Faction Everyone Was Kung-Fu Fighting (NJO)

[Aris Noble]

There was something off about how Zaiya was talking. He glanced after her as she turned, concern in his eyes. Had he missed something when he was out? The smile on his face had mostly faded with concern for his best friend, but he couldn't mull over the thoughts long at all as he heard something else change. Azurine. He blinked, glancing to her as her words seemed to slur and loose focus. That concern was now shifted to the Zabrak who fell against him.

And he froze.

He'd really hurt her. The bleeding, the fact she fell unconscious. Aris froze completely. He couldn't bring his hands up to try and lay her down as he knew he should. He couldn't bring himself to move. He didn't hold back in their fight. He let his full strength run free, and now she was bleeding and out cold against him. He could hear her breathing, hear her heartbeat, but-

He should've held back. He shouldn't have let himself be that free, that unrestrained. He'd hurt her in a way that went beyond what he'd seen from others. In truth, Aris was just trapped in his own head. This was just as the Epicanthix back home would fight at times, knocking each other out. Azurine was fine. But for Aris, who spent his entire waking life scared that he'd truly hurt someone with his strength, he didn't know what to do anymore.

Mahsa | Azurine Varek | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Mahsa]

She’d only been gone a moment, retrieving three water bottles wasn’t exactly a hard task after all, but the mood around the trio had already shifted into something the Kazelrrian couldn't understand. Something heavy seemed to press around them—around Zaiya specifically—and she couldn’t help the way her eyebrows furrowed in a silent question as the Lovalla began to turn away with an excuse.

Odd, hadn’t Zaiya mentioned earlier she was free for the afternoon?

"Za…" A syllable barely formed before the Kazelrrian caught herself, unsure if calling out to the Lovalla was the right thing to do right now… hesitant after the stonewalling she’d experienced just moments ago. Her gaze shifted to Aris then, confusion mirrored in them and dancing along her hair, before the apricot highlights quickly deepend to amber and ocher hues as the Iridonian suddenly collapsed atop her friend.

The girl had been so lively and chatty that Mahsa had missed the obvious wounds across her skin, the metallic scent of blood still strong in the air as it continued to trickle from one of Azurine’s ears. "O-Oh no, is she alright—!" Her words stuck in her throat as she looked towards Aris once more, the look in his face one that Mahsa had never witnessed on him before—but she was familiar with the emotions that rolled off him in waves.

"Z-Zaiya!!!" Caution was thrown right into the wind as Mahsa knelt beside the two, the bottles rolling onto the floor as her hands moved to shift Azurine’s weight towards her instead. Mahsa could try and restore some of the Iridonian’s vitality with the Force, but she sorely lacked the medical knowledge and practice that her friend had gathered over the years. "Zaiya, I need you!!!"

---

Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Mahsa Azurine Varek Aris Noble

Zaiya had already started walking away, her mind tangled in the emotions she was trying to unravel, when she felt it -- a sudden shift in the Force. A heartbeat later, Mahsa's cry echoed through the sparring grounds, sharp with panic.

She spun on instinct, her skin flashing in pale yellows and silvery greys, reflecting her alarm. Her breath caught when she saw them -- both Aris and the Iridonian girl on the ground. But it wasn't just that. Aris was frozen, the content satisfied grin shattered, and the girl who had just been trying to revitalize Aris was crumpled on top of him, unconscious.

Zaiya's heart pounded in her chest as panic surged through her, pushing aside the mess of emotions she'd been dealing with moments before.

Focus. Help. Now. She rushed toward them, her voice tumbling out, "What happened?"

Okay that was a stupid question. She knew what had happened. They'd just finished sparring, and only now could Zaiya see the full extent of Azurine's injuries. A wave of guilt hit her, hard. She should have been paying attention to everything, not just Aris, and definitely not to the confusing emotions swirling inside her earlier.

She glanced at Aris again -- physically, he seemed fine. But his eyes... those wild, horrified green eyes told a different story entirely.

"Aris, I need you to help me," she said firmly, forcing a calm into her voice that she didn't quite feel. She knelt beside him and Mahsa, gently but quickly helping to lay Azurine down on the ground. The Kazelrrian was already trying to restore some of Azurine's energy with her own, and Zaiya could feel the pulse of Mahsa's efforts through the Force.

