closed; you can't always see a person's scars

[theycalledmeacurse]

WHO: Rogue, Jacob, Obi-Wan, Ruby, and other invitees
WHERE: Endeavor Center in Maurtia Falls
WHEN: May 16, evening
WHAT: The first (test run) meeting of a support group for imPort combat survivors
WARNINGS: war, genocide, pows, torture, combat, death
NOTE: This is a "test run" meeting open to just a few characters. Larger, more open meeting plans are in the works for June!



It had never been Rogue's intention to take all of this on herself. When she'd first addressed the network to inquire about whether there was a support group for those with combat-related trauma, she'd thought for certain there must be something... And yet there wasn't, and it became clear from the responses that one was needed. Badly.

So here she was three weeks later, adjusting a tray of cookies for perhaps the twelfth time and making sure the coffee carafe was still hot. Taking stock of the whole spread laid out at the edge of the room beside the small circle of chairs, she admitted to herself that she may have gone a bit overboard — they probably didn't really need six kinds of cookies, a dozen cupcakes, and a fruit tray — and yet she rationalized that the leftovers could stay at the Endeavor Center for the staff and volunteers tomorrow. They certainly deserved a treat for their efforts in Maurtia Falls.

She was just about to rearrange a row of water bottles (again) when someone walked through the door. Right. Go time.

"Welcome, sugar," she addressed them with a bright smile, her southern drawl making the words sound smooth and warm. "I'm so glad you could make it. Feel free to grab a snack or find a seat, we'll get started soon."

Comments

before the meeting;

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Grab a cookie, make small talk, scowl at the others. However you please! ]

[hadthehighground]

Obi-Wan actually arrived a little early. Perhaps to see if Rogue needed any help with the set up. Her pleasant greeting brought a smile to his face, and he offered his assistance if she needed it.

Though once others started coming in he took a bottle of water and a cookie for himself. This was going to be an interesting experience for certain. He had usually confided in other Jedi, but seeing as there was a shortage, this would have to do. At the very least, everyone here should be able to understand where the others were coming from. They were all here for the same reasons.

So when someone else came up to the refreshment table, he offered a smile.

“Good to see you here.”

[by_candlelight]

Ruby offered him a nervous smile. "And you too."

She didn't mean to sound stilted, or to look like she was about to bolt at any moment. It was just that this was very, very unfamiliar territory and she had no internal script for how to handle the situation.

[hadthehighground]

"It's nice to meet you in person, Ruby. Again, you have my thanks for your suggestion. Mount Koya is a beautiful place."

Her awkwardness didn't bother him in the least, and he acted as if he didn't notice it.

Re: before the meeting;

[by_candlelight]

After grabbing a few cookies and a muffin - she never turned down food - Ruby has found herself standing near a wall, looking a bit like a deer in headlights. Well. If deer stared wide eyed at a room while they took bites out of cookies every now and again.

Once in a while she would close her eyes, take a deep breath, and force herself to calm down. She wasn't in any danger. Compared to a lot of things that she'd read on the network her experiences were practically normal. And what was the worst that would likely happen? Well, someone could try to kill her for her part in her peer's lives, but in the end she knew precisely where all the exits were, and she'd escaped from tighter situations than 'a room full of people'.

She lets out an exhale, and a small laugh.

"I think I'd be less nervous if I were fighting for my life," she mutters in Japanese.

the meeting;

[theycalledmeacurse]

With everyone now arrived, there was no point to waiting. They'd all come here for a reason, all them needed something that this group could provide. So it was time to get to work.

Taking her own seat within the circle of chairs, a cup of steaming coffee cradled between her gloved hands, Rogue took a deep breath before projecting her voice the way she used to while teaching ‐ strong, clear, without a trace of uncertainty. She was nervous as all get-out that this idea would crash and burn before it even really got started, but now wasn't the time to let all of that show to these folks. Someone had to play the leader and this time it had to be her.

"Okay everyone, before we really get started, I just want to lay out some ground rules," she began, her research having emphasized just how incredibly important this step was. "Firstly, everything we talk about here is completely confidential. What we're discussing here is personal and private, and anything you choose to share with us will remain in this room. It takes a lot of trust to open up about the hard parts of our lives — anyone who breaks that trust won't be welcome here anymore."

