Private Common Ties

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle needed air.

Two months into her reign and all she had accomplished was the stark realization that she had accomplished nothing. The world had not benefitted by the shody leadership that had preceded their near extinction. Maybe if they had stuck to it for longer, but they hadn't and progress had continued to slip away faster than it had been achieved.

All steady signs of progress were merely Band-Aids to a larger issue. The country was running a deficient. In everything, every aspect of its civilization. People, basic goods, production, housing . The lists went on, and the royal coffers could not support it.

Her private coffers were already feeling the strain. Every ounce of her was being placed into this position, and so it was no surprise that cracks had begun to show. Go out there, see the people. Breathe. -Words from a enemy turned friend. Somehow their obstacles had only strengthened the annoying way he could see right through her. It was ironic, he was the ghost.

She was just beginning to trust his motives.

And so she took to the air, desperate to fill her lungs with... something. Anything. Her crown had been stripped. Silk dresses were exchanged for cotton. For the first time in her life, Noelle did not want to carry her name. And so she didn't.

The streets were lively, full of the wares her recent sponsorships to the merchant class had brought in. It was nice to see color back on the streets. Even better to know in the back of her mind, that this returned to normalcy was one small thing she had accomplished on her own.

A lively man selling a table full of intricate daggers caught her eye. She approached, her lips twitching upwards as she listened to him proudly tell another about the quality of his most expensive one.

"This one is hand made, born from the steel in our own mountains. You see that detail on the hilt? An old Vong bone. Dug it up myself."

August Oreno

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

August needed a break.

His House wasn't that badly off, but from pouring over the notes, it was clear his mother had cared more about warfare than actually keeping the family's books in order. Poorly managed investments, debts that had gone unpaid, loans without any form of recuperation. It was all too much and exhausting.

In these moments he felt his lack of proper education keenly.

They had taught him the Echani ways - only so he wouldn't embarrass them further - but nothing to keep the House in order. Combat, yes. Tactics on the battlefield, most assuredly. Once they realized he could touch the Force? Some lessons in that as well.

But by the Gods did August have no idea how to run a bookkeeping. He had tasked his secretary to look for someone who did. Maybe they could hire an accountant with an eye for finance. She had looked at him like he was suggesting treason. If your mother did not need it, why would you ever imagine you need one?

Not spoken, of course. No matter the fact that he was a man... she knew her duty and would not embarrass them both with vocalizing her thoughts.

"Vong bone, huh?" August murmured absently as his attention was drawn away from his worries. Instead he studied the dagger from over Noelle's shoulder and smiled. "Are you sure? Looks more like a cow's bone, or maybe a buck at most." Then he mock-whispered to Noelle in a way that couldn't be missed.

I think he's trying to drive up the price, ma'am, ask him where exactly he dug it up.

The shopkeep was unhappy and was sputtering in indignation, but August just laughed as he moved to the next stall. This one was selling shields and they looked far more usable. It was nice to avoid your own problems sometimes.

At least here in the market nobody knew his name or his disgrace.

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle grimaced in sympathy for the shop keep.

"It was a bit much," she consoled. She dropped a few silvers and picked up a dagger. She twirled it in hand, then nodded at the man and walked on. She had no interest in shields, but the flow of the crowd prevented her from moving on herself. The well-shouldered back of the man from earlier blocked her view. She went on her toes and tried to peer around him.

Like the stall before, the shop keep regaled August Oreno on the quality of shield. The metal alloys. The way the shape would reflect a hit. How thick it was, yet also light.

"The arm bands will snap within the first hour," she murmured, her voice drifting over the strangers shoulder as she spoiled his fun in turn.

And with that satisfied comment in hand, she ducked and went around him, pushing onto the next stall herself.

Lace parasols. With pointy steal ends. All the better to protect their skin and clear the crowd, she supposed. She had to admit, she favored the soft teal one.

