|
Post by Haruka on Mar 19, 2006 14:47:58 GMT -5
Beneath the bent branches of a weeping willow tree on the shores of the lake, a soft soothing tune floated up through the leaves, dancing on the autumn wind and racing with it elsewhere. It was coming from the form of a boy, who sat at the tree's base, one leg drawn up and the other outstretched, his long striped tail curled around his foot and tapping the grass to the melody. In his hands was a simple silver flute, from which the sweet soft sounds of music could be heard. How so simple an item as a flute could create such charming tunes was mindbogglingly confusing to the tiger shifter. But he didn't dwell on such thoughts, they were quite distracting...
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on Apr 23, 2006 18:31:51 GMT -5
Shantah had arrived at the school earlier this morning and couldn’t wait to get to the courtyard to read. She loved to sit beneath the drooping branches of the weeping willow on the lake shore and breathe in the fresh air while she immersed herself in the worlds of her novels. God knew she needed the relaxation after the hectic morning she spent resettling everything into her dorm, the same one she had been in since her first year.
As she approached her tree, Shantah heard a beautiful melody coming from beneath the curtain-like willow branches. She strained to hear the gentle notes as they were whisked away toward the lake on the cool autumn wind. Though she was curious to know who was creating this pleasing music so skillfully, Shantah was also wary, for where there was music, there had to be someone there to create it, and she was always wary of anything humanoid.
Shantah paused at the tree before extending one delicate hand to part the branches. She peered into the opening she had created to see who it was. Sitting beneath the tree, playing a silver flute was a skinny shifter that she had never seen before. Parts of his body were covered in short orange fur and what skin she could see was striped like a tiger and curled around his feet was a tiger tail.
Shantah stared at him for a few moments, as though she were trying to gauge whether she could trust him.
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on Apr 28, 2006 21:02:21 GMT -5
Lost in his world of sounds and melody, the shifter didn't notice the stranger initially, his green optics closed and ears listening only to himself. Music was his portal, his life and his sould, really. It was the only thing he was really good at and even then he didn't think he was all that special... despite the dropped jaws he'd recieve from those listening. It truly was a calming, comforting sound the shifter could make with his flute but he never seemed to think that way. That was just how he was, always against himself and for everyone else.
Caring, compassionate and very thought-provoking, one would assume such a charming teenager would have a good number of friends, poeple to talk to but in truth, the tiger was pretty much alone. Despite his concern for everyone and everything around him, regardless of the way he played sports or music and no matter what he said to others, no one ever seemed to accept him as a friend for some reason or another. Sure, Haruka seemed accepting enough but only just...
A lifting of his eyebrows as the tune he played continued caused the shifter to open one eye just enough to catch sight of the stranger watching him. Looking up at her with almost childish curiosity, he didn't bother to stop playing his flute, waiting for her to signal that she wished to say something. Being very polite, the shifter would instantly cease his music so he might her what this newcomer wished to say to him... But for the moment, he simply watched her with his emerald optics, the soft almost playful tune flowing from the metal pipe at his lips...
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on Apr 28, 2006 23:43:52 GMT -5
Shantah’s initial wariness of the other shifter had departed as she listened to the beautiful tune emanating from the flute. Anyone who could play music as soulful and moving as him could not be a bad person.
The melodious nature of the song mesmerized Shantah, transporting her to another place where everything was perfect. Its simple beauty made her feel that for once in her life her abilities didn’t mark her as an outcast. Though her parents had tried hard to make her feel accepted and loved, Shantah had always felt different and unwanted. Now, however, she felt that her differences didn't matter. The beauty of the music flowed around her and through her; taking her over and filling her with contentment. It was a beautiful feeling and she never wanted to let it go
As her thoughts were overcome by the song Shantah stood watching the instrumentalist without seeing him. She was captivated and swaying slightly as she listened to the notes soar and fall, weaving intricate patterns in the crisp fall air. Because she was so caught up in the music, it was several minutes before Shantah realized that the boy was staring at her. Her gaze shifted downward and her golden orbs met his emerald ones, She offered a shy smile before she spoke.
