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 Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 7:55 pm
The air was a bit chillier than most would expect on a summer evening, but that suited Wapasha just fine. He loved to set up a bonfire in the backyard and just sit and enjoy the heat, the crackling fire, the rush of flames -- the occasional singed eyebrow when he got too close, but that didn't happen often. Sighing softly, he stretched out his long legs and leaned back against a quartz-studded boulder he'd managed to get moved into the right spot in his backyard. The firepit was built up well, with big, heavy stones cemented nicely together, with convenient niches for setting roasting sticks for hot dogs and marshmallows.
This was Wapasha's favorite spot.
The fire died slowly, and it was hours before Wapasha spotted the strange object in the pit, glowing brighter than the embers that remained in the pit. Not one for willingly sticking his hand into anything that had just finished burning, it took a bit of work to find something he could use to fish out the object, but when he did, he realized it was a massive egg. An egg that he certainly hadn't put there in the first place.
...Well, he decided, the only thing he could do now was try and figure out what sort of animal had put an egg in a firepit of all places.
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:25 pm
"No, you don't understand. I have no clue whatsoever what I'm supposed to be doing with this," Wapasha insisted, his hands around the egg he was trying desperately to keep warm. "I'm not a bird, I can't sit on it and brood it or whatever, so what else am I supposed to do?"
The struggle with the uninterested employee was frustrating to say the least. Wapasha had come to this animal shelter in the hopes of finding at least one person who had any idea what to do with the egg, but the employee was brushing him off. "You should have just left it where it was."
"In the fire?!"
"You found the egg in the fire?" Jules blinked, stepping out from the back room. "Hey Elliot. If you wanna go for your break, I can hold down the fort." He turned back to Wapasha, offering a warm smile. "Sorry to interrupt, but he's due for a break," he said. "Maybe I can help?"
"Fantastic, I'm outta here." Elliot was off in a flash, leaving Wapasha staring at him in consternation before offering Jules a wry smile.
"Yeah. I did. I was just burning a bonfire, it was a good night for it, and when I started putting the fire out, I found this." Wapasha thrust out the egg, still careful to keep from dropping it. "It definitely wasn't there when I started the fire."
Jules reached out, cupping his hands under the egg. His skin, still somehow soft, brushed Wapasha's as he tried to gently take the egg and examine it... though the wings were really a dead giveaway...
Willingly, Wapasha let Jules take the egg. "It was almost like it formed from the fire. I don't know what to make of it." The egg was still warm to the touch, as if a constant flame burned within it.
"And you came here... looking for what creature might hatch from such an egg?" Jules asked, stroking his fingers over the egg's surface slowly.
The egg thrummed like a heartbeat of a bird, heat flaring across it. "No," Wapasha murmured. "Not just that. I wanted to find out how to take care of it."
"Each egg is different. Given the heat this one offers, I'd keep it away from anything cold. It probably needs the warmth," Julien offered, an almost... fatherly look on his face as he smiled down at the egg.
"...You look like you've seen these types before," Wapasha mused.
That earned Wapasha a grin, impish eyes looking back up at Wapasha. "I have," Jules said. "Several times. Tell me something. Do you really believe it appeared in the fire... by magic?"
Wapasha raised an eyebrow. "Well... how else did it get there? I'm open to suggestions."
"I'm asking what you believe," Jules countered, watching Wapasha steadily.
"...I think I do," Wapasha murmured.
"This egg... and the person inside it... were meant to be found and cared for by you," Jules said, handing the egg back almost with ceremony.
Wapasha hesitated, then carefully cradled the egg in his hands. "The person inside of it? So a person will be born from the egg?" He stroked a thumb over the hard surface of the egg, amazed by the very concept.
"That doesn't phase you, does it?" Jules asked, grinning.
"...No," Wapasha decided. "I don't think so."
"There's a woman you can talk to... she raised one herself. Is still raising, I suppose," Jules offered, after a moment. "She may be able to give you an idea of what you're in for, as a guardian."
Wapasha chuckled, his gaze on Jules. "She raised you, I'm assuming?"
"Very good," Jules grinned. "You're quick."
"So can I get your advice as well?" Wapasha asked with a hopeful smile.
"Any time you want," Julien promised. "Besides... I want to meet whoever comes out of there."
"Then... um, here. Let me write down my information." Wapasha carefully handed the egg back to Jules, then grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. "My name is Wapasha Spencer, and here's my phone number."
