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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:08 pm
(( Claire -> with Zeke, heading back into the Lab | Ivy -> lingering near the planters ))
"Count me in for that, I love a good party," Ivy added with a laugh, and she paused to squeeze Claire's arm, before lobbing a grin at Zeke. "Don't have her out too late, now." She waved over her shoulder and turned her full attention to the planter table, ready to get to work. Claire, for her part, felt her chest get a little tighter as the time had come.
"This way, right?" She started towards the building, nervous hands gripping the case. There was so much to look forward to in getting this done, but it was nerve wracking all the same. It meant she would have to relive the day the leshy died for Zeke's sake, likely for the paperwork. The thought was more taxing than originally anticipated but again, something that would have to be done. "I've got the paperwork all signed, I think, and everything inside should be where it's supposed to be.."
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:25 pm
((Zeke --> with Claire, heading into the Lab --> Zeke's Office))
"I won't, scouts honor!" He gave Ivy a wink and turned to follow Claire, nodding to her question. "You got it! Here, allow me!"
He opened the door to the cafeteria for her, allowing her to pass through first. Once he passed through himself, Zeke took up the lead, taking Claire out of the kitchens to the hallway most Guardians only saw when they were coming to the Lab to obtain their newborn Frei. For today, however, it was of course open to allow party goers to make use of the bathrooms.
"Excellent! Then I'll have you in and out and back at the party in no time at all!"
Zeke stopped in front of a door that was just short of the glass one that led into the lobby. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he fumbled with them only a moment before finding and inserting the right one into the lock. One twist of the wrist later and he had the door open for Claire to step through. They'd be taking care of business in his actual office today.
"Please pull up a seat and make yourself at home!" The room was sizable and also comfortable. The desk had two chairs facing the side where Zeke undoubtedly sat when working as well as a couch along the opposite wall beneath a closed set of windows. Said couch also had a coffee table before it, so Claire could choose her seat at her leisure. The room was something of a clash between the sterile interiors they had just come from. With a brick accent wall and decorations scattered about courtesy of Zeke's wild tastes, it was quite clearly the vet's own.
"Give me a moment to nab your file out of my desk here and we'll get started!" He was already at said desk, with a drawer open and the latch in hand. "Would you like anything to drink? I've got a well stocked mini fridge!"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:46 pm
(( Claire -> with Zeke in his office, drop off commencing ))
Claire followed him silently, taking in the surroundings as they went. When they entered his office, she could tell it was very clearly his - bits of his personality were evident in his decoration choices. The room looked very comfortable, welcoming, and she did her best to swallow her nerves and mentally prep a short version of the story she would undoubtedly have to tell. He was already at his desk to obtain her file and offer a drink, to which she almost declined, but nerves had made her throat quite dry.
"Water, if you have it. Thank you, Zeke." She opted for the chairs closest to the desk and sat herself in the one closer to the door, setting the suitcase in the other seat gently. It was the first time the case had left her hands since they had left her house (Ivy had driven), and her fingers were stiff and sweaty. The sounds of the vet opening the drawer and moving about echoed in the room, and the momentary silence only upped her nerves. Rather than sit in wait and let her nerves get the better of her, she decided to address what was on her mind.
