Why Must We Fight?

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie leaned back, resting her head in her palms, fingers intertwined to make a sort of pillow behind her. "Nor was I. But it's just acting."

It seemed that Aela took this to heart a lot more than Jamie. The whole time in her eyes it was just an elaborate game of sorts. Act a part to make the spectators despise them, while diminishing their suspicions as to their motives in order to get closer to their target, the information they needed, and the end of their mission. It was simple enough in her eyes, but it seemed Aela felt a certain level of guilt over speaking to Jamie that way.

Truth be told Jamie grew up in that atmosphere. Not so much her own family, even if she was a brat at times. But the kids she'd known, grown up with, and their families? They were very similar in personality to the way Aela and Jamie had been acting towards one another. They saw themselves above everyone else, looking down their noses at others. That was part of why Jamie had volunteered at the YAFCIN for much of her teenage life.

"Don't take it personal. I'm not in any way offended. After all, I've heard worse from people who actually meant it."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She smiled. ”I don’t take the insults personally, I just...well I don’t enjoy saying those things.”

That was the truth of it.

At her core Aela was a nice person, she took after her mother in that way. Oddly enough none of the kids had really taken after their father in regards to their attitudes. Soliael tended to be much more of a cynic than anything else, and although he could crack a joke...well he wasn’t the most happy-go-lucky member of the Talith family. He lacked quite a bit of tact, an ironic thing for a former Senator.

”Regardless, I’m sure we’ll say more before this is all over.” She smiled and looked out of one of the windows. ”I expect that by the time we arrive at the Ball tomorrow, they’ll know more about ‘us’ than we thought.”

The idea amused her really. ”I suspect however we’ll have to try and maintain these identities even after we leave Bastion. Just in case we have to return.”

Spycraft wasn’t what Jamie had wanted to learn from her, but it would be a byproduct for now.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie gave a quick nod, though said nothing in return, simply sat quietly listening to the hum of the engine as the driver continued their trip towards the third location on their to-do list of places to visit. Her mind momentarily slipped to the bill at the restaurant, realizing for the first time just the kind of lifestyle she had grown up living. Her meals on a daily basis compared similarly to what they had just cost the Alliance, and she had never batted an eye to it as it was something she hadn't ever had to think about before. Credits were something she just had, even if she had been on her own for some time, she wasn't exactly strapped for funds. She understood that the SIS might not be overly pleased with the expense, but given its' purpose she assumed it wouldn't be too much trouble when they returned. It wasn't like they didn't know what they were getting into when sending Aela, though the addition of Jamie might have come as a bit of a surprise to them so late into the plan.

Shortly thereafter the car stopped once more just outside of a rather nice, though modest sized establishment that had a lovely ornate dozen shoes on display behind the transparisteel window for the public to oogle at as they wandered past. Only those with credits and a love for shoes would dare venture into such a place,for the average pair of shoes here would cost a months wages for most average people. Shoes were something else Jamie thoroughly enjoyed buying. Shoes for any and all occasions!

"We're here." The man up front said, stepping out to open the door once more for Aela and Jamie.

Luckily for the population, few others were nearby to receive the scorn and sneer of Aela and her younger sister as they exited the car and headed towards the building to add even more expense to the SIS report.

"I do hope this place has a match for my rosenberry dress. It would be a travesty if I were not to match accordingly."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She was sure that by the end of this the SIS would question sending Aela back on any mission ever, but that couldn't be helped all that much at this point. She shifted slightly, looking towards the nearby buildings and scanning for any signs of someone familiar.

Oddly enough, she found no one.

That very fact made her uneasy. Perhaps they had stopped following, or maybe they could just no longer see them. Either option made her weary. There were so many unknowns still in this place. They had intelligence on half the families, but the other half were still unknown. That wasn't even to mention that the families they did know about likely had their own secrets. It was a terrifying thought, especially when one considered that they were heading straight into the dragons maw.

"I'm sure you'll find something." Aela said. "This planet can't be entirely useless."

She shifted her gaze to the street around them. "Though I'm suspecting that's the case more and more."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The door was opened for the two women by the soldier masquerading as servant with a small bow of the head as the two girls stepped foot inside the shop. There were in fact far more products inside than Jamie could have expected. Wall to wall shelves, dozens of aisles all separated by their respective style, the majority of which aimed towards women's fashion, though that wasn't to say there was nothing for the men. A modest section with a rather luxurious array of footwear rivaled some of the nicest shops on Naboo.

"I suppose I must. I've nothing to match the dress otherwise." She said callously.

A well-dressed man approached the two as they entered, an astonishingly handsome man, complete with full suit and bow-tie, sharp black glasses and muscles that barely looked to be contained beneath the fabric of his clothing. For a moment Jamie gave pause to admire the wonder of this man before shaking free the sensation of bewilderment. "How may I help you today, my fine ladies?" His voice was even dreamy! A soft baritone Jamie could listen to for days.

