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 Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:19 pm
Who: Anita, Cruz, Shepard, Vivi
When: February 14, THE DAY OF LOOOOVE~
Where: Vermillion Bakery
Weather: Chilly and clear
Love!
The Valentine's Day atmosphere had completely overtaken Gambino, especially the row of shops on which Vermillion Bakery stood. Everywhere there were cooing, kissing couples -- lunching, window shopping, or just out for a well-bundled, hand-holding stroll. Singles looking to celebrate Singles Appreciation Day had almost nowhere to duck to forget about the dreaded curse of Valentine's Day, and Vermillion Bakery was no exception.
Sweet Love!
The bakery had completely decked itself out in celebration, with pink, red, and white pastries lining the windows. Wreaths made of pink and white paper flowers were on the doors, and inside, all the cookies, cupcakes, and candies made their appreciation for the day of love known. Soft French music played in the background as almost every table at Vermillion was taken by a couple cuddled close together over cups of hot chocolate and slices of red velvet cake.
Vivi sat at one of these tables, her black hair done in a loose, elaborate braid, her smiling lips painted deep red. She wore a loose, flowing red shirt with dropped sleeves, and she looked over her bakery with a keen sense of pride and pleasure.
As she scanned the bakery, Shepard Ryan slid into the seat across from her, two cups in his hands. He looked on that day like he looked on any other day, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and a faint scowl.
"Is it not lovely, this holiday?" Vivi murmured pleasantly, reaching up to take one of the cups from her companion.
"Mm."
"I wish it were a week long. How happy they all look!" she continued, dabbing a spoon into the cup of cocoa. She did not look at Shepard for a reaction. She knew it would be unnecessary.
"Mm," he said.
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 7:56 pm
Sweet love indeed.
For Valentine's Day, the weather couldn't have been clearer. There was some light snow on the ground from the previous night, only a few stray steps having tainted its nearly pristine appearance. Honestly, for Winter, the weather couldn't have been nicer even if it weren't a holiday. Anita took a deep breath of the crisp air, sighing heartily before glancing to her perpetually green companion.
Her Raevan charge was wearing his hair low, the ponytail hung over one shoulder and the tip tied elegantly with a pink ribbon to mark the holiday -- his own choice. A white turtleneck peeked out over the folds of his green peacoat and bright red half-fingered gloves covered his hands but allowed his sharp nails to peek out. His small wings fluttered slightly against the cold air, scales shuddering gently in an effort to keep themselves warm. Beside him stood Anita, clad in the norm for this sort of weather; jeans, sneakers, a t-shirt and a zip hoody. To keep her ears warm, she kept the hoody up and her long braids peeked out at the sides, resting over her chest. The only thing particularly festive about her appearance this day was that her braids were tied much the same as Cruz's hair, matching ribbons, though hers were white against his pink.
"Okay, so we've got to pick up cards, right?" Anita smiled to the crocodile Raevan, who offered a toothy smile back.
"Cards," he parroted with relative ease.
Grinning, she continued, "Then we gotta pick up some cookies and chocolates."
Once more he repeated, though whether he knew exactly what the words meant was questionable. He was still learning, after all. When he grinned again after mimicking Anita, she nodded to him and waved a hand for him to follow. Cruz wasted no time in reaching out for her warm hand and clutching to it gently. What he didn't know was that he was in for an exceptionally pleasant surprise. Herself being somewhat reclusive, it was still a joy and a half to come in contact with these people and most anyone from Lab she had met thus far, so for someone as open and friendly as the frei holding onto her like an eager child, it would probably make his day more than someone coming up to him and kissing him square on the mouth.
That thought alone made her grin from ear to ear, and Anita's excitement bubbled over, getting the better of her. They walked right past the card store, nearing instead their secondary destination and she chuckled quietly to herself which drew Cruz's attention.
The two paused right outside the door of a certain bakery on a certain street and Anita squeezed Cruz's hand gently to keep him from floating any closer. "Just a sec," she murmured, sidling towards the door and peeking quickly into the large window. Within she saw both Vivi and Shepard, though she didn't get a good look at either of their demeanors. She quickly turned back to her charge, giving his hand a light shake to reassure him. Though his expression faltered momentarily at her suddenly sneaky actions, Cruz's smile quickly recovered and he prepared himself.
