maskormenacelogs | Open Prompts/May Catch-all

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Open Prompts/May Catch-all

WHO: Marr and OPEN
WHERE: Various locations in De Chima and other cities
WHEN: Throughout May
WHAT: Sleepless Nights, Strolls in the Park, Shopping, Sith Sparring, and Sensible Discussions
WARNINGS: Violence? Sith? Will be updated as needed.

1. Sleepless Night

Having a body again after years of being without required some adjustment. More than the transition from inhabiting a body to being a disembodies spirit had required. He expected there to be a period where he re-acclimated to it. Every now and then his own breath would draw his attention and he would spend a few moments thinking about it before he forced his attention away.

The early stages of hunger often passed without notice until he was ravenously hungry, and even food itself seemed more intense and flavorful than he remembered. Most of the novelty was wearing off, and he was settling into a routine of eating regularly, acquainting himself with this planet's strange variety of unfamiliar plants and animals.

One area where he had not anticipated any difficulty, but yet which still regularly bothered him, was sleep. Namely, his inability to fall asleep quickly or to stay asleep for as long as he should. Marr meditated regularly to make up for the deficit, but tonight he was out walking. There was some work he could do for his assigned day job, and he wanted some caf. Perhaps a sandwich.

And so Marr had summoned the under and middle layers of his armor, and put on a pair of loose slacks and long-sleeved, high-necked shirt with a long hooded coat over them. The only pieces of the outer armor he wore at the moment were the face-mask and helmet. Still conspicuous as he made his way to one of the all-night cafes, but not as much as he was in his armor.

2. Strolling in the Park

Meditating was more refreshing when done away from his assigned house. It was not impossible, or even difficult, but it lacked the subtle qualities Marr had become accustomed to during his time on Odessen. It wasn't quite the stillness of meditation he sought today, instead opening his senses and his mind to his surroundings. This was soothing, and after being seated for much of the day rather than standing as he preferred, Marr was glad to stretch his legs.

He was once again fully armed and armored, comfortable with the familiar weight pressing on him. The greenery was almost pleasant to walk among, the only detractors being all the noisy minds and people. Their attention following him was almost a distraction. His mind wasn't quite clear, each thought that crossed his mind allowed to happen. To be examined and contemplated before he moved on to the next.

3. Shopping

The precooked meals here are strange. Dishes with pasta and bits of meat and vegetable meant to be tossed in a pan and stirred until heated thoroughly. Other meals of too-small portions served in trays. And the seasonings are so odd. But they're easy to prepare, and Marr hasn't cooked for himself since his days as an acolyte on Korriban.

Which is not to say he's not venturing out into that again. Marr can easily be found among the meats, contemplating the different pieces of the three commonly eaten land animals, or the various species of seafood. There are plenty more different types of animals, but none as widely grown for food as those three. Even with his armor and hood, he looks far less intimidating and even more out of place than usual holding up two different kinds of meat that call themselves steak but have different names in front of them.

He can also frequently be found in the sauces and seasonings isle, examining a variety of spicy and extra spicy sauces before choosing one or two to try. Another holdover from his time as an acolyte.

4. Wildcard (Have an idea, drop your own starter, or ask me if you're interested in something else)

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Marr had to acknowledge that his doppleganger, to borrow the local word, had a point. He did want to fight, to wade into combat against an army or stare down a worthy foe. But he had few options open to him.

Jadus was one of the few to ever reach the Dark Council with the strength to directly fight against Marr. Their styles were different, and if Jadus had ever challenged him in the closed arena of the council chambers themselves, their fight would favor Marr.

But Jadus had been gone for years. Marr had grown stronger even after his own death, and they may not have been so evenly matched. Even sparring could reveal much, and so Marr held back. Jadus, too, was not unleashing his full strength, that much was obvious from the start. Coming close enough to use his lightsaber had been easier than it should have been.

In this one aspect they agreed again: Neither could afford to let the other know what he could do. But it crippled both of them, himself more than Marr. Marr was a master of the lightsaber. He was presently reducing himself to nothing but telekinesis and lightning. Marr had quickly taken advantage of this.

Which led to improvisation. A swath of dead leaves and turf rose up like a wave breaking on the shore, and he fell back and away. Marr would follow him, he was too trained by war to be fully distracted by an explosion of debris.

But everything about this fight was a matter of small increments. A partial distraction could become a solid blow. And so he lightning arced through the air between them in the fraction of a second he had bought himself.

He would lose this match if it continued apace. Acceptable, but irritating.

