Searching for Soren

Searching for Soren
Date of Scene:	07 January 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Annelia helps Cayde infiltrate a medical conference in search of a man from his visions.
Cast of Characters:	Cayde Alexis, 141, Annelia Belask, 308

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Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Lately, Cayde has been struggling to sleep at night. More than usual, anyway...

    Plagued with strange and distressing visions about a depressed doctor somewhere in the city that have only become more and more vivid, the padawan is convinced that this must be where the Force is guiding him for a reason he can only guess will reveal itself in the future.

    And so one evening after the day's lessons and training, he slips quietly out of the Temple from his bedroom window and eventually finds himself at a convention center of some kind, where there appears to be some kind of event going on...

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Meanwhile, in the cafeteria at the convention center, Dr. Cassias sits across from one of his colleagues, Silas, during his lunch break.

"Anyway, I was telling my secretary earlier, I'm glad she managed to fit some time for us into my schedule. It's rare these days, for me to find like-minded individuals."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Maybe it's the nature of a padawan whose master is away, or maybe it's Annelia finding the boy at least once before in a pinch- but it seems the newly-minted Knight is minding the boy more and more. And well... he's not the hardest kid in the world to follow. Kind of sticks out- the exclusive use of sign with clerks and attendants helps one catch the eye.

    She's not... the subtlest Jedi? An investigator and talented in a scrap, perhaps, but not the stealthiest. So while she follows from a distance... she doesn't exactly make much effort to hide her following- not that it would help, a tall jedi with such bright orange hair doesn't exactly blend herself.

    At the moment, she stands jsut isnide the doorway to this convention center, arms crossed as she watches the lad in silence.

Silas (308) has posed:
"Well I an thankful to get this time so I do appreciate you taking the time to sit and see me" Silas looked around while leaning back in the chair observing the lunch area.

"So Doctor how did your last talk go? was it a success?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde is also standing in the foyer, behind a line of people leading up to registration, as he tries to search the area for the presence of the man he saw in the visions. To everyone else though, he just appears to be staring straight ahead with a vacant look on his face. It will be familiar to Annelia, however. It definitely resembles that 'lost in others' minds' expression...

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
One of the ushers notices Cayde standing there without a badge and approaches him. "Excuse me," she says, frowning. "Did you ... sign in, yet? It doesn't look like you ah, have a badge..."

The doctor, unaware of the two Jedi watching, nods. "...it was alright," he says, "The seminar you attended yesterday was worse, with less than half the attendees who indicated interest showing," he replies. "This morning's session on genetics had a much better turnout," he says.

"I meant to ask you earlier, what's the reason for your interest in mental health? It is, as you know, a somewhat unpopular topic in our industry."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    It's a moment after the usher approaches the padawan when Annelia steps in behind the teen, resting a hand on his shoulder gently.

    "Apologies, officiant. The padawan here is prone to trances- something we're working on. If you give me a moment, he can be roused safely. I imagine he caught a sense of something happening in the venue. Have you come across any problems so far in the convention? I hope not, but it never hurts to check in."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Yes...the man is here. In the cafe somewhere...But, how will he convince these people to let him into the event? Cayde blinks and looks over at Annelia, then at the usher.

    [Looking for relatives...plan to meet in cafe] he signs, at the same time attempting to reach into the usher's mind and insert the idea that she should let them into the conference because they had been invited to meet with someone.

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas nods, "Well to be fair the day before you seemed out of it and late to the talk, most probably left before you got there however, I think, even though unpopular, would be a good skill or talent to know moving forward in the practice. You never know when you will run into a patient that needs help in that area."

Silas wished he made the genetics talk as well but time was not in his favor.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The usher seems confused then concerned when Annelia asks if they'd come across any problems at the convention. "Oh, well, no, but should we be on the look out for any kind of trouble...?" She studies the two of them for a moment, "Is he your padawan..."

And then suddenly her expression glazes over, and she steps aside, blinking like a wild eopie caught in the navigation lights of a freighter. "Of course," she says flatly. "The cafe is just down the hall.Then, take a left and you'll immediately find yourself next to the buffet."

