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Dear Journal,

I wish my first entry here found me under more chipper circumstances, but I will say unabashedly that I am utterly exhausted. Rasu contacted me yesterday evening to inform me and the others chosen to summon and care for an Ieldi that the village tree had been prepared and it was time to choose a shelf that our nesting totem would rest on.

I answered her summon first out of the five of us and was given free reign to select one of the shelves she had constructed. They ranged in height from relatively low to the tree's base to nose-bleedingly high in the air. Taking into account that I have all of the grace of a pregnant cow on skates and I know for a fact that I will fall from my chosen shelf at least once, I selected a happy medium between the two and chose one in the most serene spot I could find.

First and foremost, its not directly in the line of the others' traffic as it seems to be tucked beneath and slightly-away from everything else. Second of all, it overlooks the pond which, in itself, is soothing. The location is, likewise, convenient as its a short walk from where the farming terrace will one day be. All in all, I think I've selected a decent spot, but time will tell, I suppose. For all I know, maybe choosing an out-of-the-way location will end up working against me as it might be harder for the spirits to notice my shelf.

Speaking of my shelf, that would be why I'm so exhausted. I've spent the last few hours fussing over decorating it. The thing is, I'm not quite sure how one is expected to go about it. We weren't told, precisely, what it is that these spirits like and I'm worried horribly I might end up offending them with one or more of my offerings. Do they like potions? Stuffed animals? Pocky? I don't know!

In the end, I decided to go with my gut feeling and festooned my shelf with various things. Quite unintentionally on my part, the running theme seemed to become blue, white, and silver. I'm not sure why this is, but it looks rather pretty. I think I've finally found an arrangement I'm partial to, but this all could very well change by the time I find other things to add to it. I somehow think, despite the fact I've sworn to myself that I'm happy with how my shelf has been decorated, I'm far from done with it.

For now, though, I desperately need to rest. In one of my trips back down to find more things to add, I stopped by the house and picked up my sleeping bag. I know its pointless to stay here as I don't even have my totem yet, but I suppose there's no time like the present to start getting used to it. Rasu warned me that I would, quite likely, be spending a large part of my time up here for a good while, after all.

Well, I've given up on Mini Shop goods for a bit which, I'm sure, Meka is utterly elated about. He pouted something fierce about his strained shoulders and aching back all afternoon...personally, I think he's perfected melodrama to an art stare

I went back home for a bit to take a nap and search the house for anything else that I thought passing ieldi spirits might find attractive and I came across a snowglobe that I had completely forgotten I had.





Meka said it was the gaudiest thing he'd ever seen when I came back with it and went off to find himself something to eat so I'm currently alone as I write this. The shelf is starting to look thoroughly decorated and tomorrow I'm going to see if I can't find some candles. Its not so much that I think they'd be ornamental, but its moreso that it gets so blasted dark up here once the sun goes down that I have to put everything on hold until I can see again. The ornamental lanterns I've hung up here provide enough light to write by, but not enough to see what I'm doing otherwise, if that makes sense.

At any rate, things are going along smoothly. I've yet to hear from Rasu about the progress of the totems, but I know better than to hassle her about their crafting. Its not as though I'm in any sort of rush...actually, this is fun. I don't get to do things like this very often anymore. Its like decorating a nursery....a very -odd- nursery, but a nursery nonetheless.

I may give Meka a day off today...if nothing else because I don't want him to get burnt out too quickly. Its my hope he'll take an interest in helping me care for the Ieldi spirit when it arrives, after all, and secondly, Daruma has said she might stop by later today and I don't want him around to give her a hard time. The last time those two had a run-in, it nearly came to blows which is quite a contest considering Daruma is one of the most patient beings I know. It really is a pity annoyance isn't a profession or that raccoon would be at the head of his class.

Anyway, time to rest.

Dear Journal,

Mother's Day came and went, it would appear. I was so busy today that I didn't have time to do any decorating on my shelf. I slept much later than I'd meant to, saw that I'd missed Daruma's visit, and then realized I was expected to show up for dinner at my mother-in-law's house in less than an hour!

When I got home to take a quick shower and get changed, there was a message on my machine from the Tahnee Orphanage informing me that my number had come up on their waiting list and that I had been assigned a charge. "His name is Erik" they said. "You'll like him. He's a shy, quiet kid with a huge love for plants and animals."

Their timing was certainly questionable given how full my hands have been lately with preparations, but I called them back and told them I'd be right down. Erik, I'm pleased to say, has been a joy so far. Certainly a welcome change of pace from Meka's crassness.

Once we had finished with Mother's Day dinner and chatting, I brought him to the Village Tree to show him where I've been spending the better part of my week. You should have seen him when he took his first look at it...I thought his eyes would bug out so far they'd knock his glasses clear off his nose!

