Private The Gift of Foresight

[Darth Strosius]

The confirmation of her sight being so expansive drew a slight wince in sympathy from the unmasked man, even with the pleasant tone that she spoke in. The poor Neti didn't know any different, He didn't know how she could stand seeing the world around her like this all the time. "It is quite breathtaking I'll admit it. A little too much if I'm honest, its very disorienting." For once the unmasked man found Himself grateful that He wasn't as blessed in a natural talent as A'Mia was with her sight.

Despite His apparent inability to properly take in the new sights greeting Him, His reflexes were evidently still as sharp and responsive as ever. Proven by the quick snap of His hand up to grasp the Neti's wrist when she moved to attempt to divulge Him of His helmet. He blinked in surprise at the skin contact, having almost forgotten His gloves were still discarded and set aside, and gave a quick glance to the side to see where His cold fingers had latched onto her.

The image made His eyes widen and then narrow slightly before He tore His golden gaze away. A slew of emotions flashed through the His glimmering eyes, none of them endeared a positive expression on His face. Yet the grimace that had formed at the sight of His own hand faded after a moment as He let out a breath. Then He gently pulled A'Mia's hand downwards, not away from His helmet but rather beneath it where her fingers would soon find a latch waiting to be undone.

"You were reaching too high. Pull there, and in the same spot on the other side." The choir trailing His words grew oddly muted as He spoke, the luminescence in His gaze dimming somewhat as His expression became more unreadable. "...this sight...does..." He found Himself pausing to steady a shaking tone. "Do...do I look like this to you?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

"Habituation to the experience does occur, I assure you. Hopefully this link lasts a while so you can experience for yourself. When everything is brilliantly detailed then the more mundane of those does begin to fall into the backdrop."

She paused, waiting calmly as he moved to stop her, wondering with no small amount of disappointment if she'd pushed their proximity too far. Surprise took hold of her, then renewed eagerness as he didn't rebuff her but instead instructed. Entrusting the flower entirely to his care, A'Mia brought both hands up to unclasp the helm. A quiet wonder sparkled in her eyes as she did, still listening of course while her companion spoke.

Pausing for a moment, she searched his face with hands resting on either side of the last piece of armor standing between her and his complete visage.

"Brilliant and complex? Beautiful, even?"

A'Mia gently pulled the helm free and set it beside the mask. Her smile returned but with more nuance in the lines of her mouth and eyes.

"Yes, all that and more."

One hand returned to her own lap but somewhat boldly she brought her other to his temple, gently running cool fingers through dark hair.

"Would you care to see? There are mirrors further into the lab."

 

[Darth Strosius]

While there was no small amount of curiosity about how the rest of Brosi outside of the laboratory might look, such a lively and vibrant world had already weighed heavily on His senses at times as it was. He could only imagine what it would be like now with the enhanced vision that He sported at the moment. It sounded like quite the migraine all things considered. With any luck this enhancement would prove too temporary to need to adjust to like the Neti claimed, if not then at the very least He didn't intend to go too far until it diminished.

A'Mia's kind words in answer to His question didn't quite seem to ease the strain that had cropped up on His pale features, His mouth setting into a thin line as the helmet was pulled off of His head. With it gone the hood fell back entirely as well, allowing her to see the full visage of the Sangnir. His dark hair was somewhat unkempt, pressed down and flattened due to the helmet having been worn over it for some time, but it framed His pale face fully. Serving as the only source of real color to His features aside from His eyes and the umbral tattoos which trailed from His eyes down His throat.

His grip on the Elixir had grown noticeably more tense by the time that A'Mia pulled her hands away, shimmering gaze still refusing to look back at her properly as His thin fingers pressed against the glass. It wasn't until the mention of mirrors that He perked up, but not in a positive sense. One would thing that He'd been struck physically by the offer, what little color there was draining from His face as He fixed the Neti with an expression of raw horror and dread.

