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 Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:18 am
The music? She blinked a few times and giggled a little. No, she knew what music was. She sang a bit herself. Granted it was not nearly as pretty as what he had been doing, the blood in her veins was definitely not that of a musician, but it was music all the same.
She nodded repeatedly when he nodded to the leaf. "Yes! I mean your friend..." Malta was quite excited to have found the source of the tune. Something was bothering her a little bit though. She had been expecting something that the two leggers made. Things that her mother and grandfather had often taken that made sounds when they tried to fly them home. "But...your friend is a leaf...how do you two make music?"
She lowered herself to the ground hoping for a demonstration. Music was one of those things that would always hold her interest as she was not all that good at making it and it was beautiful. The thought of one being able to create melodies with a leaf was simply fascinating. As one who made friends with drawings the thought of being friends with a leaf was nothing strange. It really only made sense in some way. A friend would be more willing to help you create something then a perfect stranger after all.
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:04 am
Zhu's family had never resided nearby humans and had been guided solely by spirits. They were aided by forest creatures to attend their peculiar garb and few of them questioned where it came from. They didn't need to know (quite simply) and provided it kept them warm in winter and well shaded in summer then they weren't going to become restless over such trivial points. This didn't mean that the Uni-Angeni wasn't aware of what a human was but the occasions when he was actually around them were few and far between. He could distinctly recall that his last encounter had been in the depths of the mountains when he had met Soul Friend Fenghuang's human - the pale creature had seem reasonable enough and as eccentric as Zhu himself. However, Zhu was not foolish enough to assume that all two-leggers were the same given that they (as any other animal) varied in nature.
Still, as she spoke it became apparent that she had no intention of scoffing at his companion. Instead she had taken an avid interest in his existence and had asked a question that Zhu deeply approved of. It had already been covered that Zhu was generally content with anything but sometimes, if a creature was in tune with the more delicate things in life like he was, then they would ask a question that warmed his heart and caused a more than wistful smile to trickle onto his delicate lips.
"Well, Soul Friend..." he cleared his throat gently and chuckled. "In order to be at one with my best friend and companion, we have had to go through many adventures together. He has to love me as I love him, nyah?" he glanced at the vibrant leaf snuggled into his feathers, recalling the very first time he had found it. He'd had it since foalhood and in the hands of anything other than an Angeni it would most probably have wilted into nothing - instead, it's life had been preserved. "When that bond is close enough, then we are both in harmony with each other. I have known since foalhood that he is ticklish!" He explained, his tone patient as he gently pulled the leaf from his wing again and propped it into his fluffy hooves.
"When you usually tickle someone they squeal, but when I tickle my friend here here, he sings for me..." Pausing in his explanation, he lowered his head and placed his lips to the edge of the leaf. Carefully not to bite it, he released a steady flow of breath and no sooner had he begun than the leaf itself began to trill a simple yet musical series of notes.
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Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:15 am
Soul Friend? Malta blinked a few times at the name. Her mouth opened slightly as she prepared to ask why he called her that but it was quickly shut. She didn't want to interrupt his answer after all. This was perhaps the most interesting thing she had seen in a long time. The last had been a bird snatching a fish out of the water without crashing into it. Something that was a bit harder for a horse, she had learned, upon testing it out for herself.
Violet eyes studied him carefully as he pulled the leaf from out of his wings. Part of her wondered just how he had managed to keep the leaf alive so long. She did not ask. There would be time for questions later. She was unable to stop herself, however, when it was mentioned that the leaf was ticklish. "He's ticklish?" she asked in a giggle. That was so cute! She clamped her mouth shut with a bit of an apologetic smile. He had not asked her to be quite but a good part of her foal hood had been devoted to taking lessons from her grandfather and during those times she was meant to be silent.
Her eyes widened in amazement as he tickled the leaf with his breath making it sing. It was wonderful! "So pretty! Your friend is amazing!" She somewhat wished that she had that talent but when ever someone tickled her she mostly just squealed obnoxiously.
Figuring that his demonstration was over she opened her mouth quickly to fire off a small string of questions hopefully without annoying him. "What's a soul friend? How do you keep your friend alive? Do you sing when you're tickled too?" Her tail flicked back and forth as she asked making her somewhat resemble a two legger's dog.
