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 Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 11:42 pm
Who: Yuri, Yves, and Zeke
When: January 1st; around 10am
Where: Lab 305
Weather: Sunny and clear but cold!
Oh how he had waited for this day! Since meeting Yves last year Zeke had only been the most excited to see what would come from the Frenchman and the future. In the case of the former, it had been the soul of a wolf captured in the Soul Glass and returned to Lab via the post. In regards to the latter...well...he would surely see very soon wouldn't he?!
It seemed almost fitting that the Wolf Frei had decided to come into the world on the first of the year. Auspicious, really. Zeke had gotten the call around 8:30 and by 9 he was at the Lab. En route he had called Yves and in his excitement his words had been a rapid fire jumble of laughter, stumbling, and overly repeated information.
"He's here Yves! Your boy is here!" That phrase in particular was spoken no less than five times, as if Yves would not believe him for the first four utterances. "Come down to the Lab as soon as you can! I'll be there all day but dammit man don't keep me waiting!!!"
Now here he was, doing what he often did when it came to the newborns that belonged to those he thought especially well of - pacing the lobby like a lion in a cage. How long had it been since Yves had returned the Soul and his Essence? Almost a whole year on the nose since Zeke had met the blond man, that he could recall. Still, it had been such a long wait for the boy - A BOY - even if it had only truly been a handful of months. Zeke had kept an eye on his tank as he did with every Frei but in the shadowy water it had been hard to make out anything definite.
But it wasn't just appearances that had the vet curious. What would the Frei be like? A wolf and a bone brought to mind so many possibilities and even though Zeke couldn't focus on any one in particular right now, in his heart of hearts he knew that anything this Frei was going to be, it was going to be good.
It had to be good. He was Yves' after all.
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 2:22 pm
Yves had dropped his phone.
Not once, not twice, but three times the Frenchman had dropped his poor phone while trying to process what the man on the other line was telling him. After spewing a flurry of mixed French and English back at Zeke, Yves hung up and turned to his dog, who was sitting at the foot of his bed and looking extremely awake.
"Oh my god," Yves said aloud, and he gave Peanut the wildest eyes the poor dog had ever seen. Peanut, appropriately, began shaking at once. "Peanut!! He's here! He is here! A boy!"
By some stroke of luck, Yves hadn't been at the grooming salon that morning. Not because he had spent the night partying and needed a break, but because apparently he had done some serious good in his life and things lined up that way. Already dressed and ready for the day, Yves grabbed his coffee mug and downed the rest of it by the kitchen sink, setting the mug down shakily. He had to stop and steady himself; breathe. Breathe. Just use the air like you always do.
He grinned down at Peanut. Bubs, of course, was asleep on the back of the couch where the sun always hit. Making sure both had food and water in their dishes, Yves gave Peanut a peck on the forehead and was out the door in a flash.
As Yves drove down the road toward the lab, he gripped the steering wheel as if he were driving at mach speed, but he exercised control and didn't get pulled over along the way. His mind raced; a boy, a boy? What did he look like? Would he like Yves? Would they get along? Did he even want to come home with him? What if they didn't get along, what if the Raevan tried to eat Peanut, what if...
Before he knew it, he was at the parking lot and had already pulled into a space. He exhaled, his knuckles white at the wheel. Yves tried to relax his whole body, but it ultimately failed and he flew out of the car and power-walked toward the entrance. His book bag nearly hit him on the way out but he didn't even notice it, just hastily re-adjusted the strap across his shoulder. He was on a serious mission.
Once inside, he looked left, right, forward, and made an excited beeline straight for the front counter. He tried to look composed, but he couldn't do anything to hide the huge, nervous smile that had plastered itself onto his face.
My god.
He was here to bring Yuri home.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 8:42 pm
As soon as the chime over the door started to ring Zeke was pivoting on his toes to see who was coming through. The moment after that he saw Yves and it was as if the vet had been born equipped with a homing device. Two steps into a dash at the Frenchmen Zeke was calling out his name and by the sixth in his long strides he was upon the hapless Guardian. He encircled Yves with his arms and pulled him in tight, squeezing hard but fondly.
"You're here!" Laughter burst forth as Zeke broke the hug, gripped the blond's shoulders and held him out at arm's length. For a moment it seemed as though Zeke was speechless - no words came from his lips, his eyes darted about Yves' face, and he was shivering visibly from all that pent up excitement. Suddenly he pulled the groomer in for another hug, laughed again, and finally spoke:
"Are you ready to see him?" In the back of his mind he knew he should be asking Yves how he was doing but it seemed that sort of pleasantry would be an afterthought saved for later. Perhaps some time after the other man saw his Raevan. "We can go right now and save all the paperwork BS for later if you are!"
