Public Winter Solstice Festival | Eshan

[Kina Ropal]

Kina gulped as she stood there, watching her friends leap in to the frigid water. She stood there, for a solid thirty seconds, hesitating. Then she took one step, then another, until she could no longer touch the bottom and had to swim out to their general position. It was now or never. The pantoran female took a deep breath, quickly ducking her head below the surface to start diving after Aris and Vera. It was cold. The chill of the water pricked at her skin, but it wasn't that bad yet. It could be with prolonged exposure, but she didn't plan to spend forever in the water, just long enough to join her friends and make sure the three of them all returned safe.

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

 

[Connel Vanagor]

I learned from my mother and father, but I am not them!​

Spoiler: PERSONAL EFFECTS

Jedi Defender Light Corvette
"Crotch Rocket" Speederbike
Headset Microphone Comm-link
Vambraces
Custom Robes/Armor
Long handle Lightsaber "Alpha"
Short saber "Omega"
Astromech Droid "D1-N3"

[Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
SECTOR: Eshan
MISSION: Winter Solstice
WITH: Buster
TAGS: Katarine Ryiah

Oh, if you let him, he’ll knock you over just to sit on your lap at this point. While he did audibly as well as visually appreciate her patience for his little friend, Connell knew Buster and did not want to cause her some kind of embarrassment, even if welcomed to this point. He did enjoy the fact that Buster seemed to be putting his shyness at ease though. Pulling a small rubber chew toy out of his jacket pocket, Connell slipped it to Katarine.

The pleasure is ours. When you’re ready, you can slip him this, it will keep him happily busy for awhile. I am his wingman after all, I need to watch out for him. As Buster was becoming more and more comfortable with his routine of chowing down, getting a drink and then getting a dozen or so pets,

Spoiler: SUMMARY OF ACTIONS

...

 

[Valery Noble]

Eshan

​

Outfit: Winter Coat | Wedding Ring
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I know what you're doing." Valery squinted at him and grumbled just a little. It was impossible that he knew, right? She had locked the bedroom door and kept him out through their bond. How would he be able to guess? She squinted some more, and figured that he was just playing mind games.

He did always love to mess with her. Now she was just-

Toot

Valery blinked and looked at him, "Huh... that worked!" She grinned and blew the whistle herself, and through her bond with him, she knew that only he heard it. "It tickles a little," she added before chuckling. "Now you'll always know when I'm thinking about you. So... I hope you get used to the sound because you'll be hearing it a lot."

She waggled her brows playfully.

<We need to find the stone meant for us,> Vera tried to remind them both telepathically. She knew Aris couldn't respond, but even an NFU could at least receive telepathic communication. So maybe, as his sister, she did have the ability to get into his mind and at least allow him to hear her.

She didn't want him to feel cut off along the way.

<I'm going to try and guide Aris, like I did on Ilum. Kina, stay close, okay?> She smiled with her lips closed and began swimming her way down. As long as they stayed moving, the cold wouldn't get to them so quickly. Even with the Force, she knew her use of Tapas couldn't last forever, after all.

They needed to be quick.

 

[Loomi]

Eshan
Tags: Braze

"I'm not exactly sure what weirder means," Loomi admitted. "Our connection is getting... stronger. Th-that means all kinds of things could happen. I guess we'll just have to figure it out as it happens."

Then something strange happened. Braze said something that she had never heard before...

"You do know you're my best friend, right?"

Best friend. That was a phrase she hadn't heard from anyone she had spoken to as of yet. It sounded very important, like a role that came with a great deal of responsibility. Braze certainly spoke about her presence in his life in such a manner. Loomi couldn't help but become flustered at the sudden praise she was recieving. Had she really had that much of an effect on him? The Godoan really wasn't anyone special, not when compared to her peers she thought. All of this was so....

Strange.

"What's a best friend?" the Godoan asked. "I-I've never heard those words put together before."

A soft smile came to her face.

"Whatever it is, it sounds very important," she decided. "I don't fully understand why you feel those things about me specifically, but... it makes me very happy. Being with you makes me feel like I'm not so insignifigant."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

OBJ II
Silas Westgard
​

It wasn't long before Cora found herself approaching a familiar face. That might've actually been a good thing – it wasn't great to be sad when you were alone at the edge of a freezing cold lake.

