|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:55 am
:: Very Talented Hands :: Regular Quest - Post Five The man was right: after just two, three minutes tops, Rivener was outta there. Although not quite in the way that had been promised. The Scorpion crashed through an upstairs window, arms crossed to shield his face from the glass. Those arms then reached out and caught onto another building's window just across the narrow alley, and Riv pulled himself inside. Thank GOD it had been an open window! Thank GOD Rivener's natural floating had allowed him to coast over easier than a normal person, who could not possibly have reached this window at all. The Scorpion crouched under the windowsill and peered over the top, hearing the talking from below; ah, bouncers were looking for him. Riv bristled again at the sheer audacity. That "regular-looking guy" had taken him inside to sit in a room on the second floor with a bunch of women, who had all instantly been interested in Rivener, of course. He'd smiled his honeyed smile at them, toyed with a lock of one's hair with long, clawed fingers, entranced them all. The regular guy told him he was a natural, and then offered him a job as a male escort. "Who cares if you don't have legs; the girls won't be afraid of being forced into anything!" he'd said, grinning. That's when Rivener had punched him in the face, sending him crumpling to the floor in an unconscious heap. Then there were screaming girls (who, Rivener learned, had been customers), angry bouncers, and threats of calling the cops. The Sigel had fled and eventually found his way here. There's no way these idiots would be calling the cops in to their dubious business, so the bouncers were Riv's biggest problem. He just had to evade them for a little bit and they'd get tired of chasing him. "Oh, my!" A girl's voice resounded as the door to the room opened, forcing Rivener to finally look around at where he was. It looked like some kind of dressing room. A row of mirrors surrounded by lights, racks of questionable clothing along one side, boas and leftover stage decorations piled in the corners, framed posters of Marilyn Monroe adorning the walls. ...s**t, this looked like the back room of an exotic dancers show. Which was very likely, Riv realized with a groan, shifting himself away from the window and floating up to his usual six-foot-ish height. More girls were filing in now, all pausing by the door. Five of them, in fact. They all looked at Rivener with a mix of awe and fear. "Maaaybe you girls can help me," the Scorpion purred, smiling his best sultry smile, turning on the charm. "I seem to be in a little bit of trouble. Some stupid guys are looking for me and I hid here..." He floated forward and traced one girl's cheek with a claw, hooking it under her chin and staring down at her with half-lidded eyes. "You beautiful ladies are so stunning you'd surely be able to distract them with your presence alone, but if they come here looking for me, could you just tell them you never saw me? You could keep me in the corner, behind those clothes... What do you say?" Riv tilted his head at them and smiled his honeyed smile. There was a twitter of girlish giggling and a handful of nodding heads.  The ten minutes Riv spent here were very comfortable. He was treated like some visiting celebrity or the resident pet, he wasn't sure which. All the girls fawned over him and brushed his hair, caressed his jacket, praised his looks, sat and talked to him, paraded their clothes for his approval. Rivener couldn't fake how pleased he was with all the attention. Eventually the knock at the door came and Riv was ushered over into a closet, the girls hurrying quietly to their mirrors and one opening the door. The conversation lasted only a few seconds, with a stuttering bouncer asking if the girl had seen a leg-less man floating around, and a half-dressed girl leaning against the door and batting her eyelashes, replying that they'd seen no one of the sort. The man left with a goofy-sounding "Okay". Once the door was closed and it was deemed safe, Riv was released from his hiding place. He stayed there for another half hour, to make sure his pursuers had gotten tired of looking for him. "...Say, you girls wouldn't know how to get to Ashbury street, would you?" the Scorpion finally thought to ask. There was a slight pause until one of the girls spoke up. None of them wanted him to leave! "It's really easy; go to the first set of lights south of here, then head east; you'll cross Ashbury eventually. But you don't have to go yet, do you?" There was a chorus of Ohhhh, no, staaayyy! as the girls all draped themselves on the Sigel, planting lipstick kisses on his cheeks. Chuckling, Riv pushed them all away gently one by one, floating over to the door. "I really gotta go, girls. It was a pleasure meeting you, though. Maybe I'll come back when I grow legs." He grinned invitingly at them and winked. The girls threw a fuzzy boa at him playfully and jeered him for leaving them, smiling. It was surprisingly easy after that. Riv just floated out of there through the front door like he belonged, and no one looked at him twice. He went down to the first set of lights and turned, eventually making it to Ashbury. As a matter of fact, the apartment he was supposed to visit (two hours late, but still) was right here at the corner! The building was nice and clean-looking, the apartments looked large... But right next to the red light district? No wonder it was cheap. As Rivener stood out there staring at the edifice, the bus pulled up. It took all of two seconds for the Scorpion to come to his decision, sighing. "Screw all this, I'm going home. And STAYING home." He headed for the bus, wiping the lipstick off his cheeks with a leather sleeve.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:04 am
