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 Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:13 pm
"To weather a tempest, you must look to the storm."
Maybe she read it somewhere, or maybe someone told her, whatever the case, Nina couldn't shake it from her thoughts. She wasn't one to wonder the semantics or origins of aphorisms, but something about comparing her mother to a storm felt both insulting to storms and perfectly definitive of the woman's temperament.
Not a word was exchanged between the two as the brunette pushed with all of her might to get her mother to the top of the slope; a thin film of sweat covering her brow and streaming to the dip of her chin as the wheelchair would roll a few inches, stop, then continue again. Cynthia-Maria idled restlessly in her seat, lending a hand when she could, but even her efforts would come to no avail.
It was only after what felt like another millennia of struggling that Nina's efforts paid off, and she gave one final push that crested Cynthia-Maria's wheelchair over the incline of the slope. After coming to a rolling stop, she gave a terse hum, and glanced upon the entirety of the complex that housed Nina's new apartment.
Those icy eyes then landed on Nina, and gave her the same up-down examination as she did the building. "Are you going to carry me up those stairs as well?" she asked. "Because you don't look like you have the strength."
Nina huffed, puffed, and panted, craning her arm as if warming up for a pitch. After wiping her brow on her shoulder, she shook her head, and said, "Ma, there's an elevator. You should expect there to be an elevator." She then settled her hand on the back of the wheelchair again and began to push, but not with as much force as before. As if on cue, Cynthia-Maria's hands latched onto the wheels, and Nina guided her mother up the complex's walkway and to its lobby.
"Well, you can't expect me to know that," Cynthia-Maria said, eyes listlessly taking in the building's interior as well. "There's a lot of old buildings in downtown Barton. Not many have elevators. Excuse me for thinking this one didn't either."
"Yes, ma, yes, yes," Nina said, loading herself and her mother onto the lift after it dinged its arrival. "I thought about it in advance. Why would I get a place without an elevator? Obviously you're going to need it if you're gonna visit."
"Mm, quite," Cynthia-Maria said, before her voice dipped to quietness again.
That ambiguous lull her mother had a fantastic way of conjuring always put Nina on edge. Did she approve of this place? Detest it? It made her almost want to laugh, curving an unnerved smile on her face. Here she was, a thirty-nine year old woman, still standing with clattering knees in the company of her mother. Nina loved the woman dearly, but there were times where it seemed simpler to curl in on herself and disappear from existence.
Old habits really don't die, Nina thought with an inward sigh as she once again began to guide her mother from the elevator and down the corridor to her apartment's door. C'mon Nina, you know your mother like the back of your hand. You bought extra aspirin just for this day. Take it easy for now, and then nurse the headache that comes after, okay?
From key to lock, the creak of the door, and a prance inside, Nina turned to her mother, and presented the living room and kitchen areas with the zeal of Miss Gaia herself. "So?" Nina said. "What do you think, ma? Not to shabby, right?"
If I don't act like I'm at least happy with this place, she'd gonna say something. I know it.
Her mother rolled in after her daughter, and gave that same short, annoying little hum again. "It's nice," she said dismissively. "Quaint. Homely. It's nice."
Nina felt her breast flutter. True, it was the best she'd get out of her mother at the moment, but something that even sounded like approval had her up in arms.
Someone toss confetti, unfurl the banner, pop the champagne! Her mother approved of something! Hurrah!
"T-tea," Nina stuttered out, swiftly turning from Cynthia-Maria and looking to the stove. "Do you want tea, ma? I've got dandelion, clove, ginger..."
"Dandelion, please," Cynthia-Maria said, fishing around in her bag for a moment and withdrawing an envelope. "By the way, dear, a letter came for you the other day."
"From whom?"
"A Maria Sunderland? From some... hills... place?"
"Oh, her."
"Old friend?"
"Sorta? I knew her back in college. Kind of a creepy girl. Always had this propensity for letters, though I gave her my new email address... Just put it on the table there, yea? I'll take a look at it later."
Cynthia-Maria rolled up to the dining table in the center of the kitchen and plopped the letter onto the pile pushed to the left. She made a face at the state of it; despite being neatly organized, as per her daughter's notorious habits, the mail seemed completely untouched save one lone leaflet pulled from the rest.
Something important? Cynthia-Maria thought, plucking it from the table. What trouble do you find yourself in now, Nina...?
"Nina, dear, what's this?" Cynthia-Maria asked, holding up the letter.
"Ah, it's... It's just the bill for my student loans, ma. Don't worry about it."
Yet Cynthia-Maria had already slipped on her reading glasses, and had skimmed a majority of the letter's contents. She felt an agitated heat rise to her cheeks, and she jerked her head about accusingly to her daughter. "This doesn't seem to be about student loans, Nina. What is this?"
Suddenly two and two came together in Nina's brain, and the flutter once in her breast rocketed itself upward and solidified into a lump in her throat. Her mind was now reeling, racing, fevered with embarrassment and worry. She didn't want to turn around and bare the brunt of her mother's storm, but she did, and felt anger radiate from her in gales. Cynthia-Maria held up the letter again, eyebrows furrowed in expectation, but the only word that left Nina's mouth was a sharply whispered, "s**t!"
"What was that, Nina?"
"I-I mean, ma, I told you, that's nothing. Just junk mail, honest! I was gonna toss it, so—"
"It sure doesn't read like junk mail, Nina."
"Ma, c'mon, it's nothing!"
"Do you take me for a fool, Nina Nicola Swan? Do I have to read it to you myself?"
Before Nina had a chance to protest, having perused the letter an innumerable amount of times in her excitement, Cynthia-Maria cleared her throat and read it aloud:
Quote: Greetings, Nina!
Let me be the first to congratulate you on becoming a Guardian! My name is Zeke, and I am one of the staff members here at Lab 305. Out of numerous applications to our program, we felt that you were best fitted to become the newest addition to our family! So welcome and congratulations!
In this briefcase you will find your Soul Glass, Fel Essence, and a couple of documents - one of which needs your signature and must be returned to the Lab with your Glass and Essence upon your capture of a soul. The other is a list of contact information of every Guardian and Raevan pairing in the Lab. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the names of staff for you, but you will find us at the top of the first sheet!
I know this must be rather surprising for you, so before I go any further let me just state that if you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call, text, or email me and I will be more than happy to provide answers or guidance in general. That being said, let's get on with the show!
As I wrote above, you will find your Soul Glass and Fel Essence inside the briefcase. You are the Guardian to the Southern Moss Essence, which has already been written down on the legal documents you will have to date and sign. Your Soul Glass is that big glass and metal contraption to the left of your Essence Jar, and will be the thing you need to use in order to help us make your future Raevan. Please take note of the cloth between the metal and glass parts as it is important. Souls have colors and the cloth acts as a limiter and something of a fail-safe so that the bottle will not suck up just anything around it. As yours is black and purple, it will only activate around things (be they animal, plant, mineral, metal, etc) that fit one or both of those colors.
When you capture a soul, the glass bulb will appear to have a smoke-like gas inside of it. When this happens simply return the filled Glass, the Essence, your signed documents, and the case to the Lab. There is a business card tucked in alongside this note for our carrier service. Contact them when you are ready to return your items and they will pick them up from your home. As soon as we get them back we will begin the process of making them into your Raevan!
Whew! I hope I covered everything well enough in this note as far as what you need to do now that you are a Guardian! If not, and as before, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me. My phone is always on and I'm always happy to talk with members of the Lab family!
Hope to hear from you soon and congratulations again!
Sincerely,
Zeke Farris
Nina felt her strength wane as her mother properly folded the letter in thirds and placed it back on the dinner table. Her daughter pulled out the chair before it and slumped into the seat, letting out a sigh. Another unmasked silence pervaded the space between the two women, but found itself at odds with itself; a tug-of-war between tenacious and regretful.
Fingering the letter, Nina said, "...Ma, I was gonna tell you and dad eventually."
Cynthia-Maria pursed her lips. "When? When Malcolm and I read your obituary in the papers?"
"It's not like that. They're not—"
"You know, Nina, I was fine with a lot of things in your life. I was fine with you being friends with Remi. I still think she's a terrible influence to you, but what can I say when you're still friends with her? I was fine with you choosing to become a teacher. I always thought you were intelligent, dear. I thought you were suited for something better—to become a doctor, or a lawyer—but you wanted to be a teacher. Fine. But then you... You wanted to teach them."
Nina frowned and opened her mouth, but she was quieted when Cynthia-Maria held up her hand.
"I was fine with them, too. Non-humans were your niche, and I couldn't say no to that. You were the one working with them, not me. But now... Now you want to raise one? As your child? And you want me to accept that?" Cynthia-Maria thinned her lips. "I have my limits too, Nina, and I just can't... agree to this."
"Well, you don't have to. You won't be the one raising them."
"But they're still my grandchild! I want to be part of their life just as you will be! But how can I when they're going to be this... this unnatural thing!"
Suddenly the air sparked, and Nina felt the storm brew within her. Like a jolt of lightning, her hand closed into a fist and cracked against the table, but the satisfaction of seeing her mother jump was denied as the woman remained coolly composed. Her anger quelled but a moment later, and Nina felt a sadness wash over her.
"What happened to you, ma?" Nina mumbled, but her question wasn't intended towards her opinion of non-humans. It was just about her; what happened in her life to turn her into such a storm? To chill her to the core, cloud over her sensibilities, to where every feeling was taken away by the wind.
What happened to her?
"I think you should go," Nina said, rising from her seat to turn off the kettle, which seemed to have started whistling ages ago.
"I think that would be best, yes." She rolled back a bit to turn her wheelchair about and head toward the door. "I'll give Malcolm a call when I reach the lobby."
"Ah, wait. Let me... Let me at least walk you down there."
Cynthia-Maria shooed the offer away with a backhand wave. "No need. I'll be fine." She pulled the door closed when she exited, leaving Nina to the silence of her apartment.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:14 pm
Lunch With Dad.
The phrase was circled and underlined twice in red pen when Nina looked at her planner, receiving a wince upon first glance. Lunch at their favorite cafe had been a weekly staple for the two since Nina was thirteen, but she'd skipped out on her father that last few weeks to concentrate on moving preparations and the stress that came along with it. She Promised With All Of Her Heart she'd definitely have lunch with him that week, but when it was in the wake of her spat with her mother, the idea of meeting with any other Swan didn't sound kosher at the moment.
Still, she gave him her word, and Swans didn't go back on their word.
