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 Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 4:20 pm
Eve had a little more trouble sleeping than she'd have admitted to Lady after she'd left. In between pondering what she'd been pulled into, and all the things she hadn't thought to ask her visitor, she kept checking under the sheets to see if her feet were still human feet. It was a relief when she woke up after another session of broken dozing to the sun being out and Clover ready for her morning potty break (that had actually been one of the first unseen benefits of getting her -- the dog's needs obligated her to get up at a reasonable hour). After the brief trip to the duplex's tiny backyard, and some Toaster Strudels and a pot of strong tea ready, she took her phone and slowly typed out a text message: Chrystali Hello Lucas, I hope it isn't too shocking to get a message from a number you don't know. I got your contact information from the same woman who visited you recently, under very strange circumstances. If we're truly going through the same thing, then it would be best for us to get to know each other and see if we can do anything to make the experience easier, don't you think? Let me know if you'd like to meet me today, or sometime soon. : -) Yours truly, Eve
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 4:42 pm
It was as normal of a day as Lucas could possibly hope for - which, naturally, meant it was screwed from conception. He was putting out food for Millicent when his phone chimed, drawing his surprised attention. Not many that he knew were up at the hours he was - Rylan, maybe - and reserved, he approached his nightstand and sat down on his bed, picking up his phone. ...what the ever loving <******** expression tightened, good fingers rubbing over the buttons to his phone as he read and re-read the text. Nothing about this was good. Nothing about this was right. But the only way he was going to get any damn answers was by following the yellow brick road. cibarium Eve - idk what is happening. i wasn't told. idk about you but no part of this has been easy. I'm not much help. -L Lucas clenched his jaw. He wondered just how much Eve actually knew...and why Red was playing hard to get with answers.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 4:58 pm
Chrystali Lucas: I wasn't told much either and didn't think to ask many questions at the time. Even if you don't know much, there might still be something you were told that I wasn't, and vice versa. Meet for lunch somewhere? -Eve Autumn had made fun of her for being "too formal" with her texts, but it was a habit difficult to break. As concise as she should be when speaking, she couldn't help but be long-winded over text message.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 5:03 pm
He did not want to do this. Each passing day, however, gave him the impression the choice wouldn't be his much longer. cibarium Say when and where. I'll be there. I'll be the one w the fake arm. Lucas sighed heavily, running his hand over his face. He sat like that for a few more moments before getting up and slowly getting dressed.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 5:30 pm
It took a few moments of thought for Eve to come up with an appropriate place to meet. Lucas must have been rather stressed out, so somewhere that wasn't going to be too crowded or open was a must... and admittedly, she didn't want to be caught in public with dog feet, or whatever other transformations might be coming her way. Chrystali Have you been to Eden's Bounty? It has walled-in booths and never gets too busy. Good soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, too. You'll recognize me by my wheelchair and helper dog. Along with that, she gave an address and time, and started the motions to get more ready for the day ahead.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 5:57 pm
Lucas had gotten dressed before he got the message, and reading her description of herself made him feel chilled suddenly. A woman in a wheelchair and a man missing limbs? Coincidence was out the window. cibarium No, but sounds good. See you there. Quickly pulling Eden's Bounty up on his phone, he mapped his way, and left. _______________________ Not only was she a woman in a wheelchair, she was apparently a vegetarian. Lucas sat with his good ankle crossed over his false knee, hidden beneath his jeans but comfortable to stretch. Usually he would have worn a nicer t-shirt but he had identified himself by his prosthetic arm, and as such, wore a non-descript black tank, his hair down. He'd asked for one of the booths Eve had mentioned and was reading the menu with the most discontent face a man could possess. Not that he was hungry, but a man could still be fussy about it.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 6:21 pm
"Disappointed by the cuisine?" Not five minutes behind schedule arrived the wheelchair and service dog, as promised. Clover helped Eve out of her chair and into the seat opposite Chris without more than a gesture to direct her, after which she took a moment to situate herself and smooth out her shirt before folding her hands on the table and offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'm not trying to convert you -- this is honestly the most discreet place I could think of. There should be a Newbies menu under the appetizers which has some things omnivore customers usually like more."
