Ask Well-Measured Vice

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

She faltered again when he said her name that way. She couldn't help it; when he said it that way, looking at her, she wanted to speak up. Especially when he looked so cute when he looked so puzzled. An unfamiliar warmth flickered in her chest, but the sudden appearance of it, and his nonchalant bringing up of taking on a Sith, was such a one-two hit she found it a little hard to breathe. She gave him a small shake of her head, giving a slight smile.

"I'll tell you after I tell you my wish," she replied, the warm feeling dissipating slightly. The smile turned into a smirk, and she gave him a small wink, blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

She had to focus; the look in his silver eyes came to mind as she aimed, and once again her arm trembled. The shot went wider than she would have liked, instead catching the holo in the thigh. She grimaced, shaking her head.

Can't fool around, have to keep my cool. He's clearly fine and safe, I've got nothing to worry about.

roll: 6/20

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra grinned as Silvi’s shot went wide, “Oh there’s hope for me after all,” He cheered as he aimed and fired, actually hitting the torso this time. He was getting more relaxed and comfortable with shooting, and he even remembered not to cheat by actively using the Force.

He glanced over at her as she prepared to take her next shot. There were rumors about how she was a copy of her mother, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She wasn’t frosty like Ilana Morata, who came across almost as cold as his own Pops. Silvi had several layers to her that went far beyond surface level.

Ezra looked away and focused back on the target, “I can see this becoming a hobby for me,” He said as he took aim again.

Roll: 11/20

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

She chuckled at his words, perking a brow. "There is," she replied lightly, squaring her shoulders. Bracing her knees and bending them slightly, easing her grip and bending her elbows slightly, she stared down the sight, and exhaled carefully. She could feel Ezra's eyes on her form, but instead of it being distracting, it was a welcome feeling. It was like being seen for the first time; not as the Doctor's daughter, or as class prez, but as herself.

A neat shot through the torso hummed through the air, and she waggled her brows once.

"It'd do you good," she agreed, chuckling once. "Say the word and I'll bring the blasters, Ez. And you never know; it might do in a pinch."

Though it wasn't a perfect shot, she was pretty happy with it. Blue eyes flicked to watch him in return, a soft smile touching her lips and glinting in blue eyes. She could feel the previous tension slowly easing off, the frustration of what happened earlier and the odd bout of anxiety easing away to the background. "Keep this up, and you'll be able to beat me," she complimented, then paused, cocking her head.

"In ten years." She gave him a playful grin, lowering her blaster once again to watch his form. "But you did good; not bad for someone who started." Placing the blaster on the table, she beamed at him, arms lacing beneath her bust. "I guess you owe me a wish though," she drawled, perking her brows. Truthfully, she was having more fun doing this than anything she had done in a while, and...

This was a new side to the young man she wanted to see more of. He was cocky, sure, but playing to her rules, and that was honestly... pretty cool.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra groaned as Silvi hit the torso again, officially winning the game. He shook his head, putting the blaster down. He turned to look at her then with a grin, “Well you’ve won fair and square,” Ezra said, “Your wish is my command,” He said with a dramatic tone of voice, dropping it a few octaves into a familiar baritone she would have heard on Holo from the President.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

She couldn't help the light shiver at his voice dropping like that. With the silver eyes, grinning like that, the teasing bravado she was flaunting melted into a startled blush along her cheeks and the tops of her ears, clearing her throat and biting her bottom lip.

"Ah," she mentally scrambled, glancing back up to his eyes, then fanning her face. "Good grief that's unfair," she muttered, wishing the heat would vanish from her face. Was it getting warm here?

"I-I don't have anything in mind yet," she managed out, trying to lean back against the table, only to awkwardly prop herself on it. "But you'll know soon enough." So smooth, she mentally chided, groaning internally.

Having at him once again, she forced herself to lower her hand from her face, once more crossing her arms beneath her bust."I like an even playing field," she spoke up, "so next game is your bet. Anything you want to do, I'll play by your rules. Not as my wish," she continued, offering him a light grin, "but because I'm curious."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra only smirked at her very flustered response, “You have no idea, do you?” He quipped, eyeing her. That lip biting - he recalled it from the pool. His mind began to wander and he quickly cleared his thoughts before it went places he didn’t want.