That following afternoon, Nina half-traipsed, half-tumbled through the cafe entrance. Jess, the owner of the establishment, blinked quizzically at her, but let it go when Nina frowned sheepishly. If there was one thing Nina could account Jess for, it was her amazing ability not to pry. Nina wasn't fond of gossip herself, but even she is weak to a story if the topic of interest looked like such a bedraggled mess as she was. If her mother was the storm that blew the wind out of her sails, her father was the sea that bobbed her along without a direction in mind.
How would she explain this to him?
Smoothing down her locks and immolating herself for not having put more effort into her looks before heading out, Nina followed through to the left passed the checkout counter and saw the shape of her father's back come into view. Malcolm sat at the same booth they had dined together for the past twenty-six years, his posture straight but comfortable. Nina hesitated but a moment when she considered maybe Cynthia-Maria hadn't told her father anything yet, but then she shook her head and thought otherwise.
No, ma tells dad everything. I'm sure he knows.
"Hi, dad," Nina said, sliding into the seat adjacent to him. "Been a while, how're you doing?"
Sea green eyes crinkled from a smile, and Malcolm nodded his head at her. "Hey there, kiddo. I've been well. Still getting used to you being gone, but all's well. How about you? You're looking... a little frumpy today."
Nina scratched the back of her neck. "Ahhh, yea, I rushed out to meet with you. I forgot we were having lunch today. Sorry I couldn't be here sooner."
Malcolm's mouth drew to a small O. "That's odd for you. Normally you're on top of things. Is this about...?"
Nina nodded her head before he had a chance to finish. "You know it's about that, dad. Ma probably told you everything on the drive home."
"Yea, she did," Malcolm said, smiling with a shake of his head. "She was certainly up in arms about it, Nina. Wouldn't let it go the whole night. The news surprised me too, but..."
"But?"
"I didn't quite agree with her. It's your choice to make, your life to live. I'm sure you'd make a great parent."
This caused Nina to smile.
"I'm just worried this is going to drive a wedge between you and her."
Her smile fell to a frown, and she averted her sight to an uninteresting traffic cone beyond the cafe's window. "Yea, I know, dad. We haven't been on the best terms since I've graduated college, but I don't want this one thing to tear us apart. If ma can just put her reservations aside for a second, then maybe we could talk civilly!"
Malcolm sighed. "She'll come around eventually. I know she will. Just be patient with her, okay, Nina? It's a sensitive time as it is, what with you moving out and me retiring, so let's just try and enjoy our lunch today?"
Nina smiled again. "Of course." She raised her hand up in the air and waved for Jess's attention. "Hey, Jess! We'd like to order!"
The Pigeonhole Cafe was slow on the weekends, namely because the college student rush didn't warrant snappy work, so Nina and Malcolm spent a good wait on their food. During this time, they caught each other up on a vast array of items—from the farewell party the other employees at the ward threw for Malcolm on his last day of work to the odd discoveries Nina came across in the midst of packing for her move.
"Remember that big duck plush you won for me when I was nine or ten? I found it shoved all the way in the back of my closet. I can't even remember how it got there. Now it takes up three-fourths of my bed, and I can't even sleep there."
Malcolm laughed, and bid thanks to Jess when she finally brought over their orders. The older Swan hopped onto his sandwich like a feral beast deprived food for weeks, but Nina idled on her fries, crunching away at one or two listlessly now that the conversation had grown quiet. Eventually Malcolm caught on to her habit, and put his sandwich down.
"What's up, kiddo? Still bothered by Cynthia?"
"Ah, well, yes... and no. I'm kinda hung up on... you."
"What about me?"
"I know you said I'd make a great parent, but how do you really feel about all of this? I mean, it's a big thing! You're gonna be a granddad, even if you're grandkid isn't, y'know, human. Doesn't that bother you?"
Malcolm let out a breath. "Well, I'll be frank. I initially did have my reservations like your mother, but I actually sat down to think on it, and y'know what? I really don't mind. At first, I thought you were against kids, and did go through this awful phase of jealousy where I'd never get to do grandpa things, heh. As you settled into your work with the kids at your school, and I saw how happy you were, I realized I was being a selfish jerk and shrugged those feelings off. I guess now I don't have to feel so bad, right? I'm still gonna be a grandpa, your mom be damned."
Nina knew her father didn't mean it, but she couldn't help the awful laugh she gave. Malcolm was such a sweet man, and she was glad to call him her father. She reached her hand over and gave his a little squeeze, feeling mirth thrum her heart like the swell of a wave against a shore.
"Thanks, dad," she said to him. "I'm glad to hear that."
Malcolm patted her hand tenderly. "Of course, kiddo. Of course."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:14 pm
Raucous laughter erupted from Remi as she pitched her beer bottle over the chain link fence and watched it shatter on a rusted steel beam jutting out of the scrapheap in Aekea's junkyard.
"Ten points, ******** yes!" she cheered.
Nina shook her head. "Y'know, Remi, when I said I wanted to go out tonight, this isn't what I had in mind." She took a swig from her own beer. "You drove me all the way up to Aekea just to toss bottles at s**t? Is this how you usually spend your days off?"
"More or less," Remi grinned. "I ain't rolling in dough, so a girl's gotta make do with the little things." She held up a bottle. "You wanna try? Bet you can't hit that stop sign over there!"
"I'll pass," Nina said. She slugged down the remaining contents of her beer and sat it on the rock near her ankle. "You could hand me another one, though. Thanks."
Remi harrumphed and obliged her with a beer from the cooler, settling in beside her after popping the cap off. "What's with you, girlie? You've been really spacey since we got here. Something bothering you?"
"When is something never not bothering me?"
Remi's tone grew firm. "I mean it, Nina," she said. "Is something wrong?"
Nina sighed. "Of course there is. I got into a little tiff with my mom."
"Go figure. Tell me something new."
Nina laughed lightly. "It's not so much that we fought, it's what's it's about. Remember that thing I told you about? The Raevan program?"
"Yea?"
"Well, I got accepted a while ago. Got this big, chunky package in the mail with a magical bottle and a letter congratulating me inside."
"s**t, really?" Remi said, a smile spreading wide on her face. When she came to the realization of Nina's mother, however, it dropped like pebbles down a ravine. "And your mom saw the letter?"
"And my mom saw the letter."
"Shiiit..." Remi drawled.
"I was gonna tell her. Eventually," Nina said. "She just beat me to the punch. I mean, it happened when she was looking at my effing mail, but whatever. I feel like she's more angry at the fact I moved out, and not so much she's gonna be a grandmother."
"You sure?" Remi said. "You know how she is with non-humans. She cursed out a vampire waiter before when she thought he brought her blood, not a glass of wine. She's got a few kinks in her personality to work through."
"I don't mean to give her the benefit of the doubt, but that was years ago. I had just started college and she was an a*****e. She's mellowed out a lot since then. I mean, still an a*****e, but a somewhat more tolerable a*****e. Ma probably thinks she's the reason I moved out."
"Isn't she, though?"
"Well, yea, but... It's because I wanted a new place to raise them. The Raevan. I couldn't let them grow up in that stuffy house where there's still a curfew. Did I ever tell you that? That ma still had me on a curfew? Anyway, I wanted to give them a home, not a house with four walls. That's how ma treats that house. Just like a building. At the apartment, though, anything can happen. I want the Raevan to make it theirs. To call it home." Nina pursed her lips. "Is that cheesy?"
"A... little, yea," Remi said, smiling. "But I get what you're saying, girlie. That Raevan's gonna be your kid, and if you remained home, your ma would just step all over you and raise them herself. That's just not fair."
"Exactly! It isn't fair! A line needed to be drawn, and I just happened to be the first to do it."
Remi laughed. "Aw, my girlie's finally growing up." She elbowed Nina's side. "I'm so proud."
Nina laughed as well, and their chortles echoed out over the groans of metal of the scrapyard. As Remi's laughter waned to silence, she flopped back and looked up to the sky, and beheld the orange-blue striations painted by the setting sun.
"So I'm gonna be an auntie, huh? Never thought I'd see this day in my life..."
"Don't spoil the Raevan rotten, okay? I don't want to have them running to you for money every time I tell them no."
"Are you kidding me? I'll empty my entire savings account for them. You know it'll be impossible. I love kids."
Nina winced. "Note to self: Keep them away from Remi," she said, earning her another small laugh.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:15 pm
The weather fared better that morning than Nina expected, and though she wasn't particularly in the mood to run errands, duty called when she was down to one roll of toilet paper and the fridge had only a single clove of garlic to call a meal. Even Vigo was looking worse for wear; instead of a cat, he was comparable to a wilted bush or an Ewok reject. The Persian blinked slowly at her from his perch atop the kitchen counter; with only his large, chartreuse eyes visible from his dark fur.
When was the last time she took him to see a groomer? Nina sighed and scratched the back of her neck.
It's time to Adult, I guess.
She phoned Noah, and the first sounds on the other end were a tumble and crash before a voice finally replied.
"...Myalo?"
"Hey, Noah. Did I... just wake you?"
A muffled yawn was barely audible through the phone. "N-naw, I'm awake. I've been awake for hours. What's up?"
Nina rolled her eyes. Liar.
"Are you free today?" she asked. "I've got a few errands to run, and was wondering if you'd be willing to drive me around this afternoon? But if you're too tired to do anything—"
"N-no! I can, just give me a moment and I'll be there! Bye!"
Nina's phone clicked off to a dial tone before she had a chance to say another word. She looked at it incredulously, and huffed as she thumbed the screen back to her contacts list again.
"That guy... I didn't even tell him my new address!"
Nina stood on the street corner, tapping an impatient foot as she awaited Noah's arrival. She had texted him her new address after he unceremoniously hung up on her, but while she was a patient woman at heart, even hers could wear thin when it was nearing an hour of pacing up and down the block for him to show. Even Vigo was beginning to get antsy; his untrimmed claws picked at the metal grating of his carrier, and his uncharacteristically baritone meow even gave Nina a start.
She dropped teal eyes to his green ones, and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Just a little longer buddy. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
As if on cue, Nina heard the deep grumbles of Noah's truck before it drove into view. The dented, beige-colored pickup wheezed and groaned as it traveled down the road to Nina's location, and when it pulled to a stop in front of her, sounded as if it hacked up a spark plug from Noah stepping on the breaks. She winced at how much pain it must be in (whatever pain such an artificial construct can feel, of course), and pulled the door open to chance upon a dark face with dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Sorry, sorry! I got a little lost getting here!"
"It's fine, Noah. I'm not upset. Just... whoa," Nina said, sliding the carrier into the space between the driver and passenger seats before climbing in herself. "Someone's not looking too peppy today." She punctuated her statement by pulling the door shut.
Noah put the truck in drive and veered back onto the road, giving a sheepish chuckle as Nina said this. "Y-yea," he said. "It's been a week. Just... a week."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Not... really."
