Ask Something Like a Star

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal chuckled and with a mildly surprised expression. He hadn't expected an actual response but less one that was as quick and on-point as that one. Honestly the stoic look just made it funnier. The young Jedi had no time to fire back as Sevrin casually segued into answering his actual question. Notably while the silver eyes flatly on Hannibal, emeralds instead seemed to freely wander over whatever they pleased, at times even looking into what might seem like empty space or an entirely ordinary piece of wall.

But his expression showed he was still listening, and while interested the mention of a monarchy clearly troubled him in a distant sort of way, a wry look settling on his face. It disappearing and he turned to look fully at Sevrin again when he asked about Hannibal himself, blinking once. He sipped his tea before answering.

"Yeah, ya got it." Hannibal shrugged a little. "Well, half anyway. Father's from the Pacanth Reach." He raised his cybernetic hand. "Uh, before you ask, I can only speak to the latter or Naboo. Wasn't raised in Morellian space." He cleared his throat. "Although I guess they're known for livin' about as long as your people, wanderin', and the Enforcers."

Hannibal grinned irreverently at the other Jedi. "So I guess you're stuck with me for some centuries, eh? Unless I die, natch."


He then raised the cybernetic limb and looked at it critically.

"Think I can safely etch this thing?"

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin felt the corners of his lips twitch slightly at the inclination of a smile when he saw the look of surprise on the councilor’s face. Externally he remained dignified as usual, always apparent by his straight posture and graceful pose. Anyone that had been around royalty would recognize his subtle traits that hinted at nobility from the way he sat to the way he held his items and where he placed his hands.

The Sephi’s gaze followed Hans as he moved about, quietly sipping from his tea, “Councilors do tend to stick around for the long haul,” He stated, “I have no doubt you will,” Hans hadn’t gotten to where he was by accident. He weathered every storm, stood against every adversary, faced Sith, all without succumbing to darkness, “And if you die, I will be sure to keep the pontificating at your funeral to a minimum.”

Sevrin’s gaze briefly went to the tattooed arm before it returned to the cybernetic as he pondered the question, “Yes, but perhaps only once that arm becomes your own,” He gazed back at Hans.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Well that was a relief. One less person giving speeches at least. Hannibal was never much a fan of the things for whatever reason, although he did occasionally feel it was needed or expected. Words did have a strange power to them sometimes.

The young Councilor grimaced at the cybernetic and moved it around a little. It almost felt more correct to have a limb modeled after droids rather than after how his old arm had moved. With a keen eye he watched the fingers close and open again, turned the wrist, and then dropped it back to his side. Emeralds moved back to look at Sevrin.

"Not anytime soon then," Hannibal grumbled. He sipped his tea and then headed off toward one of the walls where a spare few books were stored. After double checking he had the right one he slid out a hardback notebook with his living hand and walked right back over to the seated Sephi. He flicked a finger to pull and adjust a seat and sank down into it across from the other man, one leg casually crossing over the other and the notebook settled in his lap.

"In a gesture of appreciation for your brief but informative anthropological lesson regarding the Sephi, I will relate my gathered knowledge of the local flora and fauna of Tython."

Hannibal had slipped with practiced ease into the noble cant and accent of Naboo, his expression politely neutral save for that little hint of a smirk on his face, sitting up straight and dignified. Then he let it collapse and relax, ruining his posture and slipping into a playful grin.

"Unless ya'd rather read it yourself, natch."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin watched Hans grab a notebook and walk over to sit across from him. Sharp eyes picked up the perfect posture Hannibal suddenly had, and when he spoke the accent was formal. The Sephi eyed him with mild curiosity, internally working out whether or not the Councilor was actually mocking him. Sevrin glanced down at the way he himself sat - prim and proper. He didn’t change his pose even when Hans eased his. There was no change in expression, though the silvers displayed amusement.

“As cruel as it is to rob you of the luxury of sitting there watching me read, I must insist you tell me of the local flora and fauna and your own interpretations,” Sevrin stated smoothly before he silently took a sip of his tea. His expression, as always, was completely neutral along with the polite tone of his voice. He looked away only to briefly reach for a fruit snack before popping it into his mouth.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal smiled at Sevrin in a friendly sort of way and leaned back so the front legs of his chair came off the ground, getting well comfortable for the story time to come. He dipped his head in an exceptionally lazy approximation of a bow and placed his teacup aside on a small table for the time being, instead opening up the notebook and raising it a little to look at it properly.