They seemed to notice each other at the same time, and Cora returned his wave before inviting herself to sit down next to Silas. While they weren't extremely close, she figured that they knew one another well enough by now so it wouldn't be odd to join him.

"Oh. No, I just wanted to visit the lake. I've heard that it has some sort of mystical properties, and I wanted to see that for myself. I guess I got lost in my thoughts while I was walking."

Cora closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The air was sharp and cold, but refreshing. She reopened her eyes and looked to the Knight. There was a somberness, similar to her own, that seemed to hang around him.

"How have you been, Silas?"

Her voice was gentle and soft, as if her normal pitch would disturb the waters.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It's a sound I won't mind hearing."

Kahlil smiled a little, reaching a hand out to take hers as he tucked the whistle into his pocket. It was adorable, for certain. But now with the whistles in hand, they had time to focus on something else. His smile softened as he squeezed her hand.

"Where to next, love?"

Ah, right.

Aris just nodded as he continued to swim his way down. His body glowed ever so faintly as he let his body warm. The trick mom had taught him was certainly coming in handy now. For him, he could probably stay down here as long as his breath hung out. Which was probably going to be the problem, if he was honest. He stared down into the depths, trying to feel out the warmth. Which, eventually, he did. it was subtle at first, but there was nothing he was more aware of than the sensations his body could feel.

He might be able to feel the Force, but he could feel temperature.

He pointed down, glancing to the other two with a small grin. They were close.

Valery Noble | Kina Ropal

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Location: Great hall of the palace
Objective: 4
Tags: Noelle Varanin (Open to others)



Truth be told, Cori couldn't help but be a little disappointed to see the princess leave. She always enjoyed talking to other people who were the children of their nation's leaders. She liked comparing childhoods, seeing how they fared growing up in the shadows of their parents. In a way, it helped her imagine what her own life might have been like if she had chosen not to join the Jedi order and instead stayed on her homeworld, acting as the dutiful youngest daughter of the ruler, another heir to be worshipped and adored by her people.

But there was no point in dwelling in 'what ifs'. The queen was asking about her name, and Cori knew it would be impolite not to answer quickly.

"I am Cordelia Eldoris, and I am here as one of the many other Jedi who have come to enjoy this incredible event," she began with a smile. "But I am also here to represent the bright coral reef Ersansyr of Aquilaris Minor. As the youngest daughter of our leader, I came to wish you a good winter solstice on behalf of my people."

This was only partially true. She had decided to go before she had told her father, and only after he heard that she was already going did he ask her to represent them. The sad fact of the matter was that ever since she had become a Jedi, she wasn't able to be very involved in her planet's affairs anymore. But the Echani queen didn't need to know that.

"It is an honour to make your acquaintance, your majesty."

Was it? Noelle found the tedium of introductions to be bearable at best. It was one thing to handle her court, it was another to wade through the swath of intergalactic relations her work with the galactic alliance required. Noelle was not as open to outsiders as they were to her. Jedi in particular.

They always brought trouble.

She smiled and dipped her chin in greeting, showing none of this to Cori. “The pleasure is ours. Have you had the chance to enjoy the auroras yet? They are very bright this time of year.” She gestured to the grand windows along the wall of the hall. They overlooked the open lake, magnificent colors reflecting off the waterfront.

(Phone post)

 

[Celeste Varanin]

“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to peel him out of that get up, Cel.”

"No, no, I'll totally change. Let's get to the ball."

Celeste naively believed him. She released his robes and let him walk with some dignity with her back to the palace, but not without giving Aldric a disapproving look. It was weak in comparison to the guilt their mother could pull but she managed it none the less.

"Don't you encourage him. Mother will pop a vein if she sees him like this-- and you, late. Where were you anyway, we expected you back yesterday."

And what a disappointing day it had been for her. She had finished her studies early for them and they hadn't shown.

Aldric Varanin Merion Oreno

 

[Cato Harth]

Inanna Harth​

Cato looked at Inanna with a shit-eating grin. Her glare may have been mitigated by environmental factors, but he could feel it as much as he could see it. "Well, don't let me stop you," He shivered, leaning over to exchange a good luck kiss before they both dove down.

