[OPEN]

[burnseternal]

Characters: Saint Walker & open to all!
Date: Throughout April
Location: Various locations around the Turtle
Situation: Various: See starters below!
Warnings: N/A
Just a note: I wrote these out in bracket text, but if you prefer prose, just use that format in your comment and I'll follow suit! I have no real preference between the two.



[A: Training/Meditation | Water Sector]

[It takes a great deal more than simply being displaced from one planet to another to deter Saint Walker from performing his daily rituals, and it's to that end that he's managed to find a particularly quiet corner of the Water Sector for his purposes. It's not uncommon to run into him here deep in meditation by the edge of the pool, long, thin legs crossed and hands resting lightly on his knees. Sitting here, he hones in on his surroundings, every sound around him seemingly magnified.

Then again, if you aren't the type to interrupt someone deep in meditation, that's not the only facet of his training. His method of training is far from impressive, and frankly, it probably isn't all that interesting to watch. He simply shifts from one pose to another, moving with slow, graceful, fluid movements, evidently intent upon some goal that only he can see. Those who are familiar with martial arts may recognize what he's doing as a form of kata, albeit a very slow one.]

[B: Flying | Across the Turtle]

[Of course, even he cannot sustain his interest with meditation alone. One of the great pleasures of becoming a Blue Lantern beyond self actualization, a sense of purpose and all those petty little details is the ability to fly, something that Saint Walker fully intends to take advantage of. Aside from simply taking joy in soaring through the air, he appreciates the unique view he gets from the skies, and it's not rare for him to edge a little closer to the ground to pause and appreciate it. Beyond his attention to the aesthetic beauty of Keeliai, he keeps an eye open for anyone who looks as if they may be in need of help, whether that takes the form of a physical intervention, or merely a figurative ear to rest their burdens on.]

[C: Shopping | Bazaar]

[As wonderful as the bird's-eye view can be, Saint Walker has to come back to the ground for some things, and one of those things just happens to be food. He doesn't eat meat as a rule, but happily, Keeliai is a generous host in providing all manners of fruits and vegetables for his consumption. A cloth bag rests in the crook of his arm, a large, leafy vegetable hanging over the top, and the way he blinks around at his surroundings makes it all too clear that he's both unfamiliar with the wares being presented, and looking to buy.

This is not a fortunate combination in a bazaar rich with people looking for an easy sell, and he finds himself being called at from all sides as the merchants attempt to indiscriminately sell their wares. One fruit stall manages to catch his attention, and he eventually gives in to the vendor pushing free samples at him. Whether it's because of the difference between an Astonian's tastebuds and a kedan's or if the fruit is well and truly vile, there's no polite way of disguising his disgust.

As such, you may just run into Saint Walker patiently bearing the vendor's tirade against rude customers after he spat the wretched thing out into the palm of his hand. From the grimace on his face, it's clear that Saint Walker finds the vendor's tirade against him to be infinitely preferable to forcing the fruit down.]

[D: Wildcard]

[OOC: Which is to say, do you have a different scenario in mind? Just run it by me, and I'd be happy to figure something out! Feel free to PM me or to contact me on plurk at feygasm.]

Comments

[looksfine]

[She also stood, although even then, her petite frame did not quite match his in height.]

Yes.

All systems are operating at maximum capacity. In addition, I, too, am experiencing relief to be appearing like myself again.

[burnseternal]

I should certainly hope so! As pleasant as Kyle Rayner may be, to have one's own agency is an important thing. Still, it must have been quite the experience.

[looksfine]

There is none that would be able to compare.

And what of yourself, Blue Lantern Saint Walker? Are you adjusting well to your new surroundings?

[burnseternal]

Oh, yes. I'm no stranger to transition these days.

[From Astonia to Mogo to Odym to this place, it seems to be Saint Walker's fate to be constantly on the move. Thankfully, he's not entirely opposed to the move, not when there is still work to be done.]

It is quite busy, however. Places like this, [he says, gesturing to the stillness of the water before them] are a welcome sight.

[looksfine]

[A sentiment Aya could fully relate to, as she had been on the movie literally for as long as she could remember. If anything, remaining so stationary in Keelai had been the greatest adjustment of all.]

It is quite lovely, I agree. [They weren't just words, either. Should Saint Walker care to watch the subtle expressions displayed on her construct face, he would notice that she truly meant and understood their meaning.] I admit, it is surprising to learn such areas of Keelai exist, given what we have been summoned here for.

[burnseternal]

I was surprised as well. When I had first heard of the war, the last thing I had expected was for Keelai to be alive and well. It is a bright, bustling place, is it not? It certainly explains our presence. [His smile is soft, now, thinking those who call this place home.]

There is much to be saved here.

[Or much to be lost, as some may put it, but Saint Walker has always preferred looking on the bright side.]

[looksfine]

[So Aya was noticing.]

There is a great deal to be done, I agree. [A slightly less sentimental way of stating the same thing.] Although...may I ask precisely what you were doing just now? It did not appear to be any form of training I have taken part of in the past.

Is it something unique to the Blue Lantern Corps?

[burnseternal]

Do Green Lanterns not meditate? [Saint Walker questions, a bit surprised despite himself. He may not have any great knowledge of how Aya came to be, but he had supposed the meditation would be in her databanks.]

It is a skill I learned on my home planet, but it is practiced on many other planets as well. It's an important part of training for the Blue Lantern Corps - [all two of them] - but by no means limited to us. It is a tool to find focus, and to find peace.

