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 Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:09 pm
 ✖ The Grateful Present ✖
All he knew was that, at this moment, the temporal space between now and his next meal (of which he also did not think), this little glass thing with the little shiny colored things inside gave a rather pleasant feeling -- and that, as a cat, he was a great advocate of pleasant feelings.
And so, Grumpaws lay purring beside the vial and thought blissfully of nothing, enjoying only the presents of the day to their fullest.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:30 pm
✖ The Lingering Past ✖
It was dawn, appropriately enough, when Vivi addressed her vial and soul bottle, standing in the bakery's kitchen rolling out baguettes. The precious items sat at a safe distance from flour and rolling pin, glowing faintly in the premorning light. The vial especially seemed to exert itself, its glow shimmering with what seemed to be a distant sort of kinship and pride.
"I have had you so little time," Vivi said in her native tongue, bent over her work, her hair slowly coming loose from its unruly braid behind her as she moved. "And yet you both have changed so much for me. Isn't it strange? To think that I may miss you both when I have given you up. To think that I shall get you back, eventually, but... never again to see you in this state."
She fell silent with focus. The bread formed itself beneath her fingers, and she laid them all in lines on her baking sheet, ready for the heat of the oven. Shepard would be surprised when he woke to see the work already done, but Vivi rose that morning full of a desire to bake, and to be alone with her strange, strange gifts. She looked up at them now with curious eyes, wishing for a dialogue, wishing for them to spontaneously form into the being they were meant to be.
"I suppose..." she said quietly to the soul bottle, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "... that I never really got to know you, did I?"
The flowing mist within the soul bottle circled itself slowly and did not reply.
"You did not have to run, you know," Vivi continued, her voice stern despite the kindness of her offered smile. "I would have tried for you. Perhaps I could have comforted you some."
She thought of the stag. Her feet still stung slightly at the memory. She thought of pounding rain and drenched, streaming hair. She thought of the fading light and the growing dark and the bounding beacon receding, stumbling, dying beyond her grasp. She thought of what it must have been like -- to live running. To die running.
"You should never have run," she told it, her floured hands hovering close to the pristine glass of the bottle. Vivi sighed and let her hands fall away, and turned her gaze to the confident little vial, so calm and full of promise.
"You must take care of him, you know," she murmured. "We shall have a deal, we three. The stag shall not run. You shall take care of the stag, and then I shall take care of you both. Does it sound reasonable to you both?"
She looked from one to the other, and again silence filled the space in the room. But even still, with the warm light of day slowly unfolding from the kitchen windows, Vivi felt a surge of contentment flowing through her. The morning light mixed with the cracked pieces of itself in the vial, and Vivi knew, she knew, that she would not be let down.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:33 pm
 ✖ A Message for Rivener ✖ [Wherein Vivi leaves a quick message for Aphismet and Rivener regarding the status of her soul bottle.]
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:40 pm
✖ Rock Candy ✖
[Wherein Vivi and Shepard make the acquaintance of Shepard's favorite Raevan.]*
"You see?" Vivi laughed. "You can make friends with a Raevan after all."
Shepard shook his head. He did not argue.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:42 pm
✖ Strong Coffee ✖
[Wherein Vivi is dazzled by the Ice Rose in all her delicate beauty.]*
Vivi lowered herself down beside Shepard, a little close, her eyes bright.
"You will not believe the beauty I saw today," she breathed.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:43 pm
✖ Confection Connection ✖
[Wherein Vivi and Shepard feed the ever-charming Anita.]
*
"A crocodile!" Vivi marveled over the steamer's screech. "Are you not curious?"
Shepard tore off a receipt and offered it to a customer. "Morbidly so," he admitted, and tried not to smile.
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 11:10 pm
✖ A Nice Cup of Tea ✖
[Wherein Vermillion is graced by the presence of Milton, his bear rug, and Byron.]*
"An interesting gentleman," Granny Maplethorpe said afterward. No matter how Vivi pressed, it was her only remark.
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 11:12 pm
✖ Evolution ✖
[Wherein Shepard and Doucette attempt to have fun at the zoo... despite his reserve and her recent bad news.]* And when he arrived home, sliding the door quietly shut behind him, Shepard could not shake the thought that things were wrong, wrong, wrong...
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:11 pm
✖ Drop Off: Two for the Price of One ✖
[Wherein Zeke (and Anya!) drop by to pick up Vivi's and Doucette's bottles and vials .]* "And that was that!" exclaimed Vivi cheerily, pressing her palms down on the counter in a closing gesture.
"Huh," snickered Shepard as he shook his head, unable to contain his amusement at her exuberance. "So what now? We wait?"
"Yes," she replied. "Now we wait."
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 11:50 am
:: A Call :: After a while of waiting, Rivener finally got around to calling Vivette back. He'd been busy with work, and things kept popping up, and in all honesty the Sigel had forgotten for a while... not a very good start. He inwardly swore to be more mindful of his little pet project: and that meant keeping in contact with Vivi, being nice, and behaving himself.