"Okay."
Noah glanced to her. "Wait. Kinda..."
"Go on?"
"...It's been... a week."
"Uh-huh, I think we've established that."
"I mean, it's literally been a week... and my mom's... not home."
Nina felt her breath catch in her throat. "Oh gods, Noah," she said. "Is she missing?"
"Oh, no! No, no, no. She's not missing, just... away? I guess that's a good way to put it—away. Mom and dad have been arguing a lot, and she couldn't take it anymore and went to stay with Aunt Gertrude. Er, her sister. Dad's been giving me a mouthful every other night, as a way to vent."
"Sounds more like he is taking his anger out on you."
"Naw, dad's not! He's just angry... Not at me, but just angry..."
Nina sighed. "Sure doesn't sound like that."
Noah thinned his lips. "Okay, maybe you're right, but if it's not me, it'll be some poor guy at a bar, or when he's behind a wheel"—he caught himself when he said this, but Nina waved her hand dismissively—"he has problems, yes, but it's not as if he'll talk to someone about them."
"But you don't deserve to bear the brunt of those feelings either. You're his son, not some kind of punching bag. Is that why you look like crap? Couldn't sleep?"
Noah nodded his head slowly. "Some of the things he said hit deep. I don't want to go on repeating them, just even thinking of them makes me feel like crap, but y'know when someone tells you something enough times you sorta begin to believe it? Well, I believed almost everything he said yesterday, and it took me half the night to cope. Shitty, right?"
Nina felt the storm brew within her again, causing her to close a fist so tight the skin on her knuckles were blanched white. She could empathize with what he described down to the notion of sleepless nights. Whatever god or goddess crafted her mother and Noah's father must've cut them from the same thread because their ultimate goal in life seemed to be total annihilation of a person's self-esteem. Nina was one fell swoop away from striking out at the dashboard in anger, but restrained herself for fear the hunk of junk on wheels would break down on the road.
Instead, she huffed, and said, "That's it."
"What's it?"
Nina looked to Noah and glared. "You're spending the night at my place today."
🌱
"Which one do you want: Chocolate or strawberry?"
"W-wait, Nina, you don't—"
"All righty, both of them it is."
One after the other, Nina picked up the two cakes and gently stacked them on top of each other into the cart. She then pulled it along after her as she headed for the snacks aisle with Noah fretfully following in tow.
"Nina, c'mon, I don't wanna impose," he said. "This is all unnecessary—"
Nina whirled around just short of entering into the aisle, and shot Noah her infamous, "Don't you dare question my plans," glare, causing him to shirk back defensively. An elderly woman, spooked by the brunette's sudden stop, could only stare as she hastily scuttled her way passed the duo.
"Okay, okay, fine," Noah conceded. "I'll stay the night, but just the night. I'm heading straight home in the morning."
"Well, if you're an early riser, sure," Nina said, giving him a cheeky grin as she dropped an armful of chips into the cart and then tugged it along toward the liquor aisle.
"Wait, what's with all of the food? And the booze?"
"We're celebrating. Duh."
"What, exactly?"
"My recent move, of course. Haven't really had a chance to crack a beer in the new place yet."
Noah blinked twice. "But didn't you do that already with Remi?"
Nina shrugged. "More or less? We got tipsy outside of a junkyard. Not exactly what I'd call a celebration, but whatever. I got a friend for that now, so all's good."
"Shouldn't you do this with someone else, though? Like a lover... or a co-worker... your parents, at least?"
"I really don't have anyone like that at the moment; that's complicated, my co-workers aren't really the "Let's go out and party!" sort; and that's... even more complicated. What's wrong, Noah? Can't hold your drink?"
Noah's mouth thinned to a straight line. "Better than some forty year old nerd."
Nina belted out a laugh. "Thirty-nine," she corrected.
Since Noah was giving in to Nina's desires, he put effort into helping her shop for groceries; replacing unneeded junk foods with living essentials. Nina seemed too hyped for their later party to notice—or if she did—didn't want to deter her mirth with a petty argument. Their chatter dissolved into listless comments here or there, and didn't turn back to something specific until they were at the checkout counter.
"Oh that's right, I wanted to ask you... My Uncle Lester needs some help with his farm, and invited me down there for a few bucks. Do you wanna come with? You look a little out of it yourself"—something Noah really, really didn't think possible—"and maybe a good sweat would help with the stress."
Nina gave Noah a side glance before she handed the cashier her credit card. "You're seriously asking a one-armed, middle-aged woman if she wants to come down to a farm to pull weeds and stuff?" Noah looked slightly taken aback by her reply, but when the brunette really thought on it and considered she still had the soul bottle sitting in its package, she added, "Sure, why not?"
A smile spread wide on his face. "Great!" he cried, seemingly thankful to have her company.
Nina chuckled, before cocking her chin to the grocery bags. "Hold that excitement for when you'd really need it," she said. "Help me with the bags now, will you? I've still got to get Vigo to the groomers."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:15 pm
"Wait, wait, wait, let me get this straight. You're going to be a parent?"
"Yep."
"To something called a raven?"
"Raevan, and yes."
"And you need that bottle... to make... it?"
"Kinda?" Nina picked up the soul bottle from the package and turned it about in her hand. "It sucks up the soul of something living that can be used, if I understand it correctly, and that soul is used in tandem with something called a fel essence to produce the Raevan. I don't know the exact process, but hey, anything's possible on Gaia nowadays. I don't ask questions."
Noah eyed the bottle wearily. "A-anything living?" he gulped.
Nina snickered and fiddled the top of the bottle at him, but Noah leaned away with a small yelp. "I'm driving!" he cried.
"It's not just anything living," Nina said. "See this small colored patch right here?" She pointed at the patterned edge attached to the nozzle. "In the letter I got from the lab, it said this limits a soul capture to anything black or purple. So I just have to be on the lookout for anything alive and black or purple-colored on the farm."
"Are you sure about that?" Noah said, glancing at the bottle again after they cruised over a small rock in the road that shook the brunette's grip on it. "It's not too fragile, right? I mean, a bottle isn't really something you take to a farm, Nina."
"Oh, stop fretting, Noah. I'll be extra careful. It's been weeks since I've left the city, so this was just the right opportunity to bring it along. Cut me some slack."
"Fine, fine," Noah said. "But don't come crying to me if you do break it."
Noah humbly ignored the glare she gave him when he said this, but her brows softened as she wondered something.
"Hey, where are we going, anyway?" Nina looked out to the roadside as she said this, and noticed it was densely packed with trees. The woods seemed to stretch out for miles, with just a single road cutting through the verdant green. It contrast with her expectation of flatland and row upon row of growing crops."It doesn't seem like we're headed toward the countryside."
"We're headed toward Lake Kindred."
"Lake Kindred? By Gaia, why are we headed toward Lake Kindred?"
"Because... that's where my uncle's farm is?"
Nina sighed. "Okay, let me rephrase that: Why does your uncle own a farm by Lake Kindred?"
"Well, it's not exactly by the lake, it's located in the Kindred Wilds," Noah said. "As for why, well, the land was cheap. Not a lot of people want property out there because of the Sycamortes; they're a really big headache because they're everywhere. Uncle Lester hires people to take them down—and any other hostile kin, as well—in exchange for some good pay."
"Huh. Your uncle must be loaded."
"Extremely," Noah replied, raising his eyebrows. "This is actually his second farm. His first is just a drive outside Barton."
Nina hummed in thought. "Is he thinking of hiring?" she asked jokingly.
Noah smiled, and then cocked his chin to the weathered old man holding a shovel in front of them. "Well, you can ask him now," he said. "We're here."
The wide expanse of forest farmland was already cleared and tilled, with a dotted number of workers spreading seeds over the loamy dirt. The elderly man surveyed their work, before turning about. Lester's attention was piqued by the grumbling pickup truck to pull up from the road. It took him a moment to connect the vehicle to his nephew, but when he saw Noah emerge from it, a curve of white clashed against his ragged, grey beard.
"Noah! About damn time you got here!" the man cried, beckoning him over. "And you brought company?" He glanced over to Nina, and then back to his nephew. "That friend of yours?"
"Yep," Nina answered, hefting up the lab's package under her arm. "I'd shake your hand, but, well, it's a little occupied at the moment."
Lester laughed. "It's fine, it's fine. I can do with your name, though."
"Nina Swan."
"Well then, Nina, welcome to North Lark Farm. Hope you're looking to work up a good sweat today."
"I'll be sweating buckets, that's for sure," she replied.
"Where do you need us, Uncle Lest?" Noah asked.
Lester hooked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating a wooden fence barricading half of the farm off from a densely forested area. A dirt path was barely visible through the canopies' shade, and seemed to disappear altogether into the ebony.
"If you walk through there, you'll find a smaller cleared area. It needs a bit of weeding, so if you and Nina here can take care of that, it'd be appreciated, son."
"You've got it, Uncle Lest," Noah said, before he bid Nina to follow, and the two trekked over to the gate and deeper into the wilds outside of Lake Kindred.
The smaller area wasn't as far of a journey as the path seemingly warranted. After approximately five minutes of walking, Noah and Nina came upon the cleared grassy expanse. Despite lacking trees, the area wasn't void of large boulders, broken branches, crabgrass, and brambles clogging the salvageable farmland.
Nina tilted her head at this, and said, "Huh, it's like a Harvest Moon game."
Noah quirked a brow at her. "What...?"
"Never mind. Where do we start?"
Noah pointed to the left. "Let's start from that end and work our way to the right."
Just as Noah took a step forward, Nina stopped him, and indicated one of the boulders jutting out of the grass. "What about those?" she asked.
"Ahh, I wouldn't worry about them. Uncle Lest'll probably get a tractor to pull them out, so let's just concentrate on weeding."
"Ah, all righty."
Noah ventured forth first, pushing back the thick bushes and brambles that crowded the area as Nina set down the lab's package at the bordering grass before the forest. She almost picked up the bottle to carry around with her, but stopped short of doing so when she noticed a significant detail and reflexively shot her hand out to catch Noah's shoulder. Jerking him back, Noah looked at her quizzically, and Nina shook her head.
"Hey, wait. I don't think we should go poking around in there."
"Why not?"
Nina jabbed her finger in the direction of the undergrowth. The dirt was patchy and dry in most places, with grass only growing in the dappled patterns of sunlight across the forest floor. However, near the base of one particular trunk, wildflowers bloomed from the sod; they're lilac, pink, and white petals fluttering in the low winds from beyond the trees. What in particular Nina was indicating wasn't evident to Noah, and his face scrunched in thought.
