Private Baby No, Van Gogh

[Madison Starr]

When I say it's no Van Gogh? I mean, it's probably not very good.

"Oh poo..."

Madison huffed with disappointment. This was supposed to be her first oil painting class today. Yet, still? First class and all? She had really expected to do much better.

The air was cool, but not breezy. Swirling quietly with an autumn ting to it. Causing the clouds around the Coruscanti skyline to sort-of swirl and plume about the high towers. It was a warm afternoon by yearly standards. But still cool enough to warrant a coat and longer sleeves. She assumed everybody had already had lunch too.

The balcony they admired sat many hundreds of stories off the first level 'ground'. Jutting out from one the capitals wonderful silver towers. It spoke of wealth, and promise, and glittering baubles too. Even if most of the people who came here for the class today did arrive by taxi.

"Hmm... Now. What am I missing? Mmm..." Madison pondered at her smeary mess of a painting. Contemplating excellence. Expecting finesse. Yet, observing, erm... Desultory results. Maybe?

"Bleh. I hate it."

She stuck her paint brush back into it's stand with curt violence. Her matted canvas still remaining stoically still on it's silver prop stand. Giving her space to stand back and observe the others with gusto. Pouting as she went.

It was a happy class. Maybe fifteen, sixteen, other people. All bundled up and gleefully stroking away at the blank canvases in front of them. Their teacher today was a beautiful Twi'lek matron. Garbed all in teal colors and practically radiating inhuman patience and calm. She was an excellent teacher, by Madison's standards. Just... If only her students weren't such beginners.

Madison pulled her black leather jacket back on about her shoulders. Flipped her hair and kicked her long combat boots against the table. Then she took a moment to walk around the giant balcony. Looking at how far the others had come in the meantime, Fully intent on beating herself up at how proudly her classmates had defeated her.

"Poo. A whole room of strangers and I'll bet I'm the worst one here. Hmph."

She wasn't. Of course.

Her picture was fine. She was just being impatient. Enjoying the afternoon sun.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

There were a lot of people here, but honestly Iris wasn't paying any of them any attention. Even the lesson itself didn't linger long in her mind. In an attempt to see better through the world of colors that the Force was to her, she wanted to learn different styles of art. And as usual too much talking lost her. With all the paint at the touch of her fingertips she ended up just painting away halfway through the initial lesson.

Whatever they were supposed to be drawing didn't matter. Her scrawl of colors lined the canvas. Her hands. Her clothing. Hair. No one could be sure how exactly she got paint in her hair, but she did. That, and she wasn't standing like the others. The canvas she had was flat on the ground with her practically crawling over it. No rhyme or reason to the strokes of her paintbrush as layer after layer of color was added. Blues, reds, yellows, all swirling together.

It was what she saw, though. Emotions and life had always been colors to her eyes. Most of the colors being shades the normal human eye couldn't see. But that's what her connection to the Force had been since the day she was born.

One last stroke before she settled back, sitting on her calves. She wiped her forehead, the paintbrush still in her hand and adding another layer of color to her normally brown locks, a faint smile ever present on her lips.

Then she remembered. Right. This was a class. "Oops." She chuckled to herself before standing up. "Can I have another canvas?"

Madison Starr

 

[Madison Starr]

Two women stood over Iris Arani like skyscrapers against the skyline. Visible confusion and fascination, lining their mind-boggling expressions. The warm sun outlining their silouettes as they starred downward. At the craziness that so quietly encompassed the well-splattered ground.

Hmm...

Madison looked to teacher Jessica. And teacher Jessica looked to Madison. Then. They both looked back down at Iris' happy erm, ...Masterpiece? Maybe?

"Is... Is the still life on the table over there supposed to look like that?" Madison asked of Jessica with a crane of her neck.

"Well? I don't suppose there is any wrong answer when it comes to art dear. Hehe." Jessica expertly waved the comment away. Then offered her perfectly clean hand to Iris.

"Here dear. Let's get you a new canvas. Then you can try again. Okay?"

There was a happy cheerfulness in the teal alien woman's voice. Like she had spent a lifetime teaching even most disastrous students. Truly, her patience knew no equal.

