Public Festival of Wishes | Eshan Winter Solstice

[Yula Perl]

Dagon Kaze​

Yula loved Life Day. So when the opportunity arose to return to the winter festivities of Eshan, she literally did not take no for an answer from Dagon. In fact, she didn't even listen to any protests he might have had.

He ended up being surprisingly amenable to the little trip, probably had nothing to do with the fact that Yula brightly insisted she'd find someone else to spend the Festival of Wishes with.

Their relationship had been wrought with tension as of late—between each other, between the galaxy. It was hard to feel acute anxiety on the cozy, warmly lit village streets. Even Dag seemed…okay, he was still gauging the crowd for threats. Yula rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs, drawing his attention.

"Lookin' for what? You think some criminals are gonna drain the lake or somethin?" Instead of animosity, her tone made it clear that she was teasing. The grin she gave him, cheeks rosy from a touch of cold, was another sign that Yula was joking. A wayward snowflake perched at the tip of her nose, melting into a droplet when she scrunched her face.

She was surprised that he'd brought up her mother. Well, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise—she did tell him on the shuttle over that she was hoping to find gifts for her family here. Just that…he wasn't uncomfortable mentioning her, but maybe he was.

"What do you think of this?" She held up one of the intricately crafted whistles. "Guy says that when you use it, only the person you love the most will hear it." The edges of her lips curled, turning her jovial smile into something a bit more devious. "Maybe it's time to find out who her favorite kid is, hmm?"

There was still time to decide what to gift her mother. Yula and Dagon would likely be spending the holiday at home with Jem and Valery; given the circumstances, it would be better to stay underground for now. Even stilly, in some strange way, four people crammed into a 1 bedroom apartment felt…nostalgic.

 

[Alicio Organa]

​

Alicio didn't look over immediately as Noelle Varanin gave her commentary. He was truly engrossed in the painted sky, as one might be swept away by a powerful wave of music. The vivid blues and purples reflected in his pale grey eyes, the nobleman's expression softening for the first time since arriving at the party.

He held his breath a moment, peering into the wash of blues and purples, searching for a ballroom beyond. Perhaps there was the slightest ringing in his ears.

"There are worse afterlives to go to, I suppose."

He turned, offering a small upturn of the corner of his mouth to the woman, noticing the crown perched on her brow. He was about to say more, but an additional Echani form graced their presence, firing off a perfectly-timed quip. Alicio turned back to the window, trying to hide his chuckle.

"That is true. We have them on my planet, although I've never seen them before." He stared into the hued ribbons of light, searching for meaning beyond a burning magnetosphere. "Who's to say they aren't all pathways to the same dance?"

"But I hope that isn't the case. Enough time at a party, and I may actually wish for a burning hell instead."

He faced the two partygoers, crossing his arms subconsciously, but giving a comforting, if timid, smile. "I'm Alicio. I'm not from around here. Uh, obviously."

- Kal - Dantum Kryszar -

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Syd...?"

Slouching in a chair in a motel lobby, Starlin looked up to find his master standing before him. Or at least, the image of Syd Celsius, looking radiant as ever in blue and gold.

By contrast, Starlin was still wearing the same clothes he'd worn the night before. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and there was a faint odor of alcohol and stale smoke clinging to him, unable to be completely processed by his Balosar physiology. In other words, he'd been drinking. A lot.

Still, he mustered up a small smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "'Get ready for the whistler; I whistle along on the seventh day'... heh. It has... been a while, hasn't it?"

While he had deliberately sought to contact her - indeed, the whistle was a summons - now that she was actually here, he had no idea what to say. All he had wanted was to see her again, but now he felt foolish at best, selfish at worst for diverting her from her quest.

Part of him wanted to hold her accountable for his problems. He wanted to yell at her, berate her for abandoning him. But either he didn't have the strength left for such an outburst of anger, or he just couldn't bring himself to hurt her on purpose. Revealing her secrets in hopes of stopping Xiphos was one thing; raging at her because she had left him was quite another.

Besides, she had reasons for leaving. She was on a mission. She was actually doing something with her time, trying to track down a rogue Sith and her burgeoning army - and she was doing it all by herself. Without Syd or Nimdok or his family to prop him up, Starlin had just become a drunkard. A Knighted drunkard, but a drunkard still.

"I've missed you too," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat with some difficulty. "I... Wherever you're going, please - take me with you?"

Syd Celsius​

 

[Syd Celsius]

He had suffered in her absence. She knew it now.

