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 Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:55 pm
Who: Cordelia, Ebony, and Zeke
When: Early evening, around 5:30pm
Where: Lab 305
Weather: Cool, but spring is in the air!
"Congratulations! You've won!"
"Agh, goddamn pop ups..." Zeke grumbled as one of those blinking, twitching pop up ads appeared suddenly on the screen of the receptionist desk's computer. With everything so sleek, pristine and new looking, Zeke figured Dr. Kyou would've installed a simple pop up blocker too. This was what? The fifteenth one today? Since his assigned tasks were done, the pierced veterinarian had spent his time browsing Gambino and Durem car dealership sites, realizing earlier that a public bus would be no place for a newborn Raevan. Plus he needed one anyway, but that was beside the point and these pop ups and ads were becoming a nuisance. As he cleared the chattering ad and clicked to a new page of the dealership site, another (mercifully silent) pop up appeared. That's it, time to find the browser add-ons and fix this once and for all. He still had about an hour or two left of his part time job and in his head he was doing anyone else who worked the receptionist's desk on a slow day a favor, and a slow day it had been.
Unlike the week prior, where Zeke had handled his first bottle drop off, the establishment had been empty once more. The list Alex had left him of things to do had kept him busy, but as the tasks completed and the numbers of things left to do dwindled, the excitable raver had been left rather bored. He had gone back into the lab itself and talked to the still-growing virus Raevan, but a one sided conversation was rather lonely in its own right. He was pleased to see, however, that the tank to the right of his Frei's was now lit as well and after some poking around that area of the building he had discovered it was for a fact Anita's crocodile and mistletoe. For a time he had contemplated calling the girl but figured using the phone for what could be deemed as an 'unnecessary call' would be frowned upon by his still mysterious employer.
So now he was here, reading through a fresh page of browser add ons and counting down the moments until he could leave and make the bus trips back to his apartment in Durem. Maybe he'd snag a meal at a local restaurant but even then he'd be back tomorrow and likely on his own again. Maybe he'd bring some music with him this time; a small speaker set and his MP3. Dancing to a good beat always kept him entertained, even by himself, and the eerily quiet lobby could use some livening up Zeke-style.
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:58 pm
A giant gust of wind rushed through the lobby as the Lab's front doors burst wide open. Quickly a darkly shaded Raevan made her floating march straight for Zeke at the counter. Not caring what he was up to or whether he was busy, the girl made her demands. And she would get what she wanted, one way or another. "Doctor Kyou, where is he? I need to see him. NOW!"
"CORDELIA SHADE!" Her British laced voice bellowed through the previously quiet room as the purple haired woman came running through the doors after her ward. When she got to the counter finally, Ebony bent off a few minutes to catch her breath. When she was ready and able to talk again, the woman stood up straight with her piercing steel orbs staring displeased at the basilisk Raevan's behavior. She couldn't be completely mad though since she understood the Frei's urgency in the matter, but still there was no reason to be rude.
Turning apologetically towards Zeke, "I'm terribly sorry. She's not usually like this, but..." How to start? How did you explain about the possibility of the fel virus having reared its ugly head again? Ebony sighed before realizing the person standing behind the counter was someone she'd never met before. "Oh! I thought you were Kyou. Sorry. I'm Ebony Shade and this is Cordelia. Cordelia, apologize to this man for your rudeness."
With a frustrated sigh, Delia prattled off what she assumed was the proper words Ebby wanted to hear from her. "Please excuse my earlier rudeness sir. It was wrong of me. If the doctor is in, I would very much like to see him if possible."
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 5:55 pm
The sound the front doors made as Cordelia burst through them on a determined air made Zeke's head snap up from the screen.
"How can I help y--" Before he could finish his sentence or even get that professional-grade smile out, the basilisk Frei was practically in his face and shouting about Dr. Kyou and the warlock's whereabouts. Zeke's mouth hung open on that last syllable, his expression blank and his mind flashing the "what the...?" sign on red. The shout from Ebony only extended this sign's time in his head, Cordelia's partially formed upper torso blocking his view quite well. When the Brit came back up to her full height after doubling over, the man with the bi-color hair shook his head, effectively wiping the stupid look off his face.
