Private Out of the Shadows

[Darth Daiara]

(An overdo continuation of here)
"There's this little Batuu-lite joint not too far from here and I could really go for the grilled prawns. Why don't you come with us?"​

Oh.

Being on this side of things felt surprisingly normal. Aradia sat across from her Master and her spouse, menu in hand. The hard plastic flexed and bent against her fingertips, the girl spending more time watching them over the edge than actually reading it.

She had come a long way from slave to an individual in her own right, but even this crossed lines she was unfamiliar with. Apprentices did not spend time with the family, but perhaps because they were all out on business? She had learned to take her cues in life from Kaalia, and the woman's relaxed posture did much to loosen her shoulders in turn.

"No I... don't know what prawns are," she finally answered, gaze flickering back down to the menu. She found the picture. Her brows drew in. "Is that its eyes?" Prepackaged food was never this graphic.

Kaalia Pavanos Ishana Pavanos

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia happily surprised to see Aradia adjusting as quickly as she did. Even now did Aradia run into things she hadn't seen or experienced before sometimes, which tended to catch Kaalia off-guard as well. When it came to being around the Pavanos family, however, there was finally progress being made. Aradia finally seemed to understand that they too were all just people like any other. With what Ishana had talked Kaalia into, that had become even more important. Hopefully, simple outings like this would become normal for Aradia in time. The girl hardly ever took a step back from her efforts to grow as a Sith, but life wasn't all about work.

"Yes. You do remove the head before eating one, though." It was better to warn Aradia before she immediately bit down on one the moment the prawns were served. "I've got a feeling you'll like them."

The holo in Kaalia's pocket buzzed. Normally she would've waited until after they left the restaurant, but knowing it potentially concerned her imanhan, her little ones, she took out the device just in case. It was indeed about them, but thankfully nothing to be worried about.

"Aww... Miala, look," Kaalia beamed as she turned the display towards Ishana. Her sister-in-law had sent her a picture of their children playing outside. After letting her wife see, she showed Aradia as well. "You should see them too, Aradia." A big smile was plastered across Kaalia's face.

Darth Daiara | Ishana Pavanos ​

 

[Ishana Pavanos]

"Just snap'em like this," explained Ishana as she snapped the head off one of the prawns, "it's very tender here and has a nice flavor." Continued the Balmorran as she peeled off the shell and exposed the bright blue flesh. "There's a sauce here that you can dip it in, adds a bit of a spice if you're into that." Ishana by all accounts was simple, and her explanation and demonstration were careful. Kaal's holo device buzzed and Ishana cleaned her hands since it was likely that the buzz concerned their children.​

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"Aw yeah, look'at'em they're so cute when they're not trying to murder each other," commented Ishana with a smile as she then sat back in her seat and looked over at Aradia. Ishana got a look at the younger redhead across the table and then looked over at her wife and chuckled. She then focused back on the prawns and ordered up a round of fried fish to boot. "Just in case the prawns aren't your thing, fried fish is usually a safe bet, the kids always like it anyway."​

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Ishana inwardly however was quite proud of herself for accomplishing what she had wanted a very long time ago, a large family. It was perhaps something within the Pavanos blood but the desire to have family and a large one at that seemed to be something they enjoyed. It helped that they all lived within very close proximity to one another. "So, Aradia, yeah?"​

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No point in beating around the bush, "just gonna put this out there that uh, you look like one of my kids and I mean that in the best way possible." A cheeky grin as she looked over Kaalia. There was a large smile on the Balmorran's face and it was very hard to downplay it. "I uh, well, I wanted to meet you in person and get to know you a bit before making this ... proposal of sorts."​

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"See, Aradia, we'd like to adopt you - if you want to be adopted that is of course."​

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No harm, no foul - well, Ishana would be disappointed but not upset. ​

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Kaalia Pavanos | Darth Daiara ​

 

[Darth Daiara]

Aradia gave a quick glance at the pictures, admittedly not understanding what charm was found in looking at them to begin with. They all knew what the Pavanos children looked like. Even if Aradia had only stared from afar.

Sentiment was thing she didn't often encounter. Seeing it on Kaalia's face was like seeing another woman. She gave a polite nod of agreement-- wholly unsure how to handle this moment. Her expression remained unreadable as she picked at the prawns, following Ishana's example exactly as the woman spoke.

