Private Picnic Among Palms

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

Valery looked down at the chip in the palm of her hand and remembered her words — Do bring that with you. She smirked, moved her thumb over the object and finally wrapped her fingers inwards. She gently tucked her hand into her purse to deposit the chip again, drew in a deep breath, and walked towards the large Manor. For a planet like Coruscant, it was quite remarkable to see a guest house like this. There was more greenery here than in a square mile elsewhere on the city world, and Valery appreciated that.

Having grown up in a jungle, she always felt a little out-of-place here.

With a click-clack sound of her heels, Valery approached the front door and carefully looked around. She knew Malcoma wasn't the only one living here, and she had no idea if other inhabitants were aware that she'd be coming. The last thing she needed was to be held at gunpoint by a security droid, or be sent away by someone who didn't recognize her.

This was nerve-racking enough, as it was.

Once she reached the door after not having seen a single soul yet, Valery paused again. She drew in another breath, smiled and focused her mind. She had been looking forward to meeting Malcoma again all week, after they had handled the slave mystery on Taleucema together. Finally, the day had come. It was time to just be herself and enjoy a day off from chasing down slavers or Sith Lords.

Valery raised her fist and knocked on the door.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Malcoma was in the kitchen making scones.

She normally wasn't so domestic, but her masseuse had warned her against working for doing more than four hours of office work in one day and Eyana had bitten off more than she could reasonably chew herself. Lady Velvet's The Jedi's Fall for the Sith novel sat on the armchair she had been lounging in in the foyer, the beaded tassel of a metal bookmark keeping her place, until Damris scooped it up. He flipped to the page he remembered that was on and read a paragraph or so before a knock came at the door.

"Darling?" Mal called from the kitchen. The manor was large, but the kitchen was situated near enough the door that she could hear and be heard from the foyer easily.

"Yes, I'll get it," Damris replied as he was putting the book back down on the seat. He then walked to the doors and pulled one side open. When he saw Val, he offered a warm smile. "Good morning." As far as he knew, Mal was only expecting one person, but didn't know when she would come by; thus, it was premature to assume that Val was she.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

The creaking sound of the door's hinges pulled Valery from her thoughts. Her lips parted to speak and greet the blonde she was hoping to meet, but froze when she saw who opened the door instead. An unfamiliar face, though a friendly one, and she couldn't help but look him over either. She could see why they kept each other around. "Good morning, I'm Valery," she finally said, eyes drifting around the man a little, hoping to spot those blue eyes or blonde locks.

Her heart beat just a bit faster at the idea.

"I- uh. I'm here to see Malcoma. I hope I came at a good time?" She realized now that she was a bit early. Valery hated showing up late in general, but whenever something excited her, she tended to show up way too early and linger around until it was time to show her face. Her nerves had kept her from looking at a clock this time though, so she had no idea what time it was.

It was a particularly strong feeling of excitement that made her almost impatient.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

“Company?” Mal asked, not quite hearing Valery introduce herself as the oven timer went off, eclipsing her voice.

“Yes,” Damris replied over his shoulder before turning back to Val. His smile turned into a bit of a knowing smirk. “No time like the present. Come in.” He stepped aside to let her in, closing the door behind her.

The foyer smelled of fresh flowers and fresh baking.

In the kitchen, Mal untied her apron, folded it on the counter near the sink, and dusted off her hands into the basin before heading out to greet their sudden guest. She hadn't entertained thoughts about who might be interrupting her relaxation time as she had learned long ago that her imagination did her no favors. Better to only be annoyed when she really had to, when she actually saw who it was.

Oh.

A few stages of surprise passed over Malcolm's face quickly as she saw that it was Val who had come calling, not an angry monster who would never bother with scheduling an appointment with her when he could simply barge into her home. A gentle smile was last in the cycle, and also permanent. “My my, look at you.” Though her smile was innocent enough, her gaze was not as it swept Valery up and down.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

There she was.

Valery couldn't see her yet, but she heard Mal's familiar voice and even felt her presence. Not quite as distinct as that of a Jedi, but it had an edge to it that was far more compelling than just about any Jedi she had ever met. Not just her presence either. She knew very little about the woman, yet it felt as if something resonated between them that helped her understand.

Something that drew her to the mysterious blonde.

"Thank you," Valery told Damris after a moment of internal thought, before she stepped inside. Her senses were met with a pleasant smell - one of flowers, like her own home, but she could tell that someone had been baking as well. In her spare time, Valery loved making her own snacks, so it was a familiar scent.

"Hmmm, it smells very good-"

Oh.

