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 Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:17 pm
A storm was being birthed. The air was thick with it, heavy and humid though not yet cold. Michael stood on the porch, feeling the energy on the wind, letting it power him. Some days he just felt so damn tired.
"Da'?" Earako's voice was a surprise, he'd thought she was in her room colouring. And when she did something, it kept her whole attention, it wasn't like her to stop doing something before he pushed her toward a new activity, "Wha' you see?"
"Nothing, Kid." He responded, not entirely sure he was telling her the truth. But there was nothing he could explain. Thought, regret, confusion. The usual. Maybe he was hitting his mid-life crisis. And at only thirty. But then, living to sixty, that was a joke. "What do you see?"
"Leev." She answered, pointing to a green speck on the winds, being carried toward them.
It was a leaf, slender and rather lovely. It continued to move toward them, carried in dips and spirals, until it hit Michael squarely in the chest. Catching it, he turned it over in his fingers, suprised at how right it felt. Strange, he was more of a city person, not a nature lover.
"Da', we keep i'?" Earako asked him, reaching up to touch it.
"Sure, whatever you want, darling." He ruffled her pale, fine hair and moved back toward the house, leaf in hand. "We'll put it on the wall, or something."
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:13 am
Earako was at school, and the apartment seeme quiet without her. Oh, there was still noise, Michael played his music loud enough to irritate the neighbors, but that was different. Nothing like the quiet laughter of his petite daughter. It made him restless, but it was too early for action.
Sitting in his favorite chair, he turned his camera over in his hands thoughtfully, anxious for something, anything to do. TV hadn't held his attention, and he didn't feel like walking.
Green. The leaf, sitting on the coffee table, caught his eye. He'd still not decided what to do with it. It was still green, oddly, after days of being disconnected from whatever plant it'd left. Still green and obviously vital, almost humming with life. Reaching out he ran his finger over it, able to imagine he felt it thrumming with hidden energy.
A glance through his camera lens, and he smiled. What he'd do with a bunch of pictures of a leaf, who knew. but it was something to fill the time. A click, the flash and he was almost... just for a second the leaf had almost seemed to leap in exictement. And now it lay in a slightly different position.
He'd imagined it. Leaf's didn't pose for photographs. Click, flash, shudder. Again, that brief jolt of excitement. Michael rubbed his eyes. He hadn't thought he was lonely enough to start imagining companionship from a leaf. But still. He kept taking pictures, never quite catching, but always almost seeing, the leafs excited response.
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Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 7:43 pm
"Can' s'eep." Earako complained, standing at the foot of Michael's bed, hugging her wolf plushie to her chest. Michael could barely get his eyes to focus on her in the dark, but knew she could see him well enough. She had better night vision than he did.
"Baby, what's wrong? You have a nightmare?" He mumbled, sitting up in bed and trying not to remember how late he'd been up. It was hard, with the rough ache still running through is body. Sometimes he thought it'd be better just to have Kyle move in with them, keep an eye on his girl full time. But, no. Earako was his responsibility, and he wasn't going to hire a full time babysitter. Bad enough that Kyle had to watch her while she slept.
"No. I can' s'eep."
With a sigh, Michael pushed back the covers and tried to stand up straight. This was what fatherhood meant, right? "Okay, Kid. You get back in bed and I'll warm you up some milk." He mussed her hair as he passed her, pushing her gently in the right direction.
Stumbling into the kitchen, he found himself blinking at the fridge in confusion. Something was off about it, and at first he couldn't place it. There was Earako's artwork, held up in places of honor, some coupons, and... the leaf.
The leaf, that was it. It wasn't glowing, not exactly. Yet at the same time, it stood out sharply in the darkness, the green showing very clearly in the dim light. He could see every detail of it, where everything, including the magnet that held it, was softened by night. It was as if it existed somewhere different, somewhere that the sun still shown.
Touching it gently, and feeling the warm life it seemed to emit, he smiled. There really was a beauty to the little bit of greenery, strange though it was.
