Open Social Padawans Got it Going On

[Shaw Amaris]

There was an old gas grill out in one of the courtyards of the temple on Takodana that, as far as Shaw knew, hadn't been touched once since he had arrived. Which was a real shame. It was high time the padawans and any knights that felt like crashing the party had a cookout. Shaw had drug the grill down to a spot by the lake, raided the temple pantry, and roped Caul (@Zay ) into helping him string up some old lights and paper lanterns that they had found in a shed from the trees. Only about half of the lights worked and most of the paper lanterns had holes in them, but Shaw thought they had done a pretty great job. The two teenage boys had sealed it with a epic high five, so you know it had to look good.

Shaw had asked Prani (@Sreeya ) and Zessel (@LouJoVi ) to whip up something sweet for dessert. Regina had somehow heard that Prani was bringing something, so of course she had gone out and bought two dozen of the most expensive cupcakes she could find and brought those. For the main dish? Shaw was grilling out. Burgers because he had never cooked anything a day in his life that wasn't straight out of a can, so he needed to go with something simple. How could you mess up burgers? So that was it as far as food went. Burgers and desserts and the drinks Theia (@GABA ) was supposed to bring. No vegetables. No fruit. No chips. No sides. None of those things had occurred to Shaw. Drinks wouldn't have even occurred to him if Theia hadn't brought it up, so unless someone else thought to bring something it would be a meats and sugars heavy dinner.

Shaw had tried to talk Prani into bringing her hallikset and putting on a little concert, but he had a feeling it was a no go. They had a different definition when it came to the word concert, so he wouldn't know until she showed up. In the meantime he had found a random party playlist and put it on shuffle. Music played over a speaker he and Caul had precariously positioned in a tree branch.

It was golden hour when everybody started showing up. Everything was going great so far. Everyone was having a good time except maybe for Regina's best friend Stacy who looked real grumpy for some reason, like she was reliving some traumatic experience over and over. Shaw was over at the grill trying to figure out how to get it to ignite. "Anyone know how to get this thing started?" he asked to whoever happened to be close by, scratching his head. Maybe it needed more lighter fluid. That sounded right. @allpadawansandanyknightsthatwanttocrash

 

[Zessel]

When Shaw asked him to bring something sweet for the dessert, Zessel’s mind immediately shut down from any other unnecessary concern, aka boring classes, and focused solely on what he should do. There were a ton of possibilities from a cake to G’weneen confectioneries. However, the half-Arkanian wanted something special that would make everyone happy, while also impressing them.

He settled in macarons, but not common ones. The half-Arkanian didn’t want to make common things. With the Teens Baking All’ Stars being next month, the Padawan had to try different things that could impress the jurors. So, he went directly to the fancy macarons, with very pretty little decorations and with different colors, each being of a different flavor. Now they were all safe inside the boxes that he was carrying. If people appreciated it, Zessel would teach that recipe on his channel.

Zessel arrived in the courtyard when the other Padawans were still arriving. Interestingly, he could be pontual to parties, but still struggled to arrive on time for astronomy and algebra. Perhaps if they weren’t so boring, the half-Arkanian would not get easily distracted while walking toward it.

The half-Arkanian left the macarons on a table close to some cupcakes that had a decoration so bland that even staring at a white paper would be more interesting. The boxes were made of transparent plastic, allowing everyone to see what was inside. Then, he approached Zessel, who seemed to be struggling with the grill. “I don’t know, never used a grill. Did you try to see if there is enough lighter fluid?” he shrugged, perhaps he should start to learn more about cooking proper food.

Maybe his followers would like these new recipes and new ones could subscribe to him.

While Shaw worked with the grill, Zessel turned to look at the guests and wondered if the clothes that he was wearing would be good for that party.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Nikko Ivita]

Nikko had been told about the party by another Padawan who had seemed incredibly enthusiastic about the whole thing. After thinking it over, she had decided to go. What harm could it do? She had begged her new master, Kimi, to come, but the Togruta had declined. Nikko felt like something was…different about this master. Kimi carried herself with an air of having lived through a lot. She was pretty cool, though.

For the party, Nikko was wearing her robes with the blaster burn on the shoulder from when she and Quin ( @Sicadorito ) had taken out some pirates. Partially because it was more comfortable, and partially because itt looked awesome.