"Ah. Right. I guess so." Madison stood up to her full height and straightened out her jacket. Careful to take one small step back from Iris' erm... Art?

"Erm. ...Anywayyy."

Starr quickly waved the poor girl's ambitious project away and continue her rounds around the room. Perfectly intent on finding someone who's painting skills perfectly outclassed her own. Poor Jessica could help the crazy person. Madison had still had pouting to do. And by the Gods! She was going to do it.

Pout.

 

[Iris Arani]

Riiight. It was a still life they were supposed to be painting. Iris's gaze drifted towards the table, watching the object in question for a moment. A bad idea for her, as she missed a lot of Jessica and Madison Starr's conversation. At least there was going to be a new canvas though! Yet, all those thoughts were forgotten as her gaze ended up back on Madison. Something was off. A lot of peoples colors were brighter than hers.

Why..?

"You're paintings really good. You don't need to compare it to others." Once again she was speaking about things she had no reason to know. The Force, the colors, they always lead her to these sorts of conclusions. Instead she smiled, a bit brighter, before turning back to the new canvas that was provided to actually start sketching the still life.

 

[Madison Starr]

Madison spun around slowly and gave a perfectly surprised look towards the colorful teenager.

"Oh?.."

Her eyes darted from canvas to canvas. From student to student. Quietly questioning how poor Iris could have guessed so easily at her awkward intent. She pursed her lips and clasped her elbows. Took two steps closer to the poor girl and eye'd the layout of the room again. For, surely? There was no way the poor teenager could see her painting from here. The angle just wasn't right.

Madison's eyes grew squint like a hawk. Her lips rose up as if to kiss her own nose. Her chin darted forward as if to catch a liar. She knew it. Ooo, and how she hated it. Yes. Her pouting session was totally ruined by a perfectly timed, probably perfunctory, absolutely excellent, ...compliment.

Damn.

"Well. ...Thank you. I suppose."

The change was instant. She smiled quietly to herself. Cheeks almost blushing. Self confidence swelling. Mm. It was a pretty good painting. Wasn't it.

Starr moved over a few steps behind Iris. As Jessica helped her arrange her canvas in standing order. Then, their good teacher moved to gesture at the table over yonder. As if to say, "Let's try that again. Okay?" A still life in oil. Standing, this time.

Madison smirked. Swelling, yes. But curious. She remained quietly to one side. Almost anxious to see what Iris would splatter up next?

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Actually focused Iris started to sketch. Really sketch. She wasn't painting like the others. Instead, she took up charcoal. It wasn't the exact same as the lesson, but it was different from the mess of colors she'd painted earlier. Which just showed how actually skilled she was at this. The detail alone brought what was just a 'rough sketch' more on par with the paintings around her.

And as usual, she was covered in her medium of choice. As the drawing took shape, she constantly touched her face. Either in thought or to wipe away sweat. Leaving streaks of charcoal over the paint that covered her. Happily so, though. She was all smiles, enjoying her time to art.

Madison Starr

 

[Madison Starr]

There was a skillfulness to the way she draped her fingers. Clutched, the medium in her hand.

Madison watched carefully as Iris smoothed the charcoal over the canvas' white fabric. Elongating one beautiful curve right into the next. Oozing confidence with every stroke. Never second-guessing. Never bothering to wonder if she had just made a mistake. Always flowing. Always like water. Almost perfect.

It was jealousy incarnate. Madison smiled and Madison frowned. Even the crazy girl was better than her. Figures.

"Hmph."

Starr quickly turned her gaze away from Iris' painting. She couldn't stand to watch such a natural artist. Drowning in their prime. ...No. It caused her to vibrant with emotion. Hesitant to embrace her own task either. She didn't want to paint anymore. She wanted almost anything else.

Yet. She returned slowly to her own canvas stand. Clutching her elbows still and grinding her teeth. Souring at the perfectly acceptable image before her.

"Why couldn't I be better." She thought, almost in a whisper. "Why can't it be like the magic."

Then her eyes popped wide open.

"Wait. ...Just. Like. Magic. ...Yesss. Of course! Magic."

Jessica seemed to be eyeing Madison from the front of the room. Never-the-less, Madison quickly regained her senses and began brushing again. Her own mild musings had just given her a terrible, splendid, awful-wonderful idea.

