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Incantation Esprit Captain
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 Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:09 pm
 Lillan has been under your care for a while now, but recently he's been acting slightly strange. He seems meloncoly and fussy. Perhaps he misses something from when he was a spirit. Find out what's making him fussy and find a solution! ((Possible ideas: Visit a pond with him, bring back something that might bring him comfort, let him swim?)) 
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:00 am
 1O.15.O6 : D i s c o v e r i n g . L i l l a n Well.. now that was a little odd. An upside down lily of all things. It was barely more than a splash of white against the deep blue of the lake from where Paper was sitting, but she could definately tell it was upside down. Ok so.. maybe it wasn't that spectacular of an occurance, but Paper was always one to be fascinated by the simple things. And anyway, in all the years she had spent at the lake, she had never seen such a thing.
"Silly lily," she muttered to herself, leaning a bit further out on hands and knees to get a better look. Her slender fingers dug into the grass to keep herself from falling face first into the water. (She'd curse herself later for getting dirt underneath her fingernails.) Still, the flower was too far to see well. She would have to wade out to it to see it better. That in itself wasn't really an issue; Paper didn't mind getting her clothes wet, and it wasn't as if she would get sick. It was just that this lake had sort of a sacred aura about it. Something special in the air, a purity that was rare to the world these days. She loved to sit quietly at the water's edge and watch the silver-scaled fish swimming under the lily pads or the song birds dancing above the water. This entire area was so remote that no one ever came here to disrupt the tranquility. Except for Paper, that is, and she never touched anything or made any noise. Everything was pristine, as it should be. It seemed somehow disrespectful to even think about trudging barefoot along the shallows where the lilys grew, her passage disturbing the calm water.
But something about the flower made Paper curious. Something quite enchanting about it really, almost romantic. A poor little lily, upside down and unable to right itself. And.. well.. she would likely be thinking about it from here unto eternity if she didn't rescue it while she had the chance. So, leaving her wooden sandals on the grass, the pale-skinned young lady carefully dipped a toe into the water. She paused there, foot half submerged, waiting to see if some vengeful lake spirit would rise up out of the depths to smite her. When nothing but a curious fish approached to take an experimental nibble of Paper's toe, she relaxed and stepped fully into the water. Thankfully the water only went up to just above her knees here, and would only get a bit deeper near the lilys. As she moved, the two long silk drapes that made her skirt floated behind her, rippling as if they themselves were a part of the lake.
"Don't worry, little one," Paper purred into the darkening air. "I shall save you from your inverted state." Night time was stealthily claiming the sky as she very carefully made her way across the water, the very faintest of twinkling starts begining to shimmer into view. She was doing her absolute best to cause as few ripples as possible, and the going was quite slow. The first of the fireflys and will-o-wisps began to blink into existance as she finally drew near the cluster of lilys, and the sky had deepened into that gorgeous mix of deep reds and purples that marked the end of the day.
Ah, finally. Here she stood, not two feet from the gently bobbing lily. The night wisps, as always, were drawn to Paper. They hovered close enough to her that their glowing allowed her some meager light to see by. Her darling little companions. She smiled.
"Now, about you." Paper leaned forward to peer at the silky petals that now kind of resembled hair. Her eyebrows tightened a bit as she made the observation. What an odd thing to compare petals to, she thought. But she couldn't resist the urge to touch one, and so she did. And the petal came apart in her fingers, separating into little strands of fine white hair.
It took a moment for it register to Paper. She stood there, sort of confused, rubbing the silky and slightly wet strands between two fingers. Finally she took a moment to consider what was happening and immediately let go and took a startled (though admitedly belated) step back, the sudden movement causing an unforgivably large surge of water to splash behind her. "Oh.. my.." she sighed, more concerned at that moment about the error in conduct she had just made. 
But, oh see! The lily was moving, turning around in the water and floating a smidge closer.
"...." Paper gaped, her attention back on the strange happenings. She was at a complete loss for words (which wasn't so strange really).
The lily stopped moving. A little bubble blubbed from beneath it and floated on the surface for a moment before popping. Was it just Paper's imagination or was that a sound that escaped from the bubble just now? Had to get a closer look...
She bent down, lowering her face very close to the water. Anyone else would probably have splashed noisily back to the water's edge by now. But not Paper. She didn't have normal, healthy fear (or sense). She gently guided a nearby wisp closer to get a better look.
A child's face stared back at her.
