⒈Pretty in Pink(Pick-Up Roleplay & Reflection) ⒉Heimat ⒊Temul ⒋The Founding of Club Pink ⒌Corpse Flowers ⒍Alimpungat ⒎Tǎntè ⒏Lab 305 Spring Viewing(ORP) ⒐Essence Hunting - Team C(MRP) ⒑Reserved (PRP) ⒒Kefi ⒓Sunshine and Sea Salt ⒔Kadan ⒕Desiderium
After receiving a frantic phone call from Zeke, Ian rushes to the Lab. His Raevan has arrived and is ready to come home!
As they left the building, Eden took a deep breath. Her lungs filled with the night air and she closed her eyes to fully embrace it. It was cool and sweet with a hint of floral scents, likely from the nearby trees with blooms dotted along their branches. Spring-green eyes darted this way and that as she drifted away from Ian, first to inspect a large shrub near the door and then further toward the street.
“Eden, wait-" Ian called after her, trotting behind until he could gently snag her wrist. “We’re going this way. I promise you can explore later, okay?” This earned a slight pout from the nymph, and she eyed the trees longingly before reluctantly following behind Ian. He brought her over toward his car, an unassuming little four-door sedan with a decal in the back window to advertise his shop.
“What does this say?” Eden asked, frowning at the curly letters on the glass. “Thistle…” She trailed off, both uncertain a bit confused.
Ian chuckled before reaching out a hand to guide her as he read the words. “Thistle Do Nicely. That’s my flower shop, where I sell cut flowers and other plants. It’s also your home,” he said warmly. To think – Eden was coming home. She was here, right in front of him, right next to him, here with him after so long. He was still giddy with joy over the newborn. Opening the car door for her, he gestured to the seat. “Sit in here, okay? This is a car, we’re going to use it to get home.”
Eden eyed the vehicle warily, not exactly thrilled about how enclosed it was. She hesitantly floated into the passenger seat and hovered low, her ribbon tightly coiled beneath her. Ian paused – how was he supposed to buckle her in? He screwed up his mouth in thought as he pulled the seat belt across her chest, though the lower part was really only draped over her ribbon. He supposed it was better than nothing.
“This is for safety. It keeps you from moving around in case something happens,” he explained with a smile. “But don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen.” She didn’t respond other than with a doe-eyed look before she glanced around the interior of the car. Ian closed the door, prompting a start from Eden as she was left alone inside the strange machine. She could feel panic fluttering in her chest as she watched Ian walk around the car. Her rune’s glow dimmed slightly and flashed in agitation – her fingers clenched the handle in the door tightly. When Ian seated himself on the driver’s side and noticed her discomfort, he frowned in concern.
“Are you okay? Here, I’ll open the window for you. It’s probably pretty tight in here, huh?” He pressed a button and the passenger window slid down, which the nymph watched with rapt fascination. Once she could feel the air on her skin again and she wasn’t entirely enclosed, she was able to let out a soft sigh of relief. She glanced at him hesitantly and swallowed.
“Thank you.”
Ian’s smile was warm and sympathetic. It only made sense that she might have a bit of an issue with confined spaces, at least at first. The nymph had been used to nothing but wide open spaces, freedom to move around as much as she pleased. Though Eden probably remembered very little if anything from her past life, those gut instincts might have carried over. He reached over to pat her shoulder gently before he started the car.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to these things soon. I’ll teach you anything you want to know.”
PRP Points 200+ word post x8 = 8 points 5 Post Bonus x1 = 1 point TOTAL: 9 points
SOLO Points 614 words = 3 points
TOTAL: 12 POINTS
Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
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Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:32 pm
Heimat German, n. A place that you can call "home" -- includes a sense of belongingness, acceptance, safety, and connection to the homeland. February 2nd, 2016
The journey from the Lab to their home in Barton hadn’t been too long, but it had certainly been entertaining at the very least. Eden had kept her head very near the open window the entire time, watching the scenery roll by. She’d had so many questions once she’d gotten more comfortable in the car. ”What are those?” “What’s that called?” “Why do they look like that?” Some of them Ian had never really even considered the answer to, and he had a bit of difficulty answering her at times, but he didn’t mind. He resolved to look up all the answers when he had time.
Other things hadn’t been questions; they were more like demands or affirmative statements. ”I want a tree like that.” “She’s so pretty!” “I want to go there.” “I want to get out of the car now.” She was incredibly entertaining to say the least, but he could tell she might be a bit of trouble. Nymphs were very instinctual and hedonistic creatures after all; some of that had apparently carried over to Eden.
”Why is it taking so long?” She asked with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. The outside world continued to hold her attention, and her gaze had rarely drifted over to Ian or the rest of the car at all. Ian just laughed softly and rubbed at the back of his neck.
”Well, we live a little ways away from where I picked you up. We’re almost there, though.” He turned onto a slightly quieter street from the main drag through downtown Barton, then into a narrow alleyway. When he pulled the car to a stop Eden glanced around at the brick walls on either side and frowned.
”This is ‘home?’” The dubious tone in her voice made Ian laugh.
”No- Well, not really. This building here is our house.” He pointed to the wall to his left, then opened his door. ”Hold on, I’ll come get you.” He could see the newborn through the windshield as he walked around to the passenger side to her door, her arms crossed and lips pursed in a pout. As soon as he opened the door she had unfastened the seatbelt and all but bolted out of the car. She floated quickly to one end of the alley and then the other, still frowning.
”The door’s around the other side. Come on,” he said, trying to stifle his grin. He held out his hand to her and she grabbed it firmly, following along beside him. They passed behind the building, through another alleyway, and up a wrought-iron staircase along the side of the building. Eden drifted her hand along the bricks and watched the pattern as they ascended, then looked down at the ground. She gripped Ian’s hand a little tighter. She knew she could fly, but being up that high was a bit scary. Ian reached into his pocket and fished out a set of keys, the jingling noise drawing the Raevan’s attention away from the world. She watched closely as he unlocked the door, pushing it open with a slow nudge.
”Welcome home, Eden.”
