Something Broken, Something New (Feyrin)

[Vreem Took]

Vreem led Teima through the halls of the Temple, he failed to say where they were heading but during the journey he seemed deep in thought. And he was, thinking about the last few minutes in the classroom and the last few weeks upon Korriban. Perhaps it was wrong to linger so much upon these events, but they seemed important, not just to the Order but to Vreem as well. It made him contemplate the choice he was making right now, was Teima to become another name on the list of those he had failed. Jahn’s name had recently been etched on after their meeting upon that desolate death trap, or was it Veratos now? No, Vreem refused to believe that Jahn was lost; he would not give up hope on the fallen Knight. One way or another he would return the light to Jahn’s eyes, to his heart, no matter how long it took.

But with a quick glance towards the youngling who walked next to him Vreem remembered that this was about her, and it would require all of his focus, Jahn was a subject he could meditate on later.

Finally they reached the destination Vreem had intended. The beautiful sight, as always, brought a smile to his face and calming thoughts to his mind. He felt as though he’d stepped into some distant dream world, the rocks and dust of Korriban some forgotten nightmare. The hushed sound of trickling water and the numerous colours of varied foliage could mean that they were only one place in the Temple, the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Probably the most beautiful and relaxing place within the temple, with thousands of secluded areas where one could meditate in solidarity and yet be only a few feet from a fellow Jedi.

Just the gentle colours and fresh air was enough to help expel any lingering grim thoughts from his mind and set it on a positive course. Finding a vacant fountain, Vreem led Teima towards the edge and with a smile and with a warm “please, sit” offered her the opportunity to sit on the fountain’s edge, which he himself did. He turned to face Teima, the soft sound of sliding water off to one side was almost serene enough to sing him to sleep. “Now, Teima,” he began quietly, “there’s a reason I wanted to speak to you, I saw the events of Master Beleren’s lesson today and I also observed your… unique response to Talarian’s emotions.” He paused for a moment and considered the best course of action. “However, before I get into that I wanted to ask you something, and I don’t want you to answer it like a question you are asked by a teacher, think of this more of a talk between two equals. Teima, what is it exactly you want to accomplish here in the Order, what is it you want to do, what do you wish to accomplish?” He sat comfortably, his shoulders relaxed and no longer boasting their distinct broadness. He waited for a response, a warm look in his eye and a kind smile across his face.

[Feyrin]

Teima stepped out of the door, subsequently traversing the winding snaky hallways that were the Temples corridors. Teima moved with feminine grace, complimenting Master Took's appearance right next to her. Her hands stayed behind her back, clenched together as her and the Master moved towards a large dome at the end of their last hallway. Teima felt a rush of moisture and even a sense of calm collectivity rush from the room when the door opened, and followed Vreem in soon after, realizing she was lingering in the doorway too long.

The lush greens and flowers of the room produced an intoxicating aroma, overwhelming Teima's highly tuned nostrils. She was overtaken by the great mass of different smells and such around the room. When her senses leveled out, somehow Vreem had noticed when to start talking, and at the moment she became coherent, he asked her to sit. She, of course, obliged, and ruffled her skirt down the back of her legs, sitting on them while the apparel was stretched out.

She listened intently to the question position in front of her, and picked through every word, and every meaning like a young child playing with her food. She considered, but not for long, as the question was requiring of an answer she should already know. Yet, even though, she still took her time to make a few more decisions. After what seemed like minutes for her but was only mere seconds, she spoke again, in a soft voice this time, "My goals are limitless, as are any Jedi. I wish in the near future to find a Master to further my training, if one would thus choose me. I do wish in time to become a Master, if it as such. The things I want to do... I can't tell you all at once. I simply want to serve the Code and the Jedi cause the best I can."

[Vreem Took]

(OOC: Sorry if this sucks, I'm tired and so this might not really be a very good post.)

Vreem listened closely as the young girl answered his question. She seemed dedicated to the Order even at such an age, not many would strive solely for the Jedi Order by the age of ten. Perhaps she was simply saying what she thought he wanted to hear, but she did not seem the type of student to do so. It would mean that there was a strong and steady pillar for the training he would have in mind, with determination such as that hopefully she would be less likely to give up. After all, he planned to work on her issue from earlier yet he did not have any solid knowledge upon it. He needed a student of great mental integrity if they were to survive what was to come, not just the training, but everything.

He had seen a few visions since Korriban, flickers of images. The told of war between the Jedi and Sith, which meant that along with these two factions, the numerous others would follow and the Order would know of war. Fire, death, darkness, a bleak future indeed, perhaps that was why he now sought out an apprentice. He nodded with a confirming look of contemplation as she finished. “I think,” he said, starting slowly, “that given the events which I witnessed during your sparring match, you may have a hard time finding a Master who is willing to take you on. It is not something we often see and many Jedi will view that as a reason to pass their gaze onto someone else, someone who may not cause them as much trouble as you and your talent.” It wasn’t just one’s apprenticeship it could affect, ever since he received teachings in what Jedi would typically think were unusual areas, he was never treated the same by those who knew. They regarded him as different, an abstract piece of work to stand off to one side. He had managed to force his way onwards with determination, but Teima was at a position where she relied entirely upon the mercy of a Jedi Master or Knight to take her under their wing.

