Private The Sun Rises.

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Everest Vale

Reina's gaze stared at the wall of her room, the entire room strangely quiet at first. She was mostly in her own thoughts, staring down at her hands as she twisted and turned them in the light. They were normal for now, but who knows how long that would last? She was watching the way the light seemed to penetrate through her skin, as she bit her lip in thought. The Light seemed to still go through her. She wasn't ruined. At least that was what she had thought to herself as she sat in the chair next to her bed, her hands resting atop of her lap. Whilst she might have been treated and healed off any physical injuries, and checked over for the mental, Reina still wasn't back to 100%. She still wasn't her normal self. But she was alive. She was breathing. That was what was important at the end of the day. Even if her expressions and emotions seemed somewhat dulled. The small little glimmer of light in her eyes slightly faded.

"...She shouldn't be much longer."

She muttered to herself quietly, her voice sounding like music to anyone else's ears. But in this moment for Reina, it still sounded like nails against a chalkboard. It was a sound she didn't want to hear right now. But she'd be fine. She'd survive. She always did. Endure. Survive. Either way, she kept her gaze focused on the wall, waiting for Everest to arrive. Reina had a feeling that the Echani would have a lot she wanted to talk about. Reina had somewhat...shutdown after she had saw what had happened to herself, so the two didn't have a chance to catch up over anything. Maybe Reina should have read in the meanwhile as she waited for the Echani but she didn't. No. She just sat there, waiting. Listening to the ticks of her digital clock beside herself. It was all a far cry from that energetic and stubborn girl who'd be found off in the training rooms practising her fighting, or doing some form of fishing. She just appeared both physically and mentally numb.

Spoiler: OOC Notes

: Means written/typed communication : < Means Sign Language communication >

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Personal Armour
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Atrisian Dancer, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

The halls of Snowpeak Sanctuary were quieter than usual. Eve walked them alone, a pale figure wrapped in white, her footsteps soft over the smooth stone. The morning light filtered in through high windows, casting long beams that painted the marble in silver and gold. Dust hung in the air, reflecting in the soft light. She moved slowly, not because she didn't know where she was going — she knew. She'd known since the message arrived, simple and short, blinking on her datapad.

But something in her resisted the pace of certainty. She passed a small shrine alcove. A few tea lights were still flickering, and her eye caught one — a candle she herself had lit not long ago. She paused, just for a second, then moved on.

There had been so many moments since the rescue where she'd thought about coming here, just walking to Reina's door, knocking, saying something — anything. But every time she'd tried, the words had scattered like birds. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say. That she was sorry? That she was proud of her? That she was scared, and didn't know what to do, and hated herself a little more each day for not having fixed anything?

And how ridiculous that was. To think this could be fixed.

She had offered Reina everything she could — a room, silence, comfort, time. No obligations. No expectations. Just space. But lately… she'd been wondering if it had been enough, if all she'd done was retreat behind good intentions, if she'd offered distance because she was afraid of how much it hurt to see her like this — dimmed, dulled, changed.

Reina had once been impossible to ignore. She filled space like sunlight on water. Now the absence of that light echoed in every hallway Eve passed through. She hated that she'd waited, that her own uncertainty had kept her away. But perhaps she needed that. It was impossible to really know for sure.

Her hand drifted to the hilt of Stillness at her side — a small, grounding gesture. The saber wasn't needed today. She wasn't here as a warrior. Just a friend. Just a woman trying to carry too many things in a heart already full.

And still… she came.

She reached the door.

The hallway was hushed here. This corner of the sanctuary rarely saw much movement. A breeze touched her through the high window, cool against her cheek. She stood for a moment, listening, not for sounds within — just for something. A sign. The Force. A feeling. There was only the quiet.

Then: two soft knocks.

Her hand moved to the door handle, hesitantly, then turned it. She stepped through slowly.

"Reina?" she said, voice gentle as snowfall.

And there she was, sitting in the chair by the bed, framed by the grey-blue light from the mountain sky. Her posture was still, her expression unreadable. Eve smiled. It was a small gesture, sad around the edges.

She only stepped inside — slowly, as if into a sacred place — and closed the door behind her.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Everest Vale

"Hm?"

Reina turned her gaze over towards the Echani, giving a small but extremely tired looking smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. If anything, Reina just looked tired. Not sad, not angry, not scared. Just tired. As if all of the energy that had been in her bones had been drained from her. There was a small amount of colour that came to her face at the sight of her best friend however as Reina adjusted the way she was sat.

