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 Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 8:27 am
Who: Anita and Zeke
When: Mid to late morning
Where: Lab 305
Weather: Chilly with the odd spat or two of snow every hour
Zeke plopped himself down once more into the swivel chair behind the reception desk, wiping his hand over the metal and mica surface to sweep away any lingering crumbs of his breakfast. As with other weekends he spent at his new part time job, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Dr. Kyou or the man's Raevan Lazarus and he was puzzled as to when he'd meet one or the other. Alex and Zul, who were usually here with him, were also absent - the former likely doing something job related and the latter was probably with her as well. No problem though, he could do reception work, and as the other weeks he had been here, he didn't expect anyone to come in. The job was probably the easiest work he's ever had, but he did wish he had something more to do than sit here playing Solitaire.
Licking his lips, Zeke swung the chair he was seated in to and fro, debating what to do now that his danish had been defeated. Other than fiddling on the internet, he could go down the hall and into the laboratory itself; that was an option. He wouldn't touch anything (never did) but each time he did pop in there he would go close to the only tank active and peer through the glass to see the virus Raevan forming within. There was nothing definable yet - especially gender wise - but he liked to check on it. Maybe attempt to form something of a connection with the developing being before it could even open its eyes. Even if it the signal was weak, it must be aware in there. An idea appeared from that very notion and Zeke stopped swiveling to open the desk and rifle through for a clean sheet of paper.
I'll make a sign! Markers followed out after; bright colors, but not too bright like highlighters. He had a golden opportunity to teach, know...something with his Raevan before it was even born. Why let it go to waste? Plus, on the off chance someone did come in, he wouldn't be left wanting longer conversation with them after they departed. Childlike glee rose up on Zeke's pierced face and he set about to his task, mind already set on making a simple but colorful 'Hello' on the paper.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:09 am
A chilled wind hit Anita as she waited for the signal to walk toward the other side of the street, causing an intense shiver though her body. In one hand, she clutched tightly to a piece of paper with instructions on how to get to this Lab 305. It would be her very first visit. The return address on the box the two items she had in her messenger bag hadn't been for the Lab, but what she assumed to be Alex's home, and so Anita had to do some digging to find the proper address.
It was assumed she should have called to arrange such an appointment, but talking on the phone was so... unpleasant. She made sure to add the Lab's phone number to her Contacts list in case of any problems or questions, but for now she would speak to the staff face to face.
Keeping a brisk walk, she crossed the street, wrapped up in her black pea coat, jeans and sneakers, fingertips poking out of striped gloves and a scarf wrapped snugly around her neck. The large structure was just up ahead, with a sign indicating it so: Lab 305. She had followed the directions properly and uttered a sigh of relief as she pocketed the paper. Trees surrounded the building, all sorts including a cherry blossom tree, as well as rows of plants though they were all without blooms due to the weather.
Spring would be here within a month. Hopefully.
Straightening her hair and clothes after another strong gust of wind, she tugged on one of the door handles and tripped over the threshold, stopping to kick what snow and wetness was on her shoes before entering onto the nice floor. The whole place looked ritzy, not quite what she pictured a laboratory to be, but this was only the reception room.
"Excuse me?" she cleared her throat, attempting to put on an air of preparedness which simply wasn't there. Still, she was generally good at faking it when necessary, standing up straight with her shoulders back, one hand on the strap of the messenger bag. "I'm here to drop something off..." At first she hadn't noticed, but looking closer, the receptionist appeared hunched over the desk and deep into something. Her green eyes widened in surprise but an amused smile crept onto her face; green and purple hair.
Life with Lab 305 was full of surprises.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:35 am
The letters spelling out the 'Hello' were bold and blocky in black Sharpie marker. It took a surprising bit of effort to keep them neat, straight, and at not too much of a slant, but when the when the word was neatly printed, Zeke felt a bubble of pride at his work. A breath was directed at the ink so it wouldn't smear as he colored and designed around it, and the black dried quickly. Zeke was either blissfully ignorant of the fact the Raevan in the chamber would unlikely be able to read his message or the thought simply hadn't crossed his mind. Either way though, he was enjoying this and he capped the marker before picking up another as the door opened; his attention remaining on the horizontal sheet.
