[The Stone Garden] Dancing for the Dead (Dead)

[Ora Sa'vina]

55th of Summer, 510AV


Ora had found The Stone Garden on accident one day while wandering the streets of Sylira. She was surprised by its beauty, even with it’s saddening meaning the young woman realized this was a place of mourning and celebration of bravery and strength. Since her first visit, the pale woman found herself visiting the site often, frequently it was void of any living creature which invited the timid woman to practice her dancing.

There wasn’t anywhere private for the young woman to dance, her currently home was too small, she was likely to hurt herself or easily break something, but, at the stone garden it was a place of peace of memorial, the young woman would quietly tell the souls who died for this place that she was thankful for them with each visit.

The morning of the 55th was like any other. The young woman woke and dressed, ate a small breakfast. Today was a dancing day, it was slightly overcast and cool out, odd for the middle of summer, but Ora enjoyed such weather. The woman gathered a pair of small, black dancing shoes, and placed them in her small bag along with enough food to nibble on throughout the day.

Ora left her home and happily walked through the streets of Sylira, it was early, only thirty chimes after the seventh bell once she was out of her abode. Ora had become much more comfortable with herself in her new city; she was comfortable enough to not feel the need to hide her race under her cloak.

The young Konti reached The Stone Garden with a smile on her face. “Hello, my dear knights,” Ora spoke in her native language, it rolled smoothly and naturally from her tongue. “I’m here to dance for you again, I hope that’s alright.” The young woman sat on a stone bench off to the side of the garden. She took her dancing shoes from her bag and began to lace them up her thin legs. “I enjoying coming and dancing here,” The woman smiled as she finished lacing up her shoes. “Thank you.” She said in common to the silence around her.

As soon as she finished speaking to the stones around her, the vibrant violet eyes vanished behind pale white eyelids. Her arms moved fluidly, her fingers pointed, her feet nimble. She seeming floated across the stones, her eyes opening slightly as she moved slowly. Her dance was from a traditional dance on her Isle. The movements were slow and fluid, as if she was surrounded by water. Ora stopped suddenly, frowning. “I am sorry, Sirs, it seems I’ve made a mistake.” With a small sigh, the young Konti started again.

[Vance]

An uncomfortable feeling creeped through Vance's body as he seeked out a place to ease his troubles. He wanted to temporarily leave the confines of the city and find an open place as he usually would; yet, the stronger the wind blew, the weaker he felt. With the influx of irrational thoughts his mind was always occupied with, it was hard to figure out what kind of place he would truly feel comfortable in. Despite the fact that his soulmist was clearly less and less at ease, he continued up the path to the stone garden. It was not a large clearing, but it was in good distance. Also, there might be a chance that a ghost might have a better connection with a memorial for dead people than a lot of other places. Probably not the best of conclusions, but quite sufficient for a stunted mind. What he did end up finding at the garden was more of an unexpected surprise. Among the stones of supposed honorable people was a beautiful woman, dancing to an invisible audience. Just like him, she didn't sport many colors, but she felt much brighter, her existence more brilliant. While he struggled every day to appear as though he was walking, her feet moved across the ground like she didn't need to touch it, and it looked natural. He was so interested in watching her dance that he forgot to even mention he was there. The soulmist going around his body felt calmed by the dance and wound itself around his body smoothly, not a usual sight. Unless she happened to spot the semi-transparent body that was his, the chill that ran through the night air never failed to accompany him would also be a tell-tale sign of his presence.

[Ora Sa'vina]

The young woman paused, her left foot solidly on the ground, her right bent at the knee, her toes pointed hovering over the ground, her pale arms where extended to her sides, her fingers pointing towards the stones beneath her. In this moment of stillness, Ora miss-balanced and had to catch herself quickly. Her eyes glanced around quickly, before moving to look at the memorial plaques. “I am sorry… It sudden feels different, a bit colder.” A smile crossed her face weakly. “Must be the wind I suppose.”

