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 Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:16 pm
November the 27th, 2005. Moving out.
A shrill sound broke the silence. Something buzzed, vibrated, and shifted from where it was deep within folds upon folds of clothing. The pile was massive, soaring all the way up towards the sky. Pile upon pile of t-shirts, jeans, even underwear was stacked into a heap, and underneath it all sat the phone. It was like the Prince and the Pea all over again.
The machinery was actually quite lucky for once. There was no competition for the first time in a while. No music blared on the opposite side of the room and Emi's precious laptop was far from harms reach. Everything was silent. Even Toby lay quiet, with his grey muzzle settled down onto his fluffy paws. Next to him sat a pair of Jam Jars, each held fast with a cork.
Both jars rested against his large body, a fringed scarf intertwining the pair of them together. It was as if the owner of such jars had a worry they would get cold in the rather frigid room.
Yet, it didn't want to be ignored. Someone on the other end of this new fangled piece of technology wanted to be heard, and they weren't about to put the phone down until they had spoken.
A large, and rather fluffy tail dipped from one side to the other beside the pile. The tail was soon joined by a pair of ears, a mop of purple hair, and finally Emiko sat up straight where she was. One beige ear cocked to one side, dislodging some hair from behind her ear. The woman almost looked startled, with her blue orbs darting this way and that in search of the culprit for the noise. In the end, it rested on the heap.
She paused, just for a few moments, pondering over her course of action. To pick up the phone or not to pick up the phone, that was the question. It almost sounded Shakespearian to the twenty three year old.
Deciding upon the latter, her darker coated fingers dived in, and rather rapidly, clothing went flying up towards the ceiling. A white t-shirt danced through the air, pillowing out over Toby's head. The dog sniffed. It wasn't everyday his owner had such a fright. It was actually rather an amusing sight, a grown anthro scavenging around for a phone like a teenager lost in a party.
Unlike the teenager, Emiko was twenty three and perfectly capable of running a house. Should she had chosen to have run it in a more diplomatic style that would have been perfectly legible, but for the time being the house was a state.
Pressing the luminous green button, Emiko rested the phone against one furry ear. At once she was greeted by the all familiar sound of her next door-but-four neighbour.
"Red or white?" The woman on the other end of the phone questioned. The voice was one of which anyone would find to be eventually annoying. It had this underlying high squeak about it, and almost sounded like a soprano mouse at times. As if this wasn't ironic itself, the woman on the other end of the line decided to ask the most irrelevant question of all. Out of the window went the hello, and in through the door came the waterfall of talk. It was as if she hadn't spoken to anyone in a month.
"Red or white what?" Emi questioned. Her fingers twirled idly around the cord which attached the phone to the holder. The black cord spiraled around her chocolate coloured fingers, before springing back into place as the girl pushed her finger out- only to repeat the same motion a few moments later.
"Christmas Crackers silly, remember the big Christmas do is looming."
How could she forget, it was all Killia had been ringing about for weeks on end now.
"Red with white stripes then." Emi had to be difficult, and it was a well-known life fact. Plus, she couldn't have cared less about the crackers, after all- she wasn't going to be there anymore. The anthro took a step forwards, heading for the next cardboard box across the other side of the room. Trapping the phone between ear and jumper, she thought she would have been safe. After all, the cable would just stretch and enable her to reach her target - right?
Wrong.
"Oh Emi, it's going to be so exciting, and then you'll see. The whole of work is coming, and that guy. You know the one with polar bear ears. Um...Had a rather peculiar wife who happened to be pregnant? The one who found some strange house on the hill, and those kids with his friends. Nazo or something?" Killia continued, jabbering on for what seemed like hours. Emi just grunted in the right places, making out she was listening.
Pretending to listen with her best friend was getting to be no hard feat. All she had to do was add in the odd word and Killia would be perfectly satisfied.
"Don't you mean the Amergins? Look Killia..." She perked enough to speak after twenty questions, daring just to try and get her voice heard for even a moment. After all, who could ever forget the rather timid polar bear and his eccentric wife, certainly either had a lot of time on their hands, or a long-term memory lapse.
The anthro paused in her next step, glancing over towards the dog and windowsill. On top of the windowsill sat the very photo she'd taken last year at that very meeting. It showed the Anthro alongside Killia and the Amergin couple, all but one grinning into the camera.
Emi smiled to herself. Those had certainly been some of the best times in her career yet. Well, there's no point lingering in the past. She was moving on now.
Toby just lay where he was, a white t-shirt covering most of his muzzle and head. The collie wasn't bothered, with his tail thumping from one side to the next quite happily. Dark auburn orbs gazed up towards his mother, wondering exactly why the anthro was padding across the room with the cord wrapped around her left foot. Surely she was going to trip, right?
"Yes yes, that's the name. So, can I come round?" Blatantly ignoring the last comment her friend had made, the older woman rushed through the following sentence. She didn't even give enough time for the Anthro to mull over the answer; rather the last question was rhetorical. She'd come around whether the anthro liked it or not.
Thud.
Emiko tripped over the wire by her feet. Landing rather un-gracefully in a heap on the floor, Emiko did her best not to groan inwardly. Without warning, the other on the phone put it down.
The monotonous bleep sounded in the anthro's already ringing ears. Emi rolled over onto her back, eyeing the pair of jars sitting by Toby. Well, it was all going to be worth it.
"Great, not only do I still need to pack, on top of that my best friendsabout to come over and destroy the place. Come on Toby." Emiko gazed longingly at Toby for an answer, but for once all the dog did was return his head to his paws. Exhaling a long breath, she pushed herself up to her feet.
To be continued...
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:07 pm
November the 27th, 2005. Telling the tale.
The drive crumbled beneath two pairs of wheels. Stone moved underfoot, and even moved aside as Killia hopped out of her car. Turning, she bent down to lock the door at the driver's side. The car blipped merrily, as its bright lights flashed to signal that it was safe to be left alone. For the time being anyway.
Under one arm she held a large box, wrapped up in luminous wrapping paper. The box itself was square, and apparently from the manner in which she was holding it, quite light.
Sweeping back one blue bang, Killia proceeded towards the house. From the moment she stepped in, the woman could have lived there, the way she just opened the door, placed the box on the floor, and then closed the
door behind her.
She was almost like a child entering school for the first time, with the older woman running off to find her teacher. Skidding to a halt in the front room, her lilac eyes slid down into slits. Killia certainly wasn't impressed.
The front room was covered with a few boxes, one or two being outlined on the ide as being rubbish, while a few luckier boxes had lovingly placed letters on the side. Brown ink was sprawled all over a few. Notices such as 'do not bend' and 'do not drop' featuring heavily in big, bold capital letters.
Toby laid there too, sprawled across another flattened out cardboard box. He could have been a box himself if he hadn't moved. On second thought, Toby would have made a rather good faux fur rug- except, he wouldn't have been so fake.
Lifting his head from his muzzle, the dog picked himself up to all four paws. The static cling of each fluffy hair proved he had only been brushed a few hours ago, and his fur pooled out all around him. In truth, it looked like he'd been shocked with a hair dryer that had just been dipped in water.
"Hey there Toby..." Killia whispered gently, coaxing the collie over.
This dog amused her day by day, and how Emiko kept the fur-ball was another question all together. He was lazy, he was old, and he could barely move. Yet the
anthro insisted on keeping Toby, rather than acquiringa new guard dog. It was a strange concept that the woman didn't understand, but Killia had learnt to accept many strange concepts from Emiko over the years.
"Where's Emi, eah? More than likely hiding." Killia's hand outstretched as Toby pawed his way over, scratching the dog just behind his furry ear. Toby's head almost simultaneously cocked to one side, with his tail thumping gleefully as the blue-haired girl paid him some attention. What with all the packing, and the two new jars, Toby had rather missed out on his daily moments of attention.
"I'm here if you haven't noticed. The voice came from behind the pair of them and there, true to form, stood Emi. She leant up against the doorframe, with her furry arms crossed right over her chest. Using the doorframe for support, the anthro gazed over towards both friend and dog. It was a strange sight, and oddly a sight she would miss. Exhaling a rather long sigh, she pulled herself away from the grips of memories and back into reality. After all, she was a strong woman in most respects, so why did she have to dwell on things so much? She was inviting Killia over for Christmas after all.
"There you are. Now what's with all this moving business? Where are you going, what are you doing? My gosh Emi, have you found a man? What's he like, what car does he drive, and I can't believe you haven't let me meet him" Killia started her twenty questions again. After the first she couldn't seem to stop, flying off on a tangent as she continued to interrogate her best friend. Thank goodness Emi raised her hands in defeat; otherwise the girl might not have ever stopped.
