Private Future's Journey

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

Vera softly grumbled at first but when she felt a hand settle on her shoulder, and the Force flowing through her to aid, she looked at him again with an appreciative smile. Both for the healing and that he decided to join her for this. Kahlil Noble trusted her with missions like this already, but she felt a lot more comfortable having someone she knew well by her side. Maybe that's why Mom and Dad worked together so often, too.

"Thanks," she said once he finished, while he took off his helmet. As useful as it had been, it was good to actually see him without the thing on again. There was just something creepy about it. Maybe even something off? She wasn't sure, but she sure felt relieved to see his face again.

At least, until he teased her about boys again.

"Shaddup," she squeaked. "I'm not trying to impress anybody." Well, except for her parents, but he knew that already. And the boys who totally didn't exist.

Vera then watched as Alicio knelt down by some of the people they had taken out, and smiled a little. Despite what they did, he was still going to make sure they'd end up okay. At least physically.

"Are you craving anything in particular. Ramen? Burgers?"

"Burgers!" Vera exclaimed a little too excitedly. She nervously cleared her throat and nodded, "I'd uh, love to get some burgers. I know a great place for it, too! Mom used to take me there all the time if I did well in class." She grinned and began to move to the exit of the building, so they could get going.

"Oh and uh, thank you for coming with me. I don't know if I could have managed this on my own."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Don't mention it," Alicio said, shooting the girl a quick, comforting smile. If she were ever injured, of course he'd be there to help.

Of course, that didn't stop him from ribbing the young Jedi about her completely inconspicuous romantic feelings. He sent her a cheeky grin, grey eyes sparkling with unspoken mirth. "Good," he finally said, letting a genuine smile shine through. There was no need to try to impress. She was already impressive enough, with or without a ridiculous hat.

"Burgers!"

Sometimes, Vera was entirely unrecognizable from the girl Alicio knew ten years ago. And sometimes, he couldn't help but see that excited five-year-old, dancing with her mother on Pasaana, and blasting him with a water gun. His heart swelled, just a little, as that happy little child showed herself, and he responded by nodding. "Burgers it is." The two of them exited the bank, leaving the rest to the authorities, as they approached Alicio's airspeeder.

Vera offered another thanks. "I'm sure you would've managed just fine," he said, a knowing confidence in his tone. "But I'm glad I could be there for you, regardless."

Finally reaching their speeder, Alicio seemed to consider something. After a moment of thought, he made his idea known "Have you learned how to drive yet, Vera?"

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"Burgers it is."

Vera was grinning from ear to ear now and was quick to follow him outside the building and back to his speeder. She knew exactly where she wanted to take him, and perhaps that sparked the idea in his mind that she should lead the way. Quite literally, as he asked her about driving the speeder.

She shot him that proper Noble grin and already stepped towards the driver's seat.

"I've learned how to drive, and mom even lets me grab her favorite speeder bike sometimes." That one really went fast and she loved it. Mom had gotten it after Dad crashed and destroyed their last one during a mission with Alicio and Adonis, and Vera grabbed any chance she could to take it for a spin.

Once she settled inside, Vera looked around the controls with a grin and began their journey at a fairly slow pace. As much as she wanted to go pedal to the metal and embrace the inner gremlin a little, this wasn't her speeder. She was raised well enough to control herself.

"Do you uh, still train a lot? With the lightsaber or the Force?" Vera then asked as they cruised through Coruscant traffic together. "Or is the senator job too busy for it?"

 

[Alicio Organa]

Vera seemed a bit too eager about getting behind the wheel.

The smallest lump of concern wedged itself in the back of his throat, though he swiftly swallowed his sudden fear of a teen driving his speeder. He wasn't the kind to waste his wealth on vehicles, but he rather liked his sleek chrome paintjob. With a silent prayer that he would still like it after their trip, Alicio climbed into the passenger seat.

