Back from the Gates of Tartarus

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Taking away energy from an item, as prescribed by cryokinesis, would mean the energy so removed would flow back into the Force. I can't help but feel that you were a little distracted by thinking about the ice cream's ooey-gooey flavor: it's vanilla, for the record"

It was all too easy for people at [member="Paige Blossom"]'s intellectual level to overthink things; she was guilty of that herself. Meanwhile, the remaining workers were also enjoying their breaks close to them, if only a little... staggered, because they finished their parts of the work at different times. They were seen eating more of that ice cream that she wanted to have Paige prepare as part of her lesson, with some more ceramic floor tiles having been installed in the meantime. Understandably, a few of them were curious as to what Paige hoped to achieve, some of them having seen a Force-user in person in only a handful of occasions in their respective lifetimes, and most of the time it was something basic. It's OK, not everybody gets it right the first time, she thought, upon watching Paige preparing to attempt cryokinesis again. The ice cream was probably going to be a welcome, refreshing meal once it was done and that Paige could finally learn the power.

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"Oh Vanilla? I can eat that, though I prefer mint for the record."

Paige saw the construction workers who in this particular case had actually beaten her to the punch and were happily eating their fat-laden treats as a reward for closed her eyes once more and pictured the ice-cream, then metaphorically zooming into it to display the molecules, moving about slowly but surely. That needed to stop, because by definition, 'ice-cream' needed to be ice, and for something to-.. it needed to be below 0 degrees centigrade, 32 Fahrenheit, whatever metric you wanted to apply it to. It wasn't all that difficult now that she had an idea of what it would taste like, and her concentration stayed true, trying to block out the noisy men and women working on whatever construction they were doing in the background.

Eventually, the powder began to take shape, although Paige was once again oblivious to this having her eyes closed.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Now is time to eat that ice cream. If any mint-flavored ice cream comes by the end of this training session, I will eat some with you, provided either of us still have room for that"

Mint ice cream is usually sold as hard ice cream, which is different in its manufacturing methods compared to the soft ice cream that is produced from a powder. Hard powder required more preparation than soft ice cream, too. Also Fahrenheit degrees were mostly a kitchen thing by now, especially in Hutt space; even then Celsius degrees are much more common in nearly every other area where temperature is a concern. Chemistry is an oddball, where kelvins are more important than Celsius, even though, functionally, they are the same, just that the zero means a different thing. Now that the two of them began eating, these additional organic construction workers had a significant headway in eating their respective servings of ice cream, to which [member="Paige Blossom"] was effectively oblivious because of her closed eyes. A human or Near-Human's mind usually runs on sugar. A fast mind takes a lot of energy, Paige would probably acknowledge as much, and that is why I wanted her to eat ice cream, she thought, while eating her share of the bowl of ice cream.

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

Paige heard the clinking of a spoon and was unsure of exactly who was eating, because even yet she was unsure of exactly the creation that she had produced.

"I don't want you feeling sorry for me and ordering ice-cream to make me feel better." Opening her eyes to discover the soft ice-cream before her.

"I really should stop closing my eyes. It's making me look like an idiot." Taking a spoon from the table and beginning to eat the soft delicacy. Paige didn't actually know that mint was usually served as a harder ice-cream, she just thought soft ice-cream was served at a higher temperature so people who didn't have the energy to chew could still eat dairy and get their dose of calcium in a less-than-ideal form, that coming along with refined sugar and days and days of symptoms of lactose intolerance for people like Paige. Luckily, she took one of those digestive aiding tablets that make life so much easier for her.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Closing one's eyes is often a beginner's thing, especially if it allows increased concentration. Over time, as you gain in skill, you will no longer need to close your eyes"

Overall, Jessica was happy with [member="Paige Blossom"]'s rendition in terms of ice cream. Paige should be lucky that Jedi training is not like conventional schooling: in that sense, the decade after Jessica's false negative or so was a nightmare to her, especially high school and, to a lesser extent, undergraduate education. Grade grubbing: everyone that has been around either an undergraduate program or a high school is familiar with it. Thank the Force that the Jedi Temple's extension school on Voss, open to all Jedi in the SJ as well as their dependents and, of course, Voss residents, free of charge, had no actual grading system. As far as undergrad is concerned, it's usually more of a problem in fields where the post-graduation opportunities are dependent on grades, either because employers care about grades, such as in accounting and law, or because a field requires a graduate degree to productively make use of an education, so it's not as widespread as is the case in high school. But, before she could pursue the learning process with Paige, she had to ask a few questions to the student. Next to them, the workers were going back to work.

