WHO: Obi-Wan and open WHAT: Catch all for April, open/closed prompts in comments WHERE: Free Cities + The Horizon WHEN: April. WARNINGS: N/A, will update as needed. OTHER: Brackets or Prose are cool PM me for specific starters!
[ Upon leaving the Barracks properly on Nadine's kind suggestion, Obi-Wan makes his way to the Sarstina inn to arrange for accommodations in return for work. It provides him privacy for his meditations and a chance to meet the locals and learn more of this city, this world as he casually and comfortably tidies the main floor of the tavern in the morning, helps with laundry in the afternoons, or busses tables in the evening. Long enough to be seen as someone with more or less an above board form of employment (for all that he actually has that arrangement with Nadine.
He splits his time between curious conversation with locals or other Summoned, or tidying as needed when not out in the gambling dens in the market square, slowly growing his reserve of coin. ]
[ Crafting a space with no memory during his first visit to this place managed to, somehow, pull from the feeling as much as the image of his oldest and dearest home. His true safe haven in times of stress or doubt. His domain is marked by a truly massive Wisteria tree made of kyber, limbs sprawling gracefully, blooms glimmering in their crystalline structure in all shades of soothing blue and violet. The local breeze has them chiming quietly against one another with resonant harmonies that fill the entirety of his domain, a soothing, sprawling garden with a pond and river, an empty glade, and a small ivy covered gazebo for company. Among the blooms and bushes, the small stream and odd structures for meditation or conversation, there are flitting leosylphs and tooka kits, among the boughs and branches of the wisteria are chirping songbirds.
More than a serene vista, the domain is filled from the moment of entry to the moment one steps from it's boundary there is this sense of peace. Of acceptance and safety, as though one's very soul has been wrapped in a familiar blanket and offered a hug. More than anything else there is this sense of being known, and being loved, the strongest point of this sensation is the kyber wisteria in the center of the domain. The further one drifts, the less aware one becomes of it.
Of course Obi-Wan meditates even now within the Horizon, hovering a few feet off the ground, wrapped in the familiar earthen tones of his order, arcana of death stitched subtly in dark brown, glossy thread on the back of his robes. ]
[Since the abduction of other Summoned, Diana has spent more time in the Horizon, attempting to forge more connections with those who visit the plane as well. Though she had been unsuccessful at contact any of the missing people at the time, she believes with her whole heart that it could be a useful tool in the future. Not that she's looking for anyone else to get kidnapped, but she'd rather be prepared than not.
Though she could traverse the Horizon with a thought, she prefers to move on foot instead. It's easier for her to see who has barriers up around their domains; she isn't about to wander into someone's domain if they clearly don't want visitors. She isn't dressed for traveling, exactly, wearing laced sandals and a short, blue chiton with the sign of The Empress embroidered over her heart in pale thread; but in this place, she's found, it doesn't much matter what she wears, since she can mend her clothing on a whim. It is equal parts uncanny and convenient.
As soon as she steps into this new (to her) domain, she feels... tranquil. Safe. An enormous tree covered in blossoms looms ahead of her, unlike any she has ever seen, and the beauty of it combined with the serenity flooding her brings tears to her eyes. She places one hand to her chest, as if that will hold in the overwhelming emotions that overtake her; she hasn't felt anything even close to this since she was home, on Themyscira. Even her own domain, a replica of her beloved island, doesn't bring these sort of feelings to her heart. She is wrapped up in it, and she doesn't yet know whether or not she will drown or bloom from it.
She turns, uncertain if she intends to leave or venture further within, and a man hovering just off the ground catches her eye. He looks deep in thought, and though normally she wouldn't want to disturb him, she cannot help herself. She keeps her tone even, though there is clearly something wavering just beneath her words.]
[ Obi-Wan opens his eyes, luminous in this place while deep in meditation, drifting on the comfort and serenity that resonates. He feels more steady, more certain, and perhaps tomorrow he will attempt to explore this place in a greater depth, seek out the monolith that is the center, the other domains created by those that have also been summoned to this world. Knowing what they choose for their comfort would teach him much of them and their worlds and he cannot help but be curious. Though- he currently is moved by the depth of emotion in his latest guest's voice. ]
The tree is somewhat...a physical manifestation of a metaphysical entity in my reality, I suppose, but the rest is very much like a garden in the Jedi Temple, where I was raised. A place of peace, joy, and rest.
[ He lifts a hand to his shoulder to steady a tooka kitten that curled against his neck, purring away in sleep. Within a moment gravity resumes and he steps out of the floating meditation, walking to get a better look at this- warrior? Her build, her stance, her attire all speak of pragmatism and strength. ]
...Are you able to feel it? I wasn't certain if it would translate for those unfamiliar.
[She looks from him to the shining tree, thinking it nearly looks bejeweled. Is that how it is where he's from, or is it simply a part of the Horizon? It's difficult to tell, if she's honest. There is magic here, though her connection to it is not as strong as it should be for one with her blood.
Peace, joy, and rest sums it up nicely. She nods just a bit, head bobbing slightly as she continues to look at the tree for a moment longer before turning her gaze back to him. Her eyes do shine, though she's managed to get a hold of her emotions once more. Not an easy feat when faced with such an outpouring of feeling, but she's managing.
The strange creature on his shoulder, of all things, helps ground her. It looks akin to a cat, though not like any she's ever seen. When she speaks again, her voice has steadied, and her eyes are more or less clear.]
