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 Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:47 pm
Who: Ian, Zeke, and Eden (kind of)
When: January 12th, 2019; mid-morning
Where: Eden and Ian's home in Barton
Weather: Chilly but sunny!
There was a panicked call at breakfast time that set the tone for a good part of the rest of his day. Zeke, phone ever nearby if not on his person, answered to find it was Ian, tearful and frightened and talking at a rapid clip that the vet almost didn’t fully grasp what was being said to him.
The jist of it was clear, however - something had happened to Eden and he had no idea what and that fact alone terrified him. Zeke did his best to calm the other over the phone, promising to be at his place as soon as humanly possible.
”Give me five minutes to get dressed,” he had said, “and I’ll be on my way!”
After another assurance and subsequently hanging up, Zeke did exactly that. He ran back upstairs, dressed, brushed his hair and without even tying it back, darted back down and out the door.
Barton wasn’t a long drive from his home in Durem but with a call like that having come in, any amount of time was too long. Finally he reached the florist shop Ian lived and worked out of, not pausing a second as he made his way inside. Knocking would be customary any other time but different times called for different circumstances.
He made his way upstairs to the apartment, knocking then as he opened the door.
“Ian? It’s me, Zeke!”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:44 pm
It was all Ian could do to get Eden back to the apartment. They arrived at around three in the morning, and the panic was still coursing through his system. He’d worn his lip raw from chewing and his auburn curls were a tangled mess atop his head, his fingers raked through them too many times. He’d tried talking to her, tried to pry the tightly-coiled vines apart with his fingers, and even tried pleading with multiple gods--nothing had worked. All he’d gotten in return was silence and those damned sweet peas.
He rubbed at his swollen, red eyes and sank down on the bed beside her with a heavy sigh. How could this have happened? What had happened? What could he do?
Around eight in the morning he finally gathered to courage and wherewithal to call Zeke. He knew every Raevan was different, but surely the man would have at least some idea what was going on? Surely he could at least provide a second brain to help look for answers. Unfortunately, Ian’s calm hadn’t lasted long after Zeke had picked up. He couldn’t even explain the situation properly, only that something was very wrong and he had no idea what to do. Thankfully, Zeke hadn’t requested more information than he could provide.
Ian hadn’t moved between the call and when he heard a knock at the apartment door. He had simply resigned to stroking the cocoon’s vines and flowers delicately as if they were Eden’s hair. Could she feel it? Did she know he was here? ”I’ll be right back, okay?”
There was a short delay before Ian opened the door and offered a somewhat frantic smile to Zeke. ”Hey, hi. Um--come in, sorry.” He stepped aside, his nerves getting the best of him again. ”I.. I’m sorry to call you so early in the morning like that, I just, um… I don’t know what’s going on.” Despite his best efforts, his voice wobbled a bit near the end.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:47 pm
After a moment Ian was there, a smile born of nerves on his lips. Zeke offered a compassionate one in return, walking in as soon as the door was wide enough to allow him through.
“Don’t apologize, I’m glad you did.” He clasped a hand onto the other man’s shoulder, squeezing firmly to reassure him that whatever it was that led him to call, it was going to be alright. “Let’s start with this then,” If Ian didn’t know what was going on with Eden that could pose some trouble as to finding out what was wrong with her, but he’d have to have some sort of knowledge as to what, perhaps, led up to whatever it was that had him frantic.
“First, take a breath. I’m here now and I’ll do whatever I can to make this all better. Next, take me to her and tell me what you do know. Has anything been different about Eden lately? Not eating, powers receding or becoming more active than usual, maybe her personality did a one-eighty? Anything at all, it might tie into whatever’s going on with her.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:51 pm
The steady hand on his shoulder seemed to ground him and Ian took a deep breath. His nod was still a little shaky, but his spine straightened and his eyes appeared less watery. ”Yeah. Okay, um… She’s in her room.” He led the way to one of the doors off the main area of the apartment, his hands curling and uncurling at his sides. Zeke’s questions made his heart sink. He really should have been paying more attention; he really should have pushed harder for her to talk to him. Maybe then this wouldn’t have happened…
”She… She wasn’t herself. She hadn’t been for a long time.” He opened the door and showed Zeke into Eden’s bedroom. Her cocoon had been laid on the bed with what he thought was her head on the pillow. Its tangle of leaves and vines and soft pastel flowers didn’t seem wholly out of the place in the room, with its numerous other plants decorating the windows and shelves.
