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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 7:33 am
The door of the small apartment whooshed open, causing the black cat to jump up upon the nearby couch. Rye strode in with a flourish, slipping her coat off as her heels clicked upon the hardwood floor. Upon seeing the feline she smiled warmly, flicking her wrist and tossing the jacket upon the opposite arm. “Oh Nuhusi!” she chimed, her voice ringing like a low toned bell, “You won’t guess what news I have!”
Rye leaned forward, letting her black curls spill across her shoulders as she stroked the head of the black cat. Nuhusi rubbed her checks against the woman’s fingers, her whiskers lifting slightly as she did so, but one narrowed green eye almost suggested she understood what Rye was saying. But perhaps that was what Rye wanted. Either way, it seemed she had decided to explain her news to the cat whether or not she would actually understand it.
“Well, you know I went to substitute for a 1st grade class today, right?” Rye murmured, a knowing attitude creeping into the curl of her smile. Another one of her numerous jobs; she never seemed to stay employed for very long. She continued, “The kids were so adorable, Nuhusi. Clever little things too, you’d be surprised! I had so much fun with them.” She moved her fingers to scratch behind Nuhusi’s ear before pulling her hand away.
“Sooo…” Rye took a few steps to find her coat. Digging under its folds she finally found a large pocket and from it she pulled a folded piece of paper. Going back to her feline companion she flicked it open, the final glimmer of mischief arising in her eyes, “I decided it’d be fun to adopt!”
Nuhusi jumped at the sudden movement of paper and when she had finally settled her balance she wrinkled her nose, sniffing at the paper suspiciously. Rye continued on, apparently feeling rather proud at what she deemed a wonderful choice for their lives, “Ohh, won’t it be fun, Nuhusi, to have a little girl around? I thought so!” She folded the adoption papers back up before twirling around, “That’s right! Best get her out of cab! I told him to wait…couldn’t carry her in and get the door open, you know.”
And just as quickly as she had arrived she left, like a whirlwind that left everything unsettled afterwards. Nuhusi blinked her still narrowed eyes and then hopped down, darting across the room to slip into the kitchen. She had had enough excitement for one night, apparently. And this was just the beginning.
When Rye returned her arms were full with a very large pot that consisted of…well, a cabbage. Probably not what most people thought of when you said you were going to adopt, but then, Rye always did make strange choices. She moved over and set the plant on a low table before the couch, smiling as she straightened, “Ahh, there we go! Science will never cease to amaze me these days. Welcome home, Sophia!” And with that greeting she turned and shut the door.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:10 am
Despite the fact that Rye did not have a way with plants, Sophia seemed to fair well over the next few days. It was winter anyway, so not getting “fresh air” was ok, for it meant the fragile plant would not freeze. And though Rye only watered on a whim, she tended to give enough of the liquid to tide the cabbage over. She left a full pitcher right beside the pot so whenever she did feel like watering it was easy.
Nuhsui, on the other hand, had avoided the plant all together. It was a disturbance in her domain and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. But one afternoon when she found her water dish empty she found herself peer green eyes towards the plant. She licked her patched mouth, which was sticky with thirst. It looked like she’d have to risk getting near the odd thing or die of water deprivation. The wary cat chose the first of two evils.
She slipped her head around the kitchen corner, watching for a long moment with perked ears to be sure that the thing didn’t move. Then, slowly, she headed out on muffled paws across the floor. Her body whispered as it trod through the room and her leap to the table’s surface was just as silent. Then she was still, waiting for a reaction. But of course the plant gave none. It remained silent with its leafy green stare.
Tentatively Nuhusi stepped over to the pitcher. She gave one last wary glance at the cabbage, turning an ear in its direction, before dipping her head down towards the water. Her tongue slipped from her mouth and she lapped up the lukewarm liquid, feeling the heaviness of her mouth ease.
Thirst satisfied she lifted her head, dark tail swaying slightly to the side. The plant hadn’t moved at all upon having its water stolen. Nuhusi’s fear of the thing seemed to be dissipating and curiosity was taking hold instead. Instinctively she leaned forward, inhaling in small breaths to take in its scent. It smelled extremely fresh. Though she turned her ears to see if anyone was around, she did not hesitate this time. She reached out, opening her mouth and slipped a leaf between her tongue and teeth. And began to chew.
At that moment Rye glided into the room carrying a steaming cup of coffee. She went right to the door, barely casting a glance at the cat assaulting her adoptee. “Be nice to Sophia, Nuhusi, or she won’t like you very much,” she hummed before swinging the door open and disappearing out the door. She was off again to who-knows-where.
