Owner	Pose
Navi	Two days have passed since the unexpectedly violent finale of the Festival of Balance. Some booths and extra piles of trash linger in the streets, but for the most part things have returned to normal in the Holy City. The crystal mines are no exception. Navi is inside the mines now, following up on a promise she'd made for herself to seek out a viable crystal, or perhaps more than one. So far nothing has called to her except an occasional miner suggesting she stand closer to the walls while the miners pass by, which she is careful to do.
Athena	The young Sephi girl will be meandering through the mines searching for a crystal when she hears a familiar voice calling out to he. "Navi! Hey!!" This exclamation is followed by the sound of running footsteps, and if she turns around she'll catch sight of the private investigator jogging towards her.
Navi	Navi turns, blinking at the call, then smiles and opens her arms to hug Vons as he hurries up to her. "Hello, Vons! What brings you down here? Not a crystal thief, I hope," she says warmly. "I'd think you've been busy enough for one week."
Athena	The Zeltron man seems pleasantly surprised by Navi's affection. He embraces her back, squeezing her gently and letting their physical affection linger for a few moments. "What else," he says, "you. Volk said he'd seen you pass through and figured you be down here..."
Navi	"I thought I'd look and see if any of the crystals called to me," Navi replies, giving Vons an extra little squeeze before releasing him from her hug. "As for me, I'm well enough, considering the week I just went through. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you for getting me out of that mess."
Athena	"You don't have to," Vons says, "I was just doing my job." He reaches for her hand. "Maybe we could look together?" He glances around at the mines, looking rather lost. "Though I am gonna be honest, I have never been down here and wasn't ever really the religious type..." Then he looks embarrassed.
Navi	Navi lets him take her hand, smiling faintly. "See, that's the thing with religion... it's never too late to start. Unless you're dead, maybe. But I won't try to convert you or anything. Not everyone can feel the workings of the Force. I'm one of the lucky few."
Athena	He chuckles quietly and turns a darker shade of red as they make their way through the glittering tunnels. "I'll think about it," he says. But when she mentions that she's one of the lucky few who can sense the Force, his brows furrow. And for a moment he looks quite pensive, like there's something he really wants to say, but for one reason or another, he's biting his tongue.
Navi	Navi glances back, then gives him a longer look. "Are you okay? I'd swear something's really bothering you," she asks softly.
Athena	"..." he pauses. "It's just --" He bites his lip, pulling away suddenly. "I guess I didn't get to tell you, but the whole reason the raid on the Temple happened is because Zealot and Duzard either leaked or sold the codes to a bunch of people in the Jedha underworld. But now Zealot's in the wind, and the local police are giving up and telling me the case is closed." He sighs. "But you could find him, couldn't you? Because of your connection to ... the Force, or whatever."
Navi	"Maybe? But that was kind of a stretch. He had to be fairly close... like inside the same city close. I don't know if I could sense him farther away," Navi replies, sounding worried. "Also, he warned me to stay clear of him after the battle in the temple vaults, for my own safety. I don't know if that was a threat or not, but I won't rule it out... he was really angry with me for stopping him from killing Master Tomi."
Athena	"We could find a lead," Vons says, "that'd get you closer. And if you didn't want to get any closer, that's totally understandable and I wouldn't want to unnecessarily put you in danger either." Then he pauses. "Wait, so you were actually the last person that we know of who was in contact with him? Why didn't you just... shoot him? Or at least, tell someone where he was headed before he took off?"
Navi	"A friend and Padawan had cut loose with some serious Jedi mind tricks in and around the vaults, some of which worked and some of which didn't. My head wasn't exactly in a good, clear place at the time. I was having trouble just keeping my sense of self separate from the whole rest of the vaults," Navi explains worriedly. "It took everything I had just to persuade him not to kill Master Tomi. Between the mind tricks and talking him out of it, I didn't have anything left when he made his threat and left me. He didn't tell me where he was going, and I couldn't see where he went once he left the vaults."
Athena	"Well of course he didn't," Vons says, suddenly looking disappointed. "Alright, just.." he heaves a sigh heavily. "Cut the shit, okay? And be honest with me for a second. Where are you at with this guy?" he says, gesturing dramatically. "Your first reaction when you saw that he was about assassinate Representative Tomi was to, what, -persuade- him? Instead of just, you know, -shooting- him? Knocking him out immediately so we could arrest him? And somehow, you were actually successful in -persuading- him to -not- kill him, even though the guy lives and breathes to kill. Now I know you have the Force or whatever on your side, but something tells me that some of that interaction didn't actually have anything to do with the Force," he says, folding his arms, his expression suddenly slightly sour. Navi will be able tell that this attempt to ask about her relationship with Zealot while making it seem like it's only about the case is actually just thinly veiled jealousy...
Navi	"Wait... are you /jealous/ of that guy?" Navi asks, surprised by the anger in Vons' reaction. "Don't be... I don't ever want to see him again. Ever since I felt that connection with him, nothing has gone right, and my head has been twisted all over the place... and for what? To be framed for murders I never committed? To be locked up and treated like a common criminal? To live in fear of encountering him again? If I never see him again, it'll be too soon!" She hugs Vons briefly. "I can't ever thank you enough for saving my freedom, but I'm not hunting for a relationship. And if you're jealous of a crazy assassin, I don't know if I can ever see us working out as a couple."
