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Snoofington

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Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:45 pm


	Epiphany The trip home made them feel like ghosts. Cruz clung to Anita's arm through the entire bus ride while his eyes scanned wildly over those he recognized and even those he didn't. Everyone was accounted for, everyone was alive. But they were broken. Damaged. Even she was damaged. Minerva was livid when they got back. Anita explained everything to her while the words drifted through the emptiness between Cruz's ears. She tucked him into bed early and Tango kept him company. They wrapped around each other atop the comforter while Cruz pulled a corner of it over himself. It was always cute and uplifting to see the dog using pillows the way they were intended. Tango made smiling a little easier despite its shaky, crooked feeling. All of their smiles were off kilter. Forced, he supposed. He didn't feel like smiling but he did anyway, sometimes. Usually only at the dog or if Anita and Minerva looked like they could use one. Anita took the entire week off of work so she could tend to her injury and spend more time with him. It was nice having her home so much. Tango was wonderful company but it was sometimes difficult having a companion that was incapable of speech or had no thumbs. When she had to go to the hospital for stitches, Cruz felt a surreal sense of awareness. It was a completely different hospital with a different layout, different rooms, different staff, but all of it felt agonizingly familiar and yet horribly distant. He didn't have children to wait with and comfort them with distractions this time. All he could do was wait quietly until he was allowed to see Anita again and then it was time to go. Anita's shoulders, face, and chest were bright red. She spent a good deal of time applying aloe to her skin and trying not to make complicated expressions. He had never felt sun burnt before but he could safely say that he had become darker than usual this Summer. They helped each other out now and then, Cruz applying aloe to her upper back and Anita giving him a quick spritz with a spray bottle of water when he was sunning himself on the balcony. They both tended to the two lonely potted plants seated in the corners, small ferns that were getting a bit droopy. If the two of them weren't lounging separately or tending one another, most of their time was spent curled up on the couch together. The television was on almost constantly. Sleep didn't come easily to either of them but they managed. Each night became a little more manageable, a little more comforting, and before the week was even half over Cruz realized that they had already molded back into a mundane routine. It was almost like the trip never happened. Around Thursday, Minerva was still fuming. She helped Anita dress the stitches back up after cleaning them. ”You should report them,” she said coldly as she folded the adhesive against Anita's arm. Her sunburn was starting to peel. ”Find out who their superiors are, if they're attached to a company, whatever.” Anita's response was quiet and non-committal. ”Yeah.” It was how she addressed the issue any time Minerva brought it up, which was about once a day for the duration of the week. ”I'll figure something out,” she finally offered, which seemed to placate Minerva well enough. Each day their experience was further and further behind them and it was jarring to Cruz just how detached he felt from the events. Even so, the feelings he carried still burdened him with their weight. He still felt useless. He still felt scared and sick for everyone involved. ”I hope they're okay,” he mumbled out of the blue that Saturday afternoon. Anita murmured in response while she lay sprawled out on the couch. ”Everyone...” ”We can check.” Cruz watched from his peripheral as Anita pulled herself away and searched for her phone. Ronan, Duncan, Zeke, Anastacia... many others, still. Anita called or sent out texts, quick little notices to make sure they got back home alright. That they were on the mend. Things would go back to a normal schedule soon. Life would continue. Cruz found the idea haunting and eerie. They had been split into teams for the duration, and that had helped things considerably. He feared that anyone in that jungle had been stuck, stranded, and alone. Had they all truly returned? No one was missing? There had to be some way, some sort of assignment, to guarantee their safety and security. No one should have to suffer alone.

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 2:56 pm


	Plans Unfounded [IM RP with Neonmace] Soft sounds broke the relative silence of the apartment; the television was playing some program that just barely held Anita's attention. Both she and Cruz lay longways on the sofa, the bed of which was returned to its hidden position. The frei draped himself over his guardian, arms loosely around her back while he used her stomach for a pillow. She'd turned the volume low earlier, having noticed the croc had drifted off. A dull buzz changed the atmosphere instantly. Cruz blearily lifted his head and stared at Anita's pocket, prompting her to give his head a short pat. Her phone vibrated another two times as they both situated so she could retrieve it. The listed caller gave Anita some shallow amount of surprise, but it wasn't Leo's name on the screen that made her debate whether or not to answer. Previous events were still exhausting, to both of them, and things hadn't quite normalized yet. Just before the last ring, she flipped the screen open with her thumb. ”Yo,” she muted the TV, though kept her eyes locked on the screen. Cruz settled back against her, a quiet sigh passing his lips as he felt Anita's fingers run through his bangs. "Hey, Anita. It's Leo. I, uh, I heard maybe you guys got pulled into that search and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her face remained neutral, save for a slight tired droop to her eyes. On the other hand, Anita's voice reflected her expression as she gave a short scoff. ”Uh. Yeah, actually. We got back a couple weeks ago,” her brows furrowed, ”Were y'all not there? I didn't see you but I thought more people went.” "No, I was buried under work and couldn't. Ethiriel, um... She had a one-on-one with one of the other Raevens that were there; the poor guy was a wreck. I wanted to make sure neither you or Cruz were hurt." Leo sounded mostly impartial, as usual. Given the situation, it was kind of welcomed. A nod was her only response at first as she idly chewed her lower lip. ”Oh.” Something in her gut told her she shouldn't have been surprised. ”Yeah. Yeah, nothing serious, thanks. Just a couple stitches on my end, Cruz is fine.” On the other end, she heard Leo let out his breath. "That's good news... well, aside from the stitches. Hopefully you were able to get it looked at before it got infected or anything.” Another scoff came out, unbidden, but Anita's tone perked up a little as she managed a lopsided grin. ”Yeah, it went fine. Should be good to go in a couple weeks.” "Glad to hear it wasn't so serious that it couldn't be handled." Anita hummed quietly in response. Silence followed and it caused her slight smile to fade. "I was wondering if you wanted to get together sometime. I know for a fact that Ethiriel's worried over Cruz, it'd do them good to hang out again, I'd think." It came right back. She looked down at Cruz sprawled across her lap, hand still stroking his hair, and raised her brows curiously. ”Hm. That... might be nice, actually. Yeah.” Anita paused and leaned her head back against the arm of the couch, green eyes staring up at the ceiling. ”Is she available right now? Maybe it'd be good for them to talk a little, if she's worried.” "Good. I look forward to it -- and yeah, she's available. She's never used a phone before, but..." ”Yeah, he's not too used to phones either but he gets the basic gist.” There was some shuffling on the line as, she assumed, Leo was locating Ethiriel. In that time, Anita gently tapped Cruz's shoulder to get his attention and, once more, he lifted his head dreamily. The frei offered her a sleepy smile thanks to her own lingering half-one. ”I'm talking to Leo, he's checking if Ethiriel wants to use the phone. Wanna say hi?” Suddenly the dullness in Cruz's eyes was getting pushed back by an exuberant light despite his drowsiness. ”Yes, please.” Anita grinned and held the phone back to her ear and glanced around the ceiling while listening for any change. ”You there?” ”Yes, I am. Greetings, Miss Anita.” Her smile softened at the silvery frei's calm voice. ”How are you this evening?” ”Hey, sweet thing. I'm doin' alright, Cruz and I were just relaxing.” ”That is wonderful news.” ”I'm gonna hand the phone over to him now, okay?” Cruz lifted his head up and stared expectantly, his lips tight around a barely contained smile. ”I understand.” As soon as Anita took the phone away from her ear Cruz's hands were out. It took a moment with a bit of fumbling, both of them feeling uncoordinated on top of his limited use of the phone to begin with. Once he got it to a comfortable position he gave a quiet huff and smiled. ”Hello?” ”Greetings, Sir Cruz. It is wonderful to hear from you again.” Cruz let loose a low rumble from his throat. She sounded different on the phone but it was still so nice to hear from her, and recognize that it definitely was her. Almost immediately his smile faded as her tone shifted and lowered. ”I am sorry to hear that you had to brave that horrid trip... I hope you are well...” ”Ah...” his mouth hung open, ”Yeah.” Cruz floated slightly above Anita as he leaned back to scratch his head, rather than jab her with his elbows. ”I'm okay. Were you there...?” ”No... no, I was not.” Cruz closed his eyes and sighed. ”Leonard was indisposed and I was forbade from going alone. I mean... there was not much I could have aided with, really... “ Anita took one of the frei's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. The worry on his face had been difficult to remove until then, and as Ethiriel continued it became easier to smile again. ”However, so long as you are fine it is beside the point. I'm very glad to hear that you are well.” As she did so, Anita adjusted on the couch and carefully pulled Cruz through the air, encouraging him to float away while they spoke. Cruz scarcely acknowledged the gesture, transfixed on the phone call, and began to slowly wander the living room. ”I guess so,” he agreed absently on his way to their shared bedroom. Once he retreated inside, his free hand came to rest on the comforter and he lowered his voice. ”...A lot of people got hurt.” Her voice quieted in turn. ”Yes, I... I am aware... I have met with one other who had gone...” He could hear her breath and voice quiver and Cruz held the phone tighter. ”I am beyond relieved that you, at least, were spared...” Cruz gripped the sheet and pulled himself against the bed, sprawling out with his chest against it. He made a quiet sound of acknowledgment. ”I didn't get hurt... At all,” he offered listlessly. It still didn't sit right with him. Probably never would. ”Who did you meet?” Ethiriel cleared her throat. ”Sir Rhedefre... or Cesc, as he suggested.” He tried to make another soft sound to tell her he was listening but all that came out was a pathetic whimper. ”...It's good you didn't go.” ”I would not have been much help... Things worked out in the end, I suppose, and at least you have that...” ”Yeah...” No thanks to him. ”I'm sorry you were worried.” ”There is no need for apology... I knew nothing of this trip until everyone had returned home...” The croc ran his nails over the blanket, clenched and bunched the sheets up in his hand. His claws dug into its fabric anxiously. Cruz lowered his cheek to the mattress, careful to leave his mouth uncovered for the phone. ”People are hurting, but... no one's gone...” That was their only accountable victory. ”And that, indeed, is something to be grateful for...” Though he agreed, Cruz couldn't manage to make a sound this time. He didn't even nod as he looked dimly at the patterns across Anita's comforter. There was a small silence, which Ethiriel must have taken as a cue to change subjects. ”Leonard suggested to Miss Anita that we should see one another again.” His eyes focused again when he detected the lighter tone her voice took. Cruz lifted his head from the bed and stammered softly. ”Yes?” A smile cracked his lips. ”That'd be nice.” She hummed pleasantly. ”Yes, and from the sound of it, I believe she agreed. When, however, I do not know yet.” Cruz glanced at the door. It was still ajar. ”They'll tell us. Hopefully soon.” ”Indeed they shall,” Ethiriel laughed and it sounded like silver bells, ”I most definitely look forward to seeing you again.” He gave a quiet laugh; both from excitement at the prospect and the irony of her wording. ”Maybe – maybe they should talk now. To decide.” Excitement was clear in his voice despite his lowered volume. Ethiriel's voice remained low as well but she sounded much more at ease than when the conversation started. ”Yes... It was very nice speaking with you again, Sir Cruz...” ”Yes. You too.” Cruz listened curiously to the subtle noises in the background, sounds of wherever she lived. A short shuffling alerted him to the phone switching hands and the frei perked up some more off the bed. ”Hello?” ”Just a second.” He was off the bed before he'd even finished his request. When Cruz exited the bedroom, he found Anita laying face down across the couch, her limbs splayed awkwardly and a few hanging off the side onto the floor. ”Here she is,” he nudged her shoulder. She mumbled and lifted her head. Without altering her position, Anita took the phone. ”Hey.” "You'd think they would want to talk longer, but then again they'd probably rather see one another." Anita laughed. ”Yeah, I guess. Cruz seems to communicate better in person.” She flashed the croc a quick grin before resting her head on the arm of the couch and closing her eyes. "Same with Ethiriel, but as you noticed she's pretty hands-on." Leo sounded a little amused. ”How's your schedule lookin' for that, by the way?” "Well, from the looks of it, any evening this week could work since most of the workload is slotted for morning shoots. The rest can be done on my own time -- so really it's up to your schedule." Anita hummed and pursed her lips. ”I'll have to get back to you on that. My schedule's up in the air each week. It'll be soon, though. Don't wanna keep the babies waitin'." Her eyes opened a little at the unexpected sound of Leo's quiet laughter. "Definitely. I'll look forward to a call, then." ”Alright,” Anita stretched on the couch, letting out a soft sound of relief from the strain, ”Thanks for calling and checkin' in. I appreciate it, and I know Cruz is excited to see your girl again.” She paid Leo clearing his throat no mind. "It's no problem, I'm just glad you two are all right. Ethiriel's definitely looking forward to it. Anyway, I should get back to work, speaking of. Talk to you later." ”Yeah, man. I'll give you a shout soon,” Anita grinned with her eyes shut, ”See ya round.”

Snoofington

Merry Krampus

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Snoofington

Merry Krampus

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Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:18 pm


	AUGUST 09 2013 LAB REPORT 001 ANITA BISHOP // CRUZ ================= In light of recent events, I thought it best to start making a log. I've been aware for a long time now that this is an experiment and requires documentation but until now I never felt that mechanical side of Lab 305. The search and rescue changed my outlook on a lot of things. I think the same could be said of everyone who went on it. Despite this, my opinion on the Raevan Project itself hasn't changed; the experiment ends with the result of consciousness. With a life. Cruz is not an experiment, but his essence and soul were. The only thing I'm willing to contribute anymore is this and any subsequent reports. I won't put him in danger again and I don't intend to be mislead. Two years ago next month, the crocodile-mistletoe raevan, Cruz, was born. He had a slow development period within his tank, lasting nearly another two years, which I've theorized was due (perhaps only in part) to the laboratory taking on ice. This does not appear to have affected his development after birth. He isn't a slow learner by any stretch of the imagination, but Cruz does seem to have trouble understanding human social norms. Maybe it would be different if a dark elf or someone else were taking care of him. It's impossible to say with any certainty. The Forceful Mistletoe functioned exactly as its name implies. To date, Cruz has exhibited no signs of any forceful abilities or attributes, save for underlying stubbornness. I'm very grateful for that. His feeding method was a surprise, but of course it makes sense within context of the essence. Kissing on the lips seems to feed him the most. Thankfully, this is not his only means of feeding though kisses do seem to be the only thing he eats. Anywhere on his body appears to be good enough. Cruz has told me that mouth kisses are the most filling. This lead to several intances of breaching personal space, making others uncomfortable, or causing emotional distress. The very first time he fed was on another raevan, the spider frei Anastacia, and it resulted in a scuffle. Luckily both were uninjured, just shaken. As far as interaction with others goes, Cruz has improved by leaps and bounds. He may not understand the societal standards and expectations presented to him but he adheres to them, at the very least, to avoid making others uncomfortable. It may not be a lack of understanding at all anymore, but rather a disagreement with them. I'll need to talk to him more extensively about this some time. Since he's been living with me, Cruz has shown exceptional care and affection to everyone he's interacted with. He is very liberal with physical contact, quick to claim friendship, and is quite the flatterer. So far he hasn't gotten on any other raevan's nerves and they all seem charmed by him, eager to help him eat and cling on each other, except for Anastacia. Considering their situation, I'm not surprised. Cruz has expressed remorse. Of those he's met within the project who have not yet come to care for active raevans, Cruz has been an eager participant. Axel Halkias approached us early on after filling her soul bottle and shared her experience. Cruz was completely enthralled and took the knowledge of how raevans come to be without any problems. Duncan Clarke later approached Cruz and I for assistance on soul choice and Cruz was all too eager to assist. Even on the bus ride to Kahadlok, we spoke with Ronan Shea whom I'd met a few years prior at a fundraiser. He was also having trouble deciding on what soul to use in the project and, without missing a beat, Cruz began offering suggestions and insight with me. He is very interested in the propogation and maintaining of his species. His interest in life isn't limited there. The search and rescue hit everyone hard, the raevans especially I think. I came out with a new scar, others went home with numerous. Cruz came back with a hurt heart. He didn't sustain any injuries during the search, or even the confrontation with... that thing, but in the few years I've known him I've never seen him cry so much. Never seen him so down. Through all of his stubbornness and assertive behavior, his empathy is so strong he doesn't know how to handle it. So he cries. Survivors guilt hit him real hard. No one died but coming out the only one unscathed must feel like someone did. I wouldn't know. Cruz has a very big heart and he's forgiving almost to a fault. One of the other raevans, LuLu, was in a bad way a few months back and the two got in a fight. He told me they spoke before the search and that she apologized, she said she was sick. Cruz didn't question it, he just said he was glad she was better. Compared to other raevans, I don't have nearly as much experience. I learned most of their biology and what to expect from Zeke Farris during Cruz's tenure in his tank. I do know that most, if not all, are expected to exhibit magical attributes in line with their essences. Cruz has none. I don't know if this will change or if it's even pertinent. As I said before, the reason I'm writing this -- it's as much for the lab as it is for me. I feel an obligation to follow through with the "experiment" portion of this adoption, but it's only because my trust in Lab 305 to care for the raevans it creates has been shaken. When I first learned of Lab 305 and came to know the individuals involved, I was told it was a family. Upon receiving the fel essence and soul bottle, I was told by many "welcome to the family." It felt true. The more I got involved, the more it felt like a family to me. I trusted this reality without question. This is no longer the case. What we experienced out there was nothing less than gross negligence. We were mislead, uninformed, and unprepared. I agreed to participate in the search, and allowed Cruz to come with, under the logical assumption that we would be providing assistance to professional rescue teams. Instead, we were thrown blindly into dangers that could have been easily avoided. We were all put at risk for no reason. I'm relieved the doctor was found but I absolutely do not condone the methods through which he was retrieved. As it stands, I can no longer trust the lab to offer proper care and assistance as a larger entity. Individuals inside, they are on a strictly case by case basis. I have my connections, my friendships, just as Cruz does, and I hope we continue to make positive connections with lab affiliates, but "family" is now a hollow word in regards to it. I hope, when the doctor is well, management and policies are heavily reevaluated. Cruz and I will not be participating in any further stunts, if we can help it. This is all I owe the lab. I hope it is able to provide what it owes Cruz.

