A/N: I got burned out hence this stalled, but my writing candle is back, alive and burning! This chapter should've been longer but I felt like I've delayed too long...but since this was chopped there are two more chapters. What! Anyway, I thank you so much for such wonderful reviews and to those who waited, your patience.
The monastery welcomed Janiris in a subdued manner different from other asari worlds. After all, celebrating a festival that sung of harvest and more dangerously, fertility, in a community that advocated celibacy was ill-advised. Nonetheless, the year's harvest was incredibly fat and Gallae, nearing her seven-hundredth year, felt gracious enough and acceded to the mob's clamor for festivities. A tiny program and banquet might not seem much but to many of the socially-starved pupils of the monastery, it was the event of the decade. Under the watchful eye of the staff, most students chatted freely while the brave or foolhardy, dared a fleeting touch or two. The latter didn't go unnoticed, of course, but the staff turned a blind-eye for the moment; tomorrow would see the largest issuance of demerits and citations in a long while. Only the most flagrant trespasses would be noticed, for tonight, even the most serious of seniors were determined to enjoy themselves.
It was no small wonder then, in this most selfish of crowds, that a pair of performers, Falere and Rila, commanded everyone's attention. Falere was seated by a lyre, dressed in a simple, sleeveless white gown which allowed ease in playing. Rila was dressed similarly so, except that she was wearing a floral wreath over her head and had a corsage around her wrist.
"Are those...Justicar Samara's daughters?" asked one of the newer students to no one in particular.
"Yes," replied an older student seated beside her, one of the sisters' peers. "That is Rila; Matriarch Enta had gone here just to watch her perform the orison for Piares. And that one is Falere. A composition of hers was adopted by Sharblu."
The freshman seemingly ignored the citations and instead, gushed, "My, they're even lovelier in person!"
"'In person'?"
"They're somewhat celebrities among...you know," the newcomer shrugged. "They're cited in the welcome program."
"Shush," ordered another from a row ahead of the pair. "It's beginning."
The freshman and senior, along with the crowd, hushed as the lights dimmed. Falere heralded the performance with eight, fast notes. Rila followed soon after; a graceful step forward then a swivel of her arm, the knot of flowers around her arm trailing in an arc. Vivacious melodies from Falere's lyre were matched by her sister's movements; a step here, a twirl there, Rila's motions mimicked a farmer's toil though with choreographed elegance. It was an ode and dance dedicated to Janiri, the patron of harvest. The audience watched, enthralled. The tempo and steps had progressed from lively to mellow before the freshman gathered enough breath for her next question.
"Is true that they are...you know. Bonded?"
"From whom did you hear that? Wait, don't answer," the senior said irately. "Just so you know that rumor is years old. Goddess, they've even have to move rooms!"
"Oh, I was simply asking," the younger one replied and once again trained on the performance.
Rila glided across the stage; her small and brisk steps nigh unnoticeable, given the fluidity of her motions. The trail of floral ribbons followed her path and like Rila, in perfect cadence with Falere's song, whose expert fingers danced on the lyre with just as much grace as her sister's. Soon, a string of high and fevered notes heralded the song's climax as Falere's fingers became a blur on the instrument. Rila flitted back to her sister's side, her arcs and turns becoming faster and detailed. The audience looked on in hushed awe, collectively gasping as a grandiose flourish from both sisters ended the performance.
Silence ensued as the sisters took more than a moment to catch their breath, their faces and motions betraying none of exhaustion their performance must have caused. Rila recovered first, holding out a hand to Falere. The younger sister took it with a gracious smile, curtsying as she rose. Their eyes met, fleeting, before with joined hands, acknowledged the crowd with an elegant bow. Just as gracious were the audience; rising and gifting the sisters with lively applause. Flowers, wreaths, and entire bouquets were tossed unto the stage. It was as rowdy as the cloistered community could ever see, remember, or allow. Still, through the thunderous clapping, the freshman ribbed,
"Though you have to agree, they are rather lovely together."
The senior rolled her eyes, then sighed. The shaking of her head was belied by a tiny smile.
"Very."
"Oh your playing last evening was wonderful, simply wonderful, Miss Falere!"
"I used to think live performances were passe but yours, Miss! It was simply-!"
"Oh, you girls flatter me so," Falere said with a wave of her hand, smiling tightly for the small horde hounding her, unwilling to leave her alone even in the hallway. No small feat, considering the large boxes she had in each arm. Apparently, none of her fawning admirers were gracious enough to offer help. A matron on the opposite side of the hallway eyed them warily but only Falere seemed affected. Placating words were being rehearsed in Falere's mind when Rila, with her own band of fans, exited from a nearby classroom. The sisters smiled as their eyes met. Their groupies, meanwhile, grew wilder as they acknowledged both sisters' presence.
