Private Spill The Tea (But Not On Me!)

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Azurine bolted down the streets of Coruscant, her feet carrying her as quickly as she possibly could to make it to the little tea cafe that she had been asked to meet Aadihr Lidos at on time. She sure was trying her best to be more punctual, and hopefully, she'd manage it this time. It wasn't exactly that far from the Jedi Temple—just down the main street, to be specific—so it shouldn't have taken all that long to get there.

She weaved through the crowd, dodging a man with a briefcase and narrowly avoiding a tumble as her heel caught a crack in the metal below her feet. She had to use a little bit of telekinesis to propel herself back upright and keep going.

When she finally rounded the corner and saw the cafes warm light spilling onto the sidewalk, relief flooded through her. She slowed her pace as she reached the entrance, pausing to catch her breath and smooth down her wind-tossed hair. Pushing open the door, the familiar scent of roasted tea leaves and pastries enveloped her. She glanced at the time, grinning when she realized she was exactly on time—not early, but not late either.

Her internal celebration was cut short, though, when a few images flashed before her eyes to foretell a future possible impact. She quickly moved to the side, narrowly avoiding tripping on Aadihr's staff but landing her in a position where her face was mere centimeters away from his. At least this time, the plan had actually been to meet with him, albeit not necessarily in this manner.

"We really need to stop meeting like this." She teased, chuckling much harder than she had expected to.

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

SHADOW, MEET LIGHT

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr had agreed to meet Azurine to chat after the gala. He had picked a tea spot that he knew wouldn't kick him out if he stayed overlong.

He doubted the employees knew he was a vagrant, but Aadihr had learned how to sleep sitting up. An advantage of constantly being blindfolded was that if he sat still, few would bother him or notice his slumber.

Aadihr had arrived the moment the shop opened, ordered something, and sat down - sleep found him in minutes. He was sure he would awake before Azurine showed up. He was wrong.

Aadihr was motionless, slumbering in a dream he would forget upon waking.

"We really need to stop meeting like this.”

“oH!”
Aadihr flinched as he was suddenly awakened by the Zabrak’s voice mere inches away from his ear.

“Sorry, I, uh, didn't see you approach.” Aadihr moved his staff clear of Azzie’s way as she sat next to him, her face still quite close to his. Aadihr had assumed Azzie would sit across from him in the booth, but found himself - well, not trapped, exactly - between the window and the Iridonian Padawan.

“I suppose there are worse ways to meet”, Aadihr said lightly, no longer seeming startled.
“How have you been?” Aadihr untied his blindfold, a simple white strip of cloth his sister had ‘made’ for him. In reality his parents really just stitched together two layers of fabric from old clothes and his younger sister wrote a ‘for the future best Jedi ever and big brother of Anaysa’ in crude, textured near identically white stitching that he could feel to read. Whenever. It was misspelled and crooked, but it was a parting gift from his family when he left to join the academy.

Aadihr sent the blindfold down so that Azurine could inspect the concave, smooth planes of skin where eye sockets would be. Only a creases around the eyebrows and fused vestigial eyelashes marked any indication his kin had the organs. The placement of the eyelashes gave the impression Aadihr was always in a restful sleep.

“Well, a promise is a promise. Ask away” Aadihr said, ready to answer the barrage of questions that Azzie had hinted at back at Dantooine.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Azurine flashed Aadihr a playful grin as he acknowledged her. She hadn't even realized he'd been asleep until she noticed the pattern sparks of startled emotion move outward through his aura. She found herself chuckling, taking a step back and leaning against the wall to the side of her to give him the time to fully read his surroundings and the spikes of energy in his aura to recede. She tugged a bit at the edges of her burnt orange jacket that had a couple of clearly old oil stains across it to straighten it a bit. She certainly didn't look like the epitome of grace like she had the night of the gala at the temple on Dantooine, but given what she knew about him, she highly doubted he would notice.

"So, you're telling me that volcano sacrifice isn't a normal excuse to make friends? I guess I should cancel tomorrows plans, then." Azzie teased, the sarcasm clear in her voice accompanying the sly grin that formed as she spoke. She slid into the seat next to him as soon as he moved his staff out of the way, that playful, fiery attitude continuing to burn through her eyes.