The brief surge of debris did little to slow Marr. He leaped over it in a display of agility one would think impossible for someone as bulky and heavily armored as he, his lightsaber snapping into a one-handed guard position to protect himself. He knew Jadus could put more effort into the technique if he wished, could push Marr to take on a more drastic countermeasure.

Rather than dash forward, as soon as he had an opening, Marr held out his free hand and retaliated with his own burst of lightning as he walked forward.

The energy met, and rather than completing a circuit, their wills met in a crackling, blinding surge of power, the lightning writhing and snapping as each tried to find a weakness in the other's defense.

If this were to remain a contest of the Force alone, he would win. So he had to expect Marr would not let him maintain his focus. Rather than falling back further, he circled, drawing on the hidden layers of emotion that he kept beneath his mental defenses. His aura rang out with power, some of it feeding into the lightning as if he was committing to the push.

Instead, his lightsaber cut through the trunk of a nearby tree with wide, spreading branches. With a low snarl of effort he sent it hurtling down towards Marr, much faster than gravity could carry it alone. Its limbs splintering with explosive rapports as it collided with other trees in the grove.

The shower of splinters rained down on Marr, and he abandoned his current position. He moved with Force-imbued speed off to the side, before leaping forward to close the distance between them just before the tree hit the ground. It crashed with an impact strong enough to visibly and audibly rattle the trees still standing.

Marr's lightsaber stayed in the guard position until he was close enough to attack once more.

The tree was not finished with its service. The broken branches quivered and broke free of their trailing strands of bark, flying like twisted arrows towards Marr's back, wind hissing through their leaves as they came.

They would not pierce his armor, but the speed at which they flew would ensure punishing bruises if they hit their mark. They were a distraction and a means to wear his opponent down.

Part of fighting in heavy armor was learning to trust it, learning when he could allow himself to be hit so he could focus on attacking. This was one of those times. He braced himself, but did not falter in his lightsaber offense.

The impacts were hard, but the pain was faint and distant, almost not-there with his ability to dull such sensations. He would feel it later, but he used that knowledge to fuel his anger as he attacked. It would take much greater pain than that to distract him.

It didn't take Luke too long to find his way to Marr's apartment, though he had to take a deep breath as he approached, bracing himself for the darkness he knew he would be wading into. He was feeling confident about this -- he was here to learn, but he would not be tempted. He was going to take what he needed and use it for him.

Luke nodded confidently to himself as he approached Marr's door, reaching up to knock, even though he was sure he could be sensed long before he got there.

The presence approaching was oddly familiar, and yet, at the same time, not. Fortunately Jadus was out meditating and experimenting in the park. Marr had no intention of subjecting the younger Skywalker to Jadus' presence any more than necessary.

He was at the door just after the knock, and opened it to allow Luke to come in. "There is food and drink, if you find yourself feeling bold." He did not expect any of his guests to agree to eating or drinking, but he was still going to offer.

Luke is probably everything that Marr isn't expecting: short, bright eyed blonde that at first glance, still kind of looks like he belongs on a farm. Of course, those blue eyes hid the experiences of someone struggling to find their place as a Jedi in a galaxy where they had all been labeled traitors and destroyed, among other things.

He stepped in at Marr's invitation, managing to keep himself under control and not shudder like he wanted to. He called it, the place was dark, but it wasn't as dark as it could be, which made him think something was missing. He wasn't going to dwell on it at the moment, though; he had more important things to focus on.

"Just water is fine," he replied, offering Marr a small smile.

Marr nodded, and led the way to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Luke. But rather than simply set it on the counter or hold it out, he levitates it over with a faint gesture of his hand. The strong, light presence doesn't bother Marr at all. By now he is well accustomed to it, and if anything it makes him feel more balanced, being near someone so far into the opposite end.

From the kitchen he leads the way to the living room, and sits down before he gestures for Luke to take a seat as well. "It has been a while since you first asked for information. Where do you wish to begin?"

Luke can't help the grin on his face as he watches the needless use of his power, already imagining the long line of people back home that would scold him for doing the same. He was happy to accept it, sipping from it as sat down in his own chair, a comfortable distance away from the Sith Lord.

"There's so much that's missing from my point in time, it's hard to know where to even ask to begin," Luke admitted. "I guess... why this whole conflict between dark and light started in the first place?"

...that was probably a tall order on it's own, he realized after a moment, a sheepish look coming to his face.

"That is a question without any simple answers, and requires delving into history that is mostly lost, even in my time," Marr said, leaning forward slightly in his chair. "There were no Jedi and no Sith at first, only the Je'daii. They revered balance above all else, and they existed for over ten thousand years before civil war led to the rise of the Jedi Order, who refused to tolerate any use of the dark due to the destruction it caused."

