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 Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 12:03 pm
5th of January, 2006. Putting Christmas away.
A star hung forlornly on top of a rather bare tree. The lower branches had been removed, and even now the upper limbs were only hanging on by fine threads - jutting out at different angles around the plastic base. No longer did tinsel sleep upon the cracks, nor the red and gold baubles sparkle in the daylight. A few of them displayed the damage of the storm, one or two plastic spheres cracked right down the middle, and a good many were missing from the tree.
A soft tune bounced from one wall to the other, echoing off the glass panes and back into the main room. Blanche sat on the windowsill nearby the music player, the glass jar as far from the edge as it could. Safety was number one while Blanche was dormant in her jar, and Emi wasn't about to risk anything. Even the old (and rather singed) scarf that had been around her in Barton, had made its return. In a second film called, to protect the one jar on the hearth.
"I'll put this box upstairs under Blanche's bed," Emi commented, pausing for a few moments. In one hand she held a rather large green branch, the plastic pine needles sticking out. Placing it beside the rest, Emi reached up for the next. Putting Christmas away was always a gloomy and rather tedious ordeal, but somebody had to do it. At least this year, Blanche had cheered the furry up before she'd even began.
"Funny how time flies. We've been here a month in three days." The furry reminisced, packing the branches into the box. Wrapping her fingers around a cracked bauble, she gently encouraged it off the end of its perch. Brushing her thumb over the crack, she carefully placed the gold ornament into its respective carrying case.
"Only the star left now Tobes, and then we'll go get some water. How does that sound?" Pulling herself up to her feet, the furry dragged her feet up onto the tips of her paws. Stretching her arm as far as it would go. The edges of her fingertips brushed over the Silver Star, the furry desperately clasping onto one point. She hadn't quite evaluated the fact that, even though the point had been rather blunt before it cracked, it was now rather sharp.
"Ow," Emi grimaced, falling back down onto her paws. Crossing her arms over her chest, Emi glared on up towards the star. Staring at it like a teacher to a pupil. Pity Emi hadn't become a teacher, that glare seemed pretty well practiced. Time for plan two...
Pulling the coffee table over, Emi set the oak furniture in front of the tree. This was it. Brushing one hand to the other like a boxer before a fight, Emi stepped up onto the table - to either step off victorious or in shame. Plucking her paws onto tip toes again, her hand wafted in the air, attaching to the piece of silver. The ornament slid off, falling back into the furry's grasp. Caught, it was stuffed into the box beside the other ornaments, only to be joined by the base of the plastic Christmas tree a few moments later.
"All done!" Grinning at Toby, Emi clasped her furry hands together. For a few seconds, she rocked back onto her heels, watching the dog before her do little more than sit up. Nudging the box back against the wall with her foot, Emi leant up to scoop up her little bundle of joy.
"Come on little one, let's go get some drinking water." Hugging the single jar to her chest, Emi picked up the camera case. Oh great, it was meant for two jars, not the one now named Blanche. Frowning to herself, the furry placed the scarf into the case. After a few moments of higgledy piggery, Blanche was settled in between scarf folds and the edge of the camera case. It wasn't a bad job either considering the time taken with it.
Clicking in the back of her throat, Toby's ears cocked right up. The dog leapt down from his perch. Taking his time, he strolled after his owner, both furry and dog heading towards the centre at a leisurely place.
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The sun was low in the sky by the time both returned, the once light blue sky swiftly having turned into a pale amber shade once dog and owner had exited the lodge. Dragging the smaller barrel into her 'kitchen', Emiko lapsed back against the side board. Pooped out was one word for it. Running a hand through her long locks, the furry turned to collapse back against the nearest seat. Which, at that moment in time, happened to be the inside chair.
The padding creaked, accommodating the furry as she dragged her knees up. Leaning over for her journal, the furry flicked open the pages once more. Pulling her pen out from one side, her arm stooped down for the bottle of water normally found on the coffee table. Locating it only a few inches off, the furry twirled open the swivel top, sipping at the cooler liquid.
Picking up her pen, she began again.Journal Entry 004 Dear Emi, Another busy day in the Pallone household I'm afraid. I'm half way through Birdsong, about up to page 348 if my bookmarks in the right place - which is half of the way through part four. I've been meaning to finish it up for years, which tells you how much more laid back this Island really is. I have to say, I'm still adjusting to Island life, slowly but gradually. Anyway - enough of me, onto Blanche. I received a letter yesterday, well two letters in the end, explaining that the jars were ready to be put into one. From what it said the accommodation here has reached a suitable standard, and Anthony's happy enough for the jars to move on. As if that wasn't good news in itself the letter furthered onto saying the artifacts have a 59% chance of being female. Blanche could well be (and is more likely to be) a little girl! While were on genders, Anthony requested that I picked out a name for my Aerandir. I have to say it wasn't easy but the name Blanche stuck from day one. Something about it just seems to suit the upcoming Aerandir. I'm not even sure what it is myself but Blanche is here to stay. As a further note, Blanche just has a nice ring to it. The lodge was all but empty when I fetched water earlier. I've not seen eye nor tail of anyone else recently, apart from the evident noises of everyone else re-building. Thinking on it now, we were mightily lucky here. I'd offer to help if I wasn't so much of a klutz or even if I could. I told myself I'd socialize more so that's my aim for when Blanche is born. Once she's born, well even now actually, we'll all have one thing in common. Thus, one thing to talk about. I've been meaning to send a letter to Foenix to see what it's like over on Cetalu. I can't help but wonder if they're ok, and if they got off quite as lightly as we did. From what I've heard Cetalu happened to be closer to the volcano than Ar' Idil, so they surely can't have gotten off so lightly as we did. Well, I'm saying that, and the guardian next door's house was in pretty bad shape. I've only heard the odd nail being banged into the wall, but I'm sure it's been quite a bit of work. If only I could cook...then I could bake something and give it to her. I've been thinking of making a plush for next door, and then maybe one for Sanar- the little Aerandir girl I met back at the lodge. Or maybe, as she's old enough, I could pass on the material for her to do it herself? Speaking of sewing, there's that blanket still to do.
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 2:39 pm
7th of January, 2006. Splashing in the sea.
A soft breeze rattled over the meadow of grass, each separate blade wavering in the air. Brushing against one another, a wave quickly rustled over the field, like a domino as one blade brushed over the next, knocking the green piece of nature into the next. The dew settled on the edge of a few pieces slipped down, seeping into the earth below.
"Come on slow poke, we're almost there. I promise," Pausing, the furry stopped where she was. Turning tail, Emiko's blue orbs gazed over towards the steady plodding of the dog behind her. Toby trailed behind like an athlete lost in an important race, the edge of each paw scraping the grass beneath him, his pink tongue lolling out in a pant. A gentle smile reached Emi's face, the small furry bending down as Toby finally caught up.
"Come on old boy, not much further." She murmured. Wrapping her arms around his furry neck, Emi bent forwards to press the tip of her nose into the edge of his black fur. Toby's rump fell to the floor, his tail thumping down onto the grass behind him. Nuzzling her nose lightly to his fur, the furry hugged her companion closely for a few moments. It pained her to think about it, but the dog wasn't as young as he had been eight years ago.
"We'll go for a nice paddle," Emi explained, patting the canine's back. Pulling herself upright, the furry clicked in the back of her throat. A strange noise, but Toby understood it perfectly. Parading his paws to lift him back up, the pair of them continued along the grass verge towards the sea. Side by side, they paced themselves towards the beach.
The beach wasn't far. The two of them had picked a site just on the opposite side of the island. On the side of the volcano, it had been a short walk from the edge of the Setone settlement. To one side stretched the wondrous work the eruption had caused, while on the other, the track could just be seen stretching from one region of the island to the next. Right in-between sat miles upon miles of beach, the light blue waves lapping at the shore.
They kicked up the odd bit of spray, splashing the nearby sand, the waves themselves washing over the grains - dragging them out to the sea before pushing them back into the beach again. It was a never ending cycle, the odd pebbles placed just on the shoreline telling the story perfectly. Smooth and worn away, each singular pebble told its own rendition of the events.
Emi's rough pads met with the sand beneath them, her elongated claw-like-nails digging into the bank. Her arms stretched above her head, delicate ears pressing back towards her skull. Her tail however spurred into a wag behind her, bright eyes glancing down to check Blanche. The Aerandir was still sat in her jar, the jar itself resting up to one side of the dingy red scarf. Everything was set; they could go for a paddle now.
Toby, however, suddenly ran towards the sea. Paws leapt across the stretch of sand, and soon the white socked paws found themselves submerged in shallow water. The dog's tail wagged enthusiastically behind him, the pasty white tip splashing specks of water into the air as the furry tail brushed over it. Somebody was enjoying himself.
