._GlassKitteh's Raevan

[GlassKitteh]

It was a quiet morning in Barton Town. The sound of a broom at work could be heard right outside the occult shop. Inside Rowan was humming a waltz to herself and her nephew, a young boy of about eleven, was sweeping the dust from under a shelf. Such had been their summer mornings.

Today had been a bit cooler than most days and Rowan took it to be an indication that autumn was on its way. She looked up to glance at her calendar and then with a satisfied hum returned to polishing the crystal in her hands.

They had been open for an hour now, but they wouldn’t see many people until lunchtime. Until then they tidied up.

It was around this time the mail came and Rhys was the one to spot the carrier first.

“Oh let me help with that!” he rushed outside to help the mailwoman bring a big package inside. He returned struggling with one box only to put it down and go back for a slightly smaller second package.

Rowan set the crystal down and wiped her hands dry on the towel. She had been expecting a new shipment of candles, but one of the packages looked a little too long for the proper amount.

From the doorway she waved at the carrier goodbye. She left the door open as it had been before to let the old energy out and moved closer to inspect the package. Definitely not candles.

"Rhys would you- ah thank you," her nephew did not need to be told twice. He was just as curious about the parcel.

With a great huff and with his tongue sticking it out the young boy wiggled the suitcase out and set it on a modest sized table.

"What is it?" He asked checking out all the sides. It looked to be important!

"Well let's find out," she pressed her thumbs into the side locks and with click the small handles flew up. Finally she lifted the lid and there was a brief second of silence before Rhys snagged the jar with the flower.

"Be careful," she told him, unclipping the papers.

Quote:

Greetings, Rowan!

Let me be the first to congratulate you on becoming a Guardian! My name is Zeke, and I am one of the staff members here at Lab 305. Out of numerous applications to our program, we felt that you were best fitted to become the newest addition to our family! So welcome and congratulations!

In this briefcase you will find your Soul Glass, Fel Essence, and a couple of documents - one of which needs your signature and must be returned to the Lab with your Glass and Essence upon your capture of a soul. The other is a list of contact information of every Guardian and Raevan pairing in the Lab. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the names of staff for you, but you will find us at the top of the first sheet!

I know this must be rather surprising for you, so before I go any further let me just state that if you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call, text, or email me and I will be more than happy to provide answers or guidance in general. That being said, let's get on with the show!

As I wrote above, you will find your Soul Glass and Fel Essence inside the briefcase. You are the Guardian to the Gilded Lily Essence, which has already been written down on the legal documents you will have to date and sign. Your Soul Glass is that big glass and metal contraption to the left of your Essence Jar, and will be the thing you need to use in order to help us make your future Raevan. Please take note of the cloth between the metal and glass parts as it is important. Souls have colors and the cloth acts as a limiter and something of a fail-safe so that the bottle will not suck up just anything around it. As yours is brown, it will only activate around things (be they animal, plant, mineral, metal, etc) that fit this color.

When you capture a soul, the glass bulb will appear to have a smoke-like gas inside of it. When this happens simply return the filled Glass, the Essence, your signed documents, and the case to the Lab. There is a business card tucked in alongside this note for our carrier service. Contact them when you are ready to return your items and they will pick them up from your home. As soon as we get them back we will begin the process of making them into your Raevan!

Whew! I hope I covered everything well enough in this note as far as what you need to do now that you are a Guardian! If not, and as before, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me. My phone is always on and I'm always happy to talk with members of the Lab family!

Hope to hear from you soon and congratulations again!

Sincerely,

Zeke Farris

She hummed appreciatively at the good news. There were more than a handful of owners, a couple of documents to sign and a good bit of information. It seemed the flower did have a specific classification. Gilded Lily. Her brows rose at that.

A memory stirred from long ago well into the core of her childhood. She remembered being a bit younger than Rhys, running in the woods from her sister who was attempting to 'pass the mushroom' (or what kids these days called tag) to her.

She had kept running until finally it dawned on her that the sun had set and there was no one around her. Alone she was not, however. The fireflies had played with her to ease her crying and being an easily distracted child she had forgotten her worries.

Rowan could not quite remember if they had been fairies or butterflies or what have you that had led her back to her family, but she remembered quite vividly their parting gift.

It had been a violet in the same form as the lily in the jar. She had stuffed it in her pocket then and had been terribly upset to find it gone by the time she was reunited with her family. As was with children she had focused on other matters the next day and as the days went by so did the memory.

Now seeing another kind of gilded flower in her presence made her feel some kind of way about it. Things always happened for a reason and she was not about to lose or forget about this one too.

"That's a lily," she informed him. Rhys paused in his inspection to look at her and then back at the flower. "The gold is part of the flower. Metal and plant existing together," she let out a raspy laugh. "It's wonderful!"

"It's pretty!" Rhys was grinning at it. "Where does it come from? What is it for? Are you going to grow lilies outside?" He set the jar on the table and took out the other bottle. "There's nothing here," he ran a finger down the cloth.

She took this time to explain what she knew about the program and what a Raevan is. Having been raised with magic in their reach Rhys didn't find the concept of a being made of only magic too hard to swallow. The explanation did sound like something else his mom had told him about.