Thankfully, and perhaps coincidentally, Vera had enough foresight to go slow and careful. The senator finally let himself relax. "Not a lot," he said, securing his helm somewhere safe. "Not as much as your average Jedi. But certainly more than your average politician. There's always something pressing." His mouth turned into the impression of a smile. "You know, I ended up not joining the Jedi Order for the sake of my bureaucratic duties. I don't regret my decisions, but... sometimes I wonder, if I had, what kind of person Master Organa would be."

"Why do you ask? Thinking about signing up for the Assembly? I could always use a new Junior Senator..." He glanced the young Jedi's way, a joking smile peeking through.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"You look like you thought I was going to crash your speeder," Vera commented with a grin when she noticed him relaxing after she started driving. Just to mess with him a little, she hit the accelerator to make it feel like she was about to launch them, but of course, she didn't.

"I do wonder how fast it can go, though."

After all of his teasing earlier, messing with him a little in return felt good. But she was also curious about his answer to her question and listened intently to what he had to say. "I'm sure Master Organa would have been fantastic as well, but Mom and Dad have always told me that you're one of the most, if not the most reliable politicians in the Galaxy. Someone who actually... cares." She briefly glanced his way and smiled.

"I uh, think the Alliance really needs that."

She then blinked and looked back ahead, "I was just wondering because you were pretty amazing back there. I don't think politics is for me, but you know I'll always help you if you need it." She began to smile again, but it quickly turned into a big grin when a huge neon-lit advertisement board appeared.

The burger place.

"There it is! You have to get the XL there. It's big, greasy, and disgusting, but so gooood."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"What? No. Me? No." Alicio looked away, his mouth curling into a guilty grin. "I was just so excited for you to drive us, 's'all."

Nailed it.

Though her comment immediately following her assurances didn't help matters.

Alicio kept his eyes forward as they zipped through traffic, following the fast-moving airlanes, passing bright adverts and dark rising buildings, edifice where the sky should be. "There are plenty of good people in the Senate," the senator sighed, his lips pursing. "I just... I wish there were more."

But then, he found a grin. "Maybe all the Alliance needs is more Jedi interested in politics. There are more ways to make a difference than with your laser-sword." Of course, he'd never expected Vera to drop everything to join the Assembly. If all she did was stay informed, and acted on her convictions, he would consider it a win.

"Well, I wouldn't say I was amazing..." Alicio started, sidestepping her second compliment too. "I did pretty good for a senator, I suppose. But I'm no Valery Noble." He had grown. A lot. But it wasn't something he particularly liked talking about. It was a long, winding, difficult road to get to where he was now.

The speeder finally descended enough for Alicio to disembark, which he did with a practiced grace. A hilarious contrast to the sudden look of restrained disgust he attempted to hide. "Lovely," he managed, coughing into his hand. "I don't suppose they have... salad options?"

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"Uh-huh."

Vera rolled her eyes and focused on traffic again, albeit with a smirk. One that faded just a little at the topic of senators and what the Alliance needs. A lot of people had very strong opinions about it, and Vera was only really just starting to form her own. She had met good politicians, like Alicio, but she knew of plenty of dangerous ones as well.

"As long as they're not both a Jedi and a senator. I also just feel like the senate... sometimes doesn't really like the Jedi. But that might also just be because the most negative voices are often the loudest, right?" She asked with a sigh. Even in a crowd full of people who supported the Jedi, even just one being against them already stood out.

It just made no sense to her, after everything the Jedi had done. After everything her parents had done, and what she was going to do one day herself.

"I did pretty good for a senator, I suppose. But I'm no Valery Noble."

Vera rolled her eyes again and chuckled, "You shouldn't compare yourself to someone who spent her whole life training as a Jedi. You really made a difference back there, and Mom said you've helped her before too. That's all I need to know." And with that, they arrived at the restaurant.

Vera was all excited about it, but Alicio seemed hesitant. "If you order a salad here, I'm telling my mom and you'll never hear the end of it. Maybe Amani too." She huffed and walked inside to order something.

