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Gracious Conversationalist
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 Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:09 am
As the situation resolved itself, and Kyou released the spell he had cast on Lindin, Graficcha tightened the hold on her aura. When Lazarus came drifting in, making the total on people that might possibly be 'dangerous' -she counted him, Kyou, Alexi and Chloe- four, she hid even further away into it.
Seeing saw Lindin becoming himself again, exhausted but apparently unharmed, the little spy became teary-eyed. She listened to Alexi's explanation with one ear, understanding it fully, while letting the relief wash over her. Now, she probably knew about most of the transhuman's worries and troubles, and she wished there was some way to spare him all of this, or at least, make it easier.
As long as he feels he can handle it...but still...
When Kyou mentioned the use of magical abilities in his territorium, Graf felt a little guilty... If she hadn't been around, then Lindin'd never have set up this 'magic' conversation with her...
He had looked a bit bored, though... The thought of Kyou coming in to find him playing around with his powers was even scarier. Not that the quick exchange between dragon-Lindin and the scientist hadn't made her insides squirm... not many things had ever made her this worried, apart from what happened to Rivener on 'that' night. To relieve her conscience, she could only hope that the lesser evil had prevented a greater one. She didn't trust herself on predicting the half-human's behaviour anywhere near accurate just yet, though.
While Alexi started explaining her long absence to doctor Kyou, who seemed to be slowly falling back into his usual pattern of behaviour, Lindin lay slouched against the wall and seemed to get himself together again. When he suddenly addressed her directly, Graf peeped out of her shadowy place a bit and smiled at him, a nervous, shaky one.
"I'm so glad you're okay..." she mouthed at him, hoping he'd catch it.
"Don't catch a cold, ne...." she added after taking intoaccount that he was quite sweaty and his clothes had been "overstretched a bit".
... he sure did look good. Graf's face lit up, and now smiled warmly at him.
Now she just had to keep up her attention-barrier. Nobody seemed to have really 'looked' at her yet. To her dismay, some had caught a glance already, but none a second.
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:00 pm
Mm this is funnnnn....!
From the shadow world, a being peered through the extensions into the real world through the shadows of the room of Lab 305. Plotting, cheering, giggling at all the new drama that had occured. She wouldn't interfere. But she liked to watch these play friends of hers, acting a scene with these new playtoys they met. Oh the drama! Oh the drudgery! Life is but a play!
She began to sing in a sing-song voice, the words of Shakespeare, pausing, acting out the play but not in a serious manner, more in the way a child would sing their way through a song they didn't know - but it fit, in an eerie sort of way....
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."
She giggled and sang, and danced in the shadow world with her scarves flying all around her like wings, laughing insanely at how much these words made sense! And how WEIRD they were, how far transhumans had come to making time obsolete! But yet, they were still players in the drama of the wooooorrldddd! These words of a bygone era, from the words of a poet and playwright named Shakespeare. Or was it he who came up with these things? There was some debate over even his existence! Oh the drama! She giggled and pranced around. What fun humankind was! Funny and yet so cruel! She started to cackle and then suddenly cocked her head and frowned. Listening to some voice she thought she heard in her head. And then, she spoke into the shadow world again.
"Yes mama, I won't be a naughty girl. I'll play with them when they're done."
Dance puppets dance! she thought again, looking around to see if anyone had heard her. Her attention had started to focus on this Graficcha creature, who liked to hide from the world. What weirdness, what a different person she was compared to everyone else! She had some sort of power over shadows, and this was kinda fun! She chuckled, her mouth twisted in some weird demonic child's grin. Maybe she could be a new playmate! But Lindin was there. Lindin was taking up allll the fun.
Oh well! She would bide her time time time and wait wait wait for the tick tick tick of the clock clock clock!!!!!
Mondai snickered and danced, watching the puppets of her show dance to the beat of an unseen drummer.
______________________________
Back in the reality of the lab, Lindin had felt a little itch, as if he was being watched by someone from the shadows. He shrugged it off, maybe it was just Graf he thought, and he grinned a little despite the pain and lack of energy.
"Thanks kiddo for thinkin of me, I'll be fine though, just gotta catch mah breath." He smiled winningly at the corner where he knew Graf was. He could make out her outline and her eyes somewhat, despite some sort of shadowy fog that had risen up over her. It was more like she kinda just faded into the wall. Became a part of it, despite the fact that her color and form was unchanged.
But somehow, he managed to keep her attention on this outline of her. Maybe she was trying to keep everyone -else- from noticing her, but he was an exception? Noone else had seemed to notice the little one in the corner, or had, at least, stopped noticing after awhile or caring. Weird little power this one had.
Her face was ablaze with smiles, and Lindin caught her eyeing his chest. Ah crap, he thought. I finally get Lexi's heart back and now I got this kiddo interested in me. Stupid a** body.
He laughed a bit inside. In this manner, he was much like Alexi, physically a beautiful specimen, made for attracting the opposite gender and being the fantasy of many. While he was still young compared to other transhumans, his centuries of life-experience had given him...certain abilities in relationships, and specifically, in how to pleasure a woman. In this manner, he was much like the vampires of legend. Alexi didn't seem to mind, she loved the way he was in bed. But he doubted she'd like if he shared that with this girl.
