Private Coral Sands

[Corazona von Ascania]

"I have to admit-"

Cora sighed, looking out towards the rhythmically undulating ocean waves. There was something calming in walking along the shore, in feeling her bare feet touch the sand.

Looking over to Valery, she smiled.

"I was unsure about the destination, but this is a welcome change of pace."

This being her first trip to Zeltros, Cora had expected to be exposed to all manner of frivolous debauchery the moment they'd stepped from the landing ramp. Valery had assured her that only certain districts catered to that kind of taste. It wasn't hard to find, but easy to avoid if you knew where to go.

Her interactions with Zeltrons had been limited, but so far she found them to be a pleasant, welcoming people. The steady undercurrent of pheromones probably helped to relax matters.

A small structure situated further back on the sand caught her eye. Inside the large open face of the white building, she could see teenage Zeltrons preparing ice cream and other summer treats.

Gesturing to the snack bar, Cora turned her gaze back towards her Master.

"Shall we get some refreshment?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Beach Outfit (swimwear underneath) + Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery hadn't expected to return to Zeltros so soon.

Granted, where they were now, was very different from the arcade setting, but it was still odd. If it hadn't been for her Padawan needing some time off, she probably wouldn't have come, but now that she was here? She was going to make sure she'd enjoy a little time away from training and war as well.

"I know, but don't worry. Zeltrons care a lot about visitors enjoying their time, so they won't ruin yours by being too much." And neither would Valery. After what happened last time, she didn't want to make Cora uncomfortable ever again. So even though she had swimwear on, it was hidden underneath another outfit.

Valery then turned to where Cora was looking, tilted her head slightly, and nodded, "I'd love some ice cream, and maybe we can get some bottles of water as well." She offered her Padawan a smile, began to walk forward, then stopped. "Oh right, we're not really Jedi here, so don't call me Master. You know, just in case other people overhear us." That would be incredibly awkward, and perhaps even cause trouble.

"I'd like a cone of cherry ice cream, please, and two bottles of water," Valery then said, after they reached the little establishment. Her gaze then shifted to Cora, so she could order her own.

Of course, Valery would be paying.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"Understood…Mrs. Noble."

Calling someone Master outside of the temple and Jedi regalia would be odd, she agreed.

The water was a good idea. While the temperature was comfortable for now, dehydration could easily catch you off guard.

After perusing through the menu options with a thoughtful finger to her lips, Cora decided. "I'll have a small cone of vanilla. With extra sprinkles, please."

The cheerful Zeltron attendant, a teenage girl with deep magenta skin and lilac hair smiled brightly at them.

"Coming right up!"

As they stepped away while their orders were being prepared, Cora's gaze wandered along the stretch of sand and shore before them. The natives, she'd learned, tended more towards flashy clothing and were comfortable in her skin.

Even thought Cora had come from a more conservative background, she suddenly felt a bit frumpy in her one-piece swimsuit compared to the endless parade of bikini models that wandered by.

"I've heard that Zeltrons can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound." She glanced over to Mas—Mrs. Noble with a curious eye. "Is that true?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Beach Outfit (swimwear underneath) + Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"Sprinkles, hm?" Valery teased with just a faint smirk. "Good choice."

She then extended her smile to the girl helping them with their orders and turned to look around when she left to get their water and prepare their ice cream. All around them, she spotted not only Zeltrons dressed for a beach day but lots of tourists as well. If there was one thing the Zeltrons were immensely good at, it would be making people feel welcomed and relaxed.

It was already she started feeling herself, or perhaps those pheromones were already affecting her.

Her gaze then shifted down to Cora, who seemed to be lost in thought a little. She wasn't sure why, or what was on her mind, but she hoped that this little trip would be fun and relaxing for her. She had been going through far more than anybody her age ever should.

This was supposed to be a fun escape.

"Well, I know they have a high metabolism, so to an extent?" she shrugged. "I only knew one Zeltron really well, and he..." she paused, smirked a little, and shook her head to change the topic back. "I'd have to look it up, but I'm sure they have their limits too." Maybe Yula would know but she was half-Zeltron, so perhaps the biology there was different?

"One cone of cherry ice cream, and one with vanilla and sprinkles!" the woman said excitedly when she returned. Some bottles of cold water were also added, and Valery paid for everything before thanking her.