:: Wine Turns Sour when Bad News Strikes :: [ Wine Turns Sour when Bad News Strikes ]Ethan and Vyn receive the Delaran family for a fancy dinner. What begins as a fun-filled evening suddenly takes a turn for the worse when Ethan gets the call announcing that one of the Raevan flock has died.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:07 am
:: Star light, Star bright :: [ Star light, Star bright ]Rivener goes to the planetarium with Aphismet, to try and shake the gloomy thoughts of Gage from his head. The darkness lifts much faster than expected as the pair of males run into a pair of very bright, sunshine-infused females: Sa'ida and Natsuki!
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:26 am
Rivener's Diary Dear Diary. The family and I went to Vyn’s for a dinner party. I was scared Eiry would be a giant pain and wouldn’t get along with Vyn, but she thought he was “comical”, is what she said. She has a puppy that Pasha bought her… Is Melisande trying to buy friendships now? That’s pretty desperate. And here I thought that maybe she wasn’t as bad as I thought. I’ll have to wait and see, if I ever meet her again. Haven’t seen her in a long time. But anyway, this isn’t about her, it’s about that dinner party. Aphismet dressed himself up in a suit to go there. Who’s he trying to impress? Ethan DOES live at the top-most floor of a fancy building, and he IS filthy stinking rich, and he DOES appear in the newspaper business section sometimes because he’s incredibly successful, but why does that mean Aphi needs to dress up? He looked like he was trying to woo a date or something! Isi had it pretty rough, with Aphi fussing over him all the time and forcing him to dress up a little too. He took it much better than I would have, anyway. So we sat at the huge dining table and ate, and the phone rang. It was the Lab, calling everyone to let us know that… …Gage is dead. Gage is dead. Gage. He was my friend. I remember how he made Julian help me when Isi was poisoned, even though Julian was angry about it. He did that because he was my friend. I remember how Gage once asked me how to talk to girls, because he wanted to somehow go talk to Vyn… How did Vyn feel about him, I wonder? She seemed upset at the news, yeah, but was she REALLY upset or was it just the knowledge that a fellow Raevan died? I tried to be strong while I was there, for Eiry and Vyn’s sake. Gage was a very close friend of Eiry’s, too. “Opposites”, Eiry said. Both of them were green but Gage killed plants while Eiry revived them… Really they were opposites, I guess. And Eiry liked that. He was very sad. I stayed strong, all the way home I stayed strong. But now that I’m here, alone in my room… I admit I cried. I feel so helpless. I feel like I should have known, should have been able to help! What DID happen, anyway? Did Julian do this? Where IS Julian?! How did Gage die? We weren’t told the details, and it’s driving me crazy, I have to know. I have to know if the Stars spoke about him. There’s a ton of things that could have been about him! Things like “The mask falls for the last time when the play is revealed”, or “Green fades to smoke behind glass before lead” or “Three-fingered creation lost in tree-less forest stumbles”… It all sounds like it could be Gage! But which one is it? And what does it all mean anyway? I ******** hate feeling like I COULD have done something if I only knew how to understand the god-damned stars!!! Please forgive me, Gage! Please forgive me…
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:27 am
:: What He's Not Ready to Hear ::
Rivener was laying on his bed on his stomach, chin propped in a fist, casually flipping through a magazine. He didn’t use to read this kind of thing, but since he had more body now, the Scorpion suddenly found himself interested in fashion. Which things would look good on him, which not. What style would be best. What colors could he try. He even thought ahead, looking at pants and shoes and wondering what would look good on him. Smirking, Rivener figured his legs would look as good as the rest of him, so he’d fill in ANY pants nicely… Groaning, Riv shook those egotistical thoughts out of his head for the thousandth time that day. Just like every day. God, it was so hard to keep himself from falling into vanity, from becoming overly arrogant!
