Private Coral Sands

[Corazona von Ascania]

"A wild imagination?" Cora's lips pursed, but her ego was still swelling with pride at Val's complement. Not that it was directed at her, of course. Even though it was, indirectly so. "Perhaps the author has conducted extensive research into the topic." She sniffed. "O-or perhaps they are simply giving their fans what they want."

"...whatever that may be, of course."

Still turned away, Cora chewed at the inside of her cheek. Had Valery seen through her haphazard, poorly constructed facade so easily?

"That...that will not be necessary, I assure you." She tried to play it off more casually while rubbing sun cream along the alabaster skin of one leg.

Loved ones?

Her Master's words inspired another flush to the surface of her face, but this one less of embarrassment. Valery, her family, and even some of the Jedi she'd met here had a coveted place in her heart. To think that Master Noble cherished her likewise made the Padawan almost giddy.

On the surface, it simply smoothed out her nerves. Her lips twitched upwards, losing a battle with the smile she tried to suppress.

"What is it that you like about those types of books?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

"Oh I know what the author wants to give their fans," Valery chuckled totally innocent while she remained completely oblivious to what she was actually doing at the moment. She just enjoyed reading the books and didn't mind sharing her thoughts on them with people who she believed might enjoy it as well. Cora certainly seemed like the type, even if she tried to actively deny it or hide it from her own Master.

Valery knew and saw everything.

"But I'm sure the author wrote from experience, dreams, or certain fantasies. Not that I'm an expert, but I imagine that it'd be a lot easier that way." She chuckled and flipped through another page that made it hard to look away. In fact, it was so distracting that Valery wasn't really picking up on the emotional shifts within her Padawan.

Usually, it was easy enough to understand when she was flustered, but also when something really made her smile. But the question that soon followed did draw Valery out of her book.

"Well..." she paused a moment. "Originally I loved them because these types of books covered something that I believed I'd never be able to experience myself. Attachments were forbidden and it was risky to try anything in secret. So because I couldn't ever really tell someone how I felt, I took some comfort in being able to read about it." She smiled softly, but there was something sad about her tone.

But after a few seconds, she smirked again. "These days, I don't read as much anymore but it's uh... just for fun. And inspiration." She cleared her throat.

"If you find it fun to read about romance, you really should too, Cora. Even if you're a Lady~" she teased.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As she worked the lotion into her other leg, Cora was able to put aside her flustered thoughts and listen to Valery explain why she liked romance novels.

Ah…there was a genuine edge to her voice that had Cora's gaze softening as she looked back to her Master.

"I see." A hint of warmth creased her lips into a small smile. "So these types of books were a way for you to explore concepts you didn't have access to." Nodding along, Cora wondered when the Jedi's stance on attachments had changed. Noble, Heavenshield, and more still—there were literally Jedi family dynasties now.

"They must be nostalgic for you, I'd imagine. And…" She chose to ignore Valery's mention of reading steamy novels for inspiration, because she did not need those unsettling images clanging around her mind.

Not again. Despite the heat, she shivered.

"…I'll admit that I may have perused one or two similar…texts." Cora sniffed, attempting to play off her heavy interest in the subject. "Nobles on Ukatis don't date, so I too was curious about…that."

She waved a hand dismissively.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

"That's right," Valery confirmed with a smile. "and they can definitely be nostalgic, especially some of the books that are still from way back." Perhaps she'd have to offer Cora a few titles someday if she'd be interested in reading some of the novels that kept Valery busy as a younger woman. Of course, she'd keep the really steamy ones away to avoid more trauma.

A trauma that already seemed to flash through Cora's mind at the mention of inspiration.

Oops.

"One or two, huh?" she then asked with a teasing smirk. "I can see why you're interested in it, though. Your situation on Ukatis wasn't that different from what it was like for me, in some ways." She chuckled and briefly looked back at her book, only to glance back up when she noticed a group approaching.

Along the beach and close to the water, a group of lifeguards was on the move — both men and women and all of them Zeltron. It was a scene right out of a movie, just without the slow-motion shots. Valery grinned and quickly nudged Cora to take a look in case she missed it.

"I think they're just doing an exercise."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

A smile did battle with Cora's stern expression, her sobered features breaking slightly. They'd been raised in entirely different environments, but it seemed that she and Valery shared more similarities than she'd initially thought.

"I gave them to my little sister Fantine when I first left to join the Jedi. She's very clever, just a little…"

Cora rolled her hand in the air, searching for the best descriptor of her…14? Or was she 15 by now?

"…boy crazy." She grimaced. "I certainly hope that they don't give her any…ideas."

