Ask Blinding Lights

[Vren Mallick]

Preparations have been made and pieces were in motion. Vren stood in the center of his small room, rechecking his equipment that consisted of a backpack filled with drinks, and snacks. He was dressed in regular civilian clothing as he wore a jacket over a long sleeve shirt and finished the bottom half with a pair of pants and boots. Where they were going, it was more important to blend in than anything else. His white hair was tucked behind his ears as he dusted off his clothing as the sign that he was ready to depart.

Tocklin, stood by the door of the room, peaking out from what little cover is offered to make sure that the coast was clear for them. After a couple of seconds passed, the padawan turned back and quietly shut the opening and the ability for eyes to peek into their room. Tocklin made his way to his bed and picked up his own backpack before slinging it over one of his shoulders, "We need to get going. They are already starting to get gathered outside." A small red rag had been placed outside the door of one of the other padawans in the hallway, the sign that it was time for them to link up before venturing out. "Don't need to tell me twice." Vren replied back as he made his way over to the lone window in the room.

Tocklin approached it first, opening it silently and efficiently while Vren kept an ear open for any movement. With a soft grunt, the padawan heaved himself onto the window sill. A small salute was offered to Vren as he situated himself before simply jumping off and towards the ground below. With him being aided by the force, with both Vren and himself, it was a soft landing and a much quieter one. After touching the ground, Tocklin would spin around on a heel and glance up to where his friend was, "Let's go V. They are probably already waiting."

With a brief nod, Vren lifted himself on the window sill and stood in a sort of crouched position as he stared down at Tocklin. With a quick peek out to the horizon after, he could already see the large hue of lights in the distance and it was an injection of confidence he needed. With no more hesitation, he began to jump out the window.

@Sreeya

 

[Zana Ari]

“What do you mean some new guy?” Zana hissed at her Mirialan friend.

“Look! It’s Tock’s roommate and he invited the guy! I couldn’t just tell him to uninvite!”

“Of course you could!” Zana scowled, “We’re gonna blow our cover inviting randos! May as well invite the Jedi Knight guards while we’re at it.”

With that she looked over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear before she made her way over towards the rendezvous point. It was nothing special whatsoever, just some unmarked grassy hill that was just outside of the temple perimeters. Zana was there with the group, checking her chrono.

“Ugh, Tock’s late,” She grumbled, “I bet it’s because he tried to bring the newb roommate.”

“Zee, will you relax?” The Mirialan rolled her eyes, chewing gum while rapidly texting on her datapad.

Zana crossed her arms over her chest as she waited, looking up as she spotted Tocklin. He was entirely out of breath. She looked right past him and towards the newcomer, eyeing him suspiciously. However, she wasn’t going to be mean to him right out the gate, so she wiped the grumpy look off and offered a smile.

“Hey,” She said politely extending a hand to shake, “Zana,” She looked around, “Is this everyone?”

 

[Vren Mallick]

When they finally arrived, Vrenn walked slightly ahead of Tocklin, a half-smile playing across his lips as he approached the rest of the escape party for the night. With a quick glance back to his friend and then to the girls, "Sorry about the wait. Tock caught himself in a mud-trap." If they peeked, they would find the other padawan's boot nearly completely covered. As a result, the padawan was out of breath and there were even a couple of specks of mud along Vren's pants from his assistance.

While Tock caught up, Zana introduced herself and Vren stepped forward to do the same, offering a hand to her and giving a solid shake, "Hey back. Name's V." It was how he introduced his name to everyone, even Tock still using it despite their time together.

With the closed distance, it would be easy to tell that he wasn't human, his silvery-white hair even reflecting some of the light off in the distance from their destination. He was an Echani but the biggest difference was his irises, instead of silver as well, they were golden like someone had captured a pair of suns in marbles and placed them within his eyes. Mirialan introduced herself as well and he again offered a smile while shaking her hand.

When it was brought up if they had everyone, Tock finally joined the group and gave his greetings before nodding. "Everyone. Let's rollout."

