Private The Gift of Foresight

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius pressed Himself back into the chair as she leaned forward, briefly pulling His exposed hand back in a sort of reflexive maneuver that He barely managed to stop from fully committing to. His still gloved hand had almost come up to cover the unclad one but He balled it into a fist instead so as to not actually block Lady Madrona's view. "Malformed, you mean." Doing so would just elongate an already undesirable circumstance, she'd have her peek and then agree that she didn't wish to touch-

He all but jumped out of His seat when her hand took His exposed one, fingers twitching as she began tracing along His hand. It was nearly ice cold to the touch but her exploring touch did find little lines of pulsing warmth that were undoubtedly veins. He went still as her examination continued, gaze now fixed on where her fingers were moving across His hand.

Her words buzzed in His ears, almost entirely unintelligible amidst the pounding of His own heartbeat as He did His best not to tremble under her touch. When A'Mia did pull back He clutched His hand to His chest instantly, finally letting out the breath that He had been holding in during her examination as His other gloved hand moved to splay across it. "Admire? Beauty?" He huffed a humorless chuckle. "You don't have to lie. They're not ideal for anything."

The masked man thought on the question for a moment, hesitating before His exposed fingers very slowly began sliding the glove off of His other hand. "My warform has something far more...impressive than simple claws, but yes it is the only time I can form them. I can't do anything worthwhile with these...things unfortunately." He sighed as He began unwrapping the cloth covering His left hand, resigned to working at a far quicker pace than when He undid them before.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

What had been gradually turning into a quiet moment of calm contemplation and openness toward Alisteri's clear feelings of vulnerability on the topic, soon soured. That tremulous sensation that'd been building in her chest suddenly went cold at his dismissive words. She was silent at first, her expression having gone blank, hands now folded neatly in her lap.

"Yes, what little I've seen of it— quite impressive. I'll admit I'd desperately enjoy studying your war form. If you'd ever tolerate such. But Alisteri…"

Something within her bearing changed, darkened, and something behind her eyes grew bottomless. The vastness of her psyche and truth of her age somehow now shone through the ordinarily youthful and lovely mask.

"Well known is the deception and pandering many of our Sith kinsmen have a reputation for, but I will not suffer accusations of such behavior from you. Know this, when I speak to you I'll not spare the honesty and bluntness of my thoughts or observations, particularly not regarding matters between the two of us."

Her tone was deeper than usual, completely devoid of the peppiness she so often affected, and almost ominous in the vehemence with which she intoned the words.

"Am I understood?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

Even with His visor set on glaring at His hands as He focused on unwrapping His still concealed one, in the periphery of His gaze the shift in her demeanor didn't go unnoticed. Although He chose not to comment on it. Not until A'Mia herself spoke at least, and with a mention of wishing to see His warform someday as well. Darth Strosius was starting to suspect that she had some odd fascination with His more monstrous and unseemly physical features, for whatever reason.

A thought that He couldn't muse on for long when her tone became far more grim than He'd ever heard her speak before, surprising Him to the point of making Him pause at the last layer of wraps to look back up at her properly. While He had been expecting that she would take some offense to His minor mention of her lying for His benefit, the Neti's sheer insistence on her lack of falsehoods and deceptions caught Him off-guard. He wasn't quite certain how to respond to her.

So He simply decided to be honest. "Frankly, no. The more we talk the less I find myself understanding you, Lady Madrona." The masked man resumed His unwrapping as He spoke. "You utterly confound and mystify me each time we meet. From your pure scholastic approach, to your..." He hesitated to use the term for fear of it being incorrect and out of place but it was the only fitting one He had at the moment, more than likely due to Lina. "...affections, to your interest and appreciation of my..."

He sighed and let the wrappings fall away to reveal His other hand, just as sinewy and ebony as His right. "Of my mistakes which eternally mar my flesh. I don't understand you at all."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

His initial response made her demeanor darken further, even the earthy brightness of her eyes became a quagmire the color of a deep thicket of brambles, or the uncertain depths of a swamp. However as the man continued on, her appearance began to soften once more. By the end of his explanation, A'Mia looked rather mystified herself.