Sighing, knowing it was nearly a lost cause already, Riv pushed the last of the vain thoughts aside, flipping to the next page. The picture here brought a smile to the sultry lips, and Riv hummed appreciatively as he ran a long-clawed finger along the photographed jacket. Leather, zippers, black. Very stylish, very much the kind of thing Riv liked. And just like with every other item that caught Riv’s fancy, the first thing to pop into his mind was “I wonder if Zul would like it.” If the answer was No, then Rivener would instantly hate the item that had previously had his consideration. If the answer was Yes, Riv would proceed to imagine himself dressed in the item, Zul praising him, touching the clothing, protesting that Rivener was dressed too much… The Sigel blushed lightly, frowning at himself. This blushing reaction also happened every single time, Riv feeling rather… conflicted about how dependant he was on Zul’s imaginary opinion.
Every single day was like this, now. Riv let out a deep sigh, closing the magazine and throwing it lightly onto his nightstand. With a fwump Riv turned onto his back, wings and hair spread out across the blankets, arms tucked up behind his head. Ruby eyes stared up; the window panes were casting long shadows across the ceiling. It was sunset, and soon Riv would be able to feed. Would the stars talk about Zul tonight? Would they say that the demon didn’t know what he was doing, that he was only letting Riv touch him because he didn’t know any better? Would they say that Zul was like this with anyone, let himself get as close as would be allowed to any person? Would they say Rivener wasn‘t special to him? …Would they say that Zul didn’t love him? The thought sent a jolt of fear through the Scorpion’s chest, drawing his brows down into a pained frown. One hand moved to brush fingers across that spot on his neck, the spot Zul had marked. That bruises had long since faded, but Rivener could swear he still felt those lips on him sometimes.
“This is silly,” he chuckled to himself. “I’ve met him TWICE for god’s sake. Two times. That’s all. And it was months in between. And I haven’t seen him in months still, even now. What the hell should I care what he thinks or feels for me?” Despite the logic to his words, Rivener frowned. He DID care. More than he’d cared what anyone else thought of him, ever. Even Roux hadn’t occupied his thoughts this completely. As much as he tried to resist it, as much as he tried not to come to this realization, Rivener couldn’t deny that he was in-
“No way. No.” Shaking his head, the Sigel once again shook that idea clear out, putting it aside with all those other vain thoughts. It was the same thing, after all. Riv wasn’t some perfect, awe-inspiring man. He shouldn’t automatically assume people would think he’s wonderful. He shouldn’t assume they would owe him their attention, their praise, their affection. Rivener just wanted Zul’s approval because Zul himself was incredibly attractive, and if Riv had HIS approval that meant he was incredibly attractive too. …Right?
Ugh, this is stupid, the Scorpion thought with a groan, sitting up and heading out to the balcony. Light was fading fast, the first few wisps of food would be there for his taking. Besides, Riv needed some air. He had to cool his head. Ring-adorned fingers pulled open the glass door that led to the outside, and as usual Riv glanced to Eiry’s door, the two of them sharing this second-story porch. No sign of the minty frei. He must be out doing mischief again. Riv rarely saw him out here, but he checked anyway. It was like Eiry knew this was Rivener’s time to relax, unwind. Riv liked being alone when he fed.
Leaning both arms on the railing, Riv closed his eyes and tilted his head up like a flower towards the sunshine. Ahhhhh, there they were. Delicious, crisp, clear; the first few stars of evening. Already they whispered, taunting him with riddles. The Scorpion’s Heart-
Riv gasped and frowned up, cutting them off. “Not funny!” he said accusingly, waiting a few minutes to let this annoying sentence pass. They’d start babbling about something different in a while, as usual. Riv just had to not listen until they stopped talking about him. He watched with growing hunger as the stars appeared in larger numbers, one after the other blinking on like someone was flipping a switch somewhere.