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:15 am
Zhu had not initially expected an onslaught of questions as he finished his demonstrations, but the wistful smile never left his lips as he received them. She was inquisitive and certainly had the desire to learn - unlike those who scoffed she had chosen to ask instead. There was nothing to be jeered at for being curious, a healthy curiosity was good for you after all. Thus he waited patiently for her to exhaust herself of questions and when she had lulled into silence he recounted them briefly in his head. She had certainly been direct and this in itself was refreshing to the stallion who had generally become accustomed to soquili simply dismissing him as eccentric. Not that he minded this, it was their preference and he respected that.
"I would agree with you, my companion is most impressive and possesses great talent," he replied smoothly, propping the leaf back in his wing before furling it close to his side. It was imperative that those who were tender against the ice and snow were shielded - his companion was no exception. "Though he remains alive because he chooses to stay by my side, I have no desire to force him to stay if he wishes to move on," he explained gently. Even he remained unaware of the influences his Angeni blood had upon the living, yet he could assume that in time his leaf would edge away from his wing if it were time to move on. Some might say he would 'lose it' but he would say it had chosen to part ways with him.
Horses for courses, nyah?
"I would say that I do not need to be tickled to sing though, I can perform in such a manner without prompting - only my companion would be so modest and shy," his tone was gentle and ever patient. He had no concerns as to how logical or fairy tale-esque his explanations were, they had always worked for him and he led a peaceful life. Content, he had no complaints nor desire to change his ways.
"Though a soul friend...one might say they are those individuals you meet that shall always remain in your heart, regardless of where you go you shall always recall them..." he didn't expect her to understand this. His recollection of faces, of information was on a ridiculous scale - he could recall what others considered irrelevent and thought nothing of. As a wanderer, it was nice to have memories to muse over and draw inspiration on and her butterflies had certainly been memorable!
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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:52 pm
She nodded with a smile accepting his answer without a problem. "Your friend must love you very much to stay with you through the cold!" She said cheerfully. It was very impressive especially considering that all the other leaves had left the world already. For it to stay without it's kind spoke volumes about it. He had quite a wonderful character for a leaf and he sang! Though, by the sounds of it, he was not the only one.
"So you do sing?" She asked eyes glittering excitedly. She wanted to hear him! If his friend made such marvelous then surely the one who prompted him did too. Or, did that not make sense? It seemed sensible enough for her and that was all that mattered really.
Her mind slowly came to a stop as he answered the question she had been the most interested in. A soul friend was a person that stayed in his heart and would be remembered? Her eyebrows knit together as she thought about this. It seemed like such a very odd thing. Yet somehow it only made her smile inside and out. "So then...you'll remember me...no matter what?"
A little spark of hope ignited in her heart. Maybe, this was a way to be known? A different way but if at least one person remembered who she was it was good! By her family's standards it wasn't all that great but they were known as enemies to a lot of people. She imagined that even having one person knowing who she was for a good reason was better then a bunch knowing her for bad things.
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:36 am
"I would not change him for the world," The Uni-Angeni agree with a nod of his head. He had long since come to the same conclusions that the mare was now formulating in her head. He had discovered these as a foal, when winter had struck he had assumed that he would have to bid farewell to his companion and yet he had been shown otherwise. Snuggled up in his wing the leaf had been more than content to remain, strengthened by the heat that he emanated. He had given the leaf a blanket against the harsh weather and in return his leaf had kept him company - it was his best friend and theo ne that knew all his secrets... In fact, with the exception of his parents it was the only being in the world who knew of his name.
A very special companion indeed.
"I can sing," he confirmed after he had permitted her to speak further. He made no offers regarding it and instead gently placed the leaf back in his wing. Furling the delicate pink limbs back against his side where they ruffled softly against his peculiar garment. He was a bard after all and should possess the ability to perform accordingly, generally speaking he preferred to perform with his companion but on rare occasions he could sing on his own - it was just a matter of asking him the right way so that he would do so!
Nevertheless when the topic of soul friends was once again renewed he pursed his lips. She seemed to be slowly grasping the concept, however it was when she smiled that he knew she had figured it out. She may not have been nomadic as he was, but friends were just as important to the homebourne as they were to the wanderers. To be remembered with warmth was not only a compliment but also made the individual feel good as well. It was his duty in life to make creatures smile and apparently he had succeeded... Friends were evidently very important to this mare.
"Correct, regardless of the roads I take I shall always recall you with fondness. That is what a Soul Friend is..."
