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Post by Trent Frey on Aug 24, 2014 15:04:42 GMT -5
When they reached the wand shop, Lyric stopped and lifted Reprise into his arms. It took a few breaths to get comfortable enough with the contact to talk, but he managed. "You still want that wand, right?" he asked her.
Reprise nodded, the corners of her lips fighting the smile that had hovered all morning and failing beautifully.
"I'm going to tell you what'll happen, then give you one more chance to back out, get it?"
Reprise nodded and made an A-OK sign she'd picked up somewhere.
"We're both going to have to talk to the wandmaker to get you a wand. Do you get that?"
Reprise's smile disappeared.
"You think he's just going to take my word that you're an evil genius and hand one over? No, and even if he does, you'll have to say thank you at the end. No choice. Move your mouth, you don't have to say it out loud, but show me."
Reprise gave a little glare, but after a moment moved her mouth in a silent thank you. Lyric nodded his approval.
"You'll have to say it so he can hear it, but don't worry, if anyone gives you trouble about talking, they'll get my wand in their face. Understand?"
Reprise stared into her dad's eyes, as though judgng the truth of his words. All she saw was determination, and she echoed it in a sharp nod.
"All right. Do you want to walk, or do you want me to carry you in?" He knew she got edgy around strangers, he felt the same way, but she also had an independent streak. She thought, then caught at his shirt collar, making her decision. Lyric looked aside at Keith. Got anything to add?
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Post by Keith Evans on Aug 25, 2014 20:39:41 GMT -5
Keith didn't have much to add, but he spoke anyway. "You have to take care of it, and I'd really appreciate more talking at home now." He wouldn't try to make her talk in public, but at home some verbal communication would be nice. He would miss their silent, one-sided talks, but he doubted she would turn into a chatterbox, anyway.
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Post by Trent Frey on Sept 18, 2014 0:08:31 GMT -5
Lyric could feel Reprise tense up, and as much as he'd wanted to push her for pushing this, he didn't want her to break. He knew stress triggers, and he hadn't made her talk sooner because he'd gotten a feeling about it. She was cautious when it came to touching him, and he was cautious when it came to initiating communication with her, however unconscious some of that was.
"Remember, if anyone has a problem with you talking, they've got a problem with me and Keith," he told Reprise. "You've got to show you're smart enough to have a wand, and I think you are, you've got to say thank you, and we'll talk about talking more when we get home."
He didn't know if this would work, but it was worth looking into. He glanced at Keith, then led the way in, Reprise clinging to him.
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Post by Donovan Ra on Dec 21, 2014 15:53:05 GMT -5
Donovan looked up as the door opened and repressed a sigh. He'd hoped to head upstairs for more hands-on work soon, but it looked like that hope would have to wait a little. He smiled anyway, not even attempting to guess who was the customer this time. While the average was still eleven year olds, he was increasingly getting uncommon customers coming through his doors. "Welcome, how can I help you?"
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Post by Trent Frey on Dec 21, 2014 19:31:57 GMT -5
"I have a little problem," Lyric said. That problem's name was Reprise, and the child stiffened slightly against him. She'd thought he would simply walk in, demand a wand, and give her one. This was her dad, and he made things happen. Didn't he?
"My daughter is too smart for her own good, and I want to start training her with a wand. Do you make wands for kids?" He meant little kids, of course. Eleven year olds were more in the category of students or little a~holes.
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Post by Donovan Ra on Dec 21, 2014 19:49:14 GMT -5
Donovan's eyebrows arched as he looked at the little girl. "I make wands for people, age is irrelevant," he said. Not that he had ever sold a wand to such a young child. It was technically illegal for anyone under seventeen to use magic, but what business was it of the Ministry's if a parent wanted to teach a kid? "Of course, if she gets a wand this young, it may not work properly as she matures. Typically people have more established personalities and such by the time they seek a wand."