"Oh."

She often benefited from being mysterious, from the fact that very few people hadn't even an inkling of what schemes turned within her mind or captivated her imagination. For the first time ever, A'Mia felt something other than amusement or indifference at not being understood.

She felt lonely.

"Well, I can attempt to remedy that if you'd like," she opened her hands in a gesture of welcome, not yet broaching touch again.

Her eyes, which had lightened to an almost aquamarine color, fell to gaze at the space between them contemplatively.

"My scholastic approach as you say is simply the best application of scientific method as I can apply it. As to your particular composition, the unique amalgamation that is you? I cannot fathom why anyone would be anything other than intrigued or admire such handiwork."

What she did not admit, what she was still attempting to sort out within herself, was that A'Mia was more than just fascinated by the man before her. He represented more than just a puzzle worthy of intense focus. No, Darth Strosius contained qualities few else did and maybe, just maybe, was someone with the capacity to empathize with her. Strange creature that she was.

Eyes rising once more to search for a gaze she couldn't truly see, A'Mia's voice suddenly went from contemplative to almost tremulous. Whereas before her anger had aged her, she now looked naive and almost youthful with uncertainty.

"As to the rest, I… find that I've grown fond of you. In seeking to know you for sake of alliance, I discovered that I'd like to know more of you… simply for the enjoyment of it."

Her body stilled, all movements arrested in uncertainty and anticipation.

 

[Darth Strosius]

He couldn't help but feel a fair bit of suspicion about her offer of providing clarity but He nodded all the same whenever she opened her hands in a gesture. Obscuring meaning and truth was second nature for most Sith and the Neti had proven herself to be the most enigmatic that He'd met yet. Lifting such a veil was dangerous, entirely inadvisable. He wasn't certain how genuine the offer was but any clarity that she could provide would be more than welcome.

Darth Strosius cocked His head to the side at what almost sounded like a sort of...compliment? Endearment? It wasn't necessarily anything that she hadn't said already, or at least not dissimilar to what she had said regarding His form before, but it was still somewhat strange to hear. Academic curiosity He could understand and sympathize with but her words weren't quite those of a scholar alone. They were almost more like an appreciator of some art form, oddly enough.

Perhaps He was simply reading too much into her words, that could be it. The masked man blinked in surprise at the uncertain tone that A'Mia slipped into when she continued and expressed what did definitely sound like some genuine interest in knowing Him of all people better. And that was without Him trying to read into her words again. "Hm." He sat back in the chair and reached a hand up to prop His head against it, jumping slightly in surprise when bare flesh met the cold metal of His mask before He settled again.

He'd almost forgotten about His hands being visible, being so caught up with trying to dissect and wrap His head around Lady Madrona's intent and meaning. That was strange in and of itself, typically He knew very well every passing second of when He was exposed rather than concealed. He chose not to dwell on that for the moment. "Well you certainly picked an unusual topic of interest, if I may be blunt." His words were tinged with His usual defensive stubbornness, but then He sighed in resolution.

"We can talk more about...what you'd like to know of me later. We have an attunement to perform do we not?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A'Mia felt the defensiveness before he even began speaking, and again that pang of not being understood echoed through her. She realized with annoyance that for all the scientific genius she contained, she utterly lacked the language or knowledge to convey what she was feeling.

"I've heard it said that 'the heart wants what it wants' and I assure you've I've been… pleasantly taken aback by how strongly I find myself caring about you."

She paused, somewhat frustrated with herself and her lack of vocabulary for what she was going through.

"I don't just mean in the scholarly sense, Alisteri."

With a task at hand, and one relevant to the discussion, A'Mia straightened up a bit and readied herself for instruction. Clearly she needed advice about how to better share one's own feelings. Perhaps she could speak with Revna Marr about it?