When Silas comments about his lack of punctuality, he sighs. "I do apologize for that, again," he says, "there was a work emergency that I had to take care of." Then he nods. "Indeed. But most in our field would rather let a droid do that kind of work, and leave it at that, unfortunately."

He pauses. "You wouldn't happen to have any experience in the field of mental health? would you?" he asks Silas.

Silas (308) has posed:
"It's understandable a droid would be left for that type of work, but just an understanding would be great knowledge."

Silas paused before answering the next question. "No I don't have any experience in that field. That is just one area of study that I never got to learn." Silas thought for a moment trying to figure out why he never did, perhaps it just wasn't offered.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Ah- don't worry, I'm not expecting anything, just-..." Ann trails off, pausing with a slight frown for a moment as the convention staffer steps aside and goes through her explanation of the route. She exhales, looking down at Cayde a moment.

    "I seem to recall you saying you did not care to employ these techniques. Something truly bothering you, padawan?" she asks of the not-her-padawan boy.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Thank you] Cayde signs, nodding to the woman and immediately starting to follow her instructions.

    The young Jedi heads down the hall and stops in front of the doorway to the cafe, scanning those before him in search of the one from the vision. He frowns when Ann asks that question, thinking for a moment before attempting to explain. [I have not slept...4 nights] he signs. [The Force guides me here...a man is in distress]

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The young padawan will immediately notice Soren and Silas sitting at a table on the far end of the cafeteria, quietly discussing their field of expertise.

But just before he can start making his way over there, another member of the conference staff stops him. "Uh," he says, glancing at both Annelia and Cayde. "Neither of you have badges. And currently because of the medical conference going on, you can't be allowed access to this area. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to escort the two of you out."

"I agree," the doctor tells Silas. "Unfortunately, my opinion on this matter isn't terribly popular, as was demonstrated by the poor turnout yesterday." Dr. Cassias then looks pensive. "Not uncommon. But it's clear to me you're interested in learning, at least. You wouldn't happen to have your documents recording your work experience handy, would you? I'd like to have a look, if you don't mind. You may have a look at mine, as well, if that's of any interest to you."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    A slow exhalation from Annelia and she shakes her head. Minding this lad will be the end of her reputation- inasmuch as she can be argued to have one to begin with.

    "My apologies, sir. The Padawan believes there is something to be concerned for inside- if you speak to the minder in the lobby I think they can elucidate. At the very least allow me to assure we have and had no intention of disrupting the proper proceedings- straight to this room and then back out."

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas nods, "Yes I think I can come up with those docs and get them sent over to you. And its probably not necessary but if offering I would also take a look at yours."

Silas turns while speaking and see 2 others getting stopped in the area, wondering what its all about, maybe that is his inquisitive mind... back to Soren, "Although while it would be good to learn and understand mental health, maybe more focus on surgeries and other focus areas would do me better"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The staff member gives Annelia a skeptical look. "I can assure you both that there have been no security incidents, and no one has seen anything that might be the cause for concern, either. And I'm sure you don't have any intention of disrupting anything, but we can't just be letting anyone in. This conference is private. But since you insist, I'll ask. In the meantime, don't go anywhere." Then he picks up his radio, and starts pinging the front desk.

Dr. Cassias shakes his head. "On the contrary, I disagree. There's no shortage of surgeons, Dr. Silas. However, mental health is a bit of joke, in our trade, unfortunately, and we are in desperate need of more professionals who have a real desire to learn." He follows Silas' gaze to the two Jedi. "..."

"...perfect. In the meantime," he hands Silas a datastick. "Here's mine. And I'd love for you to tell me about yourself, your work, your passions..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    When the man starts telling them why they can't be here, Cayde just stares at him with wide blue eyes and the face of a child who is sad because someone isn't letting him go to his parents or something. He'd always had a youthful face, but that look accentuates it all the more.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    A slight nod from Ann, and she quirks a brow while looking down at Cayde- well, not that down. He's a tall kid.

