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Post by Ashlei Soudai on Sept 16, 2006 13:42:05 GMT -5
Chocolate hued curls fell down, like a curtain sheilding the side of her face. Head was slightly tilted, this was what made her hair curtain downward in such a silky way. Sunlight shone through the greenhouse windows, warming the air and glistening off the dewy vegetation.Musical notes rang through the air in a soothing hum, as each bronze chord was struck. For a lyre sat in the lap of the girl, her long slender fingers plucking each string of the harplike isntrument. The ballad that she played was an old one, and it seemed to haunt the moist greenhouse like a ghosts melody. Her rose tinged lips were pursed in concentration, yet her hazel eyes were closed in relaxation, long thick lashes resting on her high cheekbones.
The warmth of the greenhouse made a faint blush line her cheeks, but her whole pose was so soft and relaxed that any could think her a wood sprite that had gotten lost. The wooden lyre that sat in her lap, looked like it had been made from the forest itself. The oak wood had designs carved throughout it, each bronze string strung to its full potential, sunlight bouncing off the chords. She was sitting on a rock, one leg propped up on it beneth her, making her knee stick up. Ashlei was wearing a tunic like gown, one made for her by her mother. It was a pleasent mossy green, and a brown leather belt was strung around her slim waist. The gown flowed down over her legs, the back of it just draping onto the ground, exposing her feet that were laced in old time sandles like those seen in ancient greece.
Ash was having one of her dress up days, she would dress a role, and sit in the garden playing her lyre. Usually she went uninterupted so no one really knew of her talent or different hobby. Although some students that passed the greenhouse had heard the haunting music had throught it something of the elements. The top of her gown went up into two straps with brown brooches holding them. The front and back of the gown dipped down in folds making a low neckline and backline. She kept stroaking the lyres strings, going from one ballad to another in a seamless song. She heard a crunch in the gravel of the walkway, her head shooting up and large eyes opened wide like a doe caught in headlights. Her lips were parted in a slight 'o', and her lyre tumbled from her lap onto the soft soil.
Ash nearly fell off the rock she was sitting on, and gasped slightly. She hadn't expected someone to be listening nearby, yet that was unmistakeably a foot step. She stood up, her green gown whispering as it fell down and pooled at her feet on the soil. Her hands grasped the cloth at the sides of her legs, and she lifted the dress's hem up slightly so that she could step over onto the gravel walk. "Who's there?" she called softly, forgetting about the lyre laying on its side in the soil beside the rock.
O.o.c// So whoever joins, they are the ones who have caught her and made the crunching noise, kay? So someone must come, I dont care who.
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Post by Serphius de la Ravin on Sept 23, 2006 13:02:33 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm sorry," came the soft and slightly shy voice from behind Ashlei. Serphius took another step, so he was in clearer view. There was a faint awkward blush on his cheeks, and he tried to smile apologetically. A glint of bronze in the mud caught his eye, and he stood to pick up the fallen lyre. "I-I was just listening to you play. I'm sorry if I...startled you. I didn't mean to. Here."
Serphius stuck out the lyre to it's original owner, and glanced down and away, one hand deep in his pocket. He felt quite intrusive, like he had been spying on her, even though he had only been wandering around gardens trying to clear his head. It wasn't his fault he was curious to see where the music was coming from...
"I'm sorry," he mumbled again, not meeting her eyes. His cheeks were still rose red. He felt like a little school kid again for some reason, "...Y-You play quite beautifully, if you don't mind me saying..."
(You must be getting sick of my characters by now!) |
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Post by Ashlei Soudai on Sept 23, 2006 19:00:41 GMT -5
Wide brown eyes met those of Serphius de la Ravin's onyx ones, and she smiled softly. As he mumbled his apologies, and picked up her lyre she watched the younger boy. If it had of been someone else, Ashlei would have been stuttering and blushing nearly as bad as the crimson turning boy before her, but she didn't feel embarressed in front of Serphius. The young woman felt that Serphius knew what it was like to be different, and wasn't going to hold this against her or make fun of her. A blush did creep across her high cheekbones as he complimented her on her playing. She busied herself with cleaning the dirt off from her wooden and bronze instrument. "Thank you, I didn't know anyone was around. You just surprised me is all, no need to apologise." she said, smiling cheerily to him.
