The Promise of Adventure, and Tea.

[Aithne Charr]

Naboo, In the City of Theed.​

Solan yawned as he stretched his limbs and looked on at his freighter. Wasn't a spectacular sight but it got him from place to place in a quick manner, one that required a lot of fuel considering how much he moved around and he rolled his neck for a second before looking down at himself instead of the ship, eyes scanning down his clothing and sighing while he stood there.

It turned out that there was a little get together on the planet for those with a bit more money in their pocket, something that an old friend of his had informed him of when he had learned Solan would be stopping by Naboo on his way back out towards Csilla and Mandalorian Space. At first Solan had been about to deny the old man but in the end he had accepted the invitation, knowing that it would at least occupy him better than intruding on Naboo's gardens and being seen as the weirdo who hung out with plants.

It was that thought that made him smile again as he turned and started walking towards the exit to the starport.

As far as he knew, the walk wouldn't be too bad, and even then he could call for a speeder or acquire one with little problem, it was more a manner of what he would find at this gathering. It had been a long time since he had last been to anything more formal than a military meeting, and especially a long time since he had entertained the thought of just relaxing and making connections. Maybe the old man had known that and that is why he had called Solan to this thing but he had a feeling that there would be something more to that.

These days his gut feelings had been getting him into contact with all kinds of people, from a droid maker to a sith, and his usual crowd of gun totting Mandalorians, but it was a while since he had taken someone up on something after a feeling. Maybe this was a quick hint to him that he might find something worth actually attending this for, and if not he did still have the old man to hang around and talk to.

Either way, he would arrive and it would seem that this was some little financial fundraising project. Granted, the fundraising part of the get together was to give everyone a reason to be here and to donate their money but it was a reason none the less for people to make connections. No doubt some were doing so to get more money, some for political reasons, and it seemed that he was here simply out of chance and the invitation of an old friend, one who had already made sure he would be waved in once his name and Id were verified.

"Well, time to see what i can find."


@Maeriala Lavellan

 

[Effie Duanna]

Miri stared at her reflection displayed on her vanity mirror. Her expression was vacant, much like her mind. Tonight she was getting ready to attend another fundraiser along with her parents. Well, it's more accurate to say that she was being forced to attend another one by her overbearing and quite frankly, annoying parents.

Miri's head bobbed back and forth slightly as her handmaiden brushed through her long dark silky hair with the up most care. It seemed like she was in another realm, the way she just kept blankly staring at her reflection. Miri's attention was soon grabbed by her obviously drunk father bursting through her door. He stood for a few seconds then commanded "Move. We are leaving"

Miri's eyes did not leave her reflection. She did not even give him a verbal response, she just signaled her handmaiden to stop brushing which her father took as an indication that she was ready and left.

Miri stood up, quickly examined her elegant silk gown and made her way downstairs to the family's speeder. The journey their was like every other journey the family shared together. Her father would drunkily ramble to himself whilst nobody listened, her mother would message her little toyboy on her holopad and Miri would just sit in silence. Almost always wishing she was somewhere else.

"Straighten up" Miri's father barked as they pulled up to the event. It was now Showtime again. The show being them pretending they were a happy family, and they did just that. Their arrival was met with lots of handshakes, kisses on the cheek and hugs. Everyone knew that Miri's father was only there to campaign for a Senate posisiton but that did not stop him from doing it anyway.

The initial greetings were over and now the family stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. It did not take Miri's mother long to walk off, probably after some 20 year old. Miri's father watched her leave then took a purposefully painful grip of Miri's arm. "Don't embarrass me" he sneered in her ear before walking off himself.

This naturally upset Miri. She wanted to be away from him and his rabble of friends. Leaving the crowd she headed to small terrace. The perfect place to escape to she thought. She walked over to edge and stared up at the clear starry night sky.

"I bet you all have it better out there don't you?"

She said to herself imagining she was talking to everyone offworld.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Maeriala Lavellan"]

When you are an empath, the normal flow of emotions are subconsciously driven down under the current and filed away without much notice. Deceit, merriment, and the likes were definitely the norm for this little get-together, with strong tastes of greed and other emotions that Solan really couldn't care for. He had found a conversation of interest though, talk about the region and trade moving through it that might bring a bit more revenue towards Kesh. He was worried if a war broke out and started to choke up the tradelines from his home to Coruscant and beyond. He would need to make sure that everything was in order back on Kesh before heading further towards his destination.

But it was that normal flow of emotions that snapped him out of his conversation, a spike of pain that was out of place, causing him to focus on that source and then feel something akin to sadness but not quite. He wondered what that was about and while he could not find the source with his eyes he bowed his head and started walking. He had the trail of emotions locked onto at this point, kind of like a dog following a scent but this scent as strong as a fresh baked pie.

