All Those Moments [Levantines]

[Rosa Gunn]

Spoiler

The breeze tugged at the hem of Rosa's dress, tickling it across the back of her calves. She resisted the urge to itch and closed her eyes, running the checklist through her head. Preparing the wedding hadn't been as stressful as Rosa had originally anticipated, once they'd decided on the location everything else seem to fall into place. In truth, most of that was down to the locals on Arda, to hear that there beloved ranger was getting married brought joy to their hearts and so they had helped Rosa prepare. Extra hutts had been raised in the village to house guests that had far to travel.

On the beach itself, an arch had been constructed, draped with white and azure fabric. The chairs had been lined up to face it, a walkway between them, marked by grasses and starfish carved from wood. By the time the villagers had ushered her away from helping set up and gotten her too get herself ready, they were scattering rose petals. The villagers had built a bonfire further along the beach, and occasionally the sweet scent of spices she did not know but set her mouth watering drifted up towards her hutt as they prepared the buffet.

"Inside!" came Gia's voice, as she tugged at Rosa's elbow. "Inside! Come now, can't let him see you now can we." she fussed over Rosa's dress, and adjusted the pins in her hair. Rosa let her fuss and closed her eyes again absorbing the excitement and joy that was rippling through the village. Fussing over details was not something that concerned her, so she let Gia do it. Old but far from frail she clicked her finger next to Rosa's ear making her jump.

"Wake up." she said with a wry grin, knowing full well Rosa wasn't sleeping. "Guests are arriving. Its almost time." she paused for a moment "Seroth is lucky, no? To have such a beauty as you." Rosa smiled and bent to kiss Gia on the cheek.

"Thank you, Gia. For everything."

Spoiler

[member="Seroth Ur-Rahn"] [member="Ben Watts"] [member="Boolon Murr"] [member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Judah Dashiell"] [member="Thessa Kai"] [member="Kida Ravos"] [member="Nohemi Allaneh"] [member="Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

Spoiler

[member="Turin Val Kur"] And all the other Levantines I can't recall off the top of my head Also [member="Spencer Jacobs"] and [member="Ashin Varanin"] if you are able to join us.

 

[Seydon of Arda]

Ardan symbology was a subject married to idioms, idiosyncrasies, alongside a great deal of local nomenclature steeped in local myth and mysticism. For them, 'Groom' was their word-phrase 'Agape'. It was a concept left open to any number of personalized interpretations but quite simply, it was the idea of unconditional love, a spiritual love. Both partners of a given union felt the weight of it upon them on the chosen day and hour, but some emphasis was given for any men to consider their choice. For men were simpler in nature, mental stature, prone to mistakes of conscience and selfishness, of ego. Their love had to be provided without condition, without bartering. A kind of transcendence from materialistic wants. For that reason, not many Ardans underwent a full ceremony. Of course, lovers still shacked up and raised their children. Family was family was family on Arda. Yet, those that did seemed to be especially regarded.

The hut for the male was a simple shack. Constructed with walls of soft-wood planks and glued with gelatinous webs, the ceiling framed by bamboo scaffolds laced with bushels of tied sea-grass laid side-by-side. The interior was especially hot. Warm sand threatened to burn uncovered foot soles. Enough room was partitioned for one, log-hollowed bench, and a dressing chest. Seroth sat by his lonesome on the log seat, turning over a small rod of pock-marked, burnished gold in his calloused fingers.

"It is psuchopompos," Said Wierna, a local village Kee, looping back long silver locks over his partly shaved and tattooed scalp. "It is a guide for the soul. You speak to it all your worries, your fears, and it will show you a way to answers. It will take your confessions and toss them to the waters, where they will join with others into Su-enae in time... And then into nothing."

Seroth looked at the totem lying still in his palm, and began murmuring. "You'd better work. All I want is for today to go by, without calamity dropping from the sky. Just today. It's impossible to account for tomorrow, I know. Just... Help me make sure of this. That Rosa will always be happy for saying yes. That she'll count me as some... right choice, I guess. I can't go wrong marrying a woman that's the very definition of the word 'scorching'. ...But she could go wrong with me. She did go wrong once, and men are weak. Help me be strong."

And he kissed the totem, setting it aside to dress. The day's wardrobe were long, black slacks buckled with a silver-capped belt, knee high boots in darkly brown leather, and a long wedding vest inherited from a chest Shev Rayner had bequeathed in his death-note. An attached note, hastily scrawled on grease-paper, said it'd been his father's. 'Fool only wore it once. Hope it stays that way.' - Shev. Seroth fashioned the looped clasps together and stood up. The Ardans had been thoughtful to leave behind a mirror: a thousand polished phi-turtle shells rubbed to a silvertine gleam, blinking almost too brilliantly with reflection. ...He saw a tall, wiry, scruff-faced fool that forgot to shave in the morning and had yet to tie back his hair.

