|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
 Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:40 pm
The chill in the air was ever present with the onset of autumn. Huan Yi loved this time of year; varying from the kinds of clothing people could wear, to the crisp feel of the air, and the colors the trees took on as winter came closer. So when the opportunity had presented itself (today, being in the form of William filling in for a colleague at the school who had fallen ill, and Huan Yi having a very empty afternoon), she decided it was something she wanted to show Tsuji. The young Ashe would surely see all the seasons in her life, but her guardian's enthusiasm to spend the day outside was something that wouldn't be quieted.
Sometimes the girl was so easily excited by the simplest things!
However, the child's enthusiasm for the idea only spurred her guardian's. The prospect of spending an afternoon outside with Huan Yi practically thrilled Tsuji. At last, time to themselves without William around! In her excitement, she had almost forgotten to finish dressing herself (which Huan Yi immediately fixed by running after her with a wool coat). The park seemed like a good idea to idle away a quiet afternoon - although there had been some deliberation on which park. Both had decided to avoid the one directly in the center of town (having to do with bad memories from their last nightly encounter there), and opted for the one that required a shorter walk.
"So what do you think?" Huan Yi had asked when they arrived, and gave the child's gloved hand a squeeze. The Ashe, dressed again in her well-kept-but-horribly-bright hand-me-downs, kept her eyes skyward as the leaves drifted lazily from the trees.
"Why are the trees.. naked?" Tsuji mused out loud. When her guardian giggled, her small face scrunched up in a displeased expression. "It's not funny, tell me!" Huan Yi covered her mouth to keep her giggles quiet.
"Why don't we get something warm to drink?" she suggested. Tsuji frowned.. that wasn't answering her question! When she had opened her mouth to say as much, her guardian simply smiled and tugged her towards the food venders. How rude!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:06 pm
Aah, such a nice day to be out. The bright Autumn leaves dancing across the dull, gray-blue sky as the chilled wind blew was a beautiful sight as Phere sat on her usual bench. Nothing was more relaxing than watching a calm day's activities mindlessly be performed.
A small gust passed, causing Phere to clutch at her larger-than-usual bag. Ever since this egg had found her, she felt the need to constantly have it with her; especially on days like this when the weather was chillier than normal.
Phere tightened her collar as she held the bundle close.
In the distance, she could hear a child ask her guardian why the trees were naked. She'd never heard anyone, regardless of age, ask that question and for some reason, it made her smile. As she turned to take a look at the child in question, Phere's eyes froze on the little girl.
The color of her hair was what caught her off guard. She hadn't seen anyone have blue hair in many, many years. The contrast between the girl's hair color, the stripes in her hair, and her skin tone was beautiful and Phere couldn't take her eyes off of her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:14 pm
"I want the big one."
"Tsuji, you can't have the big size. You never drink it all--"
"But I want the big one! I promise I'll finish it!" The short little scene between "mother" and "daughter" at the drink stand ended as a wide smile crossed the Ashe child's face, in hopes of persuasion. It was a special day, and she should be treated specially, right? Huan Yi stared down at her, mouth half open to reply, before she shook her head and motioned for the attendant to make the large one. "Thank you!" The child pulled her arms together and jumped in her small happiness.
Huan Yi, a tall hot chocolate, and cool temperatures in a pretty park. The day was turning out so well! If William ended up having to stay a while after school, then she could probably get some time at home with both her guardian and Pasayo. She did so enjoy having exclusive time.
Her eyes wandered as Huan Yi paid for the drinks. The random people that passed by often did so casually, adding to the overall atmosphere of ease. The leaves on the surrounding maples were turning brilliant shades of red and drifting lazily, and as one brushed Tsuji's cheek, she reached up and grabbed it quickly. Holding it up, she admired her prize, turning it this way and that...
And in doing so, just happened to catch sight of a woman she had never met before, staring at her with such interest.
