Level 3

[whats_a_paladin]

[1] I've been wondering about something.

The Tome of Wisdom is my most important possession. It describes the eight Virtues of the way of Paragon. Understanding those Virtues and mastering them leads to enlightenment. Anyone can follow the way, but there is a catch - the Tome is written in an unknown language. Only those who are unhappy with their current state of being, those who seek improvement and guidance, can understand what the words mean.

Anyone interested in trying to read the Tome of Wisdom? You could think of it as a challenge, or maybe a way to find something new about yourself.

[2] [Raynor is busy working on the damages to the Paragon, and while he's doing so, he's listening to another power metal song. But this time, he's doing so on headphones. As a side effect, he's humming it to himself.

If you can call that humming. Not only is it pretty loud, but it's absolutely wretched. His sense of rhythm is awful so it sounds nothing like the original song, and every other note is either missing or a false one. His attempts at lyrics sound like unholy screeching more than his normal voice, and individual words are almost impossible to decipher.

Stop this travesty?]

Comments

[whats_a_paladin]

A little progress is good already. Changing oneself for the better is never easy. It's quick and takes a single epiphany only in the movies; in real life, it takes a lot of time.

[Raynor opens the chapter about compassion.

Compassion, the virtue of pure love, is about treating others with kindness and helping them in their troubles. Truly compassionate individuals don't limit themselves to just helping people they know, but try to aid everyone who needs their aid. Everyone can reach out to a friend in need, but it takes a special kind of person to do so towards a stranger, or even someone they dislike.
Kindness is not weakness. Compassionate people need to be ready to fight, in order to stop suffering from being inflicted upon others. An important aspect of compassion, however, is respect for life, all life. A compassionate warrior will not take life lightly or thoughtlessly.

Those who master the virtue of compassion are granted the ability to inspire others, bringing them strength and easing their burden.]

[sunshine_maiden]

Don't I know it... I've been struggling with who I am for nearly two years now. I owe Professor Himesaki - Nanohana's grandmother, who runs Fairy Park, which produces our units - a great deal for the first half of that. I owe Hana herself, and Kamille, for the rest. Those are debts I will spend my life repaying.

[As she read, Sora thought back to some of her past experiences. That first day on the ship, when she let Hana vent on her almost before she met her. The countless civilians she'd put herself on the line to protect (and failed to, a few times). The faces of all the people she'd reached out to on the ship, whether she knew them well or not. She knew that, on some level, she could open her heart wider... but it would hurt. She'd had a taste of taking on the world's problems, when her team was falling apart, and while it was a pain she was willing to bear... she wasn't quite sure she was ready. But then, Sora's not the kind of girl that backs down from a challenge, and she knows it.

All her attention is on reading, but Sora can't stop a warm smile blooming. "Inspiration" certainly described her abilities, lately; she could think of a few people that would have given up some time ago, if not for (in part, at least) her reassurance and support.]

...I guess I didn't need to start with this one after all. There are some things I can work on, still, but this is one of the few things I'm confident in. Even if I do it wrong sometimes, or I don't have the words... I share my heart, with everyone.

[whats_a_paladin]

Good to hear that. Compassion is something that tends to come really easy to some people, because it's in their nature, and really hard to others, because it isn't. And some think they're in one category, while in reality they're in the other. But I doubt that's the case for you.