It's all I can feel. Like coming home. [She glances around them again.] Though little of this looks like where I am from. It is beautiful, nonetheless.
...coming home would be a very apt way of describing the feeling. I wasn't aware those that aren't Force Sensitive could- resonate with the kyber here.
[ On petite birdlike feet, the kitten rouses enough to stand and stretch, jaw cracking open in a wide quavering yawn before circling around to Obi-Wan's other shoulder to doze, all while Obi-Wan remains perfectly still as to not disturb the creature. ]
But I can't say that I regret it. Knowing that at least here, others can experience the Living Force as I do, even in this strange world. [ Even if only in the Horizon- even if he cannot quite feel others the way he would in his own realm just yet- there is a comfort in mutual connection that has his eyes warm to the point of welling, but the emotion moves through him without leaving a mark.
He has a guest. Gawking is impolite. ]
The wisteria is one I spent many a day under or in as a young man, though it was but a tree back home. The kyber is, I think, what makes my domain resonate so. Welcome, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. Would you care for a cup of tea, perhaps?
[While the words kyber and Force mean nothing to her by themselves at the moment, she makes the assumption that they have something to do with the tree and the way it shimmers. Though she does not know what kind of power it is, she wonders at it.]
The Horizon is mysterious in many ways. Perhaps this is another one of them.
[She presses her hand to her chest once more as if to hold everything within herself, before dropping her arms to rest by her sides. Her stance is loose, but despite the ease with which she holds herself, she still has an air about her that she's ready for anything.
She inclines her head slightly in thanks for the explanation, and looks again to the tree. It is so unlike anything she has seen before, almost like something from the realm of the gods. She exhales slowly, and smiles at the offer.]
Well met, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am Diana of Themyscira. Tea sounds lovely.
[While they may not need to eat or drink in the Horizon, it's the familiarity of the action that matters.]
[ Of everyone he has met in person thusfar- this woman reminds him most of the other Jedi in his home. There's a certainty and vigilance about her that brings to mind Depa, for all that her attire makes him think of Ayla. With a genteel bow and gesture, he motions for his guest, Diana, to follow him to the crystalline ivy covered gazebo where he prepares his tea while attuning with this place. ]
A pleasure to meet you as well, Diana of Themyscira. I must admit, I've not read of this- country? Kingdom? Planet?
[ Curiosity buoys him forward as he walks Diana to the gazebo, hands slipping into the sleeves of his robe out of habit, eyes bright and intent. If there is one thing about this trip he's enjoyed? It's the opportunity to learn a great deal about a great many different people and their homes; places and planets not in the archives, peoples and powers unlike anything he has ever known.
It is almost enough to make up for the rather rude summoning. ]
[Abby had been working on her own corner of the Horizon, carving out a space to call her own. But as her creation was very much created in the image of home. It hurt more than it felt comfortable at this moment.]
[So she wandered to see what others were up to, just to get a gauge to what was possible in the impossible. Only to find an old man meditating inside a place you get to by meditating.]
[Abby's mark of The Lovers is stitched into her crop top just over her heart, red on black. With a pair of simple but form fitting jeans dragging low enough to obscure her sneakers. The best element of being here, being in this place, was her clothes being her's. To a degree anyway.]
[ Obi-Wan's eye cracks open from where he's hovering, peering down at the young woman dressed- quite a bit like Ayla if he thought about it. Curious. ]
It is something of a habit, I suppose. To better center myself and remain in contact with The Force.
[ He remains hovering for the moment, unable to stand for the sleeping tooka kitten purring in his lap. For the time being, he lives here. It's an excellent means of practicing his focus. ]
Here, at least, it feels as it should. Out in the Free Cities...less so.
So the meditating out there isn't doing it for you, but the meditating in here is?
[She's not judging nearly as much as she could be. Mostly she is sticking it out in here because of the peaceful vibe. Which could be a trap but her body isn't actually here so she can always just dip.]
[She may or may not have trust issues.]
Do you normally tell gravity to fuck off when you meditate?
[ Obi-Wan answers with a wry smile, lifting one shoulder. In his lap the Tooka kit snuffles and stretches, shaking herself out from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail before leaping from Obi-Wan's lap to wander to their guest. Thus freed, Obi-Wan allows gravity to once again take hold and stands, hands sliding into the sleeves of his robe. ]
...more or less, depending upon my point of focus. Do you often wander about questioning strangers?
There a lot more questions to ask strangers. Also strangers to ask questions.
[Abby shrugged and let herself drop to the ground. Tucking her knee against her chest to sit. She's bored, and this place feels calming. And going from constant connection to everyone in her life, to having one botanical sales representative looking out for her was quite the vacancy in her attention.]
I'm Abby. Now I'm not a stranger, so you can ask whatever.
[ A precocious teenager. Certainly nothing he has experience with in the slightest- Obi-Wan smiles faintly to himself and drops to sit a respectable distance away from her while the Tooka kit wanders over to rub against her shins, purring. ]
I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, so I suppose neither of us are strangers. Have you found much in your wandering of the Horizon?
[ The shift in the Force is subtle, but it's been so long since he felt someone else that it immediately draws his attention. A lazy smile forms on his face as he reaches outward to focus on this unknown presence. His intention is only really about making his existence known, but the further he prods, he has the dawning realization that this Force signature he feels is familiar.
Too familiar. He snaps out with a wave of anger before throwing his mental shields up. The fact that it's like stretching an unused muscle goes ignored.
Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is here. Not in Thorne, but somewhere. That thought propels him upward, his chair clattering to the ground behind him. Anakin is so angry he can feel it crawling under his skin like a living thing. At first, he paces, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he stews in his own fury.
Why did Obi-Wan have to ruin everything for him at every turn!? This was supposed to be his! Is it because he was something close to happy? Unbothered by things from 'home', no one cared about who he was or what he'd done. They'd given him more clarity about his own life than any teaching at the Jedi Temple.
His paranoia and spiraling thoughts lead to the singular need to find and confront his former Master. To show him what he'd do if he tried to ruin this, too. Storming off to the chambers he shared with Mat, he sits on the floor, his back pressed to the foot of his bed as he prepares for a bit of meditation. Not that the stance mattered much when going to the Horizon. Time never passed from one moment in that place to the next. It will only be as if he'd blinked.
He ends up in his own domain, the large cathedral-esque castle looming overtop of him, its violet-tinted windows like eyes watching over everything else. Anakin has only a vague idea of what Obi-Wan's domain would even look like given what he knows about the man. It doesn't take much to find him. He silently curses being comforted by the feelings of peace and acceptance that try to shroud his shoulders like a blanket offered at the peak of a violent storm. His arms crossed defensively in front of his chest, he watches his mentor with narrowed gold eyes. There's no way Obi-Wan couldn't feel him as he approached. ]
Predictable as ever, my Master.
[ His words are terse, but not overly loud. He doesn't need to be. When Obi-Wan finally turns around, he'll find Anakin in something more befitting of a politician than a Jedi. Inside the golden sleeves are raised embroiderings of the Judgement arcana. ]
[ There has been, since his awareness of the Force reconnected with this world- pressure. On his shoulders, on the back of his skull, against his very Presence in the Force. As slow as his reconnection and adaptation to this world has been- he didn't place it as any one person. The world had no Jedi.
He was alone.
Hence the creation of somewhere comforting, somewhere he would feel the warmth and light of the Jedi as he would at home. Something soothing that would sustain him as he made a living and learned more of this world, this place's conflict, the other Summoned and what they are meant to do. Why choose them, of all those available in the many realities and galaxies from which they've sprung?
It never occurs to him that the pressure could be someone familiar.
Could be someone he knows as intimately as his own self.
In the Horizon it never seemed to follow him- until today. When it churns and coils and finally coalescence into a pointed pain that he hasn't endured since he first taught Anakin how to properly shield himself while experiencing a fit of temper. The sudden clarity of who that weight is has Obi-Wan's eyes snap open, locking in on a figure draped in black and gold and-
With golden eyes.]
Anakin?
[ He was a young man when Obi-Wan left the Council Chambers. Freshly shorn of his Padawan braid, bright and eager for his own command, his own responsibilities as a knight. Obi-Wan couldn't have been more proud. The very image of this- taller, darker, golden eyed man is startling enough to nearly have Obi-Waw dropping out of his meditation onto his ass; but he catches himself- more puzzled and concerned than anything else. ]
You- I can't have possibly conjured you. [ He tried, early on, in a fit of loneliness. All he'd managed was a pale imitation he dismissed entirely. Never before had he been so certain that a thoroughly agreeable Anakin was deeply, irrevocably wrong. ]
[ Anything of the boyish roundness in his face has faded, gone is the youthful hopefulness of the good he'll do for the Republic- for the galaxy. If Obi-Wan is looking for that same man, he'll only find him in the tall, straight-shouldered stance as Anakin stares at his former master with barely-contained hatred. ]
No, why would you have manifested your greatest failure? I'm very much here in front of you, Obi-Wan.
[ To Anakin's dismay, it doesn't seem as though he can impose his will upon Obi-Wan's domain. He would have liked to dismantle it due to his discomfort and anger and as a jab toward the other man. Obi-Wan had taken everything from him, why shouldn't he return the favor?
He knows no one can be killed in the Horizon, so it doesn't do him any good on that end.. but that doesn't mean he can't also send his Master a lesson. Looking more at the domain around them, Anakin turns his back on him, his fists clenched at his sides. How many Jedi had he mowed down in this very room on Coruscant? He'd lost count with each cry in the Force. ]
Why are you here?! I was doing just fine without you here meddling in my life like you always have!
[ Taller, somehow, and for a moment there's a vague flicker of irritation, he'd been certain Anakin had stopped growing once he shot past him at last, the idea that he'd need to crane his head further to meet his eyes isn't exactly comforting but-
More than that? The anger.
The hatred radiating off of him in discordant resonance with the familiar love from the Kyber behind him. ]
Greatest failure? What are you talking about? You'd only just been knighted, Anakin, I told you how proud I was of you and your accomplishments, you've done well not only in your own trials but in the war-
[ Old habit has him arguing, has him approaching when wariness would bid him hold back. Anger- that's not unfamiliar. The hate is. The hate was wrong in a way he couldn't place- were they not family? Were they not brothers? Was this brilliant, aggravating boy not the other half of his very soul? ]
I'm- Anakin I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not meddling- I can't say I haven't meddled during your apprenticeship but it is the role of a master to meddle, and you cannot say you haven't meddled right back- [ Becoming irate probably isn't the most wise decision, but he finally has a name for the migraine he'd been carrying and- that'd been Anakin? All this time? ] Where are you? I haven't heard anything of you in the Free Cities.