Shaking her thoughts out of her head, Nikko stopped by the snack table and was putting down the tin of brownies when she spotted a boy ( @Zessel / @LouJoVi ) beside her carrying a box of macaroons. "Stars, those look delicious!" she gushed. "Did you make them?"
@throwitintothefire

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia was put in charge of the drinks and that was such a simple thing to do, until it wasn't as she tried to gauge what everyone would be interested in at the party. So she did what any sensible kid with seemingly limitless funds would do: buy just about any type of drink out there (and with cups and ice) and have it delivered to the party location. Sugary and non-sugary sodas, fake sodas, water, juices, just about everything short of alcohol. She just hoped there wouldn't be too many junk snacks, she always got hungry at parties, but didn't want to wake up feeling as though her gut was shredded by something that didn't sit well.

Regardless, on her priorities of concern, she was more worried about her looks. Theia had made sure to get a new dress, the type of dress that one hid from their mothers to avoid questions or confiscation. The teen thought she looked absolutely lit; gold bangles and she found some new large gold hooped earrings to wear too, and gold strappy heels. She fixed her hair, twisting her multiple padawan braids into a more complex braid that trailed down her back. Even more impressive, Theia noted the time on her chrono, seeing that she was going to be there just right on time as she finished her make up and picked out a perfume that reminded her of the sandalwood from Qatamer.

She heard the music when she arrived to the party and it smelled as though someone was grilling food already, which Theia was relieved. There were many others there, but first she went to the drinks to check to make sure everything was in line before looking for Shaw. She had not seen him for a little while, their trainings leaving them distant for some time so when Theia did spot Shaw, she had to do a double take. Did he look... taller? Maybe it was the muscles? Regardless, a wide grin crossed her face as she hurried to meet him, "SHAW!" she wrapped her arms around him before he could protest in her excitement to see him.

 

[Syr Bors]

Under one arm, a giant box that seemed to be making a lot of noises and shaking about. under the other arm, a quite large cooler-esque box, the sound of clinking bottles amongst ice inside. On the side, the oversized lightsaber hilt of the Giant Pango's LightClub. On the back, a large backpack, filled to the brim with who knew what else.

Syr Bors had arrived.

"Greetings my fellow padawans of the holy light!" the Giant Pango announced in a booming voice as he took slow steps forward. Unlike the other humanoids, Bors was dressed in his usual: A couple of belts over his chest and waist. Most human clothing didn't fit too well with the scaled carapace of Giant Pangos, and their tails never really suited the task of putting on pants.

Bors' nose twitched slightly at the smell of sugar and lighter gasses nearby. There was a conglomeration of Jedi near the grill area. Slowly, the Giant Pango made his way towards the group of people.

"Could one of you help me?" Bors asked aloud, gesturing towards the containers he carried in his arms. Despite his size, the things were starting to weigh him down, or at least, more so than his natural weight did.

"Here, I brought some stuff from my home world. Not the best, but I believe it is good! At least, that is what I was told when I bought them..." Bors said as he dropped the cooler onto the ground. Inside the impractically sized cooler, the padawans would find an assortment of large bottles filled with the sour pungent liquids of lightly fermented drinks. While mixed with enough water to reduce the risk of alcohol poisoning, there was enough 'juice' in each container to give a strong kick to whoever wanted to become acquainted with it.

The other box shook about a bit more. With his other hand free, Bors held the container in two large clawed paws and looked at the grill. "I was unsure of what to bring, so I thought a native treat was in order. A cultural exchange, as us Jedi are supposed to do, haha! All it requires is some grilling, and it can add some wonderful flavors to your...erm, what are those called, burgers? Yes, those!"

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan heard about the padawan gathering on Takodana and thought it would be a good time to hang out with some of the other padawan in the order. He wasn't sure what most of them would be like but he was sure to see some of his friends. He had heard one of the padawans named Shaw was the one who had the idea for the hang out. While he hadn't met the guy yet, he was excited to since the other padawan sounded like a cool guy to hang out with. When it came to events like this, having adequate amounts of food for those gathered was important which was why he decided to pick up a few things.

This event was one that called for more style and less robe. While his wardrobe wasn't spectacular, he had a few things that he could wear. That was, until he searched through them and felt like he seriously needed something new. Luckily, he was now an employee of EZTech and now had credits to spend on new things.