Vren chuckled softly at his friend's arrival but nodded in the direction they were supposed to go, "Say no more." The group would depart towards the lights, navigating through some slight foliage in order to get there with no actual path laid out. As they eventually drew near the fair, the group would be able to hear the sound of animals and happy screaming in the distance.

Zana would hear footsteps from behind her as Vren walked shoulder to shoulder and jutted his chin toward the noise, "You ever been?" Tock and Mirialan were already talking, mostly Mirialan ridiculing him for falling into a mud trap. He had already heard enough about it from Vren when it happened and didn't need his two cents again.

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana’s mood lightened when V outright called Tock out on eating shit on the way here. She couldn’t help but smile a bit at that, deciding that perhaps he wasn’t too terrible of an addition to the group. And he was certainly easy on the eyes, especially from the way her Mirialan friend kept checking him out. She even put her dataphone away to casually walk next to him until she began to make fun of Tock for his mishaps.

The twi’lek kept walking with the group, hearing the bleating of animals in the distance. She glanced over at V when he spoke, shaking her head, “I haven’t been to this fair, but I have crossed this path before,” She scrunched up her nose as the familiar smell of manure hit her, “We’re about to trespass through Old Man Groo’s farm. There’s an angry bull in there that we have to distract to safely make our way across. But I’m sure Tock’s told you all about that,” She said smartly.

The sounds of the animals could be heard, and one of them sounded decidedly angry, “Oh and the new guy usually is the one to do the distracting.”

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren had been expecting himself to be the only one to have never been with his relatively recent arrival to the temple and he was glad to find out he wasn't alone. Before he could question what made the path memorable, the smell struck his nose too and instantly made it scrunch. No answer was needed after that and him believing that was the extent of it.

Zana then mentioned they were about to trespass through good ole Groo's farm, Vren squinting his eyes slightly at her before turning his attention back to Tock, who was listening at that point with his name mentioned, and smiled sheepishly at the Echani. "Of course, we all know how reliable he is."

As the group finally approached the farm, a thick and large stone wall impeded their path, it stretching out in both directions and the "fence" for the bull. It made sense why they would have to distract it, with going around most likely taking them half an hour or more of time, a dense forest lining right outside of the constructed barrier.

When they stopped right outside, Vren stepped forward, inspecting the obstacle and being able to hear the irritating bleating on the other side. It was too high for him to just scream and wave his arms to bring the animal over, leaving one option they all knew he had to take anyway. "I'm assuming your first time at this fair doesn't count either?" The joke aimed towards Zana with a knowing smirk it didn't. With a turn towards Tock after a few seconds of listening to the bull and a shake of his head, with no intention to break tradition, he slid the backpack off his shoulders and handed it over to him. "Shit, if Tock could do it, shouldn't be too bad."

Tock smirked as he took the bag and held it with one of his hands, "Fern ain't too mean." He almost couldn't contain himself.

His golden gaze then slid over to Zana, confidence not exactly swelling in him with the recent answer, "Hear two whistles, that's your cue." With a quick cock of his head after, he faced toward the fence and began to climb it. Reaching the top shortly, Vren paused momentarily and peeked over at the nearby house. None of the lights were on and he figured Groo must have been at the fair. At least he wouldn't have to worry about noise. When that was done, he rotated on his stomach and swung his legs over before dropping on the other side.

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana grinned at him, “Doesn’t count. Need to see you’re not some scrub,” She decided V had a sense of humor, which was always a primary qualifier for being in the group. And he certainly was easy on the eyes. And the fact that he actually stepped up to distract the bull was another point. The twi’lek walked alongside the others, giggling a bit at the quip V made about Tock.

The twi’lek blinked at V as he began to climb the fence. Once he was over and looked back, her eyes were slightly wide, “You’re actually doing this…” She said, briefly looking at Tock and almost suggesting to call the whole thing off. However, everyone else was getting hyped and preparing to do the run. Zana looked back at V and smiled in the end, “Good luck, man. Try not to get hurt…”

Zana waited till V was out of earshot before whirling around on Tock, “You did tell him what to do, right?” She hissed at him, scowling.

