Welcome to Gaia! ::

Aphismet hummed to himself as he walked back to the house with the mail in one hand. The mailbox was at the end of the Delaran's long driveway, and it was always nice to take a walk in the morning to fetch the junk mail, bills, and flyers. The chef sorted the envelopes as he made his way back, and by the time he stepped into the house he threw the junk aside in the trash bin. He headed into the kitchen to sit at the counter with a fresh cup of coffee.

Aphi opened one letter after another, slowly scanning each and sipping at his drink. Power bill... phone bill... a cheque for Isikoro's gardening business... television bill... credit card bill...-!!!

Spitting out his mouthful of coffee in a fine spray all over the counter, Aphismet coughed and choked as he stared at the TOTAL DUE line on the Mastercard bill. Once he managed to get his lungs to breathe right again, dark eyes open wide under frowning brows, Aphismet exclaimed: "Three thousand dollars?! ...RIVENER!" Grabbing the bill, Aphismet tromped upstairs to pound on the Raevan's door, waking him. "RIVENER! I'm coming in!" Angrily the chef turned the doorknob and stormed into the bedroom, finding the Scorpion blearily sitting up in bed.

"Mrrhn? What? ...It's early, man! I stay up late feeding on starlight, I told you already not to wake me until at least ten-"

"WHAT is this all about!?" Aphismet waved the paper in Riv's face, pointing at all the "online transactions". "Have you been using my card?! How did you even GET my card!? Where-... whuh! What's all THIS?!" Aphismet straightened and looked around the room properly. He hadn't been in here since Rivener grew to Sigel, thinking that the teenager needed his privacy... The once rather-bare room was now messy and cluttered with clothes. Everywhere, hanging off chairs, piled on the ground, half-sticking out of drawers... Jackets, shirts, tank-tops! Stunned brown orbs turned back to Rivener, staring in slack-jawed amazement. "What the HELL?"

Riv shrugged, trying to play this off like he wasn't in as much trouble as he knew he was in. He'd never seen Aphismet this LIVID before. "...I got in your Paypal account by guessing your password, so I've been using that to buy stuff online. I didn't know it was attached to your credit card or anything."

"Wha- Grk!" Choking on his anger, Aphismet flailed his arms in the air, blinking in disbelief. "W-... how-... God damnit Riv! How did you think Paypal worked, hunh? You think you just buy whatever you like and no one has to ******** PAY?"

"...well it never asked me to pay anything, I just put in your email address and password and it-"

"RIVENER DELARAN! You're going to return everything you bought, PRONTO!" Aphismet interrupted his charge, glaring daggers for the first time since... well, since ever!

Rivener stared at the white-haired chef, and for a split second Riv wondered if Aphi was going to punch him in the face. Riv had never been referred to by his full name like that. Leathery wings that would normally spread in threatening defiance now pressed closer against Riv's back, the Sigel shrinking away from his guardian. "Uh... I-... Most of the stuff I don't remember where it came from, a-and the packages are gone and it was all only like 7-days to return... H-hey, it's okay, no big deal..."

"No big deal? NO BIG DEAL??? Three thousand ******** dollars is a REALLY big deal, Rivener! If you can't return this crap, then by GOD you're going to get a god-damned job and pay back every ******** cent you stole from me!"

"Stole? Now hold on-"

"No, I will NOT hold on! This is STEALING! You hacked into my Paypal without telling me, USED it excessively without telling me... You spent my money without telling me! How is that not stealing!?" Aphi's voice raised to much higher level than he'd ever used with the Raevan. He could see the Sigel's red eyes widen in shock.

"...Uh..." Rivener said, slack-jawed, stunned into silence.

"So. Three thousand dollars. Get a job, pay me back. And don't you DARE ever use my money, or anyone else's, without permission again! Start looking today, Rivener!" Frowning, punctuating his warning with a finger pointing at the Scorpion threateningly, Aphismet stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind himself.

Stunned, Rivener could only look at the door, then glance around his room at all his new clothes. Clothes that he'd apparently stolen... "Wow," Riv sighed, disgusted with himself. "...I guess I gotta find a job."

Eiry: *sneaks into Riv's bed* >__>

Riv: *wakes up slowly* Mrhnh? >_o ...-ry?

Eiry: Rivener? *little brother bambi eyes* O - O

Riv: *blinks at Eiry then glances at the clock, turning back to the minty frei after* It's like the middle of the night! ...Something wrong?

Eiry: Fletcher, acting weird and throwing things, torments himself in the attic. I...I want Rivener to hide me. >__<

Riv: *raises an eyebrow* The ghosts are scaring you? ...Okay, you can stay here. Big brother will protect you. *secretly pleased at being depended on, wrapping an arm around Eiry and lifting a wing like a makeshift blanket.*

Eiry: *shifts himself close to his brother and smiles slightly, happy to be underneath Riv's protective wing* Fletcher never once before acted so rashly.

Riv: I wonder what's the problem? Maybe, did you try asking him?
Riv: Maybe it's the anniversary of his death or something.

Eiry: I tried and with eyes of ghostly fire did he look upon me. I think you may be right. He was solemn with sadness pinned upon his face.

Riv: Hrm. Let's just leave him his space for a few days, then. He'll be fine again later, surely. *cuddles the frei*

Eiry: He gave me heart-startle. *closes his eyes tightly and snugs close to Rivener, glancing around as if expecting the angry ghost to enter the room* I felt heart sorrow, too, for I did now know what to do to ease his ague.

