Character
The holo took a moment to settle into focus. Aselia remained standing even after it stabilized, her arms folding and then unfolding again before she finally rested her hands on the back of a chair. She looked like someone about to deliver a tactical briefing, which only made the faint tension around her eyes more noticeable.
“Auntie, Quinn.”
She cleared her throat softly.
“Sorry for the short notice. This isn’t clan business. Everything is fine. Well, kind of. It’s more personal.”
The clarification came almost automatically, as if she needed to establish that boundary before she could continue.
“I did briefly consider calling Father,” she admitted, a small curve touching her mouth. “Then I imagined how that conversation would go.” She shifted her weight slightly. “‘You’re a Verd. Go get it.’”
The mocking approximation of her father’s voice carried a flicker of amusement that quickly faded into something more thoughtful.
“That’s not what I need.”
She paused, not dramatically, but as someone choosing her words with care.
“I’ve been working closely with someone. Adelle. You’ve met her, Auntie. She’s the one you cooked sweet-mallows for after that Osikla chaab meeting with the Imperial Confederation.” She drew in a steady breath. “We’ve fought together. I trust her. I respect her. I’ve spent a lot of time with her recently.”
Another pause followed, slightly longer this time.
“I’ve noticed that when she walks into a room, I’m aware of it. More than I am with anyone else. And when she’s hurt, it… sits wrong with me.”
Her brow furrowed faintly, as if she were evaluating her own reactions.
“I didn’t think much of it at first. I assumed it was just proximity. Shared experience.”
She exhaled slowly.
“It isn’t.”
Her gaze dipped briefly toward the edge of the table before lifting again.
“I’ve never been attracted to women before,” she said more quietly. “At least not in a way I recognized. It was never something I questioned because it never presented itself.”
She gave a small shake of her head.
“I’m not sure what to do or how to deal with it.”
Her mouth pressed thin for a moment, not embarrassed, just aware.
“I almost convinced myself not to call,” she admitted. “You both have enough to manage without me having a crisis. But I need some guidance. My siblings don’t have a great track record themselves.”
TAG:
Srina Talon
Quinn Varanin
Audience Tag:
Adelle Bastiel
Mia Monroe
Sibylla Abrantes
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