He made it a point to try to make this more of a friendship, and he tried to cover his chest a little, though his rags did little to hide it.
He slid further into the corner and nodded at Graf, speaking quietly as Kyou and Alexi were busy. "So, you were gonna tell me bout yourself, and some stories?" He grinned in a manner that was disarming, a smile that had been practiced for centuries, and much like the
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:13 am
Unaware of the fact that Lindin took her attention directed at his body as something more than a general checkout –who was she to refrain from admiring raw beauty like this, it was aesthetically pleasing-, Graficcha kept looking at him. The hairs on her neck were still up high, and for a moment, she had to do her best to ignore a severe sting of unwanted attention. She was keener on trying to keep this rare action of honest socialising going, especially to get her mind off the exquisite awkwardness that could arise any moment if someone caught sight of her.
She had seen it in Lindin’s images of Alexi, she knew all too well how the man lived in strife for the love and care of the powerful woman. No a moment did she think she should compete with her for love, no, not in a million years. That was a terrain she left unexplored purposefully.... just being comfortable around another person was already enthralling enough.
But yes, stories.... It would be easier if she could just try to send some flashes through to Lindin in return, but it’d be downright foolish, and certainly not very considerate to ask him to use his ‘magic’ again to set up a connection. Her respect for Kyoupiruchi had returned immediately, only having made place for indignation before, since acceptance came easy with new knowledge; in this case, about the ‘house rules’.
“Un, a story you want... Maybe you’d like to know about Raevans....” for a moment, Graf contemplated this.... she was more thinking out loud, even if the words were spoken silently enough. After all, Lindin would soon have to deal with his former ally again, but in a new form. She could only guess how much the transhumans knew about what exactly a Raevan needed to grow and flourish. For the three of them, Graf fervently hoped that the plan would work, and that Kalec would become himself again with time.
“... I... I first learned about them when I first arrived here, about a year ago. Where I lived before is of no importance, and what I did isn’t interesting at all....”
In her mind, it indeed wasn’t. What se said was a by-the-way statement. Just going to school, being regarded as a nice, friendly girl, but quite asocial, isn’t it, Herr rector? Later, the gradual process of distancing herself, becoming more and more shy and how she began to draw the shadows around her, that, she didn’t know how it all went down the slope herself. It just kind of.... happened.
“Well, I came here, I settled myself in, and I just had nothing to do...Everything’s kind of boring around here. I had no real purpose, or I think I was still trying to see it....
Just then, one day, I came around here. I don’t know if you know the feeling, but there was this pull... I just HAD to stay and watch. I’ve seen it as my duty to keep an eye on every Raevan out there ever since. I don’t want them to get hurt....” with a warm feeling creeping into her chest, Graf remembered the incidents with Lazarus, Gage setting his first steps into the world, the little but growing family coming together at that festival and the Raevan sleepover, and everything else.
“They’re so.... so inexperienced. It’s just unfair that the ones they live with are still struggling to get themselves on a defined track, and I know they do their very best to be a good guardian for them.... but often, I get the feeling there’s something they need but can’t get, something they feel but can’t put into words.”
“Raevans are really new to the world. The essence they’re made from and the soul that has been chosen for them makes them who they are, and I can only try to imagine how confusing it must be to just.... be in this world all of a sudden. This place is not good enough for them. And not good enough for any newborn creature. To be dependant on it is bad enough, but we’re all forced to live in it and let our surroundings corrupt us and make life worrisome.
Sometimes I think I could help the guardians here.... but as long as nothing goes really wrong, who am I to interfere? I just know that I’m doing my best to keep track of them, to record what happens to them, to be there if someone needs information on where things went wrong. It’s bound to happen, and it is already happening.”
Graficcha thought of Roux’ disappearance, Melisande’s depression and Rivener’s inner struggle with little Isikoroin coming to live with him and Aphismet.
“Just know that as a Raevan, Kalec will be more in touch with his essence, the Dragon Lich Breath. He will need to find what he feeds on, and discover his powers. All Raevans, whether they come from purely nature-based souls or essences or not, they all have a certain bond with their components. It’s the guardian’s task to educate them, to teach them how to deal with the world they live in, and to take care of their needs. Like young kids need to learn that eating their carrots isn’t nice, but that they have to do it anyway because it’s good for them. I’m sure that Kalec himself, if you succeed in giving him back his memories, will be able to remain himself as a person, but he’ll have to deal with the fact that he now lives in a Frei’s body. Imagine yourself waking up in a girl’s body one morning.... I bet it’s still quite a shock, prepared or not.
If anything happens to him, I want to be able to warn people that things are going bad. Often, people settle in a wrong routine, or forget to focus on the basics sometimes....
Like warmth and kindness. That’s something I’d give Gage, if there was a way to stuff it in a bottle. Like steady guidance, wisdom, empathy, patience and all those things....
Just the things people recognise as good things.
Raevans have the ability to catch on quickly, to feel and think and develop, but for them, it must go so fast....”
Graficcha had been talking without really knowing where this was headed, and she guessed she was a really incoherent ‘story’ teller, but she hoped Lindin would understand her point.
She fixed her eyes on his.