Sporting a new look, Kaedan hopped on his new EZ-R4 Jedi Swoop Bike and rode off towards the party. When he arrived, he parked the bike and took off his helmet, grabbing the stored food items he walked with. He saw a group of padawan near the grill and approached slowly. During his approach, he saw Theia which brought a light smile and a blush to his face. He took a breath and let his face readjust to its normal friendly and cheerful state. "Hey, Theia." he waved before turning his attention to Shaw. "You must be Shaw. I'm Kaedan." He placed the storage crate down and folded his arms. "I brought Turbo Dogs, Scazz Steaks and Nerf Steaks." Of course, each meat was separated so there would be no contamination.

"I'll help you get the grill started." Kaedan took a look at the grill and made sure there was enough lighter fuel before engaging the fire. "There we go." Kaedan smiled. "It's nice of you to get an event like this going." He turned and looked at the other padawan who were gathering. "It's a nice break from training, studying and the occasional mission here and there."

@GABA @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Zessel was the first partygoer to approach Shaw. "Zessel!" the teenager grinned, about to clap the other boy on the back when he remembered that the half arkanian did not like to be touched. Understandable, given that the last time they had seen each other Zessel had a bag thrown over his head and been kidnapped. Shaw's hand was left floating awkwardly above the teenager's back before he got the idea to pretend to stretch. Smooth save. @LouJoVi

Theia was the next one. "THEIA!" he exclaimed right back, just as excited. They hadn't seen each other in months, not since Qatamer, but as soon as they hugged and he caught a whiff of something sweet and leathery it felt as if they were right back amidst the sand dunes again, picking right up where they had left off. "Wow! You really dressed up!" You look great would have sounded a lot better, but Shaw wasn't good at stuff like that. He cleared his throat and looked down, tugging at the oversized hoodie he had thrown on with a pair of shorts before offering her a goofy smile. "Me too. How's your wrist doing?" @GABA

To the newcomer asking for a hand, Shaw would help him offload the assortment of boxes and coolers. Then he would look up and up and up. Bro was absolutely massive! An absolute unit. Shaw made a mental note to not get on that guy's bad side before a brown haired padawan introduced himself as Kaedan. @Narzen

Already peering into the crate he had brought, Shaw would eagerly ask, "Did you say turbo dogs??" Shaw loved turbo dogs. He hadn't had one since he had left Coruscant, so he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into one. He wondered how Kaedan had gotten his hands on some, but Shaw had never asked about the mystery meat before, and he wasn't going to start asking questions now and ruin a good thing. "Is that your bike back there?" He pointed to the swoop bike and grinned. Turbo dogs and a swoop bike? Shaw liked Kaedan already. @StephDLegend

Between Zessel and Kaeden they got the grill up and going, and Shaw threw the burger patties on to start grilling. Now the cookout could really get started!

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani was normally wary about socials because she had little in common with other Padawans. Nevertheless, since Shaw requested it, she showed up and with baked goods. She opted to make ooey gooey apple monkey bread, carrying a tray of it for the party. She had her hallkiset strapped on her back, though she doubted anyone here would want to listen.

“Ugh Prani, why do you always dress like it’s the Old Republic era?” Stacy groaned when she spotted Prani walking in adorned in a simple blue dress. The padawan was unfazed, smiling at Stacy before holding out the tray.

“Wanna try this?” She asked. Stacy scowled but took a peek. She took a fork and tried a bit, the pleasure of biting into an incredible dessert clear on her face.

“It’s okay I guess,” She said with a huff before walking off. Regina entered the scene shortly after, dressed in a very tight little black dress, strutting in as if she owned the place. She saw everyone crowding Shaw and glared intently, especially at the redhead (@GABA ) who threw herself on him. Regina made a mental note to sabotage her at every step tonight.

Prani decided to give Shaw and Theia some space, focusing instead on setting the tray down. She was looking around for vegetables to nibble on because she didn’t really eat meat, but was dismayed to find none. She decided she would simply make do with the desserts.

 

[Theia Durand]

"Its doing a lot better!" she said as she held up her hand and moving it around in all directions to prove she was not in pain. He seemed impress with her choice of outfits and Theia felt flattered. Her smile widened as she reached up to play with a piece of her hair, only to realize there was nothing to touch as she had pulled back her hair for the evening. So instead, she tried to smooth out her move by scratching her head, "You look great, I'm so glad we-" Theia heard someone call her name, it was Kaedan, who she also had not seen in some time. "Hi Kaedan!" He came along with a create of meat, literally setting it down and drawing Shaw's attention to himself. The teen's lips pursed in mild annoyance, but then Shaw seemed even more interested in the meat than herself and the speeder bike, which was one of Ezra's models.

