Private Why Are You Here?

[Aris Noble]

"You both came from the same place, right?"

He heard it too, her name. And saw the color change. If they were going to all be roommates, maybe it'd be good to know? He didn't want to pry too much, but, he didn't want to be in the unknown here either. It was important, right? That they all at least got along. He glanced to the room Zaiya and Ayhan were in as he plucked up some meat to chew on. "He shouldn't be so mean to you. If he is, just tell me, okay?"

Mahsa | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Ayhan]

"Well, there is food. You are welcome to have some," Zaiya said, and Ayhan felt some small weight ease from his chest at the words. At least he hadn't made too bad of a first impression on the girl. "But if you can't say anything nice to Mahsa while you are here, I will glower at you in disapproval, and then I won't share my food with you." Or not...

Ayhan looked at Zaiya, again fully turning to look at her this time. He couldn't help but frown slightly at her, his brows furrowing as he did so and he looked her in the eyes. "I won't say anything," he said after a moment.

The Firronthix followed the glowy-girl back out into the common space a moment later, the loud rumble of his stomach deciding to make his presence known to Aris and Mahsa once more as he approached the counter laden with food. It still always amazed him how much the Jedi had to give to their members. And to others, if their stories of charity were to believed. It was hard to suppress his instinct to scarf down as much as he could before anyone else even had a chance but...

In the end, Ayhan only took a small hand full of meats and fruit, before standing by the nearest wall and leaning against it, unsure of just what he was supposed to do now that he was here.

Zaiya Ceti | Aris Noble | Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

Aris' voice finally drew her attention away from the wall that separated the room from their communal living space, the young Kazelrrian nodding in response. "Y-Yeah… we both uuhm... we g-grew up together." Mahsa was unaware of how much the Epicanthix already knew about their past upbringing, so she was careful about the words chosen in her answer.

After all it wasn’t just her story, and Mahsa was unsure of what details could upset Ayhan if when he found out she’d shared them.

Another slice of strawberry was picked up before the girl nibbled on it quietly, her gaze focused on Aris as he spoke again. Part of her had wanted to argue that he was only being mean because she had upset the Firronthix first, she should’ve known better than to try and meddle in Ayhan’s affairs, but the sincere look on his face caused Mahsa to hold back.

"O-Okay," she finally replied, the faint presence of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "T-Thanks, Aris—"

Her voice dissipated the second a fwoosh sound echoed in the hallway as Ayhan’s door slid open, her shoulders tensed up as Mahsa’s ears focused on the sound of their footsteps. Nothing seemed amiss as far as the girl could tell, and she finally chanced a look back to the Firronthix and the Lovalla as they joined them by the kitchen.

He was silent as a hand reached for a few pieces of the charcuterie board, and the silence continued when Ayhan decided to lean against the nearest wall as he ate. Silence was good… right? At least the Kazelrrian hoped it was.

---

Aris Noble | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

"You don't have to not talk. Just don't be mean, silly."

​

Zaiya followed Ayhan back to the group, and when she saw he just went to the far end of the wall, she gave him a confused look. "Don't stand so far away silly." She told him, gesturing to the table. There were four chairs there, they could sit and she could bring the food over.

"Just sit down, I'll bring the food over and we can all eat and get to know each other better!" Zaiya declared, already working on trying to make sure there wouldn't be any issues. Best to just try and get along with each other. Zaiya had no qualms about making her thoughts known then.

"You can get more food too. I have plenty." She told Ayhan, turning towards Mahsa and Aris Noble to flash them a grin. "Glad you are already eating. Go on and sit on the table, I'll bring over the food. Do any of you guys want some juice to drink? I have muja berry, ice grape, and fizzy juma juice."

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris peered between Ayhan and Masha now that they were in the same room. He'd realized it the moment the door opened, that Mahsa didn't.. Want to talk around him. As if her voice was a problem for him. He didn't like that. He frowned, briefly, as he glanced to Zaiya. Despite that tension there, she was still smiling and being friendly as ever. Then, he smiled in return. Yeah. Sit and eat. That'd be a good way to at least try to break the ice.

"We'll help with the food. you focus on the drinks. I'll take juma juice."

He nodded to Mahsa as he took up one plate. Team effort. Zaiya had already done so much, it was the least they could do.