He'd dialed, and when the machine picked up Rivener spoke with effortless ease. "Hey Vivi! It's Rivener. Sorry I didn't call before, but I wanted to congratulate you on catching the soul! It sounds interesting... A white stag you said. I'd really like to hear all about the catching, so when you have time, give us a call again! It's almost summer, maybe a picnic would be nice? We could bring some stuff over to Gambino and visit you, eat on the beach... And you could bring some of your pastries. I'm sure Aphi would like that. Anyway, I was really glad to hear from you, and I hope if nothing else you'll tell me when your Raevan's born! I'm looking forward to meeting it. Well, bye! You know our numbers!"
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:32 am
✖ Exit Stag, Enter Dawn ✖ When all light faded, when the rain had closed over his vision, the stag had hoped that he would, in his next life, remember to help her.
Inside the soul bottle, where his essence swirled but his being had long faded, the memories chattered. They played, over and over, hoping to etch their stories into the glass. Hoping to reach out to the slumbering woman not far away.
He'd meant to help her. Did she know? He was sent to help, and he'd meant to finish his last mission before he went. But it had been exhaustion, not selfishness, that had killed him. And all the while he'd wished he could have guided her, saved her from what was to come. She had been his final charge, and he had failed her. When she'd held onto him, her limbs the only warmth in that cool rain, he'd felt a twinge of regret.
He repeated it to himself as he faded. He whispered it to himself over the rumbling sound of thunder and the murmur of the woman's voice. When he returned, if her problem remained -- if she had not been overwhelmed -- if she had not solved it -- and lord, he knew the coming storm would be twofold now that he had failed her -- if only -- if --
-- the thoughtless, numb darkness overtook him.
His soul remained. His memories slowly began to scatter, like sand in wind. The darkness was infinite; soothing and silent as midnight. Somewhere, he was free and alone and unafraid.
In that darkness, his soul heard laughter. A woman's laughter, unfettered and joyous. She was the splintered dawn, unique and brilliant and bold. All her pieces lit in the silent dark and swallowed it whole.
She reached for him and enveloped his soul in her unending laughter. And he felt relief to see her beauty and her readiness to join with him. His soul unbent, unwound.
... but wait, the lingering scent of his memories whispered into their union. you mustn't forget.
The sweet chime of the Dawn's laughter mingled with the noise. The memories pressed on, but soon their sound was paused in their appreciation of her comforting caress -- and, taken with her, they spoke no more.
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:23 pm
✖ Looking Forward ✖ "Hey," said Shepard Ryan late one night, his tongue loosened and mood buoyed by a long, late dinner and perhaps one beer too many. He looked pleasingly disheveled, sitting low on the couch with his hands on his thighs, his strong shoulders slouched, his rust-colored hair ruffled. He was smiling an uncharacteristic, relaxed sort of smile.
His dark-haired companion viewed him with some surprise from over her half-filled wine glass, her eyebrows just lifted.
They had been sitting in companionable silence until that moment, each listening to their own thoughts and the somewhat distant hum of the bakery's refrigerators below. A soft purring could be heard from Grumpaws; he had deigned to visit them and had even gone so far as to take a nap firmly wedged between Vivi and her loveseat's arm. Now, as Vivi straightened herself slightly to better view Shepard, the cat stirred.
"I was thinking..." the Aussie continued in his mild, relaxed voice, leaning forward and gathering his beer from the coffee table. "... about Raevans."
Vivi's eyebrows lifted a touch further. Her scarlet mouth tipped upward on one side, and she said only: "Oh?"
"Don't 'oh' me," said Shepard with a touch of amused irritability. "I'm damn serious here, and you're supposed to be shocked. I want to talk about the damn thing -- like, what do you think it'll be? And what're we going to name it? Where's it staying? Who's gonna take care of its education? There's a damn lot to discuss."
"My..." Vivi's intonation seemed to take on an amused lilt, although her face remained stoic. "I see that the Shepard is quite serious! But how shall I accurately convey my surprise? Shall I faint? Perhaps you might get me some salts that give off smell?"
"Smelling salts, and yes, fainting'd be appreciated," said Shepard with a snort, shaking his head as he took a long drink from his lager. "Seriously. Granny Maplethorpe said she'd tutor the thing, but she'll just teach it how to read tea and tarot and then we'll be stuck with two crazies."
"Now, now," Vivi chortled mischievously, rather liking the image that was forming in her head. "We are both of us working, so we shall have to trust in grandmere, will we not? But -- I do wonder what to name her, when she arrives..."
"Her?" Shepard's voice became just a little tight.
Vivi watched Shepard through her lashes, the cherrywood color of her irises very bright with sudden amusement. "Of course, she. Do you not expect a girl? A pink, calming dawn mixed with a white deer? I can only imagine to myself a round-eyed little graceful creature..."
Shepard shuddered involuntarily as the image veritably floated from Vivi's mind to his own. It -- it wasn't that he didn't like the idea of having part in raising a girl Raevan, it was that, dammit, he didn't think he had the steel in him to be firm with a 'round-eyed little graceful creature' of that variety! And besides: "It wasn't a deer, it was a stag, and a damn big muscular stag with giant antlers." Shepard's brows drew low over his eyes.
