Welcome to Gaia! ::

So, the birdy had found a nest, so to speak, and Ianna decided to spend her off time in the shop on the off chance another guardian would blow in. It was around 9:30 in the evening and she was carefully pouring over some texts on the war.

It was time she brushed up on her history.

Taking a break she sighed and looked up at the clock. She's give it another thirty minutes before she called it a night and went into the headquarters for a peaceful night alone.

Nephrenia was walking down one of the many crowded streetsof the city, her and umbra had been having another fight about samsara and Neph's tendancy to take in the more wounded or psychotic of children, her eyes cast down she sighed and leaned against a wall comming to a stop for a moment, she hated the thought of upsetting her mistress but it was in her nature and love her or leave her it was the way she was.

She glanced up looking at her surroundings, she had been wandering without noticing where she was going again and had found herself somewhere where she had no idea where she was. A sigh escaped Neph's lips and she looked to the store that she had been leaning against the wall of. Hopefully whoever was working there would be kind enough to direct her home.

She smoothed out her silk skirt and pulled the sleeves of her fishnet skirt down over her hands and breathign in before entering the store, she had a feeling that she had just walked into soemthing far over her head... all over a stupid walk.

Ianna blinked. She had just been about to leave when Nephrenia made her way into the shop, "Uhm, Hello! Uh...Welcome to Ghosts of the Past, I guess?" She asked. Matilda was asleep - there was no prompting for a name. Nor knowing if she was a guardian.

Ianna was on her own, again, as she had been when Matilda was in her coma.

"May I help you?"

Nephrenia smiled tucking a stray bit of hair bhind her ear, "Ghosts of the past? Thats a really interesting name. What exactly do you sell here?"

It wasn't the reason that she had entered the shop in the first place but she had to know, the shop was comfortable, as was the woman, she seemed like a mothering type to Neph and that was interesting a lot of people in this city didn't seem to be very nurturing.

"Nothing, really," Ianna said with a small shrug, "I can honestly say I've never sold a damn thing," she chuckled and moved behind her desk again, sitting down and fiddling with the large leather book, "Would you like to see something interesting?" she asked, tilting her head to the side so her silver hair fell over her face.

Nephrenia smiled and tried to keep from laughing that sounded like something Malen or one of her kids would say before showing her either porn or somethign dead. But seeing as this woman was neither of the two it should be a fairly safe bet that it wasn't porn or something dead.

"Uh.. sure I guess, I actually just came in here to get directions but I've never said no to seeing something truly interesting before, except to malen, or samsara... or.. well anyone in my house or one of talon's or Umbra's friends really but..." She was rambling, opps. "Uh, sure sorry about that."

"Well then tou....Did you say Malen?" Ianna raised an eyebrow, intrigued now that her love's name was mentioned. She fiddled with the book quietly for a moment and took a deep breath.

Why was a random girl who came into her shop knowing about Malen? Malen wasn't exactly a common name and....She shook her head then, "Anyway...." she trailed off, "Multicolored hair? Dreamy eyes?"

"Dunno about the dreamy eyes part but yeah sounds like the Malen I know... Talon told me he just picked up two new kids too. Its really good for him I think, maybe it'll settle him down some. 'S why I almost laughed about the interesting thing part because every time he asks me that its either dead or porn.. "

Nephrenia smiled and tilted her head "Why, d'you know him too?"

Neph had met Malen through Talon who was a friend of Umbra's, both of them were interesting people.

"Because he's living with me," she smiled, a look which was clearly love, "I'm Ianna." she vaguely wondered if he had mentioned her at all - but she wasn't in high school and she wouldn't ask.

"Anyway....Take a look at this."

The silver-haired woman pushed the leather-bound book to Nephy, waiting for her to touch it.

The minute Nephrenia would touch the book, the cover would fly open, an invisible wind winding through the pages and blowing them rapidly open until it landed, quite suddenly, on a well-worn page. On the page was a beautifully rendered sketch of the reed-and-fire wand currently sitting on Ianna's desk.

Under the picture read:

"Gypsy. Wand ID 00020. A Soul has been trapped within the confines of the wand. Congratulations, you have become the next guardian to take on the task of raising it from infancy to greatness. We, Ianna and I, have the upmost faith in you to complete your task dutifully. Best of luck,

Matilda."

"Congratulations, you're a mother."

"Oh wow... another child..." Neph's mind was kind of blown away by that... another one.. and this one had chosen her.... "Um... I'm Nephrenia by the way and do you by any chance have any information on them? How they grow what they need? I have kids but I'm finding that they are all different."