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 8:20 pm


	Thanks-A-Plenty Celebrating Thanksgiving with Duncan's family, Anita and Cruz are glad to see things seem well after their last visit.

Snoofington

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Snoofington

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Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:22 am


	A Sweet Christmas Party

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:02 pm


	Purgatory (Pt.1) [IM RP with Rookeries] Mordekai felt like an elephant in the room for a good week after Thanksgiving. The food and prep all went great, better than he expected, but the image of tahyo transposed everything, and not in as pleasant a way as he'd expected. He recalled Ribbon-legs and Anita, his human friend. How Duncan had greeted them so pleasantly, how Rebecca did, how even Jillette and Jerri-- who were both reclusive in their own ways-- had greeted them as if they were old friends. Though Mordekai didn't resent their company-- far from it-- he felt strange, even after greeting himself and learning their names. Even if they met at the garden party, there was no chance that Duncan and Rebecca (Christ, was she there, too?) would have taken to them so immediately, so warmly, and Mordekai found no chance to ask anyone his question: Were they from anywhere else? You were gone for five months. Maybe. Mordekai thought over their farewell again and again-- Take care of yourself, Anita said. You too, he said, without giving it another thought. She was glancing over at him, not Duncan. Not Duncan. The blonde managed to retrieved a phone list of Lab 305 participants from the living room that Duncan had left on the table, for easy keeping. The list wasn't as long as he'd expected, but parsing through all of the letters and numbers so tightly knit were difficult. He was able to find Anita's name, though, and quickly rummaged through his pockets for his cellphone. He flipped it open and clumsily pressed at his keys, looking between the paper every few seconds to see if it was right, to see if he actually wanted to go through with this. Did he? It's an innocent question. Was it? Without thinking further, Mordekai closed his eyes as he pressed the call button and held the phone next to his ear: What if she didn't pick up? What would he do then? It was a lucky shot on Mordekai's part. Anita returned from work just shy of an hour ago and had already managed to get comfortable. The dog and raevan pair were sprawled out on the sofa bed which sat almost perpetually pulled out since Cruz came into the picture and she'd had the TV on but muted to entertain himself while the two napped. Nestled in her pocket and set the vibrate, she almost didn't notice the call. On the other end it rang once, twice, and then there was a dull sound. She didn't recognize the number so she considered not picking up at all but, upon further consideration, removed herself from the living room and tucked away into the nearest bedroom. The door was shut to ensure less noise bleeding over from any ensuing conversation but she doubted it was anything more than a wrong number. It usually was. "Hello?" it was a casual greeting, rolling off her tongue easily but with a hint of exhaustion from the day that Anita hadn't managed to shake off quite yet. Mordekai felt gradually more relieved as the phone continued to dial, only to have his heart plummet when the phone momentarily silence. He opened his eyes and nervously listened to Anita speak-- he brushed his hair with his free hand and swore underneath his breath. Was this worth it? "'Ello," Mordekai began weakly, though he raised his voice so Anita may better hear. "I-- dunno if you remember me. 'M Mordekai, Duncan's-- in-law. How are things? His greeting and voice didn't register as familiar, not at first. Only when he got to his name did she become more attentive and make her way to the edge of the bed to sit down. "Oh, hey," Anita smiled and it was as clear as the recognition in her voice. "Hey, man. Things are good. I haven't been home for too long. How 'bout you?" This was certainly a surprise. While, pleasant, she could detect the hesitance in his voice and -- in-law? Huh. All this time she thought Ducan was Mordekai's father. Mordekai soon walked away from the dinner table to lean against the backyard door. He had to think momentarily to think on what Anita had asked him, as her words jumbled in his head alongside his growing anxiety. "Glad to hear. Everythin's okay," Mordekai began, slowly, "I was-- actually callin' to ask 'bout somethin'. If you have the time" It was difficult to begin inquiring Anita when she sounded so friendly, and Mordekai felt only nervous, any traces of chipperness in his voice either forced or out of courtesy. What smile lingered was lessened as he spoke. It was easy to hear in his tone he wasn't chipper but maybe he was just tired -- he did have pretty heavy bags under his eyes at Thanksgiving, anyway. Anita straightened up a bit and let one hand rest lazily in her lap while she stared at some of the knick-knacks lining the top of her dresser. "I got time," she started as pleasantly. Her brows creased gently as she tilted her head some, adjusting the phone against her ear, "What's up?" That came out more direct, reminiscent of the tone she had when she said her goodbye. She knew it probably wasn't something bad or else he would have skipped the pleasantries... wouldn't he? Mordekai found himself sliding onto the floor to sit the more nervous he felt. He managed to laugh briefly, though he didn't know why, as he was in no mood to. He nevertheless sombered and tried to find the best way to ask his question, a way that wouldn't be so rude. "Thanks," he began, though he flinched when Anita asked him something. "I don't wanna bother you none, but I was wonderin', did we meet-- any other time other'n the party thing? Not the Thanksgiving one," Mordekai's voice lowered, "The garden one." Her mouth closed into a tight line. It was only for a few seconds after he asked that she fell silent, her brows knitting while she scrutinized an uninteresting pattern in the wood dresser. "No," Anita began, her voice lighter with consideration, "No, we didn't meet." Immediately after speaking her teeth dug into her lower lip. It was accurate insofar as they hadn't spoken during that time, that he'd been thoroughly unaware of her involvement. That didn't count as meeting at all. Still, there was a slight emphasis on the word 'meet' that she'd unintentionally placed, as if to differentiate. Mordekai frowned. He was initially complacent with her answer-- maybe it was just a friend Duncan had made when he was gone, and didn't tell him. Either way, he felt a strange need to press on, if not to ramble, if not to at least express his confusion and frustration at not remembering her, nor Cruz, nor Tango. "We didn't?" Mordekai asked, his voice riddled with slight concern. "Are.. you sure? I-- it's just, Duncan an' 'Becca seem so friendly with you, an' I din't even hear of you 'til just before Thanksgiving. Did-- were you friends with 'em last year for a bit, then? After the garden party? You see 'em at all?" There was a quick flash of heat in her face when he sounded confused. She was quick to push it down and pull her legs up onto the bed to get more comfortable. His curiosity told her with near certainty that the topic of her presence hadn't reached his ears, but that just lead to more questions; was it intentionally kept away? did he remember something on his own? and a part of her couldn't help wonder, almost cynically, why it mattered. "Oh -- yeah," Anita laughed quietly, keeping it short, "I came over with Cruz for a little bit to help Duncan with Lab stuff." She tapped a finger idly on her knee, wondering how much she should recount. "He was trying to figure out what to use. That's when we met Miss Rebecca and the kidlets." Mordekai frowned. It was only until recently that Duncan recalled any mention of the Lab at all, and before that, Mordekai hadn't heard a lick of what had happened to the two containers. His confusion caused his frown to set in deeper as he grew more uncomfortable with each question and answer, and he glanced momentarily at the stairs-- he knew the soul bottle was just in Duncan's room. "O-oh," he sounded momentarily relieved, "That's... that's awful nice of you both. What'd Duncan decide on? He never really told me. I jus' know it's somethin' red... An' I don't even remember 'Becca callin' in for a visit in a while, I might've been at work. Hadn't even seen the kids since they could barely walk 'til Thanksgiving-- not that it's partic'larly important to you," he added, flustered. It was true that Rebecca had a tendency to avoid him, and Duncan simply drove to Gambino when she invited him for a small gathering; it was reasonable enough that he wouldn't be told if Rebecca came and visited during his work hours, though it didn't help upset him any less. Suddenly he rambled. Anita blinked, scrutinized the phone from her peripheral, adjusted how she was sitting, then stared forward again. Her chin came to rest on her knees while her left arm wrapped around them. Mordekai'd managed not to trip over his words but he sounded like he could have at a moment's notice. "I don't know what he picked, actually," she mentioned quietly once she was sure he wasn't going to add anything else. Most of it went over her head, wasn't her business, so she glossed over it. "We knew it had to be red because of how the cloth works. Or at least, it's suggested. I dunno." It had honestly been a year since she brushed up on soul bottle business, it was all feeling a bit rusty. What was he getting at, though? He was pressing but it was awfully confused. She didn't know. Mordekai felt a great urge to simply drop the call and leave it at that, but it still didn't answer his primary worry, his primary fear, and he quietly repeated the farewell he had with Anita: Take care of yourself, alright? To him. Not Duncan. To Mordekai, it felt like pity. Sympathy. Something he received from family that really knew, and tried to bare with it. Mordekai remained silent over the line for a few moments, as he rubbed his face and thought things over. "O-okay. A-an'-- I-i don't remember if I asked this-- I wasn't there?" He was having a difficult time managing the pace of the conversation, let alone remembering what he'd already asked. He rested his free hand over his neck, "N-not at all? W-we really din't meet, not once, after the garden party?" His desperation was making her feel sick. Even if he was quiet he was still fumbling, still worried, and it made Anita curl up tighter on herself. Was he not supposed to know or had it just not come up? She couldn't think of any single reason why he shouldn't know, save perhaps her just being an irrelevant accessory. She let him finish, giving another short pause in case he felt the need to add anything else. "You weren't feeling well..." Anita said more quietly, her brows setting with unease. That alone wasn't very direct; it explained his perceived absence but he wasn't absent. "We didn't speak," she added tentatively, hoping it was a gentler way to give him his answer. Mordekai leaned his head back against the backyard door, his head making a quiet thwunk at the motion. He wanted to be direct, he wanted to know whether his fears were simply foolish or not, but he found no way to tactfully ask her without risking the chance of telling someone that didn't need to know. He closed his eyes. He was plenty sick for so long, and not speaking to people wasn't abnormal. She told him nothing to help him, and his frustration settled in. "I-- Please be honest with me," he spoke desperately, the words spilling from his mouth before he could catch them. He was on the verge of crashing about something that he suspected was nothing. Even if she knew about it, what did it matter to him? Why did he care so much? Because he effected her. A stranger. But maybe she didn't care, really-- maybe this meant something only to him. If that was the case, and he only sounded a fool after this, he would be grateful. "Please. I can barely think. I-i just need to know if 'm bein' stupid." She'd heard the dull thud but couldn't place the sound. When he was quiet she opened her mouth to ask if everything was okay but his sudden shift in tone caused a barely audible squeak to escape instead. Her heart hammered worriedly, sick heat rising back to her face. "I--" Anita closed her mouth tightly and leaned it against her knees. She searched the floor wildly as if it would give her any hint on how to properly answer. Her teeth clutched at the inside of her lip painfully but it wasn't until he spoke again that she released it, along with a shaky breath. "The gazebo..." It came out so quiet, riddled with apology. He didn't want anyone to have been there, of course not, but least of all someone he didn't know. She had no business being there. God, no. It was worse than he'd hoped. Mordekai squeezed his eyes shut even tighter and moved his hand back up to his face, where he briefly covered his mouth and rubbed his nose, his eyes, his forehead-- he laughed again, pathetically so, his breath clearly shaky. "God, 'm so sorry," Mordekai's voice was low, "I'm so sorry. I ******** up. I din't know." Anita swallowed the lump of growing anxiety but it wouldn't go down. Her eyes were wide while every inch of her tried to pull tighter on itself. A sharp inhale felt like it pierced her lungs as he apologized, her eyes immediately gaining a glossy coat. "N-no--" she stuttered without thinking, "No, it's okay. It's okay..." It felt like her heart was going to punch right out of her ribs. "Mordekai -- you're okay. You're okay..." "I-i am. I try to be," Mordekai only partially managed to stifle an airy, choked laugh-- he dropped his arm to his side and pressed the phone to his ear tighter. "N-no one tol' me you were there. God, why'd you have t'be there? You hardly know me. 'M sorry, madam," he laughed again, "'M really sorry for all this. Jus' needed t'know, an'..." The stark dichotomy between his voice and the laughter that managed to escape sent a chill through her. Anita tried to push back her welling tears of confusion and fear. There was regret for her presence but it was strangely minimal, only due to his own emotions on the matter. "I know... I know, I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to be..." she trailed off idly, stopping as her voice began to waver. If she could play that day over again, though, she still would have gone. He'd been lying there twitching on his back, Cruz and Jerri too afraid to do anything, Rebecca jumping first to her phone, and Duncan... What if she hadn't been there? Would Duncan have been the one to put him on his side? He expelled so soon after that, what if no one had? Another quiet squeak preceded her speaking. "I-I thought you knew, so I didn't..." mention it at all. By now she'd forgotten entirely the tone of her goodbye, that it could have been a hint. "I'm sorry..." "You have nothin' to apologize for," Mordekai managed to say, his voice a low, strained mumble. His sentiment held water, though he was quickly falling pray to the overwhelming fact that he still knew next to nothing of the people that were there. A strange panic settled into his heart, his head, and he felt inextricably nervous, though he couldn't place why-- why would it be this? It happened a year ago. It had no effect now. Did it? Did this girl hate him? Dread overwhelmed him: Why'd you ask her? Do you hear how sorry she sounds? "I--it's okay, really. I'm sorry for callin' you, he felt his head whirl, "I just needed t'know w-why-- why it seemed everyone knew you, and I just din't, why y'said what you said 'fore you left. I'll-- I'll leave you be. S-sorry again to bother you." All she managed in return was a soft mumble. Her hands were shaking. He sounded so torn up about this, and why shouldn't he? But then he started winding down, gearing towards a hang up, and she made a sound of protest before she could stop herself. He'd been in such a bad way then but he seemed cognizant at Thanksgiving. He seemed cognizant now. "W-wait," Anita huffed, trying to catch him before the call cut, "It -- it's okay. You're not bothering me... I'm sure it's been really confusing. I'm sorry I made it more complicated..." From the sounds of it, she just made things worse. And how? What she said before she left? She didn't even remember, it'd been so casual. A new dread seeped in. He had total power to just hang up on her but if she just let it end on such an abrupt and heavy note, what would happen? Her gut told her something bad and it made her clutch her phone with a white knuckled grip. Mordekai was already feeling quakes rumble through him when he prepared to drop the call. When Anita spoke again, though, his eyes widened, his chest burning with pressure. "T-think none of it," he managed, sounding short of breath, "I-i shouldn't've even reminded you, t-this shouldn't mean so much--" cause him so much strange anxiety that he couldn't place-- "Y-you just shouldn't have had to go through somethin' like that." Everything was hot, even his phone, both from the signal emission and his rising body heat. He felt like choking, and every syllable he managed felt strained. His attempt at laughing it off even moreso sounded only like a strained gasp of breath. "Christ, I-i'm sorry, I can't d-do this-- I-i need to go!" Instead of fully dropping the call, Mordekai left the cellphone on the floor and quickly ran past the dining table and to the stairs, where he sat and covered his face; it was difficult pacing his breath to the speed of his beating heart. He hardly knew that Anita was still on the other line, waiting. She hates you. Duncan will hate you for this. The more he talked the more confused she felt. Why was he worried about her in this? She shouldn't have had to go through it? None of her questions or concerns could be voiced. Anita just stammered on the line until he bailed. She held back calling for him but she heard his retreat. With a deep steadying breath, she pulled the phone from her ear and stared at the screen. The counter was still going. Hesitantly, Anita brought the phone back and listened quietly. She couldn't hear anything. "...Mordekai?" it came out much quieter than she intended but Anita paused to listen anyway. "Mordekai?" she tried again, a bit more firm as she let her legs fall over the side of the bed. Nothing. Warily, she glanced to her bedroom door. Had he dropped the phone? Was it worth it to yell? Again she pulled the phone back and stared at the counter. Her fingers clutched the phone shut in one quick motion, ending the call. In the same motion her thumb flicked it back open and navigated to recent calls. Ringing... His unsteady breathing turned into wheezing the hotter he felt, and he clutched at the stairs and wall next to it for something stable-- he grabbed at his shirt and leaned forward, wide-eyed. When the phone gave off its soft buzz, he jolted, the surprise sending him into even more uncontrolled breathing. He didn't know who was on the other line. Did Anita hang up? He didn't care. He was going to die. He tried to rise to his feet, only to find himself stop mid-crouch and fall back, his hands covering his face-- why did he drop the phone? He couldn't get anywhere. He couldn't say anything. As he wheezed, he leaned sideways against the wall and stared toward the backyard door, to the gardens, to the ringing cellphone. Christ, she was there. She shouldn't have been. His chest was pounding at a mile a minute-- an overheating engine ready to exhaust. He didn't want to die. The longer it rang the more sick she felt. Anita muttered quick curses under her breath, her leg practically kicking a mile a minute. "C'mon... Pick up, pick up." Voicemail. "Please, please, please..." As pressure rose in his chest, Mordekai reeled over and wheezed. Duncan heard a faint ringing from his phone dulled out by the thickness of his jacket. When he pulled it out, he stared shocked at the name 'Anita Bishop' lighting on the screen. He quietly looked around from the museum booth-- it was fairly empty; were he to be chided later, he would take it in stride. He received the call and hunched over, quietly speaking: "Hello, Anita?" "Duncan!" she jumped to her feet as soon as he answered, whirling and pacing. Her free hand clutched and dug at her hair, pulled at her braids- "Duncan, you need to check on Mordekai." Her words came out in a hurried panic. She sounded out of breath and the lingering tears were welling fresh from her growing fear. Anita had no idea if he was even home, if Mordekai was even at home when he called. They could have been hours apart for all she knew. Duncan was immediately shoked at Anita's tone of voice-- she sounded panicked. He rose from his seat and turned away from the front side of the ticket booth, his eyes already gleaning towards the exit at Mordekai's name. "Anita, what's happening," Duncan asked, his voice as calm as possible, though it was still jilted with quiet panic, "I'm not home right now-- do you know where he is?" Anita whimpered, turning on her heel. A hand pulled her bangs back painfully. He wasn't home. "N-no. He called me. He--" she tried to breathe, pausing in her step and clenching her eyes shut. "--he asked if I was there. I don't know what happened. I-I think he dropped the phone? He won't pick up." She tried desperately to stay calm but her entire body was shaking and it made her voice do so as well. Duncan immediately exited the toll booth and began pacing towards the employee exit just nearby. His car was only a minute or so away, but it felt far as he absorbed what Anita said, his face pale. "What do you mean by that, Anita?" he sped up, nearly jogging through the parking area, "I'm in Durem right now. It should take thirty minutes to get there. Take a deep breath. It'll be okay." She huffed. She glossed right the hell over the cause of this without meaning to. "He-he wanted to know if I was there that day. At the gazebo..." Anita attempted as she was told, take a deep but trembling breath. It barely helped. "W-what should I do? While you're driving, what should I do?" She had to do something. Should she keep trying to call him? Call paramedics? When Duncan finally reached his car, he felt the car door and rummaged through his pockets. "st," he hissed: though he rushed immediately to the staff exit, he still needed to go to the employee locker room to obtain his car keys. He looked back at the museum structure and quickly began to run over. "If you can, call the paramedics, please-- our address is 780 Pine Street, Barton. I'll get there as soon as I can," he barged through the staff exit and quickly ran to his right, where the small employee locker room was. "I'm getting my keys right now, but please, call them as soon as possible, I hate to hang up, but did you get the address? Everything else is good?" As soon as Duncan mentioned and address Anita practically threw herself at the nearest cabinet. A few books and movies fell out of their placement and clattered to the floor while she retrieved paper and dug through for a pencil while Duncan continued to offer instruction. Her hand was shaking so badly she barely recognized her handwriting but she got it down. "Y-yes. I got it. I'll call them now. Drive safe." The last bit was blurted before she really thought about it but she also paid it no mind once it was said. As soon as the call with Duncan was finished she did as instructed. Paramedics had an estimated ETA of fifteen minutes, so at least someone would be there soon. Her gut twisted at the fact she was a good two hours away by car if the traffic was good. There'd be absolutely no point in her rushing out the door. Instead, she sat back down and anxiously tried calling Mordekai's phone again. Just one more time. Duncan shoved the phone back into his pocket and quickly decoded and pulled open his locker-- by the time he was able to reach the car, he was a mess, red and flustered. He quickly drove away from the site of the parking lot without hesitation. Meanwhile, Mordekai continued to settle into rushed, short breathing, startled again by the sound of the cellphone. He sluggishly extended his arms toward the wall, but his hands were clutched in fists so tight he couldn't flex them. A mess of tears streamed from his face as he sat there, his breathing so loud it echoed through the house, as he watched the cellphone again, his pupils dilated to near absence. He wrung his arms around his sides and pressed his head against his knees, rocking idly as he waited for time to pass. The phone went dead silent again, and he missed another call. He sobbed. Voicemail again. Anita choked. She pulled her legs up and hugged them tight, only vaguely aware she was still holding her phone open and the dull sound of the voicemail message over her own haggard breathing. "God dammit... Please be okay..." It recorded, if barely. That was it. All she could do now was wait until she got word back from Duncan.

