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 Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 9:37 am
S.H.R. Agency "It should slow down. Or at least all the inventions should be done in the agency," Jim joked, "Or we should be able to have the knowledge wired right into us big-wigs." He looked over, but didn't answer Josh's final statement for a good fifteen minutes. It was while they were stuck in a traffic jam caused by some accident that Jim decided to say something, "So, you know that the NSA handles children and all. I'm not sure that many of you know that I can have a pretty big hand in finding where those children go," Jim shrugged, "Comes with knowing Charles, I guess. I need advice on something, though, Josh. Do you think someone that's a geek programmer bachelor like yourself could adopt a kid? I'm leaning toward yes, but I thought I'd get a second opinion." "The essance of technology is speed. Five minutes isn't fast enough, the cliant needed it yesterday. Smaller, faster, better, stronger, that's our motto." Joshua grinned and leaned back, finally relaxing a little, "Necessity and fear bring the best minds to life. Look at the Space race, the cold war, the information race, all those times and more bread the best thoughts, the best blueprints and the greatest inventions of all time. Speed," Joshua waggled his finger at an imaginary opponent. "Is the spice that flavors our caffine." Staring out of the window he watched the cars go by as they slowed down. "Hmm... traffic this early in the morning?" His musings were interrupted by Jim's next question. "Do you think someone that's a geek programmer bachelor like yourself could adopt a kid?" Who's the unlucky sod? came the first thought before he decided to give the question a serious thought. "Well I don't know Jim, it'd depend on who they are I guess." There were quite a few of his co-workers who would fit in the 'geek programmer bachelor' area but non he could think of were especially good with kids. "Who d'ya have in mind? I heard Graham has a girlfriend, he might be a good candidate." His mind went over a few more, figuring he had just been asked to point out a few qualifying men. That's why the distance, we have enough rumours that fly around the offices. "Otherwise there is Brian but definatly not Jessie... that guy can't even keep his shoes tied, let alone take care of a kid." Joshua's mind fleetingly wondered why a programmer had the upperhand in being chosen for 'super sitting'.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 11:55 am
S.H.R. Agency "The problem with speed and technology all the time is that we then start planning our lives to match the speed, and we never get the moments of rest and peace of mind with thought all the advances were going to give us. People forget that life isn't about things." Jim turned down a side road, trying to find a quicker backway to where they were headed, " Like these kids, if we're not careful as an agency we're just going to start thinking of them as tools to get--whatever--done better. They're kids. Brian has his brain stuck too much how every little speck of dust can be made to work for him. I think he'd be too harsh on a kid. Graham's life currently isn't stable." He fell silent again, waiting to be stopped by a light before continuing, "I was thinking more along the lines of my hacker-friend who actually puts some care into the work he does, even if he does walk around like he's color-blind." He smirked a little at Josh, "I figure if I can handle two kids, you can take on one. What do you think?" "That's true... what's it they always say? Everyone should 'stop and smell the roses' or something." Joshua ran his fingers through his hair and wondered when the last time he had spent a whole day away from the agency, or even half a day. Running his mind over what Jim had mentioned about his co-worker's qualifications he didn't even register the next few sentances. "Colour-blind? Huh... Wha! Me?!" It hit him almost full force, completely out of left field. Though he knew Jim ment what he said and what he said might be true, it was so off the wall for Joshua to even consider that it took him completely by surprise. "Why on earth would ya pick me?" Joshua was not the 'fatherly type' he didn't even have a dog. He thought about his appartment home. The place reflected how little time he spent on cleniness. There was clothes and papers everywhere, it was lucky that he only ate in the kitchen or there would be food everywhere too. Soup, raman and hot pockets were his diet, a child couldn't live off that. In his livingroom a shoe sat innocently on the television set and every avaliable space was crammed full of technical books and computer parts. Definatly not a 'safe haven' for any child. He opened his mouth to protest before glancing over towards Jim and seeing how serious he was about this. There was a kid that obviously needed him, why was he going to say 'No'? Because I can hardly take care of myself...Sighing slightly he looked back at Jim. "I don't know... I mean it's a pretty big decision to make." He looked out of the window as his mind raced. It would be good for me... At least I'd get the appartment clean... "I won't be getting as much sleep." he murmured to himself, "And food will be more expensive..." Joshua saw his reflection in the car window and stared at it with a frown. Your just comming up with excuses that wont work... They'll probably help provide for the kid and it's not like you sleep that much anyway... Joshua knew Jim was right and muled over his last thoughts of freedom.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 12:28 pm
S.H.R. Agency Jim shrugged, trying to be nonchalent, despite looking like he wanted to laugh. For some reason, Josh's reaction amused him, "The people that look for guardians picked you out. I just confirmed it. And now I'm delivering the message," Maybe he did or didn't have a bigger hand than that, but Jim wasn't going to go into details. That was probably a good thing. As a general rule, Jim was one quick to point out faults, but he had a funny way of showing appreciation. The old saying "No news is good news." was usually something very applicable to Jim's with the majority of his associations. "How about this," the light turned green and Jim no longer had the chance to size up his employee's reactions, "This little girl doesn't have anywhere to go right now. Why don't you take on a fostering position for a little while and decide while we look for another potential guardian? You can tell us your decision when we find someone else. We'll move you, and your things, temporarily to a safe home, and provide you with an extra allowance. I'll give you a few days off to get adjusted. And remember, Ace comes by in the afternoons. She'll have a playmate. We can probably both look after her, I suppose, at the workplace. I made a program for Ace that---Eh, uh..." he cut himself off there. He hadn't told anyone that he'd made a fun program for Ace. Despite loving the boy, he hated wasting his time on "useless" programs, and was actually quite afraid of having people laugh at him behind his back for his affection for the child. "Well, I have ways in the job place that can help keep her amused and busy while you're