Tis the Season [SJO Winter Ball]

[Pash Tafo]

They became comfortable in the small alcove, the nook was filled with the pleasant scent of the tree, while the din of the party behind the doors down the hall was kept at bay so they could converse more privately. Pash turned to his plate, the turkey upon which Pash dined was exquisite, a far cry from the meal bars he ate enroute to Kashyyk, and when Eustachya proved no offense at his eating, he enjoyed the meat as she spoke.

It only took a few phrases for the Matukai to discern the emotional tug of war with which his friend struggled. He could soon see something was wrong, and things had not gone so well in his absence. Eustachya revealed the source of her internal strife, a very personal conflict that affected her at the core of who she was.

Placing his fork down, Pash afforded Eustachya his full attention. He did not take lightly her confessions, and felt honored that she shared her trials with him. The Novian posed a question, one Pash felt compelled to answer, for he wished to help her find peace with her conundrum. It was a subject that would put him at an oblique angle to his companion for, as her religion was bent on avoiding violence and war, Pash's embraced and engendered warfare as a means to repel darkness, even above that of the jedis

"Stach," Pash began, leaning forward as his last bite was swallowed. "There is nothing idiotic about being faithful to your beliefs." He encouraged. "They are what make you who you are. To change who you are would be a tragedy." His gaze darted to the tree between them, before finding the Novian woman's eyes again. "Have you discussed this with the masters? Surely, there are roles that would suite you, ones that do not put you in the position to fight. You are gifted, Stach, and you bring good things to the Order."

[member="Eustachya"]

 

[Domino]

"Thanks," Domino said with a weak smile as she took the box. Looking at it, she tried to decide what to do with it. She didn't have any pockets and she wasn't sure she should open it here. With a sigh she concentrated for a moment and then shifted it so her hands were empty again. "I've been practicing," she said with a dismissive shrug. "So, now that you've drawn me out, you going to introduce me to anyone or am I to flounder on my own?"
[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Domino"]

The jedi master looked at her and spoke. "Now now you know I would never leave you to flounder around on your own and then swoop in to save you from an awkward situation and look to be the big hero." THe jedi master said it and smiled to Domino with a look as she moved one hand and brought them both up a little higher to overlook. " Well first we have [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] one of the jedi knights with talent." She observed her a little. "You know [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] from before." Her hand spread out. "There is [member="Celeste Rigel"] who works with some of the healers within the SJO." A look on her face while she was motioning. "[member="Drystan Marakos"] works with the silver shadows they are... different then normal shadows but interesting all of the same." She could see two others and there was always some she hadn't met around. "[member="Eustachya"] and [member="Kiso"] are known to me but I have not personally met them."

 

[Riamah]

The topic of the almost blow up was dropped thankfully and Ra relaxed again to try and enjoy herself here. In the company of Josh and Madalena, she was sure that would happen. His reaction (or lack of it) worked well and he asked about Madalena getting Life Day itself off. Looking at their mutual friend, she waited to hear the answer.

Squeezing his hand slightly when he wanted to include her in his family's celebration, Ra knew what her answer was going to be. As if there was any doubt to it, Ra was still glad he thought to ask her. Looking down at her feet for a moment and back up at him with a large smile, she nodded.

"I would be happy to join you and your family, Josh. If you think they want me along as well."

Looking back to Madalena as she answered, she nodded.

"Puts food on the table though doesn't it? There was a time in my life when I needed to take any job offered just to get my next meal. Is that the case with you as well?"

There was no shame in her voice as she spoke. Just simple honesty, she had come a long way since those days, but they were a part of her past. Not one to turn away assistance if it was needed, Madalena was a friend and Ra would help her if it was needed. When she said she wasn't sure if she could get Life Day off, she shrugged slightly and accepted the answer.

"The best is all anybody can ask for."

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

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Tag: [member="Pash Tafo"] ~​

Eustachya allowed herself to slouch slightly back in her chair, conceding to her friend's logic. Of course he was right to advise her not change an integral facet of herself, but she still felt like she was being overly rigid. There must exist a balance between the two, she would later reflect. ...Somewhere.

"Yes," she began when the time came for her to respond in kind. "I have explained my reservations to Master Nooran and, when the time is right, so will I to my new master. I... Master Nooran informed me of the Service Corps. It is extremely unlikely I would see combat there depending on my particular assignment. But, I am attempting to stay where I am now." The specific occupations that she had recognized so far was a librarian, as was Master Dawson, as well as a den mother, as was Master Rigel. Surely, there were many more that she would be able to choose from if she joined the Corps.

