Rhydion's Journal

[[kaleido]]

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[[kaleido]]

Soul Emporium (by Hakari-chan)

You see Hakari and Sinn sitting at one of the lanturn stands talking. What are they saying? Do you join in the conversation, or merely listen in. Are they talking about business, the weather, or what? You tell me! it could be just about anything!
(Please keep this reasonable though people, I don't want disgusting or perverted topics. Please remember that Sinn is Hakari's son. For refferences to how they look, Hakari has long black hair, red eyes and pale skin. Sinn's pic can be seen on his shop post.)

Kalena looked up at the shop sign a final time. 'Soul Emporium' it read in simple lettering. She had lost count as to how many times she found herself outside the shop but never had the courage to step inside. Laturns of different colors and sizes were positioned throughout the shop, and their soft glowing caught her eye.

'I wonder if this will be my chance to finally have something of value,' Kalena thought hopefully. She was exhausted from working overtime at school, and constantly coming home to an empty apartment. All her friends had families, loves, and lives outside of school. It was something Kalena secretly envied. Touching the edge of the window pane, Kalena contemplated the selection. She was known for her courageous and outgoing nature, but that was her 'game face'. She learned to smile to hide her loneliness because she didn't want anyone to worry about her.

Making her way into the store, she saw many new people crowding inside. The rumor of a special sale for first time buyers had sparked interested that spread like wild fire. Many of the seasoned veterans were merely hanging around the shop; meeting, greeting, and cheering on those interested in making purchases of their own. Kalena found it comforting to see so many people eager to expand the 'family' within Soul Emporium.

Checking her notes, she reviewed the names of the shop owners and caretakers. Another client had mentioned that Hakari was one of the people to see about making arrangements for the purchase of a lanturn. She had heard many positive things about Hakari, especially when it came to welcoming new people to the shop. Reading the description of Hakari, Kalena looked for:

Kalena's Notepad

Name: Hakari
Occupation: Soul Emporium Shopkeeper
Physical Description: A woman with long, raven hair, ruby red eyes, and porcelain complexion.
Relatives: Sinn (Hakari's son): A younger man withlong pale hair with green fringe, golden eyes, and dark skin. Works in the shop.

Scanning the shop, she finally saw Hakari at a nearby lanturn, but she wasn't alone. Glancing at her notepad again, Kalena's suspicions were cofirmed. Hakari was engaged in a conversation with Sinn, her son.

"Naturally, this would be my luck," Kalena said wiping her glasses clean with a handkerchief. "Well, before I flat out interrupt them, I guess I ought to gauge the situation."

Tucking her handkerchief back into her suit pocket, she smoothed her skirt a final time before advancing across the shop. Sinn and Hakari were standing near a pink lanturn. Kalena stood by an unattended light green lanturn near by, listening nonchalantly at their conversation.Their conversation seemed relatively calm and not hush-hushed, but Kalena did not want to break up their discussion. Her notes indicated that Hakari was 'extremely warm and personable', but Sinn on the other hand was said to be 'slightly tempermental'. She was adaptable and keen at reading people, but she had a tough time handling people who were unpredictable. Her luck usually tended to backfire when it came to those whom tended to be unreadable.

"Well, it can't be helped," Hakari said looking down at the pink laturn.

Her ruby eyes sparkled affectionately. Kalena watched Hakari push her hair off her shoulder. It slid over her shoulders like a velvet curtain gliding shut. Kalena was instantly envious of the beautiful shop keeper and her long hair. Her own hair was cropped short and styled in a simple manner. She wondered what the life of a shopkeeper was like. Her pale skin indicated that she either had an amazing skin care regimen, or she wasn't able to get out often due to work constraints.

"It's just unfair," Sinn said sneering at the pink lanturn as he combed his fringe back with his fingers. "Unfair, buy very funny. Poor b*****d."

Sinn crossed his arms across his chest and looked out the window. Kalena averted her eyes in time to avoid being noticed. She was relieved to see that he appeared amused by the situation. Kalena relaxed and leaned her briefcase against her leg. Tilting her neck, she prentended to rub out a kink, so she could get a better listening angle. The shop had an extremely calming atmosphere, but sitting in the freezing staff room all day put a strain on her back.

"The lanturn determines its gender, it can't be changed." "This little guy's going to be pink...whether he likes it or not."