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

August had been about to buy it, before Noelle chirped in with her advice.

He blinked and peered at the arm bands. They seemed okay to him... but... as August put down the shield, the shopkeep's face fell from devious hopefulness to disappointment.

"Sorry, chap, but I am doing you a favor. What if that band snaps right when I am being attacked and get myself killed." He flashed a smile as he moved on, but not before adding over his shoulder. "You'd lose a prospective customer for the future!" More than likely the merchant would have preferred a definite customer right now than a possible one in the future.

This mental comment wasn't shared however, because that wasn't exactly a customer-friendly response.

"See that metal? It's painted. Not real durasteel, will rust after one turn through the rain." August's voice followed Noelle to the parasol stand. At that point he just couldn't help himself.

Naturally competitive. A consequence of always having to prove himself good enough.

Checking her hip with his as he stepped up. A bold move, especially in their society, but after his shield purchase fell through he felt it. "At the very least I managed to save you some coin on that dagger. The least you can do is buy me a pretty parasol, no?" Teasing the woman next to him without any real expectation of follow-through.

The orange one looked very cute though.

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Oof!

She visibly stumbled for her balance as he checked into her, a whole buck of emotions passing through her in a drastically short span of time. She caught herself and looked up at him, her brow raised and her lips parted.

"..."

She looked back to the table of parasols, deadly silent. It appeared for a moment that she was keen on pretending he simply didn't exist. That also wasn't unusual for the culture. They did have a strong sense of etiquette and fighting in the streets wasn't well looked over.

Instead her fingers flashed out and picked up a pleasant yellow one. She shoved it into his chest, then dropped the shop keeper their coin and turned to walk away. She watched his reaction in the mirror propped on the next stall. One might say she was enjoying herself here.

At the very least, there was a smug smile of satisfaction growing up and catching the light in her eyes. She was so distracted, she didn't even notice the table she walked up to.

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

He blinked as she actually coughed up the money.

"T-thanks..." August murmured as the parasol was shoved in his chest. He looked bemused at it and then to Noelle, who seemed to be storming off like it was nobody's business. Must have touched a nerve. He raised the parasol up and unfolded it. Letting it lean against his shoulder as he looked around and noticed she had stormed off to a new stall.

This one however.... was less merchant-occupied.

"Ah, you are concerned about the future?" August muttered bemused as he stepped up next to her and watched the tarot cards being placed one by one on the table. "What would a woman such as yourself be worried about?"

Almost at once twirling the parasol in his hand against his shoulder.

As if to punctuate the tease.

Maybe this wasn't a great idea. Noelle could be an elite warrior, after all, many Echani were. But... he was tired... and she had bemused him before, so until her fist connected with his nose? He'd amuse himself this way. Already his worries seemed to fade away just a little bit. As preoccupied he was with the tarots and her response.

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle was not surprised to see him follow. It had become a bit of a game of cat and mouse. Who was playing with whom, though, she couldn't honestly answer.

It had been a long time since someone was so informal with her. It had been just as long since she had smiled. He wasn't wasn't kicked or punched when he arrived. Just like before, he barely got a response.

She skimmed the table skeptically, then tossed over a coin regardless. Her pouch was full and it felt... good to see their eyes light up. She was strong believer that no one ever wanted to be a burden on the handout system. Everyone would thrive if just given the chance to do some honest work.

"What would a woman such as yourself be worried about?"

"The very fabric of our society crumbling in on itself and the city falling to the dogs," she answered, with an air of easy seriousness. Surely, she must be joking. Her eyes pulled up from the cards that were being dealt for her, dead pan as they finally beheld her company.

"Careful, too long in the elements and it might rust."

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

A slow head tilt there at her response.

That wasn't QUITE what he had been expecting.

Oh, things weren't going amazing on Eshan, but as a contrast... was there really a world out there in the Galaxy that was doing much better? Decades of warfare, systems exchanging hands like promises, one galactic calamity after another... it was a surprise to him that they still had some semblance of a functional Galactic society to begin with.

