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 Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:24 am
Voice Recording .1.
....oh, is this thing on? Hello? He-- oh, okay, I see the little red light blinking, I guess that means tha--
Goodness, I never can get this silly old thing to work! No, Kitrye, honey, don't touch the wi--
Okay! It's working now, right? All right. Starting over.
I have some super important news! I've been granted guardianship of Kitrye, a Painted Soul! Surprising, huh? You'd think they wouldn't choose me, the way I get terrorized by kids all the time. Anyway, I went on down to the Gallery a few weeks ago, and they were holding an adoption contest for Kit here and another Soul, oh, what was her name? No matter, I'll remember it later. They let me take Kitrye home for a bit, and we sure did have an interesting time, didn't we, Kit? Oh, you didn't think so? Stop looking at me like that! -pause-
-cough- Continuing! I gave him some applesauce, which he turned out to be allergic to, and yeah. It was interesting. I suppose. And nerve-wracking. And downright sca--
KITRYE! Leave Mathus alone, darling! No, he won't bother you if you don't bother him. Yes, that's right, crawl on over here. No, over here, Kit! One second, recorder thing, I'll be back.
-pause, a few whimpers, lots of motherly cooing and coaxing-
-sigh- As you can probably tell, it's been a long few weeks. Kitrye's moody and sullen, and doesn't seem to like me one bit. Or just not like being touched or held by me, anyway.
So! Today I'm going to take him down to the Gallery to visit some of the other Souls, maybe pick up a few tips on handling stubborn, pouty babies. I'm really not a hit with kids, and since nearly all of my charges are babies right now, it's pretty difficult to handle it all. Sesame Noodles, my GoGo Sushi, is my only matured charge. And he's only eleven inches tall! Not very helpful either.
All right, recorder-y thing, I'm going to head off to the Gallery now. Take care!
..//end recording...
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 7:17 am
[Reserved for in-thread RP... I suppose I'll start posting stuff now because it's going to be really long, I bet.] M i s s a Marissa was baking cookies for desert, boiling water for tea, microwaving rice for dinner, and dusting the kitchen.
Cole was up to much more interesting things. The trail of makeup across the living room floor gave his place away immediately, and if one followed the litterings, they would find him soon enough. He'd been playing in mummy's purse again, as was apparent.
In fact, it was still in his hand as he stood on the stool in front of the fishtank, one by one dropping various items into the water...just look how they bubbled! There goes her credit card, now her coin purse, and ooh, her favorite ring looked so nice under the flourescent lights! He giggled as the fish swam in frantic circles. Jamsuu Ophelia made her way slowly down the stairs, a new trick she had learned and perfected recently, with much help from Marissa. Of course the stairs were wide and not the highest of steps, making it easier, but it was still an achievement and a half. She squealed a high squeal and preceded to waddle-run to the kitchen, and through into the sitting room, following a trail of pretty coloured stuff stuck to the floor.
At which point, Jamie entered from the front door carrying a mass of plastic grocery bags. Sadly she did not notice Ophelia run through into the newly cleaned sitting room, and made her way with great difficulty to the kitchen. Phee on the other hand, was now at Cole's side, tugging his arm playfully. The game he was playing looked fun.. Ethereal Branches With a sigh, Memory shouldered Celestyn and walked up the pathway to the house.
"You're going to have to start walking soon, you know," Memory said under her weight, "You're getting big. All the big kids do it!"
Memory rang the doorbell and sat Celestyn down with a huff, who busied herself with tying Memory's shoe laces together.
Memory didn't notice. Jamsuu Jamie, still in the kitchen gave a loud sigh as the doorbell rang. Visitors were all very well, but she was in a state and had cooking to do. Cooking was not fun. Hardly noticing Missa had left the room, the woman screamed as loud as she could, "Could someone get that?!", preferably directing it at her flatmate.
Ophelia on the other hand, had other ideas. Leaving Cole, she zoomed off to the front door in reply to the doorbell. She had seen Cole himself do this, and decided she should try despite her speech being not quite as advanced as his. Tiny hands prized at the handle, and eventually it opened.
"Hiiiii.. Feelia me pink doritos." Ethereal Branches Celestyn perked up at the sight of Ophelia. She crawled towards her.
"Cellery," she said, pointing at herself, "Doritos," she said, pointing at Ophelia, trying the feel of the word out on her tongue.
