I. video/action (dated to the dawn of July 23rd)

[aslandish]

[ The video opens in darkness, the only sound to be heard the gentle movement of waves lapping against the shore. However, the very moment a tinge of light begins to creep over the horizon, a Voice begins to sing.

It is a Song the likes of which few have ever heard before. It rises as the light grows stronger, swelling with the tide and soaring as a bird may fly. It resonates in the air as well as the earth, a happy sound that could make even the most solemn of men dance to its melody.

The brightness of the morning spills over the waves, glistening with the newness of day. The Song crescendos finally as the sun peaks in the sky, only to diminish and fade into the sounds of the sea.

A few moments pass before the Singer finally appears. Great paws, golden and velveted all, appear first as he steps into view. A large, shaggy lion pads silently to the water edge, the breeze rustling its mane.

He stands there for a little while before turning and walking down the beach. ]


[ ooc: Please have a look at Aslan's PERMISSIONS POST before tagging! Aslan will be wandering around the beach as well as the outside part of the grounds all day. Feel free to run into him! He will respond to this video as well. Also, if you think your character might be able to detect/discern Aslan's true nature, feel free to have them do so! ]

Comments

[castdown]

[ It's the beach, today.

Fallen or not, different worlds or not, the Morningstar greets the dawn like an old friend. He was there for Earth's first, after all, when it was nothing more than a boiling rock in a sea of space. Wonderland is little different.

The sand is still cool under his hands when he first hears it, threading through the first rays of light, and the song instantly, irrevocably draws his attention. It sounds like--

--like something he's not a part of, anymore. Like Heaven, like home, like family. More than that, even. Like Creation.

(Like his Father.)

For a brief, fleeting moment, Lucifer toys with the idea that this was His fault, His idea, a lost little world full of lost people. But the song shifts, swells, and now the Morningstar was hear the difference, subtle and blazing at the same time.

This isn't his Father. Not really. The realization sends him silently bristling, sand freezing beneath him, as a figure makes its way down the shoreline. ]

[aslandish]

[ He pads silently down the shore, great paws leaving only the faintest marks in their wake as the sea washes them away. It's nothing intentional so much as natural, but the ground itself seems to resonate with the quiet impact of his steps.

The sun catches his mane like fire, a brilliant gold in the early morning light.

He does not change his course as he comes upon the other. He has no reason to and offers no hostilities. It is only when he is close enough for them to speak that he stops, just shy of the frozen sand.

Aslan says nothing, merely watches the other with a fathomless, knowing stare. ]

[soldierfirst]

[The beach is quiet in the predawn hours, and it is quietude that Sephiroth seeks. Once, he had wondered if on leaving ShinRa, would his life become simpler. Here he has effectively done that, and life seems anything but. He recognizes of course that these are exceptional circumstances, but even so, he feels it's been a whirlwind of everything ever since he'd arrived in Wonderland.

But still, the absence of ShinRa is largely a good thing.

Even so, Sephiroth has found himself glad of the hours he is able to take to himself, especially in the mornings when the landscape is largely deserted. (Of course, he is not always alone; sometimes he is with Zack, and more recently sometimes Vincent.) His eyes are closed and the Masamune is in his hands, and he moves fluidly through drills developed over years of practice.

He is deep into this meditation when the Song washes over him.

The Silver General is not aware of it, not at first— or perhaps it is more accurate to say that he is aware, but that the Song transcends the boundaries of what a normal voice is. It is a thing almost tangible, a thing that moves with and against and through him, becoming somehow a part of his ritual (though not intrusively so). Sephiroth moves both with and against it; at times it is cooperative and at others he feels it a more akin to a spar.

He is not quite conscious of how long it endures thus, or of when it stops. He only stops when he feels it right, with the sun higher in the sky than his morning routine usually sees and a peaceful sort of quiet that has settled over the landscape. He raises his blade in a salute to that sun, something he has not done in ages, and waits.]

[aslandish]

[ It is not very much time hence that a figure becomes visible in the distance. Far from the norm, perhaps, it is no man that walks upright down the shores of Wonderland. To the SOLDIER's keen eyes, he will be visible afar off -- a great lion, whose size and stature is at once larger and more noble than any beast to walk the earth.