Valery stopped rather abruptly when Malcoma entered the room. Suddenly, she felt her own choice of clothes to be very underwhelming. But Mal looked stunning, and even the experienced Jedi Master, trained to maintain composure in every situation, couldn't keep her eyes from wandering.

After a noticeable moment, Valery cleared her throat and met the woman's eyes with a smile, "I could say the same. I can't help but feel like you've outdone me today." Valery stepped a bit closer, eyes never leaving the other, and chewed on her lower lip while her gaze dipped again. She left little to the imagination. Intentional?

"I can smell you've been busy too." Valery paused and smiled warmly. "It's good to see you again, Mal."

Very good, indeed.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Mal's smile turned mischievous. "Oh, Valery," she began, voice light and teasing. "Did you take me for a farmer or something?" Her disguise hadn't been that dingy, but it also had been chosen to not stand out in a crowded spaceport or street.

She returned Val's step forward with a few of her own, gravitating towards the Jedi before holding out a hand for Valery's purse. When it was given over, their hands surely brushed again. She was perhaps close enough for Val to smell hints of rich gardenia, though those flowers were nowhere to be seen. The scent also faded as Malcoma began to move away. "My real occupation will shock your good little shoes right off." Mal scrunched up her nose, smiling purely again, before walking towards the coat rack near the door. She placed the purse on its base along the bench underneath the peg hangers.

She was serious too, somewhere beneath the play. In fact, she was already planning the disclaimers that she felt obliged to give Val away for prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. The palm house towards the back of the property would suit the purpose well. If Val had not been slightly suspicious of the logistics which it had to have taken to transplant so much greenery in any part of Galactic City, let alone build a spacious brick and mortar manor among the dense duracrete jungle, she was about to get the softest rude awakening possible.

"It is good to see you too. Have you had lunch yet?" Mal turned on her heel, easily sliding her hands into her pockets in the same movement. A very effortless grace hung around her. "Do you like lox? Tea?" She cleared her throat. She had asked the questions too quickly. "Separately. I prefer bergamot added to black tea myself, along with oat milk and honey. Perhaps some culinary-grade lavender."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

"Not at all," Valery managed calmly despite Mal's teasing tone, "But this is just lovely." Her voice gained that playful touch again, and her eyes dipped below the woman's neck without shame or regret. A smirk tugged at her lips and her gaze slid back up to see Malcoma stepping forward with an extended hand. From up-close, Valery felt a shift in the air as the soft scent of gardenia reached her nostrils. Her own flowery perfume mixed with it perfectly, offering Mal that same pleasant feeling in return.

It was almost as intoxicating as the woman herself.

Valery then handed over her purse and felt a shiver go down her spine at the touch of her hand. It was brief and unintentional, but provoked a far stronger reaction than she had expected. "Will it? Well, color me curious and excited," Valery said with an eager smile, as she watched Malcoma put her purse away.

She had her ideas, given the location and care that clearly goes into it, but she'd wait for Malcoma to explain.

"I haven't had any lunch yet. I figured we could grab something together, but-" she sniffed to take in the wonderful smell of baked goods and beamed a warm smile, "Trying what you've made sounds even better." A feeling that only grew when Mal explained what she had been working on.

"A great sense of fashion and food? Oh my. My good little shoes are already shocked off."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Mal bit her lip when she was facing away from Valery, taking a opportunity to physically show the affect that the compliment of her space had had on her. Damris could see it but, as were all of them, her secret was safe with him. He knew that it excited her to be appreciated in such a way by a woman while a similar sentiment from a man, even himself, never struck her in the same tingly sort of way. Somewhere far beneath her self-manufactured persona, the Mal that might have been if she had never been sold into slavery was positively squealing. She likes my decorations??

"Mm. Thank you. I am the whole package." Something about her self awareness was very alluring.

Mal looked to her man. "Damris, be a doll and see if Vahleet will help her sister with the rest of the scones. Oh, and..." She approached Val again, hand out once more. "Your comm chip, if you'd please." Once it was given, she would hand it to Damris. "My desk, darling," she instructed him, using the pet name on purpose.

Damris canted his head in a movement very distantly related to a bow and moved away without a word but with another knowing smile on his face again. When he disappeared down a hallway running off the foyer, a small chuckle resounded.

If Mal heard it, she didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she started back towards the kitchen. "Make yourself at home. I'll be just a few minutes."

