Diamonds and Rust

[Marina DeVoe]

It would be something to explore...how humans like Evie could connect to the collective like that. And from such great expanses by thoughts alone.
But oddly, neither Evie, nor the collective knew about force users? This too was something by which surprised her.

"Oh.." Marina hadn't much given thought as to having her dislike for force users in her tone. It weren't all force users..right?
Maybe not, but she did feel as such through her recent experiences with both sith and jedi. her heart still cried out for her bestie who were affected by the corruption of absolute power...the force.

" I...I didn't realize I was projecting my feelings out like that Evie. I've had as much bad experiences with force users as I had good ones.
It's odd as how one bad burn could affect your entire outlook...on pretty much all force users..." Yes, that was it. it were the first time she spoke what her heart had cried for so many months...

Perhaps she were here in the Alderaanii graveyard among her ancestors to seek some insight as to how a beautiful free spirited friend..no, a sister. [member="Mariya Fleischer"] had been a sister to her. So close...so so close that Marina could have sworn their hearts beat in synchrony, much like that with her twin brother Jerrid.
The very thought of her brother even hurt her, for she had envisioned that maybe, just maybe if the gods aproved, that Mariya would really become her sister through her brother Jerrid. Gah..that pain in her right temple suddenly flared up again, just thinking as how it all went to Hell. Her bestie had sought some guidance..some jedi teachings as Mariya had become aware of her connection to the force. Only as far as Marina knew, when her bestie left for the so called Silver jedi order, she had turned. Turned the opposite.
When Marina caught up with her bestie, her heart were torn out of her very chest..literally. Her bestie Mariya had taken up with the like of dark force users..even changing her name to Veronika. And had force chocked Marina and stuffed her in dirty duck-work believing/leaving her for dead.

"I sorry . My feelings for them has much changed, even though I have a few associates that are jedi by nature. Just that-
Oh never mind me. If anything I have somewhat become biased on that aspect. It shouldn't deter you from having your own views based on your experiences. I'm sure you'll be running into a few, here..there..you'll have to make up your own mind." Marina was saddened by her on biased opinion on force users based on her bestie falling from grace. It showed marina by example that even jedi, good warm hearted jedi like Mariya could fall to the dark side and ...and hurt those who loved them.

"Ok now..hehe..." she shook it off, finding the means to bring up a smile and chuckle. it were her way of discarding heavy thoughts that weighted her down.
"...enough of my sad mood. We're all set to share our meal, and...and we shall speak of brighter futures and to finding new friends." Marina said, reaching for two crystal glasses and a good bottle of Sovereignty red from the very vineyards of her lost bestie.



[member="Evie Miramat"]

 

[Evie Miramat]

We are a naturally empathic race and many other things. Everybody has a scent about them and we use that to communicate as well as a kinetic language and telepathy. That is how we communicate with those of the Hive, through thought. While Evie had no idea it was using the Force, her new friend might gather that information from what was said. When we said we do not know of Jedi or Sith that wasn't entirely accurate in wording and we are sorry for the confusion. The Hive has knowledge of them and can share it with us if we ask. We chose not to do that and as such, we do not know.

Marina said she was sorry for her words and Evie was totally confused for a moment until she went to explain what she meant. Nodding, what she had gone through was just something she would have to do herself. Not that she really wanted to have a bad experience with anybody. It was bound to happen at some point. How are we to form our own opinion if we have nothing to base it on?

Looking at Marina, she could tell something was upsetting her, but did not pry. This was personal to the other woman and if she wanted to talk about it, she would. Evie listened to what was said, but her thoughts were never finished and what was started was left hanging between them. Go on and finish what you were going to say. This is something we wish to know for the future. We could always reach out to the Hive, but we are cutting ourselves away from for a time.

Hoping her words weren't going to further upset Marina, she accepted the glass and toast when it was offered. To a brighter future and new friends. Giving her a small smile, she took a drink of the wine and set her glass down. This is a very good start to both.