Emi chuckled, following after the dog. Kicking the sand up around her paws, she delicately dabbed the end of one furry paw into the water. Closing her eyes half way, she tensed up, half expecting the icy cold waters of Barton to hit her senses. Of course, if the photographer had taken into account the weather of this Island as well as the constant warm showers then she wouldn't quite have the mindset that the waters were chilly. Luckily for Emi, she was granted with a nice surprise.
"It's warm," She whispered, stating the obvious. Dabbing one paw into the water to double check her findings, the furry took the plunge. Treading a little way out to meet the dog, her gaze found Blanche's jar again. Plucking the jar out from its confinements, she held it closely in two hands, the sunlight bouncing off the edge of the glass jar as she held it up to eye level.
"Ok Blanche, this is the sea. Otherwise known as the ocean, or to Owyln's little girl the big blue." Speaking rather quickly, Emi nodded over towards the vast amount of water that stretched for miles over the horizon. It felt strange, to be teaching a jar with two pieces of animal inside it, the building blocks of knowledge. It had to be done though, and they said teaching nursery children started early in these years of Gaia.
Had Blanche have been able to speak, the white creature might have noted it all in - stored it for further knowledge, but unfortunately the Aerandir could do neither in this present state of time. Instead, another ray of sunshine flashed off the side of the jar. It was enough to satisfy Emi, and the rather apprehensive guardian slid the jar back into the camera case. Tail flicking too and fro behind her, Emi started along the shoreline.
"Hm?" Emi questioned, watching the dog who had bounded in front of her. He sat in the water, his back and legs soaked with water. Drenched, he tilted his head to one side, panting heavily. Pawing the sand beneath him, the dog yipped at his owner, tail thumping behind him - splashing the liquid up and over his back.
"Toby, you know, if I didn't know you better..." Emi started, bending down. Plucking up a stone from the seabed, she pulled her arm back. Closing one eye, she took aim. Leaning back onto her paws, the pebble went flying out from her grasp - skimming along the waters surface, before landing a fair few feet up ahead in the shallow water.
Even before gravity had forced the rock into the water, Toby had set off. Flying like a fish in water, he ran towards his target. Water splashed up around him as the dog ran, his paws slipping every so often on the un-even floor. Turning this way and that, the dog took the moment to pant. Brown orbs searched for the pebble underneath the shallow water, water droplets dripping down from his furry ears onto his muzzle and then back onto the floor. Submersed up to his body, he buried his snout underwater suddenly.
All words were lost as the dog bounded after the stone, just like he had done all those years back. Grinning from one side of her face to the other, Emi chuckled.
"Come on," She shouted over the shallow waves, continuing her walk back towards Setone. Toby wagged his tail, a pebble held within his jaw, following after his owner.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:36 am
January the 8th, 2006. A promise to the stars, and a letter to certain polar bear.
The sun drifted down beneath the horizon, setting for another night's slumber. The red amber gauze followed after, painting the sky a brilliant hue of coppery red. Curving around the edge of a faded sun, the sunset's pale rays flew over the small hut. Clouding the sky in darkness as the ruby reds faded back to the midnight blue of a sky dotted with a thousand white stars.
Just inside house number one, Emiko Pallone's eyes diverted to the ever changing world outside. Torn away from her book, her silvery blue orbs continued to watch the horizon even after the sun had torn its last shreds of light over the lodge. Her large ears flickered against her head, tail twirling around beside her so the fluffy tip fluttered from one side to the other.
"They keep getting prettier. One of these days, we'll have to go stargazing when Blanche arrives, eah Tobes?" Emi questioned the canine lying beside her. Curling her furry fingers around to scratch just behind one ear, she pulled her attention back from the sky and into the house.
They had sat there for a while, both Emi and Toby stretched out on the sofa- the dog curled up at Emi's feet. Fast asleep, the dog had settled there after their usual meal of baked beans. Apparently Emi's resolutions had dispersed as quickly as Killia's hello's usually disappeared. In Emi's hands sat the book she had been reading for a while, bookmarked about three quarters way through, and to one side sat three piles of material, ready to be made into Emi's presents.
The dog didn't answer, so Emi turned to her jar. Plucking Blanche up from the coffee table, she ran her thumb gently over one side of the jar, closing her book so the Aerandir could sit on her lap without fear of falling. Setting the jar back down on top of the hard backed book, the furry just tapped the edge of the cork.
"We'll go star gazing, I promise Blanche. I'm not so sure if we can get hold of a telescope, but no matter - we can still try." The guardian gave Blanche a brief hug, before setting her down on the coffee table. Emi gently placed the Aerandir back, as if the jar was made out of diamond itself. Collapsing back against the ever-aging sofa, Emi eyed the book in her lap. To finish, or not to finish? The foreign question had to be answered, and for now the latter option was chosen.
Ruffling Toby's fur, Emi plucked herself up to her feet. The dog's head slid back against the cushion, but he didn't stir. As always, when Toby was asleep, the dog was conked out for a good while. He wasn't about to move.
Emi however pawed her way to the window, crossing her arms over the windowsill. Gazing out into the fast setting darkness, the furry glanced as the solar paneled light suddenly flickered on. Lighting the porch and one side of the house, the little lantern burst into a flurry of light once more.
"We've been here a whole month now." The furry glanced around the house. What had she done? Well, created the house for one, and of course Blanche had been put into one jar. Had it really been that long already?
The tell tale patter told the onslaught of another light shower, a few droplets falling onto Emi's furry hands. Drawing back from the window to close it, Emi twirled on the spot. Pressing the bright green button on her mp3 player, she headed back over towards the coffee table. Depositing the book where her journal and pen had been, she plucked up the hard-back once more, flicking it open.
In the middle sat a piece of paper, marked with Owyln's address. Alongside it sat the photo Anthony had presented her with only a few days before. Pulling the piece of paper out, Emi leant the cream paper down onto her journal for support. Twirling her pen between her fingers, Emi began to write.A Letter to the Polar Bear Dear Owyln, How are you? I'm sure by now you're wondering exactly what my progress is here, and of course mourning the loss of another one of Killia's surprise 'dos'. I'm afraid I rather missed out on the Christmas and New Year events, quite rightly as well. From what Killia sent me a few days ago, it looked like all of you certainly had some fun. Back to the point, the Aerandir I'm in charge of is a female. I'm sure you told your little girl that she's a mix of white fox and snowy owl by now, but I'm sure Ely will love to have a friend to play with someday. Please say you'll visit, or I'll come and visit you. I' not sure exactly when (And more to the point if I'm aloud to take Blanche to Barton), but I'd love for Blanche to meet Ely. Oh yes, I forgot. The Aerandir's name is Blanche. After the french feminine form for white. Your friend, Foenixfyre got in touch. Thank you Owyln. I don't know if she will have informed you, but we recently had a rather large uproar in the form of a volcano. I'm trying to make a plush to send Foenix for her little girl, and of course a letter. Trying being the word. I'm not exactly getting very far. How's work? Who took up my new position? And what exactly are they like? Hope you and your family are well, Emiko Pallone P.S Will send a picture of Blanche as a Gryphon. Could you please scan it in and then send me back the original? Thanks Owyln. (And of course pass a copy onto Killia, you see - I don't quite trust her with a computer after the last miss-fit with my laptop.) P.P.S Could you send me some teddy bear stuffing?
"Gah." She winced, finding the needle. The sharp end pricked the end of one finger, Emi pulling out both material and thread. Humming along to the music that filtered through the room, the furry pulled over the forming patchwork blanket. Sewing the next block of baby blue material onto the blanket.
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:29 am
10th of January, 2006. A glowing jar and a formula for disaster.
Morning. The sun tilted over the crags of the volcano, shooing the colder night air away, the once dark sky now splashed over in softer shades of blue. Clouds littered over the horizon, a few grey with ash, ready to burst its warmed contents onto the world below. The grass lands were alive with the wind bristling past the trees and into the blades behind, disturbing any insects which lay in slumber below. The wind spelt out a new dawn to them, a new day, and a new chance to enjoy this lapsed slumber under the sun.
A swallow rode the clouds, dipping and diving to catch the edge of a current. Royal blue wings outstretched, the small bird chirped, its orange beak pointing downwards as it soared through the morning sky, talons outstretched. The lithe creature landed on Emiko's roof, ducking its dark beak into a mass of white feathers. It stood there for a few moments, preening its feathers, before taking flight again- flying off into the distance.
Toby's brown orbs followed the bird, pointed ears flicking back to his head. Lowering his muzzle back to his paws, he closed his weary eyes again. It was far too early for him to be up and ready quite yet. He shifted where he was, his paws moving back into a far more comfortable position. He had been set on jar duty again. Blanche sat only an inch away from the dogs black nose.
