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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:38 pm
Chloe gave a small flush of excitement that she wasn't able to contain. She had a secret love of stuffed things and she'd wanted to win one of the plushies badly.. "O-Oh! Th-That would be s-so wonderful! But.. only if you had time.."
She didn't want to make Aphismet spend time he could use doing something else more enjoyable making her a silly stuffed toy. She glanced up with surprise as the doors opened, giving a smile of greeting that grew into a shyer, happier one of recognition as Alex entered. She gave a small wave to the woman.
"H-Hello.. oh.." She glanced over at the two Raevens, startling slightly - she'd never actually seen them this close before... but so long as Roux wasn't feeling aggrivated it'd be alright.. "N-No, it's alright." She looked to Aphismet, eyebrows knitting together in concern. "O-Oh.. if you... if you don't mind.. I don't.. want to be rude."
She looked with slight confliction between Alex and Aphismet, she wished to talk with them both but she didn't want to be rude to either...
Roux had been enjoying just being beside Rivener until the doors opened and that familiar woman walked in. He scoweled darkly before floating up, reaching down to take Rivener's hand forcefully and tug him toward the sliding doors.
It was FAR too crowded for his comfort, besides.. the outside felt like a much better place to be right now. He looked back over his shoulder once to make sure Rivener wasn't resisting too hard as he lead him outside into the winter sunlight. Warming, but not too hot. One would have to sit in it for quite some time wearing dark clothing before they became too heated.
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:39 pm
Aphismet had been about to answer that it would be his pleasure to make another plushie for Chloe, when someone else had entered.
Aph turned to greet the new arrival, and immediately recognized Alex. His face grew a little paler and his eyes opened wide, darting to Chloe once before locking on the black-haired Italian. Oh! Crap! What the Hell should he do?! What should he say?! Oh, crap...
When Alex and Chloe both gazed over at Rivener and Roux, Aph didn't catch on at all. Chloe was saying something about it being okay for Alex to be here... Not wanting to look too suspicious, Aphismet simply offered a confused and slightly panicky smile, and a nod of his head. "Mm-hmm! N-no problem!" he mumbled, his lips refusing to form whole words.
Rivener felt probably what Roux normally felt when someone told him to move against his will. He frowned and pouted slightly, and a thin layer of rage boiled up. For a second, Rivener had the distinct impression that he should be grabbing Roux's intrusive hand with his pincers, and sting him in the wrist...
The image faded quickly, along with his anger. Rivener remembered that he wouldn't really mind moving. It wasn't that cold outside, anyway, and if he stayed still in the sun long enough, he'd get warm. He was, after all, wearing dark colors for this reason.
Offering a sigh of annoyance at being made to move, but not really resisting it, Rivener followed Roux inside. He hadn't really looked at the newcomer, and so hadn't recognized her as one of the people he'd sold a flower to at the Valentine Fair. As far as he knew, it was just some woman.
"Where we going?" he muttered, half-forming his syllables, sounding like a very sleepy child.
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:28 pm
Alex brightened as the young man turned around, recognizing his sudden fear immediately. She had no idea why she scared Aphismet so, but she'd have to worry about that later. She was here on business. Her eyes flitted briefly between Chloe and Aphismet as she tried to wave from beneath the bundle in her arms, not able to disregard the strange claim of 'not wanting to be rude.' Had she interrupted something?
She turned to look at the Raevans as they moved, inclining her head respectfully to Roux; she knew the necessary precautions to take, and was not about to infuriate THAT one. The woman offered a warm smile to Rivener after the frigid Raevan passed, but he was not paying attention. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of the kind, flower-selling Raevan being infatuated with the wild-tempered icy Roux, or vise versa.
Lorenzo snapped his attention to Chloe when he heard her voice, almost leaping off of Alex's shoulder in joy of seeing the pink-haired woman again. He immediately stopped that idea and flattened himself again his master's neck as Roux passed by, peeking out when Rivener followed. The little Gwee looked back towards Chloe, chirruping a greeting to her.