“Careful what you wish for,” He said as he gestured for her to walk with him and leave the range, “Not a game but I can show you one of my hobbies,” Ezra said, “You already know about one..” He recalled. She was still one of the very few people that knew about his skills with the piano. Ezra normally played only for himself.

After a bit of walking, Ezra pointed to the speederbike he had parked near the previous restaurant, “I hope you like going fast,” He said simply before he swung a leg over his bike and motioned for her to get on behind him.

If she hopped on, he kicked off almost at once. The razorfin zoomed into the main highway at breakneck speeds and Ezra zig-zagged through all other speeders with expert precision. He competitively raced and usually designed his own racers. Within moments, they were speeding along a curvy road overlooking the coastline. It would give Silvi a feeling of weightlessness from the speed and handling, but it was also the exhilaration of being on a roller coaster.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Nope, she had no idea.

None.

All thought gone, brain empty, was the only thought that flickered through her mind in that moment. Wordlessly, she followed out after him, giving a sideways glance as they walked towards... a speeder bike.

For a moment, she stared blankly at it, then back at him, his words finally making an impact. A hobby of his...? She cocked her head, mulling it over. But all that came to mind was how his silver eyes glinted against the blue of the pool... then a trill of piano keys interrupted in memory. A memory of a young man, sitting alone as a nostalgic, melancholic song filtered through the air.

When he mentioned going fast, a familiar phenomenon would unravel. Where before, when he seemed to flirt, she was awkward, shy and uncertain... the mention of speed brought a familiar rush. Like blaster ranges, like swimming in a pool that wasn't hers in a house she technically wasn't supposed to be in, a lightness seemed to ease the awkwardness off her shoulders. Blue eyes sparkled, and her lips curved into a full, bright smile.

She didn't even hesitate. Even though she was wearing a dress, she didn't even think twice before slipping on behind him, arms snugly around his waist.

"Let's ride, then."

As he expertly sped down the expresslane, he wouldn't be able to see it. However, she could feel it. A tingle down the back of her neck, as the wind whipped long silvery hair behind her in a glinting stream; silver and black blurring along the highway, their reflections glinting darkly in passing fellow speeders. Her heart raced in her throat, arms tightening briefly about his waist, before, over the roar of the engine, he would hear it.

Light, pealing laughter, as her legs squeezed into the seat and she leaned into his back. Even one not in tune with the Force would feel the surge of almost giddy joy at each hairpin curve and every growl from the razorfin; it had been so long since she had been behind the wheel of anything.

She closed her eyes, embracing the feeling of weightlessness, feeling the ocean breeze whip against them and feeling the warmth of Ezra in front of her. If this was what null grav felt like, perhaps she missed her calling as a space tech. After the struggle of earlier in the day, this was heaven.

She almost didn't want the ride to ever be over.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was always in his element when he was going fast - whether on a podracer or on a sailboat. He found it exhilarating and liberating. He didn’t have to think about how recognizable he was, or if tabloids were snapping pictures or even about being a Jedi. He was zooming along the coastline, a blur of motion. His superior reflexes - whether through skill or being a Jedi - manifested with every hairpin turn. At a few points the bike was leaned harrowingly to the side as he swerved through curves. Through it all, Silvi would barely feel him shift or tense up. He could have been lazily ambling down the street with the way he handled the bike with such calm confidence.

He was certainly aware of the way Silvi tightly gripped him, unsure of how that made him feel. However his body language didn’t resist in any way. And then he heard the laugh. It was melodious, genuine and carefree to where his ears twitched a bit. He was facing forward, but he felt that involuntary tug at his lips towards a smile of his own.

Ezra took the road up a spiral for a while longer, giving her plenty of time to enjoy the ride. He finally slowed down towards an overlook that gazed out towards the vast oceans and sun over the horizon. Ezra parked the bike near a railing, waiting for her to release him before he got off and glanced over at her, “I’m impressed you managed to keep your lunch down,” He said with a grin before he gazed out towards the ocean.

