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Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:00 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:50 pm
List format used with permission by Karma_K
Name: Shavri
Former Name: Kuan Yin, Kannon, Kanzeon
Date of Wand Arrival: 05-07-06
Date of Birth: 06-10-06
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Violet
Height: 19 in.
Weight: 8 lbs.
Talents: N/A
Powers: N/A
Mate: N/A
Children: N/A
Weapon Of Choice: N/A
Attire: Onesies, mainly.
Favorite Colors: Unknown
Favorite Foods: Anything but strained peas.
Favorite Sound: White noise.
Favorite Weather: Thunderstorms.
Favorite Scents: Unknown, but she seems to like flowers.
Superstitions: Unknown.
Dislikes: Making people cry.
Fears: Silence.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:51 pm
Wand  The wand that I was gifted with in a strange little shop in town...
Wisp  Kaeru noticed an anomaly one day... a soft violet wisp, coming from the gem!
Ghost  A soft giggling can be heard in my mind... and Shavri becomes a baby ghost.
Baby  Oh my gods... isn't she beautiful??
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:53 pm
 Name: Youkochylde Gingitsune
Gender: Male
Age: 31 (Dammit >_<)
Height: 5'4
Weight: 140
Eyes: Gold
Hair: Silver
Species: Demon Fox (youko)
Marital Status: Lifemated to Envy Fairchylde
Special Abilities: Teleportation (Line of sight), Shapeshifting (Fox form), rational thinking, mediation. Has a temper, once riled up.
Likes: Wiggling his toes in the grass, being outside, summer breezes, wearing very little, iced tea and wireless computers.
Dislikes: Stupid people, humid muggy weather, closed-minded people, bees, wintertime, rabbits.
Youko's beginnings and youth are pretty much up in the air. What that means is that he doesn't remember them, either. When Youko first came to Gaia, it was with a chip on his shoulder and an innate distrust of everything and everyone. No one's quite sure WHY he was that way, and he's not talking.
It took a rather quiet and caring soul... Envy Fairchylde, to get through the fox's shell, finally coaxing him out and began to teach him how to be relatively human. After he started letting others near, he met Karma and the others who quickly became friends. This was when Youko's protective streak showed through, and it became apparent that he wouldn't stand for his friends being stepped on.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:56 pm
A set of prayer beads that Youko thought might look good when wrapped around the wand. Here's hoping they keep looking good on Shavri!
A furin chime that hangs in the window.
What kid doesn't like crayons??
Watercolours. When crayons just don't cut it anymore.
A beautiful hair comb, also from Youko.
A set of beautiful hairpins that Youko found while out shopping one day.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:00 pm
Stage Four: Baby
Your GOTP must stay a baby for at least 2 months in real life time. In order for it to move to Toddler, you must do the following:
- 5 Journal entries from you (1/5)
- 6 Open OR Closed- Session RPs (At LEAST 1 should be Open) (2/6)
- 1 700 word minimum post in journal about your baby moving to next stage
Stage Five: Toddler
Your GOTP must stay an toddler for at least 3 months real-life time. In order to move to Kid, you must do the following:
- 6 Journal entries from you
- 7 Open OR Closed- Session RPs (At LEAST 1 should be Open)
- 1 700 word minimum post in your journal about your toddler moving to the next stage
- 1 Multi-post growth quest. This quest usually deals with going through their past life in small flashes of memory to see important moments in their past life. Generally, this concerns finding out some of a child's baser powers.
- 1 1,000 word minimum "Growing" or "Coming Home" post from the quest.
Stage Six: Kid
Your GOTP must stay a kid for at least 3 months real-life time. In order to move to Teenager, you must do the following:
- 6 Journal Entries from you or your child (Split any way you wish)
- 7 Open OR Closed- Session RPs (At LEAST 1 should be Open)
- 1 700 word minimum post in your journal about your kid moving to the next stage
- 1 Multi-post growth quest. This quest deals with finding out their past and how they died.
- 1 1,000 word minimum "Growing" or "Coming Home" post from the quest.
Stage Seven: Teenager
Your GOTP must stay a teenager for at least 3 months real-life time. In order to move to Youth, you must do the following:
- 4 journal entries, each, from you and your teenager
- 9 Open OR Closed- Session RPs (At LEAST 1 should be Open)
- 1 1,000 word minimum post in your journal about your Teenager moving on to the next stage. Here is where it's decided if they're too unstable and unable to accept the fact that it happened, they may begin to turn into a ghost-like form once more. A non-solid mass of smoke; however, if they're able to embrace their new chance, they can flourish into a wonderfully adjusted Youth.
Stage Eight: Youth
Your GOTP must stay a youth for at least 4 months real-life time. In order to move to Adult, you must do the following:
- (OPTIONAL) 1 journal entry about your child leaving the house (if they do)
- 3 Journal entries from you
- 5 journal entries from Youth
- 10 Open OR Closed- Session RPs (At LEAST 1 should be Open)
- 1 Role Play with Ianna
- 1 1,000 Word journal post about moving into the next stage
Stage Nine: Adult
Your child must remain an adult for at least 5 months real-life time before moving on to Sorceress or Sorcerer. In order to move on, you must do the following:
- 10 journal entries from Youth
- 15 Open OR Closed- Session RPs (At LEAST 1 should be Open)
- 1 2,000 word minimum post in your journal about your youth moving on to the next stage.
