--[ ORP ]-- Secret Garden Summer Party

[Rookeries]

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

At the Raevan compliment, Duncan's attention perked, though he wasn't so much disappointed as he was that a Raevan wasn't around to experience Mordekai's charade. "It's quite alright. I'm just so happy to see all of these Raevans around, but it makes me a bit nervous about taking care of my own, they're all so different," he chuckled, "It's strange having to raise anything other than plants, after so many years of not raising children."

Mordekai shrugged, "Plants, kids, you just have to water 'em a bit and hope they don't rot out early," he took another drink from a cup he'd left at the drinks table and nipped a few bits of beef, to Anita's recommendation; he held one up for close viewing before setting it down. He glanced back at Anita while grabbing a few grapes, and scootched aside from Duncan to squeeze through and grab a few fruits of his own.

"The meat doesn't smell, which is always a good sign-- I'm gonna trust you on this one, Anita." Mordekai patted his belly (or lack thereof of one) and looked towards the seating area, "Well, I'm about ready to dig in-- you about ready there, Duncan?"

"Just about," Duncan went over to the water pitcher and poured himself a glass, before walking towards where Mordekai was staring. He glanced back at Anita, "Would you like to sit with Mordekai and I, Anita? If it isn't too much of a bother... I did have a few questions prepared for Raevan guardians, but I've never had a chance to ask any after the Laboratory appointment I'd had."  

[Snoofington]

(( Anita - drinks area --> seating
tag to Roo ))

Duncan proceeded to give Anita all the information she needed without her having to ask a word. She had a feeling they were new, not recognizing their names from the original call sheet, but it was possible she simply glossed over them and their Raevan was home or socializing. Instead, she had the fortune of coming upon yet another who was in the waiting process -- something she was all too familiar with despite her charge now being nearly a year old. She smiled, nodded, and returned to pouring herself some water that she'd nearly forgotten about in the wake of their conversation.

"Well, I'm not a mother myself but I figure it's similar and different to raising kids in a lot of ways." She refrained from commenting that her "son" was different because he literally had to make out with anything that moved or else he wouldn't be lasting too long. Anita let out a scoff of her own at Mordekai's comparison, if only because of the irony present from Cruz's essence being a plant; she supposed that description was more accurate than either of them realized.

Holding her food accessories close and willing the meat to stay warm, she watched the taller of the men fill his own plate. She bowed her head a bit, grinning sheepishly. "I hope I don't disappoint you..." As the two readied themselves to go, Anita prepared herself to part ways with the men but Duncan turned back as they were stepping away. Her eyes lit up immediately and she gave a quick nod, adjusting her plate and trotting lightly after them. "Yeah, of course! I'm happy to help." That all but confirmed her suspicions and Anita decided he was going to get a few questions of his own to answer once they got situated.

Picking a corner of one of the elegantly decorated picnic tables, Anita set her stuff down and nestled into her seat. She waited patiently until they were comfortable, nibbling her thumb nail all the while. "First question, if I may... What'd you get in the vial?" Glancing eagerly between the two, she had to wonder which of them was actually going to be considered the guardian or if they were going to share their faux-parentage. That question could wait -- the essence was important now.  

[DystopicRhythm]

((Leo and Eth: sitting area – Tag to Ravi, Atma, and Aphi))

Despite the raver’s assurance, Ethiriel still felt it necessary to apologize; especially since she still felt ever so inclined to continue calling him by his full name. There was nothing wrong with the name Ezekiel; it was such a handsome title, something the boy’s parents must have put a lot of thought into. While the name was not necessarily suited to the man’s personality, it didn’t change how lovely it was to the ears. Still, the lady Raeven remained quiet rather than arguing further.

Just as Leo had opened his mouth in response, a shrill, thickly accented voice rang out rather than his own. It started him and his Frei, though both merely looked up in response as Zeke offered greetings. However, a smile spread on the photographer’s face once introductions were made, reaching out his hand to take Vivi’s. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vivi.” he said, looking back to Ethiriel as compliments were showered her way. A small amount of worry washed over Leo as his companion’s expression remained somewhat disinterested, but when she nodded and closed her eyes he knew she was fine.

