Closed [Alea Davenport] Controlling One's Motives

[Capricious]

TimestampTimestamp to be filled in by player.

Real Reflection is a popular place for those who seek self-control or simply to learn how to mask their emotions. Many come for the sense of being one with nature; tucked away inside their own quiet area and out of sight of others. Upon entering the location, one would find it is built around a set of branches. Each branch has a vine growing, keeping the walls of the inside and outside private. The place smelled of grapes; the kind that have a bitter smell and a sweet taste. Birds of all sorts duck and dive, hiding in the tree limbs above. They, too, enjoy the odd grapes.

When Alea slowly made her way through the Real Reflection archway, neither Kinu nor Maeina were in sight. She was left to her own devices for several chimes. This may have been on purpose or on accident. Both the helpers may have been meditating on their own or could have been helping another person with their meditating. Perhaps it was a chance to see if Alea would leave or if she would stay. Perhaps it was to make her more uncomfortable than she already was or to give her a chance to eat the grapes. It was early in the morning, after all.

Without warning, Kinu appeared out of nowhere. He was an older Jamoura with light grey hair and wise eyes. One moment there was no one in sight and the next Kinu was standing on all fours next to Alea. “You must be Alea,” he rumbled slowly in a steady voice. “If I am informed correctly, you were given meditation instead of punishment for your actions against others.” The tone was gentle and without judgment. “Please, help yourself to a grape or two and come with me.”

Without waiting to see if Alea would take a grape or not, Kinu ambled away. He was certain she would. With the morning dew still on the leaves, it was doubtful she had had enough time to eat before rolling out of bed.

The area Kinu took Alea to was obviously a training area. It was more secluded than the other places, but bigger as well. There were two worn spots on the ground where the actual training took place and Kinu took one of them before gesturing for Alea to take the other. “Please, tell me what you have done to acquire this punishment.” Besides, it would take several moments for the grapes to take effect.

[Alea Davenport]

Timestamp: 62nd Winter, 512

Alea was feeling groggy and more than a little sulky when she walked into the meditation place, whatever it was called. She hadn't wanted to risk being late, even though she thought this was a stupid idea and completely pointless. Still, if she could evade a proper punishment, hey, that was the Jamoura's fault for giving her the option. The worst this "meditation" training was likely to do was bore her to death. Still, she could just pretend to be really bad at it through no fault of her own, just inherently unsuited to this joke of a punishment. They'd give her points for effort and send her on her way in the hopes she'd learned her lesson. Well, she'd learned not to get caught anymore at least.

When she did not immediately see anyone upon entering the grove, she shifted uncomfortably. Was she in the right place? What if she was supposed to be somewhere else and they thought she was late on purpose? Or just hadn't bothered to show up? She went over it in her head and decided that there was no way she could have been mistaken about the directions. Besides, there were the grapes that she had been told to look for.

She waited two or three more chimes, wondering if they were busy and she should wait, or if she was supposed to go farther in. But she did not want to risk disturbing someone else. That would just be unbearably awkward, especially since she felt like she didn't belong in this place herself. After ten chimes, she started getting frustrated. Maybe she should just leave, since this was clearly a waste of time. She daydreamed about doing just that, possibly snoozing a bit in there as well. But no, it would probably be a bad idea. The governing body of the Spires (or at least a member of it) had told her to be here, and if she wanted to stay in the city, it would not be smart to get on their bad side.

In a fit of boredom, she ambled over to the grapes. She wasn't sure whether she was allowed to touch them or not. After pondering this for a few ticks, she lightly poked one with her finger. When alarms did not immediately sound through the trees, she figured touching with the grapes was not a major crime. She considered picking one, but that would be a more irreversible act. Still, these people had left her here alone for so long, it was no more than they deserved. So she plucked one from the vine.

She stared in a half-asleep daze at the little green grape rolling around in her palm. The smell of the fruits filled the air, but it was a bit too early for Alea to be hungry just yet. In an attempt to occupy her unoccupied mind, she began picking at the skin of the grape with her fingernail. Meanwhile, she thought back to the previous day, and the events which had brought her here.

A gentle voice. "Wouldn't your friends like to hear my story as well?" Vision blurred by black and red. The satisfying crunch of her fist into a broad, soft nose. Losing herself to the violence...

