Balmung Gridania Story-Go-Round :: 1st Monday Each Month @ 8pm Eastern

The Monkey & The Rooster

[19:05]Syranelle Ironleaf: "Our story begins with an old monkey; he is tired and his bones ache. Â He's seen many moons and has lived a robust life filled with many great memories and many sad ones as well. Â He had no complaints about his life, though, save one. Â He had never fallen in love, never found a suitable mate, and thus had no children to pass his legacy."

[19:07]Syranelle Ironleaf: "He sat in his tree pondering this fact, even lamenting it a bit, when a spry young Rooster came walking beneath his tree. Â 'Hey, hey you up there!' the Rooster crowed, 'Why the long face? Â It's a bright, beautiful day! Â The sun is shining, the clouds are fluffy, so there's no reason to be so unhappy!'"

[19:10]Syranelle Ironleaf: For a moment, the Elezen pauses, peering at the empty right side of the stage. Â Her nose twitched a moment, but she simply smiled and continued. Â "I am uhappy," said Monkey, "because when I die there is no one to carry on after me and I, sadly, feel that my time is coming soon. Â Everything I know, everything I remember, it will all perish with me and all I know will be lost." Â Rooster let his comb flop over to one side, upset. Â "O-oh, I see. Â That /is/ very sad. Â Don't you have any children?"

[19:16]Valgus Arvina: The weary old Monkey shook his head slowly, grimacing. As if he needed yet another reminder that he lacked the one thing he wanted the most! "I've none, Rooster. I have seen many winters and many summers. Indeed, the day is beautiful. The sun shines, the clouds fluff! Yet I have -seen- these things. I have known them for many and more years. Who will remember me when the long sleep comes for me? Who will carry on my legacy?" The Monkey shook his head once more, groaning with exasperation.-

[19:16]Valgus Arvina: Rooster scuffed his talons on the dirt and bobbled his head thoughtfully. Then, he cawed with a realization! "Monkey! Let go your despair! For just yonder, o'er the hills, there is another tree. Another Monkey! Quite fetching, if I may say so! Come down from your tree. Walk with me and together, we will meet her!"

[19:22]Rin Miyama: The poor old monkey, though his eyes perked up, still held onto a shred of doubt within his heart. He had lived a fulfilling life with suceeding at many feats, yet he had never known the simple joys of shared compassion. "All right, Rooster. I will follow you. But please, do not raise my hopes so high that my heart breaks when they fall." And at that, the pair set off. By the sun setting, they finally crested the last of the hills between the trees, a fair female monkey perched in though.

[19:22]Rin Miyama: thought.)

[19:22]Rin Miyama: "There, for your own eyes to see, another monkey such as yourself!" Indeed, the fair monkey appeared alone, however the older monkey knew not what to say. He simply stood, eyes trained on her swaying tail, until it finally gave an annoyed flick. "Well, what is it you are after?" Her voice rang clear in the evening air. "My time is precious, and I know not who you are, or why you have arrived?" All ready, the poor old monkeys heart sank.

[19:25]Syranelle Ironleaf: Monkey cringed, looking at Rooster in askance. Â What was he supposed to do? Â Beaming, the Rooster knew /exactly/ what to do to impress the ladies. Â He was, after all, the master of his henhouse! Â So, he demonstrated his rooster'ish prowess for Monkey. Â Up and down the road Rooster strutted, comb all a-waggle. Â He shook his long, luxurious tail-feathers, making quite a display of himself. Â He scratched and pranced before ending it with a mighty crow, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" >>

[19:27]Syranelle Ironleaf: Not knowing what else to do, Monkey saw, so Monkey did. Â He strutted around, flapping his arms and waggling his head. Â He turned his backside toward the She-Monkey and waggled his tail in what he hoped was an alluring fashion. Â At the end of it, he puffed out his chest and yelled in all his Monkey glory, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" Â Then they waited to see the She-Monkey's reaction.

[19:32]Syranelle Ironleaf: "N-no... NO!" Monkey protested. Â "I am shamed, look, she won't even speak!" Â Monkey threw up his hands in despair and fled the hilltop. Â However, Rooster was undaunted. Â He turned to the She-Monkey, "My friend is simply so enamored with your beauty that he feels he must find a gift worthy of such magnificence!" Â He winked and chased after his Monkey-friend.