“It just so happens,” he began slyly, “that I tend to specialise in the areas which are not typically accepted by the majority of Jedi.” He paused for a moment, dragging his gaze away from the lovely plantation in order to look the youngling in the eye. “You are young Teima, at an age where your acceptance into apprenticeship is not on the forefront of the Master’s minds, there are many facing the corps who are put before you. I think that perhaps this is the wrong way to handle your training, I think you would benefit more from individual tutelage.”

“Now, this will be the first time I ask you this question, I will ask you again before the day is done most likely. But would you be interested in becoming my apprentice Teima? I have seen your potential and the Force beckons me towards you. Your answer will not finalise a master student relationship, I merely want to know if you are interested, so that I can explain things to you, so that you might come to some sort of final decision.” Vreem knew his approach would seem odd, but this was not a normal situation, the circumstances were abnormal, as were both of those involved, at least that’s what the Force told Vreem.

[Feyrin]

(OOC: Sorry, but I have little to none to post in this reply...)

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Teima sat still, listening as intently as a fox to his prey's motions. Her tentacles jiggled a little when the question had been proposed, though she had already thought of it, and assumed, sadly, that the conversation would lead to her asking at the end for him to consider her. Regardless, Teima had not expected Master Took to ask her himself if she was interested. The young Nautolan looked up with her big black eyes, swirls spinning around under the first membranous layer.

She took what seemed to her to be minutes again, but this time was actually minutes, to ponder the question, just staring up at Vreem. Not noticeably, she wasn't really looking at anything, but was looking into a blank slate, sketching out everything she could think of into her cleared mind. Once her deep meditation was over, Teima answered proudly, "I am interested, for only two reasons. You are a Master, and I need one. And... if you say I'm, you know, weird, then I guess," Teima's mind raced again, looking for a way to put it, and finally it came to her, "If you are good at this kind of, thing, then I actually need you as a Master rather than just any."

Teima was happy with the way she presented herself during the speech, upright and well mannered.

[Vreem Took]

(OOC: Sorry, exams and mock exams consumed more of my time than I thought they would.)

At her words the Jedi Master smiled comfortingly, “now Teima, ‘weird’ is not how you should describe yourself. All Jedi are unique in some way, you will discover this as you and those around you grow. It is merely that your unique traits are not something often seen and one that, if not kept in check, could cause you a great deal of harm. Hopefully you will learn to control it, as well as learn other techniques and styles which you want and need.”

Now, as he settled in to a much more serious topic the smile faded from his face. “There are a number of things I want to tell you though, reasons why you may not want me as your master. First of all, as you well know, I am on the High Council and so some of my time will be taking up by this and the lessons that I teach, although I will be able to set you some things to do and perhaps you could assist me in the lessons if you are interested in gaining that kind of experience for the future. But this is the main reason, there’s something a lot more serious which needs to be taken into consideration.” He paused for a moment and looked around wearily, what he was about to say was something that should not be heard freely by any who wish it, although some was common foresight, the knowledge he had recently gained of Korriban added a new little twist to the story.

His voice became little more than a whisper, the sound of the words shielded by the flowing water; it was just loud enough for Teima to hear. “I’m not sure if you are aware of the unstable situation regarding the Sith Empire at the Republic, many believe that open war may be coming upon us. But I know this to be true, the Force has shown me, and no doubt some others, glimpses of the future. I’ve seen worlds covered in flame, felt the death of thousands. The time you step into is not going to be an easy one to survive through, mentally or physically. But even then, there is something even worse which is coming, the Sith. No doubt you have been taught about them a little bit, know that they have been dead for around three hundred years. But they are back, and I have little doubt they will be involved in the coming conflict. The darkside can goad even the greatest of Jedi during times of war and I suspect that I will be heavily involved in the conflicts that are to come. I do not want to knowingly put you in harm’s way without telling you what it is you face. Some might scorn me for telling you this, but even at the age of ten I believe you deserve to make the choice.”

He sighed and his shoulders seemed to sink further with the weight of the thoughts he carried in his head. “You are young Teima, it would not be too late for you to focus your efforts in some other area, it all depends on where you want to go, what you want to do. But at my side there will be little rest, at times you will walk close to the darkside, face many conflicts. But if we stand with one another we could live through to see victory, save thousands and keep the Republic standing firm. I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said apologetically, “but now that you know everything, what do you wish to do? Is there anything you wish to ask?” Vreem was tired, he felt it now, the skin under his eyes hanging with weariness as his muscles begged him to lie down. Yet even after this there were things to be done.