Public [Zinder Event] Carnival Comes to Dantooine!

[Caelan Mataan]

Caelan smiled, a quiet laugh escaping him. "I think you may have that backwards." The corner of his mouth lifted as his eyes met hers. "I'd be more concerned about everyone chasing your affection." He let the thought linger only briefly before chuckling as she continued. "I have a feeling at least half of those stories improve every time they're told." Her insistence that she wouldn't be choosing every activity drew an easy nod. "That's fair." His gaze wandered across the carnival once more, lingering on the brightly lit stalls before returning to her. "I'll think of something." When she mentioned the shooting gallery, he glanced in its direction. "It did catch my eye." A small smile returned. "I just thought I'd wait until after the strength test before embarrassing myself."

As they stepped beneath the archway, something quietly changed. The familiar presence of the Force simply... vanished. Not painful, only unfamiliar — an absence where there had always been something. The game master's explanation answered the question before he had the chance to ask it. "Huh." He flexed his fingers once before looking back to Lily. "That's a first."

He watched as she accepted the hammer, smiling faintly when she dismissed it as inelegant. The swing landed with a sharp crack, the marker racing skyward before finally settling just shy of the bell. An appreciative whistle escaped him. "I think you've set a respectable benchmark." When she handed him the hammer, he accepted it, rolling the weight once through his hands before settling his grip. "I was hoping this would involve a little more technique." His eyes drifted toward the bell. "It appears I was optimistic."

He planted his feet, shoulders settling as he drew the hammer back, committing fully to the swing without hesitation or restraint. The impact rang through the midway. The marker surged upward, climbing well beyond the average line before gradually slowing, coming close enough that for a moment it looked as though it might reach the bell before finally settling just beneath Lily's mark. Caelan looked up at it for a moment before turning back to her, an easy smile already returning. "Looks like this one's yours." He handed the hammer back to the attendant with an easy shrug. "I'll call that respectable."

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TAG: Lily Decoria

 

[Saul Whesai]

When Nyra said that she wouldn't want Saul any other way, it made him freeze and squint at her as if she had just told the worst lie ever. One so bad you almost think it was the truth. But he knew she meant it, however much she must be misled. Just like him saying Nyra was beautiful was. You didn't get millions of followers by being ugly. Still, she needed to hear it. "Just telling you what you already know." How could she not when the woman didn't even need to put makeup on to glow?

Soaking in her giggles, Saul couldn't help but add to them with his own. "Kind of, it mostly involves my neck turning 360 degrees around to watch you strut on by. Because as much as it would be sad to watch you leave, I love to watch you walk away. The lights stuff, that's just in my brain." He would really have to get a mute button for the siren, though. Being with her all the time, that would get annoying to hear.

Experience went a long way. Without it, Saul would have probably screwed this up by now. And it was also true it hurt a lot less to cut it off at the start if it wasn't working. The Cyborg sighed as he stretched his arms over his head, trying to get out the kinks in his shoulder from sitting. "Yeah... I had to find that out recently..." What the Cyborg was talking about, who knows. From Nyra's perspective, he could have been talking about anything. But he quickly moved on, a smile sprouting back on his face as he agreed with her. "I'm happy you swiped right on the crazy robot boy too. And hopefully you like the ride." Saul certainly would.

Saul's face scrunched up as he tried to figure out what she was blinking at him. He had told her that he had only had crushes before, right? Why would she be surprised that this was his first kiss then? But like her, he was really having fun and was enjoying the ride. And so that's what he did, letting her lean on him while they both enjoyed the different colors bursting into life overhead.

After the fireworks were finished, the Cyborg clapped and hooted in appreciation along with the rest of the crowd. When their surroundings calmed down, he grinned as he turned to her, just appreciating the sight of her for a moment before asking. "If you want to move on to the tour, we can. If you want to get some food, play some games, or do anything else here, we can. Just let me know." As long as he was with her, he wouldn't have a complaint. Well, not at her, but he might swear up and down when he couldn't get a ring on a peg. He could throw a knife a hundred feet and hit the bullseye, but putting a ring on a peg? That game must be rigged somehow, or at least that's what he swore in his head.

