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 Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:14 am
A Thank You once again to Karma, without which this diary and feien would not be possible, and to Rik, whose indomitable will keeps this project going.
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 1:20 pm
It arrived last night. I don't suppose I would have noticed it if not for its strange color, or lack thereof, amidst the fruit basket. Ever since I came to live on my own I have tried to adhere to some standard of interior design. A braid of garlic swings over the stove, 100% post consumer product/unbleached post it notes with a dried sprig of lavender by the phone and, of course, the ever so clichéd fruit bowl on the counter.
It was nestled between a mango and a cadre of three wrinkled kiwi. No letter which struck me as strange until I realized what could the note tell me that I didn't already know? Rik, Karma, and others didn't keep secrets about the process, did they? Regardless, the Artichoke was a notice within itself.
It is of a small size, a mere dinner party nosh that fits in my cupped hands as a stone in a bezel setting. The slate spade-leaves are tight to the oblong sphere, closely guarding the petals and heart within. I can see no thorns capping the leaf tips of the outmost layer but I don't go as far as to assume that no thorns lie beneath. On one hand, I wonder if the lack of thorns is what compels the leaves to constrict tightly. On the other, I say to myself "Would I show my thorns if I could keep them hidden?"
It rained all day yesterday. I came home with shoes waterlogged and hair sopping. The only thing about me that remained dry was the bag I clutched closely to my chest. It holds no greater treasure than my sketchbook It has to be an unhealthy fixation, the reverence I hold for these maps of my art and progress. If, for some reason, an unruly mob descended and pelted me with tar and shards of glass, I would curl into a fetal pose around my sketchbook and bear the onslaught to keep it safe.
Unhealthy
So there I was, a soaked person with a bone dry sketchbook and my eyes began travel across my apartment. They landed on the fruit bowl and its new inhabitant. The leaves were finely misted sporadically gathering together into beads.
I have named the bloom Indra. It means "Possessing Drops of Rain"
The first day of the rainy season
The first day as a feien guardian
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:08 pm
Running late this morning but unwilling to leave the bloom unattended so soon I nabbed the thistle, wrapped it in my velvet shawl, and hurried to my class. I didn't expect it to be all that interesting as the class usually consists of drawing a figure for 3 hours. I figured I would draw, the artichoke would sit (as it appears to be quite adept at doing) and there would be nothing to write home about. So of course I would be the case that today's class would be entirely lecture. Didn't think the man, talented as he is, could lecture for that long on figure drawing and in a way I was right. He went WAY off tangent and declared that, I kid you not, in the next 4 weeks we would be taking a "spiritual journey" by way of producing art. Let me explain. Jim Moore, when in his masters program back in the 70's, declared a bold thesis to the review board: Modern Art was Dead. That's right. Death, and the artists of the time necrophiliacs. The board, shocked, argued against his claim, and he responded with this. All the innovations of art in the early 20th century were simultaneous movements growing independently of one another but harmonic. One thing did not flow into another, but rather all things existed in a whole to create the art world. Now of these 'things,' there are four. Four perspectives to match the four cardinal points of the circle, the ultimate symbol of the complete. Now this is where I thought things became interesting. As the talk progressed I took my bloom out of its wrap and placed it on a podium within the path of the projector stream. It was dark, so I don't believe anyone noticed the odd color. As for the action of placing an artichoke in the path of the slide projector… well, I've done stranger things in that class. And so the lecture became not only a lesson for me, but a lesson for the bloom as well. Now I don't know if sound or light permeates the thick leaves of the bloom, so perhaps this experiment was doomed from the start and this attempt to broaden horizons is all in vain. I know my experiment has failed in one respect because I am simply at a loss as to how I can gauge an reaction from a flower to philosophy and art. I was too far to tell if Indra shuddered at the works of Salvador Dali or entranced by the concentric squares of Alber. Thus to preserve my effort, I am copying my notes so if none of this came through, at least the feien will have a chance to read them when he or she arrives. Now for the 4 types of perception or the four phases of the spiritual journey  First, there is the perception of the physical, the most base of our perceptions. This is the perception of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch with no outer emotion attached. Works of Van Gough and Matisse flicker past; Landscapes of pure form and movement but no greater substance. Outside I can hear the rain, and in my mind I recall the rare sweet scent that only comes from the first storm. My eye wanders from the image to Indra, and I remember matte texture of its leaves and how, unlike all other artichokes I have held, it bore no musky odor. I wonder how to paint a odorless artichoke as I sip my Mexican mocha. I think the chocolate had gone bad. Second, the mental perception: Logic. The first slide hits the screen and I wonder if the machine is broken because there is no image until I realize that the blank square is the image. Kasimir Malevich, an artist interested purely in portraying logic, found success in two images. One is a white canvas, painted white, hung a scant degree lopsided. I'll admit that I was so caught up in the fact the art department PAID for a BLANK SLIDE that I couldn't really appreciate the painting for what it was. Perhaps Indra got something out of it and its predecessor, the far more logical black square on a white canvas hung perfectly level. After all the construction of an artichoke is perfect example of natural logic and mathematics with its strict pattern of growth. I wonder if I can use a Fibonacci sequence to determine how many leaves this bloom has as the slide changes. Third, Emotion. Fear, elation, pain, despair, envy, emotions and their portrayal in art run the gamut. Edvard Munch's "The Scream" shouts silently from the wall as the symbolic black figures look on. Jim tells us that Munch believed that black stood for death, white purity, and red death. My mind, again, drifts to the gray Indra and I wonder what death and purity combined creates until a painting of a pontiff and two sides of beef startles me back to the subject at hand. Lastly, There is the mystical where all of the above gathers together into a seed for reality that can't quite sprout. It's the sights you smell and the smells you see, but portrayed through a discordant note on a piano made of bones and gut strings. Melting watches, pierced eyeballs, and blue horses… the sorts of things that make your eyes go wide and your brain list to the side. Kandinsky's circles finish off the lecture, and everyone notices the symbolism that ties into the over all theme. The circle, the complete, the whole. I packed up Indra, carefully wrapping it once more, and went to my next class.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:59 pm
After a diligent search of local houseware outlets I have come across the base that I will use to make Indra's private room. I will admit that the idea came to me from cooking which is rather morbid. A couple jokes have been flung about boiling my bloom and serving it up with lemon butter. This is abhorrent, for artichokes should always be served with both lemon butter and a mayonnaise-based dressing but I digress (and become further macabre.) The base is a brand new, shined, stainless steel colander. With my one semester of metal working skills, a drill, some bolts, and a Swiss handsaw I have cut out a little door and fitted the portal back onto the colander with hinges. I'm still a little stumped as to what to do for a door handle though, as I don't have a soldering iron nor could I solder onto steel. For now I have threaded a piece of white cord through two of the existing holes and knotted it. Hopefully that will be enough for a feien to grasp and pull. Today the rain stopped and I placed the artichoke on my bookshelf where it could get one of the few paths of direct sunlight that filter into my apartment. As it does not snow here, I think I have introduced my bloom to the only three types of weather it will ever experience: clear, overcast, and pouring. As he sat I did some research on artichokes. My original intent was to try to discover how many leaves the bloom had without counting. This is what I learned instead. The Artichoke's leaves grow in a spiral pattern reflected by the Fibonacci sequence. This is the same mathematical property that brings you the chambered nautilus and the fern leaf. This sequence of numbers is infinite, but starts with 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55, etc. As you can see each number is the sum of its predecessor. As the sequence continues the ratio from number to number draws close to the golden mean which, across cultures, is considered the most perfect of proportions. The spiral of leaves that create the artichoke are actually 8 parallel spirals. If we were to separate one spiral, it would look like so: Of course, that looks nothing like an artichoke. But see what happens when we place in the other 7 spirals equidistant from one another Now that really does look like an artichoke. So! My discovery was that it is impossible to determine how many leaves an artichoke has as that is a variable based on environment, genetics, ect. I do know now, however, that Indra is composed of 8 protective spirals wrapped around a heart. It makes me smile, as 8 is one of my favorite numbers. In commemoration of this discovery I used an fascinating program provided by one of the sites I visited to create a fibonnacci spiral image… out of an image of an artichoke. I hope Indra enjoys it.
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 6:16 pm
RP Summary ~
Indra is taken to Karma's House where it meets Talonfaust and Berra. It expresses its first bit of movement when touched by another feien, rippling its leaves one spiral at a time.
With her wrapped shawl in hand Wasabineko came a'rapping on Karma's door. She finally felt secure enough in her care of her bloom to meet another feien. From what she understood feien fairies, despite their small stature, could be every bit as judgmental as humans. The bloom, for its part, has still been very still and unresponsive to anything which worried her only slightly. The Artichoke, as a flower, wasn't exactly the most kinetic of flora.
There was a pause from within before there was the sound of a latch being undone and a knob turning. A moment later, a milk chocolate-colored muzzle poked out, though the red eyes were looking downward at about doorbell-level, as though expecting to see someone much smaller there. Blinking, she jolted a bit at the fact there was, for once, a normal-sized person on her porch and immediately straightened up.
"Wasa! Hi!" she greeted, instantly opening the door wider and moving aside to allow her in. "Sorry, I thought it was one of Globin or Berra's friends."
"Was my knocking really that soft?" Wasabineko smiled and stepped inside. "I'm sorry for not calling first, but I was in the area and didn't think you would mind a visit. Of course... if you are busy it's nothing imperative." She gestured with her velvet and tasseled wrapped bundle. "But I did bring Indra along. That's what I named it, the bloom you got me." There was a definite edge of nervousness to her voice, as if desperately seeking approval in her new role as a bond.