Julien took it, then wrote down his own number and address for the man. "And here's our info. Feel free to call me any time. Sometimes, when it hatches? It can be disturbing."
Wapasha carefully tucked the paper away and offered Julien an honest smile. "Thanks. I really do appreciate it."
"If you don't mind me asking... what do you do?" Julien asked, making conversation as he leaned against the counter.
"I work in construction, mainly," Wapasha explained. "I like building things with my hands."
"That sounds like good, honest work," Julien grinned. "Are you married, Mr. Spencer?"
Wapasha snorted in amusement. "Me? No. I'm more married to my work than anything else."
Rather than amusement, the look in Julien's eyes was thoughtful. "You know... I never have heard of an Ashe whose guardian was married," he said softly.
"Ashe? Is that what you and the egg both are?"
Julien nodded, chuckling softly. "That's what we are. I don't know where the name comes from, but I don't think it matters all that much. We're a lot like humans."
Wapasha gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "And none of the guardians are married?"
"Not that I know of, though I don't know all the Ashe out there. But of my closest friends, not a single one."
"That is definitely interesting..."
"It could just be luck, but I have to wonder," Julien said thoughtfully, his eyes growing distant as he considered the idea forming in his mind. "Maybe... we're drawn to people who need the company..."
Wapasha smiled faintly at that, his gaze on the egg. "I guess I did need the company," he mused. "My house is too quiet."
"Mir seems fine enough by herself, but I think she needed me as much as I needed her," Julien agreed quietly. "And the same goes for Aesop and Cindy... and maybe even Felicity and Toulouse... I don't know."
"...I'm going to need to build a nursery," Wapasha decided after a moment, his eyes softening.
Julien blinked, then chuckled softly. "It might be the first but... most of us are children, not babies, when we come out of the egg."
"Oh. ...Well, at least no need for nappies, then. I wouldn't mind not needing to buy diapers."
Julien nodded, glancing up as he heard some barking from the back of the shelter. "Definitely talk to Mir before you make plans, okay? I need to go check on those guys..."
Wapasha grinned and backed up for the door. "Okay. I'm going to go call your guardian, then, and see about what I need to do for my egg."
"Just tell her Jules sent you, okay?" Julien grinned, waving before turning to head toward the back. "Hey Elliot! Break's over!"
As Elliot grumbled his way to the front desk, Wapasha headed out, still smiling. Life was going to be interesting now...
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:21 pm
Mireille finally finished preparing the roast she'd been planning to make, slipping it into the oven and glancing at the clock as she drew off her apron. Wapasha was due to arrive at any moment, and she had the coffee maker set up, and cheese and crackers ready to go. The latter, of course, was due to Julien. He was always bringing home new ingredients to try out, and cheeses that she hadn't tried before. She enjoyed the excitement... particularly when she could usually leave the work to him, and simply hole up in her office, trying to get some more work done on the latest novel in her series. Of course, meeting other guardians was a vastly different thing, and Mir actually found herself looking forward to the visit. It had been far too long since she'd had Cindy or Felicity to visit, after all, and Jules was too holed up in his own projects to lift his head and look around.
Any minute now, the doorbell would ring, and she'd meet this man that Jules had called to inform her really needed some advice. Hopefully, she thought as she settled on the couch near the doorway, he'd bring his egg along...
It was only a few minutes later that a knocking was heard on the door, with Wapasha waiting on the other side, his egg carried in a small basket that held a soft towel and a small heating pack -- the egg soaked up heat, and Wapasha always got uneasy when the egg didn't have a heat source near it. He'd only barely had time to settle the egg into the basket and get over here, having just talked to Julien a little more than an hour ago.
"Coming," Mireille called as she made her way to the door. It was funny, really... it wasn't all that long ago that she could remember a bright, childish voice saying the same thing as Julien, then a child, barrelled down to open the door for his friends. Fond memories... and disconcerting ones for a woman who'd finally decided that she wasn't meant to be a mother.
Still, the soft smile was on her lips as she opened the door, curious eyes peering out for a moment before she pushed it wide to let him in. "You must be Mr. Spencer. It's nice to meet you," she said.
"Please, call me Wapasha. My father is Mr. Spencer." Wapasha grinned, the smile broad and easy -- he had laugh lines around his eyes despite his age, suggesting that he was the type to smile often. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. Julien said you might be able to help with... well, this." He lifted the basket a little, indicating the flame-bright egg inside.
