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 Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:17 pm
Am I Hopeless ? Echo couldn't stop messing with her new braids. She just couldn't - they where so pretty ! (Perhaps Nergal braided his own hairs also ? Maybe. She was much too shy to ask, however) and she was doing just that, tangeling one that hadn't been pinned up around her ring finger as she stared out at the balcony. She had remained inside because of the ash, but found herself staring out the tall window-door with happiness and longing both. This was definitively a wierd mindset to have, but at least now she had a name to associate with a face, and with feelings. Kore. How could she had forgotten ? Of course, she always said, and knew, that she remembered feelings and songs better than names and faces, but that was ridiculous. The woman who had meant so much for her, a sister among tight-knit relations with other gods, one she could always confide even her darkest secrets without being judged as being fragile... She had never thought much about her crown, to be honest. But it seemed likely now that the Underworld had always made her for her, perhaps every morning, even. This perhaps proved something she always knew. He may be rather different from her own self, and sometimes merciless, but there was definitively such a sweetness to him, as stoic as he could be. Perhaps it was the thing that lured her in the first place. A shame that so many people do not bother to notice.She closed her eyes and listened to the song her memories produced, as things inbetween herself and the woman that had been the Underworld's queen defined itself more and more in her mind, from the things they had spoken of a long time ago. How had she dared forget something so precious ? Perhaps the same way she had dared forget anything here. Void was not kind - she was perhaps lucky to be able to remember at all. But with her consort back so long ago... Where was she ? Where was Kore ? Surely she would return, like all of those who had returned so far. Right ? Yet... there was a hole in her memory, one that unsettled her, and one that she could find no explanation for. She remembered Kore as Nergal's beloved, the one that stood at his side faithfully, she remembered her voice, the veils she used to wear... But she did not remember what influence she ruled over. To think of her as a second Underworld deity somehow did not ring true... And yet she did not remember her not acting on behalf of the realm under the earth. She could not remember, and for some reason, that made it a bit more worrisome. If she at least remembered the influence, then she could have conducted her own research, she could have had a chance to find her even if she had decided to use a new name in her rebirth... But nothing would come, no matter how hard the goddess tried to look. More and more things became familiar once more, yet this little tidbit escaped her. Many would have called her stupid, probably. After all, if Kore returned, did it not mean pretty much the lost of any chance she could have to be with the one she loved ? Of course it meant just that. But she found that she did not care. Perhaps this was what mortals called true love, that you can be happy as long as the one you love is, also. She would have to ask Rio maybe, once she saw him again, to ask if she was crazy or not. And if it took the lost of her own chances for Nergal to be happy, then she would give it all away to have the queen return. "I am such a fool." She said with a small smile. "...But at least, I might just be an happy fool."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:18 pm
Lady Morgan And Her Trickster mistalina13 Morgan sat in a chair, the fresh bandage Ishum had wound around her arm after cleaning the scratches lay undone on her lap. She stared listlessly at the stone and the remains of the scratches that flanked it. It's strange, that so pretty a thing...could be the instrument of my death.She ran a finger over the smooth surface of the stone and sighed. Tien had been silent the last couple of hours for the most part. Only making the occasional small noises and the fragments of memory surfacing before her eyes. So much was still shadows...would her little self appointed quest even help at all? Zero Dream  In the distance, a voice could be heard talking, standing out from the other. A powerful yet soothingly gentle voice, with a melodic quality to it that many mortals would probably have killed to have. It did not take long before the owner of the voice made herself known - a goddess wearing silk robes, her hairs still up in the braids Nergal had made days before.
"Oh, hello." Echo said with a smile. "You must be Ishum's friend, yes ? Would you like something to eat or drink ?"mistalina13 Morgan jumped when she was addressed. The thought that she wasn't alone here hadn't really entered her mind. "I am." She nodded, smiling softly. "And, no thank you, I'm alright." Another divine, don't forget to introduce me."I am Morgan, host to Tien the Commedia Dell'Arte." Tien's sudden commanding tone caught her off guard. She rose and bowed deeply to Echo. She seems vaguely familiar...Zero Dream Tien... Tien... The name did seem somewhat familiar to her, but nothing in her memory seemed to budge.
"Greetings to you both, then. I am Echo, the Voice of the Countless. Oh, and there is no need to bow, do not worry about it." She said with a smile, almost seeming to be caught a bit off-guard at the gesture. Maybe in the past she had been so used to this, but now, with her soul melded with a mortal... Or had she always been this way ? Her memory gave no answer. And it was a bit irritating. mistalina13 Morgan nodded and bent to retrieve the bandage from the floor. "It's nice to meet you, Echo." This must be Echo that Crispin mentioned meeting. She stuffed the bandage in her pocket. Voice of the Countless.....Music?"You are the Goddess of Music...?" She pushed her glasses up her nose. It was something to do to mask her nervousness. Zero Dream "That would be correct." The goddess smiled, and found her gaze lingering a bit. Those scratches... it did seem like the jewel had been forced on her, and quite painfully at that. Poor dear. She seemed so nervous too. Perhaps not quite used to the divine yet... ?
"Well then, is there anything I can aid either of you with ?" Echo proposed again, not wanting to be a bad hostess after all. mistalina13 "Thank you, we're both fine..." Morgan clasped her hands behind her back. "Tien knew your name...did you know her in the past?" She fell a silent after that and watched Music for a few moments and smiled faintly. She seemed such a gentle person, like Kishara. Kishara... The Trickster took another look through her host's memories. You met the Allmother?Just once...long ago...She seemed distant for a moment as she spoke with Tien, but snapped back to awareness hoping she hadn't missed something Echo had said. Zero Dream Echo had remained silent when she had seen that the young woman's attention seemed somewhere else - It wasn't hard to figure out that diety and host might be talking, expecially since Zero and her used to do much the same. In the meanwhile she had sat down, and seemed to be in thought.
"It is quite possible. I fear that my memory is not in the best of shape - I seem to remember thing rather randomly. There was, however, a certain familiarity at the sound of her name. Hm." Echo's eyes fluttered closed for a moment. mistalina13 "Neither is Tien's." Morgan sighed softly and settled herself on the couch again. Yet again she silently questioned why she had started on this wild goose chase. I wonder how your Dragon is doing?She grumped, letting her gaze drop to the floor. She missed Tian Yue terribly, despite the short length of time she'd been gone. Zero Dream "Oh, I see. You are trying to help her along, then ?" The goddess pondered for a moment, eyes fluttering half-closed in thought.
"Tien, she of many masks, the trickster, hm... The songs seem clearer than they usually are. You see, sometimes, mortals did honor the other gods with songs, not just I..."
Suddenly she had to stiffle a laugh. Oh, THAT, she had issues to truly believe. She would have heard the Underworld king scream all the way from down there if THAT had even happened. "Definitively... interesting. But there is only so much songs can tell me... After all, mortals do not always know the full truth of things. I still do not remember much of my own memory, I apologize."
The lady of masks, oh, how she dared, steal a kiss from Hades ! That was still hilarious. mistalina13 "The best I can." Morgan fell silent after that, listening to Echo's musings and watching the images Tien's memories conjured. Tien's presence seemed to have strengthened some since the chat with Ishum. The Trickster seemed to loom in Morgan's mind, like a shadow just at her heels.Her gaze refocused on Echo in time to notice her giggling and couldn't help but crack a smile. She of Many Masks... Her voice for once was not so distant.Another image came to mind, far more powerful this time... A caress on the cheek, a hand running through her hair. A mask removed. Lips pressed against hers, body enveloped in an embrace.Green-brown eyes went wide and she felt herself blush. "Thank you." The voice was similar to Morgan's but not quite the same.Zero Dream Echo did not seem surprised when the voice oh-so-subtly changed, and seemed to pick up what it had meant rather quickly.
"I am glad I could help. The memories may have faded, but most of the songs remains, if I look deep enough to unearth them." One might arge that they where not part of her memory, no... but instead part of her own self as a whole, something too strong to truly erode. mistalina13 It took Morgan a moment to proccess what had just occured. She had felt her body move, but it wasn't her speaking. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Tien...that was you?Yes. Her presence seemed to lessen a little, the act had taken a lot out of her. Besides, she had a few more pieces to the puzzle, thanks to Music."That was...weird." She wrinkled her nose. Zero Dream The goddess could not help the look of amusement that crossed her eyes at the moment.
"Yes, it is. I remember it was weird for my own host the first few times I slipped and spoke. It gets a bit better with time, I find. At least, it did for us, but you could say my host and I where close."