"Hi."
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on Apr 29, 2006 16:46:24 GMT -5
It was quite some time before the stranger managed to speak, something the tiger found more flattering than anything else. She was so busy listening to him play that she had no thought left for speech... She was listening to his music, something no one had done in the longest of times. For years, he'd only been a background noise or the nameless flute playing a five minute solo, boring everyone listening to the band until they left or fell asleep. But here stood his own personal audience, one who actually seemed to enjoy the practically random melody as he played it. A very flattering gesture, he thought...
But the music stopped suddenly when the girl offered a word of greeting, the shifter dropping the flute to his lap where it could make no sound. A soft smile of his own returned the one he recieved, short but obviously sharp fangs being unconciously revealed but not in any way that would suggest any sort of hostility...
"Hi... I wasn't disturbing you, was I?"
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on Apr 29, 2006 18:23:49 GMT -5
Shantah was surprised at the other shifter’s suggestion that he had been bothering her. It wasn’t very often that one came across someone with such outstanding talent as his, but he didn’t seem to realize that he possessed it.
“You weren’t disturbing me at all. I actually found your music to be beautiful and I really enjoyed listening to it. You have exceptional talent with that instrument. I have never heard someone play so beautifully and expressively.” Shantah stopped suddenly, conscious of how much she was talking. She had never said so much to a stranger before, there was something about this one that made her want to open up.
She smiled again, “My name’s Shantah, do you mind if I join you?”
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on Apr 30, 2006 14:27:59 GMT -5
To say that the tiger was flattered would be an understatement. He'd never been complimented on his playing before, at least not honestly. People would compliment him when he was feeling depressed just so he wouldn't be sad any more but then it wasn't a true compliment. They were just saying it. But here comes this complete stranger with all these nice words to say about his music... and no reason to say them. A new situation, yes, but a good one at the same time. It was enough to make his long tiger tail uncurl from around his legs in a swift swish, the equivalent of a dog wagging its tail...
Scooting over to one side, the shifter patted the ground to his left with one striped hand, signaling Shantah to sit with him...
"Nope, not all.... Sit, sit."
Dropping the flute into the case beside him just to put it in a safer place than his lap, the tiger kept his green gaze on the girl. However, the case's black lid remained open in case she was only joining him to listen to him play so more.... which the shifter actually wouldn't mind all that much...
"I'm Duka.... Do you really think my music is that great? I've never liked it much myself..."
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on May 1, 2006 15:52:30 GMT -5
Shantah slipped inside the curtain of willow boughs, letting the branches fall back together behind her. She stepped over to the tree trunk and gracefully sat down in the space that Duka had indicated, her black panther tail just showing below the hem of her sari.
“I really do think it’s pretty. I have never heard music so beautiful and delicate before,” she said quietly. “It moved me so much; I was in a different world while I listened to you play. I couldn’t help but be affected though, it was just so expressive, the way you played, as though you were pouring all of your energy into each note.”
Shantah stopped and blushed, she couldn’t understand why she felt the sudden urge to ramble on about her feelings to a stranger. Normally the only people who got to see this side of Shantah, were her family and possibly her best friend, who she hadn’t seen for three years now. She had only had one or two really close friends in her lifetime, maybe she just needed to spill her feelings to someone other than her parents.
She turned back to Duka, “I really don’t know why I’m telling a complete stranger all of this. Normally I barely speak at all. If you knew me well, you’d be finding my personality quite strange right now…”
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on May 1, 2006 16:59:40 GMT -5
The tiger regarded the girl beside him with a curious glance, his head tilted to the side slightly as he listened to her speak. He found it quite flattering that she had so much to say about him and something he did. It was very rare that the shifter received any sort of real praise. Having grown up in human society, which wasn't too accustomed to striped shape shifters, everyone avoided him all together. Even when he tried to force them to talk to him by joining extra curricular activities, they still found ways to do anything but give him praise. Cross country being a great example, Duka would always finish the race in the top five but he never heard the rest of his team clap for him, the audience never cheered when he crossed the finish line. Instead, they would stare at him a few moments before clapping as the rest of the runners crossed. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy thing to deal with...