The guilt of her failing him like she had failed Laertia, like Sarka, hit hard. She didn't like to see him like this, lost and alone.

How could she not take him and at last, finish his training?

Syd stepped forward, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I never should have left. But I was in just no condition, mentally, to continue instructing you..." she explained. "But I have a bit of a confession to make. I've...I've been working with your father, on and off, to try and track Xiphos. You may run into him also...in fact...if you summoned me with that whistle thing..."

Syd felt him, suddenly, entering the Motel lobby.

Zabka Bis'clavret, The Man in White , promptly strode into the lobby. When he saw his son, he froze, as his son's state reminded him of some of his own bad days.

Zabka had kept tabs on his son, keeping Brain Demon Cultists from reaching him or his friends of his Mother the past few months or so, regularly trying to supply Starlin with updates on his whereabouts. But it was exhausting. They were even more relentless than they usually were. Xiphos wanted his son to suffer for Kerest. Maybe the stress of having a real, genuine Arch Enemy for the first time had finally gotten to him. It had with Zabka, eventually, which had led him to go all 'Feth This' and murder Phyre to create Syd.

Would he have to do the same thing to Xiphos?

"Starlin..." he called out, stopping when she noticed Syd. She had gotten there first. She always seemed to get there first.

"T'sid..." he said formally, doing his best to remain neutral to her, knowing what she had met to Starlin. Much though he hated to admit it, he likely would be dead if not for her teachings.

Zabka did love his son, or else he wouldn't have heard the whistle.

"Zabka..." Syd replied calmly. "He's not doing too hot..."

"No chit..." Zabka replied, striding to him.

"I heard the whistle, Son. Sorry I'm late..."

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Palace​

Noelle pursed her lips at Kal 's untimely quip, her shoulders turning slightly his way as he joined their small party.

"Who's to say they aren't all pathways to the same dance?"

"Exactly," she replied, priming Kal's way. "If anything I'd say that's an indicator that the myth is right. The Netherworld overlaps in multiple locations in this galaxy alone." Not that he needed her to remind him of that. He had saved her in there after all.

Noelle continued to preen regardless, her back drifting to the window as she stepped closer to the man who had defended her. They formed a small circle inside the colorful affair of velvet table clothes and swishing dresses.

She nodded her head in a formal greeting. "I am Noelle, and this is Lord Vae, the resident scholar," she teased.

 

[Starlin Rand]

"I never should have left. But I was in just no condition, mentally, to continue instructing you..."

Starlin was ready to accept any apology, any morsel of regret or crumb of sympathy from her as long as she would take him with her. He was a loathsome creature, and like any good mongrel he had to come crawling back to his master eventually.

But then his father arrived, and the shame he felt in his presence became almost too much to bear. As Zabka revealed he had heard the whistle too, Starlin covered his eyes with his hand, laughing nervously. Not only had he interrupted Syd's life, but he had interrupted Zabka's too.

As for why Starlin was in such a state, there were a myriad of reasons for that, but Xiphos was the cause of most of them. His multiple failed attempts at capturing Darth Xiphos and the stress of having to move his mother and stepfather to an undisclosed location and cut himself off from all contact with them for their safety had taken their toll. Syd leaving him, Zabka reappearing after years only to disappear just as swiftly, Nimdok's abrupt retirement... and finally, the vision of his future he had received on Iktotch had been the final nails in the coffin. Those two children, his future apprentices, had been cut down by Xiphos.

All he cared about now was tracking her down and ending her. It was clear to him now that one of them had to die, and he didn't plan on it being him.

"All right," he muttered once he had regained enough of his composure. "So. Looks like we're going on the galaxy's weirdest family road trip to stop Xiphos." He stood up, steel weaving its way into his voice. "I know you two have been trying to protect me, but I'm not a kid anymore. The gloves are coming off now. I'm going with you."

Syd Celsius​

 

[Spencer Varanin]

//: Ashin Cardé Varanin //:
​

Eshan was always home, in a sense. A place she had grown to love despite her father's connection to it. The people were strong, hardy, and it was hard not to want to help usher them into a new era in the galaxy. A familiar pull tugged at the back of her mind, pulling her from her duties. It was a pull that she had missed, one that had kept her whole for so long when she had left the living.

"Hmm," She mused, knowing what that pull was and who it was from. It didn't take much to distract the former Queen, but Ashin rarely had to even try.

It hadn't taken long for Spencer to find the woman in the crowd. Carefully, she made her way through the crowd doing her best to avoid eye contact with anyone besides the woman she sought after. Drawing closer, she snaked one of her arms under Ashin's and nestled against the woman. Even now, after the time had passed the trek through the netherworld, Ashin still hurt.