She looked down at herself, chocolate curls falling forward in a silky russle, then she giggled. "I must look quite the sight eh Serphius? Dressed as if I just walked out of ancient Greece." she said, pulling at her deep green tunic like dress for emphathis.
Ash sat on one side of the rock and patted the opposite, "Sit down if you like, you can stay and listen...that is if you want to" She sat her lyre in her lap again, and her slender fingers began their work in creating a more light hearted ballad then before, and a little faster moving. A impish smile came over her lips, and she began to sing along. It was rather a funny tale, of a fisherman and a duck. No need to go into details, just the basic outline of the characters is enough to prove the point.
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Post by Serphius de la Ravin on Sept 24, 2006 10:15:14 GMT -5
Serphius sat down on the rock she had patted, and observed her dress. It was a nice dress - he quite liked it. It was unusual, which he thought made it even better.
"I think...uh..I think i-it's...I think it's pretty. T-The dress." he said rather weakly, smiling slightly because of the song, which was also unusual, about a fisherman and an unlikely water fowl. In fact, he thought, every thing about this situation isn't exactly normal...
"And I'm s-sorry for surprising you," he mumbled, ignoring the fact she'd told him not to. Serphius drew one knee up to his chest, and hugged it loosely, the other boot clad foot on the ground to stead himself. That day, along with his black boots, he was wearing a pair of slim leg (but not skinny-fit) jeans, a pale blue t-shirt (an unusual splash of colour for him), and, of course, his polka dot trade mark trilby. He was a gaunt, skinny and pale as ever, though not quite as ill as he was on the day they first met. He'd managed to pull back some of his shaggy black hair into a hair tie, and the rest fell about his face, over his eyes as usual. Serphius kept his eyes low, staring at a rock by his foot with mild interest. |
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Post by Ashlei Soudai on Sept 24, 2006 12:26:56 GMT -5
Ashlei finished the song, and smiled as she heard Serphius compliment her dress, then song. The brunette noticed that he was stuttering...last time they met...did he stutter? Not that she could remember. Hand came up to move her chocolate curls from her face where they had slid down into again. "Serphius, its okay! I'm not angry at you for listening to my music, or for giving me friendly company." she was assuming he was stuttering because he was afraid she was angry at him. Dark mocha eyes studied him like they had the first time the two had met, that was Ash for you, forever analytical. He looked better, he wasn't so sick looking, and he was wearing a coloured shirt. Ash chuckled, as she saw the trilby, and she lifted it from his head to look at it closely. "I still adore your trilby...and that shirt looks nice on you"
Ashlei couldn't help but feel she owed a compliment for the other ones he had given her. She set the hat back onto his onyx hair, and smiled. She picked up her lyre and ran her fingers across the chords, the sound revebrating through the greenhouse. "I can show you how to play it...if you want" she said looking up. Brown curls had fallen forward to hide half her face again.
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Post by Serphius de la Ravin on Sept 24, 2006 15:19:14 GMT -5
Another burst of rosy colour warmed Serphius's cheeks at the compliment, but when she plucked his trilby off his head, his pale hands twitched as though he meant to snatch it back from her.
But this is Ashlei, he thought, kind, patient, understanding Ashlei. She would damage it, she wouldn't damage me, would she...Can I trust her?
I think I can.
He gave her a radiant smile, and nodded almost enthusiastically.
"I-I would like that...I-I've never played...one of those before..." Serphius blinked at the instrument. Was it a harp of sorts? "Uuuhhh...Wh-what is it, exactly?" |
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Post by Ashlei Soudai on Sept 24, 2006 16:27:14 GMT -5
Ashlei chuckled, "It's a lyre, an old one at that. Family heirloom. It has a name, Arselis..." she trailed off, moving the tips of her fingers over the carvings in the wood like a caress. She then picked the light instrument up and put it on Serphius's lap. She took his hand in her own gently, remembering how last time she had touched him he had flinched, then she brought his fingers across the strings applying a certain amount of pressure. "That is the basic way, then you can do this..." She said, taking his other hand, she bent his index finger slightly on both hands and brought them over to pluck certain strings, making a rather childs hymn sounding melody. "Like that! Now you try by yourself" she said, letting go of his hands.