She had finished peeling the grape, and now rolled it between her thumb and forefinger. She slowly exerted pressure, wondering how much it would take to crush the grape. Wondering how much it would take to crush someone's head. Suddenly there was a Jamoura next to her, and she was surprised enough that her fingers slipped and the grape burst. She stared at the sticky, juicy mess in her hand and at Kinu with equal distaste.

At his suggestion, she grabbed a couple more of the grapes. They were sort of fun to fiddle with, and might give her something to keep her hands busy while she sat through whatever lecture this was going to turn out to be. Every fiber of her being resisted sitting in the spot across from the Jamoura, but she forced herself forward, her stomach filled with sick rebellion. She hadn't butted heads with several Denvali instructors in her childhood only to be bested by an overgrown monkey. (She knew the thought was unkind, but she was so far past caring, she couldn't even feel it.)

Kinu began his interrogation. If she had been having fun, she might have bantered and played words games with him, entertaining herself while she avoided answering his questions. But Alea was in a much darker mood. She simply said nothing, watching the Jamoura with a slight smirk on her face, wondering what methods he would try to get her to talk.

It took another four chimes for her to realize her mistake. She was trying to out-wait a Jamoura. Possibly the most patient race in existence, and she thought she could bore them to death? Something like that might work on Ximal's evil twin, but she'd go mad before Kinu could even blink. She held back a sigh by releasing her exhale slowly in a frustrated hiss.

Stubborn word-games then. "You're in charge of this thing, aren't you? Shouldn't you know why I'm here? If I haven't done anything wrong, then maybe I should just go." She stood up then, as if to leave. She expected Kinu to stop her, but if he didn't, she wouldn't mind walking out of here. She'd wasted enough of the day already.

[Capricious]

Kinu was silent as he took a seat on the ground, pulling his feet to rest under him. His large Jamoura hands rested upon his knees and his back was straight. Deep breaths were in-and-exhaled from his chest and Kinu appeared completely at ease in the nature surrounding them. And when Alea began to try and out-wait him, Kinu simply let his eyes slide closed as he began to let his mind slip away into a world of meditation.

"Please, do not waste the grapes. While they may seem aplenty, we try not to waste them. Otherwise, their numbers will diminish and those who need them will not able to have any." All this was said with both eyes closed. How had he known she was peeling the grapes instead of eating them?

Soon enough, the young human spoke again. Kinu's lips tipped upwards at the tips, signaling that he had known it would happen. One eye popped open to watch Alea's outburst before sliding closed again. Humans were such impatient creatures.

"I am not in charge of this. You are. I was given no information other than to teach you how to meditate, but I can see you are not welcoming of this idea. If you wish to leave, please do so. It is not until one is willing to learn and willing to meditate that he or she will be able to do so and earn the reward of self-control. Until then, the mind will remain blocked." A pause as Kinu adjusted on the snow below.

"Judging only from the fact that you cannot help but to continue moving or talking and that you have the patience of someone half your age, you lack self-control. Let us not forget the reason as to why you are here as well, young one." Kinu spoke slowly, as was custom for his race. His words were drawn out and he met Alea's eyes directly while talking. "You are free to go."

[Alea Davenport]

The inability to rattle the Jamoura, the inability to transfer her feelings of rage to someone else, infuriated Alea. She found herself wanting to contradict every word the slow old ape said. She wanted to scream. She crushed the grapes in her hand and threw them at the vines. Alea then proceeded to throw a tantrum.

Alea had not thrown a tantrum since she was a very small child (certainly younger than half her current age). Her parents had made it very clear that she would not gain anything by it, and that they would not tolerate such nonsense, punishing her with the very chores she was rebelling against. And so she had learned to hide her frustrations, keeping quiet when she wanted to scream, or just avoiding her parents altogether. But dammit, she was angry, so unbelievably angry, and she could not hold it in anymore, and she would wreck the face of the next person who tried to stop her.

Luckily for everyone, Kinu merely sat there meditating, so the he was little more than part of the scenery. He did not react as Alea screamed herself hoarse. She ran back and froth across the small clearing. She tried kicking a tree trunk with all her might, but that only resulted in a stubbed toe. She tried attacking the wood with a few other appendages, with similar results. Finally, she decided to just indulge in that classic of tantrum fits: lying down on her stomach and pounding her arms and legs while making the most obnoxious whiny noise she could utter.