“I know that officially, Alexi will be Kalec’s guardian, but please, would you try to keep an eye on things? When people are too attached to someone, and they went to lengths to get them back from the dead.... I just wouldn’t want her to push him into the role he had before just like that. He’ll need a friend to cling to, if he feels the need. In the middle of the change of the blank Frei you’ll start with into the person he was, that limbo, it must be terrifying...”
Graf shuddered a little at the thought.
“I really hope you can keep that in mind.... And I hope you can get him back safely.”
With a sigh, she paused and waited.... when did this turn into a monologue again? Somehow, her protectiveness over the pure creatures had taken over her train of thought again. She hoped she hadn’t given Lindin the impression she was reprimanding him and Alexi even before the two had even met the now sleeping Frei, but this had been on her mind for a few minutes now, ever since the transhuman had so vividly shown her what their plans were.
“.... I just really care for them, and that’s all I ever do.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:55 pm
Lindin had gone silent, bowing his head as he rested but keeping one eye locked on the location Graf was at, so she would understand that he was listening to her despite his lack of energy. Slowly, the inner fire in him was rekindling, but he would need to feed soon if he was to gain his full strength back. The Rathien in him was still there, that base instinct - he had to make sure he didn't pass out, or that instinct would take over in an instant again.
He understood, he understood well the complete disorientation of being in a body you didn't understand, of coming into existence with full awareness, instead of the simple awareness of a child or a baby, where the consciousness slowly arose as life went on. He imagined, that this is how it was like for all transhumans whenever they were re-integrated into a new body. And, it was certainly true that they were never -quite- the same, since they were living in a body that they had to get used to again.
"Ah, such kindness to let me know more about the Raevans. I had only heard Lexi talk about em. She knows the limitations, she actually got herself struck by lightning because she went nuts after finding them out. I understand yer concern for the little ones." He grinned, closing his eyes for a second before fixating his gaze back into the corner. "Despite how we may seem, how confident we may look or how odd, we are human. Or used to be anyway. We have our doubts, our fears, and the mere fact that we are transhuman makes us uncomfortable sometimes."
Yes, uncomfortable. Restless - the whole transformation of his predecessors into transhumans had been largely artificial. Centuries of stagnant evolution had been completely obliterated, the crux of the Transcendance Project was to ascend the human race. Well, it had succeeded somewhat, bringing out powers and abilities from their subjects. But these subjects had been changed in fundamental ways. And they still rememebered, in part, their original forms. How it felt to be in a body that was -theirs-.
Alexi, even now, scratched at her shoulders and her back. That was exactly what it was. Itchiness. Lindin silently prayed every day and gave thanks for the fact that he was one of the lucky to not have to experience this, because his body was always like this. Though, he shared it with a monster.
"You know so much bout the Raevans, Graf, its a wonder that Kyou and the others who work here haven't noticed you yet, noticed your special abilities or your desire to take care of them." A deeper interest lay there within her mind, he sensed. Something unconscious, perhaps it was a motherly attitude, the want to take care of one of the singular Raevan herself, that made her obsess with them all since she couldn't have one yet. Secretly, he hoped that she would be given one someday, so that she could break out of her secret world.
In the meantime, it seemed that he was doing a good job of that on his own. Maybe the fact that he was so odd, so...inhuman though he had a relatively human form that made her so comfortable around him. It was much like how she was disarming to him too, because she wasn't a transhuman. Maybe it was this simple curiosity that linked them, that made them react in such a way to each other.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to take care of him." Lindin assured the shy lurking girl with a confident smile. "Lexi isn't going to have to do this alone. Plus I got some friends and we have a big network of people dedicated to the cause. The Raevan Kalec will get special treatment, and a good place ta find out who he really is."
____________________________
WHO is that? Light eyes peered through the darkness of the shadows, very much interested again in this...Graficcha character. This puppet that knew so much, that lurked in shadows like she did, peering into the lives of others. She aggravated Mondai. Why was this curious thing so shy? What was the point of being shyyyyy? She drew the end of the word shy out at length, turning her thoughts into a little symphony of tones, and laughed. But this weird girl was ANYTHING but shy when it came to trying to "educate" her big brother Lindin. SO WEIRD.
HUMANS - they are SO WEIRD because of their fascination WITH the weird and the different! She broke out into laughter and danced. Thinking they know everything, but knowing NOTHING!!! Nooothinnnng Nothing nothing...NOTHING! Sans intelligence, sans knowledge, sans everything! Did this girl really think that THEY, would have a problem raising a child with special powers? She giggled uncontrollably - every one of them had powers...ooohhh yes poweerssss - she hissed the last part of the word like a snake, the scarves around her neck writhing.
The little assassin glared out into the real world, a mixture of giddiness and hatred lacing her, her moods swinging like a pendulum. Tick, tock, tick, tock, goes the clock clock clockkkk.
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:59 am
Taking a seat on the pure white couch in the reception area, Kyou listened carefully and quietly at Alexi's words. Her explanation of the transhumans he could understand. Though Kyou was acting more on instinct than anything else, he just sensed some abnormal activities in the room, and maybe Lindin's seeping magical powers did attracted his attention. He closed his eyes for a short moment as he digested the words in detail. As he opened his eyes his gaze was a little softer than before, but there was still a lingering coldness in them. "I'm sorry I did that to him without knowing what was going on." He apologized, turning his gaze from Alexi to Lindin. Maybe it was a good idea to place 'No Magic Allowed' signs around the lab after all. He bowed his head down a little in apology.