"Aww, hi, sweetie," Memory said, doting over Ophelia, "You've gotten so big! You're a big girl now." M i s s a Cole screamed in delight. "GET THAT!" He caroled happily. Seeing Phee get it, he continued his little game. He came across the lipstick. He jumped up and down and grinned. How he LOVED the lipstick!
Twisting it up and watching it spin as it raised, he twisted his head to see Ophelia's progress. She seemed to be doing alright. She he went back to his work, and stuck the lipstick up to his face like he'd seen mum do so often. It smeared around his mouth and cheecks and ventured down his chin, until his face was a bright red maze. He laughed in delight.
"PINKKK HORRAH." Jamsuu The kitten chuckled to herself, feeling the upmost pride that she had opened the door, like Cole, Marissa and Mummy do. It took her a few minutes to come back to the present and notice the girl crawling towards her, and speaking, and the other taller person.
"Doritos bre'fast and yumdindins." The girl nodded seriously towards Celestyn, telling her a valuable lesson that doritos were tasty for breakfast and dinner. She turned to the lady, the tall one like Mummy.
"Big girllll.." She copied, staring innocently at Memory. Waving her arms in a happy-fit, one hit the door and sent it "slamming" into the wall, to create a little bang. Ophelia shrieked in fright and ran, giggling into the kitchen to tell Jamie about the visitors. Ethereal Branches "So cute," Memory said before stepping into the house. Well, trying to, anyway. She tripped on her shoelaces and went tumbling inside. Celestyn had forseen an event like that and she'd crawled out of the way just in time.
"Celestyn!" Memory growled, trying to surpress a smile.
Celestyn was giggling in short squeals, looking to the occupants of the room for their reaction. Maid In Korea ...... Kit stares silently in through the kitchen window, her face pressed against the dirty glass from the outside, her warm breath making lip shapes on the glass pane. 'L-E-T U-S I-N' She mouths, Luel propping himself up on the windowsill, Kit's hand making sure he couldn't fall backward. Luel's glove covered hands pressed against the glass, his palm almost cleaning the frosts glass. His lips were blue, which was normal, and he was warm, which was also normal, unfortunately Kit wasn't and really needed to come inside. Latpas Kitrye rubbed his hands together and squirmed uncomfortably in his guardian's arms. It was slightly chilly outside, and he was grateful for her body heat, but would have much rather been free of her caring embrace. He tugged resolutely on one of her springy orange pigtails, a pout spreading across his expression.
"Oh, ow, Kit, will ya let go?" She whined ingratiatingly. He persisted. "All, right, just wait until we get inside, won't you?"
He crossed his arms sulkily and shivered to keep warm. Latpas, otherwise known as Lattie, had insisted on bringing him to this ridiculous place. He didn't know why. She was knocking on the door now, peeking through the windows and waving to the people inside. Ridiculous. M i s s a Marissa heard visitors and laughed out of exasperation. They always showed up when she was having one of her episodes- she needed peace! "Hi guys, I'll be out in...er, soon..!" She called as the microwave binged.
Cole hopped down from the stool and pranced into the center of the room, face covered in lipstick. "Hello pink guys! It is the day visitors to play now YES!" He raised his hands into the air and smiled widely, his wings shivering happily. Latpas Kitrye grasped his guardian's earlobe and pulled, hard. He was not happy with the way things were going. He was cold. Lattie was holding him. He didn't know where he was.
"OW, Kit, will you cut it out?! My, my, someone woke up on the wrong side of the crib this morning!" She knocked on the door, ignoring the exasperated call from the woman inside the kitchen. Her breath puffed out in little white clouds as she spoke. "Please, Kitrye's going to have a fit if we don't get inside!" Just for kicks, she added: "Either that or I will!" M i s s a Cole looked at Ophelia expectantly. She was not opening the door. Sighing with exasperation, he decided he had to do it himself. Skilled by now, he pulled it open and grinned toothily at those who were outside. "Hello! Lot of many children and mae'up, too! Like pink!" He cried in greeting. Latpas Latpas smiled down fondly at the small faces. Kitrye squirmed miserably in her arms, and when she set him down, he latched firmly onto her leg, as if he was afraid of the other children. As the other Souls bounced around speaking of all things pink and makeup, she nudged Kitrye.
"Go! Scoot!" She whispered. "Make friends, or at least try!"