It was sudden, very sudden, but Blanche's jar flickered for a brief moment. The artifacts barely moved, but suddenly, the soft tinge of a glow began to formulate around the edge of the feather. It didn't take long, but soon the glow had brightened, both the feather and the fluff glowing vibrantly within their single jar.
The dog watched it all, head cocked to one side on his paws. Bending forwards, he pressed the tip of his nose to the jar. Cautious as ever, the nose was rapidly removed, as if to deter whether Blanche was now dangerous. Toby barked, jumping right off the bed. Landing on all four paws, he ran to Emi, running around her feet.
"Heh, heh, what's wrong?" Emi questioned, doing a full turn of ninety degrees as the dog bounded into her ankles. Hopping from one paw to the other as not to tread on the Border collie, her eyes continued to seek out his reasoning. It wasn't often Toby was quite so spooked.
The dog whimpered, running too and fro around his owner's ankles. Tail stuck between his legs, the dog dashed into Emiko's room, and then back out to her. His ears held up, he nudged his muzzle into Emi's knees. His brown orbs spelt out worry, the dog letting out the odd whimper between barks. Here came the modern version of Lassie.
"I'm here, I'm here..." The anthro repeated, following the dog into her room. Getting down onto her knees, she ushered the canine into her grasp. Wrapping her arms tightly around the dogs back, she nuzzled her own nose into his neck. Doing her best to calm the frightened dog, she searched around for the jars. Good, no glass on the floor. That meant they hadn't been dropped. Glancing up towards the bed, Emi's silvery blue orbs did a double-take at the sight.
"Blanche?" She questioned. Refusing to let go of the dog, the woman dragged both Toby and herself over towards the bed. It was a difficult task, but with two arms around the dog's neck and her tail keeping her balance, the furry managed to slide over towards the wall with some ease. Flicking her large ears back to her skull, Emi glanced up at the now glowing Blanche.
"What the," whispering just on her breath, Emi's furry hand patted the bedding. Searching for Blanche with one hand, the edge of her fingers just scraped over one side of the clear jars. Leaning up, she pulled the jar down to her lap. Toby instantly feigned away from Emi's grasp, leaping up onto the bed. Gradually, he tilted his muzzle towards the jar. An inquisitive child, he kept his brown orbs on the jar, as if it would jump at him any second.
"Glowing? Hm, Toby, look, it's alright. Blanche is just glowing, she's not about to bite your head off." Emi smiled encouragingly towards the border, finally getting the chance to sit up. Her own panic systems were being placed, the pieces of the jigsaw rolling down onto the puzzle. Only one last piece was needed now...
"Come on, lets go look it up. Maybe one of my books upstairs might give us a clue as to why shes glowing, who knows - maybe shes on the verge of growing," Picking herself to her paws, the anthro edged over towards the ladder. She wasn't even sure herself, but maybe one of her books had something on items glowing. With shaky paws, Emi pulled herself and the jar up the ladder and into the second floor.
Books flew everywhere, large thick volumes falling to the floor like shooting stars. Thumbing through her masses of encyclopedias and dictionaries, one particular heavy bound book fell to the spare bed. Setting Blanche down just a hands reach away, Emi flicked the book open to the back. Running her thumb down the index, she stopped, reading the page number out loud.
"1678, 1678," she whispered to herself, opening the contents again. Pages went flying, and soon the one thousand six hundreds flashed up on the edge of the yellowing pages. Seventy six and seventy seven flew by, until finally the page flapped open on the page that she wanted.
"Glow, to shine brightly without need of fire or a mechanical instruments help," the word rolled over her tongue, Emi shaking her head as she looked for the part she wanted. Why she hadn't found this book sooner she didn't know, but grateful that she had brought it to the Island Emi read on.
"A light produced by, aha! Glowing objects are usually magical. In some cases the glow can merely be excess heat, and means the object in question is about to...Yes yes, I know that." Wait, what was that? Emi paused, glancing at Blanche. Magical? Well, she certainly had little blue orbs circling around both feather and fluff.
"And means the object in question is about to Blow up," she finished her statement, dropping the book in favor of pushing herself up to her feet. Blanche wasn't about to blow up, was she? Oh good Gaia, what had she done now?
Eyes as wide as saucers, Emi scooped up the jar, dashing back down the ladder. Setting the jar down onto the coffee table, the weary guardian took a step back towards the dog. Toby, had it seemed, sunk behind Emi's furry legs for protection.
"Alright, the lodge. Someone's got to know what's going on," Emi muttered, picking up Blanche like she was a time-bomb about to blow off. Her ears pinned back to her head, clicking in the back of her throat for Toby to follow. She cradled the glowing jar near her t-shirt, whispering to herself the same phrase over and over again, as if it would sink in the next time she told herself.
Toby slunk afterwards, following his guardian as she hastily closed the door, heading for the confinements of the lodge.
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:41 am
10th of January, 2006. A new friend.
Role Play Session with Absinthium (Pages 17-17): X
Content: A rather worried Emiko runs to the lodge for help with her glowing jars, and meets up with Abbey and False. After a rather quick talk Emiko realises that there is nothing to worry about, and Toby makes a new friend in False. Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?
A few moments after talking Blanche desides to make an appearence. Welcome home Blanche.
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:45 am
11th of January, 2006. Welcome home my little white cub.
A blanket of cloud covered the fading sun, relinquishing any sign of further sunshine that evening. Grey masses of air unfolded, ripped open, and hurtled their light abuse down onto the ground below. Odd puddles formed, warm rain water pattering down from the sky to replenish the earth. Drips of liquid seeped into the dark green undergrowth, filling their palette and refilling their hope of growth.
A black beetle scurried within the mass of grass, its beady eyes searching out for a place to hide. Water trickled off the hard shell, droplets falling as quickly as the light rain when the beetle pressed forwards in the muddy undergrowth. Dipping and diving to avoid the ever-present worry of splashes from above, the insect's outer shell split into two. Divulging on either side, a pair of spindly wings spread out from underneath. Flapping against the force of nature, the beetle took to the air to find an alcove to hide in for the night.
"It's only a light shower." Emi teetered on the edge of the lodge's steps. She hadn't really come out fit for the rain, which in retrospect, she should have done. Then again in retrospect, Emi would have liked to do a vast number of things, but unfortunately, they weren't available at this point in time. All the same, the furry seemed to have a permanent smile on her face, a grin plastered from one furry ear to the other despite her misfortunes.
The reason for that sat within her arms. A young gryphon, no larger than a young Jack Russell, sat in her arms. White paws crossed over one another, almost daintily if it hadn't been for the awkward arrangement. Blanche's pelt was pitch white in colour, with a rather large fluffy tail, white perky ears, and a black beak. Adorned on her back settled a pair of magnificent black and white speckled wings, the large appendages pressing back against her fur, feathers angled one against the other. The arctic fox and arctic owl mix was here, Blanche had arrived.
Curious to her surroundings, the female opened her perpendicular yellow orbs, feathered head swiveling this way and that. Her severely contrasting black beak clicked, questioning eyes resting on her Mother. The gryphon couldn't help but shuffle her wings, the edges of one wing brushing against her Mother's tawny pelt.
"Rain," Emi repeated, smiling fondly down towards the gryphon. Tightening her grip around the little one's stomach, Emi clicked in the back of her throat as a gesture for the dog to follow. Stepping out into the rain, her paws splashed in damp earth, sending water flying up her darker brown ankles. Making quick work of the few minutes run to lodge number one, Emi's head tucked down into her chest. Long tendrils of curly brown hair fell before her eyes, covering her gaze.
Stopping half way to the house, she turned back towards the lodge. Moving one hand with great caution, she swiped a few longer bangs back behind her furry ears. Blanche, however, shaked her furry head. Water sprayed everywhere, the droplets that had found their way into every nook and cranny of her fur, now splattered all over Emi.
Toby followed after them slowly, his brown orbs transfixed on Blanche. He wagged his tail as Emi stopped, bounding forwards in the rain to her side. A few strides and he was back where he belonged, tail thumping from one side to the other. Drizzle stuck to his fur, the liquid capsules sticking to the end of each strand of fur. He would be soaked soon if he wasn't careful. Of course, Toby didn't even know the meaning of the word "Careful".
"Let's go in before we all get drenched." Tapping the end of Blanche's right ear, the woman tilted her head to one side. Blanche copied, clipping the end of her beak together. Up until now Blanche hadn't made very much noise, other than the odd click of her beak, and the preening cluck that was made of a few clicks stationed together one after the other.
The rather proud guardian nudged her door open, her tail swishing from one side to the other. Splashing water onto the wooden porch, Emi bent down to slowly release the gryphon from her grasp and onto the floor. Short, spindly legs sprayed out onto the floor. Each of her four white paws went in different directions, and her head went in another.
