Tatooine: Jedi Temple

[empath_wiggin]

The first thing that one sees when leaving the Inn is a huge room, held up by pillars, an intricate mosaic on the floor, and bright coloured tapestries on the wall. Nothing seems normal to Earth-eyes, everything is more lavish, and somehow indescribable. Oddly enough, as anyone would say, it isn't half as ornate as the temple on Coruscant. This one

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[fallen_april]

And in the midst of all this is one unfamiliar figure in strange clothes staring in awe at her surroundings. Dark hair, still damp from a shower, pulled back in a braid, khaki-colored shorts, and a tank top that says "CBGB & OFMUG" on it. She has no luggage, just a small cloth messenger-style purse that has her toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, a few hair ties, and a change of underwear. And she's barefoot, not having taken the time to find her shoes.

"Wow." April says.

Those're all the words she's got just now.

[fallen_april]

April laughs. It's a slightly fan-girlish laugh, a little too hysterical and high-pitched to be normal. She should be forgiven, however, because the thought that she's in the Jedi Academy on Tatooine, talking to Luke Skywalker's wife, who just happens to be Valentine Wiggin is making her giddy.

"Well... I hope they get that worked out before anyone dies of old age," she says finally.

[empath_wiggin]

"Oh, I'm sure that..." Before Val can finish her sentance, a shining 'droid shambles into the room with a mop and bucket.

Beeping a couple times at the intrusion into its daily routine, it goes about cleaning the floor and the chairs.

Shrugging at it, Valentine turns. "You ready to go?"

[fallen_april]

April stares for a moment, then blinks and shakes her head. "Uh... yeah. Lead on!"

She does glance back at the 'droid once, though. It's just so cool.

[empath_wiggin]

Just wait until Threepio gets back from his errands.

They cross the main hall again, this time to the long hallway opposite the Temple chamber. This hall has classrooms on each side, most currently occupied.

Looking in the rooms, teachers in brown robes are working with various ages of children in slightly lighter robes. In some, the older children seem to have a bit more choice in their dress. These have a distinctive Padawan braid on their left side.

Val lets April walk on her own pace, watching her take everything in.

[fallen_april]

April walks slowly, trying to soak in everything at once, even though she knows that it's futile and she'll be here for a while. She pauses in the doorway of one classroom where children around seven or eight years old are (from what April can tell) practicing levitating feathers.

It's captivating, and she just watches for a few minutes before one of the students notices her. April immediately flushes, embarrassed for some reason, and moves on. "This place is... amazing," she says.

[empath_wiggin]

"It is, really." Valentine smiles. "It's been amazing watching this place take shape."

Gently, she leads April to a room on the outside indistinguishable from the others, but on the inside, brightly coloured. It is obviously an art studio, with film, paints, pencils, clay, and other various art materials scattered around. The teacher's desk, however, is dusty.

Val turns and looks at April. "Our art teacher left us a couple months ago. She decided that she'd earn more money by going to a horrible private school on one of the more affluent planets." She wrinkles her nose. "No one really liked her in the first place. Anyway, the job is yours if you want it." Beat. "I'm not pressuring you. Stay as long as you want, and tell me later. Really. I just want you to think about it. Please?"

[fallen_april]

April's already poking through a cupboard full of paints when Valentine gets to her question, and tries to straighten up with her head partway inside. There is a thump and a yelp, and April pops back up rubbing the back of her head and staring wide-eyed at Valentine.

"You... you want me to teach?" she asks, shocked.

[empath_wiggin]

"Only if you want to, but yes." Valentine leans on a table. "Who better to teach people than someone who loves what they're doing?" Beat. "Besides, you need something to do, and who am I to turn down the possibility of using your talents?"

[fallen_april]

"You're... Ohmygod, yes!" There is no trace of grief in her features now, just unabashed glee. "Yes,yes, yes, you're not gonna change your mind, right? Ohmygod!"

[empath_wiggin]

"Of course I'm not going to!" Valentine beams, and walks over to April and hugs her tightly. "Wonderful. I really was hoping that you'd say yes. Now, you tell me what you need, and I'll get you any supplies that you'll like." She smirks. "Just do me one favour. Make Mark come in here one day and guest lecture. I think both he and the younglings will be over the moon."

[fallen_april]

"Oh, god yes!" April laughs and hugs Valentine back. "Of course I'll bring him in... oh, god, um... yeah, I'll come back here later and go through what you've got and figure out what I need, okay?"

In her head, she's already making lesson plans for the various age groups. Oh yes, she'll have lots of fun with this.

[empath_wiggin]

"Of course." Valentine beams. "I have a feeling that you'll need some expidated Aurebesh lessons, then. Cause you have to be able to read what your younglings are doing."

Beat. "And you need to come over to dinner with Luke and I. And we need to finish the tour." Yes, Valentine hasn't really had a friend of her age an on her level for a really long time.

[fallen_april]

"Yeah." April is beaming, looking around excitedly. "Okay, rest of the tour, I can come back later. Uh, right?" She glances over at Valentine, almost like she needs reassured that this is really her classroom, and she's allowed to do whatever she wants in it.

[empath_wiggin]

"Of course you can!" Val giggles. "It's your room, silly. You can decorate it, or put things around, or anything. I'll get you in touch with the person who actually runs the classes, and he'll get you a class list and students. The next term starts in a couple weeks." She pauses. "Now Grendle is a Jedi, and to some extent, one of the crankier ones, but really, he's a good man."

[fallen_april]

"I'll remember that," she says. "Okay. Okay. We've gotta finish the tour otherwise I'll get all caught up in here and not leave and get totally lost when I try to get back to my room."

She's giddy. It's understandable.