finishing things up there. I think you can handle a kid. You..." and there, and ackward pause again. How did one honestly compliment others? He just settled for repeating himself, "...You can handle her." "She?..." Joshua had been expecting at least a boy. "I don't know anything about girls..." Sadly this was true. The closest he had ever gotten to a girl was during highschool when he had gotten the courage to ask Naomie Winters out. She had promptly refused after laughing at him for what seemed like ages. Computers were safer in his books... you could turn them off if they started acting funny. Joshus stared out of the window again. "I guess..." He thought about the 'long-term babysitting job' that was being offered to him. The agency has done quite amazing things, they are now usually wrong. There had to be some reason why I got picked. Looking back to Jim he made up his mind. "I'll take her on for a bit, see how things work out. She probably needs at least something to call home. But..." Joshua paused for a moment trying to word himself correctly. "Why did I get picked over everyone else? What's so special about me?" All he ever did was 'play' with his computers. He wasn't too extroverted and almost never went to any of the social functions that were suposedly manditory to show up at. How did he manage to show up on the radar of the guardian team? Joshua considered a few maybes but shook his head, it definatly wasn't because of his great personality.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 12:56 pm
S.H.R. Agency "She's not a girl. She's a little girl. Just...amuse her. Feed her. Water her. And let her talk to you. Kind of like having a human pet." Jim didn't know anything about raising girls either, really, and was probably more sexist than he would have liked to admit. He hardly acknowledged the existence of his two year old girl, partly because she was a wiggly toddler and partly because her mother had insisted he be gentle with her all the time, something he'd never been warned about with Ace. It didn't make him too well-disposed to little girls. But, then... He smiled a little, "She's a kid. She'll let you know how to take care of her. Kids are fun to have around. Just don't hurt her, or you'll find yourself out of a job and on a blacklist." At Josh's other question, Jim wanted to snap that Josh just was, but held himself from that. He took a few moments yet again to answer. "Loyalty, for one. The ability to keep your mouth shut, for another. Thoroughness, trustworthiness...Those are the things I thought of. Apparently this girl has either something in common with you or complements you. You would not have been picked otherwise," he shrugged, those had been the things he'd considered, "I don't know all the factors, Josh. I just know that I'm overstepping my bounds asking you outside of the red tape. I think they're right." Joshua thought long and hard. It'd only be for a little while if things didn't work out. If they did... Well Joshua was more pessemistic than most. He thought over what he had been doing over the past years. It would be nice to have someone around for a bit. He hoped that she wasn't like the little girls he had seen being dragged by their mothers, the ones who seemed to want anything and everything. Cringing a little he pushed that thought away, they wouldn't send him someone he couldn't deal with. "She's a kid. She'll let you know how to take care of her. Kids are fun to have around. Just don't hurt her, or you'll find yourself out of a job and on a blacklist." That one was easy, he hardly could hurt a flea. Pondering a little longer he thought over the things he had heard from the few co-workers with kids. The gloating over their school projects and the tales of mistakes and such. At least he didn't have to deal with the diaper stage. A fleeting look of worry came over his face when he thought of that. They wouldn't give me a child that young right? He calmed himself down immedatly, of course the agency wouldn't, most of the kids didn't even show their powers until almost teen, he knew at least that much. Something in common, or complements... Joshua had a fleeting thought run across his mind. What if she was good with computers? Shaking his head he corrected himself, She wouldn't be that good already... Still it was a thought. A long and thoughtful silence had descended over the car as it neared their destination. Joshua gradually came to the conclusion that even if he didn't want to, the little girl needed someone and that someone was going to be him. Though he didn't want to admit it; he thought that taking care of a little girl might be nice. The hacker turned to his boss. "Jim... She needs me... I'll do it."
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Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 12:38 pm
S.H.R. Agency Jim was already turning back out of the parking lot, "What, you never had a family before?" he poked back light-heartedly, "I suppose the roles were reversed. If you spend half the amount of time with her as you do your programs, you'll have it worked out. Just don't tell me it was a snake you always wanted. Girls are funny about things like that." He rolled into another parking lot as he spoke, "Pet shop, here we are. Go on in, I've got a phonecall to make." Charles probably wouldn't be too happy with him, and he figured it best to do it while the other man was out of the car. "Oh, and I'm thinking of stopping at a burger place instead. Who knows if this kid's a picky eater? They all like either burgers or chicken though." "Well I'm sure there will be plenty of time to work on my programs while she is sleeping." Joshua grinned at the good natured ribbing. "And who knows, maybe I can make some programs 'specially for her." Glancing at the small pet shop he nodded, "I was thinking about a snake but I'd prefer something that is super easy to take care of in case I have to take over after a while." It was pretty comming knowledge that Joshua had the infamous 'black thumb' killing almost any plants he came in contact with and he wasn't about to let that 'talent' pass on to animals either. The only plant he had managed to keep in his office was a small bonsai that had been 'preserved' and was technically already dead... can't kill anything that isn't living. "I'll let ya get to the phone call then. Gonna pop inside and see if they have what I am looking for." Streaching his arms out slightly he sauntered over to the shop and walked right in. Hearing the bell jingle he smelt the almost overporwering odor of animals that seemed to stiffle the air. Making his way to the back of the store he kept his ears open for the sounds of bubbles. Finding the corner that was designated Fish the programmer peered though the glass tanks, looking for something easy to keep. It was then he spotted the beta fish, each in their own little jars. Ahh perfect, they should be real easy to take care of. Picking a pretty burgandy and cream female he took it to the front and handed over the last of his cash. Then proudly holding the small plastic baggy carefully in his hand he made his way back to the car in time to catch the end of the conversation. Sliding into his seat, fish on his lap he waited until Jim was ready to show him the prize.