"Whoa, easy there." Emi took in a deep breath, as that performance was going to be hard to come back with. Any Killia performance was hard to come back with, but a man?
Her limbs flew up into the air, arms outstretched like they made people do at customs to make sure they weren't carrying any weapons. There were times where you just had to stop Killia's overactive imagination from running wild, and now was most definitely one of those times.
"For starters, I've not found anyone. Like I could find a man. Look, do you remember the Aerandir project I applied to all those weeks ago?" Having gained the short attention span of her friend, Emiko dug around in her pocket. She had been putting this off for the past week. After all, the jars had arrived a few days ago, but she knew long before that Toby and herself would have to move elsewhere if they got accepted. She'd just missed out that little factor when telling her friend she'd applied.
Finding exactly what she wanted, the woman wafted the pamphlet in front of Killia's eyes. The peice of paper wafted from one side to the other just before her nose, and her friends eyes moved with it. She was hypnotized just for a few seconds, before snapping out of it to grab at the paper. If Killia had her age classed by her actions, she most positively would have been classified as a five year old.
Even the way she grabbed at the leaflet, only to pour over the information, was child-like. Her eyes darted from one side to the other, reading every line three,
maybe four times before glancing down to the next.
"Of course I remember. You made such a fuss about applying." Nose deep in reading the information handed to her, Killia's voice came out as more of a muffled whisper. Luckily for Emi, her circular ears twitched to pick up even the minutest of sounds.
"Well, I got accepted. Killia. I'm a guardian of an Aerandir!" Even Emi's voice couldn't contain her excitement this time. The woman pointed towards the two jars sitting on the sofa. The pair of them seemed to have the habit of sliding down onto their side, as the only thing holding the two jars upright being the bright red scarf. After all, it was Christmas, so Emi had to make things slightly festive.
Her eyes gazed longingly at her friend, desperate to see her first reaction. Would she scream, shout, laugh or even try to congratulate her?
She didn't want to leave Killia unhappy after all. Yes, she could be a complete and utter pain, but Emi secretly liked the older woman's company- even if she did act like a three year old half the time.
"A guardian?" Killia started, suddenly scanning the two jars sitting adjacent to the cushion that Toby now laid on. A blue spark of aura suddenly sparked from the feather, igniting as it drifted towards the cork - before idly circling the white feather. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and without warning she sprang to her feet.
"You're a guardian!" The woman burst into fits of shouting. Grabbing her friends hands, she jumped up and down on the spot. After all, when one is hyper, it tends to flow along to the other. Soon Emiko was jumping up and down on the spot, both women laughing helplessly as Killia continued her shouts of congratulations.
Whether she needed to shout them or not was a different matter all together. But it wasn't one the Anthro was going to address right now. She was too busy jumping up and down on the spot.
To be continued...
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:33 pm
December the 7th, 2005. Row, Row, Row your boat.The salt air puffed up and over the glass paned window. Drifting over the passage way into the ferry, it blew over both dog and anthro's noses. The first was too deep in slumber to care. Toby was away with the Fairies, with his orbs at a shut as he sprawled out over the seat. His back paws kicked back out, and muzzle resting lopsided on top of his furry paws. One ear twitched every so often,and as he breathed in and out, his chest rose and fell accordingly.
Emiko, however, sat perched next to her companion. Her battered trainers rested against the seat in front of her. Rolling her ankle toe to heel, the woman hummed
along to the tune playing in her ears. After all, the ferry was pretty empty. A pair of headphones were wrapped around her shoulders and connected to her
fuzzy ears. The tune drifted out from the side of oneheadphone, flowing out of the window, and over the sea. The notes moving to play the waves themselves.
Glimpsing outside, the furry plucked up the pencil left beside her. Carefully pinning the two jam jars to her chest, she bent down to unzip her bag. Water, map, dog biscuits, and even a cheese sandwich lay in the bottom of the brown bag. Sometimes fate has to play something, and it was one of those times in which the very one thing you want, is the most difficult to find.
The leather backed journal sat beneath it all. She could just see the cover from here, with one corner poking out from underneath a large bottle of spring water. Careful not to drop the jars, Emiko dug right into the task at hand. Soon enough, she fished out the journal, flicking it open to find the respective page.
Journal Entry 001 Dear Journal, no wait, Dear Emi. Hello! Wait, no no that's wrong. Gah, doing this again makes me wish I'd kept a diary as a child. I can't believe it. I've finally taken the step to move out. Packed my things, kissed goodbye to the garden, and hugged Killia. Why you ask? Well, I got invited to join the Aerandir project! Yep, I have two jars sitting in my lap. Apparently, they're an arctic owl and an arctic fox. All they do at the moment is sit in my lap. I mean, well, they emit the odd spot of aura, but apart from that they don't appear to be awfully active. Should they have done something else by now? They're not even in the same jar, yet. Something will happen soon I'm sure, and then I'll record it in here. After all, Killia bought me this journal only last week. I promised I'd write in it, and it may prove to be useful after all. First thoughts have to be with moving in now. The ferry is all but empty. I didn't see anyone else get on alongside me, but then I just flew to the back of the second deck to sit down. I've got to learn to be more sociable, but I have to say my stomach's occupied with a thousand-and-one butterflies from Barton about now. So, I can excuse myself for now. I'll be gone for Christmas. I said to Killia I'd go along to one of her horrendous 'do's. If she reads this, I'm one dead furry but- I hate sitting there eating mince pies alone. Not quite alone, as Owyln's always there with Jess. Speaking of the Amergins, I saw their Nazo children the other day, and they were just beautiful. The little girl, Ely I think her name was, had her own little white fox. Reminds me, I really ought to write them a letter when my little one does something. I'm sure Owyln would be glad for the letter, and Ely can compare Frozen to my own little one. As I said, she's lovely. We spent a few hours with her brother throwing snowballs in the park. I just felt like I was 10 again, and well -happy. Strange. I always said, when I was young I'd never be a guardian for anything. Look where I am now, eah? I just want to do something more with my life. Sure, writing for Gaia Post is alright and it pays. The gold isn't too bad, but I just want to do something more with my life. I guess that's why I leapt at the chance to become a guardian. Killia almost pulled the carpet up about it, but it's all been worth it! Toby even likes the jars. He's getting old, and I couldn't leave him at home alone. Leave him with Killia, and he'd become a fur rug within a few days - well, maybe that's being a slight too ecstatic but...I've had him since he was a pup. The ferry is supposed to be docking soon, so I best wake up Toby before it's too late. Signing out while the ferry docks, Emiko Pallone.
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 5:25 pm
December the 8th, 2005. Home sweet home.
The sun rose on a new day, with the apricot sky shining rays of sunlight into the wooden house. From the outside it wasn't anything special. The porch sat
empty, and from a first glance it looked like nobody occupied the place. Until one looked in the windows that was.
Piled up on the interior side of the windows were boxes, with a few covering the right hand pane. Each box appeared to be wrapped up tightly with brown string, the thistle coloured cord standing out against the paler brown paper.
Light rays shone through the window and onto the floor. There, in a mass of boxes and blankets sat the owners of this new house.
The floor was littered with brown boxes, and in the middle of it all laid a large patchwork blanket on which the furry and Toby sat. The quilt was crumpled up at either end, showing signs Emi had just collapsed onto the floor after moving everything the night before.
Her laptop remained on her lap, buzzing away. The furry tapped impatiently with her nails onto the floor-boards beside her. She was eager to get started, and the sooner she knew what was in each box, the better.
Finally, after a while of coaxing, the machine showed her what she wanted. Emi glanced at the spreadsheet, before putting her laptop down beside the dog. Toby
opened one eye, glanced at the laptop, and then closed it again. It was far too warm to be exhausting any energy, even if it was the crack of dawn.
"Box one...box one, aha!" Crawling over on her hands and knees, Emi pulled a rather large box forwards. Pulling it back to where the sheet sat on the floor, Emi
grabbed the paper diagram beside her.
She'd mentally planned out what to do with this place, with the rough sketch holding all her plans in one. The kitchen was to be the room at the back, the bedroom backing onto the kitchen, with a bathroom on the opposite wall, the large area in the middle to become a living room, and the upstairs to be another room. For the time being, that was until Emi thought up another wacky design.
Emiko inhaled a large breath. She barely remembered moving into her house back in Barton, and she certainly didn't remember it being this hard. Things were different back there though. The houses were far more rigid in structure, made of brick, and each room was easily outlined. Not that it mattered - there was far more room for customization here.
