Girls Are Gross

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael leaned quietly against the edge of the branch.

Dark orange eyes scanned the horizon, sweat dripping from his brow and his loose clothing ruffled in the strong winds. He looked about the valley below, observing everything and trying to catch every last bit of information that he could.

Kashyyyk.

It was a planet of trees, forest, and ocean. This massive expanse of wildlife was perhaps the greatest last vestige of nature that could be found. That was why he had brought his son here, that was why Micah and Soliael were on Kashyyyk for a father and son trip. He knew that his son enjoyed Nature, and he knew that this planet, more than any other would be to his sons liking.

He smiled slightly. “Hurry up!”

Soliael called out to his son, urging him to climb faster.

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

Climb faster he did.

Quick breaths and nimble movements would take the young Talith up the enormous tree. His eyes were bright, his face flushing with excitement and adrenaline, and his movements deft as his bare fingers would search for points of leverage. Latching himself, he would tug himself up using the acquired strength and skill he'd achieved throughout his young life. Climbing was in his blood. The higher the better.

He had begun with leaps from the roof of his house onto the nearby trees when he was four years old, growing steadily in skill with every year under the tutelage of his father and mother.

The gift of alchemized leather fingerless gloves only would boost his natural abilities, giving him that extra omph for ease in climbing. They were made by his father, and one of his most prized possessions along with the gifts from his Oma and the rest of his family.

A coil of muscles and then the lanky preteen would land next to his father. The shock of wind would send his hair flying all over the place, that thrum of energy emanating from him.

"Now that's a view." he'd say, crooked grin flashing up at his father.



[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He grinned at his son. “Were not even at the top.”

The trees here on Kashyyyk were massive. They reached into the atmosphere and clawed at the very clouds. More than a few of them reached over two kilometers in height, and together their great canopies blotted out the entire sun from Kashyyyks ground floor.

It was an amazing world.

This planet was ancient, old, its forests massive and its wild life so far reaching and stretching that even Soliael could not begin to guess at half of the life that lived here. Of course, it was like that for many worlds but to even the most learned scientists Kashyyyk was a bit of an enigma, a question mark that not many people saw or ever explored.

It would be different for the two of them.

They would explore, climb, and find whatever the planet had in store for them.

 

[Micah Talith]

"Heh," Micah would toss [member="Soliael Devin Talith"] a devilish grin. "Is that so?" his attention would lift up towards the great Wroshyr tree. Mischief and a challenge would flare in the twin sun of his eyes so much like Soliael's own.

"Well old man, here's to hoping your old joints still have what it takes." with a bounding leap, the youth would start to scurry up the tree, the gauntlet cast in good old fashioned sport.

This was as much a test and lesson on physical training as it was on simply enjoying some time alone with his father. Hands would reach and grab for purchase, Micah ascending with every pull, shift, and ripple of muscle, sinew and bone.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael looked up at his son.

For a moment he simply waited, watching as Micah climbed hire and hire. His eyes trailing up the massive tree, past his son, and moving towards a branch that was even higher. Of course he could very likely just climb up the tree faster than his son. Micah was still in adolescents. Compared to Soliael his muscles had not yet adapted perfectly, and he was even less Garhan than Soliael was.

Of course one day he was faster, but right now? Not so much.

He grinned suddenly. His son wouldn't appreciate what he was about to do, or rather, he would be extremely jealous of what he was about to do. Soliael focused on the branch way up high...and then disappeared.

The next second he popped up on the upper branch, grinning.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

Micah gave a grunt as he shot up towards another branch. A wicked grin would shine across his face, the wind blowing his unruly hair away from his face.

Just as he landed on top, there was a flash of the Force and then so was his father.

A glower would mar his youthful features. Orange eyes would meet a pair as bright as his own.

"That's cheating!" he'd say with a tinge of annoyance that would match the expression his mother would normally have in similar situations.

He was breathing hard, shaking his head, but still a half grin on his face. His father had used the same technique before during times when his sisters and him had either been injured or in trouble.

Blinking, his mother would call it. Always wondering how he managed to do it.

