Tis the Season [SJO Winter Ball]

[Riggs]

Walking through the festive grounds littered with snow and other decorations was to be a joyous occasion. On the light breeze that stirred the fresh powdering of newly fallen snow could be heard the slight sounds of carolling to complete the experience. It was a time for frivolity and enjoyment, a time of healing, a time of relaxation.

A time of mischief, friendly of course.

A smile touched my lips as I move along, each step leaving an imprint in the snow along the path as my carefree meanderings led aimlessly along. A snow field lay directly beside the skating rink, several tossing hand fulls of snow or pirouetting upon the ice with grace. Sensing [member="Kitrine Corsair"] moving among the bodies I pause and let my eyes fall across the forms until they light upon her.

Careful sis, I hear that ice isn't as solid as it appears ...

I allow a playful tone to creep along our connection as briefly I considered on sabotaging the ice rink and sending the participants falling into freezing water. The amusement would not meet with the potential punishment as I had all but heralded my intention to Kit, who wouldn't turn me in, but wouldn't be able to conceal her knowledge of my involvement.

Sighing I move on to find a warm cider to warm up. To say I wasn't affected by the season would be a lie. The heavy weight of responsibility and expectation that usually hung pregnant upon the order seemed to of been lifted, even if momentarily. And I, for one, was planning on taking advantage of the sense of ease.

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Location: Main Hall ~​

~ Status: Jolly ~​

~With: Idris Rozveeil ~​

~ Tag: [member="Rhane Varless"] ~​

​

"Loukoumades," Eustachya gently corrected. "I will extend your praise to my mother next I see her." The young Jedi initiate did not have any inkling when she might return to Sargus Novis, but Jestrista would surely love the news that a god, as she would probably assume every offworlder was just as the natives had deified Jyoti, enjoyed her cooking. "It is her recipe." That it was, just more common substitutes for many of the traditional ingredients. Though, no one but Eustachya seemed to notice. With that, she looked over to Idris, signaling him to speak. As he did, she would glance between him and Rhane, nursing her hot cocoa again and grinning gently, intent with simply listening for now.

"Currently?" asked the Ranger rhetorically. "Here for some basic infantry training. I've recently transferred over from the Spacies. My last dogfight was a month ago over Commenor." Momentarily, his easy-going nature dropped off his face in favor of a brief traumatized stare. Eustachya looked up, hyperaware of his short but uncharacteristic pause. Quickly, though, Idris composed himself once again. "I, uh, let's just say I'm keen on keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground from now on." He nodded, leaving it at that. "I'm raring to get back out there in a new capacity, though."

Idris trailed off again, allowing Eustachya to pick back up. "No, no, not a chef, a padawan..." She paused momentarily to ponder her statement. "Actually, I suppose technically no longer because I am looking for a new master. I was recruited by Grandmaster Nooran and began to train under her as a Shadow. She is an impressive woman, I mean no offense, but--"

Then it was his turn to show concern for her; Idris extended his hand and placed it on her shoulder in an offer of comfort. "Like I told her, there's no harm in a change of pace if you recognize your limits, am I right, Master?"

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Location: Main Hall
Allies: Jason DragonsFlame, [member="Riamah"], [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

With all that had been going on lately, a time to rest and have a bit of fun again was certainly appreciated. Having been taking a more prominent and responsibility-filled role as of late, Josh had certainly had a lot on his plate. As much as anyone, he was happy to have the day to go out and spend with the rest of the Silvers and friends.

After Jason was all ready and dressed, Josh would enter the festivities, holding Jason by the hand. Smiling toward [member="Riamah"] who was here as their guest as a Hand ally, Josh would begin to lead them toward the Main Hall where they had arranged their little meeting. As they went, Josh recognized a few familiar faces. He would first greet [member="Hyonu Ye"] with a light clap on the shoulder. He had noticed that the man seemed to be a bit down, a bit grumpy, but also seemingly a bit nervous. Nervous was Doctor Ye's default emotion though, but he seemed to be moreso than usual. The reason why appeared to be in his hand, which Josh noticed quickly. Now, Josh had been on a few missions with Doctor Ye, and he was not entirely unaware of the looks he'd given someone on staff during those times, or the times he'd done his best to work with them. Nor how more nervous than usual he'd gotten with them. And Josh knew how Doctor Ye was when he got serious, so he knew the difference fairly well by now. Josh didn't actually know the likely subject of Doctor Ye's attention very well, as she was barely an acquaintance, but Josh at least recognized his eyes and working with that specific someone, and how he'd changed when he was around them.