Nuhusi had paused briefly at her mistress’s words. But upon her departure she slowly went back to gnawing on the cabbage. That is, until something clipped onto the sensitive area of her nose. With a yowl she pulled her head back and jumped off the table. She didn’t even bother to see what it was; she just ran straight for the bedroom, tail resembling a chimney cleaner.
The small praying mantis, having defended its home, went back to hide in the leafy greens of the pot.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:58 am
Pitter pitter pitter pat pat whisk...Morning showers spattered across the windows, refracting the faded light pouring in from the city streets. The noise was met by a wall of silence. Even the hum of the air conditioner was quiet. Nothing moved. Then the clay pot on the table began to quiver. The small shakes grew to tremors and soon the echoing sound of pottery on wood overpowered the dribbles of rain. The cabbage that was its residence remained passive for a bit of the mini earthquake, but soon began to shiver as well. As it did so, despite the dampness in the air, it began to crinkle and its leaves curled outward, crackling and each leaf began to drop out and then fold in on itself. Something was happening and no one was around to come to the plant’s rescue.
No one except the cat.
Nuhusi had been dozing on the sofa’s arm, since Rye had closed herself into the bedroom, and was roused by the clattering. At first she simply twitched her ears in the direction of the sound. Then, only a half second later, her head snapped up as green eyes peered downwards. The feline was just in time to see the plant begin writhe like a dying bird. She hesitated for a moment, her back arched as she watched the plant attentively. She wasn’t overly eager to go and see it, not after her previous experience. But soon curiosity overcame her. It was a cat’s curse, after all.
She hopped down with one smooth leap, her paws barely making a sound as she landed. Slowly, with her dark tail twitching behind her, she crept towards the table. The cabbage had been bigger then her for a week or so now so the sight of something so large moving like that made her tail hairs fan out. Carefully, each step seeming to take an eternity, she climbed up onto the table.
It was just then that it began to hiss, though no steam rose from the greenery. With a wheeze and a pop the leaves ripped apart, spattering on the table. They remained connected by loose roots in the soil, but otherwise it seemed the plant was gone. Nuhusi had nearly jumped to high heaven and she had in fact made a few claw marks upon the wood surface. She would have left instantly, dashing away to hide behind a curtain or some such thing as cats do, but from the debris of cabbage came the most alluring aroma. It was fresh like a sea breeze, but it had the bite of catnip on an open window sill.
A rumble escaped her throat impulsively and she drew close. There, the source of the scent, perhaps due to the side effect of being born in a cabbage, was a little girl. As Nuhusi hopped over her leg the girl began to stir, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. By the time her violet eyes were open she could feel, vaguely, something tugging at her head…or something attached to her head. Looking up she found a dark critter she had never seen before, like everything in the world around her, nibbling on her hair.
Distress flew over her pretty little face and soon she did the only thing she knew how to do in this strange, scary world. Cry.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:06 am
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:14 am
Open Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:16 am
Open Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:23 am
Private Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:10 pm
"Sophie~ I'm going out!"
Sophia lifted her head, her long white hair spilling across her shoulders. She was stretched out on her stomach along her lacey bed, a book pressed under one hand and William tucked neatly under her other arm. The call from her mother wasn't surprising; she often went out and Sophie was used to her flighty nature. It didn't mean she was entirely comfortable with it, really, but it was slowly becoming routine. At first she had always fretted when Rye left-now she expected it more than anything else.
She rolled over, slipping her bare feet onto the rug and dancing lightly across the room. She peeked through the doorway of her room, a draft causing her to shiver as her pink nightgown, complete with a cute little lamb on the front, failed to protect her from the cold.
"Goodbye, Mom," she called, always seeing her off. All she saw was the wave of Rye's hand as the door quickly shut behind her.
Sophie took a glance at the hall clock. It was just after nine...time for some breakfast. She was an early riser, but seeing as her mother's sleep patterns were unpredictable she had taken to reading in her room most mornings, unless she had school. She went over to the kitchen, her feet making an oddly comforting pattering sound on the titles.
Of course, when she saw the counter she frowned uncertainly. The dishes from last night were still there, uncleaned, along with a few from this morning. She hesitantly checked the dishwasher. It wasn't making its usually grumbling sound, so it must be off. She sighed, oddly bothered by the mess. She had never been taught to clean anything, but she always knew she liked it better when things were tidy.
