Welcome to Gaia! ::

A dark head peeked out of the cafeteria, followed by the rest of his body as he noticed the visitors were the from the Delaran household. Aphismet had made a call earlier asking for shelter, Kyou couldn't turn them down, since he is Rivener's guardian after all. All Raevans and their guardians are family.

"Aphismet!" Kyou greeted the white haired man as he jogged lightly into the lobby, his dark argyle vest smelled faintly of pie crust. "I was just baking an apple pie in the cafeteria, to welcome you."

Another figure appeared from beyond the cafeteria, one without legs, as Lazarus floated into the lobby area, noticing Rivener. And to put it bluntly, the scorpion Raevan looked pretty bad, all the energy that the Sigel normally possessed, all seeped out of him. Somehow he had a feeling this had something to do with the incident at the beach, but of course there was the flooding, their house falling apart and probably Zave's probable death. "How are you holding up?" He asked softly, making sure that only Rivener heard his question.

"You could use most of the bedrooms upstairs, the master bedroom, which is the first door on the right. The guestroom is the door right opposite of it. And there are some couches in the living room if there are not enough beds." Kyou explained to Aphismet as he took one of his suitcases. "I'll be sleeping downstairs for the mean time, don't worry about me. Where is Isi and Eiry, and Alex too?" Last he knew, Alex was living with Aphismet.

"Oh stay as long as you like, the rooms are empty anyway. It's just me and Lazarus in this entire building, we don't take up that much space." Kyou chuckled as he lugged Aphismet's suitcase through the corridor, with the Sigels following behind them. The fragrant smell of the baking apple pie wafted into the hallway as they passed the cafeteria. "The kitchen is through here. And the freezer behind the kitchen for storage and such." The dark haired man took the chance to give them a short tour, to get used to their temporary home. He was thankful that they stocked up a bit before the storm for the beach party, and coincidentally they got a little too much, plus there was the leftovers from the event itself as well. So it should be just enough to last them a couple of days until the storm subside. The storm makes it difficult to go to the store to restock, furthermore he doubt a lot of stores are actually open in this weather.

"The rooms are up this staircase." The scientist explained as he turn around a corner. With some difficulty he lugged the heavy suitcase up the stairs.

Lazarus had expected that reply from Rivener. Maybe now is not the time to discuss about that, but hopefully someday, somehow, Rivener would tell him what was on his mind. "I'm always here to listen if you need someone to talk to." He said quietly as he took up one of the boxes.

And when the scorpion suggested about sharing the room with the him, he was actually glad. "Yeah, Rivener could share with me. My bed is big enough to fit the both of us." Plus, he doesn't use up a lot of space when he sleep anyway, he's not one to move a lot in his sleep due to certain reasons. Hopefully if Rivener stayed with him, he will open up eventually, it's not good to keep everything holed up like that. Being someone with first hand experience, the incubus knows best. And even if the scorpion still does not want to share, perhaps they could do some fun things together to distract him from his misery for a bit.

"Dinner... sounds wonderful." Kyou spoke in between breaths as he lugged the suitcase up the stairs. If his memory serves him well, Aphismet is a cook. That would mean that his cooking might be much better than his. He found himself looking forward to dinner suddenly. "The kitchen is all your's. Feel free to... use it whenever you like." Despite his slight struggles, he tries to sound as cheerful as possible to the chef. The gentle nudge from the other man was indeed very helpful. Finally reaching the top landing, he set down the suitcase for a short break, gasping lightly for air. The scientist suddenly felt really out of shape, maybe he should do some exercise that strengthens the arm muscles, the threadmill is simply not enough.

"The rooms are this way." He said as he motioned towards a corridor leading away from the small hallway they are in. "The door at the other end leads to a balcony outside, we have a mini greenhouse there too." One of the dark haired man's newfound hobby was growing various herbs. Apparently, some of the herb's are great for the skin, he had brewed some of the leaves into bath water and bathed in them before.

Turning the corner and into the long corridor, he leads Aphismet and Rivener to their rooms. "There is a living room at the end of the hallway, there's a TV there and some couches that you could nap, or sleep in, if you decided not to share." He did not overheard Lazarus's and Rivener's conversation, merely just providing options as he spoke. Stopping in front of the first door on their right, he opened the door and placed the suitcase in the room beyond. "This is where you will sleep." The room had an old, earthy tone to it, smelling faintly of sandalwood from a burnt scented candle nearby. A big queen size four poster bed with wooden bed frames sat in the middle, matched with pillows and comforters in various shade of browns. Sunlight lit the room gracefully through the vintage curtains. Kyou does have a special liking for antique or vintage decorations. This room is his pride and joy, having handpicked every piece of furniture and decorations on his own. His connecting bedroom with his office wasn't too bad too though.

