Then Winter Was Gone (Rhaegar)

[Rhaegar Nemesis Dib]

The 'dandy' raised his hand and shook it, the devastating nip on his knuckle being craddled now in mock pain. But the trace of his smile revealed his mirth at the situation. As [member="Ginnie Dib"] carefully checked her rear in the mirror, he couldn't fight his own gaze from travelling over the form fitting leather. The high kick revealed the dexterity of the trousers and the flexibility of his riduur's limbs, knowledge he had gained first hand on several occasions the last few hours.

She hopped over to him, her words teasing even as her hands flickered within his pants for a moment. Then she was out the door relishing in Manda'yaim. He followed, begrudgingly using the cane as he limped along. Watching her leap to the wall he couldn't help but smile, her joy infectious. As she jumped down he shook his head ruefully.

"I own many ships, though none have a paper trail to myself. My birth name has not been used in ages ... Though when you've lived as long as I, you acquire wealth. I came here aboard a transport. No papers, just credits to ease the transition."

Smirking he moved to the swoop bike and retrieved a satchel from the saddlebags. Opening it he pulled out two items before tossing it across his back. One was a wallet that he slipped into his ill fitting trousers and the other was spun deftly between his fingers, the light catching the casing of the lightsaber that his riduur had questioned him about earlier in the day. He stretched it out to her with a sly smile.

"I believe you dropped this."

He lightly tossed it to her benfore turning eastwards to the sector of the city she had mentioned. Her words about the suit, the description, and her lack of experience in such things again made him ponder just how close their bond was. The effects were unanticipated, yet far from unwelcome. His left hand unconsciously pressed down his chest as if smoothing his suit jacket. Yet he was caught in mid motion and gave a bemused smile. Perhaps certain aspects were more ingrained in him then he previously had thought.

As they traveled the street he felt his eyes often returning to his Gin'ika. Such life and joy filled her and he was not immune to the feeling. In fact he embraced it.

"I haven't worn armor in quite some time ner cyar'ika. Whatever you forge, my hands are yours to command."

The slight lift to a single brow had suggestive implications to his words as they began to enter a more populated part of the city. Eyes flickered over the two as they walked and he couldn't help but feel a sense of possessiveness. Yet he resisted the urge to take her hand in his. He wouldn't stiffle her and what he had found with her, knowing that some how she would feel the strength of his emotions for her. Witchcraft was most assuredly at work.

"I would suggest keeping your attire ner runi. It's .... quite pleasing."

He felt the unbidden warmth upon his neck as he cleared his throat. The urge to stretch forth with the force to lend aid to his senses was powerful, but he had chosen this path. He would not tarnish his clean slate with a violation of the law, a law he only knew through his Gin.

As they walked he watched the life of the city with new eyes. Instead of seeing points of weakness and strength he noticed the more subtle, humane aspects. The commraderie between vode as they walked, jousting one another. The elder mando'ad who whittled a block of wood absently, the distant look in his milky eyes seeing into the past as nimble fingers deftly crafted. The hand of a toddler gripping tightly to her mother's kama, not from fear but from love. Things he had been blissfully unaware of were now painfully obvious.

 

[Ginnie Dib]

Ginnie grinned at [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"]’s show of pain. It was that little bit playful and tiny bit dangerous which sent a shrill of pleasure into her belly. The idea that Ginnie and Rhaegar were ‘safe’ was folly. They were two predators from disparate packs, who somehow through the course of mystic wanderings and the Manda, became a pack of their own.

Nothing about Nemesis was safe. The thrill of knowing he would do her no harm was the thrill of knowing that danger averted for her heaving chest, and the gentle view of her eyes on his ill fitting clothing.

“Oh, I’ve never asked. What do you want me to call you? All I know is Rhae.” Ginnie yanked her lightsaber out of the air, activated the blade and swung it around, ending the life of a half-dead bush. She grinned and yelped for joy.

“Thank you! Thank you, c’yare.” Her arms slid around his neck, lips pressing into his cheek. “Your trophy belongs to me, and I’ll take it…. you look fine. Like you belong here.”

