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 Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:57 pm
Who: Mark (HaiLaSin), Nina (unohime)
Where: A small cafe in Barton
When: September 10th, late afternoon/early evening
Weather: Drizzling, cool and damp
________________
After his initial search for Zeke’s email Mark hadn’t paid much attention to the collection of Guardian and Raevan names that Zeke had included for him. There simply hadn’t been any need to go searching for other members of Lab 305’s community when by some mysterious force that be he was running into them purely at random during his everyday life. When combined with the rather hectic work schedule that tended to come along during those last weeks of August and first weeks of September, there just hadn’t been much in the ways of time to go sending out emails or phone calls. If he had questions, he knew he could simply go to Zeke or Phoenix with them without risking a temperamental, antisocial Guardian or easily agitated Raevan.
Curiosity won out in the end, however, as it always does, and Mark had decided that perhaps it would be a good idea to take a look over the list once more. He recognized a few names from previous meetings. Each Raevan he had met a new, pleasant little memory, even if at least one of them had given him a chill down his spine. All of them were good kids, and the Guardian’s he had met had been pretty friendly too. Yeah, it would be fine if he tried to reach out again. Maybe to someone who was in a similar boat as he was?
There were several Guardian’s listed with just Fel Essence names, but the one that caught his eye was a woman by the name of Nina. The date listed beside her name indicating when her Essence had been sent to her was identical to the date Mark’s own Essence had arrived! It was as if fate had decided that the two of them were destined to at least become acquaintances, right? Right!
The phone call was brief. A casual invitation for coffee and chatting, the location being a small cafe in Barton near where she lived and a thirty minute drive from Mark. The date had taken a bit of wiggling but in the end it was agreed that September 10th in the later part of the afternoon was ideal, and with a friendly ‘Goodbye! See ya Sunday! Look for the guy with the glasses and newspaper hair!’ Mark had hung up and reached out to stroke the fur of the Capuchin that had wandered over to observe the conversation. “Looks like I’m going to need to get you a babysitter for Sunday.”
________________
Sunday morning arrived with a light drizzle that quickly turned into a full fledged downpour by ten, drenching Durem and Barton with torrents of water before dispersing into a light drizzle once again by twelve, which is how it remained. Thankfully, the father who had scheduled today's gig had enough foresight to have the party indoors, but with that came the issue of overly hyper children crammed into itty bitty spaces all demanding his attention at once because there was nothing else for them to amuse themselves with. Mark loved kids but man, sometimes they really could drain you. He was packed and gone by three, check in his pocket and enough tip for his troubles to cover the cost of at least five cups of coffee. Dropping the equipment back off at home and handing Chittery off to Chester, Mark headed out to Barton and his scheduled meet up.
The cafe itself was a modest little thing. Tucked away in a corner of Barton by the wall and sporting a garden where the owners grew their own tea leaves, herbs, and the fruits/vegetables used in their confectioneries. All in all, it gave off a sort of picturesque ‘Grandmother’s Cottage’ vibe that while not necessarily Mark’s aesthetic seemed to be exactly the kind of place that women flocked to in droves. Family owned, with only about three active staff at a time, it was a small place with about seven two people wooden tables scattered tastefully about, each table decorated with a lace tablecloth that was unique to its neighbors. Wooden floors, yellow walls, and homey little accents only furthered that down to earth vibe.
There were two menus. One for food items and one for the various coffees and teas that were served, and after looking over them both Mark came to the realization that perhaps this was more a tea-house than a traditional cafe. Not that they were lacking in coffees, in fact they seemed to have a really large menu for a place this small, but there was no denying the tea list was what really drew the eye. Reading through it as he waited for the other Guardian to arrive, he let out a hum, musing over whether it was worth it to order the blooming tea that came in the nifty glass teapot just for the spectacle of it or if he should just settle for something on the more traditional side. Tea or coffee, both were fine, so long as he didn’t drink them late into the evening that is.