After about five minutes the Sigel figured it was safe, so he sighed and closed his eyes again, letting the starlight fill him.
At first the stars were quiet, which was strange. It almost felt like they’d been waiting for him to pay attention again. Softly, forcing him to pay attention if he wanted to make out the words, the stars spoke again.
The Eighth Constellation’s center star glows brightest for a Demon.
Rivener gasped again, the meaning sinking in after all the words were spoken. Glaring up at the sky, Riv shut them out and rushed back into his room, closing the door and drawing the curtains. He KNEW what that meant. He KNEW, and now he had no choice but to admit it to himself. The Stars had tricked him into hearing it.
The eighth constellation was Scorpio: the scorpion made of stars. Him. Rivener.
The center star, the middle of Riv’s body, his Heart or Rune.
And the Demon-…
“Aw, ********> Riv groaned, covering his face with a hand, feeling his chest constrict with pain. Now what? What should he possibly ******** do? He was in love! He loved Zul! But Zul was just a Frei, and possibly didn’t know anything about love or commitment or desire or anything beyond the physical attraction… <********> Riv swore again, sinking to the floor. What should he do?…
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:14 am
:: Turn Up The Volume! ::
A week after Rivener’s unwilling realization the Scorpion had finally begun to feed again. He’d been rather mad at the stars for tricking him, and as a result he’d resorted solely to human food for a while, snubbing the sky altogether. Still, human food wasn’t nearly as satisfying yet, so the Raevan had finally relented and returned to his balcony.
At first the stars whispered still, trying to get Riv to listen, and stubbornly the Sigel had refused, fearing another trick. He thought about Zul near-obsessively throughout the day enough, thank you! The few times he’d accidentally tuned in, however, had been completely regular. Whispers of numbers, riddles about the sea or a desert, ramblings about purple swirling down and fading to white in the face of golden eyes… Nothing that really required Rivener’s attention as far as he knew. Not like last time. Weird. Why was it so quiet?
-----
Another week passed. Every day, Riv noticed the voices getting louder. Just by a little bit, but on the third day they were loud enough that he didn’t have to strain to listen anymore. They weren’t talking about him past that first time, which was a big relief. Riv could focus on the volume, frowning in confusion. Why was it getting easier to hear?…
-----
Another week, another notch in the volume. The stars were talking like a loud crowd now, everyone clamouring for his attention like a mob of reporters asking a celebrity questions. N-not that Rivener assumed he was a celebrity or anything, or that he thought he was worthy of being mobbed by reporters, of course. Just like a he’d imagine a celebrity would feel, Rivener found this incessant noise rather annoying. He wished they’d quit it already.
At least he had moonlight to eat now, the full moon shining brightly in the sky, making everything taste rich and delicious…
Hey, wait. Rivener’s eyes opened and he blinked up at his food. The moon? The volume happened to go up the more the moon was full? It was at its quietest at the New Moon, that’s true, but… was it a coincidence? On the new moon there had also been one, two voices at most. Now there were dozens. It really did seem like that was the reason, but…
“I should note this down,” Rivener told himself, nodding. He’d set up a spreadsheet or something, and start taking notes. Maybe if this was the case, Riv might have taken his first step in figuring out how to use this gift properly! First of all he’ll have to skip star-feeding on nights of full moon, he decided, gripping at his pounding head. There were just too many voices, he couldn’t tell one apart from the others. And they were much too loud! Groaning, Riv headed inside to begin taking his notes. Good thing he stopped paying attention, he would have heard about how the Demon sought the Constellation blindly…
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 6:04 pm
APHISMET'S ANSWERING MACHINE After several seconds of silence, Zul's smokey voice comes through. "Rivener." The demonic Frei's tone lacked the normal purr but carried something gentler instead. "This is Zul."
More silence followed, and distantly in the background, Alex can be heard saying, "You have to say more, Zul..."
A sharp tinkling sound follows, likely the rings of his ears or wings. "There's a bright star out tonight," he spoke clearly, "has a red tint. Bear said it was a planet." A pause. "I hope you can see it. I'll be looking at it too." Another long silence stretched, carrying the soft sound of the Raevan's breathing. Finally, three last words are said.
"I miss you."