Riv: Ease his what? ...I guess you meant his anger or something. Well, I don't think it's something we can help with, Eiry. Just... give him some time. *pats the feathery hair* He'll be alright, I promise.

Eiry: *nods and sighs, kind of melting underneath Riv's wing* I wish I weren't so fearful.

Riv: Why? *peers down at the bundle in his arms* Why do you wish that? It's okay to be afraid of things, Eiry. As long as you don't let it ruin your life. Besides, I kind of like it when you ask me to protect you. Makes me feel, I dunno... important or something. Strong.

Eiry: *laughs his creepy laugh, amused by what Riv said* If only for your strength to be strong, I will be fearful! But I wish and call on stars to make me just a bit stronger so I could help little Fletcher. He made me so heartsad. His cries. I wanted to stop them. But never will I be stronger than you. It is not my place. You are big brother, strong! And I am me.

Riv: *smiles at the laugh, glad to apparently have cheered up the little guy* Flatterer. It's good that you wanted to help, Eiry. Maybe you CAN help him: we could go do some research at the library, maybe. We could find out how he died and then maybe we could somehow put him at peace! Would you like that?

Eiry: *nods, invigorated by the idea* Yes, oh brother, I would enjoy that ever so much. As much as I enjoy Fletcher's company, it tears me to pieces to hear him cry at night. You do not hear, but I do. He cries every night in the attic.

Riv: I'm glad I don't hear that, it sounds heartbreaking. So it's settled then: when we have time, we'll go to the library to find out about Fletcher and save him. *Riv smiles, proud of his idea*

Eiry: *nods his head excitedly* That would make him ever so happy.

Riv: Good. Let's sleep now, then. Sleep well, Eiry.

Eiry: *smiles and nods, keeping himself tucked close to Riv as he folds his arms, lying his head down in them to sleep* Thank you, big brother.

It was a small shop, Rivener had been told over the phone. A small shop in Durem’s shopping district. So this couldn’t be the place. The Scorpion floated in front of a large two-storey place, with two sets of double-doors as an entrance. Plastic models with no heads displayed some of the clothing in the windows, and everything looked so amazingly cool Rivener felt the blood drain from his face in awe. He wanted to buy ALL of that! There were tons of people inside shopping, even though it was the middle of the day. After supper, it would most likely pick up and the place would be packed!

”Wow,” Riv breathed, feeling a tiny bit intimidated. He’d dressed as cool as he could for this job interview, but as he floated in he suddenly found himself blending. He didn’t stand out at all here! Well he stood out because he was a half-bodied floating person with horns and wings, but style-wise, he was nowhere near as extreme as some of the folks in here. Shirts with hand-written slogans painted on the front, torn leather jackets held together with large pins, spiked necklaces and colourful Mohawks… This place was at the very front of punk style.

“Welcome to D-Tox!” a girl said with a confident, welcoming smile. She wore pants that jingled from all the chains dangling from them, and a tight corset-style shirt with buckled arm-warmers. Three rings pierced her lower lip, another three on one eyebrow and who knew how many on each ear. Her hair was a spiked-up mass of short dual-colored locks, blue and black. “Wow, you’ve got no legs, boy-o. Must save money on buying pants.” She grinned, putting one hand on her hip. “Can I help you find anything?”

”Actually, I’m here for a job interview. My name’s Rivener Delaran.” The Sigel flashed his best smile, although it lacked in its usual supreme self-confidence. Rivener felt like he was on the same level playing field as anyone else here, not above them like he usually found himself.

“Oh, alright! This way then, you’ll be wanting to talk to Klaus. He’s the manager.” The girl motioned Riv to follow and walked all the way to the back of the store, pushing open a door marked “employees only”. A handful of offices were hidden back here, looking a lot less like offices and a lot more like dorm rooms in a punk-only college. Instead of desks and business graphs, the rooms were furnished with couches, Tvs, and band posters. The girl led Riv to the very last door, knocking only lightly on the opened door’s frame before walking in and plopping herself down on a couch. “Brought you the interview guy,” she announced before leaning over to a mini-fridge and getting herself a bottle of cola.

The boss was a young man not much older than most of his staff, and he of course looked like a punk. His head was bald and decorated with a large tribal tattoo, his ears bore large hollow hoops that stretched his lobes open, and when he spoke a tongue piercing glinted in the light. He wore a sleeveless shirt with a skull printed on it, and his wrists were covered with spiky bracelets and wristbands. As a joke to prove he was the manager, he was wearing a crooked tie loosely around his neck. Dark brown eyes lifted up to glance at Rivener, smirking. “Wow, you got no legs,” he began with.

Riv chuckled. He liked this place. ”Only need half the wardrobe,” the Scorpion offered. His comment drew a soft chuckle from the girl, who got up and walked off with her bottle of pop, presumably to get back to work. Riv floated over to the sofa and took her place, letting himself “plop” down to the seat. ”I never saw this store before, but I gotta say I REALLY like it. And you said this was a small shop. Hah.”

The manager got up from his own couch, moving over to Riv’s so they could sit next to one another and talk more comfortably. Klaus snickered at the accusation. “Well, it IS small in the sense that it’s not a franchise or anything like that. And we don’t sell brand name clothes, it’s all stuff made by local designers. Most stuff found here isn’t sold in other Punk stores, so we’re pretty successful. I’m Klaus, by the way.” The manager offered a handshake.

