Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“It belongs to Moross.” Soliael said simply. “This is a fortress. Fortresses are meant for the worst of situations, not the best.”

There was something somber in his tone. “Perhaps eventually all of this will need to be used, perhaps this place will be teeming with life one day, but I hope it never becomes so.”

For a second he looked sad, but that expression was quickly wiped away as Soliael followed Kira into the room. He would have to find clothes himself, though he already knew exactly where he would get his. There was a closet at the very back of the room, ornately gilded with markings of Neth the Keeper and scrolled with black and orange. That would be where the servants retrieved his clothes from every day.

He would let Kira pick out hers first however. "Go on."

Mostly to fluster her again.

 

[Kira Talith]

She caught the glimpse of somber thoughts reflected over his swarthy face. There it was. Right there. That expression told of a need to protect. Of a man who crafted this fortress for the benefit of others. For their safety. Just on the mere chance that the worst may come to pass.

It was then that a warm look would pass over Kira's eyes, one that would match the smile that would curve upon her lips.

"You're a good man, Soliael." she told him quietly, honestly. Her gaze would linger upon him for a few seconds, before she'd spin on her foot in an about face. She took a deep breath, breathing past the pain of her ribs as she gave a stretch.

"Right! Clothes.... A jacket would do well first." she'd say with notable cheer, whatever seriousness passing into more jovial ventures. "And pants.... pants are good."

She'd dart him an impish glance over her shoulder, "And you owe me new boots."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“There are many millions who would argue that point.” He said it quiet enough to be a whisper.

Then Soliael simply watched her dance her way through the closets. She picked out a jacket, shirt, pants, everything she needed, save for shoes apparently. He smiled at her. Shoes would be difficult to get tailored this time of night. “You'll have to pick one thats laying around. Before you leave we'll go to Exocra and get you a tailored pair.”

He assumed her shoes had been nice ones, so he would replace them with equally nice ones, if not better.

It was odd how he thought about material possessions. Technically Soliael owned about as much as Kira did. This fortress, his clothes, all the fineries, they were all things that belonged to Moross. The wealth his family had was just that, his families. His mother held a citadel on Onderon, his grandmother an entire planet, they were rich beyond measure, he was not.

Oddly, that gave him a note of comfort, he was not so grand as everyone thought, including himself.

“Get everything?” He asked her to break his own thoughts. "It will be cold."

 

[Kira Talith]

She honestly was joking about the shoes. Talon managed to get her a new pair some time back to replace the old ones. Nice sturdy shoes that thankfully didn't have a hole in them. It made for trekking across wet ground and avoiding all pebbles a bit difficult.

"These will do fine!" she'd say, holding up a pair of slightly larger black boots. Nothing fancy, and with a double pair of socks, they should fit snug enough.

"Mmhm, okay now I'm ready." the pixie blonde would nod, her arms overflowing with the thick clothes and jacket to boot. All she would need to do is change... only.. well, there didn't seem to be a place to change. The whole room was like one enormous walk in closet.

"Ahh.. aren't you going to get changed too?" she'd ask, nodding over to his pajamas. "Not that those don't look great on you, " she'd rock forward on the balls of her feet to whisper, "But I think you'll need something thicker than that."

That's when she'd gesture for him to shoo. Such a comical image of the woman a foot shorter than Sol telling him to 'shoo.' "Don't forget a hat!" she'd say over her shoulder, her eye skimming around to look for a place to change. "Your head is already lumpy enough to let it freeze out in the cold again!"

Oh she was joking. Honest.

There came a faint chuckle.

Or was she?

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael chuckled, then wandered off to where he knew his clothes would be.

He hardly came down here, but everything was so neatly organized and packed away that it didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. The closet that was gilded and decorated seemed to loom over many of the others, it stood besides two similar cabinets, albeit both were marked in very different colors.

Those contained the clothes of the other Gods, Inari and Aatrox. He doubted that either of them would ever be needed, Amorella did not take kindly to isolation and Cameron...well Cameron kept his own company.

With a sweep of his arm Soliael pulled open the cabinets doors.

Inside was a fanciful collection of clothes. Tribal cloaks, robes, everything one could ever want to wear that fit the role of Neth the Keeper. Soliael stared at it, then reached towards the back, pulling out a single black and orange thermal bodysuit. It was something that a Soldier might wear into combat, something to make one lean and unencumbered. Soliael nodded his head, then quickly stripped away the pajamas.

He put the bodysuit on rather quickly, the odd stretchy material fitting over him quite well. Over the suite he placed one of the heavy fur cloaks, mostly for his face, he knew that it would be windy.

