[Hades Performance] Pianos, Parties, and Paternal Perplexity 2
darthcourt10
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Yellowhammer
Pianos, Parties, and Paternal Perplexity (II)
8 August 2014
Villa Uvas Munificus, Slopes of Mount Ossa, Thessaly, Greece
"The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind." – Maria Cristina Mena
Spoiler: An Unexpected Revelation
Athena sipped her glass of wine and smiled at Colombe as the blonde-haired rapier finished another tale about her adventures. The Frenchwoman was a fascinating fountain of information and had gotten into more trouble than anyone Athena knew short of her half-brother Hermes getting dared to 'do his worst'.
Then her gray eyes narrowed as Colombe concluded "...as it turned out that was not the end of it all."
"Oh, how so?" Athena asked. "The stratagem to get Yuying on the other ship while her illusion fled with you to Manila failed then?"
Colombe chuckled and Tokunotakai next to her started to smile. "Actually that worked brilliantly. However, as it turned, out unknown to us the night before we departed, I accidentally impregnated Yuying during her farewell to me. So she was carrying my eldest daughter when she departed for America. I'm very proud of Wei Ying, although her unexpected arrival in my life earlier this year was quite a shock to me. Now I know what Norimune must have felt like when my half-sisters and I tracked her down last year to address her abandoning us."
Athena's eyes widened and she spoke in a slow precise manner as her brain whirled. "Wait, you mean to tell me that you are the product of a love between two women, and your father was a woman, Colombe?"
Tokunotakai nodded. "Hai. Muramasa-no-Norimune is the spirit of a nodachi blade that was consecrated to the service of the Lord of Eight Banners the same day as I was. While I stayed at the temple for my service, Norimune wandered the globe having adventures. Some of which resulted in the birth of Co-chan, and her half-sisters Jackie and Delilah, all of whom are the spirits of the weapon bodies that manifested when their mothers gave them birth."
Athena glanced over to where Apollo, Euterpe, Hebe, and Calliope were all chatting with Claire. They were apparently arranging a group musical interlude judging from the lyres and dual pipes that had been summoned. If Artemis finds out about this, well she does enjoy the company of her Huntresses quite a bit.... She smiled slightly and raised her wineglass. "That's fascinating. Truly you never stop learning things." You have no idea how true that just became for me....
Colombe sipped her wine. "That is very true." Colombe then glanced over at where Medea stood up straight.
The ancient Greek sorceress clapped her hands. "Everyone, our guests of honor shall be here momentarily. Claire, I do believe it's time!"
Claire grinned smugly and a shadowy double formed beside her on the bench. She closed her eyes, four hands found the piano's keys....
Spoiler: A Welcome For Hades
...and as part of the mosaic, representing Hercules subduing Cerberus, vanished in an entrance to the Underworld that emitted smoke, sulfurous vapors, and the moans of the dead....
...Claire began to play the overture to Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld to herald the arrival of Hades, dressed in a jet black and cloth of gold chiton and his bride in a wine-purple gown decorated with golden pomegranates.
The Lord of Many grinned and nodded to Medea who had bowed to him, before shaking her hand and slapping her on the back. "It is good to see you once more, Medea."
Persephone followed, hugging Medea and then heading to hug her mother who watched with a smile that grew as her daughter hugged her.
Hades looked over at the mortal guests and then his eyes widened as he stared at the sight of Claire playing her heart out on the piano. He coughed and gave Medea a odd look. "You know what has Chosen the young lady, Medea?"
Medea blinked and spoke in shock, "Wait, she's Chosen?"
Hades nodded. "See for yourself."
Medea cast a spell and her jaw dropped.
Claire's pure ivory aura flared to full visibility to all present. Clearly visible were two black wolf pawprints the size of dinner platters placed over her head and heart and the image of Claire inside it grew canine ears and a bushy wolf tail. Throughout it all, the piano continued to play. Her lips quirked as she segued into Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf as a wordless commentary on what was going on.
Spoiler: Butterklavier And Wolf-Mother Are Trolls!
Colombe stared in shock at the sight of her beloved daughter's aura. She then turned to Medea and croaked out. ""Professor Aetios, what is the meaning of this?"
Medea swallowed several times, looking quite faint. "One of the oldest Gods any of us know of has touched your middle daughter to claim her as a Champion."