”Rivener”, the Scorpion answered as he returned the handshake.

“Alright, so let’s get this show on the road, hunh? I remember on your resume, it didn’t list any previous work experience.”

”Ahhh, yeah. I’ve never really had a, uh. Job. Before. I’m younger than I look.”

“Oh really? How old ARE you then?”

”…Three.” Riv glanced aside at the shocked expression on Klaus’ face. “But I’m not human so I can’t really be judged by human terms when it comes to age! Just let me assure you that among my kind, I’m considered grown-up.” Riv nodded solemnly, frowning in determination.

“Okaaayyy. Soooo, what are you exactly, then?”

”I’m a Raevan. …Is this really needed for the job interview?

“Oh, uh, nah. I was just curious. It might be weird legally, to try and hire a three-year old.” Klaus thought about that for a minute, looking over at a Jim Morrison poster to help his train of thought. Eventually he shrugged and turned back to Rivener. “Oh well, we’ll deal with that if it comes up. So tell me, Rivener, what makes you think you’re suited for a job here?”

The Scorpion grinned with more confidence now, leaning back against the couch and speaking out loud what he’d practiced in his mind the whole walk over. ”I love the style. I can honestly say I was born with the punk style in my blood. When Raevans are made we’re created with our look pre-decided, and this is what I looked like.” Riv raised a hand to motion to himself. The earrings, the dual-colored hair, the sharp, spiky accessories, the trio of belts, the necklace and the opened sleeveless shirt. ”I LOVE punk clothes, and I think my enthusiasm for the look can be contagious. Not only that, I think I have a very good sense of style in general. I’m sure I could help people find the look that THEY should have been born with, too.”

Klaus nodded along, his smile growing as he listened to Rivener’s eager speech. “I see, I see. Well, we should go give you a test, then. C’mon.” The man got to his feet, waiting for Rivener to follow before he headed out of the room and back into the store itself. Klaus led the way to a headless mannequin near the back of the shop, which he began undressing. “I’ll let you pick an outfit for this display. That way we can see if your sense of style is really all that.” He grinned, dropping the last piece of clothing to the ground. “Go on, have fun, pick anything at all in the store.” Crossing his arms, Klaus stepped back to allow Rivener free reign.

The Sigel rustled his wings in excitement. The mannequin was a male, and since it didn’t have a personality to match clothes to, Riv decided to just dress it up how HE would like to be dressed if he had legs. This was going to be fun. Grinning happily, the Scorpion headed off through the store, meticulously picking out the perfect pair of pants, a shirt, jacket, sleeveless vest, and accessories like belts and wristbands. He even picked a hat which he’d just leave on the neck where the head SHOULD be. Once he’d chosen everything, Rivener returned to the mannequin and set to work dressing it.

Working with the mannequin should have been difficult; moving it around especially to put pants on would normally be a two-man job, but Rivener’s Sigel strength made quick work of it. He slipped the clothes on and then floated back to admire his handiwork, propping both hands on his hips. Yep, he’d wear that. Red eyes turned to Klaus for approval.

The manager was grinning, obviously amused by how enthused Rivener was by this exercise. “Had fun?” he asked.

”Absolutely!” Riv replied without missing a beat.

Klaus chuckled. “Well, I gotta say, that’s nice work. No hesitation, either. Cool, cool. Well Riv, even though we normally don’t like to hire people who are only three years old and have no experience, I’d say your chances are pretty damned good. I have a few more interviews to conduct, so I’ll make my decision next week. I’ll give you a call if you’re picked. …But even if you’re not, remember to come buy some clothes here.” The man had begun walking with Rivener towards the door as he spoke.

”I wouldn’t shop anywhere else,” Riv replied with a grin. ”And I’ll be looking forward to getting that phone call. Thanks for seeing me today, Klaus.” Riv offered a parting handshake which the manager returned happily.

“Don’t mention it, Rivener. See ya next week maybe!”

With a final happy grin, his confidence returned, Rivener exited the store and headed home.

Rivener couldn’t believe his luck! This job had not been announced anywhere on the internet or in the newspapers, and it was only by chance that Riv had chosen to head down this particular street on his way home from another interview. Red eyes opened wide and he grinned at the sign in the window of the sterile-looking dark gray brick building.

Help Wanted : Toxins lab assistant

Rivener headed inside without hesitation, pushing open the glass doors with a wide grin. The insides of the building were even more sterile-looking, straight out of a sci-fi movie. It reminded the Sigel of Lab 305 in that it was all cold white walls and pristine-clean white floors, with a smooth and stylish white desk as a greeting counter. Glass doors led to the deeper parts of the laboratory, and Rivener already knew that everything back there would be white, chrome, or plastic. Lab 305 looked fancier and more up-to-date, at least since it had been rebuilt. This place looked more like the old Lab 305. The sense of nostalgia that came over the Scorpion was surprising, but pleasant. He’d really like to work here.

“Can I help you?” came the voice, drawing Rivener’s attention back to the front desk. To be more precise, to the lab-coat-wearing woman sitting behind said desk. She was looking at the floating half-body with more than a little interest, sizing him up scientifically. The gears were turning behind those slate-gray eyes, and with a long, thin finger she pushed her glasses up onto her head of short, messy brown hair. “How fascinating. Self-sustaining levitation brought on by… hm, it can’t be a hovering air-bubble. Some kind of super-silent rocket engine?”