"You give us too much credit," Rila said as she moved next to Falere, taking some of latter's burdens upon her and added, "Though if anyone is deserving of it is my sister here. A true artisan." Her faction immediately voiced genuine protests while Falere's halfheartedly disagreed.
Falere, meanwhile, shook her head at the praise. "False modesty is still bragging, Sister," she remarked with a smirk.
"Is it?" Rila asked wide-eyed in feigned surprise, her humor nonetheless betrayed by her tone. "My, I must be quite the braggart then," she added with a hand to her chest. Both factions of fans looked to each sister, either fawning or seething at the display. Falere obviously cared not as she retorted,
"Biggest I've ever met. You should be like me," Falere declared further, smiling with a hand to her breast, "Graciously indulgent."
"Or openly boastful," Rila chided.
"Alright, girls, enough," chided the matron, finally inserting herself into the crowd, "Time to move on to your classes." The troupe's protests came as a loud groan but nonetheless complied, breaking up without another word. The sisters were about to leave as well but the sharp look from the matron gave them pause. She stepped close to the pair and whispered imperiously, "Your...exceptional, talents notwithstanding, do not forget yourselves."
Rila, calm and collected, only nodded with a smile. Falere, as unruly as a cloistered maiden could, frowned but accepted the reminder with a nod. The matron nodded as well and stepped back, smiling in apparent satisfaction. The sisters then moved on, the matron's piercing eyes hounding their every action. As they trudged onwards the hallway with mindful distance and eyes ahead, Falere mentioned absently, "The box is for the gallery."
Rila only nodded.
They reached the end of the hall without another word, though their fingers brushed as they went their separate ways.
Falere fell on the bed on her stomach, exhausted from the day's trappings. She never thought it possible but her cheeks hurt from smiling too much. Biotics didn't help either; they had progressed to warp fields and the mere thought of the quantum physics behind it made her head hurt. Asari may be naturally-talented biotics but they weren't natural talented mathematicians, or was she an exception? Falere had to smirk at the thought, remembering Rila, perfectionist that she was, also had trouble with quantum physics.
Rila.
Thoughts of her sister's touch filled Falere's mind. She rolled on her back and looked at her hand, the one which brushed against Rila's earlier and tried to remember the feathery feeling. Fleeting touches were all the sisters were reduced to these days; a brush of contact here and there, the most intimate they could dare was the twining of their fingers and hands. Though Falere loathed performing before a crowd as she had in the festival, the touch of Rila's hand without worries of demerits or rumors certainly made it worth the effort. Her eyes closed as she recalled the warmness of Rila's palm, the softness of unblemished skin, the shape of her fingers. A flash of her sister's yearning gaze in her mind filled her with warmness and want that had become familiar, making her groan loudly in frustration; want may be familiar but relief wasn't. Neither was she willing to satisfy it; Falere was fairly acquainted with her kind's persuasion once stimulated.
Thus, with a sigh, Falere hauled herself off the bed and proceeded to a covered canvas; a necessary precaution should the floor warden conduct an inspection. Not that it was anything risque; Falere pulled the cloth off the canvas, revealing a portrait of Rila. The details of the body and background were already penciled out, depicting Rila perched upon a windowsill and looking towards the scenery. It was far from finished, obviously; the only thing painted was Rila's face, set in its customary serenity. A small smile marked the painted features.
Falere took a moment to survey her handiwork, plotting the details she would accomplish tonight as she prepared her palette. She had decided to make the portrait years ago but it was only recently she had begun actual work; she had busied herself with more mundane pieces, mostly still life, bunches of plump fruits and intricately detailed flowers.
Very detailed fruits and flowers.
All of which were azure.
Falere sighed at the remembrance; she just had to channel her frustrations unto canvas. As cleverly disguised as her works were, Rila still understood the sensuality beneath the pieces. The younger sister still became flustered whenever Rila threw her that amused look when art enthusiasts sang praises of her 'genius' or other silly mention. She bit her lip as she smirked, dipping her brush into water and began to mix the colors into that darling shade of blue, pushing all thoughts aside as she concentrated on her task. It took her long enough to start on this project and she would make sure it would be perfect. It featured Rila after all.
Oh, if only the enthusiasts knew; the so-called genius was just a maiden in love.
Falere watched the somber scene with a mask of indifference; a young asari, couldn't be more than thirty, flanked by two asari matrons. By the sorrow on the matrons' faces Falere easily concluded they were the parents. The young asari was handling it better though, perusing the facilities with wide-eyed curiosity and even smiled at Falere as she passed by her. Given the girl's plight, Falere couldn't help but return the gesture; the least she could do was make her feel welcome. Her eyes followed the trio until they disappeared into an elevator.
"That's the fifth one this month," sighed Jethra from behind Falere as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Falere nodded and asked, "And twentieth this year, am I correct?"