After allowing a moment for the message to sink in, she continued, "Second, we are not here to judge each other. None of us can fully understand what each other's been through or how those events have impacted us. Whatever you are feeling, whatever you have felt, it's okay. You can be broken here. You can be angry and sad, afraid and hurt. You can feel guilty or grateful. There's nothing wrong with any of that."

Another deep breath, because lord was this harder than she'd ever thought it would be. "Lastly, everyone needs to know we aren't here to 'fix' each other. Listening to other people sharing their stories can be hard, it's normal to want to try help make it right, right then and there, but that's not why we're here. We're here to listen when you need to speak and stand by your side when you just need to be. Because this is hard for everyone, and everyone here deserves respect for even taking this step."

[ Will your character be sharing their story or experiences at this meeting? Make a top-level if they are! Rogue will kick things off. ]

rogue

[theycalledmeacurse]

"Now that all that's settled, I guess I'll start since I'm the reason you're all here on a perfectly good Thursday night." There was more humor in her voice than was completely genuine, a sign of nerves trying to break through while she wore her mask of being okay — so she let it fall. A visible shift washed over her expression as suddenly it became clear that everything wasn't okay. Exhaustion, grief, and a half dozen other emotions warred within her and for once she let them.

With all the ground rules properly laid out and everyone waiting for her to speak, Rogue took a moment to sip at her coffee, pondering just where to begin. But it was easy, really, to find that starting point.

"I missed coffee most of all." The words flowed like a river, spilling forth with no effort once begun. "And chocolate. And having someone's hand to hold... All of you know that my Earth was at war when I came here, I said as much on the network. That war was between baseline humans and mutants, people like me with genetic differences that gave us special abilities and physical mutations. People were afraid, just like they always are when faced with something different, and after a long time those people took positions of power. They made the Sentinels to hunt us down, giant robots who could scan our DNA and find us anywhere."

Her voice wavered, accent coming on a little thicker than before, and her hands held tight to that cup of coffee, like it was the lifeline keeping her tethered to this world. "They captured some of us, took us to camps to be studied if we had interesting powers or could be used for labor, they just started killing everyone who wasn't worth the effort of keeping around. I was part of a team that tried to stop the war, the same way we'd tried to prevent it from even happening in the first place, and a couple years in, I was captured."

Tears burned at her eyes but she'd had too much practice to let them fall just yet. "I was experimented on for three years while they studied my mutation, trying to find a way to use it against mutants. At first, I waited for my team to come for me. It's what we did, breaking into camps and trying to save as many people as we could, human and mutant alike. I trusted that they would come... but they didn't. They left me there to die, and when I realized they weren't coming, I wanted to. Every single day, I hope it would be my last, but the scientists wouldn't let me die, not until they were finished."

Her hand shook slightly as she loosened her grip enough to take another sip of her coffee. The taste was more soothing than anyone else could ever possibly understand. "I sleep with the curtains open every night so I can see the world outside. Hell, some nights I even sleep outside because it's just too dang hard to have a roof over my head. I drink as much coffee as I want and eat my weight in chocolate every chance I get to help remind myself that this isn't all just some wonderful dream I'll wake up from. Of course, that is kinda what it is, isn't it? One day, we'll all go back to our homes. One day, I'll leave this beautiful world that hasn't been burned to ash, where I can still hear people laughing and see bright blue skies. I'd be lying if I said that thought didn't terrify me."

A few moments passed and then Rogue shifted in her chair, straightening up and letting her emotional mask slowly settle back into place. Not fully, these people deserved better than that, but for her sake she needed that bit of barrier between them.

"I'm not one of those people who gets offended if someone asks questions. I'm not gonna hold anything back from any of you, you're putting your trust in me by coming here tonight. Of course, you don't have to feel the same way &mash; you don't even have to say anything if you don't want to. But if there's something you wanna know, I'll tell you."

...

And then, later, when questions have been asked and comments made, she looked around at the assembled faces and asked, "Would anyone else like to say something?"

Re: rogue

[by_candlelight]

Ruby listened attentively the whole time. She felt... Something. Something when Rogue mentioned that she had been abandoned by her friends, her allies. Sometimes that was just how things went in a war, but that didn't mean it was exactly great or anything. Ruby hoped that none of the people she personally had left behind had been treated even half as bad as Rogue was. Sure, there was no reason for the people to end up as lab rats, but that didn't mean other things couldn't have happened.