He cast her a reproachful glare and reluctantly crawled forward a few steps. Kuuroinochou Kuuroinochou, or Kuu, sauntered down the chilly streets coming up the path. Toys strewn about indicating many children as she walked up the path. She had just got a glimpse of someone entering the building when she rushed her steps. "Oh no don't...crap." Too late the door was closed.
Nailah seemed to laugh at the Kuu's perdicament pulling at the older woman's coat. She reached chubby hands at her breath which she could see floating in the air. "Ahaha." Nailah chimed pointing to the toys on the floor.
"No its too cold out to play right now. Lets go inside and get warmed up." Kuu said rushing to the door. She rapped lightly waiting for a reply as her hands began to numb. "Why is it so cold out?"
Nailah simply gurgled in response uncaring of the current weather as she'd been bundled up rather nicely, thanks to Kuu and her overbearing if not over protective ways. Latpas Latpas, otherwise known as Lattie, shivered as the door clicked shut behind her. Kitrye was still sitting uncertaintly on the floor in front of her, watching the makeup-smeared children dash about with a reserved air. She glanced behind her as someone rapped on the door. Another guardian, it appeared, judging by the tiny girl who was tugging on her coat. She opened the door for the new arrival and smiled.
"Hello there! You must be a Painted Soul guardian, are you not?" She took the time to beam down at the tiny Soul. She gestured the woman inside. "I'm Latpas. Here, come on inside, it sure is chilly out there!" She stepped aside to make way for the pair into the kitchen. Kuuroinochou Kuu smiled warmly stepping inside to gather some warmth. She looked down at Nailah who in turn was taking in her new surroundings. After being cooped up in the house with the kids it was refreshing to get out and spend time with Nai alone some time.
"Hello there, my name is Kuuroinochou...but please call me Kuu." She said looking down at Nai she poked the girl's tummy which emitted a giggle. "This is Nailah, painted soul of course."
Nailah gurgled something and did a baby-salute of sorts in greeting or perhaps more accidental if anything. Walking along, Kuu didn't dare put Nailah down knowing the girl wasn't quite comfortable being away from her guardian just yet. Emerald eyes wide she looked around noticing a small soul on the floor he didn't look happy from where she was. She reached out an arm similar to pointing and looked up at Kuu.
Kuu looked in that direction, noting the painted soul on the floor. "Hmm?" she wasn't sure if Nailah wanted to get down but ventured to try. Kneeling she set Nailah down taking her coat of and holding it in hand. To her surprise Nailah didn't cry, rather she jiggled trying to move, still not as mobile as she wanted to bed.
"This place is rather big wouldn't you say?" Latpas Lattie gave a small girlish giggle. "All right then, Kuu... I couldn't say your real name if I tried!" She pointed to where Kitrye sat, motionless, still observing the other Souls. "That there is Kitrye, my Painted Soul. He's still trying to warm up to everyone."
"I'd say! I admit that I've not spent much time here, just a few visits poking around here and there, and then a full-blown session when they called me to accept guardianship of Kitrye. He was put under my care only a few weeks ago, and I'm afraid he still doesn't like me much. He's incredibly shy and uncomfortable around others, so I decided to bring him here to get him to interact a little." Kuuroinochou "Oh? Sounds like we're in the same boat. Nailah has just been crying and crying ever since I got her. I'm not sure why but she's been warming up to me just a little." Kuu watched Nailah jiggle about steering clear of most the other children. "I thought she was sick but she just didn't seem to want to be with me. She's been rather accepting today since we went out shopping. I think she likes being out of the house...I just hope she fairs well with the other children."
Nailah padded over to Kitrye and the other children looking at them curiously. Being in the house was annoying sometimes, she couldn't do anything other than sit in the crib or playpin and watch Kuu do whatever it was she did. Leiko and Sefu were older than her so they didn't play with her all that much.
Maybe now she could play with someone her own size, though it scared her to be away from Kuu for too long. What if Kuu disappeared and left her alone... soon Nailah began to cry turning to look for Kuu who was still conversing with Lattie. Latpas "Kitrye's very quiet, surprisingly, because he can't stand to be touched at all. Squirms and whimpers like there's no tomorrow everytime I get him out of his crib, and just glares at me with those big ol' eyes of his." She shook her head gently. "Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him. He never smiles, and doesn't seem to like me a bit."
As Naliah began to cry, Kitrye glanced behind him, shocked. For the first time since he'd been staying with her, Lattie heard him speak.
