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 Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:39 pm
Kaydence stretched, lazily, as the pale fingers of dawn crept over the sky. She’d gotten up early that morning, thanks once more, to Dae’s infamous wake up calls. The child never seemed to tire of singing in the middle of the night, and at times, she still considered locking him back in the closet. If only to get some sleep at night.
At the moment he seemed ‘sung out’ as he was snoozing, peacefully on his side of her bed. Idly, she noted she’d have to do something about the situation when he got older. She some how doubted he’d appreciate sharing a room with her as a pre-teen, or older. And really, it seemed like a creepy idea anyways. A) Mama boys were gross. B) Mother-complexes were just weird.
She never would understand why mother’s were so upset when their little boys grew up and dated girls. Or whatever the hell else it was that guys did. Really, teen years are the most exciting. Were they simply too old to remember how cool it was? Probably, she decided, and then mentally promised herself she’d be a cool mom when Dae got older. Because, really, only lamo-s said their kids couldn’t date till they were 60. Psh, like anyone waited that long anymore.
Shaking her head free of her thoughts, she left the bed, not bothering to make it- a maid would get it later- and made her way into the kitchen. A microwaved Bagel (Because, psh, no one toasted them anymore) and a container of cream cheese later, the teenager shuffled back into her room and turned on the computer screen, seeing that Dae was still asleep.
Logging onto Facebook, she quickly noted that no one but Mara (Someone she’d met at the library, thank you very much) had posted on the website, she quickly left and logged into her hotmail account. Summer was quickly coming to an end and soon she’d be getting schedule comparisons from some of her friends- or emails about them, even if they weren’t going to the same college.
Indeed, she had two emails. One from Sarah (None of the same classes) and one from Charles (They had Science together) and- not much to her surprise, five spam messages.
Three out of five said messages were ‘scholarship’ offers, that even she knew were nothing more than spam. One out of five was a ‘CONGRAGULATIONS’ email. Which stated she’d won a free blender. (Seriously? What the hell was that? ) And lastly, an email from a Damien Veredi.
Well, that was interesting.
Quickly opening the message, she read it through, sipping her apple juice, a grin forming on her face at the words.
Damien was a totally hot name, she decided, as she double clicked the “reply” button and stretched her fingers over the keyboard. She half hoped he was a major cutie that lived nearby and was near her age. To Damien. 8/10/09-- 6:04 AM NYC Dear Damien, It’s no problem at all. Actually, I’m very flattered that you choice to email me, based off of my blog. I didn’t think anyone would be able to find it but angsting teenagers, haha. But unexpected emails are always a treat, aren’t they? Like candy with a surprise center! But wow, a secretary? Sounds like you’re someone important, huh? Now I’m even more flattered! So you have a kid, too, huh? Or, well, soon to be kid. Let me just say, Asher sounds like an adorable name, and very unique. I’ve never once heard of it before. I wish I had known to explain the situation to Dae-Hyun before, it might have earned me a night or so worth of sleep, haha, right? As it is, I might still try it. My child has actually been…born, I guess you could say. A bouncing baby boy I’ve named Dae-Hyun. He’s a cheeky thing, I assure you. And I must admit, your assurances have relieved me, to be sure. At least I hadn’t broken him as an orb. Maybe I can keep up this good luck streak, right? As far as useful information goes, I guess I have a few words of wisdom I can pass on. 1 Watch out for the birth, thingy. I’d highly advice you try to keep Asher-orb in a closed off area until it’s born. When Dae was born it was not only loud, but a very magical and visual experience. I think a birth in a public area or something would probably cause a large scene. Unless you know, you wanted to be in the news or something. 2 Magic. Some of them have it. Not all, I guess. Or at least, not all can control it? I don’t know how to explain. Dae does this spark thing that actually is bursts of cold air. We, however, have met another mother and child and her son doesn’t seem to be capable of doing magic. 3 If you’ve been keeping up with the face book group, it seems as if not all children are based on animals, as was previously thought. Dae doesn’t seem to be any animal I can think of, anyways. Though, Caspian looked just like a cat. So far that’s all I can offer for advice, but I hope we can maybe keep a steady correspondence and pass helpful hints and parental experiences together? From, Kaydence Dreama
And it also dawned on her that if he had a secretary, he was probably not someone her age. ********. There goes potential-hot-guy material.
But a new friend could always be fun, right?
“Crystal..?”
Shutting down the computer, Kaydence turned to Dae with a small grin, her mood already up for the morning. “Morning, Dae! Lets get you some breakfast, hmm?”
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:04 am
Damien watched as Asher floated excitedly up towards the computer screen, chuckling softly to himself. He couldn't be sure if the pink orb could read, exactly, but it definitely seemed to be expressing an interest in all activity pertaining to this "kay_babe" person. Though, now that he knew her name, perhaps he should be calling her "Ms. Dreama".
.. Even that sounded like a teenager's online handle.
The thought amused him, and he smiled slightly, though the serious expression in his eyes remained. The truth was, he recognized the name, Dreama. It bothered him a little that he couldn't place it.
Truth to be told, he hadn't been sure that there would be a response to his original email, it had seemed very much like a stab in the dark. And even if this kay_ba - Damien quickly readjusted his thoughts - Ms. Dreama responded, he had not expected her to truly have had an orb. To find that she had, and that it had grown, was quite a surprise. He couldn't say that it was the highlight of his morning, considering the fact that her manner of speech still managed to offend him (he'd noticed the effort that the girl had put into the first two sentences, and the subsequent deterioration of language structure and decorum), but it was an interesting diversion from his usual work.
A faint *bump* brought his thoughts back to the present, and the pink orb that was now, once again, butting the screen in a playful manner. Well, Damien thought, at least this time it isn't annoyed or angry about the way she speaks about the Songs...
Picking up the orb - he had discovered that Asher did indeed enjoy to being held, as it always played the same cheery "um diddle um diddle..." chorus whenever he did - with one hand, he moved Asher from out of his view of the screen, and leaned back in his plush leather chair. A faint hmmm rumbled from his chest as he absently stroked the orb while pondering his response to the email.
"What should I respond with, Asher?"