He stood aside for her to enter first, which she did with little coaxing at all. The door revealed a hallway on the other side, with a few doors along one wall that she all but ignored for now. She floated down the hallway eagerly, rounding a slight corner into a large and bright, open room. One side was dedicated to some strange machines and a lot of cabinets (the kitchen, she would learn later), and the other was a cozy-looking, furniture-packed area lined with tall windows. There was so much light! Eden’s face was stretched into a wide grin as she approached the doorway to a little outdoor area, pressing her hands to the glass.
”Trees! And flowers!” She glanced over her shoulder at Ian, who had followed her inside after depositing his keys and jacket in a closet. He laughed softly and leaned against the kitchen island, watching her.
”Yep, there’s a park across the street. I thought you’d like it.” Eden beamed as she explored even more. She opened a door at random, revealing what looked like a bedroom. Ian’s voice sounded from behind her. ”That’s my room. That’s where I sleep at night. Here, yours is over this way.”
The nymph followed Ian without a second thought, and when he opened another door she gasped quietly. Inside was another bed, done up in white linens, with a string of flower lights decorating the wall above it. There was a small table with a drawer in it along another wall beneath the windows – more windows! – and another door that lead into a smaller room. She passed through the bathroom without much thought and into yet another room. It was lined with racks, largely empty except for a few pieces of clothing that Ian and Caroline had donated for now. They’d wanted to make sure Eden had enough to get by until they had time to go out and buy her some of her own.
”This is all mine? All of it?” Eden whirled to look at Ian as she floated back into the bathroom and ran her hand along the edge of the counter. Ian smiled, her happiness making his chest tighten.
”Yep, all yours. I thought you should have your own private bathroom and stuff, so you can have your space.” That and Caroline had gotten it previously because of all her bathroom products and the space she needed for them. ”We can spend some time decorating it and stuff once you’ve settled in, don’t worry.” She appeared confused for just a brief second before she lunged for him and wrapped her arms around him. It was the first time she’d ever initiated a real touch, and Ian felt his eyes prickle with tears. He hugged her back with a soft laugh as she rattled off ‘thank you’s.
”I love it here!
RP Points 1000 words = 5 points 1000+ word bonus = 2 points TOTAL: 7 points
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:34 pm
Temul Mongolian, v. Signifies a sense of creativity and passion - to rush headlong, to be inspired, to have creative thoughts, and even to take a flight of fancy. Early Mid-February, 2016
“We’re going to have company today, Eden. Are you excited?”
The nymph glanced up from the cell phone she’d been given a few days ago to look at Ian. He’d thought it would be important for her in this day and age to have one, even if she’d probably be with him most of the time. With living so far away from almost everyone else involved in Lab 305, he wanted to make sure that she would be able to be just as social from a distance and a cell phone provided that convenience. She didn’t have anyone’s number aside from his own yet, but he hoped that would change soon.
“I guess. Who is it?” She asked, bright green eyes sliding back to the glowing screen in her palm. Ian had shown her the basics of a few apps, what little he knew, but she had apparently discovered much more already. He had already caught her taking pictures for Instagram, even if they were a bit blurry as she got the hang of the camera, and she had been doing a lot of exploration on her own.
“It’s my sister, Caroline. Your… aunt, maybe?” The whole issue of familial titles was a bit confusing. He didn’t want to force a particular dynamic on Eden, after all, though she didn’t seem completely opposed to the idea of him being her ‘dad,’ which was promising. Though he wasn’t going to get his hopes up, he did really like the idea of having a daughter. That was the whole point of this, after all.
“My ant? I thought ants were bugs.” She frowned at him this time, her confusion clear.
“Oh, sorry- No, your aunt,” he corrected, using the fancier pronunciation, “is usually your parent’s sister in human families. A parent’s brother – or an aunt’s husband, maybe – would be your uncle. But I don’t have a brother and Caroline doesn’t have a husband, so you don’t have an uncle.” He smiled and sat beside her on the couch with a cup of coffee, which earned a curious glance from Eden. It was a bit of a shame she couldn’t eat processed food; there were so many things she had expressed interest in and that he wanted to teach her about. But that meant that there was something to look forward to in the future, even if thinking about Eden growing to a Sigel was incredibly far-fetched at this point.
Eden let out a soft sigh and locked her phone, setting it aside and straightening the end of her ribbon where it draped over the edge of the couch. “When is she coming?” She picked idly at the hem of the shirt she was wearing, entirely too long for her very short torso. It was rather uncomfortable around her ribbon because the material was just clingy enough to squish the tendril a bit. But it was the best-fitting shirt she had at this point, and that was saying something.
“In about half an hour. But there’s another surprise, too—" Eden glanced at him with clear interest, and Ian chuckled. “We’re going to go shopping so we can get you some proper clothes. Does that sound okay?” He didn’t want to push her too much too quickly; she was still a newborn, after all. Being introduced to the world was incredibly important but he also didn’t want to overwhelm her. He couldn’t imagine experiencing everything for the very first time all over again.
Eden’s lips stretched into a wide and bright smile as she floated a bit higher above the couch cushions. Her wings fluttered where they poked through the slits in the shirt Ian had cut for them, and the flowers in her hair opened up wide. “Shopping? Like at a mall?” Ian nodded and she clapped her hands, reaching for her phone. “I’m gonna look up some stores! What all do they have there? I have a bunch of things I really like on Instagram, can we get them?”
Ian just laughed as she scrolled furiously through her phone. “Maybe, we’ll see.”
After thirty minutes of questions and list-making, a knock at the door pulled Ian away from Eden’s excited rambling. “She’s here,” he said with a grin. Eden promptly laid her phone on the table and drifted after him to the door, hanging back just slightly out of apprehension. Ian had to suppress a chuckle as he opened the door, fighting a wide grin. He was relieved to see that on the other side of the door, Caroline was sporting one just as if not bigger than his own. She stepped inside immediately, practically vibrating with energy.