- 1 Role Play session with Ianna
- 1 Meeting with Matilda
Stage Ten: Sorcerer/Sorceress
Unknown
Stage Eleven: Ancient
Unknown
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:03 pm
One theory of Kuan Yin In the eleventh year of the Epoch of the Heaven of Gold, 2587 B.C., there lived a king called Miao Tohoang. He had three daughters and no sons, so when they were old enough to marry he found them suitable husbands that he might have an heir to the throne. But Miao-shan, the youngest, refused to marry, saying that she preferred to pass her life in seclusion in order to perfect herself in meditation, and thus arrive at the state of Buddhahood. She retired to the monastery of the White Sparrows1 in order to live in perfect seclusion. The king attempted to persuade her to return, but every kindly overture failed. He then resorted to cruelty, each trial being more horrible than the last, but she came out unscathed from them all. Then he ordered her beheaded. But during the execution there sprung up suddenly a great wind storm, the heavens were obscured, and a great light2 surrounded Miao-shan. Then the local protective deity took the form of a tiger, bounded out of the forest, and carried her inanimate form into the mountains. She then found herself in hell, visiting Yama, the lord of Hell, and by her magic power she liberated the souls damned there. Upon her return, Buddha appeared to her on a cloud. He counseled her to retire to the island of P'u-t'o some three thousand miles away, and to give herself up to meditation. Some versions of the story say she was again carried away by a deity in the form of a tiger, while others say she was carried over the water on a lotus.3 For nine years she remained on the island practicing meditation and performing acts of merit, after which she was raised to the rank of Buddha and took her first acolyte, Hoan Shen-ts'ai (he who prays in order that he may have virtue and talent).
The Origin of Kuan Yin There are many legends about the origin of Kuan Yin, but this in one of the most popular. In 7th century China, a king had three daughters, the youngest named Miao-Shan. At the time of Miao-Shan's birth, the earth trembled and a wonderful fragrance and flower blossoms sprang up around the land. Many of the local people said they saw the signs of a holy incarnation on her body. While the king and queen were amazed by this blessing. Unfortunately, they were corrupt and saw little value in a child who appeared pure and kind. When Miao-Shan got older, the king wanted to find a husband for her. She told her father she would only marry if by so doing she would be able to help alleviate the suffering of all mankind. The king became enraged when he heard of her devotion to helping others, and forced her to slave away at menial tasks. Her mother, the queen, and her two sisters admonished her, all to no avail. In desperation, the king decided to let her pursue her religious calling at a monastery, but ordered the nuns there to treat her so badly she would change her mind. She was forced to collect wood and water, and tend a garden for the kitchen. They thought this would be impossible, since the land around the monastery was barren. To everyone's amazement, the garden flourished, even in winter, and a spring welled up out of nowhere next to the kitchen. When the king heard about these miracles, he decided that he was going to kill Miao-Shan. After all, the nuns who were supposed to have tormented her. But as his henchmen arrived at the monastery, a spirit came out of a fog of clouds and carried her away to safety on a remote island. She lived there on her own for many years, pursuing a life of of religious dedication. Several years later, her father became seriously ill. He was unable to sleep or eat; his doctors believed he would certainly die soon. As he was about to pass, a monk came to visit the king. The monk told the king he could cure the monarch, but he would have to grind up the arms and eyes of one free from hatred to make the medicine. The king thought this was impossible, but the monk assured him that there was a Bodhisattva living in the king's domain who would gladly surrender those items if asked. The king sent an envoy to find this unknown bodhisattva. When the envoy made the request, Miao-Shan gladly cut out her eyes and severed her arms. The envoy returned and the monk made the medicine. The king instantly recovered. When the king thanked the monk; he chastised the king by saying, "You should thank the one who gave her eyes and arms." Suddenly, the monk disappeared. The king believed this was divine intervention and after ordering a coach prepared headed off with his family to find and thank the unknown bodhisattva. When the royal family arrived they realized it is was their daughter, Miao-Shan, who had made the sacrifice. Miao-Shan spoke up, "Mindful of my father's love, I have repaid him with my eyes and arms." With eyes full of tears and hearts full of shame, the family gathered to hug Miao-Shan. As they did so auspicious clouds formed around Miao-Shan. The earth trembled, flowers rained down, and a holy manifestation of the Thousand Eyes and Thousand Arms appeared hovering in the air. And then, the bodhisattva was gone. To honor Miao-Shan the royal family built a shrine on the spot, which is known as Fragrant Mountain.
MY version of Kuan Yin In the heavens, Kuan Yin was revered as the goddess of mercy, love and compassion. And while she did embody all of these, she also had one shortcoming of the immortal... she grew bored. At times, she would 'impart' her wisdom to others, whether they wanted it or not... and at other times, she would push into play a kind of organised chaos, and watch from the sidelines as it was resolved. Kuan Yin could be mischievous when she wanted to... There were a few of the lower deities that were subservient to her... not the least of which was Xuan Zang. Xuan Zang was impetuous, opinionated and more often than not, falling on the wrong side of the attention of the elders. Finally, when he defended another who was to be punished by the elders, he was called to task and sentenced to punishment as well. Kuan Yin had remained in the background, watching these goings-on, and remaining impartial. After all, it was the place of the gods to observe, not to interfere. However, when her subordinate was about to be cast down, she stepped in and stood before him, protecting him from the elders' wrath. Her self-sacrifice earned her the same punishment as her subordinate. Kuan Yin's soul was torn from her body, and her body was destroyed, its ashes scattered to the winds to never have a true resting place of their own. Her soul was cast down from the heavens, her punishment to be reborn as a human and live a human life. At the end of that sentence, she would die and her soul would cease to be. However... things didn't quite turn out as planned, and her soul became trapped in a jewelled wand. This is where our story begins.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:04 pm
05-07-06: Youko finds a strange shop in town... and comes back with an even stranger item: A wand that seems to be embedded with jewels.
