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 Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 5:01 am
Who: Alex, Zul, Cruz and Anita
Where: Gambino beach near Alex's current residence
When: Early afternoon on a Spring festival day, early April
Weather: Very bright and sunny with a cool breeze to offset the mild humidity_______________ When the two stepped out of the apartment building they were met with some of the brightest and warmest sunlight the crocodile had ever seen or felt. Having been born in Autumn and living through Winter, it was hard for him to comprehend the outdoors being anything but cold. His eyes lit up when Anita said she didn't think he'd need a jacket, coming out from the balcony in only a tee shirt, though he was somewhat skeptical.
Reaching into her bag and pulling out two pairs of sunglasses, Anita helped Cruz adjust his until they were comfortable on his face and he let out a content sigh at the brightness dimming down without removing the warmth. Today was a special day for more than one reason; Halloween had been the last chance her dear friends had been in close enough proximity and she hadn't been able to find either of them at the party (partially because of costumes but also the crowd) and finally, after a bit of phone tag and shuffling of dates, they were able to nail each other down for a meeting that should have happened quite some time ago.
"We're going to meet two very good friends today," Anita told him as they walked hand in hand.
Cruz was relishing having their hands able to touch without the fabric of sleeves and gloves getting in the way. The feeling of skin was such a welcomed thing to him he couldn't seem to get enough of it, instantly taking her hand again if she let go or their grips were otherwise separated. It was such a comforting feeling, one of safety and affection, that he wanted to have for as long as possible -- from Anita or anyone.
Letting out a serene grumble as they walked not to the car but to the bicycle, Cruz's curiosity began to n** at him. "Who?" he practically cooed as Anita set his ribbon up safely in the large basket in the back. His clawed fingers held onto the metal, soaking up the warmth it had already built from being in the sun.
"Alex and Zul," she grinned, not divulging more information than that. Patting his shoulder, Anita confirmed that he was comfortable and content in his seat before pushing the kick stand up with her foot and wheeling the bike to the street. Directions had been given over the phone and she removed a sheet of paper to glance over before tucking it neatly back into her pocket. The plan, as far as she knew, was to meet at the house and then they could have lunch at the beach. Cruz knew that much at least, but what he didn't know was that Zul was another of his kind, and the most dashing one Anita had ever met at that.
The crocodilian Frei sat in his basket, basking in the breeze as his woman pedaled leisurely. It wasn't very far, she said, and while he was certainly excited to meet these good friends of Anita he also wanted to enjoy the warmth and sun for as long as possible. His fingers entwined in the metal loops of the basket, eyes closed and a tranquil smile plastered onto his face. If it didn't get any colder than this for a long time, that'd be one of the best things he could imagine.
Overall the trip took about forty-five minutes by bike, including a couple of wrong turns or streets. All things considered, they made quite good time and Anita seemed pleased by this. She was all smiles as they pulled up to a building, though she paused to check something on the sheet, and she hopped off the bike, wheeling it near the door before putting the stand down. "Let's go~" she chirped excitedly, holding her arms out for Cruz to take while he gently removed himself and his ribbon from the metal cage.
Just from a glance this was all unfamiliar territory and when he took Anita's hand again he could feel her pulse had quickened. Whether it was from sheer excitement or nervousness he wasn't sure but the fact she couldn't seem to stop smiling was very reassuring to the Frei. When Anita raised her hand to knock on the door, Cruz watched and then balled his fist in the same way, rapping his knuckles against the wood in time with his guardian. It was good hearing her laugh. Maybe he could make these friends of hers laugh too.
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:26 pm
It'd been so long since they'd had company - almost two years since Alex had the heart to entertain anyone - something that the Sigel was very aware of.
