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 Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:47 pm
A Greece-y Retreat It was the next day that Ianna woke up and realized they still had one more wand to find. Her quicksilver eyes turned to the slumbering Matilda, debating waking the woman up. While she knew she needed her rest, after they got the last wand the Ancient would be able to get all the sleep she wanted or needed.
She certainly HOPED this would be the last wand to be found for a long while - her daughter looked incredibly weak and sick - and Ianna didn't like it. Despite the way they acted towards each other, they did love each other very much.
They just didn't like to show it.
After some contemplating, Ianna figured the best course of action would be to wake Matty up. The worst that could happen would be the Ancient one snapping at her and going back to sleep, right? Wrong.
The moment Ianna tried to wake Matilda up her hand was caught up in a vise-like grip and half broken, drawing a eek of pain from her mother. "I'm up."
Ianna drew her hand away as soon as the pressure was taken away, her silver eyes watering up somewhat as she looked down at the half-crippled hand. She wanted to know if the bones were broken or not - they weren't. Just severely misaligned.
"Sorry," came Matilda's murmur as she waved a hand, the appendage instantly going back to the way it should have been to begin with.
"It's okay. I know you're goin' through some stuff," Ianna mumbled, rubbing her hand lightly. Sure, she understood. Didn't exactly mean she was happy about it though, "We need to find the last wand, where is it?"
"Somewhere in Greece, I think."
"Greece. Nothing is ever repeated with you, is it?"
"Not if I can help it," the Ancient responded, sitting up and stretching a bit. "Though I think it'll be relatively easy to find. It's earth, after all. Just need to try and keep our eyes to the ground as not to miss anything."
"Good idea. Shall we go then?"
Without answering, they were transported to Greece - in the middle of a forest. Not surprising, considering what they were looking for. It would, however, make things a little harder to recognize with so many trees around.
"It's a large place, Matty," observed Ianna, looking around the vast forest filled with trees. "It could take forever to find a little wand."
"You always say that, mother," came Matilda's weary response, "Do me a favor and don't complain. I'm not exactly in the condition to handle it."
A sigh, "You're right. I'm sorry...I just--" she was cut off and smiled a bit. "Maybe it's by the little stream?"
Matilda looked over to the stream running through and bit her lip. Couldn't exactly hurt to check, could it? "We can always check."
Ianna had already started towards it, though was sorely disappointed when she could not find it. Still, she had a feeling in her stomach it was somewhere close, and followed the stream for a good two hours - despite the protests of the weary Matilda.
"We'll find it around here, I'm sure of it, Matilda! I feel it."
"The Ice Queen feels something?"
"You really shouldn't talk about yourself that way."
"I'm not."
"Could have fooled me, dear."
And with that, they continued down - until what looked more like a staff than a wand could be seen buried half-way into the earth. "Could...THAT be it? It looks...a little thick."
"It's it. Strange though..." a shrug of the Ancient's shoulders. "Pull it up and lets go home, please?"
"If earth hates me as much as rock does, we're in trouble."
"Heh...I'm too tired to even respond to that."
That frightened Ianna - Matilda had never been too tired to come with a smart remark before. "Okay."
She grasped at the thick wood and pulled - with some difficulty - until it popped from the earth. The moment it came out, they were transported back to headquarters - both looking as if they were going to pass out.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:53 pm
Ianna Umbridge, as usual, was at her desk. However, the sling her arm was in was digging into her shoulder, making her rather irritable and uncomfortable.
The crying Coailiann wasn't helping things much either - she had been in the playpen for FAR too long and she hadn't slept well the night before, leaving her a cranky little Sidhe.
Which made for a cranky not-so-little Ianna, especially when one arm was out of commission.
Her silver-haired head fell to the desk with a little thunk, "God, I hate my job."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:36 pm
It was a quaint little place, and pretty clean. Not like the city from whence she'd come. Another unwanted tremor rippled at the base of her spine, sending the young black woman clinging to the nearest wall until the feeling subsided. She hadn't even had time to change out of her apron with all this shuddering as of late. And she was supposed to be home now, but her feet had gained a mind of her own. Poor Sibuna, who had been asked to leave the diner early after she finally dropped coffee into someone's lap. Maybe, if she allowed her body to steer its own way, she'd be okay to return to work the next day.
