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 Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:17 pm
Casia sat on a park bench, feeling peaceful as her foggy breath floated into the air, but mostly feeling cold. She liked cold weather, yes, but from a vantage point of a mound of blankets, preferably with a steaming mug of hot chocolate next to her. Outside it was nice too, but it got too cold too fast. She narrowed her eyes. Winter was not going to get the best of her, and she was not going to spend her time cooped up in her room at Jane's house. She was going to be healthy and rad and going to get natural sunlight at least once a day. Maybe more.
Anyway, the cold felt soothing at the same time, numbing her thoughts and relaxing her. Casia let out a sigh to watch the steam blow away from it and gave a distracted little smile. Nature was good at distractions, and taking a moment to chill, no pun intended, suited the siren right down to the ground. More and more often these days she found that she had a lot on her mind. She appreciated it when things seemed a tiny bit simpler, even if it was because she was too busy mentally grumbling at the weather.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:52 pm
Devakanya was strolling through the day old snow, ears tipped just so to enjoy the little crunches the flakes made under her boots. The unicorn was bundled up from head to toe; Alexander had taken great care to make sure his charge was kept nice and warm (and fashionable!) this winter. He wasn't really sure what her former guardian did for her, but from what he understood, the living arrangements went downhill rapidly when the man took ill. Captain Vega would certainly do much better for the lass. (And make sure she looked well, to boot!)
Devakanya tugged the black suede jacket around her tightly, gloved hands finding their way into her pockets as she wandered down the path. She took the same way every day. She enjoyed the park scenery and didn't really see the need to change it up. She'd never seen the girl down yonder before, though. She looked cold. Tipping her head to one side, the unicorn approached slowly, cautiously, and finally, nodded to the winged girl. There was little else she could do, with no words at her disposal. She'd have to try asking a little bit later.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:16 pm
It took Casia a moment to notice the girl, and a moment more to notice the girl was addressing her. She was good looking, refined and delicate in a way that made the siren feel faintly envious. A small, rather irritable part of her wondered what a fashionable chick like that would want to do with a siren dressed in dated threads with a hairstyle that looked like it came out of her mother's teen magazines. However, the irritable, sarcastic part was overruled by the rest of her, which chose to nod back politely. She could say hello to people just as well as any popular girl could, after all.
But the girl didn't stop, she seemed to be approaching her and Casia tensed, just in case she actually wasn't to be trusted. She took a moment to watch the other child and relaxed slightly. The way the girl walked, that wasn't the way the person she had initially imagined her to be would. This girl seemed nervous too, and the siren felt a smidge more at ease for it, shaking her head imperceptibly. She was acting paranoid and stupid, and she couldn't let herself keep acting like that. Remember what Merroth said? False Alarm! Aloud, she said "You can sit down if you'd like," and made room on the bench, smiling tentatively.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:32 pm
Popular? Casia had it all wrong. If the siren was sharp, she'd pick up on the unicorn's distinct lack of voice quickly. If not? This was only going to become more awkward until one of the girls cracked. However, Devakanya did not read thoughts, so she simply chanced a tiny smile and sat down on the bench. She crossed her ankles and folded her hands in her lap, waiting to be addressed further. When she realized it was up to her to continue the conversation, she chewed her lip and just thought for a few moments.
After a bit, Devakanya shifted to face Casia and offered her hand to shake, like her father....wait, no. Zack was her father, dead or not. Alex was her guardian, and while she had finally come to accept him, the little unicorn was fairly certain she never wanted to replace the memory of her father. (It never occurred to her it might be okay to address them both at such.) We digress, however. Devakanya offered her hand to shake like she had seen Alex do whenever he met someone new, and pointed to the silver necklace around her neck. In the center was a single charm, a heart with 'Devakanya' engraved. She inclined her head to Casia.
And you?
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:54 pm
Casia blinked, surprised. Her second thoughts about the girl from the way she walked had been right. She was dressed sharply, but she wasn't one of those types of girls at all.
Or at least she isn't ACTING like she is. her siren thoughts interjected suspiciously before settling down for a nice lurk at the bottom of her mind. Casia frowned, more at herself than the girl. Reaching her hand out cautiously, she gave the stranger's hand a loose shake and nodded again. "Devakanya?" she said, peering at the locket. For some reason, whether it was physical disability or personal preference, Devakanya didn't seem too keen on talking. Casia could understand that well enough and gave her a slightly less hesitant grin. "That's pretty. I'm Casia." She paused, wondering what one said next in a conversation that looked like it was going to be one sided. Finally, she decided that you couldn't go wrong with a yes or no question and asked "Do you like music?"
