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 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:36 am
Originally posted July 16th, 2004
Sosiqui climbed slowly up the ladder towards her shelf, marvelling at the greenery, the lights that flickered here and there, the new leaves sprouting off of the side of the shelf... it was amazing. Truly amazing.
"Hello?" she said timidly, peeking her head over the side of the shelf. "Are you- oh!"
A webbing of light covered the relic's opening, and Sosiqui could tell that there was some powerful magic at work. "Oh. Oh my. Are you okay...? Can I come up? Can you hear me?"
The light pulsed at her, warmly, and although she couldn't hear any words or see any movements, she knew somehow that it was a welcome. Smiling with relief, she climbed up onto the shelf and knelt by the relic. "I'm glad. I have some friends from your world that you can meet, they're just babies - will you see them?"
The relic glittered once more, and Sosiqui nodded. "Okay. I'll bring them up." She stood up and turned around, looking out at the view. It was greatly changed now, and more beautiful than ever. She could look out into the forest, over the flowering clearing that surrounded Kyendi. Below was the Phoenix Nest, and the pond as usual. Everywhere green, everywhere alive...
The mist hadn't done any harm to the things on her shelf either, though she'd feared water damage to the books at least. Everything was as she'd left it. "It's all alive again," she told her spirit. "You can see it when you come out. It's so beautiful."
She walked over to the edge of the shelf and called down. "Panta? Fly the little ones up, please, but DON'T put your head over the edge of the shelf, or so help me..."
"No need for threats," came the voice from below, sounding hurt. The light in the relic flickered rapidly, but Sosiqui put her hand on it and it calmed down. "It's okay. He won't come up, he'll just hand me the babies. He's a friend."
There was the sound of wingbeats, then two hands held up Solstice. Sosiqui took the sleepy kyunru from him, and smirked as Rhumba divebombed Pantalai until he returned to the platform below. "There, there," she said, tickling Solstice under her chin. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Again she knelt before the relic, this time holding out Solstice to it. "This is Solstice, a kyunru baby... she was given to me yesterday," she said quietly. Sol yawned again and put a tiny paw on the magic blocking the relic's opening. The light inside flashed purple for a moment, then rolled in gentle waves.
Rhumba landed on top of the relic, giving it a suspicious look. Sosiqui managed to coax the kun-kun back to her hand, and showed him to the relic as well. "And this is Rhumba, a kun-kun. He also came to me yesterday." The kun-kun put both hands on the magic, to similar effect. Sosiqui grinned. The spirit clearly recognized what they were, maybe remembered them even. It was well.
"They'll be living up here with us," she continued. "We'll be a family." The word was funny in her mouth. It had been a while since she'd had a family. Chronomancy was too dangerous to do around families. If you did dangerous things, then you distanced yourself from the people you loved... so as not to hurt them...
"Yes. A family. As soon as I get something set up so that the babies won't fall off the edge," she added, ruefully.
The light from the relic was calming and soft. Welcome home.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:36 am
Originally posted July 16th, 2004Sosiqui sat back in her papasan chair, Solstice sleeping in her lap, and surveyed the shelf with satisfaction. Rope netting was firmly stretched around the edges of the shelf (with a removable section for the ladder, hooked with a clever toggle) and pulled taut, making a barricade so that the babies wouldn't fall off the edge. Since it was rope, it didn't look too unnatural, and Rhumba was sticking leaves and feathers into the rope to boot. She slowly reached down and pulled out her journal, without disturbing Sol's rest, and began to write. Sosiqui We have returned to the shelf - myself, and the babies. The kun-kun is Rhumba and the Kyunru, Solstice. Together with the Ieldi (who is still in the relic) we make a small but so far happy family. The tree is alive. A beautiful inn has been built... or maybe it grew out of the tree, for all I know. Here is a snapshot of the tree, alive and growing well!  When I returned the spirit was still in the relic, but the magic was more powerful than I've ever seen it. I think things are happening, major things. It makes me both excited and nervous! The spirit seemed to like meeting Rhumba and Solstice, although it still doesn't like Pantalai. No loss in that, although I would never say that to his face.... The writing trails off and the pen falls to the shelf, as Sosiqui falls asleep. It's been one busy day.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:37 am
Originally posted July 26th, 2004
Sosiqui climbed back up the ladder one-handed, Solstice held tight against her shoulder with her other hand, Rhumba buzzing about. "Well! That was interesting," she said. They'd just been to the Phoenix Nest to see the rest of the babies given out to their happy foster parents. "And how are we do-"
She stopped dead and almost fell off the ladder as she came up to where she could see the top of the shelf.
