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 Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 10:20 am
Homecoming
The rain ceased pouring outside and the sun had emerged from behind the clouds. It was a beautiful afternoon, and Haze had forgotten all about her purchases as she departed from the Library. She wasn't leaving empty-handed, as evidenced by the infant in her arms and the odd creature that toddled beside her.
"Well now, what sort of child are you?" She asks him rhetorically. She doesn't expect an answer, recalling how her first charge was nearly incapable of speech until she grew older.
The babe took in his surroundings with curious eyes. He held onto the woman carrying him, but not too tightly. Now and again he'd glance over Haze's arms to check if his daemon was following. Certainly he'd know if she had lagged behind, but it was still reassuring to see her trotting, padding, whatever word can be used to describe her motions. He waved to her with his free hand, the one where his pendant dangled from his wrist.
Uninhabited's gait was awkward to say the least, with her hind legs far longer than her front paws her movements were anything but graceful. She followed after the woman and her bonded, her wings flapping now and again as she squawked. Her cobweb-tail left a fine trail of dust on whatever it touched, which in this case was the sidewalk.
Haze increased her pace instinctively, she was in a hurry to get back to her house. Though halfway there she felt this strange feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. She paused abruptly midstride and felt a beak peck against her calf.
"Aick!" she squeaked, taking two steps forward before spinning on her heels to face the offending creature.
The still unnamed child clung to whatever was available at that moment. One hand still clutching the piece of paper, the other grabbing at Haze's long hair. Again he hears the woman squeal, this time out of pain.
The hodgepodge of a daemon didn't expect the woman to suddenly stop, and she crashed beak-first against her legs. Her tail swung wildly as she fell onto her back. Giving a squawk of discomfort and embarrassment she kicked out, trying to right herself.
"Honestly, both of you are being ridiculous." Haze snorts in derision. Her nose wrinkled and her mouth curved down in disgust at the little animal. She feels another sharp yank at her scalp, and instantly her hand flies up to the hairs's roots. She glares at the infant, wondering whether he understood her words.
Were infants really this intelligent? Or were they special if they came from Gaia?
"You remind me of one of my forebearers. Well he's not directly one of my forebearers, he belonged to the sub-faction of the Wyndre Clan. He had a penchant for hair, refused to cut it according to the books. He claims his abilities are sealed within his locks, though I doubt the validity of his statement. Are you as protective of your hair as he was?"
The boy stares back at her, thrusting the piece of paper into her face in response to her question. He giggled somewhat to hear her sputter at the taste of old paper.
By now, the daemon had managed to right herself and she sat on her hind legs. She stared up at Haze and her bonded with round eyes, half-cawing and half-squawking.
Haze sighed, "I suppose it was too much to ask of an infant to understand what I said. And what is the matter with this scrap you've been holding onto?" she takes the proffered piece of paper and reads it aloud. Something stirs in her mind, as if this passage struck a chord in her heart. Perhaps from a memory of long ago, but her thoughts are disturbed upon noticing how the little creature became extra skittish at a certain line.
She repeats the excerpt, once again eliciting a response from the daemon. Slowly she pronounces one word at a time, and realizes the creature responds only to Uninhabited.
"Is that what you are named?" Haze quirks a brow, peering down at the odd creature now known as Uninhabited. "Goodness that is quite a mouthful, and you are far too young and small to be addressed by your full label. As by Wyndre customs, you shall be given a sobriquet in the meantime. Now, Bit sounds appropriate, does it not child?"
The boy stares back at Haze blankly, what was this odd woman saying? He squirmed in her grasp to reach for his daemon. It had been a while since he last held her.
Uninhabited chirped and balanced herself on her hind legs, front paws extended for her bonded's.
"No, I suppose Bit is too demeaning for something that now is under Wyndre care. What else can be used? Habi? Yes, it sounds odd enough to match your apperance."
At the mention of the word odd Haze screeches again at the vicious yank of her hair. Children were much too grabby! However the Silarian was not about to cut her hair simply because these little urchins had a penchant for yanking. No, that would be admiting defeat and Haze did not like to lose. Not unless it was on her terms.
Wincing at the pain, she continued on home. She would think of a proper name for the boy once she arrived. Perhaps even consult with her servant, Huni. Yes, that would be the best course of action at this moment.
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:24 am
Sibling Rivalry?
By the time Haze had arrived at home, the sun had long set and the stars had just begun to wink into the night sky. She wasn't looking forward to the household's reaction, especially if it meant Huni jeering at her.
At some point during the trip home, the boy had fallen asleep. His head resting on the crook of Haze's neck, one hand still clutching the excerpt in a vice-like grip. His pendant was now hanging around his daemon's neck ever since it slipped off his wrist in his sleep.
Uninhabited was resting by Haze's feet, having walked the entire length from the Library to this building it was only natural she be exhausted. Her head was curled around her body, cobweb-tail fluttering with each breath she took. A fine trail of dust lay in her wake.
The Silarian took a deep breath and unlocked the front door where she was greeted by her first charge, Retta.
Retta was awaiting her guardian's return, she could only stomach so much of her cousin's eccentricities. Not to mention the chameleon and the goldfish were still wary of her since her last... attempts at figuring out her talents.
"Why home late?" she asks, her expression one of concern. That is until her brown eyes fell upon the little person hanging onto Haze. She glares at him, how dare someone try to claim Haze? Didn't they know she belonged to her?! "Who that?" she demands, glaring hatefully at the boy.
"He's your new brother, now where's your Aunt Huni?" Haze asks, scanning the hallway for any signs of the Gaian.
"Brother?" Retta echoes, not at all enjoying the idea of sharing her guardian's attention. She knew what a brother or a sister was, she just thought she'd remain an only child. This will not do, not in any way...
"Yes, brother. And this little creature is his pet, like you have Crimson." Haze added as she began to ascend the stairs. She would keep him in Retta's quarters for the moment, until she can properly purchase the infant his own things he would have to make do with Retta's old crib.
Too exhausted to notice (or care about) the look of utter contempt and hatred on the sheep Mishap's face, Haze places the boy along with his daemon in the crib before heading out to freshen herself up.
"Watch over your brother for me, Retta. I won't take long." She instructs without so much as looking back.
Retta thought this was the perfect opportunity to settle things with her competition. She pads up to him smiling sweetly, shyly, radiating a sort of innocence that wouldn't, shouldn't cause suspicion.
The Forgotten snuggled up to his daemon, his chest rising slowly. The pair seemed utterly unaware of the danger approaching them.
The Mishap leaned in as close as she could to Elias' ear, took a deep breath and prepared herself to let loose a most violent bleat. Just as Retta inhaled, Uninhabited's tail brushed against her nose, covering it with a thick layer of dust. Needless to say she began to sneeze and cough, which in turn woke up the Forgotten and Habi. Cranky, and annoyed at being disturbed, the boy scrunched up his face and began to wail at full force.
Retta fell onto her rump as she stumbled back, hands covering her ears in a vain attempt to drown out the sound. She couldn't even make out the thundering footsteps than fast approached her room. In burst Haze, wide-eyed, and panic-stricken. Her hair was tied back away from her face (a rare style indeed) and her face was half-slathered with cream.
"What on Silar is going on here!?" She demands, heading over towards her charges.
Retta was whimpering and bleating dolefully at Haze, "He woke up and crying..." she explained, trying to establish that she was the victim here. The Silarian sighs, but rather than comforting the toddler, she heads towards the Forgotten and attempts to calm him down.
One look at Haze's half-made face was enough to make the boy cease crying and laugh. He had never seen anything sillier before! Habi was cowering behind her bonded, wings trembling and paws covering her eyes. When she heard the boy's amused giggles she dared to take a peek and squawked in terror at the sight of Haze.
Was the woman's face melting!?
"That is enough, all of you! Retta, I told you to watch over your brother. It seems you couldn't even keep him amused long enough for me to finish washing my face. Please tell your Aunt Huni for me that there is to be another seat prepared." Disappointment was thick in her tone.
"But I-"
"Go." The red-head cut off and pointed towards the door. Once the Mishap had gone, Haze turned to her latest charge. "As for you two, I have come to the conclusion that you shall be named after someone belonging to a subfaction of the Wyndre clan. From this day forward, you are Elias Injo. May you live up to the Injo standard." She solemnly declares.
Elias was still giggling, he found it quite difficult to concentrate on anything other than how hilarious Haze's face looked.
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 4:48 am
Summer Daze
Gist: Elias and Habi meets Fray and Lavender
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:00 pm
An Unexpected Visitor - Part One of Two
Silar is a mere gateway's open away from Gaia, of course with all the possible gateway exit points it is possible to use up one's lifetime and never be able to discover this world. That little bit of information, is of course, completely irrelevant to the cerulean haired man lounging on a plush leather armchair. A smirk ever present on his tanned face, his muscular body was relaxed and yet prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
"Come on, Wyndre, when are you going to drag your sister's sorry a** back to Silar? It's been what? Nearly a year since she had that hissy fit and 'ran away', don't you think she's cooled off by now?" He quirked a smug brow to the deathly-pale man standing by the fireplace. There came no rustle from the black cloak that hung from his neck, even as he began to speak he remained still, as if carved out of stone.
