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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:55 pm
Who: Zeke, Alex & Zul
When: Late morning
Where: Alex's home
Weather: Cloudless, crisp
This RP contains affection. Namely, of two men.
If that's not your cup of tea, please don't read beyond this point.
Alex was in the full swing of Spring Cleaning, zipping around her house to get things organized before the April showers washed everything down. It was one of her favorite months, the cool air not quite winter, but the rain...oh, she did so love the rain! She was eager to see what Zul would think of the showers that would clean their home and settled the dust about it, wondering if he'd take to it as well as he had the ocean.
Unknowing of the plans his Guardian had for him, the demonic Frei was gleefully chasing Lorenzo around the house, making a mess where Alex had just cleaned. Zul was feeling quite energetic with the cooler weather, the opposite of his reptilian point of interested that was much more lethargic and slow to flee from his outstretched hands. It didn't stop the Raevan from pouncing gleefully on the half-asleep Gwee, preening when Zoe would sqwuak with surprise and then lay limply in his captor's hold. "I win," he informed the little green creature, who simply thumped his tail in agreement.
She paused long enough in her cleaning to lean on the broom, watching her white-haired charge wrap his tanned arms around the small green runt of a Gwee and hug him, earning a soft, fond smile from her. He was learning to be careful and show affection, things that pleased her and scared her half out of her mind when she coupled those realizations with Rivener. With a quiet shake of her head, she continued to sweep up the knocked over remains of Lorenzo's snack, which had been artfully scattered across the living room when Zul had struck.
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:28 pm
His bi-colored ponytail swung in rhythm with his stride, bobbing side to side with his head as it danced with the music coming from his earbuds. The MP3 player was clipped to his jean pocket, his hands occupied with gently holding a single white day lily that he had bought from a florist shop twenty minutes previously. Zeke was chipper, happy to be out of his apartment and away from the packing boxes and dust that came with moving into a new place. Granted he didn't own much, but it was still a lot for the young man and it had kept him cooped up when not at work or classes. He longed to stretch his legs.
The visit he was going to make was unscheduled, a surprise really, but he was sure the person the flower was for would be delighted and, if his enjoyable sister were present as well, he'd have quite the afternoon; just what he needed. For the umpteenth time he checked the blossom in his care and it was still as full and very much alive as when he bought it. This brightened his always smiling face and quickened his step as he reached the right street. He paused at the sign to arch his back, the fresh air really livening him up. Plus, by the salt in the air, Alex's residence was very near the ocean.
"I might just have to beg to spend a weekend here once summer rolls around." He chuckled as he restarted down the road, turning off his mostly lyric-less music and tugging the small speakers out of his ears. With a toss of his head to get more bi-colored hair out of his eyes he went at a jog to quicken his arrival, slowing when he approached the right home. The young man gave himself a once over, and when he deemed himself presentable he made his way up to the front door. Another quick glance at the lily and a pass of a hand over his mohawk before he reached out and knocked on the door, smile already spreading nervously but excitedly across his pierced features.
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:48 pm
Knocking?
Alex glanced over to the door, broom in hand, brushing back a stray lock of hair that was bound up in a tight ponytail. "Zul, can you get the door? It's probably B," she reasoned, having no other thoughts of why anyone in their right mind would be coming by her home. Resting the broom handle against her shoulder, she wiped her hands off on her soft brown 'lazy-pants,' as she called them, tugging her plain white tank top down over the hem before continuing to sweep. She figured Brad must have forgotten his keys or something equally as tease-worthy, hiding her smile as she cleaned.
The Raevan paused, looking over to his woman, Lorenzo in mid-air between his hands. "Bear?" he repeated his favored nickname for the awfully tall man, nodding with understanding. "Bear's home, Zoe, let's go see him." He lowered the complacent Gwee into the crook of one tan arm, babying the reptile against his partial chest as he floated across the virtually spotless house and into the foyer. One gloved hand brushed bare fingers over the knob, turning it and pulling it open to observe...
Someone who was decidedly not Brad.
Zul tilted his head to the side, eyes blue enough to rival the sky taking in the colorful visage of the young man, ticking over the metal within his face and the object in his hand. After a thorough, quiet examination, he informed the man, "You're not Bear." He opened the door further regardless, turning his head to call to his woman, "Alix, not Bear. Is--"
Another glance to the young man, his expression still uncertain of his opinion of the youth. "Your name?" he inquired with a polite smile, keeping Lorenzo still against himself. The Gwee was squirming with curiosity, but was yet held in check by the Frei's impressive strength that he was learning to control.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:15 am
When the door had opened Zeke had to stop himself from taking a step back as the visage appeared on the threshold. Well..."On" wouldn't be the right terminology at all. "Above" was a much better choice as Zeke's honey brown eyes scanned the form as he was also scanned. His smile flickered and faded somewhat, and just to make sure he pulled a small piece of paper from his back pocket, inspected it, and looked at the number on the home. Same one, but...Who was this? It would be impolite of him to just burst that question out willy-nilly and before he could anyway, the male form with the Gwee made that first tidbit of information known, and Zeke couldn't stop a small bout of chuckling.
"No, I'm not." The young man knew who Zul was telling him he wasn't, Brad of course, so that somewhat cleared a small bubble of doubt that had arisen when the Raevan with the Gwee had opened the door. As Zul opened the door and turned to call inside, he easily recognized the name spoken and leaned sideways to steal a peek inwards. This action ceased when the Raevan looked back at him, a sheepish look crossing his face as though he had been caught even though the expression on the other's face said little of that. He gripped his gift to Brad a little tighter than before, again surveying Zul before responding to his inquiry.
"Ah...Zeke. My name's Zeke." The smile was back again, never straying from the odd-looking man's face for very long, even when flustered. "And you are?" Curiosity got the better of him, he had to ask. Now that the initial shock of seeing someone other than Alex or her brother answer the door, Zeke found the Frei very interesting to look at, if not a little funny for the Gwee that was wriggling about with interest in his arms. The young man took him in once more and was intrigued to learn what exactly this floating man was and, in hindsight, what he was doing here. This was the first time he was visiting Alex and Brad at the older woman's home, and he never butted into other people's business unless it came to their pets, so this was quite a jump on his "well this is new/interesting" meter.
