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 Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:37 am
Metaplot Part Nine - Seirket's Finding "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey..." Ianna's voice softly sang to the dark haired girl in her arms. The small wings of the succubus were arranged so they weren't cramped, and the girl's silver eyes were heavy-lidded with sleep.
Coailiann hadn't taken kindly to having a new sister. Del had been a trial enough - but at least that little thing stayed out of her way. She usually stayed closer to Ianna or Malen, which, while it took attention away from the Sidhe, she preferred.
At least she didn't slobber on her stuff.
So currently Ianna was attempting to make up for Coailiann's horrid treatment of her siblings by singing to her, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair of the room Malen had set up.
It was all so new, so different, to the silver woman.
"Mother...."
Ianna closed her eyes and sighed, "Matty, please tell me another wand hasn't been found? I'm just getting Kishi to sleep and Coailiann..." she looked slightly distressed at the idea of leaving both of them together.
"Malen can watch all three girls. This is important."
Ianna supposed her eldest daughter was right. She trusted Malen to watch the girls - she just didn't want to leave the serene comfort she was feeling at the present moment, "Very well, then...."
The woman stood up, shifting the sleepy succubus in her arms to a position against her shoulder for easier transportation as she made her way out of the nursery and into Malen's room. They'd yet to share one yet.
"You're on baby detail."
"Aren't I always on baby detail?"
Ianna smiled fondly at him. "Only when I say you are." She gently handed Kishi over to his waiting arms and tilted her head. "You look good with babies," she commented before turning and starting out the room. "I'll be back soon. Hopefully in one piece. Coailiann's napping in her room, Del... is, uh... in the fountain, I think." She nodded her head and left without another word.
~
"Where to?"
"It should be fairly easy. The forgotten line between the Realm of Dream and Thought. It's... forgotten, but there ARE some creatures hanging around that haven't forgotten the war and the heartaches from the bloodshed there. You'll want to be careful."
Ianna shuddered. She had read about the war, and how awful it had been. "What's to be found there but old memories and forgotten scars?"
"A gryphon."
Ianna's heart stopped a moment. "It couldn't be the one the BOOKS wrote about... could it?"
There was a silence before Matilda mentally nodded. "Seirket."
"Seirket will be returning to us? On OUR side?"
"So it seems. Pack your bag, mother."
~
It was an hour or so later that Ianna found herself on the invisible line between realms. It was cold all around her; the air that hung low seemed to be thick with the shivering loneliness of ice. But it wasn't from the weather that it was cold. It was from the psychic scars that the battle had left.
It was the battle in history where magic and humans had fought their hardest.
And where the People of Dreams had lost their faith.
It was, as Matilda had put it so long ago, the turning point in the war against magic users and the end of the belief in anything unexplainable. It had, she had said, been what started to make their world fade and the crusade of wiping out their people.
And Ianna could feel every lost soul.
"We must hurry, Matilda," Ianna said softly - for once none of her snarky complaints left her mouth. She had too much respect for this place. For the people lost there. And for once, Matilda agreed with her.
"Time works differently between realms. You must hurry, I agree."
Ianna took a deep breath... and began her long walk down the path.
~
She had lost track of time. It could have been hours, minutes, days, that she had been searching for Seirket's wand. But the moment she had wrapped her cold, stiff fingers around the glinting wand of gold, emerald and diamonds, she had known. It really was Seirket. The two osprey feathers hanging from leather straps only added to the certainty. They were his coloring.
"Let's go home, Matilda. I think this child may actually save us, someday."
It had been a long time since wands had been found. Two were still laying beneath her desk, gathering dust. Ianna was starting to wonder if they would ever find a home.
And now Seirket's wand - it was sitting atop her desk. She had just returned a few hours ago and had been pacing her wand shop. Would the guardian be able to take care of him like he'd need to be taken care of? Would they be able to help train him for the battle that would certainly eventually come?
Even Ianna felt the stirrings of discontent in the magical realm. It was amplified for Matilda's conveniance in the headquarters. In the realm that Matilda had created.
"I just hope that whoever takes you, little gryphon, will give you all you deserve..."She hated shopping. Hated it. Had always hated it, even back when Cilere had still... no. She just hated it, that was all. But Jer'ain grew like a weed, even if Savius seemed content to mantain the same size, and Lithle had no choice but to get her new clothes. Besides which, children needed things. She hated that about them. There constant need for things, for attention, for her time. Mind, Savius more or less took care of himself. And Jer'ain did her utmost best to keep from making ripples. But they were there, in her house, and it made her twitch sometimes. At least she'd more or less finished for the day. 'rain would have some sort of food ready, and Savius might feel like playing a game of chess. Yes, they were useful. That didn't mean she LIKED them. Huh... what was that? The shop caught her eye for no particular reason, certainly it couldn't have anything for her inside. What the hell was a wand shoppe anyway? A shrug, and she changed directions, figuring she could at least check the place out. Maybe they'd have something to entertain the brats. Pushing open the door, she walked inside, her usual deliberate stride slightly changed by the fact that she really didn't know why she was bothering. It wasn't like her to follow an impulse. Ianna stopped her pacing as she heard the familiar ping inside her mind and turned around to look at the woman who had entered her shop. Guardian! But to who?
"Hello!" Ianna chirped, looking rather frazzled. Her silver hair was every which way (Blame her trying to pull it out in frustration) and her glasses were on crooked. Her clothes were wrinkled and she looked TIRED.
Despite all that, she seemed cheerful enough. Coailiann was with Malen, Kishi and Del for the day - so she was all alone.
"Welcome to Ghosts of the Past!" she hurried to her desk and fiddled around with the top of it, placing one leather bound book edged in gold atop of the surface.
If Lithle had an ounce of empathy in her... but she didn't. She really didn't. Other than a quick note that the woman really wasn't her type (was anyone, with Cilere gone?) Lithle more or less dismissed her, nodding briefly and scanning the store for... what? She didn't know. For her part, she looked as she usually did. More male than female really, with her short hair, generally lacking figure and baggy button up boy's top. Oh, there was some hint of femininity to her face, but she got called 'sir' as often or not. Not that she got called much of anything, there was a threat to her gaze, subdued but definate. Her eyes were cold. "What does this place sell anyway? Wands?" She asked, her voice devoid of any emotion outside mild irritation, and very remote. She moved closer to Ianna automatically, never letting the woman completely leave her range of vision. Everyone was a possible threat. "We generally don't sell anything," Ianna said, giving a shrug, "But could you do me a favor?" she didn't know which wand this one was meant for. By the looks of her, she seemed to fit the gryphon best of all. Definitely not a leprechaun person and most certainly not a gypsy.
She pushed the book forward, "Can you tell me what you think of this? Touch the leather, I need to know if it's soft enough..."
Well, it would be - she knew that. However, it was more of a ploy to get the woman to touch the book so she could find out which child was hers. After all - She didn't exactly look like a woman who would willingly believe she was going to be a mother of a wand.
Please let her be easier to handle than Danny.
The minute Lithle 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 golden wand currently sitting on Ianna's desk.
Under the picture read:
"Realm Line. Wand ID 00021. 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."
Ianna gave her the biggest s**t-eating grin she could muster, "Your a mother!"Lithle eyed the woman with open distrust, but decided it was easier to just do what she asked. Without any further hesitation, she did as asked, brushing her fingers rather dismissively over the cover of the book. The sudden reaction, the book flying open, the pages turning, well... the jumpy young woman certainly didn't take it well. She took a few steps back, hands going to her half button shirted to reach for her gun. Except, nothing else happened. It was unadvisable, she'd learned, to pull out a weapon unless you planned to use it. And the only use she believed guns had was killing. Killing to maim or frighten didn't even occur to her. Since she didn't plan to kill the woman (yet) she let her hands fall to her sides again, though she still stood it what could only be described as a battle stance, ready to mover or react in whatever way necissary. "What the ******** are you talking about?" A snarl. No apathetic irritation here, no, this was full on anger. She did not like being confused. She'd seen the picture of course, and how it matched the wand on the desk. But she was hardly going to take any real meaning from some freaky self opening book. Ianna took a deep breath. Seirket it was. It would do well with her. She had a warrior's spirit.
As he should live under. They would need him.
"Lithle," she said, using the name Matilda supplied her with, "Tell me. Have you ever heard of the battle between the People of Dreams and the People of Thought?" she tilted her head, "The one which turned the tables on the People of Dreams and started the crusades?"
She was patient as she slowly closed the book and set the wand atop of it, the gold, real gold, catching the light and glittering slightly along with it's emeralds and diamonds.
That wand was worth a lot of money. However..Ianna could not and would never sell her preciouses.
They were worth more than money.