The words where still engraved in her mind. She had, in a sense, been the mother Zero had never truly had. mistalina13 "That's the first time she's ever done that...." Morgan's gaze fell to the floor. She certainly didn't have a close relationship with Tien as Echo had with her host. Such things take time...and we have had very little of that together. The Trickster's presence crept a little nearer, seeming to settle just on the edge again. And I will try to avoid doing that again without warning.Zero Dream "It takes time." The goddess spoke, as if she had somehow heard what the other had said. "Time and patience, yes... Oh, do you wish to stay to sleep tonight ?" She suddenly remembered. If so, the guest room would need a change of linen... "Or are you headed elsewhere ?" Her voice betrayed her slight worry - the streets where not safe at night, and she would hate to see anything happen to the young woman. mistalina13 "That would be nice actually." Morgan smiled faintly and her gaze drifted back to Echo. Elsewhere can wait until the morning."I haven't slept anywhere comfortable in a while." She let out a little somewhat nervous laugh. Zero Dream "Oh dear... Then it is the time to remedy that." The goddess said with a gentle smile. Then, of course, she remembered the lovely Lien - where they both so busy that she allowed her mind to wander so far ? She hadn't seen enough of the young girl in the last few days. Oh well, she would surrender her own room to the young girl for this night, then. My, wasn't her place getting quite a bit crowded ? "You can use my room for tonight, as someone else is already taking residence in the guest room." The almost motherly glance Echo sent in Morgan's direction told that the goddess wasn't likely to change her mind, now that she had agreed. mistalina13 "Alright." Morgan smiled awkwardly as she caught that glance, already feeling bad about displacing Echo from her room. In all actual fact she would've been alright with a couch, it was better than sleeping on the ground under the cover of ruins. "Thank you."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:18 pm
And you know you're never sure
But you're sure you could be right
If you held yourself up to the light
And the embers never fade in your city by the lake
The place where you were born
Believe, believe in me, believe
In the resolute urgency of now
And if you believe there's not a chance tonight
Tonight, so bright
Tonight
-- "Tonight, Tonight" - Smashing Pumpkins The Lady Has A Plan Echo, along with her aoide Tempo, had strayed away from the path they usually took along the city. The male honestly did not care much - as long as the goddess did no longer wander alone, he would do all the little detours she would ever wish to make. They had finished moving all the interesting records from the old music shop to her house, having created a little "music room" of sort, but today was one of those days the goddess of music felt she needed to wander to find her own inspiration. Writing those songs was going remotely well - this was not an atmosphere perfect for budding creativity, that with the dark skies and ash... There was a half-faded memory, sitting under a tree playing a guitar... but she could not tell if that memory belonged to herself, or to her host. She turned a corner, hands into the pockets of her denim skirt (better blend in in time like theses - she was not quite ready for attention as of now...), peering at what presented itself in front of her. There where trees... mighty and old, yet very few leaves remained. She could not tell if they had died, or if it was simply seasons doing it's work. It was a vast open space... grass, burnt at places. It used to a park. In fact, in a nearby wooden sign, half ripped off, she could still read "Evergreen". It was hard for the location to live up to it's place in a state of complete decay like this. Still, the goddess found herself taking second glances. A wide, open space... where people could come and go freely... Curious now, she diverged to step inside, ignoring her servant's complain that the sun was about to set and that they should be going home. But Echo was too busy following her train of thought to think about any potential danger. There was a loose shape in the distance that caught her attention, and eventually she stopped, glancing at it for a moment. "My lady, we should..." "Shh." She quieted her aoide with a finger on his lips. Tempo had to resist the urge to facepalm. This woman, those artsy types... !!! Sometimes he wondered why he could not serve a more cautious deity, but he still found himself regretting nothing. Echo's thoughts where far from that perticular track as she watched the remains of what stood before her. Seats, all around a circular, raised surface. A scene. It was in a bad state, it needed some drastic repairs and seemed far from safe. But it was a start. It was something. The trees may no longer offer the lovely shade they had given years ago, but... of everything she had seen, this was the best place she had found yet. She took note of the damage, of what would need gathering - mostly wood, nails, tools, then some paint... She could send Tempo to find those - or maybe even Ishum, he always seemed to know where to find things like this... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it could work. She could only hope it could work. Both the location, and what she hoped to eventually do with it. She looked sideways to her aoide then - he could not help but notice the sparkle in her eyes, and the small grin - two telltale signs that told him the deity had a plan. "We could get going, yes ?""My lady, pardon my boldness, but... What are you planning this time ?" The dark aoide had all but forgot to tell her that it was exactly what he had been saying for a good twenty minutes now... "Come, I will tell you on the way, if we hope to be home before dark."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:20 pm
No, you'll never be alone
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars
Hear the whispers in the dark
No, you'll never be alone
When darkness comes you know I'm never far
Hear the whispers in the dark
Whispers in the dark
-- "Whispers in the Dark" - Skillet He Is Braver Than I / Sister Lost Zero Dream He had gone to seek Destruction. He had gone and did the one thing she could never have done.
And honestly, that was enough to scare her. The goddess hadn't moved from the window ever since he had left - the pit in her stomach growing bigger and bigger as the hours passed. Had Destruction given him a new task, had he left already ? Or even...
No, she couldn't think about that. She stayed still and waited. Thabara Ishum was struggling to keep up with the pace of his Lord, and - to put it mildly - he was worried sick about him. The curious aoide had of course tried to eavesdrop, but the heavy doors had proved to be too thick for the attempt to be successful, and to try the windows had seemed.. Well, he was curious, but not suicidal. When his lord had left the Pantheon he had looked paler than usual, but seemed unharmed, and he had walked straight past his faithful aoide without even as much as wasting a look at him. It hadn't been until they'd taken a sharp turn right at the next crossing, when the looming structure of the Pantheon finally disappeared from their sight, that his legs suddenly gave in and he had to lean against the charred remains of a building to remain standing upright, with a look on his face that was.. that was.. Ishum didn't know what it was, but it scared him. He had not answered any of his worried questions. He had not spoken a single word at all.
He felt like crying, like laughing, screaming at the top of his lungs.. Yet he did neither it as he leaned against the blackened wall, his fingernails digging into the brittle plaster - his faithful little beast master seemed half-scared to death as it was anyway.
What folly it had been to expect this would be a mere exchange of courtesies, that he could simply waltz in to pay his respects and ask his questions and then leave again! Oh, he had received his answers, hadn't he? The young god shivered, still haunted by the feeling of ice-cold breath on his face, those lips almost touching his own, those burning eyes.
With one hand he reluctantly reached where the gem was embedded in his chest, still feeling somewhat dazed and at the same time more awake than he had ever been ever since his rebirth. An agreement had been made.. No oath had been spoken, but he was bound by it nonetheless. Frightening, yes. Yet it was good. Right. He didn't have to hear the whispering voices of the countless dead to know it had been right. One day, one day he would be able to house them ALL once more, and he would do whatever it took for that day to come to pass.____Voices.._______Countless..
There was a guilt-ridden look upon his face as he suddenly realized something, and moments later he was walking again - not bothering to dust off his clothes, not stopping until he arrived at Her house.
For the whole time, not a single thought of Her had crossed his mind. Not one time.Zero Dream When the door closed, the young goddess almost jumped and clung to the ceiling, much like you could expect a scared cat to do. The urge to just give up any restraint and go was high, but she resisted, and simply turned, unable to hide her worry, which only grew upon seeing the two.
Ishum looked half-scared to death.
And Nergal... as always, she had difficulties reading him, but it did not look good.
"Lord... ?" Thabara "Echo." He inclined his head for a polite greeting, noticing with a pang of guilt just how worried she looked. "I am alright, please do not be so concerned. But.." He hesitated for a moment, but knew her well enough by now to know that she was probably itching to do something for him. "I would very much appreciate something hot to drink. Tea.. coffee.. Anything is fine, really."
"Ishum." Nergal half-turned, gazing down on his aoide. "Please leave us now, and make sure we will not be disturbed. And.. no eavesdropping this time, understood?""Understood." Ishum nodded, and turned on his heels to get the hell out. There had been a sharp edge to his lord's voice which clearly warned him that his request of privacy was to be taken quite seriously this time. Zero Dream Just as the god had imagined, Echo jumped on the occasion - the worried edges seemed to soften away from her face a bit, but not quite completely. It was evident that something had happened... But what ? It didn't help the pit that formed in the bottom of her stomach any.
She was quick to return with a cup of coffee, and motioned him to sit down. It was obivious that she wanted to ask, but didn't quite dare do it. Thabara  He accepted the small, fragile cup with a grateful smile, taking a small sip from it before he sat down, savoring the warmth, the scent and the strong, slightly bitter taste with obvious bliss before he sat down.
"I do not know where to begin," he finally said, after having taken another small sip from the black beverage, "so perhaps it would be better for you to ask." It would make it easier for him to omit certain things as well, he thought. There was no way he could tell her everything which had come to pass..Zero Dream And of course now that she had to be the one to ask, she was the one who had no idea where she was even supposed to begin. The questions filled her mind in such an alarming rate that she couldn't pull them in the straight order. She stared at her own glass of water for a moment, before finally looking up. "...How is he ?" Was there ever a shard of her creator left by now, as the world edged closer and closer to finality... ? Thabara
"That is.. difficult to tell," Nergal admitted, looking down to contemplate the almost black surface of his beverage. "Of course I cannot be certain, but it does not look like the scales will tip towards balance, or even his form as Creation anytime soon." Zero Dream The goddess let out an almost inaudible sigh. If this did not stop... No, she couldn't think about that. It couldn't end like this.
And again, she fell silent. Some order was starting to form, but... Could she ask that ? Would it be prying ? But she had to know. If only for her own peace of mind, if only to finally know where limits needed to be put. And if it was so... maybe, to help find a host. "...What about... Kore, then ?" Her voice was so low that Nergal barely heard her. Thabara
The dark, steaming surface was disturbed for the merest moment before the god was able to steady his hand. He had been expecting this question would come, of course, but that did not make his reply any easier.
"Gone," he said tonelessly, with a finality to his voice which could only mean the worst. Zero Dream Gone.
The word echoed in the goddess' mind almost endlessly, as she stilled completely - looking almost like a statue until she finally started to breathe again. No. No. This couldn't be, it couldn't ! Yet, was there any room for doubt ?
No. None. Then, suddenly, her eyes clouded. The songs whispered in her ears, broken pieces of a promise suddenly becoming whole again. A promise she had hoped to never keep.Should I pass... Will you sing of my passing ? Will you mourn me, sister ?Yes...
Yet there where still broken pieces. Why had Kore asked that of her ? She couldn't have been mortal ! Yet, the more imformation she got, the more the nagging doubt in her mind that she had not been one of the divine grew.
But it did not matter.
