Private After Party

[Corazona von Ascania]

The days that followed Cora's engagement party had been…tense.

Not only had she been caught off guard by the fact that her father had accepted this proposal on her behalf, but the Alliance's response had been…colorful.

Which was the diplomatic way of putting it, she supposed.

Now she was back on Coruscant, dressed in Padawan robes as if nothing had happened. There was some strangely comforting dissonance in that no matter how much her life had been turned upside down, the sun still rose and fell over Coruscant as it had for millennia.

Sat in one of the temple's many identical training rooms, Cora struggled to concentrate in her meditation. She opened one eye, a blue iris settling onto the Jedi Master opposite to her. Both women were sitting cross legged, backs straight, facing each other as they began this session with a few minutes of introspection to deepen their connection with the Force.

"So…" Cora began, lips moving before her mind could sort through the proper words. "That was…quite the party."

You idiot. Couldn't you have brought that up in a more delicate way?

She couldn't help it. Saying nothing was killing her.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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"So…"

Valery opened an eye to notice that Cora was looking her way as well. It didn't matter that she was a Jedi Master right now. she was almost equally distracted, and if it wasn't for her years of experience, she likely would have struggled with Telekinesis too. Too much had happened recently, and she felt so powerless.

Cora was like a daughter to her, so not being able to protect and help her was... impossible to handle.

"It was... something," Valery began with a sheepish smile. "Are you doing okay? I scheduled this lesson to have some distraction from everything, but I don't want to put any pressure on you right now." Valery opened her other eye and spent a moment just looking at her Padawan.

She was so proud of Cora after everything she has been through already, but true happiness always seemed to be just out of reach for the young woman.

"I uh... heard you and Maeve went on a little art trip. Vera told me about it." She smirked, hoping it would change the atmosphere a little. "Do you maybe want to show some of your drawings? I loved what you made at the Bazaar~" Was she teasing her Padawan already? Maybe, but it was also a way for Valery to not bring back all the trauma of that day on Ukatis at once.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

When Valery asked if she was doing okay, Cora sighed. Her shoulders slumped. She allowed herself a few moments of slackened posture before straightening her back and shoulders once more. The Padawan offered her Master a weary smile.

"It'll be a big change, but I'll manage."

The truth was that Cora was not doing okay. She didn't know how to express it appropriately.

What Valery said next shifted the entire mood of the conversation. At least it did for Cora. Like a deer in headlights, she regarded her Master with surprise. A bright red flush ignited her cheeks, spreading down to her neck.

"Oh, uh, I, uh, yes." She stammered. "I mean n-no. I mean, we did attend the Chandrilan Institute of Arts. As students. Well, posing as students—we were after an artifact that we believe one of the professors to have acquired. So we were students. Taking classes, to, you know, fit in. Like proper art students."

"And you don't want to see any of that!" She insisted with a frantic wave of her hand. "They're…not very good. The lessons were quite boring, actually. Nothing special at all. Just bowls of fruit."

Cora's left hand frantically searched for her water bottle, pawing at the ground beside her before realizing that it has been place to her right. After unscrewing the cap, she desperately downed half of its contents.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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Valery could tell that she wasn't doing alright.

The two had already talked extensively about tradition, family, and the reasons that ultimately also resulted in the upcoming marriage. Perhaps there was more to say about it, but she still believed some distraction might be best until Cora felt ready to open up. Of course, what better distraction existed than to tease the young woman?

"Bowls of fruit, hm?" Valery kept her posture straight, but the way her lips tugged into a smirk said it all.

Mhmmmm.

"I'd actually love to see what you've made, Cora. Drawing off... references... is a very important skill to learn if you want to become a better artist." She smiled brightly and reached for her own bottle of water. Valery quietly sipped from it and kept her eyes locked on the Padawan. There was no escaping them today.

"You know I won't judge you, right? I'm just interested in your hobbies and skills." If she hadn't already been able to figure out who Vera got it from, now she'd definitely know for sure. Valery seemed so innocent, and while she wouldn't actually judge or be weird about anything, she did love to playfully mess with her Padawans.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

For a few long moments, Cora simply stared at her Master with what could only be described as mild panic. If there were any words that could get her out of this situation, she couldn't find them.

By now, Valery knew very well how susceptible her Padawan was to playful teasing.

Cora knew that she'd been trapped.

"Very well."