He removed his left hand to gesture at the door along the back wall of the lobby that led to the hallway beyond.
"What d'you say?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:27 pm
Yves was so excited, he didn't even begin to process what was happening until he was practically lifted into the air by Zeke. He wheezed at the hug but a laugh quickly followed, broken and nervous. When the excitement had reached a tentative pause, Yves stared back at Zeke, his mouth open in a half smile and face flush.
"Oui," he said, and laughed again when Zeke went in for another hug. Before that moment, he wouldn't have been able to believe that anyone else could be as excited as him, but... well, he was wrong. Balling his hands into fists and raising them up, Yves did a tiny dance in place and repeated, "Oui! Oui! I am ready!"
He felt like a kid, giddy and curious and anxious and happy and scared. When Yves relaxed his hands and looked down at one of them, he saw that he, too, was shaking. He cast a hesitant look up to Zeke, brown eyes uncertain.
"Before we walk through that door, Zeke.... Zeke, oh god, what if... what if he doesn't like me?"
Immediately after voicing it, Yves kicked himself. That was the kind of thing he'd told himself he would work on, and although he was more ready than ever to meet his Raevan, he was also feeling more scared than he had in a long time. He winced at himself.
"That - that was stupid, forget it. Sorry. I just... god, Zeke, I'm so excited and nervous and... terrified, too. Is this... is this normal?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:13 pm
The little dance Yves did was endearing to say the least and served to put the Frenchman farther into Zeke's good books. Another laugh came from the vet - short and barklike, surprisingly - and he eagerly returned a similar dance when Yves voiced his readiness to get the show on the road.
"Excellent!" The vet crowed the word, thrusting his fists into the air and looking the very picture of triumph. He started to walk backward toward his desk (that paperwork "BS" as he had oh so delicately put it was still necessary to bring along) but the look Yves suddenly wore and the words that followed it were able to efficiently bring him to a standstill only two steps in.
"Aw Yves..." Zeke's look morphed from giddy overzealousness to surprise before coming to rest at something that could be called 'knowing' or perhaps 'understanding'. Two steps forward and he was back within arms reach, gently resting his hands upon the blond's shoulders to impart a gentle squeeze. "It's more than normal. It's super normal! Every Guardian who comes through that door comes in with just as much trepidation as excitement. I see it all the time!"
In an easy motion Zeke took up the spot at Yves' right side and looped his arm around the other's shoulders. Again he gave the man a squeeze.
"Guardians often wonder how their Raevan will take to them. 'Will they like me?' 'Will they like the name I picked for them?' 'What will they look like?' 'What sort of personality will they have?' 'Will I be good enough?' Every person I've met has thought at least two of those questions at some point in their time before their Raevan's born and I'm sure all of them plus some have come crashing through their minds when they learn they've arrived. I'd be more worried if you weren't a little nervous." He chuckled and let the poor man go, stepping backwards slowly once more toward his desk. Once there, he grabbed Yves' file.
"But if I say anything at all, lemme say this - I don't see how anyone couldn't like you, Yves. You're pretty gosh darn great you know?"
His grin returned and it stretched from ear to ear on his face. With the file in hand, he gestured to the door.
"But of course, we won't know for sure until we meet him right?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 11:32 pm
A small noise somewhere between a yip and a grunt escaped Yves as Zeke gave his shoulders a squeeze; on a regular day, in a regular place, Yves would have instinctively recoiled at the sudden intrusion of his personal space, but something about Zeke made him not mind it. How could anyone be mad at such a friendly person? Perhaps it had simply been obvious that Zeke never seemed to mean anyone any harm.
Rather than try to argue against the fact - pretty great, he had said; Yves couldn't bite back his smile, despite himself - Yves just allowed himself to listen and absorb what the other man was telling him. It really was going to be okay, wasn't it?
And suddenly, there it was: the file. It wasn't nearly as daunting as the thought of finally meeting his Raevan face-to-face, but it still had a very official vibe to it and Yves sucked in a breath of air at the sight of it. Then his gaze traveled to the door that Zeke was gesturing to.
"But of course, we won't know for sure until we meet him right?"
Yves nodded. He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts. Before he knew it, he was crossing the room with Zeke and was right in front of the door. On the other side, on the other side...