The foxcoon brightened noticeably. "Oh! You finally got it?? Lemme see!" She said, clasping her hands, looking like a child on Christmas morning. Being a bond for her own respective feien had transformed her somewhat.
Her conversations consisted so heavily of her fairies and their doings to her friends that whenever one of them finally broke down and became a bond themselves, she felt a certain sort of perverse pride in it. And she'd gone to special pains to ensure Wasa would obtain said bloom, so this was all the more exciting.
She began to unwrap the bundle, peeling back layer from layer, and then paused. Her silver eyes met Karma's and she bit the side of her lip. "You promise not to laugh... or look disgusted... or suggest that we should eat it?" It wasn't like it hadn't happened with the others she had mentioned it too...
Karma blinked, confused. "Why would we eat it?" she asked. "What? Did you end up with a fruit or a veggie instead of a flower? Talon spawned a red-and-white mushroom when he bred with Tahki...you really can't get much more ridiculous than that." She looked to Wasa then and straightened her face, clearing her throat to be serious for a moment. "I won't laugh." she promised. "OR try to eat it."
She nodded, satisfied with the response, and continued until she revealed a stone grey Artichoke. "Well... it's technically a flower. Just one that tastes really good with a dab of mayonnaise." The thistle was, as mentioned, grey smack dab between black and white with soft spaded leaves and a certain luster unnatural to the plant. It also appeared to be slightly damp even after being wrapped thrice in fabric. "I think it looks neat..."
Karma looked the artichoke over curiously "All gray..." she commented. She didn't sound off-put, simply curious about it. Usually blooms betrayed something further than that about the feien inside...they gave you some sort of hint about the eyes and hair, anyway. At length she smiled. "I like it." was her final assessment with a nod of her head. "Unless this one is planning on surprising you, looks like you might be getting a monochrome feien. I'd say he would be the first, but...then there's Shalafi." she chuckled, recalling the pure-white albino feien in Youko's care.
"Sounds like it to me, but there's no real way to tell now is there? What with the chance of mutations and all." She rolled the bloom into her hands and wrapped the shawl over her shoulders. "I haven't gotten a chance to thank you in person yet for this. It truly is amazing. Though... perhaps when it arrives will be cursing you. Cursing and thanking... at the same time." She placed her hand over the top of the artichoke, as if guarding it from her next words. "'Thank you so ********, Karma!' or something to that effect depending on how much of a handful this little turns out to be. Not that I mind of course... handful or no, but you will feel the brunt of the blame regardless, Aunty Karma."
"Oh great..." she sighed. "Trust me, my three punish me plenty as it is. I've got one who thinks I'm the antichrist, one who's a mess of problems and refuses to bring any to me, and one who insists on going with me whenever I go into public so she can embarrass me in any way imaginable without meaning to." She gestured with one hand toward the hallway as she spoke, sounding exasperated. "They've been quieting down since the weather's gotten colder, though. Too bad they don't hibernate."
"Looks like you found the entire spectrum of annoyance and brought it home with you. Perhaps then I will simply make a little Karma voodoo doll so I might curse you as unobtrusively as possible." She grinned in jest and switched the artichoke to her other hand. "Your first winter with feien... should be something to remember hmmm? Mugs of hot chocolate, chestnuts, boardgames because of the weather... feiensicles. I can only imagine Globin with a head cold... sneezing blood everywhere."
"Oh jesus, don't give him ideas." the anthro groaned in response, bringing up a hand to rub between her eyes, though she was unable to keep from smirking at the mental image. As if it wasn't bad enough he constantly looked at her like she'd just drowned a sack of puppies, she didn't want to envision him making the house look like HR Giger's wet dream either.
"It'll be interesting." she sighed at last. "All of us fighting over the thermostat should be fun." She cast a look into the hallway again, looking ponderous. "....did you want me to get them to haul their little butts in here and say hello?" she asked at length.
"Best make friends early" She gestured with the bloom. "I'd say that it would have better luck starting on the right foot with Talon as a bloom... but from what I recall that didn't save Globin." She looked around. "Should I... er... just set it down somewhere? It hasn't really moved or anything since I got it so I don't think I have to worry about it rolling away from your feien."
"Yeah, go ahead and set it down wherever you think it'd be safe...couch, table, bookcase..." She gestured absently to various places about her living room as she padded into the mouth of the hallway and cleared her throat.
"TALON!!" she called loudly. "Get out here and be social!! Bring Berra!"
She headed away from the hallway as though nothing had just happened. "They'll be here in a minute." she said calmly. "Its either that or I come and get them myself and I know Talon hates that."
Wasabineko nodded and scanned the room, her eyes falling on a windowsill looking out into an overcast sky. That looked like a good spot. The outside grey might make it look less out of place than with the rest of the house and thus perhaps more acceptable to its feien residents. She fished around in her bag until she came across and Altoids box. She flipped it open, took out the remaining hand full of mints and popped one in her mouth for herself, then placed the open box on the sill. She then set the artichoke atop the rim, creating a little stand to keep it from rolling off just incase it was nudged or tried to retreat of its own volition.
A moment later there was a sound reminiscent of a sheet hanging on a clothesline being snapped in the wind as two pairs of wings beat at the air, drawing nearer. Talonfaust halted abruptly after reaching the edge of the hallway, looking irate as Berra, immediately noticing the new company, lit up and zinged past her father to greet Wasa.
"Hi!!" she declared, looking for a moment like she was going to collide at top speed with the poor woman's face before putting on the brakes at the last second and pausing a few inches before Wasa, hovering gently on the air as she inspected the rim of her straw hat a moment. At length she navigated beneath it, shaded by it as her amber eyes sparkled, even in the dimmer light. "My name's Berra! Are you one of Miss Karma's friends?"
"Berra, that's rude." Talon muttered.
"You're one to talk, 'Miss Manners'." Karma countered, making the earth feien roll his eyes sourly and cross his arms over his chest.
"What do you want?" he demanded impatiently. "We were reading."
"Harry Potter will wait for you to say hello, I promise." his bond sighed. "This is Wasa. She's trying to socialize her bloom." she added, pointing at the windowsill.
"Um... Hi" She tilted back a bit so Berra could see the hand she was waving beside her face. "I am who she said, Wasa." She tried to think of something to add, " and Berra's a really pretty name." She straightened again and turned, pointing with Karma to the artichoke. "And this is Indra. I just received it a few days ago and because your bond worked so hard to get it for me, I wanted her and you... three" she said the number with a slightly concerned look at Karma and the empty hall before continuing "to meet it first. So here it is." At this point she was starting to feel so very rude. "I-I know it isn't an it... but the testing center is so back logged that I don't know anything for sure and won't until it emerges I imagine."
Berra went to the windowsill almost immediately, pausing, remembering her manners and turned back to Wasa. "Thank you, Miss Wasa." she said, meaning it for the earlier compliment about her name. Curiousity overtook her then as she walked a slow circle around the artichoke in the Altoids tin as both Karma and Talon watched.
"Well...?" Karma prompted at last, looking at him with annoyance. Talon glared back at her a moment, and then gave a sigh entirely too dramatic and grudgingly headed to the windowsill to join his daughter in the scrutiny of the feien bloom. Satisfied that he was doing as asked, Karma looked to Wasa then and shook her head. "Globin's probably still in a snit about Merrimack. If he doesn't want to come out, I'm not going to push it...poor boy's been beside himself ever since Merri went back home."
"That was well over a month ago." Talon grumbled, cocking his head a bit at the artichoke and extending a hand to gently run it over one spade-shaped leaf. "I don't see why -he- gets an excuse."
"Maybe its because he doesn't mouth off all of the time, Talon." Karma said, her eyes widening as though this was a revelation of some sort. "Oooh yes....isn't that a concept?" The response was a snort of disdain, as was to be expected.
Wasabineko gave the sort of nervous grin reserved for occasions when you realize that you've walked into the middle of someone else's awkward situation. "Well. I'd tell you to tell him I said hello... but he wouldn't have any clue who you were talking about. By the way." she turned back to the sill, "It's nice to finally meet you Ta-" She blinked mid sentence. The artichoke, to its bond's surprise, had reacted to the feien's touch. The one leaf pushed gently back against the hand, bending slightly out of the uniform spiral. "Well... that's new." No sooner than she had mentioned it the leaf fell back into formation. "New and fleeting."
Karma's ears pricked at the reaction. "Wonder if that means it likes being touched or if it didn't like the pressure..." she said thoughtfully.
"I wasn't pressing on it." Talon argued, lifting his hand away. "I was just--"
"Can I try?" Berra chirped before he could finish his thought from where she stood on the other side of the artichoke and reached out, placing both palms gently on its surface.
"Don't push on it, Berra..." Karma warned worriedly.
"I'm not." she said agreeably, smiling and watching for a reaction. "I'm barely touching it."
This time, rather than the single leaf twitching, all the leaves in that single spiral fluttered once in quick succession, making a ripple up its side and into its core.
"That's... weird I think? Maybe it's just trying to impress them?" She was at quite a loss as to the how or why of it, but was still amused and a little relieved that something had managed to get a physical reaction from her bloom. Of course, she hadn't really been trying to get a physical reaction from Indra. She had been immersing it in art and mathematics, which wasn't exactly the sort of thing that got a bloom up on its stem and spinning.
Berra giggled at the response she'd elicited and stepped back from the artichoke.
Talon quirked a brow at it oddly, as though he wasn't sure what exactly to make of it. Not that he'd had much experience with blooms, really....he'd only been around three for longer than a few moments -- Globin's, Berra's, and the strange tendrilled one Yeande had brought over for a visit.
