Private &nbsp; Welcome Home

Corazona von Ascania · Jul 30, 2023

The new Noble homestead was beautiful. It also afforded them additional space for their ever-growing clan. In a way, it was similar to the Ascania estate—not nearly as sprawling and grandiose of course, but a lovely residence situated in the verdant countryside. If there were any happy memories to be had on Ukatis, they would have been found in her childhood home.

"Vera!" Kneeling down onto the grass, Cora was quick to pull the girl into a hug; she thought of her as a younger sister and had missed her dearly.

The journey from Ukatis had afforded Cora the chance to make use of the Bastion's sonic shower, get something into her stomach, and change. Fortunately, Valery had the foresight to bring a spare set of clothes for her. It was hard to feel like a Princess in a plain turtleneck and a pair of pants, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Untangling herself from Vera, she smiled softly over at Aris. Given his age, she assumed that he had been adopted. Even if he did look startlingly like a child version of Kahlil, right down to the peaceful expression on his face.

"Hello there Aris. I'm Cora—it's lovely to meet you."

Pressing a hand over her heart, she gave the boy a gentle bow of her head.

Lula II had trundled her way down the ramp, and was busy sniffing the grass and various plant life of their new surroundings. Then she caught a of a whiff of something good. The overfed racyon ambled her way over to Aris, pawing eagerly at the mug in his hands.

Valery Noble · Jul 30, 2023

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"Coraaaa!" Vera dropped everything and sprinted over to her big sister for a tight hug. She had missed Cora so, so much, and finally seeing her again just brought out all the emotions. "I missed youuu," she said as her little hands gripped just a bit tighter into the young woman's clothes. But as much as she wanted to keep hugging Cora, Vera did pull back to give her some space and meet the new face in the family.

Her brother!

Valery then let out a soft, happy sigh when she watched Cora approach their son. They'd be able to explain that a little more soon, but right now, it was just about the good, happy vibes. For Cora to approach Aris like this meant a lot because she wanted him to feel part of the family, no matter who came to visit.

Speaking of which, there was one other visitor — a rather chonky Racyon.

"Woah! Daddy look, she's so big!" Vera giggled and with her pointing at the Racyon, summoned another. Fuzzy came sprinting into the grass to look at the other of his kind he sniffed. Unlike Lula, he was in decent shape from all the running after Vera he did just about every day. But he was still very curious and slowly began his approach at the Racyon trying to get a snack from Aris.

Kahlil Noble · Jul 30, 2023

Aris continued to sip from his mug here and there as he watched Vera and Cora hug. Then tilted his head. "It is lovely to meet you as well."

That was proper manners. He lowered his gaze towards the Raycon as they approached though, his eyes passively regarding the creature as he continued to sip his cup. Without sharing, of course.

"No."

He spoke matter of factly before outright ignoring the beast. Kahlil just chuckled, nodding once to Vera. "This is why you're not allowed to feed Fuzzy scraps, Vera." Then he stepped past, motioning for Vera to come along with him.

"But, it's pancake time. Come along!"

Corazona von Ascania · Jul 31, 2023

"I missed you too, Vera."

Cora pulled back, one hand on either side of Vera's shoulders to get a good look at her. It had been nearly a year since they'd seen one another, but time seemed to pass all the quicker where children were concerned.

"Look at how tall you've grown! You'll be beating your mother at this rate." She mused.

Cora smiled in turn at Aris' greeting, before reaching to shoo Lula as she continued to prod the boy for his chocolate milk. "Come now, he said no. Leave him be."

Before she could hustle the racyon away, Lula's interest in his mug dissipated and refocused on Fuzzy as he approached. The larger racyon sniffed the air around him before raising a paw and smacking Fuzzy decisively on the snout. It wasn't an aggressive blow and her claws didn't scratch him, but it was a warning.

"Lula! No!" Scandalized, Cora was quick to gather the growling racyon in her arms this time. "I'm so sorry, that was inappropriate."

The rotund creature's ears perked up at the word pancake, and she settled in Cora's arms as they ventured toward the house.

Valery Noble · Jul 31, 2023

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"Look at how tall you've grown! You'll be beating your mother at this rate."

