It was good to hear most of their loved ones, particularly Neta and Yerbol’s parents, opting to stay the night in various available guest lodgings on Zinuthra rather than catching the very next transport off-world. The ceremony had been, despite all the stress, very pleasant. Neta had outdone herself when it came to the catering arrangement, the quality of dinner far surpassing the expectations Aria had subconsciously set. Like Yerbol, Aria was left incredibly puzzled by Neta’s cryptic message. When Yerbol frowned down at her and asked if she knew what the redhead had meant, the Champion simply shrugged and mumbled.
“I don’t know….very strange.” leaning into her partner’s side as he slipped an arm around her waist and suggested that they spend a considerable amount of time lying around like good-for-nothings in order to recuperate.
The half hour between the end of the celebrations and them finally arriving back at their room seemed to last forever. If it hadn’t been so restricting, she might have even considered just flopping onto the covers and sleeping in the dress (that, and the thought of the lecture she’d get in the morning for getting it creased, of course). As it was, she was very much glad to finally get out of the darn thing.
“I’m going to change. ” she mumbled to her partner, who had a MUCH easier time of shedding his formal apparel than she did, leaving the other Champion to make use of the bathroom while she worked on wiggling out of her dress and into her usual comfier sleep clothes. When the door was shut, she could have sworn she heard voices speaking though couldn’t quite make out who they belonged to at first. Before she could ask if Yerbol had been calling to her, she heard him ask her the same question. Frowning, Aria responded.
“...No! Did you?” though she wasn’t sure he had heard the question.
“Forgotten what my voice sounds like already, boy?” the voice this time around was clearer as it spoke to the Champion again, and unmistakably Roan’s. “I’m offended.” the Sith Lord’s apparition once again shimmered into view, his eyes just as sharp and cat-like as ever despite being slightly less pigmented and closer to their natural slate grey colour than they had been when he was alive, arms crossed over his chest to convey his apparent annoyance.
“I had expected you to have the courtesy to ask for my blessing first, Yerbol.” when the Champion responded with a slack jaw and an awkward stutter, Roan rolled his eyes and smirked, following up immediately with:
“Although I suppose not all of us have the luxury of summoning the dead at our leisure, eh?”
Roan paused as Aria’s voice, tinged with confusion, called from behind the bathroom door.
“Bol? Who are you talking to? Couldn’t they at least KNOCK before creeping in unannounced like that?”
Leaning (or floating?) closer, the deceased Sith Lord growled firmly.
“Just thought I would drop by to check up on both of you. I’m holding you to that promise, boy.” a ghostly finger was jabbed in Yerbol’s direction as Roan affirmed: “You had better take damn good care of her, or I promise you, you will find yourself in possession of a personal poltergeist for the rest of your life!” Roan’s features spread into his usual sharp-toothed grin (which Aria had inherited, the resemblance shared between the father and daughter in such a small gesture was uncanny). “And I don’t mean me. I mean her MOTHER. And trust me, that is something you do NOT want. That woman can nag the ears off of a Loth cat, make no mistake.”
“Bol?” Aria called again, the bathroom door whooshing open as Roan’s spirit dissipated with a final nod in his daughter’s direction. “Is everything okay?” she frowned, squinting as she plopped down next to him and rubbed her eyes, not sure what she had seen. “Was that...who I think it was?” the Champion sighed and shook her head, putting it down to being REALLY tired which was making her hallucinate...voices and apparitions. Yes, that was it. Probably. Right?
Sighing softly, she scooted closer to him, tucking herself into her usual place against his chest. “Must be seeing things...that was something I’m glad we only have to do once. I could hardly breathe in that dress.” giggling at the silliness of it all (in hindsight), she proceeded to explain the predicament of discovering the tailors had been misinformed of the measurements and the quick attempts to fix it had left the fabric a bit tighter than it SHOULD have been (which she also teased him “hadn’t been a bad thing because it had been kind of funny to watch him turn to jelly as soon as he looked at her”). Yerbol had made some other witty (and perhaps inappropriate, had they not been alone) comment in retort, which left both of them laughing until their sides ached.
“Anything of that sort of nature is going to have to wait until tomorrow. I’m far too tired now.” she smirked teasingly, planting another kiss on his lips before adjusting the pillows underneath them to a slightly more comfortable position.
“Is it weird that this feels...different? Even though it’s not really…” she mumbled, eyes fixed on the ceiling. “I kind of got used to sleeping with you holding me.” a faint flush of colour came to Aria’s cheeks as she mumbled. “Couldn’t sleep at all when you weren’t here.” she slipped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I really meant it. I’m not ever leaving you like that again, and don’t you DARE ask me to, you hear?”
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