Yum!

The blonde had to bite the inside of her lip to remove herself from that temporary trance and focus on what they were actually there for without breaking out of character. "Shoes. Obviously. Heels." She said, trying her best to maintain that cold dead stare of a pompous noblewoman without allowing that girlish giggle to come rampaging out of her. "Short ones in crimson. Show me all of them."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The difference between Master and Apprentice was very clear in that moment. While Jamie spent the first moments inside of the shop admiring the floor candy, she instead began to look for cameras, microphones, or additional people that could be a threat to them. This wasn’t by any means a safe place for them to relax, and Aela knew that.

When she finished her quick check of the shop she regarded the boy with the same flat stare that she had offered the tailor a few hours ago. ”Blue.”

Is all that she said when the man regarded him, as if it would serve as a perfectly fine answer to any question that he might have.

Heels were of course, somewhat of a hinderance in what they would be doing. They were necessary for the ball of course, but if something went wrong then Aela would have no illusions about what would happen to the very expensive shoes she was about to purchase for both herself and Jamie.

”Go.” She pointed at the man, who in her eye was dawdling just a bit too long.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The man seemed un-phased by Aela's clear rudeness and Jamie's distance. He surely had thick skin if he was able to brush off their combined angst given off towards other members of society. He simply nodded, turned, and walked off to retrieve the items each girl requested. He was by far one of the most fit men she'd ever seen before in person. Comparatively better looking than even some HoloVid stars she had a minor crush on. The girl had to settle herself down, the blush on the sides of her cheeks had warmed her face in the moment. She turned for a moment to Aela to see the girl looking about the place, suspect of anything that might look to observe them.

For a moment she felt guilty, her more primitive senses getting the better of her, but there was hardly much she could do over a man's raw attraction. It wasn't like that would in any way compromise things, if anything it would seem more believable that she was attracted to someone, given the insults Aela had dished out towards Jamie at the restaurant.

She nudged the older girl, her eyes bouncing towards the man, though her words were a soft whisper. "He's cute."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Her gaze flickered towards Jamie.

For a moment she assessed her words, as if they didn’t quite register with her. She then turned her attention to the boy as he stepped into the stockroom. For a moment Aela simply watched him, trying to take him in and see what Jamie was seeing.

”Ah.” The noise was half an acknowledgement of what Jamie had been saying and half surprise.

In truth, Aela didn’t often look at people in that way, men or women. Mostly that was due to how she thought, romance was not her forte and more often than not if she found someone attractive she would never actually say so out loud. She hadn’t even noticed how the boy looked before Jamie had said something.

Of course now that it had been pointed out, Aela too oogled for a moment.

”Well.” Aela regained her composure, putting on the same act as she had at the restaurant. ”This is what gets you in trouble at home.

She said it loud enough for anyone listening to hear.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I beg your pardon?" She said angrily. "Just because you're ignorant to luscious sights doesn't mean the rest of the galaxy must also be."

Her tone was indignant, as if she'd been accused of some terrible crime by her own family.

"To think we are somehow related. I wonder sometimes if I was adopted. At least then there would be an excuse for why you're so awkward."

Jamie wandered away from Aela, taking it upon herself to browse the other shoes along the shelves. Their design and aesthetics were in some ways similar to those on Naboo. Even more, she actually noticed a pair or two that she had seen once back home. It seemed certain galactic designers could be found anywhere a rich purse was. Jamie was unaware of the vast exposure certain name brands reached. Inside it actually made her feel proud for her people that something as simple as a shoe designer could branch so far out from her home. She smiled, fingers tracing along the outer edges before wandering off once more. though this time her eyes peeked through the large glass window to the outdoors in hopes of spotting someone that may have been watching them for once. Unfortunately she saw nothing out of the ordinary, more perhaps she was just not that good at searching for inconspicuous people.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Part of her wondered what it would have been like if they played parts opposite their current. She supposed that it would have been easier, at least for her, though it would have come with it's own challenges. Not once had Aela actually gotten to be nice while undercover, something that bothered her slightly. She frowned for a moment and then shifted her gaze after Jamie, watching as her apprentice peered out the window, eyes darting from place to place.

A certain hint of pride lit within her chest, though of course she said nothing.

"Hurry up!" Aela said, her voice indignant and impatient. The boy eventually came back, carrying a stack of shoe boxes which he placed onto one of the small stools within the room. He said nothing as he looked at Aela, simply offering her a smile before waving for Jamie to take a seat. He then quickly turned around and went back to the storage room, returning only a few seconds later with a similar stack of boxes that he had brought out for Jamie.