    "Rather odd reception, don't you think, padawan?" she remarks, just conspicuously loudly enough to be heard. "Being on Coruscant at an event like this- A good quarter of the professionals here likely work with or for the Order, be it in the Temple or outside it. If anything I am surprised there were not more of us visible as we walked inside. Something to hide, perhaps? Not as though 'industry secrets' are much of our concern."

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The conference staff member seems unimpressed, by both Cayde, and Annelia. He scowls. "Isn't that something you Jedi should take up with your own Council, then? If they thought it was important to send more of their folk here, we would happily take them. But I guess the Order doesn't like to spend money on anything that wasn't 'blessed' by the Force. Clearly, you've failed to understand that the only reason why you can't be here right now is because you didn't -pay- to be here, like everyone else here, did. Resources, access to the latest academia in medicine, networking, the chance at new job opportunities - those aren't things people can just have for -free-. Hmph. You Jedi can't just assume to be handed everything just because the Chancellor likes you so much." But apparently, the woman who'd allowed Cayde in originally isn't answering the other staffer's ping. His brows furrow. "I'll be right back," he says to them, sounding annoyed. "But don't you dare go anywhere." Then he hurries off.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches the man go, waiting for him to disappear down the hallway out of line of sight before he hurries into the cafe straight toward where Soren and Silas are sitting. He taps Dr. Cassias on the shoulder, trying to get his attention and point toward an empty chair at the table.

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas pauses spealing for a few minutes and digs around in his bag and pulls out the datastick with what Soren wanted to see and hands it over.

"Here you go Doctor. As far as passions and all of that, I just love medicine and helping to heal others. Other than that I have lots of things I like to meddle in but first and foremost is medicine and surgery."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Hand going to her face for a moment, Annelia turns to face out of the cafeteria, crossing her arms as she waits for the worker to return... and run interference. If nothing else, she's hard to forcibly move if she doesn't want to be, Force aside.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Dr. Cassias nods slightly, and taking the datastick offered to him by Silas, takes out a datapad and inserts the stick into it. His hazel eyes scan it briefly but his expression remains unreadable. Then he puts the datapad away and turns his gaze back to Silas. "Well," he begins. "I won't pretend to know what you need or want right now career-wise, but Cassias Enterprise does have a couple of openings. If you're willing, I'd love to have you."

But then, Cayde comes over and taps him on the shoulder. For a moment, he freezes, staring at Cayde, brows furrowed.

Then, hesitantly, "...yes?" he says, arching a brow at the young padawan.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As soon as Soren turns around, Cayde starts to sign something but stops, staring into his eyes as if frozen in time. It hadn't been very clear in the vision, but now he could swear he's seen this man before somewhere other than the dreams...

    The doctor is certainly troubled all right, distraught...in spite of how well he seems to cover it all up. But, he finds himself unsure of how to help him. He glances at the name on the conference badge.

    <Doctor Cassias...you are troubled...> The projected words are like a voice in his head, yet not heard. Wasn't it ironic, that he seemed so concerned with others' well-being, but what about his own?

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas nodded towards Soren about the openings before the talk stopped as he was being tapped on the shoulder. Silas looked up and sat back wondering what this was all about and jokingly added, "Sir, do you have an appt?" Silas got a small chuckle out of it.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The doctor's brows furrow even deeper, and for a moment, he says nothing. He seems almost... angry?

"I'm sorry," he finally says, "but you did not, in fact, have an appointment, while this gentleman," he says gesturing to Silas, "did. If you want to speak with me, please find my secretary at the Cassias Enterprise booth in Exhibit Hall A, and she'll see if she can fit you in within the next several weeks."

He then turns back to Silas. "My apologies about the interruption. I don't know this boy... not sure why he'd approach specifically me out of the thousands present here today..."

"Anyway, what do you think? Would you like to work for Cassias Enterprises?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns when Soren tries to brush him off...no...this had been going on for years. Ever since...

    He glances at Silas when the other doctor asks him if he has an appointment. But this wasn't office hours, was it? They were just talking over a meal.