She lowered the leaf and watched the woman back, unashamed of staring just as hard as she was. It wasn't the kind of judgmental stare Tsuji sometimes got when she went out with Huan Yi or William (most often accompanied by comments about letting children as young as her go wild with hair dye), that much she could tell. What about her made this strange woman, with her very large bag, stare so hard? She truly wanted to know.
Taking the initiative, she put on her brightest smile and she raised her arm in a big, cheery wave. There, now the ball was in her court. She'd have to come over now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:33 pm
Phere's heart skipped as the small child acknowledged her staring, hesitantly returning the wave and clutching her bag a little tighter to her chest. Would it be weird to approach the girl? Would her guardian question? There was something very inviting about the child, an almost familiar feeling.
Carefully standing up, Phere slowly walked over to kneel in front of the girl, still admiring her strange and beautiful color scheme. Her large, bright grin stood out, framed by her dark skin and hair as her woolen coat draped over the rest of her.
As she knelt, Phere carefully scooped her skirt under her knees as to not accidentally show anything inappropriate in public and gently straddled her bag in her arms.
"Hello, little one. My name is Pherenice, what is yours?"
Hopefully her wording wasn't strange to the bright young girl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:58 am
Tsuji's head tilted a little as the woman stood, looking a little conflicted for a moment. Then, to her delight, she made her way over. Look at that! The child felt rather pleased with herself, being so forward and welcoming with this woman who found her interesting. But there was something a little.. familiar about this feeling. It felt like others she had met, and she had to wonder..
She wasn't the only one who was wondering though. After dropping the change into the vender's hand, Huan Yi turned around and noticed a strange woman approaching them. Her small gloved hands gripped the cups nervously. What to do, what to do? Immediately her mind flew into a frenzy, thinking of things she should have done before they left the house. That perhaps she should have made Tsuji wear a hat, or bundle up more--
But as soon as the woman, Pherenice, spoke, the guardian felt ease to her nervousness. No sign of judgmental thoughts laced in her words, nor suspicion. The Ashe child, on the other hand, felt only pleasure and happiness at this new meeting.
"I'm Tsuji." Her bright grin stood out against her face, and her small arm reached forward to offer a hand. "Nice to meet you!" She looked to her guardian for an affirmative. This was how she had taught her to introduce herself, that it was polite to shake hands and give your name, but just to be sure. Huan Yi stared at the child and the woman and only nodded numbly, feeling very much confused on how this meeting took place.
"And you feel very familiar," Tsuji went on. "Why is that?" It could have been because she had called her "little one", which was something Huan Yi did for a while when she had just come out of the egg. Ciellas had called her that too, but ever since her growing began, she'd been merely Tsuji. To be honest, hearing it made her a little nostalgic.
Or it could have been because she sensed something else about Pherenice. But one could never be too sure which came first in the mind of a child.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:47 am
The girl definitely wasn't shy, which made Pherenice smile. There was something about her that was so comforting, almost an aura. Maybe it was just the fact that she was a child, but Phere slightly doubted it as she gently placed her bag down at her side and offered her own had to shake.
Before she could reply to the young girl's statement, the next question threw Pherenice off guard. The smile on her face faltered, quickly glancing at the girl's guardian, then back at Tsuji.
"I'm not sure, little Tsuji, but you also feel very familiar. Maybe we were meant to meet," she said as the smile returned.
Gently loosening her grip on Tsuji's hand, but not completely releasing, she stood up to greet Huan Yi, her bag still propped against her ankle. "I apologize for approaching out of nowhere, I was just so drawn to your child. She's very beautiful, and I love what you have done with her hair."
Sincerity in her smile, Phere took her hand back from Tsuji, leaning down to grab her bag. She had almost forgotten about it, and hopefully it hadn't gotten cold.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:37 pm
"O-oh, thank you!" Huan Yi automatically replied to the compliment that Pherenice had given, despite the fact that the guardian had done nothing to warrant the compliment. Immediately she started to correct herself. "However that--" Her words stopped as she glanced around cautiously, looking a little shocked at how easily she was about to let slip that the child was born exactly as she appeared, streaked hair and all. Perhaps it was because few ever questioned about the child's looks to her directly; mostly it was behind heated whispers and critical glances.
