--[ ORP ]-- Secret Garden Summer Party

[Arana Kamina]

(( Ronan - maze entrance, tag to Ac. Wings ))

Ronan found himself warming the raevan's earnest demeanor almost immediately, matching Iorek's smile as they shook hands.

"Excited?" he said in response to the question. "Well, I'm certainly intrigued by the possibilities of the maze. Let's go!" The selkie briskly walked to the entrance of the maze, but he came to a halt when arrived, and not just because of the mist. Even without the mist as a tip off the place absolutely reeked of magic. He would have been able to sense much more if it were associated with water or the ocean, but as it was he still had to keep himself from sneezing. Well, this was he had signed up for. Time to make the most of it.

Giving smile to the raevan at his side, Ronan strode forward to the ominous looking entrance.  

[Ebony Shade]

((Delia => Maze // Ebs – Seating Area => Buffet))
((Tag Kit // Tag To Anyone Really))

Suddenly Cordelia felt like kicking herself. Well that was if she had the legs to do so. She’d let her own wariness of the chilled girl show and now it’d made Zurine feel unwanted. Though somewhat true, the snake didn’t really want to hurt the girl if she could help it. And maybe it’d be okay. It was warm enough today that it should fight off any sort of effects she would normally experience being around something so cold. In fact Delia was this close to the owl now and nothing bad was happening.

Though not taking the other girl’s hand like she normally would with anyone else, the basilisk did however smile once again as brightly and warmly as she could. “You’re not a problem. Really. Come on let’s go!” Cordelia replied as she floated past the other and into the maze.

With such a busy morning earlier that day and now with having been so busy with chatting with everyone, Ebony hadn’t realized how much of an appetite she’d developed until her stomach gave a bit of a grumble. Placing a hand to her flat stomach, the British woman sure hoped no one had heard that then. It would have been rather embarrassing even if it was perfectly normal.

“Sorry, but I’m feeling a bit peckish now. If anyone needs me I’ll be over there.” Pointing towards the buffet line, Ebony excused herself from the group.  

[Ravina Loki]

((Zeke: Sitting Area - Tag to Neon and Atma!
Anya: You know where she is ))

The vet regarded The tea Raevan with amusement as she apologized and spoke her mind on the subject of nicknames.

"No need to apologize," he said mildly, "it's just my personal preference; kinda like how some people prefer to be called by their first name rather than Mr. or Mrs. Whatever." Zeke was also in that group but he didn't say as such when he spoke. Instead, he kept mum and could only chuckle as the Frei before him spoke of missing Anya's company. That had to be a first for anyone other than himself! It made his eyes shine in a way that showed he was truly happy someone had a favorable impression of his often surly ward.

"I'll be sure to tell her the moment I get back to the car." Saying that, he turned his head from the group and looked down the way he had come which led to the parking area and the place where Anastacia had been left. Zeke frowned a little - again knowing he had to get back but not yet wanting to. He was probably stretching it, and he still did want to get a plate of food to take with him. Better to do that before the spider queen came looking. Before he made to move however, the vet made sure to address Leo when the man spoke up.

"I will! And really, give me a call anytime you wanna set something up." It would be nice to visit with owners he had already met again, and it would be nice to do such a thing with Anastacia present. Get her to be more social and all that. With that being said, the vet gave another glance to the way out and then offered his hand to Leo. "It was nice seeing you again, Leo. We'll get together real soo--"

Zeke's amicable farewell was cut short as a cry of French fondness reached his ears and was quickly followed by a firm press to his cheek and hands curling around his arm. Zeke's eyes had lit up when he heard the foreign term of affection, and when he saw Vivi settling in at his side, the vet could only grin and wrap Vivi up in his embrace.

"Vivi!" As the Frenchwoman did to him, the vet pressed his lips to her cheek. No mark was left there, and despite seeing her ruby colored lips the vet was oblivious that he had been marked. Seeing her there - hoping to run into her really - was just icing on the cake for him! And even though he knew he had to skedaddle, he couldn't rightly NOT introduce the vivacious woman to his present company! Not doing so - or simply sweeping off with her to the buffet table - would be completely uncouth!

