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 Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:28 pm
 Life-Pulse was wandering over the tall roots of the mangroves that surrounded the more watery parts of the swamp. She lingered near the trunks, listening to the deep thump-thumps of the tree as it breathed. After clambering over atleast a dozen trees, she decided she had gone far enough and found the nearest root to climb down.
Now she was walking underneath the roots, the roots that created almost-tunnels above the shallows of the water. It was like her own little getaway. A maze of just nature-walls and gentle humming of the roots and soft splashes of the water. She loved it here, and she would come here often just to open her mind and relax.
Today, finding a slightly shallower spot in the water, she sat down and closed her eyes. Her ears twitched to the rhythmic splashing and her tail swished back and forth to the same beat as her heart. She could sit here all day, underneath the roots of this tree, just listening to everything around her.
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:45 pm
 
Mourning Fog looked at himself in the reflection of the water, the ripples made from his subtle body movements distorting his image. He tilted his head from side to side and upon finding a patch of dirt on his cheek, he dunked his head into the cold water and brushed at the spot with his hoof.
When he raised his head again to see if the dirt was gone, he spotted a doe sitting in the water, partially hidden by the roots of the mangroves. The water sloshed around him as he moved slowly towards her. It appeared that her eyes were closed, so he didn't want to startle her by approaching too quickly. There was something odd about her appearance that drew him nearer. Something glowing. As he came closer, the glowing part of her emanated from a series of curving markings that swirled from beneath her eye. He smiled to himself at such a beautiful sight and was almost within a few feet of her.Sunwing swam alongside Mourning Fog, preening her feathers along the way. She moved closer to the kimeti and watched the doe from his side. Her gliding movements were almost silent compared to Mourning's.
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:02 pm
Believing to find herself all alone in this peaceful state, Life-Pulse began to hum. She did not do this often, but every once in a while, when completely at peace, she would find herself singing, too. Her humming began low and followed the swaying beat of the tree hearts. It sank lower to the bass of Mother Swamp's breathing, and gradually it rose back up and joined in with the soft twittering of birds high up in the top-most branches of the mangroves. Her melody could be described as calming but also sort of eerie, in that echoey sort of tone. Atleast here in the mangroves.
Without interrupting her humming, Life-Pulse opened one of her eyes to find out what was approaching her, upon seeing nothing, she closed that eye and opened the other. A buck! This cut her song to a stop and she shuffled her feet, not sure of what to do. No one had ever caught her singing before, or she would suppose, humming.
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:42 pm
Mourning Fog heard the doe's singing grow louder and gradually higher and lower as he approached. It was both haunting and beautiful at once. When she saw him, her song ceased and she stood up. "Oh my, please don't stop singing. I didn't mean to interrupt such a lovely melody...from a lovely doe" he added. Then he remembered his manners and with a flourish, shook his head and stretched out one leg, folding the other. He brought his head low, the series of movements forming an intricate bow. "Please let me introduce myself, I am Mourning Fog, at your service." And with that he stood upright once more.
Sunwing swiveled her head as if she was rolling her eyes at Mourning Fog's antics. She glided closer to the doe and nibbled on the fur of her foreleg.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:04 am
She suddenly sat back down, still unsure of what to do. The buck had introduced himself and she supposed she should exchange the manner, but she was caught slightly off guard. This buck was very smooth-talking, and she couldn't say that she didn't like it. It made her a little calmer that he was so pleasant, but also a little uncomfortable.
Her tail took on outlining his heartbeat, which she could hear clearly in this echoing tunnel of roots. And her eyes wandered for the first time to the swan when she felt it nibbling on her leg. She didn't mind this at all, but found it all rather surprising, and maybe a little overwhelming. All she managed as she nuzzled the swan was a very soft, "Oh..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:38 am
"Hmm" He muttered with a gentle smile, "May I sit in your presence? I certainly wouldn't want to offend you with blatant familiarity. After all, we have only just met...Oh, I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name" He said softly, always with a pleasant smile. He pawed at the water, creating small waves going back and forth, bouncing off the edges of the mangrove roots.
Sunwing honked quietly, the noise somewhat breaking the sweet mood. She fluttered her wings and hopped onto Mouring Fog's back, making herself comfortable.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:30 pm
"Y-yes... yes, of course... Sit... if you will... of course..." was all that the doe managed to stutter for a few moments, as she tried to calm herself down a little and survey the situation. She sat, too, and replied rather softly, "My name is Life-Pulse. I-I'm sorry about that. I'm usually not so jittery... well of course apart from my musicality playing up... but that's different. You just..." she paused for a second, looking for the right word, so as not to offend the very polite buck, "caught me off guard. I'm not used to anyone listening to me sing..." A slight tinge of red may have taken over her cheeks at this point and she looked up to see how the bird was faring, as her noise was one that Life-Pulse had never heard before.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:23 pm
"Really?" he said, clearly surprised. "My dear, you have the talent to make any buck swoon with your beautiful song. Never have I heard a lovelier melody, not even a mother doe's lullaby to her sacs." His eyes were soft and clear as he spoke, focusing on the intricate markings she bore. He noticed her blush and said quietly, "Please don't be embarrassed."