"Ahh...That's alright." Welp, his boredom and the silence were now gone, that was for sure. As Ebony introduced herself and her charge, Zeke's hand extended to each in turn automatically, but for the moment he still seemed dazed to the sudden change and forgot his manners. "...Oh! Sorry, I'm Zeke. Zeke Farris. Nice to meet you." His head turned to Cordelia as she apologized, a smile now coming over his face as he realized he was in the presence of another Raevan and guardian pair.
"It's alright, you just startled me is all. I wasn't expecting anyone to come in so late...Or at all." He cleared his throat, looking sheepish for the moment, but then he shook his head. "I'm sorry - Cordelia was it? - but the doctor is out. Has been all day, though no one's come or gone since I've been here starting this morning." Dr. Kyou, should he be on an errand, had to have left before ten a.m., when Zeke had arrived and started his shift. Plenty of time to leave before anyone showed up, but there had been a post-it addressed ambiguously to whomever was manning the front desk today that the rest of the staff was out. Alex had been here, but her full time job had called once more and she had left around one. The way the smoky femme had come through the doors seemed as though whatever she needed Kyou for was of the utmost importance, and he couldn't just turn the two women away with a 'come back tomorrow'.
"He's out but maybe I can help?" A pen and spiral-bound pad were procured from the desk and the receptionist was ready to take notes. He had been working for Lab for going on two months now and it was true that so far his title was simply 'receptionist', but he had done a decent job helping Anita with her bottle turn in and he'd do his best to assist without touching any of the science-related technology in the back. His head turned between the two, finally realizing how similar they appeared but his mind was focused on the task at hand rather than the fact the darker one was named Cordelia and that she was the previously infected newborn with the name he had dubbed as 'pretty'.
"What seems to be the problem?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 6:26 pm
For all her gusto, when Zeke told them that Kyou was out, Delia's heart sank and her strong presence faltered. How could the doctor be out? What was more important than his precious lab and work, his Raevans? Decisively put out, the smokey Frei crossed her arms tight and frowned, "See Ebby? I told you we should have come sooner, but no, you wanted to wait. And now look! The doctor's out." A pout quickly developed upon her darkened lips.
Ebony accepted Zeke's offered hand in a firm, quick shake, a sigh soon following at her charge's sudden immature nature then. "It's nice to meet you Zeke." Turning back to the snake, "No Cordelia. If you'd let me make an appointment like I said I would then he would have been here. But you kept bugging me to come now and here we are."
She glared at Ebby and her reasoning, finding it flawed somehow. They'd waited long enough as it was and though she hadn't shown any signs of a repeat in illness, Cordelia wouldn't take any chances. She wouldn't hurt her guardian again if she could help it. "My friend Lucia attacked me a week or so ago. I think...I think it's the virus again. I-I don't want to hurt anyone again." Her sharp wings drooped, giving them a less threatening appeal to them. Grasping his hands tight in hers, "Please Zeke! Please help me."
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:36 pm
"Likewise." He said to Ebony just before she and her charge started their short snapping session at one another. Though the situation they were here for was tense, he couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at the sight, wondering if he and his Raevan would have quick quarrels like that. As that happened, Zeke jotted both their names down in the pad and the date as well. Best to be punctual, especially if he was asked to write a small report of the situation at hand or something. He doubted it, but if they were asking for Kyou specifically, the doctor likely knew both well enough to wonder who was here and asking for him while he was out.
What Cordelia said next, however, changed everything.
"The...The virus?" He knew the symptoms but that couldn't be right. If it was the virus...Well he would have seen that leaving for himself and - after pissing himself from shock - would have been in hot pursuit. The murder of Gambino would have been wiped off the local channels for an all points bulletin about a being with only a collarbone and half-formed arms floating around with a mohawked man chasing after it, shouting into a cell phone. Despite that though, the way the Frei's dagger-like wings dropped and how strong her grip was spoke volumes and he could feel her fear. The veterinarian knew what to do, first freeing one hand to pat one of the serpent's reassuringly. "Cordelia, I'm going to tell you right now that that's impossible, but I will help you. You both just have to follow me for a moment."