Paper blinked. A long, surreal moment stretched out before her. The sound of water lapping at her thighs and the gentle breeze through the treetops only distantly registered in her mind. A child's face. A pair of eyes like pale moonlight stared back at her, something dark smudged across them making them appear very large. Mud maybe? The water baby opened its perfect little mouth and a bubble escaped, floating in slow motion to the surface. And from it came the sound of a baby's gurgle, low and innocent and loving. Paper smiled despite the strangeness of it.
"Spirit of the lilys," the woman said reaching toward the baby in the water. For someone so out of tune with the real world, she had remarkable instincts when it came to the spiritual. It was as clear as day to her that this beautiful creature was essence incarnate. A spirit made flesh. The child made a serious of laugh bubbles, taking Paper's finger into it's tiny little hand. And chewing on it.
Well that settled it. She couldn't very well leave the infant out here all by itself in the wilderness. Though perhaps at that moment it was more Paper's own lonliness that prompted her to gently lift the slippery baby out of the water and hold it closely to herself. Ah, a boy. The spirit child burbled at the sudden displacement, eyes wide and blinking in wonder. Even with his hair plastered to his face and dripping wet, the baby was lovely. And now that he was out of the water, Paper could clearly see the gorgeous lily spots that darkened the area around those enchanting eyes. Definately not mud.
"Lillan" the baby cooed. Or.. more like a serious of sounds that sort of (ok not really) resembled the word. Well, close enough though, Paper thought. And fitting.
"Lillan you shall be," she whispered back, cuddling him closely. He seemed to giggle a bit in response then stuffed half his hand into his mouth. His attention was soon drawn to the curious glowing wisps that now surrounded them. The shimmering light gathered in his eyes and on his perfect little cheeks, and as he reached out to the will-o-wisps with his free hand, Paper smiled. She felt whole for once in a very long time.
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:40 am
It had been a several days since Paper had come across the little spirit baby from the lake. Several very interesting days.
"Nuu" Lillan purred in that silky little voice of his. He softly batted at Paper's hands as she did her best to dress him in an appropriate outfit.
"Hey hey cupcake, sit still will you? You can't be naked all the time you know..." Paper twisted her delicate face into a not so delicate grimace as she tried to gently arrange the infant's squishy limbs so as to dress him. For the past few days he'd been wearing nothing but one of Paper's white obi sashes as a garment, and that was hardly adequate.
"Aha!" she squeaked suddenly. Victory! Er.. ok maybe not so much. She had managed to get one of the squirming baby's arms into one of the sleeves on the tiny kimono she'd spent the last few days sewing for him. For a "new born" baby who actually wasn't struggling all that hard, Lillan was really making things difficult. He seemed to know just how to twist or kick to get free and spend minimal effort in doing so.
"Ok mister, no more of your houdini business. I've got one arm in here and I'm happy with that." Paper smoothed the silken material of the kimono before carefully, and securely, tieing it closed with a sturdy band of cloth. "For now anyway." She smiled at her work and at Lillan's adorable little pout. "Now, now.. it's not so bad." For a moment she turned away in thought, wondering if maybe one more sash around the middle might be necessary to keep the little one in his clothes.
"Well..." she started to say, her eyes returning to the bundle on the bed before her. "Blast!" He was undressed again. The kimono fabric lay in a silky disarray beneath him as he played with his toes. That smile. Oh man, that "I didn't do anything" smile just melted Paper into goo.
"Fine, you win," she sighed. Defeated, she retrieved his favorite "outfit" and wrapped him up snug as a bug.
"Win," Lillan mimicked, apparently adding the word to his already amazing 4 word vocabulary. He grinned like he'd just won a million dollars.
"Yes, you win this battle, mister indecent." Paper lifted the laughing baby into her arms and carried him over to the couch. "But you're going to have to wear clothes at some point." She balanced him on one lap as she reached for the DVD player remote. It was a good time for her to make a new entry in her journal, and she knew for sure that if she put on "The Last Unicorn", Lillan wouldn't move a muscle until it was over. He loved that movie. Although, Paper was fairly sure he'd be entranced by any old movie, but she loved it herself so she played it for him often.
"Now.. you behave," she whispered as the opening music began to play. After giving Lillan a quick kiss on the head, she pulled out her beat up old notebook and set it on the arm of the couch. Where to even begin... Journal Entry Lillan.. that is what I have named the child. So far I don't really know much about why or even how he is here. The lake where I discovered him had always been a gathering place for wayward spirits... but for one of them to become alive? It is beyond my understanding. Really though... I find myself caring less about the 'How' as I come to know him. Lillan.. he is.. my own little boy.