"Well if you insist then I s'pose I must."

He began with the things he'd seen and noted down around the overgrown temple that'd be discovered on the planet. Unlike when he spoke more casually this was clearly something he rather like, although as an amateur, and would not hesitate to go into a perhaps unneeded level of detail.

Furred manka cats and swooping hook hawks that sang to their prey before going in for the kill were noted first as things to watch out for, as well as an eagle as tall a the average human that was much, much rarer to see. Here he showed sketches of each, although the one of the eagle was quite vague as if it'd been seen far away with details filled in, complete with approximated measurements. Then there were hunting cats that stalked at night, of course, and roaming herds of three-horned ungulates covered in a shaggy fur that were recommended to be avoided.

Hannibal's casual air never vanished but his affectation did settle somewhere between the formal and informal, breezy but without cutting pieces off of words so often.

"Ah, then there's the vines, see." He put the notebook down and pulled a picture from between the pages to hand over to Sevrin. It depicted a glowing cube around and from which vines grew across every available surface. "Careful in the temple itself. Those vines move like snakes."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

The more Hans described, the more concerned Sevrin grew. He knew Tython had its share of...challenges, but this spelled a whole menu of potential dangers. The Sephi certainly appreciated the thorough details and notes the Councilor collected, and a great deal of care was applied to everything he wrote or drew.

He took the proffered picture, scanning over it as he spoke, “This is the holocron you were speaking of?” He mused aloud as he inspected the picture, “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Sevrin rarely said those words as his travels often took him far and wide.

The Sephi glanced up at the other man, both of them having moved in slightly closer to look over the notes. Though the expression was stoic, there was curiosity in the eyes, “Did you have a vision about this?” Hannibal was very vague when Sevrin first arrived, “Something about this is pulling you. Why now?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal nodded, although his eyes were still on the notes in his lap. He pulled a mechanical pencil from a holder on the spine of it while Sevrin was looking at the picture and adjusted some description or other about the vines in the margins with a furrow-browned and focused expression. Clearly writing was not one of the things he was practiced at doing with his right hand, the movements slow and awkward.

Bright emeralds looked up a moment after the Sephi's eyes found him again and found themselves looking into the stoic silver pools glimmering with the hint of curiosity. Hannibal's face froze in place for a moment before it suddenly returned to activity with a frown, unmoving from their close arrangement.

"I'm not the guy to ask about seeing visions," the young Jedi said with clear and even articulation followed by a sort of shrug. "Seemed kinda vision-like. Vague, but it's definitely pullin' me... somewhere." Hannibal clicked his tongue thoughtfully.

"Something like a star, I guess." He blinked and slowly shook his head, chuckling, quite sure that all made no sense at all. His chair dropped a little as he made to set it back on the ground and suddenly remembered how leaned in the two were over his notes as he had to stop himself before their faces actually collided, chair legs not couching touching the floor. He blinked.

"So. Do all Sephi have such pretty eyes or just you?"

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin was slightly taken aback at Hans blatantly stating that he was not the guy to ask about visions. Was there someone to ask about them? They more or less appeared without rhyme or reason at first. Something told him that Hans simply didn’t want to share what he had seen. The Sephi listened calmly as he made an attempt to describe what he saw.

“A star..” He repeated, “Could be the symbol of a guide,” Sevrin mused aloud as he glanced back down at the picture and the notes. His mind was parsing through all of the data they had discussed and he had seen, “Were there any emotions tied to what you saw? Negative or positive?” He knew the councilor was an empath and that was the language he spoke. Perhaps if he didn’t understand visions, he could interpret emotions better.

Sevrin also had lost sight of just now close they were, their faces almost clashing. His gaze flicked up from the notes just in time to catch Hans staring back. If the Sephi was caught off guard by what Hans said next, he made a damn good show of keeping on a poker face.

