Even Mandalorian Need Rest (D10, Mid-Afternoon. Mando Safehouse)

[Soleene Stryss]

"I just had to turn that frown upside down," she says, a smile directed up to Soleene. Taking the hand held she moves it, and ducks, so that Soleene's arm can come around over her shoulders. Breaking the hold for a moment to re-adjust she takes the hand again from across her chest. "And you don't know just how.. much detail I would give to agreeing," she smirks, and then nudges her with her shoulder a little again.

Looking around the room, "So.. how many of you are like this one then? I know she," she glances to Varina, "doesn't.." she glances to Manny, commenting nothing, and then Raven, "She's a face I haven't seen. Not.. quite my type, but pretty in her ways. Oh- and by the way, if she said you were pretty at all while in the armor," she leans forward as much as she can under Soleene's arm, a little wink, "she was probably flirting. You.. folk like your armor but it really isn't flattering," she laughs lightly.

"Yeah, and it worked, I'll give you that," she said with a big grin as she looked directly at Sofia, her gaze making sure to catch eyes. "But I think details are best left to the imagination, after all."

She was more than happy to let Sofia change their stance and get closer. While it would prevent her from doing any arm crossing on behalf of the pair, she got an armful of Sofia instead and Soleene hugged her once she put herself there. She gave a small tilt of her head to motion toward a direction before guiding them to a nearby bench to get comfortable. On the way, she did steal a plate to share for the both of them and took responsibility for holding it so that Sofia could pick what she liked.

"I'd like to think the armour if flattering in other ways!" She quipped before putting the focus on Raven. "So to catch up on things...is that how you two met initially? That never quite came up during the wedding."

[Raven Cadera]

"I agree, the armor is flattering! How someone's armor looks tells you a lot about a person," she of course would think that beskar'gam could be quite attractive.

For a brief moment Raven thought that she had deflected attention away from herself when Soleene asked for the details of her and Praxton getting together. "Mm," was the first response, as she bought herself a little time with some spiced meat. Couldn't take with her mouth full, right.

"... I suppose I could tell it. If it's not too embarrassing for you, cyare?" she looked to Praxton with a bit of teasing in her tone, sharing a smile with him, looking slightly embarrassed herself though probably less so than him as the spotlight was suddenly on them now.

[Manny Donos]

"Does it? I mean, I guess if you're used to it. I still can only tell if the person wearing it is a man or a woman half of the time." Manny shrugged. "On the other hand, I can tell a lot about a dancer by the, y'know, tidbits she wears, so yeah, I guess it really is what you know, huh?"

He tossed a morsel into the air, catching it with his mouth. "Uh, but don't let me interrupt your story!"

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel raises an eyebrow at Manny. She'd ask what he'd been able to tell about Sholua based on her triangles and string, but she too doesn't want to interrupt the story.

Instead she offer the bit that she knows about. "I recall you saying you kind of had to knock a clue into him, but that's toward the end of the story, I think."

[Sofia Hargrave]

"I'd like to think the armour if flattering in other ways!" She quipped before putting the focus on Raven. "So to catch up on things...is that how you two met initially? That never quite came up during the wedding."

Happily moving along with Soleene she takes the seat beside and leans up against her more, partially in her lap as she grabs a piece or two and chews it thoughtfully a moment. Looking up to Soleene with a smile, "I haven't actually seen you in your armor... I kinda want to," she gives a glance over Soleene a moment, imagining it but before she let herself get carried away looks toward Raven, "Ooo, I'd like to hear that story too!" and then to Praxton as Raven directed her question toward him.

[Praxton]

"... I suppose I could tell it. If it's not too embarrassing for you, cyare?" she looked to Praxton with a bit of teasing in her tone, sharing a smile with him, looking slightly embarrassed herself though probably less so than him as the spotlight was suddenly on them now.

"As long as I am not the one who has to tell it, I will survive," he says, a brief smile as he walks around a little. Making sure everyone has something in hand before collecting up two plates and walking over to where Raven was. Finding a stool nearby to sit on for the moment as he indicated her plate and put it on a nearby surface for her.

[Raven Cadera]

"Fair enough," Raven chuckled. It had been her idea to invite folks over after all, and there was a limit to how much she'd push him in the circumstances. That he was doing this for her was much appriciated, and she'd be sure to let him know that.

Her food would be safe from the cats at least, and Raven felt it was best to sit close with Praxton as they shared this... or rather, her telling of her side of the story. With her friends, and by extension, his friends too. We share all, they had said to eachother, and she still remembered hearing those words so clearly, filling her with joy. A moment she'd never forget, among others shared with him between just the two of them.