"Really?...... Well, thanks. Can't say I've ever heard that before..."
Turning his light green gaze away from Shantah a moment, the tiger looked off between the branches of the willow tree, out toward the lake before them and toward the ducks that swam on its surface. He wasn't looking for anything or paying any real attention to the ducks and what have you, he was just thinking, staring off into space, if you will. But that ended soon enough and his gaze returned to his companion... if he could really call her that...
"Well, we know each others names right? I think that makes us closer than complete strangers.... but I know what you mean... Guess I just have that kind of effect on people...."
He finished with a mindless shrug of his shoulders for he had no honest idea why she would suddenly feel so comfortable with him....
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on May 1, 2006 20:22:33 GMT -5
Shantah was a bit surprised to learn that no one had ever complimented Duka on his musical ability. As he lapsed into silence, looking out over the water, Shantah took the time to think about it.
She wondered if the reason his talent was ignored, could be the same reason she had been shunned at school and social events. They shared a common bond, her and this boy that she had just met by chance. Their shifter abilities marked them as outcasts of most of society. They would never be completely accepted by people who were supposedly “normal”, whatever that meant anyway.
Shantah thought about her sudden desire to talk, something she had never really felt before. She had always been a solitary being, sharing her thoughts only when necessary. She wondered if the fact that Duka shared the pain of being a societal outcast made her feel more at ease. It at least ensured that he knew where she was coming from and was probably in the same place himself.
The sound of his voice brought her back to the present. Shantah listened to what he had to say, then spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully, “You know, I was just thinking…it might have something to do with us both being shifters. I’m sure you’ve experienced the same lack of acceptance by society’s ‘norms’ that I have, you understand what I’m talking about…I think that might be the thing that is putting me so at ease with you.”
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on May 7, 2006 9:35:48 GMT -5
Taking another quiet moment to think about his friend's reasoning, the tiger's gaze found its way to the sky, one of its favorite places actually. What Shantah said was very true, as one might expect. They were both shifters, both "odd-balls" in a world of what one might consider normal. Both had tails, their eyes probably glowed in the dark, and well... they were just diferent. If you're different, you're not normal, that seemed to be the way humans thought, which classified the both of them...
"You know, I never thought about that before..."
Letting his gaze drop from the sky, Duka sat back a little, propping himself up on his arms, one leg outstreched and his tail swishing back and forth in the grass slowly.
"Makes sense... but I've never really given it any serious thought... Why do you suppose that is? The way society hates us and all... I mean, you're really nice and stuff... So what's there to hate?"
((Gah.... That was so bad... -_-))
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on May 11, 2006 16:12:11 GMT -5
((That was not bad))
Shantah blushed slightly at Duka’s compliment, she could feel her shyness returning, but she fought it back. This was her first chance in a while to have a real friend and she didn’t want to miss out on it because of her stupid timidity.
“Well…” She began, “It’s sort of the way things have always been. The majority considers themselves to be normal, and then they pick on the minorities because we don’t fit in with their definition of normalcy.”
She paused to think again, staring out over the lake, watching as the sunlight caught in the ripples of the water and sparkled bewitchingly. Shantah had always thought of being a shifter as a curse, a burden she was being forced to carry for some reason. She had endured ceaseless teasing from the other students when she was in grade school. As she got older, the teasing became less open, but possibly crueler as whispers and stares followed her everywhere she went. Shantah hadn’t let these things break her though, she had ignored them and endured all through her years at school and in the end, she had become stronger for it.
Breaking out of her reverie, Shantah continued speaking, “Throughout history people have been persecuted and ostracized because they didn’t think like the majority. They were considered deviants and punished for things they couldn’t help, like the colour of their skin, their sexual preferences, their beliefs, their ancestry, basically anything that was different. It makes me angry just to think about all the injustice in the world.”
