Aesthetic

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The decision to add a gift shop to the Graywall had seemed to be a ridiculous one. Attaching a souvenir store to a place of religious importance, let alone to his family home, was something Cedric had viewed as disgraceful. Unfortunately the financial reports made his decision for him - a shop selling overpriced shirts and model lightsabers was placed at the edge of the castle grounds.

Wounded as he was, Cedric could only contribute to the war effort via long range orders, and those were only required on the rare occasion. The majority of his time was spent reading, meditating, researching, and being anxious. He despised sitting back while his people prepared for their final jump to the southern sector of space, but his wounds kept him from being anything more than a burden.

He'd chosen to run the shop today simply to get his mind off the situation.

The newly christened master leaned back in a rocking chair that had been placed on the shop's front porch, a cigarillo burning between his lips. He was clad in simple sweatpants and a black t-shirt - not very Jedi-like, aside from the lightsaber hanging from his waist.

It was only the will of the force that kept the lightsaber from making his pants sag.

He waited quietly for customers and listened to the faint music playing inside the shop. For a moment, he knew peace.

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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Things looked different after an eternity under.

Ayessa's memories of Russan were vague. She hadn't been there in person, but she'd heard grumblings of old spy stations in the planet's moons being destroyed, which bolstered her effort in the war. That was as far as her relationship to the whole system had been. Now she wandered a little hopelessly planet-side, caught between hitchhikings, getting as far away from Coruscant as she could. Mid Rim was a fair start to that.

She still had no idea where she was going, but it felt right. Ships came and gone, but this felt like a permanent fixture that called to her like a lullaby. Sparing a few minutes wouldn't ruin her non-existent travel plans.

Was that... A gift shop? Suddenly the Kiffar's doubt emerged, a grimace on her face as she stepped up to the plate figuratively, a hand raised a little to catch the attention of the figure seated. Peace shattered. It wasn't hard to sense the old soul that had appeared, the Light side of the Force on her shoulders like a burden that it really did not need to be, but was. Coupled with her own lightsaber, evidently concealed, and it was clear the mettle of the stout woman before him, dressed in a well-worn getup of spacer's clothes. The sort of outfit that would let you blend in anywhere. Her expression was rather empty, as was her heart, but she only offered a quiet, "Hey, there." as a greeting.

 

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There was something about the synthfunk of his homeworld that set Cedric at ease. He hadn't had the chance to relax in ages, and the drugs the doctor's had prescribed him certainly helped. Truthfully he hadn't expected anything to interrupt his peaceful day, but the force had other plans. He felt her before she arrived, a wave upon the Great Ocean that Cedric perceived the force to be. Force sensitives were not uncommon, but most were padawans and acolytes of other religions. This one felt different: experienced.

Cedric rolled the cigar between his teeth and lofted a brow, appraising the woman. He gave her a brief nod and slowly rose to his feet, the pain of sudden movement evident in the tension of his jaw. He stood a good head taller than she did, and the height of the porch made him have to tilt his head down to look her in the eye.

"Welcome to the Graywall," he said lazily, though not unpleasantly. The smile he wore was legitimate. "Anything you're needing?"

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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Anything I'm needing?

Well, where to start.

A slow exhale left Ayessa as she gazed back up with an expression of well-worn neutrality, and her head tilted like a trained Akk dog who didn't recognize the command it was just given. It was clear that this was part of the pull, part of what the Force was trying to tell her. Maybe. Or maybe she just had a new attraction to weird stores. No, that wasn't it, this was clearly someone with strength, or, at least, a presence in the Force that she could perceive to be strength. Strength she quietly wished to have.

"The Graywall," She parroted quietly, before an inquisitive expression crossed her face, the snake marking contorting a little due to the shift in facial muscles, "What are you selling?" She could spare a few precious credits.

 

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"Slaves mostly. Humans are twelve credits, aliens are twelve and a half." He said straightfaced. He made a mental note to sober himself up, stamped the cigar out on the ash tray, and left it behind on the nearby table. His arms folded about his chest as he actually took a look at the girl. Aside from her physical presence, she maintained a mark in the force that could not be ignored. She reminded him of Romi when she'd first taken the oath of a Jedi Knight.

