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 Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 7:37 pm
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Two for the Price of One?
Naw, the price is much steeper
"I-It's the weirdest thing, though, Ryu! People don't just give kids away all willy-nilly like this, right?" Otomeza asked her sister from the other end of the phone line, voice nearly strangled with disbelief. Was this some sort of a prank? She turned the letter she had received in the mail over in her hand, trying to figure it out. It looked like an official enough document, but... why on Gaia would anyone send her this, asking her to come pick up some kid out of the blue? It wasn't as if they got the wrong address, either: her name was on the documentation, asking for her specifically. Could they have gotten their information mixed up, maybe?
A digitized sigh came to her ear, and Otomeza could practically see her sister shaking her head slowly in amusement. "The only way you're going to figure that one out is if you go there yourself. Explain your situation to them maybe -- he's not your kid. Maybe there's another 'Otomeza' that lives nearby," Ryuuza answered.
The frazzled woman bit at her lip, scanning over the sentences on the page once again to find what she was looking for. "It's not like that, though. It's an adoption! It says 'To Otomeza Ekibyougami' right at the top! And you know very well that it's impossible for anyone else to have my name; it's not like we've got a very big family," she huffed. This wasn't helping!
"Just. Go," Ryuuza paced her words, speaking firmly. It wasn't as if the girl was going to find her answers with a sister that was nowhere near her current residence, let alone having the sister know very little in the way of anything other than mercenary work and the battlefield.
"I... B-But..." she tried, but she knew when she was defeated. She couldn't help but be hopeful about it, but she didn't want to be disappointed with the outcome, either. If they really did make a mistake... she didn't want to think of how that would make her feel. After a pause, she mumbled, "Alright. I'll let you know how it goes, then."
* * *
Otomeza took little time in arriving at the Seven of Seven facility, hurriedly wanting to know what was going on. It wasn't very difficult to find the place -- where else was there a building so large, blocked off by a number of security precautions? At least they were awaiting her arrival today, as she didn't know how she was suppose to contact anyone to open the doors for her.
The technicians inside left her little in the way of speaking room, and she barely found the opportunity to get the answers she was seeking. Hastily, she was jostled inside and handed a couple of files. Trying to find her words, she was cut off before she could make a sound, "You are indeed Otomeza Ekibyougami, correct? These are the papers on the kids. You should find the answer to most questions you have on them in there."
With a silent stutter, she briskly looked through the topmost file. Genetics of gluttony and kindness? Angel and demon? What was going on here?
Looking back up, she watched as another technician brought out two toddlers, one child gleefully hopping along while the other nearly having to be dragged out. Wait, two? She blinked, dumbfound before she could locate her voice, "I-I never... Well, I didn't sign up for adoption, you see? I think you made a mistake somewhere, bu--"
The first technician sighed, asking in a sharp tone, "You've wanted to adopt a kid for a while, right? If you don't want them, fine; I'll just find someone else."
She jerked in surprise. How did they know that? Well, of course she's wanted a kid, but she didn't know these people. How did they find out? She snapped back to the here-and-now, nearly dropping the files as she quickly responded, "N-No! No, I'll take them, it's fine! I... I just didn't understand what was going on, is all." Granted, she still didn't know what was going on, but if they didn't make a mistake in contacting her, she would be happy to take care of the two of them.
"Good. Just sign this paperwork, then, and we can get on with it," the tech explained, slightly exasperated and tired.
* * *
"My name's 'Ridian!" the teal-haired boy chirped in introduction, featherless wings flapping slightly in happiness. The boy knew that Otomeza had read his name in those weird papers, but he figured he'd state it anyway. His hand gave her's a little squeeze as she led the twins off, one on either side of her as the folders were tucked under an arm.
She smiled, glad to see that the colorful little kid seemed to already be happy with the situation he was thrust in to. "I'm Otomeza!" she replied in turn with a little giggle. She turned next to the pale child at her side, but found that he had buried his head under Iridian's coat, which he seemed to have borrowed while she was filling out the paperwork. When he didn't make a peep, she leaned forward to try to look him in the face, but Iridian's coat collar was still obscuring her view. "You okay, Cheyenne?" she asked, a little worried.