"Well....I could be wrong, but looks like Indra there enjoys a little contact." Karma assessed, leaning forward a bit to keep a better eye on the goings-on. "Sometimes they do that...they're really blatant about what they like and don't like. Talon, for instance, would shut up his petals every time he heard voices or someone touched him." She shot a look at the raven-haired male. "And some things never change."
"Definitely interesting." She couldn't help but imagine 8 little feien hands all touching the mid petals at once and sending a full body shudder up the bloom. "Indra seems to get along with you two well. I hope that he or she will be welcome to visit when he or she emerges."
Indra was now sending a continuous ripple up a spiral two over from where Berra had touched previously and showed no sign of stopping.
"Guess so." Talon muttered grudgingly. Frankly, he didn't care one way or another, but, as he watched the bloom's reaction to his daughter's touch, he quietly decided that having Berra associate with someone younger than her for once might be good for her. He certainly liked -that- a lot better than he liked the idea of her making friends with adults that he didn't know.
"Sure!" Berra nodded eagerly, obviously more enthusiastic about the idea than her father was. Her eyes didn't leave the rippling leaves, seeming greatly amused by them as she extended her palms again, laying them just high enough that the leaves, as they rippled, brushed her skin.
"At any rate, its better than the facehugger Yeande brought over." Talonfaust remarked, inwardly cringing a bit in memory of the strange dusky bloom.
"The what...?" Karma asked, blinking. "And when did Yeande come over?"
"Nothing. Nevermind." the earth feien said dismissively, waving a hand half-heartedly.
Once Berra made contact with the rippling spiral it stopped but at that exact same moment another spiral, this one originating on the complete opposite side of the artichoke, started up.
Wasabineko beamed "Thanks to the both of you. I was worried that with me living far enough away and having no idea where the other feien live that Indra wouldn't have anyone to play with. And from what I am seeing, Indra seems to like to play."
"I know where a few of them are." Karma offered. "And if that fails, you could always just bring it to the main shop and I'm sure the feien there could tell Indra where they live."
"The shop." Talon repeated with distaste. "That place is a cesspool. You bring it near there and who -knows- what you'll subject it to."
"As I recall, you met your mate there." Karma pointed out.
"Right. Along with all sorts of drama and unneeded whining." he muttered.
"Really? And you didn't fit right in? They sound just like your type of people." his bonded teased. At this, Talon glared at her, straightened up, and without another word, pushed off of the windowsill and winged back down the hallway the way he'd come.
Berra looked after her father, seeming a bit concerned, but didn't leave. Indra, at the moment, seemed like much more pleasant company than the temper tantrum her father was undoubtably barely keeping at bay at the moment.
"Hi Indra." she said softly as her palms were tickled by the rippling leaves. "I can't wait to meet you. I hope you come out soon."
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Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:37 am
10/25/04
It's been a busy weekend, filled with art and busy times. Indra has been on my mind through it all. I certainly hope it doesn't take its cues on sleeping habits from me. Thursday night and Friday night found me with only 4 hours of sleep in the span of 48. Tests, anxiety, creation… I suppose they are all good excuses to some extent. But still… it was rather foolish of me to neglect such a basic function for so long.
I had two tests this last week. One was on Religion and Art in the 19th century, the other a writing exam administered by the university to gauge whether I can or cannot write. This latter exam amuses me greatly. I just had to pay 30 dollars to take a test that proved to the university that I could do what I've obviously been doing for the past 4 years, other wise I never would have made it to Senior status. The first test was far more enlightening. I placed Indra at the top of my article binder as I studied Runge, Friedrich, Overbeck, and Cole. In the middle of the Cole article, I found myself reading to the thistle aloud the passage about Thomas Cole's The Course of the Empire, a 5 painting series depicting the Rise and Fall of civilizations. There is first The Savage State, a painting of raw wilderness with wild strokes. Next The Arcadian or Pastoral State with the first signs of human tinkering such as a shipyard and a small settlement.
Then the series moves into The Consummation of the Empire, where the buildings of man now dominate nature. These structures exist only to be obliterated in Destruction, the 4th canvas, and then left in Ruins in the 5th canvas, Desolation. There is a certain humbling nature to all this. An Orwellian view which predates Orwell.
The weekend also held my first scary movie seen in a movie theater. Through out the film my hands clung to the shawl wrapped Indra squeezed at the startling parts. By the time I made it home I saw much to my surprise that Indra's leaves were clamped extremely tight, more so than usual. Concerned, I thought hard about how to loosen up the artichoke… and the most bizarre idea came to mind. And sometimes the more bizarre the idea… the more compelled I am to follow.
So I took a pot and filled it with an inch or so of water and placed a steaming basket atop it. I let the water heat until steaming then placed Indra into the basket with a moist towel cushioning its bottom and protecting it from the hot metal basket. I had created a little bloom spa. I played sentinel for the next fifteen minutes, my eyes hawk like on the temperature and the artichoke. At last, just as the timer went off, Indra's leaves had eased back to their natural bloom. I was much relieved.
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:41 am
10/28/04
Okay. So the artist says that now I am in charge of writing in this journal… that it is for my thoughts and feelings. Problem is… I can't rightly remember having thoughts and feelings before today. So I can't really figure out how to go about writing them down. However I do like stories like the one that I read about my visit with Mister Talonfaust and Miss Berra, and when I asked my "bond" to write more, she said mayhaps we should write some together. So here is our first try! It's about my summon day. Please enjoy ^_^
It had been a terribly long week, far more so than Wasabineko wanted to admit. There had been the school, which she was missing more of then she cared to admit to anyone. Admission just wasn't something she was keen on this week. However, she had managed to get some work done. Art mostly and art to the point of burnout. Indra had been sitting patiently on the shelf. While the readings and philosophy had been lax over the last few days, the steaming had become ritual. It had crossed her mind that perhaps this was a nega- I liked it! We can still do it right? Er. Indra. You aren't supposed to interrupt unless you have something to say about… Well. I guess that is how you felt. Yes! *Ahem* Indra liked it though. It made him feel a little floaty inside instead of just a leafy lump. He especially liked it when she put lemons in the water. Okay you can have a turn again. Thanks. But Indra never showed any signs of distaste. Each bath left the artichoke a little more open and lustrous.
It was near noon when Wasabineko blinked blearily at her computer screen, wondering if she had really gotten enough sleep that night. She had been sketching pictures of feien for fun. She had to have come up with the strangest hair…but she definitely thought the angle was worth pursuing. After mulling a bit more she reached up for her scanner off the shelf… to meet with a strange surprise. Heeheehee Shhhh.
A miniscule figure, surely no taller than three inches, peered back down at her as she broke away from her typing. The artichoke was missing. Suspicion swiftly replaced surprise. "You're a feien… but… Indra? What have you done with Indra?"
"I… er…" The feien looked about him confused "Well I… I thought I was Indra. Was I wrong?" He tried to keep his smile, though a nagging hint of doubt weighed it down.
"Oh… OH!" Wasabineko stood up in her chair quickly, shaking her desk and causing the small fairy to wobble slightly. "You've come! I… I wasn't expecting it to happen so… suddenly! But now here you are! Are you okay? Do you need anything? Thirsty? Hungry? Tired? Anything at all"
Indra looked down from the shelf to the desk below which, in comparison to his small height, was a very, very, long way to fall. "Anything? I think… I think I need help down." He peeked over the edge and then scooted back.
"But… don't fairies fly?"
"Well. Yes. Fairies do fly. I've just… never flown before."
Wasabineko smiled back up at him. "Well I never breathed air until the moment I was born, but I caught on just fine when it was needed. Don’t be afraid." She held her cupped hands below her chest and smiled encouragingly. She wanted Indra to start off his life with a strong sense of pride and capability and while she would dote on him and do anything he asked, she would always let him know that things could be done by his own hand and sometimes should. That was a good philosophy was it not?
He ran his hands underneath his gauze-like wings, lifting them once, and letting them drop again. They fluttered back to his sides very slowly in defiance of gravity's pull. He really had no idea how they worked. There were no spines or frames and though he flexed his shoulders tightly he could not make them stiffen. So he would just… jump… and they would by some means of magic cause him to float? Well why not! He gave a short nod to his smiling bond, spread his arms, and hopped off the ledge.
"INDRA!" Nothing was catching him. Not the air and unfortunately, not Wasabineko as she grasped out one second too late. Over two feet below he struck the desk with an almost inaudible thud and lay still, his wings tangled around his chest and arms from a last instant attempt to break his fall. Wasabineko's fingers rose to her gaping mouth as the whites of her eyes became a full halo. "I-Indra… Indra are you…" It seemed silly to ask if he was all right. He had just fallen the human equivalent of near 50 feet. She would never ask someone who had just fallen out of a fifth story window if they were all right. She would be in silent shock… which was definitely a good description of where she was now.
Too afraid to pick him up, knowing that you should never move such a traumatized body, she carefully slid a thin stack of post-it notes beneath him to bring him to eyelevel. Holding stock still she peered closely and after a moment's study gave a small sigh of relief. He was breathing. Thank god, he was breathing.
But that was about it. His eyelids fluttered a bit, but other than that he was out cold. Wasabineko picked up a mechanical pencil and used the lead loosen the tourniquet of his wings over his chest and to examine closer the damage. His left side was growing purpled-grey with forming bruise, but otherwise no limbs stuck out in odd angles and there was very little blood, only a scuff along his knee and forearm. Just as she was about to slip from shock to panic, his narrow eyes creaked open.
"Indra… Indra I'm so sorry…"
"Huh? Er…" He looked around him only as far as his neck could crane, the rest of his body showing no desire to move along with it "Wha' jus' happened?" He winced as his head lolled back to one side. "I can't get up…"
"You don't need to Indra. I'm going to take you to get some help. It's all going to be okay I promise."
