Private What lays ahead

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Beep, Beep, Beep...

"Hnngh..." Valery grumbled and rolled onto her side so she could look at the alarm from her side of the bed. It was already 11 am, way later than she would normally ever get up out of bed. But after the taxing events on Tython, she had allowed herself a little bit more rest. Or perhaps she had chosen her birthday as the one day in the year when she'd actually sleep in for once. Not that she ever particularly cared about her birthday, but these last few years it had mostly just become a family thing. Vera always seemed excited about it, and that alone was enough reason to treat it like a slightly more special day.

Beep, Beep, Beep...

"Yeah yeah..." she reached over and slapped the top of the alarm to make it stop before she finally sat up, rubbed her eyes, and then stretched her arms. For a moment after, Valery would just sit there and look around, noting that Kahlil wasn't in bed with her anymore — he had likely gone up to check on Vera and make her breakfast. Which meant she had some more time to slowly wake up and get dressed.

Today, just because she felt like it, she spent a little extra time to make sure her hair and make-up looked nice. She had picked some comfortable but nice clothing, and finally opened the door of their bedroom to get to the living room.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Peaceful days were growing few and far between. The war with the Maw had escalated even further, and even Kahlil couldn't pretend everything was fine. New scars meant more proof of just how dangerous it all was. And Vera was smarter than he'd like to admit. Their daughter was learning, and every time they came back with more scars their daughter learned they'd been hurt. Asked questions Kahlil couldn't bear to answer.

Distracting her would only work for so long. Thankfully today was a day they could distract her. An eager Vera woke Kahlil up early, helping him to make breakfast. Cake. It was Mama's birthday after all! He smiled wide as they finished the last of the decorations. It was rudimentary at best, but Vera was all smiles and joy.

Not a moment too soon, either. He turned his gaze as he heard the door open. Then, together, they held up the cake for Valery. On it, 'Happy Birthday Mom'. Writen proudly by Vera of course.

"Good morning love." Kahlil smiled warmly. "Sleep well?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

The moment she opened the door and stepped into the living area, she could already smell that the two had been keeping themselves busy. To then see the decorations around the ship and the cake in their hands moments later made her a little emotional for a moment, "Good morning you two," Valery said with the brightest smile on her lips, as she stepped closer.

"Look mommy!" Vera exclaimed excitedly as she looked at the letters on the cake. "It's beautiful, sweetie, and it looks delicious." Valery then crouched down and kissed her little girl against the forehead before she stood up and nodded, "I was out for a long time... but I slept well," she said in response to Kahlil, who she quickly kissed on the lips.

But as she stood close to him, her eyes fell on his scars again for just a moment — the one over his nose and the one covering his cheek. She wasn't going to say it out loud, but they looked pretty good on him. So with a smirk and some playful movements of her lips, she stepped back and looked at Vera again, who was almost bouncing up and down at this point.

"Right, why don't we cut the cake?" she looked at Kahlil and smiled warmly. This was nice, being together with the family.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil raised a brow curiously at the look Valery gave him. The scars? Then grinned. He returned the kiss, briefly. Later. Certainly later. His gaze shifted to Vera as he nodded in agreement. Scooting around the island counter to pull out a cake knife for Vera to help cut the cake with. A couple slices, small at that. If there was one thing he was adamant about, it was eating proper meals and avoiding sweets.

This was an exception of course, but the sliver of cake he cut for each of them was all he was going to let them eat. Especially before Valery even had breakfast. Or lunch. Brunch? He chuckled as he had Vera help him set out the plates. Forks. Then turned to the stove to actually cook something hearty for Valery to eat. And Vera, given it was lunch.

"What would you like for lunch you two?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera seemed to love being allowed to help cut the cake but she was still extremely careful — after having spent so much time in the kitchen with her father, she had learned not to mess around there. But that didn't mean she couldn't make lightsaber noises as the knife easily sliced through the cake. Her imagination was always a bit wild, but it reminded Valery of herself when she was younger.