It wasn't hard moving about, looking at a man who was obviously securing his position in whatever political game would remain. The Republic was gone, and all that remained was the Galactic Alliance, maybe it was a position on Naboo itself he was working for?

He wasn't sure about the man but his eyes were drawn away and to a small terrace where he saw a young woman walking out to. She was definitely the source of the emotion and Solan stood in the doorway, listening as she walked to the edge and looked up at the sky. He smiled as he heard the words before stepping out onto the terrace himself and looking up at the stars above. Not as many as he could see in Tahv or in the fields, or even aboard a ship where the galaxy opened up around you.

"I don't know, some people live on this Volcanic world that is just the worst. I think they would much rather be at a party in Naboo."

He smiled as he stood there with arms behind his back, sapphire eyes still looking up at the stars and a smile.

"Then again, Alderaan is pretty nice at this time of year, certainly a bit warmer. Ever been there?"

 

[Effie Duanna]

Miri's crystal blue eyes continued to stare into the night sky. Her pupils shrinking in size as she fixed her gaze upon the brightest star in the sky. The beauty of those small white specks captivated her, enchanted her. Some one probably think she was under some spell if they were to happen upon her. This was almost a nightly ritual of hers. It almost felt like the starry sky was the only one she could rely on.

As drinks flowed, the party became more rambunctious. An old woman's ear piercing cackle shook Miri out of her trance like state. As a result, she was no longer looking up at the mystical sparkly gateway to the universe. She was simply staring at the night sky.

A sigh escaped her soft pink lips and her eyes began to slowly peel away from the sky. Miri tucked the left side of her hair behind her pointed ear and looked down at the gardens below. Her mind was now busy at work, finding a way to keep her occupied when suddenly a voice beside her brought her back to reality.

Miri's eyes widened and she turned to the face the man.

"A volcanic world....?" Miri uttered. The confusion was clear in her voice. Miri's mind them clicked. She mistakenly thought this man was a friend of her father

"Oh! No sir. I have never even left this city" Miri said. Now beginning to put on an obvious front.

"You must me be a friend of my Father. I am glad you are supporting him. He is a wonderful man who deserves this oppurtunity"

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Maeriala Lavellan"]

He blinked as she tried to hide away any actual emotions with a less than obvious front that made him glance back own from the stars with a raised brow. He was still smiling, but it was only a slight smile, the kind that came when someone was relaxed and simply enjoying the air around them. He finally did speak though, after a few moments of silence.

"You know, unless you are some daughter the old man never told me about, I can't say that I am. I actually have no idea which of those in there is your father so you really need not worry about trying to look prim and proper so that your father wins whatever deal it is he's working for." Blunt, blunt and without any tact. That was how Solan had chosen to speak his words and it was why he moved now to the railing of the terrace and leaned against that railing before nodding with his head up to the stars again.

"So you have never been off this world? That would drive me crazy to be stuck in one place. Not when there are so many things to see out there."

He offered her a bit of a taste for what he knew about the galaxy around them, the little taste of her own on what it is that sparked that earlier comment and what could spark a conversation. The old man had been right already, having found out information as to the coming months and their trade fluctuations, but he had not expected to find a conversation like this one.

He wondered which of those men in there were her father... his mind rewinding to take a look at each but not finding anything to really connect her to one of them. She had an appearance that was different, an appearance that marked her as not quite human compared to others. He wondered if she was Eldorai for a moment but knew that was a rare thing considering how old she looks to be. He would just have to find out from her later.

 

[Effie Duanna]

Miri's eyes widened slightly in response to the man's blunt outburst. It did not take long for her to work out that he was not here for her father. Not everyone would be, right? But that served as a relief for Miri. She did not have to keep up the charade when she was with someone who was not affiliated her father. Miri watched the strange man wander to the edge of the terrace. A small somewhat apologetic smile creeped on to her lips.

"Forgive me. I am not used to meeting people who don't know him".

Miri's eyes left the back of the man's head and she took a moment to look behind her. She gazed through the door at the people inside. She wondered if she should head back in. However that train of thought was cut right off when the man asked her another question.

Her blue eyes looked back up to the sky as she listened to his question. The smile on her face grew larger. It was a question she was asked often and question that she had to answer a little dishonestly.

"I can believe that there is a lot to see out there. But I also believe that a lot of it is dangerous."

Miri was used to answering this way. It was much better than admitting that she was not permitted to leave. In order to avoid him prying and figuring out the truth, she decided to turn the question around on him.

