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 Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:13 pm
The car ride was a silent one. Justin had tried explaining himself over and over, but Aadhira had shut down. Eventually the raevan would simply repeat 'your logic is undeniable' in a monotone over anything Justin tried to say. And he knew this was a shitty move, but he also knew that Aadhira couldn't live like this, that he didn't deserve this kind of a life. Nisha was ill, ********... Nisha was dying and there wasn't any way to provide Aadhira with the care he needed and be there for her, too. Plus, the entire family was moving so far away. It was all for Nisha, and she was the last bit of his family that he actually loved. Aadhira understood right? He said he did, but- Justin sighed. "Aadi-" he began. "We're almost there, Justin." Aadhira cut him off, pointing to the lab building just up the street. They parked and Aadi stared at the building with dulled eyes. He was being given back. It was a fate he couldn't even rail against. With a flick of his hair, he was out of the car and into the Lab. Justin scrambled to follow. "Hello," Aadhira called out softly.
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 8:27 am
Anticipating their arrival, Lazarus had been seated in the lobby for a little bit now, just checking social media on his phone or playing a little game or two. When the glass door swung open, he stood up from behind the receptionist's desk and walked out briskly.
"Hello." He greeted Aadhira with a smile and an extended hand. "I don't think we're acquainted yet. My name is Lazarus." He tried to look friendly instead of formal, but is unsure how Aadhira felt about that. "How.. do you feel today?" He asked, concerned about his well being. Aadhira was not the first Raevan where their first guardian conceded guardianship. Ethiriel went through something similar as well, and he want to be helpful in the process.
"Hello." He greeted Justin as well with a wave when he entered behind the Frei.
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 11:39 am
"I'm Aadhira, but I'm sure you already know." Aadhira smiled and took the raevan's hand briefly. He wasn't really feeling pleasantries today, but no one needed to really know that. Despite that, he moved with non of his usual vivacity. "I'm doing well. I've heard about you - it's nice to meet both you and your legs." His smile quirked up into something more genuine for a moment. Justin entered and Aadi's smile thinned a bit again. He floated off the side. "Hi Lazarus. I assume you know why we're here today?" Justin returned the wave awkwardly, wondering if he was going to die of anxiety. But whatever he felt, Aadhira had to be feeling worse, he reminded himself.
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Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 9:42 am
Lazarus smiled at the compliments about his legs, making him feel a little self conscious about them, even showing a hint of shyness. Despite that, Aadhira seemed to be doing alright. Well, on the surface anyway.
The change in expression did not go unnoticed when Justin entered though. The human looked less composed than the Frei, which is a shame because he is much older and supposedly more experienced in life. Which was why Lazarus only offered a wave.
"Kyou is waiting in the cafeteria with the documents." Red eyes turned back to Aadhira as he spoke. "If you'll please follow me." Lazarus said as he began to lead them through the building.
As Kyou sat at a dining table in the cafeteria, with a pot of tea brewing beside him, he looked solemnly at the documents sitting in a folder to concede one's guardianship. He initially drafted the documents just for this purpose, although he had hoped not to have any use for them, ever. This was not the first time it was used though, as Lazarus told him they dug it out and made some changes when Ethiriel's guardianship was handed over to Henry. At least she is with a better guardian now.
Aadhira though... as far as he know, Justin had no suggestions for a potential new guardian. The Frei will effectively be orphaned when Justin signs the contract. At least with Ethiriel, Henry was there to accept her straight away.
Steepling his fingers, he waited for their arrival.
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Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 11:16 am
Justin raised an eyebrow, then ran his fingers through his hair, following both Aadhira and Lazarus. Of course Laz thought he was awful, s**t he thought he was awful, but there was no other option. Not one that would be good for Aadi. The frei in question floated behind Lazarus. "Of course," he said. Objectively, he knew Justin was right, that his reasons were mostly sound. Subjectively, he hated it; it twisted him up inside into ugly little pieces that he never wanted to lay flat and examine. He had no idea what happened next - or how long he'd wait back at the Lab for someone to pick him up. What happened if he just kept cycling and cycling and... He remained silent on the way to the cafeteria. When they arrived, Justin stepped forward, in front of the frei. "Dr. Kyou. It's been a while. I'm sorry to have to call for an appointment like this." He didn't site, but slanted a glance at Aadhira. In an effort to make things as seamless as possible, Dr. Kyou already knew the reasons behind his ... his... giving up. He floated nearby, not really paying attention to either Justin nor Kyou. This wasn't really a part for him, he guessed. His ribbon dragged on the ground until he deliberately flicked it upwards.
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Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 6:42 am
Lazarus brought the duo into the cafeteria and stayed beside Aadhira as the formal greetings were made. When Justin settled down though, he nudged Aadhira's arm gingerly, getting his attention.
