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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:16 am
The body of a youth. The boy-turning-man's form, housing that Silent God no longer held chained by flesh sweetly weakened with mortality. Now, before the revelers, a hush fell; Echo's beautiful fingers trembling over the strings of her instrument like lovers caresses only Nergali had known; touches bringing notes pure and sweet light a symphony of passionate sighs; beginning to end - from first heatedtouch to the last, shuddering cry.
It was nothing, this that she drew from her strings: a means to an end as others joined her upon a lower dias: a demon of Ice weilding a lute-like instrument, a young child holding a block and stick...another with a small array of bells. A trio of demons settled down, two with tightly skinned drums, another holding an object much like a recorder or a flute only far more exotic. But it was Echo's music that calmed the masses; Silencing the room as surely as if he himself had enveloped all present within a cloak of un-sound.
Silence, for once, was not what Endiovar wished; not now. Lights, made quickly and borrowed briefly - or small creatures that held a gentle glow), gently swirled around the God's statue-stilled form; his eyes were closed. Nothing moved but the soft billowing of the sheer fabric held oh-so-lightly between elegant fingertips caused by the soft breathing of those present.
Led by Echo a slow beat arose; softly dancing here and there, establishing itself in each ear, taming and teasing; taunting all to listen, to watch. Following the established rhythm, letting the body that had once lived and died for such a performance have free reign, Endiovar moved; arms slowly moving with the iridescent cloth attached at finger and wrist now that he'd released his hold on it. To the music, twisting, turning and spinning a story was told - familiar or unfamialar a story came to life in Endiovar's limbs, in the way he held each line of his body...with his expression. The very fiber of his being stretching outward...out out outward to cover All to, touch and thrum with...to bring the world into the story as surely as it truly had been.
Destruction. Gehenna. He danced of their Lord's downfall with bend and stretch, each gesture of his face and form framing the despair and anguish All had felt...of the Weeks and their utter devistation. A twist here, a leap there bespoke of Samyaza, of Arctang's injury...of Gaia, bleeding and helpless...of the vicious, gallant Yu Five Claws, still more beast than God taking over military command...of Tlac, the great centaur giving chase and being turned back - unable to rise from the ground as Samyaza did.
The shimmering colors of his costume shifted and rolled colors like a glorious butterfly or beetle carapace; emotion and light and sound melding and mixing to draw all into the dance, into the Story. Red cloth ran like blood, gold spun itself around his bared torso, around the silken leggings, holding the Terrible Void-beast, Gehenna within.
Endiovar danced of Phaedra, of Jin Huang...of the brave souls that sought out Aristogeiton for balance. He wept openly as the music turned darkling, sorrowful - for Lucious' demise. Universe eaten with no mercy. Silence gave everything he knew and felt, blind but for the music and the emotions spinning out and away from him. Whatever pain may have come from doing such, he accepted it with open arms; the emptiness in his chest and the darkness above - no lights, just shimmering, inky black silk coming attached to his leaping, swirling body.
It was not the end, however; Silence's dance went fully forward, musicians playing with, along and with as much energy and feeling as the God dancing before them all. With that expressive dancer's body, Endiovar led them through the rebirth of Creation: his first naked moments, vestments of somber grey given freely from Nergali...the child-like wonder borne into All hearts that existed to beat; beating in unison for however briefly they did, but with Him.
One more day, did he dance for; just one more to dance to: The Festival. Endi danced of love and joy and forgiveness and hope and every other emotion held within each fiercly beating breast. No matter what the Grigori wanted of them, wanted to take of them...he danced in rejection of their ideals; danced to save it all...this unexplored horizon newly come back to them. Endiovar's body shone with sweat, his muscles twitching from exhertion as he lept, finally, as though to say "I am not afraid to fall...we will save it All."
After a pause during which only Echo's instrument would be heard, softly calling the heady, strongly-beating hearts back to calm, Endiovar danced slowly once more; movements just so; calm, calculated...so that he would end with his body bowed on the marble, covered by his nearly-invisible wings, his face covered with sheer material so none would see how his chest heaved.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:19 pm
Tori had been a little hesitant, at first, to attend the celebrations, being unaccustomed to crowds, but it hadn't been terribly difficult to sway her into coming. She had been promised that she would find something to enjoy, that there was not only company and food, but there was likely to be music as well...and she did so love music. She was a Song Mage, after all, so there was nothing she loved better than music. It was a part of her, integral and dear, and dancing was a close cousin.