But, truthfully, Eustachya didn't wish to leave the Argenti; it was likely thanks to her athlete's competitiveness that she refused to leave the ring just yet. She remembered a story, all at once, and recounted, "The first discus I held belonged to Telemacho. 'Twas too heavy for me and also slightly wide. It affected my throw quite badly, but the experience was no reason to cease practice. I simply went to Ididri the next day and had a potter there fashion me one, and that was all it took." Pausing to wrinkle her nose in a moment of doubt, Eustachya wondered if the tale would make as much sense to him when applied to her current predicament as it did her. Years of both listening to and telling myths had rendered Eustachya proficient in extracting morals from such parables, and evidently she could do the same of her memories.

And so, out of slight concern and desire to be understood, she continued, explaining in simpler terms, "I do not want to disappoint the Order as much as I do not want to anger the Gods. So I will try once more, with the Grandmaster's blessing to." She had previously received it. "But, whatever comes, I hope to find a way to bring the Order much more that honeyed bread," Stach added, speaking warmly, clearly attempting to lighten the mood she had brought on.

Then a scoff and a florish of her hand. "Lo, enough on me." She smiled at Pash after teepeeing her hands in her lap and resting her chin atop them attentively. "Pray tell, what of you since last we met and I mistook you for a bird?"

 

[Pash Tafo]

Pash did indeed catch the meaning of Eustachya's story. Just like Telemacho's discus, what did not work for her to remain in competition was ceded to a modification that did allow the woman to compete. The Matukai nodded. Perhaps they would find a way for the Novian padawan, her own way, to serve where she wanted and still honor her convictions. It would just take some determination to find it. Pash recalled Eustachya's athletic nature, disciplined and intentional, he was confident she would find her niche. He had told Stach before that she had much to offer the Jedi, though he had a mischievous thought to add her spinach and cheese pie to the list of gifts she brought to the Order.

Attention turning again to him, Pash paused to sip at the cocoa before replying. He settled back in the chair, so much more comfortable than the cramped seat in the Skull. "I went to Dagobah, when the Silvers aided the Alliance. I was too late to help in the repelling of the Empire, but did participate when the First Order attacked." Given their words regarding violence, Pash did not focus on the warfare, but moved on.

"From there a trip to Coruscant on behalf of the SJO, and then... I wandered."

The last worded hung in the air, the tone of the Matukai's voice dropped. The war on Dagobah had triggered painful memories of Tara's death, and he saw again, in his mind, his lover again slain on the battlefield. It had opened wounds he had thought healed when he arrived at Silver Rest. "The fighting on Dagobah had brought back some ghosts I thought I had rid myself of. I needed some time to put them back in their place."

A small smile touched his lips, his eyes, which had focused on the floor, lifted to the lovely Novian padawan. "And now I am here, happy to find a friend, and just in time for a celebration." Pash's broader grin returned. "Now, maybe you can help me master the discus. As I recall, my first attempt in the garden did not go so well." With a smirk, Pash lifted his mug, sipping again at the hot chocolate drink.

[member="Eustachya"]

 

[Varindar Asyt]

Location: Main hall

"Why have room service serve the same stuff as in the dining room?"

"The restaurant is, in fact, a division of the hotel. Perhaps you went to hotels where the room service menu didn't line up with the menus of the restaurants that were present on-property; typically when that happens, the restaurants are tenants of the hotel"

In fact, when that happened, it was typically a rather "new" property: properties that were around for longer would often have had enough financing to buy out an in-house restaurant if said restaurant was independent. But, when the lessee was, in fact, a major restaurant chain, more often than not, one of the terms of the lease was that they would also serve the same meals in room service, if there was room service to begin with. Because the provision room service was actually dependent on which cultures were predominant in the local context. On Nar Shaddaa it is a must, but on other planets where safety was less of a concern, such as Alderaan, it was often an area where hotels were quick to cut on to save costs. But there were also considerations of leisure vs. business travel: a destination dominated by business travel would typically tend to put a premium on room service, while a more leisure-intensive locale would be more likely to cut on room service. Although Trandosha was more or less a watering hole for adventure workers, no other property on Trandosha had it...