When Rogue mentions the fact that she drinks tons of coffee, and eats tons of chocolate, she can't help but smile a little. The little things like that were what made survival worth it, right? Ruby could go pet as many dogs as she wanted now, and could indulge in real food. Rogue on the other hand seemed to have more focused interests, and Ruby could not only respect that but understand why.

At the end, when questions are offered, Ruby speaks. "If you could find a way to stay here for the rest of your life, would you take the chance to do so?"

[hadthehighground]

Obi-Wan listened quietly as well, taking in Rogue's story with contemplation. Compassion welled up inside of him for her. No one should have to go through what she had, especially when he only crime was being born with a genetic condition that was out of her control.

When she finished, and after Ruby had gotten her question answered, he spoke up as well.

"Were you ever able to escape? Or were you still in captivity when you came here?"

He honestly can not blame her for her feelings, he can relate to them in a way. But he wanted to believe that she managed to find a way to get away from those that experimented on her.

"Is there no hope for you or your kind? The mutants of your world?"

He honestly dislikes that word. It sounds so crass. But surely there had to be some hope? Even in the darkest of times in his galaxy, there was a sliver of hope. Did Rogue have that?

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Jacob bows his head as he listens, a sign of respect and contemplation. The horrors Rogue has described are far beyond anything he's ever experienced personally. He can only imagine the courage it took for her to not just survive, but also to tell her story to strangers and create a forum for others to do the same.

"I'm sorry for what they did to you and your people," he says as he raises his head to meet her eyes, the words sounding flat and lame in his ears, even though he says them with feeling. I'm sorry couldn't possibly be sufficient for something like that. "I hope you're able to stay here and be safe for as long as possible."

That, too, sounds like more of a gesture than what she deserves. How many imPorts get to stay a single year, let alone a lifetime? The Porter has no pity or compunction, he knows that. She could be sent back to her hell at any moment.

Ruby [CW: Child abuse, neglect, cult abuse] (I'm sorry this is so long)

[by_candlelight]

As soon as she'd offered to go next, her mind went a little blank, and in that moment she looked a little dumbfounded. She was nothing if not quick to recover from things, and managed to sort-of get her wits about her again.

"I. Well I'm Ruby Nakamura. That wasn't the name I was born with though - not the 'Ruby' part, I mean. I just like the name Ruby. It's got a good mouth-feel, you know?" She offers a little bit of a smile. "This might sound a little off topic until I explain a little more, but, I was actually born to a mafia boss. He was also a politician, and one who was well liked, at that. But I only really got to know the mafia boss side of him. And I guess even then, it was really more that I got to know about that side of him from the people who worked for him." She pauses a moment and looks frustrated, she was trying to keep on topic properly, and had already started meandering. "Anyway. I was being raised to take over for him. Had a teacher, a real bastard of a man, who actually did me a favour by making sure I learned how to behave when I was a hostage, how to keep myself alive until my father could organise a rescue.

"That really came in handy some time when I was eight. See, my father got found out. The guy had made some enemies who were willing to do the digging needed to find out who this mafia leader was, since no one could ever give a name, or even a face. Honestly, I'd not be surprised if they just happened to send one of their own members in as a spy, were it not for the fact their leader wasn't great at that type of subtlety." She snorts a little. "Anyway. Long story short I ended up in foster care after a lot of my father's housings got raided by police, including the safe house I happened to be in that month.

"They tried to get me settled, gave me a new name - not the last time my name would be stolen from me," she interjects with a small laugh. "I was transferred into a public school once they were certain I was going to be hard to find. The thing is they were wrong. That group that had gotten my father outed as a criminal? Well, they had people in the system. I wasn't even at that school for a week before I was taken in the middle of a pulled fire alarm." Even though her face has a wry smile on it, the rest of her body language is another story. Between the fingers of one hand the edge of her sleeve is being worried none too gently, and she seems tensed in the way one would be when expecting harm they couldn't stop.

"When I woke up after being knocked out, I was in the room with the leader. I could tell he wanted to kill me. You know how if you're around people who kill others, you can just sort of get a feeling for when they want you specifically dead? He gave off that sort of, I don't know, 'energy'. He also felt like a predator, looking for any opening to take advantage of weakness.

"At some point he gave me enough information to realise he was used to people looking to him for guidance. And then, well... I go between being able to remember it clearly, and not being able to remember it at all, but I managed to make him think that I was just a kid who had lost all faith in her father and was looking for guidance, for a system that made sense after everything I knew had been taken from me. My teacher had always said to appeal to the captor in any way that made you seem beneficial to keep around, and I'd found exactly what would keep me alive. Somehow."