When he realized he was staring more than he should (he knew the uncomfortable feeling of getting stared down in a place quite well) Zeke gave his head a little toss, ponytail draping over his right shoulder when he ceased, put on his best openly friendly, yet also slightly sheepish, smile for Zul and tossed his hand up so his thumb was pointing down the sidewalk he just came up minutes before. "Uhm...If I'm intruding on anything I can leave. I did show up unexpectedly, I probably should have called..."
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:06 am
"Who is it?"
A small brow raised at the uncertain man, the Raevan shaking his head and peeking back through the foyer. "Is a Zeke."
The sound of the broom clattering to the floor was audible, and seconds later, Alex was launched through the door and attached to the younger man, arms wrapped firm around his shoulders and an equally firm kiss touched to his cheek. "Zeke!" the Italian woman cried out exuberantly, startling her charge and earning an indignant chirrup from her Gwee. "What do we owe the pleasure of your visit? If you're here for B though, he's out grabbing stuff for dinner. But come in! Stay for a while, I'm sure he'll back back soon!"
Zul, for his part, was not impressed with his woman giving all her attention to this 'Zeke' person and not even introducing him. Releasing the Gwee, he floated closer to them, brilliant blue eyes turning over him now as something completely different. A challenge. Perhaps a threat even. "I am Zul," he said pointedly to the new man, using his best efforts at grammar and vocabulary to show that he was not something to be passed over idly. One hand lit upon his bare chest before he gave a slight bow in that fashion, lifting his free hand to indicate the airborn Gwee. "Lorenzo. Nice to meet you, Zeke."
The expression on Alex's face was more than enough of an indicator to show that she realized the error of her ways. "Zeke, yes, this is Zul. He's a Raevan, I...jeez, it's been so long! I've been working two jobs, one part time at Lab three oh five in Gambino. That's where Zul comes from." She gave her charge a fond smile, but his dignity only allowed him to flap his wings are her in return. With a light sigh, she lifted her hands and snatched Lorenzo out of the air before he could assault Zeke for attention, tucking the now squabbling and squirming dragonette under her arm. "Come on in, tell me how your work and studies are going!"
Bone wings beat listlessly for a few moments, marbled webbing taut between the frame before resting against his back, floating to the side to admit the new man into his home. It would be best to analyze this 'Zeke' in his own territory.
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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 6:41 pm
Zeke could only start to brace himself the moment he heard the broom handle come down on the floors within the household before Alex had flung all of herself at him. He was almost bowled over by the woman, but caught his balance before both of them went sprawling, holding the hand with the flower out to the side to protect his gift to her brother while his free hand and arm snaked around Alex's midriff, hugging her to him. He couldn't even get her name out over the bubbles of laughter that boiled up and out of him, promptly returning the kiss he received to the woman in the same spot. When he was able to pull back a bit from Alex, a bright grin on his face, he eagerly responded to her questions with laughter slowly turning to chuckling on his lips.
"I decided to finally get out of the boxes littering my new apartment, go for a walk, and I am here for Brad yes," He brought the day lily back in close and a smidgen of pink color lit his cheeks up as his eyes glanced over it. "But as an added bonus I get to see and be nearly knocked on my rear by his wonderful sister! Best day ever!" His grin quirked into a beam as Zeke released his beloved's sister, eyes quickly moving downward to inspect his gift to the man. No damage by the tackle, all was well. He figured it could use some fresh water soon though. As Zul floated over Zeke's attention went to the Raevan, catching just a hint of the look in his eyes which made his bright smile flicker just a little. He had barely spoken to the Frei and he was already getting such a stern gaze? Probably not a good first impression. As Zul introduced himself Zeke's smile toned down to one of politeness in return for the bow he was shown. "Likewise Zul...Lorenzo."
His pierced face turned to Alex as she introduced Zul herself, his smile vanishing at words of her two job plight. "Two jobs? Aw, you shouldn't have to do tha--Raevan?" His surprised expression at learning of the woman's two jobs was replaced with an interested look that was finished off with a slight c**k of his dyed head at the word he repeated and the mention of 'Lab three oh five'. The former in particular interested him the most; he had never met or heard of such a being before. He let his eyes look over Zul again but before long Zeke looked up just as it appeared he was going to be investigated by the Gwee. He chuckled again when his owner caught him instead before that could happen. He smiled at the invitation and made to follow, feet aching from the long walk from Durem, but before he took more than a couple of steps he turned his head to Zul and nodded at the Raevan in silent thanks as the latter moved to let the man in over the threshold.
"My work and studies are going alright Alex." He replied with a tone one would use when talking about the weather. "It is almost summer, I'll be free from one soon. Uh...Hey...Do you think I could get a glass of water for this?" He moved to the side of her that wasn't holding the squirming Gwee to show the woman the gift he had brought for her brother, pink returning to his cheeks again and a sheepish look joining it for asking her. "I think it could use some after a twenty minute walk."
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:52 pm
"Flatterer," Alex shot back jovially, casting a good-humored glance over her shoulder. Her green eyes momentarily sifted over her Raevan, watching him close the door behind them before watching Zeke as the younger man moved up next to her. "I don't have to take two jobs, but I choose to. It's...complicated," she gave an apologetic smile, "but it's easiest to say they're like an extended family to me. The Raevan's and their Guardians."
The Frei in question floated on Alex's other side to better watch the three, one hand idly lighting upon the squirming Gwee in the woman's arms, calming the beast for a moment. "Raevan," he repeated, "like me. But all different. Sevilin, LuLu, Xiu, Dayo, Vyn, my Rivener, Varun..." He ticked off the names by memory of when he'd met them, thinking on each and how none of them really had any similarities to speak of. It struck him momentarily as odd how humans mostly seemed to be the same, or at least, have some connection to one another. Maybe that's why he was so much more interested in them? To find what made them so similar. But this one, this 'Zeke,' was throwing a kink in his musings, earning another sideways glance from the demonic Frei.
