A Strange New World Who: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Diana Prince [Open To All] What: Acquaints himself with L.A. Where: Park not far from the Riverside Shelter When: Afternoon Rating: PG
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The old man was right. The Riverside Shelter did have the best soup in L.A. (Which Obi-Wan quickly learned to be the name of his new location.) Actually, Obi-Wan had to mentally admit that the soup was the best he'd had since moving out to the outer rim. Not that this should have been any big surprise. He never had been one for culinary expertise. He could cook enough to survive but his meals definitely weren't worth living for. It was a nice change of pace.
He must have made an impression on those who ran the charitable establishment, also, because they offered him a job. Or maybe they just pitied him. He hadn't considered how he might appear to these strangers. Another lost member of the community in peculiar garb. The old man from the night before mentioned numerous times how Obi-Wan must have been a foreigner. Was it so obvious? It was odd that they didn't recognize the robes as anything more than ... a 'cool' cloak. As many of the homeless soup eaters had commented. A Jedi being offered a job at a soup kitchen was also an oddity, but Obi-Wan was more a stranger to these parts than he realized. And serving a few bowls of nourishment to those in need was little consequence for free room and board. Besides, it might help him to understand better this unfamiliar world and its people. And maybe to understand Qui-Gon's cryptic message. If it had even been a real message from his departed mentor. Perhaps Obi-Wan had been dreaming. But could he have imagined this new world and these strange people? No. There are no coincidences in the galaxy, he told himself.
So he accepted the job.
After all, charity and care for those in need was part of the Jedi creed. It wouldn't involve much lightsaber attention, but it would do him some good to serve others for a while. He'd grown too accustomed to spending time with only himself out on Tatooine.
One of the Riverside employees, a nun (as the old man had described -- Obi-Wan assumed that must have been the rank of some kind of priesthood in these parts) had shown him the workings of their computer. She explained to him the manner in which it was to be used, along with a contact device called a message board. It was antiquated technology to Obi-Wan, but he listened intently. Despite the fact that he doubted there would be anyone in this land (on this planet for that matter) whom he would message. But he appreciated her assistance.
During the lunch hours, he left the shelter to acquaint himself with the city. Once out on the streets he didn't feel as out of place as he thought he might. The attire of the people on this world was ... eclectic, to say the least. Although he did get a few wide-eyed stares from children and people with reflective lenses over their eyes. And here a Jedi was supposed to be mindful of his ability to walk unnoticed among the population. Perhaps he had been gone from society for too long. He was beginning to recognize his own hermit-like behavior.
Especially after finding himself resting on a secluded park bench. He was passed by a few people on a walking path with their pets. And some people with rolling devices on their feet that reminded him of a game he'd once seen in a gambling cantina on Coruscant. But that game had involved sticks with chiseled ends and Ssi-ruuvi. Extremely dangerous. And illegal to bet on the last time Obi-Wan had checked.
He took a deep breath and tried to find a point of relaxation. It wasn't easy. He was so accustomed to sand and dirt that meditating amongst a field of grass in the middle of a busy city clouded his ability to find a calm in the force. This would take some practice. But it was necessary. More than necessary. For there was something about this place that caused a ripple in the force. Something familiar.
And Obi-Wan didn't think it was just his lack of concentration.