Solo Meditation and Memories

Nieve and Sinaetri get better acquainted.

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Meditation and Memories

Postby Nieve Glass on March 23rd, 2018, 4:23 am

6th of Spring, 518 AV


It had been several days since Nieve had agreed to host Sinaetri, and they had been...interesting, to say the least. The Verusk and the Kelvic could not be more opposite in personality if they made a conscious effort about it. The one trait they seemed to have in common was that they both could be exceptionally stubborn when they felt like it.

It was dawn; Sinaetri sat crossed-legged in the sand, less than a foot from where the ocean swept up onto the land. She was dressed in her undershirt, her pant legs rolled up to her knees and her feet bare, her dark hair held up in a high ponytail. The rising sun glittered off her scales, refracting light onto the sand. Her eyes were closed, her hands resting loosely in her lap and her breathing steady but shallow as she meditated. It was the picture of serenity.

Or at least, it would be, if it weren't for the yowlwing pouncing around her in a flurry of motion. Nieve growled low in her throat, dropping onto her haunches and leaping at one of the glittering spots of light in the sand that was being reflected off of Sinaetri.

Sand flew up from the small cat's paws as she pounced, batting at her own paws as the spot of light reflected onto her fur. She flipped down into the sand, spreading her wings wide and rolling on her back before rising to her paws again, shaking sand loose from her fur and feathers.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the motion of Sinaetri's dark hair swaying side to side caught Nieve's eyes. She bared her sharp teeth in a delighted feline grin, settling herself low to the ground. She stalked forward, creeping inch by inch, then exploded upwards, paws aiming for the thick length of hair that hung down the Verusk's back.

Unknown to Evie, Sinaetri had been using her mark of Wysar to track the yowlwing within a small aura field since she'd interrupted her meditation. A part of the Verusk was irritated to have her morning meditation session interrupted, but a deeper part of her that she would never admit to was amused.

Sinaetri felt it when Nieve's attention shifted, and she'd been tensed, ready for the Kelvic to spring. The Verusk moved the second she felt Nieve's intention to pounce solidify. In a flurry of wings, Evie suddenly found herself trapped in the scaled woman's arms. She let out a yowl of displeasure, squirming and hissing. Sinaetri blew out a breath, the closest Nieve had heard her come to laughing so far, and scratched the top of the cat's head with a long nail.

Nieve glared up through slitted eyes, but she stopped squirming, allowing herself to be scratched. One could almost see the pout on her face. Almost against her will, however, she relaxed when Sinaetri's fingers moved down to scratch at the scruff of her neck just below her chin. A loud purring noise erupted from the yowlwing, who stretched out, now content to rest in the Verusk's arms, though her gaze still silently voiced her displeasure.
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Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
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Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
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Meditation and Memories

Postby Nieve Glass on March 23rd, 2018, 4:55 am

After a few moments, Sinaetri loosened her arms somewhat. Nieve bared her fangs in a yawn before leaping down and landing in the sand. A swirl of lights surrounded her, and a few moments later she stood in her human form in front of the Verusk.

Sinaetri rose to her feet, stretching her long limbs. "You are truly the most impatient person I have ever met," She remarked, folding her arms over her chest and peering down at Nieve.

The Kelvic pondered that for a moment before flashing her teeth in a grin. "I'll take it as a compliment." Sinaetri sighed, causing Nieve to giggle.

"You should try meditating."

Evie's brows raised; that was a joke, right? But Sinaetri seemed serious, though it was hard to tell with her. "Right." Her voice was doubtful; the only time she sat still was when she was dozing.

"No, really. It would be good for you, I think." She looked thoughtful as she eyed Nieve.

Evie wanted to protest, but found herself unable to underneath the intense gaze of the Verusk. She admired the much older woman, and there was a part of her that wanted to impress the Verusk. "Alright," Nieve finally muttered, begrudgingly.