"It's been one hell of a day. Have you ever had to clear out an entire mynock nest from an old power plant?" She posed the question, cringing at the words. That was one mission she wished she never had to be on, but in the end, experience was experience. Every bit of it brought her one step closer to knighthood. "Let's just say if I never see one of those little buggers ever again, it'll still be too soon."

She turned her attention to the blindfold as he carefully took it off and folded it to set it to the side. Her curiosity ran rampant as she moved closer, one of her hands reaching forward, though she hesitated. "Do you mind if I—" She cut herself off, not quite sure how to pose the question, but once she was given a go-ahead as if he already knew what she was asking for, she reached out to run her hand across the side of his face and along the path of the skull where eyes would have rested. Her eyes lit up with an intense fascination, leaning even closer to see any of the small detail.

"You see with the Force then, you said. What does that look like to you? How much detail do you actually get with that?" She asked, tilting her head to the side a bit but moving her hands away from his face. "What about your other senses—do they help any? Are they any better than most people?" Maybe she didn't need to ask so many questions, but she was as excited to learn more as a child would be to find themselves alone in a toy shop. She wanted to find out as much as she possibly could, and it showed in the way the blaze of firelight that flew through her spirit.

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr felt Azurine poke, prod, and feel his vestigial eyesockets. Each time she did, it out pressure on his sinuses, tickling his nose vicariously.

“I do see through the force, as do my family and ancestors. While I can't exactly compare what it’s like to visual light, some who have compared it to an alternate light source. Like a colorful aura that radiates force presence like a bulb would emit light. That doesn't quite explain the breadth of it though. Each force aura is unique, reflecting their emotions and intent, and they illuminate inorganic objects around them - but inorganic objects that lack a force presence are transparent, like the world is made of multifaceted glass of varied textures. I can't really say if my other senses are better than others, as I haven't truly felt other people’s senses to compare. I have learned to navigate via cane and and have practiced on expanding and, I suppose, relocating my Sight beyond what's simply in front of me. In a way, I suppose that's both a yes and a no.”

The excited aura from Azzie made Aadihr flush pink a bit from the proximity of her light and emotion. It also blinded him to the aura of the waitress awaiting Azzie’s order until just now. The waitress asked again, after clearing her throat politely.

Aadihr flushed brighter pink. The waitress’s aura was also flushed pink, misunderstanding the purpose of Azurine's touch upon his head and the proximity her face to his.

Aadihr pointed to alert Azzie and say something, but instead sneezed loudly from the pressure variations on sinuses.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

"So, what do I look like to you then?" Azurine found herself asking, genuinely curious as to what the answer might be. Though the way she saw aura was more pattern-focused through a lens of muted color, she certainly couldn't see her own. She wondered what it might look like to Aadihr as well as how it might influence the details he saw of her, if any.

Azzie would have turned the moment he pointed. However, the quick sneeze rather than words sent her into a quick bit of laughter. She hadn't intended to press very hard, having been as gentle as she possibly could have been in her assessment, but she guessed that might have been the problem, as it could have acted like a feather below the nose.

She then turned to see the waitress. The woman's aura seemed incredibly awkward, shooting patterns that read like someone who had walked in on something they hadn't intended to. It made her raise an eyebrow in confusion. As far as she knew, there was no reason for patterns and colors like that. So maybe the woman had been having a hard day, or it was lingering emotions from something else. Either way, it wasn't something Azzie felt the need to dwell on as she flashed the woman a quick, joyful grin in hopes of helping out a little bit.

"I'll just have some pepper tea, thanks."

She would have continued to ignore it if not for a similar type of embarrassment, patterning, and flowing through Aadihr's aura as well, which caught her attention and made her even more confused.

Did I miss something?

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

I SEE YOU

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr saw Azzie's confused aura and decided to help clarify what Azzie must have sensed.

“Um. . . The waitress seemed to think we're, uh, being a little too intimate in public.” Aadihr said, gently tapping on Azzie's hands, which still were feeling the sides of his face after his sneeze.

“N-not that that's what I'm thinking, and I don't m-mind or anything it's just, uh, been a while since anybody’s touched my face?” Aadihr tried to downplay his flustered speech again.

“Um. . . As for how I see you, well, I see you as Azzie. I can't quite explain but while I can see the contours of your organic figure that emits ‘light’ of the force, things like your jacket and your cybernetic arm are transparent - but that's not what I see when I see ‘you’, it's like how you might recognize someone by their face or voice, but instead it's the sinuous and rhythmic waves of light they give off, colors and tempo and amplitude shifting with emotions, but the…” Aadihr thought of how best to explain it, “the pitch, volume, and speed of the music might change, but you can still recognize the melody, right? It's like that.”

