Private The Road Less Traveled [Naboo]

[Gianna Aegis]

Location: Gianna's Homestead on Naboo [Sprite Gate Shore]
Tags: W Writer | Novauuk Ledaxis | Asaraa Vaashe | Aurelion Nova (If you want) + Anyone You Wish to Bring + [Otherwise, Interested? Ask for invite]

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The afternoon sun was a warm blessing on her skin while she walked through neat rows of fruit-bearing trees. The scent in the air was sweet, spiced with citrus, and the wicker basket she held was slowly filling with yellow oblong shapes. When Gianna purchased the sprawling estate, she’d been extremely hesitant. Jedi weren’t known for maintaining worldly goods and possessions.

Yet, this place called to her.

There was a small temple, beyond the vast orchards, beyond the grassy fields. It was nearest to a rushing river that poured into one of the many lakes Naboo was bespectacled with.

The entirety of the property was filled with brightness and warmth.

The Light Side sang as sweetly as nightingales did chirrup in early evenings. It was a peaceful place. She felt safe there. As if no shadow could touch any corner of the land. No evil, no darkness, and no shred of the Dark Side held any sway—Though it was not immediately destroyed or set upon with violence. That was not the intent. Heart-felt calm and harmony was the intent. She could heal others best when immersed in the soft sway of the Force that existed. Everything was touched with a sense of inherent goodness.

As if the axis of this world had suddenly become perfectly aligned, spinning smoothly, just right.

Gianna hummed softly under her breath while she finished up her chores for the day before returning to the main house. There were several structures, that, when she’d come upon them had been in various states of disrepair. The buildings looked lovely now. New roofs, new paint, new transparisteel windows. A freshly paved landing pad with refueling services. At one point everything had been dilapidated and swallowed by thick films of dust. No one had called this place home, out in the middle of nowhere, in at least a decade.

The main house was spacious, open, and full of warmth. There was a comfortable living room with soft furniture that was designed to encourage long discussions that flowed well into the evening. Two kitchens, mostly, because Gianna never knew when she might have a full house. There were several unoccupied guest bedrooms here, and others, in the adjacent carriage house. There were places to be alone. A sunroom, to meditate, and a library full of things. Both paper books, holo-docs, and treasured artifacts.

Gianna had a secret love for real books, made from parchment, rather than streams of data. It made her feel closer and more in tune with the scribes and historians that originally brought such theories and stories to life. She expected, often, to find visitors on her doorstep and today was no different. The Force granted her images. Visions. Faces of all kinds that might decide to take a moment to relax by the water. Sometimes, they were less kind. Less polite. Sometimes it showed warriors that had been laid low. That was where she came in.

Healing was her specialty.

She was more than capable of falling back on her training as a Jedi Knight. She could wield a lightsaber. There were training grounds and an obstacle course on the property that would make even the hardiest of Jedi sweat through to completion. Gianna trained, mind and body, because she never knew when something more than words would be required. There was always a chance. No matter how she wished the galaxy would lay down their arms and find meaningful solutions through dialogue…There would always be chaos. There would always be dark. Shadow.

But—Where there was dark? There was light. All the dark in the universe wouldn’t be able to stop light, or life, from getting through. The two elements worked hand in hand. Light and life…They always found a way.

Gianna didn’t know for certain who might arrive. But, she knew someone did.

To that end? She did the single most important thing she could do to prepare.

Nothing could start without it. No new journey, no new day.

Rolling the sleeves of her clothing and pinned them. She wore a style of clothing that was more traditional to Naboo than her faith. It made her seem more approachable to locals that may have otherwise shied away. Jedi were beloved by some; hated by others. Gianna did her best to dispel fear as often as possible. The fabric was light—Lighter than air and her summery appearance was only enhanced by the healthy tan that touched typically pale skin. It gave credence to her spending a lot of time in the great outdoors.

Without thought, she began to set out the ingredients for this very important item. It was capable of chasing away rain clouds in an instant. Happy faces, happy tummies. It was her specialty.

Lemon bars.

Spoiler: ”OOC”

This thread is very free form. You can come find Gianna in the kitchen of the Main House or you can choose to explore the vast grounds for a little while. You can invite any other Player Characters that you wish to join you. Beware going to deep into the water surrounding the Shore. Naboo is pretty on top, but, with scary creatures in the depths below. You can bring your character in with a variety of ways. Perhaps, just visiting and heard of a Sanctuary from the locals? Driven by the Force? Suggested to visit from another Jedi? It is a House of Healing, a refuge, first and foremost. If your character feels lost, burdened, or just can’t seem to find their path?

