Rubbing Your Temples

Rubbing Your Temples
Date of Scene:	05 June 2024
Location:	Temple Refectory - Coruscant
Synopsis:	Navi finds Cayde in the Temple Refectory.
Cast of Characters:	Navi, Cayde Alexis

---

Navi has posed:
Midmorning at the Jedi Temple. It's raining. Not the usual weather on the city-planet, but the weather control has to be balanced out from time to time, or risk severe storms, or worse.

Not that this one's a passing sprinkle. The haze gray skies, sheeting rain, and dramatic thunder and lightning make for an interesting spectacle for weather watchers. But it's nothing that will damage the city's monolithic infrastructure.

Navi enters from the general direction of her tiny, largely bare guest room, fresh from two hours of morning meditation. Her stomach gives an embarrassingly loud gurgle-growl as she approaches the line, one she hopes in vain that nobody noticed.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well of course, even an ecumenopolis has cultivated gardens for the sake of its inhabitants' enjoyment. And the rain is also helpful for keeping the streets clean without the use of machinery.

    The refectory is fairly busy with the usual breakfast crowd as Navi gets into line for a meal herself. The food here is very plain and simple, as is per the custom of the Jedi.

    As she moves through the line, she'll notice Cayde sitting alone at a table in a corner of the dining hall. A group of other padawans who look about his age are walking by with their trays of food, noticing him but then quickly looking away and trying to pretend they hadn't seen him at all.

Navi has posed:
Navi scowls as she watches the trio ignore Cayde. Leaving the line, she all but jogs over to the almost-empty table. "Last I heard, shunning was forbidden here," she says pointedly, just loud enough to get the group's attention, resting her hands on her hips.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The other padawans just stare at her as if they have no idea what she's talking about. "You're the only one who said anything about shunning." One of them remarks, before shrugging. The group then simply hurry away from her, not eager to hear any follow up.

    Cayde just shakes his head. She shouldn't get so worked up about it. It was just normal...

Navi has posed:
"Thanks for proving my point, /shunners/," Navi retorts as the trio valiantly flee the confrontation. Glaring after them, she shakes her head once they're out of sight and looks to Cayde. "You shouldn't have to deal with that kind of bantha fodder... this is supposed to be a place of learning and mutual respect," she says, more gently.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde shrugs. There's a plate of bread and grits in front of him, although the food has barely been touched.

    [It is only natural] he signs. [Really it is ok] He'd gotten so accustomed to it, anyway.

Navi has posed:
"If bullying is considered natural, then consider me fully artificial," Navi replies, taking a seat across from the beleaguered Padawan. "When I was here, my Master taught me that bullies aren't worthy to become Jedi Knights, and shouldn't be allowed to be Padawans, either. Not unless they reform their behavior and learn to treat others with some degree of respect. It's not like it's a high ideal... it's woven right into the Jedi Code."

She looks at him sadly. "Some people just aren't fit to be Jedi. But you're not one of those people. You shouldn't be made to feel like you are."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [They are not bullies...] Cayde signs, shaking his head. A series of memories flash through Navi's mind. Most of the other padawans here were good padawans...and it was not that they weren't nice or respectful. But they often found him difficult to be around. Which he didn't blame them for. They weren't the only ones who tried their best to ignore him, either. She'll see that this is something he'd sort of accepted as a part of his life, just as much as being voiceless.

Navi has posed:
"Still... they should've at least acknowledged you, not pretended they didn't see you like that," Navi replies, blushing and staring at the tabletop. "It looked like they were pretending you weren't there."

She sighs softly. "Sorry I misjudged them. I'll apologize the next time I see them," she adds. "They deserve that much."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Ah, but then he would've seen them acknowledge his presence and the fact that he was sitting alone before deliberately deciding to sit elsewhere anyway. That would've made them feel even worse about themselves. Of course, they're forgetting that he already knows what they're thinking and therefore already knows they saw him. So it actually made no difference. But he doesn't bring this up to Navi. At least, not deliberately.

    Instead he just shrugs. There is a datapad on the table in front of him as well, and he goes back to doodling on it.

Navi has posed:
Navi watches Cayde doodling on the datapad for a few minutes before asking the obvious question. "What are you doing on that datapad? It doesn't look like writing."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde picks up the datapad and shows her the drawing. It seems to be a sketch of the Federal District skyline, although it is a bit rough. Still, at least she can sort of tell what it is.

Navi has posed:
"That's not bad," Navi observes softly, studying the sketch thoughtfully. "I never knew you could draw. Do you do a lot of these?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde shrugs again and hands her the datapad to take a look for herself. She'd find a couple more sketches. There is one of a Vector in the hangar--that one is pretty good. Another is of...well, it seems to be of the young Nightsister witch they'd met on Jedha.

Navi has posed:
Navi smiles at the sight of the younger of the two Dathomiri girls. "I miss Mal. She was precious," she observes softly. "Do you think of her often?" she asks Cayde. "By the way, some of these are really good. I wonder if this could be an outlet for some of your impulses?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    When Navi opens the drawing of Mal and mentions the younger witch, Cayde suddenly flushes and looks embarrassed, quickly taking the tablet back. Oops...he'd forgotten that was there.

    [No they are just different] he signs quickly.

    Then he nods at her last question. [Master told me to]

Navi has posed:
"Don't be ashamed to think of her. She wanted to be your friend pretty badly, and aside from her habit of occasionally getting lost, she was very sweet. Besides, you've both got powerful gifts you're trying to master. Maybe you can help each other," Navi says gently.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stares at her. There is a hint of a longing that he quickly tries to shove down. But the Nightsisters were practitioners of the Dark side...

    However, a part of him wonders if destroying that creature in the catacombs would have freed her from her memory problems.

    [I hope she does not get lost any more]

Navi has posed:
"Let's hope not. Anyway, which Master suggested drawing to you as a way to help you focus? Was it Ann? Or maybe Master Windu?" Navi asks curiously.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [My master] Cayde tells Navi, arching a brow. Because obviously that was Ann.

    ....wasn't it obvious?

Navi has posed:
"Sorry if that was confusing... I remember the Council suggesting other Masters assist Ann," Navi replies, blushing faintly. "I didn't know if any of them were actually doing so."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde shrugs. [But she is my master] he signs simply, then starts idly picking at the food still on his plate. After a couple more small bites, looks back up at Navi.

    [We destroyed the monster] he tells her.

Navi has posed:
"I'm glad. A lot of people on Jedha will sleep easier knowing that menace is gone for good," Navi observes, smiling faintly at Cayde. "You and the others did a very great thing, made greater 'cause no one else seemed to want to do it. I was proud to help as much as I was able. I'm only sorry I wasn't more help to you all."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Too dangerous] Cayde signs, shaking his head. Even though truthfully it hadn't been as bad as he'd thought it'd be. [But happy for your help anyway]

    [Thank you] Then he stands, picking up the now half-eaten plate of food. It seems he wasn't planning on finishing it.

Navi has posed:
"Thank you for helping to right that terrible wrong," Navi replies, watching him move to turn in his tray. She glances back at the hot line and, after a long, thoughtful pause as she watches Cayde leave the cafeteria, she stands and moves to take her place in line once more.