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 Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:25 pm
Home Sweet Home: Turning Over a New Leaf (Yay for two cliches in a row!) Higashi I've been a wanderer for most of my life. One could say I'm homeless, but I don't care what other people say. Settling down is especially hard for me to do, because the wanderlust always affects my thoughts. I love being out on the road, seeing both new sights and old, exploring forests and fields, cities and deserts, mountains and rivers, and so on. It's all very exhilarating to me. I never once complained about my unpredictable lifestyle, or my lack of a home that I could always come back to after a long day's end. However, my spirit, the spark of curiosity that once shined so fervently in my soul has dimmed, and I've concluded that I can't do this for much longer. Call it a whim, but I need to pull off my traveler's boots and enjoy, if only for a little while, what it's like to have a place I can call my own.
My realization for this sudden decision of mine came when I was walking through the woods one day, right outside Barton Town. The forest was sufficiently abandoned of most human life, though evidence, like hunter's traps and salt licks obstructed my path here and there. I broke off the main trail, as I always do, and went off in my own direction. My meanderings led me to a small open field, closed off on all four sides by forest. I inspected the area, and my eyes came to a man-made construction in the left corner. It was a house. Immediately, I felt the deja vu rush in. Everything was all too familiar to my previous home. The field, the forest, the house...I even tried to find three small rocks, crude gravestones that marked the area where my only family was buried. I stood in the field, basking in the warm sunlight, trying to come to terms with the painful familiarity, and the forlorn memories of the past that I know I'm never able to forget.
I stepped forward, timidly approaching the house. It was abandoned, and looked as if it had been abandoned for a good amount of years. The roof tiles were falling apart, there was no front door, and the windows were nothing more than gaping holes where wind could freely sweep in and out of. The house was two stories, constructed of all wood (save for the roof tiles). The wood, in places, looked as if it was rotting off.
Inside, it was even worse. Cobwebs and spider webs decorated each crevice and each corner. Dust, dirt, and grime were completely caked on the wooden floor-- even if it wasn't a wooden floor, I couldn't tell. The staircase was a jumbled up mess, not even closely resembling anything to a staircase. Half of the banister was missing, along with half of the stairs. The rest of the staircase was either sagged or broken, while littered with a mass of debris from the large hole in the roof that formed up above, allowing some sunlight to pass in. The whole house quivered and creaked as I walked through each room, flooded with spiders sitting in their webs, mouse holes, and birds' nests that were settled up in the rafters. To some people, the house may have been nothing more than a falling apart wreck that needed to be torn down. To me, it was home, yet so much of it reminded me of the house in where I experienced such bitter, painful, and yet, happy memories. Perhaps that's why I felt a strong connection to it. This is when I realized; I need to live here. This will be my new home.
It took me weeks of strenuous repair, and most of my gold, but it was well worth it. The house was in a much better condition than it had been nearly a month ago. The roof was completely fixed, all the titles back in their proper positions, the hole no longer having any indication of ever being there. The rotting wood was replaced with newer, sturdier, wood, the same wood that I used for the new staircase. I added new glass to the windows, and purchased a new door for the front. Cobwebs and spider webs were cleared, the dust was cleaned, and several traces of furniture, along with curtains for the windows and rugs for the floors, were present in the rooms. I felt bad, however, when I had to remove the birds' nests and mouse dwellings. I'm sure more linger in the house, but I might as well let them reside here. After all, they've been there longer than I have. I relocated some of the nests onto trees I saw fit for each species. If they want to come back, they're free to. The attic, that I discovered contained a civilization of bats, will remain untouched. I don't need to use the attic, anyway. The house is big enough for me. I'm only one person, and I can share my new home with the creatures of the forest.
I know there are more things I need to fix. The floor, also, will eternally creak. That doesn't bother me. In fact, I find the creaking almost relaxing to hear. The memories are strong every time I enter the house, but I'm sure they will come to pass. Simply being in here has revived a certain part of me that lay dormant for all the years that my wandering was the dominant direction programmed in my mind. I hope to stay here for a while. I will make sure that I do.
For now, Higashi was content on traversing the forest in which he loved, and seeing the sights he never tired to see.
That was when he caught a fleck of green out of the corner of his eye.
Turning around, he focused his full attention to the ground beneath his feet. "It's February," he remarked, "There can't possibly be any green here, unless some shoots are sprouting out early." He stared intently at the floor, approaching nearer to the spot where he thought he saw the green. He led himself to the base of a great oak tree, its bare branches towering and embracing the cloudless sky.