"But yes, attunement," A'Mia pressed on, her softer more vulnerable expression slowly closing off like a night blooming flower at sunrise.

"When you are ready, place your hands over mine," she leaned forward a bit with the oblong glass cradled in her palms again.

"And I should add, this attunement is likely to grant you my vision for a handful of hours, to see as I see the world. Best that you get a chance to experience it in a safe setting anyway. I've been told it can be disorienting."

 

[Darth Strosius]

There was what could best be described as a little start from the masked man when A'Mia spoke up again, evidently rather taken aback by her frustrated words. Any lingering doubts or second-guesses that He might have conjured in order to make her remark fit into some resemblance of what He assumed her meaning was would be dashed with the following clarification.

Darth Strosius grew still and tense before shifting in His seat in a manner that was best described as sheepish, His hidden gaze breaking away from her to instead regard His slim fingers as they fidgeted with one another. "I-wait-you-" He huffed in frustration at His own struggling words and sat up a bit straighter in order to appear somewhat more composed. For whatever it was worth at least.

Ignoring the heat that was becoming ever more present in His cheeks He opened His mouth to try and force out some semblance of a real response, only to pause when she pressed on about the attunement. He eyed the container warily as she instructed Him, and then warned Him in kind. In truth He'd much rather get to the bottom of...well whatever it was that was causing her such frustration with Him and why His own pulse had quickened a bit but getting the attunement done first meant that He could cover His hands sooner.

The masked man slowly reached over, having to lean forward a bit Himself after a moment of hesitation, and lightly set His hands over A'Mia's own as she instructed. They trembled at the first contact but He forced them to still as He turned His hidden gaze back to her properly. "Disorienting in what manner? Or is it best experienced rather than described?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A'Mia watched him process, thoughtfully tracing the lines of his movement and taking in every little detail. Curious, ever curious, even when she was in a vulnerable state. But the man took the out she offered, both of them aware they'd be circling back on what was shared. If nothing else, for A'Mia to learn Alisteri would rather not be subjected to her more amorous attentions.

The possibility made something plummet within her, a bizarre sensation and yet another she'd never experienced before. The neti blinked and silently chided herself to focus, leaning in to the welcome and novel sensation of Alisteri's hands on hers.

"Bright colors, some the likes of which you might never have seen, a sense of renewed depth perception that might allow you to peek beyond these three dimensions you're used to, and overall heightened awareness of the Force, the way that it flows. I call this the Weave. It's possible you might even glimpse Force visions. In truth I don’t know how fully you’ll take to my sight, but I’m eager to learn."

Her skin was soft and glossy, the temperature of the ambient air, and A'Mia seemed to settle in to stillness with him. A low, melodic hum soon rose from her and she displayed the unique vocal ability to both hold a tune whilst speaking at the same time.

"Open your mind, allow your senses to calm, and slow your breathing."

The voice that spoke harmonized with the hum in a serene singsong.

"This relic is meant to be yours now but you must reach into the Weave and take it. I will guide you there, but you alone must forge the bond."

Her large eyes closed and her face became a serene mask. A'Mia awaited him in that shared psychic landscape that they'd delved once before.

 

[Darth Strosius]

The masked man allowed Himself to ponder on the full implications of this new sight that A'Mia would apparently gift to Him, already wary of these brightened and foreign colors that she mentioned. He did have some idea of what she meant in regards to the Force, or the 'Weave' as she called it, which He was very much intrigued by however. In the past only through extensive meditation within the Dark Side reservoir on Formos had He been able to really glimpse the Force and its flow in all its majesty and glory.

In death He'd been blessed to see it fully but even then it was from a fractured and scattered point of view, weighed down by the souls that He'd dragged with Him into the afterlife and then ripped from the sight so that He could be revived. Darth Strosius couldn't lie, He was rather excited to experience such a profound and potent view of the Force in a more waking and controllable manner.