Nyra Kairo

 

[Nyra Kairo]

Objective: Have some fun
Location: Zinder Carnival grounds, Dantooine
Outfit: Hoodie, Tank and Shorts
Tag: Saul Whesai

Nyra couldn't help but smile as Saul insisted he was only telling her what she already knew. A faint blush still colored her cheeks despite that. "I do know." She admitted it without embarrassment. "I know I'm beautiful."

There had been a time when saying something like that might have sounded arrogant. Years of cameras, advertisements, sponsorships, and endless comments from strangers had made denying the obvious feel more dishonest than accepting it. She tilted her head, studying him for a moment. "I just hope you know the same about yourself."

Her smile softened. "Not because people tell you." A slight shake of her head followed. "The public has all sorts of opinions about me." Some flattering. Some ridiculous. Some built around a version of Nyra that only existed through carefully edited holos. "The beauty I know I have isn't really the same thing they talk about." It wasn't the clothes. Or the hair. Or the latest sponsored photoshoot. It was confidence. Joy. The freedom she'd built for herself. That was the version she hoped Saul was seeing.

His description of his head spinning around to watch her walk away immediately earned another laugh. "Wait." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Can your head actually do that?" Knowing Saul...

She wasn't entirely certain it couldn't. Then she shook her head, smiling. "I'll admit..." She pretended to think about it. "The view when I walk away is pretty good." A mischievous sparkle returned. "But..." She leaned just a little closer. "I think the view when I walk toward you is better." Her brown eyes held his for a heartbeat longer than necessary before another smile broke across her face.

Nyra listened quietly as Saul mentioned discovering incompatibility recently. There was clearly more to the story. She noticed it. But just as before…She let it remain his story to tell when he was ready.

Instead she smiled warmly when he admitted he was happy she'd swiped right. "I'm glad I did too." She squeezed his hand gently. "And..." A playful grin returned. "I have a feeling the ride only gets more exciting from here." Whether she meant the date…Or something beyond it...She left deliberately ambiguous.

The final fireworks faded from the sky as applause rippled through the carnival. Saul turned toward her with that familiar smile, offering whatever she wanted next. Food. Games. More carnival. The tour. Nyra was already standing before he'd finished. She simply shook her head. "I don't think I need to win any more prizes tonight."

The little Matsu plushie remained tucked happily beneath one arm. "And there's food waiting on The Drift." She reached down, took his hand, and gently pulled him to his feet. "Come on." Without thinking, she slipped both hands around his arm, hugging it comfortably against herself before resting her head lightly against his shoulder. The gesture felt...Easy. Natural. Like they'd been walking this way much longer than a single afternoon.

She smiled to herself as she guided them away from the lights and laughter of the carnival. "Besides..." She glanced up at him. "I believe I promised an engineer a tour." The spaceport lay ahead, illuminated beneath the night sky. Waiting beyond it sat The Drift. And for the first time all evening...Nyra found herself looking forward to showing someone every favorite corner of her ship more than she was looking forward to talking about it. That alone told her this date had turned into something she'd never quite expected.

 

[Lily Decoria]

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Outfit: Summer Dress
Date: Caelan Mataan

"My affections?" Lily thought about it and giggled softly, "well, I suppose that is a valid concern. I have garnered a number of admirers and people interested in me." Lily confessed, she knew that a lot of people found her attractive, she was not entirely blind to her own beauty, that did not mean she played into that or sought the attention. A lot of the time, she tended to be blissfully unaware that they sought after in that manner. Other times it was impossible to not notice. Hearing that Caelan will find something, she nodded her head, it was good to know that he was going to seek something out. She was curious to see what would draw his own attention to things around them.

Tilting her head, "warning me that your shooting is not that good? A shame, I was sure that would be where I would do very poorly." Lily teased in a soft tone, she was never one to be concerned over embarrassing herself on a date nor about having a partner who was brilliant or perfect in every way. Lily just sought to have fun and connect with another person while enjoying themselves.

"It is a strange sensation not having the Force." Lily admitted as she looked to Caelan as he adjusted to the feeling of the Force no longer available to draw upon.

Lily giggled and shrugged her shoulders, "who knows, there might be some skill to it beyond mere strength. We just don't necessary know what the skill needed is." She pointed out, Lily didn't want to dismiss the challenge so quickly and while she had struggled to get a decent hit the first time, Lily was keen on attempting again. Seeing if she could demonstrate improvement or further understanding of the challenge ahead. Watching Caelan's attempt, it was good and close to achieving as well as Lily did.