Must be Alex. He figured, since no one had left since he had arrived earlier in the morning. When Anita spoke up, however, his mohawk-styled head lifted and he surveyed the young woman there before looking down at his arts and crafts. One sweep of his arm later and all the pens had been cleared off the desk back into the open drawer from whence they came and the sign-in-progress was flipped over so its pristine back was showing. There. Secret project was secret.
"Well hi!" He still wore his glee, but it settled into a look and smile of somewhat professional delight at having someone show up. The pierced man noticed her posture and quirked a brow at it, but didn't comment. Instead, he rose from his seat and gestured her to come over to the desk, stretching after he did so. It was warm in the Lab, so Zeke had shed his top layers until he was down to his sky blue tank top - his arm tattoos and a bit of the one on his back on full display. As he relaxed back to his normal height he waited for Anita to come over, right hand extending for her to take at her leisure. "My name's Zeke and welcome to the Lab. What can I help you with today?" Mmm, professional and he didn't hitch at all. The vet felt like he had been working here for years now, rather than weeks. She said she was dropping something off, so his interest was decidedly piqued. A captured soul perhaps? Would his Raevan have a neighbor soon? She wasn't dressed like a delivery girl, that was for sure.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:04 am
His sudden enthusiasm after she spoke caused a giggle, which she quickly stifled by smacking her hand onto her mouth, but her smile was still strong beneath it. It wasn't meant to be at him, but he was just so jolly and expressive! The "well hi!" certainly helped and Anita relaxed, feeling a bit more at ease.
Adjusting the bag, she approached the desk and shook his hand, giving it a good, firm grip. "Hi, Zeke, I'm Anita. It's my first time here..." as she retracted her hand, she wondered how to explain the way she had acquired her bottle and essence. Was Zul allowed to have done it in the first place? Would he get in trouble for doing so? Still, it had to be explained one way or the other, because she hadn't acquired her bottle through conventional means.
"Ah... right. So, I have something that I'm supposed to bring here..." she reached down and pulled up the bag, setting it gently on the desk top. Clenching her eyes shut, she removed the vial containing the mistletoe, intending to get it out of the way first. As usual, its power caused her mouth to fly at Zeke's as if they were magnets of opposite polarity, unable to screech to a halt. Still, she had done it so much recently, it was pointless reacting to it and so as soon as it was over, she leaned back and held out the vial for him. "Mistletoe that forces you to kiss..." Anita announced it as though she were reading off of a check list, digging back into her bag and pulling out the filled soul bottle as soon as Zeke took the vial.
Gently, she set the bottle between them, hands on top of it, a finger idly stroking the cloth. For a moment, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against the cold glass, watching the dull green smoke swirl inside like food coloring in water. "And a crocodile soul."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:43 am
The fact he had gotten a bit of laughter out of Anita made Zeke smile all the more. He loved to make people laugh! He shook her hand back with equal firmness, beaming at her name. Thinking back, it might have been one of the ones he had picked to be his Raevan's possible name if it were female. If she was in possession off a soul, he'd make sure to cross it off his poll come Monday to spare both the young lady and the Raevan any confusion later on.
"Nice to meet you Anita." His hand also dropped and he nodded as she reiterated she had something to give to the Lab. Zeke moved a couple things out of the way so her back wouldn't sit lopsided or so said things wouldn't be damaged, placing them near the computer monitor that was on the right side of the desk. When he turned back to her, he saw her eyes were shut tight. Had something got into them? He was sure he cleaned all the crumbs off and they couldn't have just magically become airborne. The vet's attention was on the girl's face that at first he didn't register the Essence that was slowly poking out of the bag. "You okay? Did you get something in your eye--"
Before he could say more, Anita had planted one on his pierced lips. While she was appearing rather calm by the entire affair, Zeke just stood there dumbstruck with a blank look on his face. What had just...? Anita's words about the Essence brought him back down to earth, though he couldn't shake the 'wait...what?' feeling then and there. His hand reached out automatically as she offered the vial to him and he felt that overwhelming feeling to kiss as well. Anita's head ducked down, but Zeke was still moving across the desk. His lips came down on the top of her head instead, and he had never been so happy to kiss a woman on the back of the head as he was right now. Of course, soon after, that awkward feeling answered its call and heaved himself off and away, setting the Essence down on the table as though he were touching something riddled with plague.