He'd had his longer, sleeker body for over a year and not once had she tried to get him to go out and bask in his glory. Granted, Zul had been staying with Brad for...well, almost two years, so it was possible he had some blame in this. Then again, it was possible the woman had just never gotten out of wallowing over her pain of losing Aphismet, but either way, the demon was damn near thrilled when his woman informed him that they'd be having company. He was over the moon when he found out who it was: Game Lady Anita and her Mistletoe Raevan! Not only would the Sigel get to finally show someone other than Rivener what he'd become, but he'd get to chastise Anita for keeping the Raevan from him for so long as well as potentially make a new friend. He'd been so busy working with Brad and Neil that any free time he had was eagerly given to Rivener - though the reasoning for that was not as innocent as it would have seemed.
"You are finding something amusing? In the carpet?"
Zul glanced over to his woman, still not used to seeing her in a swimsuit so comfortably -- or maybe it was just that he was aware of her scars, both the ones she had from her job and from him. Being a beach house - even if it wasn't directly on the beach - it seemed half of its construction was window pane, something he hadn't really appreciated until then, floating in a patch of sun to soak in the rays that filtered through the back part of the house. Lifting his bearded chin, he gave the Italian woman a lazy smile, his sky-blue eyes vibrant and well rested. "We were having a fascinating conversation," he replied smoothly, comfortable in his dead-pan humor, "about treacle tarts and how damaging firewood is to the fibres. Why?"
He was rewarded with a briefly dumbstruck expression before the woman began to laugh. Zul knew he wasn't around much anymore, but even he could pick up the difference in his woman; there were traces of quietness in her now, a sort of reservation that made her wild exuberance and open joy absent. "...then you just...you just do that, Zul." She threw up her hands and chuckled as she walked into the kitchen. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother asking anymore..."
After a moment of pause, the Sigel floated after her, slow and without any sort of motive other than bored interest. "Do you really want to know?"
"God, no." He bit back a smile as the dark-haired woman set about finishing packing the cooler, filling it neatly with a majority of cold drinks of fruit juices, soda and water, as well as the necessary food portion of lunch, including a turkey sub for herself, a basic but generously filled ham and mayo sandwich along with a grilled ham and cheese (just in case!) for Anita and a peppered tri-tip sandwich for himself, if he chose to eat. Though he had a stomach, he didn't eat as often as the humans did, especially if he wasn't expending any of his powers. One large meal was generally enough for him. Alex's gentle snort brought him back out of his observational thoughts. "Last time I asked, you were trying to see if your fish had belly buttons. I'll just take your answer with a grain of salt."
The demon smiled, a lazy but wide expression. "You've always been the smartest woman I've met, Alix."
"Bread's on top of the fridge, don't you be buttering me, young man."
It was Zul's turn to laugh, a smoky sound as his voice usually possessed but lower, softer, with a gentle roll of gravel that promised to deepen as he grew older. Alex joined him and soon the two were in a fit of giggles over not much at all, prompting the red-head that the woman lived with to poke his head down the stairs for a minute to make sure they were okay. When Neil departed with a flabbergasted look, mumbling something about carpets and butter, their laughter started anew, Alex actually wiping tears from her eyes while Zul leaned back on the marble counter to stretch out his torso to give his ribs space to cease their aching.
It was about then that the rather robust knock came, both demon and woman looking in the direction of the door at the same time. "I'll get it," he offered, to which Alex simply nodded as she finished added small snacks like chopped fruit and a few pieces of chocolate she'd bought for the occasion. Floating through the rather spacious house, the tip of his ribbon barely grazing over the tile floor, he paused in the foyer long enough to sweep his hair back and run his fingers over his beard in a grooming manner before he put on his most debonair smile and opened the door to greet their company.
