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 Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:59 am
Finally! A practical suggestion. Baby books were, Cal discovered, more expensive than might be imagined. As were babies themselves, or so he'd heard.
Which reminded him; diapers and baby powder and bottles and ... other things babies needed which escaped him at the moment ... didn't go bad. He should get the books and do that sort of shopping on his way home.
No, never mind, that meant having the disturbing image of Raidne drifting along behind him in the supermarket. He'd just go back out.
"Actually, I'd really appreciate that," he told Neveah, though wondering what sorts of "edits" he'd have to make for Raidne. Earplugs? No, that was unfair. She had lovely voice, he reminded himself, feeling inexplicably cranky and tense.
Introductions? No, he hadn't made those... "I'm Cal Morgan," he said, stiffly extending a leathery hand to Kyo. "And this..." Zasalamel's curious reaction puzzled Cal, but he didn't remark upon it. Watching his Ghost and the other boy, he forced himself to continue. "This is Raidne."
The baby ghost whistled cheerily at her name.
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:32 am
Neveah chewed on her bottom lip, trying to recall where she'd left the best of those baby books. She couldn't remember, oh well. Instead, she thought back to how she felt when Zasalamel was a ghostling, too. "But for now, how about you try to keep them near your shoulder, eh? Its hard to lose them that way. And... That way people might think they're imagining a ghost near you." The butterfly woman shrugged. "It worked with the spiderling." Then again, being a humanoid...she was used to getting stares.
Then, they started to introduce themselves. Which was silly, since Neveah knew them both...but when in Rome! Besides, they may have forgotten the Drow's name. "Neveah...and Zasalamel. Or Zah. Whichever." She pointed at herself, then down at her suddenly submissive, shy charge.
Zasalamel didn't look at anyone or thing in specific. Not Kyo, not Cal, Not the ghosts, not the floor...everything had his attention for an equal amount of time. To him, this was safer than having to face a girl....even if she was a ghost.
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:20 pm
Kyo could sense something wasn't right with the elf of darker skin, but he didn't make to much of it. Since there where other more pressing matters as the problem that still had to be solved back at his home.
Oak wavered closer as his guardian crossed his arms and moved the tree beings wand closer to his heart. Oak wavered across the elf’s frail figure up and over then seemed to rest on the elf's shoulder. A small gurgling sound lifted into Kyo's mind.
Kyo smiled sensing that the sound was a rather peaceful tune.
Reaching out with his own hand, the elf shook Cal's. "It's nice to meet you both, and I’m sure Oak agrees!" Kyo nodded.
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:02 am
The dark little boy with his bright purple eyes had been interesting when he'd been making Cal jump and watching everybody. Then something happened -- she wasn't sure what -- and Zasalamel seemed to lose interest in everything.
Raidne did likewise. Instead, she watched as Oak sat on Kyo's shoulder, and mimicked the action, curling into Cal's neck as she'd done often as a wisp.
"Well..." Cal began awkwardly. He wanted the books as soon as possible, but he didn't want to intrude. Hell. "Would it be easiest to pick the books up today? Or I could meet you somewhere at your convenience..." His voice trailed off again. Early retirement might be nice to some, but having lost his ability to sail temporarily with Raidne still so young, he was feeling the strain of hours upon hours of free time.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:49 pm
Zasalamel seemed to have realized the girl-ghost had lost interest...because it seemed right when she did, his attention focused specifically on Kyo. The Drow first stared at the other elf, wondering why this elf was so lightly coloured...and then he re-noticed the ghost on the light elf's shoulder. Blinking and staring at the boy-ghost instead. "Jihard!" He chuckled out suddenly, pointing at Oak. The ghost was holding a stick! So far, Zasalamel liked sticks. They were fun to throw.
"I have no idea what that means." The Butterfly woman clarified almost instantly, after Zasalamel burbled in that language of his. Then, she backtracked to the other issue. "Oh yeah, books. Uh. I can get them now, if you don't mind watching Zah for me for a little bit?" Her aqua gaze moved from Cal to Kyo; they were both guardians too, so why shouldn't she ask them to babysit while she went to do Cal a favor?
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:53 pm
Kyo smiled. Staring down at the drow boy then moving his focus on to his wand and baby ghost.
"I think Oak and I better head out, we got a long night ahead of us and I still have to get his room prepared, and I would like to sleep in a real bed tonight." The elf nodded.