At least she hadn't been shot. It seemed like nothing could phase the silver woman after all she'd been through - even with Danny.Lithle knew about wars. But the wars she knew happened on the street, over money, drugs, territory. She knew about the victims, the ones who got caught in the crossfire for no reason but naivety or bad luck. She knew Tred, she knew what it meant to fight an enemy by becoming it. To hate death enough to kill. She didn't however, have a clue what the crazy woman was babbling about. And she didn't like the use of her name. She was at a disadvantage. She lacked the knowledge the woman had. She didn't know what was going on. She stood still, fists shaking with the effort of holding still. The instinc in her pure fight or flight was strong, and it was possible that the war between the two was the only thing holding her in place. "I don't have a clue. History isn't exactly my subject." She spat the words. "Stay out of my head." The last added because she couldn't think of any other way her name might have been known. This was gaia, after all. Damn telepaths. Ianna ignored the comment about being in her head - since she wasn't - and continued speaking.
"You may want to sit down. It's a lengthy explanation, and you need to hear it. Your spirit is a special little boy. He was and is of great importance and I won't have you screwing up his or our chance at happiness and true freedom, do you understand me?"
There was something about the dangerous yet calm glitter in Ianna's eyes as she made herself comfortable on her stool, "As you should know, living in gaia, Magic and Humans live side by side. In not-so-great harmony. In the past, Magic and Explanation lived side by side in peace. We worked together, lived together...Mated together, loved together. Oh yes, some of us still do, but the majority despise magic for it has no logical explanation that can be put into words."
She paused and reached under her desk for a pot of tea and brought some out, pouring herself a cup, "Tea?"Tea? Was the woman serious? She could use a beer. Or something stronger. She found herself wanting Savius, her sharp tongued, independant Kestrel. It seemed like whenever things got too ******** up, and she was slipping away or in danger of exploding, he was there. To pick a fight when she was depressed, or pour her a drink when she was near killing. She didn't like that either. She didn't need anyone. Certainly not bird boy. Still, the thought of him, with his irritating 'Dad' tattoo was enough to pull her off the brink and stop her shaking. "What little boy?" She snapped, but without quite so much edge, taking a seat despite herself. "I really don't have the ******** time." Lithle wasn't a good person. In the judgement of many she'd even be a bad person. But her moral code was carved in stone, and even if she hated them, she protected children. Protect those who can't protect themselves. Loyalty to the pack. Make prey of the preditor. Tred. "Fine, talk." She snarled, ignoring the fact that Ianna was already talking. "But don't waste my time. I've got the damned brats waiting for me." "Well, Lithle, you'll have to just make the time, won't you? Because you may have 'brats' waiting for you elsewhere, your most important 'brat' is sitting right in front of me. If you walk away from me, from him, he DIES. Again. This is his second life, so you're going to stay sitting down and listen. For as long as it takes for me to explain."
She went back to her calmness and took a sip of her tea, "Anyway. As I was saying. Unrest began to spread through the humans. They didn't like that magic folk were stronger than they were. That they could do things that they couldn't. That they didn't have to work as hard, in their eyes, to get what they wanted.
A rebellion started. It started with a few random killings of mages and other creatures of the craft. Not enough to start a riot, but enough to strike fear into magic folks hearts. They were, or the majority were, not used to harming non-magic creatures. They knew they had differences - but they also respected them.
Soon two realms were created. One of Dreams and One of Thought. Each had their sub realms, but the two main were of Dream and of Thought. The humans resided in the Realm of Thought.
A few choice mages also resided in the human's realm, teaching basic magics to the humans to try and close the gap between the two. Once they had done their job, the Humans slayed them.
The magic folk felt their deaths. All magic, you see, is connected."
She paused and took yet another sip of her tea, her mouth becoming dry from so much talking, "The humans created strict guidelines to their magic - if you could call it that. It was not TRUE magic. At least - not in the eyes of the Dream Realm.
To them, the humans practicing such an act, restricting what was supposed to be free-flowing, was an abomination. Small battles began to break out between the two realms, which eventually escalated into the worst war in history.
Worse, one that humans, despite their victory, wiped from all other's memory. Unfortunately, the scars that magic leaves behind are unable to be erased.
When wrong is done and magic is to blame, being behind it...The magic scars the area. It's the way Psychics can tell. It leaves a foot print that, if strong enough, that can be felt even by those who have no such inclination. But...That's beside the point at the moment...
"The final battle of the war took place on the line between the two realms. The soul in that wand is one of the largest figures of the war. He was one of the most important people in the Realm of Dream's side...Or, rather, one of the most important CREATURES. A gryphon who was bound to a mage. They both died that day, and with their death, the Dream Realm fell and the Humans won.
What happened after is not to be spoken of now. It is irrelevant. What is important is..." her hand touched the wand, "Seirket has come back. And he chose you to be his guardian."Lithle gritted her teeth at the woman's words, but forced herself to sit anyway. Life, death. They mattered to her still. In some ways. And she wouldn't cause the death of a seeming innocent. She couldn't. She let the woman's words wash over her, not really sinking in but being heard. She'd remember them later. She just didn't care. It was the sort of thing that'd interest Kyle, to some extent. He wasn't a natural gaian. Magic and wars... it was all exciting for him. To her, magic was a weapon, meaning magic users were always armed. Besides, the only thing magic had ever done to her was ******** her over. Except for the bit that allowed her the friendship of canines, and that barely counted. The final statement broke her out of her rather introspective haze, gray eyes turning from clouds to walls of granite. She didn't need another ******** kid! Savius, shedding feathers to pester her. Jer'ain with her high, soft voice. Her expression was utterly blank. Her words were razors. "I take the wand, or it dies?" "The wand can't die. The child inside the wand can. He already died...too horribly for words. It's his second and only chance at a better life." she smiled a bit and stroke the wand tenderly, "Take it, Lithle. Feel that. Please."
She gingerly picked the wand up and held it out to the red head, praying she'd take it. Feel the warmth and pulsing that it had. It would only last a single second, the moment she touched it, but she'd be able to feel life inside of it.
A child's life.She didn't know much about better lives. She lived because... she lived because... well, she lived. Maybe that was enough. There really wasn't another choice. Not in the world as she saw it. "Fine." She snapped, reaching out and snatching the wand. The brief pulse of warmth and life was unmistakable. Metal just didn't feel that way. She wasn't overly surprised. Very little had managed to shock her since Savius had left behind his kestrel form. And there was the simple fact that Ianna simple didn't give off the right type of vibes to be crazy. And if she wasn't crazy, then she had to be telling the truth. Thoughtfully, she turned it over, examining the dangling feathers, the quill etched into the sun. Strange, really. "Does it come with instructions?" She asked, dryly. Ianna gave a soft chuckle, "Like all children...Unfortunately not. I've had two come to me through wands. Unfortunately, with Matilda, I had no clue what was going on. She was the first one. She was who created all this. I had a three year old talking to me as if she were fifty. It was creepy..." she smiled slightly and tilted her head.
"But there are other guardians who will share their ideas and experiances. In fact, I'd like you to come with me and see the headquarters. It's even got a sound proof training room. You look like the type who'd enjoy that...""Heh." Lithle continued to turn the wand over in her hands, trying to warm up to the idea of having another child. She'd never warmed up to the idea of the first two. What would they think? ********. "If you like." A training room? What were they doing, raising kids to be soldiers? But then the woman had said that the soul in the wand had been in a war. Maybe they were all like that or something. Soldiers of that battle between Thought and Dreams. "How's a kid gonna pop out of this?" "The soul essence seeps from it when it starts to feel accepted. As if it's safe. It comes out in the form of a fetus shaped wisp. The next stage it grows, the wand shrinks, and it solidifies into a baby ghost. Then it solidifies into a child. It's a gryphon, but it'll look human for the most part."
Ianna stood up and moved towards the door on her right, "Follow me."
As they entered the main lobby Via the portal connecting the shoppe and the headquarters, the first thing they 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, Lithle, you're welcome here at any time. Usually there are more guardians about but..." she gave a shrug, "There are gardens in the back and a complete training facility down the hall. Even a very large library...""I. See." Yes, Lithle was capable of being surprised from time to time, and Ianna had just done so. This isn't exactly what she'd pictured when she'd heard HQ. She wasn't sure what she had pictured, but it hadn't looked quite so... opulent. She had money, true, more than she needed. Tred took care of its own, and there was more money in illegal law enforcement than one might think. But... still... this was a lot. "The brats, I can bring them here with umm... my wand?" God that sounded stupid. She sounded like some sort of fairy. Wand. Prancing about granting wishes next. "They have a dog." Her dog, really. Her pride, her accomplishment. But Fen had taken to Savius, and now there was no seperating them. She'd lost to a kid. Heh. "Yes, you can. Any time you want, day or night. Though Malen may bite you if you come around later in the evening. He steals that time for me and our children..."