The Italian gave her charge a smile before turning her attention back to Zeke. "Oh you're so uninformative," she teased the man fondly, extending her free hand to gently touch the petals of the gift for her brother; where a playful, devious smirk should have been, there was only a brief touch of fondness before she nodded. "Sure, and I think you could use some water after a twenty minute walk in this heat." Releazing Zoe, Alex walked into the kitchen, setting about finding a slender vase and glass for her friend.
Zul stayed where he was, watching Zoe move with Alex in hopes for a treat before looking back to Zeke. Blue eyes turned over the flower, but it wasn't one he'd seen before. "For Bear?" he inquired, not exactly impressed, but curious. What would a man do with a flower? Whatever women did with them, he supposed. He made a soft 'hmm' sound before floating over to the bar stools by the kitchen, extending his hands to take the vase as soon as Alex filled it with water, startling her as he floated back to the bi-colored haired man's side, offering it to him in turn. He still wasn't sure what to make of this new man, quite unlike any of the humans he'd met. "How you know Bear?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:32 am
"I understand what you mean, no need to flash that sort of smile." Zeke shifted the flower to his left hand and patted Alex's shoulder with his right. "I feel the same way about the people and the animals down at the clinic. They're a large, sort of second or third family to me." His expression shifted to try and reassure Alex that he knew what the woman meant, and that it wasn't complicated in his mind at all. As Zul floated over the young man's attention went to the Raevan, watching him calm the squirming Gwee down before speaking. Zeke was interested in the names Zul ticked off; there were quite a few of these beings then. He was slightly surprised he had only met this one, but then again he hadn't been leaving his apartment often, only for work, class, and the odd grocery shopping excursion, so it was highly probable that he wouldn't since he was so deeply rutted into a set track.
He caught the glance Zul gave him, which produced a friendly smile to the Frei. He paused to let Alex move ahead of him into the kitchen then followed behind her, chuckling at her words. "Well I'm pretty stuck in a track, so nothing much has been happening. Though I did move into a new apartment recently. It's uh...It's small." He looked sheepish, in reality his apartment was tiny, made for only a single inhabitant and quite possibly intended for someone smaller than his five-nine height. "Bedroom with a couple windows, corner kitchen that I will never use beyond the fridge and sink, small bathroom, a space that could be called a living room...Pretty much it!" It was small, but so was the monthly rent he had to pay, which meant he had more money in the bank for graduate school tuition and books. Maybe enough for if he wanted to go for a doctorate even. Zeke pulled himself out of that line of thought as he saw the expression on Alex's face as she examined his gift. It made a small bubble of joy rise up in him; she approved of his flower.
Zeke moved near the wall, not having been invited to sit yet, nodding to the offer of water as Alex got the vase for the lily. "Yes, please, that would be nice. Though it was longer than twenty minutes for me; I live in Durem so...Tack on an hour or so?" Another sheepish glance but it melted away as he watched the Gwee tailing its owner, vaguely reminded of some of the dogs at the clinic, and it made him chuckle. As he heard the question from the Frei Zeke turned and nodded at him. "Yes, it's for Brad." He shifted the plant back to his dominant right hand, watching with some surprise as Zul took the vase from Alex and floated over to him, offering it up. The young man with the green and purple dyed hair placed the lily in the vase before extending his hands a bit further, taking the vase from Zul with the same amount of care used when it was just the single lily.
He held the vase with one hand holding the bottom and the other holding the slender neck, noting the nice, almost professional way the blossom looked in the clear glass. His eyes didn't linger long on it though, as they were brought back to Zul and the Frei's second question. That joy bubble from before rose a bit higher and his cheeks filled with a proud and happy pink color as he made his instantaneous reply. "Brad and I are dating, Zul. We're a couple." Saying the last part instantly turned the pink color to light but noticeable red on his cheeks. Zeke was always overjoyed when he thought about it but saying those words out loud to people, currently Zul and Brad's own sister, made him giddy beyond words. He wasn't going to fight to keep his happy under wraps, and so he just let it flow out in its room brightening way, all the while keeping his attention and caramel eyes on the curious Frei.
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 11:46 pm
It was hard for her to explain how it was complicated, which made it twice, if not three times as difficult in her mind. The people involved, the Raevans, the process...the triumphs, the excitements. Sometimes, the Lab was like a different world to her, one she easily found herself lost and engrossed in, forgetting herself; it was better than a good book, more emotional than a movie. She simply couldn't relate it to anything she'd ever known.
And so, Alex simply smiled, tilting her head as her dear friend continued, watching between him and her charge with curiosity and an underlaying sense of caution. She felt like she was missing something important...
"New place, huh? A shame you decided on Durem and not Gambino! I'd bug you on a daily basis." She grinned toothily, the expression stating that she was not joking in the least. "That is a damn long walk Cakes. It's bad enough when B has to drive to Aekea for work, the doofus wont listen and just buy a place. My professional, sisterly opinion," she poured a cold glass of water, the soft c***k of ice cubes audible over her words, "is that he should have got a place with you."
Another nagging sensation that she was missing something. She popped open a tin and retrieved a small mint, closing the little item and holding up the sweet, which was promptly snatched and stuffed into a green cheek, the Gwee perching on the counter to relish the treat. A little pertubed, the woman glanced again to Zeke and Zul, feeling minorly disturbed.