Silver eyes pierced into the greens, a hint of what looked to be almost a challenging fire behind the chilling gaze, “Only those in my family, I’m afraid,” He stated before he continued, eyes never shifting, “Are all Morellian Epicanth mixes so bold or just you?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal had always had a certain kind of attitude about him ever since he was a padawan. The man had a competitive streak that was literally the reason he'd taken to learning a difficult saber style, had a habit of challenging tradition that resulted in his distinctive robes, and had a certain irreverent abrasiveness that tested the patience of those around him.

These traits had toned down before he was knighted but had never really gone away. So when the two Jedi were stuck there staring into each other's eyes and emeralds caught that challenge behind silver his first response was an impish grin, that strange light of life behind his eyes shining with mischief. Hannibal didn't move from where he was.

"Nah, just me." He raised an eyebrow. "Is it frowned upon to openly admire beautiful things in your culture?" Still he spoke in that even and articulated way he had when reading from his notes, his posture and expression brimming with casual confidence and even allowing his chair to drop just a hair lower and his face just a little closer.

Hannibal hadn't been particularly flirtatious for a while now but it was nice to know he hadn't entirely lost his touch.

"Surely then your house is bereft of mirrors."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

While Hans had a casual confidence that was breezy and overt in nature, Sevrin was more subtle. He had his unwavering gaze and posture, his resolve always steadfast and his face the chiseled stoic of a statue. Sevrin never shifted his gaze as Hans spoke and there were no immediate reactions. He didn’t blush, he didn’t look away, he wasn’t flustered. He maintained that perfectly proper and calm resolve.

Even when Hans leaned in closer.

The Sephi didn’t move any closer, nor did he shift back. He remained exactly where he was, his gaze still bearing that challenging fire behind them, “I don’t need mirrors to confirm what I already know,” He said casually, his own confident demeanor cutting through to counter Hans.

“Now that you’ve keenly pointed out that water is wet,” He said matter of factly, “What do you intend to do about that drink of water?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Well Sevrin's face hadn't really shifted, still keeping to that Sephi aloofness he'd mentioned earlier and shown for their entire short time the two men had been in each other's vicinity. But Hannibal was steadily getting more of his personality and the part he was having the most fun with so far was the smooth way he bounced back the energy that the young Councilor gave him. Sevrin wasn't thrown off or confused by but instead came right back with a casual quip of his own.

Hannibal couldn't help a chuckle at the self-confident declaration that the Sephi already knew how beautiful he was. He straightened slightly as the chair legs hit the ground and he kept his position so his head stayed in the same place a mere breath away from Sevrin's. His hand came up to gesture at the other man's fit and well-kept figure.

"Oh yes, water is wet, but that description was in error." He said all this with the air of a man who had made the gravest mistake imaginable, expression shifting to one of regret save for the wily grin beneath it.

"More a fine dry wine you are, Sev, a subtle white with just a little bite. Or so a man might hope." And it shifted back that same breeziness. He even threw in a cheeky wink right after the word 'bite'.

"But this one would not say nay to a glass or two."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin watched as Hans broke into a chuckle, clearly finding this as amusing as he did. The only difference was that his face betrayed nothing, though his eyes had a glint to them. Sevrin kept their gazes locked even as Hans gestured with his hand before drawing it back. The Sephi kept his pose, always with perfect posture and tall from his noble origins. Sevrin was especially entertained by the almost theatrical display of regret before Hans followed up with more.

“Sevrin,” The Sephi said quietly as that fire danced in his eyes while he gave a lazy wave of his hand, “May as well use my proper name now that I have you speaking honeyed words to me in the Queen’s Basic,” Sevrin remarked, casually noting the much more proper and refined Nabooian dialect Hans had shifted to instead of his usual informal one.

His head tilted slightly to the side then, an almost quizzical look in his eyes, “I can understand if you need to air the wine out to soften the flavors before you try it.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

"Oh there are several names I'd consider proper." He mimicked that same casual handwave in the opposite direction, eyebrow raising in a clear expression of challenge. "And many descriptors besides." Hannibal raised a hand and began to count, one finger at a time, for each series of words.

"Smooth, stoic, silver-tongue and silken-haired, subtly sublime."