And goodness help him, but it didn't matter how much effort he put into his smile: the sight of Anita made the practiced expression of warmth and intrigue spread into an earnest, wide grin, his eyes taking on a boyish glow as they often did in her presence. For one moment, he floated a smidgen higher, causing his girdle to flutter and sway before he dipped lower and immediately took one of Anita's hands in greetings. He bowed his head and pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to her knuckles before fixating his smile upon her once more. "Game Lady Anita," he purred in his velvet-smoke voice, floating upright again with a showy spread of his wings as he released her from his grasp. "It's been far...far too long. And you will hear about it, as I'm obligated to impart how much I've missed you as any friend should." His tone, though calm and measured, carried great tones of teasing that were only enforced by the arch of his brow and the glimmer of his bright eyes.
Of course, not one to be rude, his gaze then swept to the Frei at her side, unabashedly drinking in the Crocodile's appearance: the curve of lips still suggesting a smile, his youthful features, the unusual but appealing green hair and the modest attire, all hitting high notes with the demon. The Sigel took a few heartbeats to really look at him in full before he settled back into his more charming, easily pleased smile. "And you must be Cruz." When he spoke, there was a degree of pride in his tone, knowing even by sight that this Raevan existed because of his actions. Yes, Zul was patting himself on the back metaphorically but he was truly proud that Anita had such a stunning Frei in her care -- and that he didn't look even half as stuck up or off as the last few he'd seen in the time he was working in the Lab with his woman. Extending his hand, he then took Cruz's in his own and gave it the same treatment as Anita, but more slowly, if not more polite: a careful lift of exposed knuckles as he lowered himself to meet them, bowing his head over the hand in his and kissing the pale skin in greeting. "I am Zul. Absolutely charmed to finally meet you." Again floating upright, still holding the Frei's hand, he pushed open the door with his free hand and tilted his head within the white expanse.
"Come in. Alix is in the kitchen." He paused before adding with a somber sort of voice, "You're both going to get hugged. Fair warning."
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:57 pm
Not hearing footsteps approach the door before it opened was a little disconcerting to the woman but as soon as she saw who was on the other side it all became clear. The same as he, her smile brightened and became more girlish than before, excitement coursing through her at an alarming rate. Only one thing was off about this situation; the last time she had seen him he had not been so... filled out. His jaw was squared masculinely, accented by a tuft of chin beard, his muscles having become more taut and obvious while his chest and shoulders became wider. Lower still there were differences, most importantly that he had anything below his bare chest. What covered his stomach was a very intricate girdle around his waist that lead into his ribbon, rune partially hidden. Even his wings and horns seemed to have doubled in length and magnificence.
Anita was positively awestruck, and so was Cruz.
When Zul reached out and took her hand, his warm flesh encompassing her pale skin, she blinked as if coming out of a trance. Still, her smile remained wide and only grew as he inclined and pressed his lips upon it; heat rose to her cheeks from humble embarrassment and amusement just as an awkward laugh escaped her throat, which she quickly silenced by placing a hand over her mouth. She never got this sort of treatment from anyone, even in jest, and while it was certainly appreciated, it was not something she was used to in the slightest.
His words curled out from his lips like smoke and the crocodile frei beside her was already entranced, emerald eyes wide and alert, a fluttering in both his heart and his rune. His wings shivered eagerly but he stilled his tongue, more out of wanting to hear this new and entrancing Raevan speak than courtesy and manners. "Game Lady Anita" was a title he had not heard his woman have before but it suited her well, ushering a small tightening at the corners of his mouth that threatened to spread into a large and tooth filled smile if this Sigel continued to be any more flattering. His words were long and elegant and Cruz found himself a bit lost to quite a few of them, though luckily he got the gist of it thanks to context. The way this one spoke reminded him an awful lot of Eiry, though the minty Sigel was far worse on losing the poor crocodile in his oceanic vocabulary.
As Zul turned his gaze to him, Cruz caught sight of his ice cold eyes still somehow alight with so much warmth behind them. A shiver ran through him as memories of the red star's kisses brought a tingling to his lips. His rune thrummed with delight when the mighty Sigel offered his hand the same treatment he had given Anita's, the warmth of his skin coursing through him. It felt both nourishing and like a tease -- now that his body had a taste of this Zul upon his flesh he would have loved to partake of a proper meal. However, the Sigel was still looking him over and seemed to be waiting for something. Though his response was somewhat delayed, Cruz smiled dumbly at the elder Raevan and offered a wistful reply.
