Private Sun and Statues

[Rik Perris]

NJO TEMPLE STEPS
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY

Another day, another bit of work in the long post-battle restoration of Coruscant's Jedi Temple, but to Andrik Perris, it was worth the effort, and for more than one reason. Some of those reasons were purely altruistic; others were simply ones that kept him here at all.

But the work this day also took his mind off those same reasons, because he needed to give it his full attention. Distraction could mean mistakes, and in this case, potentially harmful ones. That was the thing about the statues that lined the staircase leading up to the temple, being that they were rather large and made of stone; even with a strong grasp of telekinesis, it still ate stamina, even with the fine adjustments to a statue's placement on its pedestal.

It still worked and heated the muscles, and as time rolled on towards midday, the sun itself had long since convinced Rik to peel out of his shirt, but he'd been diligent about sunscreen - getting sunburnt was just plain irresponsible - and if his build was a distraction to anyone?

That was a them problem. Anything that helped him keep going in aiding the Service Corps with this demanding task was good, otherwise this part of the temple restoration would take longer than necessary and require unwieldy machinery.

A little self-control on the part of others wasn't too much to ask in that case, now was it?

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

It was a her problem.

Valery walked up the Temple steps to oversee and inspect the work being done at the Temple, only to run into Rik Perris of all people. Without a shirt, his muscles flexed and strained from the hard labor of preparing immense statues. The sudden distraction caused a misstep, and the Jedi Master fell over for all to see. With a quick reaction, she used her hands to catch herself, preventing her face from hitting stone steps, but her knee did make uncomfortable contact with the stairs.

She hissed at the pain, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the embarrassment that followed. When she looked back up, hoping that nobody had seen what just happened, she realized she had fallen right in front of him, and now looked up into his eyes.

"...hey," she said awkwardly.

"I uh, think the stairs need some more work. Some steps are higher than others, it seems..." she lied with a face redder than a Sith's lightsaber blade. Pushing herself back up, Valery groaned at the lingering pain she felt. Her knee was bleeding, staining her clothes, but it wasn't anything too serious.

"I didn't expect to see you here. It has been a while."

Rik Perris ​

 

[Rik Perris]

NJO TEMPLE STEPS
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY

Self-control, like he had been thinking. Or not.

Grunting as the most recent statue shifted into its final placement and he released his hold on it, Rik took a step back and peered up at his work, sparing a second's glance down, before continuing to ignore the woman that had just tumbled at his feet. Only once he was satisfied with how the statue looked, did he look down at her with his full attention, just in time for the Grandmaster to lie over her bruised pride. To his face. Rik crossed his arms and shot a glance down the steps anyway.

"You'll have to take that up with the Service Corps, Master Noble," he said flatly, then looking back to her as she brought herself to her feet, "wasn't my work."

He didn't expect to see her here either, much less tripping on perfectly fine stairs like she didn't have the grace or training to avoid it... but that was unimportant. Didn't bear mentioning. He reached out and his towel flew into his hand, and he began to dry off the sweat that hadn't simply dried during the moving of that statue.

"Been keeping busy," was the short answer, fairly honest, and he didn't feel motivated to elaborate; he noted the bleed at her knee, and the spreading stain to her clothes there, and gestured to it, "Scraped yourself up pretty good, didn'tcha? I got no talent for healing; site medic can get that cleaned up and taken care of," Rik glanced in that direction where the medic tent was set up, then came back to Valery with the faintest tease in his tone, "Or...'less you want to hobble around for a healer."

He glanced down at his chrono, then hung his towel about his neck.

"S'about lunch, anyway," Rik muttered, "I'll accompany ya."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

"On second thought, it's not that big of a deal." Valery glanced down at the steps for a moment and sighed. It was unbecoming of her to trip like this, and he saw right through her excuse. No matter, it luckily wasn't that important. The Temple was being rebuilt and they were making a lot of progress. The steps had taken a huge amount of damage, and so had anything near the entrance of the huge structure.

Seeing these statues rise from the ground up once more felt like a small victory of its own.

Watching him pull his towel over with Telekinesis, Valery raised an eyebrow. She wasn't that fond of using the Force for such things but decided against speaking up. Her focus was on keeping her eyes above his neckline, and that was already quite a challenge. "I can tell," she finally said when he mentioned being busy. "The statues look fantastic and the Temple is already starting to look its old self again."