But, there was a little girl in the other room, and that was the issue of the moment. Opening the fridge, he took out the carton of milk, remembering how his grandmother used to do the same thing for him.
But that had been a long time ago.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:41 pm
Tyyne sighed as she put on orange flowerpot in front of lithle's door attached with a small envelope. She smiled slightly and wondered what kind of Eden would live inside this building.
Pushing a strand of long blond hair out of her face she turned around and left quickly.A letter from Eden
Dear Michael,
My name is Lena and I've been informed that you might have found a leaf lately. I manage an institution called Eden Project and I have to inform you that your leaf is a special one. Don't think I'm telling you lies, but your leaf will develop into a child. Out of experience I advise you plant your leaf into the soil and the flowerpot I have sent you. If you need further information you can visit our headquarters close to Barton Town.
Have a nice day
~Lena
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:15 pm
Michael read the letter again, as if he might find something new with a third reading. He found only the same words, clear and unchanging. So... his leaf would turn into a child? It seemed a bit far fetched. Even for Gaia, it seemed a bit far fetched. From his seat at the kitchen table, he glanced toward the fridge, where a magnet held the leaf in clear view. Still green, as it'd been since Earako had first spotted it.
That was strange. But strange enough to justify him believing he was going to obtain another child? He wasn't so sure about that. But, he wasn't unsure either. He was only confused. And that, alone, made him obey the letter. He'd find the Eden Project HQ later, ask for details.
Earako might like a younger sibling, right? He'd have to ask her when she got back for class.
For now... the flowerpot was filled with rich black earth, only waiting for the leaf to be planted. Crossing the kitchen, he took the leaf from its place of honor, and pressed it into the soil. He could feel... could imagine he felt... a warmth, a joy from the leaf. There was something, something that made the leaf special, that called the eye and brought a smile to his lips.
There, that would do right? It looked planted enough. Michael had never had a garden. "Grow well... child?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:52 am
Michael barely heard the door fly open, but then, Earako did like to move quietly. He'd spent the last half hour staring at the leaf. Well... staring at the leaf and... testing things again. Finally willing to admit that the little flutters and movements he'd been seeing were real, he'd decided to see what the leaf liked.
It apparently loved the camera, or perhaps it was just the flashes of light. If a leaf could be said to preen, it did. If not, well it certainly managed to shake and pose, as best as a planted leaf could. Which, Michael discovered, was more than one might expect.
Music also caught its interest. Not just any music though. Classical got only minor interest, country, rap, folk and most alternative just made it sulk. No, what the leaf wanted was music with a beat. Techno perked it right up and set it shivering. The sort of music that was played in clubs. It seemed to enjoy most Pop as well, though too a lesser extent.
"Da'?" Earako walked right up to him, tugging lightly at his arm. Turning, he saw his daughter, wolf plushie under one arm, looking up at him impatently. "Da', whatcha doin'?"
"I'm-- Earako, I think you should sit down for a minute." No time like the present to tell her what was going on.
"'m I in trouble?" She asked, cautiously, as she took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Nah, Kid. You're fine." Reaching over, he squeezed her arm reassuringly, then turned his attention back to the leaf. "Look, I planted the leaf you found."
"Da', leafs don't grow." Her brow furrowed a bit, and she chewed absently at the end of one of the black ribbons in her hair. Her tone was gentle, but insistant.
"This is a special leaf. I got a letter today." He touched the soil in the pot gently, patting it down. "It said this leaf is going to turn into a kid."
"Da', leafs don't turn into kids." Even more insistant this time, and there was confusion in her voice. She was frowning, unhappy with the attack on the logic of her world.
"Well, this is a special leaf. It moves, it reacts. I think there might be something too what they said."
"Really?" The first perk of interest, and Earako stared at the leaf intently. Reaching out with one pale hand, she brushed her finger over it, jerking it back abruptly when the leaf curled toward her hand. "Oh!"
"You see?"
"Is it a boy leaf or a girl leaf?" Earako asked, reaching out again, more hesitantly this time.