She blinked. She'd just said 'our' and 'children' in the same sentence. Sure, she thought of Kishi and Del as her own but...OUR? When the hell did THAT happen? She shrugged it off, "The fridge is charmed. Anything you want, it'll spit out at you, anyway you want it. And I'm sure my girls would love the dog.""Heh. Well, he's well trained. He can deal with kids. So long as they aren't threatening my brats." She sighed, as that thought hit her. Brats. More brats. She didn't need this. She really didn't need this. "Are we done?" She asked, the edge that had retreated behind apathy returning to her voice. "Yes, we're done," Ianna confirmed, giving a small nod of her head, "You can leave at any time...Just be careful not to break the wand. It's not easy, but if you did...The soul dies."
With that, Ianna turned around and looked at her, "Goodluck, Lithle.""Right. I won't chuck it at anyone." She shrugged. Somewhere, not far distant there was a girl growing like a weed and a boy who would bring her a beer. And she was going to have to explain to them what the wand was about. Savius would probably like it. The bird brain and his ******** family theory. As if using the words often enough would somehow make it real. Well, at least the gryphon... wand... gryphonwand... would have someone to call a brother. A gryphon? More birds? She was going to shoot herself. Or them. Or something! Yeah, she wanted to shoot something. "I guess I'll be seeing you."
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Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:12 pm
An Email
Alpha,
Well, ********. I've got another one. Yeah. A brat. Why doesn't this happen to you? You like kids. I guess there's the bat brat, but still. This little ******** will make three. At least it's not here yet.
It's a wand at the moment. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but I kid you not. I have a baby stick. All gold and shiny and garish. The chick who made me take it was pretty dramatic about it. Reborn soul from a great war, or something like that. She said he was a gryphon named... ********... I don't remember. Something weird. Seirkit? Seirkate? One of those weird names you like.
The brats are taking it ok, I guess. I expected Saviusto be happier than he is, he's always trying to pretend we're a family. But he muttered something about the consiquences of fighting death, and sort of shook his head. That kid's weird sometimes.
Jer'ain just smiled, and said she'd help babysit. I don't know where I got such a damned sweet kid. She's always willing to help, always has something useful to do or say. I don't know how she managed to grow up to be good around me and Savius, but there you go.
Me, the brats, and the stick. And that's life at the moment.
b***h
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Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 4:16 pm
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Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 12:06 pm
Silence but for the soft hush of breathing from the children's rooms. They were sleeping, for once, but Lithle was wide awake. Too awake, wide eyed and restless, her mind moving too quickly. The night felt hot and too close, even with the air going full blast. She felt like screaming, and wasn't sure why.
The wand sat in front of her, layed out on the kitchen table and glinting gold in the moonlight. Her other sleeping ward, or something of the sort. She remembered the party, with the kids hunting eggs and the hints of smoke like infant shadows. As she was supposed to expect, eventually.
She hadn't wanted this. Not one child, certainly not two with the promise of a third. Cilere had talked of children sometimes, a subject she's always pulled away from, but that had been the extent of it.
She would have loved it. Savius's roughness, Jer'ain's careful calm. Cilere could have been their mother in a way that Lithle couldn't even pretend at. Was it punishment then? Was she doomed to live out the life that Cilere never got to have, to act out another's path?
God it still hurt. The hate and the anger and the loneliness. Like it'd been for years now. Like it'd always been. There'd be nothing for her. Just two brats and a wand in the moonlight. No lover, no soft touch and gentle whispers. Not for her. She wasn't cut out for it. Cilere had proved that.
Bright eyes. Soft skin. Betrayal.
She wished she could forget. Forget Cilere, the brats, the shiny stick.
Slave to the life of a woman long dead.
Haunted by the ghost of happier times.
There were times when she thought anger was the only thing she still felt.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 4:53 pm
Quest: Part One Note: Despite the colourfulness, this is a solo RP. However, when I integrate Lithle's friends into a post, Michael will always be blue, and Kyle orange.The coffee was hot. The music was loud, and the usual evening crowds were thinning as midnight faded and the early morning hours approached. They'd been here for hours, the three of them, Kyle draining cup after cup of coffee, like a chain smoker deprived of cigarettes. Which he was. Lithle knew how he felt. She'd quit for Cilere. She hadn't picked the habit back up, and wasn't sure why. Michael had been snapping photos all night, capturing images that she didn't understand. He said he saw hope in them. She wasn't even sure what that was."Well, what else are we working for?" Michael asked, without much emotion in his words. Sometimes she didn't think he believed his own words.
"Someone's got to take a ******** stand." Lithle responded. She kept her hands busy too, turning the shiny haunted stick back and forth, watching the gems catch the light. Sometimes she wished she could sell the damn thing."But why? For what? You can't just stand, b***h. You gotta stand for something."
"Y' can stand against something. ******** shouldn't go around killin' people. That's what I stand for. Packs gotta be protected. Stand for that too." It seemed so simple to her, though it was an old argument. No winners, no losers, just the same words."We got kids now." Kyle interjected. Lithle was almost surprised at his tone. Serious. He didn't do serious, mostly. "Savius, Jer'ain, Earako, Isabel. Alpha's plant and your stick thing. Gotta stand for them, right?""You want me to stand for a ********' stick?" Lithle tapped the base of it against the table, then laid it down in the center. "Stand for this?""It it's a kid, yeah. You do the others."
"I don't stand for the brats. I don't even like them.""But that doesn't matter." Michael gestured to the room as a whole, the tattered dark butterflies that flocked to Lost Here's flame. "You protect them. Sheep and wolves. You don't need to like the sheep. ********, you can want to eat them yourself. You kill the wolves anyway.""Yeah, but that's about the wolves, not the sheep. I don't like predators. Doesn't mean I like the prey." Lithle rolled her eyes, sitting back in her chair and staring up toward the smoke stained ceiling.
"But that's what makes 'em predators, see? Without sheep, they couldn't be wolves." Michael paused, his gaze touching each of them, even examining his own hands, "Or dogs."
"Makes me tired." Lithle muttered, still keeping her attention mostly on the ceiling. "The bird, the girl, the stick. Makes me tired.""Yeah. You're not exactly a Mom. Doesn't matter though. They need you." Amusement was sneaking back into Kyle's voice, but he managed to sound serious enough. "So what do you know about the stick."
"It's got a gryphon in it." Lithle shrugged, lowering her eyes back to the others. "Fought in some war. Chick seemed to think it was a big deal.""Maybe you should look into it."
"What, do an internet search? Magical sticks and gryphon wars?" She laughed, a rough, dry sound. "********. Sticks, jars, plants. What's happened to us?"
"Doesn't matter. Happened.""Yeah, I guess." She ran her fingers through her short red hair, looking out at the disaffected teens, then back at her stick. Sheep made wolves, huh? And wolves made dogs.