Then he wandered back towards Kira, though he made no warning of his approach.

Clever Soliael.

 

[Kira Talith]

Soliael would round the corner just as Kira would be tugging a thermal like long sleeved shirt over her head. By all intents and purposes, she was clothed -- apparently she was a put on the pants first kinda girl. Standing as she was, the profile of her body would be to him as she would arch her arms over her head and slip the shirt down, giving a brief glimpse at humble curves along with a constellation of mottled bruises against her ribcage.

The faint wince of the movement as a mused blonde head would pop out of the neck line would follow, her hands smoothing down the shirt until that slender bit of flesh would be hidden from view. Bending down to grab the jacket, she'd start to slide her arms through it before she took notice at his presence.

"Oh!" she'd say in soft exclamation. Twin spots of pink that would match in hue that which lay under her shirt would color her cheeks. Just how long had he stood there? You are really starting to lose your touch Kira Beans. Or maybe he was just that good at being quiet. Some neat trick? She'll have to ask him about it later. Along with that odd blinking thing he did.

Catching sight of his attire. "You're quick." came her comment, adjusting the jacket over herself. Compared to what he wore, it was pretty on the simple functional side. With her in that odd height bracket, a few items were a bit big on her, but it would do.

"You like wearing those cloaks a lot don't you?" she's say with a hint of a smile, "Or is that just part of the uniform?" she'd ask, slowly making her way over to him as she'd slip a glove over her right hand.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael caught a glimpse of her once again, white supple flesh dotted by marred scars and large blue bruises. The corner of his lips turned into a crooked smile, his steps stopped for just a hesitant second, and the world seemed to slow.

Then she spoke, and everything returned to normal.

The two spots of pink appeared once again in her face, the embarrassment that he had come to find rather endearing. He smiled at her, and walked within only a few short paces of her. The clothing she had chosen would work well enough, though only for an hour or two before the cold would likely get to her. When she asked about the cloak, his gaze shifted to the soft furs around him.

“It is the only part of my fathers heritage that I appreciate.” He explained. “He was Kiffar. They are a tribal society by nature, split into clans lead by chiefs. The chiefs usually wear cloaks similar to these. Something that my father retained until his death bed.”

They were also really warm.

Soliael extended his palm out towards Kira, clearly expecting her to take it.

 

[Kira Talith]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

A Kiffar?

For a moment, she couldn't help but pause, the hand that hand risen to take his hovering over it slightly. She'd give a double take. She knew about them, her time spent in the Protectorate had given her some exposure to the clans and most interestingly enough, their unique abilities. Psychometry. Granted it was a very rare ability, but...

"...Did you get the knack of that specific gene pool as well?" she couldn't help herself, there was a brief amount of panic that would flutter in the pit of her belly. Such skills to read from objects could take a person back as if observing in third person, or if more powerful, from the perspective of the item itself.

A Kiffar could re live the past from a necklace, a saber, or even a... scar. There was no denying the slight hitch of breath at that. Had he been able to read her? Her mind would race. Did he already?

And if so... how much did he see?

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“No.” He said calmly. “Not in anyway that I can control.”

He had the gift, but not very strongly. Sometimes it would happen, others it would not, and never when he wanted it to. His mother had told him that Moridin had been able to touch something once and tell of its entire history throughout centuries, a simple graze of his flesh had been enough. For Soliael, even if he tried for hours on end to read an object for an entire day, it might never come to him. Yet the next day he could touch the object in passing and receive every memory it held.

That was frustrating to him.

He didn't move to grip her hand, instead he waited for her to be ready, for her to make the next move. He could tell the worry on her face, the slight hint of trepidation that lay in her form. Was she afraid he had read something into her? Some dark secret or passed even that would devastate her were anyone to know it?

Soliael didn't know, and he found that he didn't care.

 

[Kira Talith]

There would come the worrying of her lower lip with her teeth. It wasn't that she was afraid of revealing dark secrets. It was the chance that he might have seen her at her lowest; there in the white room, suspended in chains while Nememe and Eve would watch as Oliver...

A quick shake of her head would banish those thoughts. Here came the decision. To believe him or not. Oddly enough, it didn't take long to make it. One thing that distinguished Kira was her ability to separate one event from another. Nothing was a blanket statement, one cruel act from one sapient did not give her a preconceived notion on how another would act. It was all in actions. Actions were louder than words, and she would take each and every person as unique individuals worthy of her trust until given a justifiable reason to deny it.

Soliael had given no indication that she should not trust him on his word.