"Don't remind me," Valery said with a huff, but she couldn't stop the smirk from growing on her lips. Their little star was definitely going to get taller than her mother, and Valery still wasn't sure how to feel about it. For now, she was going to love the years of her being small, cute and somewhat easy to handle.

Somewhat.

"No."

Valery turned to watch her son calmly tell the Racyon no, and snickered a little. Every day, he was showing again just how much he was like his father. Or, well, what his father used to be like? She glanced at Kahlil and smiled — he had definitely changed over the years.

"I don't give him scraps! Fuzzy eats- HEY!" Vera yelled when she watched Lula smack Fuzzy. The much thinner Racyon hissed, and sprinted over Vera to crawl onto her shoulder. "Don't be mean to Fuzzy," she pouted and gently began to pat her little friend, who seemed just a tad upset.

Luckily, dad mentioned pancakes!

"Pancakes sound like a great idea," Valery said as she guided Aris while her husband handled Vera. "Also a good chance to show off our new home, huh love?"

Kahlil Noble · Jul 31, 2023

Kahlil just laughed from the other room as he set about making the Noble famous pancakes for dinner. He glanced down to Vera, offering him a brief nod before pulling her along more or less to help make said pancakes.

Aris, though, seemed oddly unbothered by the Raycon trying to pry away his drink. More than that, he seemed to be absolutely unmoving even as the larger animal tried to catch his attention. He just continued his steady, occasional sips as he watched the gathering. Then watched the two animals as they interacted.

"They're fighting for dominance, as animals do. Only one can be the alpha."

Corazona von Ascania · Aug 1, 2023

Cora hefted the rotund racyon in her arms, attempting to angle Lula away from Fuzzy. Her face pulled gently in mild surprise to Aris' observation. For such a young child, he was quite astute—perhaps later, in a more private setting, Valery and Kahlil might explain his origins. A child from a previous engagement of Kahlil’s, perhaps?

With a sigh, Cora held Lula's portly body out in front of her. "We are here as guests, Lula. Proper guests do not fight their hosts."

Lula simply licked her snout in response, the subtle act jiggling her rolls.

Regathering the racyon to her chest, Cora placed a hand on Vera's head, then moved to scratch Fuzzy behind the ear.

"I do apologize for her behavior—Lula is quite spoiled. I’m afraid that is my fault."

As they moved inside, her attention gradually shifted to the quiet, silver-haired boy.

"Do you like pancakes, Aris?" She asked simply in an attempt to engage him.

Valery Noble · Aug 1, 2023

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"They're fighting for dominance, as animals do. Only one can be the alpha."

Valery blinked and stared at her son for a moment, before she just chuckled and gently nudged him along to go inside. Kahlil and Vera ran off to go make pancakes, so she'd bring Aris and Cora to the living room for now. Usually they'd eat at the dinner table, but why not get comfortable on the couch and eat there for once?

"It's quite alright, Cora. Fuzzy is spoiled too, but Vera is so active that Fuzzy is forced to run around a lot." She smirked and turned to her son, so he could answer the question that was asked of him. But right after that, Vera's voice echoed through the entire house, and it was loud.

"Aris! Come help make pancakes too, it's fun!"

Valery chuckled and dipped her head, giving him the go ahead if he wanted to. Perhaps that'd give her a chance to explain a few things to Cora, who undoubtedly wondered where he suddenly came from.

"Daddy? If we're making pancakes for Lula too, we'll need a LOT," she said, egagerrating how chonk the Racyon was with her hands. "Cora is very strong for carrying her around," she then added with a giggle.

Kahlil Noble · Aug 1, 2023

Aris continued to sip calmly at his drink, just listening to the conversation and kind decorum. She was a noble, wasn't she? He stayed pretty visibly calm up until she asked him about pancakes. Then, and only then, did a rush of emotion change his expression. It wasn't much, but his eyes sparkled with pure joy as he took another calm sip of his drink.

"I love pancakes."

Valery Noble said:
"Aris! Come help make pancakes too, it's fun!"

He blinked, glancing to where Vera called from before looking back to the two woman and bowed his head. "I have been summoned." Then he rushed to the other room, not at all excited to learn how to make the fluffy cakes himself. Kahlil snickered as he went about helping both Vera and Aris make them. Lots, huh?