"I don't know. But we're going to go ask some people who know more about this." He watched as Earako interacted cautiously with the leaf, and hid a smile. "Do you want a younger sibling?"
"Umm..." She went quiet, hand falling to the table. Her voice was careful when she finally responded. "If its nice. It'd be like if 'bel lived with up."
"A little like that, yeah." Standing, he tugged Earako to her feet, giving her a hug that picked her feet up off the ground. "You know what sounds good?"
She squeeked, kicking her legs and twitching her folded wings until he set her back down? "What?"
"Ice cream."
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:48 pm
So, I guess I should keep a record of all this. I try to keep a record of what's going on with Earako, so its important that I keep a record of what's going on with... leaf. We haven't actually come up with a name yet.
It's very strange, and getting stranger. I wasn't sure how much trust to put in the letter initially, but now I almost can't help but believe. Hell, maybe it's not going to turn into a kid. But if it's not, it's a really weird leaf anyway. It dances. It poses for pictures. Loves cameras. Seriously.
I water it, and keep it in the sun. It doesn't seem to like the shade. And I'm not entirely sure what's involved in proper care and feeding of leaf babies. Earako's easy. She can tell me what she wants. Dealing with... the leaf, is different. I have to judge by its reactions, and then I have to try and figure out if that was a positive shake or a negative shake.
Well, it's pretty anyway. And it looks nice in the kitchen. And it makes Earako happy. Nothing for it but to wait, and to make a few plans. If it really is going to be a kid, I'm gonna need room for it. So, I've cleaned up the spare room a bit. Not decorated or anything, but put a bed in. Right now its a guest room. If the leaf does turn into a kid, we'll take it from there.
Michael
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:12 pm
A One Sided Conversation "Umm, hey. Da' says your gonna be my little sister. Or brother. Are you a boy leaf or a girl leaf? Da' says he doesn't know. You know, I used to think he knew everything? I guess he doesn't, not really. But he knows mostly a lot. I don't know much at all. I don't know if you're a boy leaf or a girl leaf. I don't even know if I want you to be anything but a leaf. Not that I don't like you or anything, 'cuz I do. But Da's already so busy. And now that Kyle has Isabel... well... I dunno. I guess I feel sad. Just a little, just sometimes. Maybe if your ever not a leaf, things'll be like they were. You know. But maybe stuffs always been like this. Maybe I was just too little to notice. I notice a lot of stuff now. Da's sad most the time. Kyle's hurt. Lithle's angry. I think, well, I think maybe being a grown up is hard. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so sad, you know? You'll find out when you get here. When you get big, everything gets scary. I'm s'posed to get a dragon. I'm scared of that. Scared it won't like me. It's s'posed to. We gots to be friends. It's my job. I'm scared of going to school sometimes. 'cuz I know not everyone can like everyone. I want to like everyone. I'm scared Da' will go out at night, and not come back. He says its dangerous out there. So shouldn't it be for him too. I'm scared of you. I'm scared you won't like me. I'm scared Da' will like you more than me. But maybe it won't be like that. We could be friends. Savius and Jer'ain are friends. And 'bel says that families take care of each other. I'll do my best to take care of you. That's Da' comin' home. Maybe we can talk again later. I gots to help with the groceries.
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Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 12:44 pm
"Michael, I swear it! This is the last time! I'm so-" Lithle sure was in fine form, Michael thought, hiding a smile while the red headed woman ranted. It was a monthly event really, like someone in Tred getting injured, and Kyle getting a new tattoo. He was used to it.
"Done yet, b***h?" He interjected, his own voice calm. Not that he didn't get angry. He could do it just as well, if not better than she did. But Michael saved his anger. Built and brooded and formed it into power. But, he led Tred. She didn't. She didn't need the same sort of focus.
"No, I'm not done." Lithle hissed, looking all the more pissed for the interuption. She took a step toward him, and Michael continued to sit calmly, doing little more than blinking. It wasn't that he didn't think Lithle would hurt him. It was that he knew she wouldn't hurt him without a real reason. She didn't have one.