'Ma'am'? Oh... that wouldn't do at all. She heard that enough from the few book signings she did, and it always made her cringe a little. Stepping back to allow him in, she smiled again. "Only if you call me Mir," she said simply, considering him for a long moment. No wonder Jules had nudged him to talk to her. She could already see where Julien would be drawn to him. He'd likely already decided the man was a friend, whether this Wapasha knew it or not.
That was so her Jules...
"It's beautiful," she nodded, peering into the basket for a moment before lifting one hand to reach inside. She paused before her fingers touched shell, her hand lingering in the air above it as she looked up at Wapasha. "May I?"
"Mir. Much better than 'ma'am,'" Wapasha agreed cheerfully as he stepped inside. "Go ahead and touch it, the egg doesn't seem to mind too much. ...I have no idea how I can know that, but I just seem to."
"You should meet Cindy," Mir murmured, shaking her head as she reached in to stroke the shell with a delicate touch. "She bonded so strongly with her egg... it was fascinating to see. Jules' egg was very quiet, though. Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?" she asked, well aware that she was babbling just a little and giving herself a mental shake. She was just feeling nostalgic, that was it. It would pass soon enough. "Do you like coffee?"
Wapasha snickered at that, his eyes brightening. "Are you kidding? I mainline caffeine. I would love some coffee, thank you, Mir." He glanced down at the egg, which was still greedily soaking up heat. "Did Julien tell you how I found this thing?"
"No," she said as she made her way to the kitchen, flicking the coffee maker to on and grabbing the tray of cheese and crackers. "All he said was that it was much more interesting than my story, and I'd have to hear it from the horse's mouth." Grinning, she moved to set the tray down on the coffee table. "I'm just making the coffee now. It should only be a few moments. Please... share," she invited, sinking down onto the couch as her eyes were drawn once again to that egg.
"He didn't, hmm. The thing is, I was having a bonfire. It was a good time for it, and it let me burn some of my clutter. When I started putting the bonfire out, however, I found this in the fire and ashes." Wapasha lifted the egg out of the basket, keeping his hands around it to try and keep it as warm as he could. "It definitely wasn't there when I started the fire."
"You're sure it wasn't in some of the clutter you were burning?" Mir asked, blinking as she considered the egg again. Inside the fire... and he thought it was still okay? Either Wapasha was seriously warped... or this egg was like nothing she'd ever really seen before.
"You think it needs heat?" she guessed after a moment, as the way his hands held it clicked with his story finally.
Wapasha shook his head. "It definitely wasn't in there when I started. I'm always careful, sometimes little creatures get into the firepit and I can't risk burning anything living on accident. It does need heat, it seemed happier once I put this little heater thing in the basket." He lifted the small heating-pack from the basket, showing it to Mir.
Mir frowned a bit as she peered at the pack, then reached out to touch the egg again curiously. "I never noticed Jules' egg show any particular affinity to anything," she said thoughtfully, her eyes drifting to a trio of potion bottles arranged on the windowsill for a moment. They were drawn away as she caught the sound of the percolator sputtering to a stop and got up to get the coffee.
"But they are all very different. So if yours is attuned to heat... what do you do to keep it comfortable?" she asked curiously. "I mean, I can't imagine you drop it in the fire all day."
"It definitely needs the heat. Sometimes I stick it in the oven, sometimes I put it in the fireplace in my home and get a fire going. I once offered to drop it in a pot of boiling water, and my gods, the migraine I got from that..." Wapasha muttered and rubbed at his temple in memory.
That made Mireille blink, and she stuck her head out of the kitchen to stare at Wapasha in surprise. "Migraine? It gave you a migraine?" she asked, still holding coffee pot and mug in her hands as she moved to stand where she could see him.
"It can do that?"
"...You mean Julien didn't?" Wapasha blinked up at Mireille, head tilting slightly in surprise.
That drew a laugh from her as she tried to even envision such a thing. "No, but honestly, I don't think Julien could willingly hurt a fly," she admitted, finally remembering that she'd been pouring coffee and moving back into the kitchen long enough to finish up. She set the mugs, along with a miniature pitcher of creamer and a little saucer of sugarcubes on a tray, then carried it out to set beside the crackers and cheese.
"Jules is a very gentle soul, really. Some might say he's not very manly at all, but I can't imagine pushing him to be more like society's masculine stereotype. I'd rather see him just as he is now. I think he's destined to do good in this world."