    He closes his eyes, trying to remember where he'd seen Soren before...

    Wait, yes...in Kuyvar's memories. The ones of his mother, and--

    The padawan attempts to grab Soren's shoulder and force him to turn around. <Soren, please...> This time, the voice is heard, but it's -hers-.

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas turned towards Soren, "Yes of course I would be interested. I am sure the pay and benefits are well?"

he looked at the man standing and back to Soren, "If you need to address him that is fine I can sit here if you need to find out what this is all about?"

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
"Well, I can my have secretary send the contract along with all the details regarding the benefits and such sent over this evening," he says, "You can review it all, and if it seems agreeable and you don't have any questions about it, you can sign it and send it back to her. She'll have it processed by tomorrow, so if you'd like to start as soon as after the conference ends, you may."

Soren moves away when Cayde tries to grab his shoulder and make him turn around. "Excuse me--"

He recognizes that voice...but now is not the time to think about his past.

His brows furrow even deeper. If there was any doubt about whether he'd looked angry before, there's none now. "I think you should leave," he says, "I don't know you, and you're interrupting an important conversation."

"There's nothing to address here. This boy is a complete stranger." He turns away from Cayde.

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas nods towards Soren, "Great then I will look forward to receiving that this evening and will look it over and reply as soon as possible. Thank you for the opportunity, I mean that.!!"

Silas sits back again and watches the two of them do whatever it is they are doing, seeing Soren a bit on the angry side, Silas tries to ignore it.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    When it seems Soren refuses to pay attention to him, Cayde instead turns his attention toward Silas, his gaze settling on the other doctor.

    [You have seen it...he is not well] he signs. [He cares for others...but not for himself...not on the inside] The young padawan reaches out with the Force again, attempting to open an emotional...channel of sorts between the two doctors, even if for just a moment.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Silas will sense a brief flicker of emotion - anger, but it isn't his own. Somehow, the young padawan has made Silas privy to Soren's feelings, if only for a very short amount of time.

By now the conference staff member has returned and is not happy to find that Cayde is no longer where he'd left him. He's coming over, his expression agitated. "There you are--!"

Soren turns to the staffer, frowning. "Why did you let this boy in? He doesn't even have a badge."

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas feels something, something that isn't his own, wasn't sure where it was coming from.. He looked at the guy, then to Soren.. "What just happend?" Silas was unsure what just took place.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [You felt anger...his anger] Cayde signs, nodding toward Soren in answer to Silas' question of what just happened.

    [How can you care for others but not care for yourself] he insists, turning back toward Soren.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
The staffer grumbles. "I didn't! The ushers at registration did. I don't know why. None of this is making any sense..."

"I'm a doctor," he answers Cayde flatly, refusing to further elaborate. Then he frowns at the staffer. "Please see to it that he's escorted off the premises and doesn't come back... I'd like to not be harassed again."

He then stands up, straightening his jacket. "I'm so sorry about the interruption, and that we had less time than I would have liked due to it," he says to Silas, "but I'll be seeing you again soon, I should think. We'll have plenty of time to continue our discussion then."

Silas (308) has posed:
Silas understands and stands up, "Thank you again for the opportunity, and I look forward to receiving the docs.."

He looked at the stranger and nodeed, "Dr Soren, we will talk soon and if there is nothing more I will let you two continue, and thanks for the time today"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stares at Soren. What kind of answer was that?

    [Doctors should care for themselves too] he signs.

    There is a pause, but finally he just sighs and turns to leave, visibly deflated.

Soren Cassias (141) has posed:
Dr. Cassias doesn't reply. He frowns at Cayde, then looks impatiently over at the conference staffer.

"Right," the staffer mutters. "Okay, enough dawdling," he says to Cayde. "You've overstayed your welcome. Now you and your other Jedi friend better get going."

"Certainly. And once again, I'm sorry about the interruption. There is nothing for me to continue discussing with that ... boy. Sadly, this is all the time I have, but I'll see you at Cassias Enterprises soon enough, I hope." Then he nods politely to bid the other doctor goodbye just before he also takes his leave...