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 Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:17 pm
 With all the hullabaloo happening in his life recently, Jester needed time to unwind. He knew there was only one way, and that was to find a place to......sing.
Swooping his way through the tall pines slowly circling, enjoying the crisp wind, till he spied the opportune spot. Even after locating the ideal area, he circled once more to carefully look for any would be audience members.
Confident that there was no others around, he perched himself on a nice sized branch. Fluffing his feathers slightly, he closed his eyes to center himself. 'Now what to sing...' he thought to himself, as he listened to the forest around him to give him his cue.
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:50 am
 Verdigris wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. Reconditioning himself after about a month of disappearance from the performance world was taking a toll, and he certainly didn't intend to subject himself to the grueling work he had done the night before. So instead of waking up and putting himself through his paces, he had woken up and hunted.
Stomach full but schedule blissfully empty, he was simply touring the woods, giving a periodic booming hoot to make sure nobody was going to take offense to his trespasses. He wasn't sure what he was looking for at this point, but he reassured himself that when he found it, he would know. It was an easy life's philosophy, that.
The bells on his ankle jingled slightly ever now and again, and Gris couldn't help but smile to himself. He really rather liked his work and the freedom it allowed him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:49 am
Waiting with poise, listening to the rustle of the leaves, the creaking of the branches around him, Jester waited for the muse to move him.
It took a few moments as Jester's muse had been on a rather long holiday as of late. But suddenly the song stirred in his breast, and with a quick inhale, a cacophony of sound floated out of the Bard's open beak.
"AAaaaahhhwayy up innn the TREEEEEEs, Floooows the caaaalm breeeze!
Briiiinging chhhhangeee too those, whoommm in the wwiiiiinter dozeeeee."
Although the lines rhymed this time, that didn't necessarily mean they were soothing to the listening ear. Leaping from branch to branch, his bells ringing slighty out of time, Jester continued his song.
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:40 pm
It was like flying into a platform, it was so strong. The sudden burst of sound from somewhere very near him caught Gris completely off guard, and the Sentinel clacked his beak in distress and did the midair equivalent of a double-take, landing quickly in a mess of poofed feathers. It had been a surprise, indeed, that noise, and to be honest, Gris had certainly thought he was under attack, at least for a moment or two. Looking around, he realized he wasn't, and smoothed his feathers idly. But the sound continued on.
It was truly dreadful, whatever it was. Cocking his head curiously, Gris listened to it for a full minute before realizing that it was another Sentinel...singing. Yes, he supposed 'singing' was the best word for it. And singing generally meant bard. Perhaps there was a comedian putting on a show for someone. Gris liked the comedic bards, particularly the promising younger ones. Preening his wings quickly, he dropped neatly from the branch and continued his flight, this time toward the singer.
"Hallo?" he called amiably when he was closer to the performer. Young male, not one he had seen before. Hummmm...
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 11:50 am
So wrapped up in his song, Jester didn't hear the stranger approach. At the cheery greeting Jester, in mid step, lost his footing. What happened next was a sight for any Sentinel to see, and wince at.
With an echoing cry of being taking suddenly by surprise the wildtype fell, his bard's bells catching a forked branch on his 'stage'. Luckily, this kept Jester from cascading down to the forrest floor. Unluckily, the now throughly embarrassed bard was on his belly, wings splayed out, apparently stuck in his present position, held fast by his own bells.
With an annoyed grunt and a click of his beak at his predicament, Jester finally had a moment and a thought to respond to the greeting. "Hello?! Is someone there" Jester called, craning his head in attempts to find the other, in some hopes they could possibly help him out of the knot he had just tied himself into.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:05 am
Gris pulled up and perched in a neighboring tree at Jester's rather spectacular faceplant. The comic effect was too good to miss, even if it hadn't been intended. In fact, it hadn't been intended, and thus could not be laughed at. So Gris found himself struggling to remain stoic at this other Bard's antics, keeping his beak clamped shut while a rather impolite giggle attempted to force its way up his throat. Composed a moment later, he dropped down to a lower branch that put him more on level with Jester, dipping down and cocking his head playfully, in a way that echoed strongly of a songbird, or a curious Parus.
"Yes, hello, that'd be me," he said lightly, investigating this stranger curiously to make sure that he had really never seen him before. ...No, he'd certainly remember those lovely wild swirls of green. He was a rather handsome one, younger than Gris by at least season or two, he'd guess. Following the cord belonging to the bells, he smiled a bit and tapped his talons, letting his anklet jingle. "In a bit of a jam, then?" he asked, and made a quick jump to the same tree as Jester, landing on a closer branch so he could inspect the predicament more closely.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:40 pm
The world was very different from the bard's present position, not quite turned top-side down but very close to it. Craning his neck a bit more and leaning ever so slightly to one side Jester could look more clearly in the direction of the greeting. Of course this action only added to his topsy-turvy view of the woods, making his head feel dizzy.
