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 Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 3:10 pm
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Who: Oliver and Reuben
Where: The lake and forest near Oliver's home.
When: Early afternoon
Weather: Warm and somewhat humid. Sunny.
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Water. Typically refreshing, calming, but not today. At least not for Oliver. He'd slipped out of the house, determined to beat his sudden slump of late-summer depression, and sought out the lake as a way to cope. However, when he rose to the surface after a half-hour dip and slinked toward the trees again, all he could find to think about was the same anxieties as before.
The blond held his towel over his forehead and looked out across the lake, his lips dipping down and pursing. How was he supposed to shake these feelings away? Nothing seemed to be working, and he'd tried everything he knew how to do. There was only so much tea and swimming you could do before you had to stand up and face your feelings head on, but he just didn't seem to have the energy anymore. These issues, the breakup, everything about those days in university, they were so long ago. Why couldn't his mind understand that? Why did these memories have to drag him down?
He leaned back and let his head rest against the trunk behind him. He knew he had so much to look forward to. His Raevan, his birthday, barbecues, holiday parties... But with this unwelcome weight of sadness sitting upon his shoulders, he didn't feel very excited at all. Still, he knew giving up wasn't a way out of this, and neither was doing nothing. There had to be something, anything, that would bring him comfort and help him through this. All he wanted was a sign that hope was still worth holding on to, and he didn't mind what that sign was, just as long as it came along soon.
Brolis I hope this is okay for a starting point! 8D |
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 3:30 pm
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The forest was Reuben's favorite place to be. He intentionally moved out of Barton Town to the countryside to be farther away from civilization and able to be closer with nature. He awoke early in the morning determined to explore more of what the forest had to offer. A hike it was. Sure, he could easily get places in his car, but hiking was so much more fun.
Reuben garbed himself in cargo shorts, a t-shirt, his sunglasses and hiking boots before grabbing his bag. He was going to spend the day with nature, he decided. Within an hour, he was deep within the forest enjoying the fresh air and some slight breeze before the sun tipped noon.
Soon enough, as the morning went on, he found himself at a lake looking out over the glistening water. The sun was now warm and shining brightly above. He set his bag down on a rock and looked up only to notice a slim man with blonde hair leaning up against a tree. He looked as though he was caught in a daze.
A smile grew upon Reuben's face. He hadn't seen another soul out here ever since he had moved to the cottage. Granted, he hadn't ever really dove deep within the forest like he had today, but it was strange to see another human being regardless. Maybe striking up a conversation would be nice. Thus, he picked up his bag and began walking over towards the man.
"Hey there!" Reuben called with a smile as he approached. He pulled his sunglasses up onto the top of his head, his hair following suit and just looking a mess around them. "It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Reu asked, looking out over the lake.
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:43 pm
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Oliver, to put it bluntly, was surprised to see Reuben approaching him. It wasn't like strangers never came out this far into the forest, it was just rare enough to make him look twice. He wiggled up, the towel once on his head sliding off and onto his shoulders, and moved to nudge himself to his feet. However, he paused long enough to study Reuben as he moved his sunglasses aside.
Talk about a beautiful sight.
"Yes!" He said, his immediately averting his gaze to the lake and rising to his feet. "This lake is always at it's best around now, espescially with this kind of weather. It's a shame that it doesn't get many visitors besides myself."
He rubbed the back of his head and grasped the edge of the towel before it slipped off his shoulders. Then, he turned back to Reuben.
"Speaking of that, I'm Oliver. What can I call you?" He asked, offering a shy, but genuine smile.
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 7:42 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 10:22 am
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Oh, so he was a hiker. Oliver relaxed. He enjoyed hiking, too, espescially during nice weather like this. It was good to feel the fresh air in his lungs and a breeze through his hair. ... He had to stop himself before he got too poetic.
"Feel free, the lake could use more visitors!" He replied, shaking Reuben's hand as it was offered. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Reu. I don't often see many people around here, aside from family, so I apologize if I looked a little surprised!"
Then, he paused, Reu's question catching him slightly off guard. He wondered if it was alright to be honest, after all, he'd just met the man. There wasn't really any room to be open, right? He looked out toward the water and sighed.
"Ah, well, I was swimming not too long ago." He said. "But only because I needed to get some air, you know? ... It's bee a rough summer for me, and a bit of stressful year so far. Nothing too dramatic, but just enough to need to get away for a while."
Brolis SORRY. I did get your quote, it just slipped my mind! D8
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:19 am
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Reuben smiled at the man as the two's hands collided. "It's understandable, no need to apologize. I'm honestly surprised it's so quiet here," he said looking out over the water.
As the man sighed, Reu's face grew a look of concern as he glanced at Oliver, who stared out over the water.
As the man explained what it truly was to Reuben, the herbalist nodded with a small chuckle. "I completely understand. A nice swim does sound nice in this weather. And air is always good for the body. However, I am sorry to hear about your stressful year. I'm sure it'll get better with time," Reuben stated, his look of concern shifting to a small half-smile.
With that, Reuben sat his bag down and then he, too, sat and stared out over the water. "It's seriously breathtaking. Coming here to get away must be really great," he said, looking up at the man with a smile.
Reuben opened his pack and grabbed out a small bag of healthy snacks. He took out the health food protein bars and lifted one of the chocolate flavored ones out towards Oliver, offering it to him if he'd like. "I also have raisin, but many people prefer chocolate and peanut butter to it. It's yours if you'd like it."