She peered at him expectantly through her veil of brown curls and thick lashes, brown eyes sparkling with the knowledge that she was sharing something close to her with a friend. She ran her hand through her hair at the top of her head, pulling it back from her face, then if shifted like silk back so that her pretty face could be seen. Ash waited for him to do it himself for a moment, then she pointed to a string, then a few more in a pattern. "play those ones in the order I just pointed them out in." it was a simple pattern, a childs tune that only involved three strings out of the 75 that were there. She shifted her seat slightly on the rock, her green dress sliding across her legs slightly to pool mostly on one side of her feet. There had been a hidden slit up the side that went to just above her knee.
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Post by Serphius de la Ravin on Sept 25, 2006 15:40:44 GMT -5
don'tflinchdon'tjerkstopitstopitstopit
and stop that goddamned stuttering too!
Serphius nodded understandingly, and repeated the order in which she'd instructed him too. He didn't like how he sounded though - it was jerky compared to Ashlei, and he was certained he'd managed to pluck the wrong string at least once - though it wasn't bad, seeing as he concidered himself rather tone deaf when it came to muscal intruments, or just music in general.
"Arselis," he reapeated softly, and stole a glance at Ashlei, before repeating the little tune carefully, "It's quite beautiful. D-Does it mean anything? How old is it?" |
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Post by Ashlei Soudai on Sept 27, 2006 16:45:32 GMT -5
Ash watched him play, yes he did miss one or two notes. She smiled when he did it again, but faster and without as many mistakes. Serphius seemed to have good memory work, but she could tell was maybe a little tone deaf. "Arselis," he reapeated softly, and stole a glance at Ashlei, before repeating the little tune carefully, "It's quite beautiful. D-Does it mean anything? How old is it?" Ashlei had to think about that one. Did Arselis mean anything?
"I don't know. It has been in my family for generations, and the meaning to Arselis has been lost. It still plays beautifully however." Ash explained, then ran the tips of her fingers along the strings. She plucked out a few more notes, then looked up at Serphius. "Try that one" she had picked an easier song, but it's pattern was a little longer. She sat back, her hands folded in her moss green lap, and waited for him to try the new one. A soft breeze tugged at her brown curls as she sat in anticipation. [/color]
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Post by Serphius de la Ravin on Oct 1, 2006 12:24:52 GMT -5
Serphius nodded slowly, and chewed on his lip as he tried to copy the little song. It wasn't as hard as the last one, and it made him feel a little more confident when he played. As he done so, he couldn't help but notice how it was in near perfect condition, despite apparently being very old. She must take ever such good care of it, he thought to himself, letting his fingers pluck out what he hoped was the right notes.
It must be a precious thing, and to think she's letting me play it! He continued to chew his lip just as he continued to over-analyze her small friendly gesture. People didn't trust him with things. He was awkwardly clumsy, and scattery. Untrustworthy, someone had told him. People just didn't do things like that for him....It felt rather nice to be trusted, he decided. He quite liked it. |
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Post by Ashlei Soudai on Oct 1, 2006 19:56:20 GMT -5
Ashlei bounced slightly as she clapped her hands together, a genuine excited smile curled on her lips. "Now your getting it. The only thing I would like to point out is that-" she said, and stopping his fingers with her own by clasping his hands closed. She plucked one string, "It's this one for the third note," then she plucked another one, "not this one" She smiled. Brown curls falling down into her intelligent gaze again. "Try again." She gathered her curls together and pushed them over one shoulder to keep them from falling for a bit.
The warm moist air of the greenhouse made her normally wavy hair spring to life in luminous curls, nearly ringlets. She pressed her lips together over her straight teeth, as she waited for him to continue, after the improvement she had just showed him. She had noticed his expression brighten slightly, and was glad that he was actually happy that she was teaching him how to play it. Some people got frusterated and would rather be doing something else. Once, she had tried to teach a past boyfriend, that failed. All he wanted to do was make out, and she had been a little dissapointed that he wasn't as into playing the lyre as she was. Ah well, Serphius could be her lyre buddy.
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Post by Serphius de la Ravin on Oct 3, 2006 12:27:29 GMT -5
"O-Oh, okay. I think I got it..." Serphius said, with a small nod, and a smile. He couldn't help but notice how warm her fingers felt against his own.
"Is this it?" he asked, repeating the little song, this time playing the note Ashlei had showed hum, and note the wrong ones he had plucked before. This lyre thing was quite easy, once you get the hang of it, he thought to himself, chewing on his lip again. It was actually quite fun, too.
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