But Aris -- he was still trapped in whatever emotional storm was eating him apart inside. Zaiya needed to snap him out of it.

"Let's lay her flat," she said, giving him a task, something to focus on. "Mahsa, can you call for a medic?"

Zaiya wasn't sure how badly Azurine was injured, but they couldn't take any chances. Better to get help now than regret it later.

"Aris," Zaiya continued, her tone steady but commanding, "check her breathing. How's her pulse?"

Aris had heightened senses; she knew he could tell if something was wrong, and it would make him think -- make him act instead of freezing up in his horror. If he could start focusing on something real, something he could fix, maybe he'd come out of his daze.

Zaiya quickly pulled out her medpad, her mind racing. "We need her vitals first, then we'll see what we can do," she said, her voice carrying a determination she hoped would ground everyone around her, including herself.

 

[Connel Vanagor]

"In my experience,
when you think you
understand the Force,
you realize just
how little you know"​

[COMM TRAFFIC]
LOCATION : Coruscant | OBJECTIVE : Watch the fights |TAG (FRIENDLY) : Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Braze | Lily Decoria | Fulo Ritiki | Ryana mina
Best friend: Who else but "Buster"?

Buster, stay with Ryana. He watched blankly for a moment as the Iridonian collapsed, and then as if snapping awake, he realized that this was real and hopped over the barricade and moved swiftly up to the group. Eyeing Aris, not to judge him negatively but to judge him for head injuries, he looked at the young clone… Are you okay?

Connel could hear Buster barking in protest for being left behind and not able to join the fun, he turned around and pulled out some treats and tossed them Ryana’s way. Be a good boy, and we’ll go to the park.

Turning his attention back to the unconscious girl at his feet.

Move… His tone, soft, but firm and commanding, he needed room to check her over. Connel was no healer, but he could work in a pinch. Kneeling by the Iridonian, he looked around at the panic’ed Padawans, thinking of a way to ease their burden. I’m Connel Vanagor, Jedi Knight. What’s your names?

He didn’t know any of them, other than Aris (and that was in passing), but that didn’t matter right now, they needed to know all would be okay, as he checked the victim’s neck for a pulse, he knew she would be alright. She had a head injury, but it was more important to get her awake than anything. Pretty exciting spar, eh? Here I thought I had a hard head.

Perhaps it would lighten the room, perhaps not, but it gave him a moment to sit Azurine up, and give her a firm “smack” behind the back of the neck. Nothing hard, but the shock of the smack should snap her awake.

 

[Azurine Varek]

Raise A Little Hell

Outfit: Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber | Vibrosword

Upon the quick, firm slap, Azurine's eyes jolted open with a quick gasp. Not that it had been painful, but certainly a jolt to the senses.

"Thanks, I needed that," she said quickly, staring at Connel and blinking the spots out of her vision. Yet another person she'd have to ask for the name of.

She's wasn't a slow healer by any means and would likely heal much sooner than others in the room would from the bit of head trauma (which was nothing in the long run for a Zabrak), but her natural healing was nothing compared to Aris's. Her hand moved up to her ear, pulling it in front of her face to inspect.

What could have been worrying only made her laugh. A laugh full of excitement and fondness. "All's fair in love and war, huh Aris? Takes a lot to knock me on my butt like that," she started to tease, but as she took in the situation, she realized just how much it had snowballed. How long had she been out? It couldn't have been more than a second, right? The horror she recognized pulsing through Aris's aura was something all too familiar to her

"Wait. No, hey, it's fine. I may not be able to shrug it off as quickly as you can -you need to tell me how you do that sometime- but I've been hit way harder in my life, I swear. Have you ever had the hull of a tie fighter thrown at you by an ATST? Now that sucks, I was seeing stars for a week." She tried desperately to rectify the situation, making jokes along with it to bring in a lighter mood, but instantly feeling a pang of guilt for pushing it too far.

Back on Iridonia, the only thing that was off limits was a death blow in friendly matches, and they often ended in unconsciousness given how strong-willed and unyielding the people tended to be. It was a sign of respect not to hold back. However, she acknowledged that most people didn't understand that, even when she tried to explain it. Her eyes flitted back and forth across the little group, though her focus still remained on Aris, hoping she hadn't just ruined the chance at friendship with her current masters son after how good of a time she'd had, "This is ... definitely on par for me when it comes to meetings, I guess. I'm Azurine Varek."