Nephrenia smiled and reached foreward to caress the drawing "It's beautiful... Male or Female?"

"We don't know. You know Malen. You know how they grow. His new daughter, Kishi, came from this place. It's how we met," she smiled almost dreamily once more, "She's...Our daughter now. Sort of."

Ianna gave a little shrug as she snapped out of her small fantasy. She was missing Malen now, "He went out with our children. Don't know where he got to, though. I had a job."

"Ah, yeah I know Malen, haven't seen him in a while though, guess I know what he's been busy with." Nephrenia Smiled "So I guess this is a kind of fly by the seat of your pants type thing, cool I can do that. Umbra's gonna kill me for bringing another little one home though, especially since my bird turned out to be a boy."

Nephrenia gave a sheepish little shrug she was a sucker for things that needed her and this wand needed her.

"I see, well, I may as well show you the headquarters."

Two hard cases made her thankful for this easy one. Ianna stood up and started towards the door on her right, opening it and walking through.

As they entered the main lobby Via the portal connecting the shoppe and the headquarters, the first thing Nephy would notice is the vast...largeness...of it. The high ceilings, edged with gold, the large chandeliers dripping with crystals, the smooth white tile-floors, colorful rugs, and beautiful paintings.

To the left was a large recreational area complete with a large flat-screen television, several rows of various games, movies, video game systems and books. There was a basket of toys in the corner, full of plushies, dolls, cards and various other objects which would appeal to most ages. Included in the area were several comfy looking couches and plush chairs just made for sitting, lounging or bouncing in. It seemed to be heaven on a fluffy carpet. It even had a foos-ball table and an air-hockey table....and for the slightly more food-minded GoTP, a mini fridge always full.

To the right was a large elaborate counter, which seemed to have a force-field of some sort around it, keeping anyone who was not Ianna or Matilda from going behind it. On the counter lay a roster with the names of all the Ghostly children and their guardians, and an appointment book.

From there, it branched off into halls with rows and rows of rooms. Some were storage, some were guest rooms, some were bathrooms, and one very large and ornate door to the end of the hall led to the gardens. "Welcome to Headquarters. Malen and I are almost always here...You're welcome here any time. Guardians are usually around as well..."

Nephrenia smiled and hugged the other woman quickly, it was in her nature to touch and hug when she was happy she didn't even give it a second thought.

"Thank you! For the oppertunity as well as your friendlyness"
Her hands were wrapped around the wands staff the fire flickering against her newly red hair.

Nai got up from the fountain and stretched, then tried to think of something to do. Something popped into his mind. Investigate that video game system. So he left the garden-park and went inside the building proper, then made his way towards the fun room of the place, with the TV and all. He checked to make sure nobody was in there, then crouched before one of the systems and started fiddling with it.

" You are a picky picky eater miss can't find a formula she likes." Malen grumbled walking through the portal" bags in each hand and Kishi seated in harness on his chest. Spotting the stanger playing with what he considered his video game system he narrowed his eyes. " You erase my Doom 3 game and I will be very unhappy with you." he growled, though his tone held no true malace. it was usually a good sign when there were new peopel in the headquarters, it meant Kishi had a friend to terrorise with her innocence.

Malen probably has nothing on Nai with innocence. He immediately drops the controler he was holding and looks around wildly, "This thing creates doom? Crap! I hope I didn't touch anything..." He tentetively pokes it for a moment before jumping away, in case it might explode. And him without his sword. He'd be hacking it away in no time.

Nephrenia walked in through the portal, the burnt wand still glowing at her side, she hadn't let go of it since the moment she had obtained it from the shop and now she was returning, prehaps to meet someone who had some experience with the wands, or simply to socialize with someone who she didn't know through her fiancee or her other children. Either way she was looking forward to whatever was comming with this new child and the oppertunities it would bring.

Ianna came out of the bedroom, looking slightly frazzled and in nothing but her bathrobe. Coailiann was toddling behind her, trying to catch the tie of the robe that was flowing behind her. It'd been nothing but jobs jobs jobs lately and Ianna had been looking forward to a night alone with Malen and the children, "MALEN! Are you home yet? Did you bring the fo--" she was cut off when she saw people milling about.

Unfortunately, it seemed the headquarters had other plans.

Color touched her cheeks and she blushed, "Uhm, Hi guys, I guess...I...Think maybe I should get changed..."

Coailiann toddled right past her and clung to Malen's leg, "DADDY!" she giggled, nuzzling at him. She totally ignored the fact that Kishi was there.