 

[Epistor of Phasekion]

~ Tag: [member="Pash Tafo"] ~​

There was reason to fight in the galaxy, she knew this. She could even name a few, but she only couldn't bring herself to succumb to what she saw a the call of Iamus, the bloodthirsty god, no matter how pure one's intentions were. Still, she broke out a small grin,both enjoying the recount of Pash's recent exploits and realizing that he was not bound by the same doctrine she was.

But when his tone dropped and he left his words hanging between them both, Eustachya straightened her back and took down her hands, instead folding them solemnly in her lap. As he spoke up again, she only nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself. It seemed like, similar to her tribulation of late, continuing to dwell would do no one any good.

She appeared to her assumed correctly as Pash easily shifted their focus. At first, she only smiled, and then laughed outright. "Discus in this weather? ...Hold, why say you that?" She paused, thinking back to the day they trained and picnicked together in the gardens, but she didn't recall a lackluster mimicry of her drills. Then she laughed again, shaking her head. Hopefully, if her mind left out too much, he would see fit to remind her. "You must have hit me harshly, for memory fails." She paused, allowing for any correction. "Jests aside, of course. When the outside thaws would be preferable."

Suddenly Stach drew in a sharp gasp, a product of growing excited and giddy too quickly. "Pash, we could hold a friendly competition," she told him her idea. "I could ask about. Mayhap others would be willing."

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

So that’s what the game was, for a moment Asaraa was torn, she didn’t want Caedyn to get a bad idea about herself, or her friend and the rest of the Silver Jedi but Yuroic was being protective and it was so sweet. A small smile tugged up the corner of the girl’s lips as her hand reached down, rubbing at her thigh through the red fabric of her dress. “Right here too,” she noted sadly, “right through my favourite leg.” Her finger brushed the spot she’d memorised, seeing the shaft of an arrow sticking out of your leg tended to stick in your memory. Still, “That was perhaps not the best way to teach me the importance of remembering to stay calm when healing, but it was effective, I’ll give you that. But then as I remember you taught me how to heal by cutting your own palm.” If there was one thing to be said about Yuroic he wasn’t afraid of what he had to do to teach you the lesson. On the other hand, she gave the two of them a long look, from the look of it they were about to square up in the middle of the hall. Asaraa shook her head fondly, reaching up to gesture at a nearby waiter, three glasses floating over, weaving between the crowd to hover in front of them.

“If the two of you are going training later then I think we’re all going to need these.” She wasn’t exactly sure what the worst case scenario would be, the two of them coming back broken and bruised…or the two of them coming back as best friends. Both were mildly terrifying thoughts. The girl swallowed and plucked her glass out of the air staring at the drink before offering her glass up towards the others. “You guys aren’t gonna leave me hanging right?”

[member="Yuroic Xeraic"] | [member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Madalena didn't seem to be able to go, most likely. But there was something about her tone that tipped him off to there being something else. Had he irked her so badly that she refused to spend Life Day with them? It made him frown, though he would try and not think about it for the sake of staying cheery for today. He didn't want to drag them, and Jason, down with him after all. So he just nodded his head, let it go. If she wanted to come, she would. If she didn't... Well...

He smiled then toward Ra when she verified that she'd be coming, and that she'd love to spend time with his family. It would have surprised him if she didn't, but it was still a courtesy to ask even if the two of them were partners now. Ra seemed to think that Madalena was potentially busy because she was low on funds, but Josh doubted that. He knew full well from her habits as Scherezade that "poor" was the last thing that Madalena was. But he didn't say anything, not wanting to dig up something that might not be proper to.

Instead, he would look around as the other two spoke, noting he sensed a presence familiar, the Master of the Order would turn his head toward it. He quirked a brow a moment and then smiled lightly when he recognized it. It was the sight of [member="Domino"] that had brought that nostalgic smile to his lips. She had been a leader of the Black Sun during the older times. During times that showed that Jedi going down the wrong path could be just as bad as their Sith counterparts. A lesson that stayed with him even now. Non-violently taking Nar Shadda, taking the Sun's leaders alive... He could agree with. It was a path to the least casualties, after all. But choosing to kill prisoners, diplomatic or not? No... No, that wasn't going to fly. He had lambasted the Grandmaster and parlayed for the lives of the Sun's leaders, which had been granted. He never saw any of them again after that. He had hoped that perhaps they'd taken the opportunity to find a new line of work, but he doubted it.

