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 Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 12:05 pm
((Cesc, Vivi, Shep --> Dining table with Dayo and Ebs))
"What beautiful French!" gasped Vivi with delight, pressing her hands together as Dayo spoke. "What an accomplished little lady you have become, my goodness, such things we have been deprived of! I tell you, I will speak very sharply with your Fathle when I see him next, ah? But how lovely to see you again!"
Beside her, Shepard had finished his first two slices of roast beef and was helping himself to a measure of mashed potatoes and another piece, not speaking but clearly observing and enjoying himself. Each bite seemed to make the Aussie more at ease with himself and his surroundings, and he felt vaguely proud of himself for it -- the sight of Dayo and Cordelia would have sent him into a tailspin a year ago, filled with absolute terror at the sight of such well-mannered and sweet young ladies. He wasn't totally cured of it -- Cesc had told him that there was a truly adorable rabbit-girl that made Shepard's blood run cold -- but things were much improved.
He went so far even as to say to Ekundayo: "Mm. Glad to have you back."
Cesc noted the quickness of the handshake, and that Cordelia's hands went stuffed back into her pocket instantly afterward. He did not have anything to match her behaviour against (maybe this was just how she was?), but there was a little bell in his head that spoke against that. She seemed uncomfortable and upset, behind her pleasantries.
"I have heard lovely things about the original petite chou," said the stag genially, smiling warmly. "I cannot attempt to emulate them, myself. But I do my best to make sure they know I am happy with the soul that was settled upon." He laughed, a low and pleasant sound. "Are you here alone?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 1:07 pm
[[ Dayo > Dining Table [ Vivi + Shepard ]]]
Dayo glowed at Vivi’s reaction, blushing happily at her own skill and the woman’s praise.
“Just don’t be too harsh to my Faye,” she said with a smile. Though, Dayo had a feeling that Faye wouldn’t mind sharp words from Vivi. Faye always seemed to treat human women with such care and Dayo had gotten used to the sight of women blushing over his words. “And it’s really nice to see you again too.”
Dayo vaguely remembered the first time they had met. It was a summer evening at the park near the pond. Dayo had been so shy then, nearly clinging to Fathle’s shirt when the duo had approached them. Vivi had been as charimg as ever and Shepard had been quite uncomfortable and a bit swarthy. Dayo could sense that his discomfort had dwindled a little bit… It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“I will have to tell Faye I saw you, Ms. Vivi. Maybe we can meet again at the park,” she said with a smile before turning her golden eyes on Shepard. “And Mr. Ryan, maybe we can fly some kites. Have you been doing well?”
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Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 10:21 pm
[Domevlo w/ Revontulet moving to Sofas ]
Domevlo remained blissfully quiet, not really in the mood to mingle with a new crowd. He did give curt nods and stayed politely out of the way while Ren went about her business at the table. He took some of that time to look about noting different Raevans milling about. Some in deep conversation while others were laughing or just looking sullen. With no real interest in them he returned his attention to the activities at hand.
Ren managed to conduct her business in a swift manner something he admired and was greatly thankful for. His anxiety was making him a little jumpy but he took a deep breath and kept a cool head... for now. Feeling the tug on his hand, he smiled secretively under his mask. "Leo pointed toward the sofa area." He spoke softly looking over the sea of people to find the woman. "If we make our way over there, it should be easier to spot her. Domo briefly saw her face."
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 8:32 pm
[ Axel & Isobel - Christmas Tree ( Fathle ) ]
“Please call me Axel, I think only my doctor is so formal with me.” Or maybe she was on first name basis with her doctor, she was quite sure no one had referred to her as Ms. Halkias in a very long time. Curious, Axel turned just as Isobel was doing as well to see who Dayo was and she spotted her easily. “Your Frei is very beautiful.” Isobel nodded her head in agreement with the statement. The guardian found the Raevans wings to be particularly beautiful reminding her of a bird.