"When can mommy get her present?" Vera finally asked as she helped set up the plates and forks. "Ohhh, a present? For me?" Valery chuckled and watched Vera enjoy the first, rather large bite of her cake. "Mhmm!" she mumbled with her mouth full, but it did little to hide the girl's excitement, "I made it myself."

Valery smiled brightly and leaned in to press a kiss against her daughter's cheek, "Let's first eat your cake, and I think daddy is making more food too. Maybe some bacon and eggs today?" she glanced over at Kahlil. Much like him, she made sure the family ate properly and healthy, but cheat days were a thing even for her, and Valery followed a very strict diet to maintain her physique. Not that eggs were a bad thing to eat, but they certainly were tasty.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Bacon and eggs it was. Kahlil turned back to the stove, immediately getting into it without a second thought. He simply loved to cook. Though a grin formed as he cracked a couple eggs and glanced to Vera. "Why don't you go get the present while I cook? Mommy can open it before we eat. What do you think?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Okay!" she grinned and jumped off her seat so she could sprint off to her room — there was no stopping the energetic little girl now, which she definitely had from Valery. With that same excitement and a huge grin on her face, she came running back for her mother, a small gift cradled in her arms, as well as a rolled-up piece of paper.

"Aaaalright, c'mere," Valery chuckled and lifted the girl up into her lap, so she could wrap her arms around her for a tight squeeze. "Let's see what you made, hm?" she smiled and was first handed the small box that had her gift in it. She opened it up and inside, there was a hand-crafted necklace with colorful beads.

Valery looked at it for a moment and smiled brightly, "It's beautiful, love. Here... let me put it on," she grabbed the necklace and carefully closed it around her neck, which seemed to make Vera only happier, "It looks very pretty!" she grinned and happily wrapped her arms around her mother.

"But you can't see the other present yet! Daddy has to be here first," she said with a few nods. This was a little gift she had actually kept secret even from him. So until he joined them, she kept the piece of paper hugged against her chest — nobody was allowed to see it.

"Well, I think daddy is almost done with lunch, so we'll sit down together and open it."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

As if on cue Kahlil entered the room, idly carrying a trio of plates between his hands. He flashed a grin, nodding to Vera knowingly. Once the plates of fresh cooked eggs and bacon were served he took a seat beside little Vera, patting the top of her head before glancing back towards Valery. "Alright, give mom her gift." He gave her a little push before reaching to his plate to take a bite.

Eggs were always good.

"You'll love it, promise."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

When Kahlil came back with the plates and offered one to Valery, all 3 could hear her stomach growl — she was a fairly big eater and because of how long she had slept, she was really hungry. Valery offered a slightly embarrassed smile while Vera giggled loud, and took the plate so she could watch her daughter and eat a little at the same time.

"Alright, give mom her gift." Kahlil said, and at the little push, Vera nodded and removed the string from around the large piece of paper. "Oh I'm sure it's perfect," Valery said as her hand moved for the necklace Vera had made her. That alone made her smile. "Mmmm...." Vera mumbled as she struggled folding open the piece of paper with her little hands, and keeping it open. So Valery held one side and the little girl expected her father to hold the other while she sat in the middle and pushed it open.

When it opened, there was a drawing and Vera began to smile, "Look! This is you, mommy. This is daddy and this is me," she said as she pointed at the three happy characters that stood next to each other holding hands, with Vera in the center. "This is our house by the river, and this is the big forest with animals behind it!"

Valery chuckled and tilted her head while she looked at it, "It's beautiful, and we live there together, hm?" Vera nodded, "I've seen it myself. There are lots of animals too but they were hiding, so I couldn't draw them," Valery blinked and glanced at Kahlil for a moment, "Maybe some small bunnies or squirrels?" Valery asked with a smile, but Vera shook her head no like she meant it, "I didn't see anyyyy. Maybe they will show next time."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil raised a brow curiously as he looked at the artwork himself. He hadn't seen it, not completely. The occasional glance as Vera drew away with a happy smile, but he didn't pry or push her to share. Especially since she clearly wanted to give it away as a gift. And given his bond with Valery, well. He didn't want to let anything slip accidentally. But looking at it now, listening to how she spoke about it.