The cold was actually a little easier to bear when completely submerged, without the air above to contrast. It was dark, simultaneously eerie and serene as rays of light broke through the surface. Cato took a moment to orient himself, locking onto Inanna to do so, before diving further down.

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

Location: Eshan
Objective: 4 - Get to know Busters Wingman
Tags: Connel Vanagor

---

"Aww do you want a chew toy Buster?"

Katarine happily enjoyed petting Buster for a while longer and then gave him the chew toy. She laughed at how excited the puppy got and watched as he started chewing. She then straightened up and wiped some of the fur off of her dress and smiled at Connel.

"So what do you do when you aren't being Busters wingman at social events?"

She was still meeting the big players of the galaxy so wasn't sure what to expect. She had no idea what Jedi, pilots, soldiers etc looked like these days after all though she assumed it probably hadn't changed that much since her time.

---

 

[Aldric Varanin]

Even Merion was going to change? Aldric didn’t want to have any fighting with his sister, and least of all his mother, besides… new threads were always nice for a Prince of a world. There was something comical of Celeste tugging Merion around. It wasn’t a matter of where she gripped him. It was a matter of weight ratios.

He got off easy, just a disapproving look? Dad said he could leave. Said he should leave. It was Celeste’s role to follow up Noelle’s posting here. “Me? I got in, and well, there was a bit of home sickness and I wandered, waiting to see Merion before I just made it to the Palace…”

A bit of a lie. He was off in the lower wards pushing some credits and stories to the barmaids. Sure, they knew who he was, but it was nice to share a bit of travel stories to those who haven’t gotten off the world in a while.

“But at least she will see you being the golden child and the two of us as riff-raff.”

Merion Oreno Celeste Varanin

 

[Merion Oreno]

THE BALL​

Celeste Varanin succeeded in getting her younger brothers to the palace, even getting them to the appropriate locations to get properly but hurriedly dressed. Merion did his conscientious best.

He emerged from a men's dressing room in splendor. Immaculate. Every speck of dust had been shaken from his robes and scrubbed from his mask. The soft goods were soft; the hard parts were buffed. In record time, His Highness Merion Oreno Varanin had made himself every inch a respectable Isopterian.

With dignity, he went forth and mingled. Sooner rather than later, he would be noticed and intercepted. As a cultist of the Central Isopter, he sensed that particular cataclysm was inevitable.

 

[Inanna Harth]

Cato Harth
​

The frigid water was harder for Inanna to get used to, but swimming and moving around did help. A little. She was amazed at how effective the Force proved against the bitter cold—or rather, at how effectively she managed to use it. That it had worked at all seemed a miracle to her.

She didn't dawdle. Kicking her legs, she dove deeper. It didn't take long to reach the bottom of the lake. The area was covered in stones, all of which looked the same. Now for the real trick: using the Force to find the correct rock, without losing her focus when it came to temperature regulation. Failure could prove disastrous. Sense was one of her weakest areas, and she'd never been particularly good at multitasking.

Spotting Cato's silhouette in the darkness, she closed her eyes and concentrated. A faint presence appeared at the edge of her perception, warm and inviting. She was drawn toward it, though as the warmth became clearer, the colder she felt...

 

[Lily Decoria]

Outfit: This Dress
Equipment: None
Location: Eshan, Dance Area
Tags: Open

Lily had decided she wanted to perform a dance during her visit for Life Day on Eshan. Her mother wasn't thrilled about the idea since it was a very public event to be doing a performance but she couldn't deny that it would do her good to be representing the Echani way to the visitors of the Galactic Alliance. It was something that her aunt, Kat, approved of as well since it was showing Lily's growing confidence and desires to be seen. No longer feeling shy or ashamed of her powers. Now Lily was wanting to be seen, read and understood. She was writing her own tale of growth and trial that could be inspiring to so many others.

That was what Lily wanted to do. She wanted to inspire and help others grow with her.

Her outfit was a little more than most of the other dancers, it was thin fabric and didn't hinder her movements but was a little more extra than normal with all the ribbons. However, she wanted that and she insisted since she felt it was part of her story, to be tangled and overwhelmed by everything around her. It was important to dance through that and demonstrate her renewed control. It was her tale and it was her narrative, she fought daily with being overwhelmed so she needed to find ways to ground herself and she needed to be seen or for others to see with what she faces.