This was new. Zul's curious blue gaze followed the man's motions with the flower, taking such care of it. On some level, the Frei understood it was a gift, and that great pride came with the bearer of said gift. Yet...a flower would die, no matter how tended to it was, once plucked from the earth. The Raevan decided that human traditions were certainly nothing he'd understand, but the way Zeke admired his gift, tugged a small, pleasant smile from the demonic Frei's lips. He could empathize with the hope of pleasing one cared for--
That thought matched with the man's words made his eyes open wide. "A couple?" he repeated, clearly surprised. He knew Alex's brother to be more than he let on, a goofy interior, but dating? Another man? Humans did that? Zul turned his gaze to his woman, his smile warming into a wide grin before looking to Zeke with a new found attachment. "Didn't know Bear had a boyfriend," the word was purred with all the glee of a child receiving a most wanted gift on Christmas, "but that is good. Great!"
The piece she was missing fell into place, and her expression was one of a person who had just witnessed a murder; perfect terror and a fear of well being, only it wasn't for her own well being. Or maybe it was. She couldn't think through the sudden barrage of ohshit that was clamoring in her head, alarms, bells and whistles screaming at her that this was bad, bad bad bad and there would be no damage control. Alex coughed to replace her look with a smile, approaching Zeke and holding up his water. "Would you take a seat? Crimey, you're practically my brother already, if you keep acting formal around me I'm going to be insulted!"
Zul knew when a topic was trying to be changed, but he just didn't care at that moment. This was information worth gloating over! His bone weeks spread and clenched against his back in a quiet rhythm, his grin almost malicious with how wide it had grown, floating a bit higher in his own self-righteousness. The Frei had never thought his open admiration of Rivener was a bad thing, but for some reason, having it enforced by a human in the world Alex so desperately wanted him to be a part of, only made the knowledge sweeter.
He suddenly straightened his back, wings rigid, eyes a bit bewildered as a thought occured to him. Could he buy Rivener gifts? They weren't a couple, but as far as he was concerned, they were better than that. He had to be certain. "Is Bear's birthday?" he inquired, fairly certain there was no strange human holiday on this auspiciously warm day.
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 9:50 am
"Well I chose Durem because that's where both work and school are, so I can walk between the two and home pretty easily. I sold my car over the summer just before I met Brad to pay tuition for school, but I enjoy the walking. Making me stronger in the legs." Zeke swept one of his legs out as his attention went from Zul to Alex and moved the knee from side to side, pant in the way of showing any defined muscle, but it was there along with henna lines on both legs. He looked up at the Italian woman as he put his leg back down, a playful grin coming over his face now. "I know Brad has my number, but if you like, I can give it to you too so you can bother me that way. It's not really the same, I know, but better than nothing right?" His eyes looked around the kitchen for any sort of blank paper and a writing utensil so he could do that for her, but Alex's next words brought his gaze right back to the woman, red cheeks darkening again.
"I rather like your professional, sisterly advice." He paused, sucking lightly on his lip ring before continuing. "I'll definitely talk to him about it sometime soon, I'd much more than enjoy living with him. It'd be...Nice. Better than that even." Words failed him for the moment as he felt his cheeks burning and Zeke quickly released the bottom of the glass vase to rub a gloved hand over the spot. "I'd ask him to live with me now but there's barely any room for one man, let alone two, and I would want him to be totally comfortable wherever we would live." He sounded dismayed for once, almost like he was being denied a great chance for something and for Zeke that something was taking another step with Alex's brother in their relationship. As he dropped and returned his hand to the vase there was a faint frown tugging his lips downward and a crease formed between his eyes as he began to think about how to ask that sort of question. Zul's surprised remark ceased the line of thought shortly after it began though and Zeke looked to him, brows raised slightly in surprise as well.
"Yes Zul, a couple." Zeke smiled at using the 'c' word again, filling up with those internal bubbles and totally at ease (though still remarkably giddy) at saying it out loud now. The young man kept his attention focused on the Frei, that original feeling of making a bad first impression on the Raevan being slowly cast aside as he watched his expressions and body language. When Zul enunciated the word 'boyfriend' Zeke's face lit up red again and he nodded fervently. It was looking that by extension of Brad Zeke was getting into the Frei's good books, which was pretty decent in Zeke's mind. It was making him feel even more like one of the family. He laughed with amusement at the excited tone Zul had as he finished speaking. "So I'm approved then?" He cocked his head to the side, grinning widely at the Frei. "I know I may look strange, and yes I am young, but believe me when I say that I love Brad with every bit of my being. There's no denying that."
Zeke was relieved that Zul was seemingly excited about him being with Brad so soon after finding out, though even if the Raevan hadn't been so enthusiastic it wouldn't have changed his feelings for the older man one bit. He held his gift to the older man close against him so it wouldn't accidentally fall or anything, focusing all his attention on the grinning Raevan. He didn't see Alex's look of sheer terror and didn't notice her cough or at all until she was right next to him, water held out in one hand. "Huh? Oh! Thank you Monkey." His hand again removed from the bottom of the vase holding the flower and Zeke took the second piece of glass from her. Another sheepish look was given as he nodded and moved towards the bar stools, placing the vase down on the counter top before his own glass and then himself in the seat. "I wouldn't dream of insulting you Alex! I like you too much to do that! See, look..." He eased his sneakers off his feet, using the opposite foot to get each shoe off quickly. Once they were, he shifted them together and nudged them off to the right before looking up and beaming. "Shoes off! I'm making myself at home...Unless shoes in the kitchen is an insult..." He looked down again, though this time wide-eyed at his shoes, before getting up off the stool, picking them both up, and quickly making a dash past Zul and his caretaker out the open kitchen doorway. He went down the hall with his ponytail bobbing to and fro and left them by the front door before making another dash back to the kitchen in what he considered "record time".
As he came back in Zeke slid along the linoleum towards the stools, stopping himself from going any further on the one he originally picked to occupy. He quickly turned around, hopped up on the seat, and leaned back so his legs and arms were splayed out in the air, tossing his head so his ponytail fell back to its usual place, though for the moment it hung free in the air. "There! Tah-dah!" He grinned toothily and winked at the two, his eyes practically glowing with his playful and all around goofy personality. Zeke righted himself after a moment, sweeping a hand against the mostly green and tied back portion of his hair, and sat with correct posture on the seat of the stool before easing himself into a relaxed stature not even a minute or two later. His attention immediately went to Zul once he was settled, shaking his head lightly with a smile at the quandary. He already knew what to say as a response as no pause was needed when you spoke from the heart.