Theia took out her EZphone and immediately messaged Ezzie:

Hey, one of your employees rudely interrupted me with their meat, please write them up. -Thee <3

The red headed teen turned and started to see who else had arrived to the party. She headed over to the dessert table, only to get shoulder checked by Regina. Theia turned and gave the gal a warning look before meeting up with Prani, "Hey Prani!" Theia greeted, "What did you bring?" she asked, already grabbing a plate to eat the desserts first and trying to ignore the meat block. "I love your dress by the way. You always dress in such a regal classiness."

@Sreeya @throwitintothefire @Kaedan

 

[Roanoke]

"Lady, you can't eat these..."

A curious meow, followed by a series of soft trills and purrs. An answering sigh from the Near-human, exasperated but fond, as the loth-cat walks and slithers between his legs while he makes his way towards the venue. Hands full from carrying a tray of a variety of vegetable snacks and sides, Roanoke can do nothing but chuckle when she jumps on his shoulder and decides that the spot is going to be her perch from here on out. Lady looks like a furry scarf draped over his shoulders as her bushy tail playfully but softly whacks the side of his face.

"...alright, alright. I'll let you nibble on a carrot or anything you like later. Just—" he adjusts his hold on the tray, snickering when Lady coyly lowers one paw towards the nearest piece of vegetable. "Nope. Lady..."

She only meows again, butting the top of her head against his scarred cheek, before finally acquiescing. Still, he keeps an eye on her in case she finally tries to steal from the tray.

Roanoke has never been to a party before, even if the Sith socials back when he was still an acolyte were said to be lit. The mohawked teen doesn't care about the festivities, but he does care about his friends. And now that he's made a few friends here in the Jedi Order, he wants to have more. More connections, more people to share fond memories with—something he never did back home. He huffs, putting his past in the back of his mind because he doesn't want those bad times dampening his or anyone else's mood. He's here to make friends and have fun, enjoy himself.

He just hopes his shyness won't get in his way. He's even dressed casually, too, the long sleeves of his top covering the numerous scars on his arms to allay his insecurities towards them.

Roanoke sets the tray he's carrying on the table, charcoal eyes flicking to the array of colorful macarons inside transparent boxes. He doesn't need to guess who (@LouJoVi) made them, a smile lighting up his face. Though he fights the urge to pick one just yet, deciding to save the desserts for later. He looks up in search of Shaw (@throwitintothefire), sees him crowded by other Padawans, and decides to leave him be for now, not wanting to intrude. Instead, a splash of blue catches his attention, before it's blocked by Lady's fluffy, furry tail.

Gently brushing the loth-cat's tail aside, Roanoke's gaze alights on a tiny but very pretty Padawan who seems to be scouring the table for something. He averts his gaze, feeling his face grow warm at the prospect of talking to a girl. Not just because she's pretty, but because of his limited interactions with them. But he reminds himself that he's with the Jedi now, so it's not like she's going to snap at him for talking to her anyway.

Pink still dusting his cheeks, he gives the petite Padawan (@Sreeya) a friendly albeit bashful smile. Lady purrs on his shoulder, seemingly already planning ways to earn the Jedi's favor to score pets and chin scratches from her.

"Your dress l-looks cool," he comments sincerely, before gesturing at the tray of veggie snacks and sides that he brought but says nothing about them, struggling to articulate his thoughts. He's never seen her before, and it's always hard for him to make a good rapport with new people.

"I... I'm Roanoke," the former acolyte then introduces himself, earning himself a chitter from the loth-cat on his shoulder.

 

[Zessel]

Zessel turned to look at Pantoran that had talked with. “Yep, I made them.” he smiled, proud that someone had liked his macarons. He hoped that everyone would appreciate them. Although he was starting to think that he ended being a bit over the top with the decorations.

Next time that he went to one of these parties, Zessel would make a more simple dessert.

When Zessel noticed that Shaw was going to clap on his shoulder, he immediately flinched. Even if the other Padawan wasn't strange anymore, much due to that mission in Ellora, the half-Arkanian still didn’t feel comfortable in being touched. Perhaps with time, he would let his closest friends do it.

Because Shaw, Caul and Roanoke were his friends by this point, especially after Ellora.

Did he forgive Shaw because of the destroyed cookies? Yes.

Did he stop calling him Destroyer of Cookies? No. As long as Zessel lives, it was going to be his nickname to Shaw.