She forced herself to ignore it for the moment, dragging over her wooden stool that proudly displayed in colorful block letters "Sophie". Being a tall girl for her age, she was able to reach the cabinet from there. Pulling it open she pushed aside a few boxes. Most of them, ranging from Cherrios to Rasin Brand, were empty. Finally, in the back, she found a half empty box of Fruit Loops. She put this down first and then took all the empty boxes too, figuring she might as well throw them out. Her mother wasn't going to.
Pouring herself a bowl of the Fruit Loops she sat at the kitchen counter, her legs dangling off the chair. Her chewing sounded really loud in the silence. The emptiness of the apartment also made it hard for her to decide where to look. But it seemed that her eyes kept drifting back uncomfortably to the dirty dishes near the sink. It was almost as if they were staring at her.
When she finished her cerial and brought her bowl to the sink she realized that she just couldn't stand it any longer. She couldn't just leave those filthy dishes there. It was like their filth was magnetic, calling out to her to fix the tragedy. So bringing over her stool she grabbed a rough looking sponge and the bottle of soap (which was probably for hands and not for dishes) and scrubbed the offensive plates under hot water. After the seventh dish she noticed she could feel her fingers wrinkling and turning slightly raw from the determined washing. But she continued on with two more glasses and the bowl at a slightly more careful pace before wrapping it up by laying all the wet dishes out across the counter. Was there something else she was supposed to do with them? She wasn't entirely sure. It seemed every little cleaning act she attempted was an experiment.
After hopping down she stood back and lookeda ther handywork for a moment. She wasn't sure that she was satisfied. But she could feel her pulse in her fingers and she knew that it was probably a good time to head back to her room...before she got sucked in again. She slipped off and closed to door to her room behind her.
Next time she'd learn to put all the dishes in the dish-washer.
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:15 pm
[Private RP - AIM]
Sophia was used to getting dragged around or dropped off in odd locations. Her mother was a whimsical sort, never seeming to know what she was doing. So being at the doorstep of the home of another child from the Cabbage Patch wasn't that surprising. Rye hit the back of her knuckles against the door in a knock as Sophia stood with a small plastic backpack and Mr. William in her arms.
"You're going to have so much fun, Sophie!" Rye chimed brightly. Her smile was infectious and even got a small turn on the corner of Sophie's lips.
"Yes, Momma."
"Coming, coming!" Came the call from inside the home. Eden was in the living room watching television, too absorbed to reealize a guest was arriving just yet. Tony glanced at the girl on her way past, shaking her head with a small smile. So like her. Not like most children, Eden enjoyed the commercials more than the shows, specifically the clothing commercials. She was fascinated with the photographic images in the magazines, and had taken to collecting them just to flip through though she couldn't quite understand the words yet.
She reached the door a few moments later, and smiled as she opened it wide enough to be seen.
"Nihao! Rye, right?" She'd been expecting them after all. Her gaze drifted down to Sophia, who she recognized immediately. "And you must be Sophia." She continued to smile.
Rye nodded, the same charismatic smile on her face, "Yep, that's us!"
"Hello," Sophia piped politely. She added afterwards, forgetfully, "Nice to meet you..." Unable to sedate her curiosity she leaned to the side slightly, peering with interest into the home as she continued to hold Mr. William soft bear from against her chest. What was this place going to be like...?
"It's wonderful to meet you too, Sophia, I've heard a lot about you!" Tony grinned in a friendly manner, then looked back to the caretaker though she hadn't missed Sophia's curious stare. Soon enough, just another moment or two and she'd be inside. "Rye, would you like to come in for a minute or are you in a hurry?"
"Normally I would," Rye laughed, for indeed it was a very true statement, the young woman being known for flittering away her time in the most random of places, "But I've actually got to run today. Don't worry, I'll intrude another time." She gave a teasing wink before, putting a thin hand on Sophia's head, "I'll see you later hon."
Sophia, pulled herself back slightly, away from her angle of looking inside, and nodded up at her mother, "Yes Momma." Though she knew it was likely "later" would be quite a while.
Tony smiled but nodded understanding. She put a hand lightly between Sophia's shoulder blades on the small of her back to usher her inside, waving. "See you tonight, Rye!" She called, watching her back to her ride before leading Sophia inside. "So, Sophia, did you already eat or are you hungry sweety?"