"I think something lives in this part of the forest," she said. "In particular, there. Notice how it's the only place with flowers? It's so dark over here, they shouldn't even be able to grow. From the looks of it, it must be a dryad. Or one of the moosleute."
"Moo... wha—?"
"Moss people."
"Oh."
"I don't we should disturb any more of the stuff around here. Uprooting or destroying something might provoke it."
Noah scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I've got some explaining to do. Would you say just this part of the forest or this whole plot of land is off limits?"
"Just to be safe, this whole plot shouldn't be touched."
"Right, right." Noah hummed out a note. "Y'know, you're really good at this stuff. The only things I would expect living out here are some wayward kin. Even then, they might be scared off by the machinery. I sometimes forget there are forest folk."
"Well, I've been working with non-humans for over ten years," Nina said. "I kinda know what to look for, so watching out for peculiar signs comes with the job. Especially fae and beings of the forest. They're a little tricky to deal with."
"I would expect as much from the one-armed bogwitch," Noah said.
Nina chuckled.
"I'll be right back, then. Gonna go have a word with Uncle Lest."
Noah trotted back to the dirt path, leaving Nina to her own devices. She glanced about the forest curiously, seeing if perhaps they did disturb the inhabitant of that tree, but was glad to not see a form in sight. Figuring it'd be best to just sit and wait, she turned back to her box.
"There's nothing I can do— Augh, wait— s**t!"
As if she were the star in the most convenient slapstick skit, Nina's first step toward the box sealed its fate; a tree root barely visible in the grass caught her foot, causing the brunette to tumble to the ground. Her outstretched arm, flailing wildly to grab onto something to no avail, whacked the lab's package, scattering papers and—most importantly of all—sending the soul bottle into a lovely arc through the air.
Nina's teal eyes zeroed in on the bottle, and suddenly, the whirl of events around her paled in comparison. Though prone, she managed to roll and kick herself back onto her feet again, and rushed off after the bottle with only a single thought in mind: She wasn't going to give Noah the satisfaction of seeing her cry if the bottle broke.
"C'mon, you stupid thing!" Nina cried, stumbling after it. "I gotcha... I gotcha... I gotcha... I"—she stretched out her arm as far as it could go, eyes gleaming against the glare of the fragile glass—"gotcha!"
Nina snatched the bottle out of the air, losing her footing and tumbling again, but still holding the round container aloft from any harm. She knew she'd be aching all over from her little folly, but it was worth it to save such a precious thing. Though she was just content to lay there as a pile of ouchie, Nina knew she had to get back to her feet, but halted any plans when she saw something black begin to seep into the soul bottle.
Its nozzle was pressed to one of the blackberries of the dried brambles, sapping all life from it as the fruit shriveled to a brown husk. Nina could only stare on in both awe and disbelief as a black fog swirled within the container.
"Welp. I guess... this is the best I'm gonna get," she said, suddenly feeling very tired and wishing greatly to go home right that instant. Looking in the direction of the flowered tree, Nina added, "Let me off the hook for this, please? I didn't mean to harm your plant... if it is your plant. It was all an accident. You must've seen that, at least."
She glanced back toward the cleared area upon hearing multiple footsteps approaching, and chagrined under the stares of Noah and Lester.
"I leave you alone for five minutes, and you nearly kill yourself?" Noah said in exasperation.
"Cut her some slack, son. It looks like she just had a fall." Lester said. "Hey, what's that swirly orb you got there? Something from the moo-yad thing?"
"Huh? Oh, no. It's for my kid. They're gonna be made with it."
Lester cast Noah a glance, but he only replied with a sympathetic, "Long story."
He shrugged at this, and then scrambled into the forest to heft Nina to her feet. Grateful to finally be vertical again, she immediately got to righting the package with its contents, and then insisted to Noah she go home posthaste to tend to her aches.
"That's the only thing you can do right now," Lester said. "Since this area's off-limits until we can find a solution to that moo-yad thing. Thanks for coming out to the farm anyway, both of you. I appreciate it."
Noah and Nina didn't leave the farm empty-handed, either; Lester sent them along with a box of beet each. Despite their protests, Lester insisted to the point refusal wasn't an option, and Noah backed down the road with their vegetables in tow.
Nina looked to the beets with a sigh, and then to the lab's package. "Hey, Noah, can I ask you for a favor? I can't drag both boxes up to my apartment, so can you stop by my parents' place and give them the beets?"
"Sure, no problem," Noah replied. "And... sorry. For dragging you all of the way out here. I just thought you needed to escape. Y'know, to get away from what's bothering you for a day, but it seems I just made things worse."
Nina shook head. "Ahh, don't worry about it, Noah." She held up the filled soul bottle to him and smiled. "One good thing came out of all of this, so I'm not upset at all."
🌱
The Swan property was a large brick expanse that sat on the knoll of a hill far from the likes of Barton's bustling center. Though still within the limits of the town, it's rural location felt akin to the Kindred Wilds with its forests and bushy undergrowth. If it wasn't for the supermarket Noah passed on his drive to the home, he might've thought he'd gone miles from civilization.
This place gets me every time, Noah thought. It's huge!
His pickup pulled into the driveway just as Malcolm's sedan was pulling out. Catching himself in a panic, Noah slammed on the brakes, and managed to stall his grumbling monster of a truck before it made a meal of the smaller car. Noah jerked forward, nearly knocking his head onto the steering, and the beets emptied upended onto the floor of the passenger's side.
His mind whirled as his quick action settled in, and when he came to, Noah was looking to Nina's father knocking a knuckle on his window. "Oh gods, I am so sorry, Mr. Swan," Noah apologized, rolling the window down. "I didn't know you were in the car." He glanced to the sedan, and saw the pale silhouette of Nina's mother observing the events from the corner of her eye. "How's Mrs. Swan? I hope she's okay?"
"Don't worry, Noah, we're fine." Malcolm said. "The missus and I were going out for dinner, and were so caught up on some other chatter we didn't see you. That was some quick thinking on your part, good job. What brings you here, though? Rare to see you around these parts without Nina."
"She wanted to give you some beets," Noah said, hooking his thumb at the tumbled over box. "Oh, let me—"
"It's okay, I've got them," Malcolm said, trotting over to the other side of the truck. He tugged the door open and began to repack the vegetables one by one. "Did you guys go to a farmers' market or something? This is a lot of beets."
"Naw, my uncle gave it to us as an apology. We were supposed to do some work on his farm, but something came up and plans were cut short. I drove her home after she seemed kinda adamant to go after getting her soul."
Malcolm paused. "Soul? You mean for the Raevan?"
"Uh, y-yea. She caught it today, but took quite the tumble for it."
For some reason, Noah felt as if he said something very wrong. He stirred restlessly as Malcolm flashed him a pleased smile.
"I'll have to give her a call later, ask her how she's doing," he said, before turning his head over his shoulder. "Hey honey, did you hear that? Nina's got her soul!"
Cynthia-Maria stuck her head out of the sedan. "What was that, Malcolm?" she called back.
"I said Nina got the soul! For the Raevan!"
For a fraction of a second, as Noah watched Cynthia-Maria, he saw a look of concern cross her face, but she returned to her neutral facade immediately. "That's nice," she replied, turning away from them again.
"I'm going take these inside," Malcolm said, hefting up the box and reverting Noah's attention back to him. "You're good to go?"
"Ah, yea, I am," Noah said. He gave Malcolm a small wave after he closed the door, before flooring it and pulling out into the road again.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:16 pm
"Reeemiii..."
"For the love of—"
"Ree-emmm-iiii!"
"I'm coming, damn it! Just give me a sec!"
Nina winced with each stomp the taller woman gave from the kitchen to the living room, the glasses on the tray she carried barely remaining standing before she rested them on it on the coffee table and dropped into the open space at the end of the couch. Nevertheless, she knew she'd be getting complaints tomorrow from the elderly couple below her for all of the noise. And my oh my, would they have a mouthful for her.
Ah, well. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
Instead, Nina reveled in the joy of making her best friend's life a living hell. Her lips curled into a catty grin as Remi shot a glare at her, and was only stymied by the woman powering on the television.
"You've got some nerve, y'know," Remi said. "You were screaming so much over the phone I thought you were ******** dying, and I rushed over here to see you're just fine, just full of excitement. You owe me gas money for the drive."
"Can you blame me for being excited?" Nina said, nudging her with her foot. "I'm one step closer to getting them. The Raevan. Did you see the bottle, Remi? Isn't it great?"
"Yes, I saw the damn bottle," Remi said. "You showed it to me half a dozen times. The soul's black. You got it from a blackberry. That also explains all of the small scrapes—you fell about half a dozen times as well. That about sum up the story?"
"You missed the part about the beets, but yep! That's about it!"
Remi rolled her eyes, but a smile curved on her face next. "You haven't changed at all."
Nina harrumphed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, since high school, that part of you has always been the same. When you're excited, you act like a little kid just given a quarter for the first time. And it's always over simple stuff. Like when you didn't burn rice for the first time in your life, or when you finally got a B in math, or like in college when Andrea finally asked you out. I really don't get it."
Nina's smile was wiped from her face, and she pushed at Remi's shoulder childishly with the heel of her foot. "And you have an inane talent for ruining a person's mood... Did you really have to bring something like that up?"
"The fact you're goofy as ********. Andrea."
"Oh, but that's been— How long as has it been? One... two..." Remi counted on her fingers. "Nina, it's been like fifteen years since then. Don't tell me you're still hung on one old girlfriend from college?"
"Damn it, Remi. It isn't that. It's because while I was fawning over her like an idiot, she held a torch for someone else. Next thing I know, Andrea's pregnant with his kid, and wants to be with him. What could I do but let her go?" Nina frowned. "That hurt a lot. You can't blame me for not wanting to take dating seriously again."
"But after fifteen years? No one at all?"
"I'm busy," Nina said, averting her eyes. "It's tough dealing with kids day after day. Especially kids with the power to kill you. Heck, it's more than a workplace, it's a battlefield! I'd like to concentrate on living my life, not giving it to someone else to worry about, thank you very much."
Remi wasn't wholly convinced. "Y'know, I know a few women—"
"No," Nina said adamantly. "Stop right there. Not another word."
Remi flashed Nina her palms. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I won't cross that line again." Nina puffed her cheeks out at Remi, causing the woman to slump her shoulders and add, "And as an apology, I'll take you out to Spice and Coffee tomorrow for some curry. How's that sound?"
Suddenly Nina was sitting up, and nodding her head vigorously. "Okay, apology accepted!" she cried.
🌱
"Are you okay, kiddo? You didn't break anything?"