So when she'd heard that a god would be dancing, accompanied by no less than the Goddess of Music, how could she not have come to watch? The brightly-colored pard had slipped through the crowd - without shoving, of course, she wasn't that forward - to get as close as she could, pulling in her wings so as not to obscure anyone else's view. And she had watched and listened, transfixed, until it was finished. Only then did she really notice the fine details of the dancer's appearance, his pale pale skin and fascinatingly translucent wings. Tori applauded with the rest of the audience, but when most seemed to move off, she lingered in quiet appreciation.
She was not bold enough to speak to such beings without first being spoken to, but surely they wouldn't mind if she just...stayed and admired. Perhaps, since they were gods, they would even like it, that touch of devotion as she moved to kneel gracefully.((Tori! Except she wears clothes.))
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:01 pm
Endiovar had come to her with an offer she simply couldn't refuse, really, through at first it had seemed strange. Through stranger still had been seeing him fully reborn for the first time - she'd been an hair's breath for mistaking him for Ankou until she caught herself.
Strange, that.
But of course she would help. How could she refuse something like this ? So, Music had followed Silence this day, an apparently mis-matched pair, bare feet wandering through the tall grass.
Echo has carried no instrument with her. There was no mortal-made instrument that could even come close to bear the brunt of her full power. The harp might have... But no.
Music had played her wings, watching over her accompaniments with a gentle smile. Watched Silence dance with obvious approval - she was not Dance, but it did not mean she did not appreciate the art.
On the contrary.
She remained silent, beside her playing, until the song was done, and then she saw her. The teal-furred woman, who bowed. There was a flutter here... "Hello." She said, simply, her voice soft.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:18 pm
After the music faded and his breathing returned to a steady rhythym only a small number of the once-large crowd remained; some stayed behind to offer their appreciation for his dance, for Echo's skillful leadership of the musicians...others stayed for reasons that Endiovar would only have known if he had asked or read them (he did try not to 'read' the unspoken without permission, as it was something akin to mind-reading: discomfitting to think there was someone - God or otherwise - that could see what you didn't want seen).
Endiovar spoke with the musicians, thanking them for their work and giving them leave to disband whenever it suited them. Echo would get a hug of thanks and an appreciative squeeze of her hands; her aid had been key and oh-so-appreciated. 'Thank you, Echo...your playing was, as always, a joy to experience.' A pale-haired girl approached, reaching out to touch Silence's arm briefly before bowing to him. Her smile brought a smile to his lips and he touched her cheek in a fatherly manner; something that pleased her very much. Before she left, she courtsied to Echo and then slipped away - too much attention she did not want, but to give her thanks, voiceless but vibrantly open in face and form, was absolutely wanted.
Echo's voice, soft and soothing, brought a shift of his attention onto a smallish female with wings - a Pard? - who was kneeling in devotion, appreciation. "Rise, child. You are most welcome here." Endiovar reached out with one pale, elegant hand to aid in Tori's rise, his lips curved into that same gentle smile he'd offered to the voiceless blond.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:46 pm
The young pard lifted her head, partially startled by the acknowledgement and partially unsure what to do with it. She wanted it, yes, wanted to know this god and goddess - especially the latter - but there was that quiet, internal battle fought by all the shy between want to be known and want to be not. Want to be heard, and uncertainty as to what would come of it, made keener by the nature of those she knelt before.
But after long moments, she accepted the hand of Silence, his help in rising, and returned his smile with a small one of her own. Her gaze slid to the goddess, and the smile brightened further, but her tail and ears still twitched in nervous time to each other.
"That was..." soft-voiced, she searched for a fitting word. "Amazing." A slight frown pulled at her expression, annoyance with herself. No, that word was not enough.
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Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:40 pm
"The pleasure is mine, dear friend. You danced wonderfully..." It made her wonder where he learned of it, if it was something he'd always known, but she restrained her curiosity.
Perhaps, one day, she could dance alongside him.
She'd been about to reach out to help the pink-haired woman do the same, but Silence beat her to it - so she simply let him. "Thank you." Tori might have found her words lacking, but Echo did not seem to notice, much less take offence. "I am glad that you enjoyed this. And you might be ?" Curiosity was now unrestrained - she always loved to learn a little from all she'd met, and treasure those bits of information and memories.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:52 pm
Endiovar could sense Music's curiousity as much as he could feel her sincerity. "Thank you, Echo. Dance is another 'gift' from Colin." The unspoken addition to that was for Echo alone as he didn't want to alarm anyone else, especially the Pardess; 'My former host.'.
He would have enjoyed dancing with Echo, very much. Another time, though.
Both deities gave their thanks for Tori's praise and enjoyment, but Endiovar left Echo to do much of the talking - it was only fitting that he kept his low, hush-colored voice held back while Music spoke with the Pardess.