The relic was GLOWING. Well, it had always glowed, but not like this. It eclipsed the lanterns easily... it threw light on every branch around. She regained her balance and scrambled up, quickly hooking the net-gate and putting Solstice down before crouching in front of the relic. The network of tiny cracks was back, only this time they were thrown into sharp relief from the glowing inside. It almost looked like the relic was going to pop...
"I hope she's not fighting it," Sosiqui whispered. There was no response from within, not a sound or movement or extra pulsing or dimming of light. "Well... I'm just going to hope this means the transformation is almost done..."
Uneasily, she curled up in the papasan chair with Solstice and Rhumba and turned the lanterns off with a gesture. Surely it would be okay...
Still, she continued to stare at the relic long after the two kunkyunru had fallen asleep.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:37 am
Originally posted July 29th, 2004La Karasu~ Suddenly a flare of oddly colored lights begin to emanate from Rasu's house. Ullue watches the dancing lights through a window at the inn. She smiles quietly. "It looks like Karasu's little one is ready," she says in her soft voice. "Then it shall be so." She takes a look around. "We cannot intrude while the process is taking place, but I can still show you what is happening..." An image forms before your eyes of the inside of Rasu's house, her relic glowing fiercely, and poor Rasu on her knees staring wide-eyed and confused... Sosiqui Though Sosiqui is not in the inn - she's too nervous to leave her relic untended - she starts a little as the bowl of water near the relic ripples and glows. She crawls over to it and stares at Ullue's vision, glancing rapidly between her own relic and the vision until her neck is rather sore. La Karasu~ The lights around the nest swirl faster and faster, growing brighter with each passing moment. Intricate runes glimmer beautifully as they circle the relic counter clockwise. Such a mesmerizing display of light.. Rasu's eyes grow distant, as if she were listening to something.. Suddenly, the energy begins to pulse in waves, forcing Rasu away from the artifact as the magic hits its peak. A low keening rips through the area as a final sunburst of brilliant light explodes, momentarily obliterating your vision.... Sosiqui "Agh!" Sosiqui covers her eyes with one hand and uses the other to cover Solstice's little face, as the light flares off of the surface of the water. She feels Rhumba hiding in her hair as she blinks at the afterimages, little speckles of light... "Dammit, this place seems determined to blind me," she mutters, rubbing at one eye. Between her glowing relic and this... She squints at the bowl, wondering what on earth happened, wishing the light would die down. La Karasu~ As your vision clears, you see a frazzled Rasu, her pupils mere pinpricks. She puts a hand to her face, rubbing her eyes to clear the phantom images from her sight. A tiny, confused sound, a voice. You see it. Lying curled in a ball in front of a completely unharmed relic. A child. An Ieldi.. Sosiqui "Whoa." Sosiqui stares, then looks at her own relic for a long moment. "You're going to turn into that? You feel... older somehow." Solstice mewls and paws at the water dish, licking a little bit out. La Karasu~ Rasu crawls forward, tears already slipping unheeded down her chin. "Are you.. okay" she says in barely a whisper. The child looks up, its bright blue eyes fixing on Rasu. It slowly uncurls, its motions awkward, and sits with its knees pulled to its chest. The ieldi regards her friend of many weeks with a calculating, and somewhat frightened gaze.  Sosiqui "Oh my..." Sudden tears spring to Sosiqui's eyes, although she can't quite tell if they're from emotion or a reaction to that glaring light. She stares at her own relic with an odd look on her face. She'd grown so accustomed to the spirits, that seeing the change was almost unsettling. Exciting, but scary. La Karasu~ Ullue tillted her head at the vision. "Their masks... well. I thought the process might be a bit different here. And those runes on her skin. If I'm not mistaken they should fade in time." The deity smiles as she watches the newly reborn... Rasu crawls closer. "Do you remember me," she asks the now trembling ieldi girl. The ieldi nods slightly, her eyes now brimming with tears. "Then.. you know you.. can trust me..?" Rasu asks in a shakey voice. The ieldi's brow furrows for a second before she nods a second time. A moment of silence follows before the child whimpers and crawls forward to fling her arms around Karasu, weeping into the woman's shoulder. Ullue waves her hand and the vision fades. Sosiqui Sosiqui sits back on her heels as the vision fades, clearly shaken. "Well. Um." She licks her lips and then leans forward to the water as well, taking a long drink out of the bowl before straightening up. "Kids, I think it's time for you to go off with your Uncle Panta..." Quietly, she carried Solstice back to the papasan chair and began the simple summoning spell to call the crane.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:37 am
Originally posted July 29th, 2004
Pantalai grumbled from the terrace below the shelf, flapping his wings restlessly. "WHY do I have to wait down here?" he said, for the fifth time.
