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 Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:30 pm
"'Not all those who wander are lost'," Maria muttered to herself. "Not all those who philosophize are right."
Maria heaved a sigh and looked ahead of her, completely clueless as to where she was. All that was around were assorted sculptures the humans call "art" crafted out of stone. They looked, well, to be frank, quite bizzare. Maria always had a penchant for art of all types. She could recognize older paintings. She could name whatever booming concerto within earshot. She could even place the title of a dance move she saw. But modern art was Greek to her. To the left, a sculpture of what seemed to be an umbrella and assorted other knickknacks loomed over her. To the right...there really weren't words to describe whatever THAT was. It was almost terrifying.
However, Maria was relieved when she came across a landscaping that was recognizeable in any concrete jungle. A fountain. Large and cascading, the water poured from the top of an ancient woman's pot and squirted from the mouths of four fish. Maria, finding herself hopelessy confused, perched herself atop the side of the fountain. She'd seen humans so the same before and figured they were able to see better from their vantage point. There really wasn't much for her to do until she was able to find her way back to her human. But her human has wandered away from Maria quite some time back.
Maria's old owner was a nomadic fellow, not very responsible. In fact, he wasn't really an owner at all. Maria just followed him around. Her collar, purple in color with a silver star, has been around her neck ever since she could remember. The nomad-man simply assumed Maria a lost house pet and fed her whenever she could sniff him out.
So, frustrated, Maria let out a small meow and scanned the concrete park with her green eyes.
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:45 pm
 Elarinya knew nothing of art beyond music, and thus it was not for the strange two-legger erections of marble and stone, or of paint and paper, or of metal, that drew in the slender femme - rather, it was the soothing sound of the concerto in the background, the theme that echoed here and there in this octave, that one, in a separate cadence and style, booming, then soft, then onwards to the second theme! In this case it was a violin concerto with such high-quality singing that it put her int oan almost dream-like trance as she walked. Ever would the piano be her greatest love, but all classical music could be appreciated. This and more were all far better than the tediousness of attempting to elucidate the meaning behind a physical work of art which, for that matter, might have been created for no purpose! Music was far different and far more appreciable as far as this cat was concerned.
There was a light prance to her step as she walked, ever attuned to the background music. What lovely accompaniment the fountain was with its soft gurgling and splashes! There it was that Ella spied a second cat, meowing and ruining the beautiful symbiosis of nature and music. Thus, the Burmese frowned disapprovingly. "Are you lost or something? I wouldn't suggest staying out in the open where all the humans can see you."
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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 7:15 pm
Maria's ears flickered at the entrance of the concerto through the air. Tuning in to the piece, she found it to be a one that she could not place. There was a reason for that as well, Maria found it disapassionate. Being something of a music snob, she'd heard all types of music, from short little sonatas to full-fledged symphonies and felt the rapture in store. But this scrawny piece was far too placid for her discerning ears. Ever hopeful, she decided against not departing. There would have to be something unique about the soundtrack, something that would hint at the piece's personality. Eventually.
"I could be lost, but then again, maybe I am listening." replied Maria calmly. With this change of heart from the music's call and appearance of the second cat, she found sanctuary in not being alone. "From this perspective, I can hear the recording much better. Since you are here, you must obviously have a refined taste in music. Won't you join me? Nowadays, it seems rare to meet a kindred spirit."
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:21 pm
"Listening, hmm? I never thought listening involved mewing along - that would be singing." Ever the nit-pick! But then, perhaps if this cat had not made a sound, Ella would have passed her by and missed out on a possibly enlightening conversation - a kind she did not think very common. Ever the nit-pick, ever the somewhat haughty, ever the reserved! She cocked her head, both to listen to the distant concerto better and to show her curiosity. "I could have the taste and I might spend the time. But what makes you say a kindred spirit would stay here when surely," and here Elarinya allowed herself a small smile, "surely the best perspective would be near the pit of the theater, or backstage? I was hoping to attempt to slide in myself, if you want to join."