"Jules is perfect as he is," Wapasha said with a soft smile. "He seems like a wonderful young man, I can see why you'd be proud of him." He returned the egg to the warm basket, then reached to pick up his coffee and take a sip. His gaze was thoughtful, staring out into the middle distance and not really seeing what was in front of him.
Mir all but glowed at the praise, although she often had the feeling that really, she'd had very little to do with Jules' outlook on life. Still, to know that it was her Jules that drew people to such conclusions... she couldn't help puffing up just a bit.
...Just a tiny bit...
But as Wapasha fell silent, staring off into nothing, her smile faded, and she watched quietly for a moment before reaching out to touch his shoulder. "What is it?"
Wapasha blinked up at the touch, a little startled by it. "Oh, I'm just... just wondering. What it's going to be like. Whether it'll be a girl or a boy, what sort of personality it will have, things like that. I never... expected to become any sort of parental figure, Mir, you must understand. This is all extremely new to me."
Mir offered him a soft look of understanding, nodding slowly. "After my...," she started, before her voice faltered to a stop, and she looked away, reaching for a mug and starting to add sugar and cream to it. "After I moved," she started again, staring at the liquid as she doctored it, rather than look at him... or at the egg, "I didn't expect to ever become a mother. But Julien changed my life. In some ways... maybe he saved it. I'm sure your Ashe will be just as important to you. It won't always be easy, but really, if I can manage, you certainly can," she added, looking back at him finally with a smile. Whatever ghosts had stopped her tongue seemed to have faded.
After a silent moment, Wapasha set a hand to Mir's shoulder, merely resting it there in quiet comfort. His words had nothing to do with his actions, however, instead simply addressing what Mir had said. "I have no doubt it'll change my life. I'm just glad I won't have to change its diapers."
Mir smiled softly at that, using the excuse of reaching for a cracker and some cheese to shift out from under his hand. She'd be fine in a moment. She just... needed to get hold of herself. "Yes, I have to admit, I'm rather grateful I got to skip that stage myself. You might, however, want to make sure you have some clothes on hand, for when he or she arrives? Gender neutral clothing might be good," she noted, nibbling at the cheese-laden cracker. "Maybe for about a five or six year old? Or... seven or eight? I think I went with eight for Julien's, figuring he could grow into it. Instead, he seems to have developed a fondness for oversized sweaters," she murmured.
Wapasha snickered and stole a cracker himself. "I'll just gather up a small group of things until I know what size and gender it is," he decided. "It'll be easier on my budget, really -- I live decently enough, but not well enough that I can afford multiple whole wardrobes."
"I've still got a few of Julien's old things?" Mireille offered immediately, chuckling a little. "You could take them as a loan, if nothing else... so that whoever pops out of there at least has some clothes until you can get things to better suit it."
"That would help a lot," Wapasha decided with another of those easy smiles. "Hopefully whoever comes from the egg is big enough to fit them." If not, then the resulting Ashe would be positively swimming in the clothes.
Brightening a bit (it seemed that Julien wasn't the only one in the family who liked to help), Mireille got up, setting her coffee aside and finishing off her cracker as she made her way to the stairs. "I'll be right back," she promised. As she disappeared up to the second floor, she added, "Feel free to look around, if you like!"
Now where was that box? Ah yes, there it was, in the top of the closet that Julien had claimed as his sewing room. She picked her way past laid-out squares and strips of cloth, and laughed a bit when she saw that the bed was being used as a project table, with the desk holding the Singer sewing machine she'd bought him.
It took a bit for her to work the box down. It wasn't terribly heavy, but Jules was a good bit taller than her, and he'd put it up there. Still, she did manage, and moved to take the box back downstairs, grinning happily.
Wapasha was in the exact same spot Mir had left him, but when he saw her with the box, he rose and reached to help. "I could have helped," he insisted, eyes wide. "You didn't need to go and get it right this moment!"
"It's okay, really," Mir assured him, smiling as she handed over the box and moved to sit down again. "I'd much rather get it now than forget it later. After all, you never know quite when that thing is going to hatch. Julien's hatched in the middle of the night. Scared the life out of me."
Rather dourly, Wapasha eyed the egg. "Don't hatch in the middle of the night," he informed it, and snorted when he got a blast of emotion from the egg. "Apparently it's planning on hatching whenever it bloody well pleases." He took the box and set it on his knees, poking through it curiously.