Aris Noble | Zaiya Ceti | Mahsa | Connel Vanagor​

 

[Connel Vanagor]

"In my experience,
when you think you
understand the Force,
you realize just
how little you know"​

[COMM TRAFFIC]
LOCATION : Coruscant | OBJECTIVE : Watch the fights |TAG (FRIENDLY) : Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Braze | Lily Decoria | Fulo Ritiki | Ryana mina | Mahsa | @Zaita Ceti
Best friend: Who else but "Buster"?

He watched the Iridonian wake up and have the sudden “awaken” shock that was normal with a head trauma. It was a good sign that she was a fast healer, but he was not going to let this go unnoticed, not on his watch. If she was hurt and he watched… oooo he would be in trouble.. With mother let alone anyone else…

Standing erect and crossing his arms, he simply said.

Well, “Azurine Varek” fast healer or not… you passed out. So, you need to be checked out at the Infirmary. Looking the way of the other Padawans. Make sure she gets there safely, please.

He wasn’t asking.[/COLOR]

 

[Aris Noble]

A lot happened very quickly. At least, it felt like a lot for Aris. He stayed seated, refusing to move, to reach out or do anything as if his touch alone was deadly.

"check her breathing. How's her pulse?"

He looked up to Zaiya, blinking. That seemed to pull him somewhat out of it. "Pulse is steady. She's breathing." That was easy for him to tell. Then Connel stepped over, twapping the back of her neck. Confusion at first, at least until she seemed to pop back up. Bleeding, bruised. He wasn't really listening to her. There was just a ringing in his own ears. A panic attack, really, that he wasn't really escaping.

She needed to go to the medic. He'd hurt her, and was laughing all the while. Where he wasn't even injured now, his body already having healed the wounds she'd have inflicted.

"I'm- sorry."

Was all he could really muster out to say.

Zaiya Ceti | Mahsa | Connel Vanagor | Azurine Varek

 

[Mahsa]

"Mahsa, can you call for a medic?"
"Y-Yes…!"

Her trust in the Lovalla is evident as Zaiya begins to take control of the situation, her voice trying to ground Aris and walk him through things he can do to help in an attempt to snap him out of his own stupor. She barely gets two steps in when her eyes spot a tall figure approaching, recognizing the man as one of the few who’d been spectating the match.

”Move…” She’s quick to sidestep as he approaches the unconscious Iridonian. When Knight Vanagor asks for their names she's quick to provide her own, her concern visible in the vibrant orange flecks across her hair as Mahsa’s gaze shifted back to Aris.

A firm tap to the back of the neck seems to almost restart the Iridonian as she jolted up with a gasp, one mirrored by Mahsa as the padawan learns something new today. Her attention soon turns to Aris as well, though her words don’t seem to have the positive effect that Azurine might be hoping for.

She presses a hand gently against the Iridonian’s shoulder to catch her attention just as Knight Vanagor mentioned that a visit to the infirmary not only warranted but demanded from the tone of his voice. "C’mon Azurine… l-let’s get you checked out, okay?" Her gaze trails over to Zaiya before quietly nodding, if anyone can help calm Aris down from his current panic attack it’s the colorful Lovalla that's always at his side.

---

Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Connel Vanagor | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble Mahsa Azurine Varek Connel Vanagor

By the time the second Jedi Knight Connel Vanagor had arrived to help, Zaiya was already on edge. His firm tone made it clear: Azurine needed to go to the medic, and soon. But what came next shocked her even more -- he actually smacked the Iridonian girl to wake her up.

Zaiya's eyes went wide, horror flashing in shades of stormy lavender and silver across her skin. She stared at Connel like he'd lost his mind.

Did he seriously just hit her?

It was only because Azurine stirred awake that Zaiya didn't immediately start berating him for his reckless approach.

You don't just hit someone who's unconscious! What if Azurine had other injuries? The Knight's method could've made things worse! Zaiya shot him a sharp look, her skin swirling into deeper burgundy tones of frustration and irritation mixed with bright, silvery disbelief.

