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 Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:51 pm
"You can sense where it is…without seeing it!" That was remarkable to Pasha. She watched with wide eyes as he withdrew the necklace from behind the rack, and clapped her hands together once in delight. "It IS Vi's! Oh, she would have liked to see that. Thank you! That's amazing, what you can do."
Her mood matched his as he continued to speak, the smile fading in favor of a more serious set. She watched his face as he explained, and after the mention of the Doctor she could feel the old, familiar, painful hope flare in her chest.
When he next spoke, he answered her question before she even had a chance to ask it.
Melisande's hand closed lightly around the ring he'd been looking at, which had been laying against the bare skin of her chest. It was warm to the touch, being so close to her heart. "I understand. That…can't be easy for you. Having to feel those things. I'm sorry, Cesc."
Her apology was heartfelt and quiet. It wasn't his ability she was apologizing for…it was every time she'd contributed to what he had to experience. If feeling her loss second hand was even half as painful to Cesc as it was to her…
"Do I…hurt you?" She dropped her hand, smoothing the sides of her corset and trying to let the feelings go. "I never meant-"
The bells over the door chimed as Vi let herself in. "Pasha?" The woman paused just inside the shop, sensing the atmosphere before she spotted Cesc. Once she did, her eyes went wide, and she very slowly turned a pointed look to the Sigel.
"Another handsome friend, huh? Rough life. Hi! I'm Vi, good to meet ya." She stuck her hand out for a shake, and spotted the necklace on the counter after the Frei introduced himself. "Oh hey, you found it!"
"Cesc did." Pasha admitted, and pushed it across the counter with a forefinger. "And you need to dust under the fixtures."
Viola laughed, and waved the issue away with one hand. "Later. Go have fun with your friend, I'm here till close!"
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Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:30 pm
Cesc shook his head immediately as Melisande began to apologize. It was the precise thing he didn't want. She could not help the pain she felt over her loss, and he did not mean to make her feel guilty for it. But he could no more help feeling it than she could, for he had not yet find a way to simply turn his power off. He felt that she had a right to know about it, and more than that, that she had a right to know what he could no longer feel from her. If anything, he was a marker of how far she'd healed. Of how her happiness had blossomed back.
"No," he said softly, lifting his hands to hover over her forearms as she slid her own down the sides of her corset. "It wasn--"
The bells at the door startled Rhedefre, his ears standing at attention, and for no real reason that he could place, a guilty expression crossed his features. Immediately as he heard the woman say Melisande's name, however, his expression melted into one of polite interest. He dropped his hands to his sides as she entered.
"Hello," he said genially -- but he did not have her attention. She was looking very slowly and directly at Pasha. And her words made him flush, an incredulous, helpless laugh spilling from him. "You both are far too beautiful to be so kind. I am Cesc, and this is a pleasure."
At Vi's insistence that they 'go', however, Cesc fumbled again, unsure of what to say or do. He let out a polite:"Oh, ah..." and then stopped. His admission of his power's diameters had caused a moment of awkwardness that he had not gotten to close or explain away, and he was unsure of what the Muse wished of him. He blinked and half-smiled and then looked toward Melisande.
"Do you want to..." he trailed off, gesturing outside the shop, giving her an option.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:34 am
"You hear that? I'm beautiful! That Leo doesn't know what he's missing. Have fun, you two...nice to meet you Cesc!"
"Thank you, Vi! Yes, I'd love to. There's a little park around the corner?" She shot the woman a grateful smile and tucked her arm under Cesc's, resting her hand gracefully in the crook of his elbow. The door tinkled overhead as they left. Once they were outside, Pasha couldn't help but laugh. They drifted for a while in silence as she went over what she had learned so far, following the conversation back to its loose end.
"I'm sorry for the interruption. I truly was listening." Her arm tightened subtly in his, encouraging. "I hope…I am not a burden to you." Zavier's loss no longer filled her like it once did. Instead, it had carved out a little piece of her, a piece that only ached when she reached for it, or when she could see the silver clouds gather and hear the rain on the roof. Her hand had found her ring again, absently. It felt good, having Rhedefre so close. Having someone to share it with, as selfish as that made her.
The park opened up before them, green and bright after all the rain. The slender trees were just showing their blossoms, and the path meandered around bushes heavy with new growth. A little pond with stone benches, off to one side, was the most private spot. The only other attendants were laughing on a blanket on the grass as they took in the sun.
