Private White Lies

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

"Oh really?" Valery asked, a little surprised to hear that Cora didn't see eye to eye with someone. She had always seemed like a very easygoing person, able to defuse tense situations before they got out of hand. But then again, Valery had recently discovered that she was also able to snap at people if emotions ran too high.

"He took your chocolate pudding?"

Valery blinked and looked at Vera, who was glaring in Makko's direction as if he was her greatest enemy all of a sudden. It was still strange to see these death glares from her daughter, but there was no denying who she had it from.

Her dad's genes, of course.

When he asked for her name, she finally brightened up again and smiled, "I'm Vera!" she exclaimed happily. "I saw you kissing Cora but she says you're friends." That was very confusing to her. Mom and dad kissed, but they were a lot more than friends. So she looked between the two for answers.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

In his brief glance, Makko would find Cora's eyes wide. And full of the ire she had in her need to be right.

"That is—that is not exactly how it happened and you know it!" She protested, suddenly lacking the hesitation she had earlier. "Everyone is permitted one dessert per meal!"

But Makko had swiftly moved the conversation on to Vera. Despite this, the little girl threw him a glare that made Cora both shrink back and snicker.

Vera's anger quickly gave way, and lead to a question that made Cora's entire body stiffen. Even though she was seated and relatively unmoving, she could feel her palms begin to sweat and her knees start to weaken, arms suddenly heavy.

"Th-thats, uh, um, because-"

Eyes darted over to Makko to gauge his reaction. He'd been able to play things far cooler than she had so far. How?

They'd agreed to keep this secret, but Cora felt that Makko wasn't exactly excited to. Would he be upset that she tried to deny it?

She took a deep breath. The nexu was out of the bag now.

"What do you think that means, Vera?" The question was posed without any sort of condescention, but Cora used a leading tone that would encourage Vera to explore her own thoughts further.

Because that was a good idea.

Valery Noble Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I saw you kissing Cora but she says you're friends."

"Are you sure?" he asked, but his eyes had already widened. The two padawans were not ready to carry out deception in the face of a serious interrogation.

"Everyone is permitted one dessert per meal!"

Makko gave away a lot to Valery with one simple look at Cora's response. His eyes challenged her back, but his lips curled into a smile. He enjoyed teasing Cora and trying to get a reaction. He would never realise how much he revealed with one mischievous glance. Like most people his age, he assumed grown ups had been born grown up and never gone through the same phases of life. He might not have panicked, but he gave away too much.

Valery would know from that one look that Vera had not been mistaken. He had given up his sabacc face in an instant.

Eyes darted over to Makko to gauge his reaction. He'd been able to play things far cooler than she had so far. How?

Makko couldn't convey much back in a single look. He at least stopped looking as if he was going to continue poking about the pudding incident.

She couldn't get thrown out for this, could she? Makko thought to himself. He was starting to worry about how this would affect Cora, her training and the expectations of her family.

And the punishment she would suffer if she did not live up to them.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

Valery caught all of their looks.

She was far too experienced in teasing and being teased by Kahlil Noble not to understand exactly what was happening. The only difference was the wildcard — her daughter, who had innocently exposed their entire relationship and continued to poke away at Cora especially. Likely without even realizing just how embarrassed it made the Padawan.

"Well, I think it's great to see that you two get along much better now," Valery said with a slightly teasing grin. It was far too amusing of a comment after they had just gone at each other over a pudding again.

Cora, however, still wanted to poke away at Vera's unfiltered mind a little further, and without wasting a second, Vera looked up from her food when the question was asked. "Uhm... uhm..." she blinked, not having expected the question, but she thought about the one relationship she was very familiar with in her life. Mom and dad.

So...

"Are you having babies too? Like mommy?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Valery's teasing, Vera's questions and Makko's smirk came at her like a three pronged assault. Cora had been able to just handle the situation until now, albeit without much grace.

