wracking. The reason for this? It was the first time, in a fairly long while, that he had the opportunity to attend such an event with another special person.

“Can you believe it, love?” Hummed his voice, light in tone and demeanor as he stepped along arm-in-arm. “A luxury yacht. I couldn’t believe the opportunity when I saw it; we just had to accept it. Board here on Coruscant, easy to reach, and it’s safe.” From outside threats, that is. “There’s some friends of mine going there, as well, so maybe you’ll meet some new folks?” No, he still didn’t wholeheartedly trust the people running things behind the scenes. Fickle thing, that. But he trusted some of the people going here. Could call one or two friends, even, and it made the day ten times better that he was able to spend it with Ela Exel . He was only ever this talkative to her.

“I hear it’s very comfortable there, too - y’know, being a luxury yacht and all, I’d hope so.” Chuckling some in nervous excitement. Doubted there was going to be another Mandalorian Situation. Again. It was Coruscant; the heart of the Core. There’d be none here in united effort. Still, he concealed a holdout pistol in his clothing. They were told it was casual - extremely casual. Meant to emulate something of an ‘actual family gathering,’ he supposed. He didn’t really think he really qualified as ‘part’ of that Family - he only worked as a Bartender, and occasional Contractor now.

Regardless of that fact, he had to dig around in his wardrobe so as to avoid showing up in his armor because that was ‘casual’ to him, usually. He almost took out his normal red suit (again), but Ela may have insisted he wear something more comfortable. So he was wearing a sweater and pants, of which was indeed a whole lot more cozy to wear, despite its impracticality. Or so he thought; he opened the door to a chilly temperature that he was absolutely not used to, having spent a good portion of his life frequenting hot deserts instead.
“Feth, I almost prefer Tatooine with this temperature.” Cracking a small joke with a shiver as they stepped across the landing platform. “I’m sure it’ll be warmer inside though. It’s like a little get-together, so we’ll probably be greeted by the other folks who we’ve seen about the Lounge before.” In brief explanation, to try to ease any nerves she may have.

Steps eventually did make their way inside, beholden to a lavish interior that he has only seen the likes of a couple times. “They said the top floor, I think…” Murmured softly as he slowly moved along. Even Samuel’s gaze could not help but wander to take in the sight for a moment with a short whistle. “Well, they certainly spared no expense, huh..?” Quipped in a slight jest to the other.

As they made their way to the third and final floor, there was a variety of faces to greet them, many of which wished a Happy Life Day. “Happy Life Day.” He would politely greet the crowd, expression attempting to impart a soft smile despite the awkwardness he felt. Admittedly he felt like a fish out of water; no matter how many bars you tend, gatherings like this were something else in his mind.

Some of the faces he recognized. Kardek Alpha for two, the pair was sitting a fair away from the rest. He attempted to offer a soft smile to the other, encouragingly for the occasion. “You should not sit so far away.” Calling over to the man and droid. Wouldn’t mind striking up conversation when opportunity permitted.
When he glanced to Dominik Borra and Niki Priddy , he could not help but to give a knowing grin to himself they might’ve seen as he shifted in the seat. He was happy for them. It always delighted him to see such things come to fruition.
Jai'galaar Gred was a familiar face to the man. He had worked alongside the Beast master a number of times by then; certainly, he was a curious individual with a most peculiar interest he didn't think he had ever seen before, and an equally unknown origin. And that's what piqued his interest about the man. Perhaps conversation would be made, sooner or later. He half-hoped he smuggled the lolth-bat in again; maybe he'd ask so Ela could see it.
Should they have passed by Marcella Fiora , his titular employer, he would’ve given a slight bow of his head of respect with a murmured “Miss Fiora,” this form of acknowledgment given to no one else. He also acknowledged Mairéad Solus , “And Mairead. It is good to see you both.”
The woman accompanying Ivory Stroud was a new face; but at the same time he noticed one of the caporegimes was missing, with this woman in its place. She had a similar, if not exact frame. And having pulled a similar hat trick himself once, long ago for the very woman standing at his side, he had a feeling he knew it was one and the same person.
Stardust Solus Skirae , was an interesting sight. She had made her reputation clear; of which, did not make the greatest impression to the man previously. Here, however, she seemed far more at ease. That was a good thing, frankly. Would’ve preferred it if it was like that more often. Perhaps it was a front, much like his own, only that it was active far more often? It was difficult to say. Another woman, Cynthia Solus , was also accompanying her - he was not familiar with her, but assumed she was indeed familiar with the Twi’lek.
Diocletian Kahmen’’a was a face he hadn’t seen in a good bit. He seemed like an eccentric fellow from what he’s seen thus far, and he still hadn’t had the opportunity to ask about his railgun, so sometime over the course of this seemed like a good point. So many options to socialize with.