"Toby, please don't tell me you intend to sit there all day," the furry exasperated. He was in the middle of the room, and from the looks of things, half asleep. With
one large flick of her tail, Emi extended her hand to brush her fingertips over the dog's nose. Trailing her finger down his furry muzzle, she tapped his wet nose. Toby didn't move.
"Alright- I'll see what I can do with you there, Mr. Helpfull." Emi always gave in to Toby somehow, in one shape or another. What was the worst that could
happen? At least with him refusing to move, she could put him on jar duty.
The two jars hadn't been moved much since they got here. They sat on top of the leather-backed journal, with the large red scarf still twining the two together. The furry lovingly placed them back beside the dog, before patting each cork in turn. Really, she didn't have a clue if any external stimuli would affect them about
now, but it wasn't worth the risk not to try.
After all, if she had been a piece of fluff and feather stuck in a jar, Emi would have preferred to be lovely and warm, rather than set somewhere and left for the day.
Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, or maybe it was the truth, but she had sworn she read something in the leaflet about taking utmost care of the jars. Whatever it was, the guardian took one glance back towards the two jars settled beside the dog. Just incase.
---------------
It took quite a few hours of banging, dropping boxes, and general hard work before everything was done. The basics were sorted at least.
An old coffee table sat in the middle of the main room, accompanied by a small sofa. The sofa itself turned out to be a silvery lilac, and was copied by an identical chair which sat opposite on the other side of the room.
What appeared to be a grey and white checkered blanket, was thrown over the back of the sofa, and a few throw cushions sat here and there.
On the coffee table itself, rested a brown mug, filled up to the brim with now rather warm spring water. It had been un-touched in all the hassle of dragging boxes up the sturdy brown ladder, and had now warmed up as the temperature increased.
Toby now laid beside the hearth, and the two jars were settled on top of the windowsill. The dog was awake now at least, his muzzle still rested on his front paws. His fluffy tail swished along the ground behind him, watching his owner push box upon box around the spacious living quarters.
The woman had apparently set up most of the place. The kitchen now housed a variety of utensils, ranging from a frying pan to knives and forks. A box full of plates and dishes sat on the newly accounted sideboard. The window was open, and a pair of curtains were bunched up at either side of the wooden framing.
The bedroom next to the kitchen now contained a single bed. The bed was pushed up against the west wall, right next to the window. The bedroom still had a lot of work left to be done - with another separate pile of boxes having been placed in the center of the room. At the moment, they were being used as a night stand on which Emi's journal and pen sat.
Finally, a rather grand rocking chair sat beside the door, and next to it, a green monstrosity. Beside it sat what Killia had sent. It was a dark green, fake, plastic Christmas tree. It wasn't actually very big, only being about two feet high and little more than a half a foot wide. Underneath one green bough laid another box
full of decorations. Trust Killia to send something like this. It was right down the Killia's street.
Descending from the top of the ladder, Emiko landed two feet back down onto the floor. Silvery blue orbs scrutinized her handy work, with her large tail gradually
flicking from one side to the other behind her again. Satisfied for now, she plucked up both jars from the windowsill.
Placing them into her camera case, she knelt down beside the rough collie. Stroking her fingers idly over his ears, the older woman finally smiled. All her hard work was paying off.
"Come on Toby, let's go for a wander. Then we'll do a bit more, eah?"
Toby just plucked himself up to all four paws, before following his owner out. Maybe a quick break wouldn't be so much of a bad thing after all.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:50 pm
December the 11th, 2005. Lesson one: How not to set up a solar pannel.
It was late dawn when the door on the little house opened. Chocolate brown orbs battered to an open, and the rocking chair which sat on the porch creaked as the occupied animal moved. Toby shifted, while raising his muzzle from the woolen blanket beneath his small body. It had been a long few days for the dog, and getting used to this heat was a rather large challenge. So, the dog had taken to lounging around outside on his rocking chair.
"There you are..." Emiko finally managed to ply herself outdoors. Turning to jam her doorstop into the front door with her foot, she shifted the final large box within her arms. Packing was almost complete, and this was the last box to be sorted out. Kneeling, she slid the box back down onto the steps.
"Let me hang this up, and then we can go find some food at the centre, eah? No use living off a packet of melted chocolate biscuits and a half empty bottle of spring water." The furry busied herself, while taking out the pair of scissors from her pocket. It had been a lot of hard work, and it certainly showed. Her fur was covered with the odd splatter of white, dark blue and brown paint- splashed everywhere from the tip of one ear, down to her feet.
Soon enough, the final box was opened. Prying the protective wrapping away, Emiko pulled out the metallic lantern. It was a rather ornate structure, with four solar panels set into the top of it. Glass sheets covered each side, and in the center was situated a bulb. The solar panels fitted perfectly into the metal, so unless one looked closely, anyone would have thought it was a traditional lantern. They were designed for a different aspect though. To take in light energy during the day, and then as soon as night rolled around, make the bulb light up.
It had been a present from little Ely Amergin. The small child having picked it out herself when she had visited Durem with Emi and her Father only a day before her departure. The furry flicked the final paper away from the hook, before delicately brushing aside the gathered dust on top of each panel.
Standing up, Emi sighed. This was where her height didn't do her any favors, as she wasn't about to be able to reach up to put the lantern on its hook safely without some sort of chair. Eyeing the rocking chair on which Toby sat on, the dog threw daggers at his owner. Toby's fur on the back of his neck bristled, his head cocking to one side as he watched her gaze flicker from lantern to chair.
"Look, I'm sorry Toby, but I need to hang this up." Kicking or fighting, he needed to be moved, so she plucked the furry ball right up off his perch. Toby kicked his paws out, with a whimper escaping his throat as she plucked him off his warm spot. Ignoring the furry beast set within her arms, Emi pulled the rocking chair over. Steadying herself, she quickly jumped up and onto the wooden structure.
Thank goodness for tails. Emi's tail flicked almost manically for a few moments as the woman wobbled, with one arm clutching onto the dog as the other flew out to the side to gain some sense of balance. The chair gradually settled to a halt, and both creatures were immensely grateful when it finally did stop.
Now was the next step. Tail flickering at the ready, she reached down to sandwich the dog between her knees and the back of the chair. Leaning over to pluck the lantern up, her brown furry hands swished in the air to find the hook. Keeping your balance while trying to support a lantern on a rocking chair was no easy feat, and soon enough Emi wobbled where she was again.
Two inches, and then even barely a millimeter passed, as the woman leant right over. Her arm stretched out, with the circular hook of the lantern finally fitting onto the nail. The metal structure slid back, wobbled for a few moments from where it hung in mid-air, and then fell still.
Emi let out a long sigh of relief. A chuckle emitted from the back of her throat as she saw the dog underneath her. Toby had his paws right through the spaces between the wooden beams, his muzzle pressed right up against another beam, and yet his tail still thumped happily as he watched his owner. She was going to move after all- and her moving meant he gained his throne again.
"Thanks Toby, here you go. One seat." Dismounting the rather un-stable rocking chair, Emi slid her paws back down onto the floor. Ruffling Toby's fur, she ran
back inside as if nothing had happened at all.
Toby, rather disgruntled from the experience, stood up while turning in a full circle before curling back up where he was again. There wasn't any point missing the last
sunlight rays of the day, even if your owner was being completely wacky.
Only a few moments after, the woman came back out complete with journal and the two jars. Setting them down beside her, she parked down beside the rocking chair. Swinging her short legs over the side of the porch, she idly ran her fingers down the side of one jar.
They hadn't done much recently other than sit there while she settled in, but she had showed them every step of the way all the same. Playing music for them from her mp3, or even just talking to the pair of them. Toby must have thought she was barmy by now.
