Open Event Social Pod Racing Observartion

[Aska Ryun]

If one wasn’t enough, a second man soon approached with yet another camera drone. While the presence of the press was expected, their sudden interest in her whilst the Thorne children were present was not. Still, the question he asked was one she certainly had an answer too.

”Mmm,” Aska mumbled as she pulled on her cigarra. ”You two watch the Malastare 500 five or six years back?” The blue of her eyes glistened at the memory; pod racing was her one true love, after all. Well, that and cracking together the skulls of degenerates and criminals. ”Pobo Kiptoo, some small time Toydarian trying to make it big in the circuit?” For a moment, a devilish smirk played with the corners of her lips, the fact that she was on camera in that moment fading away with the recollection.

”Not many people remember him for his racing. Just the accident. Rikki Bawbee (@Scoobert ) had the lead but when Pobo tried to pass him on the outside, he clipped Bawbee’s right thruster. Bawbee obviously reigned in and managed to take the top spot that day but Pobo,” she stopped and chuckled, ashing her cigarra in the drink of an unsuspecting man to her right. ”Poor, poor Pobo. Slammed right into the canyon wall pretty much at mach 1. The impact was so strong it caused part of the canyon wall to collapse. They never did find him after that,” Bringing her own drink to her lips once more, the clone downed what was left and took a glance at it’s emptiness as she swallowed what was left. ”Fuck,” she groaned. That went down quicker than she had planned.

@The Good Doctor @Nor'baal

 

[Jayna Thorne]

It wasn’t often that Jayna allowed her emotions to bubble to the surface - in large part due to her Sephi heritage. Even still, she couldn’t help the pangs of anxiety that had surrounded the chaotic situation with her family. Daddy was more aloof than ever, Papa was a wreck, and Ezra was nowhere to be found - without a hint of explanation from any of them. Running into him on Naboo was nothing but coincidence, and she wasn’t about to miss out on the opportunity to confront the situation.

She kept her icy gaze locked onto Ezra - unable to miss the way that his fluted ears seemed to twitch and almost flatten - though she said nothing about it. Instead, the Heiress stared back at her twin for a solid few seconds, greeting him with a deadpan, unamused expression. It was all he would need to know that Jayna wasn’t the least happy with his recent disappearance and subsequent ghosting.

Whatever the intentions were, Jayna lacked the context to begin justifying Ezra’s actions, and merely saw her twin abruptly shut her out for weeks. It cut her deeper than she was ever going to let on, and it worried her more than she’d ever admit.

She briefly glanced to her side when Ezra mentioned her lack of entourage. “Well, you aren’t the only one capable of a disappearing act,” She said smoothly - coupling the not-so-subtle swipe into a true statement. She quickly drew bored of hanging around the children of diplomats and corporate executives, ditching them a few blocks over.

Jayna exhaled a breath, wrapping both arms around Ezra to squeeze him tightly. It was a bit tighter than he likely would’ve expected from his twin - evidence of the underlying emotion that still lingered there. “You won’t be getting off that easily, Ez..” She whispered quietly and only for him to hear, before leaving the matter alone for the time being. She wasn’t the type to make a scene, and could tell that Ezra had no desire to give an explanation at that moment. For now, they could just enjoy the races.

Her attention was quickly drawn back by the beginning of her own name - reverberating loudly against her sensitive ears. She quickly whipped around, spotting Silvi standing off and through the crowd. Her lips tugged upwards ever-so-slightly, just as she waved her hand for the Morta heiress to come over to join them. “Sil,” She called out.

Her silvery gaze flicked a bit further into the crowd, spotting a familiar shock of blonde hair and chiseled features. Jayna promptly glanced back to Ezra, tilting her head a bit. “Seems you have an admirer.” She said, leaving him to fill in the blanks.

@Sreeya @Killa Ree @Alhon

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Just when she thought she was in the clear, two things happened simultaneously.

Firstly, the view of Pootalina on the holoscreen was enough to make her almost choke on her drink; wasn't that the chick that caused biological warfare here last time? And she was still in that tacky bikini?

She didn't even have time to wipe that view out of her mind before Jayna's voice chimed at her, disastrously just when she was about to take a long sip.

She sputtered at hearing a nickname, feeling the alcohol burn in her chest and up even into her nose, feeling her face grow a deeper red as she wheezed for air. Shit, they DID hear me. Hurriedly wiping off the spilled drink from her face, she snuck a glance back to the pair, before giving a tentative wave and a small grin.

