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 Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 8:49 am
Setting: The Garden; The Lobby
The large headquarters had been completely revamped. The entire place had pretty much been destroyed with it's trek in the In Between and Ianna had wanted to switch it around. For two years nearly it had been the same and it was a sad thing that it had to change but the silver-haired woman couldn't stand the memories anymore. It had driven her daughter away when she needed her most and while they had been in the middle of remodeling quickly afterward, it hadn't been quite enough.
The kitchen was still in the same place as always and against that area of the lobby was the portal to the wand shoppe which had been eerily quiet for a long time. The dust had gathered more and she just hadn't the heart to clean it out. Ianna's desk, which had been kicked to pieces by Zah to get Coailiann out had been chucked out and replaced with a smooth mahogany piece trimmed with gold. It had also been moved across the room where the Air-hocky table used to be. The table was gone now, the entertainment center with the couches and large television had been moved off to where the bar had been and the bar was completely gone.
Baskets of toys and various games still lined the walls and were welcoming for any child who would have liked to play with them. Dolls, board games, jacks, cards, coloring books and art supplies along with tables and chairs to sit at. Ianna was still working on getting more things together. In that area was also the ever-present magic refrigerator.
The sleek wood of the floors that had been stained with blood had been ripped up completely down to the cement base and new ones had been added as well as plush carpeting. White. While it was easily stained and likely would not remain immaculate, Ianna had found herself not caring. Now with her eldest daughter dead and gone, Coailiann living with that incubus Fa'e, Malen leaving and taking Del with him, and Kishi was moving out she was utterly alone. Most of the time the children didn't even come anymore and who would blame them?
Above, there was no longer a chandelier as it had smashed into a million pieces that nothing could ever put back together. Instead, secure hanging lights had been put in though they were still ornate and beautiful. Safe – but beautiful. Ianna would not have what happened happen again. Not that it would with Matilda gone.
The walls were painted again, an off-white cream that offset the pure white of the carpet to give some kind of variation in what she was sure would have been a monotonous place for children otherwise. It was bordered with gorgeous pink and green roses and a gold edge that reminded her of Coailiann. It was nice.
Outside had changed the most. The fight between the Light and Dark had completely leveled her precious gardens and slowly she'd worked to build it up again. Walls had been rebuilt and reinforced to make sure they were sturdy. Ivy vines were now crawling over the red-brick and several white breeds of flowers that Ianna couldn't name were blooming with the nice spring weather that was still ever-present.
The grass had come in again and was lush and thick and green. The fountain had been rebuilt though it no longer sat in the very center of the garden. Instead, it was off to the side and half surrounded around the back by rose bushes that were blooming red, white, pink and yellow. Daisies had sprouted up around the edges of grass and the ivory colored fountain had been re-enchanted before her daughter's death.
Tree groves had been replanted and were no more than saplings at the moment – it would take a long time for them to grow up big and strong like the ones that had offered shade before. Thus, the hammock was gone and instead a jungle gym and swing set along with a slide and play towers had been erected off to the side to take its place. More fun for children, anyway. The herbal garden had been replanted as well and had started to scent the air just as much as the rest of the flowers.
Once strong and proud themselves, the double doors that marked the entrance to the gardens had been completely shattered by the creature that had taken Danny's life and thus had been replaced with much, much more solid doors. The hall leading had been redone as well, painted the same color as the main lobby and the wooden floors had been brought up and carpeted the same. The only untouched areas, it seemed, was the training room and library.
It had taken months of working to get everything back together and Matilda's death had stalled it a long while as well. But it was done
The Actual Funeral Setup:
The day had finally come. Coailiann returning home had been a giant help to the silver haired woman who seemed to get more and more distraught as the time to bury her daughter approached. Oh, she was trying to be strong - it wasn't going to be easy for any of the children. Even if they hadn't known her, there had been a strong connection between them that would have caused indescribable pain - emotionally and physically - the moment that Matilda had died. The sudden loss of that thread connecting them had to be horrifying.
The lobby itself was decorated with beautiful flowers - all white. Matilda loved anything white. It looked almost like a wedding and could have been mistaken for one if Ianna hadn't abandoned her normal clothing of sweats and a t-shirt for a black dress. Ianna never wore dresses. Hell, even Coailiann was in something respectable. A black dress that went down past her knees.
"It'll be okay, mom," Coailiann soothed, looking to the clock. The guests should be arriving shortly and those who hadn't received their wands through the visit a few days previous would likely be there. Or not. If not, they'd have to hunt them down themselves.