Ignoring the woman’s mumbling, Rivener floated forward and grinned wider, baring his fangs without thinking as his ruby red eyes twinkled in eager excitement. ”I’ve come to apply for the lab assistant job! I’m perfectly, absolutely perfectly suited for the position!”

“Hm? Position? Wha?” The woman blinked up at him as though positively startled that he could speak. It took her a moment to figure out what he meant, at which point she sat up straight and grinned back, fairly bursting with enthusiasm. “Oh, work here? You? Wonderful, wonderful! Let’s fill out an application for you and I’ll pass it along to the Doctor! Oh my, I have to say though, if you worked here we might get much less work done.”

”Less work done? Why’s that?”

“Oh, well because we’ll all be spending half our time studying YOU, dear. I mean, sir. I mean… er. Thing.” The receptionist opened a drawer and rummaged around for a bit before finding the paper she wanted. She placed it on the counter with a pen, smiling up at the mysterious creature. “Alright, I’ll ask you questions and you answer honestly, alright?” She picked the glasses off her head and propped them on her nose once more, peering down at the sheet as she began clicking the pen repeatedly. “Alright, name?”

”Rivener Delaran.”

The woman scribbled this down, asking for the proper spelling and making the Raevan check. How fascinating that the creature had a last name! Did it have a family? Did it live alone? What does it eat, how does it digest? Why does that thing glow? How does it float? All these questions flitting through the scientist’s mind were making it hard for her to concentrate, but eventually she moved on to the next question. “Age? Level of Education? Work Experience?”

Rivener figured now would not be a good time to lie, although he cleared his throat in embarrassment before speaking. “Uhm, three years old, no formal education, no work experience.” The Scorpion scratched at the back of his neck, keeping his eyes on the woman’s fingers as she wrote, although the scribbling had stopped. She was most likely staring at him.

“Three? Really? Wow. Were you-… oh, uh… Nothing. Nevermind. So you said three… no education, no experience? Uhm, this is a rather technical kind of job. So, ah, let’s just skip all this “list your previous employers” section and go straight to this one. What, uhm, makes you think you’re so suited for this position?” She glanced up at him, settling her glasses back into place with two fingers on the rim.

Whatever pride Rivener had swallowed to admit his shortcomings, he got back twofold now as he smiled at the woman. The Sigel puffed out slightly and rustled his wings, the display earning an “oooh!” of interest from the secretary. “I’m suited for it because I AM poison. I can create all kinds of toxins, as well as their antidotes, directly from my own body. I can inject them thanks to the stingers on my wings. With my help, you’d be able to access poisons that might be expensive to import from other places!”

The receptionist’s eyes had widened to discs and she nearly dropped the pen. Taking this as a good sign, Rivener continued. ”I’ve created sleeping poisons, truth serums, neurotoxins, sickness-inducers, paralysis poisons, ghost poisons, fire poisons and uh… ah, and antidotes for each of these, of course.”

“That’s AMAZING!” the woman exclaimed, getting up from her chair with a clatter, slamming both hands down on the desk and leaning closer to the Raevan, gray eyes glittering like coals. “So you can make poisons?! If I told you to make black mamba compounds, could you-?”

”Uh. Well, I’d have to do some research, and I don’t know if it would be black mamba compound particularly, but I could make a poison that would have all the same effects. More importantly, once I can make the poisons I can usually create an antidote for the toxin’s effects. So, I could make a black mamba antidote that would most likely work… if that makes any sense?”

“Wow. This is tremendous. …I don’t know if the Doctor will be able to use this or not… he’s rather prideful when it comes to his work, and he might see this as “cheating”. Or he might not! The only way to know is to try! Oh, right, I should jot this down…” The receptionist sat again, eagerly scribbling onto the paper, hunched down over it like it was an important essay instead of a run-of-the-mill job application form. After a few moments, she grinned and looked up at Rivener again. “Alright, last question: how do we contact you in the event that you’re selected for the job?”

”I have a cell phone…” Rivener tilted his head to watch as she scribbled down the number he gave her. ”So, uhm, when will you know who gets the job?” The Scorpion didn’t even ask what the salary was. He honestly couldn’t care less. It would be almost worth working for free if he got to play around with poisons all day and learn how to make a whole lot more! Although, he DID need to make SOME money, so he hoped this wasn’t a volunteer position…

“Oh, the Doctor will be choosing next week sometime. I’ve got all I need! I’ll bring him this application right away. Thank you for coming in, mister Delaran!”

Rivener smiled and nodded. ”Don’t mention it, thank YOU for taking me seriously despite my lack of experience!” With a final wave as the receptionist got up to bring the paperwork to the mysterious Doctor, Rivener headed out and resumed his trip home. What a productive day this was!

Rivener never thought he’d be HERE again. He looked up at the Theatre Casa Rosso, that familiar neon-lit pink elephant grinning down at him with that triple-x print tie. He’d found the job accidentally from home, as he searched through online directories for employment. The job was listed as “entertainer”, but Riv knew what that meant once he‘d seen the business‘ name. He’d remembered that place. But holy hell, the SALARY listed had been incredible! It was a rather modest base, yes, but most money was made from commission from bottles sold to the ladies, and that usually could average around 100-1000$ a night!… At least, that’s what had been explained to Rivener about five seconds before he’d punched that guy in the face.