 

[Vren Mallick]

While Tock undoubtedly was the most forgetful person that Vren had ever met in his life, he knew how to pick company. The fact that Zana had to check whether he was a scrub for the group made him grin too unexpectedly, her being one of the first people he knew that he could read sort of well with how expressive she was. It was a welcomed change for him. Her features didn't make it difficult for him to look at her either.

Vren's eyebrow arched barely but in a questioning manner at her statement about going in, "It's tradition." His tone suggested that this was the only course of action available. When she wished him luck, his gaze drifted to her smile before back to her eyes and she received a half-smirk back, "Hopefully won't need it." With that, he dropped.

Tock, giving a shrug at Zana before answering after Vren left, "Not at all. You actually reminded me when you told him. I just told V tonight was a surprise for him." With another shrug, "We should get prepared though, he'll be fine."

Vren landed on the opposite side and scanned the paddock with him being able to finally see. There was a sort of feeding platform in the corner diagonal from him that was locked with hay in it but the Echani decided he didn't want to damage property. The distance between the wall and the fence across from him wasn't too vast but there would need to be some urgency. Most importantly, he found Fern practically against the fence on the other side of the paddock. The bull was on its knees and stomach, facing toward the fair that was a concoction of light and music, angry huffs ejecting from its nostrils.

First, Vren tried throwing a rock into the wall but to no avail. The music even made it slightly hard to hear even for him. With the force not really at the forefront of his mind, he let out a sharp enough whistle to catch the animal's attention as his last resort. When Fern got up and turned around, however, he realized the mistake he made as the Echani's eyes widened in disbelief, "Holy shit..." Tock was dead.

Fern was massive, once standing it almost was a head taller or more than Vren. Its coat was midnight black and underneath was just a heavy mass of heaving muscle. There were four protruding horns, forming sort of pincers on each side of the bull's head. When its eyes locked onto the padawan, white hair that was reflecting the light easily with being so close acted as the perfect beacon. Slowly, the Echani stepped to his right and away from where the group was preparing, Fern's head traveling with him the entire way and its hoof repeatedly striking the dirt.

Vren backed up against the stone wall painstakingly slow, lifting one foot and placing it directly against the obstruction in preparation. The bull was already pissed and a newcomer was a perfect target to vent. Without hesitation, the bull bellowed before charging forward, building up speed quickly as it cut across the small field at the white speck. The padawan waited there still, the force flowing through him as the bull eventually reached halfway before Vren let out two sharp and loud whistles, the sign. The others would be able to hear the thunderous stomping and bellows.

The Echani stayed on the wall, repeating to himself quietly, "Come on, come on..." When Fern was close enough, the ground almost shaking from his weight, Vren kicked off the wall and practically launched off like a missile with the help of the force as he blasted the energy behind him. He would land around twenty feet away with a roll and instant momentum, stumbling at first until he straightened as he sprinted toward the other side as fast as he could. Fern attempted to readjust course quickly, not expecting the sudden juke as the animal practically drifted while kicking up a massive wave of dirt, its body smacking into the wall momentarily. It only angered the bull more and after a quick shake of its head, it charged after the padawan with new vigor.

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana’s jaw dropped as Tock answered her rather nonchalantly. She shoved his shoulder, “You’re such a jerk!” She hissed, looking back over the fence where V disappeared, “He could get seriously hurt,” She suddenly felt a pang of concern as she squinted in the darkness, unable to see jack from here. Zana was about to yell at Tock some more when she heard whistling from the other side. Her eyes went wide, “Holy crap he’s doing it!”

“Listen for the signal! Get into position everyone!” Tock shouted, suddenly taking the situation seriously. All the padawans were lined up along the fence, prepared to hop over and book it as soon as the coast was clear.

Even from here Zana could feel the thundering rumble of Fern charging. The very ground began to tremble and shake and she could hear the angry grunts as the beast barreled towards something. Likely V. Zana grimaced, unsure on whether to go help somehow or to trust that the Echani knew what he was doing.

Before she could decide, she heard the other whistles.

