Darth Jadus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jadus) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
maskormenacelogs2019-10-10 03:03 pm
jadus) wrote in maskormenacelogs2019-10-10 03:03 pm
OPEN - I've been patient for too long
WHO: Darth Jadus, whoever dares
WHERE: A yoga and meditation studio
WHEN: Whenever things aren't actively exploding
WHAT: Jadus has a government-assigned job as a meditation instructor.
WARNINGS: Mental manipulation, general disregard for mental privacy
[[OOC: Jadus' powers and permissions are here. If you have any particular limits you'd like to set beyond his permissions list or themes you want to focus on, please contact me on Plurk at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
PaleAntiquarian or PM this journal. Also, please contact me if you're interested in having a character join the Advanced Meditation Course, especially if you want to handwave their current or previous attendance of his basic course! I have the bare bones of a prompt ready, but given that Jadus' impression of a character determines whether he'll allow them to participate and will affect his teaching, I'm leaving it off the TL.]]
1. You're Invited
The Touch-Off Yoga and Meditation Center puts out flyers at various natural foods stores, local coffee shops, independent bookstores, and just about anywhere else that a pamphlet can feasibly be pinned up. Halfway down the page, one might notice this:
*Instructor approval required for the advanced meditation program. If you have a heart condition, have been prescribed certain psychoactive medications or are recently recovering from surgery, this course may not be for you.
--
The basic meditation course is taught after work hours. The sun is still up and shining in through the studio windows, but those who have come from one of the yoga classes might find that the space is cooler than they expected.
Jadus is already kneeling at the front of the empty room. He provides no indication of what to do, but a number of the attendees seem familiar with this routine. Some grab small kneeling mats and take up specific places they've grown accustomed to, others opt to sit on the bare wood floor. None of these regulars speak, but they do smile and gesture to newcomers, guiding them to places near the front of the room.
Anyone who tries to approach Jadus at this point will be intercepted by a regular. If they show no interest in sitting down to meditate, the regular will point to the door. "After the class," they whisper. One can observe from outside the room through a series of windows--in fact, several people have paused to do just that.
But if one pushes further to approach Jadus, they may receive a response.
2. Witness it
Once all are seated, Jadus speaks.
"The mind is powerful, and beset by limitation." His voice is calm and resonant, further augmented by his eyeless mask.
"Emotion has purpose, but its energy goes wasted in the untrained mind." He hasn't moved, but one might get the impression he is looking at the newcomers.
"The comfort of happiness can lead to stagnation, pride in accomplishment can blind one to risk, anger set free will weaken the mind, and fear without focus leaves one broken." There is little hint of emotion in his tone, but the conviction is obvious.
"This need not be so."
In the absence of instruction, some of the students have closed their eyes. Others stare blindly, their eyes half-lidded. Any who remain alert will eventually realize that Jadus is slowly becoming blurred, as if the eye can't focus on him. "No emotion is negative. All can destroy the mind, and all can strengthen it."
His voice is no louder than it was before, but it seems to fill the entire room. "Others have taught you to seek peace. I will not do so. Here, you will learn to be free."
An hour of guided meditation follows. There is no music, no ambience, and, oddly, Jadus barely speaks. Those taking the course might not notice it at all, even as the air grows colder. As he warned, it is not peaceful, but to some the swell of emotion felt in the tense silence may be electrifying. Those who can read auras or have mental abilities, however, will see another side of the meditation.
Jadus' aura reaches out to envelop his students, curling around them, probing them, reaching inside to pull something to the surface. Occasionally he retreats, ignoring a mind in favor of another. Once or twice, one that lost his interest burns with a sudden spasm of emotion, strong enough to bring his focus back to them, a seething darkness boiling around their mind.
And to those watching this play out, it may become clear that they have not escaped his scrutiny either. He works more subtly around them, but he is watching.