Kalena's ears perked as Hakari spoke. The lanturn was a boy? How could they tell? It was just a simple lanturn in a stand, wasn't it? Kalena was in the market for a new lighting fixute for her apartment, and yet, Hakari was speaking of the lanturn as if it were a living, animate thing. She thought it strange that Hakari and Sinn talked about a simple lanturn as if it were something else. Maybe they were extremely proud of their craftsmanship. That was nothing to be ashamed of. Kalena knew chime makers, painters, sculptors, and bakers who talked about their
work like precious members of their family or lovers. She longed for that kind of possession for her work, but a teacher who loves their job 'too much' is often mistaken for a *****.

Looking down at the light green lanturn before her, Kalena tried to understand the shopkeeper and her son's conversation. It was a lovely piece, but it would simply blend away in her new apartment. Kalena wanted something eyecatching; something that would guarantee those 'oohs' and 'ahhs' which she had never heard in respect to her home. A co-worker of hers had recently been on a Feng-shui spree recently, and suggested that Kalena do the same. Though green symbolized balance, growth, and money, it also represented fertility, and if any men visited, she did not want to give the wrong impression.

The pink lanturn would look perfect with her neutral, Japanese motif in her apartment. The lanturn's coloring would certainly bring the pinks in her cherry blossom photographs, and add a dash of quiet color to her room. Symbolizing beauty and universal love, Kalena knew that she couldn't go wrong with pink.

"I'd be tickled pink if I was able to take this cutie home," Kalena said smiling letting her southern twang slip out.

Realizing she just interrupted their conversation not only with a bad pun but a poor Miss Scarlett impersonation to boot, Kalena clamped her hands over her mouth. She cursed herself for sitting with a gang of middle-aged men who loved bad comedy and were masters of puns. Having obtained Hakari and Sinn's attention, albeit in a manner she preferred not to have done so in, Kalena realized this was fate's way of kicking her head first into the door of opportunity. Hakari smiled, but Sinn looked slightly annoyed.

"Where are my manners? My name's Kalena Scope. I'm a high school teacher." Kalena said holding out her hand. "I didn't mean to interrupt you with my insanely lame joke."

Hakari gave a genuine laugh and seemed welcomed to the distraction. A sly smirk curled Sinn's lips, and he looked over his shoulder at her skeptically. Kalena picked up her briefcase to avoid tripping over it and knocking over the elegant green lanturn beside her. Though neither of them offered their hands to shake, Kalena was not discouraged by this at all. She did interrupt their conversation after all.

"If you keep standing there long enough, you might get sold as a statue." Sinn smiled. " You'd be the first in this shop. Though you really don't belong here..."

"I beg your pardon?" Kalena gasped, dropping her briefcase on the floor.

The bag wasn't properly fastened shut and the contents of her bag scattered at her feet. Her mobile phone popped open, and her planner flopped onto its spine, revealing a boring tri-colored ink system consisting of black, blue, and red. Most of the bag's contents were either black, cream, or white. Amongst the dazzling colors of the lanturns in the shop, Kalena realized how much her life needed to be spashed with color. She hastily scooped her possessions into her bag and quickly resumed a standing posture.

"What I think my son, Sinn, is trying to say," Hakari said with a slightly authoritative, mothering tone. "Is that you're too tense. You need to relax a bit. Have you looked around the shop at all?"

Kalena placed her hand over her heart and sighed. She thought she had offended Sinn and that he was telling her to 'take a hike'. She needed to remind herself that it was highly likely that he wouldn't react to things the way she thought it might.

"I'm Hakari, by the way," she said smoothing a section of hair behind her ear. "Welcome to our shop."

"No, what I said was, if she just going to stand there. She might as well leave. We have enough things to worry about in the shop." Sinn said spinning to face her.

He crossed his legs, and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Waiting to see her reaction. Kalena saw it not so much as an insult but a challenge to see if she would be a worthy recepient of their work. Snapping her case shut, Kalena turned to face Sinn as well. He had caught her attention as nobody had ever spoken to her in such a manner.

"Miss Hakari, it was my intention to purchase one of your lanturns, but I am getting the impression that these are no ordinary lighting fixtures, right?" Kalena said flicking her glance to Hakari then back to Sinn. "Before you answer that question, I would like to ask you a different one. It will help me understand your answer better. Though a cake is not a living thing, it is destined to be devoured. People had passion for cakes, and often qualify them by saying they are "heavenly, sinful, or dreamy." Often these things are used to describe living things, but they can also be used in reference tof non-living things. If we give life to non-living things through, do they cry out when we consume them?"

Kalena's stomach rumbled at her dissertation about cake. She would definitely have to stop by the baker's market en route to her apartment. Hakari and Sinn looked amused by her question, and both sat there silently pondering it for several minutes before they proceeded to respond. The glowing lanturns in the shop cast a dreamy haze in the room.