Within the box were quite a few boy's clothes, including barely-worn jeans and a few nice, soft sweaters. The one on top was a dark indigo color, still very rich. Mireille watched the clothes as her stomach did a sad little flop. Things... just didn't last, did they?
"They don't seem to stay children very long at all," she murmured softly.
"I wouldn't know," Wapasha said quietly. "Not yet. I suspect I'll agree with you, however, once the egg hatches." He lifted some of the clothes, holding up the dark indigo sweater. "Boy or girl, I think it'll like this. At least to start off with."
"That was Jules' favorite," Mir murmured, reaching out to touch the sweater again. "It'd be very nice to see it on someone else, rather than letting it rot away in my closet." Her eyes held a wistful look, and she pulled her hand back after a moment, moving to pick up another cracker.
"You'll have to come back often. I'm quite sure Jules will want to cook for you and your little one."
That sounded rather like a dismissal, but Wapasha wasn't entirely certain. He hesitated on the seat, then pressed the sweater into the box and set the box aside. "Should I be going, then?" he finally asked, curiously.
Mir blinked at the question, then blushed, running a hand through her hair as she sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm really not very good at this... entertaining guests thing anymore, without Julien around. No, please, if you'd like to stay, the company is very welcome. I'm just an old woman who doesn't quite remember how everything goes, anymore, you know?" she said wryly.
"You are not old," Wapasha countered, with more heat than he really meant to have. "But I'd love to stay longer and talk more. I'm not very good at being company, so this is a little awkward for me, but I'll give it my best shot."
Mir blinked, her blush deepening at the heated reply, and she found herself ducking her head, almost hiding behind the hair that fell around her face as she told herself to stop acting like a silly schoolgirl or an old maid. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like," she assured him after a moment, drawing a breath and lifting her head to look at him once more.
"In fact, if you'd like to stay for dinner, I've got a roast in the oven. And I'm quite sure that we can find somewhere comfortable for your egg?"
Wapasha grinned, not really seeming to notice Mir's embarrassment. "Heck, I can just stick it in the oven once the roast is done," he offered, snickering. "The egg'll love it. It'd love a fire even more, but an oven will do just fine."
"When Jules gets home, I'm quite sure he'd be happy to set up the barbeque?" Mir said, her voice slightly hesitant. It still seemed so... foreign to her, the idea of cooking an Ashe egg. But one thing she'd learned about Ashes... they didn't conform to the standards of the world as SHE knew them!
"If it comes out with its brain over easy, I am going to laugh my arse off," Wapasha decided, a flash of a grin on his lips.
Mir blinked, then found herself joining in the laugh. "As long as you honestly don't think it'll hurt it. Jules couldn't live with himself."
"I doubt it will be hurt. In fact, I get the rather emphatic sense that it wants to be in that kind of heat right now. It's an impatient sort of thing... but I would be, too, if I needed something and couldn't communicate it," Wapasha mused after a few long moments.
Mireille started to say more, then blinked as the back door opened and closed. "Mir," Jules called out, setting his bag down on the kitchen table. "I'm home! Smells good in here... oh hey! I didn't realize we were having company for dinner," he grinned as he made his way to the living room, brightening when he saw Wapasha. "That egg still okay?"
Mir listened to the chatter for a moment, smiling in amusement and relief as Julien took over conversation, letting her just sit back and watch.
Wapasha shot a wink at Mir, then lifted the basket that held the egg. "Hello, Julien. I'm not sure why it insists it wants to be baked, but if the migraine it's threatening me with is any indication, I should probably stick it in the oven pretty soon. It definitely doesn't like to get cold."
"Heat affinity, hmm?" Julien asked thoughtfully, reaching to pick up the egg and peer at it. "I take it high heat won't hurt it?" he asked, casually moving to set a hand on Wapasha's shoulder and patting a couple of times. As he did, he tried to gently will his powers into the man, wanting to soothe the headache he'd complained of.
Mir watched Julien make Wapasha feel at home and smiled, blushing a bit when she caught the wink Wapasha offered her and moving to start gathering up their snack. "Dinner should be ready soon."
"Apparently." Reaching up, Wapasha rubbed at his forehead, uncertain of why the headache had eased up so suddenly -- but he was grateful it had. "I'm still positive it'll come out broiled, but it insists, so what else can I do? I don't really know anything about this magic... stuff."