She had to act collected. She would become a Governor soon after all, she had to keep her cool. Picking up her drink, she began to wend her way towards the twins. Usually, in the galactic standard, she was pretty tall for a female humanoid, but between the two of them...

She felt ridiculously tiny.

"Hey," she greeted Jayna first, giving the woman a tentative grin. Blue eyes flicked between the siblings, unsure if the chill in the air was because the Thornes were naturally not the most expressive(as far as she knew, apart from the ears and they did not look happy), or because her throat still felt like it was on fire. Nodding at Ezra, she craned her head back to look up at the two of them, before settling on Ez for a moment.

"Feels like only yesterday I met you, Ezra," she attempted to speak casually, her voice still slightly hoarse. "Anyone thirsty? I might get a second drink."

Still, she caught when Jayna mentioned an admirer, and a frission of mild alarm touched the back of her neck, shuffling on her feet. But Jayna wasn't looking at her--

Oh.

She recognized that shock of blond hair. It was the boy she had seen Ez kissing on the Holonet that while ago. Suddenly, she felt like a rock had pitted itself in her stomach, and she swallowed, attempting another smile. It's okay, I'm not his type. I already knew this, she assured herself, instead focusing on Jayna, giving the woman a warm smile.

"Want me to get you anything, Jay? My treat."

@Sreeya @Altaris @Alhon

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

By this point, Cremek was more or less just trying to have a good time, not only was he singing a song, but he had managed to convince some other lads to sing along with him, it was all good natured fun while they waited for the race to start.

"see me now, a ray of light in the moondance.
see me now, I cannot leave this place.
hear me now, a strain of song in the forest.
don't ask me, to follow where you lead!"

when they were all finished, they had burst out wholesome laughter, giving a toast to a well done song before moving away to watch the race.

 

[Jonathen Baize]

His face lit up when he spotted Kali approaching. He had invited her, but they had their own busy schedules, and time was often difficult to find. Plus, he realized this wasn't exactly everyone's thing but figured the prospect of seeing Theed City might also add to the draw.

"Yeah, I wish I would have known you were coming, I would have met you at the spacesport." he said. "Glad you made it through." he said, smile beaming.

She asked about his choice of racers. "Sometimes those cobbled together racers are the best, you'll see. Its not about who looks the best, its about gut feeling." he said, shrugging "And I have a good feeling about The Red Barron." he said.

"But if you are feeling another racer, I'd be glad to wager you something." he said. He couldn't resist a good-hearted competition. As the race started, he leaned forward, watching the racers take off. He had a good feeling about this..

@LadyRen

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash was about to skirt round the edge and give Ezra the jump when someone walked right into him, knocking him a few steps sideways. He kept his balance, those old dance muscles still remembering how, but try as he might he lost his grip on the lollipop and it fell down his front onto the floor.

The raspberry streak on his white tee was not exactly a red rag to a bull, but it was close. "McSmash?!" he repeated, feeling a flash of irritation at the little Togruta (@Wit ). Who didn't want to be famous, but the tabloids could be cruel. She apologised quickly and he eventually managed a weak smile in return, noticing she had alcoholic drinks in her hand. Maybe that was the way to go.

Dash was about to ask the other Jedi's name, but then he caught sight of Ezra (@Sreeya ) and Jayna (@Altaris ) looking at him, standing there with raspberry down his top. He could have died.

"Laters" he said in a huff, slipping past the Togruta towards his boyfriend and buttoning up his outfit to hide the disaster. It was official, watching sports was as dangerous as playing them.

"Hey baby" he grabbed Ezra's waist briefly and jumped up to give him a quick kiss. He knew public affection still weirded Ez out a bit, but he tended to roll with it these days and Dash was having a quick nuzzle of that little face whether he liked it or not. "I decided I would come check out the fun after all". The Rhinnalian turned and gave Jayna a peck on the cheek. "Really good to see you Jay, should have known you'd be into this too". He put on a smile to swallow the awkwardness, feeling practically implicated in Ezra ghosting his family lately.