"It's great to see you! Leo, Ethiriel, this is Vivi LaCelle; she's a Guardian as well."  

[Tasinei]

[[ Axel -> Luka -> Maze entrance/ Cruz & Anita ]]

Leaning in Axel returned the hug Luka had offered her, she chuckled a bit when he began asking about her Raevan. “I’m very good. She isn’t here yet, soon hopefully!” Her gaze swept to the drinking table quickly to see if she could catch a glimpse of the doctor when another raevan butting in, she starred a little with her brows up and her mouth slightly open in surprise. Though she didn’t interject, and smiled at the girl that was probably the Raevan’s guardian. “No worries.” Axel even chuckled as she extended her hand to the girl. “It’s nice to meet you both, I’m Axel Halkias.” She nodded at the girl question, smiling as she recalled that early morning. “Yes we have, one of my clients was meeting Jezabroux for an appointment and I showed Luka the essence I was given and the soul I had caught.”

Luka was gone as quickly as their introduction had gone, Axel ran her hand through her hair. “Well, I’m going to head to the maze now. Looks like everyone is heading that way. It was nice meeting you!” She gave the girl one last smile and headed towards the entrance of the maze, though someone yelling out her name stopped her and she turned to see Cruz. “Hey Cruz, how are you?” she chuckled. “Where’s Anita?” Axel’s question was answered when she saw Anita right on cue. “Hey Anita, glad to see you here.” Cruz question as to what was a maze made her pause slightly, she wasn’t really sure how to explain it. “It’s uhm. Think of it as a really big garden, but the trees are all really tall and they make up paths, like hallways and you have to find your way to the other side!”

Axel nodded as her head inclined towards the maze entrance. “Yup, I signed up for it when I came in earlier. I thought it could be sorta fun, I’ve never been to one of these so.” She always made sure to leave when she wasn’t needed at weddings, so she never really enjoyed events and now she was going to be enjoying this one as much as she possibly could. Axel hadn't been to an event she hadn't organized in a while, minus her family gatherings of course.“You could always come with me if you want, it’ll be nicer than going in alone.”  

[Snoofington]

(( Anita - Maze Entrance -> Buffet/Duncan | Cruz - Maze Entrance -> Maze/Axel
Tag to Zanaroo ))

Cruz grumbled pleasantly, eyes lit with fondness for the dark haired woman. "Good," he offered cordially, glancing back to Anita on cue of her entrance as well as Axel's question about her. His guardian chuckled and returned the sentiment, putting her hands in her pockets as the three of the stood leisurely near the entrance of the maze. He listened intently to her description, mouth hanging open slightly as he hung on to every word. From that explanation alone he still didn't fully understand the concept but an image formed in his mind and that was one step in the right direction.

"Hah, I guess I was the only one who did it by accident," Anita chided herself, sticking her tongue out at Axel. The offer caught them both off guard and both exchanged glances. Cocking a brow, Anita nodded to the entrance, "You wanna go in? Easiest way to understand a maze is to navigate one."

The frei drew a hand to his face and rested its palm on his cheek, eyes cast to the lush grass in thought. "You coming too?"

Anita shook her head. "Nah, not this time. I've got some people I wanna catch up with around here. You go on ahead, it'll be good for both of you, I think!" she grinned, reaching out to lightly flip some of the hair hanging over Cruz's shoulder. He grumbled lightly before turning to Axel and nodding. He would join her in this so called maze and he would figure out all of its mysterious secrets.

Watching the two enter the maze, she caught her charge glancing back. His eyes were a little uncertain but she smiled and waved him on and before they rounded their first corner and disappeared, she saw him hover closer to Axel. They'd be fine. With that taken care of and Anita now on her own, she decided it'd be a good idea to feed her peckishness. She headed over to the buffet area, eager to sample a little bit of everything. The food at Lab events always looked and smelled delicious but she rarely had enough time to try, either with keeping Tango behaved at the beach or keeping an eye on Cruz. This was actually the first time she'd been completely on her own at a Lab function before and it was kind of exciting. Grabbing a plate, she kept close to the table and spooned, forked or tonged whatever looked appetizing onto it. Some apple slices, grilled steak and chicken slices, a small portion of salmon and a few slabs of garlic bread occupied her dish happily. As she continued over to the drinks table, she leaned forward and squinted to try and discern what some of them were; a few were juices, some had carbonation, and there was definitely a selection of alcohol that she wasn't interested in. For now, the water seemed like the best option with the Summer heat and Anita set her plate down, reaching out to grab the jug. Her elbow bumped into something solid covered in fabric and she realized quickly it was a person.

