At the mercy of the rain. [Serian]

[Irridia Solensis]

~ [member="Serian Loria"] ~​

​

"Plans? I...don't have any." Irri admitted, letting the orb of water collapse upon itself and disappear as the droids trundled in with their meals. She said thank you softly as Serian handed her the tray with her dinner, legs shifting as she sat up more carefully. Balancing the tray in her lap, she opened one of the bottles of water first and carefully drank the entire thing.

She sighed softly, feeling better as water and minerals alike coursed through her system. Attention was then given to her salad, which she began to eat with a modicum of grace and dignity in spite of feeling suddenly famished. It allowed her to give his question further thought, as he'd not spoken again.

What she'd given wasn't much of an answer, and she knew it.

"I had thought of going home, actually. Could still go into CorSec." Irri sighed and gently shook her head, more at herself than anything else. "But every time I think of it, I can't...I can't pull the trigger, for lack of a better phrase. There's something telling me that there's more than just CorSec in my future, but I've been so muddled this past year I've not been able to figure out what."

"The Force is damnably confusing..." she muttered under her breath, setting her half-eaten food aside in favor of pressing her palms over her eyes as fresh pain lanced through her senses.

 

[Serian Loria]

He had not a single clue what the ‘CorSec’ she mentioned was, but then he figured it was something ‘new’ and most new things in this age really confused him. Her complaint about the Force confusing her made him chuckle. “You are trying too hard, it is not that you do not understand, but that you are not willing to let it guide you. I have learned...that it is best just to be in moments when things are unclear for that which is needed will come and there is nothing that one’s self can do except wait. A harder task to do compared to it being said, but that is how it is and eventually it will become easier. Pay attention to your instincts, what do they tell you now?”

He was curious to know what impressions she had and it was also a partial test. He could have released his Aura and used her reation to see what her first instinct was, but that would have been, in his opinion, rather unkind. There would be time in the future for her to understand that he was very capable of being harsh and unkind, but now wouldn’t be one of them. He wanted to see what could happen now, especially with her so relaxed, than tense and in pain that would be within their first lessons. He used minor pain as a medium than emotion because pain was what would be more often felt and it was an easier catalyst.

Just enough to get what was needed, but not to the extremes he had suffered and that he’d seen others suffering when he had been a fledgling. Pain was useful, often emotion got in the way and it served his students better to get used to pain than it was to wash one’s self in strong volatile emotions. Emotion was Power, but pain lasted longer and when one was in battle pain was easier to use than emotions that one might be too fatigued to feel. That was also why he didn’t intend to startle her with his aura because he didn’t want her to react to him with fear. He also didn’t know what would happen with her memory, but that he would do what he could for later.

He could have used this moment to tell her his own plans, but chose not to. Better to see what her own instincts said, it might be that she feels something and that allows her to come to a decision for herself. Yes, he could and would claim her as his apprentice without her consent, he’d done it before, but he wasn’t sure that that was the best choice with her. Though he wasn’t sure why this was so, but he would heed it and see what happened.
[member="Irridia Solensis"]

 

[Irridia Solensis]

"I know you're right," Irri began softly, taking care to breathe deeply as she took her hands away from her eyes. Steel blue eyes blinked at the sudden intrusion of light, but at least the pain had dulled to a tolerable level rather quickly. A blessing, she thought distantly, before remembering that her voice had trailed off and her sentence remained unfinished.

"I know you're right, but it's painful whether I try or simply let it happen." She sighed and shook her head, nose wrinkling at the lack of resolve the words laid bare. Reaching for the second bottle of water, she opened it and took a drink. It served to help her focus a bit, and she made a mental note to find more of it whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Setting it aside once more, she folded her hands in her lap and let her eyes close. Irri emptied her mind, simply ignoring the pain that tried to throw her off track. She breathed in and out, deeply, rhythmically, letting it unwittingly sync up with the waves crashing on the shore outside. That was ever the way of her soul...it went as the ocean did, relentless.

For the first time, the Force rose up to fill her senses, flavored with the pain that lingered in her senses. Realization dawned on her in that moment - pain fueled her connection to the Force now. It had ever since she'd been imprisoned. That was the link she hadn't been able to put into place all this time. She swallowed hard, features tightening slightly as she 'listened', waiting as Serian had bid her to do.

Eyes fluttered open after a jolt of energy lanced through her mind, a peculiar yet recently..familiar...feel to it. Gazing over at him, her head canted to the side. "I've been waiting for you." Irri said, blinking, her vision oddly hazy for a moment, as she uttered a faint laugh. "Yeah, that sounds sketchy...I realize that."

