Open Chandrila Would you like to kayak, kids?

[Elidan]

After he greeted Eyvone, Elidan turned to Zana (@Sreeya). Seeing her using sign language to communicate with him made the boy smile, while his blue-green eyes sparked with happiness. He couldn’t believe that his friend and crush had learned how to do it. This would make the conversations between them much easier. “I’m happy that you came here too.” the half-Sephi signed to her.

When the Twi’lek said that she was going to the water and removed her sarong, Elidan blushed. The redness spread from his cheeks to the point of his ears, which were twitching. He was captivated about how she was even more pretty with the bikini. Afraid that the others would see that he was staring and call him a weirdo or even of creeper, the half-Sephi would look down to his Datapad. He would be doing that when Zana walked away.

He only looked away when Felix arrived. Felix, this name wasn’t strange to the half-Sephi. He was certain that he had heard it before. “Hello Felix, my name is Elidan.” while he showed this message to the other boy, Elidan heard Thelian asking Felix if he was the Padawan that ran over people in Denon. (@christhebetrayer)

Now the auburn haired boy remembers from where he knew this name. He had heard it several times as part of the rumors that the other Padawans would talk in the corridors of the Jedi Temple. Hearing Thelian say it directly ro Felix made Elidan stare wide eyed at the Echani. It wasn’t the type of thing to be said this way, so abruptly. The half-Sephi could bet that Felix also disliked it. (@Altaris)

Afraid of what could happen between these two, Elidan walked to one of the logs. One that was away from Felix and Thelian. He would sit there and open a book on his Datapad. He didn’t want to be between the two if they started to fight each other. He saw Thelian punching a training bag on the Temple and there were also the rumors of what he did with the Sith Acolyte, which went from crushing his nose to breaking his skull. The half-Sephi preferred to avoid being hit by accident by one of his punches. While he was distracted by his reading, the half-Sephi would completely ignore the arrival of another Padawan.

When he heard Clove talking with him, Elidan would turn to give her attention. Closing his book, the boy would type an answer to her questions “Reading in peace is very difficult when you have the hearing of a Sephi, right?” he would smile at the girl. She probably understands that when you are a half-Sephi even the smallest sound could be a distraction. ”I'm used to it, even though it's getting very noisy and crowded here.” the half-Sephi looked around, finally noticed the other Padawan, who was dressed in black and staring at them. Only staring. In his opinion it was a bit scary. (@Charles @LilyNion)

“I was going to read a book about the aquatic ecosystems of Naboo and its creatures.” he answered her. Lately he was taking a greater interest in books that were related to biology and nature. "It 's fascinating. Did you know that there are giant animals living on the lakes of this planet? One of them is the sando aqua monster.” Elidan showed this message to her, while he smiled excitedly. Then the half-Sephi noticed that he was probably being annoying. She only asked what he was reading, not for him to explain it to her. “Sorry. I always get carried away when I'm reading.” his ears twitched with nervousness. Sometimes he wanted to have a person to discuss what he had read.

 

[Severus Creed]

Sev felt something anxious spark suddenly from within the group, the Force paced quickly around...Clove, was it? She looked distressed and even frightened as she quickly avoided Sev and stood over by the kid that Severus hadn't gotten a name from yet.

Oh, wait. Severus realized that it had been himself that Clove had been frightened of and the sideways glances of the other kid also shared that same fear. Severus wasn't scary...right?

Right??

Sev exhaled sharply before walking over to where the sand became soil and kneeled down, scooping a bit of the soil so that it fit in the palm of his hand. He remembered the slight floral fragrance that emanated from Clove's hair, which meant she enjoyed putting flowers in her hair. Maybe that's how he could fix the fissure he created on accident; by making a simple flower out of the Force that represented mended relationships and friendship-

Why did he care so much?? He never felt this way about anyone before! It was so...alien to him. The sweaty palms, the racing pulse of his heart, the butterflies in his stomach.
By the Force- I'm dying, aren't I??

Severus concentrated on the soil, thinking of a specific flower...Yellow. Yes, that was right color...and a rose, which together symbolized friendship. When he opened his eyes, a scarlet rose bloomed from the soil. "Blast! No!...Definitely not." Severus shook his head and tossed the flower away and started the same process again, filling his palms with the Force and thinking of the yellow rose more vividly in his mind this time.

But when he opened his eyes, another red rose was blooming. In frustration, Severus crumpled up the flower in his fists and threw it away as well. Then he grabbed another bit of soil and began the process again for a third time...Focusing...on a yellow...tulip- It was a tulip now. Sev sighed in defeat, at least it was yellow.

He stood up and beelined for Clove, then stopped to think about what he was going to say, then shook his head deciding he'd improvise and continued onward. After she was within arms reach, he realized that she had no idea he was behind her so, naturally, he decided to contact her telepathically; "Uh, it was Clove...right?" He focused on her mind privately so only she could hear the interjection of his thoughts.

Then, he spoke normally without telepathy, "Uhhhhmm...This was supposed to be a rose- pretend it's a rose. I know it's not, but I don't think you would've liked the other attempts...Uh, riiight...so yellow roses symbolize friendship an-and I thought it would be alright if I...you know, made you a flower, because I think you like them- but uh, it's a tulip, not a rose...Oh, right, this is an apology...I hope. About before? I think...I think I freaked you out, and I felt...weird about it, so I made you this." Severus hated- No, hate wasn't strong enough of a word for this. Loathed social events. Yes that fit much better. Social gatherings were not his forte and this was a perfect reason why. Though his face reflected a serene sense of peace and calm, his eyes were filled with worry and guilt.