”I… thank you,” the Frei said, her voice calm and even as she extended a hand of her own. ”While I cannot… offer you the same praise, your voice… is rather pleasing.”

Leo’s gaze drifted upon the arrival of the scorpion Raeven, stiffening slightly out of intimidation. He was… rather pointy, but seemed nice enough as he introduced himself. Rivener, huh? The photographer would have to make note of it! Finally finding his voice after the initial shock, the blonde cleared his throat and smiled. ”Oh, sorry… This is Ethiriel, my Raeven,” he stated, rather proudly at that. ”My name’s Leo, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rivener.” he said, doing his best to keep from asking that ever famous question of his. While flattering, surely, being asked to be a model upon first introductions was possibly quite rude.

As if on cue, Ethiriel raised a hand in Riv’s general direction with a small and polite bow. ”It is most… gratifying to meet another of… our kind, sir Riven…er,” she said, her voice dainty and light. She couldn’t quite see him, but he smelled of the clear, night air and a small hint of the Earth’s soil, presumably from his soul. Eth couldn’t quite place it, but this new companion had a slightly similar scent to Anastacia, which was oddly enough, rather inviting.

 

[Rookeries]

(( duncan and mordekai - seating
tag to snoof

Once the two men had settled next to Anita, Duncan at the farther end of the corner, Mordekai was the one to start digging into the food immediately. Duncan stared at his plate-- he wasn't too hungry anymore, after watching Mordekai drink as he did-- and he glanced at Anita once she asked the question. He recalled the empty round bottle and the second jar, which, though he was utterly fascinated by it at first, he had placed on the family piano and had rarely looked at it since.

Duncan paused a bit before answering; he could've rambled on about the description of the essence, but there was a compact enough way to describe it; "Little floating droplets of rain-- they're just beautiful, I couldn't let go of them when Ezekiel had first shown them to me. The water itself looked more fragile than the glass, and it seems as if they almost dance if you play music for them, perhaps because of the sound vibrations that absorb through the glass jar," Duncan smiled, lost in thought, "And the droplets almost bounce away from contact, if you hold the bottle. Simply fascinating. It's funny, now that I think about it-- maybe they're as unsociable as I am, as Mordekai might mention."

While Duncan chuckled to himself, Mordekai scoffed and looked up from his plate. "Sorry, forgot to tell you that Duncan used to be a professor. Couldn't tell by the way he dressed, right?" Duncan looked up at Mordekai and straightened out the nook of his bowtie, which was a brilliant summer green that stood out against his neutral-colored and frequently worn sweatervest, dress shirt, and slacks, though his socks and dress shoes matched in their strange own ways. Mordekai, upon noticing, muttered, "Yeah, you keep that weird to yourself, old guy."

The old man couldn't help but grin and laugh in response, and he scratched the side of his head, his palm tipping over the rim of his hat in the process. "Oh, I'm sorry for rambling. I can't help myself, it comes with old age, I suppose," he looked to Anita, now beaming, "The other bottle was empty, though Ezekiel did explain why. Forgive my curiosity, but what might your Raevan's name be? Is he much older than... ah, Anastascia, I believe that's the name of Mr. Farris's charge."  

[Snoofington]

(( Anita - seating area
tag to roo ))

Duncan's description of the essence had Anita completely awe struck. Her green eyes glistened brightly with interest, a small open mouthed smile present. She hardly changed her expression, thoroughly enraptured in the picture his words were painting until he made the comparison to himself of being unsociable. Her childlike smile turned to a wry grin and she gave him a playful look of skepticism.

"If you're unsociable today, Mister Duncan, then I never am." Truth be told, in normal social situations and those of a professional nature, Anita found it incredibly difficult to make the first conversational move. Until a grove was found, things were often awkward as hell for her, but people at Lab rarely had that effect -- at least the ones she'd met thus far. Everyone was so warm and kind. That was another thing that made her uncertain of Mordekai's role in the Raevan-to-be's fate. He was such a foil to Duncan at the moment, she found it difficult to picture him having a profound amount of influence to it unless Duncan was a push over. Then again, as far as she could tell, Mordekai was his son which would make him the Raevan's uncle.

