Diplomacy Paradigm Shift [GA/NJO] [Coruscant to Fondor]

[Shan Pavond]

"Some people see the Force as a religion. My people, the Mirialans commonly do. Some people worship the Force in its entireity, and some worship certain aspects of it. There's Bogan and Ashla. The Dark and Light Side. I personally see the Force...not as a god. But more of a friend. As a guide. And like physical guides and friends, it can lead you down either a good path or a dark path." Shan held his hands out on both sides, treating them like some kind of scales. "But at the end of the day, it is you who chooses what kind of path you go down. I don't believe everyone in the Order is religious...but a common stereotype of Jedi is seeing them as "Magic Monks" He used quotemarks for that part, before frowning at her next question.

"I don't believe it's mandatory. No. It's highly suggested. I got one, because I felt like I'd be dead weight without one. Though mine has a few differences. Mine is mostly made out of wood. Nature was a foreign concept to me coming from Nar Shaddaa. Nearly everything was made out of metal. I've also have a blaster I use that's a...family heirloom." He grimaced at that thought. Before shaking his head. No point dwelling on the fact that the blaster was nearly used to murder him. And that he punched his dad in the face and stole the gun. No. No point. "I do mostly defend with my lightsaber anyway. I mostly practice Soresu. It's a defensive lightsaber form, based around outlasting your opponent and causing them to run out of energy."

The smile on Shan's face grew...up until the last part. Causing Shan to suddenly start spluttering in surprise, coughing a few times as he slammed his fist into his chest to try and clear his lungs. "N-Not Mate! No! No!" That word had a completely different meaning to Shan. He was nowhere near ready for that kind of thing. Coughing a few more times before he could speak clearly. "Colette is like...She's my other half. She's there to support me when I need her. To prove my strengths to me when I think I'm full of weaknesses. And I'm there to support her, when she needs it. I love her. With everything I have and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And I hope that life is very, very long..." The Mirialan stared off into the distance, a small dopey grin spreading across his face...before he shook his head to snap out of it. "I think she'd like you."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

The way Shan Pavond explained that, for the most part, it is other people who think that the Jedi Order is a religious entity when it is really a collection of various individuals who have the Force in common and have common principles towards the use of it. Then he also explained regarding why he did learn the lightsaber to not feel like a deadweight. Zaiya could completely understand this. She had felt so helpless when she couldn't do anything to help protect or defend her friends when they were in trouble.

Zaiya gave a slow nod, pondering, "Okay, I see. So there isn't a mandatory acceptance of any religion, just the training and willingness to help and defend others?"

Of course, the answer to this question likely fell to the wayside as Shan's emerald face suddenly began to flame a bright olive hue as he blushed and stammered his way into explaining how Colette was not his mate.

Confusion rippled through Zaiya's patterns in a pale grey hue, and she tilted her head to the side, her brows furrowing. Everything that he was detailing that Colette was to him was a mate. So Zaiya told him as such.

"But... that is a mate. Someone you love, who you feel is your other half, who you want to support, and who they also want to do in turn. Whom you love and want to spend the rest of your life with and who love you in turn and want to also spend their life with you. That you want to spend your time with and take care of them, protect them, and be connected to." all they needed to make it official for Lovalla would be to create the bond that would allow them to feel each other's emotions and the resonance of their color shifting. Taking the color shifting aside, then if they could already sense each other through the Force...

"I mean... can you feel her through the Force and what she feels already?"

 

[Shan Pavond]

"No! No! Mate means something else. It means...I...Well...Having a kid. At least that's how I've always been taught." Shan spluttered away, holding a hand to his head as he tried to keep himself calm. The entire conversation was just making him blush as he didn't want to focus on thne idea of having kids. Kids were gross. Totally. He'll just ignore the fact that he was enjoying teaching Zaiya. Yeah. It was...because she was a good student. Yes. That was it.

"And no. We both have a big thing about not using the Force on each other. Consent is key. If we want to know how each other feels, we ask. Using the Force makes it feel like...we belong to each other, as items. And that's not what either of us want. We want to be people who love each other." Shan shook his head rather quickly at that. Colette would absolutely hate him if he ever used the Force to try and force himself to feel what Colette felt.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

Now Zaiya was even more confused. In her culture, a mate didn't automatically mean having a kyuk; it meant your partner.

"Oh... well, for my kind, a mate is your partner." Zaiya explained, "And if they happen to have a child, then they are very blessed and lucky, as it is very hard for my kind to have younglings. Not all mates have them."