As the waitress brought the tea, Aadihr noticed a scowl on her face that was played up from her aura. Now it was Aadihr’s turn to be clueless as to what the waitress was feeling.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Azurine couldn’t quite keep herself from laughing at what Aadihr had said, though a quick spike of nervousness jumped through the fire in her eyes right alongside it. Had she missed some kind of cue that she should have been more reserved? Probably. Well, it was too late to spend too much time thinking on that now.

Azzie's sporadic nervousness didn't quite last long, being completely overtaken by a mischievous wildfire. She knew exactly how she could mess with him now, ammunition he probably shouldn't have given her. Her shit-eating grin got wider, moving both hands to cup Aadihr's cheeks, "Oh, you mean like this?" She said playfully before quickly and gently patting the sides of his face, mimicking a turtle. She knew she was being a little menace, but that was the point. Of course, if at any point he showed any discomfort, she would immediately file it away to remember not to repeat the action as, to her, it was all in good fun.

Reaching across the table, she grabbed his blindfold, hesitating for a moment when she felt the embroidery. A soft smile took over her expression, such a sweet gesture. Azzie softly brushed his white hair back and moved to tie the blindfold back around his head. Her fingers may have lingered on the side of his face longer than she had intended—unlike how she had been messing with him just previously—but she quickly pulled it away, running it through her shoulder-length black hair.

She felt the heat on her face turning it a slight bit of pink and quickly moved to change the subject before she had the time to question herself as to why. "You're telling me everything on my person right now is transparent to you? You must not ever get the opportunity to leave anything to the imagination. I feel sorry for anyone trying to impress you." Her tease came out softer than her other words had been as to nlt draw attention from anyone else, shoving his shoulder a little bit along with it.

"For me, the colors aren't exactly that clear." She took a quick sip of her tea as it was sat down, not paying any attention to the scowl of a stranger. Instead, only giving a kind smile of thanks and a nod. "It's more like ... patterns with muted colors and spiked changes in those patterns that can be read. Along with strengths of light. When I close my eyes though, it's there but mostly blurred." She didn't necessarily know how to describe it properly; it was rather hard for her to do. "The echoes of objects are similar, but the patterns are different for something inanimate versus something living."

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

IN PLAIN SIGHT

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr grew flustered at the intentional touch to his face once more but was surprised when Azurine gently tied his blindfold back on.

“I think you'll find very few people trying to impress me. Besides, any that try to by flaunting themselves probably know better than assume a blind man can see them.”
A body’s a body, an ankle or a hand were no different than hips or shoulders. Maybe it was different for those who had not been born with the Sight.

“With practice, those colors can become more vibrant, the edges sharper, clearer defined. Most of my time in the academy was enhancing this, pulling my Sight further from me, or behind and around me. It really was the only thing I had going for me.” Aadihr sighed, remembering his struggle to keep up with other padawan. “Other than some competency in efficient healing and, well, one specific area of telekinetic force control, I didn't have much else going for me back then.”

Aadihr just remembered Azzie's current status as Padawan, deciding to ask of it: “what about yourself? How has your time as a Padawan under the grandmaster been, what areas have you focused on? What do the Padawan these days do when they're not killing pests in old power plants on Coruscant?”

Aadihr let his curiosity lead. It seemed the order was a much kinder place than when he left, and he yearned to hear it confirmed, that things had gotten better for those in training than the thinly-veiled abuse Aadihr had gone through.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

"That's a little surprising, really." Azurine stated after a quick pause before her filter could really activate to tell her that might not be the best thing to say. From what she knew of Aadihr, he was incredibly charming, kind, and gentle. The idea that he didn't have many people actually trying to impress him or anything of the sort just didn't seem to compute in her brain. It made no sense, not with all of that.

His fluffy, starlight white hair and the air of mystery brought on by the blindfold were just the icing on the proverbial cake. Her amethyst eyes quickly darted to the table at that thought as she stirred at her cup of tea, forcing it to the back of her mind so that maybe she could get the blush to go away.

