Teon and River
Aug. 25th, 2015 04:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
om_ariel posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
om_mainRiver meets someone quiet who gets that sometimes just being is enough.
River was with Summer Storm, enjoying as usual the simple blocks of emotions she was getting from the horses around her, as she brushed his coat after taking him out for a gallop. The stream was simpler around animals, but she wasn't paying so little attention that she didn't notice the pebble in it. Like Laura, but not. An absence.
She frowned, lowered the brush from Storm's coat, and turned around to peer out of the stall.
Teon was already in the stables, but for how long was anyone's guess. Standing from his usual ape-walk, Teon was standing in front of one of the other horse's stalls, a hand against its neck, surprisingly gentle for how thick his arms and hands were. Teon's expression was placid, almost completely so, but somewhat serene, as well, gazing into the horse's eye. "Want run," he murmured. While he knew someone else was in the stable with him, it was pretty clear from his tone and volume that he wasn't speaking to the other person, or to himself; he was speaking, quite clearly, to the horse. "Fresh grass, warm breeze." He gave the horse's neck a gentle pat. "Soon."
He turned smoothly, falling into an ape-walk towards the girl he smelled, who was now peeking her head out of the stall at him. "Hello," he said, happily, pausing a few yards from her and sitting down.
River regarded him curiously, but without any hint of judgment. "He likes you," she stated, and frowned a little, uncertain. "You know what being a horse is?"
Teon tilted his head, blinking at her. Of course he didn't know what being a horse was, because he wasn't a horse. But he could certainly make an educated guess. "Roam and run. Like open sky. Clean water, fresh grass." He shrugged. What more could they want, after all? It was close to what Teon held in ideal anyway: a place to sleep, food, water, and a place to run. Friends were good, too. This place had everything he could ever want. He glanced around at the stable, adding another thing to the list. "Shelter from storm."
Ah, so maybe he didn't know. River smiled a little. "You understand." Maybe. That was good enough. She frowned a little, but forced herself not to think of the storm. There was always one coming. "I'm River," she told him, stepping out of Summer Storm's stall in one of her usual summer dresses. She'd grown tall and willowy in the past couple of years, loose hair falling in waves on her shoulders. She smiled, and nodded towards the horse behind her. "That's Storm." A joke, and the truth.
"Teon," he said, nodding. He was dressed plainly, in a pair of denim shorts and a white tank-top, which was grass-stained and dirt-stained all over. "Horses nice," Teon said. They didn't look at him funny when he walked the way his body was suited, and they didn't judge him for his enlightened ways.
"Some of them," River agreed, a tease, alive in her eyes, and Storm flapped his lips behind her, drawing her smile out again. "He gets jealous," she added, and slipped back inside the stall to resume brushing his coat.
Jealousy wasn't something Teon particularly understood. Sure, he'd been jealous before, before his enlightenment. But now? He hadn't been jealous, since. Teon followed her, leaning and then sitting down against the outside of the stall. Maybe he wasn't jealous, so much as something else? "Big heart," he said. "Wants big love back," he guessed.
River smiled, apparently at Storm, mostly at Teon's words, as she stroked the horse's head. "You do, don't you," she whispered to the horse, fingers sliding across his neck before she resumed brushing his coat. "How big is your heart?" she asked Teon, raising her voice back to normal levels.
That was an interesting question, and one that demanded a brief moment's of introspection, before he answered. "Not sure," he murmured. And then he smiled. "Too big to know right now." He knew that much, at least.
River smiled again, bright and approving, and glanced in Teon's direction for a second. "Best way. Not knowing its limits."
He grinned. "You?" he asked, curious as to her answer. Just because she knew the best way didn't mean she followed it, after all.
"It's hard to tell where my heart ends and other people's begin," River answered after a second, simply honest.
"Needs fences," Teon appraised. Boundaries were important, ones that could be jumped over, or have gates. It was just important, at least for Teon, for him to have a place of his own, where he could build his own little slice of paradise.
"I'm not very good with fences," River replied. Or at them, for that matter.
"Practice?" he murmured. He shrugged. Maybe she didn't like boundaries. To each their own, he supposed. The boundaries he made for himself were fairly small; there was room for everyone he'd met so far, in his heart. "Or fine without?" he asked.
"I do my best," River murmured. She looked over at him. "You're quiet."
He poked the side of his head, grinning. "Enlightened," he said. He'd figured out by now that the enlightenment he'd experienced before he'd fled his home country was the reason it was hard for people to get into his skull; he'd heard the headmasters toss out some psychic technical terms but it kind of had Teon bored; they liked to talk in circles when it was better, often, to talk in lines. If she wasn't referring to how quiet he was mentally, it was also the reason he said so little. If nothing needed to be said, why speak? It was the best answer for the statement she'd presented him.
River was done brushing Storm and she petted him a few times, whispered a few words to him, then slipped out of the stall and locked it behind her. She came to sit beside Teon, watching him with wide, curious eyes. "What does it mean? To you." It was such an interesting word to use, and she couldn't feel it the way she usually did.