As promised, Mal reemerged from the kitchen in as much time with a wicker picnic basket carefully hanging from one forearm with her other hand supporting the bottom to keep it steady and level.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

"Mhmmm~" Valery hummed, her voice an octave lower and purposefully smooth, "That you are." Gosh, there was something about Mal's confidence that drove her wild inside. She didn't quite show it on the outside, knowing it'd make things far too easy for the other, but Valery could hear the thump of her beating heart inside her head. Despite it, she managed a cool smile and glanced between her and Damris.

She began to wonder what their relationship was like, exactly. He worked for her, she assumed, but there seemed to be something else there? Valery wasn't quite sure how to explain it to herself, but she'd perhaps find out later. They first had to get to know each other just a little better.

"Of course," Valery said as she produced the comms chip. Pinched between index and thumb, she lowered it into the palm of Malcoma's hand before closing the woman's fingers with a smirk. Another brief moment of touch, though this time with her gaze focused intently on those perfect blue eyes.

Damris was instructed to bring it to her desk, and it was in that very moment that Valery saw yet another small thing that hinted at their relationship. That smile, followed by the soft chuckle resonating through the house.

He knew something.

"Take your time, I'm not in a rush." Valery's eyes returned to Mal and after a brief but warm smile, she turned and began to walk towards the palm house with a noticeable sway to her hips. Once inside, she found herself a place to sit, and crossed one leg over the other. Careful not to show too much of what was underneath her skirt, whilst offering plenty of her shapely legs. Once settled in comfortably, she raised a hand up to brush through her hair and fix it in place.

While outmatched in style, she still wanted to look her best.

"My, you really are a woman of many talents, hm? I'd have spilled all of that after two steps." She leaned forward a little on the couch and flashed Mal a grin. "It looks and smells delicious, though. And what a beautiful place this is. I never expected anything like it on Coruscant, of all planets."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Mal pulled a small, green wire table towards the couch after setting the basket down on the sofa. She ten opened it and began setting the table. First, a medium-sized lace doily that covered most of the tabletop; then two small silver and ivory plates and matching, smaller coasters; a larger plate stacked with lox, cucumber, and parmesan cheese spread, sandwiches on scones; and two glass mugs smelling sweetly of bergamot, lavender, honey, and lemon.

She sat down then, switching places with the basket and placing it on the floor against the sofa skirt. Her legs crossed as well, though she didn't have to be careful in the position with trousers on.

"Quite right," she agreed, knowing well how lucky she was to call the Guesthouse home. Its ownership had made her relatively soft: she really didn't know what she or her girls would do should The Family want to evict them. Mal resigned herself to hoping that the day would never come, for it probably wouldn't. She transferred the topmost sandwich to her plate and then took a sip of her latte. The contents were only pleasantly warm, not hot. "It is a web, I'm afraid, darling. Beautiful, yes, but hosts many spiders." Her voice, as it had been thus far, was even. Her words themselves may have read on paper as threats, but there was no tone of that insinuation in her voice. She played with the top half of her scone until she broke off a tiny tip of one corner. Before placing it onto her tongue, peeking out from between her lips, she added distantly, "Take care in it."

Mal hoped that the warning would ring sincere.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

How much stuff fit into one basket?

Valery pondered the question while she carefully watched Malcoma decorate the table and prepare their snacks and drinks. She sure had prepared for this, and Valery felt flattered over it. Though, as soon as Mal sat down and they each took their glass to enjoy their drinks, there was something less pleasant lingering in the air as well. A strange type of tension that didn't reveal itself until the guest house was mentioned.

"A web?" Valery's brows furrowed in thought. This place almost looked too good to be true, she knew, so perhaps it was owned or occasionally occupied by less friendly types? But if that were the case, then why was Mal calling it her home? Valery glanced back at the woman — into those deep blue eyes — and only saw more mystery.

It wasn't off-putting in the slightest. No, it just made her more curious.

"I've maneuvered around and right through a lot of that in the past. But I'll take your words to heart." Valery took a sip from her drink after that and looked back up with pleased smile. "My, this is just too good," she said before gently lowering the glass down into her lap.

"So, you know a little about me and what I do. But... I still don't really know what keeps you busy during the day."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Why did Mal feel so inclined to disclose truthfully to Val? And, more importantly, why had she invited the other woman over when she herself was concerned that that had been a bad idea?

Because strong fancies took hold of you and made you act out of your character. In Malcoma's case, it had made her overlook the glaring consequences of extending such an invitation. It was selfish and stupid but she had simply wanted to see Valery again so badly that she had ignored the fact that something as simple as a knock on the door may start a storm that would tear through The Family.