[ You'd only just been knighted gets his attention enough that he whirls back around so he can really look at Obi-Wan. There are details he hadn't bothered to notice in his anger- that stupid hairstyle his Master had favored when he was a Padawan and the lack of silver at his temples. There's a touch of youth that hasn't been siphoned away by years caught in a war.
Some of his fury burns away when he realizes that he's looking at a younger version of Obi-Wan. There's a small, rational part of his brain whispering that he can't truly be mad about things this Obi-Wan hasn't done yet.. but that doesn't mean there aren't still embers burning in his chest that keep him heated. ]
You're not meddling yet, and here you are, asking where I am because you're thinking about doing it! I've been in this place long enough that I have no desire to go anywhere- least of all with you.
[ He pinches the spot between his eyes in irritation, taking a moment for his emotions to simmer a bit. A large part of their relationship during his apprenticeship and continuing further was their mutual meddling where it may not have been needed. Everything usually worked out.
No. No. Anakin refuses to go down this road. He's still mad at Obi-Wan. At an Obi-Wan from, Force, four years displaced from who stands in front of him. So much has happened in that span of time that it's hard to know where to begin when one battle bled into the next. When failures and wins took turns to change the tide and it never seemed to end.
Instead, he opts to cross his arms defensively in front of himself, not looking at his former Master. A stance that is probably achingly familiar. Relenting a bit more of that anger. ]
That's because I'm not in the Free Cities, I'm in Thorne.
[ One thing he hasn't yet begun to anticipate are visitors to his domain; he is aware that's something that happens, but has not yet stepped beyond the boundaries to explore other spaces within the Horizon. Establishing a safe haven and a solid point of reference takes precedent over careless exploration, for all that getting lost is allegedly impossible.
At least, that is his current excuse.
Having the Wisteria, however, and the closest thing to the Jedi Temple since his arrival in this world at his fingertips may be most of the reason he remains. The world beyond feels...unbalanced. He should not be the only point of light he is able to feel, nevermind the dull migraine he has most days due to a strange intensity in the energy of this world.
Here, at least, he is able to center himself.
Currently meditating at the base of the wisteria, Obi-Wan hovers cross legged in quiet contemplation and meditation, robes floating about him as though underwater when he senses someone enter his domain. Without dropping his eyes open, taking in...
A singularly concerned looking man. Brows lifted, he offers a smile from where he remains, hovering in the air, hands resting lightly on his knees. ]
[ since castiel woke in a nocwich hospital, bandages wrapped over healing lesions and fever making his vision swim, this has been the mission. while his body rests and recovers in nocwich and then cadens, his mind is set to scouring the horizon for any trace of dean, refusing to accept he's truly gone. migrating from one domain to the next until he finds one that immediately gives him pause.
stepping a single foot into obi-wan's newly cultivated space, a profound tranquility washes over him in a soothing wave, seeming to slow down time and drag him into an endless, mesmerizing pool of serenity, floating thoughtless and purposeless along with a calm, unhurried current. all the buzz and sirens and screeching in his mind gently, lovingly hushed, like a fussing child in a mother's lap.
after a month trapped in the nightmare world of the pit, choking on a grim and harsh survivalism, entangled in madness brought on by the ritual, it's a salve to an infected wound. tension melts from his shoulders, and there's an urge to simply find a nice rock and sit - enjoy the beauty and splendor of the environment and allow his mind to unfold. it's a peace he's never known, not in heaven, on earth, or meditation at the lowest point of the mariana trench. the enveloping serenity, the intimate assurance of such a precise and personal knowing love, is breathtaking. for a long moment, castiel's simply standing several yards from obi-wan, swaying gently with the breeze, and watching the robes about him curve and twist, like dancing kelp in a sea bed. ]
Hello. [ a dazed greeting, cas lifting a single hand. the will taken to move his limbs is enough to reel him back into his body, and he abruptly straightens, clears his throat, a measure of strict tension in his back and shoulders returning as he remembers himself. ] Master Kenobi. My apologies.
[ it's not that he didn't mean to interrupt, he did, he's rude when dean winchester is missing. But Cas might've been more respectful if he'd know it was Obi-Wan. (probably a little suspect that he did, immediately, recognize obi-wan, though they've only exchanged writing so far, but that's the furthest thing from his mind) ]
I'm, um. I'm looking for a man - a friend, he's gone missing.
Edited (i should proof read sometimes) 2023-04-13 00:23 (UTC)
[ Someone that knows him by sight in the robes of his order- that's curious. True he's taken to fashioning and making use of the robe he arrived in to have something close to familiar to wear in this strange new land and that might be noteworthy, but it is nowhere near what he has on in his domain. His brow quirks subtly and he drops his legs to stand, the floating meditation drifting away as gravity resumes its hold on him. The sense of serenity and knowing support doesn't diminish, however. The Kyber of the tree is resonant with the Living Force as Obi-Wan knows it; and noting that this man was so affected-
Curious. ]
I can't say I've had any visitors just yet- you are the first.
[ Where his visitor is upright and tense, Obi-Wan is open, warm and fluid, stepping down around the few boulders until he's at his guest's level, gesturing to a gazebo covered in crystalline ivy. ]
But perhaps I can help you in your search. Come, sit, I'll prepare caf or tea. I think I may have a bottle of brandy if that's something you need.