"Yes. You'd think our people would know better by now," Jethra added with a shake of her head. Falere kept mum but knew what she meant; more than half of the monastery's population were pure-bloods. Jethra pulled up a floor plan of what Falere recognized as the dormitories. "If this keeps up I'm afraid we might run out of rooms," the superintendent lamented.
"We have a surplus of funding for new facilities, do we not?" Falere queried.
"The problem is finding a suitable site," Jethra replied as she walked to the nearest window and gestured to the scenery of inhospitable mountain tops and forests. "On top of that hurdle, this planet's uninhabited areas are notorious for virulent viruses and plant life. I suppose we could renovate the insulated storage rooms adjoining the dorms..." Jethra mused as she punched more buttons on the omni-tool. Not looking to Falere, she asked, "You've taken industrial design, correct?"
"No, you may be referring to Helsae."
"Very well, I'll ask her to draw up plans," Jethra said, keying in her notes as she became immersed in her project. "I hope I can count on you for the interior," the matron said absently.
"Of course, Jethra," Falere piped as she brought a hand to her chest, bowing. "Anything for our home."
Falere hadn't expected it to turn out like this. When she and Rila were summoned to Gallae's office, paranoia had taken over and she had believed that their mutual fancy had been discovered. Though Rila maintained her impassive exterior, Falere could have felt her sister's panic from Thessia and back. There was only one way it could end, of course. Falere only wished she could have consummated the relationship. At least it was a sweeter way to die.
So when the words spilled from Gallae's mouth, Falere could only stare. The words bounced in her head for a long while before it sunk in.
"After careful deliberation, I have decided that you two should go back to sharing a room."
Much to Rila's credit, her poise did not waver, even managing curiosity. "What brought this on, Matriarch?" she asked.
Gallae sighed in reply as she scrolled through a datapad. "As you already know, we have an influx of new arrivals and Thessia's taking longer to approve reintegration candidates." Turning to Falere, the matriarch furthered, "Even when the re-purposed rooms are complete, the newcomers would be forced to reside in the Great Hall and that wouldn't do."
Falere swallowed her anxiety, along with the dryness in her throat. It was only then she found her voice. "Y-you're not concerned with...?" Falere asked but trailed off when she realized she was afraid of learning the answer.
The matriarch needed no further prompting. "Honestly, I separated you to allay the rumors, not because I thought it to be true. Yanis's actuation was simply too ridiculous to cause concern," she answered in that clinical manner she often used.
"And yet our peers believed it," Falere muttered.
Surprisingly, both Falere's seniors merely chuckled at the aside. "Indeed they have. Perhaps if they took to heart Matriarch Dilinaga's lessons on objectivity and restraint, they might be less inclined to believe rumors," related Gallae as she perched her chin on the back of her hand, smirking as she eyed Falere. Predictably, it caused Falere to shift uncomfortably on her seat and look to her lap instead; she was among those alluded to by Gallae. Fortunately, Gallae turned back to her notes, her mind obviously on different matter as she said, "Well, the rumor is mostly dead and Yanis is behaving. Given your exemplary conduct, I daresay you also earned it. The extra space is merely a consequence."
As customary, the sisters waited for their senior's dismissal. When none came, they rose from their seat and dipped their head in reverence, each saying their farewell. Gallae smiled and bowed back; a casual gesture for someone of her rank. They were about to leave the spacious office when Gallae remarked,
"And I forgot to mention, stay in Falere's room. We could carve three rooms from Rila's quarters." The sisters voiced their assent before exiting the office.
"So much for 'merely a consequence'," Falere piped as soon as they were beyond earshot.
"It was the proper thing to say, regardless of the truth," Rila supplied with a smile in her tone. Falere looked to her sister and met her eyes. Instead of the usual yearning, Falere found bashfulness and realized it was a mutual feeling. Their locked gazes broke just as a blush filled both their features. "I hope you've stopped snoring," Rila whispered as their pace slowed.
"I could say the same thing of you," Falere mumbled almost unintelligibly; her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She did not notice Rila fall behind her until the latter's cough caught her attention. She turned back and saw Rila thumbing to the elevator.
"I'll go and fetch my belongings," Rila declared, back to her composed self; a good thing too, for the elevator opened and revealed the stern matron from days before. They bowed in greeting to the matron who readily returned the gesture and waited for her to disappear before further speaking.
"Do you need help?" Falere asked, waving a hand over the elevator's green interface. The doors hissed open.
"I can manage," Rila declined with a shake of her head as she stepped into the elevator. Her eyes followed the group of giggling maidens passing behind Falere. "My old bed is still there, correct?" she asked amiably.
"Yes, I've kept it clean," Falere mumbled again. She'd rather not think of beds at the moment.
"'Clean' is such a relative term," Rila sighed, though the smile on her face belied the sound. Falere didn't need her talents to see the mischief in her sister's eyes. When the elevator started to buzz in alarm for being open too long, Falere had to step back. "I'll see you at lights off," Rila managed to say before the doors closed completely.