"Because the Ieldi is delicate and she doesn't know you," Sosiqui explained, again. She was tying a rope to a basket handle, and gently settling a blanket-wrapped Solstice inside. "I'm going to lower Solstice down in a basket to you. I don't want you taking off anywhere around here, just walk back - got it?"
An aggrieved sigh came from below. "Yes, my lady and mistress..."
Sosiqui wasn't in the mood for humoring the crane's drama. "Okay. Solstice, love, stay in here... Rhumba, be good," she admonished the kun-kun. Rhumba landed in the basket, spreading his wings protectively over the kyunru's head. "You're going to go stay with Uncle Panta for a bit..."
"Uncle Panta. How droll," the crane said sarcastically as Sosiqui began lowering the basket down. "Yes, Uncle Panta will take his snoogie-wookums out for a run on the OW! LET GO OF MY EAR, YOU TERRIBLE CREATURE."
"Rhumba..." Sosiqui said warningly, and the kun-kun detached himself from Pantalai's ear. "He doesn't like being patronized," she said cheerfully as Pantalai reached up and took the basket. She let the rope fall. "Just take a room at the Phoenix Nest, they'll let you stay for free, I think. I'll call you later."
"Couldn't you use a different spell? That one buzzes horrifically..." Pantalai grumbled all the way down the path, over the branches and into the common room of the inn.
Sosiqui sighed, then settled into her papasan chair, fiddling with her pen, watching the relic.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:38 am
Originally posted July 31st, 2004Sosiqui gnawed on her pen as she sat in the papasan chair, a slightly-tattered blanket wrapped around her shoulders. There was so much to write about, she hardly knew where to start. "Oh, just write, stupid," she said to herself, finally, and put pen to paper. After an ink blotch began to form, she finally moved the pen and started writing. Quote: The Ieldi have begun to arrive. Karasu's came first, a few days ago. Ullue used some kind of vision-spell that I was able to scry... I remember, Karasu had been thinking that the Ieldi would manifest as birds at first. This is not so, apparently - hers manifested as a child. Ullue said it was different here, apparently. Which throws a whole other wrench into my plans. I need a bed and things for the little one, for starters... I lowered a shopping list down to Pantalai yesterday. Hopefully he can aquire the right goods before too long. The other thing is... man. A kid? I've never really been too hot with kids... well, I've never raised one before. It makes me all nervous, then I remember that the spirit is still the same whether corporeal or not, right? So things changed a little, no reason to freak, right? Karma's Ieldi also manifested yesterday, although I didn't see it directly - but our shelves are near enough to each other that I sure saw the blinding light. At first I thought it might have been my relic, but... I do hope Pantalai comes back soon. I at least need more blankets if nothing else.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:38 am
Originally posted August 1st, 2004"Go away," Sosiqui mumbled, pulling one of the blankets over her head. The light made it through. She blinked owlishly at it, still tired. She'd stayed up so late last night just staring at the relic in anticipation... Waitaminute... "Relic!" she screeched, sitting up so fast that one of the pillows went sailing off the edge of the shelf. "Ow!" She had to squint at the brightness of the light, and half-crawled out of the papasan chair. She accidentally put one knee in the water dish and crunched a stray package of chips on the way, but she made it over to the relic. "Uh... uh... um... hey, I'm here, uh.. crap, what do I say... um..." Sosiqui forced herself to calm down. "Okay. Breeaathe..." She took a deep breath. "It's just magic, you know about magic... okay, hey, friend, um... I think you're going to come out now and have a body again and stuff, which is... which is just GREAT! You can see the tree, it's so gorgeous, and there's melons ripening... um... and a pond for swimming, you like swimming? And the books, lots of those." The light seemed to pulse a little differently at the mention of books. Well, that was something. The runes swirled around a little quicker. "Um. Um. It's okay, don't be afraid. It's magic, but a good kind. I know a good kind of magic too. Maybe you can learn it if you like. Chronos gives me lessons sometimes, you remember him? I told you about him and the other Pantheon here, and there's two other Ieldi who were reborn too! So it's okay." Two others, right. So she wasn't the first. That was reassuring, somehow. Then the glowing got STILL BRIGHTER, much to Sosiqui's horror - or that of her eyes, anyway. She had to close her eyes completely, and even that wasn't enough. "Well, that's... um, impressive... are you going to c-" She was cut off by a wild sound, a sudden tingling rush that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The magic flowing out of the relic felt so tight, like a rubber band waiting to- It snapped. The light flared again, and this time Sosiqui slid backwards, instinctively trying to avoid it. She hit