Dash realised they were not alone, noticing the curious white-haired girl to one side (@Killa Ree ). She was smiling, but it was not a real smile. He knew, because he was very good at those. "Hi, Dash" he offered, jutting his chin noncommittally. He had learned the gesture from a certain Pantoran and boy was it useful. Besides, they were all dressed quite nice and it only made him more anxious about his wardrobe malfunction.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra kept his calm demeanor even as Jayna muttered against his ear, the rage practically bubbling beneath the surface. Both twins had very calm ways of expressing anger when in public and he knew she was practically lighting him on fire. Nevertheless, he gave her a polite nod, turning to look at Silvi. He had seen her recently and he gave her one of his usual half grins. She always had an adorable, flustered look about her where her face turned bright red on a dime.

The Thorne was taking a sip of his drink when Jayna remarked on an admirer, and he turned right in time for Dash to approach. There was a marked change in his expression, his ears twitching at the sight of the blond. He returned the kiss as a quick peck, not one for liking public displays of affection in the least. As Dash spoke to Jayna, Ezra took in sight of his outfit, quirking a brow. Normally he would've loudly made some sarcastic quip, but he respected his boyfriend enough to simply give a look that suggested he found his fashion choice subpar. Ezra was still Ezra.

“Maybe I’ll get you to come out to a Limmie game at last,” He said hopefully. His demeanor shifted since Dash arrived, his normally icy exterior thawing just a little. Ezra let Dash and Silvi introduce one another, his gaze briefly turning back to the podrace. He had to squint, grimacing as he realized that the thing that ran his father's fan club was the flag girl for the race. Ezra bit back the urge to gag, thanking the stars for not being selected for the race. He would have had to smell her toxic fumes..

@Altaris @Alhon @Killa Ree

 

[Kalique Baize]

"Oh don't worry...I wasn't even sure I'd make it, but I'm super glad to be here with you now". This seemed like an unique opportunity for a different kind of quality time so she was really looking forward to it. "Oh right, Red Baron" she corrected herself with amused grin, remembering the whole line up and excitedly listening to his explanations.

"A feeling?" she curiously asked, pondering on his thought for a moment. "Okay maybe I'll do that too...". Instead of focusing on who looked professional or which pod-racer looked the fastest or newest, she dropped the rational, analytical approach and decided to base her judgement on a feeling as well.

"Okay you know what? I'll go with Rya. She looks like she might be the underdog, but I have a good feeling about her" she replied with a smirk, rather playful competitiveness glinting in her eyes. "Let's bet. Got a fitting wager in mind?" she then asked with a rather mischievous smirk, leaning back in the seat and her eyes flicking towards the racers who were zooming off into the distance, the Red Baron and Rya quite close after one another.

"Oooh this win will be sweet", she teased, reaching for his hand and interlacing their fingers, attentively following the racers. The crowd was cheering and she joined in, enjoying the great mood all around.


@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

"Not a bad a choice!

" he said after she thought about her "gut" choice. Jon pondered their wager before finally settling on what he wanted. "If you lose..." he said, pulling out his phone. "You have to pay for me to have this picture..." he said, pulling up a photo of her from their first mission together. She had come in contact with an extremely large amount of Ewok knockout drugs, which had caused her to collapse on their rebel leader. It looked like she was spooning the large ball of rebellious fur. "..framed." he settled on.

He nodded triumphantly. Jon had waited so long to show her, waiting for the perfect time. This was that time. "So yeah, I win and you have to get a framed version for me." he said. He needed to win now.

"And when, however unlikely it is, you win?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Moments later, they came around to start their second lap. The Barron was in 2nd, just behind Kali's pick. He clenched his beer just a little tighter. "Don't fail me Barron." he murmured.

@LadyRen

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Despite their outwardly polite exchange, there was mutual understanding between the twins. Jayna was never the type to cause a scene in public, but Ezra would know precisely how displeased she was with his recent antics - and that escaping Naboo without some kind of explanation wasn’t going to be particularly likely. For all the affection conveyed in that hug, her brother was still solidly on her shit list for the time being.

She exhaled through her nostrils, focusing her attention back onto the two new arrivals to their little circle. The Heiress immediately offered Silvi a smirk and nod - recognizing the Morta at once. She was a familiar face and someone that Jayna particularly enjoyed being around.

Her attention turned to Dash next - arching a brow ever-so-slightly at the exchange between him and Ezra. It was impossible to miss the way that her twin seemed to brighten in his presence, far more than he did for anyone else. It brought the hints of a smirk to her lips, though she otherwise kept any teasing to herself for the moment.

