The cherry trees appear.

[thewidewideworld]

During the night something wonderful has happened. A large area of the mountainsides and foothills of Milliways has sprouted cherry trees. Smooth grey-brown bark, between twenty and thirty feet tall, and covered in tiny blossoms.

There are winding paths through the cherry trees, and occasional clearings ideal for s rest or a picnic. Stone lanterns are placed at intervals along the paths and around the clearings. At dusk the lanterns will light up with a cheery glow, to be extinguished after sunrise.

And half way up the side of the mountain, with a lovely view back down to the lake and gardens, is a natural amphitheatre, ringed by pure white blossoms. A perfect, private but welcoming space.

{ooc: kicked off with permission from Seimei’s mun and the Modgods. Thread-hopping, plot use, and exploration welcomed. The trees will be around for two weeks.}

Comments

[thewidewideworld]

"I am travelling through the foothills of Rome beyond my door. With people I would struggle to explain this too. But once I have brought them to where they need to be, I would be glad to show you my world. If you desire to see it."

[quick_clean_pure]

"Sure," he says, smiling a little at the offer. "If it's no trouble to you or anything. Don't want to be causing you any hassle or anything."

[thewidewideworld]

"Once I've parted ways with my current companions. They are extremely religious, and already somewhat nervous of me."

[quick_clean_pure]

"These the same ones you told me about last time we talked? Have they caught on to your filthy Norse mythology yet?" he teases lightly.

[thewidewideworld]

"No, but they did see me tame a pack of wolves that was stalking us." He grins, unashamed.

[quick_clean_pure]

"You tamed a bunch of wolves?" he asks, blinking in surprised. "That is...amazingly badass. Jesus. How'd you do that?"

[thewidewideworld]

"It wasn't that hard. They were hungry and we had more food than we needed. One of the lay-brothers had brought down a deer and there is much of such a beast a man won't not eat."

"I took what we had left and brought it to the lead wolf. It helped that I could sing them calm, the way I do with the demon bunnies. To show I was no threat to them. Once they had eaten, they were quite content."

[quick_clean_pure]

"You're saying that like it's very simple, but I'm pretty sure most people, me included, would have gotten devoured or mauled very early into that process," he says with a small grin.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric laughs softly. "There are tricks I could teach you, to calm wild animals. I know you can sing, I've heard you."

[quick_clean_pure]

"Heh, thanks," he says. "I'm not sure I've ever sung the kinds of songs that could calm wolves, but then again, I've never met any wolves."

[thewidewideworld]

"There's a first time for everything." Sinric points out with a smile.

[quick_clean_pure]

"Fair point," he says. "So what are the tricks you know for that sort of thing?"

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric sings a series of repeating notes, that rise and fall, getting slower with each repeat as they do.

He nods to Graverobber to sing them back. "Can you feel that? Here." He presses a hand to Graverobber's chest. "You sing it first to the beat of the heart, and then slower. Slow the heart, slow the breathing. Bring calm.

[quick_clean_pure]

Graverobber does as he's told, though he does have a brief flash of incredible self-consciousness when he realizes he's never really had to think about singing or his own heartbeat quite so intently.

Sinric's hand is warm on his chest as he does what he's told, trying to follow the same basic pattern. It's a little hesitant, the self-awareness still there, but he mostly gets it right.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric is the opposite of self-conscious. He feels utterly at home in his skin, projecting that feeling to Graverobber.

Without any hint of magic, a sense of calm projects over them both.

[quick_clean_pure]

Graverobber does feel more at ease with the projected calm, especially since Sinric seems utterly serene with the whole situation. The notes come out easier, smoother as he goes.

[thewidewideworld]

"There." Sinric smiles, withdrawing his hand gently. "You have the magic of it now. And the same can be done in reverse. To excite and entrance. And to bring yourself energy in a time of need."

[quick_clean_pure]

"Thanks," he says, keeping the notes in mind, committing them to memory. "Where'd you learn all this? Or did you just, I don't know, come up with it yourself?"

[thewidewideworld]

"The völva who taught me galdr knew it but didn't understand it. They knew it worked but now why. They learnt the spells by rote but had no understanding of the way music is made and harnessed. It limited their use of it because without understanding why, they couldn't alter it to their needs."

[quick_clean_pure]

"But you did," he says with a small grin. "So you knew how to use it, then, yeah?"

[thewidewideworld]

"They saw only the potential to bring sleep to the sleepless. And it can do that. Other chants they used to enflame a man to warrior rage. But they didn't understand why. They believed it was the words one chanted, not the pace and beat at which it's done."

He shakes his hand sadly. "The were limited by their ignorance and unwillingness to change."

[quick_clean_pure]

"At least it wound up with someone who got it," he says. "May not fix them if they're short-sighted, but at least they passed it on to people who could see it for more than just what they used it for."

[thewidewideworld]

"And considering their ambitions, it was for the best that they did not understand the extent of the magics they were teaching. They would have done worse with it than bring peace."

[quick_clean_pure]

"So in a way, it kind of worked out, at least," he says. "Better that they couldn't use it for bad ends and didn't have the ability to try."

[thewidewideworld]

"Indeed." Sinric nods. He smiles to Graverobber, "But now I can teach you."