The small Konti moved herself back into position when her eyes caught an odd smoke hovering in the air, a faint figure in the midst of the fog-like material. Ora froze in the starting pose of a traditional Konti dance, her right foot planted; her left leg was stretched to the side, the tips of her toes gracing the stones. Her right arm curled beneath her chest fingers extended, the left stretched at a slight angle, her fingers pointing down to her pointed toes.

Ora froze, observing the figure before her. Her face was oddly calm, albeit an underlying expression of perplexing thought was visible. It did not take long for Ora to realize that the figure before her was a ghost. While this was her first encounter with one, she had heard stories of them. The stories were pleasant as well as unpleasant.

Pale white limbs moved back to a normal pose, her legs planted perpendicular to the ground, arms resting at her sides. Vibrant violet eyes looked at the ghost before her. Well… This has never happened before. The young woman wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do when interacting with a ghost, but she figured her usual approach to people would suffice for now. “Good evening,” Ora said in a soft, quiet voice. “Am I being a disturbance?” Ora’s thoughts were that this ghost was a Knight, who died for this land, and either he wanted her to stop frolicking over his comrades, or he was thankful for some reason. Either way, Ora always treated strangers with the up most respect. "I am Ora Sa'vina..." Her eyes moved from the figure for a moment to glance over at her things. "I hope my presence is not upsetting to you."

[Naledi]

The cat had never been here before.

The garden was beautiful, she decided, her paws padding silently over the intricate cobblestones. It was beautiful, but frightening. The cat, like most cats, had that inexplicable sense of clairvoyance, and she sensed something that made her afraid in a deep part of her mind. The cat's fur stood on end and she stopped moving, listening instead with her excellent ears for any sign of life.

There were a couple of birds in a nearby tree, one on the ground behind her, there seemed to be a squirrel about five meters to her right (oh please can I chase it, then I'll play with it until it stops moving and then maybe I'll eat it but probably not oh please let's go hunting, the cat part of her brain said) and there was something else moving, maybe ten meters away.

It's a woman, the cat thought. She must be a Konti, she's so pale and beautiful, wow, she's really good at dancing. She moved closer, her paws making absolutely no sound. The cat was easily entranced by grace, and she crouched under the stone bench where the Konti woman had laced up her shoes. The cat-fear was tugging at her mind, telling her to run because this woman might be dangerous, but the cat watched the woman dance, enthralled.

A cold tingling started somewhere in the cat's chest and worked its way up around her neck and down her spine. Her fur stood on end and her eyes went wide. Something wasn't right. The primal fear came flooding into her senses and she froze, her muscles tensed, ready to spring away, to run and run until the danger had passed. She wasn't sure what had scared her, just that all her senses were screaming at her to get away because something is wrong.

Then she saw the ghost.

A spitting snarl tore itself from her throat. The animal part of her didn't understand, because dead things should stay dead. In the animal world, when something died, it was gone, digested, eaten, broken down and returned to the earth. The animal, therefore, could not understand how a very, very dead person could still be here, in the physical world, and it frightened her.

She darted toward the Konti woman, cowering behind her legs, amber eyes wide. Unsure whether to rescue the woman or use her as a human shield, the cat crouched, muscles coiled, semi-feral and fearsome as only small cats can be.

[Vance]

A little disappointed that the woman had suddenly stopped dancing, he took a little while to realize that she was the cause of it. Her eyes opened, revealing a luscious purple that made her gaze all the more nerve-wracking. Fearful that he was scaring her, his eyes were wide with anxiety, and his soulmist lost it's smooth texture, seemingly just as nervous as he was. He followed her gaze as she inspected herself, wondering what was on her mind. He had noticed that since becoming a ghost, it was ridiculously harder to deduce what people were thinking. "Vance," he said, his voice coming in from all directions, losing itself in the wind. "Name is.. Vance. I was just... wandering--" He stopped abruptly at the new presence, a cat, that seemed a lot more aware of the dangers of his race. Probably more scared of the cat than it was of him, he took a step back, soulmist rising turbulently with newfound sensations. It was such a small animal, but the threatening pose it had decided to take on was a lot more intimidating to him than he thought it would. Something made him feel like the animal could truely see what he was, dead and lingering. He started considering just leaving the scene, as he clearly was not welcome. Soulmist fidgeting nervously, his eyes stayed put on the cat, deciding that if the animal would pressure him any more that he would turn tail and run.