"No cry," he murmured softly. "It awright."
Lattie turned to Kuu in amazement. "First time I've heard him say anything. Didn't know he could talk, actually." Kuuroinochou "You're telling me... wonder if Nailah can talk?" Kuu said and made her way to Nailah. "I'm still here see." She confirmed patting Nailah's head, she brushed against the girl's lotus which Kuu never really noticed until now and Nailah wailed even louder if possible scooting away. "Wha?! What I do?" Kuu asked worried.
Nailah simply cried, shooting accusing glares at Kuu for the crime of touching her lotus ornament. With an inward sigh, Kuu sat on the floor next to Nailah unsure of what to do now, having aggrivated the girl even more. Nailah turned her attentions through tear stained eyes to Kitrye who had spoken to her. Softening up she sniffled and grunted reaching chubby hands toward the boy, where she pulled his ebony hair.
"Ahaha..." she began to giggle liking the texture and color. It was the same as her own. She tugged his hair again. Latpas "Maybe... I don't think Kitrye's fluent or anything, just a few words here and there, when absolutely necessary," she rolled her eyes as she spoke the last few words. Wouldn't it have been necessary for him to let her know what was wrong with him or what he wanted all those times he was silent and sulking in his crib? She knelt down next to Kuu and the two children, observing Naliah. Why was she so touchy about that lotus hair ornament? she wondered. Ah well, time would only tell.
As Naliah reachered hand forward to grab Kitrye's hair, Lattie sucked in a sharp breath of air, nervous. Would he begin crying too, or would he resume his pouting?
Kitrye's mouth, which had remained in a sharp sullen pout throughout the visit, now opened in a tiny 'o' of shock. He was not excpecting this! Or enjoying it, for that matter. He gazed back at his guardian with doleful eyes, clinging to his rose, which he had dropped onto the floor beside him.
Lattie could see from his expression that this wasn't fun for him, but at least he was taking it rather well. He was only barely tolerating it. She wondered how long it would last. Feigning a smile, she mouthed, "It'll be okay! Just don't... scream, or anything."
The tiny surprised 'o' opened a little further as Naliah tugged on his hair again. He turned to the Soul and attempted a tiny smile, which ended up looking more like a grimace than anything.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 1:29 pm
Voice Recording .2.
It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry to say that after our visit to the Museum, Kitrye and I faded out of the community for a while, what with his horrid shyness and my own nine-weeks exams...
So basically, to summarize our visit to the HQ, Kitrye went, alough stubbornly, and befriended(?) a Painted Soul by the name of Naliah. Lovely girl. Bit of a temper though. They made a rather unlikely pair, but we had to make a quick exit because a couple of overexcited toddlers came in and I could sense Kit getting a little restless.
So much for becoming semi-social.
He's been spending the past couple of months with Aygul and Reve, because they seem to be the most like him. Aygul is very quiet for a toddler and kind of antisocial, and Reve is bubbly and effervescent, although never says a word. I'm hoping some of Reve's friendliness will rub off on Kit, but I won't get my hopes up too much.
Gradually, he seems to be getting a little bit better about his shyness, and has been seen to (gasp!) not glare at Sesame each time he walks by --- he used to have some sort of weird issue with him... Maybe because everything Sesame wears is either orange or lime green and he takes offense at those colors?
Speaking of colors, he has his own room now, all decorated to his choosing; mostly white and silver, because I don't fancy painting a room black and red the way he would most prefer. I have to put a vase of fresh red roses on his bedstead every week or else he gets fussy; he loves the fresh roses so much, but he won't let me try to rejuvinate his old, dead one. It must mean something very special to him that I can't understand. Jamsuu and Missa showed me a recreation of his painting, and there was a rose in that too, so I suppose it's kind of and inborn thing.
But I do digress from what I was originially out to write about! Since we've decided to stop hiding from society, Kit and I are going to be heading to the Gallery quite soon. Pray that he won't make a scene!
..//end recording...
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:28 pm
We'll All Have to Get Used to the Change...