Sophia let Tony steer her inside, taking careful steps over the doorframe. Once inside she immediately moved to the side and slipped off her shoes. She looked back at Tony and thought for a moment, pursing her pink lips before murmuring, "I'm not hungry. Thank you." She hadn't eaten since earlier this morning, but she really didn't feel like eating anything right now.
"Alright, well, you just let me know if you change your mind and get hungry, okay?"
A small pat on her back and Tony stopped them in the door, calling over to the younger girl.
"Eden, company, airen."
Eden looked over from where she sat in front of the TV, smiling quietly. "Hi." She greeted softly, getting up then and bowing, as Meilin and Tony had shown her was a proper way to greet others.
Eden's bow suddenly left Sophia feeling lacking in manners. Her light brows pulled together with slight concern and she dropped her hands to the edge of her skirt. At first it was a reflex, twisting at the fabric. Then she dropped in a wobbly curtsy, a clumsy immitation of the fine ladies on TV and in her books. "Hello," she responded, a slight bit of sheepishness in her voice from what she knew was an awkward greeting, "Um...I'm Sophia." She was so caught up she forgot to ask the other girl's name. Though...her guardian had said it already, so it wasn't exactly a mystery.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:47 am
Private Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:48 am
Private Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:49 am
"Mm...are you happy, Sophie?"
The young girl looked up, dazed by the warmth of the sunlight. She had never been able to relate to Nuhusi, but suddenly she thought that perhaps this was what being a cat felt like. It was like sitting up near a fire pit, except gold kept pushing through her eyelids and pressing against her eyes. But it felt good. Every piece of her that was in the sunlight tingled; her back felt oddly chilled in comparison. She blinked away these thoughts, sluggish from the warmth, and tried to process the question.
"Hmm?"
Her mother repeated the question again, a rosy smile playing across her lips, "Are you happy?"
Sophia glanced briefly at her green surroundings. They were sitting at a small bench splashed with the blotchy shade of a maple tree. Spring left the birds twittering frantically from indistinguishable locations nearby, but the flowers were still hiding, except for the cheery dandy-lions. The sun was cutting in thick slices across her side of the bench, leaving her mother looking cool in her blue summer dress and dark curls.
"Yes," she murmured without hesitation. She was having a good time. Though her ice-cream cone was nearly melted. She quickly ran her tongue along the dripping edges and quickly smothered her lips with her napkin to clean it.
Rye didn't reply at first. Her face was pleasantly serene; thoughtful. Her small cup of ice cream was already gone and she was watching her daughter carefully. What she was looking for was hard to say. She was flawlessly unpredictable in most respects. The only thing you could rely on was...that she'd be unreliable. Finally, pulling back her hat slightly she smiled and looked towards the wispy clouds splayed across the sky.
"What do you think about having a sibling, Sophie?" she asked.
Sophia looked over, obviously surprised. She tried to hide it, but her lavender eyes were usually easy to read. She averted her gaze to her half-eaten gone, rubbing a finger along its edge as if you seem busy. She wasn't sure what to make of the comment. Especially when she knew half of what her mother said she couldn't take seriously.
"Um...a brother or sister...?" she clarified, buying time.
"Yes," Rye encouraged, her smile too bright and too warm, "Would you like one?"
Sophia's heart lurched like a fish caught on shore. She was serious? Her eyes flitted left and right as her mind whirled with unseen possibilities. A brother or sister! Someone to push around in a baby stroller, someone real and not a doll. Someone that would laugh and smile at nothing at all. Someone who could wear the smallest little clothes with cute sewn on frogs and puppies. Someone that would play with her when she was older and share warm chocolate chip cookies. Someone who'd always be there.
"Yes!" she squeaked a little too loudly. Her hand jerked forward in excitement and her ice cream spattered upon her open-toed sandal. Her joy jerked into frantic embarrassment as she jumped up from her seat. She whined as she tried to scrub the sticky residue off her toes and shoe with her already over-used napkin. And Rye only laughed cheerfully like a wind chime, thrilled by the energy of it all.
"Maybe next time you spill, your sibling will have some left over to share!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:37 pm
Sophia stared at the huge, leafy green mass sitting on the table before her. She couldn’t take her eyes off the curled ridges, like sloppy lace, and the folds weaving throughout the greenery. She could even see drops of water clinging like bright marbles from its watering only a few moments ago. It was the biggest cabbage she had ever seen. Not that she could have claimed to see any wit her own eyes.
“This is…him?”
Rye laughed at her daughter’s surprise, “Of course it is.”