Valery offered a warm, grateful smile. The effort of Jedi such as him hadn't gone unnoticed.

Her eyes then dipped down to her knee and she sighed, "Yeah, I was being clumsy. Glad I didn't distract you or the others from your work with my antics, though," she said, no longer as embarrassed and a little more willing to accept responsibility for her slip-up earlier.

"Sounds like a plan. We have some catching up to do." Her knee wasn't too seriously hurt, but getting it patched up and grabbing lunch with him was worth the time. He had left not long ago, so she hoped to learn more about where his mind was at now.

Was he returning to the Order?

Rik Perris ​

 

[Rik Perris]

NJO TEMPLE STEPS
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY

Rik wasn't in the mood for her antics, and to her credit, she picked up on that quickly. And though he was being temperamental, that didn't extend into being disrespectful. She might be the Grandmaster and a powerful Jedi, but she was still only mortal; he couldn't be too hard on her.

That is to say... the way Rik had fetched his towel was a test. He knew that there was a decent percentage of Jedi that disliked such frivolous uses of the Force, and he didn't usually engage in it, himself... so he did it just to see if he could find a way to get on her nerves, and it worked like a charm: the way she raised her eyebrow was all the tell he needed.

But by the time he'd proposed accompanying her to the medic tent, Valery had complimented his work and owned up to her clumsiness, and it didn't feel warranted, didn't feel right to antagonise her. So, when it came to fetching his shirt and the bottle of sunscreen before heading up the stairs, Rik went and picked them up like the far from lazy person he was, and looked back at her as he rose, a small and rueful smile on his lips.

"'Fraid I'll have to keep this off a little longer," he said, utterly honest, lifting the dark, bunched-up shirt in his hand as he slipped the bottle into a trouser pocket, "Got to cool down a little, first."

Of course, he could put the shirt on and deal with the discomfort, but why? Wasn't nothin' she hadn't seen before; she could put up with it for however many more minutes. Maybe, just maybe she'd manage to stay upright.

"So," he began, falling into step beside Valery as they began their ascent, "how's the family?"

A thing they'd never talked about, of course, but family being important to him, this was a normal question to start with... and it delayed talking about himself just that bit longer.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

"That's alright," Valery said with a soft smile, her eyes dipping beneath his neckline once before rising again to meet his gaze. She was already glad he decided to pick up his shirt and sunscreen, so she saw no point in commenting on him walking around without a shirt. It was a hot day and it wasn't too indecent.

She certainly couldn't complain.

The two of them began walking up towards the Temple, getting ready to find a healer to take care of her knee. It'd be a quick little fix, she knew, so it gave them plenty of time for lunch and catching up. However, she quickly got the feeling that he wasn't as eager to talk about himself and what he had been up to. Even though it was by far the most interesting topic. He had left the Order not long ago, and now he was back here again.

Why?

"Doing well, all things considered," Valery said, choosing to still answer the question. "We live somewhere a little more safe than during the Second Great Hyperspace War, so the kids aren't at risk. But it's still hard on them to have us leave so often." That was the difficult balance when it came to being both a Jedi and a parent. She felt she was successful at it, knowing how close the family was, but war really put it all to the test.

"What about you? I uh, wasn't expecting to you see back here again." She gave him a more careful look and a smile, hoping to show that she was glad to be wrong about that.

Rik Perris ​

 

[Rik Perris]

NJO TEMPLE STEPS
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY

He nodded slowly, balling the shirt up in both of his hands. He understood the difficulty of having to leave family behind. The older he got, and the older his parents got, and the more he missed big parts of the lives of his siblings... the more it got its hooks in him.

"It is hard," he agreed, looking ahead up the stairs, "but that's... weighed against the lengths we'll go to, to keep them safe."

And sometimes it was hard to see where the line was, with that. Even for him. He glanced sidelong at Valery, then resumed looking ahead. There was really no way to avoid this discussion, short of not talking at all, and she was the Grandmaster for a reason, no matter his reservations.

"For a bit, I thought I wasn't coming back, either, and I still don't know if that's a sure thing." It was too easy to feel that enough wasn't being done when the Darkness welled up so close to home. "I... can't deny that a heavier-handed approach is called for at times, nor the belief that constant vigilance is needed, but..." his mouth bent just south of a line, "...there's such a thing as too. far."

He had needed to see it for himself. The tension white-knuckling around the ball of his shirt, corded up through his shoulders, and he stopped in his paces up the stairs; he worked his jaw, releasing a terse breath.