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:33 pm
Slightly perturbed to come across another with wit to match her own, Maria was discouraged by the other cat's words. For a moment, the words stung her heart before egging on a spiteful remark back. However, Maria quickly dissolved the urge to be rude in return and looked out into the outdoor concert hall. It appeared empty from a distance; as the hall would play recorded concertos from past concerts on a daily basis as to add some culture to the area.
"You may be right. Is...is there anyone in there at the moment? Heaven forbid we run into any humans..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:28 pm
"Heaven forbid," she agreed with a little nod. "Pity at the same time, though. You can hear that this is a record; I had been hoping to come across a live performance . . ." Ella sighed. "Oh well, they must be doing a Christmas concert, no? We could spend some time trying to find the sound-projector machine or investigate the stage if nothing else, even if it is as bare as a tree in winter." She could imagine the rows or chairs all evenly spaced out in a semi-circle,the conductor's podium dead center at the front, the bright lights casting their angelic glow from above, the count off of the baton before the piece began . . .
The Burmese shook her head a little to return to the present. "Forgive me, I'm Elarinya. Don't ask; my previous owner had a strange love for fiction."
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Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:44 pm
Upon the introduction, Maria found herself relieved Elarinya wasn't about to spout more spiteful words at her. She leaped from the edge of the fountain with a flourish, characteristic of those with a level of dance experience. Maria had a bit of a light step; unlike most cats who would use the entirety of her paws to walk, her stride was almost a kind of elegant float.
"Alright Elarinya, my name is Maria. I can't say it's as impressive as yours, but a name nevertheless..." chimed Maria with a sincere smile. Without adding anything more, she bounded over to the auditorium, knowing well that Elarinya was clever enough to not need instruction on a suggestion of her own. Maria tilted her head upwards to try and take in the echo the recording emitted, but found it useless once she realized that music was an auditory pleasure.
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Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:22 pm
She shrugged slightly. "How can anyone be determined on their name rather than their character?" Ella asked. "I don't much care for the fanciness of mine, even if it is unique." She watched Maria's gait with several blinks, observant enough to know that there was a quality of softness to it not usually found even amongst females, before following after her. The Burmese found that she might have been thudding from paw to paw in comparison - not that Elainrya thought too much about the way she walked often enough to be critical. The only kind of posture she would ever be detail-oriented about would be those involving holding or playing an instrument.
The music continued to echo about them, but the source was still hard to identify. Song reverberated from everywhere it seemed, a testament to the humans who created the strange machines needed to produce song quality long after the orchestra had left the pit. She mewled softly in frustration while craning her head about, ears twisting this way and that. "Clever humans must have hidden it to prevent others from tampering with the machine," she said. "Ah well . . . how do you walk like that, Maria? You barely make a sound while walking."
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Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:16 pm
Maria spun around on the heels to face Elarinya. Very seldom did people bother to ask of the quirky manner she walke, so naturally, she was surprised at the inquiry. "Oh? En pointe? It's just a basic walk, really. You put all your weight atop your toes. " she explained. Maria was not snooty about it, rather she used a timbre that closely resembled one a teacher used. Putting the weight on the tips of her paws, she demonstrated. "It's a kind of tip-toe motion." With the addition of that last sentence, she took a few slower strides, to aide in helping Elarinya understand.
All the while Maria gave her short demonstration, she was also trying to identify where the recording originated. In such a large space, one couldn't be sure. Echos decieved any corner of it and man-made structures looming slightly above the two cats' height made it difficult to see anything that could unearth a clue.