Granted, Josh was just making a guess, but he had the feeling that the man's demeanour had a reason in this case. So when he clapped him on the shoulder, he gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure whoever that's for will be delighted to receive it" He spoke softly. "Happy holidays to you, Doctor Ye. Thank you for all you've done for us this year."

Someone he hadn't seen in some time was [member="Allyson Locke"] who he could sense was somewhere in the area. Wanting to go out of his way to leave the main hall and go find her, but knowing that he had his own business to attend to, Josh would instead reach out through his senses until his consciousness touched that of Miss Locke. Odds were, she'd be off with Jyoti anyway. Though he hadn't sensed Grandmaster Nooran's presence yet.

"Happy holidays, Ally!" Would ring into Locke's subconsciousness. "I wish you and Jyoti the best this year, tell her I said hello! We'll all catch up over some drinks later, I'd love to know what you've been up to!"

As Josh, Ra and Jason would move through the main hall, Josh would continue looking for their quarry. The bar came into sight as well as the food, and Jason's attention immediately moved toward the food as Josh noticed when Jason's weight began to shift. "We'll get some grub once we've met up with your aunty" Josh would promise Jason. Jason turned to stare at him with a look of "which aunty?" before Josh would respond with "Porgianna" to the child's delight.

They passed the bar, and They passed the bar, and Josh would catch sight of [member="Celeste Rigel"] and [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] together. An interesting pair, he noted. He shot the both of them a wave with intention to visit them later.

Finally he would find who he was looking for. Madalena ( [member="Scherezade deWinter"] ) had arrived at the main hall before them, and Josh would smile as he greeted her.

"Maddy!"

 

[WelshPsych]

Enjoying his drink slowly, Yuroic noticed Celeste approach the bar and greet him. He was unfamiliar with the woman, he hadn't met her before but there were mention of her name in passing with others. He was surprised that she knew his name at all, Yuroic was not that high ranking and his achievements were not loud or worthy of boasting in his mind. He just did what was required of him when the time came. Yuroic gave a small bow to the Master and a small smile. "It is a pleasant evening so far but the night is young, I'm sure that there might be a few young Knights or Padawans who end up having a bit too much to drink. I hope you and your partner have a nice night as well though." He chuckled to himself, remembering the first time he had noticed his former Padawan [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] it was at a party where her and some other Padawans drank too much and needed escorting to their rooms.

Letting Celeste return to her partner, he was greeted by another new face, one he recognised but had not seen awhile. Yuroic offered a warm smile to the woman, "I am not a Master yet, Syd. Just call me, Yuroic. The evening has only just begun but Winter is always a pleasant time of the year so I look forward to seeing how the night progresses. How is your evening going?" He could tell that the woman was tense and offered a calm aura from his presence to help calm any nerves that she had. He remembered whenever he returned from his self-inflicted exiles, it was hard to socialise and cope in big gatherings like this one would be tonight.

He noticed that the Main Hall was starting to pick up with activity, Josh had joined the hall with his son and two lady friends. Yuroic offered a wave to the Master of the Order and also felt the presence of one Allyson Locke, he wondered if he should seek her out, to apologise for his spice-induced behaviour. However, he decided against it, it was not the time or place for such a thing. He would wait for that, at least that was what Yuroic decided. Taking a long sip of his drink, Yuroic watched the party unfold in the Main Hall as he enjoyed the nice atmosphere that was happening.

[member="Celeste Rigel"] | [member="Syd Celsius"] | [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Riamah"] | [member="Allyson Locke"]

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"Next, let's take care of the gravy: my favorite is the red wine and mushroom gravy. Let's begin with mincing mushrooms. The recipe will require some mushrooms, onions, red wine, flour"

Now that the turkeys were cooking in the pyrokinetic oven, Varindar could focus on preparing the gravy. As she did it many times over, especially in the early stages of her career as a gourmet chef, she first cut the mushrooms into cubes small enough for gravy, and same went with the onions. She would then put some red wine into a different pan, whose molecules began to get excited, and once the pan was hot enough, it was then that she added in the flour and, after that, the mushrooms and the onions. I am running the kitchens of six five-star restaurants for a reason; I'd still be an executive chef of one of them even if I didn't own the hotels they were in. Maybe the Barkhesh Culinary Academy could invite me at some point, Varindar thought, knowing that there were few complaints related to the food, but the restaurant on Trandosha had more complaints about pricing than any three of her Corellian restaurants combined. Then came the final realization of the gravy, which she knew that [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] would smell from a pretty long distance, and same would go of the turkeys.

