Jedi Temple Grounds

[Patrick Starkiller]

The Jedi Temple Grounds is the area outside of the Temple where Jedi go to relax. There are benches, tables, fountains and lush gardens. Many small Jedi children can be seen playing in these areas often as well as the occasional Knight or Master simply relaxing while they reflect upon the world around them.

[Daphne Lightheart]

Daphne needed air, or at least she hoped it would have some kind of impact. Everywhere in the Temple was feeling too confining, like she literally couldn't breathe.

She didn't stop moving after leaving the Communications Room, until she found herself on the bridge outside the Temple overlooking the gardens. Instead of surveying the site, she simply leaned on the railing with both arms, her head dropping as she tried to focus.

Or to clear her head.

[Mercy Freestrike]

Mercy often walked the path's outside the Temple - it had become somewhat of a routine really - with Sorin ambling along at her side, the fully grown sand panther was well known and good natured having been raised in the Temple by Mercy and so did not elicit the normal response such an animal typically would.

She was nearly back to the Temple before she spotted Daphne - it was hard to miss her red skin really but mercy hadn't expected to see her. Picking up the pace she grinned and trotted over the bridge

"Daphne!"

[Daphne Lightheart]

Daphne's head shot up immediately at the familiar voice, and she smiled widely, though it didn't quite reflect in her eyes. She was glad to see Mercy, but she knew she must look half a mess right now, as if she'd gone weeks without any real rest. If anyone was going to notice, it would be Mercy. Hopefully, however, she could dance around the subject.

"Mercy! Oh my gosh, I feel like it's been so long," she said, drawing her friend into a hug. "How have you been?"

[Mercy Freestrike]

Mercy grinned "It has been a long time" she confirmed, hugging her friend back and then stepping back to take a look at her better, she looked tired...and not entirely happy, of course Mercy had picked up on that before.

"You look like you've been up fretting over something" She remarked. "it wouldn't be this thing with Teagan would it?" Mercy doubted that Daphne would be surprised that she knew about that - Daph was pretty well aware of her vast information network in the temple after all.

[Daphne Lightheart]

Daphne groaned a bit at the mention of Teagan and all but thwacked her head on the railing.

"It's... Yes. No. I had some bad dreams last night, and they got me thinking about things. That's all, really." She paused a moment, then added: "Wait, did you talk to him?"

[Mercy Freestrike]

Mercy smiled slightly at Daphne's response and nodded sagely at her mention of bad dreams - recalling vividly the nightmares she'd suffered after her time with the Armoured man. Heck - she still had them from time to time, but they were far less then they had been.

"I'm sorry Daph - I know what bad dreams can be like, try not to let them get to you too much" Or at least thats the advice Chase had given her - other then listening to her pour out the entire story to him anyways, and Mercy got the feeling Daphne didn't want to do that right now.

"Yeah I talked to him - but he wasn't the one who told me what went on between you too - you can blame the nurses for that" she told Daphne with a slight grin.

[Daphne Lightheart]

"The nur--" Daphne said, eyes growing wide. "They saw us?? Oh no... I hope Teagan doesn't get in some sort of trouble over this. It was my fault. I kissed him. He just... went along with it."

"I shouldn't have done it," she said, fiddling with a strand of hair. "It's not fair to him."

[Mercy Freestrike]

"Relax...they won't tell anyone else, do you know how long it took me to get them to spill the things that happen in that medcenter...and by the goofy look in his eyes when I mention your name - he'd definitely didn't 'just go along with it'" Mercy rolled her eyes slightly before glancing sideways at her friend.

"Besides...I already deleted the security footage"

[Daphne Lightheart]

Daphne breathed a big sigh of relief. Of course Mercy only knew because, well, Mercy knew everything.

"You're the best."

She turned, walking slowly across the bridge, trailing a finger along the railing.

"So how stupid am I? I never even ..." She sighed. "It doesn't matter. It's impossible anyways."

[Mercy Freestrike]

"your not stupid Daphne, things just happen sometimes" Mercy wasn't exactly following where she was tracking with the impossible and haven't even part of things - but she knew her friend wasn't stupid and so elected to voice her opinion on that subject at least.

Walking along beside Daphne, Mercy cast her gaze out over the water "And if its about Cole - well you haven't spoke to him a long long time, he can't expect you to wait around forever with no word..."

[Daphne Lightheart]

"It's just that, Mercy," she said, suddenly passionately gesticulating. "No word. And I know you might think that means he's moved on or whatever, or left me, but that's not it. I've spent what little money is actually mine hiring people to search for any word of him. At all. Any mention of his name. He's gone, like he never even existed. I think something happened to him. I have this feeling." There was fear evident in Daphne's eyes as she spoke. "I think he got hurt or... who knows. And for a Jedi girlfriend, Mercy, I've shown an amazing lack of drive when it comes to helping him. I should go looking for him. I know if I went myself, I could find him."

She stopped abruptly, not wanting to voice everything she'd been thinking about all morning. Just in case...

"Anyways, it's not fair to Cole that while maybe something horrible has happened to him, I've not only not done anything to help him, but also moved on with some other guy."

It wasn't just 'some other guy', but she couldn't say that. Even thinking about it made her brains ache, to say nothing of her heart.

[Mercy Freestrike]

Mercy bit her lip slightly - she didn't know much about Cole really, other then the obvious girl chat about him anyways - and she was definitely one to follow feelings when they popped up so she wasn't about to dismiss Daphne's worry as simple guilt over kissing Teagan, and her frustration over lack of search result wasn't foreign either. She hesitated for a few moments and glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby before speaking.

"Well look, you used to meet him on Corellia right? well I've been helping Chase's family look for him - we haven't found anything, but you know...maybe if I asked her she would look into Cole for you?"

[Daphne Lightheart]

Daphne met Mercy's concerned expression with one of gratitude. Her friend, at least, seemed to understand her dilemma.

"You could do that? Really? ... Oh, Mercy, I would appreciate it. I've considered sneaking off to Corellia myself, but I learned my lesson the last time I went off alone." She shivered at the memory. "Any information she can find on him, it would mean everything to me."

... because then she could talk to him. And find out how she felt, and maybe then she could figure things out with Teagan, one way or another...

[Mercy Freestrike]

"Well I can ask - I mean I've been helping her and she knows we were Chases friends and students - which seems to hold some clout with her, so maybe...and if anyone could find him, I'd think it would be her - if the council finds out I'm chatting with her without permission though, I don't think they'd be to happy" Mercy smiled deviously at Daphne.

"So I guess its a good thing I'm pretty used to doing things they don't know about huh?"