[PRP] Walk-Ins Welcome

[Logue]

Who: Yves, Anita, Cruz (+Tango)
Where: The Pet Parlor, Yves' grooming salon in Durem.
When: Just after noon, a mild Wednesday.
Weather: Sunny, but with clouds on the horizon, carried by a somewhat strong and cold wind.

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The Pet Parlor. Lunch hour caused the streets of downtown Durem to buzz with traffic, but the grooming salon was unaffected, a quiet and calm atmosphere. Yves swept hair off of the floor, humming along to the low tune of the radio.

Most appointments had been booked fairly early; opening at 8 meant he had already been there for some time, and had seen to a few pets in need of trims, baths, nails, the works. His stomach had reminded him an hour ago that he needed to eat, but the longer he worked, the more he forgot to tend to his own needs. Rocking back on his heels, hands clasped over the top of the broom, Yves stared outside and wondered when the last time he had used the bathroom was.

A lack of appointments didn't always mean a lack of business. Underneath the shop's name, which was printed in bold, clear lettering on the window, was another line: Walk-Ins Welcome. He usually had an employee with him during the busier hours, and most of the help he'd hired didn't live too far and would come in, if called. They were a small business, but Yves had started it without worries of debts, thanks to his grandparents. He was comfortable here, and he liked offering part time jobs to students and aspiring veterinarians or groomers.

He rolled up his sleeve and checked his watch. His help for the day, Claire, had been told to take a long lunch since the bulk of the day's appointments were done early. She'd probably return at about two, unless he told her to simply go home before then. After all, he was only open until four.

Sweeping the hair into a neat pile, Yves gathered it into a dust pan and tossed it. He clapped his hands together to clear them of any hair or dust, lips pressed into a firm line.

"Well, all clean," he said aloud, surveying his work. He missed his dog, and cat. Sometimes, he brought them to work, but not terribly often. They behaved around the customers, but there would always be that dog that ticked Peanut right off, or Bubs would get so bored he'd try to bolt every time the door opened. They at least gave him something to talk to in these slow hours. He grimaced. His habit of talking to himself would hopefully be remedied with the arrival of his child. He blinked. Raevan. His Raevan.

Well, they were basically children, weren't they? Applying the term "child" to his upcoming project was daunting, to say the least. And his soul bottle was there, behind the counter, where he always kept it when at work. He was scared to leave it alone, really. It just seemed best to have it with him, just... just in case.

He bit his lip, then bee-lined for the next task. Sometimes things would be knocked out of place by nervous animals, and he usually found a couple magazines on the floor every couple of hours or so.

The tinkling of the door caused him to turn, magazines in hand, and a broad smile crossed his face. "Bonjour, mademoiselle," he called, lining the magazines and stacking them neatly on the counter. "How may I help you?"

ex o ex Snoof

 

[Snoofington]

The weather had certainly taken a sharp spike into chilled within the last month. September had been well sprinkled with rain and chilly days but October was turning out to be downright blustery. Cruz was bundled as best he could, with a green hoody beneath one of Minerva's thicker coats, gloves, and a red scarf wrapped around his neck and his face so only his eyes were visible. His skin had paled considerably since the summer, no longer the warm bronze of July and August -- he and his guardian were almost equally pale.

He clung to Anita's shoulders with his head buried against her neck so she could act as a wind breaker. She was similarly bundled, with a long hooded jacket, a green scarf (that she chose not to cover her face with) and gloves with a simple pair of jeans and sneakers. Beside them, Tango was sporting an orange, brown, and white bandanna with pumpkin patterns. Anita held his leash and rolled it up as they entered, to keep him close. The three of them shook off the cold and Anita gave an audible shiver as they were pleasantly greeted.

"Hi," she laughed, cheeks and nose quite rosy from the cold. On her shoulder, Cruz adjusted his head enough to peek around Anita's head at Yves. "We don't have an appointment," Anita smiled apologetically, "Do you have any openings?"

Logue

 

[Logue]

"Openings?" He tilted his head to the side, eyeing both woman and dog. When his gaze drifted to the floating figure behind them, his eyes about popped out of his head; he blinked rapidly to contain himself.

Whoa. That was embarrassing. Yves scratched his cheek and crossed the room to formally greet them. First, address the business, then try not to ask eight hundred questions or stare for too long at the wonderfully green gentleman. "Oui! I am not expecting appointments the rest of the day, actually. It will be my pleasure to help you. But first..."

