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 Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:18 pm
Who: Xiu and Zeke
When: Early evening
Where: Hazeline's bookshop
Weather: Chilly with gusts of icy wind
Having been let off work early thanks to a little scheduling mishap directed towards the people who took his place at the clinic after his shift was over, Zeke was content to have just gone straight home and taken the evening off for himself. That was the plan, at least, until he did get home and saw Dust Bunny has managed to tear into those cast-aside copies of medical texts. Out of all the toys the kitten had, she had ignored them all in favor of shredding the material and chasing ripped out pages across the living room. Needless to say, Zeke wasn't pleased in the slightest. Those books had pages tagged in them that dealt with viruses and now they were pretty much gone. He couldn't have that, he needed them to prepare both for the Raevan and for a master's level course on various illnesses in common pets and animals in general.
So, instead of taking the early evening for himself, the veterinarian was now taking a stroll with a list of titles and authors in his pocket en route for the major chain bookstore in the area. As he walked though, he saw a sign and building for a bookshop. A cool blast of air pierced through his winter jacket and Zeke tugged it tighter to his body, pausing just short of the shop to eyeball the premises. It wouldn't hurt to try here first right? Nothing ventured, nothing gained after all and who knows, they may have just the textbooks he was looking for. Plus it would save him a longer walk through the February air and he could get home quicker to give his cat the rest of her talking to. Another gust of wind set the idea into motion and the mohawked man jogged to the door. The hours on the door told him he'd have a couple hours to browse before the shop would shut down for the night and he praised his good luck. He let himself in without another thought, shaking the cold off his wrapped up figure when the latch clicked behind him.
So much better... He thought as he unbuttoned the front of his coat, exposing the forest green turtleneck he had underneath. His brown eyes cast around the well-lit storefront and noticed it was quite deserted. He knew his pierced and dyed appearance would likely cause a ruckus should the shop owner or employees appear suddenly and notice him looking at their wares, so the vet moved toward the side where the counter and register were located. No one there either. Huh. Zeke pulled one hand free of its glove and rapped on the wooden surface just loud enough that anyone anywhere in the shop could hear.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:03 am
Xiu placed the last of new arrivals safely in the back office and would probably have moved on to filing some documents when the sound of someone rapping the counter top followed by a "Hello? Is anyone here?" reached his ears.
That was surprising. Usually the shop was pretty quiet around this time of the day. Stretching his wings a little, the white raevan opened the office’s door and hurried out. It simply would not do to keep the customer waiting.
“Sorry for the wait,” said Xiu as he approached the counter where the potential customer was. “So, what can I do for you today err…sir?” enquired Xiu, pausing momentarily to stare at said customer. Well, he certainly wasn’t what Xiu had been expecting. Xiu half wondered if the person standing before him had indeed entered for a book. Perhaps he was lost and just needed directions…
Hazeline would probably have been nervous but she had called in to say that there was an impromptu meeting and would be coming back a little later. Hazeline’s half brother was too young to man the bookstore and the housekeeper was busy upstairs with the residential part of the house. So that left Xiu pretty much in charge for the moment…
One should never judge a book by cover right?
Folding his wings neatly behind him, Xiu gave the human a friendly smile. “I…may be missing a lower half but I’m quite capable in providing assistance,” said Xiu with a chuckle.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:30 am
The sound of Xiu's voice made the pierced man turn, his expression equally surprised when he saw the white Frei floating there instead of a human proprietor. It shouldn't really come as a surprise, during his tour of the Lab, Alex had said there were over two dozen Raevans in existence. They could pop up anywhere in Gaia. With that in mind, that surprised look soon worked out into a light smile, nodding as though to say there was nothing to apologize for. In his head, however, Zeke was wondering if he had just encountered one of the previously infected Raevans. The files contained no pictures of each Raevan listed, so Zeke would have to play a guessing game with each one until he was able to get a name out of them.
"I just wanted to see if your shop might have a couple books I'm looking for." He replied to the question. As he started to speak again, his tone turned noticeably more sheepish, as though the reason he was here was silly or even a little embarrassing. "Seems my cat got to a few of my college textbooks and I'm in need of some replacements as soon as I can get them." Zeke then brushed aside his jacket and reached into his pocket to retrieve his list, but what Xiu said about missing his lower half made the vet laugh.