No, not may. It would, sooner or later. Even still, Mal's life's work had afforded her so few real connections, so, when it elucidated the potential of this one, the headmistress would have been beyond foolish to let it go for the sake of practicality. Nothing Malcoma did was easy, or safe.

"I'm attempting to tell you," replied Mal. With anyone else, she would have followed that with a cool jeer, but, with Val, it was Malcoma's fault for not choosing to be more direct rather than Val's for not understanding the implication. "I am one of the spiders, Valery." Mal looked to her to gauge her body language response. "The mob is my means to an end... to slavery, for some." She rose her brow. "The residents of this place I've taken taken out of situations like the one those sithspawn found themselves in—though, never anything Dark, with capital D." She made that distinction to acknowledge that the conditions of slavery were always dark and evil, and that as much did not require a command of the malicious side of the Force.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

Valery paused and gently set her glass down on the table.

Mal's words were ringing in her ear, and echoing through her mind. Everything slowly started to fall into place now — their interaction on Taleucema, the guest house and the way she had felt being around the woman. How could she have been so blind that she didn't notice the obvious? Well, she supposed that's what a strong sense of affection could do. She had been so eager to see her again, that everything else was swept aside.

Had she fallen into her web?

In an instant, all those memories that had sparked her desire to visit burned into the forefront of her mind, and Valery's gaze fell down into her lap. The teasing, the blushing, and the gentle signals between them — were those the strings that bound her? The trap she had fallen into?

No, it had felt far too sincere. Too warm.

"...have I endangered you?" Valery asked, her fiery gaze rising to meet the blonde's eyes. "Have I brought trouble to your home, to your life, by being here?" Valery showed little care for what she had done to herself. That had been her choice, for better or for worse, but she could not accept the mere idea of threatening what Malcoma had by being here with her. As much as she wanted to be here.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Mal straightened up, gathering her composure as to not show her surprise at Val's response. She remained silent for a beat and then, finally, said, "Not... yet." Of all the things she had imagined to expect, one was not selfless concern. "But that will not last. I have no personal qualms with Jedi but my Donna is of a different propensity. Though association, her bias is publicly mine."

Mal fell into silence again as she held Val's gaze and then looked down to the shoulder of her jacket. A fallen, brown hair was laying on the leather, ends curved towards the high greenhouse ceiling like another sun-hungry plant. She reached out to pluck the hair off Valery and then rubbed it off her own fingers behind the sofa. As she did this, she spoke again, softly and almost sadly, "I should not have asked you here."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

Not yet?

Valery's heart began to pound and she couldn't help but feel a flash of anger burning in her chest. Not anger with Malcoma, but anger with herself for not having picked up on anything that could have prevented this. On something that could have had her avoid potentially putting a target on Malcoma's back. Or, at the very least, she would likely not be trusted the same way anymore.

But what if something worse happened than broken trust? What if the people she protected lost her? Living with that pain wouldn't be easy, knowing what Malcoma was fighting for.

What she was fighting against.

A moment of silence followed with Valery's eyes dipped back down into her lap to avoid the confrontation of looking her in the eyes. She wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to be here, more than anything, but should she? A careful hand reached out to pluck a long stray hair from her shoulder, drawing her gaze back up.

Back into those blue eyes.

A soft, saddened smile formed across her lips, "I don't want to bring you trouble, Mal. But... I don't want things to end between us over this either. I want to make it work with you." She tried her best to offer a more encouraging, hopeful smile and drew in a deeper breath.

No, she couldn't just give up now.

"Force be damned, I just can't accept it." She turned to the blonde, a fire lit in her eyes, "If you want me to leave, I will. I will never push you or bring risk into your life when you don't want it. But if you want me to stay, I'm not going anywhere. Web or not, I will find my way through."

The choice was hers to make, but Valery would never turn away from a friend unless it was absolutely necessary, or requested. And Malcoma was truly someone special - she would make it work.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

It took a long moment, but Mal smiled.

The conviction was endearing, really and truthfully, as opposed to all the times the she thought or said it with sarcasm tilting her tone.

Her hand had rested on the back of the sofa after plucking the hair from Val. It now floated over the cup the Jedi's cheek. "Oh, I'm not asking you to leave," she said, voice sweet but with an undertone of possessiveness—but not enough to give the impression of cruelty, but only selfishness. "I am simultaneously more clever and less philanthropic than I appear.