"Just like the magic. Yes."

She closed her eyes and began to paint again. Letting the Force guide her. And... In what seemed like a whole hour, (But was actually just a few minutes,) Madison stepped back from her canvas. And took a deep breath at what she had created.

"Oh. My. God."

She stammered.

It was...

"Oh honey. I'm sorry." A comforting, but disappointed Jessica crept up and embraced Madison about the shoulders. Trying to offer her loving support to a new student.

"It's... It's... Awful."

And yes. It was. Just awful.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay Miss Starr." Jessica cooed softly, "We all have first days. We all have to start somewhere. You're doing great. Really."

No. Not really.

This wasn't just 'a first day'. Bleh! She had just totally destroyed, utterly smeared, her poor painting. Using the Force. No less!

"I... I don't know what to say." Madison quivered in shock, "I swear. It was better before. It was almost good even! But then... I don't know, I? I tried a new technique, I guess. I tried to just..."

"You had your eyes closed dear." Jessica smiled faintly.

Ouch.

"Yes! I did. But... That wasn't the point! It was supposed to get better! It was supposed to be magic. It was all supposed to just, work out? Somehow."

Jessica nodded reassuringly. If curtly.

"Of course dear. Of course."

Then she gestured back to Iris and innocently asked,

"So? New canvas?"

Madison looked wholly, completely, utterly, defeated. But yes. She nodded in kind.

"Yeah. New canvas."

I guess we can't all be naturals.

Meanwhile, Jessica smiled and beckoned her sobbing student forward.

I guess it was a good day for second chances.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris was happily off in her own world of art. At least until an unsettlingly sad blue streaked into the bright colors of joy around her. She blinked in surprise, turning her gaze from her art to try and find the source. It was stronger than Madison Starr from before and- Oh. It was her again. The Padawan tilted her head for a moment, half listening to the conversation between Starr and the ever kind teacher. More paying attention to the colors. Making sure what she saw was actually coming from the woman in question.

Sure enough, it was.

No longer sketching or painting, the paint and charcoal covered student just watched. Unsure of what to say or do, yet some how feeling responsible. Had she done something to upset Starr? A frown settled on the otherwise cheery smile before she stepped over to look at the canvas. And to Iris?

"Beautiful.."

 

[Madison Starr]

A weary-eyed Madison laid hands on a new canvas as Jessica left to pamper other students. Unsure and unwieldy. Madison wasn't quite sure what she was going to do next. Not paint. That was for sure. Until. Beautiful. Came to her ears.

"What?.."

She turned slowly, arms encumbered, to view the colorful teenager. Standing. Right in front of her disaster. Muttering, beautiful.

"What did you just say?.."

Almost ethereal were her words. Unsure if a jest or?.. Something more.

Then it hit her. Obvious as a Hutt,

"You can use the magic too. Can't you."

The Force. Everyone called it the Force. Right,

"I mean. The Force. You're a Jedi too. Aren't you."

She spoke like it was a secret. Teacher Jessica was away. The other students were busy. It was just the two of them. They could talk. Nothing lingering. Nothing fancy. Just an art class between two very special women. Then Madison staggered in her melancholy and asked again,

"Why isn't it perfect? Like... I thought the Force would make it. Perfect?"

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Magic? Iris tilted her head, confused at first. Then. Oh. The Force. The padawan nodded. Wait, Madison Starr was a Jedi too? Oh. Ooohh. A lot of things started to click. Well, no, not really. Iris wasn't much to pay attention to people talking to her verbally. She was getting better at it! Just- well. Her gaze lingered on the painting. Eyes tracing over the colors. The deeper meaning there.

"You drew the colors." Which meant nothing to literally anyone but Iris. Yet she was all smiles. The bright kind, full of joy. Not the placid 'I'm having fun' she had before. ".. What do you feel when you look at it?" That'd always been important to her when she was still tagging the sides of buildings. Not what it looked like, but how it made people feel.

 

[Madison Starr]

Madison sighed. Then placed her new canvas on the ground for a moment. Turning to look at Iris and then back to her muddled painting on the stand. Running her eyes back and forth between the teenager and the mess she had called 'colors'. Seeing many things at once. Possibly for the first time too.