While Isobel might have been distracted before by the compliment, now she was contemplating his answer. “Red eyes are…” Here she struggled with a better word other than weird as to not offend him. “Not very common, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with red eyes before. Where you born like that?” Axel had a slightly perplex expression on her face, though Isobel was well aware that her guardian had wanted to ask the same question as her. “Thank you for the compliment,” she added quickly almost forgetting her own manners. “Axel believes she sees at least four colors and perhaps a fifth.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:54 pm
[[ Fathle > Christmas Tree [ Axel + Isobel ]]]
“As you wish, Ms. Axel,” he said with a smile. “I apologize. I’m afraid old habits are hard to die. I hope my old mannerisms did not offend you.”
Fathle turned his attention back to Isobel after she took in his answer. Was he born like that? No… he used to have green eyes but that all changed in that small, damp, jail cell. He smiled, his lips barely showing off the very tips of his fangs. “Yes,” he said, lying smoothly. “My eyes have been red since the day I was born. It was quite a shock to my poor parents. As you said, Ms. Isobel, it is not very common. And you are very welcome, my dear. I believe Ms. Axel is right. Your eyes seem to capture the light in many different ways, like a crystal prism. A very lovely trait,” he said with a small smile. He turned his red eyes to the raeven’s guardian. “You have been very blessed with such a lovely frei, Ms. Axel; a trait that she shares with her guardian.” Fathle said this with a small nod of his head. “May I ask how long you have been a guardian to your charge?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 7:19 pm
((Delia - Dinner Table w/Dayo, Cesc, Vivi and Shep))
In the time that Cordelia had last seen Dayo, the snake had seemed to forget that the girl could read and in fact fed on other people's emotions. So she was a little startled when the eagle told her she could come to her for help, the same thing Zul had told her only moments before. It really made her realize she was doing a horrible job of hiding her depression and that maybe she really shouldn't have come here tonight. It was suppose to be a happy, festive time and Delia couldn't even go 10 minutes without people trying to console her. It made her more depressed to be honest.
Luckily Cesc was different. His presence was warm and comforting like basking on the toasty sands of a beach in the summertime. The basilisk was actually very grateful for him not making any comments on her current demeanor whether he noticed it or not.
Cordelia smiled. It seemed the younger Raevan knew something genuine about his past soul because of his wonderful guardian and it made her very happy for him, yet at the same time it made her very envious. Upon Cesc's question, the smokey girl sighed and pointed towards the bar. "No, my guardian Ebony is with me. She's the purple haired woman drinking herself silly over there." The way she talked you'd think she wished she had come alone instead as if the Brit was a complete embarrassment to her. Delia was so wrapped up in her own problems, she failed to see that it was her own fault for her guardian drinking like she was at the moment.
Making note of Dayo's new found language skills, Cordelia asked the stag, "Do you speak any French as well Cesc? I'm sure with a guardian like Vivi it's hard not to pick up huh?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 8:34 pm
{{Justin ->>>> Anita on the sofas with the ds}}
Justin reached out his hand for his ds and frowned when Anita didn't give it back. Wait... was she? Her grin was sneaky as she thumbed up the volume and proceeded to battle and catch the very pokemon he had needed. Justin was a completionist, for lack of a better word. One way or another, he literally would catch 'em all. He accepted his ds back, a wry smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Welllll, although you needn't worry about getting me anything in exchange.." He fiddled with the screen a bit, chuckling. "You've managed to catch me a nice shiny mareep. I think that more than reciprocates any gift."
"I knew you played, but that was especially skillful, Anita. Do you have X or Y? As a thank you, sometime you should hang out with my group and, I don't know, play D&D or video games with us. It'd be fun, if you were interested." Smiling widely, he slid the ds back over to her. The display was set to the stat screen of that shiny mareep. In the name section, it read simply: "Anita".
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 2:27 pm
(( Ronan => Arriving => heading towards Anita and the couch ))
Ronan hadn't exactly intended to arrive so late, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.
A gust of wind accompanied him as he opened the door to the lobby, Ronan straightening his hair out once he was inside and pulling off his pair of collapsible earmuffs to stuff them into his pocket. His gloves followed a moment later, but for now his pea coat remained on, collar upturned and buttoned to keep his neck warm. He might take it off later, but he wasn't sure how long he'd be around. It stayed on for now.
Kris' return from college had be unusually late this year because of finals and Ronan had been unable to get her and her things until today, the trip both long and exhausting. Originally he had debated simply staying home to help Kris but once she had heard he would be missing a party because it she would hear none of it. There was also the fact that he still had a secret santa gift to deliver, and he wouldn't have felt quite right to not deliver it. Just one slight problem - he didn't know who deliver it to.