"So you're going to have a magic baby?"

Children never ceased to surprise her. She took a few moments longer to halt her laughter before explaining that yes it was going to be like having a sibling, but no she was not about to birth anyone anytime soon.

Rowan readjusted her shawl and put the papers back in the suitcase. "Now the question is what kind of soul do we want to sacrifice for this cause," she set the jar on the window sill and the empty bottle on the small table she used to share tea with.

"It has to match the color of the cloth," she said more quietly as a reminder.

"Mrs. Lucy's dog is brown," Rhys suggested getting rid of all the packing and opening the package of candles. He started taking them out and lining them up. "It always wakes me up before sunrise. I don't think anyone would miss it. Sparrows are brown too. And worms!"

"Oh that dog is precious to her I wouldn't dare," she started to sort the candle sticks by color. Brown was a common color in the animal kingdom.

Frogs, horses, hamsters... even trees and crystals could fit the description. She glanced at the lily and smiled fondly at it. What to mix with such a lovely object?

Regardless of appearance she was brought back to the main reason she applied in the first place: an assistant and hopeful future owner of this establishment.

Perhaps she could dwindle down her options to animal characteristics. Dogs are loyal, horses are strong, rats are smart and so on. She started to hum the waltz again, this decision would need more time.

 

[GlassKitteh]

Rowan sipped her tea. The sun had yet to rise and it would be a half hour or more until it did. She usually didn't get up so early, but it happened from time to time. It was best to think about things early in the morning when there were no disruptions and all was quiet. Except for Mrs. Lucy's dog starting its routine already.

In her other hand she held the empty bottle. The pattern on the cloth looked like it had been cut out of a geometry image. It vaguely resembled a zen garden had it not been for the color. Or freshly seeded mounds in a farm, she thought setting the bottle down. Perhaps it would be useful to cast a spell to help bring the best answer forward.

"Ro?"

She turned her head to face her nephew. From the looks of his messy hair he had just woken up.

"Good morning, did the dog wake you?" She patted the seat next to her. He nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Rowan served him half a cup of tea and stirred in a spoonful of honey.

"Did you pick something?" he asked mumbling most of it. He broke off a piece from a big cookie and dipped it in his cup. Rowan shook her head.

"I was actually thinking of lighting a candle for that very purpose. Do you remember about that mosquito charm I taught you a few months ago? I was thinking of doing something along those terms. Something along the lines of asking the universe for the best being to proceed with this project," she hummed contemplatively.

"I could switch the salt circle with a sugar circle... and one thin brown candle to attract something brown I suppose. And a white candle right next to it to make sure it's not a ghoul or anything of that nature," she nodded to herself. Whereas the mosquito charm would repel them, this modified circle would attract something and hold it there.

Rhys looked at her with a slightly more awake face. He loved helping cast spells.

"I can help with that!" and he bolted off to gather the supplies.

A few minutes later the supplies were gathered at the table. The tea set had been cleaned and put away and in its stead two candles, a bag of powdered sugar, and the "bait" had been left behind.

They had switched out the brown sugar cane rocks for powdered sugar just in case the bottle could suck the "soul" of the sugar due to its color and added incense.

Now outside in their backyard Rowan adjusted her blue shawl and brought the items out in an ornamental tray. The sun would rise soon and the timing couldn't have been better.

Rhys was kept busy by sweeping the area they would use and even made sure to mop the concrete too. It was only appropriate.

In the meantime the witch set the two different colored candles next to each other and with a knife made solely for this purpose carved a few different symbols on each. Protection on the white pillar, and what she was looking for on the brown pillar.

Then Rhys laid the bait in a circle around the candles. A piece of uncooked red meat, a piece of cooked fish meat, a grape cut in half, dried cranberries, and a small bowl of sugar water.

Hopefully whatever Ro was looking for would be interested by what they smelled. Was she trying to catch a bear?

The young boy grabbed the bag of sugar and handed it to his great aunt. They both stared at the sky watching the rays of purple light be diluted by the presence of the sun.

Rhys started to look around as if the animal Ro was looking for would pop out soon. The wind started to pick up, a gentle breeze now announcing the start of a new day.

Once the sun reached their setup Rowan tilted the sugar bag downwards and started to pour a trail around the items. As the sugar hit the concrete it melted and stuck since it was still wet from the earlier moping, which was just as well since the wind would have scattered the powder. She murmured an incantation in the language she knew best and traced a circle big enough to fit a cow.

Now that the circle was complete she ignited the candles with a flick of her wrist as she had done for many spells before this one. There was a good kind of energy hanging in the air and she couldn't help but to smile.

Her nephew had been staring intently at the circle as if the being would appear out of thin air. The candles could burn for up to a week if it didn't storm.

"We'll check it from time to time," she started though she knew very well Rhys was going to be checking every hour if not every thirty minutes. "Come along now we still have the rest of the day ahead of us," together they walked back inside.

 

[GlassKitteh]

It had been three days now. As expected the first day Rhys had frequently checked up on the sugar circle and reported back no changes.