"Irlan, I am my sister's brother, not her master. She is free to do as she pleases, I can only request her of things, not demand her of them." He responds coldly. Arson Wyndre has had this conversation countless times, with various individuals. And his answer is always the same.
"Corsae's horn, I know you better than that. You just don't want to admit she's got you wrapped around her little finger!" Irlan laughs, and sharply slaps his leg in amusement.
"We are entitled to our own opinions." Arson turns round to face the cerulean haired man, his blood-red eyes narrowed. "I have also assumed you have accepted my request to observe her on my behalf."
"Haven't you learned yet? It's fatal to assume things," Irlan retorted with a growl, as his hand clenches into a fist. The cerulean-haired man rises from his seat and uses his slight advantage in height to appear as menacing as possible.
"In that case, allow me to rephrase myself. You are going to observe her on my behalf. And in the event your puny brain is incapable of understanding that, you are going to Gaia," He states, folding his arms across his chest in finality.
"What do you take me for? One of your servants?" Irlan sneers and lunges forward, fully intending to tackle Arson to the ground. He notices seconds too late that the air around the pale man had begun to faintly shimmer. The tanned man shifts his form, his body shrinking into a feline shape as he passes directly through Arson.
The moment all four paws touch the ground, he launches himself back towards his target. In the span of time it took to close the distance between them, Irlan had shifted into one of the rumored sacred creatures of Silar. His front paws were replaced by blazing talons, sharp scales protruded from his nape, a bright, white gem glowed atop his third eye. The rest of his body was a non-corporeal mist that enabled him to maneuver in mid-air.
How Irlan managed to encounter such a beast was a mystery to all but Arson. The pale man knew where such creatures existed, as did many of the Wyndres. They kept this knowledge to themselves, knowing that these beasts had properties that nullified their skills. Irlan was always sneaking around, poking his nose into things that most tried to keep a secret. The cerulean haired man had his ways, and Arson knew at some point the skittering of an animal's paws or the twitch of an insects wings could have been Irlan's.
Sacred beast or not, Arson knew he had ways of countering Irlan's attacks.
Irlan managed to slice through Arson's shirt, talons digging into pale flesh and drawing warm blood. In retaliation, Arson dug his hands into Irlan's chest, momentarily blocking air, briefly pausing the flow of much needed lifeblood. Under normal circumstances, Irlan should have died, but in his beast-form he could sustain himself as long as neccessary.
They continued to fight for hours, neither one truly gaining the upper hand. Until finally, they both collapsed in exhaustion.
There came a knock at the door, and in entered a blonde woman named Rae. Her blue eyes widened in horror at the scene before her and instantly went to tend her master's injuries. She calls out Arson's name but neither men heard her voice. They only saw the faint glow from her hands that began to mend their bodies.
Irlan had reverted to his true form, he no longer had the strength to maintain the beastial shapes. Truthfully, Irlan would have leapt at the chance to venture into Gaia with or without Arson's request. If only because Gaia had something Silar couldn't offer at the moment.
Namely Haze Wyndre.
"The gateway opens tomorrow at the fifth of the evening, from there all you need to look for is the hourglass." Arson explains from the comfort of a metal stool.
"What makes you think I'll even go there?" Irlan winces as Rae heals him.
"I know you better than that." Was all Arson replied.
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:47 am
An Unexpected Visitor - Part Two of Two
Durem is an odd town, on first arriving one might assume Gaia's elite resides here. But upon further inspection, one realizes that in the back alleys and slums, there are people who fell through the cracks and was missed entirely. At least, that was how the cerulean-haired man perceived Durem.
Irlan continued to wander the streets, slowly deciphering the strange language that the signs were written in. It was going to take some time for him to learn the local vernacular, or rather learn to read and write the local vernacular. He over heard some of the Gaians' conversations from time to time and it mildly surprised him that the understood them.
I guess you don't have to be loaded to be able to vacation in Gaia. He thinks to himself. After a few more minutes of walking, Irlan gave up trying to read the signs and instead opted to track Haze down manually. Ducking into an alley, he began to shift his form. His body seemed to implode, limbs shrinking, ears moving upwards to the top of his head, his face elongating into a muzzle.
From the alley came an oddly colored dog, its fur was a cerulean hue with odd patches that made one think the creature wore a shirt and pants. His nose started to sniff, indentifying scents, differentiating those familiar and unfamiliar in split-seconds.
Finally he found the trail he was looking for. It was faint, but he was certain it was a Wyndre. Following it, he eventually reached a two-story house where walked up to the front door. Standing on his hind legs, he rang the doorbell.
"Get the door, Huni." Haze ordered, not bothering to stand from the couch. Her feet were propped up on a stool, arms dangling in exhaustion at her sides. Elias had proven himself far more active than his sister had been. The infernal little clutz called Habi made things far more difficult than necessary.
The Gaian nodded, she was tired too, cleaning up after everyone can certainly sap a person of her strength and energy (and quite possibly sanity). Still, one shouldn't bite the hand that feeds, and Huni headed to the door. Imagine her surprise to find a large blue dog sitting at their doorstep. The red-head stared at the animal before looking around for its owner.
"Who is it, Huni?" Haze voice asked.
"Just a weird-looking dog, his owner must be playing a trick or some such prank." she sighed and began to close the door. Before she could completely shut it, a foot was suddenly in the doorway.
"Is Haze home?" Irlan smiled in his human form. Huni blinked before she slammed the door in face.
"Haze, some creepy guy is looking for you!" She yelled.
"Define creepy." Haze groaned, rising to her feet. She barely made few steps when the door burst open. Literally. Huni was sent flying into the living room, landing on the couch with a loud oomf.
"Oh Haaaaaaaaze~"
The Silarian narrowed her eyes in distaste, recognizing the voice. "What in Yrast's name are you doing here?" she snarled.
"Now is that any way to greet your lover?" Irlan grinned wolfishly, a feral aura radiating from his eyes.
Haze visibly shuddered but kept her expression in an unimpressed sneer. "My brother sent you to check up on me, didn't he?"
"Oh please, I came here of my own volition. After I persuaded your brother to share your whereabout, I came straight to Gaia. And let me tell you this place is a dump compared to Silar."
Huni groaned at the stars winking before her eyes. "What, what just happened?"
"You were assaulted by the most disgusting, vile, horrible and loathesome creature I have ever known," Haze responded angrily.
"What are you talking about? Your brother is no where near Gaia."
"Out of my house. NOW!" Haze glared and flicked her wrist at Irlan. She had forgotten that Gesturemancy did not work in Gaia, at least not the way it did in Silar. Instead of pushing Irlan away, the man was suddenly yanked forward and collided against Haze. The pair tumbled to the floor, and if Haze hadn't been to horrified at the fact that Irlan was touching her, she'd have noticed he had her head cradled in his arms to take the brunt of the fall.
Any normal man trying to impress the woman they liked would have shown concern, any normal man trying to get himself into a woman's good graces would have been polite and apologetic even if they've done nothing wrong. The operative word here being normal.
"And here I thought you didn't care." Irlan leered.
Haze responded with a swift knee to his gut. "I warned you. OUT!"
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Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:25 am
Mayhem In Durem
Gist: PD with Lysium
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:18 am
Broken?
Morning comes at about five or six am; some people still debate that once the sun's rays begin to creep up from the horizon it is already morning, while the opposing party insists that the sun has to have fully risen first. Of course, in the Gaia Wyndre household, morning is put off until, oh, ten am.
A decree the lady of the house had made and enforced since her arrival. Granted most of the denizens of the household were insomniacs, Elias did not belong to this group. He, along with his daemon Habi, rose when the birds roosted on the window sill of his room. He greeted the day with enthusiam and boundless energy, as did his daemon.
It would be a few hours before Haze will come to see how he was doing, and during these hours of solitude, he and Habi would attempt to escape their little prison. Attempt is truly the appropriate word as neither of them have been able to break out. Together with Habi, they tried to pry the crib's bars apart, to little success. Normally, they'd give up after a few tries, but today seemed different to them. Elias felt extra anxious to be out and about in the world, or at the very least his room.
Again, try Habi. He instructed the daemon who cawed and nodded her support. The infant gripped one bar, while Habi bit down with her beak on the adjascent bar. They grunted and panted, for how long, neither knew (or could count for that matter).
Until there came an ominous crack.
The bar Elias held suddenly became rotten and splintered in half. Unfortunately, slivers of the wood pierced the young infant's hands, causing him a stinging pain. While it was really nothing fatal, Elias did not like the feeling and tears were beginning to well in his eyes. Habi cawed and squawked, doing her best to comfort her Forgotten by trying to pluck out the splinters. Except Habi ended up getting some stuck in her paws as well.
Morning came too early for the people living in the Wyndre residence as there came a duet of howling, shrieking and keening.
"What is it?! What is it?!" Haze groaned, her face still slathered with cream, her hair still trapped in curlers.
Even though Habi recognized the scent and the voice to be Haze, she still found the guardian's appearance terrifying. Resulting in an even louder keen. Elias was too upset to notice or care.