"Let me just do some recordings little one, and then we'll go to the lodge." True to her word, Emi plucked up the pen beside her and started to write. Letter Dear Killia, As I promised, I'd write a letter - I thought it best that I did actually write one now while I have a moment. After all, I'm sure you'll want to know what's been happening over here. The ferry arrived as quoted by you at, "some ghastly hour in the morning" and it landed at the island later that evening. It wasn't too bad, but then I'm no sea bearer myself, so I spent most of the time curled up on a seat in fear of throwing up if moved. But back to the more important job. The house is finished now, and I have to say it's not turned out badly at all. The bottom floor is split off into four rooms (well three, ones split off with a screen), with flimsy dividers in between each room. I say flimsy, but they're solid enough. They're just not made out of brick, that's all. The top floor, I've just broken off into what can be called a landing and another room. Again with those same screens - they'll come in use until I can try and create a more sturdy divider that is. I bet you're guessing what for? Well, I've got two bedrooms now. The downstairs one is rather compact, but it works for what it's suited for. There's my bed, the stand my Father made last Christmas, and of course, what could be called a 'wardrobe' but is really just a cuboard. (Though you and I both know the amount of clothes I have could be quite easily fitted into a suitcase small enough for a trip across Barton via the post.) Next to it sits the bathroom, with almost all of the amenities from back at home. I say almost because, well... *the next bit is scribbled right out with a thick black pen* Finally, there's the kitchen and the living room. It's great here, really it is. I mean I have to admit, all I've been doing for the past few days are putting a lick of paint on the walls and sorting everything out but... life is just so much different here. It's more laid back, and there's enough time to just stand back from a situation, take a deep breath, and then go back into it again. I best not ramble on, but the little one really hasn't done too much recently. I'll finish off this letter tomorrow, most likely after putting the last of the photographs up around the house. I've got to go fetch some water and food.
"Come on Toby, lets go find some food." Clicking in the back of her throat, Toby picked himself up to his feet, before following his master over towards the lodge.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 11:23 pm
December the 13th, 2005. Letters always fly in pairs.
The wooden house was almost complete. Complete apart from this one last sentiment. The framed photo of the meeting sat in Emi's paws, before the woman slid it back down onto her night stand. The silver frame sat next to her journal, and on the top was placed what appeared to be a tiny lupine wooden figure. Everything about the little creature was perfect, down to the scratching that made up its paws to the joints in the wood that created his legs.
"There..." Emi spoke, glancing over towards the jars and dog sitting on her bed. They sat side by side, with the two jars having fallen against Toby's furry chest. The boarder collie's tongue lolled out happily, swishing his tail too and fro against the blankets underneath him. That was the last little bit, and they had finally moved right on in.
"There, you have a home now!" Emi plucked up both jars from where they sat. A smile spreading from one furry ear to the next, while she hugged both jars to her chest. She turned on the spot, careful not to drop either of the glass jars, with her tail happily twirling as she twisted around in a circle. Unfortunately Emiko hadn't been made to be a ballet dancer. The woman fell back down onto both paws, pushing one arm out to steady herself, while the other cradled the jars close.
"We're home Toby, again," She whispered. The smile gave it all away, as that happy grin plastered over her cheeks said everything. Toby yipped, jumping down from his spot on the bed. He circled his master's feet, with his tail wagging gleefully from one side to the other. His socked paws made easy work of his master's paws, parking where he was on the floor before her.
Emi could be so much of a child sometimes. The way she cradled the jars to her chest as if they would disappear if she let go, and the way she would happily spin around like a small kid.
Her head spun, and her ears twitched as her tail wagged behind her. Emi was neither dog nor cat, but if she had have been feline, a purr would have most certainly been heard by now.
"Hm?" Emi's ears swiveled where they were, her large fluffy ears suddenly pinning back against her dark purple bangs. The woman turned, suddenly gazing
towards the door. Was she hearing things? Maybe three days of unpacking and sorting the house out had set her off.
She glanced down towards the dog at her feet. His ears were cocked right up, and muzzle outstretched. He looked like a sheepdog following his natural instinct from its years of experience, having sniffed out a sheep which had gotten lost. The animal suddenly bolted into a run, paws almost daintily picking themselves up from the floorboards, before placing back down onto the floor.
Dressage in horses would have come into anyone's mind. The way he gauntly ran over - each delicate white socked paw being picked up, before being replaced by
the next. It was as if the dog was wearing high heels, and was naturally having a problem with walking over there. Except Toby wasn't. He was just trying to be a good sheepdog.
Sliding the jars back into the camera case satchel which sat against her side, Emi followed the lead. The jars fitted snugly into each of the holes, with tissue paper wrapped all the way around the edge of each individual jar to keep it safe. The actual satchel was slung over one shoulder, and rested side by side with Emi's hip - which made sure no sudden jolty movements were experienced by the contents of the case.
As soon as Toby reached the ajar door, he parked himself. Tail returning to swish against the floor behind him, as he tilted his head to one side. Quiet, that was one of his senses. He stayed perfectly still, like a statue, waiting for his guardian's next command.
"Hello?" Emi questioned, taking one step out onto the porch. Her brown paws met with the smooth surface, glancing from one side to the other. Whatever had been here had certainly gone, and had decided not to leave any trace. The woman's brows ferried into a frown. Who was out there? Or was it anyone at all?
Just as she was about to turn away to head indoors, Toby suddenly pawed at her feet. Her silvery blue orbs slipped downwards, kneeling when she spied two letters sitting on the doorstep. One was from the other Island, the printed letters covering the top of the envelope indicated this. While the other seemed to be from closer to home.
"So that's what it was. We're not hearing things after all." Apparently madness hadn't set in quite yet. Tapping each jar in turn, Emi ruffled Toby's fur, before heading back indoors. She was sure she had already embarrassed herself enough if anyone had seen her display when she'd left the house, and she wasn't quite willing to let time repeat itself.
Meanwhile, Toby wagged his tail happily. Following his owner, he ran ahead to jump onto the sofa nearest. Turning in a full circle, he laid back down, watching his guardian with expectant brown orbs. Hopefully she would give him a treat- he'd been good after all.
"Lets see what we have here, eah?" Picking up the letter opener beside the sofa, she tore the first envelope open.FoenixFyre Dear Emiko- I'd like to be one of the first to welcome you to the islands! (I don't know whom you've met yet, so I have no idea how close to first I am . . .) My name is Foenixfyre, and I believe we have a mutual acquaintance. I know him as Owyln, and we met through the Fenthry Preservation Society. He wrote to me, mentioning that you had arrived here, and are the proud new guardian of two artifacts. Congratulations! In any case, I was one of the first guardians over here on Cetalu. My own little girl, Nehanda, is a blend of Swan and prehistoric Horse. She's also a Medical Herbalist in training. I can't wait to introduce you to her, because she loves meeting new people. Next time I'm over on Ar'Idil, maybe we can get together for a bit. If you have any questions about anything, I hope you won't hesitate to ask. Ciao! ~Foenix
She remembered the Fenthry. Little Molly and her smaller Northern star sister had been acquaintances of Killia for sometime now, and she had met them at the last meeting. Well, there wasn't anything better than writing a reply.
Plucking up her pen and some paper, the young woman glanced at the second envelope. Who it was from she didn't know, but might as well kill two birds with one stone. Picking up her envelope opener again, the second of the two was quickly torn open just as the first had been.Chao Emiko and Toby, Thank you so much for dropping off the leaf! It did arrive safely at my house, along with your letter. Also, I wanted to say 'welcome to Ar'Idil!' I was barely aware we had new guardians, but then, I'm awful at keeping up with these things, and have been quite a hermit-like lately. The leaf is wonderful, and Sanar was quite taken with it, not only with it's shape, but its colors as well. I don't think she's ever seen something quite like it on the island. I hope you're enjoying what you've seen of the island so far. Are you perhaps Aerandir guardians? If so, what animals make up your gryphon? Or has s/he even become a gryphon yet? I remember if took a few weeks before Sanar emerged, and in your letter you said you'd just arrived. But, well, to draw it all back in, thank you so very much. The help on this quest is greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy Ar'Idil, and that perhaps we have a chance to meet up sometime soon. ~Chao and Sanar
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:26 pm
14th of December, 2005. A walk in the woods.
A large mug of water sat on the side. Even as the sunlight fell through the open window, the glass slowly heated up. That was the problem around here; Emi had to return to the lodge just for a cold drink. She seemed far too busy in her own thoughts to even care, for the time being anyway.
Music flooded out from the speakers, clouding the room with the soft sound. It filled every nook and cranny of the house, and right into the anthro's ears. Emi hummed along, and for once she was in tune. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, pen and paper in hand, while finishing up the second letter. The tip of her rather extensive tail flicked along to the beat, with the lighter brown fluffy end brushing over the cushion beside it.
An exhale of a breath signaled she was done, with her paws moving up in the air to stretch. Every few seconds, her gaze drifted to the two jars beside her, just to make sure they were still there. Which of course they were. After all, no 'jar-thief' would be able to get past both Emi and Toby without one of them knowing. Folding the white paper up, Emi slid it back into an envelope. The second letter being put back down onto the floor beside the first.
"Hm, fancy a walk?" Emi questioned, glancing down at Toby. He was sprawled over the floor, and head rested back down onto the floorboards. He had been asleep, until the word 'walk' was mentioned. Like a trigger, the collie jumped up onto his feet.