"Yes, Zool... Krooz," as usual when feeling unabashedly pleasant, his words were accompanied by a throaty grumble. It was at this point Cruz came to the realization that he wished to have more positive words to describe things other than 'yes' or 'good' like Eiry and Zul clearly had and, without knowing the meanings of either, he did his best to parrot the demonic Sigel, "Ab-soh-loot-leh... charmmmed..." His smile continued, even as Anita's giggling picked back up.
The brunette shook her head eagerly, unable to rid herself of the smile that was beginning to make her cheeks sore even if she wanted to. "Duly noted," she chortled, giving Cruz's hand a light squeeze before following Zul inside the spacious but still somehow cozy abode. Cruz looked around the room, mouth agape, as they were lead inside, just barely catching sight of a black haired woman not too far down the hall. If this was his human, Alex, then the crocodile hoped and wondered if she were as charming as the one she cared for. All he could do was stare, smile, and release a gentle throaty purr.
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 11:56 am
Delicately closing the door behind the two with his free hand, he carefully disentangled his hand from the Frei's and instead lightly draped an arm around Cruz's shoulders. "You're a fast learner, aren't you?" he commented, quirking another bemused smile as his other arm rested around Anita's shoulders in a similar manner to her Frei. Knowing that the green male was new and picking out the words, sounding them out -- it reminded him of himself when he was first with Alex. That was before the attacks in that distant village, the damage caused by the Virus, the flood, and Roux... A low sound escaped his throat, gently hugging the two as he floated with them towards the kitchen. He would do anything he could to make sure their time wasn't so harrowing as his own with Alex.
"How are you?" he inquired to both of them, trying somewhat in vain to keep his curiosity at bay. "It's been a while, though I think I saw you both at the Halloween party--" And that was about the time Alex's joyful, wordless cry interrupted him, not a high or even very loud sound, but he was more attuned to listening for her now. It was almost like a byproduct of all she'd been through: she was quieter, muted, somehow, and though she wasn't any less for it, he was still mindful.
Wiping off her hands rapidly, the Italian was quick to take in both of the newcomer's appearances -- Anita, to make sure she was well, and Cruz, because her excitement and past job experience dictated it -- before rounding the kitchen counter with her arms spread wide in all her scarred glory. "Anitaaah~" Alex crowed with delight, a deep sense of happiness with a small twinge of sadness for the time missed lighting her face. One thing that hadn't changed was her forwardness, and without warning or gentle greeting, she enveloped the younger woman in an affectionate, tight embrace, momentarily ignoring the soft exclamation from her ward as his arm was caught in the gesture. Actually hugging someone that was there, really there, made the threat of tears sting her eyes. Sure, she had Neil, but it...had been a long time since she'd allowed herself the company of any other.
Pulling back a little, she pressed a quick kiss of greeting to Anita's cheek, eyes vivid as they took in the woman's appearance for a second time. "You look great, you look so happy!" she commented warmly, smiling in a rather proud manner. Like the Sigel, she didn't want to be rude, and immediately turned her gaze to Cruz, almost instantaneously marveling at the reptilian male. He was utterly unlike any Raevan before that she'd seen -- and while all the Raevans were unique, some still shared color similarities or dispositions, but not this one. She hadn't seen such a dominant color in one since Xuelian (which she didn't want to think about) and his aura, though of distant waters not unlike the Leviathan years ago, was so much more aware. From his ponytail to his smile, Alex was charmed, but that he wasn't wandering off or acting in a more child-like manner was captivating to her. She knew Anita would be an amazing Guardian, but apparently Zul had known better than she.