Mahsa | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Ayhan]

Ayhan could feel Mahsa's eyes on him as he leaned into the wall, trying to blend in with the furniture in the hopes that the others would just forget that he was present. Her gaze drew his though, and for a moment, dark eyes met golden, before Ayhan's eyes darted away, finding a pot on the opposite wall to stare at.

"Don't stand so far away silly," Zaiya's voice made Ayhan realize Mahsa wasn't the only one looking him. Even Aris was, if only for a brief moment. So Ayhan straightened up...but still didn't move. Was he supposed to...do something? "Just sit down," Zaiya said, gesturing towards the table and chairs, as if she could read his mind. "I'll bring the food over and we can all eat and get to know each other better!"

Right...the getting to know you game...

Ayhan just stared at the chairs for a moment, as if they would try and eat him the moment he tried to sit in them, then to his new roommates, before going over to take a seat, picking up one of the little plates filled with little foods as he passed. Might as well get this over with...

Ayhan set the plate down in the center of the table (okay, it was slightly closer to him...but only slightly!) and soon everyone began to ask Zaiya to bring some drink or another. "I'll take whatever," he said, doing his best to not sound gruff, or dismissive. It was just that...what even were those things? The Firronthix gathered that they must've been fruits of some kind but...what were they? He'd find out, he supposed.

Zaiya Ceti | Aris Noble | Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

She paled when Zaiya referred to Ayhan as silly, another nervous glance given towards the Firronthix, before Mahsa finally released the breath she’d unconsciously held when there was no immediate growling or negative reaction from the boy.

Aris’ voice brought her attention over to the Epicanthix, a shaky nod given when he nodded towards one of the food plates for her to carry. "I’ll t-take some juma t-too." She hated the tension that pressed against her shoulders, stiffening her joints as she reached for one of the platters.

It hadn’t been this way before, not when they’d been in the Cage, and a small part of the Kazelrrian found itself wishing for those days to come back… the hell of the Cage was nothing compared to the new one Mahsa now found herself in, she absolutely detested having to walk on eggshells around Ayhan.

Unsurprisingly she had picked the seat furthest away from the Firronthix after setting her plate down, quietly reaching out for another couple of strawberry slices to keep both her mouth and her mind busy.

---

Aris Noble | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

"Okay!" Zaiya replied, giving a slight hum, then a joyful hop skip as she went to pick up the selections. With three juma juices and one blum fruit juice, the Lovalla came back all smiles, setting each drink in front of Aris Noble , Mahsa , and Ayhan . She sat down beside Ayhan, not bothered being sat next to him. Aris was at the Firronthix's other side, cushioning Mahsa in between Zaiya and the Epicanthix.

"So! How do you like your rooms so far?! This is my first time with roommates, so I am super excited!" once again, no hiding how Lovalla's skin began to give off golden shimmers of her bioluminescence, excitement dancing over her mottled spots and stripes as she studied at the trio.

"I just joined, but I met Aris before joining for a few months and we are best friends!" Talk about outing their close relationship, but Zaiya meant it in a delighted way.

"This is awesome that we are roommates now! How about you two? Where do you come from? Did you just join?" someone should step in before she continued. Zaiya, in her excitement, could blabber on without stopping.

 

[Aris Noble]

So they were keeping them separate while also keeping them sitting beside each other? Seemed like a sound plan, all things considered. He munched his food, glancing between the three. Zaiya was the most welcoming of them all, bringing conversation while the other two sat silently more or less. Did they truly not like talking to each other? Maybe they would, at least to answer her questions.

So, yeah. He waited to hear their answers.

Mahsa | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Ayhan]

With their selections made, Zaiya, who still beamed (literally and metaphorically) as she brought over their selection of drinks and set them down before everyone and then took a seat beside Ayhan. The Firronthix stiffened, the hands on the table curling into tight fists. It took a fighting, conscious effort for Ayhan to relax his white-knuckled fists, and though he did his best to be as quiet about it as possible, he knew there was a good chance that Mahsa had heard the changes in his breathing, the sharp, rapid increase as Zaiya had sat herself beside him, followed by the slow inhale-exhale as Ayhan attempted to calm himself.