Colombe staggered to a nearby couch and collapsed into it. Toku sat by her and patted her back as the rapier moaned. "Oh no, she's going to be sent into danger. Not Claire...."
Claire looked over, still playing Peter and the Wolf with her eyes closed, and spoke quietly with a gentle smile. "Oh no, Mother. Wolf-Mother just wants me to share the gift of music with everyone that I meet. Especially all my little furry brothers and sisters."
Colombe grasped the words like they were a lifeline. "No fighting. No danger?"
Claire's gentle sweet smile grew as she finished her piece with a flourish. "No fighting like you do, Mother. I fight by driving away the bad things from your hearts."
With that, Claire's eyes opened and she smiled happily at the Greek God of Music, and the Muses of Epic Poetry and Music. "So what shall we play next to make everyone happy?"
----------------
Spoiler: Claire Serenading The Room
Apollo leaned in to speak to Claire as they listened to Calliope declaim a Panegyric to Hades in her rich voice at the dinner table. "You are not looking for a lover, are you?" he asked her.
Claire shook her head, blushed, and responded equally quietly. "No, not yet. I wish to be married first and I know in my heartwood that the right man is out there for me and my path will meet his one day." Claire glanced over at her mother, who was still a bit wide-eyed. "I don't want to hurt Mother either."
Apollo nodded slowly at her words and sighed. "Then I shall restrict myself to granting you the boon of having your children be given the gift of music as you have the gift. I do wish to play a duet with you again on another day though."
Claire smiled happily and hugged him. "I'd like that too, Apollo, your lyre playing was amazing! Thank you, how can I repay you?" Past her, Colombe coughed and gave Claire a quelling look.
Apollo smirked. "Well there's an ancient hymn of mine that you can make popular with your playing of it once you adapt the music...."
Claire's smile widened and grew happier.
----------------
As the party broke up, Hades looked over to where Persephone and Demeter were speaking. He caught their glances and nods, then walked to where Claire was carefully arranging several scrolls containing Greek music that the Muses and Apollo had given her. He coughed at Apollo. "Nephew, I need to speak to Claire."
Apollo nodded. "Of course, Uncle, I'll speak to Aunt Hestia."
Hades gave Claire a smile. "You truly are a rare talent. I regret that I was ill-prepared to reward you for your brilliance in the art of music, unlike my nephew. I could not help but overhear Apollo speak to you about your true love?"
Claire blushed and nodded. "Yes, I know that he's out there somewhere."
"Ahh, well then." Hades smirked as Demeter and Persephone joined them. The Queen of the Underworld smiled and handed over a single gem-like pomegranate fruit to Claire. "Our gift to you today that shall make you fruitful. Plant the seeds from this fruit of my orchard in your garden. After your wedding day, eat as many seeds from the fruit of the tree that shall spring up as you wish for children to have."
Claire's smile lit up her face. "Thank you so very much!"
Persephone smiled and gave her husband a look. "I shall have a piano commissioned for our palace so you can visit and serenade us in the winter months as Orpheus did before."
Hades nodded.
----------------
Colombe smiled at Medea as they watched the deities leave. She then gave her old teacher a curious look.
"You had an odd expression on your face after speaking privately to Athena. Is something wrong?" Colombe asked.
Medea frowned as Atalanta and Hippomenes joined them and began to speak to Toku. "I'm not sure. She wished to make amends for the past, and while she was sincere, something is up in that quarter."
Colombe nodded. "At least the party was a success and went well."
Medea nodded. "Indeed so, I'll probably ask Claire to play again sometime for another gathering."
Colombe sighed and finally nodded. "I'll ask her when we wake up tomorrow before we leave. She got some music scrolls, so she will be happy once we return to Moulbaix."
Spoiler: Ignition Of A Conflagration
Then the rapier's eyes widened in shock and she clenched her fists. "Toku, we have a problem." Colombe snapped out as her mood changed from loving mother to hardened combat veteran in an instant.
Medea looked over at her pupil. "What's wrong?" She asked as she in turn tensed.
Colombe sketched an Arabic word with her fingertip, leaving silver light behind her. "I gave Lucius Malfoy an amulet to alert me if he and his were threatened." The Rapier's voice was flat and filled with a barely controlled fury.