He walks with purpose, and a closer look will reveal an intelligence in those golden eyes that belies his physical form.

Aslan does not move to avoid the other, but rather continues on, as if this very moment was planned and in no way unexpected.

He will stop only when they are in speaking distance of one another. ]

video -> action

[petabytes]

That sound...

[ Chihiro finds herself dropping everything she's doing - lines of code half-finished, cup noodles half-eaten and growing stale - halting all of her activities, transfixed by the sight and the sound that had begun to play over her communicator. There's something mesmerizing about it - it has presence, overwhelming presence, even over the small screen and tinny speaker of the communication device. She breaks herself out of her trance momentarily, long enough to issue her personal A.I. a request. ]

Alter Ego... the video feed... bring it up on the monitor, please...

[ Alter Ego's face - that is, a digitized rendition of Chihiro's own - tilts in confusion. ]

Which one, Master...?

[ Hastily, Chihiro clarifies. ]

...Any one. All of them!

[ Almost immediately, the image of Aslan and the sound of his song overtake Chihiro's room, appearing on the innumerable screens. Sitting in stunned silence, Chihiro stares, tears welling up in her eyes. ]

I... I have to go. I'll be back!

[ Standing up from her chair, Chihiro dashes out of her room, making her way to the beach to see the sight with her own eyes. ]

action

[aslandish]

[ He is there.

Though he may not be visible immediately from her standpoint, in time, the Singer himself shall appear. Walking slowly, with seeming purpose, it is immediately clear that not even the recording could truly do him justice.

Though his great size and stature make him both awe-inspiring and (perhaps) terrible to look at, there is something vibrant about him, like some aspect of life, light, and color have been molded into his very existence.

Golden eyes alight upon her, and he stops, his gaze almost expectant. ]

Video.

[no_nonsense]

[Susan was not a musical person, she'd tried that once and the universe had almost come to an abrupt and early end because of it. She'd heard the song of creation and the beat of infinity and the very Soul Music of all things, before. She'd even dated the lead guitarist for a while. So, in the way of all people who'd heard a soul-shattering, beautiful song before and associated it very closely with a series of terrible events and a bad break-up, Susan was not overjoyed to hear it over her network book at the absolute break of dawn.

In fact, she was quite the opposite, and her newly woken scowl was a testament to that.]

Do you mind keeping it down?

[Her hair, still mostly sleeping, was in its natural frizzy state and gave her the appearance of someone who'd stuck their finger in an electrical socket. She glowered at the image of the lion on the beach. The fact that she shouldn't have been able to hear him at this distance, through quite so many walls, just seemed to make her all the more irritated.]

Honestly, I wish you lot would agree on what hours counted as ungodly so the rest of us could plan when to sleep.

Video.

[aslandish]

[ There may be a bit of a delay in the delivery, but eventually, the Voice that greeted this morning as well, as the first to ever grace Narnia's existence, does respond.

Far from being offended, he sounds almost...amused. ]

I believe there will always be differing opinions on matters of time and space.

[action, joint comment with Edward if that's okay???]

[seekingbrother]

[Alphonse and his brother had both been woken in the morning by the transmission, but neither had really been awake enough to process it beyond 'someone weird and new is in Wonderland' before passing back out.]

[Now, however, in the early afternoon, they are both out on the lawn for their daily workout. Edward certainly needs the practice, as Al has been chasing him around their mentally designated area the entire time. They're alert to make sure that no one wanders into their match on accident, of course, but a great big lion wandering by would hardly be expected.]

[action, that's fine /o/]

[aslandish]

[ A larger-than-average lion is is curious sight to behold, even in Narnia where Aslan is more often spoken of than seen.

Though he doesn't necessarily attempt to intrude, Aslan does wander through the area where the brothers are practicing. ]

[no_eels]

[This is a new sound for Toothless, who takes to the air in an attempt to find the source long before Aslan appears. He skims over the waves as far as Wonderland will let him, before making a loop back and flying over the woods. But when he can't find where the sound is coming from, there, he eventually gives up.