"Okay." Was his only response as his eyes closed again.
Wasabineko grabbed a tissue from a box and folded it several times before placing it in the empty altoids box and carefully sliding the clearly concussed Indra into the makeshift stretcher. There was only one place she knew of to go to… and man was she going to be disappointed
They know I'm going to be okay, right? I'm going to tell them just so they know. JUST SO YOU KNOW I’M ALL RIGHT! IT WASN'T SO BAD AS IT SOUNDS! ALL I HAVE NOW IS THIS LITTLE BUMP RIGHT HERE DON'T WORRY! THE LADY JUST SAYS THAT THIS IS SUSPENSE BUT I THINK SHE'S TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE. Okay. See you next time we write!
-Indra
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Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:12 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 3:07 am
11/7/04
Well, it hasn't been long since my visit with Mister Talonfaust, Ms. Karma, and Miss Berra. I have much to thank them for, from what I now understand. It's obvious that Ms. Wasabineko explained what happed after my summoning. Between her tale and my own flashes, we were able to write out our dual account. My face must have been… unpleasant as I recalled because she seemed to have a harder time looking at me in the eyes. You'd think, with her gaze being so wide, that it would be hard to tell what she is looking at, but I could tell she wasn't looking at me. Part of me is made uncomfortable about it, but the wider part shrugs it off entirely or, more accurately, ignores it in favor of starting over again. I would much rather she just smile and move along as I do.
So, that reflection aside this world is… amiable. Gravity aside nothing has been to my dislike. Even the soreness from my fall, though I know it should be unfavorable, has newness to it that I can draw from. I now know, with great certainty, that I never want to take a 2-foot dive off a shelf onto a desk or any other hard surface again. I might not have felt this way if it had never fallen. Oh sure you could say that common sense would have prevailed, but I say that is being a little assumptive. After all… I jumped didn't I?
Miss Kookaberra was a pleasure to meet, and her father and bonded as well for the brief time we spoke. We are friends now and as such I am no longer allowed to call her "Miss" but I think it suits someone so considerate, proper, and bubbly. When I mentioned her briefly to Ms. Wasabineko she smiled coyly and told me she would grow up to be Mary Poppins. I asked her what a Mary Poppins was and she told me that the rough translation was "practically perfect in everyway." Well! That is certainly a very tall role to fill. Being "practically" perfect is not much of a break if you still have to be it in every way. I must be careful to not get in the way of her purpose.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:24 pm
Indra's First Shop Visit: Part I "Hullo?" There was a soft clatter as the mail slot flap closed behind the newest customer to the shop, a short, silver marked feien by the name of Indra, managed to squeeze his way in. "I know it's late but it took a long time for me to fly here…" He shifted to the edge of slot and jumped to the floor. "I don't suppose anyone is here huh?" At this point he was speaking more to himself than to any other as he reached into his hair and scratched his scalp. The long flight had tangled his silver drape of hair. He was going to have to learn to put it up in a bun or something when he traveled.Nerpin
Arith slowly followed after the younger feien had made his entrance.. although, she had to rope and claw into the room through the windowsill. At first glance, she seemed allright, if it weren't for her tiny mangled splotches of molted wingspace, half-hidden by a long cloak she half-heartedly made when the feathers started to fall.
Hearing the quiet calling in the shop, she waves to the younger, new feien - one she had yet to meet "Hello there!" cam the chipper response.Nerpin Arith gave a small chuckle as she wrapped the clawandrope around her arm, shuffling into the lighter areas of the shop. Looking at the younger feien - one with such a neutral hue at that - she gave one more queit wave to him, a soft genuine smile following thereafter. Taking a swift glance with her emerald eyes, she figured she could use some company.
"Good evening young sir, what would you be known as?" She asked inquizitivelly, her head tilting slightly to the left, a common thing she did when she met a new feien. karma_k There was a barely-perceptible fluttering of membranous red-and-white wings as a minute little streak of energy shot into the shop, stopping bare inches from colliding with a shelf of goods to perform a neat little turn and pause to adjust her hair accordingly so it wasn't haphazardly in her face.
Berra had tried, without success, to talk Talon into taking her to the shop tonight and he'd flat-out refused. When she reminded him that she still needed her paints, he had grudgingly allowed her to leave on her own, telling her to come straight home when she was done.
She didn't know why he was so reluctant to let her out on her own...she'd never given him any reason to distrust her, after all. She'd been about to go to the display cases, but hearing voices nearby, her ears perked and she turned toward them, sure she recognized at least one.
Smiling when she saw Indra, Berra's priorities of fetching her paints and coming straight home were immediately abandoned as she spiraled down to meet him, hoping she wouldn't interrupt his conversation with the brunette adult he was speaking to. Nerpin Arith chuckled softly and nodded to the younger feien infront of her, feeling more at ease now than she had a few minutes ago, holding her device in her hand. "I believe I've been alone since I got here.. but I do not think that we are the only two here." she stated as another feien unintentionally walked into their conversation.
Looking to the young girl, she nodded her welcome happily, before snapping her fingers lightly and looking to Indra once more "I'm Arith, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Indra."Hearing yet another instance of sound coming from the other side of the shop, Arith tilted her head carefully to look into the shaded area of the entrance once more, curious as to what, or whom, would be making the racket that had been brought to her attention.
Although curious, she felt as if it were rude if she had left the two younger feien she had initiated conversation with, and watched the area once more, intentionally to find out who was arriving soon enough. karma_k Beaming as Arith offered her acknowledgement, Berra approached and gave her a small wave. "Hello there!" she said brightly, at the same time looking the white feien over with curiousity. She reminded her of her father and Aileron all at once in coloration...and in the fact she had green eyes.
She was about to introduce herself when she heard the commotion at the window and cringed, looking up. Upon hearing the snapping, she'd been certain for a moment Talon had decided to come to the shop after all. However, seeing Raylan, she immediately perked up.
She nearly flew up to meet her brother, but stopped, seeing that he was in the process of towing a very large someone into the shop with him...and that someone didn't look particularly agreeable.
Oh dear...perhaps she'd wait to say hello. karma_k Turning her attention gratefully back to Indra and...Arith, had he said her name was?
"Its nice to meet you, Miss Arith!" she said, offering a polite mimic of a curtsy with her wings. Her eyes looking back to the steam feien she nodded. "I'm supposed to be here just getting paints, because daddy said he doesn't want me out in the dark, but I didn't know anybody would be here this late. I don't think he'd mind me staying a little later." she paused, wondering if she was really sure of that. "....yeah!" she added, as though convincing herself. "He won't mind!" Neko Girl Raylan blinked a few times as he noticed his sister stop, wondering if something was the matter. He felt a bit of a struggle against his hand for a moment, his ears twitching slightly as he finally let Merrimack go. "Don't run off, okay? Mama Ares might be upset if you don't come home with me," he said over his shoulder, floating off to meet with his sister. Merrimack mocked Raylan a little bit as he floated off, folding his arms over his chest as his mood just seemed to dip even lower. What gave that brat the right to act like his guardian? Flapping his wings a little bit, he glided over to the table nearby, crudely landing due to exhaustion. A much needed rest was in order... Sitting down with a huff, the tall feien proceeded to pout as he already started to wish he was back at home.Nerpin Arith gave a small chuckle, and went to give a little bow, but was reminded by the shuffling of her itched, uncomfortable wings, and the falling of a few molted feathers gathering at her feet. Blushing a bit, she shook her head and nodded her head once again to the younger before her - Berra, her name was she believed and gave a genuine smile.
"Hello Miss Berra - the pleasure is all mine" she stated curtiously as she chuckled, overhearing the small conversation that she and the neutral toned Indra had conjured together, still curious of the rustling previously. karma_k As she was hugged, quite saving her the bother of debating leaving the conversation, Berra grinned and hugged her brother back. "I've been okay, Raylan!" she told him. "And you?" Even as she asked, she looked past him at Merri pouting on the table nearby.
Lowering her voice to a whisper, she inquired "...is that---is that Merrimack?" He certainly matched the description of what Globin had told her...but his moodiness was bewildering. It was hard to believe, knowing Globin was deathly afraid of Talon, that he would fall in love with someone who seemed almost exactly like him.
He tripped over his thoughts as Raylan approached and wrapped his arms around Berra. "Stay and… introduce me to your friend." He then paused yet again at the gathering of down at Arith's feet. "Ma'am?"Nerpin Unaware momentarily at the young Indra, she had been breifly spooked by his light inquiry, twitching slightly and allowing more feathers to fall to her feet. Shifting her green hued gaze to him once more, she smiled softly as she tilted her head - a common action - and stated "Yes, Indra? What would you like?" calmly. Neko Girl "Oh, I've been all right. A little restless at home, but much better now that Miss Neko's finally come back home." Raylan nodded a little bit at Kookaberra's question, smiling slightly. "Yep, that's Merri. He...doesn't really like the shop, but I made him come today. I think he needs to get out more, honestly," he replied in a bit of a whisper. Looking to the silver and white feien with his sister, his smile broadened and his green eyes just seemed to shine. He loved meeting new people! "Hello! My name's Raylan," he introduced himself to them, holding his hand out toward the silver feien first for a handshake. "Who might you two be?" karma_k Berra stepped aside a bit so Raylan could meet Arith and Indra properly without her being in the way. Looking to Indra, she gestured at Raylan. "This is my brother, Indra!" she informed him, looking a little embarrassed that it had seemed she was ignoring him. She didn't bother offering Indra Raylan's name since he seemed to have already done that without her.
