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It had been some time since he had a designated place to meditate. Not since his departure from the monastery, in fact. It was never required, of course. Simply having a moment of peace was enough for Zenyatta to open his mind to the Iris. But now he was provided space and time for more extended sessions by his hosts. Perhaps this large room had once been a sparring ground, though now it was empty save for a few boxes off in a corner. Like the rest of this facility, Zenyatta could not feel the Iris' touch from outside of his own being, though that wasn't a surprise. Regardless of these things, Zenyatta was thankful to the new Overwatch for providing this luxury and made regular use of it. It did not take Genji very long to learn where his master would disappear to, and Zenyatta was more than happy to invite his student to join him as they once did so long ago. Days would pass for cyborg and Omnic as they enjoyed this routine unless the world called upon them for succor. Eventually the two would be discovered in their meditation by a spirit radiating with cheer. To Genji's surprise, Tracer asked if she could join them, to which Zenyatta obliged. Unknowingly, this would start a chain reaction that led the monk to his current placement in life.
Zenyatta floated near the center of the room, closer to the wall opposite the door. His legs crossed, head hung low, and hands in familiar seals as he focused on his connection to the Iris. Sitting in various positions in front of him were several agents of the revived Overwatch, all facing in his direction as if he were teaching them to open their minds. There was no real teaching. Zenyatta simply allowed everyone to join him while he meditated, never once giving direction or lectures, barring the occasional question from the first timers. Zenyatta's orbs floated far and away from his body, orbiting him in a lazy circle in recognition of the setting. For a moment, Zenyatta's mind wandered. He allowed himself to be closed from the Iris and took some time to observe his physical surroundings and to all of his guests.
The first he saw was Genji, seated cross legged with one hand raised in his own seal. It was his student that guided Zenyatta to this place, who showed the monk a path to better improve the world as he attempted to on his own. Genji's spirit was calm and clear, his body nearly motionless save for shallow breathing. Zenyatta couldn't help the pride he felt in his student's progress. If he were so inclined, he was certain Genji could finally open himself to the Iris and feel its warmth. But for now, he seemed content in focusing on his own peace of mind.
Lena sat beside Genji, goggles removed and eyes closed. It had surprised Zenyatta that the young woman would want to attempt meditation, but the way her spirit sang as she spoke of his brother's inspiration to her, he could never refuse. Her face scrunched up a bit while her hands changed from mirroring Zenyatta's position to try a different arrangement. Zenyatta was able to suppress the warm chuckle threatening to escape. Tracer was still overthinking how meditation worked, trying to find the right pose as if that would empty her mind to whatever wisdom awaited her. She was the one with the most questions and Zenyatta felt as if he were guiding a proper acolyte of his own in Nepal. Eventually she will settle, there was no question.
From Genji's stillness and Tracer's slight fidgeting, Zenyatta's gaze moved to the steady motion of Lúcio. Eyes closed in serenity and head bobbing to the rhythm of his headset. Zenyatta thought to how Mondatta might have once chastised Lúcio for playing his music in such a gathering, though Zenyatta understood a little better. Lúcio's very soul was a melody, it was how he thought, how he felt, the music as much a part of him as his heart. And to give the man credit, he did turn his music down considerably for the consideration of his current neighbors. From the way Lúcio's fingers moved and traced on his lap, Zenyatta believed inspiration was what he sought in these moments of reflection.
From Lúcio, Zenyatta's thoughts moved to his opposite in Satya Vaswani. Discord had first threatened his quiet place when Symmetra came to join the meditation. Though she fled the corruption of Vishkar, much of its stated ideals were still her own which brought her into conflict with Lúcio. Many had feared the worst, but in time the hostility died. Although their ideologies still fought, when joining the meditation sessions Lúcio and Satya treated the room as neutral ground, discarding their animosity enough to be in each other's company. Symmetra was as still as Genji while making no secret to what she sought from meditation. The quiet and pure structural nature of her thoughts were staggering.
Soft padding drew Zenyatta's attention from those who've joined him to see Winston walking through the hall. Upon making eye contact, the gorilla rose his hand in greeting before going on his way. Although Winston provided the space for his meditation, he was a man of science and did not see the practical use of such an activity for himself. With a silent nod, Zenyatta wished him well as Winston went on his way. However, the way Winston moved drew Zenyatta's attention again, as it looked like he was moving around something. That was when Zenyatta noticed the faint edge of a bow on the floor by the doorway. Had he a mouth, the Omnic would likely have smiled when he realized another was in their presence. He made remarkable progress of his own if Zenyatta did not sense him until now, so the monk withdrew his attention from Hanzo, who still kept his distance while showing his support.
It was a few weeks later under this arrangement, some other agents showing mild interest but ultimately not committing to the meditation, when the unexpected happened. One of the orbs orbiting Zenyatta's body chimed. The sudden single sound shook everyone from their meditation, Zenyatta included. Questions were being asked about the interruption, but Zenyatta was more interested in the orb which he brought to his face. The orbs are a vital part of Shambali practice as they're forged to be greatly attuned to the Iris. They often serve as a signal to a practitioner's state of mind when meditating. A golden symbol would appear, accompanied by a chime like a bell. The orbs only resonate when all involved in their meditation were of sound mind and spirit. The more harmonious the spirits, the more orbs would chime with the light of the Iris. Zenyatta could recall how the halls of the monastery would sing with his fellow monks all in harmony with the Iris. That so many unique individuals meditating for their own reasons could, if only for a moment, unite together in spirit was astounding. But rather than voice these thoughts, Zenyatta simply reassured his new friends that all was well, and invited them to return to their meditation.
Five days later, two of Zenyatta's orbs would chime.