Alex followed Zoe's lead, smiling apologetically to the two humans. "It's quite all right if you have plans," she said mildly, her thumb stroking whatever was wrapped in the white shirt in her arms. "I can take Zoe out and--" She bit her lip to keep from grinning at Aphismet's quickly uttered dismissal. It probably would not help matters to laugh at the young man.
"If you're certain, I'll only ask for an hour or so of your time, Chloe, and you as well if you'd like to watch, Aphismet." She glanced behind her at the leaving Raevans, knowing Roux would not be happy when they all followed suit. It was best to be outside for this type of thing. Her green eyes moved back to the nervous man and uncertain woman. Alex offered a kind smile to them, adding, "I think she'll take to you quicker than that, but it never hurts to give extra time for questions and training."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:55 am
Roux stopped in the small garden where the event had been, by now all the snow was melting, there were even the last few traces of ashen wood made in a small pile where the bonfire had been. Roux paused, looking upward briefly.
When Rivener spoke he was brought back down to the ground, frowning darkly for a moment before realizing who he was with again. In truth he didn't know, here was a good enough spot, he figured. It wasn't too close to the road and they were far enough away from everyone inside the building. They were in almost solitude (for the occasional moterist and walker passed by).
Roux let his hands drop away from Rivener, looking at him almost blankly. Something had compelled him to bring Rivener out here, what exactly he wasn't sure. He gave a small roll of his shoulder, looking back upward as he floated shoulder to shoulder with the other Raeven.
Slowly the labcoat began to slide off his shoulders.
"Yes. Riv'ner."
Chloe fretted over Aphismet's sudden attitude, trying to catch his eyes witha look of great concern on her face. Was something wrong? He seemed.. uncomfortable...
But Alex brought Chloe's attention away with the new puzzle. She moved out from behind the receptionist's desk, trying to peer down curiously at whatever the woman was holding. "O-Oh.. I have th-the time.. b-but... it's if Aphismet doesn't mind... h-he came to visit..who's.." She was about to ask who 'she' was when Lorenzo chirruped at her and she finally remembered the phone call.
"O-Oh!" Her eyes widened, lips turning up into a smile as she reached back to lightly touch Aphismet's shoulder, leaning in so he could hear her talking. "I-It's... w-well! I want you to s-see!" She paused, then added hurridly. "P-Please.. If you want to. I mean."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:27 am
Rivener smiled at the surprising warmth. It was even warmer than when they had arrived. His eyes closed, Rivener let himself be led, simply enjoying the sunshine on his skin.
He'd almost forgotten his question when Roux let go of his hand. Rivener opened his eyes and looked at the other, who rolled his shoulders in answer. He wasn't sure where he was going? Well, figures. Roux probably just wanted to be alone, away from all the others. As Rivener kept watching, Roux turned his eyes skyward again. Riv followed suit, looking at the clear azure.
Maybe that's where Roux wanted to go. Actually, Rivener was certain it was.
The rustle of fabric brought his gaze over to the other Raevan. The labcoat was falling. Riv frowned slightly. Did Roux want to fly now? Were his wings fixed?
Deciding it would be best not to say anything, Riv instead simply leaned over and kissed Roux's shoulder, smiling. "Yes," he said, resorting to the other's language.
Aphismet was startled at Chloe's sudden change in demeanor. Questions and training? What was Alex talking about? Why was Chloe so excited? What was that thing in the Italian's arms?
Aph was too confused to argue, not that he would have anyway. At least the confusion kept the paranoid feeling at bay. He smiled sheepishly when Chloe touched his shoulder, and nodded. "Erm, sure! Wh-what should I do? Should I s-stand over there or something?" he motioned to the back of the room, not wanting to be in the way of whatever the two girls were supposed to accomplish.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:49 am
Alex smiled gently at Chloe and Aphismet's interactions. "You don't need to go anywhere," she assured the young man, "just stay where you are and don't make any sudden movements."
