Foolish to Think

[Verie Lacroix]

"Well that's cheating," Verie replied flatly as she watched him fiddle with the device in his hand, her lips twitching up at the edge. She itched to ask him what he was doing with it, but instead she watched him silently, pulling a crystal out of the aoelocron and, a few moments later, substituting another. She looked up at his face and then turned to walk around the room, studying the architecture of the room with a curious and appreciative eye.

To say that she was pleased with Dissero's approval would have been an understatement. She tried not to smile -- tried, and failed, but did her best instead to turn away so that he wouldn't see. She took a silent breath and answered: "What's wrong with my training attire?" She turned back to face [member="Dissero"] and looked down at her outfit. It was clean and relatively stylish, if a season or two out of date. "What do I need armor for?" she asked and walked back over to him, watching as the device snapped shut in his hand.

"Or is this just a scenario where I should, uh, enjoy the journey more than the experience?"

 

[Dissero]

Dissero's smile spread a tick as she approached and for a moment he nearly reached out to her in what would have been playful flirtation of just what was wrong with her outfit. Likely his eyes briefly betrayed how much he wished to place his hands on her in such a manner, but they remained at his front, slowly turning the aoelocron over within his fingers.

"Now that you have a hold on meditation, it's time to push your training forward. What you're wearing is fine for a controlled chamber - but it won't last long otherwise." No - soft, stretchy casual fabrics never stood up to the test of Force User training. Even a Jedi would be hard pressed to keep those clothes for long.

"We'll be traveling for a week or two. Pack light. Anything you're missing we can pick up on Annaj. I'll meet you down at the ship in an hour."

[member="Verie Lacroix"]

 

[Verie Lacroix]

An hour. That didn't leave much time to prepare for travel. She watched him for a moment and then nodded briskly. How business-like their friendship had turned recently. With their roles as teacher and student this was probably for the best, not to mention other complications. Verie murmured "Thank you," and turned to the door. She found her way to her quarters and began to pack. She selected five changes of clothes, along with the appropriate undergarments, and a few cosmetic items just in case. After she had packed everything up, she set the bag on her bunk, unzipped, and then went into the 'fresher and shucked her training gear and climbed into the sanishower. Hot water blasted at her skin and she took a loofah and scrubbed herself to a pleasant pink color.

After toweling off, Verie studied herself in the mirror. She looked much the same as she always had -- slim and athletic -- but she felt much stronger, much more energetic, which didn't manifest itself on her figure. The light toning was there, from a decade and a half of ballet training, but it didn't reflect what she felt. She gave another appraising look over her form in the mirror, turning to glance over her shoulder before padding back into her quarters and getting herself dressed.

When she presented herself at the ship -- ten minutes early, she reflected primly -- she was clad in a pair of black leggings, a pair of brown boots and a green tunic, her damp hair in a tight ponytail and her overnight bag, now including toiletries and zipped up, was slung over her shoulder as she read from her datapad.

[member="Dissero"]

 

[Dissero]

"What do you mean Moross has joined the confederation, it's a religious empire of raving zealots, how does that even work?"

Dissero's voice echoed from within the ship, baritone easily sounding down the hall from the cockpit and out the open hatch.

"I've been home for a week, why am I only hearing about this now? She's here? On Annaj? Mahet are you certain? She would have told me, she would have said something..."

"No I'm not angry at you for going to her. Is she alright? Is she with you now? ...well where is she? I see. Well, we're leaving shortly just soon as Verie is ready. Yes, Verie Lacroix, she's living at the castle with me now as my apprentice. What..? ...you forget yourself Mahet, I do not ask for your opinion."

Some further words in Honoghran, which judging by the tone might've been quite angry, but that was also the nature of the language and the creatures that spoke it. Silence fell, then footsteps of boots across the metal gangway before Dissero descended the entrance ramp, wearing a rather vehement expression instead of a shirt. The man stopped short as he noted Verie standing off to the side with her things, "Oh, you're ready. Good," striding to where she stood, he lifted his hands to place them on her shoulders, gentle at first but grasp growing firm.

"Ve," he took a slow breath, the edge of his voice fading in her presence, "I'm glad you're here. Some things have come up, my sister is on Annaj as well."

Worry lines formed on his brow. Time for Verie to find out a few more family secrets.

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Verie looked up when she realized that her Master was aboard ship already. So much for showing up early to score points. She hefted her bag more securely onto her shoulder and hustled up the ramp. She didn't like the way his eyebrow was furrowing at this moment. "What is she doing so -- well, I assume we're pretty far from Kuat, but I don't know that for sure," Verie finally reached the top of the ramp and brushed past into the ship, stowing her bag nearby before turning back to him.

