Two Padawans Convene

Two Padawans Convene
Date of Scene:	31 January 2024
Location:	Temple Arboretum - Coruscant
Synopsis:	Imoen and Cayde bump into each other in the Arboretum and debrief together about the resolution to Akashaya Tomi's comatose state, and the attempt to steal the Bogan Collection on Jedha.
Cast of Characters:	Cayde Alexis, Imoen

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Cayde Alexis has posed:
    It's the dead of night at the Temple, long past curfews. Most are sound asleep in bed, but not Cayde. All night he'd been tossing and turning, unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time as he is plagued by worries about Tomi, and visions about Soren among other things.

    Finally he'd given up and gone down to the Arboretum to get some air. Now he's just pacing around the trees aimlessly, still unable to clear his mind...

Imoen has posed:
As Cayde is pacing through the trees in the Arboretum, he might come upon a familiar person sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed among the flora. Imoen's in one of her more traditional Padawan ensembles, her Padawan braid resting against her cheek. Despite her meditative posture however, there are signs of trouble. Her breathing isn't as steady and controlled as it should be, she's chewing at her lower lip, and there's tension in her shoulders. Fear, worry, sadness, and perhaps even a little outrage swirls in her thoughts. Is that a tear rolling languidly down her left cheek?

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stops when he notices he isn't the only one out here at an absurd hour unable to rest. It doesn't come as a surprise, given recent events. Of course she's upset...and with a sinking feeling, he realizes her anger might be directed at -him-. At least some of it, anyway. He wouldn't blame her, either.

    But he should at least try to make things right...right?

    He sits down across from her, and reaches for her hand as he tries to take it gently and project himself into her thoughts. <Imoen...>

Imoen has posed:
Imoen opens her eyes to see Cayde sitting across from her, their hands interlocked. Surprise flashes over her features, shoulders arching. She starts to pull away her hand, only to hesitate. Instead, she slowly moves her other hand up, brushing away the moisture on her cheek. "Cayde..." She breathes out a sigh, which sounds something in between a sigh and a sob. "What are you..." She glances around, "you can't sleep either, huh..."

She sniffles lightly, "I was thinking about...about Jedha. Tomi. He's not dead, not exactly. But he's sleeping, and nothing seems capable of waking him up. The Blade of Hibernation. That's what Master Volk called it."

Sounding harsh and judgemental even to her own ears, she snaps sorrowfully, "why did you do it? We could have stopped him another way. You shouldn't have acted with such...violence."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    There it was...of course she was upset at him. At least Cayde had sort of mentally prepared himself for it. When she starts to pull her hand away, he withdraws anyway.

    [...I...am unsure] he starts to sign, frowning pensively. [I am sorry Imoen...] He sighs deeply, and she can feel his own regret and remorse over it. [You were so angry...I wanted...] But he doesn't quite finish, unsure of how to explain it, exactly.

Imoen has posed:
Imoen glances down as their respective hands retract from one another. There's the briefest of frowns, before she looks up to read the boy's signs. The mention about -her- being angry catches her off guard. She blinks in confusion, not quite understanding the connection between her own anger and Cayde's actions. "I...yes, I was angry. Angry at Tomi, for being foolish and stubborn and just as soon to shoot himself in the foot to motivate his legs to walk faster. He was going to open the Bogan Collection without any preparation or precautions in place, recklessly take the relics, and assume he won't cause even more problems for both himself and the galaxy in the meantime. But...I didn't want to hurt him. Not really. I..."

She sighs again, "perhaps I projected my own idealism onto him, expecting better from someone I thought was amazing and good-looking and kind. I did not realize he was so...impulsive. So ready to risk everyone else if only he could accomplish his own personal goals - however selfless and optimistic they may have been. I agree we should not allow what happened during the Battle of Jedha to happen again, and sure studying those relics might be of use, but not in the reckless way he planned, without inviting the merest hint of collaboration."

She shakes her head, realizing suddenly that she had been rambling a bit. "But...I didn't want to kill him." Her brows narrow, staring at Cayde, "did...did you attack him for me? Or, because of me?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Yes I know] Cayde signs, nodding as she starts talking about the Bogan Collection and how Tomi had wanted to open it recklessly to serve his own agendas.

    Cayde frowns pensively, thinking over and over that situation. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes it was true...it had been her rage. Her fury...