Where Huan Yi hestitated, Tsuji jumped in immediately and without fear.
"No no, I came this way." She smiled brightly, "But thanks! I like my hair too." She twirled quickly and reached for the large cup in her guardian's unattentive hands. "Thanks, Huan Yi!" With that moment, the Chinese girl came back to herself and shook off the momentary surprise. The fact that she was still surprised by her child's ability to speak her mind was almost astounding in itself, considering the time that has passed since Tsuji learned her first words ("me" being among the easiest for her to get at the time).
"Would you..." Huan Yi paused and considered her words carefully. A conversation was probably best pulled away from the main stream of foot traffic (which seemed to be gathered around the food carts on this particularly blustery day), or kept moving. "Would you.. like to walk with us, Pherenice?" Tsuji latched on to this idea intently, nodding with great enthusiasm and nearly spilling her drink out of the small hole in the lid.
"Yeah, come walk with us, Phere!" The child shortened the name immediately, without having used it fully once before. She liked giving people nicknames; it felt like she was adding more to the people she could count in the back of her mind as "familiar". Her habit of shortening even reduced that: familiar .. family. "When we walk, will you show me what's in your bag?"
"Tsuji!" Huan Yi protested with a light frown. "You shouldn't be so nosy!" The child frowned in return and pressed on.
"But it's importaaaaant! She's holding it so close that I gotta know!" She turned to Pherenice with the pleading face that only a child knows how to do properly. "Please? Pleaaase?" Her selfish anticipation kept her goal in mind, but there was something else about the bag too. Something.. that was like Pherenice, and she dearly wanted to know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:11 pm
Came this way...? The smile on Phere's face faltered for a moment, before being replaced by a new, softer smile. There really is something special about this child. Something that only drew her closer.
"No, no. It's fine. It's quite normal for children to be curious," Phere said, kneeling down to Tsuji's eye level. "I will show you what's in my bag if you hold my hand as we walk, young one." She offered her hand as she stood, smiling down at Tsuji. The girl's enthusiasm warmed her heart. It had been quite a long time since she had met anybody she felt comfortable around.
As they began walking, Phere's smile faded into a look of curiosity.
"If you don't mind me asking... what did you mean by 'I came this way?' If I'm prying, just say. There is something about you that feels very... special." She clutched the bag closer to her side, feeling the hard shell of the egg against the stuffing in her bag. She hoped that it was keeping warm enough.
Showing the girl the egg didn't feel like it would result bad, and neither did showing it to her guardian. The idea of showing her treasure in public... didn't sit well with her. How on Earth was she going to show Tsuji what was in her bag without being in public? How odd would it be to ask to go to a secluded area?
The cool Autumn air caught her thoughts as the bright oranges and reds swirled around them, occasionally forcing themselves off of the trees and into the free air. "It really is a nice day... How often do you come to this park, Huan Yi? This is the first I've seen you here."
Phere gently tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand as the wind threatened to blow it every which way. She hoped that there wouldn't be as many people as they walked deeper into the park. Something made her want to show the egg to the child and her guardian. She reached into her bag and felt the soft shell of the egg safely tucked away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:51 am
"Okay!" Tsuji hummed happily as she took Pherenice's larger hand with her small tanned one. As she often had to do when walking with someone, she made sure to check her speed so as she was keeping evenly with the woman. The child was well aware of her habit of walking too fast and leaving her guardian behind at times, although she had to be especially careful now that her free hand held the large coffee cup. Huan Yi walked to the Ashe child's right and nursed her own small cup between both hands.