"Don't worry, I believe you. I know what you are too." His neatly folded list pulled free of his left pocket, though Zeke kept it in hand for now. His caramel colored gaze was on the Frei and his right hand extended out for Xiu to take at his leisure, light smile turning into a friendly beam. "My name's Zeke, Zeke Farris. I just started working part time at the Lab and I'm pleased to meet you...?"
He trailed off there, ending in a question while pointedly looking and waiting for Xiu to give his name. While he waited, he took in the white Raevan's appearance and like he had been with Vyn, Zeke was amazed at how different and unique these beings were. Seems that, in his experience with meeting them, all the males had horns upon their head and this one was no different. He did like the silvery color of Xiu's though, that was unique too amongst Zul and Rivener's shades of brown - though the latter's appearance was fuzzy in hindsight, given he hadn't seen the Sigel since last May. No matter, all in all he was just happy to be able to meet another, though thanks to Vyn's reaction when he told her his situation, he was inwardly dreading what he'd have to say to this being should he be one of the previously infected.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:20 am
That was a few customers lost but for every customer that ran off screaming and claiming that there was a ‘demon’ in the bookstore, there were others that came to view Xiu as a sort of attraction and in a way, business had improved; if only marginally.
Apparently this man standing before him was more of the curious kind. He was smiling at Xiu in a rather friendly manner but what made the raevan did a double take was that the person before him had claimed that he knew what Xiu was (which was surprising enough) and that he was even working for the Lab (which made the white raevan did a double take).
“Really now?” said Xiu unable to hide the surprised look on his face. “I’d never would have thought that…but I can see that you are telling the truth…,” said Xiu with a slight shake of his head and a soft chuckle. “Pleased to meet you as well, Zeke. My name’s Xiu,”said Xiu with a smile before taking the offered piece of paper. Failing to notice the Zeke's extended hand, Xiu gave the list a quick glance and felt his wings droop with disappointment. These books were not available in this bookstore. He’d know. He’d spent many a slow afternoon browsing through the store’s content.
“I’m truly sorry, Zeke , but these books….we… I’m afraid that we do not have them…,: said Xiu apologetically. “They are rather… advanced series and well…they do not sell well to the public but … I do believe that the bookstore a little further down might have some of them in stock. Unless you’d like to place an order and have us order them from the suppliers… ,” said Xiu looking at Zeke doubtfully. “It might cost you though…,”
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Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:38 pm
The double takes Xiu did made the pierced man laugh once more. Knowing his own appearance, he attributed the second of the two to that alone, but he figured the first was just as it is - surprise that an unknown human without a Raevan of his own present knew what the white Frei was. As Xiu questioned him, Zeke nodded to confirm that what he said was true, but the Raevan said he could tell by himself. It could be a quirk of his, Zeke figured, what with white being a symbol for purity and truth and all.
"Xiu? ...I pronounced that wrong." He spoke the name again - correctly, as the Raevan had done - but his mind had taken to flipping through what had stuck with him after reading about the virus and those infected by it. Back when he had started to read Xiu's file, he incorrectly pronounced his name Zee-oo. Of course, that was rather insignificant now, given that Zeke was in fact in the presence of another now-cured Raevan. It then dawned on him that second thing uttered past his lip would likely sound odd to Xiu, so Zeke shook his head lightly, not even bothered that the Frei hadn't taken his hand to shake.
"I mean...It's nice to meet you Xiu." Another smile on the tail of that sentence. He noticed the Frei's wings dropping and inwardly he felt the same, though not over the fact the shop didn't have his books. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell him, it was just that he was worried about how the Raevan - and his guardian should they be around - would take the news. Vyn's words had felt like a slap to him after all, but at least now he was a little bit prepared. "That's quite all right. 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' right? Even if you don't end up finding what you seek." He took his list back from Xiu then, tucking it back into his pocket for safekeeping.
"I was actually on my way down to that bookstore just before I came in here. I don't mind the walk though, so don't worry about that. No need to be apologetic either." Zeke started to bounce lightly on the balls of his feet, not with an itch to leave now that the white Raevan had told him his store didn't have the books, but rather with that growing feeling of having to tell him about the virus. How to best go about this? His guardian wasn't down here with him...Maybe that would be a good opening to the news.
