Faction [NJO] Hang Ten ~ Hydrokinesis Training

[Zaiya Ceti]

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Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Mahsa Ayhan Aris Noble

Zaiya didn't miss how Aris gave a grumble and stared up at the sky. The bit of color she had dampened anew and Zaiya bit her lower lip. The teenager did her best to try to push past that. A small and brief smile was given over at Ayhan's direction, as it seemed he was staring at her. But then he turned away.

Just not doing so well at all today with both boys it seemed. The unfortunate misunderstandings grew. Her desire to have a fun time was just not in the cards it seemed. Zaiya gave another small sigh. Thankfully, Mahsa didn’t seem to follow that case.

"It's fine, Mahsa, don't worry about it. I'm glad you think they are pretty," Zaiya replied with a soft smile, the patterns over her face brightening in a bit of cheer, their edges softening to a more positive mood as they glew a lovely golden color.

The awkwardness only seems to swell, and Zaiya figured that maybe it would be best to take a walk. Forcing a smile she got to her feet and dusted off the sand off her dress.

“Feel free to enjoy the rest of the snacks. I think I’ll actually go take a walk.” Might be better to get her thoughts in order.

“Enjoy the bonfire.” Without further ado, Zaiya picked up her hat, left the rest of the snacks, and picked up her satchel.

Sometimes it was best to just leave things be.

 

[Ayhan]

There were no shooting stars tonight. No flare of thrusters burning as they propelled a starship into outer orbit, or even the red and green blinking lights of commercial aircraft travelling between more terrestrial location. It was just the bonfire, and the stars, dimly winking at the padawans watching from below now. Well, at least two of them for certain. Ayhan was perhaps the least Force sensitive of the four who remained behind from today's lessons, but Mahsa's presence, her movements, sometimes even hints of what she might've been feeling made their way to Ayhan.

He brushed the off, always, not knowing better. But at least this time, he knew she was looking up with the same awe he was. He didn't need to be Force sensitive to know that.

"They're really pretty…" the girl murmured. Ayhan hummed in agreement.

It'd been their shared dream to gaze up at those stars. They'd dared to dream. For all they'd known every book Glorii Te had fed them, every little piece of information, had just been a lie. A fabrication. A slow drip feed of hope to build them up before tearing them down. For fun, for some other grand plan.

I suppose, when death looms over you, whilst you eat, sleep, breath, the designs of others don't matter so long as they give you a little bit of hope, intentional or not.

Finally, that dream was realized. That little hope.

But where did that leave them now?

It wasn't a question Ayhan was ready to answer, or even think about. He just stared and stared up into that perfect, star-studded black. And it was beautiful.

Beauty does not last forever though, and the quiet sound of Zaiya excusing herself, bidding them farewell jarred Ayhan from his reverie. 'Jarred' was an appropriate word, given how abrupt and unusual her leaving was.

Ayhan was many things, most of them not good. Lacking in empathy, stubborn, with no small amount of stupidity. But he was not oblivious. At least, not to everything. Especially when that thing usually glowed so brightly it actually hurt his eyes to look at sometimes was instead quite dim now.

The Firronthix's brows furrowed as he watched the not as glowy Lovalla walk away from them, usually the last to leave. A concerned look was cast to the other two, though if they noticed, the writer he did not know. And so, without saying anything as usual, Ayhan stood, collected his clothing, pulling his tunic back on, nodded towards anyone who had bade him good-bye, if they had, and walked after Zaiya. Not because he cared but because...he didn't know why.

Zaiya Ceti | Mahsa | Aris Noble

 

[Mahsa]

It was easy to lose and forget herself as Mahsa stared upwards, admiring the dark blanket with twinkling stars that had covered the sky. A breathtaking sight to be sure, one the girl was certain she would never tire from, that for a brief moment could wash away all the doubts and worries she constantly carried on her shoulders.

Whether it was because of it, or simply the exhaustion that had slowly begun to settle in after today’s unexpected events, the mental guards she often worked so hard to keep in place had slowly lowered. The awe she felt as they stargazed rolled off the girl in soft waves that lapped against Ayhan ‘s consciousness, as if flowing through an existing connection that tethered one to the other.

The soft voice of Zaiya had registered somewhere in the back of her mind, slowly bringing Mahsa out of her little trance, but it was the sudden shift of their log as the Firronthix stood up that abruptly ended the moment for her. "A-Ayhan…?" Golden eyes turned to see Zaiya Ceti ’s form already blending into the darkness, before the gangly teen had followed after the Lovalla.

Concern showed itself in the furrowed eyebrows and dark amber hues that colored her hair, but it was the sudden heaviness pressing against her chest that had the Kazelrrian grasping the fabric of her jumper in response. A hurt that the girl couldn’t understand why she felt it in the first place, but the night suddenly felt ten times colder as she stared at the now empty spot beside her.