“That’s the signal! GOGOGOGO!” Tock whispered to the others. Zana quickly hoisted herself over the fence and ran for her life with the other padawans. She couldn’t see V anywhere, but she kept her gaze trained forward, booking it as fast as she could towards the other side.

Zana reached the opposite fence and jumped over it, landing in a crouch on the other side. She looked around, “V?! Where are you?!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, calling the Force to herself to use it if necessary. She was getting concerned at not seeing him just yet, “Where is he?!” Zana asked aloud, none of the other padawans spotting him yet.

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren's legs extended to their full stride, his arms churning to help propel him forward by any amount as his lungs burned from the effort. The only sound was whistling wind, gaining hoof steps, and enraged snorting. It was certainly some motivation.

The distance between him and the fence was closing rapidly, as was the distance between him and Fern. The bull was faster, especially in a straight line, and the Echani was testing his luck as both barreled toward it. Whines and rumbles behind him nearly made him stumble as he neared the fence but at the last second, Vren managed to correct himself enough before he launched off the ground with one foot. Because of the proximity of Fern, practically right on his ass, his take-off wasn't clean and Vren didn't clear the fence.

Instead of soaring over the obstacle, he landed on top of it, about to use it as a launchpad for himself but not quick enough. Almost right when his feet touched the fence, the bull slammed right into it as well, the bottom set of horns protruding through the X's as the top set went over. The left one grazed right along the side of Vren's calf, cutting his skin easily and piercing through his pants. He couldn't even let out a reaction of pain, the force of Fern ramming into the fence sent him flying forward involuntarily.

Vren soared for a few meters before he crashed into the ground with a grunt and rolled hard, eating shit until he came to an abrupt stop on his back and blinked slowly before he stared straight up at that the sky. "Fuck..." He groaned painfully, the ache throughout his body making him forget about the cut as it felt his whole skeleton was jostled. The Echani wiggled his toes and fingers, finding himself thankful nothing was broken.

The sound of shouting could be heard after he regained his bearings and Vren was able to decipher it coming from Zana and asking about him. He sat up with a loud groan before calling back, one of his hands coming to the back of his neck as he did, "Here!" An attempt to stand was made after but he just sat right back down and then laid onto his back to rest for a moment, his silver necklace out from under his shirt.

Despite what happened, adrenaline and excitement poured through his veins as his heart fluttered rapidly. He was breathless but couldn't help but laugh, victory laced within it, unable to believe how incredibly close he had been. Even with the ache, it felt like he could run for miles. It was a bonus that Zana and the rest made it across too without a hitch.

There was a snort from behind him and instead of sitting up, he tilted his head upward until he saw Fern staring straight at him, at least upside down. It stomped its feet and Vren sighed softly before lifting his hand slowly and flicking, one of the haystacks falling into the paddock as the strap came undone, spilling the contents everywhere for Fern to eat. The hand fell onto his stomach with a slap. "You earned it buddy..." Fern snorted again before the beast turned to graze the hay.

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana simply saw a projectile launching right at them. She heard the heavy thud and looked over to spot V, her eyes going wide. The twi’lek rushed over to him with the others, fully convinced he had been badly gored. She glanced over at his leg and saw the cut there, “HE’S BLEEDING!” She practically shrieked, running over to crouch beside him.

“Dude I’m so sorry!” Zana had both hands on her head, mortified at seeing him lying there on the ground, “I never should’ve told you about that stupid tradition! Ugh! This is all my fault! And probably Tock’s too, but also mine and -” She rambled on and on, making little sense before she finally paused to take a breath when he started laughing.

“How is this funny?!” She said in exasperation. Zana reached over to help him up, “Can you move?” The sight of her attempting to hoist up a teen that was a foot taller than her was comical. She was a twig next to him and yet she made every effort to help him to his feet.

“You guys go ahead,” Zana said to Tock and the others. For a moment, they looked as if they would protest, but they turned and left. Ultimately they wanted to be at the fair and didn’t want to be slowed down. Zana stayed behind, turning to regard V. She shook her head.

