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 Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:40 am
Who: Cesc, Kla Han, Lette, and Zeke
When: March 1st, 2015; around noon
Where: Lab 305
Weather: Crisp and cold, but sunny at least
It had been a long winter.
The temps had skirted the zero line a few times in the past couple of months, sometimes dipping below for long enough that 'going outside' was met with laughter and displeasure all around. Not only that; the snow had kept up enough that cities and towns were all but buried in the white stuff. If it was good for anything, that was job security. As a vet, Zeke had been working non-stop at the clinic. Strays had been brought in almost daily, some sick, many starving, and even more with frostbite or other extended cold-caused injuries. It was because of this that his weekly stints at the Lab had become something of a reprieve for Zeke. It had been quiet here for months now on all sides. No new Guardians to inform, those who had been before winter's chill set in were silent (and the vet could not blame them for that, who would want to go soul catching in this s**t? ), and nothing on the Raevan front. No births, no check ups. At least until today.
When Zeke came the note was already on his desk waiting for him. The first read through spread a smile across his wind-beaten face and the second made his head tilt in consideration.
"A phaya naga, huh?"
He was halfway through the third when he grabbed the phone to call Lette.
The call was brief - voicemail and all - but filled with excitedly given information all the same:
"Hey Lette! It's Zeke! Long time no hear, I know, but LISTEN TO THIS! YOUR RAEVAN IS HERE AND HE'S READY TO COME HOME WITH YOU!!! Stop by the Lab anytime today and I'll be here to get you guys acquainted, okay?! See you soon!!"
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:28 pm
Cesc pushed into the Lab entryway, dressed in a light jacket, a plain dark tee, and a modified ball cap. In his left hand, he balanced a bakery box, red and white striped and tied with a ribbon. He smiled broadly as he saw Zeke at the desk, lifting up his free hand in greeting.
"Hey, Zeke," said Rhedefre. He was fairly certain the vet was expecting him, or at least was informed of the reason. As of late, Grumpaws had been listless and bored, his age creeping into his bones with a sense of resigned malaise. They'd taken him to the vet, but nothing was actually wrong with the cat, just a sort of mild depression.
A companion, Zeke mentioned, might cheer the cat up. While Cesc immediately registered doubt -- Grumpaws didn't seem to care for anyone's companionship, and barely tolerated other cats -- Vivi was all for it. Many animals, she said, found second youth with companions. And even if it irritated Grumpaws, it would be good for him. And furthermore, Zeke had said the animal in question wasn't... er... a cat, per se.
"Am I early?" asked the stag, looking around. "Or not? You look excited about something."
Not that that was really out of character for the vet....
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:26 am
Her cellphone fell from her hands as Lette's shock took hold. Her Raevan...was...ready? To be brought home? And did Zeke say it was a he?! Picking up the phone from the couch she had fallen victim to for a midday nap, Lette replayed the message, this time vibrating with excitement. She had heard correctly! Her Raevan was ready and it was a he!
Quickly untangling herself from the blanket she was wrapped within, Lette tore through the house, grabbing her purse and running out the door to her 4 door, beat up sedan. Shoving the keys in the ignition, she threw the car in gear and squealed out of the driveway.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Turning off the car, the brunette stared at the door to the Lab from her drivers seat, almost afraid to get out of the car. She'd been waiting for this moment for so long and now that it was here she was almost scared. Would she like him? Would he like her? Of course he would like her, who doesn't? Well..other than those who'd been caught on the wrong end of her snark. But that didn't matter right now. Squaring her shoulders, she got out of the car and strode towards the door.
"Zeke, I'm here! Where's he -- oh," drawing up quickly just inside the door, the mechanic froze at the additional man floating right beside the vet. Dressed in a dark t-shirt, light jacket, and a ball cap sprouting antlers, and seemingly covering what seemed to be pink hair, over a trailing orange ribbon. Emotions flooded her as she took him in. Whatever she had expected, this was the complete opposite. But if he was who Zeke had called her about, he was hers.
Overwhelmed, her sentence ended in indiscernible noises as she broke into a run and threw her arms out to embrace the man.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:32 pm
Zeke had called the Dawn Sigel while on his way into the Lab, the conversation brief but delightful. Cesc had come to him a week or so before to inquire about the family cat and his sudden turn toward the downtrodden, the answer of which was figured out after much humming, puzzling, and being certain the old fluffball was indeed neutered. Since then Zeke had mulled over the options he had to offer the Stag and his lovely group, and they had been narrowed down until only one remained.