"At what point, Valery, does a Jedi stop being a Jedi?"

He wasn't asking about himself, or her.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Valery nodded with a soft smile, "I'll go to great lengths for family, friends, or anybody I care about." It was sometimes hard to draw the line on that front, but she wouldn't be walking these steps if she hadn't found that balance. She knew when to focus on duty and when she could allow herself to do anything for loved ones. Sometimes, she made her mistakes but she felt confident that she did the right thing in the end.

Looking up at Rik, she felt he was doing the right thing now, especially when he did open up. That final question began to echo through her mind, and all sorts of answers began to form.

"I believe it was two things that drove them beyond being one," she said, knowing who he was referring to. "One of our core tenets is to Honor Life, and by not believing in redemption, forgiveness, or a path without killing, I believe one gives up on a very vital part of being a Jedi."

"Another is not being open to differences. A you're either with me or against me approach even among your own kind is..." she chuckled and shook her head, "Well, it's certainly not becoming of a Jedi."

Valery paused and turned to him, "I understood why their call was tempting to so many, though. The invasion of the core brought much panic and a will to fight back. But I believe they completely missed the mark with their views on our approach. We didn't defeat the Maw without a heavy-handed stance, nor did we stop the Mandalorians when they attacked us, by doing nothing."

"But patience and clever planning is crucial."

"Their response was one of blind aggression, and look where it got them. None of their raids or decisions have made any difference or impact. And just like during the Second Great Hyperspace War, they vanish again when others do step up to protect what we believe in. We stopped them here, and now I'm going to lead the charge to bring them down."

Rik Perris ​

 

[Rik Perris]

NJO TEMPLE STEPS
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY

Listening to Valery lay out a sketch of the truth gave a lot of perspective on the Order and the Alliance that he simply didn't have. Rik, like them, hadn't been around to see the full picture, but he knew quite well that missing information - bad intel - could lead to undesirable outcomes, and he knew to listen to his conscience when faced with the hard reality of what was happening. He hadn't been able to put a finger on it before, but now... now it was becoming clear that what had pulled him away this time was the same kind of thing that had first caused him to leave all those years ago.

He was wordless for a good few moments before he sighed out of his nose, his mouth becoming a grim line, and his brow knitting together as his hands dropped. As the tension bled out of him, pressed out by the weight of his realisations. He had to wonder when he had become vulnerable to it, rather than resistant... and that brought more into focus than just the path of his life as a Jedi. Brought it all into sharp clarity.

"Maybe," he swallowed, suddenly feeling a bit dry, "Maybe I've been away for too long."

His head dropped into a hand that rose to meet it, swimming in that miasma of painful fact.

"Fuckin' hell."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Valery stopped the very moment she felt a shift in the Force. Something was happening to him — gears were turning and it was almost as if every decision and action that led up to this moment came crashing down at once. He kept it internal, within his own mind, or at least tried to. But the Force was a powerful echo for emotions and Valery had always been particularly sensitive to it. She turned to face him and saw his expression changing.

He wasn't going to keep it inside.

"Maybe,"

Valery looked at him, her eyes showing a shimmer of concern but also great compassion. They had parted ways without barely speaking a word, but it didn't stop her from caring now.

"But you found your way back," Valery said softly, as she stepped closer and reached for his arm with her hand, fingers gently brushing over his forearm. Her other hand shifted to his lower back, hoping to provide even just a little comfort. Whether he needed that or not, remained to be seen, but it felt right.

"We all make decisions based on what we think is right. Sometimes, we make mistakes, miscalculate, or regret a decision for whatever reason. But it's never too late to change directions." She looked up into his eyes, trying her best to let the warmth of her fiery gaze wash over him while she smiled.

"I'm glad you're back, Rik."

Rik Perris ​

 

[Rik Perris]

NJO TEMPLE STEPS
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY

His thoughts had been approaching for weeks what they had now been circling for days; his reticence to open that box of his worsening feelings started to recede when given air by someone else, by her, and began to uncover the rawness of it all. Her understanding, her care, burnt like hot coals against that, what he felt less than ready to face, despite knowing, fully, that she was abundantly right.

