|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:30 pm
 The sun was setting, making it's leisurely trek across the sky towards the horizon. It was in the stage of many colors, where the sky looked like a hundred dyes were thrown up at it, and had begun to dance in unison. Sunsets like this could capture Snow White's attention for minutes on end, leaving him openly staring, frozen in the changing painting up above. Just such a moment had him entranced just then. The white buck was standing still, only his tail flicking back and forth lazily. His ears were back against his head, and his mouth was slightly agape, but his eyes were stuck to the mesmerizing blend of colors that got consecutively darker as the sun got closer to it's destination: the dark line of the horizon.
Such pretty hues... A flick of the ear. If only I could make so many dyes, I could paint anything! Another flick of the ear. I could make beautiful paintings! One envied by all! An angry stamp of the foot, accompanied by a snort and a toss of the head. "What!?" He exclaimed, rather annoyed by the disturbance, but when his gaze fell upon the culprit, his expression soften and even melted into a lazy grin. Fireflies.
Snow White was instantly pulled into their dance, jumping this way and frolicking that way, waving his head back and forth to their silent music. He danced along with them, until the opportunity presented itself.
SNAP!
He had caught one. A lone firefly glowed bright yellow inside of his mouth, causing his cheeks to turn a dull golden. He dared not lift his tongue, in fear of hurting the bug, but he continued his dance with the light in his maw, pretending to be one of them.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:29 pm
 Depending on his intuitiveness, it may have been seconds or even minutes before Snow White realized that he (and the fireflies) were not alone in the dancing. What might have passed for the shadows cast by vines and branches tossed in the light evening breeze--a welcome respite in the humidity of the swamp, here where horizons were visible and the air light on the lungs--resolved itself to the watchful eye into the distorted shape of a Kimeti, as stretched and slender as a colt's shadow early morning sun. The buck, with his gangly legs, may have even been dancing before Snow White arrived: such is the total disappearance that he has mastered. He moved with a grace like a daddy-longlegs', each step reaching delicately on the preternaturally thin legs before finding its place without even a splash. Even in the multi-hued sunset and the dappled light of the fireflies Slender was nothing but a shade, until he chose to present himself, as he did now. There was something unmistakably sinister about the skin-cloaked eyes, through which only the faintest golden glow could be discerned, dimmer than the sickliest firefly; and about the towering height of the buck, whose misshapen horns at times brushed the canopy above and beneath whose stomach a typical buck could walk by barely lowering his head. And, above all, in the eerie silence with which he moved, a silence that seems more ghostly than material. Slender said nothing. He merely invited himself into the dance, in his usual way: friendly, but a bit lacking in social graces.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:42 pm
It was in fact minutes before Snow White let himself be convinced that he couldn't possibly be alone in the fireflies' dance. That tingling feeling became an unending shiver along his spine until he finally stopped to stand still and take in his surroundings more thoroughly. The firefly buzzed around the inside of his mouth, but all Snow White could do was widen his eyes and stare in confusion.
What he had earlier just taken for shadows, seemed to be moving unpredictably. As if it had a mind of it's own... it was tall and skinny and resembled a branch (if a rather large one), but it wasn't following the direction of the breeze at all! He watched this shadow prance and move silently until he could get his eyes to listen to him. He guided his gaze upward along the patch of white within the shadow, where he found a face. A kimeti's face.
He gawked up at the figure, trying to convince himself that he was seeing things, that this couldn't possibly be true. The glowbug in his grasp repeatedly bumped into the inside of his cheek, as if it were trying to barrel it's way out until finally Snow White opened his mouth to speak, to say anything. But instead of words, all that came out was the bug, rather flustered and angry. It dove at the white kimeti's nose, and then took off as quickly as it could, leaving Snow White frozen in confusion with his nose stinging from the bug's revenge-bite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:42 pm
With respect for Snow's stillness, Slender ceased his fancy steps. Long seconds stretched in silence that would have been awkward were it not for the palpable tension, until it was broken with a voice that rumbled deep, but was nonetheless fuzzy-edged, as though spoken through water in the ears. It was a voice that swam up from dark places and burrowed patiently through eons on unspeakable eons of waiting; a voice that may have spoken a thousand years ago, its deep but quiet echoes only just now reaching mortal ears.
"I enjoyed your dance." What was possibly a compliment, although with that alien voice, it was difficult to say, or even somewhat sinister. When not dancing, the buck--if buck it was--was totally motionless, not even an ear rippling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:11 pm
Snow White was caught with his mouth agape, and though he wanted to, he couldn't bring his tongue to move, to form a word, any word. When the voice spoke, the initial reaction was 'Oh good, it's a kimeti!' But not a half-second after came the doubts, the awe at the sheer volume and depth of the voice. No kimeti could speak like that! Well, it wasn't the speaking that was the problem... it was his voice. But he tried to calm himself and instead, slowly closed his mouth and gulped down the collection of saliva that had gathered inside.
A few more tense moments passed, until Snow White finally relaxed his tense muscles. This was madness! How was he to figure out what this being was unless he simply asked? It didn't seem to want to do him any harm, at least... not so far... So gathering his courage and lifting his head up high, the white kimeti took a half-step forward, not quite putting his hoof down on the ground - perhaps a precautionary measure so that escape could be made that much quicker - and spoke as bravely as he could.