Sitting at the oak base, was a small, green leaf.
Crouching down before the leaf, he tentatively picked it up, observing it carefully. "This isn't like any leaf I've ever seen," he said aloud, twirling the stem around delicately in his fingers. His emerald eyes widened as he felt a strong aura pulsating out of the leaf, an aura he never before felt in any plant. It seemed almost otherworldly.
A few minutes elapsed, and the pulse of the leaf never faltered. Indeed, the leaf was hiding more than what it had outwardly showed. "I feel drawn to you," Higashi whispered to the leaf as he slowly stood, cradling it in his hands. "Are you lonely?" His eyes saddened as he could almost feel the emotion contained within the leaf. "I know what that's like. I've also been very lonely."
Higashi cupped his hands around the leaf when a passing wind blew, not wanting it to be taken by the breeze. The crunching sound of forest underbrush returned as the young man began to walk, his eyes focused on the little green leaf that wiggled slightly in his hands.
"I'll be your friend," He smiled gently; "I'll take care of you."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:02 pm
The Naming Higashi Over the past few days, the leaf has exhibited behavior that leads me to believe that it is indeed not a normal leaf simply plucked off a tree. The other day, I spilt a glass of water over on the desk where I have situated the leaf. In response to the spill, it looked almost to flutter over to the puddle of water. When I left shortly to fetch a towel, the puddle of the water was reduced by a half. Everyday, I now leave a little bit of water on the desk next to the leaf, and everyday, the water disappears almost instantly once the leaf touches it.
I've also discovered that the leaf doesn't want to be left by itself in a room. The other day, I left its presence to go to sit on one of the small couches in the main room. As I was sitting there, reading, I saw, to my surprise, that the leaf was soaring in mid air, gliding on some unknown wind, and landing on my lap. Now, I don't know if it wanted to be a personal bookmark for me or not, but it either was very interested in what I was reading, or it desperately wanted my company. Or maybe I'm just crazy.
I've learned to accept the strange nature of this leaf. Just last night, I set an open book down on the desk next to the leaf. When I came downstairs this morning, I saw that the leaf was closed shut in the book. It didn't look uncomfortable; in fact, it looked like it was using the pages of the book as bed sheets.
I've grown very attached to the leaf over the few days that I've known it. I don't know if it's because I desperately seek company so much that my mind made up this story just so I won't feel lonely, or if I feel that I can relate to the sadness that I sometimes sense surrounding its aura. It's not a hopeless sadness, though; it's a sadness that one feels when they know they are truly alone.
For tonight, I will put the leaf in my room, next to my bed. That way, it will know what it feels like to have company. I think it may be learning to express more emotion towards me, too. Before, the leaf was very limp, and it would rarely, if ever, move. Before I picked it up in the forest, I would have found this behavior quite odd for a leaf, but now that I've established the fact that this is no ordinary leaf, and have seen what it can do, I must admit that it was very stationary in the beginning. Now, as I'm watching it while I write, it likes to twitch, vibrate, and lightly scrape at the desk. If I didn't know better, the leaf looks as if it's dying to get out and explore. This I know I can relate to. I know I always could never stay in one place for very long.
As he walked with the leaf through the forest, he pointed out various types of trees, plants, and weeds, looking down at the leaf to see if it understood. It quivered a little in his hand, and by the look of the faint smile on Higashi's face, the leaf comprehended.
"I think I should give you a name," he commented several hours later, when both were resting beside a small stream, "that way, I won't have to call you 'Leaf' or 'It' all the time." In response, the leaf shifted a bit in Higashi's outstretched palm. "Hmm, I guess you would like that, then."
"Let's see if I can think of something," He trailed off, his emerald eyes wandering from tree to tree, as if attempting to recall something from long ago. "When I was little," he averted his eyes to glance at the leaf, "I would hear my mother talk about something that she told me was special. A very special guardian who watched over me. She called this guardian 'Laerad'." The smile from before returned to his features. "I believe that you're, in a way, that guardian. At least, if not a guardian, a companion. Someone I can look after." The leaf made a slight whirring noise in reaction to Higashi's words, as if a bit surprised to hear them.
"Do you like that name? Laerad?" The leaf vibrated softly, and Higashi nodded. "Yes? Then that is what your name shall be. Laerad."
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:46 pm
Tyyne put the heavy orange flowerpot close to the house near the woods. It was an extremely beautiful place and she envied the ones who lived here.[Placing the small bag of soil and an envelope beside the pot she nodded to herself.
