festival day!

[thespaceopera]

Who: EVERYONE
Broadcast: Up to you
Action: Everywhere in the Yadrolla system!
When: 5/30

[At last, the day has come: Festival Day! Once again, the Starstrikers have taken the trophy this year. But that doesn't mean members of other teams, or those who didn't play, can't celebrate with the rest of them!

There are parties everywhere. Ribbons, streamers, and confetti litter every major street in the system. (Remember what they say about glitter...) There is food on every block, and people cramming into shops to get in on the merch.

Don't forget about the reason for the festival-- the pet adoption drive! A large playground-type area has been set up on the Starstrikers' desert moon where people can play and interact with the lovable creatures needing new homes. Whether you're looking for companionship or just something to do, there's plenty to coo over! Every pet comes with an info card listing a fanciful name and a general description of their age and temperament. Maybe Sir Pringle the puppy or Marquess Mariana the fish can become your new best friend.

Sadly, the Fleet will be drifting in about a week... but feel free to party until then!]

Comments

Leia Organa | OTA

[oratorical]

A. Parades

[It's been a long time since Leia has been anywhere where she could enjoy a parade or a party or anything in public, without having to worry about being arrested or worse. So, while she's not exactly in the Starstrikers spirit, or even really participating in a let-loose kind of way, that's not to say she's not enjoying the festivities.

Whether it's watching a parade, trying some food, or even just drifting off to the side, enjoying the view of the stars, Leia's clearly in a better mood than she was just a few days ago.]

B. Pet adoption

[Leia doesn't want a pet, exactly. She doubts there's time or space for an animal here, especially not on a ship. But that isn't about to stop her from looking while she's here.]

I wonder how large these will get.

[Which pet is she talking about? That's entirely up to you. Leia's making a point to look at every one of the pets available, just out of curiosity.]

C. Not-really-shopping

[Because it's hard to go much of anywhere without seeing literally anything you could want for sale with a starstriker logo or in starstriker colors. Leia's not in the market--she's not even sure she'd be able to afford it, if she were--but it's almost impressive just how much stuff there is for sale here.]

They really move fast here.

[that, or they've got a huge stockpile of merch for each team they cart out. Either way, it's almost mindboggling to see.]

D. Wildcard

[Have another idea? Toss it here, or pm me here or at compoundeyes and we can work something out!]

A (star gazing)

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan hasn't yet given into the spirit of the celebration, though it's soon in coming, going by the grin on his face. It helps that some of this feels at least a little like home, and the colorful chaos that was the Citadel. At least...before...

He finds himself, as the parade is ending, staring up at the sky. After a moment, he notices Leia's face pointed up at the sky too.]

Hell of a view, isn't it?

[oratorical]

[Leia turns at the sound of Kaidan's voice, nodding, then tilting her head slightly as she looks him over.]

It is. It's been a long time since I've had the time to do this.

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan nods as well, in a least partial understanding. When you live and work in space it became easy to let things like this go unappreciated. Especially during war.]

I used to try to make time. Good way to help myself think.

[oratorical]

[she probably should have tried to make time to breathe more often and try and take her mind off things, but that's not and hasn't ever really been Leia's style. At least not back home, with the threat of danger imminent. Here? It's a bit different, and she doesn't know what to do with it.]

I think my problem is the opposite, honestly. I need to think less.

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan lets out a soft chuckles, though it's more rueful than humorous]

I have the same problem, sometimes. There's certainly a lot to think about - things going on back home and what's going on here. Looking at the stars...well, it used to remind me of the stakes...helped put things in perspective. Now it's confusing.

[oratorical]

[She knows full well everyone's galaxy or planet has its own problems, and that just as she has things she can't or doesn't want to talk about yet, other people are likely the same. But at the same time--]

What were the stakes, if I can ask?

[bi_otic]

[His smile is both grim and gentle, and he slips his hands into his pockets]

Life as we know it in the galaxy.

[He's well aware that it sounds insane, and it frequently felt that way. Now more than a year removed from the war and it barely feels real anymore.]

[oratorical]

[To Leia it isn't that insane. It's a feeling she knows pretty well, even if she wouldn't put it quite so dramatically in most situations.

Leia raises her eyebrows, just a bit surprised by his answer.]

Something that serious would weigh heavily on anyone's mind. I can't say I don't know how that feels.

C

[straightouttacarbonite]

[ He did promise he'd show her around a bit, and this is as good a place as any-- though it's a little more frenzied than he'd really expected. Still, it's... well, a far cry from home, in a lot of ways. By the time he'd left the Yavin system the celebration was over, the furious planning and packing and evacuating well underway.