“I come here to get away from the crowds when I’m on this planet,” Ezra admitted as he looked out. He was slightly surprised at himself for showing her this spot or admitting what it was to him. However, he still felt that kinship with her with them both being children of celebrities.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

When it was finally time to release him, she perched on the bike a moment longer, beaming at him. Happiness glowed in blue eyes and flushed her cheeks, and even when they were slowed, she could feel her heart race as much as it had five minutes ago. At Ezra's quip, however, she chuckled, swinging a leg over to effortlessly hop off, brushing down her skirt.

"Just you wait. Next time we meet, I'll want to race you on my Lacewing sometime."

She didn't expect he would know the name of her vehicle; when she raced illegally on Coruscant, it was deliberately expunged from her record a few times, but her reputation as an over-achiever helped when she would have to do community service. Still, fast vehicles, blasters, or talking to a listening audience; all of them gave her the same feeling. A tingle between her shoulder blades, a warmth that sent her pulse racing.

Like the flash of silver eyes while he smiled---

The memory of the Holo playing with him kissing someone else dashed cold water on that thought, and she shoved away the sudden pang that ached in the back of her throat. Turning her gaze away to avoid his eyes, she instead chose to focus on the scenery.

And what a scene it was.

Hearing him talk of this place, its' meaning to him, made something in her chest ache, an unfamiliar frission of something that sank in the pit of her stomach and curled around her throat like thorns.

Jealousy.

She blinked at the word, at the emotion tied to it. She never had a reason to envy too many people, and yet... when he talked to her that way, so openly, she almost hated the person that he surely would have shown this place to, with guilt quickly following. Shifting on her heels, she cleared her throat, her voice husky as she watched the waves roll in, roll out.

"I can see why; this place is perfect." Eyes of pale blue flicked in his direction, and she offered him a tentative smile, absently rubbing a hand on her chest, trying to slow down her racing heart. "Are you sure... you'd want to share something this dear to you, to me?" Her voice was light, but uncertainty tugged at the last two words. "Not that I mind, of course, I will definitely come here again, after..."

She faltered again, then gave a short, self-impatient laugh, shrugging a shoulder. "After I become Senator in my own right, of course." She wasn't sure why, but knowing this place was special to him had her more confused, uncertain of how close she could get before she'd hit a wall. Still, she didn't look away, but watched his face as she spoke.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra scoffed at her quip about racing, “So now you’re a pro racer, top of your class, expert marksman….is there anything you’re not good at?” He teased. He was always skeptical of people that were seemingly great at everything. He used to consider himself that, but since then learned to embrace his flaws. He was slightly above average in academics and had a rudimentary knowledge of anything Jedi.

Ezra thought about how long he had been coming to this overlook. He found this place some time ago when he got lost while storming off from his family. It was some argument he couldn’t even remember, but he knew he came here and felt better immediately. He was away from the paparazzi, the attention, the comlinks recording him. It was just him and his thoughts.

He looked over when Silvi spoke, her words and expression throwing him off guard, “Why wouldn’t I show it to you?” Ezra asked, genuinely clueless.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

At his teasing quip, she chuckled again, the tense line of her shoulders easing as she shrugged. Something she was bad at...

Years of anxiety to be perfect gnawed at her heels since she was old enough to understand who her mother was to the galaxy at large. The need to be flawless, to keep her distance, always nipped at the heels of her subconscious, and those years of being perfect came with the need to read the room, to act the way others expected her to. Which was why being around Ezra could be so disarming, yet simultaneously energizing. He had a way of getting under her skin, so much so she wasn't certain where she should stand.

"I suck at singing." Her lips quirked, but her eyes glittered with mischief. "Mother didn't mind, but the nanny droid used to flee whenever I'd screech; that, and," she hummed, cocking her head, "Cooking. Could burn water. Never learned to at my mom's house, and my dad never let me touch the cooktop after a particularly..." she winced, "memorable incident making sandwiches."