[Flur]

Armesi Rulf "True imortality is no the lack of death, but rather the abundunce of opportunity." Bored as could be, Flur was looking for some friends. She hadn't actually had any long standing acquaintances since her death.. and though she didn't have any idea of how long ago she had passed - it felt like ages ago. Of all the creatures she had encountered over the years, cats were by far her favorite. In fact, if she had a choice of a traveling companion she would have to choose a kitten. ..and so as luck would have it, she stumbled upon one. She watched in amusement as the cat recoiled in shock from something she hadn't noticed quite yet; she figured that the cat had just felt her presences. As she had noticed over the years, most animals could feel passing spirits. Kneeling, her flickering shape leaned forward and with a hand outstretched to the kitty she spoke. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty... I wont hurt you." She explained With a start she heard Ora speak. “No.. no your not disturbing me..” she replied As if to make the situation more awkward, someone behind her said more or less the same thing. Turning, her eyes widened in shock. Before her “stood” a fellow ghost. How ironic that they were surrounded by tombstones, in an extremely spiritual place; and neither of them likely had felt each others presence. Pointing rudly at Vance , she spoke. “A fellow Ghost.. hmn.. How did you die?” She inquired

[Ora Sa'vina]

In such a short period of time, an array of things occurred around Ora. While she stood, speaking to the ghost before her, an average but beautiful Abyssinian cat appeared, making its way to Ora’s legs. The small creature made quite the fuss over the spirit before them. Hissing and arching it's back, it was obvious to Ora that this creature was not fond of the Ghost before them.

Sharp violet eyes darted from the man before her to the cat beneath her. “Do not worry, little one, no ill will come to you.” The woman smiled at the cat. She knelt down, holding out her hand for the creature. "I do not feel any ill intent from this man.” Ora said softly to the startled creature, her words were of her Isle.

The young woman’s eyes moved back to the man before her, she listened to him, and bowed her head slightly. “Vance? It is a pleasure.” Ora noticed his sudden attention towards the cat, Ora couldn’t blame him, even she had been caught off guard by the small creature. Ora could feel tension rising around her, an uncomfortable feeling filling her. “Please,” Ora said with a soft smile. “Stay. I will not harm you.”

What the Konti was not expecting that day was to meet a ghost, let alone two. Once the second ones presence was realized by Ora, she shifted, startled. The woman simply bowed her head to the female figure whom knelt before Vance. At the female’s question Ora felt a stronger twinge of discomfort, such a topic was not one Ora wished to hear of, the discomfort she felt internally was exposed on her face rather suddenly.

Perhaps this is Ghost etiquette to speak about their passing? Ora thought to herself, her concern worn clearly through her knitted brow. Her eyes watched the woman before her before bouncing to Vance.

[Naledi]

The cat's back arched and she stopped a hiss that was threatening to break from her mouth. She considered turning human. Human was awkward and lumbering, but it was large, and the cat's experience was that large was normally a lot scarier. Human could run faster than cat, human could throw punches, human could defend itself. But, thought the cat, human has no claws. Human has no sharp teeth. Human has no lightning fast reflexes, no sixth animal sense.

So the cat stayed cat.

Its huge, frightened eyes darted between the ghost girl and the Konti. Ghost is ghost, ghost is dead, ghost should not be at all, ghost is unnatural and frightening, oh gods please run, babbled the cat's mind. The human mind recognised kindness, however, and both human and cat could understand this non-threatening body language, the language both Konti woman and ghost were displaying. It was a welcoming kind of body language and the cat could understand this much.