"So uh..." He started, face lightly flushed with embarrassment. "Interesting way to start things off, huh? Oh those silly Essences..." He laughed; a light sound trying to combat that awkward feeling and turn it into something they could both climb over, looking between Anita and the vial now seated next to the Post-It note box. This was only his second contact with a raw Essence, but he was learning fast enough about them. Poor girl probably had a really hard time with that one, a plant with the power to will people to kiss. The glimmer of the soul within the bottle finally caught his eye and he realized he hadn't caught what she said about what kind of soul it was exactly. Plus it dawned on him there was paperwork to get to as well. He was such a newbie at this, but protocols must be done!
"I'm sorry...I don't think I caught what you said about the soul." His tone was apologetic as he sat back down and pulled the bottom doors of the desk open, looking for the folder with the forms. That awkward wasn't leaving any time soon was it? "But that's okay! You're gonna have to put down what you caught on these papers...Here." He pulled some papers from the drawer, first flipping through to make sure they were the right ones. When that was assured, he slid them across the table with a pen seated on top towards Anita, though he was careful not to even graze the vial with the innocent looking plant. "Read that over and just sign, date, whatever where it says. I should find a case for your soul and Essence..."
He trailed off, looking around the desk as though one were nearby. Zeke even disappeared as he bent down to look beneath the desk, though there was nothing there as well. He'd have to check the Doctor's office for one, it seemed. Zeke straightened himself, monitoring Anita's progress before standing, eying the Essence once more.
"I don't have a case here, but if you'd like - since they're gonna end up there anyway - you can come with me to Dr. Kyou's office and we'll find one for you there." He got up then, pushing the chair in and leaning with one hand against the backrest for her to be done. The paper's would go into the case too, he figured, so two or three birds with one stone.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:12 pm
She had returned his "nice to meet you" after the fact, though his question about her eye was looked over as the kiss took control over her body. Once she handed it over, it seemed the Essence did the same to him, though she was thankful she had moved when she did, feeling the peck on the head. A cheeky smile arose before she came back up with the bottle and she could see the look of confusion still plastered to the man's face.
For a moment, her smile faltered and she looked down at the paper work Zeke slid over to her, still holding the bottle close. Looking over it, the form was fairly short, mostly contractual stuff, but Anita was surprised at how professional it all was. "Ah, yeah. Okay," she gently left the bottle on the desk and leaned over the paper work, reading and rereading to make sure she understood everything properly. Places for her to fill in were for her Essence and Soul, and she wrote them slowly and concisely, not wanting to mar the document with messy handwriting.
Essence: Forceful Mistletoe
Soul: Crocodile
At the very bottom, like any other legally binding document, was the space that summed up the responsibilities present and a space to sign and date. By signing this document, she was completely under ownership of the Raevan that would be born from the combination of the two Essences and she should only sign if she truly felt she was up to the task. Her hand wavered over the long line at the bottom, biting her lip.
We discussed this... You can do it.
If you agree to this task, please sign your name here with the date.
xxAnita Harley Bishopxxxxx xFeb. 27, 2010x
Swallowing hard, she set the pen down and reread all of the places she had to write something down for, double checking that everything was completely perfect before she turned to look for Zeke and found him beneath the desk, coming out and continuing their conversation. Anita blinked, pursing her lips for a moment before she understood what Zeke was saying. "Sure, sure! I mean... I'm going to have to come back here sometime anyway, right? Might as well get a small tour." A joke, of course, but it would certainly be interesting to see all of the bits and bobs and remember what Dr. Kyou even looked like.
Handing the papers to Zeke, she gathered the Essence and bottle back into her bag and began following him down a long hall past more double doors. Her heart was racing as thoughts of what she was doing began to suffocate her; this was actually happening, she was going to be taking care of a Raevan!