She was still getting used to this whole multiple-conversation thing after so long of talking one-on-one with Talon and Globin in separate rooms. Nerpin Arith chuckled softly and shook her head abit, looking down gravely at the white feathers falling from her long wings "Aye.. that's about right my dear.. It's a hassle.." she started. Looking down at them, her mouth crooked in a weird grin/frown and shrugged a bit "They itch and bother me, but I figure it's for the best." she finished with a sigh, and then turned her attention to the new addition to the group.
Giving a bit of an awkward smile, she looked at raylan before nodding to him curtiously "Pleasure to meet you dear, I'm Arith." Neko Girl Realizing the hand had been put out, Raylan took hold and gave one firm shake with a smile. "I like your hair, actually. It's all shiney and long... it would be a shame to cut it!" he blinked, tilting his head slightly. "And actually, a social visit. With everyone that lives with me, I don't have a need to do my own shopping quite yet."
On the top shelf sat a stone, thrumming softly with a warm light. The colors were hot reflected in his eyes. There was red, orange, and crackling veins of black spread over its entirety. After a few moments he realized he had been staring. "What is that?" He asked to anybody with an ear open to him. And... he fell asleep.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:12 am
Shop Visit Part II He found his stone… and stole it XD 11/08/04 Indra Indra grumbled and rolled onto his back, scratching at his scalp. Why was he so cold? He opened his eyes and with a start realized he had fallen asleep on the glass countertop in the shop. How? bizarre. And what had enraptured him so thoroughly that he would just nod off in the open? His eyes scanned the expanse of wall until they fell on that same glowing stone. So that had been the point of fascination had it? He stood, dusted himself off, and drifted over to the shelf.
He landed on the ledge and stood a wingspan's length from the stone. Now Wasabineko had plenty of various stones scattered about her room. There was a cube of malachite, a slab of serpentine, and a polished orb of clear quartz but Indra had never given them any heed. There were all just part of the decor. But this… this stone was different and Indra could feel it tingling over his skin. Tentatively he reached out a hand. Irisa Irisa flew into the shop. It was rather late by now, but that never seemed to stop most feien from coming to the shop, before. Sure enough, there was one right there at that very moment. A male (as much as feien had genders) feien with extraordinarily long hair. ...albeit not as long as Nero's. He seemed to be observing a stone of some sort. Irisa wondered what was going on.
"Hello." she greeted politely as she flew over. "My name is Irisa. I... hope I'm not disturbing anything?"
She paused, wondering what was going on. Hmm... Selene A lithe form flickers through the shadows, supported effortlessly by deep blue wings. Luminous, tilted silver eyes gaze around her, taking in the once familiar scenery of the Feien shop. The figure perches lightly on a rafter, the moonlight casting strange shadows on her face. She sighs quietly, wondering if they even remember her here. It wasn't as if she cared that much, but still, it was nice to have friends. The bright silver orbs search for any friendly faces amidst the gloom, pausing on the unfamiliar young fairy on the shop counter. The tall figure drifts down to land on a lower perch on a dusty shelf with a barely audible thump, watching the lad investigate the gems. Irisa From the corner of her eye, Irisa noticed a new feien entered the room. An adult, apparently, judging by her looks. Well, she obviously had to be more experienced than a young feien like Irisa was, then. She seemed to be observing, as if she was looking for something. In a way, it reminded Irisa of Quantel, except without the shadow magic hiding her.
Hmm... well, if she were like Quantel, then she probably didn't want to be bothered until she chose to be bothered (in essence, she would come over when she wanted to, right? At least, that was how Quantel seemed to act). Still, to be polite, the young feien looked at her and smiled to acknowledge her presence, before turning back to the young long-haired feien to whom's company she was currently employed. Raylan Raylan opened his eyes slowly, blinking a little bit as his body began to uncurl from his balled position on the table, two white feathers still being held protectivly in his left hand. Had he been asleep all day...? Surely that couldn't have been a good thing. Holding his free hand over his mouth, he yawned quietly as he sat up, stretching out his arms, legs, and back along the way. His green eyes scanned the room for a moment, looking for the adult he'd brought with him the night before. Had Merrimack gone home without him...? The bi-colored feien wouldn't put it past him, given the distance the much bigger feien prefered to keep between them. No matter... it wasn't like he couldn't get home by himself, right? Standing up slowly, Raylan took a better look at the shop. It still seemed rather empty... But a few new faces were around it seemed. Indra was still there, and Irisa seemed to have come in. A slight buzzing sound filled his ears for a moment, but the source was no where to be seen. Perhaps he'd find out what it was later... Indra This place certainly came to life as darkness fell. Indra took a step back from the stone, his hand falling to his side. "No… You aren't disturbing me at all. Either of you. I was just taking a closer look. Do either of you know what this is? I've never seen anything like it." He squinted at youth through his polished stone eyes. "You… remind me of someone." Irisa "This stone seems very... curious." Irisa remarked as she peered to get a closer look. Hmm... she had a feeling about it. A feeling... of sadness? Wow, now Irisa wished she had been able to learn that magic detection spell (well, truthfully, she wished she had been able to learn ANY spell, but specifically right now, the magic detection spell would have done nicely).
"Perhaps you could ask one of the elders about it?" the young feien inquired. "There are instructions to reach them posted on the bulletin board. Or... I'm sure more experienced feien may drop by the shop to tell you what it is."
How curious. She was sure there was something about this stone, though. But... right now, there were other things on the table, too. Irisa reminded him of someone? That was curious.
"No, I don't believe we've ever met..." Irisa began, before realizing what it might have been. She calmly added, "Although I'm the offspring of Tahki and Talonfaust, as is my brother Raylan, here. You may have met them, before."
With that, she turned towards her brother, whom she had just noticed in the shop.
"Good day, brother. It's nice to see you." she smiled cheerfully. Raylan Raylan smiled at his sister, reaching over to give her a quick hug. "Hello, Irisa!" he greeted her, folding his arms behind his back and folding his wings down over his shoulders. "I haven't seen you in a little bit." Looking to Indra, he continued to smile. "Hello to you, as well! How are you both this evening?" Irisa "I'm doing pretty well, thank you. Just... trying to learn some spells, still." Irisa politely but happily returned the hug. "How have you been doing, brother?"
She turned to look at the other feien and nodded.
"This fellow has found the most interesting stone. I... believe there's more to it, although I'm trying to recall exactly what." the young feien remarked, before looking at the feien with the stone. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't believe I know your name, yet." Selene Selene noticed the little fairy who had been curled up asleep in a corner only after he yawned. There certainly was an abundance of the little ones these days, it seemed. Selene glanced over to the other tiny feien, who smiled up at her. She returned the friendly smile politely, and circled down to rest near the place where the three tiny fairies were talking. She nodded politely to them, not recognizing any of the names they mentioned. A hint of a wry smile crosses her face, I must have been gone longer than I thought... Indra "Well. Very well. Just pondering the mystery of this stone." He drifted a little to the right to let others get a closer look. "Do you know about it? It's not any normal chunk of rock that is for sure." He knelt and looked at from slightly below. The moonlight only barely filtered through the numerous veins and cracks, seeping like blood from a still knitting wound. Ooo. That was a dark thought. Indra shook it out of his head. Where had that come from?
He stood again, covering his mental falter. "Magic, perhaps? I'm still too young to know such things on instinct." He tapped his midfinger and thumb together, feeling a slight spark of energy crack between them like a flint. He knew there was magic inside him, and he guessed but the constant roiling that it was strong. It made his markings feel as if they were billowing over his skin. Was it the same for his fellow youth? "And why… is it in a shop filled with such everyday things if it is so rare?" Raylan Raylan glanced to the stone for a moment, a bit intrigued by the red color. "I've been all right, Irisa," he said a bit absently as his mind began to wonder about the stone, the drone of Indra's voice echoing through his thoughts. "Berra was asking about magic the other night... I wish you luck, hm? I know very little might." His thoughts were interupted by the buzzing sound once more, his ears twitching slightly as he turned to see what it was. Spotting the adult female, he smiled, turning a little more as she landed in introduce himself. "Hello, ma'am," Raylan greeted with a slight bow. "My name is Raylan. Who might you be?" Irisa "I was... kind of forced to learn my initial spells at a young age. Although I still don't know what this stone is. I wish I brought my notes." Irisa sighed as she glanced at the stone. "Hmm... but it does seem to ring a bell."
With that, the young feien took to pondering. She had memorized a lot of her notes, after all. It shouldn't be too hard to recall (although it would be nice if a memory feien were around). Hrm... she didn't recall any such stone on the item order catalogue. Just... pebbles and gems, neither of which were this large. Although it did look like a gem...
A gem.
Gemstone!
Irisa stared at the stone curiously. Well now, that was certainly... surprising, to say the least. Could it possibly be...?
"I wonder if it's..." Irisa paused. No, calling it a corpse or the remains of a feien sounded so morbid for this instance when they had yet to confirm what it really was.
"I wonder if it's a gemstone." she finally remarked. Whether or not this feien knew the connotations of that noun, Irisa didn't know, but it sounded like a much more proper term to use before they had confirmed the identity of the object. Irisa Irisa looked at her brother and smiled. "Thank you, Raylan. I appreciate it."
...hmm, well, her brother finally gave a formal greeting to the only adult in the shop. It would make sense for Irisa to do the same.
"Oh yes, hello." she nodded to the taller blue feien. "My name is Irisa." Selene Selene laughed a little at Raylan's use of the title, her usual apprehension at introductions broken. "My name's Selene, you needn't call me ma'am, though." Her voice was light and very musical, though a little quiet and airy, as though she seldom used it. She nodded politely to his sister with a smile, "Hello there, Irisa. Nice to meet you." She turned to the tiny silver fairy, belatedly remembering to lean down so she was somewhere near eye level with him. She asked kindly, "And what's your name, little one?" Irisa "Ah. It's nice to meet you too, Selene." Irisa nodded as she turned to look at the long-haired feien to see if he'd answer Selene's question, although he seemed rather preoccupied in the stone at the moment.