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Aris Noble ​

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris took a breath. Everyone was leaving now, in odd ways a that. Upset, mostly. He didn't have to look behind him to know Zaiya had left upset on something. How she spoke, how she carried herself. He didn't understand, was the worst part of it. Had he said something wrong? Done something wrong? Without communication he really didn't know. At the same time, how could he bring it up? He didn't want to-

There was a pause for Aris. He knew he could always talk to Zaiya. He'd give her space, but it wasn't as if they couldn't ever talk. These weren't- He glanced towards Mahsa , watching where her gaze went. And smiled softly.

These were her emotions, then? He shouldn't be able to feel them, yet, he was.

"You alright, Mahsa?"

 

[Mahsa]

Just a moment ago she’d been marveling about the beauty that surrounded them, but now the Kazelrrian found herself lost as the world around her suddenly lacked its luster. The muja juice she’d been enjoying a while ago now felt too sour, and all her mouth could taste was the lingering bitterness from the cocoa bar she’d picked.

Did I— She knew the answer to her question before it had time to form, her lips pressed in a thin line as she watched the two silhouettes slowly be claimed by the darkness. Though the gashes on his skin had already healed as they rested by the bonfire, she could still vividly remember the feeling as her claws sunk into the Firronthix in her panicked pursuit of safety.

That he had tolerated being around her this long had been a miracle, and something she should’ve felt grateful if anything for… so why did her chest ache? Why did it feel as if she was drowning all over again?

"You alright, Mahsa?"

A small squeak left the young girl as his voice carried over, the Epicanthix had been so quiet the past few moments that Mahsa had almost forgotten he’d been enjoying the bonfire too—so close to the flames that his figure had been mostly concealed by them.

"Y-Yeah, I’m f-fine…!" A lie that didn’t take a pair of perceptive eyes to figure it out, her eyes avoiding looking at Aris directly as the girl almost seemingly shrank in her spot. The rich amber tones on her hair remained, adorned by some lighter apricot hues that surface in tandem with the embarrassment that had bubbled up as well.

The half eaten bar was covered back in its wrapper, the appetite she’d once held for it and the juice carton now gone as both items were carefully placed at the end of the log she sat on. "D-Do you…" she struggled to find her voice against the constricting pressure against her chest, fingers picking at the helm of her shorts as the Kazelrrian took a slow and deep breath before trying again.

"Do you t-think Zaiya’s ok-kay?"

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Aris Noble ​

 

[Aris Noble]

"I.. Think so, yeah."

Aris couldn't say for sure, but if there was something truly wrong, Zaiya would at least talk to him, right? In his mind, there was no doubt. That's just the kind of friends they were. But right now, he just watched Mahsa. No, it didn't take some sense in the Force or his keen eyes to know she wasn't actually okay. At the same time, though, he had no idea what was wrong.

"Do you.. Want to talk about it? Or just, sit and watch the stars?"

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

"Y-Yeah…" The doubt was hardly concealed in her voice, another glance given back in the direction that Zaiya and Ayhan had walked off. Their figures were now so far away that even her eyes couldn’t spot them in the darkness and, while she knew the Firronthix would never harm any of them, the unease she felt inside her chest refused to settle.

Aris’ voice finally brought the girl’s attention back to him and the bonfire. His tone was calm and gentle as he gave her a choice—one that she was confused about at first, until the Kazelrrian finally realized her emotions had been leaking outwards.

"A-Aah, Im s-sorry…!" She did her best to reel them back upon noticing, flustered as a myriad of orange hues cascaded through her hair. "I d-didn’t mean to…!"

Burden. A whisper she couldn’t seem to forget echoed deeply, the girl balling her hands into two tight little fists that rested atop her lap. Hadn’t she been enough of an inconvenience to others for one day?

"I… I don’t k-know." She wouldn’t find any further solace in the stars tonight, but that didn’t mean she should ruin them for Aris too… but it was hard to pretend everything was fine when even she couldn’t understand what was wrong.

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Aris Noble ​

 

[Aris Noble]

"I'm not sure what's got you so troubled, or if I can really offer any help with it. But, it's not something you have to sit on you know. There's a lot of Jedi in the Order. Don't hesitate to reach out to one of the adults, yeah?"

As a thirteen year old, Aris had no idea how to really help Mahsa. But there was something going on, something she was trying to hide and was still keeping her distraught. He'd felt as much, anyway. And he could probably take a guess as to who it involved if his feelings earlier were really hers. "They'll help."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

His words echoed sentiments she’d herald before from her own master, and she responded with the same hesitant nod that Ioti had seen multiple times by now. While Mahsa understood most of those in the Temple meant well she still found it hard to trust and open up towards them, restrained by the lingering memory of the only authoritative figure their kind had known for most of their short lives.