Seeing Domino here... He wondered where her path had taken her.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Riamah"]

 

[Domino]

That was Josh? Just how long had she been out of things? "Hurm," She quietly murmured considering him, then she eyed the 'knight with promise' and her two friends as they shared a drink. Had she known the Mater's thoughts were of the fall of Taris she would have felt a great deal of shame, her own actions had directly contributed to that catastrophe and afterwords... She'd been desperate to make up for it and force the Republic to back down, nearly taking the fight to Coruscant and the doorstep of the Grand Chancellor, dooming millions more for the sake of the hundreds of thousands already dead. Fortunately cooler heads had prevailed and she'd gone through with her retirement and self-imposed exile.

"Let's go say 'hi' and see what their talking about." Domino suggested And started to make her way to the stairs that would lead them back down from the upper area that Matsu had taken them to.
[member="Josh DragonsFlame"] [member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Jairdain]

Like before, Jairdain had her small wolf on her shoulder. She reached a hand up to pet him before Nicholas answered her. When he did, she nodded. Understanding all too well how long healing could take.

He still appeared to say as little as he could, but he still answered her.

"I can maybe help...if you wish. You helped me before."

It wasn't that felt she owed him or needed to pay him back, this was in her nature. This one of the things Jairdain had always wanted to do...help people.

"Do you need to talk...no do you want to?"

[member="Nicholas DragonsFlame"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

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

Had Josh asked, she would have explained him that it had nothing to do with how he had irked her. They had their little spats sometimes, but it wouldn't have kept her from wanting to come. There were just bigger things happening, things that were destroying her usually happy mood. Besides, they were going to do that whole couple thing with a kid. There wasn't any place for her there right now, not like that.

Looking at Riamah, Madalena smiled softly. "That's not the issue," she admitted, "Most of my spendings are on gas and art supplies, and the Confederacy pays me well."

Sighing, she moved her sight back to Josh. There was much she wanted to tell him, but this wasn't really the time or the place, and while she had no reason to distrust Riamah, they were not close friends on their own, and not close enough for her to be comfortable speaking about her brother or the other personal revelations she'd recently discovered about her family. Perhaps, by the time the next Life Day rolled around, things would be different.

"I just have a lot on my plate right now and I'm not sure a family holiday would provide a needed distraction," she finally said, still looking at Josh. He would understand. She hoped. "Sometimes what I need is battle."

 

[Nick Dragovalor]

His attention was taken for a bit by the wolf on her shoulder, wondering if it would attack him. It wasn't anything against Jair or the wolf, but Nicholas was used to everything in sight being a possible attacker. Especially animals such as that. But he was confused then, when Jair would offer him help. Help with what? He didn't understand. The redhead would quirk a brow and stare at her a moment. What was her game here? What did she hope to gain from this? Everyone had something to gain, everyone just wanted to take advantage of him for something. Everyone always just... Wanted something. Even when they claimed they wanted to help. There was always something, even unconsciously, that they expected in return.

But the question still surprised him. He didn't know what to say, at first. He looked down then.

"I... I don't know" He spoke quietly, admitting defeat and deciding to speak truth. "I don't know what to say."

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Riamah]

Noticing Josh remained quiet to allow her and Madalena to talk, his attention had been drawn elsewhere and her eyes followed to where he was looking. There were so many people here Ra had not met before, this was just one more. The person that might be coming with her was familiar though.

She and [member="Matsu Ike"] had met once before when Vulps needed help. A trip to the Netherworld to bring back his people from the dead and the two of them had travelled together. Nodding in her direction, she would smile slightly if the other woman even remembered her.

When Madalena spoke again, Ra looked back at her and listened to what she said. It seemed to her that Madalena was offering some sort of excuse to not do anything. It did not matter to her if the other woman joined or not. She might be a friend to Josh, but she was barely an acquaintance of Ra. They had run a mission together and ran into each other a few other times. Nothing one on one and Ra was fine with that.

At the mention of the Confederacy, she tensed up for just a moment and let out of breath from her nose. She held no love for that government.

"Good luck with that, Madalena. There is more to life than battles though."