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:44 pm
"Excellent! Come this way." He chuckled at her suggestion of it being a tour and he liked the idea, joke or not, leading her to the doors, then through them. Zeke was happy to be moving once more, a slight bounce in his step though he kept in time with Anita. "On the left here is Alex's office, and the one next to hers is the office of another doctor. I haven't met him yet, but then again I haven't met Dr. Kyou yet either." He said that part sheepishly, it was rather odd to be working for a mystery employer and saying it out loud to someone put that into perspective. "On the right is the kitchens, cafeteria, storerooms," He gestured to each door, mindful not to smack Anita in the head as he did so.
His bouncing gait came to a stop as they reached the end of the hall that was sealed off from the room beyond by a set of double doors. The lab was back here and just past that was their destination. Zeke turned to his companion, carefully shifting the forms into one hand while raising the other with his index finger extended. This was the no-nonsense place. If anything happened, he'd likely be booted from everything - the job, the Lab, and his Raevan, so best to make sure she understood the precautions.
"Beyond these doors is the laboratory itself," He began, turning his head to peer through the translucent glass on the door he was nearest to. No movement of formed bodies that he could see, so that was good. "I hate to be so serious, but we gotta make sure not to touch anything. I'm not sure how more than half the stuff in there works and I'd hate for something to happen. Not that I don't think you'll do anything, but it's a precaution you know?" He smiled again, his hand dropping and pushing the door open. He held it until Anita passed by then let himself follow after her. "And this is where the magic happens."
The lab was large - likely the largest room in the building - and from top to tail it looked it. Counters and tables of instruments, computers, books, papers...You name a science-related tool, it was likely in the room somewhere. Despite all that, what drew the eyes the most was in the center. The Raevan tanks. There were a handful in here, all lined up in a row, but only one appeared to be active. That chamber glowed with its own inner light and even from the spot by the doors, anyone coming in could see a dark quarter of a figure suspended within. Zeke had been here enough times before to not be phased by the developing Raevan's lack of fully formed arms, lack of body below its collar and everything else that made a Raevan, well, a Raevan. Plus it was his, so why should he be afraid? When one was close to the glass it would be clear the Frei had no gender discerning features yet either, and hair was only just beginning to sprout atop its head. As the two humans watched, the Frei within the tank would move, albeit just a little. It was slight, mostly just in those arms that ended where an elbow would one day be, but it was there. It was almost as though the Frei was in a dream in the tank. Zeke turned to look at Anita, hoping the sight (even so vague and shadowy) didn't frighten her or make her want to back out and leave the Lab family forever. A firm hand rested on her shoulder, and Zeke's smile softened as though telling the girl - no matter her emotions - that it was okay.
"Say 'hello' to my Raevan, Anita."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:10 pm
As Zeke explained, Anita followed in time, unable to help but smile at how simultaneously professional and unprofessional the man was. She thought of him like an eccentric business man, not minding anyone's weirdness as long as they didn't mind his, and so she began mimicking the way Zeke walked to keep in time with him. Occasionally she would dodge her head around when he became a little too expressive, but there was no true fear of being struck.
"You haven't? Anita questioned when he explained he had never met Dr. Kyou. "...Mysterious man, huh?" She had just barely met him in '08 as he served drinks on the beach during a fundraiser. Apparently it had been to raise money to rebuild the Lab, and as she looked around now, she was glad her measely gold had gone to good use; however small, she had helped these people.
It was odd, she noted, how interwoven her life had become with the Lab so long before Zul sent her those two frustrating and fascinating items. Nearly three years, and she was certain it had been around long before that.
When Zeke stopped, she parroted and smiled, though his sudden change of tone was surprising. His explanation put everything into perspective to Anita and she nodded, showing him her hands and then placing them into her jean pockets, never to touch a thing within the white and sterile confines of the laboratory.
Before them, the doors hissed as though they were entering a decompression zone in space and, compared to the rest of the Lab building, it really did seem out of this world. Everything was stark white and tiled, not covered in fashion or patterns, and the room was gigantic. Spaced evenly at the center of the room, in a straight line, were a few large tanks bigger than a person. Cylindrical and tied up by tubes to the ceiling and floor, with glass windows at the front. When they entered, Zeke had gone silent, but approached one of the tanks that seemed to be on. To Anita's astonishment, a Raevan was beginning to form inside of it at that very moment.