"No, dad, I didn't break anything. It was just two really clumsy falls. Honest. You don't have to worry so much."
"I know, I know. I am just asking because of your mother. You know how she likes to worry." Though he knew Nina wouldn't believe him, Malcolm was conscious of Cynthia-Maria's side glance on him from the den. She was obviously eavesdropping, but he dare not mention so to his daughter. "And so am I, but mostly for her sake."
Nina barely contained a snort. "Dad..."
"So a blackberry soul, huh? I didn't even know blackberries had a soul."
"Well, I guess they do," Nina said, looking to the bottle from inside its spot in the metal case as she buttoned her shirt. "As I always say: Anything and everything is possible nowadays. I mean, your grandkid is going to be made. Not as alien an idea as a fruit on a plant having a soul."
"Good point."
"So I am going to have to cut this phone call a little short, dad. I'm heading out soon with Remi."
"Oho, dinner?"
"Just some curry from Spice and Coffee."
"Tala's place? Damn, I could go with a good curry goat right about now..."
Nina chuckled. "Well, maybe you can convince mom to go one of these days."
Malcolm blew out a breath. "Possibly." He then cupped his hand over the lower end of his phone, and added, "But you know how she is with, ehrm, "commoner foods." It'd be difficult to persuade her."
Nina sighed. "Good point. Well, I'm off, dad. Talk to you later."
"Later, kiddo. Have a good time."
As Malcolm set his phone down on the kitchen counter, Cynthia-Maria rolled up beside him. "Blackberry souls... My, it sounds a like a bit from a nursery rhyme," she commented.
"It does, doesn't it?"
"And she caught it in a big bottle? Was that correct?"
Malcolm nodded his head. "That's what she told me. A bit of an odd thing, isn't it? Needing a soul of something else to make, well, something else. It must be quite important, though; without it, the Raevan probably wouldn't be possible."
Cynthia-Maria was quiet for a moment, as if considering something, before saying, "And Nina is going out tonight, correct? With that... friend of hers, yes?"
"That's what she told me. Did you have to talk to her about something?"
Cynthia-Maria shook her head. "Ah, no. There wasn't anything. I actually came here to let you know I will be out tonight as well. One of my students just let me know she will be performing and wanted me to attend."
Malcolm paused. "Ah, really? But I've a game with the boys tonight and will have the car. Would you like me to drop you earlier? I can pick you up when its finished."
Cynthia-Maria waved a hand dismissively. "It's quite all right, love. I can call a cab."
She smiled to him, and Malcolm felt his heart flutter. Honestly, he wished she'd do it more. His wife was lovely when she smiled, but unfortunately, only he had the honor of seeing it.
"All right, honey." Malcolm leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later on tonight. I hope your student performs well."
"I hope so as well," she said.
🌱
Having a penchant for going out to restaurants at their slower times, Remi and Nina entered Spice and Coffee when it barely had a soul in it. Remi was never without a comment of it being "kinda creepy," so Nina had to foot most of the talking until they were seated. It was only upon seeing their server did Remi's face light up like a comet marring a barren night sky.
"Can I start you ladies off with something to drink?" she asked.
Remi smoothed a lock behind her ear, clearly bashful and trying her darnedest to look cool, calm, and collected. And failing miserably. "D-do you have anything free?"
Nina quirked a brow at her.
"Yea...?" the waitress said. "We have water?"
"Th-then can I get two glasses, please?"
It was the waitress this time who quirked a brow. "Why...?"
"Because I am thirsty as ******** right now."
Nina narrowed her eyes at Remi, and wasn't beyond kicking her under the table. As the other brunette contained a yelp in pain by biting her tongue, Nina flashed their waitress an apologetic smile and said, "Just water for her, then. I'll have a coke. Thanks."
The waitress bid her confirmation with a nod, before looking to Remi again, and then parting from their company. After she was some distance away, Remi cried out, and then gave a steaming glare to Nina.
"What the ******** was that for?" she growled.
"Hitting on our waitress? Seriously?" Nina said. "She's working, Remi."
"Do you see how dead this place is?" Remi said, spreading her hands out and presenting both sides of the restaurant, which didn't bear a soul in sight. "We come in an hour and half before closing, what did you expect? Besides, she's cute as hell. No way I am passing this up."
Nina gave her a half-lidded frown. "So what does that mean?" Nina asked.
"You might be going home early tonight."
And lo and behold, Remi stuck to her word. She chatted up their waitress all throughout their meal, calling her over to flirt and exchange banter while Nina watched on in silent annoyance. Remi hardly touched her meal by the time Nina was finished, and interjected she'd like to take the woman home with her doggie bag as a thinly-veiled invite. In the end, Remi dumped Nina outside of her apartment complex, and twiddled her fingers in goodbye at the brunette as she wrapped her other arm around the waitress and drove off into the night.
Nina chagrined. "Honestly, why does she have a thing for blondes?" she said to herself. "Ah, well. Whatever. Guess I'll rent a bad movie on demand and call it a night."
She trotted up tiredly to the lobby from the walkway, called an elevator, and continued her gait down the hallway after exiting to her floor. Yet, the closer Nina neared her apartment's door, so did the realization that something seemed amiss.
At first glance, the exterior seemed plainly barren, but upon closer inspection, she noticed small details that were alarmingly off. The peg that held her apartment's number was tilted, but quite insignificant since only a lone screw pounded into the wall kept it straight. As Nina dropped her gaze, she looked at the plastic potted plant near her door, and noticed its angle was off; it's leaves normally fanned toward her, not away. Next was the jolly gnome that welcomed all into her apartment with a frothy glass of ale. He was facing outside as well, not toward her. And from her vantage point, she saw the spare key she had taped behind his fluffy curls was missing, and her chest sunk.
"s**t. s**t, s**t, s**t," Nina said, bending low to her haunches to search. "Why is everything askew? Did the cleaning lady come by to vacuum?" She blinked. "It's not the weekend, ******** no. Then why—"
Nina froze. It was a light thump, but it without a doubt came from inside her apartment. Her hackles stood on end ramrod straight as she became aware of the fact there was an intruder in her home, and was heavily debating either charging in or fleeing for her life. Before she had the chance to finalize her choice, however, the knob to her apartment turned, and the door creaked open...
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:16 pm
Cynthia-Maria was framed in the doorway of Nina's apartment, one hand trained on the wheel of her chair while the other held the door ajar. When Nina saw her mother, she stood, and stumbled back a step in incredulity. Her mother rose blue eyes to her, and halted her movement through the doorway.
With a tilt of her head, she said nonchalantly, "You're home early."
"Ma?" Nina said, blinking. "Ma, what are you doing here?"
Cynthia-Maria was silent for a moment in consideration, before glancing down, and then up to her daughter again. "I think it is quite obvious," she said. "Getting rid of this."
Nina followed her eyes, and came upon the metal case sitting in her mother's lap. The very same one that held the fel essence and her recently captured blackberry soul. The needed items to create her Raevan. The Raevan her mother heavily protested. The nonhuman grandchild she was vehement never to accept.
Nina's child.
Every fiber of the brunette's being was standing on end ready to ignite, but as gently as possible, she leaned her foot onto the lower end of Cynthia-Maria's right chair wheel and picked up the metal case. However, Cynthia-Maria found her own hands on the case as well, and the tension was palpable between the two women as each refused to let go.
"I'm not letting you go until your hands are off this case," Nina said.
"Well, I am not leaving until it is in my possession."
"I will not let you sabotage the creation of the Raevan."
"And I will not let you make a grave mistake that will likely cost you your life."
Nina fumed. "That's it!" she cried aloud. "I can't take it anymore! You're going to tell me right now why. Why do you have such great hate for non-humans? For all I know, they've done absolutely nothing to you. Are you just a bigot? Are you?"
Cynthia-Maria watched her daughter coolly as she released her hand from the case and swung it around in anger. When Nina was finished, Cynthia-Maria daintily rested the metal case on her lap, and said, "Do you really want to know?"
Her tone was leveled, but Nina saw the storm in her eyes, and felt a sharp gale pass through her. There was a tranquil fury behind those lids, framed by a pale, unassuming face, and Nina was only gazing at a fraction of it. Still, the offer stunned her, as she said stiffly, "S-sure...?"
"Then come inside. I've a lot to say."
Mother and daughter settled themselves at the kitchen table, the metal case the only item separating them. Nina was quiet, exchanging glances between the metal case and her mother, waiting in ardent expectation for whatever Cynthia-Maria had to say. Her mother seemed to be choosing her words wisely, before clearing her throat, and beginning.
"Do you know what a sylph is?" Cynthia-Maria asked.
"Of course," Nina replied. "There was one in my class last year."
Cynthia-Maria's brow furrowed for a moment, as if slightly annoyed by Nina's reply, but she tried to gather her bearings again and continued. "Your grandfather Drew... Do you also know why you've never met him?"
"He... divorced nana, right?"
"No. He never left her. In fact, he loved her with his entire being. More than life itself. She was his everything. But then the sylph..."
"The sylph...?"
"It took him and refused to give him back."
Nina swallowed thickly. She found it difficult to believe—a sylph took her grandfather? What next? Her nana was a giantess? Despite her initial grievances for such a tale, she saw the wind again in her mother's eyes, and knew then it wasn't a lie.
"How?" Nina asked her gently. "Sylphs are gentle. Passive. They wouldn't wish to keep another person..."
"Not all magical beings are as civil as the ones you work with," Cynthia-Maria said. "This one loved my father, but he never loved her. Would never love her. His eyes were only for my mother. So she snatched them away, enchanted them to only look to her, and she never gave him back." She sighed deeply. "Before you were born, when I was a young girl, my mother wanted to be an actress."
"Nana wanted to be an actress?" Nina interjected, rocking back in her seat. "No way..."
Cynthia-Maria winced in irritation, but continued. "Yes. Sofia had lofty dreams, and sought them even when I was born. She did not want to be a mother, she wanted to smile on the silver screen. When I turned six, she gave my father an ultimatum: No matter his protests, she would be a star. He was free to follow her, or he could stay. "A good man would support his love, a real man would follow her to the ends of the universe itself." So what did he do?"
"He followed her."
"Yes, he followed her. All across Europe, he followed her. Sofia never made it big; she was an extra many times, but could never land a star role. We lived off scraps for years as my mother chased an almost unobtainable dream. It was a hard life, but what power did a child have against such strong ambition? She eventually did land a role, though; it wasn't a lead, but still a major role in an independent film. Sofia was elated. Drew... not so much. He was growing tired of the constant moving around, but was pleased to finally settle down after so long. We would call Germany home for one year until production was done. I had just turned nine then. In a few months, I would meet her."