"You understand that knowing one's strengths and weaknesses is key to success as a Jedi. You're definitely learning a lot here today. As much as it is possible to have too much of a good thing, I have two questions to ask: 1) how stimulating is Jedi training to you and 2) how challenging is it to you?"

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"I suppose I just work better with a blank canvas to work on." Laughing to herself.

Actually speaking, that wasn't true. Paige's only subject that she ever failed to succeed in was art. Music by extension, but that was because she couldn't play the instruments, not because she couldn't learn the notes or sing well. (Though she wasn't a fantastic singer anyway, but she could pass as an auto-tuned pop star given modern musical standards)

"Well, it's not difficult. The only thing I've had trouble with was the cryokinesis, and even that was resolved quickly after just being patient, however I guess it's interesting to learn about new things, but this is just seeming to come really naturally to me. It's weird if I must be honest. I never would've suspected that I had such a calling for this."

What Paige said was very true. Probably in comparison to most other force users, be it light or dark, she found it surprisingly easy to unlock the potential to utilize these hidden techniques. Perhaps it was the way that [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] explained it that made it exponentially easier, or perhaps she was mentally conditioned to think in such a way that facilitated the use of the force.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Be mindful of letting your head swell because of any achievements. Yes, taking credit for something you actually had a hand in doing is a good thing. Just don't become arrogant or otherwise develop a superiority complex"

To the extent she acknowledged [member="Paige Blossom"] was a good fit, to the extent that Paige's intellectual attributes were strong enough in some areas to cause some concerns that may make other prospective masters uncomfortable. But strong intellectual attributes were not a guarantee of seamless Force-training when it came to Jedi: she was reminded of the first person that administered Force-sensitivity testing on her as an adult, for the five years she has known her in her padawan-hood. Then again, that person was a reverse role model: arrogant, stuck-up, and an ineffective Force-healing instructor that did almost nothing other than meditation outside of medical duties. And also sometimes people could want to learn too much too quickly and burn out. As is often the case with child prodigies in virtually any field where they exist. Perhaps some conversation was in order so that Paige could recover her Force-batteries for the next lesson. Probably with limited interference from the other workers working on the floors and walls of that Pizza Hutt location.

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"I'm not arrogant; I'm actually quite humble in how I conduct myself."

Arrogant wasn't how she would describe herself, although I guess that's what arrogant people do. If they admitted they were arrogant, then they were admitting that the actual importance of their abilities and skills were being outshined by others, especially by mere mortals that hadn't harnessed the power of the force. That was by no means calling these people weak or insignificant, but she knew she was better than them. Even when thinking about the construction workers--

If only they knew their ignorance of somebody who could do their job better.

A sort of benevolant discrimination, if you will.

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Perhaps it's just her exuberance, she thought. To the extent learning the Force-lessons came as naturally to [member="Paige Blossom"] as they did, the next one will be far more complex. Force-healing. One of those Force-powers where one can get the learning wrong on so many counts. Ouch. That one Force-power that triggers a poodoo-load of bad memories when I try to teach it, she thought, while said bad memories were streaming in a steady current in her mind: that Force-sensitivity test she took under someone really untrustworthy, that run-in with that horrible therapist that was nevertheless able to cure a terminal-phase cancer using seven long hours of Force-healing, but most of those memories were centered around that very untrustworthy Jedi and that neuropsychological evaluation. So untrustworthy, in fact, that not even the Geonosians would trust her, even though they did trust Cathul (if only begrudgingly). Especially given how one of those construction workers got a burn from a plasma blowtorch that malfunctioned and ceased functioning; Jessica sensed it. Would Paige also sense it?