She still wasn't happy that she had to share attention anymore. And now that she was walking? Nobody was safe.

Nai had ended up on the couch, staying away from the doom machine. So he didn't see the horror that was Ianna in a bathrobe. Nor, thankfully, would probably get hit for seeing her like that, or even attacked by Coailiann. Nope, he could just rest there on the cough for the first time in a few weeks.

Malen looked down and coailiann and smiled the smile that was just for her " Hey there super kay wanna be a big help and takene of theses bags and put it in Kishi's room." Malen figured the chances of his little girl doing that were nil simply becase he'd gone and mentioned his other daughter's name but then again he'd called Coaliann super Kay and that usually made her happy as did giving her her special smile.

Malen briefly eyed the stanger who apparently wasn't familiar with video games or the Doom games, he would have commnted but thought it best to leave the man in the dark for the moment. Ianna apperance but another smile that was only for one person to his face " Yes I brought the food but it appears we have a guest, err guests."he corrected atthe appearance of his friend Nephrenia.

Nephrenia glanced up at the enrance of Ianna and then saw.... "Malen?" It had been positvley forever since she had seen the man. "It's been so long!" And then she ran at him smothering him in a hug careful of his daughter strapped to him. "So you've been busy I see?"

Ianna blushed again, "Uhm, I'm going to go get some clothes on..." she coughed and made her way back into the bedroom, closing the door. She had never been so mortified in her entire life!

She was a modest woman. She didn't like people seeing her business!

Coailiann made a face at her father-figure and shook her head, clinging to his leg tighter. She didn't want to go anywhere and she liked hugging him. Therefore, someone else could do what he asked of her.

Besides, why should she do something for that little succubrat?

"No." she said softly before she hugged at his leg again, sliding down so she was sitting on his foot.

Nai leaves the room, uncomfortable being near the doom machine, and closes in on the little knot of a group near the entrance. He looks down at Ianna's child, recognizing her from the first day he had been here. Then he looks up at Malen and jerks a thumb in the direction of the playroom, "Why do you have an apocolypse machine in here? Those things are dangerous!"

Malen grinned" Here I am covered in beautifull women and yet sadly I do not feel complete" He rolled his eyes at Nephy "I share no genes with Kishi thank you and before you even ask about Ianna the awenser is no." Shaking his head at the oddness of the yet unamed strnager he gave a soft smile " Doom three is a game , it's not dangerous unless you get addicted to it." Malen knew the dangers of addiction, like how he burnt himself cookign when hs ming was preocupied by the thought of Ianna showering all alone.

Looking down at Coailiann he gave a soft sigh " Kay I need to be able to walk and I can't do that with you there, why don't you let me put Kishi down for a nap and then I'll piggyback you." Sometimes malen found bribing the small girl worked and sometimes it didn't but it was always worth a shot, besides she was his daughter too and he hated to see her put out. Half asleep on her father's chest Kishi drowilsy wriggled her fingers at her sister.

Nephy grinned "oh so you aren't seeing Ianna? Cause I thought the looks you were giving her were pretty much screaming that you wanna do her." Neph looked over at the other man in the room "Apocolypse machine? Well maybe if you give it to the wrong person, I know a few people that could blow up some s**t if they loose bad enough at a game."

Coailiann reluctantly let Malen go and toddled over to Nai, pulling on his tail to get his attention, "Up??" she asked cutely, batting her green eyes. If she wasn't going to get attention from her daddy, she'd get it from the fuzziest thing in the room.

Which happened to be Nai.

Ianna slipped out, dressed in a pair of white sweats and an oversized grey tee-shirt, silver hair falling over her face.

"I'm hungry, so if I don't join in on anything, It's because I'm stuffing my face..." she made a beeline for Malen and tilted her head slightly, "FOOD."

My, she was demanding.

Nai looks down at the baby tugging on his tail. My, that was a bit odd. No one's done that in a while. And then her asking for 'up'. No one's done that in a long while either. My, that brings back memories... He crouches down, then looks over at Malen. Hmm. He seems busy, as does Ianna. So he reaches down and picks up the girl, a bit akward about what position to hold her in. Eventually he settles for her at his hip with both arms clasped around her.

After that, he looks at the others, "If it's not an apocolypse machine, then why does it make three dooms?"