He exchanged glances with Valery for only a moment before smiling and nodding to Vera.

"So we're going to live in a forest?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Close to one," Vera said with another few nods of her head. She seemed excited at the thought, and kicked her little feet up and down while she looked up between her parents. "Mommy wants home to be quiet and safe," she said, and Valery quietly looked down at Vera for a moment. Deep down, she still blamed herself a little for Empress Teta, but was their daughter hinting at their next step somehow?

"But it's not lonely. There is a town too, with other people," she added.

"Where have you seen all of this, sweetie?"

Vera shrugged her shoulders and swayed from side to side, into each parent, "Sometimes when I sleep or close my eyes, I can go back..." she suddenly looked up at Kahlil, "Can we go walk in the forest again next time, daddy?" It was to be expected — she didn't quite understand what she was seeing, and it felt too real to be dreams. So in her little mind, she was there with mom and dad.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Ah, yeah. There it was. Kahlil let out a sigh, turning his gaze back to Valery. Giving her a rather conflicted expression. He wasn't sure what to make of this. Well, no. He understood what Vera had seen. Visions. She was getting old enough, he knew. But what did that mean for them? Valery and him had already determined that she'd at least be taught how to be a Jedi if Vera did turn out to be Force sensitive. But she'd be given free choice on where she went after that.

If the visions were here now, did that mean it was time to start her training?

"Can we go walk in the forest again next time, daddy?"

He turned his gaze back to Vera, smiling brightly and nodding. "Absolutely, little star."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

While Vera was proudly looking at her colorful drawing, Valery's eyes met Kahlil's and without saying a thing, they knew exactly what was going on in each other's minds. Vera being Force-sensitive was hardly a surprise, but now she was really starting to show it, which meant they had to start teaching her — mostly for safety reasons.

But it was a tricky thing, as visions weren't exactly the way Force-sensitive usually showed itself. They were far more complex than the occasional telekinetic push in emotional outbursts.

"Yayy!" Her daughter's excitement snapped Valery back out of her thoughts. She smiled for a moment and then quickly finished up her meal so it wouldn't get cold. "Just be careful, hmm? Don't run off too far." She wasn't sure why she was being protective about a forest in some kind of vision, but maybe that's exactly why?

"Yes Mom..." she said but she looked at her father for 'help'. Of course she wanted to run off and explore!

"But that does remind me, love," Valery said as she looked over at Kahlil, "Maybe it would be a good idea to start her training, but also find a new place to live where she can go to school, too. I'm sure the focus will be more on Jedi training when she gets older, but some general education might be helpful too? She'll meet some other kids her age then, too."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

School, huh? Kahlil let out a sigh, closing his eyes. Leaning back on the couch as Vera rushed off to play happily. Where had the time gone? Grant it, he nodded in agreement, smiling to Valery. "I think we can manage that, yeah. Though I am a little worried. Last thing we need is her power going off in the middle of class and hurting someone. Training, first. I think. Just some basics so she at least knows how not to hurt people, yeah?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

With Vera running off to play, Valery shifted over on the couch and leaned into her husband a little with her side, "You're right, it's best to be careful. It can be tough for kids if they feel they are different from the rest," Valery said with a tone that made it seem like she understood what that was like. Hell, Kahlil certainly understood that as well. "Dangerous in this case too, so we'll help her control and understand it better."

Valery then looked up at him and smiled warmly, "It's going fast, huh? Seems like yesterday that we were on Spira, talking about starting a family. Now we're thinking about having her go to school already." She let her head rest against his shoulder and took a deep breath, "Do you think we should try and figure out where her vision is exactly?"

"She seems fond of the idea of living there."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Yeah." Kahlil let out a sigh, closing his eyes. He wrapped an arm around Valery's shoulder, pulling his wife closer. Just feeling her warmth for a moment in silence. Vera really had been growing up so fast. She was still so young, but just to know she was at the age her power could manifest in ways that made a danger for multiple people, it stressed him out. Always would. All he wanted to do was protect his daughter.