Rowan had examined it once in the morning and again right before bed. Still the candles burned. There were four more days to go before she could recast it until she got an answer.

Then one evening the young boy had rushed downstairs telling Rowan the candles had gone out.

She set her book down and walked outside. It was a cool summer evening and the sun had set about an hour ago. Even so it was not yet too dark.

She could see there was nothing in the circle. Perhaps she was meant to cast the spell later when the season changed, but instantly she had a feeling that that wouldn’t be necessary.

“Aww there’s nothing there,” Rhys approached the circle with his great aunt by his side. He crouched down to examine the food.

The meat had gone dry and the grape had shriveled up, but upon closer inspection they saw a bug swimming in the sugar water bowl. It seemed it had dared to take a sip and had been unable to crawl back out.

Rhys picked up the bowl in his small hands and held it close to his face. “Eeeew it’s a roach,” he held the bowl up so the witch could see.

Rowan looked into the bowl. When the lamplight hit it just right there was no mistaking the six legged insect trying in vain to reach a dry area. Eventually it tired and simply stayed still floating in the water.

It was not a giant flying cockroach or a heavy carapace beetle looking one either. It was a simple house cockroach the size of a fingernail.

Rhys looked at her expectantly.

“Well that’s a surprise!” she commented bringing the bowl inside.

Rowan could see the symbolism behind an ant since they were hard workers, or a beetle since they were strong, but she wasn’t quite sure what redeeming qualities a cockroach could have in regards to the shop.

Usually people paid to have them out. Then again she knew that even if the answer had been an unexpected one the spell had done its work and it was giving her what she needed, not what she thought she needed.

“Lets put it somewhere safe.”

“It’s so small. How are you going to get someone out of it?” Rhys furrowed his brow as he searched for a proper container. Finally he grabbed a see through cup, a rubber band and some clear plastic wrapping paper.

“It’s going to be a sacrifice,” she replied looking at the floating cockroach. “The actual body plays little part in the making. Recall the sacrifices we have every other season? We offer those souls to the gods in exchange for a bountiful spring or a wet summer.”

The witch fished the insect out of the bowl with an incense stick and quickly dropped it in the cup. She was secretly glad it didn't make a run for it.

Rhys covered the top with the plastic wrap and wrapped the rubber band around it. He poked holes with the thin end of the incense stick and finally set the trapped roach down on the table.

“When are you going to sacrifice it? Will it have six arms?”

“Perhaps, I'm not too sure on that. That would be helpful," she hummed thoughtfully.

"Tomorrow is a good day for that,” she replied after a brief glance at the wall calendar. “It’s going to be a new moon.”

 

[GlassKitteh]

In the morning Rhys had volunteered to prepare the sacrifice. This included giving it a proper last meal, cleaning it and anointing it. In the past he had seen bulls and sheep be served feasts, but he figured last night’s leftovers were pretty fancy for a roach.

Right now he had it trapped in a basin and was spraying it with water. It would have been easier to bathe a worm, he thought.

He looked at the insect and scratched his head. He didn’t exactly want to rub it dry, what if he squished it by accident?

“Ro?” He called never taking his eyes off the roach.

“What happened? Is it giving you some trouble?” She replied from the other room. Rowan couldn’t keep the mirth out of her voice.

Rhys didn’t have to look to know she was smiling.

“Do you have a hair dryer?” He put a lid on the bowl and got up to look through his belongings.

He could have sworn he had a fan someplace… the young boy did end up finding one but not the electric one he had in mind. It was a traditional folding fan he had bought at the Spring festival earlier in the year.

“Nevermind!”

Rhys rushed back to the bowl, took off the lid and started to fan the roach. He felt like one of the fan bearers to a King in a movie. Caesar would have been a good name for it.

After five minutes his arm started to tire. It didn’t look like the roach was wet although it was rather glossy. He set the fan down and picked up a small vial of oil Ro had made out of sage and eucalyptus.

The first drop completely missed. And so did the second and the third until finally he hit the frantic cockroach with a drop.

A few moments later his great aunt came in dressed in a dark green ceremonial robe so dark it looked black. In contrast he was wearing a very light green robe.

“Ready?”

He nodded enthusiastically while grabbing the bowl. They both walked over to a modest altar they had in the living room.

“Lets begin,” she said taking her place in front of the altar.

Quietly, Rhys placed the perfumed dish in the center and stepped back.

On either side there were candles burning brightly and a few incense sticks burning. There was a quartz crystal cluster at every corner. A woodblock was in the center with the trapped roach on top and a dagger was on its right.

The soul bottle with the brown cloth was on the left.

The witch closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She then started to speak in a different language with her hands held over the bowl. It roughly translated to giving thanks for the soul and asking to have the universe’s blessings in recycling it.

All was quiet for a minute or two until a gentle breeze made the candle flames flicker.

Rhys looked around and noticed there were no windows open. He couldn’t explain where the wind had come from, but since Ro had made a bow he could only assume that was the sing she was waiting for.

With the utmost care the witch shook the roach out of the container and it skittered across the woodblock trying to escape but it couldn’t quite crawl off.