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Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 10:11 pm
S.H.R. Agency "We'll get everything picked up and be there in a bit. Stop stressing out.... Yes you are. I should kidnap you and-..... Yeah, so do I. Goodbye, Charles. " Jim hung up the phone with a shake of his head, "And they said I work too hard." He looked at the fish, "Betas. Those are fighters.. You have a couple of bowls and food at the house, then?" He didn't see that the other man had picked up anything to actually care for the fish. Then, he could be blind. Amirynth "Oh no... I completely forgot about that." Oblivious to the obvious he slapped his forehead in realization. "I guess it's ok though, I can always pick up the stuff on the way back and I think I have a vase or something, it might make an interesting 'fish bowl'. At least for the moment..." He winced slightly inside as he though about how he had messed up somthing as small as basic necessities. I need to go shopping too, what kind of foods does kids like. Gonna have to learn how to cook too, don't want her eating fast food all the time. His attention wandered back to the fish at hand. "Maybe I can tell her she can pick out the bowl and such." He mused partially to himself and partially to Jim. S.H.R. Agency Jim nodded, "That could work." He frowned, beginning to get the vibes from Josh that maybe his coworker was less than competent, "If you need any help with this, let me know. I'm sure you'll be fine once you get started." He drove the truck out guessing it would be wisest to stay silent now. He could get things wrong if he tried to explain anything, and he guessed his employee had enough to think about as it was. Most guardians at least recieved the letters and had some privacy to think about things. He could give Joshua some quiet time, at least. At the fast food place, Jim picked up both a chicken and a burger kids meal plus three other meals for himself, Charles, and Joshua. It wasn't too far from the agency itself. In fifteen minutes, they were getting out of the vehicle and at the building. The NSA Headquarters of the city of Metropolis is a building that looks as ordinary as it could be. There's nothing about it that would make a person look at it again. And yet this is a place of great importance for this is also the location of the S.H.R.A. The Super Hero Relocation Agency, an agency which deploys young children with proper caretakers. Amirynth Joshua had been to the head quarters before many times though he was more used to comming in at the employee's enterance than the main. Getting out of the saftey of the car he felt the first quivers of how important this decision was. Juggeling the plastic bag containing the gift beta in one hand and the letters in the other, Joshua glanced over to Jim in hopes of an encouraging nod or something but the he was turned away consentraiting on his own bundle of wares. Taking a deep breath Joshua followed Jim back to the Agency so much different than when he had left. Before all his wished in life was good food, a fast computer and interesting programs to either create or destroy, now it seemed like the horizons of his little world had grown exponentially in such a short time. S.H.R. Agency Upon entering, the first thing that is noticeable is that everything is white. White floortiles and white walls. It is strongly illuminated by the light falling in through the windows. There's a single desk standing in the middle in front of what appears to be another doorway. The woman behind the desk looks up. She does not smile as Jim and Joshua come up. "You should work on your customer satisfaction skills," Jim spoke as the woman opened her mouth, "You're always frowning." The woman grimaced. Jim shook his head and went to the side door, lowering his voice as he addressed Joshua, "Her, the guards, Charles, myself when I'm there. Sometimes I think working at the agency includes being sour. Which can be fun sometimes..." Jim opened the door to reveal a long, winding hallway at the end of which was a stairway. Following it downstairs, there is a dimly lit, huge hall with dozens of doors leading out of this hallway. There are guards standing next to almost every door. They looked up with a look of excitement on their face, but it quickly faded as they noted Jim's badge that he'd tacked on. "Straighten up! What would Charles do if he came out here and knew you were all almost asleep!" Jim snapped, authority and hardness suddenly back, "You should all be put back on boot training or something." A combination of Jim's authorative bark and a man dressed in a tidy black suit. stepping out from a side door caused them to jump back into position. The man raised an eyebrow at Jim, who came forward and gave Charles a hardy slap on the shoulder and a handshake, "Special delivery. Here, hold some of this. We can barely manage it." Charles didn't take the food from Jim, he gave the man a stern look before turning to Joshua, giving him a brisk handshake, "Welcome to the NSA HQ! I am Charles. Follow me this way please. Thank you for coming, Jim, I can handle it from here." And he promptly turned and went down into a doorway on the right. Jim hesitated a moment, then jumped back in front of Charles to stuff the bags of food he had in his hand, "Have a good lunch, Charles." He nodded to Joshua with a smile, "Think you can handle it from here?" Amirynth "Ummm..." Joshua suddenly became a little tounge tied. Though he had seen Charles every now and again he hadn't really had too much of a close working with the man. "Yeah, sure, I can handle it." He answered with a false bravado. His stomach was suddenly doing flip flops and he was glad for a moment he hadn't touched the food yet. He was about to gesture with his hands before realizing they still kept the fish from learning to breath air. Keeping his hands down the hacker watched as Jim thrust the bags at empty arms and then turned to go. "See you back at work then huh?" His glance moved back to Charles who was waiting for him. A small grin spread across his face as he tried to relax, hoping that the jitters in his stomach would die down a bit. It was soon replaced by a worried look before settling to one of attentiveness; he would soon learn more about Candice, he was sure of it. S.H.R. Agency "Not a chance! I don't want to see you back at the agency unless it's bringing the kid in for a visit for the next two weeks." It was Jim's final words as he ducked out of the hallway, leaving no room for an answer. Charles waited just barely until Joshua started following him before he started explaining everything, "The NSA headquarters has a very high level of security and is therefore relatively safe. As you might have noticed by now, the corridors are all built as a maze. This is why it is of great importance that you do not wander of by your own. Nor that you let your charge wander around here on their own. Even though we have excellent security, there is no telling how well we would hold up in case of a Villain attack. There are secret grounds which are absolutely safe and where you can visit later together with your charge." He made another turn and another and another, which would completely disorient anyone walking with