She takes a moment to reach into the side pouch of her bag, pull out a bottle of water, and take a big old swig from it. She replaces the cap, but keeps the bottle in her lap.

"At first I was probably just a trophy - he collected those, you see. He paid a lot of attention to me, and tried to treat me in a way that I now know was intended to be fatherly. Even knowing what I know now, it was still off. But at the time I just let him fawn over me, especially when he started to fawn over the things I was actually good at, rather than me in general. See, I was smart, not 'super genius' smart, but the type of smart that had me speaking two languages fluently, doing material that was basically a year away from what you'd get when you had to start cramming to get into a good highschool. It probably helped that I had literally no other interests thanks to my teacher. But in the end I was really good at the materials I was told to study, and while I could point out the logical flaws in a lot of the arguments, I was also smart enough to know not to. So he fawned over my good grades, and the essays I wrote that showed I understood the cult's logic perfectly.

"Then came the physical training, and once again I was good at that. My teacher had made sure I knew how to do a lot of things kids really probably shouldn't be taught to do, on top of training me on obstacle courses basically since I could walk. Who knows why he decided I needed to know how to do all that, well except for the self defense stuff that was obvious, but it paid off because I was fawned over for that, too." There's a small pause, and where her face had gone a little blank, a sad smile creeps its way up. "I didn't even need to be told to teach the others, to make them better at things. Because at that age I looked down on them for not being good enough, and decided that it was going to be my job to make sure they stopped embarrassing me."

There's a little more silence as she played idly with her bottle of water. When she speaks again her tone is odd somehow.

"I really don't know exactly when it happened, but at some point we had a loyalty test. It varied for each person, but more often than not it involved hurting people who weren't a part of The Forge. A few of us got assigned to kill people. The people were already tied up, or held down, just not in a position to hurt the kids. I did it without a thought, because while I had never been really into the idea of killing, I had been taught it was perfectly normal to do so long as that was the way to gain the most benefit, even before I got pulled into this crap.

"The thing that disturbed me was that all the other kids, whether they had been sent to hurt someone or to kill them, seemed upset. I mean, some were in shock, but they started to be clearly Not-Okay after a few days. It disturbed me because I realised there was probably something wrong with me, that I was so willing to do what The Forge wanted me to do."

She looks up from her hands, having at some point come to focus on them as she fidgeted.

"I think I was ten or so when I formed my own ethics system, which I'd say was probably impressive since I'd had nothing of the sort before then, and had merely been taught to act first in the interests of my father, and second in the interests of keeping myself alive. I won't go into details unless anyone wants them - that's not really a part of the story, outside of the fact I think it's important to know I did this, because this skeletal frame I'd continue to build upon is probably the only thing that kept me from actually falling into line with the cult mentally.

"It gave me something to latch on to that wasn't just survival, I think. Maybe? It gave me a code to live by at least, where my own survival was my first priority, and aiming to improve things outside of myself was the second priority. It let me separate my intent from the mask I'd wear until I was almost sixteen. That mask was of someone who was utterly devoted to the cause.

"That mask, and my having been willing to teach the other kids - not all of which came back from their loyalty tests - ended up with me in charge of them. Not the only one in charge of them. But I was who they looked to... And at some point in time I'd come to like them. They didn't embarrass me anymore, but I still wanted to make them better, because I wanted them to be able to experience being good at things." She laughs, a little harshly at that. "I was really full of myself back then. And talking about it shows."

She settles back into her chair a little, the nerves all gone, replaced by an eerie sort of calm. Her expression was back to being blank, even though her speech was confident.

"Anyway. Things eventually got to the point where The Forge had failed on being subtle. Really, it was the fact that the leader himself was bat at subtlety, and his mother had passed in recent years so she wasn't there to reign him in. There were fights with the police, where we kids were used as human shields. We had missions where we were to spy, when previously we'd only been let out of the main compound to pass out fliers and be cute. Naturally, I was good at those, and when there were no adults on the mission, I took control because unlike the adults I paid attention to everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and I knew how to use them, how to make sure to choose who would succeed.

"I also learned how to choose who would fail, in the event I felt someone was on to my ruse or they were somehow some other sort of thread. I don't regret sending other to their deaths so I could continue to live, but I wish I'd been better at avoiding their suspicions so it wouldn't have been needed."

