Private Making Friends!

[Vera Noble]

Niv Hani

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Tag: Mahsa

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"You make a good point."

Vera hadn't even considered it. She'd have gotten ice cream, enjoyed herself, and panicked only after entering the store. No, it was definitely a better idea to get some shopping done first. That way, they could celebrate what they got with some ice cream and prevent the clothes from getting sticky at the same time!

"What kind of clothes do you like?" Vera asked as they drew closer to the taxi stop. "The Epicanthix are known to have adapted styles from different cultures into their own. Originally, they wore tunics, togas, and dresses that looked pretty, but wouldn't hinder them too much in a brawl." She chuckled at the thought, having seen her mother beat up an armed robber in the dress that Dad liked so much.

"Those clothes aren't very modest, though. They show bare shoulders, legs, and sometimes even more. So, if you prefer to be covered or if you want sturdy materials, I know some other shops!"

She had explored just about every inch of the city during her shopping trips with Mom.

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[Mahsa]

She’d been half worried that she might’ve been overthinking things, so when Vera took her suggestion seriously the girl couldn’t help the light flush that crossed her cheeks—or the light curl around the edges of her lips as they smiled. This way they’d be able to take their time and explore the town and, when the time came to finally get their well earned ice cream, they’d be able to enjoy that treat to the fullest too.

"U-Uhm... I’m not s-sure." What she’d known as clothes for most of her life had been the tattered and stained rags from the Cage, thankfully replaced by the padawan robes the NJO had provided Ayhan and her as they’d been brought to the Temple. "S-Some of the stuff Zaiya wears is r-really pretty, though."

The Lovalla had a good eye for beautiful and functional things, and she’d been kind enough on more than one occasion to share her garments with Mahsa. The cute little jumper she’d used back in Gold Beach had been one of them and, while she’s been somewhat self conscious of her bare arms and legs at first, Mahsa had actually liked it.

"W-What styles do you like, Vera?" Perhaps it would be easier if they went to stores that the brunette already knew and enjoyed, there was always a chance that some of the styles the brunette was into would also be to Mahsa’s liking.

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Vera Noble ​

 

[Vera Noble]

Niv Hani

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Tag: Mahsa

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"Your hair is very pretty," Vera bluntly pointed out when she noticed a little shift in color in the girl's hair. She had noticed it back at home too, but hadn't mentioned it yet. It was similar to how Zaiya's skin changed colors, right? Vera looked at the girl, barely blinking while she stared for a moment and wondered.

Then caught herself and turned away.

"I like robes and clothes that aren't too loose and don't easily get caught on something. At least, when I'm on duty or if I'm just walking around. I do like to have some dresses though! For parties or when we attend something formal." She hummed and looked Mahsa up and down.

"Maybe we can go dress shopping first? There's going to be a festival here soon!"

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[Mahsa]

The unexpected compliment had caught her off-guard, so much so that the first look to cross Mahsa’s face had been one of confusion. It took another moment until the two brain cells within her mind finally processed what Vera’s words meant, before a rosy hue finally colored the pale skin of her cheeks.

"O-Oh—uuuhmm, t-thanks…!" Vibrant shades of apricot and pumpkin swept through the bottom portion of her strands, just as her hands unconsciously reached out to smooth them behind her ears. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one taken off-guard however, and as the brunette finally caught herself and turned away Mahsa couldn’t help the light chuckle that escaped her.

"Your eyes are very p-pretty too." It wasn’t a compliment just for compliment’s sake, Mahsa had been intrigued by the unique coloring of Vera’s eyes ever since they’d first met back on Endor, but it just hadn’t felt appropriate to comment about it until now.

Her head nodded in agreement as Vera spoke of the styles she preferred, the Kazelrrian wholeheartedly agreeing with most of it. "Y-Yeah, I think that’s why I like the p-paddy robes." They might’ve been simple in design and mass produced, but the fabric was comfortable and they never got in the way as she practiced or fought.

"A f-festival…?" Those were parties of sorts, right? "What is it ab-bout?"

Mahsa had never been to one before, and her curiosity displayed itself in soft ambers along her hair. She owned zero dresses of her own, but that thought had fallen to a second plane as she sought to learn more about Niv Hani and the festival that Vera mentioned.

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Vera Noble ​

 

[Vera Noble]

Niv Hani

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Tag: Mahsa

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"See! Like that!"

She wasn't sure if Mahsa did it on purpose, but the sudden array of colors sweeping through her hair was great timing. It also made Vera's eyes linger a little too long — it was just so interesting to see. After catching herself and turning away to not make Mahsa too embarrassed, Vera began to smile again.