At his scoff, her stomach tightened and she readied herself for another cynical comment but was pleasantly surprised. Though it was a bit of a jab at the older man, it was definitely a more playful one and Duncan managed a chuckle so she allowed herself one as well -- a genuine, unforced one. "Well that just means he's be well prepared for a young mind to tutor," she took a sip of her water before nibbling a bit more of her meat, listening to Duncan pick up where he left off.

Her name caught Anita off guard. It wasn't as though she resented the spider frei, but the realization dawned on her just how long ago it had been since she had seen her up close. She paused, tender cut of meat held between two fingers and sticking from her mouth as she gazed at her plate. "Hmm..." Anita finished chewing that piece, took another swig of water, and flipped her single braid over her shoulder and out of the way. "She's older, actually. By a bit more than a year, I think. The one I look after, Cruz, he was born late last September." With that information imparted, she allowed the shock wear off from Anastacia's presence in the conversation and rested her chin in one palm, "I guess that means you haven't filled that empty bottle yet?"  

[Aphismet]

[[Rivener - Sitting Area ]]
(Tag to NeonMace, Ravina, Atma)

Rivener shook Leo's hand, then took Ethiriel's and bowed, though he didn't give the back of her palm a kiss. Odd that he felt that was the expected thing to do- perhaps it was the way she'd extended her hand, palm-down instead of sideways for a shake. "Pleased to meet you both, Leo, Ethiriel. Sorry about the misunderstanding. You are just lovely, Ethiriel! Leo, she's a proper little lady."

Riv straightened then and turned to Vivi with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know he was yours when I met him, the pink-haired one. He seems quite gentlemanly, well-behaved, kind... I'd like to get to talk to him more, now that I know he's yours! He had brought Melisande her drink without a single word of complaint." Riv smiled broader, remembering the Muse's embarrassment that she'd mistaken him for a waiter. "Promise me you'll come visit us, or at the very least call me when you've got a spare day so I can visit you?"

Turning back to the other Raevan, Riv approached and rustled his wings slightly, wondering if he should be offering her shade like he'd done his maze partner earlier. "You must be newly born, I've not seen you at other lab gatherings, Ethiriel. I hope you haven't been getting inundated by people rushing to meet you? I know I'm guilty of being one of those, I very much enjoy meeting new Raevans, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm you."  

[Rookeries]

(( duncan and mordekai - seating
tag to snoof ))

"Well that just means he's be well prepared for a young mind to tutor," the mentioning of tutoring perked Duncan's interest-- after seeing all of the Raevans in the area, all of them looking nearly as old as the guardians themselves, one of his primary uncertainties was on education. He nodded at Anita, though he could tell the girl seemed rather uneasy about the mention of the Raevan in general, another thing he would ask about, and took a drink of his water before answering her question.

"Ah, I see... last September was around the time I'd picked up the bottles, actually. More around mid-October... but no, I haven't quite filled the Soul Glass just yet. I've hardly had the time to think about it, but there's just so much to think on-- both on taking another life and on how it would react to living a new one."

"Maybe you could get somethin' crazy," Mordekai mentioned, already near done with his plate of food, "I dunno, like a dragon or one of those damn annoying fairies in the backyard, teach 'em a lesson. 'Less you actually listen to me and just shove a rock in the ********' thing."

Duncan smiled halfheartedly at Mordekai. "Ah... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask how others filled their Soul Bottle first. Would that be alright with you, Anita?"  

[Ravina Loki]

((Zeke -- Sitting Area.
Anya -- Car >>> Party Arrival

Tag to Atma, Aphi, Neon))

Zeke beamed at Vivi as she immediately took up conversation. They were quite similar like that - getting thrown into a midst and adapting just as naturally as anything and as if they had been there the entire time. Before he could answer her query about Anya, Rivener floated over and the vet offered him a smile.