Hn, it felt like Riv was crawling back here with his tail between his legs. Was that guy still working here? Would the bouncers recognize Rivener? Would the ladies Riv had sat with still be guests here? Swearing internally, Riv had to realize that at the very least, the bouncers WOULD recognize him. There aren’t many people who fit the description of “winged half-body floating around”.

Sighing, the Scorpion straightened and smoothed down his jacket. He was going to do this, dammit. This job was an incredibly lucrative one, and the Sigel could pay off his debt so damned fast! That was worth swallowing his pride a bit and coming back to a place he’d outright refused before. He’d even worn his best outfit, trying to look as dashingly dangerous as possible; that was the angle the head-hunting guy had told him he could work so well. Resume in hand, Rivener floated into the building.

The door gave that familiar not-quite-ring as it opened, heralding an incoming customer. It was just barely past dusk now, the red light district was starting to get into full swing, and that meant the front lobby here was dotted with clients. A few women lifted an eyebrow at Rivener already, smiling. He smiled back, suave and confident, bowing his head. “Ladies,” he greeted in a mellow, mysterious tone. One giggled, charmed, and the other’s smile widened as he bowed her head in a return greeting.

“Can we help you?” a man asked from behind the counter, hurrying in from the back. He blinked, eyes opening wide. “Oh, I remember you! BRUNO!” He backed away and quickly called for one of their bouncers, the guy ducking out from behind a curtain to glare at Rivener. Ohhh, he remembered as well!

“No, no, please, I’m not here to start anything. I, uh… I reconsidered. I came to apply for the job that was offered before.” Riv only hesitated for a moment before smiling fetchingly, tilting his head and leaning against the counter to slide his resume forward. The Sigel even winked flirtingly at Bruno, who flinched in surprise and popped his eyes wide.

“…Apply? Really?” the counter-boy asked, befuddled and amused at the same time. “Ooookay, wait here while I fetch the bosses.” He gave Rivener a half-sincere smile and ducked inside, leaving Bruno and the two ladies from before in Riv’s company.

Five minutes later, the counter-boy returned with two men in tow. One was an elderly gentleman with slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair, whose presence and business-like attire reminded Rivener greatly of a more dubious-looking Ethan Blake. The other guy, however…

“Well, well, well. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”

“…Hi, Tim. How’s the jaw?” Riv smirked at the barb, watching the talent scout frown angrily. Well, this is certainly not the way to start a job interview, Rivener thought to himself with an inward wince. He lifted his hands and shook his head slightly, sighing. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I was just… shocked by the proposition, at that time. I wasn’t ready for it. I’ve thought it over, and it seemed like… like a good opportunity and I hope I haven’t messed it up.”

“Messed it up? You ******** PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE, you dirty little pun-”

“Hm,” the business man said, the quiet contemplative word stemming all other sound around him. Tim and Rivener both shut up, glancing over at the man who was busily looking at Rivener up and down, sizing him up. The calculating eyes then slipped over to the two women who were still waiting in the lobby for heavens knew what, noting how much attention they’d been paying the half-bodied young man. “…I can see why you scouted him in the first place, Tim. Bring him inside, we’ll interview him.”

“WHAT? But Mister Burke-”

“I’ll be upstairs.” The quiet voice left no room for argument, and Tim let his arms drop back down from where they’d been lifted in protest. The scout glared over at Rivener and snatched up his resume from the counter, nearly growling. “Alright, come this way.”

Rivener was grinning as though he’d won some competition between them, and he nodded with false modesty as he made his way around to the stairs that headed up to the offices. “See ya, ladies,” Riv shot over his shoulder to the two women, adding a playful wink to Bruno just to see the large guy flinch back in surprise again.

The walk to the main office was made in silence. Rivener passed large windows that overlooked the main floor and his gaze was drawn down to the people below. The place was packed! No wonder those two women were waiting out front, there was hardly place to sit anymore! No wonder Casa Rosso was trying to hire more hosts; they were booming! Riv grinned. It looked kinda… kinda elegant, down there. Mature, poised, regal people visited this place because that’s how the hosts behaved. Regal. Dignified. Alluring. Riv’s grin dimmed; could he pull that off? He was more of a “punk” type of person, wasn’t he?

“In here,” Tim suddenly said, breaking Rivener’s thoughts and calling his attention forward again. A handful of stairs led the way to a door that was held open for him by a very angry-looking Tim.

Rivener tried not to smirk victoriously, succeeding for the most part as he floated past the talent scout. The office was well decorated and elegant as well, reflecting the style of the main floor below. Dim lamps, mahogany furniture and dark colored upholstery. A stylish black desk bore the only sign that this place might be adult-themed: a sculpture of a naked woman reclining. Although really, there was nothing particularly “adult-themed” about it, it was just a nude sculpture. It was just the only hint visible.

“Sit,” Mister Burke ordered, pointing to one of the lush chairs placed before the desk. He sat behind said desk, looking over Rivener’s meager resume. “You have no work experience. But I see under experience you’ve listed ahem: ‘being sultry’?” The man almost smirked, clearly amused.

Rivener faintly blushed as he sat, Tim taking a seat in the other chair. “Well, no, I have no work experience anywhere. I couldn’t very well leave that part empty, so I filled it with things I DO have experience with which might be of use in this position.”

“And how, pray tell, did you get experience in ‘being sultry’?”