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:25 am
So he did sing! How wonderful! As he put the leaf away she thought for a brief moment that perhaps he was about to demonstrate. Silence. The corners of her mouth turned ever so slightly downwards. It was somewhat disappointing but it didn't truly bother her. Maybe she would get a performance later. If she didn't get a spontaneous one sometime before she was ready to head off or sleep she would have to ask.
With this thought set firmly in her mind she cheered up considerably. Or perhaps it was hearing him confirm what a soul friend was. Her wings twitched on her back before flying open as Malta let out a whoop of pure joy. "That's great!" She cried a smile that could out shine the sun glowing on her face. She made no effort to explain why this was such brilliant news to her. Instead she swayed her head from side to side giggling. "Really wonderful! You're wonderful, you know that...you...you...?"
Her wings slowly fell back to her sides as her eyes wandered off skywards. "I never gave ya my name..." She said her voice and expression oddly vacant. The cogs were slowly turning in her mind. A name was important to a thief, the more people knew the name the better. She wasn't a thief anymore so was it important to her anymore? "Huh..." She slowly lowered her eyes and looked at him straight on. "It's Malta...but...do you even want my name?" It hadn't occurred to her that she had just said her name. She was just naturally somewhat spacey.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:36 am
Her outburst had been abrupt but with such enthusiasm it was difficult for him to regard it with any form of scorn. She was certainly a happy creature, one entertained by the simplest of things. While he wasn't entirely sure if it had been his confirmation of his abilities or the further explanation of friendship, he was glad that he had once again provided her with assistance. It had been a long time since he had last been subject to such outbursts - particularly in a world that regarded them with such disapproval. He was satisfied and happy with the knowledge that this mare was not frightened of displaying her true emotions regardless of how showy or overbearing they might have been. She was an honest creature, if a little flighty and wistful but given his own quirks and behaviour... well, needless to say they certainly had things in common.
They were both a bit wierd!
"Soul Friend, Malta?" Zhu repeated softly, pausing to let the words sink in. They had rolled easily off his tongue, seeping out into the air before him, it was pleasant to say the least. A light name for a light creature, she would be well remembered. Whether she be thief, bard or a simple explorer she would be recalled in his tales, though he would have to admit that the tales of a soquili thief would have been interesting to discuss as he had yet to encounter an individual with that type of occupation. Perhaps it would be as intriguing as that cross dresser?
"Well then, Soul Friend Malta - it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You may call me whatever you wish," he offered. Sufficient time had passed since he had last spoken and while he wasn't adverse to a comfortable silence, rhetorical questions were often a bit flimsy to end a conversation on, most creatures felt obligated to try and respond to them.
"Although... 'Hey You' generally leads to confusion amongst the general populace so I would encourage a certain amount of creativity on your part, nyah?" He finished with a smile.
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Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:38 am
She bobbed her head up and down a few times as she brought her full attention back to him. A happy smile sat on her face. The sound of her name attached to that title warmed her heart. 'Soul Friend' just sounded much nicer then 'Kaitou'. Much, much nicer. Silence settled around the two but she noted that it was not uncomfortable. It was light and reminded her of the nights not long ago, before the snows came, when she would sit in the quiet and simply watch the night sky.
When the silence was broken she hardly minded. As nice as it had been she liked sounds more. "I can call you...whatever I want?" She suddenly shifted and looked a bit unsure of herself. A slight frown tugged at her lips while her brows knit together before she lifted her head high to stare up at the sky.
She had never been good at naming anything. It was something of a family trait. A name tended to be whatever that thing looked like. Her mother had a red butterfly so she had been given a name that meant red. Malta was also well aware that her name had been 'purple' for several minutes because he mother had nothing else. As his voice reached her again her ear twitched but she did not turn to look at her pink haired companion. Until an idea struck her a short second after he quieted.
"Not...'hey you' but You!" She cried cheerfully bringing her head back down quickly. "You will be called You, okay? Then people won't get so confused and you'll know it's me cause everyone else will add the hey to it right? Right?" Malta found herself leaning forward more and more with every word that came from her lips. One thing could be said about her, she did not lack enthusiasm.