She couldn't help but wonder which the gryphon had been.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 9:34 am
Quest: Part Two Damn Kyle. Damn Michael too. Damn it in general. Lithle had never much liked books much. Oh, she'd made it through high school, unlike Michael and Kyle, but the local community college had quickly burned out her original plan to be a cop. Besides, cops didn't get things done, or so the classes had seemed to indicate. That's when Michael had found. That's when she'd found Tred. She'd thought she wouldn't have to do this sort of s**t again, not after breaking free of those dull endless classes. But here she was, in the GotP library, looking up gryphons and wars like she was writing a ******** research paper. ********, they had a point. If she was going to have a kid coming into her life, she might as well at least be prepared. It'd be a change. She hadn't exactly expected the kestrel to turn into a kid, and Michael had just thrown Jer'ain at her. Funny how he'd ended up with a kid anyway. Figured, didn't it? Anyway, a stack of books, mostly on gryphons, but a few on the war as well. Magic fighting reason. Did it matter? Apparently it did to these people. Setting the books down on a table, Lithle took out the wand and examined it for a moment. Huh. Maybe there'd be a picture of it somewhere. But probably not. Restless and angry, she opened the first book, longing for a drink or an excuse to leave. Gryphons: Myths and Realities. The language was dry, making her all the more reluctant to read it. But if Lithle was one thing, it was stubborn, and she forced her way through chapter after chapter. Lifestyles, habitats, abilities, culture. So. They liked sparkly things. No wonder the stick was so damn shiny. Apparently they were like dragons that way. Hoarding gold and such. By some of the pictures it looked liked they'd hoard tin foil just as easily. So long as it caught the light. Lots on loyalty, they took one mate, stayed with it forever. She liked that, it almost made her smile. Pity people couldn't be that way. If Cilere... ******** no. Not now. Focus on gryphons, and their apparently legendary devotion to their lovers. Maybe it was only pretty words, maybe not. She liked the idea of a loyal kid. The other two were, in their way. She'd taught them it. It was important. The only thing that was important. Tired of gryphons, she picked up a book on the war next. Maybe there'd be a bit more to catch her attention in it. Good versus evil, and all that. And the book sure presented it that way. The valiant magical beings and mages fighting against the cruel mundanity of the humans. Yet it seemed almost too trite. Sure the world was all wolves, sheep, and dogs. But in her experience, the sheep and dogs weren't always good. They just weren't wolves. Still... it was something to think of. The stick had been a soldier, and though there didn't seem to be any mention of him in this book (which seemed to focus mostly on events, not people), the chick had made him out to be important. He'd stood for something, right? He'd believed in a cause and he'd fought for it. She'd done the same. Brushing her fingers over the stick again, she could almost feel like she had something in common with it. Loyalty. A cause. They had their similarities, right? Different wars, maybe. But they'd fought. At least the stick wasn't a sheep. She didn't think she would know what to do with one. Even Jer'ain, for all her gentleness, knew how to handle a situation. If anything, she was the one who kept things in the house from completely exploding. And there was a strength in that, a strength Lithle understood. Savius was a fighter to the core, and she could accept that too. So they were getting another fighter. Another brat with a backbone. Fine. She might be able to deal with that.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 4:45 pm
Quest: Part Three
Where There's Smoke God she was glad to be out of that damned library. Her head full of facts on gryphons and ancient wars, and Taylor's wand shoved in her backpack. She felt like a ******** college student, even now. She didn't even want to remember those times. The times after the first loss, but before the second. Before Michael, before Tred, before the fight. She'd run on hurt and hope, like every stupid teen did. Now days, she ran on anger and apathy. Life changed, didn't it? Even if the circumstances seemed simular. Getting ******** over. Same old story. Pushing open the door to the top floor apartment, she could smell the scent of stir fry on the air. Jer'ain was in the kitchen, pushing veggies and meat around in a big pan, humming softly to herself. She kept trying to remind herself to buy the girl a guitar. Or a better paint set. She did a lot, as much as Lithle wasn't good at saying it. Not that she needed her. But it was nice to come home to dinner. "Lithle, you hungry?" The girl asked, already getting plates and glasses out of the top shelf. Savius wouldn't eat meat he hadn't taken part in killing, but he was fine with veggies. Even liked most of them, strange as that sounded for a raptor. "Thirst. Got ******** dust in my throat." She muttered in response, settling at the kitchen table and dropping Taylor's wand in the center. "I've been reading all day." "And who's ******** fault is that?" Savius came out of his room, hand shoved into his pockets, shoulders casually slumped. He wore a childish grin, ruined only by his language and the smear of blood on the corner of his mouth. Messy eater. He'd been that way as a bird too. "What'd you find out, anyway?" "Not much about him, specifically. Maybe I'd have to talk to the chick to find the books that have him, if they exist." Lithle shrugged, not really caring that she hadn't been able to read up on the wand's past life. It seemed kinda creepy, to stalkerish for even her taste. Maybe the past deserved a chance to rest, at least after death had come. "But all sorts of s**t about the war, and gryphons." Savius made his way into the kitchen, grabbing to cans of coke and a beer from the fridge. He wasn't nearly so helpful as Jer'ain, not by half. But... it sometimes seemed that he was the one who knew just what she needed. Anger when the sparks faded. Calm when the fire got too bright. He knew things, the kestrel boy. She didn't want to know what he knew. "Was he one of the good guys?" Jer'ain asked, as she set the table with food, and took her place. The wand shone, the center of the conversation, and yet outside it, as they spoke. "Sure seemed that way. But I bet the story'd be different from the human point of view. Hell if I know. Maybe you can ask him, if he ever comes out." "Zombies. ********." Savius poured the beer into the glass in front of her, the childish grin gone, and a hint of something very old in his eyes. Lithle didn't look away, she was used to it. But she didn't like it either. Reminded her that his game of family was just that. Play time. "V, you've got blood." Jer'ain rolled her eyes, motherly, as she wiped the red smear from the corner of the bird boy's lip. Whatever darkness it was that he held, she didn't seem to see it. Or didn't want to. He wasn't sure which. "You're gonna make me sick." "Oh, come on, your full of the stuff Sib." He glared at her mockingly, but Lithle knew full well that he wouldn't raise his voice at the girl. She never did either, and she wasn't sure why. "And Zombie stick here doesn't creep you out?" "He's not a zombie, Savius. He's reborn, or something like that." Lithle wasn't sure she completely understood the process, but she certainly hadn't picked up any image of shambling brain eaters from the chick. "Get used to it." "Yeah, fine. I'm used to it." He reached out, poking the stick lightly with a finger. "Welcome to the family zombie boy." A pause. A slight haze. The slow puff of smoke appeared above the stick, strange and hesitant at first. It wasn't much. Just a wisp, a suggestion of white and gray. Lithle stared. "You broke it?" Her voice was a bit uneven. If the kid had ******** things up. "What the hell did you do?" "Relax, Dad! I just touched it is all. It's fine. It's just... ********, what is it doing?" He leaned forward, wings batting slightly, making the slight wisp move. "Hold still, dammit." Lithle snapped, leaning forward as well. She reached out a finger, and the wisp seemed to lean into it, as if sensing her there. "I think... I think maybe it's supposed to do this." "It's supposed to smoke?" Jer'ain asked, actually sitting back away from the bit of gray coming out of the brightly coloured wand. "Yeah, maybe. There was something like it at the easter thing." "So I fixed it!" Savius announced, triumphant. "I made it come out." "Whatever kid." Lithle picked up the wand carefully, watching as the wisp followed its source. Well, she'd definately have to keep a close eye on the thing. It looked like it could be blown away by a breeze. "C'mon, lets eat."
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Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 7:31 pm
lithle It was raining. It hadn't been raining earlier, when Lithle went out. It had actually seemed like a beautiful day. It wasn't until she was a more than significant distance away from home that the sky had opened up, spilling the icy waters of karma down on her.
She hated her life.
Luckily, so to speak, she hadn't been far from the headquarters when it started, so she'd decided to take herself inside. She was at least mildly worried that a sudden puff of wind might kill the smoke thing that had attached itself to her wand. And she didn't want to murder it.
She just wished it had picked someone else.
Anyone else.
Walking into the main lobby, her steps deliberate, but her shoulders slumped, she immediately eyed the bar. A drink? Maybe. Mostly she just wanted a beer.
And an umbrella. ladyumbra "Hello there oh fellow servent of the wand children " Malen said at the sound of someone entering the hea quaters. Engrossed in Doom 3 once again he didn't bother to look up right away . Having had a particuarly trying weekend so far Malen was in need of a little time to simpel relax and shoot things without feeling bad. Plus about half of the guardians who entered the headqauters appeared to be anti social so a breif verble salutation would probably suffice. Kishi who lay in a playpen only a few feet from the couch took far more interest in the newcomers. "Eeeeeeah" the succubus baby yelled trying to get the wisps attention. As always she was pleased to see another of her kind and she wanted to be near them. lithle Lithle ignored them both, walking to the bar with the shiny golden stick in hand. Beer, beer, beer, she knew the chick had said something about fridges with refreshments when she'd gotten her little tour. But where? Oh, well, there you go. Opening it, she stuck her head in, and found a can of the brand she liked.
Much better.
Now, had someone been talking to her? Turning, she saw the man on the couch, and the infant in the playpen? A wand child? Maybe. How was she supposed to tell. At least the video game looked interesting.
If not curious, then at least willing to obtain a bit more information she closed the gap between herself and the TV, watching the fairly mindless violence for a moment. She'd never really gotten into video games. That was more Kyle's thing. Waste of time if you asked her.
"She a stick kid?" She asked, voice somewhat rough and very bland. There wasn't much emotion to her, not beyond anger anyway. ladyumbra " Wand and yes she's a Succubus and one of the few wands that has made it" Malen stated letting only a bit of pride slip into his voice. His eyes still watched the screen. Doom 3 was sophisticated it was nearly completely dark and you had the master the art of panning the room and switching between your flashlight and various weapons, but always having the flashlight handy. He'd learned too many times that you could check a corner twice and try to go around it only to find a monster just not coming around it. " Wand wisp or baby ghost?" he inquired unable to see exactly which of three this person had. Annoyed at being ignored Kishi reached under her pillow for her wand , waving the rattle sized object about hit it off a small plastic toy in the pen making a loud clacking sound. ( I feel like a videogame pimp) lithle As Lithle had no clue what a succubus was she simply shrugged and nodded. Creatures and beings had never been her thing, and she'd avoided those sorts of diversity classes in highschool. She knew what a gryphon was well enough, as she'd read up on the damn things, but chances were, she wouldn't recognize the other stick creatures. Unless it was something obvious like a dragon.
