._Aki Ana's Raevan

[Aki Ana]

Once Lost

Pasha tried to push herself farther up in the water, suds clinging to her slender arm. Aki settled one hand on her shoulder, restraining her gently. "Pasha, it's okay. We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. But, last night..."

Pausing as the Frei averted her eyes, Aki sighed. She laid her hand along one side of the Raevan's face, and tilted her gaze back. "...Last night, we talked about everything except what's bothering you. Can't we talk about it now?"

Pasha was silent, holding Aki's eyes for a moment before letting them close again. It was obvious she didn't wish to talk. Finally, Aki leaned back, watching as Melisande sank lower into the bubbles and water.

"Okay then. Up a little, so I can wash your hair." One eye opened at that, and Melisade bobbed a bit towards the surface, leaning forward so her head wasn't over the edge. No matter how upset she was, she loved having her hair washed.

Pushing up the sleeves of her robe, Aki worked first on the smaller ribbons in Meli's hair...uncurling them from the blonde locks and wrapping them up closer to the rose buds. A few more petals settled to the water as she brushed them, and Aki felt a twinge seeing them upon white suds...almost like spots of blood.

Wetting the ends of the curls gently, watching them pull straight under the weight of the water, Aki tried a different technique. "Would you sing for me, while I do this? Its been a while since I've heard you sing."

Pasha's lips parted, even as Aki requested it, but no words yet came out. It had been a while for everyone, not just for Aki. The song was there, as it always was...the words manifesting from that inner place, just above her rune. In truth, Meli didn't wish to sing. The words she held were sad ones. But, if Aki wanted it...

The elf paused as the silence stretched, wetting the curls a bit slower. Pasha refusing to sing worried her more than finding the Frei on the balcony...but after a few heart stopping moments, a sweet note rose from the tired museling.

Do you think
It will be enough
Everything I am~
All the silence
Between hello and goodbye,
What does it mean to them~

In the distance
and over the days,
I'd imagined something new~

For a moment, Melisande's voice broke...tone splitting as she bowed her head. Hands trembling, fingers still tangled gently in Pasha's curls, Aki listened with an aching heart.

"Perhaps the rain
can wash it all away~
And I'll be cold like you..."

The song wasn't finished, but Pasha's voice faded...Aki's head lowered as well as her eyes filled with tears. It wasn't an answer, but it was a start...in Melisande's song, she heard such aching lonliness.

For a moment, a memory returned for Aki...the crowded theater, clinking tables. Grand curtains, hushed whispers, and a single woman...trying her best to reach out to every soul in the room at the same time. The joy of it, rushing into her...

Aria d'Pasha had been surrounded in that kind of love, nestled always in the press of bodies and friends and constant expression. Slowly, it was becoming clearer to Aki, and instead of Melisande, she saw the pale form of that girl upon the stage...curled, in a tub in a tower, in a remote Villa, with nothing but the vast expanse of the sea to break the silence.

Melisande wasn't just lonely. She was suffering.

Cupping a handful of water, Aki brought it higher to wet the top of Pasha's head...finding her will to continue. Now that she understood, in part at least, she could do something about it. This quiet life was all Aki had ever desired...but it had taken centuries for her to realize it. For such a vibrant and bright young life, like Meli's...

More water, jasmine soap, and a little crushed mint. Aki worked Meli's hair into a lather, and rinsed it briskly with another few handfuls of warm bathwater. We can be to the lab by lunch time, she thought to herself, watching the green mint mix with the pink metals and gilded foam upon the surface of the water.

Gilded foam. Aki paused, realizing that a faint golden shine covered her fingers as well, and swirled upon the water like oil. Staring from her hand, fingers spread, back to Meli's hair that she'd just been washing, Aki's lips parted in shock. An echo of the last stanza, obviously still weighing on Pasha's heart, lifted from the Frei again and cut the silence between them.

"Perhaps the rain
can wash it all away~
And I'll be cold like you..."

The roots of Pasha's hair, right where she'd been scrubbing...were white. Pale and colorless. The vibrant yellow of the girl's hair stained Aki's fingers, as though it had never been permanent at all. Long ears drooping with stress, hand still shaking, Aki smoothed her fingers over Pasha's wet hair again, and watched the gold slide downward as though it were mud to be combed out.

Yanking her hand back as though she'd been stung, Aki's voice caught in her throat. She didn't know what to say, who to call...suddenly, the shining bubbles and pink petals on the surface of the bathwater were far more grim than lovely. Still silent, heart pushing upwards painfully in her chest, Aki moved to the side and put her finger under Meli's chin again...tipping her face upward.

The pink around Pasha's eyes had spread, surrounding them like yesterdays makeup. A few trickles lead downward, below her eyes...that same evidence of tears.

Aki knew this face. This look, such a thin face, eyes ringed by color. Last time she'd seen it was when she'd cradled Aria, as she died...the muse's pale face cut by dark rolling tears through the make up. Suddenly, the image she'd always held of Melisande shattered. This wasn't her princess, perfect in pink, a second chance at a beautiful life. This was a girl, in pain, still filled with the invisible remembrances of a murdered soul.

Aki hadn't realized she'd screamed until the door flew open.  

[Aki Ana]

RP~ Check up: A trip to the Lab

~The First Strains of a Song~

 

[Aki Ana]

Muse and Medicine ~ Day 1

"Hemlock." Elle's voice was flat as the turned the small jar over in her hands.

"I know, Elle. But it's what the doctor suggested. There aren't many other options." Aki sat perched on the edge of Pasha's empty tub, watching her roommate pace with the stoppered jar in her hands. This wasn't going well.

"Yes, but hemlock is lethal in the wrong dose, Aki! Besides that, you didn't even ask what else is in here, did you?!" Popping the lid, Elle took a brief sniff of the paste...snapping the lid shut again in irritation.

Pink rose to Aki's cheeks, but she kept her shoulders straight. She'd never seen the empath this upset. "No, I didn't. Elle, I have faith in your remedies, but..."

"But what?! You'd rather pay some classically trained doctor to prescribe dangerous concoctions when..."

Pushing to her feet, Aki closed the distance between them...laying one hand on the jar, and the other on Elle's shoulder. She looked up into the other woman's face, and tried to be peaceful. "There is no one....no one...that I trust more than you to treat and care for my family." Elle seemed to relax a bit, at that, but Aki wasn't finished. The hard part was yet to come.

"But Pasha...isn't like the others. She isn't normal, Elle. I can't expect you to step into an area that's completely foreign to you, and treat her with the same methods that work so well for the others. That just isn't your responsibility. So, now that we have the mixture, if you're willing, I need your help."

Sighing, Elle placed the jar back into Aki's hands and turned toward the window. They'd tied back all the curtains in Melisande's tower, filling the small room with light and ocean air. "I'll help, you know I will. I just wish I'd been there, I suppose, to see what all went into that little jar." It was hard for an herbalist to trust the mixtures of others, especially when the ingredients weren't clearly listed. "So...how many applications a day?"