Another one done. Hopefully she'd be able to see the new Edens soon.A letter from Eden
Dear Higashi,
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 4:50 pm
Upon reading the letter that he found--along with a pot and a bag of soil--at his doorstep that morning, Higashi smiled knowingly as he stepped back into the house, holding all the items delivered to him and setting them down carefully on a nearby desk. "I knew I wasn't going crazy," he said to himself as his eyes read over the words contained in the letter once again. "However, how did this institution know where I live? I've only moved here recently." Pondering it for a moment, he eventually shrugged and nonchalantly marked the reason as some type of magic. "After all, if nothing seems logical, magic usually has something to do with it," he deducted with a slight frown.
After he poured the soil into the pot, he picked it up with both hands and took it upstairs to his room, where the leaf, sitting on the night table, was awaiting his return. He placed the pot beside Laerad on the table, looking down at it and cocking his head to one side. "Hmm, I wonder what kind of kid you'll grow up to be." He smiled as the thought of raising a child brought happiness into his lonely soul. "I've always wanted a child. I'm glad someone heard me." Higashi picked up the leaf, and after stroking the stem softly with his index finger, gently stuck it into the soil. "I've never heard of planting a leaf before. A seed, yes, but leaf planting is something I haven't quite come across before," he said to Laerad while he turned and headed out of the room. "I suppose you work just like any plant, and need your essential sun and water," he called over his shoulder at the pot sitting on the desk, "so I'll be right back with some water for you."
As he left the room, a pang of warmth entered his body. He was going to be a guardian. A...father. However, as he thought about it, his emerald eyes saddened with a sudden realization. "I just hope I'm nothing like my father. I pray to the heavens that this be true," he muttered while he walked down the stairs to fetch some water for Laerad.
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Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:59 pm
The Battle for Freedom; The Fight for a New Life Higashi Laerad doesn't like its new home in the pot. Everyday, I see it struggling to break free from the soil. So much, that I'm afraid it will find a way to uproot...err, I mean, upleaf itself one day. I wonder how long Laerad will have to stay in the pot before it turns into a kid. I hope it doesn't take a lot of time, because Laerad is becoming very impatient. I suppose it wants to explore, or at least escape from what may seem to be its "prison". I have to assure the leaf that it won't be long before it becomes a child. No matter what I say, Laerad seems unfazed. It still constantly struggles.
I thought about the situation the leaf was in. Of course, I wouldn't be happy either if I had to stay planted in a pot for an extended amount of time. Laerad must be bored. So as to give it something to do, I went into Barton Town today and bought a few picture books for it to look at. It's not much, but what else can a planted leaf do but look around?
I went over to the windowsill with an art book I had purchased for a reasonable price. I relocated Laerad's pot over there, so that it can receive sun, and also have a nice view of the forest. I thought maybe, if I give the leaf a picturesque view, it can find some comfort in the scenery while it undergoes this stage in its life. I suppose, even if it's beautiful, looking at the same view for too long gets to be boring. I decided then that I would spend every moment of my day with Laerad, supervising it and entertaining it to the best of my abilities.
I opened the art book and showed Laerad the pictures. It seemed to like them, for it reacted to every picture I showed it. If it really liked one in particular, it wiggled excitedly and curled forward, as if to see the picture better. I kept the book open for a while until it shook slightly, indicating that it wanted me to turn the page. At least Laerad seems to appreciate art.
If Laerad could sigh, he would've, as he thought about his current predicament. It looked like the pot of soil was winning the battle. Restless as he was, the leaf didn't know how much longer he could put up a fight. Never did it cross his mind that he was currently undergoing the second stage-the transitional stage- and that this stage was important to oversee his next growth. All that lit his developing mind was finding a way to cut off his restraints, so that he could again fly around the house and do whatever it was he wanted. He was curious about his guardian; he felt a small connection of understanding. Understanding? If he understood, he'd release Laerad from his prison! Immediately after thinking this, a fire ignited in the small leaf's mind. However, the fire dwindled quickly, as a pang of loneliness flowed into his thoughts. Where was his caretaker? He's been gone for a long time. Every time he wasn't in the room, Laerad felt abandonment. Maybe he didn't want the leaf anymore. Laerad didn't want that to happen; he liked his owner. Although he was angry at him for leaving the Eden alone, and angry at him for not releasing him from the soil, that anger was only the anger of fear; the fear that he may be left alone again.