Snoofington

Merry Krampus

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Snoofington

Merry Krampus

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Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:04 pm


	Purgatory (Pt.2) [IM RP with Rookeries] Ringing. Ringing in her ears from her pulse. Ringing echoes from attmepting to call. After five minutes she tried again but hung up just before the voicemail message kicked in and nothing was recorded. From there, Anita forced herself to tuck the phone into her pocket. It took several minutes to convince herself to get off the bed, then a few more to leave the room. Anita forced herself to appear outwardly calm but all she could manage was a look of neutrality which, paired with the grim and worrying nature of the circumstances, just made her look annoyed. When she finally stepped out, Cruz had shifted to just barely floating over the bed while his ribbon draped haphazardly across Tango's torso while the dog laid on his side and basked in the croc's attention. He smiled as she exited but it quickly fell short. "You okay?" "I'm hungry," she mumbled, giving long and purposeful strides toward the kitchen. It was true, she'd barely eaten at lunch and hadn't managed to get any breakfast in. Whenever she was hungry, headaches, nausea, and general grumpiness set in so this was also standard fair for Cruz who simply nodded his understanding and decied to leave her be until she was fed. Anita couldn't just sit and play the waiting game. It would drive her nuts if she did nothing but stare at her phone and beg for a call that likely wouldn't come for part of an hour. Instead, she set about killing time. It was going to be breakfast for dinner tonight and she didn't even care; half a package of turkey bacon, maple sausage links, waffles, and hashbrowns. There wasn't enough to qualify for a feast but there'd be left overs and she could share with her mom when she got off work too. It served as a decent enough distraction but as time ticked on and the more she prepared the less she was sure she even wanted to eat it. When Duncan pulled up to the front lot of his home, no one was there, and the door had been kicked open. Duncan managed to park the car nearby the sidewalk and made his way towards the open threshold, unable to care if he stepped on any splinters that lay on the porch. Had they already taken him away? "Mordekai?" Duncan asked, his voice amplified enough to echo through the lonely house. He checked around the bend of the wall towards the kitchen, then back to the living area, the front, the stairs-- nothing. Tentatively at first, Duncan paced up the stairs, his eyes surveying the area for some trace of life, but there was nothing. Upon reaching the hallway, he loomed, then stared between the three doors, all closed save for one-- Mordekai's room. The only thing Duncan could see from his vantage point as a cluttered table and window. Heart racing, he quietly gripped the phone in his pocket and inched to the room, knuckles pale with dread. Upon reaching the room, he looked cautiously to the side, where Mordekai's bed was. No one. When he transitioned his gaze down, though, he noticed the familiar sight of a man lying on the floor to his side, his face and front turned away from the door. Hesitantly, Duncan pulled out his phone and rang up Anita. He knelt toward Mordekai-- the man was dead still. He had to check his pulse, look at his face, something-- but Duncan couldn't find himself being able to do so. "No... no, no..." Anita was consolidating most of the things she'd cooked onto a large platter so she could wrap them up and store them in the fridge more easily. When the low toned buzz of vibration in her pocket began, she let out a short yelp and accidentally flicked her wrists back while holding the pan of hashbrowns. They flew everywhere and the tray clattered to the floor as she fumbled with her jeans. The sound startled both frei and dog, the former of which clutched to the back of the sofa and peeked over with wide eyes to stare at his guardian. Tango was quick to leap from his comfortable perch and trotted toward Anita with his ears back and tail wagging uneasily. As soon as he saw the hashbrowns scattered on the floor, though, Tango's attentions were quick to divert and he began sniffing at the food. Cruz floated over and hissed quietly, hovering low to the floor while trying to gesture Tango away from the mess. She flipped the phone open as soon as she saw it was Duncan calling with enough force that she thought it might snap. "D-Duncan..." her voice was quiet and shaken. The results could have been anything. Her tone made the frei give pause and he stared worriedly up at Anita. His hands rested on Tango's sides as he tried to steer the dog from the hashbrowns but while he assessed the situation the animal was quick to take advantage and began nibbling one. "Anita," Duncan addressed, grimly-- he was still affixed to staring at Mordekai. He had grown significantly paler than when he'd seen him last, early in the morning, but-- it couldn't have been true. Between Anita and Duncan, there was a grave silence as Duncan braced himself to touch Mordekai's forehead, nudge him over, anything... with trembling hands, he rubbed his eyes worriedly and stared elsewhere. "I-- I found him," he whispered, "H-he's-- lying on the floor, but I..." He couldn't do it. No. He hovered one hand inches above Mordekai's neck-- he needed to check is pulse. Even if he saw no reason in doing so, he had to. But it was difficult to move, and Duncan knelt there ever-so-still, his only source of calm from knowing Anita was on the other line. Her stomach dropped. Anita caught herself on the kitchen counter and lowered herself to sit on the floor. She was only barely aware that Cruz and Tango were nearby. Her mouth hung open dumbly before she was able to stammer and get herself back on track. "Wh-what? Did the paramedics not get there yet?" her head was pounding. What the hell was going on? Confusion and worry hit Cruz like a wave. Paramedics. He quickly pushed away from Tango and approached Anita with his hands held out, looking distraught. Who was she talking to? Who needed paramedics? "Nita--" She cut him off with a sharp hiss and a held out hand. There was only one question but she couldn't ask it. Her mouth refused to function when she tried. Was he...? "The-- the paramedics were here, they bust the door open," Duncan stared at Mordekai, his eyes widening, "I don't understand... why would they just leave him here?" A wave of realization hit him, as if he needed to be reminded again: Mordekai is dead. It was gradually overwhelming Duncan, who covered his mouth and began crying in the silence. He closed his eyes and slowly-- ever so gingerly-- placed two fingers against the base of Mordekai's pale neck. But when the cold hit him, Mordekai startled awake with a loud, disoriented yell, and leapt into a sit. Duncan yelled and leapt back, nearly dropping the phone the process, and quickly jumped back up into a stand so he could lean against the door. "AGH!" Left him? That didn't make any sense. Even if he was... beyond their help, they still would have taken him. Kept it official. Not just dropped him there on the floor of all goddamn places. Anita was about to voice these concerns when there was a yell. She let out a short one of her own and juggled the phone. Cruz shrank back, only able to stare wide eyed as Anita managed to catch the cell against her chest just as another shout sounded from it. "Duncan!" she sputtered, just barely getting the phone back in place, "Duncan, are you okay? What the hell happened?!" Cruz chanced hovering closer, reaching out to his guardian once more. This time she didn't stop him and he gently gripped the back of her shirt while she leaned forward on her knees hunched over the phone held tightly between both hands. Tango startled from the sounds but he was undeterred from the potato gift of the gods. As Duncan and Mordekai both began to breathe at a more regular place, Duncan settled back into his calm, gradually, and addressed Anita. "H-'he's okay," Duncan began, dumbfounded and hard of breath; he began faltering in calm, slightly, and fell to his knees to the floor. "Mordekai's alive." Mordekai hadn't fully snapped out of his daze, and he stared lethargically at Duncan, blue eyes framed by deep shades of purple and red. Though he still felt hot, his breathing was more manageable, and he still felt exhausted-- the wave of vigilence he felt after he startled awake had quickly washed away. He remained sitting there, silent and breaking into immediate sweat, when Duncan shuffled forward to issue a Mordekai a tight one-armed hug. The blonde sunk his head into Duncan's shoulder and sat there, blearily trying to regain his concentration. "We thought you were dead," Duncan began, rubbing Mordekai on the back, "What happened, son?" Mordekai said nothing, and Duncan quieted his voice so speak to Anita. He couldn't help but break into confused, stifled laughter; the shock was still sending jitters through his system, and he wasn't too sure how to comprehend the situation. Reasoning slowly fell into place-- of course the paramedics wouldn't have just left. Of course they wouldn't have left a corpse on the bare floor. Of course. Duncan managed to suppress his hysterical laughter somewhat to speak, though his voice was shaken and strained. "H-he was in his bedroom, he was sleeping. He isn't dead!" "He's--?" Anita stifled, staring stupidly at the floor. Her face wasn't sure what expression it wanted to show; at first there was just this look of shock immediately following horrified confusion but, after Duncan's assurance, her brows creased tightly above her nose and one side of her face twisted up until a large half smile. Cruz leaned closer, rune practically touching the floor, and tried to press his ear close to the phone as well. He couldn't hear anything but could feel Anita's trembling. The quiet worried them both. Mordekai wasn't responding to Duncan's question as far as she could hear and then suddenly there was laughter. Anita's breath left her suddenly, as if winded, and she lowered her forehead against the floor. For a moment her body shook and Cruz hurriedly attempted to offer comfort, rub her back, anything. Then it was her turn to laugh and she didn't bother holding back at all. "Are you kidding me?!" she almost roared through her laughter but held the phone a bit away from her mouth, "You a****e!" From there she fell on her side and curled up tight, face scrunched tight and red from her wide open mouth. All Cruz could do was stare. He'd never seen Anita act like this, switch so suddenly from such a serious matter to pleasant hysterics, be so jumpy. The frei hesitantly pulled his hand back and returned his attentions to Tango, who had cleaned up two and a half of the hashbrowns by now. The rest were spoiled anyway by virtue of failing the three second rule and would have to be disposed of. Cruz went to work on plucking them back up into the tray to get them off the floor and out of the dog's reach while Anita collected herself. Duncan continued to laugh, which caused Mordekai a great deal of disorientation and confusion-- there was suddenly noise, and he was unsure why Duncan was here in the first place, especially after the paramedics were issued in and sat with him-- which, to be frank, delayed his recovery. Mordekai nevertheless found some solace in resting against Duncan, and he continued to do so quietly; Duncan ruffled the grown man's hair as if he were a child. "He was on the floor," Duncan began, then chuckled, "Right next to his bed. Did you fall, Mordekai?" Mordekai still said nothing, though Duncan continued to rub his back. "He was so still, and I just-- I couldn't get myself to check his pulse. But he's alive! I'm so sorry if I scared you, Anita!" Duncan allowed Mordekai to pull away from him. Mordekai was clearly disheveled, but he attempted to collect himself by rubbing his eyes, his nose, his mouth and scruff. His eyes remained closed while composture built in him; Duncan could tell the man clearly needed more sleep, but it didn't feel right having Anita wonder if he was really* okay. "It's Anita on the line. You worried her half to death," Duncan mentioned; he scootched next to Mordekai and offered him the phone. Mordekai hesitated, but he ended up taking it and placed it near his ear. "Hi," Mordekai slurred; he didn't have anymore energy to speak further, and relinquished the phone to Duncan again. Duncan did so and tried to reign in his laughter; he wasn't sure why, exactly, he was laughing for so long, but it was damn well near impossible to stop. "I'm-- so sorry," Duncan breathed in, "I feel so ridiculous!" "Oh my god," Anita breathed as her laughter began tapering off. Her eyes were clenched so tight that one of them leaked and her face and stomach already felt sore. The more Duncan explained to her, the more she calmed. She gasped quietly for breath, still feeling like the wind got kicked out of her, and there was a wide smirk that refused to leave as she watched Cruz gather up the hashbrowns and place the full tray near the sink. Their eyes locked briefly and she gave him a thumbs up, which allowed him to relax instantly. While she heard Duncan explain the situation to him, she didn't expect to hear Mordekai's voice suddenly. His tired slur broke what hysterical amusement remained of the situation and her smile faded. She didn't manage a response in time, though in fact she hadn't even tried. Even as Duncan came back to the phone Anita lay quietly for a moment, just staring out of the kitchen into the rest of the apartment. After several seconds of silence, she pulled herself off the floor and into a crouch, using the kitchen counter as a stabalizer. This still didn't make sense. Why the hell was he on the floor? Did the paramedics really come and go that fast? What even happened, then, if they didn't take him with? And how the hell did he just manage to fall asleep in that time? It was nearly half a minute before she managed to speak again, "You sure he's okay...?" and she sounded much more weary. Anita's inquiry tugged Duncan back into reality. He sombered quickly, and glanced at Mordekai, who was still trying to wipe the drowsiness from his eyes. Duncan shifted to face Mordekai and pressed a hand on his shoulder, which the blonde startled at and tried to pull away from. "Son," he urged, trying to capture Mordekai's attention, "I'm sorry I surprised you. Are you alright? How long were you sleeping?" "I'unno," Mordekai muttered. Duncan held Mordekai by both shoulders, keeping the phone by his ear by squeezing between his head and shoulder. Mordekai attempted to shift his eyes away elsewhere-- to the bedroom exit, to the floor next to him, to Duncan's arms and his own limp ones. While still on the line, Duncan urged Mordekai quietly with a simple tap on Mordekai's shoulders. "Mordekai, I need you to look at me. Are you okay? Was everything alright?" Mordekai finally managed to stare at Duncan-- his hayseed hair fell messily over his eyes, which were more tired and absent than Duncan had seen in a long while. When blue eyes met grey, Duncan stifled, frowning immediately at the sight. "What happened to you?" Upon noticing his glean of sympathy, Mordekai halfheartedly attempted to pry Duncan's hands away from his shoulders. "I'll be okay," he resounded defeatedly, his voice just loud enough to catch on the phone, "I-- I don't know. I'm tired. Please let me sleep." Duncan released Mordekai's shoulders and grabbed the phone again with his hand. Grimacing, he nodded, then stood up to inch away from the bedroom. "He's fine, but it seems like he wants more sleep. There's no need to worry, alright, Anita?" Anita waited patiently while Duncan tried to get more information. When she had enough balance, she rested in a crouch on the balls of her feet with her chest pressed tightly to her thighs and her hair hanging over her knees. Her free hand rubbed her eyes while waiting, her only other motion from getting her breath back on track. She froze to avoid unnecessary noise when Mordekai's voice carried over the speaker. A cold shiver went down her spine. He sure as hell sounded tired. He sounded exhausted and, compared to the previous panic he displayed, it was extremely disorienting. Disconcerting. She felt uncomfortable but couldn't find the words to explain how or why, nor the drive to figure out if she should even bother. "Okay..." her response came out listless but that was the moment she caught herself. Anita blinked and let out a quiet huff, lifting her head to look around the kitchen. There were crumbs and bits of hashbrown all of the floor. Cruz had started to work with the small brush and dustpan. "I'm -- um..." slowly, very slowly, she pulled herself to a stand against the counter, "M-maybe I shouldn't come over again for a while..." Whatever happened, it started because she was somewhere he didn't want her. She couldn't honestly blame him if her presence from then on made him uncomfortable. She understood. Unknown to Mordekai, Duncan loomed near the bedroom door still to monitor if he was actually okay. His expression turned grave when Anita suggested as much. He wanted to ask Mordekai about it now, about if he bore any animosity towards Anita, but the man was simply too tired. "None of this is your fault," Duncan replied, unable to give any final consensus on her suggestion. He noticed that Mordekai had laid back down on the floor, however, and quickly walked back to his side to kneel back down and offer him a gentle prod. "Mordekai," he urged, pressing against his shoulder, "Get up off of the floor, please. You have a bed you can sleep in." Mordekai remained nonresponsive for a moment. Duncan looked at the cellphone and sent it to speakerphone; he placed it on a chair nearby. "I'm sorry, Anita, but you're on speaker right now. Mordekai's having a hard time getting to bed." Duncan nudged Mordekai onto his side and wrapped one the blonde's arms around his shoulders. Thankfully, the back brace and medication he took made this task simpler, but it was by no means easy to haul a man amply taller than him from the ground. The only thing that could be heard through the line were sounds of shuffling and quiet urging, until Mordekai relented and stood with Duncan. His head lulled backwards as he plopped onto his bed-- Duncan walked back to retrieve his phone, his breath flighty from the excursion. "As I was saying, Anita-- this is by no means your doing. Please, you have no reason to feel bad about any of this," he frowned slightly and glanced at Mordekai, who remained sitting at the edge of his bed, staring at the bedroom exit. "I can't claim to speak for Mordekai, and I won't make opinions on his behalf. He's not in any state to speak right now, but would you like him to call you back?" he paused, "I'll be sure to be there." Her brows stayed creased at Duncan's insistance but it just made her lips tighten into a frown. A weak scoff left her when he asked Mordekai to get into bed rather than keep lying on the floor. If she hadn't heard him speak just moments prior she might have jumped the gun, wondered if Duncan wasn't understanding the situation quite right, but now there was just a strange bemusement about the whole event. "It's fine," she mumbled into the mouth piece. It didn't really matter since neither of them were speaking. As Duncan attempted to right Mordekai into a more comfortable position, Anita finally pushed away from the counter and approached Cruz. He instantly rose to his full height and looked worried once more. She'd jumped from frightened, agitated, happy, and now she just looked sad. The frei was surprised when her free arm wrapped around his back and she buried her face in his shoulder, his hair, and he was quick to pull her into a hug. The shuffling and sounds of strain carried to his ears as well and he gazed, bewildered, at the phone as she pulled back once Duncan returned. His assurance just made her feel more strange. Her mouth tightened as she fought her rising emotions. Anita didn't know how to answer that question. She thought he caught on to what she was worried about with her suggestion, that her presence would probably just make things worse -- maybe even trigger him. s*t, was that what happened? "I don't know... H-he doesn't have to." Why did it really matter how she felt about this? This was Mordekai's problem. Of course she felt horrible but why was Duncan going out of his way to make sure she was alright when Mordekai was the one that needed the attention? Why did Mordekai apologize to her?* "I-I mean, if he wants to, sure. I just..." don't see why he should. Duncan and Mordekai could barely maintain more than brief glances at each other before turning away to focus elsewhere. Duncan sat in the chair where he had placed his cellphone initially, and rubbed his temples-- despite his love for Mordekai, there were a slew of other issues that cropped up following this emergencies, more that would require hours of calling to places that extended well past Duncan's remaining shift at the museum. Mordekai looked both plainly empty and guilty for what had happened, but managed only a slight from, his hands curled into tight fists that balled up the bedsheet to either side of him. "I'll be sure to ask him if he wants to," Duncan began, "If he does, we'll be sure to call you back as soon as possible, alright? Don't worry too much about him. He'll be okay, Anita. He just needs some sleep, some time to breathe." Mordekai unceremoniously rose from his bed, then, which quietly surprised Duncan. As he gradually made his way to leave the room, though, Duncan also stood from his chair and marched toward him, forcing Mordekai to turn on his heel with one adamant pull of his shoulders. Duncan glared at him with rising hurt and fatigue, then guided Mordekai back towards the bed. Duncan knew he was, perhaps, being too curt, too reprimanding of Mordekai-- but it was also difficult for the two speak when he was like this. It could span days, weeks. "I have to go, Anita, I'm sorry. Hopefully this didn't cause you too much stress-- thank you for calling the paramedics," a glint of energy lit Mordekai's eyes, but not much, "You have a good rest of the night." Without meaning to, Anita nodded along to Duncan's words. One of her hands remained on Cruz's shoulder as she leaned away and stared at the floor. Both of his tangled around hers, wrapped nearly all the way to her shoulder. One hand offered a slow consoling rub while the other rested gently over her wrist. "Yeah, that's fine," she sounded agreeable but suddenly quite tired. Idly she chewed her lip, figuring the silence that came after was just from neither of them not knowing what else to say. "Sure," Anita breathed a little easier, "It's no problem." Have a good rest of the night. "You, too." She didn't have the strength to say bye, not really, so Anita just held the phone away enough to watch the counter tick until Duncan spoke again or the clock stopped to signify the call was over. "Take care," Duncan said, before clicking his cellphone off and shoving it into his pocket. Mordekai sat on his bed like a man in silent penance-- Duncan brushed a hand through his own hair and paced through the bedroom, his steps quick and tedious. "Mordekai," Duncan began quietly, his brows furrowed with indignation, "Why did you do this?" No answer. Duncan rubbed his eyes and slunk back into the chair. It was quickly growing dark outside, which flooded the inside of the house. Neither of them had the energy now to speak, let alone get up to turn the lights on. Mordekai laid on the bed and closed his eyes, and instead focused on sleeping.

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:05 pm

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Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:09 pm