The silence was absolute. Even her wings had stilled, with no sound to be heard until, after what seemed to have been an eternity, Echo stood, turned, and went to look at the dark, ash-filled sky from the window. The singing was so low at first that it took a moment for her sole audience to start hearing her, in a voice crystal clear with purity, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"Dearest friend, dearest sister
I held hope, yet hope was not enough
The words to honor you do not come easy
But promised I have, and so I shall.
You, who taught me many things
It seems unfair that I breathe if you do not
Why did it come to this ? I may never know
Perhaps it may be best.
Your smile seems so far now
that fate has taken us apart
memories of a time past shattered like glass
in pieces that may never be whole again.
And as I stand
As I try to sing instead of cry
As we walk without your hand
Alone in the darkness leading to the unknown
You may at least leave forever
within the heart who loved you
and also in the hearts of those you loved
Wherever you may be... please guide us."
Again, there was silence, as the goddess looked up, her whole body shaking with emotion. "...Was it enough, sister ? Was it what you wished... ?"
At last, she could not restain herself anymore. Echo finally let all decency go, let herself fall to her knees, and cry - loud whimpers and sobs that could probably be heard far outside the room. This just may clue Ishum in, but the thought hadn't even crossed her mind.
Right now, she couldn't care. The pain blinded everything else.
Thabara He carefully set down the delicate cup on the table in front of him when she started to sing, and closed his eyes to listen, soaking up the melody and the words with every fiber of his body as if to attempt and fill the void within with them. Somehow, to see Echo weep like that, only made his lack of memory and emotion feel worse. She grieved about the loss of a close friend and sister, whereas he.. could merely mourn the hole his queen had left behind in his heart and his mind.
He rose without thinking, walking next to Echo and kneeling down to quietly embrace her, hold her, for as long as she would require his presence and the comfort he offered. For the whole day if it needed be, and the whole night as well. And for the days and nights to come.
Something within stirred, like the feeling of a wall about to crumble under the onslaught of what was hidden behind, threatening to tear down his very being. But the dam held, the flood of the past did not break free.
Nergal did not speak as he held her in his arms, for words were useless in their joined mourning, but his hand silently sought hers, clasping around it, fingers intertwining. Skin against skin. The warmth of the living against the cold of a dead body.
Touching her.'No, I don't know if you would remember to manifest yourself in flesh again..'He shivered. Zero Dream The goddess welcomed the embrace gladly, yet at the same time there was guilt. Guilt that she should be the one in his arms, not her, She may never forgive herself, no matter how silly it was.
As her hand laced into his, she slowly rose back to her feet. She had quieted a bit, but the tears would not stop. As she herself could not stop shaking, the god's shiver went (parhaps thankfully in his mind) unnoticed to her.
It had been foolish to think that each and all who had fallen would come back. That each and every one, god or otherwise, would find their way back to the world as it stood now. She fully realized this, now. Thabara He helped her back on her feet when she rose and then embraced her once more, one hand still closed around hers, the other one buried in the silken mass of her long hair.
"Harmodius said that she perished before my own fading," he finally murmured, feeling that Echo had a right to know, even if it brought more hurt. "She cannot be reborn such as we were, for she was none of divine blood. She was aoide." His voice sounded strangely strangled as he spoke. "I.. had no idea. She was my queen, so I just naturally assumed that she.. that she must have been.." He shook his head, drawing the goddess in his arms even closer. "I wonder what else I've been wrong about," he added bitterly. Zero Dream An aoide...
It seemed to evident, now, as if it had always been as clear as daylight. All the pieces snapped together nicely, and most of her own questions answered themselves.
"I... thought so, also." Hopefully this may help him feel a bit better ? "So, as I remembered a few things, some where odd... It all makes sense now..." The goddess let out a sigh. The tears still fell, but silently. Her grip on his hand strengthen a bit and she let herself lean against him. She needed his presence more than anything else at the moment... and as far as she knew, it may have been mutual. Thabara Nergal nodded mutely. Yes, it did make sense now. Not all of it, no, but at least that strange sensation that something was off whenever he had been able to recall something about Her.
He couldn't help but wonder if he was supposed to do something. Were there words to be said, rites to be held? A funeral? Could he even properly mourn his Queen if he did not even remember her?
He felt Echo lean against him, seeking to be close to him for solace. There were few who would do so. Fewer even to whom he would actually give this comfort. Holding gentle Music, supporting her, aiding her to deal with her loss as much as he was able to - it would have to be enough for now.
There was a tiny flutter of something, deep, deep within as the goddess nestled her head against Nergal's shoulder, her tears moistening the soft fabric of the clothes he bore. He did not realize, but in that moment, for the very first time, Underworld might have felt something akin to sympathy. Zero Dream The goddess remained silent in his embrace, whatever other question that had previously been present in her mind erased by shock and grief. Maybe she would remember them later, and maybe she would ask later. But now...
Right now it did not really matter.
"We should probably rest." Her voice was soft, barely even audible.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:20 pm
You could be my unintended
Choice to live my life extended
You could be the one I'll always love
You could be the one who listens to my deepest inquisitions
You could be the one I'll always love
I'll be there as soon as I can
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before
-- "Unintended" - Muse My Unintended She could not sleep. It was a bit ironic, as she had been the one to say that both should rest, but... sleep would not come. She hadn't spoke a word ever since Nergal has left, and now she was simply staring blankly in space. Words, unheard to the rest of the world, danced on the tip of her ears, and she listened. The songs where growing louder and clearer with time. Had it always been that way ? She could not stop thinking. Has she had a realm, much like some others, or was those songs her realm, unseen to even herself and unheard by the rest of the world ? The goddess could not say. Maybe it was not something to be remembered. This was a new age, a new world - things undeniably changed, and so will she have to adapt. They will all have to adapt. Lips moved to echo the words that she heard in her mind. _________ If you say that it happens to all, then I must change the world to save him.Underworld, so set in his ways. Again, she suddenly understood, eyes widening slightly in surprise. Then, a soundless sigh. It always seemed like she snapped the pieces together much too late for it to do any good. Maybe it was part of the reason why her dear friend had seemed so distressed upon his return... _________ If I have to fail... Should I pass... Will you sing of my passing ? Will you mourn me, sister ? There was anger, at herself. She should have went with her. Would that have made any difference ? After all, she still had no idea how Kore had died. It might have been another event, something else alltogether. Perhaps even of sorrow after the one she loved fell - she had seen events like this often in the past... One hand traveled down, running against a pale cheek. Alto had not left her side ever since the Underworld had left it, listening to her cry and mourn. However, the mute aoide had fell asleep what seemed to be hours ago. Echo's hand traveled up in his bangs, gently straightening them in an almost motherly fashion, tender with care as to not wake him up. Even as she sent him away, he stayed - the goddess had a good idea why. After all, she was not blind. Maybe in other circumstances, maybe in a life different than now, she could have returned feelings for him in the same depth that she knew he felt for her. Maybe one day she would, but there was not enough space in her life for true love for two different men. The only thing she could do was to allow him to remain warm in her presence. She felt she owed it to them - who had served her once in a life past, and once again in this one, and would probably do the same in the next. She had no regrets about her decision - she moved him aside with care, let him lay down on the bed and giving a light kiss to his forehead as she went on her feet - careful once again not to wake him - and headed to the balcony. For the first time, there was peace and not guilt associated to this choice, as the song continued. _________ There is one last thing I want to ask of you, sister. If something happens to me... Be there for him. And do not feel guilt.------------------------------------ Echo wasn't quite sure why she had stepped outside at this hour - it was chilly. She longed to go for a walk, but she was not crazy enough to repeat her previous mistake, and she simply could not wake Tempo at this hour... whatever hour it happened to be. She hadn't looked, and she couldn't tell. And honestly, she couldn't care less. She carved some fresh air, and this was the closest she could get, even if ash clung on the balcony. She pushed some aside with a bare foot, then suddenly perked as a sound, ears twitching slightly as she tried to locate it's source. Yet there was silence. Maybe she was imagining things... No, wait, there it was again. A voice, singing. The language was old, but she knew it. She knew this song, her mind assured herself, and the voice was so familiar... It took her a moment for her to understand, and when she finally did, she smiled. That was Nergal. This song was their song. And she had been the one to write it. Suddenly, a twinkle of mischief went into those sapphire eyes. The sound came from above. Oh, if Tempo ever heard of this, she would get the verbal a** kicking of a lifetime - but oh, she couldn't have cared less at the moment. She took hold and lifted herself up as silently as possible, finally making it to the roof with little trouble. She needed to be up close to listen to this. He was doing the follower part, not the leader. How curious. She let her feet hang into the emptiness in between the roof and the floor of the balcony. Yes, she remembered this song. At first her lips moved with no sound, but eventually she sang, and there rose in volume, not once noticing what she doing. Maybe this was the only thing she could make whole, but it was a start. ((This post has a twin, in Nergal's journal n_n ))
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:21 pm
As the stars are going out
And this stage is full of nothing
And the friends have all but gone
For my life my god I'm singing
We'll take our hearts out side
Leave our lives behind
I'll watch the stars go out...
-- "Stars" - Lacuna Coil The Bruised Sky Zero Dream She had to go out. It had been an urge, too strong to ignore - she had to go outside. Walk. Do something. Her steps had lead her to the pantheon, and somehow she had managed to convince a rather paranoid aoide to wait outside. Maybe she would visit Concerto and Rio - she had heard words trough the former that the children, twins, had been born, but little more than that. That, or pay a visit to Kishara...
It just seemed like she never saw anyone anymore. In some way, it scared her. Being scared of Destruction was no reason to ignore the rest of her peers.
The goddess pushed the door open and walked inside. She had chosen something simple - she wore no flowy robes, afraid of catching to much attention - she had settled for a simple blouse and skirt. Was it not for the patches of blue skin, the wings, and the aura of divinity around her, she may just had been a mortal to the untrained eye.