Laerad still remembered trace memories from his past life. They were vivid and clear, intermingled with happiness, sadness, and other emotions in between. He winced when he saw the fire; he emitted a sound close to a whimper when he saw the death. Death. Fire. How he desperately hoped that he'd never see or encounter those two dreadful things again.
Laerad will forget what he thought, felt, and remembered once he transforms into a child, for, as a leaf, he still has a close connection to his past life. Once he officially starts his new life, those old memories will be brushed aside, to make room for the new ones. Nonetheless, the memories will linger in the back of his head, until the perfect opportunity comes for them to bubble again onto the surface.
Laerad, oblivious to such knowledge, sat and waited for his caretaker to return. Finally, he succumbed to the soil's power and remained still. As still as death. He lost the battle and the war. Why should he continue to try, when the only other soul in his life abandoned him?
And then he saw the door open. A light of hope and happiness filled his soul once again, and, forgetting his truce with the soil, he wiggled with new purpose and resolve.
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Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 11:30 am
Patience is a Virtue "I'm sorry I took so long, Laerad", Higashi said apologetically as he set several books down on the table. "I figured you'd want more books, so when you turn into a child, you'll have something to do." He smiled a little at the pot sitting by the windowsill, the little leaf waving dramatically from the soil. "So, you're still trying to get out. I'll tell you what," he walked towards the windowsill and crouched until he was eye level with the leaf, "once you turn into a child, I'll let you explore wherever you want. Of course, I'll have to closely supervise you. I don't want you to get hurt now." In response, the leaf shook defiantly, to which Higashi smiled knowingly. "Believe me, if I don't watch over you, you'll find some way to hurt yourself, and I don't want that to happen." His last words held a tinge of sadness in them, and his eyes became distant in reminiscence. The smile that before lit his features faded as quickly as it had appeared. "I will protect you, Laerad," he said with a vow of determination, "I will not repeat my mistakes from the past. To repeat them is to admit that I'm a failure."
Laerad stopped twitching and wiggling around in the pot, looking to be listening attentively to what Higashi had to say. After a little while, Higashi closed his eyes and managed a small smile, trying to brush his solemnity aside. "I'm sorry," he opened his eyes and reached out, gently stroking the leaf's stem. Laerad, upon contact, resumed wiggling, moving around with more vigor and energy than earlier. To this, Higashi smiled more genuinely. "I know you want me to pull you out. But I can't." He drew back his hand and rested it on the rim of the pot. "Soon enough, you'll be free. I promise you that." Laerad's vivacity soon faded after his caretaker's words reached him. Higashi took the leaf's reactions as disappointment. "Remember to be patient. Good things come to those who wait."
Good things come to those who wait. Laerad took these words into consideration. Perhaps he'll try this "patience" thing out, then. The leaf quivered with determination. He could be patient. He could be very patient. In fact, he could be so patient, that many good things would be sure to come his way.
"Your aura seems to be changing," Higashi responded with a bit of concern, "it's becoming more...childlike." His concern quickly changed to that of contentment as he smiled. "That's more like it. We don't want to grow up too quickly, do we?"
Patience. Patience. All that was on Laerad's mind was that one word. He would conquer it one day. If he conquered it, good things would always come his way, right?
For the first time, Laerad's true spirit- his soul- erupted forth. Higashi, eyes widening slightly, felt the familiar aura radiating from the leaf. Then, he smiled once more.
"A...yew."
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:56 am
It has taken quite a while, but out of sudden the leaf starts to twitch and moves slightly. It seems to be craving for attention out of sudden and it's shade of green becomes darker. What's going on with the little one ?
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Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:46 pm
Over the months, Higashi carefully watched and doted on Laerad--well, as much as one could dote on a leaf. It was quite easy for the young man, for it was nearly the same as tending to the plants in his garden. Well, not /quite/ the same, he thought. As far as he knew, none of those plants would eventually grow into children.
He wondered how long it would be until Laerad turned into a child. Did it work the same as a human baby, where he stayed in the mother’s womb for nine months? Perhaps the leaf acted as an egg, the leaf being the exterior of the reproduction occurring beneath the surface. Or, perhaps Higashi just thought too much into everything. Well, he was excited to have a child under his care, so it was only natural for him to ponder and hypothesize the “miracle of life”, essentially.