In those few moments, Ayhan had lost track of whatever was being said by the painfully bright Lovalla, right up until she asked where they came from, if they'd just joined. Ayhan leaned back into his chair, arms crossing themselves in some unconscious attempt to protect himself. "We're from Smarteel," Ayhan replied, repeating the name of the planet that they had been told they'd been found on. "We're new."

Mahsa | Zaiya Ceti | Aris Noble

 

[Mahsa]

"Thanks, Zaiya." She felt bad for letting the Lovalla get all of their drinks together, and thus she tried to make up for it by giving Zaiya the best smile she could muster right now. Her unique skin and colorful patterns always helped put her nerves at ease and, as Zaiya began to bombard them with questions, Mahsa couldn’t keep a quiet chuckle from escaping.

Her gaze strayed towards the stools by the kitchen, the very one that her bag currently rested on since Mahsa had been the only one to not take a look at her new room after arriving.

Whatever words she might’ve had for Zaiya died in her throat before she could even utter them, the Kazelrrian doing her best to disguise how her ears picked up the sharp inhale of breath Ayhan took as the Lovalla sat beside him. Golden eyes finally dared to look closer in his direction, focused on the tightly clenched fists that rested on the table, before a quiet exhale of relief slipped past her lips as he shifted backwards and finally answered some of the questions.

New…? It’s this last part that finally gets Mahsa to look at the Firronthix directly, brows slightly furrowed as her head tilted ever so slightly in one direction. Sure, the passage of time was hard to gauge by her given their… unique upbringing, but could they really be considered new after being with the Jedi for well over half a year?

"Y-Yeah what about you guys?" She doesn’t voice her thoughts out loud however, unwilling to rock the boat any further. "W-Where are you both from?"

---

Aris Noble | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Smarteel?

Confusion would paint Zaiya's pattern with a grey hue, her brows knitting forward as she scrunched up her face in contemplation. Amber replaced the grey, followed by bright orange color shift.

"Oh, where is that?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink. As for where the Lovalla teen was from, she flashed a smile and said, "Oh, I was born on Volik, which is in the Unknown Regions. Not many have heard about it, but I was raised on Commoner." which was a planet near Corellia.

"My parents were professors at the University there." at least until they passed.

Zaiya was happy to talk as much as the others would like to, but she wouldn't press it if they felt they needed to take some time for themselves. It seemed Mahsa was still feeling awkward around Ayhan, but who knows.

Ayhan Aris Noble Mahsa

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris glanced between the three as he sipped his juice, listening to their answers rather curiously. They were honest, but, Aris knew their stories. Their full stories, or at least most of them. None of them were being completely open, were they? Where they came from, how they got here. He took another sip before he spoke up himself. "I'm a clone of my father. He made me when he was a boy, a Sith desperate to escape the tyranny of his father. I wasn't supposed to have consciousness or life, just a vessel. I was forgotten, for years, left in cryolock. Then I woke up. I was raised in the lab he'd abandoned by the droid he'd programed to do so as his failsafe in case he lost his memories.

Then he found me. He came to shut down the program, but when he realized I was alive, he didn't hesitate to take me home as his son. They made me family, all of them. But they didn't make me Jedi. I chose that because of what I saw with them, and they gave me that choice."

Maybe that'd open up the door for all of them.

Zaiya Ceti | Ayhan | Mahsa

 

[Ayhan]

"Oh, where is that?" Zaiya asked, full of smiles as she took a sip of her drink. "Along the South-Eastern edge of Wild Space," Ayhan answered. The desert planet he and Mahsa had been born on was about as far from the Galactic core as one could get. And along with that, far removed from the law and order of any of the galaxy's major powers.

Though Ayhan was loathe to admit it, Glorii Te had chosen the location of his lab wisely. So remote, the chances of the Jedi and Republic having ever come across them had been slim to none. Which meant that something else, somewhere had gone wrong, and that, ultimately, he, Mahsa, and all the other Firronthix and Kazellrians had just been a bonus. A lucky find.

Which is why the similarity of Aris' own origins were so surprising. A clone, raised in a lab of his own. Ayhan's eyes eyes fixed on Aris as he spoke. The Firronthix hadn't taken the time to learn much about the boy while they'd been on Endor. From the ease with which he took to being a Jedi, Ayhan assumed that his story was similar to all the other padawans'. Assumed wrongly, evidently.

