video; un: quibbler | forward-dated to 13/02

[creidim]

cw: minor mentions of war, discussions of possible character death

So, it seems that my Blessed Day is in fact the same day as my birthday.

[ Luna speaks off camera, busy trying to put her Omni in the right place. It takes a couple of moments, but the initial view of Luna's room: all soft lighting, bright but peaceful tones across the space, is finally obscured as Luna steps into the frame to sit at her desk, something in her hand. She waves to the camera with a cheerful smile in greeting before she continues with what she's addressing. With a soft sound, she lugs the item in her hand onto her desk and then carefully holds it up to the camera of her Omni to show it.

It's a sword: the Blade of Agency, to be precise. Luna gazes down at it with faint bemusement; of course Doorway would gift a sword, considering they appear with one at all times. But Luna's... not quite sure what to do with it. She's a Witch, not a sword-swinger. Not that she's ungrateful, and she certainly doesn't mean to come across as that as she stares at the sword. ]

I found this propped up against the wall of my room this morning. A gift from Doorway, my Patron. [ Her head twists one way in thought, brow pinching. It's a fine looking blade, she thinks. Although she's not very knowledgeable in that department. ] It... feels special. I don't think it's just a regular sword.

[ She can't really tell how, though. She should really find some way to find that out before she goes about using it. Ravenclaws err on the side of caution in the face of magic swords. ]

... Although if I'm meant to use it, I've never actually swung a sword before. [ ... ] I believe I shall need some help with that.

[ Should anyone be interested in that. There's a long pause; Luna smiles faintly. She would turn the feed off at that but something else is on her mind. She's quiet for a little while, putting the sword down carefully down on her desk once more. It's... something difficult, the way her expression shifts. Not something necessarily bad, but— ]

... I turned twenty today. [ She lets that settle for a moment before she continues. Her voice is hushed, a little sombre in some way. She fiddles with her hands as she goes on: ] It's quite funny, you know. Not being a teenager anymore. Well, not just that part, really.

I suppose— I guess I never expected to live past seventeen. [ A short pause, there's a sudden realisation. She smiles weakly. ] Although I realise that doesn't quite funny at all when you say it out loud, does it?

[ More like horrifying, than anything else. Sometimes Luna has that uncanny knack for making people uncomfortable with the things she says; but it's a truth of her home. She was headed to battle before Trench, before Deerington. It was quite possible she'd never make out to the other side of that battle. Even people as young as she was die in war, she understands that. But now, here, she's made it out of her teens and into the first steps of adulthood. It's given her a great deal of cause for ruminating. ]

I've learned a lot about different things; different magic, and ways people live. Especially Muggles. ... I've met a lot of people, made friends. I've gotten to experience a lot of new things in those friendships I didn't have the chance to get to at home. I even met someone who I love very much. [ Her weak smile turns to something fonder, there's warmth there. Perhaps it's quite fitting that Doorway is her Patron, after all. Her relationships are important to her. But don't worry, she's not going to get too mushy over her boyfriend over the network. ]

I know for as difficult life here can be, for as hard Deerington was... this place is a kind of opportunity. It's let me have a great deal of things I didn't think I could have. Things I would have likely never had the chance to experience if I had never come here and stayed in my own world. It's a chance at living. One I didn't think I would get.

[ ... ]

I think that's quite important to remember. When things are difficult. Or when I do miss home sometimes. [ She goes quiet again, lost in her thoughts for a little bit. Even now, trying to pull the positives here in a world that has much stacked against them. Her expression turning to a serene dreaminess as she props her elbows on her desk, chin in her hands. So: ] ... What are you glad for the opportunity for, Sleepers?

Comments

Re: video;

[ezra_of_lothal]

Happy birthday to you, too.

I have a lightsaber. I guess you could call it magic, because you need a certain amount of ability and training to use the Force to bond with the crystal focus and build it in the traditional way. But Jedi don't call it magic, because everyone and everything is part of the Force.

Empire Day is...the day the Chancellor of the Republic declared the Jedi traitors and then himself Emperor. He's been Emperor all of my life, ruling through fear and brutality and calling it order and peace.

[creidim]

Thank you—!

[ Oh. Oh, she's heard of this before. Jedis, the Force, lightsabers. ]

I'm actually a little familiar. Are... you from the same world as the Sith Lord Maul? And someone called Obi-Wan? [ She's only ever heard the latter by name from someone else, that's about it. But... she sure does know Maul. ]

That's... unfortunately familiar. In a way. [ She knows a Tyrant when she sees one. Emperor? Dark Lord? Same thing. ] Just... things hadn't gotten quite there yet. I suppose I came here the day before a possible Empire Day, back home.