"No. Absolutely not!" The choir trailing His words had risen to an operatic level for a moment, the luminescent glow in His gaze flaring in tandem with His pale "wings" in a brief display of light. One that faded quickly as He sank back into His seat, dimmed eyes stuck on the Elixir. He bit His lip, gaze flickering between squinting and wildly darting around before He cleared His throat and tried to sit up straight once more. "I...my apologies A'Mia. I appreciate the offer but I must decline. Thank you."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A wild flurry of emotion suddenly wracked the neti and her eyes widened, not necessarily at his outburst but the echoes of horror that radiated through their bond. Never before had A'Mia felt such dread. She understood fear, it was the basest emotion that all living things knew. But this was different.

A'Mia didn't recoil but instead gave him a bit of space to process, scooting a little closer even as her hands returned to her lap. Content to merely be present for the moment.

"I'm not offended, though your thoughtfulness is appreciated."

She answered slowly, wishing that he'd meet her gaze properly. The neti let some silence elapse and thought more on how she might reassure him, wishing vehemently to dispel that riotous anguish that a mention of mirrors brought forth.

All at once, and idea came to her and A'Mia decided to trust her instinct. Something she never would have even questioned before. Reaching out, the neti gently coaxed the artifact from Alisteri's hands — even as he clung to it, she used her surprising strength and deft touch to take the flower so it could be set down between helm and mask.

"We needn't counsel our reflections then, I'll tell you what I see and explain what I've learned over the years. A brief exercise in acclimation, so that you could use this boon in the field and adjust more readily."

A'Mia gathered his hands in hers, palms smoothing up the knuckles so that his own palms faced upwards, her eyes cast down as if to read them. Her thumbs pressed into cool pad of his palm and traced circles there as she explained.

"There are the faint glimmering lines you see, the ones that grow brighter where they overlay a living thing, brighter still if it is a sentient. Those lines create the structure for some of the unique patterns I'm sure you've already noticed. There are special subsets of patterns — they take a fractal form and the complexity of the fractal can indicate the level of power. Those patterns correspond most commonly with those who have the gift to shape flesh, their own or that of others. You will see such patterns across my form now, and I see them upon you."

Her eyes rose again, searching. As if unable to help herself, out of a desire to quell his discomfort and offer grounding, A'Mia reached up again. This time she cupped his cheek, smoothing her thumb over dark ink as she paused to give him time to ask questions or tell her to continue on.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Even with the Neti's assurance, He couldn't quite help the shame that had settled in Him at the outburst. Undoubtedly from her perspective it was quite the peculiar and unnecessary response, one that could only engender suspicion and annoyance. Then again, He couldn't recall ever seeing her with an expression that wasn't arguably positive adorning her features. Perhaps He'd be the cause of her mood finally slipping and giving way to something more real. More poisonous yet genuine.

Yet that wasn't quite what He received in spite of it all. While He clutched onto the Elixir at first out of simple surprise, A'Mia's deceptive strength and gentle insistence was more than enough to relieve Him of the item. The unmasked man's gaze followed the glass container as it was set aside, all but burying His hands in His lap and noticeably refusing to spare another glance their way. He did finally look back at her properly though at the offer of explanation, quickly nodding as the solemn expression across His pale features gave way to a more fascinated one.

Albeit one that did flicker ever so slightly with a wince when she grabbed His hands. Yet He didn't pull away, still keeping His gaze set on A'Mia even as her gaze shifted to where they touched. Focusing on what she was saying whilst her thumbs were pressing into His skin was somewhat easier said than done however. Still, the unmasked man was able to appreciate the context that she offered. An odd sort of verbal salve that eased what was a fairly overstimulating amount of input that His eyes could now perceive.

Only to wince when she mentioned seeing the described patterns on Him in kind, although the wince was soothed by the hand that was set on His cheek. His eyes closed for a moment as He indulged in the contact, briefly pressing into it before He could stop Himself. Her thumb would find the same familiar texture that adorned His hands on the "tattoos" that swept beneath His eyes and down His face, contrasted by the smoothness of the pale skin around it. And the rather noticeable temperature difference between the two surfaces, the darkened marks being colder to the touch.