All in all, this seemed like it was certainly going to be a unique Life Day that the man may never see again, depending on how things shake out with his employers. May as well enjoy it while it lasts. He shuffled to the side to sit down on one of the many sofas that lined the walls of the common room - which also had one of the blankets resting neatly folded. He found that rather quaint, so it was taken up and offered over to Ela as if to ask whether they’d want to bundle up or not. “Comfortable?” He prompted, with a gentle smile to her.

 

[Jade Solus Skirae]

After much persuasion from her other halves she decided to wear a Dress for the occasion only because it'd make Stardust Solus Skirae and Cynthia Solus happy, She sighed as she walked to the party area, she kept some of her weaponry hidden on her person..force of habit and good luck asking her to change that habit anytime soon. She saw everyone already recognized a few faces such as Ivory Stroud , Mairéad Solus , Marcella Fiora , Dominik Borra , Niki Priddy and finally her lovely wives and walked over to them and sat down.

She didn't like being social at all but she'd never hear the end of it if she ignored this event so she showed up for there benefit

Jai'galaar Gred Arturo Dedata | Celty Ree

 

[Dominik Borra]

"Happy lifeday everyone. I love the outfits you two,". Mai grinned at the pair in pjamas,

Dominik and Niki both grinned, the former a bit too forced. He wasn't embarrassed at the outfit Niki made him wear, he just would have been far more comfortable in his suit. This was just... weird.

One by one everyone came in, most carrying gifts. Right. The gift exchange. He probably looked lame without one, but he honestly couldn't have brought it in here with him if he tried. He wondered what Dedata | Celty Ree had done with it, if it was wrapped up or on a different floor of the yacht or if his present got reduced to a simple message saying "You'll see it later!".

Kardek Alpha came in and he looked... depressed. Even his droid with him had an air and personality to it, more so than last time. Kardek pulled out a flask and drank from it. He wasn't enjoying the holiday, Dominik surmised. Something bad had happened to him recently, or this holiday reminded him of it. He'd need to do a little more snooping into Kardek's background in the future. Sure, The Family was his family now but you needed to know your siblings' secrets. That's what siblings do, wasn't that right? He never had any practical experience.

Stardust Solus Skirae came in with her first wife, Cynthia Solus , who had a sort of glow about her, and she didn't look enthused to be there. She had a lit joint in her mouth, which he knew Marcella, Mairead and Ivory partook in but he hadn't seen Stardust do so. Cynthia also made an unconscious movement with her hand, placing it on her belly for just a moment. Dominik blinked and turned on his Cybernetic Eye, and watched her as she took a few steps and the eye did it's job, weighing her just by how she interacted with things and walked. She had gained a little weight, out of the normal day-to-day weight fluctuation. They were... pregnant. And with Dominik and Star being old friends, he was going to be "Uncle Dom" or something soon enough. He should get to know her wives a bit better, and, well, if Niki and he continued, she'd need to get to know them too. Jade Solus Skirae showed up separate from her two wives, and he wondered why that was.

Samuel Exel and Ela Exel showed up, Sam without either of his sets of business wear for once. It had been a while since he had seen the pair and was glad that Ela could come.

And then the doors to this large hall in the yacht opened once more and...

 

[Arturo]

Knowing that the majority of The Family had already arrived, he figured it was time for Envy and he to make their entrance.