Haze muttered expletives beneath her breath before she padded over to Elias and Habi. She wondered why Elias was clutching at his hand and why Habi seemed to be gnawing at her paw. It was then she noticed the broken bar in the crib. Her golden eyes widened in shock as she quickly picked up the infant from the crib.
"HUNIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!" she shrieked. "GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Moments later, the Gaian arrived, wincing at the loud screams emanating from the Forgotten and his daemon. "What's wrong now?"
"How do you Gaians get splinters out of your skin?" She asked.
"With a splinter-remover? I think we might have one in the first aid kit you bought when you became Retta's guardian."
"Then go fetch it! Honestly, why are you still standing around here for!? GO! NOW!" the Silarian growled. As Huni rushed off to retrieve the said apparatus, Haze would have to find a way to calm down the crying pair.
"Stop crying. I mean it. It's an embarrassment to have little boys who cry at the slightest thing." she frowned. Her words went unheard, even if she managed to speak loud enough to overpower Elias and Habi's crying, she doubted the Forgotten would understand. If they were only back in Silar, she could ask her brother to use his Ghost Arts to remove the blasted splinters. That was how a Wyndre dealt with little annoyances like that.
But of course, even if they were back in Silar, they have yet to make amends with each other. She didn't dare risk using Gesturemancy, not without having bothered to learn the flow of magic in Gaia. It frustrated the red-head to no end.
"HUNI!! WHERE IN YRAST'S NAME ARE YOU!?!!?" she shrieked again.
The Gaian finally arrived with the tweezers and held it out to Haze. "I'll hold him while you remove the splinters. Or would you rather it be the other way around?"
Haze kept a firm hold on Elias in a struggle to keep the babe still. It took nearly half an hour before they managed to remove all the splinters from Elias' hands. By now, both Forgotten and daemon's howling had died down to soft whimpers and wet sniffles.
"Huni, you handle Habi's splinters, I'm exhausted."
Before the Gaian could protest, Haze had already left. Huni sighed before she gently began to stroke Habi to calm her down, "There, there, we'll make the nasty owie stop." She promised the daemon. "I just wonder how you ended up breaking the bar. It's not like either of you displayed inhuman strength, and if you did have it, you'd have broken the crib itself. Not just the bar. I wonder what your abilities are."
Elias sucked at his fingers, now free of splinters. Iun wanna do dat again. he sniffled to Habi.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:39 pm
Breakfast With Cousins
In the Gaian Wyndre household, the children outnumbered the adults. Then again, nearly any other home in Gaia would be in the same situation. Today, Huni was in charge of watching the house, while Haze went off in order to tend to personal matters. In other words, she was going to visit Silar again to catch up with her friends there. Which meant she'd be babysitting Kalderetta, Elias and Uninhabited for the day.
Irlan, of course, was stalking Haze and thus left Malas in Huni's care. When asked why he couldn't bring Malas with him, the cerulean haired man had already shifted into a dog to follow after Haze.
Malas just stared up at Huni passively, arms wrapped around the six-legged toy she took a liking to.
"Well, come on in, 'Las." Huni smiled, doing her best not to use a Scottish accent. She couldn't help it, the criminal's nickname just begged to be said with that Scottish twang. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
The girl just shrugged, Huni was far too soft to be her superior. But she did appreciate how Huni tried to make her stay more comfortable. She wasn't growing soft, she just didn't hear any trace of malice or smugness in the red-head's voice. There was genuine concern and quite frankly, 'Las wasn't accustomed to it. The only way she knew how to act in this sort of situation was to just keep quiet and hope they leave her in peace.
Unfortunately, that was not the case with her "cousins."
Entering the kitchen, she spied a sheep-like little girl in a frilly dress, a little girl with a gradient-like skin, and a little baby boy in what appeared to be a rickety high chair. Somehow, she didn't feel all that concerned about the youngest one's safety.
"Look everyone! It's cousin Malas. This is Retta," Huni introduced the sheep-girl, "This is Noi, the other little girl, "And the man of the house, Elias."
A small squawk from under the table revealed Elias' daemon Habi.
"Hope you don't mind cereal, we ran out of pancake batter." Huni explained, eyes darting to an orange-skinned woman who was giggling. "Shimmer won't be doing that again, right?"
"Right right~" she chirped, skipping merrily out of the kitchen and into the living room where a crash could be heard.
"I'll see to it." a male voice called out.
"Bless you, Keith." Huni smiled as she poured Malas a bowl of sugar-frosted corn flakes.
The Criminal stared down at the cereal wordlessly before she began to eat.
"You no milk?" Retta asked, quirking a brow.
"Not 'vryone like milk." Noi snapped, digging into her own bowl of dry cereal.
"I just ask. No wrong asking." Retta pouted, though inwardly she was glowering.
Elias whimpered as he listened to the bickering tones of his sister and his cousin. He didn't like it when people fought, especially when he liked both parties. It made choosing sides hard for him.
Habi, make them happy? he suggested to his daemon. Uninhabited canted her head before standing suddenly. Her head hit the bottom of the table with a dull thud, upsetting the glasses of juice and milk.
Owwie! She keened pitifully, paws atop her head in pain.
Huni sighed and went to fetch a dishrag, it looked like Habi was starting her day already. "I'll be back, so eat your food or else I won't let you out to play."
Malas blinked in surprise. They played? "What play?" she asked.
"You no know what play?" Noi stared in disbelief, while Retta's expression mirrored Noi's.
Malas felt her cheeks grow hot, her eyes downcast as she shook her head. So what if she didn't know what play was? It's not as if there's a rule for that, was there?
"We show you play." Retta volunteered, knowing that her cousin would feel indebted to her if she did this. Yes, having people owe her is a good thing.
Noi looked apprehensively at Retta, she didn't feel like being all charitable. In fact, she seemed downright annoyed that Retta included her in the offer. "I no wanna." She frowned.
"No can say no." the sheep girl bleated in warning. Noi rose, her fists clenched, as if ready to start a brawl in any moment.
Elias' brows furrowed, Oh no, they were at it again. He sniffled softly before wailing "NO!!! NONONONONO!!!"
Habi keened in chorus, forcing everyone to cover their ears and causing Huni to return sooner than she anticipated. It wasn't easy, getting everyone to settle down took a great deal of effort and energy.
But throughout the entire time, Malas didn't make so much as a peep. Though she covered her long ears, and her face was scrunched up, she was eerily quiet. This somewhat unnerved her cousins, especially Noi who was currently lacking in all manners of tact.
"You weird." The Soul scowled in declaration. Retta gasped in what was almost-horror at what she heard, she never told others what she truly felt about them if it was a negative thing. Malas blinked at Noi's words but her response was a mere shrug.
Metanoia was at a loss of words; Retta would bleat and puff as if she was crying whenever the Soul insulted the Mishap. She had to break 'Las, one way or another. "You gots funny ears! Your hair no pretty! You dumb!"
But Malas was just taking everything in stride, the words just bounced off her. Thankfully Elias and Habi were in the living room being calmed down, else he'd be throwing another fit at Noi's behavior.
"Done now?" Malas asked, rising from her seat. The older child's attempts at riling her up were all for nothing. 'Las was accustomed to taking verbal abuse, even physical. She stared at Noi, her eyes radiating boredom at her cousin's name-calling.
Metanoia was clearly upset and had tears running down her cheeks. She wiped her face with her sleeve, snorting wetly. Much to Retta's disgust. The Mishap moved away from the Soul and walked up to 'Las, linking her arm with the criminal's. "We go?" she suggested.
'Las shrugged, "'Kay."
The Mishap led her to the living room where Elias and Habi were playing on the floor. By now, Keith had cleared the living room of anything breakable and sharp. After Shimmer had knocked over a vase, the chameleon thought it best to hide everything until either the children grew up, or Shimmer finds her marbles. Whichever was more likely to happen.
Elias and Habi were having fun playing hide and seek. Of course, being linked with one another made separation difficult and hiding spots limited. Still, they enjoyed searching for the other, even if Habi tended to reveal where she was unintentionally.
Retta pointed at her brother (whom still merited her ire for being Haze's new favorite), "That play. Hide 'n Seek." she explained.
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:50 am
Toyz!
"Hmmm!"
Hikari glanced down at the small child and FeeDee in her arms. Blond hair knotted in a braid that was flipped over her Daemon's wings and face. Chubby hands reached towards a display of figurines and brightly colored games and toys, glossy behind window panes reflecting the afternoon sun.
"You like those?" Hikari cooed, lifting a finger to play with Sable's nose. Yet the dragon rolled in Hikari's grasp, whipping out to sink tiny teeth into the flesh before him.
"Gah, Dragon...Bad Dragon!" Hikari growled out resorting to old names for the vile reptile while ripping her finger out of the jaws of a soon to be beast.
"Pisen!"Sable retorted, giving Hikari an almost upset leer.
"Fine, Prison. Bad, bad Prison." Hikari muttered while pushing the doors open into the toy shop.
"Don't you people have anything more sturdy?" Haze imperiously demanded, arms akimbo as she glared at the helpless salseclerk. "The last toy I purchased here ended up getting ripped in less than a fortnight!"
