Private All the Rage

[Corazona von Ascania]

It was comforting to know that for all he'd accomplished, Kahlil still struggled with some things. The mention of her father made her grimace, recalling how aggressively she'd tried to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.

She wondered what it must have looked like, for Valery and Kahlil and Makko and the others who'd watched Cora set herself on fire to keep her father and husband warm.

She didn't actually have to imagine it, though. They'd made their concerns plain, and at the time she couldn't process the fact that they cared so deeply, figuring them blind to her culture. A culture that she now knew needed to shift if Ukatis was to integrate with the galaxy.

"He was fortunate, wasn't he?" She mused softly. "The court of Ukatis is a harsh environment, and my father does what he thinks is best for our family. Even if it means sacrificing his children like chess pieces." Cora shook her head. "I wanted to hurt him back during the invasion, but it was enough that I'd told him off."

Relying on those around her was something she'd have to start getting used to. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but not a weakness, she'd realized.

"What happens if I slip up?"

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

She'd told him off?

Kahlil raised a brow at that revelation. Like way up. The obvious, bewildered expression even he couldn't hide. One that turned to a smile. He wasn't going to say anything on it, given what she said next, but he was proud of her for standing up for herself. There was a lot he imagined she was growing in, but he truly hadn't expected to hear that she spoke against her father already. Grant it, he also didn't know the context.

"You hope you have someone to put you back, or that you realize it before it's too late. The dark will warp your perception, so it might be hard to even realize something has gone wrong. Take your time, don't act on emotion. That's the most we can do."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora didn't realize how carefully she'd been watching Kahlil's expression. The rising brow made her heart beat faster, but it settled when he smiled.

It was a little hard to hear how relying on others would play a part in keeping her from falling - but maybe that was a good skill to learn. She couldn't do everything herself, lest she burn out.

"It's insidious the way it works, isn't it?" She smiled weakly. "I didn't even know that I was tapping into it until…"

Cora shook her head, not exactly sure what she was trying to describe. It was hard to pinpoint exactly when the hooks of the dark started sinking into her.

"You'll let me know, right? If you start seeing the signs?"

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Of course. You'll do the same for me, right?"

There was warmth in not being alone. Kahlil had been during his time after he'd fled the Sith. No master to lean on, no one who understood what the Dark was like and what it did to the person who used it. Cora wasn't alone. And he wanted to make sure she knew that much.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora hesitated, but not because she had to search for an answer. It was somehow comforting to know that as much as Kahlil had her back, she’d have his own.

Along with the people around them, too. Friends and family looked out for one another. She smiled, then nodded.

“Of course.”

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It's a promise, then."

Kahlil smiled before standing up and lifting up his bat once more. He walked over towards a heavy ceramic vase before he set that up. Patted it once. It was familiar to those who might've been to his home, but he wasn't going to explain why.

Instead, he just patted it before stepping back.

"For now though, breaking things. You're up."

Corazona von Ascania