#248BF2

[teradaya]

[Color!]

So this post goes up at a very late hour. Such as 4:17am. People are usually asleep around that time, aren't they? Whoops. Needless to say, Ryouma has had a rough night unbeknownst to anyone but himself and now can't quite fall asleep. So. To the laptop he goes!]

Let us think on some things, my fellow insomniacs.

Though I guess I should also say if you've woken up just to read this, then don't be silly like me. Get yourself comfy again and shut those eyes. There we go, that's better, hm? You can always come back in the morning.

But, I was saying. I find myself being kind of contemplative tonight and I figured we can all (well, those of us still foolish or unfortunate enough to be awake at this hour) bounce our thoughts around. So tell me, what do you think it means to be "alive"? Is it purely a physical thing? If you're breathing and your heart beats, then you're good to go? Or do you qualify it with gained experiences, such as enjoying certain foods or falling in love for the first time?

Is there something else I haven't thought about?

Personally, I fall more into the second camp. I could argue that life isn't worth living if you have never sailed on the ocean at least once and experienced all that it entails. But then I wouldn't begrudge anyone who is simply happy being physically alive. And that's important, too, for sure. You can't rightly live through things if you're actually dead.

Let me know. It feels like it could be a long night.

Comments

[regrede]

[ phew, he certainly is an optimistic one to think that the mind would conjure fantasies instead of nightmares when left to draw on former experiences. sierra snorts softly, at her laptop. ]

You sound like someone who has too many stories to tell. I’ve never even seen the ocean, unless that still water out in the harbor is to be counted.

[teradaya]

I've been lucky to see a lot of my country.
But even before I was that fortunate, I still dreamt of better things.

The ocean here is an ocean, sure, but I always describe it as being lifeless. It doesn't have the same feeling, the same awe that the real thing does. It's...off. I hold out hope, though, that when we regain its color it'll be everything we could ever want.
But it's a big beast, so it'll probably take a while, or a hell of a lot of work.

[regrede]

Go on, then. Regale me with the majesty of the ocean. I need a little jolt to my imagination, or you can bore me to sleep.

Either way, it’ll help.

[teradaya]

Sure, sure.

Right, so you know our ocean here? It's a good enough start since you've never seen the real thing. So keep that in mind, but then imagine it being so blue. A deep blue, sometimes you can see hints of green, but blue's going to be the main color. And the surface is hardly ever still. The wind skims across it, so there's little waves all over. That really makes it look like the ocean's alive. Which it is, both because of the creatures that live in it and just the idea of the ocean being its own powerful force is enough to give anyone ideas.

It's like a forest in its own way. Have you seen that? Obviously a forest is going to be a whole lot drier, but if you walk into one, you'll get that sense that the place is alive, both because of the creatures that live in it and the idea of the forest being such a rich habitat. The ocean is the same, just in its own way.

Then you've got that wind, and let me tell you, an ocean wind is something else.
It carries the salt smell and taste with it because of the salt in the water. You won't get that anywhere else on the mainland, except the shores. But feeling that wind in your hair when you're on the deck of a ship makes you feel so free, like you're sailing headlong into some undiscovered territory. It could be scary, you don't know what's coming, but it feels good. It feels right.

There are birds that cry out overhead. Gulls, mostly. They tend to shriek and that can probably be really distracting at first, but you get used to it. It becomes normal, it becomes expected. If you don't hear birds, it can get pretty lonely.
Or it just means you're way out on the ocean and there's nowhere for them to roost.
Birds can fly, of course, but not forever. They need rest, too.

I think I love being in the water just as much as I love being on it, though. I grew up close to the ocean, you see, so I practically learned how to swim alongside learning how to walk. Going to the shore on a hot day is one of the best things.
You bare your feet and your legs and just wade out into it. When the water is warm, it's so refreshing and so relaxing. Or, better yet, you can just run out into the shallows without a care for anything else and splash around.

Sure, it might sound simple or silly, but a lot of the time, the little pleasures in life are what really make a difference.

[regrede]

[ …it’s moving.

sierra spent a long, long time alone in the forest, and even once she’d built a community around her, they’d never been able to leave—hated and ostracized for a curse they couldn’t help. the way he describes the ocean is romantic, enough to stir her old, dusty heart. enough to make it ache. whether or not she would ever admit to that is another matter entirely. she baited him with the intention to make fun of him, and she’s not going to give in now no matter how sincerely beautiful she finds his passions.

it takes her a little longer to respond than the quip might suggest, however. ]

I’m sorry, my eyes glazed over as soon as I saw the length of it.

[teradaya]

[Ryouma does notice the delay in response, but without actually seeing the person on the other end, he can't be sure if they're straight up lying or if they just stepped away for a few minutes. That's the trouble with this kind of communication, honestly. You lose half of it.]

Well then, you can come back when you're feeling more ambitious

[regrede]

And I will, perhaps.

But let’s say you never leave this place. You’ll never return to the ocean, and you only have your memories of it. Could you really content yourself with your imagination?

[teradaya]

I couldn't say for sure. I like to think I could, but that's something every person has to deal with when they get to that point. I can say that at least I'd have those memories, even if they'd be old by some point, instead of nothing at all. And I think that counts for a lot.