The lad peered back at the discarded psychopomp. "...You'd better work."

 

[Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae]

One of the guests to arrive for the ceremony was adventure-loving, slightly quirky, spacer Captain Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae. And of course he brought a date with him, his bodyguard/security chief @Delila Castillion, she may have been a Captain now herself, but he still had a Major crush on her. Puns are fun!
Either way, when he asked her to join him as his date for the event, it was alone for the reasons that he enjoyed her company, last thing he would want Delila to think was he was asking her to come because he liked having a human shield nearby. Heck, if they would be getting shot at he would probably be the one jumping in the bullet's path either way, he knew his HRD body was able to take a bit of punishment.

Anyhoo,
Sammo was wearing his slightly old but well-kept formal robes, he didn't wanted to look like a shmuck after all. As he stood on the edge of the party, overlooking who the other guests were, he adjusted the folds of his robes, straightening them out,
"How do I look Delsy? I don't get to often wear these things, I didn't had much practice."
He would ask his partner-in-crime softly as he fumbled a bit with the collar and fabric of the tunic, making sure it was all presentable.
"Thanks for agreeing to come with me, by the way, I was kinda afraid you'll say 'no'."
Sammo shot her a brief smile before glancing to others gathered,

He didn't really knew many people among the Levantines, he was still new to their ranks, more or less. But at least he had Delila there to find some comfort in a familiar presence, in case he'll do something stupid.
And he'll probably do something stupid.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae"]

Dressed in a aquamarine beach dress , Delila had her hair slightly curled and half pulled up, the tendrils resting on her shoulders. Eyes rested behind sunglasses for the moment(until the ceremony), as the glittering ocean coupled with a warm sunny day made it quite bright outside. The redhead was a date of sorts to Sammo. Delila had retained her job as a bodyguard for him and worked from time to time when she could get away from Firemane Industries. No doubt today was probably another day on the bodyguard job.

"You look fine." Reaching up, she fixed the collar so it laid down flat. "There, better."

Shrugging a little, Delila considered his question.

"Eh, I figured as your sometimes acting bodyguard I couldn't say no. Besides, I wanted to get off Dahomey for awhile, see something new."

Levantine space certainly was new to her. She had never heard of it or ventured out this way within the Galaxy. To be honest, Delila had never made it past Nar Shadda so the experience was going to be interesting indeed.

 

[Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae]

[member="Delila Castillon"]
"Thanks."
He said softly, giving the Hottest Redhead a small smile, he wouldn't want to just grin all the time and look like an idiot after all. Sammo would softly touch her forearms with the tips of his fingertips when she fixed his collar, he wouldn't stop her, it was just a sign of appreciation he had for the gesture. It eased his mind a bit that Delila would be able to help him out from time to time with stuff like that. She was an organic, unlike Sammo, she would know better than him how to fit in among other organics, and he trusted her expertise.
"You look good as well, Delila, blue looks good on you. Although I still think I am the Looks in our dynamic."
He quipped to her with a smirk, looking back to her from the crowds,
"So I'll be just providing you with a bit of escape today? And here I thought you enjoyed my company as much as I did yours."
Sammo spoke teasingly to her, motioning with his head towards the lawn-chairs as other guests began to look for their seats,
"How about we find a spot to sit down in?"
He offered to the ex-Major.

 

[Nohemi Allaneh]

Quietly, off to the side, stood Nohemi Allaneh, the Fallanassi representative for this particular union. She was a shy and quiet young woman to begin with, so while the guest went milling about, Nohemi simply observed.

Prone to wearing robes of a white hue, the young Ambassador chose one of a paler cerulean hue, embroidered with silver thread. Her ebony hair was upswept into her familiar Chandrilan twist, with nary a single hair out of place.

It was a time for contemplation as well as joy. There was something about the joining of two lives that certainly gave a measure of hope in the galaxy.

The Currents know that is a sentiment that sentients need more of.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Having been sticking closer to home, Judah found himself surprised to show up at the wedding. He knew many of the Sanctum members only in passing, the only one he had sustained contact with was Sammo. In order to make it to the wedding, Judah had called in his mother to help [member="Thessa Kai"] at home. No doubt his wife would have strangled him if he left her alone with their young son. Hell, she just may strangle him for leaving her alone with his mother.

