Feng

[Kara Winters]

{:Testing:}

If there was anything that Ito Ai hated more than stupid men telling her that battle fans were not a weapon, were stupid men who threw a wretch into her life. Ai, did not like surprises, so when a man from the Lau clan came into her class nearly holding a teenage girl by the back of her neck, she knew a wretch was being thrown in. She had summed up the girl from first looks, long black hair, fine pale skin and her whole appearance of neatly done up down to the hairpins she wore screamed of a fine lady. Except for the fact she wore pants instead of a skirt, but still, Ai had initially wrote the girl off as being a spoiled princess, probably not at all use to the need of hard work who was going to be a pain to teach. The first assumption was completely shot; the second assumption was true but for different reasons. Feng was a girl who had not grown out of perpetual sugar high; she was also a mermaid as Ai found out the hard way. This explained the girl’s neat and pretty appearance though she had never heard of a mermaid being Asian before. Then again, since it was a Lau who brought her, she assumed that one of the Laus fell for a mermaid; it had been done in the storybooks why not in Gaia where reality was often stranger than fiction?

Ai, realized pretty quickly she had to stop assuming things.

It was not hard to get information out of Feng, for whatever reason the man had neglected to tell the girl to not say anything. Feng liked to talk, not in the chatty sort of way, just as someone who liked to talk about her friends and her family… especially her family. The man turned out to be Lau Donovan, a name familiar enough, and he was good at his work where one would not want to be assigned to the opposite side of him. What made the whole situation interesting was that Feng had no relation to Donovan or the Lau clan; unless you included the fact that Feng was the daughter to the woman he was seeing.

The young woman watched as Feng danced along side the other girls, she stood out not only in her looks but in her height. Most would think the stereotypical Asian girl would be petite, but her height made her quite graceful. When Feng wasn’t bouncing around like on a constant sugar high. Now if only the girl would wear a dress, Ai thought she could make Feng another dangerous flower. Technically she couldn’t do so, since Feng was not part of their clan.

That particular strand of thought brought her back to the mystery that was Donovan and his mer charges. She wondered how much Feng or Ryu for that matter realized that Donovan was treating them like his children in a way. The Lau clan had some pretty clear cut traditions when it came to training, taking their children to someone outside the clan if they did not have the expertise to teach them happened to be one of them. Donovan was a knife fighter, gun wielder, and the patron of all sorts of small and stealthy weapons. Battle fans and swords (while he could use swords quite well), were not his weapons of choice. So it was no surprise to her when that man showed up at her doorstep again to fulfil another tradition.

“Before you ask,” she told him, not taking her eyes off of the girls, “Yes she’s improving, no, the transformation thing isn’t a problem as long as she doesn’t try bouncing off the walls, yes, she’s learnt her studies well and no you may not test her till after they finish this dance.”
He snorted, almost amused as he set down a box on the resting bench, “Observant.”
“You didn’t tell her to keep quiet about it,” Ai pointed out, “It’s going to cause a ruckus when your clan finds out.”
“She’s not my kid,” was his reply, “She’s too old to be mine, and they don’t care unless I knock someone up, and even then no one is going to care if I elope before they find out.”
“What, do weddings scare you?”
“No but clan politics annoy me,” he replied with some distaste on his face.
Ai looked curious; this was probably the most she got out of him, “Which clan?”
“Not telling.”
“I am teaching her without asking too many questions here, you owe me a few explanations as to why you care so much about merchildren being raised your clan’s way,” the young woman huffed with a look that could freeze water.
Donovan looked thoughtful, as if he was considering it, “Minor branch, potential of being a full clan, if you can call it that.”
She swore, “And since I assume you are straight, the person in question is female, who is the only potential head and people are going to start fighting over property if they found out. Is it worth it to your clan to fight over it?”
“Hmm… an area the size of another family compound, an inn, a café, half a school and enough adopted children to be a small army,” now it was Donovan’s turn to give a look as if to say ‘don’t be stupid’, “I wonder, would they?”
“Sorry I asked,” Ai muttered, “So what does that make you if you eloped? Lau? Or whatever new clan it is?”
He blinked for a moment, “I’ll keep my last name, and she keeps hers, she’s got enough sons to carry it on anyhow.”

The dance finished without any problems, though Ai thought maybe she should make Feng the lead next time, or give the girl a solo. She just stood out too much, and besides she was really good and deserved the position anyhow. Who knew, maybe a bit more responsibility would calm the girl down even more.

“She’s done,” Ai muttered even though she knew Donovan saw, “Try not to go overboard.”

The man pushed himself off the wall going for his knives, he grunted in acknowledgement. The other girls skittered out of his way nervously despite the fact Feng seemed quite happy to see him.

“Set up!” Ai yelled over to Feng, “And at least try to get one hit on him!”

