( accidental video | un: duckling )

[danserai]

[ it's a dark and — well it's just a dark month and ahiru never really functions well in the dark. she gets spooked easily which is sort of what happens here. a sequence of events, by a duck.

1. she enters the kitchen. the lights are off and she bumps into various furniture. ]

Ow ow ow ow —

[ 2. her hand brushes against a coat hanging on top of a chair. in her mind, she imagines a snake.

3. She panics and lets out a loud: ]

Quack!

[ 4. ahiru ends up turning into a duck on screen. gasp! not that she has realized she's being recorded.

5. she quickly waddles off and there's the sound of water and she comes back into the kitchen with a relief. ]

— Phew that was clo . . . ooooose, O-Odette! Were you displaying this the whole time?! A-Ah!!

[ ahiru immediately runs in front of the feed, waving her hands frantically. ]

You didn't see that! There's nothing to see! It was . . . uh, uh, a MYSTERY DUCK that broke into the house but it's gone now!

[ alas, ahiru has been well and truly outed as . . . a duck. ]

Comments

[danserai]

Oh, it's . . . a long story.

[ she pauses, considering her words. ]

Someone powerful gave me this magic to help someone.

[unphase]

[she smiles gently] The worthwhile stories usually are.

Oh? That's a good reason for magic. Were you--were you able to help them?

[danserai]

No, not yet. My duty isn't finished yet.

[ it won't be until mytho is healed and his heart returned to him. ]

[unphase]

[Tinya's expression softens further] ...I'm sorry. Is the person you need to help here with you?

[danserai]

[ ahiru slowly shakes her head. ]

No. He's a home.

[unphase]

[wow does she know how that feels]

I see. At least...at least now you have some time. Time to grow stronger, time to create a plan you know will work instead of hope will work, time to practice anything and everything which needs to be practiced.

And if there's anything I can do to help, even if it's simply a listening ear, please don't hesitate for a moment.

[a somewhat shy smile, cheeks faintly blue] Were you still interested in practicing? To take your mind off of things?

[danserai]

[ . . . yeah. she should make the most of her time here. plus, if she learned more of the blood corruption, maybe she could use it to save mytho. ]

Mmm. I'd like that. Where would you like to practice?

[unphase]

[blood corruption is still something she knows little of, despite knowing it's in her best interest to learn more. but she's sort of wishing that if she denies it, she won't have to experience it]

Is there a park anywhere? I haven't managed to find one yet, but maybe it's tucked off in some corner I haven't looked.

[danserai]

[ she shakes her head. ]

I'm not sure. I usually practice in my backyard.

[unphase]

Some of the rooms in The Maze have high ceilings and wood floors, I've been practicing there, but I can go to your place. If that's okay with you?

[danserai]

Uhm, my house may not be the best place right now.

[ with fern being on the outs and other reasons . . . ]

We can go to the Maze if you want?

[unphase]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[but she's not going to ask unless more details are offered]

Yes, let's do that. When you come over, I'll make sure Moonlight is at the door, so she can lead you to the right place.

[danserai]

Okay! I won't take long!

[unphase]

[Tinya grins broadly] Any particular leaning to music? Otherwise I may go with 'Coppelia,' if only because it's commonly known.

[when Ahiru arrives, she's greeted at the door by two things: a sculpture of a girl and a little, black kitten with wide blue-green eyes far wiser than any kitten ought to have.

when she sees Ahiru, she goes towards the first half-flight of stairs, turning her head in a plain "well? aren't you coming?" expression. distantly, it can be heard in the background "Moonlight! Be nice!" and the Omen seems to acquiesce, making sure Ahiru was not far behind]

[danserai]

Coppelia sounds nice. I haven't danced it before.

[ she had only seen the motions in pique long ago. that memory feels so distant now with her time in trench. ]

[unphase]

Neither have I. Swan Lake, yes. Romeo and Juliet, yes. Bill and Monica, yes. Giselle? Yes. Until Mother dragged me away and my understudy had to take over.

[she'll forever be bitter towards her mother for that. she'd made it, she'd had been a principal dancer for the Paris Opera Ballet, but that wasn't good enough for mother, she needed her daughter to follow in her foremothers' footsteps and ballet wasn't an option]

But Coppelia is lovely and I can play the male part so you can play the girl.

[and Moonlight leads Ahiru up the half flight of stairs, where she'd see a hardwood floor, two armchairs, and a functional fountain. then it's down another half-flight of stairs to the library. then up a full flight of stairs where a breakfast breakfast nook awaits, bathed in light. but is that it? no, is through another long hallway with similar stained glass as the rest of the house until Ahiru finds a large, well-lit living room with hardwood floors and a Persian rug rolled up and set off to the side. a black batkitten starts a dive, only to be brought short by Tinya's sharp rebuke] No, Carmilla! I'm okay for nom-noms, no one else is unless they give you permission using their words. [the batkitten seems to pout a little before Tinya says "no!" again, then she flies up to the Tiffany lamp fixture hanging above them]

I'm so, so sorry about that, Carmilla's a baby and she seems to think that everyone's for nom-noms. Which she's wrong about because I'm the only one who's okay for nom-noms.