"Where do you need me right now? Navigation? Comms?" She brushed her ponytail over her shoulder and folded her arms across her midsection. "Do you think Her Royal Highness is at Annaj to look for you?" Verie asked curiously.

 

[Dissero]

"No," Dissero replied, hands falling back to his sides as she pulled away from him. Too soon?

Force he was bad at this.

"No she's not looking for me, she's..." evacuating an entire galactic empire of religious zealots based on her premonitions and foresight while Flow Walking.... none of that would make a lick of sense to Verie. Did she even know anything about the Moross Crusade? The Fringe? Why was this so hard? Maybe he was focusing on the wrong things.

That had to be it.

Stop looking outwards.

"...it's too complicated. I'll let her explain to you later. For now just sit tight while I get our coordinates locked in."


A short while later Dissero lead Verie back to an inset table booth and took the seat across from her, "Meditation," he began, "you've got it down in the chamber, now it's time to test how well you can achieve it outside of a controlled zone." He motioned for her to sit and begin.

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Verie pressed her lips into a firm line as he spoke to her, her frustration mounting. Every moment painted a clearer picture that she was an outsider -- outside the family, outside the group, an other. Her eyes searched his face for a moment before she nodded. "Right. I'll sit over here," she said, gesturing towards the lounge area. She went over to get herself a bottle of water before sitting down at the table. She drew her datapad from her pocket and called up information on Annaj. At first glance it appeared to be a gas giant, but as Verie read on, she discovered that the appearance was caused by a thick fog, and the planet itself was quite habitable.

She tucked the datapad away and pulled her legs up under her, taking a deep breath. She straightened her back and listened to the sounds the ship made as they got under way. The bulkheads creaked and groaned, with atmosphere rushing around it until the ship pushed into space. Verie took a breath and shook her head as she let it go. The moments seemed to stretch until finally, with a subtle lurch, the ship entered hyperspace, and a moment later [member="Dissero"] returned. She stood, a questioning look on her face, but he gestured for her to sit with instructions to meditate.

She had a trick to get herself started; in her head, she could hear the opening bars from the overture to The White Queen, and she was off. It took longer than usual to concentrate and drill down into the essence of the Force, but eventually she got there, and it was certainly worth the work.

 

[Dissero]

A smile crept into the man's growing beard. He'd taken to letting it go since returning home, likely much to Verie's disgust. But he supposed if things were meant to be kept copacetic, well then it didn't matter. Not like an Apprentice was going to complain to her Master that he needed a shave.

"Good," he said softly and pulled out a datapad, "hear my words, don't actively seek them out. Let them become part of your subconscious within your meditation. Let them happen, like a breeze -" he sighed, paging through to a training application, "across the sea."

Somewhere...

...beyond the sea...

"I have in my hands a datapad, and on that datapad will be a succession of images. What you're going to do is allow your mind to reach out, to sense what those images are, and then you're going to tell me what you sense. Easy, no?"

Somewhere...

...waiting for me...

"Begin."

First image: a child.

[member="Verie Lacroix"]

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Verie detected a note of amusement, but didn't open her eyes, and didn't comment. She was, after all, if not actually a dutiful student then at least a fairly good actress. "I suspect that what seems easy now will prove more of a challenge than you'd let on," she replied, and then added, in a tone of abashed respect: "Master."

She took a breath and straightened, her eyelids becoming more relaxed - simply closed rather than pressing firmly on her eyeballs. "I'm ready," she murmured and exhaled slowly, reaching out with her consciousness as best she knew how. She felt him most of all, whether due to her affinity for him or his proximity. His was a warm presence, almost uncomfortably warm. It made her skin tingle to think too much on it.

The datapad she couldn't feel, not at first. But she slowly became aware of it, until she could almost see it in her mind's eye. The image on its screen developed slowly. "It's a person," she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing. "A small human... or humanoid pers--" And then it became obvious, as if a layer of film had been removed from her mental vision. Her cheeks flushed at the absurdity of her previous observation. "A child?" she murmured, unsure of her final answer.

 

[Dissero]

"Good," he said.

Impressive, he thought.

Dissero would be lying if he said he thought she'd pick this up so easily. But Verie was a woman of self-discipline and strong will. He should have known all along that she'd do just fine. Better than fine.

"Next image."

A spoon.