They pushed open the doors and sauntered in with smiles and Life Day cheer. Well, Arturo did anyway. When he had told Envy to practice smiling... It was kind to say that she wasn't made for the camera unless it was a horror flick. So to brighten up her appeal since she couldn't do it herself, she wore a pair of fuzzy felt reindeer antlers. Envy had requested the real things as they were more serviceable as weapons and as much as Arturo could acquire them, he reasoned with her that her natural weaponry was enough for her needs. It took some convincing. She also wore an ugly sweater with The Family's Oak emblem on it, and silk pants. She didn't need the clothes, even naked she didn't look like a naked sentient. But with just a sweater on Arturo felt it made her look like she was half naked, so he gave her some. Envy remarked that she hasn't his dress-up doll, and to that Arturo heavily disagreed. The last item to her apparel was the large wrapped box she easily carried. It was long enough to be a sword and anytime she moved it there was heavy thudding sounds coming from the inside. The item, whatever it was, was a heavy object that Envy burdened with ease.

Now, this was a casual gathering. See above about dressed-up Envy. But Arturo spent too much time dressing Envy up and didn't have enough time for himself. So instead he also wore an ugly sweater, a duplicate to Envy's, his khaki's, and a large bowtie made of tinsel around his neck. He had seen Envy eyeing it and wondered if she was thinking how easy it would be to hang him with it.

So they stride into the room, Envy remotely controlling the lights inside to dim everywhere but where they walked for the first few seconds of their entry, Arturo at their center and reflecting their light off his perfectly white teeth. "Happy Life Day, everybody!" He called out before the lights returned to normal. He stepped over to Ivory Stroud and her Capos as Envy put the gift with the others. "Another splendid year, ey Ivory? And all these new faces... Exciting."

 

[Skorvek]

He was not one for social gatherings, he found them ...tedious, never could understand peoples want or need for social events or celebration of such events as this, but if it wasn't for the insistence of Cynthia Solus and Stardust Solus Skirae ...mostly Stardust...stubborn sister as she is he might not have shown up at all, he arrived in his more fancy looking gam, that part was none negotiable at best before he looked at who was present a few unfamiliar and familiar faces here and there he saw Cynthia and stardust but chose to not intrude for the moment as it seems they are spending time together with a third he hasn't seen, for now he kept to himself, despite being a family person nothing beats that anti-social side of him ...easily.

 

[Ela Exel]

​

A cruise on a luxury yacht to celebrate Life Day was definitely not something Ela had ever planned nor expected to experience in her lifetime. Not to mention this occasion called for casual, comfortable clothes and… pajamas..? She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d owned pajamas. But, here she was, approaching this luxury ship arm-in-arm with Samuel Exel , wearing a pair of fuzzy plaid joggers and a thick sweater (Of course, a blaster was hidden away in her clothing, and she suspected many others did the same thing). She still wasn’t used to the cold of space and other planets, having lived on Tatooine for so long. She did prefer the cooler atmosphere though, more enjoyable to be wrapped up in warm clothes in the cold than sweating through her shirt in desert heat.

Slow approach to the yacht. Ela absentmindedly listens to Sam talk to her, nodding along in agreement. Truthfully, since the Mandalorian situation, she hadn’t gone and done a whole lot– she was too shaken up by it. Really, what was the deal with them? It was like they couldn’t escape no matter where they went. All she could hope was this trip really was going to be as safe as everyone said.

The pair enter. As always, Ela is enamored by the fancy interior. She hadn’t gotten used to living in a nice space yet, so everything new like this she considered fancy. Maybe it was nerves, but for once, Samuel seemed to be doing quite a bit more talking than her, offering greetings as they passed other guests. She finally mustered up the energy to say hello or wave to the faces she recognized. One of whom had a girl with him she hadn’t seen before– and they wore matching pajamas. She has to hold back a smile as they pass.

The two move to sit somewhere. Sam offers her a blanket and inquires– “Comfortable?”
“Mhm.” She smiles up at him and they take a seat.