Her gaze instantly shot up once again. Azzie shook her head in complete disbelief. "Now that has to be a lie. I can see the sheer amount of light in your aura." She searched his aura for any sign he was just being overly humble, her heart sinking a bit when she didn't find it. She reached over to grab his hand and give it a quick squeeze. "It's probably one of the brightest I've seen."

She didn't know what happened in Aadihr's life to make him think that, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let it continue on her watch. Even though her thoughts may have been brought elsewhere by his questions, she left her hand where it was.

"Master Valery Noble has been wonderful to me. She took me in when I thought I had nothing left..." Azzie cut herself off, this time squeezing his hand for her own comfort. "I... uh... I had a lot of combat experience before she found me, so we've been putting a lot of emphasis on my other areas of strength, which are mostly mental, enhancement, or tied to my aura sight somehow. It's a long road, though, and things have slowed a bit considering she's pregnant." She found herself chuckling a little bit to herself, "I'm still not really used to the organization and the formality of everything, and she picked up on that pretty quickly. So less of my training has been in a classroom setting at this point but rather hands-on, which I needed."

A deep curiosity once again entered the fire in her eyes, "What about you? I didn't grow up in a temple. When I came from, we didn't even actually have a formal order, so what was that like?" She asked the question before she could stop herself.

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

LIGHTS LEFT ON

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr couldn't help but feel vulnerable when Azzie grabbed his hand and talked of his aura. It was. . . Not the sort of affection he received frequently, almost the kind of thing he heard from his parents back on Alpheridies. A lifetime away. His thoughts strayed once again to the blindfold his younger sister tied in him the day he left. Bittersweet nostalgia painted him from Azurine’s words.

“I'm glad to hear that your education has been beneficial, if unconventional it sounds like.” He avoided bringing up the combat experience. Iridonian or no, her hesitation betrayed wounds of the heart that were best left undisturbed right now.

“My training? Well - despite it being ‘formal’ it was still significantly directed by a padawan’s mentor. Things were. . . Chaotic back then. The heads of the order had their hands full coordinating with the Galactic Alliance, fighting a war on multiple fronts on top of their own issues driving them into conflict. The, uh, the mentors were largely left unchecked.” That was enough, Aadihr thought. He didn't need to rehash bitter memories that he had already dealt with before. His mentor, Master Felcado, was more of a warlord than a Jedi. Whether intentional or not, the she always managed to escalate a conflict and seemed to revel in each opportunity to beat a foe into submission. Or kill them. Luka was a poor example of a Jedi, and it showed in her training.

Aadihr loosened his grip on Azzie’s hand, not realizing he had gripped tighter.

“As soon as I passed my trials and went through the knighthood ceremony, I left. I took the first ship off Naboo and went to the outer rim. Some part of me wishes I had formed closer connections with the other pupils back then, but. . .” Aadihr let the sentence trail off. Luka would have seen the socialization as slacking in duty, at least until he could keep up in a spar. Most of his interactions with them in fact were sparring. Master Felcado always instructed the others not to hold back, trying to coax some latent gift out of Aadihr, a gift he didn't actually have.

Aadihr drifted in his thoughts.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Aadihr’s words hung in the air, resonating with an unspoken ache that mirrored the bittersweet threads of his memories. Azurine watched him carefully, watching the shift in his aura patterns as his voice grew softer, tinged with a sadness. His grip on her hand had tightened momentarily, and when it loosened around hers, Azzie resisted the urge to tighten her grip in return. It wasn’t the right time.

She wondered what it must have been like for him to walk away from it all, to leave Naboo not in triumph but in search of something more—a place where he could forge his own path, free from the shadow of a mentor that didn't know how to foster a different set of strengths. She couldn't fathom it.

A flicker of something—perhaps anger or sadness, most likely both—spiked through the colors of her aura before she could stop it. Aadihr’s vulnerability stood stark against the image of the stoic, gentle knight he presented. To her, it wasn’t a weakness but a testament to the strength it took to carry those memories and keep moving forward. "Strength without compassion is just... power for its own sake. That's not what a Jedi Knight is supposed to embody."

It wasn’t the right time to press, to dig into the wounds of the past, or to challenge his decision to leave those connections behind. For now, she would let the silence between them settle, offering a quiet understanding that didn’t need to be voiced aloud.

"Maybe those connections you think you missed weren't meant to happen then. Kynn used to tell me all the time that... that there's no such thing as coincidence. It gave us the opportunity to quite literally run into each other, though, right?" She mused her thoughts alloud, then let that gleam of playfulness reenter her expression, and she quickly cracked a joke at her own expense, "The jury's out on whether or not that's actually a good thing for you. I'm a bit of a hothead."