The little bell above the door jingled, signalling that someone had come inside, his brown eyes flickering up as he straightened himself to take a look at who it might be. A woman. It could be Nina? She seemed to at least be looking for someone. Glancing at the other two tables that sported patrons, Mark noted that neither seemed to be waiting for company. An elderly couple off in the far corner were nearing the end of their meal while a group of teenage girls sat in a table towards the middle, closer to the entrance of the store, chatting as they sipped at their drinks. Compared to Mark, who was settled in the corner on the side of the door yet not next to it, all of them seemed to be pretty well into whatever they were doing.
Which meant that this person was either Nina or the first to arrive among her own party. Either way, Mark made sure to sit up straight so that she could see him, hoping the rather distinct newspaper color of his hair would tell her who he was if she was indeed the other Guardian.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:30 am
Already a week had passed into the month of September, and Nina's mind had subsumed into one small, inconsequential thought of the start of the school year: She abhorred the start of the school year. Her life had turned into torrents of paperwork—that she kept in neat, dated, proper little piles, thank you very much—with just more to flood the nook and crannies of her apartment. This, coupled with personal issues she couldn't deal with right now, people she couldn't meet right now, and personal monologues she couldn't give right now, and Nina felt inclined to lay prone on her face for the next one hundred and eighty days and give life the middle finger.
Unfortunately, such a dalliance had to be saved for some other day.
She took Mark's phone call to her while in the midst of signing something she barely skimmed. Whatever its importance would have to be saved for later, and even then, her concentration on their phone call shifted from something about a Sunday and newspaper hair to Vigo, her cat, ghosting/teleporting/warping the reality around him to appear on her current pile of paperwork and slowly blink—either because he was taking the time to count each and every follicle on her hairline, or because he was hungry.
"Right, gotcha!" Nina cried into her phone just before the call was cut short. The brunette then dumped herself into the chair at the kitchen table, promptly ignoring the pile of paper that cascaded to the floor, and reached a hand out to stroke the fur of the chocolate-colored Persian. "Looks like I'm gonna need to get you a babysitter for Sunday," she sighed.
+
That coming Sunday, Nina awoke with a snort and slapping hand as her fist hit the snooze button on her alarm clock and the pile of papers atop it; the sticky note catching onto her knuckle and reminding her dutifully to, "Make sure all of this s**t is filled out by tomorrow, you useless turd." She narrowed her eyes at her past self, cursed her with a few dozen minor hexes learned from her classroom kids, and turned over to snuggle up under the comforter that was also sixty percent paperwork. Just as she began to toe the line between consciousness and dream once again, Nina rose slowly from her bed like a leviathan, and recalled her meeting with Mark.
"Fuuuu—"
The events that followed fell about her in a whirl; she chewed Remi out for ditching her request to watch Vigo, she showered, she beg and pleaded to Noah to watch Vigo, she dressed in a pair of washed out overalls that she hadn't worn since she was sixteen, promised to foot the bill of two tank fills in gratitude for Noah agreeing to watch Vigo, dashed off with an umbrella in hand, and then plopped her apartment key onto her poor chauffeur's dashboard after he promised to also drop her at the agreed upon meeting spot. Nina bid Noah thanks after they drove about the length of a baseball field, and as the brunette tried to ignore the hapless distance she could've walked, entered the cafe with a more or less comfortable smile.
Gonna ignore all of that s**t piling up behind me, yesiree, Nina thought, glancing about the cafe. They're not important. Not. At. All...
The brunette seemed to take in more of the cafe's fairytale-esque eccentricities than the actual person she was to seek out. The cafe gave an light, homely vibe; certainly not to Nina's tastes either, though she found it quaint in its own particular way. In actuality, it reminded her of an old girlfriend—an odd gal who collected teapot terrariums—and if they were still dating to that day, she might've brought her here every other weekend.
Realizing she was losing herself to more unconventional rumination, Nina thinned her lips as she recalled the mention of newspaper hair, and put two and two together to remind herself that very important detail was her key to finding Mark. And lo and behold, when she actually put her mind to it, she came upon him seated at a table likely reserved for two. She traipsed over after giving a look over her shoulder, and pulled the chair out adjacent to him as gently as possible.
"Hiii. Uh, Mark, right?" she said, settling into the seat. "I'm Nina. Sorry if I'm a little late, some... things... came up... but it's nice to see you! You certainly rock that newspaper hair look, I probably wouldn't've found you otherwise."