Blanche clicked for help, her tail swishing along the floorboards. Apparently mastering walking completely hadn't been a skill the gryphon had taught herself yet. Bending down, Emi wrapped her fingers nimbly under the little one's white stomach, lifting her up so just the edges of her furred under paws touched the wooden floor. Blanche's white paws pushed themselves forwards and the gryphon catapulted herself a few steps along - only to fall flat onto her stomach a few moments later.
"That's better," Reaching over, Emi plucked the gryphon up. Twirling around on the spot, her tail wagging as Blanche chirped- startled at the sudden propulsion in a circle. Placing her back down onto the sofa, Emi disappeared into the bathroom in search of a fluffy towel to dry their slightly damp fur off.
Toby padded in after his master, jumping up beside Blanche. Leaning over, he pressed his nose gently against her feathered white cheek. Nudging his wet nose against her feathers, his tail thumped behind him on the sofa. Blanche tilted her head to one side, a soft and barely audible click type noise leaving the back of her throat. Gradually, she nudged her black beak against the dog's muzzle.
Watching the scene, Emi folded her arms over her chest. They hadn't even been left a moment and already Toby was fathering the little Aerandir. Toby stood up, curling up alongside Blanche, offering her a rather warm place to nuzzle against if she was so inclined. The Aerandir clacked her beak together, a sudden high pitched noise leaving her throat. Her yellow orbs widened, head swiveling from one side to the other. Like a deer stuck in the headlights, her white ears flickered back to her feathers, wings flapping in a flurry.
"That, was you little one," Padding over, the furry bent down beside the sofa. Enveloping Blanche in a fuzzy warm towel to calm her down, the gryphon clicked once more - doing her best to repeat the funny noise. Running the towel up over her back, Emi paused to nuzzle the warm material against the gryphon's ears. Cocking her head to one side, Blanche's eyes momentarily slide to a close. The noise would have to be figured out later, for the time being there were other matters at hand.
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The fire lit up in the hearth, the flames flickering back up against the metal grate. Orange and red sparks flew around, lighting up the floorboards in front. The patter of rain sang on the window panes, the soft patter in the midnight giving the ever present sign of rain.
On the floorboards laid Toby, head on muzzle, fast asleep. He huffed every so often, his remark at being used as a portable footstool. The user happened to be Emi, curled up on one side of the sofa with a book in her hand. Blanche lay curled up against her stomach, her feathered head resting on her furry paws. The gryphon slept, deciding to pass her time sleeping - for now.
After all, it wasn't everyday you broke out of a jar into the new world. It was a rather tiring affair.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:51 am
14th of January, 2006. A portable alarm clock.
The night air sung to the waves as they splashed against the shore, dragging long spandril's of salt water into the air. The moon shone down, bathing the small village under its protective gauge of light. Even the stars prickled the midnight blue, dotting the horizon in patterns. All was peaceful. Even the parrots had hushed their calls, sat side by side on a singed tree. Yellow beaks pinned against one anothers feathers, the family fell silent in this early hour.
Blanche, however, had other plans. Large yellow orbs pulled themselves open, blinked, closed, and then opened again. The gryphon could just make out the edge of her guardian from where she laid; the blanketed form that didn't move at all. Tilting her head to one side, Blanche stretched her white paws out. Toby slept barely a pinprick away from the gryphon, but the old dog hardly even shifted as the Aerandir's white paws pushed into his brown side.
Unsteadily, Blanche pulled herself up to her feet. Black claws clung to the sheets, back paws threatening to fall behind her and trip her up all together. Etching one white paw out, the furry bottom touched the edge of Emi's quilt. Tail jutted out behind her like a lamp-post, the furry creature put one paw before the other, taking her first few steps.
It took a while, but Blanche was soon sitting up by the pillow. Sliding her rump back to the floor, her large fluffy tail flickered from one side to the other behind her. She had done it! She had walked a few steps on her own. Now that deserved some recognition, surely? Head swiveling to tilt to one side, the gryphon took a moment to study her guardian. Spherical orbs gazed over her soft brown ears, the way they twitched in their sleep, and the fur she held from the tip of her ears to her paws.
The young gryphon clicked, silently at first, before gradually becoming more persistent in her noise-making. The gryphon barely had any concept of time embedded yet, and if she was awake - why couldn't everyone else be? One white furry paw slid over to clumsily press against her Guardian's shoulder blade.
"Heh, Killia, I told you no, I don't want the pink bunny..." Emi muttered in her sleep. She didn't stay in a tranquil doze for long. Blanche crawled over onto her side, both front paws flopping out to rest on her chest. Blanche's tail flicked happily from one side to the other, gazing intently at her Mother.
Emi coughed, spluttered, her eyes flicking open far sooner than she had have preferred. Blue orbs rested on yellow, and it took the furry a moment to connect. Blanche, yes, that was Blanche. Not Toby - Blanche. Large ears pressed back to her skull, her arm moving behind herself. Furry fingers dug into the mattress, dragging herself up to sitting. It only took one glance outside at the pitch black wilderness to guess what the time was, but she turned to glance at her watch just to make sure.
"Blanche...it's half four in the morning." She exasperated to the young gryphon. Not that she would understand. Offering her arms out, bleary eyes gazed around her surroundings - to the dog asleep at her heels, and the white gryphon that sat before her. Blanche crawled up, lapsing back against her guardian's blankets. Front paws just let go, sliding forwards, and her back paws followed. Finding herself flat on her stomach, Blanche glanced up towards her Guardian.
"Half four, so this is what it's like having a baby in the house. We'll get up soon, I promise." Emi mused. Running her hand down Blanche's back and flanks, her fingertips found the edge of one furry ear. A trigger. Blanche's head slipped to one side in her uncomfortable position, bright eyes closing as the furry continued her light scratch to just behind one white ear.
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The front door opened, the metal latch clicking as the frame slid open. Sunlight dripped in through the doorway, escaping back into each alcove of the house that was visible from the entrance. Distorting the rays, a rather large dog padded out, and jumped onto the chair. The rocking chair creaked to accommodate the collie, sliding back and forth on its rockers as it slowly started the soft motion once more.
Emi wasn't far behind, and after her followed Blanche. The gryphon stood at the door, tail pinning between her legs. Large orbs watched the sunlight wearily, her white furry paws treading backwards back into the safety of her home.
"It's alright, come on," Emi whispered, dropping her journal and pen near the rocking chair. Crawling over, she sat back onto her heels in the doorway. Smiling encouragingly down towards the lithe Gryphon, she plucked Blanche up before she could back away any further into the house. She had to gain some new experience, even if it was sitting there in the sun while she wrote a journal entry.
Blanche tensed up, her body becoming as straight as a beanpole. Turning, she tried to escape as her mother slid her back down onto the porch, but curiosity quickly took over her nervousness. Taking a step back with one paw, her left white furry paw dangled dangerously over the edge of the porch. Stepping into thin air, the Gryphon's wings spread - flapped mercilessly until she had all four paws back onto the porch. Whether the display of flapping had helped her at all only Blanche knew, but the gryphon quickly collapsed at her guardian's side.
"See, it's not that bad." Emi commented, running her furry fingers over Blanche's back for the second time that morning. Tapping her spine, the furry glanced up at the already half-asleep dog on the rocking chair. Etching away from the porch, she sat on the step, leaning over to push the edge of one rocker - setting the slowing-down rocking chair into its usual rocking.
Content for now, Blanche rested her feathered head back down onto her paws. Without even a sound, her yellow eyes narrowed as she looked at the world around her. The sun, the grass, the way the wind blew over her pelt, and even the way the clouds passed above them. Observing everything for the first time with a mixture of fear and awe, the Gryphon slowly budged from her parent to explore the wonders of the 'porch'. Who knew what wonders the porch held.
Emi chuckled, a soft sound that almost seemed alien to her. Flicking through the pages of her journal, she found the next clean space, plucking up her pen to write. Journal entry 005 Dear Emiko, She's here! Blanche is here! I WE'RE A PARENT! To a beautiful little Aerandir gryphon no less. She's wandering around the porch at the moment, doing her own spot of exploring. It's a funny feeling, knowing that somebody else relies on you now. I mean, Toby's always relied on me for walks, feeds, and love plus attention of course, but Blanche - one day she'll be a child. She's a living, breathing Aerandir. A completely different story to looking after Toby. Just to document this, I had the rather silly feeling that - well - she was going to blow up (Which is actually quite humorous thinking back on it now, because she did 'blow up' of sorts.) Well, her glass broke into pieces in my hands, in my hands no less, and then a few moments later she was sitting there - just trying to steady herself in my lap. The other girl there (Abbey I believe her name was, Abbey and False, her Aerandir) must have thought me to be idiotic. She has (however) given me her house number, so I'm going to pop in when my minds in a better set. Her Aerandir, a mix of some sort of wild dog and a vulture, played with Toby for a while. I didn't think he still had it in him, and I was starting to wonder if Toby really was on his last legs - but the way he paraded around with False just lifts everything back up. Maybe this fresh air really is doing him some good? I have to say I'm worried - what exactly should I feed Blanche on? Milk, meat, pasta, or even baked beans? I really ought to have asked Abbey, or even somebody who has a gryphon, what they do. I just hope Blanche doesn't come to resent that her guardian has absolutely no skill in the kitchen at all. Blanche really does seem to be a quiet little sole. Out of all the times she might have squawked and screeched with that high-pitched noise of hers, she really doesn't do it unless something's vitally important. I'm sure she'll develop more vocal noises sooner or later, or if not, I can try and teach her a few? How, I'm not one hundred percent on at the moment, but I'm sure it can be done. Of course, I would most likely look absolutely dire and vitreous, but I'm a guardian now, I can do that? Or at least I hope I can do that. Oh yes, before I forget. We had some workmen here the day before Blanche was born, to check the house. Apparently everythings safe here, which is a good thing. I'm afraid I'm rather hungry, so we're all heading off to the lodge to try and find something to fill a dog, an Aerandir and myself up with.