Ianna nodded her head toward her daughter and went back to putting food on the buffet table that had taken the place of the play area. All food had been dragged from the magic fridge as the female didn't seem too keen on cooking. She was never a good cook, anyway. Malen had done all of that.
Malen. Things hadn't been right between them for a long time and it was likely best that he'd left. She only hoped that he'd come with Kishi to the funeral.
Outside the garden was much the same - though in the grove of trees lay three open graves and caskets. Bodies had been magically preserved and placed inside - one for Neveah, one for Danny and one for her precious daughter. All three were side by side and each had a beautifully done headstone. Above it was a beautiful ivy covered arch that would be forever stand as their memorial.
Rows and rows of chairs were set up. White, with blue cushions. There was a podium off to the side and beside that a table with pictures and flowers. Another table was left empty for gifts and presents or momentos that others may like to bring.
The fountain was on this morning - cool, crystal water spouting from the mouths of the angels and cherubs and spraying from the lilies and other flowers that decorated it.
All in all, it was beautiful. Something that the three of them would have approved, she was sure. Now all there was to do was wait for the guests to begin arriving. And, of course, to hold off her urge cry. Not yet.
((Any posts from In Between or in bolded 12pt font will be GM posts. These will not come until later.))
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:17 am
White bloomed everywhere. Somehow, Cal was glad. Most of the mourners would flock in like crows, he knew, drab in their blacks; but even a large group wouldn't be able to blot out the sense of purity.
Raidne still fretted. Even the Madame Butterfly record hadn't been able to console her at first, but that was before Cal had understood the problem. Before he got the invitation to the funerals. Before he knew the butterfly woman was dead. And some woman named Danny and Matilda, he reminded himself. That, of course, explained Raidne's mood. But it was the loss of Neveah that hit Cal hardest.
She'd made him so desperately uncomfortable at first, it was true, and he could not have really said they were friends. Perhaps it was his initial dislike, the guilt, that made the grief linger.
He looked somber and subtly military in his black suit; every wrinkle ironed out, every crease straight and starched. He'd had nothing black for Raidne, but nobody expected babies to follow traditions anyhow, he supposed.
Her bright blue sundress matched the cushions, but the diaper bag slung over one arm clashed dreadfully in pink and yellow. It seemed so out of place. Then again, it was still rather empty. Perhaps he'd feel less conspicuous with it after more people arrived.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:29 am
Ianna's head lifted as Cal and Raidne stepped into the headquarters and she bowed it again in greeting, lifting a finger to push her glasses up and keep them from falling off her nose. She looked...older. Much older than she could remember. As if the current events with her family had made a huge impact. There were wrinkles now, frown lines.
"Cal," she said in greeting, stepping out from behind the buffet table, "And Raidne..." a long pause before she lifted her eyes to meet the ex sea-man's, "Thank you for coming."
She'd been afraid that nobody would come. Not since the incident last time - it had been particularly empty since then. It hurt.
The sidhe lifted her head as well, white and pink hair flopping comically over her face. She would have worn white, like her sister would have wanted, had she been less selfish. No, black would have to do. "Hello." The teenager didn't remember these two. Then again, when Raidne arrived she would have been very young, wouldn't she? Oh she couldn't remember. Fairy wings twitched a bit and she stepped out beside her mother. Perhaps it was the somberness of the day but for this one day, this one day only, Coailiann could be herself.
She'd allow herself that much.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:45 am
The family. Inwardly, Cal winced. Grief and the grieving...he always felt inadequate in their presence.
"I was glad to come," he told Ianna, grown discernibly older since the last time they'd met. He had never been a frequent visitor to the headquarters, but his memory for faces was quite good. And plainly, this woman had been through quite a lot.
"I am so very sorry for your loss," he said, parroting out the traditional condolence because he was, if anything, traditional. His eyes moved to the teen who stood beside Ianna, and it was a moment before he recognized her. "You've grown so much. Last time I saw you, you were playing on your mother's desk." More words that children heard a thousand times.
Raidne, by way of greeting, made a noise like a stringed instrument being tightened too tightly. "I think she feels it too." He coughed awkwardly, unsure of what else to say, his over-bright eyes casting about for some topic of conversation. [
EDIT: Erg, account hopping. Oh well.]
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:56 am
The silver haired woman gave a small smile, "It's not just my loss today, Cal." It wasn't. It was everyone's loss. Matilda wasn't just precious to her - she sustained those children that existed. Half of her wondered what would happen to the rest of them now that she was gone. Could they even survive without her being alive? And besides that, Neveah and Danny had friends and family and loved ones that weren't connected at all to Matilda. She wished it was a funeral for only one, though. Then she wouldn't feel so guilty.