"But yours are so elegant." He muttered, voice soft as His eyes cracked back open in a half-lidded gaze. "Natural, seamless. Beautiful. I'm-" He sighed and reluctantly pulled away from her touch slightly. "I'm wrong. Misshaped, jagged and imperfect. Its like I can see the trial and error attempts I've made over the years looking back at me all over again." Something coiled tight in His gut and already He regretted letting such a notion slip, but He continued all the same. "How can you stand it? Seeing people this way?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

"Most of my patterns were born to me. Some of yours, particularly those which mark transmutation, were… reborn to you," her voice became thoughtful and softer then as a sneaking suspicion crept in about this being a sore topic for the man.
"When you were made Sangnir."

She noted the way he pulled away a bit and felt a pang. Why did that only make her wish to draw closer still? Then she felt the echo of that painful coil which gave her further pause. A'Mia felt torn on whether to press forward or pull back, both conversationally and physically. So ultimately she hazarded at being honest and vulnerable, hoping that despite the discomfort and tension which seemed to be building within her companion, she could at least ensure he felt less alone. In truth, she sought that as well. To feel known, to be seen and understood.

"Most people mean nothing to me, other than being clinically interesting for furthering my studies," A'Mia admitted quietly, hands clasped with his and eyes set somewhere between them.

"It was only really recently that my interests seemed to transform from something purely professional, since implanting the Orchid core — a highly empathetic creature bound to me and tied to my will. Only then did I begin to see some people as more than just subjects for study, obstacles to my ambition, or neutral backdrop to the environment I inhabit."

Her eyes rose and she looked at him rather shyly.

"You're… well, I believe that you're my longest standing friend Alisteri. So, to see you the way that I do and to have these opportunities to know you more," A'Mia paused then to think, not wanting to get to ahead of herself or say anything too hastily.

"Given all that, and with how I've grown in power and perception these past years, it's really quite moving. To… to have this time with you. I find your company most pleasant and so many of our interests aligned. So, to see you as such? It's lovely, and I always find myself eager for more."

She smiled then, still uncharacteristically nervous but determined to finish her thoughts.

"You are very critical by nature, most particularly of yourself. I'm a perfectionist, so in some ways I do understand. But perfection in nature can be messy, patchwork, it can have jagged edges and wounds from lessons hard earned. If nothing else I'm vindicated in knowing that you understand more of me now, how I see the world and why I'm so… odd in the estimations of most."

 

[Darth Strosius]

"But not enough of them, clearly." The unmasked man's words were spoken softly, hidden beneath a sigh, yet they what they lacked in verbosity they more than made up for in edge and vile potence. Tinged with a vehemence that was difficult to match and which briefly flashed across His pale features in a scowl. But it only lasted a moment. A mere glimpse of a sentiment that burned far and away from the uncertain expression that adorned Him in the aftermath.

His golden gaze set back on A'Mia as she spoke again, earning a raised eyebrow in silent response to the admission. Such an outlook certainly would have explained some of her more...eccentric and unusual habits even now. Even with her apparent recent change in demeanor due to this Orchid Core of hers. His eyes flickered between her face and where their hands were connected, squinting slightly whenever He saw His umbral flesh still on full display. At least the physical contact felt rather pleasant He supposed.

A look of surprise bloomed across His face at the Neti's view of Him as a friend, blinking owlishly as she paused. He hadn't quite expected that. Nor did He at all expect her to continue expressing her apparent enjoyment of their time together, inspiring a flush of crimson to tint His pale cheeks. "A'Mia..." Her name slipped from His lips sheepishly and devoid of any trailing voices, yet rather than attempting to interrupt Alisteri returned her smile with a small one of His own.

"Most also estimate me to be nothing more than a brazen fool, so I wouldn't take the accounts of the many too personally." He intoned with a light chuckle. "It is...a distinct rarity to find someone so...conversational and approachable, as a peer at least." A look of focus and contemplation was written into His features as He spoke, clearly choosing His words in response very carefully. "I must admit that I have been hesitant in our interactions. Guarded. Such has been my intention, at least. In practice I've found you to be rather...disarming in your charm."

