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 Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:17 pm
Who: Vivi, Shepard, Delia, Ebony
Where: Gambino Boardwalk
When: Late morning, around 11
Weather: Salty breeze and sunny, a little warm out of the shade.
"Oh!" said Vivi LaCelle, pausing.
She tucked her hair behind one ear and held up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she peered rather intently through a shop window. Beside her, Shepard Ryan turned a sickly shade of grey. It was just a syllable, but it made her companion's blood run cold in his veins.
It was late morning, and by all accounts a nice one -- it was both Vivi and Shepard's day off, a miracle the likes of which these days was rarely seen, and they had spent it so far waking up late, deciding to rather leisurely go visit ex-circus buddies, and dawdling over where and with whom to eat lunch. Shepard had felt well-rested and spry, and had even been up to a spot of conversation about Raevans when this had to go and happen.
Shoes, glorious shoes, all but twinkled smarmily at Vivi from behind the shop's blasted pane of glass. Bright red signs telling of sales and percentages stood proudly beside the wares, making them even more attractive than before. Heels stood alluringly beside rows of sensible but adorable ballet flats; tooled leather and stacked wooden stilettos and peep-toes -- oh, my! Shepard held his breath and shifted his weight and tried unhappily to think positively.
It was moments like these that recalled to the Aussie's mind his first astrophysics class in university -- in particular, the lecture on black holes. He remembered learning the concept of event horizon, that terrifying and exhilarating idea. Simply understood, it was the final point in distance an object could exist without being sucked into the black hole's crushing oblivion. It was, even more simply understood, where Shepard now found himself standing.
He eyed the shoe store uneasily. Would Vivi's fascination pass? Could he wrangle some manner of escape from this unspeakable hell?
"Oh, oh~! Come, have look at this..." Vivi was murmuring in a delighted and very French sort of way, reaching out a hand to tug Shepard closer. The Aussie's heart sank in his chest. He knew better than to get between a Frenchwoman and her shoes. His day was as good as gone.
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:22 pm
"Ohh...I'm not sure which one I like best." Cordelia whined pathetically as she carefully twisted her newly acquired ankles, trying to view the snug pair of pink sling back wedges from as many angles as possible. Turning around with a bit of a dramatic twirl, the girl posed for her guardian. "What do you think Ebby?"
The woman turned Raevan was currently rubbing the sides of her scaled temples. She was just now realizing how big of a mistake it was to allow this little excursion as she floated between two large stacks of shoe boxes, all of which Cordelia was trying on and now wanting. Who knew the girl would become something of a monster when it came to foot apparel? "Honestly, I really don't know. Can you just pick one already? We've been here over an hour now."
Whether it was human or Raevan, Cordelia still had the uncanny ability to pull the most heart wrenching pout and teary eyes possible. And when she did it now, Ebony had to palm her face. Slowly dragging the hand down the length of it, the woman gave a tremendous sigh and held up two fingers. "Okay, you can pick TWO. But only two and no more, all right?"
A delighted sort of squeal came from the girl as she clapped and bounced up and down excitedly before diving back into the mountain of boxes to find the pairs she liked the best. Hell maybe another go around was in order. You know, just to be sure she picked the right ones. Ebony on the other hand simply slumped herself into the nearest chair, momentarily forgetting her sharp wings, but adjusted just in time before any real damage could be done to the piece of furniture or herself. She sighed again and buried her face in her palm, utterly tired from just watching this madness.
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:22 am
Shepard numbly ducked beside Vivi, putting himself at her eye-level to catch sight of whatever pair of shoes she was pointing out to him. He thought of a couple of encouraging words: stunning, brilliant, crazy -- well, no, maybe not crazy. In any case, he wanted to say whatever he needed to say to make the Frenchwoman purchase the pair and be done with it. Gorgeous, that was a good one. Stylish.
To his surprise, however, Vivi wasn't pointing out shoes. Her finger -- if he was following its path correctly -- was indicating a pair of people instead: a violet-haired woman in what looked like shoe-induced rapture, and a particularly pained-looking, particularly dangerous-looking Raevan.
"...?" Shepard angled a Look at Vivi. Did she know them, or was she going to be making a habit out of pointing out every Raevan she'd see? His gaze returned to the pair, studying them critically. The woman looked cheerful enough, but that Raevan looked like she might do violence to something in the near future.