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Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 6:14 pm
"En pointe?" From that term alone, Ella was able to identify Maria as some sort of trained dancer. The Burmese herself was more inclined as a musician, but for some reason those two words were actually recognizable. She frowned for a moment, trying to figure out why this was so, and then shrugged it off when her memory produced nothing; maybe she had heard it from some random conversation a long time ago? Though how often would the subject be about ballet? Hmm . . . Regardless. Weight on the toes, weight on the toes! Watching Maria demonstrate, Ella attempted to copy her movements, not finding it especially hard to do as was told - it was more difficult to remember to do it for each paw, rather, and not to let them slide on the pavement as in shuffling. "Then you must be some sort of dancer," she stated more than asked, curiously tilting her head towards her. "You move like one at least. Have you been at it long?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:50 pm
"I think it's of french origin...probably." Maria said with a shrug. While she had only limited knowledge of the subject, pointing the toes was globally accepted as "pretty" as opposed to flat-feet in all styles of dance. Maria, in the past couldn't stay satisfied with one type of dancing. If the class got too indepth or the instructor insisted upon terribly complex routines, Maria would simply move onto another one. She enjoyed learning about the variations of something os simple as moving around to music. It made her more culturally aware of things. All in all, she'd learned basics from almost all fields of dance except modern...which she found nonsensical and plain unreadable.
"For a while now, yes, but it's not something I work too hard at. I enjoy dancing because of the passion. I think it's more about what you feel when you dance, rather than how it looks." Maria answered. "Like, the passion musicians feel when they play their instruments. "
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:50 pm
Although the analogy sounded similar, Ella wasn't sure it worked in reverse. At least in her case, the feeling of being immersed into dancing sounded, well, sillier than Maria made it out to be. This particular cat could never find herself comfortable with even a casual jig alone, let alone having dance as a profession to aspire for. For a musician in the making, Elarinya found herself rather clumsy whenever music came on, her movements stiff and self-conscious. This would be a no-no for performance, but she liked having a shell thank you very much.
"I suppose so," she agreed with a nod, not betraying the whirlwind of thoughts within. "Although I'm not a very good dancer myself. But where did you pick up the trade?" Ella asked. "Did your owner dance as well?" She herself had gotten interested in piano because of her old owner.
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Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:36 pm
Disappointed in her companion's reaction, or lack thereof, Maria wondered why Elarinya refused to reveal anything about herself. It almost insulted her that she couldn't hold a pleasant conversation, but she felt awful rude for being the one answering all the questions as opposed to asking. Regardless of how much Maria disliked another, she found it almost a sin to be impolite to anyone. She thought that people deserved to be treated like human beings even if she wasn't treated the same in return.
"Here and there, I guess. I could never stay put with one genre of dancing, so I adopt many different techniques from watching people around here or old videos; my owner was hardly an influence." Maria answered. In order to be polite, and to possibly get on Ela's good side, she added: "What do you do, though?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:40 pm
"What do I do?" Well, depends on what Maria meant. Lifestyle-wise? Not much; just scrounging around, hoping to find kindness in strangers - strangely that was almost commonplace, but Ella didn't want to say anything about it lest that somehow break the lucky streak she had; she was desperate enough to believe in a little superstition. Still, it'd be rude not to at least try and answer after giving a stream of questions . . . "I'm a pianist," Elrinya answered, "although ever since I left my master's house I haven't been able to put my hands on any keys - about . . . a month ago, I think?" Funny how hard it was to tell time after she left; the days just seemed to roll into one another, unmeasured.
"They - my fingers, that is - itch for music still, however, thus why I was drawn over here, and thus why I am more than crestfallen that it wasn't a live performance. Even to see a human's hands at work would be better than a simple recording . . ." She issued a soft sigh, switching back to Maria's answer. "But yes, mixing them up must give interesting results, no? It's fascinating the differences between cultural music and the steps addressed to their unique tempo and cadence."
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:11 pm
Maria listened to Elarinya's explanation and found herself relieved it wasn't a snippy little answer she would have expected. Looking to the stage, Maria could make out chairs and the like that seemed it be placed in an orchestral arch. In front of each perfectly placed chair stood a stad that was commonplace for musicians to put ther sheet music on. Maria recognized that easily, but she could not figure out why they were out when no one was around.
Maria took a running start and jumped onto the stage gracefully. "It looks like something will be happening soon. They've got chairs out and everything..." She could sense in longing in Elarinya's voice and how much she loved the instrument. The idea made Maria feel blessed dancing was not a 700 lb. thing and that she could take her passion anywhere. "Maybe you'll get your chance soon?" chimed Maria as she began to wander behind the stage, looking for a piano for her new friend.
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