It was as if an invisible barrier held it there.

Rowan then took the dagger and held it over the cockroach. Another string of words to flatter the gods and in one quick motion the roach was pierced.

She could feel the hairs at the back of her neck stand and she was sure her nephew could feel it too. The witch removed the dagger and grabbed the empty bottle, pointing it to the twitching corpse.

As if it were a vacuum the bottle sucked the soul right up and the candles dimmed until they went out leaving a thin trail of smoke.

Rowan stuck the cork in and held the bottle so Rhys could see.

“Oooh!!” He came closer to look at the smoke that had materialized inside. It was like looking through a smoky quartz. He briefly wondered if his soul had a specific color and reckoned it would be green.

The smoke started to stir frantically perhaps trying to escape. Rowan whispered to it quietly, telling it all was going to be well.

To another it might have been comical. Here they were sacrificing an insect in the living room and trying to comfort its spirit as if it were a great bull to secure abundant crops.

She left the bottle on the woodblock to discourage its escape until it was time to send it back.

"Perhaps this winter you'll lead the ritual," she commented noting the young boy's calmness.

Two years ago they beheaded a pig and it was a nightmare. He had come a long way since then having had time to understand the meaning behind the rituals. He smiled shyly and shrugged.

Rhys always wanted to help prepare for them, but highly disliked the idea of taking anything's life away even if it was for a good cause.

"Lets bury the husk with a seed so it can grow into a nice healthy tree. What do you say?"

That idea sounded much better and Rhys was grateful for the change of topic.

"Willow? Oak? Flowers?" He asked already picking up the dead roach with his hands.

"I'll leave it up to you," she replied starting to tidy up.

 

[GlassKitteh]

Snip. Snip. A yellowed leaf fell to the floor with a soft swoosh. Another followed right behind it. Rowan maneuvered the plant around until finally all the dying parts and crusty dead leaves had been expelled.

This one wouldn’t bloom until next summer along with another handful sitting outside. At the sign of the first morning frost they had started to shrivel up.

Her thoughts came back to two nights ago, a breezy night it had been. She had asked the universe for help in this matter and the answer had left her puzzled.

The witch had accepted insect and had been trying to see from the universe’s point of view since then.

Cockroaches were pests, but they were rich in protein. Some people in different parts of the world ate them.

What had her thinking was how exactly this soul could prove to be useful. You couldn’t use a dryad’s magic to set aflame a cauldron.

She scratched her head and started to hum a tune. If the Raevan born out of this had six arms then maybe they could multitask.

Were cockroaches considered intelligent? Rowan chuckled at that one. Resourceful at at least.

Once born, would they celebrate their birth the traditional way? She hummed thoughtfully at that one. Her family was… large… and to have them all over... well she wouldn't know where to put them.

Although she would have liked very much for her sister to come by. Yes that sounded like a better idea they had always been specially close.

She could even tell her the story about the gilded flower from so long ago, she reckoned she remembered.

Rowan put the scissors down and walked upstairs. In the living room there was a cabinet full of fine China (a gift not an idea of her own) and inside the drawer were writing supplies. Paper, candle wax, a seal and of course a quill.

She started the first page by explaining the very beginning of it all and ended it with a question. Rowan wanted to hear her sister’s opinion on the soul as well.

Having worked alongside the world for so long she knew deep down inside that this was for the best. Taking another look at the last page she flicked her wrist and it went up in flames.

It was not in her nature to discard beings like that and just because they were made of flower, gold and insect did not mean she had any right to.

In fact now that she thought about it that combination was quite curious. What kind of personality would they have? How will Rhys take to them?

The pen strokes changed from being pressed down a bit too hard to flowing when she started telling of her nephew. He had grown up into a very polite young boy, a timid personality at first but then a friendly and charismatic charmer.

His teachers had nothing bad to say about him except maybe for the one time he put a spider in a girl's hair.

The witch paused then to laugh softly about it. He seemed completely enthusiastic about the entire process and she couldn't help but to wonder what would have happened if the soul had belonged to the worm he had wanted. Only time would tell.

Even if this Raevan did not prove to be the next heir of the Crystal Map they were still considered family. Born of magic and science and what have you. She smiled wistfully and started to write invitations for the birthday ritual.

 

[GlassKitteh]

Rowan let out a long deep breath. They had spent the better half of the morning taking things out of the storage room on the second floor to make space for the new addition.

Rhys was mostly doing all the hauling and putting things away into the attic while Rowan cleared away any stray cobwebs.

Those webs found on the ceiling corners she had to bring the broom for. She felt an itchy sensation in her nose and before she had time to blink an unfortunate cobweb had been sneezed off the wall.

“Gods bless you! So what’s their name?” Rhys called from the hallway.

Rowan took out a spare handkerchief and cleaned her nose with it. She sniffled out a thanks and rubbed her nose a bit to make sure she had gotten all the dust out of there.

“Well I was thinking about Lily if it’s a girl. They’re going to be made out of one so it seems fitting. If they have curly hair then Marigold, after my great great grandmother,” she stared off for a moment recalling an image of said person.