Gold ribbon wrapped box clutched in his hand Ronan looked around for someone who might be able to help him out when his eyes finally landed on Anita. He hadn't be able to see her since the search for Kyou, and quite honestly he was ready to form some more positive memories than when they had met last. Looking around at the decorations and doing his best to not run into anyone, Ronan began to make his way to the couch.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:16 pm
(( LuLu > Dinner table Genie + Zul Josh > Alcohol table Riv + Aphi + Camille + Mordekai)) Any hostility that had been shared between them during the ride to the jungle had faded away from Lu's thoughts. Either that, or her interaction with Basil had over shadowed the brief meeting she had with the human. No matter which, the sigel did not seem to be on the defense. She was a bit stiff in her shoulders as she held out the present but only because Genie was equally as tense. That kind of mood had a way of rubbing off on people. The rabbit tried to offer a smile and brush away the feeling. Just because she was not fond of Basil did not mean she had to take it out on his guardian. The woman could prove herself pleasant even if the cobra could not. "You are welcome. Please go ahead." She nodded her head as if to give Genie the prompt to tear into the pretty packaging. LuLu jittered in place nervously as she waited. Once the woman opened it, she would fine a dozen morsels of gold foil wrapped chocolate. Each one was filled with a different liquor. The rabbit hoped she like it. If not, she could blame Josh for picking out a crummy present. It had been his idea after all and had been their final compromise. Lu had just wanted to pull a romantic comedy from We'rika's shelf and wrap that, but Josh had demanded something more thoughtful for the holiday season. Lu's attention drew to Zul as he finally reunited with her. They would have their discussion once her business was done here. She looked forward to planning a lunch date with him. ------ Josh provided each of the men at the alcohol table and amused grin as he watched them interact. The boy toasted along with them. He drew another sip off his spiked cocoa, "Cheers to the holidays and good company." He continued, "I have not seen you two before. New guardians?" He was a bit shocked by how large the lab had grown over the years. The bustling going on in the lobby was a testament to that fact.
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:19 am
(( Cruz - Lobby w/ Xan near the Christmas Tree
Anita - Sofas w/ Justin, Ronan ))
The croc had spent a bit of time floating around and looking for Domevlo's guardian. He'd been described as wearing a cowboy hat so in theory he would be easy to find but the number of people present seemed to have increased dramatically while he was distracted by Dayo's soft lips. Now, in his search, he became distracted by something else; the tall white mostly undecorated Christmas Tree. There was a small collection of people around it that he didn't get a good look at but there seemed to be decorations available yet to be applied. Was it a group effort? How cute! The frei directed himself toward it with a swell of curiosity and holiday spirit.
Cruz's way was suddenly blocked by a human. He gave a short "oh" of surprise after taking care not to smack right into them. The frei smiled warmly up at the man's greeting but his brows twisted with mild confusion at the introduction. Thanatos was not the name he was given. Was there another man in a cowboy hat here?
"Hello," he offered anyway, pulling his friendly smile back out, "I'm Cruz. Merry Christmas, Xanatos." ...No that wasn't the right name at all. Cruz's smile twitched slightly and his brows took an apologetic upturn. The croc held his hands out politely for the gift and explored its contents with no sign of displeasure. These scarves, he could keep the green one and give the others out! There were quite a few colors, enough for Anita, Tango, Minerva, and maybe someone else. The next gift he didn't quite understand until he looked over the packaging. For a moment Cruz's face was serious and pensive, his eyes scanning and clumsily reading the instructions. Once he understood, his green eyes light right back up and his smile returned, even brighter than before, and he looked up at Xan gratefully.
"Thank you! I love them." Anything that helped him stay warm in the colder months or helped him feed was infinitely appreciated. "Sorry I don't have a gift. Did you get your Secret Santa?" Once the contents were returned to the bag and he could carry it comfortably, Cruz held it up with one hand and smiled, "Thank you very much."
---
Anita continued her quiet, mischievous laugh until Justin got the gist of her actions. She certainly hadn't expected to see a shiny on screen, to be honest she'd never encountered one in the wild that wasn't through story purposes and it made her feel much less skilled than Justin was starting to tout, but she appreciated the compliment and gave an exaggerated bow.
