Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Jub'Lub]

Jub'lub had left some flyers around the Valorian, advertising that he would be hosting a guided meditation in one of the many common rooms available. He wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in showing up, but that was of little concern to him. He needed to clear his own thoughts and center himself before the trials that surely lay ahead on Hoth. The room was large enough to comfortably accommodate several people and several simple mats had been rolled out several feet apart, with a simple wooden bowl placed at the front. Some canters had been spread across the room, their smoke rose and swirled softly, filling the air with a musky floral scent. Soft windchimes and gentle flowing water was coming through the audio system.

Jub'lub sat down on his own mat, facing the would be group, awaiting their arrivals. He sat cross legged with his palms facing up towards the cieling resting on his knees. He closed his eyes and began to tap into the force, feeling it all around him and swirling with the incense.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is serenity. There is no death there is the force." Jub'lub continued to recite the Jedi code as a mantra, awaiting the arrival of others who wish to delve into their beings.

[Breela Po]

Breela stepped through quietly and lowered her hood. She then bowed and took up a mat. "May the force be with you, my friend." Her mind was ever on her trials, her heart anything but steady. Her faith... wanting.

[Pipka]

Pipka wandered aimlessly (as one does) aboard the Valorian. It was so much bigger than the Turtle and everyone was so busy. After seeing some flyers about some kind of get together, he jumped at the opportunity to meet more members of the Republic convoy.

A grin broke across his face as he entered the room and found a blue Twi'lek. So far, he liked all the blue people he'd met (nevermind that he couldn't think of anyone he had met that he didn't like), which was part of the reason he had dyed his own fur blue.

[Twi'leki] "Hi there, is this the guided medication? Are you a doctor? What's in the bowl?"

[Jub'Lub]

Jub'lub opened one eye to greet Breela, "And may the force be with you as well, friend." Just as he greeted Breela, he noticed the blue Chadra-Fan walk in.

Twi'leki! How interesting, Jub'lub thought, his eyes opening wide. Twi'leki: "Ah a new face! And one well versed in Twi'leki! And a blue one at that, welcome friend. I can hardly hear an accent. What is in the bowl? The air, the breath of life, the force. We will begin shortly."

Jub'lub motioned for the Chadra-Fan to sit. Twi'leki: "Please take a seat, if you wish."

[Breela Po]

Breela looked from one to the other then shrugged. "Forgot my PUT, but hi my name is Breela." She patted the mat beside her, "why don't you come and join me?"

[Pipka]

Ah, one of those old age, core world medicine types... FUN!, Pipka thinks to himself. He makes his way over to sit next to the, if his nose wasn't deceiving him, Farghul. Their pheromones could be so pleasant and they were the second best snugglers.

"Hi, I'm Pipka, nice to meet you." He adjust his robes to relax onto the mat, copying Breela's posture.

[Breela Po]

"Hi, I'm Pipka, nice to meet you." He adjust his robes to relax onto the mat, copying Breela's posture.

Kawaii

Breela valiantly contains her uncouth desire to snuggle. Instead opting for polite conversation. "It's very nice to meet you!" She grins, "Since we have some time, are you with the diplomats or are you one of the crew?"

[Pipka]

Beaming with pride, Pipka announces, "I'm a crewmate aboard the Turtle. What about you two?"

[Breela Po]

Beaming with pride, Pipka announces, "I'm a crewmate aboard the Turtle. What about you two?"

"We're Jedi," she beamed. "I guess we're kind of like security." She continues, "So you work with my buddy Nudimsu! I met him on Alderaan five years ago. When did you sign on with him? I didn't see you the last time I contracted his services."

[Jub'Lub]

"Ah yes, the venerable Chiss! I don't think I made too good of a first impression."

--The meditation may take place at any time, I need to sleep--

"Once you're settled in we can get started. Get comfortable, there is no proper position needed. We will be focusing on our breathing, and delving into the mind. Our subconscious holds onto worries like a bantha holds onto flies. With this meditation, we hope to let go of what hinders us, and embrace that which makes us strong. The force guides us, envelops us like the warm hug from a close friend after a reuniting delayed by time. Relax, clear your thoughts and breathe in slow and deep."