"I don't know much of what is going on in the place you're currently living in, but it sounds like it's really messed up." He turned his gaze back to Alexi now, addressing the issue at hand. Kyou wasn't an unreasonable person, although Alexi's reasonings may sound a little farfetched in normal terms, but Kyou could sense that she's telling the truth. He could somehow felt that this Alexi in front of him now isn't the same Alexi he had met before a year back. It may just be his instincts, but he could just feel the difference.
After a little silent consideration, he finally spoke. "Alright, I will release your Raevan, Kalec is his name? Yes I'll release him from the confinement. But I'm not very sure that your place is a safe enough place for a Raevan to grow up in. They are extremely delicate at this stage, I just don't want them to have any unnecessary trauma." he spoke with concern for the Raevans. "What plans do you have for him?" he asked as he stared directly into Alexi's eyes.
Lazarus was listening closely nearby on the conversation that was going on. Transhuman? War? That sounded alot like some stuff he watched on TV. The conversation between Kyou and Alexi left no space for other people to interrupt, and truthfully it was too intrigueing for Laz to do so. So he remained in the background - behind the reception desk with Chloe. But his gaze did lingered to the person that was a half reptile earlier. Fascination creeping into his eyes. Power always had a strong attraction for Lazarus, just like the power he felt from Roux. However, he could somehow felt that this man's powers are much stronger than Roux's.
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:06 pm
Still standing before the couch that Kyou was sitting in, Alexi's eyes widened in true happiness. She understood why he had done what he did to Lindin, considering the true powers she now knew he had. Many of her own race tended to be very cautious, and it was simply natural that Kyou would be territorial of the Lab. She wondered if it was a good idea to bring Lindin along. She had justified it because she didn't want to face Kyou alone, but it might have been better if she had.
"Thank you Kyou," she breathed her words in gratitude, her voice returning to a softer angelic chorus that had never been a part of the old Alexi. She contemplated the Doctor's words carefully as he spoke. Images of battle and war ran through her mind, and the trauma she had to go through in her rebirth under those circumstances was quite fresh in her mind. She didn't want Kalec to go through it, or to risk exposing him to the enemy that was looking for him. She nodded in concurrence. "I agree with your opinion, that my home isn't the best place to raise a child right now. It would be best if he mingled here, or around the area. I can leave the fighter outside if you'd like, and live from there for awhile so that I can keep an eye on the little one."
She met his cool eyes with her own blue eyes, trying to be confident in the face of the lingering coldness. Despite the fact that she had centuries or even milennia of life experience behind her, they were the memories of another life. Her new melded soul and body were more timid, less bold and confident.
"As for my plans for Kalec..." She looked away for a moment to mull over the words to use to describe this to Kyou, then steeled herself and looked back into his eyes. "I believe you know my plans. It is my hope that this new Kalec will become a new savior for my race. I realize he doesn't have the old one's memories, and he's a completely new being, but he has a potential that I can feel is similar to our fallen savior." Her expression was serious, showing how genuine her words were.
"If this new Kalec shares any semblance of likeness with my mentor, he'll be pondering his existence, trying to figure out what the meaning of his life is, and figuring out his body. Attempting to figure out his needs, explore the outside world, and to understand the people around him." She spread her delicate hands and pressed them against her curved chest, where her heart should be, to show that she knew her responsibilities and that raising the Raevan would be a gigantic understaking. She gazed cooly but with passion at Kyou as she finished speaking. "I aim to help guide him into the world, and give him answers to his questions. To learn with him as he grows, and to bring him to maturity with his essence intact. Perhaps, also, to help him figure out his destiny." She bowed her head in respect, her eyes keeping contact with Kyou's, and waited for an answer or guidance for the next step. "May I go see Kalec? And if you have any advice, I'd appreciate it greatly."
Lindin had in the meantime, not noticed Lazarus's gaze. He was too pre-occupied with talking with Graf, and recupperating his energy for him to even notice much else, regardless of who or what it might be. If anything, this was a good time for Lazarus to get a good look over Lindin, and to figure things out through eavesdropping.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:45 am
While taking a breath from the little talk, surprisingly lengthy for her, Graficcha listened to Lindin's response. She was glad he wasn't offended by her rather moralising way of speaking to him about Kalec, but when he told her that he wondered why she wasn't actively working with the Raevans yet, however, Graf suppressed a nervous giggle. Oh, the idea...
Well, yes, it'd be a dream coming true, but no, no, really NO. Thinking of actually having a face-to-face conversation with the keepers, or even the revered Kyoupiruchi himself, gawd, that made her want to melt into a puddle of anonimous goo.
Maybe Gage'd have some fun trying to figure a drab of Graffie-fluid out, but seriously...
The only way Graficcha would ever really participate in this was if someone pushed her in, or if she somehow got herself stuck in it. In those cases, she'd be overjoyed accepting any task that was placed upon her, as long as it served the slowly growing Raevan population and/or their guarians.
... but no, seriously, no. Fits of giddyness and worrisome anxiety ensued, but wait, luckily Lindin wan't finished yet! And she was even happier when he assured her that the newborn Frei would have every support possible. It really sounded like these transhumans had enough experience with 'waking up in a weird place'-kind of coming to life.
