No Cliffs Here

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Amorella Mae"]

Soliael stopped at the top of the ramp of his ship.

He looked back for a few seconds then let out a sigh. He slumped, then sat down on the edge of the ramp. “Hurry. She's waiting!”

A small squeaky voice called back to him in an inaudible answer of excitement to which Soliael simply rolled his eyes. He shifted slightly, and then placed his chin in his hand. He waited for a few more minutes, then heard the pitter patter of tiny feet running towards him. His head swiveled back, turning to find the form of his young daughter rushing towards him.

“Ready!”

She shouted at him with more than a bit of enthusiasm. Soliael looked at his daughter for a few moments, then shook his head.

Aela Esmae Talith Shamalain currently appeared positively tribal. Her clothes were made of bandaged leather and slightly torn clothes, her hair was smoothed but wild, and a strip of white paint dashed down the side of her face. She had taken to wearing this get up lately, a mix of the Beast Riders of Onderon and her Kiffar heritage. Kira had tried for dresses and the like, but Aela had decided that sort of thing was silly.

Soliael was happy enough that his daughter had found something she liked.

He shook his head and stood up, his daughter coming up proudly besides him. No one saw them as they walked off the shuttles ramp, here on top of the Temple they weren't easily seen. It had to be this way, only because coming through the front door the two of them would look slightly...odd.

This way they could avoid wandering eyes, something that Amorella was no doubt thankful for.

The odd pair walked into the upper levels of the temple, greeted by a single white and gold robed individual. The woman bowed to Soliael, muttering something, but avoided looking at Aela altogether. The little girl sniffed, but then continued on by Soliaels side, the two of them quickly being lead towards Amorella.

 

[Ereza]

Fringe Confederacy Space
Fringe Capital - Annaj
Morossi Embassy

It wasn't quite the Temple of the Gods on Exocron, but it had been built in its image. The Morossi Embassy was just as grand, just as awe-inspiring as its predecessor, only on a far smaller scale. They hadn't, after all, an entire capital city to build around them. No, the Embassy was instead settled on the outskirts of the capital city where it could afford enough distance from the locals for everyone to be comfortable. Situated on a small mountain, high enough for the tallest towers and ramparts to peek out over the sea of fog, when approached from space it looked as though it floated within the clouds.

Perhaps that had been part of the plan. A bit of mysticism to add to the abundance of divinity.

The Heart of Inari had been within the main hall at her altar, greeting new pilgrims and blessing current Crusaders. Though no longer the vessel of Inari, the people looked upon her as blessed by the divine herself. She was the closest thing to their Reviver that they were ever meet again.

"Priestess Mae," Emri Larue, another devoted Priest of Inari, arrived precisely ten minutes before Soliael's ship did, and leaned in to whisper their approach into the Heart's ear.

News of this warmed her expression, and she bid him a soft thank you before coming to a stand.

"The Heart of Inari must retire for the day, fellow Crusaders and new pilgrims," Larue announced, his voice booming through the chamber, "you may make your prayers to Inari at the altar, Namasté."

Amore slipped through a side exit and made way to a lift that would take her up to the Hall of the Hands, where the Chosen of each Aesir held personal quarters. It was there that she spied her brother and niece coming down the corridor. At the sight of them the aura of warmth and peace surrounding the woman grew tremendously. With a flurry of white and gold robes, Amore met the young child halfway, dropping into a graceful kneel to hug her tightly.

"Aela!" her voice was gentle but enthused, "Oh I've missed you so much. Look at you, you've been visiting your Oma Qui again haven't you?" She chuckled, brushing a hand through the girl's hair to peer at the facepaint, "What's this on your cheek? Did you do that yourself?"

[member="Soliael Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Amorella Mae"]

Aela hugged her aunt with a fierceness that only a six year old could offer.

Soliael came up behind the young girl, his stride long and confident. He smiled at his daughter and his sister, looking down at the two of them with that same considering look that he had given Aela earlier. The two of them held steadfast for a few minutes, then Aela pulled back and began to tell Amorella the entirety of what she had done since the two of them last saw one another.

“We went to the...”

The little girl spoke for what seemed like ages, berating and relating the tales of her adventures to Amorella.

Soliael simply stood, watching and listening quietly.

Of course his daughter embellished a little, though whether it was she simply saw the world as bigger and greater or whether she was trying to Impress Amorella was hard to tell. Regardless, her father stayed quiet as she relayed them visiting Onderon, the beginnings of her training in the force, and the tales of Aela and her mother playing dress up.