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

REFLECTIONS

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr gently pulled his hand back after hearing Azurine’s kind words - even if she didn't have the full picture, she still tries to relate and comfort, and the gesture did not go unappreciated.

“By now I’m certain our bumping into each other was worth the spilled wine” Aadihr said with a warm smile.

“Now, I believe you owe me a few answers - about that arm of yours. It's fine if you don't want to talk about the events that cost you the arm, but Why is there a force-shielded compartment within? To one like me it looks like an opaque inorganic, which is actually quite rare.” Aadihr let a sly grin reach his lips. This would be payback for the flurry of questions she flooded at him during the gala.

“Also, how do you deal with Kortosis poisoning, I've heard both the material and it's alloys are toxic? And when you say ‘when you are from’ I'm assuming you've spent a stint in Carbonite like the grandmaster has? How long was that?” He was being facetious now, tacking in questions and playfully near-mocking her tone as he thought of more questions. “Also, what is with the facial tattoos, are they cultural or personal? Do they have a meaning? Do you use your horns in combat? What’s your favorite color? Your favorite food? How does a carnivorous species make do with so many other delicious foods to try? Who was your master before you were unfrozen? What do you do in your free time? Do you stay in the temple dorms or have your own ship? What about music - do you listen to any type in particular or play anything? Do the Iridonian's have folk music? Do you mind if I touch your horns?”

Aadihr didn't wait for an answer as he brought his hands up to feel the tips of the bone horns through her hair.

“Do you have to brush around the horns to avoid getting your hair tangled? Do you have spikes elsewhere? Do both your hearts beat faster when you're embarrassed? How does it feel to be barraged by questions like this?”

Aadihr's voice had been growing louder and more playfully aggressive until he practically had to pull back to avoid giving the Padawan a noogie. Like She would act as caregiver for him. He’s had time to process his wounds, and turnabout was fair play.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Azurine was asked about her arm once again, though this time being more specific than the last. She squinted at him, glancing down at it then back again. She was confused as to how he was able to see through it since she had been told it was supposed to be detection proof. She opened her mouth to speak—to at least try to answer his question—but she barely managed to get out a breath and the start of a word before Aadihr had already started speaking again.

At first, Azzie's eyes lit up at the idea that he was possibly excited. However, she quickly noticed the mischievous grin on his face and the patterns of teasing amusement that went through his aura. His questions started to get more and more superficial, and that light slowly but surely faded off.

He's mocking me, isn't he...

The thought crossed her mind, and she found herself crossing her arms in front of her chest and shifting her gaze directly to the table and staring into the tea she had been brought.

Do I really sound like that...?

Azzie's thoughts took a turn rather quicker than she had expected. A self-conscious flare moved through her aura. One that was only made worse the moment he reached out to touch her horns. Her thoughts immediately went back to her teens, leaving her planet to be tormented for her looks under the xenophobic Imperial regime, and she had to stifle her flinch so she wouldn't startle him or look even more awkward.

She couldn't figure out if he was just trying to tease her in that moment, but given how embarrassed she was about how she had been told she could be rather intense or annoying as well as her past, her brain was defaulting to defensive while she fought to keep it from doing that.

"Are you done?" She muttered, her lips having turned into a pout, but she tried to keep that playful fire in her eyes best she could. She had no idea which of those questions he actually wanted an answer to and which of them he was just using as a way to make a joke at her expense. She forced a laugh, the sound a little sharper than she intended, but her wit rushed in to cover the cracks and make whatever joke she could before he had the opportunity to do it in her stead. "You should have joined a theater troupe at one point with how good you are at being able to mimic people. Clearly, you have me down already, but you could have just told me to shut up, you know."

Her eyes returned to the table, trying not to let it get to her. She could see the playfulness clear in his aura, and it took everything she had to push past her insecurity there and match him in that. She still didn't know what he actually wanted to know, and he would have to clarify it. "For the record, my favorite color is golden red, like the sunsets back home, if you really wanted to know. And how do you even know I have tattoos? I didn't think you could see them."

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

SINCERITY

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr saw Azzie's aura slowly shift with insecurity as he continued his questioning. Perhaps she had been ridiculed for her behavior in the past? Aadihr would play dumb. He was not mocking her, and gave her the room necessary to avoid overwhelming her.