Ian took a breath and stood at the foot of the bed, swallowing thickly. ”She wasn’t eating, and she was… It was weird, she almost looked like a dying flower. I guess it makes sense, but--” He shook his head. ”All of her colors were fading and she looked thinner, and she had these...these dark circles under her eyes. And she barely ever used her powers anymore.”
His eyes grew sad again as he looked down at her and took a shaky breath. ”I should have tried harder to reach her.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:51 pm
He followed behind Ian as he led the way, silent now save for a small raise of his chin as the florist admitted his ward hadn’t been herself for ‘a long time’. He didn’t yet press, not as the bedroom door was opened and they stepped inside. Zeke flicked his eyes around the room, noting the abundance of flora, but when Ian neared the bed where Eden was he couldn’t help but stare.
Much like a mummy, Eden was wrapped up tight in vines and flowers with no trace of the Frei that was there showing through. The vet’s eyes went a touch wide and he opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when words escaped him for the moment.
Ian filled that space with an explanation and Zeke drew closer to the bed and the indistinguishable figure upon it as he listened. Again the hand when to the other man’s shoulders and again he gave it a squeeze.
“It’ll be okay,” he said finally, still processing the information given. “I will say I wish you had reached out sooner after what you just said, but please don’t beat yourself up. You’re helping her now, Ian.
“Can you tell me about how long she was like that before this?” To ask how long she had been as she was now was moot - this was obviously as recent as just this morning, perhaps no later than last night. “And if you don’t mind I’d like to examine her.”
‘As best I can’ was left unspoken, his mind already running to think about the why’s and how’s and what’s that could have brought Eden to become encased in vines. He considered her Essence and her Soul; both could have a hand in this in one way or another. Had her lack of use of her powers driven them to burst out as if under pressure? That wouldn’t explain her lack of eating and her subsequent wilting, however. If anything her powers would have diminished because of her wilting, fading right along with her color and physique.
But then again, stranger things had happened in the past, and no stone could be left unturned when it came to Raevans. Their uniqueness among every individual really did make situations frustratingly case-by-case. He could refer back to previous instances at times to help guide his judgement but no two cases were 100% identical.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:53 pm
Ian took another breath and pushed a trembling hand through his hair. Just having Zeke here helped ease his worries a bit, but the fact that Eden was very clearly not okay couldn’t be ignored. Was she dying? Was she growing? Was she simply ill? How could one tell the difference? What if it didn’t work? What if Zeke couldn’t help?
He closed his eyes firmly to push the thoughts away and gave his head a gentle shake. ”O-of course.” Did Zeke know what to look for? Would he know when he found it?
”And she wasn’t herself for, um...a while, actually. I started noticing something was wrong in the summer, after she broke up with her boyfriend. I thought she was just upset about that, but--” He bit his lip. ”She didn’t get better. She’s a teenager, sort of, and I… I’m not good with feelings.” He sat on the other side of her and swallowed hard against the tightening feeling in his throat. ”But she really got worse at the end of the year. She um--she overexerted herself and drained all the plants in the apartment, and...and me. But then she was better.” He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes and sighed. ”I should have made her see you then. But she insisted she was feeling better, and she looked like herself again.”
What an idiot he’d been! He didn’t deserve to be her guardian, he couldn’t be trusted to act in her best interest. How had he let this happen?
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:56 pm
Zeke nodded and moved to start his examination. He started at what was perhaps Eden’s head, resting on the pillow as it was. He touched the vines, the leaves, the flowers, looked at the stems and veins that ran through them. Everything was warm, like there was indeed a figure beneath the wrappings and not just a product of the sun shining through the window.