“Where is she—“ She cut herself off with a gasp, a hand at her throat and bright blue eyes stretched wide when she saw Eden. The nymph blinked in surprise, startled by the dramatic reaction, but offered a shy smile. Ian wasn’t exactly surprised to see her acting so reserved despite her personality; Caroline was a lot to take in even if she didn’t look as wild as Zeke had. “Ian, she—you’re beautiful!” A second later and Caroline had swept Eden up in a tight hug, humming gleefully as she spun around.
“Caroline, easy—“ Ian laughed, steadying Eden with a hand on her shoulder when Caroline stepped back to look at her again.
“Ah, sorry sorry, I just—I’m so excited to meet you! We’ve waited so long, and here you are!” She squealed softly and clapped her hands. “Oh—I’m Caroline, if Ian didn’t tell you.” She aimed a pointed but teasing look at Ian, who just sighed.
Eden hesitated, glancing at Ian with a very small flash of uncertainty before returning Caroline’s blindingly joyful smile with a warm one of her own. A swath of bluebells and bright tiger lilies bloomed in her hair, inspired by Caroline’s looks—this earned a loud gasp of wonder from the more vibrant redhead. “I’m Eden, it’s nice to meet you. Aunt Caroline?” She checked with Ian silently as to the title, but his response was drowned out by Caroline’s excited squeal.
“Yes, yes! Aunt Caroline! Oh, Eden, I’m so happy you’re here!” She leaned in for another hug and smoothed the Frei’s hair back, looking at her. “And you’re so beautiful, wow! Come on, come, let’s go!” Ian opened his mouth to protest, but Caroline didn’t appear to notice. She had linked her hand with Eden’s and was tugging her out the door before Ian could stop them. “Ian, grab what you need, okay? We’ll be in the car!”
The car ride to the mall passed in a blur of motion and Caroline’s excited chatter. Only after a gentle admonishment from Ian did she slow down a bit, making an excuse of excitement. Eden didn’t entirely mind; being around someone with more energy than Ian was refreshing. She’d been a bit bored the past few days despite her cell phone explorations, mostly because Ian had yet to take her outside the apartment. She was perfectly fine, she didn’t understand why he was being so weird about going outside. Getting some fresh air – more than just an open window could provide – made her feel more alive than she had since coming out of the tank in the lab.
Ian kept looking at Eden occasionally, checking on her. This was her first big outing since she’d been born after all, and he was very worried about her getting overwhelmed. But Eden seemed to be blooming quite easily, both figuratively and literally. He’d never seen her wearing so many flowers at once, and her smile had never been this bright. She clearly needed to meet more people and spend more time outside of the apartment; he was just so worried about her being so new to the world. He knew it wasn’t the best way to think of her, but she almost seemed like a precious porcelain doll and he was so afraid of her getting hurt. He hoped those worries would pass soon.
“So, Eden! You definitely need some clothes of your own, huh? My old clothes don’t… really work.” She laughed and tugged gently at the hem of the shirt the Frei was wearing. “I think you’d like some crop tops and bralettes much better. They’re cut short, so they won’t get in the way like this one does.” Caroline steered them toward a store marketed more toward teenagers, and Ian followed along behind the two. He was glad to see them getting along so well so quickly; he knew that Caroline was an invaluable resource for more… extroverted things. Not to mention she had a much keener eye for fashion than he did. He didn’t think he was completely lacking in style, but he definitely liked to keep things simple. From what Eden had showed him on her phone, she didn’t feel quite the same.
Eden’s mouth opened in a small ‘o’ shape as the entered the store. Caroline beamed happily and let the Frei go so that she could explore, and Eden didn’t hesitate. She brushed her fingers along the racks of clothes, feeling the fabrics and holding things up to her body. “Oh! I saw these on my phone!” She zipped right over to a wall display of crop tops and bralettes, and Caroline laughed.
“Yep, those are what I mentioned earlier. Do you want to try them?” Eden looked at her in excited confusion, wings fluttering.
“Try them? Like—before we take them home?” Even after just a few moments Eden’s arms were already loaded down with tops of various kinds.
Ian chuckled softly. “Yes. Those rooms over there,” he pointed to a row of small stalls with curtains, “are for trying things on. That way you can see if it fits how you want before you buy it.” He smiled as she glanced that way with a look of amazement on her face.
“I love shopping!” She grinned brightly and quickly zoomed over to the stalls and slipped through a curtain. Caroline and Ian followed slower, and the younger Flynn wrapped her arms around her brother’s elbow with a happy sigh.
“She’s so wonderful Ian! I wish I could have been there when you picked her up. What was it like?” She asked, pulling him to sit down on the little couch the store had parked in front of the changing rooms. They could hear rustling from inside the stall Eden had disappeared into as she tried the clothes on. Ian sighed as he remembered the evening wistfully, brushing his fingers through his hair.
“It was—amazing. I can’t even describe what it was like to see her for the first time.” He laughed. “But you probably know from earlier.” His brows quirked as he smiled. “She did, uh—feed off of me, though. Almost right away. I told you how they all eat something different right?” That prompted a surprised eyebrow flash from his sister.
“What? She fed off of you? Like a vampire?” She laughed, but the odd look on Ian’s face made her pause. “Wait—seriously?”
Ian waved a hand dismissively. “No no no—I mean, I guess it’s sort of similar but uh, no blood or anything. I think she feeds off of… energy maybe? I felt really tired and got a major headache. But she also completely wilted a plant.” Caroline whistled low and patted his shoulder gently.
“Of all the things to eat—You got a winner, big bro.” She laughed, sitting back. “Anything fitting well, Sweetie?” She called, leaning forward in hopes that she would come out and show them.
Caroline’s hopes came true when Eden pushed the curtain aside and floated out toward them. She was wearing one of the crop tops layered under a cozy-looking knitted cardigan. “Yeah! I love all of this stuff! Can I get it?” She asked, looking from Caroline to Ian with a beaming smile. “Pleeeeease? I don’t have any clothes.” Her lips pursed into a little pout as she lowered just slightly. It was strange to see her without her wings, no doubt folded neatly under the cardigan. Ian hesitated, biting his lip a little. He had gotten quite a bit of business lately, and he’d been steadily saving up for first-time expenses like this…
“Alright. You need a good wardrobe, after all.” He smiled, and Eden zoomed up high with a small cry of joy. After swooping down to hug him and Caroline she disappeared back into the stall with a flourish of the curtain.