Already he could smell the sweet scents of confections, a concentration he had never before been near in such great quantities. His head was reeling from the sugar and spices, and as the bell rang above the door to alert the workers of an entering customer, Cruz's expression was locked in pure bliss as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be enveloped by the shop's enticing aroma. Meanwhile, Anita chirped happily as the door swung closed behind them.
"Happy Valentine's Day, sweet dawn lovelies~"
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 9:16 pm
"Anita!"
Vivi rose from her chair immediately upon seeing her friend enter the bakery, her face bright with excitement. Her eyebrows lifted and her mouth widened in a smile, and she held out her arms to give the other a hug. And -- oh, oh, what was this? Anita was not alone, either! It was impossible to miss her companion, who would certainly be next in line for an embrace, if Vivi had her way. He existed. The mistletoe was right here, in front of her. And he was beautiful.
"Cheri, what a lovely and unexpected surprise! Ah -- and bonjour~" She turned to Cruz after hugging Anita, her arms still half-up in invitation.
Shepard was a step slower to rise, and his face was not as bright and expressive as Vivi's, but his half-grin was just as warm.
"Heya, stranger," he said more softly, his voice dipping into the Southern accent he'd sported during their previous meet up in Halloween. With all the hugging and love going on, Shepard couldn't help but fall into the mix, leaning forward to give Anita a greeting squeeze of his own. "Long time no see."
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 2:03 pm
Cruz's gaze widened, a look of surprise glazing his features as a dark haired, bubbly woman he had never seen before shot up from her seat and hurried over to Anita, wrapping her arms around his woman eagerly. His expression shifted quickly to amusement, and then a warm contentment, until a couple strange words he had never heard before left her glossy crimson lips.
Cheri?
Bonjour?
And oh, what a strange way of speaking she had! It was exciting and alluring all at the same time, a form of speech he had never heard before that was entirely captivating. The frei couldn't help but hover closer to the woman whose arms were still open, beckoning, enticing, and Cruz reached a hand out and drew the tips of his fingers across the palm of her hand experimentally before grinning wide and entering into the hug.
All the while, Anita giggled and smiled, her hug to Vivi swift and taut, but she soon backed off to make room for Cruz who seemed thoroughly enraptured by this new and affectionate woman. Keeping a close eye on her charge, she nearly didn't see Shepard rise to the occasion and approach, but as soon as those false accented words slipped past his lips she turned to him and stuck her tongue out animatedly. His hug was appreciated, if a little surprising, and she gave him a firm squeeze before pulling back as well. "What's up, cowboy?" she chided, adopting a similar accent briefly.
If it weren't for Cruz's throaty growl of contentment, Anita might have gotten lost in the reunion, but her vibrantly green charge brought her back to the present. "So, guys," she started innocently enough, holding her hand out to the young crocodile which he took and was gently pulled from Vivi's grasp to face them both. "I'd like you to meet Cruz. Cruz, this is Vivi and Shepard," she gestured to them both respectfully, turning her gaze to his as she grinned hard, "They've got a raevan on the way, too."
At this, he released another, somewhat louder reptilian snarl escape his throat. However intimidating it may have sounded, the look of unadulterated childish excitement across his face belied it completely. Even the sharp teeth lining his gums were somehow rendered playful instead of dangerous through his excitement. Without wasting another moment, he floated closer to Vivi and extended both of his hands, urging her to take them, "Viv," he grumbled pleasantly with a firm smile, turning to Shepard and giving an acknowledging nod, "Shep." Any friends as warm and affectionate as these two seemed to be towards Anita were surely friends of his as well, there was no doubt about that in his mind. "Good," he affirmed, giving Vivi's hands a gentle shake.
"I wish you guy had gotten to meet sooner. He was at the Halloween party but everything was just so busy," she chuckled, remembering their goofy costume pairing and Shepard's cowboy get up. He would never live that one down.
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 7:13 pm
"So this's the croc," Shepard said in a considering tone, inclining his head slightly and lifting his eyebrows. Cruz was not what he'd expected -- what had he expected? Something reptilian and cold, something with unblinking, slit-pupiled eyes, he guessed, if he'd expected anything -- but certainly not someone warm and excitable and eager as this. Cruz matched Anita somehow, had inherited some of that laughter from which she seemed to be made. It was all in his demeanor: the Frei had teeth, but did not seem to want to bite. He seemed to want to hug Vivi instead.