A faint smile curved Sinaetri's mouth. "Excellent. Come, sit with me." She turned, resuming her crossed-legged position. Nieve hesitated before padding over and dropping down into the sand beside Sinaetri, tucking her legs beneath her. The sand was beginning to warm up as the sun lifted above the horizon, but it hadn't passed into the uncomfortable stage yet, instead being rather pleasant.

"Sit up straight." Nieve glanced over to Sinaetri when she spoke.

"I am," She protested. A frown tugged at her lips when Sinaetri leaned over, but she reluctantly allowed the Verusk to push at her back and shoulders.

"Like that. Head up but chin down," She directed, patiently, as she tugged Evie's chin down slightly. The position was stiffer and straighter than what Nieve was used to, and slightly uncomfortable, but she held it.

"Good." The praise eased some of Nieve's irritation at being poked and prodded. "Now, close your eyes." Evie obediently let her eyes slide shut, the glow of the sun turning the backs of her eyelids a dusky orange.

"Breathe deeply, in time with me. Inhale," Sinaetri paused to do so. She exaggerated the noise of it to make her breathing audible so Nieve could follow, though with the Kelvic's sharp hearing it wasn't necessary. Evie breathed in deeply through her nose, holding it. "And exhale," Sinaetri finally spoke, pushing her breath out in a long, slow exhalation. Evie followed suit.

"Keep doing that. Now, focus on your surroundings. Feel the sand beneath you, and the warm sun on your skin. Feel the breeze through your hair. Hear the crashing of the ocean waves. Feel your chest rise and fall as you breathe, feel the steady rhythm of your heart."

Nieve's brow furrowed slightly as she tried to do as instructed. Sinaetri's voice was soothing as she focused on it; when the Verusk fell silent, she focused on the feeling of the sand, warm and gritty beneath her bare skin. The waves of the ocean crashed loudly in her ears, and every so often she felt the salt spray fleck her skin with droplets of water.

It made her want to go swimming. Perhaps she could try her hand at catching fish; her stomach rumbled at the thought. Abruptly, she realized she was getting distracted. She pursed her lips as she fought with her thoughts, trying to focus on her environment again.

"Nieve." Sinaetri spoke, and Evie's eyes flew open, glancing over to the Verusk. "If you think any louder, all of Syka will hear you." Evie frowned, a flush rising in her cheeks.

"I'm trying," She snapped, and Sinaetri finally chuckled. Nieve bristled to realize that the first thing she'd seen the Verusk laugh at was her, but her sharp words were interrupted as Sinaetri raised her hands, palms forward in a placating gesture.

"Calm yourself; there is no need to take out the fangs. I know you are trying." Her words weren't unkind. "That's the problem. You're trying too hard."

Nieve was silent as she tried to comprehend what Sinaetri meant.

"You cannot master meditation the first time you try it, especially with such energy as yours. Yes, you should focus on your environment to ground yourself; but while you shouldn't chase your thoughts, don't fight them either. Allow them to come naturally, and let them pass by. If you find you get caught up in them, focus on your breathing and simply start over."

Nieve looked dubiously at Sinaetri. "This seems like a lot of work to be doing to relax."

The Verusk gave a shake of her head. "Meditation is not relaxing the way many people seem to think it is. It is mindfulness; you must concentrate for it, and it takes practice. Even I still have much to learn. Now, try again."

Blowing out a loud breath, Nieve settled herself more comfortably before resuming the posture Sinaetri had showed her and closing her eyes once more.
Last edited by Nieve Glass on April 2nd, 2018, 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
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Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
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Meditation and Memories

Postby Nieve Glass on March 26th, 2018, 4:42 pm

The second time around did not seem to go much better; Nieve closed her eyes, breathing in deeply and sitting straight as Sinaetri had showed her. She tried to follow the Verusk's instructions, letting her mind wander as it would but trying not to focus on the thoughts. Despite her best efforts, it seemed impossible. The sand beneath her was getting steadily warmer, and her thoughts kept drifting to what she was going to do with the day.