3. It's not over yet
The chill in the air retreats as the sun sets. Jadus stands. The meditation is finished. Some of the regulars help dazed newcomers to their feet, others retreating to the hall beyond to talk in hushed voices. There are already others out there, some of them with the same quiet intensity of the regular attendees, others stopping in from other courses to gawk at the imPorts.
Jadus turns away from all of them, gazing out the window. The tilt of his head suggests he is not looking at the people on the street, but up at the sliver of sky visible above the shops across the street.
One or two regulars approach him carefully with questions, and he answers them, voice quiet and as calm as ever. Apparently he can be approached now, if one truly wishes to.
WHERE: A yoga and meditation studio
WHEN: Whenever things aren't actively exploding
WHAT: Jadus has a government-assigned job as a meditation instructor.
WARNINGS: Mental manipulation, general disregard for mental privacy
[[OOC: Jadus' powers and permissions are here. If you have any particular limits you'd like to set beyond his permissions list or themes you want to focus on, please contact me on Plurk at
1. You're Invited
The Touch-Off Yoga and Meditation Center puts out flyers at various natural foods stores, local coffee shops, independent bookstores, and just about anywhere else that a pamphlet can feasibly be pinned up. Halfway down the page, one might notice this:
Our gurus hail from around the world... and beyond! Join our imPort guest instructor Darth Jadus for guided meditation, drawing on his decades of experience and unique perspective on the mind. Learn more about your emotions through basic and advanced meditation programs,* pioneered on the rainforest planet of Dromund Kaas. This course is in high-demand. Space is reserved for new truth-seekers, but be sure to show up early!
*Instructor approval required for the advanced meditation program. If you have a heart condition, have been prescribed certain psychoactive medications or are recently recovering from surgery, this course may not be for you.
--
The basic meditation course is taught after work hours. The sun is still up and shining in through the studio windows, but those who have come from one of the yoga classes might find that the space is cooler than they expected.
Jadus is already kneeling at the front of the empty room. He provides no indication of what to do, but a number of the attendees seem familiar with this routine. Some grab small kneeling mats and take up specific places they've grown accustomed to, others opt to sit on the bare wood floor. None of these regulars speak, but they do smile and gesture to newcomers, guiding them to places near the front of the room.
Anyone who tries to approach Jadus at this point will be intercepted by a regular. If they show no interest in sitting down to meditate, the regular will point to the door. "After the class," they whisper. One can observe from outside the room through a series of windows--in fact, several people have paused to do just that.
But if one pushes further to approach Jadus, they may receive a response.
2. Witness it
Once all are seated, Jadus speaks.
"The mind is powerful, and beset by limitation." His voice is calm and resonant, further augmented by his eyeless mask.
"Emotion has purpose, but its energy goes wasted in the untrained mind." He hasn't moved, but one might get the impression he is looking at the newcomers.
"The comfort of happiness can lead to stagnation, pride in accomplishment can blind one to risk, anger set free will weaken the mind, and fear without focus leaves one broken." There is little hint of emotion in his tone, but the conviction is obvious.
"This need not be so."
In the absence of instruction, some of the students have closed their eyes. Others stare blindly, their eyes half-lidded. Any who remain alert will eventually realize that Jadus is slowly becoming blurred, as if the eye can't focus on him. "No emotion is negative. All can destroy the mind, and all can strengthen it."
His voice is no louder than it was before, but it seems to fill the entire room. "Others have taught you to seek peace. I will not do so. Here, you will learn to be free."
An hour of guided meditation follows. There is no music, no ambience, and, oddly, Jadus barely speaks. Those taking the course might not notice it at all, even as the air grows colder. As he warned, it is not peaceful, but to some the swell of emotion felt in the tense silence may be electrifying. Those who can read auras or have mental abilities, however, will see another side of the meditation.