The snowy-haired albino shook his head slowly, but instead of explaining himself, he just leaned in closer to Meza's hand, as if he were trying to stay balanced while falling asleep. The woman looked down at him, wishing she knew what was wrong before Iridian tugged on her hand. "He doesn' feel good. Ennie is sick a lot," he explained, earning him a weak grumble from his pale twin. He giggled, "Also doesn' like being called 'Ennie.'"
Just as Iridian had done for her, Otomeza squeezed Cheyenne's hand lightly. "Don't worry, hon. We'll get you home, and get you feeling better in no time!" she stated matter-of-factly, despite knowing that it was nothing she could 'cure.' "Then, as soon as you feel better, we'll go have some fun!"
Iridian nearly jumped at the comment, "Yaay!"
Well, she thought to herself with a crooked grin, This is going to get interesting!
[[ Word Count: 1,034 ]] |
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:34 pm
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Welcome to Life
N-No, don't chew on that!
Only a few days had passed since the twin opposites had been placed in the care of the draconic woman, but it already seemed like it had been much longer. Granted, this sentiment wasn't necessarily a good one -- Otomeza constantly had her hands full with the juggling act -- but it also wasn't necessarily bad, either. It wasn't hard to love them, to willingly fill in as their mother, it had just been so... so sudden and unexpected is all.
The first day or two was spent just getting the twins settled and comfortable in Otomeza's home. She had plenty of space, a number of spare rooms that she hadn't been quite sure what to do with, and an excess amount of ecstatic energy with which to set up a living area for the two toddlers right away. Granted, she still had to take them shopping for beds and the like, but Iridian was more than happy to come along for the ride on that one. Cheyenne, however, decided to stay at home and rest in Otomeza's own bed to recuperate from everything that had been happening. It was all for the best -- the albino couldn't very well wander out into the sunlight as it was, not without extreme discomfort. Unfortunately, he also didn't take very well to the babysitter Meza had to hire, the toddler locking himself in the woman's room until she returned from the excursion.
It was about, at that time, that Meza decided that it might be best to slow the pace of things down and get them more acquainted with the world outside the facility before any other measures were taken.
Today would be that day. Today, she was going to stay home the whole time, spend as much time as possible with the two of them, and do whatever they wanted to do. It was time to teach them how to live as a family unit, and not to just rely on oneself solely.
At least, that's what she had been hoping. That's how she was imagining things, before she realized what all that entailed. These two kids weren't just opposite in genetics, but despite being carved and spliced from the same origin, even their personalities seem to be radically different. Not so much that they weren't allowed to get along -- in fact, they got along surprisingly well for being so wildly different -- but it made it nearly impossible to keep track of them both at once, or keep both of them happy at once.
"Iridian! Get off that table!" she screeched at the toddler as he walked the coffee table like a balance beam, his wing tines and finned tail held out to hold him upright better. He laughed in response, taking a few extra steps before hanging his toes over the edge, crouching down. She growled, "Don't you dare jump off, mist--" Too little too late, the teal-haired boy leaped back onto the carpeted floor of the living room. About to storm over from her position speaking to Cheyenne, she started marching only to instigate the hyper kid to bolt down the hallway. "Get back here right now!" she stomped a foot, but her demands seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Cheyenne fidgeted in the shadows of the room, avoiding the light from the windows. He didn't like all this noise, and he didn't understand why Iridian was purposefully ticking their guardian off. She hadn't earned the anger that she was developing from his idiotic older brother, and Cheyenne himself hadn't earned the headache. Scowling, he rose to his feet, hands clasped tightly over the corners of a throw pillow he had grabbed out of nervous necessity.
Otomeza was nearly dragging Iridian back out into the living room, shoving him to sit on the floor by putting extra pressure on his shoulders. "You could have hurt yourself, doing that!" she scolded, tail thrashing back and forth in irritation, "You listen to me when I tell you not to do something! I know what I'm talking about, okay?"
Iridian kept grinning, despite the raised voices. He couldn't help it: good or bad, it was still attention! "Bu' I didn' get hurt!" he chirped, wiggling around where he sat, eager to get back to his feet and run around the house.
"Only because you were lucky! It's easy to get hurt by what you just did! I'd prefer if you didn't risk it, okay?" she snapped.