Sophie looked suddenly dismayed. She folded her fingers in her lap, twining them in the fabric of her skirt. She mumbled very softly, her eyes downcast and sorrowful, “But…he’s a plant.”
Her mother looked momentarily puzzled by the statement before her silky smile returned and she waved her hand, “Oh! Silly, he’ll come out a bit later. You started off as a cabbage too, you know.”
“I was?” Sophie blanched, lavender eyes wide. She didn’t know that! She hadn’t ever remembered being a cabbage either. Though what she would have remembered she didn’t know…the sun? Having leaves? Yet that seemed impossible. Plants didn’t have eyes. How in the world would she have known anything? Maybe that’s why she didn’t remember. Yes, she supposed that made sense. But that didn’t explain how. So she asked.
“How does a cabbage become…a person, mommy?” she wondered.
Rye laughed again, shaking her head so much that her curls bobbed, “Don’t ask me! Something with science, that’s about all I know…all the cabbages come for a lab of some sort.”
Sophie looked a little horrified, “I’m a science project?!”
“Mmm…I wouldn’t say that,” Rye mused, very calm in the face of her daughter’s worry, “You’re just as normal as any little girl, aren’t you? You just came to be a different way.”
“I guess…” she agreed reluctantly, calming down a little. After a moment she added carefully, “Not everyone is though.” She had, after all, met a lot of strange looking kids. She knew it was mean to think that, but how many kids did you see with cat ears and tail, or teal hair and a lobster shell? And she supposed…white hair wasn’t that common either.
“Normality is subjective,” Rye shrugged, “I find all of those things not too unusual.”
“You don’t find anything unusual, Mom,” she sighed, but a smile tingled around the corners of her lips.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Rye teased warmly.
“No,” Sophie murmured, suddenly thoughtful, “I think...that’s just you.” She smiled.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:40 pm
Private Roleplay - IN PROGRESS
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:52 pm
It was amazing how something that seemed like such a good idea at the time now plagued Sophia with worry.
A sibling. She had been so excited at first. But then she had a thought, something that caused her excitement to turn to dread. Did getting a sibling mean...her mother was bored with her?
She tried to tell herself that it was foolish. Books and stories...they always had the mother loving the child in the end, right? No matter what. So that meant Rye had to love her...that this new child wasn't a replacement. She couldn't be replaced.
The problem was she also knew that her mother was easily bored. She switched jobs on a regular basis, didn't seem to have any lasting hobbies, and always wanted to "do something new". It was easy to see how...it might be possible that Rye had grown bored of Sophie.
It was terrifying. She couldn't stop thinking about it, even when she went to sleep. Sophie was plagued by strange dreams, with her mother surrounded by new faces and Sophie being left alone to watch through one-sided glass. She never woke up screaming or anything, or even woke up at all. But her sleep was less restful and the dreams worked their way into shadows under her eyes.
It was, however, strangely motivating, having that fear. Sophia was more eager than ever to spend time with her mother. She was even less embarrassed to go on Rye's more abnormal "adventures" instead of what she assumed to be the norm. She enjoyed herself. At least, she did until she was reminded of the reason she was so willing.
It had been a quiet morning. Sophia was doing a puzzle in her room this time, her princess night-gown billowing around her crossed legs as she sat on the floor. It wasn’t a very large puzzle. Broken pieces of a cat and puppy stared back at her, some annoying flipped to the wrong side and only showing a dull shade of brown. She had most of the edges outlined…it was usually easiest to start with the edge pieces, she found.
Suddenly she heard a yowl and a crash from the other room. She jumped up, knocking over her puzzle pieces with one foot. What was…going on? Had Nuhusi gotten into something again?
She tentatively peeked out of her room. She couldn’t really see anything, but her view only faced the narrow hall. So she crept carefully on bare feet back to the living room. At first she still couldn’t see anything at all. But then, as she moved past the couch, she saw the coffee table was completely overturned. The dirt from the pot was all over the floor, surrounded by the pot’s clay shards. But the cabbage itself was gone.
Instead, lying on the ground, squirming in slightly over-large clothes, was a baby. His ears twitched and his tail lashed and his dark, tiny fists flailed. He had come from the cabbage…he was her new little brother. And he was the most adorable thing she had ever seen.
All fears and worries were gone from her mind. At that moment it didn’t matter what Rye really thought. All that mattered was he was her precious brother and she could imagine loving anyone more then she loved him right then. She rushed over and lifted the little boy into her arms, despite his protests.
“Welcome home, little brother,” she murmured closing her eyes and letting a smile overcome her.
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