Even if it did mean becoming even more vulnerable around the Neti than He already was. Her humming did soothe His wandering thoughts somewhat, especially the silent question on how she was capable of doing so whilst speaking, and made her instructions all the easier to follow as a result. Meditation was a familiar and comfortable practice for Him after all, doing so with another wasn't quite so but He had already committed Himself in spite of His reservations.

Darth Strosius let out a deep breath as His eyes slid closed and He allowed Himself to fully appreciate the physical contact for a moment before slipping into opening His mind and joining her in a relatively familiar landscape. Hopefully without giving over His brief flickering thoughts of how soft her fingers were and His silent chastisement of Himself for wishing to run His own fingers across them more thoroughly. Such was His ever-present concern with an opened mind to another, a concern which He had to put aside for now.

You know, The masked man idly mused as He took in the psychic connection's manifestation once more, His 'steps' into it slow yet without the typical wariness that they usually carried in such a space. I'm almost suspicious that this gift was an elaborate excuse to bring me back into this place, I know you prefer this communication over spoken words.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

She was there in the metaphysical space with him, though it was somewhat changed . The bower of their minds was a bit brighter this time, less foreboding— in part thanks to Alisteri's own confidence to join her there, but also because of the new feelings A'Mia so recently divulged. Something akin to laughter seemed to filled the space, a pleasant vibration of mirth that came from all around.

"Am I so obvious?"

A'Mia asked teasingly, obviously more comfortable here with him than last time too.

"Words can just be so limiting, you know? My kind often express in landscapes and views the passage of time as a gradual shifting in seasons, less so do I concern myself with hour by hour happenings. This is a way for you to see that for yourself a bit, and of course a place for powerful workings."

At that, as if in cue, the Elixir de Desmodontinae was there just a few paces away. It was enmeshed upon a kind of pedestal like some bizarre natural formation, wrapped in thorny brambles but held aloft as if ripe to be plucked. He hadn't been told its title but now he just knew that's what A'Mia dubbed it.

"It'll be a test of will, of which I know you have ample strength."

More mirth, but also solemnity was forthcoming. He could sense that this was not only a critical moment in the process of attuning but that she was eager to observe his process.

"Put forth your intentions, let them flow from you into the artifact, and allow it merge with your energies. You’ll know what I mean as it’s happening."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Her teasing question was met by a hum in kind, one laced with amusement and subtle warmth. Well since you asked... Darth Strosius might have still been masked here but the smirk that must have adorned His features seemed all the more apparent in spite of it being hidden from view. The Neti's remark on her kind's perception wasn't greeted by a response of any kind but rather a more overt feeling of interest, embodied as it were by Him shifting in place to peer at her specifically rather than the scenery around them.

He was curious to hear more of it but the topic of this little communion made itself known and rather naturally stole His attention as it were. The masked man approached the pedestal of thorns and regarded the Elixir with a slight cock of His head to the side, a hidden eyebrow raising at the apparent test that was laid before Him by Lady Madrona. Right...I believe I have some idea of what you mean. He wasn't totally unfamiliar with the concept, although having an audience for such an affair was different.

Darth Strosius steadied Himself before slowly reaching out towards the thorns, though His gloved fingers never so much as brushed them. Rather a host of shaded tendrils curled forth from Himself, seeping around the pedestal and the Elixir itself. They were idly reminiscent of His "wings" yet rather than giving off a pale light these ones seemed to absorb it, and unlike His "wings" they were actually present within the mindscape of course. An embodiment of His own probing into the gift.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Intense interest drew her forward, alongside the man, in their strange shared mindspace. His openness, the generally bearing with which he addressed her was so much clearer here. The guess work seemed all but gone and A'Mia settled in to the sense of companionship that she felt with him. Their mutual intrigue about the other was registered but saved for after the pivotal moment of attunement.

It was as if she was there with him, shoulder to shoulder when he reached for the artifact. Somehow though,, her proximity was less imposing here. More intimate, to be sure, but less like being watched from on high, more supportive and caring than she could often impart in a merely personal sense.