It could be a good time and place to try and figure it out. There will be other NPC Jedi and NPC Padawans on the grounds as well as townsfolk that come from Theed to learn and trade. Often, there will be younglings playing in the courtyard or collecting fruits (ye gads there are fields of lemons) and vegetables from the gardens. They teach farming, botany, and basic survival skills. The visiting Jedi and their Padawans come to train, meditate, and mostly to experience the low-level Force Nexus that permeates the ground. It is too weak to harm anyone, not even a Dark Sider, but just strong enough to encourage visitors to feel buoyant and light. It aids specifically in the process for light sided healing.

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

Location: Sprite Gate Shore
Wearing: This and this
Tagging: Gianna Aegis | W Writer | Novauuk Ledaxis | Aurelion Nova | Open

There were some places in the galaxy that seemed steeped in the lightside of the force, that seemed to exude a sense of goodness and calm. The kind of place that you only needed to step into to feel the warmth and goodness of the place almost seeping into your bones. You only had to close your eyes and reach out with the force to sense it, a sea of warm light that stretched out as far as the eye could see. That washed over you, wrapped you in an embrace. If you closed your eyes you could loose yourself in the feeling, let it transport you away. It was the feeling of a loved one’s hug, of a voice saying I’m proud of you. The feeling was all that was right and good with the world. Pure emotion.

It was a feeling she’d only ever experienced in one other place before, the Jedi temple on Kashyyyk.

That place had been home, from the moment she’d stepped off the transport that had carried her there. Something about the Jedi temple had called to her and wrapped itself around her. No matter what had happened, the death of friends and loved ones, betrayal and deceit. No matter what war and conflict erupted home was still there, safe and sound. There had been times when she’d wanted nothing more than to drag herself back home, to lose herself in the warmth that was the Jedi Temple. Even now she could still feel the call, the want to return back there into that embrace.

That was part of why she’d left the Silver Jedi. She’d wanted to find out who she was, what she could do without that embrace, that safety blanket to retreat into. That didn’t mean she didn’t miss it though. Didn’t miss that feeling.

Blue eyes snapped open, the young woman’s chest rising and falling as she breathed inhaling the scent of the flowers and the sea. For a moment she luxuriated in the feeling of the warm sun bathing her skin, the golden glow illuminating elfin features. Asaraa just wanted to stand there, soaking it all in, wanted to shed all the hurt and the pain of the past few months. The exhaustion and heartache that had been her constant companions.

For a heartbeat, all she wanted to do was lose herself in that sensation. To let the warm ocean of the force enfold her and carry her away.

It was tempting, oh so tempting,

A sigh. Crystal blue eyes falling from the sky as she paced forward, boots crunching on the ground as the house hove into view. She could see why Gianna Aegis had brought the estate, there was something about it that spoke of home.

Ok, so maybe not just the house, the smell coming from the kitchen was lovely. Tart and citrusy and…Without thinking about it the Jedi’s path changed, angling towards the back of the house. Surely their host wouldn’t mind if she explored the grounds a bit, found the kitchen…it was very important to make sure that no food was going bad and to protect that wonderful smell from the depredation of predators. That was the plan, absolutely.

The pink-haired Jedi’s movement’s had a dancer’s grace, a fluidity borne of countless hours spent training and in combat. She almost seemed to float as she rounded the corner of the building, blue eyes glancing around before she let a mischievous smile spread over her lips. Gathering herself the Lord Vigilant of the CIS pushed herself onto one foot and let herself spin around in a pirouette. Holding the pose for a moment before collapsing down, a giggle bursting from her lips not so dissimilar from the girl she used to be not so long ago.

It really did feel like home.

 

[Aurelion Nova]

OBJECTIVE - Watch Asaraa dance



Where: Sprite Gate Shore
Why: Summoned
Wearing/Wielding: Fate & This
When: Mid-Day
With: Gianna Aegis Novauuk Ledaxis W Writer
Interacting Directly With: Asaraa Vaashe

Of all the places Aurelion could have found himself in the galaxy this was likely the most drastic change in scenery he had ever experienced since going from the rolling plains of Dantooine to the endless expanse of desert that was Tatooine. Now, as Aurelion stepped down from The Escape to the surface of Naboo he too was reminded of Kashyyyk by the overwhelming sense of nature, tranquility and light he found here. The wind was a gentle, tickling breeze thhat carried the faint scent of citrus and water to him and even V1 worbled contentedly at his side. The little astromech waddling happily as it rotated it's optical sensors to look up at him.