She regrets not being good enough to keep more people alive.

"After a few months of these fights I was put in an official position of power over the other kids, and after being a human shield one time too many I was very insistent on keeping this position. Due to my being good at propaganda on my personal social media, where I pretended to be the leader's daughter just like he wanted, I was given charge of the official social media accounts. In the end, this would be my salvation.

"I was captured a couple months after being given this responsibility. It took a few days, but I eventually got the authorities to understand that I was not actually loyal to the cause. I think it was maybe the two and a half hour rant about how even the basic concept of bringing destruction gods back into the world was exceptionally stupid that finally got them to realise that I was, in fact, not fond of The Forge." There should have been humour there, there normally would have been humour there. "So I got them to agree to let me go back in as a spy. They arranged an exchange of hostages - things had gotten that bad, you see - and I was back with the leader."

She stiffens a little, and actively looks like she's holding down panic for a moment before the stillness took over again, the memory wrangled and put into the corner where it belonged.

"I used the social media accounts to give clues. It was in plain sight, and no one in the cult noticed. I think I was more terrified than ever before, even if the mask got more and more brutal and illusioned by the cult rhetoric. More extreme.

"I was brought on a mission to release an old god, one that the leader thought was a destruction god based on old texts. But really, he was just a trickster god who got sealed away because he stole one wine barrel too many. Kin, as we called him, was shaped like a fox, so I could communicate with him with my power, and he talked back with his mind. He told me he thought I was intriguing, playing so large a trick as I was. And we made a deal, that I would help him release his brother, and he would help me put an end to The Forge.

"We were soon chased from the compound when it was made public we'd really revived a god. It wasn't just police anymore, it was a military raid. We had warning, but not warning enough to bring more than the most basic supplies we'd already had packed for just this sort of occasion. Our supplies had been running low for a long time at that point anyway, since it was hard to get into the cities to buy things. Now it was impossible. But we did a good job of surviving off the land, especially since we'd lost a good chunk of members in the raid. It helped that I could easily lure animals in with my ability."

There was a slight pang of guilt there.

"In the end we found out where Kin's brother was. And I gave hints over social media where we'd be. By the time we got there, authorities were already closing in, but the leader was sure he'd be able to kill them all once we released Kin's brother, Kin and I did tell him that the brother was how to unleash his true power, after all. We got into the deepest part of the cave, and when we were there I helped release Kin's brother personally."

A light smile crossed her face, nostalgic almost.

"Once Kin convinced Gin to not eat me, they tore apart the leader and the others who had made it that far. Kin gave me the blessing of fire, and left with his brother."

Her face goes back to being properly blank. "And then I was alone there for what felt like forever."

There's a bit of a pause where she looks down.

"The officials came and arrested me, but I was able to prove I had been a spy, so no legal trouble came. I was put in protective custody. But I'm pretty sure the people I was assigned to live with were trying to kill me. I saw them mix some powder into my food once. And really, I can't blame them. From what they saw, a publicly violent murderer had gotten off the hook by claiming she was secretly against the cult she praised and stood up for for years. That's how the majority of the public saw it. Especially since as far as everyone was concerned I was the leader's daughter, even though it came out who my actual father was. So I left, becoming a forest hobo who was trying to find a way to another world."

She looks back up.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure I'm not sent back."

And with that, there was a sense of finality to her words, that she was very much done. Her attention quickly shifted back to the poorly abused label on her water bottle, almost exclusively.

At least until someone spoke up and her attention was laser focused on them.

[hadthehighground]

Ruby’s story was certainly a lot to take in. She was very detailed in her account, and he had to admire her ability to be so completely open. That would not come easily to most people, himself included. Granted he didn’t fully understand some aspects, but he got the general idea. Born into a life of crime, used and abused, going along to survive, and taking the opportunity when it presented itself to free herself. She has been through more than any child should have to go through. Her childhood seeming to be robbed from her. It was sad and very unfortunate.

“You certainly managed to find yourself in another world, and assuming you succeed in not going back, how do see your future here?”

What will she do with herself now that her life is her own? Does she have hopes and dreams? An idea of what her life as an adult will be?