It... probably was a gemstone, wasn't it? Hard to tell when Irisa never saw one before, but it seemed like a plausible enough hypothesis. But... what was it doing here? Did someone actually kill a feien in the shop?
...no, she'd better not go off ringing any alarms before anything could be proven. That could only cause trouble. Indra And, unfortunately, Indra did not understand the connotations of the term Gemstone. If he had then this would not have been an issue at all for he would have been able to put the sensation and lore together. As it was he looked at Irisra with a hidden look of confusion at what he saw as an obvious statement. "Well of course it is a gem… but I think it's something more than that. I mean. That paper weight down there is a gem, but it doesn't feel or act or look anything like this one."
He turned to the tall woman, appealing to what he knew was a elder knowledge of these things. "My name is Indra. I'm… still getting used to things here." He jumped straight into his query from there. "Do you know, Ma'am?" Selene Selene smiled at his curiosity. "I'm Selene, nice to meet you. As to your question... Well, I haven't been around here in a long time, myself, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask. If you'll excuse me?" She stood up straight and walked over to the shining gemstone. She brushed a hand across the smooth, slightly warmed surface of the clearly magical gem. Her expression darkened a little. It was indeed a feien gemstone, as Irisa had said, although she didn't recognize its presence, it must have been one of the feien she hadn't yet met. She removed her hand respectfully, studying the gem for a moment while she considered what to tell the young feien. She turned back around, choosing her words a little carefully so as not to scare the little fellow. "It's as Irisa here said... a feien gemstone." She explained further,"It used to be a fairy, but... he or she has passed on, leaving this behind. " She motioned to the gem. "It must have been left for the shop to watch over, that's probably why it's here." Jaes Irisa wasn't sure what to say. 'Congratulations, Indra. You found a dead body. You can merge with it to gain power.' just... didn't sound right. ...sigh. Irisa took the time to study all of the lore of the feien that was made publically available by the shop, but there were some things you could never learn from it. Such as what feien culture should be like.
Human culture, for instance, would probably be quite horrified at the thought of being able to merge with a dead humans' remains. Feien on the other hand... well, the shop lore was more than happy to mention it.
...Irisa just wasn't prepared for this sort of thing. She was just a young juvenile feien who read a lot. Obviously, someone far more wise would be better suited to the task.
"I think it'd be a good idea to ask the elders about it." Irisa nodded, as she put her own hand on the gemstone. "If it really is a gemstone, then... well, gemstones are... special."
'Special' was all she could think to say. No wonder why Oxygen kept on telling Irisa to go out and see the world in order to truly learn. Reading books and bulletin board notices didn't teach her how to deal with this sort of thing at all. It was nice that Selene confirmed its identity. ...and guiltily, that Irisa got to sneak in a touch of her own.
...so this was a gemstone, huh?
"Well, it's getting late, I suppose. I must be off. Good night, all. Goodnight, brother." Irisa happily nodded. She was getting tired, and she had a lot to think about, now. With that, she took to the air and was off. Indra His eyes widened at the revelation. "A feien? That used to be a feien?" He took another step back, his mind rapidly processing. It explained much but left him feeling even emptier. Or maybe the growing pit in his stomach was something else. He didn't like this idea of feien dying, let alone leaving behind unrecognizable pieces of rock… Something else dawned on him. He spoke with a bit of a waver in his voice. "Why is it in a shop...? Things in shops get sold... for money or jewels or favors." Neko Girl Raylan blinked a few times, listening intently to Indra and Selene's conversation, waving to Irisa when she left. Gemstone... A feien gemstone. Ares had mentioned something about those before, hadn't she? Or was it his mother that mentioned the loss of a few friends? Did all gemstones end up in the shop...? Dragonfyre Selene shifted her feet uncomfortably at the akward silence. She didn't know what she ought to say to the little fellow, he was obviously upset by the idea. She fiddled absently with a lock of her hair hanging over her shoulder, unintentionally starting a small braid in it. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she tucked the small braid back behind her ear, and thought for a moment. She leaned forward and put a hand gently on the little fairy's shoulder, "It's not like that... With humans, the remains of a person are treated like something filthy, to be buried away. Feien leave behind a memory of what they were, in a gem like this one. It isn't the same thing... As for the shop, as far as I know, they are only brought here for protection, and the company of other feien." She sighed uncomfortably, unsure of how to explain properly what she was trying to say. "Perhaps you should speak with one of the elders, as Irisa said, they may know more of such things than I do." She looks up, gauging the time of night by the position of the moon. "It's late now, I'd better be heading back." She turns back to the young feien with a gentle smile, "Don't worry too much about it, little one." She flutters towards the door, disappearing into the shadows before she reaches it, but the quiet whisper of wings can be heard heading back towards town.
He clapped his hands together in a cloud of dust motes and dove from the shelf, catching a draft mid descent and gliding the rest of the way to the floor. Kookaberra was right. There were many feien to meet and all with some good in them but this newest acquaintance, a red stone with no face or name left on a display shelf as a commodity, left him uneasy. The door had been left a jar and he was grateful. It would have been a lot harder for him to lift the mail slot cover and slip under than push through as he had done the night before. He slipped through with ease and floated down to the threshold into the night air.
He only made it a few steps before something caught his attention. At first it was the sensation that someone had followed him out of the shop. He turned in place a few times, his cloaked wings rustling behind him, but saw no one. The feeling however, remained. Curious and filled with the energy that can only be fueled by a bout of paranoia he crept to the edge of the stone stoop and peered through the shrubbery. Whatever he was looking for it wasn't showing itself without a little more effort from the young feien. It was effort that Indra, foolishly enough, was willing to give. He slid off the safety of the stone step and into the flowerbed where darkness, vermin, and brambles no doubt awaited.
A long twig was the first thing to come to his side. He grasped it firmly to beat back long blades of grass and remnants of long abandoned spider webs as he penetrated the suburban underbrush. Occasionally he stopped to listen and to feel. It was close. It was not leering from above nor creeping from behind, but rather level, still, and unthreatening, almost waiting. As he moved further from the door the presence shifted to his read and he realized that he had passed it. Turning he moved closer to the outer wall of the shop until, at last, he spotted it.
It was a stone, round and smooth with only the most minute of crystalline flaws. With his experience in the shop so fresh in his mind it took no time for Indra to realize what this was. Hues of violet and indigo shone through the grime that muddied its surface. The gem had long since countersunk into the earth a good measure as the soil weakened beneath it with the seasonal rain. He lowered his staff as he approached. How had this stone met its fate? Scenarios popped up one after another. Had a feien tried to enter the shop only to be met with a strike by a haphazardly thrown open door and die without notice? Or perhaps a hole in the pocket of some ignorant sort let this "bauble" escape the dreary, dusty shelf and enter the wilds of the yard?
He scanned his surroundings, searching for witnesses and finding none. Satisfied he crouched until their heights were level and places his hands on the surface. He brushed a window through the mud to gaze into the center of the gem. His own reflection stared back, tones of night reflecting in his skin and giving him the slightest hint of color. "My name is Indra," he picked off a bit of grit that clung resolutely to the mirror, "a lot of people have been asking that today, so I just guess you would ask that too if you could. Now you don't have too." He was quiet for a spell, still studying intensely the polished structure before him.
"I don't think this is where you wanted to end up… in the mud with a some ants and a mushroom for company. I could take you inside but to tell you the truth, I would rather be here and forgotten than on a shelf and bartered for. So… how do we solve this? I can't just walk away, knowing you are here." He chuckled as a slightly morbid thought came to his head. "Well I could if I then immediately jumped off a bookshelf. Apparently that helps me forget things quite effectively."
He stood again and gave one last look over his shoulder. "I think I have to make this decision for you." He circled round to the back of the stone and gave a hardy shove, rolling the marble out the indentation in the earth. The full height of the stone came to his waist and was far too cumbersome to be carried in flight. He looked out towards the sidewalk and took a deep breath. "Forgive me, but this is going to be a long trip."
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Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:41 am
Paani hun ya me aag hun? ye paas aa ke dekh
Kya hai mera mizaag. Ye mujme samaa ke dekh
"Was this wrong? I could take it all back and no one would know. I could take a lot back and no one would know. And what I couldn't take back could be easily forgotten."
Paani hun ya me aag hun?
"Why do we do this to ourselves?"
The stone was still and silent in its resting place, keeping its opinions and wisdom wrapped within sheet after sheet of luminous mineral far from Indra's reach. The young feien gave a short sigh and rested his head between his palms. The heels of his hands dug into his temples as again he the echo of a thud of flesh on a wooden table caused his mind to lurch inside his skull.
"Wouldn't it be better to just let it all go? It's fear isn't it? Fear of becoming nothing. Is that really something to be so afraid of? Nothing does not feel. It does not think. If we were to die as humans do we would cease to be and think nothing of it." He stood again, his reflection swinging across the conclave interior of the colander Wasabineko had given him to call his home. "I mean... I can't remember anything before I came into being, so it follows that I wouldn't remember anything after I ceased to be." He paused, turning back to the stone. "I suppose that is a frightening thing. I am the person that my life will matter the most to and if I were human... I would remember nothing of it. But those who I've only briefly touched like Ms. Wasabineko, Ms. Karma, and Miss Berra and her family, they would remember if only for a little while." He knelt before the stone, his eyes shining indigo with its reflection. "Is that why? Do you want to remember yourself better than any other? Or... do you truly want to live again?"