Maybe I should just be thankful that he is with me now and not worry so much about the details of his past. I just don't want to lose him.. I sometimes wonder if a spirit child has 'parents' and what that would mean for me. Might they come for him? I should try to stay distant for now, until I know what's going on. I just have to keep a clear head, which is why I have to record my thoughts and the things I discover about him. Now.. let's see, what can I say about Lillan..
The day I brought him home I made a very startling discovery. No, I shouldn't say that... When I think about it, it does make sense. It seems that Lillan doesn't need to eat normal food to sustain himself. I was so sure the little one would be hungry by the time we returned from the lake, so I stopped by a local grocery store to pick something up for him. But.. what? Milk? I didn't have time to think about it though, for as we passed the vegetable and fruit sections, Lillan threw a fit. It seems the sight of plants makes him upset? Ahh.. Now that I think about it, it must have been that the veggies and fruits were 'dead' so to speak. I understand now.. but it's still an odd thing. That actually ties into another event, one that happened just today. I tried to pick a flower for him to put in his hair, but as soon as I started to pull on the stem, he began to cry. Such a sensitive child.. I'll have to be careful about that kind of stuff for now.
Anyway, after failing at the grocery store, I became worried about Lillan being hungry. He wasn't acting hungry though.. in fact, as soon as I took him out of the store, he calmed right down and was smiling again. I figured ok, he is special, so I just took him home to give myself time to think. To make a long story short, I must have zoned out while watching him, and when I came too he had somehow managed to get outside. I was near panic, but he simply looked up at me with those crystal clear eyes and all was well again. He was sitting in a puddle in the backyard, soaking up the early morning sunlight. So that was all he needed? Some water and sunlight? At least, for all his quirks, he has simple upkeep.
I've managed to teach him how to let me know if he's thirsty or hungry by saying 'water' or 'sun'.. or in his case 'wuh-ter' and 'shoon'. I'm really surprised at the speed at which he is learning. In only a few days, he can speak and crawl- albeit clumsily. I can't help but wonder just how quickly he is going to mature.
.... what exactly have I gotten myself into this time? I don't know anything about raising a child... but.. he doesn't have anyone else... I guess I'll just have to do my best.. Oh Lillan..
-Paper
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:41 am
. Q u e s t . f o r . a . S m i l e . {Part 1 of 3} 11/16/O6
It was raining. Paper was always a big fan of the rain, something about the sound of it just made her feel relaxed and at peace. Today though, there wouldn't be any peace for her. Something was wrong with Lillan, he just wasn't himself. The little one was crying pitifully in Paper's arms and no amount of kisses or snuggles seemed to be helping. Where was her mellow little Lillan? Where was his happy "I love everything" smile? She had never seen him like this, never. Even when he was upset about something, he got over it quickly. Lillan was just that type of.. what? Person?
Paper frowned into his soft hair as she held him closely. She had to keep in mind that Lillan was not normal. Had she failed him in some way? She had been right all along, hadn't she? She wasn't ready for this kind of responsibility and now she had messed up. Lillan was sobbing in a heartbreaking manner now, almost too tired to cry anymore.
"There there, Lil," Paper murmured as she rocked him gently. "Do you want the sun? Is that why you're upset?" It could be that. After all there had been no sun for at least a day and a half.
"Nuuu," he croaked in between sniffles. "Nuu shoon."
"What then?" Of course she didn't really expect him to answer, but Paper was near insane with despair. Ok, so a baby crying was not that big of a deal usually.. But this was her Lillan, her bundle of quiet happiness that giggled and cooed at everything. He had been sort of quiet the day before, not as quick to smile as he usually was, but she had ignored it. Was there something she missed? What was she supposed to do? Did he have gas?
She patted his back experimentally, but he just looked up at her with those big blue eyes and hiccuped. "Oh, oh.. please don't look at me like that, sweetness. I'm trying my best.." Paper sighed dejectedly. What could it possibly be?
"Wuh-ter.." came Lillan's hoarse whisper. His voice that was normally sweet as honey was strained from all the crying.
"Water?" Paper immediately brought him over to the sink and started filling it with warm tap water.
"Nuuu!!" the infant wailed, squirming irritably in her arms.