Aki smiled, glad that Elle was finally coming around. "It reads: 'Warning: Might cause loss of voice, Drainage of color and energy, Mood Swings, Tone - Deafness, or Blindness and swelling. Extreme situations...have lead to bouts of insanity. Apply salve once a day for a week. Do not ingest.'" As she finished reading, Aki thought back on the directions Tsu had given her. "He'd mentioned two applications a day as a possibility, so we can always split up the amount if it seems like too much at once, I suppose."

"Well, they should be finished with dinner. Are you ready for her?" Elle was already heading down the stairs, even as Aki called back her affirmative.

A few minutes later, Elle returned...with Pasha clinging listlessly to one arm. She'd been worse since the trip to the lab, and Aki had caught the Frei several times staring out over the ocean, at the storm clouds that gathered at the horizon. She seemed so lonely, staring like she did...so thin and tired, so unlike the vibrant pink and gold girl of her youth.

As Elle settled Pasha upon her bed, tugging the corners of the top of her shirt down to expose both shoulders, Aki popped the cap from the jar. "Do you remember this, Pasha?" She held out the jar for the Raevan to examine, smiling gently at the girl.

Meli looked at it for just a moment, before turning her gaze again out to the sea. "...Yes."

"It's for you. Just like lotion. Elle and I are going to help you put it on, every day, until you feel better. Is that okay?"

Melisande simply nodded, still gazing out the high arched windows, and extended one arm as though she expected to be given a shot. Elle accepted her hand, pulling Pasha's arm gently straight, and Aki began to work in a small dab of the cream. Working it in gently, just like a massage as Tsu had indicated, Aki made her way up the arm to Pasha's delicate shoulders...smoothing it up the back of the Frei's slender neck.

"Hmm." It was a small noise, but it made Aki smile. It had almost been a happy noise, rather than one of indifference.

Elle smiled as well, and helped the Frei switch arms...pulling up the shirt again on the left side. "Almost done. How does it feel, Melisande?"

The tired muse tried twice to speak, lips parting. It was as though the words wouldn't come, not until Pasha balled her hands into fists and tried harder. "Cold. Warm. Like being...outside."

Aki didn't know what that meant, and shot a worried glance with Elle. Her roommate seemed less disturbed, and simply nodded. "Like having sun and wind on your skin, at the same time?"

Pasha smiled, and leaned against Elle absently. She liked being understood. "Mmm."

"All done." Aki spoke quietly, suddenly a bit jealous of Pasha's affection towards Elle. It was a silly feeling, but she'd done so much for the girl, and cared so deeply! Couldn't she spare a smile for Aki, as well?

"She loves you, Aki. I know." Elle spoke quietly, making Aki jump. Sometimes, she forgot Elle's empathy was constant.

Ducking her head, a bit embarrassed, Aki capped the jar and placed it on the shelf above Pasha's bed. "I know." She repeated, at let the feeling go. At least Pasha was relaxing. That was really all she could ask. Tucking the Frei into bed gently, Aki rose, and Elle followed her lead.

"We'll be back later, to see how you're doing. Rest for now, Pasha."

The muse nodded, curls bunched against the pillow, and snuggled into the blankets. A nap sounded lovely, and before Aki and Elle had left the room, everything had already started to fade into a comfortable grey. With any luck, the morrow would be brighter.  

[Aki Ana]

Last Resort ~ Day 2

Meli woke slowly, blinking at the bright square of a window. Two crimson parrots nuzzled in the tree beyond, stiff azure tails brushing the greenery. They turned to stare at her with hard gold and black eyes, as she woke...and launched from their perch in a burst of flapping and cawing. One settled upon the windowsill, leaning in to peer at her with intense curiosity.

"Are you lost?" Her voice was drawled and drowsy, and Pasha surprised herself by even speaking the quiet words. The parrot clucked at her, grinding its beak insolently as it continued to stare.

Melisande pushed herself upwards gently, head swimming and feeling much too heavy. Everything felt heavy, in truth...propping herself up on one arm, curls spilling down over her shoulders, the Frei tilted her head at the large red bird. This wasn't her window. This wasn't her room.

"Maybe...I'm lost." The idea dawned on her slowly, and she forced herself to rise from the bed. I'm weak, she thought...willing her ribbon into place. Sick.

As soon as she was out of bed, hovering low over the woven floor mat, the parrot lost its courage and exploded off after its mate. Pasha winced at the sudden flurry of noise, and turned her face from the window.

In a bar of sunlight, upon a little shelf above her bed, was the little jar. She remembered the jar, and Aki, and Elle...

But where were they?

She relaxed somewhat. If the medicine was here, she was supposed to be here. Drifting towards it, forcing her heavy body to rise, Melisande lifted the bottle from the shelf. The paste was cool on her skin, then warm...it warmed further as she continued to smooth it in, working her way up her arm.

As the blanket hanging in lieu of a door swept to the side, Pasha glanced slowly back over one exposed shoulder. Aki breezed into the room, wearing a sleeveless top and an ankle length sarong. The elf lit up at the sight of Pasha out of bed, and paused with a delighted smile.

"Pasha! You're up! Oh, honey, I'm so glad. This is the resort I told you about! We-" She trailed off as she saw the jar in Pasha's hand, and the sheen of the mixture up the girls pale arm.

"Oh, Pasha..." Worry settled over her. There was more than there should have been, even across both shoulders, already on her arm...and another dab on her fingers. Hurrying forward, Aki scraped the excess off back into the jar. Once it was closed, she grabbed a towel and wiped it down Pasha's arm, scrubbing off the rest. "Too much, honey. You have to be careful. You have to be..."

Aki teared up, slowing her motions with the towel. She felt so bad, for putting Pasha through this, for allowing such a dangerous possibility, for leaving the girl, even for a moment to get breakfast ready. She found herself sitting on the bed, holding the jar with both hands as Pasha settled next to her.

"Here." Meli rubbed her hand gently on Aki's arm, massaging in the cream left on her fingertips. Aki smiled slowly at the sweet gesture, even though she worried about the effect.

"That's okay. You rest, darling."

Pasha nodded, and covered her yawn with one pale hand. "Tired. Always, and pressed down..." The museling mumbled as she sank once more against the bed, nestling against her pillow.

Smoothing the curls away from Pasha's forehead before she rose, Aki tucked the jar into a fold of her sarong. She couldn't risk Pasha dabbling with it again...hemlock was rather unforgiving.

The girl was asleep by the time Aki left the room, hurrying to wash her hands in the surf. Pasha seemed more alert than she had been, but only time would tell if the Frei was truly healing.  

[Aki Ana]

Island Crazy ~ Day 3

Aki tugged her robe tighter, hunched on the rumpled blanket she'd spread on the grass. Even in the bright island sun, she felt cold. Ever since Pasha had so sweetly tried to share her medicine, Aki had felt like Death was tapping his foot and checking his watch.