Dressed simply in linen khaki pants, vest and white shirt rolled up to the elbows, Judah stood off to the side taking in the scenery. It was a bit different than his own wedding, where they had eloped and had traditional Galan wedding, complete with him having to wear a maile, used to bind their hands together as a symbol of combining two lives. He wasn't quite sure what Jedi did. Crossed lightsabers? Force lifted some candles?

Giving a small smile to [member="Nohemi Allaneh"] , he shoved his hands in his pockets and milled around at the edge of the crowd, wondering what side of the aisle was appropriate to take.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Today marked a happy event that was to be forever remembered by those gathered; the marriage and union of two people the once ten-year-old Thurion had first met on Teth, at the initial meeting with the group that would form the Silent Conclave, and later the Levantine Sanctum. How far they'd all come since that fateful day. No longer was that little boy a padawan following in his master's footsteps - now he was a Jedi Master, even surpassing his beloved Asha in rank. It made his heart sore thinking himself better or more experienced than she; for she was what he aspired to become when grown up. The wounds of her passing would never truly heal. He would make sure of that, himself. He was surprised to not having seen neither [member="Jaxton Ravos"] or his dear [member="Kida Ravos"] as of yet. Perhaps they were busy somewhere else, doing some training on some remote world?

The ceremony had been prepared for some time, now. Thurion had kept out of the preparations despite his willingness to assist [member="Seroth Ur-Rahn"] and his bride-to-be [member="Rosa Mazhar"]. Instead, on this day of festivities, he'd kept himself busy entertaining some local children who'd gotten curious as to what all the hubbub was about. Dressed in his intended attire for the wedding ceremony, the Jedi Master was currently chasing the kids around the beach and playing tag, mixed in with some light wrestling between him and all the little ones. A steady stream of laughter accompanied the group of kids and the bearded man, who was never one to shy away from letting children get what they wanted out of him. It all reached its climax once the little ones managed to overwhelm him and knock him on his feet, collapsing onto the soft sand, keeping his smile as the kids began to clamber on top of him to make sure he couldn't move. He allowed them this one victory, for revenge would soon be his!

@Everyone else

 

[Seydon of Arda]

@Everyone

Though rarefied, Ardans cherished a touch of protocol whenever a wedding was announced and word spread from lagoon to archipelago to atoll. Some strictures just had to be followed, with a certain philosophy behind it that likened the bodily necessity of drawing consistent breath and eating. Especially catering to hunger. One Ardan belief told that all good things issued from the belly. An upset countenance meant for unpleasant bile that took and spoiled sand, water, and vegetation. If there was to be a wedding, there had better be a damn good spread.

There was. On either set of the aligned chairs facing south into the broad, endless scope of ocean meeting bright azure horizon, tables had been set to accommodate both those present and whomever may drop in. Local ceremonies only very rarely enforced a strict idea of attendance. Common practice was to simply row in, show up with hands wreathed in dishes, to contribute to the feast. For now, it was enough to whet and pacify appetites.

Ardans had an odd understanding of 'whet'. Upon trestle-flattops fashioned from delicately nursed and herded coral growths rested food idling in polished emerald turtle shell bowls, shark-bone plates, platters arraigned in squid hook-beaks as large as an average male torso. Smoothly creamy soups of seasoned crab meat. Thinly sliced fish meat wrapped around minced beef taken from northern 'sea cows'. Batter-balls squelching with stuffed octopus flesh. Arsik, a cuisine compiled from local spine-carp, ginger-fruits, sadaparos peppers, shallots, tube garlic, chili, and a kind of inland root that was noted for its stubborn growth habits. Simple black-pepper crab. Stir-fried shrimp and violet-salmon in a coral-milk sauce sprinkled with ground peppers, atop a dish of sea-weed noodles.

Aromatic fragrances caught in an east-west breeze slowly whispering up the beach-heads. The trestle-tables were rapidly filling with strictly "snack" courses. Ardans held no law or rule for the how and what of accepting entrees. You ate, and did so before your favourite course was devoured.

 

[The Hound]

Turin was not one that felt comfortable among many of the Levantine, but he had been invited, and there WAS free food...He merely needed nice clothes. He assumed his formal wear would suffice. With half his mind concentrated on the delicious seafood and the other half on the arrived guests. His cold, blue eyes fell on several specific members, Thurian, Judah and....the Fallanssi princess were all in attendance. The redhead looked familiar...Republic military at some point maybe?