"We've only been here once before, shortly after this one hatched." The guardian freed a hand and patted Tsuji on the shoulder (who in return practically beamed sunshine at the friendly touch; she did so love attention). "There was another park situated moreso downtown that we have been to more often.. although an incident happened one night that has.. stopped us from wanting to return too soon." She frowned at the memory and paused in thought. The faultering in Phere's reaction to the child's reply just a moment ago tipped her off about the woman's hesitancy.. and she wondered if she should bring up her other encounters, if her hunch was correct.
The fact that her and Tsuji were drawn very easily to each other was one thing to consider. She remembered her other encounter in the park, when another had been drawn to her-- well, it was more like an accidental showing, if anything; a stroke of luck thanks to Huan Yi's momentary clumsiness.. but still, the worst case scenario would be that she was wrong and that Pherenice would only think them crazy. Nothing worse than that, right? Huan Yi's hands trembled against her cup at the idea.
But when their new companion asked about what Tsuji had meant, both looked over at her. The guardian felt a twang of relief as she watched her actions: how she clutched the bag, mostly. With it, she felt a little more certain that perhaps.. perhaps she could chance it. Goodness knows she appreciated the help when she had received it. Tsuji, on the other hand, took a breath and opened her mouth to answer. She rarely got to explain things!
"Well, when I hatc-" The guardian's hand gently clasped over her mouth, and the child's eyes screwed up in confusion, whining behind her cupped palm. In her sudden movement the hot chocolate in Huan Yi's free hand spilled a little over the top to splatter on the pavement, luckily missing any shoes or legs.
"I.. don't think that's something that we need to talk about --" Tsuji whined again. "-- out here." She frowned and looked hopelessly to Phere. "I-If you wouldn't mind, this is something probably.. best left to be said privately. I have a feeling that there is something more similar here than we both know at the moment." Her eyes broke from her companion's face and scanned the park quickly. She spotted a clutch of trees just a short ways along the path they were walking on; as far as she could see, it was empty along that path. "Perhaps we can discuss things a little more privately over there.. ? If you'll pardon my request."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:32 am
Privacy. A wave of relief washed over Phere, who then pulled her hand out of her bag and back onto the strap over her shoulder. This saved her the trouble of asking, herself. Despite how long she had... been around, people still confused her.
She could tell that whatever it was Huan Yi wanted privacy for, it had something to do with the egg at her side. Young Tsuji and the egg had a very similar feeling (though, for some reason, there was just something very familiar about the egg). Maybe the woman would have some insight on the matter...
Either way, they were getting privacy.
"Privacy would be best... probably for all three of us," she nodded, gently squeezing Tsuji's little hand with her own.
As they walked down the path pointed out by Huan Yi, Phere began wondering to herself; why had the guardian stopped Tsuji from saying 'hatched,' when she herself had said it not long before? This only fed her suspicion of the young girl and the "companion" hanging close to her side. Did that mean that as soon as it hatches, she'll have a small child to take care of? This thought didn't bother her so much as it peaked her interest. Especially her interest in Tsuji and her guardian.
"You mentioned the other park... your mood dropped rather quickly. Is this something you would rather not say, or would you not mind explaining? Please don't feel like you have to tell me if you would rather not. It's not like we've known each other for very long."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:33 am
Huan Yi nodded at Phere and kept her pace even as they moved towards the small pathway shaded by the trees. Tsuji had since wiggled free of her grasp and marched happily next to their companion, curious as to why her guardian had decided to silence her. Well, William did tell her she had a habit of running her mouth about things she shouldn't in public areas, but then again that was William's opinion (which she easily disregarded). The Chinese girl had quieted her for that reason, having only caught that she had so easily let the word slip herself. Tsuji's voice was louder than hers and less apprehensive, so she'd rather seek privacy than have a second instance of the word make itself known in a louder voice.
Once they reached the covered pathway, Huan Yi gave Pherenice an apologetic smile and bowed her head humbly, out of force of habit.
