|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 3:38 am
It looked like a tornado had hit the common room. Papers were strewn all over the one table, and several books had been dumped onto the couch without ceremony or regard for their contents. One of the folding chairs was on its side, legs sticking up in the air, and there was a pile of clothes and linens heaped outside the bedroom door.
Seemingly unaware of all of this, Qing held a seemingly ordinary leaf in one hand, and a magnifying glass in the other. Combined with his everyday glasses, it magnified his eyes to enormous sizes. The grin on his face was large enough without magnification, and every now and then he would cackle and trade his magnifier for a pen, scribbling on one of the many papers around him. He never set the leaf down.
Anandi pushed open the door to the dorm room carefully, like she always did -- to make sure it wouldn't swing back and hit the wall -- as she stepped inside. Her long, striped and spotted tail was drooped a little, her bright eyes fixated on a piece of paper in her hands. She couldn't believe it; she'd gotten a C on her essay. The same essay she'd spent half the night writing and the rest of the night worrying over.
Blasphemers. How DARE they grade her masterpiece that way?
It wasn't until she'd stepped on something softer than the carpet on the floor that she realized something was amiss. Glancing down to the floor, she noticed a few piece of clothing strewn about, making note to herself that they belonged to her roommate. Turning her eyes upward, however, was what had struck her nerves. The dorm was in shambles. And Qing was in the middle of it.
Anandi's tan cheeks grew hot with blush and anger, her body tensing and the fur on her tail and rounded ears bristling. What was that in his hands? A leaf??
"QING!" she hissed loudly, a low growl emitting from her throat. "What IS all this?!"
Not the most alert grape on the vine, Qing didn't notice the door opening, despite the fact that he was facing it. Instead he simply picked the magnifying glass back up and inspected the leaf once more. It appeared so simple, so natural, but he just had to unlock its secrets!
He couldn't not notice his roomate once she adressed him, of course, but that anything might be amiss never occured to him. Looking up in surprise, Qing grinned. "Oh, Nana! A new prroject!" he exclaimed, holding both the leaf and the magnifier out in front of him for Anandi to admire. "Speciarl, just forr me! And you, of courrse. Is it not wonderrfurl?"
Anandi's eyes began to twitch as Qing held the leaf out toward her, not at all amused. Project, huh? Well, his project was MESSY and she wouldn't stand for it.
"I'm going to go into my room, shut the door, and wait 10 minutes," she informed him, turning around and stepping through the door she was standing in front of. "Before you tell me why you have a LEAF inside the dorm, THIS FLOOR BETTER BE SPOTTLESS."
With that, she slammed her door for emphasis on her anger, moving to lean against the back of it to make sure she could hear Qing moving. She couldn't STAND the sight of a mess... especially in areas that could be seen by the public.
Granted, her own room wasn't at all perfect. The small desk had papers and open books sprawled all over it, a few pieces of clothings tossed about on the floor when she was too lazy to put them in the hamper. Her bed wasn't made from this morning, and one couldn't even get STARTED on how her actual closet looked. The ociger was all about appearances; one could be very different on the inside, but so long as they ACTED how society wanted, she could care less. Very few people knew how she really was, Qing being one of them (though not by choice).
Finally, she moved away from the door to grab some clean clothes out of her drawer, wanting to be in something more comfortable now that she was home.
Qing watched the door as it slammed shut, slightly puzzled. Then he simply shrugged and set both leaf and magnifier down gently on the table. "No worrries," ahe told it. "Nana gets rike this. It is easy to fix."
And in his mind, it was. Grabbing the bulk of the clothes, he opened his door and tossed them in. He thought that having them outside in a neat pile would make her happy, for once, but maybe they were better off where she couldn't see. That finished, he righted the folding chair and piled most of the books on that instead, tossing the rest on the mound of junk that was once his bed. Most of the papers he still needed, but the ones he could do without were swept under the couch for safekeeping.
"See?" Qing said aloud, surveying the room, Except for a couple forgotten articles of clothing and corners of paper peeking out from under the couch, the room looked almost clean. "It is not harrd to make things rright."
It hadn't taken long for Anandi to find what she wanted to wear; a pair of capri-styled sweat pants and a loose white t-shirt with the university logo printed on the front. Once she was changed, she tugged her hair upward and tied it in a bit of a messy bun, holding it in place with a couple of unsharpened pencils. Picking up the black rimmed reading glasses off her desk, she put them on while opening the door, examining the space that was once disasterous.