Jadus' aura reaches out to envelop his students, curling around them, probing them, reaching inside to pull something to the surface. Occasionally he retreats, ignoring a mind in favor of another. Once or twice, one that lost his interest burns with a sudden spasm of emotion, strong enough to bring his focus back to them, a seething darkness boiling around their mind.
And to those watching this play out, it may become clear that they have not escaped his scrutiny either. He works more subtly around them, but he is watching.
3. It's not over yet
The chill in the air retreats as the sun sets. Jadus stands. The meditation is finished. Some of the regulars help dazed newcomers to their feet, others retreating to the hall beyond to talk in hushed voices. There are already others out there, some of them with the same quiet intensity of the regular attendees, others stopping in from other courses to gawk at the imPorts.
Jadus turns away from all of them, gazing out the window. The tilt of his head suggests he is not looking at the people on the street, but up at the sliver of sky visible above the shops across the street.
One or two regulars approach him carefully with questions, and he answers them, voice quiet and as calm as ever. Apparently he can be approached now, if one truly wishes to.
a lil bit of introductory 1, then 2 😈
She was almost something of a cliche back home — yoga, pilates, feng shui, kombucha tea, shampoo without sulphates. Every inch the hippie, tapped into nature and its energies and attuning the self. So after seeing the flyers and then carefully noting the next session date in her calendar, she shows up on the 10th: toeing out of her shoes and padding barefoot across the studio, a yoga mat rolled under an arm. She scans the room until spotting the... person? who must be the leader. While the regulars are getting set up, she walks up to the masked man.
(He doesn't really look like any shaman she's ever met, and she's met a few.)
"Hello! Are you leading the session? I'm new, but I was hoping to join the series." She'd actually been looking for a group to meditate with; his ads had been well-timed.
Apologies for the delay! Was compiling info in the link.
This would not alter his plans. "Then sit. We will discuss this further, after the lesson."
He will observe her responses, rather than enact any direct intervention. Her emotional balance seemed unsuited to his work, but she had potential as a collaborator, unless she rejected the methods he displayed here.
He would see where her limits lay, before proceeding with an offer.
no subject
It starts off as the usual vague language she's used to, in things like this, and Anathema's content to let her mind drift as she's accustomed to. But then certain words trip her up. Make Anathema's eyes open and her chin snap sharply upwards and look more closely at the instructor.
The comfort of happiness can lead to stagnation— Others have taught you to seek peace, I will not do so—
Her hands flex against her knees, fidgeting. There's a question in her gaze and unlike the other hazed-over students, she's clear-eyed as she looks at him, Jadus not having exerted his more overt influence on her just yet. She looks on the verge of saying something, asking something for clarification, except she's clearly too polite to interrupt out of the blue.
( 3 )
She could have contacted through the network, but after the heart wrenching news Lilith delivered about the current love of her life being trapped in Hell back home, Sabrina's raring to find out in any way a method of getting back, which means dealing with the Sisters somehow.
Which leads her to seek out Jadus, though she's surprised he has classes at all. He seems particularly reclusive to her.
"Darth Jadus, correct?" she asks, knowing her answer. The last time they spoke her hair had been a normal shade of blonde. Now it's gone completely platinum, but more importantly, her demeanor is slightly different. "Sabrina Spellman, remember?"
no subject
When she approaches, his head tilts slightly in her direction, the barest sign of acknowledgment.
"Your world has changed you." In person, he is no easier to read than over the network. Though his aura is dark and cold, all emotion has been stripped from it.
"Do you still wish to collaborate?"
no subject
"Yes."
Having been through the ringer here, then to be sent back home and endure near death repeatedly, gain unimaginable power, but then to learn its origins in this place has been a lot to say the least. She might have been able to accept it gradually, but the boy who's stood by her side the entirety of this time now making a sacrifice for her? She can't sit here hoping Lachesis will send her back out of the goodness of her chaotic little heart.