The question was rhetorical - the orb was still softly chanting in his hands, and from past experience, Asher never came up with any snippet of lyric while it was so happily being stroked. (He'd used the method several times in the past day or so, once he'd discovered it was an effective means of quieting down the pink ball.)
"When stone-age men were chatting, simply grunting would suffice."
The unexpected comment surprised a laugh out of Damien, and he grinned, showing a youthfulness that was rarely ever on display. Still chuckling, Damien gave the orb in his hands one last gentle rub before placing it on the counter and reaching for the mouse.
To Kaydence Dreama
Dear Ms. Dreama,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my original email. It was something of a shot in the dark for me, as I had nothing but your email address to work off of. I must say that it was a pleasant surprise for me to find your response this morning, and can only hope that it was the same for you.
Indeed, I have a secretary - her name is Susan. I doubt that that would be a good criteria for being important, though, so there is no need to be flattered.
To be entirely honest, Asher was a name that I picked on the basis of not knowing the orb's gender. Was that a problem for you as well? For all that Asher responds to questions with snippets of lyrics and orb movement (which I suppose one can interpret as body language), it refuses to answer when I ask its gender. Though I hate to contradict you, Asher is not a unique name - I believe that it is not used very frequently, however.
Congratulations on the growth of your orb! It is a relief to learn that it suffered no harm. Would it be alright to request a photo of your baby boy? I would send along a baby gift, but as we have never met and are barely acquainted, that would perhaps be too presumptuous.
Thank you for the words of wisdom - though this raises some questions for me.
Magic? While I suppose that the existence of these Songs are magic in and of themselves, am I correct in assuming that you mean magic in the.. fairytale sense? That they can cause unnatural occurrences?
I have not yet checked this facebook group that you mentioned, but I have learned that not all Songs are based on animals - some are based off of captures of an entire song. Asher is one such - every word she sings is from the song "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Perhaps your Song is also made from a song?
One thing I have learned since the original email is that the orb seems to quieten down when touched. As your orb has already grown into a baby boy, I am unsure about whether or not this still applies, but if you are still having problems with undisturbed sleep, perhaps you could try that?
I hope to hear from you again,
Damien Veredi
Quickly hitting the send button lest he change his mind and reread the message, Damien sighed. The email had turned out much more stilted than he'd expected, but it couldn't be helped. The... informality of the other's email had elicited in him a need to do the exact opposite.
Shrugging at what couldn't be changed, Damien put the issue from his mind and turned to look at the sheaf of papers Susan had left on his desk earlier this morning. It appeared that some new information about the American dance foundation had come to light, and he wanted the matter resolved as soon as possible.
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:07 am
“Kaydence?”
The young girl turned to the sound of a voice calling her name as she dropped her keys onto the stand next to the door. Shifting Dae’s weight on her hip, she peeked around the corner of the kitchen to see Abigail fluttering around in the area, something stirring in the pot, music blasting from the sound system in the living room.
The teenager cocked an eyebrow at the older woman before setting Dae down in a chair and walking over to where the woman was working, leaning her back against the counter. Abigail when dad wasn’t home was much more fun than when dad was home. This Abigail was twenty three years old and danced to music and joked. The Abigail when dad was home was much older, more meek, and a hellva lot more professional.
She guessed her dad just had that effect on people.
“What’s for lunch, Abs?” She asked, cocking her head to the side, an eye brow raised at the woman’s terrible attempts at rocking her hips to the music. Abigail, the teen decided, had been a very shut in teenager. The prim and proper way she held herself before she loosened up reminded her to check her email.
“Just some soup. Would you like me to put a bottle in the microwave for Dae?”
Kaydence shook her head. The last attempt at bottle feeding had gone terribly. His fangs had punctured the rubber part and when he decided to go into flail mode it’d offered her a spray of warm, disgustingly so, milk. No, she’d stick to the apple sauce and cereal bits he seemed fond of until she could find another alternative.
“Nah, just get him some cheerios,” Even as she said this, she pushed away from the counter and moved to the cereal cabnit on her own. Grabbing a small, plastic bowl, she lightly covered the bottom before slipping the box back where it belonged and walking over to Dae.
With the bowl placed in front of him, he stared at it skeptically before shoving his fist in and grabbing a handful. Sloppily he jammed it into his mouth before chewing and grinning at the same time. Wrinkling her nose a bit in distaste, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Abs? I’m going to go check my email. Can you watch Dae-Hyun for me?”
The maid nodded her head, a bit too caught up in her music to really pay attention.
The teenager didn’t mind. As long as she got three square meals and a made bed, she was all good. Slipping into the living room, she quickly made a b-line to her bedroom and turned on the computer. As it hummed to life she took off her jacket and hung it up in her closet.
When she returned, she instantly started up Firefox, going straight to her hotmail.
Sure enough, there was an email waiting for her.To Damien. 8/11/09--12:07 PM NYC Dear Damien, It was my pleasure. I, too, was pleased to see another response in my email box. You know what they say about chance; “It's important to give it all you have while you have the chance.” And what is a Shot in the Dark, if not a chance? A blind guess? And isn’t it a chance that we received the Sound-Orbs? So lets give it our all, right? Susan. Well, tell Susan ‘hello’ for me and thank her for finding the blog. I’m sure we can learn a lot from one another, thanks to her. No, I don’t think it was much of a problem. While I didn’t know Dae-Hyun’s gender from the start…his name wasn’t an…issue. Though, I think you took a very smart way around the issue, giving it a gender neutral name. I can’t but wonder why it doesn’t want you to know its gender…? To be truthful, I never really thought to even ask Dae about his own. I apologize for not realizing it isn’t a unique name. My bad. Thank you! I’ll send an attachment of his photo with this email. The sentiment is greatly appreciated, though. Perhaps you can just suggest a good baby-toy? I’ve managed to buy him a rattle and teething ring, thus far, but beyond that, I have to admit, I’m a bit clueless as to what he might enjoy playing with. Yes, in the fairy-tale-Harry-potter sense. Again, Dae can raise his finger and cause cold, blue sparks to come from it Though, it appears he can’t do it very often. Or maybe it tires him out? I’ve yet to figure this out, but I’ve noticed after the intial ‘wave’ of magic- so to speak- the rest of the sparks are dimmer and less cold. Perhaps you should see the face book group? Would you like me to link you? It was kind of helpful when I thought I broke Dae. Oh! I love that song. I could never actually say the word. I bet your child will be very smart when it is born. Dae was actually a song as well, I’ve learned. His song was called “Mirrotic” from a Korean group known as “DBSK”. When he speaks, it’s a combination of English phrases and Korean. I’ve decided to check out some Korean language books at the library as soon as possible. I figure, if he’s Korean, he has every right to learn his own language, properly, right? Quieted down when you touched it? I’ll have to attempt this when Dae gets fussy. He has an affinity, it seems, with grabbing my hair. Thank you for the advice. I hope you’ll email back soon, and let me know as soon as Asher grows! Sincerely, Kaydence Dreama
She hoped he, and Susan (Because what old man has a secretary without having some form of relationship with her? None, she yells you! None! She’s seen all the soaps!), appreciated her hard attempts at making them comfortable.