The melodic humming still resonated, even here in the meditative glade, because A'Mia never ceased her gentle harmony in physical form. Though they were utterly alone, just the two of them within an expansive laboratory, her song gently filled the space and all the plant-life there subtly resonated with it.

Yes, you have the way of it.
​

She encouraged in a hushed tone.

Now take that power and weave it into yours.
​

Ghostly limbs reached out to bolster. As if shy, they hesitated to intermingle, but A'Mia's support in this matter was clear.

 

[Darth Strosius]

There was a brief stutter in His probing movements when A'Mia drew close to Him, a glance thrown her direction that reflected a mixture of surprise and confusion which soon dissolved into acceptance. And a bit more than that which Darth Strosius purposefully kept unclear by keeping His composure intact as His probing efforts resumed. Although he did idly reach out with his other hand as if to take the Neti's hand, only for his gloved fingers to hesitate and slowly retract themselves long before they reached too far away from Himself.

The masked man let the humming ease His mind as His focus returned to the Elixir, crossing the last threshold as it were to wrap the artifact in the shadowed tendrils as His will washed over it. Darth Strosius let His clear intent to claim it dominate the forefront of His mind as He encased the Elixir in His mind. Drawing forth from it some familiarity that must have been inherent due to its design but mostly the sheer foreignness of its construction and gifts. A foreignness that He didn't shy away from.

Instead He let out a breath as He embraced the sensation, letting it wash over Him in kind just as He had done to it and allowing the Elixir to be pulled into His grasp. For a moment there was an idle prick of wariness in the back of His head as the artifact's power seeped into Him however Darth Strosius banished that thought and supplanted it with an affirmation of Himself and His right to claim the Elixir. A bond of willpower and intentional design that He did idly appreciate even if He couldn't focus on it.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Waiting on bated breath, A'Mia was enthralled by the process. Sorcery at work, even predictable as it was given that the attunement was by her design, always created in her a sense of immense satisfaction. She pressed just that much closer in the metaphysical space, giving away just how magnetized she felt in the moment.

Alister's slight sense of wariness was prudent indeed, given the hidden aspect of the gift A'Mia had crafted for him. In that moment of ownership shifting from her to the Prophet, the arboreal woman had to contain her reaction to what felt like an electric current suddenly running through her. With awe, she recognized that just as she'd predicted Alisteri might briefly possess the powers of her sight, the neti realized she was feeling glimpses of his emotional state.

The flower and its boons are yours now. Use them as you see fit, as I trust you in this matter entirely.
​

The tone of her mind's voice was full of burgeoning eagerness that was tempered by the solemnity she suddenly felt at achieving this moment. A'Mia let her words hang for a beat longer before her presence began to withdraw from their meditative psychic bower, her retreating presence like the slow setting of a sun.

When A'Mia blinked back to the present physical moment, she was leaned very close to her companion indeed and the strange melodic humming slowly died in her throat as she awaited his return. One cautious hand reached up to touch the edge of his mask as if lamenting that she couldn't read his face at such a pivotal moment.

 

[Darth Strosius]

As the Elixir settled into His being, attuning to its new master, the bridge that had unknowingly formed between the masked man and the Neti allowed her a rather clear look into the barely hidden excitement at the gift now in His grasp. As well as His surprise at the new measure of sense that He could already feel from its effects. Even in the shared mentalscape everything seemed more...vibrant. In focus. The Force's presence itself was far more apparent and clear to Him and Darth Strosius was briefly overwhelmed at how prominent it was.

As though He'd only ever experienced it before through a far more opaque viewpoint, which was admittedly fairly accurate. Now though He had a glimpse at what A'Mia sensed and felt of the world around her and it was quite stimulating indeed. Already He was simultaneously wincing at the new opened perspective's sheer vibrancy and wondering on what all He could now witness with such a clear sense.

