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"Yes, this is just the sort of thing I would be wearing while fighting." Maul tended to go for tops that were a little bit tighter on top and tended to show off quite a bit of skin but for his pants he preferred them to be loose given how his fighting style revolved quite a bit around the kicks he performed.

He nodded at the mention of fabric. "This will work. Perhaps some designs at the bottom reminiscent of my tattoos?" He gestured to the black tattoos on his face. They were symmetrical and done with care, though there was a certain wildness and tribal aspect to them as well.

At the mention of his tattoos, the owlbear sweeps to meet him face-to-face, so they can get a better peek at those tattoos of his. Without warning, there's a shimmer of glitter floating mid-air behind Rue's shoulder before a golden parchment and quill poof into existence. Immediately, the quill begins scribbling at the paper, taking notes of the man's preferences before it sketches out exactly how the tattoos might be placed on the pants, all the while the owlbear themself is nodding eagerly.

"Absolutely! In black against the orange? I think that would be very fierce."

Edited 2024-03-30 23:25 (UTC)

There wasn't so much as a blink of surprise that crossed Maul's face when the parchment and quill simply appeared from thin air. At this point in his life, it took a lot more than that for Maul to be caught off-guard by what went on around him.

"Tattoos among my people have great significance," Maul explained. "We are given them by our mothers for the first few years of life. Only when they are deemed to be complete are the males sent to live with the rest of the Nightbrothers. They can tell you certain things if you know how to interpret them, like when and where a person was born and basic personality traits." Maul was very proud of being a Nightbrother and it showed in his tone. Reconnecting with his culture and his past had been very important for him for the last six years or so.

A gift given by their mothers? Silly as it is, that draws the owlbear's attention right back to the conversation, their interest lighting up in their luminous eyes.

"Would it be terribly rude of me to ask what yours meant? They are so incredibly beautiful. But please, if it is private, you may tell me off immediately!"

"No, it is alright." Not that many people showed interest in his culture and it was also refreshing not hear someone making a snarky comment about how his mother should have tattooed him with ones that meant 'psychopathic murderer' if she was going for accuracy on her son's. "Both Nightbrothers and Nightsisters have them, though the sisters have less of them. You might have seen one here named Merrin. You'll be able to see how different our tattoos are."

He pointed to the main hourglass marking that had two smaller ones next to it. "These ones signify which year and month I was born on the Dathomirian calendar. The two on the forehead, here and here--" He gestured to the squiggly markings. "--Show I am the eldest of the three blood brothers I have. And this one--" He rolled up a sleeve to show off some of the markings on his left forearm. "--This one signifies that I have a brave and determined spirit." He grinned a little. "I think my mother might have given me that one because I was so insistent she keep my little brother. Sickly kits are usually left to die in the wilderness but I loved Savage so much I would not hear of it. I wanted my brother around even if he was not strong. And I was my mother's favorite, so she often gave into what I wanted."

"Merrin," Rue repeats softly, memorizing the name for later. "I have not met a Merrin here in this land yet, but if I ever do, I will have to mention our association."

They follow along with his gesturing, watching as the man points out each one. The hourglass, the squigglies, each one a significant mark from his life, a beautiful tapestry of who he was.

"As a mother, I can only confirm that. It is so very hard to deny our children anything. Though I would never pick a favorite!" Rue says while absolutely having a favorite son.

"She looks far different than me. White skin, some tattoos on her face, and pale hair. There is a great deal of dimorphism between the two Zabrak sexes." So much so they almost looked like two different species instead of being related at all.

"There have been many things I am unsure about in my life. But my mother's love was never one of them." Talzin had lied or omitted the truth when it came to her son many times but Maul never had doubt her love was a genuine thing, especially when he compared it to the fake kind Sidious had shown him. "She flouted generations of tradition in order to keep me near her and did not care what others thought. Since having Savage around made me happy, it made her happy as well."

"She sounds wondrous." Loving and kind, but headstrong as well. Someone who knew exactly what they wanted and always was certain to get it. Someone whose children never once doubted her love for them.

They can only hope their own children look back on them with such fondness when they are older. Rue will do everything they can to not be their own feral mother.

"What kind of clothing did she like to wear? Any significant color or fabric?"

"She was," Maul agreed. "I would have liked to learn much from her but--" There was a heavy sigh full of old pain. "--It was not meant to be." He was certain Talzin had meant for him to learn of her magicks and eventually rule the entire population of Nightkin, things that were usually reserved only for Nightsisters. But Talzin had never been one much to follow tradition, not with how smart and cunning she was.

Maul's melancholy lessened at Rue's question. He thought for a moment before he gave his answer to them. "A more reserved version of the usual Nightsister garb. A number of them wear outfits that are a bit more...on the revealing side. Usually in red or black. She was always clothed in long, form-fitting red robes from head to toe, with only her face and hands showing. Long parts of the cloth flowed off her shoulders and down past her waist. I think she used magick to make them do that."

Any tale of a mother being separated from their children is going to hit Rue more than they ever thought it possible before they became a mother, but besides the small flash of sadness to their features, they do well to hide it, so that poor Maul does not have to be subject to their emotional response.

Clearly, it still hurts him to an extent.

"What if I also created something for you honoring your mother? My treat, of course. We shall call it a two-for-one special, if my son gets too nosy."

Rue's generous offer made Maul smile softly at them. "You will soon have me as a repeat customer with the way things are going. I would like that very much. Perhaps something that flows as well, with a bit of magic to make it move even when I am not?"

Clearly, this was something he'd thought about at least once or twice before. His mother had been on his mind a lot these past six years. The pain of her dying had lessened but would never truly go away, especially since she'd sacrificed herself to save his life.

Getting his easy agreement at the offer, plus his own added ideas on how to make it work even better, Rue positively preens with delight.

"Keep coming back and I will have to give you the customer loyalty discount! Oh, I adore that idea. Let me take a few days to make a few sketches and I'll send them to you for approval."

Maul is not good at reading people but even he could tell this had put Rue in their happy place. He knew it was satisfying when your work was something that could also bring you joy. He felt the same way being a teacher, especially now that he was officially working at the schools here in Folkmore.

"Very well. That sounds good to me. Shall we discuss how many Spoons now or then?" At least it was easy enough to gather enough Lore to pay for objects such as this. A far easier way than it was in his own galaxy, where he'd gotten used to stealing or intimidating people into giving him their money so that he'd have enough to survive on.

It's a perfect read on Rue. As much as they love event planning, there is just something so joyful about being able to dress others in clothing they enjoy.

"Then would be perfect. I'll have a better approximation of the costs of fabric and if I must order out of the shop. But I promise, I won't leave you waiting for very long."

Maul gave a slow nod. "Then I shall make sure I have plenty of Lore when I return." Much as he didn't like interacting with people for the most part, he had enough friends and people he found tolerable to be able to stand to be around them long enough to gain some Spoons.

"Is there anything else you need from me or shall I leave you to it?" Maul asked Rue.

Not to worry, Rue undercharges like crazy. Just don't tell their sons.

"Unless you might like to stay for tea, of which you are welcome to, that is all the information I need for now."

Maul hesitated for a moment. On the one hand, he wasn't much for socializing even at the best of times. On the other, Rue had already proven to be tolerable company, which was as good as it sometimes got for Maul when it came to interacting with people. So after a moment he said: "I am very fond of tea. I shall stay."

The smile in Rue's eyes is just shining when he agrees.

"Excellent! Please make yourself comfortable and I will get us our tea."

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