It wasn't brilliant, but it'd do.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:01 pm
Devakanya nodded enthusiastically when Casia picked up her little game. It wasn't something that should excite her so much, really, but these days, the unicorn took what she could get. All she could do was nod to illustrate she understood, really. It wasn't like she could echo Casia's name any place other than her head. It would be strange, if other people could hear her thoughts, but not an entirely unwelcome idea. It would certainly make communicating much easier, and she wouldn't feel like such an idiot flapping her hands all over the place.
That aside, though. Music? The unicorn nodded again, risking a shy smile. Zach had always been a big fan of music, her father hardly ever took of his head phones. He had introduced her to music, he had started to teach her to play the keyboard, so had Harper, but now they were both gone. Alex never knew. She didn't get to play anymore, and all Alex listened to was classical. She still liked it, though. She liked sound. She liked being able to make sound.
The girl inclined her head towards Casia, waiting for the conversation to continue.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:11 am
"Groovy!" Casia said, glad to meet another music lover. She didn't know where to go from there, though. She didn't know how good at charades Devakanya was and this conversation was going to be all over the place with only yes and no questions, so Casia made a stab at come tougher challenges. "What music do you like?" she asked, desperately trying to think of the different types Jane and Anna had played. "Rock n' roll? Classical? Pop? Showtunes?" She bit her lip. There were more, she suspected, but her grasp of genres was sort of shaky. "Um... Other? Maybe? I'm a fan of rock n' roll, the energy there is really boss."
Despite herself, Casia was having fun. This was a challenge, and she didn't think she was doing half bad. A part of her mind was still wary, but whether this conversation was something she'd regret later or not, at least it was interesting.
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:43 pm
Groovy? Devakanya blinked and tipped her head. She hadn't heard that one before, but Casia's tone and general demeanor lead her to believe it was probably a good thing. She'd have to try and ask Alex about it later. The unicorn shook her head and flicked one ear towards Casia, making sure to listen closely. Lists! Ahh, lists. She could manage lists!
Once the siren stopped, Devakanya held up a hand and signed two and four. She had always wanted to try and sing along, but the best she could do was pretend she was playing a piano. Alex didn't know she knew how; she didn't have one to play anymore. But maybe Casia would understand. After a moment of thought, the unicorn rearranged herself like she was sitting at a grand piano and began to play a grand song, flipping the invisible page every now and then. She stopped and looked over at Casia, offering a smile.
She knew how to play, see?
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:24 pm
Casia tried briefly to remember the list's contents in order, and nodded as it came back to her. "I haven't heard much classical," she admitted sheepishly, "But I like showtunes a lot." The Beatles had covered and made a few, and she had listened avidly, not to mention she had been making her way through Jane's collection of them when she was bored at home. "Yellow Submarine is good." she noted, naming an old favourite of hers. She hadn't watched it since Anna had left, but it had good memories. Good vibes.
Casia frowned and looked at the gesture, copying it to try to figure out what it meant. "Um..." she said hesitantly. "Organ? Piano?" Keres played piano, so Casia was sort of familiar with how it looked. "Do you play?" she chanced.
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 4:57 am
Devakanya nodded. She understood. Most kids her age didn't listen to classical, but that was basically all her guardian kept in the house. (Honestly, pirates did not listen to rock-n-roll. Or ex-pirates. GENTLEMEN.) On the rare occasion Alex allowed her to pick a CD of her own, it was unlikely Devi would pick anything too wild herself. She didn't like anything loud; what she really enjoyed were winds and strings. And piano, but that was mostly because she knew how to play. Speaking of.
The unicorn nodded enthusiastically when Casia guessed correctly, holding up two fingers. She didn't own one, and she hadn't played for a while, but sometimes she still liked to pretend she was practicing. Maybe one day Alex would get it. (Honestly. Men. Subtlety was not their thing.) Especially if Casia guessed so quickly, maybe there was hope. The unicorn tapped her chin softly, and then she made the same piano motions as before. After a moment, she started playing the air guitar, and pointed at Casia.
What did she play?
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:17 pm
Casia grinned. "That's cool! I know someone who plays the piano too." The air guitar was more recognizable to the Beatles fan and Casia clapped her hands together, eagerly saying "Guitar! You play? Is it a normal or an electric one?" Guitars were the height of cool to the siren and she looked at Devakanya with a newfound respect.
"Me?" Casia shook her head. "I don't play an instrument. I sing." Not often as she'd like, though. She liked to show off, and loved praise even more, but she had trouble singing to people. Something about the way they listened made her afraid, and she didn't know what. She liked to sing, and she liked people to like her singing, but it wasn't often that she felt really comfortable singing to even a small audience. "I get stage fright pretty easily though. If you can call it that. Dunno why." She looked vaguely embarrassed. Whoever heard of a siren getting stage fright?
