Private Hot, but also, Cold

[Aeris Lashiec]

"Not sure I would call it fear as much as apathy." Aeris sighed. "Although I guess they are closer than most of us are willing to accept."

"Life is easier knowing that in the end you are only a vessel for the will of something greater. The force has a plan, unknowing as it is. That without my part in the whole, a cog is missing. Darkness, light, all of it rather irrelevant in the face of it the bigger picture when the existence of one is the reason for the other to also exist. The universe is still going to collapse, the stars will all extinguish over time, and only then can we truly know what light and dark intertwined can be."

She fell into the hug with her head unknowingly leaning into Valery's shoulder.

"But, there is truth to what you say." She spoke with a deep sigh. "Not being alone is a… Strange feeling."

"Unfamiliar, in a way."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant | NJO Temple
Tag | Aeris Lashiec

"Mhmm, but what we can do is focus on making the lives of those around us a little better. We can't stop the Galaxy from eventually fading out, but I know we can make it a better place to live in while it's still there." She smiled and rubbed the side of Aeris' arm when the woman's head gently leaned against her shoulder.

"But helping others is difficult when you feel like you're falling apart or just... miss something yourself," she continued, her tone softer in this tender moment

"It is strange, and it used to scare me or make me really awkward. But once I got used to it, I realized how much strength it gives as well. And now, I've learned that even in times of great loss, I'm still not alone." She looked at Aeris, who was one of many close friends supporting her through these difficult times. For not even a second, Valery felt as if she stood alone, left to handle her pain without any outlet or support.

"And neither are you."

​

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

The soft stroke against her shoulder was enough to get Aeris thinking again. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say it did the opposite of just that. For a brief moment of time she felt content again, at peace with the world as the onslaught of emotion just felt as if it had evaporated — at least for now.

There was no doubt that this still felt wrong. They weren't here to discuss Aeris but to help Valery. To take focus away from that just made everything feel all the more egoistic of Aeris, but part of her couldn't help but enjoy it, which made everything about her current situation all the more confusing.

It was probably just the memories that they had exhumed, but for a moment Aeris swore she felt her heart skip. She shifted to look at Valery. There was warmth there, but it wasn't like that. While Valery was a good friend, there were a lot of strong emotions going on right now. It made sense when you thought about it.

"Thank you." She whispered and leaned back into the hug. "This is a good reminder that at least I still have a few people around."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant | NJO Temple
Tag | Aeris Lashiec

Glancing down at Aeris, Valery no longer felt her own inner pain or sadness trying to break through her barriers. She felt a great warmth and strength instead, as she realized just how much a bond like this meant for them both. During both good and bad times, they could rely on each other and with how terribly fast things around them were changing, it was a source of strength needed more than ever before.

"Of course," Valery said softly in return before she tightened the hug a little. "You always will, and I know I will, too," she said as a promise, rather than just some empty kind of statement to show support. No matter what happened, she'd be there for Aeris.

"Hmm..." she hummed after a moment, those intense fiery eyes shifting down again. "Do you want some more tea or ice cream? I can also prepare a proper meal if you want to stay here a while longer."

​

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

A cooked meal. Aeris smiled at the offer and slowly began to nod. It had been too long since she had anything that wasn't a prefabricated meal, if not a nutrient paste to keep herself humble. Cooking had never been her thing and that was most likely not going to change.

So, at the offer she turned to Valery and slowly nodded.

"Dinner sounds nice." Aeris said and slowly stretched. "I would appreciate that a lot."

Aeris returned the smile from Valery and rose from the couch to go over and help prepare. The rest of the evening remained rather uneventful, aside from the good conversation, but that was not something that either of them really felt as if it had to be shared with anyone else.

[/thread]