Malen raised the bag in his left hand " Yes food, food for two as per your request all nice and warm still since I picked it up last."He pulled his arm back ." But since our dinner plans have been hijacked I demand atleast a kiss for the effort." At this point Malen was uninterested in the man with obviously no knowledge of this world and he knew Nephy wasn't expecting an awnser. Coaliann was happy Kishi was nearly asleep and he wondered for justa moment if he could simply wander off with Ianna and hope no one would feel offended.

Nephrenia smiled up at Malen, "Honey if you wanna go with her that badly just go, I mean she obviously means something to you. You and I both damn well know that if it were Umbra I'd be out of here in a heartbeat." She could see the love in ehr friend's eyes and knew it was killing him to be away from the woman for even a few more moments.

Neph layed sprawled out on the couch her beautiful littw wand resting on her stomach, her eyes trained on the ceiling. She had been spending an increasing amount of time at the headquarters it seemed, but she was comfortable there. She just hoped she wasn't wearing on anyones nerves, except her own prehaps. Her thoughts were on the wand currently warming her belly and causing the glitter covering her face to shimmer in the firelight.

A sigh escaped her lips as she sat up, prehaps she should work some more on the room she had started at home for the wand soon to be child.

Unlike the Easter Event, Neveah no longer looked starved. In fact, she was happily back to her own weight! Ever since the Spiderling grew into a baby ghost, the spiders had been less rampant in the kitchen...but more rapant in the ghost's room. So, on a whim, the butterfly took her ghostly charge to the headquarters for some fresh air, and to get them both away from the spiders. Well, that and go to the library to do some beautiful research.

Instead however, she found a woman sprawled on the couch, a pretty stick across her stomach. The butterfly didn't need to ask what the woman was doing here, nor did she have to inquire about the wand she possessed. She was there once, she knew what it was like...but hey, it was still fun to point out the obvious!

"So, you're a new owner?"

Neph glanced up at the woman, beautiful wings, she believed she had seen her at the easter event, anisocial as the redheaded woman(neph) had been. She nodded "Yes, indeed I am. As are you I see." Neph enjoed being able to socialize with others who had children like hers, the communities her other children were from were so very much less social.

"Yeah, I am...I've had this one for a while now, though. We...And by that I mean I...are just getting away from the spiders, thats all." Neveah smiled plesantly, a thin giggle on her lips. The ghost in her hand seemed to turn its ghostly head towards the wand, and its own spider-tipped wand was waved slightly, greeting something that couldn't greet back at this point in time. The Drow baby cooed contently in her head, and the butterfly smiled once more. "Do you know what yours is, yet?" She asked, moving to sit on the floor beside the woman, letting the baby ghost float on her lap.

Neph smiled at the behaviour of the bab whisp, "Female, I believe but thats all I can remember..." A blush graced her cheeks as she wondered how horrible a guardian it made her sound. So she did what she usualy did when uncomfortable, changed the subject. "Spiders eh? creepy little things, I'm terrified of them."

"Female, eh? I've met a lot of male ones so far, so its good to meet a girl, even it she isn't out yet!" Neveah cooed, brushing her fingers over the wand on the woman's stomach. With that, she looked down at her baby ghost, a confused expression on her face. The wand was female, and yet it wasn't recoiling? Maybe the spiderling saw the wand as harmless in its current state. "Mine's a Drow, I know that...as for gender...I'm thinking its male." She shrugged a bit, then began to giggle. "If you're afraid of spiders, don't come to my house...They seem to have followed Spiderling home." Neveah laughed once more, shaking her head in amusement. Something was missing from their conversation..Oh yes! "Oh, how rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Neveah, and the ghost...doesn't have a name yet, but I call it 'Spiderling'. Pleased to meet you!" Her voice was chimed and beautiful, and at her introduction, she held out her hand...her fingers a little longer than a regular human's.

Neph smiled and took the womans hand dropping a kiss on it, hey she liked to be weird so sue her, "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Nephrenia and I've been calling this little beauty, Ryvan." She picked up the wand and caressed it lightly with her fingertips. "your spiderling is quite beautiful as well."

Neveah chuckled a bit at Nephrenia's behaviour...she'd never seem a woman act like that! In fact, she thought it was entirely amusing. "Ryvan, huh? A pretty name for a pretty wand!" Complimenting the wand, her gaze was then shifted down to her spiderling. "Yeah, it's a pretty colour of purple. I've never dealt with kids before, and I've never had kids of my own...so I'm going by baby guides and books on this, and guessing some of it as well. So far its not too difficult, but I'm still afraid I'm going to severly screw something up..."