"I think the real question is: 'are we allowing them to fulfill their little cake destinies by eating them and condeming them to failure if we throw them away or let them go stale?'" Hakari said breaking the silence first.

"Personally, I enjoy making little screaming noises when I slice up a fresh cake." Sinn said flicking his hair off his shoulder. "It makes the dining experience very Wayne's World-esque."

Both Hakari's and Sinn's responses make Kalena smile. She was reassured in thinking of the first and guilty of doing the other. Her life might be color-challenged, but at least she wasn't dull or insane. Looking to the lanturns, she smiled again, thinking of her next question.

"If these two lanturns were desserts, what flavor would best drescribe their personalities?" Kalena said motioning to the pink lanturn between them and green one beside her.

"Are you going to actually buy a lanturn or are you trying to kill me with all this talk about food?" Sinn said eyeing her skeptically.

"It's just a simple question, but you don't have to answer it if you don't want to." Kalena said hoping to provoke a response. "Or if such questions are beneath you..."

"The lovely green one beside you would certainly be a key lime pie; a little tart, a little sweet, and definitely tangy. She's very smooth, but rich in spirit and heart," Hakari said stepping up to the plate. "This little guy could go either way: a strawberry shortcake or a cherry pie. Depending on how he's taken care of he'll either been subtle, freshing or messy, hot, and best shared a la mode."

"That's if he isn't the one being served in prison," Sinn said dryly. "I'm amused your picked fruity desserts for a male lanturn, Mom. You're predisposing him to be fabulous."

Kalena knew that their answers would lead back to her original question, though she had asked it previously. They were speaking of the lanturns as living things, so that eliminted Kalena thinking she needed to get her hearing checked. They had certainly grabbed her attention with the flow of the conversation.

"What do you think, Sinn?" Kalena said adjusting her glasses, curious to hear is response. "Is your mother mistaken?"

"Not so much about the green one, but 'Pinkie' over here might be getting the short end of the stick," Sinn said twirling a piece of hair around his finger. "He needs a manly dessert. Something savoury, seductive, and definitely chocolate. How else is he to avoid being pegged as a pop-tart? I would go with Devil's Food Cake. It's strong, rich, and no woman can resist it. How is this supposed to answer your first question, again?"

Drawing her hand to her cheek, she briefly thought of a way to tie in the two questions together. Reaching into her bag, she removed a silver name card case. Taking out a single namecard, she presented it to Hakari formally like she was trained at school. Kalena hoped that she could say the right thing to make win Sinn's favor as he was clearly the more difficult of the two to understand.

"That's simple. My answer would have been 'parfait' for each of them. The pink one a mixed-berry parfait, and the green one a Japanese style parfait (green tea, sweet red beans, and sweet ricecake)." Kalena said beaming triumphantly. "At the moment, I can only see the outside; their elegant presentation. Because like people, I think these lanturns have layers. It'll only be through our time together, that we can explore each one."

Info for winners of Newbie FS

AND THE WINNERS ARE...
1st Place Winner:
kaleidoscopegrl

Second Place Winners:
M, Epine de Rose, Mizu Taji, & Erina Nobara

Congrats to these winners!!!
Kaleidoscopegrl should pm Hakari-chan about which Lanturn she wants as her own, it's name, gender, and whether or not she wants it to be animated!

 

[[kaleido]]

Specifications
Name: Rhydion
Gender: Male
Status: Glowing Cheerfully
Lanturn Color: Pink
Lanturn Font: Magenta

Rhydion text

[color=#FF1CAE]Rhydion text[/color]

Notes
1. As the first place winner, I was able to select which of the five available lanturns I wanted. Naturally, I selected the pink one, as it was the focus of my flatsale entry.  

[[kaleido]]

Name: Kalena 'Kaleido' Scope
Pronunciation: Ka-LAY-na SCOPE
Birthday: September 7, 1979 (26)
Sign: Virgo
Blood Type: A+
Status: Single

Skin Tone: Porcelain
Hair Color: Light Brown
Eye Color: Aquamarine
Distinguishing Marks: Just a couple of freckles.
Occupation: Japanese High School English Teacher
Attire: Sharp dress suits, vividly colored blouses, and adidas sandals. Wears sexy librarian specs on days she opts not to wear contact lenses.

Weapons of Choice: Old kendo stick (on loan from the PE department), dry-erase board erasers, and homeroom teachers.
Talents: Multi-linguist and Multi-tasker. Also, rivals the middle aged men with her fantastically lame puns and jokes.
Bad Habits: Procrastinates; Doesn't clean her apartment; Makes weak coffee; whines about the cold.