Aradia's shoulders slowly grew tense as intention built inside the woman's words, echos of the past flashing forward.

You've been sold.

You're mine now.

You no longer belong here.
​

"See, Aradia, we'd like to adopt you - if you want to be adopted that is of course."

Aradia's eyes snapped up, her throat bobbing. "...W-what? Kaalia?" She pressed.A wicked thought tore through her, the larger picture lost on her. "Is this about me disobeying you? You can't stop training me now, I need this."

Kaalia Pavanos Ishana Pavanos

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

In the Blood​

Teaching Aradia had been a strange experience from the first day. To her, everything had been either a test or an order and even though that was slowly changing, such shocking reactions to things that were meant to be good happened all too often. What that also meant, however, was that Kaalia was used to this and knew how to handle it. Before things could get worse, she'd quickly intervene.

"Aradia, calm down. This is not a punishment. Hear us out." Only when the girl wasn't panicking could she understand just which things would change and which things would stay the same. Hopefully, this would be the last time she had to use that stern voice.

"No matter what you choose, I will continue teaching you. This isn't about any of that." Kaalia gave Aradia a reassuring look, making absolutely sure she understood there wasn't anything to be upset about. Quite the contrary, in fact. She let silence hang for a moment, allowing the girl to take a moment to recompose herself.

"I- we- want to give you a home. A family," the woman then finally started explaining. If there was one thing Ishana had taught her all these years together, it was the importance of family. "As a master, I tried to remain emotionally distant, but I don't want to do that anymore. I'll teach you whatever you want to know about the Force, gladly even, but I want to do more than that. You deserve more than what I've been giving you." It was an admission that came suddenly, but something Kaalia had been thinking about for months now. She'd come to care about Aradia more than just as an apprentice.

"Remember the day we met? I gave you a choice, then. We want to give you an even better one." Kaalia quickly looked over to her wife, seeking eye contact for just a second before turning back to Aradia. "We want you to be a part of our life. That's as simply as I can put it. And remember, it's your choice."

Ishana Pavanos | Darth Daiara ​

 

[Darth Daiara]

Aradia blinked rapidly, the clarification making even less sense than her fears.

As a child she had dreamed of a moment like this-- what a fairytale it would have been, to be bought and freed and taken in and loved. Life had long since burned that dream from her mind. A master such as Kaalia had already been one step further than she ever dared hoped for.

She remembered, on Bastion, how much she kept thinking of Kaalia. Even as she stared down death... and the terror of never returning home... She had killed that jedi to keep him off of family grounds. He had saved her and she ended him rather than risk the ones her Master loved.

She had felt something for the woman back then. She remembered Kaalia's dismissive words.

You're getting emotional.

A lot had occurred since Bastion. Even now, with Kaalia confessing her desires, Aradia couldn't bring herself to do the same.

"You don't even know me," she rasped, a bit of denial as she turned to Ishana. "I'm a sith. People try to kill me all the time-- I'm not fit to be around your children." It was a complex she bore-- a reason she had never pushed or pried into the family life she observed. "Kaalia stepped down for a reason. And I'm not-- I can't-- they'll reach you guys if I dont stop them. The Imperials, the jedi-- both. I'm can't walk away from that."

What she didn't know was that she could chose both. Kaalia had only ever taught her duty. Truth be told, Kaalia also had a family.

 

[Ishana Pavanos]

"Kaalia's sith," returned Ishana with a smile, "just because you're sith doesn't meant you don't get to have the same kind of life as anyone else. It doesn't mean that suddenly you don't get to have a loving family. Besides, without a loving family you end up being the kind of sith that has a stick shoved so far up their rancor that the only thing they see is power. Then they become so obsessed with it that they can't even see their own downfall even as they're tumbling right into the netherworld."​

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Duty this duty that, "and listen don't get me wrong I know all the things that sith do, I even helped squashed a cult or two in my day, but you need somewhere to rest. Somewhere to put your feet up, relax and just not sith for a minute. It really helps get your perspective."​

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"Also, have you seen my kids? All four of them are like mini ter- uh, siths in and of themselves, save for the one who wants to be like me." Which at the moment it escaped Ishana which one that was. "So, listen, just take a deep breath and exhale. We can take this slow - also, I have yet to meet a Jedi that wasn't knee deep in blood and war crimes so they can take a walk right off into the void."​

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Kaalia Pavanos | Darth Daiara ​