The stone still gave no answer, not that Indra was expecting one. Never the less he felt some strange guilt for badgering the stone as he was. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't bother you like this. I am sure that regardless of why you are here you deserve your rest." He pulled the scrap of fabric cradling the stone tighter around its base and rose to his feet. He had much to think about now, like what he would want for himself at his death, but the wiser half of him, the cheery, charismatic, non-brooding half of him, warned that nothing good would come of dwelling on it here and now. He had other things to deal with.
Like getting settled in
Now Ms. Wasabineko, in her creative tinkerings, had created the most amusing and yet fitting dwelling for the odd elemented feien from an odd bloom. She had taken a stainless steel colander, the sort for rinsing vegetables and draining pasta, and cut a mouse hole shaped portal in its side. She had then reattached it with a little help of a hinge and cold rivets. It amazed him that she could do such things with only a saw, a hammer, and a few fittings she had squirreled away in her numerous crafting cabinets. With a little effort and skill he now had a functioning door that turned a simple piece of kitchen paraphernalia into a comfortable and private flat for her bondling.
The numerous holes puncturing the dome of the bowl let light flicker in beams and reflections, creating a comforting ambiance. Nothing was two harsh or bright nor cast in a consuming blanket of shadow. For the times that Indra desired complete darkness, he could retire to a converted tea box filled with terry cloth, satin, and fleece and unfurl the drapes held back by lengths of silken cord. If he wished light, he could throw open the door facing the bay window of the larger room and let it poor in.
As it stood, the bed, the stone and a miniscule red box were the only inhabitants of his abode. Wasabineko had explained that she didn't want to clutter his private space with things that might not appeal to him, so she held off creating until Indra could tell her himself what he needed. The bed was the only thing she felt certain he would need. Truth be told? he hadn't slept much in the last few nights. But he wasn't about to hurt the woman's feelings any. The stone he had, of course, brought in himself. Did he regret the action? Was hard to say. It forced him to think and that, from what he understood, was a good thing. The box was from Miss Kookaberra. It contained no personal sentiment, only a simple "To," "From," and a brief set of instructions. If the stone hadn't rolled into his life so abruptly, this object and its purpose would have been at the forefront of his ponderings. As it stood, it was only a small mystery amongst that dozens that were popping up every hour in an unending onslaught.
He was done for the night. The next few days held the promise of meeting more of his kind and perhaps gaining a little more understanding of all that was going on. He felt that he was a character who entered the story a few chapters too late. A figure impossible to integrate and was thus doomed to stand at the back of the party until the right monster chose him as fodder. It was hardly a fate he was resigned too. A feien didn't need a foretold purpose or destiny to be a vital thread in loom. He would weave himself into this tapestry yet.
((Translation of Urdu Poetry above
"Am I water or am I fire, Come to me and see
What is how I feel, become within me and see."
-Abid))
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:18 pm
((This was a short, informal RP done over AIM between Youkochylde and I. It is sadly unfinished, but it is both surprising and amusing to see the chemistry created by the fallacy-ridden logic of one feien and the warped reality of another. Thank you to Youko for cleaning it up and for letting it be posted 3nodding ))
W: *plucks a whisker from My Cat*
W: Mr. Cat I mean...
Y: Ankou: INFIDEL! *Attacks hand*
W: O_O Infi-what?
W: It was kinked... it had to be removed
Y: Ankou: *Gnaws on hand*
Y: I don't think he's listening. O_o;;
W: Is it poisonous? *shakes hand a little*
Y: That would be my Death Feien.
Y: Ankou: *Growls, clinging like a burr*
W: Am I going to die?
Y: I doubt it. Not unless you're allergic to feien. *Watches*
Y: Ankou: *Bites along the side of your thumb*
W: So... if I poke it with hot match head will it let go like a tick?
Y: I have no idea, but please don't.
W: Then... how do I get him off?
Y: Umm... give him back the whisker?
W: but... the whisker is bent.
Indra: Is there something the matter Miss Wasa?
Y: Ankou: YOU HURT MR. CAT!!!
W: I groomed Mr. Cat!
W: Indra: *pries whisker from Wasa's hand and offers it to Ankou.*
Y: Ankou: *CLINGS to it tightly, leaving off chewing on Wasa's hand*
W: Indra: So... Is is the toy you love or the whisker?
Y: Ankou: *Glares at him for a moment, then clings to Mr. Cat* She hurt him...
W: Indra: Yes. She did. Hurt him in that... way that inanimate objects become hurt. You'll have to forgive she's a bit of a... perfectionist
Y: Ankou: *Peers from between the Puri's ears, eyes narrowed* He was perfect BEFORE.
W: Indra: *he cocked his head to the side, stepping closer to Ankou and the Puri.* So if he is now less than perfect... do you like him less than you did before?
Y: Ankou: *Clings tighter, as if defying the other feien's words* No. He's mine and I love him and he's going to be just FINE. *Brings up the whisker then, trying to reattach it to the plushie's face.*
W: Indra: Well then no harm done then. You know if you don't give him back his whisker you can love him in two places at once... and that is kind of neat. Like... if you had to be somewhere where Mr. Cat couldn't be. Not to say that Mr. Cat isn't a mobile fellow...
Y: Ankou: *Still tries to reattach the whisker* But he needs it...
W: Indra: *leans on one of the little plush wings* Needs it for what?
Y: Ankou: He needs it because it's his. *A very simplistic answer, indeed.*
W: Indra: A lot of things are mine... doesn't mean I need them attatched to my body. Though that would be really convenient
Y: Ankou: It's part of him. *The feien grunted faintly as he fought to get the whisker back through the plushie's fur.*
W: Indra: Would you like my help? Healing things don't seem to be your specialty, if you don't mind me saying so. *He smiled with a spark of charismatic warmth* I've been told I have a gentle touch.
Y: Ankou: *Looks at the other feien distrustfully for a moment, then grudgingly hands over the whisker. He stays nearby, keeping a VERY close eye on Indra.* You'd better not hurt him...
W: Indra: *takes the fine black whisker and licks his finger tips before dragging them along the length of the polyester strand. They stopped at the slight kink and began to gently work it straight. He didn't want to stress the plastic too much, lest it snap in two.*
Y: Ankou: *Watches carefully, chin resting on his hands as he keeps a careful eye on everything Indra was doing.*
W: Indra: *The kink became a soft paranthetical bend. Some might say it even had a little character to it. He tested the balance on his index finger and once satisfied began to study Mr. Cat's muzzle.*
Y: Ankou: You're sure you know what you're doing? *He was nervous, that much was obvious... not necessarily a normal reaction, but no one ever said the death feien was a smart one.*
W: Indra: Honestly *he alternated open and shutting one eye and then the other.* No. But *he parted the fur to nap and began scan through the rows of pile.* I trust me.
Y: Ankou: *Narrows his eyes again* Why should I trust you...
W: Indra: I would have to say because I have had very few opprotunities to be corrupted.
Y: Ankou: *Still wary* And just how am I supposed to know that... I don't know you from Adam. *He had picked up some of Youko's phrases, that being one of them.*
W: Indra: *Kept speaking as he routed about the fur* Ms. Wasa has a brother named Adam. She doesn't talk about him much but I saw a picture. So that makes two degrees of seperation between me and Adam. Trust me now?
Y: Ankou: *Blinks at that, looking for all the world like a monkey trying to do a math problem as he tried to figure that out.*
W: Indra: I'll take your silence as a vote of confidence. *He finally spotted the original puncture in the plushie's fabric brushed the fur back.*
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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 3:22 am
Shop RP backdated to November 14th and 15thIndra There was a rustling. A gentle flutter like a napkin falling to the ground. Indra had returned to the shop. Like his first visit he came without company but he also came sporting a small sack with a bit of hemp running through its side to serve as a handy sack. The only thing his home was lacking more than stuff was a place to keep that stuff that would some day be. He wished to be fully prepared for the random occurrence of items. He was most fortunate that his one possession, a paranormally sealed package, already came in box form. Otherwise it would float aimlessly about his colander without a permanent station. Thus, he came to the shop seeking any manner of containers. He was going to be prepared.He glided over to the shelf of flatware and pulled a small scrap of paper from his pack. As if he needed anymore proof of how awkward he could be in this world, he was now struggling with the adhesive. He had torn the paper from the wrong side of the post-it note pad. He flapped his arm a few times, the pale yellow paper swishing to and fro. Well... at least this would make his bill easier to leave provided he could get it off. Indra So then. Six chests, eight cups, and eight empty vials. He could not in his own mind imagine over needing more than this to keep his possessions in order. He flew each item down to the counter and set them in perfect, regimental rows, creating a prismatic army of organizational paraphernalia. Now the question at hand was did he have any chance of getting these home in one trip? The cups and vials no trouble but 6 chests? Perhaps he should have brought his bond along. He stretched his arms over his head and began rearranging the cups, pairing up each cup with its like colored box and placing 4 vials each into the two odd colored orange and brown cups. Of course this did nothing to help with his dilemma, but there was a strange comfort to be found in the logic of rearranging his bounty. Many feien had entered the shop since he had arrived the night before, and as he looked up his stomach flipped with the realization that he didn't know any of them. Aria Aria nodded, snickering softly. "Reminds me a bit of a couple of my housemates. Ian sometimes, Lilyana sometimes." She glanced over, and waved to the silver feien. Oh...he was pretty! She hadn't seen a silver colored one before! "Hi! Need some help there?" she called. Indra "I'd be lying if I said no, but would be truthfully honest if I said I didn't know how I could be helped." He nudged the outer brown cup a fraction of a millimeter inward to balance the line. "I think I am being under prepared for being over prepared, if that makes any sense" Shalafi Shalafi was thoroughly confused then, having no idea who this new feien was OR what he was doing. "Come again?" he asked softly, turning towards the voice curiously. Aria Aria giggled. "He's trying to take a load of stuff I assume back home, alone," she explained to Shalafi. "He has it all stacked up, but there's no way he can do it alone." She turned back to the new feien. "Want some help?"Indra "Well you see, as it stands I own nothing. Well, I do own one thing, but it’s a box so it doesn’t really need a place to be. But my bond has many, many things. So many things in fact that she has run out of places to put them so, if it is inevitable that I am to acquire possessions, I want to be prepared." He gestured to the array of chests, cups and vials. "So here I have everything I will ever need for my needs, but no way to get them where they are needed." He nodded, smiling in that slightly self-deprecating way one does in a moment of inadequacy amongst peers. Shalafi "What about your bonded?" Shalafi offered, getting to his feet and walking towards Indra's voice. "Couldn't he or she help you take th em back? I mean, it's probably a lot for us to carry, but when I need help with things, Youko can usually move it easily." Aria Aria liked this feien. He was a smart one. "Actually, they do get delivered to your house. But if you want me to help you take them home, I'm happy to help." She really didn't want to leave Shalafi here alone however. And she couldn't speak for him either. She turned to the white feien. "Would you want to help? As long as we talked, I'm sure you could stay with us. Otherwise, I'll wait until you leave, cause I wouldn't feel right leaving you here alone without someone to talk too. I get lonely without someone around." Shalafi "I'll help if you like." Shalafi turned towards Aria then, smiling faintly. "Sometimes being alone isn't that bad. It's nice to have the quiet to think without interruption." Aria Aria nodded. "I'm sure it is, but I got use to having Ian around. Only time it's quiet is when it's night and we're all asleep." She giggled. "Otherwise, there's always noise. And if it was quiet...I think I'd freak out."Indra "I've... never thought to ask her." He thought back on the time he had spent with Wasabineko in the past 3 weeks and realized he had never once called on her for any task. He accepted what she gave but never thought to ask for more. He scanned the row, switching two cups and chests around so the green and red rested side by side. "Should I? I'm not exactly sure what a bond is for..."