“Thank you Ian!!” Caroline clapped her hands as well and nudged Ian’s knee with her own.
“Great! Now let’s go get some stuff to decorate your room, Princess!”
RP Points 2121 words = 10 points 1000+ word bonus = 2 points TOTAL: 12 points
Eden meets the newest Lab arrival and her strange guardian.
RP Points 200+ word post x13 = 13 points 5 post bonus x2 = 2 points 20 post bonus = 5 points TOTAL: 20 points
Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
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Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:40 pm
Alimpungat Filipino, n. Loosely translated as "rude awakening," or the state when you are being abruptly woken up, leaving you half-asleep and half-awake. Late February, 2016
A few days after meeting the rusalka, Eden’s curiosity came to a head. She glanced at the books the other Frei had given to her, big and bulky tomes with scuffed leather covers and embossed titles. They were a bit intimidating, so she went to a more familiar source first: her laptop. A simple Google search for ‘nymphs’ brought up some pretty random results, mostly Wikipedia pages and other encyclopedia-like sites. She browsed through them all, curious but not interested enough to pour over every word.
Nymph /nimf/, noun, plural noun: nymphs 1. A mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations.
Eden’s mouth quirked into a slight smile as she read that. “A beautiful maiden,” she murmured to herself as she opened the next link, a Wikipedia page. The image looked more like what a rusalka was, a woman living in a lake. The girls were even trying to pull a man into the water with them! They really were kind of like sisters!
Different from other goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing; their amorous freedom sets them apart from the restricted and chaste wives and daughters of the Greek polis. They are beloved by many and dwell in mountainous regions and forests by lakes and streams.
“Beloved by many…” She laughed softly and rested her chin in her free hand as she scrolled further down. They sounded so nice, so beautiful and perfect and innocent! And - if she said so herself - a lot like her. However, the next sentence made her smile fade a little and she chewed on her lower lip.
Although they would never die of old age nor illness, and could give birth to fully immortal children if mated to a god, they themselves were not necessarily immortal, and could be beholden to death in various forms.
That made sense. After all, the nymph that gave up her soul would logical have had to die in order to do so. That thought made Eden’s rune go cold and she frowned, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Well, any Raevan had to come out of death, right? It didn’t mean that she was different. And obviously she was different than the nymph, she was a totally different type of being. And the rusalka Frei she’d met only looked slightly like a real rusalka, besides being a Raevan. Maybe that was how it worked? She looked like a nymph, but wasn’t really one… But she was. Ugh, her head was starting to hurt with all these flip-flopping thoughts.
Seeing as she’d gotten to the bottom of the basic section of the Wikipedia article, Eden went back to the search results. The next link led to a mythology-based online encyclopedia, complete with fancy heading image. Apparently nymphs were a pretty expansive group of beings, divided by where they lived. Maybe the books had more detailed information?
After tucking away her laptop Eden picked up the most promising of the books she’d brought home. She had to do a bit of searching through its index to find something of interest, but she was definitely rewarded. This section had a list and explanation of every kind of nymph you could imagine: nymphs of springs, of rivers, of trees and mountains and even the Underworld! But even within those categories were even more divisions, and Eden could feel her head spinning. She ended up just searching the page for anything that seemed like what she might be. Pastures? No, Ian hadn’t mentioned anything about livestock… But the Leimonides and Athousai caught her eye. The former were nymphs of flowery water-meadows, but were more similar to water nymphs than anything else. That didn’t seem right, she didn’t have any inclination toward water other than for hydration.
Anthousai, though… They were linked to flowers, and that seemed dead-on. After all, her most noticeable and prominent power had everything to do with flowers. Eden found herself chewing her lower lip raw as she read, and decided she needed to find anything she could about these Anthousai.
After roughly a good hour or so of searching through the other books and more websites, Eden didn’t feel any better. The recurring theme of the Anthousai, of any nymph really, was creation. And while it did fit, she did create things and was able to make flowers bloom just with the mere thought, it didn’t entirely mesh. The very essence of her being required her to drain the life out of things in order to survive. Her essence, her method of sustaining herself and gathering energy to even float, was to drain things until they died if necessary. Eden swallowed thickly and closed her laptop again, pushing it toward the end of her bed.
It didn’t feel right. Even if she was only half made up of a nymph, the other half was so completely in contrast with it that it felt wrong. Her rune pulsed cold and soft in her chest and she folded her arms around herself, drifting into the living room to distract herself with some good old Project Runway. That would make her feel better.
RP Points 883 words = 4 points TOTAL: 4 points
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:43 pm
Tǎntè (忐忑) Chinese, adj. A mixture of feeling uneasy and worried, as if you can feel your own heart beat. Early March, 2016
It had taken her a couple of weeks to work up to this. After meeting the Rusalka Eden found herself with a strange sort of uneasiness in her chest, a dullness in her rune that wouldn’t go away. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she didn’t know things that she should, but how to fix it? The first week or so had been spent on the Internet, looking up all sorts of information about nymphs and the like. She knew what her essence was as well, but just researching cherry blossoms hadn’t led to much. ‘Parasitic’ had produced a lot of incredibly gross information about worms and bugs and harmful things; she’d pushed those away about as quickly as she’d found them. It didn’t feel right. She wasn’t a parasite, or a worm. Was she?
The main topic of interested, however, was her soul. The Rusalka had asked what her soul had wanted from Ian, when he’d captured it. The Rusalka had apparently been Lorenzo’s client from what she could tell, but even that was fairly vague. She hadn’t bothered to ask Ian about it, figuring it didn’t really matter. Those weren’t the details she really wanted to know. Ian had said that Cesc’s soul was an animal, a stag with fur as white as snow as far as he knew. White Stags were creatures of legend, benevolent beings that helped the lost. That fit Cesc from what she knew about him; he was kind and warm.