But then, somehow she felt that maybe something was off... Just that little generality of life... death'n taxes, you can always count on those.
"Say, Lindin... It's really good to hear that Kalec will have all those people standing by his side, but what if... Isn't it possible someone will still want to harm him?"
Graficcha asked him, and let her gaze swerve over the floor for a moment in contemplation.
"After all, he did die..." the afterthought was nearly lost in her breath. A gloomy mood settled over her for a moment, especially because her neck hairs just didn't want to frikkin' settle down.
Graf glanced around, only moving her eyes, and noticed Lazarus checking out the 'intruder'. The Frei hadn't noticed her yet, so tings were okay. The Raevan had every right to satisfy his curiosity, and for a moment, she wondered if she should make Lindin aware of it.
In the end, she decide she'd keep an eye on Laz, and if that little spark of genuine interest flared up too high, she'd warn the transhuman. No reason to have Lazarus feel whatever he'd feel if caught staring like that, be it shame or the need to fluff up like a peacock, showing clearly that he had every right to intrude, or make Lindin uncomfortable if it wasn't necessary.
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to the other conversation. It seemed like the major kinks in the relationship between Alexi and Kyou had been smoothed out by rational, open talk, and now, they had come to the crucial point.
Yatta... finally releasing Kalec from that horrible stasis. Again, Graf prayed that he wouldn't suffer from any lasting damage.
She hoped she'd be able to keep from meeping out loud from excitement. AND that Lindin'd be able to ignore the fact that she was running high on adrenalin. The pull to sneak after Kyou and Alexi was extremely strong, and she'd be damned if she allowed herself to screw up.
She probably would, though.
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:04 pm
Lindin had begun to recover somewhat, and had picked up the fact that Lazarus was holding interest in him in some way. It didn't disturb him very much though. He was used to being viewed as a curiosity, and something about this Raevan, at least thats what he thought Lazarus was was inhuman enough to not worry him so much. There was a sort of innate kinship between non-humans, of those who were magical in nature.
He well-knew Grafficha's concern. It was something he and Alexi had discussed quite a bit before her demise, and after her re-incarnation. Death was a very hard thing to avoid in their society, there was always a risk involved. "Ya, we already kinda figured about that kiddo, its been factored into the equation. There are those who want to harm him, because they fear what he might be, but for da most part, they want him -alive- considering how young he is." He wondered if that was actually any better, considering how susceptible to nurture and corruption the young can be but he hid this from Graf. "So at da most, they'd just capture him and ya know, try to raise him so they could use his powers themselves."
He smiled though. There was no way that they could get to him really. Considering the defense mechanisms they had just put into place, and the fact that Alexi was back up and running at maximum, things looked a little brighter. He might have had misgivings if he was asked before her re-incarnation, but that was honestly a moot point, since he wouldn't be here if she wasn't alive.
"Honestly though, any one of us'd give our lives to save Kalec, we really feel he's gonna be the one to save us all." He shrugged absently. "Thats the life of a soldier. To die for a greater cause. And I'd give mah life willingly to save the rest of us. Not cuz someone told me to." He winked slyly, his face alight with a more healthy glow. "Besides, this little one is made in the image of my pops, and I owe my pops not only for takin' care of me, but for my powers too. They're a burden, ya, but they're a blessing too. So I can take care of Lexi here."
The eye locked in Graf's direction stayed put but the other eye began to roll upward, in the direction of Lazarus, finally locking gazes with the Raevan. Power emanated from that eye, his reptilian gaze holding the kind of confident fire that one would expect from someone as powerful as Lindin. He beckoned with his head, and smiled in a nice way. The Raevan was still quite far away, but Lindin wanted him to know that he was welcome to join the conversation and if he couldn't use his telepathy, then physical beckoning should work.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:47 am
"Nyun..." Graf nodded, listening to Lindin's answer. "That's good..." she said, just to say something at all. She was in an odd breathless mood now, for some reason, settling into a fuzzy warm-night-on-a-hill peaceful kind of mode.
When Lindin changed the topic from Kalec to himself and his reasons for fighting, if not dieing for the reborn being, Graf slid down to sit against the wall, arranging her black coat underneath her to be comfortable.
"Hmmhmmm...."
She understood it, yes... it was a little weird to hear about such wars and catastrophic events going on, people dieing for their causes and betrayal and so on, when they were all here now, at 'the' Lab 305, where everything seemed to just muddle on as life went by. Even with her mere 17 years of real experience, little Graf could somehow draw upon some source of collective memories that seemed to tie all Gaians together. Well, that, and her overactive imagination, that had enabled her to call the shadows in the first place. Yes, she could understand and place herself in the situation.
She knew there were many things she could say to keep the conversation going -Is he Really your dad?-, but she saw that Lindin had taken notice of Lazarus now as well. The way his eyes moved indepentently from each other made her think of trying to do it herself, but she predicted headaches and dizziness...you can't just try to overcome nature. It's like trying to lick your elbow. I wonder if Lin-san's ever tried that...
He seemed to be subtly beckoning the Frei to come over, and now she had to decide whether to go away from the Lab, or to just stay and see how things would work out.
Graficcha decided, in that funny mood, to just stay here and sit it out. She'd be careful not to anger the Incubus soul... Nya, maybe Lazzie would rather accompany Kyou to wherever he went, or maybe not, and hey, still, Lindin was the only one here who knew she was here at all... she hoped.