"Thank you," she said, "I had to stop her before she continued on, as she has a habit of doing. And rather loudly at that." She gave her ward a small, affectionate smile but the tan-skinned girl returned it with a small pout at such "hurtful" words, squeezing Phere's hand a little as she did so.
"And it's quite alright.. I don't mind. It's probably better to warn others, anyway." Finding a wooden park bench, she gently lowered herself down and scooted over, allowing the other woman and child ample room to join her. "We'd gone on a late-night errand to the store, shortly after Tsuji was born, and took a short cut through the park.. and we ended up running into a few rough characters." She fumbled momentarily with her coffee cup as she remembered the scuffle. "It was.. quite an ordeal, as you can imagine."
"Yeah, but Tier came in and saved us!" Tsuji joined the conversation excitedly, as her hand slid from Pherenice's in her enthusiasm. "He kicked one of the guys like this," she kicked the air, "and I got hit and rolled onto Salem." A small apologetic smile crossed her face at the mere memory, completely unaware of her guardian's faint blush at the kindness of the stranger that had helped them that night. "Salem was like me.. but he's super shy."
At her prompting with the comment about likeness, Huan Yi turned towards the other woman, taking a small breath. She had her suspicions, given the nature of this encounter, but she wanted to be sure enough.. and now was as good of a time as any other.
"I suppose.. you have somewhat of an idea what we may be implying," she started gently. "That... you have one like Tsuji here, or one who will become one. You have an Ashe egg, am I correct in assuming.. ?" She let the question hang in the air, but Tsuji would not stand by the silence for very long.
"And it's probably in this bag, right?" She started towards the bag but a small frown of disapproval from Huan Yi discouraged her from charging forward to rummage through it. Her curiosity was rampant though. She barely remembered being in the egg, aside from the sound of muffled voices and a faint feeling of fluttering excitement before the first crack came. She'd really like to have seen another like her still in the egg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:00 pm
The news of the other park surprised Pherenice, who nodded and listened politely as the story progressed. She'd been here for a pretty long time and this was the first she'd heard of any "gangs," for the lack of a better term. Then this Tier person... and Salem...
Pherenice knew three cases of Ashes, now. Tsuji, this Salem and her own. How many are there, and are they all in this same area? The though of meeting others excited her, almost. Like she had something in common with others here, now. Maybe one of these days, she would actually get to meet others.
Despite her seeing it coming, the question still took her by surprise, especially since she asked about the egg specifically. "Y-yes... so they're called Ashes?" Relief washed over her as she gently handed Huan Yi the bag at her side to inspect. She knew it was the girl who wanted to see, but she trusted her guardian with something so delicate a little more.
"A few nights ago, the winds told me to go home. I wasn't sure why, but I did as instructed. Once I reached my apartment, I found this." she nodded as she carefully opened the top of her bag for Tsuji and her guardian to see. The large egg seemingly shivered at the sudden change in temperature. The shades of blue shimmered as the dimming light shone on it, speckled from the shadows of the foliage.
"I rarely leave home without him, now. I'm... never truly comfortable without him around." Referring to it as a him must have seemed odd, but something about it... she almost knew that when it would hatch, it would be male.
"Maybe once this one hatches, we could all be... friends?" The question seemed odd to her. She'd never sought anyone out before, and asking for friendship felt very strange. It would be nice for the young ones to have friends who were... similar, and she could tell that Tsuji would like the idea.
One thing that made her wonder, though, was how was she familiar to Tsuji? The question of the girl's similar aura had been answered, but... do the guardians of the Ashe give off a similar vibe? Or... maybe she knows a little more than her own guardian. "I have another question... Do Ashe owners give off a feeling like the Ashes themselves? Or..." she looked down at the young Tsuji, "do I remind you of Miss Huan Yi? Or are you feeling something else from me...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:47 pm
Both guardian and Ashe child leaned over and peered into the top of the open bag. Tsuji's eyes widened as she noticed the smooth color of the shell and the tiny fluttering wings. Her heart kept time in her chest as her fingers itched to touch it, hold it for herself.