"Say 'hello' to my Raevan, Anita."
All sorts of questions were rushing through her mind, dulling her senses so she didn't even notice the man's hand on her shoulder; how long do they take to be born? When will you know the gender? Is there any way to tell what gender it will be? Did you pick a name yet? What's its Essence? What's its soul? Only one managed to slip out of her mouth, along with a hand from her pocket that reached towards the glass window where a featureless face was visible. At the last moment, she refrained from touching it and retracted the appendage, "...Hello, little Raevan. You'll have a friend soon." After returning her hand to its pocket home, she turned toward Zeke, a look of intrigue and determination across her face, "I guess I should start thinking up names, huh?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:42 pm
"Nope, not once. Alex is practically my sister though, so if she trusts him, then by extension so do I. But yes, yes he is." He answered her question with another soft chuckle, his brown eyes back on the Raevan forming within the tanks. Its limbs and torso both formed into spiraling ribbons at their ends and as Zeke watched them slowly billow within the tank, he had to wonder how aware it was in there. It had only been a month after all, but he was sure the Frei's brain and what it had of a nervous system was already firing off signals and taking information back.
"...Hello, little Raevan. You'll have a friend soon."
Zeke jerked out of his trance as Anita spoke. The veterinarian had gone quite silent then, not that he could help it, the whole room had a lingering aura much like a library - keep quiet when entering, even though there was only the three of them in here. Her words lingered against his ears and Zeke felt a sense of relief or calm by them. A friend for his Raevan, something it would likely never have in regards to the previously infected Raevans with the possible exception named Zul. Like when he had held the mistletoe he felt an overwhelming surge to impart some affection on his companion, but in the form of a friendly hug rather than a kiss. He could fight this one off though and didn't embrace her, but still, he was grateful enough to heavily consider it.
"Yeah, that'd be best." His hand left her shoulder and he peeled his eyes away from the chamber once more. "Try the internet and baby name registry sites. In my experience, it's a lot easier than sitting at a desk and wracking your brain for names that way." His poll at work was already showing results and he found himself liking the popular choices. He gestured to the tank. "And also, go for both genders, since you probably won't know until its born what gender it is. As you can tell, there's not much to go on with mine - at least until it develops more - so I looked for both sides." That was likely a question she had rattling around in her head he figured, along with a million more. He wasn't very Lab-knowledgeable, but he could sure try to answer anything she had.
"You've probably got a ton of questions I bet. I haven't been working here long, but I can try to answer what you toss at me. Plus I rather enjoy a good game of 'Twenty Questions'." He'd likely have to tell her about the Frei's Essence too, even though her own Raevan would have no chances of getting infected when Dr. Kyou applied the curse. He'd only met three of the previously infected so far - Zul, Vyn, and Xiu in order - and he wouldn't be surprised if word of a virus Raevan had spread to others by now. At any rate, even if he wasn't required to tell her, he would, though he sincerely hoped that it wouldn't lose the Raevan any more potential friends.
"You can ask as we go, since we really should get your soul and Essence put in a case and marked up for Dr. Kyou. I bet you're really excited to get those taken off your hands and get your Raevan too." He moved from the row of Raevan tanks and gestured her to follow him. "His office is just on the other side of the lab here. Once we get everything taken care of, you'll be free to go!"
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:19 pm
Bouncing on her heels slightly, she nodded to Zeke when he let go of her, listening intently. The internet seemed to make the most sense, but she had never named anything besides pets before and a Raevan certainly couldn't be given a name like "Cuddles", "Spot" or "DJ Tricky". Anita would take Zeke's advice to heart and look at both sides of the gender spectrum; there really was no telling from Essence and soul alone, and she wasn't even sure what gender the crocodile had been or whether that had any sway.
Again, Anita sighed in relief and stretched back, thinking of what to ask first. Her brain was going a mile a minute when it wasn't concentrating on Zeke's words, it was hard to sift through them all. She tried to slow herself, go one at a time from most pertinent to least pertinent; "Do you know how long it takes for them to finish... the process?" It was hard finding a proper word for that, but it was the best she could come up with.