“Lily is okay I guess. Wouldn’t that be weird then? Like calling me Boy,” his brow furrowed, a sign that he was concentrating. “What if it’s a boy?”

The witch hummed in response. “You do have a point. Maybe Ash,” she started to sweep around the boxes getting as much as she could.

She took another pause. “Linden. Or Valerian. Valerian has a nice ring to it.”

Rhys scrunched up his face. “They’re all tree names. What about something more like Caesar or Gambino?”

Rowan chuckled. “Big names for a small soul,” she commented piling up the dust and sweeping it into the dustpan.

“I think they deserve something a bit more… humble.”

The young boy came in to pick up another box he could handle and went to put it up into the attic. In the meantime Rowan brushed the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. They just needed two long boxes out of the way but they could hide it under the bed.

She would put new sheets and a fresh cover on the day the Raevan arrived, until then it would do no good to have it collect dust. The room was now a decent guest bedroom in the middle of Rhys and Rowan’s rooms. A bird cawed outdoors.

The witch walked out into the living and onto the altar where the bottle was stationed.

Under different circumstances Rowan would have taken up a broom and flown to the lab to return the bottle. Unfortunately flying had never been her strong suit and less so with a package that big.

Walking all the way out to the lab in the middle of the week was out of the question as well. Rhys was not old enough to be left alone for a few days, nor did she want to lose business.

The swirling smoke had calmed down considerably after being left in the suitcase for a few days. It seemed to stir in a lazy manner now and even slower when it was being held.

The one time Rhys had accidentally dropped it the soul had been rattled for a whole two minutes before resuming it’s slow swirling.

Today was the day it left.

She had carefully prepared the suitcase it originally came in with charms, amulets and coins for protection, luck and speedy travel. Gently she slid the bottle back in its spot and secured it with a strap.

She did the same with the fel essence, a small smile on her face the entire time. Rowan was honored to have seen another gilded flower in her lifetime.

She tossed a handful of sage leaves and small crystals in there and finally closed the suitcase.

The suitcase slid in its original packaging easily. With enough tape the package was ready to be shipped!

As a final touch she drew a symbol on the outside with scented pine oil, just to be sure. Its contents were precious.

“Rhyyys?” She called out for her nephew as she wiped her hands on a towel. He came downstairs with a bag full of crumpled papers. “Lets bring it downstairs the postwoman will be here soon and they can take it.”

“Oooh!” He set down the bag and took the package with both his hands. Once downstairs he set it by the door and as timing would have it the bell behind the door rang.

The postwoman came in to deliver the deliver and after a brief exchange to make sure the shipping label was correct she hauled the box up and out the door she went.

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Lucky Charm *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Rowan, Rhys, Anita, Cruz
[Synopsis]

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* What`s this? What`s this? *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Rowan, Rhys, Nell, Dair
[While looking for Gambino Purplehearts Rowan & Rhys come across Nell and Dair. Rhys asks Dair to ask the trees if they know where the weed is.]

 

[GlassKitteh]

Holidays were always a boisterous occasion except for this one. Rhys had caught a nasty virus that came with a terrible fever and cold chills.

They were unable to make it to the Yule festival with the rest of the family but the silence and rest was welcomed.

“I have something for you,” Rowan sang from around the corner. Rhys sniffled and blew his nose on a tissue. He balled it up and threw it across the room into the waste bin.

His aunt came into sight with a wrapped box in her hands, the silver metallic foil immediately caught his attention. With some effort the young boy sat up. His eyes twinkled with muted excitement.

“What is it?” His voice was hoarse and he coughed.

“You sound a bit better! I can understand what you're saying now. That lime brew must be doing some hard work,” she winked at him and handed him the box. Sick or not Rhys couldn’t contain himself as he ripped off the gift wrap with all the enthusiasm he could muster.

“Oooh!” Surely he meant to say that but it came out more like frog’s croak. Carefully now he removed the extra sheets from inside to reveal a leather bound journal.

If his nose weren’t all clogged up he would be able to smell the leather scent emanating off of it. “Wow!”

“I was going to wait until your birthday as is tradition but I figure there’s no harm in giving it a few weeks early,” Rowan smiled at him and leaned close to kiss his forehead. “Merry Yuletide Rhys. May this special day bring fortune, joy and abundance in your life now and forever.”

“Wow Auntie Ro!” He opened the journal and traced side of the first page with his index finger. It was some thick paper! He could only imagine what he would write on it. Spells!!

“Oh! I have something for you too,” He set the journal aside and reached under his bed to pull out a wrapped ball.

Rowan laughed and took the ball. She could only imagine and pretend to not know what it was. Once the paper was off the present was revealed to be a ball of yarn.

“This is a beautiful turquoise Rhys I am very thankful,” she gave him another kiss and wrapped him in a strong hug. She let him go when he started to cough uncontrollably and stood, gathering the trash in her arms.

“I’m going to make you another cup of lime brew to help you decongest. I’ll be back with my tools too. Lets see if we can make socks out of this what do you say?”

He nodded with great effort and didn’t protest being tucked in. Rhys had wanted to write his first page but had started to slip into sleep. Quietly Rowan took the wrapping scraps and tip toed out of the room.