So her tiny hand would slip into his, the slight warmth from the larger permeating through her glove. She'd shine him with that now familiar hint of a smile.

"Then how does it work?" she'd ask, moving to start walking alongside him.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael took her hand, wrapping it in his own.

Her palms were so tiny compared to his that it was almost laughable, then again she was so tiny that it was almost laughable. He looked down at her with a slight smirk on his lips, then began to lead her towards another exit in the room full of closets. They wouldn't have to walk far, Soliael only needed a good vantage in order to do what he planned.

“Psychometry is in part imparted by genetic ancestry. Maybe one in a hundred are capable of using it, one in a thousand of that are able to control it to a powerful degree. It was said my father could tell centuries of history from a single touch. A single graze could tell him everything he needed to know about a person, place, or thing. He could use it to an almost unimaginable degree, I can't. Sometimes I'll catch glimpses, small flashes, and at random times I might get the whole history of an object or an entire room, but its never once happened when I wanted it to.” He sounded rather frustrated about that.

Soliael didn't like not being able to master a skill, he always thought him capable of doing whatever he set his mind too, this however, proved impossible.

He led them through the fortress, pushing them through the underbelly until they reached a small alcove of a room that most would take for a banquet hall. At the far end of the room sat a pair of double doors which lead out to the balcony. Soliael kept moving towards these doors, still holding Kira's hand.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would catch the subtle smirk that would dance upon his lips. Why was he laughing? A slight narrowing of her eyes would follow as she'd attempt to read him, but found nothing other than mild amusement in his form.

A bit more bundled now certainly helped retain more heat, and by the time they would reach the two double doors, she was practically toasty warm. Funny how layers would do that, she'd muse dryly. Enter her own twist of her lips in humor.

So, it was no surprise when she would tug her hand from his and reach over to claim the knobs. Side by side, there would be no denying the height difference, and had anyone seen them from a distance, it would be of no surprise if they'd mistake her for a youngling.

"Do you... see everything?" she'd ask, giving him a spare inquisitive glance just before she'd turn the knobs, giving the heavy doors a push -- only to have them suddenly stop.

Yeah remember that snowstorm last night? It had piled up high enough to prevent the doors from swinging open freely. "Oh beans!" she'd curse, although granted, it wasn't much of a curse to begin with.

Of course, that didn't mean she'd stop there. Instead she would continue to try and force the issue, pushing with more omph. Kira zero. Doors two. But who was keeping score anyways?!

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael watched Kira struggle with the doors for a few minutes. She pushed and struggled and panted and tried her very best to open them. The False God simply stood off to the side and watched her for a few moments, his arms crossed. There was amusement clearly on his face, one wouldn't have to be a Lorrdian to see it.

“Excuse me.” He said finally as he stepped to the side of Kira and edged her out of the way.

With an almost lackluster pull of the doorknobs Soliael opened the doors.

“Double hinged doors.” He said with a smirk towards her.

Before them lay the balcony, and on that balcony lay a gigantic mound of snow. It piled nearly a foot and a half high. Beyond the snow lay a massive valley and directly ahead of them a huge mountain opposite the fortress. Soliael looked to the mountain, and then held out his hand to Kira once again, this time out of necessity.

“It depends. Strong emotions seem to allow me to see more. If something...powerful happened, the memory is more likely to cry out to me, but as I said, its completely random.” The cold air of the night seemed punctuate his words with a gust of freezing wind.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Oh, bite me!" she'd quip out with sass, her face flushed in embarrassment at not considering that they were double hinged doors to begin with.

Figures with the extra credits he has around, he'd have those installed. Ugh, such a thing would only happen to her. It wasn't that she was a ditz, she was as sharp as any vibroshiv in the kitchen drawer! Just sometimes the blonde roots would show. His teasing certainly didn't help matters.

Hands would rub together, the friction of the fabric warming her hands as the bite of the cold would hit her. The light of the moon and the scattering of stars would shine above them, their shadows dancing upon the mound of powder soft snow from the light of the corridor falling onto the balcony.

She took his hand. Crunch. Crunch, went her boots as she took the first few steps forward, seeing her legs sink in a foot of snow.

"... huh." well this might be a problem. She gave a shrug, then took another step. Seeing her make her way would make one wonder if a strong gust of wind would knock her over.

With the way her luck has been, odds are one wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

"So it just comes, " enter a slight sway of her body and free arm in emphasis. The more one would observer her, the more they would realize just how expressive she was in everything she did. Hands would gesture in emphasis or in whimsical display. Sometimes she'd even put her entire body into it, revealing small flounces in her step, the soft sway of her hips, or the cant of her head. ".. and goes."