Then Vera kicked asked if she was having babies. Not even a baby, but babies, plural. As in more than one. As in more than one child. With Makko.

Cora went completely red, face, neck and chest flushed with burning embarrassment. Makko too, had been stunned into silence by the query. She couldn't even chance a helpless look over to him, but managed to glance at the window behind them and wonder if the fall would be enough to end this suffering.

"I-"

The Padawan opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a crackling squeak. Both hands were gripping the set of her chair on either side, and for a moment Cora wavered, looking as though she might faint.

Unfortunately, mercy would not come.

"Th…that's…n…."

Swallowing thickly, Cora finally managed to shake her head furiously.

"N-no, Vera. I am not having…babies. Or a baby. Or any babies, not for a while. I think."

"There are…several steps between kissing and babies."

She shut her mouth to keep from babbling further, and gave Valery a pleading look.

Cora couldn't help but think she'd fare better against the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Valery Noble Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Slack-jawed, open mouth, Makko glanced from Vera to Valery and back again.

He was - especially relative to Cora - quite an easy-going teenager. Children of Vera's age were to be ignored and he was not ready for that level of direct questioning.

"There are…several steps between kissing and babies."

He finally turned to Cora, not to offer aid, but because he was genuinely concerned she was about to try and outline to a five year old why it wasn't on her agenda and why they didn't talk about what mummies and daddies did.

Makko joined Cora in stunned silence.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

"What step-"

"Vera," Valery interjected before her daughter could make Cora actually crash through a window and down 5000 levels of Coruscant. She had caught her Padawan's pleading look, and as much as she loved to tease, she didn't want Cora to feel uncomfortable coming to her home.

"Let's talk about something else, okay?" she asked, and Vera just stared at her for a moment.

"Okay." Without any protesting, she reached for some more bacon and began to nibble on it, as if nothing had happened at all, and her questions had been the most normal in the world. The innocence was almost adorable to her mother, but she knew where the questions stemmed from, so she understood to be careful with her chaotic little star.

"Cora?" Vera then asked after a moment, and Valery immediately shifted to look at her little star. Please, don't make it worse, is all she could think. "Will you come to my birthday? Makko can come too." She looked with big pleading eyes now and even seemed a little nervous about asking.

Valery just felt her heart melt and looked from Vera to the others.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora put a steady hand to her rapidly beating heart and gave Valery a grateful look before this conversation could get truly uncomfortable.

It was best to leave an explanation of the steps between kissing and babies to her parents.

The color was just barely beginning to lessen from her cheeks when Vera called out to her. Stiffening, Cora turned her head almost mechanically to find the five year old staring up at her with anxious eyes.

This question was far more benign, and the Padawan exhaled in relief.

"Of course, Vera. Thank you very much for the invitation!" Cora smiled in encouragement, hoping to assuage the girl's nerves. Despite the insane amount of embarrassment caused by Vera's observations, Cora adored the littlest Noble.

"We would be happy to attend." She tilted her head towards Makko with a pointed look, polite smile taking on something of an edge.

"Wouldn't we?"

"That is, erm…provided that we are not in trouble."

Her gaze swept back towards Valery, attempting to evaluate her Master's body language for any hint of approval or denouncement.

Valery Noble Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

It was years since Makko had been part of a resly family, not the one that had picked him off the streets of Denon. He felt slightly uncomfortable around their day to day behaviour, as if it was something he had left behind.

Master Noble and her daughter just seemed like any family should have been. Even when his own his own parents had been there, they had spent more time jacked into the net than being there for him.

"Erm, yeah, of course we'll come," Makko replied. Vera would probably forget by the time her birthday came around anyway, if he didn't come good on it.

"I'm sure we're not in trouble," Makko said, sounding deeply uncertain. Was he going to get in trouble for being a distraction to her student?

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

"Really?!" Vera hopped in her seat and seemed happily surprised that the invitation was accepted. So far, it meant at least 3 or 4 people would show up, and that would already make her really happy. "Thank you, Cora. Thank you, Makko," she said, unable to stop moving excitedly now that they said they were coming.