She asked if he was done, and Aadihr responded with a mock self-satisfied nod and crossed his arms puffing his cheeks out in feigned indignation.

"You should have joined a theater troupe at one point with how good you are at being able to mimic people. Clearly, you have me down already, but you could have just told me to shut up, you know."

"If I wanted you to shut up, I would have told you to. Now that I want you to talk, you avoid my questions. How convenient." Aadihr spoke, this time mimicking a stereotypical prosecutor interrogating a suspect.

"For the record, my favorite color is golden red, like the sunsets back home, if you really wanted to know. And how do you even know I have tattoos? I didn't think you could see them."

"For the record, yes yes." Aadihr responded, pantomiming taking notes on a napkin. When Azurine asked how he knew she had tattoos Aadihr responded "I'll be asking the questions here!" In a hushed interrogative tone. "Now, about the music - and the hair in your horns. Also, do you have to put caps on your horns when you sleep or do you use some sort of horn-resistant bedding?" Aadihr continued, sipping his tea while staring down the mock-defendant.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Azurine narrowed her eyes at Aadihr, her lips twitching as she fought to maintain the pout she tried to press forward. It wasn’t working. The absurdity of his theatrics—a self-satisfied puffed-cheek act one moment, a mock-serious prosecutor the next—cracked through her defenses. The earlier flicker of insecurity melted away, replaced by the fiery, teasing confidence she usually wore like armor. She could see exactly what he was doing now, and she appreciated his demeanor. He wasn’t trying to truly mock her; he was messing with her.

And stars help her; he was doing it well.

"This prosthetic was designed with stealth tech. The compartment actually holds one of my lightsabers, just in case. As for the cortosis, well I haven’t keeled over yet, but I don’t exactly go around eating the stuff. It's saved my ass a couple of times, though." She allowed the compartment to slide open to show him, before concealing it again.

"Downside is that I can't feel anything with it, which isn't exactly new since it would be like that without it. It just makes my grip strength a little wonky. What happened to my actual arm is a long story, and most people either don't believe it or have no idea as to the context for it because it was so long ago. Over 900 years ago, actually." Azzie paused for a moment to allow what she had just said to really sink in. It tended to take most some time.

"I was born right around the start of the Clone Wars—I don't know how much you know of them—then I spent most of my life fighting in the Rebellion. And I ended up here because of carbonite, yeah. My master was a Pantoran who survived the great purge—" She cut herself off, opting to leave it at that for now.

"My tattoos are traditional to the Iridonian people, actually, and generally vary depending on the person. Mine represent the line of my family clan, the path of the warrior, and the personal call to action I took years ago. I'm proud to wear them, even if I'm the last of my clan. Yes, I use my horns in combat—it's actually pretty fun."

"I, uh... I like metal carving. And flying. I would love to have my own ship. I used to, but there isn't much left of it other than ancient ruins now. Master Valery and Master Jonyna both decided to set up a room for me in their homes that I use, but I tend to bounce between that and a dorm at the Coruscant temple."

Azzie turned her head to the side and pulled her short black hair to the side to expose more of her horns, traveling in a zigzagging pattern around her head where normally only the tops of them could be seen through her hair. "They circle my head, but that's it. I can't use a typical hairbrush. It has to be a fine-tooth comb made from material that won't scratch bone but is tough enough to not break if I catch one. Usually, I just opt to use my fingers near the skull because it's easier, and I'm less likely to catch on anything."

Reaching out, she grabbed Aadihr's hand and placed it over her chest before he could protest, just above her heart—or where a second heart should have been. Her tone was light, but there was a weight behind her words. “Feel that? Just one heartbeat. Yes, we usually have two, but I... lost mine. Another long story, and no, you’re not getting the full version now. Maybe if you beg me sometime, I'll finally cave and tell it." She gave a quick teasing wink, though the longer his hand pressed against her chest, the more she realized maybe the joke was on her as she felt the flush come back to her cheeks.

It was clear now that Azzie wasn’t just brushing off the questions—she was letting herself enjoy the game he decided to play, but on her terms.

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

HEARTBEAT

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr gently moves his hand from her chest to her cheek. He had pieced together she had done a stint in Carbonite from a comment on the state of the temples when she was from, but he hadn't expected 900 years. Her answers to his mundane questions and the brightening of her aura gave him more insight into who she was than any of her painful history.