 

[Ereza]

"Goodness," Amore smiled as the girl's tale finally reached its end, "you've been busy. And playing dress up?" she gave her a curious gaze. Aela had made it very clear that she definitely did not like dresses, but maybe this was a turn in a new direction? Was she, Amore, finally reaching a status of endearment on level with the almighty Quietus? She hardly thought it possible. The elder was by far the more interesting and engaging personality - a veritable maelstrom of danger and intrigue for the brave (or perhaps stupid) wanderer. Amore? Her's was surely more a calm and serene walk through a park.

A beautiful park.

"I bet you look lovely in a dress. Face markings and all. Did you-" the Priestess then looked around to check and see if anyone else but Soliael was there, then leaned forward to whisper into Aela's ear, "did you know that Oma Qui has dresses?" She gave Soliael a wry glance.

[member="Soliael Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Amorella Mae"]

Aelas face went through a massive variety of expressions. From confused, to disbelieving, to slightly perturbed, then back to confused. Finally she looked up at her father with an expression that could only be described as indignation.

“She never told me that!”

The girl stomped slightly, clearly angry that her Oma had kept this bit of information from her.

Soliael looked down on his daughter with a bemused smile. Perhaps that would have been a simpler way to get Aela to play dress up with Kira. Aela adored her grandmother more than she did him, and that was saying something. “It's true. I've seen it.”

Aela looked from Amorella, to Sol, then to Amorella again. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Amore.

“...What kind of dresses?”

 

[Ereza]

"Very lovely dresses," Amore replied, "made of silk and gleamweave. I think I have some holos that she asked me to keep. Would you like to see them?"

Her smile stretched at the eager nodding of the little girl, "Come on, this way."

In the Heart's private chambers, Amore set Esmae down at the table and brought out a Momenti.

"Now, let's see... those holos are quite old," she tapped through a listing, "older than you, or I. Older than Pa," she winked at Soliael, "almost 500 years old. Your Oma looked different then, have you ever seen pictures of your Oma from when she was younger? No? Well, Oma Quietus didn't have her long blonde hair like she does now. Her hair was as dark as the depths of Onderonian caves, blacker than a maalraas pelt. Shorter, too, but just as wild."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael followed along quietly.

Surprisingly, he had never seen these holo's that Amorella was talking about, had never actually heard of them. He knew his mother had likely worn a dress in her life, if only because she had spent much of it with Silencia, but he had never seen any evidence of it.

At this point he was almost as curious as his daughter.

Aela fidgeted in her seat, looking at her aunt, then back at the display, it was clear that she was eager to see these so called dresses that her Oma had worn.

Soliael only smiled, watching his sister interact with his daughter, knowing that it brought Amorella a certain joy to do so. Family meant a lot to her, and both Aela and the twins loved Amorella dearly.

 

[Ereza]

"Waaaay back before the Gulag Plague, back before all the galaxy changed, Oma Quietus -" she stopped abruptly, turning her gaze from the Momenti and down to the little girl, "I just realized she probably wouldn't like you knowing all this. Esmae, do you promise to keep all this a secret, just between us three, and never talk about it to anyone else?"

[member="Soliael Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Amorella Mae"]

Aela Esmae Talith Shamalain took on the most serious expression that Soliael had ever seen her wear.

Her lips thinned, her eyes grew stern, and her chubby little cheeks puffed up slightly. She looked at Amorella for a few seconds, then looked at Soliael as though she were making a pact. Of course she would never lie to Oma Quietus, that was out of the question, but she would certainly never bring it up.

“I promise.”

The little girls stern voice almost caused Soliael to bust out laughing.

 

[Ereza]

Oh was that ever Quietus' grandaughter, no doubt in her mind about that. Amore smiled and gave a chuckle and lifted her hand, holding out her pinky to take the girl's own, "Very well then."

Pinky promises between the two were never broken.

"Now, where was I...here we are," the first holo showed Quietus in a black lace dress, hair pinned yet somehow still untamed. Esmae might appreciate the open display of the woman's tribal tattoos and scaring, though she might notice that some of them were missing at that point.

"When your Oma Qui was younger, she saw a man called Cazador for many years. He was a very powerful mentalist but he was also a very wealthy and proper gentleman. Somehow he convinced her to accompany him to gala events and wear dresses for them, though apparently not even he could get her to wear heels. I don't much blame her for that."

Another picture of Quietus with Cazador, a tall strapping, handsome man, standing outside a grand palace - the deWinter ball maybe?

