driftfleet | Tea Ceremony

Entry tags:

Tea Ceremony

Who: Kogarasumaru and you!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: The Dojo on the Iskaulit
When: 8/2

Broadcast

[The pretty sword appears on the screen with a smile on his ever polished face. Politely, he bows his head before speaking.]

Greetings. I would like to host a tea ceremony for those interested in attending. If you do then I will be holding these ceremonies in my dojo on the Iskaulit. There is no requirement for dress code aside from the removal of your shoes when you enter.

[Lowering himself down, he bows where he is kneeling, hands brushing the floor.]

I look forward to seeing those of you who are interested.

The Dojo

[For those who are interested in coming, the dojo looks the same on arrival. The same traditional Japanese setup. In the center of the room Kogarasumaru can be found kneeling, bowing politely to the ones who enter before rising to his feet.]

Please come in. I will get you a cushion to sit on.

[He is not going to expect anyone to kneel like he will. It can be terribly uncomfortable for most.]

Have you ever attended a Japanese tea ceremony before?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It makes me wish that more of our culture had been better preserved. Things rapidly declined when Zarkon changed. Many things have been lost to younger generations of Galra. Some don't care or are too busy with other things.

Would you be willing to share what you do remember with me? Perhaps if you do this then not all will be lost. A piece will carry on through space and time.

[There was a moment of silence then Ulaz nodded once]

Yes, I will share with you.

Perhaps first you need to understand the Galran mindset. This is not anything we have forgotten since it is still taught to younger Galra and our training for initiates with our group still relies on it. We follow a practice called palen-bol which means "the enlightening pain". Essentially that pain and combat burn away imperfection.

[Listening carefully, he takes that in. It actually makes a lot of sense to him and he ends up nodding.]

Much like how a sword is created. It is heated and beat into the perfect shape. Or how a warrior grows stronger with each battle he fights.

[He nods again.]

Palen-bol.

Yes, that is true. Swords are created much the same way, putting them through stress in order to make them stronger and more durable.

[The other repeating that phrase did bring a faint smile to his face]

Palen-bol.

Back before we became as militaristic as we were, the Galra had an alliance with the Alteans. The Alteans... weren't so violent by their very nature. They shared their culture with us and the Galra took to it. We shared technology with each other. It was supposed to be a more... relaxed time. Of course there was still fighting with each others, but it didn't overwhelm us.

So it was a time of progress instead?

[Though the had an alliance does imply something rather sad in nature. It must mean quite the...conclusion as it were. However, he will only ask one question at a time so that way Ulaz can present things as he's ready to.]

It was. Emperor Zarkon worked for peace in the universe with King Alfor of Altea and three other paladins. We had arts, peaceful communication with other planets.

But... things changed. For us, our information was limited on what exactly happened. But in the end, why is not as important as what. Our Emperor changed; he was no longer interested in keeping peace, but instead taking over the universe. His first order under this new rule: the destruction of Altea and all Alteans.

Initially we thought that expansion would be good for the Galra. Our tribes had been unstable on Daibazaal and other colonies. But he wasn't interested in stability, just more expansion, more power. Our naturally aggressive side turned to supporting this and the generals began to fight with each other, sometimes taking their entire crews of both non-living sentries and living beings down with them just to make a point.

I suppose though, it is lucky that not everything on every outpost could be destroyed when Zarkon changed.

[Since he clearly knows about this]

Do you know what changed him?

[It seems the logical next question. Perhaps the answer isn't known but it's one that he feels could still be worth asking. If nothing else maybe it could help prevent others from following the same path.]

If my sources are correct, it began with the phenomenon that was created the lions of Voltron. Daibazaal became unstable with it. Whatever was causing that instability effected him as well.

Of course only the very oldest of Galra could know this and I believe that the Emperor has surpassed normal life span for a Galra. He was near the middle of his life and had been ruling for sometime at the creation of the Empire as we know it. I have lived to an old age and yet he still lives on.

Power of any kind can do terrible things when out of control.

[Sometimes a power like this and sometimes just being in power. Perhaps both in this case.]

Were there others to support you in this fight against Zarkon?

It is. It has been out of control for 10,000 years.

During my time, no. I have since been told that there are others now working with Voltron and Blades of Marmora to help stop Zarkon and the Empire. With those combined efforts, they have been achieving far greater and quicker success than we were on our own.

That is very impressive. It requires a great deal of bravery for such rebellion and to have so many on your side shows the strengths of the souls out there.

Galra I suppose have always been stubborn and even half-breeds have that quality, but we have agreed to lay our lives on the line to help others. It is good that so many other worlds are joining us as well.

It does. For it means there is hope for a better universe to be had. That is something to be proud of.

I am proud of that. It's a shame though that I never got the chance to see it.

A shame some of the greatest never saw the chance to see certain things. But we can be grateful for what they have done. What you have done.

I will admit that I've never considered that in the long run, my life would be more than one of a long list of names the Blades look back on who gave everything for the cause. But the paladins have also been carrying that as well.

It is the life of those who have been sacrificed in the name of good. They will now carry on your name so that you will not be lost in the sea of names.

No, I don't think I will. It is not something I sought out when I started, wanting to be remembered; it would be vain to only be focused on that. It does feel nice to know that my name will not be completely forgotten so quickly when I didn't see everything they've done.

[He smiles.]

You will be remembered. You have told me your story.

[And it is very difficult to make a sword forget. Only great damage can interrupt the memories possessed by a sword, particularly one as old as he is.]

[There is a bit of a surprised look when Kogarasumaru said that. After a moment, he smiles faintly. You never cease to surprise him. Which is hard to do, surprising a Galra of his age]

Thank you. I forget that you are quite old yourself and could still have many more years.

[Since he's a sword. Also doesn't look that old for a sword his age?]

As long as I do not break, I will never die.

[Such is the life of a sword really.]

And so I become one of the greatest witnesses to all that happens around me.

Hmm... that would make sense yes. Some of the blades we have are older than the agents who yield them.

I hope you have plenty of time to be a witness to history.

I feel that I will. Where I am from, I am kept as a treasure now by the imperial family. When I am not serving my new master, of course.

Ah yes, then you probably will. May not be the most exciting of lives, but you will be around to share the stories. There is always need to do that so they are not lost.

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