And Vivi wanted to absolutely envelop him right back! She took Cruz's offered hands, unafraid of the Frei's sharp nails against her palms. She smiled broadly to Anita and then to Cruz, her eyes bright. Cruz was -- was adorable, green like Eiry but somehow more vivid, breathing, full of living glee. He was all angles and teeth but there was nothing to him that communicated harm, even in his snarls. Perhaps it was the mistletoe's luck that had rolled all the die in his favor when he was being formed in the Lab. He could have been cold and cold-blooded, cold like the winter and rough like the old croc, but instead he was -- this.
"Good, yes!" Vivi laughed, squeezing the Frei's hands gently. "Cruz, you are very good. Tres bon, oui."
"Well, she obviously thinks he's a beaut," Shepard chuckled to Anita, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can't disagree. Congrats."
"Ah, but I do not forgive you for hiding him at Halloween!" Vivi chimed in, looking over her shoulder to Shepard and then returning her gaze to Cruz. "Where were you then, little cabbage?"
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:33 am
"This's the croc," Anita confirmed with a wry grin, tucking her hands into her hoody pockets and standing next to Shepard while Vivi and Cruz busied themselves with one another. The two were completely enthralled, it seemed, and the crocodile wasted little time once he understood the contact from the French woman was positive to begin gently swinging their arms to and fro. If he had hips, they would have been swaying and soon the two were in a mock dance of sorts, lead by the croc himself, as he raised their arms up and lightly spun Vivi.
Neither of them could stop smiling. It was a fairly natural expression for both of them but there was just something terribly infectious about the atmosphere of the bakery and, indeed, Vivi herself that made it near impossible for the smiling to stop.
Anita responded to Shepard's congrats with a nudge to his side from her shoulder. "Congrats yourself, you guys are on your way to being parents," she chuckled, bringing a hand quickly to her mouth to try and cover it but it was no use. There was a certain impression she had gotten from the two that spurred the comment on, a sense that the two of them were a couple, and now was as good a time as any to poke fun at her friend's for what they were getting themselves into.
The term 'parent' wasn't really something she saw herself as in the situation of a Raevan and Cruz appeared to feel the same way. He knew that her mom was a parent and that, as far as caretaker to a younger and more naive individual, it was a similar situation, yet he refrained from using the word 'mom' in regards to Anita. There was some sort of unspoken understanding that the situation was different, but it wasn't something that bothered either party and they were fine as they were on a level of mutual respect that didn't require superfluous titles. At least, that was how it felt to her... If that had crossed the frei's mind in the slightest, she would never know.
Cruz's smile grew curious when Vivi mentioned Halloween and his small, scaled wings fluttered slightly as memories of that day seeped back into his mind. "Cabbage?" he repeated with a throaty chuckle, not knowing what a cabbage was but finding the word positively adorable when spoken from the Viv woman. Where was he during Halloween that he did not meet these two was the question, yes? He did not need but a second to recollect the events, but the words to explain were a might trickier for him to gather. For a few moments, he scrunched up his face in concentration before raising his head proudly and announced;
"Kissing Prrashnaa~"
Anita's face dropped from one of amusement to one of embarrassment before she covered her face with her hands. That was what they were doing!? Well, it was all right from Cruz's end so long as Prajna had accepted, but even with it being his source of nutrition it was something of a mortifying situation for Anita. Maybe she was too much of a prude. "Th-that's," she started mumbling before raising her head and keeping a hand on her brow, pulling her bangs out of her eyes which unintentionally showed off the flushed color of her cheeks even more, "It's how he eats... You know." She forced a laugh, the awkwardness of the situation coming to a head when she realized she was probably the only one thoroughly vexed by the concept of her charge's food source.
Cruz gazed at his guardian, bemused by her sudden change in demeanor, but the short laugh reassured him things were fine. "Kissing is good," he purred, gently squeezing Vivi's hands with joy.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 6:10 pm
"Parents," Shepard repeated incredulously, his eyes sliding to Anita from watching Vivi and Cruz's sway-dance. "No, no --" He uncrossed his arms and made a sort of 'stop' motion, palms out. "No, no, no, no. Not parents." A strange, helpless smile ghosted briefly over his lips. "No way. Don't think I could sell it to ... whoever we get, fer one." He straightened to his full height, and put on a mock-serious expression, eyebrows knit.