"Is there anything you need to know before we begin? Should I get the other papers out or -- ?" Claire was aware that she was likely rambling just to talk, but it felt better than being quiet.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 5:40 am
[[Rivener - Entrance | Lazarus and Anya ]]The Scorpion raised eyebrows as Anya revealed the first of her changes: a move. Riv was curious about the details, of course: was it an unpleasant turn of events that caused it? Was it a happy occasion? The Spider queen didn't seem upset when speaking of it, but Rivener wasn't nearly familiar enough with her to read her moods. Anya was... warmer than Riv recalled, but her moods were still rather subtle. Had she been angered by this topic, however, Rivener felt certain he'd be able to tell. So it must have been a happy move. Or at the very least an acceptable one. Anastacia seemed about to continue when another voice interrupted them, one that was very familiar yet had changed timbre just the slightest bit, aged and matured. Riv's red eyes snapped over at the newcomer and the Scorpion's face lit up in a welcoming grin. Before he spoke, however, Riv touched fingertips momentarily to Anya's fingers curled about his arm to signal that she still had his attention and he wanted to continue their talk in a short while. "Lazarus! By the stars, what have you done to yourself?" He laughed to steal the sting from his words, though he did feel Laz's growth held not many pros and a long list of cons. Speaking of cons, he glanced at the Valsaros's crotch and winced in sympathy. "So you have to deal with ALL the troubles of having a full body now? And can you still fly? Seems fun to be able to wear pants and shoes, lots of fashion that we don't usually get to play with, but... How's that working out?" The Sigel pointed bobbed his head in the direction of Laz's groin, making a face like someone who was asking after someone's illness-stricken relative.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 4:34 pm
((Nell > Tea Tasting | Jeremy))
"That sounds wonderful," she said in return, glancing over the rows of tea on the table and trying to figure out which one it would be. She supposed she knew vaguely that there was more kinds of tea than she could count but it was something else to be confronted with it all in person.
"I'm impressed by how much you know about all of this, do you work with tea regularly or is this more of a hobby?" Still impressive either way, she always had respect for people who took the time to become well-educated in their field of choice. She took a glance around the area as a whole, noting with surprise how many people had appeared since she had.
"Or do you work at this Lab?" Her curiosity about this place was still strong but she was making a valiant effort to not heap questions upon questions on any one particular person.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:51 pm
(( Lazarus - Entrance | Anya & Rivener // Jeremy - Nell & Oliver ))
Lazarus could tell by the movements of Anya's crown that she was surprised and probably felt uncomfortable with his presence here. Despite what most people think, the spider's body language was easier to read than most. However, he does not let her deter his jovial mood today and reconnecting with an old friend.
"I'm good!" He smiled as he replied to her question.
His attention was immediately distracted by Rivener though, who of course, asked the most inappropriate of questions ever. Especially that last one, the Valsaros made a face equal to that of the scorpion's. "Anya's here." He replied in a hush tone as he elbowed the mischievous Sigel, smiling apologetically at the Frei. However, he could answer some of his many questions. "Well, obviously I can't fly anymore." He said as he gestured to the missing of wings on his back, he didn't need holes in his clothes for them too, which he is thankful for. "But I don't really fancy flying before this anyway." Lazarus shrugged as he glanced at Rivener, whom he knows loves flight. "There are some inconveniences with having legs, that's a given, but I love it so far."
As Jeremy waited for Nell's second pick of her tea, he was surprised by the question instead. He laughed sheepishly as he answered. "This is more like a hobby. I've always loved tea since even when I was a teenager. Although I've only started seriously delving and collecting tea when I got older. I like to get tea when I travel, it is very interesting to learn about tea drinking in different cultures."
He could go on and on about tea, but he suddenly realized that she asked a second question too. "Oh, I'm a good friend of Kyou's - the founder of the Lab. I'm only stepping in to run the day to day operations temporarily when he is unable to." The man explained. "You can say I am part time here."
As he spoke to Nell, he saw someone else (Oliver) approaching his table. And he gave the man a polite smile and a welcoming nod before looking back at Nell.
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 10:30 pm
((Zeke --> With Claire in his office Anya --> With Riv and Laz))
"Sure do! Here you go!" He pulled a small bottle of water out from somewhere under his desk, ice cold and crystal clear. He set it on the desk in front of Claire before pulling another one out for himself. With how he could tend to ramble himself, he would need to keep himself from getting parched!
"Papers, yes please! I'll need to look over them myself and then put my name to them to confirm everything is in order and you returned your pair successfully." Finally he took a seat. Claire's file was set on the desk top before him and a pen was fished from a highlighter pink cup brimming with them and a few scant pencils. "As far as what I need to know, it's more a want really! I'd love to know what you caught over in Russia!"
