[F17 - SP] Apollo's Challenge <<Challenge Of Olympus: Performer>>

[Tala 0]

"It's not true, tell me I've been lied to. Crying isn't like you." She hummed lightly right then as she first thought of her brother. She knew he has cried, but she couldn't prove it. "What the hell did I do? Never been the type to let someone see right through." Another soft hum. This time, she was picturing Yukiro. He was holding his familiar, Yumi, the little sugar glider. This brought a small smile to her face.

"Maybe won't you take it back. Say you were tryna make me laugh and nothing has to change today. You didn't mean to say "I love you"." She was still thinking on Yukiro, only now, he was joined by those whom she had hurt. The ow- no her name is Noctua. Noctua was standing there, but not next to her brother anymore. But her focus went right back to the image of Yukiro for a moment. "I love you and I don't want to." Another soft hum.

[Tala 0]

"Up all night on another red eye. I wish we never learned to fly." The humming sort of sounded like the letter i as she hummed. Her mental images flitting across the three people she had hurt. But soon, the image stopped solely on a hurt and crying Noctua. "Maybe we should just try to tell ourselves a good lie. I didn't mean to make you cry." At first, perhaps Tala had meant to make Noctua cry.

But now, now she didn't want to see that image. "Maybe won't you take it back. Say you were tryna make me laugh and nothing has to change today. You didn't mean to say "I love you". I love you and I don't want to." Back to humming. Her voice was starting to rise and fall with the words, giving them more depth and meaning. More emotion. Something that the crowd and Apollo haven't seen from her. Something that was giving the song actual meaning, and not just empty words.

[Tala 0]

But now, now was the real kicker. She slowed down her pace on singing, mainly to relish the next few words that she was about to say. "The smile that you gave me, even when you felt like dying." There were two people in her mind when she sand that, Yukiro and Koga. She had hurt them both, and yet they tried to give her a smile. She could always see through Koga's smiles like that, but seeing it mimicked on Yukiro's face, seemed to make the tears start rolling down her face.

"We fall apart as it get dark. I'm in your arms in Central Park. There's nothing you could do or say, I can't escape the way, I love you." She had to pause for a moment to catch her breath and even out her voice then. "I don't want to, but I love you." The final words being sung, she hummed for a few more small verses before she looked around the crowd. Some were crying and others smiling. That was good, right?

[Tala 0]

There was nothing but silence for a few moments, fear starting to bubble in her. At least, until she heard a single person clapping. That was when the rest of the people watching started to clap. She let out a small breath of air and looked at Apollo. The God was walking over to her at the moment, still clapping. Had he been the one to start it? "Now that, Tala, is what I am looking for in a Performer. It is sad to see that it had to take this long to bring it out in you though."

The satyr beside Apollo seemed to lightly punch the God. Oh no, was the satyr about to become a meal? She was starting to like him. But instead, Apollo merely nodded. "This, Tala, is for you. You have completed my challenge and impressed me with your raw emotion. If you promise to show that in all of your work, I won't have to come to the first floor just to visit you to remind you of this day." Wait, was that a threat, from a God?

[Tala 0]

Apollo just seemed to be standing there, with something in his hand. Oh right, he was giving her something. She took the item and looked at it. "What is it?" This made Apollo laugh. "That is my lyre. It is proof that you have completed this challenge and have earned my respect as a Performer." She looked at the lyre and instantly knew where she was going to place it in her studio back on the first floor. For now though, "I must go home."

Apollo nodded and looked at the satyr. "Escort her back will you. Make sure she gets back to do the things that she realized she needs to do." The satyr nodded before looking at Tala. "After you." He motioned for her to go back to the studio that she had been using here. She bowed lightly to Apollo, the first true sign of respect that she has shown anyone in the game in the past two years, before she walked through the door.

[Tala 0]

At this point, it didn't surprise her that Apollo knew that she had some business that she needed to get done. It was probably written all over her face during that last song. But, she regretted nothing. She looked at the satyr as they left Mt. Olympia though. "Thank you." There was no word from the satyr, but there was a grunt sound that it made. Ha, typical, she thanks someone and gets nothing. But then, she didn't deserve anything in response this time.

"Also, I'm sorry for being rude to you on the way here." Okay, perhaps this challenge has done more to this woman than one would initially think. But, she was going to work with it. She was going to think of a way to make it up to everyone for hurting them. But how, well, that might take a little bit to truly figure out. It didn't take long until she was back in town, saying goodbye to a satyr, and back on the first floor. She headed to her studio to start thinking.

Thread Summary:

Spoiler

3 SP (quest, page, christmas)
400 Col
Apollo's Lyre (+1 CD)