"Hmm..." Valery then said as she got a first taste of her ice cream with a careful lick. "That guy over there keeps looking at you." Valery was shameless in the way she gestured for the Zeltron man, who was likely around Cora's age. He seemed a bit caught off-guard by Valery and averted his gaze briefly, but that only got Valery to grin wider.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had been focused on the shoreline, but something in Valery's words pulled her attention back towards her Master.

A brow quirked at the mention of Valery's Zeltron friend, and how she'd trailed off about him.

Hmm.

"Oh, thank you." She smiled to the Zeltron attendant, then to Valery as she received her ice cream and water. "And thank you for paying."

A brief silence fell between them as they dug into their frozen treats. Cora's eyes suddenly grew wide, gaze shifting rapidly from her cone to a pink figure in the distance, then back to Valery.

"Wh-what?!" She squeaked, pulling away from her ice cream and clearing her throat. "S-sorry." She mumbled, cheeks flushed crimson. "I choked on a sprinkle."

Carefully, her gaze slid sideways to the teenage Zeltron. Pink skin, dark hair—she did apparently have a thing for dark hair, and he was pretty cute, and oh no-

He was walking over.

"H-he is not!" She insisted with a harsh whisper, gripping the cone of her ice cream so fiercely that a crack scored along the side. Cora looked to Valery with wide, pleading eyes and hissed in desperation.

"What to I do??"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Beach Outfit (swimwear underneath) + Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery perked an eyebrow in response but decided not to elaborate. It was a story about her life before stasis, and the longer away that felt, the less she really cared about it all. Perhaps it wasn't a good thing, but less than a decade of being around post-stasis has made her far happier than 30 years before it ever could.

She couldn't even imagine the old days anymore.

Her attention snapped back after she spotted the young Zeltron, however, and the teasing caused quite an amusing reaction in Cora. One that clearly showed she felt something regarding the young man.

"Oh no, I'm quite sure he's looking. I even saw him blush when he realized I spotted him." She flashed a grin and watched Cora panic so much that she nearly snapped her cone in half.

"Just breathe and..." Cora would feel Valery's hand against the back of her shoulders, nudging her forward. "...talk to him. Good luck~" she added with a sing-song voice, while she leaned back and continued to enjoy her ice cream. Alone, for now, as the young Zeltron decided to go for it.

"H-hey there," he began, clearly a little nervous too — walking up to a girl was never easy. "I uh, was wondering... if you'd like to come dance with me?" He gestured to some live music at the beach.

"Your friend can come too."

Valery looked smug now, knowing she was old enough to be Cora's mother, but apparently still seen as young enough to just be mistaken for a somewhat older friend. Another win for the ageless Jedi Master.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Just breathe and…

Valery's reassuring hand pressed against her back, gently pushing her forward.

...talk to him?!

Panic etched onto her face, Cora stumbled once, startled by her Master's urging as she was with the teasing note to her voice. In a split second, the Padawan had craned her neck to send the elder Jedi a frantic look, before her head snapped to the shy voice in front of her.

Oh. He was cute, especially up close. Idly, Cora couldn't recall seeing an unfortunate looking Zeltron so far.

"U-uh…" Stammering, a hundred half-formed responses flew around her mind. Briefly, she even considered telling him that she was engaged.

Nothing would scare a guy off faster, she presumed.

"I, erm..."

Something cold dripped along the side of her fingers. With a start, Cora realized that the ice cream had begun melting down her hand. Quickly, she went to lick it away before realizing what she was doing and pulling her head—and tongue—away from her hand.

Not particularly ladylike.

Clearing her throat, she faced the Zeltron boy with flushed cheeks. "I can't dance very well."

Which was true, but why did she say that?

Cora glanced back to Valery, hoping that she wasn't too amused by this situation, before refocusing on the Zeltron.

"But, sure. For a little bit."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Beach Outfit (swimwear underneath) + Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery was about ready to gently swat Cora against the back of her head if she dared lick her hand in front of the guy, but she luckily recovered and just stood there awkwardly. It was the most adorable thing to Valery, and it seemed that the Zeltron boy wasn't really bothered by it at all. In his own nervousness, he hardly picked up on just how difficult this was for Cora.

"That's alright, you can follow my lead." He offered his hand like a true gentleman, smiled, and then looked at Valery, "You're free to join the party as well," he added politely with a dip of his head, before turning to Cora once more. If she allowed him to, he'd gently start guiding her away, and to the party on the beach.

Of course, Valery was definitely too amused when Cora looked over her shoulder.