"Yeah, I've got X back home but I haven't had time to play it much," she shrugged lightly, keeping a light smile. Her brows raised at the offer and she puffed her lips out curiously. She never took Justin for the Dungeons & Dragons type but then again all she had to go on for "types" there were stereotypes since she'd never played herself. When he pushed the system back across the table, Anita scooted closer to the edge of the couch in order to peek at the screen. Her smile turned wry and Anita narrowed her eyes sarcastically at Justin. "Never played," she confessed flatly, turning the 3DS back around and pushing it toward him with one hand and giving a thumbs up with the other, "Been meaning to. That sounds great."
As she leaned back to relax against the couch, her vision drifted. The crowd further out into the lobby was almost constantly shifting, new people moving in and out all the time, but one in particular was recognized. Her eyes zoned in on Ronan when he was a yard or so off, no longer appearing injured or bandaged like she'd seen him months ago. Immediately she sat up straighter and craned her neck, lifting an arm high but it seemed he already caught sight of her.
"Yo! Ro-nan!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:58 pm
[ Thanatos --> Lobby w/ Cruz near Christmas Tree ]
Thanatos gave a slight bark of laughter at the misstep in his name. He had never been called Xanatos before and kind of like it in a way. He could see how a lot of folks would find his nickname a bit confusing so he took it with a grain of salt. Smiling softly upon the frei he gave the other a polite nod in indication he took no offense over his mispronounced name. Watching Cruz hopefully, he awaited a reaction for his gifts. His eyes twinkled as the other seemed to enjoy the scarves. They seemed like a safe proper gift at the time. As Cruz studied his second gift a slight smile played across Xan's lips. He could see the confusion at first then the realization. Smiling brighter at Cruz's reaction he was glad that his gifts were well received. With a slight sigh of relief he gave a curt nod, "I'm glad you like them Cruz." Stepping back a bit he looked around then back to Cruz, "Actually my Secret Santa found me earlier. I've already received my gifts.Thank you for asking. Oh and you're very welcome I hope they'll be useful to you."
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:02 pm
[Revontulet -> Heading towards Anita and others at the Sofas with Domevlo]
Truth be told, the aurora would have been happy to stay longer and talk with Zeke and Trox. Zeke, especially, was very easy going although he often laughed and she didn't understand why. His laughter was nice though, and so she didn't dislike hearing it so often. If she had the time, she would like to go back and speak with him further. Perhaps inquire further about Anya, the regal frei she had met before all others. Before she hadn't had any words for the spider, but now she did and she wished to use them with the other. Anya's features were so sharp, Ren was sure they would be interesting to touch. Perhaps she had gotten over the aversion by now? And Trox was nice, stoic, easy to be near even if he was also not a fan of touching. Plus, he made Doucette turn funny colours, and that was enough for the frei to enjoy his company.
"Ok," Ren replied, remembering her promise to the gray boy, moving away from the group with a little flutter of her wings and a glance back over her shoulder. Fingers laced and then repositioned themselves within Domo's grasp, realizing that for all her love of touch she had never been in contact directly with someone for so long. The thoughts tumbled in her mind as she considered it while the two threaded through the room towards the sofas, and hopefully the elusive Anita.
"Do you see her?" the newborn asked curiously as they neared the sofas, floating slightly higher in an attempt to find a woman that she would label as Cruz's guardian. What would a kissing crocodile's guardian look like anyway?
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:01 pm
((Vivi, Cesc, Shepard --> Dinner table with Ekundayo and Cordelia))
"I do speak French," the stag answered genially, craning his neck to see where the basilisk had gestured to find her guardian. She was easy to spot, all told, with the purple hair -- and the striking resemblance to her charge. He smiled at the coincidence and turned back toward Cordelia. He did not pursue talking about her guardian. It seemed to make her uncomfortable and sullen, and that was the last thing Rhedefre wanted out of his new acquaintance.
"Do you speak any? Should we all switch languages?" He grinned warmly at her, a friendly expression.
"Oh, another meeting at the park would be quite magical, I think! It was such a bit of luck that we did meet there the first time," cooed Vivi, completely enraptured with the eagle. "I will not let you out of this promise, you know."