"I feel..."

She looked at the painting. Then back to Iris.

"I feel like it's not exactly what I wanted it to be."

Then she sighed and stepped forward. Took the old canvas down, painting and all, and quickly replaced it with a new one. All white. Blank slate. Time to try again.

"And I feel like we probably see the world in very different ways too."

Madison's sad face glimmered a smile. She doubted that she and Iris had much in common. Human kin or not.

So she sighed again and turned back to her painting stand. It was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Try again.

"Coffee. I think I need a coffee."

Starr turned to view the exit door. Pondering the food court on the lower levels.

"You want some coffee?" She shrugged to Iris. "I need some fresh air."

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"No one sees the world like I do." It was neither conceded nor a complaint. Just a statement of facts. Ironically, they didn't even have humanity in common. Iris had turned, expecting Madison Starr to begin again on her painting. And in the process nearly missing the offer for coffee. The Teenager stopped, blinking slow. Had she ever had coffee before? Not that she knew of. Briana Sal-Soren had coffee in their apartment, but it never crossed the younger teens mind to try it.

"Okay. What's good coffee?"

 

[Madison Starr]

Madison sorted her brushes and organized her stand. Ready to take a break. Then she stopped and turned towards Iris again. Contemplating the truth behind her earlier expression. I suppose, we all see the world in different colors. In a way.

"What's good coffee?"

Madison perked up. What a curious way to say that? As in... What's good coffee, or? What is, coffee?

"Um. Well. There's a Rindstone's downstairs?"

It was a chain. Better than McYoda's by far. Alas. The name alone didn't seem to ring any bells for Iris. The poor gal still seemed lost at the drawing board.

"Look. Here. ...My treat." Starr offered with a warm smile. "I'll grab the coffee. The good stuff. Hehe. And... You can tell me how you learned to see with the Force? Deal?"

Seemed like a fair trade. Art, for a cup of Joe. No better deal in the galaxy.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

".. Er, is Rindstone a coffee..?" Really showing off her lack of knowledge on all things.. All things. She frowned somewhat as she followed behind Madison Starr. Maybe she should've asked Briana more about just what coffee was good and such. At least Madison seemed to be willing to help her out.

"I- Don't think it'll make sense? I'll try to explain." There wasn't a reason for her not to agree, though she had a feeling the other Jedi would only end up disappointed. Iris moved off then, finding a spot for the two to sit and chat. Then waited for the prophesized coffee to arrive.

 

[Madison Starr]

Madison beckoned Iris to follow her through the lobby and to the lifts. The cafe was down a few levels in a food court. Probably not very busy at this time of day. Lunch was well behind them. Still, she shepherded the teen with care. Iris seemed new to quite a few things already.

Hopefully, elevators were not one of them.

"We could do one of those mind link things?" She offered as the lift doors closed behind them. "I've been practicing bonds with some other Jedi at the Temple. Nothing special mind you. Or... We could talk about it. If that's more your speed?"

Her words were confident but carefully picked. Some people didn't have the words for explaining things. Some Temple folk liked to use the Force instead. Help you, feel, what they were trying to say. Experience it differently.

The floors ticked past as the elevator spun downwards. Madison was grateful for the warm air too. It was a perfect temperature inside. Calm and strong. Perfect for an adventure in shopping.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"A meld?" Even now Iris had been a bit spacy. When Madison Starr started to talk about linking minds, she was already drifting off to watch the colors she saw of the other people around her. But that subject seemed to pull her out of that spaciness. And smiled. "I can do that, yeah. I've been trying to work on it. Though, it might be um.. Too much? For some people it is." It being the colors, though as usual she wasn't the best with giving out details.

"I'm willing to try, though."

 

[Madison Starr]

The doors opened and the smells and delights of food encroached upon them. Madison welcomed it. Breathing a sigh of relief as she pointed forward for Iris to follow.

"Great. You grab us a table over there. And, I'll grab us some Joe."

Starr walked into the coffee chain and ordered two coffee's. Grabbing plenty of cream and sugar. Then she escaped it's bright colorful clutches and descended down upon Iris again. Arms full with drinks and condiments.