"This+Place=Nice!"

Aurelion smiled softly and nodded in agreement, looking around briefly before he cast his senses out with the Force, and felt every muscle in his body melt into an unnatural relaxation. A sense of calm and serenity permeating to the very air to such an extent he blink, unable to help thinking this place truly felt like a home, though it differed from Kashyyyk to his senses in that the life here was not desperate and overwhelming. Rather this place seemed at complete and utter contentment to itself, to welcome those that set foot upon it's surface, and promise warmth and comfort to any who would reside here.

As Aurelion began to walk down the to the property, passing between rows of trees each bearing a fruitful harvest, and giving a curious hum as he plucked a fruit from it's place before giving it a bite. Feeling the rush of sweet, tangy juice fill his mouth and make him all but purr happily. He wasn't at all sure who had called him here, or for what purpose, but he was now very, VERY happy he had chosen to come. Once he was done eating the fruit Aurelion gently removed a seed from the fruit, found a nice, clear spot, and gently buried it in the dirt.

It was at this point that Aurelion began to walk toward the house itself, rounding the corner only to see an odd woman with pink hair, one Asaraa Vashe, doing a pirouette before giggling to herself. This made Aurelion blink and pinch himself, thinking that maybe he had taken a wrong turn.... or wondering what exactly was in these fruit. Aurelion blinked his large, aqua blue eye rapidly, rubbed it, before fidgeting from foot to foot before approaching Asaraa and taking a breathe to steel himself before murmuring "Umm... that was very nice."

He winced softly, his pointed ears wiggling sheepishly, as he was trying his best to be more friendly with people but well..... suddenly coming across a pink-haired girl doing pirouettes in the middle of an orchard by an idyllic little house on Naboo? At this point Aurelion was questioning his sanity moreso than anything else.

 

[Kairi Leidias]

Escape the pressures of the Monarchy...​

Tags: Aurelion Nova | Gianna Aegis | Asaraa Vaashe​

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The Force….​

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She knew nothing of it, well, not that she was aware of. Her mother spoke of it off and on but nothing more than how it effected the ebb and flow of the Galaxy. Light would shift to dark and dark to light, a never-ending maelstrom of ideals, values and conflict. Kairi wasn’t aware if she had the ability to sense the Force or not, and she had to admit to herself that she wasn’t concerned with it – however, she did admire the spirit of the Jedi. The question might arise as to why the Queen of Naboo would visit such a quaint place without any protection, or without second thought and the answer would be quite simple.​

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For the garden….​

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The array of floral beauty the Sprite Gate Shore provided was second to the Theed Palace gardens itself. Boasting an array of delicate, rare and unique flowers and trees – this was the place to be on a warm, sunny day. Beyond the obvious that brought her here, she had friends outside of the government which she had become apart of. One such friend, happened to be the owner of the home – so it made it easier to partake in such things without worry. She had only been Queen of the beautiful gem off the Enarc Run for a few months and it had been an interesting affair to date. The parliament soon changed the laws and constitution around the election of the monarch, making it as it were in the days of old – a hereditary monarchy. The change was sudden but expected to say the least. After many Queens had passed before, the inconsistency had drawn the ire of the Naboo people – thus driving them to make the change. So, it would be her reign which would be the first of many in her line…a hereditary monarchy with the lineage of the Leidias family.​

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“Hmmph…” She whispered softly as she strode through the garden, the soles of her shoes clicking gently against the stone path. Kairi had never thought of marriage, children or anything remotely close to a family of her own and now it was mandatory in some sense for her to find someone worthy of extending the bloodline. She would allow herself a brief eye roll, one that denoted her quiet disgust for the mandatory aspect. She longed for easier, simpler times but those would be out of reach now, unless she outright abandoned her duties as Queen…​