"The sylph."
"Yes. We stayed in a small village with very little children. I would go off by myself to play in the forest, and one afternoon, I met a sylph. She was lonely; her sisters had followed the winds to the east, but she liked the south. The winds were cooler, gentler. She didn't want to go, and stared off to the skies until a little girl wanted to be her friend. We became close. She taught me to dance, I taught her to draw. I became interested in her magic, she became interested in my family. Especially my father. Drew came into the forest one day to fetch me for dinner. She saw him and fell in love. She asked me all these details about him, and I told her everything because I was so fond of my friend. What..." Cynthia-Maria averted her eyes. "What a stupid girl I was..."
"She told me she wanted to have him. I told her she couldn't take him, he was my dad. He loved my mom. She didn't care. One night, she called to him, and then enchanted his eyes. He disappeared and never came back."
"Ma..."
"Sofia never questioned it, nor wanted to discuss it. She seemed... not to care. It's as if she expected him to leave. I tried to tell her the truth, but she didn't want to hear it. Even slapped me once for trying. I never brought it up again. Sofia might've lost hope, but I didn't. I wanted my father, so I went to the sylph and demanded him back. She threw her head back and laughed at me. She said she loved him. Her love was truer than my anger. I looked ugly when I frowned. She then disappeared, and never came back. I called to her for two years. Two years, and not a word. Eventually, the movie flopped, and Sofia was never paid. Struck by tears, she hastily packed up our things and dragged us back home to Spain. I've been without my father since."
Nina was unabashedly awed. She had never heard her mother talk at such length, and never something so personal. The brunette wanted to prod her for more details, but the only question that left her lips were, "Do you... do you think he's still alive?"
Cynthia-Maria shrugged a shoulder. "Who can say?" she said. "The sylph could still be with him, feeding him figs and honey and dancing for his enjoyment in some unknown realm. Or he could be some weathered corpse fused to a stump, staring daze-eyed up to the sky. I don't really know, though I do wonder from time to time." Her tone then grew stern. "But do you see, Nina? They're fickle. The take what they please, as long as it glorifies them. Either you are a gate or wall to their whims. Nothing more, nothing less."
Nina's heart went out to her mother, but in the end, she couldn't agree. "I am sorry for your loss," Nina said. "I would've liked to known grandpa. Probably would've liked him. But"—she rested her hand on the metal case—"it will not turn me away from what I want."
Cynthia-Maria pursed her lips. "You will never listen to me, will you? I am doing this out of great concern, Nina. I know what's best for you—"
Nina couldn't help the chortle that bubbled up from her, and knew such a rude cut off made her mother frown deeply. "Frankly," Nina said, "I don't care, ma. I really, really don't care about your concern, what you know. Nothing. Because from my POV, nothing I've ever done for you has been right. So, with that, how about we call dad to come pick you up? I know he's gonna have a lot to say to you after the little stunt you just tried to pull."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:17 pm
A tempest swallowed by the sea; Nina had never seen her father so irreparably angry, nor did she ever see her mother hide her face in shame. Malcolm's voice carried across the parking lot of the apartment complex in waves as Nina watched on some distance away. Her eyes remained trained on the burn of his upper forearm and the indecipherable scribbles upon it—was that a grocery list? A reminder of something? Nina wasn't sure, but it was the only distraction she could find in that moment that made her feel as if she were sixteen again.
Her only goodbye was an apologetic look from her father, which Nina returned in kind. Cynthia-Maria hadn't the strength to look up, or if she did, shame weighed on her like a cross and she couldn't. They drove away just as the sun began to dip behind the hills of Barton, leaving Nina in the swell of orange dying to a muddy blue. The motions that came after seemed trained; she reentered the lobby, headed for the elevator, and rode it to the sixth floor of the building. Once she was through her apartment's door, she froze in the short corridor, and felt the swell. The tide had receded, only to come crashing in on her again. Nina drowned in a thickness that grabbed her chest and squeezed it tight, teetering her to the nearby wall.
Not this again, she thought. It's not what you think it is. It's not what you think it is.
It was a short burst of a memory—her father crying out for her, the stink of fuel—but what felt like an eternity ceased in a moment's passing. Nina sighed deeply, thankful to breathe steadily again, and rose back onto her feet with a small stumble. Her thoughts centered on the need for a distraction, so Nina made her way to the kitchen table with her laptop in hand, and she began to work on a response to Zeke to include with the metal case's return.
Nina's fingers absently tapped at the keyboard, bringing to life one of the most generic responses she'd ever written to someone. It reminded her horribly of the formal replies she'd always have to give when responding to an email from a parent or coworker while on the job. The brunette backspaced the entirety of the word document, and got up once again to prepare a cup of tea.
By Gaia, she sighed internally, watching the swirls of steam rise from her favorite sunflower mug. This has been... quite a week. First ma, Remi, Noah, now dad. Part of me just wants to run away. If the school year didn't start so soon, I'd definitely put in a week for some me time. Nina dropped back down into her seat. I'd take a vacation down to Gambino, gamble away half my paycheck, soak up some sun with one of those froufrou fruity drinks with ten gallons of alcohol in it. Sounds like a damn good time.
Instead, her existence had to contend with the quietness of her bleak apartment with some bitter dandelion tea as comfort. Nina took a sip of her drink and returned once more to her reply to Zeke. Her letter was concise after a few edits, and got across most of what Nina wished to say:
Quote: Dear Zeke,
First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you and all of lab for accepting me as a guardian. It certainly was a surprise to obtain the package in the mail, and I certainly couldn't contain my excitement knowing a Raevan may call me family one day.
Unfortunately, there seemed to be some personal clashes that occurred come my acceptance. While not yet resolved, I believe they will serve to only be a minor inconvinience from here on out. I understand if this raises any concerns, however, and I am not beyond giving a full explanation if you should require it.
The soul contained within the bottle is that of a blackberry. I understand if it isn't as exotic as some of the other souls provided by guardians, and if too mundane a choice, I am not beyond going out on a search again for something suitable.
Nevertheless, thank you again for the opportunity, and I hope all goes well with this furthering the Raevan creation process.
Regards,
Nina Swan
With a quick save, Nina finished off the rest of her tea as she watched the letter print. After stapling it to the application and extra paperwork, she placed them back in the box along with the metal case, and nodded her head.
I'll go about delivering everything tomorrow, Nina thought. For now: sleep. I definitely need some sleep.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:56 am
A cool wind crested across the veranda, bringing with it a chill that shivered Nina to her core. It died as quickly as it came, but with a sip of her tea, Nina could feel autumn in the air. Soon, time would bring her closer to meeting her Raevan, but there was the matter of getting the lab's package and its contents shipped.
I don't have the strength to lug that big thing from here to the post office, Nina thought, taking in the hardly picturesque view from the veranda. It seems petty to call someone just to carry a package for me. Should I give Noah or Remi a call anyway? ...Hm.
Nina's thoughts were preoccupied for a moment upon the sudden epiphany she could think clearly for a change. It'd been quite a while since she'd the chance to hear her own thoughts; the muddled stress of moving, the lab's acceptance, and her mother left little to the mind when it came to Nina thinking about, well, herself. Though staring at the backs of dilapidated houses and an ornery, litter-filled park left much to be desired to a purveyor's eye, the cost of the apartment felt justified with how quiet it was. It reminded Nina of the stillness on the academy's campus; being out in the forest instead of a congested city left little to sound unless one found birdsong annoying.
Nina felt inclined to enjoy her solitude before her doorbell rung, shattering the peaceful air. The brunette pursed her lips and set her mug onto the kitchen counter in passing as she went to answer the door, pausing when she came upon a familiar burn scar in her line of sight.
"Dad?" she said, looking up. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey there, kiddo," Malcolm said. "Just thought I'd drop by. How goes it?"
"Well... enough," Nina replied slowly, taking a step back to allow him in. "This is sudden."
"I was just in the neighborhood," Malcolm replied, which his daughter made out quickly to be a lie as he passed by her and stepped into the living room. Shifting hands to hips, Malcolm gazed around, and commented, "This place isn't too shabby. Spacey, that's for sure."
Nina's brow furrowed for a moment, until she realized her father didn't have a chance to see her new place yet. Closing the door, she trailed after Malcolm, and eyes landing on her package gave her an answer to her previous qualm.
"Hey dad," she said, indicating the box atop the table. "Mind helping me out with something?"
Nina led the way slowly and methodically, painfully aware of her father slightly struggling with the box. Every little groan or hard breath he made caused Nina to wince with the expectation she'd hear the crash of glass. Despite having commented on the feel of autumn in the air, her nervousness was making her sweat, and a thin sheen could be seen across her upper lip and brow.
The brunette was beginning to regret asking him, but for fear of sounding ungrateful, kept an close eye on Malcolm instead.
"So... oof... how far do we have to go?"
"About two or so blocks," Nina said, shielding her eyes from the sun to see letterboxes in the distance; beacons in the day that gave her some calm. "Sorry for asking this of you, but you were the closest person I had to help."
"It's fine, kiddo. I may be a little up in age, egh, but your old man still has a bit of his strength left."
Nina gave a dry laugh, though it was only halfhearted with sincerity. In actuality, she was more pent up with nervousness than humor. Praying to whatever deities lay up in those clouds, the brunette concentrated on hope, and tried not to give in to what felt like an inevitable despair.
"Hey, Nina? You're a little quiet. Something up?"
Nina broke from her stupor and glanced to her father over her shoulder, blinking at him a few times before looking ahead again. Her hand balled into a fist as she tried to dash away the tension in her form and thoughts, but the change of topic shifted to something equally nerve-wracking.
"Dad, there's a reason why you came here today, isn't there?" Nina said without looking to him.
"What? No, kiddo, there's no reason—"
"You don't have to lie, y'know." Nina shifted her chin over her shoulder again, and frowned at him. "You yelled so much yesterday. It's been... literal years since I've last heard you raise your voice like that. And never at ma." She pursed her lips. "Is that why you came around? Were you worried?"
Malcolm averted his eyes. "No, that's not why I—"
"Don't lie, dad."
The man sighed. "Okay, yes. It is why I came today. I was worried. Very worried about you, kiddo. There's a reason I try and keep an even temper, but I lost it yesterday and couldn't help it. I've been frustrated with your mother for some time, trying to get her to put this thing with your eventual Raevan behind her, but it's easier said than done."
"Dad, you don't have to do all of this. You don't have to foot the role of mediator or martyr between two grown women."