"Wisp." She replied, turning to gaze at the delicate trail of grayish smoke, like the exhalation from a cigarette, and shook her head. So it really would be another brat one day. Great. Just ******** great. The wisp showed some slight interest in the banging, seeming to turn toward the noise, but it stuck very close to the wand, winding around it, as if it dared not leave it's treasure behind, not even slightly. ladyumbra ""Mm what species and gender?" he inquired while nibbling on his lower lip in anticipation. He'd not made it to this level yet and exploring new levels always made him happy. Any chance to test his skills in any way made him happy truth be told. It was also nice to be in the company of another guardian without being expected to be the driving force of a conversation or the only one interested in actually interacting, for once it was nice to simply share a mutal feeling of anti socialism with someone. Kishi whimpered and waved at the wisp, frustrated thet her possible new friend wouldn't venture closer. lithle "Gryphon, and the chick said it was a guy, so I guess it probably will be when it comes back." A slight shrug, and Lithle took a slow drink from the can of beer, enjoying the soothing familiarity of the taste. She wanted to be home, to grab some lunch and get some work done. There was a new dog she liked for breeding, but she needed to contact the sellers to see if she couldn't meet it first. Dogs for the pack needed a certain sort of attitude.
Intelligence, obedience. Bravery. Same thing all of Tred needed, really.
The wisp, seemingly curious if not overly friendly, made its twining way down to the bottom of the wand, closer to the noise and the girl. Lithle, however, ignored the child. She didn't like brats. ladyumbra " If Ianna said your ghost was male then it will remain male." Malen's voice now had the slightest edge to it. While he personally didn't care what people thought of him , how people treated and reffered to Ianna was important. Giving a small giggle of pleasure Kishi smiled at the wisp, she had sucessfully coerced another wisp into responding to her. lithle "Figured as much." Lithle wasn't unaware of the change in tone. She was aware of most things, thanks to rather extreme paranoia on her part. She simply didn't care. Her own voice kept its negative neutrality, a sort of disinterested discontent that bled into the words and made them fall flat. "How many stick brats are there?"
The wisp remained at the base of the wand, curling in lazy circles. It made no move to travel further, but didn't seem interested in going back up either. ladyumbra "Hmm I'm not sure exactly since more wands are discoverd all the time but I do know there's Kishi, Coailiann, Bennu, a male Drow a Pegasus a green something a red something a Gypsy and a Naga " Malen rattled off all the names and species he could remember he knew there were atleast a half dozen more but he wasn't sure what they were. "Oh and you can probably count on him having wings." Malen knew that Gryphons had them and that is was a pretty good possibility that the child would as well. lithle "Great. As if one bird wasn't enough." Lithle gave the bit of wisp of an accusing look, though the glare didn't seem to have the desired result. Instead, the wisp made its way back up the wand, curling about her fingers where she gripped the shiny thing. Perfect. It was being affectionate.
Well, Savius couldn't fly, so hopefully this one wouldn't be able to either. And maybe they could preen each other. Jer'ain said that taking care of Savius's wings was a real pain. Not that she'd know. Grooming children really wasn't her style. She cut their hair and that was about the extent of it.
"So they're not all creatures. I mean, a gypsy." A shrug to pair with the words, expressing little. ladyumbra "Yeah the gypsy belongs to be friend , it's a right weird wand too, it has magical fire at it's top, I wonder if the fire is related to her magic or how she died. " Malen doubted he'd ever have the awnser but it didn't bother him too much. Thinking about the horror any one of the wand children had gone through in their deaths disturbed him. Kishi annoyed at having lost the wisp's attention gave an unintelligable burble in hopes of returning it's focus to her. lithle "The sticks have a meaning, then?" Lithle asked, turning her attention to the shiny one in her hand. If the sticks were supposed to indicate something about the kids, then hers was going to be pretty ******** shiny. Maybe she could sell the childs feather's or something. Not that she needed money. Just seemed stupid to carry around something made of gold and not get anything but a bit of smoke out of the deal.
Her gaze returned to the door she'd came in, and her shifting stance said clearly that she was impatient to be going. She hadn't wanted to be here. The moment she had the chance, she'd be gone again. At least she was getting something out of it. Information, anyway.
The wisp seemed unaware of the noises now, more concerned with weaving its way around Lithle's hand. ladyumbra Finishing a level and saving Malen stood and turned to face Lithle for the first time. " Yes the wands have meaning and they will be important to the children as they grow, for now they are important just to keep the wisp alive." Glancing at the clock Malen swore, he'd wasted more time than he thought ." If you'll excuse me I need to go pick my other daughter up from swimming lessons before she runs off and starts exploding legos again. Perhaps we can continue this coversation another time." Malen prayed that Del didn't run into the suger glider child while she was at the labs. not that he had anything against the girl havign never met her but still Del was far to easily influenced. lithle "Yeah, maybe." Lithle responded mildly, taking another drink of her beer. She couldn't help but be glad he was leaving, not because she had something against him personally, but because she'd simply rather be alone. And hopefully no one else would arrive before the rain ended. Without bothering to say goodbye, she turned, walking back toward the fridge. The can was empty.
The wisp, pulled away from the girl that it had been somewhat interested, seemed to waver in the air before spiraling back up to the top of the wand. Sure, the girl was interesting. But it was staying as close ot home as possible.
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 4:46 pm
lithle Sunlit day and Lithle was actually in what might almost be called a good mood as a portal deposited her inside the HQ. Why she'd come, even she wasn't sure. Mostly to get out of the house and away from the restless energy of two children. Not that this place was much better, according to past experiance. But maybe there'd only be sticks and smoke, and she could have a little peace. Besides. Free beer. She was in full support of free beer. Quick footsteps to the fridge, with the wand in one hand, wisp snaking its way up and down her arm. The sunlight had felt good, and if she wasn't smiling she wasn't glaring either. Pretty Lil Hate Machine Nephrenia was currently sprawled on the floor in the center of the HQ games room fingers tappiung out rythms on her beautiful wand, the smokey two toned wisp twisting and dancing along with the rythms, It had been a few days since her beautiful wand had wisped and she had been looking foreward to her next meeting with the others since then.
She glanced up as she heard someone enter the HQ not bothering to stand and see who it was, they would come in here eventually. ladyumbra Malen appeared from his bedroom with Kishi in his arms. The two had just woken up from a shared nap and were thirsty. As Malen walked down the hallway and entered the main lobby he grinned at the sight of a familiar face. Though he had only actually seen Lithle for a few moments at their last meeting he recognised the woman . " Hey Lithle, been a while, how goes it ?" he inquired while Kishi yawened and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. lithle Lithle recognized the man and infant as well, though she didn't know either of their names. The faces stayed with her, along with a vague imprint of personality, along the lines of 'currently not a threat'. Other than that, the details were unimportant. "'m fine. You?" See, she could be polite. Beer in hand, she moved without visible purpose, the wandering allowing her a greater survey of the room, in case other people might be somewhere. As there was, a chick with a wand. Well, at least that only made one possible screaming child. Pretty Lil Hate Machine Neph glances up as the woman entered the room, she had seen her before somewhere... but then she tended to run into people randomly so it didn't really matter. and behind the woman was... Malen and Kishi! She hopped up and walked over to the trio.
"Hey Malen, Kishi... and I'm afraid I don't know your name." Neph was smiling and twining her fingers into the mesh of her shirt. ladyumbra "Not bad busy, Kay grew so still a bit odd and parental" Malen said smiling fondly at the thought. Just as he finished speaking Malen spotted Neph. " Hey there Nephy girl, hows all the chidluns? " Neph had a small menegerie living in her place and she usually had an interesting story to tell about one of them or another. Kishi grinned, she knewthis lady, this lady brought the purple boy that she really liked. Cooing softly she reached out for Nephy determination shining in her grey eyes. lithle "Lithle." The red headed woman offered, and the chilly tone said that the woman wouldn't be getting much more information beyond that. When Malen began to speak to the chick, Lithle relaxed slightly. Better that they talk about old times or whatever than that they try and talk to her. She was more than happy to sit on the outside and drink her beer. And when she was done, maybe she'd have enough energy to go home and face the brats. Pretty Lil Hate Machine Neph ignored the womans frosty tone and grinned, "My name's Neph, I think I've seen you somewhere, maybe." She shrugged and turned her attention to Malen and Kishi.
"Ohhh the little succubus girl has grown!"
