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

'Something'?

[He doesn't want to assume a meaning out of that, given their current topic of conversation, and cocks an eyebrow slightly.]

Thinking-about-converting something? Pondering the mysteries of the universe something?

[Headtilt] Yeah, it's definitely like pondering the mysteries of the universe.

Back home, I was so used to talking about Abrahamic faith. Like having one God, and sometimes Jesus and the Holy Spirit if we're talking Christianity, but monotheism.

So many people here still have whole pantheons and it's honestly--some of them have met their gods. That's still kind of blowing my mind.

[Considering that he's convinced that he'll only meet God in death.]

Yeah, I can see that. Polytheism, okay - I guess you can believe just about anything. But meeting gods. Geez, even magic. I'm not even really religious and some of that stuff still hits me sideways.

Exactly. It's not the fact that they've got multiple gods, it's them meeting their gods.

[He lets out a low whistle]

I'm okay with magic, since it existed back home too, but... it sure makes me think twice about everything I know.

Yeah, I can imagine.

[Not in the most loving of detail, having never been that religious himself. but he at least has some experience with the world as you know it tipping all of your ingrained expectations for a loop.]

Well, I guess I'd think . . . what the real question would be, anyway. Is 'does my religion hinge on that'? Because if a huge part of what makes it meaningful to you is there being only one God, in any world, ever . . . yeah. I can see that being tough. But otherwise, I'd think it's more a matter of just holding on to what's important to you.

[It's a vague, generalized understanding of the whole thing. But he has some experience being separated from the institutions that gave your life meaning, at least. So maybe there's a common thread there.]

[This kind of experience, Stefan'll gladly listen to. He's been here for close to eight months now, and he's been putting off the real question. Partially because it's scary, but also partially because he doesn't want a real answer.]

Thanks. I... I think I needed to hear that. Because yeah, Islam can hinge on that, but it doesn't have to. Especially when I'm the only one practicing it here.

[Also another scary thought. One he won't dwell on.] Any faith, any reasonable one, can adapt to new places and cultures - so I guess, maybe it's time I adapt mine.

Yeah.

[He gives an encouraging quirk of a smile, nodding. Because that's what you do. You adapt what you have, pick up new stuff when you really need to, and keep moving. It's the only thing you can do.]

And you're probably doing that already, right? I don't think any of us know which direction Earth is, so the 'facing Mecca' thing has to be kind of a crapshoot.

Exactly. [He laughs at that, partially because it's an amusing thought but also - holy crap, Eugene knows. He actually knows things about Islam.]

I had some idea of what to do, because Malaysian astronauts consulted a few sheikhs before they headed out, but even that hasn't been super helpful. Hard to pray in the direction of Earth if I don't know where that is.

[Eugene has, more or less, the very basic, liberal-arts-education, you're-writing-for-the-weekend-paper-don't-embarrass-us-with-your-cultural-ignorance level of understanding of most religions. He wouldn't call himself much of a theology buff, but there was a certain intersection between enjoying travel and the arts and reading where you picked up enough to get by.]

Huh. So what have you been doing, then?

[He still knows more than most people on the Fleet! Stefan will take this over people who ask him who Jesus is.]

Avoiding the suns and moons, mostly. As long as I'm not facing a planet, I'm good for now.

Diamond said that we're heading back to Earth, though it'll take forever, so I've been praying in the direction of our flight path too.

That's smart. I mean . . . not to get too touchy-feely about it, but at the end of the day it just comes down to your intentions, right?

[He doesn't know - he's honestly asking. This is actually pretty interesting stuff.]

Like, what if you were stuck in a cave or something. You'd basically have to just go by your best guess at the right direction. So as long as you put that kind of thought in it, it seems like it would check out.

Right. Islam's all about intentions. You make deliberate intentions before you do anything. Washing before prayers, the prayer itself, even fasting during Ramadan.

[He's counting them off with his fingers, though he hasn't quite realized that he's going into teaching mode yet.] As long as you were sincerely trying to abide by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's law? You'll be forgiven.

Or so I think. Since I'm the only Muslim here, I don't exactly have anyone to argue theology with.

. . . yeah. You have a point, though.

[He's quiet a moment, thinking. Or gathering his words. A little of both.]

One of the guys I travelled with, back home. He was pretty devout. Catholic. I . . . think it really takes something to be separated from your community and keep the faith like this. So I know I'm not religious, but I'm pulling for you on this one. What you're doing here - it's impressive.

[Stefan blinks back surprise. Compliments, especially ones from non-religious friends, aren't so common in his line of work.]

Thank you. [He ducks his head a little - mostly because his cheeks are getting red] I... I'm happy to do this, even if it's a bit selfish on my part.

Hey, it's not exactly a paid gig. You might as well like it.

[Virtual man-hug given, he leans back, bracing his communicator.]

Let me know if you need a hand with it, okay?

For sure. This isn't the kind of thing I could've accomplished on my own.

[Nor would he have wanted to, though now... maybe he should do something to show how much their help meant to him.]

Thanks again, Eugene.

03 | video + action

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