There were still so many others she wanted to ask, so many things she didn't know, not just about her Raevan or Zeke's but the Lab, the other Raevans, the other guardians, anything and everything. Looking back over her shoulder once more before they were completely out of the laboratory, her eyes fixed on the working Raevan tank just as the doors closed behind her.
"I'll have to thank Zul in person... He's the one who sent me the Mistletoe." Hopefully word wouldn't get to Alex unless he wouldn't be reprimanded.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:41 pm
He led her through the laboratory, mindful to avoid any trailing cords, tubes, or what have you lying around on the floor. A book that was on a passing table was perched precariously and so Zeke gently pushed it further onto the surface but didn't touch anything else after that. Her question was a good one, one that he should have asked Alex himself to give him some time to prepare, but he hadn't the foggiest idea of how long a Raevan took. He chewed his lip for a moment before looking to Anita, shaking his head.
"I'm not too certain, actually, but my Raevan has been in that tank for about a month now. Maybe a bit over, like a week or so, but I think it depends. Each of them is different after all, so I think their development times varies given what's being used to make them." It probably sounded far-fetched. When humans developed from embryo to fetus it took exactly nine months. Gestation was always a set amount of time unless there was certain situations that called for early labor and birth. Raevans should be the same, but then again, they weren't like humans or animals like that. They were special and made in this lab after all and science always takes time to get the best results.
"Zul was?" His tone was surprised but also curious, thinking fondly of the Frei. "He must really trust and think the best of you Anita. He's got pretty good feelings around people I think." They arrived at Kyou's office door and Zeke knocked. There was no reply from within, so the doctor must be out or upstairs. Not wanting to lead Anita all around for the entire day, he grasped the handle and was happy to find the door unlocked. He let himself and his companion in, catching site of the metal suitcases and taking brisk steps toward them. "Zul's not here now, but if you want, I can try to pass the message on to him the next time I see him? Maybe he could get into contact with you easier that way."
He checked to make sure the case before him was free of anything but that protective foam and when he saw it was, Zeke brought it to the desk. He set it down easily with minimal 'thunk' and opened the lid once again. The case had two spots in that dark gray foam - one large and bulbous for the bottle, the other small and thin for the vial. The forms Anita had handed him back in the lobby were placed off to the side and would be placed atop the case when it was shut again.
"Here we go. Space for one soul glass and one vial." He held out his hands to take the two items from Anita, but paused to pluck a tissue from the box on the desk, placing it over the palm of his right hand. "For the Essence. Hopefully it won't act up with a buffer."
Once both were tucked into the case and the lid snapped down and shut over them, Zeke placed the forms on that and snatched a post-it note. He wrote down her name, the Essence, but paused at the soul, looking shocked as he finally realized what the green smoke used to be. Even if his Frei's spider soul was venomous, he hadn't tackled a brute like that!
"You caught a crocodile?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:51 pm
Zeke's reaction was what she had been expecting; surprise. "So he hadn't told anyone," she laughed, not knowing the Frei well but getting an idea of his personality from all he heard about him, "That'd be great, he's been to my work so just tell him he can stop in any time or call there." Getting back in touch with Zul would be great, and maybe she could even get him a discount on something new at the store if he wanted it. Whatever he wanted in return from the wonderful thing he had bestowed upon her.
She followed her leader into the room silently, peering around for any sign of the good doctor but there were none. His room was nice and large, as well, very official looking with a desk and rows of cabinets and books. Anita watched Zeke pull out the suitcase and she fumbled with her bag, first handing him the Essence and then the large bottle. Before she parted with the object, she stared inside of it one last time. Once this was over, she would no longer get to look inside to see its swirling contents, feel the crocodile inside of it, empathize with it.
It would be something completely new.
Good luck, crocodile, she gave a wry smile and handed the bottle off, closing her bag as Zeke closed the case. His question came as she was fumbling with her straps and she paused, looking up at him before continuing to clip the bag shut. A soft chuckle came as she finished, bringing a hand up to play with one of her braids. Of course it was an unbelievable notion, given her appearance.
"It, uh... kind of caught itself. Was an accident," her eyes drifted back to the closed case on the desk and she crossed her arms, quirking a brow at it.