There's a sound of jostling and the muted sound of a sliding door closing before the call ends.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 6:40 pm
:: From Embarrassment Comes... :: See CHRYSTALI's journal for Rivener's call to Zul's house prior to the following.
Aphismet had been at work. Isikoro sleeping, Eiry off in the woods doing heavens knew what. Rivener had been alone, awake, feeding on the stars. The phone ringing this late was an oddity, but Rivener let it go. He'd check the message in a bit, after he was done eating. If it was Aphi, or something important, they'd call back. Otherwise, it would wait. The Scorpion still reeled from that embarrassing phone message earlier, he wasn't ready to face anyone with his confidence so shaken, his swagger so destroyed.
It was past midnight when the dark Raevan headed back inside, floating slowly downstairs to the living room where the answering machine lay. He'd heard muted mumbling down here, so someone must have left a message... Ah, as he expected, a tiny number "1" blinked. Flopping down into the sofa and leaning over, Riv pushed the button with a sigh.
Silence at first, and Riv frowned. What the hell was this, one of Eiry's prank calls? Did someone usually prank call their own house? Augh, that minty monstrosity could be such a pain in the-"...Rivener."The very first word stopped Riv's breathing cold, his heart skipping a beat and then thumping crazily in his ribs. Red eyes popped open wide and the Scorpion stared ahead, unseeing, listening to the message with every fibre of his being. It was weird, and halting, but Rivener could imagine Zul trying to figure out what to say...
When the message ended, Riv continued staring ahead in stunned silence for a while, trying to get his heart to stop racing so. He felt dizzy, for god's sake. His hands shook. But he couldn't stay here, sitting on the couch! He had to go up and see that star, the one Zul was going to be looking at! Frantically Rivener flew off the couch and dashed back upstairs, into his room, onto his balcony...
There it was! The red star, Mars, the one Zul had said he'd... "Mmnh!" All but melting, Rivener draped himself over the railing, grinning dumbly, staring up at that star. Was he ever glad he'd called!
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 5:35 pm
:: Planning to Plan :: An MSN conversation RP, involving APHISMET and his brother ISIKORO
Aphi: Isi, I have something to tell you. D8 8D *can't decide which expression to wear so settles on:* 8| Isi: *looks up from where he's doing laundry and furrows a brow* Yes? What's up, Aphi? Aphi: Er, Uhm... *fusses* I'm going on a date with Alex! >///.///< Isi: *blank stare until his face lights up with amusement* >8] Reeeeally now? Aphi: I saw her at the cafe where Riv and I went for cake, and and ah... w-we got to talking and it ended up like that. D: C-can you and Riv help me find something to wear? I suck at fashion, Riv's good at it and all but he won't be very flattering so I need your moral support. O///.///O Aphi: I'm taking her to where I work, so it's five-star. D: Pretty fancy. Isi: You're coming to ME for fashion help? Aphi, all I wear are dead colors and occasionally a blue or green. But I can help you decide if that's what you want. Isi: That's a good comfortable first date. XD Where you took me? Your co-workers aren't going to harass you right? Aphi: I know you're no better than me at PICKING, but just tell me if it looks good and keep Riv from making fun too much. TwT And yes, that place, but we won't be in the kitchen we'll be in the dining room! I'm not telling them that I'm going, hopefully they won't know... O_O Isi: I'll do that, sure sure. XD It'll be fun to see you in a suit again. I'm already going to tell you grey pin-stripes. Isi: Ohhh...Aphi, you do know that the waiters will recognize you instantly right? Aphi: Gray pinstripes? o.O Aphi: *looks like it dawned on him only now* D8 THE WAITERS!!! Isi: Why not? When I think suit *continues folding shirts and puts aside one shirt that was absolutely torn up to bits* I think gray pin stripes for some reason. Isi: Yeeeah. The waiters. But it's okay. You're good friends with them right? They'll keep it on the downlow Aphi: We're friends and all but they so love to tease. T.T Isi: Then you're screwed. :] But it's okay, Aphi, perhaps they'll try to make it EXTRA special Aphi: Guh. ToT I'm screwed indeed. Hopefully if I tell them BEFOREhand they can get all the teasing out of their system before the actual date... wh-which still doesn't have an actual DAY scheduled. O.O Talk about missing a giant