"No Zul, it's not his birthday. However," He reached over as that feeling of being parched gripped his throat and took the glass of ice water, taking a deep sip and releasing a sigh of refreshment as the glass was set back down. He looked back to the Frei afterward, his eyes first meeting Alex's as they swept over, expression filled with a deep fondness as he continued. "I came over and brought the day lily as a gift because I just want to see Brad smile. I love him and it's my deepest wish to always see him happy. Seeing him smile makes me happy as well, and it brings us just that much closer to each other as a couple." He brought the vase closer to the edge, displaying it in a small patch of sunlight that had pooled on the counter from the adjacent window, smiling at it then back at Zul. "That's the reason I bought it. "Just Because". Just because I want to see him smile, to be happy, and to know that I love him as much as I do."
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 4:54 pm
Alex crinkled her nose playfully at Zeke, sticking her tongue out at his explanation. "Well gee, go be logical about it whydontcha." A wide grin followed her words, brows lofting as she looked down at the younger man's thighs. Had it been anyone else in the world, it might have possibly been one of the more awkward moments she'd experienced, but it was Zeke; it was like the rules for social interactions were carefully put aside for their sake. They made an odd pair, but it worked somehow. "I'll ask him for it--...laaaater?"
Zeke's reaction made her grin even more widely, a triumphant, almost wolfish expression on her face that was unpleasantly natural looking for her. "I'll see if I can't talk some sense into him. It's no small feat, I assure you, but it's what siblings are for." The Italian woman would never pass up a chance to heckle her older brother. When the young man's attention turned back to her charge, she felt her stomach tighten with worry again. Is this what it's like to be a parent? Yikes.
"Strange?" the Raevan repeated with short, smokey laughter, the sound deep as though coming from his half-formed chest. "Strange? Zeke, I'm a Raevan." Zul was clearly amused that a human might have thought himself strange. Maybe it had to do with the colors and the flower, but really, the demonic Frei knew what he looked like to others. He basked in that difference, in the 'strangeness' of his appearance that set him apart. The sunset hair shifted as he tilted his head, his earrings brushing over his jaw as he shook his head. "Believe," he assured the human, eyes vibrantly bright.
And then Zeke was off. Zul blinked as the man practically ran into the foyer, returning seconds later with such a grand leap and display of limbs that the Frei found himself grinning wide without any type of intention in the expression; nothing honeyed, nothing assuming or inquisitive, just a display of his amusement and approval. Maybe Zeke was a little strange, by human standards.
All Alex could do was laugh. She joined him in a seat next to him, but before she could speak, the young man was speaking about her brother again, prompting her to wisely keep her mouth shut. As far as she was concerned, her brother was the most insufferable man on the planet. If someone wanted to say nice things about him (other than herself), she wasn't about to stop them. Especially coming from the green and purple haired man at her side, her smile gentle as she watched and listened. The type of conviction Zeke spoke with was one she secretly hoped she'd find herself, someday...maybe.
Zul watched the man quietly, fingers lacing together in front of his ribboned body, thoughtful. The more the other human talked, the more he began to understand this 'strangeness' that Zeke had spoken of. But...it was a good strange. He liked this strange. It was a strange he understood, a strange he could carry himself, one that he might not have grasped in full when speaking of love, but one he held dear all the same. Maybe the 'love' part would come later.
"That's nice," he gave voice to his verdict, proclaiming it with certainty. His fingers extended between the two humans to lightly touch the lip of the vase, to give some sense of realism to all that the man had said. Admittedly, the Frei was still confused about why it was a flower of all things, but it made him more determined to understand these laws of courtship. He had someone he wanted to impress. "Very nice. You are good type, Zeke." Brilliant blue eyes softened, wondering if a certain Raevan would be so receptive to this act of kindness.
And Alex knew that look well. Reaching up, she brushed his hair back from his horns, giving a quiet sigh before looking almost apologetically to her dear friend. "Zul is lovesick," she explained with a rueful smile, ignoring the shocked look her Raevan gave her, "with another named Rivener. We're having some difficulty finding a common ground between what he thinks is good for Raevans and what humans accept." Her lips quirked in a half-smile before she added, "As much as it worries me, you may have just given us a middle ground. And a means for me to really whoop my brother's a**."
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 7:57 pm
"Well I have to be logical about it!" His smile suddenly disappeared, face going into a stern straightness that did not fit the man at all while his hands rested on his midriff. The look and pose seeming to proclaim a statement of 'Alex, you should know this, honestly!'. "After all...I'm a doctor!" Zeke tried to hold that face, but his proclamation was so absurd to him that the corners of his lips were already starting to tremble, and shortly thereafter the sternness gave way to a stream of bubbling laughter. When it ebbed down again his hand flew up to dab at the corners of his eyes, ridding them of some slight wetness that had popped up there.
The expression Alex conveyed to his blushing scared him somewhat, not because of the smile itself, but because of his own wonderment at what would...could...be going on in that head of hers. Zeke could practically hear the gears turning and felt his own kick up at her statement of talking to Brad instead. One idea that appeared was too good to pass up. "We could always tag team you know." His smile tried to mimic her wolfish one from before but since he had never done such a look, he faltered at it, instead turning to one of amusement to recover. "He'd be moving in with me after all, I might as well help get him there right? And for you, I'll wave my standard fee." A quick downward tilt of the head coupled with a wink and that same grin was a guaranteed sign of his teasing and playful flirting. His attention went right back to Zul, easily going between both the Frei and his Guardian with ease.