Her voice became harder and more ruthless as she drew her sword. "It just activated. Malfoy Manor is under attack."
Pianos, Parties, and Paternal Perplexity (II)
8 August 2014
Villa Uvas Munificus, Slopes of Mount Ossa, Thessaly, Greece
"The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind." – Maria Cristina Mena
Spoiler: An Unexpected Revelation
Athena sipped her glass of wine and smiled at Colombe as the blonde-haired rapier finished another tale about her adventures. The Frenchwoman was a fascinating fountain of information and had gotten into more trouble than anyone Athena knew short of her half-brother Hermes getting dared to 'do his worst'.
Then her gray eyes narrowed as Colombe concluded "...as it turned out that was not the end of it all."
"Oh, how so?" Athena asked. "The stratagem to get Yuying on the other ship while her illusion fled with you to Manila failed then?"
Colombe chuckled and Tokunotakai next to her started to smile. "Actually that worked brilliantly. However, as it turned, out unknown to us the night before we departed, I accidentally impregnated Yuying during her farewell to me. So she was carrying my eldest daughter when she departed for America. I'm very proud of Wei Ying, although her unexpected arrival in my life earlier this year was quite a shock to me. Now I know what Norimune must have felt like when my half-sisters and I tracked her down last year to address her abandoning us."
Athena's eyes widened and she spoke in a slow precise manner as her brain whirled. "Wait, you mean to tell me that you are the product of a love between two women, and your father was a woman, Colombe?"
Tokunotakai nodded. "Hai. Muramasa-no-Norimune is the spirit of a nodachi blade that was consecrated to the service of the Lord of Eight Banners the same day as I was. While I stayed at the temple for my service, Norimune wandered the globe having adventures. Some of which resulted in the birth of Co-chan, and her half-sisters Jackie and Delilah, all of whom are the spirits of the weapon bodies that manifested when their mothers gave them birth."
Athena glanced over to where Apollo, Euterpe, Hebe, and Calliope were all chatting with Claire. They were apparently arranging a group musical interlude judging from the lyres and dual pipes that had been summoned. If Artemis finds out about this, well she does enjoy the company of her Huntresses quite a bit.... She smiled slightly and raised her wineglass. "That's fascinating. Truly you never stop learning things." You have no idea how true that just became for me....
Colombe sipped her wine. "That is very true." Colombe then glanced over at where Medea stood up straight.
The ancient Greek sorceress clapped her hands. "Everyone, our guests of honor shall be here momentarily. Claire, I do believe it's time!"
Claire grinned smugly and a shadowy double formed beside her on the bench. She closed her eyes, four hands found the piano's keys....
Spoiler: A Welcome For Hades
...and as part of the mosaic, representing Hercules subduing Cerberus, vanished in an entrance to the Underworld that emitted smoke, sulfurous vapors, and the moans of the dead....
...Claire began to play the overture to Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld to herald the arrival of Hades, dressed in a jet black and cloth of gold chiton and his bride in a wine-purple gown decorated with golden pomegranates.
The Lord of Many grinned and nodded to Medea who had bowed to him, before shaking her hand and slapping her on the back. "It is good to see you once more, Medea."
Persephone followed, hugging Medea and then heading to hug her mother who watched with a smile that grew as her daughter hugged her.
Hades looked over at the mortal guests and then his eyes widened as he stared at the sight of Claire playing her heart out on the piano. He coughed and gave Medea a odd look. "You know what has Chosen the young lady, Medea?"
Medea blinked and spoke in shock, "Wait, she's Chosen?"
Hades nodded. "See for yourself."
Medea cast a spell and her jaw dropped.
Claire's pure ivory aura flared to full visibility to all present. Clearly visible were two black wolf pawprints the size of dinner platters placed over her head and heart and the image of Claire inside it grew canine ears and a bushy wolf tail. Throughout it all, the piano continued to play. Her lips quirked as she segued into Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf as a wordless commentary on what was going on.
Spoiler: Butterklavier And Wolf-Mother Are Trolls!
Colombe stared in shock at the sight of her beloved daughter's aura. She then turned to Medea and croaked out. ""Professor Aetios, what is the meaning of this?"
Medea swallowed several times, looking quite faint. "One of the oldest Gods any of us know of has touched your middle daughter to claim her as a Champion."