"Oh. Hello Eve. This is a nice place you have here. I'm proud. I'm sorry I could not be there at your knighting. I wish I could have."

She had originally intended on trying to hold back from speaking to Everest. To rely on sign language, out of fear that her voice would have some kind of influence. But an indirect side effect from her medicine seemed to be that her voice didn't quite have that effect. No. Her voice, whilst musical and melodious, was dull. Flat. It was like a song that had been recorded dozens upon dozens of time, until all of the heart, emotion and passion put into the song had been lost.

"To think you'd be here. You've grown since we first met. I couldn't dare think about slapping you anymore."

Another small smile, that still couldn't reach her eyes. The creases never quite forming. Instead she turned in the chair to look at Everest. Even if Everest had struggled to come and see Reina, the Ersansyr didn't seem to hold any annoyance towards the Echani. If anything, she did seem honestly happy to see her, if she wasn't directly showing it. Reina didn't even think about how vulnerable she was in this moment, or how innocent she looked. None of her weapons on her person, having either be left with her sister or collected by Colette.

"It is cold though. I wish I brought my diving suit with me. Though I think 'Lexis has it. It'll need changing and adjusting. Not going to be using legs for swimming much longer."

Whilst it was meant to be a joke, there was a somewhat gloomy look that came over Reina's face at that, as she took her gaze away from Everest and turned her attention back over towards the wall. She was mulling a lot of things over in her mind. Trying to sort them by order of importance instead of emotions. Normally Reina would hate this. It was nothing better than being a droid. But she needed it. It was better to be like this, than to let her emotions take control.

Spoiler: OOC Notes

: Means written/typed communication : < Means Sign Language communication >

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Personal Armour
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Atrisian Dancer, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve offered a small smile at Reina's teasing, or what passed for it now. A quiet curve of the lips, touched by something softer… but shadowed. Her eye glinted faintly, but not with laughter. Just memory and grief. The image of Reina's trapped like a wild animal in a tank, and then looking up at her helpless after it was drained, was one Eve could not unsee. It lived behind her silence. In the night, in her dreams, in the place just behind her ribs where all the 'what ifs' lingered, when the busy work of every day had finally faded. She hadn't saved her in time. The damage had already been done.

Still, Reina was here, alive. That had to mean something.

Eve stepped further in, silent, until the soft dip of the mattress marked her settling at the edge of the bed. She didn't speak, didn't fill the space with needless words. She simply reached — slow and deliberate — and let her hand find Reina's. The contact was gentle, a resting of skin against skin, but even that said enough.

She felt it instantly, though — the difference. Not wrong, nor disturbing. Just… changed. The texture of her skin, the temperature, the way it gave beneath her touch. Less pliant. Less human. Eve's thumb almost paused in its instinctive movement, but she let it stay there, settled and steady. She didn't flinch, nor pull away.

This was still Reina, and she was still here. The silence stretched between them, like a breath too deep to release.

At last, Eve broke it.

"I brought you something," she murmured, voice soft but sure.

Her free hand dipped gently into the folds of her robes. She drew out a small bundle of cloth, carefully tied with twine, humble but thoughtful. Unfolding it revealed a slice of pale yellow cake, wrapped in a beeswax paper — lemon drizzle, its glaze catching the faint light.

"I thought you might like it," she added, holding it out. "From the café downstairs. Karla made it fresh this morning."

It wasn't much. It was just a slice of cake. But it was a piece of the world outside the pain. A small, sweet thing. A simple gesture of love. Her gaze lingered quietly on Reina's face. She didn't ask if she was okay, it didn't seem appropriate. She didn't press for conversation. She just stayed with her.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Everest Vale

Reina wordlessly took the cake, resting in her lap for a moment. Instead letting her gaze focus on Everest for a moment. She looked tired. Was Everest sleeping alright? There was no point bringing attention to it. It would just make things far more awkward, with Everest probably trying to hide what was going on from Reina. That was fine. She was not going to pry. That wasn't who Reina was anymore as she turned her eyes towards the cake, chewing on her lip for a moment in thought.

"...Thank you."

She didn't elaborate on what she was thanking Everest for, instead just eating a small part of the cake, letting out a somewhat content sigh at the taste. Her sweet tooth had only seemed to grow after her change, yet there was still a frown on Reina's face as she was contemplating something. Of course, she had no clue that Everest believed that Reina being alive must have meant something.

"...I was ready to die. You know? I knew what was going to happen."