"Oh, I almost forgot...My name is Severus Creed. I'm...I'm really bad at this whole thing, aren't I?" He almost offered to shake Clove's hand with his hand that held the flower but then stopped himself and offered the flower to her instead.

@LilyNion

 

[Jacata Lurel]

They waded out into the water, Jacata apparently oblivious to the slightly longer pauses in between words or blushing. "Nice the meet you, Zana!" he said warmly as they moved to a good depth. The water a little shallow for him but any deeper and the waves would crash over head.

He laid the board down on the water and went over several basics before having her lay down on the board. "This" he said, unstrapping the strap around his leg and fastening it around her ankle. "Will make sure the board doesn't go fly off when...Well...never mind." he said with a grin. It was a right of passage to get demolished by a wave, or at least that is what the Jedi Master who had taught him had said...

The short introductory lesson was punctuated with warm laughter and smiles. "Alright, you got this!" he said as he spun the board around as a wave started to come in. "Just remember what we talked about! Paddle!" he said, giving the board a push as the wave approached.

The small wave came and the board tipped down in the water and sucked her in. Jacata grimaced slightly, his mouth still tilted in a smile as the board shot out of the water a second later followed by a sputtering Twi'lek. Jacata splashed through the water as he ran over to her and offered a hand up. "Pshhh.." he said as he pulled her to her feet. "That was great for a first try! I literally almost drowned myself the first time. You're a natrual!" he said, motioning for them to go back out to where they had started from.

The hardest part for most people was balancing but as a Jedi she would have a slight advantage in that department. Once she got where to put her weight down she would be going in no time. This time he had her climb on the board again, adjusting her hands and giving tips on what to do when they wave approached. "Don't worry about trying to stand, just try and catch the wave while laying on the board first. You got it this time for sure!" he encouraged, winking as he stepped back from the board.

The wave, this one a little bit larger than the last moved towards Zana.

@Sreeya

 

[Guinevere Beck]

Kar'en was making her rounds, gathering signed forms, when she noticed another group of people near the campfire, some of whom she was sure she had yet to collect form from. She started meandering that way, intercepting people who seemed to be intent on avoiding her. She managed to get a few forms signed, it was a good thing she had spares with her to get them to fill them out. Though she did not know why anyone thought it was her problem that they didn't have anywhere to keep a release form in a swimsuit.

She spotted a boy kneeling near the water's edge, doing something on the ground before standing up with a flower in his hand. One of those pawn shop magic trick enthusiasts! It took a much stronger and much more skilled Jedi to do what he was trying to pass off, so it had to be a cheap trick. And she hated nothing more than liars. Well maybe creeps, but at least he wasn't that.

With that thought she stared making her way to the bonfire, noticing the boy heading the same way, but spotting a Bothan she hadn't collected a form from she moved to intercept him before tagetting the bonfire bunch. She watched the boy head off towards the group, while she stepped in front of the Bothan, almost missing the groan he let out.

"Your form?"

@Phoenix @Raydo @LilyNion @Charles

 

[Eyvone Usoara]

Overall--and thankfully--no one seemed bothered by the girl's awkward and sudden introduction. It was truly a relief, because she was already in new territory just being present at such a gathering. In fact, everyone seemed friendly. 'Why wouldn't they be? This is essentially a party. Who comes to a party intending to be sour to new faces?' Eyvone half reassured, half chastised herself as the others responded to her introduction.

One of the padawans, a Sephi ( @LouJoVi ), held up a datapad that read off his name and his reason for using the device rather than speakers, while the twi'liek, Zana ( @Sreeya ), the Sephi girl, Clove ( @LilyNion ), and a human male, Felix ( @christhebetrayer ), chimed in with their own responses. Zana gestured for her to come sit, and Clove complimented her name, which caused her face to warm at the compliment.

Eyvone moved to sit down at the lounge chair next to Zana, smoothing her coverup underneath her as she sat down on the cushioned chair. Zana got up not long after to head into the water, but Eyvone was just glad the group had seemingly accepted her. The nagai folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs as she glanced from person to person. Her one foot began to shake, a subtle way for her to expend the anxiety she felt. Overall though, she found herself happy to be there.

The damn sun, however, was hot on her skin. Though she had come wearing a hat and her coverup covered her arms and back, she felt as if her legs were being cooked. In an attempt to counteract the sensation, Eyvone grabbed one of the pillows on the lounge chair, uncrossed her legs, then placed it on her lap to cover as much skin as possible.

Eventually her eyes drifted over to Severus ( @Charles ), who appeared to be playing in the dirt. She watched with a mix of curiosity and confusion on her face as he kept throwing flowers away to the side in frustration. 'What is he doing?' Eyvone would continue to watch until he finally stopped and began to head towards the group. Her head snapped away, though she didn't turn so far that she couldn't see him approach Clove in her peripheral vision.

There was a strange feeling in the air just before he began to speak. It was like the ghost of a voice could be heard, a whisper in the Force that had no meaning. As he began to speak to Clove, a confused look would overtake her neutral expression. 'What was that?'

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove smiled gently at the half-Sephi (@LouJoVi ) as he pointed out their sensitive hearings. "Yeh, it doesn't help, right? I've also learned to tune out the majority of it, but it's still difficult at times!" Clove leaned in closer to the datapad as Elidan began to tell her about the wonders he'd read in the books, eagerly reading each word as it appeared. "Are there massive animals that live in the lakes? I'm wondering what they must look like. The Sandro Aqua Monster. Huh."