	Seasonal Visit The first thing Cruz, Anita, and Minerva were greeted by after exiting the silver SUV were two faces pressed up against the glass of the front window. Their noses smushed and smeared against it with reckless abandon and Tango stood at attention as the three dogs stared each other down. It only took a second more for chaos to ensue; Gracie went wild against the pane, paws clattering as she tried to hold herself up at full height and break through the invisible barrier, while Chub just yipped and bounced on his front paws while dodging beneath Gracie's long lumbering legs. Tango, who was currently leashed to Cruz so Minerva and Anita could carry in food and gifts, folded his ears back and yapped at the window while pulling the frei toward the front door. Anita's Aunt Jess was hosting this years family Christmas party, though she preferred to call it a seasonal as she was the only one in the family besides her uncle who wasn't either Christian or agnostic. She lived in a spacious town house on the East side of Durem with the familiar sloping Gothic architecture. Inside, Cruz caught a peek of a small lit up tree, but the decorations used on it were foreign to him, especially the type of star that sat atop it. ”Easy, easy,” Cruz cooed to the wolfdog, who continued to stammer and shift on his front paws while they waited for Anita and Minerva to catch up. Even before they made it to the front step, the door opened. A cacophony of sliding puppy feet bounding across hardwood floors was mixed with various shouts and alerts. Chub was quickly caught and picked up by the dark haired woman who answered the door, while Gracie was stopped and wrestled into submission by a tan man with a shaved head. The wide set corgi wriggled in her arms, continuing to yip and wheeze while flailing his short stumps almost like he was trying to swim. Tango lifted just enough onto his hind legs to touch noses with the other dog, then repeated the action several more times. ”Hey!” Jess greeted over a yelping and whining Gracie in the background. The man who managed to wrangle her shooshed and baby talked her quietly but it did little to quench the boxer's excitement. ”We're just waiting on mom and Cath,” she craned her neck to address Minerva specifically, who gave a sharp sigh of mock relief. She next smiled specifically at Anita, her eyes crinkling genuinely, ”How ya doin', rock star?” ”Kickin' it,” Anita smirked as she took a spot on the stoop next to Cruz and Tango. The frei rolled Tango's leash a bit higher around his arm, to keep the dog from having too much slack and freedom in such an excitable situation. Cruz couldn't help but beam at the woman's warm welcome and familiarity with the two most important women in his life, and his green eyes lit up fondly when Jess turned her smile toward him. ”You must be Cruz,” she dipped her head to peek over the rim of her glasses at him. ”Yesss,” Cruz purred, floating just a little closer. Chub wiggled even more, wanting to sniff this new person. ”We've heard nothing but good things. I'm Jessica, it's really nice to meet you. I'd shake your hand but I've got the world's biggest hot dog, here.” Inside, Gracie was practically howling. ”C'mon on, it sucks outside. It's not party central.” Jess took a few steps back, pushing the door open further with her rear and holding it in place. Cruz smiled at the her and Chub as he passed, but as soon as Tango took sight of Gracie he was getting pulled once more. Anita and Minerva stepped inside quickly, offering kisses and nuzzles to Chub before Jess closed the door. Only then were Gracie and Tango released in tandem and the two whipped passed everyone in the foyer like cheetahs. They circled through from the entryway to the living room, into the kitchen, dining room, back around, and chased each other up the stairs, down the stairs, and into the basement. Chub was lowered once the coast was clear and he hobbled his way into the lower floor as well. ”Damn rockets with feet,” the man who had been holding Gracie got up from the floor and clapped his hands off on his jeans. He turned his attention to the raevan, Anita, and Minerva and straightened his posture, looming while across the hall. ”What the hell are y'all doin' in my sister's house?” he boomed. The frei's smile slacked. He froze, floating stone still like a deer in the headlights. ”Setting a bomb off in the bathroom,” Anita responded without even registering the man's tone. Her response made him shift demeanor in the exact opposite direction; his posture loosened, he smiled brightly, and held his arms out. Anita stuck her tongue out at him and walked by in order to find a place to set down what was in her hands. He shifted on either foot like a kid with The Gimme's until Minerva took up the request for a hug in her stead. ”How ya been, KeeKee?” Minerva pecked him on the check as she pulled out of the one sided hug, unable to return it for the same reason Anita declined. ”Kiki?” Cruz mumbled to Anita with a tilt of his head. ”Keekee, Keith,” she smirked and looked over her shoulder, ”Junior.” They locked eyes. Once more, to Cruz, the man looked intimidating. He pointed a finger squarely at Anita while patting Minerva's back as she stepped out of the way to place her own luggage down. ”You watch your mouth.” When Anita scoffed the act fell away again and her uncle turned his attention back to Minerva instead. ”Been just fine. Even better now.” ”Where's dad?” ”Kitchen!” a new voice carried from further into the house. ”He's making his own food since he doesn't dig my Kosher.” Anita blew a short raspberry her grandfather's way. ”At least he's not adding butter and cheese to everything, like last time.” ”Amazing. He can be taught.” While they bantered, Cruz rolled up and folded Tango's leash. He didn't really know what to they were talking about, not knowing anything about food, much less what Kosher was, and the conversation was going too fast for him to feasibly push that question in. By the time he wrapped the leash around the bannister of the stairs and floated back over, Anita was getting hugs in to both her aunt and uncle and everyone was moving into the kitchen. Cruz followed after, chin and brows raised curiously. He didn't float into the kitchen wholly, instead peeking with half of his body visible until he spotted Anita, leaning against the kitchen island and smiling at an older man with a full head and beard of white hair. He was leaned over a tray preparing a ham, which Jess was also staring at with her hands on her hips. ”Hello, darlin',” he smiled at his granddaughter, ”You're gonna have to get over here and hug me.” The man lifted his hands away from the pan and wiggled his fingers at Anita, covered and dropping with meat juice. Anita scrunched her face up and giggled. ”I'll getcha when you're less porky.” The dogs were still a floor below, their shenanigans muffled but not unheard. Yipping and wailing and running, it was like they were galloping in circles and barreling into each other. Anita glanced the frei's way as he decided to float in a little further to examine the ham. He met her eyes after she gestured to him. Cruz smiled and hovered a bit higher before crossing the threshold and settling beside her. ”So, I know gramma and Cathy aren't here yet but I want to introduce you guys,” Anita smiled and waited for her grandfather's attention, as well as her uncle's, ”This is Cruz.” ”Oh,” her grandpa chimed. He reached over with one hand toward the frei, who began reaching out to shake without a second thought. Anita intervened and swatted at her grandpa's hand. He returned it to the pan with a firm chuckle. ”You're the one from the lab?” ”Yes,” Cruz stopped his hand in mid-air, shuffled his fingers uncertainly, then returned it to his side. ”What's up with that, anyway?” Curt interjected. ”It's kind of like foster care meets a foreign exchange program – minus the exchange.” Minerva reached over and pinched her brother's cheek. He yowled, she giggled. ”Anita found them when they were doing, what, some kind of fundraiser?” ”Yeah, it was at the beach a few months after I moved out of Durem.” ”What do they do?” her grandfather moved to the sink to rinse his hands. ”Odds and ends, I guess. They mainly research these things called fel essences, which is basically crap in nature that shouldn't exist. Like, uh, light with no source or floating rain drops.” Cruz smiled at the mention of Duncan's essence and reached over to place a hand on Anita's arm. She pat his fingers lightly then let it rest. ”And that connects to Cruz?” Jess stepped over to the nearest window, pulled an ashtray out of one of the bureaus and leaned out, getting ready to light up. ”Mhm,” Anita nodded. She glanced down at Cruz, nodding once their eyes met. He made a soft “oh” sound, then turned to Jessica and Curt. ”Raevans, we – I'm part fel,” Cruz explained clumsily, ”Mine is mistletoe that wants people to kiss.” ”Think I could borrow that for the hot mom conventio--” Minerva back handed Curt in the gut before he could finish, ”--ow!” Cruz giggled when she winked at him after. ”It's gone. Part of me, now,” he rested a hand on his chest, just above his rune, and looked down at the glowing symbol surrounded by his ribbon. ”Neat,” grandpa Curtis rounded the corner, wiping his hands off on a washcloth. He scooped Anita into a hug next to Cruz without much warning, but she seemed to return it with no problems. Cruz couldn't recall the last time he'd seen Anita hug so many people, especially in such rapid succession. Anita laughed under her breath once she was released. ”Anyway,” Minerva stepped over to Cruz and held his shoulders, ”Cruz is a member of the family. A new nephew or grandson,” she eyed her own father with that last one. Minerva gave Cruz a light peck on the head and he smiled easier. The bustle of the family had already lessened some with Cruz's initial introduction but Minerva suggesting he was another relative seemed to make everything screech to a halt. His smile wavered but the frei did his best to keep it strong. Anita's grandfather regarded him curiously from beneath his bushy beard, Jess finished blowing smoke out of the window before smiling at him with raised brows, and Keith was looking at Minerva with an expression Cruz could only describe as perplexed. Just when he felt they were all looking at him for too long in silence, Cruz chose to open his mouth at the same time as there was a knock on the door. Suddenly everyone was moving again and it was like before, when they first walked in; like nothing had even been said. Keith, Jessica, and Curtis all three went to round up the dogs who were scattering themselves at the front door to yowl. Minerva and Anita stayed behind in the kitchen. ”Must be mom and Cathy,” Minerva announced to them both. She moved over to the windowsill with Jess' ashtray and still smoking cigarette, mashed it out, and dumped the contents in the trashcan. Cruz nodded. His smile was uncertain and Anita took notice. With a tap of her knuckles against his arm, Anita offered him a reassuring grin. ”Family's awkward. It'll be fine.” From the foyer, conversation could scarcely be heard over the dogs. Minerva ducked out of the kitchen to assist with grandma Madison's wheelchair entry. Cruz didn't follow until Anita did and only dared to float as far as she stepped. She lingered in the kitchen doorway and leaned against it. Too many hands trying to help just made things harder, he knew, so for now they both stayed out of the way. ”Howdy howdy,” the oldest Marlene sister chirped once she moved away from the wheelchair. Her tawny hair was short and tousled by the wind. Catherine adjusted her glasses before moving around for hugs. ”Excuse me,” Madison piped in just as Minerva went to reciprocate her sister, ”I popped you all out, I get first dibs on hugs.” She patted down the blanket spread across her lap for emphasis. Anita leaned over slightly to Cruz's ear and without even looking he could hear the smirk in her hushed words. ”Guess that counts us and grandpa out.” He smiled a little in return. Whether it was heard or not, her grandmother's attention soon whipped around the room. ”And where's Anita?” it didn't take long to track her down, ”I didn't see you at Thanksgiving so now you're in hug debt. You owe me two today, at least.” Cruz felt Anita tense up beside him, even with the smile on her face. Maybe she wasn't doing as well about contact here as he thought. Once the rounds of hugs between Madison and Cathy were exchanged and the dogs felt confident enough in all of the people present that they could return downstairs, it was time to introduce Cruz again. The air of awkwardness resumed and Cruz kept close to Anita and Minerva. It was strange, like being on display at the aquarium. People arrived, they moved together in groups, they received a brief synopsis about him, they gawked, and then they moved on. He knew this in itself wasn't unusual, other people had stopped and stared at him before and he wasn't bothered, didn't think anything of it really. Long ago he could recall that Minerva herself looking surprised and confused by him when Anita first brought him home, but there was still something different about how she reacted to him than most of the family here. Maybe he expected differently because these were Anita's family. It stood to reason they would all be like Anita and Minerva, that they were all kind and sweet and caring, eager to look out for others. Not that these people weren't nice, they seemed very nice, but it was like watching them through a window – like he was in a house he had entered by mistake and everyone was too polite to ask him to leave. Occasionally Jess would smile at him but it was amid some all encompassing conversation Cruz couldn't enter. He didn't know any of what they were discussing; their jobs, their lives, old stories they all remembered. It was nice to listen to, all the same. Anita and Minerva laughed and shared along with them. When it came time to eat, Minerva showered Cruz in kisses all over his face and Anita got a few to his cheeks. The frei smiled gratefully. ”You can go down and play with the dogs,” Anita offered mercifully, as if she had known all along, ”I'll check in when I'm done eating.” Cruz's eyes nearly welled with relief as his entire face brightened. It wasn't until that moment that he realized just how low he had been floating. ”Thank you, 'Nita,” he rumbled, ”Have a good dinner.” There was a resigned air Anita carried here that he was not used to. It was calm and collected and not unlike the time, he recalled, when Jerri made a mess of his shirt and Rebecca became distressed. Then, too, Anita held a calmness that seemed out of place. There and now it was something of a relief, however unusual. Maybe that was just the way of things where families were involved. If there was a similar feeling at Duncan's during Thanksgiving, it had passed Cruz by – but maybe that was because it wasn't his family.

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:24 pm


	Alight the Year New Years with Duncan, Mordekai, and their friends. Trigger Warning: suicide mention

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Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 5:52 pm


	Missed Calls Things had gotten busy in the transition to the latter half of the year. Holiday season crept up, which swamped Anita with work and made just about everyone occupied. Cruz often took the time to remind Anita about their plan, the plan she agreed to and spoke with Leo about. Ethiriel and Cruz were supposed to hang out. Whenever Cruz reminded her, Anita almost immediately whipped her phone out and called. There was never an answer. Leo was the busy sort, she knew. A hard worker, freelance, that kept his nose to the grindstone. His voicemail message always confirmed just that: "Sorry, busy and can't come to the phone. Just leave a message." The raevans were really the main reason they ever spoke, it would surely be obvious why her name showed up on his recent calls list. And besides, if he was that busy then she didn't want to bother him – it was just unfortunate they had no other way of getting a hold of Ethiriel. It was well into October before she finally left one. ”Hey, Leo, it's Anita. I know it's been a while. Sorry for calling but I wanted to make sure things were okay. Cruz has been asking about Ethiriel a lot and he'd still really like to hang out if possible. Let me know if you get a minute. Thanks, bye.” Months went by with no word. Anita went from calling every other week to once a month. The message never changed. Busy. Can't. Anita tried to reassure Cruz. They managed to catch a glimpse of Leo and Ethiriel at the Christmas party, so at least they knew the two were alright. It definitely lightened the croc's spirits to know his friend hadn't suddenly ceased to exist but that didn't make him want to be with her any less. New Years came and went. Anita elected to leave one last message before leaving Leo alone. ”Hi, Anita again. I'm really sorry to bother you, I'm sure you're swamped. Just wanted to remind you that Cruz and Ethiriel had plans. If it's a hassle, I'm sure I can work transport out myself. I don't know if she's still up for it but he'd really like to see her. Hope everything's fine. See ya.” All they could do from there was hope.

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 5:57 pm


	Duncan`s Birthday Jamboree TRIGGER WARNING: suicide mention Mordekai tries to throw a surprise party for Duncan but only his brother and Anita arrive.

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Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 7:15 pm


