JP: LtJG Aine Sherlock and PNPC Eeyu Lim: Letting Go, Part 1
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Aine Sherlock
Sep 2, 2021, 10:44:41 PM9/2/21
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((Jalanda City, Hedrikspool, Bajor))
As night fell and the hot air dispersed, the crowd did not. Aine wandered the festival looking at vendors, watching Bajorans burn their Renewal Scrolls, people chat, drink, and eat. While her talk with Addison had brought some ease, she still couldn’t quite shake the issue of broken faith.
While most Bajorans surely worshiped in the many small temples dotted across the city, during the festival they worshiped in the streets. Aine had found one that was empty of patrons just a couple streets from the main thoroughfare where the festival was taking place. A small stone building one story tall. It appeared old and as if the city had been built up around it. Walking up the stone steps she paused at the pillars just before the door. She looked up and wondered if it was alright for her to enter, not being of the Bajoran faith. She took a deep breath and figured if it was not, the Prophets would smite her where she stood. She cautiously stepped forward through the entryway.
Sherlock: oO So far, so good. Oo
Just inside the entryway, a wall stood for patrons to go around into the main room, offering some privacy from the outside. Draperies hung from the ceiling against the walls, the gold coloring just visible against the almost pink stone lit only by the candles on stands in the corners of the room. Each stand had a bowl attached and each bowl was filled with ash, presumably from burned bateret leaves used as Renewal Scrolls. Across the room two steps led up to an altar in an alcove. On the altar was a small stone tablet. The classic Bajoran symbol of their faith, even used by their military as a combadge, was engraved on its face, surrounded by engravings in Bajoran lettering. It’s features were worn smooth with time.
Still feeling like an interloper, Aine slowly approached the altar. Halfway to it, she was startled and let out a gasp as someone spoke behind her.
Eeyu: Can I help you, child?
Aine began to leave...
Sherlock: I’m so sorry. I...I was just looking…
...but her egress was stopped. An old man made his way out of the shadows of a duranja in the front of the room. The large lamp for the dead seemed to cast an eerie glow on the man as he regarded his young visitor. Lim smiled warmly, sensing her uneasiness.
Eeyu:Tourists do not often find their way into our temples. Usually they are too intent on the revelry of our festival. Are you lost, my child?
Sherlock: I’m sorry if I insulted you or your people. That wasn’t my intention.
Eeyu: There is no insult in the search for knowledge. We welcome all within these walls to find their own truths.
Aine was at least relieved to hear she wasn’t desecrating their place of worship with her presence. She grew nervous that he was probing.
Sherlock: I was looking for ::beat:: answers.
Eeyu: I see. ::sits down on bench, motions Aine to do the same:: And what answers have you come to seek, if I may be so bold to ask?
Aine tucked her head forward before sitting down on the bench. She wasn’t really sure what to expect, but this wasn’t it.
Sherlock: My faith, in what I was brought up to believe, was broken. I spoke with someone about it already. She posited that maybe what we’d experienced wasn’t real.
Eeyu: And do you agree with this assessment of your experience?
Confessing to Addison was one thing, to a total stranger was quite another.
Sherlock: It’s a long story. But to summarize, we died...many times. Now, growing up, I was told there was a god. There was an afterlife. When we died, there was nothing. My ::beat:: friend thinks it was that we didn’t actually die.
Eeyu: That is indeed a query that I have not heard in my long years here. Tell me, what exactly brings you to our temple?
Sherlock: Well, I guess it’s that I’m now questioning things I’ve always thought I’ve known to be true. Coming to Bajor hasn’t necessarily helped. ::a hint of jealousy grew in her voice:: Your people’s faith is confirmed. The Prophets exist. They’ve sent physical objects to you. I just don’t believe anymore. ::beat:: And with that, something’s missing.
The old man nodded, a wistful expression on his lined face. Time and time again, the Prophets had provided proof of their love, and he felt a sense of belonging on Bajor that had never been duplicated anywhere else in his travels. He leaned back and pondered the young one’s words.
Eeyu: It is my belief that faith is far more than listening to those who have it, my child. But I will try to guide you, if you allow it.
Sherlock: ::unsure:: Okay.
The old man chuckled. His own path had taken him places that he had never thought possible, and yet, in the end, he was back on Bajor, surrounded by all of the trappings of his belief. He folded his arms across his chest, contemplating the girl’s words.
Eeyu: Have you ever truly had faith, or is this questioning something that has followed you on your life’s journey?
Thinking of Addison’s fair point, here was another she had not considered. Catholicism was still broad in her homeland as it had been for over 800 years. So ingrained it was that she never thought to question if it were real or not until recent events.
Sherlock: I ::beat:: think I just believed because that’s what I knew? oOWas that a question or a statement?Oo
Eeyu: Your family exposed you to what they felt you should believe?
Sherlock: Well, for my family, it wasn’t really important. But the area I grew up in, it’s prevalent. A part of everyday life.