"Did you sense that worker getting burnt?"

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"Did someone get burnt? I feel like you're asking me a trick question." Laughing mildly.

Whether she was too oblivious to feel the pain or she was just unaware of what it should feel like, Paige didn't feel a thing. Maybe she wasn't as skilled as [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] to sense it, although was the really a skill in sensing things? You don't get better eyesight simply by looking at things more often, nor do you get better hearing by not covering your ears. That's how Paige thought it was anyway, and that was enough evidence, at least for her, that her actual ability to sense people's pain was innate. Psychopaths don't become more empathetic, after all. As for how well Paige would be able to heal these people, assuming that was Jessica's next instruction or at the very least, her next teaching was still yet to be decided.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Yes, someone did get burnt"

Usually a person's skill in Force-sense boils down to resolution and range, and the resolution is obviously limited only by diffraction. The commanding officer of Therapy Command, whom I knew in person while she was still a therapist, was known for just that. And, from there, earned the title Radar of Mandalore because of her uncanny ability to sense all sorts of stuff about people in the Force at long ranges. However, despite her failures as a therapist, she still made it out OK in space and as a Force-healer, she thought, while picking up on [member="Paige Blossom"]'s thoughts. Luckily for her, the worker burnt by using a malfunctioning plasma torch was close by, welding rivets elsewhere in the future food court. And what's to come to her is a common caution she feels must be delivered before any lesson in Force-healing can begin. It didn't take long for her to dig into her memories of Catria teaching her Force-healing back on Geonosis, back in the days of the Third Confederacy; for some reason, she couldn't help but draw some comparison between Paige and Catria, although not overtly.

"Before the actual lesson in Force-healing begins, there are two precautions that need to be taken: do not expect near-instant healing every single time. I know a patient that went to a Force-healer to treat a terminal-phase cancer, and it took the Force-healer seven hours. And second, using Force-healing does not excuse the need for conventional precautions. Also, the reason why I want you to learn it now is that it will make the learning curve of control much easier. Now, the first step in proper use of Force-healing is diagnosis. It goes without saying that, while you could be using the Force as you would medication, you have to know which Force-medication to administer to the patient for the patient to be healed"

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"Well, with all due respect I only really know basic first aid... I've never had to treat someone before, other than minor cuts and bruises, I think me trying to heal someone with what could be a second degree burn might be out of my ability at the moment; but I'll try regardless."

Paige appreciated [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] optimism and trying to push her ability to maximize potential, but she was just simply too inexperienced to even know what conventional medication to use on such an injury, never mind trying to focus her mind to accelerate the construction worker's natural healing process. Of course, not even she knew that was what force healing really was, simply accelerating natural healing, which just seemed like a complete phenomenon to her. Not to mention, her arrogance coupled with her lack of knowledge regarding medicine was more than likely going to cause more harm than good. Although as she did say, she would try, as to how well that would go it would yet to be seen by both of them.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"Most Jedi tend to use Force-healing for battle injuries and other first aid stuff. Only dedicated Force-healers would need more than the knowledge to treat battle injuries"

It was a second-degree burn. Then again, the only thing extra she learned aside from the usual battle medicine stuff, for Force-healing purposes, were strokes and heart attacks. Once again, [member="Paige Blossom"] was triggering unpleasant memories of that... reverse role model: not only she manages to be more arrogant than Paige, she is very stuck-up, and I'd rather learn some common cures for common ailments than simply learn Force-healing from someone whose approach to Force-healing could be summed up as "put the Force into the patients' bodies". At least Paige has enough self-awareness to have an idea of her own medical knowledge and of its limitations, she thought, while realizing it was obvious that Paige was not interested in simply "putting the Force into the patients' bodies". That is what she could feel that Paige was hesitating. Perhaps Jessica could give her some hint regarding second-degree burns, while acknowledging she has some medical promise?