When she mentioned trust however, due to the bridge between them, something else flickered across His mind. It was only for a moment but it was so potent and powerful a sentiment that it lingered even after it was banished. It came in the form of three memories, of three faces. Three moments of dread and betrayal. A blonde woman with a timeless visage not unlike His own, a pale Rattataki with a piercing and wise gaze, and the crimson gaze of a noble man who was once a brother. All of whom stared at Him with such palpable malice, returned in kind with pure spite and boiling hatred.

Yet while it lingered, it was still a flicker all the same.

Darth Strosius looked back at A'Mia just in time for her withdrawal to become apparent, one last inkling of slight disappoint before He too opened His eyes in the waking world again. One that seemed far more lively and distracting than He recalled it being just a few moments ago. His hidden gaze watched her hand reach out and every muscle in Him seemed to tense and coil as if readying Himself to lurch away from the touch, however no movement happened.

Instead it was quite the opposite. Rather than moving away, the masked man hesitantly leaned forward in spite of the Neti's existing proximity. Allowing her hand to rest fully on the side of His mask where His cheek lay beneath rather than just on the edge as she had been reaching for. The tension slowly eased from His body with a breath, one that given her closeness, she would have been able to catch the subtle hitch in it. "...Thank you A'Mia. I...I don't know how I could reciprocate such a generous gift."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A'Mia sobered at the unfamiliar sensations rippling through the bond. She hadn't expected imagery to be tied with the emotions she secretly sought to siphon from the Prophet, but there they were all at once. Bright and sharp, almost blinding to her mind's eye, and utterly unfamiliar in how the feelings seemed to fill her physical form.

There was a pause between his words and her response, but finally it came. That long fingered hand smoothed across the cheek of the mask, a burgeoning sense of longing soon joined those other new emotions.

"Your companionship is reciprocation enough — our continued scientific endeavors are quite nice too," she assured softly.

Another pause before she continued haltingly.

"Alisteri, forgive me if it is too bold an ask…"

Her hand slipped away from the mask and she leaned back slightly, giving him a little room, though her other hand still absently cradled the flower with him.

"But I find that I wish to speak with you face to face, your real face I mean… There is none other here on this level of the lab, save for plants that is, so you needn't fear intrusion of other sentients," A’Mia explained, as if justifying her curiosity.

"It… I just think it would be nice."

And that was true, the mere thought of proximity like that made her core flutter. But she also secretly hoped to learn more about the guarded man, to sate her curiosity about how the boon affected his energetic pattern and to see her own sight contained within his eyes.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Her soft response drew an unsatisfied hum from the masked man, a short blunt noise that betrayed a deeper unspoken disapproval. For once He had been idly hoping for some strings attached to the gift that they were both still holding onto. Something that He could repay the Neti with in kind for the Elixir, perhaps even some similar relic for her to use. Although He did somewhat doubt that there was much that He could craft Himself that would equal the Elixir in utility and potential power.

Before He could muse too much or press any further on a more concrete gift that He could offer, A'Mia spoke again and made a request of Him. A decidedly bold request indeed. Darth Strosius stiffened in response, all the tension that had left Him just a few moments ago quickly returning as He sat up straight in the chair. The refusal sat on the tip of His tongue and yet He found Himself hesitating to loose it all the same.

Hesitation that lasted long enough for A'Mia to present a point that struck far more a chord within Him than a simple lack of interloping witnesses. Darth Strosius felt a bit of heat rise on His hidden visage at the more genuine request, any thoughts of actual refusal all but banished entirely. Instead it was committing to the act that now unsteadied Him. With one hand, the other still clutching the Elixir of course, He began to very slowly reach up and unclasp His mask.

It was a deliberately gradual action, leaving plenty of room for the Neti to rescind her request. As though she would. Yet He couldn't muster the courage to move His gloved fingers any faster all the same, remaining silent as subtle hisses exuded from one side of His mask and then the other as it was loosened from its place over His visage. When both sides were freed He grasped the pronged bottom and pulled it off without any flourish or fanfare, still hesitant and sluggish even as the dark visor gave way to a gleaming golden gaze set in a pale face.