"We have to try. If we don't..." she trails off, a bit uneasy at first. "What good is power if you don't use it to help others?"
no subject
"It has no inherent value," he agrees, gesturing to the studio space they stand in. "I seek to teach this here, but my work will last only as long as my students. They must be protected from the forces that descend upon this world."
"We have much to discuss on this matter, but not here." He starts walking towards the exit without further delay, the students clearing a path for them as he approaches. "And we must test how your new powers interact with mine."
no subject
(Which is not much to begin with, given her growing desperation to return home now that Zelda is here, too.)
"Where do you want to go?"
no subject
"For now, there are rooms in this studio that will suffice to talk privately." A windowless side room that was used to store paperwork. One of his technoorganic creations had been hidden in the room, to monitor any who tried to access information on himself or the students he sifted through. He could be certain the space had not been tampered with.
"But any experimentation with our powers will require more distance from the city. The forces unleashed have sometimes proven violent."
no subject
Her inflection is a touch curious, a touch suspicious. After all, she had died not too long ago and while she had returned she isn't looking forward to a repeat of that. Not that she thinks she can die these days.
no subject
Any power that might breach his mental defenses was a threat, one that could easily spiral out of control. In the Empire, few short of the Emperor could have possibly attempted it. Here, where the laws of reality were ever-shifting, the mere presence of certain individuals could be catastrophic.
no subject
The Herald of Hell she had been, but since then, she's simply been Sabrina Spellman.
And it's how she would prefer to keep it.
She trails after him, feeling quite small in contrast to Jadus who seems to loom over her. Her eyes scour his helmet curiously for any signs of a person (or whatever manner of being might be) behind it.
"I don't want anyone getting hurt and I need to make this clear. I might have better control over my powers now, but keeping other out of harm's way is important to me."
2
Abigail has no special telepathic or other such abilities. She does have a strong instinct for recognizing darkness in others and seeking it out. As the class progress, she sees it in one of the other students and focuses on them for a moment. After a while, it's too much of a distraction and she closes her eyes. She pushes back her feelings of anxiety by thinking back to the night she killed Nicholas Boyle and the way it made her feel powerful. Was that freedom, she wonders to herself and hopes for a sign that she's meditating properly.
no subject
With his attention turned towards her, his aura comes with it. Cold, implacable, watching. Despite her more mundane senses, he can feel her begin to focus on one of his own targets of interest. Coincidence, perhaps, or finely-tuned instinct. Interesting.
He drifts, splitting his attention between the students, until he feels another shift in Hobbs' mind: There is a hint of death and power there. The end of a life often leaves an impression in the Force, violent death especially. But he cannot determine whose death he senses there. Hers? Her father's? Another? She had referred to herself as a hunter, after all.
Most of all, she feels uncertain. "Self-doubt can paralyze the mind," he breaks the silence, as he has several times so far. "Or it can lead to understanding. All of you hold uncertainty within you. Turn your focus from this moment: find a piece of your doubt, and consider how you will achieve clarity."
no subject
Of course, her life was never that simple. She was wrong and killed an innocent man. There's no clarity. Was she a victim, a survivor, or a monster? She feels guilt, for killing him and for feeling good about it.
She imagines her memory in a different way. Instead of Boyle, she imagines herself killing her father and feeling that same power. Maybe being powerful doesn't mean being a monster. Maybe the way guilt strengthens her is that it can prevent her from killing the wrong person again. As for victim or survivor, she's both thanks to the porters bringing her to this world.
Abigail opens her eyes slightly, peering out through her lashes at the instructor as she waits for the next instruction.
apologies for the delay!
"Your failures cannot be erased." Half the class had slid into a deeper state of meditation under the pressure of his aura, but he still felt them react with a silent shudder.
"Instead, they serve as instruction." He was pushing some of them further than he normally would. A few might be ready to advance, in the wake of this. Others he expected never to see again.
"They are moments of rage, fear, and despair. They have power. They will only bestow it if you see them for what they are. Do this now, and know the freedom of these dark truths."