"Then if you don't mind me asking...what brings such an off-worldly man to quiet Naboo then? Surely you would rather be out there. Out in the galaxy"

Miri wandered over to the terrace as well. She placed both hands in the terrace and stared back up at the night sky. Her expression resembled that of a child looking at their first crush.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Maeriala Lavellan"]

"No reason to apologize at all, after all, now you aren't as stiff as you were before so that is a plus. "

The short statement was said without looking down from the stars for now, eyes scanning over the far off ceiling of the world above them. He stood there silently with the woman until her thought cut into the air, filling it with a statement that he laughed a bit at. The voice that was laughing sounded and felt alot younger in its tone now, a genuine humor coming from him as he looked at her with a raised brow.

"It can be dangerous, yes. But the beauty of seeing a nebula or a blue star up close is far worth the effort and a grander reward than you would expect. It is always an immense joy to look up at the sky and imagine what is out there, but until you see it in person, it can never compare to the reality." He had paused enough before hearing her other question, one that had him turning to face her.

"But, there is always time to relax and just smell the roses, so to speak. That's mostly what brings me to Naboo, I had the time to spare while i wait for my ship to refuel, so i stopped off and decided to attend this fundraiser of your people's." He thought about her question and looked on at her this time. "I have a question for you now. why is it that you are out here rather than inside that party with those of which are likely far more common to you?"

 

[Effie Duanna]

[member="Solan Charr"]

"It's that noticeable huh?"

Effie said this with a slight smirk. She was usually good at keeping up the "proud daughter" charade. The fact that someone saw clearly through it both amused her and worried her. Effie's eyes drifted from the night sky and landed upon the gardens below them. She was not looking at anything in particular, she was paying more attention to the conversation she was a part of.

Effie nodded in agreement to the man's speech about nebulas and blue stars. It made her smile. The image of drifting through the cosmos with no worries was playing through her mind. You'd be a fool to not long for that kind of experience.

Although Effie was not looking at him, she heard him turn and felt his gaze on her. She returned the gesture and looked back up at him.
He mentioned the roses. Effie loved the roses. She often joked to friends that they were the only things that kept her on Naboo. Effie was now wearing a large smile. It seemed weird that flowers made her smile like that, but she could not help it.

Effie's flower daydream was soon but short. She was caught off-guard by another one of Solan's questions. He seemed to be good at this.

"Good question. Well you might find it hard to believe but I don't get along with those people in there" Effie said oblivious to the fact that he probably picked this up earlier. Her voice dimmed and her expression followed.

"I hate it. I hate it all" Effie began to fidget with a crystal necklace she was wearing. Nerves and frustration obviously getting the better of her.

"It's all horrible. Everything from the people to my wretched parents. I honestly wish I was far away from here."

Effie glanced at her necklace.

"Forgive me. I should not burden you with these silly thoughts"

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Effie Duanna"]

"Probably not to others but i have a certain gift for peeling at someone's emotions, more so than others."

He smiled as his eyes left her face and returned to the floor below them, knowing the distance wasn't too far and he was more interested in heading towards the garden rather than being in that dining hall, listening to the wind while the woman thought to herself. Soon enough though his eyes returned to her as she spoke with raised brows, those being in surprise as he had not expected that so suddenly, something that made him curious.

Her emotions spiked almost instantly, those words being met with interest from him ass she fidgeted with the crystal at her neck. It was interesting seeing someone like this who instantly dropped from this happy woman to someone who had let things pile onto her shoulders. For a few seconds he just stayed silent before humming under his breath and glancing over his shoulder. If she was watching, she would see him cast his eyes over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching before suddenly smiling.

"How about a trip then, down to that garden for instance." He pointed to the garden below them before with that same crooked grin he pulled himself over the lip of the Balcony, his feet coming down first as he fell the two stories. For a second it would probably look like he was made but then his body would seem to slow itself instead of speed up, leaving him to land on the ground softly and with the grin aimed up at her.

"Well? Didn't you say you hated it up there?"

 

[Effie Duanna]

[member="Solan Charr"]

"A gift you say?" Effie's head tilted, she probably resembled some confused little puppy. However Effie was not confused. This was more her way of putting the pieces of the puzzle together. At this point Solan had shown a few signs that he may in fact be a force user but Effie had little experience with them so she could not tell for sure. Should she just ask him? A question that now played in Effie's mind.

By this time a silence had fell between the two. A silence that was caused by Effie's lack of control over her emotions. She thought of ways She could end it, but her mind kept stopping her from doing just that. Solan took it upon himself to end the silence much to Effie's relief. He ended it with a question that surprised her.