 

[Finley Dawson]

Wearing: X-wing -themed Homely Holiday Sweater w/ jeans and other appropriate winter gear.

While quaint in appearance, the Comet was chock full of features. High-performance ion jets, deicers, advanced force field generators, etc. However, for the Corellian, one feature stood out among the rest.

A hot cocoa maker.

Frakking hot cocoa on demand! It was an unusual appliance to see on a personal speeder, but it was fitting for the whole theme of the Comet. Who could say no to a hot beverage while cruising through the winter skies? Finley certainly couldn't, wasting little time fixing a cup. In another surprise, he found that it poured different varieties of hot cocoa. From mint to chili infused. Just like with his ale, the Corellian enjoyed his drinks with a kick of spice, so he chose cinnamon and with loads of extra cream.

The machine got to work, first pouring a large shot of hot frothing cocoa into a tall green cup (it was labeled "venti" on the side for some reason), then several dollops of heavy cream. Finally, all this was topped off with sprinkling chocolate shavings and cinnamon on top.

Finley let out a content after taking the cup for a sip, the creamy blend with just the right mix of sweetness and spiciness. It was a nice way to spend his time waiting for Daphne. He had been a bit surprised whe she had invited him to join her at the winter ball, but it was a welcome one all the same. He probably still would have gone, but stuck to passing out presents in the main hall.

Did this count as a work party, or a date, he wasn't quite sure. He pondered the question over a few more sips of cocoa.

 

[Riamah]

The former sith had stopped calling herself that a lifetime ago or at least it seemed that long. That empire had destroyed her life and she turned her back on them, severing all ties to them. Now spending far more time with her friends and Josh, she had invited him to join her for a party. Now it was his turn and he invited her to join him and his friends.

Her party had been something more like a casual gathering, meeting and just hanging out. It turned out, the Silver's put on something more formal and Ra had certainly come prepared. Having once been told she would probably look good in emerald, she was giving that color a try.

She picked a gown that shimmered in the light and had one shoulder bared. On the other was a sash that connected to the dress with a jeweled brooch. Walking with Josh and Jason, she was feeling a bit naked. Not having brought any weapons was odd to her, but she wanted to gain the trust of his friends. Why not go in wearing no weapons? Besides if anything bad were to happen, it wasn't going to be her starting anything.

Walking next to Josh, they entered the Hall and he made some small talk with a few people while she was just his silent companion. They moved on and Josh said who he was looking for. Ra didn't know the entire story of their relationship, but had the feeling there was more to it than what they had told her. Maybe the whole story would become known to her in time.

Seeing the face of Jason light up though was nice and Ra could tell he liked Madalena.

"Nice to see you again."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Black Dress | Honey Boo Prototype Combat Boots
Tags: [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] [member="Riamah"]
Location: Main Hall

As she waited, one of the waiters passed by with a tray of drinks. Madalena wanted to abandon her vow of no drinking at all considering the hellish events of the days before, and her hand reached for one of the tall glasses of bubbly drinks. She was just about to take a sip from it as well when she felt the familiar presences of Josh and Jason approaching. She put the drink away and plastered a smile on her face, one that would also be given to Riamah, who now was there with every social interaction she had with Josh. Madalena had no problem with that and she felt a certain fondness for the woman, but she did plan on asking Josh for some quality time alone when they both had the time for it. There were things she couldn't talk with him about when others were around.

But since Jason was there, that meant that Josh and Riamah got ignored for a moment as she went down on a knee, not caring about her dress, and gave the kid a great big bear-hug. "Hey kiddo," she whispered before giving him a kiss on the cheek and then standing up, offering Josh the same hug, and a friendly nod to Riamah, who would be receiving hugs in the future when they knew each other a little better.

"Where I'm from we say Merry Sithmas," she said with a little smile, "how am I supposed to give season's greetings here?"