Toby's brown orbs shifted to open. Watching his master, his tail thumped from one side to the other. At least if they went now it would still be cool. Picking himself up to his feet, he brushed his side to Emi's furry legs.
"I love you too Toby, that'll never change, I promise." Bending down, Emi bopped her nose lightly to his. Cupping his furry paws in her hands, Emi leant in to ruffle the dog's fur. Now to head off for some breakfast.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:53 pm
19th of January, 2005. The patchwork touch.
Water trickled down the cracks, separating the grass in half. Cylinder droplets seeped into the darker brown earth, the skin from each crackling off into the blazing sun. Liquid rays of molten sunlight drifted down between the boughs of each tree, waves of light knocking into each single leaf. Still stained with smoke, the trees swayed joyously, soaking up the
sunlight into each extended bough. It was just another normal day for them.
A small amount of shade sat beneath the leaves, the cooler air circulating where the sun couldn't reach. Tattoos of shadow stained the grass, marking its territory for the humid, heated air. Underneath one particular tree housed a particular white Aerandir. Lying flat on her white downy stomach, Blanche's golden marbles eyed a singular stone just up ahead.
Her rather large fluffy tail swished from one side to the other, extending one single white paw to inspect the rock. White furry under paws brushed over the colder igneous stone, cautiously edging up to the stone, as if it would jump up and scare her any moment. Her furred head knocked to one side, her beak clicking together as the stone didn't move. White paws extended once more, pawing the edge of her claws to the round stone. Curious eyes studied it, knocking the stone into the air.
Blanche jumped right back as she catapulted the stone into the air, back paws skidding back across the grass into the tree trunk. Gentle eyes battered when the rock hit the ground, before the apparently un-phased
gryphon tried again.
"And done," Emi triumphantly spoke, taking the scissors to cut off the last of the dark brown thread. A canine type plush sat on her lap, the edge of one light cream ear falling back into place as the cord between needle and material was cut. The lifeline was torn for now, and the stitches made before hand had apparently worked. The plush was done, completed.
Toby glanced up at the sudden noise, dark brown muzzle lifting off his paws. His large tail swished the ground behind him, auburn eyes gazing into his master's blue. The old dog panted in the heat, grateful for what little shade they had under the trees.
It had been a long walk over here, but they had done it. Set off from the house early morning in favor for a long amble over the grass meadow, and into the trees.
They hadn't strayed far from the track, nor the concrete building where the ship usually docked. The sea bearer happened to be no where in sight, the vast white ferry and its usual chugging sounds long gone a few nights before. It wasn't due back until the weekend now, and the wooden planks on which visitors stepped their first walk onto the Island were vacated.
"Good boy." Running her fingers over the dogs chocolate brown fur, the furry exhaled a long breath. Her chest heaved upwards for a few seconds, letting the warm air escape a moment later. Metallic blue eyes glanced over towards the skittering Gryphon, a smile meeting her lips as she returned back to the canine. Resting the plush dog next the other two, Emi slid down the tree to lie on her back.
Clouds drew over head, creating patterns gauzed over by the criss-crossing of the branches up above. White fluffs of marshmallows floated in the sky, and it was enough not to dip your head into the sun to watch them melt by. Quite willing to let another lazy afternoon pass by, the furry clicked in the back of her throat for Toby.
The old dog pawed up, licking Emiko's furry cheek. The dog's wags went into overdrive, his fluffy tail swishing from one side to the other. Large brown tipped ears flicked, the long tail flicking around to swish in its own wagging motion. A wide grin split across her face, Emi flinging her arms around the dog's neck.
Finished with her exploration of the stone, Blanche turned to view the moment of affection between master and animal. Bounding over, her great mottled wings took to flapping just as madly as her tail. One paw spreading out in front of the other, Blanche picked herself up to her feet - landing directly on her guardian's stomach. White fluffy tail flicked from one side to the other, clacking her beak together in a parry of soft clicks.
"Oof. Yes, hello hello," Emi gasped as the gryphon fell on her, taking a moment for her lungs to regain that subtle breath. She may have been small, but that certainly didn't mean she wasn't heavy. Chocolate brown fingers moved around to scratch the sensitive spot behind Toby's ear, her other arm wrapping loosely around the Aerandir sat on her stomach.
The gryphon clicked again, sliding her front paws over her mother's side, resting her white feathered head back down onto Emi's t-shirt. Her black beak clicking together in a series of clicks, talking an un-known language which she expected Emi to understand. Whether her Guardian could code the clicks or not were another matter all together.
Toby's head cocked to one side, his large ears flicking momentarily back against his head. Auburn eyes melted, pressing his muzzle lightly against Blanche's side. Both animals took a moment, Blanche turning to gaze questioningly at Toby. The canine wagged his tail.
"Come on, it might be best not to linger." Plucking up Blanche, Emi nuzzled her ears to the Aerandir's white fluffy ones. The gryphon clicked gleefully, her own smaller white ears brushing over her guardian's tawny fur. Dragging herself up to her feet, Emi lowered Blanche down to the floor beside her.
Not quite fore-footed yet, Blanche dropped back down onto her stomach. It wasn't until Emi ushered her back up to her feet that the Aerandir trotted forwards into the sunlight. Battering her golden orbs to the sun, the gryphon spread her wings, trotting down into the grassy crevice before them. She was quite a sight to watch, wings out stretched to keep her balance, tail wagging too and fro - imitating her guardian no doubt.
"We'll post these on the way back." Plucking up the three plushes and their respective letters, Emi rubbed Toby's head. Soon enough the pair of them were heading back over the meadow.
A lone bird followed, diving from the tips of the trees. Spreading her wings, the swallow flew ahead, swooping down over Blanche before spiraling into the air.
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:38 pm
28th of January, 2006. How cold is cold?
The afternoon sun swept over, rays of pastel blue hue darkening to orange. Distorting the sky all together, the sun swept over the horizon, and everything was painted in the evening sky once more. A single light flickered into life, the bulb flickering and faltering until it shone brightly, illuminating the porch and sending hordes of fireflies darting into the air.
The insects scattered around the porch, their lit up tails brightening at the onslaught of the sudden change of daylight. Deterred by the presence of no one, each and every single fly dipped and swooped to spiral the ever burning lantern bulb. Usually at this time the porch steps were occupied, and the wooden rocking chair filled with a mass of furry dog. Not tonight. The porch sat empty, and the chair rocked with a hidden household.
A little way off, one light flickered off inside the lodge. The door to the kitchen sat ajar, a pair of furry ears twitching and flickering to every note of a sound. Where the bulb above had turned off, a smaller light replaced it. Just a little way off the fridge door sat open, the yellow light passing its paler rays onto the creature inside it.
Blanche lay just inside the fridge, nestled between what appeared to be a box of peaches and a rather large carton of eggs. Speckled feathers ruffled as the little Aerandir made herself comfortable, white paws making quick work of sliding down onto the cool metal slants. Her black beak clicked contentedly, golden orbs watching her Guardian.
"I really ought to write an apology to Anthony," Emi whispered, extending her fingers into the cool fridge to brush over one white furry ear. Blanche clicked, tilting her white head to one side at the soft touch. Resting her head back onto her paws, Blanche's rather fluffy tail swished over the back of the white plastic fridge.
"I'm sure he won't be pleased that we're using his fridge system for you. Let alone pleased we're wasting energy. It's not really wasteful, but..." the furry rambled, drawing her tail in to plait her fingers into the brown fur. Brushing the rather matted tail out, the darker tipped ears twitched - swivelling on her head for any noise. None. Maybe she was hearing things?
The dog laying beside her nudged his cold nose into Emiko's elbow, liquid brown orbs gazing intently at his owner. Doing her best to press a rather nervous smile, the young furry let herself slide down. Pushing her heels into the wooden flooring, Emi soon found herself flopping onto her stomach.