It was still a mess, but at least it was better than before. So long as Qing would clean his things up later, this would do for now. Closing her door patially behind her with her long tail, she crossed her arms over her chest as she raised a brow at the alien. What was he studying now, anyway? Why a mere leaf?
"All right, explain," she demanded, moving herself to the arm of the couch and leaning her hip against it. She would have sat down, but she knew she'd have to get up again once he answered. "Why the leaf?"
By the time Anandi emerged from her room, Qing had picked up the leaf and the magnifying glass again, and was busy studying it for what may have been the twentieth time that day. As he heard the door shut, he looked up and grinned. "It's rlike I said! Speciarl experriment, just forr us! Unusuarl and speciarl!"
With that, he handed the leaf over to Anandi, and the magnifier too, so she could get a good look at the "amazing" experiment in progress. It appeared to be just a leaf, from some sort of unknown tree. It had a stem about half again as long as the leaf itself, and was a bright, glossy green.
"We get to watch, see it grow," Qing said excitedly. "So many chances to get materriarl! And it will grow into something wonderfurl, they say!" Though what, Qing wasn't sure. Nobody was willing to tell him, though they all insisted that it was a great project, even the teacher! How lucky could a shapeshifter get?
The wild cat twirled the leaf between her thumb and index finger as she listened to the shifter drone on, her eyes twitching slightly. Watch it GROW? It was a leaf, broken off of some tree. How the hell was it supposed to GROW into anything?
"At least tell me you didn't PAY for this thing," she sighed, unable to believe how gullible the boy was. What a scam... But, Qing appeared to be having fun, nonetheless. Perhaps she'd let him believe what he wanted for now, and he'd learn in his own way that he'd made a mistake. "Just don't make a mess, okay?"
Anandi held the leaf back out to him for a moment, but then retracted her arm as she smelled something. Bringing the item in question closer to her nose, she gave the greenery a good sniff. There was something different about this leaf... Qing could actually be right. Not wanting to admit to anything, she handed it back without a second thought.
"If I find that thing dead and crumbling all over the floor..." she warned, narrowing her bright eyes slightly.
Qing waited for Anandi to get excited. But instead, she just looked annoyed. "What's wrrong?" he asked, antennae quivering and seeming to shrink just a bit. "I crleaned up, just rlike you asked! No mess!" Was it the leaf that was upsetting her? "I didn't pay. They pay me, for obserrvation!"
It was true, loosely. Helping the lecturers in the science division with their research was not only fun for Qing, it was essential. Without the "job" of sorts, he wouldn't be able to take classes there. As it was, he didn't have much in the way of pocket money, but who needed that when there were leaves to observe?
Taking the leaf back into his delicate care, Qing nodded. "No mess! The prrofessorr says it wirl grrow, so it wirl grrow. No kestions asked!"
Turning herself a little bit, Anandi leaned back until she flopped down onto the couch, her knees drapping over the arm that she had been previously leaning against. That job he had... The science department was always giving Qing weird things to do. She couldn't complain, though, since he had no choice but to work there. Sometimes she thought she was lucky that her parents payed for her tuition.
"Well, what will it grow into?" she asked out of curiosity. Curse her cat-like nature. She wasn't REALLY interested in the leaf, but she couldn't help but wonder about it, and suddenly felt as though she needed to know.
Of course, he hadn't told her that yet! Qing grinned, and he waved the leaf in the air, turning it so that it seemed to be doing somersaults. At least, that's what it looked like in his mind. "Something... speciarl! Something amassing!"
Excited, he joined Anandi on the couch, practically falling into it. His wings made a mess of this, but as soon as he sorted himself out, he presented the leaf dramatically... and then, holding it to his chest, melodramatically. "The rleaf," he said in a deep voice, "is a rrose!"
The cat had moved herself in a frenzy as Qing's wings harrassed her face when he sat down, and what he told her didn't make things any better. She stared at him blankly, her eyes lulled a little bit.
A rose. That single leaf... was going to turn into a rose.
He couldn't be serious. Those guys HAD to be pulling his leg.
