Private Hide and Seek

[Colette]

Valery Noble

"The faster they can take care of themselves in any given situation, the less you have to stress about them…" Colette teased Valery, all too aware that the older-than-her woman was far from ready to let her babies go just yet. "But, it can wait. For now."

The group of five dug into the food with surprising fervor. To Colette's surprise the recipe wasn't actually all that bad. It was unique, but not necessarily bad. Which perhaps didn't say much given the types of foods she had grown up on.

Colette reached out to put her hand on Valery's and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Of course, mmm-" Colette's head began to spin, physically as she forced the words from her lips. "Em-awww-m"

Mom.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery's heart swelled as she listened to Colette's playful teasing, her eyes drifting to the triplets, who were busy enjoying the meal they had proudly helped make. As much as Valery loved watching them grow, the thought of them becoming more independent tugged at her. She wasn't quite ready to let them go just yet. These moments, where they were still her little ones, felt far too precious.

Her smile softened, and she was about to respond when Colette's unexpected word hit her like a wave — Mom.

Valery's breath caught for just a moment. The weight of that word, spoken with such sincerity, wrapped around her heart and squeezed. She blinked back the sudden rush of emotion, her eyes shimmering with happiness as she gently squeezed Colette's hand in return.

"Thank you," Valery said softly, her voice filled with warmth and affection. She wanted to say more, to express just how much that single word had meant to her, but for now, she let the silence carry the weight of it.

After a beat, Valery smiled warmly at Colette and asked, "Would you like to do something with just the two of us soon? A day between... Mother and daughter?" The words felt so right, and she wanted nothing more than to spend time with her oldest, cherishing the bond they had grown.

"Whatever you want to do."

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

It felt good to make someone feel better with nothing more than words. The kid let out a content chuckle and then went back to her food.

"Well, I know the area around the Selvaris enclave pretty well by now." Colette said and stuffed a foodpiece in her mouth to chew while she thought on it. "I'm not bored of camping, but I'd like to do something perhaps more interesting."

"Know any good hiking spots?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Wedding Ring

"Have you been to Spintir before?" Valery asked after popping a piece of cut fruit into her mouth, "There's an old Temple there, called the Dawn Temple. High up in the mountains." Valery remembered it vividly and even liked it, despite the cold. "It's where my journey after my time in stasis started. The Temple was once made as a meditative retreat for Jedi who needed to reconnect with the Light side of the Force."

Which is why she brought both Kahlil and Amani there when they had been severed from the Force.

"Or would you prefer something less extreme?"

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

"No." Colette said rather plainly, efficient as ever in her speech. She had never been to Spintir and more than likely Valery knew this, it was one of those "courtesy" questions.

"No, Spintir sounds great. We can hike a trail, and you tell me more about the time back then and what it was like waking up in the here-and-now."

Colette shifted her attention to the kids with a smile and then back to 'em-aw-m'.

"I imagine it was very different back then."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery's gaze softened as she listened to Colette, her mind drifting back to the early days after waking up from stasis.

"When I first woke up, I spent almost a year alone at the Dawn Temple," Valery said, her tone reflective. "It was in ruins, but I restored it, piece by piece, and during that time, I explored the Caves of Dark and Light that lay near it. That place helped me reconnect with the Force after everything I'd been through."

She smiled faintly, recalling the solitude that had grounded her.

"Ever since then, I've brought other Jedi to Spintir. Some needed to recover their connection to the Force, like Kahlil and Amani. Others just needed a place to find peace, to meditate in silence. It's become a special place for me."

She looked at Colette, her expression brightening. "I think you'd like it. There are interesting creatures there and the view is stunning."

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

A year alone felt like a lot. Colette wasn't the most social of people, but even she knew that a whole year was bound to drive her at least a little nutty. She felt a small twinge of worry that disappeared as soon as it had arrived. Valery wasn't that crazy, and the whole thing had happened many years ago by now. Whatever 'nut' there was to be found in there had most likely other reasons to be there.

Raising triplets for one. Life in general as a Jedi for second.

"So you're saying we'd be the first to just go there for fun and not because something bad has happened and we need the peace of complete isolation from everyone else?" Colette joked, sarcastically. "If anything we need to go just to give you better reasons to remember it."

"I think we've settled it then!" She said and took another bite of her food. "Dawn Schtemple it ish!"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Wedding Ring

Valery chuckled warmly at Colette's teasing, feeling a rush of excitement at the idea of showing her the Dawn Temple for reasons other than Jedi duties. "You're right," she admitted, smiling brightly. "It's about time we make some memories there that aren't tied to recovering from the past. I'd love to show you the caves, the creatures, and the view — there's so much more to Spintir than its solitude."

Her eyes gleamed with anticipation as she leaned forward slightly. "How about we plan to leave in a few days? It's a bit of a trip, but I can make time," she said, pausing briefly before adding with a playful glint, "I just need to wait for Kahlil to get back so he can handle the chaos of triplets while we're gone."

And Eryx, who was going to protest, but it was important that he spent time with his father.

Valery's smile widened as she thought about the upcoming adventure, already eager to share a part of herself and a place that meant so much.

Colette ​