And maybe, if they kept writing, he’d be able to accept her usual style of talking. Because, really, trying to type formally took a lot of work out of a girl!
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:23 pm
The faint beeping of the email alert roused Damien out of his contemplation of the papers he held in his hand. Taking the opportunity for distraction, the Earl set the papers aside and looked at the computer screen.
She responds fast, was all that he could think as he double clicked the blinking icon to bring up the email. It wasn't that he was looking forward to Ms. Dreama's emails, but they were definitely something out of his usual routine. Plus, he was still half thinking about the information he'd been reading, so his focus wasn't quite all there as he began to skim through it.
And paused, blinking at the screen in an attempt to collect his full attention and make sense of what he was reading.
"Give it all while you have the chance?" A shot in the dark, being a chance? He knew he wasn't old, but somehow this girl made him feel like he was from a whole different generation. Chances happened, but things like this, they were more opportunities created than random luck.
Moving on, he decided. Opening up the attachment of Ms. Dreama's Dae-Hyun, he found himself staring at a baby - was it really a baby? - with blue skin, and... sparks? Almost unwillingly, his eyes shifted to glance at the pink orb floating on his desk as he tried to imagine the Asher-equivalent to Dae-Hyun. Pink skin - he could live with that, maybe, if Asher was a girl. Strange eye markings - well, again, if Asher was a girl, it would just look like makeup, right? Odd ones, to be sure, but still passable. But he found himself praying, to whatever God was up there, that Asher would not be a boy. He just didn't think he would be able to handle a pink boy.
Damien shuddered again at the thought.
To Kaydence Dreama
Dear Ms. Dreama,
That was a quick response! Perhaps it would be bold of me to ask, but what timezone are you currently in? I noticed the time stamp in your emails state "NYC", but sometimes those things aren't accurate.
I shall tell Susan you said hello. I am sure she will be delighted to learn that her research has led to something so positive.
As for Asher... It seemed inappropriate to leave such a special being without a name. And as names are usually based upon gender, it seemed like a brilliant idea at the time to try and discover Asher's sex. I still wonder what its lack of response means, though. Perhaps the gender is determined at birth, and Asher has not yet decided? (or doesn't know either, I suppose.)
Dae-Hyun looks like a handful. After hearing your stories about him as well, I suppose he lives up to his looks? Are those sparks that I see a manifestation of the magic that you mentioned in the previous email? That is fascinating. While I must admit to not having much experience with children, I recall vaguely from my own childhood that there were learning toys - sturdy things that can take much use and abuse. One such would be building blocks, or even, since your Song seems to be musically orientated, a miniature xylophone?
A link to the facebook group would be very helpful, thank you.
It does appear that Asher will be quite intelligent when it grows. It may be simply a parent's pride, but it feels like the pink orb is absorbing as much information from its surroundings as it can. Even as I speak, the thing is hovering over one of my books, as if reading it. The song that you mentioned is unfamiliar to me - I will have to look it up. But that is interesting, how it manages to speak in a mixture of two languages.
I wish you luck with your learning endeavor. And the effort of going to learn another language speaks positively about how much you care about your child. Should you need any assistance, I will try my best to help.
Sincerely,
Damien Veredi
Damien reread the email once before double clicking the send button. He had previously thought - and still did - that this Kaydence Dreama was a spoilt, immature child. But learning of her willingness to learn an entire language for her new charge put a different light on things... Though it still remained to be seen whether or not she was able to commit to the learning.
The email had been a pleasant distraction, but now he had to begin planning the best course of action with regards to the foundation. This would require some delicate work...
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:00 pm
“Hot, hot, hot!”
At the fluttering chirp, Abigail tore her attention away from her sink full of bubbles, where she’d been washing the pot from soup. The teenager at the table had her mouth wide open, her tongue hanging out- much like a dog- and was waving her hand in front of it. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she turned her attention back to her dishes. “Kaydence,” She chided, loftily. “You’d probably burn your tongue less if you weren’t trying to read while you ate. Where is your manners?”
Kaydence opened her mouth, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue. Why did the maid think she had any excuse to talk to her in such a manner? Did she forgot who’s father signed her pay check? Instead of letting the words escape her throat, though, she shut her mouth. Abigail was about as close to a mother figure as she could find, and really, she wasn’t a bad woman. The teenager just didn’t like being told what to do.
So she’d let it slide, this time, with just a sneer, before turning her attention back to the text book in front of her.
ahn nyeong ha se yo
Well, how the hell did you say that?
“Aa---aaaaaaa--”
Hm. This wasn’t working so well for her. Maybe she could go log on and IM that Kaithala chick? She spoke Korean, didn’t she? The idea came with both its pros and cons. On one hand, she could probably get a better pronunciation key. On the other, she thought the girl a know it all b***h. Or at the very least, a condescending one. (The teenager promptly threw away all possibilities it might have been born from the fact she talks like an idiot online.)