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Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:42 am
Cesc was relieved to get into the sunlight again, as though exiting the shop would be to escape the gravity of their conversation's previous few moments. He gave Vi a friendly smile as they left, and lifted his hand in a wave to her. She was an interesting-looking woman, pleasant, with mischief behind her eyes. Cesc felt he would like to know her better.
He floated on with Melisande to the park, turning his words over in his head. On one hand, Pasha's reaction had not been how he had expected it to be. He felt his power was a breach of trust, a peek at a diary that should be locked to the world, but she had not reacted betrayed. It was gracious of her, the stag thought.
The air had warmed slightly from when he'd been out before. People seemed absolutely ecstatic to be out in the sun's gaze. Cesc watched as a man set his discarded jacket over a park bench for his lady, who sat daintily in her sundress. The air rippled with laughter.
"No," said Cesc, turning his attention to Melisande. He half-expected her own blooms to orient themselves toward the buds on the trees, to open as if to say hello. Her hair caught sunlight well. "Never a burden. To feel someone else's pain is ... I'm not sure how to explain. It's a liberty and an honor. It only makes me want to help. I wish it were easier to give it."
Or possible, he added silently.
"But," said Rhedefre, his hand moving over hers. "Though I know you know this, perhaps you should hear -- I do not feel it from you as once I did. You are strong, Melisande."
He smiled, ushering them to one of the stone benches. A group of ducks waddled toward the pond, eyeing them for food.
"Let's not linger on this," said the stag. "You know my powers, such as they are. Let me hear about yours."
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:05 am
His hand was comforting over hers. Melisande leaned against lightly Cesc as they drifted. It was wonderful having him so close…there was a time, fresh out of the Jungle, when she'd been certain the Stag would never wish to speak to her again.
She raised her eyes at his compliment, but it was obvious she was thinking over his words. Though he was graceful in his attempt to move past it, the Muse was still rolling his words over in her head.
"I think…for something to be lost…there has to be a chance that it may be found again." It wasn't until she'd seen what was left, until Zul had sealed the chain that carried Zavier's ring that Pasha started to accept that he would never return. She tightened her hold on his arm for a moment in thanks before drifting back and letting her hand fall from Cesc's.
"This isn't something I've…ever really talked about. You've been so kind, since the day I've met you. Thank you!" Her smile was warm, but she dropped her eyes to the ducks, watching them wiggle and quack. It was obviously something she knew she shouldn't dwell on. "For talents, I have the ability to inspire…myself or others. When I use it for myself, I can give life to my songs. Just for a while." She bent down and picked a dandelion, offering it to the bravest of the ducks. It didn't take long for her offer to be rejected. Pasha made a little moue and kept the flower for herself.
Pulling herself straight, she met the Stag's eyes again, and twirled the flower absently between her fingers. "If I use it on others…I can enhance their talents or abilities." She said it simply, but her smile was a little sad. What Cesc had conjectured so long ago was true. If they were together, surely there was nothing the world could hide from them.
"And if someone hasn't found their talent…I can help with that, as well."
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 9:44 pm
Cesc's smile was gentle and a little sad, his eyes steady as he looked at Melisande. Kindness had nothing to do with it, really, he thought. Ever since he'd met her, he thought that Melisande could ask anything of anyone and receive it: her grace was that it seemed she did not often ask.
"It's good to talk now and then," Cesc said after a pause. He dropped his gaze and shook his head. He did not have the experience necessary, not really, to fully understand her pain. He could feel it, and try to assuage it, but... "Even if it's not me, you know... my family, they have lost loved ones. They've spoken to me about loss. If you ever need to talk, we are all of us here for you."
He paused there and let her continue, watching her attempt to satiate the ducks' hunger with a dandelion. They poked at it and waddled into the pond, their little tails waving leftrightleftright in a hurry as they sped toward an old man tossing chunks of bread into the water.
"I knew the first one!" Rhedefre laughed, holding up his hands in a gesture of victory. "You helped me that day, you helped me hear the first really intelligible lost thing I ever heard. I will always be grateful."
He shook his head then, dropping his arms. He floated toward one of the stone benches and settled on it. He did not speak for a moment, but his face was bright and interested.
"That is ... unreal," he said at last. "What beautiful capabilities to have. Does it happen whenever you sing, or just when you wish it? Your voice -- does it change when you do so? Forgive me my curiosity. I know one Raevan, Basil, he can change his voice to mimic any he's heard, but I never knew there was another one of us with vocal powers."