Ginnie took his hand, off from pressing down his shirt, pressing her lips to his knuckles. “We won’t need you to pay for passage this time… or maybe we will. It’s true what they say, you can’t take it with you. Oh, honey. Your hands are mine. And your shoulders, and your chest, and all the bits I’ll be covering in beskar’gam. I want to protect my investment.”

A wink and a stroll down the streets, Ginnie wove through the foot traffic of Sundari City to the Atrisian Quarter and a tailor’s shop down a long corridor-like alley. Buildings spanned above them on either side, Ginnie tucked closer to Rhaegar out of necessity. Rhaegar seemed to relax, enjoying the scenery or at least finding something consoling about being two in the vode. The diffused light of the Mandalorian sun bathed Ginnie’s caramel skin in a soft glow, accented by the button down tunic she tucked into Aditya’s, now her, leather trousers.

“Pleasing… karking sexy’s what I call it. Have you seen me? I am the victor of this clothing battle!” Launching into the air in victory, Ginnie hopped and grinned over at Rhae, wiggling her appendages. She laughed and pushed into the tailor’s shop.

Ginnie stopped and bowed as befitted an Atrisian, how curious, she thought to herself, that she knew such an etiquette specific thing. Stepping inside the shop, she slunk through the fabric samples and dress forms.

“Su cu’yar. My riduur requires a suit. What’s the strongest armour weave and spider silk you have?” Ginnie rested her hand on a crisp white spider silk, fingers pausing on the weft of the fabric. A stiff collar, mother of pearl buttons, done in a dapper and clean style.

“… this one.” Ginnie whispered, catching the side of Rhae’s face.

 

[Rhaegar Nemesis Dib]

Gin'ika spoke of her lightsaber as her trophy, and so he thought of the woman as his own trophy. Not what she was supposed to be, a trophy and weapon to be used at his lesiure against Darth Metus, but instead a reward unanticipated. She was something precious, a gift that had affected him to his core. Something not planned bit wholely accepted. He allowed a smile to crease his lips as he wandered the store as Gin slipped through the rows of clothing.

"Rhae ... Feels right. Rhaegar Dib was my name once ... Perhaps it should be again. Everything comes full circle eventually. And I'm not the persona of Nemesis Nemonus any longer. So I'm Rhae and you are Gin."

His own eyes were drawn to a heavy, leather apron. Details sprang to his mind about the durability of the apron, the thickness, the ability to cast of spark and soot from the wearer. While he had toiled within a forge upon occasion, his choice was always alchemy, not actual blacksmithing. The information that slipped through his mind was foreign, yet personal. He turned to his riduur knowing this was her knowledge that was shared with him.

The store keeper spoke up from his seat. "Impecable taste young lady. It's not beskar'gam, but it is spider silk and Armorweave. The fashion in the core right now. For an arueti, it will do." The man's milky eyes turned to the form of Rhaegar who merely offered a nod of concession.

Moving next to Gin'ika he caught the sidelong glance and shared a genuine smile. She had a slight accent that reminded him of his own. Refined yet distinct. Their sharing through their souls was truly remarkable. Leaning over he kissed her lips in open affection.

"Perfect ner riduur."

[member="Ginnie Dib"]

 

[Ginnie Dib]

The simplistic, downright ugly formed lightsaber hilt was the work of a child, who melted and forced metal with her bare hands. It was the burgeoning of Ginnie’s abilities, an acceptance of the deafening explosion which marred her. Without it, Ginnie felt a portion of her life was missing, and now [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] brought yet another part back to his new bride.

“Rhae and Gin Dib it is.” Ginnie tip toed into the aisle where Rhae stood, and placed a pecking kiss on his cheek, then scampered away. The shirt called to her once again, and as the store keep spoke of such reasons for the suit’s price.

“We’ll take two. One in the black and one with the navy…” Ginnie bit her lower lip, Rhae’s investigation of the blacksmith’s apron coming to her mind. “… and the apron. You can throw that in for free, right?”

Ginnie’s shoulders rose as Rhae kissed her unabashedly in the shop. Her response mewled out of her pouting lips, and heard it. Keeping her hands on his chest, Ginn’ika leaned back with a glorious grin.