Latpas yawned and stretched, groping about on the night desk for her thick lensed glasses. She balanced them on her nose like she always did, gazed at the bright, cherry red digits of her alarm clock, and slid lethargically out of bed, shrugged on a jacket and shuffled into her favorite worn flip-flops. It had barely registered with her that her clock had read 4:30 AM, but being a creature of habit, when she woke up, she got up. The carpet was tricky to walk on with the flapping sandals, but she managed as best as she could, and only tripped a couple times. They were barely even trips, really. On the way past the twins' room, she peered in. It was still dark, but she could make out the outline of two Aduthle in separate cribs. One white, one black. One with a contented smile in his dreams, one with a malevolent smirk that would have made anyone do a double take.
Past Sesame's room --- she could make out a small prone form with shockingly blonde hair through the window of the doll house. Next came where Aygul, Shia, and Chara slept. Three bumps on a log, she thought with a smile, glancing in. Last, at the end of the hall, was Kitrye's room. A small bump under the covers was all that was to be seen of the sleeping Soul. All was well.
But... something nagged at her.
Kitrye hardly ever slept the whole night through, and, as the time suddenly registered in her head, she realized that this was hours after he usually woke up!
Shaking the sleep from her head, she rushed to his room and gingerly prodded the bundle. Way too soft. Kitrye was missing again.
Latpas sunk slowly onto the floor, thinking. She was surprisingly calm; this was only the third time he had crawled out of his crib this week, and normally she would have torn her hair out wondering where he'd gone. But the past two times he'd been safe, hiding downstairs and moping.
___________________________________________________________
He was hiding in the space between the sofa and the wall again, just like last time, poor thing. Latpas scooped him up with little resistance on his part, and settled him in her lap.
"Lovey, what's going on with you?" she cooed concernedly. She noted that Kitrye's eyes were red from silent tears. "Why can't you stay in your crib until I get up?"
Kitrye pouted. "Don't WANT," he replied loudly. (He had become much more verbal recently, and Latpas had admitted that she had liked him better when he was quieter, because whenever he said anything, it was much too loud.)
Latpas sighed dramatically. "Yes, I know you don't want to, but you're going to have to. What are you so riled up about, anyway?"
Kitrye's eyes grew narrow. "You took IT."
"Oh. That," her voice grew soft. "I had to!"
He shook his head furiously. "Not have to!"
"I'm sorry, really!" Latpas replied desperately. She hadn't known that he would react so negatively to finding that his beloved rose was missing. She had thought he would be happier without it than stuck in a painting! But apparently this was not so.
"You're just going to have to get used to the change for a while, that's all," she said at length, hefting him into a better position and transporting him to his highchair. And, watching his eyes grow hard at her voice and his tiny, pale arms cross defiantly, she whispered to herself, "And I think we'll all have to get used to this change."
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:51 am
Kityre sat sullenly in the sunny backseat of Latpas' car, staring out of the window with his baleful red eyes. Latpas glanced in the rear-view mirror, a little worried by his silence. Usually, with his newfound vocal outbursts, whenever she proposed a trip out of the house, he screamed his way to an afternoon indoors. Just the way he liked it, if he liked anything at all. But this time, Latpas was sure she had won. With no resistance, other than a few nibbles at the sleeve of her jacket, she strapped him into his child seat in the car, and set of for the only place that, she thought, could solve Kitrye's sullenness. It was still a long shot, but she'd have to try it. The pet shop was a wild place, filled to bursting with small children and tired-looking mothers, and Latpas fit in with the crowd perfectly, just another guardian looking to appease a picky child with some furry, scaly, or feathery creature. Thinking that Kitrye might like the calm and the cool darkness of the aquariums, she headed for the fish area, where several youngsters were smudging the glass of the tanks with their noses. Kitrye appeared indifferent at the sight of the brilliantly coloured fish, and Latpas turned toward the bird area before he decided that he was unhappy and wanted to leave. (Time was most definitely of the essence; the instant Kitrye started to get restless, it was time to leave. Latpas was hoping to avoid a scene in public!) The parrots and the cockatoos clucked and cawed relentlessly when they came near, and one large parrot even had the audacity to fix Latpas with a steely glare and cry, "Arr, matey!" Weird. Although Latpas was particularly taken with a tiny orange cockatoo with bright green eyes, Kitrye looked displeased, and shifted uncomfortably in his guardian's arms. Warning sign, time to move on to exhibit number three. The pair passed through the reptile area very quickly. Latpas didn't even stop to check for a reaction from Kitrye. There was no way they were having a snake in the house! Next up was the rabbits. A black flop-eared bunny seemed