With a forced calm, she exhaled slowly and unwound herself from the cries-crossed position she'd assumed for more than a half hour. The ache in her legs dissipated slowly as she padded over to the far corner of the room where her bag rested. She may as well have been shuffling towards her grave.

Cora took her time rifling through her bag, pulling out a well-worn sketchbook. Clutching it with both hands, she approached Valery, leafed through the pages carefully, then flipped the pad around to display an uninspired, mediocre rendition of a bowl of fruit.

It was one of her more detailed drawings—she'd spent hours on it—and the shading was coming along decently.

"See? Just fruit. Fundamental, yet boring."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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Valery watched Cora closely.

Even without the Force, she could tell that the young woman was panicking a little after the request to see her art. Valery loved to playfully tease her Padawans, but she also knew when to quit. Cora really didn't seem to want to show her everything, so she wasn't going to pressure her.

"That looks great, Cora," Valery said encouragingly and with a smile. "Maybe one day I can commission you for something I can put up on my wall, hm?" she chuckled innocently, but there was an underlying joke there. Maybe she'd have to commission Cora for what she actually enjoyed drawing or painting.

Perhaps one day.

"But uh, did you want to continue the training? Or maybe find a nicer place to just talk?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora smiled from one corner of her mouth when Valery complimented her drawing.

"As long as you ask for a bowl of fruit."

The sketchpad was tucked back under her arm as she joked wryly. Valery was one of her closest contacts in the Jedi Order, but she still felt awkward with everything that fell unspoken between them in the wake of Ukatis.

"I suppose we should address the bantha in the room." The Padawan acquiesced with a sigh.

"The arrangement caught me off guard as much it did everyone else. In truth, I hadn't expected to become engaged for several years, at least. But my family couldn't refuse a royal proposal."

Cora shrugged. Being removed from Ukatis and having some time to come to terms with what happened had helped her frazzled mind.

"That's why I want to fit in as much training, and as many missions as I can before the wedding. Once I'm married, I'll have to leave the Jedi Order."

Saying that out loud, nonchalant as she sounded, felt hollow.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"I have better ideas, although Vera might love to see a painting of food on the wall." She chuckled but only for a moment, as she shifted the conversation to something a lot more important than teasing and art. It had been a momentary distraction to not think about everything that happened. But there was no running away from it, and avoiding it would only do more damage. She wanted and had to support her Padawan.

"We should and... it caught me off-guard as well," Valery admitted, although that was likely no surprise. "I'm sorry if we made things more difficult than it already was. I just want you to know that I'll support any decision you make, but I will also be there for you to help you make things better." She knew that just about the entire NJO wanted to help her, but she was her Padawan. There was no way she'd leave this to others. She had to help Cora, who almost felt like a daughter to her already.

But then Cora brought up having to leave the Order, and the promise to support any and all decisions felt so much heavier.

"Leave the order?" Valery frowned and looked pale for a moment, hurt in her eyes. "I... understand." She wanted to fight it, she wanted to go back to Ukatis and raise hell about it, but it wouldn't help anybody. It certainly wouldn't help Cora. "Even if you're not a Jedi anymore, Cora, I'm not going to abandon you."

"I want to help you make things better."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

It had helped Cora, so far, to speak about this as if she were removed from the situation. As if it were happening to someone else.

That was the only way she could keep her composure.

"My father did speak to me about your…meeting with him." She confirmed. "I understood that there would be harsh words, but I was surprised to learn that Master Kahlil struck him."

There had been a lot of surprises that day.

At the notion of Valery still being there for her even if she left the Order, Cora chewed at her bottom lip to keep an emotional swell at bay.

"Really?" Her voice cracked, almost in disbelief. She had to swallow down the lump in her throat to continue talking. "Thank you, Master. That means a lot to have your support in this. I think when it comes down to it, I…"

Head tilting to the side, Cora searched for the appropriate words.

"I don't really want to leave the Order. Not like this, anyway. Prince Horace is insistent that I can continue my Jedi training at the royal palace, but you and I both know that it won't be the same."

She offered a small, weak smile. One hand relinquished its grip on the sketch pad to wind into her long blonde hair.

"As unpleasant as it is, this is something that I have to do for my family and my people. Believe me, if there were another way, I'd-"

Lapsing into a sudden silence, the Padawan shook her head.