The stag shook his head at himself. "Overeager, Cesc. How do you find a talent? I wonder if it's the same process as what I use to find lost things... like a golden line in your head leading you?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:45 pm
"Overeager?" Her smile blossomed, and she leaned her shoulder forward into his. "And here I thought I was boring you!" It was rare to hear a teasing tone in Pasha's voice, but the pink on her cheeks made it charming. The Muse shook her head, still twirling the dandelion. "I'd like to meet Basil…I didn't know there was anyone else that could do such a thing. But it happens when I wish it. I think." She'd sounded certain, for a moment there. "I can show you the difference, if you'd like. A song with nothing more than my heart and my voice, and a song I truly put my soul into it. Would you like to see…what I can do? When I try?"
Her smile was slow, eyes lifting to his face. Even though they were so close, side by side on the bench, Pasha suddenly felt like everything was delicate. "If you'd like…I can also show you later how I find a talent. If you'd still like me to."
Pasha waited for his assent, but butterflies still filled her. Raevans were different than humans, and Cesc was different than the others. She knew his song…it rose up before her lips even parted…but the conscious part of Melisande balked.
What if…?
You belong among the wildflowers…
After a few moments, head lowered, her voice rose between them. Her voice was clear and slow…each word spoken gently, from the heart.
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free.
Her hand reached for his, her fingers finding his gently. Around them, in the edges of his vision, color began to blossom.
Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you~
Finally her eyes rose, warmth in them as the line left her breathless. Pasha inhaled, a park that was once green pushed forward with blooms around them.
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by~
Her voice had peaked, Pasha's hand tightening on his. Slowly, she released it. The field behind her had been a kaleidoscope of colors…the trees overhead heavy with life. The images retreated, pulling back into her words, giving life only to her breath as the Inspiration found its way home. She tucked the dandelion behind his ear with a smile as she sang.
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free.
You belong somewhere you feel free~
Her cheeks were pink by the last line, the colors faded to her lips. Melisande's blue eyes rose to meet his, the sky meeting the dawn.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:59 pm
As she began to sing, Cesc's smile melted from his face, unbidden. His eyes rounded and his ears flicked, perked upward. Somehow, without the smile, there was still joy in his face and awe in his eyes. He did not know how to describe what he felt, hearing her voice. It was her voice, the same one he heard spoken, but there was more. It was like harnessing wind, or starlight, or the purple flash of lightning. It was like capturing the softness of a flower petal, or the smell of earth after rain. There was something both natural and otherworldly about it, like being present for a miracle, holding your breath and willing yourself to remember every moment of it.
Suddenly, he remembered something: he'd thought her the sun. He told her as much earlier, but as she sang he remembered with suddenness why he was so sure in his conviction. He had seen this before, blossoms reaching from trees, colors stretching themselves to be noticed. He was among them when they rejoiced in it. They did it for sunlight, they did it when waking after the dawn.
They did it for Melisande.
His smile wavered back onto his face and his eyes shone, wet but not red. His hand felt empty as she let it go, and he pulled up his ear to keep the dandelion steady.
His eyes were warm when they met his. His voice a little strained, almost helpless.
"That is not a talent, Melisande," he said, nearly a whisper. "That is a gift."
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:51 am
Melisande lowered her eyes at his praise, but her smile didn't waver. It made her feel wonderful see him enjoy it as he had. More than wonderful…it made her feel complete. His appreciation satiated her, she could feel his gaze like a caress. Pasha's rune was brilliant below the edges of her pale corset. Part of her had worried that the song would push him away, give him a wanderlust and a path to follow. The fact that he was here with her, content...
"You could see them? The flowers?" Her Inspiration manifested different ways for different people, but that was what she had been reaching for. "When I was younger, I didn't know I could conjure such things with a song. It doesn't last long, but I had to learn to be careful."
There was something vibrant about her, pulling as she was from Cesc's kind focus. Every errant curl settled as though it had been carefully placed, the color in her lips, her eyes, a perfect blush of life. He'd seen her at her lowest, coming out of the jungle, starving and hurt… The two images of her were so different they almost didn't reconcile.
"And I think I felt the same way, when you sang for me. Our voices would be beautiful together…" She didn't push. No one had ever accepted her offer of a duet, but the way she trailed off wistfully made it clear her offer was heartfelt.
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:02 pm
"I could see them," replied Cesc, his smile growing. "Poppies and wildflowers, and the buds blossoming in the trees. It was amazing, like... like previewing springtime. Beautiful."