I took Erik up to my shelf to show him the preparations I'd done so far and explained what the eventual goal was. He became immediately enthralled and offered to help in any way he could with decorating, logging, or otherwise just keeping the shelf company. I think, honestly, he was just looking for excuses not to have to leave when the time came...a place like the Village Tree must be a proverbial goldmine to someone like him and I can't imagine that he had many exciting things happen to him during his stay at the orphanage.

I promised him that tomorrow I'd bring him with me to the Mini Shops to resume the hunt for decorations and in the meantime, told him to get some rest. I hadn't anticipated recieving a Tahnee boy or girl for at least another few weeks so his room is unprepared. Thankfully, I have a couch bed...I wasn't about to ask Meka if he'd share his room. I'd STILL be hearing about it, for crying out loud. I suppose after I get the shelf to my liking, that will be something else I'll need to get done. Never a dull moment around here.

For now, its time to sleep. I have to get up early in the morning to do some grocery shopping. Meka, since I know you probably read this journal as well as leave nastygrams in it, I'm cordially inviting you to get your own damned peanut butter. You're the only one who eats it anyway.

Dear Journal,

I didn't write yesterday because I was caught up with various other things. Namely, I decided to take the boys to see Van Helsing at Meka's urging that he thought Erik might like it.

Translation: HE wanted to see it and Erik was taken along for the ride.

When all was said and done, I think Erik's favorite part of the whole thing was getting a soda all to himself from the concession stand. He seemed not only bored, but offended at the way necromancy and the supernatural was portrayed and I think he annoyed Meka to no end on the drive back by pointing out all of the inconsistancies. xd

I dropped Meka off at the house since I didn't think his help would be needed for the day and realized the candles I'd ordered had finally shown up as Erik and I headed for the Village Tree to add them to the current decorations.

Upon reaching my shelf, the first thing I noticed was a pair of parcels awaiting me on the edge, both with different handwriting on them and notes attached. In the first, was a gently glowing moon-colored orb that had been left by Zydeco. She had, I later learned, presented one to each of the Ieldi keepers as gifts. She says she is not sure of their power or what purpose they serve, but that they, all the same, seemed to remind her of the Ieldi. I feel compelled to agree and send her back my thanks. I have likewise invited her and others to visit my shelf before the relic arrives.

In the other parcel was a small plush beanie toy from the kittybomb shop left by my dear friend Youkochylde. Speaking of Youko, he recieved his Ieldi relic yesterday and I was invited to see it before it was placed in its final summoning position and no visitors would be allowed. Its absolutely gorgeous...ornately carved, engraved with runes, and festooned with peacock plumage. I've no doubt in my mind that Youko will have no trouble attracting an ieldi spirit.

While Erik placed and lit the three candles, I cleared aside a place for my future Ieldi's gifts, placing them to one side in their own location with intentions of explaining to the Ieldi, when it arrived, that these were special presents chosen just for it.

As I was placing a pillow beneath Zydeco's yellow orb, Erik called me over, sounding urgent. When I approached him to ask what was wrong, he pointed at the lit candles where, already, tiny little pixie-like orbs of light had gathered, seeming to nestle close to the warmth of the flame.

"Are those spirits?" he asked me. Truthfully, I didn't know...but it would seem that an Ieldi spirit wouldn't be so bold as to immediately flitter over to a lit candle to roost.

"No. They must be something else." I said, reaching out to poke at the largest. It didn't struggle, nor shy away...its body seemed to have the consistancy of warm jelly and it blinked curious black eyes up at me as I examined it. Whatever they were, they were far from threatening. "Let's just leave them be for now..." I suggested as I went back to arranging things.

As I did so, the spring peepers I'd brought up a few days ago began to chirr loudly in their tank, immediately taking Erik's attention. As he examined the tiny frogs with great interest, I finished organizing things and prepared camp for the night.

That was yesterday...today has been uneventful so far. I took Erik home so that he could bathe and recover from the sore back he acquired from sleeping on the floor of the shelf with me before returning later today on my own. I checked on the tiny glop I had acquired from Pinque earlier and it seems to have reached full size. I placed it near the warmth of the candles so it wouldn't catch a chill as it stays up here during the night and otherwise I've just been waiting. Waiting for what, I'm not precisely sure, but I suppose I'll know when it comes.

Climbing his way up to Karma's shelf, Oni looks about and sneaks a flowerpot on the edge with a note tied to the stem of the flower inside it.
He snickers to himself and hops down to sneak away

The flower chews happily on the note. The note itself seems to be written in haste..with a crayon.



The rest of the note already half eatten.

