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 Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:06 pm
Who: Kenth, Alex & Zul
When: Before noon
Where: Lab 305
Weather: Cool, the first strains of autumn are showing. It was an average day, nothing special or out of the ordinary. That alone should have alerted Alex to the fact that something was going to hit her out of left field, but she was, for the most part, blissfully unaware. Alex had a few small books open in front of her, although anyone who looked at the text would find pictures of houses; indeed, the Italian was searching for a prospective new house or apartment in the Gambino area, as told by the red circles around a few select properties of interest. The woman was not rich, but it didn't stop her from looking at sea-side complexes or establishments near by. Morning jogs against the beach had become routine, and not wanting to upset the status quo of such things, she wanted to continue the more pleasurable experience of ocean-lapped sand for company rather than an exercise machine.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:23 pm
So this is Dr. Kyou's lab.
Kenth stared at the two part construction that was lableled Lab 305. The part that was closer to him looked relatively new, and Kenth assumed the entrance lead to where he was supposed to go. The other part of the area looked...well, it was destroyed. Kenth paid no further attention to the older part of the lab as he walked toward the new lab entrance. In his left hand Kenth held a suitcase, the same one that was delivered to him several months ago. Kenth, who would never step out of his office other than grocery shopping, was on an errand today. It was an errand that, he felt, must be done by himself.
Pushing the door open, the doctor stepped into the large, lobby-like room. There wasn't a lot of people at the lab, as Kenth had expected, but he did see someone sitting at the reception desk, and that was where he walked toward next.
"Excuse me," Kenth cleared his throat a little. "Is this Lab 305?" His eyes wandered off to the surroundings meanwhile. Everything looked furnished and new here. For a moment the doctor wondered if he was at the right place. Dr. Kyou had given him the impression that his lab would look less modern and more...occult. "I was instructed to---oh." Kenth's words were cut off as he finally took a clearer look at the woman at the reception desk. His demeanor changed in an instant, from that of formality to unease.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:33 pm
Green eyes flicked upwards at the first 'excuse me' and the question that followed.
Alex's average day just went down the tubes.
The woman slowly stood, unable to stop the instant bristling as the man neared. She knew his voice even before she got a clear look at him, and the closer he got, the more her imaginary hackles stood on end. Long fingers closed the books upon the desk, and while her eyes stayed mostly neutral, her lips pressed a bit firmly together and her jaw ticked with each clench. What is he doing here?
"What are you--," she started to question, almost accusing, until she saw the briefcase in his hand. It all came back in a wash of realization over her features - that's right, he was a part of the Lab now. "...oh." She echoed his own sentiment, and just like that, the personal air of whose dominion was being challenged was gone. Business, Alex, she reminded herself, returning his uneasy look with a rather guarded, blank look. Business.
It was never that simple with him.
The woman moved out from behind the desk, pushing the chair in and rounding the furniture to stand at its side. She looked at Kenth with some distance still between them, and somewhere in the cynical part of her mind, she could hear the old western music and tumbleweeds blowing between them. Alex quirked a faint smile before crossing her arms over her stomach. "What can I do for you?" she asked smoothly. Time to play the game.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:45 pm
Kenth was about to complain about the fact that Alex didn't really answer his question, but on another thought, she didn't have to. He knew that she was working at Lab 305, so in order to see her at this time would prove that he was at the right place.