"Ah, the Shepard thinks I am pointing out strangers for fun? This the brave Cordelia and her Guardian Ebony -- I mentioned them before to you, non? Such an adorable relationship they have." Vivi sighed, beckoning to Shepard as she made her way into the store. Certainly, she had noticed that Cordelia seemed less than enthused today, but surely there were plenty of reasons for that! If she herself did not have feet, she also would not enjoy a shoe store, right? "Come, let me introduce you to them. You will soon see there is no reason to be wary of la belle Cordelia -- or any female Raevan!"
The Austrailian's answer was only to snort as he followed his friend. 'Adorable' was not -- most assuredly Not the word he would have used to describe the pair they approached.
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:46 pm
In a matter of mere seconds, Cordelia was knee deep in a small mound of shoes, or rather several small mounds. There was one for her absolute faves, runners-up and even one for some she'd sort of liked, but could live without if need be. It was duly noted that none of her piles were labeled as shoes she disliked or flat out hated. Something Ebony would have easily picked up had she been paying better attention. No, it was far easier for the newly turned Frei to just ignore her current circumstances and hope, dare pray for a speedy conclusion. The end would not come so easily for Ebony, in fact fate had a funny sense of humor when it came to prolonging the woman's misery.
Delia was just in the middle of scrutinizing two pairs of stilettos when the baker's fluid, dancer-like movements brought her within view. With utter, yet delighted surprise, both shoes fell from the purple haired girl's hands. "Vivi!" she crowed as she struggled to stand from her cross-legged sitting position on the floor.
Meanwhile Ebony gave a bit of a sour scowl, eyes still firmly shut. It wasn't that she didn't like the French woman, quite the contrary. No, it was just that this was the worst possible time to bump into the other as the slowly acclimating Raevan was not in any mood for entertaining. A notion all too noticeable by the snake's coiling of smoky ribbon. Perhaps if she remained silent and unapproachable then they would simply forget her presence.
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:41 pm
"Ebony!" was the cheerful returned greeting as the pair of foreigners approached. Vivi, pleased to hear the surprised joy in the other's voice, held out her arms for a short hug in salutation. From behind her, the tall Aussie stood with slight discomfort, eyeing the pair of shoes at the purple-haired woman's feet with a distant horrified awe. He looked from the shoes to the woman and then over to the Raevan, whose stony expression and screwed-shut eyes showed evidence of how long this shoe-hoarding had been going on. He instantly sympathized.
"How wonderful to see you, Ebony, Cordelia," Vivi was saying, turning slightly from the human woman to her Raevan companion. Her broad smile waned just slightly as she did so, and she turned back to Ebony with a wry expression. "Ah, alas, she is perhaps a little under the weather? I hope that she has not caught perhaps the cold?"
"I'm sure there's other causes..." murmured Shepard under his breath behind her, wondering whether he should extend a gesture of support to the poor Raevan beside him. His faint scowl remained intact, but his eyes read only compassion.
"This is my great friend, Shepard Ryan," Vivi continued, ignoring him entirely. "He is to help me raise our Raevan when he or she is born, and I had just thought this morning how he would be quite enchanted to meet with another guardian! Such a lovely chance meeting, non? Shepard, this is Ebony."
"It's a pleasure," the Aussie said with politeness, tearing his eyes away from the Raevan to offer his hand to the violet haired woman. He managed to turn his scowl into a faded, boyish sort of grin.
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:30 pm
A hug was, of course, Delia's kryptonite in a sense and thus she could not turn down such an offer as was the one Vivi was so graciously advertising. Automatically she bounded up and swept easily into the other woman's outstretched arms. Unable to stifle her joyous laughter, the girl replied in kind with her own bright smile. "Vivi, it's so good to see you again! Oh?" At the sudden change in topic, Cordelia pulled away from the friendly embrace long enough to steal a glance at her highly annoyed guardian.
Sighing and perhaps even giving her grey eyes a good roll so beyond her years, "Oh that. She's just upset because I can't decide on what shoes to buy." Like lightning striking a tree, a thought occurred to the youth immediately. Clapping her hands light, Cordelia gave a tiny bounce on the balls of her feet. "Ah! Vivi! Can you help me choose?"
Though not his fault, Shepard's accent grated on the Raevan's already frayed nerves. It sure was bad for him that she'd recently had an unpleasant experience with another of his fellow countrymen. Of course "Ebony" was too engrossed in her shoes to be pulled away right now, so it seemed it was up to "Cordelia" to welcome this unfortunate soul whom shared a motherland with that nearly insufferable Ty.