"Hey Riv," he said cheerfully, "Anya's hanging out in the car, actually. She's not exactly...eh...big on Lab socials after a couple bad experiences." His smile changed from bright to apologetic and sheepish. Ethiriel and now Riv were expressing desires to see the spider queen but she had chosen not to attend. He felt bad - a smidgeon less so in regards to Riv; Zeke still remembering how the Scorpion had blatantly hit on the Virus Frei when they had first met and when the vet knew for certain Riv and Zul were a thing - but it couldn't be helped. He couldn't make her attend against her will, but at least he could pass on salutations. He gave the older Raevan a nod.

"I'll be sure to. Ethiriel wanted to pass on a similar message." He beamed at the nearly blind Frei, feeling renewed happiness to find that Anastacia had been missed by another of her kind. The vet fell silent as he watched the interaction between the Tea Frei and the Scorpion, watching Riv a little more. He was surprised to find there was no obvious flirtation - hell, there were none at all past a few fitting compliments! Surprised, Zeke tried to mute his appearance as he looked thusly, but wondered if Riv had changed. In a brief, humorous thought, he inwardly questioned if Zul had done something to tame the Scorpion of his ways. He wouldn't put it past the Baphomet - Zul did have a lot of charm to go with those good looks.

Time had passed, too much. She hadn't been watching the clock like a hawk since Zeke had left, counting the minutes and striking him off for each one passed, but she was well aware that he had been gone for longer than what she considered "a few moments". A frown creased the corners of her lips and agitation bubbled in her veins.

Where is he? It was a question she could answer, but couldn't help but ask herself. She knew where he was - up there. She could even tell a person what he was doing too. Zeke had obviously gotten into conversation and with that big, always talking mouth of his he had forgotten about their plans and about her. Well...she had sat around long enough and not for all the knitting and sewing in the world could she stay idly by any longer. She was going to retrieve her man, and when he was back, lecture him about keeping a lady waiting. He knew better!

Setting her bag of supplies on the seat next to her, the Frei opened the door and let herself out. She closed it with controlled displeasure, not wanting to harm something she actually liked and set out immediately, keys left in the ignition and car left running as she swept up the path Zeke had gone up earlier. She kept her poise and usual face as she floated through the trees, keeping in the center of the trail so she wouldn't get her skin or outfit caught or touched by anything unsavory lurking just beyond the sides.

When she reached the end of the trail, she paused, surveying the scene before her and correcting what she wore as if it had somehow been knocked asunder during her short trek. Anastacia was clad in what she felt was good wear for the beach and what she had dubbed one of her favorite ensembles: the billowy red dress she had made that looked identical to the black one she had bought a few months before and a long, white silken scarf tied around her throat that hung elegantly down her front and back. In addition she had also added the pewter necklace Rivener had gotten her for her first Christmas as a last minute thought that ended up working quite well, especially tucked under the scarf so only the metal charm was showing. Her wrists were bare of their usual chitin and lace cuffs, showing the spider web markings she had been born with off to the world beneath two thick, silver bangles. To top the entire thing off, Anya's hair had been elegantly braided by the Virus Frei's own hands and trailed down her back between her wings. She looked good, but only if she felt as good right now - damn Zeke and his constant need for chit chat!  

[Atmadja]

((Cesc ---> Maze Exit; Vivi == Sitting area))

They were out. Cesc had not expected to feel quite so relieved as he was to exit the maze walls and be among other people again. Entering the party was like returning to a home planet after the craziness he and Xiu had just encountered together. People! People mingling, chatting together, eating. There was Vivi, attached to Zeke and chatting in a group, and he could feel -- yes -- Melisande was close by, too. The ethereally beautiful muse looked just as gorgeous as she had when she entered the maze, a fact which relieved Cesc further. He had seen her go into the labyrinth, but her looks were proof positive that she must not have undergone what he and Xiu had.

There was still something that rolled off of her, still that ache...