Edited 2018-05-07 16:10 (UTC)

Luke hung on Marr's every word, a frown slowly creasing his features.

"...but by denying part of the whole, they caused even more destruction," he pointed out. "I can only imagine the damage the civil war caused, but that just continued for centuries."

"There was a time of peace after that defeat, with the Jedi departing Tython for another planet, and a small group of so-called 'dark Jedi' heading off. This was a long time before the Sith, and many more groups would leave the Jedi. The dark feeds off of and feeds into certain emotions. Hatred at those who have wrong you, or those you care about, anger over behind held back. Fear of loss.... and above all, a desire for power and freedom."

Marr clasps his hands together. "It is the last two which are at the root of contention. It is our greatest strength and also our greatest weakness. The freedom to act as we feel we must, to have feelings we cannot deny, without being constrained by the Jedi's restrictive policies, to pursue power at our own pace, rather than at a pace dictated by others. That is why some always have, and always will, continue to leave the light."

A far away look came to Luke's face at Marr's words, remembering... no, a memory from when he was a child, but incomplete. The homestead's garage; he had spent so much time there, knew it like the back of his hand, but lingering frustrations and anger had driven him away from it when he was really small. He could see it now, though; his father fiddling with something, trying to let the thing take away his frustrations, but it wasn't working and not even throwing it away could easy his angry.

He's holding me back!

He shook the vision off, letting out a breath.

"That... sounds about right," he murmured, rubbing at his forehead. "I was scolded often for not having control of my emotions. My last master almost refused to train me because of it."

Marr was silent while Luke's attention turned inward, and he only vaguely sensed the memories the younger Skywalker contemplated.

"Yes. The Jedi have always been too rigid. Those who cannot conform are put under pressure until they can no longer handle it. But Sith have been unyielding in our own way. Refusing compromise where it might benefit us. Many Sith cause their own deaths by refusing to restrain themselves, or in their pursuit of more power."

It was a lesson Marr learned too late. Had he chosen to kneel to Valkorion, he would have lived to work against the madman's heirs.

That brought a concerned look to Luke's face, thoughts immediately snapping to Kylo and how hard it was for him to reign in his anger.

"...are you talking about an error in judgement, or have they just... burnt themselves out from too much power? Too much emotion?"

"One leads into the other. Sith who do not learn to master their feelings will be controlled by them. Enslaved by their emotions rather than empowered by them. The dark side alters the people who delve into it; our emotions as well as our bodies. The more powerful we become, the more extreme its effects." Marr gestured at himself, though he did not elaborate on how he had been changed.

"Our early lessons are a dark reflection of those taught to Jedi. We learn to embrace and harness our emotions, and train to wield them. To let them flow, and to conceal them when needed."

He leaned back in his seat and looked away. "But even those of us who achieve such mastery are led into ruin by the Sith code."

Luke fell quiet at that, and it was hard to miss that he was worried. But he didn't know what to do about it; it was clear after talking to "Ben" that anything he said wouldn't help Kylo at all. Could he just do nothing? Should he?

Right now, he set his worries aside, knowing he would need to address them eventually, but now wasn't the time. He shifted in his seat, cradling his drink. He was definitely curious about what he meant by effects, but he had his suspicions, just going off of the Sith Lords he knew. Still, asking seemed rude, especially when he didn't know him.

"What is the Sith Code?" he asked instead.

The boy's concern for someone else was very clear, gathering around Luke like turbulence preceding a storm. Marr would allow Luke the choice of bringing it up or not.

When their discussion continued into the Sith code, Marr sat up straight once more. With a clear, even voice he recited.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."

...yeah, that sounded about right. Hearing it didn't sound so terrible, though, not like what Yoda implied. If he had never met Vader, never known the horrors he had visited on the galaxy, he wouldn't have found it a bad thing just from hearing it. Maybe that was the whole point; "easier, more seductive" indeed.

"Kanan mentioned that there were various versions of the Jedi Code," he began. "The one he told me acknowledged that the Sith Code exists. I'm guessing the more 'widely accepted' one doesn't."

It wasn't really something that needed to be answered; he knew it just from what he heard so far.

"There is only one in my time, that such a code exists in the future... it has the feel of something Grand Master Shan would implement. The Sith Code is constructed to mirror the Jedi Code. The ancient version which condemns the path to the dark side." Marr felt mildly curious about that version of the Jedi code, but only in that he thought it might be Satele's doing. Some remnant of their desire to change both orders for the better.

