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 Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:09 pm
Raine left, but Tousled's mood did not improve much, and she didn’t hear Chase’s quiet whisper, because the old wound that the other Deep Woods had unintentionally opened kept bleeding rage and sadness into her, and now despair was slowly working its way into the mix, dulling all of her senses as it came. Though Chase's presence had momentarily calmed her before, now it somehow just seemed to make everything worse: Having lost his reassuring whisper in the chaotic hubbub inside her own head, how much evidence did she have that he didn't, in fact, think like Raine? Could she even be sure that he had actually offered her support, just now? She might just as well have imagined his slight change of inflection. But what was even worse, was that she had definitely showed some very bad behaviour in her anger – snapping at and coldly turning her back on someone who, to an outsider, would only seem to try to be helpful. The fact was that she actually didn’t want to know what the Shadow could be thinking about her right now.
What made the situation even more desperate was that she had heard Birch, talking cheerfully to Fjord seemingly only a wingspan behind her, and then suddenly fall silent. And then there had been another male, one she didn't recognise, also trying to strike up a conversation. Suddenly there seemed to be people everywhere, and she felt as though the weight of their collected gazes was slowly pressing the air out of her lungs. What had they seen? What had they heard? Were they exchanging glances behind her back, frowning disapprovingly at her rigid form? And what would Birch soon get to hear about how his ‘friend’ behaved herself in the company of others? An unpleasantly familiar buzzing started up somewhere in the back of her head. She wanted to screech, she wanted to shred something, and she wanted to run away and never, ever come back again, all at the same time, but she did neither. She did what she had always done: She sat perfectly still and wished that Noctus would - just this once - grant her invisibility.
The only thing that betrayed the severely ruffled little female’s high-strung emotions was her feathers, some of which had come to stand straight out from her body and were quivering like taut string in a high gale.
Then Chase’s voice suddenly cut through her panicked haze, quiet and confidential right next to her ear, and already at his very first words her yellow eyes slid shut in relief. He wasn’t judging her. He wasn’t berating her. He wasn’t trying to ‘help’ her. He was supporting her, and she clung desperately on to his gentle sympathy while his quiet voice slowly eroded her rage and despair. Her feathers slowly sank back and her posture slackened, even starting to droop a little as only the sadness remained – profound, surely, but without any painful edge to it anymore. Chase might claim that he couldn’t understand what her life had been like, but he probably had a better grasp of it than most others, and to find this empathy in a sentinel that she had hardly even talked to was so utterly unexpected that she was moved beyond gratefulness.
She remained still with her eyes closed even as the Shadow turned and spoke to the others in a cheerful tone, still trying to get her bearings back and gather up something of her usual self. Taking a deep breath, she finally looked up and gave the blue-eyed Shadow a quick glance that hopefully conveyed something of the gratefulness that she felt, but as she looked back out at the theatre and let that breath out again, some little thorn that had apparently still been nagging at her heart came loose and shaped itself into words.
“I will not stop preening,” she mumbled, and her tiny voice might have passed completely unnoticed in the general din, if not Char had chosen that very moment to silence the crowd with a stern “Hr-rrrm!” In clear violation of the venerable old bird’s express wish and in spite of herself, Tousled carried on mumbling into the silence – Char probably couldn’t hear it, thankfully, but she really had no idea of how many in the small crowd stood close enough to discern her words:
“I know I look haphazard and abnormal and all that, but I don’t see why that should mean that I would have to give up on trying to look my best. It takes me… a lot… of work… to look even nearly as good as everyone else does on one of their very worst days, but it’s still better than the alternative, and I don’t see why, just because it might make me an easier target to some, I should just give up on ever even trying to look pre… presentable. It’s not like they would not notice me if I didn’t.”
She nervously turned her head almost all the way around, not even noticing that she instinctively began to preen the wing that ended up under her beak, in the very same movement. Hopefully, none other than Chase had heard her – she would hate to have to try to explain herself and she really didn’t want to accidentally start up the exact same situation again now that it had finally been averted.
Maybe it would be better if she just left. Her eyes sought Birch’s almost beseechingly, terrified of what she could possibly find in them - of pity or disappointment.