very eager to meet Kitrye, but he shoved his nose in the air and stared grimly at the ceiling. Latpas sighed, resting her cheek against his head. There were only two pens left, and they were the ones she's been hoping to avoid. Not that there's anything wrong with cats or dogs, of course! In all truth, Latpas loved them both very much, but there was already one dog in the house, and she knew that the fluffy kittens probably wouldn't get along with him well, and puppies had a tendency to grow out of their tiny and cute stages very fast. It was a last resort, and Kitrye was growing tired of the venture very quickly. Latpas stood before the adjacent pens for a few minutes, hoping that one of the puppies would catch his eye. He remained motionless, lips pursed and staring at the shop door. It was time to leave. Latpas, completely out of things to try to make him happy, turned to leave, but before she had gotten a step away from the pens, a tiny hand tugged on her pigtail. Her heart leapt. She turned around slowly, and followed Kitrye's pointing hand. "WANT that," he said firmly, gesturing to the corner of the pen. A tiny black and white puppy, long haired and bright eyed, sat there, its long tail thumping against the floor happily. Latpas smiled. "You'll get just what you want!" _______________________________________ The puppy lay curled beside him on the backseat, completely and blissfully unaware that Kitrye was tugging on his tail, just happy to be on something cozier than the pet shop floor. Still, even having gotten just what he wanted, Kitrye's smiles were small and brief. The car ride home was silent, as usual, but the uncomfortable chill from Kitrye's unhappiness had subsided. Even his perpetually painful-looking eyes had softened as he gazed over at his new pet, asleep on the backseat.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:00 am
Voice Recording .3.
*click*
Life is exciting, isn't it? That puppy has certainly added new dimensions to the household! (And not always good ones, either.) But the good news is that I think the puppy is helping Kitrye get over his separation anxiety that made him so cold toward me for a while. Still, sometimes, when he sees me, his eyes get a little narrowed and his jaw gets set, but once that dog runs in, the scowl disappears. Although he still never quite smiles.
Oh, I nearly forgot! He's named the dog 'Gethie,' although I'm not entirely sure why; I've no idea what it means, if it means anything at all. He loves that dog, I'm sure. Kit would go to the ends of the Earth if dear little Gethie led him.
As much as I'm grateful for the effect on his mood, I can see that Gethie is going to pose some problems. My other dog, a snappy, eleven year old poodle, just hasn't got quite the temperament to endure Gethie's abuse: gnawing on his ears and biting his tail and all that. And as adorable as he is, Gethie loves to chase Sesame, who feels that, at eleven inches tall, he is quite big enough not to be taken for a bug or a mouse or anything of that sort thankyouverymuch.
And don't get me started on the housetraining! It's definitely a pain, but I think he's nearly--- oh, dear, I think Gethie's found his way into the pantry again, Kitrye must've let him in there. Gotta go, recorder, before those troublemakers make a mess!
..//end recording...
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:03 am
She had been away a long time. She stood still, facing the house she had left over a year ago. Nothing about the small cabin had changed, but to Latpas it seemed terribly foreign.
The girl brushed her once-brilliant-orange hair out of her eyes. Now it was long and dark, slinking halfway down her back in a shining black cascade. She carefully shifted a small bundle that she held in her arms as if it were very heavy and fragile, and it seemed to hiss and expand. Taking a deep breath, the girl began walking with exhausting slowness toward the small house. Every step was a pain, an ordeal.
Three feet from the door, a wearied thought crossed her mind as she passed a pot filled with marigolds: at least someone had been taking care of the garden in her absence. That much was good. Who would it have been? Rêve, probably. Or Sesame. Or Caspian, watering the plants with his own small rainpower. How welcoming their names sounded! It had been a long time since she had been able to think of them with dry eyes.
A sudden wave of nausea hit her, and she slumped against the wooden door, making a surprisingly loud noise in the quiet. Her pale, shaking fingers found the doorknob and twisted with the little strength she had remaining.
Latpas stumbled dizzily into her living room, (her own living room! And yet it seemed like someone else's..) blurry vision halfway making out a small white figure seated on the floor.
"Lattie?" Rêve barely breathed, as his long-absent guardian callapsed onto the floor in exhaustion.
________________________
Latpas finally woke to something cool and wet pressed to her forehead and a gentle squeezing feeling on her wrist, checking for her.. pulse? She didn't know. She couldn't think. Her head was aching too badly, and her mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. She could almost make out other small faces crowded around, but it pained her too much to try and figure out who they all were. She tried to shake the hand off of her wrist, but found that she couldn't move. Her eyes suddenly darted from side to side. Where was it?
