Rumors (LMR, open)

[Alaska!]

Emmi had acquired some sweets to bring to Felix. He was taking the death of Zyrek particularly hard, and rightfully so. They had been master and padawan for eight years, five years longer than she had been an apprentice. She cared about Felix and wanted to try and make him feel better. The best way she knew how to 'fix' things was to act as a caretaker. What better way to take care of someone than to bring them something sweet to eat.

She held the plate in front of her with both hands at waist level. The hallway was somewhat empty, which was a little strange. The less people that were around, the more comfortable Emmi felt. With no one around her shoulders were back and she stood up straight.
I hope he likes them.
A sm all smile spread across her face as she tried to put on a pleasant demeanor. Her pace quickened as she moved towards Felix's room. It was still a ways away, though.

When she rounded a corner she saw a tall Togruta down almost at the other end of the hall. At first Emmi didn't recognize her, but the scar on her face let Emmi positively identify Master Teer Ka. Teer Ka was Felix's new master and a member of the Jedi Council. She also happened to be the subject of temple folklore. Emmi had heard horror stories about the Togruta. She'd heard that Teer Ka had once hit a youngling. A youngling. Then there were the stories about her dead apprentices. Emmi had heard these stories since she was young and had become mildly terrified of her.

Emmi's green eyes widened to the size of saucers.
It's not to late to leave.
A vision of the woman towering over her flashed into her minds eye and left her paralyzed in fear. Her entire body was rigid as she tried to decide if there was time for her to turn around and walk away slowly.
Can she hear what I'm thinking?
Emmi turned abruptly, her back still stiff and tried to retreat down the hallway she had come from.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Master Teer Ka was in one of her better moods. She had just met with her new Padawan, and announced they were taking a trip. For her, that trip would be a chance to return home. If Teer could manufacture any excuse for visiting Shili, she would. Luckily, Jedi Masters received considerable leeway, and Councilors even more so. No one seemed to question her connection to her culture. Perhaps, she often mused, they expected it from a former Watchman.

While her tenure in that position had been brief, her work had been anything but. Total immersion had changed her considerably.

Admittedly it hadn't turned her into a fluffy bunny rabbit. Nor was anything likely to. However, it had granted her a considerably deeper appreciation for patience, and the ability to channel it remarkably well in her own life.

What concerned her, however, was what Felix thought of her. While normally she let criticisms and worries slide off of her like water droplets, this young man was now her responsibility. Since she'd intervened on his behalf, he was her new priority. Despite her new responsibilities, she had to make time for him, to be a good mentor to him.

In time she hoped he would accept her.

Teer sighed as she walked down the hall, the soft fabrics of her simple brown robes swishing slightly. It was then that her pitch black eyes spotted the human girl backing away down the hall. She was probably in her mid-teens, with bright red hair. Her build was slight, and she stood several inches shorter than Teer. Many, if one counted the tall montrals that crowned her head.

A cursory glance revealed the child was frightened, and Councilor Ka reached out with her senses to feel for threats. However, she sensed no darkness, no taint. Thanks to her species' ultrasonic awareness, Teer could already tell that there was no one else in the corridor, even without looking.

"Child," She called out in a soft voice as her steady strides took her closer. "What is the matter?"

[Alaska!]

Once she was around the corner she picked up speed, desperate to get away. This could work. Maybe the woman hadn't seen her yet. She could circle back later and deliver the sweets to Felix once the coast was clear.
I'm going to make it!
"Child, what is the matter?"
Emmi stopped walking, mid step. Her eyes remained wide with terror. Her spine was perfectly straight and it felt like the walls of the hallway were closing in on her. Emmi turned slowly to face the source of her fears. The woman looked taller in person. The small young woman waited until the council member was close enough for her to speak to her.

She called me child. That means she doesn't know who I am.
This gave her some relief, it meant that Master Ka would not be able to track her down as easily later. She had momentarily forgotten that the chances of them having more encounters on account of Felix was high. Fear could do that to a person, make them forget about things like that. For instance, she had forgotten to answer Master Ka.
"Th-the matter?" she stammered. "N-nothing, Master Ka." Emmi forced an awkward smile in an attempt to hide her lie. That was another thing she had forgotten. She had forgotten that one of the many things she could not do was lie. Despite practicing, Emmi's tells were painfully obvious.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

This was a most peculiar girl. If nothing was wrong or out of place, then why was she stammering? Clearly the girl was distraught, beside herself over something. Had she just lost a master to the Sith? Was she a dismal introvert, unable to share so much as a word with a stranger?

Those were possibilities. However, Teer Ka was a warrior and not a child therapist. When it came to disorders and dysfunctions, the red-skinned woman was a complete novice, and that was at the best. At worst, she was somehow less of a layman than anyone plucked off of the street.

Be that as it may, it wasn't in Teer's nature to give up easily on a problem. She would face it head on and address it. It was in her nature to insert herself into a situation and make peace, even if it took force. She saw no reason to do anything less for this girl.