Elias was seated in his brand new stroller (it was his fourth stroller since he met Lysium), staring almost distastefully at the sheer volume of toys on display. It was not to say he didn't like toys, it was more of how many there were. He felt that it would be a waste if no one ever bought them all. Lots toys, what Habi like? he asked his daemon. She'd have to be his eyes since he was held prisoner by the wheeled contraption.
Uninhabited carefully padded around the shop, her wings tucked behind her and her tail raised high so as not to cover anything in dust. None yet. she replied. When she heard the doors to the shop open, she swerved her head to see who it was. Except the ended up upsetting a display of rubber balls.
Hikari stepped into the shop, letting the door close behind her as she took in the sight before her. An odd creature was currently standing next to a tumbling display of rubber balls. Not Prison himself wasn't odd either.
She could almost taste the havoc chaos that was about to show it's ugly head.
Sable was completely unaware of the goings on around her and had taken to squirming around to see the room before her, so many toys just waiting to be touched. Her nose tingled, feeling a sneeze climbing up her face. The force of the sneeze brought her to reality. A boy in a stoller looking almost uninterested despite the treasure about him, and a Daemon of sorts next to the pretty bouncy-rollies that were falling about them.
"Muhmm, 'ollies!" She garbled pointing at a red ball that Prison had attempted in catching.
"Very good, Sable." Hikari said, narrowing jumping out of the way of said ball. Prison released a snort of dissapointment and turned his gaze to Uninhabited.
fun?He asked the other, familiar feeling creature.
Haze didn't need to turn around to see what could have cause the commotion. I swear to Yrast, that blasted creature will be killed one of these days and probably by my own hands. She thought while continuing to prod and harrass the salesclerk.
Elias laughed and clapped as the balls managed to free themselves (with Habi's help of course). It was then he noticed another group had entered the toy store, and he couldn't help but sense something familiar about the infant and the little black dragon. Habi okay? He asked his daemon.
Habi was crouching low to avoid getting beaned by the bouncing balls of DOOM. Well, they were ordinary rubber balls, but getting hit seemed tantamount to DOOM to the feathery daemon. I think so. she replied to her Forgotten before she heard Prison's question. She cawed softly and tilted her head, "No, no fun. Scary." She whimpered, covering her eyes with her front paws.
Sable giggled along with the familiar stranger and pointed at the other FeeDee with a smile beaming on her face.
"Ayu!Hiiii" She forced out of her mouth and proceeded to point to herself in an introduction her brothers have continuously tried on her and Prison.
"S'ble...Sib. Sae!"The girl struggled to say her name as a greeting but finally suceeded in throwing out a chance nickname. Sable then pointed to the dragon who was crawling up Hikari's shoulder to get a better vantage point for the flying pretties.
-Not scary, You silly.-Prison snorted and flapped his wings in attempts of catching a golden ball. Attacks were yet again in vain as he tumbled from his perch and onto Sable's head.
"Pisen otay?"
Gutteral growls is all that reached Sable's ears.
Finally, Haze allowed the salesclerk to fetch something she would consider appropriate. Now then, who were the people she would have to apologize to for Habi's clumsiness? Her golden eyes blinked in surprise to find another trio. Something told her the small girl and the dragon were Forgotten Documents as well. "Good day, I must apologize for my charge's little pet. She isn't really dangerous, just a little... awkward." she finishes as she pushes the stroller towards Hikari.
Elias returned the wave as best as he could, being strapped down limited his movements. A frustration he eventually manages to overcome when the current stroller breaks down. They all broke down at one point. "Eeeeeee!" he gurgled, "E'yas!" he pointed to himself before telling Habi to come back so she could meet Sae.
The daemon sheepishly trotted back to Elias' side, her wings drooping but she still managed to keep her tail from touching the ground. "Is so scary." she keened softly to Prison. I sorry.
Is 'kay. That Sae. He introduced.
Prison flicked his tail before leaping from his perch to the floor, wings outspead to more or less controll his fall. Sable whimpered withouth her companion and reached out after the Daemon, fingers just brushing the scaled tail before the dragon landed in a heap on the floor, wings outstretched and resting around him.
Hikari glanced down at the group on the floor before settling the girl down next to Prison. She lifted her attention to Haze and let a sheepish smile reach her face.
"No need to worry, it was an accident after all." Hikari said, bending down to straighten Sable's braid before assessing the damage about her. She had never seen so many rubber balls.
"Pisen"She stated pointing to the lazy dragon who let out a snort of approval before eyeing a golden ball in the corner of the shop.
Sable smiled at the duo before her, a small gust of wind emitted from behind her before she look up at the adults.
"E'yas Muhmma?" Sable asked, raising a finger to Haze's direction.
Prison looked over with an uninterested leer before gripping the gold ball in his lizardous hands and proceeded to tumble back towards the group.
"It happens far more often than you'd think." Haze mutters as she glares at Habi in distaste. She had no problems with Elias, despite how energetic the little infant was, he at least did not cause her embarrassment as often as Habi did. At Sable's question Haze looked almost insulted, "I am no one's mother! I am his guardian."
"Hi P'sen." Elias greeted, then reached out to gently stroke Habi to comfort her. "Dis Habi." he smiled affectionately. The daemon cawed happily as her bonded stroked her. Even though she didn't understand most of Haze's words, her tone of voice was very mean. And neither she nor Elias liked it when Haze spoke meanly.
"Pisen like bouncies?" She asked the other daemon.
Sable cowered at the angry voice from above and rolled back in attempts of increasing distance between her and the scary one. Prison then jumped into action. He crawled upon his 'hords' head and growled up at Haze, new addition to said hord resting in his arms.
Hikari glared downwards at Prison and tapped his head to show that what he was doing was not accepted. The dragon quickly quieted with a flap of his wings.
"I'm sorry. The dragon can be sour sometimes. Most of the time actually." Hikari bit on her thumb before waving her hand toward Elias and Uninhabited.
"Did they involve," She paused and shook her head, "A library and odd men?"
Prison continued to glare up at his guardian flicking his tail in response to Elias and turned when Habi inquired something of him.
-shinies. Treasure. Mine.- He almost growled out in fragmented speech.
Sable wormed closer to the dragon that had landed down next to her.
"E'yas' muhmma is 'cary."Sable mummbled in a quiet voice.
Haze mere quirked a brow at Prison, she had faced far larger and more vicious creatures back home in Silar. A tiny black dragon was hardly something to fear. "Well warn it that there are scarier things out there." she wrinkled her nose at the dark daemon. "I take it your charges were found in a Library, then? Yes, Elias and Uninhabited came from a library as well. Only there was only one strange man, and a shadow-woman who forced me to perform manual labor on a boat." She rolled her eyes in disbelief that it had actually happened.
"No shinies here." Habi cawed, looking back and forth. The toys on displayed were hardly shiny, they were pretty, but not shiney. Elias couldn't help but compare Sable with Lysium or Fray, the other Forgotten had brightly colored locks and he thought it looked rather pretty. But she didn't seem interested in colors, or have a whistle.
"Wha Sae like?" he asked.
Prison glared back up to where the evil one was, and his wings shuddered in order to protect his treasure from the other Daemon. Easily distracted.
"Boat labor? It sounds better than being sedated and imprisoned." She muttered under her breath trying to push the vile memories out of her head and glanced back down at the wards.
Sable was shaken out of her moment of cowardess by Elias' question.
"Wha Sae like?"The girl thought aloud to herself. "Sae like sun and leaves and cwouds and wind!"The girl babbled excitedly and a gust of wind bursted about her, gentle and soothing as it rustled her braid and loose hair.
"Wha E'yas 'n 'abi like?" Sable chirped. She liked these people, so easy to get along with and to talk. And they are so warm feeling.
Prison however, glanced boredly over at Uninhabited and flicked his tongue very much like a snake. His claws gripped the ball and showed no chance of letting go of his new found treasure anytime soon.
"Sedated and imprisoned? How horrid! I hope you managed to exact some swift retribution, I still wish I could have done something to that old hag." Haze sighed irritably at the recollection of that moment. "I even had to repurchase some things because I left them back at the Library and they were no where to be found when I returned."
Sable was certainly the most talkative of the other babies he'd met. But Elias didn't mind, he liked meeting new people and getting to know them. And it sounded like Sable could appreciate the simple things in life. A positive thing for Elias. "E'yas like Habi! An' hide an' seek an' tag!" he declared, he had a fondness for chasing after his cousins and having one of them pick him up while they chased each other. "Habi like nummies an' shinies!" he added.
Habi cocked her head at Prison, "Yours now?" she asked him.
Hikari muttered something about how she never wants to ball room dance again. Then again, such a statement wouldn't take much out of her life. She shifted her weight and looked at the woman who was seemingly upset about the whole experience in the house. "I'm sorry about that. Losing things while being chased out of a crazy house isn't what I would like too much either."
Sable tilted her head at the other boy, her vocabulary limited to the point of confusion."Hi'n'seek? Whas it?"
Prison hissed at the other creature, bringing his tail to land curled about his feet with a sharp clack and thud. -Mine-He nodded his agreement Habi, deciding not to show just how disgusted he was in attempts of giving the other Daemon a chance in his book of 'who to hate and who to eat'.
