Together [Taeli]

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette opened her eyes and smiled at Taeli, "mhmmm."

"Although I think another cup of caf is in order."

She gave Taeli a light kiss of her own, and took another moment letting the moment sink. Fiolette removed Taeli's hand from her cheek threading their fingers together in the process.The Galidraani felt better, a bit more like herself, although she was unaware of the changes to her hair color. Not that it mattered she could easily change it back to red soon enough. For now though she took a look at her clothing, "it is a good thing I've decided to run the wash today." Blood stains dotted her shirt, carefully she rose from her seat untangling her hand from Taeli's in the process.

Blonde hair, dark eyebrows - it'd been awhile since Fiolette had seen this in herself. The numerous windows and the soft reflection in the decorative mirrors helped her to see it and she raised a brow. "Don't suppose that I could ask for a hand in returning this to the proper shade of red?" Fio grinned.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"Yeah sorry about that," Taeli said, a strand of her hair twisting around her finger after Fiolette let go of her hand. "Unintended side effects from the spell. Guess when it rejuvenated you, it decided that meant all your hair cells needed to be returned to their original color and any scar tissue had to be redone. Sometimes these things can be a little unpredictable, and the spirit really did not want to leave you. I can understand the sentiment, of course, but uhhhh yeah, your body and mind are your own again. Better even than before as the spell that is keeping your youth going should have enough energy for..."

She did a few quick calculations in her head.

"Seventy years, give or take?" she said, shrugging. "And yes, I'll be happy to help you get that amazing shade of red again."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette shifted her lips to one side as she took off her shirt and examined the results of the 'exorcism.' A hand through the blonde strands of hair flipping it back, "huh." She pressed her hands to the muscles. "I haven't seen those in a few ... decades." She licked her lips and with a raised brow looked over at Taeli. Fiolette ran a hand over her abs and tried to recall the last time she had these. She cleared her throat and blushed a bit at how long it had been, sure, she had maintained shape but between her career and children. Maintaining a physique had been the last thing on her mind.

"Well."

Seventy years?

"I suppose I should put that energy to be good use," Fiolette gave Taeli a wink and made her way back up the stairs, "for example, dying this back to red."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"Uh huh..." Taeli said, her eyes gaining a glazed look for a moment as she stared. She couldn't exactly help herself after Fio casually removed the bloodied shirt and revealed the new abs. Apparently, her spell had more side effects than she had anticipated. Blinking away her daze, she flushed for a moment as Fiolette mentioned she start putting her new energy to good use. Yes, dyeing her hair red again... and absolutely nothing else. Mhm, yes that was all.

"We uh we should probably be thorough," she said. "I can't be certain what other effects the spell had, but we should probably find out yes?"

She would follow Fiolette back upstairs, her caf and the half-eaten breakfast left on the kitchen island. Taeli didn't even consider if they had hair dye, but she would be happy to have Fiolette red again.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

It took searching through two other bathrooms in the home to find the box of dye she had been looking for.

When it was done and her hair had been turned back to the proper shade of red. Fiolette and Taeli found themselves looking over the waters that surrounded their island home. A gentle breeze caressed the water's surface as the Galidraani sat on the docks her feet in the water. "So beautiful out here, and peaceful on most days." Tropical storms notwithstanding but she wasn't quite ready to leave it all behind for the drudges of command. Not yet, she leaned her head along Taeli's shoulder, "almost wish we could stay here forever, almost." Her voice went soft and nose tinged on the realities of what it meant to be back in the Navy.

She watched as the sun's delicate rays reflected along the water's edge. Looked out over the horizon where a single vessel passed without issue, simply sailing along. Staying forever wasn't feasible she knew that, wishful thinking from an old woman Fio supposed. Life seemed to surprise her in many ways, having spent decades working on her naval career Fio never took the time to just enjoy life. "Suppose that's the difference this time around, I've already achieved the ranks and the accolades." She no longer had need of them and could simply enjoy the office, take time away from it and be with family. There was no need to pour hours and hours into an engineering programme. No need to think of every defense mechanism one could think of - that was someone else's job this time. Or perhaps that it had taken decades to feel comfortable with someone, there'd really only been one other person in Fiolette's life that she had felt this way about. And that was Josef who even now was one of her best friends, she had not told him about Taeli yet. Nor had she told Lucy, no - Taeli was still something of a secret.

"So, mi'lady now that you've achieved your masterpiece what will you do now?"

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"Between the two of us, we're probably rich enough to buy the entire planet," Taeli joked as she sat with Fiolette, looking out over the island and the water beyond. It was relaxing, and while it was a lovely world, she wasn't serious about that. It was idyllic, a world of quiet... but it was a world that neither would have been happy spending more than a few weeks on at any time. It was too peaceful, too... oh she couldn't think of the right word... ah well. It would come to her.

"It helps when you've climbed the ladder once, yeah," she said, idly running her fingers through Fio's restored red locks. "And you don't have to build up everything yourself, at least for the Navy. Can't say the same as Victorian."

But successful, and as Fiolette pointed out, Taeli had completed her masterstroke. What would she do next? Well, she had a few ideas about that.

