|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:10 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.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:13 pm
"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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:16 pm
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:18 pm
"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."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:21 pm
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:25 pm
"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...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:29 pm
"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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:31 pm
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:33 pm
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...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:37 pm
"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?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:40 pm
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."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:43 pm
"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."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:46 pm
"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."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:50 pm
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."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:53 pm
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