Although it was fascinating to see, she noticed his ears twitch and was reminded of her own. Her mother was a normal Sephi, and she'd never met another half-Sephi before. Sure, she'd seen her own ears in the mirror before, but this time it was different. Far more interesting and endearing. It definitely explained why so many people around her kept staring at her ears. "Don't worry; I think it's wonderful that you enjoy reading so much. Please tell me more—"

A tug on her still-healing mind stopped her in her tracks, whipped away her warm smile and forced her to close her eyes tightly. Something (@Charles) had entered her mind, piercing those fragile walls that couldn't withstand even a smidgeon of force, and was followed by a voice. While the voice was initially innocent, it morphed as soon as the first wall was shattered. It grew deeper until it sounded like a man's thick but modulated baritone voice.

The same voice that haunted her dreams, whether she was awake or asleep.

Zana(@Sreeya), Jacata(@Raydo), and Varyn's(@Phoenix) happy laughter and giggles in the distance grew louder, louder, and louder until it was nearly impossible to tell one from the other. And as the voices merged, the color did as well from a warm yellow to dark rotting green. With it the happiness gradually twisted, becoming the mocking voice of Hannibal. No matter how flat her ears curled on her head, the laughs just didn't stop.

Clove had begun to hyperventilate by the time Hannibal cracked a joke about a hooker. Her hands reached for her temples as her chest frantically danced up and down while she gasped for air. Healing walls crumbled one by one, leaving her mind raw and exposed.

"Get out of my head!" She screamed out and took a step backward. In a panic, her large brown eyes flew open, revealing the world in front of her. But it was completely wrong. Bodies drifted on top of the waves, leaking blood into the once-beautiful azure sea, turning it a sickly red hue. Mangled bodies were strewn across the beach towels.

When she turned around, she saw even more padawans, some slumped near her, others slouched on the logs, their pale lips moving up and down as if they were having a conversation. Some even moved towards her, while their empty hollow eyes found her and stared at her judgingly no matter where she looked, all the while the mocking laugh grew louder and louder.

They were everywhere.

Fearful tears streamed down her cheeks as her trembling arms embraced her torso, the scar on her chest feeling as if it had been rekindled. But, in the midst of the sobs, she caught a glimpse of something else. A brief glimpse of a tattoo with three lightsabers. A promise and a reminder. Safety.

Clove pushed her feet into the shifting sand and began running towards the tattoo as fast as her shaking body allowed, blinded by tears and a desperate desire to get to it. She hadn't even seen Thelian(@Altaris) when she collided with him, her forehead bumping into his chest, but the sensation of both physical and mental frostiness alerted her it was okay to stop running, and so she did.

The feeling of being in a winter forest with crusty snow and tiny snowflakes became her little corner of salvation, wiping away the ocean of red she saw just seconds ago. And so she stayed in it, motionless except for her body's intense tremors.

---

tag -peeps are already tagged-​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan hadn't made it to the beach yet and already he was hot and sweaty. Other padawans had been smart and had purchased coolers with wheels on them, but he'd gone and found the biggest portable cooler he could find and had managed to find one that was intended to be carried by multiple humanoids. As a result, he'd spent several minutes dragging a large, purple and white cooler down to the beach; alternating pushing and pulling, while cursing regardless of which direction he was facing. At several points throughout the ordeal he was tempted to sample what was inside the cooler, but managed to tame those instincts by reminding himself that they were best enjoyed with friends. A grin crossed the Togruta's face despite his aching muscles- he knew exactly what to bring to an unsupervised padawan party!

Ruzaan was dressed in what might be considered modest beach apparel by some standards, but the blue tones still complimented his reddish clay skin and the covering helped him be less conscious about the mark in the center of his chest; a remnant of the Nightsister Magick attack he'd received on Felucia.

With a grunt of triumph, Ruzaan pushed the cooler into place underneath a shady tree on the sandy beach; a long furrow across the sand trailing behind him where he'd dragged the cooler. Ruzaan's smile quickly faded as he looked around at the party. Despite a pair of Padawans enjoying the water together (@Sreeya and @Raydo), many things were amiss. A dark-clad human (@Charles) was stammering an apology. Clove (@LilyNion) was crying and running away, Thelian (@Altaris) and Felix (@christhebetrayer) looked to be aggressively getting to know each other, and Elidan looked like he wanted anywhere else at the moment; which was normal for the half-Sephi, but was particularly concerning when put in the context of the other partiers.

Bewildered, Ruzaan tried and failed to come up with something to say besides his original plan. He wasn't confident that what he'd brought would help the situation at all, but he was at a loss as to what else to offer. Popping open the lid to his large cooler, he cleared his throat and called out across the beach. "Ice cream, anyone?"

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian really wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings at that moment. The blunt question passed through his lips, and the Echani kept his silver gaze on the Padawan made famous on Denon. While his peers were horrified – but probably not surprised – by his behavior, the Echani quite literally saw no issues with his question. He was incapable of sugarcoating anything and had heard the rumors about Felix just like everyone else.

Silver eyes briefly flicked over to Severus for a few moments, catching sight of the complete stranger’s random glaring. He didn’t know who the kid was or who had stocked a stick up his ass, and Thelian didn’t really care. Instead, he simply reciprocated with an immensely frigid glare of his own for several seconds before turning his attention back to Felix for several more minutes.