Athena	Vons looks like he's about to protest, but then she reassures him that she's not interested in ever seeing Zealot again. "Well.. good," he says, "I.. I hope you never see him again, too." However, when she says she's not hunting for a relationship, he looks incredibly crestfallen. "... like I said before, you don't owe me anything, Navi." "Guess we should keep looking for that crystal of yours, huh?" He gives her a faint smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
Navi	"I owe you honesty. And I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but you deserve to know where you stand with me," Navi replies sadly. "I don't want you waiting forever for something that's unlikely to ever happen, and I'd have a hard time forgiving someone who left me hanging like that. So that is where we are right now. I'm sorry I can't be what you want me to be... I really am. You deserve to be happy."
Athena	"I'd wait for you," he says immediately. "I would... I.." "I'm sorry for nagging you like that. I wasn't trying to be mean, or annoying, it's just that..." he drops his gaze. "I didn't want to make it about work, honestly, but I guess I just wanted an excuse to stick around here, because... I really like you, Navi. Like, I haven't met anyone with as much integrity and bravery as you in a long time. And you're gorgeous, on top of that." Then he glances down the tunnel, and notices a large pink kyber crystal embedded in the ceiling directly above them. "Huh. Well would you look at that. A crystal prettier than you. Maybe that's the one."
Navi	"You're sweet," Navi whispers, hugging Vos tightly. "If I were the romantic type, you'd be my type." She pauses to study the crystal above them thoughtfully. "It IS pretty at that. Wonder if it's /the one/..." she muses, reaching upward toward the crystal with both hands. "Please be the one..."
Athena	Her compliment seems to chafe him, though, and this time when he hugs her back, it's a deflated pat instead of a real embrace. But when Navi reaches up for the crystal, she'll find her reach is several centimeters shy of the kyber crystal. Noticing she's too short, Vons kneels. "Get on my shoulders," he says, "that should give you the boost you need..."
Navi	"Oh, no... I can't quite reach..." Navi murmurs, stretching up on tiptoe, only to find the crystal just beyond her grasp. And then Vons kneels down, and she is surprised by his generosity. "Oh..! I... well, if you're sure..." she says softly, untying the belt of her robe to get the awkward garment out of her way before taking a careful seat upon his shoulders, draping her belt around her neck, out of her way. "Whenever you're ready," she says, reaching above her head with both hands.
Athena	He gives her a brief smile and stands up abruptly, perhaps quicker than Navi might have expected him to. And then suddenly, her face is right next to the glowing pink kyber stone. It's warm, lush, brilliant, and perhaps the one she'd been looking for all along. Its luminescence gets a little brighter when she touches it. "Think that's it?" Vons asks.
Navi	Navi can't hold back a squeak as Vons stands more quickly than she'd expected. She has to lean forward sharply or risk falling backwards off of his shoulders! But in the end she manages to stay on, and an instant later she's looking up at the glowing pink crystal, its glow seeming to intensify as she reaches for it. "I think so? I won't know until I..." she replies, an instant before her fingers make contact...
Athena	He laughs quietly when she squeaks, but doesn't further comment And then the kyber crystal jiggles loose and falls right into her palm. Vons looks up, and noticing that she's now in possession of it, starts to kneel again. But once again, he moves too quickly, and Navi might find herself losing her balance as he lowers her.
Navi	Navi squeals, louder and longer this time, as Vons kneels just a bit too quickly for her balance. She actually has to bend almost double over his head to keep her balance, but thanks to Jedi reflexes and in-born flexibility she manages to keep her seat on his shoulders. "Oh... you really must enjoy scaring me," she observes, blushing as she steps down off of his shoulders. Drawing her robe shut over her thermal undergarment, she tugs the belt from her shoulders and belts the robe shut, then tucks the crystal into her medical satchel. "Thanks. I'd've never been able to reach it without you," she says, sincerely.
Athena	"Oh, sorry," he says, resting a concerned hand on her shoulder once she steps off and he's stood up again. "You alright?" Then he shrugs. "It's not a problem," he says softly. "Not if it's you." He gazes at her tenderly, pulling her a little nearer if she lets him yet at the same time resisting the urge to kiss her on the spot. Then he steps away, letting go of her, his expression sad. "I should... I should get going," he says. "I guess this is goodbye, then. I.. don't know when I'll see you again, if I ever see you again," he says. "There's a job I'm gonna take out on Jakku, and then after that, I'm headed to Nevarro to visit an old friend. But you have my frequency. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out." Then he turns on his heel to leave.
Navi	"I'm fine. Just a little shaken, is all," Navi replies softly, letting herself be drawn nearer. She pouts faintly as his face falls into sadness and he releases her. "I have it. And I won't forget it. Be safe, and may the Force be with you," she says gently. But as he turns to leave, she bites her lip, hesitating, then grabs his shoulder and darts in close to hug him tightly and kiss his cheek. "Make sure you don't give up, either... somewhere out there in this big old galaxy is a girl you'll enjoy teasing and scaring just as much as me... probably more. And she won't just kiss you on the cheek, either. Go find her," she whispers, letting him decide when to let go.
Athena	He doesn't say anything when she kisses him on the cheek. Instead, he just seems even more disappointed, but doesn't comment on it. He stops after a few paces, and looks back at her. And Navi will be able to see in his eyes that he doesn't believe her. But finally, he shakes his head and exits the mines. At least one of them had gotten what they were looking for today...