The Night Fury is flying back along the beach when he notices that something has appeared there. Something big. It's not one of the canines that some of the Vikings keep. No, it's a lot furrier than that.

He lands a good, careful distance away, just in case the creature is hostile, but can't control his curiosity enough to leave. Instead, he watches with his ears forward and his green eyes wide.]

[aslandish]

[ A dragon, though a shocking sight for some, is not so for Aslan.

Regarding the creature openly, he does not approach -- not immediately. Rather, he makes a soft rumble in his throat, low but clear enough for the other to hear and understand.

Good day to you. ]

[strategisch]

[Armin hadn't slept that night.]

[Here there were many nights where he did not sleep, or little, or had nightmares. In his world he was always so incredibly tired from the day that his mind didn't have the luxury of sleeplessness. Here, where there was no point in sleeping or waking at all, his insomnia began. With no-one to trust and no friend to confide in, he was forced to bear it alone and wonder if the terrors would ever cease.]

[He found himself drawn towards the water just before dawn. Sometimes he would come here when he had no reason to be anywhere else. He wondered if it was really the ocean that he had always hoped to see. The waves, the smell, its endless expanse... they all pointed towards it being so. But the discovery felt sad and underwhelming without his comrades by his side. He wouldn't even be able to tell them what he saw.]

[Armin takes off his boots and sits down, letting the waves lap at his feet.]

[Then he hears the Song.]

[He's not sure if he's quite sane. He stands, and turns, but sees no one. The sound seems to be coming from the earth and the sea and the sky itself, perfectly harmonized. He's overcome both with curiosity and fear, as his life has taught him that nothing new is ever good. Another part of him hopes that he actually fell asleep at his desk reading, and this is all a particularly vivid dream. Yes, perhaps he actually did fall asleep, and someone is playing music somewhere...]

[aslandish]

[ It may be sometime before Armin sees him. There are others on the beach this morning, and he speaks with whoever is wishes to converse with him.

Eventually, though, the great lion will appear in the distance, padding quietly down the seashore. His pace is neither fast nor slow, but purposeful as he comes upon the other.

There is an air of calm about him -- a reassurance that lingers in the air. ]

Video

[crybabybootleg]

[The sound that resounds from that funny little box he's left on his nightstand wakes Jacuzzi Splot from sleep like nothing he's ever heard before...

Not the whistling of the milkman, or the old chinese folksongs from his gangmate Fang, as he cooks up eggs. Not like Jazz on the radio.

Perhaps predictably, he wakes up teary-eyed, blinking in confusion at the dribbles down his face. It's not that he's rarely moved to tears. Jacuzzi cries over everything.

But never before because a song was so beautiful and...from someplace deep and serious and joyful and...unnaturally-natural? It reminded him of the small miracle of standing on top of the Flying Pussyfoot in the dawn with Nice, alive and only half bleeding out in three spots, after everything was over, and thinking maybe he'd worried a little too much over everything after all.

It fills him with a bewildering sense of awe. And so he tilts the screen up and watches for awhile, a pretty sunrise on the beach, until a great big lion pads into full view.

Jacuzzi blinks and stares. Why there's a lion on the screen is baffling, big and majestic as he is. The old, haggard lion at the Central Park Zoo's got nothing on this one.

....Is this still recording on someone's handheld, or is it some kind of new, modern, color flick from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer?]

Video

[aslandish]

[ It is no film preview that Jacuzzi finds himself watching. The lion in question is far to large and much to vibrant to appear as such.

When his golden eyes settle on the camera itself, there should be no doubt left in the young man's mind that the creature is indeed a True Beast. ]

action

[whatseparates]

[There aren't many things that can induce Jack to go anywhere near the beach, but...evidently this is one of those things. The song, even heard through his porthole window on the tenth floor, tugs at something deep and visceral and longing in him, so much so that it's almost a physical feeling, a pull in his chest.

By the time he makes his way out onto the sand--and even through the song, he hesitates at the sight of the lapping waves--the song is ending. He looks around, almost panicked, as it fades away, and breaks into a jog, as if he can catch the sound.