Anyway, Shaw seemed to have remembered, with his hand stopping before reaching Zessel’s back, with the white-haired teen feeling relieved. He didn’t want to have a breakdown or be rude with the other Padawan. His therapy had helped him.not overreact when situations like this one happened, but he still preferred to avoid them.

Then a red-haired girl appeared and hugged Shaw. While he wasn’t the most attentive person in the world, Zessel could notice her excitement at being near the other boy. Due to that, he gave them some space and turned to work at the grill. How that thing worked was still a mystery for him. He really needs to learn how to use that stuff.

Unfortunately for Shaw and Theia, another Padawan arrived and blocked their conversation. Yikes, someone really needs to learn how to read the situation. Zessel thought in the corner where he was crouched studying the lighter fluid in the grill. It seemed enough for him.

At least Kaedan, the blocker, had helped them lighter the grill. Unfortunately, the turbo dogs that he brought took all of Shaw’s attention to the point of having Theia walk away. Zessel was sure that his friend would have another opportunity and the half-Arkanian would certify that no one would mess with their conversation. He would enlist Roanoke's help, who he saw arriving.

He also saw a girl with a tight black dress staring at Shaw before walking away. “Bro, all the girls want you. I'm so envious.” he whispered playfully to the other Padawan. Zessel had yet to care about relationships, but he had to comment about his friend clear success.

@throwitintothefire @GABA @Graveyard Shift @StephDLegend @Interdictor

 

[Caul]

Caul wasn't good with large gatherings. Bodies all around him made his skin crawl, but this was important to Shaw ( @throwitintothefire ), so… Caul was gonna try. Setting everything up had been fun, but as soon as people started showing up he drifted to the outskirts of the gathering. He hadn’t really felt like a part of the order for a couple years, not until Shaw and them at least, Caul knew he still had a lot of shit he was working through, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to have a little fun once in a while right?

Shaw had demanded they dress in something he repeatedly called “drip,” every time Caul tried to figure out exactly what the “drip” was, Shaw would just wave him off telling him it’s not a thing, it’s a feeling. As Caul looked down at his choice, he wasn’t sure he felt the “drip,” but he was sure he felt safe in his security sweater.

Caul made for his group of friends. embarrassingly enough he had to repeat a little mantra of, “I’m cooler than the flip side of the pillow,” going on repeat to himself to keep his legs moving. He heard Roanoke ( @Graveyard Shift ) introducing himself to Prani ( @Sreeya ), Caul didn’t interrupt, he knew how quiet the big guy could get and was proud of him for taking the initiative. He spotted Zessel’s ( @LouJoVi ) shock of white hair and his smile widened. He slipped up beside the dude, draping an arm over his shoulder saying, “OMG, I know right, Shaw can I get your number, just kidding... unless?”

His heart was racing and he hated every second of being surrounded by people, but past his anxiety there was peace. He took a moment to look around and while he didn't know everyone here, he did know several. The revelation shocked him initially, but for the first time in a long time... Caul felt like a part of the Order.

“Did I hear someone snuck some beer?” he asked, doing his best to stay out of his own head.

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Theia’s obscure text to Ezra got an equally unhelpful response.

Then tell them you’re vegetarian.

Prani was looking around for some soda to drink when Theia (@GABA ) walked over. She smiled brightly at the girl, “Hey Theia! I made some monkey bread. Ya ever try it?” Prani cut some pieces off and slid them into Theia’s plate. When Theia complimented her dress, she smiled shyly, “Wow really? Thanks! And you..” She gave a dazed sigh, “Ya look like a supermodel, Theia,” She said, the compliment genuine. Prani could never hope to look like that, but she was content with her style which was a nod to her simple caravan life.

“Gosh, I always feel so outta place at these things,” Prani said with a nervous laugh, “I never know what to do. Back home we do these big bonfires and everyone dances and cheers,” She admitted.

A boy (@Graveyard Shift )she had never met before approached with… veggie snacks! Prani’s eyes widened at the sight, relief washing over at finally having some more food options. When the boy paid her a compliment, her face flushed, “Thank you!” She said cheerfully, “I’m Prani!” She said, “You wanna try some of my desserts?” Prani carefully cut him a piece and slid it into a plate for him.

“You’re a lifesaver, Roanoke,” She said with a chuckle, “I don’t eat meat so I reckoned I was fixin’ ta just eat desserts for my meal,” Prani said.

Meanwhile, Stacy and Regina walked over to crowd Shaw (@throwitintothefire )and the others standing around him. Stacy twirled her hair, “Hey Shaw,” She called out loudly, “Is it true you single-handedly fought and defeated a Sith?” She asked, “Tell us about it!” A few other padawans present stopped what they were doing, gasping in surprise.