After all, Ai hated to admit this, but she had a bit of pride in Feng. She had pride in all her students and in the way she taught. There was no way in hell she was not going to see her student receive her first blades today.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Shiny Feathers!:}

Journal Log July 5th, 2007

Yay! Yay! You can’t even begin to guess the kind of weeks Ryu and I had. It was so much fun… though I think I’m going to be bruised a bit for the next few days, it’s a good thing bruises don’t show up on fishy tails, but I’m not sure about my backside though. Kind of makes me wish I had other shirts to wear, but they would be a pain to wear in the water.

You know, I was told mermaids were actually naked, that kind of makes sense, after all where would we find the cloth to make clothes normally?

Anyhow… like I said the last few weeks have been so cool, first Donovan actually make to our lessons and took part. He had never been around for our lessons though he sometimes talked to someone of our teachers after the lesson. Though I think one of my teachers was more complaining than talking. It’s not my fault the tea cup went flying, besides what’s so important about serving tea? I can get mother to teach me that, not some silly old woman who wears too much make up.

But I like Ai though, she’s the best teacher ever, but that’s because she teachers the fan dancing and battle fans. Everyone says she’s really violent, but I don’t think so…. Well except that time she kicked the staff master in the behind. They say Ai is Japanese for love…. Maybe she’s tough love?

Speaking of teaching, the Goddess Tiia taught me and Ryu how to transform so we can turn ourselves into dragon and phoenix isn’t that cool? The only problem is that we can transform into anything, even objects. I went bouncy across the floor. My poor bottom, I want to go into the tub…. Water is always normal, but I want it warm…. Maybe I can flood the shower….  

[Kara Winters]

{:Shi:}

Entrylog October 26th, 2007

Aiya… I feel bad for not writing in here sooner, mother use to up keep this journal so well, even though she’s even busier than me. Anyhow a lot has happened since the last time I wrote in here, for starters we have a new student in our school. I would say class, but he’s in the Magic Class, instead of the Fighter Class like me and Ryu. His name his Shi, and he’s a Nagi, you know, half snake instead of half fish like me. I thought my tail was long! His is so long that it can wrap around me several times. Even though a lot of people don’t think so (because he’s kind of scary looking to other people), Shi’s actually nice.

Well…. To people he likes…

And when no one touches his tail…

And as long as no one really bothers him...

He makes Donovan and Yue look more socialable, he’s kind of like that. Seriously though, he’s not a bad person, just has a habit of jumping to conclusions. So he kind of… sort of… well he attacked the school bookworm. Still, he’s not really that bad, he just tends to think people are out to get him. It probably didn’t help that he has to look after Lin as a punishment.

On the other hand, it might not be such a bad thing. I don’t think Shi played as a kid, it’s just this feeling I have. Since Lin plays a lot, she can help him learn how to play, maybe then he wouldn’t be frowning most of the time.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Aliya!:}

Entrylog January 31st, 2008

Oh my goddesses! Aliya finally married Admir! If you don’t know already Aliya is a good friend of Ryu and me, she taught us horseback riding the first time we went to the Borderlands. Admir is the horse trainer and he really, really liked Aliya. Unfortunately… Aliya was kind of dense in that area, even when directly asked about it. I didn’t think it was possible, I mean she’s the one where all that stuff Fluffy told me about was important. Besides, it’s a potential mate and… well…

Anyhow she’s married and has the cutest little boy you’ve ever seen! All the kids are cute; I think at this point elves just have cute kids. Which makes me wonder… when Lore and Elnara get married what kind of kids would she have naturally? I’m sure they’ll be just as cute!

It was so much fun playing with those little baby children, makes me want a baby child. Though… that’s not possible seeing as I’m too young, and I have no mate. Though I could go the way of mother and just ask for a vase. Or not, nah.. I’ll just play with all of Elnara’s kids and my siblings. That or just go bug Aliya more often, yea that’s what I’ll do. It’ll be fun, and we can play and I can talk to Aliya and all will be good.

The kids are so cute.  

[Kara Winters]

{ razz regnant Aliya:}
Entrylog February 17th, 2008

By the time I get to write this it’s probably too late, Aliya probably had her baby by now. Why can’t we go back now?
It sounds a bit whiny I know, but Aliya was pregnant the last time we went and I want to see the new baby! I can’t help it… besides Jin I don’t get to play with babies that much and they’re so cute. As if my rant from last time didn’t give away. I can’t help think though… how no matter how much people tell you, you don’t really know until you’ve seen it for yourself. Like Fluffy had explained to me the facts of life me, but it’s hard to imagine anything could grow inside another living being.
Though… I didn’t get to talk to Aliya much, Ryu and I spent most of our time with Adan and seeing his little trophy collection of carvings. Aliya on the other hand had been sleeping most of the time. I really hope she gets better afterwards!