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Verie frowned. She had no idea if she was right or not, or if she was simply allowing her subconscious to get the best of her. She rolled her eyes under her lids, loosening up as she reached out in the Force to see -- or not -- what she could see -- or not. There was the flame of her Master, heating all manner of things despite his burgeoning scruff, and the cooler feel of the technology he wielded.

She wasn't sure where to begin with this one. Nothing leapt out at her. She leaned back against her seat, her breaths becoming deeper as she tried to extend herself.

"I can't..." she began, her eyebrows furrowing again. She was going to give herself wrinkles at this rate..."It's... metal? A tool of some kind. A spanner..." She shook her head and breathed in deeply. Concentrate... pay attention. The focus became clearer more slowly this time, but she finally did grasp it, or so she thought. "A teaspoon?"

 

[Dissero]

"Don't reach for it..." Dissero's voice trawled the silence of the ship through the din of the engines, "you're trying too hard. Let it come to you."

He watched her, felt her presence in the Force wane and shift as her mind got in the way of her subconscious.

"And don't say 'I can't.' You can."

My lover stands on golden sands,

"Next image."

A ship.

and watches the ships that go sailing...

"Resume your breathing, holding your breath only makes everything in life harder. Remember your meditation in the chamber, get your mind back to that state. Wait for the current of the Force to bring the answer to you."

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Verie took a deep breath and nodded. "Right," she murmured. Don't reach. Let it come to you. Suppress all your natural instincts.

She breathed deeply, and just existed, an empty vessel waiting to be filled. Her eyebrows settled on her forehead comfortably and her eyes relaxed. The Force flowed around her, that much she could tell, but she knew that reaching into the flow would only disrupt it. She would swim, no doubt, but it wouldn't be harmony.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

So much more was happening than before, in the chamber. The movement, his presence, the added challenge were all contributing to the difficulty of getting into the swing of things. She willed herself not to be frustrated - it was all part of the process, she told herself. Hadn't she stumbled when first learning ballet? Of course. And look at you now. "I can," she whispered, visualizing the datapad, its screen with all its pixels. "It's..." She inhaled deeply and let it go, then again, and again. The answer came unbidden to her lips just as it appeared in her mind's eye. "A ship."

 

[Dissero]

He had to remind himself not to stare too intensely lest he convey the answer to her without meaning to. Blue eyes closed, instead, to allow himself his own bit of meditation. It would be good to get back to full practice of it - something he'd neglected in the last several months while other ... issues were of greater concern. But now that he felt things were getting back under control, he might gather up his old routine again.

Only this time he'd incorporate Verie.

"A ship," came her answer. She sounded confident. Good. He nodded, not that she'd see, and clicked to the next image.

"Next image."

A speeder.

Dissero did not need to look to know what it was. Though completely randomized, it was an exercise he'd mastered at the age of ten.

[member="Verie Lacroix"]

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Verie breathed deeply and regularly, the feeling in her body slowly melting until there was no line between her own consciousness and that she could draw from the Force. She waited, picturing her mind like a flower, blossoming to gather the sun that was the Force's energy. That was a pleasant image. She didn't need to reach, didn't need to do anything but be open and accepting. The feeling was liberating and refreshing, and Verie gave herself over to it. The idea of it made Verie feel very much like she was appearing in the Force much like a woman in a shampoo commercial on the holovision.

The thought brought a broad smile to her face and when she answered the suggestion in the Force, it was in a voice trembling with suppressed giggles. "A speeder."

And with an apologetic grimace she sobered, squeezing her eyes shut tighter, but her connection with the Force was not diminished by the frivolity. In fact, she felt that it was rather deepened. She answered the next few more readily, whether because the Force told her more quickly or because she was more confident in her understanding of the Force -- which it was, even Verie couldn't say...

[member="Dissero"]

 

[Dissero]

Annaj
Capital City
Market District


Though Annaj itself was not renowned for its broad selection of light armors or heavy fabrics, it was one of the few places that AEL products could be purchased. Armorweave, in particular, was what the Alchemist had in mind. This particular specialty shop had plenty. Dissero had Verie pick out several layers of varying weights - pants, tunics, jackets, the works.

An AEL Myriad Singlet also caught his eye.

"Thought those had sold out-" he commented, and had Verie find her size.

Some lighter glistaweb tunics and shirts were in order.

Two Warden Cloaks, one for himself and one for her.

One pair of Bloodwalker Boots, much to Verie's distaste, but they would be vastly preferable to her other footwear during their travels, he assured her.