"You don't need to stay here for this." He spoke softly, so that the adults won't hear him. "Why don't I bring you for a breather on the balcony upstairs? I can show you where you will be staying while you're here too."
Kyou mustered a smile as pleasant as possible as he stood up to greet Justin. "Yes, it has indeed been a while." They shook hands and they sat. "Here, have some tea." Kyou offered as he pour a cup for Justin. It is only polite to offer. Plus the pleasant smell would make this somewhat easier, even if it is only a little bit.
Yes indeed, Justin had already explained over the phone the reasons for this. And Kyou had already offered his condolences for his family's situation. It truly is unfortunate. "How is your sister doing?" He felt like it was only polite to ask. "And how is your family holding up?" Purposely avoiding a question directly pointing at Justin, as he probably felt really terrible right now.
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Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 5:17 pm
"Hm? Oh, I guess I'm not really needed for this." He glanced at Lazarus. It was something he hadn't thought of. "I think I'd like to see the room." Normal people might have cushioned the phrase with ' if that's alright', but Aadhira, even when inwardly distressed, was very conscious of how his words portrayed himself. "Lead the way, Lazarus." He smiled pleasantly and did not look back at Justin. --------------------------------- "Thank you, Dr. Kyou." He held the cup in both hands, feeling his fridg fingers tingle at the warmth. "She's as well as can be expected. They've already moved her. I'm supposed to follow this Wednesday." He sighed, turning his teacup around and around. "My family... is as overbearing as ever, perhaps more so, though I can't blame them." He looked up, glancing at Aadhira's retreating form. Justin swallowed painfully. "What do I need to do?"
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 12:06 am
Lazarus smiled at Aadhira as well as he lead the Frei out of the cafeteria. He was glad that at least Aadi seemed alright so far. Quietly he hoped that the Frei is not bottling everything up inside of him.
"It'll be upstairs." The Valsaros said as he lead Aadi through the hallway, turning to go up a flight of stairs just next to the double doors that lead into the laboratory. Windows were set into the door so you can see the Raevan tanks within the lab. "Upstairs is the living quarters, although it's mostly only me living upstairs now." Lazarus explained. The atmosphere seemed to change a little as they reached the upper floor landing. It feels more... homely, and a little less like an office or working space. "Your room is here." Walking down this hallway a little, Lazarus opened the first wooden door on the right, revealing an old fashioned looking room within.
A wooden four post bed sat in the middle of the room, with matching wooden furniture arranged around. It's cozy and nice and smelled of warm amber. "This used to be Kyou's bedroom." Lazarus explained, walking a few steps inside. "But he had since moved permanently to the downstairs bedroom, next to his office."
"Wow that is soon." Kyou was surprised to hear that. It is Monday today, so Justin is leaving the day after tomorrow. He couldn't imagine how Justin's family felt having to deal with all of this. He couldn't imagine how Justin felt, being forced to leave Aadhira behind like this.
Well, perhaps there is no better time than now to get this over with. Taking a red folder on the desk, he opened it to reveal a document inside detailing his surrender of guardianship and the terms and conditions that followed. "Just sign here." He offered a pen to Justin as he pushed the document closer to Justin.
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Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 4:31 pm
"Is it really okay for me to stay in this room?" Aadhire would, of course, take it as his due, but he'd been expecting the bare basics and not Dr. Kyou's old room. He wondered if there were still things inside the drawers he could riffle through. "Did there used to be more freis in residence?" --------------- "Yeah, I tried... to push it off further, but they complaining about me malingering." He rubbed a hand over his face, then took the pen. "Did you... do you have someone who can take him?" Justin hesitated.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 9:30 pm
"Yeah don't worry about it." Lazarus replied. "It's just an empty space collecting dust anyway. We usually treat this as the guest room." Kyou had for the most part moved most of his personal belongings downstairs to his ground floor room. They mainly keep the old furniture in this room so they could use it for guests, for instances like this one. However, Aadhira might find some hidden treasure or stray stuff that Kyou left behind in the drawers if he looked through them.
"Some Freis do stay up here if they need to wait overnight for their new guardians to arrive. Although sometimes they just wander around the building looking at stuff."
Pausing for a moment, he suddenly remembered. "What do you feed on?" He realized he forgot to look up on that. "Sorry." Lazarus chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed. "Do let me know so I can get you some food or something."
Kyou looked a little thoughtful as Justin posed the question. Eyes glanced briefly at the teapot as he considered his ideas. "Yeah, I think I have a candidate that might be able to take Aadhira in." He smiled softly at Justin, trying to reassure him. "Although she is a busy woman, and I haven't called her yet. Aadhira might need to stay here a few days." And that is only if she is willing or able to take the Frei in. Which fingers crossed she would be. Since this is a lot to ask of a person.
