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!
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?
[ Obi-Wan murmurs with no little amusement, setting the tea aside to steep. Some leosylph kits drift and float along a cool breeze, darting amid fluttering, reflective light not entirely unlike falling petals. ]
Kyber crystals are...not quite sentient, but resonant in the force, and are often used as a focus or channel for lightsabers. I can't say I've ever seen them grow quite like this, but they and their energy do resonate with organic life and plants in particular, so perhaps there is somewhere in my galaxy with something close to this tree. The Kyber caves of Ilum are where Jedi have traveled as younglings to find the crystal for their lightsabers and...it is a challenge. You face yourself and the elements in your seeking, but the caves as a whole?
[ Voice in a lilting, soothing intonation that speaks of a common lecture, Obi-Wan pours two cups of tea. ]
Never before have I felt that a world in its entirety cared for me. Not the people on it, but the planet itself. The sensation is as humbling as it is soothing; and in my...discomfort in not having any other Jedi in the Free Cities that I can feel or connect with? I may have pulled on the sensation to feel less isolated.
[ Cas paces across the gazebo, coming to sit quietly across from Obi-wan and his tea. Once offered his cup, Cas sips pensively at it while listening intently to Obi-wan's story about the crystals, the caves, and the trial to reach them. ]
Lightsaber. I've known light to be destructive, but only when wielded by angels. How have you made effective swords from it? [ He knows, he's seen the movies, but again, he'd rather hear Obi-wan describe it. The crystals must be some kind of conduit for Force, which is, as Cas understands it, the ambient energy of the universe, of creation and life. God isn't so much a singular entity, but spread out among all things in Obi-wan's reality. As a being composed of energy and light, the concept of being drawn through a crystal and altered into power for a weapon is partly terrifying, and another part intriguing. Not something he'd ever try, but intriguing. ]
You face yourself. How do mean?
[ What did Obi-wan face in that cave? What facet of himself did he have to overcome to move past it towards self-mastery? The description of the caves, however, feel so much like heaven, cas feel an ache in him for home. If all beings could feel the love and care an environment has for them, how the purpose and mission of the earth beneath their feet is to nurture the life it provides, perhaps humanity would find inner peace more accessibly. ]
That feeling of isolation, I understand it. [ He glances down into his tea, swirling it in the cup. ] I've been... unwelcome in my home, Heaven, in the dimension I came from. It's both our purpose to power Heaven, and the source that amplifies our abilities, a kind of symbiosis. But my brethren and I had several unfortunate disagreements. Being away so long, it feels like an emptiness. A missing piece.
Destructive is...a strong word for it. There is a reason the order uses lightsabers rather than blasters or other more...uncivilized weaponry. They are a symbol of our status as a part of the order, yes, but they are something we lift in defense of those that cannot defend themselves. Can someone wielding a saber do great acts of violence? Of course. But if they were to do so, they would not be a Jedi.
[ He pauses, sipping from his own cup as he considers his own youthful fancies when deigning his saber, how foolish it was, and how content he is with the form he's chosen to master. ]
Ultimately they are an extension of ourselves and our oath to the Republic and greater galaxy we serve. To protect peace, preserve justice and democracy. My favored saber form is one specifically designed to defend; and I've trained many a padawan in it's techniques.
[ With the war on it's become something of a requirement, but- he puts that thought aside. As much as he might worry for his friends at home, there is nothing he can do for them here. ]
...It is a trial, to find your kyber crystal. The caves are full of stones, finding the one that resonates with you, that is meant for you- it means facing your flaws. Fear, anger, isolation, an inability to let go and move forward, resentment. Whatever may hold you back from reaching your full potential as a Jedi, what might prevent you from becoming the best possible version of yourself- that is what you face. To carry Kyber, to use it to craft a lightsaber- it is a rite of passage and a responsibility.
[ He'd seen- many things he'd care not to elaborate on, having had a less than normal past compared to the other initiates; so he's content to move on to the next subject. ]
A hollow ache. As though you are stretching your hand out in the dark where you know you should find a hand grasping for yours in turn, but there is nothing.
[ the jedi ideals, and how obi-wan discusses them, is captivating. it's an ideal society, with a common code and goal that all agree and work towards. much less the civil dispute of heaven, the varying morality and definition of purpose. when cas first freed them (he thought) from following the word of god to the letter, he'd thought they'd naturally fall to upholding ideals and virtue, but he'd overestimated the soul of their society. ]
I wish angels had so strong a code for violence in the name of defense and protection. I'd be interested to see this saber form some time, if you're willing to share it.
How is it that the Jedi decide who is worthy of defense or protection? Not all conflicts are simply good and evil.
[ mortals and humanity is so much more vastly complicated. both sides can be doing something they consider defending themselves, and it can be reasonably true for each. how does a jedi make that call? ]
Fascinating. [ these caves full of kyber crystals. for inanimate nature to bring forth such visions that lead jedi to such intimate personal growth, he wonders at their true nature. ] Do you imagine there's a hallucinogenic property to the caves, or a spirit that possesses it? Or is it simply the conduit nature of the stone for the living Force?
