The Treehouse: Jayde's Journal

[JaydeDragonfly]

As told by Lyra
6.12.2006
...grocery shopping

I couldn't believe it, but the list in my hand proved it to be true. I'd been coerced into going...grocery shopping.

Just the mere mention of the task made me shudder, but there I was standing in front of the islands one and only grocery store. Taking a fortifying breath, I went to walk in.

"What's the matter, o great elder kath?" said a sly voice from the general vicinity of my knee. "Afraid of a little grocery shopping?"

"Of course not," I snapped back at the insolent kit.

"Well then get a move on." He sauntered in the store like he'd been doing it all his life. Glaring, Lyra followed Alto into the store. It was kind of quaint--nothing like he'd seen before, at least not in a long time. It looked very much like an indoor market, with the slightly dim lighting and the wooden isles. Around where the fruit/veggies section was around the far wall, even the little stands looked like carts.

And the place smelled pretty good.

"Look, I'd do this myself but I don't have opposable thumbs," Alto said, having stopped just a few feet in front of him.

"Yeah, yeah," Lyra muttered, grabbing one of the random carts that were strewn about the entrance. "I'm coming." Idly, he looked at the massive list that Damen had written (with the help of Freya).

"Milk," I said, looking up to see around me. There weren't any signs over the isles--presumably, that would ruin the effect of a market.

It would also make things entirely too easy.

"Well?" I asked the smartass kitten who'd insisted on coming with me. "Lead the way, since you're so good at this." I heard him grumble under his breath and it made me smile, a little happier to have come. I knew Jayde woudn't approve at my needling Alto, but that woman was the reason I was here to begin with.

For what seemed like an eternity, we wandered through the isles, getting stares from both the people that worked there and the customers. My tail swished irritably because it never failed--when I passed, they called me...cat man. It was obviously the same for Alto, but, well, that was ok. :3

"Here it is," he said finally, reaching the back wall. For a minute, both of us blinked. Gallons and gallons of the stuff lined the wall in rows--which one were we supposed to get?

"Um, do you know something I don't?"

"No," admitted alto after a moment. "I guess just grab one." Shrugging I did, and put it in the cart.

The rest of this little...excursion went much the same way.

"Where the hell am I supposed to find the cereal?"

"Well, how am I supposed to know?"

back and forth, back and forth, until people no longer stared as we passed--we'd been there long enough for them to be used to us by now. Eventually, sales assosiates started coming up and offereng to help

"About damn time," I muttered.

"What was that?" said the cheerful blond girl.

"Er, the next item is luttuce," I said hastily.

After what seemed like an eternity, we now stood at the register, listening to the seemingly endless beeping as the poor kid hurried to check us out.

"Um, that'll be 3,134 gold please," he finally stammered. For amoment, I looked at him with an incredulous look on my face.

"You've got to be kidding me," I growled, staring him down. When he started to sweat at the collar, but turned the little sign to face me. It was, in fact, what it said.

Muttering evilly under my breath, I counted out the coins and lay them on the counter.

"This is highway robbery," I said, pushing the cart back outside.

"It's about what Miss Jayde usually spends," he said, obviously recognizing me from a description.

Holy hell, that's how much she spent every time she went to the grocery store? No wonder she worked all the time sweatdrop But one last thing had to happen before I left.

The manager met us at the door.

"We thank you for your business," she said, very proffessional, "But please, next time no pets, alright?"

"Alright," said Alto. I bellowed and cursed at him as we walked back out the door as the woman watched us with wide eyes.

"I swear I'm never doing this again!"  

[JaydeDragonfly]

As told by Lyra
6.12.2006
After getting home

It was difficult, to say the least, pushing the freaking grocery cart(s) across the sand, and I swore over and over that I'd never do it again. Ugh, I'm so tired of Jayde not taking care of this stuff.

"Well, maybe it'll give you a better respect for all she does around the house," said Alto from the ground beside me.

"Look," I growled, "if I had wanted your oppinion, I would have asked for it. Also, there's still time to saddle you up to help you carry some of this."

"Oh, no, that's quite alright." I glared at his retreating back as he hurried along, in front of me now, so I wouldn't be able to go through with my threat. Stupid cat. I sighed, continuing on. It wouldn't be long before I was there.

"What took you guys so long?" Damen bellowed from the roof. At least I wouldn't have to carry all of this crap up the stairs, I thought. He'd rigged up a pully system so between the two of us we could just bring the cart streight up the side. Damn convenient, if you asked me. But no one did. Surprise.

"Oh, shut up, bounty hunter," I said, spitting it like it was the highest form of insult. "If you want it back so much faster, next time you can go."

"No thanks, cat!" he called back. I swallowed a curse as Corli peeked his head out the front door to "help" pull everything up. After much pulling, pushing, and surprisingly little swearing, we finally got the groceries up the side of the house so Damen, oh great king of the kitchen, could put it all away.