Struggling with his precious bells in a vain attempt to free himself, Jester felt the shadow of the fellow sentinel pass over him and land near him. Glancing upward towards the branch that currently held the wildtype captive he saw one long green curly feather peeking out from behind a tail. A tail Jester assumed to be the one attached to the fellow sentinel. Fluffing slightly in embarrassment at his predicament he answered the friendly voice.
"Um yes...a bit of a jam. Could you uh..perhaps if you..." Jester was at a bit of a loss, he wasn't exactly sure what he or anyone else could do to right himself. At least nothing he could see from staring up at.... what was his 'rescuers' name? "Beg pardon, I'm called Jester." Leaning the opposite direction gave Jester a slightly better view of the lovely curly green feather.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:12 am
Verdigris listened cheerily and watched Jester with interest, raising and lowering his eartufts in time with the other bard's words for no real reason at all. Clicking his beak thoughtfully, he hopped onto Jester's branch, shuffled down to the end, and inspected the mess tangled up in the twigs. He laughed a bit. "Well," he said genially, "you've managed to completely tangle yourself up with your bells here," he said. "Not too hard to clear up, I shouldn't think.
Turning his head this way and that, he leaned in with his Will and gently started untangling the bells. They weren't very good bells at all, and Gris was only momentarily surprised. He was still operating under the impression that this Bard was a comic, and the strange bells were probably meant to be gentle mockery. He loved it.
"Nice bells," he said sweetly, untangling them the rest of the way and hopping back before fluttering to another branch and preening his wings cheerily. "Lovely to meet you, Jester," he added, suddenly remembering that they had yet to be completely introduced. "I'm Verdigris," he said cheerily, preening his chest feathers and absent-mindedly calling attention to his chest bars without thinking. It wasn't a good idea, that, he realized after a moment. Sometimes Sentinels didn't take it well.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:27 pm
Jester sighed in relief, thank the thunderbird someone was around to assist him. Goodness knows Twilla would have been worried sick had he not returned later that night.
"Thank you kindly...Verdigris was it?" Jester waited patiently and unmoving to assure his bells would make it out of their twist in one piece. Once he felt himself free of the treacherous branches, even before looking to his rescuer, his attention turned to his precious bells. Counting them and jingling them lightly, assuring himself that they were still intact. The bells were very dear to him, and represented many things for the bard.
Finally turning to Verdigris, shaking his feathers to return them to their proper places, "I thank you again for assisting me, especially for taking care of my bells." The wildtype finally got a good look at Verdigris. Goodness! Jester had never met a more decorated Sentinel before. The bard nervously preened his chest feathers mimicking Verdigris. "Might I ask, what is your task. I apologize but I've never met such a fancy Sentinel before." Jester inquired honestly of his new friend.
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:43 am
Watching Jester with the bells, Gris smiled a bit. The younger bard reminded him rather much of himself, back before he had decided formally to take the path of a Skydancer. He had been just as excited over his first bells, though his had admittedly been in much better shape. "Ought to be careful with those," he said lightly. "Strutting around on tree branches full of little twigs probably isn't much of a good idea for bard's bells."
Jester's question struck him completely by surprise. He had never been called 'fancy' before. It was...well, it was rather encouraging, actually. Fluffing his feathers and ducking his head, Gris laughed a bit. "Calling me fancy?" he asked, then quickly smoothed his plumage and laughed. "It's not fancy, just the tools of the trade. Skydancer," he added by way of explanation, tapping his foot so the bells on his ankle bracelet jingled. "Bard just like you are. Only I don't sing." He flashed Jester a merry wink and settled comfortably on the branch.
"So you were practicing, I assume?" he said after a moment of silence on his part. "Sounded good. Nice routine you have." And there he went, firing his mouth off with only an assumption, and not any real information, to go by.
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:33 am
Jester fluffed at the mention of taking care of his bells. He prized them quite highly. Shrinking down slightly at the friendly warning from the Skydancer, knowing full well he should have removed his bells before dancing.
And thats when the thunderbird blew into Jester's eartufts a slightly wild glimpse of an idea.
He held it in for the time being, and continued to get to know his new friend.