something with one hand, hard, and jerked her hand back, feeling the something fly into the air. Whatever it was, it didn't hit the ground. She opened her eyes, squinting, and looked... A small figure knelt trembling in front of the relic, hands raised, the swan music box cupped between them. Sosiqui rubbed her eyes and looked again as the afterimages of the light flashed across her vision. The figure was still there... She heard a clicking sound as she blinked, then the soft chimes of the music box. Finally the afterimages subsided, and she was able to look clearly for the first time. The child was curled next to the relic, holding the music box gently up to her chest, watching the swan on top turn and turn, a wistful look on her face. "Oh. Oh... hello there... friend," Sosiqui managed. The Ieldi's face turned towards her, and a spark of recognition lit in her eyes. It was as if the little one was slowly coming to an awareness of the world. Then Sosiqui stood up, and the child looked down. She let out an unearthly shriek and bolted towards Sosiqui, little hands clawing at Sosiqui's legs, scrambling, trying to climb. It was all the human could do to not fall over... Sosiqui staggered but managed to keep her feet. "What the-" What on earth? She had been perfectly calm until... She looked down... Oh. "It's okay! It's okay!" She reached down through the frantic whirl of ungainly limbs and picked up the Ieldi, who kept flailing until she was all the way off the ground. Then she clung to Sosiqui with wide, terrified eyes. "No, no, look.. we're not on the ground, we're in a tree..." Sosiqui took a few shaky steps towards the edge of the shelf, and tried to tilt her new charge so that she could see the ground far below, and all the tree and air between them and it. She thought about explaining that even if they had been on the ground there was no reason to fear anymore, but... "It's fine, we're fine," was all she said for now. The Ieldi slowly relaxed, and Sosiqui let her slip back down. "I can't call you 'the Ieldi' all the time, that won't work," Sosiqui said, crouching. "Did yo- do you have a name?" The Ieldi didn't say anything, just looked at her. "Odilen..." Sosiqui wasn't sure how the name had come into her head, or really if the child had had anything to do with it. Maybe it was too many stories about the swan princesses, Odette and Odile. But... "Odilen." She smiled, and Odilen leaned on her, retrieving the music box with one hand and balancing it one of Sosiqui's knees. A few clicks, and the music chimed again. Corresponding RP on pages 62-64 of the old Kyendi Village thread.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:39 am
Originally posted August 1st, 2004Odilen was curled up in the papasan chair, blankets tucked around her with infinite care, the remaining pillows nestled under her head. She clutched the beanbag 'spirit plush' in one hand, the blankets rising and falling with her breaths. Sosiqui, sitting on the beanbag chair with the remaining blanket wrapped around her shoulders, thought she'd never seen anything so entrancing. I could just watch her breathe, watch her be, for the whole night...A yawn reminded her that it would not be prudent to do that, however. She opened her journal with a quiet chuckle and began to write. Quote: Odilen is here. There's no way in the world I could possibly describe her rebirth. Absolutely no way in this world or any other. But she's here. I will admit, at first I thought she was a lot calmer than the other Ieldi... but it seems, now, that she was only waking up to this world. The instant she realized she was really awake and in a body again, she freaked out and tried to climb me. Literally. I had to calm her down forcefully and show her we were in a tree, not on the ground. The fear was so all-encompassing, it made her so wildly afraid... I have not explained to her the lack of danger yet. I do not think she would understand. She has not yet made a sound, which only made her panic more eerie. She manages to speak volumes with those amber eyes, though. We spent the rest of the evening (short, though - she was quite tired) getting to know each other a little. I showed her around the shelf and she touched the chimes, water, and other things she'd loved as a spirit. She seemed rather surprised by them, although I could see the recognition in her eyes. She stayed well away from the shelf edge, though, and clung tightly to my hands as I helped her walk. She's still unsteady. I read her a bit of the Ugly Duckling before she went to bed. She's been sleeping about three hours now, not moving except for breathing. So tired, my little swan maiden... Sosiqui ended then, closing the journal, then scrunching herself up on top of the beanbag. "Pantalai better come through," she muttered, squirming until she was sort of comfortable.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:39 am
Originally posted August 2nd, 2004
It was sheer luck, really, that Sosiqui happened to be awake at the time. That, and the fact that a beanbag really wasn't an adequate bed. She was wearily watching the unlit lanterns swaying back and forth in the breeze when Odilen began to thrash.