Nymphs, though- they were her kin. Many different civilizations had their own types of nymphs, and even the Greeks had countless different kinds. She had to wonder what specific kind her soul had been; likely not anything to do with water or fire, but there were still a lot of different kind of plant and earth nymphs. But as she scrolled through gallery after gallery and webpage after webpage of information about them, that strange twisting feeling returned. Before she knew it a crease had formed between her brows and she rolled away from the laptop on her bed, rubbing the heels of her palms into her eyes. It had been about two weeks and this feeling still hadn’t gone away. She needed to know. She stared up at the soft rosy glow of the flower-shaped lights strung up above her bed and took a deep breath, slowly rising off the bed and floating into the hallway.
Floating out into the living room where Ian was splayed across the couch with some cooking show playing on the TV, Eden hesitated. Would he even tell her? Did he even know? She doubted he would outright refuse—he hadn’t refused her anything in the short time she’d been alive—but the nerves remained nonetheless. She twisted her fingers in her long hair as she approached the couch, the other hand’s fingers curling around the hem of her sweatshirt’s sleeve. ”Ian?”
His bespectacled face turned her way over the back of the couch when she called his name, a flash of curiosity quickly replaced by a gentle smile. Though Ian was a little quiet for her tastes, Eden always appreciated his gentleness. ”Hey. What’s up?” He turned down the volume of the TV and sat up a little straighter, making room for her on the couch. Eden took the other cushion and sank down, her ribbon coiling a bit tighter as she looked down at her hands.
Ian had yet to see her so subdued in the month—holy s**t, a full month already!—since she’d come home with him. She was calm quite often of course, but this was different. Sadder.
”Um, I- That girl, the Rusalka, her soul was Lorenzo’s client, right? She wanted him to help her..?” The short nod and quiet ‘mhm’ from Ian spurred her on, albeit hesitantly. ”What about my soul,” she asked, ”the nymph. What did she want?” She glanced up at him as the questions started to pour out, the dam broken. Ian’s face became a bit more reserved and he eventually looked away. ”Who was she? Did she have a name?”
There was a long stretch of silence as Ian stared off into space. Eden could see the lump in his throat—his Adam’s apple, she remembered—bob as he swallowed and took a breath.
”Your soul’s- Her name was Antheia. That’s why that’s your middle name,” he said with a small flash of a smile. ”She lived in a meadow near my old house, and… I grew up not even knowing she was really there. But she remembered me.” She didn’t need to know exactly why he’d gone to that meadow, it wasn’t really important. ”She was so kind and bright, she could make the whole place bloom with every kind of flower you could imagine, just like that.” He flicked his wrist for emphasis with a soft laugh. Eden watched his face carefully as he talked, her bright eyes wide and expectant.
He cleared his throat and rubbed at the palm of his hand. ”Um, it was actually kind of like the Rusalka, in a way. She ended up needing my help,” he ran a hand through his hair, ”because they were going to get rid of the meadow.” She could see the muscle in his jaw clench as he folded his hands in his lap. But he looked up at her with a smile, even if it didn’t quite get rid of the sadness in his eyes. ”I was with her until she died, and she wanted to give me—give you—her soul. She wanted to create life in her death.”
Even now Eden had to swallow against a strange tightness in her throat. She looked down at her hands as well, the flowers in her hair shrinking and shedding away until only a white peony remained. ”So she was a creator. She made that meadow and stuff?”
Ian glanced up at the Frei, a bit surprised that she didn’t latch onto any other parts of the story. ”Uh, yeah- So are you. That’s what nymphs do, they create life and plants and flowers and all sorts of things.”
Brows knitting above her downcast eyes, Eden took a breath. ”But what about- the uh, the other part. My essence?” She looked up and inhaled deeply, shoulders sagging. ”I looked up parasites and- Is that the right word? That doesn’t seem right.” It didn’t fit; it was the complete opposite of a nymph. Parasites drained and drained and took life, they killed things. She tried to camouflage the confused grimace on her face, but all she could manage was dimming the frown.
”Uh, yeah, that was the word. From what Zeke told me, your essence drained the energy from things around it in order to stay alive. Cherry blossoms usually die pretty quickly, but your branch was essentially immortal.” The excited smile on his face appeared to do nothing for the frown on hers. ”It’s different than the parasites you probably saw. Nothing like that,” he said quickly.
Eden looked away and floated up again, running a hand through her hair. Her rune pulsed once brightly but then dimmed again and she started to drift back toward her bedroom. It didn’t seem right. She knew that she fed off of something like that; she’d drained the plant in the Lab when she was born, and she regularly seemed to give Ian headaches and early bedtimes. The plants in the apartment had been wilted and reinvigorated multiple times in the past month and it was all her doing. It didn’t make sense. How could she be a nymph if she killed things too?
”Thanks for telling me, Ian.” She offered a smile over her shoulder before disappearing into her bedroom again. Ian could only look after her, confusion and worry creasing his brow.
RP Points 1314 words = 6 points 1000+ word bonus = 2 points TOTAL: 8 points
The Flynns and their team search Gambino for the stolen Fel essences.
RP Points 200+ word post x11 = 11 points 5 post bonus x2 = 2 points TOTAL: 13 points
Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
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Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:53 pm
(Reserved) Vesna and Eden catch up after the stressful events of the Spring Picnic.
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:54 pm
Kefi (κεφι) Greek, n. The spirt of joy, enthusiams, high spirits, and frenzy, in which good times and passion for life are expressed with an abundance of excitement, happiness, and fun. Mid June 2016
“Ian!! Ian oh my gosh!!”
Eden came into the room at full tilt, surprising her quiet guardian in the middle of his morning veg-session in front of the television. It was clear from the startled, deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face that he’d been zoning out on the morning news show, which was now focused on some sort of infuriatingly early Christmas gift segment.
“Look! Look at this, isn’t it amazing?!” The nymph shoved her laptop into his face, backing off only when he hurriedly set his coffee cup down and held the machine with both hands, letting out a shaky laugh. She settled next to him on the couch, hands curled around his shoulder eagerly as she watched him watch the video playing on the screen.