"We can be strange together then." Zul's laughter was an odd sound on his ears, but it was pleasant as well. The young man could only smile at the Frei before going on. "But I find you more fascinating now than strange really. You were strange at the door, sorry if I sound like an a** there, but you're interesting now that I talk to and interact with you. You're quite the character Zul, I like you already." Zeke could see why the Raevan had questioned his own proclamation of being strange and then slightly chided him for it. Compared to the Frei, he was relatively normal in appearance but still fairly unique when next to other humans in this thought. Still strange all around though, no matter which way you look at and slice it. His smile softened as Zul stated he believed what the bi-color haired man had said, Zeke looking even more delighted now and in such a short amount of time too. When Zeke made his acrobatic reappearance he looked to the Raevan first, breathless, but happy with Zul's approval look. The young man wasn't the type to go out of his way to catch anyone's eye (tending to do that just by walking down the street on a normal day thanks to his distinctive hair and piercings), one of his teachings being that if they don't accept you at the first go, you should just move on. No need to jump through hoops to win the gaze of someone who doesn't show interest in wanting to friend you, though you should be polite in any other sort of meetings thereafter, especially on the business front. He was being his spunky self and Zul seemed to find him entertaining and engaging at the first go, so all was well in Zeke's booklet.
He was aware of Alex's laugh and stride over to sit with him, and once he was done with his tenderly flustered and heartfelt speech about the woman's brother to her charge, he turned and reached to get his glass of water. Another long sip off the cold liquid and the cup was half drained, cubes of ice floating at the top nearly half of the way out into the open air in the glass. Zeke turned in his seat so his sock-clad feet and legs were pointed towards Zul; the position much better for him to lean over and put his head on the Italian woman's shoulder in one of his many physical aspects proclaiming his close friendship to someone. "Hello Alex~" It came with a flash of a smile, Zeke being himself like always. Nothing changed when he was around various people, no matter who they were, so he didn't come off as "real" to some and "fake" to others. His head only rested there momentarily as when Zul approached he moved so the Raevan had access to the flower sitting between himself and his Guardian.
"It is nice. It's better than that all the time even." He stood and shifted his stool over to the right so Zul had more room to examine the vase and the gift held within, sitting down again when Zeke figured the demonic Frei had ample room to float and explore. Zeke watched Zul as inquisitively as a child learning about something new from a book or adult figure. His attention was rapt, and just watching the Raevan inspect the vase rather than the plant made him all the more curious about these beings. Remembering some of the names Zul had ticked off during the walk from the front door to the kitchen made him want to know more about them, meet them, just to see what they were like and, of course, see how they each looked. He was sure they didn't all look the same and pondering what made them each unique just kept fueling his intrigue. When Zul spoke again the young man found himself coloring faintly at the compliment. "Thank you Zul." Like Alex he caught the expression, but had yet to learn what it was tied too. "You're a good type too." He wasn't sure, though he had a feeling it wasn't to the compliment the Frei gave him, and that was all right if it was the case.
The bi-color haired man watched as Alex brushed Zul's hair back and then looked to him. In exchange for her expression he merely smiled and shook his head, feeling the woman shouldn't be apologetic for whatever reason. As she explained the situation Zeke's smile faded to a small 'O' shape before flattening out into a straight look with the corners of his mouth upturned slightly. His caramel colored eyes flicked to Zul's face, catching the expression he cast at Alex's first words before going back to the woman again. He noted the name she spoke, it was one of the ones Zul listed and the only one he lined up with the word 'my' before it. He couldn't begin to fathom Alex's situation about teaching her charge what was right in these cases and what was wrong in others of the sort, but it dawned on him that during his heartfelt speeches about Brad to Zul he might have been shifting the tides into Zul's favor and out of Alex's unwittingly. It was his turn to cast the apologies via his face as he realized this, looking the dark haired woman dead in her own as he did so.
"Oops?" He couldn't find a good verbal apology and that was the first thing to come out. Quickly his hand, free of the water glass thankfully, clasped over his mouth while Zeke looked a bit stunned he had said that, and in a questioning manner too. He looked to Zul before back to Alex, letting his hand become unstuck and float a couple of inches away from his mouth. "Sorry. That slipped out unintentionally. What I meant to say was," He paused, made sure he had his thoughts aligned and that his hand had dropped again, and then went on. "That I thought he was just...Ah....Innocently curious? And I guess since I'm lovestruck I couldn't help but go on. Sorry Alex." Zeke was looking just over Zul's wings at her and noting how demonic in appearance the Raevan was kind of made his 'innocently curious' comment seem out of place. Alex's comment about whooping Brad's a** almost bypassed him but Zeke caught on to it after dragging his eyes away from the skeletal wings.
"Whoop his a**?" He was a bit stunned, but with a toss of the head and a laugh he was on again. "Brad didn't do a thing in or for this conversation. If anyone's a** should be whooped by you it should be mine! I'm the one going on and on and on like a juiced up Energizer bunny about this. Even if I didn't know I was making this 'middle ground' of which you speak..." He looked abashed but it melted to a bold grin mixed with teasing playfulness. "I'll even let you have a couple practice whacks on me, free of charge and 'Please Alex have mercy on me's! Ladies choice where you hit me as long as it's not in the area below my belt and above my knees." He cleared his throat and took another drink of his water. "Please. But seriously, I had no intention to worry you or anything. I just wanted to stop in to surprise Brad, maybe you if you were home, and just be my silly self with you all." He shifted in his seat again, making sure not to bump Zul's ribbon by mistake, facing Alex this time around.
"Though I guess I am doing just that now. Hm...Unless Zul has any questions, and since I'm sure my face is back to its regular tone, why don't we turn this conversation to a different topic?" He looked pointedly at the Raevan, mustering up the courage to pose such a question to his Guardian, turning back to her when he collected the right amount. She did say she worked at the Lab after all, it couldn't hurt. "Maybe...Well, I'd like to know more about Zul and the rest of the Raevans now that I've met him. Maybe you could tell me more about the Raevans and the Lab instead Alex? Zul's gone and got me greatly interested in them and that place, and I could always spout more of my lovestruck, waxing poetics about Brad later on after I'm stuffed full of information."