She stopped in the main room for a moment to sit, and think about who to visit first, setting the black casing that held her violin on the table. Ivynian  The downstairs was quiet. He had come down to the throne, to see if he could find Harmodius. What exactly he had planned to do if he had found the Eldest he wasn't sure. Considering Destruction's moods, it may have just been to die. At least he would have tried, if such an end had been made of him. He stood at the edge of the throne room, between dragons and hidden, looking out the coloured glass of one of the windows. There was not much light filtering in through the glass. The effect, he guessed, was meant more for the light inside the Pantheon to shine out. The braziers were bright enough for it. The tall windows striped the sides of the building like the molten stripes through destructions own body, and the glow of the firelight could pulse through the windows like the breath of Crown, the last power in All that remained . Lucius did not consider any of the rest of them powers yet. None of them could stand before the Crown with honor, to ask or restrain him from anything. The chances were at least better banded in to a group, much as he had been stopped. The shop's door open, a foreign enough sound in these dark days when all the young gods hid in their apartments or flew to the four corners to avoid Destruction in fear. There was no echo of footsteps on the stair, so whoever it was was still downstairs. He braced himself, and came around the statue and around to the arched entrance between the throne and common room. “Hello?”Zero Dream Suddenly, a voice. The young goddess perked up, and glanced in the direction her trained ears had caught the sound coming from, and for a moment, froze.
Lucius... ?
The memories where still fresh in her mind, of the great battle. One she had fought and seen trough eyes that, then, where not her own. She had long since time to calm, and time to think. But... what happened to his arms ?
Her mind could only imagine the worst of scenarios, which she quietly tried to shove back where they had came from. It was hard enough for her to come so close to where Destruction reigned as it, and there was no need to add to these reasons.
"Lord Universe... ?" There was no poison in her soft, melodious voice, no bitterness, no hate. Only a faint surprise, to see him here, after so long. Ivynian So....this one knew him. He didn't recognize her at all. Was it a case of a morphed god, like Kishara, that he had known the host of, or one like Nergal whom he had never met but had heard enough about him to be able to recognize him on sight? “Ah.....Yes. ” Lord even? A title of phallacy “You have me at a disadvantage, I don't know your name, Lady.” This was a Lady, right? Nergal, afterall, had 'extras'. It wasn't as if that were a foolproof method of guessing what pronouns or honorifics one should use. He should have avoided the honorific all together and used different phrasing. Zero Dream A disadvantage ? Perhaps this was one way to put it. She decided not to mention where he might have been able to recognize her from... It just seemed better to avoid -that- alltogether.
"Understandable. I am Echo, the Voice of the Countless, and a rare sight in these walls, I fear." The goddess have a sight, idly brushing some ash away from the table she was sitting at. "But I could use some company, if you would like." Ivynian There was a slight pause before he spoke, one that indicated a consideration of some sort, but he was in the dark and coudl estimate nothing of its contents. “If you would like is more pressing, ” But she had made the offer, so that answered the statement. So many already who were accepting of his caste. “The Pantheon is not bastion of peace or meditation it once was. You are not the only one who is seen rarely here, I think. What drew you close today?” He crossed his arms in front of himself, hiding his hands behind folded elbows, as he crossed to her seat. Zero Dream "Not much. It was just one of those days, I guess, where you just had to get out. I was pondering what to do next, actually. I had no destination or plan in mind, yet my steps lead me here.
It was amazing, how his skin shifted. Almost entrancing, really. Even bound, he probably still was more powerful than she may ever be. That alone was a but awing. But most of all, she was a bit glad for this chance, to finally get to know him, and not have but one action to judge him from. Or maybe even a chance to understand.
"Honestly I do not have much of a plan for anything. I am not sure where to start, or what I should be doing in times like these. In such times I am reminded of exactly how little I can accomplish as I am. All I can do is stand by and watch, even as I wish there was something I could accomplish..." Slowly, she shook her head, brushing silken black hairs on the side of her face. "But I am rambeling, am I ? Surely there are more interesting things for you to hear than my self-issues" Echo managed a small smile. Ivynian “In times like these, I think the idea was that we should be horrified and start to fight for the mortals. Pity them and take them under our wings to protect and nurture them....gain followers...power. Be like gods, which is what we are. ” He sat down stiffly, avoiding smashing his tail beneath the swordskirt, and folded his wings as much as he could while sitting on the bottoms of the primaries. He really wished that seats with no backs on them would be furnished into the commons. “Fear not for venting to me.. If I am expert at anything now, it is understanding problems and feelings of ...uselessness. And where not to go with them. It is easier to hear another's problems then to be forced to face ones own day after day. ” Zero Dream "A very worthy advice. I have been attempting to do this, slowly. I have researched what mortals of this area appreciate as far as songs go, and have began to write my own. I also have found a place where I may be able to perform, an open area where they may come and go as they wish... But it is in a pretty bad shape. There is still much that need to be done before I can perform." A small frown creased it's way into her face. "And yet some part of me doubt that it is what they need. After all, wouldn't they need protection, not distraction ? And how am I supposed to protect them, if I am barely able to protect myself ?" Of course, while the wounds had healed, the memories where still rather fresh. After brushing some more ash away, she finally set off to brush off what had gathered on the case of her violin.
"But I figure that is a silly thing to think of. I know myself for a fact that even distractions from the day to day life can be welcome, and even if it does not work, I can at least say that I have tried, which is already an achievement in itself. I figure I am... afraid." She finally admitted again. "That they may reject me as they have in the past." Ivynian He could not trust so eagerly to spill his uncertainties in to the ears of another, let alone someone he’d only just met? All who heard his heart found only pity or anger in response, neither of which he cared to venture now. If he wanted to look on a face of understanding, there were mirrors. “I wonder if your domain in this world is a distraction, or brings peace? A voice, and I see an instrument case. Song or sound or music? Such things bring monks focus in meditation, give wings to worshippers in churches to feel freedom for a few minutes of life, or effect catharsis where there was no outlet for pain. I don’t think you can act in vain, Echo. I think mortals would be happy to have you as an ally.” Zero Dream "Music." She clarified, and then gave his words some thought. Of course, deep inside herself, she already knew them to be true. She let herself remember, one years ago, when she had gone caroling around the holiday the mortals called Christmas. The look on so many faces... Yet, that had been peace, and now she felt like a fool for not noticing it earlier on. Maybe it was because she had forgotten most of the things she had done before the Fading. What she remembered was mostly in relations, bonds, with other gods or servants... But little of most mortals beside her strongest followers, or even what she had done then.
How odd. And how annoying.
"Yes... you are right. No matter what I may do, I cannot act in vain." She finally nodded. "...Odd of me to have forgotten even that... It is almost as if I had forgotten the very core of my own self, along with everything else."
She wasn't sure why she was talking so much, or why she had opened up so quickly. But she could already tell that it had been a good thing, nonetheless. Ivynian “Those of us who have forgotten”had“Should take great care in evaluating how much it matters whether or not we remember. Those days are over. We all died, a usually permanent ending, in which we were released from anything that bound us to each other in this new birth. We all have rare chances to make ourselves new, with new alliances and loves, new experiments. New failures and victories. ”“The past can be learned from, but we shouldn't seek so much to define ourselves wholly by it. ”
I wish I could have accepted that. The feeling of stripped flesh would leave my emotions and I could gauze them and heal...instead of hide. Zero Dream "Another worthy advice, lord... One which I believe I need to heed more." After all, she had spend so much energies, so much time, trying to remember a time which was gone, and would never come back even as gods rose once again and reclaimed their places into the worlds. Things would never be exactly as they had been - after all, how many would not be reborn ? Or at least not be reborn for some time ?
The pieces would never again fit back exactly where they had once been.
"After all... The world is different. We as a whole are different. What worked ages ago may never work again... And some close may be lost beyond any kind of true redemption."
The ache in her heart was still heavy, but she did her best to keep it locked away. Ivynian “That sounds like regrets or sorrow lies thin beneath the surface or your smile. You miss someone?” He wondered how that even would work in the end. The pantheon in the dead ages had been vast, with god-blooded claiming followers and prayers for all manner of benefits and curses. Did enough remain of all of them for Harmodius to gather and give into the stone form to be reborn? What of Beryl and Eamnonn's children? Surely there had been gods of their powers before. Did the born gods take the wisps of what remained and become wholly new gods? Did it mean that if a child god was born that influence's old god coudl not be reborn? He didn't know. He had had children once. Did he wish them alive again, to suffer as he had in this strange rebirth, or if it should ever happen...would he rather have children anew with no memories waking in their minds....no connections to the dead past. New gods for a new era. But then why rebirth some of them at all? Why not allow all the magic to be born anew into new beings? "Take my words with a grain of salt. I am Sinned. It is obviously I do not have all the answers." Zero Dream In all honesty, it matter little in the young goddess' mind that the other is sinned. She had no intention to cast him aside or judge him from things that where not done to her. Things that even, in a sense, preceded her.
"Yes." She does not even bother to deny. "She was not of divine blood - so there is no chances of her being reborn." At least not as she had been - not without all the memories and feelings that had bound them as sisters. "At least... never like she used to be."
"I doubt any of us have all the answers... But you have given me those I have looked for, and I thank you." Ivynian "A strange reprisal of old roles, then, since I was once charged with orienting the newly returned to their lives in this strange setting." He wondered vaguely what the relation of this missing person was, that their presence could make the young goddess pine so. She answered freely enough that it must have been a topic she'd shared before, or at least at length enough at some point, thought or aloud, to have come to easy expression of it. "Only Gianfar, when he can find them in the card-catalogue of his brain, I think."