"This is going to sound a bit weird but...Is your guardian around? There's something I should probably tell you that's related to the Lab and you both should hear it. Though if he, " He couldn't remember if Xiu's guardian was male or female, that detail from the files was absent from his mind. "Isn't, I can just tell you. It...Probably effects you more than your guardian I think, though in the long run it encompasses both of you." He looked sheepish then, apologetic really, for going on in an almost babbling fashion to Xiu. The Frei was likely confused by what he was saying since he wasn't giving up the meat of the situation yet.
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Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:29 am
Xiu tilted his head slightly as Zeke spoke his name again as if to see how it’d fit in his pronunciation. The white frei was not bothered though. He’d come across some rather complicated names before, mostly from authors of books. But then again, their names were longer.
Placing his hands neatly onto the countertop after returning the list of books to Zeke, Xiu nodded politely. “Wise words indeed. Although there are some who would think otherwise,” said Xiu recalling not many, but a few impatient customers and their looks of something akin to disgust and impatience when told that the books they were looking for were unavailable. The bookstore was well stocked but it could not have every book ever written. What the bookstore had in store were mostly bestsellers and leisure reading and maybe a small selection of intellectual books scattered about; things that sold well to the common consumers in general. There were probably a couple of old books or prints about as well but they were kept in a separate room to make space for the newer ones.
Looking at Zeke, Xiu saw that the man had begun to bounce lightly on the balls of his feet. Was he in a hurry to leave? Well, Xiu could not blame him. The bookstore further down would probably be closing soon and he was probably in a hurry to get there. But if that was the case, he was free to leave anytime he wanted, right?
"This is going to sound a bit weird but...Is your guardian around? There's something I should probably tell you that's related to the Lab and you both should hear it. Though if he, "
"Isn't, I can just tell you. It...Probably effects you more than your guardian I think, though in the long run it encompasses both of you."
Xiu flicked his wings nervously. The human’s uneasiness was contagious and the frei found himself placing one hand over the other on the countertop as he listened to what Zeke had to say.
“Hazeline would be home soon…,” said Xiu casting a glance at the clock on the wall. “But… if you’d rather not wait… I could listen for the both of us and pass the message on later,” said Xiu trying to sound calm. What’s happening at the lab? Did something terrible happen? Did his recent check up with Dr. Tsu yield some anomaly?
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Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:22 pm
Zeke caught the way Xiu's wings flapped in that nervous way. He stopped his bouncing then, not wanting to freak the poor Frei out before he spoke of the virus and the Raevan now growing within the tank back in Gambino. Instead, his hands came to rest on the counter top as well, nodding once more when Xiu said his guardian was absent.
"I'll just tell you. You're like Vyn, old enough to hear it for yourself I think." He quirked a light grin then, a small compliment to hopefully ease the white Raevan a bit. The expression left his face quickly though and in its stead his pierced lips flattened neutral, almost stern line. It was similar to the one he wore when he broke the news to the rose femme and her guardian, with no traces of his normal happy-go-lucky personality. Even though he looked forward to being the caretaker of this being, the situation at hand for those who were infected was no laughing matter. Plus, he had to make sure they saw him as capable, and that meant not taking their past plight lightly.
"Well," He began. "Not only does this pertain to you, Xiu, it also involves quite a few other Raevans. Don't worry, I'm not pinpointing you out or anything." He cleared his throat, staving off any hoarseness or welling up of emotion that threatened to turn his straight tone into a vocal plea of any sort.
"I told what I'm gonna say to you I told to Vyn as well. I met her about a month ago, but that's beside the point." A deep breath now, here comes the breaker of this sudden tight, nervous feeling wrapping around the two males. "My reason for becoming a member of the Lab staff wasn't of my own doing. I didn't apply or anything like that - I have a full time job as a veterinarian. Instead of applying, Xiu, I was chosen by Alex and Dr. Kyou. Why, you might ask?" His hands lifted from the surface and he held them out at his sides as though displaying how empty the air around his side of the counter was. "As you can see, I don't have a Raevan of my own...Yet." His arms dropped and his hands rested on the counter top once more, looking the Raevan in the eyes and watching his expression closely.
"I was chosen by the two of them to become the guardian of a Raevan; but not just any Raevan." Here we go...Hopefully Xiu knew what his kind was made of and from. If not...Well, he would now. "My Raevan's Fel Essence is something called the 'Self Replicating Virus', Xiu. You'd know it best, however, as the 'fel virus'. It infected you, as well as Vyn, Zul, and a bunch of other Raevans just a few months ago back in two thousand and nine."