A few more mouthfuls of cake, to let the silence fill in. Some might have said it was for dramatic effect, but for Reina? It was purely because she wanted to have some more cake, nibbling away at the soft little snack before she continued talking.

"I tried to. Die, I mean. Take my life into my own hands. It didn't work. It never works. I don't have that much control over my life."

And there it was. Out in the world. Said with the most lacklustre manner possible. Some might have expected some kind of tears, or intense emotion but Reina had said all of it without so much of a tear on her face. And with the admital of what she had nearly done finished, Reina also finished off the cake, gently brushing off any excess crumbs before looking over towards Everest.

"I should not be alive."

Spoiler: OOC Notes

: Means written/typed communication : < Means Sign Language communication >

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Personal Armour
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Atrisian Dancer, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve didn't speak. The words Reina had just said were still sinking in, slow and heavy, like rocks sinking into water. Each one hit something inside her that had already been cracked. Now it broke.

She couldn't look away from her. Reina sat there so calmly, so plainly, with no tremble in her voice, no tears, no rage. Just the facts. Just the aftermath. Eve had never hated silence until now.

She reached for Reina and pulled her in. Her arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her chin rested lightly against the crown of Reina's hair, and her eye closed against the weight in her chest. Her hands were shaking. She could feel the change in Reina's body. It was in the texture of her skin, the strange stillness of her breath. She was altered. Remade. Eve had known it, but knowing wasn't the same as feeling it under her palms. It made her chest hurt.

She had not been fast enough. She had not stepped in enough. She had not done enough. The thoughts came one after the other. Every one of them clear and painful. She should have been there before any of it happened. She should have read the signs. She should have trusted her instincts. She should have called for help. She should have done something. Anything.

The ache in her jaw turned to tremble. She tried to speak, but her throat closed. Then, finally, the words forced themselves out.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice cracked on the first syllable. She gritted her teeth to steady it, but it didn't help.

"I'm so sorry, Reina."

She held her tighter. Her breath hitched again.

"I should have done more. I should have seen it. I should have been better. I should have... protected you."

Tears slipped down her cheek, hot and sharp.

"You shouldn't have had to go through that. You... shouldn't have been alone. I... I failed you."

She didn't try to stop the tears. She didn't wipe them away.

"I'm sorry."

Her jaw clenched. Her breath caught again. She held her, trying to anchor them both. The guilt didn't stop. The grief didn't stop. But Eve stayed exactly where she was, arms firm around Reina's shoulders, holding her like she might slip away if she let go.

She just couldn't let that happen again.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Everest Vale

"Stop it. Everest. Stop."

Reina raised her voice, ever so slightly. It wasn't a yell. It wasn't as if Reina was angry. If anything, it was more of a command. An order. Even as Everest wrapped her arms around Reina, the Ersansyr didn't seem to budge much. She did move her own arms around Everest to pull her into a hug. Rubbing her back gently to try and comfort the Echani, even though it was Reina who was the one who should be getting comforted. Even though she had went through the suffering. Reina knew Everest was suffering as well and in her own way, she was looking out for her friend still.

"I am alive. It is not your fault. You couldn't protect me. No-one could Everest. I knew what I was going to. It's why I tried to end it. I held the blaster to my chest...but it didn't work. I thought I was...being noble. That self-sacrifice would make me a true Jedi. I was wrong. It was selfish."

Even now, Reina still didn't cry. She was far too numb to it all. In time, she'd probably react to it but she was...fine in this moment. Not good. Not okay. Not bad. Just...fine. Like a still ocean, without a single breeze or disturbance affecting the surface. Everest was suffering so much compared to Reina in this precise moment and...Reina wanted to help. But she didn't know.

"You were protecting Coruscant. The future. I was running an errand with my sister. It's not your fault you weren't with me Everest. The Galaxy comes before me. Always. I used to...to get upset over it. To think I wasn't important to you. That I was second best, or third best. But...that's fine now. It's right. The Galaxy and everyone else comes first."

Spoiler: OOC Notes

: Means written/typed communication : < Means Sign Language communication >

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Personal Armour
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Atrisian Dancer, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve froze. Reina's voice wasn't loud, but it cut through her like a blade. The way she said her name. The way she told her to stop. It jolted something in her spine. She stiffened in Reina's arms, her breath catching hard in her throat. She didn't speak, but every word of Reina's landed. The phrases buried into her, tight and brutal. She wanted to shake her head. To scream. But she didn't move. She stayed in the hold of Reina's arms, silent, her tears drying without her noticing.

Until that last part.

