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 Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:13 pm
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Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:29 pm
Wednesday, 14th day of January, 2009 I'm starting to worry about my little 'Zuba. Since she's grown, her speech has failed to improve much. I've been considering speech therapy, but 'Zuba acted aggressively against the idea when I brought it up. But, that isn't what's really been worrying. Hell, that's the least of my issues at the moment. 'Zuba's self-esteem issues have only gotten worse. She seems to think that, with the adoption of the two new additions to the family, I'm trying to replace her. She thinks she's not a good enough daughter, despite what I've said. She flat out refuses to accept any compliments, and as ashamed as I am to say it, I have read some of her diary entries. It worries me how little she thinks of herself, but I'm not sure what to do. Next time we make a trip to the labs, I will ask about getting her some help before this escalates into something worse. On a better note, 'Zuba's tantrums are now less frequent and less violent. She still has them every now and then, and she still gets violent; it's just rarely both at once and not nearly as severe as it had been. She's also seeming to be a bit more friendly and social, which I think is great. She's still shy, but not nearly as shy as she was when she was younger. Unfortunately, 'Zuba's behaviour hasn't improved much over all; while her tantrums have subsided quite a bit, she's been utilizing the "games" she learned from her mother. Damn that woman; I wish I'd never taken 'Zuba to meet her. Ugh, I swear, if I hear "please" one more time.... 'Zuba does like her biological mother, unfortunately, so I won't bar her from seeing the female demon. But that doesn't mean I have to like it, and if she teaches 'Zuba and more so-called games, there WILL be Hell to pay.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:19 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:20 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:21 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:41 pm
"'Zuba, want to help me in here?" Stasia's voice called from the kitchen. It lately felt like she never got to spend quality one-on-one time with her little spawn, but what better way to bond then over cooking? 'Zuba blinked, looking over the couch back to her mother in the kitchen. "Sure want me?" she asked, her brow furrowing in a look of confusion. "Not Zemel? He better; knows more 'bout cooking. Watches shows." Everyone knew that Zemel was the one into cooking, so why would Mother ask her? "I'm sure." Stasia said, smiling and motioning the girl with her hand. "Well, come on! These cookies aren't going to bake themselves, you know." As she spoke, she moved around the kitchen, gathering the necessary ingredients for today's mini cooking lesson: the classic chocolate chip cookies. 'Zuba got up, making her way into the kitchen. "But Mother...don't know how." she said, looking up at her parental. What was Mother thinking? 'Zuba had no idea how to cook! She might set the house on fire, or burn the cookies, or any number of things! "Now, now, that's no problem at all." the half-elf said, ruffling her daughter's hair and smiling. "That's why I offered; I'll teach you, okay? You're smart; I'm sure you'll catch on quickly." The child frowned, pushing her mother's hand away as she straightened her hair back down. She opened her mouth to disagree with the compliment, but stopped, deciding it wasn't worth the argument. "Fine. What first?" She glanced at all the items on the counter, feeling more than a little intimidated. "First, you need to measure out the the dry ingriedients and put them into the bow." The adult pointed out the recipe card before stepping back to watch the process. 'Zuba nodded, measuring out the flower, baking soda, and salt and pouring them into the bowl. She began adding the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla, following the instructions and, in the process, impressing her mother. "Where eggs?" 'Zuba asked, glancing around the table top. Mother seemed to have gotten everything out except those. Without giving her a chance to answer, the girl made her way over to the fridge, grabbing 2 before heading back to work. Stasia was more than impressed; she was amazed! 'Zuba seemed to be taking to cooking like a duck takes to water! She even figured out how to crack the eggs without assistance. Realizing she was more of an observer now than a mentor, she took a seat at the table, watching her little girl with pride. 