“You’re such an idiot..”

 

[Vren Mallick]

It didn't take long before Vren could hear hurried footsteps over to him. He sat up with one elbow as support while Zana crouched beside him. With his free hand, he lifted it towards her with an open palm to ease her worries, "I'm..." But he couldn't finish the sentence as he was cut off and given an apology.

Deciding to just wait, Vren laid back on both elbows after he dropped his hand while he just stared up at the Twi'lek as she stumbled over where to place blame. Watching her struggle was like witnessing a car wreck in slow-motion for the Echani, each little tick or action she performed highlighted especially for him. It only added to the laughter that bubbled out of him while he laid there and made it even fuller.

When she asked how it was funny, Vren couldn't help but smirk, once he calmed down, as he wiped his bottom lip before he was helped up, "Because you're a mess, Z."

The sight of her assisting indeed was comical as the Echani would slide his long arm over her shoulders, practically draping her as he pushed off the ground with his other arm. The weight difference made it interesting as they nearly fell and Vren tried not to crush her as he stood. To his surprise, she still fit snugly against his frame despite their difference in size. "Nah, think I'm paralyzed from the waist down, thanks to you." His comment sarcastically hinting the blame fell upon her.

The others were waved off when they arrived and he didn't blame them. They were here for the fair and he wasn't dead or broken. Zana turned toward him afterward, her comment drawing an arched eyebrow in response, "Says the one who tried to lead the idiot off a cliff..." Vren didn't oppose the idiot part as there most likely could have been better solutions to handling Fern.

With a quick lick of his lips as he glanced around, Vren just gave another cock of his head, "All of you got across, Fern is happy." The bull gave a snort while it grazed, "I"m still alive and breathing." It was one way to describe his state with the gash and multiple bruises that had formed on him as he glanced down at Zana with his bright golden gaze. "The tradition is also alive and well. There's no need to fret."

After he looked down, Vren realized his arm was still around her and keeping her tightly against him, despite her offered support. He slid it off slowly after clearing his throat, taking a step back but seething as he did so with weight returning to the leg and reaggravating the gash. "Unfair to crush you on the way there." The Echani murmured softly. A quick peek down was taken to his leg to inspect the wound, a slight but heavy shrug offered, "Isn't that bad..."

 

[Zana Ari]

“What?” Zana squeaked in response a few octaves higher than her normal tone of voice. The expression on her face clearly suggested that she believed him when he said he was paralyzed...even though he was already half standing. Zana quickly cleared her throat, her blue skin flushing purple as she realized she fell for the stupid sarcasm hook, line and sinker.

The flush wasn’t improved the slightest bit as they both realized V was tightly holding onto her. While she didn’t notice at first, the sudden way he paused and pulled away brought it to light. Zana cleared her throat awkwardly, fiddling idly with one of her lekku. She blinked a few times, “Um.. you smell nice..” She blurted out before she could stop herself, but very quietly. She hoped he didn’t hear any of that.

Zana looked over at his leg when he did, eyeing the wound. For a moment she simply stood there saying nothing. However, her eyes suddenly lit up, “I have a medkit!” Zana said excitedly, reaching fro the bag she brought with her. It was a mini travel medkit, but it was enough for a quick job.

“May I?” She asked before crouching down to apply a bacta patch on his leg injury. Within moments, he would feel a cool sensation followed by almost instant relief as she patched him up. Zana even remembered to disinfect the wound first.

She rose up after she was done, slinging the bag over her shoulder again.

“We can walk back if you want,” Zana said before glancing back in the direction of the fair, “I mean..you’re hurt and probably should get back to the dorms,” She said before finally tearing her eyes away from the bright lights ahead of her.

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren thought he heard Zana comment that he smelled nice but before he could think about it, she excitedly claimed that she had a med-kit. It was a surprise to him and he wondered if injuries were a common occurrence with the tradition he just did but he wasn't going to complain.