 

[Dedata | Celty Ree]

The Christmas Song - Barry Snyder Band- Play this

As Ivory walked in Celty smiled warmly enjoying the few more moments of quiet as soft lifeday jizz played. Dominik Borra and Niki Priddy where the first two to arrive. As the man asked a question the woman took a drag from the cigarete and blowing the smoke out upwards towards the ceiling. "There was no set time when to arrive, plan was to head out once everyone arrives. Also not a big crowd. Hek if there were more well, don't think I'd handle it well outside a helmet." She said with a soft tone as her eyes trailed out to look at the cityscape beyond the nose of the Yacht.

Next to arrive was her fellow Caporegime Marcella Fiora and her Capodecina Mairéad Solus "Happy life day to you both too." The woman smiled and lightly laughed at the complement. "Pretty sure it's your first time seeing my face. Not that you would believe it but I always do my makeup. After all if I die... well gotta be drop dead gorgeous."

The next few to arrive would be Jai'galaar Gred , Kardek Alpha , Stardust Solus Skirae and her wife Cynthia Solus , a woman Celty was aware of through a business deal with a forged identity. She would return the happy life day back to each one of them. The woman could not help but notice how Kardek carried himself in, a hint of sadness and perhaps a little loneliness too. That was an assumption at best, however she hopes that by the end of tomorrow each of them would have been glad to have attended and would make a happy memory for each.

Soon Samuel Exel and his wife Ela Exel arrived. The two very quickly snuggled under blankets after greeting everyone. Something Celty did not blame. Rather quite a few had snuggled with a blanket over them and with the negative temperatures outside, she did not blame them either. Even with the heating on the chill stuck to bones with ease and for those who where used to warm climates they'd surely feel it the most. Luckily Celty was a little more used to the cold working with lots of machinery that has to be cooled. Jade Solus Skirae arrived moments after and seemed rather quiet or shy as the woman got herself situated.

Next up was someone who seemed to make it their life's goal to make a showy entrance commanding attention of the room. Of course it was Arturo and his... sidekick, assistant or intern? Could even be a lover. Celty had not dived into the lawyer's details yet but his name was on the list given the man's position within the family. Shortly after his grand entrance the last arrived looming behind Arturo was Skorvek .

Without looking Celty typed on her datapad with her free hand as she took the last drag from the cigarette. The woman let the captain of the vessel that everyone had arrived. The message was almost immediately replied to that final checks had been finished and they would all be departing shortly. The Info broker stood up holding the blanket around her as it draped over each shoulder and stood by the tree. "Thank you all for coming today and especially those that may have families of their own may they be children or loved ones. Some of you may have been guessing to who I am. I am Celty, though you may know me as Dedata. I ask that first, none of you saw my face or heard my voice. Secondly this is my first Lifeday in several years now so I am glad to be sharing this one with all of you here."

The Grand Pearl began to move a little as the thrusters heated up and repulsors came online. Seconds later the ship began to raise up and moved forwards towards the ship lanes. "The bar just on the other side of the doors is a free for all and come lunchtime a spread of food will be put out in there too. Any special dietary requirements or allergies, lemmi know and I will message the catering staff." As the woman spoke more the ship would begin to climb up. "Sleeping arrangements, Marcella, Stardust, me and Ivory have our own rooms for safety reasons. As for each of you, y'all get the sleepover, pillow fighting, late night giggles experience of sharing this room. The couches pull out to beds and Alpha we have a charging station onboard just in case."

The sky behind the woman began to turn darker as they reached the edge of the atmosphere. "None of you are confined to this level and there are many things to do onboard to relax or have fun. On the second level there is sauna's, hot tub with a relaxing waterfall feature and a pool. Up on the next level you can access the atrium, with a few games for the gamblers, tables should have Pazack, Dejarik, Cubikahd and Sabacc loaded into them." She could not resist but inform the guests about the facilities on-board. The ship had finally made space and continued to follow the ship lanes till they could pull off and begin their trip.

"Now for the part that most of you secretly came for. Also was short notice so thank you again to those that participated. Also one of them was... a bit to big to get in here. I had it loaded in the cargo bay." Celty turned towards the tree and knelt down before shuffling around a little to make sure she could also see everyone. Her hands reached for the closest present first and pulled it close to read the lable. "First one is for Skorvek." Celty held it up for the tall canine to get. "Next one is for Kardek and Alpha."