Spooning another amount of soup onto her utensil, she made sure to blow on it until cool before popping it in her mouth. Deciding to come back to the complicated word at a later time, she flipped through the book, trying to find a topic that would catch her attention. She was aware randomly fumbling through a text book was no way to properly learn a language, but- hey, she had to start somewhere, right?
Finding a page that held her interest, she read it all the way through before shutting the text and stretching. So, learning Korean was better in theory than in practice. Sue her for not realizing it sooner. Words tumbling around in her head, she quickly drank the rest of her soup before placing the empty bowl in the- formerly empty- sink and skipped her way back to her room.
Dae-Hyun was laying on her bed, curled up, sleeping after a hearty Cheerio lunch.
She’d look it up on Youtube, first. To see if there was any free guide. If she couldn’t find anything, she’d look it up on google. If all else failed her, she’d IM the Kaithala girl. But that was only to be used as a last resource, really. ‘
The computer was left on from the last time she’d been on and the screen was flashing that she had a new email, but she ignored it for the moment to cover up her son, who had managed to kick off the blankets some how. The odd child had a tendency to ‘wag’ his tail in his sleep and it always left him bare to the weather at night.
Satisfied she turned her attention to her computer, sitting down in her- oh so fun- spiny chair. There was a small popup in the corner of the screen informing her she had one new message and cocking her head to the side, she moved her mouse to click on the link.
In her inbox sat another email from Damien. A grin curled on her lips as she read the endearing old-man’s email. She was growing quiet fond of her new email buddy, even if they’d only shared a few messages so far. And furthermore, she was surprised to see such a quick response to her email!
Well, then! If he was impressed with her, she should show off her already growing (very limited) knowledge!To Damien. 8/11/09--1:32 PM NYC Annyong haseo, Veredi- shi! You’re pretty fast with emails, yourself, you know. My time stamp is, believe it or not, correct. I am EDT, time, and actually live in New York City. What about you? What is your time frame. If it’s not too ‘bold’ of me to ask, haha. I guess those theories actually make a lot of sense. They are born in the…biologically correct manner. There for genetics, genes, chromosomes, all of that wouldn’t actually apply to them right? So it’s not like it’s a random guess between X and Ys, but some other determining factor. If that was the case, then, can Asher decide- before birth- and just hasn’t yet? Or would it decide upon birth? Or is it just a luck of the draw kind of thing? As for names, I had called Dae-Hyun, “Orby” before birth. Childish and immature, I know, but I theorize--or justify-- it by saying it’s a lot like when parents don’t find out the gender of their child until it’s born and just don’t pick a name out for it until they see the kid. So they can name it based off of the kid, rather than the gender. He is a handful. He enjoys pulling hair, and recently met another child much like him. The babe’s name is Caspian, and he seems fond of picking on the child. Though the child taunts right back. Yes, that’s the magic I told you about. He’s rather showy-with it, but has yet to use it since his encounter with the other child. I’ll keep you in touch with how that works, if it manifests into something else- or something more powerful. So far as we’re aware, he’s the only child we’ve heard of who can actually do such feats. Xylophone! That’s a wonderful idea, Mr. Damien! I think I’ll get him one as soon as possible. Thanks for the advice! Maybe dear Asher will be smart enough to help me and my son in our future studies of language, one day. It seems like it’s going to be a very slow in going process, to be honest. Some of the words look nearly impossible to pronounce. I guess library books aren’t the best way to go. I wonder if I could find a personal tutor somewhere? My father comes home for an event soon. I’ll have to see if he can offer any advice on means of finding one. In the mean time, you’ll have to keep me updated with Asher. I’m eagerly awaiting it’s birth! You’ll have to send a picture, alright? And let me know if it displays any neat tricks, like magic! Maybe we can exchange tips on how to keep it under control or something. tapchang ssojuseyo! (Write soon!) Kaydence Dreama
Okay, so maybe she had to Google the closing to that letter. And maybe she didn’t know how to actually say the greeting. But she knew how to say Shi. Or at least, she hoped she did. And she was learning, that was saying something, right? …Right?
Right.
With a self-satisfied grin, she clicked the send button before turning to the calendar next to her computer. The email reminded her-- daddy was coming home soon.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:16 am
Unfortunately for Damien, it was beginning to look more and more like he would have to make a trip to New York very soon. The information that had come to light about The Step Foundation was too sensitive to be handled by anyone else, annoying as that may be. While he could perhaps arrange for things to be handled here in London, there were just too many possibilities for things to go wrong. That would also give him the opportunity to look into the hiring of a new coordinator - one that wouldn't make off with donations and leave the country.
The thought irritated Damien all over again. Having been brought up to believe in loyalty, and honor, and honesty, it struck a nerve that someone who already had everything he needed would attempt to obtain more, through whatever means possible.
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious / Say it and wild animals would not seem so ferocious~"
Damien realized with a start that he had been frowning in the direction of the bright pink orb for a few moments now. With a soft apology, he leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling as he continued his contemplation of the situation, where his facial expressions wouldn't trouble Asher. It wasn't just the situation, it was the timing as well. He normally wouldn't have thought twice about going to New York, but right now, there was Asher to consider. He couldn't bloody well leave it behind, but what if the thing decided to grow while on the plane? But being angry at the man now would be a waste of time. Perhaps when he got his hands on him...
The Earl ran his hand through his brown hair as he sighed. When he got his hands on the man, the man would go straight to prison. Damn, but he hated his title sometimes.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. What were the chances that the orb would decide to grow into a child during the few hours they would be in the air? And even if it did - though Damien truly doubted it - they would be traveling by private jet. The worst that could happen would be if... the pilot had a heart attack. Great.
Dismissing the risk as very minimal, Damien called his secretary, informing her of his plans to travel within the next few days. It was probably best to get the entire situation sorted as soon as possible, and he would be heading there once he'd tied up a few loose ends here.
"So, Asher, looks like you'll get to travel even before you're born. I wonder if that will affect how you come out, hmm?"
"So when the cat has got your tongue, there’s no need for dismay.~"
He stared at Asher with a raised brow before giving one of his rare one-sided grins. "I take it that means you don't know either? Well, I personally think that you're likely to come out of there with quite enough of a bang, so let's both hope that nothing major happens to you."