A small one was pulled out from her bag and when she asked for permission, Vren just flared his arms out for a brief second, "By all means." The sensitivity of the wound reared its head when she first applied the patch, a grimace stretching across his face before the pain was replaced by relief. It was quick and efficient, his leg already beginning to feel leagues better than it did before and being disinfected as a bonus.

"Thank you," Vren murmured cooly as he inspected the then cared-for injury. The patch felt secure to him and he was quite impressed with her handiwork, "Really nice job, actually." He was curious who and where she learned from.

When it was suggested that they return back to the dorms afterward, it made the Echani whip his head toward her, his eyebrows scrunched together slightly, "I thought I was the one who banged his head on the ground. You're talking crazy." With renewed resolve after his bandaged leg, the Echani began to step forward and head toward the lights in the distance, albeit with a slightly different stride, one of his hands slapping Zana's back gently, "We can still arrive before the talked about the light show, come on."

Vren went through all that shit to get there in the first place, he wasn't going to turn back then.

When the two finally arrived, they would be able to feel the festive spirit in the air. The fair had been placed in a field, numerous tents of different colors erected, each open with different activities and games inside. They were placed in between trees, which had lines of lanterns running through each of them and safely above everyone as they illuminated everything. Families and children were everywhere, Vren unable to help but chuckle as he watched a group of kids tumble over each over while playing tag. The air smelled of food and was filled with music, easily bringing the spirit forth in everyone.

Vren looked down and to his left at Zana, "Spot our people?"

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana’s expression visibly lit up when he suggested continuing to the fair. Truth be told, she was a bit bummed at the prospect of walking back and was thankful V suggested pressing ahead. She could see all the children running around and the smell of sweet candies and desserts. The twi’lek definitely had a bit of a sweet tooth, and she spotted cotton candies and other chocolate drinks up ahead.

“Knowing Tock, he’s probably on a coaster somewhere,” She said, not spotting anyone around. Zana purposely walked slower to allow V to keep up with his injured leg. She looked over at the Echani, quirking a brow, “What’s your name, really? It can’t actually just be V.”

It was clear that after the initial icebreak, Zana tended to be social and somewhat blunt by nature. She made her way towards a cotton candy stall, forking over some credits to buy some. Zana extended it towards V in case he wanted some as well. As delicious as it was, the candy was incredibly messy and sticky on the fingers.

 

[Vren Mallick]

The two walked throughout the fair, the Ecahni noting how the Twi'lek slowed her speed for him and he was appreciative of it. As they did, Vren would simply cast his gaze around haphazardly as he caught all the small interactions that took place around them.

He checked every box that he was a people-watcher, more so for his own curiosity as he watched how expressive humans and other races were with each other, his own kind the opposite.

Normally, there wasn't any difficulty with his species amongst others but being stuck on his home planet for most of his life, left him somewhat lacking in that department of socialization. Huge gatherings like they were in didn't really connect with him as he wasn't conducive to the festive spirit.

When Zana mentioned his real name, Vren brought his golden gaze over to her but noticed they were angling toward the cotton candy stall. After she bought some and extended it out to share, the Echani glanced at it before pinching off a clump with two fingers. A sweet tooth was something he didn't consider himself and instead of popping it into his mouth, he slid his middle finger behind the cotton candy and flicked it straight toward Zana's face, it striking dead center on her forehead. It was his subtle way of saying, "No thank you," but he added clarification, "Appreciate it but that's for Fern." The words came out calmy but followed with a glint in his eye.

As he would watch her deal with the cotton candy, Vren would fully catch her attractive features despite his efforts of candy throwing, the lights from the lanterns above helping illuminate them. It was one of the rare times that someone other than his kind caught his attention and his gaze would last a moment longer than needed. Her blunt nature was actually appreciated as it made it easier for him at least and it made him break out a smirk. "For a vast majority, it is just V, unless I can't help it."

"Only a few people know my real name or call me by it." The Echani gave another shrug, casual about his answer, "I have to trust them before they get to earn it." His blunt tone indicated it was the plain truth about him and that it would just have to be accepted because of how he was. To soften that answer, Vren added with crossed arms, "We didn't exactly start off on the right foot with you leading me to a bull twice my size either..." A lighter tone was given to the words.