05-21-06: The wand has changed... and now has a violet-coloured wisp coming from it!
05-28-06: Another change! I could hear soft giggles and cooing in my mind, like a newborn. Instead of finding a baby, Shavri seems to have developed into a more substantial ghost form.
06-10-06: Shavri becomes a beautiful baby! And MAN does she have a set of lungs...
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:07 pm
ALL GotP's and their guardians have blanket permission to post in this diary, IN CHARACTER.
Any OOC posts, gifts, etc, please PM them to me. I will make sure they have their place.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:10 pm
This is a Journal for Shavri, a Ghosts of the Past child... a 'pet' whose artwork, ideas and concept are copyright to Kyrianna and myself. This particular GotP's concept and personality were created by me, and this journal is the story of her life.
Wand, wisp and baby wisp stage artwork are copyright to Kyrianna. All other stages' artwork is copyright to me.
She is not for sale.
Nothing on this page or journal is for sale.
Do not post here unless you see your name in the Permissions post.
Thank you very much, and enjoy reading!
biggrin
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:15 pm
 One down!...Too many to go. Ianna was sitting atop her desk, the tiny sidhe child in her lap. Currently, she was trying to reason with her daughter and tell her that no, apples were NOT one of the major food groups (At least, alone) and no, she couldn't have apple pie for dinner. The little girl was having nothing of it. Generally better with her speech, Coailiann gave a little glare towards her mother, "Pie is GOOD though!" Ianna sighed, "Yes, pie is good. But for DESSERT." At least it was taking her mind off of the fact she was sitting on at least four wands that needed to find homes. Arguing with Kay tended to do that. "Raven!" Youko called to his daughter, who had just absconded with his car keys and darted down the main street of town. "Be back at the car in two hours!! I don't want to be running around and looking for you all night!" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head as the girl yelled back that she would, and disappeared around a corner. These were rare times, when he and Raven would go shopping together. Even rarer were the times that they actually STAYED together while shopping. It was far more fun to gather at the car afterward and glee over the treasures they'd found. As he strolled down the street, the fox realised that he didn't really have a destination in mind... and that he was just going where his feet led him. This time, however, they led him towards a small shop that he couldn't quite remember seeing before. That was odd... he'd been all over this place, really. Shrugging to himself, he reached for the door and pushed it open, listening to the jingle of the bell overhead as he glanced around. "Anyone here?" he called, not seeing anyone at first. Ianna's head popped up, but Coailiann was the first to greet the new comer. Her hand raised (almost bonking Ianna in the nose) and her fingers wiggled in a greeting, "Hi Hi!" Ianna smiled a little bit and buried her nose in the white hair of her daughter before speaking, "Hello! Welcome to Ghosts of the Past." Of course, the silver woman was completely delighted with the ping in her mind both told her he was a guardian, AND his name. Matilda was on the ball today, it seemed. Which could be a very good or very bad thing. One never knew with the Ancient. "Why hello there, beautiful!" Youko replied... and it was pretty obvious that he was indulging the little girl as he came over and waved at her in return. When Ianna spoke, he straightened up again and smiled to her, bowing politely. "Thank you for the welcome. I was just trying to figure out why I'd never seen this shop before." As he spoke, he looked around, golden eyes flitting here and there over the place. "I could have sworn this was just an old boarded up bookstore last time I was by this way." Coailiann practically beamed at the attention, struggling in her mother's arms to be free and be able to float herself over to the man. He was shiny! Well, he was new. That automatically made him shiny. "I pretty?" she asked, batting her eyelashes cutely. Ianna snorted, "Fisherwoman," she teased her daughter, but allowed her to levitate over to the man. After all, she'd be seeing him a fair bit more than just this one time. Might as well get her daughter used to him, right? "You're probably right...My shop has a tendancy to hide itself from random people..." she smiled a little bit, "I suppose you're special, Youko." She slid from her desk and made her way behind it, dragging out the large, leather bound book with golden edges. A thud was heard as it was set on the desk. No other words were spoken...Yet. "Well, I've been called special before... but not exactly in the polite sense." Youko snickered, holding out his arms as the girl came over to him. He seemed unphased by it... but then again he had a daughter who was a raccoon, a son who was like him, another son who was a frog, and a daughter who was a Fa'e. Nothing shocked him anymore. "Of course you're beautiful!" he said, leaning in to bump his nose against Coailiann's. "You've got pretty silver hair, like me." He whispered conspiratorially then, near her ear. "I hear silver-haired people are really special and really pretty. But that's just what I heard." Giving the girl a wink, he turned his attention to the book as it thudded against the counter, and blinked at it with one ear up and one ear down. Well, this was unusual... "Mm, Well I can promise you I mean nothing bad by it," Ianna murmured, plopping herself down upon her stool, "But if you'd like to know about why my shop revealed itself to you, you can find the answers in this book." she tapped the cover of the gleaming leather. Coailiann simply beamed up at him and giggled, "My hair's white," she nodded sagely, "But your hair is pretty too." she reached out and pet at it with her small fingers. One would think she was a baby, really, with how small she was. But she didn't seem to act like it, or speak. It was one thing she hated, honestly. The fact that she was smaller than everyone else. She saw it as she wasn't as good as the bigger kids. Especially since she was older. Answers in the book, huh? He carefully set Coailiann to sit on the counter, then leaned over the book, carefully opening the cover. "This isn't one of those books that's going to try and eat me, is it?" he asked. Let's hear it for watching 'Army of Darkness' one too many times at 2am. Either way, he wasn't sure he could remember those damned words either. The minute Youko touched the book, yhe 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 the page was a very life-like sketch of one of the wands on her Desk. Gnarled and covered with shiny jewels. Under the picture read: "China Sea. Wand ID 00024. 