"Oh, god, I am so sorry," she sputtered quickly, finding an empty spot for the jug. Her hands danced around the table, trying to find some napkins in case she spilled anything or caused who she bumped to do the same. It seemed the victim of her elbow attack was a young man not much older than herself who was accompanied by an elder gentleman, neither of which she had seen before, "I didn't make you spill, did I?" Anita rubbed her shoulder awkwardly, looking rather pathetic as her pale face flushed in embarrassment.  

[Atmadja]

((Vivi == Sitting area))

Amused that he had not yet noticed the lipstick on his cheek, Vivi stayed silent while Zeke introduced her to his two conversation companions. Her hands stayed on the vet's arm -- it was warm to thread her arm around his waist, but she must keep in some physical contact with her adored friend. She bobbed in a cheerful curtsey to the two others, smiling winsomely as she then offered a hand to Leo and his charge.

"Pardon, pardon!" said the Frenchwoman, her voice friendly and sweet. "I know it is not the manners to bound up, but I could not control myself when I saw my friend here. It is a pleasure, I assure you, and oh! What a beauty!" She turned toward Ethiriel, her eyes bright. What an interesting couple -- a young man and a princess, yes, an absolute princess. What silken hair, what jeweled eyes, what intricate adornments! Was she made from some kind of... wealth? And her ribbon, like a scroll... Vivi could not help herself from staring a moment, fascinated.

She turned to Zeke with a smile. "And where is the lovely Anya? Traversing the maze?"  

[Rookeries]

(( duncan and mordekai - drinks area
tag to snoof ))

Duncan was looking at the fray while Mordekai continued to sample the Lab's array of brews. The two shared unabated silence for a while, and Mordekai could feel a storm of ennui over along the horizon, which he could only avoid with every sip of alcohol that brought along that soothing mouthfeel and tingling sensation at the back of his head.

Mordekai let slip a casual burp and stared at the buffet table right in front. "Alright, I think I'm gonna take my food to go and leave. I'll pick you up in a few hours."

"If that's what you'd like," Duncan sighed, trailing closer to Mordekai as he sipped at his cup again, "I won't stop you."

There was no verbal reply from Mordekai, but he did erratically turn around to make his way towards the arrangement of food-- which was met, unfortunately, with bumping chest-to-chest with a particular brunette. His beer sloshed lazily around in its cup and some spluttered onto the drinks table, to which Mordekai hissed an ever-so-quiet "s**t."

"Oh, god, I am so sorry... I didn't make you spill, did I?"

Mordekai laughed (albeit uneasily), and the 6-foot-something man looked down at Anita with a strained grin.
"Don't worry about it," the young man noticed that Duncan had already eased his way towards the napkins to clean up the small spill, "S'just some swill."

Mordekai's breath was already fairly warm with alcohol, and a soft pink surrounded his pointed nose and cheeks; soon as Duncan was finished cleaning up, he backed the staggering (and looming) Mordekai nervously away from Anita. He cautiously let go of his arm to greet Anita in kind, "Don't worry about us, did you spill anything?" He glanced down at the ground and tried to spot any stray food, "Or drop any food?"  

[Aphismet]

[[Aphismet = Sitting Area >> Drinks // Rivener = Maze >> Sitting Area]]
[Tag to Melisande and I lost track of what was going on so fresh start!]

Aphismet chatted only a moment longer than Ebony did, then excused himself with a raise of his glass as though that explained things. As it turned out, it did- he headed to the drinks table to refill his cup, picking a fruit wine this time. Then, sipping slowly, he remained by the drinks and took stock of the party-goers, wondering who else he might approach now. Ebony seemed to have been doing quite well socializing despite her misgivings, just as he thought she would, so there was no need to remain at her side like a crutch. She'd do fine. Smiling, the chef wondered where he should head.