"Come in whenever you can today," Zeke had said, "and I'll get you two acquainted!"
Vermillion would be open all afternoon, Zeke knew, so when the door chime echoed through the lobby and Cesc floated in, Zeke's surprise was apparent. All the same the vet was on his feet in a jiffy, rounding his desk to clear the space between them and wrap the Sigel in a warm, fond hug.
"Hey! Way early, man, I figured I wouldn't see you till after the bakery closed!" The Sigel was promptly thumped on the back before the human man pulled away, laughing at the question posed. "Hell yeah I'm excited! When am I not?" He winked and grinned ear to ear, gesturing toward the desk he had just been seated at.
"You've actually arrived at a great time. See, we've just had--"
The chime resounded again. A woman's voice called out to him, making Zeke move to see behind the Stag just as the squeal rang out. There was a flash of movement and the patter of hurried feet on linoleum tile before Lette was wrapped around Cesc, squeezing him tighter than Zeke had just done himself.
"Lette!" Laughter bubbled over the name at the scene that was now before him. He looked from the Stag to the dark haired woman stuck to him and only one answer seemed to fit:
"Long time, no see I take it?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:11 pm
Cesc grinned and returned the vet's hug, squeezing his shoulder gently with his free hand. He was finally used to his broader size, although now and then when he hadn't seen someone else in a while, he was reminded of the difference between Sigel and Frei. It was so strange, if he thought about it...
As Zeke pulled away, Cesc held up the cardboard bakery box . "Actually, Vivi wanted me to surprise you with these -- something she's been working on recently, told me to tell you that your hair color changes sparked some creativity for her. Anyway, we're all excited to see the new ... actually, I don't know what animal it is."
As Cesc spoke, he handed over the box. He listened, his eyebrows lifting -- he'd arrived at a great time? For wha--?
Before Zeke could finish his words and Cesc could reply, the door chimed and a woman rushed in. The stag barely had the time to register what was happening before he was suddenly drawn into another embrace. He caught a flash of dark hair, the style too different to be Vivi's and the woman's size not right to be Alex. His heart skipped and he started, but he felt no discernible feeling of loss from the woman at his chest.
And Zeke was laughing.
"Oh, ah --" Cesc was unsure what to say. Long time, no see? Long time, never seen, really. He was good with names and faces -- he'd heard the name before, Lette, but only in passing. Where was it?
The jungle -- that's where. She was part of someone's group.
There's no way that had lingered, right? And why would she recognize him? He'd been barely recognizable, and he didn't even remember seeing her at the final cliffside. Anyway, that had been years ago. Could she have mistaken him for someone else?
Somehow, that seemed even weirder.
"Are you, ah, alright? Can I help you?" the stag ventured politely, patting her uncertainly on the back.
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:56 am
Speechless, heart pounding in her ears, Lette soaked in the presence of the Raevan she clinged to. Barely registering what Zeke was saying to her, she perked up at the vibration of the chest beneath her, his voice echoing into her consciousness. Wait, she thought as she drew back from her embrace and stepped back to take a look around her.
Could he help her?
Glancing back quickly between the two men, one with an expression of amusement and the other with a look of befuddlement, Lette was quick to make the connection. Clearing her throat, a flush already starting to rise up her neck and into her cheeks, the brunette cast her eyes to the ground in embarrassment, a rare sight to behold. “Uhm, aha…you’re not my Raevan are you?”
Of course he wasn’t her Raevan, why would hers have antlers? Or be so big already. Fool, she muttered to herself subconsciously, for letting your emotions get ahold of you. Pull yourself together! Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, Lettes arms fell to her side where she quickly laced her fingers behind her back so she wouldn’t hug attack the poor Raevan whose name she hadn’t even gotten yet.
“Sorry about, uh, attacking you like that. My name’s Lette.” Eyes still downtrodden, she nodded to the floor in greeting.
Embarassing.
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:19 am
Zeke held the box Cesc had given him before being pounced upon, the Stag's words about Vivi, its contents, and her inspiration lost for the moment. As Lette pulled away from the Sigel with that creeping embarrassment upon her, the vet took it upon himself to rectify the situation as best he could.
"No, but don't worry, it's hard not to resist hugging this guy. Muscle-y guys like him give the best ones. Trust me, I know from experience." Another wink was given, directed at Lette, before Zeke slipped next to her and gave her an extra warm one-armed hug. Although he wasn't as filled out as Cesc, Zeke still had his own musculature to spare and share. "See? The best! And no harm done, right Cesc?"