Rivener's statement caught Lazaris by surprise, he could only stare at the scorpion with an expression of disbelief, with one of his eyebrows raised. Rivener was the one who came up with the idea of sharing with him in the first place, and now he wanted to sleep alone instead? What brought about this sudden change? Frowning at the other Sigel quietly, he could sense that this had something to do with his problems as well, not wanting to sleep with him.

As they ascended the stairs, he tried to provoke Rivener a little. "You know, Zul comes by once every week for boxing practice." He wasn't entirely sure if the other's worries were concerning the baphomet, but he had a gut feeling it was. So maybe some provoking would make Rivener spill out some of the stuff that he is not telling the incubus. "There is a gym on the last door on the left there." He pointed towards the door nearly at the end of the long corridor. "We have a small boxing ring in there and a punching bag as well." Crimson eyes falling onto Rivener, he looked closely at his expression for any signs. "Although, Zul probably wouldn't come for practice in this weather."

As if to interrupt the smooth goings-on in the Lab, Isikoro and Eiry arrived through the sliding glass doors of the Lab's front. The rain outside had started up again on their slow taxi's drive to Gambino, and the instant the littlest bit of precipitation showed itself on the windshields of wary and daring drivers, people became stupid and too cautious for their own good. This ended up clogging up the roads as fearful people crawled along the pavement as if expecting to be the victim of a flash flood at any given moment. This did little to help Isikoro's already floundering mood.

Eiry, on the other hand, was more or less apathetic to the rain until they parked the taxi in front of the Lab and he realized he couldn't get away with being intangible, not when he had to help Isi carry their meager bags and belongings into the building before they were thoroughly soaked through by the increasing rain. It was just several yards to shelter, but the droplets were relentless in thinking that every individual drop had to have the water equivalent to a bucket full. Planning his strategic route to the doorway, Eiry hoisted as much baggage as his thin arms could carry and rushed, head ducked and fiery wings spluttering against the patter of the rain, to the Lab's entrance.

Isi moved less quickly, but then again, he had one hell of a riddle to solve when it came to managing his crutches, his baggage, and a heavy backpack that was filled with Eiry's heavy books. He slipped the backpack over his shoulders, and then, with a frown that touched the bottom of his chin, he lifted up and stepped out of the taxi and into a deep puddle of water piled up in the gutter of the street. The sickly brown water filled his shoes more quickly than he could react to step up onto the curve, and with a push of his crutches, he forced himself to stand.

Behind him, the taxi driver looked on with a worried flinch, "Do you need help, sir?" he asked.

Isikoro shot him a glare over his shoulder that could have very well put him into paralysis. "Touch me and that money you just earned for carting our sorry asses over here will be put to covering your medical bills," he growled. Turning away, he focused on balancing himself with the last of the two bags held awkwardly over his wrists as he fought to hold onto his crutches. He was able to hobble away from the door, kick it closed with his now sopping wet shoe, and move a few precarious steps forward before he dropped a bag onto the wet cement and then busied himself with trying to pick it back up again. The action only prompted him to lose his balance, drop the other bag, and fall onto his knees.

Eiry had just deposited the bags he carried onto the floor inside the Lab when he turned around to find Isikoro upon his knees on the sidewalk leading up to the doorway. Sucking in his breath, a surprised gasp, he threw himself intangible into the glass doorways and rushed to Isi's aid. His wings protested the wetness with another hiss and cackle as he slipped back into intangibility to put his arms around Isikoro's shoulder and force him up back onto his feet. He raised his wings over his guardian, a poor and pitiful attempt to shelter him, as he ducked and picked up the dropped baggage. His ethereal wings did nothing more to cover Isi than make noise as the water dripped and burned their way through them. But perhaps Isi appreciated the motion?

"Hurryquick and totterstraight, Isikoro, you're drowning where you stand," he said, his voice drained of its usual lilt and flutter.

"Shut up, Eiry, I know that," Isikoro snapped. With his burden substantially lifted, he was able to stand and move with his crutches one more, and move he did. "Get the bags inside before they soak through."

With a sag of the corners of his mouth, Eiry nodded wordlessly and moved inside, leaving Isikoro to follow in the rain.

They were in the building moments afterward, the little ding of the door alarming those in the building that people had just entered in. Isikoro, stepping in with a wet sop and glop of his shoes, threw his crutches to the side with a clatter. He was wet, he was unhappy, and he was going to try and remain as quiet as possible lest he burst. So, with his eyes hidden by his wet bangs, he began taking off his thoroughly soaked jacket while Eiry, also dripping wet, tried his best to keep the wet baggage from getting on the carpet.

Looking up, his brows furrowed at the overly empty room before them, Eiry gulped back the stickiness in his throat and ekked out a miserable. "Hello?"

Aphismet glanced down the hallway at the telltale bing, indeed wondering if that was Isikoro finally getting to the Lab. His cab had been rather late... Kyou mentioned the room opposite would be Isi's, and Aphismet smiled in appreciation. "Yeah, being close is going to be important for a while, I think. Thanks, Dr. Kyou."