Pillows, stuffed toys, everything in the papasan chair with flying in an instant, some arcing high to crunch into the lanterns, others tumbling off the side of the shelf, and one toy landing in the water dish with a splash. The Ieldi's body twisted as she writhed, trapped in the grip of some nightmare. "Odilen! ODILIEN!"
One of Odilen's flailing arms hit Sosiqui hard before she managed to get a firm grip on the Ieldi's shoulders. "Odilen! Wake UP!" She shook her, hard.
Odilen's head snapped back, and she fell limp into Sosiqui's arms. For one terrifying instant Sosiqui thought she might have shaken the little one too hard...
Then Odilen's eyes opened, wide and filled with irrational fear. She clung to Sosiqui so tightly that it hurt. "Oh, baby, it's okay... just a bad dream, not real," Sosiqui said softly, rocking back and forth a little bit. Small, wet tears rolled down the Ieldi's cheeks, but she still didn't make a sound.
After a good fifteen minutes, Odilen let go enough for Sosiqui to free herself. "Here... let me go get the things that went down." She stood up, Odilen watching from the papasan chair with wide eyes... at least, until the human neared the edge.
Then Odilen flung herself to grab at Sosiqui's ankles so hard that Sosiqui nearly did fall off the edge. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, what's this... look, it's okay, I can go down there, it won't hurt me..."
Odilen shook her head rapidly back and forth, and clung.
Sosiqui sighed. "Okay. For now, okay." She sat in the papasan chair, Odilen curling up next to her, moving her grip from Sosiqui's ankles to one of her wrists.
Somehow, she wasn't sure how, Sosiqui fell asleep like that, Odilen by her side, one hand tingling from the Ieldi's tight hold on it.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:40 am
Originally posted August 2nd, 2004
Odilen was peering into the water, sticking her hand it it and then her entire face, rediscovering that - well, you can't breathe water.
She jumped a mile when a dry voice came from below. "I believe you dropped a few things."
Sosiqui rolled her eyes, patted Odilen's shoulder reassuringly, and stood up. The Ieldi watched her anxiously and scooped up the spirit-plushie, clutching it tightly.
"Pantalai..." The crane was standing on the terrace below, some of the pillows and blankets that had been thrown off the shelf by Odilen's night terrors bundled under one arm. The other hand held a large basket.
"Well, they are yours. Some of them hit the pond, but they should be dry now." He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "And the little rascals are in the Phoenix Nest, playing happily with their kin. Will you stop glaring at me now?"
"Fine, fine... don't come up though," Sosiqui warned, glancing back at Odilen. The little Ieldi had shrunk back into the farthest corner, smushed against one of the bigger trunk protrusions. Just... here." She uncoiled the rope she'd used to lower down Solstice and tossed it down, hearing it slap against the terrace below. The rope jiggled as Pantalai tied the basket to it, and Odilen eyed it as though it were a snake.
"It's okay, he's not coming up." Sosiqui pulled on the rope when the crane gave the okay, and was surprised at how heavy it was. "What'd he put in here, bricks?"
The basket came over the side, and Sosiqui retrieved it and put it about three feet away from Odilen - not close enough to be threatening, but enough so she could see if she wanted. She drew aside the cloth on top.. and gasped. "Holy... Pantalai, what did you..."