"A lot of baby books don't have enough information in them, there are things you can only learn through experience and babies are one of them. They leave you a lot of stuff, like the fact that sometimes a baby isn't crying because of soemthing but because it just needs to cry." She smiled "If you ever need help feel free to ask, and then there is my son trinket who seems content to be a babysitter for the rest of his life if you ever need one."

"Well to be honest I bought about six different parenting books. I've read them all up to toddler, but I just skimmed, you know? To get the general idea..." Now is was her turn to blush! Neveah scratched the back of her head in a sheepish manner, the other finger playing with some of the wisping swirls of smoke coming off of her spiderling. "Babysitter, huh? I might need that at some point...I'll keep you in mind, thank you very much!" Yay, now she didn't really have to worry! Not that she went out a lot anyway, but...you know, when it got too much for her. "I'm a folklorist, so if you need any research materials or anything like that, just ask...its the least I could do in return for your generous offer." She smiled brightly, feeling the spiderling giggle ticklishly in her head from her playing with the smoke swirls.

"Its really no problem I have about 11 of the little brats at home, I know it can get to be a bit much at times and few people are willing to help out along the way." Neph stretched "Now if you were an acupuncturist that I would have to consider" She grinned to let the other woman know she was joking though she did indeed have a headache. "Is being a folklorist interesting?"

Eleven? This woman had eleven kids back home? Holy crap! "Oh...uh...Wow." Was all she could say. Here she was fretting over just one...but eleven? Whoa! "Acupuncturist....no. I do, however, have advil if you'd like." The butterfly laughed, turning to dig through her bag for her advil. Once she found it, she offered it up to Nephrenia. "I love being a folklorist...Its really, really interesting. A LOT of work, a LOT of travel...but its so fascinating part of me doesn't care."

She laughed and accepted some of the advil "Thank you very much, it does sound fascenating, and really eleven isn't that big of a number, just combining mine and my fiancee's housholds into one. And curently two of them are objects Ryvan here, as well as a little hippy boy trapped in a necklace for the moment."

"Oh well, that sounds a lot less stressful, then." Neveah sighed pleasantly, leaning against the couch with a yawn. Somehow, she was getting really tired. Her fingers continued to play with the wisps, and the ghost continued to baby giggle softly in her head. "You're welcome, by the way...Its amazing how some children, especially here on Gaia, get here...it always catches me off guard. Just when you think you've heard or seen it all, something else comes along to scare the pants off of you." Laughing softly, she tweaked the top of her ghost's wand. "What do you do, anyway? Do you work somewhere?"

"I run a small shop, well two really. One offering certain services and the other is sort of like the GOTP, I suppose, I provide souls trapped within objects a home. They just all seem to fall under some stereotype... My fiancee's hippy child came from there and seems to love causeing me no end of trouble through her."

Neveah closed her eyes for a moment. There were so many strange things in Gaia...so many different things to be explored...

"Agh, If things are so different HERE, why do I have to travel the freaking WORLD for a story! Raaaaaagh!" Without realizing, the butterfly vocalized what she had been thinking, momentarily flailing her arms in her intense distain for her situation. After a moment or two she stopped, staring blankly at Nephrenia and her wand. Oh. Oh dear. She'd said that out loud. Suddenly, she broke out into a absolute-zero care smile, as if she hadn't made a fool of herself.

"Hippy child huh? I could see how troublesome that would be! My Spiderling doesn't like light so...he's troubling to me in that sense." Speaking of, the little ghost floated hesitantly closer to the wand, as if inspecting it.

Nephrenia smiled at the womans outburst "most likley because your boss is too blind to see all the wonders around them, or they just like to torture people. Either way really." She grinned again and ran her fingers over the wand as if to show the baby ghost that there was nothing to be afraid of with this one. "Yeah its been troublesome, I just can't wait for him to get out of that necklace."

Neveah giggled, shaking her head slowly. She may have made an outburst, but she was my no means embarassed by it. "I think its the last one. Philos likes to bother me. I spent a year and a half looking for the rituals of a village. He didn't tell me the village no longer existed...so I spent my time traveling for the scattered books that was saved before the village went down."

"Oh, your wand is female, thats why he's being hesitant." She offered happily, noticing how the other woman was attempting to sooth the spiderling's hesitation. The ghost seemed to look back over at Neveah, and she herself felt a thin pang of curiousity. "I think because she's still in the wand, little one." The butterfly answered the unspoken question, and it seemed to satisfy him, so he went back to petting the wand lightly.

"Fortunately, the Spiderling's all I have..." Laughing, she shook her head. "I don't think I could stand to have more kids."

Neph shook her head "well then he deoesn't sound like a very good boss but at least you get to have fun."