him. When he finally stopped at yet another doorway he motioned you in and handed you a file, "This is the information about Candice and further information about the agency. It also contains a credit card with your name. It's unlimited, but please be wise with it. We've already had to take some measures with the other guardians. It is to ensure a comfortable living arrangement for you and Candice at your new home. Don't worry about making arrangements to move, we've taking care of it and are moving your items to your new home as we speak." He pulled a plastic card with a ring on it and handed it to Joshua, "This is your key to your home. If you don't have any questions, you can meet Candice now." It was a lot of information, Charles knew, and instead of opening the door to meet the child as he may have done in the past, he waited to see what the reaction of the guardian would be. As a matter of fact, didn't take his eyes off of him, though that was hard to tell through his sunglasses. He didn't want to misjudge another potential guardian. Amirynth Joshua opened his mouth to answer Jim but he was already gone. Two weeks off... well that'd probably mean he'd be working at home or somthing. Probably a good idea really. It'd give me some time to get to know the girl. He turned his attention to Charles as they moved around the maze like corriadors managing to keep up while he listened.
They moved my stuff? He cringed a little, hoping that his stash of magazines had not been found, or at the very least had been moved to a secluded spot. He also wondered how on earth they had moved his station, three monitors, two towers, countless wires among other technical gagets. They probably had left it for me to set up, not that it'd take him too long to do. Pushing his mind of his own belongings he decided it'd be better to find out more about Candice. Placing the beta-filled baggy on a side table where it would be safe, he glanced inside at the folder. It wasn't too large but just enough to let him know the bare necessities. "Intangibility?" He thought about that for a moment. So this kid can walk through walls or something? That was intreguing. It didn't say much else except something caught his eye. There was a small psycho-evaluation that was recorded in the folder one of the comments had been along the lines of an aptitude with mechanics which had factored into the cover story for her parents. So that is why he must have been picked... similar track of mind. That fact gave him some comfort and he relaxed a little before reading a little more, most of the rest was school grades and testing scores. S.H.R. Agency "While you're reading over the files, I'll go get her," Charles said. If the man was going to go to printed words for confirmation, there was no reason for him to stand around. Candice had somehow managed to gain the attentions of the staff, and Charles ended up spending some time searching for the girl, cursing liberally he did so. These children were not pets, after so many they should all know this! He found her with his secretary. "Candice. Your new guardian is here." his voice was brisk and buisness-like, better than the gritted anger he was feeling. The secretary ducked her head, and presented Candice with a bag of sweets, "Good luck, sweetheart. We'll sure miss you." She was patted on the head then gently pushed forward toward Charles. "Come along. Thank you, Brenda." His voice had softened considerably. Then again, she was probably one of the happier children they'd had, "I hope you haven't filled up on sweets, Mr. McKinley brought everyone lunch." Charles brought her to the room where Joshua was waiting, and then stepped back, letting the two interact as they wanted.
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:58 pm
Amirynth Joshua ran his hand through his hair as he waited in the room. He knew that the little girl he had promiced to take care of was on her way. Getting up from the uncomfortable chair he had been given the hacker strode a few steps to the center of the room befor pausing. Twisting around he paced back only to pause again and repeat his motions. Looking up to the clock he wondered how long it would be, at the same moment hoping he had more time. Moving towards the chair he checked the small plastic bag that was sitting on the coffee table next to it. I should have found a bowl to put it in... The beta lazily swam round and round the small bag unawares of the importance of it's prescence. I hope she likes me... came the next worry as Joshua rubbed his palms unconciously on the sides of his pants. He wished for a moment that he had time to change, his bad colour coordination showing in the clash between his pants and his t-shirt. 5pr1gg1n Candice, hand clinging to her stuffed lion, stepped out to see who her new guardian would be. After seeing her mothers face, that look that would haunt her for years to come, she felt relief at comming to this new place. She happened to like all the attention she was getting and had garnered it a little. This was shown by the small bag she held in her other hand, the bar of chocolate and paperbag of sweets she had managed to weedle from the secretary. Looking Joshua up and down she wrinkled her nose slightly; he didn't look the type who could buy her stuff. Though something caught her eye that made them grow with surprise. Wandering over she took a look at the small beta that was still swimming around in the sealed bag. "That's mine?" She hesently asked in wonder; she was not allowed pets at home because her Mum didn't want to take care of them. Amirynth At the creak of the door Joshua spun around, a nervous smile on his face. The small girl with bright red hair glanced his way and then glanced away. The hacker's heart sank as he felt the rejection all over again and hoped that this would be a short visit as promiced. It wasn't until he saw the blue eyes widen with surprise that he glanced in the direction she was looking at. "The beta? Yes, it's a gift for ya. I figured you could have something you could call your own at the house. Seems like they moved me and my stuff to a new place... hope it went over all right. But I was thinking that ya can help me pick out a few things to decorate your new room, though they probably have a bed and a closet and..." He realized he was babbling and closed his mouth tight. Deciding that things wern't all at a loss his moved down to one knee and picked up the baggy to hand it to Candice. "I forgot to get a bowl so we'll stop back at the petshop and get one. You get to name it too, the petshop owner said it was a girl. Though all the fish seem to look the same to me." 5pr1gg1n Candice took the fish from his hand and stared at it for a good while. A fish of my very own. It was the coolest thing he could have given her... "I can name it?... her?" She paused for a moment as she thought to herself before grinning and pointing to the beta. "Immi, I shall call you Immi." With that she put it carefully back on the table and clambered in to the chair. "So what's you name?" She figured he knew her's as she spotted the folder with her name on it on the chair near by. Swinging her legs back and forth she waited for his answer, her mind wandering over the past events that had lead up to this.