Shepard, meanwhile, had all but cleaned his plate, his mouth still full when Ekundayo addressed him. He nodded at her while he chewed, happy for a reason not to speak.
Vivi, as always, helped him there.
"Speaking of how very lovely it is to see you, my darling one, we have a present for you! It is that we were your Secret Claus." While speaking, she reached a hand over and plucked the small, sparkling white package out of Cesc's hands, nodding to him as she did so.
"Secret Santa," Shepard amended shortly.
"Ah -- forgive me, that is yours, yes," Rhedefre said to Ekundayo with a faint laugh, relinquishing the gift to its rightful owner.
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:32 pm
[Genie > Dinner Table : Lulu > Zul]
She blinked, "Oh... Well, alright. Sure."
With the rabbit's prompting, Genie began tearing back the wrapping paper (with just slightly more restraint than if she had been opening it in private.) As she did, she glanced up to be sure Basil wasn't closeby. If he happened to catch her in the act of opening a present early, there'd be no keeping him away from their tree at home. He'd be as relentless as a circling buzzard...
She opened the tabs of what looked like a tiny cardboard crate. Judging by the sweet smell that wafted up from inside, she already had an idea of what it might be, but when she lifted out a vaguely bottle-shaped item and pinched away the gold foil, she laughed, "Oh, candy. Awesome."
Probably one of those higher-end brands they always pushed during the holidays. With those slow-motion commercials of melted chocolate being poured into truffle shells and a woman's voice sensually narrating the action. Unless it was especially dark and rich, Basil never had much of a taste for chocolate. At least there'd be no expectation of sharing.
Curious, she pushed back some of the wrapping paper to look at the box. Her eyes popped, "Whoah! Merry Christmas!"
She consulted the legend on the back. The one in her hand was a brandy, with notes like vanilla and citrus. She saw the words "Winter Selection" printed in small script. A variety pack! She popped it in her mouth and crumpled the foil in her fist. Instantly she was struck by the words creamy and succulent.
("They could put that on my tombstone," she thought.)
She made a few appreciative and hedonistic noises, then an OK signal with her fingers, "These are great. Again, seriously, thank you."
It was about that time Zul sidled to her table, and her expression opened. Now here was a blast from the past. "Oh my God!" She went instantly to her feet and maneuvered clumsily around her seat. In her haste, her shoe was heard scuffing one of the chair-legs and she was briefly entangled with her pursestrap. She touched his arm with one hand, the other snapping her fingers to jog the memory, "Uhhh, Zul! Right?" She pulled him into a brief hug, her hand whumping his back to be friendly. "Honey, how are you?"
He made it clear he wasn't staying long, but she couldn't help giving him a once-over. "Wow it has been a long time..." She gestured at his midsection, "Look at you! Either the floors got higher or you got longer! I'm so glad."
By this time she finally accepted the present from him, baring her face to him in full. Now just out of habit, she touched her earlobe.
Guardianship had definitely taken a toll on her... Made her a woman eroded by love. Cautious and unstable. Smiling helped, but did little for the fine lines in her face from chronic smoking and late nights. For the tension Zul would have felt in her fingertips, always bracing herself for the next big disaster. That seeking uncertainty in her eyes.
This year had been a killer. She looked impatient for that big midnight countdown. For this new move and new neighborhood and new job to breathe back into her even some of what she'd lost. Or rather, what she'd generously invested in that boy...
She patted the present, "No no no, don't worry, I'll make sure he gets it. Thank you. And M—" She paused, her mouth squirming. Hard to get out a "Merry Christmas" when you were looking at a big honking pentagram in the middle of someone's forehead. She grinned, embarrassed, "Merry Solstice."
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Dangerous Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:26 pm
[ Dayo >> Dinner Table [ Vivi, Shepard, Cesc, Cordelia ]]
Dayo looked at the prettily wrapped Christmas package and reached out to take it from Vivi.
“Oh, it’s so lovely. Thank you so much!” she said. She was glad she had found her Secret Santa. For a moment, she thought maybe her person had not arrived or her person had forgotten. Dayo traced her fingers on the creases of the presents. “Is it alright if I open it right now?” she asked with a smile, looking at the trio.
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