Jub'lub starts taking breathes, waiting for the mood to settle in. Once he senses the participants, and himself, are in the moment, he begins.

"Close your eyes. There is a gray cloud, floating on a sea of blackness. The cloud is your fears, your hopes, your dreams. Watch as the cloud drifts into the distance. Farther, farther away. The cloud is your self. Let it go, drifting over the darkness. Its very far now, you can barely see it. Let go of your self, empty into the black. There is no emotion, there is peace."

"Take some time to breathe, four seconds inhale, hold, five second exhale." Jub'lub breathes in and out as he counts off to the group a few times. Now, you are in a calm place. It could be the forest, the wind blowing through the leaves. One may fall, spiraling down to the forest floor." He takes another deep breathe and exhales. "Maybe you're at the foot of a cliff, a waterfall spilling into a serene pond. You hear the splashing of the water, feeling its flow with your ears. The frogs croaking, unseen. Perhaps you're indoors, in a quiet place. The noise of the world gone, shut out by a closed door."

Jub'lub guides their breathing again, emphasizing the calm one may find in simply taking in the air. "Feel the air enter through your nose, visualize it traveling into your lungs, enriching your blood. Exhale, your breath feels warm over your lips. Now, reach out with your hands, and pick up the bowl in front of you, keeping your eyes closed. Hold onto it, resting it in your palms like a small bird. Feel the weight of it. The bowl is not empty. The force fills the curves, and brims around the lip. Concentrate on the force. Feel it weigh the bowl down. Draw the force into the bowl. Do you feel it? The heft? It's subtle, like a breeze, but you feel it. There is no ignorance, there is the force."

The force is not a tool, the force just is. Let the bowl lighten in your palms. Feel its weight fade. It almost feels like its floating away, like a feather carried by the wind. Your worries, drifting off like the gray fog. Let go of your anger, your fear. There is no passion, there is serenity."

"The bowl and the force are one. You and the force are one. It surrounds us, envelops us, fills our lungs and soul. Feel the bowl and your hands blend. Where do your fingers stop, where does the bowl begin? The balance of its curves, resting neatly in your hands. There is no chaos, there is harmony."

"Now, bring the bowl to your lips. Can you smell it? What does it smell like? Sweet like the flower. Warm like the fire. The air after the rain. Breathe in. Deep, slow, four seconds, hold. Exhale and feel the worry leave your body. Draw the bowl to your lips. Drink in the force. What does it taste like? How does it feel? Maybe a bowl of warm milk. A bowl of pheromonic mushroom stew. Perhaps a warm, well seasoned soup. The broth warming your core. Filling your body. Feel the glow inside you, feel the light."

"There is no death, there is the force. The force is with you, you are one with the force. A bowl is never empty, and neither are we." Jub'lub breathes again, this time without words. Deep and long, holding it in, before breathing it out slow and deliberate.

[Breela Po]

"Ah yes, the venerable Chiss! I don't think I made too good of a first impression."

"He's... hmmm, he may seem cold and distant. But that's his nature, and culture no doubt. However he's a good person, and that's enough for me. You know the old phrase about still waters." Breela smirked, omitting their jousts. He either weaves burns that she puts together way later. Or he feigns ignorance about things in an attempt to aggravate her. Which more often than not does. In return she tries her best to rattle him. One day...

(I'm good to wait a bit for the meditation part. Some others might pop up.)

[Pipka]

"We're Jedi," she beamed. "I guess we're kind of like security." She continues, "So you work with my buddy Nudimsu! I met him on Alderaan five years ago. When did you sign on with him? I didn't see you the last time I contracted his services."

"Wow, I've never met Jedi before, plenty of Sith, but no Jedi.

Oh, you know Nudimsu, from Alderaan. There's a bunch of people from Alderaan here, but I guess it is a big supporter of the Republic. Yeah, I wasn't with the Turtle then, I was still a slave. The Turtle raided the place and I've been on the crew ever since."

"Ah yes, the venerable Chiss! I don't think I made too good of a first impression."

