Private The Sun and the Sea

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

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Outfit: Bikini
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"Later,"

As far as she was concerned, he just made her a promise and she was going to keep him to it, especially after his little stunt during the Hutball game. But before ruining another room they didn't own, she figured it would be a good idea to grab something to eat first. He agreed with the idea, and with his hand brushing against her leg, she started to blush. She hid it by getting up to her feet again and quickly followed him to collect her shirt, skirt, and hat.

The outfit was complete again.

"Hmmm, let's go up the pier and stay close to here? I'm sure the food will be fine but I like the atmosphere here better. The sun will be going down soon, too... should be a romantic." There was no teasing or playfulness to her tone this time, but actual genuine excitement for sharing something like that with him. Valery then reached for his hand and began walking in that direction, only for him to say something that tightened her grip on his hand just a little bit.

"How nice of you..." she narrowed her eyes but quickly started shaking her head with a smirk. "You've lost all your brownie points with that, so you better make up for it~" she then teased, right as they stepped off of the beach, and began walking by shops and small restaurants.

"What about that one?" she asked and pointed at a place clearly known for its steak, burgers, and other fancy meat dishes. "A good steak, ribs, or a burger... maybe some wine while we watch the sunset?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Sounds great to me," Aldric said. He also found the atmosphere of the pier to be more appealing at the moment, so it worked out well. Valery took his hand, and together they were off. Her punishment for his perceived crimes though, was received with a mock scoff, "All of them? That hardly seems fair," He grinned back at her, as they passed through the vibrant pier. Even before the sun had set it was buzzing with lights and colors and activity. Families, friends, and lovers of all kinds milled about, all of them living in the moment and enjoying themselves.

Val pointed to a particular restaurant, and Aldric hummed happily in agreement, "Sounds delicious right about now." His stomach seemed to confirm as much with a grumble. Nothing like a bit of beach Huttball to make one hungry. They walked over, and in surprisingly short order, were able to procure some seating. It was outside on the pier, with a nice view of the vast ocean and encroaching sunset.

"Feels like we've only just got here and it's already been… really nice." Aldric smiled, glancing out at the soothing waves. "What are you thinking of getting?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"Fine, just a few then," she chuckled and gently squeezed his hand while they walked together. It was always funny how one moment, they could be going at each other competitively, and the next they were being all romantic and cute. The perfect dynamic to a relationship, in her opinion.

Now with the sun slowly lowering behind the horizon, they settled on a restaurant and were directed to a small table for two, located just right for them to look over the beach, ocean, and the beauty that was settling far beyond it. Valery's energy and feisty side immediately shifted to something softer, and she allowed herself a long moment to enjoy the view, before gazing back at Aldric to admire him with all that she felt deep inside.

He really was special.

"Time does fly but we have plenty more time to enjoy this together." She reached over the table to place her hand over his for a few seconds. Valery then grabbed the menu and began to look through it, "I love a good steak dinner, especially with... ah! They have it - Alderaanian red wine." She smiled happily and looked up to see a waitress approaching.

"Can I get you anything to drink while you look at the menu?" the woman asked, and Valery nodded, "Alderaanian red for me and..." she paused and looked at Aldric so he could ask for his own drink. With that order set, the waitress left and Valery turned her eyes back to him.

"Is there anything specific you'd like to do while we're here, by the way? Either today or in the next couple of days. I didn't plan too much so we could relax and decide freely."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"That's better," Aldric hummed, much preferring to keep at least some of his non-existent, unspecifically numbered brownie points. They sat down not long after, and Aldric let his intensity from earlier cool off. He smiled softly when she reached over to touch his hand, silently agreeing.

"Steak does sound pretty nice right about now…" He only just got a glance at the menu before the waitress appeared. He nodded, "Red for me as well. Thanks," The waitress acknowledged with a dip of her head, and left them alone once more.