He laughed then, rubbing the back of his neck. One of his ears flicked, but the other remained still to keep the dandelion held, and he reddened slightly. He sang in front of her, and the thought filled him with a helpless sort of embarrassment. He enjoyed singing, but her voice was angelic and his voice was... well, mortal. But... "We can, certainly, if you want. You did say you could teach, so I am willing to learn."
The stag's smile became boyish, self-conscious. "... as long as you do not mind that I will very much need the lessons, I will sing for, or with, you."
He paused then, musing, the color receding from his cheeks as he floated his gaze toward the gluttonous ducks once more. He liked the way water beaded on their feathers, and the way they shook their head laterally to rid themselves of it.
"Is that what it looks like for you? When you find a talent? So bright, so colorful?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:46 pm
She hung on every word as he offered his voice to her. Her blossoms unfurled slowly, opening broad and sweet. "I would love that. Thank you." Pasha took his hands, her own trembling slightly. Joy was written across her face like sunlight. She was beyond excited, and nervous, at the thought of singing with someone…especially with the Stag.
His question about finding a talent was a curious one, though. She tilted her head, a few curls sliding over one shoulder. "It does, in a way. If the flowers were paint, blurring underwater?" The Muse laughed self consciously, hands lightening on his. "With a human, anyway. I've never tried to find one of our talents before."
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Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:22 pm
Rhedefre let out a faint one-breath laugh and looked forward as the Muse's flowers and face showed her pleasure, dipping his gaze to the ground and rubbing the back of his neck with some embarrassment. He would certainly try not to let her down, but having heard her voice -- well, even silk would feel like sandpaper next to the softness of a flower's petals, wouldn't it? And his voice was certainly not silken.
When she continued, he lifted his eyes again, inclining slightly forward. He nodded, trying to imagine what she said. Her voice had brought forth images indistinguishable from reality, but it seemed like finding someone's talent crossed a line into something more... fluid. Magical.
He held out a hand to her, palm up to the sky, fingers soft. "Does it take anything from you to do so? If you are ever curious, I --" Cesc paused, suddenly cutting himself off, and reddened. He laughed, an earnest, helpless sort of sound. "-- not that I mean to be too eager about myself, but if you'd like to practice..."
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Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:49 pm
"Take?" Her hand slipped from his, and one hand curled around her necklace as she considered. "No! If anything…it makes me feel…" She paused for a moment, searching for the right word. Finally, Pasha settled for a smile, beaming for a moment before dropping her eyes.
"I would love to try, but…what if it doesn't work correctly?" A hint of concern shaded her features, blue eyes clouding as her brows flattened. "I would never want to hurt you, Cesc." As much as she appreciated his willingness, his honestly, the possibility was enough to give her pause.
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Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:03 pm
"If you do not wish to try, then please -- do not. But otherwise, not to jinx myself," Cesc began, one corner of his smile tipping upward, lopsided. His hand was still outstretched as he spoke, fingers still relaxed, the offer open but not insistent. There was no fear in his face. "But what's the worst that could happen?"
He looked out, musing, at the ducks on the pond. The old man who had fed them was with a child, and they were pushing a wooden boat on the surface of the lake with a long cue. The boat would not catch any momentum on the stillness of the lake's surface, its one sail wobbling as the boat did. The ducks, now full, sat fat on their haunches to the side and watched. One of them went to explore, making soft currents that only made the boat bobble further.
"Let's say you are wrong -- well, then I try my hand at something and I am no good, but there are plenty of things at which I am talentless. Or let's say that somehow my talent is broken, or that I have none." His eyes warmed, and his voice lit with good humor. Rhedefre looked back at her, the sun falling soft on his features as he leaned out of the shade. "I can live with that without much worry, I think."
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Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:42 pm
Pasha listened as he confronted every one of her worries, without her giving voice to any of them. Her smile started small, her hand moving slowly towards his. As he leaned into the sun, glow catching on the almost familiar curves of his cheeks, Melisande laughed with delight. It was so easy being friends with Cesc, it warmed her as surely as sunlight. Her fingertips brushed the inside of his wrist as her hand settled into his.
"I would be honored to try, Rhedefre." Melisande drew in closer, until she was dappled by the shade of the young trees beside him. "You're brave." She warned him, teasing lightly with another laugh. "I would tell you to close your eyes, but I'm curious to know what you see. Are you sure? Are you ready?"
She reached up with her free hand, tucking the dandelion a little more securely into his hair so he could relax.
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