And then he felt it.

It manifested as a distinct thickening in the air, followed by phantom whispers without meaning. It was very clearly not directly towards him, but the Echani felt the telepathic waves all the same. He recognized what it was, and that fact alone brought a new pain to the surface.

While Thelian had become almost famous for his consistently grumpy and brooding expression, all of it seemed to melt away in that moment. Those around the campfire would see the Echani’s face contort with pain and renewed terror – a single shuddered breath escaping from his lips. It was as if someone had drove a dagger directly into his chest.

Everything that he had tried to bury deep – the very things Thelian had come to Chandrila to ignore – were violently ripped to the surface all over again, tearing open a wound that hadn’t yet begun to heal. The visions and whispers Raze had forced upon him echoed and repeated across his psyche, drawing claws against his mind with every repetition.

The beach that laid out before them faded. In its place, Thelian saw that same hallway on Ajan Kloss – silver eyes scanning over the countless bodies that lined the temple corridor. He saw their twisted and mangled bodies, and the flood that pooled across the ground all around him.

It was the same place that Thelian returned to every night in his dreams, and tried so desperately to escape. He tried, and he never could.

The emotions played out clear as day on Thelian’s face, the Echani looking as if he was lost in a trance. The only thing that seemed to snap him back to reality was the sudden impact of Clove against his chest – silver eyes immediately snapping down to the half-Sephi. There were no words that needed to be exchanged. More than anyone else in the galaxy, they both knew what the other was going through. The Echani wrapped a single arm around Clove, keeping her hugged close.And then his eyes snapped up to the source of their renewed pain.

To Severus.

The moment they did, the pain and lingering fear vanished from Thelian’s face. In its place was only the seething, rekindled anger that boiled within him. His jaw set tightly and teeth ground together, silver eyes narrowing into glacial slits. His expression spoke murder, and it was all directed upon Severus.

Thelian didn’t say a single word before he moved. Without warning, the Echani rose a hand from his side – tendrils of the Force snaking outward and coiling tightly around Severus – grasping onto him like tightening bands of durasteel. There was nothing reserved or held back in that moment, Thelian pouring all of his strength into that grasp. It was as ferocious and merciless as it had been when it was utilized upon Senin and Aadya, because Severus suddenly became exactly what they were.

An enemy.

Severus would be able to feel the air squeeze from his lungs as Thelian tightened his grip, applying enough force to leave aching bruises against the boy’s ribs. He would only feel it for a moment before the Echani abruptly jerked his arm to the left – violently yanking Severus through the air and sending him hurtling backwards.

The strength behind that throw was enough to send the Padawan well-past the shoreline, traveling through the air before finally slamming into the clear blue waters. Varyn, Zana and Jacata would all see the boy fly by, even if they continued to surf.

Only then did Thelian turn his full attention to Clove, wrapping his other arm around her. He kept his gaze out towards the ocean, forcing himself to default upon the deadpan and blank expression for which he had become known. Not a single word to Clove or anyone else passed through his lips.

For the moment, he simply hugged her.

 

[Elidan]

Elidan nodded while Clove spoke (@LilyNion). He had also learned how to tune out most of the sounds that came from his surroundings, but sometimes he would still hear some. This is why the half-Sephi preferred to read alone, and also because he wanted to avoid the other Padawans.

He smiled at the girl, when she also showed interest in what he was reading. The only other person that did it was Jedi Knight Haldir Eressëa, when they met in the Library some time ago. Elidan became even more happy when Clove said that she didn't mind him explaining these things to her.

The Padawan was going to tell more about the Sando Aqua monster when he felt it. It was the same sensation that he had when Master Voran connected their minds so they could speak with each other when they met at the gardens. However, this time it was weak, as if he wasn't the focus. He looked to where this use of the Force seemed to be coming and saw the Padawan dressed in black. He had approached where the two half-Selphis were seated and was now staring directly at the girl. It was beyond creepy and Elidan was starting to feel uncomfortable for being there. He wanted to run away. (@Charles )

Then he saw Clove's smile disappear and she closed her eyes. It was obvious to him that the girl was feeling uncomfortable. When she screamed and looked around in panic, the boy had no doubt that the creepy Padawan did something to her. While she ran away toward Thelian, he turned to the boy dressed in black. Elidan frowned, balling his fist.

In his mind, the boy thought that the other Padawan said something offensive to her. He knew how it was, to have people saying nasty things about you. Clove was so nice to him so far, he would not allow someone to do that to her.

Elidan abruptly rose from where he had sat. He wanted to scream at the other Padawan, but he couldn't. When he approached the creepy boy, he raised his balled fist, prepared to punch him in the face. He hated violence, always preferring to walk away when someone offended him. But if it happened with someone that was nice to him, he would become furious. He remembers that when he was ten years old, he had punched the face of another Youngling that was being mean with Zana. Now he was going to do it for Clove.

Before his fist could collide in the other Padawan's face, he saw Thelian use the to Force on him. Then he threw the other boy in the water. Elidan stared wide eyed at the Echani, then turned to where the creepy boy had landed in the water. Well, he was satisfied with that. (@Altaris )

After hearing Clove's cry, he had turned to where Thelian was now hugging her. Elidan wanted to do something to comfort her, but he understood that he would end up only messing things up.