Aphi followed after Kyou after throwing Rivener a final glance, leaving it up to the moody Scorpion whether or not he would help.

Rivener sighed at everyone's actions. He was doing his best to behave properly but he must be doing it wrong. Everyone was walking on damned eggshells around him. Even Aphismet didn't ask for his help with Isi's things, when Rivener knew very well the handicapped young man would need the assistance. He'd also understood Lazarus' quiet offer of the gym, hoping to get Rivener to let loose a little, hopefully feel better after he'd gotten to punch something. ...But Rivener punched things and beat s**t up every day at work, so that certainly wasn't the problem. Though he'd not be admitting this to the Fire Sigel, of course.

With another sigh, Riv dropped the box of things he was holding near Aphismet's room. "I'll go help," Riv declared, thinking Laz was going to stay up here since he hadn't moved to follow Aphi yet. He'd not thought for a moment Laz had stayed because he didn't want to leave Riv alone.

Aphismet reached the lobby not long before Rivener and Lazarus, the chef gasping to find his brother soaking wet with bags dangling from every limb, prosthetic, and ghostly assistant. "Isikoro!" Aphismet wailed sympathetically, hurrying forward to help his brother by taking some of the baggage. "You should have let Eiry make two or three trips to the cab for all these, you didn't have to bring them in all at once! This must have been so awkward for you! Kyou, I'm sorry to ask, but would you have a towel or two?" Aphismet wasn't sure if Eiry needed towels to dry or if he could pull off some weird ghost-technique to dry himself, but he mentioned it anyway.

Rivener wordlessly set to the task of picking up bags and suitcases, turning to bring them upstairs. He didn't see the need for conversation about it, so he stayed quiet.

Both Isi and Eiry looked like puppies left out in the rain. Although, at least Eiry didn't look as miserable as Isi, he was trying his best to smile, as if trying to mellow out the negative atmosphere somewhat. "I'll go get the towels." It didn't even cross his mind that perhaps Eiry could phase out of his wetness, he just thought that they would probably feel better being dry, wrapped up in warm blankets and having some hot chocolate. Oh yes, he could make some hot chocolate for everyone later. Trotting off swiftly, he headed back to the bathroom in the laboratory area to get some clean towels.

Lazarus had followed Rivener downstairs quietly as well. Realizing that the scorpion didn't feel like talking, he kept his mouth shut throughout the short journey. Moving over, he picked up the backpack that was filled with Eiry's books. It was soaking wet, dripping rain water onto the carpet floor as he lifted it up. Damn, he will need to dry that later. "What's in this?" He turned to ask Eiry curiously as he shook the bag gently a few times, as if trying to make the items inside move. They should probably empty the contents and lay them out somewhere to be dried, as the backpack doesn't look waterproof.

The dark haired scientist returned a few moments later with two large beige colored towels in his arms. Panting softly, he handed one to Aphismet and one to Eiry. "Dry yourselves, and probably you should take a warm shower upstairs as well. There are two bathrooms, one adjacent to the master bedroom and one connected to Lazarus's room." He said, describing the layout more to Aphismet, trusting him to bring the wet guests to their destinations. "I'll serve the apple pie and make some traditional hot chocolate to warm everyone up in this miserable weather. How does that sound?"

With the halfhearted thrust of his arm, he handed off his wet coat to Aphismet. Frankly, he didn't care for the tsk of disapproval he got from Aphismet. He never cared about his language in front of other people and he wasn't going to start caring now, especially after his bad day. He didn't say or move much as his big brother put the towel around his head and started rubbing his hair dry. He just focused his best on staying standing without his crutches. In the end he had to reach forward and curl his fingers into Aphismet's sleeves just long enough to hold himself up for the rest of the drying process. He nodded his head lamely towards all the suggestions.

"Sure...Sure...Yeah, okay, I get it, heart warming stuff and all that. Thanks Aphi," he nodded weakly, the last of his shivers playing out in his shoulders. He glanced over to Dr. Kyou, nodding as appreciatively as he possibly could, "Thanks, Doc. This is a lot better than the hotel."

Shivering, the ghost raevan plucked a towel from Kyou's arms, thanking him with a bow of his head, "Much appreciated," he chattered, trying to pull his lips into a grin as he wrapped the warm towel around his shoulders. He tried to dry himself off as best he could, his wings spluttering as they phased through the towel. Knitting his brows together, the minty sigel sadly nodded his head towards Lazarus, who had picked up his wet backpack.

"My tomes, my precious tomes," he confirmed, his played up happiness immediately wearing away. He followed after the other raevans as they headed up the stairs, "All drowned in rain my collection is, only those I could save, but even they are victims to the rain. Can you save them, Lazarus? Can you?" Perhaps with his powers he could help save his books? But that was a gamble....They might very well get destroyed too...He hurried along so he could follow Riv. "Rivener, I missed you. Together we've been, but you've been so distant...We have a room? Do we?"