'Zuba was too focused in her task to pay any attention to what her mother was doing. She went to work greasing the pan, making she she got every single corner and crevice before shaping the cookie dough, making stars and moons. She then began pressing the chocolate chips into them, trying her best to keep them evenly distributed. One the task was done, she sprinkled one last dusting of brown sugar before placing the cookies-to-be into the pre-heated oven. She then went to sit with Mother as she waited to see how her deserts turned out. ---- By the time the cookies were ready to come out, everyone was in the kitchen waiting to see if the cookies would be able to live up to the delicious smell that had permeated from the kitchen, spreading through the house. 'Zuba pulled the pan out, setting it on the counter. As soon as they were cool enough, it seemed like the entire family swarmed to the tray. 'Zuba grabbed one to see how badly she did. She took a bit, then blinked in surprise. They actually tasted good! No, more than good, they were great! Could she really have made them? And it looked like everyone was of the same opinion she was.... Cooking attempt number one was definitely a success.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:14 pm
It was game night at the house, and, like every other game night, it had boiled down to Stasia and 'Zuba. Tonight's video game was "Darkwatch" on the PlayStation 2, put on player vs. player mode. And, of course, neither of them were quite playing fair. 'Zuba had been pushed over the side, her mother trying to keep her from sitting up, while she herself was pushing her mother's head to the side with one foot, the other kicking at the controller. It was actually a rather comical scene, though a normal one to the family.
"Oh, no. You are not winning this time around, kiddo!" Stasia said, letting out a laugh as she lifted her controller up, taking a shot at her daughter's character mercilessly. Oh, when it came to games, Stasia wasn't the only one who got competitive.
'Zuba didn't even give her mother a verbal response, refusing to partake in useless banter when there was a game to win. She let out a soft hiss as her character was hit, glaring at her mother as she lost hit points. She began pushing buttons, unleashing a devastating combo attack on her mother's character.
The adult frowned a moment, then grinned childishly, putting one hand infront of 'Zuba's face as she started firing again, taking shelter behind a small half-fence. She wasn't sure how 'Zuba was able to press the combos without looking at the controller....then again, she wasn't used to this game format. 'Zuba was.
'Zuba pushed her mother's hand away, claws scraping gently against her skin as a warning. Her character ducked and rolled, finding a safe spot from behind a crate. She let a few rounds from her rifle fly, two of them hitting her mother's character.
Stasia chuckled, moving away from her daughter for a moment as she looked at the controller, pressing the sequence of buttons to send a flurry of bullets at her daughter's character. She was sure she was going to win now!
'Zuba saw what buttons her mother was pressing and, just before the attack was at it's worst, she sent her character running across the playing field and into one of the small buildings. She busted out one of the windows, executing the same attack as her mother just did, only with less hesitation and more accuracy.
Stasia's character ducked down behind the fence just before the metal storm of bullets could hit. She glanced at her daughter, narrowing her eyes. Oh, the child was NOT winning this time! She'd won every weekend sense they'd gotten the blasted Playstation system; she was not going to win this weekend too!
'Zuba let a faint smile spread across her face as she saw her mother's frustration starting to show. That was Mother's problem; she was predictable. She followed a pattern; she started out as cocky and confident, then came the teasing and the miniature wrestling competition on the couch, then the frustration that eventually led to her mother's demise and her victory. Predictable to a T.
Stasia almost jumped for joy when she saw a power-up appear in the middle of the field. Ignoring the age-old rule of "don't run out into the open during the game" she made a break for it. The way she saw it, she could grab it, then attack 'Zuba's character and actually win for once. She'd actually be able to-
'Zuba chuckled; Mother made this all too easy. If she would have stayed covered and continued as she had, she might have had a fighting chance of winning tonight. But, she'd made a fatal mistake by running for the power up, one that 'Zuba was definitely going to take advantage of. Aiming, she let one well-aimed shot fly and....
"Dammit!" Stasia said, letting out an exasperated sigh as she dropped back down to the couch, pouting childishly.
"'S okay, Mother." 'Zuba said, smiling faintly as she patted the adults shoulder. "Maybe you win next week."