In one swift movement, she lifted her hand, curled it into a fist, and bopped the alien on the head with it. She then promptly removed herself from the couch, shuffled into her room, and quietly shut her down so that she could study in peace.
Blinking in confusion, Qing sat in silence for a few moments. What did that mean? Sometimes Anandi was so hard to understand! Was she upset? But she didn't look upset; she wasn't growling or hissing or anything, and her face looked mostly normal.
"Ah, werl," he said to both himself and the leaf. "She'rl see soon, won't she, rrose?" Then, humming a weird tune, he picked himself up again and looked around. Where did he leave his magnifying glass? There were still so many secrets to the leaf, and it wasn't talking. That would just be silly.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 3:39 am
Well, it's started. Qing's gone nuts and brought home a LEAF for his new project. I swear those guys in the science department must have gotten sick of his curiosity and just handed him a normal leaf from outside... But I'll let it go for now. After all, the poor alien seems so happy about this, so I'll let him have his fun.
Ugh... This is short, I'm afraid. I have an exam tomorrow in physics and I REFUSE to ask Qing for any help. If I don't get at least a B this quarter, daddy's going to cut my shopping funds. T__T No fair. This stuff is HARD and I need a new outfit for next week! Maybe Lincy will give me money anyway...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 3:40 am
IT'S BEEN THREE GOD DAMN DAYS. I left it alone. I only touched it ONCE to see if it was drying up, then retreated to my room. What do I find when I look in the mirror?
THE LEAF HAS ATTATCHED ITSELF TO MY HAIR.
I tried pulling on it, but I couldn't get it untangled... I don't want to pull it too hard in case I'll hurt it. Normally, I wouldn't CARE, but this stupid thing is very important to Qing, and as much as I'd like to ruin his fun, I'm that NOT much of a b***h. He was about to take scissors to my precious hair, so I gave him a good fist to his chest... I think he's STILL sprawled out on the floor in the living room.
GOD. Why does this have to happen to ME? If the leaf doesn't get out of my hair by tomorrow, I'll have to wear a freakin' HAT. I hate hats... They aren't designed for animal ears. RGH. This is all QING'S fault!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 3:41 am
I came home today with a nice surprise waiting for me. There was a note on the door addressed to me, saying that there was a package in the mailing room for me. My birthday isn't for a while yet, and my dad knows not to send me anything during the school year because I have no where to keep certain things, so I was really confused until I got to the office and noticed it was from my mother. I was even more shocked when I saw the "gift" and how huge it was. Those bastards at the mailing office said they wouldn't even help me carry it back to the dorm... They wouldn't even let me borrow a TROLLY. Lazy a** cheapskates.
That package was freaking HEAVY. I'm honestly surprised that the box held up... I didn't even want to THINK about how much it actually weighed, but Qing "delightfully" told me it was over 150lbs after he inspected the label. I'll be feeling that in the morning...
So, I don't know WHAT possessed Mother to get me this thing, but what's done is done, and I now have a statue of an incorrectly painted tiger in my living room. Incorrectly painted because it has PURPLE stripes instead of black... Anyway, I guess it's from China or something, so she must be in Asia at the moment. Sometimes I wish she'd give me an address I can send her letters to, instead of being forced to sit here and wait for her to contact me. I don't think I've actually talked to her in almost 5 years...
I'm rambling. Back to this tiger... Mother said that is was special, and represented something about a Chinese legend. I don't really understand it, but I guess Qing will figure it out and tell me about it later. I guess it's not all bad... The statue's pretty, and it kind of makes me feel calm for some reason.
The leaf is still in my hair, but it's detached itself from time to time. Now it just clings to me when I'm home instead of tagging along with me to my classes. I guess my professors must have made it bored somehow.
...Crap, now I'm talking about it like it were actually alive. Though I AM amazed that it hasn't crumpled up yet... Maybe, for once, Qing is on to something. I guess I'll give it a little more time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:00 pm
Qing's Notes
The leaf is stuck in Anandi's hair.
I do not understand how it happened, only that it did. And that she is angry about it. While I would not react in the same way, I understand. In a way I am also unhappy, because she is, and because the experiment must have gone wrong in some way. At the same time I am excited. How did this happen? Could it be a new discovery? While something is definitely wrong, it could lead to something very right.