"Did you get everything?" Oh, great. Here comes our four footed mother, freya.

"Yes, we got everything!"

"Probably. I mean, I did what I could all things concidered." I glared at the insolent kit.

"Now what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," was his innocent response. I growled low in my throat and bared my teeth at him, but the sky kil-daka quickly stepped between us.

"If you kittens are done fighting," she said in her cool tones, "Damen needs your help in the kitchen putting everything up." And by that, she meant, "Lyra go help Damen put everything up cause none of us have thumbs. Sometimes going elder really was a double edged sword. With one last glare at Alto, I stomped into the kitchen, displaying my displeasure.

"What the hell kind of eggs did you get?" was what I came into.

"Well, how should I know?" I snapped back. "They're eggs!"

"This ones blue for heaven's sake! It looks just like the pheonix egg that Jayde just got from her friend!"

Oh, no.

Oooooooh, no. I hadn't.

"You've brought home another pet, you great idiot!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?! You didn't tell me what kind of egg I was supposed to get!"

"You're supposed to get the kind that comes from a chicken! What other kind of egg do you get?"

"One that's blue, apparently." I sighed as he took the egg and put it in the window with the other one. It seemed like forever ago when the little green egg that was Amaryllis had sat up there. Time sure flied when you were being tormented by more pets than you could shake a stick at.

Just as I was reaching for another bag, I noticed that it was smiling at me.

What the...?

As I watched, a blue tail flicked out of the bag and...wagged at me.

Oh, no.

ooooooh no.

Not just one...but two.

"Oh, this is just great," I growled, slamming my hand down on the table.

"What did you do this time?" Damen called, slightly muffled since he was putting food away in the fridge.

"Eh, nothing, it just looks like this is spoiled," I quickly lied. Forget telling him I'd accedentally picked up a bag with yet another pet in it! Just as quickly, I grabbed it and carried it up to my room while he was still head-and-shoulders in the refridgerator.

Carefully, I set it down.

"Now what the heck am I gonna do with you?" I asked the bag.

Poke! A little, cat-like head shot out from in the bag and smiled at me. I stepped back a little in surprise but said nothing--I still didn't want Damen to say anything.

"What's that?"

s**t.

"Eh..." Freya had come up the stairs behind me, her curiosity obviously getting the better of her.

"Oh, you don't have to say it," she said slyly, "I've figured you out. You picked it up for Jayde, didn't you?" I almost fell over. Me? Pick up another riffraff for this house? But I couldn't just let the opportunity pass me by, so I sighed heavily, drooped my shoulders a little, and looked over at her.

"you got me," was the response. "Just don't tell her, will you? It's sorta supposed to be a surprise."

A surprise indeed.

A pheonix and another freaking cat.

Just great.  

[JaydeDragonfly]

As told by Damen
June 27, 2006
At home

Ugh, Jayde brought home another stray today. He looks pretty depressed; I guess he really did need a place to stay rather than some I could mention who just want to mooch Lyra and could probably find a place of their own Lyra. But I won't mention any names.

Well, as usual, I'm the only one who seems to notice that we have one less place to sleep than we do people in the house now. Technically, there's two, but no one seems to mind that I've been sleeping on the floor for the past couple of months. Ah, well. Guess the rent makes up for it.

Anyway, I get my head chewed off! This bites. Plus, now that I mentioned it, Jayde's got this crazy notion to re-do the house. In another tree. And make it the bachelor pad. I mean, that'd be alright yano, but Alto, Lyra, Corli, Taro, and me all under the same roof with no mediators?

This could be ugly.

That and Lyra's truely thrilled that we have to do it ourselves.

"We just don't have the gold right now to pay someone else to do it," Jayde pointed out. "I mean, since Ky is sick, the shop hasn't been doing as well as it usually does."

"Which doesn't say much," I muttered. She glared at me, but it wasn't hard to ignore her--I'd had plenty of practice.

"I mean, we got the first one up in no time, right?" Lord, she just kept going! It was like she didn't get the hint! Although it was time for Lyra to speak up. He was lazy to the extreme, and this house making business wasn't for him.

"Yeah, Damen and I got the first one up," he corrected. "Why do we have to do it?"

"Because you two never do anything around here!" she finally yelled. For a moment, there was complete silence. I don't think anyone, including Jayde herself, could believe that she'd yelled at us.

I certainly couldn't, and to have this little girl yelling at me was irritating.

She has a point, you know.

Shut up, stupid inner voice, I thought.

Why? it asked me. Cause you know that you really should do something for her?

I don't have to do anything for that girl!

Alright, it said with almost a shrugging tone, take advantage of a little girl who doesn't have the heart to kick you out on your sorry a**. You know that she should, don't you?

No! She shouldn't do any such thing! Lyra--

Has been doing a lot more work than you have, lately. Pretty sad.