She reached her arms out to collect the little girl, "Trinket misses you little one." She looked up at Malen, "Ohh the kids are going to make me turn grey early, Samsara's gone, as are Trinket and Dare, Tybalt is trying his best to make up for their absence though, he decided to paint the kitchen last night. If I never see another duck again I will be happy." A grin painted her lips showing that though she may complain she loved every moment. ladyumbra Malen burst out into laughter " Ducks he seriously painted ducks all over the kitchen. Did he atleast keep a colour schme or were there just many coloured ducks making you nauseus as you tried to cook? An what about kilvian, Brekke Soren and that little Tahnee thingy Umbra's got?" Malen prayed that none of his and Ianna's children ever decided to try and redecorate on thier own becuase he seriously feared the things he thought they'd choose. Kishi smiled at Nephy and babbled incoherently at the sound of Trinket's name. The lady had mentioned the purple boy, but where was he? lithle And she thought she had a lot of kids. If Lithle was the pitying sort, she would have almost felt bad for the upbeat woman... Neph. Her own reaction to finding the kitchen painted anything would have been... well actually she probably wouldn't give a damn, but all the same. Taylor's wisp moved up to the tip of the wand again, and she let her fingers touch it gently, an absent expression of something like affection. She didn't mind the little puff of smoke, though she imagined she'd be less happy when it took an infants form. Pretty Lil Hate Machine "Oh the rest of the kids are just fine, they seem to be enjoying the anticipation of having another sibling. I'm actually looking foreward to it too. Oh and it wasn't just ducks on the walls. He painted ducks on every paintable surface, multicolored ducks, some smoking some with guns... he is an odd kid thats for certain." She chuckled remembering her response when she had walked into the kitchen that morning. Ah, but what of you and Del? And Kay and Ianna, you two seem very close, how long til you pop the question?"
She grinned again and tickled kishi "Trinket told me to give you his number if you ever want a babysitter so you and Ianna can have some 'private time'"
She glanced back over to the quiet woman "Your wand is beautiful." ladyumbra Malen just shook his head " Uhuh, I am so glad my kids are normal. Del is fine she's spends a lot of time writing now and working on improving her echolocation but she still loves playing with her sisters. Kay's fien and sweet and Ianna" he grinned stupidly" well Ianna is amazing and as for popping the question.. that's none of yoru business." he teased." Ababysitter is good though unless he can take them all it's somewhat pointless. Kishi giggled and reached For nephy's wand. lithle Lithle allowed the chick and the guy to babble on, her own attention roaming, though she never allowed them to completely leave her range of vision. She wasn't that trusting, certainly. It was all so adorably domestic and Lithle was starting to wonder if there was anywhere she could go to avoid the sufficating family feeling that everyone seemed to project these days. "Huh? The stick?" The question aimed her way brought her attention back to the chick. "Yeah. Pity I can't sell it." And now her beer was empty, which was a good sign that she should be headed home. At least there, things weren't quite so... sweet. Pretty Lil Hate Machine Neph glanced at the other woman, "Sell it? Why would you want to?" She was so confused as to why someone would want to rid themselves of a child in such a manner.
Shaking the feeling off she looked down at kishi "Promise to be careful with it, she's fragile okay?" Not waiting for a response she set the wand carefully in the childs hands.
"Aww come on Malen. You know any kid of mine can handle a horde. And why is it none of my business, you know Tal will tell me anyways." ladyumbra Malen also wonderd why anyone would want to give up their child but kept his mouth shut. It was not his place to judge. So he turned to respond to Neph " True but I dunno we'll see what happens and it's none of your business becuase I say so and even Talon dosen't know when yet so you're out of luck. Kishi grasped the every burning wand carefully and let it's dancing lights reflect in her eyes." Eee" lithle "It'd save me a whole hell of a lot of trouble." Lithle stated, in the same bland tone she said everything. "Don't stress about it. Stick hasn't left my sight yet. Not gonna kill the thing." And that was more than enough 'fun' for one day. She'd rather spend time with the kids than deal with such confused and somewhat accusing looks. It was time to get out. Tossing the beer can into the nearest trash, she didn't bother to so much as wave. Just turned her back on the pair, and left.
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 8:46 am
An Email Alpha, Well, ********. How're things on your end? Things have gotten weird here, as if they weren't messed up enough already. The stick thing? Yeah, it... smokes. Or, anyway, it did, and now there's a little smoke bit that moves about on its own. I guess I sorta expected this. I saw some like this at that Easter party thing. Still, it's creepy. And it won't leave me alone. Not to mention the fact that now I have to protect it from stuff like wind and ceiling fans. It's really delicate. Or at least it seems that way. Savius is still doesn't seem to like it all that much. He's warmed up to the idea a little bit, but he still calls it the zombie. Zombie smoke. And I catch him watching the stick at odd moments. He says it feels familiar. He's an odd kid. A really, really odd kid. But, ********, he's not that bad. Or maybe I'm just getting used to this s**t. Scary thought. I wish I could run with ********. Ignore me. Maybe I won't send this. Kids are making me soft. All three of them. Dammit. b***h.
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Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 7:25 pm
Quest: Shopping "God dammit, I swear, the next kid to talk sleeps outside tonight, is that understood?" Lithle snapped, her stride picking up speed, as if she might somehow outrun her charges. Quick nods from both children calmed her slightly, and it seemed that even Savius was intimidated by her sharp mood. And why shouldn't she be angry? They'd been arguing the entire walk, pushing at each other, and picking in the way of siblings. But they weren't siblings. They were just two stupid kids that she'd somehow gotten stuck with. Two stupid kids and a wand, with her thinking maybe she could just disappear and leave them all behind. They'd find other guardians. They'd found her. "This will be our last stop, understood?" She snapped, stepping into the drug store and not looking back to see if they followed. She could hear them, taking their small steps. At her neck, the wisp from the stick twisted into abstract forms, as if unaware of her mood. It tended to be fairly perceptive, but even if it was unrelentantly cheerful today, at least it wasn't talking. Maybe it'd never take form. She'd like that. Except, she'd have to carry a stick around for the rest of her ******** up basics, Lithle tossed them into the basket in her hand without looking or thinking. And beer. Did they sell beer here? An important provision when raising two children. Well, not raising so much. Housing and feeding. And clothing, and watching, and entertaining. Maybe raising. Sometimes, it wasn't so bad. They were pushing each other again. "Dammit! I said ENOUGH!" Lithle snarled, grabbing Savius by the arm. "You will stand on that side of the store. Jer'ain, you will stand by the other. And I don't want to see either of you until it's time to leave." They slunk off. Beer! She'd found beer. See, it'd all be ok, after all. And maybe she wouldn't need to run away from home after all. Besides, Jer'ain was a good cook, and it was nice to have dinner made. And Savius, well, Savius was the same damn bird he'd always been. Maybe that was all he needed to be. "Lithle?" The girl's hesitant whisper had her taking back the few charitable things she'd just been thinking, but she tried to keep her temper in check. Big eyes looked up at her hopefully, and the girl appeared to be holding a stuffed animal of some time. "Yeah?" Apparently she hadn't completely kept her tone level, as Jer'ain took a quick step back when she spoke. "I thought, maybe, umm, well, we could, you know, for the stick. Cuz' you said, a gryphon, and it's well, a gryphon. So I thought, maybe, when it was a baby, it'd like to have it. You know, because it--" The girl lowered her eyes. "Never mind." "Give it here." Holding out her hand, Lithle took the gryphon toy from Jer'ain. Well, it wasn't that ugly. It wasn't that expensive either. And the girl looked on the edge of tears. "Sure, Kid. We'll get the stick a toy."