"Samual."
"Arturo."
"Dominik."
"Jade."
"Jai'g... urm Jai'galaaaar?" Celty struggled to pronounce the man's name a little given the unusual name.
"Marcella and Mairéad." She held both up given the small size of the presents.
"Stardust, yours must be the one in the cargo bay since the last two are Ivory's and my own." Celty picked up her own and Ivory's present and moved back over to the couch sitting next to the Donna. She could not resist the smile as the capo handed Ivory her gift. Reaching down the side of the chair, her fingers tugged on a little pull tab flinging the foot rest up. Despite looking calm, a sense of nervousness began to hit hard on the woman. It felt so strong her body shacked a little.



The Donna: Ivory Stroud
The Caporegime: Dedata | Celty Ree | Stardust Solus Skirae | Marcella Fiora
The Mades: Mairéad Solus | Kardek Alpha | Jai'galaar Gred
Trusted Associates: Samuel Exel | Dominik Borra / Arturo | Skorvek

 

[Kardek Alpha]

The Donna: Ivory Stroud
The Caporegime: Dedata | Celty Ree | Stardust Solus Skirae | Marcella Fiora
The Mades: Mairéad Solus | Kardek Alpha | Jai'galaar Gred
Trusted Associates: Samuel Exel | Dominik Borra / Arturo | Skorvek ​

Kardek's gaze lifted towards Ivory Stroud as she rather playfully probed into the nature of his distance. His gaze drifted around the room after Samuel Exel also mentioned something, not realizing how far away he actually was from everyone else. He raised his flask in a warm greeting to Sam as well as a slight apology for his distance. As Ivory asked for a drink, he stood up with a smirk and approached the Donna silently, seating himself carefully beside his queen, his hand outstretched towards her with the flask in offering.

"You two look lovely." He commented with a respectful nod regarding both the Donna and her companion, the one he had assumed was the unmasked Dedata. "It's got quite a kick…" He referenced the nature of the smooth top shelf whiskey that resided within the flask. He took another drag from the blunt in his other hand, beginning to enjoy its effects. Kardek would also then offer the blunt to Ivory subtly, if she happened to be interested in partaking in such activities.

He would then nod and provide a warm smile to the other members who entered… Stardust Solus Skirae , his Capo, to whom he stood with respect and gave a nod, and her companion Cynthia Solus , a new face. He noticed Stardust with a blunt, causing him to smirk and raise his own with approval. They would surely need to smoke together tonight at some point. He then sat back down. Diocletian Kahmen’’a … He took particular interest in his new friend Samuel Exel 's company, Ela Exel , someone he had not met. He would surely make more personal introductions at some point. Jade Solus Skirae … Dominik Borra , another man he wanted to connect with, and his company Niki Priddy ... Arturo made a dramatic entrance, causing a smirk to cross his lips. Skorvek , a member of the Hellmakers, to whom he would raise his flask in respectful greeting.

Seeing all the couples coming together made it difficult for Kardek to not think about Sashia. He did his best to distract himself from such thoughts, taking another swig of the flask and instead focusing on the various conversations of others that floated about throughout the room. His finger tapped subtly against the side of the flask repeatedly, a physical manifestation of his attempts at distraction.

The rogue turned his attentions fully to Dedata | Celty Ree as she addressed the Family. She had done an exquisite job at the preparations, it should prove to be a very nice time for the Family to enjoy together. The bar of coarse was of particular interest to the gunslinger. He was a bit concerned about spending the night in this room with a bunch of love birds… things could get awkward quick, but hopefully everyone would be cordial. It was nice of them to include a charging station for Alpha. He nodded a silent thanks to the Capo, not desiring to interrupt her. His gaze drifted over to Alpha, observing that he had made no movement or sound since sitting down on the couch that was still a bit far away from everyone. He subtly communicated with him through their neural link, telling him that he needed to be more social. Alpha's receptors shifted towards him, not communicating anything back in return except a rather professional nod of his metallic head.