As he stepped into his house, returning from his daily stroll in the forest, his eyes widened upon realizing that something did not feel quite right. Be it intuition, or his “power” reacting, he raced up the stairs and opened the door to his room. “Laerad?” he called out to the leaf softly, slowly approaching the windowsill where the pot was situated. He observed the pattern of twitching and shifting, noting that the leaf hadn’t done much moving around for quite a while, ever since he told the soon-to-be child about patience. However, the leaf’s movements were different now; they were less erratic and more rhythmic than they had ever been.
The last thing he noticed was the color change. Laerad was turning into a darker green. Nodding solemnly, he knew what was happening. Finally, after months of watering, feeding, and constant supervision, Laerad was proceeding to the next stage in its life. Smiling gently, Higashi gave the leaf the room needed to undergo its transition… and watched. That was all he felt like he was able to do at the moment. Watch.
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Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:56 am
The leaf seems to become more confident as you enter the room and suddenly the smell of wood and fresh air floats through the room. Slowly the leaf starts to sway and a kind of dark smoke starts to cover it's surface. The smoke spreads until the whole room is filled.
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Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:54 am
Higashi sniffed the air; the scent emitted in the room was unmistakable. It was of outside--nature. But this time, it wasn’t coming from many sources. It was only coming from this small leaf. Quite amazing, really, he mused, that the whole existence of nature was being portrayed by this one being, in such a way he had never envisioned. While he watched, he reminisced over when he first found the leaf in the forest a few months previous. When he plucked the leaf off the ground, he remembered he felt an aura that was nothing of this world. The strong aura from that day never returned as fervently as it was now.
Blinking back to reality, he detected a thick, amorphous substance spreading over the leaf. Was it smoke? He could find no other words for what it was. Before long, that very smoke covered the room in its entirety. So dark and thick it was, that he could’ve sworn he was trapped in an unrelenting fog. He could no longer see anything in the room. All was obscured. Was this supposed to happen? He knew that he shouldn’t get worked up for nothing, but a pang of concern and worry shrouded over his face--in tow with the smoke.
Coughing lightly from the smoke, Higashi inched his way in the direction of the leaf, finding that he didn’t want to be an innocent bystander anymore. If Laerad was having trouble with the transition, he wanted to be there for the little leaf. Even if he could do nothing, simply being there, he hoped, would be enough to help Laerad.
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Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:01 am
A swift wind starts to blow and as quickly as the smoke has come it vanishes again. The now fresh air reveals a small toddler sitting on the floor looking up at his guardian. Finally Laerad has been born.
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:54 pm
Higashi It’s been a while since I’ve written here. My last time was before Laerad transitioned…transformed…grew? –into a toddler. The little one has kept me quite busy over these last few months. He tries to stay independent from me, and he always wants to try activities for himself…without my permission, or even my supervision, for that matter. Oftentimes I find him bruised or cut and I have to chastise him. I do admire his bravery, though. Never once has he cried or seemed upset. I find this a bad thing, though. Children his age are always brimming with life and emotion. Laerad…well, he's different. I’m beginning to worry that I did something wrong during the planted leaf process. As vivacious as he was when stuck in the pot, he has sedated himself somehow. Perhaps he is settling down into this environment? I’m beginning to think Laerad is mute. He is either mute or is a slow learner. No matter how much I try to teach him, he appears indifferent to my lessons, or he stares blankly at me. Blankly might be a bit harsh, now that I read over my words. He looks attentive, actually; like he’s really paying attention...but that’s usually a minute or so after I’ve explained whatever concept I’m trying to teach him. I think maybe he needs more time to process information, so I’ve learned to slow my pacing to accommodate him. I’m starting to second guess myself when it comes to being Laerad’s guardian. I don’t know if I’m the best father figure for him. I had always wished to have a child of my own, and I have one, but…he doesn’t seem to acknowledge me as one. He’s a pretty distant child. He keeps to himself most of the time, and when I walk over to sit with him and see how he is faring, he stares at me, as if I’ve rudely interrupted him. I understand that every child is different, but I think he’s…growing up too quickly. I’d like to believe that a great chunk of his past life still remains with him. At least, the essence of emotion he felt back then still lingers within his soul. I think I might have to visit the Eden Headquarters. If Laerad is around children who are like him, maybe he’ll warm up to them better than he could ever warm up to me. I will keep trying earnestly; I don’t want our relationship to be only that of two strangers living together in the same house. I want him to truly see me as his guardian—as his father. I want him to understand that I care for him and will do whatever I can to make him happy and to make him experience a childhood, so he can have something in his life to cherish. Most of all, I don’t want him to be…like me.
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