Apples in Winter - [Archive!]

[Spiderfly]

It was a gorgeous day. A few drifting clouds paced the sky lazily, taking their time to traverse the huge blue expanse. The sun peaked in and out from amongst them, lighting the ground below without being overbearing in it's heat. There was a slight wind as well, blowing the smells of the city to Lleurela as she sat upon her little section of stone wall.

She had just managed to barter with a local salesman and came away with a rather simple and crude, but nice sounding pennywhistle. Back home in Villa en Miir she had spent some time sneaking around the mine areas and had managed to gather a few very small, rough gemstones. It had been just enough, with some persuasion, to convince the shopkeep to let go of the little instrument.

Settling back on her haunches she rested the whistle against her chest and placed her fingers upon the holes. They were spaced a slight bit further than was proper, but it was the only one that she could use. How she longed for the day she might finally have a bipedal form so she could play any instrument she wished. Her head swished back and forth as she sang a song in her head "Apples in Winter". It was a lovely song, fast and chipper, but she'd have to try it slowly at first.

Lleurela tucked her chin down and pursed her lips around the end. Her first few attempts made no sound and she huffed, repositioning her lips to try and make a better vacuum around the mouthpiece. She tried again, this time she got a squeak. She moaned at the horrible sound.

"Not so much air! Not so much air!" Chitter

This time, a note. A single, solid, beautiful note, though. . . After a moment of contemplation she turned the whistle around and chewed the end a bit, making the whistle a hair shorter. Her next note was superb, not flat, perfect!

She fidgeted happily before singing the first few measures of the song to herself outloud, bobbing to the music, then tried to play by ear on the whistle.

^___^ It was a good day.

[Kitty]

The vermin casually strode along near the path, but not on it and in his animal form. He had a purpose for traveling this way, but he was in no real hurry. If he really needed it he had the gift of charm on his side and he fully intended to use it should this particular member of the Court of Spades he'd be meeting with didn't give him what he wanted, or something near it. However, being a lowlander, he decided to stay away from the paths lest he be hasseled on his way, wouldn't want some unpleasant encounter to disrupt his thoughts.

however his thoughts were disrupted anyhow as, at first, another's voice came to his ears and then a rather unflattering sound, and then one that was more pleasant. Intrigued he crept near the source of said sounds and discovered the chipmunk playing with her new toy. As she began to sing he found her voice to be bearable and settled in for a quick listen, his homeland didn't offer many happy things, such as music, and it was rather pleasant to his ears.

[Spiderfly]

She continued to play until the song ended on one last long note. Lleurela held it steady, fading and putting a slight tremolo onto the end. As she finished the whistle stayed up for a second more before she lowered it from her lips. She glanced over the whistle in appreciation at it's tone.

"Not bad!" She grinned at the instrument as if it could hear her "You don't really like jumping those octaves though do you?"

Apparently asking no one in particular she stared down the bore of the whistle seeing if she could see any blemish within that could perhaps be fixed. A light tune was sang as she performed this inspection. It was light, bouncy, sea chanty of some sort perhaps?

She shrugged and stopped singing and set her whistle down, relaxing back further to watch the clouds.

[Kitty]

He decided to sit and stay for her song, especially since it had improved, to his ears, over when she started. He moved the end of his tail a bit, somewhat along with the beat until, of course, she hit the last note and he became fully aware of his surroundings again. Oh well, break over it seemed. However he waited a moment before moving on, rounded auditories twitching momentarily as she spoke.

It was mildly amusing that she spoke to herself even if it was only small little partial sentences. When one spoke to themselves, did they expect, perhaps, answers? Justification? Surety? What? What exactly could you gain fro speaking out loud to one's self? Surely nothing musing such things over in your mind could bring. Perhaps he was just far to logical for his own good.

He set his limbs into motion and scurried past her, stopping for the briefest of moments to thank her for her song and, of course, give a debonair little nod adding in a wink of his own. Which happened to work quite nicely for him, even having a little charm in it despite his appearance. A gift from The Fang it seemed. Keep practicing, it's sounding wonderful.

[Spiderfly]

Her attention was stolen away from a particularly feline looking cloud by a sound of feet passing by. She glanced down with a smile in her eyes and tilted her head a little at the rat. She had never seen a lowlander before but recognized the signs immediately. She frowned for a quick second but not in disgust, or pity, but maybe just a slight bit of worry at the seeming oozing of his eyes.

Poor fellow! So nice too. . . and strangely charming. She practically fell off the wall when he complemented her and if she could have would have turned bright red. "Thank. . .Thank you!" She stammered after him as he passed her by. She considered for a second before bounding after him really quickly, her short legs not nearly so quick as his.

"Did. .. you want me to play you a tune?!" She peeped, before becoming shy again and going quiet. "Or. . . or if you know you're busy.. or something." She sort of gestured towards the sky in general with no real reason and looked around for an escape from the social situation. She had always been a little bit awkward when she wasn't playing an instrument.