Valery's question got Aldric to lean forward, pursing his lips in contemplation. But ultimately, he just shook his head, "Nothing particular. Just… spend more time with you," He grinned. It was genuine, but he also took some amusement in it, recognizing how sappy it sounded.

"What about you?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

With their order for some wine placed, Valery turned back to Aldric and shot him a grin when the topic of food came up, "We can go with steak but...how do you like it cooked? There is a right answer~" she teased a little before she also leaned forward onto her elbows and

She had intentionally not planned too much for this vacation, so they were free to go with the flow and do whatever they felt like in the moment. But she was of course interested in his ideas if he had any specific wishes for their time here.

The answer that followed got her to blush a little, even if it was a little sappy. She then smiled and lovingly looked at him, "I care most about just being with you too," she said and it was genuine too. "After dinner, we could go for a short walk along the beach before we head back. Tomorrow...maybe explore a little? We'll see," she chuckled and turned her eyes to the side.

The waitress came back over and set their wine glasses on the table. Valery offered the woman a smile and raised the glass for a toast, "To a long and amazing time together."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric chuckled, "Medium rare, ideally." He said it with confidence, silently turning the question on to her not to make sure that he was right, but that she was.

His sappy line seemed to have worked, and he smiled a bit more softly when Valery reciprocated, "I'd love that. There's a lot left to see, but we've got plenty of time." The waitress returned not long after with glasses of wine, and Aldric raised his to Val's toast, "To us," He nodded and took a drink, letting the strong taste settle on his tongue, "Ahh, good stuff." There was a beat, before he chuckled again, "Y'know I never used to have much of a taste for wine, but I think agent work brainwashed me into liking it," Going undercover often mean sneaking into the kind of places that served wine over other alcoholic beverages. It was an acquired tasted that, evidently, he later acquired.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"Good answer," she said with a nod of agreement, "We'll get two medium rare steaks and some fries as a side dish." It was one of her favorite meals, and now she got to share it with someone she loved, at a place few others could match in beauty. This was the perfect vacation, and she'd make sure to enjoy every single minute of it.

For a moment, her eyes then shifted out towards the ocean and watched the orange sun dip even lower. Its warm light reflected nicely against her skin and fiery eyes and helped her feel at ease. For once, she actually wasn't thinking about the war, about training young Jedi, or going back into danger — only one thing was on her mind.

She looked at him again with a smile and raised her glass to her lips for a sip, "Wine is the one drink I can tolerate. I had to drink a lot of tihaar when I was with the Mandalorians for training, and it's not great," she shuddered at the thought and savored the taste of wine against her tongue a little longer. "I just can't tolerate much alcohol unless I cleanse it from my system with the Force, which I don't want to do unless I have to."


"Don't worry though, I won't get weird or drunk here." She flashed a smirk and leaned forward on the table a little, her eyes connected with his, "I uh, was wanting to ask... How would you feel about staying at my place soon, either for just a night or a few days? With Vera adjusting so well, maybe it's something we should try...?" she asked, clearly very curious about his answer to that proposal.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric just hummed, knowing he was right. The meal sounded quite nice, and just thinking about it made him more hungry. He distracted himself by people watching across the pier. Each one was different, but they were all here for similar reasons. Eventually his gaze settled back on to the most important person of them all: Valery.

"I don't make a habit out of it regardless, but I've come around to the occasional red. That much tihaar sounds…" He shivered in disgust, "Not pleasant. Didn't know you trained with Mandos." It was a curious idea, although there were few more skilled in the art of war than the Mandalorians. It only stood to reason one might strive to learn from them. Even bits of his own training had their roots in Mando practices.

