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 Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:16 pm
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Amarus had seen Xiu at the Carnival, and she'd had an opportunity to speak with her; a figure from her past, one she respected, it had been nice. As the sun set, Amarus had a lot of time to think about her existence, about the forces at play in her world.
She thought not for the first time about the resurgence of boils and ghouls she had known, ones she had loved. She thought, again, not for the first time that should some students resurface she would like to be prepared. And she thought there was no way to prepare.
A lot of her formative years had been spent trying to perfect techniques with her Lotus essence, to help the troubled, to give rest to the restless. And yet, suddenly, she thought of something. Something which begged many questions. Amarus used one of her many bells to summon Songbird, her beloved Comet Phoenix Hatchling. Songbird came to her, and she tied a message around its ankle, whispered to it: Find Xiu, and helped it understand for whom she looked.
Hopefully, Songbird would find Xiu swiftly. She hoped to meet her soon, before the idea was gone. Maybe Xiu was still somewhere on the carnival grounds.
Kaiyumi Ty for agreeing to slowly help me ; u; <3
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:26 pm
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Although she had missed the majority of the Carnival, Xiu was pleased that she had at least managed to make it to the tail-end of the festivities. It had been nice being able to see some familiar faces again, and she had even been given the privilege of meeting some new people. Overall, it had been a fun few hours of socializing, but the baku decided to cut her visitation a little shorter than she had initially anticipated. With so much left to do with her cafe, it was hard to just stand around when the work that had to be done was constantly looming in the back of her mind.
"Mmhm, I'll be back soon, Uncle!" Xiu chirped into the phone as she began to make her way off the grounds, a now-empty bag dangling from her wrist, "Yes, I did enjoy myself! It was very nice getting to see everyone again, and--oh?"
Lifting the phone away from her face ever so slightly, the baku peered upwards as she spotted a minipet soaring directly overhead. However, what had caught her attention was not just the fact that this phoenix hatchling was flying around, but the fact that as soon as she had noticed it, it had seemed to notice her...and presently seemed to be making its way down towards her.
"Xiu?" Her uncle's puzzled voice came through the phone, snapping her back to attention. Hastily, the ghoul pressed the device back to her ear.
"...On second thought, I think I'll stick around for a little longer. I'll call again when I'm going to leave."
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:37 pm
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When Songbird found Xiu, the phoenix hatchling comet dropped down to her, grateful in some way that it had done all that Amarus had asked. It looked for somewhere to land on her, so that it could offer its ankle up, note glinting with some of Amarus' glowing essence dabbed onto the corner. The glow was fading fast; the note was clearly fresh.
It wasn't the most elegant of handwriting, nor the most elegant note. It had been hard to cram all those latin characters onto even one paper, for Amarus; for some reason although she spoke well, her writing was hardly as graceful.
Amarus wait at the greenhouse she and Na'ima had made, waited for (hopefully) Xiu's arrival. "I wonder if it can be made real, this ... dream," she said, amused. She was half sure Xiu would tell her it was not possible, but an even more insistent half whispered why not try?
Message on Songbird's Ankle Xiu, it's Amarus. Plz meet me if possible. Songbird knows.
Kaiyumi SORRY for the swift tag ; u; I happen to still be on orz
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 5:57 pm
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Automatically lifting up her arm so that the minipet would have something to perch on, she spent a moment cooing about how beautiful the bird was before letting her attention fall to the note tied around its ankle. Gently pulling it loose, she carefully unfurled it and scanned the note, lips curling into a smile the moment she found out who it was from. She had had a hunch--after all, Amarus had mentioned that she sent messages by bird--but it was nice to find out that she had been correct.
Slipping the note into her obi, the baku turned to grin at the phoenix hatchling. "Well then...Songbird, is it? Would you mind showing me the way?"
With her guide's assistance, it didn't take long before the ghoul arrived at the designated area. Spotting her friend's brightly color hair, Xiu lift her hand in greeting and hurried forward. "Hello again, Amarus! You caught me just in time!"
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 8:47 pm
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Amarus was immensely relieved when Xiu came into view-- the ghoul was certainly beautiful behold, not to mention someone that Amarus respected. There were few of whom she could honestly say that much. "Good evening, Xiu-- I am, ah, sorry if I have inconvenienced you; I am glad I caught you before you left, however. I could not ask this of anyone else."
Amarus smiled at Xiu, and bowed deeply, for one of the first times in recollection. The kind of bow that said I am grateful. "Please forgive my, ah, summons; I hope Songbird was an amicable guide," Amarus said, straightening and reaching up to her shoulder to pet Songbird as it landed on her shoulder. She smiled softly at it, lovingly, gently rubbing its feathers under its chin and petting it that way. Songbird trilled and nuzzled into her finger.
"Since I imagine you would like to return home, given the hour, I will try to keep this to the point. Walk with me?" Amarus asked, opening the door of the small greenhouse and tapping a large glass orb beside the door with one finger. It lit up with a shade much like her own glow, which meant it wasn't the most accurate or bright of lights but it did shed enough light to see what was in the green house and move about. "At one point, I was draining myself dry, extracting my essence. I managed to create some kind of plant that could produce a version of it, albeit watered down and with a much more temporary duration." Amarus gestured to one of them.