important piece of the puzzle... Isi: You should do that then, Aph. *folds another shirt and puts it to the side* Well what kind of mood are you going for? Aphi: M-mood?! Err.... *looks baffled* I, I don't know about that... I just want to have dinner with her and then go see a movie and just, you know, see if we click together. Isi: Well do it Saturday. Fridays are tired days. Aphi: *blinks at Isi* ...That makes a lot of sense. How'd you get to be so savvy about dates, hmmmmmmm~? *teasing smirk, which he's more comfortable with* Isi: I have no previous experience in them if that's what you mean. I just notice that you're the most tired on Friday evenings when you come home from work. Isi: *fold fold fold* Aphi: Hm, you watch me more than I thought. I'm touched. >w< *ruffles the two-toned hair* Well, I'm gonna go tell Riv. It's okay if we do this shopping tomorrow? *smiles gratefully* Isi: Aphi, I'm in the house seven days a week and I hardly leave it besides when I go gardening with Eiry and to the Lab. *ruffl'd and grins up at him* Yeah, that's fine. I don't have anything planned. Aphi: Okay, tomorrow at 9am then! *skips off*
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 9:36 pm
:: Laugh in the Workplace :: See SLANNDALOUS' journal for the Photo-taking post prior to this
Aphismet was in the middle of work, three steaks sizzling on the grill and two orders of fish finishing up in the oven. More orders were coming in, the dinner rush sending the usual hustle-bustle of the kitchen into high gear. Why, of all times, did the phone have to ring NOW? Aphismet had long ago told Rivener, Isi and Eiry not to call between six and nine, unless in was an emergency. This very thought is what prompted Aphi to drop the tongs for a moment, wiping his hands quickly on the white apron and fishing his cell out of a pocket, bringing it up. Dark eyes opened wide, frantic. What if Riv had poisoned someone again? Or one of the ghosts in the house had decided to stop acting so nice? Or Isikoro fell and broke a leg? Or Eiry was lost in the woods? Or perhaps it was something with the lab!? Oh goodness, Aphi didn't know if he could stomach to learn about another Raevan being in trouble. The small LCD screen announced [1 new text message]. Aphi frowned. What was this!? No one ever texted him... Flipping the screen open, Aphismet clicked the OPEN button. What he found was definitely NOT was he was expecting. For a long second Aphi froze, staring while the sizzling continued on the grill, ignored. Once the image actually sunk in, the chef snickered, then chuckled, then laughed, then guffawed. Aphi laughed so hard he was nearly bent over, holding his side with one hand and holding up his phone with the other. The other cooks were staring at him as though he'd lost his marbles, but soon the laughter spread like fire even though no one else knew who it was in the picture. Aphi's mirth as he showed it around was certainly enough to warrant a laugh. Soon the whole kitchen was rumbling with laughter. Aphi wiped a tear from his eye and returned to his station just in time, finishing the food before it burned. But not before he pressed the "Save" button... He knew the others at home would want to see this.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 2:19 pm
:: The Clothes Make the Man? ::    
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 2:44 pm
:: A Strange Animal :: [ A Strange Animal ]Rivener takes Beauregard for a nice stroll along the streets of Durem, and they meet Zeke, a strange, pierced, tattooed, dual-haired veterinarian. What's more, this person seems to know Zul!
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:44 am
:: Playing with the Big Boys :: [ Playing with the Big Boys ]Rivener gets the weirdest phone call from Sevilin, asking to meet in some seedy sports bar. Riv goes, afraid the sea-frei was kidnapped or something, but instead of a victimized Sevilin, Rivener finds a frei with a mid-life-crisis?
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:46 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:48 am
:: A Very Unpleasant Realization / Seeking Advice :: Rivener couldn't tell what had brought on the train of thought he was currently on, but he wished he'd never thought it. As a result he was now laying on his stomach on his bed, arms crossed in front of him and chin resting in the crook, red eyes staring with focused intensity at the wall across from him. The magazine he'd been reading was thoroughly forgotten on the blankets under his arms. What Riv was contemplating now had far deeper importance than male fashion.