Kardek turned back to Dedata, perking up at the mention of a hot tub on another level. That seemed like a fantastic amenity that he would surely take her up on, once he was properly inebriated, of coarse.

As Kardek's name was called, he nodded and took the present. It was long. He unwrapped it and his mood immediately shifted as he chucked at the rather exquisite Machete that was now in his hands. He picked it up, admiring the craftsmanship and testing the weight in his hand. Upon noticing the power cell, he activated it. Immediately the blade ignited into a brilliant blue as energy surged through it. He nodded with approval, giving it a couple of careful swings before deactivating it and setting it down on his lap. "That's kriffin' brilliant." He said, smiling at Ivory, then his eyes drifted around the room at everyone, "Thanks." He said to whomever had given him such an extravagant present.

As gifts were being handed out, Kardek's gaze subtly shifted towards Ivory and Dedata, or Celty, seated beside him. They were sitting closely together, and seemed very familiar with the proximity. There was a solid possibility that there was more to their relationship. He put the blunt on his lips and toyed with the mistletoe in his pocket, pondering whether or not this was a good idea. Or a terrible one. She was his queen after all, and to potentially cause any form of embarrassment was not a desire in the slightest... However he had picked up on some subtle cues that led him to believe that they were, in fact, together. Finally he chose to attempt a special moment for the two of them, hoping it wouldn't backfire. He discretely pulled the mistletoe out of his pocket and let his arm reach behind Ivory, hopefully out of her sight, until it dangled directly above her head. "Oh dear! Celty! Look!" He exclaimed in mock surprise, giving Celty a subtle wink and a slight smile, wondering how she might react, and hoping he wouldn't be murdered by the two powerful women.

 

[Jai'galaar Gred]

​

Jay looked at the others that came in. There was Kardek Alpha , the he noticed Stardust Solus Skirae and Cynthia Solus . Admittedly after the initiation he had felt let stressed about being around Star, but some of it still lingered a bit. There was also Diocletian Kahmen’’a and Samuel Exel with someone the bounty hunter didn't know ( Ela Exel ). He then noticed Ivory Stroud , and smiled a bit, waving back. He chuckled a bit listening to Dominik Borra and Mairéad Solus .

There was Arturo , who he really didn't know much about still. And Skorvek , who he'd gotten to know some about on one of his last adventures. Crazy to think about. He wouldn't really get a chance to sit before hearing Dedata | Celty Ree speak up, and looked over. so she did have a face, and had been hiding her name... yeesh this sounded familiar. It was also her first Life Day in some time apparently. She'd go on to explain the vessels rooms, and what activities there were before calling on names to get their gifts.

Jai.... Ok well everyone who didn't know yet knew it now.... Jai would walk up, taking the gift and somewhat slowly opening it. Old habits that never did die on his part. He was surprised to find some sort of tool, giving it a curious look, and looking for any instructions. It was chocked full of stuff for something so small. He smiled. He might not've had a belt, but he clipped it to his waistband for the time being. He then looked around, walking over to Ivory and Celty for a quick hello. He then stopped to see what Kardek was up to. Either it'd work well, or somehow the man would get hurt. Either way it's be interesting.

Jai would wait for whatever happened happen, finally walking up, and speaking with a smile. "Ivory, good to see you here. And Celty, glad to... well I guess you helped me a bit before too, but this is definitely nice." When Jay noted helping before, he'd pull an eyelid down to show his eyes a bit more clearly, and the hint of a blue glow.

 

[Dedata | Celty Ree]

The Christmas Song - Barry Snyder Band- Play this

The woman comfortable in her seat and wrapped up she dived into tearing the ever living netherworld out of the wrapping paper. Inside she would find gloves, though not just normal ones but high tech. It aroused much curiosity to what it was these did and a slither of excitement showed itself in the smile on Celty's face. Her eyes picked up on the movement around the room and Kardek came over to the two women making himself comfortable on the other side of Ivory.

He discretely pulled the mistletoe out of his pocket and let his arm reach behind Ivory, hopefully out of her sight, until it dangled directly above her head. "Oh dear! Celty! Look!"