He beamed at her, innocent as could be. Despite the burns that covered her in bandages, Zeke hadn't figured that the two were in any way connected.
---
Rivener touched her hand and that brought Anastacia's gaze down and away from the Valsaros. When the Sigel pulled his own away, she saw her hand was not at all marked or marred. Riv was clean. She relaxed a little and did not pull away from him for that. Of course, in doing the inspection, she missed the gaze that was cast from one male to the other, leading the Frei to look quite confused when Lazarus mentioned her presence.
"Yes, I am." What did that have to do with anything? Slowly she lofted one of her brows at the oldest Raevan and soon turned the look on the Scorpion too. She had missed something, clearly. But now she had to wonder...did she really want to know what secrets men shared?
She didn't have to wonder long, not when Laz turned the topic to his lack of wings and how this, surprisingly, did not affect him in the slightest.
"You enjoy walking? It's always seemed like an inconvenience to me." She had seen people trip over their own two feet, stub their toes painfully on things as innocuous as a corner or table leg, and had enough experience with crowds to last her a life time. Why struggle in such a group when she could just float over them? Far less trouble there.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:04 am
[[Rivener - Entrance || Lazarus and Anya]] Riv smirked at Lazarus' easy dodging of the question. The Scorpion narrowed his eyes playfully, his meaning clear: You're not off the hook, buddy. It's just delayed. Of all the questions he had about their last growth stint (which he'd fervently hoped was not going to happen!) that was the one that burned most. That was the reason he'd dreaded the possibility! But now to learn that flight was impossible... "I'm afraid I have to agree with Anya on the legs thing, Laz. Seems annoying. Having to walk everywhere, not tasting the wind in the sky?? I really hope I won't lose mine if I ever grow... Which I also don't want to see happen." He chuckled softly, shrugging a shoulder. "I'd be perfectly happy like this forever."Learning of the Spider's opinion did bring another question to the forefront however, so Riv turned his ruby eyes on the female and tilted his head, eyebrows raising. "Do you like to actually fly, Anya? Higher than just leg-height above the floor? Have you ever been high up, in the sky? The air gets thin after a while but it's worth it for the view." He closed his eyes and smiled, a deep look of bliss on his face as he relived a memory of flight, wings spreading slightly in reaction. He had to shake his head to get back into the present, clearing his throat and folding his wings away properly. "You're going to be missing out, Laz. Anya, let's never grow up." "Wait, what about your powers?" Riv suddenly asked, turning a concerned look on his drinking buddy. "Did you lose those, or did they get stronger? Please tell me there's SOME kind of benefit to this change you went through, apart for the chance to buy pants and shoes?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:12 am
((LuLu - Food table l Cesc and Eth // Josh - Entrance > Teapot planting l Mel, Ivy )) LuLu nodded to Cesc and pointed her guardian out in the crowd. The boy was still lingering by the entrance and making his decision on where to venture. As Lu had suggested, Josh was more lithe than Cesc's developing musculature. While he had certainly filled out since his teenage years when he first became a guardian, he was still far from being destined as the next Mr. Universe. The stag would probably look silly trying to force on one of the boy's size small shirts. Josh then stepped away from the hustle of the main entrance and wandered towards an assortment of petite pots and plants. The setup struck him as something Lu would like to go home with. Though, between the food table and reuniting with the other raevans, he doubted she would spot the booth. The guardian settled in and picked up a yellow pot with a red heart motif. He turned towards the ladies on either side of himself. He raised the planter to eye level as he spoke, "I am not much of a gardener, but I think the daisy would look nice in here. What do you think?" The boy was both genuinely curious and wanted to strike up conversation at the table. LuLu spotted another familiar face at the buffet table. The rabbit bounded over to her target and exclaimed, "Ethiriel!" The sigel's excited voice should have been enough indication that she was coming over to visit. However, she also gave Eth's shoulder a soft squeeze when she settled next to her. "Have you been well?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:34 am
[[ Melanie → Planting Tables || Ivy, Josh ]]
Melanie took a step back, smiling at her final product. She had finished it just as Ivy walked up. "Hello there," she started, glancing over quickly to acknowledge Ivy. "Do you think this looks alright? I'm not generally the flower potting type." she asked aloud, showing off her gray-blue pot with the blue stripe and her orchid and lavender flowers within it.