	Crawfish Preparé [IM RP with Rookeries & Ka-ray-zee] I. Arrival Crawfish preparation was to be relatively simple, were they to keep on schedule. Given his own workload and Mordekai's, though, especially with the oncoming spring season, it was better to ask for helping hands on the excursion. Three weeks before the event, Duncan sifted through the list of Lab guardians and friends he knew of that could potentially help, despite Mordekai's initial protest that he could do things on his own. In the end, they settled on calling Anita-- a trusted Lab friend-- and Leigh, because the crawfish boil was meant to be a family excursion, after all. They were to meet March 2nd to get most of the errands out of the way. They agreed to meet at Duncan's house first, around 10 in the morning, where Duncan and Mordekai awaited with tea and coffee. --- Leigh: -Pulls up to the house hold at just about 10:02 am, breathing a sigh of relief that she wasn't really all that late. She had forgotten that there was a bit of commuter traffic between barton and durem in the mornings, and worried she'd leave the boys waiting. Thankfully, it didn't seem that way, and she quickly makes her way out of the car and toward the front door, where she straights out her shirt and brushes her hair out of her face, before lightly knocking on the door- Mordekai: -it doesn't take long for someone to swing the door open; upon seeing Leigh, his smile brightens immediately, and he steps aside so she can come in- "Leigh! You're early! C'mon in!" Duncan: -at the name, Duncan immediately stands and walks toward the hallway to see Leigh-- he smiles wide then checks the kitchen clock to see what time it was, 10:02AM indeed, which... isn't early? He nods toward her, though- "Leigh! It's so good to see you in person again." Leigh: -smiles up at him- "Hey, Mordekai!" -gives a small laugh before taking a sheepish step through the doorway- "I'm technically like---3 minutes late actually, but Good Morning!" -she enters the home all the way, allowing mordekai room to close the door behind her. She barely has time glance around the entryway to the home before Duncan makes his way into the hall- "Duncan!! It's great to see you too! You're looking good as ever!!--" -she moves to approach him, before pausing and looking down toward her feet. She offers up an apologetic smile- "Ah, I'm sorry, should I take off my shoes?" Duncan: -he laughs and bows his head at Leigh's compliment, but shakes his head and waves toward her- "No, just come on in, good morning! Would you like some coffee and tea?" Mordekai: -he follows shortly behind Leigh after closing the door, then makes his way immediately to the kitchen to get out some cream from the fridge, with sugar already available at the counter- "I'm gonna guess-- coffee?" Leigh: -she beams up at the man, giving a nod before following him into the kitchen.- "Thank you! and yes, good morning!" -before she has the chance to accept the offer, moredekai is already at the fridge predicting her answer. She gives a small chuckle, and gives him a thumbs up.- "You know it! I'd love some, please!" Duncan: -he sits down at the counter to his cup of tea while Mordekai is already working on pouring Leigh a cup of fresh coffee, and gestures toward the empty stool next to him- "Tell me how you've been, Leigh! Was the trip out here alright all the way from Barton?" Mordekai: -he sets a cup of black coffee down at the counter, then waves toward the sugar and cream- "Help yourself!" -walks back to where the coffee machine to pour himself some, too- Leigh: "I've been alright!" -she makes her way to the stool offered to her, and sits down before continuing- "Just the usual-- minding the shop. And oh, the ride was fine! To be honest I've always sort of liked the drive out this way. I never get completely used to living in a city." -she is momentarily distracted by the cup of coffee set down in front of her, and flashes mordekai a smile and pats him on the arm before he makes his way back to the machine- "Thanks!" -she takes the cup into her hands for a moment to feel it's warmth before beginning to spoon some sugar in- "How about you, though? Up to anything other than throwing crawfish boils at science facilities?" Duncan: -he nods and smiles along, sipping occasionally from his tea- "Ah! I'll have to stop by the Shy Violet again sometime. And I'm glad-- you know you're always welcome to drop by." -he settles on watching between Mordekai and Leigh as they get their coffee- Mordekai: -as soon as he pours his coffee, he goes back to the counter area to drink it plain. He makes a choked laughing noise at Leigh's question and lets out a strained groan- "Goddamn--" Duncan: -he chuckles- "Not really, no, the crawfish boil has been our biggest excursion for a while now. Though-- the original plan was to have it here, but..." -he grimaces skeptically- Mordekai: -looks toward Leigh and whispers- "He don't want ******' loonies wreckin' up the house is what." -- Anita: -pulls up with Cruz in the passenger seat, no Tango this time, and hisses a little at the clock -- 10:17AM. Had to drive all the way from Gambino, which meant taking the ferry to mainland first- -rubs her eyes and reaches over to lightly nudge Cruz's shoulder- Cruz: -mumbles and lifts his head, just a quarter torso sunk low in the seat- -wearing a hoodie over his standard to keep him warm from the between season breeze- Anita: "We're here, bud." -- Leigh: -she continues to do-up her coffee while the two speak, surprised at first by mordekai's exasperation, then raising her brows in curiosity and giving a smirk- "Oh man, 'loonies'? Can't say I've really met anyone in the Lab project. I guess it's safe to assume a lot of them are just a barrel of monkeys then?" -she takes a sip of her coffee, and smiles into it.- Mordekai: -he manages an uneven smile at Leigh and nods quickly before drinking some more coffee- "Yeah, a buncha barrels of monkeys." Duncan: -laughs and hangs his head- "I wouldn't say that, but I figure that most people at the Lab would know where the Lab is... though, yes, a few of them are more suitable for less private functions." -he drinks the rest of his tea and stands up to acquire more hot water, then looks over at Leigh- "Have you had anything to eat yet, Leigh?" -- Cruz: -glances at the unfamiliar car and tilts his head sleepily while closing the passenger door- "Mm... Miss Rebecca?" Anita: -also took note of it; just relieved it isn't Johan's- "Nah. I don't remember exactly what her car is but it ain't that one. C'mon, let's head up." -closes her door and crosses in front of the car, letting Cruz cling and dangle off her arm with his head on her shoulder- Cruz: -eyes closing again when Anita knocks on the door- -- Leigh: -she gives a small laugh- "Sheesh, I'd hope so. Otherwise Mordekai might be right about the multiple barrels of monkeys." -continuing to sip on her coffee, she watches as Duncan gets up to refill his tea. Once he asks her about food, however, she puts the mug down and nods- "Yeah-- I had a piece of toast in the car on the way here! Plus I already had one cup of coffee at home so i'm--" -she paused, interrupted by the sound of knocking at the door. She brightens- "Oh! Are we expecting a loonie---- or...?" Mordekai: -both of the man glance up at the door with the knock, but Mordekai places his cup on the counter first to walk to the door. He looks back at Leigh with a wry smile- "Maybe. Wanna back me up with a shotgun?" Duncan: -manages to grimace at Mordekai, but he's contented enough with his replenished cup of tea. He takes his seat back at the counter and allows it to cool- "It's probably Anita. She's someone Mordekai and I know through the Lab project-- she has a Raevan under her care, Cruz, who's also quite charming. She agreed to help us with the preparation-- she's quite nice." Leigh: -she laughs at the shotgun joke, but 'shoo's him off to get the door. Once Duncan sits back down and speaks, she raises her brows in interest- "Oh! So I take it you guys invited her to help out too? That's cool! It'll be nice to meet someone from Lab ahead of time." -- Mordekai: -he opens the door with a calm smile, having expected Anita, though his brows raise in surprise at the Frei wrapped around Anita's arm. He laughs quietly and glances sympathetically at Cruz- "Hey! Uh-- din't expect to see you t'day, Cruz, you... doin' alright there?" Anita: -smiles reflexively when the door opens, falters a little at the brow raise, then looks at the frei on her shoulder and laughs under her breath- Cruz: -smiles once he's addressed, with his eyes closed. Gives the man a slow nod- "Good." Anita: "He's sleepy." -smirks and rubs one of her eyes with the back of her hand- "We both got up earlier than normal. How you doin'? Can we come in?" Mordekai: -he smiles at Cruz's response and looks up at Anita with raised brows.- "Oh! Sorry 'bout that, then-- but I'm doin' good, how're you guys?" -He nods and steps aside, then gestures toward the kitchen- "Yeah-- of course, come on in!" -- Duncan: -he glances toward the doorway then at Leigh, whom he nods at- "We did! And-- ah, yes, I keep forgetting that you've been signed on for the Lab project as well. It looks like Cruz is with us today, too, he's really remarkable." Anita: -grins and nods- "Thanks!" -pats one of Cruz's hands and heads in with him still attached- "Ahh, can't complain. The holidays finally wound down a few weeks ago so things have been pretty calm." Cruz: -murmurs sleepily- "Nita's birthday was last week." Anita: -blows a raspberry and peeks around, spotting Duncan; smiles- "Oh, hey! Startin' to think this isn't your house, you never answer the door for me." Mordekai: -he smiles along as they walk to the kitchen, then raises his brows at Cruz- "Oh! Happy birthday, Anita-- you guys do anythin' for that?" Leigh: "Signed on for the Lab Project--" -she smirks and make air quotations with her fingers- "I wouldn't really call it 'signed on' more than gave them my info ages ago. Nothing too official about it." - it was then that the voices from the hall drew closer, and the new faces emerged into the kitchen. Instead of speaking right away, she decided to take another sip from her coffee, and offered a small wave in their direction- Duncan: -he laugh as Leigh smirks- "Well, I suppose it's about as signed up as you can get with the Lab. Their registration process is... mysterious." -he looks over toward Anita and company once they make their way to the kitchen and waves as well- "Anita and Cruz, it's good to see you!" -hangs his head to laugh; he nods at Anita's comment- "Yes, I realize-- it's difficult to keep up with someone who practically lunges for the door. Anyhow--" -he gestures toward Leigh- "This is Leigh, an old family friend. Leigh, this is Anita and Cruz; I've already given you my spiel on them." Cruz: -rumbles sleepily and shakes his head against Anita's shoulder, still smiling- "Quiet cake party, already." -opens his eyes once he hears Duncan's voice to smile at him, then looks at Leigh with a dreamy expression- "Hello." Mordekai: -he grins toward Duncan then goes back into the kitchen, then glances back at Cruz and Anita- "You two hungry at all? Want some coffee or tea? Water? Kisses?" Anita: -chuckles and shrugs, then smiles at Leigh- "Howdy." -takes a few more steps into the room and leans over so as not to jostle Cruz, offering a hand- "Nice to meet you." -glances back at Mordekai and raises her brows, mouth still open mid-smile- "Yeaaah, I could eat. I'll have some water, thanks. What y'all got to nibble?" -shrugs the shoulder Cruz is hanging on- "Want some smooches?" Cruz: -practically purrs- "Yes, please." Leigh: " Hey there. Nice to meet you." -Leigh moves a hand off of her mug, and extends it to give Anita a gentle handshake. In return to Cruz's hello, she offers a small smile at him. Once Anita is distracted with questions of food, Leigh takes the opportunity to return to sipping her coffee, feeling momentarily nervous about meeting the strangers. She is content with her beverage and listening until the mention of kisses comes up, and she pauses in confusion. Looking up from her cup, she raises a brow at the three, tilting her head slightly.