Turquoise eyes flicked up to see what it was the man was doing and her face turned bright red. Anyone looking would be able to read the womans face as if it was a book written in bold text. However she was not going to say no or chicken out, and it wasn't exactly the first time the two would kiss but when they had it was in each others company with no one else around. There was a second to gather her resolve as she leant over and passionately made out with Ivory till their lips naturally came apart. She would look into Ivory's eyes till flopping back down blushing thinking that was the most impulsive thing she had done.

Her hands would pull the blanket over her face for a moment as she gathered herself. "Aaaaaaa." The soft little quiet scream was hard to hear over the sounds of people chanting but those close would have heard it. In that moment Celty had not noticed Jai show up. They had one meeting prior at artistic expressions. In fact anyone from the family to get cyberware was done personally by the information broker so that her staff was not privy to the illegal cyberware that was sometimes installed. In the realization that he had been stood there while. "Ohh... N-n-no problem." She stuttering with a soft tone before taking a deep breath. "I hope they work well for you. If you run into any issues never hesitate to seek me out or send a message. Will make sure to look at em."

She inevitably leant against Ivory with a big happy smile. Celty had yet to fully realise that she was easy to read without the helmet. Years of never having to worry about facial expressions or how obvious it was she was staring at something. This was her own undoing and downfall, but also showed that she gained the confidence to trust those around her, to trust the family. It was no easy feat but she tried.

 

[Ivory Stroud]

Star Wars Main Theme - Christmas Version​

"Happy Life Day, everybody!" He called out before the lights returned to normal. He stepped over to Ivory Stroud Ivory Stroud and her Capos as Envy put the gift with the others. "Another splendid year, ey Ivory? And all these new faces... Exciting."

Ivory grinned, reaching out to grip Arturo 's hand. "Another year, indeed. We've grown more than I could have dreamed." She replied, "You look absolutely smashing, darling. You even convinced Envy to show out. I'm very impressed!" With an exaggerated & playfully sordid look, she admired his sweater - noting that it was a match to the one Envy wore. With a playful grin, she reached out & flicked the tinsel bow-tie he wore at his throat. There was a sparkle in her eye as she further complimented Envy on her outfit: "You look absolutely gorgeous, darling. We have our very own reindeer!"

And then, she laughed.

Kardek Alpha joined her, taking a seat beside her, and Ivory leaned against his shoulder in an affectionate manner; signalling he was as much a part of this celebration as she was. Reaching out, she accepted the flash from him and brought it to her lips - taking a mouthful of the stout liquor. She swallowed, then handed it back to him without making a face. "Thank you, darling. Glad you could make it... if you need a refill, help yourself to the drinks." Jai'galaar Gred would also approach, and Ivory reached out to shake his hand in the same manner as she'd shaken Arturo's; her thumb pressing downward on his knuckles & pointing toward the floor. It was the same handshake she'd taught the newly-Made members after their ceremony. Curiously, she wasn't aware Jay & Celty had met privately, and grinned at him - pleased to know he was taking advantage of the resources at his disposal.

The pair enter. As always, Ela is enamored by the fancy interior. She hadn’t gotten used to living in a nice space yet, so everything new like this she considered fancy. Maybe it was nerves, but for once, Samuel seemed to be doing quite a bit more talking than her, offering greetings as they passed other guests. She finally mustered up the energy to say hello or wave to the faces she recognized. One of whom had a girl with him she hadn’t seen before– and they wore matching pajamas. She has to hold back a smile as they pass.

As the Exels finally made an appearance, Ivory waved toward the two bartenders - clearly pleased they'd made it. She caught Ela Exel 's eye & gave the beautiful woman a playful wink. When the time came, Ivory would make an effort to greet the two directly... but Dedata | Celty Ree was already beginning the festivities.

Ivory recognized the distant hum of the Grand Pearl's engines as they began to warm up, paying brief attention to Celty as she readied for their departure. Then, the conversation in the room died down as Celty spoke out-loud:

"Thank you all for coming today and especially those that may have families of their own may they be children or loved ones. Some of you may have been guessing to who I am. I am Celty, though you may know me as Dedata. I ask that first, none of you saw my face or heard my voice. Secondly this is my first Lifeday in several years now so I am glad to be sharing this one with all of you here."