The compliment about her eyes was very uplifting.

"Really? Some people just think it's weird." Vera chuckled, clearly not bothered by it. "Half of my eyes are my Mom's eye color. The other half is my Dad's. They're a Dyad in the Force and we think that's why my eyes are like this." It was a cute thought and a reasonable explanation for something so peculiar.

Her parents' bond carrying over to her.

Back on the topic of clothes, Mahsa agreed and that was all Vera needed to start leading the way to the dress shop. She had been there before with Mom, and even with Dad when they pulled him along for opinions. Poor Dad.

"It's a cultural festival that goes back a long time. There will be music, dancing, good food and shows! Also lots of fire!" Her Mom was going to be leading the fire dancing this year.

A surprise for Dad.

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[Mahsa]

She wasn’t used to attention being brought towards her hair, the colorful phenomena common among her own kind back in the Cage… though part of her felt happy that Vera seemed to like it, and the feeling showed in mellow sunflower shades as she smiled back to the brunette.

"W-Wait, really?" That anyone could think Vera’s dual colored irises could be weird absolutely baffled the Kazelrrian, her brows furrowed in confusion even after her friend had confirmed it. "They’re so p-pretty though, like the sun and the moon melted into one."

The explanation offered by Vera only seemed to leave more questions in its wake, though they remained unvoiced while Mahsa listened attentively as Vera spoke more about the festival. Her eyes almost seemed to sparkle as she tried to envision it in her mind, before a quiet "Whoooa…" slipped out at the mention of fire being part of the event too.

"T-That sounds really cool!" She’d never been to a festival before, what little the girl knew about them came from books and pictures she’d found while reading on her own, and her hands fidgeted on her lap as she wondered if perhaps it’d be alright for her to see the festival too.

Still, there was another question that continued to press against her mind even as the taxi gently drifted towards their stop, one she finally found the courage to place into words—somewhat confident that Vera wouldn’t ridicule her for not knowing in the first place. "W-What’s a dyad…?" She’d come to understand that certain bonds could be made through the Force, though her knowledge about them was still a work in progress, but she hadn’t heard of a dyad before.

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Vera Noble ​

 

[Vera Noble]

Niv Hani

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Tag: Mahsa

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"I think they're pretty, too, but some people are just mean when you're different." Something many other Padawans were probably used to as well. Either because of their connection to the Force and how it complicated bonds with other childhood friends or because of different personal things. Vera's eyes, perhaps Mahsa's hair color? Vera wasn't sure if she had grown up around people who weren't of her own species much.

Fellow Jedi definitely weren't as likely to bully.

On the topic of the festival, Vera could easily tell just how excited Mahsa was. It made her chuckle and briefly nudge into the girl's side, "If you wanna go, I can take you with me! There will be plenty of supervision and you can stay the night at our home again!" Another sleepover but with a festival added to the mix!

Vera was already bouncing from excitement.

Before they reached the shop, there was one other question that seemed to linger on Mahsa's mind. Vera smiled at it and gave it some thought before answering, "It's like a special Force Bond. You either have it with someone or you don't, they don't develop over time but they do grow in intensity. Basically, it binds two people together in the Force. I've seen my Mom and Dad teleport to each other instantly across the stars, for example!" Vera giggled.

"They always feel each other's emotions, they can read each other's mind without effort and they're just extremely close." Vera paused and blinked. "That might also be because they're married... but I think you get the point, right?"

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[Mahsa]

"Y-Yeah…" It was a lesson she’d learned early on, partly in the hands of some of her own kin, but it had been reinforced in the way others regarded them—especially when it came to Ayhan —as they’d struggled to adapt to a life outside of the Cage. The reminder was enough to dampen the previously vibrant shades in her hair, but the awkward silence that settled was soon pushed aside as Vera focused back on the festival.

"R-Really…?" The faraway look in her eyes quickly dissipated as the invitation was extended, the girl nodding enthusiastically in response. "I’d love that—if it isn’t t-too much t-trouble that is…?"

Last thing she wished to do was burden Vera and her family, but even that thought wasn't enough to wipe away the excitedly nervous smile on the Kazelrrian’s lips.

"Whoa, they can t-teleport to one another?" The awe and fascination she felt upon hearing more about dyads manifested in persimmon hues as they weaved themselves into her snow white strands. "That’s really cool…"

The emotional aspect was one Mahsa could somewhat understand, being able to pick the feelings of others in large part due to her Zeltron heritage. The ability to project her own to those around her however was one the girl vehemently avoided, even if her control sometimes slipped from time to time. But to read each other’s minds, hear one another’s thoughts…

Maybe she could’ve understood Ayhan better if they’d been able to communicate like that.