"Really though, food, medical supplies, fuel, droids, t-shirts, hats, bobbleheads, my sanity," he waved back toward the inside of the building."We've also got the same track playing on repeat all day. It's part of the charm."

He paused, "Sorry, no one's come by all day and I'm a talker by nature. You a pilgrim?"

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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It seemed for a few seconds he had genuinely convinced her this was some sort of sweatshop and she seemed ready to bolt, but relaxed once he clarified what was actually on offer. Well, it couldn't hurt, and there's a purpose here to find, so Ayessa stepped up to the porch and entered behind him, "Pilgrim, that works."

She kept her hands close to her centre mass as she moved through, eyes wandering all over the place to study the interior, occasionally flicking to him before returning to their search. Best not to touch anything yet lest a dose of uncertain emotions was poured on her like hot metal. Clearing her throat, a little, she continued on, "Ayessa, of Clan Kroan-- Ayessa Kroan, go with that instead. You're, a, um--..." The words slightly failed her, but the implication of Jedi hung in the air as if she'd screamed it instead.

 

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There went the synthfunk again. It grew far louder as they stepped inside, seemingly playing louder for the express purpose of drowning the girl out. Cedric still heard her over the music, having long sense grown used to the distractedly loud noise. His smile shifted into an amused smirk as she asked the fragment of a question. He did not give her a verbal response, but instead reached out into the empyrean. Calling upon the small amount of telekinetic energy required to turn the music dial was easy enough; a slight expression of mental will saw the music lowering to quiet background noise.

"I'm Cedric," he paused, "of House Grayson, if we're doing families too. Sorry about the music, like I said, wasn't expecting anyone."

He strode back behind the counter, seemingly ignoring Ayessa's comment. "Yeah I'm a Jedi!" He called back as he reached into a cooler for a balmoraan bluesky. The doctors would be displeased to know he was drinking, but he figured he could just filter the stuff out with the force before it became an issue.

He'd been set on fire to save the lives of enemy soldiers. He deserved a damn drink.

The question fell from his lips before he'd fully managed to rise back to his feet.

"You're force sensitive as well, which isn't surprising - but you do seem surprised to see me. Were you lost when you came here?"

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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That sort of tune had never really been her style, but it hadn't been bad. Of course, she hadn't even noticed that she was being drowned out, but maybe that's because it was a common occurrence. Crossing her arms in a casual posture she shifted closer to the counter, gaze affixed back on him, "I'm a Knight." She spoke even quieter now that the music was dimmed, but the words just seemed difficult to force out. Her next sentence came louder, quicker, addressing the second half of his statement, "Lost, yeah, I guess. I'm getting away from the Core Worlds, taking transport where I can. One stopped here. I'm expecting another one will soon enough. I don't know. I felt a compulsion." Despite her words being relatively neutral, a heavy feeling swam around her mind and did a somersault. There was definitely more to the story, chapters she had phased out of the standardized explanation, but that was to be expected.

"What do you have for food?"

 

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"I can understand why. With the fall of the alliance, the core is going to fall into a dozen different warring factions soon enough. There's too much tension." His words were hypocritical, though that fact remained a private one. He'd spent far too much time working to keep the core worlds stable and out of Sith influence, only for them to turn upon one another in the absence of a higher authority. It seemed the galaxy was keen to tear itself apart.

And it was that exact sort of thinking that had led Cedric to embracing the short medical leave. The force often worked in odd ways, but his faith in it was always guiding him. If it had brought this woman to him, then there was some form of reason behind it.

"Every kind of junk food this side of the core," he gestured toward a series of long racks lined with unhealthy snacks. "If you want something healthy, there's Nerf steak for a couple credits. My people hunt it once a week and sell the meat."

He paused, turning about to lean forward on the counter and look Ayessa in the eye. "I'm not surprised. This place is a haven for force sensitives, especially followers of the light. You'll be safe here for as long as you want to stay. The Graywall is as much every other Jedi's birthright as it is my own." His brow furrowed, "Still, I wonder what the actual purpose might be. I doubt the force nudged you here to ease my boredom."

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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A number of answers to his query popped into her brain. Maybe the Force was a crazy bastard. Maybe there was something deeper here to be found. Maybe this was just the first thing she'd felt through the Force that didn't absolutely, unequivocally terrify her.