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 1:44 pm
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Handing off the bar, it didn't take long for Reuben to hear the one word he always longed to hear. Tea. The sound of some nice, cold iced tea made Reuben salivate more than ever. If it was one thing that could make Reu feel better about any situation at all, it was tea. He liked this guy already.
"I would absolutely love some tea, thank you," he said with a chuckle as he peeled the wrapper off of the protein bar. "I just have to say, tea is my absolute favorite drink. And iced tea sounds wonderful on a day like today."
With that, he bit off the first small bite of his raisin power bar and looked out over the water, his free arm wrapped around his legs as they were pulled in close to his body. What a serene sight. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to meditate and read after I'm finished with this bar. Do you meditate at all?" Reu decided to ask, as he figured if he instantly began to meditate without at least warning the guy, he'd look foolish. Though if he is being honest with himself, the only reason he cares would be because Oliver was good looking to him. A little worn, stressed out a bit as it seemed, but a good looking guy for sure, overall.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 10:51 am
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Oliver left the bar against his leg for the time being while he fussed with the thermos of tea. It wasn't anything too fancy, just some tea he'd brewed at home and chilled, but he liked to think that the simplicity of it was what made it nice. Once the lid was pried off, he reached for a spare plastic cup from his bag and poured some in, before offering it to Reuben.
"Here you are, it's just something I brewed at home, nothing fancy." He said with a smile.
He reached for the bar then and opened it carefully. Admittedly, he wasn't terribly fond of protein bars, but something chocolaty would probably do him good. He took a nibble or two, just to test it, and looked out toward the water. However, an old part of him couldn't keep his mind from circling back to the fact that he was sitting next to a rather handsome stranger. He shimmied himself into a straighter position and took a breath.
"Meditate? No, I can't say I ever have." He mused, pursing his lips. "However, I've heard it has a lot of benefits... I'd be open to trying it, if I had someone there to guide me, that is."
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 11:34 am
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Reuben graciously accepted the tea with a quick, "Thank you," before he took a sip. The tea was wonderful, sure it wasn't anything fancy, but it satisfied the man to no end. "You say it's not fancy, but that's the joy of it. Tea is amazing in most any capacity."
Reuben looked out over the water with a smile as he sipped the cup of tea again. When the man began to speak about meditation, Reu nodded. He was used to being told that people haven't ever tried it before. But the fact that he was open to it was fantastic; it even made Reu's smile turn into a full out grin.
"Great, then we should definitely try this. Okay, so first, get yourself extremely comfortable. Any position you'd like. A lot of people think you have to meditate with a straight back and legs crossed -- that's not the case at all. Comfort is what you need to focus on,"" Reuben began as he moved his legs out in front of him and rested his hands in his lap.
"Then you just close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths in and out. Focus solely on that while you empty your mind."
Reuben then quickly demonstrated the deep breathing technique before speaking again, still with his eyes closed. "I heard this great analogy once. Your mind is like the sky. The clouds are your thoughts. You can choose to acknowledge those thoughts and ride on a cloud or you can watch as they pass by. To meditate, you need to watch the clouds pass by. As soon as any sort of thought pops up, don't ride the cloud because you'll be taken and get lost up there. Just keep focusing on letting those thoughts go on. It's not bad when a thought pops up, just dismiss it. That's the best advice I was ever given when I first began," he concluded, going back to his breathing technique.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:07 pm
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Oliver watched Reuben get into position and, albeit awkwardly, wiggled into a more comfortable posture of his own. He shifted to face the other man, his legs in a loose pretzel style with his arms lightly draped toward his knees, and watched Reuben breathe. The idea of emptying your mind sounded a little impossible for him to accomplish, but he had to give it a good try first, right? He rolled his shoulders, closed his eyes, and tried to follow what Reuben was saying.
Your mind is like the sky, the clouds are your thoughts.
He winced. That analogy only brought thoughts of the recurring nightmare he'd been having with it. Immediately, he began to envision a pink sunset, a storm in the distance, and everything he'd been trying to avoid for days now. He took a deep breath, his shoulders tensing, and tried to let the thoughts pass by. However, as though they were concrete and glue, the clouds refused to move along the horizon and hung there, taunting him and weighing him town. To this, he opened his eyes and heaved a sigh.
"I... I can't quite get comfortable...?" He muttered, his voice not quite indicative of a question or a statement. "Or maybe I'm thinking too much? I'm not sure."
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:14 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 2:16 pm
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Oliver couldn't help but blush as he was told to lay down, but didn't want to fuss about it. He slid down and laid his head against the end of the tree, before turning to look at Reuben. ... Okay, this was... Awkward, but he couldn't give up. He closed his eyes and breathed.
This time, he felt himself relaxing a little easier, but clearing his mind didn't seem to be happening. The clouds still hung around him, some dangling on invisible hinges and swinging slowly back and forth. He scrunched his face. Ignoring them didn't seem to be working to his favor, but acknowledging them made him feel worse. It was beginning to frustrate him.
"... Maybe I'm too stressed out to do this." He said, keeping his eyes closed. "Everything I'm visualizing doesn't feel right. It's making me a bit nervous, to be honest."
Brolis No worries about small tags! All tags are equal! 8U
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 2:32 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 11:13 am
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