It was out on the table now. Zeke's eyes wavered from Xiu's face to glance at the side. On the counter next to his hand was a small display of paperback novels. While Vyn would use her words to pretty much slap the bi-color haired man in the face, Xiu could possibly use his own hand instead. If that was the case, Zeke would have to try to grab a book to deflect the blow first. Hopefully, he inwardly prayed, he wouldn't have to do that. Xiu seemed very...Proper and looked like one would not like violence, if only to not get his pristine outfit bloodied. The vet's brown eyes went back to Xiu's and one more piece of information rose to his lips.
"Before you say anything though, the Raevan is already forming in the tanks back at the Lab. He or she is developing into a full Frei as we speak." Okay. Now the Pi Yao was free to try and punch him out, or however he chose to react to this new information. Zeke would take it as best as he could, no matter how the Frei reacted.
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 9:47 am
The transition from ‘happy-go-lucky’ to serious was most worrisome and the white frei couldn’t help but feel that it was a forewarning to something terrible. Folding his wings tightly against his back, Xiu listened with rapt attention as the other spoke; not even cracking a smile at Zeke’s compliment. However, the white frei did raise his eyebrows a little at the mention of Vyn’s name. So this Zeke person has spoken to the quiet rose has he? Xiu wondered how Vyn conversation had gone. Judging from the way the man was acting, it was probably a pretty grim affair and this immediately placed the frei on the defensive. Clenching his fists, Xiu listened with mounting horror at what was told to him; his expression changing from astonishment to horror to speechless shock.
What was the Doctor playing at? Making a raevan out of something so…dangerous?! “T-This is a joke, right?” laughed Xiu nervously; blue eyes looking at Zeke in an almost pleading manner. “I mean…,”
Here, the white frei uttered a growl, more of exasperation than that of anger as he ran his fingers through his hair. What was Dr. Kyou thinking? Making something as dangerous as that into a raevan…
And yet…oddly enough, that sounded like the Doctor alright. Only a madman would be creating raevans in the first place. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Xiu turned to face Zeke; his expression keen. The time for idle talk and friendly chit chat was over. This was serious now and depending on the Zeke’s word, the man was either going to find himself chased out by an angered fang baring frei or allowed to stay while an equally angered frei questioned him. “Tell me, Doctor,” said Xiu slowly as his gaze remained fixed upon the human. “Should a child be judged by the deeds of his parents? If so, then let him be scorned and forever shunned and if not, how does one go about ensuring that the same misdeeds remain buried and never repeated?”
“And what measures have been taken Doctor, to ensure that our lives and the lives of those around us will be kept safe?” continued Xiu with cold blue eyes. The incident of him attacking Dr. Kyou as well as habouring a deep desire to do away with the demonic raevans Lazarus and Zul was still fresh in his memory. Not only that, but other more powerful raevans such as Zul and Lazarus had attacked one another with the intention to kill. Truly, it was as dark a moment as he’d ever experienced.
“Making it into a raevan might seem like a wise idea but as raevans, we are … inclined to follow our instincts sometimes,” said Xiu slowly, reluctantly. “ I hope…you are aware of that, Doctor,”
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:16 am
He watched Xiu's expression change with no flicker of emotion on his face of any sort. The white Raevan's face showed what Vyn's had not and reflected the Rose's inner turmoil quite well indeed. He remained quiet even as Xiu asked him if it was a joke, only replying with a shake of his head that the situation was indeed true. A virus and a spider were coming together to become a single life form, one of Xiu's kind. As he watched the Frei though, Zeke felt his stomach fall a short way in a feeling that while it would be one of them, the others would never accept it as anything more than their pain and suffering come to life. No matter that though, Zeke would always be there for it, even if Xiu and the rest went the way with Vyn, who already turned her partially formed back.
The growl Xiu uttered had Zeke reaching for one paperback, barely pulling it off the rack but keeping a firm hand around it in case he had to block a blow or smack the Frei between the horns with it. The steady breath made him almost relax, but the way Xiu's eyes had iced over stopped that before it began. The Pi Yao's words made Zeke's brows raise in surprise, amazed at his diction and bringing to mind everything the veterinarian had said to Alex over a month ago.
