Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He smiled at her. “Hey.”

It was a whisper, a tiny calling to her.

Soliael still wanted to reach out and grab her, still wanted to envelop her, kiss her, and carry her off to some unknown destination away from the prying eyes that were all around them. Yet he stayed. His hands fidgeted at his side, his fingers curled and uncurled. He smiled from ear to ear, a near grin, bright Orange eyes searching her.

“Are we ready?”

A voice rang out, interrupting Soliaels thoughts. He looked at the man that spoke, a Beast Rider of affiliation with his mother. Soliael looked to him, then to Kira. He reached out and opened his palms for her, letting her tiny hands drift into his fingers.

He nodded.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira gave his hands a squeeze.

Okay, she was ready. She could do this. Just have to follow along. Nothing to worry about, just have to ...okay breathe. Breathe.

Whew, okay.

That smile was back, along with a tiny tremble of her hands Soliael would be able to feel. Her emotions were going wild; she felt as if she were about to burst.

But the excitement was there either way. Expectation would bathe her expression, and she would listen carefully to the Beast Rider as he began the ceremony. It was all very curious to her. So strange but exciting at the same time.

What were the traditions for the Beast Riders? Did she have to do something in particular? She would worry her lower lip, still a bit anxious. She really didn't want to do anything wrong.

However, staring into Soliael's eyes would calm her, his reassuring squeeze of her hands bringing her a measure of comfort. She wanted to reach out and draw her arms around him, bury her face against his chest, feel his arms around her, the scent of his furred cloak sheltering from all.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

The traditions were easy, simple. Among a people that rode Drexl that constantly fought those of Onderon, that hunted and sustained themselves, Marriage ceremonies were never long. It was not about the celebration of the union.

Soliael probably should have told Kira that, but he found himself completely within her eyes.

The Beast Rider spoke. He said short few words about a bond, about what love did to someone, about what love did for family, about how important it was and how things grew out of it. He was an aged man, though ironically younger than Soliael himself. When he finished, he simply regarded Soliael.

“Do you have anything to say to this woman?”

From a small satchel he pulled a single long leather cord. Soliael smiled, and held Kira's hands in place. “I never thought I would fall in love, I never thought I was capable of it, but you showed me I was...that I am.”

He smiled at her, realizing that he was terrible at this. “I love you.”

As he spoke the old man began to bind the leather straps around their wrists, tying them together.

 

[Kira Talith]

Sniff.

Sol was starting to get blurry.

Sniff sniff.

Oh gawd was she crying?! Great, now she was a watering pot! A part nervous, part giddy, and a dollop of joy would shine on Kira's face as the ties would bind their wrist together. He was so warm, she could feel the heat of his skin.

But more so, it was what he said, how his gaze would never waver from hers. He meant it.

"I love you too," Kira would say in a trembling voice. She was just a vessel of emotions. Hers and his. It was funny, she had been so nervous about doing something wrong, that when it came down to it, it just came so naturally.

No bells and whistles. Just what she felt from the depths of her heart.

"Sol..." she began, smile a bit wobbly in her joy, tears glistening in her eyes. " I never thought that I would ever fall in love too. I always thought it a bit silly...beyond me. " a half chuckle came, "Much the less with the guy who gave me his frequency number on a scrap piece of filmsi."

Low chuckles would rise.

"But the will of the Force made it so...and I am so thankful for it." she would lick her lower lip, smiling wider. " So Force willing, I'll always stand by your side, speak when words are needed and share in the silence when they are not, and live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home."

The last loop and tie would secure their wrist together, binding them symbolically for a new journey. But the devotion in each others eyes would clearly state that it was a path both had already committed to long before this ceremony ever took place.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He didn't quite hear the elder speak, as soon as Kira was finished, and as soon as the last tie of the knot had been completed, he took a single stride forward.