"Maybe I can act as a liaison between Ukatis and the Alliance. If only to help smooth things over. I know that arraigned marriages are not looked upon favorably by many, but it is a custom that has been apart of Ukatis for as long back as our history stretches. We have many other traditions that are more palatable. I can't help but think that the Alliance's impression of my home would be more agreeable if the engagement hadn't happened."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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"It... surprised me as well," Valery admitted. She had seen Kahlil respond aggressively before, but only when she had been hurt or seriously threatened. His love for her and their daughter was powerful, and he'd do anything to keep them safe. She knew that his protectiveness extended to fellow Jedi as well, but not to this extent.

Luckily, he had realized that he went too far as well.

Cora then seemed surprised that Valery would continue to help her, which in turn surprised Valery, "Of course. You're more than just a student to me," Valery assured her. "You mean a lot to me, Cora, and I'll do anything I can to help you." Which even meant supporting this difficult decision the young woman had to make.

Arranged marriages rubbed her the wrong way, but she knew that this part of her culture couldn't just be changed overnight. But someone like Cora could if she dedicated herself to that cause. The only question that remained, is if it was something she wanted to change.

"I'm sure you could act as a liaison, and maybe it would be good to have the Alliance learn more about your planet's culture. But..." she flashed a weak smile. "Please focus on you as well. This is hard enough as it is, so don't neglect yourself just to try and please others. Your life is more than servitude to the happiness and well-being of other people."

"I've learned the hard way that it's much easier to bring joy to the life of others when you feel good about your own life."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora could help but smile with genuine warmth at her Master. Blue eyes almost seemed to crinkle at the sides. She could tell that this wasn't easy for Valery to support—which the Padawan could not blame her for—but it still meant the galaxy to her.

There'd been a lot of dissatisfied rumblings among the Jedi, but at least they hadn't stripped her autonomy.

But, Valery's caution was noted. Cora wouldn't be able to help anyone if she didn't look after herself.

"Yeah, I…"

She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, or what was even right to say. This all felt like a big mess, and she only hoped that the path forward would become more clear as her feelings settled.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. After all, I'll be a princess."

Cora had to force a smile at that.

"Even if it's not the life I've envisioned, I'll find a way to make it work."

She had to believe it.

A heavy pause settled between them.

"Master Noble…can I ask, how did you learn the, uh, the hard way?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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Tag: Corazona von Ascania

She could easily tell the difference between the first, genuine smile, and the forced one that followed when Cora tried to reassure her that it wouldn't be that bad — that she'd find a way to make it work. Valery also hoped it, only for the sake of her Padawan, who almost felt like a daughter to her at this point. She wanted nothing more than for Cora to be happy in life, and if that meant supporting this decision, she would.

But she'd also be ready to help change things around.

A moment of silence followed, after which Cora asked a question that got her to think for a moment. "Well, it's a lesson I had to learn multiple times, but the last time stands out to me. I was training Iris and Briana at the time, and both were quite difficult to handle. It was before Vera was born but I was getting busier, I was lacking sleep and I refused to take time off, so I could keep working as a Jedi Shadow as well."

Valery rubbed the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly, "On a mission to take down some Dark Jedi or cultists, I don't remember, my exhaustion and lack of focus got me stabbed in the side by a Shikhar, a Sith blade that fragments when it stabs someone. It keeps the wound open and the fragments are not easy to remove." Once more she paused, now frowning as the later part of the memory resurfaced.

"I came home to Kahlil Noble and luckily he was able to help, but I really hated seeing him so worried. I was bleeding all over him and onto the couch and just... I knew I couldn't let that happen again. So I started to take better care of myself. It made me happier and it allowed me to work far better as a Jedi."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora listened patiently, wincing at the mention of the Shikhar—this was her first time hearing of such a weapon. Being stabbed was painful enough, and it was difficult to imagine how much worse it felt to have the wound remain open.

But that was not the point of the story. Valery had overworked herself, taken on too many tasks, and suffered a consequence that could have been fatal.

"I am glad that Master Kahlil was there to help you—but, I understand what you're saying." Cora admitted with a weary smile. "I'll try not to let it overwhelm me, and it means a lot to know that I'll have your support—and Master Kahlil's as well. It's just hard for me to predict how things will be once I'm married."

She shrugged. "I suppose you could say that I don't do well with uncertainties."

Cora didn't really know Horace, but the expectations he'd laid out so far had been rather restrictive. Maybe there would be wiggle room there, eventually.

The Padawan cleared her throat, trying to get her thoughts back on track.

"That's why I want to do as much as I can on Coruscant while I'm still here." She explained.

"I've learned so much in this last year, not just concerning the Force, but about different galactic cultures and ways of life. I want to soak up all of the…Jedi-ness."