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Kairi scoffed harshly at the notion, letting out a soft, audible laugh. “I would never do such a thing…” She continued to whisper to herself as she knelt down infront of the Alderaanian flame-rose. Carefully, she would slip her fingers around the stem, holding it gently between her index and middle finger. The flower would respond to the warmth of her flesh, glowing brighter and brighter. Kairi tilted her head as she watched the explosive process of the flower take hold before her eyes. Within a few moments the flower would eventually combust in her hand, sending a small spray of flecks through the air, pollinating the surrounding flowers with its dander. Speckles of orangish-red pollen would splatter across her hand, glistening brightly against the rays of sunlight. ​

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She sighed softly as the flower appeared to wilt and smolder within her hand. It became hot to the touch shortly after exploding causing her to quickly withdraw her hand from it, rising to her full height while examining her hand. She shook her head softly, bringing up her free hand to brush away the specks of flower remains off her tanned skin. She caught wind of someone speaking around the corner from her, causing a bit of panic to course through her as she began to frantically clean her hand. She knew she shouldn’t have touched the rare floral but it was so hard not to admire it’s beauty up close.​

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Now she could only hope no one would notice the splattered flecks across her person.​

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[Asaraa Vaashe]

Location: Sprite Gate Shore
Wearing: This and this
Tagging: Aurelion Nova

The force was meant to be this field of energy that connected all things, at least that’s what her teachers had said. Mastery over the force was meant to allow you to sense a pin drop, to be completely aware of your surroundings, preventing you from be caught unawares and being snuck up on.

Just like what had happened to her.

It wasn’t that she’d been so lost in the moment, in the feeling of sun against her skin and smell of the citrus and flowers on the air. She’d let her mind drift away, not even focusing on the here and now, just carried away on the feeling of nature that surrounded her, the sense of life and light that filled the force.

The pink-haired Jedi’s hands flew up to her mouth, cheeks flushing a bright red as her foot came down on to the ground. Blue eyes peering over her fingertips at the blonde-haired boy who had manage to sneak up on her. Totally the force’s fault, no-one elses, it certainly wasn’t her fault for getting distracted and not thinking about the possibility that someone might sneak up on her.

“Umm…so…we can totally pretend that you didn’t see that right?”

It wasn’t that dancing with joy was a bad thing, it was just that it wasn’t behaviour that really what was expected from a Jedi Master. All the Jedi when she’d grown on the temple at Silver’s rest had been more…restrained almost dour in their behaviour. It was the Padawans who had run and laughed, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a Jedi turn cartwheels…and this garden did look perfect for that.

Crystal blue eyes flicked back to stare at her new companion curiously, flicking up and down as she lowered her hands slowly, teeth working nervously at her lower lip.

“Umm…thank you? It was…I mean…seemed like the thing to do. It’s a nice garden and I dunno…makes you feel like dancing or something doesn’t it? Do you live here?”

She knew of Gianna Aegis, the Jedi who owned the property, but she had no idea who else lived in the property. It might not have been a Jedi Temple, but she’d heard about Jedi who’d come visiting, treating the house as a place to rest and recover before heading back out into the galaxy to face off against the darkness.

Standing here, in this place, she could understand why.

 

[Gianna Aegis]

Location: Gianna's Homestead on Naboo [Sprite Gate Shore]
Tags: Aurelion Nova | Asaraa Vaashe | Kairi Leidias | Aurelion Nova | Novauuk Ledaxis + Anyone You Wish to Bring + [Otherwise, Interested? Ask for invite]

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She could feel them.

Brilliant jade eyes glimmered with good-natured amusement while her psyche flared out with delicate metaphysical fingers to scan the grounds. There were plenty of people milling about. It was a quiet day. One in which younglings played in the shallows of the waters edge, moreover, those with troubled minds and bruised bodies were able to find peace and succor. Not the facsimile of hope that would flee from their souls the moment they left the area. It was lasting—True.

This area on Naboo provided a level of calm understanding that could not be denied.

Gianna caught a flash of bright pink through the open window and could only take enjoyment in the fact that Asaraa Vaashe was fitting right in. Master Vaashe was above her in many ways, including rank, but in others, she still seemed incredibly young. It made Gianna feel protective though they didn’t know one another well. She deserved a moment to breathe more than most. Every war that pulled the nation down, pulled them low, was something she felt through and through.

She hadn’t been nearby when Ryloth and Olanet had been attacked. The subsequent battle had happened so quickly that she was still tending to the wounded from the first strike. Still worrying. Still wondering in what state, she would next see John Locke in. He always went to war. Her heart ached every time she knew where he was. Fighting. Making the hard choices, the decisions, that affected hundreds of thousands of people. Gianna missed him. Wished—She could be there for him.