Kneeling down, Yves rocked back on his heels and sized up the pooch who, already adorable enough, seemed to wear his bandanna quite well. He only glanced up and toward the green man once before giving the dog his enthusiastic focus. "Who is this little gentleman? Looking very sharp, monsieur, very chic!"

Green man. Floating green man.

His brow furrowed, but quickly snapped back to his pleasant expression. He had, of course, done research on the Lab. He had learned that the process began with a vial and bottle, and what would come of it would not be a full person, at first. Despite this, he had not been prepared to see one so... close.

Not that there was anything entirely unusual about the man that floated before him, clinging to the shoulders of who he assumed was his guardian. He just lacked a stomach, and... legs. His mind raced to form a battle plan: he would take care of the dog and whatever they needed, and would hopefully be able to turn his generally mindless, polite chatter into talk of Lab 305 without offending the raevan that was right there with them. They weren't objects or something to gawk at, but he was just so curious. It was literally killing him not to burst into a flurry of questions, but he kept himself composed.

Yves ruffled the dog's neck and made a silly face. Satisfied, he stood and clapped his hands together.

"Well! I believe he is sufficiently soft, cuddly, and adorable. Now, I will stop being rude and introduce myself. My name is Yves, and I am the owner of this establishment." He dipped slightly at the waist in a small, but polite, bow. "What services are you looking for, today?"

ex o ex Snoof

 

[Snoofington]

Though the employee's look didn't go unnoticed by Anita, it was also something that she was used to; there were plenty of unique and interesting things to gawk at all across this particular continent but for humans it seemed like raevans were still top of the chart. She paid the reaction no mind and smiled at the otherwise warm confirmation. Behind her, Cruz worked on warming his exposed fingers. He wrung his hands and breathed on them but it didn't offer quite the same relief as a warm blooded person's breath. For that moment, the frei was oblivious and otherwise occupied.

"Glad to hear it," she said as the man approached.

The wolfhound leaned forward to give Yves several curious sniffs. Not surprising when the guy probably smelled like a baker's dozen different dog breeds today alone. It was only when Yves directly addressed Tango that the mistletoe raevan directed his attention. The accent he was using reminded him of the Petits and it made Cruz smile. "Tango," he responded before his guardian could, "he's a good boy."

Anita laughed quietly and ran a hand over her face. In that time, Yves rose and began a proper introduction. "The owner," she repeated with a polite dip of her head, "nice to meet you. I think just a thorough shampooing today. Tango's been running through gardens more often, lately."

Floating from behind his guardian, Cruz reached down to scratch Tango behind the ears. The raevan giggled. "He's got muddy paws."

Logue

 

[Logue]

A broad smile crossed onto Yves' face, and he raised his brows at Tango when the mention of gardens came up. "Oui! My little Peanut also enjoys running through gardens, especially when they are well maintained, no?" He turned and gestured with a slight nod toward the back. "Well, a wash it is, then! You both are more than welcome to join us in the back."

The dog bath was set up in the back, behind the counter, as a way to keep the animals from stressing the moment they entered the grooming salon. The mere sight of a bath sent Peanut into a quivering, shaking fit, and Bubs would simply disappear as soon as the thought of bathing him entered Yves' mind. Tango seemed like a friendly dog, though, although Yves had to remind himself not to be too distracted by the floating gentleman nearby. Was he a raevan? Yves had never seen one in person, and Gaia was a strange place, so anything was possible, really.

Yves reached for the leash and waited for permission to take it before leading Tango back toward the bath. "Alright, monsieur, up we go," he hummed, helping Tango up and into the bath. He clucked his tongue. "My goodness, you certainly had some fun today, hm? We will get you washed up with just enough time to run through one more garden for the day." He winked at Anita and reached for the sprayer. "Just kidding. That's a lame dog joke, huh, Tango?"

Making sure the water was at an acceptable temperature, Yves began wetting Tango's fur. As he worked, he glanced toward Anita, and then Cruz. Finally, he sucked in a breath and smiled at them. "You know, I am so sorry, but I cannot stop looking at the two of you. I... I have to ask, do you... are you affiliated with Lab 305?" He blushed at having to be so blunt; if he were wrong, he would probably look very strange. But it was even stranger of him to keep staring, so he sighed inwardly with relief at finally getting it out. He hated to put the green-haired gentleman on the spot and didn't intend for him to feel awkward, either.