"I'll take that as a yes then." Plucking up the camera case, the guardian carefully slid both jars back into the casing. As soon as they were safe, she plucked up both letters, leant over to turn off the music player, and then made for the door. Her movements were rapid, and the woman was out of the door like a rabbit diving into a hole. Apparently being cooped up indoors wasn't her idea of fun, and a quick walk couldn't do anyone harm.
Toby followed behind, carefully placing each paw before the other. He walked at a slow plod, which suited his owner down to the beat. His trot was short and labored, and Toby preferred to take life at a snail's pace these days.
Emi's paws clicked on the ground beneath her. Now, being an anthro, she could walk around bare foot. Killia hated it when she did it, but Emi loved the chance to stretch her elongated toe nails out and just walk bare paws.
The pads of her feet brushed against the dirt, and then paused. The lodge was little more than a brief walk away from her house, and she had reached it far
sooner than she had expected. Taking in a deep breath, she paused. Blue orbs glanced from one side to the other in hope of seeing another. Or maybe it wasn't hope. Maybe it was just nervousness. The all familiar butterflies soon returning to settle at the bottom of her stomach.
No one was there, or were they? One furry ear turned where it sat, suddenly picking up some sort of sound. Pausing to put Foenix's letter back in with the jars, the furry nipped away as quickly as she had come to this place. The lodge barely even saw a flick of her brown tail, before both furry and dog were walking in the opposite direction. It didn't matter where they were going. All they were doing was walking after all. She would just have to deliver that letter later, when she was about to intrude on anyone else.
The grass brushed up against Emi's feet as she walked. It was like a surreal dream, with miles upon miles of grass land meeting the girl's eyes. On the horizon she could just see a volcano, and what appeared to be a watch tower.
Her feet were on monotone walking now, just moving one in front of the other without much thought at all. Toby plodded along beside his owner, tongue lolling again in the heat.
The strange thing about Emi was that she had learnt to cope with the heat well. One with fur would expect to become more heated, and for the time being, things weren't going so badly. It meant she couldn't wear her beloved jeans and had to resort to shorter sleeves (or no sleeves at all in some cases) too, but the woman
didn't seem to mind. After all, knee-length cotton trousers and t-shirts weren't all that bad.
Her tail swayed in the heat, while flicking away any insects that trailed along with it. Emi's tail was enormous compared to her body, with the tail dragging all the way to her knees before exploding in a furry tip. It was like that of a lions, with the fluffy ending on the end of her appendage.
"I've been thinking about names. You know Toby, we'll have to name him/her soon." Emi murmured. It wasn't for the dog really, rather it was for herself. The furry's ears flickered happily against her hair, dislodging a few bangs, which consequently fell before her eyes. Lilac hair sat over her wet nose, a few strands straying into her eyes, before Emi brought her hand to wipe it back to one side. She hated her hair sometimes; as it always had its own little way of getting into her eyes. Somehow, someway it would figure out a new way to fall before her orbs.
A swallow flew over, the black feathered wings beating against the air to glide over the planes. Toby suddenly lifted his head, before running after the bird for a
few steps. He didn't get very far, head cocked right up to the sky, and nose tipping up towards the swallow. He raised up on his hind legs, jumping around like an animal in the circus, before falling back down onto four paws.
"It's a swallow." Emi answered his questionable eyes. Walking past the dog, she couldn't help but chuckle. Toby was a complete and utter fool sometimes, and now was certainly one of those times. Clicking in the back of her throat, she went back to heading further through the grass.
Toby yipped. It was a strange sound coming from him. A sort of high pitched bark. Trotting after his owner to catch up, the turtle returned to his slow pace once more. His excitement was over for today. His tail thumped from one side to the other all the same, and head held high as he followed his master over the grass planes. They still had this walk to finish.
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:27 pm
16th of December, 2005. From smoke, to ashes, and finally to dusk.Group Roleplay Session (Pages 13-17): X
Contents: It's the Winter event and all of a sudden the earth and heavens start to rumble. The vibrations send both Emi and Toby to the lodge where gradually the disruptions beneath (and above) them get worse.
Smoke starts to pillow up into the air and soon a blanket of smoke and ashes cloud the sky above. Everyone is forced to stay in the lodge until the break of dawn when something spectacular happens...
Followed on later in the main Ar' dil thread (Pages 10-11): X
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:48 pm
December the 14th, 2005. Repairing the damage.
The red sun was setting in the west, peeling the last rays of maroon red sunshine over the Island. An Island covered in ash, and shocked from the events which had taken place only a few hours ago. The world had seemed to stop revolving all together, as one of the remote island's volcanoes blew. Ar 'Idil was the luckier of the two inhabited Islands, and hadn't fared quite as much damage. At least as far as Emi's knowledge went.
Emi took the final turn towards home. The solar powered lantern lit weakly, flashing on and off like a disturbed bulb. The little lantern certainly wouldn't be providing a place for fireflies to dart around tonight. Welcoming home its owner, the lantern finally fell silent. It was laid on one of the rockers of the chair, the large rocking chair having fallen on its side as the earth beneath it had shaken.
Anthony had told them all to be careful, and Emi was. Carefully stepping onto the porch, she rocked too and fro on her paws. It seemed alright, apart from the thick layer of soot it was incased in. All it would really need is a fresh lick of paint. The furry hopped up, while spreading paw prints into previously un-touched soot. Bending down to pick the rocking chair up, the old rockers slid back into place on the porch. It rocked too and fro for a few moments, as if it was testing the air, before the piece of furniture slid back into place.
"Toby come," Emi whispered, while turning to watch the dog. He was sitting just beside the porch, head cocked to one side, awaiting a command. Opening the door, the furry stepped inside the chaos area. Her sofa and chairs appeared to be the only thing left standing, with almost everything else having toppled onto its side or laying around the floor. A few of the frames had fallen to the floor, and it was then (and only then) that Emi thanked Killia for buying plastic frames rather than glass. They had saved the weight in the luggage and turned out to be useful in the end.
Her blankets were thrown across the other side of the room, and the reading material from the night before, left strewn over beside the coffee table. Her Mp3 player was flashing over beside the hearth, with the lime green light flickering on and off like a lighthouse. Everything was a tip, but most of it was intact.
Emi winced inwardly. Bending down to pick up a photo frame that had fallen near the door, she brushed the plastic over, flattening it back to the picture. Photo in hand, the furry clutched onto the jars by her waist. She pawed her way into the mess, while being careful not to stand on anything. Most of the windows were closed, so at least that was a plus. Ash hadn't managed to wheedle its way into the first floor at least. Instead, it was plastered over the windows like a spray of mud that refused to come off.
Toby followed behind his master. His paws scraped over the rug before the floor, while padding dark paw prints into the wooden floorboards. If there had been a carpet down, Emi would have been screaming by now. Floorboards were easily wiped off; and carpets were most certainly not easily cleaned.
"We've been let off lightly, eah Toby?" she whispered. Finding her way through the clutter to her room, Emi suddenly looked around frantically. Diving into the pile of contents which had fallen to the floor, Emi shuffled through: journal, fountain pen, ink cartridges, cloth and two bits of wood? Bringing the first one up to examine it, the furry gulped. It was a leg.
Scrounging around in the pile like a stray in a dustbin, the woman whimpered as she found the second piece. Bringing both body and leg together, tears formed at the edge of her eyes. It was broken - Killia's Christmas present was well and truly broken. Running one darker finger along the wolfs head and down towards its tailbone, the furry placed both pieces back on top of her shelf. That could be sorted later.
Wiping her eyes off on one furry arm, she pulled her journal and fountain pen over. It had been a day or so since she had last written - and a journal entry was well and truly top priority at the moment. Then she could think about sorting out the house.