The Grand Pearl began to move a little as the thrusters heated up and repulsors came online. Seconds later the ship began to raise up and moved forwards towards the ship lanes. "The bar just on the other side of the doors is a free for all and come lunchtime a spread of food will be put out in there too. Any special dietary requirements or allergies, lemmi know and I will message the catering staff." As the woman spoke more the ship would begin to climb up. "Sleeping arrangements, Marcella, Stardust, me and Ivory have our own rooms for safety reasons. As for each of you, y'all get the sleepover, pillow fighting, late night giggles experience of sharing this room. The couches pull out to beds and Alpha we have a charging station onboard just in case."

The sky behind the woman began to turn darker as they reached the edge of the atmosphere. "None of you are confined to this level and there are many things to do onboard to relax or have fun. On the second level there is sauna's, hot tub with a relaxing waterfall feature and a pool. Up on the next level you can access the atrium, with a few games for the gamblers, tables should have Pazack, Dejarik, Cubikahd and Sabacc loaded into them." She could not resist but inform the guests about the facilities on-board. The ship had finally made space and continued to follow the ship lanes till they could pull off and begin their trip.

"Now for the part that most of you secretly came for. Also was short notice so thank you again to those that participated. Also one of them was... a bit to big to get in here. I had it loaded in the cargo bay."

Ivory remained silent, looking about the room to each & every face... feeling warmth, pride, and joy welling up in her chest. The trip into High Orbit was quicker than she might have guessed... clearly, the money they'd invested into the yachts had been well-spent. As the silver-haired young woman oriented everyone to the ship's facilities, the Donna made a note to investigate the gaming tables at some point. Cozy on the couch, Ivory settled in as the presents were handed out to their recipients. When Celty was finished with everyone else, she rejoined Ivory on the couch - handing Ivory a small box, which the raven-haired woman accepted with a look of surprise. "Oh... Celty." She said, breathlessly.. then unwrapped the gift.

Instead of delicately unwrapping each & every portion, she simply shredded the paper like a child on Life Day. Bits of wrapping dropped into her lap, finally revealing... an intricately carved box, small enough to keep in a purse, which was embroidered in gold & felt like wood. On the face of it, The Family's symbol - The Black Oak - stood out prominently in gold. Ivory's mouth dropped open at the sight as she admired it, turning it around in her hands before opening it. "Oh my stars... it's beautiful..." She mouthed, realizing in an instant what it was. With a cheshire-cat smile, she reached out to hug Celty directly, throwing her arms around the woman's neck. As everyone began to unwrap their presents, she turned her attention to Kardek's wicked-looking machete, impressed at the spark of blue light which clothed the blade. Ivory returned his grin, nodding with an approving look on her face. Then, she turned to look at everyone else... until, only a moment later:

He discretely pulled the mistletoe out of his pocket and let his arm reach behind Ivory, hopefully out of her sight, until it dangled directly above her head. "Oh dear! Celty! Look!" He exclaimed in mock surprise, giving Celty a subtle wink and a slight smile, wondering how she might react, and hoping he wouldn't be murdered by the two powerful women.

Not quite understanding what was happening, Ivory looked about... then looked up, noticing the piece of mistletoe dangling over her head. She couldn't help but laugh, turning to look at Kardek with merriment in her eyes before looking at Celty with a "Well? What are you waiting for?" expression. The embarrassment on the woman's face was adorable, and Ivory met her lips - returning the passionate kiss until they broke apart. Ivory didn't say anything, laughing again at Celty's expression of momentary panic, then jerked her shoulder backward into Kardek's shoulder in a playful nudge. The gunslinger was incorrigible.

Ivory laid her cigarra case on her lap & wrapped one arm around Celty's shoulder, enjoying the warmth, affection, and the camaraderie of Family.

Samuel Exel Mairéad Solus Marcella Fiora Skorvek Jade Solus Skirae Dominik Borra Niki Priddy Diocletian Kahmen’’a Stardust Solus Skirae