"You can tell me what is wrong Padawan," The Togruta woman said, her richly accented voice pouring forth. Though her voice was husky, it was also soft. Her intimidating features were still there, predatory as befit her species, but they were restrained.

Teer's eyes took in the Padawan, and when she made eye contact, it made her almost cringe.

"You're afraid of me," The Councilor said softly, with a slight confusion. "Why?"

[Alaska!]

Emmi stared up into the face of Master Teer Ka. All of the times before when she had seen her at a distance there was enough time for a tactical retreat, but not this time. Emmi had never had to speak to the woman, either. If she was going to get through this she needed a clear head.
Clear your mind and calm down.
Emmi took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down long enough to think.

In that moment of clarity she realized she had tried to lie. And she had arguably attempted to lie to the worst possible person to lie to.
Sith spit.
"You can tell me what is wrong Padawan,"
The woman's voice was soft, not the sort of thing one had expected from a youngling-hitting horror. She relaxed more. Perhaps she had wrongly judged the Togruta woman too harshly. Master Teer Ka's eyes met hers. "You're afraid of me. Why?"
The fear returned, and Emmi quickly dropped her gaze to her feet. She should have known better than to conceal her feelings from her. Perhaps, the calm was a precursor to an attack. Again, Emmi struggled to suppress her nerves. She needed to find a way to change the subject or get out of this line of conversation some how. She saw the plate in her hands.

"Umm... I," she searched the plate for answers. "I should go. I was taking these to Felix Asto...we...uh... lost our master recently. I just wanted to check in on him."
It wasn't a lie, but Emmi hoped that the explanation would be enough to get the Jedi Master to believe that was the source of her feelings.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The response the girl provided Teer was hardly an answer. It seemed like an avoidance, an excuse to leave rather than face her problems. And that was something that Teer Ka did not believe in, did not support, and preached against. While the child might have wanted nothing more than to run away, it wouldn't do to let her. For her own good, she had to stay.

"I'm sorry for your loss young one. I am Felix's new Master now, so I expect we will be seeing a great deal of each other in passing."

That was precisely the reason why this issue HAD to be addressed.

"Now if I've learned anything from my experiences, it's that running away should be a last resort, and not the first. Fleeing from your fears won't make them go away. So why don't you try to relax a little and tell me what about me is so... alarming?"

Master Ka turned her left side slightly away, to mask the scar she suspected had a tendency to alarm Youngings. That, she hoped, would help. She also tried to soften her stern expression a little.

"Close your eyes if you have to, but talk to me."

[Alaska!]

"I'm sorry for your loss young one. I am Felix's new Master now, so I expect we will be seeing a great deal of each other in passing."
She has a point. Perhaps this should be resolved.
Emmi looked up from her plate of cookies to Teer Ka. Maybe now was the time to face her childhood fears and talk about it. She was fifteen years old, hardly an age to cling to childhood fears. Still, it was hard to look the person who frightened you in the eye and tell them precisely why they intimidated you. She was Felix's master and for that reason alone Emmi felt obligated to respect her.

I can do this.
Emmi took a deep breath and prepared to explain her fear to Master Teer Ka.
"Now if I've learned anything from my experiences, it's that running away should be a last resort, and not the first. Fleeing from your fears won't make them go away. So why don't you try to relax a little and tell me what about me is so... alarming?" Master Ka turned away from her, and at first Emmi did not understand why.

"Close your eyes if you have to, but talk to me."

Then it hit her like a strong kick to the gut. Emmi's fear was replaced by guilt. She wasn't afraid of her appearance, had she make her think that? The girl's eyes widened and she shifted so she was facing Master Ka's full face.
"That is not it at all, Master Ka," she told her quickly. "I...I" She paused to think of how to politely say why she was intimidated by her. "When I was young, the older padawans used to tell me stories about you. About how you hit younglings..."

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer had barely moved to block the view of her scar when the Padawan altered her own position to see all of the Togruta's face once more. Either the girl was readily seizing confrontation of fears, or else it wasn't the scar that troubled her.

The next words answered that question, and the Jedi Master nodded in response. So it wasn't her face, which meant it was what? What came to her mind first was her Padawans. Specifically her second, who had fallen to the dark side. He had died by her hand, which still troubled her despite the many years that had passed like water underneath a bridge.

Perhaps that was it. Or else more broadly, the fact that she had killed so many enemies. That could be disconcerting even to her at times.

No. What came next was very, very surprising.

Hitting Younglings? That certainly prompted the skeptical expression once more.

"Excuse me?" Teer repeated in confusion. "One time a year ago I cuffed one lightly on the ear. He was wandering the halls in the middle of the night, and then lied to my face. That is the only time I have ever touched a Youngling. I don't know where this ridiculous rumor came from."

The Togruta woman couldn't help but frown. Of all the ridiculous rumors, this was especially bad. She could have tolerated what she'd expected, but this was such an unpleasant surprise.

[Alaska!]

