4th day of Summer, 522
Syka, Overwater Ranchos, Askalynn's Residence
______________________________________________________________Syka, Overwater Ranchos, Askalynn's Residence
With the fleeting sunset now out of the way, Askalynn laid on her bed while watching the star-speckled dusky sky. The view out of the large windows was nothing short of breath-taking, yet, things bothered her. She wondered whether Syka was the right place for her, after all. And it was a reasonable question to ask herself. One of many, at least. She knew nobody, essentially, and that was okay. She had a nice place to call home, yet, all these thoughts kept racing through her head. And there was no indication of them grinding to a halt. Not any time soon.
With an exasperated sigh emitted from her nostrils, the young Kelvic rose to her feet from the comfortable bed, stepping gracefully towards the door that lead to the outside. She looked out into the endless blue, both up and down before seating herself upon the walkway of her abode. She sat, cross-legged and watched the ocean, with her hands resting in her lap for the time being. She canted her head to the side, watching the serenity before her. Before her, but not within. Finding a sort of inner peace was difficult, though. She looked back inside, towards the unlit hearth and then back out to the ocean, contemplating her next move. She had to do something, because sleep wasn't going to wash over her just on its own. Something needed to be done, in order to put things into motion a little bit better. Indecisive in the moment, but with a touch of grace, she got back on her feet and skipped back towards the bedroom. It all felt very private — despite being so close to shore. But at the same time, it was decently dark outside which added that extra layer of privacy. At least, that is what she perceived at the moment. Yet, it deterred her not. She felt free. A bit lost and out of place, but free.
Thus she lay hands where her garments come together, moving to get them undone. Her pendant lay in rest against the base of her neck as she got to disrobing herself. First came off the shirt she wore, which she neatly folded over and laid upon her bed. Next came the pants which had the same fate as her shirt. She left the clothing folded over neatly, looking down to the pendant close to her chest. It wasn't long until her undergarments were undone, and the young Kelvic woman stood in the nude within the over-water structure. She ran both hands through her hair, closing her eyes and taking it all in. She stood, enjoying the fresh-airy yet simple smell that was unique to the sea. The smell was a tough one to describe, one that she'd struggle to articulate. After all, birds mostly relied on their sight and sounds. The olfactory response was just not something that was honed on the daily, for it was not of much use. While swooping through the air at a high speed, the smell is quick to disappear anyways.
She felt sure that she would not sleep that night, that she would really meet the dawn awake. It wasn't something that she wanted, which is exactly why she decided to meditate for a little before sleeping. But even with this in mind, there was no way for her to exactly grasp of how sleep comes crashing down all at once without any conscious effort on her end. Fascinating, yet troubling. She had plenty to learn. About herself, but also about the place she was in now. Sitting down, Askalynn closed her eyes and rested her open palms flat against her bare thighs. She gently scratched at her flesh with her fingernails, finding it hard to focus on meditation initially. The soft sound of waves distracted her, and she couldn't get into the moment just yet. Soothing, yes. But also — very distracting at the moment.
A deep breath, and a slow, lengthy exhale.
And again.
Once more.
A deep, deep breath — and then a slow, lengthy exhale. She took her time. Slow and steady wins the race, after all.
Her hands gently trailed up and down, her fingernails digging into skin. Frustrated, she let out a groan. Her eyes shot open and she looked at the beautiful, endless and moonlit sea ahead. The vast dark blue stretched for what seemed to be an eternity.
It was time to shut thoughts out, and to just focus on the basics. No more listening to the waves, and no more thinking. She remained seated and took one final look at the sea ahead before closing her eyes. Drawing in a deep breath, she held it for a while. A while that felt like a second, but surely was at least half a minute in duration. She held her breath, and laid her hands to rest in her lap. She made no movement with her hands, and she abstained from picking at her skin with her fingernails. The silver pendant's flat surface felt cold against her chest, and posed a minor distraction.
Yet, she was going to power on through it.
She had to.
860 Words