Her good arm found its way around him and she hugged him close, briefly pushing her head against his in a moment of affection before she looked to the others.

"Well, I at least kind of... no, I suppose it wasn't love at first sight as such, but I already knew I liked him from our first meeting. We first met when I arrived on Kamda, to join the Mandalorian group there. He's the one who vouched for me to the others, believed in me from the start."

It was a simple enough explanation for those who weren't Mandalorians without going into the specific details there. For Varina and Soleene, who both had become involved in the Rebuilder's group, knew that it meant Praxton had been the one to sponsor her entry into the group. So he had put a bit of a chance on an unknown person to join there probably.

"Anyway," she picked a bit nervously at her cheek as she continued, "we spent a lot of time together, mostly training, talking... for me, I knew I felt much more for him when we talked and I got to know more about him. I may have punched him at the time when I was starting to realise it." That it had been a very awkward and inefficient punch was best left unspoken.

"Add in him flying out to save my life from the Imperials when I got captured, kind of hard not to fall for a man like that." A quick glance to Manny, because she knew he wanted recognition there. "And yes, thank Manny for making that happen."

The last part she'd retold with more levity, giving it a more humorous twist as she didn't really think the others needed to know what the two of them shared in private. "So then I have to confront him about being a damn handsome hero who's stolen my heart, and I have to headbutt him to really make him understand what he's done." Surprisingly it was the headbutt that was the truest bit in that part. "Guess that made him realise he had to take responsibility for it and admit to his foolish handsome ways," Raven chuckled warmly, favoring Praxton with a smile before she spoke again.

"And well, from there... decided to see where that would go, what we felt was right. Decided that this was the life we wanted to share."

[Soleene Stryss]

"Well..." Soleene would murmur with a faint smile at the mention of the armour. "I think that's easily something I can do if you're curious enough, likely at the end of the day. It does takes a bit to put on."

And well, once it goes on, it kind of mostly stays on... She thought to herself, hoping Sofia wasn't thinking of incorporating as any sort of accessory to anything. It was sacred armour and not a toy.

She would quiet down when Raven began her tale, nursing a meat pie with a few nibbles. It was an earnest tale of romance that gradually happened, rather than one that just exploded out of the gates, and that did get a soft smile from the zeltron. Her gaze would curiously look to Praxton, curious about his reaction to all of this as Raven told their tale.

"Considering after what happened...and happened after recently, I would say that your marriage was very much meant to be. Thank you for sharing that tale. Yeah, it does kind of makes me wish I was there to see it happen and take part in that fight but seeing you two together, well...the proof of all of it is there." She said before smiling broadly at the two.

[Sofia Hargrave]

Prior to the story being told Sofia smiles at the smile, leaning in for a whisper, "End of the day.. I'll help you, hmm? Put it on, take it off.. don't wanna waste too much time with it but I'd like to see that," she smiles again and leans back, bringing a lone finger to her lips to halt that brief conversation there as Raven begins to tell her story.

Shifting back down against Soleene one hand plays a little with her fingers, while the other grabs the occassional bite of food from the plate. Mid-way through, the playing stops as she seems to drift from the moment. Eyes glancing between everyone present, warm smiles and all. Even Varina, not quite the warm smile but.. somehow connected to all of it she shifts a little against Soleene to right herself up a bit. Pulling away ever so slightly but keeping the hand held Soleene can feel a slight shift in Sofia's mood through that little extra interconnectivity between people. Like a little something was off in her usual aura.

Waiting till Soleene gives her comment to the two she nudges her a little and leans in by her ear, "Hey.. going to the refresher, can you point me?" she says, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away and looking for the direction.

[Praxton]

Praxton shifted toward Raven a little during the story, closing off from the group in that minor way that wasn't all too noticeable by anyone not looking for it. Somewhat on display during the story, without armor to hide behind, it was.. a lot. A lot for a man who spent the better part of his life avoiding this kind of attention but he couldn't claim to hate it. Hiding himself in the food in his plate he eats for some of the story. By it's end, and Soleene's gesture, he grants her a nod of acknowledgement as well as thanks.

Though he shifts again, focusing on Raven a moment and offering her a bite with a little lift from his plate.

[Raven Cadera]

"You were there these past weeks, Soleene. That's what matters the most now. Thank you." The Zeltron had been a help in overcoming the challenges placed before them, and that wasn't something Raven would forget soon.

And she wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by when she had Praxton right beside her. Offering her food from his own plate, she smiled and leaned closer for a kiss on the lips this time first before taking the offered bite. "Thank you." For the food. For being here. For enduring the moment of attention.

"But," she turned the attention to the others. Before Praxton would get too flustered. "How did you meet Manny and end up joining his crew, Dhel? Surely there's a story there too?"