Zeke looked to Ebony and smiled in an apologetic way. The poor woman was probably dragged down here by the hand when she didn't want to and now she was following a practical stranger into the guts of the building and her charge was likely disbelieving to what he had just said, given the fact she had been attacked personally and had gone through hell once already. Well...Her patience would be rewarded, if one could call it that, and the cause for this Lucia Raevan's madness could be narrowed down a bit. After he freed his other hand, the pierced man beckoned the two towards the doors leading to the laboratory, pausing before the sealed entryway after the walk down the hall to open it. The scent of such a large amount of sterility washed over the three, though Zeke treked right in as though he wasn't bothered or simply immune.
When he had brought Anita in here, there had only been one tank alight with an inner glow. Now there were two, side by side, but only one had the dark shadow of a developing form within it. This one Zeke approached, stepping over and weaving through cords, wires, and other piping on a path he had walked multiple times over the weekends, his attention on that rather clear base. By now his heart was hammering - the only previously infected Raevans to have seen this were Laz and Zul and he worried how this one would react. After showing Anita and then explaining what this Raevan was made of had been positive, but then again she hadn't dealt with a Raevan under the influence. These two had dealt but maybe seeing would cause a better understanding than just accepting his spoken word like Vyn and Xiu.
"The reason your friend attacking you because of the virus is impossible, Cordelia," He was looking up at that shadowy face but turned around, hand coming to rest on the glass window with his fingers splayed over the surface, already steeling himself to jump if he had to. He promised to take care of it and it was his. "Is because the virus is right here."
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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:29 pm
Impossible? How could it be impossible? Nothing was ever impossible when it came to the Raevans or the fel essences. The essences most especially since wasn't that the main part of what made them what they were in the end? Things that weren't suppose to exist, yet did anyway? The two females gave one another confused and questioning looks, but since neither of them knew of an answer, Ebony simply shrugged and followed after Zeke, Cordelia not too far behind.
The Brit couldn't help, but allow her metallic eyes to wander as they followed the man, his bi-colored hair a strange clash against the pristine, sterile environment of the lab. She'd never been allowed this far back into the building before and so much had happened the day she'd picked Cordelia up that Ebony hadn't been paying close attention to her surroundings. But of course she did now, wondering what exactly was behind every closed door they'd pass on their way to the main laboratory.
They slipped past one door she did remember very well however and it made her shutter some. It was the room her Raevan had been held in when she came to get her, and the room where the nightmare had originally begun. Fearful of it and now wondering where Lazarus could be within the maze of doors and rooms (she was still weary of the Sigel for Cordelia's sake), Ebony quickly snatched the serpentine Frei's hand and held it secure. She'd promised to take care of her and as long as she was around, nothing would ever hurt the floating girl again.
When Ebony had held onto her hand, Cordelia smiled and drew closer to her guardian, wrapping her arms around her arm lovingly. Her guardian must have been worried about what Zeke was going to show them, but it couldn't possibly be anything bad right? He'd promised to help them and so far, she hadn't a need to doubt him.
Finally they'd arrived at their destination and Delia's onyx head swiveled around. She remembered this place, but it seemed so long ago now that the memory was faded and vague. They watched as Zeke maneuvered towards one of the large tanks in the middle of the room where what could only be the beginnings of a Raevan were developing inside. Surely it was impressive, neither females having seen something such as this before, but what did it have to do with their problem?
"The reason your friend attacking you because of the virus is impossible, Cordelia....is because the virus is right here."
Ebony felt her heart tighten hard in her chest, her fingers curling even tighter around Cordelia's pale digits. Had she heard him wrong? No, Kyou couldn't...could he? Nearly a whisper, she gasped, "W-what?"