His explanation regarding using the Force on each other and consent suddenly began to worry Zaiya. "Oh... well.. my kind form bonds without the Force that allows us to feel our mate's emotions and where they are. I got really excited when I learned that the Force might be able to mimic those bonds because it is so rare for my kind even to find a mate with other Lovalla... I lost my kinship bonds when my parents died, so I really wanted to feel connected again to others so...." Now, her colors were dampening again in growing anxiety and fear. Did this mean she was forcing Aris Noble , Braze , and Loomi into feeling her emotions and vice versa when they touched or the longer they spent together?

Am I forcing myself on them? Zaiya's mind raced with all kinds of concern. Now, she worried that her friends would think she thought of them as belonging, forcing them into connections they may not want.

"Oh... I... I see. Thank you for explaining that to me." Her fingers began to fidget, anxious worry bleeding out. Maybe I shouldn't hold hands anymore with Aris...

"Right, consent is important."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Whereas, for me, mating is what...creatures do to have kids." Shan explained his point of view, being ever so slightly oblivious to Zaiya's panic that was starting to set it from what he had said about consent. Just rubbing the back of his neck as he stared off into space, sighing to himself ever so slightly. It wasn't a fun thing to think about if he was being honest to himself at the end of the day.

"It's just...how Colette feels about it all, I suppose. Like when it comes to holding hands and stuff, she's not a huge fan of it because...it feels like you're claiming "Ownership" over someone. And why do you need to hold someone's hand for them to know you like them and all that." He waved his hand dismissively. He went along with it, because he loved Colette, but Shan was always more of a physical affection kind of person. He didn't want to push it with Colette though in case he upset her.

"Personally? I'm all for hugs. Hugs, hand holding, anything. But I understand that Colette isn't like that. And I'm okay with that. Not everyone is going to love the same things. And I'm happy with that. I love Colette as she is. That's all I need."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

Zaiya was now well into teenage anxiety angst, her skin a pewter grey with silver glowing highlights. She wasn't even sure how the Force was letting her emotions flow over to others, let alone how to stop them. Braze explained that to mentally block anyone from feeling him; he had to constantly keep that a conscious effort as he multitasked, but even now, Zaiya wasn't so skilled as to be able to do so.

Biting her lower lip, Zaiya gave a few nods, her mind elsewhere as she did her best to work through what she should do next, at least until she could control whatever she did what she did. Teenage anxiety and fear of rejection surged in her heart. Really, the solution was simple: just ask if it was okay and what anyone would be comfortable with, but at this point, it turned into more of an overwhelming terrible mountain of a thing rather than something that could be easily communicated and confirmed.

"... but...how is holding a hand claiming ownership of someone?" If Colette was Aris's sister, then that meant that his family also probably thought that holding hands was claiming another. Did Aris think that? What about Braze and Loomi? With the latter, things were even more complicated because the Half-Echani and the Godoan already had a very special bond between the pair. Loomi could even see Braze's dreams!

Now Zaiya felt even worse.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Don't ask me. Like I said, I don't agree with that thought process." Shan raised his hands somewhat defensively at that. Like he had just said, Shan was a fan of holding hands. Hell, he was showing his fondness of physical affection whenever he ruffled Zaiya's hair. It was his way of trying to comfort people, for when he thought words wouldn't be good enough for a situation. When words weren't good enough, maybe just simply having him there would be a good enough reason to be happy.

"Everyone's different. Everyone has a different thing they like, or dislike. Some people like physical affection...Whereas some people like words of encouragement. Some people like gifts. There isn't any one box people fit into. Everything isn't...black and white like that unfortunately. Trust me, I wish it was. It would be so much easier to understand people."

The MIrialan let out a small chuckle at that, before shaking his head. "If there's someone you like Zaiya, just...ask them how they feel about stuff. Making assumptions is the biggest way to ruin something. It never hurts to ask a friend how they feel, or what they want, but it can hurt to assume they're okay with something." He nodded firmly at the last part...Part of him wished they could just go back to healing lessons. That was much easier for him to wrap his head around.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

Physical affection and spending time with one another was a primary method of Zaiya conveying her affection, be it holding hands, gently running her fingers through someone's hair, or snuggling close. Secondary was her desire to provide and ensure they were fed and cared for. That was just her nature, not only due to her kind's tendencies for social interaction but also as someone who desperately wanted to feel connected again.

However, Shan Pavond was right. Not everyone expressed themselves the same way. It was one of the very reasons Zaiya held her hands together for the past several years to force herself not to reach out to others. It had been so nice to be able to again that Zaiya got overly excited and realized she had been assuming it was okay to hold hands with Aris once he had done so the first time. However, even then, she had given him every opportunity to tell her no or not accept it. And there were times when he had reached out for her hand himself the same.

"Everyone is different, right," Zaiya repeated, her markings rippling from a silver hue to a gold, the thought alone making her feel a little better. The next time she saw Aris Noble , Braze , and Loomi , she would ask what was okay for her to do, be it physically affectionate or being the recipient of her emotional resonance when they touched. At least until she could control it and also figure out how the Force worked with forming bonds as a Lovalla, she didn't want them to think she was forcing them into anything.