Whether Zana took revenge against him or not for the cotton candy, Vren would look around until he spotted a certain game. "This way," He gestured with his hand before pushing off the stall and heading off, actual excitement in his voice. They would arrive at a makeshift ring, sparing equipment inside with either blunted weapons or thicker gloves than usual to prevent any damage. Vren leaned against one of the ropes with both his arms as he looked over to Zana, "What you think about hopping in? Give you some actual revenge for the candy."

 

[Zana Ari]

“Hey!” Zana yelped as the cotton candy flicked at her face. However, instead of getting offended, she casually popped it into her mouth. She was a big fan of the candy and she wouldn’t be fazed by having it on her face, “I don’t see you getting into Tock’s grill about it!” It was also his fault, right? Right? She was still having that internal crisis in her mind.

The twi’lek stared at him as he explained that he only shared his name with people he trusted. Zana’s eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was far more offended by the answer than he perhaps realized. She recalled how desperately she tried to help him and had stayed behind to care for his wounds. Only to have him still hold a grudge over something Tock had equal parts in? She didn’t move to follow him, golden eyes still narrowed.

“You do what you want,” Zana said curtly before she spun on her heel and began to walk in the opposite direction. Between Thelian and V, she was done putting up with Echani and their obnoxious attitudes. Were they collectively a mean race? That couldn’t be a thing, right? Zana stormed off in silent rage.

The festival was going in full force, everyone cheering and enjoying themselves. Zana came to pause near a stall that was selling droid parts. This caught her attention and temporarily distracted her from her emotions. As an engineering student, she was big on tinkering with different parts and components. Zana picked up a small droid model and began to fiddle with it.

“Oh don’t bother,” The merchant said dejectedly, “Haven’t been able to get that thing to work in ages.”

“Let me try,” Zana said with a smile as she began to take it apart right there.

 

[Vren Mallick]

Before he could walk very far from her, he could almost sense her just staring into the back of his skull. Vren turned around, arching his eyebrow at her slightly with confusion as he thought to her last response as the reason. Did she realize that they hadn't even found Tock yet for him to bring it up with his friend? The Echani opened his mouth, about to counter with just that before he noticed how she stared at him.

There wasn't much time for him to talk as she stated bluntly that he could do what he want before departing the opposite way. Vren stared after her for a moment before he closed his eyes and shook his head lightly, annoyed. What just happened? What did he say? Was it that he said that he basically didn't trust her? Was he supposed to trust her with everything after just meeting Zana an hour ago? Vren felt his words had been inbounds but maybe it could have been his tone, the Echani still practicing with the lack of physical contact in normal conversations.

Either way, Vren turned toward the ring and took a few steps but stopped again. He stared in that direction before he brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes with an exhale. The Echani had been invited to the festival by Tock and his friends and somehow he managed to piss one off enough to walk off. It was a terrible first impression and not the point of why he came out to join them that night in the first place. There was a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach and he peered at the ring longingly for a couple of moments until he turned around and walked the other way.

Eventually, he found Zana by one of the stalls after some exploring, one specifically filled with mechanical parts. She was utterly focused on some device on the table and took no notice of him as he approached. When he neared, Vren was able to see that it was some type of droid, the Twi'lek naturally taking it apart with ease.

The Echani approached the stall and leaned against it, both his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her fingers nimbly work with the machinery. At first, he debated what to say, whether to apologize or just continue the conversation like normal but as he watched, he became more fascinated by the work that Zana was doing. Without much thought and just blurting out, "How long have you been a tinkerer?"

Telling the difference between each part was practically impossible for Vren and was almost mesmerized by her doing something that he knew nothing about. The merchant had his back turned to them, still expecting nothing to be achieved.

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana was quiet for a moment as she worked even as V arrived again. She already knew he wouldn’t apologize - after all she expected no different from Thelian. However, there was no denying that she had cooled off from earlier. Nothing made her happier than working on droids or ships. The twi’lek adjusted a few things and the droid lit up. The merchant looked over in surprise. The arm movements were still repetitive, but she began to work on that next.