[ the Jedi floats gently to the ground, touching down lighter than air. The environment is surreal, more so than most domains, it rings more true of heaven, a moldable space with no limit on imagination and possibility. It feels like home. ]
The one I mentioned on the network before. Here, this may help.
[ Cas tugs the mugshot of dean from inside his coat and offers it to Obi-Wan. and now it clicks that he shouldn’t have immediately known the man on sight, with an internal wince. His attention to detail’s really slipping these last couple weeks home from the pit, hopefully it goes unnoticed. ]
We spoke earlier, I’m Castiel.
[ as Obi-wan moves for the gazebo, Cas zeros in on the kyber tree, pacing up to press a bare palm against it. Brows furrowed, he feels for the energy beneath the crystallized bark. ]
Tea would be fine, thank you. [ a distracted mutter. Another time, he might’ve chosen brandy, but he can’t spare the focus at a time like this. Cas closes his eyes, breathing in deeply and drawing at the flow of energy within the wisteria. ] This crystalline tree, is it something from your home?
Ah- I must admit I'm surprised you recognized me so quickly; is it a part of your angelic senses?
[ the ritual of preparing tea shall always and ever bring Obi-wan no small measure of peace and grounding in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. Here in his domain everything in the gazebo is humble, plain, but rich with memory. The set is the same he used for years as Qui-Gon's Padawan, the blend a richly spiced gift from Mace, the plate of brightly colored fruit (jogun, papple, melioroon) resting and ready to be sliced as he learned to offer his Padawan, Anakin.
Slices of Familiarity, of home. ]
It is and it isn't. The shape of it- yes. My favorite tree and safe haven in the room of a thousand fountains at the Jedi temple looks much like this, but of the usual organic material. The crystal, now...I believe I intuitively recreated the shape and feeling of Kyber from Ilum, combining it with that tree. Two places I have always felt certain, safe, and connected to the Force.
I have heard rumors of crystal trees in the edges of wild space- but nothing like this. May I ask why?
It was the tree. [ cas lies, somewhat. the crystal tree was a big clue, but not the first or primary thing he'd noticed approaching obi-wan. ] You mentioned it before.
[ no man likes to be told his fate's been written, and cas would rather not put his new friend on the spot, to make him feel more known than knowing.
cas can feel the energy thrumming through the tree just under his palm, nearly a warmth to it. the hum of serenity lulling his mind deepens, and it's clear this tree is the source. he tries to picture obi-wan's words in his mind - a 'room of a thousand fountains' and a wisteria with a canopied curtain of lavender flowers. ]
It must be a very large room, or very small fountains. [ he sighs, reluctantly pulling away from the tree to follow Obi-wan to the gazebo, observing him performing his tea ritual with pensive interest. ] Tending nature does have a meditative, healing effect, but I've never known a plant to give off such an intense soothing effect as this. I was just wondering if it's real somewhere, or purely imagination. What's Kyber?
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abraxaslogs2023-04-12 03:13 pm
[OPEN] The Sarstina + Market Square
He splits his time between curious conversation with locals or other Summoned, or tidying as needed when not out in the gambling dens in the market square, slowly growing his reserve of coin. ]
[OPEN] Horizon
More than a serene vista, the domain is filled from the moment of entry to the moment one steps from it's boundary there is this sense of peace. Of acceptance and safety, as though one's very soul has been wrapped in a familiar blanket and offered a hug. More than anything else there is this sense of being known, and being loved, the strongest point of this sensation is the kyber wisteria in the center of the domain. The further one drifts, the less aware one becomes of it.
Of course Obi-Wan meditates even now within the Horizon, hovering a few feet off the ground, wrapped in the familiar earthen tones of his order, arcana of death stitched subtly in dark brown, glossy thread on the back of his robes. ]
no subject
Though she could traverse the Horizon with a thought, she prefers to move on foot instead. It's easier for her to see who has barriers up around their domains; she isn't about to wander into someone's domain if they clearly don't want visitors. She isn't dressed for traveling, exactly, wearing laced sandals and a short, blue chiton with the sign of The Empress embroidered over her heart in pale thread; but in this place, she's found, it doesn't much matter what she wears, since she can mend her clothing on a whim. It is equal parts uncanny and convenient.
As soon as she steps into this new (to her) domain, she feels... tranquil. Safe. An enormous tree covered in blossoms looms ahead of her, unlike any she has ever seen, and the beauty of it combined with the serenity flooding her brings tears to her eyes. She places one hand to her chest, as if that will hold in the overwhelming emotions that overtake her; she hasn't felt anything even close to this since she was home, on Themyscira. Even her own domain, a replica of her beloved island, doesn't bring these sort of feelings to her heart. She is wrapped up in it, and she doesn't yet know whether or not she will drown or bloom from it.
She turns, uncertain if she intends to leave or venture further within, and a man hovering just off the ground catches her eye. He looks deep in thought, and though normally she wouldn't want to disturb him, she cannot help herself. She keeps her tone even, though there is clearly something wavering just beneath her words.]
Is this your domain?
no subject
[ Obi-Wan opens his eyes, luminous in this place while deep in meditation, drifting on the comfort and serenity that resonates. He feels more steady, more certain, and perhaps tomorrow he will attempt to explore this place in a greater depth, seek out the monolith that is the center, the other domains created by those that have also been summoned to this world. Knowing what they choose for their comfort would teach him much of them and their worlds and he cannot help but be curious. Though- he currently is moved by the depth of emotion in his latest guest's voice. ]
The tree is somewhat...a physical manifestation of a metaphysical entity in my reality, I suppose, but the rest is very much like a garden in the Jedi Temple, where I was raised. A place of peace, joy, and rest.