Man, so many things happening in such a short span of time... At least Lindin looked quite a bit better now.
So Graficcha tried to get the fuzz out of her head that had settled there after the few minutes of tension, to make room for some tactical thinking.
Fat chance that THAT would work...
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:00 am
Lazarus winced as Lindin looked his way. He knew that Lindin would notice his stares sooner or later, but moving his eyeballs in different directions presents a small shock for Lazarus. It reminded Lazarus of a chameleon that he saw on television once, those things could move their eyes in any direction at any speed they preferred. Somehow it seemed appropriate for this man to have this ability. But it wasn't something that Lazarus see normally, especially on a human form. So instead of going forward towards Lindin, Lazarus backed away a little. Just as his back hit the wall, he whirled around and headed back into the inner sections of the laboratory, all the time never removing his gaze from the man until be disappeared behind the sliding doors. But it wasn't a look of fascination this time, it was instead a stare of slight fear as his brows furrowed.
Kyou pondered Alexi's words. The 'fighter' Alexi mentioned must be the airship parked outside. It isn't blocking or disturbing Kyou in any way, but it may attract unneeded attention.
"So what you are saying, is that either I keep Kalec in this lab for the meantime, or you would stay here and care for Kalec in your airship parked outside?" Kyou carefully chooses his words. He wasn't entirely happy about Kalec staying in the lab for a long period, but something started to brew in his mind as his thoughts raced. "I understand that he is very important to you, I got the impression the first time we met. I was just a little miffed that you would go missing for an entire year without any news. Glad that you're alright now though." Standing up and grabbing his grocery bag once more, he urged Alexi to follow him. "Let's talk as we make our journey to the stasis sleep capsule, it's located in the back of the cafeteria. You may see Kalec." Finally, Kyou broke a smile towards Alexi for the first time in that day. Though it was a smile that's more of pure polite and business than actual joy.
His smile faded as his gaze traveled to Lindin. "Will he be following us?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:36 am
Lindin was surprised to see Lazarus's rather cautious retreat. True, it was probably unnatural to see his eyes move that way, but wasn't the fact that he was different the hook that had gotten Lazarus interested in the first place? As the Raevan receded back into the depths of the laboratory, Lindin sighed and continued his banter with Graf. Or rather, his companionship with her, as it seemed their conversation had tapered off for a bit. He smiled and just closed his amber eyes, resting in her company. It was good to take a break. He felt the need to recuperate his energy so he could run around again, stretch out some.
Alexi had in the meantime, locked eyes with Kyou again and listened intently to his words. "I guess you could consider it my probationary period but yes, if you think its best, I'd be willing to stay here to take care of him in my airship, or in your lab, or in somewhere nearby, whatever you prefer. I can take him to my home though, I believe he'd be safe there too." She would definitely keep him safe, but inside, she felt that she would need to convince Kyou more that she would be able to take care of the Raevan, and ask him questions about what would be necessary to administer this care.
She caught Kyou's change in mood easily. She was a master of reading men's faces and expressions, and Kyou wasn't one to hide his emotions it seemed. "No, don't worry. Lindin is definitely still too worn out to move that far, he wouldn't want to come anyway. I can handle myself from here." She locked eyes with Lindin quickly and nodded, giving him consent to leave and to assure him in their body language that she would be okay. He nodded back almost imperceptively. "Alright then, shall we?" Gathering the hem of her dress and bowing politely to Kyou, she made her way down the hall, following his lead, her heels clicking against the floor.
Lindin had raised his head a bit to look at his lover's retreating form. It was a blatant lie that he wasn't able to move for even Alexi would have noticed that he was well enough to possibly move around. But he knew that she was trying to make peace with this insatiable and overbearing doctor (at least, from his opinion and being under the attack by the warlock anyway). He wanted nothing more than to have a rematch on his own turf, or just to run after their retreating forms. But it would do no good to go now.
"Graf, looks like Ah'm not wanted here. I'm gonna head to mah fighter ship. You're welcome tah join me. But if you'd rather check out Alexi and Kalec, you're more than welcome to follow em as you please. Just don't get caught kiddo." His face was worrying despite his smile. He hoped that this new friend wouldn't get in trouble. He sensed another shadowy presence though, and he hoped that the person who this presence signified would take care of the little shadow-lurker.
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:27 am
At the expected turnaround of events, Graf found herself in a pinch. She did want to see Kalec, she was nearly burning up with curiosity, but somehow, for this one time, something else was keeping her from immediately zipping along with Alexi and Kyoupiruchi.
Just this one time, she acually had a choice, and she chose to stay with Lindin. In her mind, there were actually a couple of reasons, the first and foremost that she wasn't entirely convinced that her new talking partner would be completely fine. It might be silly, and she didn't want to make him feel like she was underestimating him, but that was her personal opinion on the matter.
Secondly, the thought of getting caught kind of repelled her more than usually. This odd presence, she was sure that someone else was here, it didn't really put her at ease that much.
Oh yes, and Graf suspected that it might not be a good idea to be there spying on Alexi and Kalec at the moment he woke up. She guessed that the winged warrioress might not react that well upon finding out about the blatant intrusion upon her privacy, and yes, maybe it'd just be considerate to let the two of them 'meet' again privately. Stalker or no, Graficcha still had some common sense.