[Soleene Stryss]

Soleene chuckled at the suggestion with a small smile. "Well, I'll have to show you all the parts too. It's not just like taking off a shirt, you know."

She turned her attention to Sofia after the kiss and tilted her head curiously before giving her a small smile. "Oh, of course" she replied in a small murmur before getting up. Trying to not be intrusive and giving Raven a small smile along the way, she shuffled through some people before she could show Sofia more visually than just rattle some directions.

"Yeah, it should be just down this hall and the last door on the right."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel happily works through her plate as the story unfolds, before Raven's question catches her off-guard and mid-chew. She glances at Manny, reaching to brush...whatever's in reach really...hip, back, shoulder. It's the contact that matters, since she's very unlikely to get any unspoken communication of what he is or isn't comfortable with her sharing.

"You're pretty obviously meant to be together," she smiles after swallowing, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "Getting to work together all that while had to kind of smooth the way, let you realize you'd be good together, yeah?" Her voice is teasing as she adds, 'doesn't hurt that you're both cute, right?"

"Manny, on the other hand," Dhel grins, "tossed a raw egg into the tip bucket while Sholua and I were on stage at the Cave. He was obviously new in town, so we kind of teamed to up to convince him that he could make it up to us with a nice dinner at the Corellian." She looks a little embarrassed at the extortion, before continuing on. "Somewhere in there, he offered to let us stay, and we accepted."

She pauses a moment, picking at her food as she considers "Somewhere a lot later we actually talked about it," Her expression is fond, but bemused as she looks up at Manny. "I'm still a little shocked that he never expected anything for that. Pretty sure he still doesn't really get what it means to me to have space of my own like that."

[Sofia Hargrave]

Soleene chuckled at the suggestion with a small smile. "Well, I'll have to show you all the parts too. It's not just like taking off a shirt, you know."

She turned her attention to Sofia after the kiss and tilted her head curiously before giving her a small smile. "Oh, of course" she replied in a small murmur before getting up. Trying to not be intrusive and giving Raven a small smile along the way, she shuffled through some people before she could show Sofia more visually than just rattle some directions.

"Yeah, it should be just down this hall and the last door on the right."

Pulling her in by the hand, another on Soleene's shoulder guiding her in, she kisses quick and affectionate before she nods, "Thank you, be right back, hmm?" she says, putting on a smile. Parting away from Soleene she takes a couple steps, stops a moment, and then walks the rest of the way while looking down at her wrist and fidgeting with her fingers a little.

[Soleene Stryss]

Soleene returned the kiss in kind and nodded in acceptance with a small smile. "Sure thing, Sofia," she would say on the matter.

She did spare a momentary glance to see her stop but merely returned to their previous spot to save it before any kittens could claim their seat.

[Varina Ordo]

Varina glanced over at Sofia's departure. "Try not to eat it all, she said to the cat as she put her plate down.

The teen stuffed her hands in her pockets, fingers brushing up against a bit of wire. When she reached her right and proper eavesdropping location, she leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

[Raven Cadera]

-

"That does sound a lot like Manny, yeah." Raven laughed and shook her head. For a moment she considered asking about Korvin too, but since he wasn't here - and Raven had on purpose kept the guest list short to someone Praxton knew, like Manny, and one new person, Dhel - it didn't seem as fun to ask without having the blue kid around to squirm.

Speaking of the uninvited guest, something had crossed her mind, but Varina seemed to be of a similar opinion so for now she was just... attentive. Keeping her ears peeled in case Varina needed help.

"You guys flying off after tonight to lie low, right?"

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel looks a bit troubled at the question, pulling her hand back to fiddle with her plate and leaving Manny to answer, since he'd be flying. She glances at Varina moving toward the hallway, but doesn't really have the same need to feel suspicious in a place that isn't hers.

The kittens fall upon Varina's plate, making the most of their excellent luck.

[Manny Donos]

"Hey," Manny shrugged, smiling, both at what Raven had said and what Dhel had said. "I mean, when you've got someone's back, you've got their back. And I've got both of your backs. Anytime you need."

"Uh..." He looked back and forth between the two of them. "Yeah. Maybe. I mean, if everything that they think is gonna go down goes down, then we're gonna wanna go keep our heads down." He scratched his head. Did that make sense? He wasn't sure.

[Meiyokashi]

Varina glanced over at Sofia's departure. "Try not to eat it all, she said to the cat as she put her plate down.

The teen stuffed her hands in her pockets, fingers brushing up against a bit of wire. When she reached her right and proper eavesdropping location, she leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

[Hard Perception, 1 Setback]