"Well Xiu, in my opinion a child shouldn't be judged by its parents. A child may be the product of two individuals - or in this situation, things - but I believe that, depending on the circumstances and how he or she is raised or how they learn or even how they come out themselves, the child can likely end up vastly different from its parents. Take a child from a broken home. Their parents may be horrible people, but when given to a family who will love and cherish it or surrounded by people who see it as a friend, the child can grow up to be a kind, amazing person." He considered the question at the end of Xiu's statement. This would be the curse seal, but also his part. His teachings, his mannerisms, his outlooks...These would be reflected onto the Raevan and it would likely absorb what it saw, heard, and learned from him. There would be outside factors of course, but he would be the foremost one. A faint smile flickered as Xiu continued. Time to reveal Dr. Kyou's plan.
"Dr. Kyou has taken that measure seriously of course. He would know quite well about the virus right?" He drew in another breath, his lungs starting to hurt as though he hadn't drawn in air for the entire time the two males had been having a stare down. Once it was released on a soft, nearly silent sigh, Zeke started up again. "Xiu, I can guarantee right now that you, your guardian, and the other Raevans will be perfectly safe around my Raevan. What will keep you safe, my friend, is a curse. As the Raevan grows in the tank, Dr. Kyou himself will place a spell on him or her and that will seal away the virus. Alex assured me - as Kyou told her - that the virus will only be able to support the Raevan, nothing more. He or she will have no virus-related powers at all. There's no chance for you or anyone else to get sick ever again."
Zeke was well aware that now his stomach was doing turns just behind his navel; a sickening flip-flopping motion that came with his wonder and worry of how Xiu would take that. He was so focused on this moment that he wasn't even caring that the Frei was calling him 'Doctor', and Zeke hated that moniker when in plain clothes. The one thing he could be somewhat happy for, out of all of what Xiu had said, was that he wasn't really outright damning the entire thing as quickly as the Rose had. He could tell this one had a very level head and thought things through fully, similar to himself really.
"I'm aware, have been since I read the files collected on each Raevan infected. I can't remember each one of you off the top of my head or your symptoms, but acting on your instincts was one of the prevalent symptoms of being under the effect of the virus." That much he remembered. Out of his symptoms tally, 'acting on instincts' had been one - if not the - highest shared effect of the virus between all those infected. Zeke would wait to see how Xiu reacted before springing the idea Vyn had given him on the other male, the one that would have the vet asking Xiu if he would want to meet the Raevan who would be born from the Self Replicating Virus sometime after the fact.
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:16 pm
The white frei listened as the human spoke on how a person’s upbringing would have more of an effect on said individual than a person’s genetic ever could in terms of temperament. One could always argue on that though but the frei chose to ignore it for the moment. Zeke’s answer provided the frei with what he was looking for. It was the responsible reply of a person who knew what he was entrusted with but had every intention of going through with it for better or worse and for that, the frei was satisfied.
At Zeke’s question about Kyou knowing the virus well, the white frei nodded albeit a little grudgingly. True, if anyone was supposed to know the virus well, it would probably be Dr. Kyou. After all, the virus was contained in the lab prior to its outbreak and it was Dr. Kyou who had found the cure (however uncomfortable that might be). The white frei listened with interest as Zeke explained about the Doctor’s plan on sealing away the virus’ power. It seemed so simple, so well planned. What better way to contain all of the virus within a single living body and placing a seal on it to prevent further damages? And yet, the white frei was old enough to be skeptical. Sure, the methods of cloning a sheep were easy enough for any high-schooler to understand but to actually clone one…
Not that the white frei doubted Dr. Kyou’s sealing capabilities. He has seen Dr. Kyou restrained Lazarus both with a piece of cloth and an invisible barrier after all. But to do such a thing to a raevan…
Xiu wasn’t sure he could live with that. On one hand, it was the best course of action, sealing away the raevan’s power to prevent further disasters but on the other hand, it would be crippling the newborn in a manner of speaking; preventing it from reaching its full potential. That did not jive well with the white frei as well and Xiu frowned before listening to the rest of Zeke’s speech.
“Yes, and it’s not something I am proud of,” said Xiu stiffly at the mention of raevans acting on instincts. “It has given some humans the impression that I’m no different from your generic laboratory produced monster,”
At this, the white frei couldn’t help but cast in a glance upstairs where the old housekeeper was preparing dinner. Ever since he could remember, the housekeeper had disapproved of his existence and in return, the white frei tried keeping out of her way whenever possible. Currently, the both of them were being rather civil to each other but Xiu knew that the minute something happened, the scales would be tipped.