Speaking of getting better, Toshiro, whose one of the Seconds who has this sickness is now living with us. I don’t know whether or not he is going to become our brother, but his guardian is at his wits end. Unlike other Seconds with the sickness, Toshiro was never forgotten by his guardian, so he should have never been sick in the first place. But he is, and his guardian has now made Mother Toshiro’s guardian, in hopes that maybe she can find a way to make him better.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Urges:}

She wasn’t quite sure when it all started, though she was pretty sure she knew how it started. It started, with children; specifically it started with Aliya’s children which made Feng… a bit wistful. However despite knowing how it started it did not explain the urges she was getting. She knew where children came from, she knew the hormones involved, Fluffy had explained it all to her, but this wasn’t the same thing. It was, little things that made her realize, that something was not quite right.

Like her need to horde things, it seemed perfectly normal at first. Sure, it was a bit odd that she felt the need to move all her shiny objects to the crystal cave that she and Ryu found. Though she figured maybe she needed a place of her own, as a teenage female mer, one could not stay in the same waters as their male brother. There was the matter of privacy after all, not that, that had been an issue before. However, when talking about it with her brother Yuki in private, she was convinced it was a normal thing.

After all Yukito and Yue stopped sharing rooms, granted they were now married or mated as the term went, but still they were now in separate rooms.

Then there was the issue that she kept having the urge to find more shiny objects on the bottom of the river. Well, she explained that one off pretty quickly, figuring it was mere boredom. It had been a long while since they had last visited Aliya, therefore she was bored.

Even though she kept trying to make excuses not to visit.

Regardless, Feng thought it was boredom, so for the coming days she searched the bottom of the river for any signs of shiny stones to take to the cavern. There she would arrange them around the large crater she had made in the sand. Piling the shiny stones upon each other like a small wall around the sand bed she had begun to sleep in. Sometimes she would spend the money she earned after she started helping out to buy more jewelry for the cavern, she didn’t know why she felt like she needed to do this, but it made her feel better.

Though in hindsight she should have questioned why two of those shiny things were knives she begged Triton if she could borrow.

Then, things became even stranger… She began hording food. At first they were snacks, which was normal enough when you had a brother like Yukito. Candies, cookies, the sort of junk food that could be stored for long periods but weren’t at all healthy for a person. She would shove them all in an air tight bag, waterproof and then swim to the cavern with her horde. Eventually though candies became dried fruit, chips became nuts, and cookies became dried meat. Collecting food gave away to collecting other things like wood, shells, a comb and even books oddly enough.

Feng began to stop questioning why she was doing this, and just accepting that she was. She felt like something was going to happen, when it did she had to prepare, these excessive urges had actually made her withdrawn. Even though she wasn’t aware of it, she waited… and waited…

And when it came, she retreated into the crystal cavern without a word to anyone. It was simply an urge, she had to see through, but she knew now it would be all worth it.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Joys of Parenting:}
Entrylog August 9th, 2008

I don’t know what I’d do without Naida, it might sound strange since when most think about parenting they think about what they’ve lost, but well… I really, really, really wanted to have a kid, just without the trouble of finding a mate. I mean sure if I found a mate, then all is well in the world, but if I don’t it’s not like it’s the end of the world.

Besides, pickings are slim.

A part of me wants to giggle at that sentence because Ryu would say that sounds soooo childish, but it’s true. I mean, if Ryu really believed that he would have tried to find a mate, but he cringes at the idea of mating anyone with intelligence less than him. I mean, it’s Ryu we’re talking about here, bright, intelligent, closet bookworm, no way he could mate someone who doesn’t at least have a good thought in their brain. Speaking of cringing, Ryu came back a few weeks ago cringing every time someone tried to touch him. He said he was fine, but I think he’s just trying to be macho.

Whoa…. Ryu trying to be macho, maybe I should check to see if the sky turned green or something.

Anyhow… back to the topic of Naida… she’s so cute. I mean, yea she’s been around for over a month now, but she’s still so cute! She has the prettiest long hair I’ve ever seen (I think her hair is longer than mine), and she has shiny scales and she loves shiny things and doesn’t mind when I play with her hair. I don’t think she’ll be a fighter though, she seems to like humming a lot though.

And listening to Shiro play his violin.

Maybe I should look into music lessons. Now that I think about it, when did I start school? Probably not until I was a kid or something like that. I should ask mother….
 

[Kara Winters]

{:Little Thoughts:}
Entrylog October 10th, 2008

When I think back on where we started from and where we are now it makes me want to bounce my tail off. Seriously, Ryu and I were the seventh and eighth children here and no grandkids in sight! Now there are at least twenty children and over a dozen grandchildren and thanks to Celebor and his siblings at least six great-grandchildren! If that’s not After all, Donovan and Mother are young, and they are married so it is very possible for a child. When they do… I want to help decorate the nursery, Ryu thinks I’m insane for saying so.

I’m not sure why he says that, probably just because everyone is eager for another sibling. Even though there are so many now, our family has become a small tribe. Vincent, Donovan’s cousin wants to throw a party, hopefully some of us can disappear during that. It doesn’t sound like fun, meeting people just for the sake of alliances. At least that’s what Lin says.