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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:03 am
Suffice to say the name wasn't the most creative he had heard in his life. Others had come up with wierder and more amusing names to address him by but she had made her choice and he would be regarded as 'You' from this point forward. Creativity didn't always span across a number of fields after all - her true talent could lie in her art while his could very well lie in his music. Comedy may have been reserved for another individual nearby who would provide him with an even more ridiculous name at a later date. Still, her enthuasiasm was infectious (as with all emotion) and his smile deepened as she mused over his new name and came to the conclusion that it was the best for the job.
Luckily for her, while there were other soquili in the world that would yell 'You' at him, she was the only one with her voice. As a musical being, sound was the most powerful tool for him and his sense of hearing far excelled above the rest. Her voice would not be forgotten or cast aside as irrelevant when it was actually the most important thing to him.
Shuffling his weight, the stallion rolled his shoulders and ensured that the clothes upon his form fell more comfortably round him. His constant walking often caused them to adjust and rumple on their own and while it wasn't uncomfortable during his travels when he came to a halt they were generally found to be in peculiar positions. Today was one of those days and even as he conversed his tail and shoulders worked as one to realign the wayward robes.
"Rest assured I will respond whenever you call," he replied smoothly, his ears swivelling round to catch the sound of her voice as she spoke. Even as she drew nearer he remained content, chuckling softly at her enthuasiasm and the invasion of his personal space. She was most certainly the type of soquili he enjoyed the company of, one open minded enough to enjoy his hobbies while accepting his eccentric ways.
"Although I do not yell I promise to stop walking at the very least," he added as an after thought and shook his head. Needless to say, he was not an individual who raised his voice but should she spot him he would come to a halt and wait patiently for her to catch up. "Though I cannot guarantee that if I am playing with my companion that I will cease in my music... You know?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:05 am
Her wings fluttered happily as he agreed, in a way, to the name of sorts that she selected. With the excited smile still on her lips she finally leaned backwards to give You a bit more space and also to keep herself from falling over. She began to hum a little as he continued clearly satisfied with her naming abilities. Never once did she stop to think that the name wasn't good since he was clearly okay with it.
"Or...you could stop and play with him for me when I call to you, You!" The thought of getting to hear him play more made her very happy. Though, she imagined she might abuse the situation and run off several times only to come back to hear a bit more. Perhaps it would be better if he didn't agree to that. She would wear herself out running back and forth if he did.
Laughing a little she gave her head a little shake. "Maybe not, though." The bright grin had not left her face though it faded a little as she let her voice fade into silence once again. It was not because she had run out of things to say but rather she had finally taken interest to the clothes he was wearing. She was not unfamiliar with her kind wearing them like the two-leggers, her own grand father wore a vest after all. You's clothes, however, had quite a bit more to them. Which left only one question in her mind.
"How do you get in to all of that?" She asked allowing her head to fall to the side in wonderment. Her grand father had enough troubles with a simple vest. How did You do it?
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:11 am
"I could," Zhu agreed softly, the small smile lifting his cheeks once more as she gained more and more enthuasiasm. She was easily entertained and making the young mare happy wasn't a challenge. Provided one was prepared to accept her quirks and involve themselves in her way of life it wasn't terribly difficult to get along with her. That being said, Zhu had the ability to connect with most individuals even if they were worlds apart in terms of hobbies, interests and overall views of the world. What was different about Malta was that this required no effort on his part whereas other encounters could test his patience on occasions. Granted he never lost his cool but it had been a very long time since he had last been able to completely relax and simply enjoy what was offered to him.
"But when others call me it is often because they have heard us sing together," he pointed out with a chuckle. Ah yes, how often had those he had met recognised him and approached him based on his songs? This morning was somewhat different as he had sought out food as opposed to playing with his companion. Sustenance was usually more important than entertainment and consequently he had gone in search of something to eat as opposed to greeting his companion so early in the morning. However, on his wanderings he had found this little nymph and was now utterly distracted!
Breakfast had long been cast aside in favour of her company but he had to remind himself that given he had approached her, she had not experienced his songs in the same way that others might. Generally speaking people came to him and often interrupted his little performances to query how he played such instruments. Instead she had only sampled a small portion of it and perhaps in doing so he had inadvertantly made it seem like it was a difficult thing for her to hear again. Of course this was not the case and she was guaranteed to hear it again when he was next in the area.