Lim nodded slowly. Too many times in his long existence had he seen those who spoke of faith without knowing why they chose to believe. It seemed that no matter where one went in the universe, people wanted to believe without knowing what that truly meant. He looked at the young woman, eyes narrowed in thought.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Aine Sherlock
Security Officer
USS Resolution
R239712AS0
And
Eeyu Lim as simmed by
Lt Meidra Sirin
Counseling Officer
USS Resolution
R239707MS0
As night fell and the hot air dispersed, the crowd did not. Aine wandered the festival looking at vendors, watching Bajorans burn their Renewal Scrolls, people chat, drink, and eat. While her talk with Addison had brought some ease, she still couldn’t quite shake the issue of broken faith.
While most Bajorans surely worshiped in the many small temples dotted across the city, during the festival they worshiped in the streets. Aine had found one that was empty of patrons just a couple streets from the main thoroughfare where the festival was taking place. A small stone building one story tall. It appeared old and as if the city had been built up around it. Walking up the stone steps she paused at the pillars just before the door. She looked up and wondered if it was alright for her to enter, not being of the Bajoran faith. She took a deep breath and figured if it was not, the Prophets would smite her where she stood. She cautiously stepped forward through the entryway.
Sherlock: oO So far, so good. Oo
Just inside the entryway, a wall stood for patrons to go around into the main room, offering some privacy from the outside. Draperies hung from the ceiling against the walls, the gold coloring just visible against the almost pink stone lit only by the candles on stands in the corners of the room. Each stand had a bowl attached and each bowl was filled with ash, presumably from burned bateret leaves used as Renewal Scrolls. Across the room two steps led up to an altar in an alcove. On the altar was a small stone tablet. The classic Bajoran symbol of their faith, even used by their military as a combadge, was engraved on its face, surrounded by engravings in Bajoran lettering. It’s features were worn smooth with time.
Still feeling like an interloper, Aine slowly approached the altar. Halfway to it, she was startled and let out a gasp as someone spoke behind her.
Eeyu: Can I help you, child?
Aine began to leave...
Sherlock: I’m so sorry. I...I was just looking…
...but her egress was stopped. An old man made his way out of the shadows of a duranja in the front of the room. The large lamp for the dead seemed to cast an eerie glow on the man as he regarded his young visitor. Lim smiled warmly, sensing her uneasiness.
Eeyu:Tourists do not often find their way into our temples. Usually they are too intent on the revelry of our festival. Are you lost, my child?
Sherlock: I’m sorry if I insulted you or your people. That wasn’t my intention.
Eeyu: There is no insult in the search for knowledge. We welcome all within these walls to find their own truths.
Aine was at least relieved to hear she wasn’t desecrating their place of worship with her presence. She grew nervous that he was probing.
Sherlock: I was looking for ::beat:: answers.
Eeyu: I see. ::sits down on bench, motions Aine to do the same:: And what answers have you come to seek, if I may be so bold to ask?
Aine tucked her head forward before sitting down on the bench. She wasn’t really sure what to expect, but this wasn’t it.
Sherlock: My faith, in what I was brought up to believe, was broken. I spoke with someone about it already. She posited that maybe what we’d experienced wasn’t real.
Eeyu: And do you agree with this assessment of your experience?
Confessing to Addison was one thing, to a total stranger was quite another.
Sherlock: It’s a long story. But to summarize, we died...many times. Now, growing up, I was told there was a god. There was an afterlife. When we died, there was nothing. My ::beat:: friend thinks it was that we didn’t actually die.
Eeyu: That is indeed a query that I have not heard in my long years here. Tell me, what exactly brings you to our temple?
Sherlock: Well, I guess it’s that I’m now questioning things I’ve always thought I’ve known to be true. Coming to Bajor hasn’t necessarily helped. ::a hint of jealousy grew in her voice:: Your people’s faith is confirmed. The Prophets exist. They’ve sent physical objects to you. I just don’t believe anymore. ::beat:: And with that, something’s missing.
The old man nodded, a wistful expression on his lined face. Time and time again, the Prophets had provided proof of their love, and he felt a sense of belonging on Bajor that had never been duplicated anywhere else in his travels. He leaned back and pondered the young one’s words.
Eeyu: It is my belief that faith is far more than listening to those who have it, my child. But I will try to guide you, if you allow it.
Sherlock: ::unsure:: Okay.
The old man chuckled. His own path had taken him places that he had never thought possible, and yet, in the end, he was back on Bajor, surrounded by all of the trappings of his belief. He folded his arms across his chest, contemplating the girl’s words.
Eeyu: Have you ever truly had faith, or is this questioning something that has followed you on your life’s journey?
Thinking of Addison’s fair point, here was another she had not considered. Catholicism was still broad in her homeland as it had been for over 800 years. So ingrained it was that she never thought to question if it were real or not until recent events.
Sherlock: I ::beat:: think I just believed because that’s what I knew? oOWas that a question or a statement?Oo
Eeyu: Your family exposed you to what they felt you should believe?
Sherlock: Well, for my family, it wasn’t really important. But the area I grew up in, it’s prevalent. A part of everyday life.
Lim nodded slowly. Too many times in his long existence had he seen those who spoke of faith without knowing why they chose to believe. It seemed that no matter where one went in the universe, people wanted to believe without knowing what that truly meant. He looked at the young woman, eyes narrowed in thought.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Aine Sherlock
Security Officer
USS Resolution
R239712AS0
And
Eeyu Lim as simmed by
Lt Meidra Sirin
Counseling Officer
USS Resolution
R239707MS0
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