"Not half as sorry as I was," She pursed her lips, "What brings you here, though? I'm only her because I'm getting most of Elias' things replaced with something sturdier. Everything he plays with, and all the strollers he uses ends up broken within a month of their purchase."
Elias' eyes widened in surprise, Sable didn't know what Hide and Seek was? Oh the poor thing. "Hide an' Seek FUN!" He exclaimed in emphasis. "Sumone counts, ev'ry else hide an then yu lookin for them." he explained. "Wanna play?" he offered with a wide grin.
Uninhabited backed away from Prison, his temperament reminded her of Lavander. The other daemon wasn't friendly either, in fact it's only been Shiver who hadn't hissed or threatened her in any way. "Okie, yours." she cawed, still backing up until she ended up bumping into one of the displays. Thankfully it was stable enough not to topple over her.
"Oh me? Sable wanted to come in, and she doesn't have many things of her own. She's been using my sons' things, and when the dragon gets ahold of one, it normally turns into a chew toy." She explained while rubbing her temples at the memory of one very chewed train set that Sie was devastated about. "They break that often? How?"
Sable cringed at the outburst, bringing up her hands to protect her ears. She recovered and was immediatly interested in this new game. "Fun? 'kay, Sae 'n Pisen pway."
Prison snorted and looked sharply at his other, flicking a lizardous tongue in dissapointment
"I haven't the faintest idea why Elias' things keep breaking so often. It isn't as if I buy cheap knock-offs the way my servant does. And yet her purchases have remained intact!" Haze sighed dramatically.
Elias clapped his hands in delight. Now if only he wasn't in this blasted stroller. His hands grabbed at the straps that kept him secured and instinctively pulled at it. Of course he didn't have the strength to free himself, nor did it occur to him to try pressing the release button. He just thought it would open if he yanked often enough. "Help?" he asked sheepishly.
Uninhabited cawed in delight. Play! Play! she cheered to Elias and skipped towards him. She glanced over to Prison and cheerfully flapped her wings at him. "Hide and seek fuuuuuun~" she promised.
Sable looked back up at her mother, long hair falling down her back as she did so. Dark eyes searched back over to Elias and she skittered forward, her arms dragging the rest of her in a poor excuse for a semi-crawl. Her fingers went to the straps of the stroller and pulled. Any other child doing this would be unable to complete such a task, but to Hikari, the forgotten always proved to be a skilled escape artist.
A low sound resounded in Prison's throat at the interaction but he stopped his growling and half heartedly flapped in response to the other Daemon.
Sable fell backwards hoping that if she pulled hard enough that the straps would loosen until the boy could roll out or something equally freeing.
Hikari blinked at the other woman and smiled her sympathy. "That's weird and unfortunate. What kind of self respecting children paraphanalia maker creates flimsy products." She shook her head and rubbed her face in an obvious sign of thought. "I thought I heard of a good brand. None of my sons have broken it yet. Though by the sound of it, it seems that you've probably tried everything."
"The only viable reason I could deem worthy was that it had nothing to do with the product itself," Haze paused and glanced at her Forgotten only to witness the combined efforts of Sable and Elias' attempt at freedom. She quirked a brow and sighed, bending forward to release the infant. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you broke all those strollers and that bar in your crib all by yourself."
She lifted her charge and set him down, "But that would be silly, wouldn't it? Aren't you too young to have any abilities?"
Elias was grateful that Haze finally freed him of the contraption. Now he and Sable could play! "I coun'. You hide!" he stated, motioning that Habi joins him in counting.
"Abilities?" Hikari hadn't thought of that. She bit down on her finger. "I never thought of that." She muttered thinking of the unexplained drafts and images. Then again she could be strung around too tight on a leash that was clearly three sizes to short. She sighed and looked at the little ones at their feet.
Sable gave a questioning look and turned to prison.
"Hie?" She asked her compainion without the use of mouth and tongue.
-No see.- The daemon responded with a flap of his paper-thin wings.
Sable flicked her dark eyes towards Elias and smiled before bringing her hands to her face and over her eyes. She brought them back down to signal Elias and Habi to do the same.
"Sae hie..."
Elias canted his head, no, no, Sae's not hiding. He crawls towards her, "Sae no hiding." he frowned, pulling her hands from her eyes. "Sae go sumwer, den stay der den I luk." he explained again.
Mebbe Sable no know how hide?" Uninhabited suggested.
Elias hadn't thought of that, he let go of Sable's hands and pointed to Habi. "Habi sho' how hide." he smiled and motioned for his daemon to demonstrate.
Habi nodded and scooted away, crouching behind one of the displays. Of course her trail of dust was a dead giveaway, she hadn't been thinking about her tail at that time.
"Yes, abilities." She eyed Hikari, "I've been informed that some of the children that arrive from Gaia have unusual skills and talents. I have been thinking if Elias' is his strength. But given that display with your Forgotten, it doesn't seem like he's unusually strong." she frowned in disappointment.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:17 pm
FD Vacation Thing
compiling...
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:34 am
Into Silar - Part 1; Preparations
Having gone to the beach and not having quite enjoyed herself, Haze believed that they deserved a better vacation. One where she dictated every single detail and knew her requests (no matter how inane) would be accommodated. A devilish smile makes its way across her ruby lips as she descends the stairs into the living room. There she finds her servant Huni, playing a simple game with her adopted child Metanoia. She watched the pair clap and snap in an alternating rhythm, and listened to them chanting.
All for five seconds before she decided she was bored with their game.
"Huni, pack everyone's things and arrange for someone to watch over the house for a week. She instructed. "We're leaving Gaia for a spell."
"What do you mean everyone?" the Gaian blinked.
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Retta's things, Elias and Habi's things, your child's things, and even Keith and Shimmer's things. Honestly, what am I paying you for?" She sighed with a condescending roll of her eyes.
"Apparently to read your mind." Huni muttered beneath her breath. Noi simply stared at her mother, she was in one of her down moods it seemed. Huni could only hope the Soul didn't throw a tantrum when they went to Silar. The Gaian knew they were going to Haze's home world as she always specified leaving Gaia. Not Durem, but Gaia.
With a resigned sigh she leads Noi upstairs to one of the many storage closets in the house. She'd have to find several suitcases if everyone was going. "When you grow up Noi, don't ever become the hired friend of a spoiled, rich brat like Haze." she muttered as she rummaged through the closets.
She lugged out four large suitcases, each one big enough to fit in at least two weeks worth of clothing. They were made out of a dark obsidian leather, some dangerous beast from Silar, Huni expected. The Gaian hadn't really bother to learn about Silarian fauna.
She didn't need to pack anything for herself, nor for Haze, their armoires were magically linked to their rooms in Silar. However, she'd need to pack for the rest of the denizens of the household. She was grateful that Keith and Shimmer didn't mind having only a few sets of clothing, Keith in fact had more pants than shirts. He seemed to be able to change the designs at will. A real money-saver if Huni ever saw one. Shimmer preferred things that were breathable and wouldn't get ruined when wet. A rather limited selection in Huni's opinion. She hoped these two wouldn't mind sharing a suitcase.
While she folded and piled the clothes into the luggage, Noi simply watched her mother. She didn't feel particularly helpful and since Huni didn't ask her, she didn't see any reason to volunteer. Quietly, she sat on the floor, staring as the Gaian finished sorting and packing.
One down, three more to go.
After finishing with Keith and Shimmer's clothing, Huni thought it best that she packed Metanoia's things. "Let's go, Noi, you can show me what you want to wear for the next two weeks."
The Soul merely shrugged as she toddled after Huni with a heavy sigh. Half an hour later, Huni had chosen enough clothes for the Soul for every occassion. She ended up choosing nearly half of Noi's wardrobe. Four sundresses, three pairs of sandals, two pairs of shoes, three formal dresses, three jumpers with matching shirts, all were brand new. For one reason or another, whenever Noi wore something, it... changed. Absently she looked at what her child was wearing at this moment. The dress Noi had one had one sleeve torn, and the hem of her skirt on the same side seem to have come undone. Her socks were of the same pair, but one sock looked like it was decades since it was last washed. Her shoes were a stark contrast to each other; one shone with a newly polished gleen, the other looked like it had been buried in mud and washed in coffee.
Huni was not ashamed of Noi, she loved the little girl but she worried about the Wyndre's and what remarks they'd make. She'd end up working herself into a conniption had Shimmer not skipped past the door singing off-key.
"Noi, why don't you go make sure that Shimmer doesn't try to unpack her things?" Huni suggested as she snapped the clasps of the suitcase shut.
The Soul stared at Huni with sad eyes but nodded, quietly padding out of the room after Shimmer.
The third suitcase was for Kalderetta, a Magical Mishap and Haze's first charge. Unfortunately, she shared Haze's desire for material possessions and was a hoarder by nature. She clearly stated what she liked and refuse to acknowledge those she didn't like. The amount of clothes in her closet could rival Haze's, if she had her own magical armoire. Well, she did have her own armoire, however it could only hold a finite amount of clothing, much like Huni's. But it held far more clothes than Huni's did.
