/takes the huntress out back and buries it (jan mingle pt. II)

[scrubscrub]

Who: Anyone on the SS Huntress! Crew and visitors.
Broadcast: N/A
Action: SS Huntress
When: More of January! We got three new crew mates and it will be messy.

IT'S ANOTHER MINGLE FOR OUR EVER-EXPANDING SHIP.

Also, we need an update on how well Koala is doing at pinball.

God, help this ship.

Comments

[nerdeology]

[That... is actually a sobering question, and something he doesn't like to think about.]

Some would say... it is the fate of one who chooses to be a Shepherd. The path of purification is lonely and full of pain.

...He's not alone, though. Both seraphim and squire can pledge themselves to him. They share his goal and his fate, and in doing so, share his burden.

[beardstrokes]

[ Ah. Obi-Wan looks away, briefly. ]

It is never easy for those who are chosen.

[nerdeology]

No, it isn't.

[And those who care about the chosen one are constantly stressed about whether or not they're okay. Chosen ones are often quite fragile.]

You seem like... you understand.

[beardstrokes]

My student is considered to be the Chosen One for a prophecy long foretold. I do believe it and yet, I would not wish those burdens on him.

I'm afraid, though, that it is out of my hands now.

[ And the damage is done. Anakin will never be a normal Jedi, like the rest of them are, like Obi-Wan. He will always possess that odd stigma and burden of being both Chosen and outsider. ]

[nerdeology]

[Prophecy... that's not great. As bad as Sorey's path can get, at least he's always been in control of his own choices. As soon as some pre-arranged fate is involved, things can get sticky.]

Out of your hands? Are you saying you can't help?

[beardstrokes]

I'm saying I've done what I can. I am only a teacher. I can help, advise and even guide. But I cannot control another person's destiny.

[ That's semantics, but it is true. Obi-Wan would never exert that kind of control over a person. ]

[nerdeology]

I see.

[Talk of fate aside, it only means the one chosen has to make their own decisions. That's familiar, at least.]

If you stick by him, maybe something will come up. Even fate itself can be fickle.

[Only history is set in stone, in his mind. The future can do all kinds of things.]

[beardstrokes]

I doubt I could change my decision to keep an eye on him.

[ No matter what he hears, that much won't ever change. Obi-Wan is Anakin's teacher, friend and brother. ]

[nerdeology]

The mark of a true companion.

[If nothing else, it's admirable.]

I wish there were more humans like you.

[beardstrokes]

Perhaps.

[ He strokes his beard lightly. ] But that could also be quite boring. In all of us, human or otherwise, is potential. And we all reach it in different ways.

I try to reach mine through my beliefs.

[nerdeology]

I'm all for variety. If all seraphim were alike, that would be boring, too.

But key traits - determination, goodwill, loyalty, kindness - that's what keeps a human free from malevolence, and therefore uncorrupted. In other words, it's ideal for my kind. I admit, we have a slight bias towards humans like that.

[He'd kind of like to not get poisoned by his chums.]

[beardstrokes]

[ He nods in understanding. ]

When I was young, I used to have difficult in situations or places where great darkness or terror lingered. Fear, loss, pain . . . it was hard to parse with the abilities I had.

[nerdeology]

What abilities?

[He's already heard from others that outside of his own world, some humans have magical abilities, so he's automatically pinged.]

[beardstrokes]

Well, I'm able to tap into the Force - the lifeforce that I was telling you about earlier. As such, I have certain abilities such as being able to perceive the truth, revealing other hidden intentions, visions and so on.

[nerdeology]

Interesting. Like seeing into the hearts of others, in a way?

[Just feeling it out.]

[beardstrokes]

[ He glances at him, and nods. ]

Yes, that sounds about right.

[nerdeology]

Huh. Not that different, then.

[A human with the power - at least, in part - of a seraph? Now that's familiar.]

I can understand why it would be a struggle to possess a power like that in times of strife. Looking into a heart of darkness is a fearful thing.

[beardstrokes]

True. But I will never let that fear control me.

[nerdeology]

You're very confident about that.

[It's admirable, at least.]

A power like that could destroy someone without enough willpower to counter its effect on them.

[beardstrokes]

It is willpower that a Jedi needs. Fear, anger, hate . . . those are emotions we do not hold onto. We let them go into the Force. For those feelings do not serve anyone but the Dark.

[nerdeology]

The Dark?

[That sounds both ominous and way too on-the-nose.]

[beardstrokes]

The Force is made up of two sides, the Light and the Dark. I serve the Light as a Jedi, but we can be corrupted to serve the Dark.

[ The terminology may change, the idea remains the same. ]

[nerdeology]

I see... two sides of the same coin. Polar opposites, but ultimately not far from one another. It's much the same with seraphim and hellions, in my world.

[The similarities are actually a bit startling, though he knows he ought not be surprised. It's logical that any world would have manifestations of light and dark.]

Your home seems very interesting.

[beardstrokes]

[ He folds his arms subconsciously. ]

It is a little similar to this. We travel to many planets, helping out others in need. A Jedi's duty is to serve.

[nerdeology]

With it being so new, it's hard to imagine living this way for long. I've never left the continent I was raised on, nevermind the world itself... how do you get used to this?

[He still gets shivers when he so much as looks out the window. So much empty space, when he just wants to get his feet back on solid ground. Go stand in a lake or something. There's not much water in space.]