"Okay. I'll talk to Aris after this." Once he is done moving things around, he would be the immediate person to ask by sheer proximity. Her rosy golden complexion was slowly returning. She gave a faint smile to Shan, although the pale yellow markings that rushed over her skin relayed she was still very anxious about it.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan nodded for a moment before his head froze mid nod. The wheel that was his brain suddenly freezing mid rotation as well as he came to a sudden thought. He had just...said that if there was someone Zaiya liked, that she should talk to them. And she just said she'd talk to Aris. Almost straight away, Shan's mind was blown as he tried to wrap his head around it. Of course, he was just jumping to conclusions but he didn't realise that as he was trying to put one and one together. Trying to figure out how they were making three instead of two. No-one was allowed to like Aris! Not that Aris wasn't great, but Aris was like a little sibling to him and no-one was allowed to like his little sibling. The same goes for Vera! No-one was allowed to like Vera either!

Oh by the Force, who was he supposed to tell first? He definitely wasn't going to tell Aris. If he told Vera as well, he could only imagine the amount of teasing Zaiya and Aris would go through. Should he tell Kahlil? Valery? No. No. Those were Aris' parents. That would be a terrible idea. Maybe Colette? Yes. Colette was a good idea. He trusted her. Plus Aris was actually more her sibling than he was of Shan's. Karablast, Shan wasn't going to get over it if he had accidentally convinced Zaiya to say how she felt. Oh bother. Oh dear oh bother!

"...Yeah...Erh...Everyone is different. Very different. It's like...erh...erm...potatoes. Not every potato is the same. Some are round. Some are big. Some are short. And...erh...Yeah. Everyone is different. Just like potatoes." Well. There's what happens when Shan's mind is blown. He just talks nonsense.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

“So everyone is different… like a potato?” Zaiya gave a frown again, perplexed. Well I guess potatoes are different…

“I guess. Although regardless how different they are, they’ll all be eaten regardless. They are all food,” Zaiya wasn’t sure how all that analogy was going but hey, Shan Pavond was the one who brought up potatoes.

“Thank you for helping me with this, Shan! I now know what to ask Aris as soon as we are done.”

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Yeah. Like a potato...or an apple. Or any kind of fruit or veg. Some people are old and wrinkly, some people are rotten to the core, whilst some people are soft and sweet. So...everyone is different. Yeah." His food analogy wasn't...doing great but he partly latched onto what Zaiya had said. "Yeah! Totally. Like how all potatoes are going to be eaten, it's like how...everyone, no matter how wrinkly, rotten or sweet they are, they're still alive. They're all alive and have their own likes and dislikes."

Shan thought that was a perfect way to come up with a metaphor, though his eyes went wide at the mentioning of Aris, giving Zaiya a short nod and sharp nod, before ruffling her hair slightly. "I should...let you get going to Aris then. I think he should nearly be done. And I have a date planned with Colette. I'll talk to Aris' parents as soon as I see them and see if we can't get you a little trial of being part of the Order."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

Zaiya gave a nod, a shimmer of dark orange dancing over her skin with flecks of blue glowing highlights in determination.

Glancing back up at Shan Pavond , since he seemed to know so much about this and potatoes, he might know some great tips on how to discuss this with Aris Noble , Loomi , and Braze .

“So I should ask him about how he feels about things but is there anything else I need to make sure I don’t miss?”

Zaiya didn’t want to make a mistake and make anyone uncomfortable because she forgot to cover something.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"It's...really up to you Zaiya. Certain things can't be taught. People will react to things in different ways, depending on who approaches them. Take the man who we went to heal. He'd have reacted differently to just me, than he did to you, right? So...Aris will react differently to you, than he would to me."

It was best for Zaiya to do this herself in his mind. The confidence would help her a lot, with admitting her feelings. Or at least the feelings Shan thought she had. Everything was designed around trying to support her at the very least. If he thought about it, Aris had his own support network. Valery, Kahlil, the rest of the Nobles. But he didn't exactly know who Zaiya had. All he knew was at the very least, she had Shan to support her.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

“Okay. I’ll go do that now!” Zaiya said with a determined nod, unable to help herself as she threw herself at Shan to give him a big hug in gratitude…

“Thank you, Shan!”… only to immediately stammer, flush in embarrassment, and apologize as her markings spazzed out in the cocktail of emotions at realizing she hugged him without asking his consent.

This was so hard!

She immediately attempted to draw back, sputtering on apology,“sorry Shan, I was just so excited and grateful that I forgot and hugged you without asking!”