So Lily danced, her moves precise and graceful. While it seemed she was getting tangled and her movements were getting restricted and tightened, she was still in full control, she was guiding the ribbons exactly where she wanted them to be. To look more tangled than she actually ever was. It was a fine balance to be believable and to avoid actual entanglement and making a fool of herself.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Loomi

Braze gazed at Loomi, his expression initially tinged with confusion, which quickly transformed into a knowing smirk. "Well, a best friend is someone you can really count on, you know? They're always there for you, no matter what," he began, trying to articulate the depth of such a relationship. "They're the person you can talk to about anything, without feeling judged. They support you, lift you up, and are just... well, the best kind of friend you could ever have."

His voice carried a warmth. "They're more than just a friend; they're like a partner, someone who understands you, sometimes even better than you understand yourself," Braze added, his eyes softening as he spoke.

"It's about trust, loyalty, and really being there for each other. It's a special kind of friendship that goes beyond the usual. It's rare and precious,"

 

[Loomi]

Eshan
Tags: Braze

"They're more than just a friend; they're like a partner, someone who understands you, sometimes even better than you understand yourself,"

Loomi felt her face burn up as Braze explained what a best friend was to her. He thought of her as that? She had never thought of herself as anybody special, but here she was now being told the exact opposite. In Braze's world, Loomi was one of the most important people. There was an innate nervousness that came with such a responsibility, but ultimately she was... happy. That made Braze her best friend too. Something else very important was clear to her too, an internal debate that the padawan had been having amidst the conversation of best friends and such.

The Godoan gently lifted the whistle to her lips, blowing into the magical item. It would not be long before a soft chime played in Braze's ears. She didn't need to say any other words.

As far as she was concerned, that said everything.

 

[Cato Harth]

Inanna Harth​

Cato followed Inanna through the water. It wasn't too deep, thankfully, so as longs they could track down these stones, it should be no problem. Floating in place for a moment, Cato closed his eyes as well, focusing on that supposed warmth lying somewhere below. He noticed it quickly, but it was in the opposite direction of Inanna's.

He looked between his destination and his wife swimming away. Be it out of protectiveness or simple attachment, he pursued the latter first. Inanna wanted it more anyway, so he figured he'd come along for the ride. Catching up beside her, he tried to pantomime a message, asking her if she was sensing it nearby.

 

[Inanna Harth]

Cato Harth
​

Inanna opened her eyes. The cold had spread throughout her body, bringing with it an instinctive panic response. She had to get out of there, swim to the surface, get warm...

Cato got her attention and started pantomiming. Her anxiety faded, replaced by confusion and then amusement as she completely misunderstood him, swimming closer and wrapping her arms around him.

 

[Kina Ropal]

Kina stayed close to Aris and Vera, well, as close as she could without anyone hitting or kicking each other as they swam. It felt dark. Lonely. Suffocating, almost. Her chest felt tight, more (in that moment) from the uncertainty of the deep, dark waters around her. She found herself gravitating more towards her friends, their warmth becoming more and more of a beacon to her than a stone ever could.

Regardless, she found the tightness in her chest growing with each passing meter into the water. The air she held in her lungs was not infinite, and she certainly would not be able to hold on as long as her friends.

Aris Noble | Vera Noble

 

[Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris]

Location: Great hall of the palace
Objective: 4
Tags: Noelle Varanin (Open to others)

Was it? Noelle found the tedium of introductions to be bearable at best. It was one thing to handle her court, it was another to wade through the swath of intergalactic relations her work with the galactic alliance required. Noelle was not as open to outsiders as they were to her. Jedi in particular.

They always brought trouble.

She smiled and dipped her chin in greeting, showing none of this to Cori. “The pleasure is ours. Have you had the chance to enjoy the auroras yet? They are very bright this time of year.” She gestured to the grand windows along the wall of the hall. They overlooked the open lake, magnificent colors reflecting off the waterfront.

Cori didn't seem to notice the queen's inner disdain for the Jedi, or for outsiders. Instead, she gasped in excitement as the queen showed her the Auroras through the palace windows.

"How stunning..." she breathed, her cerulean eyes lighting up in wonder and appreciation. "The way that they reflect off of the lake is simply divine. You must be so proud to be the ruler of such a beautiful planet like Eshan. I know that I certainly would be."