He gave Tango a scratch on the neck as he continued to spray him down. He really was a good dog, and already much more cooperative than his own little hellion. "Er, and forgive me, but I am rude for not asking for either of your names," he added, giving them an apologetic smile.

ex o ex snoof

 

[Snoofington]

At the mention of one small Peanut, Cruz and Anita exchanged smiling glances; the frei chuckled and repeated the name once under his breath (to Tango specifically, who wagged his tail) while Anita thanked Yves and followed along with croc and hound in tow. The bath in here was certainly larger than any Cruz had seen except in magazines and movies but it was very different from what he was used to -- this was the first time he had helped with bringing Tango to the groomer's.

Yves was given the leash without issue and, for the moment, Tango didn't seem bothered by the tub or its implications. He panted, tongue lolling, but otherwise he was a calm muddy pup. Anita assisted by holding onto Tango's leash and bandanna once they were removed to keep them out of Yves' way while he worked.

"I'm sure he'll want to anyway," Anita teased right along with Yves' joke.

Once the bath started, Tango tensed some; it was a curious uncertainty more than fear or distress, as he kept turning his head to try and see exactly what Yves was doing and where. The wolfhound's tail stopped its casual swaying and he shifted slightly on his paws, as if to follow along with the grooming movements. Anita was the first one to notice Yves' staring, as Cruz was busy looking around the room and giggling at Tango. She smiled at him the first time she caught sight of it, a little more awkwardly the next, then laughed when Yves finally asked.

"We are, actually," she glanced to Cruz, who nodded his confirmation.

Before she could introduce them both, the frei took it upon himself. "Cruz, and this is Nita."

"Anita," she corrected with a small chuckle, "I'm sorry, are you affiliated? I don't remember seeing your name on the call sheet." Under her breath, she wondered if maybe hers was out of date.

Logue

OMG I'M SO SORRY I TOOK FOREVER HI CRIES

 

[Logue]

"That's a good boy," Yves hummed under his breath, pausing in his drenching only long enough to give Tango an appreciative and light scritch between the ears. He seemed to be taking the bath well, which was a relief since bigger dogs had... well, size on their side. Peanut would only stand in the bath and shake until he was done and one hundred percent dry. Sometimes for even longer after that. There was no pleasing Peanut.

Anita's reactions to his staring hadn't gone unnoticed, and Yves felt himself blush, his telling shade of scarlet. "I'm so sorry for being rude like that," he stammered, making a point to say it both to Anita and to Cruz. No one liked being stared at. Except models. Were either of them models?

Yves sucked in a quiet breath. "Auhm, but to answer your question, yes, I was just recently approved for guardianship. Very, very recently, actually."

Yves gave her an awkward smile before ducking to grab the dog shampoo, holding it up to squint at the label. He held it out before Tango. "Monsieur Tango, does this work for you?"

Chuckling at himself, Yves set to work applying and lathering the shampoo, working it into his fur in easy strokes. He always considered the lathering part to also be a quick dog massage, which he hoped Tango was down for. Confident that he could take his eyes off the well-behaved dog for another moment, he gave Cruz a shy glance, as if thinking.

"I hope I did not offend you, Cruz. I just... I'm very new at this, and..." He gestured in the air, helplessly. "But I am very pleased to meet both of you. And Tango, too. He is being so good."

ex o ex Snoof

LMAO I didn't even see the notification that you had quoted me so I AM ALSO SORRY FOR TAKING FOREVER lmaooo

 

[Snoofington]

Yves' heartfelt and bashful apology only made the air around them ease up a little more as Anita gave a soft laugh again and shook her head. It wasn't a big deal; Cruz did get a lot of stares, especially early on, and though the numbers of raevans had increased exponentially since she first became affiliated there were still only a sparse few compared to Gaia's population at large.

"That's it," Anita nodded, "If it happened recently then the updated sheets might not have been sent out yet." That made her feel a little better.

At the offered bottle of shampoo, Tango leaned closer to sniff at it curiously. Though he couldn't expressly say his answer, there was no negative reaction from the wolfhound and that was just as good a response as any. He wagged his tail slightly at Yves' laughter and enjoyed the faux massage.

Cruz smiled to the man when he looked over, then gave a low rumble of laughter in return. "Not offended," he assured with a toothy grin, "Nice to meet you, too, Mister Yves." With a chuckle, Cruz pointed a claw towards Tango, "Tango likes you." And it seemed, indeed, he did which was a relief considering the establishment Yves ran. Generally Tango was a pretty good judge of character; he rarely, if ever, growled at anyone but the pup would be quite dismissive of those he didn't like and tend to walk away from their offers of affection. Tango was embracing this bath wholeheartedly.

"Do you have your bottles yet?" asked the croc as he picked curiously at some dry skin on his lower lip. Anta noticed and dug through her coat pockets for a small stick of lip gloss and handed it to Cruz.