Zero Dream The goddess' expression turns to curiosity then. "Gianfar... ?" The name does not seem to hold any familiarity, at least for the moment.
She pondered for a moment, eying the violin case and running one blue hand over the black leather with care. Maybe... ? She did feel like she ought to do *something*. He had, after all, helped her out and helped her put things into focus somewhat, much like others had done before him.
This lack of confidence is bothersome, but I do not know what to do about it. Is it Zero, is it me, was it a part of me even in ages pasts... ?
I cannot tell.
"Would you like if I played for you ? It is the only thanks I can probably give, at this point..." Ivynian "Far be it from me to turn down a serenade when offered from a goddess to whom it is speciality. But, " Her words felt earnest enough, truthful enough that there woudl be no judgements. She didn't ask or care why. She simply accepted it as a mistake, and had moved on. There was something refreshing in that, that he was help again only to his own responsibility to feel remorse or not for what he had done. It was not demanded. In fact, other then concern for another's mental well-being, she may not even care. Old sparks could be given oxygen in such moments. He would try. "I have seen you petting off the ash of these halls as we spoke. It would not do to ruin your instrument on my account. Perhaps you could just hum a tune to bless me."
A small, half devious grin spread across part of his mouth, waiting to see her reaction and if she realised the joke. Zero Dream "Oh..." Of course, she hadn't thought about that. He was right, of course - it would be a shame to have the violin damaged, after taking so long to find one.
"I can do that." The only hint that she may have understood was her own impish smile as she rose from her chair, gently pushing it back as she sang.
"Beautiful stars, gorgeous night sky
Oh, you shine, you twinkle, as if teasing
Those who have to remain still
As you move endlessly in the realm
Beyond the skies
A bit of a prankster, are we ?
Ah, but I cannot deny you this, friend
The songstress, in fact
Would be little without an audience, wouldn't she ?"
She gave a small boy, eyes twinkling a bit still. Ivynian Sound, for all its lack in the voids of his element, was precious to him. It was a princely offering, and he was certain, given her domain, that there would be no finer voice in all the Is to serenade. He resisted any urges to rejoin her with some heron-croaked sandpaper of his own, and just enjoyed. "You would break hearts of stone, I fear. A greater danger then any woman alive. " Quote: "Perhaps, but I find that hearts are usually better kept whole. You should not worry." She said, with a smile and a wink. She let her gaze wander to the clock, and was surprised to see how late it was. Time sure did pass fast in pleasant company... And her poor aoide, probably still waiting at the door !
"I should probably get going soon." Sadness imprinted in her voice. She would rather stay some more, but it was getting late. Alto was probably waiting at home, with a meal almost ready. Still... Doing the responsible thing was not too high in Echo's priority list, but she had to. Ivynian "Ah, I have been rude....please, don't let me keep you. " He bowed to her. "It may be dangerous to stay long, as the presence of the Crown in these halls isn't easily predicted. Perhaps not normally quite so dangerous as may necessarily be possible with me around. I ....don't think I cheer him. ""Thank you, Echo, for your song. And kind words. Keep safe, and glorious shining your song / be / a light to those adrift in sadness. "((the /'s are as breaks in poetry lines)) Quote: The goddess answered Lucius's bow with her own - with the natural grace and elegance she almost always carried. "You do so as well. Stay well, friend - I will have more songs for you when we meet again." She said with a smile.
Not if.
When.
She hesitated a moment, as if she wanted to add something, but in the end, she did not. He hadn't wanted to confide before - she should not press the issue.
And so, with one last look and smile, she took her case, turned, and left - toward the door where a black haired aoide was waiting.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:22 pm
Goals Renewed Echo was silent as she and her servant walked back to the place she called home. It wasn't a worried silence, or even a tense silence, it was a thoughtful silence. With Echo, Tempo could always tell, as her face acted like an open book. And now, his lady was completely lost in thought, mentally getting her ducks in a row, unaware of how much of her inner thoughts leaked out is something as little as her eyes, to someone skilled enough to look for it. The first thing that needed fixing was the scene itself. Then the seats. The rest could wait. As long as those two things where in decent shape, she could do something. While the boys did that, she could finalize her songs, find melodies and matching instruments. It could work. It had to work, else she would be at loss of what else she could possibly do. And this was also the perfect time - with that holiday the mortals called Christmas right around the corner. She could aim for that date, maybe. After all, Christmas was supposed to be merry. With all that thinking, she did not notice that she had broken her own silence and was now humming a random tune, merrily. She was so happy, in fact, that she had forgotten in how many ways it could go wrong, and instead saw in how many ways it could go right. It was a wonderful feeling. One that she hadn't felt for quite awhile. Something she ought to feel like more, yet could barely manage to do on her own. Such a shame... She had to change that. She had to find a way. In all her thinking, she had not noticed how her aoide was glancing over her, as if trying to guess what she was talking about only by the look on her face. No such luck, however. "Lady, if I dare ask, what are you thinking about ?" "Great things." She answered without hesitation. "Tempo, I will need your help. I will need everyone's help."Tempo couldn't help but smile. "Help we are all willing to give, my lady. Only ask, and we will grant to the best of our ability. We are to serve." Finally. Finally, she was asking something concrete of him ! Of them ! He had to resist the urge to kneel and bow before his lady - it would attack unwanted attention. Already they where keeping their voices low, looking like little more than two youths chatting to anyone who gave them any attention. "Then I will ask this - when you can, we need to find supplies. Wood, nails, paint. We'll make Evergreen Park shine again. This is the place I have chosen."The aoide nodded. "Very well, my lady. We can do little to restore what the park was once named after, but we can rebuilt what buildings still stand." "The scene will be most important. Followed by the benches so that the crowd can be comfortable. The rest can wait, for now." The park would shine in beauty again. She would make sure of it. And she would do her part. She may not be able to give the mortals strength, at least not directly... But she would give them hope.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:23 pm
Creative Tuning The goddess' background noise was the sounds of hammers and various tools, but she did not seem too bothered, as her aoidei where patching up what wood planks had been torn up from the scene, either from winds or thieves, before giving it a fresh coat of paint. She had offered to help, but of course, they would have nothing to do with that. In fact, just doing the ceilling of Nergal's room had just about gotten reason of Tempo's nerves. So overprotective, really. Sitting around got boring after awhile, but she forced herself to be good, ignoring the slightly chilly weather, and wearing a long, blue coat as she wrote in the spiral notebook that rested on her knees. If I could have nothing else but you
It would be fine, really, really
Because you're all a need
As long as I have you
I can shine like the brightest star...Echo's writting was pretty much what you could expect - a pretty, womanly, curly hand script. She paused to tap along with the tune she imagined those lyrics could go along with, visibely lost in her own thoughts for a moment. She then started at the rows of empty seats in front of her, trying to imagine them full, expecting glances locked on her. Even now, she could feel her stomach turn a bit in nervosity at the mere thought. Perhaps it was a silly thing - part of the reason she did not confide in anyone those fears. She was a goddess after all, what did she have to fear ? In her own mind, almost everything. The mortals had rejected her once. In the deep of her own soul, she knew this. She remembered little of the words or the events, but the scars still burnt deep. What would happen if they rejected her again ? Would she once again fade, to be forgotten ? Echo hadn't noticed how hard she had been clutching the notebook until Tempo had told her of such - so hard in fact that her knuckles had gone white. She shook it to help return the blood flow and dodged the question when the black aoide asked. It took a moment of arguing back and forth before he left her be and returned to painting a fixed spot the same black that the rest of the stage was. With all this, she hadn't noticed Alto, and she almost jumped when a blue lock of hair felt over her shoulder, the pale one glancing silently at what had been written. Would they survive losing her once more ? Probably not. From what she had gathered, her passing had been a great loss - after all, they said they where not alone, and that some died in her wake... If only so that could never happen again, she had to be strong, face her fear, and prevail. For everyone she knew and loved, she had to manage this. Tempo spoke, asking his brother to get back to work, and he moved from his perch. Without even turning to face them, she knew they where bickering, again. A soft, amused smile drew itself on her face as she shifted to stand at the very edge of the last scene. Yes, they where bickering, Tempo's reply made it evident. Now that she had them, she could not imagine how she had lived with her boys, even if now one was mostly absent, tending to Rio's needs, as well as his daughter's. She would need to tell Love of this whole endavor - maybe he would come, even ? Maybe she could drag Nergal there... But not likely. Her smile widened, lyrics came to her, and she let her voice, clear like crystal, ring to what was left of the once mighty trees. "Let me be your brightest, shining star
When you cannot find your way back home."The aoidei quieted. She cocked her head sideways, her smile replaced by one a little more impish. "If you two don't get going, I will have to pick up a hammer to make sure it all get done in time, will I ?"The look on their faces was priceless, and they scattered back to their respective spots. That one worked every time.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:23 pm
Voices In The Ether Summary : Echo meets a young man, Charles, in the old record shop which she frequents. Alto forces fate a bit and so they end up in her house, with her telling him the truth of who she was. He took it better than she honestly expected, and they chat about her idea for a concert before he leaves, leaving the goddess his address.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:24 pm
What The Lady Fears After Charles was gone, Echo took the time to let out what she had been holding in all along - a deep sigh of relief, as she let herself lean against the wall. Dear gods, was that ever scary. This was probably a good thing, having to face her fears face-on and all that, but she was still tempted to give her aoide a piece of her mind about this whole thing... But then, would she have gotten around to doing it herself ? Probably not. She couldn't really punish him for it, even if that had been oh-so-very-scary. The flame of belief did not burn in him, at least not yet, but in the very least, she hadn't been called a liar or a monster. She hadn't been rejected. She hadn't been cast aside. This was Echo's deepest fear. Rejection. She was full well aware for it - rejection was part of the reason she had died in the first place. She knew that well. She remembered that to a painfully agonizing detail. How the mortals had decided they had not needed her anymore. The hateful words of those who once believed, of those who where once precious... A blue hand rose to wipe off the water that was building up in her eyes at the mere thought of what had transpired in the past. Some she could have gone as far as considering her own children, and yet, none where there when she died. But that was the past, and the past meant nothing now. This wasn't even an immediate past. It was a past ages hold, a past so ancient that, as far as she knew, all those who had hurt her had perished. But, even after those scars, the goddess still believed in kindness. She would still love each and every one who would offer their faith to her as if they where her own children - she would still nuture their creativity, and she would always find a way to be amazed with the results. Naive ? Perhaps she was - but this was who she was. She couldn't change that. Or rather, she did not want to change that. She hoped she would never have to. Maybe it was time, then. Maybe it was time to seek those who wanted to learn. But right now, she had more than enough on her plate to worry about, with the concert coming up - she almost felt sorry for poor Nergal - each time he had attempted to drop by, she had been busy writing. Maybe it was why she hadn't seen him lately ? She would have to make up for her scarceness once it would all be over and done with. Still... There was such a strange sense of relief. Which was a bit odd, keeping in mind that Lien hadn't reacted all too badly either... but then it hadn't really been the same thing, the same kind of explanation. She'd been neglecting Lien, also, hadn't she ? My, she had so much to catch up on after all this would be over... All she could hope was that it would end up being worth it. But for now, she had a little organizing to do - she had in fact taken the decision to bring back what she wasn't listening too all that often to the old, deserted record shop. After all, who knew what Charles would need next ? And what if someone else came there also ? She honestly hadn't thought about that. She would need to give a greater attention to the details, that for sure, but for not the best she could do was patch up her "mistake". Maybe she'll have Alto deliver it back as "punishment". Hm... Maybe.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:25 pm
Followers Do Pop Up Where You Expect Them The Least... maskedquerade Song of Joy in Righteousness watched Illa go, her attention torn between the retreating skeptic and the intimidating temple. After a few moments of pathetic back-and-forth, she straightened her golden robes, and slowly opened the door with the hand that was not holding her spear. Coffee?The scent wafting through the opened door stunned her, the unfamiliar giving her pause. Leaning against the doorjam, she smoothed her dull brown hair as it frizzed uncontrollably from the heat. "Trespasser or no, I've got to go in sometime. I can't just be stuck in between." Laughing at herself to give a short burst of courage, she opened the door and stepped in sideways. Keeping her eyes focused on the floor, afraid of what she might see, Song gently closed the front door behind her. Zero Dream The scent of coffee was even stronger once the young lady had finally decided to step inside, and, at first glance, it seemed like no-one was inside.