"For the time being, just use the Force as a burn dressing: you can always put the bandage on it later. If you wish, you can always consult some holocrons or books about medicine later"

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"Hmm. Alright."

A burn dressing? It had been a while since she had took that first first aid course, but she knew the basics of a dressing. That would be taking it out of a package and just applying it. She supposed that it was the same principal.. just.. put it on? Perhaps there were some more intricacies than that which only the manufacturers of such products would have the medical understanding, but Paige wasn't particularly interested in conducting interviews before treating something as mundane as a burn, even if she didn't know the exact details of it.

Once again, she closed her eyes like she did every other time she attempted a force power and imagined the patient's arm being laid out against a black canvas. It looked simply enough... just.. put the force into it. What a confusing concept to her, but then again, it was probably supposed to be confusing. After all, she had only just become a trainee force user.

If [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] were to look at the wound, it would look a bit better, certainly some of the redness would have gone away but no significant changes as of yet. Perhaps it was her inability to properly control the force that hindered progress.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"At your stage, the Force is there to supplement conventional first aid. At later stages you may want to learn how to use the Force to cure hemorrages, strokes, heart attacks or other more complicated traumas that are nevertheless common"

It's not that Paige is unable to control her power, more like Paige's Force-batteries are completely drained. Sure some of the redness did go away, but I told her not to expect near-instant healing! Time for some bandages I guess, she thought, while fetching some sterilized gauze from the first aid kit. As for the burn dressing, [member="Paige Blossom"] will probably learn that the Force can manifest itself in many different ways and their ways were pretty mysterious as well. Also, she knew that often, people were quick to comment on how long-term usage of the Force was going to affect their appearance on the long run, especially those who relied on it in their work, usually of the more political or diplomatic variety. Often dark-siders had their eyes turn yellow, and it was a surefire way to tell someone's body was corrupted by the dark side. On the other hand, the light side often helped people keep youthful appearances, much like Jessica's, who looked much younger than she really is.

"Your reserves of Force-energy are completely exhausted. As you advance in your Force-training, you will realize that you will have more Force-energy to go around, and also your body will get more accustomed to the handling of Force-energy. Assuming Ming Po react the same as normal Humans to the long-term use of the Force, the light side usually allows someone to maintain a rather youthful appearance more easily"

 

[Priscilla Utorna]

"Oh so that's why it looks so ug-.. untreated." Smiling nervously hoping that the person injured hadn't heard her.

Luckily for Paige, she would rather die than be tempted to the dark side of the force. It was fortunate that the light side had such positive benefits, although she was largely unaware of this; though in saying that dark siders did often look very grumpy all of the time. Perhaps that was a coincidence or just how they all got on, she wondered. Looking at [member="Jessica Med-Beq"], you wouldn't be able to tell that she was really 40, although Paige didn't even know that because the woman had not told her. She actually looked to be in her late 20s, very early 30s at the most. If that wasn't a testimony to the positive affects of the light side of the force, then she wouldn't know what was.

"I would expect so, ice-cream, welding, mind reading and healing someone? I've probably done things that people would only put on a bucket list! I think that last one was pushing it a bit though, I am quite spiritually drained."

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

"It has been stimulating spiritually, hasn't it?"

Now that the gauze was applied to the patient's burn with [member="Paige Blossom"]'s Force-dressing, Jessica was confident that the healing process was going to be done over time, just a little faster than with regular burn dressings. Also, dark-siders often look grumpy because of what emotions they use, especially if they use the Force regularly. Some of them even looked downright scary, and maybe even pass for someone from another race than their actual race, she thought, while having no particular dark-sider in mind as to how scary those with experience and power can look. In essence, the dark side was corrupting their bodies and their appearance along with it. But she'd rather not think of specific Sith at this point. But she knew that one thing: it would do no good to Paige if she burned her candle out through both ends: she knew that people couldn't absorb too much Force-knowledge too quickly.

"Maybe for next time we will get some more Force-lessons done. For today, however, we need to rest, and not on this construction site"