Faction [NJO/JJE] A Song of Selvaris | Jedi Enclave on Selvaris

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: III

"That works for staying cold, too, right?"

"Wait, my dear."

Efret seized forward the short distance necessary to try to catch one or both of Zaiya's hands with her own. Regardless of if she succeeded or not, she pulled back just as quickly, only having meant to get Zaiya's attention. Though Efret's vocoder didn't synthesize intonation—just words—her actions clearly conveyed the urgency that had gripped her.

"You must be very careful when you try that," she explained more calmly, though her eyebrows were still slightly knit together. "Cold is a sensation that for some reason is more aligned to the Dark side than the Light." She didn't know for certain why that was. Too much cold could cause death, but so could too much heat. She only knew that it seemed to be the case. Some things were like that, at least until they were figured out. "There is a Dark side power called cryokinesis. Its purpose is to draw heat away from a target to kill. It's different from tapas because the target is other rather than self, but cold tapas has similar dangers. I have heard of accidents where Jedi's attempts to cool themselves or another get away from them, and the results..." She couldn't bring herself to make the signs for frostbite and mummification, not for fear of the potential outcomes but for want not to needlessly distress the two. "...Well, I don't mean to scare you. Nor dissuade you. Only to protect you."

She continued quickly, hoping not to allow their thoughts to linger, imaginations wander: "When recalling a memory of cold, select one that doesn't also invoke fear. That emotion can easily tempt bad outcomes, though it doesn't always. Still, it is best to be safe rather than sorry. The first time you saw snow, perhaps? Or saw your reflection in a perfectly-formed icicle? Do either of you have memories like that?" She looked from Zaiya to Aris.

Zaiya Ceti Aris Noble​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

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Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble Efret Farr

"Hey, you figured it out? What's the memory you used?"

Aris's eager question about which memory she'd used to warm up sent a wave of embarrassment crashing over Zaiya. Her mottled spots shifted to a mortified coral hue, their edges shimmering with a silvery glow, like she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Her eyes widened, and she immediately did her best to not look at Aris, her mind scrambling to find an answer that wouldn't make things worse.

But before she could even think of a way to respond, Master Farr's hands gently took hold of hers, immediately snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts. A startled pulse of alarm flickered through her aura, turning her coral spots into pale yellow streaks. The emotional resonance from the archaeologist came crashing immediately as soon as they touched, and Efret would briefly pick up on Zaiya's embarrassment -- though it was quickly overshadowed by the Master's concern. Zaiya blinked in confusion, her mind blanking as Master Farr warned her about focusing too much on cold memories. Apparently, the sensation of cold could be more aligned with the Dark Side, even leading to a dangerous ability to drain heat from someone's body.

That... was unsettling. And more than a little scary.

The dark pink hue across her skin lightened, shifting into shades of concern as she processed the warning. Zaiya nodded, the seriousness of it all sinking in. "Okay, Master Farr. I'll be careful," she promised, though now she was left wondering what memory she could safely use for cold. She hadn't seen snow or been anywhere truly cold in a long, long time.

"Umm..." Zaiya hesitated, thinking hard. Then, an idea struck her. "Would thinking about a crystal as cold as ice that reacts to the Force be okay?" She glanced toward her satchel, remembering the cavern she and Aris had explored. They'd stumbled upon a cluster of ice crystals there, and she'd been fascinated by them ever since.

"I actually have a sample of them in my satchel, would you like to see?" she continued, her mottled spots shifting into a thoughtful burnished amber hue. "I've been trying to figure out what they are... Would that work?"

She couldn't help but glance at Aris, half-expecting him to follow up as well regarding their discovery.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris just kept a blissfully unaware kind smile on his face at the absolute turmoil he was bringing to Zaiya. Thankfully, it was Master Farr that seemed to pull her out of it, and made mention of a rather terrifying sounding ability. He blinked in surprise before his expression tightened and he nodded. He wasn't sure if that was something he could do, but given how he could heat his hands, given how that didn't hurt him, couldn't he?

He turned his gaze to his hands, letting the warmth leech out until they briefly frosted over. Sure enough, he could. He flexed his fingers, seeming to have no issue with it despite his hands now looking blue. Then the color returned.

Aris glanced up shortly after before he nodded, glancing to the pack. "They melt like ice, but there's no liquid state. It's like it turns right to gas? They're weird, certainly."

Efret Farr | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: III

"Yes, please," Efret replied to Zaiya's offer to see the specimens.

"They sublimate?" she asked rhetorically after seeing what Aris had said as they waited for Zaiya to take the crystals from her satchel. "Interesting." She turned back to Zaiya. "How do you keep them stable?"