"That would be quite the sight, I'm sure," Aldric teased, at the thought of seeing Valery get drunk. Her question made him raise a brow in thought, but only a moment passed before he smiled, "That sounds nice. I'd be happy to." He had no doubts about this relationship anymore. He was all in, and always ready for whatever step came next.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"If you can really call it training," she said with a chuckle. It had been a very intense experience full of near-death experiences and, of course, drinking way too much. Not exactly what most people would consider training. "But I did for a little while. After I was elected to be the new Sword, I did some research and learned the first Sword of the Jedi trained with Mandalorians to prepare herself for a fight as well. So I figured it could be a useful experience. I got a new perspective on combat out of it, and I also spent some time helping them to strengthen the relationship between the Alliance and Enclave."

Realizing that she was talking perhaps a little too much, she reached for her glass again and took a sip, just in time for him to tease her about drinking. She hid her smirk behind her glass and focused more on what he'd think about her proposal. It actually made her a little nervous, as it was a big step towards being able to live together someday, and whatever came after that.

So when he accepted it, she perked back up with a bright smile, "Really?" she asked, a little too surprised and excited, "I uh, I'm glad... it'll be fun. Vera will want to show you her room, and maybe we can have a movie night with the three of us." And of course, a lot of other fun too, but that would be just between them.

Not much later, the waitress returned and held up her little datapad to take notes, "Have you two decided what you'd like to eat?" she asked with a polite smile.

"We'll both go with the steak, both medium rare," she said before glancing at Aldric.

"Alright, it'll be here in a moment."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Hm. Well, if you wanna be a better fighter, ain't many teachers better than them," He said, "Diplomatic relations don't hurt, either. I was taught their language for similar reasons. Can't say I ever had a chance to put it to use, though." He had learned several during his training, all of them for diplomatic or espionage purposes.

Valery almost seemed taken aback by his answer, which just made Aldric grin, "Really," He took another sip of wine, "It'll be a great time."

The waitress returned not long after, and Val answered for them both. He nodded, then quickly added, "Oh, and don't forget some fries as well," Those were sounding quite tasty to him right about now. The waitress nodded, and took leave soon after. Aldric turned to Valery and smirked, "Just don't try and steal all of mine."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

Valery hummed, "Not necessarily a better fighter, just... different," she paused and smiled sheepishly, "Although I suppose it helps me improve by extension." She shrugged her shoulders but was drawn back in when he mentioned his ability to speak Mando'a. Their work had never brought them in contact with Mandalorians before, so it was a little fact she didn't even know, "Huh, maybe next time I go to Enclave space, I'll take you along. As translator and well, because I like having you around." She waggled her eyebrows.

She then went for another sip of wine and seemed relieved when he assured her that spending a few days together in her place with Vera would be fun. "I think so, too. But you might change your mind when you realize just how energetic Vera can be." Much like her mother, she could be a little demon sometimes. He had even seen a brief flash of it when he received her death glare. But she really hoped that he'd end up loving Vera as well, as it was important to all the steps she still wanted to take with him in life.

"Oh, and don't forget some fries as well,"

Valery blinked, realizing that she had forgotten that. She was about to say something about it when he poked a little fun at her. "Heyy, they taste better when they're yours..." she tried with puppy eyes. But afterwards, her mind shifted back to the idea of family, and a question came up.

"Do you still have any family out there somewhere? Or are we both a little short on that?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric hummed in agreement. Different perspectives and approaches made one a more versatile warrior, and by extension a better one. He was happy to play Mando translator should the time ever come up, but it was her last comment there that got the first response from him, "Really? I hadn't picked up on that," He teased. Yes, Valery seemed to be quite fond of having him around. He then continued, "But sure. It would be as good a reason as any. Can't help but be a bit nervous, though. Mandos seem like the type to run you out of town for so much as getting an inflection wrong," Aldric chuckled.

He had no doubt there was much more to Vera than what was revealed during their initial meeting, but he was eager to learn. Children were a lot of different things all at once, and she was likely no exception. If their relationship were to grow ever closer, it would be the kind of thing to get accustomed to.

Without even realizing it, Aldric caught Valery before her scheme to steal his fries could unfold. "I know. Which is why I need to make sure to keep them all to myself," He just laughed again, and shook his head, "At least you admit it." Chances are he'd end up relenting to give her a few anyway. Or she'd just find a chance to steal them when he wasn't looking.