He could not approach her again, not now, looking as he did. But that sudden recollection of pain made him remember something else, too. Xiu. That whole time in the maze, he had pieced together what about Xiu's aura had pinged him, what had called him to attention almost from the first moment they met. He had been too polite, too quiet, too distracted by the maze before to comment. But after everything they had just been through... Cesc turned to the white sigel still at his side, his features quietly determined.

"Thank you for going through the maze with me," Rhedefre began, his tone polite, still amiable despite its suddenness. "And I hope you don't consider this rude -- but what happened to your voice?"

Vivi, meanwhile, had not yet noticed Rhedefre's exit from the maze. Her view was blocked by Rivener, who had come from that direction, and she was engrossed in her conversation with him and Ethiriel. She intrigued Vivi. A little lady, she seemed, with halting speech and quiet expression. And blind, she knew now.

"Merci, thank you for the compliment, lovely one," Vivi said, almost curtsying but then deciding against doing what the frei could not see. "And it is a pleasure, Leo! How nice to have such a charming pair in the family."

She then turned her smile to Rivener, reaching out and touching his arm as he described his meeting with Cesc. Vivi could not help but laugh -- so Cesc had gone off to get the muse a drink! Had he been bewitched by her beauty, or else how very gentlemanly of him! "Ah, I am certain he would be delighted to speak more with you. He is very happy always to meet and speak with people, especially other Raevans. And of course, you are welcome always! It is whenever you would be free." She paused, her smile becoming warm. "And I must say, it has been so long, but I am quite thrilled to see you so handsome and gallant as always."  

[DystopicRhythm]

((Leo and Eth – sitting area; tag to Aphi, Ravi and Atma))

This was the second person today who hadn’t kissed the top of her hand, leaving Ethiriel at a loss for words. How strange, for the most part, the men who would meet her had always planted a gentle one on her cheek or hand, but as of late they were becoming more distant. Normally she would greet strangers with a peck on the cheek, but Leo had told her that it wasn’t something people were accustomed to. Smiling and nodding, she retracted her hand from the Scorpion and folded her arms elegantly before her.

Leo could see Ethiriel’s confusion, merely brushing it off as Rivener spoke once more. ”She really is! She’s been able to speak so properly since day one, it’s amazing.” he gushed, following his Frei’s suit and crossing his own arms. The Sigel acted much differently than he initially expected; he was quite calm and gentlemanly.

Ethiriel felt no pride in her appearance, but the compliment was easily accepted. She felt that dressing nice was certainly an important part of being a lady, but other than the silver crown and wings she adorned, she didn’t know much about how she looked. Still, she offered a bow to the woman. ”It is a… pleasure to… be considered part of the house of Rae…vens.” she said, the corners of her lips curling into a small smile. Leo, with his arm gently tangled in hers, nodded as well.

Before either of them could even think, the company’s Sigel spoke once more, directly to Ethiriel. She listened carefully to what he had to say, her bleary eyes resting on the sheen from the jewels decorating Rivener’s choker. While he was kind enough, his lack of proper greetings sat rather ill with her, but she didn’t let it openly bother her. Her gentle smile remained as she nodded once more. ”Sir Leonard described my… date of birth as ‘New Year’s Eve,’ I… seem to recall. We have… merely been engaged.” she explained, closing her eyes as he spoke again. ”It is… no botheration. I appreciate the curi…osity and interest of others. Their company… is acknowledged. You have my gratitude.”

Once again, Leo found himself lost in Ethiriel’s refined speech. She was only a little over half a year and her vocabulary was so much higher than many people you could meet on the street. It was almost overwhelming at times, but it was certainly one of her charms. He couldn’t have been more proud of any other person.  

[Aphismet]

[[Rivener - Sitting Area]]
(tag to Atma, Ravina, Neon!)

Rivener winced at Zeke in sympathy for Anya. He didn't know ALL the bad experiences the dual-haired man spoke of, but he did know the Halloween party hadn't been fun at all for the poor spider. Riv wasn't clear on the details but Anya had seemed quite upset that night, before she'd been escorted away. "I suppose I can understand. Too bad- I hardly ever see her outside of these events. Hopefully I'll run into her some other time." He didn't spot the lady in question, as she approached from behind him.