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:02 am
"Tori," she answered with a dip of her head, gaze flicking up and then away from the goddess' fascinating blue-on-blue eyes to rest on her wings instead. Was anything about her not beautiful? The knowledge of who stood before her tugged at her heart and mind, a pull she wasn't sure was real or only imagined. Regardless of what the case was, the pard's dark wings fluttered ever-so-slightly with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. The god was interesting, and she certainly didn't disregard him, but it would still likely be easy enough to tell that Echo's presence held her attention most of all.
"You're the Goddess of Music." A statement of the obvious, infused with wonder, but she quickly ducked her head in embarrassment for having made it. Way to sound like an idiot, Tori.
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:38 pm
Echo didn't answer Silence directly, but her body language - a nod and a small tilt of her ears toward him - would let the god know that she had, in fact, understood. It was slow-going at time, but the more time she spend in Endiovar's company, the easier it became for her to 'read' him in turn.
"I am." She answered Tori, her manner still kind and gentle - she didn't think Tori an idiot at all, no, through she did suddenly become aware of how intimidating she must be to the pardess, so tiny and yet taking up so much space, with those large wings what always shifted and played.
Echo certainly wasn't used to be intimidating - something her husband was perhaps too good at - and her quiet bemusement would be clear as day for Silence.
But she felt it, even as the pardess adverted her own gaze. She felt the longing, she felt the connection, she felt the tiny spark of her that belonged to Tori, and she wanted to nuture it, see it grow and see the girl's own potential unfold. "You are... A songstress, are you not ?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:28 pm
Oh yes, quite amused - and yet flattered and feeling that nurturing sensation that one got when discovering a mortal that yearned for you. Endiovar smiled just a little bit and then realized that this was a conversation that would be best suited to Miss Tori and the Lady Echo. Though the Pardess may have enjoyed his dance, she clearly felt more of a connection with Echo; it didn't bother him at all, as a matter of fact, he thought it wonderful that Tori had gotten the bravery to speak with not one but two gods. He thought that perhaps it would be most kind of him to quietly step back and leave the two females to their chat...he could go and continue his work in the Library, or speak with Revei.
Whatever the plan, he gently set a hand on Echo's arm and excused himself after giving his regards to both Echo and Tori.
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:52 pm
Tori smiled after the god as he went. He was right - two of them had taken quite a lot of courage from the quiet pard - but she was also faintly sad to see him go. She would like to see him again, sometime...although even as she thought it, she doubted the likelihood. And even if she did, how like was he to actually remember her?
This was not precisely low self-esteem on her part, but she was at her core humble and unassuming, practical. How could she really expect a god she had met only in passing to hold a mortal in his memory?
With Endiovar having taken his leave, the pard's attention returned fully to Music, whom she answered with another little flutter of her wings and twitch of her bright tail, "I'm a Song Mage."
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:30 pm
Oh, oh ! A song mage ? Perhaps that was like a bard, in some way, only with her voice instead of using instruments. This was all so interesting ! Echo's tail was wagging back and forth like an excited kitten's, clearly overjoyed by that revelation.
"Can you show me ?" She asked, clearly curious.
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:01 pm
"Show you?" Tori looked startled by the request for a moment, but quickly swallowed it. Of course the goddess would want to see, you silly pard! Well, seeing being relative, since it was singing, but...oh, stop thinking about things that don't matter! What mattered was what to show; though the goddess didn't know it, it was actually a rather broad request. Pard magic was very versatile, and hers was no exception. But she didn't want to entrance Echo, or put her to sleep - if she would even be affected by those things. She would sing for her, but what? Her talents lay only in singing and playing, not writing, so she could only draw from what she'd heard, though her memory for that was nearly flawless.
Eventually, she began to sing and extended her power, bidding any who heard: see what I see, feel what I feel. Used in this way, her magic forced the listener to experience the song from her perspective, to visualize the story of it as she did and share her own emotion.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:38 am
Echo was patient, through not silent as her companion finally worked out her courage. No, even as Music did not speak, the light tune of her wings did not still.
The power did not take hold on her, no, but she could recognize it for what it was, knew what it's purpose was. It was something she had done a few times, through Echo did much prefer to subtly influence feelings than so be so direct. Both had their place and purpose, through, and the goddess was clearly delighted.
In fact, it wasn't long before she had joined along without truly realizing it. singing along words she did not truly know, but instead learned of seconds before they even left the pard's lips.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:48 am
When the goddess first began to sing, Tori actually stopped for a moment, startled into sudden quiet, and her power faltered, but she soon continued, albeit more self-consciously. When you were singing with a goddess, how could you not be?
Once the song had finished, her timidity returned in full force, and she stared down at her feet. "I-I can do other things, but. That's...one of them."
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