Meanwhile Delia simply pouted and tilted her head, not understanding the pierced man's meaning. What did Zeke mean that the virus was right here? Her grey eyes squinted more to scrutinize the tank. It didn't look like a virus to her. Then again she didn't know what a virus really was other than it made you sick or how it was suppose to look. She'd felt her woman's hand grip hers hard now and looked to the purple haired Brit in worry. "Ebby? Are you all right?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:07 pm
Zeke watched quietly as that blow struck, noting how Ebony seemed to take it more than Cordelia. Given how young the snake femme was at the time, it wasn't really a surprise there and it was more a blessing than a curse on the basilisk. Maybe a blessing towards the virus Raevan in the tank at his side as well, but judging by the woman's gasp, he'd have to tread softly on that issue. Inside the chamber, the growing Frei was oblivious and as always it only slightly moved in its limbs though it was anyone's guess if it was of its own accord.
"Dr. Kyou, from what Alex told me and as you can see here, took what was left of the Self Replicating Virus and decided to create a Raevan from it. My Raevan." He stressed the 'my' in his short speech, patting the glass gently before making his way back to the two females. Zeke couldn't tell how tightly Ebony was gripping her charge's hand, but the look on her face - as well as the concerned expression Cordelia wore - led him to believe her own nightmares were coming to life. The veterinarian reached out and placed a hand on the Brit's shoulder, his torso most likely blocking her view of the tank and the shadowy figure within. A gentle squeeze followed that touch; he'd spill everything now.
"Would you like a glass of water?" Any paler and she might pass out. The face he had been wearing - one of neutrality - had gone and was replaced with concern. He did just practically shove this whole thing in her face...Maybe he should have gone about this in a different way, but it was too late now. "I'm gonna explain everything that Alex told to me after I accepted the task, but only after you say you're okay." From there his attention turned to Cordelia.
"She's a little more than shocked, Cordelia." He gave her a sheepish smile, an expression he seemed to be wearing a lot recently, given how much contact with Raevans other than Zul had happened so frequently. "But this is the reason why your friend's behavior can't be linked to the virus. The virus is in the tank I was next to. It's going to become a Raevan just like you, though a bit different." He almost wanted to say 'special' but was able to bite his pierced tongue. There wasn't anything truly 'special' about a being with a seal locking out a part of it, even if it was for the greater good. Already he knew he couldn't tell the future Raevan of its seal, lest he or she try to break it and cause harm to his or her self or others in the process.
"C'mon, I'll take you both back to the lobby. Your guardian should feel a bit better out there. The air in here is a bit too..." What would could he use? "Clean. A bit too clean for people who aren't used to it."
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:20 pm
She really didn't know how to respond to something so...so shocking! Kyou...dear, benevolent, caring, brillant Doctor Kyou had decided to use the very virus that had nearly destroyed more than half of his research, his scientific children so to speak, to create another Raevan? Was he mad?! Why would he do something so obviously dangerous and stupid?
Hazy steel took to Zeke as he spoke again, but saw past so much more than the words he spoke. There was such an extreme mixture of emotions flitting across his face then. Flashes of anxiety, fear, yet there was concern and pride there as well. Pride for his soon to be Raevan, Ebony saw as he lovingly patted the glass of the tank. Such tenderness caused the purple haired woman to soften some, even letting go of Cordelia's hand. How could she feel any anger towards something like that?
"No, I'm fine." she replied, closing her eyes for just a moment in order to piece herself back together. "It's just all very overwhelming to hear...and see."
Too concerned for her guardian's well being at the moment, Cordelia had heard very little of what Zeke was saying. To her, it was more like background noise while her mind whirled around trying to figure out the origin of her woman's distress. Ebony's hand was holding hers so tight her knuckles where a stark white next to the rest of her tan skin. Yet finally after what felt like forever, the grip loosened until she'd let go completely. Smokey orbs blinked in confusion at the sudden decision to relax. What had changed?
Suddenly the bi-colored lab assistant was speaking to her again and Cordelia realized she should probably not be rude and pay attention. Perhaps it would have been best if she'd continued on not listening. There was a three count of silence while the basilisk absorbed what was said to her, trying to make sense of it. The tanks made Raevans. The virus was in that tank. A new Raevan was apparently growing in that tank right now.