It was to no avail, it seemed, as Iridian couldn't take holding still any longer. He jumped to his feet, knocking a framed photograph off the wall with a stray stroke of his scaled wing, the glass on the front shattering. "Oops," he murmured quietly, his eyes shooting back to focus haphazardly on his guardian once more. Before any more scolding could come to his ears, he tore down the hallway once more, Otomeza grumbling before she followed suit.
This is so stupid, Cheyenne hissed to himself. Tossing the pillow back onto the couch, the pale toddler whipped himself around and headed into the room he shared with his twin. Without waiting for the climax of the situation, he slammed the door with a twitch of his barbed tail. They could come get him when they were done playing their idiotic game; he didn't want to deal with it.
Well, this was turning out to be one jolly good day.
[[ Word Count: 901 ]] |
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:49 pm
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Otomeza's Video Log
Entry #1
It had taken a while to accomplish, but everything seemed to be ready now. The twins were finally asleep in their own beds, everything squared around for the night, and these darned cords weren't all tangled around each other anymore! Popping a disk into the recorder, she switched everything on -- everything that had been turned on during the test run she had done yesterday.
Fluffing her hair before pulling it out of her way, she sat on the chair in front of the video camera. She inhaled, and before she had time to stutter with her words, she began to speak into the miniature microphone:
"Hello there, this is my video log," she started, clearing her throat to add, "Otomeza Ekibyougami's video log, guardian to Iridian and Cheyenne Ekibyougami, twin spawn from the facility Seven of Seven, of opposites Gluttony-Kindness and Envy-Abstinence blood."
Her eyes scanned the floor just then, a mumble over the speaker still audible, "I think that's all the technical nitty-gritty..." Shrugging it off, she figured that she'd add anything else she had forgot to mention in later recordings and continued, "It was in the paperwork given to me when I picked the two kids up that it was highly recommended to keep a journal, for thoughts and progression. Well... I'm using a video log because I'd not only like to keep the memories, I'd like to also keep the state of what things once were. Call me nostalgic, people could even call this something of a 'home movie,' but it's the way I prefer things." Her head had lolled to the side, a smile creeping across her face. Obviously, she was going to urge the twins to keep their journals in the same manner, but she was far above forcing them to.
Folding her hands on her lap after the pause, she continued, "As one could imagine, taking care of a pair of toddlers without any prior time to prepare, things are rather... rocky. They are nothing alike, and yet they never disregard their familial bloodlines. They get along surprisingly well, if I may be so bold to mention. Granted, Iridian is a really hyper kid that can never seem to get enough attention, and Cheyenne is a really quiet kid that can never seem to get enough solitude... but they deal with each other's quirks fairly easily."
She cleared her throat, deciding to go over each one in turn, "Iridian appears to be the more 'problem child' out of the two of them. He has a surprising amount of energy, and it's almost as if he's stuck in his 'terrible twos.' Yes, I realize he's a toddler and that's not all that strange, but I also read that the angelic and demonic genes of these kids tend to override their actions. 'Gluttony' can be such a catch-all term, it really makes me nervous as to how it's going to manifest itself. He doesn't have an extraordinary appetite -- in fact, it's quite average. Not only that, but he's gotten into the habit of acting out without making it obvious, in ways that make it seem like he was just having fun. I know that's not the only case, since he loves to be the center of attention. Really, it worries me, but... I'll figure something out, I'm sure of it.
"Cheyenne, however, can be a bit of a problem in a different way, one not of his own choosing. Being an albino is tough, but being an albino with his specific genes is even harder. Most albinos are just sensitive to the light, but Cheyenne is practically allergic. It makes him sick, and it physically hurts him. He's basically forced to becoming nocturnal, and I know that bothers him. I don't know if he would have become so introverted if it wasn't for that fact, but again, I'll try to figure something out." She ran a hand through her hair, nodding, "Being an Envy kid, I'm sure seeing Iridian so carefree bothers him deep down, too. He's got a lot going for him, but... I don't know. I'll just-- I'll think of something."
Flattening her skirt across her lap, the action was more out of something to do than just sitting still rather than anything else. A smile slowly started appearing on her worried face again, and she continued, "Starting tomorrow, I'm going to start taking the both of them out into town. The weather forecast has predicted a few rainy and overcast days scattered around the next few weeks, which is an opportune time to take Cheyenne out with us. It should be fun, and the two of them need to see that there's more to the world than the laboratory they grew up in and this dinky house. Maybe they can meet some friends, too. I've heard that most of the facility's spawn have stayed in this area, so there's always that, too. Wish me luck!" With that, she crossed her fingers before switching the power off on the camera.