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:05 pm
Zeke felt a small bubble of relief settle throughout his body as Xiu seemed rather steady to all he had said. The pierced man's hand left the paperback novel on the counter top rack and instead joined the other back on the hard surface, twining in a more at-ease position. There, the hard stuff had passed and the only other hurdle he could think of was to ask Xiu to meet the future Frei.
Before he could speak though, the white Raevan before him spoke again and Zeke was lost as to how to reply. This was only doubled as Xiu turned his attention towards a staircase leading up to the second floor of the shop, the vet figuring there was someone up there that reflected the last part of what he said. Instead of speaking, Zeke reached out and gave the Frei a pat on the shoulder, a small but friendly sort of smile appearing enough to hopefully say for him that he didn't think that true of the white male.
"There's one more thing I should bring up, Xiu." Again he cleared his throat, that relieved feeling having settled around his Adam's apple as well and making his voice take on a hoarse edge. "If you don't want to, I won't be upset or anything, but I just want to ask if - after the Raevan is born - you'd want to meet him or her." He looked calm, but his eyes betrayed him there. Vyn had already declined his offer to arrange a meeting outright, and even though he was sure Zul would be friendly towards the virus Raevan, Zeke was still worried for his still-growing Frei that what happened in the past would come back and bite it, even though it as a being did nothing there. Future Raevans likely wouldn't know, but until there were others, the virus Raevan would have to interact with the ones there were now.
"I've already asked Vyn," He explained. "But she turned down my offer. I can understand her saying 'no', because I read about what happened, even though I can't begin to imagine experiencing it myself. But..." There he paused, expression dipping into a frown and looking the part of the worried parent. "I'm afraid that, given the circumstances, everyone will see it as the virus itself rather than a Raevan who Kyou decided to bring into the world. It shouldn't be branded the black sheep, even though I am running the risk of that happening by telling you and all the Raevans I can about this." His hand left the Frei's shoulder then, resting back on the counter.
"But like I said, if you say 'no' to meeting it outright, I understand."
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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:59 am
Xiu watched as the other tried to say something before stopping short at his comment about being treated like a generic laboratory monster. Perhaps he should not have brought that up. It was a rather delicate subject after all. Xiu inwardly cursed himself for letting his words get ahead of him.
The human had then reached out and the white frei found himself following the other’s hand as it approached his shoulder. Although the white frei was still, his wings were flared slightly as his personal space was encroached by the human before him.
Zeke however seemed to either not have noticed it or chose to ignore the flared wings; choosing instead to give the raevan a pat on the shoulder. The weight of the human’s hand was something the white frei was not used to. He had yet to trust Zeke completely just yet and yet this human was acting as though he had. Leaving it be for now, Xiu merely shifted himself a little to accommodate the extra weight before listening in to what Zeke had to say.
…
Which was a lot; apparently. The frei remained silent throughout the duration of the other’s speech. So…this was a request from Zeke… if Xiu would be willing to meet with this human’s future raevan…
Xiu gave the question some thought. It was not as though something as important as this could be answered in a hurry. Flicking his wings, Xiu avoided the other’s gaze and tried to think of what he’d want and not what Zeke was hoping for. Would he be comfortable meeting with such a raevan? The direct answer would be no. Of course not. The white frei still had his misgivings after all but…
“I’ll be honest with you,” said the white frei finally turning to face the vet. “I am...wary of meeting this future raevan of yours. That can never be denied. But…” continued Xiu slowly as he weighed his words. “It is as you say…we can’t just… ostracize a young one for something he or she has…’technically’ never done. Here is my answer, Zeke,” said Xiu with a tone of finality to his voice.
“I will not say no to meeting this future raevan of yours but…if such a meeting were to take place, I’d like it to be properly supervised,”
Heaven knows he’d not want to have a rampaging raevan on the loose should something go wrong…
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:28 am
Zeke listened to Xiu with as much silence as the Frei had given to him. When the Raevan broke his gaze the vet expected him to turn down the offer as Vyn had, and he felt disheartened. They couldn't be blamed though, he told himself this over and over again, but still. Was he really damning the Frei before it was born? That voice in his head spoke up again and told him each guardian-Raevan pair had a right to know. It had been over a month since the spider soul was captured, and given how surprised both Vyn and now Xiu had been, it seemed as though Dr. Kyou hadn't taken the initiative to call the many families who were effected. Probably to protect his research and his Lab from the slew of angered people but...
Right to know.