Seeing Alex already knew what he came here for, Kenth did not bother to continue his second question. He pulled up the suitcase and placed it on the desk, unlocking it to reveal two containers inside. The larger one contained a cotton-like cloud piece--one that Alex had delivered to him, and the smaller, round bottle was filled with a mass of gaseous green. Not wasting any time he took hold of the soul bottle and handed it to the woman. "You are the expert here, what should I do with this?" His tone was stiff, as Kenth tried hard to regain the formality that once came with him. He should have been prepared! In fact, Kenth had a strong feeling that he would be seeing Alex once he was at the lab, and she was the first person he thought of when the soul was first captured. But that was only logic at work, because she was the first and only lab worker that he was familiar with. Of course, if someone else was sitting at the reception desk, things would be different.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:03 pm
She watched him move, so precise and sharp. He was apparently as displeased to see her as she had initially been to see him. Now, however, her gaze carefully watched his face, for any traces of scorn, anger or...anything. Kenth was not a man to wear his heart on his sleeve. Alex found herself nearly cross-eyed as he held up the bottle for her, blinking at the swirling contents. He'd...?
"You did it," she commented with wonder, uncrossing her arms. Her hands carefully wrapped around the bottom of the bottle to hold it, looking at it in awe. It was...cold, but it wasn't a sharp, stinging cold, it was something softer. Something more soothing, like snow after a dry spell. Alex ignored the expert comment, instead fixing the man with a lop-sided grin that was damn near smug. "I'm impressed, Doctor. I wasn't sure you'd do it, to be honest...but..."
She moved from the side of the desk to the back of it again, holding the bottle dearly to her chest as she opened a drawer and began to riffle through some papers. "I'm dying to know what you think!" she laughed to herself at her confession, drawing out a slip of paper from a folder, "I mean, you're so immersed in science. What do you think? You can see it here." Alex held up the bottle for him to look at again. "A soul. Do you believe me, now?"
That childish, excited glee she had when she was younger had returned, as if they were working together again. Just as quickly as she'd told herself she had business to handle, she had easily forgotten it and was chatting rather animatedly, quickly clutching the bottle to her bossom again as she pulled the paper around and retrieved a pen. "Kenth...Larine," she said out loud as she filled out the document, "...September...caught, essence...so!" Alex righted and fixed the doctor with a dazzling smile. "What'd you catch?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:20 pm
The doctor frowned initially at Alex's comments. Of course he did it. He didn't even tell her how much trouble he went through to pick up the snow lotus and then only have that soul bottle kill it. He also didn't tell Alex how the whole soul-capture had disrupted his routine work and left him sick for two days straight. Did she look down on him before? He didn't know he had that kind of image in her head!
"It was by accident." Despite the fact that he was unsatisfied with Alex's reaction, Kenth spoke the truth. His voice was stern, but the tone was turned down to a grumble-like murmur when he saw the other started skipping around and working as if she was a little girl who had just caught a butterfly. Kenth's mouth opened slightly, his further complaints were stuck at his throat.
Alex was smiling at him. Not the business, formal kind of smile, but a true smile, a smile that he had not seen for ages. In fact, Kenth could not recall he had seen her smile like this, perhaps he had, but there was nothing in his memory to confirm it. The doctor stood in his place, blinking stupidly at the sudden change in the woman's reactions. He stared at her as she recorded what he accomplished. She was then speaking to him, but Kenth did not hear what she said. It was as if the man stared into medusa's eyes, only his eyes were still blinking on occasions.
He didn't think Alex's smile would have a petrification effect on him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:54 pm
The smile blossomed into a grin, tilting her head to the side. "Accident, huh? Well--" Alex paused for a moment, carefully looking over the man's face; he seemed a bit stricken, as if perhaps the idea of her inquiry was like asking him to commit murder. With a soft chuckle, she raised her free hand and very lightly touched his cheek, a gesture far more familiar than it should have been. "A few of the Raevans had souls caught by accident. You're okay there, I promise."
With another cheery smile, she glanced down to the bottle and then back up to Kenth. The girlish joy was still quite in place, so that she seemed to miss the majority of Kenth's stone-set reaction. "So, what did you accidently catch? I'd love to hear that story!" Alex laughed, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. When it came to Kenth, he certainly lead a life less ordinary.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:54 am
Should he tell her? That cursed smile hadn't faded from the woman's face, Kenth found himself outshone by her aura. Alex's touch felt like a bolt of electricity, the doctor almost jumped at the feeling and immediately shifted backwards as reflex. Finally relieved of the petrification spell, Kenth turned his head away awkwardly to avoid the woman's gaze. His voice, however, remained cool and stubborn.