Oh, she was really just trying to humor herself. Some new disease had surely claimed her to cause such spastic reactions and she'd be dead within the week. A visit to a magic shop wasn't going to make much of a difference if her bones were slowly turning to mush. Oh, Lord, hadn't she drunk enough milk? As she passed into the main lobby, her grey eyes slowly focused upon Ianna. The poor woman! In a sling and very unhappy-looking to boot. There was a child whining nearby from the sounds of it.
"Hello?" Sibuna cautiously approached the desk, though was more than happy to grip the front of it once she was there. She didn't want her legs to suddenly give out beneath her and cause anyone, especially this injured woman, to cast her a second glance.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:43 pm
Ianna lifted her head and looked to the woman standing there, an eyebrow raised slightly, "Hello. Welcome to Ghosts of the Past!"
Matilda's nagging voice in the back of her head, albeit slight weak, told her that the woman was a future guardian. Of course, the last wand was the Meliae, and Ianna would be ecstatic to get rid of it and have her life go back to NORMAL.
Or some semblance of it.
At the new arrival, Coailiann stopped her crying to eye the woman with interest. New people?? Yay!
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:04 pm
Oh, how wonderful! At least she wasn't cranky enough to snap at her. Sibuna gave a small smile. "Ghosts of... the Past? Oh, I'm not here for business! I really don't know why I'm here." She laughed nervously, her eyes immediately darting away to look at something else. She didn't really have enough money to buy the objects that were for sale even if she'd wanted them. "My feet have a mind of there own...."
Seeing the baby made her smile even wider, and much more sincere. She was quite fond of children, after all, but scared of owning one of her own. "Hey, littlun! Give us a smile, hm?" It was too dangerous to give a baby candy. A shame, seeing as she always had a peppermint or two in her apron.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:16 pm
Ianna was usually pleasant to future guardians - because if she wasn't, Matilda would probably attempt to kill her. If she wasn't already doing so with all the missions she was sent on.
"I know why you're here," came her response, a small smile touching at her lips as she leaned further across the desk, pushing a large leather bound book towards her, "It's rather simple, you see. Just touch the book and you'll get the answers you seek."
The minute the woman would touch the book, the cover would fly open, an invisible wind winding through the pages and blowing them rapidly open until it landed, quite suddenly, on a well-worn page. On this page was a very realistic sketch of a earthen staff, vines wrapped around it.
Under the picture read:
"Greece. Wand ID 00014. A Soul has been trapped within the confines of the wand. Congratulations, you have become the next guardian to take on the task of raising it from infancy to greatness. We, Ianna and I, have the upmost faith in you to complete your task dutifully. Best of luck,
Matilda."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:53 pm
((Wings? Are you talking about the succubus wand?))
Sibuna would, after touching the book, proceed to throw her hands over her face. The wind was picking up all of the sudden. But they were inside!
'Devil magic.' Hissed that little voice in her mind, advising her to bolt back to the safety of her home. It was only a book though, what harm could that possibly administer to her? She peeked between her fingers to read the pages, shifting uneasily. Oh, dear. She was a simple girl- producing all these big words wasn't the best way to get Sibuna to comply or less uneasy about herself.
"W-well..." She said softly after a while. "Where is the dear?" This was not to be her first child, thankfully. Some soul was reincarnating itself in a jar at her home as they spoke, in fact. She was beginning to get used to the idea, but not when it came to the issue that she was the one taking care of them. She was nothing special...
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:58 pm
((Sorry bout that XD fixed.))
Ianna reached behind the desk and picked up the staff-like wand, sliding it across the desk. The dark green vines wrapped itself around the dark wood, lighter colored leaves blossoming from the vines. Sporadically around the wood were beautiful little white flowers.
"It's here. A Meliae, a Nymphi Dryad, I believe."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:41 pm
((xDD Honest mistake. Here I am, dead last... n_n wink )
"Nymphi. Driad." She repeated, furrowing her dark brows. Seemed like she was long due for a trip to the book-store, hm? Her fingers tentatively reached out, almost blending with the ash-wood when the two came in contact. Immediately, that awful little feeling in her limbs faded away. She was cured! The digits slowly curled about the staff and pulled it closer to her. It smelled good.
"Is there anything else I need to know? Can it go to school?" Surely she wouldn't be a proper teacher! "Or anything special about how it's to be taken care of?" These things weren't human babies, after all. Maybe it had more special needs..