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."Ianna smiled brightly as Coailiann made her way back into her lap and snuggled close, "Congratulations, Youko. You're a father." Of course, she had no way of knowing he was ALREADY a father but... "I... what?" Youko blinked, re-reading the passage, then looking to the matching wand on the counter... then looked back to Ianna and Coailiann. "I've heard those words before, but never this peacefully. Usually, it involves threats to future generations from my loins and lots of screaming and cursing." Then again, it HAD been twins Karma had given birth to. By the time Raven was born, he was pretty sure that any 'family jewels' had better be locked away securely or an irate foxcoon was going to turn them into earrings. Hesitantly, he reached for the wand, picking it up and looking it over. It was very pretty, that was for certain. "This...?" he asked, looking to Ianna as if verifying. "Makes me a father again?" Ianna laughed aloud this time, "Mmm, I'm pretty sure your loins are safe, though you never know in Gaia, right?" she gave another shrug of her shoulders and tickled her daughter. The moment Youko took the wand, a warm, pulsiing life could be felt and a small light flashed before both faded away to nothing. It was awknowledged, and it was good enough for the spirit. "But yes, it does. You see, the spirit trapped in the wand lived once before. They died, horribly, and were trapped half way between life and half way between death - their essence in that very wand you hold now. I don't know exactly what it was, but it was a..." she blinked, as if listening to a voice telling her something, "It was a god or goddess of some sort. But we don't know if it was male or female." A affirmative nod of her head, and Ianna smiled a bit, "It chose you, for whatever reason, to raise it for it's second chance at life. Coailiann here?" she kissed her daughter's forehead, "She's a wand child as well. A Sidhe. There are...many others." "Well, he or she should fit in well with the menagerie at home," Youko said, taking the wand and chuckling softly. "I have two daughters and a son living at home... only one of which is mine biologically... and my biological son lives across the block with his mother and HER brood. It's not a boring house." Hopefully this one would fit in well... but now he was going to have to explain to Raven what the hell was going on. He could hear it now, her wondering just HOW on earth he managed to go shopping for computer parts and wound up coming home with another kid. "This... should be amusing." "Well it's a good thing you're used to it. I almost had a heart attack when I first found Matilda..." she smiled and slipped from her seat, moving towards the right-hand door, "Come with me for a moment? I'd like to show you the headquarters." She opened the door and stepped through, hoping that the man would follow through as well. As they entered the main lobby Via the portal connecting the shoppe and the headquarters, the first thing noticable was 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. You're welcome here at any time, with any of your brood...In fact, it's encouraged. They need playmates outside just their own kind. There are usually many more guardians creeping about, but it's abnormally quiet when new guardians are supposed to be arriving. I don't know why." Youko let out a low whistle, looking around the place and cradling the wand in one arm. "This place... is amazing," he breathed, looking up and around as best he could. Oh yes, he'd definitely be coming back here. "I'm sure he or she will love it here... and my kids would enjoy it too. Raven loves kids, and Kaeru's always looking for others to play with." He didn't mention Omi... for one, because she seemed to have no love for children, and for two... she was likely going to be leaving him soon to go and live with her grandparents. She'd likely never set foot in this place, at least not for a long while. "And we just get back here through the shop like that? I mean... I don't want to get in trouble for wandering around in there where I'm not supposed to be." Ianna positively beamed, "I'm glad you like it, and I certainly hope that your family and the little one there does as well. There's a rather large library down the hall, as well as vast gardens and a very advanced training room as well. Something with holographics?" she looked slightly confused, "I'm not usd to technology, so I really don't pay attention, but Matilda says it's rather interesting...I'll take her word for it." She paused and set Coailiann down, "And yes, you just go through like we just did. Any time, day or night. Thought if you come late at night, you may have my love, Malen, on your a**...And not in the good way." she blinked, then shot a smile his way. "Matilda... you've said her name a few times. Who is she?" He blinked then, getting a wry smile on his face as one ear flopped to the side. "Malen? Sounds interesting... he won't bother the kids though, will he?" "No, he adores kids. He's a bounty hunter, but he hates it. I guess he just likes the money?" she didn't look too concerned. "Matilda is my eldest daughter. The one who started this place, who gave these children their second chances. She was the first one to come from a wand." she smiled, almost sadly, "Grew too fast before my eyes, she did. Within a matter of weeks she was already at the highest state she could be, an Ancient..." A small sniffle, "She cast the spell and modified it so they grew much slower than she did." Nodding solemnly, Youko let the subject drop. He hated being the cause of pain for anyone, and now was sorry that he asked. Still, it was good to know that the same fate wouldn't befall this one. "Does... the wand havea name?" he asked, looking at it oddly. "Or will I name the child when it comes?" "Many guardians name them when they're still a wisp, or a baby ghost." she paused, realizing he hadn't been told about those stages, "You see, they don't come straight from want to infant. Their spirits gradually emerge and solidify. They change state twice before becoming a child. It usually takes about a month, but some have taken longer. I think it depends on how well they're accepted. But you can wait until it's a baby. Yashima, our Kitsune child, usually figures out what gender they are because he hates females...WEll, not Hates but..." she looked at him helplessly, not sure how to explain it, "But that's how they know what gender to name it for." Chuckling, Youko nodded. "I'll definitely have to find this Yashima then," he said, making a mental note of that. "Kitsune?" The fox's ears pricked up then and he smiled from ear to ear. "I'll DEFINITELY find him then. Not many of us are around, that I've seen... not real ones anyway. It'll be good to see another of my mother's kind." Forget the fact that he was a hanyo... then again, HE normally forgot it fast enough anyway. "He's adorable. Coailiann's best friend. I think she's the only female he can handle," she dug in her pocket and came out with a snapshot of the two resting beneath a tree together and handed it over to him.  "I've not seen many of your kind, either. But then again, I rarely leave my house." "He is adorable," Youko said, smiling and handing the picture back. "I'll try to find him soon then... however, I should get going. My daughter is going to be waiting for me at the car and wonder where I am." Time flew when you were having fun... and this was definitely his idea of a fun time. He looked back to the wand in his hands, now eager to get it home and explain to the others what it was. Ianna nodded, taking the picture back, "I hope to see you come back soon. And I look forward to seeing the little one grow." She indicated to the door, and picked up Coailiann yet again, "Just walk through there and you'll find yourself in the shop again. IT's in a different realm, so leaving generally feels a bit different then entering, I think. Have a lovely day." "You as well," he answered, bowing formally with the wand in his hands, then turned to head back through the shop. He was smiling as he emerged out into the street once more, and had a bit of a bounce in his step as he headed for the parked car.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:11 pm
Dear Diary -
Strange things seem to happen around me, I swear. At some point in my life, someone said to me 'may you live in interesting times'. As soon as I find out who this person was, I'm going to hurt them.