Just then, Josh had shown up, right between the two women. She smiled. He was younger than her, definitely. But only by a few years, she was certain. "Those colors match almost perfectly. I don't think anything would look better." She nodded. The daisies were a perfect match.
"By the way, my name is Melanie Devereux. It's a pleasure to meet you both."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 9:27 am
(( Lazarus - Entrance | Anya & Rivener ))
Lazarus chuckled softly as Rivener so dreamily described the feeling of flying in the sky. For him, flying used to be a physically taxing thing. He would be out of breath before he reached the altitude to have a good view of the sky. And it's not even the issue with stamina either. Perhaps not everyone was built for flight, like how Rivener is, maybe his wings were just stupid and heavy, and not aerodynamic enough.
"Well, to each their own." He laughed sheepishly. "I really do enjoy walking! I guess you'll have to really experience it to know how it feels. It makes me feel more... 'grounded'. Like I'm closer to earth. I have to put in more effort to get from place to place, which makes me appreciate certain things more." The Raevan tried to explain as best as he can about what he learned as a Valsaros the last few months. However, he had an inkling that they probably won't be able to fully grasp what he meant.
"Oh, and also I get to eat all sorts of food without feeling ill now!" He used to when he was still without legs, especially those that had gone through some sort of processing. He got the impression that all Raevans do since they all don't have a proper digestive system yet.
On the question about powers though, Lazarus had to think hard for a bit before answering. "Well... I am physically stronger than when I was a Sigel, yeah. Tougher too." Which reminded him. "Oh! I started learning muay thai at a local gym, which was a lot of fun too! But aside from that, I haven't discovered any new powers yet. All my existing powers are still there, like the fire conjuring and the explosive one."
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:27 am
(( Claire -> with Zeke in his office | Ivy -> with Josh and Melanie at the planters ))
Claire took a long draw from the water bottle before setting it aside. She went to open the case beside her while Zeke fished in his drawers for the paperwork. It popped open effortlessly and she fetched the paperwork that had come with the bottle, her eyes flickering over the swirling green momentarily as she heard the question she was expecting finally arrive.
Rather than snap the case back shut, she tapped the papers in her hand on the tabletop and set them next to the new set Zeke had presented her. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and then she, too, smiled, but it was somewhat tired.
"A leshy," Claire said simply. "They're.. forest guardians, I suppose. They kind of look like tree-like old men who can grow to different heights, stories tall sometimes. They're a meter of health for the forest they live in, so if they're roaming around, signs are usually pointing to things going well." Her gaze fell back to the bottle in the case; her arm throbbed and she put a hand to it. "I met him on vacation, through a family friend, but there was a fire, and his forest wasn't so lucky." Her fingers squeezed the bandages reflexively and she dragged her eyes away from the bottle. She tried to hold onto what Arina had told her, that he had chosen his way out, and he chose to come back with her, even if it wouldn't be in the same body. That gave her some modicum of comfort.
--------
"Hello there!" Ivy smiled at the lovely young woman she joined at the planter table. She was chuffed by her new companion presenting her pot and asking for advice, and her heart positively warmed to it. "That's a lovely combination, hon. The blues and purples match really well. And don't worry yourself, never too late to pick it up! I was able to, after all, and I didn't get started until my late 30s." She winked, and returned to perusing the table herself for a pot - every pot played to her love of kitsch perfectly and it was such a hard choice to make! "With so many cute things available, it's hard to only pick a handful, ain't it?"