Coailiann gave a tighter smile than her mother, "Time passes, children get older. Raidne, was it? She'll be older too. You just wait. You better be there for her." she paused and then nodded at the comment about Raidne feeling it, "She would. Matilda was her mother, of sorts. We're all connected to her and when she died our bond snapped. It must be harder for the younger ones who are still so new to the bond."
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:05 am
"I thought at first Raidne was sick," he told Coailiann, shifting the baby to the other shoulder. "She's usually not so fretful." As if to belie his words, the small siren made a hiccupy sort of crying noise, prompting Cal to hum a few off-key bars of an unrecognizable song. "Too bad I'm not a better singer," he said with a self-deprecating smile. "Seems to be the only thing that soothes her sometimes."
He wondered about the teen's urging to "be there" for Raidne. He glanced between mother and daughter, trying to discern if the other Ghost had felt abandoned by her mother.
He didn't answer that part, but he was resolved that his baby would never feel that way.
"This place isn't at all the same. There was a moment or two where I wasn't certain I was at the right place."
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:13 am
Alijatra was an a*****e. There was no question about it, he wouldn't be offended if you called him it, he wasn't going to whine, b***h, moan or complain about you being mean. He knew he was, and that was fine and dandy with him. It's how he wanted things.
His mood hadn't increased in the least bit since the arrival of the stick. Research had been done on the Djinn and while it was interesting it by no means prepared him for a kid. That could grant wishes. And was apparently the harbringer of death, destruction, disease and mental illness. Oh, and apparently had a fetish for fire.
Lovely.
However, despite all that, the Meiyestan wasn't one to disregard honor. It was something that was very important to the draconic and it wasn't likely something that would ever, ever change. You know, unless he met Nicolai in the back alleyway and he had access to sharp objects. That, however, was beside the point. The woman that had taken him in and given him a room when he had no place to go needed him and thus he was going to attend the funeral.
He, however, refused to wear a tux. Or black. So instead he was dressed in a pair of cotton pants - olive green - with leather strips tied around the waist and ankles to hold on the various furs. On the top of his body was a vest that was much the same color and hung off his body limply. In other words his usual dress.
"Ianna," he said primly, holding the kid-stick in his hand. He still didn't understand this. At all. Green eyes looked to Cal and he huffed, "So she roped you into this too?" Hand held up the wand that was decorated like a genie bottle and waved it at him.
Hey, he said he'd go. Not be nice.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:18 am
Ianna's head shook, "After the attack that killed Neveah and Danny the entire headquarters gardens were ruined. The chandelier was smashed, many of the doors were broken, my desk was ruined and the floors were bloodstained. I figured it was time for a remodel." It had been hard to do, but it was well worth it in the end. For her and for Coailiann. Kay'd come back, after all. As Alijatra entered the room she shook her head again and turned away.
The man was...difficult and while she did try to be nice to him it was hard for her to do so right now.
Coailiann just glared at the man and turned her attention to Cal, "It only gets worse," she warned with a shrug of her shoulders before she looked to her mother, "I'll be outside making sure every thing's okay..." and with that, the sidhe turned on her heels and stalked out of the room. Obviously. the arrival of the Meiystan was not something that was celebrated.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:26 am
This was going to be...interesting. Lightly, the Commander fingered the buttons on her jacket, stepping through into the garden. It was peaceful, and she would have expected no less for a funeral. Beautiful as well, a tribute to the woman's daughter and the two guardians who had passed on.
One, she had heard of. In fact, she had met his child, in the arms of her new guardian. Vanaja was the child.
She had not wanted to come.
No, when the invitation had been delivered, Nessalyn was all but determined to not go, to not be a part of this world she had been thrust into. Caring for Vilia, which was a task, was something she was determined to do for the child's sake. But for Ianna? That evil witch could rot, for all the Commander cared. Trapping her so far from Carthis, from Sharthavis, was a pain akin to death.
Alright, maybe not death but it was still acutely painful.
What the woman had NOT been counting on, was when the small Stormwing's eyes had alighted on the invite, she let out a low keen, and cried noisily for hours. Not the screaming, stinking wails she usually was favored with, no. Vilia had wrapped herself up tight in her own arms, and cried for hours. Nothing she could do would ease her roundabout daughter's young tears, and the look in her eyes when they opened was of acute pain, terrible loss, and a stark maturity.