-----

Rivener had only just exited the Maze with Melisande, and things seemed much different from when they'd headed in. He had the dainty female on his arm now, his wing spread over her like a parasol since the sun here had no mist to dampen it, and his face was split in a hearty laugh. He patted the hand on his arm, nodding. "You and me both!" he agreed to whatever she'd just said, laughing still.

He instantly veered towards the sitting area, since that was where they'd been waiting to go into the maze. No doubt the Muse would have left her parasol there. As much as he rather enjoyed her, he thought perhaps he shouldn't crowd Melisande too much. Once she had her parasol in hand, he would have to leave her be. "That was pretty fun though, wasn't it? I'm glad I went with you. You're... Not quite what I'd expected you to be, for the better." He gave her a smile.  

[Aki Ana]

[Pasha: Maze Exit]

Melisande's hand slipped from Rivener's arm, with immaculate timing...she neither lingered nor shied. Both Sigels were laughing, and her cheeks were just the slightest bit colored from sun and adventuring.

"It was." She was polite enough to keep the surprise out of her voice, but her eyes were bright as she curtsied a bit to Rivener. Pasha withdrew her umbrella from the bucket and opened it with a practiced gesture. The pale lace bloomed like a morning glory, and shaded in patterned dapples over her cheeks. "Thank you for escorting me! I'll see you and Lazarus soon."

Melisande smiled as though it were a private joke as she bid the Scorpion farewell. Not that she had anywhere to be. Instead, she lingered by the Maze exit, waiting for Wasa to emerge. It was nice just to be out in the open again. The breeze didn't quite make it through the expanse of hedges, and her blooms unfurled silently in appreciation of the moving air.  

[Aphismet]

[[Rivener =Sitting Area]]
(Mention tag to Aki Ana, Tag to Atma and Ravina and Neon.)

Rivener smiled one last time at Meli and watched her go, rather sad that their interaction was going to come to an end. He'd have been quite pleased hanging around with her a little more, curious to see what else he might have been wrong about. He grinned- he'd find out much more when they met for their little get-together, surely.

Turning his attention away from the mezmerizing Pasha finally, Rivener's gaze fell on another lovely female he'd been looking forward to meeting again. The frenchwoman was as full of life as always, beaming sunshine nearby as she talked to Zeke and another human, as well as a Frei Riv had never seen before. The Scorpion rustled his wings, straightened his clothes and ran a hand through his hair, mindful of making a good impression, then he floated over to join their group.

"Vivi, Zeke! So good to see you both. ...No Anastacia?" Riv asked, unaware that the poor vet had probably fielded that question a dozen times already. He frowned very lightly in disappointment- he liked the girl, felt a close kinship to her. "Well, if she's around and I didn't see her, would you kindly give her my greeting, please, Zeke? ...And Vivi, did your Raevan come yet? I'm still eager to meet him or her. This wouldn't be her, would it? Pleased to meet you, I'm Rivener." He smiled at Ethiriel in a very friendly fashion, inclining his head and offering his hand.  

[Snoofington]

(( Anita - Buffet & Drinks Table // Tag to Zanaroo ))

As soon as she bumped into the man she found a spot for her plate and set it down, grabbing at a stack of napkins near the middle of the spread and held it out to him as an offering.

There was a faint smell of alcohol on his breath but it wasn't so strong it was off putting to her. However, his size and proximity were and she held her breath for a second before an older man stepped out from behind and pulled the man back under the pretense of looking for dropped food. Immediately Anita relaxed and chuckled, brushing her bangs back.

"Oh, no. Nothing fell," she illustrated by holding each foot up one at a time so they could both look under them and even knelt down quickly to peek under the table. "Um," she paused, shy grin in place for a moment before she held her hand out to Duncan and laughed under her breath, "Hi. I'm Anita. I'm guessing since you both are here you're affiliated with Lab 305?" Though she was bad at this sort of thing, she supposed it was her responsibility to begin introducing herself to those who were either in waiting to take care of a Raevan or interested in doing so. If it weren't for those who answered her questions way back then, she wouldn't be in the position she was now.

And what a good position it was.