Only, their status was rather unknown.

It was on her own doing of course. She had been the one to take the final step and hide herself from him in the most final way possible. Gianna had never intended to undo what she had done. For his sake, for both of them, the tender Knight had erased his memories. Each loss was a knife to the heart. She could remember feeling him slip away. The distance in his eyes. He no longer knew her.

That was the point, sadly. John needed to forget so that he would not love her. So, he could move on. So, she could take her own affections and bury them where they might grow evergreen and eternal. In this way, she would not break her vows to her faith. She would not risk attachment bringing them into the dark. She would protect him and those around them. It was her duty.

In this Gianna had failed. She couldn’t keep the Exarch in the dark. Couldn’t lie to him—Or herself.

The veil was lifted.

Now?

Gianna stood in the vast expanse of the kitchen and made lemon bars. Smiled. Helped. She was a shining light for every single person that crossed her path, though, she kept none for herself.

When the first batch came out of the oven, she set them on a tray to cool and prepared to put the next tray in. She could hear voices getting closer. A little louder. A new presence joined that she had not felt in quite some time. Kairi Leidias. Sprite Gate Shore had seen her before. Lifting up the first tray the flame-haired woman slipped out of the kitchens and made her way out toward the courtyard. There were three guests close by that very well may want something to snack on.

“Fancy meeting all of you here…”, Gianna chimed in, smiling sweetly, while her feet slid across the stone pathway with the grace of something ethereal. The soft fabric of her wrap dress pulled behind her. It was a traditional Naboo fashion. Not so much that of her Jedi brethren. It had a bad habit of making the locals feel uneasy. “Your Majesty...”

The greeting was soft and accompanied by an inclination of her head that indicated polite respect.

“It’s awfully warm out…Try one before they melt?”

She offered the tray and waited, ever kind, for her guests to have at it. The scent that wafted up from them was absolutely heavenly.

"Is the Shore treating you well this morning?"

 

[John Locke]

Location: Spritegate Shore - Naboo
Objective: Come home
Wearing: This
Tagging: Gianna Aegis | Aurelion Nova | Kairi Leidias | Novauuk Ledaxis

When people talked about space, the vacuum between planets, people often used the words cold and dark, a void that could draw you in if you weren’t careful. A new spacer lifting off for the first time, the old hand who was a veteran of thousands of trips through the void, they were all equally caught up in the grasp of that cold dark beauty.

Sometimes, in the dark of the night, as his ship cut through the silence of hyperspace John let his mind wander. Letting the engineer sleep and the poet wax brilliant. He imagined that as the ships travelled through that cold darkness they dragged it behind them like a cloak, dragging it to their destination with them. At time it seemed the only explanation for the state of the galaxy.

Everywhere you looked that dark seemed to have draped itself like a cloak over the galaxy, soaking into the politics that tied everyone together. The history of the galaxy was one written in war, in bloodshed, but recently it seemed to have gotten worse. You only had to turn on the holonet to see that, to see the near constant warfare that stretched over the galaxy, threatening to bring civilization crashing down at any time. It felt like they were walking a tightrope over a chasm, a rope that seemed to get thinner and thinner with each step. Yet, you couldn’t stop moving, couldn’t put a step wrong or else you risked falling down into the dark with no hope of return.

They hadn’t fallen yet, but it had been a close run thing, the dark tugging at their very feet, and yet the forces of civilization had managed to keep going. Only, he wasn’t entirely sure how long they could keep up the dance before they slipped.

They’d come close, oh so close.

John only had to close his eyes to see the stark red blood marring pale flesh and white wings, to hear the anguished cry of a husband. The scream that sought to re-write reality into something that he could comprehend. Innocence and purity marred by that darkness. To feel that dark bubbling anger that had consumed him again. He hadn’t lost himself, not again, but he’d come oh so close.

Beneath that anger though there was despair. A sense of failure. He’d been in charge. That was the truth of it, one more failure to mark on his tally. One more step towards chaos, the dancer wobbling precariously on the tightrope. They hadn’t fallen yet but the darkness had come one step closer to claiming the galaxy.

Planet by planet, as far as the eye could see the dark seemed to be winning as the drums of war beat requiring an answer.

And yet.