"The Sith Code is incomplete and flawed. Particularly the accepted interpretation of it. We emphasized freedom as the end goal, when it is merely a step along the path. You must free yourself of that which holds you back, but ultimately you must tether yourself to a position of stable power. To learn to apply your own restraint."

As if picking up on his curiosity, Luke whipped out his communicator, navigating through the notes app to find where he tapped out the Jedi Code and handing it off to Marr. It's clear Luke's been giving his questions about the Force a lot of thought, as the note file is pretty huge, with notes branching off of notes off of other notes. It was very likely those notes were going to get even longer after their current conversation, but at the moment, the code in question was the highlight:

Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force.

"'Learn to apply your own restraint'..." Luke echoed, thinking back, trying to remember when he had ever seen Vader apply restraint. His right hand clenched reflexively in response, and he gave up; if that was supposed to be restraint, then he didn't want to see what his father was like unrestrained. "I think that message was lost."

Marr holds the communicator in his hand, staring at the words written there. It's so simple, but it does encourage the point of view he and Shan worked so hard to achieve. The product of their debate and discussion.

He glances up, and offers the communicator back to Luke, holding it in his outstretched hand rather than levitating it over to him. "Yes. It would not have been well-received, and I was not in a position to enforce change by the time I understood the need for it."

Luke accepted it back without comment. He didn't seem to mind Marr at all, or at the very least, wasn't afraid of him. Cautious, yes, but not afraid.

"I can't imagine how different things might have been if you had," he replied, tucking his communicator back into his pocket. Would the Emperor even had been able to manipulate the galaxy as he had, if the Sith encouraged control over dominance? He didn't doubt he would try, but he doubted he would have gotten far.

The lack of fear made Luke's presence almost comfortable. He had great potential, but had not yet achieved the calm certainty and steady power Marr would prefer to see.

"If the Sith had changed as they needed to, the tradition of only two Sith would never have started. Nor would you have been left with so little guidance."

He's still learning. When he used the Force for the first time, Obi-Wan had said he'd taken his first step into a much larger world. Everything at Bespin and now here just proved how big that world really could be, and he was trying to find where he stood in it. He knew he'd get there eventually, which was why he was going around getting as much information as he could; so he could find his footing.

"There'd be something of both followings left... yeah," Luke murmured faintly, before shaking his head. There was no point on dwelling on what could have been. It wasn't fair to either of them.

The state of affairs in Luke's time is a curious one. With only two Sith and no Jedi, the words of the Sith prophecy may yet be fulfilled in a way no one in his time could have foreseen.

"My knowledge of Jedi training methods is not as thorough as my knowledge of the Sith, but I will share both with you, if that is what you desire." The younger Skywalker may be his only viable option for finding someone capable of battle meditation or initiating a Force meld with more than one person.

Luke hesitated a moment. He was pretty sure if anyone found out he was getting training from an ancient Sith Lord, his friends and family would cut that off really fast. At the same time, after everything that happened, after all the lies he'd been told, he wasn't sure if it was just Yoda and Obi-Wan, or if it was the Jedi in general. And then there was the whole issue he'd heard of practices the Jedi did as far as bringing in new trainees, and denying attachments, and...

He pursed his lips together, glancing back up at Marr.

"I'd like that."

Marr nodded, feeling mildly pleased at Luke's response, enough for it to be felt as the faintest ripple of emotion. It has been so long since he had an apprentice, and he is not interested in having another. But he could teach Luke, help the young man explore all aspects of the Force.

"When we first spoke, you mentioned wanting to know what the Force really is... and it is very different from what the Jedi or the Sith think of it. That was what initially led me to suggest we meet in person, and it is also the reason I am willing to teach you. I will help you understand the truth of it, but more important, especially in the early stages of what I have to teach you, is for you to understand yourself. If you do not know yourself, you cannot reach your full potential, and you cannot truly know the Force."

Luke paused as he took in Marr's words; that was the real trick though, wasn't it? He wanted to know his place in the Force, but understanding that meant understanding himself. Of course, before everything that happened, he had a good grasp of who he was: a farm boy turned freedom fighter, a good pilot, a legacy left behind by his father that he wanted to live up to. Now...?

"I could have told you pretty easily who I was before this place, before... before what happened back home just before coming here," Luke replied. "Now I'm not so sure."

"Did you truly know who you were, and that you have changed, or is it that you only thought you knew, and have now realized the truth?" Marr asked, his voice quiet and calm as he posed the question.

The first stages of teaching Luke would be the most difficult for the young man.