Her attention quickly shifted back to Azurine, who was now sitting up, assuring Aris that she was fine. But Zaiya could tell how upset Aris was. His green eyes were clouded with guilt and panic, his worst fear coming to life -- that he could hurt someone if he lost control. The sight of Azurine bleeding from her head and collapsing had shaken him to his core.

Azurine introducing herself got a quick nod from Zaiya, but she was already focused, reaching out with the Force to sense if there was anything more serious going on with Azurine's injuries. She held her hands just above the Iridonian girl, the Force flowing through her as she scanned for anything that would prevent her from being moved. Thankfully, it seemed Azurine was telling the truth -- she was tough. Head wounds always bled more than they should. At most, she had a concussion, but she would be okay.

"Go with Mahsa, Azurine," Zaiya instructed, her voice calm but firm. "I don't sense anything serious. You took as much as you gave in the spar. Awesome fight."

She hoped Aris would hear her words, but one glance at him told her he was still trapped in his own mind, pale and full of panic. Zaiya scooted closer to him, her heart aching at the sight of his fear and guilt twisting inside him.

"Aris. Aris!" she called, trying to break through his daze. He had already checked Azurine's pulse and breathing, but he was stuck, seemingly replaying the moment over and over in his head.

Without thinking, Zaiya gently placed her cool hands on his face, cupping his cheeks, trying to get him to look into her eyes.

"Aris, look at me," she said softly, her bioluminescent skin swirling with calming bronzed blues and teals as their emotional resonance bloomed between them. She could feel the weight of his emotions crashing into her -- his panic, his sadness, his overwhelming guilt. It made her chest tighten, her own heart breaking for him.

"Aris, she's okay. She's not seriously hurt." Her thumbs brushed over his cheeks as she spoke, her voice steady and soothing. "She even said she's fine. Look at her -- she's laughing, just like you did. She had fun sparring with you. She just doesn't heal as fast as you do."

Zaiya held his gaze, trying to do her best to keep her own emotions in check, trying to ground him. "It's okay. She will be fine. This isn't the first spar where someone falls unconscious and gets a head wound, right?"

 

[Azurine Varek]

Raise A Little Hell

Outfit: Clothing | Robe | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Fists/The Force

"Nope. Absolutely not. You don't get to apologize when you have no reason to," Azurine spoke quickly, "I brought you down, too. It's only fair."

All concern for herself was immediately thrown out the window. She knew she would be fine, but he was spiraling, and his aura alone screamed it. She'd seen enough panic attacks before to tell. Heck, she'd had enough of them to know he was thinking himself into a loop. She reached out to help but stopped after thinking better of it. She'd just have to seek him out later given the number of eyes that were on her right now.

"This was great, okay. By Iridonian standards, you showed me the greatest respect when someone else might not have. I admire that a lot," she did her best to coax him, her violet eyes trying to hold onto the emrald gaze of his.

As much as she loved a good fight, Azzie had always had a compassionate soul. She assumed she'd gotten it from her mother, one of the few diplomats her homeworld had in her time. It hurt her to see him like that, especially when he had been so vibrant just moments before. For that, she blamed herself. Part of her attention turned to Mahsa, even if the other part was still so concerned and would have done anything in her power to make it right, "I don't need a medic, but I don't necessarily like the idea of pissing off a third master after only a couple weeks." she muttered, a bit of spunk to her words, not directed at Mahsa or Zaiya, just at the situation as a whole, "Please, call me Azzie."

She only stood when she was certain that Zaiya had the situation handled, or at least that it looked that way. She had to steady herself, blinking the spots back for standing way too quickly. Though she immediately moved her hands out when anyone made a move to steady her as if to say she didn't need the help.

"Thanks for putting up one hell of a fight, hotshot. You won't get so lucky in the next one," she joked, winking in the general direction and still hoping to relieve any of the tension she could.

Aris Noble | Zaiya Ceti | Mahsa | Connel Vanagor​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris glanced between all of them now. He was only moving his head now, half listening to what they were saying. There were two voices really talking to him. Azurine talking about how fine she was with all of this as she limped out to go the medical station. She didn't want him to apologize, but, this level of hurt wasn't alright, was it? He glanced to Zaiya, focusing on her. The gears in his head slowly returned to properly turning as he took a breath, settled the panic in his mind. Logic took over, as it always did.

And he smiled, if only just a little.

"I'll try to limit your injuries next time."