"I'd like two XL burgers with everything on it, please." She flashed Alicio a grin. He wouldn't cancel the order, would he?

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio gave Vera a knowing glance. "There are more ways to get involved than representing a planet. But... between you and me, I wouldn't mind a few Jedi Senators around. Even if that's a bit taboo, on both sides of the issue."

"You shouldn't compare yourself to someone who spent her whole life training as a Jedi."

Alicio seemed to brighten, his knowing glance strengthening into a knowing smirk. "You learn fast."

Vera was quick to veto his alternative option, which Alicio could only shake his head at. "I think Amani would appreciate my healthy lifestyle choices." He neglected to mention how Valery would likely razz him over it. Nor how Amani had seen him order multiple salads, and regret it soon after.

But Vera wouldn't take no for an answer, ordering two burgers for them, and staring at Alicio as if to challenge him. He was trapped by societal convention. "Vera, you are a politician," he teased, though the defeat in his eyes was apparent.

Waiting for their meal a few paces away, Alicio turned his gaze on the young Jedi once more. "How has your Seer training been going?"

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"You learn fast."

Vera shot him a look, not because she was annoyed with him, but because she was almost annoyed he was right. Comparing herself to people far more experienced is exactly what she had been doing, especially with Kahlil Noble , and now she gave him that advice. Maybe he wouldn't notice if she just stared back at the menu to quickly move on.

Heh.

"Amani also knows how to have fun, so quit being a party pooper and eat the burger, damnit." She grumbled and made sure he had no way to step in when she ordered them two big burgers. The grin that followed sparked him to comment about her being a politician, and that just made her chuckle. "Thank you for supporting my burger bill then, fellow senator." She dipped her head playfully and snatched the burgers, before walking to a table with him.

"The Seer training is hard because there aren't many of them out there anymore. Mom and Dad try to help me find as much information as I can, but it's a lot of figuring things out myself." She sighed and looked at him. "I guess that's how you figured out to read the future as well, hm?"

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio full-on chuckled, upturning an eyebrow at Vera. "Do your parents know you swear now?" If they didn't, that would be yet another thing he could tease the Jedi with. More fuel for the fire, so to speak. At her sudden shift in decorum, Alicio bowed back, playing along. "Of course, Senator Noble." He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

They acquired their burgers, and laid claim over a nearby table. Her frustrations were of a familiar sort to him, eliciting a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, I never had a master, or tutors when I was first learning. It was all... guesswork, and experimentation. But I learned. And that means you can, too."

Alicio took an embarrassingly small nibble of his jumbo burger. "I... could try to teach you how to see like me, one of these days. My style is... unorthodox, and certainly not a Jedi tradition, but... maybe it could help you find your own path."

"Would you like to know what helped me, when I was first starting out?"

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"I don't swear...much..." She flashed him a more nervous smile at first, but it brightened up when he played along and called her Senator Noble. It had a nice ring to it, but she wanted to guide people differently. The path of a Seer was challenging, but she felt that it was her destiny to pursue it all the way.

Perhaps one day, she'd consider something else as well.

"I only have a little bit of help but... yeah, I think I can do it." She smiled at first, then narrowed her eyes when he took a very small nibble from his burger. Was he testing her? Vera, in response, took a huge bite and showed the inner gremlin once more as she began to devour the food.

But then something he said caught her attention, and Vera realized that she put herself in a difficult position. She wasn't going to talk with her mouth full, so an almost uncomfortably long silence followed, during which she tried to swallow the large chunk of burger she tried to eat.

"...that would be really great! I'd love to learn more from you!" She almost squealed excitedly.

"But what helped you?" she then asked curiously.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Watching Vera take an enormous bite of her food, and then choke on it to let her excitement be known, made Alicio cover his mouth, trying to keep in his laughter. It was so... Vera of her.