[hadthehighground]

It was difficult to listen to the stories of others. To hear the heart wrenching tales of others that were hurting. When it came time for him to speak though, there was a pause. He wasn't used to this, focusing on himself and sharing his story with others. He mostly kept things to himself. But this was what he was here for.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I'm a Jedi."

Many if not all of them probably knew the recent drama on the comm involving the Jedi, so he let that sink in for a moment.

"I suppose to understand my story I'll have to give a bit of background. The Jedi Order were the guardians of peace and justice in our galaxy for a thousand generations. This is what I was raised in, as all Jedi were taken from their families from very young ages."

He sat back and waved his hand a bit dismissively.

"The ethics of that can be debated, but for us, it's normal and necessary. Likely more difficult for our families than for us as we never knew them. The Jedi were our family, and it was a good one. In fact, all I ever wanted was to be was a Jedi knight. I learned our ways as a youngling, and became an apprentice under Qui-Gon Jinn. As is usual and expected of any young Jedi."

While being calm and mostly stoic during all of this, there is a flash of emotion in his eyes at the mention of that name. He took a breath as if steadying himself, and then continued.

"I suppose my life took a turn away from normal during the trade dispute on Naboo, a world that was part of the Galactic Republic. It was the catalyst that led to the Separatist movement that threw the political balance of our galaxy into turmoil. Not only that, but after thousands of years, the enemies of the Jedi reemerged, the Sith. My master, who was like a father to me, was killed in the confrontation with the Sith Lord. Though I managed to defeat and slay him, or so I thought."

He was glossing over a lot, and bypassing his feelings, simply spouting out facts. Jedi didn't indulge in their feelings after all. Not usually.

"Before that, my master had found a young boy who was especially gifted in the Force. You may know him, his name is Anakin Skywalker. My master asked me to train him with his dying breath, and so I did. I wasn't ready for such responsibility, but I did my best. I taught him everything I knew, and several years later, he would become a knight just as our galaxy was enveloped in war with the Separatists. The Clone Wars is what we called it, as the Republic had an army consisting of cloned soldiers."

There was a fondness in his voice as he spoke of Anakin, his gaze a bit distant as he thought back on the good times. Yet there was still a hint of sadness.

"Anakin was a brilliant general and an exceptional pilot. We continued to work together, as brothers, and were a formidable team in battle. We went through many hard times together as well. Both of us saw our share of needless death, destruction, and injustice. Plus we also had our moments of defeat, and being captured."

Again, there was a lot of glossing over. A lot could be unpacked from the things that Obi-Wan was only briefly mentioning.

"However, what I didn't know, is that he was being manipulated by the one person that we were essentially fighting for. The leader of the Republic, Chancellor Palpatine. Unbeknownst to any of us, he was a Sith Lord as well and orchestrated the entire war. We didn't find this out until it was much too late. He turned Anakin against the Jedi, as well as the clones. The entire Order was literally slaughtered overnight, and the Republic made into the Galactic Empire."

This is obviously the most difficult part of it as he glosses over and rushes through even more.

"I was forced to confront Anakin, to do the unthinkable. I defeated him, but I was unable to kill him. From there, I went into hiding as did any of the few other Jedi that managed to survive. I'll be spending the rest of my life on a desolate desert planet from what I hear. Alone and with only my own thoughts to keep me company."

He then fell into silence at that. A hand reaching up to be placed on his face. Dwelling on these thoughts was never pleasant.

[theycalledmeacurse]

Listening to Obi-Wan's story was like putting together more pieces of one of those mystery jigsaw puzzles that her students used to enjoy. (At least, until someone had a power surge in frustration and the puzzle went up in literal smoke.) Bits of the history of that galaxy had been garnered from listening to Hux speak and watching the recent uproar on the network, but they were only glimpses of a much larger picture. Even now, Obi-Wan danced over so much that she could only gather the broadest strokes of the part he'd played in it all.

She listened closely, compassion and focus in her expression even as she bristled at the mention of one Anakin Skywalker, the asshole she'd fought with at Hux's home before her employer's house arrest. The man was a hothead used to wielding power and she didn't like him one bit. Learning how close he was to Obi-Wan changed that only slightly — she still didn't like him, but she was willing to keep those opinions to herself when Obi-Wan was around.

When he'd finished speaking, she gave him a few moments to compose himself before leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees, tragically empty coffee cup held in her hands as she spoke softly. "We can't change the things we've been through, or the life that lies before us back home. All we can do is find a way to live while we're here, to keep moving forward even when it hurts. But that doesn't mean you have to hide that pain. When you're ready to face it, we'll be here."