Journal Entry 002 Dear Emi, I'm positive we will always remember this day. A volcano blew up on a nearby Island, and everything has changed. Changed for the better mind. We're now attached to another Island (At least from what myself and a woman named-wait, did I even get her name?) could figure out. That's right. We were all stuck in the lodge while it happened, all ten of us. I don't recall even giving my name out to anybody - but then the atmosphere wasn't the best to give names out to. I did meet Chao though (The woman who I'd given the leaf to a week or so back) and her little girl Sanar. The Aerandir had my leaf thatched to her woven basket. We didn't really get to talk about the event much, before the rest of the guardians trailed in. At least, what I assume to be guardians ended up there. I won't go into details - as to be honest with you, I was trying to calm Toby down for the whole season of five hours or so we were in there. The whole Island is covered in ash now. A good thick layer of ash. I'm sure this house has gotten off luckily. We didn't get any debris falling on our roof, and the only upset appears to be most of the furniture is dislodged. The window was open upstairs, but I've not checked that yet. I'm sure it'll just be covered in ash like the windows at the moment. They're plastered in the stuff - looks like tomorrows going to be a spring cleaning debut. And of course, Toby needs a good wash. After rolling around in the sand and ash I'm sure you can figure he is not the cleanest dog alive. It doesn't matter though, as we're all safe and sound - that's what matters. Things could have been worse, a heck of a lot worse. It just makes you wonder what happened on the other Island. We got quite a few pieces of debris flying around, and I know for certain there was a fire in my front garden. Well, it's not quite a garden yet, but now that the earthquake is over maybe I'll put my mind to it and give it a go. I'm quite lucky where we are, since we're sheltered by the lodge in some respects here at number one. Well, there is only eleven days until Christmas. If we're ever going to make sure it's a nice one, I best get around to cleaning. I'm not going to chicken out and stay with Killia. We'll stand on our own two feet and pick up the pieces of it's the last thing I do. (Alright, maybe not quite the last thing I do, that's a little over enthusiastic...)
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:03 pm
24th of December, 2005. The twelve eight days of Christmas.
A piece of paper flapped in the breeze, before falling from its position on the coffee table. Floating onto the floor, this particular peice is covered in ink and pencil marks. Numbers and words are crossed, and even ticked in places. This very piece of paper was exactly how Emi organized herself with only ten days left, and of course, left a reminder for later entries.
17th December - Sort out the furniture downstairs.
Poof. An exasperated furry pushed a rather hefty single bed back against the wall. The oak legs grinded against the floor, with a rather immense screeching sound echoing from one wall to the next as the bed hit the wall. Emi promptly collapsed against it, her furry cheeks burning a darker shade of beige, everything clicking into place. Patting the jars at her waist, she glanced up at the main room.
Only a coffee table, the porch, the kitchen, the bathroom, and a few more heavy objects left to go. Heaving a sigh from her lips, Emi headed for the hearth.
Now for this dire Christmas tree...
18th December - Wash the windows.
A bucket of soapy water sat outside. A sponge was dropped down beside the basin, with the yellow sponge being a complete opposite to the darker olive green grass beside it. A wet nose nudged the sponge, and Toby's tail accelerating into an excited wag. His tail thumped from one side to the other, raising his muzzle to the sky and up towards his owner.
Plop. Another sponge flew from the heavens above. The yellow item in cause landed on the border's head, before Toby quickly shaked the wet material off his head. The water drained down into his fur; and soon enough, the top of his head was drenched, and the edge of both furry ears dripping. His tongue lolled out, before shaking his fur back out. It didn't do much good other than spray Emi's legs with water.
The furry smiled fondly down towards the dog, before instinctively jumping away from the spray. It didn't do much good, as the water splashed all over her worn pair of shorts and legs. The odd darker brown circle of cloth now decorating the bottom of her shorts. Toby's puppy-dog brown orbs gazed up towards Emi, with his tail thumping happily behind him.
"Don't give me that look." Ducking down to kneel at the dog's level, Emi's blue eyes met Toby's brown. Her fingers splashed the top of the soapy water basin, gathering a small amount of soap between forefinger and thumb. Splashing the dog, the furry finally laughed. Dipping the sponge back into the water, she went back to washing the nearest window.
The layer of soot and ash wasn't coming off easily, but music always made work seem bearable. Her mp3 player sat a few steps away on top of a pile of books, one speaker humming quietly. With each beat of the music, Emi swiped another streak of ash from the window, using the mixture of sea water and fresh water to help clean everything off.
It was working, and soon enough, the sun was drying the suds from the clean window pane. The water glistening on the glass...
19th December - Sweep upstairs.
Armed with a broom, a feather duster, and various other sweeping appliances, Emi crawled up the ladder. Pushing a book aside at the top of the ladder, the furry pushed herself up and into the room. It was covered from head to toe in ash, the ceilings now plastered black and the walls coating themselves in a similar colour. Had the window not been open to let the light of day in, it would have been pitch black, the ceiling looking identical to the midnight sky at night.
Emi coughed, wiping the settling ash from the tip of her nose. Her silvery blue eyes squinted to pick out everything in the room. Everything from the bookshelves to the fallen screens in the middle of the room.
She had her work cut out for her that was for sure...
20th December - Wash and Brush Toby.
It was deemed such a simple task - get a large furry dog into a basin of water, wash with luke-warm water for an hour, leave to dry and then brush. It was like a recipe for a cake. Pity Emi couldn't cook to save her life.
"There, that's not so bad, eah?" Emi cooed to the creature. A fluffy towel was laid out on the dogs back, and Emi was drying off Toby's fur with it. He lay with a neglected look set into his features on the front porch. If there was one thing Toby hated, it was bath time. Waiting patiently for his owner to stop drying his fluffy pelt off, he lowered his muzzle back to his paws.
"Oh come on, it was only a little water," Emi commented, dry wiping his large ears off. Rubbing the towel between his ears, she bent down to plant a kiss on his moist fur a few moments later. Sitting back onto her heels, the furry delved in her damp pocket. Producing a (melted) chocolate covered treat, she dangled it in front of Toby's nose. Wafting the treat from one side to the other, Emi's tail flickered from one side to the other.
Toby's brown orbs followed the treat, leaning forwards to snaffle it from Emi's grasp. He was too slow, with the treat being moved to just above his head. The dog quickly pushed himself back onto two paws, his other two resting in the air. Muzzle held high, he snatched the treat right from Emi's furry hand. Munching joyfully on the dog biscuit, his tail thumped once more. It appeared the bath was well and truly forgotten on the new face of a treat.
"Ok, catch." Emi spoke, throwing another treat into the air. The dog jumped up into the air, catching the treat in his mouth. Wagging his tail happily, Toby turned expectantly back to Emi - waiting for the next tasty morsel to fall his way...
21st December - Sweep up outside.
Toby yipped, while bounding down the porch steps and outside. The dog padded on the grass outside, nose pressed to the earth, and tail wagging behind him. Picking his now arctic white paws off the ground with each step, he suddenly came face to face with what appeared to be a rock. Taking a step back, the startled dog fell back onto his hind legs. Gradually, as if the rock was a bomb itself, he leant forwards to sniff at the stone.
"It's just a rock Toby. Hm, must have fallen with the volcano." Emi mused, before plucking up the rock. Placing it into the paper bag she was carrying, her gaze glanced down towards the jars. They were, as usual, settled against her hip in the camera case. One more reassuring glance, and the furry headed back towards the house.
Depositing the bag down by the porch for another day, the furry plucked up her broom for another session of sweeping the porch of ash...
22nd December - start the quilt.
"OW!" Emi exclaimed for the 10th time in the past hour. Pulling the needle away from the p***k on one end of her furry finger, she sucked on the end of her finger for a few moments. It was a strange little habit, but it somehow dulled the sharp pain.
Toby glanced up from where he lay, before returning his muzzle to his paws. The sun was setting, and he wanted to catch was many rays of sunshine as possible. His coat shone in the sun obviously brushed back to perfection. His tail swished too and fro behind him along the porch floorboards.
"How I made one of these when I was in school, I don't know," the furry exclaimed, before starting again. She had stitched a few pieces of fabric together, and it was going well so far. There was a row of ten different coloured patches: each of them a slightly different size and colour. Each square was sewn to the next, and each with their own individual pattern dyed on.
The bag that resembled the same one from upstairs sat only a few feet away. Resembled in that, when it was put up there, it was a light brown paper, and now the paper itself had been smeared with black. Luckily the fabric held underneath wasn't as badly affected. The patch blanket plan could still go ahead.
23rd December.
The phrase has a large blank line through the middle, so any writing that had been there, is now indecipherable.
24th December - Killia's present.
Tongue bit in concentration, Emi pressed both leg and body together. The super glue smudged out between the two pieces of wood, coating the whole of the wooden figures leg. Emi glared, muttered something un-repeatable under her breath, and then placed the figure back down onto the coffee table.
Collapsing back against the sofa, the furry closed her eyes. Great, just great. Cracking one blue eye open as if something might have happened, the furry let a long sigh of disappointment escape her lips. The figure still sat there, with its now lopsided leg hanging peculiarly off at an angle. To throw salt onto the wound, the leg slipped right off, and the three legged creature toppled over onto its side.
Toby, who's muzzle rested on Emi's lap, whimpered. Stroking her fingers behind his ears, the furry's fingers found the spot right around the back of his right ear. Toby's head cocked to one side, with his tail fleeting up into a slight wag.