He lifted a hand and placed his palm against the door and just held it there for a couple beats. Would the Raevan sense him? Could Raevans do that sort of thing? Did he know how nervous he was?
Was he nervous, too?
Yves looked at Zeke, mouth set in a firm line, and a determined look crossed his features.
"Okay. I'm ready."
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2016 12:23 am
He let Yves have all the time he needed, even after the man walked the short distance to the door. He was nervous, that was apparent, but excited as well. Zeke knew that feeling well - it was the exact same reaction he had had when he had learned Anya had been born.
When the Frenchman finally gave the word, Zeke nodded and opened the door, sweeping a hand out to let Yves go first. Once he was through Zeke followed suit and took up the spot to his left as they walked.
"He's just down the hall here." He pointed in that direction with a slight curve to the right. "Before we get there, though, lemme fill you in on a little tradition we have here at the Lab."
It was a time-honored thing and Zeke never got tired of letting the Guardian of the day in on the little secret.
"I haven't seen him yet, if you couldn't tell." He grinned at Yves in spite of himself. "The tradition is that the Guardian gets to see their Raevan first. When we get to the door, I'll knock to let him know that we're here and then I'll open the door for you. Once it's open, you head right on in and say hello. After a few minutes I'll follow you in, but this is so you two get to meet each other without another person taking his attention off of you."
The vet then gestured to his face and hair, a draw for any newborn's eyes and hands, depending on the Frei. His grin only grew that much more.
"Sound good to you? Once we all get acquainted we'll discuss the paperwork, but don't worry about that for now." They reached their destination and Zeke darted forward before coming to a stop in front of the correct door. He pivoted, ponytail flapping behind him, and faced Yves. "And here we are!"
He held out his hands much like a game show host revealing a fabulous prize that laid behind door number one. Then he made a fist out of his left one and gently knocked upon its face.
"On the count of three. One...two...and...three!"
He dropped his hand down onto the latch and let the door swing free. Zeke stepped back so he was hidden from view, beaming all the while.
"After you, Yves!"
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 3:57 am
Suddenly, Yves was all too aware of his own heartbeat thundering in his chest and ears; it was deafening, but Yves steeled himself and took a deep breath. The familiar feeling of a sudden and aggressive flush overtook him and Yves tried not to think about the fact that he was meeting his Raevan for the first time with sweaty palms and a beet-red face.
What was he? A new parent, or some kind of nervous teenager? He scolded himself mentally and tried to make himself brave. He opened the door and stepped in, allowing it to close behind him with a quiet click.
Floating in the middle of the room, the Raevan paused his restless pacing to stare at Yves, his bright green eyes alert, confused. His severe expression bore through him and Yves knew he was being scrutinized, but he didn't feel any sort of malice coming from the newborn. Instead, the Raevan's ears stood straight up and Yves could see him tense, not unlike a cautious animal.
No, he was not an animal, Yves knew that. Right off the bat, however, he couldn't help but recognize signs both subtle and blatant that strongly hinted at his wolf heritage. This was his Raevan, and he needed to be very careful with his first impression.
"Who?" came the question, the word sounding something like a low growl on the Raevan's lips. It momentarily distracted Yves from the dusty pair of ears that sat atop the Raevan's head -- ears! He really had wolf ears! -- and he gulped, trying to decide how best to respond.
"Yves," he blurted, and the Raevan tilted his head at him. "My... my name is Yves."
He held back what he wanted to say next: and you are Yuri. It was best to let him process names one at a time. Perhaps it also would have been best to choose a name that wasn't so similar in form to his own. Hindsight, 20/20 and all that.
The frei - Yuri, he kept reminding himself, this was his Yuri - tucked his chin in a bit and thought about the person before him. Suddenly, his ears perked straight up and he stared at the door.
"Someone else?" he asked, quietly and with more than a hint of suspicion. Yves blinked. Those ears clearly were not for show.
"Ah, um..." Yves half-turned and looked helplessly toward the door. "O-oui, there is another. Zeke?" he called, nervously.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:37 pm
The door clicked shut but Zeke did not immediately move to open it again. The wooden door was not soundproof by any means so if needed or called before his alloted time was up, he was sure to hear it. All the same, he did not get comfy against the wall either. He was far too excited to idly lean there and twiddle his thumbs. Perhaps that was for the best; Yves' voice called out to him soon thereafter.
"Hey," he opened the door slowly as not to spook the Frei or hit Yves with it, first poking his head in before going all the way inside. "Everything okay?"