 

[Syr Bors]

As the humans continued to talk, Bors energy began to grow. It was so good to feel like he was part of the Jedi order, even if right now he was simply holding a box full of snacks.

"Snuck?" Bors asked when one of the padawans asked about his drinks (@Zay ) "Wait, are we not supposed to drink? I thought all Jedi drank to loosen themselves with the Force! Oh no.... did I make another error? Oh no oh no..."

Most people's instinct would be to take a step back in nervousness. For Bors, and most Pangos, it was to curl up into a ball. While Bors did not do that, he did start by fumbling and drop the shaking and buzzing box in his hands.

Hitting the ground, the box opened and spewed its contents out. The human fist-sized beetle bugs began to crawl out over on top of each other and the sweet smelling herbs they had been held with to add to their flavor after cooking. True, Bors probably should have killed these Pango delicacies before bringing them to the gathering, but his knowledge on the customs of meal exchanges was limited, and one of his kind said he should offer the snack food live so the Jedi could cook them how they wanted.

"Ach!" Bors exclaimed while bending over, trying hastily to shut the box. To no avail, the bugs continued their attempted escape plan, with many taking flight and landing on whoever got in the way. "The Darkness must be at work! Eep! Save the Food! Nononononono, get back in there!"

@throwitintothefire @GABA @Graveyard Shift @StephDLegend @Interdictor @Sreeya (@Everyone really)

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke's smile widens, more warmth brightening his eyes, when the Padawan engages him in conversation instead of shying away. He offers the other girl (@GABA) the same shy smile he gave Prani earlier, before shifting his focus back to the petite Padawan. Her gratitude, introduction, and offer of dessert are all met with a wordless nod of thanks, large hands slightly trembling as he accepts the plate from her. Lady the loth-cat jumps off of his shoulder, landing gracefully on the ground. She rubs against Prani's legs before stalking off, the creature's interest caught by a wandering firefly.

He doesn't know what the food Prani offered him is called, but it looks pretty good. Smells delightful, too. And when he picks up a fork to take a bite of the dessert, his eyes widen and a look of utter delight fills his face.

It's got apples. He loves apples!

"This is really good..." Roanoke mumbles almost dreamily, before taking another bite of the sticky pastry. He looks at Prani, stars in his eyes, and asks, "D-Did you make this?"

It's her compliment that has the former acolyte blushing furiously. Roanoke didn't expect that this simple act of bringing vegetables to add a variety in the food selection—as well as secretly taking to mind that there might be those averse to eating meat in attendance—is definitely the right thing to do. He lowers the fork from his mouth, chuckling as well.

"I, uh, came in clutch, huh?" he jokes lightly, settling the fork on the plate so he can rub the back of his neck with his free hand, the action a testament to his shy nature. "Nice to meet you, Prani."

Before he can say anything else and ask her about the hallikset strapped on her back, a large bug lands on his plate. Roanoke looks at it blankly, his smile melting into nothing. For one wild moment he remembers Kashyyyk, remembers facing wyyyschokk much larger than he is. Instead of screaming his head off at the sight of the bug, he sighs and promptly picks it up, and lets it fly off to Force knew where. But then there suddenly a lot of the same large bug flying around, with a large Pango (@Narzen) desperately trying to shut the box they're carrying. Instinctively Roanoke steps in front of Prani, using the Force to block the bugs' path flight as well as to make sure that they won't land on the food.

He still wants to eat more of those gooey apple pastry, damn it!

One hand raised as he holds the Force barrier, he glances at Prani over his shoulder and gives her a shy yet mischievous smile. "Wanna help me protect all these awesome food?"

@Sreeya

 

[Levet Vizsla]

It had been ages since Levet had been at the Takodana temple. He never really had much of an opportunity or desire to socialize with the other padawans but today that would change. Master Dash Pavan, his mentor and friend, had urged him to not isolate himself. Teamwork and camradery was important. It was not like Levet disagreed, he just liked his privacy not to mention he believed he was not that interesting of a person.

Most people only asked him questions about his armor or mandalorian heritage. Otherwise they kept a distance due to his beskar'gam. But today the padawan had left his second skin behind. The gathering was on a beach and after going to the bright beaches of Berchest with Zessel it made sense to not wear the armor if he intended to go swimming.