Then Ruzaan arrived, the Togruta seemed oblivious to the entire situation, asking if someone wanted ice cream. Elidan would look at him, giving a weak smile, before turning back to where Clove was crying. He wondered what the creepy Padawan said in her mind to make her act this way. (@SlagathorTheUnknown)

 

[Severus Creed]

When Clove started to hyperventilate, Sev looked down at his tulip. "Oh, oh alright...You don't like the flower- that's okay, uh, you don't need it. Is it really going that badly?" Then, to Severus's surprise, she started to yell at him for being in her head. But he wasn't. He sent maybe four or five words to her to get her attention before he made the effort to actually talk to her like a normal person. There was something dark that came with her yelling that startled Severus enough for him to drop the tulip on the ground where he stood.

How did no one else feel that?! He looked around at the others in shock and confusion, he felt sick to his stomach. What had happened? Was it no longer socially acceptable for people to apologize anymore? Then it click- Clove had PTSD. He sighed with relief after he realized that her stress management wasn't his fault. In Severus's defense, he had made an effort to make things right and in return she blew him off. She was just like everyone else- and to think that maybe she was different...

Interrupting that thought came with the fact that Severus couldn't move and his lungs were forced into an exhale, squeezing the air out of him. WHAT IS- Then he was airborne and thrown into the very place he didn't want to be in; the water. When his back hit the surface with a hard smack, he didn't try to tread any water and let himself sink. Time slowed down for Severus so his thoughts could gather on what had happened.

Number one, Severus started off pretty poorly and scared off Clove. So, he decided to apologize and potentially make a new friend. Instead, she yelled at him for trying to get out of his comfort zone because she couldn't manage her own stress. Finally, her meat-headed boyfriend squeezed the life out of him through the Force and threw him into the water. He pushed down a reoccurring image of little ol' Severus having his face being forced into sink filled with water for misbehaving. He just let himself sink until he was laying down on the bottom of the sea-floor, the current rocking him back and forth ever so slightly.

He wasn't even angry. He couldn't be angry. There was still only lingering confusion and fear of...what? Acceptance? He blew that one right out of the water- pun intended. All he wanted to do was give her that damn little flower that was supposed to be a rose, but had been a tulip instead.

Severus was used to holding his breath- if he didn't when he was younger, he would've died. It was necessary for him to have to adapt and fight through it instead of freezing up. Freezing up got you or someone else killed. How many times had this incident happened on the battlefield? How many people panicked because their partner was suddenly unable to do...anything?

Some Jedi, those lot are going to be... Severus thought bitterly- why had Thelian thrown him into the water instead of trying to be reasonable and figure out the problem so they could deescalate it? All he did was literally and figuratively escalate the situation- how was Severus supposed to come back from this? Walk out of the water and pretend it was just a good joke?? His lungs still stung from when Thelian had squeezed them.

Everything about that kid was disrespectful and incredibly idiotic. Then...Severus thought more about himself...he liked dressing in greys and blacks because it matched better with his hair and eyes. But with his lack of social skills and his dark apparel, he realize that Clove probably had that episode because that darkness that emanated from her was very similar to that of how Darth Caelestis felt during his little questionnaire.

It had been Severus's fault- and in ironic sort of twist, Severus probably shouldn't have tried so hard to make things better. He didn't know what would happen, but he thought she'd at least like the flower. He wished he was back at the temple in the library reading about how Trandoshans can be born with a rare recessive genetic trait that allows them to heal rapidly after inhaling dioxis gas.

Some Jedi I'm going to be...

@LilyNion @Sreeya @SlagathorTheUnknown @Raydo @lizziie @Altaris @Phoenix @LouJoVi

 

[Zana Ari]

Zana coughed and sputtered, looking at Jacata as he excitedly told her he almost drowned when he tried, “Oh! That’s very reassuring,” She said moodily as she climbed back on the board. However, she paused when he said she was a natural. There was a tinge of purple on her cheeks from the compliment, but she said nothing about it. It was bad enough that she was making a fool of herself on the board, and now she was blushing.

The twi’lek let him adjust her hands, especially since she was completely off with how she was doing it. After a moment, she began to paddle and try again, attempting to hop up to stand. While it felt as if she would succeed, the wave pushed a bit harder than she anticipated and she once again tumbled over to the side. This time she managed to hold onto the board, coming up facing the shore.

That was when she felt a pulse in the Force all at once. From her perspective, she simply saw Thelian use the Force on some other boy and fling him into the ocean. Even from here Zana could sense the negative intentions that poured into the attack, especially where he began to constrict the Force around the boy. It was the trademark of the kind of attacks they were forbidden from using. Zana watched in horror as the boy began to sink into the water.

The twi’lek dove into the water, quickly swimming in that direction. She had no idea what happened, only what she saw. She simply saw Thelian hugging Clove tightly while violently attacking another padawan. Zana didn’t come up to surface until she was dragging the black haired boy out of the water. Her golden eyes fixated on Thelian, and there was more anger there than he ever would have seen on her face before.

“YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A BULLY, THELIAN!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, voice projecting a bit louder with the Force, “YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME BACK!” Zana knew the words would sting. She knew Thelian had attempted to run away several times before. It could even reference Dantooine when he wanted to run away the most. But she didn’t care. She was furious. She was tired of him always being that way. She was tired of showing him kindness, only to see him act like a child and lash out at first opportunity. She was tired of believing he could ever change.