<He seems like a good one~> she teased telepathically before she followed after them but kept her distance. Dance parties on the beach weren't really her thing, so Valery found a standing table nearby and remained there alone with her bottle of water to just watch them have some fun.

"I'm Rahn, by the way," The young Zeltron then said over the sound of music, before he pulled her closer and tried to lead a rather simple dance for now.

Valery just chuckled and took a sip from her water, while she looked over with a smirk. "That's it, Cora. Just have some fun~"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora allowed herself to be lead towards the music, leaving her ice cream cone with Valery.

"It's nice to meet you, Rahn." Came her polite response as he guided her in the simple movements of the dance. "I'm Cora."

She tried to smile at him, awkwardly so. Cora had come from a more conservative world and wasn't used to interacting with men in any sort of romantic context, save for one.

Rahn was nice enough, though. A year younger than her, a few inches taller, with a perfect boyish smile. He had two sisters, and next year he'd be studying finance at one of the capital's universities.

Cora was surprised to hear this—she'd assumed that Zeltrons were all lusty hedonists, but they lived life much like any other modern world.

After the song ended and transitioned into something slower, Cora excused herself to go and check on Valery.

"He was…nice." She stated simply, reaching for the untouched water bottle. "I don't really know how to dance aside from ballroom, so it was interesting to try something new."

Uncapping the bottle, she downed a quarter of it slowly. Even though the day wasn't particularly hot, moving around in the warm sun had made her thirsty.

"These sorts of parties aren't really my thing." Back at it with the awkward smile before her voice lowered. "And he sort of looks like…Makko."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Beach Outfit (swimwear underneath) + Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"I'm glad he was, or he'd be upside down in the sand right about now," Valery said threateningly, but with quite an innocent smile that still did little to hide her true feelings. If she ever wondered where Vera had it from, now she knew. "Good to hear that you enjoyed the dance too, but seems you missed out on showing off your ballroom dancing. I think they're playing something slower now," Valery chuckled but understood why she backed out of it.

Especially at the mention of Makko.

Valery sometimes loved to tease her Padawans, but she wasn't going to push it too far, and she knew that what happened between her and Makko could be quite a difficult thing to talk about or confront.

The point of this vacation was to get away from it all, for at least a little while.

"I see. Well, let's go focus on something else, alright? Do you want to go swimming, or maybe just put down a towel and get a tan?" she smirked and began to guide Cora away already. "It's your choice, Cora. I want this to be a trip you remember fondly, so don't hesitate to tell me what you'd like to do the most."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Still drinking from her bottle, Cora giggled softly with her mouth full of water, the back of her hand coming to press against her lips before she swallowed.

"I don't doubt it." She shook her head gently, inhaling deeply through her nose. "I might be a Lady, but it well within aristocratic decorum to slap a suitor if he acts untoward."

It was a small thing, but Cora honed in on this being her choice. She'd never gotten to make a lot of those for herself, and even handling a decision over something as innocuous as their vacation itinerary was appreciated.

Placing the bottle back down onto the table, the blonde idly scanned along the beach, across the Zeltron party, out to the gently rolling waves of the sea.

"I'd like to go swimming." She decided.

As the pair made their way towards the shore, Cora lingered along the edge for a few moments and observed how the rhythmic undulations of ocean waves pulled wet sand over her feet, causing her to sink in a little further with each pulse.

"There are oceans on Ukatis, but none near where I grew up."

She looked over to Valery, smiling fondly.

"We do have a pool, but it's not the same. I've really only been to the ocean a few times, so I'm glad that I had the chance to come here."

Lifting her feet from the heaviness of wet sand, Cora began to wade into the water.

"I'd like to show you the Ascania estate, sometime. When things calm down."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Swimwear+ Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"Mmmhm~" Valery hummed approvingly when she talked about slapping people who pushed things too far. It reminded her of the time Judah Lesan had commented on her rear during a meeting with a bunch of other Jedi. She could still vividly remember how good it felt to slap him across the face for it.

She'd always remember.

"Swimming, hm? Alright, let's do it," she chuckled and smiled warmly when she noticed that Cora seemed to be in a really good mood. It was quite a contrast compared to the last few weeks, so she couldn't be happier. She really wanted this trip to be the perfect distraction from it all.

Not for herself, but for Cora.

So as they approached the shore, Valery stopped and took off the clothes that covered her swimwear, and adjusted a little to the wind suddenly able to blow against her skin. "Oh yeah, there's nothing quite like the ocean. Just... don't swim too far away from shore. It might look safe, but it's very easy to get caught up in the waves. A lot of people drown every year because of it," she said, like an overprotective mother warning her kid.