On the table, the leaf seemed to vibrate with the force of Lithle's anger, shivering as if in a strong wind. He watched, facinated, as it began to wilt, tip curling over in a defensive posture.
"That's enough." Cutting her off a second time wasn't exactly wise, but none the less necissary. "You're scaring my leaf."
That worked. Lithle stopped mid word to stare at him, as if closer study might give meaning to what he'd said. Michael gestured to the flower pot, directing the woman's slate gray gaze to the leaf.
"What the hell?"
"It's a baby. Or something. It's supposed to be one eventually anyway."
"You're kidding."
"Says the woman who's been ranting about being given possession of a haunted wand?"
"Point."
"Yeah."
They stared at each other for a minute, caught by the strangeness that their lives had developed. Lithle's scowl turned to a wicked grin that he saw all too rarely, and she laughed, a hard, rough sound. He joined her, the world, all of it, suddenly less painful.
It felt good to smile. It felt good to see her smile.
In its pot, the leaf danced with joyful enthusiasm.
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:13 am
One day the leaf suddenly seems to have a purple shade. Throughout the afternoon the colour becomes even more intensive and the leaf twitches joyfully the whole day. What's going on ?
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:21 am
"Da'! Da'! The leaf is, umm, purpling!" Earako's quiet voice didn't carry much even at a shout, but the newly hatched red dragon Vimber, added a yowling shriek to her calls, and that was enough to bring Michael running.
They'd moved recently, and the leaf no longer occupied its place of honor in the living room. Instead, it'd been put in the room set aside for it once it hatched... grew... umm... well... whatever leaves did when they turned into children. For the most part, it was a guard against the leaf getting eaten by, say, a hungry and destructive dragon.
"Earako, you know she's not supposed to be in here." Michael's scolding lacked any real force, and he joined her at the window, where the leaf was indeed showing a definate purple cast, and doing it's happy twitching 'dance'.
"I was just gonna say hi..." Earako explained, her fingers reaching out to gently brush over the leaf. "And it was being weird."
"Well, I'll watch it. Maybe it's nothing." He chewed on his bottom lip, considering. "Why don't you go get some water. Maybe it's thirsty."
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 8:10 am
As the leaf hears about water it dance seems to intensivy and it looks like several pieces of itself are ripped of and glued back to itself again, somtimes even looking like a strange skirt. A sweet smile enherites the room out of sudden.
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 8:23 am
Well, this was gettiing strange. Turning purple was odd enough, but the leaf appeared to be changing shape as well! Was it supposed to do that? Gods, if the thing came with a letter, why couldn't it come with an instruction manual as well? Michael was completely at a loss.
Luckily, Earako returned at just that moment, a glass of water in her hand. Looking up at him for permission, she sprinkled some of the water in the pot, only a little bit, but enough to wet the soil (and the leaf, as well). "Da' what's it doing?"
"I don't have a clue, Kid." He shook his head and continued to watch the leaf, facinated, if more than a little worried.
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 8:29 am
As the water was poured onto the leaf the earth doesn't seem to take it in, but instead the smell intensivies and now becomes a creepy thick purple fog, which quickly spreads throughout the room.
It's impossible to see anything, but as quickly as it had appeared the smoke vanishes again and left is a toddler girl, which looks at you. Tansi is born.
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:57 pm
And that was that. There she was, when the smoke cleared, looking up at him, her expression almost amused. Michael didn't know what to do, and yet there was only one thing to do. Pick the girl up and hold her close. Let her squirm in his arms, and touch his face, all curiousity and interest.
"Hey there, beautiful."
"He~ey." She echoed, her voice cheerful and energetic.
"I'm your Daddy." Because it was true, impossible but none the less very real. He pointed to Earako. "And that's your big sister."
"Daee. Sisar." She agreed, reaching her grabbing fingers out toward the other girl. "I?"
"Your Tansi. And you're beautiful."
"Mmm. Bewful." She agreed, with a happy giggle. And then, just as suddenly as she'd arrived, she was sound asleep in his arms.
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