"Then we best make as many as possible, huh?"

Corazona von Ascania · Aug 2, 2023

Kahlil Noble said:
"I love pancakes."

Cora smiled fondly. Aris may have been rather quiet and calm for such a young child, but he was still a kid.

"I do too. I hear that Noble pancakes are the best in the galaxy."

As Aris bowed and moved away to assist his father and sister, Cora returned the gesture with a dip of her head. The noblewoman couldnt help but laugh softly at Vera's commentary from the kitchen about Lula's size. It was true, the racyon was absolutely spoiled—not that Cora would admit as much.

"He speaks like a little aristocrat." She mused to Valery once they were left alone in the living room.

Valery Noble · Aug 2, 2023

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Valery's heart was melting when she saw that sparkle in his eyes over pancakes. It didn't matter just how much of his father's calmness he had, the pancakes really brought out the kid in him. With Vera as his sister, she suspected that it was only the beginning too — their little star would show him so many other things to be excited about.

Vera was a blessing.

Aris then ran off to go help his sister. He clearly didn't really want to, or at least Valery could tell quite easily, but he never really complained if it seemed important to Vera. "Oh yeah, he's very polite and calm. A really good kid, which is... a little surprising in our family, huh? The others are very loud and energetic." She chuckled and turned to Cora with a warm smile. It felt good to just talk about silly things again, and be at home safe.

"That said, I'm sure you wonder... how," Valery began with a smirk. "Kahlil has told you about his old labs before, right? The ones he created when he was still Sith? Well, part of those creations were... vessels, that he'd one day transfer his essence into. I'm not exactly an expert on how it all works, and I'm sure the details don't matter too much, but he's a clone of Kahlil, just much younger and he hasn't been exposed to the real world much."

"We decided to raise him as our son together."

..
"MORE!" Vera laughed like a maniac while she stared at the pile of pancakes. "Come on, Aris! Isn't this great?!" she grinned, grabbed his hands and bounced up once before turning back to the kitchen. She was about as wild as she could get right now, but nothing could break that bubble of excitement.

Cora was home again!

"Should we go bring the pancakes inside, daddy?"

Kahlil Noble · Aug 3, 2023

"This is a.. Staggering amount."

Kahlil nodded in agreement, even as he was the one filling the plate with more and more pancakes. They needed enough to feed everyone after all, and that included Lula, he figured. But Vera was also very, very into this.

"Yes. It's time to feast. Get the others to the table. Aris, help me set it."

Corazona von Ascania · Aug 4, 2023

Cora blinked.

Sith labs? Aris was a clone of Kahlil, intended to be a vessel?

"I see." Was all she said, clearly still trying to process the information. "I was…not aware, no."

Cora knew bits and pieces of Kahlil's past. She knew that he was of relation to Carnifex, the great dark specter of the galaxy, and served him for a time. Clones were not an anomaly to her, but for some reason this situation made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was something she would come to accept in time, but she couldn’t harbor any ill will towards a child, no matter how unconventional his origins.

"That is very kind of you to give him a proper home and raise him with your biological children." She glanced towards the kitchen where she could hear Vera's happy squeals. "And Vera seems to get along with him nicely."

When the children returned with Kahlil and pancakes in tow, Cora smiled softly. Lula wriggled her portly body from the noble's grasp and eagerly pawed at Kahlil's pants.

“Lula!” She warned, but the racyon did not listen and continued to be a pest.

Valery Noble · Aug 4, 2023

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"It means a lot to Kahlil, and I... really felt a connection with him too," Valery said, as she briefly glanced over into the kitchen. "We're honestly both very happy to have him in the family, and Vera and the triplets love him too. He won't have any trouble feeling at home here," Valery said with a chuckle, before some sounds in the kitchen drew her attention there again.

...

"This is a.. Staggering amount."

"You talk funny," Vera said at her brother's choice of words, as well as his delivery. He was always very polite and formal, but sometimes that was a little confusing to Vera. But her thoughts didn't linger on it for long at all because pancakes were ready, so Vera sprinted into the living room and grinned at her mom and Cora.

"Pancakes are ready! Comeee, to the table!"