The science professors at the lab dismiss my reports, saying that the leaf must have been contaminated somehow. I know it has not; I have taken very good care of it. It only had a bit of water each day, enough so that it would not dry out. While it has not been watered lately, other than when Anandi washes her hair, it shows no signs of withering. This too is interesting. I think something unexpected is happening, and I think that whatever it is will be amazing.
I only hope I live long enough to find out.
Qing closed his notebook and looked at the closed bedroom door. He knew that Anandi was out there somewhere, doing something, but he didn't want to bother her yet. If he went out there, she'd surely get mad all over again, and then there would be yelling and fighting and bad feelings that just made the shapeshifter want to turn invisible. While he could disguise himself well, invisibility was not one of his abilities. And he had the suspicion that if Anandi was angry enough, she'd find him no matter what he looked like, and tear up some of the school in the process.
"Arlthough," he said to himself, "Nana is parrt of the experriment now." The cogs turned in his mind, and as a sort of representation of this, his wings fluttered lightly. "So we have to rrecorrd her rreactions." He had run all sorts of tests after the leaf had affixed itself to her hair, but never any on her.
Why hadn't it occured to him before? "Maybe Nana is the sourrce of the anomarly! Orr... orr an unusuarl rreaction! to the rleaf!"
If his roomie was the source of the strangeness, he would have to find out soon. Who knew how much had already transpired, undocumented? There was no time to waste if he wanted to draw a conclusion. Wings vibrating faster, he stood up and rushed to the door, throwing it open.
"Nana, horld out yourr tongue and say blah!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:10 pm
After checking the address twice, Tyyne placed the bright orange flower pot and the note on the front steps. Standing up, she wiped a few beads of perspiration off her forehead and hurried off, eager to get back indoors. A letter from Eden
Dear Qing and Anandi,
I'm the manager of an institution called 'Eden Project' and I've been informed that you found one of our leaves a while back. That's a good thing! You might have noticed the leaf acts a little funny. Well, that's because it has a soul in it, and if you plant it in the special soil we've supplied, it will continue its transformation into a child! If you have any questions, you can stop by our headquarters and meet with a few Edens who have already undergone the transformation into children.
Good luck and congratulations!
~Lena
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:04 am
Anandi creaked the door open just enough to peer outside. She couldn't see anyone at the door, but she swore she heard someone from the couch. Just as she was about to close the door, the anthro caught sight of the pot full of soil, and the note sticking out of it. Curiosity got the best of her as she pulled the door open far enough to drag the item in question inside with her tail, and then closing the door behind it. She was in her pajamas, and she didn't want anyone to see her.
Picking up the pot, the cat looked over the note briefly before realizing what this was for. She guessed it was about the leaf, setting the object down on the key table by the entrance to the kitchen as he began to walk back toward the couch. She stopped, however, stepping backwards until the note was back in view, and switched as she noticed something.
How the hell did those guys know her NAME?
"QING!" she hissed, plucking the note out of the dirt. She began to look it over more closely as she tried to untangle the leaf from her hair. "Why do your professors know who I am?!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:47 am
As soon as he heard his name, Qing winced. That rarely meant anything good. But he poked out of his room anyway, carrying a notebook in one hand, and holding an open textbook to his chest with the other. His pencil he wasn't sure what to do with, so he stuck the end in his mouth and pushed the door open. "Yath?"
His professors? "Of coursse they know Nana. We tarlk, and they ask about rlife, and I say that we went to crlass togetherr. Or that Nana got a pretty statue from Asia, and now we have to move the furrniturre. Or Nana was studying and rlet the toast burrn."
There was nothing wrong with workplace chats with friends and superiors. But, as Qing leaned over Anandi's shoulder, he frowned. "Who is Rlena? I have not met this Rlena. A frriend of Nana's?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:56 am
"No, not a friend of 'Nana's..." she sighed, holding the note up to his face so he could read it better. "Who ever it is, she knows about the leaf... If there's a dead thing inside of this PLANT that's been stuck to me, there are going to be WORDS and they won't be pretty ones."
Anandi tugged on the leaf a little more before rubbing her finger lightly over the edge in somewhat of a tickle. It finally loosened, and she quickly snatched it up, placing it on Qing's shoulder with a bit of disgust. She shivered at the thought of a soul actually being inside of the greenery, and idly wondered if planting it would seriously do anything.