Sunwing looked pleased and honked to herself, her own, if not as pretty, song that she loved to sing.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:05 pm
"Her blush briefly turned a darker shade before it faded away slowly. She noticed the buck examining her glow-marks, and having come across this often, she turned her head a little more to the side so he could get a better look, but covered it up by stretching her neck forwards to sniff at the swan. Such a funny sound to be coming from such a beautiful creature. Not that it was offensive, just different.
As she pet the soft feathers of Sunwing, she spoke, "They've been there all my life. I seem to be one of the few, blessed with such light to guide my way in the darkness. It's always with me, as is the Music of the swamp. I too, often lose myself in it's twirls when I catch my reflection." Here, she turned her head to catch his eye, and offered a slick grin.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:04 pm
Mourning Fog couldn't help but chuckle at her response. "Your beauty truly is a blessing, to both the bearer and those who come across you. I feel truly honored to be in your presence!" He said, bobbing his head here and there to see her markings from different angles. "And to think all I have is my charming personality and rugged good looks" He said and let out a hearty laugh. "I'm only joking about that last part..." he said as his laugh died down. "I almost forgot to mention at what an exquisite name you have. Life-Pulse..." he said, tasting the words and looking for their meaning. "Music of the swamp, you say. As if all the world's living creatures send their own little songs to you...and you sing them out loud.." He looked back at Life-Pulse, meeting her eye-to-eye.
Sunwing ruffled her feathers and crooned softly at Life-Pulse's touch. Then she preened the doe's fur, her own symbol of affection.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:27 pm
His chuckle was a warm one, and after his second, she couldn't help but add her own soft giggle. He was a modest buck, and one of good nature, probably the first that Life-Pulse had come across.
"Oh, I wouldn't think it funny. Your charming personality, I mean..." As she spoke, she stretchd her legs, and a glint of girlishness shone in her eyes as she said this, "...or the matter of your looks." she accented the last word by nudging his cheek as she suavely stepped past him, brushing her head gently under his chin until she passed through.
She began to walk at a slow, meandering pace as she continued, "Yes... I believe my name suits me well..." Here she threw a glance over her shoulder to see his reaction and stopped. "The Music is all around us. I do not come across those who hear it often, you merely heard my interpretation of it's current melody. But it throbs and resonates around us, through Mother Swamp herself, and has kindly given me the ability to hear it. And portray it, as you've noticed."
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:42 pm
Mourning Fog tried not to blush himself, though given the color of his coat, it could have been easily overlooked. He cleared his throat and stood up to follow her, trotting until her was at her side. The water splashed a little bit and he listened as she spoke. He never thought of the sounds of the swamp as music before until he met her. Until she told him about her gift. He looked all around him, listening to birds, cicadas, trickling water, frogs and toads. They all joined together in an orchestra of nature's sounds, but he couldn't peace together a song quite like the one Life-Pulse sang earlier.
Sunwing's feathers ruffling as she took to the sky and flew in circles around them. She trumpeted and added her own sounds to the symphony around her.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:15 pm
A sly smile was stealing its way across her features as she began to walk again. They were just wandering through the tunnel of roots, and she had no specific place she desired to be, simply having felt the need to wander.
Mourning Fog seemed interested in what she was saying, perhaps a little confused, but willing to try to understand. She could respect that. Not many she had met would do the same. So she added, "The song you hear will most likely be that of the physical sounds that bounce off of the trees in echoes, melting together to create the melody. But if you open your heart to it, perhaps you will feel the bass that is the undertone to the Music. The thumps that make up the steady rhythm. The trees, mud, rocks; they all contribute the hardest, most basic beat, that so many do not get to hear." She broke off here, deciding this was probably more than enough information to confuse or even deter the male, and she didn't want to do either. As politely as she could, she added, "It wouldn't be at all unusual if you can't hear what I do. I am the odd one out here. But go ahead, take a moment to close your eyes, and open your ears and heart to the song that I hear."
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:40 pm
Mourning Fog stopped walking and shut his eyes, he concentrated on all that was around him, every physical sound that was being played. Then he focused on the thoughts of the trees and stones and mud, trying to hear their voices. But he heard nothing other than the rustle of leaves and the calls of swamplife. "I'm afraid I'm not quite as gifted." He said as he opened his eyes.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:20 pm
"Perfectly natural. Some simply hear it, and others don't. Mother Swamp gave each of us our gifts and pains. It's what we will learn to live with. But there is one more thing I do wish to tell you." At this time, she turned to face Mourning Fog, and took the step or two closer so that her hooves were right up against his, slid her neck gently up against his shoulder, and rested her head up against his neck. Their chests were touching, and as they stood there, so close to one another, their breathing and their heartbeats slowly took on the same rhythm.
Whispering softly in his ear, Life-Pulse told him, "Harmony can be shown in a million ways in this world. A glimpse into Music, is my gift to you. Remember this beat, this song." She draws her muzzle back down and again rests her head up against his neck, closing her eyes for just a moment more.
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