Though, her face remained blank as he stated 'alliance', and that fact was especially clear due to their new proximity. She had no idea what he meant by that, probably had personal motivations for getting out without even thinking of it, but, still. Interesting. She just leaned around him without replying, pointing to, of course, a brightly-coloured lollipop, "One of those will do."

"Your words obviously mean this place is bigger than a gift shop. What do you mean by birthright?" Sometimes, if she focused really hard, she could stop asking endless questions. That wasn't one of those times.

 

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She would pick the lolipop.

Cedric passed Ayessa the candy and spoke, "The Graywall is a full castle. It guards the location of the last battle for Ruusan where the Sith Brotherhood was destroyed. My ancestor built it. Since then, it's served as a place of meditation and training for masters and their padawans. I also live here." He gestured down to the floor. "There's a cavern system below full of crystals, and above that is a force sensitive tree. It serves as a force nexus, allowing us to attune to the force with little difficulty."

He enjoyed explaining the Graywall's history, however summarized, whenever it came up. He knew it was not becoming of a Jedi, but he was proud of what his family had accomplished in service to the order, even if that order was shattered now.

"It's meant for Jedi to train and reconnect with the force. You're a Jedi Knight - it's open to you."

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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In exchange she set a few credits on the table. A mix of older and new denominations, currency all the same. Instead of just going ham on the thing like a sugar-rushed child might-- Which she was not, duh --she cracked tiny pieces off of it and popped them into her mouth, eating and nodding and listening as he spoke with interest. Her eyes travelled downward as he mentioned the cavern, a little upwards as he brought up the tree, then settled on him as he mentioned that last line.

"Sounds... Nice."

That could be it. The purpose. The reason something had called her out here. It was clear that's what she was beginning to assume, and her gaze wandered to the door almost expectantly.

 

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A hint of amusement touched the knight's features. He experienced few joys as of late; the war had taken a particularly heavy toll upon him. Showing the occasional force user the glory of the nexus was a small bit of happiness that he tended to cling to. They were previews of what life might be like once the Sith Empire and its allies were finally eradicated. There would eventually be a day when the Jedi could hang up their lightsaber, it just wouldn't be in his lifetime.

The woman's words pulled him from his thoughts.

"You're a talker aren't you?" He asked with good-natured sarcasm. "You want to see the place, don't you? I can see it in your eye." Cedric made a noise of amusement as he gestured toward a door at the back of the shop.

"I can get one of the boys on duty here if you want a tour."

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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Obviously, a talker. She'd been a motormouth in her youth, unable to stop, really, but now that just didn't feel right. Ayessa's eyebrows pushed together in quiet contemplation, silently cracking off another piece of candy. Re-connection sounded like Nirvana, what she needed to begin to see again. Things had changed far too much for her liking, but she had expected the Force to remain a constant. Maybe not always.

"I think I'd like that." Was the Knight's eventual reply, and it came slow and quiet, teetering the edge of being drowned out again but loud enough to ensure he could hear without strain. Her eyes levelled on him again, a casual ease starting to steadily replace the skittish nature she'd been harbouring for a while. There was nothing to threaten her here. Hopefully. Her walls could come down for now and be erected again at a later date. So she offered a slowly-relaxing smile to Cedric, nodding to reaffirm her desire to see.

 

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The woman had an air of confusion about her. She had a nerf-in-the-headlights look to her that most of the pilgrims lacked. The majority of the souls that came here knew exactly what they were wanting to take away from the experience; it seemed Ayessa had come simply on instinct. He would be stupid to deny that it was likely the force's will; his faith in the conciousness of the empyrean had been strengthened significantly lately.

Ayessa was here for a purpose, they just had to find out what the purpose was.

Cedric waved one of the guardsmen over to the stand and gestured for her to follow him. The back door slid open on its own as they drew near, allowing a gust of cold mountain air to rush into the giftshop. The scent of the forests surrounding the ancient castle filled his nostrils, and a brief wave of nostalgia washed over him. The Graywall had changed very little since his childhood, and had indeed remained much the same for several thousand years. In the face of an everchanging galaxy, the Graywall was a comforting constant.