"However... this new experiment, this new plant, I am not sure I can create, much less create with help. Xiu, I wanted to..." Amarus sighed, smiled, and tried to phrase her question properly. "Can objects become fixed in dreams? If I was to place a lamp on this floor, for example, when I returned to this greenhouse I would find it here where I had left it. When I, ah, do dream I sometimes dream of the same place, walk the same halls but the dreams vary. Could that be done? Could an object in dreaming be placed into someone's heart? And, more importantly, could a physical object be tied into the dreaming world so that it was present while awake and asleep?"
This was a crazy question, wasn't it.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:06 pm
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Letting out a bright laugh, the ghoul quickly put up her hands and gave a quick shake of her head at the apologies. "No no, not at all! There's certainly nothing more important for me to do right now than helping out a friend." Those cafe plans could wait--she had been about to leave early than initially planned anyways--and it was always nice to spend a little more time with friends. "Also, Songbird was a wonderful guide," The baku assured the ghoul with a smile, fluttering her fingers in a little wave at the minipet.
Falling into step with Amarus when asked, Xiu remained quiet but intent as she listened to the Lotus Eater speak. The mention of the creation of a plant piqued her curiosity, but she stifled her questions for now as to remain considerate to her friend.
Perhaps that was for the best, as it was the questions that followed that really caught the ghoul's attention. Lifting a hand to her face, Xiu cupped her cheek as she let out a little hum. "So you mean...setting an object in a dream and leaving it, in that it remains there and would be present if you were to have the same dream again, right?" Hopefully she had gotten that correct, anyways.
"If that's the case...I'm not sure whether you can do so permanently, but I personally have once done something like that. My friend was having nightmares, and after witnessing his dreams for myself, I planted a 'seed', if you will." Lips curving into a small smile, she turned to look at Amarus, "A ribbon. I created a ribbon--not unlike the ones I commonly use at home in appearance--and tied it to a tree that he often ran past in his dreams. It was there to serve as a reminder that he was sleeping and to pull him out of his nightmares whenever he spotted it. Is something this along the lines of what you're asking about?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 7:03 pm
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It was rare for Amarus to ask for assistance. She had asked Mia for help designing the club jackets, she had asked Xiu and a couple others for help baking, and here she was asking Xiu again. As a result, Amarus listend with particular attentiveness, and a soft smile on her face. She was glad to have friends like Xiu. Even if Xiu had moved away, she was still a formative figure in Amarus' past, so it would have been impossible for Amarus to dismiss that.
"Yes, exactly that," Amarus said, glad she had put her faith in the right ghoul; she was impressed Xiu had understood her so quickly, given Amarus was a bit of an amateur at this. It had just been a thought she had. A whim, with no notion of how to express it.
"How long might it last, in normal cases? Would it last only the once? I was hoping there was some way to link a physical object with the dreaming world, like... a talisman," she admitted. "As if our FEAR could embue it with lasting properties, even if they fade, as my essence can lace baked goods and give them my narcotic properties for a time after they have been baked, but fades eventually," she said. That was where the root of the idea had come from, after all. Her trick, but with dreams instead of drugs and baking.
"A seed? The ribbon... that is, in fact, exactly the kind of thing that I would hope to accomplish, yes-- however, unlike you, I have no affinity for dreaming," amarus admitted, "which was why I had hoped I could create an object with a tie to a dreaming-object." Amarus pressed one finger to her lip, thinking, before she reached out towards one of her carnivorous creations. It bit her finger, and drew her essence, though she didn't flinch as it seemed to lick it off her spectral flesh and bite again.
"Not personally create it, naturally-- I do not think I have such means-- but find a way to do so. I had been... hoping to present a gift, to someone. A flower that blooms in dreams, in a part of that individual so that if they wish to remember, they might," she said. She didn't finish that thought, really. If they wished to remember me, they might have something to connect them always. "There is little point to the exercise, I suppose; I doubt that... this individual would want to remember me in this way, doubt that they remember me fondly at all, in fact, but..."
Hope. In fact, hope kept her from despairing, and made her ask these questions. "If there is no way, I understand, though I would be willing to do nearly anything, procure whatever it took to realize this goal," she added.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:53 pm
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"How long...well, I suppose that's dependent on the person who does the planting in the first place," The ghoul mused, pressing a finger to her bottom lip, "I could only manage a week before, but with practice and my growing powers, a whole month may be plausible now. I don't think that it'd be possible to keep an object permanently in place, but it may be possible to leave lingering traces that prompt the individual's memory." Which could, possibly, be enough. Dreams were a strange thing, after all--just seeing an object that belongs to a friend could prompt the mind into believing that the friend is actually there and present.