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Vera Noble ​

 

[Vera Noble]

Niv Hani

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Tag: Mahsa

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"Nah, you're always welcome to stay at our place!" Vera was able to say without any doubt. Mom and Dad welcomed friends coming over, and the house was more than big enough for a guest to stay for a while. The Festival would definitely be a good reason to bring someone over.

And Mom seemed to really like Mahsa!

On the topic of her Mom, Mahsa seemed quite fascinated to hear about her Dyad with Dad, "I'm not sure if it's really teleportation. It doesn't seem to require any effort. They just... appear to each other." Dad had other ways to teleport, but that always drained him of energy, depending on the distance.

The Dyad was different.

"Alright, here we are!" Vera pointed down the street towards a clothing shop and walked over to hold open the door, "Let's start with a dress for you?" Vera asked with a grin, "Do you like colorful dresses or maybe a fancy white dress?"

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[Mahsa]

There was zero hesitation from Vera as she confirmed Mahsa staying over for the festival would be of no issue, and the Kazelrrian couldn’t help but smile with giddy anticipation in response. "O-Okay!" She would still have to talk with Master ski goes when the time came of course, but the girl had a feeling her Echani I guardian would have no issues with their plans.

"Teleporting w-without teleporting…?" The concept itself felt foreign for her, not because the Kazelrrian understood it. She had no experience with such a method of transportation, but her mind figured it was tied to the Force in some way like the other skills they’d been learning about in their classes.

Certain feats could be taxing for the user depending on their difficulty, and yeeting someone through space—no matter how small of a distance it might be—sounded like a pretty tiresome task. "D-Does something trigger it or can they c-control it…?" It was puzzling to say the least, and her curious nature couldn’t help but want to know more about it.

Their conversation came to a momentary pause as they reached whatever store Vera was excited to visit first, a thankful nod given to the brunette that held the door open as Mahsa made her way in first. "Uuhm… I like c-colors—whoaah!"

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Vera Noble ​

 

[Vera Noble]

Niv Hani

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Tag: Mahsa

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"Something like that. It's not really teleportation, so it's hard to explain. In a way, they're just always in two places at the same time. Their own, and each other's." That was the best Vera could do. She didn't have a Dyad with anybody, so she couldn't even really imagine what it must feel like to be that intertwined.

Quite frankly, she didn't want to be that connected to anybody.

"They can control it," Vera then explained, "They use their bond to communicate no matter where they are, and if they need each other, they just... appear." She had seen that happen many times before, especially when one of them was in danger, "It's interesting that the Force makes these things possible, but I would hate to be that closely connected to someone. I like just having my thoughts and feelings to myself."

Perhaps the greatest difference between her and her parents.

As soon as they entered the store, Vera looked at Mahsa and chuckled — she seemed excited! Vera was quite fond of shopping, so having someone else to share that fun with for once was great.

She didn't have many friends who wanted to join her.

"Look, these are very traditional robes that our people wear." She showed Mahsa a collection of them, all in a variety of colors. From white to orange, to yellows and purples.

"Anything you like?"

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[Mahsa]

Brows furrowed as she gave thought to what Vera tried ehr very best to explain. The possibility of someone existing in two places at the same time seemed… well, impossible really, but she supposed that wasn’t a full limitation for the Force. "I see…" If anything it confirmed that Dyads were very complex things, deeply intertwining the pair and the Force in ways that it was hard for their minds to fully comprehend.

"Y-Yeah, I don’t think I’d l-like it either if all my thoughts and feelings were known to s-someone else all of the time…" It was already hard enough to keep things hidden when the color of her hair shifted to mirror her mood, and the girl had one of those ‘open book’ faces that made it hard to conceal most of her thoughts.

Despite how much a part of her craved attention and longed to fit in with others Mahsa still appreciated being able to keep what little things she could private to just herself… and it seemed Vera was of a similar mindset as her. Food for thought for another moment however, it was hard to stay focused on such thoughts once they stepped into the store and all the captivating wares it carried.

"Ooh, t-those are really pretty…!" She followed Vera as the brunette led her to an area with plenty of traditional garments, her eyes shifting from one colored fabric to the next as they took in all the different variations.

"I -dunno, they all look really g-great…" There were things she liked in each one, but also some things she didn’t too, and for a moment it felt like none could really stand above the rest—until a quiet "Oh!" escaped the girl as one finally caught her full attention.

She’d almost missed it among the sea of red and pink fabrics in one section, but once Mahsa had spotted it she’d been unable to tear her gaze away. "T-This one looks really n-nice… what do you think, Vera?"

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Vera Noble ​