[ He lifts a hand to his shoulder to steady a tooka kitten that curled against his neck, purring away in sleep. Within a moment gravity resumes and he steps out of the floating meditation, walking to get a better look at this- warrior? Her build, her stance, her attire all speak of pragmatism and strength. ]
...Are you able to feel it? I wasn't certain if it would translate for those unfamiliar.
no subject
Peace, joy, and rest sums it up nicely. She nods just a bit, head bobbing slightly as she continues to look at the tree for a moment longer before turning her gaze back to him. Her eyes do shine, though she's managed to get a hold of her emotions once more. Not an easy feat when faced with such an outpouring of feeling, but she's managing.
The strange creature on his shoulder, of all things, helps ground her. It looks akin to a cat, though not like any she's ever seen. When she speaks again, her voice has steadied, and her eyes are more or less clear.]
It's all I can feel. Like coming home. [She glances around them again.] Though little of this looks like where I am from. It is beautiful, nonetheless.
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[ On petite birdlike feet, the kitten rouses enough to stand and stretch, jaw cracking open in a wide quavering yawn before circling around to Obi-Wan's other shoulder to doze, all while Obi-Wan remains perfectly still as to not disturb the creature. ]
But I can't say that I regret it. Knowing that at least here, others can experience the Living Force as I do, even in this strange world. [ Even if only in the Horizon- even if he cannot quite feel others the way he would in his own realm just yet- there is a comfort in mutual connection that has his eyes warm to the point of welling, but the emotion moves through him without leaving a mark.
He has a guest. Gawking is impolite. ]
The wisteria is one I spent many a day under or in as a young man, though it was but a tree back home. The kyber is, I think, what makes my domain resonate so. Welcome, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi. Would you care for a cup of tea, perhaps?
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The Horizon is mysterious in many ways. Perhaps this is another one of them.
[She presses her hand to her chest once more as if to hold everything within herself, before dropping her arms to rest by her sides. Her stance is loose, but despite the ease with which she holds herself, she still has an air about her that she's ready for anything.
She inclines her head slightly in thanks for the explanation, and looks again to the tree. It is so unlike anything she has seen before, almost like something from the realm of the gods. She exhales slowly, and smiles at the offer.]
Well met, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am Diana of Themyscira. Tea sounds lovely.
[While they may not need to eat or drink in the Horizon, it's the familiarity of the action that matters.]
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A pleasure to meet you as well, Diana of Themyscira. I must admit, I've not read of this- country? Kingdom? Planet?
[ Curiosity buoys him forward as he walks Diana to the gazebo, hands slipping into the sleeves of his robe out of habit, eyes bright and intent. If there is one thing about this trip he's enjoyed? It's the opportunity to learn a great deal about a great many different people and their homes; places and planets not in the archives, peoples and powers unlike anything he has ever known.
It is almost enough to make up for the rather rude summoning. ]
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[Abby had been working on her own corner of the Horizon, carving out a space to call her own. But as her creation was very much created in the image of home. It hurt more than it felt comfortable at this moment.]
[So she wandered to see what others were up to, just to get a gauge to what was possible in the impossible. Only to find an old man meditating inside a place you get to by meditating.]
[Abby's mark of The Lovers is stitched into her crop top just over her heart, red on black. With a pair of simple but form fitting jeans dragging low enough to obscure her sneakers. The best element of being here, being in this place, was her clothes being her's. To a degree anyway.]
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[ Obi-Wan's eye cracks open from where he's hovering, peering down at the young woman dressed- quite a bit like Ayla if he thought about it. Curious. ]
It is something of a habit, I suppose. To better center myself and remain in contact with The Force.
[ He remains hovering for the moment, unable to stand for the sleeping tooka kitten purring in his lap. For the time being, he lives here. It's an excellent means of practicing his focus. ]
Here, at least, it feels as it should. Out in the Free Cities...less so.
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[She's not judging nearly as much as she could be. Mostly she is sticking it out in here because of the peaceful vibe. Which could be a trap but her body isn't actually here so she can always just dip.]
[She may or may not have trust issues.]
Do you normally tell gravity to fuck off when you meditate?
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[ Obi-Wan answers with a wry smile, lifting one shoulder. In his lap the Tooka kit snuffles and stretches, shaking herself out from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail before leaping from Obi-Wan's lap to wander to their guest. Thus freed, Obi-Wan allows gravity to once again take hold and stands, hands sliding into the sleeves of his robe. ]
...more or less, depending upon my point of focus. Do you often wander about questioning strangers?
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[Abby shrugged and let herself drop to the ground. Tucking her knee against her chest to sit. She's bored, and this place feels calming. And going from constant connection to everyone in her life, to having one botanical sales representative looking out for her was quite the vacancy in her attention.]
I'm Abby. Now I'm not a stranger, so you can ask whatever.
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I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, so I suppose neither of us are strangers. Have you found much in your wandering of the Horizon?
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kill bill sirens
Too familiar. He snaps out with a wave of anger before throwing his mental shields up. The fact that it's like stretching an unused muscle goes ignored.
Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is here. Not in Thorne, but somewhere. That thought propels him upward, his chair clattering to the ground behind him. Anakin is so angry he can feel it crawling under his skin like a living thing. At first, he paces, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he stews in his own fury.