She was aware of Sinaetri's presence beside her, and the prickling of her skin made it feel as thought the older woman was watching her, making it even more difficult to try and concentrate. Unable to help herself, Evie cracked open an eye. Sure enough, Sinaetri's silver gaze was settled on her. Sinaetri arched a brow when their gazes met, and Nieve opened her other eye as she realized she'd been caught.

"I suppose I should have expected as much." Sinaetri didn't seem upset; if anything, she seemed bemused. "You have too much energy to still your mind in such a manner. Perhaps when you're somewhat older you'll calm down enough to find meditation beneficial."

Nieve chanced an eye roll, stretching out now that it seemed her meditation session was over. "I doubt it."

"You're still young, even for your kind. You may surprise yourself," Sinaetri spoke, raising one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Perhaps you simply need to give it a different approach. It is not the same for everyone. You may just need a different focus."

Evie propped her chin in her hands. "Like what?"

"Some people find it beneficial to focus on a pleasant, calming memory. Others try to recreate the image of something in their mind. There are many different techniques. I myself used memories for grounding when I first started out."

Nieve hummed, stretching her legs out and pushing her toes beneath the sand, wriggling them slightly. "When did you start meditating?"

"Recently; at least, in comparison to how old I am."

"How old are you?" Nieve asked, curiously. She knew the Verusk was older by a significant amount, but Sinaetri had never mentioned her exact age.

"How long ago was the Valterrian?" The Verusk asked, with a slight pursing of her lips as she tried to recall. "About that, give or take two or three years."

Nieve blinked, mouth falling open slightly. She had no idea that Sinaetri was quite that much older than her; in comparison to the young Kelvic, she was ancient.

"That's...old." She finally managed, then frowned; no, that sounded rude. "Wait, I didn't mean that in a bad way."

Sinaetri shook her head; she wasn't smiling, but her brows had lifted slightly in a way that Nieve was coming to recognize as her equivalent of it. "No offense taken; you're not wrong, after all."

"You must have had a lot of memories to choose from, then, when you started meditating." Evie observed, only partially joking.

"Oh, you have no idea. I often found it helpful to focus on memories that weren't my own. Focusing on the details I didn't quite know was a good concentration exercise." Sinaetri explained, trailing her claws absently through the sand.

"Memories that weren't your own?" Nieve frowned, confusion evident in the way her brow furrowed and her nose scrunched slightly.
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Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
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Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
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Race: Kelvic
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Meditation and Memories

Postby Nieve Glass on March 26th, 2018, 4:59 pm

"It's...something that we can do. Verusks. It's difficult to explain." Sinaetri contemplated the Kelvic for a long moment, her gaze thoughtful and expression unreadable. "Perhaps I should show you. Pick a memory and recall it."

"Is this more meditation?" Evie asked, suspiciously, her green eyes narrowing.

"If I wanted to have you meditate again, I would tell you."

Well, Evie supposed that was true enough. "Alright..." She folded her arms over her chest, tilting her head to the side as she considered. A memory? There weren't many in her short life that stood out to her. She wasn't even sure what Sinaetri was having her do, really; was there a type of memory that would better fit whatever strange experiment she was taking part in?

Nieve dug her sharp canines into her lower lip as she thought, drumming her fingertips on her thigh. Unbidden, a memory surfaced, poking at the back of her mind. Unable to think of any others, she allowed it to come to the front of her mind as she recalled it. It was a memory of her late childhood.


She was laying in bed, draped over her mother's lap, curled up with her head resting on her mother's knee. Above her, Darcy was stroking her fingers through Nieve's tangled mess of curls, patiently and gently working them loose with her fingers.

It was a bittersweet memory; by the door to their apartment sat a packed bag, full of Nieve's belongings. She would be leaving for Riverfall soon, to seek out her own life. Darcy stopped stroking through Evie's hair, instead leaning over to pick up the white ocarina that sat on the bed, shining opalescent in the light of the fire.