"I will serve the Empire to the best of my abilities," she continued saying. "Experiments, covert operations and retrievals, leading our armies and navies when the need arises to crush the enemies of the Empire. I suspect the Emperor, now that it is public what I am, will place me high among his advisors and inner circle. And of course, making sure my companies keep advancing."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette let out a bit of laughter, Taeli was right. They probably could, but the island was enough the Galidraani took in a breath and exhaled. "Mhmmm." She agreed and then looked over at the Lorrdian to hear what would happen next. "Victorian will always be my project," she remarked with a soft tone. Her eyes watched as the brunette went over the plan as it were. Serving the Empire, experiments, covert operations, leading the navies and armies of the Sith Empire. "Now there's a thought," she said aloud, "Darth... " her hand moved to let Taeli fill in the gaps of whatever moniker she had chosen for herself. "Ah yes, the advancement of companies which reminds me... I've been meaning to acquire Voith Mining."

"A Sith Lord and her Admiral, how quaint." Fio said with a grin, "well Sith Lady per your preference. Personally, I like the sound of Lord, but I suppose that's the Galidraan in me."

She was content to sit here with Taeli, but soon enough they would be gone from Genesia. Gone from their island and well within the heart of the Sith Empire, "in the spirit of descretion suppose it would be wise of me to accquire my own residence. At least for now, and something more affixed as opposed to my ship." Fiolette pushed her lips to one side, and watched the water move, "don't suppose you have any suggessions." Fiolette moved to look at Taeli, azure blue orbs gazed into Taeli's violet orbs.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"Arcanix," she said. It felt good to be able to say it aloud again. The moniker she had taken when she became a Knight, the one she had all the way through the One Sith. She would always be one to push to uncover more mysteries, to push the boundaries of magic and alchemy as far as she could bend them. What better name for one who studied the arcane secrets of the dark side? She had not heard of Voith Mining, but Victorian getting into the mining game would certainly not be a bad thing for them.

"Yes, a personal residence closer to the capital and Naval Command might help," Taeli said, staring at Fio's eyes and smiling in turn. "Since cost is no objection, I would recommend something on Bastion itself. Nicely fortified, but beautiful and richly historied. With everything that has happened, I need to obtain a residence for myself as well."

She might be able to live in an apartment on Erilnar, or on her ship, or quarters at one of her research laboratories, but... there was something to be said about having one's own place to call home. An inner sanctum, so to speak, where she might lay her head down and rest comfortably.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"Darth Arcanix." Fiolette said for good measure, "fitting."

She moved her feet in the water watching the water ripple away as she did so. "Well, I'm sure we could find a place within good distance of each other." The Galidraani offered up, and made a note to contact one of her assistants to begin looking at Bastion residences. Slowly Fiolette got up from the dock and stood with her feet firmly planted on the wooden structure. "I've sent a note to Shed and Ao about renovating this place, something bigger I think might do. After all I've an entire island to work with, so always room for improvement I think."

"You're welcomed to stay here even without my being here," she added and looked back over to the house. Fiolette offered an arm to Taeli so that they might walk back to the house together and enjoy the rest of their stay. There was something about sharing a home that Fiolette had missed in recent years but there was also something to 'dating' and enjoying the other's company as well. They had time, they had plenty of time she thought without care they could to take this as slow or as fast as possible. "Of course, we could always..."

"... Find a place together on Bastion."

Fiolette mused with a grin as she turned to face Taeli, holding the Lorrdian's hands in hers.

"Would be no more supicious than one going to the other's home every now and again."

Or, at every known opportunity.

"And who knows just how often we'll be there at the same time. Sith Lady, Naval Commander."

A castle of their own up on a shining hill.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Yes, she could see how this place could do with an expansion. There was an entire island to work with... and of course, under the island as well. Taking her arm to walk back to the house, Taeli smiled as Fiolette mused aloud about their housing situation and... she was definitely not opposed to the idea of a residence together. It would be nice to see her more often, and she could think of an easy excuse to deflect undo attention.

"Two career women, pinching credits together in the high price Bastion housing market," she laughed. "To outside observers, house or roommates, neither wanting to take advantage of their position as that would just not do in such society."

Sith did it all the time, and high ranking military commanders could throw wait around too, but moderation was a thing as well.

"We could make it work," she said, grinning.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Pinching credits? Fiolette smirked and nodded in an agreement.

Sure, they could go with that.

It was a more affordable option, a good way to save on the credits. Of course it didn't stop the Galidraani from letting out a bit of laughter, "ah yes almost makes up for missing the university experience altogether." Where two 'roommates' are together and make it pass that they are just that for their families. Although she suspected Lucy would see right through the ruse. "And yes, I'm most certain that we could make it work but then I just suppose we'll have to look forward to finding a new place on this beautifully rich planet of Bastion."

And at least they made it past the second date as it were before moving in. The retired, well, formerly retired grand admiral could not wait to hear just what all her assistants and personnel had to say about it now. Surely there would be plenty of scuttle by the next day, and - Fiolette did not care one bit. She walked with Taeli back into the house and held high hopes for what laid ahead for both Taeli and herself.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

-fin