There were places, beacons that shone bright with light, with warmth. Places that had stayed unmarred by the tides of war and chaos that seemed to consume the galaxy these days. The Sprite Gate Shore was such a place, unlike any John had ever experienced. He’d travelled across the galaxy, from Kashyyyk to Commenor, Geonosis to Coruscant. Countless planets, countless cities. Places of incredible beauty that could steal your breath away.

Wonders of the galaxy.

Yet, not one of them really could compare to the Sprite Gate Shore, to that warmth that seemed to wrap itself around you the moment you stepped onto the grounds. John knew he could have landed his speeder nearer to the house itsel and saved himself a walk but…it had become almost a ritual for him now.

Metallic hands reached out for the leaves that lined the path, plucking one as John ran it through his fingers. It wasn’t like all his worries sloughed off when he arrived, but they seemed muted. The worries that assailed him constantly still existed, were still important. It was just that there was something about the place that lifted a weight from his shoulders. It was a sense of contentment, of belonging.

It was a feeling of being at home.

The smell of the salt on the air, the scent of citrus, the sound of the wind in the trees. The walk to the house had almost become a ritual for the cyborg. Each stepping allowing him to further wrap himself in the warmth of the shore, to let his mind and emotions settle. They weren’t gone, they were never gone. It was just he felt…he felt safe.

Gravel crinkled under foot as John rolled his shoulders, slipped his jacket off his shoulders and letting it drape over his shoulder. He could feel the warmth of the sun through his shirt, could hear the sound of voices, a soft murmur from the patio that set his feet to moving around the side of the building.

“You really do need to get them quickly. Once people realise she’s started baking they’ll vanish like no-one’s business.”

There was a note of humour in the man’s voice as he inclined his head at them, dark eyes sweeping over the gathering. Some faces he recognised, the Queen of Naboo was a face you could hardly miss on the planet, and other’s he didn’t know. One face though drew his attention, elfin features and green eyes.

“Your Majesty, Gianna, umm Jedi I don’t really know yet.”

The man’s dark-eyed gaze lingered on their hostess for a moment, drinking in the sight of her. Things had been…strained between them, ever since that day when she’d revealed what she’d done, removing herself from his life. It had been the gateway to a life without colour, without any happiness or warmth. He’d just been existing from day to day, hour to hour, consumed by work and his duties with nothing to bring him any joy. He’d known that there was something missing in his life, he just hadn’t been able to figure out what it was, what it could be, that hole like a niggling whisper at the back of his mind. He’d been sure that he was going insane, unable to identify or shift the malaise that had taken over his life.

He wasn’t sure what had brought him back to the Sprite Gate Shore, seeking out the red-haired Jedi. Something had drawn him in, something that’d he’d been unable to quite put his finger on. He just knew something about the house, the jedi had felt right. Then she’d reached out, flicked a switch in his mind and suddenly it was like having two sets of memories in his head. It hard left him reeling, the realisation that the woman who’d become the centre of his world had done that to him. Had left him languishing in that half-life, in a world full of grey and sadness.

He’d wanted to be angry but the hurt in her voice, the anguish and despair in her eyes as she stared at him had been heart-breaking. Gianna had looked as bad as he’d felt, the two of them twin souls in suffering. He’d wanted to be mad with her, to reach out and wrap her in his arms until the hurt went away. The urge to hug her had won out, he’d reached out, unable to stop himself from reacting to her pain, from trying to bridge the gap.

He still wasn’t sure where they stood, but one thing remained unchanged. The sight of the redhead was a salve to the worries of the world, the doubts which plagued him, brought a genuine smile to his face that stretched up to his eyes. She was light and colour, everything that was good and right with the world. It made him feel like he was home, and he needed that more than ever. The recent conflict on Ryloth and Siskeen had left him feeling stretched thin, uneven.

“Room for one more at the table?”

The man pushed away from the wall, a smile tugging up the corner of his lips let his gaze sweep over the crowd that had gathered.

“Sorry I should introduce myself, I’m John, I was just stopping over to see Gianna but I had no idea that she had company. If I’m interrupting something I can always come back later.”

He didn’t want to, would have happily sat quietly if needed but, to be able to sink into the warmth of the Shore and its elfin Mistress was the salve to his soul that the man needed right now. Here now, he didn't want to wear a mask, to wear the title of Exarch or Executive. He just wanted an afternoon where he could be a man sitting in the sun, sharing an afternoon snack with some new friends.