His lips locked onto hers in a warm embrace, their arms being awkwardly smushed against between them. Soliael didn't care, he wanted to kiss his wife, he wanted to hold her and have her. His lips turned into a smile, and he felt her own do the same. He backed away from her, only because bending his arms in such a way was slightly painful.

“...Bride.”

The elder finished as Soliael backed away.

Like a youngling Soliael grinned at the man, then looked to his wife. Slowly, he raised his arms up in the air, tugging Kira's along for a few seconds before she got the hint as well. They held the complex leather knot up into the air, a symbol of their union.

Claps and cheers rose from the crowd, and Soliael grinned again.

 

[Kira Talith]

} + {​

Days full of laughter, nights full of passion. Every moment a treasured experience under Borleias' jealous sun when they would walk in sands of gold. It was all a precious gift; and their love would only multiply.

The Force would will it so; Aela Esmae would bring a whole new measure of joy and fulfilment to the couple the following summer. Perfect in her parent's eyes, Aela was the first legitimate Talith in a near millenia to be born, much the less into a family where both the mother and the father would raise her with love, discipline, and the best that they could offer.

Three years later, much to Soliael's ironic predictions, their family would be blessed with not only one, but two more additions; Twins, Maleah Kharyi and Micah Draithe would be born in the cusp of spring, with the later starting his life by giving his mother trouble for sixteen more minutes before Micah decided to grace his father's presence with a loud lungful cry.

Many years have passed since those spring days, melting into balmy summer nights, bringing with it the sound of children running with the pitter patter of feet would resonate throughout the beach house. Musical laughter accompanied by a whoop of victory.

It has been six years since the start of the war. Six years.

While Kira was well aware that the war was till at its height, here on Borealis, they had a measure of peace. Leaning against the well worn wooden threshold, the petite Lorrdian would smile softly at the sight of one of her children playing. Beside her, marked in tiny ticks along the grain of the doorframe, were tiny height marks, each a triumph for the Talith children as they grew taller every year.

The west wind would move with a gentle kiss, lifting stray locks of blonde hair into the air. Deeply content, Kira would settle on the here and now. Times were changing, and while she wanted her children to remain children as long as they were able to, each had their own independent streak... and each would start on their own paths, Force willing.

The question is, how were Sol and her going to guide them through it?

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael had no favorites among his children.

Aela and the Twins all had their different identies, all had their little quirks. Of course the Twins didn't have much of an identity yet, they were still rather young for that sort of a thing, but Aela...Aela already knew who she was, what she was.

It was obvious, at least to him, that his daughter knew very well what she wanted out of life and what she expected of those that she met. Perhaps it was those tiny beady orange eyes, perhaps it was the odd thinning of her lip in consideration when she saw something new or came across a challenge. Soliael recognized the look, he had seen it on the face of his mother, on the holocron of his grandmother.

It was a look that concerned him.

Soliael didn't want his daughter to grow up, he didn't want her to take on the galaxy. He wanted her to be happy.

He watched her from the doorway, standing in complete silence as she lay on her bed. In front of her were three open books, each one turned to a different page. He frowned slightly as he watched her, then shook his head, remembering what he had been like at that age. With the same silence as he had been standing Soliael turned and left, leaving his daughter to her books.

On his way to his wife, Soliael stumbled upon his twins, grinning slightly as Maleah grasped at his pant leg.

With one fluid movement he scooped her up into his arms, holding her in a comical fashion before flipping her around so that she sat within the crook of his arm. A few more steps saw Soliael walk over to his wife, kissing her on her forehead as Maleah struggled in his grasp.

 

[Kira Talith]

“I see you caught a wild monkey lizard,” Kira would quip with mild amusement, basking in the gentle kiss on her brow. Her blue eyes would twinkle in growing mirth at Maleah’s struggles, her tiny arms waving, cheeks flushing pink, and small little grunts of exertion coming from her mouth.

“Or maybe an Ugnaught.” a bare belly would flash, and in that instant, Kira would pounce. With Sol holding Maleah’s struggling little body, her mother would swoop in to blow a raspberry on her vulnerable belly.