"Excellent and elfine, edified, even enigmatically enthralling."

"Veracious and virtuous, vividly vulnerary of vision, and venerable of valor."

Hannibal then dropped his hand back to down to his thigh and leaned forward a little, that grin of his cheekier and brighter than those before. He was obviously having quite a lot of fun with this back and forth with the other man and had sorely missed these kinds of conversations. They were so rare among other Jedi, after all.

"I could come up with more, but that would be rather inimical, no?"

Only then did Hannibal lean fully back casually in his chair, eyes finally flicking away from silvers to briefly move over the plain Jedi robes the other man chose to wear. They were a far cry from the brightly coloured and untraditionally cut set Hannibal preferred but he supposed it was likely more efficient than carrying around a stick.

"Sevrin, then. Please, do pour."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin’s face had the strongest tugs towards a smile as Hans rattled off a series of alliterations. He watched the other man lean back and openly appraise him before ending with a clear challenge. The Sephi stared at the other man still, his gaze waiting for Hans when he looked up again.

“You fantastically flatter me with frank facts and fascinating facetiae,” Sevrin quipped back, “So I shall savor such swooning so severely invoked by such a stunning silver-eyed Sephi that sees storming seas before him,” His gaze was fixed firmly on the emerald eyes that were more vibrant and alive than ever.

With an amused look on his face, he too leaned back in his seat but still proper and dignified, “I have already been pouring, Hans,” He said calmly, “And you are steadily getting a buzz,” Sevrin grabbed a fruit snack and popped it into his mouth.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Even Hanniba's added alliterative appeal was returned with alarming alacrity. There was even a word in there that was a double-entendre! But most importantly of all was one particular detail that the young Councilor was particularly interested in just that moment.

Sevrin almost smiled. His posture unlike Hannibal's kept his straight and stoic dignity, even as their seating arrangements became more or less mirroed, a stark contrast between two men who seemed to be enjoying what ever this conversation was supposed to be. Hannibal settled on fancy flirtation.

"Swoon and buzz? Silly Sevrin. Sip I might with tender lips and skilled fingers 'round the stem," he illustrated, fingers of his right hand curling around a non-existent wine glass, "But my head is clear and bright as the silver eyes reflected in emerald gems."

"But of wine you speak, and wine I have enough to share." He pointed behind himself with a thumb back toward, then an eyebrow raised with a cheeky smirk well planted on his face as his forefinger pointed also up toward the roof.

"Most conveniently located on the way to go upstairs."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin couldn’t have predicted this turn of events in any scenario when he first realized he would be joining the Councilor for a trip to Tython. The Sephi’s face betrayed amusement, though it was difficult to pull a true smile from him. The silver gaze softened far more than when they first met emeralds, and it was clear Hans’ antics kept him on his toes.

The Thustran prince was as dignified as ever, eyebrows raising just slightly at the casual suggestion of making their way upstairs. Sevrin stared at Hans for a moment before he replied, “I doubt not your tender lips nor your skill around this wine,” Hans would notice that instead of Sevrin’s fingers curling around the stem of a glass, they instead appeared to wrap around a wide wine tumbler, “As I get lost in your eyes and as you do mine.”

Sevrin slowly rose to stand then, “But would I be so veracious and virtuous, vividly vulnerary of vision and venerable of valor if I so voraciously vaulted and veered vivaciously directly to your quarters?”

His gaze lingered on Hans for a moment longer, that almost tug at a smile still gracing his face. Sevrin didn’t wink or gesture in any other way before he strode calmly past the man towards where he pointed, “I will have some of that wine, however.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Eyebrows rose in an expression of interest at the other man's words and gestures, making a show of deeply considering the implications of different sorts of wine vessels and how best to drink of them. Still the grin never left Hannibal's face just as Sevrin kept his dignity throughout.

The Sephi stood and spoke again in the prose they'd been tossing at once another back and forth, a sort of noble's cant, taking the words Hannibal had spoke earlier and added more of his own even. Emeralds watched him pass on by and he began to laugh whole-heartedly, very amused by this interaction with the other Jedi, before standing up from his chair himself with the notebook placed on the table beside.