"It's alright. She'll understand, I'm sure," Emi whispered. Killia wouldn't though, she would scream and tear the house down - not to mention want to drag both furry and dog all the way back to Barton, tie them up in her back garage, and feed them baked beans for a month. Wrapping her arms loosely around the dog's neck, Emiko nuzzled her anthro nose into Toby's warm fur. Her large ears flickered back to her skull, with her tail flickering too and fro behind her.
"I'll just send a letter explaining..." Well, it would have to be one pretty good letter for it to work. Emi glanced at the figure, then at the jars near her on the settee. Giving the dog a hopeful smile, she tapped his wet nose with the end of her finger.
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 5:13 pm
30th December, 2005. It was a few days after Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse.
The laptop was awakening from its slumber. Wiping dust off the screen and keys, it suddenly whirred into action. Lights flashed, and battery power gurgled through the power cords, which in turn kick started the screen. Emi tapped her nails on the edge of the casing, finding herself rather impatient to what exactly her friend had sent. In one hand, she held what appeared to be a CD, while the other clasped onto a fork, which apparently was lodged in a can of (what appeared to be) baked beans.
Spooning another forkful of cold baked beans into her mouth, Emi chewed thoughtfully while watching the laptop spur into action. It had certainly been a shock this morning to find a letter arriving on the doorstep. Not just any letter, but a letter from Killia. Her tail flicked too and fro on the blankets behind her, with the furry tip ending up swishing a pile of light blankets right to one side.
There she was, huddled up on her bed over a laptop with a large patch work quilt wrapped around her ankles. Toby laid at her side, conked out fast asleep. Anyone could have classed him as looking drunk, with his tongue lolling out, and his paws sprayed in four different directions. A battery powered fan buzzed from above the beside table. Washing a gush of cool wind over the furry's arms and legs, which was well appreciated in this heat. The little thing appeared to be at its wits end, with the sluggish fan now working at full pelt and making enough noise to prove it.
"Aha," a triumphant whisper from Emi proceeded into a black drive zooming out from one side of the laptop. Sliding the disk from its case and into disk drive, the metallic cylinder of plastic soon disappeared into the machine. More strange noises emitted from the creature, like a grumpy old human who had lost all interest in the job they were doing - and was moaning about it.
More tapping on the edge of the monitor, and Emi's fork found the bottom of the can. The piece of metal fished around for the next forkful, scooping up another mouthful of beans in sauce.
"Emi!" As always, out of the window went the hellos. As soon as the disk loaded up, a moving image popped up on screen. There Killia sat, with a rather large gryphon positioned on her knees. The woman was struggling to keep the monotone creature still, with one arm brushing over his chest to keep the little thing stable.
"Hello Killia," Emi returned. It wasn't as if Killia could hear her, but for once, she was glad she couldn't. Cocking one eyebrow up, her fingertips found Toby's head. Soon enough, the dog was awake, and watching the action unfold out on screen like an action film. Killia being the hero, the gryphon being the fairy god mother, and Killa's husband (who was on camera) being the villain. It was all set out, and the little plan was perfect.
"When your letter and this one arrived a few days ago, I couldn't help but send a letter. Lofty got this new filming equipment for Christmas...Speaking of Christmas," The furry could have died of laughter, as Killia produced one of her handmade Christmas signs. The thing about Killia was that she had the ideas, just not the creative esteem to follow her ideas through. That is what she needed Emi for.
The happy Christmas sign was just a large sheet of paper- on which different shades of pink, vibrant green and midnight blue sat arranged in an order. Whether it would have looked like an order to anyone other than Emi, was another question all together. The furry chortled despite herself, as a lopsided smile finding her face at her friends effort. Well, she had tried. Failed - but tried nether the less. After all, that had to count for something.
"Thank you so much for my little Pal, as requested, his name is Mako. Ooh, you don't know what you're missing out on Emi. That polar bear husband has gotten his wife pregnant, and she's being rather individual. You know, we had mince pies, those ones you like with the cream and you can heat them up in the -" The screen paused, Killia's mouth hanging wide open, as if to say another word. Emi's ears perked up on her head, pushing the laptop down onto the floor. Leaving it near her so-called wardrobe (or at least that was what Emi liked to call it) .
"Everything arrived safely then, and I'm sure Mako will have a wail of a time with Killia. I just didn't want to stretch the house load out, and the little one will end up meeting her one day anyway - may Gaia bless its little soul the day it does." Emi rolled over onto her stomach, lying face to face with the dog. She continued rambling, just like her friend had previously, making excuses for herself. Stroking Toby's ears, as her own tail thumped from one side to the next in time with the dogs. They were like ink and pens, chalk and cheese, marmite and toast - inseparable.
Toby apparently understood. He held onto the same knowing expression, with his own ears cocking against his head. His tongue continued to loll out, watching his owner with intent eyes. Gradually, he leant forwards to nudge her furry cheek with his wet nose.
"I'll listen to the rest later." With that Emi pulled over her book. Flicking through the pages, she flattened the hardback out onto her knees. Resting one arm over the dog's back, the furry delved nose back into the story, and every once in a while glancing up at the two jars which sat nearby. The CD was now completly forgotten.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:18 pm
3rd of January, 2006. A new year, a new sentence, a new set of words, and a new life.
The rain brought the sign of spring, and the sign of a new year. The water pattered down the thatch roof of number one, sliding along the straw, until it dripped off the edge. The liquid fell from each tendril of straw, forming puddles here and there on the wooden steps. It was exactly what Emi wanted to clean the slate. To remove all the soot, re-new her efforts, and to bring the end of the passed year.
The old rocking chair tittered to a halt, the slow rocking gradually coming to a close. Without a sound, Emi pushed her heels into the floorboards, the rockers swaying too and fro in their soft motion once more. The lantern shone almost feverishly from above, the white bulb illuminating the furry and her journal. It was apparently still loyal and working despite the actions taken only a week or so ago. Like a beacon, it shone in the night sky where the moon could not. The rays from the sky being shrouded by the clouds littered above.
Toby lay by Emi's feet his muzzle rested on his paws. Every so often, he exhaled a rather loud breath, his chest heaving to push the air out from his lungs. The end of his tail flickered in his state of unconsciousness, wafting the flies gathered around his white tipped tail away. They buzzed in the night air, circling the dog's ever wagging white tipped tail. It was like some ceremonial dance. Every flicker caused the flies to back off, only to persist on returning a moment later.
"Names...Names..." Emi whispered to herself. The two jars sat in Emiko's lap, side by side with her hard backed journal and pen. The furry's blue orbs scanned the feather and fluff for the umpteenth time that night, pressing her pen between two chocolate brown fingers. She paused, turning to watch the rain for a few moments. It wasn't like at home- it was only a soft shower, and not the torrential downpours Barton received every once in a while. Emi could have sat there forever contemplating matters, if it hadn't been for the time.
It was as if a spark had just ran through Emi's brain and back. Plucking up the pencil, she rapidly scribbled down the latest thought. Finishing the word, as if she would miss-place it if she spent too long, the furry returned her pen back to the paper. It was hard enough thinking up names to start with, never mind not knowing what gender her little one was.
The page itself had been divided into two columns, one side for male names, whilst the other housed female names. Neither side had anymore than a few ideas jotted into the allocated spaces, but rather the page was more gaps than name ideas for now.
As the moment of concentration slipped, so did Emi's pen. Falling off the side of Emi's lap, it clattered to the floor behind Toby. The flies spiraling around Toby's tail fled, with their wings held beneath their legs. Exhaling a breath of her own, Emi bent down to pluck up the writing utensil, not even noticing the distinct damage she had caused to the insect population's brains at this point. They would be back shortly enough.
The rain continued to patter down the roof, the odd droplet drifting into the porch. Wavering on the light breeze, the water deposited itself nearby on the floorboards. That was enough to trip both guardian and dog out of their day dreams. Wiping a few strands of hair from her fur, Emi slipped the jars back into the camera case. It had become a permanent residence for the fluff and feather jars while they were being moved.
"Come on Toby, lets go to bed," Emi started, before dragging herself up to her feet. Her paws wavered where she stood, her long tail sweeping across the floor behind her so she could catch her balance. Emi stole one last glance at the rain outside, watching the drizzle fall from the sky and then seep into the sandy earth beneath its feet. Hugging her journal to her chest, she headed towards the door.
Toby twitched his moist nose as a droplet flew in to land between his eyes. Plucking himself up onto all fours, he followed groggily after his master. Tail thumping behind him, he picked up his white socked paws to enter the house.