"Well, I will grant you that the new Queen is going through some learning stumbles." A smile and a shrug there. "But, I am sure she simply needs some time to get used to it."

He stretched as he let the parasol twitch in his hand again.

"Besides at least we aren't dealing with Thyrsian raids every day anymore, so that's a feather in her crown, s'far as I am concerned." In truth August wasn't nearly as impressed with the new Queen as he was saying right now. But, he had no idea who this woman was and they were surrounded by a crowd.

Easiest way to get yourself karked was by having a big mouth in public.

He chuckled at the sass. "That's fine, a gorgeous charitable woman bought it for me, it was a gift for my wit." As if he wasn't talking to the woman in question in the first place.

"You want to go and get a drink, ma'am? Unless you are too busy spending money on more tarots, of course."

Kinda weird to invite a random woman on the streets for a cup of coffee.

But.

It felt right. Maybe it was the Force or maybe he was just bored.

Did it really matter in the end?

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle's head turned like a wheel on gear, catching him as he spoke of the queen. Her. She hadn't considered that she might hear something she didn't want to out here.

So tell me, who are the gossipers in your court. Who have a reason to be unhappy around here.

No one is spying. No one is unhappy.

Noelle, dear, there are always unhappy people. The key is to know them. Then you can control them.


The flashback rang through her, her expression well guarded. A tap of her wrist brought her attention back to the table, the cards laid out. The wide-eyed girl awaited her attention, but to Noelle's disappointment... she did not feel the force flow around her. She glanced back at the stranger with opinions, her lips pursing.

"Very well, but you are paying." She turned from them both, leaving him to follow on her heel or get lost to the dust as set out to leave the busy market stands. Stumbling blocks, what stumbling blocks? She snuffed as he found his way at her side, her new dagger rolling thoughtfully in her hand.

"Have you been off planet for long then?" She probed.

That would make more sense.

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

He looked bemusedly at her back.

This one clearly thought she was ALL that.

Then again, in his experience, most Echani women thought they were. Because all of them were taught they were born to lead, rule, fight. Everything. It was odd how the rest of the Galaxy had it upside down. It had come as a cultural shock to him the first time he had stepped foot outside of Eshan, to find so many planets where men were in charge of everything.

Even as a man it had disturbed him.

While his personal situation was frustrating... August knew their way was correct. Women were better to be trusted in general. Put a man in charge and you get six different wars within the week. The only reason it wouldn't be seven was a lack of imagination on their part.

"And here I thought you were generous with your coin." August said cheerfully as he caught up with the woman's fast stride. "But sure, since you bought me such a nice gift, I will buy you the caf."

He stretched as they walked, studying the various shop fronts, until he identified one of the Caf stores that he enjoyed the most.

"Yeah, for a long while. I fought the Sith at the front. The Thyrsians near our colonies. Pirates at the Echani outskirts." Which- was very odd, indeed, because men weren't known to be so prolific in war in their society. But August said it without skipping a beat or putting too fine a point to it, which was odd in its own way.

"And you? Have you been off world or have you been on Eshan your entire life."

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle stopped at the door, following his gaze and keying into his desire to enter this specific building. HIs reveal had her pausing, her vindication stalled out by surprise. She held the door for him, letting him walk through first. She looked him over as he did, studying the way his muscles moved across his back.

A long sword, then. Odd indeed.

"My whole life," she answered simply.

She let the new environment break up their conversation, silence filling their walk to the table and the server that gave their customary greeting. It was late enough to start consider what one would have for super, but she didn't let herself linger on this custom. Something had her intrigued with that man that sat across her.

What was a day off if you didn't follow your curiosities.

"One cafe," she informed the server. A whimsical look towards the pastries nearly had her order one, but she opted to hold off.


