Private New Here?

[Iris Arani]

Between school and her lessons as a Jedi Iris had been busy. Very busy. Which, unfortunately, meant she didn't have a lot of time to just unwind. Paint. She missed it, painting. So the first chance she got she was back at it. The still being rebuilt temple on Coruscant was the perfect place in her mind to get to painting. Brushes out, paint supplies scattered around her. Canvas on the floor. She was covered in paint herself, a faint smile on her face as she continued to mix and match various shades. No rhyme or reason, just a seemingly random mix of colors.

Her world, on canvas.

The Padawan sat up, scratching at her cheek as she looked it over. Only adding another layer of blue to her hair in the process. "This should be fine I think." Iris spoke to no one in particular, but smiled wide as she lifted up the canvas. Another painting done.

Cailen Corso

 

[Cailen Corso]

Cailen was in awe of the Jedi Temple. Even in its current state, the Temple was an amazing structure that he never gets tired of seeing. As he walked through the empty halls, taking note of how impressing the reconstructed portions of the Temple were, he heard a voice up ahead. Cailen continued quietly, trying not to disturb anyone, when he saw Iris painting a canvas on the floor of an otherwise empty chamber.

The Padawan leaned into the room and said in a hushed voice, "H-Hello?"

 

[Iris Arani]

At first, Iris didn't even notice Cailen Corso had said anything to her. Her eyes stayed on the painting, looking over, making sure it was just what she wanted. Then she blinked. Glanced over her shoulder towards him. Her head tilted as she looked at him. Not at him, her gaze was never truly focused on him. Looking around him instead, almost like she could see something hovering there. She could, an aura of color born from her connection to the Force.

"Would you like to paint?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

"Oh, uh... yeah, sure!" Cailen replied as he walked over to the canvas. He looked at what Iris had already completed and gasped lightly. It was gorgeous. He looked to her, inspired by her painting.

"You did all this?" he asked.

"You're very talented. Are you sure you want me to join you? I'm not nearly as good an artist."

The quality of her artwork gave Cailen the impression that she may be one of the artists commissioned to help with the Jedi Temple's reconstruction. After all, what good was a temple without amazing artwork to adorn its walls?

But Iris didn't appear to be a painter, at least not like the one's charged with filling the temple with their works. He could sense she was strongly attuned with the Force, radiating its presence as she painted away.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"Anyone can paint." Iris tilted her head, her gaze now focusing on Cailen Corso himself. Then shrugged and turned around. She snatched up the larger pack she'd laid out, pulling a blank canvas from it and offering it to the boy. Smiling kindly. "Practice will make you better, but only if you start now. So, don't hold yourself back just because someone else seems better."

 

[Cailen Corso]

"Thank you," Cailen said as he took the canvas from Iris.

He appreciated her words, but couldn't help but worry he'd embarrass himself. He’s never actually painted before, or even really drawn for that matter. His art form was old ships, his canvas the metal hulls, his paint dozens of power converters. He delicately laid the canvas on the floor beside Iris' and paused, considering what to paint. After a moment of thought, he turned to her.

"How do you know what to paint?" Cailen asked her quizzically.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"I paint what I see. .. Oh. Um. Hmm." She paused, stroking at her chin. Applying more paint in the process, but too deep in thought on how exactly to explain it. Then brightened and nodded as she flashed Cailen Corso a smile. "I see the Force as colors around us. All the time. So.. I paint those colors." Iris nodded once before turning back to her canvas. The swirls of colors that it was, seeming random but harmonized none the less.

"Sometimes it's best just to paint what you see. So.. What do you see?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

”What do I see?” Cailen asked himself.

"I see…" he trailed off, scanning the room for a subject. It didn’t take him long to realize the room was empty, save for some leftover construction materials from the repairs.

And then an idea came to him.

He reached for a brush and some paint. A rich shade of blue caught his eye, so be dabbed a bit up with his paintbrush and made a gentle stroke across the canvas. He started slow and deliberate, but soon, he was making more confident brushstrokes. As he went, the shape he was imagining started to take form.

He smiled, gesturing to his canvas.

"I like this," Cailen said to Iris.

"It’s quite calming."