He began placing cups inside chests, splitting the vials and odd cups amongst the 6 and flitting over to the spools of string on the counter. "I don't think I will need to buy anything from the shop again, so if you help me this once I can promise that I won't need to beg a favor again... and of course I will have to do something for you as well. My bond explained this to me shortly after I was summoned." He searched around for some sort of blade to slice through the lengths of thread he pulled from the basket. "Oh, and of course I forgot again. Apologies. My name is Indra."
Aria Aria smiled. "I'm Aria, pleased to meet you. And no, you don't have to return the favor. I'm happy to help!" She picked up the red chest. "Just lead the way to your house!"Shalafi "I'm afraid... I can't lift much," Shalafi said meekly, wings folding tightly against his back. "I can barely manage to carry my Pixa around. Aria Aria bit her lip. "That's alright, not everyone can be like a he-man!" she said cheerfully. "Besides, Shalafi, you're a very nice person to be around and if anyone makes fun of you cause you have poor strength, then they're not worth knowing! I can barely lift the controllers for the game systems at home! We all have strengths and weaknesses." She looked around for something light he could carry. "How about a couple of the cups or something? Something light. And I'll be sure to fly along side you, so if you get tired, we can rest without leaving you."Indra "A little friendly company would do me well. And er..." He scanned the counter top looking for something he could give Shalafi that would make it easier for him to contribute. His eyes landed on a silver coronet underneath the glass. Sure, it was a little frivolous but he was getting tired of using splinters of wood to keep his mane of hair in check. He abandoned his string-gathering project to slip inside the case and remove the small ring of silver. "I can't wear this right now and I don't want it to get dinged in my pack. Would you mind carrying it?" It was a vain attempt, but an attempt none the less. Shalafi "I think that would work well," Shalafi said, taking the coronet and setting it on his own head as a means to carry it as he scooped up the cups that Aria had held towards him. "As long as one of you keeps talking and you don't make any sudden movements, I should be alright."
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Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2004 6:06 am
"Do fish really come out this late in the day?"
"It's not so much a matter of if they come. It's a matter of when I can be here to catch them, Indra dear. I suppose morning might be the better choice, but that is really only if you can spend the whole day in your waders with a beer and bucket. I, unfortunately, have neither the day, the waders, nor the booze. I do, however, have a bucket, an hour, and this here rod. We can make do with what we have and still have a fine time." Wasabineko set her load on the grass bank and collapsed beside it with a gentle uprising of plant fluff and gnats. It had been a just horrid week for her. Classes were more demanding than ever, and her outside connections, mainly family, were growing increasingly more distant. She had hoped, perhaps selfishly, that the introduction of Indra into her life would make up for her shortcomings. But, it seemed at this point that she was failing the bondling even more than herself. Everyday she came home so find that Indra had managed something without her... something that would have been so much easier if she had been their at his side. There were the feien-sized items from the store that he had picked up and carried home. There was the growing list of strangers turned acquaintances without her watchful eye. There was the stone... the stone that she still did not understand where it came from but trusted that Indra had acquired through proper channels. Well, trust may have been too strong. She simply hoped that that was the case and left the rest for someone else to fret over. Truth be told Indra just seemed be getting along fine without her, and this was troubling. Other than a large bump on the head and a piece of flatware to call his own, she had a hard time figuring out what she had added to this fairy's existence.
So today was a day of atonement: Fishing atonement. She had managed to shift enough things in her schedule to clear up this hour of daylight and she was intent to jam as much quality time as she could manage. Of course she was also going to make more of a effort at home, but certainly a little celebration of her new resolve wasn't out of order.
Indra weaved through some nearby cattails, occasionally clipping a loose tube and sending a flutter of seed chutes to the water below. After a particularly solid collision Indra fell with the debris a foot or two and caught himself a few inches above the water. He hovered, gazing past the surface, through the water, and into the weed and muck. "So there are fish in there? I don't see any."
Wasabineko tested the reel, giving it a few spins. "Well from where I am standing and looking I don't see any feien. Doesn't mean there isn't one nearby now does it" She winked and then cast the line into the lake.
"Oye. Fair enough." He drifted out of the weeds, still floating a scant few inches from the water. "So... how can you catch them if you can't see them?"
"Oh it's easy enough. I have these little barbed hooks disguised as insects on this long line I have out in the water. Hopefully, a fish will mistake it for real insect and grab hold. Then the barb will get stuck in it's-"
"Whoa!" Indra straightened and darted to eyelevel with his bond. "You are trying to get it to bite down on a HOOK?! Doesn't that hurt?"
"Well I imagine it hurts a bit. I've had parts of my body pierced. My ears, one of my fingers ((no really. I did)) and it did hurt for about 10 minutes but then it faded" She took out the slack in the line and fixed her eyes on the red and white bobble.
"And the fish just swim up to you when they are hooked?"
"Err. No. They thrash and fight it naturally."
"Did you thrash when you got pierced?"
"Touche. Young Indra. Touche."
"I don't know" He sank back to his position over the water "just seems like a mean thing to do for fun."
Wasabineko smirked a bit and watched the bob tremor once with a slight n** but no bite. "It's not just for fun, you know. Remember the dinner I had last night that I gave you a bit of?"
"The bagel with the cheese and smoked salmon? Yeah. It was good"
"Do you know what a salmon is? It's a fish."
"Oh." He scratched the back of his head "Well... touché then."
She smiled as Indra attempted to through the catch phrase back at her. He picked up things so quickly it amazed her. "So. When I catch a fish I am going to put it in this bucket and when we have enough we will take them home and eat them."
"Well that is good. I still think the hook thing is a little unnecessary. I'm going to try catching them a different way."
"And what way is that might I ask?" As she spoke Indra just continued hovering very still over the water, gazing intently. "You are not going to try to catch them bare handed are you?"
"Well why not?"
She wasn't going to start on the fact that Indra had never shown the particular knack for speed required for such a thing, but she did feel the need to warn him that while know fish small enough for him to catch was going to think him a small enough nosh, there were probably some bigger brutes in the water that would take a chance. "Just... be careful Indra."
"Of course, of course. Always careful"
Wasabineko almost had a response prepared with a fish took a deep bite on her hook. She jerked her rod hard to the right and reeled in steadily. "Come on... come on..." She tried her best to give the fish more of a ride than it was giving her, but it certainly was trying its damnedest to wrench the rod from her hands. "Just... one more foo- AH!" She grabbed her net and scooped the modest trout up from the water. "There we are! Well Indra! What do you-"
"Think of this!" He interrupted, zipping up to eye level with a slippery orange guppy gripped tightly to his chest. "Uh huh! Pretty impressive isn't it"
"More impressive than this?" She held up the green and sliver trout that was easily 5 times Indra's height.
"Well sure. Your fish is so small compared to you... but this fish I can hardly keep a hold onto! That's much more impressive."
"And since when have you been so concerned with impressing people?" Wasabineko asked, unhooking the trout and plopping it in her bucket before reeling in the rest of her line of rigs.
"Since you made a point of trying to impress me."
"That's a really silly reason Indra. Very silly." She gestured for him to drop his guppy into the bucket and added a few of her own which had taken a bite at the smaller rigs without her notice, making a school of 4.
"Why?"
"Because that's my glitch, not yours."
"Glitch?" He cocked his head to the side and drifted to the water beneath Wasabineko's feet.
"Don't worry about it, Dim Sum." She cast her line again. "What do you think about those guppies? They would make a perfect sized meal for you that you can cook over a flame for yourself quite easily. Why don't you catch more?"
"Oh! Okay. But I think you'll have to scare them up again."
Wasabineko smiled as another fish took hold. "Not a problem."
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