Vivi's voice rang out in a laugh; she had indeed found the stag to be graceful masculinity personified, but Shepard's indignation at the thought of having a girl Raevan was simply too much for her to resist. "What is the matter? Is the Shepard afraid of girls all of a sudden?"
"The Shepard is not. The Shepard just -- I think it'd be damn cool to have a guy around the house, even the ratio up. You and Granny and me and ... ..." No name floated into the Aussie's head. "... and Dude," he finished lamely.
"Dude? Is that what we shall call him? Yes, I think it is a brilliant name: The Raevan Dude. Dude LaCelle."
"Shut it." Shepard laughed in spite of himself. He scrubbed both hands through his hair and looked up at the ceiling, his oft-distant eyes for once focused and sharp. "I think his -- or her -- names should be... I don't know. Special. Arthurian. Lancelot or Guinevere or something."
"Aa~ yes, special, but perhaps not so overt?" Vivi said, settling into her chair comfortably. She tucked her bangs behind her ears and thought for a long moment, her bright smile fading into a thoughtful expression. "Nerja, I think, for a girl? Or Clarine, perhaps? A nice name for a dawn, as it means 'brilliant.' I do admit, I like the name of Lancelot..."
"Lance," said Shepard more firmly, nodding to himself. "Or Clarine." Then he paused, thinking on his words, the sureness crumbling from his expression. "... Lance, or Clarine? Doesn't seem right, somehow."
"No..." Vivi murmured uncertainly. "Perhaps we should buy a book? Some sort of Arthurian baby name collection?"
"Probably a better idea than just fishing," admitted the other with a shake of his head. "Gotta admit, I don't know many more Arthurian names, myself."
"Oh, no?" Vivi challenged. "You know Merlin, non? And Arthur, and others, I am sure?"
"I don't know any not-cliche not-obvious Arthurian names that any self-respecting Raevan might actually want as a name."
"Fair enough," laughed the Frenchwoman.
"But y'know?" Shepard sighed as he set his empty bottle down on the coffee table with a 'thunk'. "I'm actually kind of excited to meet this thing. Kind of wish it'd hurry up and be born now already."
"Patience, mon ami, it is all we can have." Vivi shook her dark head and smiled her pretty smile and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. There could be, she knew, no hurrying here. It was all she could do to keep herself busy while the anticipation and happiness danced about within her. Shepard watched her for a few long moments with a faint mirrored grin of his own, and then he rested back on the couch with a long, slow breath.
"Yer right," he said with a nod. "And anyway, I'm sure time'll fly. We'll have plenty of other things to take our mind offa waiting before then, right?"
Vivi agreed cheerily, and the conversation moved to other avenues.
*
Outside in the dark, a man inclined his head. He pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and compared the written address to that on the side of Vermillion Bakery. He seemed, in a word, doubtful.
"What a strange place to hide..." he breathed softly to himself, taking in the empty shelves and baskets of the quiet bakery, the distant glow of light from the upstairs rooms.
He paused, taking a final look, and then was gone.
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 3:24 pm
✖ The Ghosts of Circuses Past ✖
[Wherein Vivi is startled by a ghostly trickster.]*
Vivi hummed to herself as she went about righting the room.
"Oh, little green one~" she sang quietly. "Come visit whenever you like."
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:02 pm
✖ Meta-Solo: Tempest ✖
It had been, all things considered, a fairly rotten day. With the rain coming down in angry, shrieking sheets, and the darkness completely enveloping the warmth of the summer sun, it was all Vivi could do to lock her bakery's doors and hope it survived the tempest. The windows rattled with discontentment as she heaved herself into a chair, exhausted: a shattering bolt of lightening had taken out the power to the building some hours ago.
And so Vivi sat there in the midday darkness, her eyes dazed as she stared out into that sudden, raging gale. It was not the sort of rainstorm she generally enjoyed -- the ones in which a person can go out and laugh gaily and enjoy the power of nature. It was a storm that looked and felt to her like a horrible, traveling emptiness. It looked like, like... she couldn't quite place it, although she knew the feeling well. It was that sort of powerful yet impotent fury that boils over, always raging but always unable to replace what is gone.
It reminded her of how she felt when she lost the circus. It recalled what her soul had felt like when everything she'd lived for had so quickly, so easily fallen away. No scent of sunshine, no sliver of light. Only the steady anger of the rain and the wailing weeping howl of the wind.
And yet, something beneath the pattern of the rain seemed to murmur with a distant gentleness...
Looking out into that storm, Vivi suddenly, startlingly, began to cry.
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:41 pm
✖ If the Shoe Fits... ✖
[Wherein Vivi and Shepard meet Cordelia and Ebony at a shoe store, but something is not quite right... ]
*
Well," said Shepard.
"Mm," answered Vivi.
There didn't seem to be anything else to say.
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