As soon as he said it his eyes fell on the newborn and if he had held any worry after Yves had asked for him, it was gone. The pale-colored Wolf was equal parts handsome and tough looking, mixing together perfectly to make one impressive sight. Fluffy bits to his attire offset the wicked-looking bones that sprouted from his back and--were his hands skeletal too?!?
"Hey," he said again, although this time there was a smile in his voice as well as on his face, "look at you! Welcome to the world, kiddo!"
A little laugh worked its way out of him and he wrapped an arm around Yves again to give the blonde as much of a bro-hug as was warranted in this situation. When he pulled away he clasped the Frenchman's upper arms, vibrating with excitement and smiling so hard it was starting to hurt.
"Congratulations Yves!!!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:13 pm
As soon as Zeke had entered the room, Yuri's ears once again popped up and he backed up a bit. He watched the two, warily, while Yves seemed to visibly relax at Zeke's presence. The guardian vibrated in place with excitement and gushed, "This is Yuri! Zeke, this... this is Yuri!"
He said it as if he didn't quite believe it, himself; as if he meant to convince Zeke and himself that this was, in fact, his Raevan. His son? His friend? This was Yuri. Just Yuri.
Yuri, meanwhile, had taken to watching them both in silence, although the frei also looked a bit startled at the two of them. He inhaled sharply through his nose - noted their individual scents, because each creature smelled so different - and then took it upon himself to float closer to them. Whether it was his sizable frame that kept him from feeling frightened or simple curiosity, Yves couldn't tell, but he quieted down as Yuri drew nearer.
Yuri then drew himself up, broad shoulders and all, and directed a quiet, "Who are you?" to Zeke, his green eyes watching him, hawk-like. Yves looked from one to the other and tried to decide if he should answer for him or not; in the end, he figured it would be rude to do so, and kept his mouth shut.
This Raevan didn't seem mean, or... scary, but Yves couldn't help but think that his size was a bit intimidating. His persistence in coming close to them and engaging them must have been a good sign, though, right?
Perhaps... he was just as frightened and nervous as Yves was.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 9:58 am
"Yuri?" He only questioned the name to test it on his own tongue, especially now that he had set his sights on the big Frei in the room. After a moment, he nodded and beamed twice as much. "It fits! And it's nice to meet you, Yuri!"
Before he knew it the Wolf Raevan was upon him. Sure the Frei was big at a glance, but now that he was closer it was even clearer that Yuri was big. The fluff that encircled his shoulders and the base of his partial chest might have softened his look a touch, but no matter how fluffy his attire was there was no denying the muscle in his arms, the sharpness of his wings, or that severe look in his eyes. At the very least, he didn't sound threatening or Zeke might have actually felt some worry!
"My name is Zeke," he held out his hand for Yuri to inspect and take, if he so chose, "I'm here to see you and Yves here off today!"
He kept up the cheer and the eye contact, brown eyes into green. Clearly Zeke was a man who had met bigger, "badder" Raevans and lived to tell the tale. In truth, one of them was his most beloved 'nephew' and if Zul didn't scare him, no Raevan would. Especially not a curious newborn!
"I'm sure you're eager to get outta this room and on your way home with Yves, but he and I have to settle one last thing before we can let you go. I hope that's okay!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 10:15 pm
Yves chose to stand back and watch Yuri and Zeke; it was a nice, brief opportunity to see how Yuri would interact with others, especially strangers. Zeke was very good at exuding warmth and cheerfulness, at least, so the Raevan didn't seem to mind him at all. Initial apprehension fading, Yuri took his hand and held it in his own, bringing it up to his face to look at.
"Zeke," the Frei repeated, and inspected his hand. It looked a lot different from his own. After a few beats he gently let go, allowing Zeke his hand back. He sniffed and floated a few paces back, taking in the rest of Zeke, and then Yves. Evidently, neither posed a threat (and it was clear that neither guardian was scary, although the room wasn't his favorite), and Yuri let his shoulders drop, finally. He looked around, mouth kept in that tiny pout, ears at attention.
"That is okay," he confirmed when Zeke mentioned some last minute business. His brow did, however, knit in concern when Zeke said that he would be 'going home'. Where was home? Home apparently was with Yves.
He looked at Yves. Yves wilted just a little bit at his stony gaze. He had to try not to be intimidated by his own Raevan, even - no, especially if the Raevan didn't mean it. Suddenly, he remembered the messenger bag he'd been holding at his side.