"I'd like to show you the Ascania estate, sometime. When things calm down."

Valery smiled and dipped her head, "I'd really love to see it, I'm sure it's beautiful," she said as she followed Cora into the water, and sped up to go fully under. Valery loved to swim, so she was quick to get going and came up after a few seconds to flip her hair back and make a totally necessary show out of emerging again. "Water is not too cold!" She called out with a grin.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora couldn't help but side-eye Valery as she disrobed, revealing her swimwear. While it was certainly appropriate for a day at the beach, the memory of catching her Master in a less than appropriate situation had been seared into her brain.

A pink flush settled onto her cheeks as they waded further into the water. Idly, Cora wondered if Valery had seen her blushing more than she'd seen her calm.

"I'll be careful." She asserted with a nod, eyes sweeping out to the horizon. The waves were gentle, almost disarmingly so. Who knew if a riptide lurked beneath the surface.

Cora turned as Valery plunged beneath the surface, emerging in a flourish of wet hair that sprayed her with cool droplets.

"Hey!" She protested through a giggle, feeling her skin prickle at the sudden chilly sensation. "Show-off!"

Cora pinched her nostrils shut and slipped into the water, immersing herself fully before coming up for air. She laughed again, pushing the curtain of wet hair from her eyes and securing it behind her ears.

With a sigh, the Padawan tilted onto her back and kicked her legs up, floating atop the surface.

"You should bring the family, too. My little sister Anselma is Vera's age. She can be shy, but I'm sure they'd get along well."

Perhaps at a time when father was away on business.

"The soil there isn't as good for some staple crops, but lends itself well to certain medicinal herbs and plants. I used to collect them as a child, and grow what I could in the gardens."

She smiled fondly at the memory.

"There's this one herb I like—ruby mallow. When dried, it makes excellent tea. Very calming. But, if you brew it for too long, it can produce hallucinogenic effects."

Her smile tiled a tad wry. Perhaps that was a mistake she'd made once before.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Swimwear+ Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery had definitely caught Cora blushing, but deliberately made no comment. Whether it was because of the swimwear or the memories of that one day resurfacing, she didn't know, but she wasn't going to try to find out or tease her over it. Just like Cora, she wanted to forget about it, and just move on to more fun things.

The reaction to her emerging was exactly the type of fun that she wanted.

"Show-off? Me?" Valery gasped. "I'd never show off." She smirked smugly and began to swim over to her Padawan, who seemed to relax in the water while they continued their conversation.

"Vera does get along with just about anybody, and she's absolutely not shy. So I'm sure she'll help your sister get comfortable." Valery talked with that proud mother tone she had whenever Vera came up, and seemed to really love the idea of going there with the family. Any excuse to drag her loved ones somewhere for vacation time was one she'd happily take.

"I'd also love to try the tea, as long as I won't hallucinate. That would be... awkward in front of my family." She snickered and began to float beside Cora.

"Maybe I'll have to show you my homeworld sometime too. I went there for the first time not too long ago, together with my husband and Vera. It's... quite nice," she said with a smile, but a sad undertone. She still felt bad for never having visited before. For never having gone back to her mother, who had given her up for her own safety.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

It was nice, just floating here with Valery. Though it hadn't been obtrusive, the sounds of music and laughter from the beach seemed so distant. Maybe it was the water gently lapping against her ears, but Cora was content to simply let the gently bobbing tide carry her body for now.

"Annie gets along really well with other kids. She's mostly shy around adults, so I'm sure Vera would be able to work her out of her shell quite quickly."

A thread of a smile tugged at her lips. Much like her mother, Vera was the type to try and make everyone feel comfortable and welcomed.

"You won't hallucinate. I usually get the ratios and the brew times correct."

Usually.

The mention of Valery's home had her gaze sliding in the Jedi Master's direction. She had quite a history behind her—from being frozen for several thousand years, to being deprived of her homeworld. Cora couldn't imagined what that had been like.

"What was it like?" She asked. "To visit the planet where you came from for the very first time?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Swimwear+ Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"I'm sure Vera would love it," Valery said with a smile, while she looked up at the blue sky and just relaxed in the water. There was nothing to worry about here, and that wasn't something she was able to claim very often. Kahlil was handling the kids (the poor thing), the rest of the Council was looking after the Temple, and her Padawans were all given some assignments.

Except for Cora, of course.