"Yeh, daughter," he said in an overly-sage voice, (for Shepard was certain the dawn Raevan would, after all, be a little lady), "Let's go out an' -- an' throw some ball. Nah, I used to have wings, I just -- shed 'em -- after I turned twenty. C'mere and let me tell yeh about how to grow legs." His shoulders dropped back to their usual posture, and Shepard shook his head. "Don' think so. Thinkin' of this more as a -- ah -- foreign exchange student, I guess, yeh?" He nudged Anita with his elbow. "Or does Cruz call yeh 'mum'?"
Vivi, meanwhile, swayed happily with Cruz, twirling under his direction. As for her own thoughts on Raevan 'parenthood', she had never even considered the notion that she might be considered her Raevan's 'mother.' She had every intention of telling the Frei very early on where he or she had come from -- that his or her parents were the dawn and the stag, and that she herself was only there as a guide. A resource, rather than a parent. The very notion that someone in the near future might refer to her as 'mama' would have made Vivi erupt in laughter.
But at that moment, Vivi was not interested in Shepard and Anita's conversation -- not when there was Cruz to be enthralled with.
"Kissing Prashna?" Vivi repeated, her eyes full of curiousity. "Ooh, that sounds lovely -- is Prashna someone you have a crush on? Should you not be with Prashna on a day like today, little cabbage?"
That line of thought, however, would have to wait. Anita offered a much more interesting -- if unexpected -- explanation to this young-love-smooching action. Kisses! Feeding from kisses? Well, it made sense... and Vivi had to admit that most people seemed to function better when they were being kissed on a relatively frequent basis...
"So, it is that you feed from the kisses?" Vivi whirled back around toward Cruz with a laugh, her smile now impish. "They are good, the kisses -- may I give you one? Do you allow such impertinence from your new friend?"
Shepard groaned, squinting one eye in a show of mild embarrassment."Vivi, that's probably kind of --"
"Ah, I am sorry, I forget the Shepard thinks kisses are a secret thing! Perhaps it is that Anita or Cruz would mind an innocent kiss?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:48 am
Shepard's immediate dismissal of the title only made Anita chuckle harder, but she clamped a hand over her mouth and quieted down as he searched for the words to explain his and Vivi's views on the matter. It was a fair worry, but perhaps the Shepard was thinking too far into the matter as far as lying about the genetics and adoption process involved. A lot of adopted kids thought of their foster parents as their real parents, biology not withstanding, so she supposed it was possible for a Raevan to do the same to its guardian.
The imagery he was painting was laughable, but at the mention of 'daughter' Anita's eyes lit up. They knew what gender it was going to be? How exciting! It had taken quite a while before she knew poor Cruz's gender, and his time in the tank was extensive. As Shep wrapped up, she opened her mouth to ask about their Raevan, still nestled in its tank, but then he came at her with just as ludicrous a notion.
"No," she practically spat, but there was still a remaining laugh on her voice, which she kept lowered, "No, he prefers 'Nita. Less syllables are easier, I think." Glancing back to Vivi and Cruz, she couldn't stop grinning despite herself. It was kind of relieving, she had to admit, that he didn't try to call her mom. Made things a bit less official, a little less stressful, even if it was just a title at that point.
The frei's green eyes were alight with joy as Vivi humored him and continued speaking with her completely enrapturing voice. She seemed justifiably interested and excited in the prospect of kissing -- lovely she said! Anita had never recalled kissing with any sort of fondness, and in truth her mother was sort of in the same mindset as her daughter but was at least more open to cheek and forehead kisses. Those were good snacks. Vivi, however, seemed completely open to the prospect and this was decidedly unusual for the croc.
And decidedly wonderful.
Her next question caused his dancing to slow somewhat as he pondered the meaning of her words. Cruz's gaze cast down toward Vivi's feet and his mouth hung open in thought until he snapped back to attention, looking somewhat concerned. "I do not crush Prashnaa. Not hurt." It seemed the meaning was lost on him, but he smiled fondly at her next inquiry, "Like to see Prashnaa. Prashnaa..." he trailed off, trying to find the precise words to describe its personality and their relationship.
From Cruz's side there was a definite infatuation, but whether it was romantic or not was hard to tell. There was nothing about kisses in Cruz's mind that meant anything more meaningful than food, and it was Anita's fear that Prajna was not aware of this and was being unintentionally lead on.
The words could not come to him, and he went quiet to allow Vivi room to speak again. With the topic back to kisses, he grinned heartily. "The kisses, good," he reiterated with a rumble, grinning broadly. At Vivi's offer, however, Cruz and Anita both stopped what they were doing and gaped.