That was the logical side. Beat her faster, and less injuries would happen. He looked after Azurine for a moment longer until the Zabrak left, then he looked to Zaiya, sheepish for once. Why she was acting as she had been, her voice. In his mind it'd started to make sense. Lovalla weren't a culture of warriors, not like the Epicanthix. Not like the Iridonian.

"I'm.. Sorry, for making you uncomfortable."

Zaiya Ceti | Connel Vanagor | Mahsa | Azurine Varek

 

[Ryana mina]

Tag: Connel Vanagor Aris Noble Azurine Varek Braze Lily Decoria Fulo Ritiki Zaiya Ceti

when connel jumped over the barricade she didn't need a force connection to know buster would get excited she held buster back which made him bark. She smiled as connel tossed a dog treat back ryana used the force to levitate it directly to buster who bit it happily as she gave him scratches. "If you two are good all four of us will go to the park together we might even let you two run free to play" she said as busters tail began wagging and she could feel pips excitement through the force as he smiled at the idea.

She watched to make sure the other padawan was safe and was glad that the woman was good that's when she both sensed and saw pip trying to get towards the group of people. "You little turd" she said as she picked up buster and held him in her arms as she levitated pip onto her shoulder. As she walked towards the group and stood next to connel buster gave a woof as he wanted attention.

 

[Mahsa]

She could only hope that both of their voices would reach him, her head nodding whenever Azurine or Zaiya said something the Kazelrrian heavily agreed with. Seeing Aris so happy and excited to give it his all in a fight had been marvelous to witness, and she hated the thought of this experience now being tainted in his memory.

"T-They’re right… It was a really good fight."

The change is slow, but finally the faintest of a smile shows up on the Epicanthix. A releived sigh finally escaped her, before Mahsa smiles at the Zabrak as she starts to stand up. When Azurine wobbled her hands instinctively reached out, only to halt when the Iridonian made it clear she wanted to handle this by herself.

Concern flared in apricot and amber hues that gave her hair an ombre look, but a quiet nod is given as she honors Azurne’s wishes. The loud bark caused her to look back to spot Buster and Ryana mina as they made their way over, a racyon racing ahead of the duo in his attempt to reach their group first.

"Oh, he’s just like Fluffy...!" She can’t help but instantly be reminded of Vera Noble ‘s own companion, the little troublemaker scooped through the Force before being safely deposited back in Ryana’s arms.

---

Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Connel Vanagor | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Mahsa Aris Noble Azurine Varek

Thank the stars Azurine was echoing her own sentiments, reassuring them all that she was okay -- she even mentioned being up for another sparring match with Aris sometime soon.

"See? You'll get another round soon enough," Zaiya said, trying to emphasize the point for Aris to hear. Azurine wanted to spar with him again. That should've reassured him, though a tiny, nagging thought tugged at Zaiya's mind. She pushed it down quickly. This wasn't about her feelings -- it was about helping Aris get comfortable with himself, his strength, and gaining confidence in letting go during fights like this. He needed this. He needed to know he could trust himself.

"Thanks, Azzie," Zaiya added, relief flooding through her as she watched Aris's gaze clear, the recognition returning to his eyes. Slowly, he was coming back to himself, the panic melting away. Zaiya withdrew her hands from his face, a wave of colorful relief rippling across her skin -- soft blues and turquoise, bright and warm. There we go, she thought. Even got him to smile.

Success!

Zaiya beamed right back at him -- until she noticed Aris lingering a little too long as he looked at Azurine after saying he would essentially spar with her again, limiting her injuries next time. A faint flicker of stormy lavender and dark green swirled through her patterns.

But I know it's not about winning. It's the thrill of the fight...

Wait, no, stop it, she thought, mentally scolding herself.

That's a good thing, Zaiya. Aris needed sparring partners who could keep up with him, who could handle the intensity of his strength. She swallowed hard, trying to convince herself that this was all for the best.

But then Zaiya caught Aris looking at her a bit sheepishly, and she froze.

"Huh? Uncomfortable? Me?" Zaiya blinked, her heart skipping a beat. Then she flushed, coral and rosy gold blooming across her skin in a brilliant blush. Had he noticed? Oh, blast it.

"Oh, no, you didn't make me uncomfortable, I just -- well, I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure she was okay, too." She rushed the words out, feeling her cheeks burn brighter.