Colombe staggered to a nearby couch and collapsed into it. Toku sat by her and patted her back as the rapier moaned. "Oh no, she's going to be sent into danger. Not Claire...."
Claire looked over, still playing Peter and the Wolf with her eyes closed, and spoke quietly with a gentle smile. "Oh no, Mother. Wolf-Mother just wants me to share the gift of music with everyone that I meet. Especially all my little furry brothers and sisters."
Colombe grasped the words like they were a lifeline. "No fighting. No danger?"
Claire's gentle sweet smile grew as she finished her piece with a flourish. "No fighting like you do, Mother. I fight by driving away the bad things from your hearts."
With that, Claire's eyes opened and she smiled happily at the Greek God of Music, and the Muses of Epic Poetry and Music. "So what shall we play next to make everyone happy?"
----------------
Spoiler: Claire Serenading The Room
Apollo leaned in to speak to Claire as they listened to Calliope declaim a Panegyric to Hades in her rich voice at the dinner table. "You are not looking for a lover, are you?" he asked her.
Claire shook her head, blushed, and responded equally quietly. "No, not yet. I wish to be married first and I know in my heartwood that the right man is out there for me and my path will meet his one day." Claire glanced over at her mother, who was still a bit wide-eyed. "I don't want to hurt Mother either."
Apollo nodded slowly at her words and sighed. "Then I shall restrict myself to granting you the boon of having your children be given the gift of music as you have the gift. I do wish to play a duet with you again on another day though."
Claire smiled happily and hugged him. "I'd like that too, Apollo, your lyre playing was amazing! Thank you, how can I repay you?" Past her, Colombe coughed and gave Claire a quelling look.
Apollo smirked. "Well there's an ancient hymn of mine that you can make popular with your playing of it once you adapt the music...."
Claire's smile widened and grew happier.
----------------
As the party broke up, Hades looked over to where Persephone and Demeter were speaking. He caught their glances and nods, then walked to where Claire was carefully arranging several scrolls containing Greek music that the Muses and Apollo had given her. He coughed at Apollo. "Nephew, I need to speak to Claire."
Apollo nodded. "Of course, Uncle, I'll speak to Aunt Hestia."
Hades gave Claire a smile. "You truly are a rare talent. I regret that I was ill-prepared to reward you for your brilliance in the art of music, unlike my nephew. I could not help but overhear Apollo speak to you about your true love?"
Claire blushed and nodded. "Yes, I know that he's out there somewhere."
"Ahh, well then." Hades smirked as Demeter and Persephone joined them. The Queen of the Underworld smiled and handed over a single gem-like pomegranate fruit to Claire. "Our gift to you today that shall make you fruitful. Plant the seeds from this fruit of my orchard in your garden. After your wedding day, eat as many seeds from the fruit of the tree that shall spring up as you wish for children to have."
Claire's smile lit up her face. "Thank you so very much!"
Persephone smiled and gave her husband a look. "I shall have a piano commissioned for our palace so you can visit and serenade us in the winter months as Orpheus did before."
Hades nodded.
----------------
Colombe smiled at Medea as they watched the deities leave. She then gave her old teacher a curious look.
"You had an odd expression on your face after speaking privately to Athena. Is something wrong?" Colombe asked.
Medea frowned as Atalanta and Hippomenes joined them and began to speak to Toku. "I'm not sure. She wished to make amends for the past, and while she was sincere, something is up in that quarter."
Colombe nodded. "At least the party was a success and went well."
Medea nodded. "Indeed so, I'll probably ask Claire to play again sometime for another gathering."
Colombe sighed and finally nodded. "I'll ask her when we wake up tomorrow before we leave. She got some music scrolls, so she will be happy once we return to Moulbaix."
Spoiler: Ignition Of A Conflagration
Then the rapier's eyes widened in shock and she clenched her fists. "Toku, we have a problem." Colombe snapped out as her mood changed from loving mother to hardened combat veteran in an instant.
Medea looked over at her pupil. "What's wrong?" She asked as she in turn tensed.
Colombe sketched an Arabic word with her fingertip, leaving silver light behind her. "I gave Lucius Malfoy an amulet to alert me if he and his were threatened." The Rapier's voice was flat and filled with a barely controlled fury.
Her voice became harder and more ruthless as she drew her sword. "It just activated. Malfoy Manor is under attack."