Pasha didn't look much better, though her speech was clearer than it had been in days. The Frei was spread out upon the same blanket, dappled with the shade of the near jungle canopy. Her ribbon was flat, laying lifeless against the cloth, and she simply stared...looking up into the tangled broadleaf trees.

"Do you think...he will remember me?" The Frei's voice was almost a whisper...Aki had to strain to make it out.

"Who?" It took her a moment to realize the 'he' that Meli meant. "Zavier?"

Melisande winced, and shushed Aki quietly. The elf furrowed her brows, cold sweat beading. She wasn't being loud!

"Yes. Zae." Voice still almost inaudible, Pasha rolled over on her side. Her ribbon rippled weakly, before settling again to the blanket.

Aki nodded slowly, keeping her voice low if that was what the Frei wanted. "Yes, Pasha." She whispered, leaning down to lay beside the Raevan. "I know he will. He seemed very kind."

Pasha nodded, but didn't lift her head from the blanket. "How long."

That one Aki had to think about. It wasn't exactly a question, nor was it a complete sentence, but she had lots of experience interpreting the Frei's fractured thoughts. "How long will he be kind? Well..." She dropped her voice again, seeing Pasha make that same unpleasant face. "Well, people grow, but they don't usually change. Once you get to know someone, I think you'll see their true colors."

Noticing the Frei drop her blue eyes to her pale body and ribbon, Aki laughed quietly. "True colors means 'true self'. What's really inside. It doesn't mean what color someone is on the outside."

"Oh." Pasha settled her head back on her arms with a sigh, apparently tired just from the glance down. Her curls were almost white in the sun, shadows fading into gold and platinum.

Despite her own woes, Aki was getting concerned. Pasha hadn't been up and about all day...she'd barely made the journey from the cabana to the blanket outside. Forcing herself to sit up, ignoring the sharp ache behind her eyes, Aki gazed down at the Frei. "Let's get up for a bit, honey. Get your blood moving."

Pasha's eyes went wide. It was almost the same expression as when Zave had told her she had a heart. "I have blood?"

Aki laughed, and regretted it as both of them winced. "I'm sure, or something close enough. Up." Her tone was kind, even if her words were flippant. The Raevan didn't seem to be stirring, so Aki offered her hands down to Melisande once she herself stood up.

Pasha reached up and accepted Aki's hands, pulling herself into the air. She tried, at least...ribbon coiling loosely and fluttering with weak movement. Aki pulled back, trying to give the girl a boost, and almost dropped Pasha in shock when she realized what she was doing.

"Melisande!" She rarely used the Raevan's full name, and Pasha stared up in shock as though she'd been caught doing something naughty. "You're heavy! Can't you float?!"

Her question was forgotten almost immediately as Meli let go of her hands, and clapped her own hands over her ears in obvious pain. "Please!"

Aki whumped back to her knees, her own pain forgotten as she cradled Pasha's face gently in her hands. The Frei dropped her hands from her ears slowly, but her brow was still furrowed in pain. "Does your head hurt, sweetie? I'm so sorry." The tiny dose of hemlock Aki had received was enough to earn her a splitting migraine. She could only imagine how the Frei felt!

Surprisingly, Pasha shook her head. When she answered, it was again in a whisper. "Not when it's quiet." She looked at Aki with wide blue eyes that held a confused apology.

It was a heartwrenching thing to see. Aki pulled the Frei in close, cradling the girl's head against her chest as she smoothed the pale curls. "Shh, it's okay. We don't need to talk much longer." Her voice was low, heavy with worry. After they had a moment to rest, Aki gathered the Raevan into her arms and stood carefully...wavering for a moment with a wash of dizziness.

"Pasha, can you stay right here, where I'm holding you? I'm going to take my arms away." The girl nodded slightly, so Aki took a step back...moving her arms gently downward as she gave Melisande a moment to get her ribbon in order.

For a few seconds, the Frei seemed to find her balance...the strip of cloth that comprised her lower half settling back into its old rhythm. Despite that, the Frei was sinking slowly downwards...descending until she was settled once again on the grass. "Heavy. Swollen."

Aki just stared. Pasha had sank like an old helium balloon...slowly and gracefully, bit by bit. Worried by the girl's words, she gathered the Frei into her arms and made her way quietly to the cabana. Perhaps they'd use a little less of the ointment this time, and give the Raevan a chance to equalize.

"Honey, if you feel anything else, tell me, okay?"

Pasha simply shushed her quietly, head resting gently on Aki's shoulder as they made their way into the shade.  

[Aki Ana]

Flight Home ~ Day 4

"Aki, what's wrong?" Elle pushed herself up on one arm from where she was sunbathing...shielding her eyes from the sun with one stiff hand.

Tossing another pair of bags up over the railing of the yacht, Aki hurried back down the docks. She didn't stop to answer Elle, instead calling back to the young man clinging to the mast. "Store those, Levi! Neatly, please!"

Saluting jauntily with one hand, holding onto the mast loosely, Levi grinned at the elf's retreating back. "Aye, lass!"

"I'm your mom, not a lass."

Levi thought about that for a moment as he slid downward to the deck. Jumping the last few feet, landing lightly, he sprung back up with another salute. "Aye, mum!" He paused to wave vigorously at Elle from his vantage, grinning almost ear to ear.

Still waiting for an answer, Elle smiled absently at the pirate's attitude and returned the wave with the hand that was shielding her eyes from the sun. How she loved that boy! She didn't realize, however, until Aki breezed past her that no answer was forthcoming.

Pushing to her feet, hurrying after Aki, Elle finally caught up and settled one hand on her shoulder in concern. As the elf paused, looking up with troubled eyes, Elle tried to surpress her empathy. She didn't need the reinforcement. "What's wrong?" Elle repeated, before nodding to the cabana. "Aside from the obvious. Something happened."

Nodding shortly, obviously irritated at the delay, Aki glanced again to the cabana. "She's not getting better, Elle. She can't walk-" Shooting a look to Elle as though daring her to speak, Aki corrected her own word choice. "She can't float, and anything louder than an a whisper sends her into tears. "It was a mistake to bring her here, and a mistake to travel so far from the lab. I need to know a doctor is nearby."

Elle nodded, smothering her own issues silently. She was a skilled apothecary, but Aki seemed to take more comfort in a sterile environment. She could respect that. "I'm sorry to hear it. Can I see her?"

Aki nodded, and Elle followed the matron silently into the shaded cabana. Pasha lay in a tangle of curls and sheets upon the bed, luminous in the shaft of golden sun that slanted at the perfect angle though the window. Even the sound of the birds in the near jungle caused the Frei to wince, her pale brows furrowing through sleep.

The jar of ointment was over half empty, settled on top of the pile of the rest of their luggage. Elle looked at it with sad golden eyes for a long moment before sighing.

