Meteora
Title: Be Your Own Strength
Word Count: 750
Author's Note: Jaedyn was the first character that I ever roleplayed with any heavy spirituality. The group's temperamental healer, she uses her attitude problems to hide her lack of confidence and her disdain of others to hide her loneliness. As much as I love roleplaying her snarky bitch side, though, it's a lot of fun to write these other sides of her personality - and in the Treason storyline, they're very, very plentiful.
While the others gathered downstairs, gathering their armor and checking their weaponse, she settled herself onto the cushions in the small room she'd claimed at the back of the house. The wooden cabinet sat open before her, a pathetic comparison to the glorious altar she'd built back at her apartment, but it was enough to house the few icons she'd rescued and the sticks of incense Kyara had picked up for her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and allowed herself to fall away.
Years ago, when she'd first fallen into her meditative state, her father had panicked and called an ambulance after walking into her bedroom and finding her near-comatose on the floor. Not much had changed over the years - though steady, her breathing was so slow, with such long pauses, that one would wonder if she were even breathing at all. She barely moved, not even a twitch of muscle - only the faint rise and fall of her chest and the barely-there pulse of her heartbeat under her necklace proved that she wasn't a statue herself.
That was what those on the outside would see. The still girl in the deep red robe, her hair neatly rolled into a bun at the back of her head, speared with two ebony sticks. But Elsewhere, Jaedyn walked barefoot through the long stone hallway, sand dusting around her feet, heading toward an expansive, airy room. Blazing sun sparkled down through holes in the ancient ceiliing, creating dazzling bands of light that illuminated the impossibly white sand. In the center of the room, suspended several feet above the floor, was an enormous disc-shaped stone that turned lazily in such tiny increments one had to stare at it to realize it was even moving at all. A large lioness snoozed in the middle of the stone, basking in the sunlight, her pelt a glorious golden that near-sparkled under the dancing motes of dust.
A squat set of stairs crudely carved out of red granite stood to one side, and Jaedyn used it to climb up onto the stone, dropping to her knees near the edge. The lioness' ears twitched in her direction, and one gleamy, tawny eye opened to regard the young woman coolly.
Child, said a humming, raspy female voice that originated from the lioness, but also echoed through the room and in the recesses of Jaedyn's mind. Back so soon?
"I'm sorry," Jaedyn said, ducking her head. "We're... getting ready to go, and I -"
You are concerned.
"I just... needed to hear your voice." She heard the lioness move, and with her head lowered saw its front feet plant themselves on either side of her knees before it pressed its head to the side of her own. Blinking back tears, she reached up and wrapped her arms around its neck. "I get so scared without you," she whispered.
You are never without me, the creature chided in a stern tone. Wherever you step, I am there. Wherever you look, I am there. The lioness pulled back with a low, purring growl and thumped its forehead to hers. But you must be your own strength, it said. Go to your friend. Bring him home.
With that, the great cat stepped back to the center of the stone where it stretched its long body, letting out a loud yawn before curling back into its place to nap. Jaedyn smiled shakily and wiped her eyes.
"Love and thanks," she whispered.
I will always love you, the lioness said as it closed its gorgeous eyes. Your thanks are not necessary.
Jaedyn knelt silently a few moments longer, calming herself and her tears to the steady sounds of the creature's breathing, then silently rose from her spot and hopped down from the stone. The warm sand swished around her feet as she entered the hallway, and at the end she could see herself, kneeling on the cushions. As she approached her body the stone hall faded around her, until she collapsed back into herself with a resigned sigh. Her eyes fluttered open, settling on the tall, hand-carved statue before her.
"Be your own strength," she whispered, and looked over her shoulder as a knock sounded on the door. When she opened it she found Taesa standing in the hallway, tugging at the kevlar vest strapped to her thin torso. She gave Jaedyn a tired smile.
"Time to go," she said quietly, and walked away before Jaedyn could respond.
Word Count: 750
Author's Note: Jaedyn was the first character that I ever roleplayed with any heavy spirituality. The group's temperamental healer, she uses her attitude problems to hide her lack of confidence and her disdain of others to hide her loneliness. As much as I love roleplaying her snarky bitch side, though, it's a lot of fun to write these other sides of her personality - and in the Treason storyline, they're very, very plentiful.
While the others gathered downstairs, gathering their armor and checking their weaponse, she settled herself onto the cushions in the small room she'd claimed at the back of the house. The wooden cabinet sat open before her, a pathetic comparison to the glorious altar she'd built back at her apartment, but it was enough to house the few icons she'd rescued and the sticks of incense Kyara had picked up for her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and allowed herself to fall away.
Years ago, when she'd first fallen into her meditative state, her father had panicked and called an ambulance after walking into her bedroom and finding her near-comatose on the floor. Not much had changed over the years - though steady, her breathing was so slow, with such long pauses, that one would wonder if she were even breathing at all. She barely moved, not even a twitch of muscle - only the faint rise and fall of her chest and the barely-there pulse of her heartbeat under her necklace proved that she wasn't a statue herself.
That was what those on the outside would see. The still girl in the deep red robe, her hair neatly rolled into a bun at the back of her head, speared with two ebony sticks. But Elsewhere, Jaedyn walked barefoot through the long stone hallway, sand dusting around her feet, heading toward an expansive, airy room. Blazing sun sparkled down through holes in the ancient ceiliing, creating dazzling bands of light that illuminated the impossibly white sand. In the center of the room, suspended several feet above the floor, was an enormous disc-shaped stone that turned lazily in such tiny increments one had to stare at it to realize it was even moving at all. A large lioness snoozed in the middle of the stone, basking in the sunlight, her pelt a glorious golden that near-sparkled under the dancing motes of dust.
A squat set of stairs crudely carved out of red granite stood to one side, and Jaedyn used it to climb up onto the stone, dropping to her knees near the edge. The lioness' ears twitched in her direction, and one gleamy, tawny eye opened to regard the young woman coolly.
Child, said a humming, raspy female voice that originated from the lioness, but also echoed through the room and in the recesses of Jaedyn's mind. Back so soon?
"I'm sorry," Jaedyn said, ducking her head. "We're... getting ready to go, and I -"
You are concerned.
"I just... needed to hear your voice." She heard the lioness move, and with her head lowered saw its front feet plant themselves on either side of her knees before it pressed its head to the side of her own. Blinking back tears, she reached up and wrapped her arms around its neck. "I get so scared without you," she whispered.
You are never without me, the creature chided in a stern tone. Wherever you step, I am there. Wherever you look, I am there. The lioness pulled back with a low, purring growl and thumped its forehead to hers. But you must be your own strength, it said. Go to your friend. Bring him home.
With that, the great cat stepped back to the center of the stone where it stretched its long body, letting out a loud yawn before curling back into its place to nap. Jaedyn smiled shakily and wiped her eyes.
"Love and thanks," she whispered.
I will always love you, the lioness said as it closed its gorgeous eyes. Your thanks are not necessary.
Jaedyn knelt silently a few moments longer, calming herself and her tears to the steady sounds of the creature's breathing, then silently rose from her spot and hopped down from the stone. The warm sand swished around her feet as she entered the hallway, and at the end she could see herself, kneeling on the cushions. As she approached her body the stone hall faded around her, until she collapsed back into herself with a resigned sigh. Her eyes fluttered open, settling on the tall, hand-carved statue before her.
"Be your own strength," she whispered, and looked over her shoulder as a knock sounded on the door. When she opened it she found Taesa standing in the hallway, tugging at the kevlar vest strapped to her thin torso. She gave Jaedyn a tired smile.
"Time to go," she said quietly, and walked away before Jaedyn could respond.