The words reflected Damien's uncertainty about the orb. While indeed, he had gotten quite attached to it, he wasn't quite sure what the next stage would be like. The thought made him rather nervous, as he didn't know what to expect. What if the child was deformed? He was sure he wouldn't love it any less, but it would make things more difficult, wouldn't it?
A faint beep alerted him to a new email, and dragged him out of his depressing thoughts. It looked like it was his teenage correspondent again, though this time she seemed to be practicing her new found language skills instead of proper writing forms...
To Kaydence Dreama
Dear Ms. Dreama,
As I don't know a single word of the Korean language, I must assume that "Annyong haseo" is a greeting of sorts. What exactly does the suffix "shi" mean?
The email responses are relatively quick as I am currently in my study, working. I assure you, if I could only make the pile of papers on my desk dissappear, then you would have to wait more than an hour or two between emails. You are in New York City? Interesting - it appears that Rethe Phonne is truly everywhere. Asher and I are actually residing in London, England.
Perhaps it is only determined upon the birth moment? Though honestly, speculation at this point would not get us very far. Suffice to say that they are born, looking the way they are. Considering that none of the images of born Songs look completely like humans do, it is probably reasonable to say that their genetic make-up would be quite different from our own. Asher still won't tell me its gender, so I am left to believe that it is either enjoying its little game, or unsure itself.
"Orby"? I suppose that is an... appropriate nickname, though it had never occurred to me to assign the orb such a name.
How did you meet this Caspian? Randomly, like us, or through some other channels? I do travel quite a bit, and once Asher grows I would love for her to be able to meet other Songs - especially knowing that there are others.
How are your Korean studies going? Other than being in need of a tutor - unfortunately I have never had any interest in learning the language, despite knowing several others, so I can be of very little help to you there. There are language-learning courses, and even audio books that may help you with pronunciation if you wish to learn by yourself. Of course, if Asher does manage to learn Korean before you, then it can help you along... Perhaps in preparation I will leave a couple of Korean language books lying around and see if the orb floats over to them?
Give my greetings to your father - It seems rude to be talking to someone as young as you seem to be without letting your guardian know.
I hope to hear from you again soon,
Damien Veredi
"f you say it softly, the effect can be hypnocious."
"Indeed." Damien responded abstractedly, his mind still on the email he'd just sent. Perhaps he was just getting used to to the way Kaydence wrote her emails, but her sparky attitude and terrible writing was no longer quite as irritating as it had been at the beginning. And he was finding that his own attitude was no longer quite as formal... had he joked several times? How odd..
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:19 pm
When you’re looking for the truth on the cover of a magazine,
Kaydence bobbed her head to her music, the tiny white buds placed in her ear. Dae had been left with Abigail for the morning. He was sleeping and there wasn’t a chance in hell the teenager was going to wake him when he was finally starting to get into a regular sleeping pattern. No, she’d leave him with the maid while she ran a quick errand.
As it was, she was sitting on the city bus, her music blaring through her ears, waiting for the stop at the campus. She needed to pick up a book written by her new professor--as well as maybe sneak in a quick second tour of the campus, while she was baby free for the morning.
How does it feel when you find out what you’re not going to be?
Her fingers drummed on her knee to the beat as she scanned the bus. Next to her sat a large woman who was reading some trashy romance novel. If she peered over enough, she could make out the raunchy text, but it didn’t hold her attention enough to do that. Across from her sat an interesting man. In maybe his forties, fumbling with the rim of his hat, looking rather skittish.
Kaydence secretly hoped he wasn’t some spazz gun man that was going to pull the bus over. …Or if he did, hoped it would be after she got off. Dying wasn’t exactly on her To-do list for the day.
They give you your imagine, and the things you believe
The bus rolled to a stop and with a slight grin of victory, the teenager realized it was her own. No death by possible psycho men for her this bus ride! Pulling an ear bud out of her left ear, but leaving the right in, the girl grabbed her bag by her feet before awkwardly mumbled some polite form of ‘excuse me,’ to the larger woman. Who didn’t really move much besides shifting her legs to the side.
Biting the desire to make a rather scathing comment back, she shimmed through the tiny space before skipping to the front of the bus. She made extra sure, however, to smile the nervously fidgeting man before leaping down the steps of the bus, listening to the doors slide shut behind her. Spinning a shoulder strap around her back, she made her way down the side walk, the bag half hanging off.
Open your eyes, tell me; what did you see?
The walk to the campus was short, as the bus dropped her off practically right on top of it. So she managed to slip into the building without much hassle, and after pausing her ipod and shoving it deeply into her pocket, she made her way to purchase the desired textbook.
Even though she thought Dae had been an ample example of just how responsible she was, she knew even a Tony-Hawk girl should go to college. Even if just to say that she actually went. And she had a feeling that saying she went would work better when she struggled with Dae in future years, would help prove her case, too. Not that she was thinking that far in time. Because that meant she’d be getting old. And Kaydence Dreama was never growing old.
The actual process of buying her book took a bit longer than getting into the college, but even that hadn’t taken much time, and she was left to roam around the buildings, taking in the surroundings she’d be used to in 2 weeks time. Really, where had summer gone?
It was as she was passing the library, she had the passing thought to check her email. It’d been awhile since she’d even checked to see if her old-man pen pal had written her. Now seemed as good a time as any to do so.
With that thought in mind, she slid into a near by empty computer and quickly checked her email. Sure enough, there’d been a message from her buddy.
His lack of knowledge, when it came to Korean, made her giggle. Not because the idea of anyone not knowing the language was funny, but because, really, she didn’t have much of a clue, either. Especially from a--woah, an English man? If he wasn’t so old, that’d be totally hot.