Emmi watched Master Ka closely. She was prepared to move away quickly if Master Ka struck out at her. In a cowardice moment Emmi regretted giving in to her guilt and admitting the cause of her fear. However, despite her fear, she would not want anyone to think that she was afraid of their physical appearance. Emmi braced herself for whatever kind of reaction would come next. Would she be angry? Would she laugh? The redheaded girl smiled nervously up at the woman.

"Excuse me? One time a year ago I cuffed one lightly on the ear. He was wandering the halls in the middle of the night, and then lied to my face. That is the only time I have ever touched a Youngling. I don't know where this ridiculous rumor came from."

She stepped back slowly to put some space between the two. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. Had she upset Master Ka? It was hard to read what exactly she was feeling.
"I apologize, Master Ka," she said quickly. "I...I was told that it was more than that. I shouldn't have been intimidated that quickly on nothing but a rumor. Forgive me." The words tumbled out of her mouth so quickly the words practically ran into each other. She realized that perhaps she had spoken to fast and needed to speak more clearly. "I mean... I... I'm very sorry." She tried to say it slower. This entire situation was making the normally calm padawan anxious. Years of fear did not disappear so quickly, after all. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something to distract her or change the subject. Anything would do, anything. She suddenly remembered the plat of treats she had in her hand.

"Want one, Master?" she asked and held the plate out slightly. There was nothing quite like a peace offering, right?

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer Ka closed her eyes for a moment and waved dismissively.

"I forgive you," The stern woman said. "What shows quality of character is not the absence of mistakes, but the way we correct them once they are made. I wish you would have come to me to begin with, but no harm seems done now."

Her dark eyes opened again, and the Jedi Master looked at the offered item. It appeared to be some kind of sweet baked good, which undoubtedly wouldn't agree with her stomach the way a natural diet would.

"No thank you Padawan, I'm afraid grain doesn't agree with my stomach."

The statement carried a slight humorous tone, and Teer's lips curled upward in a smile. Incidentally, that revealed a sinister pair of wickedly sharp fangs.

"However, I am sure Felix would be more than happy to have your gift. Would you prefer to give it to him alone? I understand you two must have a special bond."

Given their closeness, undoubtedly they had a special connection. Teer had often wished she'd been blessed with such a connection, but nothing truly special had happened. There had been no 'magic.'

Maybe next time, she kept promising herself.

[Alaska!]

Emmi let out a relieved sigh at Master Ka's words. One thing that Emmi could not stand was people being angry with her. This would be especially true for someone who would be a reoccurrence in her life. When there is anger or grudges between two people it caused conflict, and Emmi avoided conflict like it was a flesh eating bacteria. Everything else Master Ka had just said about character was not registered properly. The worst part of the interaction was over.

"No thank you Padawan, I'm afraid grain doesn't agree with my stomach."
She had been so lost in her own thoughts she had forgotten about the sweets. Emmi pulled the tray back slightly. Perhaps she should have known better than to offer the treats to her, after all Emmi had no idea what Togrutas liked to eat. Then, Master Ka did something Emmi had not quite expected. She smiled. Of all the things she had heard about Master Ka, she had always thought her to be rather stoic. A smile seemed out of place. Then again, it was rumors that had gotten Emmi into this awkward situation in the first place. Emmi just smiled up at Master Ka, though it still felt a little awkward and forced.
"That is too bad, Master Ka, they are rather tasty. I tried one myself earlier. "

"However, I am sure Felix would be more than happy to have your gift. Would you prefer to give it to him alone? I understand you two must have a special bond."
"Yeah, I hope they can cheer him up at least a little," she sighed unhappily at the memory of that night. Felix was taking Zyrek's death much harder than she was. It was to be expected, he had been his mentor longer and had been there when he died. Emmi was not sure how she would have dealt with seeing their master's body after the accident. Emmi forced herself to not think about that. Instead she thought about Master Ka's words. "Yes, we do have a connection. He was kind of like a second teacher for me." Originally she had planned to deliver the treats alone but perhaps it was not a good idea to isolate themselves. Master Ka was a new part of his life and by extension hers. "You are more than welcomed to come with me if you would like. He is your apprentice, after all, maybe we should check on him together."

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. She'd been rather convinced that the girl would want to bring her gift alone. Additionally, the Togruta woman wasn't sure yet if she would be imposing on Felix. After all, she hadn't even taken him to Shili yet. That would be the test of bonding. This would be...

"It would be an imposition," Master Ka said in her usual matter of fact and clipped tone. "I'm basically a stranger. Right now he needs his friends, people he knows, and stability. Go to him, and may the Force be with you."

The Togruta woman placed her palms together and dipped her head in a half-bow before turning and starting to walk slowly away down the corridor. It wasn't something she was happy over per se...

It would have been nice to come in with the girl and be social, but she was right. Teer Ka was just a stranger to Felix still. Maybe some day she could be there to share a drink and a conversation, but for now?

It was time to be alone again, like she had so often been.

Teer paused and looked back over her shoulder at the young woman, and a part of her wished the red-haired Padawan would motion her back and insist she was welcome. But Teer knew better. This was for the young friends, and not her.