After her babysitter thought she was a ghost she had been rushed to the hospital. Numerous checkups and tests later Candice had gotten so scared of the needle they kept trying to prod her with that she had managed to will herself away. This braught more panic as it seemed like suddenly she really 'wasn't there'. The poor nurse ended up sticking the needle through her arm, something that shouldn't be physically possible. The police had showed up and were writing reports when some men with black suits had come and sent all the police away. The had come to talk to her, ask her lots of questions. By that time she was tired of it all and became rather unsupportive but they ended up taking her with them anyway. The last thing she remember seeing was her mother's face, that look of utter horror as if her own daughter was a monster. Amirynth "My name is Joshua McKinley. I've been asked to take care of you for a while." Joshua ran his fingers through his reddish hair, more strands comming out of the loose ponytail that was tied at the base of his neck. "I'd show you back to where I live but I just found out they have moved up to someplace better so it's going to be new for me too." He hopped that by letting her know he was on the same level of surprise as her it would help a little. Thinking for a moment he suddenly remembered the food and prayed it wasn't too cold. "I got you something, are ya hungry?" 5pr1gg1n True as Charles had guesses, Candice had managed to fill up on sweets. Still she accepted the food and nibbled on it with wide eyes as she tried to figure out this new adult who it seemed would be taking her home. I get a new room... That would mean a new bed. She hoped it would be more comfortable than the ones they had given her in the agency. Belatedly she wondered if her stuff would be moved in with her, she missed her books and projects even if she never really felt welcome in that house. The man had said his stuff got moved so there was a small chance. A feeling of homesickness welled up inside and she tried to swallow against it, her throat thick with hamburger and sadness. Trying to push everything back down she tried to think of something to break the akward silence that had blossomed in the room. Amirynth Joshua tried to think of something to say as he munched on his cool hamburger. Candice seemed to be lost in though so he stayed silent, conversation not being one of his strong points. At least the beta seemed to have been a good idea, even if he had forgotten the supplies. He figured he would talk to some of the few females in the department and get some information on how to take care of little girls. Taking a sip of his drink he looked up at Candice with a smile before noticing she seemed a little less happy then when she walked into the room. "Ummm... Candice? You ok?" He hoped things hadn't fallen through and he hadn't messed up somewhere. "The food isn't too cold is it?" 5pr1gg1n Candice's mind faltered, turning blank at Joshua's words, she was tired and just wanted to go home. She tried to swallow the bite of burger but it seemed to stick in her throat. Large tears started to well out of her eyes, making their way down her freckled cheeks. Chewing a little more and finally swallowing she sniffed and wiped away her tears angrily, she didn't want to appear weak or wishywashy. Her food forgotten, Candice hugged Georgie; the old lion had definatly seen better days. She tried to get her emotions under control breathing deep and calming herself down yet still not speaking a word.
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:04 pm
Amirynth Joshua looked towards Charles no knowing what to do. Seeing Charles had graduated to the other side of the room and was busy talking into his phone about something that seemed quite important he realized he was on his own for the moment. Well better get started on learning about parenting. At least I don't have to change diapers Smiling kindly he scooted his chair around and aquwardly put his arm around the slender shoulders of the girl. "There... There?" 5pr1gg1n "I wanna go home." The events had grown too much to bear and the little girl just wanted to go home to her comfortable bed, her books and her toys. Sniffeling a little she wrapped up the remains of her meal and pushed it into the brown baggy. She felt tired and just wanted the whole thing to become a dream. She souldn't really become all ghosty, it had to be just a dream, a nightmare which she could wake up from at any time if she pinched herself hard enough. Candice scrunched herself up and hugged her stuffed lion, leaning her chin on the top of his head. Amirynth Joshua glanced over at Charles who was still on the phone. Getting a small idea and hoping it'd work he rubbed her arm slightly before unwrapping his arm from around her and bending down so he was close to her face. "Hey, wanna know a secret? So I'm new at this and I wouldn't know the first thing about taking care of a kid byt the Agency gave me you to take care of so they must think otherwise. How about you go easy on me for a week and we'll see how things turn out. If you don't like it we can go back home... How does that sound?" He leant back to give her a little space and hoped it'd at least help her out for the rest of the visit. 5pr1gg1n She could go home after a week? If things wern't working out? She kind of liked this Joshua guy from the outset and this comment helped too. She swallowed a little easier and nodded slightly before remembering that they needed to stop by the pet shop and get fish accessories. That gave her something else to look forward too that was also something she wouldn't get to do normally. With that though she nodded again, this time a little more strongly and a little colour comming back to her cheeks. "OK, one week." She added, mostly to hear herself say it than for him to know. Amirynth Mentally he briethed a sigh of releaf and stood up slightly. "I think we're ready Charles, I'm going to take Cnadice home. After getting the non-comittal wave and a genuin smile of thanks from the boss man he ushered the young girl out to the car, realizing as he did so, things were really going to have to change. With a chuckle he moved a pile of paperwork and folders to the back of the car and made space for Candice's things. "Is this all of it?" He mentioned when he only saw the one suitcase. 5pr1gg1n Candice nodded, climbing into the car. "Yes, they said they would bring the rest later." She was hoping it would be sooner than later, she really felt out of place without some of her books and her game console. She though about telling him but decided she was too tired and just looked out of the car window at the moving vehicles by the side of them. She was going home, but not home. This was an odd feeling for her but she had decided to give it a week and as long as she though it was a mini vacation or something...