She pulled back the shirt in her arms, revealing a baby Gwee, barely big enough to fit in the cup of one hand. The little dragon must have been sleeping, because she yawned and blinked up at Alex. "The Gwee respond best to vibrations," she started to explain, gently rubbing under the little one's chin, "as it's similar to what they use to communicate. I gave Lorenzo his name and his nickname because he was very receptive to the 'Z' sound."
As if to prove her point, the male Gwee turned and chirruped at her, hunkering down on her shoulder. He continued to clutch the little stuffed panda, quickly turning his attention back to the small female in Alex's arms.
"She seems to enjoy the soft vibration of humming, as Zoe does." Alex shifted the small Gwee so that the dragonette was in the palm of her hands, holding her towards Chloe. "While Gwee do not always understand our words, they can hear our intentions in the tone of our voice. For example, if you're trying to scold them, they will understand your displeasure. If you praise them, they will hear the kindness and encouragement in your voice." The female Gwee turned her large eyes between Lorenzo and Alex, blinking sleepily. The woman smiled at the little dragon, gently using her thumb to roll the small Gwee around so that she was facing the pink-haired receptionist.
Alex looked back up to Chloe, still smiling. "Call her. Use your intention to have her come to you, as you might a small child, and she will."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:35 pm
Chloe listened raptly as Alex spoke to her, soaking in as much of it as she could - she'd have to ask the other woman to explain it all again later so she could take notes. For now she was held rapt by the tiny baby dragon's eyes and little wings.
She shyly tucked her hands into her pockets, standing beside Aphismet as she called out softly, her voice barely above a croon. "C-Come here.. little one.." She wasn't sure what to call it..
Roux sighed, floating closer almost as though he wanted to lean against Rivener's shoulder. Instead he turned to the other, reaching out once more to idly stroke and play with his hair, only a little uncomfortable from the sun and heat.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:10 pm
Aphismet blinked and watched the little critter. Snippets of his conversation with Alex, back at the Valentine's event, were coming back to him... "I don't work in the winter because my subjects are sleeping..." "I'll let you meet one of my subjects!" ...She must have meant that little dragon on her shoulder! And now, she'd brought a baby one here for Chloe?
Aphismet grinned as he watched the baby dragonette. He wondered if the little thing would come to Chloe or not... It didn't look like it would have the ability to fly, it was so small and chubby looking! It was so darned cute Aphi almost wanted one for himself!
"It's so cute!" he mumbled to himself, tilting his head and smiling at the Gwee.
Rivener was enjoying all the attention. He knew his hair was lovely, and knowing that it could even capture the eye of someone as normally cold-hearted as Roux was flattering. Rivener half wanted to try talking to the icy Frei, but his other half was still stuck in that Warm Rock feeling, and just wanted to sit somewhere and relax.
Riv looked around. Ah! Over there, one of the leftover kiosks was still up; its counter was dry and, most likely, warm from the sun. Smiling contentedly, Riv moved away slowly, motioning to Roux to follow if he wanted.
Languidly, Riv floated over to the kiosk and "sat" up on the countertop. He let out a soft, comfortable sigh. It was as warm as he'd thought. "Warm counter," he warned the other, in case Roux would try to sit there too. "You might not like it here," he said.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:34 pm
The little dragon blinked at the pink-haired woman, flapping its tiny wings. She looked over at Alex, who gave her an encouraging nudge with her fingers.
Lorenzo was poised to help the little female if necessary, but it didn't seem like she'd need any aid. Pumping her little wings for all they were worth, the dragonette leapt off of Alex's hands and started to fly in a jerky pattern. She was all over the place, not very good at centering her weight and really moving forward; she had just learned to fly, and much like a baby's first steps, her movements were a little erratic and faltering. Her brave display of almost hummingbird-like speed to flap her wings paid off. She closed the distance between herself and Chloe, using her dainty claws to grab onto the woman's lab coat.