Zana didn’t know what the black haired boy did, but she did know that no padawan got left behind. She wouldn’t let the kid just drown. The twi’lek helped drag him to shore before releasing him. She didn’t focus on him, instead looking back at Thelian. If he glanced her way, he wouldn’t see anger anymore. It was a look of deep disappointment. Zana looked away from him after that, looking to see if Jacata or Varyn had come back from the water.

@Altaris @Charles @Raydo

 

[Jacata Lurel]

He noticed the slight blushing of Zana, though she had nothing to be embarrassed about. He was clueless when it came to girls though so maybe it was something else. "You got this!" he encouraged one last time

Before the next wave came, the commotion of screams would reach the pair of Jedi in the water. By the time Jacata had turned back towards the group, there was guy flying in the air towards the water. With a loud smack the kid hit the water back first. Jacata winced, knowing that had to have knocked the wind out of him. "We should probably go check on your friends." he said to Zana (@Sreeya) as he waded to where the guy had fallen in the water.

He approached as Severus emerged from the water. "You alright, man?" he asked. (@Charles ) Severus was actually the only Padawan he had met before. They hadn't started out that great but he doubted he had done anything to deserve getting attacked like that.

Jacata checked on him and made his way to the group, pulling up short as Zana was already laying into Thelian. "Shit..." he mouthed silently. What the hell had actually happened. The party had only just started. There was obvious history with the group and Jacata felt like he was very much in the dark.

He joined the group, standing beside Zana who turned to look in his direction. He searched her expression for any hit of what was going on. "Everything alright?" he quietly asked her, not really sure how to address the rest of the group.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn left the pair to their surfing lesson, popping out of the water several minutes later and picking his towel up to dry himself partially off. With it draped over his shoulders, he started walking back in the direction of the others when all the drama started unfolding.

What exactly had happened and why, he wasn't sure, but he sensed unease and unrest. Like the churning of rapids below the ocean's surface, something here was very wrong. That was only emphasized a moment later by one of the others being yeeted across the sand and into the water. In fact, Sev very nearly struck Varyn were it not for the fact that he narrowly ducked in time not to be absolutely KOed by the reckless throw.

He turned back in the direction of the yeeter, hearing Zana shout at Thelian. Thelian wasn't someone he really knew, but he knew of him. He had heard about what happened on Dantooine - because who hadn't - but he didn't expect the other Padawan to be so... off. They weren't supposed to use the Force to lash out like that. It was wrong.

What the karabast was that, Thelian? he said angrily (@Altaris). You could have killed him (@Charles). You could have hurt me or Zana (@Sreeya) or Jacata (@Raydo)? What's wrong with you? he demanded.

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

It took a few seconds for reality to return, just as it had done on Dantooine. She first noticed the laugh, which had faded to a whisper as it bounced off the wintery trees. The sound of a rushing heartbeat beckoned her to open her eyes, followed by the sensation of two arms wrapped around her back.

Despite the fact that Thelian (@Altaris) had said nothing, she knew he felt the same way she did; his fluttering heart told her everything she needed to know. She would normally have apologized or pushed back in shame. Instead, she lifted her head to look up at him, blissfully unaware of the chaos that had erupted, and asked softly, "Are you okay?"

As louder voices reached Clove's ears, her little bubble of salvation began to shatter even more. But it wasn't until Zana's scream, which ached her already aching head, that she realized something had happened. She wasn't sure what, but Zana(@Sreeya) sounded upset, and the sound of shifting sand alerted her to the fact that she had dragged someone on the beach.

Clove stepped out of Thelian's arms, with tear-streaked cheeks and bloodshot eyes, and reluctantly turned her gaze away from him to look around. She was terrified to see the same sea of blood, but instead, the ocean had returned to its beautiful blue hue. She was back on Chandrila's beautiful beach, which brought a sigh of relief in and of itself. Zana was foaming at the mouth next to the black-robed padawan(@Charles) who lay on the sand, his hair and clothing soaking wet, and several Jedi, including the kind ginger-haired boy(@LouJoVi), were looking wearily at her. At that point, the half-Sephi realized she should've apologized to everyone for screaming or at the very least withdrawn in shame. But in reality, she stood there numbly, trying to understand what had happened.

The only logical explanation for Zana calling Thelian a bully and the padawan being drenched was that he threw the boy into the water. Somehow.

Wait. Ruz (@SlagathorTheUnknown)? When did he get here?

Her gaze lingered on him for a brief moment, questioningly, before returning to the black-robed boy. The aura that lingered off his body was a tell-tale sign that it was him who had entered her mind with good intentions. Her nerves were heightened by the mere sight of him and his aura, and she wanted to flee. She wanted to stop being reminded of the images she saw whenever she tried to escape into a daydream, slept, or blinked.

But then she remembered Crix, Xi, and even her therapist telling her she needed to confront her demons, that she needed to confront Dantooine. Plus it's not like she could blame him for sinking so far, no matter how creepy he was.

She approached him and Zana with her trembling hands balled into a fist so tight that her knuckles turned white. Any step closer to him intensified her desire to flee, but she fought it. And it's not like she could've run even if she wanted to, partly because she was far too exhausted. For the time being, she chose to ignore Zana—along with Jacata (@Raydo) and Varyn (@Phoenix), who had also joined the group—and concentrate on the boy. She would normally extend her hand or kneel next to him, but she couldn't bring herself to face him any closer.