"A sno--snow lotus." Feeling the usual dryness in his throat, Kenth forced himself to cough, trying to relax. He had experienced this feeling before, back when he was young, but why did it feel so strange to him now? "I was planning a separate project for it but..." His eyes quickly glanced at the bottle, skipping Alex's gaze on purpose. "I made a mistake."
Kenth frowned. A mistake. Someone who's so skilled and experienced as him..making a mistake? Uncertain if he should take back his words, Kenth finally gathered enough courage to look up again. "A mistake as in...uh. Well, maybe it's meant to be that way, so I was told..."
That sounded even worse. For a moment, the doctor wished there was a hole that he could jump into.
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:38 pm
Alex gave Kenth a more patronizing smile as he pulled away, shaking her head. The pull of her lips was a little tight and the arch of her brows slightly rueful; she was not pleased, but that usually came with the territory. Exhaling, she lightly put the bottle on the desk and moved to the back of the desk again. While he talked, she rummaged around beneath the desk in a bag that she'd had by her feet with more moving information, her wallet and some snacks, and withdrew a water bottle. She then returned to the white-haired man's side and stuck the bottle in his jacket pocket. She knew better than to ask him to take anything, especially from her, no matter how much he needed or wanted something.
"Snow lotus," she repeated, although the part about it being a mistake was not missed...mostly because Kenth didn't make mistakes. And then the talk of how it was meant to be? Where the hell was that mentality when they--?!
Setting her jaw and relieving Kenth of having to see her smile, she picked up the pen and wrote down the soul captured along with some information pertaining to it. It was clear to her that he wasn't going to elaborate. "Well, it's done! And that's what counts, right?" Grabbing a clipboard, she stuck the paper on it and handed it over to the man with the pen. The smile she wore wasn't quite as wild and playful as before, but it wasn't forced, either. "Make sure that's all right and sign the bottom."
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:25 pm
Kenth was stuck on how to further explain his trip to China and all the adventures he had when a new item filled in his pocket. Realizing that Alex had given him, the doctor signed and gave the woman a sore look. He didn't want to take it, but she didn't even give him a chance to refuse. What a smart woman. Maybe it was his imagination, but Kenth found himself always in a loosing position since the two met again. Perhaps he was no longer familiar with her, perhaps she grew stronger...or perhaps it was simply because he grew weaker?
At least, a word of appreciation seemed appropriate at the moment. "I'm okay, but thank you." He commented in a small voice, and proceeded to take the paper and clipboard from Alex. He briefly glanced over it, not exactly concerned about any information on the worksheet. They were all information that he knew and understood. Kenth trusted Alex's ability in doing a fine job in recording them. He looked up to her after finishing glancing at the last line and felt his heart sunk a little. She wasn't smiling as brightly as before, but that was a good thing, wasn't it?
"They look all right to me." Kenth said, taking the pen and signed his name swiftly at the bottom. "So...what is going to happen afterwards?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:44 pm
The sore look he gave her only earned him a bemused lift of her eyebrows. Her arms crossed while she watched him, green eyes bright and sharp; it was an automatic reaction to Kenth, putting her on edge and making her uncannily aware of everything he did. Alex was coming off of the high of just being friendly with him again, but she didn't resent him for it this time. If anything, it simply made her aware that he was still...
"Good." She gingerly took the clipboard and pen when he was done, removing the contract and giving it a once over. Her gaze flicked to him briefly before she moved around behind her desk, putting the items in her hands on its surface. "Now," she answered, "Kyou takes what you've brought us and does his magic." Alex couldn't help but smile at the little phrase. "I'll give you a call when the fusion of soul and fel essence is complete. You can pick your Raevan up with Kyou himself or with me."