"The garden? Sure. I would like that" Effie's gloom expression now lightened.

Effie was about to turn around and make her way down when Solan decided to pull his little stunt.

"Did he just...." Effie said with bewilderment as she stared down at him.

Effie picked up the bottom of her gown and hastily made her way to stairs at the other end of the balcony. She needed to know what was going on. After she reached the garden she marched right over to Solan

"Okay what was that? People don't float like that" she said almost demandingly.

The pieces continued to fall into place. Effie then asked him
"What are you?"

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Effie Duanna"]

He smiled as he continued to dust himself off, watching the woman march right over to him like she had seen him do a magic trick... well technically...

Anyways, his humor only grew when she walked over to him and demanded what that was and what he was. And for a half second he almost answered her without any tricks or riddles, then as if compelled by some otherworldly force, he remembered who he was. With that same smile, he turned towards her and raised a brow, acting as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary and no doubt his response would build a bit more curiosity in the woman, that or he would get a quick fist to the face. Never know with people these days.

"Well, the last I knew I was a man, with blue eyes and brown hair, taking a walk alone in a garden with a woman who has features that I dare say most of those Corellian gods would swoon over. But what do I know." Thus, the normal old man that was Solan Charr returned, no longer having to worry about some stuffy party and stretching a bit in the suit, letting a small black wolf-like creature drop from his coat which had been previously hidden.

"So, you mentioned that this place had roses, shall we go see them?" He looked back on at her, the same sapphire eyes and relaxed expression on the man that seemed to never fade. He seemed content and happy in a situation where he had been moments ago stiff and a bit more... controlled. Of course, he had no worries about having to find someone who might know who he was, and thanks to this woman not knowing who he was, he was able to be himself without a singular problem. "Or were you just lying about those roses?"

 

[Effie Duanna]

[member="Solan Charr"]

Corellian gods? Effie's eyebrow raised and a grin spread across her lips. It seems she was in the presence of a charmer, maybe even a self-proclaimed ladies man. Well it was no time to jump to conclusions, she hated to judge books by their covers. The best thing to do was to just play along she thought.

"Well, man with blue eyes and Brown hair I should probably let you know that I like to use my features to make the Sephi gods swoon"

Solan was not the only one who was glad to be able to let loose. Effie hated keeping up appearances. But being down in the garden alone with the man ment she could let her hair down and actually have some fun for a change.

Effie's eyes immediately lit up at the mere mention of the roses. But she quickly relaxed them back down in hopes she did not look like some over excited little girl.

"Nope, No lie. since you are so full of tricks why don't we see if you can lead me to them"

A mischievous grin was now present on her face and she gestured to the gardens. The moonlight lit up the gardens, sure. But it was still not light enough to make out the flowers with close inspection. Effie thought this was a good way to sass him a little. But she was also completely unaware of his abilities.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Effie Duanna"]

He raised a brow as she gave him her response, making him much more pleasantly surprised by her ability to match his small little tease with one of her own, though hers had been correcting him. What was important was that he was not standing with someone who did not know the difference between jokes and topics of more serious natures.

Something made him smile wider, though, and it was that she reached in such a way where she was more than painfully obvious that she wanted to see those roses they talked about, but alas she tried to be smart with him. And to be fair, on any other person that would have been fair, hell on any other person they would probably have walked right over to the wrong flower and tried to impress her with some cheesy line about the stars or something.

Granted he used to be that person but time does tend to make someone more subtle, and a bit cynical.

So he decided to play her game as he turned to her and gave a quick bow, only this time with a statement of his own to further mess with the mind of his host.

"Very well my lady, but I think it would be more proper if I led them to you without the use of my eyes." He simply closed his eyes now and straightening up, he started walking backward through the garden. To her, it would seem like he was leading her to them blind and without any prior knowledge of the place at all, but in truth, he saw all he needed too. Reaching out with the force he touched the plants around him and opened up his sight to the Force itself, giving him both a view of where he was walking and a way to track down the specific flower he needed.

This all happened with a smile on his face, and his eyes sealed shut, head facing her to prove it as he walked her through the garden without opening his eyes once. He knew she would probably chock it down to luck, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little bit of fun with the whole situation.

 

[Effie Duanna]

[member="Solan Charr"]

The events of tonight were not new to Effie, only rare. Due to Effie's upbringing and day to day life, she rarely had the chance to experience to joy of being smart with someone. It's amazing how such a little thing could mean the world to someone. Effie was having so much fun with what was going on that the thought of going overboard never even crossed her mind, thankfully she had some sort of subconscious filter. Effie was grinning at the man, just waiting for his witty response and boy did one come. Effie's brow furrowed again at the man's statement. What did he mean by 'without the use of my eyes'? Effie folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head like a confused puppy.