“…It just comes naturally, I suppose. I’ve always been sultry. Do you want me to demonstrate?” Even as he said it, Rivener’s smile had turned into an altogether-too-suggestive thing, his hooded ruby eyes flashing with promise. He finished with a honeyed smirk, leaning forward slightly and tilting his head.

Mister Burke blinked a few moments then glanced at Tim. “Your instinct was right again as always, Tim. He’s got what it takes…”

“If you trust my instinct, Mister Burke, then trust me now: don’t hire this guy! He’s violent and troublesome!” Tim was leaning on the edge of his chair now, fingers gripping at both armrests so tightly the knuckles were turning white. “He does have what it takes, I’ll admit, but that’s not ALL we should be looking at!”

Rivener frowned but resisted the urge to flare his wings out in defense. He had to play it cool, had to show he COULD control his temper. “Like I said,” the Sigel hissed with wavering patience, “I had been shocked. That day was horrid: I was lost, and I was more than a little defensive.”

Mister Burke seemed to think this over, then nodded. He looked down at the resume, pointing at the line of text at the top. “We have your number. We will call you to inform you of our decision, Mister Delaran.”

Riv blinked over, confused as to what that meant, exactly. Did he have the job? Would Tim’s distrust overrule Mister Burke’s clear favour? Getting up, Rivener nodded his head and offered a final honeyed smile. “Very well. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

“Tim, show our guest out, please.”

Tim got up with a scowl, escorting Rivener to the door without another word passing between them. Only once the Raevan was outside with Tim holding the door open did the man speak again. “If you get this job, Rivener… Know that it will be against my better judgement. AND I will see to it that your life here is as miserable as possible.”

Riv raised an eyebrow, watching the door close.

Rivener and Aphismet head to a pool party hosted by Ebony Shade. Riv intends to just bask in the sun but secretly hopes to find a certain Frei there... Drama erupts when Rivener tells Lucia he can't be her romantic suitor, and later when Lulu and Sevilin get into a fight! Aphismet spends a great time in the pool with Alex until the fight begins...



Not long after the incident at the pool party, Alex found herself thinking of Aphismet again. She didn't really...need an excuse to call, persay, but it didn't hurt to have a backup in case she couldn't manage to say, 'I missed you.' It was around lunch time when she finally punched in his number, biting her bottom lip as the phone rang.

Aphismet was, for once, NOT in the kitchen when the phone rang. He was slacking off on the sofa, flicking channels, procrastinating making food for his mid-day meal. There was no one else home to feed today, after all. Everyone was off working but him. The phone was a welcome distraction, and he picked it up with a cheerful: "Yyyy-ello?"

A grin lit her features; how easily he made her smile, even just with a greeting! "Aphi?" she laughed, "It's Alex! How are you?" It seemed that a lot of the stress she'd held just slipped away, wondering what he was doing to sound so at ease.

Aphismet spluttered for a moment on the phone, nearly dropping the remote control in his lap as he scrambled for the mute button. "A-Alex?! Wow! I mean, Hi! I'm-... sorry, I didn't expect... It's like the middle of the day, no one ever... I mean Hi! I'm fine! I'm real good! How are you?" He blushed and grinned like a moron, aware that he was sounding silly.

More laughter sounded, light and happy. If that wasn't the best greeting ever! It made her feel warm and well received. "Hey," she giggled softly, "surprise!" Wrestling her mirth down, Alex leaned against the bar in her house, stuffing her hands in her pockets, phone tucked against her ear. "Great now! You know how to flatter a gal," she teased lightly. "I just, y'know...I uh, wanted to let you know Sev is - will be okay. And um." The woman shuffled a little, her smile small and a touch shy. "Y'know, it was...nice to see you again. And maybe we could do it again? Seeing each other, that is," she quickly corrected herself, not sure she could meet Aphismet in a bathing suit again anytime soon!

Aphi chuckled at her teasing words, glancing down at his remote control bashfully as he was praised for flattering her. Flattering by being reduced to a bumbling fool? Alright, he could do that. Learning that Sev would be okay brought a more comfortable smile to the chef's face, although it turned shy again when Alex continued to ask if they could see each other again. Feeling rather teasing, Aphi grinned at the receiver. "Are you asking me on a date, Miss Alex?" His tone conveyed amusment. "I'd love to, you know that. Just name the time and place!"

Alex's mouth moved to reply, but her voice seemed to have escaped her. She lifted a hand from her jeans to rub her cheek, which felt rather warm, her smile returning in full force, if not slightly goofy. He'd got her, there! "Yes I am, Mister Aphismet," she finally replied with good humor. "Weeeeell," she hummed thoughtfully, considering a good place for a second official meeting (DATE), "you guys could come here, if you want, and I could cook for you. Or if it's not a good time, we can go out to, say...the beach? The pier is really nice during the day and kinda--" Alex choked a moment. She almost said 'romantic.' "--nice at night," she finished lamely, laughing with embarrassment.

Aphismet chuckled at the woman's reaction, calling him Mister just as he'd called her Miss. "I'd love to go to your house, if that's alright. I've been thinking about that apple dessert you promised me. And I'd love to taste your cooking, too!" The chef was blushing. The thought of the two of them cozying up on a couch at her house... "Um, that sounds lovely, your house."