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* A Real Golden Girl *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Dior, Rowan, Zeke
[Rowan meets Dior and a short photoshoot takes place after!]

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* [1st Night] *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Dior, Rowan

Dior stood at the doorway staring at the inside of the Crystal Map. Rowan stood behind her, loosening her shawl off and then her jacket.

“Welcome home Dior,” she informed her beckoning to the room. “This has been a family tradition dating back well, to not too long ago. There’s candles, charms, books…” she trailed off wondering if the frei was paying attention. She seemed wholly absorbed in the bookshelf.

“Home,” she repeated taking a book out. After her antennas gave it a quick look over she dropped it on the floor and continued to the next… and another and this one didn’t have what she was looking for…

“Dior!”

Startled, she whipped her head around and stared at the older woman with wide eyes. Her antennas stood alert and she froze in place with book in hand.

Rowan sighed and with it her minor frustration left her. It was as if the girl had been so engrossed in her task she had not heard her calling her name more than once.

“Throwing books on the ground is unacceptable young lady,” she told her shaking her finger. She bent over and picked up the two books, holding them out so Dior could see. “Once you’re finished with them, put them back,” she slid the books back in.

The raevan looked at the book, then the woman, and finally the bookshelf. Slowly she copied what Rowan had done, eyes on the witch the entire time.

“There you go, well done,” Rowan had said it with genuine warmth and couldn’t help the smile that followed.

It was like teaching an older child manners all over again. Dior mimicked her smile and continued her search.

Once she was done with that bookshelf she moved on to the other right across. This time she ran her fingers over their spines and held her face close to them as if they would whisper to her.

Rowan watched quietly from the side.

Her rabid search ended just as quickly as it had started. One of her antennas drooped to the side as if takin a break and the other hung limp right in front. It reminded Rowan of Ms. Lucy’s dog when Rhys told it to sit.

“Would you like to see your room?” Rowan clasped her hands in front. She turned and walked to the doorway leading upstairs. “Rhys worked very hard on it. He mostly did all the hard work. Heaven knows I would get a hernia.” She beckoned her to follow.

Dior floated after her and halted at the bottom of the stairs. Whatever these were looked… intimidating. She looked up and scrunched up her eyebrows.

Rowan had turned just in case the frei hadn’t followed. She was pleased to find her right behind, but it seems they have come across and obstacle.

“Place your hand on the railing, like so,” she instructed, placing a firm grip on it. “And then one leg forward,” or half a ribbon forward, she should say? “Well just propel your body forward,” she covered the chuckle that had nearly escaped her.

The frei had clutched the railing as if her life depended on it and like a wall climber had started to put one arm in front of the other as if she were pulling up on a rope. Unfortunately, she wasn’t getting anywhere. She gave Rowan an anguished look.

And how could Rowan resist such a look?

“Oh you poor thing,” she rushed downstairs and unglued the frei from her troubles. “Hold my arm, like so,” she guided her hands to her sleeve and secured them with a pat. “Don’t let go now,” the raevan clung to her arm, her eyes set on the stairs right below her.

They were working, Rowan’s legs that is. She didn’t have those that’s why she couldn’t go up, she thought. The darkness had made them seem like a mountain, but now standing at the top it seemed a short path down. She scratched the back of her neck, unsure what to think of the stairs.

Still holding on to Rowan’s arm, she was guided to the first door.

“This is Rhys’ room,” she told her opening the door. The walls were green, the bed was made, it looked…. Organized… with more things than the room she had woken up in, but too pristine. “Rhys is my nephew and you will meet him soon. I think you two will get along just fine. He has been wanting someone to play with,” She patted her hands and continued to the middle door.

“And this room, is your very own,” she opened the door and stepped inside with the frei on her arm.

Much like Rhys’ room it was… pristine. The bedsheets were green, the walls however were beige and there was a polished white dresser with a medium sized mirror that caught her attention.

It had a lot of compartments! She peeked in random ones, there was fabric in a few of them and she held a white tee shirt to her face. Dior rather fancied this color, it matched the ends of her hair. Maybe not completely, but close enough.

“I will have to do a few trimmings here and there,” Rowan said absently. She looked at her fondly and Dior stared at her, at her surroundings and back at the witch. “Nothing complicated just so it fits okay?”

“Okay.”

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* [Midnight Snack] *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Dior, Rowan

It was around three in the morning when Rowan heard another thump. This time she was sure she wasn’t dreaming. With some effort she wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up.

She would bet livestock that Dior was up and about doing the gods knows what. Poor thing, this was new for everyone.

“Dior?” she called rubbing her shoulder. That would be sore in the morning for sure.

The witch saw the antennas before she saw the girl. She pushed the crystal curtain aside and stared at Rowan.

“Come here, tell me what you were doing,” she beckoned to a spot beside her. The roach Frei floated and yanked her way over the bed. She settled close to her guardian and noted this bed was twice as big as hers. “Well?”

“Looking,” she replied without fanfare. It was as straightforward as she could be. Looking and touching would have been more specific.