"Once you're settled in we can get started. Get comfortable, there is no proper position needed. We will be focusing on our breathing, and delving into the mind. Our subconscious holds onto worries like a bantha holds onto flies. With this meditation, we hope to let go of what hinders us, and embrace that which makes us strong. The force guides us, envelops us like the warm hug from a close friend after a reuniting delayed by time. Relax, clear your thoughts and breathe in slow and deep."

Pipka turns his attention back to the Twi'lek, "No one seems to make a good first impression to Nudismu, he says first impressions are shallow and misleading. Personally, I don't think first, second, or one hundredth impressions matter, just be yourself and let them be themselves.

Settling down to meditate, Pipka inhales, imagining the cloud, exhaling, the cloud in his mind becomes a wave overtaking and swallowing him. A moment of panic takes hold before he hears the Twi'lek speak again, the wave recedes and Pipka takes a deep, thirsty breathe.

Jub'lub guides them to a calm place and Pipka finds himself in the common room on the Turtle, surrounded by his crewmates. Durasay is leading a debriefing, Hacha is going over a damage report, and Nudimsu is analyzing everyone's performance.

Inhale. Pipka sees the air going in, some of it enriching his blood, some of it talking to him, telling him what those around him are feeling. He picks up the bowl. Exhale. He brings the bowls to the nose. Inhale. He smells wood and oil and the scent of those who've held this bowl in the past, but he also smells peace and tranquility, and an undertone of power and violence.

Inhale... Exhale...

[Breela Po]

~sic~

Breela smiles and settles in.

She let's the others fall away, she let's the room fall away, she let's the ship fall away. She let's herself go to that place where everything that was, everything that is, everything that will ever be, is one.

Then it comes, with the crack of thunder. That green, ugly column of air. Twisting darkened tendrils swirling outward, and that vignette. It's everywhere, even here!
"Mom!" Their little voices ring out. "Mom help us!"
She braces herself as the first gust passes over her.
"Mom!" Tor cries. "Momma!" Zan'ja screams. "Where are you?!" They echo in unison.
She breathes in, and out. Letting the tears fall how they may. 'No emotion...' she manages, 'peace.'
Mercifully the cloud recedes. But that vignette...

Just like that she's home. Their home. The toys are strewn about, the sun is warm. Somewhere in the house Khaji plays his 7-string. The sound of laughter on the breeze. Perfect, it's perfect.
"Mommy!" Tor runs up and hugs her. Tailing him is Zan'ja, who hops in her lap with a grin. Twin arms pull around the three of them. Powerful, but gentle.
'No ignorance,' she coos warmly, 'the force.'

"Let's go kids," Khaji's voice says. "Time to wash up." He kisses the top of her head. "Dinner is almost ready love."
'I'll be right there,' she smiles.
Reveling there for a while longer. She drinks it in, savoring it. For as long as she can. For all it is worth. Until the allotted time. Until at last she admits:

'No passion, Serenity. No chaos, harmony. No-' She steadies herself, '-no death... the force.'

She returns to the room with a sigh.

[Jub'Lub]

In a calming voice, even quieter than when leading the meditation, "Open your eyes." Jub'lub opens his own eyes, and smiles at the two before him. "Breathe in one last time, deep and slow again. Hold, exhale."

Jub'lub lets the quiet hang in the air a moment, the ambient sounds playing softly. "Remember, the force is always with you. When you feel disheveled or lost, there is always meditation. You can do this whenever a moment of quiet presents itself. Meditation is more than just connecting with the force, but exploring the self, discover what drives you, focus on your goals. Thank you for spending this time with me. Pipka, it was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope we may work together in the near future. Breela, I am pleased to call you a friend and will embrace our trials ahead together. If either of you ever need, come and sup with me. May the force be with you, always."

[Pipka]

"I do feel very relaxed now."

Pipka sets down the bowl and lays back onto the mat. "I could just," yawn "curl up and fall asleep right here."

[Breela Po]

"I do feel very relaxed now."

Pipka sets down the bowl and lays back onto the mat. "I could just," yawn "curl up and fall asleep right here."

Internal Screaming

"I couldn't agree more." Breela purrs, "Want some company?"

[Pipka]

"Yeah," he mumbles, "naps are always better with a friend."

[Breela Po]

/scene?