"We might as well. She's already got fond memories of a place we haven't been to yet. And I like the idea of a small town we can live together, close to. With a forest. No cities, just us."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery kept her arms close to her, and leaned into the embrace her husband pulled her into. It was a peaceful and quiet moment for them both, and she enjoyed that a lot. But she could feel that he was a bit worried too, so she gently took his hand and squeezed it. There was nothing that needed to be said about it between them — they would do anything for their daughter, and they were always going to worry a little. But together, they'd keep her safe.

"I like the sound of that, too," Valery said before she chuckled, "Far away from the war too, but I think we already took care of that, according to Vera. Maybe we c-" she stopped as an echo through the Force caught her attention, and certainly that of Kahlil too. It came from their daughter's room.

"Mommyyyy!" Vera called out, but in a way that made it seem like she needed help desperately. In her room, she was sitting and drawing on the ground, but the Force flowing around her was strong, and uncontrolled.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

They felt it. And Kahlil took off. He ran right to Vera's room, panic clear in his eyes. The Force was moving in a way he wasn't used to seeing. No, he knew what it was, but for it to be swarming around his daughter like this, well. He forced a calmer smile, moving in to sit beside Vera, pushing his way through the chaos as he watched her start to draw. Was this how her visions always were? How many of her drawings were actual visions?

"It's alright Vera. We're here. You're alright."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Much like Kahlil, Valery took off in a sprint and sat down on the other side of Vera, worried and almost panicking a bit herself. Vera had nightmares in the past or been upset about things, but never did she feel genuine fear through the Force like this before. It scared Valery a great deal.

"It's alright Vera. We're here. You're alright."

There was no response — she looked down at her drawing, which had Kahlil with his lightsaber on one end, Valery far off on the opposite side of the page, and Vera was alone in the center. She had drawn tears in her own eyes, and a little text bubble that said "Mommyyyy!"

Then finally, Vera's peculiar eyes shifted to her father, but it was as if the colors within them were glowing. The moment she made eye contact, both Kahlil and Valery felt something powerful tugging at their minds, and they suddenly were no longer within the girl's bedroom.

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"Go find your mother," Kahlil said as he drew his lightsaber and ignited the green blade. Through the eyes of their little girl, they could see him standing in defense against something they couldn't quite see properly. It was dark, and the vagueness of the vision alongside the inexperienced mind of a child obscured the details.

"Bu-bu-but..."

"Go, now!"

She gulped and with trembling lips and tears in her eyes she took off running, "Mommyyyy!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, and those words echoed through the Force again and again. But no matter how long she kept running, there seemed to be no end in sight. It was like a nightmare, but it felt so much more real.

Eventually, the little dyad-born stopped and stood still as she looked at expanding flames around her, "M-mommy?" she asked quietly, as the ring of fire surrounded her and orange eyes stared at her through the darkness. But they were not her mother's eyes, she knew that much — these were sinister in nature.

Vera began to hyperventilate and screamed again, "Mommy! Daddy!" but nobody heard her. She sat down, closed her eyes, and kept calling out for her parents, over and over again, until she was drawn out of her vision, and the two parents were forcefully knocked back into reality with their daughter as well.

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With tears running down her cheeks, Vera turned and launched herself at her father for a hug. She was scared, upset, and needed comfort. Valery had fallen over during the vision and pushed herself back up to look at her family with some level of shock in her eyes. Had they just experienced flashes of their daughter's vision? It didn't matter right now, she moved to comfort her daughter as well.

"It's going to be alright."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

A vision. Kahlil knew Vera was having one, but to be dragged into it.. Even with Valery, it'd never happened awake. Not like this. Stunned for a moment he just stared blankly at his daughter. Then she ran for him. He didn't hesitate to pull he close, hugging her tightly to his chest as if he could protect her from all of that. Everything they'd seen.

"It's alright, little star. We're here. You're same." And he had no idea what to do. Genuine fear filled his gaze as he looked towars his wife.

Valery Noble