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Maybe she should've picked a place that had more inspiration for others? Iris watched Cailen Corso , her brow knitted together in that thought. It was easy for her to paint anywhere with her world of colors so close at hand. But to her relief he'd thought of something. Started to paint. The Padawan watched for a moment longer, smiling brightly all over again before turning her attention to her own painting.

Then she was gone. The world around her faded completely as she focused on her art, painting over the canvas of all the others she could see here. Blues, greens, reds, yellows. Seemingly random swirls coating the canvas. She blinked after near a minute, glancing to Cailen. Only just now seeming to realize he said something.

"Ah, yeah. It is pretty calming, huh?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Cailen gave her an appreciative smile, turning back to his own painting. He went for darker shades next, this time a lovely plum followed by a dab of maroon. He added touches of yellow and orange as well, blending them to fill the upper half of the canvas.

He felt very serene, brush in hand, as he applied new layers of paint. It was a feeling almost akin to meditation; Cailen could feel the Force moving through him and around the room.

His Master was on important business, meeting with the Jedi Council to discuss matters that were unfit for a Padawan. Instead, Cailen was instructed to explore the temple and take in the energies that dwelled within. He was disappointed initially, but now he only felt gratitude that he’d run into Iris.

It dawned on him suddenly that he’d failed to properly introduce himself!

He extended a paint-covered hand to Iris.

"I’m Cailen, by the way. Cailen Corso."

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris blinked. Oh. Right! People introduced themselves! The Padawan smiled faintly, reaching up from her painting to take Cailen Corso 's hand in a friendly shake. People shook hands too. She remembered, this time at least. "I'm Iris." She left him with a bright smile before turning her gaze down to what he was painting. She'd already done the wall, and sometimes it was good to take a break. Asides, he seemed to really get into this!

Nothing made her happier than someone understanding her world of paint and colors, even if it was nothing more than paint on a canvas.

"What are you painting?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

"Pleased to meet you," Cailen said back, returning a warm smile.

He turned to the tubes of paint, skimming through them for the perfect shade of powder-blue when Iris asked:

"What are you painting?"

"Oh, uhm…" Cailen said, a tone of nervousness in his voice.

"It’s my home. Or - I mean, it was my home, on Anaxes,” he said as he looked at his canvas with a mix of emotions swirling inside.

He pointed to the top portion of the painting, where deep aubergine hues were laced with fiery oranges and reds. Speckles of baby blue and white dotted the purple frame; stars.

"That’s the sunset," Cailen explained.

"I used to sit on the terrace and watch it go down. It was like tucking the sun into bed for the night."

Cailen sat for a moment, reflecting on his work. His Master had taught him that dwelling on his home, his family, in a melancholic fashion would only sow seeds of darkness inside. He must, as all Jedi do, find healthy ways to reminisce and reflect on their lives.

It seems painting his apartment terrace was just the therapy he needed.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Right, home. She'd learned from a couple other Padawans that it was probably the hardest part about starting the path as a Jedi. Leaving home. Family. It was a mixed blessing that she couldn't remember home past all the colors that had been there. So she scooted over beside Cailen Corso , looking through the picture for the scene as he described it. Tucking the sun in for bed? She smiled and laughed a little, nodding.

"I can totally see that! I guess even the sun needs someone to tuck it in, yeah?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Cailen laughed along with Iris, surveying his canvas as she spoke.

“Yeah! Even the sun gets lonely. That’s what my mom used to say," he said with a smile.

“I used to spend a lot of time on the terrace. It always felt so safe to me."

Cailen looked over at Iris’ canvas, taking in the beautiful composition of colorful swirls she’d created. At first glance, it seemed random and abstract; Unplanned, as if she’d just twirled her brush haphazardly across the canvas. But as he studied her work, he began to notice subtle patterns.

“Your work is very interesting,” he said, smiling warmly.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris never had that feeling of a safe place growing up. Not that she lived in danger. She just had no sense of place with all the colors. Though, maybe her painting was her safe place? She mulled over the thought, turning her attention back to her painting as Cailen Corso spoke up. "It's how I always paint. I'm better with spray cans, though tagging buildings is kinda illegal so I don't do it much." Without permission at least.