He never told them before though.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

[member="Micah Talith"]

“Its not cheating to use all that is available to you.” Soliael said with a smile. “You were using the force already were you not?”

He knew that he had been, mostly because this climb would quite literally have been impossible without it. Or rather, the time it had taken them to climb this high would have been impossible without it. Even for their enhanced physiology, they had been moving fast. “I just took it a step further.”

Soliael said it with a shrug, his climbing gear rattling slightly as he did so.

Of course that wasn't necessarily true, but he was just having a little bit of fun with his Son. There was no harm or ill intent in it, Micah knew that.

 

[Micah Talith]

"Heh," Micah gave a small chuckle, well aware his dad was just teasing him. He began to adjust his climbing gear, checking the straps. "Uhhuh, and just how did you take that step forward?" he'd ask his father, shooting a curious look with an arched brow.

Oh he was very curious how his dad did that. There were some ideas, but nothing real concrete. They had plenty of resources to learn and to study. Granted, Aela was the one who rather stick her nose in a book and read as much as she could. Micah was more of a practical application kind of student -- well unless it dealt with learning with his uncle Dissero.

Then again, things were both practical application as well as reading. By then, he didn't really care. Anything his uncle was willing to teach him, he was down for.

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

That was a question all of his children had asked him at one point or another, but one that he had steadfastly refused to answer.

There was power, there was ability, and then there was responsibility. He knew that his children had the former two, and he had no doubt in his mind that Aela, and even the others had more than enough of the last, but this technique was not something to fool around with. A hair of concentration off, a modicum of too much power, and one could end up inside of a wall.

It was dangerous, too dangerous for them to learn. At least right now.

“Maybe you'll find out when you're older.” Soliael said with a shrug. “I didn't learn it until I was two hundred and thirty six years old.”

 

[Micah Talith]

"And how old is mum again?" he shot back with an amused quip. He felt no insult that his father would not reveal the secret of the technique; he had and still was being trained by some of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy.

Besides, maybe he'll figure it out by himself one way or another. Aela wasn't the only one who could read books or go exploring.

He would plop down on the branch, catching his breath and making himself comfortable. Sweat made his temples damp, and while he did have the Force to help him climb, it was still quite a work out.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Maybe you should ask her.” Because asking women their age was always a good idea.

He smiled at his son.

There was still quite a bit to climb. The tree stretched for some miles yet, but it would be well worth it when they reached the top. Soliael turned his head scanning the forests and looking for anything that might be a threat.

The Sith had taken this world not too long ago, and although the Republic and recaptured it after the Netherworld event there were often...remnants when it came to invasions. Sith left behind berserker forces, droids, mines, everything. Soliael was weary of running into any of these things.

He didn't even have a lightsaber anymore after all.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

"Like that is the best idea," Micah would give an amused snort, adjusting his climbing gear. "Almost as good as trying to get Aela to laugh. Damn near impossible." he said that with a touch more wryness than would be expected. Then again, the tension between Micah and Aela was a known fact. Both just had different personalities, and in Micah's opinion, Aela was an enigma of the family.

None of the others were like her, she just didn't seem to blend well at all.

He got back to his feet, wrinkling his nose and staring up at the tree. They still had quite a ways to go. A thought came to mind.

"You ever met anyone who was just completely the opposite of you, dad?" he mused aloud. He wondered then how his parents had met and then that brought to mind just how -- he made a face -- well how they always acted.

"How did you deal with that?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael looked down at his son.

He of course knew exactly what Micah was referring to. Kira and Soliael weren't blind, they knew every nuance of their childrens lives. It was difficult to keep secret from the all powerful former force god and his cookie baking wife. Aela, the Twins, and Kaili had no secrets when it came to their family, even when they tried to.

Micah and Aela's relationship was strained.

As he had said they really were complete opposites. Aela was stern, stoic, serious. Micah was the trickster, the prankster, the one always looking to have fun. Aela carried traits of himself, of his mother, and Micah carried those of Kira and traits of himself now.