Rik was silent for some moments as he worked through accepting the honesty of her intent; the lack of ease in this was entirely due to why he had ceased speaking to her so quickly after the advent of their first meeting, a thing somewhat driven by his principles. And therein, another problem: he might have judged her too unfairly. Another thing in the midst of slow realisation, the reason for why this was. Why he chose that behaviour over sober, mature seeking of truth; perhaps another effect of his long absence. The dual facts of his age and his desires in life twisted his judgment, in that.

What did he expect, for it to be easy to get that figured out? What had he become? Where had his patience fled to?

“I’m… sorry, Valery,” an apology that could have any number of reasons, without context; his hand slipped away from his face, and Rik forced himself to look at her, “I--” he began to stand up straight again, but made no move to dismiss her touch, “--let’s… get you cleaned up.”

Why did she have to be so alluring to him?

“We can talk more after,” he put on as much of a weak smile as he could muster, but the knit of his brow and hesitance in his words belied it, “I… can’t do this on an empty stomach.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Valery stopped at the exact same time he did, her eyes focused on him. His apology came as a surprise, not because she believed him too stubborn to make amends, but because she didn't feel like he owed her an apology. After their first meeting, she understood why he felt the way he had. His apprehension. If anything, she felt relieved that this tension seemed to finally fade away.

She didn't want to lose a friend over decisions made in the moment.

"It's alright," Valery said, her words simple but the genuine warmth in her tone obvious. Slowly, she removed her hand from his arm, but her gaze lingered on him. She felt that heat again in her chest, just the way it had felt on Corellia, and slowly exhaled. Mentally cursing herself for it, but could she really blame herself? There was something about him that drew you in, and the lack of a shirt made his proximity even more alluring.

"The knee should be patched up quickly, so you'll have something in your stomach before you know it." Valery flashed him a grin and placed a hand against his back to gently nudge him along.

Already, she was feeling much better.

Soon enough, Valery sat across the table from him and smiled sheepishly. There was an absurd amount of food on the table, and not just for him either. To maintain her physique, she had to eat a lot and this often caused eyebrows to rise.

"Looks good, doesnt it?" She asked, her gaze sliding up from her food to look him in the eyes.

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

A RESTAURANT
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY
AND A CONVERSATION

"Looks good, doesnt it?"

The last time he'd sat somewhere with Valery - the first time, in fact - it'd been a different time of day, different place, and soberness wasn't the order of the evening. Sitting across from her again with a table in the way, his shirt pulled back on, and her about as covered up... it didn't really make that much of a difference, regardless of how he ambivalent really felt about that fact. Not to mention, it had nothing to do with what she was asking.

At least, he wilfully decided it didn't.

"Food does look good," he agreed plainly, glancing down all the food between them, his eyes rising back up to meet hers a moment later, "Not surprised you have as big an appetite as mine." He lifted a glazed nerf kebab from the table and pointed at her with it, a substitute for a finger, "The 900s ABY and somehow there's still people who don't understand what it takes to maintain bodies like ours."

He tugged a piece of meat off the skewer with his teeth and chewed, swallowing within scant moments.

"Or to be as good at what we do, or to have the endurance for it, as Jedi." He didn't put in the work just to look good, that was merely a bonus. An effective bonus. "Only so much of it is training."

Rik tore another piece of meat off the skewer in his hand. Chew, swallow.

"And that brings to mind... how much of the Order engages in physical training besides with a lightsaber? Do you know?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

"Not surprised you have as big an appetite as mine."

Valery looked up from her plate and smirked. If there was one person she didn't mind seeing her appetite, it'd be someone like Rik. Someone who understood what it took to maintain their level of fitness. And, well, someone who appreciated the kind of effort that went into it all. Both for the benefits of their healths, as well as their appearances.

"I'd like to think most people expect it from you or other bigger guys. I get a lot of strange looks, especially at restaurants." Despite it, Valery flashed a grin and only seemed amused at the thought. She had no reason to feel overly self-conscious. She was in great shape and she felt better than she ever had before.

Why not enjoy the confused bystanders?

Reaching for her silverware, Valery cut up a piece of meat and began to eat as well. Only looking back up when Rik asked her a question about the Jedi and their physical training, "Well, it's a mandatory part of training for Padawans. Not that they need much persuading to train and be healthy — all this war makes it very necessary and they realize it as much as we do," Valery said before she picked up another piece of meat and chewed on it.

She spoke only after swallowing again, "Knights and Masters we can't really control, especially if they're out on assignments. But I've yet to see one that worries me when it comes to health and fitness." Back in her own time, she knew of Jedi who were less inclined to maintain their bodies, but even then it was rare.