"So I think it's really all up to you Cal, maybe you could get some practice in with Zah." Kyo smirked. Feeling slightly uncomfortable around the child of a darker tone. He didn't really understand why, but he just was.
"It was really nice to meet you all, I really do hope I see you all again. Cal, Radien." Kyo nodded in there direction. Followed quickly by twisting his gaze away from the two, Kyo's eyes darted toward the drow and Neveah.
"It was nice seeing you again and it was nice to meet you Zah. I hope you get to meet Oak sometime in the near future." Kyo nodded once again and turned his back and headed off down the hallway.
Oak wavered on the elf's shoulder, but watched the drow child inventively as the two wandered off into the distance. Sending gurgling and giggling noises into the elf’s mind.
"I'm sure we will meet them again Oak." Kyo smiled, placing a hand on the doorway and left the HQ.
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:01 pm
Cal only blinked as the dark little elf jabbered in some strange tongue, and the even stranger butterfly woman openly admitted she didn't understand him.
Didn't that bother her at all? He'd feel so excluded if Raidne spoke in some other tongue...oh god, but what if she did? What if that was the secret to the Sirens' song, some enchanted language of their own?
That...was something he hadn't considered. He rather distractedly agreed to watch Zah while Kyo beat a prudent retreat (was the kid really that bad?)
"Sure, that'll be fine. I'd like to get a head start on reading," Cal told her.
Raidne still nuzzled against his shoulder, but faint snoring noises rattled in his head. No guesses as to what she was doing.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 10:46 am
Oh, not being able to understand her son was more than frustrating...but Neveah was learning key words...she had to. "Ah, goodbye Kyo, it was nice to see you again as well! I hope we run into you again." The butterfly waved, then ruffled Zah's hair. "I'll follow Kyo out then, be good Zah, and I'll be back as soon as I can!" This was more of a reassurance for Cal, though.
"Deshmal!" The little Drow cried out happily, waving his arms over his head as the light elf, the stick-holder and his Mother disappeared out of his view. When they left, Zah looked around from over the couch, then decided to step out into the middle of the room. More specifically, in front of Cal. The boy just stared at him, as if unsure of what to do now. "Echk." He greeted curiously, waving his hand only once and just letting it stay in the air, just as his eyes remained fixed on Cal.
Then, after fidgeting as he struggled to think of what to do now, he pointed back at the tv with as little turning as possible, so he could watch Cal. He was kind of interesting! "Thsinthen'l?" He questioned, though he already knew the answer.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:35 pm
Cal's blue eyes tracked the child's movements with much the caution and attention one might give a poisonous snake. It wasn't that Cal was afraid of the boy...he just had no idea what to do with him.
Zah waved -- at least, the older man assumed it meant the same thing. Cal waved back, but dropped his hand, wondering if the child was just erroneously mimicking the gesture.
Raidne still snored.
"Thsinthen'l?" the boy asked, a question apparent by the inflection in his voice. Cal frowned and shook his head, whiteblond locks ruffling even more. "Sorry kid, I have no idea what you're asking," he said in English. In an adventurious stroke, he tried to translate. "Baby? Yes, I'll have one soon..." Then another bolt of inspiration hit him. "You want a different channel?"
He offered the remote, holding it level with those glittery eyes.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:58 am
Zasalamel smiled happily when Cal returned his wave, looking quite happy over the fact the older male paid attention to him. When he word was repeated back to him he nodded...then looked confused over the man's interpretation of the word.
"Nau, Lerg!" He corrected the male, pointing at Raidne. Then, he pointed back at the TV. Thsinthen'l!" He chirped out happily, then went back to staring at Cal. Channel? Well, maybe there would be something more fun on! "G'rftte!" He said as he took the remote, then looked back at the TV.
Then, as if it wasn't anything different, Zasalamel put the remote into the front pocket of his big sweater and climbed onto the couch to sit beside Cal. After a moment of sitting and swinging his feet over the edge, he decided to crawl onto Cal's lap ad sit there instead, wiggling backwards to rest his back against the man's stomach. Without asking permission. Seemingly appeased now, he took the remote from his sweater pocket and held it out backwards before attempting to change the channels.
Of course, he was thoroughly confused when nothing happened.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:09 pm
Cal felt more and more helpless as the babble continued. The child cleary had Raidne in mind with his next comments. "Ghost? Baby? Siren?" He doubted the child even knew what a siren was, but he was also obviously grasping still.