Fumbling in it, he pulled out a stuffed animal. It was a wolf, grey and white and covered in fake, fuzzy fur. Its black button eyes stared up at Yuri, and he stared back at it once Yves held it out for him.
"Um... this is for you, Yuri." He gave the stuffed animal a gentle shake toward the Raevan. Yuri raised his brows at it, then took it and sniffed it.
"Thank you," he responded with a bit of awe in his voice. He held the stuffed animal up and then out, and then brought it close to himself, as if protecting it.
Yves breathed a huge sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought. Turning to Zeke, he gave the man a nod and squared his shoulders. "Alright, Zeke, let's... let's do this! I think we're ready..."
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:55 am
Zeke got to see that the 'bones' on the Frei's hands were in fact markings much like his own Frei's hourglass or the webbing on her arms. Still very cool, even though actual bone hands would have been rad as hell.
"Yup! That's me!" His hand was released and Zeke dropped it down to his side, unharmed and amused besides. He watched the Frei look about, reminded so distinctly of Anya when he had first met her. It made him chuckle. "Thank you, Yuri. It'll be really quick I promise."
He went to brandish the file and set it down, but Yves moved in and presented Yuri with the wolf toy. Zeke had made to pull the folder into view with his dominant left hand but instead covered his mouth with it instead to stifle a laugh. A wolf for a wolf! Yuri had his first pack member!
"I think he likes it," the vet gently nudged the blond man and nodded at the way the Wolf Frei hugged the toy to his chest. He was smiling so hard his face was aching but dammit he couldn't help it at that display! "Okay, so let me just get these papers set up for you here..."
Zeke moved to the desk nearby and set the folder down. He pulled the necessary papers out and set them down, pointing to each place that Yves would need to sign in turn.
"His name will go here," he pointed to the short line at the top of the page above information that had previously been filled out. "Then down here I'll need your name in print, your signature, and the date. Everything in between is your standard 'you promise to take care of him to the best of your abilities and if not, you promise to return him to the care of the Lab', so on and so forth. Once you sign, I'll do mine and then that'll seal the deal! He'll be all yours!"
He would leave room for questions if Yves had any more but as soon as Zeke gave his all clear with his signature, Yuri and Yves were free to go and start their new lives together.
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:32 am
Yves leaned over the table to look over the documents, pen in hand, and began to sign and date and print wherever Zeke pointed out for him. He was so excited, it was hard to actually process the paperwork before him, but he listened to Zeke and nodded along with what he was saying.
So this was it. He stared at his own signature, mouth set in a tight-lipped line. He was going to take Yuri home and that was that. So much stressing over the soul capture, so much time spent just being afraid for the future, and there it was, staring at him. He straightened and smoothed the front of his shirt down, giving Zeke a nervous smile.
"I - I think I did that right," he announced, hesitantly. A million thoughts were racing through his mind, but the main one was daunting: Was he ready? It hadn't been like a regular birth, with a "due date" or even an expected timeline. Yuri had just not been the other day, and then... he was. He turned and looked at his Raevan, who was still staring at the two of them with a furrowed brow.
Yves rubbed his neck and looked worriedly at Zeke.
"Ah, um... I can c-call if I need anything... right?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:58 pm
When it came to the other signing the paperwork Zeke had the patience of a saint. He went between watching Yves make his marks and watching Yuri with his new best friend, smiling all the while. When Yves straightened, the vet was drawn back to him with a chuckle, patting the man on the back while he took over to review and then sign for himself.
Yves had not missed a line and with that confirmed, Zeke took up the pen and put his scrawl. Official: Ezekiel N. Farris.
"You did it perfect. Gold star, Yves!" Setting the pen down Zeke shuffled the papers into order then closed the folder's cover. No need to have those out anymore! He gave an eager nod in response to the other man's worried words and actions. "You can indeed! In fact, I would hope that you'd give me a call if you need anything! It's what I'm here for and besides, we're family for real now and family helps each other out!"
His smile was luminous as he said the words, gesturing to the newborn who was probably eager to get out of Dodge. If Anya were here he would have gestured to her as well, but no matter. That could be done at a later time and date.
"Now that the paperwork is all filed you two gentlemen are free to go! I'll see you out of course but before we do that, if you have any questions I'm happy to be asked! And that includes you too, Yuri." The big silent Wolf might have a curiosity or two to express and far be it from Zeke to leave him out of the proceedings. He mattered too after all.
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