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 11:05 pm
Quest: More Smoke The walk home was somehow more sedate than the walk out. Jer'ain and Savius seemed to have settled their differences, and the two of them talked quietly without any pushing, shoving, or tossed insults. Instead, the two of them seemed to be focused on discussing the stick, and what little they knew about gryphons. "And then, I'll be the only one without wings!" Jer'ain complained, glancing over her shoulders as she walked, her expression shifting ever so slightly, turning simple shyness into insecurity and isolation. "It's not fair." "Hey Sib, you'll probably still be the only one who can cook worth a damn," Savius replied, reaching over to tug on a lock of the girl's duel coloured hair. "Besides, we don't know it'll have wings. The chick said that he's gonna be like a person!" "But some of the other kids had wings, remember? Lithle said she saw a baby, and it was wingded. Wingified. It, umm, had wings. And all the books said that gryphons do, 'cuz they're part bird! So, you know, it'd make sense, and all." Jer'ain held the gryphon plushie up as and example, tugging lightly on one of the puffy gray projections on it's back. "Wings." Savius shook his head, closing the distance between himself and Lithle to squint at the wisp that had settled lightly at Lithle's shoulder, it's tip still touching the sun that garishly topped the shiny stick. Brow furrowed, he kept his gaze level as the wisp grew closer to him, drifting across his face, nearly as insubstantial as a breeze. "It doesn't look like it has wings," He objected, thoughtful. Fingertips, extended to lightly brush the wisp, curious and careful. Lithle couldn't help but be surprised. He'd been so dismissive, even untrusting, of the idea of the gryphon. The idea of dead things coming back in general really seemed to bug him. Perhaps time had warmed him to the idea. Or perhaps Jer'ain's recent growth spurt had made him wish for a smaller 'sibling'. Reaching toward Jera'in, the winged boy took the gray gryphon plushie from her hand, and held it toward the bit of smoke in an almost forceful manner. "Hey, this is you. Are you gonna be like a bird? Or like a lion? Or like a personlionbird? What would that even look like?" The wisp drifted its way over the plushie in response, almost seeming curious. "I was a bird once, you know." The kestrel child added, shaking the plushie gently. "But I grew out of it. You gotta do that, too, hear me? We kinda like the idea of having a kid around that's little." "Are you two done?" Lithle asked, not so much snapping as sighing. But the children weren't paying attention to her. Instead, two pairs of eyes seemed unwilling to leave the wisp, their focus strong enough that Lithle's own gray eyes were pulled to it. And it seemed to be... wavering. Extending? It was hard to tell. No, there was definitely something happening. Grayish smoke streached and grew as she watched. More solid seeming, though still not quite... there. The form was filling out, looking almost like the form of a child. Almost. Not quite. Because there was a definite suggestion of... something, from the back. Wings? "See! I told you so." Jer'ain's voice was hard to read, it seemed to waver between pride and defeat. Her expression, however, was triumphant. She quickly crossed the distance between them, so that she too was able to closely examine the once wisp. "Those are wings!" "It grew! Is it gonna turn into a baby now?" The young death poked the ghostly infant carefully, getting a response in the form of it closing the distance between itself and Lithle, so that it was cuddled against her chest. Confused by it's action, she took a step back, but the 'baby' followed, keeping itself close to her. "I-- don't think so." Lithle replied, staring down at the thing, both fascinated and irritated by this newest development. Maybe it wasn't becoming a baby just now, but this had to mean that the time was coming closer. Well, the two 'siblings' could have the fun of taking care of it, that was for sure. She'd never asked to be a mother. "Damn. But I wanna play with it!" Savius seemed very childish at that moment, and though he didn't quite stamp his foot, Lithle found that she could imagine him making that motion, as if all his strange wisdom had been forgotten while he quested for this new desire. "We'll go ask at the place, next time we're there. It's probably closer than it was." She sighed brushing her fingers lightly over the ghostly form that still cuddled against her. "Another brat. You've got bad taste in guardians, kidthing." In her head, there was something like a churr, affectionate and odd. So it was talking, now? Great. As if the other two didn't do that enough.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 3:01 pm
An Email Alpha, What the hell's happened to you? Two ******** little girls, are you insane? Bad enough when it was just bat girl, but now you've got another one? You've got responsibilities. You have the pack to take care of. It's not just you who gets hurt if you lose your edge. Whatever. I warned you. Kids make you ******** soft. But it's like that isn't it. They're just there all the sudden, and nothing you can do to get rid of them. The smoke from the stick has gotten bigger. And its gotten loud. Talking in my head, little bird like sounds and childish screams. It doesn't talk much or anything but it's ******** creepy, you know. I just want some peace and quiet back. The other two seem to like it now. Even Savius seems ok with it, and has stopped staring when he thinks I don't notice. It's gone from creepy to family in his eyes. I think thats creepy. I guess it'll be a kid soon. At least, I get that feeling. Don't suppose you want another one? Guess not. Get me out of this Alpha, I'm so ******** tired of it. b***h
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:46 am
Oh, The Oddities (PRP) The Nozomi It was time to get teh children new cclothes. Yashima had grown since he'd transformed and insisted on wearing Yukatas and carrying around his doll (who also needed new dresses). Iamel had ripped and/or painted over all his clothing and since the short little b*****d had shot up like a weed, he needed new things as well.
Then there was Kian. The little Alien was clinging onto Patricks shoulders sullenly, tail swinging behind him and wearing clothing that was too short and too tight. He wasn't fat or any of that sort... but he was stocky. Muscular, even if he was still a toddler. He needed new shirts and looser pants, with those buckles in the back for his thick tail.
So they were in the clothing store. Iamel was ripping through the clearance racks while Yashima had disappeared to the cloth-bin to find something he could try to make a wrap around. Kian was simply clinging to Patrick while the dark man glanced through some kid clothes... the other children were tomorrow. Three at a time. Just three at a time. lithle Maintanence. It was one of the more irritating factors in housing children, especially considering their irritating habit of destroying everything they got their hands on. Okay, so Jer'ain didn't do that. But Savius certainly did, and the bird brat was the issue, not the quiet girl that had opted to stay home. "And if you want the stupid expensive s**t with all the bells and whistles, you can get your own ******** job." Lithle wasn't really in a mood, at least, no more of one than usual, but she'd certainly rather be home. Hell, when she was a kid, no one had bought her something new every couple months, and she'd survived. Still, she wanted the charges she'd gained to do more than survive, and that was the problem. Not affection perhaps, but an instinct of protection that made her notice how Savius's heavily stained, shreaded jeans needed replacing. For her part, maybe she needed something new as well. Certainly her red cargo pants were looking tired, and if denim jackets never died, well, the t-shirts she wore under them did. Everything about her outfit looked tired. She looked tired. Especially when contrasted with the ghost stick, all gold and jewel studded, that floated comfortably at her shoulder, the grayish infant shaped mass making soft churring noises in her head that she was learning to more or less ignore. At the moment, it sounded happy enough. The Nozomi Lithles grumpy voice is the one that drew Iamels attention. His head poked up out of the clearance rack, eyes wide and curious. "...SAVIUS!" The voice was loud and rather obnoxious, rather nasal in itself. "Hey!"
iamel wrestled himself from the racks of clothing to dart over to his pirate friend and his caretaker, boots smacking on the tile.
"Oi! Iamel! No running!" Patrick called after his son, dropping the childrens clothing into the bin. He moved after him quickly, grabbing the bird by the back of his pants. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"Shiniieeeeee..." Iamel whined, bouncing still in his shoes, "That's Savius! Lookit!" lithle The bird boy perked at the sound of his name raising a lazy eyebrow and cracking a smile when he saw the boy who'd called him. Family. And it'd been too long since he'd saw his friend. Bracing himself for the possible impact of the smaller (though not as small as he had been!) body against his own, his smile faded when the forward motion was suddenly stopped. Not that he wanted to be tackled, but, he had been ready for it. Seeing as to how the other boy had been stopped, the young death closed the distance between them himself, long strides quickly cutting the space down to nothing. "Hey, bro." he greeted, with another easy, though not entirely trustworthy smile. "Hey, umm, Iamel's Shiniieeeeee." The word drawn out in the same fashion that Iamel had, though without the whine. Supressing the urge to just ignore the whole thing, Lithle walked over as well, her expression stone, cold and unwelcoming though not aggressive. Nothing had pissed her off, yet. In her mind, the twitters of the stickghost became anxious, and the fog baby moved behind her, as if expecting some protection from the new winged boy and his guardian. The Nozomi Kian stared over the older mans shoulders, narrowed gold eyes on the bird thing. He had wings just like Iamel did..and so that meant he was safe. Ish. Red nails twined in Patricks sleeve, nose pressing against his throat. The child growled.
Patrick shook his head blithly, giving Savius a brief smile. "Hey... Savius." Yeah. He knew his sons friends first name - he'd went over to his house, right? Right. "Patrick, by the way. Annnnd this is?"
His gaze had gone to Lithle, eyebrows arching slightly. "This is Kian," Gesturing up to the little alien, "And Ya...Yashi? Where the hell are you, Yashi?"
The fox came out, as if on cue, and he had a bolt of violet fabric wrapped around his hands. "Tousan, I want--" He cut himself off, narrowing in on Lithle and the wand. "Hi." lithle Great, another ******** mob, like the one she seemed to be developing despite herself. Still, she wouldn't end up like this guy, kids crawling all over him. If pity was emotion familiar to her, she might have felt it. As it was she just gazed at him, expression just as untouched by emotion and disinterested as it had been before he turned his attention to her. "That's my Dad." Savius supplied, when it became clear that his guardian wouldn't speak for herself. "Lithle." He waved at the little one, Kian, and turned his attention quickly back to Iamel, "You gotta shop too?" At the new kids approach and greeting, the stickghost seemed to become more anxious, sinking low behind her back and chirping anxiously in her mind. Distracting. "Shutup brat." she muttered, no real anger in the words. A nod, in exchange for the kid's hello, but that was it. The Nozomi Patrick just stared right back at her, unimpressed at the sight of that aloof woman. Well. Good thing he liked boys. Otherwise his balls would've krept up into his body at the thought of ending up like HER. Kian seemed to share his fathers sentaments, tail lashing dangerously, red claws moving up to tug at his fatehrs hair.