[19:34]Syranelle Ironleaf: Rooster chased after Monkey, finally catching up to him near a spring. Â "Look, you can't just DO that!" Rooster admonished. Â "You don't just leave a lady standing there like that. Â It's rude!" Â Monkey wrung his hands, aggrieved. Â "What am I to do? Â What must she think of me? Â I can't go back! Â I won't!" Â The Monkey seemed on the verge of panic. Â "Calm down, calm down..." Rooster reassured his friend. Â "We can fix this still!"

[19:40]Rin Miyama: Little did the old monkey know, a small butterfly had flitted from the budding flowers within the tree that held the fair monkey. "Dear, whaat is it that has you so speechless?" the whisper-like voice of the butterfly questioned. "You have told me stories of a strong, courageous monkey many a times, and the day I finally resolve to make my way over the hells to his tree, he shows up and makes a bafoon of himself!"

[19:40]Rin Miyama: Gently, the butterfly perched atop the sh-monkey's head, "Must I remind you of your younger days, chasing the tails of dimwitted monkeys half your age?" At that, the she-monkey grimaced as the butterfly giggled. "Perhaps. But I would like to see if this fool learns to follow his own mind, rather than the bird-brain of that rooster." At that, the pair giggled. However beyond the hills at that lonely spring, sat the old lonely monkey...

[19:43]Rin Miyama: "Fix this? I sounded like an old rooster with a frog in it's throat!" the old monkey groaned, burying his face within his palms. "No! All will be well!" the rooster insisted, "You simply must bring her a fine gift! Few things swoon ladies such as reminders of their own beauty!" The old monkey paused, staring within the spring. "Butt what out there would match the living beauty of one such as herself?" he pondered. The rooster guffawed, "Living beauty? Hah! You must find the shiniest bauble!"

[19:44]Rin Miyama: "It will outlast any /living/ beauty." With a confident nod and wobble of his comb, the rooster stamped his clawed foot. "I've swooned many a hens with the smoothest of rocks and the most glittering of coins!" His feathers ruffled as the monkey sighed, "It is simple!"

[19:47]Syranelle Ironleaf: "What could I bring her that could match her beauty?" Monkey bemoaned. Â Rooster crowed triumphantly, "Why, bring her that right there!" Â He pointed to the reflection of the moon on the water of the spring. Â "That's the biggest pearl I've ever seen, that's sure to win her heart!" Â Monkey looked at the luminescent glow of the moon, not realizing it wasn't a stone. Â "Y-yes... look at it, so big, shiny, and round... it's perfect!" Â Immediately, Monkey leapt into the water with a huge splash! >>

[19:47]Redrick Rumata looks at you in shock!

[19:48]Ellmida Westrose waves to Arkyen Ortiz.

[19:49]Syranelle Ironleaf: Yet, the ripples of the broken water fanned out across the surface, scattering the image of the moon. Â "No, wait, where did it go?!" Monkey exclaimed in dismay, splashing his hands around in the water, frantically searching for the 'pearl'. Â "Where did it go?! Â Rooster, help me!" Â He whimpered. Â "O-oh, uh... we roosters don't care for water. Â I'm afraid you're on your own!"

[19:51]Syranelle Ironleaf: Monkey flailed around in the water, clearly making no headway at all. Â The 'pearl' was gone. Â He gave up and swam back to shore, now waterlogged and even /more/ unhappy than before. Â "Maybe I'll just go back to my tree," he said dejectedly. Â Rooster made his way over to his friend. Â "You can't give up, surely there's something else a nice She-Monkey could want!"

[19:54]Syranelle Ironleaf: "Maybe, but it's too late now." Â Monkey said, making his way back to his own tree. Â Rooster trailed after him, still prattling on incessantly. Â "What about food? Â Or gems? Â Or small woodland creatures? Â Ladies like to hug things!" Â The Rooster nodded sagely. Â He knew these things, great ladies' man that he was. Â "No, no... None of that. Â It would have to be something extraordinarily special to overcome this humiliation."

[19:55]Syranelle Ironleaf: Then, it occurred to the Monkey that he knew of /exactly/ the right thing. Â There was a flower at the very top of his tree; it was exceptionally rare, blooming only once in his lifetime. Â Surely that would be worthy of the She-Monkey! Â With a gleeful smile, he took of running for his home-tree. Â Rooster, thinking he'd all but given up, set to chasing after him.