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 6:37 pm
Pale eyes flicked over to the voice, somewhat surprised to find a perfectly normal looking woman there. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but like most things in Ashdown, he found himself at a small loss. Lucas retained his stunned silence while Eve situated herself with the dog's help, finally finding his voice when the silence stretched just a touch beyond polite. "Not so much. I haven't had a stomach for a lot of food lately. And coming from a meat eater like me, that's enough indication of how bad things are, I think." His smile was faint and didn't reach his tired eyes, offering his good hand to her. "Lucas Reis. Carnivore. Possibly in more ways than we may yet realize." Leave it to him to make an inappropriate joke. He glanced to the dog, nodding towards the canine. "Pretty helper you've got, too." And that was about the best he could do for small talk to a perfect stranger tied to him only by a disappearing woman.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 10:05 pm
(the moment Eve takes Lucas's hand, there is a sudden feeling of-- completeness. contentment. they both know: they were meant to be here.)
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 3:23 pm
Eve's outward composure blossomed into the full, calm and grounding presence she had the potential for at first touch. Her being was warmed by the same feeling she'd had when she met Leila in person for the first time, held her son from her previous marriage for the first time, got Aleksy to smile for the first time -- a distinct and unwavering sense of family. It was only natural she gave Lucas's hand a firm, reassuring squeeze before withdrawing her own. Her strong maternal nature kicked in immediately: "We're dealing with changing bodies here. If you can manage it, please try to eat something... even a dessert. There's a lot of people who come here just for the cakes."
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 7:06 pm
Her hand fit against his and it was like a lock and key; something clicked, something made sense, and for the first time in the past month, Lucas felt like he could breathe clearly. His expression flit between surprise and relief, settling on the warmth he usually carried with him that had been absent for some time. The man settled back into his own skin, familiar and safe, letting her hand go. She bloomed, and he relaxed. Maybe it would be okay, after all. Pale eyes remained upon Eve, slightly touched with wonder. "Uh, if you -- if you want, you can order what you like and I'll do my best to eat it." Her maternal presence seemed to be more effective than an askance of a meeting in the name of the Lady. "But what -- what changes? When, and why?" That was the simplest, most core of his concerns, something that no one else but the absent Lady - Tatya - seemed to have any type of answer for.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 7:52 pm
"Desserts, then," Eve decided, closing the menu and setting it aside to signal she was ready. "I've had a sweet tooth all day. Must have come with the stress of the situation." The tone of her voice had become just a bit more lilted, bringing with it sentiments of familiarity. Perhaps a moment ago this would have been a difficult conversation... now, however, she felt they could broach any topic with relative ease. "This town has had paranormal rumors for decades... are you familiar with tales of Other Ashdown?"
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 8:06 pm
It was true; there was a level of comfort and familiarity that had been absent mere seconds ago. Lucas had a sense of family that was easy and natural - there was no reason for him to doubt her just then. There was a latent trust that thrummed under the surface, relaxing much of the tension from his shoulders. "I've heard," he started thoughtfully, "broken fragments, tales, stories. No one really seems to know what it is, though, or grasp its purpose." Another pause. "Aleksy mentioned an Enemy, and that you can die if you leave Ashdown while in the Otherworld. I've met a creature named Pax, but that is the extent of my knowledge and experience."
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 8:15 pm
"Oh, I've met Pax too. Very sweet," and would probably be curious about the cake they were going to eat, given its endearing reaction to its first piece of candy. "My wife has visited the Other-world, but she didn't do any involuntary shapeshifting before getting in touch with her abilities. So whatever we're experiencing must be... another fragment, as you said." The unspoken observation: neither of them had seen any of Other Ashdown yet themselves, in spite of clearly being some kind of supernatural. Were they ever going to? "Would you believe that it's starting with my feet? I hope you weren't dealt similar irony."
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 8:33 pm
Lucas flickered a smile, apologetic in nature. "I wasn't -- very nice to Pax. I doubt they ever got my apology flowers." Exhaling, he leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms over his chest; despite the posture, he was at ease, just comfortably resting his prosthetic arm. "I nearly scared Aleksy to an early grave, when I saw him - he said he could see like a -- a residual power of people touched by the magic there." His jaw flexed. "He said I looked like a wolf walking upright." He subtly shook his head, his attention on her despite the heaviness of the topic at hand. "And your wife, she's okay?" It was rad as hell that Eve had a wife, but it just seemed like a very natural and easy thing to accept. That family familiarity. Didn't hurt that he was pan himself. To her question, he smiled tightly. "My good hand." Another pause. "After that, I -- I felt my right hand. Tingling, burning." A longer, poignant pause. "I've been missing my arm for over five years. I think that was scarier than seeing the transformation."
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