“First love heartbreak can be a real kick in the gut, especially if it was rough.” He looked up at Ian with a sympathetic smile as the man said he wasn’t good with emotions. Even if he was, it might not have been so easy to get through to the Frei that she’d find love again or that the world wasn’t dismal and bleak as it might have seemed at the time.
“She drained every plant? And you?” There was another widening of his eyes as he spoke the last part aloud, looking over Ian with concern. Obviously ‘drained’ didn’t mean the worst case scenario but to go from flora, a food source and obvious thing for her to affect, to fauna was a staggering leap. Especially for a Frei. “But after that she stopped eating again?”
Had Eden gone from not eating to essentially binge eating, then back to square one all over a break up? It would make sense over a short period of time but if the break up was in summer and this was now winter…Well, it wasn’t entirely unimpossible. First love and all that, like he said.
“I gotta say, these vines are warm and everything about them looks and feels healthy. Which is a direct contradiction to what you’ve told me about her decline.” A frown creased the corners of his mouth for a moment and the vet held a hummed note for a moment before gesturing at the flowers. “There’s even flower buds and signs of new growth all over as well. They’re also wrapped really, really tight.”
As if to prove it to Ian, Zeke tried to pull a vine from the rest. It didn’t give. Then he tried to wiggle a finger underneath. The vine did not budge.
“She’s in there on purpose, I think. This wasn’t outside interference; someone or something doing this to her, I mean.” Not knowing she was found and brought home, Zeke figured that someone would have had to have gotten into the apartment to do this to her and he doubted that strongly.
“That being said...We could try cutting her out of there, but I’m not fully on board with that idea if I’m being honest. If she did this herself, this is essentially a cocoon. When it comes to insects, if you try to get out whatever’s inside, things tend to not go well for that creature during or after the fact. I’m also worried that if we cut the vines they’ll react by growing thicker instead and that might make trouble for her trying to come out when she’s ready.”
Not only that, but plants had nasty ways of dealing with creatures that tried to harm them. He was no botanist or florist and while he and Ian weren’t aphids or the like, he wasn’t about to not consider risk to them either.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:58 pm
Realizing how little he’d actually told Zeke about what happened, Ian took a breath. ”Sorry, I guess I should explain a little better. I found her in a meadow, um… And there was a nymph there, like the one her soul came from. She said that Eden had come to her looking for answers, but she wouldn’t say about what. I had to track her phone to find her after she didn’t come home.” He looked down at his hands in his lap, worn red from rubbing them together and from trying to pry the vines open.
”She didn’t mean to drain me. I think… I almost think she saved herself. We had an argument and she got really worked up, and she almost passed out. But then there was this glow, and--” he shrugged, ”and then I was waking up on the floor.” He picked up a fallen petal and turned it between his fingers. Eden had fed off of him a bit in the beginning, mostly to get her way; he wasn’t stupid. But she hadn’t done it in ages.
He looked at Eden again and nodded. ”Maybe… Maybe she just needs time?” His green eyes glanced up at Zeke hesitantly. ”Has anything like this happened before?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:59 pm
So she hadn’t been home at the time. The notion didn’t change everything, but…
“I guess I can assume the nymph told you this was Eden’s doing, or at the very least made it obvious it wasn’t her own fault.”
Unable to do much else in the way of a physical, Zeke returned to Ian’s side, letting him speak without interrupting and even then waiting a few moments after he fell silent just in case he wanted to continue.
“She must’ve been at her limit for going without feeding to have done that. I’m glad you’re alright and the plants took the brunt of it rather than you.” He smiled a little at the other man again, watching Ian fiddle with the petal.
“I think, in this case, that may be the way of it.” Again he frowned just a touch as he looked over the cocoon, unhappy that there wasn’t much else that could be done for Eden at least at this stage of the game. Then again, doing nothing was perhaps the best course of action, given what he had just said about the nature of it.