She leaned forward once they were alone, that keen gaze studying him as she folded her hands before her. "You think things could be better in this world then?" Tact. What was that?

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

"Black one for me, thanks." Drawled as he sat down and relaxed in the seat.

"Whole life, huh?" That was a queen, but honestly not all that strange. Most Echani never really left their homeworld behind. The Galaxy was a strange place and unbecoming to their practices. Best to avoid it entirely, instead of having to reckon with just how odd they all were. Besides considering how many nations were throwing fire at each other...

Best to stay put, no?

"Never curious to find out what else is out there besides Eshan?" And yet August couldn't help himself with picking at it. Even though he didn't even know this woman's name. The fact that she hadn't volunteered hers or asked for his hadn't been lost on him.

She was an odd one for sure.

The question she asked him next did take him off-guard.

August gave her a quaint look and eyed her up slowly. It wasn't often that someone asked something like that. Not on Eshan anyway. His own comments had been bordering on the vulgar already, but then again August was a man. Little in diplomacy was expected from him. "Well, I suppose it depends on what you expect, no?" Careful tone as he accepted his caf from the waiter and blew gently at the heat.

"There aren't any mass executions or fires burning in every corner of the capital, so that's good." A careful sip there as he studied her expression and reactions.

"You mentioned the city is falling to the dogs, so clearly you aren't happy with the state of things, are you?"

 

[Noelle Varanin]

A line built between her brow as she received his point. It was a fair one. "No. I suppose I'm not." The desire to dig in loosened, and along with it the intensity that had found its way into her energy.

Ever since her trip to the Netherworld, she had found herself struggling with more moments like those.

She took her napkin and folded it delicately into her lap. She wouldn't want to destroy a perfectly good cotton dress. Even if it did itch. ...Some habits were hard to shake.

"But there are always unhappy people," she dismissed, giving him a tight smile as she did so. "No, I've never felt the need to leave this world. Why would I? Everything I care for is here. And the architecture out there is, well, .... It's clear they put their time into other things. It is not really a sight worth seeing."

Even with resources strapped and a whole city to rebuild, the echani populace had valued beautify and skill over clean lines and quick work. That was honestly half the problem with the restoration efforts. No one was willing to budge on it though. Not even her.

 

[August Oreno]

"It's true. There are as many people as there are opinions, no matter what choice you make, there will be some thinking you karked up." It was the general you instead of the specific you.

Since August had no idea who he was talking to.

But maybe Noelle Varanin would have an automatic reflex. Who could really know? "I dunno though. Like I said, I think the Queen has been doing fine with the oars she was given. You can't really expect someone to be dropped on the throne with less than zero support and for them to be amazing at the job from the get-go."

Of course, his opinion was colored by his own experiences. In some ways there had been a strange parallel between himself and the Queen. Both of them pushed into a position of authority and responsibility younger than they had expected. Less than ideal circumstances. Virtually zero support from the people they thought they could depend on.

Maybe that was why August thought he could pull it off in the meeting he had scheduled with the Court tomorrow.

Surely she would see his position and sympathize?

A snort there. "I will give you that the off-worlders have a chit sense of style, but-" He sipped again from his caf and hummed. "Well, Coruscant is something you gotta see, before you believe it. City as far as the eye goes. There is more to the Galaxy than Eshan, ma'am."

Ma'am.

Right, August still had no idea who he was talking to.

"So, what should I call you anyway? 'That lady from the streets' has the wrong ring to it, I reckon."

 

[Noelle Varanin]

"Ma'am? I fear I am not that old yet. Please, call me --" her eyes caught on a tea being served nearby. "Jasmine." she dismissed, watching him. That seemed to be her most noticeable feature, the eyes she made at people. They told a better story than her blank expression ever did. Curiosity shone there as she considered him.

HIs comments on her ruling were complex, sympathetic yet still leaving something to be desired. She realized then and there that hearing opinion made behind her back was not something she enjoyed.