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:47 pm
"Yes, A Nymphi Dryad," Ianna confirmed, giving a little yawn, "It can go to school, the only difference is, they will need help practicing their magicks and developing their gifts."
She smiled and brushed her silver hair away, "When it hits a wisp stage, however, you need to be careful of strong wind gusts and whatnot - it's the most sensitive of the stages, other than infant, of course."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:17 pm
She issued a brief nod before drawing the wand off the desk, allowing the end to hit softly against the floor similar to a cane. She'd pick it up again when she was ready to leave. "Right. And... Will I be given instructions on how to teach it? Will you teach it? Will it teach itself?" She asked a lot of questions, didn't she? She really just didn't want to screw up the kid's life. That was understandable, right?
And where were her manners? "I'm Sibuna, by the way. Are you Ianna or Matilda?"
'Who cares? Witches. Sound like a couple of witches to me.'
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:29 pm
"I'm Ianna. Matilda is my daughter - she's not in this realm, unfortunately," a nod of her head and another weak smile, "You will need to guide it, or you can hire someone to do so...I can't, I'm far too busy...." she indicated to the little girl.
Who blew a raspberry.
"Before you go, please, touch this?"
Ianna picked up a small piece of paper and slid it to her. Written upon it was gold letters saying "Press Me". As soon as she did she was transported into a large room. As they entered the main lobby Via the portal connecting the shoppe and the headquarters, the first thing they would notice is the vast...largeness...of it. The high ceilings, edged with gold, the large chandeliers dripping with crystals, the smooth white tile-floors, colorful rugs, and beautiful paintings.
To the left was a large recreational area complete with a large flat-screen television, several rows of various games, movies, video game systems and books. There was a basket of toys in the corner, full of plushies, dolls, cards and various other objects which would appeal to most ages. Included in the area were several comfy looking couches and plush chairs just made for sitting, lounging or bouncing in. It seemed to be heaven on a fluffy carpet. It even had a foos-ball table and an air-hockey table....and for the slightly more food-minded GoTP, a mini fridge always full.
To the right was a large elaborate counter, which seemed to have a force-field of some sort around it, keeping anyone who was not Ianna or Matilda from going behind it. On the counter lay a roster with the names of all the Ghostly children and their guardians, and an appointment book.
From there, it branched off into halls with rows and rows of rooms. Some were storage, some were guest rooms, some were bathrooms, and one very large and ornate door to the end of the hall led to the gardens. "Welcome to Headquarters, Sibuna, You're welcome here at any time."
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:51 pm
"Ah huh... I see." But of course she really didn't. Some mornings the woman couldn't put her shoes on the right feet, much less comprehend the thought of a whole different dimension.
"Of course, I'll do the best I can to take care of it. Please don't think I'm being neglectful..." That was also a habit of her, assuming that people thought the absolute worse of her. "I work, you see. And though I have approval to take my children there with me -I'm to have one more, eh... child- I don't think it's best for a child to be kept inside." She had some money, maybe she should get a nanny to watch them through most of the day...
'Or you could get yo' self a man...' Poked her 'conscience' cattily. Had she been a shade lighter, one would have seen her ears darken red.
Though, she couldn't help but laugh softly at the infant's antics; a soft, melodic sound that was a bit scratchy from apologizing all day. Those tremors had helped her to pour almost a whole cup of coffee into some man's lap before she could finally control herself. Luckily, he wasn't a regular customer, though Chef had to dock a little of her pay that week when the guy raised hell.
"If I receive a child as charming as yours, I don't think I'd mind being busy at all." She gave a sincere smile with those thick lips, winking at the little girl. "Thank yah, ma'am." She didn't hesitate too much in touching the piece of paper, reminded of a story her mother had once read to her. 'Press me' sounded like the 'Drink me' and 'Eat me' from that book, but she sadly couldn't remember the title.
Just a blink of an eye was all it took and she was standing in that elaborate hall, belittled. Her grey eyes slowly grew round, staring at all the things the room had to offer. Needless to say, her grip on her 'wand' tightened significantly, but it certainly wouldn't harm the thick wood. Sibuna stood stunned for a moment, but slowly reached for her wrist, to check the time. Well, she had some to spare. Perhaps she'd stay for a little. If there were other names on that roster, other people should have wands as well. And one was bound to show up sooner or later, right? Such a thought was probably one of the most positive she'd produced all day.
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