"You, take care of it. Maybe if it's in something, it won't cling to me anymore."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:13 am
If it wasn't a friend of Anandi's, and it certainly wasn't a friend of Qing's, whose friend was it? The answer was obvious. Grinning, he took the pencil out of his mouth and tapped the note with it. "Then it must be the rleaf's frriend!" To Qing, that made perfect sense. After all, it was the only other thing around.
"No no, not dead! Arlive! It didn't die, because Nana took such good carre of it." While she didn't seem to appreciate the leaf being there, at least she hadn't taken a torch to it yet. And the leaf was clearly thriving, possibly due to her influence. There were still tests to be done, of course, but they could wait. The letter and the pot took precedence.
Reading it more closely, Qing's eyes widened. "It's the peoprle! Frrom the prlace!" Grabbing the paper, he waved it up and down excitedly, having dropped the textbook on the floor. "The... Eden Prroject!" They had followed up, somehow. Qing couldn't remember meeting a Lena there, but maybe that person was in charge of a different part. Like the part that delivered pots full of soil to the leaf-bearing citizens.
And it was his job to take care of it. Calmly, he handed the note back to Anandi and took the leaf over to where she had left the pot. The note said to plant it... but how? Qing had taken enough biology to know that things like soil depth and quality made a difference. The soil itself was probably okay, as it was provided by the project, but what about the rest?
Frowning, Qing poked two fingers in the soil and wiggled them gently. "What does Nana think?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:40 am
Anandi stretched out her bare arms and back as she sauntered over to the couch, lazily slouching down as she let Qing talk to himself. Eden Project... wasn't that the name of that group they went to that one time? Her ears perked up a little bit at the last question.
"What do I think of what?" she sighed, leaning her head back against the couch.
After a moment, she furrowed her brow and sat back up again, looking around the room for a moment. Something seemed a little different for some reason... She left as though something were missing, but she couldn't figure out what. Did Qing move things around...? No, everything was still in its place, and if anything the dorm looked cleaner than usual. She tapped a finger against her knee cap, taking mental notes of the living room.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:45 am
All of Qing's attention- which wasn't much, all told- was on the pot. "The rleaf, of courrse! If we prlant too deeprly, it might not grrow. But, not deeprly enourgh, and it courld die!" This was more than just an experiment at stake; there was something alive in there, and he couldn't bear killing it by mistake. "But they don't say howw."
Why didn't the people give adequate information? At least stick a tag in the pot, with the name of the plant and some care instructions, that might have been enough...
But the plant was a rose! Blinking, Qing looked over at Anandi. "What does Nana know about rroses?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:53 am
The cat appeared to be rather distracted, slowly eyeing every inch of the room, trying to figure out what was wrong with the dorm. Something was different. Something was out of place. WHAT WAS IT?!
"Just bury it half way," she said, waving her hand a little bit to pass off the question. "I just know roses are usually wild, and grow outside. If you don't take care of them, they usually end up growing too tall or too wild and you basically have to start over on growing them. At least, that's what I remember seeing in Mother's garden... I also remember them never going away, already re-growing over the summer until Father uprooted them since no one was taking care of it anymore."
Anandi crossed her arms over her chest, squinting at the space next to the small television in the corner. Wasn't something there not too long ago...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:54 pm
See, Nana did know about roses! Cheered, Qing nodded. "Thank you!" A bit of dirt was shoved this way, then that, and soon the leaf was planted as well as he could manage. Still, he didn't let it out of his sight for several moments, as if afraid he might miss something.
Finally, he grunted in satisfaction and picked up the pot, holding it out for Anandi to see. "Does the rleaf rlook rright?" He did so want it to be perfect!
Then he actually looked around. Something WAS different... "Did Nana move the furrniturre again?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:07 pm
Anandi's tail flicked against the couch as she cocked her head to the right, raising an eyebrow. Wait a second...
"Uh... where's the tiger?" she finally asked, realizing that the statue was nowhere in sight. Did Qing do something to it? What was odd was the fact that its bottom slab of wood was still on the floor.
A low growl could be heard behind Qing, a pair of yellow eyes fixated on the pot in his hands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
![[Qing]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/96/32/5a9cc1e4663296_flip.png?t=1482027109_6.00_00&a=1&i=10017763&s=stand&f=front)