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Post by Trent Frey on Dec 21, 2014 20:04:50 GMT -5
Lyric nodded dismissively. He was familiar with wand changes. He moved on quickly. The man hadn't put up any kind of argument. He sold wands for people, he'd said, and that was exactly what Lyric wanted to hear.
He hiked Reprise a little higher on his hip and she shifted to make herself less uncomfortable against the thick belt he wore. She was desperate not to ruin things, and so she made no sound or face of displeasure at the man suggesting she didn't have a personality.
"Reprise, tell him what you would do with a wand," Lyric prompted.
Reprise's eyes widened, and she clung to her father's collar. She turned her head to plead silently, but he just looked back, unwavering. If you want the wand, do it, that gaze said. We had a deal.
It was when his muscles tensed in preparation to move, maybe even to leave the store, that one tiny hand pressed to Lyric's chest, just over his heart. She looked down at her hand and started out at a soft mumble.
"You can do it," Lyric prompted.
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Post by Keith Evans on Dec 21, 2014 20:21:21 GMT -5
Keith gave Reprise an encouraging look. "Go ahead," he said. She had to start talking at some point, and this was as good a time as any. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he waited. This was one of the odder things he'd done in his life, getting a four year old a wand, and talking was an odd thing for her, so he supposed it all evened out somehow.
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Post by Trent Frey on Dec 21, 2014 20:30:48 GMT -5
Reprise seemed to gather herself together. Her gaze remained on her hand, but when she spoke, it was audible this time, if shaky. It was a fragile sound, soft at the edges where lack of practice kept her from enunciating as firmly as an older child, and unsure despite the seemingly thought-out words.
"I want a wand to be strong like my dad and smart like Keith," she began. "I want to be safe, and I want to not be bored."
Lyric's brows drew together slightly. She'd been bored?
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Post by Donovan Ra on Dec 21, 2014 21:09:20 GMT -5
Donovan's eyebrows raised again briefly. "Well, I can't say how the wands will react to such a young child, but we can give it a go," he said. "I do need to get her measurements." A flick of his own wand brought out a tape measure, which hovered in anticipation to be allowed near its target."Is she left or right handed?"
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Post by Trent Frey on Dec 21, 2014 21:24:26 GMT -5
"Right," Lyric said, at the same time Reprise said both. Lyric had certainly never seen Reprise write, so it had been a guess, but he hadn't expected any kind of verbal contradiction. He eyed her, even as she kept her gaze low. She continued to hold his collar with her left hand and extended her right. What else had his toddler-sized daughter been hiding?
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Post by Donovan Ra on Dec 21, 2014 21:28:55 GMT -5
"The measure can get her measurements better if she's standing on her own," Donovan said. "The more measurements, the quicker we'll find the wand." He started jotting down notes in his ledger before he tape even started working. Had there ever been any research done into matching wands to very young people? Perhaps it would be a worthy area of study.
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Post by Trent Frey on Dec 21, 2014 21:38:48 GMT -5
Lyric peeled Reprise off of him and set her on the floor. She was extremely nervous now and stationed herself in the exact center between Lyric and Keith before extending both arms in front of her. For all her excitement about magic, and the thought of being able to use a wand herself, she was stretched to the breaking point. She was in a strange place with a strange man and a floating measuring tape, being forced to talk out loud.
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Post by Donovan Ra on Dec 21, 2014 21:43:01 GMT -5
Donovan eyed the girl for a moment as the measure went to work. "Don't worry, lass, it only takes a minute or two," he said. Proving him right, the tape was finished soon, and then it coiled into a tight disk on his desk. "I'll be back in a moment, being ambidextrous helps narrow things down quite a bit." He turned and disappeared into the stacks, turning the information he had gathered so far over in his mind.
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Post by Trent Frey on Dec 21, 2014 21:50:15 GMT -5
"Good job," Lyric said briefly. Reprise reached her arms up and flexed her fingers hopefully, but her father looked to Keith instead. He was worn thin on physical contact for now, and didn't know why Reprise would choose him over Keith anyway. He was high-stress to begin with, and adding on hers wouldn't help.
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