#dewdrip

The music is exciting to her—something about the way strings swell and brass sings makes her tail wag and her voice hum along. Bailu takes to swaying around the streets, laughing as dance overtakes her body. But doctors have an oath to always provide; Bailu won't keep this healing joy all to herself, no siree! Though he is her patient no longer, a bit of whimsy surely wouldn't hurt Jiaoqiu, right?

"Doctor Jiaoqiu! You're here too?" she calls out to him, a small hand brushing against his knuckle to further establish her presence. Maybe her smile is a bit hard to see on her tiny face, but he can surely hear it in her voice, "The music's nice, isn't it? Dancing can be quite good for you... Come on, let's spin around!"

he'd been sitting off to the side for some time -- mostly listening, watching shadows and shapes move about in tandem with the music's rhythm. when was the last time he found himself somewhere like this? surrounded by people, surrounded by music -- he could see then, the lighting, the direction of the stage and the performance of the musicians... he hasn't been to a show like this in quite some time. as he considers it longer, time flows back further... a makeshift concert planetside with a legion of weary verdant knights, around a campfire as fresh bandages unwrap from his hands to replace dirty ones on an old wound, while a zhongruan plays and a foxian girl sings a song not quite from the yaoqing's traditions ----

...

......

when he hears 'doctor jiaoqiu' in a young, cheerful voice, attention snaps back to the present. ears twitch, head turns towards her, and his hand upturns to take her smaller one in his own. a soft chuckle -- "bailu? I didn't expect to find you here... or rather, have you find me."

Bailu enters the scene with eyes squinted narrow. She scours the stage, waving to townsfolk that aren't there and looking to a sky that is naught but lights. She does this for some time, creating a panorama with little more than her wordless (over)acting. Then, once she feels she is ready, she dramatically gasps.

"Oh madam! Oh madam!"

Bailu chirps, cape flying behind her as she sprints to stage right. Though she misses her blocking by quite a few paces, and the stage lights that descend upon her don't fall quite right. Half of her body remains in shadow. But, no matter—the protagonist shall always be triumphant. According to the cliche ingenia that pollute the Luofu mediascape, anyways. That aside, what's important is that she is able to see her partner and throw out her lines. Theater amateur she may be, she at least manages that.

There, atop the small raised platform that is set upon the stage, is the Express' very own conductor, Himeko. Bailu places her hands on her hips.

"You seem to be in need of assistance, madam! Allow me to help, madam! Wee?" her eyes widen for a spell, and she quickly corrects herself, "Oui?"

[ Who, What, Where — Scene 1 ] 

Himeko watched with a weary expression as she stood on her platform, awaiting for her cue, raising her eyebrow as Bailu squinted at imaginary townsfolk, then charged across the stage in a dramatic but wildly off-kilter fashion. When the little lady finally arrived (overextended) on her designated mark, Himeko closed her eyes for a beat, as though in silent contemplation out of her character’s suffering.

The lighting around the stage dimmed then, the spotlight falling onto her as she spoke, her voice echoing to imitate that of a thought only the audience could hear.

“ Every morning, she comes hurtling over from… Wherever it is she resides, and each time… ” She took a deep breath in, making it a point to rise her shoulders enough that their viewers could see before dropping them with a sigh. “ I’ve already tried denying her twice, and oh, the look she gives me when I do, but every time she comes to help me, I only end up further from finishing than before. ”

Himeko paused, gesturing with a flick of her wrist toward the imaginary lawn stretching beyond the stage lights. Her garden, composed of plastic flowers and grass painted upon wood, appeared wholly untended and a mess. As she dropped her head in apparent “defeat,” the lighting around the stage brightened up. Her smile forced as she turned to the helpful missy once more, hands on her knees so she could crouch down to her height.

Let's here your thoughts, Caelus! || Accepting.

❛ Ah.. The Founders of Penacony. It really is a shame that most, if not all, of those who traverse the Dreamscape don't know that those three are the reason they even have this "Paradise". ❜

The venom behind the word surprises him, but who could blame him really? If he had a way to submit some sort of Satisfaction Survey or Feedback of any sort, he'd give this trip a failing grade. Worst "vacation" ever. 2/10. Do not recommend--

❛ I do hope that the Penacony in the coming future is one that those three can be proud of. I feel that if we hadn't gotten involved and charted a better course for Penacony, they'd be sad at the state it was in and was going down..