"You know you don't need a whistle to call me," She whispered, announcing her presence. "I'm happy you're home." Spencer watched as the celebrations continued, and the young found some peace in the galaxy. Spencer glanced up, looking at her wife and companion. So many years had passed between them, yet it felt like yesterday - the night they controlled the storms.

So long ago, but they were still here.

It pained her, knowing that this hurt was caused by something dealing with her, but Spencer could only do her best to ease it. Maybe it was time she left the comforts of a desk and joined Ashin once more.​

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

Spencer Varanin​

It occurred to Ashin that she didn't remember how long they'd been married. She recalled events, certainly, and people and places and thrones for that matter, but the actual count of years escaped her. When Spencer nestled into a sidelong hug, they fit together as a matter of unconscious intuition.

"Wish I could stay longer," Ashin murmured. She'd told Spencer how the Drengir were in constant pursuit. The golden gown kept them from following tonight, from setting their sights on this beautiful planet, but she needed to be more careful than ever. And keep moving.

"I've said it before — Noelle really is doing right by this world, isn't she."

 

[Dagon Kaze]

FESTIVAL OF WISHES
STAY AWAKE WITH ME vol. II
Issue #1 w/ bae Yula Perl

He couldn't help but laugh at her quip, pulling her closer and brushing away the snowflake droplet off the tip of her nose as they carried down the bonfire-lit street on the pine-scented trail of mulled wine in the air.

The pair stopped at one of the vendors selling whistles crafted by a master of the works. An ominous and dark shiver ran through the Force, furrowing his brow for a moment before Yula's question took his attention. Dag really was going nuts, wasn't he?

The Knight raised an eyebrow, then scoffed, "You know she's just gonna tell every one of you she's heard it, right?"

"Last thing she probably wants is a Perl's temper on Life Eve. I'd do the same." he shrugged his shoulders then blinked realizing his mistake and sheepishly adding, "... I mean, like, I'd hear it, heh. Obviously." he scratched the back of his head suspiciously.
​

 

[Spencer Varanin]

//: Ashin Cardé Varanin //:
​

Spencer nodded, fully aware of the situation at hand. Silence fell between them as the woman admired the work her dear child had been putting in. There was nothing more for her to teach her; she was doing a job far better than her predecessors. "She is." She nodded, quietly praying to the Force to help guide the younger of the twins to some sense of salvation. "There's nothing more for me here, really. I feel stagnant again - I'm no longer needed by the girls or by Eshan."

A hand moved, resting against Ashin's forearm. She gave the woman a comforting squeeze. "Maybe it's time I move on as well." A smile crept against the Echani woman's face as she leaned in and sighed. "I miss the galaxy. I miss being by your side no matter the danger. A few bits and bobs of chaos don't scare me."

Softly, the Echani chuckled. "I still owe you." ​

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

Spencer Varanin​

"I was conflicted," Ashin said to the top of Spencer's head. Blonde hair tickled her face. "I didn't realize you felt like that, so I worried I'd be tearing you away."

A pair of dancers whirled too close. Ashin broke from Spencer and stumbled in a snowdrift. Laughing, she stomped back out of the drift and brushed snow from her golden dress.

"I'll be glad to have you along for the ride, for as long as the Drengir keep chasing me. And if you happen to think of anyone who deserves a visit from what's chasing me, by all means let me know."

 

[Sasmay Cull]

Lake of Tears​

Accompanied by: Myunna
Wearing: Outfit
Tag: Valery Noble

The crunching through the snow paused as a voice hollered at them. She sighed as Myunna tried to push forward. Giving a sharp look to her companion, Myunna finally relented with a gruff sniffle as Sasmay spoke up.

"A woman and her companion. And it's to fethin cold out to prove I've no weapons on me...so take it on faith I don't mean any harm." She called back, glancing back to Myunna.

"Let me go first, and then I'll call for you. Alright?" Sasmay bothered to ask before stepping out from the trees slowly with her hands up.

"Came to make a wish. Seems you did the same. Sorry for uh...interrupting. Myunna gets a bit carried away. Sasmay. You?" She wore a smile in hopes of deterring hard feelings, keeping her hands up for a while longer before letting them fall to her side.

Her singular eye taking in the sight of the woman before daring to comment.

"Hey. Should you be out this far as you are? You aren't cold are you?"