High-pitched squeals and giggles ensued.

Kira joined in the laughter, but not before a sudden “RAWWWWWWWWWWRRR” came from the corner. Micah had discovered how to climb. In this instance, the climbing took him on top of a cupboard; one that precariously began to shift as his tiny body would fearlessly fly off of in pursuit of his father.

Specifically, aimed for his back. Sneak attaaaack!

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael moved like a blur.

Micah tried to pounce on him, but before the young boy could even touch his father the Garhoon dashed. The force flowed through him, and in an instant he snapped around and caught his son by the leg. One hand wrapped loosely around his sons shin, twisting him and gently turning him upside down so that he dangled from Soliaels grip.

Maleah suddenly froze from her mothers assault, having been turned away and watching her father move. Soliael looked down at his daughter, then began to waggle his eyebrows.

“Too slow.” Soliael told his upside down son whose face was slowly turning a bright red from all of the blood rushing to his head.

 

[Kira Talith]

Micah would squirm like a fish on a hook in his father’s grip, his shirt already starting to slide down to bunch at his armpits. Kira would break into laughter, reaching over to pluck her son from her husband’s hold.

Bright red face and with streaks of blonde hair, Micah was all but miniature version of Soliael with chubby cheeks and a baby face. His bright orange eyes - a signature physical Talith brand - would match that of his siblings. But the dimples, the streak of baby blonde hair, and the smile were all Kira.

“Alright my little Drexl!” Kira would utter out with a small toss of her son into the air, grabbing him securely a second later.

“Someone should have been in bed by now.” Maleah heard that awful ‘bed’ word and began to squirm in her father’s arms again, mild protests incoming.

Tiny arms would squirm around her neck, more half growls and a pawing motion would gesture over at Soliael’s direction. A subsequent motion in Lorrdian would also follow suit.

Apparently, her son was of a firm belief that as a Drexl he needn't go to bed.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael ducked down below Kira's reach, dodging the tiny arms of his son and moving towards the outer hallways. With the same quick motions as before he moved, Maleah still struggling in his grasp to try and free herself of having to go to bed.

It was useless however, even being part garhoon didn't give her the strength she needed to escape from her fathers grasp, and eventually as they passed Aelas room the little girl decided to give up. Instead she called to her sister, loudly yelling for her to take action.

“Aela! Help!”

The oldest looked up from her reading.

Bright orange eyes locked onto her fathers, who simply wiggled his eyebrows in a taunt towards his eldest daughter. The girl let out a huff, then turned back to her book. Soliael frowned for half a second, then continued on. “Well...it looks like you'll be trapped forever little Maleah. AELA WILL NEVER HELP YOU!”

His sentence was punctuated by the tossing of his daughter into her rather large bed.

 

[Kira Talith]

Micah would join his sister’s tiny body in his own bed, his arms flailing as he would bounce on the mattress.

Subsequent jumping on the bed would ensue. Commence the continued arguments on why going to bed was not the best idea ever!

“Aelaaaaaaaaa!!” Maleah would yelp out, bright puffy cheeks and orange eyes flashing in indignation; she became trapped in the bedsheets you see.

But she also became a distraction for Micah to attempt to slide off his bed. Kira was having none of it.

“Oh no, buckeroo!” a half chuckle later, Kira would trap her son, play wrestling until she managed to wrap him round his blankets like a tiny nuna burrito.

His face was flushed, but a toothy grin would prevail, squirming to extract a small hand. “Not sleepy!” he finally said, blowing the long dirty blonde bangs away from his face.

Smoothing them back, Kira would give another laugh, leaning forward to press a kiss on his temple.

“Mmm...but good little Drexls need sleep so they can be strong and powerful enough to tackle their daddies!” she’d counter, micing to get him ready for bed.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Maleah felt the same about her inevitable fate, but instead of arguing she simply attempted to fool her father.