"Well done," Alex complimented softly. "She understood. I thought she'd like you." Although she was careful to watch Chloe and the little Gwee's interactions, she was not oblivious to Aphismet's sudden interest. It almost seemed like the little dragon had made him forget his discomfort.
Lorenzo watched the plight of the small dragonette, only taking to flight once the little one had landed. He flew towards Chloe, stuffed panda in his claws, chirruping proudly at the tiny female Gwee from over the pink-haired receptionist's shoulder.
Alex smiled at Zoe's actions. He'd been very curious and protective of the smaller Gwee; she wondered if he'd miss the little one. "Also, don't worry if your little girl doesn't make noise. Zoe is very chatty, constantly trying to mimic what he thinks humans do. Most of the other Gwee aren't quite as vocal, but if you teach her to be, she will likely try to imitate you."
She paused for a moment, glancing at the doors behind her. "Chloe, would you happen to have a lunch break you can take? It'd be nice to sit down and answer any questions you have while the little one gets used to you." Alex turned her attention back to Chloe and Aphismet, quirking a dark brow in question.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:47 pm
Outside there were soft noises. It almost sounded as if someone were yelling...
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:07 pm
Chloe reached out to the little dragonette, startling only slightly as it reached her and clung tenaciously to the front of her labcoat. Instantly her hands came up to cup around the little thing, protect it, keep it from falling and make it feel secure.
The little Gwee gave a small, almost distressed bleet, claws digging in deeper to the starchy fabric of Chloe's coat. She simply smiled down at the small creature and smoothed her thumb over the top of it's head, making small hushing sounds at it before looking up, first toward Aphismet so she could proudly smile at him. She turned sideways and thrust her chest out slightly - as that is where the Gwee clung, close to her neck - and motioned toward it. She then turned to look at Alex, blinking.
"Lunch b-break? Oh! Y-Yes, of course. I can right now."
Roux followed Rivener silently, pausing by the counter. The other was right, he very much didn't want to sit on it, instead he contented himself to lean toward the dark Frei, looking up curiously at him.
Something caught his eye and he turned his head slowly, focusing on Rivener's... wings. He reached up, fingers curled slightly against his palm, as though he wanted to touch. Before he could come in contact he gave a small jolt as something.. someone.. was yelling behind him. He couldn't tell the distance but the sudden sound that wasn't Rivener's smooth voice had been unexpected.
Unconsciously his wings extended in anger as he turned toward the source, sending the labcoat he wore about his shoulders slumping to the ground. His wings were bare, pink flesh slightly prickled where the flesh used to be - there was only a little soft feather down that remained.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:21 am
Aphismet smiled at the little Gwee's erratic flight pattern. It was so damned cute! The green little girl flew (or air-hopped) over to Chloe, and plopped herself down onto her coat. Aph let out a chuckle at the whole thing. He tilted his head to look a little closer at the critter, since Chloe had brought he hands up to cup it, obscuring the view.
The receptionist seemed to read his mind, though, as she turned and offered her... her chest at him. W-with the baby Gwee on it, only for the Gwee. Aphismet was confused and embarrassed, wondering if the woman's motion was an invitation to pet the animal, which was a little bit WAY too close to certain parts of... At any rate, Aphismet simply smiled shyly, face red, and nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Rivener had been turning his face towards the sun, eyes closed in contentment, so he did not see Roux reaching for his wings. The Scorpion did hear the sound, shortly thereafter, however, and looked over towards it.
The corner of his eye caught the white jacket falling off Roux's shoulders finally. Riv turned to look, and inhaled sharply as he saw Roux's wings... Or what was left of them.
Knowing all too well that saying anything at this point would be stupid, but not able to help himself in his concern, Rivener said: "Oh, Roux... Why?" Maybe the other himself knew why the feathers fell, and would thereby have a hint how to bring them back?