 

[Kal]

Noelle Varanin | Alicio Organa | Current Body - Anric Ferevin Vae​

'Anric's lips quirked upwards into a dry smile, the Echani's eyes flickering to Alicio before returning to the lights above. "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure there's plenty of both to go around." He would know better than most, after all.

His smile only widened at Noelle's comments. She was pleased that the stranger seemed to take her side, while his mind had instead moved on to an entirely different thought - if only she knew. She had been in the Netherworld before and knew a thing or two from him or her parents, but she had no idea how deep the rabbit hole went.

Afterlives, endless chasms, and ever-shifting mazes, tied together with each other and Realspace in an intricate web.

Wherever there was life, there was death. Wherever there was death, souls made the trip. Sometimes beings returned.

Often those beings were mere lingering shades, but not always. Sometimes something entirely alien made the journey.

"Charmed." 'Lord Vae' bowed his head smoothly, but not particularly deeply. At the same time, his mind reached out to Noelle's. <You know, if you're going for discreet and approachable, the crown was a questionable choice.>

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure there's plenty of both to go around."

There was some amount of certainty in that phrase that gave Alicio pause. Being a scholar may provide insights into the afterlife, but the nobleman could swear his confidence in the matter came from experience.

Which was entirely plausible. There were scars of the recent Netherworld Crisis across the galaxy, even on Alderaan. Terrible sights. A gate in the sky that led to worlds unknown. Burnt, bloodsoaked earth.

Alicio's expression darkened, staring past the small troupe and into the party. So many people, so much celebration. And still so much wrong with the galaxy. But he found himself again as the two Echani introduced themselves. He'd done some research into the nobility of the planet, in case he were lucky enough to see them at the party tonight. He hadn't expected to be talking to them.

"A pleasure to meet you both," Alicio murmured, trying his best to recover from his dour mood with another smile. "Truly. I don't know what I would have done if I'd had to socialize out there."

His smile took on a sly edge as he turned it to Noelle Varanin . "Excuse my boldness, but I didn't expect the Queen of Eshan to be a wallflower like me." The grin then turned to Lord Vae.

"I might have expected it for a scholar, though. No offense."

- Kal -

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle's lips parted indignantly at Kal's silent jest. The relationship was one of constant teasing, so by now he wouldn't need words to read the reply written across her face.

I'm approachable.

I'm hip.

She was forced to forgo further quips and focus on Alicio. "I-... think the spotlight today should be on the community."

"Not me."

The crown had either been put on out of habit or an edge of ego, neither of which she cared enough to defend. "Lord Vae, on the other hand, is quite the story teller. In fact I believe he was coming up to finish regaling me on his trip to Hoth. I believe you got into some trouble? On Hoth?" He hadn't.

As far as she was aware Kal had never been to Hoth. Lord Vae's experiences were all fabricated, and she couldn't help but to smile as she pinned him into recreating a whole new one on the spot. Did he even know about the planet?

The smile faltered as she caught sight of a familiar face enter the hall. And all at once, her heart sped up.

August Oreno Kal Alicio Organa

 

[August Oreno]

Noelle Varanin Kal Alicio Organa

Dare to hope or was hope for the foolish?

But perhaps attraction made a fool of the best of them.

August was surprised to find the invitation to the gala. They had left their last meeting in an awkward flurry and there had been some trepidation on his side whether or not Noelle would simply refrost again in the coming days. The invite was pleasant in that regard and made him think there could be a future here.

Possible.

So, yes, August accepted the invite and made a fashionable late entry to the event. First a little mingle outside the hall, catching the mood of the people in attendance, getting himself a drink ( a stiff one) and then finally came the moment of truth.

Why he did this to himself only the Gods knew.

It didn't take long to pick out Noelle however. The hall itself was gorgeous, but she- no, no. Not that again, better to keep things in a tight lock, until more clarity was established for the long-run. That way there would be no disappointments. Their eyes met and August couldn't help but smile, giving her a wink before making his way to the buffet.

This way she'd have ample time to wrap up her conversation.

The last thing August wanted to do was get slapped in the face again for talking to the wrong sister after all.

 

[Valery Noble]

Make a Wish​

​

Location: Eshan | Lake of tears​

Valery: Appearance​

Pregnancy: Middle of 3rd trimester​

Tag: Sasmay Cull | Open!​

​

Valery continued looking in the direction of the two figures, able to see the heat of their bodies even in the darkness cast over them by the trees. It was only when she heard a voice that her posture relaxed just a little.​

​

"A woman and her companion. And it's to fethin cold out to prove I've no weapons on me...so take it on faith I don't mean any harm." She called back, glancing back to Myunna.