Fate was silly.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:27 pm
"I can do that." He said in regards to telling Zul to call or stop by Anita's job. If the Frei had given the girl the two objects as gifts, he figured he'd be more than delighted to hear Anita wanted to talk to and ultimately thank him for it. Lab 305 really was quite the family and he was happy his first bottle deposit was going so well and with a nice girl like her.
Anita saying the capture was an accident brought the smile right back and he had to wonder how many captures had been just that - simple accidents. "Well, looks like you and I have a bit in common. My Raevan's soul capture was also a bit of an accident as well." Of course, saying that brought those memories of Alex's determination to kill the spider then her freak out dance to mind and he started to laugh. Once he was done, he wiped his eye as moisture collected there, realizing Anita might think him mad then.
"Sorry. The capture was kinda funny in a way. Ah...Alex caught a spider soul for me, and I believe that's the soul used for my Raevan. I never got another bottle even though she left a note..." What had happened to that note anyway? Surely Kyou had seen it, it had been left in the middle of his desk on the case that had housed the pierced man's bottle. It never occurred to Zeke the note was actually right nearby, beneath the case behind him where no one will see it ever again. Now that he had spoken of its soul, maybe now would be good to segway onto the Essence. Even though she had likely never heard of the events, he was still afraid of a backlash like Vyn had given him, even if it also wasn't physical.
"Ah..." Of course, when he had something to say, he lost the words for how to bring it up exactly. His fingers drummed on the case top, figuring out how to bring the virus to light. "Well, since I know about your Essence, it's only right you know about mine. A fair trade, for lack of a better phrase." He knew they shouldn't linger in Kyou's office, and now that the paperwork, bottle, and essence were secure, they should start heading back to the lobby. He walked around Anita and the desk, motioning for them to leave.
"You've got mistletoe that forces people to kiss, and I got - had - a virus that can reproduce on its own. Self Replicating Virus." He spoke slowly, his attention on shutting the door without a giant bang like the first time he had shut it. The heavy door closed with a soft click instead and Zeke started to move once again. Now for the heavy stuff. "Now, you probably don't know, but a few months ago this virus got out and infected about half the Raevan population in existence. It caused quite a bit of trouble, though that's putting it lightly, and eventually a cure was found and everyone was cured." They passed by the Raevan tanks again, Zeke pausing there to look at the spider Frei in the glowing chamber. "Kyou, for some reason, kept what was left of the virus and decided to make it into a Raevan: my Raevan." He looked back to Anita now, his smile gone and looking rather sad by now.
"Now, four Raevans know of its existence as it is. Zul, a Raevan named Vyn, a Raevan named Xiu, and Kyou's Raevan Lazarus. Zul seems fine with the whole deal, but he doesn't remember what happened when he was sick. I can't speak for Laz, but I don't think he's one hundred percent pleased. Vyn and Xiu are, understandably, against its existence." Possibly three Raevans against his own already, and the number would surely grow as he brought to light its existence. Now that he stood here, was telling them only damning himself and his own? They had the right but...
"I know how that sounds, but when Alex propositioned me to take care of the Raevan born from the virus, I was told that the Raevan would have a seal placed on him or her. Its virus side will be completely sealed away. That part of it will only sustain it and he or she will have no abilities related to it." Zeke had taken up motion again and now they were at the doors, but he couldn't help but toss a glance back at those chambers once again. "Kyou promised Alex, and even though I've never met him, I trust his word. He knows what he's doing." Zeke uttered a soft sigh as he opened the door leading to the lobby again, looking at Anita with hope but also a mingled fear that she would shun this being too.
"You said it would have a friend soon, and I know me saying all of that is probably making you fear for yours, but...I fear that it'll never have a true chance with those who were infected. That, even though I tell them about the seal and they'll be totally safe around it, the fact they went through being sick with the virus before is making them strongly against it and that that will never change. I think that out of all Raevans, this one will need friends most of all. It will always be accepted with me, but I can only do so much you know? It deserves an equal chance." They were near the lobby now and Zeke knew his time with Anita was running short. He was leaving her with a lot to think about and he was an idiot for piling this on her when she should be feeling happiness at her future Raevan, not fear for its health and sanity.
