Private A good time to talk

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

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After a good talk with Iris in the apartment she shared with Briana, Valery felt it was something worth repeating. They spent a lot of time training together and had their missions, but they hadn't spent enough time to just talk freely without the pressure of Jedi training and duties weighing them down. So in an attempt to fix that, Valery had sent Iris an invitation to her apartment on Empress Teta.​

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For most of the day, Valery kept herself busy with cooking so she could serve her Padawan a meal that would likely taste better than a re-heated pizza. But once that was all wrapped up, she changed into some more comfortable clothing and sat down on the couch to wait for her arrival. Kahlil was currently away with Vera so they'd have the apartment just for them.​

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Valery wasn't sure what they'd talk about yet, but it would be relaxing and good for both of them either way.​

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[Iris Arani]

Oh.

Right.

Iris had never been here before. She blinked, staring over the apartment complex. It was.. Much better than the building Briana and Iris lived in. Not a slum, sorta thing. Yeah, nice. That was a word for it. The Padawan smiled as she walked up the steps, idly glancing around to see just who else might live there. Not literally, just peeking through the colors. Yeah, it was a nice place. People were pretty calm here. Still the usual wash of colors from the differing emotions, but.. Not bad.

Bright.

She'd enter the apartment after a short knock, glancing around.

"I'm here, master."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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Hearing the knocking on the door, Valery looked up from her datapad and set it aside on the couch when Iris stepped into the apartment. It wasn't a really big place, but it had everything she needed with her family, and Valery had of course made sure that it felt warm and cosy.​

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"I'm right here, Iris." Valery stood up and moved around the couch to greet her Padawan in the hallway. It had been a little bit since their last talk, so she was very happy to see the young woman again.​

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"Come on in, and I hope you've been well?" She asked while she hoped that Iris would follow her into the apartment, "Anything I can get you? Something to drink or eat?"​

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[Iris Arani]

She smiled briefly. Bowed her head to Valery Noble . Shook her head at the offer of food and drink. Iris was neither hungry or thirsty at the moment. But.. As cozy as the place was and as casually dressed as her master could be, Iris was immediately met with the reality that she had no idea how to think about this encounter. Was this really a master and apprentice meeting like their missions? A thing to relax in together?

The younger girl just walked in and awkwardly found a place to sit.

"I've been well."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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Valery nodded and walked over to the couch, where she first moved the datapad away to a smaller table, before sitting down herself. Her gaze shifted to Iris, who seemed a bit awkward. Not entirely unexpected — this was the first time being invited over to the apartment.​

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"I'm glad that you're doing well." she said with her usual smile.​

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"I figured that we should spend a bit more time together outside training and assignments. The talk we had in your apartment was nice, so now it's my time to be a good host, hm?" she chuckled and looked over at the kitchen. "You're also free to stay here for dinner later this evening. I prepared more than enough."​

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[Iris Arani]

"Mm, it was nice. We don't talk much." Iris nodded slowly, watching Valery Noble for a moment. The colors, at least. The Padawan would smile again as she wandered off to the living room to plop down, letting herself relax. As best she could. Honestly, she wasn't sure how to relax here in another's home. Huh. Now that she thought about it, this was her first time in someone else's home.

Whatever attempt at relaxing was shattered as she sat right up, rigid. Manners. Those were important, right? Wait, what were manners? Immediately Iris was in a subtle panic, trying to look calm all the while.

"U.. Um.. How's Vera..?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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"Not much outside of training and lessons, no." Valery admitted, and she clearly felt a little bad about it. There was a time where she was far more distant from people, and every minute spent with her Padawans was solely focused on training. But she had changed so much, especially after her stasis, and wanted to be better about it.​

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"But I'd like to change that a little." She said as she watched Iris sit down on the couch. At first, she seemed to plop down and relax but rather quickly, the young woman stiffened up and Valery blinked.​

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"Vera? Oh she's doing great. Out and about with her dad at the moment." Valery chuckled but continued to observe the way Iris was behaving. Was it too awkward to visit your Master's home maybe? She wasn't quite sure but really hoped it wasn't making Iris too uncomfortable to be here.​

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"Is... everything alright? I know this is probably new but make yourself at home and relax." she said with a warm smile, hoping confrontation wasn't just going to make this worse.​

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[Iris Arani]

"Things are fine." Iris nodded once. Firmly. Things were fine. This was fine. She just needed to be more.. Courteous? Ah, she really should've paid more attention to Briana Sal-Soren 's lectures on etiquette. She stayed sitting upright, adopting a more relaxed smile. Posture, poise. Uh.. What else..? Should there be tea or- No, no. Now she was thinking of a show.

Iris deflated after a moment, then laughed. A small laugh with an even smaller smile.

"I don't think I know how to relax with you."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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The corners of Valery's lips tugged up into a faint smile, but there was an underlying sadness in the way she looked. Not that Iris' words hurt her, but they brought back some memories of her past. Valery was quite a charismatic woman now, but it hadn't always been like that. Kahlil was currently figuring that out too.​

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"I can't say I blame you," Valery admitted after a moment.​

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"The Jedi were very different when I grew up and went through my training. The relationship between a Master and their Padawan was really... formal and I think I adopted that. I never really learned to relax either." she chuckled a little now. "Even now I am not that good at it."​

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Valery leaned back into the couch and raised a hand up through her hair, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "I'm not entirely sure how to change that."​

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[Iris Arani]

"That does explain why you're usually talking so.. Rigidly." Iris nodded slowly, smiling still. Thinking about it, she knew very little about her master. She was pregnant. Getting married. Seemed to like to cook? Maybe. Maybe.. The Padawan turned a bit, nodding her head again to her inner thoughts. That would work, probably.