"Ello Shepard." she muttered quietly, her already smokey voice almost that of a wisp. She didn't move from her seated position on the chair, but at least she'd opened her eyes and was looking to him, orbs full of a storm just on the brink of breaking. "Please due excuse my guardian's rudeness. She's somewhat occupied as you can plainly see."
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 11:07 pm
"Mmm, yes, to decide on the shoes is always a difficult thing. I will certainly be happy to help!" The Frenchwoman was immediately distracted by the plea to choose a pair of shoes. Certainly, it seemed as though "Ebony's" work was cut out for her, what with the piles of the things she'd amassed. Vivi's eyes narrowed as she eyed the shoes critically, and she began to pick up a pair or two and hold them up to the light, studying them from various angles. "These ones, they seem as though they will not last so very long. Let us see another pair -- oh! Tooled leather. Gorgeous. And such a heel..." She looked up at her companion. "Do you have any type in mind? Daywear, evening, or any color, perhaps?"
Her worry for Cordelia's wellness had sailed easily from her mind. Now that she thought of it, she'd seen that look on Shepard's face more than once before.
Shepard slowly eased away from this part of the conversation. Even though it looked like the Raevan was less than charmed to be making his acquaintance, and perhaps suffering from a migraine (or stroke, he thought grimly), he'd rather take his chances with her than with the shoes. Anything but the shoes. Death by bizarre dagger-wings over shoes.
"Nah, no worries. Know a lot of people who get... absorbed in their shoe-buying." He leaned against the wall in a careless slouch, his hands in his jean pockets. "Must be killer for you, yeh?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:12 am
"You don't even know the half of it..." muttered the basilisk darkly to herself more than in response to Shepard. Her eyes having been consumed with glaring at her charge's uncanny ability to draw another (willing or otherwise) into her madness finally broke away, a tired expression deep rooted into them. "So...how is the Raevan? Coming I mean. Have you caught a soul yet?" Ebony could vaguely recall Vivi not having caught a soul yet at their last meeting. Plenty of time had gone by now so surely they must have got something.
That sun-kissed face stretched into a wide smile it was not often use to doing, yet that didn't dim its brilliance. Very matter of factly, Delia nodded. "Green, for the color. Or something with it if there's another color. Though the pink wasn't so bad..." She trailed off looking towards the slings she'd been modeling for Ebby earlier. A defeated sort of sigh escaped her as she realized she was still no closer to picking a pair let alone two. She really needed help it seemed. Thank goodness Vivi was here! "Well what do you think? I think I liked the ones with wider heels rather than those stick looking ones. And not too high yes?" Oh how it was going to be a long day.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:08 pm
"Ah, yes, I am envisioning what you say -- green, or pink, with the wedges or platforms and not the stiletto for the sake of your toes. I am certain we can find such a pair!" said Vivi with an unshakable optimism, still combing through the shoes, setting aside the unsuitable options in one hefty pile. Something rattled in her memory as she lifted the pink pair that Ebony had been trying on earlier... something that Ebony had said when they were sitting side-by-side in the woods that day they met... something about being unhappy about Cordelia's addiction to green?
Well, how nice that she had decided to embrace the color, as well!
"Ohh, these are quite beautiful!" Vivi murmured over the slings, impressed with the vividness of the color. "Are they comfortable?"
"... pretty sure I know at least a third of it," Shepard replied to Cordelia with a helpless grin, assuming the other was still commiserating about the perils of shoe-shopping. This Cordelia seemed rather mature, though, Shepard thought to himself with vague interest, turning his gaze toward the basilisk. Vivi had described Cordelia to him as energetic and brave, but this Raevan seemed more ... drained, but still distinctly capable and mature. Then again, the Frenchwoman had only met them the once...
Another thought popped into Shepard's head just then. Was it normal for a Raevan to ask about the details of another Raevan's creation? Or... was that topic not as taboo as he'd somehow expected it to be for the young 'uns? Why was there not a damn guide book for Raevan-rearing and etiquette? "Yeah, we... managed to get a, ah, white stag after some ..." He trailed off, making a vague, weary gesture. "Anyway, bottle and vial're both in, just waiting now to hear any news. Kind of killing us with suspense, but, hey. I'm sure it'll be over before we know it."
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Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:52 pm
Attention stolen from her current dissection of two other shoes, Delia's grey eyes peered over to the ones Vivi was now admiring. She smiled and nodded in appreciation of the woman's impeccable tastes. "They are. You should try them on too. Just to see for yourself."