- "Wait.... what's this about smooching??" Mordekai: -pulls out a cup from the cabinet and fills it up with water and places it on the counter; he hums and looks around the cupboards and fridge- "Alright, somethin' to eat... well, we got bread on the counter already, if y'want some toast, we got... eggs, bacon, got some potato soup, uh, assload of fruit, also got milk an' pomegranate juice for drinks, I mean, I could cook up some steak, but that might be a bit too heavy for breakfast, right?" -he smiles back at Anita and Cruz, though, and closes the fridge momentarily to ruffle Cruz's hair gently- "But first, we'll get you fed!" Duncan: -he grins at Leigh as Mordekai lightly clutches Cruz's cheeks to kiss him all over his forehead, nose, and cheeks- "Raevans tend to have very peculiar food sources. Cruz's happens to be kisses." Anita: -looks at the ceiling and crosses her eyes for a second with a sigh- "Oh my god, food." -laughs and taps a palm against her cheek, about to answer but stammers--then laughs at Leigh's question- "Ah, sorry. Two years of it and I forget it's not common anymore." -holds the arm Cruz is latched onto out toward Mordekai- "Why don't you hang on him for a bit, chocodile? I gotta figure out what I want." Cruz: -nuzzles against Mordekai's hand and smiles wide, gives a throaty rumble at each of the kisses and closes his eyes- "Thank you." -detaches from Anita and crawls onto Mordekai's arm instead, float-dangling from one of his shoulders. smiles at Leigh silently for a moment, observing- "Do you kiss, Ms. Leigh?" Leigh: "Oh... I see." -she watches curiously as Mordekai plants little kisses all over the raevan's face before resting her chin in one hand with a smile- "That-That's really dang cute actually." - she takes another sip of her coffee and observes the sleepy croc as he dangles from Mordekai's arm, somewhat enchanted by his affectionate food source. When Cruz addresses her, however, she blinks over at him and pauses- "Ah... I guess you could say I do? " Mordekai: -he laughs and ruffles Cruz's hair a little more as he latches onto his shoulder, then nods towards Anita- "Feel free to choose anythin' and I can make it for ya!" -he glances back at Cruz and walks to the counter to where Leigh and Duncan are- "You sleepy 'cause of the early trip, or is it the cold that's still gettin' to ya, croc?" -smiles over at Leigh- "You invitin' him to some kisses, then?" Duncan: -smiles and chuckles-- as the three do their thing, he searches through his jacket pockets to look at their errand list- "Once we've had our fill here, I believe the first place we have is Rugby's Market for the food, and then we're going to drop by a 1K shop nearby to collect some prizes. Would any of you three have suggestions for what else we need for the event?" Cruz: -drapes himself around Mordekai's shoulders, resting his chest on the man's arm with his own arms around his back and collar- "Mmm both." -closes his eyes again with a small smile and rests his head against Mordekai's- "Cold makes it harder to wake up..." -doesn't look at Leigh but smiles more from Mordekai's question- Anita: "Thank ya, sir." -leans over to retrieve the glass of water he poured her and takes a few good sips. Laughs at the question and turns to Leigh- "Don't feel obligated. He gets his fair share and I don't even give him the full Monty." -perks up and smiles at Duncan- "What all we gettin' so far?" Leigh: -she gives a nervous smile to both Mordekai and the croc, panicking momentarily about what kind of answer would be least offensive to the little raevan. She fumbles for a polite answer until Anita assures her that it is fine to decline, and relaxes her shoulders.- "Maybe not at the moment--- Cruz, was it? I have coffee breath anyways..." - she gives an apologetic smile before turning her attention to Duncan- "That sounds like a bunch of good spots to pick up all the basics...! I'm always happy to pick up anything extra in Barton or the shop!" Mordekai: -he nods sympathetically and rubs Cruz's arm slightly- "Ain't that right? We'll try to take it easy on you today, alright? And don't be afraid t'tell us when you're ready to crash." -he chuckles sheepishly at Leigh given her hesitation, then smiles wryly-- sorry!- Duncan: "Alright, we thought so... I appreciate it, Leigh!" -he reads over the list and hums, then glances over at Anita- "For now we're getting a majority of the ingredients for the cornbread and crawfish, maybe the beer, and I was hoping to pick up a few gift basket items from the 1K store. We'll have to worry about the utensils closer to the date of the event, but it wouldn't hurt to look at the price of utensils, either." Cruz: -rumbles and nods- "Thank you. I'll be okay." -lifts his head and looks at Duncan when he starts listing things off- Anita: -nods along with what's listed, sips her water- -makes a quiet sound and leans forward mid-sip, swallows and turns to Mordekai and raises her brows- "Before I forget; how's your girlfriend treatin' you?" Leigh: -she finishes off her coffee as Duncan lists off their to-gets and Mordekai asks about the fresher and less available ingredients. Setting her mug down and folding her arms on the counter, she considers what else the group may need, and where to find it.- " Well I was planning on bringing a few boxes of plastic utensils, and I can just cover that area all together if you guys want. And I can't say I know where much is in Durem at all to be honest with you-- but I do know an international market in Barton that I can check out later if we cant' find what you need today." - as Mordekai pours his next cup of coffee, Leigh quietly debates asking for another round herself before Anita's question catches her off-guard. She stares in the direction of the two with a raised brow.- "Wait.... girlfriend...?" Duncan: -he nods while looking pensively at the list, then hums in agreement to Leigh- "If you can cover the utensils, Leigh, that'd be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, yes, the Barton market might be our best bet if we can't find what you need for the crawfish, Mordekai-- do you happen to be talking about the World Market down by the station?" Mordekai: -he sips from his coffee and smiles at Cruz assuringly, then turns around with the mug still close to his mouth- "Yeah, sounds like a good plan t'me-- if y'all are down, wouldn't mine none if we drop by Barton t'day, either." -his concentration falters at Anita's question, though, and he stares surprised at her for a second and lets out a strained laugh- "U-um-- 'scuse me...? I-- don't-- got one--" Anita: -squints at Mordekai and looks really confused, then flattens out skeptically and gives a wry grin- "Irene?" Cruz: -looks at Leigh, then tilts his head at Anita and blinks tiredly- Anita: -sets her glass down on the table behind her and lifts one of her legs, gestures along it with both hands- "Leegg?" Leigh: " Oh yeah, there is that one too--" -Leigh responds to Duncan, remembering the market he had mentioned by the station.- "A slightly newer one opened up last year a few blocks from my place, that's the one I'd thought of off the bat. I'd be surprised if neither of them had what we're looking for. And yeah, of course, I'll hook you up with all the plasticwear a party could ever hope for!!" - the girlfriend question only became more baffling as it unraveled, however, and as Anita offered a name and a bizarre display of her leg, Leigh could only look over at the two with a growing curiosity as well as discomfort.- Mordekai: -glares tiredly at Anita for a good while, watching her movements warily-- he looks taken aback for a moment when Anita gestures to her leg, then his eyes widen in realization. His shoulders relax considerably as he laughs and sets his mug onto the counter to cover his face with one hand- "O-oh-- *****'-- Irene!* Girlfriend lamp! Yeah, she doin' good, she upstairs all nice an' cozy--" Duncan: -he looked equally as worried as Leigh at Anita's inquiry, though he caught on a little earlier than both Mordekai and Leigh did, though he doesn't manage to pipe up before Mordekai comes to his revelation. He chuckles at Anita- "I'm surprised you remember the name he gave it-- er, her!" -he looks over at Leigh and nods quietly in thanks, then raises his brows- "Ah, I see! Perhaps we can take some time today to go there, then, Barton has such quaint marketplaces. For now, though, hopefully Rugby's will do." Mordekai: -he continues chuckling for a while, though he covers his eyes and rubs them a bit, clearly tired; he reaches over for his mug again and takes another swig- "Jesus... sorry 'bout freezin' up!" Anita: -what smirk she had faded fast the longer it took Mordekai to catch on, she almost looked worried when he covered his face. Laughs instead and covers her mouth, shakes her head- "Aww, I couldn't forget. It was so cute." Cruz: -leans back a little from Mordekai and detaches some, but gives the man's shoulder a parting rub then hovers closer to Duncan and Leigh to hear better- Anita: "No, no, I'm sorry. I was tryin'a be funny but it's been-- what, three months now?-- since she was even mentioned, probably." -looks apologetically at all three of them, then turns to Leigh- "I got him and Duncan a gag gift for Christmas, a leg lamp, and when he saw it Mordekai called it a Girlfriend Lamp." -smiles sheepishly; it was just a joke- Leigh: -becomes more tense as she notices Mordekai freeze up, but as soon as he gives off a laugh she gives a quiet exhale of relief. She couldn't remember having a more confusing thirty seconds-- "Oh... OH-- LAMP...! Like that movie that's on tv for like, 3 months every ****** year yeahhhhh-- Ok wow I'm sorry, I just got super confused for a second there." -gives a small laugh and pushes her hair out of her face to smile apologetically to Anita. When she notices the raevan floating in her direction, though, she turns her attention to the croc- "How you doin there, lil guy? " -friendly grin- Mordekai:** -he nods and laughs along as Anita explains, and drinks up the rest of his second cup of coffee- "If you wanna go say hi, she's on the counter next t'the bathroom, hah..." -he manages to smile a little wider and wryly at Anita- "I wasn't bein' cute! I asked her what her name was, an' it was Irene, I swear!" Duncan: -he looks skeptically up at Mordekai before chuckling again and nodding himself- "Yes, I believe it's called Christmas Story..." -he looks at the list quietly before Leigh calls attention to Cruz being near. He looks up and offers Cruz an inviting smile and nods in greeting before studying the list again-- while he mentioned only a few items, what the needed to complete for the event was... fairly plentiful- Mordekai: -drops his cup into the counter and glances over at Anita with an apologetic grin- "U-uh, anyway-- found out what y'wanna eat?" Cruz: -hovers a bit listlessly and smiles at Leigh with half lidded eyes, then Duncan, and back to Leigh. Runs a few fingers through his bangs to straighten them out, as they'd gotten a little messy on the ride over- "Good. How are you, Ms. Leigh?" -cranes his neck to look at Duncan's list- "What kind of party is this for?" Anita: -scoffs at Mordekai and grins, then softens- "I believe you. She probably doesn't wanna say hi to me, though, seein' as I paid good money to give her away." -snaps her fingers and points at Duncan when he says the movie title- "That's the one." -picks her glass of water back up and heads past them further into the kitchen, starts examining the fridge- "Guess I should grab somethin' so I don't hold us up any longer. Sorry, guys." Leigh: "I'm doing alright!" -she nods at raevan, then peers over at the list as he does- "It's for an awesome party, of course." -she leans into the counter, resting her cheek in one hand as she watched Cruz float, entertained by the whimsy of it.She'd never actually met a raevan before, so seeing one in the flesh had her a little bit enchanted. They were rather cute.- Mordekai: -he smiles along as Anita speaks, then shrugs- "She's the forgivin' type, ye'know, livin' and learnin', wouldn't mind none if you paid her a visit." -he pours himself another cup of coffee- "Oh, don't worry 'bout that, we got all the time in the world today!" Duncan: -he finally finishes contemplating over the list and smiles up at Anita- "Unless you, Leigh, or Cruz have anything else scheduled for today, Mordekai's quite right. Feel free to take as much time as you need." Cruz: -perks slightly at Leigh's explanation and manages a sleepy giggle- "Happy to help with an awesome party." -wings shiver slightly as he stretches- "Who's invited?" Anita: -smiles back while sipping her water, makes her way around the kitchen island to take a look at the bread they had out- "Nah, I cleared everything out for this. Didn't have much goin' on besides, but I wanted to make sure we'd have all the time we needed." -sets about getting two slices of bread sorted once she locates the toaster- Leigh: "I have absolutely no idea haha. Lab people, I guess?" - she chuckles and gives a shrug at Cruz's question, then glances to Mordekai then Duncan- "And oh-- yeah I'm free as the wind blows. I'm down to do whatever all day."