"What do you like to do for fun?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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Rigidly?​

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Valery let out a soft breath and thought about it for a moment. Not whether it was true or not, but more so if others would feel the same way? Was she just rigid and formal with her Padawans and other Jedi, or would her friends and family feel similarly? With a shake of her head, she snapped back to the present and looked at Iris.​

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"Yeah, you're right." she smiled faintly and brought a hand up through her hair while she thought about the question. "Most of my free time, I spend with my family, which I love of course. But I do enjoy cooking, singing a little and I used to read more. But I don't have as much time for it anymore."​

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"Other than that, I train a lot as well but I'm not sure if I'd always call that... fun." she chuckled and realized that none of it probably sounded overly impressive. But she was quite fond of her life, especially when she could be with her family or her Padawans.​

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"What are you and Briana up to these days? Outside of training, that is." she asked to shift the conversation to her Padawan a little as well. Valery never liked talking about herself that much.​

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[Iris Arani]

"Nothing, really. Some.. Girl talk I guess? Mostly about.." Well, about what? Iris blinked. Then shrugged. Honestly, they talked about anything and everything, not one thing in particular.

"She seems happy though. She's usually hanging out with a close friend, and I'm usually painting. Can't say I'm doing much else though."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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Valery chuckled, "Sometimes I wish I had more girl talk when I was younger, but I'm glad you both get along well enough for it. And if you two are happy, that really means a lot to me." she offered a faint smile and brought a hand up through her hair, tucking it aside some.​

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"And as long as painting stays fun, you don't really need any other hobbies. Unless you've tried some other things?"​

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[Iris Arani]

"Mm. Paintings really it for my hobbies. It's.. Peaceful." She nodded once, smiling a little more brightly. Talking about painting always brought a smile to Iris's face. Though, it didn't offer much for a conversation, at least, not with Valery Noble . Not in the Padawan's mind. She frowned for a moment, thinking more on just what they could talk about together. What she could say to her master and such.

"Have you ever regretted being a Jedi?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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"A few times," Valery said with a much colder tone than she had used before. Part of her wanted to avoid explaining it further but perhaps it was good for Iris to know a little more about her Master. So after taking a sharp breath, she looked at Iris again.​

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"Being a Jedi has brought me a lot of pain. I've lost two Padawans during their training and killed one myself who had fallen too far and would have otherwise harmed younglings. I was there when my own Master was brutally murdered by Sith and out on the battlefields of the old wars, I watched as the coffin containing the first person I ever developed feelings for was brought back into the base to be shipped home." She paused and frowned a little.​

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"But everything that is good in my life also came from being a Jedi. The Padawans that did make it through training, yourself and Briana, my family. All of that and my desire to help people have kept me going. It's why I don't ever really regret my decision."​

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[Iris Arani]

There was a lot of hurt in what Valery Noble was explaining. More than Iris figured her Master to have had to go through. A Jedi's life was one of pain and sacrifice. That's what she'd been learning as of late. But.. It meant sparing others from it, right? Iris frowned a little as she pulled her knees to her chest, retreating into her own thoughts. "I don't think I ever have. Even after the train. I just.. I guess I don't know a life where I'm not a Jedi, so how can I regret being a Jedi?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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"You shouldn't regret it," Valery said with a gentle smile. She was actually quite proud that Iris didn't feel hesitant about her choice, even after the train. She was a Jedi through and through, and all were quite like that. Valery herself hadn't always really been like that.​

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"The fact that I did a few times... I'm not quite happy about." Valery admitted. "Being a Jedi is a big part of who we are — we help people and no matter what happens, we should always keep doing it."​

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[Iris Arani]

"But what about people who need our help, but don't want it?" Ah, there it was. Iris blinked in surprise at what she blurted out, but it was a question she hadn't realized she wanted to ask. Her vision shifted, turning down to the floor and away from Valery Noble . All she could think of was Thalia Senn . The anger and anguish. The pain of the kyber that she twisted.

"How do we reach those who'd rather throw us off a train?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Apartment​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Iris Arani ​

Wearing: clothing​

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"You can't help or change someone entirely from one moment to another, completely against their will," Valery said and quickly, it almost felt like this was turning into a lesson again. But it was a good topic to talk about, so she didn't shift the conversation away and continued.​

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"But you might be able to plant a small seed that can open them up further to listening and accepting. All you have to do is be patient and persistent, but also careful. Don't rush or pressure too much, but don't give up on them quickly either." Valery said with a soft smile as she leaned back.​

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"It's a balance you have to find but also understand there are times when you truly can't help someone. If your desire to help one person endangers or destroys the lives of many others, are you really doing the right thing?" The question didn't really need to be answered — it was just something to think about.​

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[Iris Arani]

Like a seed? Iris nodded slowly, letting herself think more on it. Maybe that would be the best thing to do. Wait, hope that Thalia might eventually listen. Come back from the dark that had taken hold. Maybe it'd work. The Padawan let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment before nodding again. Smiling.

"So.. What are you planning on cooking?"