Meanwhile, Ebony tried to suppress the tight smile that graced her olive toned features. She didn't want to let go of her previous anger just yet, but in the face of this Shepard's quick wit it might be a short lived venture. In response, her arms unwrapped from their closed off and hostile crossing, dropping to hang loosely to her sides.
She listened carefully and noticed how the other skimmed over the exact details involving the soul capture. Ebony didn't press him for more though, not like she always shared Cordelia's humble beginnings either. Besides, it must have been pretty traumatic or something given his serious tone.
"A stag you say? Hmm..." pondered the basilisk, her smokey ribbon playfully swirling about as she tried to imagine the Raevan. If it was a stag soul then surely it would be born a boy, thus Ebony was seeing something along the lines of a young male with adorable white antler like horns. Horns that would no doubt come to rival perhaps even Lazarus's massive ones someday. He would perhaps have sun-kissed skin that glowed with that delightful sparkle and shine of the dawn essence. And a carefree smile and laugh that could easily chase away any gloom for miles around, making everyone feel completely at ease.
Ebony had to shake her head free from her daydreams, but could not help the slight sigh that accompanied it. Yes, surely Vivi's boy would be magnificent. "I think...that paired with the dawn essence, you're going to have a beautiful and strong Raevan on your hands." She then added in response to his last statement with a soft smile. "And it's far from over mate. It's only beginning after all."
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:54 pm
"Perhaps I shall indeed~" Vivi agreed musingly, expertly slipping off her own shoes with quick speed and replacing them with the slings in question. They were a rather comfortable pair, and the color, although not particularly the shade that complimented Vivi's pale olive skin, was still glitteringly attractive by itself. It would probably suit Ebony far better. "Mm, these are not for me, I think -- perhaps if they have a pair in red or black? But for you, I believe they would be stunning. Or, what about these?"
Her eyes sharp as an eagle's, Vivi strode confidently to a nearby rack and extracted a pair of shoes hitherto hidden partially by a rather obnoxious pair of gladiator sandals. They were spool-heeled, with a round toe and an ankle strap, and made of a shiny patent leather. They were the iridescently blue and green, with a soft printed pattern upon them rather like the scales of a fish -- almost like a snakeskin!
"Aa, quite bold, are they not? Look, you could match your charge, n'est pas?" the Frenchwoman said appreciatively, holding out the pair to her companion.
Shepard looked on these proceedings with a sort of detached anguish, happy to at least have this Cordelia's company. She was... almost bizarrely self-aware and mature for a Raevan that he'd expected to still show all the general hallmarks of childhood. Only the beginning? She spoke as if she were doing the raising.
Well...
The Australian looked at the positive circus of shoe-fawning that was unfolding before him and thought that, perhaps, there might be something in that.
"Well, here's hoping we don't muck it up too horribly," Shepard said with a soft laugh and a shake of his head, his eyes returning to the Frei. "I'm prepping myself up, reading a book or two on raising kids, but it all seems a little moot in comparison. I mean, nobody ever writes in the books how to find out what the kid eats, or how to deal if his or her powers go ragingly out of control or something." His eyes became friendly, boyishly earnest. "Don't hold it against us if we end up calling you guys for help one day, yeh?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 10:07 pm
Honestly she thought Vivi looked wonderful in the pair, but perhaps it was a style not for everyone. She curiously watched as the French woman gushed over another pair on the rack that seemed to call to her. How Delia had missed anything truly spectacular there was beyond her.
Her grey eyes lit up at the pair. The way one color seemed to shimmer into the other under the fluorescent lighting was something like magic. It was with great want and eagerness that Cordelia reached out for the shiny pair Vivi held, yet upon the baker's question she froze. Like her charge? Slowly, the girl looked towards the quickly thawing reflection of herself and sighed. Vivi was right, the pattern did look an awful lot like the scales of her vest and even her eyes. Thinking of how the pair would have look in her own body, her real body...well that made the violet haired youth's bubbly mood just float away.
"Yes...they are lovely." Eyes cast down, Delia began picking up shoes and returning them to their rightful place amongst the wire racks. It was like watching a completely dejected toddler having to put their toys away because mommy had said playtime was over.
Ebony couldn't help but chuckle, more in a condescending manner rather than humorous. "I don't believe a book, whether written for human or Raevan, would make much difference. Like most things, it can only serve as a guide. Besides, this is all fairly experimental and thus the reason for us gua..." she cut short when she'd realized what she'd almost said. If she still had legs, Ebony could just kick herself then. Conversation with Shepard had come so smooth and natural that the woman had forgotten whom she was suppose to be right then.