"Right!" she confirmed happily. "Oh and...you should bring that movie we talked about, Snatch or something? Make it dinner and a movie - maybe squeeze the beach in if you're willing, it's really pretty at night, out here..." Alex felt giddy again, like they were going on their first date, but this time it was with less fear and more joy. She really enjoyed the chef's company, excited for a chance to treat him this time.

Aphismet was beginning to feel rather excited too. "Snatch, yes! That sounds like a wonderful plan, dinner, a movie, and a walk on the beach. I'm very much looking forward to it! When do you want to do this? I'm free this weekend! ...Unless that's too sh-short notice?" Aphi couldn't just invite himself over willy-nilly!

She was certain she'd be wearing the grin on her face for the rest of the week - maybe even the month, if the date went as well as she was certain it would! "No no, that's wonderful! I'd like that a lot, Aphi." Alex laughed softly, still feeling shy about the whole...courtship thing. She hadn't had much fortune in dealing with people. "So this weekend. Come over whenever! Zul and I are up early so if you want breakfast, lunch and dinner, head over." A broad invitation, but she meant it whole-heartedly.

Aphismet laughed with relief at her eager reply. He hadn't overstepped his bounds, that's good! "I will be over sometime in the afternoon, since I'm sure Rivener will want to come along and he doesn't get up all that early at all. I'll be counting the days until this weekend, then! See you Saturday afternoon, Alex!" Aphismet smiled with utmost glee.

"Me too," she returned earnestly, excitement beginning to take hold. She had some shopping to do! "See you soon, Aphi!" Delighted, Alex turned the phone off and did a bit of a dance right there in the kitchen. It was time to get to work!

Rivener went straight up to his room after he’d brought Xiu safely home. Aphismet had called a distracted greeting from the kitchen, one Rivener hadn’t bothered answering. He had too many things to think about. He needed to look back on what happened objectively, figure out what the repercussions might be. Was it possible to track him to that event? If so, what should Rivener do to dispel any blame from himself? This was going to be difficult. Riv would need to listen to the stars extra-closely tonight, try to figure out what they might be saying about his future. A clue would possibly be hiding in the night sky’s words, some secret solution to all this to make it go away.

Alright, firstly. People had known Rivener was looking for Xiu. People had seen the Fat Man taking Xiu off somewhere, although no one had known where exactly and no one had seen Rivener actually find the pair.

Secondly. People had already known Rivener was exceedingly mad at the Fat Man. Hell, staff people had needed to restrain the Scorpion from hitting the man, and Riv had even yelled out loud that he was going to kill him! …this was looking very bad indeed.

Thirdly, anyone with a camera had a picture of Rivener, making it easy for the police to see what the man in question would look like. How far of a stretch would it be for those policemen to make the connection between the puncture wounds on the Fat Man’s shoulders and neck, the use of poisons, and the scorpion-like wings adorning Rivener’s back? Even if they thought the wings were just cosplay, it would still be highly suspicious. Rivener might be pegged as an extremely dedicated cosplayer whose home-made wings actually bore needles and poisons.

“…s**t,” Riv sighed, leaning forward on his computer table and covering his forehead with a clawed hand. This was looking bad, VERY bad. After another moment of wallowing in his circumstances, Riv’s ruby eyes flicked up to his computer. Time to find a solution. He turned on the machine and quickly went to the internet. Time to learn a little bit about laws.



That night the news on television spoke briefly about an accident at the local anime convention, where one person died. Rivener watched with practiced indifference as reporters showed clips of the convention center: a hallway blocked off by yellow police tape, crowds of cosplayers looking on worriedly, a white-sheet-covered large person wheeled away on a gurney.

“Weren’t you there today?!” Aphismet asked, looking worried.

“Yeah, but I’d already left before this happened.”

The chef just shook his head at the event, not even suspecting his Raevan in the least. If the report had made mention of poison, however, Rivener knew Aphismet would have accused him immediately. And he would have been right.



After the news, Rivener spent most of the night out on his balcony, feeding and listening. Mostly listening. He learned many things, as vaguely as the stars ever said anything. From what he could understand, the police was suspecting him. They were trying to find out where he lived. It would take them days to find out where Rivener worked, but they would not find where he lived. The Scorpion frowned; he wanted the cops nowhere near his work. That meant he would have to make sure they “found” him before then.

Tomorrow, Rivener would go walking in the city. He’d eventually run into policemen, the stars said, changing their story now that the listening Sigel had made a decision that changed the course of things. The police would demand samples of his stingers, fingerprints, all that jazz. Rivener would be released, and while he would be suspected forever, he wouldn’t be arrested based on one single thing: the poison in his stingers would be only the sickness-inducing stuff he’d originally put in the man’s system. They would never be able to prove that he’d produced the incredibly fatal compound that had killed the man…




The newspaper spoke of the death as well, the next morning. It was nowhere near the first page, but it wasn’t a small tiny-print article either. The headline on the third page read “Suspicious Death at Anime Convention: Cosplayers Go Too Far?”. Rivener didn’t normally read the newspaper so he didn’t want to make Aphismet suspicious by starting now. Riv would wait and find a newspaper later, when he was out and about in Durem.

Around one in the afternoon Rivener had arrived in the city. He’d stopped at a newspaper stand and was reading the article, which still didn’t mention anything about poisons specifically but stated that the autopsy had revealed information that made Police suspect this to be a homicide. Riv had just about finished reading, rather amazed at his own lack of reaction upon reading of a murder he’d committed, when police approached him.