He wouldn't ask about the pantoran, and he couldn't imagine the pain of living any time near the purge of what was now ancient history. He was thankful for every little answer that shared the finer details of what modern padawan's life was like.

Aadihr gave a genuinely warm smile and replied "Thank you, none of your answers will be used against you in a court of law.", maintaining the joke despite the change in atmosphere. Aadihr's heart was pounding, he realized.

He avoided anxiously pulling away, not wanting to inflict further self doubt in Azzie, instead moving his hand from her cheek to brush a steal lock of hair over one of her horns and behind her ear, like she had described before he returned his hand to bring his tea to his lips. It was cold by now, but Aadihr didn't mind.

"I suppose you've given me much more in terms of answers than I've given you, so I guess I'll have to owe you one the next time a question comes to mind, yeah? I can't promise my answers will be as interesting as yours, but I'll answer them all the same."

Aadihr smiled, happy to have a friend whom he didn't have to run away from for the first time in years, her peaceful flow through the force like a warm ray of sun on a chilly day.

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing/Armor | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber 1 | Lightsaber 2 | Hook Swords

Just when Azurine thought she had won this game of back and forth they seemed to be playing, Aadihr pulled his hand away from her without so much as a mention of the fact that she was pretty certain he had already known she was missing a heart. Only for him to press it against her cheek instead. The warmth in his touch, so gentle and genuine, left her momentarily disarmed. Her heart pounded so fast she could have sworn she was running a marathon, and her stomach suddenly felt tight once again. She immediately explained it all away internally, her mind refusing to think on it much further than friendly teasing given the presence of his playful smirk.

In a game of Djarik, this would absolutely be considered a check.

She huffed a small, breathy laugh at his joke, a flicker of amusement breaking through the lingering silence and giving her something to focus her playfulness on. "Well, good thing I don’t plan on incriminating myself—unless, of course, sarcasm is a crime now. In that case, I plead guilty." She teased, trying to direct attention to anything else.

Azzie's gaze followed the motion of Aadihr's hand as he moved her hair from around one of her horns and behind her ear, her amethyst eyes going wide. The heat grew on her face, making it turn a bright shade of pink, and her gaze locked with the blindfold across his face that covered his lack of physical eyes. For a moment, she let herself simply exist in the warmth of the moment, the walls she so carefully maintained around her heart cracking just a little more.

...And checkmate.

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, but it hummed with unspoken questions, lingering in the space between them. Azzie wanted to say something, anything, to break it, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. She was so used to physical touch, so much so that her personal bubble was mostly nonexistent with anyone she considered a friend. Maybe she was just coming down with a stomach bug or something.

Yeah. That had to be it!

“Careful,” she said finally, her tone teasing but her voice softer than usual, “offering answers like that might just get you into trouble."

Azzie quickly grabbed her tea and took another quick sip. "Do you have a favorite color? Any hobbies you love?" She paused, thinking. Eventually, her lips curled into a sly and playful smirk of her own. "What's the most outrageous thing you've ever done? And I don't mean something generic like sneaking out. I mean the craziest situation you've ever been in. Well, unless you've never actually gotten yourself into anything entertaining." She joked, adding a little jab as a clear challenge, leaning in and resting her head on her hands with mischief clear in her eyes. Azzie watched him intently, her gaze a mix of wonder and curiosity.

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

"Do I have a favorite color?"
Aadihr repeated the question, letting it sit with a smile on his face. "I'll let you know when I see one." He finally answered, purposefully being difficult.

"As for hobbies, well. I guess sticking my nose in other people's business counts as a hobby, but otherwise..." Aadihr grew a bit self conscious admitting this "people watching, I guess. Have you ever experienced Far-Seeing? Seeking through the force at locations far from your physical self? With the way I see the galaxy, its came to me rather intuitively. There's always something interesting to see when you can can let your gaze wander to around the tapestry of people's souls interacting with one another."

"As for the craziest thing I've done - assuming spying on strangers doesn't count, there was this one time I was in a cantina on Tatooine and a Devaronian walked in with a jar of Bantha milk-" Aadihr cut himself off. It was too soon for that story. "Actually, nevermind, I've never gotten into any trouble whatsoever. I'll tell you the rest of that story when you're a knight" Aadihr promised.