Why did Obi-Wan have to ruin everything for him at every turn!? This was supposed to be his! Is it because he was something close to happy? Unbothered by things from 'home', no one cared about who he was or what he'd done. They'd given him more clarity about his own life than any teaching at the Jedi Temple.
His paranoia and spiraling thoughts lead to the singular need to find and confront his former Master. To show him what he'd do if he tried to ruin this, too. Storming off to the chambers he shared with Mat, he sits on the floor, his back pressed to the foot of his bed as he prepares for a bit of meditation. Not that the stance mattered much when going to the Horizon. Time never passed from one moment in that place to the next. It will only be as if he'd blinked.
He ends up in his own domain, the large cathedral-esque castle looming overtop of him, its violet-tinted windows like eyes watching over everything else. Anakin has only a vague idea of what Obi-Wan's domain would even look like given what he knows about the man. It doesn't take much to find him. He silently curses being comforted by the feelings of peace and acceptance that try to shroud his shoulders like a blanket offered at the peak of a violent storm. His arms crossed defensively in front of his chest, he watches his mentor with narrowed gold eyes. There's no way Obi-Wan couldn't feel him as he approached. ]
Predictable as ever, my Master.
[ His words are terse, but not overly loud. He doesn't need to be. When Obi-Wan finally turns around, he'll find Anakin in something more befitting of a politician than a Jedi. Inside the golden sleeves are raised embroiderings of the Judgement arcana. ]
choo choo here comes the pain train
He was alone.
Hence the creation of somewhere comforting, somewhere he would feel the warmth and light of the Jedi as he would at home. Something soothing that would sustain him as he made a living and learned more of this world, this place's conflict, the other Summoned and what they are meant to do. Why choose them, of all those available in the many realities and galaxies from which they've sprung?
It never occurs to him that the pressure could be someone familiar.
Could be someone he knows as intimately as his own self.
In the Horizon it never seemed to follow him- until today. When it churns and coils and finally coalescence into a pointed pain that he hasn't endured since he first taught Anakin how to properly shield himself while experiencing a fit of temper. The sudden clarity of who that weight is has Obi-Wan's eyes snap open, locking in on a figure draped in black and gold and-
With golden eyes.]
Anakin?
[ He was a young man when Obi-Wan left the Council Chambers. Freshly shorn of his Padawan braid, bright and eager for his own command, his own responsibilities as a knight. Obi-Wan couldn't have been more proud. The very image of this- taller, darker, golden eyed man is startling enough to nearly have Obi-Waw dropping out of his meditation onto his ass; but he catches himself- more puzzled and concerned than anything else. ]
You- I can't have possibly conjured you. [ He tried, early on, in a fit of loneliness. All he'd managed was a pale imitation he dismissed entirely. Never before had he been so certain that a thoroughly agreeable Anakin was deeply, irrevocably wrong. ]
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No, why would you have manifested your greatest failure? I'm very much here in front of you, Obi-Wan.
[ To Anakin's dismay, it doesn't seem as though he can impose his will upon Obi-Wan's domain. He would have liked to dismantle it due to his discomfort and anger and as a jab toward the other man. Obi-Wan had taken everything from him, why shouldn't he return the favor?
He knows no one can be killed in the Horizon, so it doesn't do him any good on that end.. but that doesn't mean he can't also send his Master a lesson. Looking more at the domain around them, Anakin turns his back on him, his fists clenched at his sides. How many Jedi had he mowed down in this very room on Coruscant? He'd lost count with each cry in the Force. ]
Why are you here?! I was doing just fine without you here meddling in my life like you always have!
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More than that? The anger.
The hatred radiating off of him in discordant resonance with the familiar love from the Kyber behind him. ]
Greatest failure? What are you talking about? You'd only just been knighted, Anakin, I told you how proud I was of you and your accomplishments, you've done well not only in your own trials but in the war-
[ Old habit has him arguing, has him approaching when wariness would bid him hold back. Anger- that's not unfamiliar. The hate is. The hate was wrong in a way he couldn't place- were they not family? Were they not brothers? Was this brilliant, aggravating boy not the other half of his very soul? ]
I'm- Anakin I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not meddling- I can't say I haven't meddled during your apprenticeship but it is the role of a master to meddle, and you cannot say you haven't meddled right back- [ Becoming irate probably isn't the most wise decision, but he finally has a name for the migraine he'd been carrying and- that'd been Anakin? All this time? ] Where are you? I haven't heard anything of you in the Free Cities.
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Some of his fury burns away when he realizes that he's looking at a younger version of Obi-Wan. There's a small, rational part of his brain whispering that he can't truly be mad about things this Obi-Wan hasn't done yet.. but that doesn't mean there aren't still embers burning in his chest that keep him heated. ]
You're not meddling yet, and here you are, asking where I am because you're thinking about doing it! I've been in this place long enough that I have no desire to go anywhere- least of all with you.
[ He pinches the spot between his eyes in irritation, taking a moment for his emotions to simmer a bit. A large part of their relationship during his apprenticeship and continuing further was their mutual meddling where it may not have been needed. Everything usually worked out.
No. No. Anakin refuses to go down this road. He's still mad at Obi-Wan. At an Obi-Wan from, Force, four years displaced from who stands in front of him. So much has happened in that span of time that it's hard to know where to begin when one battle bled into the next. When failures and wins took turns to change the tide and it never seemed to end.