[Kitty]

He was mildly surprised when she chose to follow him and momentarily he paused his steps and peered back at her, missing the little frown. He took special note of her Suit and Number and his always turning mind mulled it over and his decision fit in perfectly with her question. It might just be easier to gain an ounce of trust in the House if he brought one of their own with him. A little bit of a grin touching his muzzle, exposing those sharp yellowed teeth for a moment, however he never missed a second of putting on that charm.

Can you walk and play perhaps? It would make the journey a little less of a drag to perhaps have a bit of travel music? If not I'm not totally against the company if you wished to accompany me.

He'd have to walk a bit slower, this fact just popping into his head now after remembering what her steps sounded like, but that would be alright. He appreciated her music, and he enjoyed her colors, so it wouldn't be much of a sacrifice and if need be he could always just switch to his somewhat slower bipedal form for easier travel at her pace.

[Spiderfly]

Lleurela watched Osias with a fascinated interest. Something about him just. . .drew her. Even when he bore his yellowed teeth and she became again aware of his oozing eye it wasn't as disturbing as it should have been. Something. . . something. What had her mother told her of lowlanders again, but she couldn't remember as he began to speak again.

! "Yup. . . I can. . . Just not..t, t. . not a hard song." She stumbled over the t but made it through the sentence fine. In fact her stuttering seemed to get better as she spoke about music. Lleurela started forwards, keeping up fairly well with the rat. "I can p.. play all sorts of music. OH!"

She raised her whistle up to her lips and started on a lower note. The notes moved fairly quickly but the song had a mysterious air to it. The melody sat uneasily on the winds but it held a strain of hope. . . Odd that a song could sound sad and hopeful. As the song progressed further the sadness resolved and though it wasn't a completely happy song it was one of easiness.

It ended slowly, and Lleurela let the whistle away from her lips. She walked on in silence seemingly lost in the song. Hummm. . interesting what you can make up on the spot.

[Kitty]

He wasn't like most lowlanders, he wasn't even born in the same situation as most lowlanders were. Compared to the others he'd seen, he was the picture of health. His sores, although they didn't heal, didn't hurt anymore, the tissue just could repair it's self, his eyes, as long as he didn't allow them to crust, didn't bother him and if he or his parents could afford more to eat he probably wouldn't be underweight either. He was sharper in the mind then most of them were to, and he had plans for himself. He was nowhere near content being middle class and scraping a living from meaningless, scattered jobs. He had his eyes set on quite a large future goal and he would not be detered... so perhaps her mothers words on lowlanders wouldn't be much good anyhow?

At first the song she picked kind of surprised him as sad, slow music wasn't exactly the type you'd travel to but it soon began to change which delighted him. His pace picked up a bit as the tempo did and he curled his tail up a bit so it wouldn't drag the ground, he didn't want any self inflicted injuries to go along with his unavoidable ones now did he?

He hadn't remembered ever hearing that little tune, so he assumed it was one she made up, but one must never assume anything. Facts were facts and assumptions were only that. Did you make that one up on your own?

A simple realization struck him then, introductions hadn't occurred yet and he didn't wish to just call her hey you, or girl. I'm Osias, by the way.

[Spiderfly]

((ooc: XDD I've really missed RPing))

Lleurela startled a little as he broke into her reverie with the question. "I guess I d.. did yes. It just sort of ca...c.came to me." She shrugged. The song had seemed to sum up exactly how she had felt over the previous year. She was startled at the fact that she had played it for the first time in front of a stranger. Shrugging again so tentatively asked the other card.

She smiled a little at him introducing himself, she too had forgotten that names had not been given. "I'm. . Lleurela."

"What sort of music do you like? I can play mostly any... thing." She asked switching the subject. Lleurela skipped a little as she walked, apparently dancing to a song in her head. ". . . Not. . . to be rude but. . . What brings you o. ouu. ..o." She stopped trying to finish her sentence, cross with herself and sighed a little. Wouldn't do to poke at his business anyways.

She was just happy to have some friendly company.

[Kitty]

(( Hehe... I just needed something new to RP XD))

I enjoy most any kind of music... however slower tunes aren't really fit for travel.

He kept along at a rather casual pace and, for being as thin as he was, he was a rather muscular fellow. Perhaps all he was was bone and muscle and well of course fur as well, it was rather hard to tell without actually touching him now wasn't it?

He caught her stuttering and finally pondered over it. Was it merely a habit? Was she born with a speech impediment? Was she just nervous? There was a myriad of explanations for her stuttering and pinning one down would take time and who knows how much of that he had to analyze her. Others came and went, some like the passing of the hour, others like the seasons.

It was her turn to bring him from his thoughts with a question, even though it wasn't exactly a finished one. What she did get out left it rather easy to piece together what she was going to ask and it was actually quite a reasonable question.

I am on my way to the Palace of Spades, I seek employment and I've heard they have openings.