"Let me know what you need." She whispered, but Melisande still stirred restlessly. "I can finish packing, or carry the bags. If you'd like, I can carry Pasha to the sh-"

"Elle?" Aki interrupted her roommate quietly, holding her eyes with serious gravity.

"-Yes?" Concern knitting her brows, Elle listened carefully, ready to be of assistance how ever was needed.

"You're still naked."

They both dropped their eyes simultaneously to Elle's ample sunkissed curves. "Uh...so I am." She settled one hand in realization to her forehead, half hiding her face in sinking understanding.

No wonder Levi had been waving so enthusiastically. "I'll find some clothes."

"Thanks." Finally, with a hint of a smile, Aki nodded at the woman, but took the time to watch her leave...thankful for Pasha's murmured distraction. Sometimes Elle was just in her own little world, but Aki had to admit, it was a rather lovely world to be in.

Settling down on the edge of Pasha's bed as the girl continued to stir, Aki rested one hand on the Frei's pale cheek. "Feeling any better, honey?"

A breath of a whisper, but Pasha frowned nonetheless. Aki hated to see such a look on her face. "Late..." Her eyes opened slowly as she spoke, and focused vaguely on Aki. "Late."

"What is too late, Pasha?" A sense of dread settled into Aki's stomach, and she held the Frei's hand gently. Her skin was cool to the touch, despite the warmth of the window's sun.

"Going..." The girl's voice was achingly sweet, accented with gently worry. "Going to be...late."

Just as briefly as they'd opened, Pasha's eyes slid shut again...platinum lashes resting against her cheeks. The spreading pink of what used to be what Aki had referred too as 'natural eyeliner' had spread...the coloring ringing Melisande's eyes with the dramatic and delicate tone. It wasn't the coloring that worried her as much as the words, though.

What could Pasha possibly be late for? She'd never put time restraints on the girl, and certainly hadn't hinted at any such thing recently! Ear tips drooping with worry, Aki decided not to wait for Elle's help...reaching down to cradle the Frei in her arms.

There was no support to Pasha, not anymore. It used to be like picking someone up while underwater...just a suggestion of weight, a fraction. Now, the girl was exactly heavy as Aki would have assumed she'd be, had Pasha been a normal half girl.

Giving the Raevan a moment to settle, careful not to step on the loosely trailing ribbon that draped over her arm, Aki spoke in almost inaudible tones.

"We're going to the ship, darling. We'll be home soon. We're under sail, no motors, just like you want." No reaction, not a wince nor a smile. Looking for something else to try to rouse the Frei, Aki forced a smile into her voice.

"Levi even joined us, just to make sure you were okay! He'll be the one sailing us home." Finally, a reaction, but it was just Pasha trying to tilt her ear away from Aki's voice. Trying to be strong, in more ways than one, Aki gave up her attempts at cheering the Frei and stepped out into the island sun.

Soon enough, they'd be home...and once they were settled, she had a feeling they'd be seeing Tsu again.  

[Aki Ana]

Where the Heart is ~ Day 5

Aki

Things are only different, not better.

The return voyage from the island was hard on all of us. Melisande has grown so sensitive to noise that I fear she no longer truly hears us at all. As best I can tell, her hearing isn't more acute...something once inaudible is still inaudible. Upon hearing sound, however, pain is somehow triggered...neither Elle nor myself can ascertain why.

She looks the same as she has, in weeks past. The gold of her hair has faded to something verging on platinum...warmer than white, but no longer vibrant. All colors have faded, as though they've been washed away. Her blossoms are pale, her skin fairer...even her ribbon has lost its depth. Only her eyes remain as blue as before, but the pink that once outlined her lovely, sad eyes, is now a wide and smudged ring of the lightest pink.

The medication didn't help her color, but her attitude had improved for the first few days. The old hope, a spark of willingness seemed to come forth, almost as soon as the paste touched her skin. Perhaps it was simply the idea of medicine that so rapidly processed, and not the compound itself.

That faded quickly, as the pain settled in. It's only aural, as best I can tell...but perfect silence is neither feasible nor healthy. Pasha has started...talking, singing quietly to herself when the pain is worst, though I can't in truth call it singing. Just a breath of tumbled words, like a whispered poem, and rarely does any of it make sense.

It's so hard, watching her fade...watching her become more and more like the thin young operatic muse upon the stage, holding a voice far too wide for her slender frame.

I hope the ending is...unexpected. I was there, the last time the curtains fell.

Aki closed the journal quietly, but Pasha still stirred from her restless sleep...stretched where she was Aki's bed, just across the generous bedroom. Twisting her hair into a bun, securing it with the pen she'd been writing with, the elf rose as silently as she could from her seat at the desk.

Once the room quieted, Melisande settled back into repose. Aki simply stood over her for several long minutes, as she had every night for nigh on a month...watching the young Frei shift and murmur in her sleep.

The pain was getting worse, with the circling of the gulls over the cliffs as they sought their evening meal. Pasha was singing again, if it could be called such...a string of dramatically paced words, whispered and murmured.

Leaning closer as she settled to her knees beside the draped bed, Aki listened. "...they fall, spiraling up, up and up. Always in the light everlasting, shining down, down and down..."

Nonsense. Ever since Pasha had applied more than the normal dose of ointment, the nonsense had been getting worse. It was as though the Frei couldn't help herself, uttering the words though they caused her pain. Aki wondered what she saw, when she opened her eyes. It seemed the girl was still back at the resort, among the parrots and dappled shade, beads of sweat dotting the corners of her brow.

Backing quietly away from the bed, Aki edged toward the door. Once the weekend was over, Melisande was going back to the lab. It was a wonder the Raevan wasn't deathly ill, as Aki had felt after just a few minutes with a dab of paste on her skin. The jar now stood almost empty, locked in Pasha's glass and bronze display case by the window. Another day, maybe two, and that was that.

Aki shut the door, and slumped against it, worried literally sick. There wasn't much else to do.  

[Aki Ana]

Moment of Silence ~ Day 6

Aki stood in the doorway silently, watching through the crack in the slightly open door. Behind her, the steep stairway dwindled down into the dark. She'd given this room to Pasha for many reasons, when the Frei had first arrived. She was the only one of Aki's children that could handle the stairs to the tower safely, and she wished to give the girl her own private retreat...especially from Levi's prying eyes.

Now, however, Aki regretted the choice. This room was isolated, leaving Pasha all alone, like an untouchable princess. She'd tried to move the girl into the master bedroom, but the Frei would have none of it...saying it was quieter here, the highest point in the Villa overlooking the tumbling sea.

Her fingers curled around the edge of the heavy door as she coaxed it open just a touch more, leaning to the side to catch a glimpse of the Frei in the room beyond. Pasha was on the floor, ribbon fluttering weakly against the thick pale rugs...it had been days since the Raevan had last held herself in the air. She didn't seem unwilling...even now, Melisande leaned to the side to grab for something upon her bed....hauling it down with a squeak to the floor.