"I'm sorry, this is probably like a punch to the face." Some shaky laughter followed suit, leading Anita to the desk again to write down the Lab's phone number so she had it on hand. "But...I'm just looking out for mine. It's gonna be born with a lot of prejudice and such toppled on it and it'll likely always be the black sheep. It shouldn't be blamed for something it had no dealing in." He handed her the paper and pulled out a book of numbers, flipping through a few before finding a blank slot, friendly expression coming back as he thought of a good situation-lightening sentence.
"Just put your phone number down in here, and we'll call you when the stork arrives."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:56 pm
Excellent, this was turning out pretty easy. Here she had been thinking there would be this whole crazy long process or something weirder, but when it came right down to it, this was pretty simple. It probably helped that Zeke was so good-natured, being an entertaining host as well as a wealth of information, even if he was fresh off the hiring roster. It seemed, based on the information that Josh had given her, regular people taking care of Raevans only new so much while the more important things were kept to staff.
"Thanks a lot, I've been meaning to get in touch with him," it was only now she realized she probably could have used the address he had posted to her to track down a phone number and call him herself, but it was better this way. Phone calls were always awkward.
As Zeke explained, his laughter became contagious; Anita had no idea exactly what she was laughing at, but it had to have been damn funny if it nearly made Zeke cry and she kept laughing until he quieted down enough to explain. A spider and a crocodile, accidental Raevan buddies. Of course, not having an essence to pair the spider with was making it difficult for her to picture anything, even if the end result would be completely inaccurate.
The two began to exit the office as Zeke began speaking once more, detailing the Essence in all of its terrible glory. Infamous, it seemed, the warmhearted raver was stuck with a Raevan that had caused a lot of harm even before it was born. He explained the other Raevan's reactions to it, nearly all negative, and understandably assumed the worst for it. Anita couldn't completely follow how Dr. Kyou planned on sealing up the virus' powers, or what all that would entail if the seal was not placed, but it seemed to be a weight off of Zeke's shoulders even if there were still more weighing him down. It all seemed very worrying, and though she couldn't put it into perspective without having seen the horrific events the outbreak had caused, it was also frightening.
Offering a look back for the final time, down the long hall and into the lab again where the tank was no longer visible, Anita pouted. Prejudice before you were even born? That wasn't fair at all. It was like condemning a child for something its father had done. No, that wasn't right.
"I hope they can be friends," Anita nodded to him, a firmness in her voice that was trying to urge fate to make it so. She would have no control over her Raevan in that regards, it would make friends with whoever it made friends with, but she would not abide by shunning the virus Raevan on that fact alone. Once more, Anita couldn't hide a smile at Zeke's words and she leaned over the paper, scribbling her digits and taking the paper with the Lab number on it. That was going up on the refrigerator.
"Let me know when your stork comes, too."
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 4:15 pm
"Not a problem. I'll be sure to tell him the moment I see him."
She was quiet the entire walk and he knew it was out of politeness for his endless talk talk talk, but could pretty much hear the gears in her head turning as well. What was she thinking? God he hoped it was positive. He would be sore if she was on the side of the three Raevans who were against this creation, but like he already knew, he couldn't blame them given what they had gone through. And if Zul ever remembered, that'd just be one more, though he hoped if that ever happened, the demonic Frei knew the virus Raevan enough not to condemn it.
"I hope they can be friends,"
Zeke looked shocked, but then that tone of Anita's sealed in that she wasn't countering this Raevan's existence. He felt lighter, and his shoulders rose out of their slumped position, feeling a rush of gratitude for the girl. When she had written her number Zeke shut the book and couldn't help but lean across the desk and hug her like he wanted to before. He held tight for a few moments before he realized he might be crushing her with his joy and easily let her go.
"Thank you, Anita. You don't know how happy you've made me, and I will most certainly let you know." He raised the phone number booklet and waved it at her as Anita reached the door, grinning from ear to ear. One against three, but the odds didn't feel so daunting anymore. It would have a potential friend, regardless of what came out of the tank in a few months time. Now he felt compelled to work on and finish his sign even more. "I have your number after all!"
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