Perhaps out of instinct he remained quiet, only offering a comfortable armchair for Aela to sit in.

She sniffed for a second, then slowly sauntered through the room.

Rather daintily Aela sat herself down in the chair, motioning for the boy to take off her shoes. She tried not to laugh as his hands fingers undid the strap on her current shoes and slipped them off her feet, mostly because she was actually incredibly ticklish.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie looked over at Aela as the two sat down, her eyes narrowing towards the older girl who had silently demanded the man to perform all of the shoe fitting for her. Why is she smirking?! She wondered, slightly confused for a moment. Then it occurred to her, and Jamie's blue eyes shifted from Aela, to her feet, and back again. One eyebrow rose, and the younger girl simply shook her head. Aela wasn't just ticklish, she was overly ticklish. Sure, she herself was ticklish, but never to the point where someone in the process of removing a pair of heels would throw her into a giggle. Instead she simply pressed the front of one shoe against the heel of the other, lifting her feet one at a time from her own, before examining a few of the boxes that were set aside for her.

"Hmmm." She mumbled to herself, finally choosing a set. She paid Aela no mind as she went about trying two different shoes on, one on each foot for comparison. Like a small child she leaned back, hands on the chair and feet fully extended so that she could see them beside one another and how they looked. Her lips pressed together and outwards, nose twitching from side to side while she quietly thought to herself which looked better, before ultimately deciding neither shoe captured her the way she'd hoped. Each shoe was kicked off and left on the floor while she tried on the others that were brought to her. By the time she'd finished, she hadn't found anything that really wow'd her. There were a few cute pairs, but nothing that she felt would stand out.

"Do you have anything else? These are all the wrong color." She held up another pair, "This one has a bow by the toes that is too big." She held up yet another, "And these are last year's fashion."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Go." She waved her hand, still trying to keep a straight face. "She can't think for herself."

The boy looked up at her for a moment, frowning slightly as if the insult didn't quite register with him. In truth Aela just wanted him to get away from her, she didn't really like having her feet touched and she thought that she was about to bust out laughing and slap the poor boy out of simple reaction.

That would be a bit out of it, even for this character. "Can't leave her on her own for long."

She patted the boys cheek, a patronizing act that earned her a look of bewilderment from the young man. It was part of the act of course. She was earning this mans ire the same way that she had earned the tailor. Why? Well even if he was good looking he was still far beneath her on the social ladder. That was what mattered here, the fact that to her this boy was supposed to be less than trash. The thought pained her, truthfully, but it was the character once more.

Aela couldn't help it.

She did wonder if the SIS would ever send her on a mission where she got to be kind, but she thought swiftly went away as she began to dig through the boxes of shoes that the boy had brought out.

Some of them were actually quite nice, all of them were more expensive than anything Aela actually already owned. She made a slight, almost silent, noise of delight as she opened one box in particular, a bit of girlish excitement striking her as she found a rather pretty pair of almost teal heels.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The man approached Jamie, looking at the dozen pairs of shoes scattered on the floor of the shop, all mismatched and out of place. She saw his lower lip fold beneath his teeth, likely to prevent himself from having a small mental breakdown right then and there over the mess she'd managed to make in the span of five minutes. If only he'd seen what her bedroom looked like! This was nothing compared to the cyclone she could create in her own actual bedroom. That was a point of contention constantly between her and her mother.

"Help. I need more." She said bluntly. "These wont do. They just wont do." She sounded mildly irritated, but also somewhat like a helpless animal.

"Yes, miss." He said quietly. Despite the scattered shoes all over, she was moderately nicer than Aela had been, so perhaps he favored her slightly to the elder sister. "Right away." Quickly he darted off towards the back to find additional shoes that would suit the girl's desires and demands. As he left her view once more Jamie shook her head at Aela and whispered only loud enough for her to hear. "You're so ticklish he can't even slip your feet out of a pair of shoes? Really!?"

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

It was important to note that generally people did not touch Aela. Mostly that was her own decision of course, and had come about for the same reasons that she was more...insular. She just wasn't used to it, and in general one couldnt really blame her for something that she couldn't control.

A shrug rolled over her shoulders, and for a moment she looked rather emberassed.

It wasn't something that she could control unfortunately, and in truth she hadn't actually been aware of it until just a few moment ago. Ger siblings had often tried to tickle her when they were younger, but none of them had ever gone near her feet, mostly because they often recieved a quick kick to the face.

"People don't generally touch my feet." She said flatly. "Not unless I'm kicking them."

It was a mark of just how abnormal her life was.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I don't think it's your feet they don't touch. More so you in general." She said with a smile.