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:25 pm
*saved for first night/morning*
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:30 pm
First Training Session In which Candice finds out it's more important to fail and learn from it than suceed all the time...Amirynth The programmer sat in front of Candice, her file in hand. He consulted it for a moment before putting it down and reguarding the young girl who sat before him. "So you can walk through walls? That's really nifty. Ya think you can do that again?" He had tried to think of different ways to get her to start using her skills but decided the head on approach was the best way to do it. Moving a pile of computer magazines and the remains of breakfast he cleared the table. "Here le me find something t' go through." Looking around he grabbed a glass and placed it infront of her. "See if ya can put your hand through this. 5pr1gg1n Candice looked at Joshua, he wanted her to use her powers? She shook her head slowly. There was no way she was going to use them. Everytime she did bad things happened. At least bad things happened when she was with the Adults and used them. Though Joshua was the first person to ask her to... Other than Charles. She thought for a moment before squishing her lips shut as if he was trying to give her some nasty medication. Amirynth No response from Candice. This was unusual as they had been getting along quite well. "You don't want to use your powers?" Joshua though about what Charles had said, about what he was suppost to do while taking care of Candice. "But I have to teach you how to use and explore your powers... you know, see what they can do." 5pr1gg1n Candice shook her head again, this time frowning. There was no reason for her to get into trouble again. If she did anything wierd she'd end up back in the hospital with the smells and needles that stuck into her. The young girl didn't like needles and that was enough alone to give her reasons plenty. She didn't care if Joshua had to see her do it. Amirynth He saw the frown and the look of stubbeness etched on her face and tried not to grin. She looked just like he must have done when he was a kid and had been asked to do many wierd things. Of course, not many of the tasks given to him was as odd as putting a hand through the glass but stil...
"OK, we'll make a deal... you put your hand through the glass and I'll help you with the next level you've been working on." He didn't want to let her know that he had seen her get fustrated over that level as he firgured she'd be too proud to ask for held, ewven if she had asked a few times before for very simple, yet tedious tasks. 5pr1gg1n Candice though for a moment and decided it was a good enough trade. She didn't want him knowing she was stuck on it but got the feeling that he might already know. Well, if he already knew about that, mahybe he'll be ok with seeing this... Taking a deep breath she waved her hand through the glass, willing it through with all her might. Waving it very fast through, everything went well until at the last moment her hand solidified and the glass went flying. Candice cringed... now she was gonna get it.
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 1:07 am
In which Candice meets Zayd and get's stuck in a wall...Spriggin OK... So I guess walking through the wall was a bad idea, but how was I to know there would be alarms. Gotta remember that next time. Joshua says I was lucky I didn't kill myself or something. Don't think my powers would let me but then again it was kinda scary being trapped in that cuboard and anyways I should be able to do it again soon. Gotta wear this cast for now. Joshua wasn't very happy when I phased through the last one. It hurt getting my cast put back on too, dunno if I want to do that again. Maybe I'll get to go back to school tomorrow, it's really boaring here 'cause I can't really get any new games right now 'cause I'm behind on homework and Joshua says I can't have any more until I've caught back up and I've already beaten the ones I own...
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Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 5:24 pm
The day after... In which Candice learns that having someone to help out once in a while isn't really a bad thing...5pr1gg1n Candice woke up to the sound of the wind knocking against the window via a large branch. She opened her eyes with a groan and felt her forehead, the large bandaid preventing her from getting at the small wound there. He leg felt heavy when she tried to move it and she pulled away the covers to take a glance. There in front of her was a thick cast wrapped around her ankle. She gave her arm a pinch and then decided it was real rolling over and managing to bump her other arm. Sure enough there was a bruise to add to the toll of injuries. Luckily all would heal in a matter of time, just some would take a little longer than others. Candice sighed slightly and pulled herself up, tugging at the coveres so they fell off the bed. Swinging her legs around she stood up with a hiss and decided it wasn't worth it, sinking back down into the matress. After wondering how on earth she was going to get down for breakfast she spotted a small bell on her bedside table. That wasn't there before... With a sudden impulse she picked it up and shook it, the lightl peal of the bel sounding through the house. Amirynth Joshua pulled open the door with a smile. "Glad to see your up Candice, hows your leg doing?" He moved his way over and picked up the pillow, fluffing it slightly and then placing the
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:17 am
War Wounds In which Candice meets up with Erol at school and chats...Amirynth Candice hobbled out into the playground during lunch with the aid of crutches. Squinting a little in the bright sun she glanced over to the sade of the trees and sighed. It seemed quite a long way away where as before they were so close. Shaking her head slightly the girl started her slow progress towards the leafy covering her cast making a soft thud with every step. She looked around at the other kids in the school, glad for once that they seemed to be busy with their own fun and games. She would have prefered to stay in the computer lab but they had decided to move everything around and there was a virus sweep going on again so she wasn't permitted inside.