Even that innocuous noise was enough to make the girl flinch, and Aki was saddened to see Pasha clap her hands over her ears in startled reaction. As the pain faded, the muse picked up her prize again, and finally what she held lifted into Aki's view.

A stuffed animal, a little white teddy bear with gauzy butterfly wings. Bumblebear belonged to Nisha, but Nisha was staying with Elle...there was no way, with Pasha's sensitivity, that her children could co-exist peacefully. Especially not when one of those children was a...well...darling brat with volume control issues.

Pasha set the little bear carefully against her bed, on the other side from Aki's view. Suddenly curious, Aki slipped into the room as quietly as she could, the loose fabric of her house robe barely whispering. Pasha's hearing wasn't more sensitive, even now...noises simply caused her great pain.

Stepping back by the balcony doors, out of the way, Aki finally got a closer look. Pasha had taken all of the stuffed animals that Aki had set upon her bed, (As well as the neighbors cat, Aki noted with some surprise, but the cat didn't seem to mind. It came and went as cats were wont to do.) and arranged them carefully in a row...with the backs of each resting against the bottom of her bed. Once they were perfect, the muse sighed...settling down to lay upon the rug and gaze at her arrangement.

"Are you tired, Pasha?" Aki kept her voice light, barely a whisper, but Pasha's shoulders still curled in for a moment. Soon, the Raevan rolled her head to the side, loose platinum curls spreading upon the floor.

"...see, the upturned faces, out of all the days and all the places..." The voice of the girl was sweet, with a perfect pitch that seemed as delicate as spun glass. Even in the near perfect silence, the words carried to Aki, and she realized the girl had been speaking before she'd asked her question.

The words continued, in that soft singsong voice, but they were lost to Aki as the Frei turned her head. It was wearying to keep herself up, with her weight propped on her arms, but Pasha had no other choice. Whatever will or magic had kept her in the air had vanished, leaving the Raevan as bound to the earth as any half girl would be. The light from her rune, however, had returned...though it was far paler than Aki could recall it being.

After a moment of rest, Pasha pushed herself back up on one arm, and adjusted the plushie sea serpent from Levi's old toys. All the toys faced inwards, towards the muse, and Pasha looked them over for many long moments as she rested again upon the rug.

With great sadness, Aki moved to take a pillow from the bed...sliding one hand under Pasha's head, and letting it settle again on the cushion she placed. The Frei hummed slightly in appreciation, but didn't look up...she still studied the row of figures before her.

Not wishing to speak, and cause the girl pain, Aki reacted instinctively to the silence. She settled down at the edge of the circle, and brought her hands apart slowly...making twin gestures near her shoulders. That caught the Raevan's attention, and Pasha watched with wide eyes...confusion sinking in behind her glazed expression.

It was sign language, just like Raife's dear boy Mik had used when he was a babe. Aki tried again, and quietly whispered the word she signed. More? The a motion to the half circle of stuffed toys. Whatever Pasha wanted...

The muse watched for a moment longer, her own fingers tightening as she absently reacted to the sign, but she didn't make it in return. Instead she gazed down at the stuffed animals, as though she'd never truly seen them before...and suddenly swept one pale arm right through their midst.

With a start, the neighbor's cat ducked...flattening its ears against the sudden rush of tumbling plushies. Moments later it was gone, slipping silently through the bedroom door and pattering down to the Villa proper. The rest of the toys rolled to a halt...some under Pasha's bed, some against Aki's knees from where she rested.

For a moment, it seemed the girl would cry. Pasha held herself up by a handful of her bed spread...the side of her face pressed against the pale green duvet. She stared in something close to panic at the scattered toys, and Aki, still startled by the sudden rejection of the toys, listened carefully.

Pasha's voice was weak, warbling gently between tone and speaking. "...there, by the sea...just one, and that one is for me..."

Just one. Those words stuck with Aki as she gathered the girl up, holding the Frei close against her chest. Though she did indeed have weight to her, Pasha wasn't heavy...Aki held her easily as she cast for meaning in the muses song. The essence of the girl was divine song. Divine. Was the one Pasha spoke of...the Almighty? Shaking her head, Aki rejected the idea. Melisande was not singing of God.

As she settled the girl back into her rumpled bed, Aki absently spoke her thoughts aloud. "Just one, but who?"

She was so busy trying to figure out Pasha's words that she failed to notice the Raevan's reaction. Even though Aki spoke in a normal tone, Pasha did not wince. Instead, the muse lifted her eyes to Aki's face, as though they were speaking for the first time, and uttered a word so full of hope and sorrow that it nearly brought tears to her guardian's eyes.

The word was short, and simple. "Him." Outside, beyond the arched windows, the waves crashed distantly upon the rocks, and Pasha's eyes squeezed closed in pain. "Him."  

[Aki Ana]

In the Rough ~ Day 7

Finally, a day with a bit of sunshine. Three lounging chairs were set up in the garden...mist still rising from the cool leaves. Aki sat nervously in one, not reclining, but perched upon the low edge. It was the first time Pasha had been outside since returning from the island, and even the distant crashing of the waves worried her.

The squeak of the garden gate brought her to her feet. Pasha was still wincing as she was carried into the garden, pale ribbon trailing over the length of Levi's forearm. The young pirate walked confidently, holding the girl against him with one arm as he pushed the gate shut.

"Gotter!" He spoke gently, but Pasha buried her head against his shoulder...burrowing away from the noise.

Finger to her lips, Aki helped Levi settle the Frei into one of the sprawling plastic chairs. A wide umbhrella, snow white, provided shade from the late morning sun, and the Raevan stared up at it in wonder.

Aki looked to the girl with nearly the same expression. Melisande seemed somehow even more delicate, earthbound as she was...her hair was longer now, loose and pale curls...eyes too big for her little face. Nodding toward Levi as he claimed the third seat, Aki whispered her question to the muse.

"Pasha? You said...him. Is Levi him?"

It took the girl a moment to respond. Following Aki's motion, the Frei tucked a strand of whiteblond hair behind her ear before smiling...tilting her head at the pirate. He grinned back, propping his hands behind his head as he lounged, and Melisande actually laughed. It was a quiet sound, but it was there.

"He is whoever he wants to be!" Her voice was so light, paperthin and rich with sweet tone. Levi grinned even wider at the sentiment, eyes closing in foxlike satisfaction. Aki merely stared, trying to divine a response.

"No, then. Is he...special? Like you?" Melisande's smile faded, eyes growing wide and blank. Aki continued, hopeful that was a sign. "The one you're looking for! Who is it?"

Instead of responding, Pasha spread her hands. The ribbons around her curls uncoiled slowly, settling in loops over her shoulders as she relaxed. Eyes closing gently, Melisande leaned back into the woven chair...as though she was pushing the strength she had left into what she had to say.