She took up her brush again, adding another swirl of color. A bright purple, cutting through the others like a lightning bolt in the night sky. "But I love it. Painting."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Iris’ love for painting was obvious beyond her just saying so. Cailen could tell by the way she gazed into the canvas that it was more than just a hobby. It was almost as if she lost herself in the colors, swept up in the sea of paint that swathed the canvas.

Cailen chuckled as the girl explained her aptitude for spray paint. It was hard to imagine her tagging the buildings around Galactic City with graffiti, and for a moment he wondered why it was illegal; On one hand, the thought of swoop gangs and other undercity denizens painting whatever they pleased was unpleasant, but Iris’ artwork would add some much-needed bursts of color to the city.

“Thank you for letting me join you,” he said, giving her a grateful smile.

Cailen added another shade of blue to the bottom half of his canvas, shaping what would be a scene of Anaxes Station beneath his balcony.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

She paused again, blinking. How many people had she shown how to paint now? It was just something she randomly pushed on people, that was true. But.. They always thanked her. Iris glanced to Cailen Corso again. Truly watching him. His colors. The blues of his missed home melding with the nostalgic oranges of his painting. She'd shown a lot of people how to paint. But.. It helped them. She'd always done it in a hopes it could help them express something they might not be able to say.

But it actually helped them.

Iris didn't respond, instead turning back to her canvas with a smile. So she could help people in more ways than just being a Jedi.

 

[Cailen Corso]

A few more spots of blue to frame in the cerulean structure of Anaxes Station, and Cailen was finished. He scooted back from the canvas, sitting up on his knees to examine his work. His eyes scanned over the colors and shapes, a small smile cracking on his face. It was perfect.

He reached for a fine-tipped brush and picked up a small bubble of white paint, using it to sign the corner with a delicately scribed ‘C.C.’

“Iris?” he said, looking over to her.

“What do you do with your paintings once they’re finished? Do you think they’ll hang them up here in the temple?” Cailen asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

He was certainly proud of his piece, but there was something special about Iris’. Looking deep into the swirling colors and various hues that seemed crocheted into canvas itself was immensely calming. Cailen could almost swear he felt the energy of the Force laced in her brushstrokes. Iris’ work would be an amazing addition to the newly restored meditation chambers.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

".. Hmm?" She'd finished her painting at around the same time as Cailen Corso . Or maybe before. At some point her painting certainly reached a finished point, but she kept adding different colors as she watched the colors around them continue to change. If only her art could be so free flowing. Maybe it could be? Another thing to think about, but not before thinking about what Cailen asked. She tilted her head.

"Maybe? I just leave them out for people to take if they want."

 

[Cailen Corso]

“I see…” he said, thinking about how many people must’ve seen her artwork. It made him smile.

Cailen watched quietly as Iris added the occasional line here, a swirl there. He wasn’t sure what led her to put the paint where she did, but there was purpose and intent with every stroke she made. It was so mesmerizing that Cailen almost missed his Master’s entrance.

“Making new friends, are you?” Master Tarus Undara said with an encouraging grin.

Cailen startled at his Master’s words, realizing he’d must’ve zoned out. It wasn’t hard to do, looking at Iris’ work.

“Oh, Master Undara!” Cailen said excitedly as he rose to his feet.

The boy offered his Master a hasty bow, eliciting a deep chuckle from Undara as he showed the Jedi the paintings.

“These are wonderful, you two,” Undara said with a nod.

“Very wonderful indeed.”

Cailen smiled happily, grabbing his canvas from the floor and holding it up for his Master to inspect. Undara looked over the scene his Padawan had created, inquisitively rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“It’s Anaxes Station,” Undara said, eliciting an excited nod from Cailen.

”Yeah! I’m really proud of it. But you should see Iris’ work!” Cailen said, gesturing to the other Padawan’s canvas. Master Undara turned to Iris, offering a respectful bow.

“Padawan Arani,” the man said warmly.

“I trust you’re doing well,” he said as his eyes found her painting.

”Your work is very remarkable,” Undara said, studying the piece intently.

He followed the swirls around the canvas, almost seeming to lose himself in deep thought before glancing back to Iris.

“Yes, very remarkable indeed,” the Master said.

Cailen smiled softly as he watched his Master engage with Iris’ painting. It’s mesmerizing effect extended to Jedi Masters too, it seems.

Iris Arani