 

[Rhane Varless]

Location: Main Hall (Socializing)
Tags: [member="Eustachya"]

Rhane listened to the two with genuine interest. The pair had such different stories and ways of behaving, it was truly fascinating. He nodded and grunted positively when Eustachya revealed the name of the pastry. Rhane was a fan of anyone who could create such delicacies with such consistency. His experiments with creating food did not normally go as planned, making him envious of anyone whose did.

''Well perhaps I could meet her one day and have a few lessons!'' he enthusiastically suggested. He turned to Idris next, listening to his details about stationing and recent battles. The soldier seemed obviously disturbed with his recent space battle, Rhane hoped that infantry would treat him better.

"I'm raring to get back out there in a new capacity, though."

''Well, you're more than welcome to request a transfer to my fleet as either airborne infantry or a naval officer. We could use some new blood, lost a lot of good men over Corellia.'' Rhane said solemnly, seeing visions of turbolasers striking his various ships and starfighters being demolished in swaths. War was unforgiving, especially in the cold, noiseless void of space. Those like Idris who chose to join were admirable, especially when the SJO had millions of droids which could do his exact job. Honor and patriotism was obviously still present and alive today in some men's hearts. He turned to the girl.

"No, no, not a chef, a padawan..." She paused momentarily to ponder her statement. Rhane looked pleasently surprised and suddenly noticed the aura she carried around her, obviously a force user. "Actually, I suppose technically no longer because I am looking for a new master. I was recruited by Grandmaster Nooran and began to train under her as a Shadow. She is an impressive woman, I mean no offense, but--"

"Like I told her, there's no harm in a change of pace if you recognize your limits, am I right, Master?"

''Of course. I'm not a big fan of the Shadows myself to be quite frank.'' Rhane looked around to see who might be eavesdropping on the conversation.

''I suppose the spy work and covert missions is admirable, but the-'' Rhane trailed off, leaning into the pair and lowering his voice. ''-destruction of artifacts has never held a place for a Jedi to commit. During the time before the Clone Wars, some Jedi were even apprehensive about having a standing army, much less commanding battalions of soldiers. However, that has obviously changed, the turning point being the battle of Geonosis.'' Rhane said, showing of off one of his strengths, a vast knowledge of history. When not exercising, the besalisk spent hours in the library or watching educational videos of the history of the galaxy.

''Having a padawan is difficult though. I once had one, Novan Kolski. A smart lad, quick thinking and strong, also willing to take on any challenge.'' Rhane remembered Novan fondly, but a deep frown came across his face. ''Until he disappeared from the temple, never have figured out what happened to him. Disinterest in the Jedi at best, abduction from a warring faction at worse...'' he trailed off, obviously solemn.

''However, if you're looking for a Master, I certainly am up for the challenge.'' the sadness and solemness dissappeared from his face as he smiled at the padawan.

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Oh wow.

Daphne stepped outside, instantly marveling at the festive décor that adorned Silver Rest. With the snow-capped mountains and frosty trees, it was all quite a wintry sight. It certainly did make her feel jolly, a large smile spread across her face.

Dressed in an awesome sweater, scarf, and home-made beanie, Daphne walked out towards the landing pad. She'd asked a friend and fellow archivist to accompany her tonight. Still rather new here, she figured the winter ball would be much more fun with company.

Spotting her fellow librarian sitting in a comet speeder, Daphne offered an enthusiastic wave.

“Hey!” She called, “Thanks for coming.”

It was then that she noticed the hot beverage [member="Finley Dawson"] was enjoying.

“Wooly nerf burgers!” She exclaimed, “Is that... a hot cocoa maker?”

Climbing into the comet speeder, she took a moment to bundle her scarf around her neck, until it came up to her mouth. She reached out with mitten-clad hands, but was unable to work the buttons to make the cocoa maker function.

“Help a friend out?” She asked, lofting her brows at Finley, voice muffled by layers of crochet.

 

[Drystan Marakos]

Location: Ice-Skating Rink
Nearby: [member="Allyson Locke"] [member="Kitrine Corsair"]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The hustle & bustle of the courtyard festivities were joyful; the warmth of companionship balanced by a chill in the air - the seasons had changed, inexorably, toward winter. Night had begun to fall and there was much laughter & conversation humming in the background... Children & adults alike gathered about the ice-skating rink, or found themselves drawn to a number of burning fire-pits about, warming themselves. Steaming cups of hot cocoa, coffee, cider, or tea were on offer.