"I don't think I could stand to have less kids then I do, its actually breaking my heart that three of them have left the house recently. I guess I'm just a big softy, it comes from never really having a mother figure in my life, I'm now determined for no child to have to go through that."

She smiled at the baby ghost "Maybe its because of the flames on her wand, a lot of people find them entrancing."

"Fun...sure." Neveah smiled, making it hard to tell if she were serious or sarcastic.

"In all honesty, I have no idea how you feel. Butterflies aren't very family oriented creatures...so I never really knew my mother, nor do I have maternal instincts, really. I have a feeling I'll develop them eventually...maybe in the future I'll want another child, but for now...Spiderling's enough. I'm determined to do my absolute best for him, of course." Hence why she bought so many books on parenting and how to raise a child. Of course, she altered things considering the child was Drow....but it was the best she could do.

"Flames...That might do it, naturally." She didn't know if the Drow ever had a fire...it probably would have hurt their eyes, really. In fact, as they spoke of the flames, the little spiderling was putting his ghostlike hand through the fire, his mind-voice to Neveah still chirping with innocent curiousity. He was still oddly gentle though, since he knew the soul was a girl. This might come back to haunt him, of course.

Neph smiled down at the wands "well hopefully he will remember that she isn't such a bad girl to be around, it would be nice for her to have someone that she'd be able to talk to that isn't a sibling. You know, different perspective and all of that."

Neph herself was worried a bit about how she was going to take care of something as fragile as a wisp but it didn't seem as if she would have to hard a time, after all there were no reports thus far of one of the whisps dying.

"We'll have to see...I have a feeling he'll be very hesitant and withdrawn from girls." Neveah smiled almost sadly...she included herself in that, naturally. Of course, she knew she'd be the one female her drow most feared. "But we'll see what happens, ne?" Now, her carefree smile returned to her.

"Ah...It was nice talking to you, but I think we should head home soon...I don't want to subject him to too much sunlight just yet, and the sun's out strong today." Holding out her hand, the butterfly nodded. "I hope to see you again, and your little one when she materializes!" Patting the wand one last time, the spiderling floated back to Neveah, hovering just over her other, cradling arm.

Nephrenia smiled "Indeed I do hope to see you soon, and your right I should be getting home to see what havok the brats have reaped on the house." Of course she was including her fiancee in that statement but the other woman didn't need to know that

Laughing, the butterfly waved her hand over her shoulder. "Thats also part of the reason I don't have kids!" For a moment, she was taken over by a fit of giggles. "I don't think my butterfly friends would stand it, really." 'Curling' the baby ghost towards her and leaning over a bit to cast her shadow over him, Neveah waved one final time before making her way out of the building.

[ Message temporarily off-line ]

Neph was sitting in the gardens of the HQ enjoying the quiet and the feeling of simply existing. Things had been hectic at home, especially since she had been put in charge of fixing the kitchen after Tybalts experiments with oil paint on the stove. Her fingers were trailing in the water the wand sitting in her lap and her eyes closed

Ariel continued her search around the newly discovered alter area of the shop until she entered a place that appeared outdoors. She felt as though she had been here once before, and recalled the Easter Egg Hunt earlier that year. "It's so beautiful..." she stood in awe, setting down the carseat/ carrying device in which she held Artemis. The babe was still asleep and Ari had a feeling it was due to the fact is was day light. She sat in teh cool grass a few minutes and let the wind flow onto her face and through her thin brown hair. It was relaxing here. As she sat quiet she heard the sound of water, and curious to see if there was a lake or a pond here, Ari went to investigate. There sat a lady by the side of some water, seeming extremly relaxed. Remembering Ianna mentioning that there were others, Ari wondered if she should disturb this peace to find out... In stead she simply sat Artemis down on the grass again, and just watched.
Artemis on the other hand, had differant plans, maybe she was simply hungry, or knocked around one to many times durring Ari's trip around this other place, but Artemis seemed to find that moment, the perfect time to wake up, and cry. "Oh dear...."

Neph opened her eyes at the sound of a cryign child lookign around for the source of the tears. Seeing a woman in the grass with a crying infant nestled in her lap neph smiled and stood. She walked over to the two kneeling down in the grass her black pesant skirt pooling around her as she did so. Her eyes softened as she saw the baby so very upset and she didn't think she could just leave it so she reached out with the hand holding Ryvan and moved the wand in front of the child having noticed that they seemed to be calmed by eachothers presence at most times.