The sudden topic of family made him blink, but after swallowing down a bit more wine, he answered, "Mom is living the quiet life on Dantooine. Dad's dead, but you already knew that. Brother passed, too…" He had, as expected, little reaction to speaking on his dad's end. But the mention of his brother was something he lingered on for a few moments longer. Aldric blinked again, and looked back at Valery, "You know if you had any siblings?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery's mouth fell open to feign shock at his teasing comment, "Hmmm, I'll have to do a better job to make it clear then. Can't have you be in doubt about it~" she winked and shook her head with an amused smirk. "And yeah, Mandalorians can get angry pretty quickly, especially about things related to their culture. But we'll be fine," she said before reaching for her glass to take a sip of wine.

Luckily, her relationship with the Enclave was quite good, and some were even friends as well.

On the topic of stealing his fries, Valery pouted just a little. As his girlfriend, she owned exclusive rights to take his food whenever she pleased, so Aldric wanting to keep them all to himself was, quite frankly, unacceptable. "Of course I do. I will take what is rightfully mine," she said, her grin lingering. Either he gave up a few willingly, or she'd snatch a lot more at the first opportunity.

"Maybe I can meet your mother someday," Valery said carefully, knowing that his family life hadn't been easy either. The mention of his brother confirmed it again, as she felt the more somber tones from him through the Force. She responded to it with a more loving smile, hoping it could help keep his mood bright.

"I had a sister but never really got to know her because I went with the Jedi when I was very young. It's possible my parents had more kids after that, but I have no idea." She paused for a moment and blinked. "I've never even gone back to Keshi..."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric squinted at Val with how shamelessly she bore claim to his food. Perhaps it was a part of the unwritten boyfriend contract he was supposed to accept, but he wouldn't do so without at least getting in a few gripes.

"That would be nice. She's still on Dantooine I'm afraid. But, one day, I hope so," He admitted. Yet again, the Imperials were in the way. Even for something as simple as visiting his mom. Aldric was fine to turn the topic onto Valery instead of himself, and listened curiously, "Never?" He hummed, "Would you want to?" She had told him before that it was never really her true home, given she was raised with the Jedi. But developing an interest in one's ancestral home wasn't all that surprising a concept in and of itself.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

While he squinted, Valery just smiled innocently for a long moment, before she waggled her eyebrows and smirked just to let him know that she knew it was something that "bothered" him. He could fight her claim for his food all he wanted, but in the end, it was a war he could never win.

"I'd really love to, she seems like a very kind person. She'll be happy to know that you're doing well too, I'm sure." As a mother, Valery knew how important that was, so it would be good for her to see it for herself. She'd probably also want to know that her son was dating someone again, and there was a very strong chance it would grow into so much more.

As far as she was concerned, nothing could stop it anymore.

"Never," Valery then said with a nod. "But... maybe it would be interesting. Find out what the Nobles have been up to and maybe learn more about my own people." She paused a moment and looked at him with a smile. "Would you want to come with me? We could bring Vera along as well..." She trailed off as the waitress returned, this time with their steaks and, of course, two small bowls with fries.

Valery eyed his bowl, then slowly looked up at him with that playful smirk of hers again.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric hummed, "It's been a long time. I would like to see her again. Especially now that she's getting older," He smiled, but there was a bit of sadness to it. Hopefully one day they could. He liked the idea of her and Valery meeting.

"Think there's more Nobles out there?" It had been thousands of years. He wondered how far back her family could accurately be traced, or if the name had even carried on this entire time. There would be only one way to find out.

The waitress came out soon after with their food, and as soon as she left, Valery was eyeing his fries, "You're not even going to try to eat yours first?" Aldric scoffed and rolled his eyes, then scooted his bowl closer to her. As soon as she reached for his, he would then reach for hers, grabbing a few to stuff in his mouth, "Oops." Fair was fair.