Jamie recognized by now that Aela was quite the introvert when it came to most things social. Whether that was entirely because of some type of social anxiety or upbringing, or some kind of combination of the two Jamie wasn't entirely sure. But what she was certain of was that Aela clearly had trouble interacting with people that closely. And while Jamie was a bit of an introvert herself, she was also a bit of a flirt. She did enjoy attention from boys, even if it was meaningless chatter or gestures. It helped boost her own confidence in herself. Reading and isolation was great at times, but she also needed the attention of others as well.

"Makes sense though, judging by our earlier conversation." She was of course referring to the one where Aela had asked about Jamie's sexual activity with Kurt. The thought of her reaction and bright red face during that topic of discussion made Jamie smirk, though withheld the laughter as the man once again came walking out from the back, a distance away from the two, with even more boxes for Jamie than before.

"I hope one of these will suit your tastes, miss." He said from behind one of the boxes obscuring his face. "Let's hope." She replied, still partially oogling the man while maintaining the callous tone.

@Aela Talioth

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

It was true enough. Aela wasn’t really the outgoing type, at least not when it came to social pleasantries and the like. She had always preferred to stay silent, or only speak when it was relevant in social situations. That was of course along with the fact that Aela hardly attended any social gatherings at all.

Her childhood had of course been fraught with siblings and the like, but they had grown up on an island, quite literally. Trips to the mainland had been infrequent, and most of the learning they did had been the equivalent of home schooling.

Of course, that was hardly an obstacle for Micah or Kaili, but they were also a bit more...extroverted than she was.

For a moment Aela frowned, then shifted her weight in the chair as she inspected the shoe she had removed earlier. The heel was a simple teal color, not all that complex and more simple than one might expect from a fancy shop like this. The material was a type of cloth that she didn’t recognize, but then again this was hardly her area of expertise. ”I’ll take these.”

Aela decided.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Plain. Like your personality." Jamie remarked while sliding into a rather flashy and ornate pair of vibrant red heels, miniature bow on either strap to conceal the clasp. Additionally there was another, modestly sized bow near the arch over the toes, made of a slightly lighter shade so to stand out from the rest of the shoe. Not only that, but they were covered entirely with sequins that gave off a radiant flare that diverted attention directly to her.

"Perfect!" She exclaimed, standing up to look at herself in a small mirror against the wall, striking several poses in just about every potential way. "They're adorable." The younger sister looked over towards the elder, her head cocked slightly to the side and at an angle, a look of condescension towards the lightly colored teal shoes Aela had chosen.

"I really must teach you of fashion, sister. You could really use my help."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela rolled her eyes.

That was the only response she gave to Jamie before she stood from the chair and stretched. The heels were placed back within the box, closed for a moment as she directed the boy to take it from her. Without another word he did so, taking the shoes that Jamie had selected as well.

This time without any help Aela slipped her original shoes back on, thinking back to just a few minutes ago when she had nearly burst out laughing. She managed to hide her face as it colored red for a moment, only looking back up when she was sure that she could once again put on her more stoic visage.

”Chop chop, Sister.” Aela said. ”We can’t be dawdling oogling shop boys all day.”

The bite came just as he tossed a credit chit towards the boy, one worth far more than the shoes actually cost. ”Get those to our driver.”

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie's expression fell away, her cheeks reddened as Aela called her out on her crushing over the boy. The dead stare she gave to Aela was almost comical if she wasn't horrified that she'd done so in front of him. From the corner of her eye she could see him smirk as he quickly shuffled off towards the outside to deliver the purchases to their driver that was waiting for their return.

"I'm not dawdling and oogling!" She practically shouted it, though the rosy coloration of her cheeks clearly described otherwise. "Just be silent!"

The girl stammered off towards the car, just a ways behind the boy, shaking her head violently in anger. "You're such a dullard I swear!"

As Jamie took her seat back in the car she waived to the boy who still wore that same grin as he handed the driver the two girl's items before turning back to head inside. He took one last look back towards she and Aela, and then strolled inside to clean up the mess that had been left in their wake. That was something she was quite accustomed to doing. Making a mess of things was something she was so proficient at she could likely list it on a resume.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela didn’t respond, that would have meant losing the argument. Instead she simply strolled out of the shop and headed towards the speeder. She moved as a Queen would, her back straight, head held high, eyes level. She moved with a certain sort of grace that would make people wonder who she was.

At least that was the goal.

The driver opened the door to the speeder, shifting the boxes he held and allowing Aela to step inside with the same liquid grace. She scooted herself into place at the end of the limousine, paying no real attention to the boy or Jamie.

Instead her eyes shifted through the windows on the opposite side of the speeders, peering up towards the buildings in the distance. Most of them, were simple residential apartment buildings, but some were offices or all together empty. She tried to see if anyone was standing, watching, but once again she spotted nothing.

An odd sort of pit began to form in her stomach.

Where they there? If not, why had they left? They were questions she very much would have liked answers to.