Her eyes landed on the sight of the approaching Zeltron lifeguards. All youthful, toned, and attractive—she had to wonder if an ugly Zeltron existed somewhere in the galaxy.

Her nose scrunched slightly at Valery, shooting her a look that said Alright, I see them!

"In that case, we'd best not disturb them." Came her harsh whisper, as the Zeltron models drew near.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

"Seems your little sister isn't the only one in the family~" she teased before her eyes shifted to the group of Zeltrons moving over in their direction. The nudge she gave Cora had the intended effect, but her reaction to it was even more amusing.

Valery shot her an I know you're looking glance in return for it, and then turned back to see one of the Zeltrons changing directions. He was tall, muscular, and everything one would expect from a stereotypical lifeguard. Valery just grinned a little and looked back down at her Padawan.

"I don't think we're disturbing them. That one's coming right for us."

Once he got close enough, he stopped and approached with endless confidence. Slowly, he lowered his sunglasses and shamelessly looked Valery up and down.

"Excuse me, miss," he says, his deep voice unable to hide the flirtatious tone. "I couldn't help but notice you're not wearing any sunscreen. Mind if I apply some for you?" he asked, having no clue whether or not she had used it. Valery just blinked in response and briefly looked at Cora. For once, Valery seemed embarrassed — not by the question, but because her Padawan was right here with her.

Noticing that Valery turned to Cora, the Zeltron did as well and shot her a wink.

"The name is Xan, by the way. May I have yours?"

"Uh..." Valery seemed at a loss for words.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

With one hand shielding her face, Cora craned her neck back to look up at the Zeltron who was so clearly, obviously flirting with her Master.

Cora immediately decided that she hated him.

Something soured in the Padawn. For once, she wasn't jealous of Valery—but, she had trouble putting a name to whatever she was feeling in the moment. It had something to do with the elder Jedi's discomfort.

A deep frown cut through the softer features of her face.

"Excuse me," Came her biting tone as she lashed out for Valery's hand, lifting it up and pointing aggressively to her wedding ring. "Do you not see that she is happily married? Or are you the type of shameless delinquent who doesn't care about such commitments?"

Lifting her chin to the Zeltron lifeguard, she dropped Valery's hand.

"If she requires sunscreen, then I would be more than happy to see to the task. Good day to you, Sir!"

Cora flicked her hand to shoo the man away.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

"Uhh, I'm-"

"Excuse me,"

Valery blinked, and turned her head to look at Cora, who seemed a lot more intense. Her hand was then grabbed so her wedding ring could be shown to the man, and suddenly it became very hard not to chuckle. She had never seen Cora this intense before, not about something like this. Perhaps the romantic inside her Padawan really didn't like the idea that someone tried to make moves on a married woman?

Or she just cared about her Master and felt how uncomfortable she was for a moment.

"If she requires sunscreen, then I would be more than happy to see to the task. Good day to you, Sir!"

The man looked stunned and briefly glanced at Valery, hoping that she'd somehow invite him over anyway. He knew he was provoking Cora's wrath, but he frankly didn't care.

"She's right, I hope you have a good day," Valery said with an innocent smile. The Zeltron just looked defeated for a few seconds, but then sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Your loss, I can probably score better anyway," he told her before running back off after the others. Valery narrowed her death glare at him, but decided he wasn't worth any trouble, so she looked back at her Padawan instead.

"Thanks, Cora. I uh, really hate it when people flirt like that." She held up her hand again to look at her ring. Maybe that's another reason why she wore it all the time. Or- No. She refused to take it off because of what it meant to her. "I hope he hasn't killed your mood, though. I want this to be a fun trip for you."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The longer he lingered, the more Cora's expression screwed in displeasure. A proper noblewoman, her tolerance for crude behavior,—which included flirting with a married woman—was practically nonexistent.

Especially her Jedi mom.

"And good riddance," Cora hissed under her breath, still loud enough for the Zeltron to hear as he departed. Angry blue eyes followed his retreating form for a few moments before her attention was pulled back towards Valery.

"Oh," Flushing again, Cora rubbed at the back of her head sheepishly. "It was nothing. I hate to see you uncomfortable, and I find it incredibly disrespectful and in poor taste to flirt with someone who is clearly married!"

With one hand, she casually waved off Valery's concern.

"Fear not, I've no intention of letting such a vile cur ruin our day."

A brow quirked, betraying her curiosity.

"I can only imagine how Kahlil would've reacted if he'd been here."