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 9:51 pm
"Lovestruck?" came the indignant cry, but the word sounded hollow even in his own elongated ears, lips pursed to the point his smile was nearly nonexistant. Anything else said was momentary lost in his self-righteous...wrath? Fury? Indignation? Curiosity, even? "We are not, struck, by this..." Zul proclaimed, crossing his arms over his partially formed chest with a turn of his back, bone wings splaying to the side to display his annoyance with his woman's claim. Really! Love!
The woman dipped her head, fingers rubbing between the bridge of her nose, giving Zeke a sidelong 'see?' look. "Zul. Do you even know what love is?"
Zul gave his woman a petulant look. "Has to do with flowers." He waved a gloved hand at the lily, as if it explained everything under the sun about 'love.' Even the people on television often used flowers, just of a different amount and color. "See?"
Alex stared at her charge before errupting into laughter, leaning back on the counter at his continued indignant antics, clearly unhappy that he was in any way, shape or form incorrect about his assumptions of 'love.' "Okay Zul, if you want to think that, that's...that's grand. Don't change." She laughed for a few more moments before leaning over to Zeke like he had with her just a moment ago, placing her chin on his shoulder and smiling fondly at him. "Hey Zeke. Don't apologize." The Italian lifted her head to kiss him squarely on his brow before settling her weight back in her seat, crossing her legs at the knees and wrapping her hands around them. "There's no blame to take. I just find it interesting that some of the things he thinks do, in fact, align with a human standpoint, as much as he may dislike it."
The look the Raevan gave her would have set an icecap on fire if it weren't for the fact his smile had returned, making the expression mostly harmless.
It was the woman's turn to give Zeke an amused look, tilting her head. "Your darling boyfriend gave Zul money to buy me a dress." Alex paused to let the words set in, eyes fixed upon her friend, brows half raised to convey how incredulous she found the situation. "That alone should have warranted a thump upside the head, but since it turned out for the best," there was a brief smile that interrupted her words, almost shy before it evaporated, "I let it slide. I'm feeling ornery enough now that I may just bring it up to blackmail him into cooking for us."
"I wanted a red one--"
"Which he would have suffered massive damage for, I assure you," she grumbled before pushing onwards. "Topic change is fine Zeke, you know I can talk about sperlunking and cotton candy in the same sentence." Alex waved a playfully dismissive hand before resting them on her knees again, smiling sweetly at the man across from her. "Sure thing, I'll answer any questions you have, within reason. I'm still learning too, it's a day to day thing." Warm green eyes shifted momentarily to Zul to indicate just what was a learning process, although the Frei seemed to only have eyes for the two-tone haired man.
The demonic Raevan 'pulled up a seat,' which consisted of him seeming to settle his weight, his ribbon curling a bit more tightly as he sunk against it as though sitting. "Many of us," he proclaimed with a hint of pride, "different. Some, though, not as good as me." Zul spread his hands in a 'what can you do?' motion that he'd picked up from Brad, his smile wide; apparently the notion of talking about himself and the others was just as interesting. It still fell in line with what he wanted to talk about, anyway...
"Rivener is older. He has a full stomach." The Frei didn't immediately catch on that his grammar was improving just talking about Rivener, but Alex did, her brows raising as he carried on. "He's black and red, wears little clothes. Very handsome, has a smile like--" his lips curled, full and sultry, not a bad impression of the Sigel if he did say so himself, "Unforgettable." He caught Alex covering her face with her hands on hastily moved onwards. "Who else?" Zul looked peacefully at Zeke, arms remaining crossed, his gorget and gloves pulsing in union in his comfort. If anyone was going to talk about Raevans, it might as well be him!
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 7:39 am
The sudden shout from Zul made Zeke jump almost a little too far as he gripped the edge of the counter and pulled himself back up from falling to the linoleum. He had not been expecting that, but it appeared a nerve had been struck in the Frei, and watching Zul now he got the impression of a pouting child rather than an enraged being. As the Frei's wings were stretched out Zeke made sure to move the vase and flower away, lest the bloom be knocked to the ground and the glass shattered along with it. When it was a safe distance away and behind even himself, the young man's attention went back to the Raevan and Alex. He caught the Guardian's look and in return could only pass a meek 'I see' expression to her. Her question made him look up to Zul, eyes lit with wonder as he waited for Zul's answer to it. The reply nearly sent him off his stool again, but this time with laughter rather than surprise.
"I-It only has a little to do with flowers Zul! And even then they're optional!" He was howling right along with Alex, but trying to force it down enough so he could go on. When it was put aside and only heavy chuckling came through, he continued. He felt that if he gave Zul the middle ground he was looking for, the Raevan might as well get his facts straight about the topic. It seemed to Zeke that the Frei wasn't in love, but either merely confused or in lust. "Love's extremely complex and takes awhile to form between two people. And by 'awhile' I mean months or even years. The only time I remember two people falling in love in a short span of time was in a play and that ended badly--" He stopped himself from going on as Alex rested her chin on his shoulder, Zeke turned and cast a smile at her, but her sudden appearance there turned his chuckling back to laughter. He nodded at her request, reaching up again to wipe his eyes, and was silenced with an amused look as she kissed his forehead.
"Too late Monkey, I already did." He said with another quick grin at her. "I see though. Huh..." He looked at Zul, whose back was turned to him, but again Alex was able to recapture his attention quickly. Her mention of Brad giving her money to buy a dress...Well, the whole 'Alex being in a dress' aspect...Made him quickly turn and lean forward over the counter to look out the window. He was checking to make sure the sky wasn't blood red and that four men on skeletal horses weren't riding through it. In as long as he'd known Alex he never would have expected to buy a dress, let alone wear one. His check showed the overcast from earlier rather than fire and brimstone so he looked back to her, sitting right again and grinning just in case she was confused as to why he had done such a thing. He'd probably tell her the truth when asking, but he was hoping that his teasing answer wouldn't send her flying at him with fists raised. "Well I guess that would bring about a sharp whack from you..." He trailed at her 'since it turned out for the best', smiling warmly then laughing at her suggestion of blackmail. "Well I do enjoy my darling boyfriend's cooking, and it has been a while since I had a dinner that wasn't a cold cut or take-out so...Okay!" He paused. "Of course it's probably mean of me to let that happen to him but I'll make it up to him later for this."