Valery just looked at her daughter quietly in adoration, and let out a soft, happy sigh.

"And no, you're not in trouble," Valery then assured them with a chuckle. "Cora, you don't need my permission or blessing to form relationships, whether it's just friends or..." she looked at Makko and smirked. "I'm happy for you both, and hope that everything will go well."

"Just... don't kill each other over dessert, alright?" she teased.

Vera giggled and looked up, "I'd fight for pudding too!"

Of course, she would.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora was about to protest that this wasn't about the dessert, it was the principle, but Vera was quick to chime in with her support. She couldn't help but smile at the girl's eagerness, knowing full well that no one messed with Vera when it came to snack time.

At Valery's acceptance, some of the tension eased from Cora's rigid posture. Everything had taken her by surprise so far—how quickly she and Makko had developed feelings for one another, and how easily they'd been caught.

Underneath the table, she reached for his hand.

"Thank you, Master Noble." The Padawan's smile more relieved.

She sobered just a moment later.

"It wasn't that we were trying to, ah, hide from the Jedi, necessarily." Cora glanced between Valery and Makko, then back to Valery again.

"It's more...my father would not allow this."

Valery Noble Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Weren't tryin' to hide, but apparently weren't so careful..." Makko added. He managed to shrug with both his shoulders and his eyebrows whilst squeezing Cora's hand back.

He had never been a particularly private person. Keeping his feelings in check for training was new to him and it was difficult. Hiding any feelings for Cora in public had been worse, far worse. They'd taken to having the occasional trip far from the temple together. Coruscant was, fortunately, an enormous three dimensional landscape where you rarely walked into someone by accident.

Makko felt he should say something more about her father and their circumstances. It was for Cora to decide what was appropriate. Part of him wished he could tell someone about the bruises that man left on Cora, but there was nowhere to turn and no way to make it right.

Testing the waters of acceptability, he released her hand and let his arm wrap very gently around Cora's waist behind her.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

"Weren't tryin' to hide, but apparently weren't so careful..."

Vera innocently giggled and finished up the rest of her food, while Valery was mostly focused on what Cora said. Her father would not approve of her relationship, and that's why she felt a need to be so careful. She wasn't quite sure what was worse — not being allowed to pursue relationships under the old, traditional rules of the Jedi, or having your own family oppose your feelings to this extent. It scared her.

"Well, your father won't be hearing about it from me, Cora. I promise you that," Valery said for what it was worth. Her father was going to be hearing something else entirely from her very soon.

Vera then, without saying a word, hopped off her chair and hopped off, either to get something or to just play with Bee. It was right then, that Valery noticed the little moment between the two Padawans. His arm slipped around her waist, and Valery just leaned back in her chair with an amused grin.

"You know, if you two struggle to find some alone time together... maybe I should assign you both to the same mission. You clearly work well together, so there would be no complications, right?" As long as they actually did whatever she tasked them to do, she saw no harm in it.

She just really wanted to help her Padawan.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's shoulders relaxed further with an audible exhale. She smiled at Valery, grateful for her acceptance.

In truth, she hadn't imagined that her Jedi Master would be opposed to Cora pursuing a relationship on her own terms. But fear made her anxious and twisted her perceptions.

As Vera wandered away after finishing her meal, Cora felt Makko's hand pull away. The confused look she gave him eased into one of surprise, a faint blush surfacing on the pale skin of her cheeks when she felt his hand slip around her waist.

A nervous smile tilted her lips, but her heart truly fluttered at Valery's suggestion. "O-oh, that's...um, are you sure that is appropriate, Master?"

Cora didn't know why she was asking, exactly. This was all entirely new territory. An anxious glance at Makko, and she looked back to Valery.

"I mean, if you have the ability to do so...we would, ah, be very appreciative."