Well, she thought to herself, not bad for a first entry, if I do say so myself! With that on her mind, she started setting everything out of the way and popped the disk out of the recorder, slipping it into the safety of a sleeve.
[[ Word Count: 882 ]] |
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:52 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:53 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:54 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:56 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:04 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:31 pm
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Gotta Hit Those High Notes!
Homeschooling, Take 1
After all of the days of activity that had transpired over the past few weeks, this particular morning seemed rather... dull in comparison. Meza had nothing planned, and seeing as it was a sunny day, there weren't many places that all three of them could spend their time. The woman found herself fixing lunches for all of them so that she wouldn't have to later, but then what was she suppose to do?
Glancing over the counter in the wall, she watched the two toddlers in the front room as she slathered a piece of bread in mayonnaise. They were both coloring with a shared box of crayons in separate coloring books. In fact, Iridian was using the table while Cheyenne insisted upon using the floor so he could stretch out on his stomach. Either that was more comfortable for the kid, or Iridian was being a pain in the butt again and annoyed him into moving. She snickered at the thought, finding their trifle worries to be rather cute.
Every now and then, Cheyenne would try to whistle a tune between humming as he colored, something that he had been trying to practice since he had learned the trick from Bleez. He had also been trying to find different ways, perhaps ways that would be easier, but without the instruction found such tricks to actually be harder. It didn't help that, every now and then, Iridian would cut in and sing along, which would either irritate the younger one or make him hum quieter. This last time, it was the former. "Mary had a little lamb~!" Riddy sang along. Cheyenne paused, and the teal-haired boy pouted, "Why'd ya stop?"
Another brief pause, ignoring the question, and Cheyenne started singing a different song, much lower in tone and slower, "Koo-ka-burr-a sits in the ol' gum tree-ee~" Iridian snorted, shooting a raspberry at his brother at the song, but Cheyenne only grinned as he continued to color. It was a little song that he only sang to shut the older twin up, always saying that Iridian was like the kookaburra in the song and pointing out the similarities in the boy's gluttonous attributes despite them clearly not being the same. However, this is how the albino poked fun at his brother, as it was the only thing he found as of yet that would push the kid's buttons, even if it was only slightly.
At that moment, it hit Otomeza as to what they could do. "Hey, either of you want to learn a new song?" she called from the kitchen, putting the lunches in the refrigerator and wiping her hands off before heading into the room where the twins were set up. The both of them looked interested, and nodded almost in unison as she entered. Happily, she crouched down and started singing slowly, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G~"
"Ooh, I heard this one a'fore!" Iridian chirped after a moment, though he was never able to memorize it before. They both tried to copy the song as she sang it, and before long, after a few times through, she tried to coax the two of them to repeat it by themselves. Iridian opted to go first, "A, B, G... A, B, C? D-E-F-G!" He kept switching a couple of letters, but it was only a matter of time before he had the song down pat.
Cheyenne, on the other hand, kept freezing in his pace and forgetting where he had left off from. "H, I... K? N-No... Uhmmm..." he hesitated, pausing before trying to start it up again, "A, B, C, D.... D -- E! Mmnh... E...." Another long pause, and Iridian started getting fidgety. He wanted to help, but he knew that it would only manage to make his brother angry! However, the wiggling around was doing that enough as it was, and before he embarrassed himself further, Cheyenne shot up. "This is stupid!" he growled, storming into the room so he wouldn't be stared at anymore.
"Oh dear..." Meza sighed, resting her jaw in the palm of her hand, "That didn't go very well." Seems the albino was starting to develop some patience and anger issues. Glancing to Iridian, she noticed that the toddler looked genuinely concerned for his brother, an expression that he rarely used around his brother at all. Well, Riddy's still here; better make the best of it, she decided, giving the kid a smile. "Let's practice some more, shall we? Then we'll move on to numbers, and you'll be able to spell things in no time!"
The toddler fidgeted again, still worried but excited to be learning all this despite the circumstance. "'Kay!" he nodded, eager to soak it up.