"You say it so simply, Nina, but those two women happen to be my wife and daughter. If it isn't me, then who will it be? Sofia? She can't even be in the same room as your mother. Theresia? Abel? My parents would think I'm blowing everything out of proportion. So this rests on my shoulders, and both you and your mother are so caught up in, well, yourselves, you won't give me a break." His tone fell to a terse hush, barely audible to Nina. "It's like the accident all over again."
Nina snapped around to him, a deep frown etched onto her features. Something struck her then; something she hadn't considered for quite some time until the day before. She couldn't remember most of what happened during the car accident, even years later when she put it behind her. Images didn't come to her in hazy spurts or flashes; it was simply a blank, as if the memory leaked out her left ear before someone messily snugged on a stopper. Sometimes something would trigger a feeling of terror—a sound, a scent—but it a moment's haste it would disappear. Nevertheless, the accident bothered her greatly all these years, but she would push it down and nag herself never to bring it up.
Let sleeping dogs lay, or kick them to the curb.
Yet, its presence was rising to the surface once again, and of all people to bring it up, it had to be her father. The therapist. The man who she could talk to levelly without judgement and in a safe space. The thought made her want to roll her eyes. Nina had nothing against therapists; she even considered becoming one herself when she went to college. It was simply her father who she couldn't stand. "Post-traumatic stress," she could imagine him saying, leaning back in his chair as a far-away look glazed over his eyes. His tone would be firm, but academic, as if he were standing before an audience of thousands. "A very, very common response to MVAs. Tell me, how long have you had these symptoms?"
The very mention of Malcolm's career would change him. He'd go from being Nina's father to a man of science and rationality. She hated it. Abhorred it. Detested it. "I want my father, not a teacher!" she cried to him once when she was knee-deep in her goth phase and her father thought she suffered from depression. "Stop treating me like I'm one of your stupid clients! I'm not!"
And the worst of it, Nina wasn't beyond going to see someone to talk about her problems. It was her father she'd have to contend with, as beyond his gentle exterior, pride was his poison. Malcolm would think himself a failure if he left his daughter in the hands of a colleague.
I can help you. I can save you. Just give me the chance. I won't give up. Never.
"Nina?" Malcolm said with a slight start, taken aback by her sudden movement. "What's wrong?"
I can figure all of this out now, Nina thought. Just tell him. Tell him what I go through sometimes. Tell him I can't remember. What's the use of hiding it?
"...Nothing," Nina said, forcing a smile. "I'm just realizing how much of a jerk I sound like sometimes. Both me and ma."
"Aw, dear. You don't have to feel upset. It's natural, isn't it? You both have your own values and what's important to you. That can't be helped, can it?"
"Yea... That's true," Nina replied, squeezing her fist so tight her knuckles were white. "Anyway, we should get to the post office. I just realized I might not have enough to cover the shipping fee for that thing."
The rest of their trip to the post office was a quiet one. As Nina had guessed correctly, she was a few dollars short of sending the package, so her father foot the remainder. The two talked of idle things their walk back to the apartment, and after a cup of coffee and more chatter, her father left.
The quietness of the apartment permeated the air Nina breathed, and she exhaled with a sigh with just how lonely it felt without anyone there. Even if that person happened to be one of her parents; despite the tension while in their company, at least it calmed the antsy feeling within her.
Just give it a little more time, Nina, the brunette thought, out on the veranda again as she looked out over downtown Barton. Then your Raevan will be here.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:56 am
It was another quiet day. It was uncommon for Nina to sleep until noon, but the visit of her father conjured a myriad of worries. Too bad Nina couldn't ship them off to somewhere far like the package her father helped her with the day before. She stayed up late, far later than she typically liked, ruminating on not just herself, but the Raevan. The thought of becoming a mom filled her with jitters, prompting one question:
Do I have enough of a foundation to go on?
Nina stared out at the dilapidated view before her. Honestly, downtown Barton was hardy a sight for sore eyes, as the longer she stared on in abject worry, the more the brunette became aware of the pulsating throb of her temples. It'd be a while until the aspirin would kick in, and since she hadn't anything solid besides nursing a cup of lukewarm coffee, a long while. A part of her wanted to sit in the pain for a while; concentrating on it kind of nullified the worries of overthinking. If only by a bit.
This is nothing, Nina thought, moving her fingers in circular motions at her temple. Things'll be ten times as worse when the semester finally kicks in. You'll have to deal with the 3P's: paperwork, politics, and pretending you give a s**t about half the things people tell you. Ugh... Top this off with my current worries and it seems easier to chop my head off.
The brunette rose, and wandered from the balcony back into her apartment. The air within was warm; autumn was quickly approaching, and brought with it an alien chill. Nina wasn't looking forward to her heating bill in the coming months.
Dropping down into her typical seat at the kitchen table, she pushed open her laptop, and perused the word document she had opened. It contained pages upon pages of annotated notes she researched about her Raevan; from blackberries, to moss, to tips to raising a kid, to special treatment options, contact information, and so on. Behind her, as Nina eyed them, were boxes upon boxes of specialized foods made for non-human and/or magical beings. They weren't actual meals, but small portions for sampling. Of course, all of it cost a fortune, but Nina wanted to be prepared.
Yet, none of her preparation seemed like it was enough. It brought about a tapping to her foot that ached the bruise she obtained from capturing the blackberry soul.
Picking up her cell, Nina gave Remi a call. If there was one person in this world who could calm her nerves, it'd be her.
"Yo, Nina! What's up?"
"Hey, you got time to talk?"
"Yea, sure. Nina, you know I always got time to talk."
"Aren't... you working right now?"
"Yea? And as I said, I always got time to talk."
Nina rolled her eyes, but laughed lightly. Remi wasn't a thrill, but her a*****e-ness could make even the most grumpiest of souls sprout a smile.
"So, yea, I wanna talk about—"
"The Raevan, right?"
Nina blinked. "How'd you know?"
"Nina, you've been talking about them for, like, the last month or so. In fact, I think that's all I hear you talk about. From ranting about how worried you are, to flailing about how excited you are. It's an easy guess what was on your mind."
"s**t... I didn't realize I was being such an... annoyance."
"Naw, girlie, you're not. You've always been that way; going into nerd mode about anything that made you an iota excited. Reminds me of the time when we were in college and you told me your major. You bounced off the walls. Feels kinda nostalgic."
This time, Nina heard a small bit of laughter rise from Remi.
"But this time's a little different Remi. I need some advice."
"Advice? About what?"
"About, y'know, how to raise a Raevan."
This time, it was Remi who rolled her eyes. "Girlie, I don't have that kind of info!" she said. "I work with grown men, not kids. Let alone magical kids. Why don't you, I don't know, try calling a Raevan's guardian? Ask to meet up and talk? They'd give you better advice than I would."
Suddenly, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. For a change, Remi was right. What was the use of stewing in all of her questions if she could just meet with someone who already owned a Raevan?
"s**t! Remi, you're a lifesaver!" Nina cried.
Remi sighed. "You're a smart woman, Nina, and even you didn't think of something that obvious?" she said. "Now I fear for the Raevan in the future..."
"Oh, screw you," Nina said with a huff as she pulled over the guardian contact list and got to typing up emails to send out.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:57 am
Two of a KindNina + Sven private
Quote: Slowly the open liberties of summer were dipping back into the responsibilities of the school year, and with it, so went the thrill of Nina's soon to-be Raevan. It wasn't that she was displeased with it—quite the contrary, her excitement bubbled up with every thought of them—but the truth this would have to be someone she would provide for became a sinking realization. The brunette would pace her apartment as if her feet were being nibbled by ants; stopping so every while to wonder if the apartment was big enough for two, or if the corners of the coffee table would harm them in any way, if the knives in their holder were too close to the edge, if she had the funds to support a specialized diet, or if the detergent she used would make them itchy. Her thoughts spiraled and spiraled in on her, filling a void that would send her reaching for a beer, only to retract her hand while under the predilection she didn't want to turn out like Remi. And speaking of her best friend, the woman could only offer a few words of validation before being blunt and informing Nina she was certainly Blowing This Out of Proportion, she would be a fine parent, and she should seriously Stop Worrying. Unfortunately, comfort and Remi were like water and oil, and it sounded as if she were reprimanding the brunette instead. This simply catapulted her right back to the start of it all, and there was only so much Nina could take of wondering what counted as a choking hazard before confirming, yes, she had a serious problem. I need outside support, Nina thought, perusing the guardians' contact list she kept along with a few other trifling papers after sending out her package. Let's see...Sven was the only one Nina sat down and took the time to shoot a proper email to. With such a strong preference for in-person interaction, the email came off painfully formal despite her best efforts. However, as long as it got her invitation across Nina was satisfied: Quote: Dear Mr. Beyer,
Hello, my name is Nina Swannekke, and I am contacting you in regards to Lab 305. As another soon to-be guardian of a Raevan, I was hoping to extend an invitation to you to talk. My contact with other guardians has been quite limited as of late, and I do not have many connections that might be in the same position.
If you'd like to grab a coffee, I'll be at Spice & Coffee this coming Saturday a little past one in the afternoon. If you're unfamiliar with the place, I've also attached a map and directions. Please don't feel obligated to attend, I completely understand if you're too busy to do so. However, if you are capable, I'll be seated at table four on the left. Simply ask Tala, the woman at the counter, and she'll point me out to you.
Best wishes, and hoping to hear from you,
Nina That Saturday, as per the email, Nina sat at her typical booth nursing a lukewarm coffee to no avail. For some reason, her gut had settled on the belief Mr. Beyer would be a no-show, and she would be heading home soon to take a nap and call Remi for a drink. Ahh, give them more time, Nina, the brunette thought, glancing at her phone to get the time. You just got here yourself.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:46 am
Making ConnectionsNina + Phoenix, Zoe, Shoshana private
Quote: Guardianship wasn't as smooth sailing a venture as Nina hoped it to be. Far beyond it actually—the brunette could best describe it as stumbling around in the dark with a blurry photo of an idea clutched in one hand. She kept an open mind with which direction she could or should be headed, but in actuality, there didn't seem to be a pinprick of light at the end of this long, long tunnel. It had all seemed easier to go at this alone. Unfortunately, Nina would have to give in and admit to herself that, no, she couldn't. It was a difficult truth to submit to; when had her plans ever failed her? She managed stability well enough with her career, with friends, her parents, bills, the works. Why should parenting be any different? Yes, it was a new avenue to explore, but it shouldn't have been this difficult! It was the worries Nina wasn't prepared for. The endless thoughts of, "Will I be a good enough parent?" and flip-flopping the possibility that, while yes, she may make a million mistakes, was she Adult enough own up to them? Yet, with the veritable truth being she couldn't even Adult enough to ask for help meant she wasn't ready. Not yet. Not without some extra advice. The contacts list for guardians and their Raevans seemed both menacingly short and horrifically long the longer Nina perused it. With such a limited, but also diverse, set of people to contact, the brunette wasn't sure who to go about giving a call or shooting an email to first. So she went about it in the most professional and precise way possible: closing her eyes and jabbing a finger to the first name she touched on the slice of paper. Upon opening them again, she shrugged a shoulder, and decided her first choice was her best. All right, Mr. Argyris. You'll have to do.As with her previous attempts at virtual communication, all of her emails lacked personality. It came off akin to a business letter, despite the innumerable amount of drafts she went through cutting down the babbling and rants to just a few sentences. Satisfied, she sent it to the provided email address beneath Phoenix's name and closed her laptop down with hopes never to use it again: Quote: Dear Mr. Argyris,
Hello, my name is Nina Swannekke, and I've recently been accepted by Lab 305 as a potential guardian for a future Raevan. Though I've completed the necessary requirements for the creation of said Raevan and duly shipped them back to the lab, there exists some qualms and questions that have been brought to my attention that I wish to seek advice for that I cannot simply summarize in this email.