Ever since Jules had come in, the egg had been listening in that intent way it had. Come to think of it, the egg had done that when Wapasha had spoken the time, too. "...Eating outside is just fine with me," Wapasha said after a moment, smiling warmly. "It does love that barbeque idea."
Julien didn't seem to notice the intense air of attention from the egg. Instead, he handed the egg back to Wapasha, watching the man thoughtfully for a moment. "I'll head out back and get the barbeque ready," he offered. "That way, hopefully your headache won't come back. And Mir can get dinner finished up in the meantime."
Mir chuckled softly at Julien's take-charge attitude, but didn't argue the point.
"That sounds like a plan to me," Wapasha agreed, settling the egg in its basket before rising. "I can help Mir with finishing up dinner -- " He glanced sidelong at the woman with a grin. " -- if she'll let me, that is."
Mireille chuckled, standing and stretching a bit as she looked over at Jules' back fondly. The boy... no, nearly man now, really... was already heading for the back porch. "I'm used to men around my kitchen. I don't mind a bit of help at all," she assured Wapasha. "And it's always nice to have a bit of company to talk to while I work."
Chuckling, Wapasha followed after Mireille, basket set near the oven for the radiant heat. This was shaping up to be a truly good day.
Julien had been right -- maybe it wasn't just that the egg had needed him. Maybe he'd needed the egg in turn... the new friends he'd found were certainly warming his heart.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:54 pm
"...Are you sure?"
The egg gave a throb of satisfaction. Yes, it was certain. Wapasha had tried to think blues and greens and purples at it, with the sense of a bedroom, but the egg had responded with irritated headstabs that gave Wapasha quite the headache, and so the man had gone to the colors that matched the egg's shell. Sighing, Wapasha poked with one hand at a bedspread, the other hand coming up to rake through his hair. Red. Not only bright red, but fire red, flame red, the same red of the bonfire he'd found the blasted egg in to begin with. "Okay, I get it, I get it. We'll go with this one." He tugged the bed set off the shelf and chucked it into the shopping cart. "You're getting expensive, you know that? You better appreciate it, considering how much I'm dropping on you, when you haven't even come out yet."
Annoyance, with another drop of smug satisfaction, pulsed from the egg.
"Here, it's a lamp. It's a race car, but it's nice and red -- "
Irritation.
"No race cars, got it. Oh, hey, this looks neat. It's a red lava lamp."
Curiosity.
"Into the basket it goes! I should stick you in a volcano."
A spattering of amusement.
"Oh, so you do have a sense of humor," Wapasha mused, relieved. "Sometimes I wonder... Oh, this looks interesting. It's a fire faerie statue. I know it's a faerie, but considering what you are..." He blinked, peering at the egg from the spot where it rested in a small basket with a heating pad. "You okay?"
The egg clamped down on itself, going silent, leaving Wapasha wondering what the heck he'd just said wrong. Confused, the only thing Wapasha could do was finish the shopping trip on his own.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:01 pm
There'd been no sign from within the egg that whatever was within it had any intention of coming out just yet, much to Wapasha's dismay -- he was nearly overcome by curiosity, and could do nothing but sit and wait and keep the blasted egg as hot as possible.
Wapasha had finally come up with a means of traveling with the egg that didn't involve baskets and heating packs, and as he took himself to Mir's front door, it was with the egg in an insulated lunch bag that held a rock he'd baked in the oven, with layers of padding between the egg and the rock. Pleased with it, he reached up, knocking on Mir's door.
"Coming," called out Julien as he made his way to the door. He frowned just a little as he did, trying to remember if they'd been expecting anyone he'd forgotten about. When he opened the door and saw Wapasha on the other side, he grinned. "Hello," he said, stepping back. "If you're here for Mir, I'm afraid she's still out with Robin? But come on in."
"Oh, that's fine, I just thought I'd swing by and say hello. How are you doing, Jules?" Wapasha made his way inside, holding up the egg in the bag. "I didn't come alone, as you can see."
Julien chuckled at that, moving to lead Wapasha toward the kitchen. "So I see. Want the oven? I'm not baking at the moment," he offered. "And can I get you a drink?" He let the niceties of being a host give him the chance to sidestep the question of how he was... at least for the moment.
Wapasha eyed Julien sidelong, but nonetheless consented to drop the matter without pursuing it. "I would love a drink, anything is fine, and I think the egg would love another round in the oven. The rock, too, so it's hot for the trip back home."