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:59 pm
The more he observed her, the more Mark’s belief that the mystery woman might be Nina grew. There was nothing specifically telling about her, no neon sign bearing the words Lab 305 Guardian plastered across her back or even something to store a soul bottle or essence. Yet there was something distinctly Lab about the stranger that he just couldn’t shake. She just had that feel to her. What exactly that meant was hard to say.
She was lost in thought. Something about this place had clearly distracted her mind and Mark quirked a brow as he continued to watch her from his position further into the cafe. The smile on her mouth seemed to suggest she was at ease but the slightly glazed look of a drifting mind was hard to miss. Next to her, one of the waitresses patiently lingered, her own serene expression suggesting that this was not the first time a patron lost themselves within the distinctly nostalgic atmosphere. Mark didn’t envy the server in the slightest. How drab must it have been working at a place so void of excitement.
Mystery woman regained herself fairly quickly, green or teal -- Mark couldn’t tell at this angle -- eyes skimming over the room in search of someone before settling on him. In an instant Mark felt as if he was sitting within fourth grade classroom; the woman’s expression was nearly identical to that of his teacher’s, right down to the way it summoned forth a beadlet of sweat behind his neck as he realized he had no homework with which to present her. She moved with the same confident stride too, posture rigid, and holding a distinct air of authority as she closed the distance between them.
It took him a moment to pull himself out of his own musings, meeting her greeting with an easy going smile. “Yeah, that would be me! Glad to see you got here safe.” Extending his right hand out, he leaned forward to allow the woman a chance to shake it before settling back into his seat. “Would you believe me if I told you it was natural?” Nobody ever did, but it was. This color didn’t exactly come pre-packaged in bottles after all.
“I hope the weather didn’t make getting here too much of a hassle. If I had known that it was going to rain all day I would have suggested we meet next week.” Leaning back in his seat, Mark’s eyes took in the details of Nina that he hadn’t been able to gather earlier. The bright blue-green eyes were the only really distinguishing feature on her face. In fact, she definitely gave off very plain-jane vibes. Which was fine. Not everyone needed to be as eye catching as Mark was. The lack of an arm wasn’t something he expected but it also wasn’t really something he dwelled on either. They were about to be the parents of floating torsos. Missing limbs weren’t really all that noteworthy.
Glancing down at the menu in front of him, he idly skimmed it as he chewed through his next words. “So I, uh, don’t know if you noticed it or not but according to the list Zeke sent, you and I are kind of Guardianship Twins. I figured that had to be worth a meet up at least, right?”
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 7:57 am
Nina still found herself adroitly distracted by the cafe; there was still something rather telling of the place, something she was missing, but it reminded her of someone else. Someone a little closer to home. Her dad? Nah, he'd absolutely hate the place. He'd probably pick at his burn scar and tap a foot with how quiet it was. Her mother? Besides tea, there wasn't anything that stood out.
The more she chose to dwell on what-ifs, the more Mark became a figment. Still, the brunette reeled herself back to reality, squished her big toe really hard with the heel of her foot, and plaintively reminded herself she was here to talk, not dwell on things. She shook his hand with a good grip before settling into her chair and sliding up the menu before her. "Thanks," Nina said, dipping her chin at him. "And, really?" There was a small beat as she let the thought sink, before letting out a small laugh. "I honestly never would have guessed. Then again, you can't be quite sure what's natural and what's dyed nowadays. All colors of the spectrum are out there. Heck, I remember one of my students had a nest of living hair. She'd always try to trip me. Maybe because I have her too many detentions."
Nina's eyes dropped to the cafe menu, and whatever attention or observances Mark gave her person went completely unnoticed. She was a teacher, and had been the bearer of more eyes to count. She was hardly one to revel in attention, but she'd grown so used to it, it didn't bother her as it did when she was younger.
