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

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.

It can be considered both gift and curse of being an object. For one will be able to witness more of life than many. However, some find this life to be hard as all they care for fades away when they do not. I know some of my children have truly struggled with this.

[Ulaz is quiet a moment and then nods]

I understand. The Galra have a naturally long life. There are other races that rival them, but not all. I have seen the lives our current paladins have lived more times than I wish to calculate. If they had arrived sooner and life had not taken the turn it had, I may have outlived them. Even at my current age, I may have outlived them.

It is the price we pay. Some may desire this life but one has to wonder if the cost is worthy of the desire.

[He knows that he can handle it. However, he thinks those that are so very young fail to realize what they are giving up for what they wish for.]

It is. I know some wish they had an immortal life, but having a life that last significantly longer than others, it both has good qualities and bad ones. It has allowed the Blade of Marmora to keep our original leader and thus our mission remains unchanged. However, even among Blades, we know of some of our half-bloods will not live as long as us and reach their end due to old age before us.

Half-bloods? Do you mean children of your kind that have bred with others that are not?

[He figures he should clarify.]

Yes. A lot of ours have fathered children with other races. It's more rare for a female Galra to choose this, but I know of one. The half-bloods generally have Galran characteristics, such as possibly height, but rarely do they closely enough resemble full-blood Galran to pass in our society without comment.

A shame really. They are usually remarkable fighters, but they are not well-respected on the whole, though we try to encourage our members to not focus on that. Whether they do or not is another question.

A shame. Though perhaps not at all a surprise that purity of blood would be considered so highly even across the universe. Particularly when it is not blood that makes one who they are.

It is not. Some of our bravest members are half-bloods. They are unable to be true spies unfortunately because their presence would be noticed more than one like myself, but they are just as well trained in fighting. In some cases, they are better equipped than us, some with tails they can use or are smaller and better able to get into places on the Galra ships we can't.

So rather than spies they are instead warriors and infiltrators?

[It would seem this organization would need that as well.]

Yes. They usually serve as fighters when a fight is needed or as ones who go in to steal information or do damage covertly and leave. All of ours are trained to fight, but our larger half-bloods usually do not go in to steal information because they are too visible.

I was only expected to fight in my position if there was no other option to avoid being discovered and then I was supposed to "disappear".

[There's a pause for a moment.]

Are you not full Galra?

[Perhaps he misunderstood but that is why one should ask questions.]

I am full Galra. I was more of a spy than a fighter in my most recent mission.

[Hoping to clarify now]

Those that did shorter missions were more likely to have to fight because they had to get in and get out. Those of us that were spies, having to fight meant we had to flee our position immediately afterwards before superiors or the druids fixed their attention on us.

I understand now.

[It would make sense to plot missions out the way Ulaz describes. Especially if those that are half Galra stand out as much as he claims.]

May I ask what role the druids take in your culture?

They are beings that are able to use a similar magic to Zarkon's witch and they assist her when she is working. Anywhere magic is needed, such as processing quintessence, there is a druid.

The most dangerous part of their job for us - and everyone - is that they act as the witch's eyes and ears and make decisions that would align with hers. They are frequently included in investigations because they are responsible for... interrogation. If you are suspected of something requiring interrogation and there is a druid involved, you might survive the interrogation, but you are no longer safe from their attention.

Does this mean they are able to get into the mind of those they interrogate using this magic?

[Those pretty features of his frown now. This is very concerning. As effective as it is, there's such invasion in this process.]

They are not mind readers thankfully. But their methods are so terrible that most people give away all of their secrets at the drop of a hat to stop them. Of course, giving away secrets likely ensures death or wishing you were. Even if you didn't commit the crime, you enabled it by not reporting it immediately or by being present at all.

A no-win scenario when the druids get involved.

Then the only way to truly be of aid is to never be caught by them at all.

Exactly. We try to keep our members at low enough levels that even if their presence will be noticed, there is nothing to hinder them if they try to flee. From what I heard... a member of the Blades ran into that exact problem when something he did to help Voltron brought suspicion on his commander. I can only guess that this ended badly for him as well as he had apparently been interrogated, but still used his life to save the paladins. I do not know more details than that, only that he is gone.

So when he knew there was nothing left for him to do he gave his life to see to it that they could continue their fight.

Yes. As I understand it, some part of their mission wasn't working and he managed to come through and help them at the cost of his life. He will be missed by the Blades.

A noble sacrifice. The more I hear of your Blades, the more I wish I could meet more of them.

I wish you could meet them as well. I would like to have some of them here.

Should any of them come here, I would be honored if you introduced me to them. I will make certain to serve you all tea and you will all be welcome to my dojo anytime.

[That did get another smile from Ulaz]

I would appreciate that and I'm sure they would too.

Tea Ceremony

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