Luke opened his mouth to answer, as it seemed obvious to him at first, only to pause, falling silent. No, perhaps this answer wasn't as easy as he thought.

"...both, I think," he finally replied softly. "I thought I knew who I was, but a combination of learning the truth, and how things have changed here... I don't think I ever really knew myself."

That was scary to think about.

"Most people go through lives assuming they know themselves, but very few truly do," Marr told him. "Very few ever realize they need to look closer to see the truth."

"I can help you, but it is something best done on your own or with people you trust completely." The best Marr could offer would be to challenge Luke's thoughts on himself and the people around him. To see how far he would go and where his weaknesses lay.

Luke nodded slowly at that, considering. That was a short list, consisting of just Han, Leia, and Josh at the moment. Of course, he trusted his parents, and some of the others from their galaxy, but... they barely knew them, not like he knew the three of them.

"I'll have to talk to them, then," he replied. He was sure if he explained he was trying to understand himself better to get a better connection to the Force, they would understand. No need to mention who was asking this of him.

"Good. Once you have done this, we can speak further on that subject." Marr didn't expect Luke to know what to talk about the first few times, but it was a start. To really understand yourself, you had to be challenged.

"For now, if you have other questions, you may ask them." Marr wouldn't necessarily answer, but he would probably at least tell Luke why he refused if it wasn't something he was ready to speak of.

"A whole fish department, and not a single mackerel," said Majima, looking skeptically at the offerings. No salmon collars, either, though they did have fillets.

"Guess I gotta find a specialty store." Marr looked like he was having a serious moral conundrum over there with those steaks.

Marr glanced over at someone else unable to find the food they want. Human, but that doesn't mean he's from this Earth or another Earth or perhaps some planet which has Earth food. "Is that a food available on this planet?" He sounds vaguely, mildly curious but mostly his voice is just calm and even.

"...uh, yeah. It's a kind of fish." The real question here was whether Marr knew what fish was, because apparently there was a nonzero chance that the answer was no.

"Take it you're from outta town?"

Some form of Earth sea life, then. The fish on this planet wasn't terrible, at least, but Marr preferred land animals or avians.

"That is one way of phrasing it. So far the only food I recognize is chocolate." Which was a nice find. Marr had taken to buying chocolate milk instead of the strange, too pale, unnervingly white milk.

Majima picked up a container of shrimp, decided that the precooked variety would probably taste terrible, and replaced it. It seemed to be offered with some kind of tomato-based sauce on the side, which he was not about.

"Tough break. Do ya like chocolate?"

Marr shook his head lightly. "I am not as fond of it as many are, but it does make the milk on this planet tolerable." Fortunately Marr had no idea how strange many natives would find it that a nearly seven foot tall man walking around in full armor likes to drink chocolate milk.

"You should try strawberry milk. Saw some boxes of it in the juice aisle." Fuel to the fire. F u e l to the fire.

(Majima actually liked strawberry milk, though.)

Breaded whitefish fillets were not really his though, so it looked like that wasn't going to be much help, either. In the end, Majima opted for a portion of salmon that claimed to be some sort of superior grade who even cared any more.

"The name 'strawberry' makes them sound unpleasant to eat." It was an awkward and unpleasant sounding name. Marr had avoided them so far, as well as raspberries. He looked back at the beef section, and then glanced at Majima. He had learned early on that asking natives for food advice was something he didn't want to do, but Majima was either a fellow imPort or calm enough not to be a bother.

"Which is the best choice for beef?" There was a clear increase in price per pound, but that wasn't always due to the quality of the meat.

"They're pretty good. Got nothin' to do with straw, though, far as I can tell." Majima glanced at the beef Marr was looking at. He wasn't exactly a gourmet chef himself, but if Marr was from another planet...

He tapped a package of Black Angus sirloin. "This one's pretty popular. Can't say I can really tell the difference, but supposedly they let the cows wander around and eat grass instead of cheapin' out. Supposed to taste better."

"I shall try them," Marr commented about the strawberries. So far he'd stuck to the simply and obviously named blueberries and other foods without ominous and unpleasant names. He might even try strawberry milk, anything was better than the regular milk here.

He picked several of the Black Angus sirloins, since he would go through at least two in one sitting and Jadus was likely to 'borrow' any meat that sat in the fridge for a day. And not necessarily to eat it. "What other foods do you enjoy?"

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Open Prompts/May Catch-all

Sith Sparring: Open to anyone who wants to jump in

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4: Time to do that talk!

Yep. Sensible Discussions are go

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Wow I need more coffee in the mornings.

Yeah. Just a little maybe.

I am so sorry. ;;

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3

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