Ari felt a little odd, that the lady had walked over here, so quiet, yet so knowing, and waved the wand, which Ari had guessed would eventually become a child like Artemis, and seemed to soften the tears of the child. Ariel rocked the child soothingly and sung the riddle song. "She's getting used to the scenery." Ariel explained to the woman, "It was probably a bad choice of mine to bring her somewhere where it is so bright. My name is Ariel by the way, and thanks, for whatever you just did." She nodded to the wand in the lady's hand.

She smiled at Ariel her eyes twinkling "My name is Nephrenia, but please call me Neph or Nephy. And it was no problem the children that I have encountered seem to be comforted by those like them. But then Her wand also has flames which children seem to like." She smiled looking down at the child "And what is this little beauties name?"

"Her name is Artemis." Ariel looked down as the little girl in her arms. The babe seemed to calm her efforts down to nothing, and then looked up, almost mezmorized at Ariel. "She's usually so quiet, she sleeps alot." She looked up at the lady and her wand, "So your a guardian as well? Thats wonderful, its wonderful to meet you. This is my first time here." she made a small backwards nod to indicate the entirety of this area. "What is it called?" she blushed, "I um, sorta just came into the shopp again because Ianna said I could come back, and this back door was open, and I like to discover, but, I have no idea where I am, it's so lovely here." Ari was clearly nervous, after all she was in the presence of a true Guardian, not just a second guardian, and probably knew more then Ari did about this entire place.

"Well I've always just called this place the HQ and we are in the garden. Ianna is very nice and you'll find most of the guardians to be friendly." She smiled and looked down at her wisped wand "Guess the wand gave me away as a guardian." She teased gently smiling the entire time, hopefully the woman wouldn't take offense. "So have you met any other guardians.?"

Ariel chuckled a little, enjoying the womans humor. "No acctually I haven't, and my time with Ianna, was brief, so I really couldn't get to know her well." She smiled, " No means to flatter, but I'm sure if everyone is as friendly as you, then I will enjoy meeting everyone of them." Ariel gently rocked Artemis until her eyes fell under the heavy influance of a baby's needed sleep. "So how large is this place?"

"Ive never actually explored the entire space but my guess is that its huge. My fiancees friend and his daughter actually live here so I could just ask them the next time I see them."

Her fingers tangled in the grass as her eyes lit upon the child, Artimis, She could not wait until her child reached that stage in life.
RelenaStarbreeze: Ari smiled, "From my wanderings thus far, yeah its pretty large." she smiled and was about to set Artemis back in her carrier when the child squirmed, and Ari had to pull her back to her chest to keep the babe from wriggling out of her arms. Artemis started making a whinning sound and Ari giggled. "So much energy..." She on handedly pulled out the moon rimmed blanket that had be wrapped around Artemis when Ari had been given her, and placed it flat on the ground. She then gently layed down Ari onto it. "Considering you just ate, and then I changed your dippy, and burped you, and you don't seem to want to sleep, I think you want to explore is that right Artemis?" Ari giggled at the blank stare the babe gave her as Artemis laid on her back. She had not learned to crawl and Ari guessed that would come with the next stage, but she did love to roll and twist, and grab things while on her back, not in the carrier or in Ari's arms. "She is so energetic, its amamzing." she smiled at the other woman, "Tell me about your wand, it looks very interesting!" Ari smiled and encouraged the lady to do her own bragging as Artemis had already on her own, done Ari's for her.

"Well as you can tell it seems to be made of burnt wood and flame. I'm absolutley certain that it is female too, she just grew to this stage about a week ago and I am calling her Ryvan as it seems right to her." Neph wasn't really much about bragging. She reached into her bag and handed the child a small clear teething ring, she had been planning to donate some of the other Kids baby stuff to some of the people at the HQ and teething rings were fun even when you werent teething.

Artemis seemed to enjoy that, she cooed and lifted the ring above her head with both hands, then letting go with one slammed it onto the blanket and brought it back up to her face. Repeating the process many times, sometimes switching hands. "Ryvan sounds like a beautiful name Nephy. Does it mean anything?"

"Absolutley nothing, I made it up to be quite honest. I'm actually quite ecstatic about her becuase I have never had a female child before."

Ari smiled, "Thats wonderful, man I wish I could make up names like that!" she smiled shutting her eyes, a Japanese thing she had picked up in her stay in Japan and she said with utter sincerity, "I'm positive that she'll be absolutly wonderful, and I can't wait to meet her myself." She smiled over at Artemis, "Maybe when Ryvan grows, Artemis and she can meet again? I'm sure Artemis would enjoy that." The small babe who had been calmed by Nephy's wand would surly remember if nothing else, the feeling of the other child.