“Actually, yeah, now that you mention it.” The frown disappeared and he turned back to Ian once more. “There’s another Raevan who had a similar circumstance. I don’t know if you or Eden ever met her but her name is Cordelia. This was a few years ago now but her Guardian’s father brought her to the Lab after she had woken up after encasing herself in stone.
“I might get some details wrong, like I said it’s been a few years, but if I’m remembering right, Cordelia was going through some stressful times just beforehand. Then after an argument or something really pushed her stress levels over the edge and poof! It just happened. It was almost like a defensive power or something, her body trying to protect itself rather than have her pass out or suffer through that overabundance of stress.”
He ran a hand over his bearded chin, considering.
“All things considered, it might be a similar situation for Eden. And in time, Cordelia did work herself out of it and, outside of some disorientation and sore joints, was no worse for wear and recovered quickly when she came out. It could easily be the same for your girl too.”
He sounded hopeful and full of promise.
“And you know what? I would be far, far more worried if this casing she’s made wasn’t as lush as it is. I think the fact it’s so healthy is a good sign! If it’s healthy, she’s healthy, even if outwardly she looks…” He waved a hand over Eden’s cocoon. “Jarringly not herself. What do you think, Ian?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:00 pm
Ian listened carefully as Zeke recounted Cordelia's ordeal. It did certainly sound very similar, but how long would this take? And Zeke did have a point; the cocoon itself was beautiful and full of life despite its strange nature. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair again. The curls only became more disheveled and he just stared at Eden for a long moment. He couldn't help wondering what exactly had happened in that meadow. The nymph had been frustratingly cryptic--or perhaps he'd simply been too distraught to listen properly.
“She um-- After she drained me, she was actually back to normal, as far as her colors and powers. But I doubt she was feeling okay emotionally. But...given how she reacted when I tried to press her, I wasn't in a hurry to try again.” He rubbed at his neck and let his head fall back on his shoulders. Ultimately, he knew that no one would really know for sure what was going on. But that logical knowledge did little to calm the roiling anxiety clawing at his stomach and constricting his throat.
”And that was only at the end of December. Either she'd been restricting herself completely, or this… I dunno, this feels different. She saved herself before and she didn't do this.”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:00 pm
He considered what Ian said.
“Feeding would do that, especially after a long while of not doing so.” He thought of a few instances where that was the case, where Raevans bounced back from similar appearances with even just one quick feeding. “As for her reaction, I can only imagine but I can also sympathize.”
He gazed over the cocoon again, considering his own Raevan in his thoughts now. He knew what Ian spoke of from experience, how one could be bitten even if only the best interests were at heart. When he looked back at the other man, he was sucking on his lip ring, now mulling over what came next.
“You said she encountered a nymph, maybe she attacked her? But a shield power wouldn’t last this long, especially if she was on the decline...” He hummed again, brows furrowing in thought. After a moment, a funny look passed over his features, as if he just realized something that should be so obvious. “Actually...wait a minute. What this is - what she’s wrapped herself in - it’s basically a cocoon!!!”
His expression did a one-eighty and became a bright, open happy-shock at the notion he just had. Zeke took Ian by the arms and gave him a little shake; his usual bouncy, happy, and playful demeanor on the swift return.
“Ian, what happens to caterpillars in cocoons?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:02 pm
Zeke's completely stark flip of mood and train of thought left Ian reeling for a moment. He blinked, and one could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he searched Zeke's face. But after a minute his own face opened into recognition and he glanced at Eden again. “You don't think…?”
Did it normally happen this way? Obviously every case was unique and there wasn't a specific timeline or pattern to follow, but… He couldn't fight the strange little thrill of excitement that coursed through him. “But she's so young, comparatively. Haven't others usually taken much longer to grow?” The thought brought sorrow back to his eyes. To possibly jump that quickly to growth--she must have truly been under great duress. He raked his hands through his hair again and took a breath.
“Well, um… I mean, I don't want to hope for something that might not be happening, but…” He attempted a semi-hopeful smile. “Maybe this will end up making her feel better, whatever she's doing. She wouldn't talk to me about it, so if she can find some sort of relief through this, I…” He plucked a sweet pea from the tangle of leaves and vines, another blooming in its place almost instantly.