The sunset's array of colors reflected off of the blond hair of the human while his blue eyes mirrored the color of the ocean. Those very same eyes took in the diverse crowd of youths that were his peers. Levet only recognized a few of them but that was the whole point. Get to know one or two more people at least. If you can do that, tonight will be a success. He told himself, encouraging the chance of stepping outside of his comfort zone.

The athletic teenager was wearing an open button up blueish-green shirt with flowery imprints and a matching set of swim trunks. A pair of fresh kicks adorned his feet though he expected to take them off once games started. Levet also carried with him a bag filled with some supplies and gear for fun activites. Balls, a spare portable speaker, a bottle of water and some poles with netting for a game of volleyball if anyone wanted to play.

Levet's eyes saw how well dressed and beautiful many of the other padawans were. But he had not come with the intent to shack up with anyone. He doubted he had enough rizz to compete with or impress any of the other padawans. The teenager's mind was more focused on the sight of a cute Loth-cat and the surprise appearance of numerous bugs skittering to and fro.

Dropping his bag at his feet, the young mandalorian briskly trotted over to the Pango dealing with the bugs. "I'll help." He was careful to not step on any of them. Levet quickly found that they did not stay still even when he picked them up. Their tiny legs continually tried to find purchase and felt strange on his bare skin.

There were too many of them and bending over to pick them up one after another quickly began to feel tedious, not to mention embarrassing. Stopping after a moment, he crouched low and spread his empty palms to face the ground where the living-food scurried about. Through the force he tried to calm the bugs and bring them back towards the pongo. One by one they seemed to relax down and form organized lines, beginning to return back to the direction they came. At least, until someone bumped into him and ruined his concentration. "Sonova-!"

@Narzen

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan's arrival had an effect that he didn't intend. Heck, he didn't even realize that him heading over to the area Shaw was at to bring over the crate and introduce himself came between Theia and Shaw. To be fair, Kaedan spent most of his years in the order alone, practicing and meditating. He didn't have much friends due to how focus he was and now he had to make up for that.

"Yeah, Turbo Dogs, from Coruscant." He nodded as he helped out with getting the grill started. The conversation shifted to his bike. "Yeah, recently acquired. If you want to take it for a spin sometime, you can let me know." He watched as Stacy and Regina walked over to them and asked Shaw about his feats defeating a sith single-handedly. Kaedan stepped back to let Shaw speak with the ladies. There was a level of intrigue in knowing his answer so he remained in earshot.

After hearing Shaw's answer to the ladies, Kaedan took a quick breath. He could use a distraction from the inner fear in his soul. He was surrounded by so many he didn't know and the last thing he wanted was to not be liked. Rejection was a hard concept and though it would be something that could possibly happen, he rather it not. While he could be confident and approach everyone, he didn't quite like that idea. For now, he just needed to get out of his own head, so he walked over to his bike and leaned up against it, pulling out his EZPhone. He scrolled through some texts and sighed. He missed Linny since she was pretty easy to talk to. Though he could blame the Jedi Order for them being friends, seeing they forced him to tutor her in a lightsaber training session.

After the Jedi split into traditionalist and crusaders, he saw Alienor less and less. It sucked because he was comfortable fully being himself around her. Well, there was nothing he could do about that, right? He frowned and put away the EZPhone. Today was supposed to be about fun and enjoying the company of each other and here he was being sad. He closed his eyes and focused on the things he liked doing in order to channel his inner joy. It's as easy and fun as flying, right? Maybe not but maybe it could be.

@throwitintothefire mentions: @Charndley

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"For real?" Shaw grinned excitedly at Kaedan's offer to take his bike for a spin sometime. Had he decided he liked Kaedan? He loved Kaedan, sharing a fist bump with the other padawan. Maybe there would even be time to take it out for a drive tonight! @StephDLegend

"There you are!" Shaw grinned when Caul joined he and Zessel by the grill. He had been wondering where the sandy haired padawan had gotten to. They had lost track of each other after they had finished stringing up the decorations and other padawans had started arriving. "Fashion is on fleek, my guy," Shaw nodded with approval of the drip. It wasn't really his style, but Caul managed to pull it off.