She was offering?
The reptilian frei's face became brighter than a Christmas bulb at the very idea, while Anita's sunk into her palms. Shepard's discouragement of the idea was somewhat welcomed, at least for her, but Cruz offered him and his caretaker a pleading look. Never before had anyone offered! The frei's hands clutched Vivi's close, silently imploring her for such an act, while Anita let out a groan of her own.
"What do you say, Cruz?" she huffed, removing her hands from her face with an embarrassed smile.
Only a moment's pause impeded his answer, and his brow quirked until he remembered the magic word and leaned in close to Vivi's face so their noses were touching. "Please?" What a wide and ecstatic grin!
Once more, Anita laughed despite herself and shook her head. Running her fingers through her hair, she turned back to Shep and tried to ignore the slight flush in her cheeks. "Well, parents or not, you guys are an interesting couple."
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 8:18 pm
And he'd even said please! What a charming little gentleman this crocodile was, clothed in teeth and grumblings that only served to make his bright cheerfulness all the more endearing. He had misunderstood her word 'crush', but Vivi remembered misunderstanding it similarly the first time she'd come across it, and still felt that the word made little sense, considering. But there was no call to go and correct him now, not when he was so eager to be kissed. And his smile, his smile was infectious. Who could say no to him while looking at it? Vivi would have kissed him at that point with or without Anita's consent -- she could see that Anita shared Shepard's philosophy regarding the privateness of kisses.
With a pleased laugh, Vivi inclined her head forward and planted a series of small kisses against Cruz's lips, her hands still linked with his. She was perhaps just as thrilled as Cruz to find someone was open and comfortable with physical affection as she was.
On the other hand, if someone had walked over to Shepard Ryan right then and poured a bucket of spiders over his head, he could not have been any more uncomfortable than he was now. He gaped helplessly at Vivi as she began to kiss this Raevan -- this hitherto completely unknown to her Raevan -- in front of Anita and the entire bakery. And then there was Anita, and yeah, yup, he needed to respond to her somehow in some way where he wouldn't have to disclose any of his and Vivi's shared past and, well, this was all terrible and awkward.
"Oh, nope," Shepard said, gesturing to the Frenchwoman and clearing his suddenly-dry throat. "Not -- not parents and not a couple." He lifted one hand and rubbed the shell of his ear, willing Vivi to step away from the Raevan she had just met. He shook his head and let out a faint laugh, trying to shake off his discomfort. "And if we were, I think I'd have just lost her to yer Croc, anyway, eh? Heartbreaker, that one."
As Vivi pulled away from Cruz, she could not help but break out into another smile. Some of her lipstick had smudged itself onto Cruz's mouth as she had kissed him, giving him the sort of heartbreaker look that Shepard had just ascribed him.
"Ah, oh no!" The Frenchwoman said with some amusement, leaning over to grab a napkin from the nearby table and dab it against Cruz's lips. "I should perhaps have taken off my lipstick first, I see! But it is not too bad a thing to have on one's face..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:09 pm
What Cruz had expected from the exuberant woman after she agreed was a simple, if not prolonged, peck. Instead, he was surprised by many. The frei closed his eyes, trying not to smile through his pursed lips but it was difficult. Vivi's kisses tickled slightly, but with each one a deep warmth radiated from their point of contact and seeped into his skin, beneath it, working its way down through his entire body until the energy settled gently in his rune and caused its light to brighten. As her lips worked against his, each one having a moment of broken contact only for it to be renewed, he couldn't help but let out a sound of pleasure comparable to a purr. His fingers tightened gently around hers, as if pulling her closer, silently asking for more.
By this point, Anita had decided to completely turn around so her back was both to Vivi and Cruz as well as standing backwards beside Shepard. Her hands were in her pockets and her eyes cast towards the ceiling, an awkward smile planted on her face while pink rose to her cheeks with each kiss and giggle.
Brow scrunching in confusion but not allowing her mostly forced smile to falter, Anita inclined her head slightly towards Shepard so she could hear every word after his simple "oh, nope". Not a couple. That was... surprising, to say the least. Without meaning to, she let out a thoughtful hmm... sound and her eyes scanned Shep's back for a brief moment before he began speaking again. Laughing clumsily, she moved her hands from her front pockets to the rear and leaned back a little so she could grin at Shepard and try to distract them both. "He's good at that, huh?" she tried to tease, attempting to add a hint of sultriness to her voice but the awkward position she was in coupled with her goofy grin put a damper on any seriousness her tone could have held.