The mustard stains didn't leave her dad's YT-1800 ceiling for years.

At his question, she blinked owlishly. Why...? "I-I," she stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush as suddenly, the question fled any reason out of her head.

Why indeed, did she feel that way?

"I'm... not sure," she started slowly, looking up at him. Fighting the urge to cross her arms beneath her chest or tear her gaze away, she nibbled on her bottom lip again, brows denting over her quizzical gaze. "I just figured, a place so personal... I wasn't sure how personal I was to you. But..." she gave a tentative smile, tilting her head to the view. "I'm honored. I can see why you love it."

And in a much quieter voice, "Thanks, Ezra."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra grinned as she admitted to being a terrible singer. He could relate to nanny droids - he grew up almost entirely surrounded by droids, “I only know a bit of cooking because my dad forced me to help,” He said with a roll of his eyes. His dad (@Altaris )was an incredible cook and Ezra found it hard to believe that he was disastrously bad at it in the past regardless of what Pops said.

He noticed her getting all nervous again and he was left wondering what he did. This time he stared at her directly, listening to her stumble over her words, “You know you’re being weird, right?” Ezra asked flatly. He quirked a brow, “Just cough up why you’re so on edge,” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the railing.

“Or don’t,” Ezra shrugged. He wouldn’t force it. However, he did look away towards the overlook, hanging out briefly before it was time to head back again.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Ugh.

She knew she was being awkward. She hated when things weren't a sure bet; the uncertainty of who or what she was to someone else always gave her anxiety. Were they just friends that just happened to have sex once? Did this qualify as friends? Even just thinking about it threatened to give her a headache, so when he said she was acting weird, she let out a low, self-deprecating laugh, running a hand through her hair.

Just cough it up, huh? Sure.

"I don't know about what it means to be a Jedi," she finally admitted, crossing her arms beneath her bust. "When you mentioned fighting a Sith, it was just, I dunno..." her arms tightened around her waist, and her gaze dropped. She wanted to shrink into the ground, but the words just wanted to come out.

Guess I'm not Mom's clone after all, she thought in bitter bemusement. "It felt like a punch. I've seen what they do to people, and..." she shrugged helplessly, "I just can't do anything about it. I'm not cool like that. And there was this holovid plastered all over Insta-Star of you kissing someone else, and I just..." she shrugged again, feeling her face flush in mortification. "I didn't know what to feel. Happy for you? I want to feel that. Instead I was just..." she blew out a breath, shaking her head before flicking her gaze up to meet his squarely.

"I'll admit, I was a little jealous. But if you're happy... then I'm happy too."

She meant every word of it, too. Even though he got on her nerves like no one else, he seemed to get how frustrating it was, living in the limelight with nothing held sacred. Letting out a quiet sigh, she rubbed at her forehead, peeking at him between her fingers.

"I'm sorry for being weird," she muttered, grimacing. "I'm just... happy you're okay." Lowering her hand, she shook her head again, and started moving for the bike as well. She knew it wouldn't be wise to leave her words hanging like that, but honestly, she didn't feel better for admitting what was bugging her. Instead, the coil of anxiety was still there, tightening her stomach to a smaller knot.

She felt like she royally fucked up.

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was beyond puzzled by everything she said, but mercifully he had a natural poker face. As she expressed concern about his wellbeing, he wasn’t sure how to react. He shifted slightly in place, unsure of what to say. However, when she brought up the kiss on Holo, his eyes visibly widened. Kissing someone else? What did that mean? It took him a few moments to piece it all together. Ezra’s ears began to turn pink.

“Oh…I didn’t know you liked me like that,” He blurted out awkwardly,"Didn't think I was your type," She already appeared deeply uncomfortable and he couldn’t think of anything to make this topic any better. He gave her a bit of space as she walked to the bike.

After a moment, he walked towards her. Would the ride back be awkward since she had to practically cling to him?

“Did you want to go anywhere else or should I drop you off back at the restaurant?”