"Oh uh," Valery began, as she remembered something herself. "Heard about the upcoming Gala on Hapes? I believe to celebrate the Queen's birthday, but also to remember the people who lost their lives on Coruscant when the last Hapes event was interrupted by a bombing."

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

A RESTAURANT
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY
AND A CONVERSATION

He finished off the skewer while she answered his question, nodding where appropriate, and went right into picking up another skewer. No matter how hungry he was when he got here, he was still gonna take the time to properly chew and swallow his food. When Valery launched into her own question, Rik was just in the midst of tearing the first chunk of nerf off the second skewer, but the particular question she asked brought that action to a near-standstill.

He paused, his mouth around the end of the skewer, staring at her with an uninterpretable look as she went on to explain the point of that celebration; only then did he pull that first chunk free with his teeth, chewing slowly, beyond even the point where she had finished speaking. The skewer he put down almost immediately once the chunk was removed from it.

"Hadn't heard of it," he replied curtly once he swallowed... in truth, he hadn't been that keen on reading or viewing the news as of late, at all, and his brow knit together at the subject; in fact, the thought of any gala too easily brought a months-old and recently rehashed hurt to the surface. He couldn't help the way his hands balled into fists at edge of the table, nor the way his eyes burned when she inadvertently provoked that pain... but his greater sense pulled him back from boiling over. His eyes dipped away, and his head too, eyelids squeezing shut as he tried to get a handle on himself.

"Fuck, there's no way..." he whispered, "...no fuckin' way."

There was no way she could have known, and no way he wanted to let that out. He was half-convinced the old trickster gods were toying with him, at this point. What other explanation was there, really?

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

"Are you okay?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, kind and compassionate, but projected well enough to hopefully cut through whatever thoughts clouded his mind. It was obvious that her question had stirred something deep within. Even if he didn't explain it with words, his body language could be interpreted even by someone who had never met him before. Something had happened, either related to Hapes or Galas, that sparked these intense emotions.

She wouldn't be a friend if she didn't at least try to help.

"If it's something I said, I'm really sorry," Valery continued, somewhat worried she was damaging their relationship only minutes or hours after finally making progress again. Was there something she missed but should have known? A way for her to have prevented this question that clearly troubled him?

Valery no longer picked up any more skewers, having lost her appetite, and just looked at him. Head tilting, hoping she could draw his eyes to hers.

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

A RESTAURANT
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY
AND A CONVERSATION

He wasn’t okay, not when the universe seemed so insistent on reminding him of what he had tried so hard to bury months ago… but had it ever really been buried? He released a shaking, heavy breath in seeming response to her question, but declined to answer it. Perhaps that was answer enough.

Yet when she then went onto apologise, and to insist that she didn’t mean to cause hurt, it became painfully clear that he wouldn’t be able to just wait this out, let it blow over. He couldn’t leave her to think that he blamed her for the position he found himself in. Not when he hadn’t done a thing to address the way he had long felt, which was the cause of it. At least, no attempt had been made to assuage that deep loneliness in a healthy manner.

He only had himself to blame. Rik’s eyes opened, but their bleary focus remained on his balled-up hands.

“No… it’s not--” he started, weakly, “--not your fault.”

That was a start, but how could he begin to explain this, when he couldn’t even bring himself to unravel the truth to the one person, his mother, who had always consoled him in matters of the heart? How was he supposed to tell her that he had sought to pursue a relationship with a Yvarro of all people? A known enemy of the old Alliance his parents had served and upheld, and predicator of its downfall?

It was unthinkable for such staunch patriots, and the shame he felt because of that had only gotten worse in recent weeks. It made broaching this discussion even harder, now, but… he knew better. He had to do something, even if it meant wading through his heartache to do so. Rik unfurled his hands, as he tried to arrange his thoughts. Tried to settle where he should begin.

“There’s--” Perhaps it was best to start here, with context for some of his feelings. “--there’s something you should know about the kind of family I come from.” His hands folded together on the tabletop, but his stinging eyes yet remained fixed on them, “There is a long tradition of military service, and in law enforcement, in just about every side of my family, that stretches back through this Alliance, its predecessor, and the Republic… close to a century, and primarily through Corellia and Alderaan.” He dragged his brown eyes up to look at who he was speaking to. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t avoid it. “That thread of service and patriotism is inseparable from who we all are.”

Even if he had struggled with it at times over the years.