Okay, ew, ew, Kaydence. Old men and hot did not belong in the same sentence together, she chided herself softly before quickly skimming the rest of the email and clicking reply. Because, really, he was an interesting penpal to have, and she almost regretted not having responded sooner to him.To Damien. 8/13/09--10:15 AM NYC Annyong, Veredi -Shi! I’m sorry for the late reply. I met a friend at a Tavern, and you’ll never believe what else I met there, but that’s a story for later in the email, I assure you. Annyong is a greeting, you’re right, and the suffix shi is like a “Mr!” from what I read, anyways, haha. Maybe you should try practicing, too? Just kidding of course. I’m sorry to hear you have so much work you have to do. Piles of paper work sound less then fun, that’s for sure. Maybe you should get a more fun job? Like…Sky diving? I bet that would be an interesting occupation. No paperwork following that, right? Hahaha, but I joke. ..Again. Oopsy. England, though? Wow! That’s very neat! I actually haven’t been to London before, but I’ve always wanted to. Then again, what female doesn’t, right? Is it as nice a place to live as to visit? Some places aren’t. Some people say New York’s that way, but I find myself quiet fond of the city, haha. I bet Asher’s just really cheeky and likes messing with you. That’s why it wont tell you it’s name. Isn’t that right, Ash? Ah, now we get to the point about Caspian. Caspian is a cat boy, I’ve discovered comes from the song “Everybody Wants to Be A Cat”. We actually met, by chance, at the library, but I had talked to her before hand on face book. Small world, right? Well, we got along. Kindred spirits and all that jazz and picked up a few books together. Mara, his mother, actually invited me to a tavern the day of our last email. Get this, we get there together, right? And there’s this purple thing behind the bar! So we go and check it out, and sure enough, it’s another kid! Another kid like Dae, Asher, and Caspian! Messed up, right?! So there’s three of us, in one city!! I think showing Asher around would be a great idea when it’s born. For both of you. It’s nice having people to talk to about the experience, and Dae seems to get along…kind of well…with Caspian. More so with Ivy, the other girl. Haha! Yes, please put books in front of little Asher! Maybe it’ll come out knowing the language and can help us both. It’d be a great relief! I’ll be sure to tell daddy hi for you! Until next time! Kaydence.
And I just think you thought it surreal…
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:32 am
Finalizing the plans for the next day was turning out to take a lot more time and effort than he'd initially realized. Susan had booked the chartered flight as requested, within minutes, in fact. But the issue of Asher had come up almost immediately. How did one register an orb as a passenger? And did Damien even need to go to such lengths? Perhaps he could pass off the orb as merely decoration and leave it at that, but the thought of doing so disturbed him. Asher was a living being that deserved to be acknowledged as such.
So while originally they had been planning to leave today, the flight had been rescheduled for tomorrow while the paperwork was finalized. And Damien would then officially be the guardian for one Asher Veredi, gender unknown.
Damien sighed as he finished the last forkful of mashed potatoes, coming out of his reverie in time to thank his butler as the plate was removed discreetly. Dinner at home was always a relatively relaxing thing for the Earl, as he could do it in solitude and the restful silence gave him time to think. At the moment, he was attempting to find the best way to approach the entire situation in NYC. His contact had a few leads, and he would have to speak with the police, but more important than getting his hands on the man was to ensure the stability of the Foundation.
Perhaps while he was there, he would also be able to find time to meet with Kaydence? It occurred to him that he had suggested - though indirectly - that they meet, and he hadn't heard from the girl since.
The thought brought him to the study, where he opened the door softly to find Asher hovering over some of the books he'd purposely left out on the desk and coffee table. Since the orb was supposedly still a baby - in human terms, Damien wondered how much information Asher was really absorbing, but floating over the books seemed to offer the pink thing quite a bit of entertainment.
Out of habit, Damien greeted the orb as he passed it, and was answered by a cheerful "Um diddle um diddle um diddle ay", the response he usually got when the orb wasn't in the mood to really play.
Smiling a bit to himself, he settled his lean frame into the leather chair in front of his desk and moved the mouse, waking his computer up from its sleep mode. Checking his email, he found that indeed, the girl had responded. It seemed that each email of hers seemed to be more informal than the last, but the informality allowed more of her personality to seep through. This Kaydence appeared to be such a perky, optimistic person, in contrast to himself...
To Kaydence Dreama Ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo, Ms. Dreama!
It appears that your Korean language learning is affecting me somewhat - I felt almost compelled to return the greeting. Fortunately a quick google search taught me a few words. It never hurts to learn a new language, but I think that during this day and age perhaps learning Chinese would be a better choice. Although obviously, given that your Song seems to be speaking in Korean, there isn't much of an option for you there.
I must agree - paperwork is never fun. Though fortunately for me, I very rarely find it boring. The problems and information that comes to me is always different, and there is a lot of challenge involved. Actually, I have been sky diving before in various places around the world. Have you done it before? It is quite a thrill, to be soaring so high up in the air. Oddly enough, there's paperwork for that too - insurance, disclaimer forms and other such boring things. That type of paperwork I would much rather avoid.
Asher probably is just 'messing with me', as you put it. I wouldn't put it past doing so, it seems to enjoy doing the most unexpected things at strange times.
London is quite a city, if you can, you should definitely come for a visit. The city itself is quite marvelous - the center is filled with old, stately buildings and there is so much heritage preserved here. Not to mention the musicals are something one must see. I believe the latest one I watched was "Hairspray" - it was spectacular, to say the least. I could go on and on about England's charm, and London in particular, but it would take up much more than just one email.
"Everybody Wants to Be A Cat"? I believe I've heard that song in my childhood. Is it a Disney song? It is indeed a small world if you can meet someone else with a Song in the middle of a library, and at the tavern! But New York is a big place, perhaps there has been quite a few Songs sent there?
Speaking of New York, I will actually be traveling there tomorrow on business. It may seem strange, but I was wondering if you would perhaps like to meet up sometime? I would love to meet you and your Song in person, if only so that Asher can have some interaction with another of her kind. While the length of my stay hasn't been set in stone yet, I will be there for at least two weeks - maybe longer, if the business that must be dealt with takes more time than expected.
Books in front of Asher do seem to work. As I am writing this email, the orb seems to be absorbed in reading Romeo & Juliet. I have taken to leaving a variety of books around just in case, but it appears that the orb prefers fiction.. of sorts. Strange, isn't it?
In any case, I have some more preparations to do before the trip. Please let me know if you are interested in meeting!