"Well now I'm embarrassed. I thought you guys were together this whole time," letting herself relax with this distracting new information, Anita looked back up at the ceiling and chewed her lip. It gave her face time to calm as well, the flush color returning to pale peach. "Is it just a friend, business partner, roomate thing, then? Stop me if I'm getting too nosy."
When Vivi pulled away, Cruz's lips attempted to follow but when he only hit air he opened his eyes and gave a bit of a pout -- which only looked funnier with the lipstick on his face. Her sudden but amused cry caused him to straighten up, only to scrunch his face when she began dabbing at his lips with the napkin. Between wipes, Cruz's tongue escaped to lick his chops, accidentally taking some of the lipstick with it which only made his face scrunch up even more. "Vivb--" his lips slipped, interrupted by more wiping until he let out a short grumble and gently took her hand, "I will get."
Taking the napkin from her hand, he folded it between both of his and pressed it firmly to his mouth before giving the surrounding area a clean and solid swipe. She had already done a good job of removing most of it, but save for a small bit of pink tint they wouldn't be able to do anything about without water, the rest was now caked to one side of the napkin and Cruz looked down at it triumphantly. "Thank you for kisses, Vivi," the frei gazed back at her with satisfied eyes, content as a baby who just finished their bottle.
Snapping back up to her normal posture quickly and whirling around, Anita locked eyes with Cruz. "Crap, we still have to get cards. I don't mean to cut this short or anything but--"
"Why not they come too?"
Anita chewed her lip again, bravado cut short, and glanced up at Shepard beside her. "...You guys free? Lunchbreak or anything?" It couldn't hurt to ask and it'd be a damn sight more polite than outright telling Cruz no or giving them the offer.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:02 pm
Shepard made an attempt to look less uncomfortable than he was, unclenching his jaw and consciously un-furrowing his brow. His shoulders were still tight and his mouth was still dipped in a scowl, and he shifted his weight as he watched the scene. Distantly, he noted that Cruz's rune grew brighter with every expression of Vivi's affection, and his mind, still numb with discomfort, croaked out a thought: wow, he really does feed from this, doesn't he? What did that make this, exactly? A sandwich? Was he getting this uncomfortable from viewing what was practically a sandwich?
"Mm?" He turned slightly toward Anita as she spoke to him, shaking himself out of his reverie. Her questions took some tension out of his shoulders -- a distraction from the public displays of ... cheese crackers...
"Oh, yeh, all of the above, I guess?" The Aussie shrugged lightly, his expression softening into a grin. "She saved m'life once, add that to the list. So I'm kind of stuck here, y'know, life of servitude and cookies. That's the law in the circus."
Vivi could not help but smile as she watched the crocodile wipe his lips and thank her for her kisses. He was exhilarating! He was absolute magic and she was taken with him. She wanted to kiss him again. What a good thing it was, she thought, that Cruz had not been born to her. He would have been fat, quite fat, and only fatter as time went on. No, no -- it was better in the sensible Anita's hands. Vivi reached forward and took the frei's hand, squeezing it warmly.
"Cheri, you will get them any time you wish! It is a pleasure, of course," she said, her smile mirroring his contentedness.
Crap, we still have to get cards. I don't mean to cut this short or anything but--"
"Ah, no worries--" Shepard began, but his words were cut short as Cruz's simple request came out. His eyebrows lifted again, this time not in discomfort or disbelief, but rather in a considering expression -- they did have the time just now, and going out with Anita and her smooch-machine would be a welcome reprieve from the bakery's surroundings... unending surroundings of dates and dates and more dates and the occasional sad lonely cupcake eater. And Anita, she was good company if Vivi decided to spend the afternoon suppling... ice cream cones... He looked at Vivi and gave a few shallow nods.
"Oh, would you mind? I would not impose on your time together, but it would be lovely!" Vivi spoke up for them both, her face lighting with pleasure, her palms coming together, fingers lacing. "It has been too long since we have seen you! How lovely that you came today of all days, non? A perfect holiday for this one."
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:07 pm
Yes. Shepard was embarrassed by a sandwich.
If Anita had heard his internal monologue, she would have been rolling with laughter. As she hadn't, instead she listened intently to his explanation -- eyes widening accordingly when he mentioned Vivi saving his life. Unfortunately, that story would have to wait until later as the realization about the cards came and went. Cruz's interest in keeping close to the two of them (or perhaps just Vivi) caught Anita off guard and perhaps Shepard too.