“Excuse me, we’d like to talk to you for a moment. Your name is Rivener Delaran, correct?”

“…Yeah, that’s me. What’s this about? Is it about the dead cosplayer at the convention?” Rivener figured that playing dumb would only incriminate him. It was best that he didn’t hide at all that he’d been present, that he knew a man had died, and that he’d stung that man previously in the day. In fact, Rivener now frowned with concern, his acting just as good as any oscar-winner he’d spent most of his young years watching. He looked nervous and repentant as he wrung his hands in the newspaper. “Is-… Is it the big guy dressed like a girl? Is it because of that allergic reaction he had? Oh god, I hope not! Honest, I didn’t know that would happen, I just wanted him to be a little sick! I didn’t know he’d-”

“Whoa, whoa there. Relax. Let’s go talk about this down at the station, okay?” The officer smiled encouragingly, motioning for Rivener to follow to his squad car.

Of course the Scorpion did as he was told, getting into the backseat and making sure to keep acting his part the whole time. He fussed and fidgeted and looked rather non-threatening despite his appearance. The cops didn’t chat with him the whole way, escorting Riv inside just as quietly once they reached the station. Rivener was quickly processed; his fingerprints taken, picture snapped casually (not the kind with the number and the profile-and-front kind)… He was then taken to a small room where he sat, waiting, for ten minutes. A detective then entered, and Rivener recognized his name from the newspaper article. He was the officer in charge of the investigation. Detective Romes.

“So, Rivener, hunh. I saw lots of pictures of you yesterday at the convention. But you left early, right?”

“Right. My friend and I didn’t feel like staying anymore after that creepy fat guy tried to kidnap him again. He thought we were demons that could make pacts with him or something, and he tried to force my friend… I grabbed the guy’s collar and shook him a bit until he let go, and then we left. Xiu was pretty shaken up.” Rivener looked appropriately intimidated and scared to be here. He wrung his hands in his jacket.

The next few hours were the exact same rigamarole Rivener was expecting. He needed to explain what the hell he was, so Rivener explained Raevans in great detail, even going so far as giving directions to lab 305 along with a phone number and Dr Kyou’s name. Lots of people had spotted a Raevan before, so they confirmed that the boy must be telling the truth. They’d then asked if he was able to use those wings, and Rivener came clean about his use of poison on the Fat Man to make him sick. He also said that one side was poisonous, sickness-inducing, while the other was the antidote. The detective demanded a sample, and Rivener obliged; he gave a few droplets from each stinger, summoning the proper toxins in each. He made sure to memorize which side he’d claimed was poison and which side antidote, in case they checked on him again in the future. Rivener gave a detailed deposition about his last altercation with the Fat Man, being upfront about everything and leaving out nothing but the stinging.

Near supper time, the cops had to admit that they had nothing on the Scorpion Raevan to keep him here. They insisted on calling his guardian, and THIS was the thing Rivener had dreaded the most. By the time Aphismet showed up, Rivener’s nervousness was hardly an act anymore. The chef didn’t look at his charge while he spoke to the bailiff, signing that he’d indeed picked up the Raevan. He still didn’t look at Rivener as they got into the car. He didn’t look or speak to Rivener at all until they pulled into their own driveway and the car was turned off. Here both men stayed, somehow knowing that neither was leaving this car until they’d at least said something.

“…Did you kill that man?” Aphismet asked.

“Yes.” Rivener didn’t hesitate. His gaze remained on his hands as he heard the driver’s seat squeak, Aphi turning to stare at him with an expression that probably something Rivener wouldn’t want to see. Outrage, disgust, disappointment, horror, fear… “He was hurting Xiu. He was going to touch his rune. I defended Xiu.”

“RIVENER. You KILLED a man!” Aphismet’s voice was shrill.

“I’d do it again if I have to.” Rivener’s was so calm by contrast.

“You can’t-”

“I don’t base my actions on human laws, Aphismet. Or on human morals. Because we Raevans are threatened by more than you are! We don’t know what would have happened to Xiu if that Fat a*****e had gotten ahold of his rune! That’s his LIFE, Aphismet! He might have been able to KILL Xiu! He was deranged! If I let him go, unharmed, sure the police might have fined him for assault or whatever, but what then?! He wouldn’t be charged with attempted manslaughter, would he? He’d be free and wandering around! And what if he found Vyn next? Or Sevilin? Or Varun? Or EIRY? Hunh? Then what! Next time he might get his hands on a Raevan that couldn’t defend itself and he’d have killed them!” Rivener finally looked over, glaring furiously. “What I did might seem inhuman or unneeded to you or whatever, but it HAD to be done! Before something terrible happened!”

Aphismet was taken aback by how adamant his Raevan was about this. The chef’s mouth hung open in shock but he couldn’t find anything to say.

“It had to be done.” Rivener’s tone returned to the calm, level sound it had been before, the Scorpion opening the door and slipping out. He’d head for his room, he’d put this all behind him, he’d listen to the Stars to make sure nothing else would happen to anyone.

Aphismet watched the Sigel go, and a cold feeling settled into his veins. Rivener hadn’t done this while out of his mind. He’d been fully conscious. Fully aware. He’d known what he was doing when he sank his poisonous stingers into that person’s flesh, killing him. Aphismet’s Raevan… Rivener… Aphismet swallowed. Was he turning into a monster?!