Badly.
No wonder that phrase is considered a curse in most of the civilised world. Today, I went shopping with Raven and stumbled into a shop I'd never seen before. It wasn't like normal... when I go by a shop and go 'Oh yeah, I forgot about that..' No, I could SWEAR that this place wasn't there before. Anyway, it's there now, and I went in. I was greeted by a friendly woman and a child, and was shown a book that seemed to have a life of its own.
To make a long story short... I aquired a wand. Not a Harry Potter type wand, but a beautiful gnarled wood wand with gemstones in it. And to top it off, I was told that this will become a child in due time.
I must have a 'daddy-bullseye' on my back or something. So far, only two are biologically mine. The others have come to me in one manner or another from different places. Still, the house is always big enough for one more. I'm looking forward to this one, and know that he or she will have a good home here.
They won't be bored, that's for certain. Not in THIS madhouse.
I haven't told the other kids yet. I was going to wait until I had all three together, although Raven was giving me the stink-eye the whole way home, as if she knew I was hiding something for her. The kid is just too damned sharp for her own good.
Now I just wish I could figure out who to blame for THAT one. Karma or myself.
For now, however, I'm going to go and find a safe place for the wand. The kids know not to come into my bedroom, so it'll be safe in there.
-Youko
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:44 pm
 It was barely midmorning, and Youko was still in his sleep pants when he called out loud enough for the rest of the house to hear him. "FAMILY MEETING!" He had the wand in his hand, moving to the livingroom and curling up on the couch with the object rested in his lap. "I knew it," Raven muttered, appearing from the doorway to her basement room. She was still rumpled from sleep, and looking as though she had a bad case of morning fur. "There IS something wierd about that wand, isn't there..." It wasn't a question. More like an accusation as she moved into the livingroom as well and flopped into the overstuffed chair. "I'll tell you ALL about it at the same time," the fox answered, giving his daughter a smirk. Rolling her eyes, Raven just waited for the other two to arrive. It didn't take long, the clatter on the stairs letting them both know that Kaeru was on his way. And the softer creak of the attic stairs telling them that Omi was on her way down as well. "Family meeting!" Kaeru crowed, leaping OVER the couch and his father, to land in a sprawl on the floor. "Are we going to Disneyland??" "Not on your life," Omi answered from the stairs, walking through the livingroom and curling up on the floor crosslegged. "We can't even take you to the grocery store without sending out a search party." Kaeru stuck his tongue out at the teenager, and turned back to his father. "Are we??" Shaking his head, Youko chuckled. "No. However, it appears that we're going to have to make a few changes around here." Before any of them could question his statement, he brought the wand forward to show them, his grasp keeping it out of Kaeru's range for the moment. "I found a shop yesterday that I didn't remember seeing before. When I went inside, I was told that the reason I'd found it then was because I'd been chosen." That brought similar confused expressions from all three of his children, and Kaeru was the first to pipe up. "Did you win something?" he asked, knowing that 'being chosen' was usually a good thing in contests. "Not really... not in the sense you're thinking," Youko explained, handing the wand to Omi when she reached for it. "That wand... is going to be a child soon." "Another kid?" Raven said, half worried about losing the sanctity of her room... but also still VERY interested. "Well, it's no wierder than mom showing up at the door first thing in the morning with a tadpole," she said, giving a pointed look towards Kaeru. Kaeru, however, was oblivious, and had all his attention on the wand Omi held in her hands. Omi was studying the wand intricately, turning it over in her hands. "Do we know if it's going to be a boy or girl?" she asked, watching it curiously. "And who's going to have to give up their room?" "BOY!" Kaeru crowed, jumping in place. "I'm gonna have a brother!" Raven reached out with a foot, catching Kaeru and planting him back on the floor. "It could just as easily be a girl," she said. Youko watched the two of them argue back and forth, shaking his head as he moved to take the wand again. "We don't know if it'll be a boy or girl," he answered. "And we'll worry about rooms later. Each of you slept in my room with me when you were a baby. That's not going to change now." "I thought you had a room for us," Raven pointed out. Snickering, Youko just turned to her. "I did. But you all invariably wound up in my room anyway." Raven fidgeted then, toying with the hem of her nightshirt. "Well... no one may have to give up their room," she began, glancing up to Youko furtively. "Ummm..." The fox's attention went immediately to his daughter, and one ear pricked up slightly. "Raven..." he whispered, not quite sure if he wanted to hear this or not. Something told him that this was the conversation that he'd been dreading. Omi seemed to sense something was up, and she grabbed Kaeru. "We'll discuss the wand later," she said, hauling the protesting boy out into the backyard. Youko and Raven barely noted them go, the pair watching each other intently. Raven sighed, looking to her father again. "Dad, you knew this was coming.." she began, trying to rationalise it. "I can't stay living here forever. And Alicia needs me to help with the shop. With it moving, there's going to be a small apartment behind the shop. I can live there for pretty much free, and it would be good for me." Nodding, the fox tightened his jaw, looking down at the wand in his hands. "Well... it would be good for you," he whispered, making it well known that he didn't like the idea. "Daddy, don't do this," Raven said, moving to him and curling up alongside him like she'd done when she was little. "I've been planning it for a while, I didn't want to say or do anything until I was sure I could do it." Smiling a bit wistfully, Youko ruffled his daughter's ears. "You always were the rational one, weren't you?" he asked softly. "I trust you... and I know you wouldn't just do something like this on the spur of the moment." He leaned over then and kissed the top of her head lightly. "I just don't have to like it, you know." Smiling a bit, Raven nodded. "I'd think you were sick if you liked the idea," she said, looking up at him. "I promise I'll make you proud, daddy," she said, curling into his arms. "You always do," he answered, nestling with her on the couch for now. The living arrangements and such about the wand could wait... this was more important at the moment.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:20 pm