Cora blanked, putting a thumb and forefinger to her chin. Then she frowned.

Jedi-ness?

"Hm, that didn't sound right."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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"I'm not good with uncertainties either," Valery admitted in all honesty. It's why she had struggled so much when Kahlil decided to fall, or whenever decisions were made within the family that could turn out bad. Just the thought and uncertainty made it impossible for her to sleep at night. "But I'm glad you understand what I was trying to say. If you take good care of yourself, then that's at least one less thing to worry about, and it makes addressing other problems much easier."

Valery offered a soft smile and looked at Cora for a moment. In a lot of ways, her Padawan still reminded her of her younger self, and she knew she would have struggled in her position too. But she could also tell that Cora had the strength to always keep going, and right now, a little bit of distraction and training seemed like it'd help.

"Well, speaking of Jedi-ness..." She smirked. "Why don't you try that Force whirlwind technique we've been working on, hm?" she gestured at the pile of rocks between them.

"Focus not on the rocks and their weight, but on the air that flows around them. Manipulate it and trap the objects in the eye of the little storm you make. Force them to spin and create lift at the same time to keep them from going anywhere."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

When her attention was drawn to the pile of rocks, Cora almost exhaled the tension from her body. In one slow, controlled release of breath, her shoulders eased. She knelt down and set the sketchpad to one side before rising again, facing the task before her with newfound determination.

Valery always seemed to know what she needed. Right now, a lesson in the Force would help to distract the Padawan from the maelstrom of responsibility and emotions that seemed to be looming over her as of late.

A few steady breaths dropped Cora into a quasi-meditative state, one where she could connect more readily with the esoteric power around them. Both hands stretched out in front, she extended her senses toward the pile, focusing on manipulating the currents around the stones. The top most rocks lifted just a few inches, bobbing softly as if they were floating in the breeze.

Whirlwind was something she had practiced before with her Valery, so the feeling of shifting stones was familiar, but not yet something she had mastered. It would take concentration, but the task was not so impossible that she'd become frustrated.

Cora's hands shifted, guiding the flow of the Force around some of the larger chunks, lifting them into the air along with smaller bits of gravel. Instead of using the Force to shove or pull, it was used to cradle and support. The stones continued to rise upward, guided by Cora as she widened the berth of the funnel.

Small streams of wind were generated as a kickback, enough to ruffle the delicate pages of her sketchbook. The paper shifted, flipping back until the Force decided to reveal one particular, detailed image that Cora had drawn during her artistic pursuits on Chandrila. The one that had involved a very generously proportioned nude model.

The whirlwind stopped abruptly, rocks clattering to the ground heavily as Cora dove for the sketchbook as if it were a grenade.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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"That's it, Cora," Valery encouraged quietly as the rocks were starting to move. This wasn't their first training session to master this particular technique of Telekinesis, but she was making great progress. At this rate, she expected to be able to teach her even more advanced forms of Telekinesis that most Jedi wouldn't be ready for until knighthood.

The idea really excited her.

But what was perhaps even more exciting, was the sketchbook that suddenly flipped over onto a rather interesting page. Cora dove on top of it like her life depended on it, but Valery had already seen too much. Her eyes widened a little, her cheeks reddened and she began to chuckle, "O-oh my... that's very di- I mean, uh fruit huh?" She was grinning from ear to ear and had to fight hard to not burst out in laughter.

She could already feel Cora dying a little on the inside.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun at least with the art class. That looked great, Cora," she tried, hoping that a compliment could help let the awkwardness fade away a little.

"But my... that was something." Valery fanned herself, not because she really needed it, but purely to tease. She wouldn't be who she was if she let it slip completely.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Sprawled disgracefully on the floor after an attempt to shield Valery from some of her more questionable artistic pursuits, Cora could only gawk at her Master's reaction.

"F-fruit?!?"

She almost fainted dead away. Fortunately, the Force had other plans, and those plans involved keeping the scandalized Padawan conscious. Cora quickly scrambled upward and gathered her sketchpad into her arms, pressing it into her chest.

"I can assure you, this drawing was entirely an academic pursuit used to support our mission to recover that Sith artifact! If I hadn't put forth my best effort, our cover as art students would have been disrupted, thereby ending our task in complete and utter failure! Th-this was sanctioned by the Jedi Order!!"

Flushed from forehead to chest, Cora babbled out an explanation that just became more drawn out and frantic the longer she'd been allowed to talk.