"It was a great fight!" she added quickly, trying to cover her tracks and not sound flustered.

It was stupid to get upset over Aris sparring with someone else. Especially someone like Azurine, who could match him. He needed someone like that, someone who could push him safely. Not someone like her -- someone weaker. Her heart sank a little at the thought, but she tried to shove it aside.

Thankfully, that was the time when a Twi'lek padawan padded over to them, in her arms a wiggly Racyon trying to escape. Just enough to hear her call Pip, a little turd.

Eyes wide, Zaiya quickly got up from her kneeling position, trying to avoid looking at Aris for fear she would be blasting like a holobillboard just how stupid she was feeling. "Oh, sorry, were you looking to spar?"

 

[Connel Vanagor]

"In my experience,
when you think you
understand the Force,
you realize just
how little you know"​

[COMM TRAFFIC]
LOCATION : Coruscant | OBJECTIVE : Watch the fights |TAG (FRIENDLY) : Aris Noble | Azurine Varek | Braze | Lily Decoria | Fulo Ritiki | Ryana mina | Mahsa | @Zaita Ceti
Best friend: Who else but "Buster"?

“You little turd…”

Oh Brother… Initially looking around for where Pip had gotten to before noticing him on Ryana’s shoulder, Connel made his way back over to them. Buster was of course wiggling and wriggling, not necessarily trying to break free of her hold on him, but to get another treat he knew his “hooman” had.

Buster knew him too well. Pulling out two, offering one to Buster and tentatively (as if waiting or permission) to offer one to Pip, he nodded to Mahsa .

What say we go to the park? He didn’t overhear anything, but looked the way of the Twi’Lek. What about the two of you?

Looking down at the little girl. You're more than welcome to come too if you'd like.

 

[Aris Noble]

Sometimes he really didn't like how easy it was for him to notice things. He didn't need to look at Zaiya to know she wasn't saying everything she felt. That what she was saying didn't truly match how she felt. She really as such a good friend, to try and encourage him even when she didn't like the idea of him fighting. He took a breath as he closed his eyes. He'd just have to avoid showing this side to her in the future.

He kept a calm smile on his face as he stood himself, dusting himself off. Azurine was alright. That's what mattered. "Thanks, Zaiya."

He wasn't sure what else to say now. In truth, he needed to take a moment for himself to sort out these thoughts.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble Mahsa Azurine Varek

You're more than welcome to come too if you'd like.

"Oh, umm," Zaiya stammered, feeling a tangled mix of emotions that she couldn't quite untangle. She hated feeling this way, unsure of herself, especially around people like Mahsa , Azurine Varek , and - -of course -- Aris Noble . They were all so capable and confident. Aris, especially. She knew how important it was for him to believe in himself, to know he could hold his own in a sparring match with someone who wouldn't go easy on him and that he wouldn't harm in turn.

But why did the way he looked at that older Iridonian girl bother her so much?

Zaiya watched as Aris stood up, dusting himself off, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Was he really okay? He thanked her, but without reaching out to touch him and sense his emotions directly, she wasn't sure. He looked like he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. And honestly, Zaiya didn't know if she could handle the possibility of rejection, which, of course, was ridiculous when it came to Aris -- but still.

Before she could let that doubt sink in too deep, she glanced over at Knight Connel Vanagor . "I should get going. I've got some training and studying to do," she said, already making her exit.

"I'll leave it to Mahsa to make sure Azurine gets to the medic." Zaiya caught Mahsa's eye, giving her a nod as the older Padawan started guiding the Iridonian away.

"Umm... I'll see you later, Aris. Let me know if you need anything," she added, her voice soft.

He didn't stop her. And while that confirmed that he probably wanted some space, it still made her stomach twist.

Don't take it as rejection, she reminded herself. You need to figure things out, too, Zaiya. But the soft colors glowing across her skin paled, reflecting her uncertainty.

"See you later," she whispered, already turning to leave, unaware that doing so might cause the misconception that Zaiya was bothered by all the violence and the fighting by Aris, when it was an entirely different matter that bothered her. The others had already started to disperse, the excitement of the sparring match fading. They'd seen what they came to see. It had been a great spar, after all.

But why did that not make her feel any better at all?

Exit post​