The Galaxy and everyone else comes first.

Eve's body went still. Then her jaw locked, and her hand curled into a fist against the mattress. Her voice didn't start quiet.

"You need to stop saying things like that."

She pulled back, just enough to look her in the face. Her silver eye was shining, and not with tears this time. She looked furious. Not at Reina, but at whatever had made her believe it all her life.

"You need to stop putting yourself second. Or last. Or wherever you've shoved yourself."

Her breath hitched again, but this time she didn't break. She pushed the words out, voice sharp and shaking with hurt.

"You matter. You always mattered. I wish you could just—"

Her voice cracked and rose again, loud now, almost shouting.

"I wish you could understand that it doesn't matter what she did to you, what she turned you into, what you think you've become— you still deserve the best. You still deserve kindness. And love. And safety. You... don't come last!"

She was breathing hard now. Her voice strained from the weight of it.

"I hate that you ever thought that... I hate that I let you."

She looked away, swallowing down whatever came next. It sat there between them, loud and messy and true. She didn't take it back. She just sat there, her fist still clenched, her shoulders trembling, waiting, letting Reina feel all of it.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Everest Vale

"Serina didn't want me to think that way either. She wanted me to stop protecting people. To stop putting people ahead of myself. But if I do that...She wins. I am not saying that I don't matter Everest. Just that...the future matters more. The people. They deserve to be protected no matter what."

Reina knew where Everest was coming from. Reina would have been in the exact same position as Everest if the Echani had been hurt in the way that Reina had, but she had to do this. Reina had to stand her ground for what she believed in. She couldn't let Everest change that. She couldn't let Serina change that. Reina was going to stand her ground, no matter what. It was what had made her who she was now. It was part of her growing as a person. Becoming more and more alive, as opposed to just being what counted as basically a biological droid.

"You were protecting Coruscant. It's fine that you weren't here to help me. I can't hold that against you. So you can't hold it against yourself either Everest. Unless you want to say that I'm wrong about how I feel?"

Even now, her voice was still numb. More like a recorder talking than her actual voice as her eyes settled on Everest. The Echani was mad. And Reina once again didn't fault her for feeling the way she did. In the past, Reina would have faulted her for it, but that wasn't the person she was anymore. No. Reina didn't blame someone's feelings on anything anymore. Well...It would depend on how they reacted from those feelings...

"Everest Vale. I am alive. Stop acting as if you're mourning me."

Spoiler: OOC Notes

: Means written/typed communication : < Means Sign Language communication >

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Personal Armour
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Atrisian Dancer, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag: Reina Daival

Eve froze. Every word hit, one after the other. Clear. Steady. No anger. No drama. Just... spoken truth. Reina’s truth.

And it landed hard.

She stood there, mouth parting like she might argue, but nothing came. Her breath caught in her throat. Her hand twitched at her side, and her gaze dropped.

She hadn't realised it before. But she saw it now.

She’d been pushing. Pressing her own grief, her guilt, her fear, onto someone already trying to hold herself together. She had come here wanting to help, wanting to fix something, wanting to make it feel better, but that wasn’t her place.

She’d wanted Reina to believe she mattered. But the way she’d gone about it... it hadn't been love. It had been pressure. And control.

Her chest tightened.

She thought of Serina, of everything Reina had been forced to endure, and a thought slid into her mind like a blade...

Am I doing the same thing?

Her stomach turned. She couldn’t breathe. She stepped back suddenly. The bed creaked behind her as she pushed off from it and stood, stiff and shaken.

Her face was pale. Without a word, she turned and crossed the room in quick, quiet steps. She pressed her hand to the doorframe, her forehead against it just after. Her breath shook out in a shallow exhale. Then she turned back, her voice so small she barely recognised it.

"I'm... I'm sorry."

Her eye flicked up to Reina. Shame lined her features.

"I love you, Reina. So much."

She meant it. Every word.

Then she opened the door and slipped out.

Isari lingered, standing in the doorway, her silver fur catching the dim light. The fox stared at Reina with a long, soft look. Her ears drooped slightly as let out a low, mournful whine, then turned and followed.

Eve was only a few paces down the corridor when she stopped. Her shoulder hit the stone wall and she leaned into it, forehead resting against the cold. Her eyes squeezed shut. Her breath hitched once. Then again.

"Dammit," she whispered, and struck the wall with the side of her fist.

The sound was dull, just enough to sting. She wiped at her eye with the back of her sleeve, breathed in hard through her nose, and walked.

She didn’t look back.