"And you are beautiful," she exclaimed to the Frei before offering a soft laugh and drawing him into a hug. Though Zul had enough time to remove his arm, he hadn't, probably to keep the poor thing grounded as the exuberant woman shared her open affections with him. He smelled like the salt of the ocean mixed with a distant something that reminded her of Christmas, two things she loved dearly and didn't get enough of. Withdrawing to kiss both of his cheeks, she offered a sweet sound of joy as she gathered Anita and Cruz into a less tight but equally happy hug. "Oooh I've missed you Anita! And it's so nice to meet you Cruz, oh, I'm--"
"My woman, Alex," Zul remarked dryly as he rearranged his arms to include not only the two that were under fire from Alex's hug, but her as well. "She hands out hugs like candy, but she's mostly harmless, I promise." Ignoring the look he could feel her shoot him, he gingerly pried the two out of the woman's happy embrace and looked at the three of them with a pleased little smile. "You have to give them time to respond, Lex. I'll finishing packing the food; you just try to breathe, hm?" Patting Anita's shoulder in an 'I told you so' manner, he gave Cruz a wink and an encouraging smile as he floated beyond the three to take up his woman's last post by the ice chest. There wasn't much left to do, but he figured she could use a bit of time to soak in having company after so long of just having him.
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 2:47 pm
Almost like a cat, Cruz's throat had been releasing a near constant low growl since entering their home. The Sigel's warm flesh across his shoulders was something he easily relished as the temperature inside was a bit cooler than out and without giving it much thought he cozied closer to Zul to soak up more of his body heat.
Beside him, Anita gleefully patted the arm draped over her own shoulders, grinning ear to ear with no sign of stopping. "He's a smart cookie," she commented for him as Cruz seemed too distracted by the Baphomet to register a proper response. Reaching out to lightly tap the tip of the frei's nose with her finger, he scrunched his face up and let out a cute chuckle. "Oh, I'm fantastic," even now she couldn't stop giggling, the happiness and excitement of this long overdue meeting finally coming to fruition getting the best of her. Cruz grinned widely at her response, flashing his teeth before nodding and proclaiming a sumptuous "Good," with his ever present grumbling voice.
Both parties were only given a few moments to think back to the Halloween party, trying to discern whether they had spotted Zul in the throng, before a cry of joy shot out through the hall. Minus the accent and obvious differences in face and body shape, this woman's demeanor instantly brought back memories of the colorful bakery and the Viv woman whose greeting to he and Anita was so bright and charming. It both perplexed and fascinated the croc how his guardian had managed to acquire so many absolutely pleasant and thoroughly bewitching friends but he couldn't have been happier about this fact.
"I am happy!" Anita laughed, patting Alex on the back through the hug. As she had approached, her green eyes did wander, noticing some distinct marks upon the Italian's skin she hadn't previously been privy to, but she didn't allow her gaze to drift for long and she was soon swept up in a hearty embrace. It understandably wasn't long before the two women backed away from one another and Alex moved on to eyeing the verdant frei beside her who seemed to puff his chest out the slightest bit, as if preening.
Her complimenting words brought the wide smile across his face to his eyes, brightening it even further if that were possible. He wasn't entirely sure about what that word meant but the tender way she spoke it assured him it had a thoroughly pleasant definition. "You are," he parroted, returning the compliment as best his limited vocabulary would allow before wrapping his lean arms around her in return.
For someone who normally seemed to be sparing with her hugs and shows of physical affection without prompting, all of Anita's friends sure seemed to enjoy giving them out-- "Like candy."
Like with most introductions of Cruz to her friends thus far, Anita was absolutely beside herself with how thrilled she was. Zul certainly had a point, though; Alex had a way of letting her own excitement getting the better of her. It was an admirable trait, Anita had always thought, and one that made her smile to no end, as was still clearly evident, but they did still have a schedule and plan to adhere to. "It's fine," she chuckled to Zul's pat and glance.