Valery blinked, looked at Cora, then stood up and smiled sheepishly. "Best not to keep Vera waiting." She grinned and began to walk over to the dinner table, only to see Lula rush over to Kahlil for pancakes. She was about to try and help him, when she noticed Aris stepping in to interfere.

Kahlil Noble · Aug 4, 2023

"This was how I was taught royalty speaks." Another lesson Kahlil had intended to make sure he remembered if he took over the vessel. He just chuckled, though. At least it seemed like the lessons that were meant to be taught were indeed taught. And, well, not the cruel lessons he'd been subjected to as a child himself. They brought the plates out, Kahlil holding the largest of course.

He didn't seem to be bothered by the Raycon in the slightest. He just walked on to make sure the giant plate of Pancakes was set out and ready for anyone to pick from. Then went about making sure everything else was set up. Whipped cream, fresh fruit, syrup, all the fixings would be ready for people to use at their leisure.

It was Aris, however, who handled the disgruntled Lula II. He stepped over before casually lifting her up in his arms. Mom had already taught him how to focus the Force inwardly to allow him feats of great strength, so this was nothing. "No." Then, brought her to a seat at the table to sit. He already figured that Lula would be joining the meal given the earlier talk about all the pancakes.

"You must sit and wait until you get your serving, Lula the Second."

Corazona von Ascania · Aug 5, 2023

Cora nodded along with Valery. She and her husband were very loving and caring; and it seemed that they were imparting those values on their children in turn.

It was a stark contrast from the family she'd been raised in. From her parents, at least.

Vera pranced into the room to collect them, and the sweet aroma of warmed bread drifted through the kitchen.

"Oh my," Cora placed a hand delicately over her mouth, covering her wide smile as she witnessed Aris lifted Lula into his into his arms. The obese racyon's body jiggled as she was moved about, and she sniffed around Aris' face curiously. Once deposited in the chair, Lula attempted to climb up the table where the food was. Waiting was clearly a foreign concept.

"No." Cora stated firmly, guiding the racyon back down into her seat. She turned to Aris and smiled. "You have a way with animals, don't you?"

After fixing a plate of pancakes and fresh fruit for herself, Cora would slide a pancake over to Lula. The starved racyon - who'd been fed aboard The Bastion about half an hour ago - was quick to dig in with a hail of grunts and snarfs. The apprentice simply shook her head, carefully tending to her meal with a knife and fork.

"How are the triplets doing?" She asked, sliding her gaze over to Vera with a smile. "Are you being a good big sister to them?"

Valery Noble · Aug 5, 2023

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"No."

Valery blinked at the way Aris handled Lula, and turned quite the smirk in Kahlil's direction. He was also very good with animals, so all of this probably felt like staring into the mirror a little bit. Ah, she was really loving the fact that at least one of their kids wasn't a gremlin like her — finally she could tease him, even though it didn't really get to him that much.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he can connect with animals well. Kahlil and Vera both can too." Vera had demonstrated this to everybody on Ukatis, when she had summoned an actual army of Racyons. Which... quite honestly frightened Valery a little bit. If she could already do that now, at the age of 7, then what would she be able to do years from now?

She figured it was best not to dwell on it.

Valery then leaned over and grabbed herself some pancakes and fruit as well, while Vera went straight for the syrup to completely drown every pancake on her plate. The young Noble had no interest in eating properly either, and grabbed her pancake with her hands to shove as much of it into her mouth as she could. Valery, while not quite as disgusting as Vera, also grabbed her pancake with her hand... only to realize that Cora was eating with knife and fork a second later.

She smiled sheepishly as a result, but continued to eat with her hands. These were pancakes, after all.

"They're doing good! Not long ago, they said their first words!" Vera said proudly. "And I'm always good to them! I promised I would, so I always will."

Kahlil Noble · Aug 7, 2023

"Lady Lula the Second is your friend, and I assume has been trained to at least listen." Manners seemed to be another lesson entirely though. He watched the Raycon for a moment longer before finding his own seat and started to dig in.

With actual manners, though. Fork and knife only here. Kahlil was much of the same, but he didn't seem as bothered by the others feasting habits. He was just happy to see them all eating together. After everything that happened, Cora deserved something like this.

Corazona von Ascania |