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 10:15 pm
"I suppose I'm the guest," he murmured. "Are there any freis currently here or... set to come here soon?" The lab always felt kind of oddly sterile, even the lived-in parts. He only vaguely remembered it from before. Nothing felt quite real. "I eat the glow out of things. Glowsticks, things with bio-luminescence, some electronics. Not permanently, of course. Glows replenish." He spoke idly, not feeling particularly offended by Lazarus' question. "Do you eat regular food now?" Presumably, the legs and torso included a stomach with a working digestive system. ----- Justin sighed. "I hope your candidate can take him. No one I know is suitable, or they're in a similar situation to me. I just.." Another sigh. "Want him to have something better than I can give him." He did feel kind of reassured, although it would do nothing to assuage his guilt over having to leave Aadhira behind. This was the last time he'd ever see the raevan, and his heart squeezed a bit at the thought, but it was for the best. Maybe he should have played a truly evil guardian, that way Aadhira's heart could be free to hate him fully. Maybe Aadhira already did, anyway.
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 6:50 am
"The Freis will emerge when they emerge. It's hard to predict when they will be fully formed and wake up." Lazarus said as he think back. Some came out in just days, some take up to years. "So don't worry about it. There are still plenty of space for them to stay in if they do emerge when you're here." Worse comes to worst he'll open up his room too he suppose.
Speaking of which... "My room is just next door. I'm usually there if I'm not at work or running errands for Kyou." He pointed at the door down the hallway, which is currently closed. "Just knock okay?"
The Valsaros considered for a moment about Aadhira's food source. It surely is... peculiar, not very easily found or accessible. Perhaps Zeke will be able to provide some glow sticks, since he's the party type. Or at the very least will know where to get some. "Noted." Lazarus replied as he made a mental note to ask Zeke about acquiring some later. When the question was posed though, the answer was quite simple. "Yeah, I eat regular food now." He said, smiling a little sheepishly. "Fire does little for me now, although I can still feed on them. I need actual human food for sustenance now."
"I promise you, I'd find him a good guardian." Kyou reassured Justin. "If you would like, I can update you when I had found Aadhira a new guardian?" He offered, it was the least he could do. If anything, it would probably give Justin a peace of mind. And he definitely need that with the things that his family is going through now.
Eyes glanced at the pen still held in Justin's hand and the paper underneath it. Justin had not signed it yet.
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Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 9:27 pm
"Mmm," was all he said. He really wanted to ask if Lazarus now also needed to use the bathroom just like humans. Maybe he never wanted to progress that far. "I'll be sure to knock if I need anything. I think, for now, I'd like to take a nap, if that's okay?" Aadhira felt horribly drained. He should probably eat, too, but he didn't feel like it. ------------------ "I... While I'd like to know, I don't think Aadhira would want me to know." His smile was a little sad. Finally, he signed the paper and pushed it back towards Dr. Kyou. "Ultimately, what he wants matters the most, even if I couldn't provide him with that."
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Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:30 am
"Alright." Lazarus acknowledges and nodded as he stepped out of the room, leaving Aadhira in it. He understood that perhaps the Frei still felt really down about everything that is happening. Being abandoned and orphaned like this... can't be a good feeling. So he will give Aadhira all the space he needed.
"Get a good rest okay?" He smiled and waved as he proceeded to go back downstairs to see how Kyou is doing, seeing Justin still in there, he decided not to disturb them. Instead taking his phone out and text Zeke about acquiring some glow sticks for Aadhira.
"I understand." Kyou nodded with a sad smile. He could see that Justin is having a really hard time as well. And he wished he could help make it better, although he don't know how. Receiving back the papers, he glanced it over before closing it shut. "Do you want to say goodbyes to Aadhira before you go?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2017 9:08 pm
"Mhmm," Aadhira murmured, raising a hand to wave in return. Once Lazarus was gone, the frei slowly floated over to the bed. Full clothed, he laid down on top of the covers, hands clasped across his chest. He wasn't tired. If he thought hard enough, he imagined he could hear Justin's footsteps as he left, hear the scratch of pen on paper as he was signed away. He hoped, briefly, that Justin's car would feel a little lonely when his former guardian re-entered it, that Justin would have enough time in his rowh ouse to fully feel his absence. Then, Aadi decided he didn't care. Because there was always the alternative - that Justin wouldn't feel lonely, wouldn't even notice that Aadhira wasn't there, that Just was secretly relieved. Aadhire closed his luminescent eyes. He thought too much. ------------------------------- There was a long pause after the papers were put away. "No," he said. It was done and no amount of 'I wish' or 'if only' could change a single thing of it. "We already said our goodbyes. If that's all, Dr. Kyou, I'd like to thank you for your time. I know you will place him with someone deserving." Justin stood and extended his hand to Dr. Kyou... one last time.
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