Rivener smiled at the vivaceous frenchwoman, chuckling as she enthusiastically offered visiting times whenever Riv fancied. He'd like to speak to the pink-haired one some more as well, so he made a mental note to contact Vivi in the near future. "Expect to hear from me this week, then, Vivi. And you flatter me." He chuckled and winked slyly, his grin playful and confident. He knew damned well, of course, that he was handsome and he hardly needed to prove it anymore. Hearing it said to him never failed to make him preen, though. He ran a hand through his hair in a cheesy show of vanity, laughing. "If you offer too much praise too freely, you'll bring people lots of trouble, Vivette."

He turned back to Ethiriel and Leo, eyebrows raising in admiration when the man declared she'd been born less than half a year ago, speaking so well right off the bat. THAT was certainly impressive, and it instantly made the Scorpion think that she would become a mistress of prose and verse if she was already this talented. Talented, and with the manners of a true Lady. "Leo, you're very lucky indeed to have been given such a well-mannered, well-spoken Raevan. A lot of us were not nearly so easy to deal with when we were new. There's no need for gratitude, Little Lady Ethiriel. If anything, I should be thanking you for being so nice. ...Have you ever met my brother, Eirdirsceol? I think he would get along wonderfully with you. You share a love of words, unless I miss my guess." They also shared a color scheme, to some extent. Perhaps they'd be very good friends!  

[Rapidashtrainer]

((To Cesc))



Like Cesc, Xiu was momentarily stunned by how casual everyone seemed to be in their barely ruffled clothes at the garden party. There were many owners talking and laughing among themselves and there were already a few raevans who had made it out of the maze with apparent ease. While Xiu was glad for them (and their safe return), the White raevan was still rather put off by what he had just experienced; minus the unicorn encounter of course. But one good encounter was simply not enough to offset the dangers that the both of them had faced. Xiu made a mental note to himself to keep a lookout for a certain Doctor. There were questions that needed answers.

But Cesc’s sudden question did catch the Sigel off guard. It was not so much the question (he had been asked it often enough) but the manner and timing in which Cesc chose to present them. Tilting his head slightly, Xiu reached for the nearest writing surface that he could find; which was a paper napkin that someone had carelessly left behind. Pursing his lips softly the White Sigel began to write.

I lost my voice to a being called the “Trader” when I was but a frei. I needed the strength so I exchanged my voice for a sword in order to protect my guardian’s little brother. The fight left me tired but victorious but the trader would not accept his sword back and I was left voiceless. Ironically, I grew into a Sigel that very night while unconscious. You could come over to see the sword if you’d like to. I’m afraid that it is illegal for me to carry it around wrote Xiu with an amused expression on his face. No doubt that sword would have been useful back in the maze .  

[Snoofington]

(( Anita - seating area with Duncan and Mordekai
Cruz - exiting the maze
tag to roo & tag to Tasi/anyone ))

Anita listened intently to Duncan's explanation. His story mimicked her own when she first acquired it. It had been a present from another Raevan. While she had applied in the past, there had been no word one way or another, and her acquisition of the essence and bottle was less than standard. She had received the mistletoe at work and its effects were instantaneous; just being in proximity of it, she was dishing out unwanted kisses left and right to all of her customers from behind the desk. Anita had never sold as many games in a single day as then, nor had she ever been as absolutely mortified and taken advantage of. All the same, she was grateful and so humbled by the gift, and now it had come full circle with the result of the experiment navigating the hedge maze.

From Mordekai's joke, she couldn't help but let out a scoff and quickly covered her mouth to hide her grin. "Actually, you could use a rock," she mumbled under her breath before adjusting herself. She smiled to both men, resting a hand on one cheek at Duncan's question. "Ahhh, that'd be fine with me, sure. It's just -- mine was kind of an accident so I don't know how much it'll help."