"Absolutley, of course they can meet again, your daughter seems absolutley lovely." Neph lay back in the grass enjoying the feel of grass on her skin.

Ariel blushed, "Thank you, but I cannot take the full credit for that, I've had her maybe one or two days, her previous Guardian deserves most of the credit." Ari put her hand in a little area of water near her, and swirrled her hand around, watching the movements of the water, occasionally glacing over at Artemis to ensure the child hadn't attempted to get onto her belly. Artemis remained giggling and kicking her legs as she played with the small clear ring.

Neph laughed "If she lost her previous guardian then you can indeed take credit, many children would be absolutley wreched after that."

"I don't know," Ari smiled at Artemis, "Its not due to me that she is here, her other guardian brought her to this stage in life. I'm just now getting to know her." Ari reached over and caressed Artemis's head gently, "I'm just happy she is here and well. Isn't that right Artemis?" And even if the babe didn't understand a single word Ari has said, Artemis then choose that moment to shout gleefully in her baby jabber, causing Ari to giggle.

Neph laughed and smiled "Well either way you seem to be doing a wonderful job of takign care of her."

Ari smiled at Neph, "Can't take credit there either, I learned from my mother and my baby sitter when I was younger. They taught me so much that I feel I need to send them both huge baskets of chocolate to even begin to repay them for the information and wisdom they gave me." She smiled at Nephy, "How amyn children do you have, you said Ryvan would be your first daughter?"

"Well between me and my fiancee there is 11 or so, but they are all boys so I never had the chance to do any mother daughter things, well except for my one son who was very muich into the girly scene."

Ari giggles slightly, "He must be a wonderful son." She couldn't imagine anything better then a boy who appreciated girly things too. Glancing at Artemis, Ari could bet that with her energy, that she would turn out boyish, but then again, she jsut met the child, so what would she know? Artemis could enjoy dancing and looking frilly for all Ari knew.

"He actually just moved out, him and two of our other sons."

"Really?" Ariel smiled, "You must eb so proud then, and they must be having the time of their lives." She looked up at the sky, "Nothing is better then the freedom to travel whereever you want to go, thats what got me to where I am today, I love to travel, and have done so since I could." Ari chuckled, "Nomadic I know."

I've always been about Stablity I guess becuase of my parents tendancy to move around so much."

"My parents wondered as well, I think I got it from them, I love to travel, and someday I hope Artemis will be able to join me. But until then, my adventure is here, with her." Ari gently tickled the infant and Artemis giggled so much she let go of the ring onto her blanket.

Neph just smiled at the two "you guys are so adorable."

Ari laughed, "No no, I appear adorable, but it is her, who is adorable, and anyone who is with her is only adorable by proximation." She winked at Nephy, she heard and understood fully what she had said, but Ari liked poking fun when she could.

she laughed "I feel the same about my children really I do."

Ari glanced over, and in that short period of time Artemis had fallen asleep. Gently Ari picked up the babe and placed her in her carrier. She shook out the blanket and placed it on the child and caressed her forehead. Whispering Ari spoke again to Nephy, "Well as she's asleep again I had better get her into the car before she starts up again. She stood and offered her hand, whether it was for a shake or a hand up, Ari would let Nephy decide, "It was wonderful meeting you, hopefully we will see each other again sometime in the near future?"

Neph let the offered hand be used for both a hand up and a shake grinning she nodded "Absolutley I'd love to see the two of you again, hopefully when this one is a little mroe active."

Ari laughed a little and picked up Artemis, She looked around for the exit, and once she found it she smiled at Nephy, "I'm sure she'll be active enough here soon. Until then." Ari waved as she left the Gardens finding her way out of the head quarters.

Neph smiled as the other woman left before resuming her place at the fountain just existing.

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Neph sat down with a thud, her body sinking into the plush couch. It was quiet, something she hadn’t heard that often since her little wandlet had grown. Getting the childs room closer to being finished was taking more effort then she had thought because it seemed that everyone wanted a say in something to do with the child.

Tybalt of course seemed to want the biggest say, demanding that he needed to set the energy in the room to be perfect for his newest sister. The only one who seemed to be abstaining from all wand related conversations was mira who seemed slightly saddened at no longer being the youngest in the house.

Neph closed her eyes and leaned back a bit willing her body to relax and almost achieving it too, before the thud, and crash and screaming of “Momma Soren punched me!!!”