"I'm sorry. My mind is still recovering from Dantooine. Please don't enter my mind again without telling me. Thelian was only trying to protect me." Every word was a struggle for her, and she sounded stiff, as if she was about to cry again. Which, in reality, she was, as evidenced by her posture. She seemed to be on the verge of collapsing in the sand.

There were a lot more things she wanted to say. To everyone, for that matter. She wanted to explain that whatever Thelian did, it wasn't to murder the kid. To thank Zana for rescuing the black-haired boy from the water. To explain to the boy that she didn't mean to scream at him, but rather at the voices in her head

But instead of saying any of those things, she muttered another shaky "sorry" and walked away to the cottage, her shoulders shivering with new sobs. She'd reached her limit.

---

tag -peeps are already tagged-​

 

[Felix]

His entire body tensed and froze at Thelian's words, his at his side hands clenched into a fist and that acute ringing that always there in his ear came to the forefront of his mind. There it was, not even a couple of seconds into entering the party it was already been brought up and so directly.

His first instinct was to punch the Echani but he resisted the urge. He was about to say something when he heard Clove scream
snapping him out of his sole focusing on Thelian. He didn't know what was going on with her but she ran to Thelian who she embraced in a hug. what he didn't expect was Thelian to then throw the black-haired padawan into the sea with the force.

Felix stood there in stunned silence at the situation, trying to figure out just what had just happened, then came the shouting from the other two padawans. someone had to try to deescalate the situation and with clove words, he had a clue what happened.

"Thelian, go after clove make sure she's alright. I'll be there soon." He would tell him (@Altaris ), the both of them need space from the situation before something else happened.

"Back off" He would say to one padawan (@Phoenix ) that was being angry at thelian "you don't know what happened, I don't know fully what happened but I have inkling, so back off and let tampers cool" he wasn't trying to confrontational, just trying to defuse "if you want to be useful check-up on. him" he pointed to Serus (@Charles ).

 

[Guinevere Beck]

Gwen, munching on an ice-pop that the Togruta had brought along (@SlagathorTheUnknown), watched the scream fest break out with wide eyes and curious delight as bodies were thrown arbor, followed quickly by insults. She had been having fun off to the side, using telekinetic tugs to collapse the sand castles the arts-club kids were making, when she had noticed the commotion and wandered over, picking up an ice-pop along the way. She didn't know what was happening, or why, so she had been more than happy to observe from the side and enjoy the free holo-drama screening. But when the dark haired fellow got tossed into the water, and not gently at that, she couldn't really just stand aside.

Letting out a sigh, she took one large bite to gobble up the last of her ice-pop, and crunching the ice under her teeth as she started walking towards the drowning Padawan, pulled out a piece of paper from a pocket in the floral pattern shirt she had draped on over her swimsuit and shorts. Identifying it as a waiver form that some crazy was handing out, she shrugged and used it to wipe her hands and mouth before crumbling it up and tossing it at a nearby trashcan as she moved towards the newly rescued boy.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she stepped up to him and his Twi'lek savior, hands returning to her pockets to pull out two more ice-pops, which she offered to both of them. "Ice-cream? Nothing like a brain freeze to distract you from shit."

@Charles @Sreeya

 

[Severus Creed]

As Severus continued to ponder about what had happened on the surface and how he'd need to act once he resurfaced, his thoughts were cut off by the sudden appearance of the twi'lek ( @Sreeya ) named Zana. She had dove down to him and scooped him up, all the while Severus tried fighting back to get her to let go but then decided against it and let her take him to the surface. When he got back to the beach, he sat down on his butt and breathed in and out slowly, his ribs still sore from Thelian's ( @Altaris ) little temper tantrum.

"Thank you, I think." Sev said to Zana, his eyes glued to the ground instead of looking at her. "I appreciate the sentiment but I wasn't drowning...I just chose not to swim. Controlled sinking. Like controlled falling." Then, a familiar face approached. Jacata ( @Raydo ) asked him how he was and Severus opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. What was he supposed to say? How could he explain the things that Clove had unintentionally showed him after he tried giving her a flower he tried making?

First, he thought against speaking to Jacata telepathically because of recent events, but then he remembered how well he handled it when they were chasing blurrgs. Once he established the private connection, he began flashing everything that had happened through Severus's eyes from the moment he arrived to the second Thelian threw him into the water. "I'm a little sore, and I'll be fine...but...as you can see- people are still not my forte. I tried giving her a token of what I thought was friendship but then...well...you saw it right? The screaming and yelling...whatever darkness she felt...jumped. I dropped the flower, didn't I?" Severus scanned around him for a moment and then remembered dropping it where was standing before Thelian "The Meat-Head" man handled him through the Force.

Then, a new figure, ( @Phoenix ) Varyn stepped in and proceeded to yell at Thelian along with Zana. Now Severus felt really bad- he never intended to get into a fight, let alone start one. It was very "Jedi" of him and it surely wouldn't help his reputation within the Order. Luckily, Thelian probably wouldn't get as much positive attention either with un-Jedi like way he had been acting- including whatever happened between Zana.

( @Wit ) Gwen had offered a brain freeze that Severus would've loved if he wasn't so damn cold- so instead he stood up, took the friendly offer, and walked passed Varyn and then turned to face him, blocking the other Padawan's view of Thelian. "Take this." He placed the ice cream into his hands and then turned around, now facing Clove ( @LilyNion ). Hopefully the ice cream would prove a long enough distraction and a good enough treat to get Varyn to literally and figuratively chill out.

He stopped, his mind going blank when he faced Clove.