"Well.. what..? Water.. right?" Paper slumped against the counter and gazed helplessly at Lillan. "What do you want Lil?"
"Wuh-ter.."
"Yes, ok here, this is water." She put him in the sink, the water coming up to his belly. "Ok?"
Lillan just peered up at her, his eyes large and now filling rapidly with tears. He didn't say anything anymore, just sat there looking miserable. Even his hair looked wilted.
"Oh for the love of kittens.." Paper moaned, resting her head on her forearms, one eye on the melancholy baby sitting in the sink. "I don't know what to do..." she mumbled to herself. This was the pits.
Then it hit her. Maybe he was homesick? The thought made her a little sad... wasn't his home with her after all? But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a plausible solution. Paper would take Lillan to the lake where she found him... Maybe that was the water he was talking about. She removed the soggy infant from the sink and wrapped him in a soft towel.
"Alright, we'll go to the lake ok?" she said, wiping the tears off his flushed cheeks and doing her best to dry him off. "I'll take you there. Is that what you want?"
No response. Of course not, he wouldn't understand that.
"Wuh-ter.." Lillan mumbled, his little hands clutching at the towel. He fussed at her attempts to dry him for just a few minutes more before finally falling asleep. He must have been exhausted from all his complaining.
Outside, the rain tapped on the windows, but Paper didn't hear any of it. She was silently hoping for the next day to dawn clear for her little one. To the lake then. To where it started.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:49 am
. Q u e s t . f o r . a . S m i l e . {Part 2 of 3}
The following dawn was pristine. The morning sun shone triumphantly in a clear sky, and the air was filled with that uplifting smell of life you only experienced after a rain. Not a drop of it today though, and even if this made Paper a little sad, she figured it was probably better for Lillan....
Who was presently cradled in her arms, still squinting and blinking the sleep from his eyes as the two made their way down a meandering dirt path. The path, if one could even call it thus, was rarely used, as it led away from the city and into the forest some ways off. Paper didn't really know where it went after that, she'd never had a reason to stay on it after a certain point.
The walk along the trail was always peaceful, but on this day in particular everything seemed a little more vibrant, more alive and, strangely, connected to her. It was soothing in a way, to feel connected to the living. For her it was something new. Perhaps it was because of Lillan, who was now wide awake, his eyes searching their surroundings. He seemed aware of everthing, spending a moment to admire the way this leaf blew across their path, or the way that bird turned its head just so to watch them pass. It was all so interesting to him, and Paper couldn't help but be infected by his appreciation.
Without realizing it, she started to sing softly to Lillan. A lullaby she seemed to remember from.. from somewhere. The words weren't so important.. it was the melody, the sound of her soothing voice. After all, Lillan could not understand the words. He was immediately captivated by it, though, and for the rest of the walk to the forest, his eyes remained fixed on her serene face.
They reached the forest edge at midday. Paper stopped singing to look fondly upon the line of trees that greeted them. They were far from the sounds and influence of the city, and only the occasional adventurous children tread here. It should have been a tranquil moment really, but Lillan, deprived of the melodic singing, immediantely began to fuss.
"Do you need a nap, little one?" Paper teased, holding him close to her face and bestowing upon him a tender nose-rub.
At that moment, a fluttering noise caught both of their attentions as a great white owl landed on a branch above.
"Hooooooo~!" it called down to them, turning its head completely sideways in that peculiar manner that owls often did.
"Who indeed," said Paper smiling at the wise old one. "This is Lillan, Prince of the Lilies if you did not know," she chimed in a matter-of-fact tone. "Is that not right my dearest?"
Lillan cooed obligingly.
"You see?"
Obviously the owl did not. But he seemed to settle a bit, and buried half his face into his chest as he fluffed into a more comfortable position.
Lillan gurgled happily and reached out to the bird as they walked on. On impulse, Paper sang a little song on their way further into the woods.
"♪Mori no fukuro ga iimashita
♪Watashi wa mori no mihari yaku
♪Kowai okami, kitsune nado
♪Kosasenai kara ne ne shina
♪Gorosuke ho ho
♪Gorosuke ho..."
At the last verse, the owl gave a great "Hooooooooo~!" and launched itself into the air and was gone.
It wasn't much longer before Paper saw the oddly shaped rock in the path that marked where she would need to change direction to reach the pond where Lillan was born. "Just a little further, love," she whispered to him. Indeed it was a very short while before they finally reached their destination.
Lillan was instantly giggling and smiling and pointing all at once.