It was unfortunate, really. As Queen, this was just the start.

She let out a heavy sigh and reached for the coffee that was delivered before them, her free hand whipping out to mindlessly catch the end of the umbrella as the server's foot nearly tipped it over.

"But enough about politics, what can I call you?" Mystery man whom fought in worlds and saw Coruscant. Yes, he was shaping up to be quite interesting indeed. She blew on her coffee, then sipped, those hazel eyes trained unwaveringly on him.

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

He followed her look to the tea and then that name.

Jasmine.

Woof.

This one wasn't particularly good at this and that was getting clearer by the moment. Then again, August could respect wanting to be incognito. Wasn't that exactly what he was doing right now? Maybe she was a rich merchant who needed some time off from her grueling schedule. Maybe it was something else entirely, but either way they were both here because neither wanted to deal with their current problems.

"Thank you for saving my umbrella.... Jasmine and it is a pleasure to meet you." Letting that pause settle there between them, before she asked for his name. He pondered on that for a while.

Until his own attention was drawn to a decorative plant sitting nearby.

"Amaranth. You can call me that." Bemused expression there as he teased her with her own choice. "And what is Jade doing in the city today? It couldn't have been the simple act of buying a dagger, after all."

She wouldn't have been milling from stall to stall, if she had been purchasing with a goal in mind.

"Or are you simply enjoying... the view." Leaning gently against his hand with that last little tease.

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Heat filled her cheeks, both as she realized he had caught on, and as he gave a little flirt.

"The views yes, I thought it would be nice to get some air." She bristled, putting on an act of carelessness towards the view before her. She twirled her dagger between her fingers, seeming to consider it. She glanced up once at him, then looked promptly back to her dagger. The sense of fluster grew.

"Really, I think I got a bit of a deal here. The craftsmen ship, it's quite well balanced." She held it up to show him, the blade balancing delicately on top a slender finger. She finally made eye contact then, as if the blade itself made her brave enough to do it. She twirled it among her fingers, then flipped it handle side out for him to take.

Sometimes weapons were easier to talk about than herself.

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin

It wasn't often that he managed to fluster a woman.

Especially an Echani woman, who seemed to be built on being unflappable and always in command of every situation they found themselves in. It was logical, of course. Their entire culture was formed around the fact that kinetic movement was true communication. When every battle, be that in arms or in mind, posed itself as an exchange of ideas... the primary combatants always had to be in control of themselves.

Or they risked to giving a piece of themselves away.

"Always complicated when something... or someone catches your breath, I figure." August responded innocently. Like they were just having a light and breezy conversation.

Not the deeper exchange happening under the cultural skin.

"You handle it well. Masterfully, even." Murmured as he accepted the offered blade. "Do you have others you handle just as excellent? Sword, pole? What is your object of preference, Jade?" Only there breaking the eye contact. It was for the best, because August was reasonably certain she needed to surface to get some... air again.

Instead studying the blade and letting it move in his hand.

Clearly less adapt at it compared to her, but still with a confidence that spoke of hours of training.

"I prefer something longer. More honest that way. Things that can be hidden away in silk sleeves inspire similar behavior, do they not?"

 

[Darth Daiara]

.

 

[Noelle Varanin]

"Undecided," she admitted, only after he had done her the service of looking away.

She refocused her attention onto the blade he handled, her pounding heart soothed by the way it twirled through the air. He was playing with her, she realized then. Just like he had in the stalls.

The explanation was an ounce of control, and she took it, the red slowly leaving her cheeks as she relaxed back into her prim posture. "You prefer a fair game then. Something you can easily read."

She traced the rim of her coffee and considered it herself.

"I'll admit it is preferable-- for actions to say what they mean and mean what they say. But then again, if they don't and we do not catch it, then doesn't the fault lie with her own faulty expectations. To truly read someone means to know if they would or wouldn't keep a dagger up their sleeves. It is all in their posture, you see."