About halfway there, in the middle of the tarmac she paused for breath. The only problem with the crutches was that they rubbed her underarms raw, even with the terrycloth towls wrapped around them. With a small grimice she started on her way once more, hopefully she would reach the trees before lunch was up... Kuuro Kitten Erol was making his way outside by now, his trusty iPod safely tucked in his pocket and on full blast (as usual). He scanned the yard for any perspective place to sit and relax, not much on fanfare or making a hord of friends.
Spotting a particularly pleasant looking tree he made his way over situating himself and sitting down. The only reason he hadn't seen Candice coming over to the same tree was because he was on the other side of the building walking from a different angle. The whole time she had been blocked from view.
He had himself a sandwhich on hand which he unwrapped and began to eat his head bobbing to a particularly favorite beat. By this time a shift in the atmosphere brought his attention to the girl making her slow trek to the tree. "Hm?" He peeked from behind the trunk of the tree not wanting to be seen but then a knowing smile came to his face. He'd met her once before she had seemed pleasant but he hadn't gotten to talk with her at length. Setting his sandwhich down and turning down his music he walked over, taking the girl's crutches and supporting her as a human crutch. "Long time no see...what happened to you?" He questioned helping her to the tree and setting her down.
Her crutches were set out beside her as he shifted to sit next to her taking a bite of his sandwhich only to look at her then it, "Uh...want a bite?" He wasn't sure if she'd eaten but it was worth asking. Ruriska "Yo."
Raleigh, having spotted Erol, wandered over with a small frown on his face. One of his friends(more precisely, his only friend xP), Mara, trailed behind him nervously, holding both their lunches. Why was he about to engage his rival in conversation? Interest partly. Though there was another reason. Today he was in a good mood, and every since that day at the mall, Erol and Raleigh had been on better standings, though in no way friends. Of course, that had nothing to do with this visit. Coming to a halt he glanced at the girl Erol was with, finding her about as normal as they come, besides the broken arm. He'd never met Candice and truly didn't have a clue who she was. From what he could see, she was a normal girl, a few years younger than himself.
When he was sure he had Erol's attention, he spoke. "Ruri said to ask you over for dinner. As far as she's concerned its 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. Plus she's interested in you, which can't be a good thing. I advise you to refuse. " He was only asking for integrities sake. Ruriska could always tell when he was lying, much to his annoyance, so it was better to just do what she'd told him to do while making sure to discourage Erol appropriately.
His gaze slid to the girl again, appraising her with a careful look, before looking away and feigning disinterest. Malis Delnaria Candice looked up and grinned. Grateful for the little help but trying not to show it she hended him one of the crutches and hopped on her good leg using him for balance. "Thanks, it would have taken me forever to get there otherwise." Candice flopped down, wincing slightly as the cast hit a root before moving it slightly to the side and leaning back. "Hmmm?" She turned slightly to hear his question. "Oh I tried using my powers to go through a wall. It worked the first time but I set off the alarms and while trying to get out I got stuck and broke my ankle." She grinned slightly while telling him a slightly glossed over version of the story, embellishing where needed.
Looking up she spotted the other kid who was walking up. He seemed to know Erol and motioned towards him, "Who's he?" Squinting over towards him she looked him up and down. He was being followed by a girl but the way she stood it was easy to dissmiss her. There was nothing that stood out about this new boy, but then again, other than her arm warmers, there was nothing special about her when it came to outward apperances. She figured it's be wise to consider him being part of the intergalactic brotherhood of supers, at least until he proved otherwise. She was about to wave before he opened his mouth and said something about dinner. This confirmed that they knew eachother but she was puzzeled to figure out how close they were... Kuuro Kitten Erol rolled his eyes at the sight of Raleigh, he sighed and shook his head giving Candice the information needed to understand they were not buddy-buddy by any terms. "Just some trash caught by the wind..." he muttered. Wether Raleigh heard or not was of no great importance to him as he leaned back against the tree listening to what the boy had to say but showing no immediate interest.
It would seem for a moment that he was not going to acknowledge the other for a long while. That was until he was given a suggestion that sounded very much like a command. "You would advise me? Advise me?!" He repeated looking aghast. "Please...I'll do what I want. And since you seem apposed to it then I want...I'm coming." He annouced with a sweep of his hands as she returned to his lazy nature arms crossed behind his head. Yes he would show up and perhaps get on Ruri's good side if possible. If not whatever....he just hoped Akila wouldn't insist on acompanying him.
Returning his attentions on Candice he smiled humming some old tune to himself. "So got yourself trapped did ya...? Not very becoming considering you're suppose to be akin to a ghost... I find that amusing. But it happens to the best of us." Ruriska Raleigh didn't hear, and should he had, their conversation no doubt would have taken a more nasty turn. They might have shared a moment together at one point in time, but they damn well still wanted to rip each other's hearts out. Rivals till the end. His foot tapped impatiently as he was made to wait.