Giving her throat a bit of a clearing, "Mmm, sorry. But as I was saying, it's originally an experiment and thus a lot of it is guess work. You're not the only one, so don't be afraid to ring. Us especially would be more than happy to help however we can." If only she could take her own advice. Then perhaps her and Cordelia would be back to normal already. But Ebony was convinced she could figure it out herself. The stubborn old mule.
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Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:01 pm
Vivi's expression went from enthused and cheerful to nonplussed in a matter of seconds. The clouds seemed to have gathered and begun raining on her and Ebony's shoe parade with dizzying quickness -- and, to extend the metaphor, just when Vivi had believed the forecast was going to be unendingly sunny.
Had she said something offensive? Or something, perhaps, that she misunderstood? Sometimes --rarely, but still -- conversations in this dratted language got away from her, and the Frenchwoman would say something that meant quite the opposite of what she'd intended. It was precisely for those moments that she generally had Shepard at her shoulder explaining, or Granny Maplethorpe at her elbow correcting. She tended to find these moments funny, Vivi did, when they did manage to occur, but right now, looking at that crestfallen expression on Ebony's face, Vivi did not quite see the humor.
"Oh, no! What is the matter?" Vivi glided to the other's side, taking up a few shoes from the pile to help -- (ooh, what a lovely pair of pumps...)-- as she tried to catch the other's gaze. "I hope I have not inadvertently offended you somehow...?"
Shepard, meanwhile, was missing the sudden implosion of events. He raked a hand through his hair and nodded his involvement in what the other was saying, but his mind whirled with something like confusion: Us what? Us guardians, she had been about to say, if Shepard had heard her correctly. And it wasn't just that she was self-aware, she was hyper self-aware. An experiment? She spoke as if she'd signed a bally informed consent form of some kind, not as if she'd been a child of the Lab...
... there were, Shepard told himself, all kinds in this world. Children who took care of their adults, young 'uns who believed themselves to be old souls -- so why not this type of Raevan?
Something, his mind whispered with a mild, perplexed concern, was just not quite right.
"Can't tell you how much of a relief it is to hear someone else say that," he said with an amiable sort of grin, although something in his eyes became just a touch more focused as he dropped his gaze back to the Frei. "Always nice to hear you've got some more experienced people in your corner, just in case, yeh? I know it's a bit of the inverse on our end, but it seems like your guardian's a nice lady -- if you ever need anyone to bail you out of shoe shoppin', I'm your man."
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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:04 pm
"No, you're fine. I just...remembered something is all." she replied as she finished placing all the shoes back. Though she did linger on the pink slings from earlier. Her enthusiasm may have dropped, but her longing for the pair had survived fully intact. Originally Ebby had condemned her to one pair and at the time it had been devastating to say the least, but now they were the only pair she was wanting.
Taking the pair back up, the purple haired girl looked to the baker. "I'm sorry Vivi, but I have to go now unfortunately. Thank you for your help though." Without really thinking she moved in and gave the French woman a quick hug.
Ebony felt her rune skip a pulse when Shepard gave her an odd look then. Fear began to swell in her chest, already figuring the man for not having the wool pulled over his eyes so easily. She just knew he suspected, especially with her little slip up just now. But surprisingly, the man didn't ask, curious as he may have been.
At the mention of her "guardian", the Frei looked over to see that Cordelia was finally done with her shopping it seemed. Thank the heavens for that! Ebony wasn't sure if she could take anymore of this if the shoe fits business. The Raevan gave an amused smile at the shoes Cordelia had chosen. All that for one of the first pair she'd tried on earlier. Ebony sighed, "Yeah, she's pretty great. Though I have a feeling we won't be shoe shopping for quite some time after this. Nice meeting you Shepard." With that being said, Ebony floated off over to the two women, grateful to be going soon so she'd stop making a fool of herself.
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Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 10:39 am
"Good to meet you, Cordelia," Shepard called after the Frei, and Vivi smiled and waved and said some appropriate farewell in Ebony's wake, both quite thoroughly, quite head-scratchingly confused by the sudden turn of events. They watched the pair make their way to the front of the store and took their own exit, resuming their quiet walk down the Gambino street.
It wasn't often that Vivi and Shepard's thoughts were wholly in sync, but at this moment, alone again and quite sure of it, they exchanged a look that said quite plainly: Well, that was unexpected.
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