[[ Word Count: 787 ]] |
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:33 pm
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Otomeza's Video Log
Entry #2
The lights flashed on, and before Otomeza had the chance to get her face out of the screen, the video started recording. Leaning over, the camera focused on one of her eyes as she squinted to get a look at the light. "Aww crud, the thing's running..." she murmured, almost inaudible on the recording with the microphone still sitting on her seat. Quickly, she snatched it up and replaced the microphone with herself, flashing a sheepish grin at the camera. "Okay, this is Otomeza's video log, entry number two!" she stated, voice slightly above cracking.
She glanced briefly off to the side, a little roll of her eyes at herself as she cleared her throat. "Well, I had stated in my last entry that there were going to be a number of overcast, rainy days, and the reports didn't lie. Granted, I figured there were going to be more of them, but the boys and I have been taking advantage of the clear nights that go along with the sunny days also, so it's not a totally lost cause. After all... it is summer, so it shouldn't be surprising," she waved a hand in dismissal, "buuut what can you do?"
Hmm, a little too friendly, compared to my more 'technical' first entry, she noted, but shrugged off the observation. Nothing wrong to give them a little pizazz, was there? Insert her own personality in? Yeah... this would be better, because of that! With a sharp nod to herself before she knew what she was doing, she began to speak again, "The boys have met a number of spawn since my last entry, and I can safely say that they've gotten along with most -- if not all -- of them as far as I can tell." She beamed proudly, but let it drop as she continued. "Though... it's odd, but they've met mostly older kids. There were..." she mouthed a couple of silent words as she counted on her fingers, "Yeeah, they met two kids their own age. Got along great and everything, I'm just curious to find out if there really are that few of a number of toddler-spawn around here." She frowned at the awkward wording that she had used, but couldn't come up with anything better to use in description; it was too late for that sort of thing.
She waved it off, quite literally, and switched the subject with ease, "So, the twins. Iridian is still the same ol' ball of energy, as always, and it seems that he's been trying to get it to rub off on Cheyenne. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but some of the techniques he's been using are a little... well, it's obvious that they wouldn't work." Clearing her throat, she paused to look for a clear way of explaining, "He's... Iridian's really good at determining what Cheyenne is feeling. It's almost uncanny, considering that they're opposites, and--"
She pursed her lips for a moment, "I should probably point out here that a lot of the time, Iridian's little plots actually do work on Cheyenne, to a minor degree more often than not. It's just that the kid will pull him around like a puppy on a leash, and try to coax him into getting Cheyenne to play in the most ridiculous of games. Cheyenne doesn't like all the activity, and would prefer to be the wallflower during those times. He's not an active kid!" She had to snicker at the situation, despite herself, "It also doesn't help that Iridian will be just like the normal brother when he starts feeling comfortable with another kid, and will pester Cheyenne in ways that he knows annoys the younger one. At least it's obvious that he shows concern..."
She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to remember what else it was that she had wanted to mention. Sitting back up straight, she started on her last topic with a smile, "So, Iridian learned his alphabet and how to count the other day! He sings the song a lot, and will randomly scribble it in his coloring books for practice. He knows how to spell his name, as well as Cheyenne's and mine. Only problem is that Cheyenne got fed up with memorizing it and stormed off." She sighed, "I'll have to figure something else out for him... However, I have noticed that he will copy the tune when Iridian sings his ABC's, so he knows that much, at least."
She tapped a finger on her chin, trying to come up with a workaround to this turn of events. After a number of seconds, she shook her head, at a loss, "I'll think of something. Cheyenne's a bright kid; we'll find something that will help him out.
"However, I'm sorry to tell you this, folks, but that's all I've got for you tonight!" She waved a hand, as if acting out an ending to a Loony Tunes episode, "Catch you later!" And with that, she flipped the system's switch off, content with the amount of information for the entry.
[[ Word Count: 850 ]] |
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:36 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:54 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:57 pm
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Let's Try a Different Approach
Homeschooling, Take 2
"Cheyenne?" Otomeza maneuvered herself carefully down the hall to the twins' shared room, as if she were expecting Iridian to come tearing down it at any moment, or as if she were dodging strewn toys along the floor that weren't actually there. Gripped awkwardly in her hand was a CD-ROM, which she attempted to half-hide as she poked her head in the door, "Cheyenne?"