Riv, although keeping an eye on Roux's answer, turned back to see what the screaming had been about.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:29 am
The yelling was coming from outside, it sounded nearer now. In fact, it was coming closer at a faster and faster rate.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 11:13 am
Alex smiled, but inwardly she sighed deeply. It was awfully blind of her not to have seen it sooner; these two had a special sort of relationship. Noting Aphismet's suddenly red cheeks and Chloe's interest in showing him the Gwee, Alex could have kicked herself. No wonder he was uncomfortable around her! She'd try to make it better, now, so Aphismet didn't feel awkward about anything later.
"Great! How about we all have a picnic outside?" Her face was neutral, almost pleasant. She tried to catch Aphismet's eye, hoping he'd understand what she was doing. "I can run across the street to grab something, or further down if you know a place, since I have my truck with...with me..."
Lorenzo flew back to Alex, lighting on her shoulder again. He uttered a bewildered "Aht?" in question, looking behind himself. The woman turned around, furrowing her eyebrows. She thought maybe she was hearing things, but Zoe had picked it up immediately, and--no, there it was again! Alex could only make out the strange noise in the lull of traffic passing, and even then it was very, very hard to hear. She walked towards the door, momentarily forgetting the other two, looking towards the Raevans. Yes, they were alert, too! And Roux looked...mad.
The door hissed open as she got too close to it, allowing the yelling noise she'd been hearing to be heard much more clearly. Lorenzo chirruped quizically, and Alex nodded as if she understood. "Ah, Chloe, Aphismet...there's something outside, and Roux looks less than pleased." The woman looked over her shoulder to see if either of them heard it, before looking back outside. Well, we're going outside anyway, she shrugged mentally, what could it be? Alex walked through the doors, Lorenzo perched on her shoulder, swishing his tail.
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:24 am
"A picnic?" She blinked, glancing down at the small dragonette, whom was relaxing a little as she realized that the human had a good, firm hold on her. She gave a small nod. "Th-That.. sounds wonderful, actually. B-Being outside in the s-sun would be nice.. especially i-in Spring!"
She loved Spring.
Chloe began walking forward toward Alex, eyebrows knitting together as she too heard the sounds coming from outside. "O-Oh my.." She tensed as she saw Roux, her heart clenching with pain for him as she saw his poor wings. Since their falling he'd become more.. unsure of himself. It was a pronounced difference in his previous attitude in life and it made Chloe's heart break to see him so.. uneasy.. unhappy.
She reached out to gently touch Alex's shoulder, leaning in toward the woman though her eyes never left Roux.
"..I-I want to sh-show him her," she gently lifted her cupped hand, causing the little female to give a small utterance of protest and cling to her front againt. "B-But..." Chloe bit her lip and looked down. "W-Well.. m-maybe just a Gwee would h-help.." A quick, sucked in breath as she finally tore her eyes away from her Raeven and focused them on Alex's face. "D-Do you think.. i-it'd be safe f-for Zoe.. i-i-if he's willing.. I-I mean.. I wouldn't l-let Roux e-even think of h-hurting him b-but.. i-if the worst goes wrong.. h-he can fly."
When it was all out in the open it sounded like a dangerous idea. She quickly shook her head, sighing nervously. "N-No, never mind.." Leaning down to place a soft kiss atop the little Gwee's head she began trying to pry the baby dragon from her labcoat to hand to Alex. "I-I'll just ... let go, little one.. I'll just l-leave her with y-you while I m-make sure Roux's okay?"
"Oh Roux... Why?"
The words caused the ice Frei to turn. For a moment he didn't understand what Rivener had meant. The duel warmth of sun and pleasent chilly cool breeze answered any questions that had formed in his mind. The coat was gone, had fallen, and Rivener had seen his shame.
Roux leaned down to quickly snatch up the jacket, slinging it over his shoulders once more before turning away from the other, face expresionless - his anger at the yelling, no matter how close it was getting, was forgotten. His wings folded pathetically against his back despite being covered.
Maybe if he just ignored it...
Roux stared blankly ahead and slightly to the side of Rivener, trying his hardest not to think of how horrible he looked.
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