“Of course.” Soliael said relaxing and sitting down on the tree branch, knowing that his son needed more rest and grasping his shirt to pull him back down into a sitting position. “Everyone is different. Your mother and I weren't so similar once. The trick is to find that one similarity, the one common aspect. It always exists.”

 

[Micah Talith]

Micah gave his father a doubting look. The idea that his mother and his father weren't so similar once was a laughable idea. Not with how they acted; there had been plenty of 'gross' moments in his lifetime he could remember. They were always just so... in sync.

His frown deepened.

"You weren't?" the disbelief showed in his tone, a small gust blowing his dirty blonde brown hair away from his face, revealing the bright orange hue of his eyes.

"When?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Years and Years ago.” Not that many years really, but certainly longer than Micah had been alive.

“Before we were together.” He smiled slightly. “It wasn't so much your mother. She's always been the woman she is now, has always been perfect.”

Yes, even in a conversation with his son Soliael would go off on a tiny tangent to complement and adore his wife. It was something that by now all of his children would be used to, and it was something that they all rolled their eyes to. “I used to be very different. In fact most people from those days wouldn't even be able to recognize the man I am now.”

Not just because of the beard either.

 

[Micah Talith]

Micah didn't roll his eyes as much as shake his head. The expected praise of his mother,was again, one of the constants when it came to his father. To a degree it was a bit amusing. He didn't get it. Like, he loved his sisters, but he didn't see them in the way his dad saw his mother.

They certainly weren't perfect! Annoying at times yes. Certainly frustrating. Not perfect.

The look Micah gave his father would relay a bit of that disbelief, "You were different? How so?" it was foreign to the lad that his father was anything but who he was now, today.

Another question would quickly followed, "Wait, what was the similarity?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I was harsher.” Soliael said openly.

He had never tried to hide the past from his children, he had never tried to lie to them about who he was or what he had done. Of course he had softened the blow a bit, but he had always been open with them about who he had been and what he had done. From the best, to the worst.

“Easier to anger and much faster to do worse than any human being should be capable of doing.” They weren't human, but that hardly mattered. “Of course it wasn't ever really against innocents, but I was different, Draith. A lot different.”

Soliael sounded somber, then he looked to his son. “We both liked to have fun.”

 

[Micah Talith]

A part of Micah couldn't quite imagine his father being harsher. Yet another would remind him of the rare times that his father would show a different facet of himself when it came to protecting his family; or being as Nohei would say, 'The Man'.

Things got serious whenever his dad go that expression on his face. They all knew it and were well aware that it meant that the time for jokes were over.

"What changed?" he asked, a bit more serious than normal for the Talith. Aela may not believe it, but Micah could be serious when it warranted it -- well he tried to be. Much like his mother, he had a tendency to default to wise cracks to lighten the mood.

Although his expression changed to one of a half snort. Aela? Having fun? " Yeah having fun is not going to be a similarity there."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I did.” Soliael said with a smile. “Because of your mother.”

That wasn't entirely true. The truth was there were a number of factors that had turned him from his previous ways. Amorella, Moross, dozens of small things. Yet Kira had been the crucible. She had been the thing that changed him completely, that had forged him anew. There was a truth in that which resonated hard within Soliael, and as he looked down at his son he knew that it was completely and utterly true.

“You would be surprised.” Soliael said as he reached over and ruffled Micah's hair.

He knew very well that his daughter could have just the same amount of fun as the twins or Nohei, she just needed the right incentive.

 

[Micah Talith]

"Hey!" came his mock objection, pulling out from under his father's hand, flashing him a grin. His hand deftly came out to parry and make a grab for Soliael's wrist, showing that his son's training was successfully forging muscle memory. Mirth would dance in his eyes, but he would also mull over what he said about his mother. There wasn't anything that said his father was deceiving him, it was just strange that one person could do that.

He frowned, "But why would you change?" like, he couldn't process on the why's and how's he would change for anyone. Not that his mum wasn't someone to have fun with; she was in his opinion the best mum ever, buuuuuuuttt that may be a bit biased.

Granted, if Aela could get the stick out of her butt that might be better for everyone. Okay, that made more sense then. Of course she should be the one to change!