“Is that- makeup?” Ian’s brow creased a little and he couldn’t help admitting that it really was amazing. The blend of colors, the sharpness of the lines – this truly took skill and was an art in itself. Eden squealed quietly beside him and shook his shoulder, her wings fluttering excitedly. Her hair was wild around her face, clearly still in bedhead form. She must have been scrolling through Instagram before getting up. It still amazed him that she had picked up not only the phone but also the application so easily when he was struggling at his 30-odd years of age compared to her mere eight months. She truly was a teenager.
“It’s amazing!! Oh Ian, I wanna do that, please! Please please please!” Eden pouted at him with pleading green eyes and shook his arm again. Ian glanced at her and then back at the screen, visibly hesitant. It was obvious that this took not only a lot of practice – he didn’t want her to expect to be perfect at it right away – but also a hefty collection of tools and products. He chewed on his lip and took a deep breath as he turned back to Eden again. That was a mistake. He shouldn’t have looked at her. He couldn’t say no, especially when she pulled out those big green eyes.
With a defeated sigh, he relented. “Alright, alright. We’ll… We’ll go to the store today and get you some things. They’ll know more about what you need than I do, after all.” He laughed softly, but it was clear she hadn’t really heard him after he’d agreed. The nymph was squealing again and clapping her hands, wrenching the laptop out of his lap.
“Yay!! Thank you Ian, I’m gonna go get ready! Oh my gosh, I’m gonna need brushes and foundation and eyeshadow – a bunch of colors! – and lipstick and eyeliner and and—" She took a breath and grinned brightly, spinning in the air before zooming off toward her bedroom. “I’m so excited!!”
Despite Eden having the power to bend Ian to her will with a well-timed puppy-dog-eye look, she couldn’t force him to move any faster. She’d been ready to go in a good fifteen minutes, too excited to spend much time getting ready, but Ian had yet to even move from the couch. It was only after her complaining and dragging him off the couch that he finally headed down to his room, emerging fifteen minutes later dressed and ready to go. She had already texted Vesna with promises of pictures once they got to the makeup store, the holy land that was Sephora.
Ian did his best to drive safely to the store with Eden so excited in the passenger seat, constantly asking him questions and telling him things that he barely understood, using words he’d never heard in his life. His head was spinning by the time they pulled into the parking lot, and he immediately was left to fend for himself once they got inside the building.
“Eden- Eden, here, ask her. Tell her what you want to do.” He managed to steer the excited teen toward one of the black-clad salesgirls, but only after she’d recorded a video and taken a few pictures of the admittedly colorful and luxurious displays.
What followed was a whirlwind of color, brushes, demos, and perhaps ten laps around the store trying to decide which kinds of products to get, how many, which ones, and what brands were best. Ian was exhausted by the end of the ordeal, a good hour and a half spent wandering around behind her and the associate. He did his best to follow along and learn as well, since this was obviously important to Eden, but a lot of it flew over his head. It honestly looked like a lot of work.
Meanwhile Eden was in heaven. She’d never seen so many shades of colors outside of flowers, so many scents and types and brands of products – she wanted to try them all!! Ian was making her stick to the basics until she got the hang of it, and even the associate had advised her to hold back a bit until she found things she liked, but Eden didn’t care. She could feel her heart racing and she knew she hadn’t stopped grinning since they arrived, probably since Ian had agreed back at home actually. Everything was so shiny and new and beautiful, so colorful! She knew she was going to be great at this, and couldn’t wait to start practicing.
Unfortunately for Ian, she didn’t bother looking at prices and had quite the full basket by the end of it. At least three eyeshadow palettes, two types of mascara and eyeliners, at least one bottle of foundation, a contouring palette, a giant set of brushes and tools with special carrying case, and not to mention organization displays to hold it all.
When it was all rung up, Ian could feel a knot forming in his stomach. While he could technically afford it all, the total was getting into the hundreds and he was feeling more and more anxious about it. That much for makeup?! How did people do it?! He accepted the offer of a rewards program because he was sure they’d be back, but hesitated when it was time to swipe his card. He chewed on his lip and glanced at Eden again, but she was busy digging through the little sample-size bin near the register. But even though she wasn’t looking at him, he could see the happy glow about her. Her rune was like a beacon beneath her cardigan, and her flowers were open wide and brightly colored, eyes sparkling with joy as she looked around again.
Eden squealed and hugged Ian when he handed her the large striped bag, looking down into it excitedly and already starting to hover quickly toward the exit. “Come on! I need to go home and practice! And then I can take pictures and send them to Vesna, and put them on Instagram! Oh my gosh, it’s gonna be so pretty, look at these colors!!” She drifted into the passenger seat of the car and immediately started unwrapping the products, mesmerized by the colors and silky feel of the makeup on her skin. “Thank you Ian! Thank you thank you thank you!”
RP Points 1188 words = 5 points 1000+ word bonus = 2 points TOTAL: 7 points
Eden reunites with Cruz without the pressure of the essence hunt to discourage conversation.
RP Points 200+ word post x5 = 5 points 5 post bonus x1 = 1 point TOTAL: 6 points
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 9:52 am
Kadan Qunlat, n. Lit. "where the heart lies"; an all-purpose word for a person one cares about, including friends, family, and loved ones. July 25th, 2016
It was embarrassing how long this trip had been coming. After the chaos that was the adjustment process and the spring Lab party, Ian had realized he had yet to introduce Eden to her own grandparents. He was sure to get quite the dose of guilt from his mother because of that one. And sure enough, that was what he got when he called to schedule a visit.
“It’s about time, Ian! The only reason we knew she had arrived was because your sister told us you went shopping.” Amelia’s disapproving tone was clear, but also tinged with a hint of excitement. Ian let out a sigh and rubbed at his forehead.
“I’m sorry, Mom. She’s just been adjusting and there was some stuff with the Lab, and,” he trailed off and took a breath. “Anyway, we’ve just been busy. But I’d love to bring her for a visit. Does tomorrow work?” And so the date was set.
The next afternoon they piled into the car for the relatively short drive. Caroline was unable to come along because of a looming exam, but perhaps that was for the best. Meeting two new people at once was likely to be overwhelming, even if Eden had handled new acquaintances well so far.