"Well, I'd love to teach you," he returned, taking another small bite of his food. "Though I can't promise it will help you too much. Everyone's path in the Force is different. I can only teach you how to put one foot in front of the other. Where you go, what your path looks like, is up to you."

Alicio put down his food, and fully turned his attention up to Vera. His gaze, while weathered by years and the stresses of politics, remained just as piercing, just as warm as ever. "When I first began manifesting the Force, I was shown... a chaotic, awful vision. For a long time, I had difficulty connecting to the Force after that. It felt like a pressure against my head, my shoulders, the veins in my arms..." One of Alicio's hands twitched, remembering the sensation.

"I realized after a while that I was... scared, of the Future. I was frightened of all the terrible things that could happen, worried about what I might see." He sighed, before smirking. "But I realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. Some visions come true, some visions don't. Bad things will happen, good things will happen, but always, what will happen will."

"You can always prepare for the Future, or try to change it. As long as you don't let fear weigh you down." Almost placatively, he chomped down on his burger, taking a moment to chew before finishing his thought. "Don't let what hasn't happened yet defeat you."

"Did that make sense? Or is it a little too esoteric?"

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

Vera chuckled at first and seemed thrilled about the idea of him teaching her. Having grown up in a family of Jedi, Vera understood a lot of things quite well. Her parents had never tried to force her down a certain path, and always encouraged her to learn from others and figure out things for herself. They were there for guidance and advice, but not to control. Her demeanor, however, shifted a little when Alicio explained more about his own journey.

About being afraid of the future.

"I've been very scared before too," Vera admitted, and for just a moment, she also put down what remained of her burger. "When I was younger, my visions only showed me things about myself and my parents because they were my whole world. I've seen... terrible things happen." She frowned and looked up into his eyes.

"Sometimes they still scare me, when I see what kind of danger my family gets into. But I'm trying really hard to not let it control me too much." Vera began to smile again and took a more modest bite of her burger. "So I understand, and if there's anything you can teach me, no matter how small, I'd happily learn it from you."

Her gaze then drifted down to his burger, and she smirked, "Oh and don't let your burger get cold."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"The future can be scary," Alicio agreed, nodding in sympathy. "It's vast, unexplored, and tends to show you the worst it has to offer. Who wouldn't be terrified? But getting over it; that's half the battle, and you're already fighting it."

"I'm happy to guide your journey, and let you guide mine, in return." Vera was more talented at scrying than him, in many ways. Though he didn't say it out loud. He took another small nibble of his meal, giving the Padawan a disapproving frown at her last quip. "And I will eat at my own pace, thank you very much."

The edges of the vision began to bleed with black and blue, blossoming and fading like so much oil paint dipped in water. Their time grew short.

"You know Vera, I hate to say it, but this is pretty good." He smirked, taking another tantalizingly small bite of his burger. "You win this time, Master Jedi."

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"That sounds like a plan to me," Vera said, and it was clear that she already felt much better about her future as a Seer. There was enough uncertainty in her life as is, but having people like Alicio helping her through some of it helped a great deal. And if she could somehow help him even a little bit in return, she just couldn't be happier.

The disapproving frown and comment about eating got her to pout a little, but that disappeared quickly when he told her that he actually liked the burger.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed excitedly. Vera then blinked, realizing she had nearly jumped out of her seat, and smiled sheepishly at the Count "I mean... who doesn't like burgers, right?" She chuckled and just watched him a moment longer, as the edges of her vision blurred and the Force decided it was time for them to return to where they belonged.

​

All at once, the two were back inside the apartment, sitting on the floor opposite of each other. The little Noble looked up at him with big, innocent eyes and smiled her biggest smile. She remembered the vision, and while she didn't understand everything she had seen during their time in that realm of the Force, she still knew it had helped.

"That was fun!" She giggled, blinked and looked at him for a moment longer.

"Uhm, Alicio?" She then asked.