“I can only keep an eye on her I suppose. You know--make sure she has enough humidity and light, talk to her...”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:03 pm
He nodded, earnest and eager.
“Given the circumstances and what you’ve told me, plus how it looks - I think it’s a definite possibility!”
He pulled back from Ian, bouncing on his toes. It was the only thing that made sense, given the lushness of the cocoon. A bit odd maybe, considering what he had been told, but when were Raevans not odd in some manner or way? Out of every option he could fathom, Eden growing to a Sigel inside those leaves and vines seemed the only possible way.
“The thing about Raevans is,” Zeke heard the change in Ian’s tone and was quick to try an allay those fears, “what may seem ‘too young’ to our standards isn’t for them. They grow when they’re ready, not before. And yes, this has meant many years have gone by for some, but for others they’ve gone from a Frei to a Sigel in little more than a year. It seems random I know but it works for each of them. And if this is the case for Eden well,”
The cocoon was so lush, so green, heavily dotted with sweet peas and quick to replace anything that was plucked from it. Growth had to be the answer. It just had to be.
“It’ll work out for her as well. It’ll be a shock when she comes out though!”
His grin was luminous, a laugh playing on his lips.
“She’ll be just as awestruck as you will be, I’ll bet! And really, there’s nothing like a growth to raise one’s spirits.” He nodded sagely, having seen it for himself in so many others in the past. “But that being said, I was just going to suggest the same thing. Keeping the cocoon healthy is key to keeping her healthy. I know she’s no insect soul but the comparisons are apparent - keep the cocoon safe and sound and she should come out just the same!”
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:04 pm
As much as he tried to resist getting his hopes up, Zeke’s enthusiasm was contagious. Ian couldn’t fight mirroring his bright grin with a hopeful smile of his own. To think that Eden might be growing into a Sigel! A strange sense of pride settled over him and his stomach flipped.
But even if that wasn’t what was happening, he wouldn’t mind. He would never dream of rushing her, or of making her feel bad for not growing. It was true--each Raevan was completely and totally unique. And there was no timeline or guide to follow, no sense of what to expect. He hadn’t heard any stories about how other Raevans grew in the past, but he doubted it would help.
”Yeah, and it’s about all I can do at this point, anyway. She doesn’t respond or move, so…” He took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. ”But really, thank you so much for coming over. Even if you ended up just listening to me panic.” His smile was sheepish and apologetic as he stood up to open the curtains. The room was illuminated with crisp winter light and some of the leaves on Eden’s cocoon turned toward it automatically. She was obviously still alive inside, which was a very good sign.
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Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:05 pm
To see Ian light up was a relief to see. The man had been so scared moments ago but now he was beaming and as hopeful as the cocoon seemed to indicate the future of its occupant was. Even if nothing could be done for Eden right now, at least there was some good done in regard to her Guardian.
“All you can do is what’s best for her. And hey, you know more about plants than me or anyone I know so I know she’s one hundred percent in the best hands possible.”
He waved his hand at the thanks and made a funny little face that seemed to say that Ian need not thank him for anything.
“S’my job, man and it’s no trouble at all, panicky Guardian or no. I’d be in the same position as you if this was the case for my girl.” He gestured again to the cocoon as Ian opened up the curtains, blinking just a little with the arrival of that mid-morning sun into the room. Yes, this would do nicely and like he had just said aloud - Eden was in the best possible hands for her current condition. The cocoon would stay as vibrant and lively as the plants in the room and downstairs in the shop. And with that in mind, and with Ian calmed and resolved, he could comfortably take his leave.
“All the same, I will ask that you keep me in the loop. Any changes, give me a heads up, alright? Oh, and when she does come out, let me know! We can do a physical if need be to make sure everything’s fine, even if she doesn’t happen to grow.” He held out his hand to Ian, grinning. “Well, especially if she doesn’t grow after all this, okay?”
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