driftfleet | 03 | video + action

Who: Stefan Salvatore-Alesci and you!!
Broadcast: Fleet-wide
Action: Iskaulit
When: January 19, early afternoon

[The feed opens to a wide-panning shot of a few rooms clustered together on the Iskaulit - a bright prayer room with a wide open window and carpeting, which is attached to two smaller rooms: a small kitchen & dining area with all the necessary utensils + more than enough tea, and a washroom behind a wedged door. All well-lit and inviting, with yellow paint on the walls and warm lighting in the ceiling. Once the camera focuses back on the prayer room, it's flipped so Stefan can greet the Fleet with a smile. (It doesn't quite reach his eyes, though, and his shoulders are unusually tense.)

There are bookshelves behind him, though they're filled with things like prayer beads, bells for prayer, and little kneelers that people can move around. One shelf has the Lord's Prayer, although it's written in Italian rather than English. In general? This space is as warm & inviting as it can be. Stefan's tried his hardest to make it feel more like a home than a sanctuary.]

Hey everyone. I'm Stefan [a hesitant pause, before he forgoes his surname altogether] and uh, for those who don't know me, I'm the Paisley's lab support. Anyways, a few months ago, I told the Fleet that I'd like to open an interfaith space. Thanks to the support of a lot of people, it's finally here.

If you need a space to pray, or talk to someone about your faith, or sit down and have some tea... you've got it. Still working on the final touches, but we've got most teachings from Abrahamic faiths, an interfaith service every Thursday, and of course, jumu'ah on Fridays.

If you'd like to lead a faith service, or to help with spiritual counseling, you're more than welcome to. This is for all of us, not just those who believe in one particular religion - but let me know so I can either get you situated. If you don't have experience, that's okay. I can show you the basics.

The prayer room will always be unlocked, but if you need to access something when I'm not around, give me a call. Oh. [He focuses the camera on white shelves by the door. Eagle-eyed viewers could probably see his lying around on the top.] Don't forget to take your shoes off before you come in.

This is technically a sacred space, and well... [jokingly:] Not every faith believes in shoes.

[ooc: With this post, the Interfaith Center is a location you can use! The prayer room (+ adjoining washroom) will be unlocked 24/7, though you'll need Stefan's permission to access the kitchen! If your character would like to become a spiritual counselor, PM me! The pay is non-existent, but you will get as many cookies & tea as your heart desires.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Y'Allah, that is not even remotely what he expected BUT HE'LL TAKE IT]

Um, sure. I'm not leaving anytime soon. I'm over on the Iskaulit, if you know how to get there.

[His cheeks are a little red, but he's gonna ignore that for now. SOMEONE WANTS TO LISTEN TO HIM RECITE QUR'AN, HE'S GONNA CALL THE PRESSES]

Yup! Hera's the pilot for my ship, she showed me how to use the shuttle autopilot. I'll be right there!

Should I bring anything with me?

Nah. I've got everything here, though if you have some of the stuff you wanted to bring? Now would be a good time for that.

Right. [He doesn't...really have much (he'll probably use his earrings as a stand-in and borrow a candle) so it looks like all he has to bring is himself.] Okay! I'll be there in a about two hours!

[True to his word, Sorey docks (perilously) on the Iskaulit roughly two hours later. He has to ask for directions a couple times but he manages to find his way to the worship chamber and almost stomps right in wearing his boots before he spots the shoes outside.

The inside is spacious but cozy, and Sorey takes in everything with the awe of a person who really, really likes learning about other people and cultures. It feels kind of irreverent to go calling for people so he'll just find a cushion, lay it out and kneel formally as he waits for Stefan to return. In fact, he'll just grab a candle first, set it in front of him and light it before bowing his head with a fist to his chest. Praying isn't something he's ever done, but he imagines it can't be that hard if humans have been doing it for countless centuries.]

[It takes a couple of minutes for Stefan to approach Sorey - and when he does, he's holding a tray with two mugs of freshly-brewed tea and sugar cookies, which he'll set down in front of Sorey.

His voice is quiet, considering that he doesn't want to interrupt the prayer,] Hey. [He takes out his copy of the Qur'an, holding it carefully with one hand as he starts to count with the other. Instead of using his whole finger, he counts in thirds, but he'll only count as long as Sorey's prayer will last.

A prayer is a prayer, no matter what form it takes, and he'll wait as long as he needs to.]

Hi, [Sorey answers back with a smile, though he doesn't open his eyes just yet. He wasn't saying anything particular (there are no verses or passages he recites for this kind of praying after all) so he finishes up quickly, cups the flame to blow it out and sets the candle aside not even a minute later.]

Thanks for waiting for me. It's really great to meet you in person, Stefan!

I could say the same to you, Sorey.

[A video screen doesn't quite capture the kid, now that Stefan's taking a real look at him, or how tall he is. (Not that videos ever do...)]

I'm not sure how much we'll get to learn today, or how much you wanna hear, so I brought food with me. ["Also wasn't sure how hungry you were."] Black tea, with a little milk, and some freshly-baked sugar cookies. If you don't like tea, uh - that's okay. I tend to make it out of habit.

No, this is great! Thank you so much, [and he bows, hands on his knees, all proper in a house of worship.] I appreciate the hospitality.

[he'll sip that tea but he's also staring at what you have. A BOOK. it's a book. hhhhhh sorey love book] Is that the Qu'ran?

[Oh, whoa, he wasn't expecting that bow - or that perfect pronunciation.]

You actually said it right. [His smile grows far more genuine as he opens it, holding it out to Surah Al-Fatihah. The entire text is written in ornate Arabic, which isn't much of a problem for Stefan since he's fluent in it, but there IS a translation in the back.] Yeah, this is the sacred text from my world.

Earth has a few, but the Qur'an was the most important one to me. It's similar to two other books, the Bible and the Talmund.

[Sorey had memorized it when Stefan first said it earlier. It's only polite, after all, with him going to all the trouble.] Are those books for religions other than Islam? [He leans forward a bit to peer at the text but yeah, can't read that. Maybe he'll see if there is anything to help with translation in the library...though it's unlikely.]

Yeah. I don't have a lot right now, but they're about local religions. [From when they visited various planets, he means. They've been roughly translated to the best of Stefan's ability.]

If the library didn't have a Bible, I would've gotten a copy of that too.

That is so utterly neat, [Sorey murmurs, both in reference to the idea that he can read a ton of religious books and to the gentle flow of the script used in the Qur'an.]

What's your favorite passage? Can we start there or is it meant to be read linearly?

You can, but you're better off skipping around. The first chapter's also the longest. [So he'll head to one of his favorite verses, skipping pages until he gets there.] One of my personal favorites is Surah Daybreak.

[there's a small pause, before he begins,] In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
From the evil of that which He created
And from the evil of darkness when it settles
And from the evil of the blowers in knots
And from the evil of an envier when he envies."

[Sorey tried to follow the script along with Stefan's words, but he's got no idea what he's looking at so instead he sits back on his heels and closes his eyes to listen.]

Wow...that's so beautiful. It sounds like poetry.

03 | video + action

Voice

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action (more than okay!)

action (♥)

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