She flew around a bit, stopping in mid-air and scratching her head.

"Damn, I think I got lost..." Sweatdrop. "Giant treeeeee- AHHH ! There it is !" She closes her wings around herself and allows herself to softly land on the shelf. Seeing the plushie stand, she can't help but let out a smile : her gift would fall right on.

Digging in her pockets, she takes out a small note, pinning it down with a rock so it wouldn't fly off in the wind : she then puts an object beside it.

"2 down, one to gooooo~" She chimes, leaping back in the sky.

The note was written on printer paper, but it was written by hand : with a handwritting that was somewhat inequal, yet effort was shown into keeping it neat. This was somewhat surprising, keeping in mind that she rarely ever used anything else than a computer to write.

The note said....



And beside the note, there was a small cat plushie.

Dear Journal,

Wow, nothing like spending the night on a shelf and realizing you forgot to bring a pillow with you to give you a huge crick in your neck. That's all right, though...I knew it wouldn't ALL be fun and games.

Rasu's spirit seems to be staying near her relic and the rest of us have been informed that, by Rasu's observation, we've all acquired some onlooking vapors as well that look as though they're working up the nerve to approach our shelves.

Thusly informed, all of the keepers, including myself have gone into isolation tonight and are trying to keep the commotion to a minimum to see if we can't attract any of them. So far, everything's been rather quiet. There's a few visitors below us out on the pond, but there hasn't been much else that's been noteworthy.

I added the contents of two more gift parcels today to the others that had been left by Silly and Zero while I slept last night. Both of them were plush toys and thankfully neither of them eat paper, though the butterfly Silly left seems to have had an enchantment of some sort put on it because it tried to fly off as soon as I opened the package. Thankfully, plush wings don't work so well for flight.

I think I'll play my gameboy a little more while I wait for everything to settle down for the night. I don't -think- it will deter any spirits as long as I keep the sound down and don't curse when I lose..

...

On second thought, forget the gameboy. I'll just read for awhile. sweatdrop

The spirit was still here when I awoke, much to my surprise. I thought for sure that it would have left...at least until nightfall if it planned to come back, but there it was. Examining this very journal, in fact. My attempts to speak to it last night hadn't been very successful, but I, not being well-acquainted with the word "defeat" decided to try again.

"Oh you -are- still here!" I grinned, startling it. It zipped away from the journal and I lost sight of it for a minute...the daylight makes them much harder to see, its no wonder nobody's noticed them until the sun has gone down. I thought it had really left this time and as I reached out to pick up the journal and write in it some more, I noticed the spirit huddled in the shadow the relic was casting behind it. Hmm...I scared it, that wasn't a very smart move on my part.

In an attempt to save face, I went into my overnight bag to get out whatever book I was currently reading (I couldn't remember at that exact moment as my mind, understandably, was preoccupied). "Do you like to read?" I asked it, watching as it, very slowly, hovered out from behind the relic and drew nearer by a few inches. At that moment, I found the book and drew it out, immediately angry at myself when I saw it was a Stephen King novel.

Personally, I love Mr. King, but what business did -I- have reading a book about hauntings and supernatural goings-on to a spirit itself? At best, it might find it amusing...at worst, it would be horribly offended. Either way, NOT a good choice. My immediate thought was to put it back in my bag, but it was too late. The Ieldi already seemed interested.

Thankfully, it was one of his short story collections and he tends to put variety in them. I was able to find one that read more like a fairy tale and less like a horror movie which I read to the spirit softly. When I looked up to find it not only still there but seeming to hover closer, I moved to another. And another.

Long story short, I read the Ieldi spirit the entire book, pausing only to take a drink from my water bottle from time to time. Much to my encouragement, it seemed that the spirit enjoyed the reading immensely as, when the book was over, it flittered sharply to the left, and then to the right, as though asking "What, is that all??"

I excused myself from the shelf for a bit, begging the spirit to please stay so I could go get more books for it and left the journal and book I'd just read to it out and open so it could browse them in my absense.

After a quick stop at home to make sure Meka and Erik were doing all right (everything was fine, though the house has gotten messy...typical.), my next stop was the library. I must have given the lady behind the counter a fright when I came out of the back with a huge stack of books in my arms. I haven't looked in a mirror today and it occurred to me that I was so excited about the spirit, I hadn't even brushed my hair yet. I probably looked like I'd rolled out from under a bridge.

Never the less, I'm here again and armed with books. The spirit, however, is not. I've checked the shelf over three times and focused and unfocused my eyes in an attempt to see it, and saw nothing.

It is my hope it has simply gone away until the sun sets and then I'll see it again. I don't think, however, that I've seen the last of it...namely because of a curious something on the previous page...