“The night was built for resting, and the day for adventures. If you don’t rest at night you’ll be too tired for adventure tomorrow, don’t you think?” She started to absentmindedly run her fingers through the girl’s hair. Her eldest daughter used to love that.

Dior looked thoughtful for a moment, mulling over the words. “Not tired,” she replied simply, allowing her antennas to lazily swing around. Rowan hummed thoughtfully.

“Well you’re in luck because I have just the thing!” She smiled at the girl and the Frei returned it. “Lavender water. I’ll add chamomile too, and honey if you like,” As Rowan got up so did Dior and together they made their way over to the modest kitchen in the living room.

The witch turned on the stove and set a pot full of water over it. “When it whistles we’ll know it’s ready,” she explained taking a seat next to Dior.

“Whistle?”

The witch put her fingers together and breathed into them, making a sharp but weak sound. The roach Frei stilled, even her antennas froze in place.

“Oh! How?” she looked at her carefully mimicking her posture. When she tried blowing nothing but a pbbtt came out. Rowan chuckled.

“Not so close, not so hard. Now try again.” After a few other attempts and no progress Rowan decided to teach her another way. “Lips like this, like a fish, tongue up and breathe,” a small whistle could be heard.

This time thanks to the new ‘technique’ a tiny sound came out and Dior gasped. She was starting to think only Rowan could do it. The witche smiled with delight and the pot of iron whistled now, weakly at first and then making sure they both her.

“I’m coming, I’m coming settle down,” she told the object as if it could respond. With a wet cloth she removed the kettle and carefully she let its steaming contents pour over two delicate teacups. She returned to the table with a silver stray, letting the kettle rest on the stove.

“This here is sugar, for sweetness in case the honey was not enough,” she informed the girl. She took a sip of her tea and sighed. The perfect midnight snack. “It’s a tad bit warm be careful.”

Judging by the betrayed look on her face it was too late. Rowan smothered the smile off her face. “Blow on it some to help it cool off.”

Dior followed the suggestion religiously. A few exaggerated blows later she drank the whole thing in one go.

“Did you like it?”

She nodded. The taste was faint, but the water made her feel refreshed and… content, she thought.

There was the slightest difference. So slight had they not been in the dark Rowan would have thought she was imagining seeing the girl glow.

“I’m glad, now let’s get you back to bed.”

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* [It's.... A girl?!] *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Dior, Rowan, Rhys

Rhys waved to his friend goodbye and ran up the stairs of the Crystal Map. He could hear Ms. Lucy’s dog bark at him and with a quick glare and a SHHH, ran inside. In one hand he had the project he had worked on the day before, and on the other his backpack.

Rowan was seated on the counter downstairs casually flipping through a magazine. She didn’t need any new teacups, but some were so lovely they would go well with current sets.

“My you’re quite the bundle of energy this morning! How was the sleepover?” Rowan asked setting the magazine aside in time to catch her nephew as he came flying for her. She kissed both his cheeks and trapped him into a hug. “And what’s this? A budding artist under my roof? I’m honored!”

Rhys giggled and squirmed from under. “I have so much to tell you. There were frogs in Evan’s backyard! And we made this for school and we got an A on it!” He held up the canvas. It was a landscape made of glue pasta shells.

“You sound like you had a good time. Something good happened while you were gone,” she paused for suspense.

“Aaaand??”

“The Lab called…”

“Is my brother here?!” He set the project on the counter and made a mad dash up the stairs.

Brother? Rowan wondered, raising an eyebrow. She had told him before to not settle on any gender… and they had chosen names for different genders just in case. Had he been secretly hoping for a boy? With a sigh she got up.

He swung the door open and gasped. There was a lump on the bed!

“Hi! Welcome I’m so happy you’re here I can’t wait to show you everything we’re going to have so much fun!” He bounced onto the bed.

Groggily Dior opened her eyes. What was making so much noise? She had buried herself under the covers to avoid the sun and here was this other person bringing more sunlight in. She groaned and pulled the covers tighter over her small frame.

“Come oooon it’s almost noon get up,” he bounced on the bed and started to claw the sheets off. When finally the sun hit the shiniest blonde hair he had ever seen with also the worse case of bedhair he ever laid eyes upon. Sleepy green eyes squinted up at him.

“You… you’re a girl?” They both froze staring at each other. Rhys with amazed disappointed and Dior with sleepy uncertainty.

“I’m a Dior,” she replied sitting up now, pulling her ribbon to her. She smacked her lips trying to moisten her mouth and stretched her arms, yawning. Her antennas copied her arm’s movements and then relaxed into their usual limp position.

Rowan stood in the doorway with her hands folded in front of her. “Dior this is Rhys, my nephew. Rhys, this is Dior, your… half-sister I suppose,” she smiled at the sound of that.

“…hi.”

“Hi.”

With a heavy sigh Rhys got off the bed and left towards his room. Rowan sighed again.

“Let me go talk to him. Why don’t you pick something to wear while I do, hm?” She pointed to the cabinet where the extra clothes were held. “I’ll be right back.”