But vats and labs was where the similarities ended. Aris gained a family, a purpose and a place of belonging. What had Ayhan inherited? The death of his brothers, sisters. Being forced to kill them, his cousins. And when his choice to become a Jedi was cast in the light of choosing between a bed, three meals in exchange for service, and being sent to an orphanage to starve, and freeze, it didn't seem like much of a choice at all.

In the end, Glorii Te had fulfilled his obligation, it seemed. Killers to be sold. The only difference was the price.

Ayhan took a sip of his juma juice. Pleasantly sweet and sour at once. At least one good thing had come of it all, he decided.

Mahsa | Zaiya Ceti | Aris Noble

 

[Mahsa]

"Volik…" She tested the name of the planet against her tongue, wracking her brain for any possible information… but all she got was emptiness, which meant it hadn’t been listed in the records Glorii Te had allowed them to read, or in whatever literature Mahsa had gotten her hands on since joining the Jedi. "What’s it like?"

The prospect of learning something new had always been good bait to lure the girl out of her shell, golden eyes brimming with curiosity as she tried to imagine how Zaiya’s homeworld might be compared to the desolated landscape of Smarsteel. She would’ve asked more, but the voice of Aris interrupted those thoughts as the Epicanthix chose to open up fully with his new roommates.

"Y-You’re a clone too…?" Surprise had caused her words to be blurted out without a thought, before her hands quickly rose to clasp over her mouth—as if the action alone could take back the slip of her tongue. Streaks of amber and citrine flare up against the snowy white canvas that is her hair, and the wary glance given to Ayhan would’ve been clear confirmation for the Epicanthix that Mahsa was entirely unaware of the conversation shared by the boys back in Endor.

Silence stretched over them, the clink of ice cubes inside a glass being the only interruption as Ayhan raised his for another sip, and the hesitation Mahsa felt was almost palpable as she wondered if saying anything else would be smart or if it’d be better to remain silent after all.

"I-I’m glad he found you." The Nobles had taken Aris in and raised him as one of their own, and it reminded her of the fleeting wishful dreams Dara and her had shared in the past. It was a blessing none of her or Ayhan’s kin had received… but she was genuinely happy to know Aris hadn’t been subjected to the similar nightmares they had to endure.

In a perfect world no one would, but that was a reality only possible in fairy tales.

---

Aris Noble | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble Mahsa Ayhan

Zaiya would have been surprised if anyone but Aris had revealed the details regarding his past. He'd been upfront regarding his creation and subsequent adoption when they first met, so he would also do the same with Mahsa, and Ayhan wasn't surprised. Sure enough, it allowed the other two to open up a bit more.

Well, Mahsa, at least. Ayhan was still rather terse.

"Honestly, I don't remember much about it. My parents were assigned as professors on Commondor, so I went to live with them. After they passed away, I remained there as a ward of the University until I met Aris. We found out that I was sensitive to the Force. After learning more about the Jedi, I decided to join," the Lovalla teen explained, giving a faint smile.

"Do you both have Masters? Mine is Master Pavond, who is a medic in the traditional sense. I've been learning a lot about traditional first aid with him." among visiting other cultures and meeting different people. Shan was great at bridging connections. Zaiya was glad for it. It meant she could meet and learn from others as well.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris was quiet this time, glancing between the other two. He did smile to Mahsa though, dipped his head in a yes. It seemed speaking up had the intended effect of at least getting the other two to be more open. And maybe Zaiya. He knew a lot of the darkness and bad in their histories, all of theirs, but it'd be important for them to all be open about their pasts. If they wanted to be, anyway.

He really hoped they would. He took a sip of his own drink, giving a nod to Ayhan in turn. Their pasts were similar as they were different, but they didn't have to be alone.

Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti | Mahsa

 

[Ayhan]

Curiousity was a trait seemingly shared between species. Mahsa was just more vocal about it than Ayhan. Her blurted out question was answered with a small, confident nod. Ayhan's eyes affixed themselves to Aris, studying his demeanor. It seemed, if any worry, concern or resentment existed in that boy's heart, he hid it well. His taciturn demeanor gave away nothing.