 "Yashi, can't you play with something other then your dolls?" Patricks voice sounded helplessly along the room. He was seated, cross-legged, with his son in the middle of the head quarters. Two dolls were currently strewn amongst them, being led around by Yashimas chubby little toddler hands. For all of his pleading, all Patrick was given from his son was a curiously blank look, folded back ears and then he was ignored for the little geisha dolls. "Dansu~ Dansu Dansu~" "I have no idea what your saying." "Hai, tousan." Yashima was muttering now, mind only halfway on his father. His dolls were the main concern and, damnit, ones hair was out of place. He hauled the little thing up and gave her head a lick. That damned hair was shoved back into place and his father groaned. Youko moved into the HQ with the wand in his hand. It had been a few days since its arrival, and while his own kids were taking it in stride, he found himself half wondering just what he needed to do with it. Well, this was as good a place as any to go, and he moved through the room half looking for others. He wasn't disappointed, and smiled as he padded towards the pair near the toys. And was that... a kitsune? It had to be the one that Ianna had told him about. "Hello there," he said, nodding both to the boy and the man who was obviously his guardian. "I'm Youko. And this..." he paused, holding up the wand. "Well, I'm not sure who this is yet, but I'm sure it'll be someone." Indeed it was a kitsune! He was puttering around with his geisha dolls with his larger wand by his side and a very frustrated father in front of him. He wanted to know what his son was saying, damnit. ...by this time, however, Patrick HAD figured out that 'tousan' meant father or...something akin to that. When Yashi heard the approaching footsteps, his tail gave a little flick, golden eyes fluttering from his doll for the briefest of moments. Then they widened as Patrick glanced up, smiling at the new man. "I'm Patrick and this is--" "Geeee!" Yashi waved his arms brilliantly towards the other fox man, the geisha doll dropping, forgotten to the ground. "Kitsune! Yashiiiii~" "...That's Yashima." Chuckling, Youko moved to sit crosslegged on the floor near Yashi, setting the wand down carefully nearby. "Good to meet you Patrick. I've heard about Yashi, actually... Ianna told me about him when I was here before. She mentioned that she didn't see many kitsune." He turned to Yashima then, beaming a smile at the boy. "Hai, Yashi... boku wa kitsune." He brought a hand up to his chest then, performing a sitting version of a bow. "Boku wa Youko. Hajimemashite." "Yashi's becoming popular... I fear what the child-stardom will do to his head." Patricks voice had softened, watching the two of them curiously. The other was silverish, just like most of Yashi was... most of the toddler. Yes. So the humanoid fell silent, content just to watch. "Ha.." Yashis nose wrinkled, ears flattening once more to his skull. "Hajimema." A pause, "Ite." That was good enough for him to care. Little fingers flexed in a wave, tail curling up around him. The toddler leaned over and up, straining to reach and touch at the silver of the other, whether it was hair, tail or ears. He just wanted a touch. "Fukafuka~ Yas--" He cut himself off this time, pausing and drawing back. The toddlers attention went from Youko to the stick in a flash and his lips peeled back, ears lying flat on his skull. "....nani?" Fingers reached for the stick then, hovering over the sparkly surface. Then he whined. "Iie. Iie~~" Youko was more than content to let the kit play with his ears or tail and moved to curl up on his side so that Yashi could reach either of them. After all, it wasn't like his OWN kids didn't think they were the greatest playtoys in the world at that age. However, when the boy reacted like that to the wand, Youko's ears pinned back a bit and he looked concerned. "Yashi?" he asked. "Nani oh? What's wrong, little one?" Was there something wrong with the wand? Wait... Ianna had said that Yashi didn't like girls. "Shojo ga?" he asked, pointing to the wand. There was a long pause from the little fox, eyebrows furrowing up with a little whine. "M...mou...." Yashima fumbled about for the right word, fingers poking at the stick curiously. The next word was more of a whining wail then an actual word, "Wakanai!" He didn't know! It was both and it said both and and and... the fox sniffled, holding up two fingers. "Wakanai... W-w-waaakaan..." Eyes watered up rather dangerously, glaring at the wand, shoulders tightening up. "...nai." "Shhhh..." Youko moved to curl his tail around the boy, trying to comfort him. "Daijoubu... it's okay. Don't worry about it, okay?" He picked up the wand then and moved it away from Yashi, setting it on a table nearby. He looked up to Patrick then, apologetically. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to upset him." Almost instinctively, he leaned forward then, nuzzling against Yashima's ears, a low almost rumbling purr coming from his throat. "Daijoubu..." "Is it about the gender thing?" Patrick was on his heels at seeing his son water up, concern lacing his voice. He was used to seeing his son upset and he knew the words said when Yashi was touching a wand meant something about their gender but... He honestly had no clue what they were saying. Once he realized the other being wasn't upset about him not being able to figure it out, the sniffling ceased. His eyes were still wide and watery but the cuddling, the lack of wand and... Was that rumbling? That...Yashi clung to the older kitsune like a piece of wet toilet paper and he went limp. His fingers curled in the others hair, toes moving to grip in his clothing as well, in full-latch leeching mode. Before the little kit knew it, he was purring too, eyes closed and fully unaware of his father gawking. "I...wait. How did you do that? When he gets watery..he cries. How did you make him not cry? What did you say?" Poor Patrick. He was almost pleading. He did NOT like his son crying. TBC