She shut the door gently and made her way over to Rhys’ room. With a soft knock, she peeked in. “I’m coming in,” she announced. “Now what exactly happened, I thought you were excited for someone to play with?”

He stayed quiet for a moment and then, “She’s… a girl!”

“So?”

“My friends say girls are weird and gross and it’s true because I see it at school!”

Rowan had to bite back a laugh at that. He didn’t think Dior had the cooties or something, did he?

“Well this girl is different. She’s magical,” she whispered the last bit as if it were a secret. “And you hardly know her, don’t you think it’s a bit unfair to judge someone you just met? Hm?”

He shrugged nonchalantly.

“I’m willing to bet she likes animals just as much as you do.”

“Not the worms. None of the girls at school like the worms,” he kicked his shoes off.

“You don’t know that. How about this. What if we visit the zoo and see for ourselves hm?”

At the sound of his favorite place ever the young boy perked up.

“Then we’ll know for sure,” she wiggled her eyebrows and Rhys giggled. “There’s that smile,” she brought him closer to kiss his forehead despite his protests. “Now freshen up while I go make dinner. It’s your favorite dish!”

With a soft smile and a parting pat on his shoulder the witch made her way back to Dior’s rooms. Cautiously she peeked inside and found the roach Frei had returned to sleep. Here was hoping that the smell of chicken curry would wake her.

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Burrowed Chances *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Dior, Rowan, Rhys, Sam, Tau
[The trio visit the zoo and meet an enthusiastic zookeeper in line for a Raevan. Dior steals a hissing cockroach.]

 

[GlassKitteh]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* [Swiper No Swiping] *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Dior, Rowan, Rhys

The first time Rowan had heard it she thought it was been her imagination. Rhys had looked at her wondering if he had been the only one hearing it and upon receiving no reaction from his great aunt he assumed perhaps it was the voices again. They returned to their meal occasional making chit chat but a few minutes later it was back.

Rhys looked at the new addition closely. For someone who had been constant chatter the previous dinner times, she was being awfully quiet now.

Dior was trying very hard not to burst into giggles. Her new pet was tickling her neck and it was making it very difficult not to spit her food out. And also why did she have to cut up the lilies with proper cutlery? It was easier to munch them as they were…

Finally she cleaned her plate and carried it over to the sink. That Rowan didn't have to tell her to wash her plate was a miracle, and suspicious. Rhys watched from the corner of his eyes. He just knew she was up to something.

Suddenly she squealed and the sound of a plate breaking could be heard. Startled, Rhys and Rowan looked up.

“Are you alright dear?” Rowan stood wondering if perhaps the girl had been spooked by a mouse. And that’s when she saw the critter. It was about the size of a mouse and she reckoned it could fit at the palm of her hands as its kind had back in the zoo.

“She stole a bug!”

Dior didn’t spare them a glance instead she acted like nothing had just transpired and scooped her friend in her hands. She was about to float away when Rowan cleared her throat.

“Where are you going Dior? Do you remember what we do when we make messes?” Rowan had a stern look on her face and behind her Rhys was grinning. Oh she was gonna get it now.

“It’s abstract art,” Dior replied seeing the shattered pieces. Rhys burst into laughter only to be silenced by a glance of the witch. “Really look,” she motioned towards the crime scene. “I cleaned it.”

Rowan shook her head. “What if I step on it? What if Rhys steps on it? Don’t you think we would get hurt?”

“Hurt?” She tilted her head and frowned. She couldn’t relate to stepping on it, no feet of her own and all.

“When Rhys pulled your antennas it hurt, didn’t it? If we were to step on this it would hurt. So scoop it up and put it in the trash.” Her tone left no room for ifs and buts. Dior stood in place for a moment before moving to grab the broom. “Now, while you do that please explain what that cockroach is doing here and not in the zoo where it belongs.”

Dior glanced over her shoulder to look at Rhys. He was still grinning only now he stuck his tongue out at her. Her antenna twitched in annoyance.

“It was lonely. And I like it so I took it,” that was really all there was to it.

“With a family of more than fifty I find it hard to believe it was lonely. Did Sam say you could take it home?” She crossed her arms and started to tap her fingers on her forearm.

“…No. Why? She has fifty more,” she gave Rowan a bewildered look.

“It’s not yours for the taking Dior. What if Sam counts them every night and finds it missing? Don’t you think she would be sad?”

“But she has fifty more!”

“Regardless it’s not yours to take Dior. You have to ask people if they’re willing to part with their things before you take them. How would you feel if someone cut your hair and took it simply because they liked it, hm?”

“It grows back I wouldn’t mind…”

The witch sighed. “We are taking it back tomorrow.”

“But Tiger likes it here!”

She named it Tiger?

“That’s not a tiger that’s a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach!” Interrupted Rhys, only to hide behind the table from both their glances.

“It’s not yours to keep Dior. Tomorrow first thing in the morning I will be calling Sam, now give it here,” she beckoned towards it. Reluctantly the Frei handed the roach to her guardian. “Now go to your room.”

With a wistful look at her pet she floated away. Rowan put the roach on a cardboard box for the time being. At least it wasn’t a centipede.