That is, until the sound of a guitar made itself known. Echo had taken residence on the couch once again, stopping her play every few seconds to jolt notes down on a sheet. She needed something upbeat to go with those particular lyrics, and so far, the sound was heading in a direction that pleased her. She could hear Tempo and Concerto chat from another room, and it made her smile. Those two had missed each other, even if they would never admit it.
Her writing done, she started pulling at the cords again. maskedquerade The home of the gods was the last place she had expected to find a kitchen. Song set the spear down on the ground with a loud clomp, her hands shaking. That's it, no more frightening myself to death.She peered at the kitchen appliance, looking for some sign of godly influence. It was a kitchen, she decided, as the melody started to play from the next room. Just a kitchen. Her heart rate slowed to normal, and she took quiet, respectful steps toward the music. It reminded her of her mother, though the woman had never been much for music other than stoic hymns. She approached the doorway, and beheld the woman on the couch, playing the song that curled through the temple like wisps of smoke. Beheld was certainly the right verb, Song decided. There was no way to merely see this woman, gentility and majesty radiating ever stronger as the music continued. Waiting, enraptured, she let the music go on, at least for a little while. A little while lasted longer than it seemed. Zero Dream Echo did not notice Song at first - too warped up in her own thought and play to notice someone who stood silently. This gave the young woman all the time in the world to observe the lady who played - part of those thick, blueish black hairs where put up into a bun, with only two thick locks left down to frame her face. For jewelry, she only wore a silver chain - the glowing blue sphere was hidden underneath her clothes - and the pin Underworld had given her at the Carnival. Her clothing where a simple bell-sleeved black shirt and a long skirt, blue with feather-like patterns. Overall, she was a simple, natural elegance and beauty.
At last, she looked up and their eyes met. The initial reaction was surprise. Who was she ? A new host ? One who had been lured here ? She wasn't sure if she could somehow summon the rock-like confidence to explain things twice in such a short laps of time. Finally, she smiled. "Hello there." maskedquerade "Greetings, Lady of Melody," Song said automatically, and half-bowed. She stopped, and had a comic moment where she tried to figure out how to give proper respect when holding a weapon. Song leaned it against the wall, and bowed more fully. "Apologies for the... well," she rubbed the back of her neck, "I should be in my element, but I find myself curiously out of it. Please, do not let me interrupt you." For the first time in a long time, she felt tacky and small. The player's simple clothing was elegant next to her cloth-of-gold robes and peacock-feather shawl. There's just something about being in the home of unfamiliar gods.Zero Dream Echo rose an eyebrow, both in slight amusement at the spear issue and pure curiosity. This person knew who she was ?
First things first. Echo herself then stood, strapping the guitar to her back. "And I believe I am due for something else. I have been playing for hours, and those hands are not immune to cramping." She said, in a small laugh. "Who might you be, if you do not mind me asking ? I cannot remember seeing you in these walls before." maskedquerade The conversation with Illa sprang back into her mind, and she blushed--a proper color, not his ashy blue. "I am Song of Joy in Righteousness, daughter of Peerless Discernment, of the priest caste. I had come to present my people's petition before the gods or their priests, as custom and humility dictates," she said, carefully amending her father's instructions to be a little less presumptious. "Please forgive me for naming you," Song continued, beginning to kneel. "Lady of Melody is the title of the songleaders in temple, and you remind me very much of them." Quote: Song of Joy in Righteousness. Now THAT was a name that stood out, wasn't it ? If only by sheer length. A priestess, then ? How interesting.
She waited until she was done her motion and was kneeling for a few seconds before she spoke, afraid to upset her if she spoke while she was still in motion. "You may rise. And you have found the right place, Song." She said, with a small smile. "And that is a very nice title to have - I am none offended."
It wouldn't be the first time a mortal had found her a name.
"Are there any deity in question that you seek ? I may be able to inform you." She continued, with a warm smile. "I myself am Music, the Voice of the Countless, but are you seeking someone in particular ?" maskedquerade "M--" Song stopped herself. From an athetist to a god in five minutes. What a wonderland of extremes. "Your name is unfamiliar," she admitted, casting her eyes down, "as we worship you as Celestial Harmonies on the Wind; I am honored to be in your presence, Voice of the Countless." She then rose, and quietly cleared her throat. "The peititon of my people is for knowledge. The guides of our society, the Eight Million Lamps of Wisdom, have disappeared from the night sky, and the Eye of Morality blazes ever more fiercely during the day. Our oracles have said that a god has died, the age has turned, and it is not wise to cling to the ways of old." Song clasped her hands in front of her. "We seek guidance and patronage in this time of strife, and offer in return service and worship." Zero Dream "That is also a lovely name - feel free to use it if you wish." Again, she was little bothered of being refered as something other than what she was. It was not the first time a mortal has named her, or given her a face that was not completly hers. That, and it was pretty.
However, trying to understand the rest of what the young lady said was almost like decoding an old, faded out text. Puzzling. Eight Million Lamps of Wisdoms in the sky ? The stars, perhaps ? Eye of Morality ? The sun ?
It kind of made her half-mortal head hurt.
"You must have come from far away..." Which sounded better than What are you talking about ? "I will offer as much guidance as I can. You say a god has died... Can you tell me which one ?"
To be true, they all had died. But it probably was not the answer she was seeking. maskedquerade Song shrugged, a gesture that was perhaps less than respectful. "I am not privy to the reasoning of our oracles, just that very recently, when the stars disappeared from the sky and the sun seemed to burn brighter and hotter, they said a god died. Well, not exactly, since I don't remember the couplets verbatim, but the balance of life or death, or positive and negative, changed overwhelmingly to negative. And that this portends a time of strife for everyone." Oracles.She screwed up her face and sighed. "That's still not right, since the word they used was very old and very imprecise, but evocative. Simplifying does a disservice to their poetry, but it saves the hourlong discussion of our ancient linguistics." There was a seed of doubt chewing on her brain, a mixed metaphor with sharp little teeth--surely a god would know when another god died, and one as important as she thought the oracles had described. Doubt is necessary for faith to be not fanaticism...Zero Dream Oh, NOW she understood. "I see what you mean now. Creation is not dead." ...At least she hoped he was not. "But, as you said, the scales tipped, and the balance was broken. This is indeed what happened - as Destruction rules, things decay."
The goddess did not look happy in the least about that. "Is is a rather complicated thing, I am afraid. We are doing our best to help out lord find balance again, and it is my hope that the damage will be reversed then..." maskedquerade But... "What are we to do, then?" Song asked, her brow wrinkled rather unprettily. "If the gods are having... issues... and excuse the presumption, Lady Music, but your tone does not bode well for the effort... what can mere mortals do?" Song fully expected a smiting. Perhaps this was what was called 'testing the boundaries'. Zero Dream Yet, the smiting never came. Instead, there was a hand, streaked in blue, a feather-soft touch that gently cupped her chin and made her look up in the goddess' own sapphire blue eyes. "What you must do is live. Hope. Smile in despise the world breaking down around you. Aid others to do so, no matter where they come from, what they look like, or how they might be. You must believe, for it will accomplish much more than you may think it can accomplish. Many a mortal eventually stopped to believe in the ages past..." She released her touch then, allowing Song her own personal space again.