The Gaian wasn't sure if she should be offended that Haze was much more willing to buy things for Retta even though Gaian children outgrew their things far quicker than normal. Then again, it wasn't as if Huni wasn't being compensated for Haze's verbal abuse and odd requests. With a shake of her head, Huni scanned her drawers for the spare key to Retta's room.
Kalderetta was in her room, making another sheepie plush. At the sound of the door opening, the sheep-child rose in courtesy but blinked when she saw it was just Huni. The Mishap liked her guardian's servant, and would sometimes call her Aunt Huni just for the fun of it. But Haze had always made it known to the toddler that Huni was a servant first, a friend second.
"I know what I want." Retta stated, and pointed towards the armoire. "All those on left."
Well, this is going to be quick. Thought Huni as she dragged in the suitcase. Opening the armoire, Huni's jaw dropped when she saw that only one eighth of the garments were on the right side. She twitched and wondered just how she was going to be able to fit all those clothes in one suitcase.
A quick mental calculation and it was obvious that Huni would have to fetch another suitcase. She sighs and exits, returning once again to the Mishap's room. The second suitcase is smaller than the first, but is still quite large.
Retta bleated in distaste at the ugly banana-yellow color of the second luggage and immediately ordered Huni to find something else. The red-head was at a loss. The closet had run out of luggages, the remaining sets were Haze's and the Silarian did not like to share.
"I hope Elias doesn't mind using this one, then." Huni muttered beneath her breath as she switched the banana-yellow suitcase with the last obsidian one. After finishing with Retta's things, the Gaian needed a break. One she took on the couch.
A bad decision, as Irlan decided to make a surprise visit.
"Lying down on the job? What kind of servant are you?" He sneered as he shifted from the iridescent-blue insect he had been earlier. Walking to the door, he unlocked it and let his own charge in.
Malas gave Aunt Huni a small smile, something she had found herself more willing to do ever since she grew.
"Shut it, Irlan. I'm not in the mood." Huni snapped, baring her teeth in a snarl as she draped her arm over her eyes. She heard him approach and she could smell the scent of cedarwood threatening to overwhelm her nostrils. She moved her arm out of her eyes and shrieked when she saw the a large, bright blue pair of pincer jaws breathing on her. She grabbed at anything to swat the offending creature away, "I said QUIT IT, Irlan!"
The large insect clicked its pincers together in what may very well be a mocking laugh. He shifted back to his human form and leered, "See, here's the thing. You're a servant here, and last I heard you had some packing to do? Now unless you're already done with that, you shouldn't be lounging about. What do the Wyndres pay you for?"
Huni's expression turned ugly, it was one thing to have Haze talk to her that way, it was a completely different matter when it was Irlan. "Get. Out."
"Or what?" replied an amused smirk.
Huni said nothing, but there was a sudden tightening in Irlan's chest that made breathing almost unbearable. He doubled over as his stomach knotted. Literally. And if it weren't for the ringing in his ears, he would have heard bones snapping.
And then the pain stopped.
Irlan found himself on the floor, Malas staring at him from the couch. "Aunt Huni did something to you." She explained, as if her guardian wouldn't have figure it out.
"Nah, looking at her face that long just made me sick." Irlan wasn't about to let his kid think Huni could best him. Oh no, she just caught him off-guard.
And speaking of Huni, she was already upstairs packing Elias' things. "Habi, DON'T!!!" then a loud crash, and was soon followed by an equally loud keen.
"Although, I think that little creature can cause her more trouble than I can." The man grinned.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:02 am
Into Silar - Interlude; Expensive, or Not
Althalus couldn't help giggling as he sprawled against a bench in the sidestreets of Durem, fingers instantly pocketing the change he'd managed to pick up. Such idiots! But then, they wouldn't expect it of a child, now would they? Retying his hair back messily with a strip of leather at the nape of his neck, and putting his bandana back on, he folded the thin jacket away into his shoulder bag. Look completely changed, he tucked one sneakered foot up on the bench, leaning back to take out his knife from his belt, and idly begin to pare his nails. He pretended to look at a watch every so often, as if he was waiting for someone; anyone looking for that swindling kid in the garish green jacket would pass right over the idling one on the bench.
You can stop congratulating yourself now, said Stealth with a sarcastic twinge to her voice, wriggling down to sit in the crook of his elbow. Althalus just raised an laughing eyebrow right back at her. He loved coming on trips to Durem.
Haze slowly made her way along the streets of Durem, golden eyes critically appraising the selections in the display window. There were certain fashions here in Gaia that she hadn't seen in Silar and she doubted they'd be arriving there anytime soon. She smiled in mild satisfaction as she imagined the envious looks on her friends' faces at her outfits.
Elias was bored, and it was quite evident. His dark brown eyes stared at nothing, mouth hanging slack. He hated accompanying Haze whenever she went shopping. He didn't understand why she needed yet another pair of shoes when they all looked alike. He didn't understand why she needed yet another blouse, shirt or whatchamacallit when she already had one that worked. Had Uninhabited not been around to provide a certain amount of amusement, he'd probably have gone insane (or died, since well, daemons weren't supposed to be separated from their Forgottens for long).
E-li-yaaaaas~ Habi squawked as she tried to jump into his stroller for the nth time. Without much success. She'd always over-estimate the distance and end up either rolling into the street, or worse, soar forward and crash into someone or something. In this case, she ended up smacking into a bench. The same one where Althalus was.
Althalus flinched away involuntarily as something fluttered and crashed into the bench beside him. There were creatures a plenty in Gaia, and many people brought their pets out into the busy shopping streets. But couldn't they keep a better hand on them? With a sigh, the boy stretched out his hand to untangle the strange gryphon-looking creature.
And froze, his hand a little way above it. This wasn't a pet, it was someone's daemon....
Withdrawing back quickly, his darkringed eyes darted to look for the daemon's partner. Over there, with that absorbed looking woman, a babe in a stroller....
"Careful there," he said cheerfully to the daemon, the hesitance that had appeared in his body language evaporating into an easy stance and the knife in his hand disappearing back to his belt.
Benches are not good for hitting, Stealth echoed after him with an amused tone, uncamoflaging herself to sit alert and bronzebrown colour on her Forgotten's arm.
Haze had long managed to tune out Habi's antics. So long as no one yelled or started cursing, Habi was free to get into whatever accident she wanted. She stopped short of Althalus, debating on whether she'd go into this boutique that sold exotic furs. Granted any animal from Gaia would automatically be considered 'exotic' by her peers in Silar.
Habi okay? Elias asked his daemon with a whimper. He reached out for hodge-podge creature when he saw the bench collide with his daemon (though it was the other way around). He blinked at the older boy and gave him a brief, but suspicious, once-over. When he didn't see anything dangerous about him, he gave him a bright smile.
Habi dizzily got up and slid onto all fours, cawing her reply to all those who could hear her. "Everything spinny~"
Elias looked up at his guardian then at the straps. He wanted to get out of this contraption and hold Habi, but he still couldn't figure out how his guardian managed to free him. He gave a small frustrated cry as he tugged and yanked at the straps.
It would be far easier to pick up the disorientated daemon and deliver her back to her soulmate's arms, but Althalus.... just couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he jumped to his feet, one hand going in his pocket, and came over to crouch in front of Elias' stroller.
"Good afternoon," he said solemnly, and then grinned up with a charming smile at Haze.
"And good afternoon to you too, ma'am. May your charge be let free for a while? His daemon seems to have flown into a bench."
Stealth scurried up to his shoulder, staying visible on purpose, and tilted her head with small glittering eyes, keeping watch over Uninhabited.
Sit down, silly. That'll stop the 'everything spinny'.
Haze was not completely startled by Althalus. Completely being the operative word. She instinctively pulled the stroller closer to her, practically maneuvering it behind her. She did not relax when saw it was just a boy, it was when he mentioned the word 'daemon' that she slightly lowered her guard. "Good afternoon. If I may ask, what made you think the little accident-prone creature is a daemon?"
She's had her fair share of charmers, there were many charming men and women in Silar. She'd learned never to take things at face value. The same could not be said for Elias though.
The infant gurgled and reached out to him, his eyes staring at the older boy pleadingly to release him from this wheeled prison. "Heeeelp." he garbled.
Habi blinked curiously, scanning her surroundings for the voice instructing her to sit down. It never occured to her to look up where Stealth was on Althalus' shoulder. The small area surrounding her was covered in dust and a small portion of the bench seemed to have suddenly sprouted cobwebs. She squawked nervously, trying once more to stand and only succeeding to make herself even dizzier. "Okie, I try..."
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:03 pm
Into Silar - Part 2; Welcome to Virall
The front lawn of the two-story house was an odd sight to behold. Four adults, each carrying a suitcase were lined up, a long-haired red-head in the very front and a short-haired red-head bringing the rear. Between these adults were two toddlers, an infant in a stroller and a curious looking animal.
The bags have been packed, the house-sitter has been instructed and paid, all necessary preparations have been made. The only thing left was to actually go to Silar. Traveling from one realm to another itself wasn't difficult for Haze or Huni, it was a simple spell grounded in a beacon of sorts back in Silar. All they needed to do was light the aforementioned beacon with their spell and that would allow a passage from Gaia to Silar to open.