"Aha, here it is." Picking up the lantern by the door, Emi fumbled to find the switch in the dark. Soon enough the battery powered lamp lit up, lighting its rays into the surrounding area. Beaming down onto the books piled up on the coffee table, the sofas with their blankets laden across them, and the path which lead the way to Emi's bedroom.
Luckily for Emi, it wasn't too much of a walk, and soon enough the furry was seated on her bed, ushering the dog up beside her. Toby pulled out all the stocks, leaping up to curl up at the end of the bed. Crumpling the sheets, he circled, before collapsing where he was - paws outstretched to make his way back to the fairies.
"Might as well use the time," Emi commented, before dragging her knees up. Flicking through the journal to the next clean page, she picked up her pen once more, and began to write. Journal Entry 003 Dear Emi, Happy New Year! As always - didn't stay up for New Years. Maybe next year when the little ones finally around. To think, last year Killia dragged me to one of those awful 'dos' and we stood there counting down the last ten seconds to midnight. Only then to clap and drink our lemonade in silence. It was nice to be able to just sleep this year. Of course, I've made a few New Year's resolutions myself. I didn't quite manage to stick to last years resolution's, but with the arrival of my little one, maybe things this year will change. My new year's resolutions: 1. Socialize (Possible) 2. Learn to cook what supplies they have at the lodge - so Aerandir won't go hungry later on. (Hah, I can't see this one happening.) 3. Be a good parent (Maybe?) They seemed so simple when I made them up, but thinking now maybe that second one wasn't such a good idea. Then again, the little one can't live on a diet of cold baked beans and water, can she/he it? Speaking of the little one, nothing really has changed. Both Jars are still intact, and keep letting off the odd wisp of blue aura, but apart from that, nothing has happened to them. I best sign out - I was going to try and sort out the garden tomorrow, and finish Birdsong (By Sebastian Faulks). Happy 2006 Emiko Pallone.
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:53 am
4th of January, 2006. It's a girl!
The late afternoon swept down through the open window, carrying a new breath of fresh air with it. Blowing through the window, it circled the anthro that was curled up on the sofa. Everything was how it usually was: Emi curled up on the sofa around a book, Toby dozing by her side, and the two jars sitting nearby. It was just another sleepy afternoon for the pair of them.
Toby lifted his head from his paws. Delicate ears pricked up, leaping off the side of the sofa. Stretching his white paws out in front of him, he trotted towards the door. Inquisitive as always, Toby pawed at the letter left on the doorstep. Pressing his muzzle into the crack, the ajar door drifted to open. With his paw free, he sniffed the letter with his cold nose. Snaffling the envelope up, the Border collie made his way back inside, dropping the letter at Emi's paws.
"Hm, what's this?" Emi questioned. Raising her blue orbs from the pages of her book, she stuffed her bookmark into place. Completely forgetting the rather thick paperback, she rapidly plucked up the letter in its place. Like a little child, she tore the seal, pulling out the white slip of paper. Official Documents Dear Emiko, I am happy to note that the accomodation you were allocated has now reached a stage which is suitable for your Aerandir items to be placed together within a single bottle. This will allow for them to "merge" - admittedly, however, this process may take some time. The reason I am writing to you is to confirm that we have a name for your Aerandir for our records. Further study of the evidence gleaned from your artifacts has shown that it is 59% likely to be female. I included this information with the hope of perhaps aiding you in choosing a name. If you could get back to me with haste, I will arrange for all of the formalities to be completed so that we may start you on your way as an Aerandir guardian. Yours sincerely, Anthony Blakewell, Ar' Idil Administrator.
Plucking up her journal, Emi flicked it open to the column she had made only the night before. Now came the difficult part.
"59% Female, that means I really ought to pick a female name. Then again, what if it's not female? We could be in some serious trouble then," Emi rambled, her pen sweeping the page to mark a cross over the masculine names.
The fountain pen lingered for a few moments, the ink splashing over the edge of the page as it was dropped. Emi sprinted up the wooden ladder, only to return a few moments with a large book. Nose delved in its pages, one chocolate brown finger ran down the edge, stopping about mid way down the page.
"Found it."Emiko's Response Dear Anthony Blakewell, I will have to admit, it was rather hard finding a name from the lists. Seeing as the Aerandir is 18% more likely of being female rather than male, I've decided on Blanche as a name for her. Blanche actually derives from the French for white. I remember reading in an old book of mine that it was used for high noble French women back in the 11th century. I just hope that this name is suitable for her. It's exciting to think that she will actually be merging sometime in the near future. As a side note- I'm sorry for being so uptight last time we met. I'm afraid, what with the Earthquake, I wasn't quite in the best state of mind. Thank you. -Emiko Pallone
Shuffling like an anxious child in a waiting room, her gaze slowly shifted towards Toby and then at the two jars. Plucking them up, Emi cradled them both to her chest, like a mother would do to her baby. Bringing both jars up to examine their contents, after all - this could have been the last time she'd see them like this. One jar meant merging, and merging meant she would finally get the chance to become a fully fledged guardian.
"Welcome to the world Blanche." A gentle smile resided on the furry's cheeks, her tail refusing to stop its sway from one side to the other.
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 5:29 am
4th of December, 2006. Wait, did you say this afternoon?
Light spilled in through the top window, and with it came the expectancy of post. The floor had been cleared to most extents. The floorboards had been wiped and cleaned many a time before now, just to remove the lingering soot that had hung in the air. It had hung like clouds, covering the second floor's roof in a black pit of soot. It had been a health hazard, until Emi had cleaned it that was. Now the floor sparkled and the supports holding up the ceiling held a more natural hue.
"Forster, E.M. Forster, Forster." The furry spoke on her breath, scanning her collection of books. Her finger ran across each and every cover, running her furry tipped finger over the fading spines of her collected works. Her ears flicked where they were set on her head, pausing in her search to glance down towards the stairs. One brown tip twitched, and perked up on her head - a rare event to see as her large ears were normally set back against her skull.
From just down the hatch Toby sat at the foot of the ladder, another envelope resting between his jaws. His tail thumped from one side to the other, eyes gazing intently up towards the top floor.
"A letter? Alright Toby, I'm coming," Abandoning her search, the furry pulled herself up to standing. Patting Blanche, who sat at her waist, she headed back down the rackety old ladder. Upon reaching the bottom, she knelt down to the dog's height. It didn't take much for the small furry, she only had to bend her knees slightly. Patting the dog on the head, she plucked the letter out from his jaws.
"Good dog." Emi gave the dog a smile, bending forwards to bop a kiss to his furry forehead. Wagging his tail, Toby twirled around in a circle. Lapsing up against the nearest piece of furniture, he waited expectantly for his master.
"Anthony?" Emiko questioned, tearing the envelope open once more.Another letter from Anthony Dear Emiko, Thank you for the speedy reply! I'll hopefully be able to drop by at some time this afternoon to arrange to place the bottles into a single bottle. Blanche really is a rather pretty name and will surely suit your little white bundle of joy to be. As to the last time we met, to be perfectly honest I hardly remember how anyone was truly behaving. I believe we were all in a bit of shock and that any actions we might have taken would have been coloured with the worry of impending doom, or so it seemed at the time. Looking forward to re-making your aquaintance, Anthony
"He'll be here this afternoon, and Blanche is now formally named Blanche!" Emi explained, not that it mattered, it wasn't as if Toby could understand a word she said. Jumping up and down on the spot, the furry couldn't help but laugh as Toby tried to copy. Wafting his paws from one side to the other in her arms, Toby let out an excited yap.
"Wait, did I just say this afternoon?" Everything stopped as quickly as it started. Pausing in her joyous collaboration dance Emi's blue eyes darted around the room. Gazing at the pile of books in the corner, to the pen and paper that was left strewn over her coffee table, why couldn't she clean anything up at the same time as making a mess?
"Shoot." Emi stopped herself just in time. Pausing, she ruffled the dog's furry head, dropping his paws. Allowing Toby's white pads to fall back to the floor the furry dashed to scoop up the books in one arm. On second thought... Dropping the jars gently onto the sofa, Emi took a flying leap up the ladder to deposit the novels up the stairs.
Forget the book, she couldn't let Anthony see the house when it wasn't immaculate.
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Anthony Blakewell Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:02 pm
Anthony's visit to the house was rather swift due to the strain current events had made on his schedule. He quickly but carefully transferred the items from the two jars into one and popped the spare under his arm, taking it back to be reused. Before he left, he snapped two photos, one for his own reference and one for Emiko as a keepsake, scribbling 'Blanche' underneath it.
Your new tag is in the first post of your journal.
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