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Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 7:52 pm
"A pleasure, Chase, and good to see you here, too. I do hope you have enjoyed your time here thusfar?" It took him a moment, but Fjord did lift himself from his odd, submissive stance. He did not know Tousled well and he had not been there for the durance of the argument, but he found himself somewhat fearing what the scruffy female might of been capable of, had she not controled her emotions so well.
His feathers were still slick against his frame, but he slowly relaxed as he spoke.
He then turned his attention to Birch, hooting softly. "You really think so?"
Sequoia's question did not go completely unnoticed, but the bard had his attention so transfixed on Tousled, Chase, and Raine, that he could not recall exactly what the brightly hued male had asked.
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:42 pm
”Yes, yes,” Birch said absentmindedly to Fjord, but with most of his attention focused on Tousled, “It’s nice to hear newer stories told too.”
He forced himself to look back at Fjord and smile, “Some bard’s are swearing by the old classics, but we need to conserve the history that is made every night.”
The newly arrived dyed male was greeted with a nod and a friendly grin that didn’t seem to quite reach Birch’s eyes, and then the bard found himself looking at Tousled again. He could see that she was very upset, but having missed everything that lead to this situation, he had no clue why. At first he wondered if the Shadow had threatened her in any way, and he returned the males nod stiffly; ready to step forward if he put as much as a feather out of line. Since she seemed to calm down - at least a little bit - when the male talked to her, Birch relaxed somewhat from his aggressive stance, but was still alert and uneasy.
It was barely more than a murmur, but in his tense and attentive state Birch managed to catch bits and pieces of Tousled’s mumbled defence speech. He still didn’t understand the situation completely, but he was worried about his friend. She shouldn’t have to feel bad, not about her feathers or about what someone might have said or done to create this situation.
The look she gave him did nothing to calm Birch, and he resolutely moved forward to position himself at Tousled’s side. His chosen perch was perhaps a bit closer than what was polite, but he wanted her to feel his presence and hopefully be calmed by it. He supposed it might make her feel uncomfortable to suddenly be sitting between two larger males, and the disturbance in the audience would surely upset Char who seemed eager for everyone to quiet down already, but Birch didn’t care right now. Still, he made an effort to relax into the least intimidating pose he could manage for Tousled’s sake.
“Please don’t fly away,” he said quietly, reaching out to try to reassure her with a very brief preening, “Let’s listen to the story together.”
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:02 pm
Sequoia was glad that no conflict arose other than what seemed to be underneath ones nerves, and could clearly note that though the source of the tension left, the thick, stifling air that unnerved Sequoia’s sensitive composure did not. It seemed this was something best resolved among friends and though Sequoia only came to stop anything more from feeding the fire between the Sentinel’s eyes, he lost his purpose afterwards. He was a stranger amongst a group of strangers he did not know and not part of the tiny clan he walked up to, was only as much as the audience looking in as they were to the ones on stage.
Speaking of which, he turned his attention to Char, who was waiting with annoyance he could see clearly even from where he was perched in the stands, and felt himself not being polite and being rude to the potential teacher who had invited him. Purpose reminded, he made a nod to the group, showing he would leave them be. He really didn’t have any questions that couldn’t be already answered when he met up with Char and only used the excuse in hopes it would break the tension and return everyone’s focus to something else. More civil, kinder things.
Stepping away, he eyed Fjord and let a tremor of hidden desire pass by them. To talk to him, about his play, and see if he could somehow pluck the meaning from his story from his eyes. Looking away, he returned to his previous spot and sat alone with eyes upon the stage. Reflecting on the previous play, he still felt reminiscing tremors assault his insides, twisting organs and making every bit of marrow feel heavy with a weight, as if a pile of crafter stones where upon his breast. Breathing deep, he sought salvation in looking at Char and watching what play he would present, occupying the gears of his mind, who where already moving down a dark alley of memory lane that he had trekked so many times that the path was clear and beaten in thought. His dark muse that incurred him to poetry, words and lyrics coming from a bleeding heart. It was the only thing to salvage his sanity to try and not think about it.
Silent, he watched for the play from his present teacher.
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:54 am
At Char’s irritated sound, Chase’s eartufts dropped brusquely as the shadow looked around for the source of the noise, only to find the older bard staring at the group. Feeling like a scolded fledgling, he shrunk on the branch and even though Fjord’s words brought a small smile to his face, the other males’ reactions made him slightly uneasy. The male with colorful dye job moved away from them and for a moment Birch looked like he was about to lunge at him. Dear… did the bard think he was the source of Tousled’s distress?