[19:57]Ryouta Sakamoto: On the brink of dawn, the duo arrived to the Monkey's home, and utilizing his acrobatic prowess he swung back and forth through the bough, up the branches and to the top... only to find that the flower was nowhere to be found! Shocked, stunned by this and in peril, he asked the skies for an answer... only to hear nothing. Until...

[19:59]Ryouta Sakamoto: Monkey's eyes fell from the blue sea above down to his companion, indeed, the very individual who had swooned many before with those magnificent feathers. Those feathers which... caught the glimpse of the sun. Was the answer in front of him all along? "Rooster!" He called out. "I have a favor to ask."

[20:04]Rin Miyama: "Please, Rooster, fetch the lovely monkey from her tree! I have something even more splendid than the pearl within the spring! And hurry!" At that, the rooster fluffed his feathers and tossed his comb, "I will be back before you can say--" "Hurry!" the the monkey cut off the rooster before delving back into his tree. Off scurried the fowl, grumbling to himself as he went. All the while the old monkey set to his plan. Barely enough time to spare, by the time the rooster had returned with >>

[20:06]Rin Miyama: the she-monkey, the air surrounding the tree was alight with the faint buzzing and gentle pulsing lights of fireflies. Stopping in wonder, the she-monkey felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips. During her hurried walk, she had wondered what the old monkey had in store as the rooster had squawked to her about his amazing and wondrously vague plan. As agile and dextrous as a leaf floating through the wind, she lept and climbed into the tree.

[20:12]Zhan'a Rakhin: The she-monkey poked at a passing firefly, holding out a lanky arm to the glittering display. "I have never seen so many in one place," she manages as the insects twirl about. "What is your secret?" With a sly grin, Monkey shook his head. "No secret! Fireflies love to perform is all. The problem is just getting them in one spot. I didn't have any sheet music for them, so it turned into a bit of an improv-" His words are cut off when his lady friend gave him a quick hug, fireflies sitting on ~

[20:14]Zhan'a Rakhin: each of her ears before they began to dance. So close, she could hear the faintest voices as they sang. Or possibly sang. It might just have been a very loud rustle of the wings, but close enough. However, one particularly bright firelight came between the couple as they parted. "We danced for the lady, so where's the pay, fur brain?" came a tiny voice. Monkey blanched under his fur. He hadn't thought that part through. "Well, I do have one thing..."

[20:18]Syranelle Ironleaf: Monkey took the fireflies into his tree, gesturing to it with a hand. Â "This is the oldest and hardiest tree in the land. Â You are welcome to make your home here for as long as you live." Â The fireflies seemed overjoyed at this revelation and danced around the monkey pair while below Rooster let out a joyous crow. Â "That's the spirit! Â I knew you could do it!" Â The Monkey smiled at his friend and nodded. Â "You did, if it wasn't for you, I would not have had the courage to do this." Â >>

[20:20]Syranelle Ironleaf: Monkey looked up at his tree, now lit by fireflies. Â "They will need someone to watch over them, though, when I am gone." Â He looked down at his feathered friend. Â "Perhaps when that time comes, you'll take over guardianship of this tree?" Â Rooster stared up at his friend, humbled. Â "I... I would be honored to look after your tree and our bright little friends. Â They were the key to your happiness after so long a life, after all!"

[20:23]Syranelle Ironleaf: And so it was that the Monkey moved forward in happiness and in love. Â He continued to grow old, as time took its toll, so when he came near to the end of his life he sent for his old friend the Rooster. Â The finely-feathered fowl stood at his bedside, too strong and brave to weep. Â "I'm here, old friend, to fulfill my promise." Â Monkey looked up at him, smiling. Â "Good, I have just one last thing to tell you..."

[20:25]Ryouta Sakamoto: "I love you, Rooster." Monkey croked and fell to his long sleep where he would be with the she-monkey, happily ever after... which brings us to Rooster. He sat there alone, in his new tree fort. "I suppose it's time to find someone else to help now." He cracked open an adult beverage and pondered the future.

[20:26]Ryouta Sakamoto: Rooster wasn't as popular as he made himself up to be, no, he was quite lonely and in fact had many unsavory addictions. However, helping others kept him from the bottle, and packed up his feathers and made for a new friend, the fireflies would surely watch over the sacred tree.

[20:27]Ryouta Sakamoto: Fret not, I will not leave you all empty-handed. For it was one fateful night that lead the Rooster to the bar, where he found another like he, a drunk Hen. The two of them exchanged words and interests, and this will wrap up the story of the Rooster and the Monkey.