He gestured towards where His mask sat on the desk with a slight tilt of His head as if to prove His point. "You've always been more than courteous and studious to me, more than I'd expect to be received with at any rate. I've found myself...finding excuses to undertake further ventures with you as of late. My visit now being one such example." His hands idly squeezed hers, a gentle and probing movement that was as fleeting as it was surprisingly warm given His cold skin. "I'd love to explore more with you, malul."

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

As he spoke of his more cautious nature, even his heartfelt words felt measured. A'Mia watched and listened intently, blinking in faint surprise that he'd always found her somewhat disarming. It wasn't until recently that she'd purposefully been testing his boundaries with playful curiosity, or like now, with tender intent.

Then the real surprise and excited realization came when he shared that he had in fact been seeking out opportunities to see her as well. Outside of strictly scientific or otherwise work related endeavors. More little flowers bloomed about her head to fill out and form a full crown, unfurling soft aromatic white and pink petals. To Alisteri's borrowed sight, the air around her thrummed and glowed with what was evidently a neti display of emotion akin to blushing.

"You… are visiting about more than just scholarly discussion regarding Voss? You also wish to spend time with me?"

A smile soon lit her face and suddenly A'Mia pulled him to his feet. Having chosen a height equal to his own, it was simple to draw him into a hug where her cheek was pressed to his and long deceivingly strong arms snuck under his to encircled his core. There was a low happy reverberation that seemed to rumble through her arboreal frame, something between a hum and a purr but altogether more botanical in nature. All in all it was perhaps the most joyous display the neti had ever exhibited.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri caught his gaze lingering between the flowers blooming across her head and the air that seemed to shift around her, the Neti's new floral additions soon occupying his sense of smell as well as sight. He looked back at A'Mia's face as she spoke and found himself offering a sheepish smile in return to her bright one, opening his mouth to respond only to be silenced by surprise as she pulled the both of them up from their seats. He blinked in shock as he found their faces pressed together, his cheek growing noticeably warmer at the contact and the noise that she made.

He hadn't quite seen this coming but he hardly found any complaints in the circumstance at present. The sheer delight that A'Mia exuded made any thoughts of ruining the moment dissolve before they could even form properly, leaving him with just one option. To allow himself a bit of indulgence. It took a moment before he returned the tight embrace, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. The hesitance didn't come from the movement itself but rather from his clear attempt to not run his hands along her arms and sides in the process.

He didn't want to be too presumptive or forward after all, that would be incredibly rude and ungentlemanly of him. Finally he sank fully into her grasp with a slight sigh before believing himself composed enough to speak again. "You didn't think that I would have trouble assessing the intricacies of a few texts did you?" Of course he had, the Voss and their thinking were beyond his comprehension, but pride wouldn't allow such an admission. "I just...wanted to see you." It did allow that one however.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Bright smile beginning to make her face ache, the flowery woman let loose a small sound of joy. A laugh cut short and muffled in his neck as she pressed her face there. A'Mia's skin was cool and soft but warmed where they touched, as if reactive to his nearness. Another few moments spent in embrace before she pulled away enough to regard him.

"How good it is to be seen," A'Mia murmured happily, eyes roaming the angles and edges of his face as if beholding artwork.

Though he acted with caution and propriety, A'Mia had no such compunctions holding her back. Now that she knew her attentions might be wanted, welcome even, she continued to hold him close with one arm whilst her other hand twined through the man's dark hair. Her gaze wandered and she marveled at the sensation, marveled too at the remaining echoes of his emotions which. They rippled through the secret bond she'd woven into her gift and filled her with awe.

It would soon fade though, the initial surge of energy from attunement, and A'Mia felt a pang of desperate longing at the thought. She wasn't ready for the warmth he lent her to fade. But no, she couldn't be greedy either. It had been a day of wonders already and the neti ought now to practice patience.