On the other hand, Vivi seemed interested in the prospect and spoke for the both of them. She caught the quick, subtle nod of agreement from Shep out of the corner of her eye and scoffed quietly, grinning. They were so nice, the both of them.
"I don't mind at all, as long as it's cool with you guys," she shrugged animatedly, waving her hands out.
In response, Cruz drew closer to Vivi and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, nuzzling excitedly against her cheek. It was a good gesture, both for the body heat she gave off and the comfort it brought. He liked Vivi; she was so much more free with herself than Anita was. Though his guardian would give him hugs and hold his hand and truly meant her affection behind them, they were very simplistic gestures to him. In point of fact, as far as Cruz was concerned, the more physical contact between others the better but he understood boundaries. Sometimes people simply did not want to be touched and that was the mutual vibe he read from his guardian but the Shepard in particular.
Anita laughed at Vivi's remark. "Yeah, this and Christmas--" at her mention of the delightful holiday, Cruz perked up and released a throaty rumble as he stared at her, cheek lightly pressed against Vivi's, "--are probably his favorites. Right?"
"Yee-ees..." he purred in a low voice, pleased by her deduction.
"Well, let's hurry then. I don't wanna hold you guys up," Anita turned, grinning, and gave Shepard a playful whap at his chest with the back of her hand before tucking both into her pockets and heading for the door. She turned, pushing and holding it open with her rear end so she could smirk at them as they made their way out the door. All the while, Cruz kept in close proximity to the French woman, draping himself over her casually. His weight as barely detectable from floating, just the presence of his arms as he trailed after her like a humanoid scarf.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:06 am
"Ahhh, of course he would love the Christmas!" Vivi reached up to touch Cruz's other cheek gently with her fingertips, affectionate. "With such color and decoration, and the beloved mistletoe for the kisses, mm? It is the very holiday for this one."
As Vivi spoke, Shepard took a quick detour to the back of the store, reaching behind the register to pull their coats off a nearby peg. He and Vivi were both very much dressed for the indoors, and the walk to the stationary store, though short, would soon suck all that precious body heat Cruz was leeching right out of the Frenchwoman. He shrugged into his own clean-cut, no frills grey jacket, lined with a hoodie, and held out Vivi's tailored, ruffled red peacoat.
"Oi," he said, trying to get the woman's attention as he untangled his hood one-handed from his jacket collar. When that didn't work, he shot Anita a flat, amused look and tried again. "Vivi, don't mean to embarrass you, but y'got a little somethin' on yer cheek..."
"Ah, do I?" Vivi turned, Cruz in tow, a look of mock surprise on her face. Her hand on Cruz's jaw fumbled as though trying to find something, touching his neck and ear and bangs. "Yes, I can feel it -- it feels -- oh! Is it something very handsome?" She laughed and turned and kissed the crocodile frei on the cheek, then slipped away from him. "Un moment, little cabbage."
Taking the garment from Shepard, Vivi pulled on her coat, the bright, blood-colored lining of the fabric flashing as she flipped it quickly to thread her arms through it. She barely buttoned one of its many buttons when she then beckoned back the frei, sidling close to him with a sweet smile. She was charmed by Cruz's easy nature and simple happiness in touch, and was more than happy to oblige him every moment she could. He was not physically warm naturally, she could tell, and it made things exceedingly simple for her. He needed warmth; she had warmth, and she wanted to share it with him.
"That's a high compliment right there, Croc," Shepard said as he made his way out the bakery door, holding it with one hand and bumping Anita away with a grin. "Usually takes a good two minutes to put on that damn coat."
"Ah, the Shepard, does he not think we make a thrilling pair? Green and red, like the favorite Christmas, n'est pas? Such an effect is worth hurrying for, I think! And we must get Lady Anita her cards with some quickness, besides -- she must have them delivered before the day is done, no?"
Shepard laughed a helpless laugh, his breath going white in the February cold. He took another step out to let the Raevan-human fused pair pass and lead the way, falling back to walk with Anita. "Tha's right, gotta get yer cards. Forgot a few boyfriends in the list, did yeh?"