"But," she continue on her next, quickly drawn breath before drawing both her hand and gaze away from Valery. "Consent is an important part of a portion of my business." Of The Hestia Project, that was, not of the mob's dirty laundry that she had to do to get to the relative good which she lived for. "I was only offering you an exit. Your path is up to you." After reaching over the table and taking gentle hold of the handle of Val's mug, she leaned back slightly, re-crossed her legs, and took a sip of the cooling latte.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

"Oh, I'm not asking you to leave,"

The statement and the smoothness of her voice alone were enough to freeze her up and draw her in, but when she felt the woman's hand settle against her cheek, Valery's breath hitched. Her posture briefly straightened at the unexpected touch, her heart pounding in her chest with anticipation, but that warmth she felt both physically and through the Force made her relax again. She looked into Mal's eyes and really listened to what she said, and how she said it.

This wasn't the end.

With the undertones in the woman's voice, a fire ignited in her eyes — literally so, as they began to glow with the heat she felt in her heart. Her lips curled into a smile and even though the hand that had sparked that fire slipped away, Valery felt content, "I have made my choice, then," Valery said, her eyes shifting down to see the blonde picking up the wrong cup. Mal raised it to her lips to take a sip, and Valery's grin began to spread wider.

Clever girl.

"I'll stay." She curled her fingers around Mal's glass and raised it up to her own lips for a sip. She maintained eye contact, her demeanor calm and collected. But underneath those calm layers of the experienced Jedi Master, she was a chaotic inferno of emotions and thoughts. "But I'm going to need you to help me fix my outfit," Valery said to relief some tension and keep the mood light.

"I've been at quite a disadvantage, hm?"

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

“Need to?” she laughed as she set down the mug back in front of Valery. “I was not aware that you were coming into my home needy.”

That was a lie. The headmistress was very good at knowing when she was wanted.

“My favorite boutique is in the Senate District. Chrisyakova. There's only one. We can go today. My treat.”

She looked at the diamond watch on her wrist and tapped the screen. It turned from a normal-looking analog display to a smart screen with a few options. She pressed a virtual button and then glanced back to Val. “Damris will take us after lunch.”

---

They finished their food and then traveled to the boutique Mal had mentioned in her compact but luxurious covered hovercraft driven by Damris. He dropped them off at the storefront and went to park, leaving Mal to lead Val inside. She offered her her arm, something that excited her more than she had expected. She had always been on the receiving end of this gesture.

A doorman opened the door as they neared it.

The place gave an immediate impression of wealth. It looked like it, it smelled like it. Mal swept her gaze over the displays visible from near the door. Desire danced in her eyes. She didn't need anything at the moment but she wasn't here to make a purchase for herself even if she did.

"Anything catch your eye?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

"I know what I want," Valery said rather smugly after lowering the glass back down. She then licked around her lips and set the latte aside while she leaned back into the couch. Already, she was regaining some of her composure and able to relax, though she knew it was unlikely to last for long.

Malcoma had a way of sparking a fire in her that she could only barely contain.

For now.

"Your treat, hm? My, you're spoiling me today, hm?." She smirked and watched Malcoma tap her watch. The display changed instantly and Valery stared at it like a grandma seeing her grandchild with the latest tech. Maybe if she got a watch like that, she'd look a little more hip as well?

"That sounds like a lovely plan."

---

After finishing up their lunch together, Damris had given them a ride down to the shopping street. It likely wasn't anything special for Malcoma, but Valery had been looking around like an excited kid. Being treated to an amazing lunch, being driven around and going shopping with Mal of all people.

This was a very good day.

Once at the storefront, Valery seemed eager to go inside, but stopped when she noticed Mal's offer. Her sharp cheekbones gained a touch of red, but she took the woman's arm with confidence and felt that flutter of her heart again. Together, they would enter the shop and Valery was instantly amazed.

There was so much to choose from.

"I... don't know where to begin." She snickered and glanced at Mal from the corners of her eyes, "Why don't we make this fun, hm? I'll let you pick something that you think would look good on me." There was playful smirk pulling at her lips, but then suddenly she blinked and seemed a tad flustered.

"I can do the same for you, of course. I don't want it all to be about me."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

At Valery's suggestion, Mal's lips curled up into a self-satisfied smirk. Evidently, all she had done over the last hour had had the intended effect. Precious little infuriated Malcoma more than a suggestive man but a woman with the same purpose was delightful.

A little twinge of selfishness too? Well, that was all the more exciting.

“What a lovely idea,” she said as she took back her own arm. “What are your sizes?” After being given them, or estimates, Mal recited hers.

“I'll meet you back here once I find something for you.” With a wink, Mal disappeared among racks of clothes and behind a nearby corner display.

In a few minutes, Damris found Val whenever she had gone. "She left you alone?" he asked, tone amused and rhetorical.

Valery Noble