Eden, in the meantime, was thoroughly absorbed in her cell phone as always. She was only mildly aware of the scenery whipping by outside the blissfully air conditioned car; the journey didn’t matter so much, but she couldn’t help being curious about these people Ian had told her about. After closing the second social media app that she’d browsed through during the car ride, the nymph took a breath and crossed her arms over her chest.
“So these are my grandparents? That’s the word you used right?” She brushed her bangs out of her face and glanced at Ian in the driver’s seat. He turned the wheel sharply to take a tight corner, then smiled.
“Yes, your grandmother and grandfather. Amelia and Kieran are their names.” The smile on his face was tinged with something else that Eden didn’t quite understand, a softness in his eyes that she had only ever seen directed at her or Caroline. She looked away and touched one of the tiny pansies that she had woven into her large side braid. Under her fingertips it closed its petals and shifted, opening again as a tiny rose.
“You don’t have to call them Grandma and Grandpa if you don’t want to- Just like me, you don’t have to call me Dad or anything.” Ian’s tone sounded a bit self-conscious, but she knew he was just trying to make her comfortable. After meeting Vesna – the Rusalka had finally chosen a name, thank goodness – Eden knew that relationships between Raevans and Guardians could take many forms. Almost without realizing it, she’d called Ian her dad before. She’d never directly addressed him that way, but she supposed it sort of made sense. He did take care of her and had taken part in creating her, so… That was all that really mattered to her.
The entire drive only took perhaps half an hour, and soon enough they were pulling into the driveway of a nice little house. It was only one story unlike their own home and had a quainter charm than their somewhat urban building. Eden looked up at the façade as she floated out of the car, the large hydrangea bushes drawing her attention immediately. The summer sun and heat had wilted them, the petals turning their peculiar shade of brown mixed with pink and blue and purple. Just as she was drifting over toward them the front door opened, leaving her hovering in the middle of the front lawn. There was a gasp as a short little woman come out of the entryway, hands clasped over her chest.
“Oh, look at you! Ian!” The woman cast a quick glance toward Ian as she carefully toddled down the front steps and over toward the Frei, a taller man following slowly behind.
“Hey Mom,” Ian called with laughter shaking his voice, putting his hands in the pockets of his shorts as Amelia virtually ignored him. Kieran however came over to clap a hand on his son’s shoulder with a smile.
Amelia was entirely distracted by the creature in front of her and Eden couldn’t help feeling a bit overwhelmed at first. Her voice was a bit high-pitched, but thankfully it calmed as she placed warm hands on her shoulders. “Oh, sweetie, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you.” There was that look again, those soft eyes like Ian’s. Something in Eden’s chest tightened and she offered a somewhat uncertain smile of her own. She could see tears welling in Amelia’s eyes. “Can I give you a hug, honey?”
After a moment’s hesitation Eden drifted forward slightly and wrapped her arms around the woman, pulling a startled coo from her. “Oh! Oh, sweetie-“
Kieran’s quieter but deeper voice gave her pause and she pulled away, leaving Eden a bit disoriented. The Frei’s wings fluttered as she looked over at her grandfather. “Alright, Amelia, let her breathe a little.” Though his words were cautionary his smile showed he was only teasing.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, “Grandma. Grandpa.”
Amelia dissolved into happy tears as Kieran chuckled and patted Ian on the back again. He walked over and placed a large, gentle hand on Eden’s head and smiled warmly down at her. The nymph’s own lips stretched into a bright smile, the initial nerves of meeting someone new melting away. “Welcome to the world, sweetheart.”
-----
Eden sipped from her glass of water as she sat on the patio, pretending not to listen to the hushed voices she could hear in the kitchen. There was an old dog – Hank, that was his name – lying on the wooden deck next to her, head propped on the edge of the lounge chair and wide eyes fixed on her face. She reached down and patted his head, scratching behind his ears until his back leg started to shake.
“So that branch you showed us became… her?”
“Yes. After I captured the soul, I gave them back to the Lab and just waited until she was born. It was maybe… almost 6 months ago?”
“Ian-! Shame on you, waiting so long to bring her here. You know I’ve always wanted grandchildren,” Amelia chided, but her tone was light. Eden could hear Ian chuckle softly and knew he must be rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when he was embarrassed.
“Sorry, Mom. It’s just been so crazy getting used to it.”
“It’s alright, son. We’re just happy she’s here.” Kieran seemed calm like Ian, but a different sort. Where Amelia was bright and happy warmth, Kieran was steady and true, she could tell. Something about him – both of them, really – put her at ease. She could hear shuffling about and dishes clinking in the kitchen; Ian said they’d be staying for dinner, right? But she couldn’t eat human food…
“Alright, Eden, dinner’s ready! I found some things you can eat, so don’t worry!” Amelia poked her head out of the sliding glass door with a beaming grin, waving a hand to beckon her inside. Eden looked at the dog again and patted his head, saying goodbye before rising off the chair and following Amelia back into the house. The smells of the meal immediately hit her once she was inside, warm and welcoming and so savory. She could feel her mouth watering and a small knot of disappointment bloomed in her chest. She wanted to taste it so badly!
As they all sat around a small table off the kitchen Eden saw that where the other plates were filled with some noodle dish and bread and salad, her own was piled with different fruits and vegetables. Some of them were familiar, others were not. Kieran began to eat quietly across from her and Ian watched closely to make sure she was okay as always. He appreciated his attention but at times like this, it was a bit annoying. She focused mainly on Amelia, occasionally asking questions about the food – both theirs and her own. She made she to try everything on her plate, promptly deciding that she did not like celery and absolutely adored melons and peaches.
She had mostly stopped listening to the particular details of the conversation happening around her, content to try her fruits and veggies and simply watch. The hum of activity around her was just enough to be calming and engaging at the same time, and she found herself laughing with the others without even thinking. Her rune glowed brightly beneath the hem of her shirt, pulsing warm and soft. She knew this feeling; she’d felt it when Ian had first brought her home. Though they lived in their little apartment above the shop in downtown Barton, perhaps this place, her grandparents’ house, was a close second. Something told her it wouldn’t feel the same without Amelia and Kieran being who they were.