He led her out into a massive courtyard flanked by high durasteel walls that had been fashioned to look like old stone. A handful of individuals garbed in the various robes of a number of different force traditions busied themselves with tasks meant to test their connection the force across the yard. A far larger number of guards and members of the house hustled and bustled all around them; it seemed everyone had somewhere to be.

"Welcome to my home, sorry we didn't have a chance to clean first," he flashed her an amused little grin, "Where are you coming from Ayessa? What order trained you?"

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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There were a number of ways she could have answered his question, but Ayessa settled for the one of least resistance, the one that wasn't quite a lie but wasn't quite the whole truth. Finding explanations was starting to become a struggle.

"They don't exist anymore." A solemn, condemned tone, to match the hollow words spoken. Her eyes were affixed on the various practitioners with evident fascination, not a sight she'd ever seen before. But, she supposed, everyone had their ways of connecting. The curiosity was enough to push away any guilt or pain she felt saying that they were all gone, forging onwards, "You have a busy home." A simple observation that lent to distraction, she continued to eye individuals and their rituals. The candy had been stored away in a messenger-style bag she had with her, the time for treats was passed and would doubtlessly return later, "...I was born on Kiffu. I guess that's where I'm from." And where I'm going.

 

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The soldier's brow furrowed with curiosity. He seemed to have rested his attentions upon the many students going about their business throughout the yard, but they had truly never left the visitor. When she spoke of Kiffu, he lofted a brow.

"Is that what the snake above your eye is then? A qukuuf mark?" He'd been curious about the marking since she'd come in, but he figured just asking outright might seem a bit rude. "My order is gone too. I'm from Ession," he added, as if simply answering as to his place of origin explained his lack of an order.

"Well, there are some of us left. We were an offshoot of the original order that went on after the Republic fell. Unfortunately the Sith found us," he gestured all around the yard, "What you see here are all that made it off the planet. We're rebuilding from scratch now." His tone deadened slightly, taking on a far more serious aspect. "It'll be a slow process."

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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The Republic fell. Words that hit a little too close to home, ouch. A visible flinch across her face at the words, one she couldn't suppress in time. No matter how much she moved on, feeling that unspeakable snap in the Force as thousands of Jedi lost their lives in a blink of an eye and the pull of a trigger was never going to truly leave her body and soul, and it was time to come to terms with that. She shuffled uncomfortably in her spot at the thought.

Upon mention of the intricate marking Ayessa nodded easily, almost glad to have something else to think on. A hand trailed up to her forehead to idly touch along the snake's extended tongue, with evident reverence in it, "Yes, it is." A pause, before she continued, hand lowering again to her side, "I'm sorry, that you lost it all."

Her sympathy was plenty genuine, and it was plain in her face as she finally turned to look at up him.

 

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The Jedi were a scattered and broken people. Only a handful of bastions remained for those that served the light side of the force, and though things were getting better now, small tensions between groups still arose. Their unity had proven to be quite fragile in the face of internal betrayal; a problem that seemed to plague the Jedi throughout the entirety of their history. He could see the pain of that lost clearly in Ayessa's face, though that raw wounded was quickly replaced with a mask once more.

"Were you part of the Republic?" He asked quietly, pausing only to meet her sympathetic look with a grateful smile. "Thank you, but I haven't yet lost everything." He gestured toward those gathered through the courtyard. "My world, my family, and my history might be gone, but the force remains, and so do my people. So long as we maintain faith in its guidance, things will yet turn for the better."

He paused, his expression softening. "Sorry, I'm preachy."

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Ruusan, 'The Graywall', Unknown Time
Interacting with [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~ Me, Myself & I
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Finally, a question that was difficult to answer. Hesitation was in her face, but she spoke slowly to ensure it all came out the way she needed it to.

"I was part of a Republic," Ayessa started, stormy eyes transfixed on his for the moment, "But maybe not the Republic you're talking about." Then, she let her stare drop back towards the denizens of the courtyard, letting him speak and letting herself listen. Preachy wasn't so bad, and he made a fair few points. So long as there was the Force, there would be light, and there would be Jedi. Maybe things really weren't so different. His own apology made her smile slightly, a smirk and a quiet chuckle to follow, "It's alright. My Master used to do that all the time." That was true enough, at least, and brought up a couple memories that warmed her mind.

Exhaling, she glanced back up to him out of the corner of her eye, "So, where do we go from here?"