"Can we watch some holo, please?" She asked politely.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio slowly blinked open his eyes, letting go a sigh of air he hadn't realized he'd kept. It took a moment to acclimate to the present, shaking off the future's journey they had shared. Never before had one of his visions felt... so real. So solid. No hyperbole, nothing to try to understand or interpret. Maybe it had something to do with the little girl sitting across from him, laughing and smiling as if it were just another holo they were watching.

It made Alicio break into giggles, too. It was just... so silly.

"Yeah," Alicio said, standing and patting Vera on the head. "Yeah, put something on. I'll make us some food."

The future was so beautiful. There wasn't anything to be afraid of.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

For hours, Vera would be easily entertained by holo shows and food, but a journey into the Force was a taxing thing for the little Noble. So about halfway through their 2nd show, she fell asleep on the couch and wouldn't open her eyes again until the first rays of sunshine made their way into the apartment in the morning. As promised to her mother, she behaved and got up to get dressed, she brushed her teeth and stepped into living room again.

"Good morning!" She grinned and rubbed her eyes a little before glancing at the door.

"Mommy is coming!" Which meant she came to pick her up, so they could head home and play games with Kahlil Noble . They had promised to spend the day after date night together with the whole family, and Vera was looking forward to it.

Knock, knock, knock.

Vera grinned and looked at Alicio, "This was fun! Can I come again soon?" She smiled happily and joined him, so they could greet her mother together.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio had awoken early the next morning, to make sure he was up and moving before Vera. Performing his own morning rituals, he was already in the living room as the little Noble entered, standing in front of his mirror in his senate blacks, fiddling with the clasps of his cape. He turned as Vera entered, turning a kind smile her way. "Good morning. I hope you slept well."

Upon Vera's realization that her mother was almost there, Alicio checked himself, dipping into the future as one might dip their face into a pool. He nodded, impressed she had picked up on it more quickly than him. "Mmm, good catch. Do you have everything you brought with you? Eddie?"

After ensuring that she was properly packed, Alicio walked with Vera towards the door, pressing the button to open it.

"Hey, Valery!" He smiled and waved, before stepping aside to let Vera through. "Vera was the perfect guest."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

Vera always knew where her Mom and Dad were, so she was always the first to know when they were approaching as well. With promises of playing games made, she was ready to-

She stopped, blinked and suddenly ran off when Alicio mentioned Eddie. She had left him on a chair in the bedroom while she got dressed, so she had to get him back. The idea of leaving him behind or losing him terrified the little Noble, so she returned with the bear hugged tightly to her chest.

"I have everything now," she told Alicio before she joined him and walked up to the door. When it opened, Valery greeted them with the brightest smile, and held out her arms. Vera charged at her, jumped up and was wrapped into a big hug. The two Nobles then rubbed their cheeks together and a playful squeal followed from Vera.

"It's good to see you again, sweetie, and I'm very glad to hear that she was a good guest," Valery said, now looking up at Alicio. "Thank you so much again for watching her. Did you have fun, Vera?" she then asked, and the little Noble remained quiet for a moment, her eyes turning to Alicio.

"Mhm! I wanna come over again!" she giggled and Valery just smiled lovingly at her daughter. "I'm sure you'll get the chance, and maybe you can even help mommy watch over his kids too." She looked up at Alicio, since they've talked a little about that already.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio suppressed a chuckle at the sweet interaction between Valery and Vera, folding his arms in front of himself, and grinning like a fool. Seeing the two Nobles like this made him all the more excited to be a father, and share that type of bond with his children.

"We had a blast," Alicio agreed, nodding to Vera as she glanced his direction. "And you are free to come over as often as you like, Vera. As long as I'm not away for work, and your parents say it's okay."

As Valery brought up his kids, Alicio nodded, the glint of hidden knowledge in his eye. "Certainly. They have to meet their big sis Vera, after all."

"Anyways, I have to finish getting ready. Seriously, anytime you need a babysitter, Val, I'm here." He smirked at her. "And... we can talk about repaying me when the twins are born~."

- Valery Noble -