Her blubbering ceased the moment the complement had caught up to her.

"R-really? You think that it looked great? I did spend a lot of time on the shading in order to capture the weighty girth of-"

Cora's mouth snapped shut and she shook her head violently.

"I-I fear that, ah, that last exercise winded me so. Perhaps I shall go lay down in my room for a while. Yes, I think that is a good idea. Farewell, Master!"

As quickly as she could, Cora scurried off to go die in the comfort of her own bed.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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"F-fruit?!?"

Valery snorted just once in response to Cora and watched amused with widened eyes when she blurted out an explanation. It was so hard not to start laughing, but Cora was already dying on the inside more than enough. "You know, you don't need the Order's permission to draw..." she waggled her eyebrows, moved both hands up and down with the palms up, as if she was holding something heavy, and flashed her Padawan a smirk.

Luckily, the compliment helped her calm down a little, but even that didn't last very long.

"Weighty girth, hm?" Valery laughed this time and shook her head a little. "My my, Cora." Her laughter turned into a soft chuckle, and she flashed the woman a smile. "It did look great tho-" she stopped, as Cora just took off to try and get away from the situation. She didn't blame the young woman for it, but this wasn't going to be the last of it.

Valery intended to at least bring it up when she had calmed down.

...
After Cora had left, Valery cleaned up the training room and retreated into her Temple quarters. Having been away from her husband for a while, and after so much training and seeing that drawing, she was feeling a little playful and pent up. So she turned to her closet, picked out the spicy dress Thelma had made her and started putting it on.

<Hey babe?> Valery asked Kahlil Noble , while she got dressed up and opened up comms. <I'm going to be home later than expected tonight. But I'll make up for it... I really missed you.> She bit her lip as she felt a rush of heat passing through her entire body at the idea of coming home again to him again.

<I'll send you a little teaser~>

She grinned, turned off the comms, and moved over to her bed, so she could lie down on her back and take a rather spicy picture of herself that left little to the imagination. It wasn't that easy though, given she was upside down, so she was messing around with it, trying to get it just right for him.

He never needed her to show off for him, but she knew that he loved it anyway.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora adored Valery, looked up to her as a role model, and at times, considered her as a sort of mother figure.

Still, after her embarrassing mishap during training, Cora was hoping to avoid her Master for at least a few hours. If only to let her bashfulness die down.

However, she'd forgotten her water bottle. It wasn't in the training room when she backtracked, which meant that Valery must have picked it up for her.

Now, Cora hesitated at the precipice of Master Noble's door. She knew that Valery was inside—she could hear subtle movement, even a soft voice.

<I'll send you a little teaser~>

Huh?

Cora's eyes narrowed, unable to discern what exactly had been said, and feeling a spark of shame from what amounted to spying. She pressed a hand gently against the door, feeling it give easily. Unlocked. Alright then, she'd make this quick.

A soft knock, then a push to slide the door open.

"Pardon me, Master, but I was wondering if you've seen my…"

Master Noble was indeed inside her room. Laying on her bed, upside down. Wearing a very pretty dress that revealed a bit more of the Jedi Master than the Padawan was used to seeing.

Words had died in Cora's throat. Her lips had stilled, jaw loosening in surprise. She stood simply at the threshold of Valery's room, staring at the revealing sight of her mentor. Her mind raced, scrambling for the thought she was trying to convey only a few moments ago.

She could only think of one thing, and it was staring her in the face right now.

"…breasts." Cora murmured dumbly as if she'd been hypnotized.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Temple Training Room

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"CORA!"

"…breasts."

Valery barely heard the younger woman's response, as she panicked and tried to roll over so she could get off the bed and stand up. But in her haste, the fabric of her dress tangled itself around her legs, causing her to trip and fall off the bed instead. With a loud oomph, she hit the floor, but quickly jumped back up... with her dress shifted around to reveal just a bit too much. She quickly adjusted her straps, ran a hand up through her hair, and smiled awkwardly.

Her face was bright red.

"H-hey uh, what are you-" she blinked and stared at Cora for a second.

"Cora, my eyes are up here," she said, and while it was awkward to have the Padawan look at her, calling it out didn't really seem to help make her feel better, after all. She choked on her words, blushed, and averted her gaze in all of her nervousness. Her Padawans never got to see her like this, let alone so flustered.

"How can I uh, help? What's up?" she blinked again and looked back at Cora. "I was just... trying on a new dress, that's all."

This was a great day.