"The Shepard forgets, Anita is the one who breaks the hearts and slays the dragons! She has now many she must give the cards to," Vivi called behind her cheerily.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:31 am
At the French woman's touch, Cruz moved closer to her fingers, embracing the contact with equal affection. His movements were strangely akin to a cat seeking out touch, demanding pets, but the croc merely took it as it came and when her hand receded he returned his cheek to hers with an appreciative mumble. "All the kisses..." he grinned, eyes closed as he enjoyed Vivi's warmth and her petite form in his arms. When Shepard called out with his simple Oi, Cruz's eyes opened and landed upon him. He tilted his head, uncertain of the man's warning to the woman in his arms, but when she reached back up and began feeling for the something, her fingers only touched him and his grin turned into quiet bubbles of laughter and wriggling.
Just like that, though, she slipped away and Cruz hovered a little lower, hands held aloft as if ready to take her back at a moment's notice. Anita couldn't help but laugh, they were so silly and adorable -- even Shep who tried to keep a rough outer exterior.
"Compliment?" Cruz thought about the word, glanced to Anita who gave him a quick nod, and then he smiled to both of them, "Thank you." Once he was given the go ahead, the croc wasted no time in draping himself back over Vivi. The fabric of her coat was a wonderfully soft addition, not to mention it seemed to soak up heat on its own and keep it, which only assisted his own temperature. The way Vivi spoke, Cruz sometimes felt lost but the sound of her voice and the way she threaded words together was so entrancing and fanciful, it was like a nicely wrapped gift all its own!
While Vivi and her scaly scarf lead, Anita turned herself away from the door to let it close behind them once Shepard was out and she walked beside him with her hands shoved into her pockets. His question, though clearly a tease, only caused her to let out a quick snerk and lower her head in embarrassment. Their companion's quick reply offered her some time to recover from being caught off guard and she grinned sheepishly, eyes concentrated on the row of stores to their left rather than either of their eyes.
"She's right about one thing, anyway," Anita chuckled, bangs messily hiding her eyes from Shep's heightened gaze, "It's just a couple cards for friends and family. I don't have any admirers."
A curious rumble vibrated through Cruz's throat against Vivi's shoulder. Giving her cheek a slight rub with his own, he kept his voice low and quiet from his closeness to her ear but there was a distinctly perplexed tone in his voice. "Break hearts? Slay dragons?" He knew what a dragon was -- vaguely -- but he definitely knew what a heart was and that to break one was something bad. Surely his Anita had never broken any hearts! She was not the type to do something as cruel as that.
As they walked, they passed a couple holding hands and Cruz's attentions perked up to gaze at them when they leaned in and gave each other a quick peck. A rush of warmth overtook his rune, however small, and he let out a pleasant but surprised sigh against Vivi's neck. "Vivi..." his words curled against her exposed flesh before he moved, burying his face gently in her hair, "If is Velumtimes, why not the Shep and Neeta are kissing?" It seemed as if everyone this day was into physical affection, save for those two trailing behind.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:23 am
"No admirers?" Vivi scoffed, and seemed about to continue when Cruz repeated her phrases perplexedly in her ear. She turned just slightly toward him, nodding as well as she could with a crocodile wrapped around her shoulders. She smiled, completely unaware of his confusion regarding the cruelty of breaking hearts. "But yes, you do not know? She is quite gallant, your Anita."
"Cards for friends and fam? Yer nicer than we are. Don't think either of us've bought a Valentine's card since..." Shepard looked up, brow furrowing, trying to recall the last time he made or purchased a card for the holiday in question. There were presents, certainly -- you couldn't get away without buying presents -- but when had he bought someone he wasn't interested in a card? Really, when he thought about it, a card of any sort? He was getting lazy...
A dim picture of a fifth grade boy, slowly ripping thin red cardboard cards down a weak perforation, rose in his mind. Had it really been that long?
"... christ, it's been a damn while," he finished, scrubbing his fingers through his copper hair and shaking his head.
His words were cut into by Vivi's sudden pleased, ringing laughter. Cruz had said something to her that caused her to sneak a quick look back at him, her eyes devious and a little too amused for Shepard to feel wholly comfortable. She tilted her head back toward the Raevan and spoke, too low for him to hear.
"... that's never good." he mumbled, eyes darkening, more to himself than to Anita.
"There are some people who think the kisses, they are private things! Only for certain people and special times, you know?" Vivi hummed quietly. "Your Anita, she is not fond of giving out the kisses, this much I know -- and the Shepard, he requires to have many drinks or a closed door! The Velumtimes, they are not a holiday for the Shepard."
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