"It seems that the winds are rather talkative." Huan Yi chuckled as she rounded the conversation back towards the egg itself. It was quite strange to hear such a similar story to her discovery from another's mouth... but nothing about the Ashe could be considered normal, by any means. Even the question about being friends reminded her so much of herself when she had started into this whole crazy adventure. "But you know, I like to believe that they have a purpose in our lives, like we do in theirs." She glanced at Tsuji, whose fingers had crept up and now clung onto the side of the bag to get a better look. The light in the child's eyes as she stared so intently at the egg sitting comfortably in the bag was one she had seen before.
It'd been there when she'd had her first encounter, with Tier and Salem. It had happened when she had met Pasayo. To venture that the Ashe sense their own kind might not be too far off the mark.
"I think that while they seek out their own kind and make friends, as their guardians, we have just as much opportunity." Huan Yi smiled at Pherenice with understanding. "I.. would think it's safe to say that perhaps we already are friends. Maybe this meeting, as you said earlier, was meant to happen."
"Friends?" Tsuji's voice drew her guardian's stare, and the Asheling dragged her eyes away from the allure of the egg. "It's not 'maybe,' Huan Yi.. we are friends." She said it with such a finality that her guardian chuckled, the sound rising in her throat until it came out in the form of a happy laugh. The child cracked a wide, toothy smile at her amusement, before returning to look fondly at the egg. The afternoon light sprayed dots of sunlight across its shell, which swayed with the gentle blowing of the wind in the trees.
She wanted to meet this one. Maybe she could be an older sibling-type.. much like William was to Huan Yi (Tsuji had to admit that at least he did a good job at that, if little else). Somebody she could look out for! The Ashe wasn't even out of the egg yet and she was already making future plans.
"I think we'll have lots of fun!" She spoke more to the egg than to the two women, reaching in a careful hand to gently pat it. "We can play all sorts of games. You have a mother kinda like mine, so you'll come out good. But you 'prolly know what she's like better than me." Something about the way she spoke cast a confused look on Huan Yi's face. Did Tsuji know something that she didn't.. ? However, any further thoughts were interrupted when the Ashe turned towards Phere with a bright smile and grasped both of her hands in her tiny tanned ones. "You'll have to come see us when he's born!" Her yellow eyes set upon her guardian's face with an insistent glance. "Can we give her our phone number?"
"O-oh, of course!" Huan Yi shook out of her momentary confusion and patted her pockets in search of a pen, maybe a spare piece of paper. Eyes darting here and there, she finally found a pencil resting in her coat pocket. She set her drink onto the empty portion of bench next to her and stripped it of the heat guard, turning it inside out. Her hand dashed off a messy but readable scrawl, containing her and Tsuji's name, along with their phone number. "Here you are... there." She finished writing the last digit and held it out to Phere with a gentle smile, and just then did the nervous trembling start in her fingers. It surprised her, honestly; normally she was so apprehensive about others at first that this was the first of many signs of awkwardness, but the conversation had gone by so smoothly with Tsuji as their guide that she had nearly forgotten how nerve-wracking making friends could be.
"Feel free to call us any time." She hoped her tone sounded welcoming as she shook her jitters away. If she could do it before, she could do it now. "If we're not at home, talk to my brother William. I'm sure he would be glad to help you out." Tsuji's face scrunched up in annoyance and she leaned forward to whisper to her not-related "little sibling".
"William's stupid," she confided to it, unaware of the small glance Huan Yi shot in her direction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:36 pm
Pherenice smiled down at the young Ashe as Tsuji beamed at the large egg nestled in her tote. She gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder as to get her attention, "You may hold him if you wish, just be very careful."