“So, with all that said,” he said, as he prefaced what was to come, “does the name ‘Ivalyn Yvarro’ mean anything to you?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery felt her heart pounding in her chest, overwhelmed with worry that she had just ruined everything they had achieved today in an instant. It was a silly thought, given the innocence of her question, but the pain in his eyes was just so vivid that she couldn't help herself. She had never seen him this way before and without knowing what was going through him, she was feeling particularly nervous.

What could possibly bring him down?

Finally, Rik opened his eyes and when he spoke, Valery felt a sudden relief. She was still worried now, but only about him and whatever it was that made him feel this way. It had to be something serious that hurt him on a deep level. Something that had broken his heart.

Slowly, the gears in her mind started turning.

Valery remained quiet as she listened to the context he provided. He shared this part about his family for a reason, and it became clear when he mentioned the name Yvarro. Valery frowned at first, feeling the sting of betrayal again, but pushed those feelings aside. Leaning forward, Valery brought herself closer and placed a comforting hand on top of his fists.

"I met her before she showed her true colors," Valery said, her thumb brushing over his hand before she gently pulled her hand back, just in case it made him uncomfortable. "And I have a feeling that I know what she has done to you now, and why you feel this way." She looked him in the eyes and did her best to offer a reassuring smile.

"You don't have to talk about it if it hurts too much. I understand, I promise. But if you do want to talk about it to get it off your chest, I'm here to listen, alright?"

Rik Perris​

 

[Rik Perris]

A RESTAURANT
A WARM SUMMER'S DAY
AND A CONVERSATION

That Valery had been showing him nothing but honest and genuine care and concern had begun to reshape Rik's thoughts about her a little, and begun to give him clarity in the few notes of their still truly nascent friendship. A thing that made any discomfort when she placed her hand over his feel less loud. And a thing that made him a bit less hesitant to unburden himself, when she iterated that she would listen - she had already proven that she did.

"It was--" He swallowed, "--I was so taken with her." His hands laid open, a helpless gesture. "Smitten. I--" the crease of his brow deepened momentarily, "--hair in shades of sunlight and early autumn leaves just," he breathed a sigh, "it trips up my reason." It always had, ever since he was a boy. "And she wore it that way, then. And her elegance, and--" Was he rambling? "--I wore Alliance blue that first night, and she still gave me her private comm. Even after looking into her family background, I... I chose to put my beliefs in the idea that she could be different, and I saw no reason to not give her a chance."

If he ever believed in love at first sight, this was damn near close to it.

"The second time I saw her was another gala in the new year she so easily convinced me to attend," he gave a half a frown, and the look in his eyes was distant, "if you could have seen the dress she wore..." it was clear she had put in the effort to draw his explicit attention, to say the least. He refocused on Valery. "But she let me go a short while after, little more than a month into our acquaintance." He gave his head a little shake. "I've never been able to make sense of it, but it cut me deep. I had been willing to see things through with her as far as I could."

Feeling it mattered, here, he opted to speak rather frankly, If a bit awkwardly. It was a deep part of him he felt the need to give air to.

"What I mean is... well, I've known I wanted to have a family since I was a boy, and ever since I returned home and spent time with my folks over the holidays... that's been on my mind." His brows crept upward, "Honestly? What's come out about her recently has only rehashed that hurt."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Heartbreak.

Valery understood this kind of pain well and knew how deep it went. Words couldn't hope to describe it, so even though he explained the feelings he developed for her, Valery knew they were even more intense beneath the surface. Worse, his dreams were about a family — starting one and living a good life with someone he loved. Perhaps it had been too early into the relationship for him to know for sure that Ivalyn could be the one.

But she had clearly been on his mind in that regard, and she couldn't blame him. Love and affection were often irrational, so even one month with the right person could make you want to jump into the future with them.

Knowing he had felt this way and lost it made her very aware of his pain.

"I understand now," Valery said with a saddened frown. "I know there's nothing I can say that changes anything or lessen the pain, but I know how you feel." While she hadn't exactly been rejected or dumped before, she had spent the majority of her life feeling emotions and connections to people, all during a time when she could have been exiled for it.

Suppressing those feelings had hurt more than anything.

After a moment, she offered a smile again and tried her best to encourage him, "Rik, you're a great guy and I'm sure that you're going to find the one. That you'll have that beautiful family and make everybody back at home proud. Just... don't give up. Never give up or you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Rik Perris​