A light blue blanket, lined and star-speckled in a royal purple, sat in a mound on the bed along the right side of the wall, away from the window. Despite this, a heavy curtain still obscured sunlight from entering the artificially-lit room. Twisting around, Cheyenne's pale head appeared from one side of the blanket before bobbing back down, shutting the tape player off and pulling the headphones down to sit around his neck. Resituating the blanket up around his shoulders, the toddler sat up, "You say something?"
The woman couldn't help but smile at the scene. The blanket, oftentimes used as the 'older baby's pacifier,' had been given to the sickly child for comfort during sunny days. Although other measures had been taken to keep the sunshine out of the room as much as possible since then, Cheyenne seemed to have grown attached to his 'blankie.' It made her feel like she was finally doing something right with the kid.
Clearing her throat, she paused for a moment as she carefully chose her words. The boy had gotten so touchy lately, she wanted to make sure she spoke in a clearly inoffensive way, despite the subject matter being in the other ball park. Hmm... maybe if I just completely blindsided him, it would be seen as a concealed helping hand? she concluded, opting to try it out. If he took to the idea right away, after all, there was no reason for him to get mad! "Would you... ahh, I want to show you something. Could you come with me for a bit?" she asked, slightly unsure.
The toddler blinked, curious as to why she seemed so nervous. His face reverted to a mild frown, defensive, as these careful actions displayed by his mother tended to only be used when she was concerned about his own reaction. That strained lilt to her voice, her tense muscles, her nervous posture... He shrugged, however, accepting the request by removing the headphones from his person and sliding off the bed, blanket still wrapped tightly around his jaw. As long as it wasn't a trip to the doctors, he was willing to give... whatever this was a shot.
To his surprise, Meza led him to her own room, a place that was just riddled with wires and electronics along the walls. Curious... she didn't seem like the type... but Cheyenne's attention was immediately hooked. Glancing up at her questioningly, the woman merely smiled back under her mat of curls, leading the boy over to the computer. After switching it on, a pause as she waited for the machine to start up, she motioned to the chair in front of it, "Go on, sit down! I want you to try something."
He frowned again, but his curiosity was only growing at this point. Besides, she was letting him use a computer! He couldn't help but be overcome with excitement, despite how deftly he masked the emotion. With little hesitation, the tiny kid hopped into the chair, careful to not get his barbed tail caught in the fabric of the seat as he released his tight grip on the blanket around his shoulders. Instinctively, his hand took hold of the mouse as his eyes rolled back over to his mother, awaiting further instruction.
She couldn't help but feel a wash of adoration -- he was just too adorable! Popping the disk into the computer, she elaborated on the situation, "I want you to try out this little computer game." Cheyenne's face immediately turned sour, about to retort that that was something that Iridian would like, but Otomeza insisted by interjecting, "Now, come on. I know you don't tend to like games, but give this a chance, okay? If you don't like it, you can stop, but at least try. Can you do that for me?" She held her hands together in a pleading manner, though laughter still danced across her features. It was the only way she could think of to get him to learn his alphabet and how to count -- she didn't know what to turn to next for aid!
With a soft sigh, the pale boy responded with a simple, "Okay, I will."
Despite himself, Cheyenne was quickly engrossed in the games that played across the screen, and just as easily mastered them as well. Otomeza was surprised at the swiftness of this feat, watching every-so-often from the doorway. Even so, the toddler continued to play and re-play the games, entranced and enthralled.
A tug came from behind, and Otomeza's eyes were pulled from the scene to fall on the mismatched eyes of Iridian. "When's i' my turn?" he asked curiously, leaning over to indicate the computer that Cheyenne was still seated at.
She smiled, crouching down a mite to ruffle the toddler's teal hair, "It's a game to teach Cheyenne the ABC's. You already learned them, silly!" After a moment's thought, revising upon Iridian's pout, she added, "Once he's done with it, okay?"
"Bu' Ma! Ennie already learned all tha'!" the boy whined, "He been singing it since he been listening to da songs on the tapes!" He made a motion with his hands at his ears, as if he were repeatedly taking off and putting on headphones.
Wide-eyed, Otomeza nearly choked on her words, "What!?"