After a beat though, he continued on their previous topic, "Sounds lovely, though. I can't say I know much of anything about Keshi. But it might be nice for you and Vera to get a taste of your history."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"There might be more Nobles out there, but it has been a long time." she shrugged, making it clear that wasn't super important to her. When it came to family, Valery had the Jedi and, of course, her little girl. With the way things were going between them, she hoped Aldric would be family one day as well, but she didn't want to rush anything for now. The trip to Keshi would be about her people, her homeworld, and just spending more time with both him and Vera.

The waitress then brought over their food and after just a brief glance at his fries, he already picked up on it and commented on the way she looked. "Heyy..." she said as if he had just hurt her, but her puppy eyes were already returning. At least, until he pushed his bowl forward. It got her to smile in victory, but as she reached over to grab a few of his fries, she watched him do the unthinkable.

She gasped, looked at her bowl, then to him, and narrowed her eyes, "If you want war, you're on the right path, babe~" she pointed one of her fries at him to make her threat clear, then put it in her mouth, It was one of the fries she had stolen, so it tasted especially good, and she made sure he'd be able to tell. "But I think so too. Vera loves any trip she gets to go on, but maybe Keshi will be fun. I... actually don't really know much about it myself either."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric shrugged, "Consider it a tax, babe. You take some of my fries, I take some of yours," At least she got some fries. It meant there was something for him to eat, rather than her claiming she 'wasn't hungry' only to leave him with half a meal. Brazenly, Aldric grabbed a few more of her fries, "Mm. I think you're onto something though. They do taste better when they're stolen."

He then grabbed his utensils and made the first cut into his steak. It was tender, and on the inside, a perfect reddish-pink color. "Sounds like it would be a nice little adventure for us all then," Aldric smiled optimistically, before taking the first bite. He hummed in satisfaction, then switched topics, "How's Jedi work treating you lately?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Dorumaa

​

Outfit: Outfit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: None
Tag: Aldric Laurent

Now he really got a look.

Not only had he broken the agreement and stolen her fries, but he was rubbing it in with his last comment as well. He enjoyed it a lot more than he should if he cared about living, but to make matters worse, he reached for her bowl again and snatched several more of her fries. Valery just watched it happen, blinked, and looked up at him like he had just stabbed a dagger into her back. Pure betrayal.

"Wow..." she just said with a shake of her head. "Better be the best massage I've ever had after all of this," she said right as she grabbed her knife and made eye contact with him, that fiery spark burning bright within them. She then shot him a playful grin and dug into her steak, which for a smaller restaurant near the beach, was surprisingly well prepared.

"Jedi work has been good, preparing for some really big things and getting Briana ready for knighthood. Soon, I'll have fewer Padawans to worry about, so more time to spend at home. With Vera... and with you," she took a bite from her steak and slowly flicked her gaze up to his.

"You feel like you've settled in nicely again with the SIA? It can be a tough group to really be in."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"It will," Aldric assured with a cocky grin. As she raised the knife, he raised a brow, half-wondering if he was about to pay dearly for his alleged transgressions. But instead, she dug into her own steak, which was as well prepared as his own. For a small little pier restaurant, it was quite nice.

"Big things, huh?" Aldric said curiously, but didn't press further. He took another bite of steak, "Well I'll certainly be glad for that," A mischievous grin, "Happy to not have so many students to deal with?" He was sure she cared deeply for them all, but it was no doubt a heavy commitment, especially with as many as she had. Even the best teacher would be quite ready for a break.

"Yeah. Well- Not as much as I'd like to, but- it's not so bad," He shrugged, "In some ways it feels like I never left. Getting back into that routine again. But I don't feel like I've had much a chance to really get… involved, you know?" Lots of new faces, and whatever old ones remained, he'd yet to catch up with. Missions provided a nice distraction, at least.

Valery Noble​