Drystan had arrived a bit later to the ball, having been away off-world. Bundled up as she was against the cold, the tip of her nose and ears were red from the chill... Snow crunched beneath her feet as she stepped through an archway, entering the courtyard. She couldn't help but smile.. a faint, private expression, shared with no-one in particular. It was good to be home.

Her first stop was a tiny table tucked in a warm corner beneath a stone walk-way; she retrieved a cup of hot cider (a favorite of hers) then slowly walked amongst the beautiful winter wonderland until she found herself approaching the skating rink.

She wasn't too far away when Allyson took her first tumble on the ice... Drystan saw, but it took her a moment to recognize her friend & fellow agent.

The blonde Jedi said nothing as she approached, leaning against a separating wall which kept random passersby from stepping onto the dangerous icy floor by surprise. "That's it, girl!" She said, her breath leaving her lips in a poof of white steam. At least Ally stayed upright!

 

[Drystan Marakos]

(Please disregard!!!)

 

[Samara Raine]

Main Hall
[member="Kahne Porte"], any
______________

This time of year was always hard for Samara especially this one as it marked the tenth anniversary of her first master's death. She didn't particularly feel like being festive, but as a Jedi the Liann knew she needed to release the melancholy feelings and move on. And, that is what the young Jedi doctor would do.

There was so much to be thankful for - obtaining Knighthood for one thing, and being accepted into the Silver Circle as a full practicing healer in which Samara had worked very hard to achieve. She was humbled yet proud of her accomplishment when initially the youngling was pegged to go into the AgriCorps. Who wouldn't be, right?

Dressed in a wine red, lace up sweater with flare sleeves paired with black slacks and ankle boots, the honey blonde made her way to the Main Hall. Sea green eyes peered around the room in awe. It was decorated so beautifully. How could it not lift someones spirits? She stood by the still unlit holiday tree and just gazed at all the amazing ornaments that hung from the branches.

 

[Syd Celsius]

"Oh, its this damned pair of nutcases I've been trailing the past few days on Corellia. Invasions barely over and as usual all of the weirdos start to rear their heads, take a sniff, and see what kind of trouble they can get up to while everyone is distracted...in this case..." Syd muttered, flicking the lighter on and inhaling the flame into her mouth.

"Free Leucotomies. But the business always gets nasty around the winter season, but still, its strange...they copied the calling card of this cult I had to deal with back during the Plague--"

Syd stopped herself. She hadn't really told anyone much about herself. She was simply, an odd entity with an odd signature interested in fighting dark adepts. That was more than she had really let slip in the past few months.

"Yuroic..." she asked slowly and quietly, making a flame construct of a bird dance on her finger before letting it fly into her mouth like one would toss a piece of popcorn, switching topics. "May I ask you how you...find meaning in life? Its a question I've been forced to ask myself as I've returned to active duty. I...I'm not like many in the order. I wasn't found by the Master and trained. No woman pushed me from her womb. I was...made...and from the moment of my creation, all I have done with my life is destroy dark adepts...

She was shocked she was speaking so openly, but the party, and that calming aura [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] exuded had caused her to let her guard down.

"I never questioned my purpose, Yuroic. Not in all the time I was active back then. And then...I come out of...'retirement'..."

Syd paused, thinking for a second of what to say.

You are a slave. You will die a slave.

That damned first Sith she had ever killed. She'd never even bothered to get his name. Those had been some of his last words. She hadn't thought about them after that night. Not for the first twenty-five year span, anyway.

But over three hundred years in an amber prison had given her plenty of time to think about his words. And Syd hadn't gone one day without hearing those words at least once or twice in her mind. Was that his strategem? Did he say it merely to hurt her?

Syd hadn't felt much personal hate for her from the Sith, during their one and only duel. Just desperation to escape with his life, not understanding what he had helped create, exactly.

She had never questioned the order to kill him. It had been like zipping a jacket. One doesn't think hard about it.

Syd got the uncomfortable sense that he had seen her fate coming better than she had.

A stranger, odder idea crossed her mind in that instant she was speaking to Xeraic.

The Sith had taunted her from the grave for years now. But what if there had been a dual purpose?

What if...what if it had been a form of reverse psychology?

What if the Sith had said the only thing he could think of to try and make her prove him wrong?

Syd buried the theory, and continued in the second all that had crossed her mind.