But Zah didn't seemed overly perturbed by Cal's weak guesses. He was not a creative man, as his interpretations proved. "Thsinthen'l" was repeated, much to the blond's chagrin. But the purple-skinned little boy continued to make happy, garbled sounds as he enthusiastically wiggled...into Cal's lap???!
What kid did that with strangers? (Cal, obviously, had little contact with children, and this was largely contrived.) The child had no qualms about wiggling himself into a more comfortable position before proceeding to incorrectly use the remote.
The position of Cal's hands in the air behind Zah's back suggested he was rather taken with the idea of pushing the little boy off; but of course, he did no such thing, arms dangling limply to his sides again after a moment. He had to get over this, anyhow. He was to have a child of his own!
Brilliant blue eyes cut over to his sleeping charge. But it seemed different with her, somehow. Besides, how old was this kid? How old did they have to be before they were fully potty trained?
A spasm crossed Cal's usually controlled brown features, but once again he resisted the urge to send the child skidding onto his rump in the floor.
"You have to turn it the other way," Cal told him, gingerly making as if to take the remote back.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:02 pm
Zasalamel cheered for Cal when he said 'Baby', clapping his hands as if Cal won a prize. Thn of course came the lap-climbing. Zah didn't think it was wrong; Neveah left him with this man, so he must be good! Of course, he didn't notice Cal as he pondered over pushing him off his lap. If Cal happened to do that, he might just have to deal with a rather upset drow child.
"Oh?" Zah bubbled curiously, tilting his head back to look at Cal. He was doing it wrong? Really? Mummbling something and looking thoroughly curious, he bowed his head and started at the remote. He'd been about to turn the remote himself, but Cal looked like he wanted it. Smiling pleasantly, he leaned back against the older male again, and held the remote out to him. If he wanted the remote so bad, he could have it!
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:00 pm
Clearly the child did at least speak English as well. And apparently Cal had guessed some word somewhere correctly with "baby;" though by this point, he wasn't certain which.
God, how did this kid's mother deal with that all the time? Then again, perhaps she was better at the guessing game than he was...
The child settled himself even more comfortably, it seemed, in Cal's lap, obligingly returning the remote after a brief examination.
"No, you almost had it. See?" Cal flipped through channels rapidly in demonstration, coloured screens flickering into existance onto shift into something else a millisecond later. A dozen half-begun syllables and notes chattered at the two, sounding to Cal vaguely reminiscent of the child's strange language. At least the kid was intelligent. And not clingy -- about things, anyways.
Cal stopped the flickering, handing the remote back. He was tired of documentaries anyways, and was curious to see what the child would choose. The channel he'd left off on, however, had decided to be a bajillion decibals louder than the others; heavy metal music shattered the peace. He dropped the remote, startled.
With a snort ghostly Raidne fell off her position half on Cal's shoulder, half on the back of the couch; and the chattering in his head was that of an irritated bird. The siren landed with a soft whoosh on the cushion beside them both.
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:08 pm
Zasalamel leaned his head back again to look at Cal; basically, he looked back everytime the older male started to talk. "Oh!" He chirped happily, seeing his mistake and also seeing Cal demonstrate by channel surfing. The little Drow's attention was back on the TV then...of course until the channel rested on the heavy metal music.
Like Cal, he was surprised...but intead of dropping something, he threw his hands up to his ears and started whining. "Nau!" He didn't like this noise, it was too loud! Whimpering, he turned to look at Cal, his eyebrows drawn together in pain. Stop the music! He wanted Cal to stop the noise!
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Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:05 pm
Cal's teeth ground at the sound. "Nau" certainly wasn't that hard to interpret, and the man found himself agreeing with the child. Raidne seemed to as well, as the cloud of a child writhed and flopped just above the cushion's surface.
The tricksy remote eluded his frantically grasping fingers as the boy whimpered. He was trying, Cal thought irritably. A lump of child in his lap wasn't helping matters.
At last, with a light clatter across the flooring, Cal's hand reached its prize. At some point he'd maneuvered Zah to the side with his other arm. Not wasting any thought for other channels, Raidne's guardian punched one red button, spitefully harder than he need have done.
The moving picture, the raucous noise, shriveled into a white point in the middle of the screen, and the television settled into beautiful silence. "Find something else if you want," Cal said, tossing the remote on the cushion beside Raidne. "I think I'll pass."
He shifted restlessly beneath the child. When would Zah's mother return?
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