~ [member="Serian Loria"] ~​

 

[Serian Loria]

He shook his head “No, it makes sense. I’ve had moments like that and other more...direct methods when it came to finding students. I had decided that I would take you on, I don’t have any other students at the moment, but even if I had this wouldn’t have changed anything. I will warn you now...my methods of training are not kind, I do not coddle and I do not do gentle. I train in a similar fashion to how I was trained, but not as my master had trained me fully, I was once Sith so that is how I shall teach. I can promise you that any pain inflicted won’t be more than is necessary and you will have warning, it it up to you to succeed or not. However...I will not tolerate fear getting in the way.”

If fear was what kept her from doing something, she would do it regardless even if he had to be more forceful. Fear was not a good enough reason to shy away from what one agreed to, though she was still at that point where she could turn away from him. He was giving her a chance to change her mind now, while she still could for she wouldn’t have the chance again. He would understand if she chose another path and wouldn’t hold it against her. His ways and the path he walked were not suited to some and it could be that she was one such. However given what she just said he didn’t think she was likely to flee, but he wasn’t certain he’d read her right.

He was by no means a ‘master’ when it came to others nor in how the smallest things might change someones mind. She knew what he was, where his background lay and given her own problems he couldn’t fault her if she chose a kinder path. While he’d said he was Sith trained, he hadn’t said he was going to train her to be Sith. He wouldn’t, but whether or not she chose their path or followed no one as he himself did despite the origins of how he learned were her choice. True he was with the Crusade, but his methods and ways were still his own and so far he didn’t find anything that said he couldn’t do as he has done or will continue to do.

Until that time he would not alter how he did things and now she knew some of what she would be getting herself into.

[member="Irridia Solensis"]

 

[Irridia Solensis]

A delicate brow lofted, while fingers rose from her lap to brush a stray curl away from her cheek. Irri canted her head to the side, thinking for a moment, and regarding her new Master with a more serious gaze. Steel blue eyes coursed over his features before fastening to his crimson-tinted orbs, her voice emerging with a touch of zest to it...attributable to the fact that she was Corellian.

Never-tell-me-the-odds and throw-caution-to-the-wind Corellian.

"I spent over two years as a slave in a Sith temple. I'm reasonably sure that whatever you call 'unkind' will pale in comparison to what I endured. Yet...here I am." Her hands raised, palms up, and spread outward, a gesture meant to encompass and even emphasize her state of being. They soon returned to her lap, to fold gracefully together, though her gaze remained strong and a smile toyed with the edges of her lips.

"I can handle whatever you throw at me. I can't guarantee I'll like it, but I'll deal with it."

~ [member="Serian Loria"] ~​

 

[Serian Loria]

He had turned his head to watch the storm, but she’d see the ghost of a smile touch his lips. “The house will be less empty now… I think it’ll make Endron worry less, he’s always bugging me about having something more to fill my time than just working on art or what work I do for the Crusade. I’m glad you aren’t afraid… I lost my other apprentices, I can count on one hand the number I’ve had last beyond the first year. You have fire, that is good. Do you have a ship of your own? It might sound a bother, but I really find hired conveyances bothersome, it would make things easier if you could pilot.”

The mood had switched quite quickly, now that she’d accepted, it was just as simple as that. The flashes of lightning lit his eyes and she’d see a glimpse of contentment, he wouldn’t admit it, but he’d been unhappy that he’d had no students of his own. The truth was he had an easier time relating to another force user than he did his servants and at least in this he’d have common ground. “I don’t tend to leave my apprentices behind once they have the skills to at least somewhat assist me. I’m afraid you’ll probably find yourself following hither and yon all over the place. My work as an archivist is what I primarily do and if I find opportunity to hare off to some ruins at the edge of the galaxy for things to bring back, I often do. However what I mainly do is tend the great library, though I’m not looked on with any fondness by some. I exceed expectations and don’t shirk, which has caused so problems by those above me.”

He looked over at her with a wry smile “I’ve never seen much point in currying favor with those who see themselves as my betters, so I know not if it’ll cause you any hardship. My other work...I am an artist, though its mainly what I’m used to doing as cover to hide what I truly am. I’m afraid that in eight hundred and ten years things have changed and I probably don’t need to hide the fact I am a force user, at least in the crusade. I tell you all this because I don’t want you to have any misconceptions nor do I want you to feel as if I’ve hidden important things. If you have questions, ask, if there is something I won’t answer I’ll at least be upfront about it. Oh and if you can cook, that would be much appreciated… Other than making tea I’m afraid I’ve been labled as ‘death in the kitchen’, cooking is not an art I am gifted at.”


[member="Irridia Solensis"]