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 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:41 pm
Two more wands had found guardians, in a matter of a day. This made Ianna a very happy person. That meant there were only five more wands to be found, and then she'd be free for hopefully a very long while.
Coailiann was currently sitting at the desk, drawing on a piece of paper and Ianna was organizing a very dusty looking shelf full of books. At leat it gave her something to do, right?
While she was waiting for the other lazy guardians to pop their heads in, anyway.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 7:58 pm
Dixie Saturn didn't get out much. Her father hadn't been the overprotective sort, she had just never felt the urge to wander far from the yard she had landed in, her first glimpse of Gaia. After her stint as sole witness to a couple of criminal landings, she had begun to feel more responsible and less excited about sitting around all the time. This was her first time out alone and far away from the house and it was kind of fun.
The city was interesting enough, rather like one from her own world, minus the constant glare of light from passerby's eye sockets. She used to hate that nonsense and had been happy to see that your average Gaian didn't have glowing eyes.
A well-worn shop entered her peripheral vision, breaking her reverie. Wands? Well, that might be something to see. She pushed open the door and looked around before stepping inside and gently closing it behind her.
"Hey," she said, her ear twitching with a sudden itch. Maybe this had been a mistake.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:08 pm
Ianna almost fell off the step stool she was currently standing on to peek at who had walked in. Thankfully, she was able to grab at the book shelf and catch herself. Only a few books slid off the shelf, causing a cloud of dust to rise off the floor.
"Hi!" she called out cheerfully.
Coailiann looked up from her drawing, gave a nonchalant wave, and went back to the drawing. It obviously was more important.
When the familiar ping sounded, Ianna raised a brow. Her? She was so YOUNG...Ah well, to each their own, she supposed.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:23 pm
Dixie's eyes widened at the dust cloud. She was a bit obsessive about keeping things neat. "Wands, huh?" She couldn't help the emotionlessness of her voice - it had always been like that - but her eyes shone with interest. "Are these like, collectible?" She'd had an 'obsessed-with-home-shopping' phase, but those kind of channels never really sold things like this. An aquired taste, perhaps?
The former criminal glanced over at Coailiann's drawing. She was normally intrigued by the antics of children, but this one wasn't a criminal. Still, there was something about her...
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:36 pm
Ianna wiped her dusty hands on her pants and went to go stand beside Coailiann, dragging out that ever so special living book and plopping on the table, "You could say that," Ianna said cryptically.
Pushing the book towards the young girl, Ianna went back to rummaging behind her desk before plopping a gnarled looking piece of wood with a bunch of grapes hanging from the tip.
"Touch the book."
A soft request.
The minute Dixie touched the book, yhe cover would fly open, an invisible wind winding through the pages and blowing them rapidly open until it landed, quite suddenly, on a well-worn page. On the page was a very life-like sketch of the wand she had just placed on the desk.
Under the picture read:
"Ljeschi. Wand ID 00025. A Soul has been trapped within the confines of the wand. Congratulations, you have become the next guardian to take on the task of raising it from infancy to greatness. We, Ianna and I, have the upmost faith in you to complete your task dutifully. Best of luck,
Matilda."
"A little young, but hey. Congratulations, you're a mother."
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 8:54 pm
Dixie eyed the wand. She hoped this woman wasn't going to try to con her into buying that. Archie had found better sticks in the yard. She reached out her hands as prompted, intending to grab the book and leaf through, but as soon as her fingertips touched the cover, she snatched them back in shock.
She skimmed the words on the tattered page, mostly captivated by the detailed image of this woman's grape-twig. Earlier in her life, she might have argued that she wasn't young, or even female for that matter, but at this moment she really did feel like a confused teenage girl. "A mother? To a stick?"
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:02 pm
"No, the spirit inside the wand, Dixie," Ianna murmured, picking up Coailiann and holding her in her arms, "The spirit will emerge, slowly, and solidify into a baby like this little 'un here," she smiled and nuzzled into her daughter's hair.
Coailiann rolled her eyes, "Hello!"
Dixie was being acknowledged. That was praise enough from the little girl.
"Go ahead, take the wand."