"The weather? Naw, it wasn't bad. I've got an umbrella if it gets worse... or a savvy walking stick if the weather stops throwing a tantrum and manages to clear up later." With nothing catching her eye on the menu, she placed it down, and managed a wide smile. "Seriously? I've looked through the contacts list, but haven't really like, y'know, caught something like that. No wonder you contacted me! So we're kinda sitting in the same boat, huh? Waiting for our kids to come. What kinda soul did you capture? And the fel essence?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:00 pm
Mark continued to observe Nina even after she had sat down and they had exchanged the standard greetings. It was hard to really tell if it was just the location or just that she was naturally prone to bouts of daydreaming. Either way, he wasn’t going to hold it against her one bit. The cloth of the table jostled, Nina’s attempt to draw herself out of her own mind and back into the land of the living drawing a raised brow from Mark but nothing in the way of commentary.
His gaze returned briefly to his own menu only to quickly dismiss it. He wasn’t hungry and his drink choice was no longer something he was debating on. Letting out a hum in response to her thanks, the smile grew when finally the mood lightened and brought forth a laugh from her lips. “Yup! Really.” It was his own turn to be taken by surprise, however, when she brought up her student. “So you are a teacher then! I knew I was getting teacher vibes from you.” Laughing, Mark leaned back in his seat, growing more comfortable the further into conversation they went. “I take it you must teach at one of those schools for magical children. That must be convenient with a Raevan on the way. I’ve actually been thinking about whether to send my kid to school or not. I guess it’ll really depend on them.”
It was hard with Raevan’s to make decisions ahead of time, especially big ones like signing them up for a school or not. They seemed to mature mentally very quickly, but even so, they were still essentially babies in comparison to other magical children. It might be better to home school, or enlist the help of an older Raevan tutor, until the Frei had reached a level where they were equal with the other students. It might also depend on the Fel Essence and Soul. So much to consider when he or she hadn’t even been born yet.
“I’d be more than happy to drop you off if the weather get’s really bad.” He offers, eyes glancing out the window at the world beyond it. The rain was still coming down in a light drizzle but every so often a glimmer of sunlight would shoot down to illuminate patches of the ground. It would probably let up in another half an hour or so. Which was for the best. If Nina did take him up on his offer she probably wouldn’t enjoy the current condition of the van, what with the monkey hair and the lingering scent of coffee from when he had spilled it on the floor a week earlier. He had plans to clean it tomorrow if time would allow, but until then it was hardly something he should have offered to a new acquaintance who he actually wanted to continue being friendly with.
Snapping his gaze back to Nina, he found his lips reflecting the smile of the other guardian. “Yeah! I guess they might have forgotten it on yours? It’s not a massive deal but I thought it was kind of neat.” The conversation was finally moving in the direction he had been hoping it would. The Fel Essences and Souls, the future Raevan’s, the fact they were both going into this pretty much blind. “It’s nerve wracking. I’m not sure if you have kids or if the Raevan will be your first, but he or she is definitely my first venture into parenthood. I keep stressing over things like what I should do clothing wise or schooling wise or whether or not they’ll need a babysitter while I’m at work. I sent my Soul and Essence in on the 3rd but how long am I going to be waiting? Will they like me? Are they going to be a boy or a girl? There’s a lot of questions that just can’t be answered until they’re born.” Sighing out the last sentence, Mark leaned further back into his seat to briefly stare up at the ceiling. In his peripheral vision, he could see a waitress preparing to head over.
“I got a stoat soul. They’re a type of weasel. He was a little bit of an a**hole actually. Nearly broke my foot trying to get the smug little jerk.” Not to mention nearly lost Chittery. That was besides the point though. “The Fel Essence was something called a Mabinogi Branch. It’s this branch that spoke and sung in ancient Celtic and filled your head with these pretty cool stories. What about yours?”
The waitress arrived, her smile that same patient smile that all wait staff seemed to possess. “Good afternoon! I’m Alyssa and I’ll be your server today. Are you two ready to order or will you be needing more time?”
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 10:23 am
Nina touched a hand to her face and let out a small, amused laugh. Honestly, there wasn't any need to beat around the bush with her; it was obvious from the get-go that she was a teacher. She didn't even have to mention "student" for opposite parties to carve a wider breadth of who she was as a person. Malcolm, her father, had mentioned many times that there was people who exude a certain je ne sais quoi that highlights what profession they've chosen to make a living. For the brunette, she walked and talked teacher. It was a little embarrassing to be conscious of, despite how many times it has come up in past conversations.