Her eyes said it all as she apologized- the pain and sorrow she felt spoke right through her face like an open book. Luckily, Severus was better with books than people. She didn't mean to yell at him because it wasn't him that was in her head- it was whatever that darkness was that they both felt. Severus only felt bad for her lack of restraint and poor high-stress management. It really was a pity. Sev had experienced trauma, too, not that he was going to compete, brag about, or even just talk or think about- but he knew how to manage his stress when he felt an upcoming episode crawling from the back of his mind. Maybe, one day, he could give her some tips.

She forgave him, though. He forgave her as well with a quick nod. But she still couldn't stand to look at him, or even get close to him for that matter, so Sev thought it would be okay to look at the ground again, instead of looking at her- to make her at least somewhat more comfortable.

Finally, Felix ( @christhebetrayer ), the same kid who Thelian had blatantly insulted when he first arrived, was also doing his best to deescalate the situation after Clove left for the Cottage. As Sev stared at the ground, he found where he had dropped his flower but didn't go to pick it up. Instead he found Felix's gaze and thought for a moment before speaking, "If...If you think she'd like it...that tulip...it was supposed yo be a rose- but...but, er, never mind that...just see if you can give it to her. Right now she'll need space. I think it would be wise to let her breath." Sev spoke solemnly as he gestured to the yellow tullip on the ground close to Felix's feet.

He never meant for any of this to happen and he would never have this repeat again. This was why he never attended things like this, but his master was very sure it would be good for him to be with kids his own age, so...he went.

Severus then found Thelian to be the last one he hadn't spoken to. Oh the several insults he was thinking that would make that putrid child feel like the small oaf his mind portrayed him to be- but the thought of Jacata and Sev's experience with the blurrgs resurfaced back into his mind so he held his tongue. Sev didn't want to take another swim as well, so all he managed to do was glare at the monkey-of-a-man that stood before him and then walked back to stand next to Zana and Jacata. "Zana, he isn't worth it- nor is the swim. Don't trouble the child...I'm not sure how much of what you said he was able to actually process anyway."

(OOC: YEEEAAAAAh. I officially wrote my first novel- this most be how @Tom feels when he posts!)

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn's attention was still relatively firmly fixed on Thelian (@Altaris) at this point half expecting to be attacked as well when Felix (@christhebetrayer) stepped in. His attempt at deescalation consisting of "backing off" really was not good deescalation. In fact, it was pretty much the opposite of deescalation.

Really? He nearly kills someone... he said, jutting a finger toward Thelian ...and I should back off because you have an "inkling," he said, making it very clear with the way that he said the final word that he couldn't have cared less what Felix thought on the matter.

I wasn't even talking to you, he went on before there was really time to speak again.

When Felix mentioned checking on Sev, he finally paused for a breath, looking back over his shoulder. Whatever may have happened, that was not okay, he finally said when turning back toward Felix and Thelian.

Sev stepped in the way a moment later handing ice cream in his direction and he looked down a little bit baffled. He generally glared down at the ice cream for a moment before sighing. Keep it. You need it more than I do, he said. The offended party being the one to try to defuse the situation seemed to help. Varyn didn't really believe in being offended on someone else's behalf if they weren't upset themselves, but what Thelian did still didn't sit right with him. For the moment at least, Varyn relented.

 

[Thelian Lsai]

Thelian was silent for a long while after Severus was thrown. Silver eyes fixated out upon the crystal blue waters ahead, watching as the waves lazily lapped at the shore as he allowed his pain and anger to slowly subside.

He held Clove for as long as the half-Sephi needed, arms wrapped loosely around her through every tremble. He didn’t say anything, and she likely knew that he never would. But he was there for her and that fact alone spoke volumes to the Echani’s intent.

His attention was drawn away the moment Zana started screaming at him.

Thelian couldn’t help but stare at Zana in that moment, silver eyes wider than she had probably ever seen from the Echani. Her harsh words seemed to echo and repeat in his mind repeatedly, each repetition seeming to drive the knife a bit deeper into his chest, his stomach suddenly twisting into knots. They were words bulldozed through any icy barriers or walls that he tried to erect around himself, exposing his underbelly and hitting him where it hurt the most, exactly as Zana intended. He didn’t even really notice when Clove had stepped backwards.

He saw more anger on her face than he ever had before, and yet it wasn’t her rage that wounded him the most. More than anything, it was the look of deep disappointment etched onto her features that cut Thelian to his very core. Even from a distance, Zana and everyone else could see the pain that contorted on the Echani’s face in that moment – a far cry from the blank and deadpan for which he was known.

He harshly bit down onto the inside of his cheek, bitterly forcing himself to keep from spiraling any farther into his own emotions. While he heard the anger in the voice of Varyn as well, they didn’t seem to penetrate the surface. Quite frankly, the Echani didn’t even know who the boy was, and really didn’t care what the boy thought about him or what had happened.

Silver eyes continued to stare towards the beach until Felix spoke, briefly flicking over in his direction. Without another word, Thelian abruptly turned on a heel and began to make his way towards the cottage.

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

All Ruzaan could do was watch in increasing dismay as the social devolved into conflict, with shouting, swimming, and tempers flaring all around him. The Togruta sat down heavily next to his cooler, shocked and saddened by the sudden turn of events. The whole experience was leaving a sour taste in his mouth. Ruzaan absentmindedly reached into his cooler and withdrew a chocolate dilly bar, deciding to drown his sorrows in ice cream.