[ with the force being a creation energy simply dispersed rather than held by a single being, perhaps these crystals were somehow more saturated. perhaps there was, once, a single being, that chose to divide itself throughout its creation, cas wonders. such an altruistic, selfless act, one his world's god clearly had no interest in. ]
Yes, exactly. This feeling, it's just how you say. [ incidentally, it also accurately describes the feeling left behind with dean's absence. cas supposes, in many ways, dean became his new home, once heaven was lost to him. dean, sam, the impala, and later, the bunker - places where dean exists, places he goes to find him. those are what became home for him. ]
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
[ Obi-Wan murmurs with no little amusement, setting the tea aside to steep. Some leosylph kits drift and float along a cool breeze, darting amid fluttering, reflective light not entirely unlike falling petals. ]
Kyber crystals are...not quite sentient, but resonant in the force, and are often used as a focus or channel for lightsabers. I can't say I've ever seen them grow quite like this, but they and their energy do resonate with organic life and plants in particular, so perhaps there is somewhere in my galaxy with something close to this tree. The Kyber caves of Ilum are where Jedi have traveled as younglings to find the crystal for their lightsabers and...it is a challenge. You face yourself and the elements in your seeking, but the caves as a whole?
[ Voice in a lilting, soothing intonation that speaks of a common lecture, Obi-Wan pours two cups of tea. ]
Never before have I felt that a world in its entirety cared for me. Not the people on it, but the planet itself. The sensation is as humbling as it is soothing; and in my...discomfort in not having any other Jedi in the Free Cities that I can feel or connect with? I may have pulled on the sensation to feel less isolated.
no subject
Lightsaber. I've known light to be destructive, but only when wielded by angels. How have you made effective swords from it? [ He knows, he's seen the movies, but again, he'd rather hear Obi-wan describe it. The crystals must be some kind of conduit for Force, which is, as Cas understands it, the ambient energy of the universe, of creation and life. God isn't so much a singular entity, but spread out among all things in Obi-wan's reality. As a being composed of energy and light, the concept of being drawn through a crystal and altered into power for a weapon is partly terrifying, and another part intriguing. Not something he'd ever try, but intriguing. ]
You face yourself. How do mean?
[ What did Obi-wan face in that cave? What facet of himself did he have to overcome to move past it towards self-mastery? The description of the caves, however, feel so much like heaven, cas feel an ache in him for home. If all beings could feel the love and care an environment has for them, how the purpose and mission of the earth beneath their feet is to nurture the life it provides, perhaps humanity would find inner peace more accessibly. ]
That feeling of isolation, I understand it. [ He glances down into his tea, swirling it in the cup. ] I've been... unwelcome in my home, Heaven, in the dimension I came from. It's both our purpose to power Heaven, and the source that amplifies our abilities, a kind of symbiosis. But my brethren and I had several unfortunate disagreements. Being away so long, it feels like an emptiness. A missing piece.
no subject
[ He pauses, sipping from his own cup as he considers his own youthful fancies when deigning his saber, how foolish it was, and how content he is with the form he's chosen to master. ]
Ultimately they are an extension of ourselves and our oath to the Republic and greater galaxy we serve. To protect peace, preserve justice and democracy. My favored saber form is one specifically designed to defend; and I've trained many a padawan in it's techniques.
[ With the war on it's become something of a requirement, but- he puts that thought aside. As much as he might worry for his friends at home, there is nothing he can do for them here. ]
...It is a trial, to find your kyber crystal. The caves are full of stones, finding the one that resonates with you, that is meant for you- it means facing your flaws. Fear, anger, isolation, an inability to let go and move forward, resentment. Whatever may hold you back from reaching your full potential as a Jedi, what might prevent you from becoming the best possible version of yourself- that is what you face. To carry Kyber, to use it to craft a lightsaber- it is a rite of passage and a responsibility.
[ He'd seen- many things he'd care not to elaborate on, having had a less than normal past compared to the other initiates; so he's content to move on to the next subject. ]
A hollow ache. As though you are stretching your hand out in the dark where you know you should find a hand grasping for yours in turn, but there is nothing.
no subject
I wish angels had so strong a code for violence in the name of defense and protection. I'd be interested to see this saber form some time, if you're willing to share it.
How is it that the Jedi decide who is worthy of defense or protection? Not all conflicts are simply good and evil.
[ mortals and humanity is so much more vastly complicated. both sides can be doing something they consider defending themselves, and it can be reasonably true for each. how does a jedi make that call? ]
Fascinating. [ these caves full of kyber crystals. for inanimate nature to bring forth such visions that lead jedi to such intimate personal growth, he wonders at their true nature. ] Do you imagine there's a hallucinogenic property to the caves, or a spirit that possesses it? Or is it simply the conduit nature of the stone for the living Force?
[ with the force being a creation energy simply dispersed rather than held by a single being, perhaps these crystals were somehow more saturated. perhaps there was, once, a single being, that chose to divide itself throughout its creation, cas wonders. such an altruistic, selfless act, one his world's god clearly had no interest in. ]
Yes, exactly. This feeling, it's just how you say. [ incidentally, it also accurately describes the feeling left behind with dean's absence. cas supposes, in many ways, dean became his new home, once heaven was lost to him. dean, sam, the impala, and later, the bunker - places where dean exists, places he goes to find him. those are what became home for him. ]