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:46 pm
It would be on a Saturday that you open your mail box (if you have one) and notice there is a rather thick envelope stuffed in there. There is no postage stamp and a very vague return address. But you recognize the font and the company's name. 'Seven of Seven Inc' scrawled in majestic font across the upper left hand corner. As you open it, you may strangely find yourself drawn to the letter, there is a mass of notes inside. They read as follows:
Congratulations! You have managed to succeed in raising your child. (IE: Not killing him or her or getting killed yourself. Haha we kid of course.) We would like an update from you on the following:
Guardians Name:
Child's Name:
Sin:
Virtue:
Gender:
Current Attitude:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Any abnormal growths: (if any, example: Feathers molting, horns growing larger, scars )
Current hair style:
Current clothing preferences:
Dominant celestial trait: (The sin or virtue)
Please summarize in your own words how difficult or easy it was taking care of your child. Did you manage to care for them in a kindly fashion? Or were you forced to discipline them?
As well do not be alarmed if you suddenly find your child achieving a massive growth spurt in the next little while. We are finding that the children from our facility have strange growing patterns and are rather unpredictable. Although please let us know if anything unexpected occurs.
Sincerely the technicians from Seven of Seven Inc.
Ps. Please just leave your letter back in your mail box one you have completed it our courier will pick it up.
Thank you.
You would notice the letter seems overly friendly...strange since the scientist were so ...cold before.
(Just take the from Guardians name to Dominant Celestial trait and pm it to the mule, the summarization doesn't have to be long just have fun with it.)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:49 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:50 pm
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Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:06 pm
Dear Diary;
I've grown. Over the course of one night, I've almost grown to Mother's height. It is odd; I had difficulty walking and keeping my balance during those first few moments after the discovery. My hair has grown longer and, unfortunately, more unruly. I went through a bottle of hair gel, a straightener, and hairspray trying to tame it, all to no avail.
Mother, since my new growth spurt, has been pressing the 'clothing' issue. I don't see why I need new clothes, but I accepted some stockings and shoes to appease her for the moment. Unfortunately, it seems to only have encouraged her. She's talking about a trip to the mall. I am not happy about this in the least. Someone like me does not deserve new things like that; why does she insist on trying?
I have one new thing, though, thanks to a boy named Tykier. I know he was meaning well and all, but now I feel so guilty. I still owe him some gold for the kimono; I'll pay the rest back to him next time I see him. Nataya says it looks good on me. I'd argue, but....I've never known Big Sister to lie before. Then again, she may just be biased since I am her sister and all.
The Twins. I still dislike them, for the most part. Zemel isn't too bad, though. He helps me in the kitchen when I'm cooking, so he isn't all too horrible. Ginger, though. Ginger is the one I want to feed to the sharks at the zoo. I wish she would disappear.
I've been delving into some rather interesting books lately. I've acquired some books on the Impressionist art movement and their artists. As of now, my favorite artists from this period are Renoir and Cassatt. I'm working on getting some literature on surrealism and Renaissance artists. It's so interesting, seeing how art styles and subject matter have changed over the years.
I must go now; I volunteered to cook lunch for everybody today.
--- 'Zuba
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:38 pm
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:44 pm
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:50 pm
Nataya blinked, her ears twitching. She had been sitting on her bed, doodling in her sketchbook when she picked up on the sound. Someone was crying, and it made her almost want to cry herself. Ginger and Zemel had already been put down for their afternoon nap, so that left only two other people. And she seriously doubted that Momma was crying; last she'd saw, the half-elf had been watching a movie. She was getting off the bed when she heard the sounds of breaking glass. Worried, she ran down the hall to her sister's room.
The door was slightly ajar, and with just a little nudge, the door opened to reveal the scene. 'Zuba stood in the middle of the room, her shoulder's square and rigid as she stared intently at the shattered remains of what had once been her mirror. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, her face a mix of despair and frustration. She didn't even look up as her door open, didn't even seem to care. "It's not fair..." she said, her voice slowly saying each word shakily.