Alarm and dejected anxiety shimmered on her face and her hues once again blanched in panic.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris had been picking things up and putting them down.

At a level that put a lot of people to shame, if it wasn't so ridiculous on what he was capable of carrying. But that was over with now as he made his way back to the other two. Thinking about it, he had just left Zaiya on her own with someone she didn't know. No matter how much he trusted him, it probably made her feel awkward, right?

He frowned at the thought, but such worries were pretty obviously unneeded as it looked like she was going to give him a hug. He smiled faintly before raising up a hand.

"Hey. You guys all good?"

Zaiya Ceti | Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Oh. No. No. Don't worry Zaiya. I keep ruffling your hair so...it's kinda like non-verbal consent that I'm alright with it."

Shan tried to explain, before raising one hand over towards Aris, giving him a bright grin before ruffling Zaiya's hair with his other hand to try and reassure her that he was completely a-okay with it. His eyes darting between the two for a moment as he debated something to himself before nodding with another smile on his face.

"Yeah. Everything's been alright. Zaiya can tell you about it. I need to hurry for a date with Colette. We were actually about to come and look for you first, since I didn't want to leave Zaiya out here by herself."

Aris Noble Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Shan Pavond | Aris Noble

-

"Okay, Shan, thank you," Zaiya's expression visibly relaxed as Shan Pavond reassured her about the hug. Yet, a new wave of anxiety washed over her as she realized Aris Noble was present. Emotions clashed within her like a kaleidoscope, reflecting in her mottled spots and patterns. Joy mixed with anxiety, affection with worry, and dread with determination, all evident in the small, glowing package that was Zaiya, the overly angst and emotional overthinking Lovalla teen at the fear that she had made her dear friend potentially uncomfortable with her past actions.

"Aris!" Her voice called out to him, tinged with uncertainty and worry. She had to force herself to hold her hands back and interlock her own fingers to prevent herself from reaching out to him in reassurance.

Turning back to Shan, she nodded in farewell, a flicker of determination visible in her dark amber and blue-hued skin as if silently asking for luck. Then, she turned back to Aris, gazing up at him with a mixture of emotions.

"Aris... can we talk for a bit?" Her request hung in the air, laden with anxiety and vulnerability. "Umm... in a quieter place?"

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris tilted his head. A date?

Oh. A date. He nodded once to Shan, giving a brief smile. He certainly didn't want to make him late to see Colette . He knew his sister. He paused in his thought for a moment. Wait, no, no he actually didn't know if she would be okay with Shan being late or not. That was.. Saddening. He'd have to fix that at some point. Right now, he just looked to Zaiya, giving her a nod.

Then blinked. For once she didn't reach out a hand for his own and instead locked her fingers. Usually he would offer it himself, but something was clearly going on. He again glanced to Shan, raising a brow. He wasn't going to keep Shan here or anything, but he had pieced together something had happened. He nodded again to Zaiya, giving a calmer smile.

"Okay, sure. Do you want to go get lunch?"

Zaiya Ceti | Shan Pavond

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Objective Three
Interacting with Aris Noble

-

“Yes, please,” although normally the thought of food would have gotten a more enthused response, Zaiya was simmering in anxiety that she didn’t shimmer or express the more joyful tones of blue she typically gave. Instead, her colored were muted and she vacillated between an ombré of pale greys flecked with light yellow hues over her mottled spots and patterns. She was obviously worried and concerned over something.

Once again, instead of reaching out her hand to hold his, she firmly kept them interlocked with her own, almost a white knuckle grip while her thumbs anxiously fiddled with each other. It was an internal battle of wanting to reach out for reassurance and Aris’s presence as much as Shan’s words regarding consent and that Aris’s sister didn’t like holding hands and that perhaps all this time she’d been forcing herself on him and perhaps making Ari’s feel uncomfortable with her constant need to be close or her empathic resonance the longer she spent time with him.

Never mind that the resonance would have let her know otherwise but a fourteen year old isn’t logical when faced with the potentiality that she might of make Aris want to stop being her friend.

With goodbyes to Shan made, Zaiya gave Aris a wobbly smile and said, “Okay, where to?”

 

[Aris Noble]

He couldn't help but know something was wrong now. It wasn't just that something had been said, she was second guessing a lot of herself, wasn't she? By the colors she gave off, that's what made sense logically. Aris kept a smile regardless, though. Him being worried was only going to make her more worried, and vis versa unto infinity.

Right now, they could focus on lunch. He motioned for her to follow, turning to head back away from the refugees. There was a place set up to help feed people, volunteers and otherwise. It wasn't going to be the burger joint he'd hoped to show her, but they'd make it work. "Comfort food. I think there's mac n' cheese. You want a bowl? .. And, you want to talk about what's going on?"

Zaiya Ceti