"Easy enough to fit both in there," Julien nodded, reaching for the bag. "May I?" he asked, looking up at Wapasha for permission. He wasn't about to take the egg without doing so.
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" he added after a moment. "Mir'll be home by then."
"I would love to stay for dinner, as long as you let me help prepare it," Wapasha decided, offering the bag up to Julien. "It likes you, by the way, so apparently it's okay for you to touch the egg whenever you want."
"It likes me?" Jules asked, smiling bemusedly at that as he reached into the bag to gently lift out the egg. "That's good to know," he added, looking down at the red shell with distant eyes. "I look forward to meeting who's inside."
Wapasha snickered softly in amusement, feeling a trill of emotion that was almost like sound coming from the egg. "Yes, it definitely likes you. I just hope it'll be done baking soon, or whatever it's doing, and come out and really meet us all."
Jules held the egg a few minutes longer, then slipped it into the oven, turning the heat on to a moderate setting before moving to retrieve the rock. "How about you? Are you ready for all the changes its going to mean yet?" he asked as he set the rock in and closed the door.
"I think I'm ready. I don't think anyone can be completely ready, though, especially not someone who hasn't been through this sort of thing before," Wapasha mused. "But I do have a bedroom set up, with all sorts of red and yellow and orange things, because every time I tried to go for another color, it tried to give me a headache."
Jules chuckled at that, glancing at the egg. "At least red, orange, and yellow all go together?" he said, grabbing a drink for Wapasha before sitting down opposite him. "I... generally avoid red. It just doesn't suit me," he said softly, voice thoughtful.
"You prefer blue-end colors? Those are the ones I naturally go for," Wapasha offered cheerfully. He took a sip of his drink, glancing at the oven as he did.
"I like most colors," Jules smiled, shaking his head. "I just... don't do much with red." There was a hint of a shadow to the words, but Julien didn't dwell on them. "So you like cooler colors?"
Wapasha nodded to the shirt he wore, tugging it out a little with one hand. "Yeah. It's generally all I'll wear. So what have you been up to? Are you still working at the animal shelter?"
Julien nodded, leaning back in his chair a little. "Just part time for now, but it's good work, seeing those animals cared for and finding them homes. Gives me a chance to do something about it, you know?" He glanced over at the oven, then chuckled. "Mir says sometimes that she thinks I'm going to make a good father."
"You probably will," Wapasha agreed, watching Julien thoughtfully. "You certainly seem to have the right temperament for it, at least as far as I've seen."
"For taking care of the animals?" Jules asked, tilting his head as he watched Wapasha curiously. Though admittedly, he did feel he did a better job of things than his co-worker did...
Wapasha nodded with a grin, eyes sparkling. "You're patient and kind, and willing to try to understand them. They usually end up liking you for it. From what I've heard, the same principle applies to people."
Julien considered that, rising from his seat to get a drink for himself. He paused near the oven, leaning against the counter as he took a long sip. "It's better," he finally said, "if the people around me are happy. The world's... lighter, if you will. That's all it is. A bit of... karmic cleanup, I suppose."
"There are very few people who think of it that way, Julien," Wapasha said softly. "So I'm glad to see that you do."
Julien grinned softly at that, half-shrugging. "I'm just being... true to my nature, I suppose. And true to Mir's teachings," he added, with a firm nod. "She's a good woman."
Wapasha gave a faint cough, gaze flickering away briefly. "She is that, that's true enough," he agreed readily. "She seems to have raised you well."
Julien's eyes narrowed at the cough, a slow grin coming to his face. "So it WAS her you came to see," he teased lightly.
"Hush," Wapasha shot back, his cheeks turning red. "I came to see the both of you." Still, he found himself grinning as well, looking rather sheepish.
Julien sat back down at the table, leaning forward a little. "Still," he said, eyes sharp as he watched Wapasha. "There's something going on in that mind of yours."
"Nothing of import," insisted Wapasha, glancing up at Julien. "Really, I'm not about to bother anyone with it."
"You should definitely bother someone," Julien countered, and though his smile was still there, there was a shadow to his eyes. "You don't want to take the chance on things disappearing."
Wapasha watched the young man for a few moments, then nodded softly. "...I see. It's just that I've been thinking about her a lot lately, that's all."