Releasing Lette, Zeke positioned himself between the two bodies. He tipped his free hand to Lette - who had just given her name - to the Stag Sigel.
"Lette, this is Rhedefre." The hand he tipped bobbed in front of Cesc and was passed over to the dark-haired woman again. "Cesc, this is Lette." His attention focused on the Raevan in the room, and Zeke began to bounce jovially on his heels once more. "See, the thing I was telling you before Lette came in was that her Raevan was born today and she's here to pick him up! You arrived just in time to meet a newborn!"
He couldn't physically beam any more than he already was, but somehow, Zeke did.
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 2:28 pm
Cesc's face broke into an earnest smile as Lette pulled away. Well, that explained it. Nothing like excitement to change a sigel into a newborn.
"Oh, no," he said, laughing pleasantly. He plucked at his shirt. "No, we're not born with tees on. Usually something with a little more flavor than that. Unless you, ah, harvested the soul of an umpire or something."
He reached his hand out to the woman to shake. "Yes -- Rhedefre, but you can call me Cesc for less of a mouthful," the stag said with a nod. "But please, don't let me stop you. Congratulations! That's really lovely for you."
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:30 pm
Lette smiled at Zeke as he rushed to comfort her and supply her with a hug of his own. Though it all still felt awkward and embarrassing, she knew he could understand her excitement for this moment; heck, he was beaming just as brightly as she felt!
"Thanks, Zeke. I appreciate it. And hi, Cesc," she said as she reached across to clasp his hand. "Again, sorry about all that. I sort of just got swept up in all the emotions."
Shrugging it off, Lette smiled once again at his congratulations. "So I take it you're not here as a welcoming party. We all know why I'm here now, what brings you here this morning? Will you stick around to meet my fella?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:31 pm
With that situation easily rectified, Zeke turned his attention to the questions Lette posed to the Sigel.
"Cesc is here to pick up a new family member himself!" The vet continued his bouncing, but the action paused a touch as he realized that might not be the case, depending. "Well, maybe. A meet and greet first, so we can see how the two of them get along." If things didn't pan out, he wasn't about to thrust a Chimera on the Stag when either party wasn't feeling it.
With hhat being said, the vet turned to Cesc. He still smiled, but the expression touched on sheepish around the corners of his eyes and mouth.
"Though given the circumstances...Would you be alright with waiting a bit for me to get Lette and her boy all set? It doesn't take long, but I can understand if you need to get back to Vermillion ASAP."
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:34 pm
"Yes," said Cesc with a laugh, smiling at Zeke. "New family member for me, too -- just smaller and, ah, I'm thinking probably furrier? We'll see, I guess."
Immediately as Zeke continued, the stag lifted both his hands. He wasn't about to make a guardian or a newborn wait any longer to be connected because of his own timing. His mind drifted to his own pickup, what little he remembered of it.
"No, no, don't mind me. Please, introduce Lette and her charge." His smile grew and he found Zeke's eyes. "After all, you don't want him escaping, ah?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:56 am
Swept up in the rush of emotions she encountered as she realized this was it...she was about to meet her Raevan, Lette merely nodded at the mention of Cesc getting a charge of his own. Though her attention did pique slightly at the mention of an escape. Raising her eyebrow inquisitively at the Vet, Lette began a slight bounce in place as she met his eyes.
"Alright, let's do this!" Reaching out to clasp Cesc's hand once more before prepping to follow the vet, the mechanic smiled up at him, "Feel free to come with us, if you'd like. Otherwise I guess we'll see you in a bit!"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:50 am
Lette offered for Cesc to come along and Zeke had to agree. It came with a laugh as the Stag brought up his own mishap of an adventure of a pick up, the corners of his eyes crinkling hard.
"Yes, you're more than welcome to come along! It's been a long while since we had an older Raevan preside over things and if he pulls a you, we might need your help!" He winked. "Cut out the running around like chickens with our heads cut off, get right to the progress!"
He continued to laugh all the way over to the desk, where he picked up Lette's file and gestured for the pair of them to follow. Through the door at the back of the lobby he took them and then down the hall before stopping in front of a nondescript door with a plaque embossed with the number '2' on it. When Zeke turned around to face the two, he was beaming brighter than before.
"So before I open this, we have a little tradition you should know about." He was bouncing on his feet, ponytail bobbing behind him and mohawk shaking with the effort. "And that is this: Guardian sees the Frei first. I'm going to knock to let him know we're here and then I'll open the door. Once it's open you head right on in, Lette. Cesc and I will hang out for a few minutes to let you two get acquainted!"