Phere then set her eyes on Huan Yi, taking the small slip of paper with their number on it and placed it in her bag. "You will surely be the first I call once he is born, I promise. I'm sure he will enjoy meeting Tsuji and I'm certain that they will become fast friends as we have."
Tsuji's little whisper to the egg didn't go unnoticed by either guardians, resulting in a small giggle from Phere. "William sounds like a nice man, I'll be sure to speak with him if need be." Maybe she would get to meet him soon, as well. Making friends seems to be a lot easier than she figured it would be...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:27 pm
"Really.. ?"
Tsuji's normally lazy eyes widened when Phere smiled and gave her permission to hold the egg. Her fingers were poised on the edge of the open tote, and while she looked eager, the child made sure to glance over at Huan Yi.. just to make sure. Her guardian nodded to give her the extra go ahead, and the Ashe flashed a broad smile as hands went inside to pick up the egg.
As soon as her fingers wrapped around the bottom, she felt the strange sensation of the swirling fog on her skin, the flutter of wings. One heft brought it free of the bag, and she held it tightly to her, mindful not to crush its tiny wings or drop it. The afternoon sun speckled the surface of the beautiful blue egg, reminiscent of a cloudless sky, and she seemed mesmerized by it for the moment.
She.. had come from this. There was another like her inside this. Had she really been this small in the before time? Granted, it really hadn't been that long since she had come out of her own shell and she was still quite small, but it was still quite a lot to take in.
Huan Yi watched the scene with poorly-concealed amazement. It was one thing to watch Tsuji interact with others like her, but interacting with the egg.. it was almost surreal. She had been inside one once, and for the moment was sharing the surprise that her guardian was feeling. This was the miracle of life, the high school girl figured.
It was Phere's words that brought her out of the daze. She nodded and smiled at the woman. It was definitely amazing how this child had come crashing into her life and brought her to meet so many people already, even though the time had been so short. "I think so too." Her hand rested on top of Tsuji's head in a motherly impulse, and the child blinked, broken from her own detached state, and looked up at the two adults. "It will be wonderful to see how things are going to play out. Tsuji has been growing like a weed.. she'll probably outgrow me shortly enough, at this rate." Huan Yi laughed lightly, and the child's eyebrows knit together in confusion.
"But you're so tall!" Tsuji half-whined in reply, her answer causing her guardian to laugh more (she was hardly tall). "It'll take me forever, probably." The last part she said partially to herself and the egg cradled in her arms, and her guardian chuckled. Of course the child wouldn't notice how fast she was growing.. not right away, at least.
A jolly ringing interrupted the moment, and the Chinese girl made a small surprised noise as her hand patted her pocket and fished inside. It emerged with a vibrating silver cell phone in hand. She squinted at the screen - leave it to her brother to text just as he was being mentioned.
On my way home. Made reservations at the Thai place for dinner.
Was it really that late? She glanced through the trees and saw just how low the sun had sunk since they had arrived. How the time had flown! The apologetic smile was enough to tip off the young Ashe and very likely their companion that their time was up. Tsuji frowned deeply and squeezed the egg: she didn't want to leave yet!
"Speaking of, it seems like my brother is on his way home. That means we should be heading home as well.." Huan Yi turned her attention momentarily to Tsuji. "Tsuji, say goodbye and let Pherenice have her egg back." The child's lips puckered in a pout, but she knew that there was no way to prolong the moment. Her stomach was rumbling quietly and letting her know it was time to go, but she still felt reluctant to part from the unhatched egg. With reluctance, she slid the egg gently back into Phere's tote, felt the fog drift through her fingers as she pulled her arms out.
"Bye, Phere. Bye, egg." She curled her fingers in a wave and smiled hopefully, then almost as an afterthought added a brief pat for the egg. Huan Yi patted her head again and extended a hand towards their new friend and companion. Perhaps, when her little one came out, they could play together again.
"It was lovely to meet you. I really hope to see you again, and I know William will be pleased to meet you as well."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