"And here I was hoping for a long, drawn out game of Twenty Questions," Nina joked, leaning back in her seat as well. "You are, of course, right. I am a teacher. I work at a private academy—the boarding school-type, though boarding isn't mandatory—that's specifically open to non-humans, mythical creatures, and so on. It's located an hour outside of Barton, and while they cater mostly to nature types—y'know, dryads, elves, walking trees—because it's located in a heavily forested area, our doors are open to anyone. Deep sea creatures, ghosts, lava people. You name it, we've made the proper arrangements to teach 'em."
Nina wasn't the salesperson type, though she probably would've succeeded in advertisement or real estate if she put more effort in her personality. As she talked, she rummaged through her purse, and pulls out a pamphlet and business card. Sliding it across the table to the newspaper-haired man, she cocked her chin at it, and encouraged at least a peek.
"I'm not trying to force anything, but I'd, at least, like to make it an option. Magnolia Academy's great, since it has a quick in-and-out policy. Since non-humans and the like tend to age faster, we're not beyond letting a student go to pursue their lives in whatever they choose. The headmistress would chew me out if she heard me say this, but MA is more there to facilitate an environment for nonhumans to feel accepted, instead of say, actually pursuing an education. Nevertheless, I would like to send my Raevan there, if only for few months to a year. "
Her face softened and she followed Mark's gaze out the window. Shaking her head, Nina said, "It's all right. I appreciate the offer, but I don't mind the rain. Plus, my friend can pass by in a jiffy to pick me up. He's apparently not far from here."
Scratching the back of her neck, Nina said, "I was never really the parent-type. Always around other people's kids, I never felt the need to have my own. It was just something that came with the job. Admittedly, applying to adopt a Raevan was a bit of an impromptu decision, but not something I wanted to go back on. It was kinda one big leap into parenthood... and the realization of, "Holy crap, you're gonna have to care for another living, breathing person," didn't settle in until, like, a week ago."
Hearing Mark's questions elicited a thrum in her brain, a connection that Nina wasn't expecting to find in someone else. Here was someone who got her worries just the same, and it was only the unfamiliarity between her and Mark that prevented the brunette from reaching forward, grabbing his shoulder, and shaking him in delight while shouting, "Finally, someone who understands!"
Instead, Nina sunk in her seat, and let out a deep sigh. "By Gaia, I wasn't the only one worrying? I've been drowning in the exact same concerns since sending in my bottle. I sent mine in about a day or two after, I reckon. Can't place precisely, but even since the package was shipped, I haven't stopped tossing those very same questions around and around in my head. I keep telling myself there's nothing to be worried about, but that's a lie. That's a total lie. There is too many things to be worried about, and I feel like I am going insane."
Nina suddenly wanted a beer. Or forty. She wasn't one to drink her problems away, but she felt inclined to at that moment. Instead, she looked up to Alyssa, and said, "Coffee, please. Two creams, no sugar. Thank you."
Focusing back on Mark, Nina added, "I took a tumble for a blackberry soul. I caught it on accident, but I wasn't quite picky with what I ended up with. The fel essence was... this weird moss. Southern moss. It supposedly is always geared toward south. I shook the vial a few times and it didn't move, so I didn't question if it did or not. I think they're a good combo; both nature-themed, at least. But a stoat, huh? Sorry to hear the little s**t nearly broke your foot. At least he's going to have a better life now since, y'know"—Nina drew a line across her neck—"he met his maker."
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:15 pm
In contrast to Nina, who seemed to embody everything that Mark had come to associate with a a grade school teacher, there was nothing about the man that hinted towards his own career path. Outside of his mannerisms hinting towards a less than conventional lifestyle it was hard to really place him. Chester had always told him he had the charisma of a diplomat, the hands of an artist, and the mind of a child, but Chester had known him for years. Nina knew him for all of seven minutes. It would be entertaining when she did eventually discover that they shared a profession where you ability to cater to the needs of other’s children dictated your pay grade.