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 11:58 pm
Smiling faintly, Youko looked up to Patrick with an expression of sympathy. The poor man had NO idea how to handle a fox. "It wasn't anything I said," he answered softly, keeping his voice at a soothing pitch for the little one that was clinging to him like a burr. "It's what I did. Fox children are very touch-oriented... at least all of my family was, and so are my children. We respond mainly to contact. Being held, petted, that kind of thing. And when that fails, the purr works wonders. My mother used to hold us and purr when we were kits... and it seems that Yashima is very much like that as well." When he finished speaking, the purr picked up again, and he wound himself around the boy, his tail draping over Yashima like a fuzzy blanket. "The more contact, the better. Curl around him, pet his ears and his hair... and purr. Or get as close to it as you can." That poor man had NO idea how to handle children, really. He had been prepared for a life without them, being single and physically unattracted to women ...for the most part. What one does while high does NOT count. So Patrick just stared at Youko for a long moment, a look of helpless understand slowly being written across his face. "....oh." Voice quiet, eyes going down a few inches to watch his son. "He doesn't like being touched by a lot of people. I figured..." Yashima continued to clutch at the older thing. Youko was the first person in a longlonglong time (longer then the little one could think back to) who smelled right to him. Everyone else smelled... off. Not right. And he was fuzzy! With a TAIL! The fox-kit squeaked in pleasure at teh feel of the others tail wrapping around him, leaning further into Youko. His own tail, darker and his fur thick in his little purr-fest, wriggled to bury itself in the others strands happily. He was a happy little kit. "You might smell wrong to him," Youko replied, glancing down at the boy and smiling still. "Any kind of animal spirit is VERY keen on smell. I smell like another fox to him, because I'm half of one... I'm a hanyo, my father was human. So I probably smell really close to what he considers 'right'." Youko looked up at him then, watching the other man for a moment. "Your best bet... is to smell like a fox. However, in lieu of growing ears and a tail, you'll want to try anything that has a cinnamon-y scent. My lover is an incubus and he told me that every fox he's ever been around has a distinct cinnamon spice scent to them. When my daughter was a baby and had trouble sleeping, I'd light a cinnamon spice candle in her bedroom and she'd be out like a light." Distracted for a moment, with all the cuddles and the pettings and the purrings, Yashi let himself doze off. It was hard to sleep at home, with the chittering meerkitty or with the black-thing and angry-thing throwing stuff or with Kay cause...she petted him. Owwies. Patrick arched an eyebrow when he noticed his sons head bobbing and eventually falling slack onto the older kitsune's chest, but he grinned faintly. "'Right', huh? Cinnamon...I.." Blinking, he pondered that. It took a while for the genius to work things through with his head, lips quirking into a grin. "So you smell like christmas cookies? That's..rather cool. Thank you." The dark man hesitated this time, running his hand over the back of his own neck. "This... could sound super stupid! But.. I mean.. you're.." His hand waves, "A kitsune. Is there anything I should know about... Well... He's not going to go rabid or anything? Or...I mean...change, again? 'Cause I know about the whole fox thing but he hasn't changed or anything and.." He was just blathering by this point. Silly Patrick. Youko let hte purr taper off, and kept lightly stroking the boy's ears as he turned his full attention to Patrick then. "Christmas cookies..." he mused, letting a crooked smile cross his face. "I've never heard it quite put THAT way, but I suppose so, yeah." As the other questions came, the kitsune just listened, formulating his reply. "Good questions, actually... and no, you don't sound stupid. Most people don't KNOW much about kitsune, so it's no wonder that there's so much information that others don't realise. He WILL change again, likely not til he's older. I couldn't shapeshift til I was about sixteen. I've got three forms. This one, full human-looking, and full fox. This is the 'standard', really, of what we look like when we're not trying to look different. As for going rabid, I suppose that depends." He gave a sheepish smile then, one ear dropping to the side. "My mother swears we all went rabid when we hit the teen years... but I think most parents say that about their kids. He might go into heat when he gets older, though, fair warning. Some males do, some don't, just depends on genetics. If you notice him acting wierd and YOU can smell cinnamon around him, lock him up. Seriously. Or you'll wind up a grandfather." Well, maybe not. Youko corrected himself a moment later. "Unless he likes guys. Then he'll just wind up walking funny for a while." Yashima churred sleepily, deep in his throat, but his little frame curled closer to the fox either way. His fingers flexed instintively for his doll, a frown coming to his lips until they came in contact with a lock of Youkos hair. Good enough for him. The hair? Now his doll. Officially. It smelled good. "Well, I'm already a