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Force, she wished the ground would split and just swallow her up.

Feeling her eyes widen at his blurting out, for a second, she merely stared at him. Then, letting out a slow breath, she ran a hand through her hair, pulling it slightly with a grimace.

When he approached, he would her her voice. She had closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath. Her voice was small, like it was hard to form the words.

"Honestly... I didn't think you were my type either. You know how to get under my skin, and it used to piss me off. But... it doesn't piss me off anymore. I like your company. You're good at pushing me out of my comfort zone."

Mentioning the restaurant, she opened her gaze again, and shook her head. She didn't feel up to being in a public space just yet; she still felt thin-skinned, uncertain where to look. She wasn't sure if she could even look him in the eyes again, much less get on the speeder just yet.

"Nah... can we just hang here a minute longer?" she finally looked up at his face, forcing her gaze to meet his even though she wanted to look anywhere else. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you... that was immature of me." Crossing her arms beneath her chest, she offered him a strained smile, shrugging.

"I do like you, Thorne. Maybe not in that way, necessarily, but... around you, I feel like a normal person. When you mentioned the Sith, it just reminded me that... things change. None of how I feel is your fault... sorry for being weird."

She hated being wrong. Much like her mother, admitting to a mistake was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow. But if this was a friendship, she hoped she didn't fuck it up horribly. Cocking her head towards the speeder, the tension seemed to ease from her face again, as she forced out a long breath. "I'm fine going wherever you want to... if you don't mind a weirdo friend tagging along."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Get under her skin? To be honest, Ezra heard that a lot. However he didn’t often hear that it was ever a good thing. He didn’t even realize he pushed her out of her comfort zone. Ezra was silent as she spoke, admitting that she liked him but perhaps not like that. The part Sephi was not talkative in general, and all this gave him plenty to mull over. He did notice that she referred to him as Thorne after she had been the one to insist that he call her by her first name. The thought brought a faint grin as he looked at the landscape and placed his elbows on the railing.

“Whatever you say, Morata,” Ezra said nonchalantly.

He stayed there as she requested, silently hanging out for a bit. He had been here countless times, and each time the sun over the horizon and the oceans was breathtaking. Ezra rolled his eyes as she asked him to decide where to go, “Well I can already tell you’d be a boring date since you keep making me figure everything out,” He said with a grin as he drew back from the railing, “I picked the last two ideas and you didn’t even come up with a wish.”
It was clear he was only teasing. Ezra walked back over to his bike, swinging his leg over and motioning for her to get on, “Guess you used up all your spontaneous points by making me break into someone’s pool,” He snickered at the memory.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Thankfully, he didn't press the issue too much of her feelings. Truthfully, she wasn't still entirely sure if what she felt was independent of his appearance, or their brief encounter on Coruscant. She didn't want to act on those feelings, either; she had seen what loving a Force User was like, and she didn't want to face that same quiet anxiety and bleak loneliness that her own mother seemed to face.

Still, when he spoke again, she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

Giving him a light nudge with her shoulder, she mirrored his movements, crossing her arms beneath her bust to look at the horizon a moment longer. "Maybe I just go with the flow to puzzle you out a bit more," she teased, arcing her eyebrows. "But if you like my impulsiveness..."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, giving a tight, sudden hug as he would move towards the bike, only releasing when he kept moving.

"My wish is for you to come when I call, no matter where or when. After all..." she released him, giving him a cocky, playful grin, "I like you. You're at least an honest friend, and an ally like that would be a welcome change, compared to..." she shrugged, "Those that just want us for what our parents are."

Still, she got behind him on the bike. When he brought up the pool, she flushed, burying her face into his back and squeezing her arms around him a little tighter.

"I let you join me in the pool one time..." she muttered, but it was clear even in her tone that she didn't hold a grudge to the mention. Instead... she smiled at him, easing her grip somewhat.

"Fine then. My idea? The next time we see each other..." she paused.

"I want to game with you sometime. I want to see if those Jedi reflexes are good against a set of holo game parameters. Deal?"

@Sreeya