padme_n (padme_n) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2019-01-16 14:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | ahsoka tano, padme amidala |
Who: Padme and Ahsoka
When: Today
Where: At the beach
What: Back from the dead
Rating/Warning: Green
Status: Complete
It was the perfect beach day. The sun was shining, the waves were glistening,sure it was kind of cold but who cares? Padme had everything she needed to enjoy it...except the time. Sitting on her beach towel, her surface pro in front of her, she answered emails, made seating plans, and did other tedious adminstrative tasks that she generally delegated to her assistant. But Jane was on holidays for the month (Paris, really? Padme didn’t pay her that </> well) so Padme had to do it.
It wasn’t too bad really but the downside was that she had less time to be out on the water, and had to spend more time in the office. That was why she decided she needed to work outside and see if she could figure out the very expensive tablet she’d been convinced into buying.
Sand was getting everywhere, as was expected but Padme didn’t mind. She liked it, liked the cool feeling when she dug her toes right in, liked how it’s coarse grains rubbed against her legs. In fact, her feet were buried so deep, no one would see them.
Ahsoka didn't really mind sand, as she was evolved for warm, dry climates. Plains, mostly. But she did love the beach anyway. Li had loved the beach. Even if the wound was still fresh, she'd needed to get out, and get away.
A walk on the beach seemed appropriate. So she walked through the sand, hands in her pockets once she'd made sure the glamour was in place that hid her alien features from the rest of the world.
She didn't expect to have an older wound open. But there was Padme, just sitting there. Padme. Her grief was put on hold as she stared openly.
Completely oblivious to her surroundings, Padme munched on a granola bar as she made certain notations on the document in front of her. Seating plans were like logic puzzles which she enjoyed doing. It was always challenging to remember that Uncle Terrance couldn’t be near his ex-wife, but wanted to be somewhat close to his kids, and that the maid of honour hated the other bridesmaids, and don’t forget that at least four of the cousins had to be together but not with their parents…. Yup. Just one big logic puzzle.
With a finishing flourish, she smiled at herself, nodding contentedly. Another one complete. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and let the sun wash over her face. When she opened them, she was surprised to see a young woman, just standing and staring. Pamde looked over her shoulder to see if there was someone else being looked for, but nope, no one. “Are you okay?,” she asked hesitantly. “Can I help you with anything?”
Crap, she’d been caught staring. Ahsoka straightened a bit, realizing she was taller than Padme now, thanks to the way her dreams had changed her as she’d dreamed of the Ghost’s crew, fifteen years after Padme had died. While she was chronologically twenty-one, she felt like she was in her thirties.
But it was still like, heh, seeing a ghost, though it was a lot more recent for Ahsoka than Dream!Ahsoka. Though she had visited Padme’s tomb those few times she’d snuck onto Naboo to get information from her spy network there.
That didn’t really count.
Also, she really should stop staring. Luckily, she knew how to recover the situation. “Sorry,I…” she gestured at Padme and finished lamely, “Pretty girl?”
Li would understand. Li would probably find it amusing, even if her pyre was still smoldering in her mind, occasionally superimposed over Anakin’s pyre, when she’d come to Endor after the battle. Because she’d felt him die; and felt him return to the light.
Right, she really should stop getting distracted by her thoughts.
Padme simply stared back. What exactly was going on? She blinked a few times before tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.
“Um...thanks?” She wasnt going to get upset. After all, this stranger wasn’t wrong. “I use a lot of skin cream,” she whispered loudly with a wink. “You’re not too shabby yourself either. L’Oreal?”
It looked like Ahsoka ran her hand down her hair, but she was really doing so to her lekku. She smiled toothily. “Something like that. Trying to get in some sun while it’s still summer?”
That was good, veer the conversation back onto Padme. Focus on Padme and not everything else. Not Li and not her worries about Anak---Anakin. How was he going to react to this? Would it make it easier or harder to avoid his fate in their dreams?
That brought a laugh to Padme’s face. She was always ready for the sun, even when it was barely peeking through the crowds. “I guess you could say that.” She motioned to her tablet and assorted papers surrounding her. “I didn’t want to be cooped up inside when I could do this outside so ...yeah. Getting sun would be good.” This person was very friendly. “You?”
“Taking a walk mostly.” Ahsoka glanced out towards the ocean. “I like the space the ocean provides. I needed to clear my head and… think about things you probably don’t need a stranger dumping on you.”
Kriff, Padme would be one of the people she’d talk to about things, too. Under normal circumstances. Not that anything about her life was normal. Child soldier turned rebel leader in her dreams, call center worker turned social worker in her waking life. Also, being an alien.
It wasn’t the weirdest thing that had every happened to her. Leaning back on her hands, Padme looked up and smiled. “The ocean is an excellent listener,” she agreed, squinting lightly. The wind was picking up softly and her already wavy hair was starting to feel a bit more unmanageable. Rummaging through her bag, she found a hair elastic and reached up to put her curls in their place. “It’s what I’d rather be doing anyways, get out there on those waves….are you sure we’ve never met before? Have I planned your wedding maybe? You look awfully familiar.”
Something pained crossed Ahsoka’s face. She’d never gotten far enough to start planning that with Li. “No, nothing like that. I might just have a familiar face? Though I could swear I’ve seen you before.”
Padme didn’t notice the flicker of pain, but to be fair, she wasn’t looking for it. “I’ve been told I have one of those faces before,” she agreed with a nod. “And since it’d be weird if we keep on talking as strangers, I’m Padme. You see that office there?” She pointed across the beach, over the road, to a small non-descript office building. “Mine’s on the bottom right.” Again, she reached into her bag but this time pulled out a business card. “Storr Weddings. We don’t just do weddings, we do some event planning too, but I haven’t bothered changing the name of the business.” Padme shrugged. “It’s a brand thing. If you ever need anything, feel free to give me a call. I’ll even give you a discount.”
“Beachfront property, very nice,” Ahsoka replied. She took the card, feeling an odd sort of pressure in her chest. “I’ll keep that in mind, for the next time I’m in the market for an event.”
Would she troll Anakin by throwing him a party organized by Padme but not tell him who was organizing it until they were both there?
Maybe.
“Oh, yeah. I’m Ahsoka.”
“Ahsoka.” Padme rolled the name on her tongue. “That’s different. I like it.” There was a pause as Padme tried to think next. This girl seemed friendly enough but she was still a stranger. And still standing there. “Well,” she said cheerfully (and loudly), “I should probably get back to my office.” Slipping her feet out of the sand, she wiggled them a little before reaching over and brushing the sand off of them. “It was nice meeting you, Ahsoka. And don’t forget to give me a call sometime.”
“Yeah, sure thing.” Ahsoka slipped the card into her pocket, where it slid in next to one of her lightsabers. “Nice… meeting you.”
As she turned away, the remaining sand on Padme’s feet miraculously rolled off of her skin.
Padme flinched suddenly, and didn’t realize why. Absently, she reached down to wipe at her feet and stopped when she felt bare skin. Peeking down, she looked curiously at her cleaned feet. She didn’t think she’d wiped them off that well...maybe she had? She shook her head a little bit.
When she returned her gaze at Ahsoka, it was to see her walking away. Strange girl, Padme thought. Oh well. She most likely would never see her again.