If you are available, I would like to request the company of both you and your Raevan (and any other acquainted parties) at the park located in central Barton between 11AM-2PM. If you are unfamiliar with the place, I've attached an address and directions to the location for your convenience. I will be in attendance at the park throughout the entire time frame given, seated at a park bench near the entrance. Just seek out the woman in the yellow dress; I hopefully shouldn't be too difficult to find.
However, please don't feel inclined to attend to my request if it clashes with your schedule. The least I wish to be is an interruption in other people's busy lives. Nevertheless, thank you for taking the time to read this email and consider my request.
Best wishes, and hoping to hear from you,
Nina That following Saturday, Nina was prompt with her appearance at the park. The weather was surprisingly fair, despite the threat of rain that hung about the horizon daring to ruin her day at a moment's notice. And, as per her email's dry description, she wore that lemon yellow sundress she absolutely abhorred, if only to stick out in the minuscule crowd that hung about the entrance to the park. In actuality, she wanted to turn right back around, climb into the nearest bus, and head back home for a nap. It was only the threat of another nightmare of her future Raevan choking on a marble that kept her firmly planted in her seat and refusing to budge. Gods, I am really blowing things out of proportion, Nina thought, glancing about for any hints of a Raevan or their guardian. But if I don't talk to someone about these worries I'll be pulling my hair out by the handfuls!
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:46 am
Quote: Already a week had passed into the month of September, and Nina's mind had subsumed into one small, inconsequential thought of the start of the school year: She abhorred the start of the school year. Her life had turned into torrents of paperwork—that she kept in neat, dated, proper little piles, thank you very much—with just more to flood the nook and crannies of her apartment. This, coupled with personal issues she couldn't deal with right now, people she couldn't meet right now, and personal monologues she couldn't give right now, and Nina felt inclined to lay prone on her face for the next one hundred and eighty days and give life the middle finger. Unfortunately, such a dalliance had to be saved for some other day. She took Mark's phone call to her while in the midst of signing something she barely skimmed. Whatever its importance would have to be saved for later, and even then, her concentration on their phone call shifted from something about a Sunday and newspaper hair to Vigo, her cat, ghosting/teleporting/warping the reality around him to appear on her current pile of paperwork and slowly blink—either because he was taking the time to count each and every follicle on her hairline, or because he was hungry. " Right, gotcha!" Nina cried into her phone just before the call was cut short. The brunette then dumped herself into the chair at the kitchen table, promptly ignoring the pile of paper that cascaded to the floor, and reached a hand out to stroke the fur of the chocolate-colored Persian. " Looks like I'm gonna need to get you a babysitter for Sunday," she sighed. 🌱 That coming Sunday, Nina awoke with a snort and slapping hand as her fist hit the snooze button on her alarm clock and the pile of papers atop it; the sticky note catching onto her knuckle and reminding her dutifully to, "Make sure all of this s**t is filled out by tomorrow, you useless turd." She narrowed her eyes at her past self, cursed her with a few dozen minor hexes learned from her classroom kids, and turned over to snuggle up under the comforter that was also sixty percent paperwork. Just as she began to toe the line between consciousness and dream once again, Nina rose slowly from her bed like a leviathan, and recalled her meeting with Mark. " Fuuuu—" The events that followed fell about her in a whirl; she chewed Remi out for ditching her request to watch Vigo, she showered, she beg and pleaded to Noah to watch Vigo, she dressed in a pair of washed out overalls that she hadn't worn since she was sixteen, promised to foot the bill of two tank fills in gratitude for Noah agreeing to watch Vigo, dashed off with an umbrella in hand, and then plopped her apartment key onto her poor chauffeur's dashboard after he promised to also drop her at the agreed upon meeting spot. Nina bid Noah thanks after they drove about the length of a baseball field, and as the brunette tried to ignore the hapless distance she could've walked, entered the cafe with a more or less comfortable smile. Gonna ignore all of that s**t piling up behind me, yesiree, Nina thought, glancing about the cafe. They're not important. Not. At. All...The brunette seemed to take in more of the cafe's fairytale-esque eccentricities than the actual person she was to seek out. The cafe gave an light, homely vibe; certainly not to Nina's tastes either, though she found it quaint in its own particular way. In actuality, it reminded her of an old girlfriend—an odd gal who collected teapot terrariums—and if they were still dating to that day, she might've brought her here every other weekend. Realizing she was losing herself to more unconventional rumination, Nina thinned her lips as she recalled the mention of newspaper hair, and put two and two together to remind herself that very important detail was her key to finding Mark. And lo and behold, when she actually put her mind to it, she came upon him seated at a table likely reserved for two. She traipsed over after giving a look over her shoulder, and pulled the chair out adjacent to him as gently as possible. " Hiii. Uh, Mark, right?" she said, settling into the seat. " I'm Nina. Sorry if I'm a little late, some... things... came up... but it's nice to see you! You certainly rock that newspaper hair look, I probably wouldn't've found you otherwise."
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 10:13 am
Raevan RaisingNina + Raz, Solo private
Quote: It was a month into the school year, and Nina was already drained. Then again, it was an unfortunate side effect to working with children who could rip her other arm off (or grow her missing one back) in the blink of an eye. She had to tiptoe around their abilities while also maintaining herself as their educator, and half the time, Nina felt more like a mother than a teacher. Nevertheless, it was a fulfilling job, and provided a great foundation to when she'd be a guardian herself. The wait was killing her, but in the time between she'd meet her Raevan and prepare for their arrival, Nina was putting her best foot forward and collecting all of the information she could on what to expect. A little notebook was kept on her person always, and the brunette would scribble in questions and answers to any thought that passed through her mind. Her various meetings with other guardians proved helpful, but still feeling she had a shaky foundation, Nina decided to venture forth with one more request of a chat. Her lucky choice today would be Raz; chosen randomly from the contact list that came with the package from the lab. Such a method never failed her before, so it hopefully won't here. After sitting at her computer, backspacing an innumerable amount of times, Nina finally sent off a satisfactory email to the Raevan owner: Quote: Dear Raspberry Piper,
Hello, my name is Nina Swannekke. I am a new guardian to the lab, and have been imploring many others for their thoughts on what it is like to raise a Raevan. I would like a strong foundation for when I'd eventually meet mine, and found it was easiest to chat with them in-person with their Raevan. If it isn't too much to ask, would you be willing to chat and answer any inquiries I may have? I understand if your time is limited, and you may disregard this email if you're unable to!
However, if you are able to make it, I will be at a small coffee shop called Spice and Coffee in central Barton at four in the evening this coming Saturday. If you're unsure of the location, I've also attached directions to the establishment to this email. Thanks for taking the time to read this email, and hoping to see you soon!
Regards,
Nina On the allotted day, Nina would be seated at a table adjacent to the entrance of the coffee shop. She'd been there multiple times before, and felt comfortable in the warm atmosphere that smelled of brewed coffee and curry. Even the waitstaff was familiar with her; one giving her a nod in greeting as she awaited the arrival of Raz. Despite the familiarity, she couldn't help the jump in her leg. It was always an antsy feeling to be meeting someone new, after all.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:09 pm
Quote: " Uh... Nina?" Noah has a spectacular way of breaking the silence. Nina jerked toward him and glowered, causing the man to tense up and refrain from questioning the brunette further. However, Nina knew his concern was justified; they'd been stewing in an uncomfortable silence for fifteen minutes since Noah pulled up in front of the lab. As soon as the teacher saw the building, all thoughts and movement stymied, and Nina longed for someone she was more familiar with. It wasn't that she disliked Noah; far from the truth, actually. He was a good guy who sacrificed much to drive her around. He simply... lacked... the basic tact required for comfort. If Remi or her dad were there, the air would be light with their jests and encouraging words, and she'd have more confidence going in. Heck, even Cynthia-Maria, despite her reservations regarding her new grandchild, would say something to get her out of the vehicle and into the building. But all she had was Noah. Tactless extraordinaire. I'm... just letting my frustrations out on him, Nina thought, eyeing him from the side. He's not to blame for how I'm reacting... Eugh. I feel a little shitty now.Nina let a out a breath, causing Noah to jump slightly. It was the first sound to fill the now twenty minutes of silence between them. Nina looked to him apologetically, but Noah seemed incapable of reading her expression. " Hey, Noah?" Nina asked him. " Do you... think I'd make a good mom?" It was the one question that weighed her down like a ball-and-chain. Nina just... wasn't sure. Nor did Noah. He floundered around like a fish out of water for a beat, before smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of his neck. " Er, ahh..." he began. " Yea? I-I mean, yea, of course you will be, Nina! You're a teacher and they're... kinda... like moms, right?" Nina withheld a laugh. Instead, she shook her head with a smile, and said, " Thanks, Noah. I needed that." Noah's words were hardly comforting, but it was his own way of telling her she would be fine. Nina couldn't ask for more. She then reached for the passenger side door and pushed it open, descending from the beige pickup with a light clop of her boots to the asphalt before making her way toward the lab. The lab's interior had the feeling of, well, a lab; sterile and mysterious. The teacher almost wanted to poke her nose in further and get a better look, but she was there to meet Zeke, so the objective remained a steadfast concentration in her mind. He wasn't hard to find; stack of papers and folders likely meant that was him. Nina mustered up her friendliest smile, and shot her one hand out to greet the man. " Hi, hello!" she said smoothly. " I'm Nina. You called me a while ago? About the Raevan?" She didn't add the extra bit of, " Where are they?" but her eyes danced with the desire to know.
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