"NOOOOOOOO!" In both surprise realization and horror, Delia hissed, steam coiling with her serpent's tongue. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN A RAEVAN LIKE ME?! A VIRUS CANNOT BE A RAEVAN!"
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:15 pm
Zeke's hand didn't leave Ebony's shoulder even as she said she was fine. In his experience "I'm fine" following a definite paling would lead the speaker to collapsing, vomiting, or anything else that was truly 'not fine' in the slightest. He did, however, nod to what she said about this all being overwhelming. When he was given this fel virus and the privilege of being taken on as a member of the family even Alex had been distressed at the coffeehouse, try as she might to try and hide that fact. After learning the truth behind the Italian woman's analogy, Zeke had also felt those emotions of shock, surprise, horror...But also acceptance. He wouldn't go back on his word, no matter how many 'no' or 'how could he?' outbursts he had thrown his way.
"I know it is," His voice was low, trying to be calm and soothing despite the shock the Brit had gotten. "But this is happening. There's a lot I have to tell you, and even though you're probably totally against what's going on behind me, maybe one condition will help ease your concerns." That condition was the curse. From his knowledge and what he had seen of the weekly or bi-weekly reports that had been left on Alex's death, said seal hadn't been placed on yet. Likely - he assumed, though he probably shouldn't - Dr. Kyou was waiting for the heart to develop. It was the muscle that would spread the virus tainted blood (or just the virus itself, he had no idea yet) through the Frei's body. It made sense to Zeke at least, though the curse would encompass its entire quarter form. Right now though, the six inch glass was the seal - the barrier - as there was nothing below the shadowy Raevan's collarbone except a spiraling ribbon.
As his hand moved from Ebony's arm to coil around the woman's shoulders in an attempt to lead her and her charge out of the Lab and back toward the lobby (maybe with a stop to the cafeteria to get the purple-haired woman that glass of water, fine or not) the basilisk's shout made Zeke recoil. His free hand rose to cup over the piercing laden ear that just the front of that abusive loudness as his face screwed up in pain from the reverberation and being too close. If the vet's attention was on the tank, his question of how aware the Raevan was in there would have been answered with a 'very little to not at all' as Cordelia's cry did nothing to cause a reaction from the being within. He looked to Ebony for anything she could do to lower the female Frei's voice. Should anyone else - human or Raevan - be in the building, they probably heard that and they'd all get into trouble for being in here.
"Cordelia..." He said with a groan as a tinny flat-line of a sound filled his offended ear. Judging from her tone, she probably didn't know the roots of her being yet. He'd have to tread carefully as he continued to speak, lest he spill too much and envoke the wrath of her guardian too. "It can...It will...It is." He floundered around there. It was a fetus, unborn, and it was still growing but the virus was clearly shaping into a Raevan thanks to Dr. Kyou's science-magic blend and the soul of a black widow.
"The virus is a Fel Essence, something that normally can't happen in nature, but did anyway." Zeke was unaware of the involvement of that mythical Storm still, so that was the best response he could provide. "The virus inside the growing Raevan in the tank can do something no other virus on earth can do. It can reproduce - make more of itself - by itself. Normal viruses need things called 'hosts' to do it. The need for a host is why they make people sick, but this one can breed like a human or an animal can." Or maybe asexually, but that was probably a big word for a young Frei. He made sure to neglect the mention of the spider soul as well, that would probably be a big N-O for him to say. Cordelia's guardian should have the privilege to do such a thing, but - should the Brit ask - he'd tell the purple-headed woman what soul Alex had captured for him, though the information would be given up in a tone lower than the one he had just used. Until then, or at least Cordelia calmed down and he could mosey them all out of this room, it was looking to be a dangerous dance of a Q&A session.
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:49 pm
"No no no no no no no no NO!" You could almost see the Frei's non-existent legs stamping as she balled up her fists and muttered her disapproval. Stabbing a sharp nailed finger towards the tank, "That...that THING cannot be a Raevan! It is not safe! It is not sound! It is...wrong!"