Darcy put the instrument to her lips, blowing out half breaths into it as she began to play a quiet tune. It was the lullaby she had played to Nieve so often as she was growing up, but it sounded sadder than it normally did. Perhaps that was just Nieve.

The Kelvic hummed along quietly as her mother played, closing her eyes and listening to the music, feeling the vibrations of Darcy's breathing thrumming faintly down through her chest and into her legs.

The song faded out, and Darcy took the ocarina from her lips. "I'm going to miss you, kitten," She murmured, resting a hand on Nieve's head again.

"Yeah. Me too," Evie said, quietly, her voice a whisper in the silence.


Nieve blinked herself out of the memory, blinking hard to keep the sudden sting of tears in her eyes at bay, her throat burning as she swallowed the lump down. Sinaetri was sitting quietly beside her, and Evie realized that her scaled hand was resting lightly on the edge of her knee.

"That was your mother." It wasn't a question. "You miss her." That wasn't a question, either. Sinaetri's gaze was soft as she looked at Nieve; it was easy to forget just how young the Kelvic was, sometimes.

Nieve rubbed at her eyes, clearing her throat. "Yeah," She murmured, answering both questions at once. "How did..." She trailed off, not even sure how to phrase her question.

"We can see other people's memories. All it takes is a touch, and for them to be thinking of it." Sinaetri gazed gently at Nieve, and the Kelvic glanced away, uncomfortable under the deeply sympathetic stare of the Verusk.

"That's...amazing," She said, honestly, glad to be able to switch the topic to Sinaetri's abilities rather than her memories. Sinaetri frowned ever so slightly, as if she was going to protest the switch in conversation, then relaxed her expression and allowed it to shift.

"It is. It can be a wonderful tool, but also very sad sometimes."

Nieve nodded in understanding; she could see how that would be true. There was silence for a long moment before Sinaetri spoke again.

"I apologize. I should have told you directly what I was going to do, and how it worked. I shouldn't have simply taken your memory like that. It was rude of me."

Nieve blinked in surprise, glancing over; Sinaetri looked incredibly serious. "That's alright," She said after a pause, and she meant it. Perhaps she should have been upset with the Verusk, but she wasn't.

Still, she didn't like dwelling on the past; especially not those memories that were sad. Evie rose to her feet, shaking the loose sand from between her toes and stretching her arms up above her head. "I think I'm going to go for a swim," She announced.

Sinaetri nodded, remaining seated. "Perhaps I will finally get my meditation done."

Evie let out a snort of laughter, sticking her tongue out at Sinaetri. "Have fun with that." Sinaetri tilted her head, and Nieve left her sitting in the sand, bounding off to go find a spot where she could swim without disturbing the Verusk anymore, the tune of her lullaby playing absently in the back of her mind.
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Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
Words: 99031
Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
Location: Syka
Race: Kelvic
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Medals: 1
Mizahar Grader (1)

Meditation and Memories

Postby Nieve Glass on March 27th, 2018, 12:53 pm

YOUR GRADES ARE HERE
HOW PURRFECT!

Nieve Glass


Skills

○Acrobatics +1
○Stealth +1
○Meditation +2
○Socialization +4
○Observation +2


Lores

○Sinaetri: The opposite of Nieve
○Nieve: Likes being scratched under the chin
○Meditation: Proper posture
○Meditation: Deep breathing
○Meditation: Not the same as relaxation
○Meditation: Different approaches
○Sinaetri: Nearly as old as the Valterrian
○Lore of Nieve's lullaby
○Nieve: Misses her mother
○Verusk: Can see other people's memories



Thank you for your patience! As always, don't forget to edit or delete your request in the grading queue. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grades, feel free to shoot me a PM!
User avatar
Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
Words: 99031
Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
Location: Syka
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 1
Mizahar Grader (1)


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