Those eyes were not an infant's eyes, and that look was still haunting Nessalyn. Vilia was clean for once, having been thouroughly bathed by her guardian that morning. Indeed, she had the cuts under her jacket to prove how hard it had been to get her in there!
But the look still remained in her eyes, and when Nessalyn placed her in a chair, the child sat, simply staring at the third coffin. It was downright eerie, for such a noisy, uncouth little girl to just...stare.
But respects had to be paid. Recognizing Ianna, she squared her shoulders, brushed off her coat, and saluted her respectfully. It was all she could do. All she knew was the Solider's Tribute to a Fallen Comrade.
"I am sorry for your loss. I did not know any of them, but...well. It seems that she will be most sorely missed." Trite words, and not much feeling behind them. She had NOT known Matilda, but she would try.
For Vilia's sake.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:27 am
He watched the new arrival with a slight frown, blue eyes cold, as he only half-listened to Ianna. He'd seen most of the changes for himself.
The newcomer was both rude and unconventionally dressed, both black marks in Cal's book. He almost didn't respond to the other guardian at all, but after a long pause, he changed his mind.
"Yes, and I'm glad she did," he said, tones biting. "I don't think I've ever been happier since Raidne was...born." "Born" was probably not technically accurate; "reborn" was more like it, but another guardian should understand. "Did you not realize this was a place of mourning today?"
It was impossible to miss, of course; the rebuke was plain.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:40 am
"This is my people's traditional dress," Ali said smoothly, crossing his arms over his chest and tucking the wand under one arm directly into the armpit. Oh, Asimai must have been dying, "Death is not something that we mourn about. They're dead. What the hell do they care if we mourn or not?"
It was only honor and respect that was leading him here this day. The new arrival caught Ali's eye, though, and his head turned. His lips parted, sharp pointed fangs becoming visible, "Christ on a ******** stick, how many of you people did she rope into this?"
He still couldn't believe he was a father of a twig.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:44 am
"It's fine," Ianna assured Cal, sending a look Ali's way, "I've gotten used to him." She hadn't, really, though it had been easier to ignore him considering all he did was stay holed up in the room she offered him. The words about not mourning made her twitch, though, and she busied herself in straightening out some napkins, "May I offer you something to eat, Cal?"
Thankfully she was distracted by Nessalyn who had arrived and she took a breath, "Hello, Commander." she figured she could at least show her that respect, "Thank you, but it's everyone's loss. Not just mine."
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:50 am
Turning, she sized up the man that had spoken to her. Unable to help herself, she laughed for a moment, before biting her lip. It was disrespectful, and totally wiped away the reserved demeanor she had worked so hard on that morning.
Usually it was easy, but with these people...well. The differences between the two men was plain enough.
"Too many, from the looks of it. Everywhere I turn, I am running headlong into other guardians. It seems this legacy is farsighted indeed." Unlike the superior tone she usually took, she spoke to this man on her own level, much like she would with her first mate. It was refreshing, to find someone of the same mind as she.
Her eyes sized up the man. There was something vaguely familiar about his dress and style, but not anything she would immediately recognize. Certainly he did not seem to be from THIS planet.
Holding out her hand in greeting, she stood up tall. "Commander Nessalyn Sharthavis of the Ystevarian Fleet." It was assumed that this was all that was needed to determine her rank in the world. It always was. The Sharthavis family was a prominant one in the Empire, and the fleet was foremost. Certainly it was the largest.
She ignored the other man entirely. She wasn't here to make friends, really. The commander was there because her little charge had to come. There was no question to how she knew that innately, she just did. Vilia needed this.
Hearing Ianna's reply, she turned back, nodding towards the Stormwing. "She wanted this. I could not stop her crying for hours after she saw that invitation. I have never seen her so quiet, nor so...clean." It was bewildering. That was not her daughter's way. That alone showed her the magnitude of Matilda's life. The commander really couldn't understand such sorrow for someone neither of them had met any other way.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:58 am
Cal moved away as though he hadn't heard the rather foul-mouthed stranger. Traditional dress? It looked like he'd just rolled himself in furs and decided to go out that way.
He did cast a curious glance at the "commander" Ianna greeted -- now this woman he approved of. He didn't stay to chat at the moment, but he did make a mental note to seek her out later. Raidne's diaper was feeling suspiciously heavy, and he slipped off to change it.
[I have to log off for awhile at least, possibly for the day. Just getting Cal out of the way so he doesn't hold RP up.]
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