And from what Leia has said about everything he doesn't remember... It's chilling to think about. He's been dealing with it logically: by not thinking about it. ]

You're right. [ He peers at a table littered with commemorative transparisteel discs attached to rings. ] You know, I don't remember posing for any of these holos....

[oratorical]

[Not thinking about it and all the differences between what they remember is probably the easier way of dealing with it all, which means that it's something that's constantly been on Leia's mind. She doesn't know what to make of it, but even with those differences, it's still easy to fall back into usual behaviors with Han. No matter what, he's still Han.

Leia turns to look at the same table, before reaching for one of the discs to get a better look at it.]

Just how many races were you a part of?

[straightouttacarbonite]

[ Whatever they're falling into, together, he wouldn't call it usual. But he's not complaining. The finer points of all the time he's missing, from her point of view are kind of a mystery, but it's clear they're getting along better these days.

Or, he notes grimly, they were. Who knows what the future holds, when you've been freeze-dried. ]

Who keeps count? I entered almost every one I qualified for.

[oratorical]

[Turning the disc she picked up around, she holds it out for Han to see, clearly looking amused at the picture displayed on it. It's not a picture anyone would have posed for, she hopes, given that it clearly looks as if it came from a picture taken mid-race.]

That might've been where they found some of these. I think you should buy this one.

[straightouttacarbonite]

[ Truth is, he really did keep himself too busy racing and watching racing to do much self-promotion. The ratings can hang for all he cares, all he wanted was to take advantage of getting to do something he doesn't get to do often enough. ]

What kinda guy carries around his own face like that?

[ But he fishes out some credits and hands them over-- no discount for being the guy on the damn thing, apparently-- so that she can keep it.

It's an oddly egotistical gift, yeah, but he means nicely by it-- laughing with her, for once, or trying to. The whole business still takes him by surprise. ]

[oratorical]

[An odd gift, maybe, but it only means she'll have an embarrassing picture to tease Han about from now on. Not that she needs the help, and really, she does like it no matter how strange it might be that he's the one buying it.]

You could carry it around to the bars here, and use it to prove you were truly part of the team.

[straightouttacarbonite]

Hey, if they don't recognize me on sight I don't want them to buy me drinks.

[ But really this place is non-stop party, no one even really seems to care what you won, as long as you played. Or as long as you can sell a convincing story.

Han actually really likes it, okay. ]

It's too bad you didn't get to see more of the games.

[oratorical]

[Oh, she can tell he likes it, even with him being as ridiculous as he is. She shakes her head, not at all surprised by his response. But at the same time--]

I think your priorities might be skewed, just a bit.

[but Han and his questionable potential drinking partners aside, she is curious about what everything she missed here was like.]

There were more than just races, I assume?

Pet Adoption

[candothat]

[Pavel, currently admiring the same gray bird as Leia, takes it upon himself to answer her probably-rhetorical question.]

Not large enough to ride, I asked already. Not that a bird as large as that would be practical on a spaceship, but the novelty would, I think, outweigh the inconvenience.

[oratorical]

[His answer gets, not quite a smile, but just the slightest upturn of the corner of her lips from Leia.]

For a while, perhaps. I think it might be cruel to the poor bird in that case, though.

[candothat]

Ah, a good point. I suppose that, even if we find giant birds, the shuttles will need to suffice.

[And, because he has never been great at small talk when he has a question he wants to ask:] You don't remember me, do you?

[oratorical]

[No matter how many people she speaks to that knew her before, Leia doesn't think it'll ever not be a bit strange. She doesn't know what people expect from her when she can't remember them at all.

She shakes her head, looking apologetic.]

I don't. I'm sorry.

[candothat]

[He smiles and waves her apology away.]

It's fine, I assumed not, but it would have been awkward if I had introduced myself to find that you knew me already. I'm Pavel Andreievich Chekov.

[oratorical]

It's nice to meet you, Mr. Chekov.

[Even though they've met before? This is confusing and a bit out of even the usual royal etiquette she tries her best to portray at most times.]

My name is Leia, though you already know that much, I'm sure.

[candothat]

Thank you. You can call me Pavel, if you like... or Mr. Chekov is fine too, if you prefer formality. I will answer to either.

It's good to meet you as well, Leia. [Again. Um.] I'm sorry to have mentioned knowing you previously. I realize that it can be a strange situation to be in when it's a new experience.

[oratorical]

Pavel it is, then.

[Because if he's not about formality, then she won't be, either. Truthfully she prefers things that way anyway.]

You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm only sorry I can't remember the time I spent here before.