"Surrendering that quickly. How strange, Mandalorian!" Lily teased as she picked the hammer up again and took a moment. Feeling the hammer's weight, sensing the appropriate balance of the weapon. Eyeing the target, Lily lifted the hammer and struck down. With a better grip and clearer idea of how to strike at the target with the hammer, the bell shot up. Hitting the bell with a loud resonating ring. Lily started grinning widely and jumped. "Aha! Just took a little more patience with the hammer!" Lily cheered as the game owner looked surprised that Lily could hit the target.

Looking to Caelan, "want a second attempt?" Lily asked.

 

[Saul Whesai]

Saul raised an eyebrow, considering if the rollercoaster had finally had its effect on her. He gently put a hand to Nyra's forehead to see if she was unwell. "Well, you seem alright despite saying ludicrous statements like I'm handsome." He didn't know what Nyra saw in him other than maybe a project. But then again, it's not like he was about to complain about someone wanting him for something other than as a tool.

It was impossible not to see how confident Nyra was and how her joy touched everything around her, even a sourpuss like him. The Cyborg couldn't help but chuckle as she tried to find out if he was really telling the truth, putting on his usual mysterious smirk. "Who knows? Guess you'll just have to catch me in the act." And when she said the view towards him was better, he totally agreed because that meant she was coming up to greet him.

If there was a way to get a smile off his face, he certainly couldn't think of one right now. Especially after she admitted she wanted this crazy ride to go on. "Guess that means a second date is possibly on the card then? I wouldn't mind that." And it seemed, despite her best judgement, she didn't either. "And I hope it only gets better from here too."

When the last firework went out, and he turned to see what she wanted to next, it was clear she was not one for standing around when she was this excited. And so he got up from the table and let her lead, chuckling at the fact they looked like two little kids without parental supervision, holding their plushies. Well, one big kid in her place, but you got the drift. And so they headed for the ship with the same name, with Saul loving being close to Nyra all the way there.

Nyra Kairo

 

[Caelan Mataan]

Caelan's brows rose slightly as Lily admitted to having accumulated several admirers, though whatever concern he was supposed to feel about that seemed conspicuously absent. "Somehow, I don't find that difficult to believe," he said, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. His blue eyes settled on her for a moment before he added, "I suppose I'll have to make the most of having your attention, then."

Her teasing about his shooting drew a quiet laugh. "That's not what I said." Caelan shook his head. "Or was that merely a ruse to get me to the shooting game, and then soundly beat me?" A mischievous smile touched his lips for a moment. He flexed his fingers once more at Lily's comment about the Force, then let his hand fall back to his side. "It is. Everything feels a little quieter." There was another moment as he considered the sensation before a slight shrug dismissed it. "At least we both have the same handicap."

Caelan stepped aside when Lily decided to give the game another attempt, watching as she took considerably more care with the hammer this time. Rather than simply lifting it and swinging, she tested its weight, found the balance, and adjusted her grip. Apparently there was more to it after all.

The hammer struck, and the bell rang loudly overhead. Caelan's eyebrows shot upward as Lily immediately broke into a wide grin and jumped in celebration. A laugh escaped him before he could help it, her excitement proving considerably more entertaining than the game itself.

"All right," he conceded, holding up his hands. "You were right. There was some skill to it."

Then came the Mandalorian comment. Caelan gave her a look, the corner of his mouth already betraying him. He still hadn't bothered correcting her. His gaze dropped to the hammer when Lily offered him another attempt, and he considered it briefly before reaching out to take it from her.

"Why not?"

Caelan stepped back toward the game, though this time he didn't immediately raise the hammer. Instead, he rolled the handle between his palms, testing the balance more carefully before adjusting his grip in much the same way Lily had.

"I was perfectly happy with respectable," he said as he settled his feet. "But now you've made me curious."

He looked toward Lily once more, an easy smile on his face.

"Let's see if you actually taught me something."

Then Caelan turned back toward the target and brought the hammer up for his second attempt; the form was perfect this time, well positioned, and this time he followed through on the attack rather than relying on brute strength, and in short order the bell sounded. "Still, I think you won because you went higher on the first round." he hefted the hammer up on his shoulder and eyed the man running the game. "Wouldn't you agree? Give the lady her prize."

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TAG: Lily Decoria