The giant court was unfuddled by crowds today. It clambered with sound and with smells though. Silver glittering bauble lights and the golden stare of tall windows. It was honestly a terrible place to mediate. But there was privacy in the mundane traffic of everyday life too. No one noticed them or cared to grasp a second glance. They were alone. For all intents and purposes. Surrounded by every wonderful distraction.

"And here we go!" Madison unpacked the table, "One for you. And, one for me."

Plastic cups with paper lids. Hot to the touch. Warm to the soul.

"It's strong all by itself so. Try the cream an sugar if it needs a more mellow flavor."

She added some delights to her own cup and stirred slowly. Then. She closed her eyes and reached out to the girl. Stirring her drink slowly. Slowly. With good rhythm. Around and around and around. Like a never-ending circle. Concentrating on the Force.

They could speak to each other this way too. Through the golden center of the mind's grasping eye. Where the real world fades away.

Into beautiful, dazzling color.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"Wait, who's Jo-" Iris had again drifted, though this time in an effort to find a place for Madison Starr and her to sit. Well, some questions would go unanswered. The younger Padawan just smiled before turning to go find a table. A place quiet, off to the side. Then, coffee. The familiar scent filled her nose as Starr returned. She took the cup and immediately sipped.

Big mistake.

At least only the tip of her tongue was scalded before she lowered the cup, wincing. Right. Hot liquid. Gotta be careful. The silence was good. Welcome. For Iris, it gave her a chance to look around. Observe the colors she saw in the people around them. Most were pretty busy. The reds and oranges of impatientness and the desire to go go go. Some were like her, observing the others though not to the extent she was. Some were just enjoying the coffee.

A mind touched on hers. She blinked in surprise, only now remembering what Madison had talked to her about in the elevator. Right. Iris opened her mind without another thought, bringing Madison into the dazzling world of colors the Keshain saw. Red, blues, yellows, all mingling and on display. Every shade imaginable, and even some unimaginable to the human mind. Constant. For Iris, her whole life from the moment she first could remember had been this. Life, emotion, always seen. Layering over reality in a way she only recently learned how to see through.

There was no off button.

<So.. What did you want to ask again?> Her voice echoed through the Meld. Her gaze stayed on the others around them, just watching the sea of colors.

 

[Madison Starr]

Madison opened her third eye and beheld a whole new world of color. In her mind, it was like peering through a small window. A little foggy at first. There was some distortion. Not because she was unprepared but because not all the information made sense to a human mind. So she moved the image from a window into a ball. Changing her own mental perspective. Like in a dream. Now Madison was just sitting at a table, drinking coffee. Slowly stirring in the sugar and creme. Circles within circles. Around and around and around again. Bathed in the golden light of dreaming.

In this new dream, she beheld a crystal ball. Just about the size of her fist. And inside, was Iris' colorful world. Deep as the ocean and just as wide too. In Madison's golden dream, she could move that ball around with just a thought. Peer through it. See whatever Iris wanted her to see. All without becoming lost in other sensations like touch, and smell, and emotion. That crystal ball was her window into Iris' world now.

<Where did you learn to paint? You're so talented. Did your parents teach you this?>

She smiled as she stirred her cup. Bathed in the golden light of the dream world. Time outside, standing still. Frozen. In the warmest of ways.

Madison was still puzzled that using the Force didn't grant her extraordinary painting powers. Quite the contrary. It seemed to splatter her canvas with irrational brushstrokes and random accessories. Destroying her still life painting entirely.

So she would talk with Iris about painting for now. Try to uncover her secret of translation. Ask if it was madness or mastery that guided her. Or, perhaps. Something magical in between.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

<I sort of just.. Did it?> Here in this dream it was easier to explain. The memories if when Iris first started to paint. Where the world around her was just the colors. People, items, everything in the material world didn't exist in her mind until she saw paint. It was her obsession. Before she could walk she was painting, trying to use it to speak to the people taking care of her but never hearing their responses.

<I never knew my parents.> The apartment building she lived in. The room that was hers. The people who all lived there with her. The whole building helped to take care of her, but she neither remembered their faces or their names. <But no, nobody taught me.>

Madison Starr