On top of that, the fact that Lindin actually 'invited' her over to the transhumans' ship, that was just... whoa. 'Whoow...' It was odd, really odd. When she had woken up this morning, not in her most creative mood could she have come up wth this scenario. The two most elusive people on her list appearing out of the blue, and one of them starting a conversation with her IN the Lab, Kalec about to be released from stasis, and now -a strangely depraved image of the Zurg abducting cows flashed throught her head- Lindin was offering her to have a peek at the innards of his temporary living space.
AND he didn't seem to care that her pasttime involved unwanted attention directed at his beloved. Not only that, he seemed to encourage her to be careful...
Graficcha blushed, and her cheeks flared to life, hidden under her dark long hair.
"You know what, I'll come with you..." she whispered.
It was up to him if he wanted to ask her why.
"Besides, I think you might be getting your perspective on Kyou-sama warped a little..."
Graf kind of hoped she could prevent rivalry between the two of them... the way Lindin was watching the doctor was a little too defensive, if not aggressive. Just a notch, but still.
With Lazarus rather keeping his distance from the tanshuman, she could easily slip out of the Lab without attracting any attention. She waited for Lin to take the lead though.
Man, this was so darn exciting! She felt like a little child now, eager to see and hear and learn, even if her day-to-day routine was getting ruffled up majorly.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:38 pm
Grinning, Lindin closed his eyes and got up slowly but fluidly, his physical strength having returned to his body. It would still take awhile for all his magic to recharge but he could do that in the ship.
"Sounds good kiddo. Not sure how long Lexi is gonna take in there. But I'm sure she can handle herself." Kyou didn't seem to be in a hurry, and seemed rather reluctant to take Alexi into the lab with him still there, able to watch the goings on. It was just as well that he left the building so that they could get to what she had come here to do.
"This way Graf, its not too far away." He pulled his gloves back on and straightened his clothes and uniform a bit, a light worrying line creasing his brow slightly despite his efforts to be cheerful. There was a lot he had to think about and he worried not only about Alexi, but about how he was so easily disabled by Kyou's spell. Am I really this weak?
As he strode to the door, his clothes tattered a little by the transformations he had undergone, the sliding panels opened with a ready hiss. The wall behind him was a little damaged but not that much so, although the air seemed to have this burning or scorched scent where he had been laying against the wall.
It was starting to get darker outside, which didn't help things at all. Frack, stupid a** sun, come up so I can get recharged. It wouldn't matter anyway though, the ship had recharging stations where he could recuperate, but the cold air wasn't his style. He shivered a little, careful to use only the lightest touch of magic to heat the air around him and Graf, and only after they were far away from the compound that he could be sure Kyou wouldn't notice or care.
The outline of the fighter ship lay outside the complex. It wasn't the size of a classic fighter, despite what it might have sounded like. It was obviously built larger in order to provide a space to live in for at least a few people. It seemed very alien against the landscape and the buildings around the area, the smooth black metal and the soft shapes making it seem like a living entity despite the fact that it was obviously artificial.
Hints of green swam inside the metal, showing a magical or energy power inside it. A low hum resonated from it, not in the ears, but in the mind. Runes and stripes lined the outside of the ship in gold and silver hues. It was obviously Alexi's ship with a color scheme like that, and something about the shape made it seem like a bird about to take flight. Large gun-like cannons jutted out of the wings, which numbered four in all. Despite its sleek design, it was obviously built for combat. The sunset framed the ship in an eerie red glow.
"Well, here's the ship." Lindin grinned and spoke matter-of-factly and moved closer to it. His movement and a twist of his red gloved left hand in the air made a clicking noise and an invisible hatch opened from the belly of the fighter to reach the ground. "Nothin' much to look at but I hope ya like it." He gestured for her to go ahead and enter the ship.
The inside of the ship was possibly very astounding to Graf. It didn't seem very futuristic at all at a first glance, and instead spoke of an old age long past, possibly architecture much like old Roman designs. The walls were smooth and shifted constantly, the surface of which seemed like white marble. However, it merged with much more futuristic equipment and the black living metal seemed to permeate at least the seams of the ship and the equipment. To the right, towards the back of the ship were rooms that served as bedrooms, all tailored to the specifications of the owner at a whim.
It was obvious which one was Alexi's, the bed adorned with many exquisite pillows and blankets, that seemed very silky in nature. There was a couch there as well, a soft cushioned one, and the entire place sang with elaboration and formality but was obviously feminine. The only stark contrast in the room was a holo-picture of Lindin sat on the desk, grinning away in that anti-authority way of his.
Lindin's room, on the other hand, was the picture of messy. The bed wasn't made, its red and black covers pretty much falling off the top. The desk and the gothic-looking chair were covered in various random things, and it was apparent that the flight had made things even worse. Lindin made no move to do anything about it either, obviously feeling that the chaos that was the room was very comfortable.
In between the cockpit and the bedrooms, where the two entered was a circular table with chairs that appeared to be made out of the same material as the rest of the ship. The table was covered in papers it seemed, but when one looked closer at them, they were a little thicker than paper-thickness, and were digital panes that one could pick up and browse through, like mini-computers per page. Schematics, videos, pictures, and notes literally made the white marble table seem like a painting. In some of these papers, movement could be seen of events that occurred in Alexi's past.