Part of her liked having to ask. But mostly she wished that she could feel it. A word like that, and everything behind it.
"Peace," Teon explained. "Simplicity." So much more in his life made sense, now. A lot still didn't, but life's mysteries were necessary to keep life interesting, he figured.
The words - the emotions she put behind them - made her heart ache, and she nodded. "Good," she said, a little fervently.
He gave her an easy smile. "It is," He agreed, nodding. He hoped that she understood how great it was, and more so, he wanted to help others reach this place. "Want to share," he said, fiddling with a stray piece of hay on the floor. "Don't know how," he murmured, looking just a bit frustrated.
River smiled a little, but she mostly still looked thoughtful. "I want to help, too. So people don't get tripped up so much."
"Mmm. Good." Helping was what people were supposed to do, after all. He gave a nod, smiling. She was a good person, he'd decided. There were plenty of good people in this place, and he was struggling to find time to meet all of them. But he was glad he'd met her, so far.
"You could start by sharing the simple things," River offered, after a moment.
That was a good point. But would she understand? Could he truly share his enlightenment? He gestured to the stable exit. "Follow?" he asked, already ape-walking his way toward the door.
River rose gracefully and followed him out of the stables, enjoying the sense of uncertainty she so rarely felt, to this extent.
Outside, Teon peered around thoughtfully, before he sighted and moved over to a slight slope of grass. Once there, he situated himself on his back against the grass, his limbs flat, arms spread and legs comfortably together, eyes closed. Once settled, he began to take deep, gentle, slow breaths, a serene smile on his lips. "Like this," he murmured, instructively.
River watched him for a moment, smiling, then lay down to join him, closing her eyes against the immensity of the sky and focusing on her breathing. After a little while, she reached for his hand without opening her eyes, and laced their fingers together. "Like this." Touch to strengthen connection; the moment welcomed it.
He nodded, though she couldn't see, his rough, thicker fingers meshed with hers. Teon's mind opened to hers slightly more with the touch, all fleeting glimpses of serenity, calm and warm and tranquil, welcoming and completely free of worry, desire, and dissatisfaction. All he needed was here, right here, and his mind was full with that satisfaction, even if she could only feel a bit of it herself.
River smiled again as she realized that she was feeling a little something off of him. Just a glimpse, but it worked so perfectly in the moment, and with her, that just a glimpse was more than enough. It belonged, it echoed, it wrapped around her and made her grin up at the sky, at the world, at him.
River was with Summer Storm, enjoying as usual the simple blocks of emotions she was getting from the horses around her, as she brushed his coat after taking him out for a gallop. The stream was simpler around animals, but she wasn't paying so little attention that she didn't notice the pebble in it. Like Laura, but not. An absence.
She frowned, lowered the brush from Storm's coat, and turned around to peer out of the stall.
Teon was already in the stables, but for how long was anyone's guess. Standing from his usual ape-walk, Teon was standing in front of one of the other horse's stalls, a hand against its neck, surprisingly gentle for how thick his arms and hands were. Teon's expression was placid, almost completely so, but somewhat serene, as well, gazing into the horse's eye. "Want run," he murmured. While he knew someone else was in the stable with him, it was pretty clear from his tone and volume that he wasn't speaking to the other person, or to himself; he was speaking, quite clearly, to the horse. "Fresh grass, warm breeze." He gave the horse's neck a gentle pat. "Soon."
He turned smoothly, falling into an ape-walk towards the girl he smelled, who was now peeking her head out of the stall at him. "Hello," he said, happily, pausing a few yards from her and sitting down.
River regarded him curiously, but without any hint of judgment. "He likes you," she stated, and frowned a little, uncertain. "You know what being a horse is?"
Teon tilted his head, blinking at her. Of course he didn't know what being a horse was, because he wasn't a horse. But he could certainly make an educated guess. "Roam and run. Like open sky. Clean water, fresh grass." He shrugged. What more could they want, after all? It was close to what Teon held in ideal anyway: a place to sleep, food, water, and a place to run. Friends were good, too. This place had everything he could ever want. He glanced around at the stable, adding another thing to the list. "Shelter from storm."
Ah, so maybe he didn't know. River smiled a little. "You understand." Maybe. That was good enough. She frowned a little, but forced herself not to think of the storm. There was always one coming. "I'm River," she told him, stepping out of Summer Storm's stall in one of her usual summer dresses. She'd grown tall and willowy in the past couple of years, loose hair falling in waves on her shoulders. She smiled, and nodded towards the horse behind her. "That's Storm." A joke, and the truth.
"Teon," he said, nodding. He was dressed plainly, in a pair of denim shorts and a white tank-top, which was grass-stained and dirt-stained all over. "Horses nice," Teon said. They didn't look at him funny when he walked the way his body was suited, and they didn't judge him for his enlightened ways.