"Yes yes," Paper said, half laughing. "Come on, let's sit for a while near the water."
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:50 am
. Q u e s t . f o r . a . S m i l e . {Part 3 of 3} Paper sat herself down at the water's edge with Lillan burbling happily in her lap. He looked up at her after a moment, eyes wide and full of joy.
He pointed at the water and said, "Naguurabbluagurfibble."
"Of course," Paper responded, unable to hide her smile. "Let's just sit here for a little while longer, ok? Take a look around, Lillan, enjoy the scenery. We don't get to come out here often."
He blinked at her several times, seemingly mulling the idea over, before finally turning his face back to the lake and settling into her arms.
Even if he didn't understand the words exactly, Lillan could usually grasp the general meaning when Paper spoke to him. He was just starting to catch on to the speaking thing, even if he hadn't quite mastered it yet. So many words to express what had always been unexpressable. For a flower, the world was very simple... but as a human, things were so very complex! Everything was different. Even his thoughts were changing, evolving, becoming more elaborate. When he was first born and taken from the lake, he was still a flower...
But now..?
Lillan gazed at the lake, instinctually longing to be in it again. He did not fuss though, and instead just observed and enjoyed the ambience. It was almost as nice to be here with this guardian, her arms sheltering him like the water used to.
Some amount of time passed before Paper stirred, Lillan didn't know how long. Though he was learning things, the concept of time as humans see it was still a bit alien to him. Paper stepped into the water with him, and he was immediately overjoyed. She was speaking again in that special way, like she had when they were coming here and when they had encountered the Owl. It was different from normal speaking, almost like the way flowers spoke, but more material. Lillan struggled to grasp at these new thoughts, but they were still a little too much for him, so for the moment, he let them slip away as the two walked along the shallows.
As if she had been reading his mind, Paper bent down and let Lillan slip into the cool water. He could sense she was a little reluctant to release him completely, but when she saw that he floated naturally and wouldn't sink past the neck, she relaxed.
The lake welcomed him, whispering to him through the water, carressing his infant body with gentle currents. Lillan laughed happily and chattered right back, much to the amusement of his guardian. It took a bit of effort, but he soon learned how to work his (still very odd feeling) appendages to move around in the water. To him it was the most extraordinary sensation, and he fancied it was all very graceful though the truth was he was floundering around rather clumsily. All the while Paper followed along, holding his hand occasionally and talking to him as though she understood every gurgle, even laughing with him as he discovered how to splash water.
Time seemed to fly by and before he knew it, it was getting darker. Soon, the two were surrounded by the fireflies who gathered frequently at the lake. The fireflies knew him, and he was happy for it. They played in his hair, swirling around him in little whirlwinds of blinking light. The lilies had also floated closer since the two had first arrived, and Lillan tried his best to play with them too, though that was a little harder. He could hear them, like the lake, whispering to him and he told them all about the wonders of being human. Lillan wondered if Paper could hear them too, since she seemed to be listening to something.
Then he saw them. The lights like the fireflies, only larger and more colorful yet somehow less solid. He was immediately entranced, and tried to swim over to them to touch them and speak to them. He vaguely remembered these things, though for some reason he couldn't comprehend what they were. It was disappointing when they all simultaniously winked out of existance once he'd manage to get close enough to touch one.
Paper didn't seem upset, so he didn't think he'd done anything wrong... but still, he was sad for the loss. Lillan saw her pull something odd from a fold in her clothing. It was small and shiney. She dipped the thing into the lake for a second before bringing it back up to show to him. It was a container of some sort, made of the clear, smooth stuff he often saw in the places where humans dwelt. Inside, to his amazement, was a bit of water from the lake! Paper put something in one end of the small glass container. It was then that he noticed the chain attached to the neck of the bottle. Smiling, Paper hung the chain around Lillans neck and placed the bottle into his little hands.
Slowly, he was lifted out of the water. It was time to leave. Lillan murmured contently as he was cradled in Paper's arms, the sensation of drowsiness from today's exersions washing over his little body. He was at peace after visiting the lake and seeing that all was well and unchanged, and thanks to his guardian, he could even take part of the lake with him. He held the bottle close to him, feeling the reassuring cooless against his fingers. Now he could concentrate on other things, and would try harder to learn how to be human.
As they made their way further away from the lake and the dancing lights of the fireflies, he drifted off to sleep. The whispers of the lake faded into his dreams.
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