"You won't hallucinate. I usually get the ratios and the brew times correct."

Valery blinked, "Usually? Well, I'm definitely curious to try. We'll have to do it." Even if the ratios were off, Valery reckoned she'd be able to filter the tea from her system. Hopefully.

Her fiery gaze then shifted back to Cora, and she offered a more calm smile. "It was... beautiful. The planet and people, the culture. But most of all, I was able to learn a little more about my parents and who they were. It really changed my perspective on them." In fact, she wished she'd had gone back at least one time just to hug her mother, and let her know she was okay.

Now, she'd never be able to.

Setting aside the more depressing thoughts, Valery looked over at the beach and smirked. "Want to go for some sunbathing? I brought something to read while I can relax. If you prefer to swim some more or meet some people, go for it though."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora smiled fondly as Valery recalled her visit home. She couldn't imagine not knowing her own parents—even though Cora was far closer to her siblings than she was to her mother or father.

"That sounds lovely." The comment came from a genuine place. She was glad that her Master had the opportunity to uncover more of her origins, learning about her parents in the setting of the family she'd created for herself.

In the vastness of the Jedi Master's experience, Cora found it fascinating that even she was still learning about herself.

"I could do with a little more color."

Cora swung her legs down, planting her feet firmly on the sea floor as she rose and gently wrung the salt water from her hair.

The pair took their time making their way back to the shore, heading for the chairs and blanket they'd set up earlier.

"What book did you bring?" Cora asked absently as she began to apply more suncream to her shoulders and chest. A tan would be nice, but her sensitive skin was prone to burns.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Swimwear+ Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"Great! Let's head to the beach," Valery smiled, turned around, and slowly began to make her way back to shore. They already had chairs set up, towels were ready and Valery had brought along everything she needed. From sunscreen to water, and even a new favorite novel she had decided to give a try. A title from a newer author she wasn't all that familiar with.

But then again, after meeting Kahlil Noble , she didn't read as much anymore. She enjoyed living a fun, romantic life a lot more.

After settling down on the chair, Valery reached for her purse and grabbed some sunscreen too. She had grown up in a tropical jungle, so she was used to heat, but she still didn't want to return home completely burned. So after applying it to every bit of exposed skin, Valery turned to Cora and removed the book from her purse as well, so she could show it.

"It's uh, called One Night on Zeltros," Valery said with a smirk. "I thought it'd be fitting, and it's by this new author who I really like. I got the whole series. They're... romantic stories."

Yeah, that sounds about right.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As Valery retrieved her book, everything seemed to happen in dramatically slow motion.

She recognized the cover before she was even informed of the title. A busty blonde woman being cradled by a handsome, shirtless man with pink skin on a starry background. She'd watched that very image come alive as it was comissioned by an anonymous artist over the holonet.

Cora's hand paused as she spread the suncream down her arm. Her eyes flared and her jaw loosened. A bright pink blush flared over her face.

On one hand, she was positively tickled that Valery enjoyed one of her works. On the other hand, she was positively horrified that Valery was enjoying one of her works in proximity to her.

"I haven't heard of it."

Came her response, smooth and overly controlled.

"I personally…do not partake in such immodest stories. They're not appropriate literature for a Lady of my standing."

That was spoken with an air of pretentiousness as she turned away, continuing to spread the sun lotion down her arm.

"Though...though I hear that her story telling is quite well executed."

Cora turned and couged weakly, before quickly adding:

"A..according to a review I read on the holonet, of course!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

Outfit: Swimwear+ Wedding Ring + Necklace
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"I personally…do not partake in such immodest stories. They're not appropriate literature for a Lady of my standing."

"Is that so?" Valery asked with a chuckle that said it all. She didn't believe a single word of what Cora was trying to tell her and met her Padawan with a bit of a smirk. The I know you kind of smirk. Of course, Valery still had no clue as to who the author really was, but she firmly believed that her Padawan would enjoy this story as well.

She was just going to be careful about recommending books after what happened that one day.

"Oh yeah, the story is great and clearly written by someone with some experience or just a wild imagination." She chuckled again, flipped a page, and seemed to blush just a little.

Oh my.

Valery quickly looked back at Cora to distract herself for a moment and nodded, "Mhmm, a review. You know... if you want to borrow some of my books, you can. There's no shame in wanting to read more romantic stories. I have some older ones too that I read years ago, but have never touched since."

"You'll just have to get used to teasing from loved ones. My husband called me a silly romantic already."