“And… a dress. Something blue.” She’d never worn a dress in her life, always trousers or armour. Defensible clothing. “What do you think ner cyar’ika?” Ginnie spun on the ball of her foot slowly, letting Rhae see.

“Something with movement and flow?”

 

[Rhaegar Nemesis Dib]

He grinned down at his new bride as she have him a pout then spun away to twirl before him. The store keep collected the two suits and the apron as Rhaegar advanced on his woman, strong arms encircling her small waist.

"Ginnie Dib ... I love the sound of that. And yes, I can see you in a blue dress, flowing gown ... Yes."

Heat rose to his face at the thought of his riduur in a dress, spinning in his arms. A dress that would make Gin'ika eloquent and sleek, accenting her feminine charms. She didn't need a fancy dress to be beautiful, but she would be a sight. Pulling her close he leaned down and captured her soft lips. The store keep cleared his throat roughly and motioned to another section that held women's gowns. Breaking the kiss reluctantly he held her hand out toward where the other man had motioned.

"After you my dear."

His spirit seemed to soar, both upon it's own wings and in shared bliss with his woman. She wasn't just a beautiful woman with charms that he had experienced behind closed doors. No, she was a warrior with a spirit that didn't have any surrender. Like a piece of beskar. Unbreakable. It was one of the reasons he loved her.

Pausing he turned to look at the clothing in the rack next to him, absent fingers walking through the articles as his mind wrestled with what he had just thought. Love. It had been over a century since he had expressed love. And here he was thinking and showing it freely. A part of him wanted to shy away from it. Yet Rhaegar embraced it. It made him stronger. Gin'ika made him stronger. And it was something he wouldn't surrender.

 

[Ginnie Dib]

These were the best seconds of her life. Unbeknownst to Nemesis Nemonus, his actions upon the Maramere soil unlocked his most powerful self-destruction, and brought forth the eternal sliver of soul, which bound him to the infinite. @Rhaegard Nemesis Dib. Rhae. It took an eternity of unlocking, swathed in the Manda he stole his way into, a thief in the inner gates. Yet, Manda allowed the Sith Lord to take one of its’ tumult. Manda’yaim allowed her earth and water and air and fire to return one of its own back, ever back to the land upon which she was born.

This was Ginnie Dib’s first day of life, and she felt strong enough to rule the world. A girl abandoned by one clan and another became the cornerstone of another’s life. Ginnie Dib. A name worthy to die for.

“It’s perfect.” Ginnie grinned at the heat in Rhae’s face, punching his cheek softly. Arms around her waist was an unfamiliar sensation still, thrilling in that way of new and young lovers. Although she could hear the disapproving noise from the storekeep, Ginnie couldn’t have cared less of propriety or fabric or any single thing but her salvation.

“We got married this morning.” Ginnie whispered, a deep grin on her ebony skin as she walked on. In her mind, the thronging chorus of Manda lingered. It sang to her, its’ daughter and it’s whole piece.

The Manda would continue its’ chorus in the subconscious places of Ginnie Dib’s mind the rest of her life and beyond even that. She was irrevocably connected to Manda, as she was irrevocably accepting of herself.

Ginnie peered through the racks, banishing anything which looked restrictive, complicated or had too many buttons and stays. One dress, although pretty, had odd metal beams sewn inside… a call to her mind told her of ‘boning’ and supports built into bodices as stays. Constructive garments she’d never seen, but knew of, having seen Ladies in the sophisticated planets throughout the Galaxy.

Ginnie stuck her tongue out and shoved that dress aside. “Like heck I’m wearing something which constricts my lungs and vital organs. I’m a woman, not half statue.”

Rubbing her shoulder, Ginnie saw a blue floor length dress with white pinstripes, a neckline which plunged down past propriety’s circle toward a simple belt. Her smile widened as she felt the fabric.

“Is this spidersilk? Yes... yes it is... I'll take it. This one, right here.” Biting her lip and pulling it away from the rack, Ginnie pressed it against her body and spun around to show Rhae. Yes. This was the dress.