The front of the ship was also very unlike a conventional cockpit. A simple sliding door separated the planning room from it, though it was obvious the door was very strong. The similarities to a regular cockpit ended with the two chairs that rose out from the floor as if they were sculpted directly into the ship. Lindin threw himself into one and slid it across the floor however, so it was obvious that it wasn't actually melded to the ship. The controls of the ship didn't contain the buttons one would assume it should have. Instead, there was a dome in the center of the front of the room, and small hand-size domes on the arm-rests of the chairs.
Despite the fact that one couldn't look into the ship's front from the outside and it all seemed like a solid-black covering over the entire area, it looked like there were windows looking out into the area outside the ship, in a band that stretched from front out around the sides.
"You look a little surprised Graf, yah it kinda looks different from a regular ship, if you've ever seen one, but we control the ship with these simple interfaces." He grinned and with a flick of his wrist on the dome near his right hand, the ship flared to life, the runes beginning to glow with power and the hum increasing and then suddenly disappearing as it went past the human auditory spectrum. The "windows" that looked out into the area expanded so that the entire room besides the chairs seemed to disappear into a barely-noticeable shadow.
"Gotta love nano-technology." Lindin spun around in his chair. "Wanna try? And maybe explore around da ship?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:40 pm
Heaving the grocery bag a little bit more to get a steadier grip, Kyou started a meaningful stride through the sliding doors and through the double swinging doors right after it to the right side. He gave a last glance towards Lindin before he entered the sliding doors though. But his gaze didn't linger on him for too long, instead he moved his gaze towards another individual not very far from him. The fact is Kyou had noticed Graf there rather early in the entire scene, he just didn't bother to give it much attention since she wasn't causing any troubles in the lab. Turning his head back to the direction they're headed, he silently wished that Graf would stay that way, keeping herself away from causing trouble.
"The capsule is past that archway." Kyou spoke as nodded towards the far end of the cafeteria, an archway located next to the kitchen area. Passing by the empty tables and chairs located in the cafeteria, Kyou wondered where is Ray Kit. The kitchen looked abandoned and bare today, maybe Ray Kit was sick, or that he's just late. He took a glance at the clock located on a wall near the kitchen and took note that it's just pass noon. So early in the day and so much had happened.
Kyou walked up to the counter in the kitchen and propped the grocery bag down, he'll put the stuff into the refridgerator later, now he had more important business at hand.
Turning around to face Alexi again, he sighed deeply and said, "I gave it a little thought, and figured that it may be best if Kalec could stay around here for another week or two. Just to be sure that he's alright after the stasis sleep." His brows knitted in concern. This was the first Raevan that had been placed into stasis sleep, and it worries Kyou a little on how well the Raevan would fare after awakening from one. "The lab is not as big as it seemed, so you could let him stay in the airship outside if you like. But 2 weeks is the max. After that I want that airship to be gone from here!" His voice turned into a sterner tone at the end of that sentence, indicating that he's very serious about it.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:35 pm
Alexi followed the white-coated scientist through the sliding doors, her eyes taking in the surroundings. The place seemed rather alien to her, as if taken out of a history lesson or a distant memory about humankind that she could really barely remember. It was a little nostalgic, for reasons she didn't understand. The word that came to mind for her, was that this was what people called 21st century Terran design.
She watched as Kyou set the grocey bag on the table, his shoulders relaxing as the tension was relieved from his arms. She wondered where he got the groceries from, or what might be inside. To be honest, neither Alexi or Lindin had really researched the area very well. It seemed that they would have to however.
"I think its a good idea that Kalec stay here." She nodded in agreement, her halo glinting as she did in the light of the kitchen. "I'm not really sure what will happen with him either. It would be best if he was in the lab, so that there would be access to professionals if he ran into trouble or something went wrong." This was very true, she thought. After all, she didn't have any experience raising a Raevan. And despite the fact that Kalec may be the first to come out of stasis or the first ever to be put in stasis in the first place, who knew what might have occurred or what complications might arise?
However one thing did nag at her. "I don't mind taking the airship into orbit or something, but hopefully Kalec will be well enough to take with me by that time? Until then, I can take care of him here, or in the vicinity of the lab, and on the airship." She hoped that this would happen, because she really didn't want to be left here in an alien place, though she knew that she would need to if Kalec needed special attention before he was completely released into her care. She had prepared for such a problem however, and was sure she could set up a temporary spartan lodging for herself if there was no room in the lab. And she could hear the seriousness in Kyou's tone.
"Shall we proceed to the capsule then?" She glanced over to the archway and wondered what might be over there. Her hands played over the lines of her dress, fingering the seams. It seemed that, despite her cool demeanor, she was very excited and anxious about her first meeting with Kalec, and how that would turn out. Her heart beat faster in anticipation, the oil blood-substitute running through her quickly.
Curse this human side of me she began to think, though she immediately choked that back. It was the human side of her that made her who she was. If she lost sight of that, she would lose herself. In the back of her mind, she wondered how Lindin was faring. Graf was definitely going to have the surprise of her life. But there was a more important matter at hand here. She had to focus. Her hand clenched in a silent resolve.
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