Once she had given Duncan's hand a short, firm but friendly shake, she offered the same hand to Mordekai as well and offered a slightly less sheepish grin now that he was out of her personal bubble. "I'm waiting for someone to come out of the maze. You guys too? Or is the catering just that good?" she offered a sly grin, returning to her plate so she could resume picking out selections of beef and other snacks.  

[Atmadja]

((Vivi = sitting area))
(Tag to Aphi, standing tags to Zeke, Leo, and Eth!)

Rivener's approach caught Vivi's attention, and although she had divebombed into the poor Raevan-guardian pair's conversation with Zeke, she was happy to see the sigel approaching. She had not spoken with Rivener in ages -- since his unfortunate stay at the hospital -- and was happy to see the scorpion looking as rakishly handsome as ever.

"Rivener, what an unexpected delight!" the Frenchwoman breathed, smiling winsomely. "It is only too wonderful to see you again -- but, oh! I thought you had already met him here today! The dawn Raevan born, he is Cesc, the one with the pink hair and the antlers. Did I not see him by you and the beautiful one with the curls? He is in the maze now, but I am certain he will come out soon. He did not enter so long after you, I think!"  

[Twintastic]

((Genie --> Drinks Table
TAG TO HERBY))

Genie watched, impressed, as he prepared her drink for her on the bar trolley in a series of quick, fluid steps. It almost looked rehearsed. She started to wonder what he did for a living. Did he tend bar? Mix potions? When he was finished, he offered the glass to her in a gesture that was nothing short of courtly. She graciously accepted. He was a very fine man.

She attached herself to the lip of it straightaway. She was thirsty. She dribbled a little. She pushed the dampness away from her face with her wrist in embarrassment, flaunting the missing little finger. The mint made it feel colder on her skin than it was. She waved at him dismissively, "No, not too strong at all." A short cough. Gulping back her pride.

She became alert as he approached her with a new question. Perhaps she looked a little too alert. She didn't mean to seem that she was hanging on his every word. She only wanted to make a decent impression on other guardians. Fit in among them. The heat was making her sluggish, and she didn't want to give him the idea that he was boring her so soon.

She saw the man turn his head briefly and tried to see what he was looking at. There was some commotion in that direction, and it made the man a bit quiet. Introspective. The Frei from before was now stubbornly dragging another, smaller Frei towards some hedges. She hoped nothing was wrong... She cleared her throat to get his attention, "Two years, huh? That's about as long as I've been around, come to think of it. I should have mentioned, I'm a guardian too. Actually— hold on,"

She set down her glass and began carding through the contents of her purse. A checkbook, some receipts, some spare trash. She really needed to clean this thing out. Her wallet! She actually had two. For things like pictures and business cards, she used a magic wallet, flipping the cover forward and back. Some criss-crossing straps. A thin stack of photos. There were two of Basil at the top. The only pictures of him that were any good...

It was hard to take a decent picture of him. Under the dirty hair and furtive smiles, he really was very photogenic. Not a bad angle on the boy. And he was a smiler. Such a smiler. You'd think he'd love to get his picture taken more often, but for some reason, he had a very harsh reaction to camera flashes. They made him nauseous. Sometimes he passed out. Sometimes, he became very suddenly... irritable. Different. Maybe he had a light allergy. Sensitive eyes? She could easily have turned the flash off. Stick to digital pictures, but the quality just wasn't as good. She handed them to Elai, a slow, wide smile creeping across her face, "That's him, Basil." Her voice was soft with affection.

"Oh."

She tried to stand more beside the man, pinching a corner of the photo between her fingers so she could orient it to her view. There were three figures on a sofa in a small, dingy apartment. Two males, one female. One was her brother, the woman was her neighbor. Basil was at the end of the couch, a bit smooshed by the woman, who was leaning over him, almost as if to give him a kiss on the cheek. She realized that Basil was under a blanket at the time, his wings barely in frame. She tapped her finger over his head, "That's him, there." She stopped to apologize for standing so closely, being rude. "(Sorry.)"

"He's not as weird-looking as other Raevans," she explained. "No horns or claws or big... crazy... things!" She stammered, only able to make a large, wild gesture to explain how bizarre Basil apparently was not. And yet, he was still the strangest person she'd ever met. She laughed awkwardly, "He's around here somewhere, actually..."  