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on May 13, 2006 14:07:32 GMT -5
((Yes it was...*whines*))
The tiger left his gaze out over the lake as he listened, his tail still swishing back and forth in the grass in a thoughtful manner. This panther friend he seemed to have met by chance was... interesting to be around. Not just interesting, but better than interesting. Duka didn't have a good word to describe it but, whatever it was, he found it interestingly curious. He'd met only two other shifters in his life and they'd both hated him. This was a new experience to him...
Not only was it strange talking and sitting with another of his kind but one that thought so similarly to himself. Could she read his mind? Was that it? Could she see what he was thinking? See his past? Is that how she seemed to know everything that he ever agreed with? Wouldn't be that out of the ordinary on this island but all of the questions were making the tiger boy's head hurt...
"It's true... There has been a lot of predjudice and torment and such based upon the stupid idea of normal... But when it comes down to it, what is one to do about it? What can two simple creature like you and me do to change human nature? Not to be pessimistic or anything but the two of us can't do anything to change the whole human race..."
Pausing and drawing his gaze to the sky, hegave one ear a tentive scratch...
"My mother once said to me 'Never try to change the world because all you can change is yourself'.... and she was very right. Everyone wants the whole world to bend to their needs and desires when they really should just change them, focus on a different idea and stop trying to get everyone else on your side..."
Pausing again, green gaze shifted yet again, this time to land upon Shantah herself...
"We cannot change the world, make them accept us for who we are. We can only make it so that we as idividuals see the world differently, have us accept ourselves, ya know? And if we can accept ourselves, who cares what the rest of the world thinks..."
|
|
|
Post by Shantah on May 29, 2006 17:30:44 GMT -5
((I’m SO sorry it took so long to get this up, I’ve just had a lot on my plate lately, then my internet went all wonky. All apologies for the wait.))
Shantah smiled thoughtfully at Duka’s words. “You know Duka,” she said, “I think you’re right. We can’t go through life worrying about what everyone else is thinking about us. It should be enough that we simply accept ourselves for who we are without making a big deal of trying to fit in with everyone.”
She broke off staring at the impossibly blue sky, reflecting on her own words. Now that she really thought about it, she had wasted so much of her life being self-consciously aware of what everyone was thinking and saying about her. It was strange that in one simple afternoon she had suddenly realized that being insecure was so totally pointless. Equally strange was that it had taken a deep conversation with a stranger to make her realize it.
She refocused her attention on Duka, “I think I’m going to try to live my life by that principle from now on. I’ve just about had enough of trying to be like everyone else when it’s totally obvious that I’m not. I probably never would have figured this out without you, so thank you.”
She paused again and thought for a moment before giggling softly, “And to think that this all started out over your flute playing…”
((*sigh* and now the post is totally short >_>))
|
|
|
Post by Haruka on May 29, 2006 21:42:13 GMT -5
((It is so totally okay. This site's dying anyway but I will go down with the ship like a good admin. *salutes*))
Staring at her thoughtfully, the tiger couldn't find anything to say really. It was interesting that not only did she listen to him, but took what he said to heart. Nobody ever did that before. Being rather young, or at least appearing that way, everyone always assumed that Duka didn't know what he was talking about, that all he told were fairy tales. Yet, here he sat with a complete and total stranger who listened to every word he said, thought about every syllable and then thanked him for rambling on to her. It boggled the tiger's mind it did, but he dared not think about it too much. If he went in too deep, he might discover this pleasant conversation to be a trick or a trap or something...
Swishing his tail more drastically, he curled the appendage up into his lap, catching it in his waiting hands and fiddling with the soft, short orange fur mindlessly. At the mention of his instrument, green gaze shifted down toward the black case in which it currently rested. Interesting indeed that the simple sound of air going through a metal pipe could do so much...
"Yeah, I know... And who says music's not powerful?"
Scratching the back of his head with a clawed hand, the tiger laughed aloud. Not loudly, but openly, something he hadn't done in a while...
((Mine's short too. I'm kinda rushing off to bed...))
|
|