[[ Word Count: 946 ]] |
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 8:00 pm
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Otomeza's Video Log
Entry #3
It had started to become second-nature for Otomeza and the recording equipment strewn across the far wall of her room, her skill at using the technology having grown exponentially in her short time with it. It had been her sister's idea to use it, first coming across as a joke because of Otomeza's apparent ineptitude when it came to the newest gadgets when it was Ryuuza herself that was isolated from it all. Well, this was sure to show her. Otomeza made the effort to practice with it when she wasn't recording true video journals, writing and re-writing over a once-blank disk with any random thing that she could think of. A faint idea to record the twins like a true home movie had crossed her mind before, but it was quickly eradicated from it with the way the two of them reacted toward unheeded attention like that.
She sat patiently on the chair in front of the video camera, waiting for the seconds to pass until the red light would indicate that it was recording. As the blinking stopped to shine without falter, the moment she had been watching for, a thought turned a light bulb on in her head in-step. Without thinking, her eyes wide in realization, the first words out of her mouth were recorded on disk, "Oh... oh crap, I haven't contacted Ryu about all this yet..."
The moment lasted in the span of but a second, but at the end of the pause that followed, her face flushed. She made a mental note to remember to make that call in the daylight hours, but vocally apologized to an audience that wasn't there about the beginning of her entry. Flustered and sheepish, she nearly strangled the microphone in her hands, "I-I'm sorry! That's... that's not how--"
She cut herself off, trying to regain her composure. Her words were still tinged with embarrassment, but she was slowly coming back into her original mindset as she started anew, "Otomeza's video log, entry number three!" She held up her fingers to indicate the number visually, partially out of eagerness to steady herself, before she continued along.
"These past few months, as I'm sure you could imagine... and have heard... have been hectic. Fun, don't get me wrong! But hectic as all get out. My world was virtually turned on its head," she started, as a small introduction to lead into what she really wanted to report on, before she thought to revise her words. "Well... I shouldn't be so selfish about all that. I'm not the only one that that has happened to, and I'm sure the boys would agree. Funny thing about all that is, though... kids have such an easier time when it comes to adaptability to change. I suppose, if you're around it since life began for you, it's not all that strange," she snickered a little meekly, not all that sure if that was the case in this instance, but finding it intriguing to point out nonetheless.
"In their short time out in the world, the two boys have certainly made a lot of friends. It wouldn't be all that strange in the normal sense, but it isn't as though they go to a public school, where kids their own age are frequently found. In all honesty, I am astounded by the amount of kids in this city that are in their same boat, have the same origins, and that they have managed to run in to. Not only that, but the most astounding part -- they appear to get along with them all fairly well. Maybe... maybe not the best, at times, but that is to be expected. One needs to have a certain amount of patience to deal with either one of them, or feel a sense of camaraderie in similarities. I suppose it's to be expected that the latter is highly possible, since they all came from, well... a laboratory, but the boys' flaws don't seem to bother most people." She thought her last line over a bit with a grimace and pointed out, "Well, bother people to the point of anger or frustration, at least. They all... well, all the kids seem fairly understanding in that respect." She beamed at that, relieved over the circumstances, grateful for the happenstance, for the luck they had in finding others that weren't too put-off by the toddlers' antics.
"Speaking of which, I could say the same for their guardians as well. While many of them are old enough that a parental accompaniment isn't needed, I've had the pleasure of meeting a few. They are... well, they've got just as large of a range in personalities as the kids have, to summarize," she giggled, but seemed to wince a little at the same time. "I hope to meet more of them, maybe get some pointers from some veteran guardians. Not sure if I'd be able to use the advice they give, but it couldn't hurt to ask around. I'm a new mother, after all. It's not like I have experience to draw from," she smirked wryly at the thought, "Not even a mother to request assistance from or anything." She fidgeted at the acceptance of such a fact, but her mind grumbled a counter at her. In retort to such a thought, she firmly dictated, "However, I'm not about to allow this family to become a broken home like that. Not now, not ever.
"Wow, ahh..." she rubbed her forehead in surprise, "I... guess I'm a little tired tonight. I'll make the rest of this short.