The human part of the cat's mind made her muscles loosen and her fur lie flat. The snarl lingering around the cat's mouth disappeared and the hiss bubbling in her throat quieted to a purr. She pushed herself against the Konti woman's outstretched hand, ear first, the rest of her body following, in the fluid motion cats make to mark somebody with their scent to tell other cats that this person is mine, actually, so back off before I hunt you down. Feeling it would be rude not to, the cat approached the ghost girl as well, getting pretty close before the cold stopped her (as well as the cat-fear screaming at her to run away from this unnatural dead person) and she mewed quietly, trying to convey that she was unable to make herself walk forward. She eyed the soulmist somewhat apprehensively, resisting the shudder of fear rippling through her muscles and making her paws and whiskers twitch.

Oh, the ghost man. The Konti woman, she said something, what was it? I don't think it was in common. The tone of her voice was kind though, I like kind people, kind people give me food. Oh yeah, the ghost man. The cat turned apologetic eyes on the man and mewled again, a kind of catlike sorry about that, you just kind of scared me.

((OOC: Sorry about that, reading back I realised I kinda hijacked the thread almost, promise it won't happen again. Dramatic entrances are my forte... ^-^'))

[Vance]

As if there wasn't enough to process already, another person showed up to further his disturbed thoughts. Though he did not want to ignore whatever the cat was up to, a ghost like himself was much more wary presence. The dead girl seemed ridiculously comfortable with the state she was in, the concept of how completely eluding him. To make things worse, she didn't really have a proper sense of boundary, speaking to him as though their common traits gave them some sort of connection. Her inquiry as to how he died particularly jostled him, reminding him of things not worth remembering. Momentary scenes flashed before him - A shabby man, a stunted knife, the cold spreading through his body like a disease... Vance forced himself out of the unwelcome flashback, directing the pain of his emotions towards the ghost, blaming her for bringing back those memories. "That does not concern you," he said in the most threatening tone he could manage, rage uncontrolled. His soulmist evidently agreed, rising violently, stronger despite being outdoors. He realized that he was losing his temper again, but another down-side of being a ghost was that his rationality could not reach him. He turned his gaze to the lady in white, who seemed rather unhappy about something.Come on, Vance, you're losing it again, stop getting angry, he repeated in his mind, knowing the consequences of letting his emotions govern him. He tried to erase the clear image of his death, and although his soulmist did indeed stop growing further, it would not lower its intimidating attitude towards the she-ghost, urging her to leave him alone. Clearly now would be the most appropriate time for Vance to get the hell out of there before he did something stupid. As soon as he made up his mind and started walking away, though, the Konti woman's words rang through his ears: Please, stay. I will not harm you. Knowing that the living always seemed to be the wiser race, he would always feel compelled to listen and obey. He turned around again, glaring at the ghost despite his want to rest his eyes upon a more welcome figure like Ora. Unlike himself, the cat seemed to have lowered its cautious stance, greeting each of the people one at a time. It seemed a lot more understanding than most cats, seemingly more aware of the human (or ghost) interaction. He remembered hearing a rumor that cats usually meowed to communicate with humans rather than its own kind. He did want to react to the cat, say something that meant he didn't mind the bad start they got off to. Unfortunately, his mind was still greatly disturbed and refused any sort of calm interaction until the intruder (the other ghost) would no longer be a problem.

[Ora Sa'vina]

The young woman smiled as the cat excepted her offer of affection, Ora lightly pet the cat, watching it move closer to the ghost. "Not as scary as you thought, see?" Ora said to the small cat. The Konti stood up, dusting of her knees quickly. She watched Vance as the mist about him seemed to grow, his voice was angry, for understandable reasons.

Violet eyes moved from the man to the crouching female ghost. "Please, this is a place of peace, thanks and prayers, let us not begin disliking each other after such a short meeting." A frown graced her pale face as her eyes moved from the woman to Vance.

The words she said to the now angered male ghost were true, she had no intention of harming him, and she also could tell that he was calm before the garden became crowded. The young woman gestured towards the bench where her things rested, it would allow the man to get away from the female ghost whom upset him.