"Nice to meet you, Lithle." He intoned, lips curling into a grin finally, glancing down at Iamel, Savius and Yashima. "Finally, anyway. Our bratlings have spent some time together."
Savius got a brief hand-clench from the alien. Iamel grinned at him, shrugging a little bit. "I need new clothes, shiniee says. I've gotten bigger but.." Another shrug, "I LIKE my sparklies. Are you buying eyepatches?"
"What's his name?" Yashima was addressing the woman, face-to-face. That surprised Patrick, his eyebrows arching a wee bit. Oh. She had a wand. That was why. The little fox tended to be rather bold when it came to people with wands. "How far along is he? What KIND is he?" lithle The wand was all but shrieking in her head now, all too willing to express it's discomfort with being the center of anyone's attention. It had adjusted to the other children, but beyond them it tended to get a bit loud. Wincing, she took a step back and away from the boy, a low hiss escaping from between clenched teeth. Forget clothes. They'd leave. The child was just lucky he was, well, a child. "You have gotten bigger. Gonna be taller than me, I bet." Savius agreed, reaching over to ruffle the other boy's hair. He stilled in the middle of the gesture, frowning over at Lithle. "Umm... if you like your brother, you might want to tell him to ease up a bit. I think the stick's yelling in her head again." The Nozomi "Yashima!" Patricks voice was a sharp snark, taking a few steps foreward just to grab the foxes ear and haul him back. The kitsune whined slightly, hands flying up to halt his gaurdian, returning the glare from the taller, dark man. "Stop it. You're being rude again."
"I am NOT."
"Yes." A little shake of the ear. A yelp. "You are. So stop it. Not EVERYTHING is yours to touch."
Iamel grinned at the ruffling, head twisting slightly with Savius' hand still in his hair, to peer at the ongoings of the adults and his little brother. "Yashi's just stupid sometimes. Shiniee won't put up with stupid people." He shrugged a little, lips quirking into a grin. "Your dad won't kill him or anything, right? Cause he already died once. I think he's too small to explode still." lithle The ghoststick's frantic screeching calmed when the boy was pulled away, and as a result, Lithle relaxed as well. At least, as much as Lithle ever relaxed. At least she didn't look like she was about to bolt, or kill something. "The damn stick's a bit excitable." She explained, feeling at least some small hint of appriciation for Patrick now that he'd pulled the boy away. Children. Always children. "It tends to scream." "Your familiar with it?" She asked, her attention now on the boy that had been so excited by the shiny stick. Her expression was neutral, but at least she didn't sound quite so dangerous. Just dead. A voice utterly without expression. Savius actually hesitated at Iamel's question, seeming to consider it carefully before answering. "I don't think so. She's only supposed to kill wolves." Shaking his head, he smiled a bit, "Anyway, Dad won't kill your brother." The Nozomi Patrick had been rather on the edge as of late, especially when it came to Yashima and his insistance that everything he wanted was his. Or that every wand would absolutely LOVE to meet him. Obviously, this one did not.
"Sorry about Yashi. He tends to think that all the wands are going to be his groupies or something."
"I do not!" The boy snapped out, bristling at his fathers words. The blue and black tail fluffed up, hands moving to worry at the fluffy appendage. "It's a wand, right? usually they.." His lips purse a little, eyes narrowing in on the 'stick'. "Why doesn't he like me?"
"You're pushy?" Iamel offered, smirking at his litle brother before turning back to Savius. "Good. He's a little bit bratty and really grumpy, but he's not half-bad."
One white and black wing flicked, eyes sliding to lithle. "I like your dad. She's fun." lithle "Oh, the gryphon zombie doesn't like anybody." Savius supplied from his place beside Iamel. He seemed casually amused by the whole event, now that Lithle had calmed. "Don't take it personally or anything." At Iamel's comment he glanced over his shoulder at the woman in question, and let his fingers brush over the place on his arm where his 'Dad' tattoo rested. "She's alright," he admitted, with a slight shrug. Not one to go all soft, at least not in front of the woman in question. The golden stick and gray ghost now peaked out from behind Lithle's back, made curious now that the seeming threat had backed away. Luckily, few dared to approach Lithle, so it wasn't a common problem. "Wands like your br- kid?" Lithle asked, curious enough herself to at least attempt some level of conversation. The Nozomi "Yashi takes everything personally. He hates everyone but expects everyone to love him." Snorting a little bit, his head shook just slightly, lips twisting into a faint smile.
"I like her." He shrugged, hands sliding into his pockets as the show continued. "Where's your girl-sister?" He had seen Jer'ain, briefly, met her maybe once or twice - but he knew Savius was fiercely protective of her. Always good to ask, right?
Yashi just stared over Lithles shoulder at the ghost, golden eyes narrowed curiously. His mind-thing...he couldn't talk like Kay could. So, finally, he resigned himself to giving a little two-fingered wave towards the wisp. "Hi."
"Wands like my brat," Patrick agreed, casting Yashi a little glare. Kian, grumbling and pleased at the lack of attention, started chewing on his fathers hair. "Yashi IS a little snot rag but he doesn't really mean to be such a little b***h. He just... he was a nice toddler, really." He grinned, "Then he grew and turned evil. Wands - like your boy or something - tend to like him quite a bit." lithle "'rain was cooking or somethin'. And she takes better care of her clothes than I do, anyway." The Kestrel's voice took on a definate hint of affection as he spoke of his sibling, though the usual lazy distance didn't leave him. Reminded of his original reason for coming to the store, he moved slightly away from his fellow Death, toward the racks of clothing. Not the picky sort, he grabbed a couple of pairs of baggy jeans, one black, one blue, and two black t-shirts. Sure, they didn't look like much yet, but that's why he had Earako as a cousin. The bat girl knew how to sew. "Huh." If Lithle's reply wasn't exactly eloquent, it was better then 'maybe my stickthing has better taste'. More than ready to be done with the whole social thing, she glanced toward Savius to find he was already waiting with a handful of clothes. "C'mon birdbrat, lets get those and get out." Surprisingly, Patrick actually earned a nod as she walked past him toward the checkout counter. Savius, at least marginally more social than his Dad, reached out to mess up Iamel's hair one last time as he passed him. "Come over and hang out! We can take Fen to the park again. Later, Bro." ((Pulling this toward a close, mostly because Lithle's getting hissy and anti-social. But we need to get our birds together. And our wandkids again, as soon as Taylor... isn't a ghost.))
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Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:03 pm
Baby Quest: Part 1 Michael was sitting with a toddler on his lap, and that, by itself, was enough to make her uncomfortable. Uncomfortable and even more than that, almost regretful. Gods, when would she stop missing the old days. The days before, before... everything. If she'd never left...
If only she'd never left.
Kyle too, was different. Had been different for awhile now. It was hard to tell what had happened. Had they all changed so much? Or had she just been so caught up in the vision she hadn't seen what lay behind it. Hadn't seen Michael as a loving father, Kyle as a hard working cafe owner.
And she-- she was still the same. Still a killer. And if she was surrounded by children, by family, it didn't change what she'd done. What she was capible of doing. Her predator spirit was more wild than even Michael's, and sometimes she could feel the hunger of a wolf beneath her fanatic loyalty. Was she really the dog she claimed to be?"Stop your ******** brooding!" Kyle's voice pulled her roughly away from her thoughts, bringing her back to Lost Here, the smell of smoke and coffee, music played too loud.
"You gonna let her talk like that, man?"
"Why not? She'll do it eventually anyway." Michael ran his fingers lightly through the toddlers hair, smiling down into her sleepy face. "You gonna be ready when that stick spits out a baby, b***h?"
"Ready?" Lithle took a slow drink from her coffee cup, regarding the two of them over the rim of the mug. "I got a room set aside for it."
Kyle shook his head and laughed, giving Lithle a look that might have been disbelief, if he hadn't known her so well. "But it's gonna be a baby."
"So?" The whole discussion was already getting boring. In her head, the stickghost was making content little churrs. It liked the coffee shop.
"Baby toys. Tiny clothes. Strollers. Diapers. Pacifiers. Bottles. Crib." The laughter had become a snicker, and there was a cruel edge to it. "Baby, b***h. Baby!"
Oh, s**t. He was kidding right? "But the others--"
"They came to you as brats. Or birds. Whatever. But not babies." He shook his head, trying to sound helpful. "Think of it like a newborn puppy."
"s**t."
Kyle tilted back in his chair, out of Lithle's reach until his laughter stopped. Sitting back down, he smiled sweetly into her eyes. "Well, Mommy, looks like someone's got some shopping to do."
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