[member="Marina DeVoe"]

 

[Marina DeVoe]

"Yes...to all promising futures that start out with meek beginnings.." She lightly touched her glass to Evie's. It sounded off a small chink.
How privileged was she? To think that in all those millennium pass that it would be a chance meeting out here in the Alderaanii graveyard that the past would once again merge with the presence.

But still, despite her new friend urging her to speak her mind, Marina couldn't. It weren't fair for her to press on Evie her bias opinion of the many force users she had bad encounters with. After all, it were only her personal experiences and even her father of all people didn't feel as strong as she did concerning the sith. Her father Duke Kyle DeVoe seemed to take them in stride, even the ones who attacked Alderaan...New Alderaan.
Even marina's brother was much more like her father than her, who by the way was her twin. Jerrid (her brother) had fought many sith and their heartless minions, defending their providence of Aiden Pass. Seems that the DeVoe men just took it in stride as it was something expected, like a storm... like the sith were nothing more than a hurricane... a tropical surge that had to run its course. And like in all storms, natural or of sith, her house rode it out, fighting, defending their providence, holding fast their position like mighty oaks in the storm. And they, the providence and home, always stood strong against the tempest of storms.
Naturally, her house would make certain to have her, her sister Katie and mother evacuate off Alderaan until the surge of the storm... the sith incursion subsided.
Marina could never understand how her father and brother thought nothing of it in the same sense that she did.

No, she weren't going to put that on Evie.
So she took her glass to lips and like Evie, drank the Sovereignty red in the toast.

be de beep... the meal was ready. Her droid announced as it brought out the first course of the meal. It were staple food, similar to what the first settlers had brought with them upon landing on Alderaan.
The second course represented common foods that were cultivated by the settlers and the third course were of what modern Alderaanii now commonly made and cultivated in New Alderaan. It basically were a kind of homage to their history expressed in the form of a meal shared with family and friends.

"Thank you sharing and preparing our meal together, Evie. It has kind of been a tradition now for over 800 years, since our ancestral world was reduced to this asteroid field. " Marina then went on to explain without too much fuss as to the three courses and why it were preferred to be shared, as the Alderaanii people were more givers than takers.

"There is one last ritual before Alderaani who visit here depart and that is to leave a gift. This represents many things, including remembering those who were lost. A gift could be anything that has some meaning or importance to the individual who leaves the gift. I've always left prayers..." Marina touched the small clear rice size crystal hanging on her neck. It were a prayer crystal. One which many traditional Alderaani keep close to their heart,seemingly growing on its own from a tiny grain size clear crystal shard to a beautiful pea size gem... who's colors are as unique as the individual that took to wearing and growing the crystal on their person.

"This is a prayer crystal...well, we call it that, but it is a living crystal that starts out clear and tiny. As you wear it, it takes to growing. Legends say it takes on the individual's personality...like a recording of their life..or years of life that they are wearing it.
Me, I have always just grown one every year, before i set it free among the lost here in the Alderaani graveyard.
You see, the crystal only seems to grow when worn by someone. It only grows once. That is, if it is separated from the wearer for like say a few days...a week or so, it stops growing and kind of sets. Even if one wears it again, it will not grow anymore." She went on to explain...

"This one which I am wearing I just put on before my trip. It is to be near me till i come back again next time. I have the one I wore for the past year in my quarters, ready to send off as a gift. It is aqua blue and the size on my pinkie nail..." She fondly said of the crystal she had prepared to leave with her ancestors in the field, as she did every year.

"We who have this tradition believe the crystal grows by one's aurora..their feelings, the energy by which an individual's spirit emanates. And as it grows, it takes on hues, colors. Mine for some reason seem to be in the lines of blue greens...lol...whatever they mean." She chuckled, not really knowing as to why and how the crystals actually took to growing in the presence of a person...but they did.

"Oh my...I'm talking up a storm again..." Marina took a minute to take another sip of her wine.

"Do you have any traditions for...you know...the loved ones that have passed in your family, Evie?"


[member="Evie Miramat"]