Rivener had remembered Roux. Or rather, he was remembering.
Had Riv ever truly been in love with Roux? He'd been so certain as a Frei! So certain that this was love, and scorning Aphismet for thinking otherwise. But now, even the memory wasn't as strong as the Sigel thought it would be. What he felt for Zul was... was so much MORE. But was it REALLY more? Had Riv's feelings for Roux just-... dimmed? Had he fallen out of love with the icy Sigel because of how absent he'd been lately, or had had he never felt any stronger at all? Had he simply not known the difference as a Frei?... Or maybe Aphismet had been right about the whole No-stomach-no-butterflies thing??
The implications were horrible. After all, Zul was just a Frei now, as well. He might think he likes Rivener immensely now, but later on when he becomes a Sigel, would Zul feel towards Riv the way the Scorpion now felt towards Roux? A very good friend, someone precious, but nothing more than that? Would the position as "most beloved" go to someone else?
"Ngh." Riv frowned. His chest hurt, it felt like it was twisting on the inside. His eyes stung.
This was one hell of a predicament. If Riv wanted to prove to himself that Freis could feel proper love, then he had to prove to himself that he LOVED Roux. But if he proved that he loved Roux, he couldn't love Zul the same way. Either way, he lost.
What should he do? The concept of leaving Zul alone and ignoring him was painful. Yet the idea of just going with it and then later on finding Zul as a Sigel becoming cold towards him... it was enough to tear Rivener to pieces. As much as Riv tried to think this through and find a solution, his mind kept going around and around that final circle: Ignore him now? No, painful. Don't ignore him and he leaves me later? No, painful. Ignore him now? No, painful. Don't ignore him and-
"Argh, this ******** sucks!" Riv mumbled to himself, getting up and frowning, rubbing at his face to get the stinging to leave his eyes. If he was this upset over it and couldn't figure it out on his own, then he'd go ask someone for advice.
The chef was easy to find. Eiry and Isi were off working at the Lab at the moment, so it was only Riv, Aphi, and the cavalcade of pets in the house. Currently, however, two voices could be heard singing from the kitchen, one of the places Aphismet was nearly constantly found in. The white-haired man was singing along to Beauregard's renditions of "Relax" while he was peeling vegetables. Rivener floated in to find the whale bouncing around the room singing with all its boundless energy, Aphismet's hips swinging slightly as danced along, smiling. He was having so much fun... Maybe Riv could ask later. He turned to leave but just as he did, his eyes suddenly crossed Aphi's in the reflection of the window."Rivener!" Aphi exclaimed happily, turning to look over his shoulder and effectively cutting off Riv's escape plan. "What's up? You look-... you look troubled?" The smile wiped off the chef's face as he saw the Scorpion's head tilt down, red eyes glancing to the side with uncertainty. The stinger-tipped wings were drooping, and one hand gripped at the opposite arm. The stance was so shy and uncertain that it stunned Aphismet into a fit of worry; he'd never seen Rivener NOT be self-assured and borderline-arrogant. "Riv?"Rivener sighed and floated over to the kitchen island, taking a seat at the barstool and leaning both elbows on the counter, propping one fist up to support his chin. Red eyes didn't quite dare look Aphismet in the eye just yet. Riv hadn't really thought about HOW he'd ask any of this. It suddenly all felt so foolish, so embarrassing. Like it was something Riv should already know.
"H-hey, uhm... If you liked someone, but you weren't sure what they felt for you, how would you know?" Riv hoped Aphismet wouldn't notice the blush he could feel growing on his tan cheeks.As it was, Aphismet didn't notice much of anything, eyes wide. Wuh-...was Rivener asking him for dating advice!? Peeler in one hand, squash in the other, the chef floundered about for an answer at first. His dark eyes did pretty much the same as Riv's red ones did now; glancing everywhere except at the Scorpion directly. He spluttered and coughed. "Ah, th-this isn't about Zul is it?" "Can't you just answer my question without asking who it's about? Just don't think of it as being me and someone else, just think of it as other, random people." Riv's frown as well as the nervous gesture of running a hand through his hair were telling enough. Aphismet sighed and turned back to the sink so he could continue peeling. It also offered a really good excuse to not look directly at Riv, although he could still glance up at the window's reflection from time to time. "Well, there's no real way of knowing. You ask, I guess. No one really ever knows for sure.""...What if they're young and might not even know what they're feeling?" Okay, if the question before hadn't been telling, THIS one certainly was. Riv blushed hotly and looked aside, frowning at his own girlishness. What the hell."Weeelll, if they're young, Riv... I mean, if I think about humans, there are some who date as young as 12. Most don't last because it's not Love, but there are some- a very small few!- who end up growing up together and getting married. But this is VERY MUCH NOT THE USUAL, Riv."