Yours truly,
Damien Veredi
Email sent, Damien stood, stretching as he did so. Looking over, he saw that Asher was still floating over the book, and bid it a soft "goodnight" before stepping out of the room and heading to his own. He had yet to pack, and though that didn't take too much time, it needed to be done.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:36 am
Kaydence walked out of the bathroom, toweling her hair with both hands, stopping only went she felt eyes staring at her. It didn’t take long to realize it was the only other presence in the room. Dae-Hyun sat up on her bed, staring at her wide eyed. She cocked her head to the side for a moment before flinging the towel she was using to dry her hair on her bed. …And on top of the babies head.
Dae let out a strange squeaky note as he fisted the wet-blanket-thing in his hands and gave it a good tug. Why his mother lady insisted on throwing things on his head, he’d never know. But he’d quickly grown tired of it- especially when she did it just before they left the house. At least this time it hadn’t bothered his poor feathers.
The wet-blanket now sitting in his lap, he played with the odd piece of material, his tail flicking back and forth as he watched Kaydence run a brush through her hair. She’d used the same object on him every now and again, and it always felt pretty good. But not good enough to do it as long as she always seemed to do it for herself. She was a strange one, this mother of his.
“Crystal?” He asked, staring at her unblinking. What were they doing today? And did it involve buying more toys?
“Mm?” She responded, turning to look at her baby, almost really expecting him to continue talking in his own little way. When he didn’t, she turned back to the mirror in front of her. There. Showered, dressed, hair and teeth brushed-- she was ready for the day.
She walked over to the bed and dropped belly flopped onto it, peaking up at her son who reached a hand out and tapped her head gently twice. There, there. It’s okay, you big baby.
Grinning she sat up and crossed her legs, Indian style, and grabbed her remote off of her nightstand, flicking the TV on. There had to be some baby shows they could watch together, right? It was early morning. Disney or Nick had to have something. If not, she’d sue. Maybe. That seemed like a lot of work, really, but she had Paper-work Damien on her side. She bet he could help her win.
Fumbling with the On-TV guide for a few minutes, she eventually decided on Backyardigans. The hell was that? What happened to Sesame Street? Barney? Elmo? Even the Teletubbies sounded better. Where’s her Tigger and Pooh bear? As the Channel flipped on, she was greeted with the end credits of the show.
A frown marred her face. That’s fine, she didn’t want Back Yard monsters anyways for her son.
“ Ni Hao! I’m Kai-lan, I’m happy to see you. And I’m so glad you’re my friend!”
Dae turned to glance at his mother, confused by the strange singing thing on the flashing box. What was this? His mother-lady met his glance, offering a weak smile before looking back at the flashing box. …So what? She wanted him to watch this?
You’re my super special friend, I love it when you’re here!
Seriously?
The words sounded funny. He didn’t understand what the heck she was saying. It was about as undistinguishable as when Grabby thing talked. At least when Grabby thing talked, though, there weren’t strange things flashing on the box. He wasn’t entirely sure he liked this situation.
No, as a matter of fact, he didn’t like it. Not at all. His mouth gaped a bit as he turned back to his mother once more. Stop it, please? Just give him his cheerios for the morning!
“No good, huh, kid?” She asked with a sheepish grin, seeing the face he was making. Sighing, she turned off the TV, making a note to try again when he was older. Maybe it was too much for him right now? After all, this Kai-lan seemed to be an Asian version of Dora. It could probably help them in the future.
Picking up the babe, the teenager moved to her computer and sat in the chair, turning the machine on with her toe. It hummed to life and Dae went lax against her. Apparently, the boy was more comfortable with this electronic device than the TV. …Goody.
She could already see the problems this would cause in the future but ignored the thoughts, opting instead to open her email.
“Ah! Look, it’s Grandpa-Damien, Dae!” She cheered, opening the email, excited to read the older man’s message.
And she wasn’t let down. “Dae-Hyun! He’s coming out!” She squeaked, excited. Of course, he’d implied it in his last email, but this one was requesting that they meet! For Asher and Dae, she was certain, but the idea was still really exciting. “This could be so much fun! We can take him to the Circus with us, Ivy, and Caspian. Even the twins. Wouldn’t you like to see your friends again and make a new one?” And, to make the situation even better, he’d given her a way to pronounce what she couldn’t!
These words she was rambling off, he recognized them and quickly associated them with Lookalike, Grabbything. Twins came as a loss to him, but the thought of seeing Lookalike again was enough to have him grinning. He’d be able to protect her from Grabby again. That was fun last time.To Damien. 8/14/09--7:09 AM NYC Annyong, Veredi -Shi! Haha, I’m glad I’m infectious like that. Soon you’ll be babbling enough Korean to be able to speak to Dae-Hyun! But don’t pass me! That would be really embarrassing, me having already been trying to work on it a bit longer than you have, haha. I guess I’ve always just assumed that insurances, disclaimer forms, and ‘other such boring things’ were basically the jist of all paperwork. I never thought it wouldn’t be boring, haha. Though, on the topic of paperwork, I’d like to propose a partnership of sorts. I tried to watch good old kid-shows with Dae this morning, but all the Winnie the Poohs and Sesame streets were gone! This is so wrong! We should sue, and fix this problem. I’ll do all the talking in court, you do the paper work. It’d be a great team. Woah! You’ve really sky dived? More than once? That, I must say, is pretty wicked! I haven’t before. But I want too. I’m a bit of a skater-girl, but extreme sports is where it’s at!! I never put any serious thoughts to visiting London. I mean, not past what every girl does. But now that I have a friend out there in England, I might just have to take you up on that suggestion. I bet the old buildings are very pretty, and I’ve heard of Hairspray. Though I doubt you mean the version with Zac Effron. Haha, I wonder how that is, live? I bet pretty good, right? Everybody wants to be a cat is, in fact, a Disney song. From the movie Aristocats. And then Ivy, the other child, is from a song called Dry?- it’s Japanese, but I’ve yet to look it up on Youtube. I keep forgetting. But maybe the logic that NYC is pretty populated was Rethe’s logic, too, I agree. …Do you think there’s lots of kids in Paris, then? Maybe? I’d love to meet up with you and Asher! Me and Dae both would! There’s actually a Circus in town, at the moment, and- get this!!- one of the clowns has a pair of twins, just like Dae and Asher. Caspian and Ivy are also going, I should point out. You’d be able to meet a bunch of them at once. The other parents are older than me, so you might connect better with them---but you better not stop emailing me, just cause you meet some new friends!! Maybe we can also get coffee or Jamba juice or something, just the four of us. So Dae and Asher orb can meet without the distractions of the other children? We’ll have to plan something, for sure! Haha, it’s funny that it likes to read- and it’s not even born yet! I wonder if I can push Dae in that direction. Maybe Asher can peer pressure him, for me? Haha. Email as soon as possible, kay?! Kaydence 1
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:15 am
Fortunately for him, the paperwork he'd requested had arrived this morning at 9AM sharp, fifteen minutes before Asher and himself had been due to leave, allowing them to be on their way with a little spare time. Not that they had been in a hurry, as everyone had been quite ready and prepared to leave by six in the bloody morning.