Eventually, many chimes later, she ran out of steam. Her limbs flopped to the ground as she lay there panting heavily. Another chime later, she quietly and slowly crawled back to the heavily worn spot Kinu had indicated when they'd first arrived. She sat with her legs crossed, trying to mimic his sitting position. She sighed heavily, realizing that, for whatever reason, she should probably at least try this "meditation" thing. She felt a little better for the moment, but if she left without giving Kinu an honest effort, she could suffer some actual, serious consequences. And she couldn't afford actual serious consequences--she had animals depending on her.

"So how does this work then?" she asked, still a trace of sullenness in her tone. Before he could reply she added, "I don't want to talk about why I'm here. I just want to do my time so I can go home. All right?"

OOCFunny how much a good night's sleep can improve writing potential

[Capricious]

Kinu kept the automatic twist of his lips hidden from the girl by nodding slowly at her when she sat back down. Her behavior both amused and frustrated him. He was reminded of when he was but a youngster clinging to his mother, constantly wanting attention but uncertain of how to best go about receiving it. Perhaps this young individual was going through the same phase? And, judging only from her tantrum, was frustrated at the lack of attention she had thus far achieved in gaining? Either way, Kinu felt a tiny part of his heart soften toward her. He could, after all, relate.

"As you ask, young one." A barely there lift of one hand in her direction. "You have already done so much that is required. You have both accessed your mind and let your emotions flow free. Meditating is largely that -- letting your mind and body be free. The other portion is learning to empty your mind."

Letting his eyes slide closed, Kinu continued speaking, "Find a position that is most comfortable for you. I would recommend sitting with your legs crossed, but others have chosen to lay down or lean against something. Some prefer making odd shapes with their body. Whatever you choose, make sure you can both relax and concentrate.

"Focus on the things around you: How the wind whispers through the trees; the birds singing to one another; the soft rumble in your chest as you breathe; the feelings that flood your mind, body, and soul as you live here in the now. Only when you accept the things around you as distractions can you begin to focus on yourself. Tell me, young one, what do you notice around you?"

[Alea Davenport]

Alea liked the sound of being free and stuff. Something about the tantrum had made her feel better in a way it never had before, mostly because her parents had always told her to stop throwing tantrums, and this time Kinu had let her finish without making her feel bad about it. So, yeah, being free to throw tantrums if she wanted was certainly a bonus. She wasn't so sure she wanted to empty her mind though. Enough people already accused her of, er, some creative versions of empty-mindedness. She wasn't sure she wanted to go on encouraging that kind of talk.

But Kinu was still talking, so she would have to worry about keeping her mind full later. Now though, Kinu wanted her to get comfortable. She was stumped for a moment. This whole scenario was so uncomfortable she couldn't imagine being otherwise. But she decided to give it a fair chance, so she tried sitting cross-legged like Kinu was. But she was thinking too hard about how to not cut off circulation in her legs, or how to sit up straight, or avoid falling over. She just wasn't used to sitting like this. She tried laying down on her stomach, then curling into a ball on her side, then laying on her back. The first hurt when she tried to look up at Kinu, the second wasn't all that relaxing, and the third was too relaxing.

At Kinu's suggestion of leaning against something, she got up, feeling rather fidgety, and found a space at the edge of the "room" where the floor met what she could only assume was the trunk of a tree. She sat, fitting neatly into the corner, with the trunk supporting her back. She waited for some discomfort to make itself apparent, but she actually felt...not bad.

She kept switching between having her eyes open or closed. Closing them seemed like it should be less distracting, but it also resembled sleeping, so that she was alone in her head with daydreams she couldn't get away from. She found that, with her eyes open, she could sort of zone out at a leaf or a vine or something, and be able to think without going to somewhere far away.

She actually managed to be distracted enough with this process that it took her an extra few ticks to notice Kinu's question. She flinched, startled out of her leaf-trance, and tried rapidly to notice something. Her mind raced in an effort to find something to answer his question with. "My nose itches," she finally said, a bit petulantly. She had noticed that a little earlier actually, but she felt like she wasn't allowed to scratch it, because that would require her moving her arms, which had gotten used to her chosen meditation position, and moving them might break whatever state she'd gotten her mind into. Of course, Kinu had broken that state with his question, so she decided to reach up and scratch her nose now, before she went back into relaxing and concentrating mode and lost her chance.

[Vanari]

Alea

Intelligence	+1 XP
Meditation	+1 XP

Lores :

• Butting Heads With A Jamoura
• Blowing Off Steam Via Tantrums
• Meditation Through Concentration

Notes :

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