Instead, he opts to cross his arms defensively in front of himself, not looking at his former Master. A stance that is probably achingly familiar. Relenting a bit more of that anger. ]
That's because I'm not in the Free Cities, I'm in Thorne.
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[Closed] Horizon Meditations with Castiel
At least, that is his current excuse.
Having the Wisteria, however, and the closest thing to the Jedi Temple since his arrival in this world at his fingertips may be most of the reason he remains. The world beyond feels...unbalanced. He should not be the only point of light he is able to feel, nevermind the dull migraine he has most days due to a strange intensity in the energy of this world.
Here, at least, he is able to center himself.
Currently meditating at the base of the wisteria, Obi-Wan hovers cross legged in quiet contemplation and meditation, robes floating about him as though underwater when he senses someone enter his domain. Without dropping his eyes open, taking in...
A singularly concerned looking man. Brows lifted, he offers a smile from where he remains, hovering in the air, hands resting lightly on his knees. ]
Hello there.
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stepping a single foot into obi-wan's newly cultivated space, a profound tranquility washes over him in a soothing wave, seeming to slow down time and drag him into an endless, mesmerizing pool of serenity, floating thoughtless and purposeless along with a calm, unhurried current. all the buzz and sirens and screeching in his mind gently, lovingly hushed, like a fussing child in a mother's lap.
after a month trapped in the nightmare world of the pit, choking on a grim and harsh survivalism, entangled in madness brought on by the ritual, it's a salve to an infected wound. tension melts from his shoulders, and there's an urge to simply find a nice rock and sit - enjoy the beauty and splendor of the environment and allow his mind to unfold. it's a peace he's never known, not in heaven, on earth, or meditation at the lowest point of the mariana trench. the enveloping serenity, the intimate assurance of such a precise and personal knowing love, is breathtaking. for a long moment, castiel's simply standing several yards from obi-wan, swaying gently with the breeze, and watching the robes about him curve and twist, like dancing kelp in a sea bed. ]
Hello. [ a dazed greeting, cas lifting a single hand. the will taken to move his limbs is enough to reel him back into his body, and he abruptly straightens, clears his throat, a measure of strict tension in his back and shoulders returning as he remembers himself. ] Master Kenobi. My apologies.
[ it's not that he didn't mean to interrupt, he did, he's rude when dean winchester is missing. But Cas might've been more respectful if he'd know it was Obi-Wan. (probably a little suspect that he did, immediately, recognize obi-wan, though they've only exchanged writing so far, but that's the furthest thing from his mind) ]
I'm, um. I'm looking for a man - a friend, he's gone missing.
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Curious. ]
I can't say I've had any visitors just yet- you are the first.
[ Where his visitor is upright and tense, Obi-Wan is open, warm and fluid, stepping down around the few boulders until he's at his guest's level, gesturing to a gazebo covered in crystalline ivy. ]
But perhaps I can help you in your search. Come, sit, I'll prepare caf or tea. I think I may have a bottle of brandy if that's something you need.
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The one I mentioned on the network before. Here, this may help.
[ Cas tugs the mugshot of dean from inside his coat and offers it to Obi-Wan. and now it clicks that he shouldn’t have immediately known the man on sight, with an internal wince. His attention to detail’s really slipping these last couple weeks home from the pit, hopefully it goes unnoticed. ]
We spoke earlier, I’m Castiel.
[ as Obi-wan moves for the gazebo, Cas zeros in on the kyber tree, pacing up to press a bare palm against it. Brows furrowed, he feels for the energy beneath the crystallized bark. ]
Tea would be fine, thank you. [ a distracted mutter. Another time, he might’ve chosen brandy, but he can’t spare the focus at a time like this. Cas closes his eyes, breathing in deeply and drawing at the flow of energy within the wisteria. ] This crystalline tree, is it something from your home?
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[ the ritual of preparing tea shall always and ever bring Obi-wan no small measure of peace and grounding in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. Here in his domain everything in the gazebo is humble, plain, but rich with memory. The set is the same he used for years as Qui-Gon's Padawan, the blend a richly spiced gift from Mace, the plate of brightly colored fruit (jogun, papple, melioroon) resting and ready to be sliced as he learned to offer his Padawan, Anakin.
Slices of Familiarity, of home. ]
It is and it isn't. The shape of it- yes. My favorite tree and safe haven in the room of a thousand fountains at the Jedi temple looks much like this, but of the usual organic material. The crystal, now...I believe I intuitively recreated the shape and feeling of Kyber from Ilum, combining it with that tree. Two places I have always felt certain, safe, and connected to the Force.
I have heard rumors of crystal trees in the edges of wild space- but nothing like this. May I ask why?
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[ no man likes to be told his fate's been written, and cas would rather not put his new friend on the spot, to make him feel more known than knowing.
cas can feel the energy thrumming through the tree just under his palm, nearly a warmth to it. the hum of serenity lulling his mind deepens, and it's clear this tree is the source. he tries to picture obi-wan's words in his mind - a 'room of a thousand fountains' and a wisteria with a canopied curtain of lavender flowers. ]
It must be a very large room, or very small fountains. [ he sighs, reluctantly pulling away from the tree to follow Obi-wan to the gazebo, observing him performing his tea ritual with pensive interest. ] Tending nature does have a meditative, healing effect, but I've never known a plant to give off such an intense soothing effect as this. I was just wondering if it's real somewhere, or purely imagination. What's Kyber?
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