Favourite Colors: Purple, Green, Black, Blue & Pink.
Favourite Foods: Sweet foods (cakes, cookies, etc.), pastas, and Chinese.
Favourite Music: Classical and World Music
Favourite Weather/Time of Day: Partially Cloudy/Sunny and early morning
Favourite Holidays: Thanksgiving and New Years
Favourite Books/Authors: Where the Sidewalk Ends & A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Favourite Drinks: Tea, Beer, Wine, Liquor, and Japanese alcohols.
Favourite Scents: Lilac, Jasmine, and freshly laundered sheets.
Favourite Animals: Birds & Dogs.

Hobbies: Writing, Tennis, Frequenting Cafes, and Daydreaming.
Likes: laughter; her students & co-workers; pajamination; baked goods; drinking parties; bowling; sharing taxis; kimono; men in sharp suits with glasses; television variety programs and dramas; hugs; meeting her friends' families.
Dislikes: Japanese squat toilets; obnoxious tourists; expensive fruit; militantly sorting rubbish; cleaning her apartment.
Fears: Dying; Anaphylactic Shock (food allergy); childbirth; traffic accidents

Personality: Though she would hate to admit it, Kalena's a bit of a workaholic. She loves people who are willing to look past her skin color and stereotypes of Americans. Her co-workers tell her that she possesses a Japanese heart and spirit. She blends her outgoing, funny Western side, with her newly discovered formal, gentle Japanese side. She's just the girl next door, though she's across the world!

History: Not much to tell other than she's loving the life she's lived and will keep on living it how she sees fit.

Currently, Kalena's planning a way to return to Japan (but she hasn't even left yet)!

Kalena text

[color=#00CD66]Kalena text [/color]

 

[[kaleido]]

~ PixaPets ~ by Trio Maxwell-Chang (link)

Kalena's File (Pet Data)

Name: Baked Beans (certification) | Breed: Boston Terrier
Name: Zorro (certification) | Breed: Portie

Kalena's Notes:
I didn't realize that this duo would get on famously. Since their arrival at my apartment at Thanksgiving, they've been inseparable. They are quite lovely, but seem to share a secret of some kind. Both are hamster-sized pooches. They've really taken to Rhydion, and watch over him when I am not at home. (details)

 

[[kaleido]]

Hand-carved Wood Box (Celtic knot design) {x}
Protection Charm (from Shinto Shrine) {x}

 

[[kaleido]]

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[[kaleido]]

= { 01 | 02 | 03 } =

Entry Listing (by Kalena)

01 - Kalena's daily routine
02 - Thought Adjustment Hour
03 - Rhydion's Manifestation *writing*

 

[[kaleido]]

= { 01 | 02 } =

Entry Listing (by Kalena)

01 - Rhydion's Thoughts
02 - Rhydion's Manifestation *writing*

 

[[kaleido]]

= { 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 |08 } =

Entry Listing (by Kalena)

01 - Kalena's daily routine
02 - Hakim's Postcard 20-Jan-06 *writing
03 - Meeting Eri (w/Mocha), Arian, & Toshi *open
04 - Kalena talks with Sinn about Rhydion's Soul
05 - Meeting Dusk & Skutt (w/ Kanika) *open (link)
06 - Kalena talks to Kaze & Arian
07 - Rhydion Manifests! *writing*
08 - Meeting Aikori & Hikari *open (link)

 

[[kaleido]]

1. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (R 01)

 

[[kaleido]]

23-Apr-06 - Art Contest (Winner) - Drew Rhydion & Franta (Shiba Inu Puppr) & won dog shaped spirit carrier.
14-Feb-06 - Valentine's Contest - Collected 14 Roses to get Rhydion Cupid's Bow & Arrow lanturn.
03-Feb-06 - 01:08AM [x]
- Won Level 2 Dorman Lanturn for Rhydion by being the last post on page 404? Error? I think not. Have requested Black feathered wings (fading to Magenta if possible).

Potato Lord

oh Kaleido! You won the prize! PM Hakari when you get the time.

Also, I loved toast's lantern! ha ha ho hee

Hakari-chan

Yaaay! Congrats Kal! Pm me with your request! keep it fairly simple though mind you. 3nodding

Does she even know what the prize is?

08-Feb-06 - 10:30AM [x]
"Who spilled all that pink paint?" Rhydion's Manifested!!
- He's looking gorgeous with his new wings and glowing heart (image)

SoulEmporium

Wow! Rhydion manifested!! go check him out on the front page!

 

[[kaleido]]

Official Certifications

Lanturn (Lv 0)

Manifested (Lv 0)

Official Art

Glowing Lanturn

Rhydion (Lv 0)