I'm sorry. I can see why that might make your birthday quite difficult.

[ezra_of_lothal]

I am, and I've spoken to both of them, here. So I can say, with reasonable confidence, that I'm from a future nearly two decades later.

[He smiles, but it's a grim thing.] Well, I'm always sorry when I hear people from other worlds say the Empire sounds familiar.

But I understand better what you mean about here being a place of opportunities.

[creidim]

I... only kind of know Maul, so I've heard a little bit about the Force. [ That is likely mildest way she's ever put her relationship with Maul, even as he expression shifts to something a little flat. Never mind the fact he likely wants grievous bodily harm against her.

And oh! Luna's the same! ] Oh, there's someone from my world here too but I'm from some seventy years in the future. It's funny when that happens, isn't it?

There's usually always someone who wants to take over and turn the world into something crueller, unfortunately. [ And who knows how it'll turn out for her home. ] I mean, there is no Empire Day here for a start. You can make the day your own, in time. You could make a lot of things your own.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Wow, that's a pretty big time gap. Do you spend much time with them, then, or is it easier to avoid?

Yeah, I tried to celebrate this time. Make it mine, like you said.

[creidim]

Not really. We're weren't so close, back home. I mean, he was the Headmaster at my school, so— [ She supposes she could understand Harry being closer, but outside of usual friendly pleasantries and the odd occasion of working together — there wasn't much time spent together. ]

Oh, that's nice. Did you do any special?

[ezra_of_lothal]

Well, the blizzard put a bit of a crimp onto things.

But yeah, hung out with some people, watched some pretty good movies.

[creidim]

Blizzards are actually perfect weather for watching movies, I think. That's what my and my boyfriend do. [ It's definitely a good choice for a birthday, too! ]

I'd never actually watched a movie until I came to Deerington, where Sleepers were before here? We don't have them.

[ Very much a Muggle form of entertainment. ]

[ezra_of_lothal]

Huh. We have holos where I'm from. Basically the same thing, different recording format.

Yeah, it would have worked better if I lived with someone. [He shrugs, uncomfortably. He'd asked the network is anyone was looking for roommates and gotten no takers, yet.]

Guess I need to keep making friends.

[creidim]

It's not so bad living on your own. [ She did it for a long time before Peter moved in. And then he primarily moved in due to the fact Deerington was literally falling apart. ] And there's always room for sleepovers!

[ Honestly, for a newly twenty year old — the novelty of sleepovers hasn't worn off. ]

It's actually one of the good things about this place, you can always make friends. I've made more friends here than I ever have had in my entire life.

[ezra_of_lothal]

...I did the living alone thing nearly half my life. I'm kinda little over it.

Sleepovers would be new, though.

[creidim]

That's quite fair. Was it by choice—? Or did circumstances happen—?

[ She brightens a little, sleepovers are very good! ]

Oh, they're a lot of fun! You can do all sorts! Watch movies, or listen to new music and eat lots of food that's bad for you. Sometimes not a lot of sleep happens, but that's part of the fun.

[ezra_of_lothal]

We had a few evenings kind of like that on the Ghost. Not many. Could never be sure down time would stay down time.

[Does he back up and answer her question? She did ask.]

When - when I was seven, Imperial officials arrested my parents for speaking out against the Empire. And mom and dad - they'd taught me to hide. I think they suspected I was Force sensitive. And the Empire kills or conscripts Force sensitives.

I didn't know what I was. Just that I was different. That I spooked a lot of the other street rats. That it felt safer to look after myself.

Eventually, Kanan found me. He was one of the surviving Jedi - although I think he was like 13 when the Purge started? And after that was on his own a long time, too. But by then he'd made a family of sorts with the rest of the crew of the Ghost. Which I became part of, too.

[creidim]

Oddly, that sounds a bit like Deerington at times. You were never quite sure when the peace would break, but it was certainly often enough. [ So she does understand it, she does. ] I'm glad you got to experience it, even if it's only a little bit. It still counts.

[ She's quiet for a long time as he recounts his story; her expression shifting to a thoughtful sadness. No wonder he's struggled with his birthday, thanks to this Empire. ]

That sounds very lonely. [ There's apology in her tone, empathy too. Luna doesn't mind being alone, but she minds being lonely — and she's known a lot of loneliness too. ] It's one thing being alone, but being lonely is something else.

I'm glad he found you, though. Kanan. It's good that you had one another.

[ezra_of_lothal]

I don't mind solitude sometimes, but yeah, I'd rather not be lonely again.

[But then he smiles.]

My new family is great. And even if I miss them when we're far apart, I can just keep adding to it.