More over, she wondered if the two of them would believe her without seeing Cruz first hand. His origins were so obvious. "I was in the same boat as you. Didn't have any ideas, definitely didn't want to hurt or kill anything to do it. I was torn between going after a plant or not, because the essence already was one -- mistletoe. One animal I was considering was a dog but that would've been really hard. I have a dog myself and there's no way in hell I'd use him. It would've had to be an animal that was already dying or in so much pain it would be better off," she paused in her musings to take a sip of water and allow the men to make any comments.

"I was sitting on one of the docks by my apartment building with it, the bottle, just kinda dazing out and thinking things over about it. When I wasn't paying attention -- and I know you guys aren't going to believe this -- it got stolen. What took it is what ended up being caught inside after all, so I wasn't able to make the decision myself." She left what exactly had snatched up the bottle a secret until the men asked. It was always amusing for her to see people's reactions when she named precisely which green reptile had wiggled its way into her bottle.


Mouth agape, releasing deep and slightly labored breaths, a green haired and ribbon-clad frei floated out of the maze after a dark haired woman. Cruz closed his eyes in relief, both at the shade offered by the garden party proper and at finally being out of that horrid maze. Floating lower than usual, he followed after the woman to see a table arranged with two baskets which hadn't been there before. The things inside looked enticing, but he couldn't quite read yet so the crocodile was unable to make out that one of those prize baskets was for him. He waved off his companion tiredly with an exhausted smile before hovering over to an area with particularly dark shade.

Cruz lowered himself further until he wasn't floating at all and his ribbon was pooled against the grass beneath him, rune just barely out of reach from the ground. He rested his head back against the cool leaves of the surrounding hedge wall and allowed his arms to rest limply on the ground beside him. It would take a while for his temperature to regulate back to a comfortable medium, as well as his heart and mind to calm from the horribly stressful experiences within the maze, but it didn't matter now.

They were out. He was free. Maybe if he kept his eyes closed, he could sneak a little nap. The gathering was much quieter than when they first arrived, no doubt due to many people still lingering within the maze.  

[Aki Ana]

((Pasha: Near Maze exit))

Melisande yawned, and floated upwards gracefully into the canopy of the tree with a single cup of her wings. She'd been waiting for Wasa for what seemed like a terribly long time...and the warmth of the day was making the excitement of the maze seem like a distant memory. The little lanterns twisted on their delicate chains as the Muse brushed by them, and she tucked her wings in tight once she was high enough to reach a slender branch.

Pasha folded her arms over the branch and rested her head for a moment, blond curls mussed from their updo and sticking lightly to her pale cheek. The lavender light from her rune glowed softly from the canopy and tinted the grass below. Surely Wasa would find her...if she ever found her way out of the maze!  

[Rookeries]

(( duncan & mordekai - seating area
tag to snoof ))

One thing the two had in common was an interest in stories. As soon as Anita started to engage them in what happened to her Soul Bottle, the two dropped any semblance of speech and listened; Duncan nodded here and there, and Mordekai was stone-silent, inattentive to even the food he was so ravenous for. When she paused, Duncan leaned back to think on it.

"Oh, what a difficult decision... I wouldn't have the heart to do it. I took in so many strays way back when, and even if they seemed hurt, I knew they'd recover somehow. Just with some care-"

Mordekai took a swig of his beer and crushed the now-empty plastic cup, laughing apprehensively to himself. The two silenced again, and Anita continued.

"...It got stolen. What took it is what ended up being caught inside after all, so I wasn't able to make the decision myself."

"What?" Duncan looked up at Mordekai, who seemed less displeased than he was bemused. "You're lyin'. What, did you have it just sittin' on the porch so some poor monkey could come wrastle it outta yer... whatever? I mean, who would even steal that stupid lookin' little bottle? Rats and pigeons too small to carry'em, crows an' cats got nothing to do with 'em. I mean... what would even take it?"

The older of the two couldn't resist chuckling at Mordekai's incessant reply, which earned a sharp blue-eyed glare in return. It was a relief, though, that Mordekai slowly laughed along with him, anyways, adding, "What, can't I be curious 'bout these sorta things? I mean, think about it, who would just take a glass bottle'en leave?"

"Well, she never implied that the Soul Bottle was the only thing it took..."