"Some of them," River agreed, a tease, alive in her eyes, and Storm flapped his lips behind her, drawing her smile out again. "He gets jealous," she added, and slipped back inside the stall to resume brushing his coat.
Jealousy wasn't something Teon particularly understood. Sure, he'd been jealous before, before his enlightenment. But now? He hadn't been jealous, since. Teon followed her, leaning and then sitting down against the outside of the stall. Maybe he wasn't jealous, so much as something else? "Big heart," he said. "Wants big love back," he guessed.
River smiled, apparently at Storm, mostly at Teon's words, as she stroked the horse's head. "You do, don't you," she whispered to the horse, fingers sliding across his neck before she resumed brushing his coat. "How big is your heart?" she asked Teon, raising her voice back to normal levels.
That was an interesting question, and one that demanded a brief moment's of introspection, before he answered. "Not sure," he murmured. And then he smiled. "Too big to know right now." He knew that much, at least.
River smiled again, bright and approving, and glanced in Teon's direction for a second. "Best way. Not knowing its limits."
He grinned. "You?" he asked, curious as to her answer. Just because she knew the best way didn't mean she followed it, after all.
"It's hard to tell where my heart ends and other people's begin," River answered after a second, simply honest.
"Needs fences," Teon appraised. Boundaries were important, ones that could be jumped over, or have gates. It was just important, at least for Teon, for him to have a place of his own, where he could build his own little slice of paradise.
"I'm not very good with fences," River replied. Or at them, for that matter.
"Practice?" he murmured. He shrugged. Maybe she didn't like boundaries. To each their own, he supposed. The boundaries he made for himself were fairly small; there was room for everyone he'd met so far, in his heart. "Or fine without?" he asked.
"I do my best," River murmured. She looked over at him. "You're quiet."
He poked the side of his head, grinning. "Enlightened," he said. He'd figured out by now that the enlightenment he'd experienced before he'd fled his home country was the reason it was hard for people to get into his skull; he'd heard the headmasters toss out some psychic technical terms but it kind of had Teon bored; they liked to talk in circles when it was better, often, to talk in lines. If she wasn't referring to how quiet he was mentally, it was also the reason he said so little. If nothing needed to be said, why speak? It was the best answer for the statement she'd presented him.
River was done brushing Storm and she petted him a few times, whispered a few words to him, then slipped out of the stall and locked it behind her. She came to sit beside Teon, watching him with wide, curious eyes. "What does it mean? To you." It was such an interesting word to use, and she couldn't feel it the way she usually did.
Part of her liked having to ask. But mostly she wished that she could feel it. A word like that, and everything behind it.
"Peace," Teon explained. "Simplicity." So much more in his life made sense, now. A lot still didn't, but life's mysteries were necessary to keep life interesting, he figured.
The words - the emotions she put behind them - made her heart ache, and she nodded. "Good," she said, a little fervently.
He gave her an easy smile. "It is," He agreed, nodding. He hoped that she understood how great it was, and more so, he wanted to help others reach this place. "Want to share," he said, fiddling with a stray piece of hay on the floor. "Don't know how," he murmured, looking just a bit frustrated.
River smiled a little, but she mostly still looked thoughtful. "I want to help, too. So people don't get tripped up so much."
"Mmm. Good." Helping was what people were supposed to do, after all. He gave a nod, smiling. She was a good person, he'd decided. There were plenty of good people in this place, and he was struggling to find time to meet all of them. But he was glad he'd met her, so far.
"You could start by sharing the simple things," River offered, after a moment.
That was a good point. But would she understand? Could he truly share his enlightenment? He gestured to the stable exit. "Follow?" he asked, already ape-walking his way toward the door.
River rose gracefully and followed him out of the stables, enjoying the sense of uncertainty she so rarely felt, to this extent.
Outside, Teon peered around thoughtfully, before he sighted and moved over to a slight slope of grass. Once there, he situated himself on his back against the grass, his limbs flat, arms spread and legs comfortably together, eyes closed. Once settled, he began to take deep, gentle, slow breaths, a serene smile on his lips. "Like this," he murmured, instructively.
River watched him for a moment, smiling, then lay down to join him, closing her eyes against the immensity of the sky and focusing on her breathing. After a little while, she reached for his hand without opening her eyes, and laced their fingers together. "Like this." Touch to strengthen connection; the moment welcomed it.
He nodded, though she couldn't see, his rough, thicker fingers meshed with hers. Teon's mind opened to hers slightly more with the touch, all fleeting glimpses of serenity, calm and warm and tranquil, welcoming and completely free of worry, desire, and dissatisfaction. All he needed was here, right here, and his mind was full with that satisfaction, even if she could only feel a bit of it herself.
River smiled again as she realized that she was feeling a little something off of him. Just a glimpse, but it worked so perfectly in the moment, and with her, that just a glimpse was more than enough. It belonged, it echoed, it wrapped around her and made her grin up at the sky, at the world, at him.