"Let us walk to one of my terrariums before the last of the sight leaves you? It's just beyond that hallway. I'll send a droid for food and refreshments, we can take our time."

Darth Strosius​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri reveled in the contact that the Neti offered, smiling as she buried her head in his neck and idly reaching up to run a few fingers along the back of her head as he let out a small hum. Right as their touch was beginning to properly warm the both of them she pulled back and he almost couldn't help the brief pout that sprouted across his features at the loss of closeness. Only for it to be chased away in a flush at the gaze that she looked at him with after with.

Even without being pressed as close together as they had been the sensation of her fingers moving through his hair proved more than enough to soothe the ache for her touch that he was starting to discover he now had. And with the sight she that she had so generously given him he was plenty content to simply take in the sight of the Neti before him as well. Content enough that he blinked in surprise at the suggestion of moving to a terrarium, as though the scenery was what he had any interest in at the moment.

If she wanted to show off more of her botanical prowess though then Alisteri supposed he should oblige. "That sounds lovely, what all is in this one in particular? Anything I'd recognize?" A point of familiarity would be appreciated but at the same time he'd be happy to hear her explain all manners of things as long as she kept by his side. Taking their time sounded rather delightful indeed.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Echoes of emotion reverberated through the bond and A'Mia found herself pleasantly awestruck by the comfortable contentment radiating from the man. Her smile broadened at the question and she decided to waste no time in answering. Entwining her fingers with his, A'Mia guided Alisteri quickly down the hall and took a turn, ensuring their path was devoid of mirrors so as not to sour her companion's mood.

"Oh yes," she assured as they walked "I'm sure you'll recognize a fair few, particularly given your aptitude for mycology."

Another few dozen paces and they reached a rather large, heavily armored blast door. A'Mia spoke in that strange, multilayered lilting language of her ancestors as she pressed her palm to a scanner. The door hissed and slowly slid open. To call what greeted them a "terrarium" was an immense understatement.

What lay beyond the door was a huge room, likely as large as a warehouse, though its true size was difficult to discern given how lush with plant life it was. The place seemed to be a well established microcosm of a forest and glade. For Alisteri, it might bring to mind that psychic place the two often connected when their minds mingled together.

"This is one of my favorite inner sanctums that I've built so far," she explained rather mysteriously.

Fresh air hit their faces and the atmospheric controls responded to some sign from their master, distant light source dimming on command so the place was cast into a comfortable twilight. Grinning serenely, A'Mia drifted into the place and pulled her companion with her onto the loamy earth that their clinical walkway had just given way to. Ahead of them there was a winding path which led between trees and bushes of middling size and beyond that an opening in the underbrush which gave way to a pristine patch of short grass and plush moss. There was of course recognizable flora abound but the sheer size and intricacy of it all might require one to take more time and a closer look before the details came clear.

A'Mia turned to him, her excitement clear, and again tenderly brushed cool fingers over one cheek. His borrowed sight revealed to him the striking difference between the neti viewed in a more sterile clinical environment, versus when she was surrounded by nature. The woman practically glowed and thrummed with the metaphysical equivalent of bioluminescence in this place. For a long moment she merely took in the sight of him, enjoyed whatever emotions rippled her way through the bond, and delighted in his reaction.

"I'm so pleased that you joined me here," she murmured earnestly.

Then she knelt before him and began taking off his boots in a gentle but matter of fact way. All inhibitions of touch and proximity had apparently been abandoned and the arboreal woman seemed set on further divesting the Prophet of his armor, literal or otherwise.

 

[Darth Strosius]

The moment that their fingers laced together any lingering questions were all but dashed in favor of simply following the Neti wherever she wished to take him. Alisteri was starting to grow increasingly concerned at his own willingness to oblige A'Mia so easily but that was a thought to muse on later. When he could focus on something other than how nice her fingers felt alongside his own. Forget 'starting', this was a serious concern already even if it wasn't one he wanted to entertain at present.