Pilling more of the seafood appetizers onto this small shark-bone plate before walking past the solemn looking woman in white and found him a place on a a wall to enjoy his squishy snacks in peace.
@Everyone

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae"]

It would probably be rude to suggest heading over to the table loaded down with food. Delila could stuff her face to the point of bursting yet since Sammo was....Sammo, it would be a little odd. Perhaps if the locals had put out a few quarts of oil then the situation could easily be adverted. Yet guzzling down oil would most likely blow the cover Sammo had worked hard to create for himself. Rolling her eyes at the comment about his looks, Delila took his arm.

"You look like my ex-husband. I'll let you think on that one." There was a slight pause. "I haven't wanted to rip your head off because of it either. I must be growing as a person. I told the court I didn't need therapy and I'll be damned if I was right."

Following Sammo's lead, the pair worked on selecting seats for the ceremony.

 

[Sammo Hache-Khe of Rae]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Sammo slightly glanced to Delila's hand as she took his arm, he didn't expected that exactly, he thought she'll just follow him to the seats. As much as he got used to Delila's presence around and as much as he, well liked it, it was still weird for him to be touched by somebody else. The feel of human's skin, the warmth of their body nearby. It was all so alien to him, it was only recently that he begun using an HRD body, after all, and even more recently that he started to remember what's it like to have a companion. Last time he was anywhere near to being close with an organic was when he adopted a young Jedi Padawan as his son. And that ended with the Jedi falling to the Dark Side and HK being forced to execute him for the good of the Galaxy. Hopefully it will go better with Dells!

He smiled to Delila at the mention of her ex-husband,
"Well he must have been a lucky guy to get that close to you, but a fool to mess it all up. I like to think I'm lucky you decided to stick around with me this long, and I'm thankful for it."
Looking down to her, he grumbled out slightly,
"But I think you're starting to make me soft."
He gave her a soft, teasing nudge as he lead her to the bride's side of seats.

Guiding her to one of the seats he quirked a brow slightly at the mention of not ripping his head off and her therapeutic needs,
"Well, you're as lovely as ever, but I'm glad you haven't felt compelled to put an end to me yet."
He quipped smirked, taking a seat.

As Dells would sit down, he would reach to give her hand a brief, soft squeeze at the quip.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Seroth Ur-Rahn"]

"The Ardans have some excellent food out there Seroth, are you sure you don't want me to get you something?" Jaxton said as he ducked to enter the groom's, or agape's as the Ardan's would call it, shack to find an old friend he'd met so long ago, lightyears away at the Deep Core. Sure, Jaxton, or his puppet master rather, was quite busy, but he wouldn't miss one of his best friend's weddings. It simply wasn't done. So as Jaxton came in somewhat feeling like that awkward third wheel Tesh Mobius from that sitcom 'How I met the Matron' he still couldn't help but beam in happiness for his friends Seroth and Rosa.


"You know Seroth, we've taken some crazy turns to get here, but moments like this, places like this, have made it all worth it." He said, before chuckling a bit. "I can't say I'm not a little jealous of you. That's a fine lady you're taking care of."

 

[Seydon of Arda]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

"Didn't you used to say you'd play a game of Gravball over her with me?" Seroth laughed in turn. His palm still hugged against the small, goldenrod psuchumpompos, though he rose up off the log-seat to turn and embrace his visitor. It was always easy to underestimate just how much physical space Jaxton Ravos' athletic brawn took up. The lad could only touch at his fingertips, barely, around the broad of his back. "Whoever lost had to buy season passes for the winner and Rosa on the Corellian Circuit."

He looked up, adjust the riding of his long vest. Between himself and the Zeltronian, they had aged past youthful vigor to take on more weather-beaten countenances. There was a reflection of hardship, physical and emotional duress, that lent harder lines across their cheeks and around their eyes. Once, moment's ago, the lad joked about Jax attempting to fit his indigo-pink bulk into a too small void-suit as they prepared for a zero-grav jump at a Lucrehulk-Control Vessel. Next, as they knew it, they were huddled close in dark chambers lit with dim tapers and low candlelight, defining articles of dissension that severed political and spiritual ties with their former calling.

...Now they were in a cramped hut, sweating in the heat, trying not to bump one another off their feet. "The Agape always eats after the ceremony. They said that if I eat before, I'll become sleepy and inattentive. 'He'," Seroth gestured to himself. "Eats afterwards to restore his strength. ...For what, a few Kee's haven't told me but they liked to wink and smile nastily. I can take a guess."