"Hmmn... well, first off, the boys seem to have gotten along with another toddler by the name of Boian quite well. We met him and his guardian, Keal, at a science museum, and they really hit it off! I don't think I've been so surprised by the two of them before." She beamed at the memory, still fresh in her mind, "It was so adorable! They had the time of their life, and it all started with a little musical number they did. Made a band by themselves and everything." An escaping giggle emerged, "Keal even thought that, if they really tried, they could truly make their own band. I could see it happening, if they all really put their minds to it, I really could. He even said they could come by and practice in the studio there. It was incredibly generous of him to offer such a thing, and with the way we all got along, I don't see why that shouldn't happen. I'm sure the boys would be ecstatic to see them both again!"
Tapping a clawed finger on her chin, she decided that that was enough when it came to catching up on events. She moved on with her lecture, "As for the boys, they aren't too far different from before. Sure, there is plenty of evolution in the way they act, parallel to the growing that they have been doing -- physically and mentally -- but the foundations are still fairly present. Iridian is still hyperactive, still a bundle of energy, and he uses said intellect to find new ways of burning that off. That said, some of that worries me. Sure, he can be productive, and I can probably use that fact to my benefit... but he can be such a little monkey. He doesn't always listen to what I have to say when I advise him against something, either. I've been trying to counteract this by going out of my way to do things with him, like meeting all these new friends, but... frankly, I'm exhausted. He's got a lot more energy than I do. Where do kids get all that anyway?" She let a little sigh off, but her smile was evident, "I can handle it and all, but... a mother's gotta worry.
"Cheyenne, however... his personality has made him an easier case to handle. However, trying to keep Riddy happy tends to wear on Cheyenne more than it does me, so it has become a balancing act. While he can be pushed into being more social, Cheyenne really doesn't push himself to do so on his own. If left to his own devices, he'd probably stay in his room until dinnertime." She bit at her bottom lip, displaying an all-to-common look of motherly concern, "He's at least found a new passion, but it doesn't help him much in the social department. I suppose I could hook my computer up to the internet and change that, but would that only keep him from life that much more? Well... all-in-all, it's not something I have a lot of say in, in any case. There are plenty of days where, no matter how badly I want him to, he can't go outside, and can't socialize. I suppose... it's the least I can do."
The woman flicked her tufted tail, mulling thoughts over in her mind for a moment. Coming up empty, she responded as though being interviewed, "I believe that is all I really have to report at this time. There is still a lot I need to think about, a lot I need to do, and a lot I need to prepare for. But, hey, isn't that what being a parent is all about? It's not like this is some sort of foster care, no matter how much it might seem like it now -- this is the real deal. And I'm ready!" She punched at the air with a lightly-balled fist, and although her excitement over all of this was displayed like she may have wanted it to, the fatigue was still there. "Until next time, this is Otomeza Ekibyougami, signing off!"
And with the finality of the spoken words and a punch of a painted button, the red light on the camera blinked into slumber.
[[ Word Count: 1,646 ]] |
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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:56 pm
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sevenofsevenmule It would be on a Saturday that you open your mail box (if you have one) and notice there is a rather thick envelope stuffed in there. There is no postage stamp and a very vague return address. But you recognize the font and the company's name. 'Seven of Seven Inc' scrawled in majestic font across the upper left hand corner. As you open it, you may strangely find yourself drawn to the letter, there is a mass of notes inside. They read as follows:Letter Congratulations! You have managed to succeed in raising your child. (IE: Not killing him or her or getting killed yourself. Haha we kid of course.) We would like an update from you on the following: Guardians Name: Child's Name: Sin: Virtue: Gender: Current Attitude: Likes: Dislikes: Any abnormal growths: (if any, example: Feathers molting, horns growing larger, scars ) Current hair style: Current clothing preferences: Dominant celestial trait: (The sin or virtue) Please summarize in your own words how difficult or easy it was taking care of your child. Did you manage to care for them in a kindly fashion? Or were you forced to discipline them? As well do not be alarmed if you suddenly find your child achieving a massive growth spurt in the next little while. We are finding that the children from our facility have strange growing patterns and are rather unpredictable. Although please let us know if anything unexpected occurs. Sincerely the technicians from Seven of Seven Inc. Ps. Please just leave your letter back in your mail box one you have completed it our courier will pick it up. Thank you.
(Just take the from Guardians name to Dominant Celestial trait and pm it to the mule, the summarization doesn't have to be long just have fun with it.) |
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