"Then come over more. Come over a lot," Julien nodded quietly, watching Wapasha thoughtfully. "She needs more friends in her life, I think. She's more lonely than she lets on." He took another long sip of his drink before adding, "And if things go a different way... well, as long as you treat her right, I won't have any issues."
"Jules, you know her best of anyone. Do you think she'd be at all receptive to the idea?" Wapasha absently swirled his water in its glass, his gaze on it rather than on Julien. "Or would be given time?"
"Of what idea, exactly?" Jules asked, his voice soft as he watched Wapasha. Teasing was fun and all, but this... this was beginning to sound a bit more serious than he'd expected.
Wapasha kept staring at his water glass, determinedly. "Of me taking her out on a date. Dinner. Maybe a movie."
Jules blinked, then half-smiled at the words. "I'm honestly not sure. I know you charmed her, but... something happened before. Before me. She's never really told me what, but she's alone too often, and there are times she just... closes off." He sighed, offering Wapasha a steady, gentle look. "You may have to take it slow, so you don't... scare her away."
"I have no interest in going fast," Wapasha countered, quietly. "I am more interested in being a friend, first and foremost. Anything else will simply have to wait." Still, he had to wonder what it was that had happened to Mireille to drive her to close off, even to Jules; and Julien, too, had his secrets, if those shadows to his eyes were any indication.
"As long as you want to be her friend first... I think you stand a good chance of getting past those walls of hers," Julien said candidly, smiling happily at the thought. "I'd like to see her happier, I know. And when she talks to Cindy or Felicity or Robin... well, she seems more content than she does when she's alone."
Wapasha offered up a soft smile. "Then I'll just have to make certain she isn't alone as much anymore. Now, you were saying something about dinner? Please let me help. It's the least I can do for good advice."
"Actually, Mir should be back soon. The best help you could give would be spending some time with her?" Julien suggested, glancing over at the oven for a moment before offering Wapasha a cheerful smile. "I'll look after your Ashe while I'm cooking. The two of you could go for a walk or something?"
"I'd like that a lot," Wapasha decided. "...And apparently so would the egg, as it rather happily just informed me. I'll take that walk with Mir, then. Just don't serve my Ashe with dinner." The last was an obvious tease, for he was grinning up at Jules as he spoke.
Julien laughed, then lifted his head as he heard the front door open, and Mireille's voice mingled with that of another man's. "Sounds like she's back," he noted, grinning.
"...I'll be able to hand it over next time I see you, Robin," Mireille was saying, her back to the house as she looked at the man standing in the doorway. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
Robin nodded, setting a hand on her shoulder and patting it. "You too," he said warmly.
Wapasha stood and made his way to the hall, waiting patiently with a smile for Mireille to turn his way. He could feel the egg making contented sounds in the back of his mind as it enjoyed the heat of the oven, soaking it up.
Mireille finally closed the door, smiling quietly to herself as she turned. Wapasha could see her jump a bit in surprise at the sight of someone other than Julien waiting for her, but she recovered quickly. "Julien didn't tell me we had company. I would've come home sooner," she said, smiling at Wapasha. "How are you?"
Julien listened to them from the kitchen, keeping quiet for the moment before cracking open the oven door and peering inside. "I'm going to need this eventually, you know," he said conversationally, eyes on the egg within.
The egg cheerfully burbled at Julien, allowing the other Ashe to feel his emotions for a moment. As long as it could stay right where it was until Julien needed the oven, it was happy.
"I'm just fine," Wapasha said, grinning at Mir. "I was wondering if you'd care to go for a walk with me. Jules insists he has dinner handled."
Mir blinked, her smile warming just a tiny bit more as she nodded. "That sounds nice. And you can trust Jules with dinner. He cooks practically every night these days." She turned back, reaching for the door once more. "How's your egg?"
Julien just chuckled, closing the oven door and starting to prepare what he'd need for dinner. With the egg inside so happy, he figured it would be best if he held off using the oven as long as he could...
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:14 am
[ G.r.o.w.t.h. xxxQ.u.e.s.t. ] You've been leaving your egg in the oven, which isn't really a good idea, but it appears to like the warmth and seems to be no worse for the wear . . . until the morning you awake to find a small stream of smoke issuing from your kitchen. Your oven has been destroyed and the egg is now stone cold! The once warm and pulsating shell is now freezing and hard beneath your touch, no longer any signs of life issuing forth. Did the egg issue all of its energy destroying your oven? Can you . . . can you save the egg?
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