"We are flawed. We have made mistakes. I will not hide behind my title and pretend otherwise. Song, we need you as much as your people need us." There was a soft smile. "Do not forget that."
Was she talking too much, revealing all of their weaknesses ? She didn't care. Passion and emotion once again overtook logic, and it wasn't like being high and mighty had worked before. In fact, it had killed them all, but one. maskedquerade While the passion of a god was mighty, it was... strangely underwhelming. Glorious and worth heeding, but it didn't make her fall to her knees in abject surrender. While her heart thrilled in direct physical contact with a god, her mind felt a strange, vague sense of pity for herself. Perhaps priests should not meet their gods; we build up such expectations."That is a worthy admonishment, Lady Music. Hope supports you when the world rusts away beneath your feet, and I would serve you in a similar capacity, if you would have me." Zero Dream "I would be more than happy to have you in my service, Song." She once again smiled, unaware of what could have been the young girl's expectations of their meeting. A deity she was, but she was nowhere near holding the power she once had... It would come, with time.
"Do you have a place to stay ?" Her mind started to race. Lien in the guest room, there was room in the aoidei's room but a lady with three boys ? Not that she doubted her servants would do anything, it just wasn't exactly privacy... And a lady needed a certain amount of privacy. Oh dear, she had no room anymore ! maskedquerade "No, Lady Music, I am a stranger in a strange land. But I can get by with the money I was given, and there are many free accomodations in this ruined city that are more genteel than some I've had." Not exactly true, but after asking the favor of being entered into a god's service, she wasn't about to beg for housing. Song smiled. "Unfortunately, my voice is best enjoyed in a large chorus, very large chorus of more highly talented individuals, but I will endeavor to perform all tasks appointed to me, and free yourself and your other attendants to more lofty tasks better suited to your natures." Cooking and cleaning will perhaps humble me enough to not blame a GOD for my own preconceptions.Zero Dream Echo simply nodded. "Just... watch out and stay safe. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." There are bad things that lurk in the dark. She remembered all too well.
"Now, now. I am sure it isn't so bad." There was a teasing smile. "But we'll see if I can find you something to do." In between the aoidei and Lien insisting she do things, there wasn't much for the goddess herself to even do. Even with Concerto gone... Most of the things that came to mind where more fitted to the boys. "Can you play any instrument ?" More curiosity than anything else - the goddess wanted to know more about the one who had just offered herself to her service.
Then, all of sudden, the goddess reached for a ringed book and started to jolt things down. Sudden bursts of inspiration would become the norm for Song if she decided to stick around. The goddess tilted her head, rereading what she had just wrote, and gave a content smile.
Apparently whacked out names where great inspiration. maskedquerade "I am familiar with the standing and lap harps, and I can set the stops on the...." Song stopped herself, and did not use the instrument's very long and less-understandable name. "The twelve-thousand-pipe organ in our holiest church for fifty-four different registrations from memory. More with the manual and some trial and error. I.." She puased respectfully, her hands clasped somewhat nervously in front of her, while the goddess wrote down whatever it was she thought of. "I was never considered for the songleader's position for any congregation." Zero Dream "Ah, yes. Harps are very lovely..." There was a longing, in her voice. It had been quite awhile since she had came across a well-crafted harp... Much too long.
"That is no problem... I teach those who are willing, but musical talent is not required of anyone. Do not feel pressured, it was merely my own curiosity." maskedquerade "I would not intrude upon your duties by requesting musical instruction," Song said, the imperceptible wiggles of sleep-deprived balance growing perceptibly larger. I will not fall on a god, or in front of a god. Song of Joy in Righteousness bowed slightly. Zero Dream "That would not be intruding." Not that there was much to intrude. Well, right now, more than usual, but they where almost ready.
"You should probably rest." Echo's voice held a touch of worry for the young one standing in front of her. "Looks like your road has been a long one to follow..." maskedquerade "Probably. I will try to find you here in perhaps a couple of days," she said. Just in case I sleep through tomorrow. "I hope that you will find my services adequate to the tasks you set before me. Please accept my apologies for my temporary absence so early in my service to you." Song bowed again, and backed away until she was no longer in line-of-sight. She quickly exited the Pantheon building, practically running away. What have I done? What am I going to do? Holy ----, that was an actual deity. One that I have practically no core competency with. One that I've practically ignored except for the required lessons. I wouldn't call it a punishment, but the irony--if it is irony--is pretty hefty.
I don't even know if the Heirarchy back home will believe me....
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:26 pm
The Musings Of A Muse It had been a few days already since Echo had went to the pantheon and met Song. Such a strange, but lovable girl - so easily overwhelmed, unlike most of the mortals she had met in this new life. Her dual perception of things did not help her any - she, in fact, had felt bad afterward for apparently being so overwhelming to the young girl... but then she realized that it had little to do about how she presented herself or how she talked. It was about what she was, and the belief the young girl had felt. Echo liked to think herself accessible and easy to talk to, in despite being a goddess. She loved mortals, loved to watch them, loved to teach them, and loved to listen to them, to see how her art evolved during the time she was gone. This evolution partly frustrated her and partly interested her in a most amazing mix of ways. Overall... she had to admit she was happy. Her art was still alive. Changed by mortal hands, but still alive. That was the most important. After all, music was rarely a single voice, or a single instrument, wasn't it ? No, music was almost always the work of a whole. It would do her good to not forget this. Maybe it was why she always felt like something was missing... The goddess tapped her pen on her notebook absentmindedly as she followed her wandering thoughts, and almost lept out of her skin when she suddenly started to hear voices from nowhere. What... ? Wait, the radio ! She's forgotten, hadn't she ? Well, a good thing she hadn't turned the odd thing off - the small buzzing sound that it made when it did not pick up anything kind of blended with the sound of her wings from her perspective, so she'd all but forgotten. So she put down her notebook in her lap, and she just listened. She could recognize Charles' voice right away. He had a very distinguishing voice, no matter if he realized it or not - a voice that was easy to listen to. How many people where actually listening to him, just like she did ? Probably more than he could imagine. Some news, then some music - Vivaldi, she recognized with a smile. After the song was done, he actually talked about her concert, giving the date and the details they had ironed out together. This made the goddess smile. She'd known and believed that the young boy would do as he had said he would, but to actually hear it in reality made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Not quite like the almost overpowering feeling of worship, but... close. "I will make you proud." She spoke softly, even if she knew he wouldn't hear her. "I promise."She listened to the whole thing, wordlessly, until the static returned - only then did she pick up her notebook from the wooden table and start her creative process anew.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:27 pm
Stage Fright Three days left. The thought simply wouldn't leave her mind. Three little days. Three little days before the big day, and, to burrow an expression from her host, it "scared her shitless". There was comfort in one thing, and it was that everything was basically ready - the songs, the scene, the seats, there just wouldn't be any last minute rush to get something done and to stress her even more than she was now. The gentle goddess was basically a silent balls of nerves, as her poor aoidei where noticing, at how she jumped at everything. If she had been feline, she would probably have found herself stuck on the ceiling a few times. And while that was quite an hilarious mental image, it couldn't quite distract her mind from what would be coming. I am a goddess. What am I afraid of ? Sometimes it was so easy to forget what she was, and the power she held, while small and probably insignificant if compared to what she once had been, was still something to behold, something not many could pull off. She was Music, this was her art, her life, basically her child. Her mastery of instruments and song was beyond what mortals could dream, and even less imagine. Alone or with others, she had created many objects, so many things... !! And she was sitting there, in her own living room, an half-mortal with a face that wasn't quite her own, a body that wasn't quite her own, rereading notes and basically shaking in place. How unbecoming, how embarrassing, if there had been anyone to see it. Thankfully, there was none. The goddess forced herself to take a few deep breaths, and it helped. A tiny bit. She was nervous and she was scared, in despite of how many things had gone right recently, of how many small victories she had scored over her own fear of rejection This would be the ultimate test, and it seemed like an earth-shattering thing. Do or die, make or break. If she failed this, how could she pretend to be what her heart knew that she was, but what her mind sometimes needed convincing ? No, as a matter of fact, if this failed, she could not. And perhaps that was the most worrying part. But she couldn't give up, not there and now. She couldn't in good mind give up and still think of herself as what she truly was. No matter the fear, the nervosity, and everything else, she had to do this. She had to do something, and this was what she could do. Que sera sera. She would keep on going. She would do this, she had to do this, had to. Maybe if she kept telling herself that, she could convince herself that everything would be okay...