"...lift me up, take me in, everywhere I've never been..." Her fingers closed loosely around the pale petals in her palm, and the Frei lifted her hand to look up at them with tired eyes. Her smile flickered back to life, just for a moment, as they slipped through her fingers.

"Not long. We can just...start over."

By the time Pasha's arm relaxed, draping over the arm of the low chair, Aki was on her feet. The girl's fading tone was too much to bear. Either Pasha was getting better, or she wasn't. The sun, company...nothing was helping. The jar was empty, and though the Frei seemed to have transformed her sadness, a new weight had taken its place.

"Help me, Levi. We're going back." She closed the girls hand slowly around the last petal, and folded Pasha's arm to her chest as the young man lifted her up once again.  

[Chloe Star]

A letter from Lab305

Dear Melisande,

All of us at the lab have noticed you've been feeling rather sad lately, so we'd like to try and give you a gift to cheer you up! Enclosed in this envelope are two tickets (one for yourself, and one for Aki) to a karaoke box! This will be your time to shine!

Signed,
Dr. Kyou

Aki, we'd like for you to chose anywhere from two to three Raevens (and their owners). One must be Melisande's favorite Raeven, one must be her least favorite Raeven, and the other (if you chose to pick another) can be any one you see fit. Please try and chose people who are active if you can at all help it, but if you can't it'll be alright. Please send the Raeven's you chose in a message to me, Chloe.  

[Aki Ana]

[~The Karaoke RP!~]  

[Aki Ana]

Reflections

The walk had been a quiet one.

Pasha trailed behind, her hand pulling slowly from Aki’s as the distance widened. With a sad smile, Aki gave the muse some time…watching the way the Frei tipped back her head and studied the neat row of roofs and the tops of the evenly spaced trees. Melisande would follow, at her own pace. In truth, Aki felt as though she’d forced the girl into enough already.

The young trees rustled with some of the last summer breeze, and the shop signs creaked gently overhead. One sign in particular brought a smile to Aki’s face. The ice cream shop! She remembered when they’d first visited, and how delighted Pasha had been with the giant cherry topped sundae.

“Pasha! If you’d like, we could-“ Turning with a smile, Aki lifted one hand to point to the colorful sign, but the muse wasn’t watching. Instead, she’d stopped several doors back, long bell coat trailing on the sidewalk as she gazed into a dim window. “Pasha?”

The Frei didn’t respond. Meli lifted one and hand touched the painted glass gently, with her fingertips. By the time Aki had hurried back, she caught only a glimpse of the Frei’s reflection before the girl turned. In that glimpse, most unexpectedly, Aki thought she’d seen a smile.

”Can you…hear it?”

The Frei’s voice was so quiet, Aki almost missed the whispered words. Stunned, she simply watched as Pasha drifted to the door, pushing into shop with the swinging sign. Neatly painted gold letters arched across the window, flashing as Melisande’s reflection passed them.

Antiques and Collectibles
~appraisals and restoration~

It was the light tinkle of the bell that finally jolted Aki from her startled moment. It had been so long since she’d seen the girl smile…had it been real? Or just a flash of wishful thinking? No point pondering on the street. Giving the knob a twist, Aki followed Meli inside.

Two distinct scents crowded the shrouded shop. One was the unmistakable smell of an antique shop, sweet and musty, like doll hair and old metal. The other was just as powerful, and somehow contradictory…the waft of fresh paint, from the roped off hall in the back. Drape cloths covered most everything in the shop, artfully settled and trailing from the hidden white forms of vases and couches.

”Excuse our dust!” A warm voice echoed from the ribboned hall, and a stout man bearing a paint roller peeked from around the glistening wall. Rubbing his forearm across his bald brow, he huffed and smiled and nodded. ”Have a look around, very good! Just call if you need a thing!”

Aki raised one hand in absent agreement, still scanning the shop. Though it was well lit, it was still much dimmer than the street had been. Shafts of sunlight cut in through the windows, illuminating drifting dust in perfect golden slices. The white petals, just settling, told her she was getting close.

Pasha had paused in a narrow isle, between a draped loveseat and a table bearing a landscape of linen silhouettes. Aki paused as well, simply watching, as the Frei gently peeled back a corner of the table’s covering. Old framed photos, a dusty ceramic bowl, and the edge of something larger came into view, brightening in the filtered sun as Melisande continued to urge the cloth back. Finally, the fabric slipped on its own accord…rippling back to reveal the tarnished bronze edge of a phonograph horn. Now that she noticed it, Aki could hear the faint static of it as it spun...but how had Meli known it was here?

Gently, the girl lifted the needle from its cradle…settling it ever so carefully upon the revolving wax. Scratchy music swelled, low and sweet, almost immediately, and Pasha sighed in contentment. It made Aki a touch nostalgic, the delicate hiss and pop of truly antique records…but when had Pasha ever seen a record player, much less a phonograph? The tiny smile, dimpling at the corners of Melisande’s lips, was enough to shoo the thought away.

That smile…so it had been real! “Pasha, doesn’t it sound lovely?”

Melisande lifted her head, blinking through her curls as though she’d forgotten Aki was there. The smile returned not a moment later, touching the corners of her eyes in the same gentle way. ”Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes…”

“Hmm?” For a few seconds, Aki was baffled by Pasha’s response. The Frei was still quiet, but…there was an unmistakable melody to her words, and Aki gasped in sudden understanding. It hadn’t been a response, not really. Melisande was singing!

Though the words were never meant to join the scratchy classical music, still echoing from the bronze horn, they suddenly fit perfectly. Pasha melded them effortlessly, as though the song had been created simply for this moment. With a sudden move, Melisande yanked the rest of the fabric from where it had gathered against the machine…spinning away with it as both her voice and the music rose.

”Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes!” Aki ducked a bit as Pasha let the sheet slip from her fingers, and watched as it settled over a tall standing lamp. The dust danced wildly in the air, sparkling like snow as it mixed with the flurry of white petals from the muse.

Pasha grabbed another dust cover, the one from the loveseat, and gave it a tug as well. Her voice held all the energy of her mischievous motions, tempo quickening as she pirouetted again. ”Silver white winters that melt into springs…”

Another cover off, and another, and another. Soon, spots of colors were blooming in the sea of white dust drapes…antique gold, oiled wood, green jade and red crushed velvet. Up went the sheets with every pass, drifting slowly to the floor along with spinning white petals. There was nothing to do but laugh, and Aki did just that…hurrying after Pasha as the girl fluttered down the last isle in the back. Her heart was pounding, with joy and almost sickening hope. This was the Melisande she remembered!!

A large sheet was pinned to the wall, to protect the art hanging in thick antique frames. Pasha grabbed this one as well, sweeping it up into the air with a flourish as she reached the triumphant chorus.

”These are a few of my-“ And as suddenly as they started, the words were gone…as though the needle had been lifted from Pasha’s own record. The music continued, though, echoing from the phonograph as Aki took a step around the corner…

…and froze.