"Wh..Where...?" She barely murmured.
Rêve brushed a lock of sweaty hair off of her clammy forehead and cooed, "Shh... don't try to talk! You're home, you're safe."
That wasn't what she meant. She tried to shake her head, but only succeeded in jerking it a little to the left, her neck muscles screaming in agony at the sudden movement.
"N..no!" she murmured a little more forcefully, "Where... is.. is.. i-it?"
Rêve's soft voice was full of concern. "Your bundle? It's here. Don't worry.
She relaxed completely, letting her exhaustion wash over her as she slumped into a nightmare-riddled sleep.
_________________________
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Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:18 pm
Many hours later, Latpas woke fully, and found that she could move a bit, her headache had lessened, and her tongue had lost that horrible cottonly feeling. A foot-tall figure was kneeling beside her head.
"Lattie? Are you... okay?" Sesame asked gently, softly brushing his guardian's pale cheek. "Does your eye hurt?"
"M..my eye? What's.. wrong with..?" she asked, nearly in her normal voice.
"You mean you haven't...? Well, you haven't seen it?"
"Sh-show me!" she commanded, but nervously. How was she supposed to know how she had changed from her... journey! She hadn't spoken to anyone or looked in the mirror in the longest time.
"I don't think you should see for a while... you're too weak still."
Latpas shook her head, wincing at a sudden sharp pain in her neck. "No, I have to see. Now!"
Sesame gave in at last and ran off to find a hand mirror, leaving Latpas lying on the floor, breathing a little heavily.
The blonde lad returned, lugging a hand mirror that was as tall as he was.
"All right, here you go," he puffed, lifting the mirror to give it to his caretaker. "I don't think that you're going to... like it."
Latpas impatiently took the mirror. And gasped. There was something wrong with her eye. Horribly wrong. And her hair! Everything had changed.
Her once heavily freckled skin had turned a ghastly shade of pale. Her trademark perky orange pigtails were gone, replaced by a mop of (currently) tousled, messy black hair that fell constantly into her eyes. And her eye. Oh, her poor eye.
The left one. The one that had been covered with a silver-trimmed eyepatch after a rather nasty fall off of a cliff that she usually tried to forget. Oh, it was there now, all right. But it certaintly wasn't the bright blue it had been before the accident.
It was completely blank. No pupil, no iris. Just a stretch of slightly purple eyeball that had an eerily bright pearly sheen.
She let the mirror drop from her hand.
"So the stories were true," she whispered, her face was twisted into an odd little smile.
Sesame made himself noticeable by sitting on her stomach. "What stories, Lattie?"
"Sorry, not for your ears, Ses. They'd give you nightmares."
"I don't care! Please Lattie, if you tell me, maybe I can help you get better!" His eyes were painfully bright. "And you've given me my fill of nightmares. Why've you been gone all this time?" Sesame's shoulders slumped as he turned and walked out of the room.
Latpas opened her mouth to speak, but though better of it. After a few minutes it became clear that Sesame was not going to come back for a little while. Latpas slipped into yet another uneasy sleep.
___________________________
It was dark outside when Latpas woke for the third time. She sat up slightly and leaned against the wall. She noticed Mathus, sitting as far away as possibly, while still being in the same room. His face was twisted in an expression of disgust.
"It was my turn to watch over you," he said silkily, answering her unasked question. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
"Oh, thanks!" Latpas snorted.
Mathus ignored her. "I won't pretend that I'm happy to see you back, but at least you might be a distraction to keep her away from me."
By 'her,' Latpas assumed that he meant Shia, the spirit of Halloween, who had a bit of a spoft spot for Mathus. And suddenly, as if his words had conjured her out of thin air, Shia appeared behind him, saying, "Now Mathus, that wasn't very nice!" And looking at Latpas, she continued, "Poor guy! He just needs a little love!" And with that statement, she flung her arms around the neck of a very unwilling Nightmare Thule (Latpas was surprised that he had stayed around that long).
With a very un-Mathuslike squeak, he flapped his small wings and scurried up the stairs.
Shia smiled warmly at her. "We've all missed you so much. Even though some of us won't admit it. Now, I'm going to go check up on everyone, and I'll be back down in a bit. Rest well!"[More to come! *tempting* whee ]
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