"Oh, this one is my favorite." she brought up a holo of Quietus standing on top of a water fountain ledge in a dress of black and white silk, hair disheveled. Cazador sat at her feet with a pair of sandals in one hand while balancing two drinks in another, looking pleasantly amused.

"What do you think?"

[member="Soliael Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Amorella Mae"]

Aela stared at the holo-images completely amazed and somewhat perturbed.

It was clear that the little girl was startled by this information. Her Oma had never told her of any of this and she had never even thought such a thing was possible. Yet there it was, clear as day, evidence that Oma Quietus had not only worn dressed, but had been happy while wearing those dresses. The little girls lips thinned, and her hands came together in contemplation.

“Father.”

Soliael perked an eyebrow in curiosity, shooting Amorella a look that could only mean. Oh god what have you done.

He quietly walked up to the chair that his daughter was sitting in, squatting by it for a few moments. The little girl motioned for him to come closer. He smiled slightly, then leaned in so the girl could whisper something in his ear. He nodded, shook his head once, then nodded again. Finally he stood, letting out a small sigh.

“Aunt Amorella.” Soliael said with a very stern expression while Aela looked away from her aunt, clear that she was embarrassed. “Aela would like to know if you have any similar dresses to the ones Oma Qui was wearing.”

Soliael smirked at his daughter, then gave a small grin to his sister.

 

[Ereza]

Amore watched amusedly as the two shared their moment, leaning her chin into one hand, blue eyes twinkling. What thoughts now danced through that little girl's mind she could only guess. Would seeing her hero and mentor dressed that way prove as a turning point to Aela's sense of ... dress?

Apparently so.

Brows lofting, Amore's expression brightened, "Oh? Well I think I might have something..." the Kuatian Princess had armoirs full of glorious gowns and dazzling dresses....on Kuat. Here in the Fringe? She kept a few for those nights out with [member="Cameron Centurion"], but mostly she wore her white and gold robes. Priestess garb. Wouldn't do for the members of the Fringe to think they had a delicate flower on their hands...

She stood and moved to her wardrobe, pulling open the doors.

"Ohh, what do you think of this one? It's similar to Oma's white and black dress," Amore pulled a black, white and silver silk dress out, holding it up for Aela to see, "it feels like a cloud, come see Aela."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Amorella Mae"]

The little girl slipped from her chair with a look towards her father. She mouthed two words towards him, then wandered over towards her aunt.

A small hand reached out and grasped the fabric, gently caressing it and letting out a slight 'ooo' noise as she found herself entranced by the softness of the fabric. Soliael watched his daughter carefully, smiling, wishing that Kira was here. His wife would have been excited to see this. She had gotten Aela to play dress up with her only a short time before they left, but even then the dresses had been slightly more...tribal.

Now that she knew Oma Qui had worn dresses however, it was an entirely new game for Aela.

“Auntie Amore...?”

The girl spoke in a questioning voice.

“Do you wear dresses all the time?”

Aela knew the differences between robes and dresses, though to her they were hardly present at all, and when she saw the gown that Amorella now wore it brought the question to the forefront of her mind.

 

[Ereza]

"Not all the time," Amore replied gently, looking down at the dress she currently held up, "for special occasions I do, and when I go home to Kuat. Mostly I wear my robes, which are similar to dresses I suppose, but they serve a different purpose. It wouldn't make sense for me to wear dresses all the time, but I enjoy them when I do. Makes them special."

Her smile broadened, "I made this dress myself... would you like to have a dress like this, Aela? I could make you one, if you want."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Aela looked up at Amorella in amazement, her eyes going wide.

For a moment she looked at the dress her in her hands, rubbing the fabric between the tips of her fingers and letting the feeling course through her hand. She smiled slightly, and then nodded to her aunt.

“Yes please.”

Soliael smiled at his daughter.

When she saw Aela in a dress, a proper one, Kira would practically melt with excitement. His wife wasn't one to wear dresses either, not all the time at least, but seeing Aela in one would certainly excite her, mostly because of what it would mean.

 

[Ereza]

Amore beamed down at her, "Alright... let's get started then. I'll need to get your measurements first..."

Dress fitting montage commence.

"Arms out, back straight-" Amore unrolled a garment measuring tape - utterly oldschool to be certain, but there was something about doing it herself and not leaving it to a droid. Made the clothing fit better, gave it sentimental value knowing it was handmade by another, not a machinated copy of a million others just like it.

She collected the girl's measurements, having no need to take note of anything. All of it was in her mind, as she told Aela when the girl asked how she would remember.