“I will not stop preening” Tousled said and Chase couldn’t help but grin a little at the defiant statement even if his expression quickly turned sour as she continued her quiet outburst. He didn’t like to think of the pain she had been forced to endure.
As Birch positioned himself next to the deep woods female, Chase took a small step away from them, wondering if she’d feel more comfortable alone with her friend.
“I enjoyed the performances, yes.” Chase whispered as he turned on the branch to face Char directly. He had almost forgotten about the previous encounter with the dark martes as Tousled’s current state seemed to worry him more than anything at the moment.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:34 am
(( I guess it's my turn, then. Tell me if I got it wrong. ))
Char fixed his gaze on Sequoia soberly for a moment, and let the malice fade from his expression. Blank-faced, he stared at the audience as if they were strangers, waiting in silence for some unknown signal.
And then, with hardly a flickering of his gray-patched a frayed feathers, he lifted his wings, leaned forward conspiratorially and in a low, sweet voice began the overture of his story with the air of telling a great and wonderful secret.
"Now, I will tell you this tale, of the beast of the sky, and the great hero who saw him and beat him and lived. Though you'll not believe me, I tell you, no lies, it's truth is as tall as the trees, and as wide as the sky." Char began, voice cadenced oddly, tone excited, but pitched low, so that you had to be listening to hear his words, though they were perfectly audible. This was a traditional way to begin stories, and heralded a teaching tale's beginning.
"The forest is mighty and reaches far, and many live within her, but there once was a place where the trees would not grow, a wide place of Open was cut across the world where nothing but grass lived. None dared cross it, for some had tried, and none had lived...but you could look across and sometimes see Sentinels on the other side, moving about. They called it..." Char hushed his tone further, pausing, to take a breath and cup lifted wings foreward, as if enticing his listeners closer to prevent imaginary eavesdroppers, accenting the mysterious terror of his next words, "...the scar."
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:31 pm
At that moment, when Birch's expression shifted into clear worry and he came over to sit next to her, Tousled could have bit him. She didn't, of course, because that would have been seen as an act of agression, and aggression was really the furthest thing from her mind right then. It was just that she felt so moved, and so - almost frighteningly - happy, that she had to wrestle with a sudden, desperate urge to pin him down, hold him fast, and make sure that he would never leave her side ever again.
Of course, neither biting nor trying to put her claw through his foot would help to accomplish that, so she did neither.
As it was, she simply closed her eyes and submitted to his quick but gentle preening with a tiny sigh of relief - that really said nothing about what she was really feeling. First Chase's unexpected kindness and now this: She was quite overwhelmed by all this acceptance and sympathy, even to the point of feeling a little bit guilty: Did she really deserve that kind of support after her rudely cold and aggressive behaviour towards Raine, just now?
But she felt so safe between these two good-hearted males (even though she barely knew Chase, she felt that she knew him good enough already), and she did so admire Char as a storyteller... but most of all, there was no way that she could possibly deny anything that Birch might ask of her in this moment.
The ruffled little female looked up at her bard friend with bright eyes and a shy, but very warm smile, and whispered the only words that she could reasonably say:
"Okay. I'll stay."
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:36 pm
Fjord shifted uncomfortably as he settled to listen to Char's tale.
He would, as always, listen and take note. The aberrant was incredibly self concious and, although at times he would behave like a clown before the older bard, took what the old sentinel said to heart.
He felt like a stranger in this group. For the most part, he was. He had only just joined the troupe of bards and hardly knew Birch, although he did look up to the sentinel a great deal.
He knew Chase, but only from a brief encounter.
He did not know the pretty and brightly painted male called Sequoia.
Tousled was new to him, although he had seen her around Birch on more than one occasion.
On top of that, through this entire encounter he could tell that something was deeply unnerving the female, but he was at a loss for what to do or say. Birch and Chase seemed to have the situation under control, which was great. If he had to do or say something to comfort her, he was sure he would fail miserably.
Was it not he who was saying that the fledglings needed to fear the Above, not long ago? He mused quietly and shook his head.