[Rookeries]

(( duncan and mordekai - drinks area
tag to snoof ))

Duncan relaxed a bit when Anita replied in the least effected way possible, which was a kind enough gift of her to give when Mordekai was still leery. He'd only had but a few drinks, but it was enough lately to give him a satisfying buzz and a one-way ticket to let himself go. It was also one of the few times Duncan had actually seen Mordekai drink, or at least turn this shade of pink, since Anne had passed, which made him more nervous than anything else.

Before the older of the two could step in to say anything, Mordekai blurted, "Hey. And yeah, I guess we are, even if everyone else here has such a poor taste in beer." (Duncan quietly looked away to note that, just moments earlier, Mordekai had mentioned the liquor here wasn't terrible.) "I'm Mordekai, and this geezer over here is Duncan."

Duncan smiled somewhat when Anita offered a handshake. Mordekai's handshake was, unfortunately, bone-crushing, and about ten times as strong as Duncan's was, though the young veteran laughed off his own constitution and shoved both of his hands into his pants pockets. He looked towards the maze-- it was one of the few things that caught his attention upon entering, and shook his head.

"We're not waitin' on anyone, nah. You could say we're fairly new to the... what'd that guy say, Duncan? Family?" Mordekai let out a skeptically bemused tch but laughed at Anita's latter comment, "We haven't had a chance to try out the food. Reckoned we would just get a few drinks, something to eat, then leave, since Duncan's not really the social kind."

The young veteran took a couple of paper plates from the buffet table in front of him and offered Duncan one, who gingerly took one from him. Duncan took a few tongs here and there and took a small sample of each, and mentioned, "I do wish we'd brought some food, Mordekai, but maybe we can make up for it later. Everything here looks so fresh--"

"--Want me to drop by a corner store and get a few bags of chips? Might do some good on your karma," Mordekai's plate was still empty, and he looked down at it with a chuckle, "I'm kidding. Yeah, I feel kinna bad, we can talk about that later. But for now..."

He then looked back at Anita and offered a warmer smile than before, "...Anything you'd recommend?"  

[Snoofington]

(( Anita - Drinks table
tag to roo ))

It was obvious the younger of the two men had either been drinking a lot, chose an incredibly strong drink, or was a light weight. She couldn't really blame him, being a light weight herself with little to no alcoholic experience, but she never quite understood why people drank if they didn't like the taste and judging by his comment it seemed a bit forced.

Her smile faltered slightly when he called the older gentleman 'geezer', gaze drifting to Duncan for a moment. When Mordekai scoffed at that word, her smile dipped even further, the hand she shook with dropping limply back at her side. "Uh... heh. Yeah. Lab Family. It's what most of us consider it," she tried to push the skepticism away with a smile but her own uncertainty caused it to seem rather lack luster. From the mention of "that guy", Anita figured the two had met with Zeke and she couldn't help but wonder what their opinion of her friend was. "Oh, really? That's a shame. I'm sorry the Raevan I'm taking care of is in the maze or else I'd introduce you before you guys left." Glancing back over her shoulder, Anita brought a hand up to rub the back of her neck.

Letting out a quiet laugh, which gave way to a more genuine but still sympathetic smile, Anita nodded to Duncan's comment. Like before, though, Mordekai's sarcasm cut through it and she diverted her gaze to the grass before turning back to her plate. "We brought some cookies to a Halloween party last year but this time all we could do was some wine," she shrugged and chuckled gently, motioning over to the box of wine settled on the opposite side of the table.

Something about the man's demeanor shifted when he laughed and her green eyes peeked up at Mordekai curiously. Then he smiled, losing the skepticism. Anita sighed quietly, perking up herself, and took her plate back into her hands. "Well, everything looks specifically catered so, quality wise, we're set," she turned to glance at the spread on her own plate and pointed towards some grilled chunks of meat, "But the beef looks fantastic. Super juicy and rare. All of the fruits and stuff look fresh as hell, too." At that comment, she grinned up at them, wondering if a little casual impropriety in their conversation might make Mordekai more comfortable.