father to a meerkat, a dead fox messanger, psycho aliens and gods know what else, so maybe a grandfather would be a good way to spoil the hell out of the kid and leave him hyper for the kids to take care of." Patricks voice was idle but joking none the less, still rubbing the back of his neck. A nervous habit, maybe. "Considering how much he wails and whines over girls, I don't think I have much of a chance of that, though, not that I really care.." "So." The subject changed abruptly with a little clearing of Patricks throat. While one couldn't see a blush...his face heated up, head ducking. Talking about stuff like that to a stranger? Odd. "What exactly IS your wand? Did Ianna give a hint?" Youko's ears drooped a bit and he looked back to the bejewelled wand that now lay on the end table, the gems gleaming a bit in the light. "Not a clue," he said, half wishing he DID know. "All I know was that it was found in the South China Sea and that it has a soul trapped inside it. That's what the book said, anyway. Ianna told me that Yashima could tell if it was a boy or girl, but I don't think I want to put him through that again... he kept saying 'I don't know' over and over again. That's what got him so upset. And he held up two fingers..." Youko went dead white then, ears flattening into his hair. "Oh gods, please not twins again. I've already got one pair." "Oh, gods, please not twins." Patricks voice was an echo of the others last words, his own face going pale behind the pigment. "The ghost kiddlets already have a pair of twins..and the little boy is Satan incarnate, I swear to all things that are holy. He BITES out of malice. Not out of defense or anythign SANE, but because it hurts people. He's evil." The very fact that a father of so many was saying something that drastic about a child... well... "Just. He made that little cuddly ball of fluff you're holding hiss and try to bite right back while being nice to the girl. That's how evil the little bugger is. Besides...there's only one wand..." The scientest tapered off, eyebrows arching. "....y'know..." His jaw snaps shut, head shaking a little. "No. That's silly. There's two genders and one's a genetic skip..." He's talking softer, here, towards himself, eyebrows drawn together. "But yashi said it wasn't a girl, right? Shojo? That means girl or..something, doesn't it? He kind of snarled it at a few wands, once. Or twice." Nodding, Youko was watching Patrick and trying to figure out where the man's logic circle was going. "Yes. I asked him if it was a girl, and he said he didn't know... he didn't like it, whatever it was, or it made him uncomfortable. When he started getting upset, I stopped asking about it. All he said was that he didn't know, and then held up two fingers." Patrick was quiet again. It was...possible, wasn't it? After all, there were technically three genders, although the third was decidedly rare... And if it was a magical child, prehaps... "Well." He paused, nose wrinkling, "Maybe it's both and you broke my sons fragile little mind." As if on cue, Yashima snuggled closer and gave a 'cheep', like a small bird. Blinking, Youko stared at Patrick. "But you just said it couldn't be twins..." he started to say. Sometimes, the fox was just not the brightest crayon in the box. He'd never been faced with the 'third gender' before, so the thought had never crossed his mind. "...well, I had been joking about the both thing, but in nature there are really three genders. Male, female and both - hermaphrodite. Male and females are the norm or whatever, unless you count transgenders, bigendered persons...whatever, the biological states are usually male and female. But sometimes there's a genetic...skip. An abnormality. Causes someone to be both male and female...usually physically andogenous..." He paused, blinking, and his nose wrinkled. "...sorry. I go off in a tangent. Basically, it could have both a p***s and the...other thing." A hand wave to mention that. "At the same time. But probably not. It's really rare." "XXY..." Youko said, ears slowly perking up as the thought settled in his mind. THAT would make sense, considering the boy's reactions. Or it could be twins after all. One of the two was bound to happen, he just couldn't tell which. "Looks like I'll have to wait and see," he said, shrugging faintly and trying not to jostle the dozing kit. "I don't mind... I'm not going to ask him again unless he's interested in it. I don't want to make him upset again." "Actually, I'm sort of impressed he got that upset so quickly. I've only seen him get that watery once or twice and he wasn't really comforted that quickly before. When Akilah dive tackled him..when Kyri petted his tail - he freaked - and....well, no, I think that was it. And you're the only one that was able to calm him down that fast. So...congrats?" Eyebrows arched, watching the little fox. THe jostling earned that lock of Youko-doll-hair a time-out in Yashi's mouth. Punishment for moving! Wincing slightly, Youko sucked in a breath and let his head tilt with the tug, one eye closing for a moment before he settled into the new non-hair-pulling position and regarded Patrick with a smirk. "Instinct. Any kitsune would have done the same thing when confronted with a kit that's about to start wailing. My mother's the best at it, she can get a kid to go from screaming to sated in no time flat." "Maybe I should invest in a kitsune nanny.." He sighed, sucking in a breath between his teeth, wincing with the other. "I can take him from you, if he's hurting you... He just...chews things a lot. His wand, his hand. The geisha's head." In fact, that hair was promptly joined by baby fist, being sucked and gnawed on. Mmm. Flesh. Youko grinned, starting to shake his head in reply, then thought better of it. "Nah, it's alright. My daughter has upper and lower FANGS and was teething at two months old. Her favourite was sitting by my head when I was laying down and gnawing on my ears. This is nothing, trust me." He glanced to the boy then, his expression softening. "We all chew on things. Animalistic reflex, I think." TBC
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