Cruz's gaze followed Zul's movement until he was out of sight, turning back to Alex after her two cheek smooches. Like with Zul's kiss to the hand, her lips pressed so near to his own felt even more like a tease and for a moment he seemed almost entranced by the act. His rune panged balefully and without another moment's hesitation, Cruz brought his hands gently to Alex's face and leaned in for a proper kiss.
Anita let out a short yelp of warning, but it was too late. Their lips were pressed together and Cruz's rune glowed triumphantly within his ribbon. "Oh, uh--!" she fumbled, face flushing with embarrassment as she held her own cheeks, "S-sorry, he uh... He feeds off kisses." She supposed it was for the best he got this out of his system now, though she prayed Alex wasn't the sort to think of it as a form of harassment.
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:21 pm
"But you've been well? Everything is--"
--kisses.
Her mind blanked out for a moment when Cruz's lips found hers, green eyes widening a touch with numb shock. It was just a kiss -- and a quick one at that -- but it brought brief, convoluted feelings of her chef ex-boyfriend and a small pinch of loneliness. The vulnerability passed, however, and with a small gasp of air, she looked to Anita as the explanation came from blushing cheeks, understanding dawning slowly in her own features. "Oh! Of course -- mistletoe!" Shaking her head to ward off the lingering disquiet, she gave Cruz a smile and pat him affectionately on the cheek. "I understand. It's alright -- just warn me if you're hungry, okay?"
Again looking to Anita, she grinned at the young woman's sheepish look. "It's just a kiss, and it's for his nourishment. I can hardly deny him that." She also thought to mention that Zul might be a more filling meal, given that they were the same species, but she didn't know how Cruz felt about gender roles and kissing his own kind, leaving the words unsaid. It was just a kiss. It wasn't like her dignity or honor had been stolen by the entirely innocent gesture, and far be it from Alex to be the type to take something like that as anything more than an act of literal hunger. Trying to get them back on track, she motioned towards the kitchen with a brilliant smile, "It would have been in poor taste of me to not offer this handsome fellow something to eat when I've spent all this time packing for us!"
Cheerful as ever, she gestured for the two to follow, passing off the incident without qualm and leading the way out the back sliding glass wall towards the beach. Alex and Neil didn't live on the beach, but a short walk from it, affording them an expansive view of both the ocean and the yawning stretch of white sand, dotted with the individuals that sought the company of crashing waves. Goodness knew Alex was entirely too familiar with the roaring lull of the beach at odd hours of the morning. "Alright! Zul, put the goods wherever you find a nice stretch of sand -- " The Italian slung an arm around Anita's shoulders. " -- while you and I do some catching up. Tell me everything! How do you handle work and your handsome new guy? Are you having any difficulties? Anything I can help with?" She was immediately both concerned and excited, and both sides were warring quite evenly for dominance in her features and words.
The Sigel, unfettered by the dialogue and stolen kiss on his woman, offered his free arm to Cruz for him to take if he wanted. He wasn't trying to fall into any role or treat the Frei as less, it was...simply what he did. He liked contact and he liked being a 'gentleman' and it just seemed natural to fall into the habits he'd acquired while working amongst the humans. "And since my woman can run a few miles with words as fuel, you can choose if you'd like to stay with the lovely ladies or if you'd like to explore the beach." The demon grinned, lop-sided but affable. "Either way, I'll keep you safe and see if we can't have a little fun with or without them."
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:18 pm
Everything was definitely kisses.
With the matter of Cruz's food source out of the way and the awkwardness of that exchange behind them, the journey to the beach was warmly welcomed and full of laughter. Considering the distance they weren't able to have any in depth conversation yet but the jokes and giggles were much appreciated by Anita and enjoyed vicariously by Cruz. When they arrived, Anita was quickly pulled into Alex's grasp.