Melisande floated in place, still surrounded by dancing dust and drifting petals. She stared upward, with wide eyes, at the wall she had just uncovered…and the framed poster of a young operatic diva, hanging in silence. Wild hair framed a slender face, with wide eyes circled in heavy black. The caption was mainly in French, with only a few words clearly understood.

~Melisande et Pelleas~
Aria d’Pasha.

A split second later, the sheet began to drift downwards again…settling over Melisande like she’d dressed to be a Halloween ghost. Aki simply stared, the weight returning as she locked gazes with the tiny, haunted girl in the poster.

The eyes, she realized dully, were exactly the same.  

[Aki Ana]

Lost and Found

Aki paused in the doorway, one hand on the edge of the stained glass panel. Pasha hadn’t moved from her spot on the balcony in over an hour…the Frei simply stared out over the tumbling ocean, curls and petals tugged by the wind.

It was hard to know what she was going through, even though Aki was as close to the situation as anyone aside from Meli could be. It hadn’t been easy, explaining why the girl on the faded poster looked so familiar…but she’d done the best she could. They were related, in a way…more than that Aki couldn’t bring herself to reveal. The muse had seemed to understand, though, even that which went unspoken.

“Melisande?” There had been so many tears. Aki’s stomach tightened as Pasha glanced slowly back over one shoulder.

”Yes.” Her face was serene, cheeks pink from the wind…one of the only touches of color to her pale silhouette. It wasn’t a question, her response. A tiny smile turned it into an affirmation.

Letting her hand drop from the doorway, Aki smiled in return. She was alright. After all the troubles, the heartbreak, the dangerous remedies and the failed attempts…Pasha was finally herself again. Well, perhaps not her old self, but all things changed, and it was enough for Aki.

Still, she didn’t quite understand how it happened. It was as though the muse had finally reached her breaking point, but instead gracefully bent. Taking her place beside Melisande on the balcony, Aki also gazed out at the sea as she spoke.

“Pasha, that girl, on the poster…you-“

”I understand.” The words were soft, contemplative. ”She is like me.”

“Well…” Still, Aki couldn’t bring herself to admit it. How did you tell a child that they carried the soul of a murdered woman? Pasha, however, seemed to understand something different.

”That was…what I was missing. But she…understood.” Finally, the girl turned from the sea, and Aki’s eyes widened at what she saw. Pasha pulled herself straight, with a gentle pride…floating higher than she had since her first days from the lab. Beautiful things lurked behind her vivid blue eyes, Aria’s eyes…things like confidence, hope, and a quiet understanding. ”We need them.”

“Need….who?”

”The others.” Pasha’s smile dimpled, and slowly, one of the buds upon her brow unfurled. The center of the young flower was pink, like the curve of an ocean shell. ”The man was right. No one can please the whole world, and I was…trying. They do not need me, but I need them.” For a moment, she was silent, gazing at her guardian with luminous eyes that seemed a touch too large for her young face. ”Like the hobbits, Aki. I was stretching myself too thin. Starving.”

Aki smiled at the comparison, and reached for one of Melisande’s hands. They had watched that movie together, many times, and the reminder warmed her. “Meli, I didn’t know.” The apology was thick in her voice, even through the smile. Guilt still weighed, despite the clearing skies.

Pasha simply shook her head, and gave Aki’s hand a squeeze before letting go. ”Me either.” White birds wheeled overhead, dyed pink by the sunset, and Melisande glanced up at them absently. ”We all have a purpose, Aki…I’d like to think that includes me. Someone, I’m sure, needs me…”

Just a touch of sadness, but it was the healthy kind. Longing, not despair. ”I just have to find that person. Even if I can’t make everyone smile, I’ll do my best, just for them.”

It was all still a bit much for the beleaguered elf, but Aki was trying to keep up. It hadn’t been the medication, though…so? “Pasha, what…made you realize that?”

The smile dimpled further, bringing light to the muse’s eyes. ”Rivener.”

“R-…what?!” That Raevan had been horrible! Even her pirate had been better behaved!! “But, Pasha, he…he really didn’t like you!”

Melisande nodded, and tucked some of her wild curls back. ”That’s okay, because he needed me. That’s more important.” The disbelieving look on Aki’s face made her laugh, a beautiful sound. ”Oh, Aki! In a way. It has to be dark to see the stars, they say. I was his darkness, if only for a while. To inspire that kind of passion, positive or not, is…” Her voice faded, for a moment, before returning with surety.

”…is what I need. I’ll find someone, someone else….someone who needs a star, not darkness.”

Aki’s confusion melted slowly, into a warm smile. It hadn’t been Rivener, despite what the girl said. Pasha had fixed Pasha, and no one else. She’d simply needed some time to grow up.

“You’ll make a beautiful star, Melisande.”

Blue eyes twinkled, sidelong through pale curls and petals. ”I know.”  

[Aki Ana]

The More Things Change~

Tick. Tick. Tick.

She’d thought more than once about taking down the old clock. The delicate metal gears in it clicked with stately precision, reminding Aki of exactly how many hours, minutes, and seconds Melisande had been missing.

Not missing. Aki’s voice echoed assurances in her own head. She’d been through this before, with almost every child she’d raised. Not missing, just out…without warning. Pasha didn’t need permission to leave the house, Levi had been the only of her children to earn restriction. Melisande was responsible, careful, much more pragmatic than the young pirate…

She was still clinging to the Raevan’s best values when the crunch of tires on gravel drifted into the Villa. Aki’s heart skipped like it did when Wasa called, sending the worried elf to her feet. It couldn’t be Melisande…the girl lacked the necessary appendages to drive!!

The window fogged with her own breath as soon as she put her face to the window. With one hand upon the door knob, Aki peered out into the early evening gloom…watching a fat white van trundle to a stop. Side doors snicked and rolled slowly open, too slowly for Aki’s liking, and revealed little but cluttered silhouettes.

Voices echoed, the voices of men, and this time Aki tensed. Until now, she’d had faith that her sweet Melisande would simply drift back home, unharmed, as easily as she’d vanished. Her hand tightened on the doorknob the driver’s door opened.

Pasha emerged slowly, like the moon sliding from behind dark clouds. Aki could barely see her nod through the fogged window, but it seemed as though the girl was in good health, calm and unhurried. That relaxed her greatly, and Aki sighed (further clouding the narrow window panel) as Pasha drifted towards the Villa.

Tap. Tap. Ta-.

The Raevan’s knock was quiet and polite, the last tap faltering as Aki pulled open the door. There was Melisande, as real as day…hovering just a foot from her while the two men unloaded brown paper packages from the truck.