Raleigh narrowed his eyes. Why did he have to be so damn difficult? It was besides the point that Raleigh would have done the same thing. In any case, he didn't want Erol in his house. Or anywhere near Ruri. Or Yasuo, unless Yasuo had Erol's head in his mouth. "You're such a stupid a*****e." He hissed. But knowing quite well he was beaten. Ruri wanted him to come and Erol had accepted, and short of sending Erol to the hospital, there wasn't much that could be done.
"Fine." Drawing himself up, he gave both Erol and Candice a disdainful look. With an arrogant nod of his head, he turned to leave. "I will tell Ruriska you're coming and give you the details tomorrow. Come Mara. We have better things to do... and with better company." With his friend tottering along behind, he began to stalk off. Amirynth Candice looked between them in surprise but then giggled slightly as she watched the interchange. They reminded her of the puffed up roosters she had seen at a farm once when she was living with her Dad. That train of though sobered her up for a moment but then she shook her head, deturmined to not be dragged down, and smiled again. "Yeah, getting stuck was definatly not my highest point, but then again I did get to learn a little about my powers. And I got this cool cast to wear." She wiggled her arm over the cast before grimicing. "It kind of get's ichy though, and Joshua said I can't practice my talents 'cause last time I accidently phased through the cast." Her mind wandered back to that moment and she grinned. "Joshua's face was so funny, though it hurt incredibly so when they had to put the cast on 'cause they wanted to make sure it was still streight." That was the probably the worst moment with doctors prodding all over he leg and a nurse who kept repeating 'Don't vanish on us ok?' She told Erol as such.
She eyed the other boy again as he wandered off and decided it would be more prudant to ask about him later before getting a better idea anyways. "Hey ya wanna be the first to sign my cast?" She reached into her bag and pulled out a plethora of pens in different shapes, sizes and colours. "I figure if I have to live with this thing for a while I might as well get it decorated." Candice giggled and prodded at the pile of pens. "What colour would you want?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:57 pm
Time out... In which Candice is sent to her room and get's out in a sneaky way...Candice sat on the end of her bed, feet kicking the side with a vengance. She scowled a little at the curtains on the window before tossing herself onto the dark green covers. Fustrated she stared at the ceiling and wiggeled her toes, fuming at the task that had been set to her. Yes... it was her fault she was locked in her room but then again it wasn't fair that she sould have to train instead of finishing her game, Couldn't it have waited until after she had finished the layer? Ok... so she had managed to finish three levels before he had come back but still... all that work for nothing. Throwing her head against the pillow she turned over to her side. Her gaze slid towards the door and the angrily looked away. ******* "Look, you need to train at least once a week, most of the other kids are training more than that. I know it's not as hard for you to use your powers but I don't want you getting hurt again." Josua paced infront of the television, the cord he had just pulled out of the console in hand. "I know you just want to play but it's important for you to keep up." "But... I was right there! Just 2 more minutes." Candice pleaded, almost throwing the now useless keypad to the floor. "I already gave you five minutes, it's time to train." Joshua turned and walked out of the room hoping that she would follow. After about a minute a scowling Candice walked out with her arms crossed. "I'm not doing it." She shook her head and stomped her foot. Her ankle, now out of the cast, still bothered her some and she did not want to admit that she was scared of what she could do. It was one thing when she was just playing around but now she had learnt the dareker side to her powers. What if it wasn't her ankle that had gotten stuck but her arm... or worse yet, her hands. Candice shuddered slightly as she though about how much bad it could be, remembering the small moment when her fingers had tingled at first when she was trying to get out of the cupboard. Joshua shook his head. "Look, I've let you play your games and get out of training for long enough, your ankle is better so you can't use that as an excuse anymore. Please Candice I gotta do something to sho you've gotten better." Joshua had hacked into a few important files of the agency and found out that Charles had rounded up a few potential homes for Candice. If it had been those few weeks ago... no it had been two months, almost three... but at that time he had not been looking forward to taking care of a kid. Now he felt, well he wasn't sure what it was really, but one thing was certain, he wasn't quite sure he was willing to let her go. "NO!" Candice grabbed hold of the pillow she was suppost to walk through and threw it at Joshua. "I refuse, I'm not gonna!" Her faced was red and she was viering onto tantrum territory. This was not a tactic she often used but something in her refused to let her aquiest. "Fine! You in a time out girl!" Joshua gave up and pointed upstairs. "You are to go to your room and you are not allowed out until you are willing to at least work with me on this." He stormed up there, making sure she made it in the room and then proceeded to take out all the cables from the walls. "No TV, no video games, no computer, no music until you come back out. With that he closed the door and to Candice's surprise and alarm he locked the door tight. "You can come out when you phase through this door. Dinner will be at 8:00pm sharp!" With that he stalked off. ******* Which braught her back to now... Candice watched the shadow of the tree on the window and felt her stomach rumble. Sighing she turned over and stared at the wall until she sighed once more. Sh was now board out of her mind and now there was a battle of wits as her stomach fought her stubborness aided with the help of her train of thought. With a smirk she strated plotting. Well I'll show him, I'll be the best phaser there is and he'll never be able to keep me locked up ever again. I'll be able to leave whenever I want and go wherever I wish. I will not be stopped or held down, I'll be able to do anything I want. She chuckled to herself and then sat up glaring at the door. It should have been quiet a simple process and through her little pep talk she had put her through the door was no thicker than mist. She glowed with accomplishment and then smirked once again. She would hide this competition, he will never know until it is too late. Just like her Parents didn't know how often she had managed to score cookies and other sweets by using her talents. Let the games begin!
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