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 7:19 pm


	Crawfish Preparé [IM RP with Rookeries & Ka-ray-zee] II. Car Trip After everyone was done with their fill of tea, coffee, and other breakfast entrees, it was decided that they would take Duncan's car to Durem, as he knew the directions to Rugby's already. It was a peaceful exit to the car, for the most part. --- Cruz: -pulls his hood up while floating to the car, still smiling sleepily but seems a little more alert and isn't clinging to anyone anymore- Anita: -heads out with the group, grins at the Camry- "Who's sittin' where?" Leigh: -quietly follows the group out, sticking her hands in her pant pockets as she walks. She does not answer when anita asks about the seating for the trip, but instead glances at duncan hoping he'd have a plan in mind- Duncan: -he looks back at the group as he unlocks the car- "You four can do as you please! It is a fairly lengthy trip, though, about 40, 45 minutes-- how about--" Mordekai: -the last of the group to leave the house with a water bottle of black coffee, but he runs to the car- "SHOTGUN!" Anita: -lights up as soon as Mordekai shouts, only hesitates a second before she's running to- "NO WAY!" Cruz: -pauses mid-float and stares, blinks, grins a little, then resumes his pace- Leigh: -suddenly panics...!! flinches at the yelling before realizing this is her last chance to try and make it to the front passenger door. scrambles to run over to it, in fear of having to spend 45 minutes sitting next to complete strangers- Duncan: -he's getting into the car as soon as everyone's bolting for the car (sans Cruz), and watches as they all go for shotgun- Mordekai: "HEY--" -slows down as soon as he gets nearer to the car once he notices Leigh go for it too, though, and bends his knees and looks like he's going to try and tackle her-- Cruz: -gives the three of them a wide berth and heads over to Duncan's side of the car, still grinning and watching them- -smiles at Leigh as she runs, then tilts his head when Mordekai slows- Anita: -laughs as she managed to catch up, then looks confused when she passes him completely- -glances back and slows a little too, not sure what he's up to- Leigh: - manages to get to the door, and breathes a momentary sigh of relief as she grips the handle. It's then that she glances back and notices Moredekai poised for the attack, and recognizing the stance immediately fumbles to get the car door opened and nearly dives into the seat-- Duncan: -smiles at Leigh as she opens the door- Mordekai: -he grins at Leigh once she notices, and fumbles to tackle her until she bolts for the door-- once she manages to dive in, he rests his arm against the roof of the car and leans down to look innocently at Leigh- "I jes' wan'ed to give you a hug, Leigh!" Duncan: -he laughs and looks at the back seats, then to Mordekai- "How about you stop pestering Leigh and sit in the middle?" Mordekai: -he pouts momentarily at Leigh before opening up the car seat- "Good luck seein' over my head!" -he smiles and nods briefly over at Anita before ducking his head to get into the back seats- Anita: -stops completely when Leigh gets to the door, then laughs loudly when Mordekai tries to tackle her and she's already in- Cruz: -cranes his head over the top of the car, holding onto it to give himself a boost and peek at Mordekai while he's hanging on it- -smiles at Duncan and opens his side door, nestling behind Duncan and getting to work on his seatbelt- Anita: "After you, madam." -grins as Mordekai ducks in, waits until he and Cruz seem situated before tucking in as well, behind Leigh, and scooches herself as close to the door as comfortable while looking for the bottom of her belt buckle- Leigh: "Yeah, a PROJECTILE hug!" -she gives him a tiny frown, before settling properly into her seat, then smirking at him and booping him on th nose when he pouts at her. Once everyone is all getting loaded into the car, she fastens her seatbelt and relaxes- Duncan: -laughs- "That does sound like quite a handful..." -once everyone's in, he looks at the rear view mirror- "Is everyone ready?" Mordekai: -he smiles wide and sticks his tongue out at Anita at her comment, then bows his head slightly when she enters the car- "Sir." -he cozies a little more next to Cruz and smiles at the Frei, ushering quiet apologies as they scooch closer, then looks over at Anita's side of the car to help find her buckle- "Oh, here." -he secures the buckle with his hand- Duncan: "Almost, then." -he turns to Leigh briefly- "Have you been to Rugby's before, Leigh?" Cruz: -perfectly content, just smiles up at Mordekai and rumbles pleasantly when he moves closer, even looks a bit more attentive now that they're in a smaller space and all cozied up together- "Yes." -smiles at Duncan in the rear view- Anita: "Oh!" -gets her seatbelt secured with Mordekai's help- "Thanks. Was about to go diggin' under your butt for it." -snerks, then smiles up at Duncan as well- "Good to go!" Leigh: -situates her small bag on her lap, digging out a tube of chapstick and applying some while everyone buckles up. Once she is done and stowing the balm again, she is addressed by duncan, and smiles over to him- "Oh, I don't think so! I haven’t been to a lot of places out here, really." Mordekai: -he laughs- "Oh, golly, mister, I'm awful sensitive down there." -he looks up at the rearview- "We're ready!" Duncan: "I see!" -he nods up at the rearview and he starts up the car and backs out of the driveway; getting the car handled from the snow a bit earlier was a blessing- "I only ask because I heard the founders were from your area. Napa, I believe. It's quite a place, they sell all kinds of produce there." Mordekai: -he grins and whispers- "It's overpriced to hell, but we know everyone that works there!" Anita: "Look at you guys, gettin' special discounts." Cruz: "They're friends?" Leigh: "Oh wow, really? That's rad! I wonder what town they're from... and man, everything is overpriced to hell these days though--" Mordekai: "Special discounts 'cause I bring 'em free meat, and I kinda kiss their asses a little. And, yeah, guess you couuld consider us friends!" Duncan: "It's true, everything as of late is overpriced. The inflation lately has been impossible, I'm surprised it hasn't caused a riot in any of the towns yet." Mordekai: "'Cause everyone in Gaia knows riotin' here ain't gonna do a damn thing. Unless y'wanna turn into a cow." Duncan: "Oh, that was an unfortunate year..." Cruz: "Ah-- cows? That happened?" Anita: "Oh my god, I remember that... Inflation's been killer. Hopefully it's just the top of a big wave and it'll level off soon." Mordekai: "I dunno what happened, exactly, jes' remember it was around Christmas. Christmas used to be awful, Cruz." Leigh: " Let's hope it does... though im surprised at the number of people here who are still willing to come in and buy decorative soaps and cat clocks in this economy--" Duncan: "Oh, I'm sure it will--" Mordekai: "Or we're gonna have to swim our asses back to the States--" Duncan: "--Though I'm not particularly surprised at that, Leigh. Gaia and its decoratives. It's our number two industry after fashion for a reason." Mordekai: "It used to be all plain an' simple an' pasture an' ******' normal st until G-Corp. Man, I hate G-Corp." Cruz: "What?? No. That's silly. Christmas can't be awful." Anita: "Ohh, be careful. We're ridin' with the Anti-Grinch, here." Cruz: "What's G-Corp?" Anita: "Lab's degenerate cousin--" Leigh: "Yeah, that place never really rubbed me the right way-- and yeah Gaia is weird like that... though I cant complain if it keeps people coming into the violet." Mordekai: "I'm sorry, Cruz, but I gotta tell y'the truth. Christmas was ******' D-Day for Gaia for a few years, man. ...Aw, c'mon, Lab's nothing like G-Corp!" Anita: "Haaaa, I dunno--" Duncan: "We haven't heard mention of G-Corp much since Gambino's death, which is fortunate. And, yes, it's nothing to complain about, I do hope you're benefiting from the inflation somehow. The farm certainly hasn't..." Leigh: "That's lame to hear about the farm-- sorry that the st economy has to hit places that are actually, y'know, useful." Cruz: "..." Anita: "Let's just be grateful they've been quiet. I'm certainly not losin' any sleep over their silence. I'm glad your place is getting business, Leigh. Game store hasn't taken much of a hit, either. People need their entertainment." Leigh: "Oh? A game store? Like... electronic or tabletop...?" Mordekai: "Hey, y'all wanna listen to somethin' on the radio?" Cruz: "Music's good." Leigh: "Music's fine I guess...! Getting tired of hearing my voice already?" Mordekai: "Awww... sorry if it seemed like I was tryin' to ruin your Christmas spirit, bud. Music!" Cruz: "It's okay. I know you weren't trying." Anita: "Electronic! I sell video games in the Gambino mall." Duncan: "Well, the farm store is a niche market, what with our food being organically grown. It's to be expected." Mordekai: "Yeah, though if I'm outta a job by next season, maybe I should start knittin' scarves on the roadside." Duncan: "You're not going to lose your job." Mordekai: "I am if Stephen keeps on complainin' 'bout eatin' refried beans for another month. Everyone's good with th' River station, right? Plain ol' rock? Here, lemme--" Duncan: "I'll get it, stay in your seat, Mordekai-- Mordekai--" Anita: "You're good, bud. Mordekai really liked the socks you picked out, remember? Ah-- yeah, River's fine. I used to catch it when I lived in Durem-- haha, alright, there ya go, good job." Mordekai: "I did it! And nah, Leigh, I thought you'd like that sweet serenade!" Cruz: "Oh yeah! Have you worn them? Ducan??" Leigh: " Oooh ok... well that's cool! River's fine-- oh? A serenade? I don't know about that..." Mordekai: "Aw, but Creedence is sayin' hi-- and oh, yeah, love those socks! I'm wearin' a pair right now. See?" Duncan: "We've both worn the socks, yes, thank you, Cruz. It gets awfully cold in the house because of the wooden flooring, so they've very helpful." Cruz: "Ah! Good. It's been very cold..." Anita: "Hehe, glad to hear it, guys. Yeah, though, it's a pretty basic clerk job but at least I'm selling something I love." Cruz: "What are tabletop games, Miss Leigh?" Leigh: "Oh, well, they're pretty much exactly what they sound like. They're games that you don’t play on your computer or tv, instead you play them at a table usually. Have you played a boardgames? That's a type of tabletop game...!" Mordekai: "It has been. Spring thaw ain't comin' early this year, either, looks like." Duncan: "So long as you love what you do, Anita." Anita: "For sure. Gotta make sure you enjoy what you're doing, whatever it is." Cruz: "Hope it gets warm soon. Don't like being tired all the time..." Mordekai: "What else d'you for tabletop games if it's not a board game?" Anita: "Role-playing games! Get some friends together, make characters, roll some dice, play out a story. I haven't had a chance to play those kind tabletop but I was invited to a campaign recently. Might take up the offer." Leigh: "Yeah, yeah! Like DnD and junk like that. I used to play them all the time back in highschool. always thought they were pretty fun. I'd give it a try if you have someone offering up a campaign, Anita. " Duncan: "I'm sure it'll thaw out a little in a few weeks, Cruz. I'm sorry to hear you're tired all the time." Mordekai: "...Okay, it's weird hearin' 'bout roleplayin' in a board game, but I think I get it, okay. DnD-- that, uh, wassit? Dragons and uh, Doom? Dragons an' Dungeons?" Cruz: "S'okay. Just wish I got to hang out more in Winter. In Summer, I'm very awake." Anita: "Oh my god-- haha, yeah, yeah, Dungeons and Dragons. ...I mean, I guess it might as well be Dragons and Doom, though. It's about as accurate." Leigh: "Haha yeah... maybe we should make you play sometime, Mordekai. Oh, are you cold lil guy?? ... Hold on you know what I usually keep a few of these hand warmer things in my bag during winter since my fingers turn to ice so easy-- Here, I've still got one!" Duncan: "Here, I'll turn up the heat a bit too." Mordekai: "Want my gloves, too, Cruz? And uh, oh, yeah, I'm down for tryin' anythin'-- though I dunno how good I'll be at it. Maybe I'll just listen to y'all's story an' cook for the night." Cruz: "Ah-- thank you, Miss Leigh. And Duncan, Mordekai." Anita: "Hehe, you guys're gonna spoil him. Feelin' a bit more toasty, there, croc?" Cruz: "Rrrrrmmm. Yes. Thank you. You have big gloves." Anita: "Ahh, I dunno how good at it I'd be, either, but it sounds fun. I've heard some pretty ridiculous stories, so I think either way you'd be entertained." Leigh: "No problem, Kiddo. And yeah, it can be really fun and just sort of casual if you dont have a DM with a stick up their a." Duncan: "Of course." Mordekai: "I hope they're comfy, at least! And oh, yeah, yeah, I'm sure both y'all would be great. What's a DM? Guessin' it doesn't stand for designated marksman?" Cruz: "Yes." Anita: "Good guess! Dungeon Master. They're the person that leads the story, throws enemies at you, that kind of thing. Of course, if you get a shitty DM you can always screw with them just as much by asking to roll weird things." Leigh: "Yeah, pretty much just the person in charge of the game. Though playing the weird rolls game can end badly. Usually you just oughta play with friends that you know wont be lame." Mordekai: "st, that sounds badass! I wanna throw enemies at y'all. Dunno 'bout runnin' anythin', though. Duncan, hey, you're good at this st, you should try it." Duncan: "Oh, you four have your fun." Anita: "Hehe, maybe that's something we can do sometime. If y'all are up for it." Leigh: "Yeah, it's a lot of fun. You guys should give it a try sometime...!" Cruz: "Playing together with anything is good. We like you guys a lot." Anita: "Aahaha, yeah-- yeah, we do." Mordekai: "Let's do it! Yeah! Duncan for DM!" Duncan: "If you're going to persist... if you guys would like to use the house for that, you're always invited, of course." Mordekai: "We could play outside! Spring's comin' and everything's gonna be in bloom pretty soon here, here's to prayin' that winter hurries its a out soon." Anita: "Haha, aww, you'd probably have fun with it, too, Duncan! But I don't think anyone here would force ya. Thank you, though! God, I love your garden. I love your house." Cruz: "Mmmm, please, Spring." Leigh: "Yeah, I'm pretty stoked for spring." Duncan: "I'm glad you enjoy the house, Anita. It does take some effort to maintain it, but I'd reason that it's worth it, and I have plenty of help. You're all free to drop by once spring bloom hits to pick as many flowers and vegetables as you'd like." Mordekai: "We added somethin' new to the flowers, right?" Duncan: "Ah, yes, I've been meaning to install the crocus flowers for a while... and we need to do some maintenance work on the strawberry patches. Rebecca might stop by to make more jam." Anita: "Aw, I don't wanna be a bother. I'm really grateful you guys let us come over as much as you have already--" Cruz: "How are the fairies? Miss Leigh, have you seen them?" Leigh: "Oh-- Not in a while, no. I used to sometimes, and I do like them a lot. Your garden's always been so nice, Duncan." Duncan: "You wouldn't be a bother at all, Anita. We have a lot to harvest for the spring blossoms, anyway, we have to throw them away otherwise. And the fairies are doing quite alright, thank you for asking-- I rarely see them around lately." Mordekai: "Probably 'cause they hate me-- but hey, y'all come over sometime! Fairies actually like y'all an' Duncan's right, we got so much harvest every spring we dunno what to do with 'em." Anita: "Aw, man, don't want you havin' to throw stuff out. There you go, twistin' my arm-- a-aw, haha, come on, why would they hate you? You're nice!" Cruz: "Wonder why they're being quiet. It'd be good to see them again." Anita: "Maybe we can do some of this prep outside when we get back. It's a nice day, anyway." Mordekai: "Mm..." Duncan: "We should do some of the preparation outside! Why not? I'm sure the fairies will be there, if you'd like to greet them." Anita: "...Ah-- y-yeah! Yeah, I think that'd be a great idea. I'd love to check on 'em." Cruz: "Me too. Do you have more coats? Mine is thin."

