This is Weird [Day 5, LM]

[Riss]

"Not sure you counted as a host until five seconds ago," she says, a brief laugh turning to walk with him. Side by side in step, one of her hands rests passively on the blaster at her hip as a matter of a comfortable stance. A brief smile, "Only a few years you've been doing the whole vineyard thing than? Sounds like a pretty set up. Lotta credits in that, sure it keeps you flush, or it will at least."

[Zeno Thul]

"It's tradition. Most of the houses produce wine and get a good amount of income from it. We've been trying to cut out a slice of the trade. It's not exactly easy though when some of the biggest producers on the planet pretty much hate us for unrelated things," he says with a smirk.

"But before the exile, Thul produced just as much as everyone else." When they get outside he calls for a speeder to take them to the vineyard, which isn't too far from the main building.

[Riss]

As they wait for the hailed speeder she rests her other hand on her hip as well. Looking out over the grounds, squinting a little in the morning sun.

"How long have you been a Thul, by the way? Woman who's your relative is a Deathwright. Imperials, right? How did those," she raises her hands and interconnects her fingers, locking them together. "Connect."

[Zeno Thul]

"I've been a Thul for 8 years about? They connected when both were looking for something the other could provide. Thul wanted their home back, the Empire wanted a foothold on Alderaan. The pretense of a marriage between noble houses was necessary to make it pass muster. And I was offered up as the marriageable option for the task."

He didn't seem bitter or unhappy with it. Eventually the speeder came up with a whooshing sound, piloted by someone that likely worked the vineyard, since they were wearing clothes one might wear for manual labor.

He pulls the door open for Riss.

"I found a partner in Ziandra, and then we had the twins and I found my heart. It had been shriveled and tiny but they gave it new life. Even my wife became something more because she had given me the chance to be a father. And so I truly became a Thul then."

[Riss]

With the door opened for her, she dipped her head in thanks and then slipped into the speeder. Getting herself situated and comfortable she rests her arms into her lap, looking u to Zeno, "Thank you," she offers. Leaving space of time for him to see to his own seating. Staring out the nearest window while she waited, thinking.

When he joined her again she said, "Thul's got.. a pretty heavy history," she says, leaning her elbow against an arm rest, bending it so she can rest her hand in the palm of her hand. "Done a lot of things that have earned them a fair amount of that ire you hear all about. Though, guess the same could be said about the Empire too, mm? Two peas in a pod the two.." a soft sigh, "but you do seem a bit different from them both. Despite claiming.. well, one for your past and one for your present?"

[Zeno Thul]

"Hardly two peas in a pod. More like a relationship of convenience. Most of the time the empire would just attempt subjugation, while Thul just plays the political games of Alderaan. Someone in the house's past made a damning mistake and we're just trying to recover from that using the tools available to us," he explains.

The speeder begins on the way, but the vineyard they were heading to became visible after going around the side of the main building. It was very close.

"And I am not like either because living through both gave me a different perspective than either have. That plus the fact that after my daughters were born I realized I was really meant to be a father above anything else."

[Riss]

"I can understand that a bit. Living two different perspectives.. not quite fitting perfectly into either one," she chuckles, shaking her head. No, she definitely understood that one lately far too well. Though what he said at the end came back to mind, focusing a little. What was with all these dads? She looks to him, a brief smile, "That's.. good. Family is important. Don't really realize that when you're spending your time just trying to get away from them. But.. eventually? Just feels so much more important than a lot of other things," she spoke as she glances to him briefly, but mostly focuses her attention on viewing the vineyard.

[Zeno Thul]

"I've always held family as the most important thing in my life. But family itself has evolved over time," he says as the speeder approached the destination.

"As much as you wish to protect yor brother, I would prefer to see my cousin safe as well. It may seem at the outset that this might put us at odds, but I see it as a chance to help each other."

[Riss]

"I'd.. yea, I would prefer that we figure out a way that has the least amount of hurt for everyone involved. My brothers.. the victim here though. So, much as I do want to be able to help each-other out I'm pretty willing to let her make her own mistakes, and get her own consequences," she says, a brief, half-smile. Shrugging her shoulders, "Figure.. I'll be honest on that. In this nice spirit of being true with our intentions, mmm? I wouldn't be unhappy if she got what was coming to her. But in spirit of helping one another in this, I wouldn't let it happen if I can stop it."

"Less family that gets hurt the better," she said, shifting her gaze from the view back to Zeno as they neared the destination.

[Zeno Thul]

"I also know what it feels like to have my heart ripped out thanks to infatuation, so I know what that might end up feeling like for him. It's been a long time, and I have moved on, but it's a feeling I'll never forget," he says with a shrug.