He pondered a moment. "What are colors in visible light like? What color are your eyes?"

Azurine Varek​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Fire, Meet Ice

Outfit: Clothing | Glove | Right Arm | Talisman
Weapons: Lightsaber (hidden in arm compartment)

Azurine tilted her head, a quick embarrassment coming across her cheeks. She hadn't even thought about the blind thing when she had asked, and she probably should have.

Her lips twitched upward into a sly smile, though pretty soon after, leaning even further onto her hands
Her gaze looked almost as if she was staring directly into his soul. “Let me get this straight—you’re going to withhold what’s probably one of the best stories you’ve got just because I’m not a knight yet? If you really think I'm that young, then that’s low, Aadihr.” She teased, the spark of her curiosity already lit.

"It's also unfair because you left that question unanswered. So if you don't tell me at least one story, then you lose by default, and I get to hold it over your head until the Iridonian sun dies out." More bait, but at the same time, she wasn't lying. If he decided to just play dumb and not answer with something, she would never let him live it down. It didn't even have to be the story he started with.

She sat back again, her smile growing at the small spark of interest that crossed his face. “I would have imagined seeing the galaxy through the Force, the way you do, must feel like seeing a thousand colors all at once, though. Probably more vibrant than any visible light could ever be."

The genuine curiosity in his voice sent a warmth through her, rejuvenating her own. “Well,” she started, her tone lighter again, “visible light colors are... hard to describe. It’s not just what they look like; it’s how they make you feel. Like...” She glanced away, searching for the words. "Take blue, for example. It can be calm, like the sky on a clear day, or cold, like ice. Yellow, that’s sunlight—it’s warmth and laughter and the kind of brightness that makes you squint." She chuckled a bit.

"My ... eyes?" Azzie was caught off guard once again, the flustered appearance coming over her face. "Would you want to see what I look like...?" She asked, her gaze cast to the ground. She had been meaning to attempt this again, projecting full images from herself to another. Of course, she would have to have direct contact with him to do so, so she started to pull the glove that she always had off of her remaining biological hand.

"I'm not sure if it'll work; I've only succeeded in it a couple of times... and if you have anything you would rather keep hidden, you should be warned that I might see some things from you as well."

Aadihr Lidos​

 

[Aadihr Lidos]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Weapons: Walking stick / Lightsaber Pike

Aadihr reached out and placed a hand in Azurine's wrist. "There's no need for that. I'm not the kind of guy to exchange psychometry in the first date" Aadihr joked, trying to keep the mood light despite his own reluctance and her brief hesitance. Too many variables with that kind of reading, and the lack of confidence from Azzie led him to believe she didn't have the kind of control necessary to reliably convey a though without unwanted details.

Aadihr withdrew a bit, partially for his own comfort and partially to enforce the boundary he has drawn. "If I tell you the rest of the story I need an oath you will not repeat a word of it to anyone else. Do we have a deal?" At Azzie's nod, he leaned in and told the second half of the tale, lurid and disgusting and ending with a very angry Devaronian pursuing Aadihr off-world.

"Anyway, that's why you always check if Bantha milk is blue before you drink it" Aadihr concluded, leaning back to his side of the table, finishing the last of his tea.

"This has been a lovely chat, Azurine, but I think both our 'debts' are now paid in full." Aadihr made as if to stand, realizing partway through he had no place to go, no home to return to nor transit shuttle to catch to wander to the next world.

He paused for a second, half upright. The temples would always house him, but he didn't know if he could bring himself to return to the dorms. Unpleasant memories lingered - surely another alley would serve... But he did need to wash his clothes, and a proper bed and shower called to him.

With a quiet voice, Aadihr swallowed his pride and fears; "I. . . I need a place to sleep." Shame set in, even if he had been wandering without a home for four years, confessing to another was never easy. A homeless Jedi was not the reputation he wanted spread as his first impression. Aadihr had come to trust Azurine enough to ask for help, trusted her not to spread stories about him to the others. Even so, he found it difficult to voice the words. "Do you know the dorm manager at the temple? Would you... Would you be willing to help me find a place to stay?"

Aadihr averted his face. He was asking a Padawan for help, but he should be the one providing support. In truth, Aadihr was paralyzed by his own actions and knew nobody else. He didn't want to drive away the only friend he had made, but he had no one else to turn to either, nobody he would be comfortable confessing he had an issue with at least.

Azurine Varek​