This was the only Gesturemancy that Haze had bothered to learn and perfect in Gaia. After all, if she needed to go to the spa, well, she couldn't trust just anyone with her delicate skin and hair, could she?
"Are we going to stand here the whole day?" Keith muttered impatiently. It wasn't as if he disliked being outdoors, he disliked spending any time within Haze's vicinity. Or simply put, he just didn't like Haze. Period.
"Hush, you, I need to concentrate." The Silarian snapped with a glare. She took a deep breath and began to Gesture. Slowly, a portal tore itself open, beckoning people to investigate, to enter, to perhaps become lost within.
Haze wordlessly stepped through, disappearing into a vortex of swirling colors and a myriad of multi-hued lights. The next to follow was Retta, who shared the same nonchalance as her guardian. This wasn't her first trip to Silar, and judging from the first few times she knew it wouldn't be her last. She'd only have to learn how to get there on her own.
Once the sheep Mishap had vanished, her cousin Metanoia stepped up. She gripped at the orange-skinned woman's hand, though few would be able to know the older woman was her pet. A goldfish in human guise, capable of breathing in air as well as under water.
"We go we go we go now~!" Shimmer chanted in her sing-song voice. She took the lead and practically leapt into the portal, dragging the frightened Painted Soul with her.
The green-haired man sighed in embarrassment, glancing over to his owner before he wheeled the last of the children into the portal. Elias and Uninhabited marveled and squealed as they entered the pretty lights.
Finally, Huni gave once last look at the house, and prayed that Irlan would not drop by and send the house-sitter screaming his head off. It wasn't easy finding someone to who would watch a house for the meager price Huni was offering at such short notice. With a worried sigh, she steps through the portal, and arrives in the foyer of Wyndre Manor.
Haze was no where to be found, which was not unusual as the Silarian didn't think it necessary to give anyone a tour of the Manor. Huni didn't need one either, she had lived in Silar for a time and had learned the layout of the manor fairly well. Unless the Wyndres recently renovated, she was certain things remained as they were before.
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It is here that the story separates into their own branches. Each focusing on a specific group at a time. Suffice to say, Elias and Uninhabited were with their guardian, as was Kalderetta. Metanoia clung to Shimmer who, in return, stuck to Keith (much to his dismay) who simply refused to let Huni out of his sight.
The servants in Wyndre Manor cautiously approached both parties, the major domo accompanying the red-haired Silarian.
"Mistress, the Master wishes to see you upon your return to Silar." He stated in a foreboding tone.
Haze arched a brow, "I haven't returned, I'm merely passing through Virall." she huffed, promptly flipping her hair indignantly. Kalderetta bleated in a mimicry of her guardian, though she flicked her tail instead. Elias peered up at the major domo with wide chocolate-brown eyes. He didn't like how this funny-talking man looked at them.
The Forgotten stuck his lip out in a pout when he came into eye contact with the major domo. The servant didn't so much as acknowledge the little boy, and expertly he managed to avoid Habi's attempt at inspecting his shoes. The little daemon squawked as she stumbled, sprawling beak-first across the carpetted floor.
"Mistress, that was not a request." The servant explained, gingerly stepping over the fallen daemon.
Haze stopped and eyed the servant critically, a flick of her wrist and the man was sent flying away. Kalderetta let out an upset bleat, she had never known Haze to be that strong. With wide eyes, she stared up at her guardian with a different sort of respect.
Elias, on the other hand, just gawked in confusion. Being seated in stroller, he hadn't seen Haze use her gesturemancy and therefore didn't know why the funny-talking man went away like that. Did he see something that scared him so he jumped?
"Tell my brother he'll see me in a few day's time." Haze imperiously declared as she continued to lead her charges to her room.
The major domo picked himself up and dusted off his uniform. He gave a tired sigh and made a note to visit a doctor to tend to his aging bones. He severely disliked how both siblings tended to shoot the messenger, and was sorely tempted to ask for Rae's help. She was Arson's favorite after all, surely she'd have a better way of explaining to the Master how the Mistress would see him on her terms.
Of course that would only prompt Arson to ask the major domo why it was Rae who fulfilled the task when it was given to him. "I simply can't win, I suppose."
The group continued to walk, with Habi padding after them. They travelled down the seemingly never ending hallway, walls lined with portraits and busts of long deceased ancestors. The Mishap shivered and the hair on the back of her neck stood on ends as she noted how life-like the portraits were. She half-expected them to blink. Elias and Uninhabited shared the sentiments. Wyndre Manor was not a very cheerful place, but that was to be expected of the only family capable of weilding the Ghost Art.
Haze noticed the discomfort of her charges and for the life of her couldn't fathom why. She had grown up in Wyndre Manor and nothing in the house ever struck her as frightening. She stopped in her tracks when they came across a young man's portrait. He was broad of chest and shoulders, a rare trait when compared to the rest of the lanky, nearly rail-thin Wyndre men. His skin was bronze, providing a sharp contrast to the other paintings of pale men and women. His dark jet-black hair was wild, unruly, and because it remained so in the painting, he must have preferred to style it that way. He had an almost beast-like quality that many believed were more suited for those born with the blessings of Corsae as opposed to Yrast. But the gods were not to be questioned, they had their reasons.
"This is the man whose last name you share, Elias." Haze explained, not caring if the infant could understand her words. "This is Raze Injo. Someday it shall become apparent why I named you with his bloodline. It shall become apparent to all of us."
Retta eyed the portrait then her brother before narrowing her eyes at him. How dare he steal Haze's attention from her? He shall pay for this insult. A hand suddenly rested atop the Mishap's blonde head. She looked up and found it belonged to Haze. Though the red-head did not meet her gaze, Retta found herself comforted.
"Fret not, Retta, you are a Wyndre, a part of the main family. That certainly counts for something."
Wordlessly, they continued to walk until they arrived at Haze's room. It was an exact copy of her room back in Silar. She retrieved a small sphere from one of the drawers and clenched it tightly in the palm of her hands. When it glowed with a near-blinding light, a voice suddenly boomed into the room.
"Daaarling, it's so wonderful to hear from you! It's been so loooong. So, what do you need this time?"
"I love how you know me so well, Ingrish. Just the quickest and most discreet way to get eight individuals to Odanna."
"Certainly lovie, I'll send a Worym to your Manor in a little while. Be sure to allow it entrance~ you wouldn't want to fry this one like you did the first one. Ta ta~"
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:42 am
Into Silar - Part 3; Onward Odanna
A little over an hour later, everyone had gathered at the foyer of Wyndre Manor. And by everyone, it mean Haze, Huni, and their respective charges.
"Ah, everyone is accounted for, good. Now, the Worym should be arriving in a few minutes. Make sure you all have your things because we won't be stopping for anything." Haze reminded.
From the distance, a clap of thunder is heard. And another. And another. And another. Each one drawing closer and closer. Apart from Haze, everyone seemed to peer up at the morning sky, searching for dark storm clouds or anything that might cause such loud sounds.
"This one is much faster than the previous Woryms Ingrish sent." Haze smiled, pleased. "We should arrive in Odanna before nightfall."
When the thundering was unbearably close, silence suddenly washed over the land. A shadow loomed overhead, effectively blocking the sun. Everyone stared, mouth agape at the creature standing before them.
It was a large, worm-like creature, plated with scales the color of mud. Multi-faceted eyes sunk and emerged from the few fleshy patches of its body and its huge, gaping maw was completely devoid of teeth. From its yawning void of a mouth came an almost sickly sweet scent. It rolled out its tongue as it flattened itself to welcome its passengers.
Out stepped what Huni and everyone else assumed to be the conductor. A small, petite man with a crisp and prim uniform of beige and mauve. He bowed to everyone and began to load their luggage into the creature.
"Alright, everyone inside. There should be a compartment just a few feet in. Haze instructed as she strolled directly into the creature's mouth, wheeling Elias along. Habi leapt onto the stroller with a squawk of fear, burying her head against Elias' chest.
Apart from Haze, everyone seemed more than hesitant in getting in. "This thing won't eat us, will it?" Huni asked as she took a tentative step on the tongue. It gave slightly, just enough to make Huni feel squeamish with each additional step she took.
"Well if you went into its stomach, of course it would eat you. But if you stayed in the compartment or in the area near it, it won't." Came an annoyed response as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
With a reluctant sigh, Huni gestured for everyone to follow. Retta hurried ahead and stuck close to her guardian, bleating nervously as she stared up at the soft tissues that lined the Worym's innards. Elias was more curious than frightened, it was like going through those tunnels only it smelled funny. Neither rank, nor sweet, stale was the closest thing that could describe the smell.
The Forgotten coo'ed as he stroked his daemon, calming her down as if her emotions were contagious. They were wheeled into a large compartment, not unlike those of a train. The compartment's walls were the inner-linings of the Worym's body with a roof attatched to differentiate it from the rest of the creature's internal make-up. Rather than windows there were circular openings, pores of the Worym that had been stretched wide and then coated with a tough, transparent material.
The cushioned seats were permanently fused to the creature's body, and it made most of the passengers nervous rather than comfortable. As if they were waiting for some impending doom to fall upon them. Haze seemed to be the only one who was at ease.