"Surely you would, envision it! It detracts not, but for now, please. Do sit."

He followed to the bar and slipped around the other side to go through the bits of it that still actually had alcohol.

"A butt of wine is sadly outside my grasp! In lieu," he found what he was looking for, a Naboo white and two glasses, and placed them up on the bar counter between the two of them. "A humble bottle shared with you will do." With a flick of a thumb in empty air the cork atop the bottle was popped free with the Force rather than trying to navigate it with his cybernetic arm.

Carefully he poured the chilled liquid to partly fill both glasses, exposing it to oxygen more completely and allowing it to 'breath' better than simply opening it. His eyes looked up with a glimmer of new mischief.

"Although it must be said, quarters weren't brought up. I was merely suggesting wine is best enjoyed in a hot tub."

Hannibal chuckled again, looking very amused with himself.

"Really, this ship has one. Good for when training is done."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin watched Hans with mild curiosity as he told him to sit, and he did so. Amusement glinted in his eyes at the casual references to grasping at a butt of wine, the subtle and crude humor thoroughly entertaining. It was far more crude than the Sephi normally played at, but his own quips hadn’t exactly been complex.

The Sephi took the proffered glass, leaving it for now. His gaze briefly flicked back towards the notebook set nearby, the thoughts of the mission never too far away from his mind. The silver gaze moved back up to meet emeralds when Hans spoke next, amending what he said earlier. Sevrin simply stared at him for a moment, quite blankly, before responding, “I’m certain that is what you were referencing,” He said dryly.

Sevrin took a sip from his wine, moving to stand, “Alas, I shall be keeping my clothing on,” He stated as he motioned for Hans to lead the way, “But do as you please. I will keep you company,” The Sephi may have had a penchant for flirting or engaging in battles of wit, but in reality the man was quite reserved and modest. His noble and regal roots were hard to break even after being away from it for decades.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Hannibal Grayza]

Hannibal flashed another wink at the stoic Sephi, now watching his eyes more often than he had been before. His cybernetic arm dropped and turned carefully to balance the wine glass in the palm between two fingers with a soft ting before he emerged again from behind the bar, head nodding toward where the notebook rested.

"Bring that, will you? I can multitask." He carried right on through the larger bottom section of the craft and to the small turbolift near the front that would take them to the top level. Once Sevrin had entered with him he tapped a button with his bottle-holding hand to take them up. Some kind of generic elevator music played for all five seconds the turbolift was going.

"Oh, right, uh. Got any issues with cats?"

His reason for asking would become apparent as, when the doors opened again, an old-looking black cat was staring directly at the two of them from it's perch a set of colourful armour that had clearly been burned to absolute hell by an electrical discharge.

"Meow," said the cat.

"This is Mr. Cat. He says hello."

Hannibal walked out of the turbolift into a room clearly modified to contain much of his gear, including an entire rack of various blasters of differing ages and models.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin grabbed the notebook and followed Hans, stepping into the turbolift. His ears twitched slightly as he listened to the music, staring vaguely off at nothing in particular. The Sephi turned to regard Hans with mild curiosity as he mentioned a cat. He barely opened his mouth to reply when the doors opened to reveal said cat.

The Sephi walked over to regard the cat, reaching a hand out to pet it. Within moments it was purring happily with his fingers scratching beneath the chin. It was possibly the most Sevrin’s expression had softened and he was fascinated by this cat.

It took a moment before he glanced down to regard the armor that was absolutely wrecked. He looked at it before recalling that Hans had several run ins with powerful Sith. It was perhaps part of why he ascended through the ranks.

Sevrin turned to look at the Councilor, watching him curiously. He knew Hans carried with him many scars, many memories, many losses and the weight of the Order. It was a credit to his skills and strict discipline that he managed to stay on the path of the light through it all.

The Sephi realized his gaze was lingering far longer than necessary, and he turned his attention back to Mr. Cat.

“Quite the collection,” He stated as his gaze roamed over the personal armory. He stepped away from the cat that appeared to protest him doing so. Sevrin followed Hans to wherever he led, getting a better idea of the man based on how he filled his ship.

@Mr. Teatime