“Pasha! Where have you b-“

”Shopping.” Melisande leaned forward to plant a tiny kiss on Aki’s startled cheek, curls swinging. It occurred to Aki distantly that, for the first time, Pasha didn’t need to drift upwards to do it. The Raevan floated calmly at the height of a woman, as ‘tall’ as Aki had ever seen her. In fact, her disguise was nearly perfect. Melisande wore the golden bell coat Aki had given her when she was newly out from the lab…cinched tight at the waist, and cascading with complete cover to the ground. One would almost surely assume there were legs under there, as pale and perfect as her slender arms!

With that same tiny, sweet smile, Pasha handed something to Aki with both hands. Aki accepted it, still a bit dazed from Meli’s sudden home coming, and stared at it with delayed recognition. A little gold card, embossed plastic…one of her credit cards!! “Where did you get this, sweetie?” As soon as she asked, Aki knew the answer.

”Levi! He said it was for shopping. He gave it to me before he left.” Melisande patted Aki’s hand with gentle reassurance. ”Don’t worry, it didn’t go to waste. I bought many beautiful things!”

Of course. Aki smiled wryly, and offered Melisande back the card. No matter what the girl bought, she was bound to do less financial damage than the pirate. “We’ll talk about this later, you keep it for now. But what did you buy-?”

“Excuse us, ladies! Where would you like this, ma’am?” The two delivery men waddled in rather suddenly, carrying a great wrapped weight between them. Pasha extended one arm to point directly up the tower stairs, beaming silently at their effort. The older of the two men sighed, but the younger smiled a bit nervously…watching the way the embroidered cuff slid slowly back over Pasha’s white wrist.

“Up.” Aki reiterated, a bit more firmly. The young man must have known that tone, his head dropped back to the business at hand as they made their way to the stairs. “Pasha, if you’d like to make sure everything is put away safely, I’ll go make some tea. I’m sure they’d love a rest after all those stairs. But that’s not all yours, is it?” Aki cast a glance back out the door, to the crowded delivery van.

”No.” Pasha shook her head, blue eyes wide behind swaying curls. ”Only most of it.”

***

Aki had just finished clearing the dishes from what had turned into an impromptu lunch as the van crunched back out of the driveway. Pasha hadn’t been joking…not everything in the van had been hers, only most of it. Aki had watched at least a dozen packages bob by as she made sandwiches…odd sized parcels, all wrapped in brown paper.

”Ready~!” The muselings voice drifted down from the Villa tower, calling Aki to see.

Wiping her hands briskly, Aki tossed the towel aside and trotted up the stairs. She was in considerably brighter spirits since Melisande returned home, and despite the looming credit card charges, she was excited to see what the girl had brought home. She pushed in through the door, and instantly recognized the smell…even before she saw the new decor. “You went to the antique shop!!”

”Yes! Aren’t they lovely?” Melisande’s voice grew a bit dreamy, and the Raevan turned slowly in a full circle in the center of the room. Her bell coat flared, catching the air, and ballooned out like a ladies gown.

Aki nodded, and did the same…turning slowly to look. The old phonograph with the bronze horn rested on Pasha’s dresser, next to a stack of ancient wax records. A small stained glass lamp with frosty white flowers, a pair of dusty candlesticks…an oval wood trimmed mirror, and three vases with faded colorful paint. Most striking, however, was the poster…framed and hanging with silent weight over the balcony doors. It was the portrait of Aria, her playbill poster from the show that had been her last.

Aki’s breath caught, and she looked sidelong towards the Raevan, slender points of her ears lowering in concern. She still hadn’t been entirely honest about who the woman was, only that they were ‘related.’ With that fall of pale curls, and those same intense blue eyes, though…how could Melisande miss it?!

”I like it. Even if she does look sad.” Aki jolted as Pasha spoke so clearly, almost in response to Aki’s thoughts. Melisande unlatched the buttons on her golden coat thoughtfully, head still tilted back to examine the lofty portrait. ”I wonder why no one else bought it first.”

Aki knew, but said little as Pasha slipped out of her coat. Motherly instinct kicked in as she reached for it, folding the long embroidered jacket carefully over one arm. Now wasn’t the time. Melisande was still so young…

She gazed at the Raevan, not the poster, deep in thought. Pasha’s cheeks weren’t as round as they used to be, the lines of her face had set more maturely. More like Aria’s. Perhaps the Raevan wasn’t as young as Aki pictured still in her mind…even her waist had the slightest hint of womanly curve to it. It honestly took Aki several moments to put that together, even as she stared.

“Waist!”

Melisande seemed startled, and shook her head. A few pale petals shivered loose, and tumbled into the air. ”Oh, no! It wasn’t a waste! I will earn the money to repay you, Aki! I will-“

Aki motioned her into silence, and prowled a complete circle around the girl…eyes locked on the arch of her sides, the dip of her spine. Melisande held perfectly still, eyes wide and hands clasped at her chest, as though there was a spider upon her that Aki sought to kill with the force of her gaze alone.

“Melisande! You’ve changed!” Aki’s tone was sharp with shock, new purchases forgotten.

The poor Raevan was confused, pink lips parted as she struggled for words. ”I…I thought that…not being so sad…”

“No, darling. I mean you! Here!” Aki reached forward to span Pasha’s waist with her hands, amazed at what she was seeing. The Frei was no longer just a fragment, floating and hollow. The rune had almost entirely vanished!

Pasha let her hands fall from where they’d curled, fingers smoothing slowly down her own stomach to feel the lines Aki was so shocked by. The worry left her, bit by bit, and the muse found her smile once again. ”Of course! People grow. I’m a people, aren’t I?”

“I…yes! Of course you are! I’m just happy for you, is all.” Aki’s expression melted into a smile as well, and she pulled Melisande in for a hug. “You’re becoming a woman, right before my eyes!”

”A…woman?” Another bud shivered at Melisande’s temple, and slowly unfurled into a bloom.

“Well, you’re getting there.” The motherly tone was hard to escape, and Aki offered her charge a sidelong smile. “No rush.”

Melisande seemed to have a different opinion, and spiraled back out of Aki’s reach. Her ribbon fluttered in perfect arcs behind her, stirring the petals in the air as the Frei moved. ”Ah! How few things compare…” With just a few light and joyous words, Melisande shared her excitement…still rising higher in the spacious tower chamber.

You see, with what you’ve given!
A little faith, a little love,
And Oh! Now how we’ve risen~

In all things, the truth is found
Simple and oh! So fine!
It’s only half luck, my dearest friend
And the other half is mine~”

Pasha’s fingers skimmed the arm of the phonograph as she passed, brushing it into place. The hiss and crackle sounded clearly, charmingly discordant, until the music swelled like spring. Aki laughed, startled, as Pasha took her hand and tugged her into a sweeping turn. When she spoke again, Melisande’s voice was low and warm…less in song, and more in confidence.

”I will find him, by the shore…by the apple green sea. But the question isn’t finding him, love…”

Aki slowed as Pasha did, straining to hear the last bit of the girl’s…of the young woman’s…revelation.

”…but what he finds in me.”

 

[Aki Ana]

[First Dance: -Zave and Meli approach the Manor-]