A sinking feeling had settled in his chest now and Zeke found it tugging the corners of his lips down slightly. His inner voices chattering over each other had almost completely drowned Xiu out and the vet nearly missed what he had said. When Xiu turned back to him Zeke shook as though startled for a moment but covered it up with a surprised glance as that final tone passed the other's lips.
"O-Of course." He stammered as Xiu agreed under that condition. Zeke didn't mind that, he would always be with his Raevan for first meetings, it would be a bonafide infant wouldn't it? No way he'd let him or her wander off without him! But more than that...One for two! "I wouldn't force you both in a windowless room and lock the door on you." It was a mild stab at humor, his face lighting up again at the Pi Yao's terse agreement. "I'd be there to supervise, certainly, and you could bring your guardian along. Should you so choose."
He didn't know how protective Xiu was of his currently absent guardian, but the Frei had an aura of a protector - of himself, naturally, but with a touch of something more. He wanted to pat the Raevan on the shoulder once more - or maybe grasp his hand in thanks - but he did recall the wing flare from before (he had noticed, but his movements had been too quick to stop), so he remained with his hands on the counter, his digits tapping in at the sudden turn of good news his way.
"Thank you Xiu. I'll be sure that everything goes smoothly and that nothing happens when it happens." The spider Raevan wasn't born yet so he couldn't attest to its personality, but no matter what came out of the tank with whatever temperament, he'd make sure any agreed upon meetings with infected Raevans went along as easily as could be. He pretty much owed it to them for agreeing, uneasily or not.
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:14 pm
“I should hope not,” replied Xiu gravely at the other’s joke before the corner of his mouth tipped up a little into a small smile. “You do seem like a responsible guardian and I think... I’ll trust you on this but as to my guardian…,”
Here the white raevan seemed undecided. It was fine that Zeke would be supervising his raevan and Xiu guessed that it was only fair that Hazeline came along as well. “Yes, I guess she would be…,” answered Xiu slowly, refraining from telling Zeke that Hazeline was probably the only person around who could get him to listen regardless of the state he’s in. But to place Hazeline in a position where it might be dangerous…
Xiu wasn’t particularly keen on that. Well, for all he’d know, Hazeline might even be busy then so it’d be best to just let it be for now.
“And yes, please do,” said Xiu as Zeke thanked him and seemed about ready to leave. Floating up, Xiu nodded at the human. “And thank you for telling me, Zeke. I really appreciate it,”
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:33 pm
As the white Frei spoke Zeke felt more and more relieved. He could still pick up on and recognize Xiu's hesitation on the matter but the fact he was agreeing just made him try to push that off. He breathed another near-quiet sigh of gratitude for the opportunity, his shoulders not feeling quite so heavy anymore. Despite his growing elation, he did see the way Xiu paused at the mention of his own guardian.
"However you want to meet, that's quite alright with me. Your guardian doesn't have to attend, I can guess has to how you must still be feeling on the matter." Zeke didn't know that fact about Hazeline being the only one who could truly control Xiu, but whatever made the Frei comfortable to continue allowing the meeting to occur he'd be just as fine with. Plus, he looked and acted old enough to not need his guardian tagging along. "I will. I give you my word Xiu, and I always do my best to uphold it." A light smile, edged with that lingering tenseness that came with his worry about Xiu rejecting his offer.
"You're welcome. I've kind of made it a mission of mine to spread the word to those who were infected. You all have a right to know more than anyone I think." Zeke pushed himself off the counter and took at step back from the table. Idling like this to make another aware was one thing, but he didn't want to leave without at least purchasing one book from the Frei. Holding up a finger as a sign of 'wait one moment', the vet swiveled on his heel and retreated to the bookcases. He skimmed titles, authors, and finally found one to suit his fancy.
"Here," he said upon his return, laying a copy of Stephen King's The Stand on the counter and pulling out his wallet. "I'll buy this from you. Least I can do for your understanding." He pulled out the right sum of gold and slid that across the counter, waiting for Xiu to ring up the book and take the amount. Once the transaction was complete and the book placed in a bag, Zeke nodded once more, already turning toward the door and his original plans for the evening.
"Thank you as well Xiu - for listening and for the help. I'll be sure to contact you about the meeting at some point after he or she is born, but until then, take care." Zeke raised his free hand in a quick wave before exiting the shop. He'd be mindful to call ahead next time, though likely it would not be for another not-in-stock book.
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