"I wouldn't call it an aptitude per say." He warned, not wanting to give her any false expectations. "More like a necessary field of research and application." That his workshop aboard the Harbinger just so happened to sport a small Xabar growth pod was a simple matter of practicality of course. A passing interest at best that he could entertain himself with between his usual tinkering projects. He certainly never spoke to the fungi directly, they simply happened to be the only other living occupant of his workshop aside from himself most times is all.

Before he knew it the pair of them came to a surprisingly secure door for a terrarium of all things but the moment the door gave way and allowed him a glance inside he realized the full extent of the room in question. It was large enough to house a plethora of life, almost as though a whole section of a forest had been plucked from somewhere else and placed in the room that he was pulled into now. Although he wasn't certain how many of the plants within were actually from the same world, they just seemed far too varied for that.

Even still it looked somewhat familiar, bearing some resemblance to the environment that A'Mia had conjured in their shared minds. Given that it was apparently one of her most cherished terrariums he doubted that any similarities were unintentional, he still always thought of the cathedral back on Formos when he needed to center himself after all. The lights dimmed as A'Mia led him into the lush room, providing an almost cozy ambience that allowed him to appreciate another sight alongside the floral displays.

The Neti herself was positively beaming, both in her expression and in her visible presence due to his borrowed sight. She seemed at once perfectly in tune with the rest of the environment within the sanctuary and at the same time an outstanding feature which his golden gaze kept flickering back to no matter how many times he looked away to take in the sights properly. Flora had always somewhat confused his least overt sense, that being within the Force, as they often tended to meld together into one blurry mess. For the lack of a better term.

Now though everything looked distinct, unique. Each bit of life gave off its own little signature that he could identify even if he didn't understand what it meant or even what the actual plant was. But of course none of them were quite as eye-catching and radiant as A'Mia herself, who he soon realized was staring right back at him. He hoped that she wasn't doing so because she'd caught him glancing, that would be rather embarrassing. He hoped that he looked as pleasant in her eyes as she had in his, especially here in one of her favorite places.

Alisteri was so often a creature of death that he hadn't ever really thought what he must have looked like alongside such vibrant life. He hoped the contrast wasn't too jarring for her. If it was then she certainly gave no indication of it, her warm tone drawing a bit of warmth to his pale visage in kind before he blinked in surprise as she moved to divest him of his boots. Before he even bothered to think of asking her why, he'd already leaned down to aid her hands in removing the attire. "May I ask why we're removing these?"

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A'Mia merely hummed a non-committal acknowledgement to his answer regarding aptitude for a certain realm of study. She knew he was an intellectual, despite his own apparent desire to hide that part of himself at times, and didn't believe for a moment he might lack "aptitude" for whatever it was he set his mind to.

It was after all his dogged determination and stubborn insistence upon pursuing whatever course of action or investigation that took hold of him which had initially so drawn her to the man. And now she felt very contented indeed that she turned out to be one such area of focus for him.

Alisteri's reaction to her inner sanctum was just as delightful to behold as she had hoped. His initial awe was made all the better at his apparent ease with her. The man's assistance and gentle questioning at her continued pulling back of his obscuring layers drew a fuller smile to her lips.

"It is common practice amongst most species to divest themselves of garments as matters grow more intimate, is it not?"

Cool, clever fingers smoothed up his newly exposed ankles and caressing palms cupped the backs of his calves as she grinned mischievously up at him for a long moment. Then all at once, in one fluid motion, she was standing again and pulling him deeper into the vibrantly alive room.

Their bare feet carried them over impossibly soft moss and cool stone, before the path gave way to lush grass. A'Mia's pace slowed then and she looked sidelong at him, her form still aglow in that eerie half light which complimented his pale features too, more than he knew.

"Alisteri… I sense the sight will soon fade, but now you have the means to call upon it and other boons as you see fit. As to the rest of what we have to discuss — I admit that my mind is entirely set upon more personal matters. Do you mind if we abandon responsibility and research for a time?"