"Well yes I'd call you fancy." Jester mimicked Gris and settled into his perch. The bard took notice of the very shiny bells that adorned the dancer's ankle as they jingled in their places. All the while that tiny wild idea continued to grow.
Clearing his throat slightly, "I wasn't exactly practicing." the bard stated flatly. Truth is he was just blowing off some steam, and doing whatever came to his mind. Routine? Jester was sure that most other bards knew of his...abilities. At least it felt that way,he thought as he let out a slight huff of exasperation.
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:28 pm
Heh, he was being called fancy. It made Gris laugh softly to himself, putting his eartufts straight up and smiling quite a lot. He liked compliments, and certainly, being called 'fancy' was one of the highest he had received in a long time. Glancing at Jester, he smiled contentedly before rousing his feathers and shifting his weight a bit. Then he heard Jester huff.
Oops...had Gris done something to offend him? He hadn't meant to. Flattening his eartufts in minor embarrassment, the Skydancer tilted his head and looked at Jester. The huff had bewildered him. All he had done was referenced his routine, which shouldn't have upset the bard...unless he wasn't clowning....
Was he being serious? Now Gris was dreadfully confused. Flattening his eartufts, he considered all the implications of this and tried to formulate a tactful way to appologize if he had insulted him. "Beg pardon," he began after a split-second decision, "I must've misinterpreted. You weren't practicing, then?"
There. He wasn't saying anything about Jester being bad. Just changing his angle of approach. Master of tact, our Verdigris!
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:19 am
What Jester had to say was difficult for his own ears to listen to. Hunching down in attempts to get away from the horrid words about to be spewed from his beak.
"I wasn't really practicing, but it also wasn't a comedic routine. I'm.....I'm not that great of a dancer....." 'or singer for that matter.' Jester's voice grew soft and quiet as the words dripped from his beak, and the last part was only in his head. No reason to truly put off his new friend entirely. He didn't know why he was telling this to the skydancer.
There must have been something about Gris, that seemed trustworthy. Jester straightened up some. "I apologize some, I'm in a bit of a 'way'. Between getting a nest ready, and having some strange dealings with my mates old friend.." he trailed off again in his thoughts.
Shaking them from his mind with a slight bob of his head, he turned his attention back to Gris. Chuckling slightly, "I don't know why I've told you those things. Your very easy to talk to Gris. Thank You." He smiled at his fancy new friend.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:40 pm
"Oh, come now," Gris said cheerily, attempting to brighten poor Jester's down mood. "I'm sure you're fine. Any Bard with bells must've proved himself worthy." Shaking his head, he roused his feathers and smiled warmly at Jester. "I'm sure that even if you're not as good as you can be now, you'll get there. After all, if you can talk, you can sing. It's all just practice. Same with dancing."
Extending his wings and executing a graceful movement he often used to open his performances, Gris inclined his head at Jester's mention of trouble with friends. "Strange dealings?" He asked, curious but not willing to push too much. If Jester wanted to tell him, he would.
Oh, and Jester had apparently said more than he had intended to. Gris often had that effect. "I hear that a bit," he said amiably. "It comes of being a good listener, I suppose." Grinning a bit cheekily at Jester, he raised his eartufts. "Most important part of being a Bard is listening. To your own rhythm, or perhaps to the stories of others, to music...to the song in your own head. More you listen, better you get at the rest of it." He nodded sagely.
"Now, if there's anything I cand to to help you...did you say nest?" Wandering mind centering on something rather interesting, Gris smiled at Jester. "Have a lady friend, then?" Aw, young romance. So sweet!
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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:32 pm
Jester settled into his feathers and down further into his perch. He was enjoying the pleasant conversation Gris offered. Beaming slightly, "I am indeed mated to a lovely lady called Twilla." Jester almost seemed to loose himself in thinking of his mate, but he quickly called himself back.
Watching the graceful skydancer execute the most graceful movement the bard had ever seen, Jester was taken aback in awe. "I believe I shall have to practice a bit more to even hold a feather to your ability. But thank you oh so much for showing me." Jester stated fervently, now fiercely determined.
"Ah yes strange dealings indeed..." The bard paused a moment and ruffled his feathers, unsure of wether or not to bring up the harsh words said to Twilla and himself. "...it is about a rather touchy subject for some sentinels. So I'd prefer not to offend one I've only just met." Jester gave Gris an assuring look to Gris, he meant not to offend.
Shuffling up the branch a bit, and opening his wings widely, "Would you mind showing me that movement again?" Jester inquired, eartufts erect intent on watching every feather movement Gris made.
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