When Dixie touched it, a soft flash of light and a bubbling pulse of life could be felt before it faded away a moment later. It happened when a guardian touched their wand.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:24 pm
Oh. But she didn't want a baby! She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the white-haired toddler and picked up the twig, wincing at the light and the tingly life force. "Hey." Dixie addressed Coailiann again, clearly unhappy about the whole situation. She turned her attention back to Ianna and said, "Does this happen to a lot of people? I suppose there's no way to give it back? And how did you know my name?" Was someone playing a joke?
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:28 pm
Coailiann smiled charmingly and rested her head on her mother's chest.
"No, you cannot. It will die if you do," she sighed softly and shifted Coailiann, "You are their guardian. You are their chance at a second life. And yes, there are at least twenty others like you."
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:38 pm
Dixie fiddled with the wand, passing it between her hands. She'd just have to take care of it then, now wouldn't she. She sighed, the beginning of her next sentence expelled on the end of her breath. "I guess that's okay then. I wouldn't want it to die." She felt connected to this place, this wand. And Coailiann didn't seem so bad. Archie could help her. After he killed her.
She looked around for somewhere to put the stick, finally settling on the long inner pocket of her light jacket, normally reserved for cell phones. "Can I come back here if I have any problems?" Her eyes found the strange book again. She didn't even know what a 'ljeschi' was.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:42 pm
"Yes, I'll show you the headquarters," Ianna began to move towards the door and opened it, stepping through it and into her own home. The headquarters.
As they entered the main lobby Via the portal connecting the shoppe and the headquarters, the first thing noticable was the vast...largeness...of it. The high ceilings, edged with gold, the large chandeliers dripping with crystals, the smooth white tile-floors, colorful rugs, and beautiful paintings.
To the left was a large recreational area complete with a large flat-screen television, several rows of various games, movies, video game systems and books. There was a basket of toys in the corner, full of plushies, dolls, cards and various other objects which would appeal to most ages. Included in the area were several comfy looking couches and plush chairs just made for sitting, lounging or bouncing in. It seemed to be heaven on a fluffy carpet. It even had a foos-ball table and an air-hockey table....and for the slightly more food-minded GoTP, a mini fridge always full.
To the right was a large elaborate counter, which seemed to have a force-field of some sort around it, keeping anyone who was not Ianna or Matilda from going behind it. On the counter lay a roster with the names of all the Ghostly children and their guardians, and an appointment book.
From there, it branched off into halls with rows and rows of rooms. Some were storage, some were guest rooms, some were bathrooms, and one very large and ornate door to the end of the hall led to the gardens. "Welcome to Headquarters. You're welcome here at any time. Generally, it's crawling with guardians. However, today it's reletively quiet."
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:57 pm
It was a good thing she hadn't been into robbery on her home planet. This place had more stuff than Best Buy! "Thanks," she said softly, rubbing her feet on the rug and taking in the fancy chandeliers and electronics. "I'll be sure to come back when there are more people around." These other guardians would need checking out. Dixie wanted to make sure she hadn't just joined a cult.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 10:12 pm
A cult? Danny had thought that too. Had Ianna heard that, she probably would have burst out laughing. Oh yeah, Dixie would get along well with Danny.
"I do hope you do. Bring your father at some point. I'd like to meet the grandpa. I've...Never gotten someone as young as you."
Coailiann simply floated over the couch and plopped down. Mickey Mouse was on!
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 10:19 pm
Floating babies? Dixie's hand hovered back near the wand. It had better not be able to do that when it hatched or materialized or whatever it was going to do.
"Yeah, sure," Dixie said, still watching Coailiann. "Archie would like that. And I'm older than I look, so don't worry. Long story. I've never taken care of a baby before, but I'm confident I can." And she'd have help whether her father liked it or not.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 10:23 pm
Ianna nodded her head, "Well a lot of things in gaia aren't anything like they seem," she agreed, slipping herself on the edge of the couch. She was tired, it had been a long day, and she thought it was about time to close up the shop.
"And I'm sure you'll be able to. You'll have a lot of time to prepare. The child will only begin to emerge when it feels accepted and safe. Generally it takes a month or so."
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