"And suddenly, I realize I'm not sure if my life really has as much meaning as I thought it did. I commited to helping the Silver Jedi...but...I don't know what good personal goals are...I was never made for that...this is the second time I've even talked this much about myself...you ever have that problem? Not knowing what you're good for outside you're purpose?" She asked sincerely, not at all used to trying to relate to others.

 

[Kahne Porte]

Main Hall
[member="Samara Raine"]

Winter had arrived, while Kahne had never been on Kashyyyk when it snowed. In truth he was quite happy to be here to see it. The Jedi Master entered the main hall as he brushed off some snow from his shoulders and took a deep breath before glancing around and taking a small respectful nod to those that had cast a casual glance his way. Kahne had arrived for the festivities and also the primary reason was to see his old student and someone he really cared about. Samara had done much to improve her standing with the Jedi populace and for the people of the galaxy. While he had took it upon himself to train her, however there was little more that he could teach her.

Kahne moved forward and then he noticed Samara standing in front of a festival trees and he just chuckled and shook his head. Kahne moved up behind her and just lightly tapped her shoulder. "You seem lost Samara?" The Jedi said teasing her a little bit.

 

[KitKat]

Location: Ice rink
Near: [member="Drystan Marakos"] @ Allyson Locke

Careful sis, I hear that ice isn't as solid as it appears...
Kit smirked at her brother’s comment in the Force. What’s the matter? Are you scared?

She teased as she did a loop around the whole ice rink. Some other skaters were starting to come on the rink, which was exciting. She could smell one had warm cider. It smelled amazing. Kit zoomed by, following the edge of the rink in a large circle.

 

[KitKat]

Location: Snow Covered Grounds
Searching for: [member="Zedious"]


Winter was a cruel time of year. So many natural things were killed by harsh frosts or frigid temperatures, and yet as always the people of the galaxy found a way to cope. Yellowing eyes were narrowed against the bitter cold as the man walked through the snow in the forests.

He had been most interested to receive his invitation. It had been so long since he had seen his sister, though Daxium wasn’t certain he wanted to see her. Their last encounter had been troubling for the man and resulted in the destruction of him home. The thought made him growl.

Despite his unease at the situation he had heard tale that he had a niece and nephew. The mercenaries no doubt, but before any conclusions could be drawn Dax needed to set eyes upon these… unexpected… family members.

 

[KitKat]

please ignore my double post

 

[Celeste Rigel]

Celeste gave a nod as Yuroic turned to address another guest, and she had a seat back at the side of her husband. Out of the corner of her eye, she had spotted [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] enter and she offered her fellow master a small wave of greeting. As she returned her attention to Asher Rigel, just in time to see him checking the time.

“We haven't even been here that long,” She said with a chuckle, sipping her champagne.

But, truth be told... she was looking at the clock as well. It was difficult to be away from their son, even if time to themselves was hard to come by now. Celeste sighed softly, alerting Asher to her feelings. It was his turn to chuckle.

“You miss him already, don't you?” He asked, shaking his head. “I do, too.”

Celeste tipped her glass to her husband, he had a keen eye.

“You're right,” She said, “But we ought to stick around a little longer – we should see the tree lighting, at least.”

Asher nodded, and together the two sipped their drinks.

 

[Ciana Teigra]

Location: Main Hall
Wearing: A conservative black winter dress and a Life Day cap.

As per usual, Ciana was the last to arrive behind Hyonu, but she had a good reason this time. She wasn't alone, the doctor surrounded by a small gaggle of other Kiribians - her extended family. A mixed bunch of Echani, human, and everything in between. She held onto one small giggling boy in her arms, who himself carried a small box covered in blue and silver foil wrapping.

"Hyonu?" she inquired as she spotted the tall lanky man standing off alone near the entrance of to the main hall, looking ornery as the Grinch. The workaholic would have been content to spend the holidays in his lab, but all that had gotten shut down for the week.

That was all her doing.

Ciana flashed a smile.

"Thanks for waiting," she said with a small bow of her head. "I was helping my relatives settle in - they only just arrived this afternoon."

The toddler in her hand looked between Ciana and Hyonu, pointing at the older man's floppy hat, then gave out a new round of giggles.

"It appears my nephew has taken a liking in your fashion sense."

[member="Hyonu Ye"] [member="Rhane Varless"] [member="Celeste Rigel"] [member="Eustachya"] [member="Varindar Asyt"] [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Matsu Ike"] [member="Yuroic Xeraic"]