And then he sees the massive lion and pulls up short.]

action

[aslandish]

[ It is certainly a sight -- a great lion padding quietly along the line of sand and sea. The sun itself seems to catch its man aflame, the glistening gold almost daunting in the early morning light.

Still, the beast carries himself with a measure of grace and integrity that marks him as something other than what he appears.

He sees the man and tilts his head slightly as the distance between them closes. ]

[action forever]

[speaksforthetrees]

[The Lorax is in mourning. Someone cut down trees. Plural. He goes to the other side and plants new ones, and when he comes back he finds...this.

Sigh.

When he hears steps approaching, he almost expects Beanpole. But then he turns and it's...wow. Wow. That sure is a giant, beautiful lion.]

Uh, hello there. You new?

[action]

[aslandish]

[ He regards the Lorax with solemn eyes, a softness in those tawny features. ]

My arrival in this world is recent.

[ 'New' is something Aslan hasn't been in a long time. ]

What troubles you?

[vlad_dracul]

[Despite his recent difficulties with sleep, Dracula is at the beach, watching the sunrise. He has slept, now, and is feeling stronger. His vampire's body is unaccustomed to illness, but a night or two of sleep and being well fed has done much to restore his strength.

Nevertheless, the sight of the singing lion makes him consider that he might be hallucinating!

Dracula stays still, watching curiously. He has some control over normal animals, yes. Still, he's not fool enough to try with this one, not until he knows what he is dealing with.]

[aslandish]

[ It's for the best that Dracula does not attempt such with Aslan; a beast though he may be, Aslan is also a great deal more, a fact that may become apparent simply by looking at his face.

There is a depth of knowledge and intelligence there far beyond that of any ordinary lion, and his Song was almost otherworldly.

Padding silently across the sand, a subtle tremor seems to shake the earth in his wake. ]

[Action]

[animusangelus]

[It's a bit difficult to not notice a lion. Cloud has decided to visit the beach, having only heard good things about it. He is currently barefoot and wearing only a pair of black pants. There are scars on his body from battle (being impaled multiple times definitely leaves a mark), but he doesn't seem to mind them. Especially now that a big lion has his interest.

Carefully and cautiously, he crosses over the sand and pauses a short distance from Aslan.]

...hello?

[Action]

[aslandish]

[ At the young man's approach, Aslan stops, regarding him in silence. The scars, though visible, garner no visible reaction -- they are not the first he has seen, physical or otherwise. More often than not, it's those marks that cannot be seen that are the most debilitating. ]

Good day to you.

action aka the latest reply

[thepalehorseman]

[Death is not drawn by the song so much that it is indeed a singing lion. it is also no ordinary beast. If there is anything that he is good at, it is being able to read somebody before he speaks to them. In this regard, the other can do the same without trouble.

He places himself along the beach in the path of the other.]

Aren't you an interesting specimen? What do they call you?

never late!

[aslandish]

[ Aslan appraises the other, his gaze unwavering. He knows this one, as the other may know him. After all, has he not experienced the touch of Death? Fleeting though it was, Aslan remembers well the moment he died. Even more clearly, he recalls the moment of restoration, when the Stone Table cracked, and life came anew.

The answer he gives is a soft rumble, and the earth itself seems to resonate with his reply. ]

I am.

action

[manicuredangel]

[Aziraphale sits in the sand on the beach, waiting or the sun to rise. He didn't need to sleep, being an angel. And unlike Crowley, he didn't take sleeping up as a hobby. He had been sitting and reflecting on his time here. He longed to return to London with Crowley.

The song interrupted his reflecting. He looked toward the sound and the light of the morning sun began to filter through the atmosphere.

Blimey, was that a lion?]

action - i am so sorry for the delay ;;

[aslandish]

[ A lion, indeed.

His Song is nearly ended, a quiet brilliant note like starlight made real resounding in the stillness. The wind ruffles his mane, and for all intents and purposes, he appears well pleased.

His presence is just as radiant, if not more so than the sun. ]