The Aerandir clicked to her guardian. Why was she so jumpy? Tilting her head to one side, the white feathers brushed over her immaculate paws.
"I'd join you if I happened to be small enough," Emi mused, scratching Toby behind one black ear. Toby panted in agreement, tail thumping from one side to the other behind him.
They had been here for a few days now. It had started the night Emiko had tried to pick up some fresh fruit, and now travelling to the lodge happened to be an everyday occurrence. She had only opened the door for a few moments, but as soon as the cold air had flushed through Blanche's fur they had all had it. The gryphon had been rather distraught to leave that night, and Emiko felt her first rough night on the kitchen flooring.
"May as well update. Slacked off as of late, Hm?" Sliding the thickly backed journal out from beside her, Emi riffled through the pages to find the next handy space. Even though there now stood no firm entries, in its place sat thousands of odd blank pages with a number scrawled in blue ink.
Pulling her ink pen from out of the spine, the furry started to write. Journal Entry 006 Dear Emi, It seems like forever. I really have been slacking off as of late. Whether neglecting a paper journal is a good idea or not, I have yet to find out, but I have been documenting my memories in photo form. I got sent one of those one-use cameras for Christmas. Awful pun from my boss I'm sure, as he knows full well I'd rather have my hands on something far more technologically advanced. But in the words of Sir Richard (the boss) himself, "Beggars can't be choosers." Do I miss anything back in Barton? Apart from the craving for everything sherbet lemony, not really. It's strange, a few months ago I wouldn't have been able to wake up without a large mug of latte coffee and a stern phone call from you-know-who, but these days I get woken up by a rather hungry Aerandir. A white little menace that crawls onto the sheets and then sits on your chest or/and face until you wake up. Oh the joys of mother hood. Blanche isn't a menace. A little shy and overtly curious maybe, but by no means a menace. Well, apart from her cravings for everything cold. Maybe it's just the animals she's made from? After all, they're both from the arctic wastelands up north. Then again, if the artifacts were found somewhere near here, then shouldn't she be used to the heat? As an Aerandir, should the heat concern her? It's certainly something to bring up with Anthony when I next see him. Speaking of Anthony, I'm currently using his fridge. Blanche appears to like sitting on the second shelf relaxing- if relaxation is the right word for it that is. She'll lie there for hours on end, half of the time watching me write in here or read. Blanche will just rest her head on her paws, and stay perfectly still- please say this is normal for Aerandir? We'd better be off soon, after all - I don't want half of the contents in the fridge going off, and on top of that I really ought to finish her patchwork blanket tonight.
Nobody came.
Exhaling a long breath of pure relief, Emi carefully pushed her journal shut, sliding her ink pen back into the spiralled spine. The fountain pen falling back into place once again.
Crawling over to the fridge on all fours, Emi held her hand out to the small gryphon. A disappointed look flashed over Blanche's orbs, crawling back away from the sanctuary of the icy cold machinery and back up onto her guardian's shoulder. White furry under-paws grappled with Emi's t-shirt, white wings fluttering madly as she made her way onto Emi's shoulder.
"We'll come back tomorrow, I promise." Emi silently promised the little gryphon. Picking up her journal, she clicked in the back of her throat, urging the dog to follow. Pulling her paw out, the fridge door slammed shut. Shut until tomorrow night.
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 2:41 pm
29th of January, 2006. Another lazy day.
Water trickled down the edges of the leaves, dewdrops balancing on the edge of each pointed end- waiting for gravity itself to pull the droplet down towards the moist earth. Finding itself on a pinnacle, one singular drip tittered on the edge, drifting from one way to the other before taking its final plunge. Splashing down, the liquid found itself splattered over a rather surprised suspect.
The reptile in question flicked its forked tongue out, green body spurring into action. Green legs waddled into motion, the creature skittering off into the nearest bush to escape the falling droplets. Finding itself back in the shade, the lizard collapsed onto the ground, licking the air with its triangular shaped tongue.
A huge white sheet billowed out over the bed, the cotton bed linen making its gradual course back down onto the supports. The sun glinted in through the window, rays bouncing off the white sheet and around the room. It was a start of a new day, and apparently number one was about to get a complete cleaning re-haul. At least the bedroom was anyway.
Clean sheets sat on the bed, and the floorboards had been swept. The bedside table no longer held the usual clutter, and the wardrobe on the other side of the room was neat. It was tidy, all apart from one thing. A large bulge sat in the middle of the bed, treading her paws from one side to the other underneath the sheets.
Blanche closed her golden orbs, black beak lifting to press against the linen confinements that trapped her between mattress and sheets. Pawing one delicate white paw before the other, the Aerandir pressed forward to find the means out. Like an explorer of the Lost Arc, Blanche kept her beak tilted down towards the mattress. Scouting out an escape route wasn't going to be easy, and the gryphon had to with-hold her strength to find her way out.
"Here you go." Bending down beside the moving lump on her bed, Emi lifted up one side of the sheets. Light flushed in through the gap, illuminating the gryphon standing a few inches away. Bounding forwards, white paws skidded along the sheets, the furry underneath of each paw finding the mattress rather slippery as she flew into Emiko's grasp. Spindly wings flapped, spreading out just to collapse against her white flanks a moment later.
"There you are," Emiko found herself whispering fondly. Blanche cocked her head to one side, clicking in response. White ears twitched on her head as the gryphon, rather clumsily, set herself the task of settling on her Guardian's shoulder. Black beak sought out the edge of one strand of chestnut curls, pitch white paws stumbling as the Aerandir fought to find some foothold. Aha, there it was. Pressing her paws into Emi's furry neck, her speckled wings flapped furiously - it was, however, to no avail.
"Come here." Guiding the little one to her shoulder, Emi scratched just behind one white ear with her thumb. As always, the trigger sent Blanche into tilting her head right over to one side.
---------------------------------
With the sheets safely back tucked into the wooden upholstery, both Aerandir and guardian had turned to the living room. Having found no furmenty reason to clean the whole of the living room, Blanche, Emi, and Toby had decided to settle for some lunch instead.
A piece of meat went hurtling through the air. A pair of beady eyes watched it, ready to catch the tasty morsel once it flew her way. Taking a step forwards, Blanche outstretched her front paws, jumping into the air. Gracefully, she caught the titbit of meat, swallowing it whole. Landing on all four paws, Blanche clicked, promptly falling down onto her stomach.
White paws spayed in all directions, the gryphon's fluffy tail swished from one side to the other- brushing the flying dust off the oak table and into the air.
"Well caught, apart from the landing," Emi commented, forking her next spoonful of baked beans into her mouth. Propelling the remaining few pieces of meat in Blanche's direction, the furry's tail followed after her Aerandir's - gradually wagging from one side to the other, the fluffy tip brushing over the floor.
Intent on spending another lazy day at home, Toby glanced up towards the pair of them. Tail wagging; he plucked himself up to all four paws. So much for the lazy day at home. Pawing his way to her side, the old dog collapsed at Emi's feet, tongue lolling out in a pant.
Without a word, Emi pulled the book she had been reading off the side board, setting down the now-empty can in its place. Flicking over the pages, the furry bent down onto her knees. Sliding back, her tail quickly shifted - as to repel the motion of being sat on. Brushing her fingers through the dogs tasselled fur, the furry started reading where she had left off, her bookmark sliding out into her lap. Glancing up from the pages every so often to ensure Blanche's welfare.
Swallowing the last of her dinner, Blanche turned on the spot. Large orbs watching the scene, she cautiously trotted over to the edge of the table. White paws made quick work of throwing herself over the side of the table, golden orbs shutting tightly. Anticipating a large fall, the gryphon was surprised to find herself in a pile of clothing.
Clicking her beak, Blanche pushed her front paws out, carefully treading over the washed t-shirts. Jumping down from the washing pile, the gryphon clawed her way to Emi's side. Pushing her black beak forwards, she crawled into Emi's grasp.
"Better?" Emi questioned, watching as the young gryphon curled up in her lap. Clacking her beak together, Blanche rested her feathered head back down onto her front paws.
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Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:36 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:00 pm
3rd of February, 2006. Meeting somebody new.
Roleplay Session with Ary Keeyara (Pages 13-13):X
Contents: On another one of the Pallone's many walks, they meet up with Ari and Rawiya on the beach. After a brief chat, Emi decides to take her leave - heading home for an important job with a mash of a thousand apologies.
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:14 am
9th of Febuary, 2006. A reply in words.
The late afternoon sun swept over, the patchwork sheet of oranges, reds, and browns, wrapping the blue quilt of morning away. A darker silhouette danced over the sky, its large wings outstretched to paint in the darker marbles of cloud. A flock of birds flew over, all twenty of them gliding on the light breeze, beaks preened into the wind - tail feathers pointing back behind them.