He looked at Zul. "A red one? Well...It is Alex's choice was color covers her, dress or not. If you wanted a red one, you'd have to be the one to wear it, since she doesn't seem obliged to the color or the idea of it on herself." Zeke waited to see what expression the Raevan would pass for that bit of teasing on the man's part. Hopefully not another outburst but he wasn't sure how Zul would take a lighter version of his teasing. "We should go spelunking and have cotton candy. I enjoy both and it'd make for an interesting afternoon." With that he was back to Alex, looking serious about the idea but being a dork underneath it. Her words 'within reason' at the end of her agreeing statement made him tell himself to think about his questions before he asked her them. Just in case. Zeke looked to Zul when Alex did, nodding but being taken aback when he saw the Frei looking at him first. When Zul began talking Zeke fixed his posture, leaning against the counter with his left side while his right foot slid off the support beam of the stool and hung idly in midair. A more comfortable, easygoing position which took proper seating pain off his lower back as well.
Zul's pride and hints of vanity about himself when he spoke made the bi-color haired man smile. Zul really was like a child in some ways and he was fun to watch talk and 'sit' like he was. The picked up motion made Zeke laugh, short but loud. He knew exactly who the Raevan had picked that up from and the young man smiled right back at him. "I'm sure they're all rather unique and all good in their own ways...Ahh." He fell silent again to let Zul continue, the topic turning towards one he assumed the Frei had been longing to go on about. His first words about the Sigel made Zeke look to Alex. "Full stomach?" He was confused, Zul being his first Raevan encountered he had no idea how any other looked. He didn't like to, but he assumed that most any other Raevan would look similar to Zul in the way that he only had down to his chest physically and then his ribbon. The young man caught her with her face in her hands and that made him reach over and give her a reassuring pat on her ponytail. "Looks like he's in deep huh? Hey Zul," Zeke continued to pat Alex's head but turned his head towards the Frei. "How long have you known this Rivener?" He'd change the topic to the other Raevans once his question was answered by the Frei. Judging from his caretaker's actions just now, Zeke had a feeling Zul and this other Raevan's interactions either weren't very long ago and-slash-or that they weren't very numerous, and Zul was already so smitten. Not good.
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 2:54 pm
Blue eyes danced with amusement as Zeke talked to him about 'love.' He wasn't entirely sure this human had it right, really. With the movies and shows he'd seen, it didn't take near that long for this 'love' thing to grow; it often took some flowers and in some cases a really slinky dress to get the point across and 'love' bloomed from there. Zul simply smiled at the enigmatic man; all humans were different creatures, after all. Maybe he was just slower on the uptake. "Maybe," he replied with flippant coyness, again glancing to the flower. Did Rivener even like flowers?
The Italian heaved a deep sigh, playfully pushing Zeke's shoulder. She imagined he was looking for flying pigs at the mention of the dress, giving him a wry, playful smile. "He should have gotten more than a sharp whack, but I let him off. I think now is a good time to bring it up again." Alex blinked at her friend and gave a positively indignant sqwuak of disapproval at the young man's choice of food, fixing him with an older-sister-scowl. "Now I insist. And if the dress blackmail doesn't work, just telling him that will be enough. Anything involving you is an immediate reconsideration with that oaf." She scoffed in fond teasing, her smile gently in place. The woman was pleased to have company, especially one she was so endeared to.
Zul's small brows lifted with amusement at the mention of wearing a dress. "No dress," he replied smoothly, not in the least bit catching on that a male wearing a dress was a bad thing. "Too much clothes. Such a hassle." His gloved hands tapped his own bare chest, nodding with a bit of a self-righteous swell. "No clothes. Was a cut dress, Alix at least has legs for--"
"Goodness alive Zul, I'm going to lock you outside!" she treatened her charge with a good natured glare, although her smile suggested she was a little embarrassed. No one should ever have to go clothes shopping with a being that didn't understand decency. She sighed again and gave Zeke a warmer smile, shaking her head and leaning back on the counter. "You're on, Cakes. I could use a vacation. All this time doing paperwork, I'd rather be cave-hopping. I go mad with all this legal shmegal crap."
As Zul began to speak of the other Raevans, Alex buried her face in her hands and shook her head, grumbling softly at the pat of her ponytail. She peeked at the young man from between her fingers before dropping her hands, giving a short, soft bit of laughter. "Full stomach, he means...well, see, the Raevans grow. He wont always be like this." The Italian extended her slender fingers to ghost over the ribbon that curled in front of her charge's rune. "Rivener is a bit more grown, so he has a stomach. It's like a next strage in growth. Humans typical have baby, child, teenager, adolescent and elder. From what we've observed, Raevans seem to start somewhere between child and teenager, leaning more on the teen years because they're so quick to learn and very intelligent. You could say the next stage is between teenager and adult, with adult used rather...loosely."
The demon paid his Guardian's hand no mind; he knew she wouldn't do anything ridiculous and so simply sat with his arms crossed, fingers drumming over the band that wrapped around his bicep. "Yes, full stomach, he can take off his shirt now." Zul sounded immensely pleased by this fact, disregarding his woman's slightly paled, surprised expression. She hadn't seen him take it off, after all, and it was her loss as far as he was concerned. "How long...?" he repeated thoughtfully, remembering the first day he met the enigmatic then-Frei. "Met him on Valentine's Day." Perhaps the notion was vaguely romantic, but it'd been quite a fantastic time, even if they'd only been in each other's company twice. That seemed so unimportant in comparison to the standard human opinion.
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