He looked to the White Stag and gave him another wink. And if he did pull a Cesc then we're gonna have to send you off on a hunting trip, buddy.
"So if you're ready, I'm more than ready!" His bouncing only seemed to increase. If Lette wasn't ready, she was more than welcome to the copious amounts of energy radiating off the vet. "One...Two...Three..."
He knocked and let the door swing free.
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:44 am
Cesc laughed but did not respond as Zeke pointed out his particular power -- he did not particularly want to broadcast or explain the joke (or the power) to Lette if he didn't have to, and in any case there were more important things at hand than his own abilities.
Whomever was on the other side of that door had their own abilities, quirks, and powers she would discover. That was plenty. That was everything.
Cesc hung back. He was going to stay out of the way, even before Zeke explained the tradition. He remembered, vaguely, meeting Eiry and Vivi and Zeke and Isi and Shep. Vaguely, but he did. Staring out at the marsh without comprehension, marveling in the beauty of sunrise and… mud.
He smiled inwardly. There was no comprehending such innocence now.
He slid to the side and grinned encouragingly at Lette. He was happy for the woman, and for her charge that waited.
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 7:41 pm
Eyes slitting, the frei was analyzing the “other” that was in the room with them. They had no smell, no sense of life, yet moved as it was all the same. He had first noticed it as he floated around the room, when its movement had caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Flaring his shoulders back and raising slightly to the challenge the other seemed to be raising as well, the frei didn’t know what to make of the situation.
Seemingly making the decision at the same time as the other, the Naga reached out tentatively for the others hand…until his fingers splayed across the glass of the mirror. Brow furrowed, he snatched his hand back at the cool sensation and watched as the other did the same. Curiosity piqued, he tentatively reached up to his face and stroked his cheek as his reflection did the same. So the other in the room with him…was him? Interesting.
Before he had a chance to analyze further, there was a series of sharp sounds coming from the door. Attention diverted, the frei spun quickly in place and glided behind the examination table in the room, crouching behind it with only his horn and eyes visible behind his protection. With a soft rush of air the door swung open slowly.
Something was coming in.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Unintentionally the mechanic had begun to zone out the world as they made their way to the back and stood outside the room where her charge was waiting. Heart thudding so loudly she was surprised Zeke or Cesc hadn’t commented on it, Lette felt like it had lodged itself in her throat. The moment that door opened, it would be official, it would be real.
Frozen to the spot and staring at the doorknob like her sheer force of will would be enough to open it, she jolted back to reality as the vet’s knocking brought her back to the moment and the door started its slow swing open. Eyes widening, she steeled herself and walked inside.
At first panicked glance, the room was absolutely empty. As she took her second look around, her eyes fell on him. Crouched behind the examination table all she could see was his pure white hair, which fell in layers around vibrant red eyes, and a solitary horn rising from just behind his forehead. Remembering to breath, Lette strode forward quickly to greet him, “Well, hello there handsome! My name is Lette. I’m here to take you -- OH.”
Flaring at her quick advance, the Naga glided up and back as he did his best to make himself larger than he appeared.
“Stop. Who are you?” He demanded as his eyes flew over her features. She wasn’t very tall, but there was something about her that didn’t seem weak.
Laughing at his show of dominance, but appreciating getting a full look at her charge, Lette propped her fists on her hips before replying, “Will you stop that? Come down from there. As I said, my name is Lette and I’m your guardian. It’ll be my responsibility to take care of you.”
“But you are a woman.” He replied as he drifted grudgingly down.
“Excuse me?” she replied as her voice unintentionally rose, “My gender has nothing to do with this.” Huffing silently as she shook off the frustration in an attempt to return to her positive attitude, He’s only just born. He’s going to have an inquisitive nature. “That’s okay though, we can talk about this later. I have a couple people I’d like you to meet. Zeke? Cesc? Come on in and meet Han!”
Subconsciously kicking herself as she realized what she had done, Letter turned back to the frei. “Err, sorry. Han is your name. Kla Han, really. It means courageous in the culture of, err, your soul. Han just rolls off the tongue easier. I hope you like it?”
Quirking an eyebrow, Kla Han rolled the name around in his mind. Simple and direct, he liked it. “Yes.” Eyes rising to the doors as more people looked in, his eyes quickly darted between the two males, affixing to the raevan. “Who are you?”
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