Damien couldn't resist throwing a glare at the padded pouch that sat on top of his luggage, as they stood in the foyer of his manor-house waiting for the driver to bring the car around. Even though the orb was tightly packed into the pouch and obviously couldn't see, it made Damien feel a little bit better. His entire household was quite disgruntled - and the atmosphere was, to say the very least, unpleasant - at being woken up so early when there was no need for it. No need, that is, except for one bright pink orb that had decided to sing as loud as it possibly could at five ante meridiem, along with the sunrise.
"Ahem." Benjamin's discreet cough signaled their readiness to leave, and Damien grimaced.
"Thank you, Ben." He paused before passing by the man, who appeared partially torn between wanting the Earl (and the orb that was his responsibility) to leave, and worrying about that the very same Earl's safety and care while abroad. "We'll be fine. Just think, you'll have a brief respite from having to wake up so darned early, and I'll have a permanent alarm clock!"
The attempt at humor seemed to work, as his butler smiled in return. "Very well, sir. Please inform us when you are to return. I hope your trip goes as planned."
Damien couldn't be sure, but as he entered the car, he was convinced that Ben's last comment was directed more towards Asher than anything else.
"When trying to express oneself, it’s frankly quite absurd..."
The luggage had gone into the trunk, but the pouch - and Asher - was seated beside him. Thankfully, the pouch muffled the sounds somewhat, but Damien realized he'd have to deal with the overexcited pink ball sooner or later. Reaching over, he carefully placed the bundle in his lap before taking out the orb with both hands.
Immediately, the singing increased in volume.
"You need to find a way to say precisely what you mean."
He could feel his eardrums vibrating in his head. Wincing, Damien tried, with little success, to dampen the noise by holding Asher a little further away. But the car was a confined space, and there was only so much distance he could put between his now-sensitive ears and the loudly singing orb.
"Hush, Asher, please!" The last word sounded almost suspiciously like a plea.
Amazingly, the orb calmed. "Thank god..." came the muttered comment from his relieved driver. Avery was stoic enough to drive through blizzards and indecent car behavior, but evidently a loudly screeching orb was just too much for him. Damien could only nod in response, still a little too overwhelmed by the ringing in his ears to speak.
A few minutes later, his composure back in place, Damien sighed. The orb had quieted down, alright, but it was still singing repetitively, and it was beginning to fray the edges of his temper. Considering he was going to be stuck with the thing for hours while they were on the plane, he tried another tactic.
"Listen, Asher. How about you stay silent for a while, and we can check my email together? Perhaps Kaydence Dreama has responded."
To Kaydence Dreama
Ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo, Ms. Dreama!
They say that the younger one is, the easier it is to learn a new language. With that in mind, I believe it would be highly unlikely for me to be able to keep up with you, let alone surpass you. Besides, Asher could be the one you have to worry about, right?
Fortunately for me, and those in my profession, paperwork does not always comprise solely of insurances, disclaimer forms, and the like. It is challenging to find useful information amongst it all, and to use it in order to make a profit, or even to help others. Your partnership proposal sounds fascinating… and could even work, however I am no lawyer, and would have no clue how to start such a proceeding. Besides, I believe you could always rent the shows for your child? I must agree that these new programmes I find on TV are not quite as educational as the ones from when I was a child.
Indeed, skydiving is “pretty wicked”. Did you imagine me to be such a boring person? I enjoy watching skateboarding as well, in fact. Though it was never much to my tastes, and in fact I was discouraged from ever being interested in the sport. Do you do it often? There must be quite a few skate parks in New York.
Should you ever come to London, you and Dae are quite welcome to stay with us - my home is big enough to hold quite a few people. Obviously, though, that would be something to discuss if you ever did decide to come. The live version is quite excellent. I am also looking forward to bringing Asher, once it is born. Seeing as it is a song-based Song, perhaps it would enjoy the musicals?
Following the logic that Rethe Phonne has perhaps sent the orbs to the most densely populated cities in the world, then yes, I would assume that there would be some Songs to be found in Paris. Perhaps in some of the bigger cities in Asia as well, but that is a bit further away. It brings up an idea, though. Perhaps I should consider paying an investigator or two to look into where Songs can be found.
A circus? That sounds quite fun. Of course I would be interested in going. When will it be, exactly? Meeting others will be good, I think, for both Asher and myself. I’ll be staying at the Trump International Hotel while I’m in New York – I believe there is a mall directly opposite. We could meet there, perhaps, just the four of us?
Don’t be silly – I would not stop emailing you, even if I met other Songs and their guardians. Besides, Asher has begun to look forward to our sporadic email conversations. Let me know when you will be free anytime in the next week or so, and we’ll see what fits into my schedule!
I suspect that the next time I write to you will be from New York.
Yours truly,
Damien Veredi
He hadn’t quite been able to bring himself to write that he enjoyed receiving emails from Ms. Dreama – though it was true, her informality still bothered him at times. Plus he felt guilty – admitting such a thing was a far cry from his initial reaction to the girl. But this was good enough, he thought. He would be able to meet her, face to face. And then he could judge the real person, rather than just words on the screen.
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