“For as long as I can remember,” Zana finally answered him as she continued to work, “I’m in the engineering division at the academy,” It was a source of pride for her. It was a difficult branch to get into, and generally required superior math and science skills. Just because she was a Jedi, it didn’t mean she didn’t have academic pursuits as well.

Within moments, both arms of the droid were functional and it began to make a series of beeps that were almost coherent. Zana set the droid down for now, the merchant absolutely ecstatic and quickly looking for a new price tag to put on the droid.

Zana finally looked up at V, stuffing her hands in her pockets, “You didn’t go to look for Tock?”

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren watched as the progress on the droid's condition continued to improve until she answered his question. The answer wasn't surprising as people with her affinity usually began young. The second part of her question piqued his interest as he had a run-in with her work.

Memories of his trip with Gwen were recalled as they had flown Zed to Jakku for one of her supply runs. She told him it had been the engineering kid's prize jewel and he believed it after piloting the freighter and being able to feel the power that hummed throughout the ship at the time. It was one of the first times he actually enjoyed flying.

Vren opened his mouth at first but didn't speak, realizing that the little trip maybe wasn't supposed to be brought to light. Plus, it was better to avoid how he almost crashed it. Instead, he modified the story a little bit, "I took a ride on your guy's ship, Zed, once. You did an excellent job on her, she flies like a dream. Should be proud." While she wouldn't know it, it was quite a compliment from the Echani as he wasn't the biggest fan of the venture.

After a couple more rewires and improvements from her, the droid fluttered to life but much more vibrantly as its limbs moved correctly. When Zana turned her attention away from her work and to the Echani to ask him about Tock, his reply came out surprisingly quick and as if it had been the only course of action he could have taken, "No, we left on a bad note. I didn't want to just ditch you out here as well." When she had split off from him, the thought to find his friend first hadn't crossed his mind he realized.

Vren stared at her for a moment before he broke it apart by running a quick hand through his hair, "Look... I'm-" Before he could get too far ahead, another voice broke out and called to them. It came from behind him and Zana would be able to witness from her angle that it was Tock and Mirialan heading to them. Both his eyes remained on Zana for a moment, silently conveying a message that wouldn't be understood as he didn't know how to present it himself.

Instead, when he heard the pair approach, Vren spun on his foot and made his way toward Tock. "Hey, buddy." He opened his arms for a hug but instead of going for the greeting, he would wrap one arm around his friend's neck in a tight squeeze and bend him over slightly. "Thank you for warning me about Fern..." It was the first time he actually got to talk with Tock since the bull and it was time for payback.

While the two settled that, Mirialan walked over to Zana and asked, "Everything good? The light show is about to begin." It was the main event for the whole festival.

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana was entirely caught off guard by the compliment. She began to idly fiddle with one of her lekku, “Uh.. thanks..” She was even more surprised when he expressed remorse for earlier. Truthfully, even she didn’t understand why she was annoyed by him not wanting to share his name. They had only just met, after all. He then began to…apologize?! Her eyes visibly went wide, but they were soon interrupted. She didn’t look away from him just then, though her expression softened to let him know she caught the message all the same.

Her gaze remained on V as he walked over to mess with Tock who was in the middle of sprouting every excuse he could think of.

“Huh?” Zana blurted out, completely missing what her friend said. She glanced over at her, only to see the Mirialan quirking a brow.

“Shut up.”

“It’s just because he reminds you of him, you know.”

“It’s not like that, Rowe.”

Rowe shrugged and the two girls walked over to the others. They walked as a group where the crowds had gathered. There were dazzling lights and patterns that lit up the entire path ahead of them. Zana watched it all in wonder, walking behind the two guys as she took in sight of the patterns and vibrant pulses of lights.

Meanwhile, Tock turned and grinned at V, “So, you gonna come out next time we do this or you gonna pussy out because of your dramatic near death experience?” He glanced down, “The fuck? You patched it up? Damn I didn’t know you were the responsible type to carry medpacks..”