“Well, we always have my profession? I think I’ve dropped a few clues but there is still a game that could be have there. Unless you’re more interested in getting asked the questions than asking them.” Mark playfully mused before falling silent to drink in the information given to him. Nina’s ability to sell the merits of her place of employment was nothing to wave you hand at. The woman knew just what to say to get the man’s ears twitching in interest and his posture straightening. So by the time that she was handing him the brochure and her business card he already had a notable interest.
Mark had a few printed out packets of information about the Durem public schools at home, but none of them had seemed to cater to a being as unique and magical as a Raevan. Sure, there were a few special classes that catered to children with magical talents but the public school system appeared to be orientated much more towards kids who were human or mostly human. Nothing like a private school made specifically with magical forest children in mind. The fact that it wasn’t entirely education centric made sense, though depending on the Raevan such an atmosphere might prove more frustrating than helpful. Regardless, as Nina had said, it would have value to send them there for a little while just to adjust to a school setting and meet more like-minded and powered children.
The brochure listed a lot of information. Far more information than Mark could justify looking through right now when in the company of a woman he specifically called here to speak to. Tucking it and the business card away in his pocket for the time being, he offered Nina a polite smile. “I’ll look more into it at home. I think it would be pretty rude of me to just sit here reading this while in your company. It’s definitely an option more appealing than standard public school though. Especially if you’re sending your kid there too. Being the only one of your kind at a school would probably suck.”
Nina’s rejection of his offer to drive her home was admittedly something that Mark should not have felt so thankful for. The disaster of revealing the mess that was the company van had been avoided however, which was something worth celebrating even if said celebrations were done internally. His mouth pressed into an understanding smile on the surface, head nodding his acceptance of her decision before the conversation carried on.
“I never really met the right person to have a kid the old-fashioned way. Romance has always been something that kind of eluded and mystified me. Adoption crossed my mind as an option once I got older but then I met Shoshana, a Raevan who is under the care of a business partner of my boss, and I ended up coming to the realization that maybe it was alright to start my family a little sooner than intended. I know I might seem a bit, uh, spacey, at times, but I’ve always taken the responsibilities I choose to take very seriously.” Scratching his own neck, the gesture mirrored that of the woman before him in its sheepishness. It was weird to admit to such a thing, especially when on a surface level it seemed to contradict his lackadaisical nature so much, but it was the truth. The decision to adopt a Raevan had been one he had thought over for the better part of a few days in great detail. It was the one thing that the two seemed to have in contrast, not that he was judging her in the slightest. Nina was Nina. Mark was Mark. Everyone tackled these difficult, life changing decisions differently.
What they did share was far more important, and Mark’s entire body seemed to grow more at ease as the woman echoed his earlier concerns. It was such a great relief hear that he wasn’t the only one who felt this way that he couldn’t help the breathy sigh that escaped his lips. “You too, huh? I’m kind of glad to hear it.” Quickly, he added, “not that I’m glad you feel like you’re going insane! Just that I’m glad that I’m not the only one who has lost an hour of sleep a night over this.”
The waitress arrived to break the air of exhaustion that seemed to flood them both, her cheerful attitude rubbing off on Mark and pepping him up enough for him to return her smile. “I’ll have the Yuenyeung. One sugar.” There was a slight struggle to pronounce the word, but the waitress understood what he was trying to say and offered him a polite nod of her head.
“I’ll be back shortly with your drinks then. Are you finished looking or would you like me to take the menus?”
“I think we’re finished for now. I’ll call you if we need them again.” Mark answered, gathering the menus and offering them up to Alyssa with an even bigger smile. The girls beamed back at him before walking off with a polite thank you, leaving the two once more alone to discuss their Raevan’s.
The idea of a blackberry soul was adorable, Mark’s eyes lighting up in delight as he imagined all the delightful outcomes that might pop up from such a sweet little soul. “That soul sounds really like it’ll make a really sweet Raevan.” He snirked, unable to help himself from spouting out the silly little pun before falling silent for her explanation of her Fel Essence. “So you go a plant based Essence too. You think they got them during the same trip into the forest?” Tapping the table with his index finger, he thought about it for a moment before allowing his mind to drift back to the stoat and its soul.