They were a bit alike in that manner, Ayhan thought. Speak little, watch what's around you, hear everything. It wasn't an Epicanthix trait, Ayhan knew, so perhaps Aris was similarly engineered. In the end though, Aris had luck, and no amount of science would've granted Ayhan that boon. The Firronthix might've been jealous of it, were he capable of that.

The conversation had shifted towards Zaiya's upbringing and how she'd come to the order. Aris' doing, it seemed. The boy had become a rather prolific member of the order, despite his few years. High chances Mahsa and Zaiya would follow in his footsteps then, especially if they all remained in close proximity as it seemed would be the case. Perhaps the Jedi intended for Aris' good naturedness to rub off on Ayhan too.

But that was neither here nor there. The mere fact that Zaiya had willingly chosen to join the Jedi, to leave behind her family, the life she knew, to...what, fight? Die? For some organization that was wont to play god? Ayhan was about to open his mouth to ask her for her reasoning (in a more acceptable way, and not in so many words) when the girl quickly shifted the subject instead, towards masters.

Ayhan had never mentioned to his master how he knew Mahsa had intervened in the selection process, begging every knight and master she came across to take in the poor, troubled youngling, despite having already surpassed him and been selected by Master Jigora. Beating him hadn't been enough it seemed, but adding insult to injury and disguising it as charity. It was a point of ugly contention between them, one that had not been resolved since they'd argued those many months ago.

The glass in Ayhan's hands began to split, audibly cracking before the Firronthix realized he'd been gripping the cup too hard. "I was selected by Master Vahr," he said, hoping to distract from the once pristine glass in his hands. "We spend most of our time patrolling Alliance borders, or hunting down criminals. She 's... a handful."

Mahsa | Zaiya Ceti | Aris Noble

 

[Mahsa]

It was impossible for her slip of the tongue to go unnoticed, though the soft smile Aris gifted in her direction as the boy dipped his head in acknowledgement eased some of her nerves. They weren’t exactly alike, after all Ayhan and her weren’t actually clones of anyone else… but knowing that someone else out there had been brought into this world in a similar manner to their own made the girl feel a little bit less out of place than before.

Soft streaks of faint blue began to surface as she learned that Zaiya’s parents had both passed away, the loss of someone near and dear benign something Mahsa could heavily emphasize with. She’d never stopped missing Dara, and the Kazelrrian felt certain the same applied for her friend about her parents.

"I-it’s good that Aris found you then." She offered the Lovalla a comforting smile of her own. "Otherwise we might’ve never met."

Zaiya’s cheerful presence had quickly become a constant in her life, and she was truly grateful that all their paths had converged here within the Order… almost as if the Lovalla’s colorful existence had leaked outwards and brightened the hues in Mahsa’s world too.

"Master Pavond… oh, you mean that Pav—!" Her voice quickly silenced itself as the audible cracks of a cup resonated, muscles tensed as the girl became stiff and frozen in her seat. Golden eyes remained focused on the plate in front of her even as Ayhan finally spoke of his own master, that singular word she often struggled to ignore rising in volume as it whispered in the back of her mind.

Burden.​

---

Aris Noble | Ayhan | Zaiya Ceti ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

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

The sound of cracking glass drew Zaiya's attention, the Lovalla slightly widening her opal blue eyes and faint, startled shimmer.

"Oh," She interjected after Ayhan replied regarding his Master and Mahsa commented that it was great that Aris found her. A lot was going on, and Zaiya's attention was divided between making sure Ayhan didn't spill anything and Mahsa all of a sudden going very quiet. She gave Aris a pleading look to join in and help out while she added, "Umm, be careful, Ayhan, you don't want to accidentally hurt yourself if it breaks."

A finger gestured over to Ayhan's glass, hoping he would notice. Did he have super strength like Aris? Was that a common clone thing? Something to ask Aris later so it wouldn't be considered nosy to ask Ayhan when she just met him. Besides, he seemed to be pretty serious. She didn't want to offend him right off the bat when she was trying to get along with all of her dorm mates.

"Let me get you a new glass." the Lovalla teen added, turning to Masha with a look of concern, "Are you okay Mahsa? I can get another flavor of Juma Juice if you didn't like that one," Zaiya offered, unaware that it was something else that had her have that sort of haunted, uncomfortable expression.