Because she could see the way he avoided those emotions, either letting them go unacknowledged or simply suppressing them. There was nothing wrong with that approach in the short-term, but she knew from personal experience that such a method couldn't be sustained without doing real damage. She'd hate to see that happen to him.

[by_candlelight]

Ruby was currently more lacking in the tact department than usual, still recovering from her endless ramble, so it seemed perfectly reasonable to ask what came to mind.

"Do you think you were a good teacher?"

It wasn't accusational - someone could after all be a good teacher but be unable to account for outside influence - but rather curious. From what information she had on Obi-Wan, and the interactions she'd had with him, he seemed a level-headed sort of person. Probably patient, which was far different from the teachers she'd had in the past. He seemed the sort who was likely to be thoughtful about his words.

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

When it comes Jacob's turn to speak, he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, his coffee set beside him as he folds his arms. Those who are already familiar with his appearance may notice a change in his presentation- instead of his usual military crew-cut, his head is currently completely bald.

"I'm Jacob Taylor," he says, a little too quickly, like he's trying to get through something unpleasant. "I spent five years in the military back home, two years in a terrorist group, and I've been a 'hero' here for five. If it's all right with everyone else, I'll just listen for this meeting. Not really sure what I need to say yet."

He's not sure where to even start. How to find the right words.

[hadthehighground]

Unlike with Rogue and Ruby, Obi-Wan didn't know this man in the slightest, though the Jedi still gave him his undivided attention.

So, another military man. He knew all too well how the ravages of war could affect a person. Though he had the benefit of his Jedi training to help. Jacob's wishes to just listen though caused him to nod.

"Of course, there is no pressure here. You are welcome to speak what you wish on your own time."

There were things that even Obi-Wan was not ready to talk about yet.

"Though five years? I don't believe I've met anyone who has been here for so long."

[theycalledmeacurse]

Rogue notices that his haircut is different than when they'd first met, but without a more recent reference, she has no idea that it's a significant change. No, what's more apparent is the way he sits, that shifting that indicates discomfort, and she's not the least bit surprised by the request he makes.

"You take all the time you need, sugar," she assures him gently. "Just being here is a pretty big step you should be mighty proud of yourself for."

[by_candlelight]

"I think it's fine, to wait to talk about something until you're ready." Ruby is looking tired, but she's still giving her attention to the man. "Sometimes you need to hear other people talk before you can figure out what words to use for your own thoughts."

She wasn't trying to say what he'd said back to him, though unfortunately that might be how it came off. She was attempting to reassure him that this was probably the way it worked in general.

after the meeting;

[theycalledmeacurse]

[ Now that everyone has been put through the emotional wringer, have another cookie or twelve. Or try to escape the room before someone talks to you. Or maybe even grab a new friend and head to the nearest bar. ]

[theycalledmeacurse]

After the meeting, there's plenty to do to keep Rogue busy, which was exactly what she needed. Dealing with traumatic emotions is nothing if not exhausting so she didn't ask anyone else to help as she began folding the chairs to stack against the wall, or cleaning up the refreshments by sweeping up the crumbs and packing away the leftovers. It felt good to be doing something after just sitting and talking for so long, but that didn't mean she wouldn't stop to talk with anyone who approached her or wish someone a good night as they left.

[redcosmedic]

After her attendees have left, Rogue gets a text message ping on her phone.

How did your first meeting go?

[by_candlelight]

Despite the fact that a part of her told her to get out of there, that now that the meeting was over they all had the right to judge her and look at her the way people in her own world did, Ruby stayed. At first she stood in a corner and worked to get her pulse under control as she watched the scenery. After about ten minutes she went over to Rogue, and in an exhausted voice, she spoke.

"How can I help?"

[hadthehighground]

It’s directly after the meeting that Obi-Wan goes to get himself a final cookie. These are really good okay? But he continues to linger as others mingle for a bit but eventually leave.,

When Rogue starts to clean things up, he finally approaches.

“Can I help?”

[theycalledmeacurse]

Rogue's glad to see everyone enjoying the snacks. Hunger could make people irritable and nerves were soothed by having something to do with one's hands, so cookies solved both problems.

Turning at the question, she offers Obi-Wan a smile that's just a bit on the tired side. "I'd appreciate it, sugar, thank you."