As soon as she hit the bed Maleah crawled beneath her blankets, sitting still and unmoving. Soliael stared for a few moments, doing nothing but simply waiting for what he knew was coming. A few seconds later loud, obviously fake, snoring noises erupted from beneath the covers. Soliael smiled slightly, shaking his head.

This had been Maleah's strategy for a good three weeks now.

She would get into bed, pretend she was asleep, then after Soliael and Kira had left she would attempt to sneak out. Of course both of her parents were aware of this tactic, and lately Soliael had taken to simply humoring his daughter.

Tonight however something was playing on his mind. Something that was important. “Maleah.”

His voice echoed quietly, whispered into the covers so that Micah and Kira did not overhear. He squatted down beneath the bed, and his daughter suddenly moved her head beneath the covers, the small bump shifting so that she could better hear her father.

“If you go to sleep now...” He trailed off to heighten the anticipation. “I promise I'll take you Skreev riding tomorrow.”

Kira would likely not approve of that, but from the way that small bump beneath the covers flailed wildly he could tell that Maleah was more than in agreement. Soliael grinned as his daughter poked her head out from beneath the blankets, settling onto the pillows. He kissed her forehead, whispering something else into her ear before turning and waiting for Kira to settle Micah.

 

[Kira Talith]

Unaware that his sister had sold out to bribery - which to be fair he'd have done it too - Micah settled down under the covers once Maleah did the same. They had a plan you see!

A soft grunt would follow as he would help his mother take off his shirt, his hair a mop in disarray. Arms went up to smooth down a sleeping shirt, only to shimmy back down under the covers.

Kira would ruffle her son's hair, caressing his cheek as she'd say "sleep well kiddo." A rather loud comically exasperated sigh would come from him, as if this was just the absolute worst.

Amused, Kira would stand to her feet, making her way over to Maleah. Bending down, she too would get a loving kiss on her temple.

"Goodnight sweetie." She'd smile out, a cafune in depart. Turning to Sol, she'd raise her brows as if to say, let's see how long this wil last. With a chuckle she'd start to make her way to the door, a small tap of the nearby console dimming the lights.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael mouthed the word 'goodnight' to his son, being met with a large grin as he did so. There was mischief in the eyes that looked back at him, but he simply shook his head and followed his wife out the door.

She swayed in front of him, being as alluring as ever.

His eyes cast down towards the light at the end of the hallway, where his eldest daughter was still reading her books. Lately she had begun to read about the different native species of Dxun. Her knowledge was growing fast, and nearly every morning Soliael had to answer questions about one plant or another. He didn't mind it, but it concerned him.

As soon as they were out of the kids room Soliael shut the door, grasping his wife at the hip with a gentle hand and prodding her to turn. “Aela!”

He called to his daughter.

“Yes Father?”

The small voice perked up with a hint of indignation in it. “Thirty minutes, then its bedtime.”

An audible huff.

 

[Kira Talith]

“Hey there Mr. Handsy,” Kira would murmur low, having been caught by her husband, turning her around so as she was walking backwards with scooting steps while in his arms. Her own would go snaking over his chest, searching for her ticklish quarry in the form of dribbling fingers along his rib cage.

The audible huff from Aela only made her chuckle a bit more, and she began this half rocking walk backward down the corridor.

“Thirty minutes, sweet --” another muffle of giggles, this time from Kira. Payback was incoming. Sol’s fingers had slid along her own ribcage, across her flank to sink into the curve of her rear.

“Hey that’s cheating!” she’d breathed out with a mischievous note.

Another small audible huff would follow.

It was funny how they were all different. Aela and the twins. Then again, Aela was always a far more serious girl. She took more to her father’s side of the family than anything else. To be frank, save for color of their hair, one would wonder what other attributes she’d gleaned from her mother. Certainly wasn’t her height; at almost seven her firstborn was already starting to become all legs and arms. And Aela’s interests were far more vested with her aunt and oma.