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:27 pm
I'll sing for you
If you want me to
I'll give to you
And it's a chance I'll have to take
And it's a chance I'll have to break
-- "Luna" - Smashing Pumpkins The Big Day / Make Or Break, Rise Or Fall. Today was the day. It was still a good half-hour before the concert would start, and Echo was already hiding behind the scene, re-reading her notes almost obsessively. She had taken a peek in between the two heavy sheets that hid her presence, and felt her heart skip a few beats as she had scurried back. There where so many here - men, women, children... Much, much more people than she had expected would come. It did not help. In fact, it only made her so much nervous. The goddess seemed to finally notice that she had been pacing in a circle while reading her notes, and forced herself to stop. Wearing a circle into the hard wood floor would do her no good, so she forced herself to sit in one of the nearby chair, and set the notebook on the table. She was downright gorgeous on that day, with her favorite robes and her hair nearly combed and brought up on the side in loops - she had initially wanted Nergal to do her hair, but he had been nowhere to be found when she had looked for him. She had no doubt he was probably somewhere around right now, but waiting would have set her late. She fidgeted with the clasps holding her sleeves in place, and forced herself to think. The bad part was to get started. After all, it had almost always been like she altogether forgot that she had others listening to her. Hopefully it would be like that... Who knows, maybe one day she would look back to this and laugh at how silly it would have been, in retrospect, to have felt like such a tightly knotted ball of nerves. Right now all she wanted was to flee and get a nice cup of tea... But then she saw Alto step in. It was time. A wordless pat on the shoulder and a nod was all that was exchanged, as she slid her guitar on her back and took the few steps that separated her form the thick blue curtain. The goddess hesitated for a moment, a blue-spotted hand on the cloth, but then she closed her eyes and crossed. When she came in sight, the crowd mostly quieted The scene was mostly bare, save for a microphone and a stool. But then, she hadn't really had time for flashy sets - and she probably wouldn't have wanted one, anyway. The songstress took the few steps that separated her from the two items, and one hand rested on the microphone. "First of all... I would like to thank each and every one of you for being here today. It means a whole lot to me, to see so many people gathered here." Now that she could see more, she could notice that they had ran out of seats, and that some where gathered on the side. "This will be my first time on stage, I need to admit. But I do not want this day to be important only to me. I want this day to be important to each and every one of you, no matter who you are, what you are, or where you may come from. I want to use this moment so that we may realize that even if things seems to be going wrong, we all need to keep going. I may not be able to bring back what some of you have lost, or set things right - but if I can make you all smile... I think I may have found what I was looking for."Silence, for a moment. The crowd waited. Echo knew what she had to do, snapped off her sleeves and let them fall on the wood, revealing the long, black gloves underneath and closed her eyes - tried to forget they where there at all. Her voice, when it came, was similar to her speaking voice, of course, but more controlled. Pure like crystal, enticing in her words. She would start with the very song she had written on this scene. There was only one instrument to accompany her - her own guitar. "If I could have nothing else but you
It would be fine, really, really
Because you're all a need
As long as I have you
I can shine like the brightest star...
If you need to cry, cry
If you need to laugh, laugh..
Never fear, beloved, never fear
I will be there when you need me
A single, bright star..."She finally worked the nerve to open her eyes again, but she barely noticed. The goddess was gone, in her little "trance" of short, where all that mattered was the right note at the right time, the right intonation on the right word. She barely even remembered where he was, but she didn't care. The crowd had grown completely silent. Her fingers danced across the guitar with an ease that could have only come from years of practice... or from a goddess. "No matter where you go
Or how long you are gone
No matter if you go to the end of the world and back
I will be where when you need me....
The brightest star that guides your way home.
If you need to cry, cry
If you need to laugh, laugh..
Never fear, beloved, never fear
I will be there when you need me
A single, bright star..."The goddess then went silent for a moment, concentrating on the cords of her blue instrument. She had chosen a slow, rhythmic theme for this song, and she stuck to it - mostly the same notes repeated trough the whole song, but now that she let the instrument shine on it's own, the tune gets a bit more deep and complex. The transition is every natural and visibly oh-so-easy for her to pull off, and while she doesn't notice it, her crowd seems impressed indeed. She also hadn't noticed, but some had started to sing the chorus along with her... "Let me be the one you turn to
When everything is crumbling around you
When everything seems to break
I will be there for you, forever and ever
To make everything right again.
If you need to cry, cry
If you need to laugh, laugh..
Never fear, beloved, never fear
I will be there when you need me
A single, bright star...
Let me be your brightest, shining star
When you cannot find your way back home...And then the first song was done. Her "trance" faded, and she tried to hide her surprise as a monster round of applause erupted from the audience. They where smiling, they where screaming, they where happy - and most of all, the flickers of adoration and faith. It felt like little buzzes of electricity coursing trough her - only not as unpleasant as it could sound. It was in fact, very pleasant indeed - almost euphoric. And at that moment, she knew. Whenever she would doubt herself, all she would have to do was to look back to this very moment, and remember. She had a power, her most important one - the power to move hearts. The power to create emotion. And for an half-mortal deity, that fact, this proof even her insecurities could not deny, was world shattering. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The rest of the concert was mostly made of instrumentals, with only one other song with lyrics. She had some more planned, but they weren't quite tweaked to the extent that she would feel comfortable singing them in front of a crowd that did not dwell in her house in a regular basis. But then, maybe it was better this way. The more time passed, the less that she slipped into her "trance" to hide - and the more she was aware of her public. She could feel - happiness, sadness, depending on what she played and how it influenced the mass of mortal in front of her. Some few even made up words to go with the tune, some more actually hummed them - and somehow she could hear them, feel them. She liked what she heard, how some might even walk out with a new outlook on life. Perhaps, if her father was confined, he could live on trough her, if only for an instant, to influence the mortals in front of her to create a new life for themselves, new hopes and dreams. And if she achieved that... Well, it was the best she could have aimed for. Time passed, and afternoon turned to evening as Echo gave one last note of her flute. Again, the crowd went wild. They asked for even more, but she had nothing more to give. She was, in fact, a bit tired. "Again, thank you all for coming here tonight ! But, I fear this is all I have - for now, at the very least. I definitively plan to do this again." The crowd went even wilder, and she had to pause for a moment. "But for now, I bid you all farewell !"And that was it. The afternoon that had seemed to impossible to pull off before was over. Some left, some other came, chatted with her, some even asked for autographs (good thing she had taken the time to research those things !) All that in mind, it took around another hour before they all had left. All but one, that is...
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:28 pm
Followers DO Pop Up When You Expect Them The Least Dear lord, was she ever so tired now - anyone who said that sitting there singing and playing various instruments was definitively wrong as far as she was concerned. She had been heading to help the aoidei cart of the equipment when a voice caught her attention - voice belonging to a rather tiny lady that she hadn't noticed the presence of all along. "Miss Echo !"The voice was unmistakable, and the goddess turned, a smile on her face. "Melody ! I didn't think you where here !" Her voice had the tone of someone who had been pleasantly surprised. "It's all okay. The tall people probably hid me." The mouse girl said with a giggle, hand moving to keep her tiny pet mouse, that had peeked out of one of her pocket, from running off. "Am I bothering you ? I wanted to drop by sooner, but again, the tall people...""Oh, no, it's allright. Come, sit a while." Echo motioned Melody to the stage, and helped her up. While the height could easily made her look like a small child - mouse anthros tended to be small, she figured, from her father - she was much older than that. Somewhere in her late teens, she had gathered. Speaking about that... "How is your father ?The sadness that flashed in the mousegirl's eyes made her regret bring that subject up. "He got very ill a few weeks after we did the caroling. He died back in april... Cancer, the doctors said.""Oh, dear..." The sadness and guilt on Echo's face was impossible to miss, even in the dim light. "I am so sorry, dear...""It's okay." She let her straw hat fall on her back, held secure by the cord, and gave a small smile. "I am sure that he's happy you thought of him, if he's watching us."If he's watching us... The goddess did not have the heart to tell the poor girl that her father's soul was probably wandering, restless among the endless others claimed by the age of destruction. "He was such a kind man, how could I forgive him ? How have you been, then ?""I've been living with a friend of mine." After all, Echo clearly knew that her father had been the only family the mousegirl had left. "Well... my boyfriend, really." Her face reddened a bit as the goddess perked in interest. "You'll get a kick out of this... he's a catboy."Echo couldn't help it. She laughed. "Irony at its finest, I see. You'll have to introduce me to him one of those day. So, how did you like the whole thing ?""It was AMAZING !" The small girl answered with wide eyes. "The first song, I loved it ! And you can play so many instruments, it's so amazing ! How do you do it ?!""Well... You could say I have a secret, dear." The goddess answered, and it was her turn to watch the small one perk. "I always knew there was something about you." Melody peered. "Can you tell me ?"At any other time, in any other day before this one, she would have hesitated. She would have said no, probably. But now ? Echo simply bent sideways, to whisper a few words in her delicate ears. The mousegirl's eyes widened. "Really ?! Dad was right then !""What do you mean, dear ?" Echo couldn't help but blink. "He always said there was a spark of divinity around you. Not quite a whole, but something powerful enough. One of the freshly reborn gods the rumors talk about. We Nezumi can tell those things, at least most of them. Im not really good at it, but... I always knew there was something special about you, all the same..."Melody let herself slide off the stage, then, turning to face Echo and bowing. This caused the goddess to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Why are you bowing, dear ?""One must show respect to the true gods, miss Echo" She looked up then. "I... I've been looking for you, ever since one year ago, to figure out if what dad said was true. Now I know, and I do what he had wanted to ask in his stead where he cannot, and what I had planned to do - I... I am not sure if there are formalities for all this, but... I wish to follow you."Of course. The flame of devotion was strong in her, almost as strong as it had been in Song. "I am afraid I have no flashy ritual for you, at least not yet, but... I would be most glad. You do not have to ask me - what you need to do is believe.""Believe..." It made sense. She could do that. She wondered if she could ask or not, but then... Echo was a goddess - but she was still her friend also, no ? "I... Do you think you could teach me how to play a flute ? I always wanted to learn, but dad never could pay for the instrument and..." Her face, once again grew red. "I don't think I can find a better teacher anyway, so..."Echo only smiled, letting herself fall on her feet and giving the small girl a hand to help her up. "Tell me whenever you are ready to start, dear.""Really ?!" The mousegirl let out an happy squeeing sound. "Thank you, miss Echo !""Come now, it's getting way too dark - the boys and I will walk you home." There was no way she would let the small one walk her way home alone, no... Even if the spark of belief hadn't been birthed in her, she would have still been precious to the goddess' heart. Only now, she was even more so.
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