By then, another had joined them, this time a young man, who stood between them, examining the table's wares. He picked up the very pot she had been looking at and poised his question to the both of them. The love of gardening in those that were so young, it was terribly refreshing! She was working on Claire, and her daughter was finally coming around, but perhaps the presentation of a cute planter would seal the deal.
"The daisy would look wonderful in there, but y'might want to dress it up with something else too." She pointed over to the succulents. "I recommend the string of pearls - they're green, so they won't take away from the daisy being the star of the show." Ivy smiled and reached her hands over to the pots - would Claire like the orange and brown, or the red one? She was startled out of her decision making by Melanie's introduction, and she laughed, pulling her hands back and presented one to the other woman. "Ivy Wainwright, pleasure to meet ya both."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:46 am
"Uh, Lady Ethiriel," he corrected himself. It seemed the proper title, right? Dame was the correct counterpoint to 'sir', but dame seemed too staid for the delicate raevan. Somehow, he thought bemusedly, she lived up to her elvish-looking ears. That is, she was adorable in a way that made Justin feel awkward talking to her, especially considering how their conversation had went. Which was to say awkwardly, although not badly. He opened his mouth to say something more to Ethiriel, but another raevan bounded up and he just smiled instead. He thought, maybe, he'd seen the other girl before, but Justin wasn't the best with faces. He definitely didn't know her name. He shrugged, and briefly debating grousing about Gabe's less than friendly nature. Bu really, it was alright. "Yeah, great to me you too! You must be Henry, right?" He sat down his plate of pastries. "Uh, I hope I'll do alright. The raevan is in the mail, so to speak. I feel like I'm not prepared enough though." For a second, Justin had a bleak look on his face, clearly anxious about the times to come. It hadn't exactly been a whim to apply, of course, and he didn't regret it, but he was nervous. He masked it quickly. "You're Gabe's brother, right? He's, hmm, different from you. Pretty surly, to some extent." He chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 12:02 pm
((Ethiriel & Henry > food table | Justin, Lulu)) The to-be guardian’s reaction to her own words made Ethiriel chuckle under her breath, though in response she offered her hand for him to take – only for Lulu to bounce into the scene. The Frei smiled and brought her own hand to meet the one on her shoulder. Offering a slight nod of her head, she smiled.
”Lulu, what a pleasure. It has been so long,” she said. Ethiriel then found the rabbit’s face with her hands to lightly place two gentle kisses on the Sigel’s cheeks. ”I have been doing well. And what of you? I do hope things have been fine on your end.”
Henry, on the other hand, was beyond relaxed and already comfortable with the conversation. Lulu’s interruption only caused his smile to widen – he didn’t know this Raevan, but he was certainly glad to see Ethiriel with friends. His attention, however, moved fully to Justin. He laughed, being compared to Gabe, despite how sure he was that the conversation with his brother went awry. The younger Knight didn’t disclose what happened that day, but if Justin were mentioning it now, it couldn’t have been too terribly pleasant.
”Yeah, Gabe’s… a little hard to get along with,” he said through a toothy grin. And I’d offer advice on your guardianship, but unfortunately I don’t really have that much knowledge on the matter, save from Frei companionship. Maybe you can find someone here who knows?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 9:15 pm
(( Ian > Food Table | LuLu (briefly), Cesc ))
Ian was extremely relieved that LuLu didn't appear upset that he'd forgotten her name. She quickly moved on, leaving Ian to focus on Cesc. He laughed softly at the stag's words. "Yeah, I assumed that a tea party would be harmless enough. I may avoid anything potentially scary for a while, though..." He chuckled again, grabbing a few small petit fours like Dr. Kyou suggested. They did look pretty good... Everything did, really. "How have you been?"
He glanced up at Cesc to look at him and wait for an answer, when he spotted a familiar mop of curly dark hair over the stag's shoulder. Justin. A small bit of relief washed over him and he didn't feel quite so anxious anymore. That was at least one more person he knew pretty well. But he looked a bit busy talking to another man and a Raevan, so he hung back from saying hello for now.
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