Private Learning To Let Go

[Everest Vale]

Eve followed Cora's instruction with practiced care, her movements soft and deliberate. This wasn't foreign to her — she had always reached for plants in this way, not to shape them, but to listen. To feel. But the idea of encouraging growth had never crossed her mind. Her fingertips came to rest just above the soil, brushing lightly against the base of the succulent's thick stem. To her, it felt like touching its heart.

She closed her eyes.

In that quiet space behind her eyelids, the world softened, and the language of life unfolded. She saw it, the familiar shimmer that all plants seemed to speak with, whether they knew it or not. A light, warm and pulsing, like the heartbeat of something ancient and patient. She didn't pull at it. She simply offered her own presence, her own light, as if to say 'You can grow now. I'm here with you.'

And then, it moved.

Not in slow inches or creeping stretches, but with swift, eager life. Tiny buds unfurled like waking fingers, the plant rising with a quiet urgency beneath her touch. Eve gasped, instinctively pulling back, her breath catching in wonder. The growth had been real, vivid and alive beneath her fingertips. She blinked, wide-eyed, and looked to Cora.

"Did... Did I do that?"

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora observed Eve as she interacted with the succulent, once again giving the Padawan a quiet space to focus. In the Force, the Echani's presence was not commanding. It was steady and even, and within it, the plant thrived.

"Yes," she affirmed, her lips splitting into a grin. "You did, Eve. You were able to guide new growth. Well done."

Cora shifted her gaze to the succulent between them. Its stalk had thickened and grown several inches, and its head was dotted with tiny, delicate blossoms.

"She's native to Ukatis, where I'm from."

Her gaze flicked back to Eve, this time a little more discerning.

"I think she'd do well in your care, if you'd like that."

Everest Vale

 

[Everest Vale]

Eve could still feel it, the lingering warmth of the Force as it moved through her, guided by her will but answering in its own quiet way. She had meant to help the plant grow, but the result still left her breathless. The thickened stalk, the delicate blossoms; life, gently shaped by her hands. She hadn't expected it to feel so... personal.

But it was Cora's next words that truly shocked her, in a different way. The offer struck deeper than she anticipated, blooming in her chest with something warm and aching. She blinked, lips parting, then curling into a small, almost bashful smile.

"You'd trust me with her?" she asked quietly, fingertips brushing one of the tiny blossoms with reverence. "I... I'd love to. I promise I'll take good care of her."

Her silver gaze lifted to meet Cora's, full of quiet warmth.

"Thank you... for teaching me, and... and for this... I..." She took a sharp breath, as if to stifle something that threatened to bubble to the surface from the shear feelings that brewed within her. "I really appreciate this."

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's grin softened into a gentle smile. Sat before her was a girl now far removed from the timid, anxious Padawan that first entered her office. Despite her reservations, Eve was exploring her potential in the Force in a way that felt natural to her.

"You're a responsible young woman, Eve. I know that she'll do well in your care."

There was a moment where Cora paused, hesitating on whether or not to provide specific instructions. No, she decided, certain that Eve would take the time to research the succulent's needs on her own.

"Well," she mused. "Thank you for listening to me. Some of your classmates, hm…"

There was good humor in her tone and warmth in her expression. Cora shook her head. Even the most unruly of Padawans still found ways to become proper Jedi.

"My door is open to you at any time, Eve. Whether you want to talk, have tea, or simply sit and enjoy the silence."

Everest Vale

 

[Everest Vale]

Eve held the pot close now, nestled in the crook of one arm, her other hand gently steadying the soil with a thumb. The little blooms trembled softly as if they, too, felt the warmth in the room. Her silver eyes shimmered, not with tears, but something just as delicate; a feeling of belonging that she didn't quite know how to name, but recognised all the same.

"I'd like that," she murmured, voice barely a whisper. "All of that."

She rose carefully, mindful of her new companion, and offered Cora a small bow, not formal, but heartfelt. "I'll take good care of her, promise. And I'll come back soon."

She turned to go, the plant cradled like a treasure in her arms. With every step away from the desk, the light around her seemed to shine just a little brighter. For the first time in a long while, Eve didn't feel like she was reaching for something unseen. She was healing.

Quietly, she smiled.

* * *

Corazona von Ascania​