A low, loose growl that bowled a wet noise through the hunt sounded. "...But I can smell that crab, Jax. I'm starving, damn it!" The lad laughed.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton laughed heartily as the man 's belly roared in hunger and anticipation, the smaller of two of his organs to do so if the rumors he heard were true.

"Well I suppose the Kees do have a point in their customs." He said, reluctant to expand on what point. "Now, as a friend I'm gonna give you two options here." Jaxton said before inching a little closer to the husband-to-be. "If you want I'll hold off on eating until you get a bite so you're not alone." He said, before a smirk crossed his face. "Orrrrr I could eat all of the crab and get rid of that wonderful smell for you."

[member="Seroth Ur-Rahn"]

 

[Seydon of Arda]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Neither option seemed suitably comfortable. Seroth peered up. Jaxton had the gilt reputation of sporting one of Zeltron's more ruggedly handsome visages: a craggy chin supporting powerful cheeks beneath sharp eyes curtained by bristling eyebrows and framed by violet dreads. ...The possibility of setting the local Ardan Sendan women on his trail felt tempting. Grey eyes narrowed.

"...Days come, Jax, and I loathe you. If you starve with me, you'll devour the dinner spread after the ceremony. If you don't, I'll have to look at the smug, bastard grin of yours as you pick crab-plate from your teeth. ...This is how you got Kida into bed, isn't it? ...You're a double edged man, Jaxton Ravos. No wonder you got an invite." The lad poked at his chest with gold-rod, trading off set of accusatory smirks, before devolving into a massed fit of pitched chuckles.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Seroth Ur-Rahn"]

Jaxton laughed again at Seroth's 'double edged' comment before quipping back.

"Devour the dinner spread afterwards?" He questioned, before stiffening his frame a bit and putting on the most indignant, yet sarcastic tone he could muster. "But Seroth, the Force will sustain me." He said, channeling his inner elderly librarian. Sure, it was true that a man with Seroth or Jaxton's skill in the Force could likely go a lot longer than normal without food, even water by 'feeding' off of the Force, but there was a such thing as over-philosophizing. He held a straight face for about half a second before losing it.

 

[Nohemi Allaneh]

Nohemi saw [member="Turin Val Kur"] amble his way past her with a plate full of food. She gave a slight frown, so very curious at how different cultures had different traditions. Some would celebrate before the ceremony, others would after. Certain cultures would have a celebration that would last all of a day, others would have a month's long festivity.

So curious, she thought to herself, and likely giving the wrong impression with her slight frown at the man. While the Ambassador was able to talk freely with politicians and the Senate, she still retained that cool atmosphere about her that likely made her seem a bit unapproachable. Which wasn't the case, she was just merely used to observing and reacting in turn. One did not speak out of turn or out of place. Everything had its moment.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The games had ended, and so had the time for rolling around in the sand dressed in his wedding garments. Heavily panting kids with enormous smiles on their faces rushed off to their respective parents and homes, as they too had to prepare for the ceremony by changing into something finer. With a giggle he watched the last of the children scurry off, content over having offered some extra joy to these people, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Without really noticing it, he found himself just outside of the bride's 'chambers'.

The wind caught the flap acting as door to the hut, allowing a brief glance of the bride herself clad in her white wedding dress. It was custom that the groom could not see the bride before the wedding ceremony had commenced, but it said nothing about old friends and loved ones. 'Knocking' at the flap covering the entrance, he asked before entering: "Rosa? Can I come in?" Awaiting word from the woman inside, he then pulled the flap aside and stepped into the bride's abode, where [member="Rosa Mazhar"] and her handmaiden resided.

Amazed and stunned at what he laid eyes on within the hut, Thurion's jaw practically dropped before he turned it into a bright smile. "Rosa, you look beautiful..." was all he managed, even though words could not describe the perfect image standing before him.

 

[The Hound]

Why did he feel like someone was scowling at him? He could feel the burn of someone's gaze on his shoulder. Furrowing his brow in discomfort he blinked a few times before looking to his plate and then the princess. Turin's cold blue eyes locked with her frown. His expression was one of confusion and discomfort. Did the smell of the other worldly crab displease the woman? Had he said something before to make her hold a grudge? Looking down to the crab he realized it couldn't be either of those because the crab smelled amazing and he had never said a single word to the woman outside of possible 'Watch your step.' or a nod as they passed.

And so he went for the next thing. "What? Do I have something on my face?" He internally winced. Probably not the best thing to say. His tone was rather accusatory and his words were...curt. He wondered if someone such as her would even be able to comprehend the 'rude' behavior of the man. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, but really, is there something...wrong? Is it the crab?"
[member="Nohemi Allaneh"]