Zaiya Ceti Aris Noble​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

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Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Efret Farr Aris Noble

Thankfully, Aris hadn't pressed further. Saved by Aris's oblivious nature and Master Farr's advice on which memory to focus on would be best suited for tapas without latching onto something that could take her too close to an area of the Darkside.

Of course, Aris was quick to figure out how to chill his hands and let the frost cover them. If it had to do with the Force and anything in his body, Aris's rapid learning ability was sure to pick up on it quickly. Zaiya, on the other hand, had to wait while she pulled out the cluster of ice crystals and answered Master Farr's questions as best as possible.

"Honestly... they just seem to respond to the Force. Although when Aris used his heating ability, he managed to melt them just like ice, so I wasn't sure if that meant an external force or just heat in general managed to do that." Zaiya explained, handing over the cluster of ice crystals to Efret. The ice cold sensation would immediately follow, but there didn't seem to be any darkness within them with the chill.

"It certainly makes me think of the cold though," Zaiya added, a faint smile. "I haven't been able to study them further but was wondering if perhaps they had other applications, like Kyber crystals or if there was just something I was missing that I haven't picked up yet."

 

[Aris Noble]

"Keeping them cold, mostly. It's the same temperature as the melting point for ice, that much was clear." Aris nodded his head as he glanced to Zaiya and the crystals. She'd been the one keeping them from melting all this time, thankfully. Especially since he wasn't sure how to keep them cool with just how hot he could run. Or, well. That seemed to have changed.

Efret Farr | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: III

A shiver ran down Efret's palm through her forearm as she accepted the crystal cluster. The sensation faded out around her elbow. "Indeed," she signed with her free hand. "Have you meditated with it yet? Perhaps energy can be focused within them."

Zaiya Ceti Aris Noble​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

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Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Efret Farr Aris Noble

Have you meditated with it yet? Perhaps energy can be focused within them."

"Meditated on them?" That was a new and intriguing prospect. Zaiya's curiosity sparked a shimmer of color over her mottled spots and patterns as she shook her head in bemusement.

"No I haven't. Do I just meditate as normal or is there a particular method of doing so with any crystal?" Zaiya wasn't sure. She had found her Kyber crystal for her hairclip by focusing on the Force, but she hadn't meditated with it. So did one do the same with these ice crystals?

"Does meditating with them change things or enhance things? and what do you mean by saying that energy can be focused within them?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"Hmm.. If it is, it could be pretty helpful." His mind was already running with different possibilities on how to use the cold that the crystals brought, but he wasn't about to start listing them off. Out loud, anyway. It was obvious he was running through a list regardless by how distant his focus went. ".. Regardless I think you should give i ta try, Zaiya."

Efret Farr | Zaiya Ceti

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: III

Efret nodded. "As normal, yes," she said, pausing after to hand the cluster gently back to Zaiya. "You say it responds to the Force. I might be wrong, but these crystals might be able to hold Force energy like kyber crystals can. In other words, you might be able to imbue them with the Light side. If that works, you could put one in your future lightsaber or fashion them into talismans. Either would enhance your abilities as a Jedi."

Another smile spread across the master's face. "The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force." She had never officiated a lightsaber ceremony, but knew the words to, and felt like a few of them were fitting now. "You feel a connection with them, right? See if you can strengthen the bond to benefit all of you."

Zaiya Ceti Aris Noble​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

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Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble Efret Farr

"Oh, okay," Zaiya agreed after both Aris and Efret encouraged her. She took the small cluster of ice crystals in her hand, feeling the immediate chill seep into her fingers. The numbing sensation spread quickly, but she recalled Master Farr's advice -- focus on something warm, something comforting, to keep the cold at bay while she worked on imbuing the crystal.

And of course, it was the memory of the warmth that radiated from Aris that came to mind. The heat that seemed to surround him, especially when he used it to keep her warm, made her feel safe and steady. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, her mottled spots and stripes on her face tinged with the same hue. She quickly tried to steady herself, not wanting her racing heart to distract her from the task.

Focus, she reminded herself. The goal was to channel her energy, to let the Force flow into the crystals and bond with them. It wasn't any different than when she had bonded with the kyber crystal in her hairclip, she told herself, her fingers brushing the small crystal in her hair as it resonated softly in response, as if encouraging her.

Taking a deep breath, Zaiya centered her mind, drawing the warmth of her memories inward. Slowly, the ice crystals began to respond. They glimmered, refracting the light in a way that made them sparkle like the ones back in the cavern. Tiny specks of frost dusted the air around her, but Zaiya remained warm, her focus unwavering.

The Force connected them, and she could feel the crystals hum with life in her hand. Smiling softly, she knew she'd done it.