Logue

CONGRATS LOGGUUEUEUEE LET'S TRY TO SPEED THROUGH THIS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON SUCH AN OLD RP NOW THAT YOUR SON IS HERE gonk

 

[Logue]

Yves flashed Cruz a smile; if Tango liked him, then he was doing his job right. He'd seen the cartoons where animals dreaded going to the groomer, as if it were the same thing as an appointment with the vet. Not that veterinarians were at all bad, but animals (understandably) probably did not like seeing the doctor, just as Yves did not. But getting your hair done? That was meant to be enjoyable.

"My bottles?" Yves echoed. Setting the shampoo aside, Yves began to work it into the fur even more, giving it time to soak in. A few minutes would do the trick, but animals tended to get restless when just left standing, and the air could turn cold quickly when one was soaked head to paw. "Oh! My soul bottle and fel essence? Yes, I did receive them."

Yves raised his hands above Tango's back and then began to bring them down in light, chopping motions, mimicking a stereotypical back massage one would see on TV. "My fel essence is a living bone, isn't that... isn't that something?"

Although he still didn't quite understand it, he did love his fel essence. Heck, he loved Halloween, so this was just like that, wasn't it? Still, he couldn't help but be nervous and anxious about the soul capture. He gave Tango's back a long pet and reached for the nozzle, testing the water.

ex o ex Snoof

SOUNDS GOOD SNOOFLES WE CAN DO THISSSS (ALSO THANK THANK AHHH I AM SO EXCITED)

 

[Snoofington]

"Yeah, them," the frei chuckled when Yves finally understood. Anita smiled as well, but mostly stood back with her hands in her pockets and allowed the two to speak among themselves while Tango enjoyed his lather and rinse.

Both sets of brows rose at the mention of the living bone but, again, Cruz was first to the table. He lifted a hand and curved his fingers into a vague 'C' shape, then touched his fingertips together rapidly like a mouth opening and closing. "Is it like a skull?" Cruz looked over his shoulder at Anita for confirmation and, this time, she couldn't contain her laughter.

"Spooky scary skeletons," she giggled with a hand on her face, "Do you want to tell him about your essence?"

The croc's emerald eyes shimmered instantly; he whirled around to face Yves with a wide grin that silently begged him to show interest in such a topic. "It's mistletoe," Cruz began, his tone carrying as though he were attempting to pique the man's curiosity. With a single finger, he tapped his pursed lips, "that makes you kiss."

"Isn't that something," Anita repeated Yves' earlier sentiment dryly, though she smiled in spite of it.

Logue

SORRY FOR DELAY I HAVE BEEN SO BRAINDEAD AND TIRED BUT YEEHAW

 

[Logue]

He couldn't help but laugh at Cruz's question, but he did so by turning his face in toward his shoulder to try to be polite. It did little to stifle his grin.

"Oui," he chimed in, "But more like... a small piece of a, ah... what she said, spooky scary skeleton?"

His curiosity immediately piqued when Anita asked if the Frei wanted to explain his own fel essence; truthfully, Yves would have loved nothing more than to have asked him outright, but he couldn't help but feel that it would have been rude to do so.

When it came down to it, though, he really didn't know if it was rude or not. He had a lot to learn about Raevans, but he wanted to approach the whole thing as respectfully as possible.

"Mistletoe?" Yves paused, nozzle poised above Tango and ready to rinse, and then looked directly at Cruz, his dark eyebrows raising up. "That makes you kiss? Oh, my." He tapered off and looked down, smiling sheepishly at the back of Tango's fluffy head. That must have been interesting was all he could think, trying to imagine Dr. Kyou or his associates attempting to procure such an essence without trying to kiss each other the entire time. His own essence didn't seem to give him any trouble, but he doubted he'd be able to tote it around if it had that sort of effect.

Having tested the water to make sure it was an alright temperature, Yves began to rinse Tango's fur. He tutted and gave Cruz another curious look. "But, you know, that really is amazing! I never would have thought of that being possible, but... I guess that is what makes it a fel essence, eh?"

"Really amazing, though," he added, under his breath. He smiled down at Tango. Raevans really were something.

ex o ex Snoof

IT IS 100% OKAY I TOO HAVE BEEN TAKING A WHILE SO DON'T FEEL BAD DON'T EVER FEEL BAAAAD

 

[Snoofington]

Cruz listened eagerly to Yves; he had to agree, Fel Essences were certainly amazing -- they were so unique, quite literally one of a kind -- it made the frei beam to be called amazing by proxy. His guardian smiled to herself, a small chuckle escaping.