"Who are you, Ominous Being of Heights?" He was so perplexed by this being, that all thoughts of explaining his silly dance had slipped his mind. No one had ever stumbled upon him dancing with the fire-bugs before, at least... none that had presented themselves. But for the time being, all of his focus -his eyes, his ears, even his nose quivered at the tall creature, taking in it's scent- was on the dark towering animal before him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:02 pm
The voice rumbles up again, but it's strange to see a Kimeti remain so utterly motionless as he speaks: "My name is quite a bit smaller than that, and it is Slender." He does not ask for Snow's name; instead, he has other questions: "Why have you stopped the enjoyable dance?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 09, 2010 5:38 pm
There was the voice again, rumbling, and heavy somehow, and it made Snow White's ears fold back and his head duck just the slightest bit. Slender, he said his name was, and as he was a polite buck, Snow White opened his mouth to introduce himself, but instead, all he could manage was a sideways head tilt and a nod, as the thoughts in his head ran rampant and provided good reasoning behind this being's name being Slender.
He only stopped nodding when the other asked him a question. "Well... I... I mean..." He stopped and squinted his eyes at Slender. It was his fault really... One of his legs lifted up and came back down to the ground in a stomp as he replied, "I've only ever danced alone. Well, I mean apart from the fire-bugs, that is. But I've never had a partner to my dance. Especially not one as sinister as you." With that, a visible shiver ran through the white buck's body and he stood quite still, squinting up at the other being, not quite glaring, but perhaps with a soft accusation in his expression.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 10:59 pm
The gentle glow behind the buck's sealed eyelids shifts somewhat, indicating that behind the lids, the eyes are moving. "Am I sinister?" he asks finally. If his feelings are hurt, he makes no indication that this is the case. "I am sorry if I frighten, or if I caused you to stop dancing. I can go, and dance alone." It would have been easy to make this seem like a cozy little guilt-trip, petulant and high-handed. It doesn't. It is merely a polite, somewhat stilted offer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:54 pm
In his half-glare he realizes that this kimeti does have eyes, if hidden ones. He watches the light move slightly behind those eyelids and almost says something about it, but catches himself last moment.
The stranger was so passive, and apologized, even! Which of course, made Snow White feel like an a**. His expression immediately softens, his brow furrowing slightly, feeling bad for his harsh tone and accusations. When he looks back up at the tall buck, his face is calmer, almost as if he had found a new one to replace the other. He offers quietly, "I couldn't ask that. I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to say that... I... You... You're just... very different. I was not prepared for the company, that's all." He tries to offer a smile to go with, though it might not look like one. But he really was trying his best to look past the kimeti's physical appearance, and perhaps get to know his personality, to find out if he was wrong in his first impression.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:01 pm
"It is strange to find company, sometimes," acknowledges the buck, in a tone that implies deep understanding. Perhaps for Slender it is even harder than usual. "I am told often that I am different but I have never met two others that were the same as one another." Lifting a hoof, he feels out a step, and when he encounters a root, thinks better of it, hoof returning to the water and the buck remaining motionless. "You are different as well. I saw--I can see, a little, when things move--I saw you dancing, all alone, with the fireflies. This is different."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:17 pm
He nods at the understanding tone of the tall buck and tilts his head to look at him from that angle instead. He might be staring, but Snow White was intrigued by Slender's eyes, or perhaps his covering eyelids. When he mentions that he can see when things move, the white buck opens his mouth as if to say 'oh' but thinks better of it and instead closes his mouth once more. He must look like a fish out of water, opening and closing his mouth so many times silently, but this he doesn't realise, he is listening to the other's words too closely.
Slender says that no others he has seen have ever been the same, and when Snow White takes a moment to think about it, neither has he! Though, he has heard of twins, being of the same look but opposite gender that look the same, though perhaps not always act the same. But his thoughts are cut off with the mention of 'dancing' and 'fireflies'.
He blushes a bit, as if this were a strange thing to find a buck doing, but this was what he loved. He loved being among the other creatures of the Swamp, and that night - like many others - was to be spent with the fire-bugs. He asks simply, not quite understanding, "How?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 5:34 pm
"Most dance alone, or with their own kind. To dance with another kind is unique." Absently, Slender's neck weaves from side to side. It looks somewhat akin to the dancing nods of rats, or nearsighted elders, and judging from the way he tilts his head to and fro, it perhaps serves the same function: to aid his nearly-useless eyes. "They say the fireflies were stars once. Or the stars were once fireflies. In any case I have never heard of either dancing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:15 pm
This time when the aptly-named kimeti speaks, it causes images to flow into his mind, so immersive that he practically sees himself flying about in the sky where giant fireflies buzz. But as he swims about in the air -in his mind of course, no kimeti can fly!- the words really sink in and he slowly floats back down to the ground to find himself re-opening his eyes to look at the tall figure that is revealing this new look on his dance with the fireflies.
His own head even mimics Slender's weaving just the tiniest bit, as he really truly tries to understand what this all means. He is talking to a strange kimeti, tall as a tree, and he is telling of acceptance and of togetherness, and of living side by side with one another...
But then he gets distracted by the fireflies once more as they take up their last minutes of night-time dance before they move on from this area of the swamp to brighten another's path on this dark, and yet enlightening night. Snow White says aloud in a singsong voice, "We're all in this together..." which is followed by a soft humming tune, and by the time he realizes that he had been in a strange kimeti's company he has already lost sight of him. Even a glance thrown over his shoulder doesn't reveal the stranger's position, and for all Snow White knew, Slender had already made his departure, but in any case, he might well still be standing there watching him... after all... he had mistaken him for a tree the very first glimpse he had caught of the buck!
A small shrug and some more humming and Snow White was on his way, following the parade of fireflies in their slowing dance, but his eyes were glued to the sky and he pondered to himself, Were fireflies stars once? Or were the stars once fireflies?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