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:12 am
Okay, so she only kind of knew how to play guitar. Zack was teaching her before he got sick. He was really, really good at himself, and he sang his own songs and everything. Oh, wait. Had Casia asked her something. Devakanya held up one finger. Zack said you had to get really good at an acoustic guitar before you could start trying anything fancy. Devakanya tipped her head sideways. Zack could sing and play. Couldn't Casia?
But that was beside the point. Why was she so shy? Devi flicked an ear and patted the seat before pointing to herself. The signs were much more vague than the act of playing an instrument, but Devakanya had never sang and didn't know how to make it into an action. Instead, she just used what she could for 'here' and for 'me'. Think further, she then pointed to her mouth and shook her head. She wouldn't be able to say anything, so Casia shouldn't be afraid of her!
She pointed to Casia, nodded, and smiled.
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Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:28 pm
Okay, so an acoustic guitar was slightly less cool, but still ranked pretty high on the siren's personal groovy scale. "I'd love to hear it sometime." Casia said earnestly. "It sounds really rad."
She narrowed her eyes perplexedly as the other girl made some complicated signs in the air, but it was soon clear what Devakanya wanted her to do. Despite her self-professed shyness, Casia didn't need much coaxing. After all, the girl probably really couldn't talk and she liked music. Plus it was only an audience of one, so if she sang quietly no one else would hear. But still... She looked around the park suspiciously. She didn't want to attract any strangers to them or anything. She had never really sung in such a public place before and she clenched her fists nervously. "Okay... Um." Showtunes. If she was going to sing something, it'd have to be showtunes. She knew one the Beatles had covered that she had liked, and she took a moment to remember it. "Maybe if I... Uh, okay then. But quietly." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Th-There were..."
"There were bells on the hill,
But I never heard them ringing.
No, I never heard them at all,
Till there was you.
There were birds in the sky,
But I never saw them winging.
No, I never saw them at all,
Till there was you.
And there was music,
And there were wonderful roses,
They tell me, in sweet fragrant
meadows of dawn and dew.
There was love, all around
But I never heard it singing.
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you.
Then there was music, and wonderful roses,
They tell me, in sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around,
But I never heard it singing.
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you.
Till there was you."
She looked around suspiciously, but relaxed when no one seemed to have noticed. "Done." she said, sounding relieved. "Sorry, that's the showtune I know best, really." she said sheepishly. If Devakanya could talk instead of mime, and if Casia had thought of it sooner, she would have taken a request. "But that's my thing, singing."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:31 am
Devakanya was the perfect audience, sitting silently as she watched Casia, enraptured by her beautiful voice. The little unicorn had always wished she could sing like that. When she was little, she had wanted to sing alongside her father, Zack. Now that he was gone, she solely wished to carry on his memory. Alex wasn't going to do it for her, that much was certain, but it was so hard to get the grumpy old seadog to understand anything sometimes. The kids she met were much more intuitive, why couldn't her guardian be more like them?
Once Casia finished, Devakanya beamed and clapped softly, dipping her head and nodding her approval. It was hard to express without words, but she really was grateful someone had listened, and done what she asked. It went without saying that the song was just lovely. Devakanya didn't understand why Casia was so shy about it! Wishing she could express all she was thinking, Devakanya just gave a frustrated sigh and forced another smile, nodding again and patting Casia's hand. Lovely. Really lovely.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:50 pm
Casia beamed as Devakanya applauded, ego purring in her chest. "Thanks." she said warmly. It had been nervewracking trying to sing in the park, not because she was worried about her singing because she knew she sang well. "It's hard because we're in a park." she said carefully. "And..." She frowned, wondering how to phrase it. "It's not that I think I'm bad at singing." She bit her lip. "More like... You know sirens, how they were supposed to attract people with song and stuff? I don't want to attract people because I sing, I want people to like me because I'm me." She frowned. Ever since Anna left, she had been a lot more worried about 'fake' and 'real' people, and who was going to leave and who wasn't. She loved Anna, but when she met new people now, the thoughts oozed treacherously to the surface of her mind. "So I usually don't like singing to strangers or anything, but if it's just people that I sort of know already, that's okay." It was easier to open up to someone who didn't say anything, and Casia reviewed what she had just said, regretting it. Biting her tongue, she pulled back from the train of thought. "So do you write a lot? Or know sign language?" She thought of different ways someone who didn't seem to speak could communicate.
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