The voice from below was sheepish and defensive at the same time. "I saw her emerge in the Phoenix Nest, via Ullue Broadcasting Services... and I picked up some extra things, y'know?"
"I'll say you did." Sosiqui gawped at everything. "And a holding spell too to make it all fit, it seems..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:40 am
Originally posted August 2nd, 2004What was in the basket? Odilen peered as Sosiqui began to remove items from it, her eyes growing wide. These looked like nice things... not scary... "Ooh, look at these..." Sosiqui held up the pillow and blankets appreciatively. "They match your colors, love..." "You can hang these wherever you like," she said, holding up the blue windchime and listening to the sound it made. Odilen reached out one hand and tapped it tentatively. Sosiqui had to remove the protective spell, but she oohed and aahed over the white orchid. "You can care for this, Odilen! We can tend it together." "From Kalindara... oh, how nice! She's one of the other Ieldi keepers, I'm sure you'll like her when you pluck up the courage to meet her... and her Ieldi too!" Odilen touched the books too, gently. "And these are from Neith. You'll like her too, I think. Ooh, these are nice." This time Odilen actually opened one of the books and ruffled the pages. She smiled. Sosiqui grinned back. "Thank you... a lot, Panta. You came through... thanks." Down on the ground, Pantalai raised one eyebrow. That sounded genuine. "No problem," he muttered, but he quirked a smile as he turned around and headed back to the Phoenix Nest.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:40 am
Originally posted August 23rd, 2004
Sosiqui shoved a bundle of stinky clothes into her backpack and shrugged it onto her back, teetering a little at the weight of it. So much stuff... lots of laundry, and food buying, and...
Odilen flailed wildly at Sosiqui as she put one foot on the ladder, and Sosiqui sighed. "Odilen. Look. We are out of food. Those cakes you like so much are all gone, and I can only get them down here... I need to get more food. I haven't been off this shelf since you emerged three weeks ago! My clothes REEK. You can come with me..."
The Ieldi pulled back from the edge as if horrified, and shook her head back and forth, slamming her eyes shut.
Sosiqui sighed again. "I promise, it won't hurt me... or you... it's all tree down there. All. Tree. We won't ever leave the tree. Ever."
Odilen opened her eyes, and a few tears welled out to trickle down her pale cheeks.
Sosiqui's heart sank. "Dammit, don't do that. I have to wash! I have to EAT!" She climbed up onto the shelf, and Odilen crawled into her arms, wiping her face on her shirt.
They sat there for a while before Sosiqui gently untangled herself from the Ieldi's embrace. "Now. Will you come, or...?"
Odilen looked down at the shelf floor, then shook her head once. She withdrew from the edge and climbed into the papasan chair, looking very small and lost.
Shaking her own head and feeling utterly horrible, Sosiqui climbed down the ladder. It was true, they needed food and clean clothing and much more... but still, she felt terrible for abandoning Odilen on the shelf. "Not abandoning. Temporarily leaving," she said aloud as she reached the terrace below. Looking up at her shelf, she saw a small white face peering anxiously over the edge, before the Ieldi quickly withdrew once more.
With one more sigh, Sosiqui shifted the load of the backpack on her shoulders and set off for the Phoenix Nest.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:41 am
Originally posted September 1st, 2004
Sosiqui sighed and flopped half in, half out of the papasan chair.
Odilen was sulking. She'd been sulking for days, ever since Sosiqui had left her for a few hours. Just a few hours, no more - enough time to shower, wash her clothes and replenish their food stores. Yet the Ieldi was acting as if Sosiqui had punted her off the shelf to her doom.
"Odilen. Come on," she said, for the sixth time that day. "Please."
The Ieldi curled into a tighter ball.
She sighed, something twisting inside. She hadn't permanently damaged her, had she? Gods...
Okay. Desperate times, desperate measures and all that. "Odilen, look. Want to see some magic?"
The Ieldi twitched and uncurled a little bit, turning to face her sidewise. One eye peeped out from under a curtain of hair.
"Here, check this out. Um." She took one of the apples from the basket and set it up on a wide branch that went to one side of their shelf. "Okay. Abracadabradoo~!" Her hands glowed, and the glow shot out to engulf the apple.
Odilen blinked and turned around a little more.