[looksfine]

If they do, it was never in my presence.

[There was a difference, after all, between knowledge of a subject and experience with it, first-hand or otherwise.]

Would you show me? Please?

[burnseternal]

Of course. But, in return, I must ask something of you as well. [Saint Walker walks back towards the lip of the pool and seats himself, cross-legged.]

Come and sit with me. Perhaps you will not experience it in the same way, but no two people do.

[looksfine]

I would be pleased to do so.

[Smiling warmly at the request, Aya crossed the small distance between them and came to sit at Saint Walker's side. It took only a moment for her to arrange her limbs in the unusual position--she was not accustomed to sitting on the ground in such a way--but her visual receptors keyed in to each and every angle of the Blue Lantern's body, and mimicked it accordingly.]

Like this?

[burnseternal]

Very good. Firs, I close my eyes. [Saint Walker shuts them as promised, resting his hands palms-down on his knees. If he knew the proper terminology, he may have said something like shut off your visual receptors, but he's utterly unfamiliar with beings like Aya.]

What I do is take deep, level breaths. [He lets the statement stand on its own for a few moments, letting Aya listen to the quiet sound of his breath.] It is to concentrate on a single thing as connected to my own body. If you think there is a suitable alternative for you, you may want to try to concentrate on that.

[Some sort of buzzing, perhaps? The hum of her aura? He's not certain, but he'll let her operate in her own time.]

[looksfine]

[Breathing was not something one could do without a respiratory system, but the way Saint Walker described its purpose, Aya was able to come up with a suitable alternative.]

[Her eyes closed, indeed shutting off her visual receptors.]

I can focus on the flow of Green Lantern energy through my systems.

[burnseternal]

Good. [He lets that stand for a while, allowing Aya to become accustomed to both the position and the practice of the position. Eventually he speaks again, voice quiet and sonorous.]

If you focus outside of yourself, you will hear many things. There is the crunch of the grass beneath the feet of others not so very far away, the whistle of the wind, the chirping of the birds, and so much more. Do you hear them?

[looksfine]

[Her head only just barely tilted to one side, confused. Her voice remained as soft and neutral toned as ever.]

I was under the assumption I am supposed to be focusing on my internal systems, not events occurring outside my body at this time.

[burnseternal]

Have patience, and you will see, [Saint Walker says simply, then continues.] To concentrate on only a few things, it is good to be aware of what it is you are blocking out. Only when one has awareness of one's surroundings can one truly focus their attention.

[looksfine]

Then you are claiming I must somehow focus on both the exterior and interior. Very well.

[And she falls still. Very still. Not even the subtle movement of breathing or a twitch from a chest heartbeat. Were it not for the situation, one might almost assume the young AI had gone off-line completely.]

[burnseternal]

[Eyes closed as they are, Saint Walker isn't aware of how still Aya's become and continues speaking.]

Now that you can hear what is around you, you may begin to phase them out, one by one. Hone your focus in on your energy, and a single sound from the external world - I find that the sound of the pool's movement does quite nicely for our purposes.

[looksfine]

[It all seemed so contradictory to her. Focus internally. Now focus externally. Now gradually reduce your external focus by honing on your internal, but then return to a single focal point of the external. She wondered if this was some sort of exercise in patience as well as focus.]

[She also wondered how this was supposed to allow one to enter a calming state.]

[Questions aside, however, she did just as Saint Walker described. Her scanners continued to function idly in the background, but her auditory receptors were tweaked so that additional emphasis would be placed on the flow of adjacent water. It was consistent. Almost...pleasant to listen to.]

[burnseternal]

[Once again, Saint Walker falls silent for some time, allowing Aya to become accustomed to the practice, and to fully slip into a state of true focus.]

You may notice that your energy has in some way aligned with the sound of the pool, [he finally says, voice quiet, and somehow, a little distant. His own breathing has slowed, steadied, as constant as the quiet trickle of the pool.]

[looksfine]

There is a noticeable degree of synchronicity, yes. As if the pool is somehow influencing my flow of energy.

My energy readings themselves are also...unusually low.

[Though she did not sound too concerned by this fact.]

[burnseternal]

Good. In that case, the meditation is influencing you as it should. In this state, you feel in sync with your surroundings, the external and internal merging as one.

In this state, you could concentrate on many things. [He had started out as one who preached the words of God, after all - he still continues to do God's work in healing, and in prayer, but he seldom preaches anymore. Instead...]

What I concentrate on, Aya, is hope.

[looksfine]

[This time, her expression did change. Faintly. The corners of her lips tugging upward. His response was hardly a surprise, given what the Blue Lantern Energy was known to be powered by.]

Hope for what?

[burnseternal]

I hope for the future. For a peaceful tomorrow, in which we all may be joined together without strife. But we all hope for different things, and the hopes you wish to concentrate on need not be the same as mine.

[She is young, and still finding her way. For all the tragedy that has struck his life, Saint Walker considers himself blessed; he knows with great certainty that he has found his true path in life, and he needs to stay loyal and true to it. Aya, however, still has much to discover.]

No hope is too great, or too small.

[looksfine]

[Very young, yes, with much to learn about Life. And tragedy. And loss. And hope.]

I...am not certain what it is I hope for.

[She had desires, of course. Things she wished to be. But was that the same as Hope?]