Then he gave his buddy a saucy little look, complete with wink and kissy face, but it ended up looking more like this. "Don't tell me you lost my number already," he played along, attempting to be really cool and flip a burger patty like he was a professional chef on a reality cooking show. The patty flipped alright—right into Shaw's face before flopping onto the ground at his feet. Ground, half cooked bits of meat slid down his cheek. They were already one burger down. He just stared at Zessel and Caul with a blank expression on his face. rizz 2/20 @Zay

Of course that was when Regina and Stacy decided to walk up. "Play it cool. Play it cool," he muttered to his friends just in case no one else had noticed. Shaw would use the sleeve of his oversized hoodie to wipe away the meat juice and any remaining flecks of uncooked meat rom his face. He glanced over at Caul and Zessel to make sure he had gotten it all before answering Stacy's question.

"Uhhh sort of!" he grinned back at her, glad to see she was in a better mood now. He looked around. Where was Macote? He was the one with the real stories to tell. "But it wasn't just me. Prani was there too! She showed up with a whole pack of Loth-Wolves," he continued. Some time in the library had provided him with the names of the mythical creatures. "Swayed the entire battle and saved the day! It was sick. Oh, and Regina escorted the refugees to safety right through enemy lines."

Reaching a hand down the neck of his hoodie, he pulled out a necklace with a broken piece of kyber crystal strung from it. Shaw really needed to sand down the edges because it kept scratching his chest. "Check this out! It's a piece of the kyber crystal from the Sith's lightsaber." @Sreeya @LouJoVi

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia glowed and felt herself bounce in place from the compliment as she popped a piece of the sweet bread into her mouth. It reminded her of home and love, and... "This is so good Prani!" (@Sreeya) she said quickly eating the rest.

"Bonfires? That would be a lot of fun! We gotta do one. Just pretend this is like a bonfire without the fire-fire, or I can be the fire." Theia dramatically gestured to herself. Though she wasn't sure if the temple would be too cool about them lighting a big fire in the middle of their courtyard, but Theia was just relieved that there were others in the Jedi that knew how to...well, live life. Her EZphone pinged and she quickly checked the message from Ezzie who was not being helpful, Ugh...useless.... A frown quickly crossed her face, but disappearing just as quickly as someone brought over some veggies and he had a cat with him.

"Hi! I'm Theia!" she smiled to Roanoke (@Graveyard Shift) who seemed to have an interest in Prani. The girl made sure she was out of eye-shot of the newcomer as she "subtly" pointed to him with a grin and nod, giving the girl-approval that he seemed sweet and Theia could tell he was liking on Prani. Though she was absolutely loving the loth-cat until she heard Stacy yell at Shaw about him fighting a Sith. By the gods, her voice was like a shriek of a ghoul and Theia turned to look to see others flock around Shaw (@throwitintothefire) as he told his story about the fight. Theia felt herself equally awed, she hasn't done anything cool like that in comparison. She felt someone bump into her again, ready to unleash hell, she was shocked by what she saw as the giant bug released by Bors (@Narzen) was trying to land on her and others.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Theia screamed along with other padawans, arms flailing as it only seemed to encourage the human-sized bugs to fly around more.

 

[Zessel]

For Zessel’s surprise, he didn’t feel uncomfortable when Caul wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Usually, he would feel suffocating with that proximity and would immediately have a panic attack. However, with humans it felt normal, as if it was something that they could always do.

He remembered the events of Ellora and how the human invaded his personal space to free him from the bag and ropes. Honestly, after the events of that day, Caul wasn’t a stranger anymore. Neither was Shaw and Roanoke. They were his friends and he trusted them a lot, since they went around to save his life from those cannibals.

Now that he was thinking about it, Zessel concluded that when Shaw tried to touch him, the half-Arkanian was more afraid of his negative reaction pushing his friend away, rather than of the touch itself.

In a world-shaking moment, at least for Zessel’s little world, he tapped Shaw's back. “Dude, you really need to teach me how you do that.” he whispered again, when some girls started to talk about Shaw fighting a Sith. Although he wasn’t sure if he wanted those around him. They seemed to be annoying, at least their voice was.

He turned his attention away from Shaw when he saw Syr panicking because of Caul’s joke. “Good job, you scared him.” he elbowed his friend playfully, before seeing the Pango drop a box and release several bugs. Okay, he wasn’t going to eat that stuff. No offense to Syr.

“I'll help...” he stopped talking when he noticed that the bugs were going toward the tables with food. “MY MACARONS!” he screamed, before grabbing Caul's arm. “It’s your fault for scaring him and you are going to help me save my desserts.” he said, before dragging his friend toward the table. “It took me a lot of time to make them.” he wasn’t allowing a bunch of insects to eat them before his friends tasted at least one.

@throwitintothefire @Narzen @Zay