Bracing the Tides

[Esko]

BT Month 13
Weyrling's barracks

Meditation exercises. Ts'lar rubbed her temples as she sat on her bedding, mind swirling with thoughts while fueled by exhaustion. She'd yelled at Serenth and it would be hard to forgive herself for that. The green didn't seem to mind; Ts'lar had to baby her and make sure that she wasn't neglecting herself. Ironic. She'd accepted Search to run away from motherhood only to Impress right into it. What else had she expected? Her head pounded, no matter how much she hydrated. Every spike in mood was a dagger to her brain.

But, she'd finally stopped pushing off seeing D'rew about it. And though there was no easy fix, the exercises he provided would hopefully smooth things out a bit. Build boundaries. She now had instructions; she could operate off of them. Still, she found herself highly uncomfortable that she was in the lead. Any direction or instruction would have to come from Ts'lar herself. Gosh, that name was still very odd. D'rew had mentioned that she could seek further help upon their return to the present, but they would still be in the past for months. For now, she had to help herself. Ts'lar took a look at Serenth, who currently lay sleeping, all of her sleep-thoughts whirling and still sounding off. The girl cracked a smile; it could be a lot worse. Least her partner was a pleasant and positive personality.

Well, she had to start working on this now. Ts'lar slid down onto the cold, stone floor, crossing her legs and sitting up tall. She was to open up her chest and allow her lungs maximum space for air. Closing her eyes, she took control of her breathing. Slow in, slow out. Feeling the buzzing connection to Serenth, she was able to visualize the opening that allowed their minds to flow to each other. A jagged hole ripped into her mindspace upon Impression, leading to the various colors that swirled within the green. It was raw and untamed, completely transparent and powerful. It was, of course, her own visualization, but the feeling was all too real. It was something of a rushing gale, unstoppable by simply trying to stand against it.

Oh. So this was what she needed to do. She had been simply trying to weather Serenth's undiluted emotion this whole time? Perhaps she needed to approach it from a different angle. A pause. Ts'lar wasn't quite sure of what to do next. Well, she had an idea, but ideas weren't initiative. Ts'lar sat there, frozen, unable to act. And then Serenth woke up. The rushing gale became an impossible roar and Ts'lar was blown back. Her eyes snapped open and she braced her forehead. Serenth looked overall confused, but nudged her rider with some concern.

"I'm okay, Serenth. I'm okay." She rubbed the green's nose. Well, she knew where to start.