Catching Ian’s eye, she watched as the florist smiled gently at her with a curious and hopeful look in his eye. Eden smiled back, turning her gaze back down to her plate. The flowers in her hair shifted slowly into a swath of bright purple morning glories and she laughed as Amelia squealed in delight.
Yes, a close second.
RP Points 1583 words = 7 points 1000+ word bonus = 2 points TOTAL: 9 points
Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
Offline
Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
Offline
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 9:58 am
Desiderium Latin, n. An ardent desire or longing, particularly for something once had; grief or regret for the absence or loss of something or someone. July 25th, 2016
Eden couldn’t say she felt full, but she definitely didn’t feel a need to feed on Ian or anything else at the moment. In fact, her eyelids felt heavy as she leaned against the seat on the way home, staring out the window without really seeing anything.
“So did you have a good time? Do you like them?” Ian glanced over at the nymph with a hopeful arch to his brows. Eden blinked, taking a moment to come back to herself before she smiled warmly and nodded.
“Yeah, they seem nice. It’s weird to see family beyond you and Caroline, they’re so much older.” Ian laughed softly at that and turned the wheel as they went around a corner. “I mean, your relationship with them seems different than mine with you.”
“Yeah, I guess it is a little different. But that’s to be expected, you’re different than me and so are they.” He was quiet for a moment as he changed lanes, but Eden wasn’t really listening anymore. Her back straightened and she could feel her rune pulsing cold and harsh as she stared out the window. “I hope you can—"
“Stop the car.”
Ian frowned, glancing over at her. “What?”
“Stop the car, Ian!”
He all but screeched to a stop, pulling over into a parking lot. “Eden, what’s the matter? I didn’t mean to upset— Eden!”
But she was gone, frantically pulling at the seat belt to unbuckle it and throwing the car door open. Her entire body had run cold and she stared out at the parking lot in front of her and the buildings on the other side of it. Clenching her fists, she floated closer to the shopping center and could feel her throat tightening. Ian climbed out of the car as well, confused at first before his expression shifted. “s**t…”
EAST BARTON OUTLETS
This was where Antheia had lived, the meadow that he’d seen ripped to shreds in a matter of an hour at most. Though it had been almost a year since that day, he could still feel the way she’d practically withered in his hands, there one minute and gone the next. Did Eden remember?
“What is this place? This doesn’t feel right, Ian.” The tightness in her throat made her voice tremble as she hovered lower to the ground. She brushed her fingers over the asphalt and felt her wings fold against her back. Her rune was glowing brightly in the evening light, but it didn’t feel warm like usual. It felt like a gigantic cube of ice in her chest. “Ian-“
The sound of her voice breaking was what made him move, and he sank down to sit beside her on the asphalt. Though she had never expressed a desire to be comforted by him in the past, this was a situation they hadn't encountered before and he couldn’t help reaching out now to place his hand on her back just above her wings. She flinched and his heart ached, his own throat tightening.
“This is where your soul lived. It used to be a meadow, the biggest I’ve ever seen. It- It was beautiful,” he croaked before he cleared his throat. He saw Eden move a hand to wipe at her eyes and watched the way her fingers trembled.
“It hurts… Is this… It’s where she died, right?” She looked up at the storefronts before turning to look at Ian. He’d never seen her look so sad. But it was more than that; there was a deep pain and realization lingering in her eyes that broke his heart and he had to take a deep breath, biting his lip before answering.
“Yes, I was here when it happened.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Antheia wanted to help, she wanted me to use her soul to create something new. She wanted to create you, Eden.” He smiled, blinking as a tear broke free and he sniffed. Eden’s face crumpled when she saw him start to cry and she sank even lower, her ribbon coiling tightly until her rune almost touched the rough ground. She covered her face and took a deep breath.
It was such a strange feeling, this cold emptiness. She could feel the pain that Antheia had felt, a sort of dull ache now even though she couldn’t remember anything from it. All the flowers in her hair and on her ribbon wilted and drifted away, a small pile of petals on the ground around her.
“Eden…”
Inhaling deeply, the nymph suddenly rose up to her full height, wings flaring wide. A hot burning had joined the coldness in her rune, the symbol glowing brighter than before as her brows furrowed. Before Ian could stop her she was flying toward the storefronts with her fists clenched and an angry sob trailing behind her. Ian thought for a moment that she was going to throw something, vandalize the shops and vent her angry. But no, Eden knew that wouldn’t do any good as much as she desperately wanted to. Instead, she did the only thing she knew she could do well enough to leave her mark.
Starting at one end of the front row of buildings, she zoomed along the line of planters on the sidewalk, dragging her hand in the soil of each one. In her wake the little sprouts of plants shot up from the dirt, leaves full and blossoms big and full of life. They grew so big they blocked the view of a lot of the signage on the windows, shooting up like a wave as Eden moved along the row. As she neared the end the bushes didn’t grow quite as big, tapering off until the last one was only ten or so inches tall. She sobbed as she reached the end of the row and drifted low again, covering her face. Ian rushed to her side and combed her hair back from her face. He squatted down and scooped her up, looking at the dark circles that had appeared beneath her eyes and the dull color of her bubblegum hair. She looked so similar to Antheia in that moment that he had to pause and truly look at her. This was Eden, and she needed his help. She’d used a lot of energy, but as he looked past her shoulder and stood up, he knew it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A genuine tribute.
“Eden… I’m sorry.“ He swallowed thickly against the lump in his throat as she wrapped her arms around him. “It’s beautiful.” The Frei could only cry quietly in response, her rune now glowing dully. After a moment as Ian walked back toward the car she lifted her head and rubbed at her eyes, smudging a bit dirt onto her skin in the process. She curled her soil-caked fingers in the back of Ian’s shirt and sighed, comforted by the soft bounce of his steps across the parking lot. Her handiwork seemed to glow in the sunset light and she bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She had never seemed so young to Ian before, despite being only six months old.
“I want to go home.”
“I know, let’s go. It’ll be okay. You’re okay.”
RP Points 1214 words = 6 points 1000+ words bonus = 2 points TOTAL: 8 points