Beside Zul, the frei chuckled. It was nice seeing someone else so affectionate on Anita other than himself. He knew Anita was fairly reserved on physical matters but she didn't seem to mind when he took part. Since Alex and Anita knew each other longer, it was easy to see there was more comfort from Anita at the other woman's touch and if her kiss spoke anything of Alex's sweetness then there was a reason she gave her hugs out like candy. The demon's arm was accepted with a cheerful smile, unaware of any implications from the action. With the air a bit chillier just beside the beach, Zul's warm skin was heartily welcomed and the frei sidled up close, one arm wrapped around Zul's and Cruz's chest pressed against it comfortably.
"Explore," he cooed, glancing away from their women to Zul's bright blue eyes. The croc's smile never seemed to leave, though occasionally it would falter or fade from confusion. Even then, it came back quick enough and he seemed to have made himself quite comfortable. When Zul told him he would be safe, Cruz understood and believed him. He doubted the beach would be dangerous enough to necessitate any sort of protection but the gesture was appreciated nonetheless. "Zul," he purred curiously, "Fun. What for fun?" Cruz was still young and while he caught onto ideas quickly, speech was a little more difficult for him. The intent of the question was to get to know Zul better, learn what he did for fun, but it was dubious whether Zul would pick up on that or not from Cruz's words alone and he knew that to be a possibility. It happened often, after all, that he was misunderstood with such a limited vocabulary.
Anita chuckled at Alex's grasp and flurry of questions. She gave her arm a reassuring pat, hoping to put her mind at ease. "It's fine, it's fine. I mean, if you want to help you certainly can. I wouldn't know what you'd want to do but you can," since they left the house she couldn't stop laughing. "I haven't really had any time to myself. He's well behaved, though. Most times I can just bring him to work with me and he hangs around. Actually, he's pretty good for business; a lot of kids have been interested in the games he's checking out." After a moment, Anita grinned and nudged Alex gently with her shoulder. "What about you, though? It's been months. How are you?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 1:01 pm
For his part, Zul was utterly absorbed in Cruz. It wasn't that he liked Anita any less -- she was still his favorite human outside of Alex -- but the Frei was the result of his rash decision, one he did not regret even up to that moment. He felt responsible, and more than that, he felt proud. Anita looked happy and Cruz was stunning; he had anticipated no less. The Sigel was acutely aware of the crocodile's attention, the way it wavered when he addressed him and, remembering his own pause at conversation when he was newborn, he tried to keep his topics and thoughts a bit more simple.
"We can collect shells," he offered, indeed misunderstanding the question more as what they could do rather than what Zul himself enjoyed, "go into shallow water, or just follow the water to the pier." He pointed with his free hand off in the distance where a line could be seen extending into the water, bright lights occasionally visible even in the daytime. "Or all of it." He shrugged and smiled, not sure what Cruz would deem 'fun' since his own ideas of entertainment tended to conflict with popular opinion - something the Frei would have to learn sooner than later, he supposed.
Like her ward, her attention was on Anita -- she wanted to speak with Cruz more but she trusted Zul to take care of the newborn long enough for the two women to have some catch up time. "I'm glad he's doing so well with you. And vice versa! He seems very aware and polite and that's fantastic. I couldn't be happier for you." She really felt that Zul's break of the Lab's rules had been dangerous, but she trusted Anita. Their brief interludes and discussions had proven to her that the young woman was more than able, and more importantly, willing. "I worried for a while, but I only heard great things from Zeke. I'm happy it turned out this way."
But when Anita returned the question, it gave her pause. It'd been a little over a year since the Roux incident but she was still dealing with it -- and the loneliness of what had happened to her. Her smile flickered, but it was an almost distant expression, as if recalling a sad memory. "I've been...okay, actually. Getting better but taking it one day at a time." Her green eyes passed over where the Raevans were. "Zul and Neil -- my roommate -- they've kept me steady and moving forward, one over-protective step at a time. I'm finally getting back on my feet." The Italian laughed faintly, shaking her head to herself and loosening her hold on Anita. "Took me long enough."
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