"'Zuba...you're bleeding..." Nataya said softly, frowning as she saw the cuts on her sister's clenched fist. She walked over, gently laying her hand gently on the taller girl's arm. "What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" She took her sister by her uninjured hand, leading her to the bathroom.
'Zuba fell silent, following her sibling and allowing herself to be led to the bathroom. She sat on the tub obeidiently as the purple-haired child began working on cleaning and bandaging her hand. "Why...?" she asked, her eyes locked on the floor.
"Why what?" she responded, blinking as she carefully wrapped the bandaged. She bit her lower lip, debating for a moment with herself before speaking. "What happened, 'Zuba?"
"Why help? 'M just a freak." The spawn sniffled, staring at the ground. She couldn't bring herself to look at her older sibling. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down a bit before speak. "Looked in the mirror. Didn't like. Broke it." she said, shrugging. "It's not fair....want to be pretty like you and Mother and Zemel and Ginger. Why can't I be pretty?" She sighed. "Just want to belong."
Nataya frowned. "You're not a freak. You're 'Zuba." she said, taking her sister's face gently in her hands, guiding her gaze upwards so she could look her in the eyes. "You are pretty, and you do belong!" She offered a small smile. "Why on Gaia would you think any differently?"
'Zuba sighed. "I see....when I look in the mirror. Not pretty. Split." She frowned, averting her eyes as she looked off to the side. "Sorry. Was stupid to break mirror. Not it's fault."
"I think you're pretty." Nataya said, taking a seat on the rim of the bathtub next to her distraught sister, hugging her. "So what if you're split? It just means you're unique, not ugly. And it's alright; I'm sure Momma will understand." She pulled back, looking up at the taller girl. "Please cheer up? I don't like seeing you sad; I want you to be happy."
'Zuba opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it. Arguing with Nataya when she was set on something was like trying to get Ginger to sit still for more than five minutes: nearly impossible. "I'll try, Nataya." she said, nodding her head once. Then, without any kind of warning, she hugged her sister tightly. "Thank you." she said, pulling back to offer a small, forced smile to the younger girl. If that's what her sibling wanted, she could try to be happy. Try being the keyword.
Nataya looked confused. "For what?" she asked, having no idea what she was being thanked for; she hadn't done anything to be thanked for, had she?
'Zuba's smile became a bit more natural. "For caring. Thanks." she said, standing to her feet. As much as she would like to cherish this sister-to-sister moment, she had broken mirror to clean up and a cake to bake if she wanted to stay out of trouble.
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:13 pm
Thursday, 19th of March, 2009 I am truly worried now. I go upstairs to check on the children to find 'Zuba sweeping up the remains of what had been the mirror. Her hand was bandaged, so it didn't take much effort to put two and two together. Luckily, the cuts were minor; none of them were too serious. And 'Zuba looked like she'd been crying, but she refused to talk to me about it. Nataya told me, though. She's almost as worried as I am. Unless things improve, as much as I'd hate to do, I may have to get 'Zuba counseling. What's sad about all this was 'Zuba seemed to be slowly getting over her self esteem issues. I have no idea what set her off this time. I'm not sure what to do. 'Zuba's cooking right now, trying to make up for breaking the mirror. (( Even though I told her it was fine and not to worry about it. )) She seems happy when she's cooking; maybe I should teach her how to make some more complicated dishes. She also seems to have a liking for art history, judging by the bill the library sent for supposedly-missing books. I'll try to encourage these interests to the best of my ability. I really hope it will help. 'Zuba seems to be making more friends, which is good. Kids this age need peers they can count on. Though, unfortunately, her growth has also brought on a new sense of independence; it's getting harder and harder to keep the girl at home. Don't get me wrong; I love that she like to go out and explore, but I just can't help but worry. Yes, I know she's perfectly capable of protecting herself if need be, but still. I am glad that she at least tells me where's she's going before disappearing.
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