It occurred to Cora that, despite the evidence across her own father's face, she'd never witnessed Kahlil actually angry.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

"Very happily married," Valery nodded and chuckled, "If he didn't stop, I'd have probably made him eat sand, but it just caught me off guard a little that someone would try it here, and with such an awful approach." She flashed Cora a smirk and reached over to briefly wrap an arm around her shoulders, and pull her into a quick hug.

"Glad it hasn't soured your mood."

"I can only imagine how Kahlil would've reacted if he'd been here."

Valery blinked and thought about it for a moment, but she quickly knew exactly what Kahlil Noble would do. "Well, he knows and trusts that I can handle it myself, and he'll never do or say something that makes me feel like I need anybody's protection. So he'd let me handle it however I see fit." It was one thing that she really appreciated — he never treated her as someone who was weaker and needed sheltering.

"But at the same time, if I do need or want his help, he'll always be there. When it comes to people flirting, or worse, getting a little too close..." she blinked and chuckled again. "I don't often feel or see him angry, but anybody pushing my boundaries or messing with our kids and he can get pretty intense."

It was something she clearly liked about him too.

"He makes me feel strong, respected but also protected at the same time."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora giggled softly as Valery pulled her into a side hug. "Make him eat sand? What a sight that would've been! Perhaps I should've let him continue." One corner of her lips lifted into a wry smile.

Her description of how Kahlil would've handle the situation had the Padawan's eyes widening.

He makes me feel strong, respected but also protected at the same time.

"Wow." Cora murmured, eyebrows scrunching in vague concentration as she tried to match up Valery's description of Kahlil to the behavior she'd seen. Aside from the incident with her father, Kahlil always appeared calm and steady. In control and confident, but not cocky.

"Was I too forward just now?" She asked suddenly, face creasing with concern. "I know that you'd be able to handle someone like that with no issue, but I felt….I don't know…" The blonde frowned. There were no regrets insofar as what she'd said to the Zeltron, but did she make Valery uncomfortable in doing so?

"Did I overstep any of your boundaries?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

"Maybe, but it's probably for the best that you didn't let him continue." It would have been quite a scene if Valery had actually knocked him around and made him look like a fool in front of everybody. Not exactly a very Jedi thing to do, but in these types of situations, she wasn't acting as a Jedi anymore.

"Wow."

Valery chuckled at the response to her description of her husband, but the sudden question that followed had her blinking. "Oh no, not at all!" she quickly tried to assure her Padawan. After everything she just explained about Kahlil trusting her to handle things herself, she understood why that question sparked.

"You've never overstepped any boundaries."

Well, except for that time she entered her room without knocking and-

"I really appreciate you helping me there," she added with a smile. "I also don't believe I've ever seen you that intense before..." she began to smirk more teasingly now. "You got some fire in you, and I like it."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Oh. Oh, good." An anxious chuckle still vibrated from her chest, but at least Cora had resumed working a deposit of sun tan lotion into the crook of her neck and shoulder.

Surprisingly, a measure of pride swelled in her chest when Valery said that she had fire. Noblewomen on Ukatis were often meant to be demure and submissive in public, but defending themselves from a poorly behaved man would hardly earn a slap on the wrist. Depending on who the man was, of course.

"Well, he was rude and inappropriate." She sniffed. "I could not let that type of behavior go unchecked, no matter who it was directed towards. Seriously, who does that?" Cora grimaced in the direction the lifeguards had ran off to.

A pink blob may have been rubbing sunscreen into a faceless woman's shoulders further down the beach. The blonde shook her head.

"Do men approach you like that often?"

Valery was gorgeous, but sometimes men found beautiful women intimidating. Sometimes, however, they simply found their existence as an invitation.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Zeltros

​

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

Valery could tell that Cora brightened up from the compliment, and it brought a smile to her lips. She wanted her to feel confident about herself, and a protective nature like that should always be something to be proud of. Even if some people might not appreciate her standing up for herself or others where she was from.

Valery then chuckled and nodded in agreement, "He was rude, and sadly, there are a lot of people like that. Some worse than others." All things considered, this Zeltron's approach had been fairly mild. Once he was told to leave, he did, and he hadn't made any really inappropriate comments either.

Her gaze briefly followed Cora's down the beach, but shifted back to her Padawan when she asked a follow-up question. "Hmm, depends. Less so when I'm in Jedi gear because they tend to recognize me quicker, and I am in Jedi gear often. But off-duty like this...?" Valery sighed. "A bit too often, but I've gotten better at dealing with it."

She chuckled and teasingly began to smirk. "But seems like you have the same problem. You had one asking you to dance not long ago. At least he seemed respectful, at least."