She felt a little pang at her own words. Stupid, she told herself with annoyance, it's a job now. That's all. You're a link to his research, nothing more. The Italian extended her fingers to pick up the soul bottle again, lifting it slowly to look into the swirling depths. The color was very soothing to her, easing some of the tension out of her shoulders. "I couldn't really tell you more than that," she finally added, "because I don't know. I've seen where it happens but, it's just a waiting game now." Alex tore her eyes from the bottle and back to Kenth, her expression gentle. "You'll be a great Guardian. I know it."
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:55 pm
At the mention of "magic" Kenth perked up. If it was before the soul capture, the doctor would have looked down and discredited anything that wasn't explained by science. Now, however, that word only made him become more curious and interested. Kenth waited for Alex to finish her explanation of the procedure, expecting an invitation to allow him to see the said magic with his own eyes. But what followed was only disappointment, as the woman mentioned not even a word that he had hoped for. In fact, it was almost certain that he would not be able to see the birth of his Raevan because she said...waiting game.
Kenth frowned, unsatisfied by her answer. Carefully he asked, "does that mean...I'm not allowed to see the creation of the Raevan?" He could care less about being a great guardian, but he would be missing a great step in his research if the birth process was unknown!
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:12 pm
A dark brow lifted at the question. Alex stared at the doctor for several moments in silence before dropping her eyes to the bottle in her hands. "It takes a long time, Doctor, it's not an instantaneous occurrence." Her broad shoulders lifted and dropped in a small shrug, briefly glancing down the hallway as if she thought Kyou might be waiting there to answer the question for her. "You could ask Kyou if you could come in to observe, but that's not up to me. As far as I know, only Lazarus maintains the tanks - ah, Laz," her gaze returned to the man, "is Kyou's Raevan. The oldest of them."
Long fingers linked around the briefcase, bringing it in front of her and replacing the bottle next to the fluffy essence. She tried to put the two together in her mind, imagining a being of furled garments and a soft disposition, cool to the touch and lovely. Alex smiled to herself, excitement bubbling in her; but not yet, she couldn't let it out yet, she had to wait just as Kenth did. "I'll ask Kyou if you don't mind, and he'll get in contact with you if he's okay with it." Green eyes returned to Kenth's ice blue ones, any affinity they'd had once again far and out of reach.
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:31 pm
"I see..."
He lowered his head a little, defeated by the answer. He wanted to say that he didn't mind watching Kyou doing his magic every day, but he had a clinic to run, and had other projects to complete. "I suppose creating Raevans is all he does." Kenth suggested, mentally counting how many creatures he had already met in the past few months. There was Alex's Zul, the intelligent Xiu, the quiet Vyn, the almost human Rivener...
"It's okay, I should be busy with other things. But if it's okay, I'd like to ask Kyou for a copy of his research log. It will be kept confidential, of course." Eventually Kenth settled with obtaining the knowledge via other means. It was a shame that he was still human and could not handle everything in the world he wanted at once. The little hopeful sparkles within him had died down by now, and Kenth quickly recovered back into his old, solemn self.
"Is there anything else left for me to do?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:37 pm
Alex remained quiet. It wasn't her place to say what Kyou did or didn't do - or that Kenth could or couldn't see what happened behind the scenes. It would be like asking Kenth if they could sit in on a surgery, and she wasn't entirely sure the man she called boss would be keen on exposing the public to the process. All these thoughts, she kept to herself, simply nodding to what it was that Kenth said.
"I'll pass on your request," she replied cordially. How funny, she thought to herself with a rueful smile, to go rounds with you again. She shook her head at the question, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's all." Latching the briefcase, she picked it up and plucked the contract off the desk to file. "I'll call you as soon as I know something, and the process from there on out will be detailed." Alex offered one last smile in parting, small and far from the joyous one she had donned before.
"I'll be seeing you soon. Good day, Doctor."
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