"Just what else can you do then? There is the Zeltron... the Kiffar... " blue eyes would dart up to look at him as she took another step.

"... whatever gets you the senior menu at Dexter diner." heh.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael let out a sigh and watched Kira for a few moments as she trudged through the snow. This was of course not at all what he wanted. Walking over the balcony was only a waste of time, though it was highly amusing to watch her try and shift her tiny form through the mountain of snow. He let out a chuckle a few times as it looked like she was about to fall over, then finally he got bored.

With large strides, he followed after her.

His boots crunched into the thick snow, double doors slamming closed behind him with a wave of the force.

The False God caught up to her in three large strides, his much longer legs and better adaptability to the snow allowed him to move much faster through the mountainous snow. Grinning he stood behind her for a few minutes, approaching her like a predatory animal. “If I were to have a daughter she would stand one hundred and thirty seventh in the line for the Hapan Throne.”

Just as he spoke he picked up Kira from behind, his arms wrapping around just bellow her waist. As soon as she was up from the ground he swung her around and threw her over his shoulder. As soon as she lay across him Soliael picked up his pace, practically jumping through the snow and then leaping over the edge of the balcony.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Wait, so you're Ha---" she gave a sudden gasp as her world spin, suddenly taken into his arms. There was no time to think, none what so ever as they both went flying over the balcony. The sensation of free fall would slam into her as she'd latch onto whatever she could, ending up grabbing thick fistfuls of his cloak. The inky black sky, the stars, the snow, everything was just a blur amidst the heady scent of his cloak and crisp air.

Cue the the rest.

"--paaaaaaaannnn!!?!"

Kira would always wonder if her life would flash before her eyes in a moment like this. Ironically, no it did not. All she could think about was the following.

Ohmygawdi'msogonnakickhim!

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

They fell for only a few seconds.

The straight rush of cold air, the gust of wind, the fast approaching snow covered ground. It spiraled around them quickly, then suddenly, a blink. Soliael and Kira disappeared form their place in the air, a whirling rush of nothingness replacing them. Seconds later the two force users reappeared only a foot above the top of the mountain that had stood opposite the fortress.

Soliael was the first to land of course, crashing into a pile of snow large enough to pass as a separate mountain. A heartbeat later, Kira came crashing into him, her landing cushioned by the thick layer of fur and her descent slowed by Soliaels hands still attached to her waist.

“Yes.” He said in answer to her question.

His grin would've showed up a Nexu.

 

[Kira Talith]

"OMPH!" was followed promptly by a pummeling of her fists against his chest, arms, shoulders, anything that she could reach to show her agitation. Wiggle wiggle wiggle and then another pummeling.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!" She yell out, not really meaning it as much as getting her bearings again as she expressed her frustration at him. There was that slight nauseated sensation from his blasted blinking. Grr!!

"Isweari'mawipethatsmuglookoffyourface!" she'd mutter, that tiny fist shaking. Her eyes would shine bright, tendrils of rebellious blonde hair framing her face as she would continue to try and get him good. Granted, with him still holding her close and the tangle of his cloak, she really wasn't putting much omph in her hits, not to mention his cloak would take the bulk of the blows anyways. It wasn't intended to hurt him at all as much as express her frustration at the False God.

More heavy breathing, her chest rising and falling as puffs of steam from her breath would come billowing from her mouth against his face.

Curse him and her curiosity!

"And how are you even doing that?!"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael simply kept grinning, the smug expression seemingly stuck to his face like a booger. Even as she pummeled her tiny fists of fury against his chest and shoulders he could only grin.

That had been enjoyable.

Nostalgic really.

His mother had thrown him off a cliff when he was first learning to train Skreeve. She had decided that it was the best course of action in order to actually get him to call one of the beasts. It had worked in the end, though the absolute panic he had felt at the time had prevented him from feeling rationally over it for some time and had resulted at a fury towards his mother.

He expected Kira was feeling much the same way now.

Which made this whole thing quite a bit funnier. His grin threatened to split his face, until she pummeled her last fist against his fur cloak at which point his lips parted slightly so he could answer her question. “The force.”

His hands tightened on her waist, and suddenly he flipped her over in the snow.

 

[Kira Talith]

Another gasp would cut through the freezing wind as she'd feel gravity take hold again. Oh no, but she wasn't going to go down alone! Just as he'd flip her, her hands would grab hold of his cloak over his chest, dead weighting herself as she'd utter out.

"Ohnoyoudon't!"