    No. He couldn't let her know that. His expression hardens. [No of course not...had to stop him...but I act too quickly]

Imoen has posed:
Imoen stops talking for a moment to peer closely and warily at the other Padawan. He acted too quickly? But then she remembers some of their past interactions, the way Cayde tends to communicate telepathically, the desperate stubbornness in his signed assurances...

Imoen draws in a breath as though she were just splashed with icy water, and her face contorts with worry. "Did I...did my emotions influence your actions?" She chews at her lower lip, sadness returning to her blue gaze. "Am I at fault for what happened to Tomi?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde's eyes widen and he shakes his head quickly.

    [No no of course not] No he didn't want her to blame herself for this! [It was me...my fault] he signs, his face desperate. [I attacked...I was careless]

    He sighs. Kriff...she'd seen through it, hadn't she?

Imoen has posed:
Imoen's gaze flickers back and forth, eyeing the other Padawan dubiously at his insistence for personal blame. A shudder of newfound anguish goes through her system, and fresh tears spill down her cheeks. "He's comatose, because I let my emotions get the better of me." She presses the base of her palms against her eyes, murmuring muffled words of despair. "Oh Tomi, what have I done?" She elicits another, full-body sob, letting her arms rest at her sides, only for one to shoot out and give Cayde's a squeeze. "Please, you don't have to take on all the burden." She summarily releases him. "I know I'm not the greatest or most traditional of Padawans. I just...I didn't expect something like my own emotions to so instinctively influence yours. I...I need to learn to better take command of my emotions." She looks down glumly, "this wouldn't have happened if Master Tov was in my place..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    This also wouldn't have happened if he'd had a better handle on his own gifts...

    But as Cayde watches her sob even harder, he realizes it's no use continuing to try to 'steal' the blame from her in an attempt to make her feel better.

    He inches closer to her, and if she'll let him, he puts his arms around her. <Both of us must learn> The thought is like a voice yet unheard. Then he remembers something Ann told him recently, and projects the memory of it into Imoen's mind:

    "Are you expecting yourself to be perfect, Cayde? You made a mistake. Do you intend to spend this time feeling sorry for yourself, or determining how to ensure it's not repeated?"

Imoen has posed:
Imoen certainly doesn't expect the physical contact, when Cayde had previously expressed discomfort with those sorts of interactions. Still, she doesn't pull back. She follows her own instincts and impulses in the situation, and her arms come up to return the hug. She sobs against him, probably getting his sleeve wet with her tears, allowing any remaining anguish to rush out in a shuddering outpour of sorrow.

The memory enters her mind, played back like some kind of holovid or especially lucid deployment of her gift for foresight. Finally, this softens the edges of her sadness, and she pulls back. "You're...you're right. Or, they're right." She wipes at her sodden cheeks again. "We need to improve and do better. So this can't happen again. So nobody else gets hurt because we allowed ourselves to be compelled by our own oversights and mistakes."

With some more sniffles and a sigh, she sits back, "if we wish to become true Jedi, we've got some work to do."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods, finally letting go of her and patting her on the back. [Maybe bring him back...one day] he signs, thinking that perhaps if they worked hard enough, they could be strong enough to work together and bring him back to himself in the future. He wasn't dead, so all hope wasn't lost just yet.

Imoen has posed:
Imoen returns a weak - albeit soggy - smile. "Maybe." A short sniffle, "if anyone could, I think you have the potential." She lets out a sudden huff of a laugh, surprising even herself. "He would be awoken, only to need to be watched, lest he attempt to steal the Bogan Collection again. What a mess..." She shakes her head slowly, feeling that pat on her back. Eventually, she slowly rises from her sitting position in the Arboretum, "I think I might finally find my bed. Tomorrow though, I begin a new training regimen." She holds out a hand, "are you with me?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Yes...it is sad] But the galaxy was a messy place. If it wasn't, the Jedi wouldn't need to exist now would they? [But maybe he see his errors] he signs, trying to be optimistic.

    Cayde nods and stands up too, taking her hand. <I think you can too> He projects. Even if she isn't gifted in the same ways he is, it didn't mean working together wouldn't strengthen them.

Imoen has posed:
Imoen nods her head at the optimism, though she fails to convey much of that on her face or in her thoughts. "Maybe it'll be a wakeup call...when he wakes up. Then he'll realize his mistakes. Until then, we can only find ways to improve, and make sure things like that don't happen again." She squeezes his hand before she lets go, slowly but surely making her way to her room and what uncertainty the future may hold.