The way she spoke was more how one would speak to a guest attending a gala, rather than thanking a Jedi Master for subtly influencing mission assignments to allow two Padawans more alone time together.

Just the thought sent a fresh wave of blood rushing to her head.

Valery Noble Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

The conversation was not proceeding quite how Makko had imagined it would have. Valery was understanding of the situation and hadn't brought them here for a round of warnings.

For a place he had thought was a cult, that still had lessons about letting go of your fears and loved ones for peace and objectivity she seemed remarkably down to earth. It made his decision to stay feel right. Especially given how downright normal Starlin seemed to Makko.

He gave Cora a brief squeeze.

"You got there in the end," he murmured. There was something comforting about Cora being even more uncomfortable with the situation than him.

"We'd take any task seriously. And I've not been away from the temple much. That mission to drop off supplies on Xa Fel didn't exactly go as planned and I've not been off world since."

That was an understatement. He hadn't been as close to the danger as Vera and Cora, but had fled from the contact zone with the screams of dying soldiers adding to another layer of shit what happened to me that Makko kept tucked away.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

"Why would it be inappropriate?" Valery asked with a soft smile. "As long as you two get the assignment done, there's no problem. But if it helps, look at it as a learning experience — Jedi these days shouldn't be ignoring their emotions anymore. But they can still be distracting when they really shouldn't be. So it's an exercise of self-control."

She flashed a bit of a grin, knowing how hard it was. Whenever she was on missions with Kahlil Noble , they were definitely serious when they needed to be. But when not...

She wasn't going to talk about that with the Padawans.

Valery then turned to Makko and offered a soft smile. "Well, then it's definitely good for you to be out there more. If you'd like, and your own Master is fine with it, I can also bring you along on missions with Cora. Sometimes having two Padawans to assist me would definitely be useful."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora nodded vigorously at Makko's addition. He was far more collected in the moment, and she was vaguely jealous.

The mention of this being n exercise in self control had her eyes widening. Just how much did Valery know about their relationship?

Attempting to scrub those thoughts from her mind before they could spiral into some sort of self-made panic, Cora offered them both an anxious smile.

"I think that's a fine idea. If you're alright with it, Makko?"

She was still very keenly aware of his arm settled across her waist.

"You've said that you'd like to visit more planets, and Master Noble is an excellent teacher."

Valery Noble Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

So it's an exercise of self-control."

Makko's eyes widened just a little at the comment. Did she know about the survival exercises?

He was oblivious to the fact that both he and Cora wore exactly the same expression on the same beat. He would act as if there was no lesson for the pair, but Valery would see that there was.

"I think that's a fine idea. If you're alright with it, Makko?"

"I'd like that a lot," Makko replied. "I'd like to learn more about what the Jedi really do out there in the galaxy."

His understanding of what they practically did was still limited.

"It's, erm, very kind of you Master Noble," he expressed. He clearly alhadnt expected her to show so much understanding after her little spy had outed them.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: CASUAL
Appearance: Link
Tag: Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres

Valery looked curiously between them, hoping that they would accept the offer. She didn't just want to set it up so they could spend more time together, but she also believed that she could actually teach them something. Friendship, love, and deep bonds had the potential to be amazing sources of strength, but they could also cause a Jedi to lose control. Even Valery herself still spent much time working on that aspect of her life.

If her husband or daughter got hurt, it changed her, and she had seen firsthand what happened to her loved ones whenever she got hurt. But in the end, they'd also be themselves again.

"Alright, I'm going to take you both on an assignment, then. I'll also talk to my husband — I know he wanted to talk to you soon, Cora. Maybe he can bring you along for one of his assignments too sometime." She smiled at the thought and turned her gaze back down the hallway.

Footsteps were rapidly approaching.

"Mommy, have you seen Eddie?" Vera asked with a pouty face.

"I think you left him on the couch, sweetie," Valery said with a chuckle and a motherly smile, before glancing at the Padawans again. "Her bear..." she quickly clarified.