"We sing often, if not all the time when we are not in the middle of conversation," he reassured her at last. Nevertheless when she made reference to his clothes he cast a look back towards them and pondered her question for a short while. Given he had been raised in a family that all wore clothes it had never struck him as odd, his siblings had even more robes than he did and when one eyed his parents... Well, they wore even more than the children. It was second nature for him to put them on and while he did require the assistance of forest creatures to fasten the straps he'd never considered it truly awkward?
"I...stepped into it," he replied in a genuine tone, "One might say it is second nature for me to step into them given my whole family wear such garments. You are curious about them, yes?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:55 am
The way he spoke about others hearing his song made it sound as though he sang often. What a delightful thought. Even with just the brief little snippet she had heard she knew she loved his songs. It was nice to think that she'd probably catch him out and about playing without having to run back and forth endlessly to be greeted and re-greeted. That was a relief bringing thought. Malta didn't really have the stamina to be running about constantly and she would likely end up crashing if she tried to do it on wing.
When he confirmed the frequency of his concerts she couldn't stop her smile from growing larger then it should be able to. In fact she wasn't sure she'd be able to get it off her face now. Oh well, he said a smile suited her better anyway. "That's great! Really really awesome!" Finding that it was somewhat difficult to speak with her cheeks stretched out by a smile she let it shrink just enough so that it wouldn't cause trouble for her.
She watched as he looked to his clothing and leaned forward ever so slightly. It seemed to her that there should be some sort of secret to how he did it. Something impressive like his singing leaf buddy. When he gave his answer she just about fell over. Some special secret.
"You...stepped into it?" She asked somewhat disbelieving as she straightened herself back up. She sighed and shook her head a bit. "Just...curious about how you got into them really...my grandpa wears clothes too...but it's just a little scrap and he still fights with it every time he puts it on." It was no challenge imagining her grand father's usual fight with his vest. The thought made her laugh quietly as she managed to distract herself from the conversation once again.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:08 am
Music often brought peace and tranquility to a chaotic environment. With the laughter of children and the chatter of the adults here and there it was difficult for nature to sing her own song. As a consequence she needed creatures like him to grace the land with such a talent on her behalf. His songs became the background sound that mother nature desired, it filled in the lulls in chatter and permitted those who sought peace to find it even amidst the hustle and bustle of every day life. This was the path he had found as a child, that fateful day in which he had found his pet leaf and this was what he had lived since then. His siblings had sought a more quiet life within their parents' home but he had wandered far and wide. He did visit home on occasions of course but now he had found his place in life he was content to continue on his journey and his father respected this.
While he may have wandered frequently and rarely appeared twice in the same area within the same week, his concerts continued throughout daily and only ceased when he required sustenance or the time was appropriate for him to halt in his proceedings for the evening. He led a fairly mundane life if he was honest, a simple life that had no complications or drama. Most soquili would have considered this boring and worthy of many a yawn but for him... a life without complaints and drama was highly valued.
Still, her surprise at his answer had been rather amusing and when she explained why he merely shook his head. Every individual had their own skills and apparently her grandfather's skills did not revolve around putting his clothes on. There was nothing to be ashamed of in this even if it probably infuriated the individual who had to fight for such a thing.
"My family members often wear even more than I do," he explained gently. "To us, slipping in and out of such garb has become a second nature, though for the sake of simplicity it is easier to keep it on..."
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:25 am
Violet eyes went wide at this information. His whole family often wore more then what he already had on? She simply couldn't believe it. Though, at the same time, she didn't doubt that this was true. "Your family must be very interesting..." She commented rather quietly. The reason for this was she was currently imagining a small army of pink haired soquili in extravagant clothing running about. It was an entertaining thought to say the least.
In her mind they were all very fancy looking. The exact kind of people that her mother and grandfather would target if they wanted to strike it big. She frowned slightly at this thought. What if they had already gone after this particular family before? Oh dear, that wouldn't be any good. Malta managed to find a little comfort knowing that even if they had she hadn't and there was no way to link her to her family. She did, after all, take after her father, who was not a thief. She had never been happier to know that she didn't look much like her mother.
Putting a stop to her runaway train-of-thought she gave her head a toss and set her smile back in it's place. "You must all be very talented...and clever." They had the sense, after all, to keep the clothes on. Her grandfather fought with his vest nearly every morning she saw him because he kept taking the silly thing off. "That's very admir..." She paused. It had seemed like a good place to put a nice big word but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was. Oh well. Her family weren't exactly known for being great teachers were they? "That's very cool!"
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