"But at the same time, people just try to survive and make their way through the galaxy however they can. Tera left her family, but not everyone's cut out for a stable life. She'll probably get herself killed one day doing something stupid, but I'm not going to turn her away as long as she doesn't turn on me," he says with a shrug.

They arrived at the vineyard, at which point Zeno got out and held the door for Riss.

[Riss]

As Zeno exited from his side it gave Riss ample time to sit with her thoughts a moment. Considering what he said, how it connected. When the door on her side opens again she looks up with a brief smile, and then works her way out of the speeder. As she stands she sighs, and says, "Yea.. that heartbreak? I just don't want that for him. Maybe someone more cynical would say that it's good for him, that it'll help him grow and learn how the world works but," she shrugs, "maybe they're right? But I don't really care. I just remember it hurting, it still hurting. Prefer we figure out if he can learn that lesson some other way," she says with a brief smile directed at Zeno, something of that shared understanding present.

[Zeno Thul]

He begins leading her to the building made of traditional wood. But rather than what looks like the main entrance room, he goes around the side where there seemed to be a handful of workers.

"It's a difficult lesson. Not everyone needs to learn it. I certainly don't want my daughters to. But some people are prone to learning it while others are prone to teaching it. I am partial to my girls not having to learn it."

[Riss]

"Did my share of both probably," she says, her tone somewhat distracted by the view of the building. Much like the man leading her through the space the building itself was something she'd never thought to see. "Actual wood?" she chuckles, scanning the building and thus room as they entered within all the more. "Haven't seen a place actually built out of wood on Alderaan before it's.." another laugh, "archaic," the irony was apparent.

[Zeno Thul]

"In respect for conservation laws here, I ordered it from off world. There's a company that produces lumber for specialized jobs like this and building models of old villages for entertainment and education purposes. Not a lot of people like working with it anymore. But I wanted something that felt... I guess traditional?"

As they entered the side the entire thing had an ancient aesthetic. There were giant wooden barrels and casks stacked in custom built wooden shelves.

"We age the wine in a classic style, rather than with chemical additives you find in wines off world. You mostly can't tell a difference, but people pay much better for the authenticity than the difference in taste warrants. The effort is made up for by the price. And enthusiasts love to tour places like this."

[Riss]

"Probably cause there's some beings out there who actually outlive the buildings they make with this stuff," she commented idly as they entered through the doors. Walking immediately along the shelves, near the casks, reaching a hand out to out a few fingers across the surfaces.

"Almost like stepping into a storybook this place ." she says, voice half filled with that appreciative awe for getting to see something rather unique on Alderaan.

[Zeno Thul]

"I believe a few other houses use the traditional aging method I believe, but I don't know if they do the whole 'classic experience' thing."

Moving to a work area, there was a pair working. A binary loadlifter and a zabrak filling bottles from a barrel that had been pulled from the shelf by the droid. The place smelled like wine, but here with the bunghole on this barrel open with a temporary tap, the scent was extremely strong. The zabrak greeted them with a nod, before producing some sampling glasses that were small, but bigger than a shot glass.

Zeno thanks him and looks at the side of the barrel to figure out the specifics of the wine inside. "This is aged 3 years, and is a dessert wine, so pretty sweet."

He uses the tap to fill their sampling glasses.

[Riss]

"My dad always wanted something like this. Never quite got it though," she says idly as she walks over, still gazing across the many somewhat archaic things in this room which offers its beauty.

"He was always a fan of stuff like this. Older things, different.." she shrugs. "Like fireplaces in bedrooms," she chuckles warmly at that, shaking her head. "Many of the other houses do this, sure, and I'm sure the money's better like you said but.. is that the only reason you chose to do the wine this way?" she asks, coming up fully to his side so she can accept the glass when it was ready.

[Zeno Thul]

He hands the glass to her.

"Not just the money. Also building a tradition and brand to allow the house to stand out. Our return has not been easy and building things that make us recognizable and desirable to have around helps our reputation."

He takes a sip from his own glass.

[Riss]

"Mm, Thul reputation might need a little more than a fancy wine tradition," she says, taking the glass and taking a sip. Tasting it with that focus on really savoring the flavor before swallowing. She glances around the room as she lets that thought sit a moment, "Guess it's kinda a good start though?" she suggests with a brief smile.

[Zeno Thul]

"It's a lot of work. We came back to hostility and had to fight for what we have now. People didn't and still don't like it. I don't regret anything that we've done to get to where we are. But I do lament that some of it was necessary because of opposition," he explains.

He takes another sip, giving a friendly raise of the glass to the Zabrak. Then starts leading Riss to a different aisle.