The apple flared, then seemed to implode - and with a POP! a tiny apple tree appeared, flailing for earth against the bark. Quickly, Sosiqui reversed the spell and retrieved the bruised-looking apple. "See?"
Odilen nodded, and crawled over to poke at the apple with one finger.
"The tree wanted the ground, so I turned it back," she explained. "Some things need the ground, and it couldn't grow way up here."
The Ieldi looked at her, tilting her head to one side, maintaining the silence she'd never broken since her emergence.
Sosiqui took a deep breath. "See, people.. and Ieldi... can't grow in one place either. This whole place is safe, we need not leave the tree. There's melons growing, and people in the inn... even a pond."
Odilen perked up.
"Oho, you like the pond idea, huh?"
She ran over and smacked the surface of the water in the bowl a few times, then darted back to cling to Sosiqui's leg.
"Hmm..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:41 am
Originally posted September 3rd, 2004
It happened quickly, unexpectedly.
One moment Odilen was sitting crosslegged by the water bowl, splashing the water up and down with her hands.
In the next moment, the water sloshed onto the shelf and Odilen was trying to clamber into Sosiqui's lap, breathing hard and pointing at a little blur in the air.
Sosiqui leapt out of the papasan chair, adn promptly almost fell bac in as Odilen hit her legs. "Oof! Hey now! What on earth..."
"Aamha? Pelae?" The blur resolved itself into the shape of a very suspicious-looking kun-kun.
Sosiqui relaxed. "Oh. Rhumba, what on earth...?"
"Missed pelae." The kun-kun darted down to rub against Sosiqui's cheek, then flitted into the air as Odilen took a wild swipe at him. The blow hit Sosiqui in the face.
"OW!" She fell backwards into the chair this time, which wobbled and tipped over. Sosiqui had a terrifying view of the pond from above as the 'cup' part of the chair slid to the edge of the shelf...
Then stopped, held back by the netting Sosiqui had set up. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Sosiqui grabbed firm hold of Odilen's arms and sat up. "Good lord. RHUMBA!" She glared at the kun-kun, who was giving the Ieldi quite the glare. "You could have... oh, geez. How the hell did you get away from Pantalai?"
"Missed pelae," the kun-kun said stubbornly, folding his little arms. Odilen squirmed and pointed at him again. "Who you?"
"This is Odilen. She's an Ieldi," Sosiqui explained impatiently. Odilen wriggled again, then held her hand out.
Timidly, Rhumba got closer, and closer... then kicked lightly at the offered hand with one foot. Odilen opened her eyes wide, and spread her fingers.
"Pelae? Ieldi pelae," Rhumba decided, putting one foot on the palm of Odilen's hand before flitting away. "Come see 'gain. Pelae."
Sosiqui blinked as the kun-kun zoomed off, then sighed. Odilen sighed too, relaxing and looking up at her with big eyes.
"Well. That was an adventure."
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:41 am
Originally posted September 11th, 2004
Solstice yawned and stuck one paw in the air as the basket came up over the edge of the shelf and bumped against the netting. Odilen peered curiously at her. "Solstice," Sosiqui explained, carefully setting the basket down on the shelf. "She's a kyunru. Also from your world."
Odilen reached out one hand and touched the kyunru quickly, as if afraid she might bite. When all Solstice did was yawn again, she petted her with a bit more courage. Soon the little kyunru was purring and Odilen was beaming. Sosiqui grinned. Behold the power of cute.
She left the two of them like that and leaned out over the edge of the shelf. "Perfect. Thanks, Panta, you're a doll."
Pantalai, still exiled to the rest of the tree, snorted. "And I am still denied the right to see my... whatever-she-is?"
"She doesn't want to see you. Sorry." Sosiqui considered leaving it at that, but decided against it and tacked a wink onto the end. "Maybe when she has more confidence in things. I think getting her down from the shelf will be part of that."
"Mmmhmm. Any ideas on that, oh wise one?" Pantalai folded his arms and tapped one foot.
"Hmm. Not yet, but if you can think of anything..."
"Well, she likes swimming, right? There's a great fish shop in town. Not fish to eat," he clarified, hurriedly. "Like, fish that go in ponds. Decorative ones. Maybe a pet."
Sosiqui looked back to see Odilen now had Solstice cradled in her lap, and was stroking her with a thrilled expression. "Might just work. Okay, you've got your assignment."
"How droll," Pantalai snorted.
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