What Jayna didn’t do was allow Dash’s outfit to go without scrutiny. Her silvery gaze flicked up and down, and then promptly settled back to meet Ezra’s matching eyes. He would know exactly what she was thinking without ever needing to say a word.

“It isn’t Huttball,” She said with a small shrug. Despite her otherwise posh and refined demeanor, it was no secret that Jayna thoroughly enjoyed the Outer Rim sport with Emryc - fanatically watching from afar or attending in person and close to the action. Most of the texting between herself and Daddy was, unsurprisingly, solely related to the sport.

For a moment, she glanced back to the races. The Heiress couldn’t help but make a face when she spotted Pootalina, and continued to watch one of the racers puke within his own mask. “It certainly has its moments, though.” She allowed her gaze to linger on Dash for a moment. “It is nice to see you again, Dash.”

“I’m used to watching Ezra compete in most of the races I watch, but this is a nice change of pace.” She briefly glanced back towards her twin, smirking ever-so-slightly. “His ego needs no favors, besides.”

Jayna perked up a bit when Silvi offered to treat her. “Green Juice with a shot of green tea and Camby Berry, if they have it,” She said happily. They were especially popular on agrarian Naboo, despite most people thinking they tasted like nothing but grass. “I’ll go with you,” She said, jutting her chin in the direction of the drinks. Her gaze lingered on Dash and Silvi as introductions went along, unfortunately oblivious to anything lingering under the surface.

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

It was a small agony to watch Ezra be so happy... but at the same time, she could accept it, and be happy for his happiness. When Dash approached, she managed a fuller, more genuine smile, purposefully keeping her gaze on his face and... not on the stain on his shirt. The twins would no doubt already give him a hard time, she wouldn't dogpile on it.

"Silvi," she introduced herself, giving him a grin and a nod. There wasn't a need to add a surname; the last thing she wanted was attention from anyone, or worse, pity. "Pleasure to meet you, Dash. Glad to see you, Ezra. You two enjoy... hopefully, the bets will be in our favor." Still, at Jayna's mention of Huttball, she visibly perked, blue eyes glinting slightly brighter as she thought about that bloody sport.

"Didn't pin you for a fan too," she replied, perking a brow with a slight returning smirk. "Tell me your chosen team, and I might even buy you a round."

Chuckling, she turned away and offered her arm to Jayna as she would walk back to the bar, not bothering with the mask now, sky blue gaze focused solely on Jayna. "Order of Berry Green, coming up," she joked, brows waggling once as she couldn't resist teasing the other woman. "I'm partial to a Queen's Sunrise, personally," Nabooian wine with a blend of orange juice and strawberry juice, with an addition of mango compote and a touch of lime, "but I'll be willing to try new things."

Still, seeing her bet suffer so made her grimace slightly, and mentally tabulate if it wouldn't be too late to place her bets on a few others as well. Ah well, easy come, easy go. But the next time.. she would perhaps enroll for herself. After all, Theed University needed some solid representation amongst this motley crew of pilots.

@Alhon @Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash instantly forgot his troubles, wardrobe or otherwise, when he got close to Ezra. His boyfriend would probably always be a curiously magnetic mix of perfect looks and inept social skills, but he looked particularly in his element today, flanked by his twin sister and standing by the side of a race track.

The Rhinnalian breathed in that all too familiar cologne, nowadays a strangely familiar and comforting scent. He narrowed his eyes, giving Ez a mischievous look. “Well who knows, look after me today and maybe”. He did a ‘poor little me’ stance, but he knew deep down that Limmie was coming for him. It was a miracle he had managed to avoid it this long and somehow stay in Ezra’s good graces. But he had his ways.

Jayna looked immaculate as always. To Dash, she had a poise and grace about her that was like royalty. She always had the feel of a queen come down to hang out incognito with the villagers. ”You’re right there“ Dash replied, totally in agreement where Ezra’s ego was concerned. “We don’t want him putting himself at risk anyway”. He would have grabbed Ez’s cheek, if he didn’t value his life. Instead he gently shouldered his boyfriend, secretly over the moon he was not flying down this route taking his life in his hands.

Jayna and the mysterious Silvi headed off. Maybe Dash had imagined that air of hostility, it had certainly been brief. He turned to Ezra, glancing up and down the canal race route. “You haven’t bet a lot on this have you?”. His boyfriend had more credits to his name than Dash could count, but all the same he wished he would not waste them at every opportunity. They might just need them one day.

@Sreeya @Altaris