"Y-you’re right," she hoped her voice sounded convincing enough against the auburn and pumpkin shades that reigned in her hair. "I’ll t-try that… thanks, Aris."

She found it hard to look into those vibrant green eyes as she spoke, afraid to burden him further when she knew they weren’t too far apart—age wise, at least—from one another. Despite it she hadn’t missed the ease and familiarity that often existed when Zaiya and the Epicanthix were with one another, something that she both admired and perhaps envied whenever she witnessed it.

"H-How…" She found it hard to articulate her thoughts into proper words, her voice barely above a whisper before Mahsa bit her lips softly as she gazed into the fire. "Have you t-two always been so c-close?"

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Aris Noble ​

 

[Aris Noble]

She was avoiding the subject.

Which, Aris wasn't really sure how else to talk about it himself. He smiled a little, nodding his head to her question. Her pivot from the current topic. "Since we met, yeah. She's my best friend." Without a doubt she was his best friend. "What about you and Ayhan? You're always together. Have you always been close with him?"

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

His answer was exactly the one Mahsa had expected and, while she was happy to hear they’ve gotten along from the very start, she couldn’t help the sadness that seeped into the half-spirited smile on her face. It wasn’t long before the question was turned back to her, the Kazelrrian shaking her head as she raised her knees and her bare feet rested against the washed out bark of the driftwood.

"N-Not really…" Glorii Te had been the one who decided all of their pairings, though why the geneticist had paired her scrawny self with the bigger Ayhan was something Mahsa had never understood.

She’d been nothing but deadweight for him at first, and the large etched onto his skin was a constant visual reminder of that. Part of Mahsa wasn’t sure if he would’ve ever bothered with her if their mutual survival had not depended on one another.

"I t-thought we were f-for a while…" Sometimes it felt that frown had been permanently carved into his face, but despite the serious expression he’d always worn the Firronthix had listened to anything and everything Mahsa had to say. From the various stories she’d read in books, and a few made up too, to the never ending thoughts that crossed her mind.

A faint chuckle escaped as she remembered the time she’d become determined to find a name for him, claiming that going by one of the colors in his hair wasn’t proper enough. One by one she’d recited all the names she’d memorized almost a year before, back when Dara and herself had been looking for their own names, until one seemed to catch his attention as she’d spoken it.

It was a memory that had always brought her joy, often accompanied by cheerful yellows that would shine across her hair, but her smile faded almost as quickly as it’d come as reality sunk in. ”… that might’ve just b-been me though." A deep navy hue crept up the ends of her strands instead, and the girl almost seemed to shrink in her spot as she hugged her knees closer to her chest.

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Aris Noble ​

 

[Aris Noble]

She thought they were?

Aris frowned. That wasn't a good thought for anyone to have. Her hair changed colors, though. Which, for Aris, he knew enough about with Zaiya to think there was something with it. By how her expression changed too, perhaps Mahsa was a lot like his best friend. "Sounds like you don't know. So.. You should ask, rather than assume."

He nodded once. It was always important to ask and talk than to assume in silence.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

Aris wouldn’t be able to see it wth her knees pressed against her chest as they covered the bottom part of her face, but the edges of her lips pulled into a forlorn smile as the Epicanthix spoke up. The lump that lingered inside her throat made it hard for the girl to find her voice, the indigo and navy dipped strands shaking from side to side instead in a silent answer.

She wasn’t sure what she’d meant for Ayhan before, stubbornly hoping that their time shared together hadn’t been one giant lie, but the Firronthix had been perfectly clear about what he felt for her now.

"I-It doesn’t matter a-anymore…" Another lie she’d repeated both to her master and herself again and again since then, one that Mahsa had thought would become easier with time… but why did it took so much effort to say tonight?

The flames had long since blurred into a singular abstract shape of vibrant crimsons, golds, and coppers as the Kazelrrian fought to hold back her tears. Deep breaths… In, and out… In… She tried to focus on her breathing instead, but each inhale felt harder than the last and every exhale threatened to crumble what little self composure remained.

"It’s g-getting l-late…" Shaky hands reached for the towel she’d given the Firronthix before, forgotten and left behind as he’d walked off after the Lovalla. "I’ll head b-back f-first."

All Mahsa wanted was to get out of the Epicanthix’s hair while she still could, before she soured the night and the starry night any further for Aris… before she could burden him too, just like she’d done to Ayhan. Instead the towel refused to budge as she’d pulled on it, snagged somewhere in the bark, until a jerky and forceful pull finally freed it—knocking the half eaten bar and juice carton into the sand in the process.

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Aris Noble ​