The leader opened his team out, nose-diving his beak into the wind. Opening his magnificent set of feathers, he led his troop back down to earth, swiftly landing on the nearest oak tree to wait for dawn. Like
flies, the birds dropped down onto the branches, each but not the next lapsing against the other for support at this early hour.
The old rocking chair creaked on the porch, sliding forwards on its rockers- and then back in the other direction. The old dog battered open one eyelid, auburn eyes resting on a pair of blue. Tail momentarily wagging, the collie cracked open his other eye.
"Hello old boy," Emi whispered, bringing her hand up to stroke over his soft ears. Tawny fingers scratched behind the dog's left black ear, the dog instantly tilting his head in that direction. Smiling from one ear to the other, the furry bent in to bop a light peck to the canine's damp nose.
From behind the dog's furry ear poked out a white mass. Sleepy golden eyes opened, blinking furiously as the drowsy Aerandir awoke. A pair of white and black wings ruffled, white paws picking themselves up nimbly onto all fours. Taking one paw before the other, the little one outstretched
her beak towards the furry's triangular marking.
"And afternoon sleepy head," Emi quoted, bringing her fingers up to pluck the gryphon off the collie.
Wrapping her fingers beneath Blanche's forepaws, she placed the small creature back down onto her lap. Large ears flickered back to her skull for a moment; metallic blue orbs watching Blanche drag herself back into the world of the living.
"Let me read some post, and then we'll settle here with a book, alright?" Posing the rhetorical question to the gryphon, the guardian brushed her fingers down Blanche's white spine. Blanche let her orbs slip, opening her beak - just to clack the bottom and upper parts back together in an answering click a moment later. That being Blanche's answer, Emi's tail curled around at her side, the long appendage pressing down onto the rockers.
Dragging over her journal, Emi flicked through to find the envelope. Much to the Aerandir's delight, she peeled open the brown envelope.A reply from Cetalu Dear Emiko and Blanche- Thank you so much for the plushy! It's very lovely, and Nehanda really seems to love it. She's included her own thank-you note as well. I'm sorry for not answering your previous letter, but, as you know, things were a bit up in the air for a while. Fortunately, Nehanda and I came through the earthquakes unharmed. Our house only suffered some cosmetic damages, for the most part. The only real damage was to Nehanda's gardens, which were completely destroyed. It was a real blow to her, but we're already working to re-plant, and I'm sure that they will be as good as new in a few months. Congratulations and welcome to Blanche! She sounds absolutely lovely. As to your fridge question, 'Handa actually preferred sunny spots and the warm water of the little pool I built for her. I think that these preferences are simply an extension of the prefences of the animals the Aerandir are based upon. I found that by researching equine and swan behavior, I knew largely what to expect from my own little girl. In any case, We really can't wait to meet the both of you in person. I think that I may have some free time coming up in a week or two. Perhaps we could come over to Ar'Idil and stay in one of the empty cabins, or in your Lodge. (Our Centre, which is like your lodge, has a few guest rooms, so I'm assuming there are similar quarters over on your island.) See you soon! ~Foenixfyre 
The furry ran her fingers through the little ones fur, letting both slips of paper slide back from her grasp onto the wooden flooring. The sun was fading rapidly now, disappearing behind the clouds it had whence came, falling off the western side of the horizon to brighten up the other side of the world's day.
Darkness set all around, tiny stars twinkling on midnight blue like the sunlight bouncing off a lake. Little light prompted the lantern above them to flicker on, the bulb faltering before shining brightly down onto the three of them. Just like the moon, it illuminated the porch, lighting the way for canine, Aerandir and furry.
"Time flies," the twenty-three year old mused, pausing to glance at the Gryphon. Blanche's tail ever wagging, the young Aerandir bounded off her guardians lap.
Black beak rose towards the sky, she ran around in a circle- like a dog would if it were chasing its tail. Round and round she went, golden orbs watching each speck of white sparkle and twinkle on its orbit. Clicking, she turned back to her guardian for some answers.
"Stars," Emi replied, metallic blue orbs raising up towards the night sky. Her long tail swished, tawny brown fur wrapping neatly beside her.
Happy with her answer (for now), Blanche plopped down onto the floor. Tail swishing over the unruly grass, her golden orbs were captivated for a few brief minutes. Not even the cooler wind brushing through her thick pelt could drag her back, nor the way the air rushed across each furry ear. The guardian smiled, turning her journal over to find the next free scrap of paper to write back.
"One day I'll teach you how to recognise them. Now, how would you feel about signing this?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:29 am
12th of February, 2006. Milkshake disaster.
The darkness rapidly befell the kitchen, midnight black clambering down through the windows to gather around the many utensils. Night befell the small room, rushing around the many gaps and air spaces to settle in for the evening, somehow determined to make itself at home.
Yet, it wasn't to be tonight.
The door creaked open, wooden frame pushing against its metal hinges. The brown, oak door slid open - without any more or any less than a high pitched squeal of rusting metal grinding against rusted latches. Emi winced, brown tawny fingers wrapped around the handle. One paw still set in mid-air; her large ears flickered back towards her skull, one metallic blue eye closing tightly.
"If that doesn't draw any attention, I don't know what will," she muttered. She needn't have kept those words on her breath, if anyone had of heard her - they would certainly know of her presence by now. Slowly, and ever so carefully, her paw pressed down onto the floor. Brown tipped paw at first, then the rough pads, and finally the back of her fawn paws.
The door creaked behind her, held open for both canine and furry to slide through. Edging her fingers around the panel, like she was some secret Gaia agent about to enter a locked vault, the furry carefully slid the door to a close. The door stuck on its latch, the triangular piece of metal not quite wishing to surrender into the lock today.
The door suddenly let its latch go, the structure sliding into the frame with a rather audible click. Emi froze, tail straightening right out like a barge pole. Gradually, she released a long breath. Tail curling around, the guardian glanced around the quaint little white kitchen - from its cooker, to the microwave, to the running water tap. What had she been so afraid of?
"Come on then, one month-old-celebration milkshake coming up." Blanche poked her head out from behind Emi's waves of thick brown hair. Tilting her head to one side, the gryphon watched intently from her perch, one white paw extending before the other so she could spy a better viewing spot.
Opening the fridge door, the furry ducked down, stooping to pull the white door open. Blanche's feathers shuffled, letting out an excited click. Without warning, she leapt from her perch, diving head first towards the top shelf. Wings outstretching, the Aerandir ungracefully glided down - paws landing wobbly. Sliding along the metallic grate, Blanche came beak to beak with a bowel of bananas.
"Fruit, perfect. I think I spied some vanilla ice cream last too, how does a banana milkshake sound?" Without even consulting, Emi dug about in her trouser pocket. Really, it had been rhetorical question - she'd been planning this for days. Fishing out the "How to make a milkshake" scrap of paper she had torn from one of her few existing cookery books, she slid the paper onto the side beside the blender.
"Bananas, milk," the twenty three year old whispered to herself, placing the bottle of milk, and the packet of bananas beside the paper. Bringing her fingers round to brush over the young gryphon's ears, Emi pulled herself up onto her feet. Here goes nothing.
Knowing full well this was a disaster waiting in the wings, the rough border collie slunk off towards the other side of the kitchen. Paws skidding before the other, his shaggy tail thumped - after all, you didn't have to be beside somebody to give them some encouragement. Tail falling to the floor, he sank down beside the nearest cupboard to hypothesize.
"Alright, now to chop up the bananas." Going over every action in words, the guardian peeled the nearest banana. Following the instructions to the bat, she peeled the yellow fruit, grabbed the nearest chopping board - and carefully diced the fruit into thin slices. For once, she hadn't made a mess of the matter.
Without a word, and teeth bitten down onto her lip, she carefully slid the banana off from the plate and into the blender, which was swiftly joined by the milk.
Head tilted to one side, the Aerandir preened her beak forwards for a clearer view, golden orbs watching this strange new act. Her wings ruffled against the side of the fridge, black beak clacking together in a questioning click. Reluctant to leave her cold habitat to find out exactly what was going on, Blanche folded her milky white paws beneath her fluffy body, tail wrapping around her side.
"Ice cream, right?" Leaning over, she pulled the freezer door open. Short arms delved around in the space full of the odd packets of meat, frozen vegetables, and bits and bobs that seemed to have been there for some time. Right at the bottom she happened to spy upon a packet of vanilla ice cream. Ice frosted the edges of the packet, encasing the plastic fully with a seal proof layer of ice.
Brushing the frost from the top, Emi peeled the lid open. It opened, with some difficulty, one end refusing to come off all together - sealed firmly with frozen water. Not that it mattered, if the guardian peeled back one side far enough the ice frosted vanilla ice cream underneath could just be reached.