"I could help you if you'd like the assistance," Xiu offered, tilting her head to the side, "I'm not certain whether this is exactly what you'd like, but if you were to create your desired object, I could implant everything about it--its features, its smell, its texture--into the dreamer's mind so that it is present both in the waking and the dreaming worlds."
Xiu had to admit that this was a very, very interesting conversation. She actually hadn't thought about this particular kind of ability a lot, but it was interesting to consider. The baku did hold an inkling of curiosity as to who this individual that Amarus was talking about was--or perhaps it was just a figurative someone--but she offered her friend a smile and reached out to give her hand a squeeze.
"I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to remember you fondly. You're kind and hardworking, and I personally consider you a very dear friend."
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:05 pm
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Amarus listened, afraid the answer would be no, it cannot be done. She couldn't look at Xiu, for fear this was the case. However, the more she listened, the less Amarus heard no and the more she heard there is a possibility and even I will help. Amarus looked up at her. "I could, yes-- I have a way of preserving cut flowers, so that although they are dead, they no longer wither or age. They cannot be touched, exactly, but they remain beautiful to behold. I was hoping to present someone with a rose of that nature," she admitted.
She would have been wholly surprised to hear that Xiu knew who it was, or suspected; Amarus hadn't spoken with him in a long time, or even seen him. Why was it so important, now?
This time of year, she remembered him. That was why.
Amarus held Xiu's hand, placed her second on top of it. She smiled. "Xiu, I would never consider myself kind, but I accept the compliment with gratitude-- sincerely," she said.
"What do you think someone like me can do, Xiu? It takes me so long to feel any attachment, that when I do, I am never free of it. Seldom do others function this way-- out of sight, out of mind, and I am left with these memories that I cannot shake. Love for others who are no longer present. I forgot, and I forgot this... friend, I forgot him because I could not stomach the feeling of weakness. Of helplessness," Amarus explained.
"If I could give him a rose that would never wither, if even its ghost remained with him in dreams, then I could find comfort in knowing I am not lost forever," she said, her voice quieter and quieter.
"Perhaps I can come visit you, and present the object in question? Another day, at more reasonable hours of your choosing."
"I hope that you might have a way for me to repay you," Amarus added.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:51 pm
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Preserving cut flowers? "That's amazing," Xiu breathed, eyes round as she stared at the other ghoul in awe, "I always thought it was sad to see such beautiful blooms have to wilt, but it's wonderful that you've found a way to preserve them!" Perhaps one day she would have to ask Amarus for her assistance--it would be nice, she realized, to have decorations in the cafe that would never wilt and rot.
But such inquiries could come at a later date. As she listened to Amarus speak, Xiu's grip on the ghoul's hand tightened slightly, just to give her a reassuring squeeze. "Well then...if this is what will bring you some comfort, then I would be more than happy to help. I will be busy tomorrow, but if the day after is convenient for you--noon, perhaps?--then we can meet up then.
Smile growing, Xiu shook her head. "No repayment is necessary. If anything...well, it'd be nice if you dropped by the cafe once it was open and running. I'd love to see a friendly face--it admittedly feels a little lonely not being at Amityville anymore." Sure, a couple of her friends had graduated, but others were still attending the school. Plus, it just wasn't the same without having everyone together on one campus--she couldn't just run down the stairs to visit another person anymore.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 2:59 pm
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It was mostly an accident Amarus had figured out how to preserve things. Her essence had combined with some weird chemicals she found lying around in a classroom once, and she'd knocked sand in, and then you know she ended up being able to sort of preserve things.
Not big things, really-- she had put things in it to test and it hadn't always gone very well. She didn't understand how it worked, but she could keep a flower or two from looking wilted.
It was still dead, it just didn't show it. A grim thought.
"Perhaps it will, though I fear I am going down the wrong path again, entirely," Amarus said. She sighed.
"Yes, thank you-- I would appreciate that, and I will come meet you wherever at noon the day after. That is ample time to prepare what I have in mind. Will you be visiting us at prom this year, Xiu?" Amarus asked, smiling. "Or do you have to accompany a current student to attend? I suppose that would make sense..."
Amarus shook her head, bells ringing. "I will find a way to repay your kindness, though yes, I would be glad to visit you. In any case, I will, ah, see you soon... goodnight, Xiu," Amarus said, taking a step back, and away, before returning and attempting to hug the ghoul before departing.
Kaiyumi You weren't slow at all!! LIES AND SLANDER <3 would you be okay if I started one where she actually brings the flower by? ; u;
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 3:13 pm
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Prom. ....Prom? "Oh. Oh! Is that...is that coming up soon?" Things had been such a blur for her lately that she had all but lost track of time. "I wonder if I can attend, being alumni now, but...if so, I'd certainly be happy to drop by if only to say hello." And to take pictures, as per usual.
Lips spreading into a warm smile, Xiu was more than happy to return the hug, lifting a hand to wave as soon as she had released her friend. "Yes, I will see you soon! Goodnight, Amarus."
She watched the other ghoul turn to leave before she herself turned away, heading back down the path to the front gates.
Face your demons :'DD I AM SLOOOW and yes, that's totally okay with me! <33
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