The store hadn't any terentatek hide armor pieces in stock and, the clerk said, was not expecting anymore in anytime soon. Some basic leather pieces would do. All lightweight and fully capable of being alchemized should he get bored one afternoon.

By the time they were finished Verie had the wardrobe a Sith Knight would die for. No Master had ever treated their student so well. Dissero thought on this momentarily, but brushed it aside and watched a healthy chunk of credits get withdrawn from his account. He had the lot packaged and sent off to his ship back at the starport.

Lunch time.

Distracted and idly fiddling with something in his jacket pocket, he sat down at a local restaurant with Verie and ordered a steak, rare.

"Now that you seem to have a handle on meditation, it's time to start working on harnessing that power you feel and putting it to use. We're going to start on telekinesis and the basic Force powers. After that, you'll get your first mission."

[member="Verie Lacroix"]

 

[Verie Lacroix]

"I could pay," Verie protested as [member="Dissero"] settled their bill. "My mother's estate left more credits than I could ever hope to spend, so -- oh, what's the use," she said, finally throwing in the towel and putting her credit chit away stonily. "Thank you," she told him reluctantly. If he insisted on those ghastly boots, well, that was one thing she didn't mind him paying for. Some of his choices were... eclectic, she decided to call them, rather than risque. After all, form-fitting gear made sense and allowed for one to be agile.

When they entered the restaurant, Verie couldn't help but notice he had his hand in his jacket pocket. She glanced down at it covertly, under the guise of admiring a nearby plant, before following him to the table, where she ordered a salad -- no cheese, no dressing, no croutons -- and a glass of water.

"This is exciting," she confided, leaning across the table to murmur. "I can't tell you what a lift it is to have a purpose." She smiled and rests her chin on her palm. "What's that in your pocket? Did you bring another aoe-locron? What does this one do?"

 

[Dissero]

"One of these days you're going to have to eat real food," Dissero lofted a brow at his Apprentice, "like meat. Protein. Ropo food won't sustain an active student under my tutelage."

He looked smugly serious for a moment, smile broadening into something easier at her confession. Purpose was always a good thing. He couldn't fathom what he would do with his days without one.

Now what was in his pocket? Dissero's smile dropped from his face.

"Ah, no. It's nothing."

He simply hadn't found the right moment to pull another proverbial rug out from under Verie's feet. If it wasn't hard enough establishing a strict Mentor-pupil relationship, finding boundaries and turning away the warmth - now, suddenly, he'd have to undo it all. He supposed it wasn't the complication that it engendered between them, but the prospect of her flat-out-refusal.

Stage fright... is that what this was? Dissero had never feared rejection in his life except that in the form of his mother because, well, mother's rejection hurt, and not just from mental anguish.

"You've had some time to read into possible paths you could take. Have you given this any thought? Any idea what sort of skills you'd like to pursue?"

[member="Verie Lacroix"]

 

[Verie Lacroix]

Promises, promises, Verie thought, letting her own eyebrow twitch up mischievously before they lowered again. It felt good to be bantering with him again. If she could look past his past, and he could look past her social class, then there was a chance --

And then the wall came down again. She glanced to the side and swallowed audibly, then smiled apologetically. None of my business. His question took her by surprise. It seemed early days to be committing to anything more than the learning process. Still, she had been giving it some thought. "Well, I defer to your better judgment, of course, but I feel that I am quite in tune with my own body. Possibly because of my... background." She glanced down, and then, apparently sensing something, looked up and flagged the passing waiter.

"May I have an Endorian chicken breast with my meal? Thank you." Verie took a drink of her water and leaned back in her seat, her slight frame resting comfortably against the back of the chair. "So, physical activities, I feel would be accessible to me. And possibly intellectual pursuits," she glanced up at [member="Dissero"] uncertainly before looking down again. He was The Archivist, after all, if he thought she was impossibly stupid for such a pursuit then he would be the authority. "I'm not sure about anything else. I feel a bit of a novice to be thinking about it, actually."

 

[Dissero]

A wrinkle of amusement tugged at the corner's of his eyes as she ordered some real food to go with her plate of greens. Good.

"You've a unique advantage over most with your education and your skillset, not to mention your work ethic. I'd say the possibilities for you are nearly limitless, but it's good not to have some set plan for how you think things aught to be. Most of the time they never quite turn out the way you hope..."

One had to be flexible to survive this galaxy, in more ways than one.

"If dance is where your passion remains, you'd make one hell of a saber duelist."

[member="Verie Lacroix"]