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Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:11 pm
Tousled's tiny smile somehow made everything feel better. As Birch calmed down, his breathing also started to slow down to a more normal rate. He had been ready to fight and it scared him just a little bit since violence was not his usual response to... anything. However, he knew he was probably capable of hurting others, mainly because of his size. And as his mother would say responsibility had to go with strength and size. Come to think of it, CloudChaser might not even have done anything wrong and while he still felt suspicious towards the other male an apology might be in order later.
Never mind that, Tousled was smiling and seemed to be in better spirits than before. Birch found himself wanting to see that elusive smile more often. He was starting to plot silly things to do to trick her into smiling, but Char's story interrupted his chain of thought and a pleasant chill ran down his spine. Oh, this was going to be good.
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Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:42 pm
Sequoia was casting sideway glances between the group, noticing the and picking up between the unspoken Dialogue.
These heated flames that boil our blood, pull away from the heart and leave it cold, chilling bonds. Swift winter takes over kindness and words turn to an icicle’s edge. Who weeps for kindness lost? Or cheers for those heroes dressed in friendship’s plumage who salvage the lost from their fury?
Now, I will tell you this tale, of the beast of the sky,…” Sequoia’s attention was quick to flash on stage and he felt his heart both leap up before diving down to rest somewhere below him. Again with the sky. His eyes flashed as he watched Char and felt a sinking feeling that in Char’s great delivery in his story, he would make it even more painful through it’s progression. And why this story of all days? Char had insisted he come today, but he was feeling somewhat unnerved on the subject matter of both Fjord’s and Char’s stories. He was not family with the set up of this Theater and could not venture to know whether they did stories each day based on a central theme but he knew that today was not the day for him to arrive.
What was worse yet was that while Fjord’s story had at least been correct in telling everyone that there where no survivors when you dared to challenge the sky, Char’s story was clear in saying that there was a hero that lived. A hero? There are no hero’s to that beast. They die and only leave cowards and traitors, liars and deceivers to rest in the safety of the word below. There is no victories in their wake and this story will not, should not have it. To tell tails of fantasy to children…..he should know better. Sequoia thought, sinking into his feathers. He felt withered with this story already and wondered if he’d wither in similar fashion to a tree, dieing perched here as his feathers fell. Falling down with the rest of me……Remember the feathers on the ground that rested, the last signs of a struggle that went missed?
His breathing hitched at the thought. Beautiful amber feathers that floated with life, as if they possessed the same ambitions and curiosity than the owner as they floated on a breeze, getting caught on leaves and branches. So many feathers.
Sequoia’s eyes sought out Char’s, but from the stands, he could not make the contact that would be enough to silently send his message. To ask. What was Char up to? Why did he insist he come today when he was giving this performance? Did he not know what cruelty he was meeting to have such stories sung in his presence? If he knew, why speak them? He knew the lessons well? Spoke them fluently and felt the effects better than any in the audience! You could preach upon a perch but there where no words to express the aftereffects of such a tragedy and no one could understand such a way of living when death brushed it’s course feathers against you. They where deaf in their views of secured life!
Sequoia made a promise to be here, to met his teacher and to watch his performance, but each breath made him sore.
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Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:59 pm
The tone, the rhythm, the voice, the balance, the stance… all these things revealed the experience of the older story-teller. Tousled’s small smile seemed to give the shadow both relief and concern. At first he was relived enough to suddenly give Char his full attention (hardly a feat considering how enticing the performance started as) but he was quickly haunted by creeping thoughts as he discretely glanced over to the side. It had only taken a few words from Birch to make the ruffled female smile and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more than friendship between the two. Maybe that was the reason Birch seemed so angry, perhaps he was interfering with a… couple. Was he misinterpreting things? Was it prejudicial of him to not even consider the possibly that Tousled might already be committed? He’d never seen one without the other and though they were obviously of different types, there seemed to be a booming increase in mixed-type pairings lately…
After convincing himself that Tousled’s mate had the situation under control, Chase hopped swiftly to the side and took a space between Fjord and Sequoia, sitting a bit closer to the aberrant but nonetheless trying to silently acknowledge the presence of the two. He immediately regretted his decision as he didn’t feel completely comfortable with the idea of leaving the female’s side so suddenly. But it would seem silly to go back now so he kept one eye on Tousled just in case she looked around, ready to give her a reassuring nod or smile, while keeping his other eye on the captivating words of the performing bard.
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