"It was certainly a troublemaker." Anita poked the back of Cruz's head playfully. The croc reached back with both of his hands to try and claim Anita's but she already pulled hers behind her and out of reach.

With a rumble and a smile, Cruz floated a bit higher -- his rune's glow reflected on the floor. "Our friend's got floating raindrops. They were all shy in the bottle and moved away when you poked it." Cruz's hands crept up to his cheeks to cup them, squishing his smile without dampening it. "She's kinda shy too."

At mention of that, Anita gave a short murmur and looked up. Tango was thoroughly enjoying his rinse, his head tilted back and tongue hanging out as his eyes threatened to close. "Does your bone get up to much?" The shyness of Aina's raindrops, Cruz's own lack of it from the mistletoe's forcefulness, it made Anita wonder just how deep the absorption of the essence ran beyond the superficial, beyond abilities and food source. If that was the case, Yves might have someone creepy to look forward to in the future.

Logue

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[Logue]

His rinse complete, Yves turned off the hose and ran his hands down Tango's back to draw the water down and toward the bottom of the tub. He turned and looked at Cruz, eyebrows raised.

"Floating rain drops? What a world!" He tried to imagine what such a Raevan would look like, act like - it seemed that the possibilities were endless. That was both exciting and frightening to him.

"She sounds like a delight," he concluded. His smile softened and he took a towel to Tango's fur, wiping up the majority of the water on his coat. He then grabbed for the blow dryer. In order to continue the conversation, he set it on a lower setting and began to brush Tango's fur while also drying it.

At Anita's question, he hummed and thought about it. "You know, I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary," he answered, tilting his head at her. "But I might have just gotten lucky. I mean, I don't get injured very often, but maybe my bones are stronger from its influence? Haha!" He trailed off and then added in a serious tone, "Or... weaker." He made a face and then laughed again.

"But in all seriousness, that would be bad," he emphasized, moving the blow dryer and comb over Tango's fur with a practiced hand. What if the fel essence had been sapping his skeleton this entire time? Would the lab have even sent it out if it was capable of that? No, he convinced himself, no, not likely. Hopefully.

Hopefully.

"I hope you don't mind me saying," Yves began, eyes falling back to the very patient pooch in front of him. He seemed to hesitate before deciding to go on. "But you two have a wonderful dynamic. I hope -- I hope I can have that with my Raevan, too."

With Tango's fur nearly dry, Yves set the blow dryer aside and took another towel to the dog, rubbing his neck and sides with it vigorously. When he was satisfied with Tango's level of dryness, he stood aside and gestured toward him with a shy smile.

"How does he look?" he asked, glancing from Cruz to Anita.

ex o ex Snoof

-squats down and explodes into super saiyan mode- WE'RE GONNA FINISH THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS -grows ten hairs-

 

[Snoofington]

Cruz and Anita both beamed from Yves' compliment; Aina was, in fact, a delight and with the man's involvement with the lab as well as the location of his shop it was likely they would get a chance to meet. Maybe they could bring Seabiscuit here, in the future.

"Oh no," Anita chuckled, her smile sympathetic.

Weakening bones would be an awful effect for an essence to have, but if it was a living bone that didn't sound like something that would harm anyone. The croc was thinking along the same lines, as he nodded in agreement with a firm pout that, yes, it would be bad but Cruz wasn't overly concerned about the matter. He never heard of essences being dangerous inside of their bottles, not that he was especially knowledgeable on the fel essences at large. Mischievous like his own, yes, but not harmful as far as he knew.

Another compliment made Cruz smile broadly. He looked to Anita for her approval and found her own smile to be tinged with slightly pink cheeks. "Thank you. I'm sure you will," she told Yves a bit shyly. Cruz had to agree with this as well.

When Tango was thoroughly dried and presented, the wolfhound shook himself off vigorously. Anita was grateful that there was no spray from it, thanks to Yves' quick professional work, and Cruz giggled as Tango appeared just a bit fluffier than usual. "Perfect!" The mistletoe frei cheered with his arms in the air. He approached his canine brother and fluffed the mutt's cheeks. Tango wagged his tail and licked at the crocodile's palms while Cruz set his green eyes upon Yves. "Thanks for washing him, he was stinky." After a moment of thoughtful pause, he continued. "Hey-- what do you mean? About me and 'Nita's dynamic?"

Behind them, Anita covered her reddening face with a hand. The spotlight, from compliments no less, was a difficult place for her to stand before strangers.

Logue

YEEEHAAWWW ALMOST DONE!!!!