"Without the use of your eyes?" Effie said questioningly. "And just how would you go abo..."

Before Effie could finish the last part of her statement the man had already given her a bow and headed off. Effie followed him without any hesitation. Instead of looking at the flowers the two were passing she kept her eyes on him, waiting for him to pull some sort of trick. Just what was this man? how was he able to perform all these tricks. Many thoughts were now racing through Effie's head. Maybe this man was magic? or maybe this was all some playboy set up and there was someone behind her secretly directing the man on where to go. It did not matter. Whatever the reason was, Effie loved the mystery. An intriguing man using 'tricks' that Effie could not explain just excited her. Effie noticed the prominent smile on his face, it was what caused her smile to linger on her own face.

"Well then wizard" Effie said mockingly to catch his attention

"Are you actually going to show me some roses or are you going to keep walking backwards to the other side of Theed?"

At this point, Effie could not put into words how much fun she was having.

 

[Aithne Charr]

Solan heard her speak again and his own smile was turned on [member="Effie Duanna"]. To be fair he really was making it look like some elaborate trick and some kind of playboy which made him smile all the more inside. She was a rather curious one. Someone that he had not expected to meet and he was thoroughly enjoying that fact. So with that he continued to walk until she had mentioned where these roses are. With a few more steps he stopped and turned to face a bed.

And just as he had promised, once he rose there was a violet rose in his hand. The color was something he had always loved in roses, that difference from their normal red color. He had always been curious about what had been bred with it to create the color, or if it was truly natural but it was something he enjoyed seeing.

With that rose outstretched he said nothing. He was waiting for her to take it silently before finally speaking with another quick bow of his head.

"As promised, one rose without looking. Now, is there something you wished to say about me being a wizard?"

He gave her a smart mouthed answer back, not so much as registering the fact that if she knew what he was it would make him look as far from proper as possible. No right now he looked like a normal old person who had gotten into a party he didn't care about. Someone with tricks and magic that could not be explained in the traditional sense and he smiled as he looked upwards while she would process this.

 

[Effie Duanna]

[member="Solan Charr"]

With one eyebrow raised, the Sephi girl watched him as he continued backwards through the garden. The idea of this being a joke was becoming increasingly more probable to her. Joke or not, she could not deny that she was having way more fun out here than she could have had inside the actual function. Effie may not be the most rambunctious person in the world, but she was definitely inquisitive, which is why she continued to go along with what was going on.

When Solan suddenly stopped, so did she. Her playful expression snapped into a questioning one. Did he really find something? or was he just playing her? Her question was soon answered with the sight of the man holding a rose out in front of him. Effie was in complete disbelief. She stared at the rose for a good while, maybe it was an illusion? Effie's pales soft hand reached out slowly and took it the rose from him delicately. She examined it all over, feeling it to make sure it was real. Effie could not deny it anymore. This was not a simple party trick, this man was obviously gifted in some way. Effie held the flower up to her small nose and took in it's sweet scent, her attention was soon caught by the man's witty comment. Effie looked up at him and grinned. She took the rose and tucked the stem behind the man's ear, making sure the petals were visible in front of his ear.

"Here, A pretty rose for a pretty wizard" She said with a giggle.

Effie took a moment to look behind her, to make sure they were still alone. Her tone changed from a playful one to a curious one.

"Are wizards allowed to explain how their tricks? because i would love to know how you did that"

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Effie Duanna"]

He laughed a bit as she gave him the Rose back and raised a brow a bit, holding it with a bit of mock sadness on his face.

"Pretty, and here i thought you might consider me handsome or something. But, ill take the compliment for all that its worth." He enjoyed putting on a bit of a show but then she was a bit more curious and asked how it was he was doing this. In truth he wondered if she was joking at first but there was nothing but genuine curiosity coming from her. Someone who was unaware of the Force, or rather atleast the Jedi and Sith and their mystical powers? No it was possible she knew about them, and simply did not assume he was one considering where they were.

"Actually, it is something called the force. Though most call it space magic. Certain people are born with a connection strong enough to the force to use it, and as such its a bit of a companion to me, one i ask to help me with small things like finding flowers without the use of my eyes... or simply growing them for someone. Not everyone can use it though, as I said before, making it a bit of a dangerous companion if used in the wrong way."

He stood there looking at the rose in his hand, keeping it in his hand rather than putting it back over his ear where she had placed it before. He was rolling it in his fingers while he thought about what he said and then finally returned his gaze on her.

"So, there you go, a wizard's party tricks revealed. What do you think?"