​

She let out a soft sigh but she wasn't one to immediately trust the woman, especially not after the various assassination attempts she had lived through recently. But Sasmay radiated a friendly enough feeling to her.​

​

"It's fine, you're not interrupting — I've already made my wish," Valery said as the woman appeared with her hands up. She then stepped aside from the lake a bit more, allowing the woman a path there if she wanted to make one of her own.​

​

"The name is Valery and I'm alright, the cold isn't too bad," she said, struggling a little to meet the woman's smile and questions with equal kindness. She simply wasn't in the mood to be her usual self; she had just made an emotional wish and unexpectedly stumbling into someone else had caught her off-guard.​

​

"If uh, you'd like to make your wish, I'll give you some privacy."​

​

Valery's orange eyes then turned away from the woman, looking for the companion she had mentioned. The fact it hadn't come out yet worried her a little, but perhaps she was just being paranoid. ​

​

​

 

[Yula Perl]

"Oh?" Yula's brows rose at the challenge. "You sure about that, huh?" Her lips parted for a wide, toothy grin. It was a relief that Dag was starting to enjoy himself—she'd been worried that even the spirit of Life Day wouldn't be able to shake the tension from his mind.

"Life Eve…heh. Ma used to let us stay up late." Her eyes, both organic and bionic, rolled in sync up to the snowy skies of Eshan. "We'd be all hyped up, and she'd let us each open one gift that night. It was loud." Yula smiled fondly, bathed in the warm glow of a family memory. As odd as the Perls were, the Zeltron brood was a tight-knit, loving bunch.

She was about to ask Dagon if his family had any Life Day traditions out of reflex, but the question died on her tongue. "Uh…" Her smile fell into something a little more awkward. Not everyone had a decent childhood like her, and Dagon lost his father to her own mother's hand. She still didn't know how he managed to even mention her mother without cringing.

"Well if anything, she can put it on display? There's a fancy cabinet in the living room that's off-limits to everyone but her." After handing her credit stick over to the vendor, she looked to Dagon. "Should we get something for Jem and Val, too?"

Dagon Kaze

 

[Sasmay Cull]

Lake of Tears​

Accompanied by: Myunna
Wearing: Outfit
Tag: Valery Noble

Even for only having one eye, the look was close to exasperated as Valery remarked on the cold not being too bad.

"That's how it gets you. Just a little bit of shivering to start with. Then you've got a pink hue to your fingers before it feels like ice is covering your bones." She remarked, the spot to the lake was open, though she did nothing more than look out at it.

"Made mine, doubt it'll be heard but worth a try. Appreciate the thought though." Sasmay shrugged, slowly turning to the trees and staring. She spoke loud enough to be heard clearly, waving a hand between the trees and Valery.

"Introduce yourself then. You've been staring for a minute now." She snapped.

"Did not want to scare. Not speak basic clearly. Sound and look scary." Myunna would reach out telepathically to the two of them. Sharing an image of something tall and dark coming out of the woods. "Friendly to cub and mother."

Myunna would poke her head through the trees cautiously, looking to Valery before looking to Sasmay.

"Up to her. I sleep next to you before you try to kick me out, bed-hog. So I'm plenty used to you." The brunette shrugged with a knowing frown to Valery. "She'll just stare at you till you tell her yay or nay."

 

[Kal]

Noelle Varanin | Alicio Organa | August Oreno | Current Body - Anric Ferevin Vae​

Kal was about to make a remark about the queen's 'sociability', but she beat him to the punch.

He flashed a slight smile at the mention of Hoth, but it didn't quite hide the grimace. That was all part of the show, of course. "Ah, yes. An allegedly credible source tipped me off about a truly one of a kind crystal formation. Supposedly it had formed beneath an ancient battleground. That part of the story was true..."

Now he no longer bothered to hide the grimace. "... unfortunately, the scoundrel had sold the same information to some rather disreputable characters. I don't know if I would have made it out without a bodyguard!"

Looking mildly embarrassed, he gave Noelle a look that spoke volumes - as if she would volunteer the following if he didn't. "I may have underestimated the cold too. Ended up huddled in a thermotent for a day or three awaiting rescue."

It was all nonsense, of course, but plausible enough. There had been great battles in orbit of that Force-forsaken snowglobe and it was not unheard of for sites of great carnage to produce unusual phenomena.

Kal himself had never set foot on Hoth, but it had been mentioned in secondary sources.