ARGH, DAMMIT!

"You're right," I muttered. "It won't take too long. Just send Dav with me and we can start gathering the materials."

Stupid inner voice.

Well, anyway, I guess that's how I got stuck doing the new treehouse basically by myself. It's kinda worth it though--she seems a little more at peace, like she actually has been worrying about something, and this helped a little.

Gah, I'm such a sucker.  

[JaydeDragonfly]

From the personal journal of Jayde Dragonfly

date: sometime after Damen started working on the house?
Location: my bedroom
time: well, it's dark outside. No clocks in here.

I guess I should start off by introducing myself.

My name is Jayde, and I think I'm about nineteen.

Hmmm...I'm not sure I like that, but I think it about sums things up, because I have amnesia. A lot of things about my past are simply conjecture, if I have any ideas at all.

I think I was born someplace other than this island, because when I first arrived, I actually washed up on the shore. I had long black hair then--I've since changed it many times.

Even the name, Jayde, I thought of. It sounded pretty, and somewhat right for me. I'm sure my parents thought long and hard on my real one, and I hope I'm not doing them any disrespect by changing it, wherever they are. That's right--I don't really know them either.

It doesn't get me down most of the time. I have a huge family that I started collecting almost as soon as I reached the island. It started with Davexander, by not-so-little baby.

As time passed, I collected more and more, the most recent edition being Taro, two eggs, and a cat like creature that Lyra mistook for a grocery bag. I'm not sure about that, but stranger things have happened, I suppose.

Like me loosing another two weeks of my memory.

Poof.

It scares me, honestly, the idea that my memory is so patchy that I loose days, weeks...

Years.

I think it's the reason that I decided to start this journal. I want to make sure that if....when...I ever start forgetting again, and least I"ll have it documented.

and if that day comes and I forget those closest to me...

at least they'll know that I love them.  

[JaydeDragonfly]

As told by Jayde
sometime after Damen started work on the new house
In bed

I shivered. When did it get so cold in here? Assuming that my warmers (i.e., the kittens, Alto, and Riordan) had moved, I scooted over a little only to bump directly into them. They had all moved closer to me for warmth, too.

What in the world?

Slowly I opened my eyes and stretched, but as soon as my arm escaped the blanket, I yanked it back in--the cold was biting, not just like a regular cold on the island. And it smelled like....

"Snow?" I looked out the window and the sight that met my eyes affirmed my bizzarre suspicions. Instead of sand, snow covered the ground, and even more of the powder fell from the sky and covered the leaves of the tree the house was built in.

"What the hell is going on?!" Oh, Lyra must have woken up, I thought. He had rushed into my room, shirtless (but thankfully not pantless, as he was sometimes apt to do).

"There's freaking snow on the ground!" he bellowed.

"Thank you for that astounding observation, Sherlock," Alto said from under the covers. He inched his head out to look out the window with the rest of us.

"Although its beauty glistens like diamons,
why in the world is there snow on the islands?" As usual, Riordan spoke in couplets, but it seemed like it was more forced today than it usually was. He must surely be surprised.

"I...don't know," I answered honestly.

"I'm sorry," said a small voice from the foot of the bed. There stood Corli, eyes wide with worry. "I didn't mean to." The silence was deafening. Finally, Lyra spoke up.

"You can't mean to say that you did this," he said, incredulous.

"Not on purpose!" he cried. "I was just...I was just thinking about the place that I'm from, and wishing I were there, and all of a sudden the world had snow on it!" We all looked at him for a minute more before Lyra started to object again.

"Come off it," Alto sighed, snuggling back underneath the covers. "He is a demon, after all. Who says that he doesn't have ice powers?"

"But this?!"

"Can you think of a better explination?" I asked, my eyes still sliding back and forth between the little boy with teal hair and all the snow outside.

"It could be the end of times," Damen said sarcastically from the doorway. He got a glare from all of us and shrugged, going back downstairs muttering something about his humor not being appreciated.

"It's ok Corli," I finally said, reaching to take him into my arms (but careful to keep the blanket around me). He was so cold, but he seemed perefctly happy. If it were possible, it seemed like he had a healthier color to him, his eyes sparkling just a little more. Even someone who knew nothing about demons could tell that he was in his element.

"We'll just have Christmas in July!" I said brightly. Lyra smacked his face with his hand.

"You were just looking for another reason to celebrate Christmas again, weren't you?"

"No, I'm just making the best of our situation!"

"Well, I think it's an excellent idea." I thought Alto was just trying to get on Lyra's nerves, but the fact that he was behind me on this made it not matter anyway.

"C'mon Corli, let's set the tree back up!" As excited as I was, the little boy jumped up, waiting impatiently while I threw what few heavy clothes I had over my sleeping wear (ie, underwear. what can I say? I'm lazy). Leaving the rest of the crew behind us, Corli and I prepared the house for Christmas.

Er, again.