Snoofington

Merry Krampus

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Snoofington

Merry Krampus

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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 12:51 pm


	Crawfish Preparé [IM RP with Rookeries & Ka-ray-zee] III. Market Spree Rugby's Market was an impressively sized warehouse located just outside of the edge of Durem. The area itself was cozy and filled with grass and flora and other niche cuisine areas, which filled the street with the scent of warm garlic, spices, and roasting meat. Duncan managed to find a parking space only a few minutes away from Rugby's. He chose to walk to the area comfortably, mentioning in passing a few of the markets and restaurants that were impressionable to Anita and Leigh, while Mordekai chose to enthusiastically pace and run the whole route through. The blond stopped once reaching the entrance, a two-way glass door where the rest of the amply lit warehouse could be seen, and pushed the entrance open for the remaining company. --- Mordekai: "Welcome to Rugby's!" Cruz: -had been floating closer after Mordekai, since the others were occupied- "Big." Anita: -was really enjoying the chatter, and laughing at Cruz and Mordekai up ahead. Whistles at the size of the place- "Sure is. Is this place just for food or are we getting most of the stuff here?" Leigh: -quietly follows along, nodding to Duncan and smiling as he points out a few notable places along the way. Once arriving at the store, she marvels at the size, not expecting such a large market.- "Wow, when you said market I thought you meant, like, a lil place but i guess you meant more along the lines of a farmer's market deal... dang! " -she moves forward to enter, smiling at Mordekai and patting him on the arm as she does- "Thanks for getting the door!" Mordekai: -he smiles at Cruz nad looks up at the warehouse roof- "Real big, huh?" -he glances over at Leigh and bows dramatically- "Madame." Duncan: -looks over the list and thanks Mordekai briefly as he passes through the door- "Yes, most of the things we'll be grabbing for the boil are here. Mostly food." Anita: -tucks in after Duncan with Cruz in tow, grins and thanks Mordekai quietly- Cruz: -rumbles quietly, draped around Anita's shoulders with his eyes closed again but doesn't appear overly sleepy, just comfortable- -opens his mouth to make a suggestion, then opens his eyes when Mordekai claps- Mordekai: "We gotta get four huge-a vats an' most of the vege'bles for the boil an' our weight in cornbread ingredients, ahhh... what d'you all wanna check out first?" -he glances back at Duncan and taps him on the arm- "Think Riley is workin' today?" Duncan: "I would think so. He typically works on weekends, doesn't he?" Mordekai: -he claps his hands once and points toward the produce section before pacing off- "Nevermind! We're goin' over there!" Anita: "And he's off--" -smiles at Duncan and Leigh, then glances around- "Where are the baskets?" Leigh: "--or will we need a cart? Sounds like a lot of stuff." -she glances around, in hopes of spotting any of either- "Should we split up at all to get everything quicker? I’m sure I could find my way around no problem." Duncan: "We should probably grab a cart. They're by the side, here--" -he walks over quickly to grab one, then looks sympathetically over at Cruz- "Would you like to stay put in the cart, Cruz? We shouldn't be too long." Mordekai: -he's already made his way over to the produce aisle, and his voice is rising steadily over the din of the general Rugby's crowd, and he calls over to the group while waving his hands- "Guys!! Come proove y'all aren't imaginary!" Duncan: -he glances over to Leigh sheepishly- "It might be best to stick together for now." Cruz: -blinks at Duncan, then smiles- "Ride around? Is there gonna be enough room?" Anita: -laughs and ruffles Cruz's hair, then stands straighter and furrows her brow in Mordekai's direction. Glances back to Duncan and Leigh, smiles sheepishly as well, and points a thumb toward Mordekai- "Should I go get him?" Leigh: "Oh, okay, haha." -she gives duncan a small smile in agreement, and chuckles at Mordekai's shouting. When Anita mentions possibly wrangling him back in to the group, she glances in the direction he'd run off to- "Should we all just go to him? I don’t doubt that we need some stuff from the produce section." Duncan: "There'll be plenty of space, Cruz. I'm sure Mordekai's willing to give you a lift once we reach him, too." -he chuckles and looks over at Leigh, then Anita, and nods while glancing at his list- "Yes, there are a few things... yellow onion, garlic, corn, red potatoes, and mushroom. And we're going to need plenty in each category. Shall we?" Anita: -laughs and shrugs- "Just didn't want him to get too far ahead." -cranes her neck back Mordekai's way while Cruz detaches himself and heads into the cart as suggested, bows her head a little and raises a hand so he knows they heard him before they start walking- Cruz: -settles into the cart and smiles at Duncan once he's comfortable, or as comfortable as he can be in the contraption; people were definitely better to ride along on, they were less bumpy and metallic- Leigh: -she gives a nod, and quietly follows the group in the direction of the produce- Mordekai: -he waves back and laughs, still talking a bit to the cashier, who looks back at them and smiles and waves as well- Duncan: "Oh, of course. Thank you for looking out for him." -he smiles back at Cruz before making his way to the produce section-- Riley and Mordekai go back to talking until the four are in the vicinity- Mordekai: -he gestures his arms enthusiatically toward the group and Riley laughs- "Definitely real! Everyone, this is Riley; Riley, y'know Duncan, that's Cruz, this is Anita, an' this is Leigh!" Riley: -he's a small guy, scrawny and tanned with black hair tucked into a beanie; he glances curiously over at Cruz and waves to all of them with a grin- "Hey, guys! Is this your first time at Rugby's?" -he glances at Leigh and points- "I didn't know Mordekai had a sister! Why haven't I met you before?" Cruz: -sinks into the cart fairly low with his hands still on the edges, leaning against one corner with his chin against his chest. Smiles at Mordekai as he introduces them, and rights himself to floating position when the cart stops- "Hello. It is." Anita: -lifts her brows, mouth dropping slightly as she glances at Leigh, then Mordekai- "I didn't know you were related!" Leigh: -as they approach and Mordekai introduces the group, Leigh smiles widely at Riley and extends a hand to shake- "Nice to meet you! Oh, I'm not really in this neck of the woods very often, I live over in Barton." -when Anita expresses her confusion, Leigh raises her brows in her direction- "Oh--- well..." -she glances up at Mordekai, the back to Anita with an apologetic smile- "Yes and No, actually." Duncan: "Hello, Riley." -he glances over at Mordekai- "Would you mind giving Cruz a lift, Mordekai? He's been quite tired today." Mordekai: "Oh! You know it!" -he rests an arm against the cart and looks down at Cruz, then extends his other hand to the Frei- "Y'wanna ride on my back insteada in this metal cart, Cruz? Y'can tell me how the view is from up there!" Riley: -he looks a bit confused and quirks a brow, then looks over at Mordekai, then to Leigh- "Is it... like... weird family stuff? 'Cause if you told me Mordekai was adopted from, like, Toontown, I'd totally believe you." Cruz: -smiles and extends his arms to grip Mordekai's, nods and starts slowly limbing up- "Yes, please." -settles against Mordekai's upper back with his arms unobtrusively wrapped around his collar, like he was getting a piggy back- "Thanks. Sorry I'm so droopy." Anita: -smiles curiously at Leigh and laughs at Riley- "Kinda what I'm figurin'." -assumes Riley hasn't met Johan, either, so maybe there was more family stuff- "Step sibs, I'm guessing? Parents remarry?" Leigh: "Ah no, We're not related by blood or law. We're just sorta....siblings." -she gives a chuckle and shrugs her shoulders, unsure of how exactly to explain their sibling bond other than they... they're just siblings. She smiles up at Mordekai and gives him a firm pat on the arm- "No weird family stuff! Just my brother from a different mother, y'know?" Mordekai: -once Cruz settles in over his back, he smiles back at him and ruffles the Frei's hair gently- "You're jes' fine today, Cruz, don't you sweat it." Cruz: -grumbles pleasantly at the hair ruffling and nuzzles a bit, then relaxes and closes his eyes. Practically looks asleep- Riley: -he quirks a brow and leans back, looks about as curious as Anita does, then outright confused, then... understanding- "Ooooh, I get it. Mordekai, dude! You lied to me!" Duncan: -he raises his brows and chuckles- "I'm very glad that was cleared up, I was also confused for a moment..." Mordekai: "Didn't lie 'bout nothin', man! Jes' kept tellin' you I had a sister!" Riley:** "Liar..." -he glares jokingly at Mordekai before breaking into casual laughter; he leans against the counter with his arms and looks around at the group- "Anyway, what all are you guys here for today? All I heard was something about a 'crawfish boil,' but I've never been. I didn't know you needed vegetables for that." Anita: -makes the same "ooooh" as Riley does and tucks her hands in her pockets, then purses her lips and looks at him when he accuses foul play- "Ahh-- hah, oh, wow, I forgot already." -glances back at Duncan, smiles wryly and raises her brows- "I've never been to a crawfish boil either, confession time--" Leigh: "He didn't technically lie, haha." -she gives another shrug and laughs quietly along with Riley when he does- "Oh-- yeah! You cant just throw them in by themselves." -raises her brows at Anita when she mentions never having been to a boil- "It's pretty much just an excuse to get together with a million people and eat crawfish till you feel sick. It's a pretty good time--though I've only ever attended any because I met Mordekai. Guy likes his shellfish." Duncan: -he raises his brows at Anita, as does Mordekai, but they both laugh; Duncan nods- "That's quite alright! There's always a first time for everything." Mordekai: "Yeah--" -he adjusts Cruz's hold on his shoulder gently and smiles brightly at Leigh- "Das right it is! Uh-- as f'what we need-- ye'know, potato, garlic, onion, um-- mushroom-- corn's important-- think that's it in terms'f what we need here. Hey, y'know if they got boudin an' this spice called Zatarain's here?" Riley: "Oh! Well, that's cool. We have plenty of all of those-- um, is crawfish like lobster? All that stuff's kinda expensive, isn't it?" Duncan: "They're much smaller than lobster-- and it depends on the season. We'll have to see later, crawfish are best bought over at Gambino." -he turns back to Leigh and Anita- "We aren't going to be buying those today, but how many people do you two reckon will attend the boil? There are some fourty, sixty people affiliated or registered to the project, about thirty of them are Raevan guardians." Cruz: -isn't bothered by the adjustment, just gets more comfortable with it and rumbles out a sigh and mumbles to himself- "Zah-tah-rans--" Anita: -laughs too, then rubs her neck and shifts her stance- "Hmm. Well, we can count a handful of potential attendees off the crawfish list anyway, since the freis won't be eating them, I figure. Uummm, of the functions that weren't fundraisers I've been to, there's usually about twenty to thirty, counting raevans, guardians, and non." Leigh: -nods along as everyone lists off various ingredients and then as anita tries to come up with a potential headcount for the event.- "I guess we should try to make sure to get enough veggies to handle however many crawfish we think we'll need for that size party... Were we going to get lemon too while we're here or?" Duncan: "I see... we'll guess somewhere in between, then. And we were, Leigh. How many pounds of crawfish did you say went to a person, Mordekai?" Mordekai: -looks up at Cruz and laughs- "Zah-tah-rans, you got it! And-- uh-- five pounds a person, yeah? Reckon hunnerd pounds're enough, ye'know-- but uh, yeah, the--" Riley: "Holy sh-- and oh, yeah, right, right-- um-- yeahhh, I don't know, man," -shrugs- "I'd check Nicole's booth, like, it should be with all the international stuff. It's an American thing or something, right?" Mordekai: "Yeah, that's what I thought-- uh-- yeah-- hey, y'gonna gimme a mad discount on all these veggies if I take alla y'produce, aaah? An' for callin' me a liar in front of my sister--" Riley: -laughs- "Dude, get outta here, a customer's on the line. Tell me if you guys need any help, okay?" Anita: "Damn--" Cruz: -blinks nlearily, then smiles and waves a little at Riley when he shoos them off- -goes right back to looking asleep immediately after- Anita: -laughs and shakes her head, just raises a palm toward Riley and grins- "Thanks, man. Have a good day." -tucks her hands in her pockets- "So if we're gonna land the crawfish from Gambino, I can just check it on my own time if y'all gimme the specs." --- The motley group ended up convening within the next hour after acquiring the cartfuls of ingredients they needed for the boil. It was an adventure in and of itself stuffing everything they needed into Duncan's tiny car, but they managed. The next errand on their list was to hit up a 1k store nearby the World Market to pick up a variety of prices. Duncan was uncertain about the ordeal and exited cautiously while Mordekai nearly bolted to the entrance, shouting: "I hope they have a sale!" Journeying through the 1k store had been an adventure all its own. It was a smaller space, which meant Anita felt comfortable letting Cruz roam a bit on his own. She even gave him 5k to buy whatever he wanted aside from what they were picking up for the boil. All he ended up getting was a small water pistol with the end shaped like a crocodile's head. They had sharks and other animals too, particularly llamas. Within another hour, the group was good to go with a nearly full cart once they put all of their findings together and it was time for another car trip filled with soft music and idle conversation. Once they hefted all of the groceries and party items inside, Mordekai and Duncan set to work on putting the food away while Anita helped Cruz fill up his new toy with water. To let Cruz play with his new toy, and to enjoy the nice weather rolling in for the day, the group spent most of their time preparing out in the garden. A majority of the work they had to do involved putting together the basket prizes, as the food had to be prepared on the day of the boil. In the end, with everyone being so involved with the preparation, everything they could finish was done within a couple of hours. It was evening by then, and Anita, Cruz, and Leigh were invited to stay for supper and relax in the garden. Even if they didn't, there was a slew of produce that Duncan had to offer them as a thank you for their help.

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Gaia Guilds

Lab 305

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