"This one is glimmerweave. They lace crushed crystal into the thread, see how it shimmers? And this one is Miragold, it changes colors while you wear it depending on the light and temperature," measurements taken, Amore walked Aela through her supply of material. Most all the clothing she wore today she made for herself, so she had plenty on hand for a little girl's dress. After Aela settled on a cloth that she liked, Amore sat her down with a lookbook of different designs - appropriate for one her age.

While Aela looked she moved to pour drinks, sending a handmaiden to bring food for them to eat in her solar.

Amore sat down at the other end of the table across from Aela, taking the seat next to Sol who had watched amusedly the entire time. She reached to take his hand, squeezing it gently as a silent thank you for the time he gave her with Aela, "I don't know if I'll be able to visit with her much anymore. Mother wants me to relocate to Ceto to...keep an eye on her new investments there."

Her smile wilted visibly.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

With one eye he watched as Aela skimmed through the small book, flipping page after page, slowly looking at every dress.

If there was one word to describe his daughter it was precise. Before she did anything, whether it was play a game, read a book, or even choose a dress, she did her research. It was partly concerning, seeing his daughter so serious all the time, yet it was also what made him so confident in Aela's growth. She was smart, probably smarter than he was.

He knew that she would grow up to do something great.

Soliael's attention was caught by his sisters, whispered words to him that caused a slight frown to form on his face. Ceto? That was farther away from Fringe space. He didn't like that at all. Shaking his head Soliael smiled at his sister, returning the small squeeze. “She loves seeing you. Almost as much as she loves seeing my mother.”

He paused for a moment, smiling at her. After a second he gave her a considering look

“You don't have to go.” Soliael said quietly, almost a whisper. “You can come home with us. There's plenty of room at the house on Borleias, and I know that Kira and the kids would love to have you there.”

In the past he had ignored Amorella. Not on purpose, never on purpose, but he had harmed her, there was no doubt in his mind. Whether it had been due to his own selfishness or because of simple distraction didn't matter. Kira had taught him he needed to be there for his family, and now as he saw his sisters face, he wanted to be there for her. "So would I."

 

[Ereza]

She was watching Aela page through the lookbook, enjoying the subtle changes of expression on her face. How curious she was for such a young child - so astute on her decisions. Who did she get that odd little quirk from?

Amore looked up, "Soli...really? I couldn't impede on your home like that...besides, I don't think I have it in me to say no to mother."

But Ceto was so very, very far away from everything. Perhaps that was her mother's intention - to keep her at a galaxy's distance from the turmoil brewing at the Core.

"I've wanted to go home to Kuat for years now ... but I can't. Not with the Sith regime there. I've heard what they do to Force Users. I might have the essence of three powerful Sith lords within me, but I am no Sith. I do not think even Cameron could keep them all at bay, not for long anyway." She sighed, withdrawing her hand form Soliael's and placing it in her lap, "Suppose going to Ceto would be doing the honorable thing, looking after my family's investment. Putting on another mask to keep my family's secrets..."

The woman's brow knit upwards as she attempted a smile, "Running a shipyard should be easy compared to a religious empire, hm? Good practice for the day I finally take the Kuatian throne..."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael frowned at his sister.

“It's not an imposition. Kira would love to have you there, The Twins need someone else to play with and Aela...well Aela needs someone to get her outside besides Kira and I.” He looked over to his daughter for a moment. “Most of her days are spent reading books in her room, the only way I can coax her out is with talk of Drexl.”

Not that that was a bad thing necessarily, but it was good to get out every now and again.

“It would be good for you. No one bothers us there, its quiet, remote, relaxing.” For a few moments he simply looked at Amorella, there was genuine concern in his eyes. It was clear that she did not want to go to Ceto, that she was only doing it to fulfill her duty. Yet Soliael couldn't have that, not after everything she had done, everything she had been through.

“I'm not saying stay forever, just a few months.” He smiled at her. “She can find someone else to run Ceto until you're ready. You need this.”

 

[Ereza]

"That's very kind of you. I would love to come and stay for a while ... but I'll need some time to consider it, hm?"

And some time to talk to mother...

Soliael might be more confident in his ability to make his own decisions, but Amore was still just a child compared to him. Still just a child despite the age she now wore in her eyes and the scars she now bore across her body. Despite her power and her experiences and the many powerful allies and friends she now called upon. She smiled to him before slowly lifting from her seat to check on Aela.

"What have you found there, Gahiji?" a Honoghran pet-name that Aela might not yet know but would likely soon come to learn it in time, "Did you find one you like?"