The mask itself was set aside on the table between them, His vision tracking it rather than shifting to meet A'Mia's own eyes. Yet due to the lack of direct contact there was something visible about His eyes that didn't seem normally apparent, even amidst the pensive expression that He wore. There was an odd iridescence to His eyes, their usual glow was tempered somewhat by a shimmer that appeared separate from them. Something that wasn't exuded from them but rather applied to them.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

She hesitated before speaking again, the solemnity of his bearing and a blend of emotion which roiled through their connection giving her pause. It wasn't enough to quell the bloom of excitement from her end though and the neti's burgeoning spring of emotion necessitated a shift of her form.

A'Mia smiled, unlike any expression she'd made before and little flowers bloomed about the crown of her head, as if nourished by the energies created by those new emotions.

"There you are," her own strange eyes searching his face as if reuniting with an old friend.

Tentatively, she leaned in again and slowly but confidently pushed back the hood still obscuring too much of the man for her liking.

"Do you not miss the open air at times, Alisteri?"

And indeed, the air in this part of the lab felt alive — fresh and oxygenated by the presence of many plants. Under his borrowed sight, Alisteri would find endless wonder and ever complexing details wherever he looked. It was likely apparent why she referred to everything as being part of "The Weave", as a flexible quilted grid now seemed to overlay everything and was alive with energy.

"How wonderfully strange, thine eyes filled with such familiar power," she sought to meet her gaze with his, to look deeper.
"You wear it well."

 

[Darth Strosius]

The unmasked man idly felt His pale features growing warmer by the moment, a process that only became more apparent when He practically felt the look that A'Mia was giving Him and saw the flowers blooming across her head from the corner of His gaze. He had no idea what that could mean but He was certain that it did make her look more...interesting. To have more color on her palette as it were. Or well, He assumed that she would be adorned with such things well, as He still couldn't quite meet her gaze or her face yet.

Any thoughts of doing so were quickly banished when she leaned forward and began pushing the hood hanging over His head back as well, revealing more of the somewhat unkempt umbral hair that were still largely constrained by the rest of the helmet tucked further into His hood. The Neti's question earned a small hum from the unmasked man, His gaze squinting slightly with the movement as His lips pursed for a moment. "You get used to the clinical filtered air after awhile."

Without the mask to modulate His voice, His words were trailed by a subtle choir of other voices. They wove and intertwined together in a slight echo of His own speech, audible yet without interfering with His remarks themselves. "Besides this air isn't quite open its..."He glanced around with a pensive expression as though not quite sure what to make of the verdant surroundings that He now took in with each direction He looked to. "...alive. Vibrant. More so than usual."

It was quite overwhelming really and the lack of the dark visor to mute His already enhanced eyesight didn't help dampen the borrowed vision that He now saw through. Finally His gaze met A'Mia's own as she mentioned His eyes, only for His pale visage to ignite with a new crimson coloration at her compliment. "I-" He huffed and out of determination and spite both resisted the urge to look away from the Neti in embarrassment. "Is this how you see everything? All the time? How do you...how do you do anything?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Tipping her head a bit as if listening to a pleasant tune, A'Mia enjoyed the natural cadence of his voice and wondered at it. So too did she note the flush of his cheeks, contrasted as they were by dark tattoos 'neath golden eyes. He was a study in mystery, but so was she A'Mia supposed. Was that why he inspired such feelings in her?

His comments regarding the vibrancy of the air made her nod, smile dimming somewhat into contemplation even as the pink little flowers grew more numerous. She watched his face and felt his… awe? Frustration? Something difficult to identify even with their current metaphysical connection.

"Why yes," she answered truthfully, some mirth finding its way into her tone, "Well now you can appreciate why I am so often very preoccupied with my work! It’s marvelous isn’t it? So much intricate detail. Imagine my surprise when I learned that most do not see this way."

Her hand, which hadn't strayed far from pushing back his hood, now tentatively took hold of one edge of his helm in order to divest him of that for a brief time as well.