“You think? I’m not sure. It’s a little complicated, what with the soul being recycled into the Raevan. I’m not a religious person so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the soul the thing that’s supposed to go into the afterlife?” Maybe Vesna and Lorenzo knew. The undead Frei and her necromancer guardian certainly were a lot more attuned with death than Mark was. “Either way, I agree with you on the better life thing. It’s probably a lot more pleasant living in a warm apartment than in a bunch of holes in the ground. Not to mention hunters trying to get him for his fur and predators and starvation and…” he paused, before shrugging and cutting his little rant short. “Well, you get the picture.”[[ Yuenyeung in case you are wondering. Yes, Mark is an idiot who doesn't realize this will probably keep him up all night. ]]
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:50 pm
Nina wasn't one to ponder people. They talked and she listened intently; it was one of the one qualities instilled in her for having a therapist as a father. Some may mistaken this for patience, and while an underbelly of it could be interpreted as such, it was more about space. Everyone needs an opportunity to simply exist and be heard, yea? She would've been inclined to talk more, but considering her conversation partner was akin to a mystery wrapped in an enigma for the past few minutes, Nina pushed the topic back to his side. "I don't mind hazarding a guess," she said, her playful tone tugging her lips up into a lop-sided smile. "I'm actually awful at stuff like this, but if I get close, just tell me hot or cold. Let's see..."
Something in her almost made her wave the brochures back, as if they'd definitely be needed for the time it'd take for her to come up with an answer. Conversations seemed a little harder when guessing was on the line; it was so much easier to be up front about things, but Nina knew reservations about topics existed. Heck, she had an innumerable number of things she didn't like to bring up, even if she was characteristically candid in this conversation with her fellow Raevan owner as she was with everyone else.
One of those topics seemed to rear its ugly head when Mark made mention of romance. Nina swallowed a little thickly and averted her eyes briefly, but returned them to her conversation partner. They were glossed with anger, even though that feeling seemed to be flicked away a moment later. Guessing all but forgotten, Nina said in a low tone, "I know what you mean. The whole traditions-nuclear-family-picket-fence deal wasn't something for me either, even if my ma pushed for it. Pain in the a** as it is, expectations suck and I think I'm married to my job. Plus, finding the right woman is difficult when you deal with yelling moms day in and day out."
If Remi heard her now, her best friend would cuff her a good one and mention something about, "Looking for Ms. Right in all of the wrong places." It made her internally gag.
Instead, Nina smothered on the cordial, and said, "You've met one? A Raevan? That's fantastic! I've only pursued the contacts list, haven't decided if I should reach out to any current owners. Besides, y'know, you, but I mean those who've had their kids for a while. What a great happenstance, though, especially through a business partner. If I ever need to fall back on anyone, would you..." Nina slid her fingertip across the table as if connecting point A to point B. "Mind introducing me? I'd like to meet as many Raevan owners as I can, and going in blind can be difficult. Networking and all of that, ahaha..."
Nina snerked at the mention of sweet, but bobbed her head in agreement. "I really hope they are," she said. "Discipline isn't really my forte. Knowing me, I'll probably suck in saying no to them." Her lips drew to a small O at the connection, adding, "Maybe. I have no idea how they even find a fel essence, but wouldn't it be something if they were found nearby to one another? Then our Raevans could be, like, siblings." The thought was far too sweet to consider. "I'm sure my Raevan would be delighted to know this if it happens to be true." She really, really hoped so. At least such common ground would work in their favor when they're born; they'd have at least one Raevan to talk to.
Nina hummed out a note. "I don't know," she answered. "I'm not much of a religious person either, so I can't help you there. I think there were a number of spirit-based Raevans on the contacts list, maybe one of those guardians can put in some word? I'd like to talk to them, too." She made a mental note about that and tucked it away for later. "Have you made a room for them yet?" she asked. "My apartment's big enough for two, but I've no idea what to put in there. A bed and closet sure, but a shelf? A desk? With a computer? Toybox? I figured I'd let them tell me, but I can't buy much." Even though Nina would honestly buy the Raevan the world if they asked for it, at this point.
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