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

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh had known that Madalena was paid well, but there was something about her tone that just made it feel as though something was off. But finally she would explain that there were things on her plate. Things she had told him little about, aside from her spat with her brother. He had thought that what she'd want, considering her situation would be company. But it sounded like she just wanted to spend the next while blowing off steam instead. He understood a love for battle, it was something he held as well... But he'd take a big day with Jason, Ra and Madalena over any battle.

Still, if that was what she wanted, he would support her. Josh would let out a sigh. It sounded like she had no intention of attending, most likely. "Understood" He spoke softly. "We'd love to have you, if you can attend. But if you cannot, and you feel this is important enough to miss it... Then it's okay. I support you."

Doing his best to let it go for the moment, he could sense the presences of his Master, [member="Matsu Ike"] and the aforementioned [member="Domino"] approaching. Wondering their intentions, he peered back at them a moment but didn't make the first move for caution against possibly interrupting them if they had other plans. Instead, he would grab a plate and join Jason who was still stuffing himself throughout all of this.

"Your face is covered in food" Josh remarked with a laugh as he would pull out a cloth and begin to dab it on the corners of Jason's face, and on his nose. "I don't know how you manage to get food this far on you, but you just do" He spoke with amusement in his tone as Jason would try and pull away from the cloth, though Josh's gentle yet firm grip made sure the job was done.

He looked toward Ra then. "Have you grabbed anything to eat yet, Ra?" He inquired. Madalena had already grabbed a plate, but he couldn't recall seeing Ra grab anything.

@Riamah @Scherezade deWinter

 

[Jairdain]

She was an empathic person and felt the almost distrust coming off Nicholas. That and the warriness of Sage, so she sent the message to her companion to stay hidden. He took the hint and crawled into a special built pocket for him on her shoulder.

"Sage won't hurt you. That's his name, but he will not appear until you are comfortable with him."

Giving him a small smile, Jairdain had an idea. Offering him a hand to shake, she held it out until he either took it or made it clear he wasn't going to.

"We can start at the beginning. I am Jairdain. You have a new life here and one person that might become a friend. I promise I won't bite."

[member="Nicholas DragonsFlame"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

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

Madalena said nothing at first. There was nothing to say, other than nod thankfully to Josh. He had understood, as she'd hoped he would have. To Ra's comment, she had nothing to say either. Madalena was sure it didn't come from a place of snobbism, but since she hadn't told Ra about her past or what was wrong, she preferred not to elaborate on the subject for now.

It was sort of horrible, wasn't it? She'd told Josh she supported their relationship, but this Life Day season thing ended up putting such a sour expression on her face that it probably wasn't really noticeable in any way.

"How about after all this silly Life Day business nonsense is over with and things improve, you guys come over for a visit?" she offered, "You too, of course," she said to Ra, smiling softly. "Baal would love to trod around with Jason on his back again too."

Looking at Jason then, Madalena finally let a genuine laugh out with how food covered he was. "Does Life Day have any deities or supernatural creatures?" she asked with interest, "Sithmas has a Santy Claws and he-"

She stopped herself there. There was no need to go into the violent history of what Santy Claws did to the spleens of children.

"Like presents and stuff?"

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Domino"]

She looked at Domino and bowed her head while walking and could see the others. Some she recognized though and one [member="Riamah"] was from a time helping vulps who she wondered about now.... hmmm maybe look him up. THe others who were around she raised a small eyebrow taking a sip of the tea quietly before a grin appeared on her face. She stopped before them and bowed. "Greetings." The words were soft and the jedi master as she looked at the twi'lek and she was uncertain who might remember or who had met Domino.. she wasn't exactly the social butterfly but she had also been one fo the first grey force users who worked with the Silver jedi helping establish the temple over Vaynai years ago and her academy or station.

 

[Domino]

Approaching the group gave Domino time to look them over, she recognized Josh of course but none of the others until her eyes landed on Scherezade where they narrowed. Though it wasn't until she saw the green eyes that she remembered from where, a fundraising ball on Coruscant not too dissimilar to this one. Something about her had struck Domino as being familiar, though now that feeling was absent as if she were someone else. Was she remembering wrong? Or were those eyes bringing back simple nostalgia for a long-gone time? With a mental shake of the head she decided to focus on the present and if ii still bothered her she could meditate on it later.

"DragonsFlame, I understand congratulations are in order even belated as it is," she said without preamble. "I hope we aren't interrupting but it looked like a who's who convention over here."

[member="Matsu Ike"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] [member="Riamah"]