"...Would you go out with someone if you didn't know whether they love you or not?"
"Rivener," Aphismet sighed, resting both hands on the counter and looking at the Sigel's reflection in the mirror. "Rivener, if this is about Zul, he's still a FREI. You yourself thought you were in love as a Frei, but look how it-""I know!" Riv barked, frowning even more and turning his head down, feeling that damned stinging again. This wasn't what the Scorpion wanted to hear at all. He'd wanted to hear something reassuring, something like I'm sure he loves you Riv, you're a likeable guy or It'll all work out, you'll see, just follow your heart or some other cheesy, feel-good bullshit. Not this honest, stupid opinion. Of COURSE Aphi would be against this, he was ALWAYS against this kind of thing. What was Riv thinking, looking for comfort here?!The chef was staring with wide eyes again, peeler and squash forgotten for the second time. Rivener was honestly upset by this. Holy hell, he looked on the verge of crying for heaven's sake. Aphismet had NO idea what to say, how to act, how to even be in his own skin right now. He'd never been through anything like this himself; he'd been alone most of his teenage life. When he'd run into girl troubles he'd retreated to his own bed because there was no one to talk to about it... The chef didn't have any personal experiences to draw from when it came to "consoling a teen". Oh god, was this the angst of teenage years starting for Riv? Aphismet cringed. "L-listen, Riv... I can't tell you that this is okay, between you and Zul-""Why not?! It's not like we can do anything beside kiss! What are you so worried about!?" Riv was lashing out now, half-yelling and flaring his wings slightly, on the defensive because he felt so damned vulnerable. "You're such a prude!""That's not the point here Riv. I just wanted to tell you that no matter what I think, it's also true that-... that no one ever knows if another person would love you later. Even married folks might not love each other forever. So, I guess what I mean to say is that you shouldn't ruin the present by worrying about the future." Aphi fussed with his chore now, peeling the squash much more than needed, keeping his hands occupied while he talked. He really didn't want to encourage Riv to see Zul, it seemed wrong to him, but the chef just couldn't bear to see Rivener like that, upset and heartbroken for the very first time. The Scorpion's flaring wings had frozen in surprise at the white-haired man's words, and Riv's aggressive stance deflated into his chair, eyes wide. That was-... that was a good point. No one could really know what someone else was feeling, and especially not in the future. "So... So I should just enjoy what we-..." He frowned a bit at Aphi's exasperated sigh, knowing quite well what the chef was thinking. He was thinking I'd rather you didn't feel this way at all for a Frei. "Look, I can't help the way this turned out okay? I didn't plan to feel this strongly!""I remember you saying very similar things in regard to Roux..."
"This is completely different! It's a million times more than that!"
"Really? You're sure about that?"Rivener smirked. "I have a stomach now; I can feel the butterflies. Remember, how you told me that I couldn't know love until I had a stomach to feel it with?"The white-haired chef blinked. Riv remembered that? That was three years ago! Hell, it was a miracle that Aphi himself suddenly recalled it with such clarity when his Raevan mentioned it. "Ah...""Thanks for the talk, Aph. I'll let you finish your peeling." The Sigel got up and floated out of the kitchen, returning up to his room and leaving the stunned chef behind. Riv felt a little better. He still couldn't possibly know if Zul knew what Love was, he still couldn't possibly know if Zul would love him in the future, but Aphi was right; Riv couldn't ignore him now. The Scorpion would just have to wait and see, and try to spend as much time as possible with Zul NOW, to enjoy the other's presence before he changed his mind about liking Riv. IF he changed his mind. Which he might not... Man, Love was complicated.
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|