Private Crazy Kids

[Xian Xiao]

The young Padawan teen was just leaving one of the many classes held at the Academy. If you had asked what it was about, she probably would have just stared at you blankly. Getting her to pay attention was sometimes rather difficult. However, if it was a topic she was interested in, then you would have all of it.

Even though Xian had been around for a few months, she still wasn't really very well known. Not that the girl had actually tried to reach out and make friends. Looking at the holoclock, her stomach growled at her but she still had another class to attend. Letting out a sigh, the slight girl wondered if there would ever come a time when she wasn't hungry.

Trudging through the halls, there were conversations going on around her. Generally, she wasn't one to eavesdrop on them, but when the words, "looking for a student", hit them, she stopped. Without having heard the entire discussion, Xian didn't know if the student was missing or the man was looking to take one on to train or anything else. Mentally giving herself a shake, this wasn't any of her business.

At the moment of her passing by the two adults talking, some small Youngling came running up behind the teen and knocked into her. This caused her to start losing her balance and she stumbled into one of them. Feeling her cheeks heat up, she started to mutter an apology as she regained her balance and stand up.

Reaching out a hand to take a grip on the child before it could get away, she looked at it with a slightly dirty look. Her other hand was balled up and it looked like she was going to punch the boy.

Barrien Siegfried

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

"That's enough of that," Barrien said, using the Force to stay Xian's fist and also to stop the boy. "Young man this is a temple. Please show some respect to your elders and your fellow students."

The boy gulped and nodded his head. "Yes, Master Siegfried," he said before walking away.

The girl, on the other hand, was not dismissed so easily. While the boy had been disrespectful, he had not had ill intentions. The girl, however, had clearly expressed the intention to do harm to the boy for his slight against her. Among young kids this behavior was somewhat common. That did not, however, excuse the behavior and he was not going to simply allow it to continue. This was a temple of the Jedi and not of the Sith and he expected students to remember that.

"Now, young lady, lower your fist, take a deep breath, and calm yourself. It is not an appropriate response to seek to strike a fellow padawan. I should like to know your name and who your master is so we can confer."

Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Something stopped her fist from connecting solidly with the face of the boy that had run into her and her other hand never actually grabbed onto him. Instead one of the men she had stumbled into caught him and then let him go. Letting out a huff of annoyance, Xian also attempted to start leaving. That didn't happen either and the Master addressed her.

Looking up at him for a moment, she, at first set her chin in a stubborn looking manner but did listen to what he had to say. What she didn't do was try to pull away from him. It seemed like she was stuck here and she shouldn't move. This man seemed to have some sort of magnetic personality and the teen was drawn to that.

He kept his tone calm, but it was quite stern and powerful. That alone made her pay attention to him. Maybe she didn't do his instructions in the exact order he gave them in, but in the end, she did comply with them. When he asked for the name of her master, she shook her head.

"I don't have one."

Nodding her head at that answer, it was the truth and it lowered her chin from looking so stubborn.

Barrien Siegfried

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

No master. How could a padawan not have a master? Surely there was enough of them to go around. Well, it wouldn't do to leave it at such. Especially since it was clear this girl needed a master. She was unruly, a bit obstinate, and too quick to strike someone.

"Well, now you have one," he said, releasing his grip of her with the Force. "My name is Barrien Siegfried, Master Jedi and Baron of House Siegfried of Oaken Dawn."

Sometimes it was a mouthful to identify himself to people, but he had been brought up to introduce himself in such a manner and it wasn't proper for him to do anythhing else. Least of all did he want to slip and then return to Oaken Dawn while forgetting the rules of etiquette. That would be disasterous, especially if House Siegfried was somehow no longer in power. Of course even if they were, depending on which of his cousins was ruler, it could be just as bad as if they weren't.

But that was a different problem. For now he needed to know more about this girl.

"What is your name and how have you been taught until now? What do you know?"

Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

The sudden statement by him that she now had a master brought the girl up short. Well, she was already stopped, but the look on her face was of surprise. For a few seconds, she just blinked at him and then smiled.

"You would do that for me, Master?"

Suddenly any anger she had at the boy evaporated and she was filled with joy. That wasn't the only emotion present either. Excitement and even maybe some reservations. Not entirely sure how to react, the teen did what she felt like doing and would attempt to give the man a hug.

"Xian, master. What do I know? A little bit and that. How to make things hot or cool them. And, and I can play with wind! That is such fun!"

Almost jumping, she certainly was hopping on the tips of her feet as she spoke.

"Do you want to see?"

If he was going to give an answer, she didn't even wait for it. Lifting one of her hands and making a small motion, he should feel a gust of wind blow against his back. Nothing to hurt him or cause any sort of damage but a small display of her power. So he could understand better what she meant.

Lifting a hand to her shin, Xian looked thoughtful as she considered how to answer the part of the question that she had skipped over.

"I have been doing stuff with fire and wind for a long time. Since I was little and before the Sith visited Coruscant. Then I had a lesson with Varindar...I think that's her name. And here I am."

Turning in a circle, she implied the Temple around them as part of her answer.

"Can you teach me how to use a lightsaber and fight?"

There was no malice in her tone and any thought of hurting the boy or anybody else was gone.

Barrien Siegfried

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

This one was quite spirited. It was almost like she was a clone of Kyra. Inwardly he grimaced a little bit at having spoken so quickly to take over her training, but such was the nature of things. If anyone could teach her to be more than an overly energetic teenager he could. Nobody had his level of patience when it came to the younger folk.

It was also a bit nice to see someone so exuberant and joyful after all of the serious things that had gone on of late. His own promotion to the rank of Master had come with a serious sense of responsibility. It had been a role he wasn't sure he would ever be able to step into. Unlike his father, he did not seek to lead the fight against darkness or evil, he merely wanted to teach and help others, which did not require the level of responsibility that came with the rank of Master. But it had been bestowed upon him all the same, and he had to take it seriously, lest it lose its level of import.

She hugged him and then demonstrated what she could do with the Force and the gusts of air fluttered about. Clearly she was in tune with the elements.

"You have an elemental focus," he said, only a tiny bit surprised. "I've known very few of similar talents."

Then she came back and asked him if he would teach her to fight with a lightsaber.

"Relax, Xian. In time. I want to see you demonstrate the basics first."

He motioned for her to follow him and led her to one of the training rooms. It was empty, so they entered and he moved across to the center of the room where he knelt down and rested back upon his heels, motioning for her to do the same before he produced several small metal balls from a pocket.

"Manipulating the elements is a good start, but I want to see what level of control you have. Let's start simply. Please lift each ball from the ground."

Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

She was glad he accepted the hug she gave him and the girl let go quickly not wanting either of them to get uncomfortable. Any affection of most kinds had been denied her as she grew up. Only her real parents had really given her any and they had died when she was four. Most of what she remembered was very vague and wasn't really solid.

When Barrien commented that she had an elemental focus, the teen nodded. He was probably correct. All Xian knew was what she could easily do without much formal training.

Tilting her head to the side slightly, she followed him when he motioned her. Taking a seat on the floor across from him, the Padawan sat on her rear end. Not exactly in the same kneeling manner, he told her to. Looking at the balls as he placed them on the ground, she chewed at her lower lip for a moment before deciding on just how she was going to lift them up.

"I assume you don't mean for me to do that with my fingers. That would be the easiest way to accomplish that."

Making a pinching motion with her fingers, she lowered the hand back to her lap and looked at the balls again. Letting out a bit of a sigh, she lifted her hand up again, closed her eyes, and pushed the balls across the room with a small gust of wind.

Barrien Siegfried