Scooping a table spoon into the mass, Emi tapped the edge of the metal spoon to the rock solid mass of ice cream. Tail twitching in concentration, the guardian struggled to slide her spoon into the mass.
It wasn't about to work with pure force, logistics were needed here. The carton slid off the side of the cabinet, falling with a clatter to the floor. The tub fell beside the fridge, ice frostings falling off the plastic container, scattering onto the floor.
Blanche turned, battering an eyelid towards the tub fallen before her. Wings fluffed, extending one paw. Crawling on her stomach, her white furry underneath scraped along the metal layers. Like a secret agent, she shrouded back once the edge of one paw met with the edge of the fridge.
"It's alright, just ice cream, see?" Scooping the young creature from the fridge, Emi plucked up both Aerandir and ice cream. Foot extending, the fridge door slid to a close - much to the Aerandir's dismay. Small ears drooped at the side of her head, Blanche turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees backwards to glance at the now shut door.
"How about you give it a try?" With a little bit of coaxing and enthusiasm, soon all of the components were in the glass beaker. Pushing her beak down onto the electric switch, Blanche's tail finally wagged again. Fridge momentarily forgotten, the young creature lowered onto the floor, watching the blender intently.
One last check of the paper slip, and Emi turned the blender on. It gurgled, stirred, and sauntered into action a moment later. Blades whizzed around, sliding into the mass of ice cream, banana, and milk. Whirling like a snow storm, the liquid bubbled dangerously close to top of the glass.
Emi had forgotten one very minor, but very important factor. She had forgotten the lid in her haste.
Suddenly, without warning, splatters of banana shot out from the top of the blender. A piece of banana splattered on Blanche's head, the fruit dribbling down the side of her ear and past her furry cheek. Clicking, the young Gryphon's paws found their way above her head, eyes closing as the cold fruit slid down one carefully structured ear.
Without much more than a squeak, Emi stretched forwards, one hand trying to stop the bubbling liquid from the top of the blender - while the other reached out for the switch. Tawny fingers outstretched, finding the electric plug. Pulling it out from the socket, the machine whirred, and promptly died a moment later.
Milk splattered all over the side boards, and (not to mention) all over both Aerandir and guardian. A slice of banana hung dangerously from the end of Emi's brown curls, followed up by a splodge of ice cream hanging off one ear. How it got there was anyone's guess.
Yet, despite it all, Emi's shoulders twitched. A smile beamed from one ear to the other, the woman not being able to surpass a chuckle. Just like a small child, Emi laughed - large ears flickering back from her head. It seemed the other child in the situation lowered her paws, head tilting to one side. The slice of banana slid from her ears, plopping onto the floor.
"Come here you." Emi spoke through chuckles, lovingly swiping off the last of the mixture from Blanche's feathered cheek.
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:39 pm
February the 13 to the 16th, 2006. The two surprises.
A single red card sat on the windowsill. The light faltered in between the blinds, spreading sunset orange light on the package. What had been wrapped carefully in brown paper now lay sprawled beside the card, the remains of the wrapping folded neatly beside it. Just behind, the sun dipped behind the horizon, tucking itself into the sky, like a marshmallow melting in a mug of hot chocolate.
The first surprise.
The crickets cheeped in their alcoves, calling a friend from afar. The sound rose through the grass, speeding through the green blades in this early hour. Another cricket a few metres off answered his reply, and everything was silent once more.
The silent symphony whistled through Setone, dragging across each small house at the dead of the morning. It paused passed number one, whipping past the windowsill. The windowsill wasn't unlike any other, the upper part curved into a large wooden arc, while the bottom beam held flat to hold it together. A photo-frame sat on the inside, the moonlight reflecting off the silver stand.
Blanche slept soundly on the quilt. Curled up tightly in a ball, her white form re-created a picturesque of a statue. Wings tucked in at her sides, the large white and black speckled appendages covered her back like a blanket -wrapping in at either side of her, so even her paws weren't seen. Yellow orbs were closed, black beak pressed into the mass of white fur underneath the protective layer of feathers, the only movement evident of life being the soft rise and fall of her spine.
Her guardian wasn't quite as dormant. Shifting underneath her sheets, bleary eyes opened to glance at her watch. Pulling herself up with one arm, she grappled for the silver watch on her bedside table, bringing it up to the moonlight to check the time. Good, six in the morning, she had exactly one hour.
Ears flicking back to the mass of bed-styled hair, Emi carefully pulled her paws out from underneath the warm cocoon of sheets. Her left tawny paw went first, tail jutting out to keep her balance. Wearily dragging both paws out of bed, the furry wandered into the front room, looking positively drunk in her movements. She swayed from one side to the other, fumbling around for the torch.
Thud, and the heavy battery powered torch fell to the floor.
Uttering something un-repeatable at this time, Emi dropped down onto all fours. Chocolate brown fingers patted the area around her, dragging one knee before the other to move across the floor. Furry fingers outstretched, patting the wooden surface, until the edge of one nail came into contact with a rather heavy plastic object. Emiko would have smiled, if it hadn't of been so early. Instead, she picked up the torch, pressing the button to turn it on.
Light shone from the end, illuminating the aged sofas, the hearth, the coffee table with her bottle of water from the night before, her mp3, and of course her book shelves. Falling back onto her rump, Emi's long tail curled right around to her side, the furry taking a moment to contemplate her next move at this early hour.
Luckily, thinking happened to be one of Emi's strengths, and soon enough the bleary-eyed guardian headed for the kitchen.
---------------------------------
Exactly an hour later, the morning sun rose up over the crags. Painted in the morning hues, the patchwork of golden orange shone in through the window. Pinpricks of golden rays landed on the small gryphon, illuminating the small patch on the bed. If the Gryphon had been awake, it would have been a perfect spot for sunbathing.
Unfurling her speckled wings, Blanche appeared from underneath the mass of feathers. Her wings lapsed down by her paws, large golden orbs battering open. She blinked in the sunlight, eyesight resting on a pair of metallic blue orbs sitting little more than a foot away. Opening her beak, the gryphon clicked.
"Morning to you too. Happy valentines day Blanche," Emi started, pushing a bowel of what appeared to be chopped pieces of meat towards the gryphon. Toby sat beside the furry, nose down in his own dish of dog biscuits, tail swishing from one side to the other behind her.
Extending one paw, the young gryphon leant forwards to inspect the bowel. Bright red in colour, the dish happened to have a pink ribbon wrapped around its middle, and a colourful assortment of chopped up triangle slithers of meat sat on the inside. Her large tail accelerated to a wag, preening her black beak forwards towards the bowel.
"Breakfast in bed. Go on, it's yours."
The second surprise.
The old rocking chair creaked, stuttering as the weight toppled off. Toby picked one paw up before the next, muzzle outstretched towards the object dropped off. Chocolate orbs gazed intently at the object, seemingly gauging how dangerous it really was. Deciding it wasn't a nuclear weapon, the dog treaded inside, nudging the ajar door open with his moist nose.
Once in, he sat at the bottom of the stairs. Tail swishing from one side to the next, he opened his mouth, and yapped.
A head poked out from the top of the stairs, followed by a smaller white one. Piercing golden orbs watched the dog, tilting her head to one side. The other just smiled, large ears flickering back against her skull, as her metallic blue orbs met with Toby's chocolate brown ones.
"We'll be down in a second, ok?" Plucking up the nearest fiction book, the furry paused at the top of the stair. Blanche shifted on her shoulder, pushing her paws forwards to get even closer to Emi's neck. Beak clicking, both guardian and Aerandir clambered down the stairs and dismounted at the bottom.
Toby wagged his tail, running around the pair of them. Nudging the back of Emi's knees with his muzzle, the dog urged the furry back towards the porch - towards the inanimate object which sat on the wooden stairs.
"Ok, ok..." Emi started, tracing her way over to the porch. Book still in hand, the guardian glanced around the porch, gaze settling on the bright pink flowery envelope a few metres away.
"Good boy." It was obvious who this was from, and didn't even have to look at the fluffy writing on the front. The letter had Killia written all over it. Doing her best not to groan, Emi parked where she was, plucking up the letter. Much to the young gryphon's surprise, Blanche jumped down from her perch, landing on Emi's furry knee - legs spayed either side of her.
Peeling the flap open, a flutter of red hearts flew out from the paper. Each confetti heart was quickly whisked off on the breeze, the odd piece finding itself caught in-between the wooden boards. Surprisingly enough, that was it. No abnormal pink letter fell out, no 'ha-ha your single' note fell from the insides, rather - it was exactly what Emi had asked for.
"Killia." Emi explained to the confused gryphon. One day, she would come to know that name off by heart, but for now Emi let the innocent gryphon stay as a child. Pulling the photograph out, her tawny thumb knocked a confetti heart off the glossy paper.
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