To a degree it made Kira wonder if perhaps she just wasn’t as interesting or fun to be around with. It was a silly thought, but after being around younglings so long and being one to bring out the silliness in them, it was a nag at the rear of her mind.

Regardless, Kira held no favorites with her children, and she loved them all how they were and what features and tendencies they would mirror from the family.

It just made her wonder. No, concerned. All she wanted was for Aela and the twins to be younglings for as long as they could be. To have that freedom of innocence as long as possible.

The thought brought a furrow between her brows, already audibly quieting down in Soliael’s arms.

A shake of her head and she would shine him a smile.

“Hungry?”

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He held her for a time, ignoring her question to just simply be there in silence with her.

It wasn't rude, she would know exactly what he was doing from the calm peace that enveloped him. Small giggles and squirms could be heard from beyond the door, but Soliael simply ignored them. Every now and again the small flutter of a page could be heard, Aela quickly going through the books that she had in front of her.

Finally, after three minutes of saying nothing Soliael kissed Kira on the neck. “I could eat.”

He released her, gently pulling his arms over her skin and away from her so that she could lead them to the kitchen.

They moved quickly. Unlike Micah and Maleah, Aela would very likely follow her bedtime. Though she had a tendency to try and use a flashlight or even the force to try and stay up and read, generally she followed her bedtime to the letter. It was an odd little quirk that had developed over the past year or so, ever since the last time Aela had stayed with Quietus.

Soliael had never really asked, though he could imagine.

A small smirk touched his lips as Kira practically danced into the kitchen.

 

[Kira Talith]

There were just moments of calm during the chaos that both would yearn for. Kira would understand it well.

Sometimes, one just needed to reconnect in the silence; in each others arms.

Her soft smile would flash over her shoulder at him, bare feet bounding to the kitchen with her signature energy. Watching her, one could definitely see where the twins got their zest and energy from.

"Feel like anything in particular?" she would ask, moving along the kitchen from one cupboard to the next. He never really needed to eat; his garhoon heritage made it so and well.. a rather unique method of sustenance there. He would humor her tho, now and then knowing how she was about food and how she enjoyed it. Out of the two, it was no contest that Soliael was the better cook out of them both. The mouthwatering meals he would make for her and the kids were finger licking good; absolutely delicious. Truth be told, one would wonder if it was a natural knack or simply because he just could follow directions perfectly to the letter.

It didn't matter in the end; Kira was grateful for the results. However, her moment of glory came whenever she would bake. Messy as ever, but the end result were perfectly baked cookies.

Fingers would come up, slipping a small elastic band from her wrist to comb her hair up into a messy ponytail.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Not really.” Soliael said as he followed her into the kitchen.

The truth was that food wasn't even anywhere close on his mind. He didn't really need to eat, not now or ever, but humoring her was easy on this front. Thanks to his fathers side of the family his stomach still worked just fine.

Yet right now there was something else on his mind.

Kira would be able to tell, not just because of the ring that sat upon his finger. She would know because of his face, because of the body language that he was giving off, and the slight absent tone that carried within his voice. His mind was elsewhere, drifting off into separate thoughts and concerns.

They were all focused on his children of course.

One in particular.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Well, you're going down a jackrabbit hole today, aren't you?" she'd start out, her voice level, curious but still concerned. The ring had that ability of being able to relay Soliael's emotional levels; glimpses of what lay in that lockbox others rarely ever saw, much the less felt.

Something was on his mind. His body, the way he would tense, shift in his stride. It was in the shadow of his eyes, the sort of absent expression that would only slightly turn back towards the direction of the children's rooms.

A hand would pause on the handle of a cupboard, door slowly swinging open; she needed a large bowl. Watching him, the Lorrdian would search his familiar visage, tracing the angles of his face and the bright orange of his eyes.

"What's on your mind?" they were frank in these matters. In everything really. Nothing was hidden. There was no need to.