Once everyone had settled down and their luggage was carefully tucked away in their respective compartments, the conductor gave an ear-splitting whistle. And the Worym began to move. An odd humming suddenly sounded and a dull thud echoed in steady intervals. But other than that, it felt as if they weren't moving at all.
"How long will it take to get to Odanna?" Huni asked as she stared out at the landscape quickly blurring past.
"A good seven hours." Was Haze's response. "Feel free to look around and let the children explore, I'll be here, taking a much needed beauty nap."
The compartment was long, lined with rows upon rows of cushions. Obviously this creature was meant to seat several dozens of passengers at once, and Haze secured it for their own private use. This fact did not seem to mean anything to the children, nor to Shimmer as the goldfish squealed and gasped with each thud. Keith had to grudgingly acknowledge that Haze's penchant for travelling in luxury made their own journey far more tolerable. Huni was just stumped at how much it would have cost to reserve one exclusively.
Elias poked at the cushions, blinking curiously as the piece of furniture wobbled and jiggled while never quite breaking its shape. Its movements reminded Habi of those gummy worms that their cousin 'Las sometimes had with her. She wondered whether this cushion would taste like the gummy worms, or would it taste like the pillows on the couch at home she ended up gnawing on by accident.
Can taste? she cawed to her bonded. The Forgotten tapped his chin and he nodded, he too found it curious and thought the hues must mean it tasted interesting.
Just as Habi opened her beak to peck, Shimmer let out a squeal and scooped the little creature into her arms. "Pretty birdie wanna play?"
Habi looked up at Shimmer in horror, it wasn't as if she didn't like being played with. The daemon just didn't like being picked up without warning. The small hodgepodge of a creature squawked, wings beating wildly as she struggled to free herself. Elias was tugging at the hem of Shimmer's robe to put Habi down. He hated seeing anyone, his daemon especially, uncomfortable and unhappy.
Shimmer pouted and dropped the daemon onto the cushions. "Birdie no play with Shimmy? Shimmy saaaaaaaaad!!!" She wailed before running off to Metanoia's side.
The Soul blinked blankly as her pet ran up to her sobbing. "What is it?" she asked, deadpan.
The goldfish wiped her eyes and blew her nose into her sleeve before raising her brows. "What was what?"
It was a long, seven hour trip.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:29 pm
Into Silar - Part 4; A Little R&R?
There were various means of transportation in Silar, aerial, aquatic, subterranean, surface and magical. Commercially run transports had designated unloading areas in each city of the Odanna region, while privately chartered transportation were restricted to just one particular docking bay regardless of the means.
It was at the private docking bay that Haze and company set foot on Odanna. Haze seemed unfazed by the length of the journey, looking as fresh as morning dew. She shielded her eyes from the glow of the setting sun before she glanced over her shoulders, recalling she had left Elias and Habi inside. The stroller was kept in the luggage compartment for the duration of the trip, and now she would have to get someone to unpack it.
Not that Haze was lazy or anything of the sort, it was that she had a reputation to maintain here in Odanna. One that certainly preceeded her as a porter instantly approached her on his own initiative.
"Good afternoon, Miss Wyndre." He greeted politely with a bow. "Is there anything you require me to do?"
"Yes, fetch the stroller in the luggage compartment and wheel it near the door." She instructed, neither impressed nor insulted at the service. It wasn't anything she hadn't experienced before, as it was all up to standards, but then again weren't they supposed to be in the first place?
The rest of the travelers did not fare as well as Haze, Keith was looking unusually green despite being a chameleon. His complexion was normally of a pale hue, but now his skin was beginning to resemble his hair. Stumbling as he exited the beast, Keith fell flat on his face, not at all bothered by the disgust on Haze's face.
"Huni, get your pet onto his feet before I am forced to use Gesturemancy on him." Haze warned, popping her head back into the carriage.
The jade-eyed woman rubbed her temples and turned to Metanoia, "Sweetie, make sure Shimmer doesn't get left behind okay? I have to go help Keith before Haze does something bad." She explained.
The Soul stared at Huni and nodded in understanding before rousing the goldfish from her sleep. Shimmer batted Noi's hands away with an annoyed huff, obviously she wasn't ready to wake up. Noi would have left the goldfish where she was, but Huni had given her instructions she must follow. Neither bothered nor anxious, Metanoia continued to prod the slumbering goldfish until Shimmer was forced to sit up and show her displeasure.
It was an unusual sight to see the normally cheerful Shimmer angry. Her eyes shone a furious sheen as she bared her teeth. Her ears flared out from the side of her head, sending her blonde hair flying briefly before settling back down. "LEMME SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!" she screeched.
It was a sound that upset Elias and Habi, having never encountered an angered Shimmer before. Habi cowered behind her Forgotten, wide eyes squeezed shut in the hopes that if she couldn't see Shimmer, the goldfish couldn't see her. Elias was slightly braver. He stared at the goldfish in disbelief before bawling his eyes out.
Noi, on the other hand, merely reached out to stroke Shimmer's cheek, "Gotta go." She explained. Shimmber blinked a few times before brightening. She took the Soul's hand and started prancing towards the carriage's exit, unmindful of the howling coming from Elias and Habi.
Now, Haze had heard all this commotion and had instantly stepped into the carriage. Her fingers balled into a fist and motioned with it at her charges. Gradually, the wails were silenced but Elias and Habi were still keening at the top of their lungs. Haze had used Gesturemancy to temporarily paralyze the pair's voice-boxes.
Retta was watching all of this in wide-eyed wonder. She had never known Haze's abilities to be that powerful, then again Haze rarely used Gesturemancy in Gaia, if ever. Bleating softly, she padded over to her adopted brother and reached for him as if to comfort the babe. In fact, she only leaned close to him to snicker into his ear.
"Haze loves me more than you." She sneered before patting Elias on the head as well as Habi, only the force was a little too strong. Elias instinctively swatted Retta's hand away, twice. The first for his head, the second for Habi's. Unfortunately, in the process he ended up hitting Retta's nose.
The Mishap let out a bleat of pain as she stumbled back onto her rump, rubbing the tip of her nose as she fought the pain-induced tears from spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh honestly, will you two behave? You're embarrassing me!" Haze snapped. Perhaps bringing the 'family' wasn't such a good idea, but the Silarian knew she'd have to familiarize her charges to Silar eventually. She didn't plan on living the rest of her life in Gaia after all. She inwardly groaned at the throbbing pain that was forming just behind her eyes. She came to Odanna to relax and to rest, she didn't count on the children to act like, well, children.
The porter finally arrived with the stroller but instead of finding Haze, he found Huni. "The stroller Miss Wyndre requested is here, is there anything else she would want?"
"Yes, get a trolley to bring the luggage to our room, the front desk should know where we're staying. Huni responded.
The porter didn't so much as bat an eye when Keith slumped over Huni, nearly causing the smaller woman to fall. Instead, the porter reached out to steady the Gaian and when he was certain she could withstand the green-haired man's weight he bowed and promptly left.
"Keith, get a hold of yourself." Huni hissed as she tried to nudge the chameleon off her.
"I'm still feeling dizzy, please let me lean on you for a while longer. Just until I get my balance back." he pleaded. Keith rather enjoyed how he was practically on top of Huni, arms slung around her shoulders, chin resting atop her head. Huni was a petite woman, well compared to Keith she was. If it weren't for his rather thin frame, Huni might not have been able to support both of their weights.
Haze's head peered back out of the compartment and spied the stroller. A flick of her wrists inwards and slowly the contraption wheeled towards her and into the carriage.
Retta had already calmed down by now, she was still rubbing her nose and glaring hatefully at her brother. He must pay. she vowed.
Elias was now hiccuping, frightened that he couldn't hear himself speak out loud.
Wha' happ'n? He sniffled to Habi.
The daemon shook her head and cawed, though like Elias no sound emerged from her beak. Iunno...
Elias felt Haze lift him up from where he sat and onto the accursed stroller. He squirmed and struggled against the straps but eventually tired and frowned. He reached out for Habi, at the very least he wanted his daemon with him if he was going to be trapped in this mobile prison.
For once, Haze conceded to the baby's request and nudged Habi into the stroller with the toe of her boot. The winged creature flapped in surprise at the sensation and stared up at Haze with her wide eyes.
"I am not carrying you." Haze responded with finality. Though the creature didn't understand what the woman said, she understood what her bonded wanted. Carefully, she balanced herself on her hind legs before half-climbing and half-falling into the stroller.
Once the daemon was inside, Haze wheeled the pair out. "Come along, Retta." She instructed.
The Mishap snorted to gather her composure before toddling after her guardian. Donning her usually sweet persona, Retta flashed her aunt Huni a bright smile.
"Huni, please cease this ridiculous display of affection between you and your pet. It's bad enough you brought him along, could you at least restrain it from crawling all over everyone?" Haze sneered before heading towards the city gates.
Huni sighed and glanced around, counting if they were complete and when she saw they were, gave a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's go everyone. Shimmer, don't try to go back inside the creature thing, and don't let go of Noi's hand." The Gaian only prayed whatever resort Haze booked them in had a good day care facility that wouldn't mind watching over Shimmer.
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