"Cordelia Shade!" Ebony scolded after her initial shock of hearing her normally soft-spoken charge practically screaming at the top of her lungs had worn off. It was a painful thing to hear (Cordelia's voice), the smokey femme's voice sounding much more harsh and horse at such a higher octave. Even more so since she was angry. "You apologize right this minute!"
The snake shook her head furiously, her black strands whipping into her face as she did. "I will not apologize for the truth Ebby. This thing should not be. We'll all suffer again." Cordelia seemed to calm down a bit after saying that last part, her memories of her infected period causing her to become slightly crestfallen.
"Be that as it may..." The Brit said through clenched teeth. "You have insulted Zeke and his unborn Raevan. If you will not apologize, then I suggest you go wait outside for me."
"But Ebby-"
"OUTSIDE! NOW!" It was the first time Ebony had ever had to invoke her parental authority and it wasn't something she was particularly fond of, yet she knew it was a necessity at the moment.
Delia huffed and haughtily floated back outside with her arms steeled strong against her chest. Why couldn't they understand? The virus shouldn't be given this chance to infect again or from how Zeke had put it, to reproduce and spread.
Taking a few minutes to watch her ward leave the room without incident and to calm herself down, Ebony raked a shaky hand through her violet strands. "Zeke...I'm very sorry. T-the virus is still a very touchy subject. Cordelia is not proud of how she acted during that time, so...you can understand." The woman gave a weak smile in hopes he wouldn't keep this one little tantrum against the Frei.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:16 pm
Zeke listened to the argument with his eyes downcast. Not only was such a fight almost a private affair though he was technically a part of it, his mother had beaten the detachment and semblance of shyness into both him and his father rather well. Well, not really beaten; Nancy Farris never struck her husband or son, but her enraged tone and the way she brandished that rolling pin was enough to make Zeke and Joshua stick their tails between their legs and cast their glances to the floor at even the slightest hint of a raised voice from anyone. A little whipped? Sort of, and this was no different.
"Zeke...I'm very sorry."
He cast his eyes back up and fixed his demure, almost defensive posture. There was a faint touch of embarrassed pink to his otherwise pale peach cheeks and his smile seemed to be having a tough time returning to his face. What showed up in its place was looking rather strained, but luckily he was able to bring his shoulders down from that defense shrug rather easily. His arm left the Brit's back and instead joined his other one in a palms-out hold up, his body language trying to say he didn't take offense to what had just transpired and wouldn't mark the snake Frei's record because of it.
"I understand," he said. "I've met two previously infected Raevans before and they reacted similarly. Though with less shouting." A sheepish tone mingled in that last sentence, looking from Ebony to the lab doors that were now closed and silent. The basilisk's reaction hadn't been as reserved as Xiu or Vyn's, that was for sure, and in a way he felt happier - better really - that she had come out and made her detest known so openly. It was rather...Refreshing. When he dropped his hands again, he turned on his heel to look at the tank. It was a brief look on his part, just to see if the Raevan within had reacted, but with a 'no' to that he looked back to his violet-haired companion.
"As I was saying though," he cleared his throat. Now was the time for that condition. "There's going to be something in place to ease your concerns. Dr. Kyou, even though I've never met him, clearly knew what he was getting into when he decided to do this." He looked at Ebony's face with neutrality now, just as he had done with Vyn, Ethan, and Xiu before. Just watching what they thought of this idea Kyou would be implementing in weeks or even months time, depending.
"Alex told me this when she asked me to take on the situation. When the Raevan is farther along in its development, the doctor will put a curse on it. This curse - a seal, really - will put the virus under lock and key. The Raevan will have no abilities or powers related to the Essence, and the only thing the virus will be able to do is sustain him or her." He really hated saying 'it' over and over, though with nothing below the collar developed or even any clear features shining through that murky water, he had no choice. Regardless though, he wished Ebony hadn't sent her charge out of the room, just so she could hear this from him. "All the Raevans who were infected, those who weren't, and those who will come after this one...They'll never have to fear becoming sick ever again from the Raevan." Another pause, momentary again to let the woman beside him absorb that information. Before she would be able to ask him something like "are you sure?", he spoke again.
"I promise."
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:36 pm
A sigh released gratefully when it seemed Zeke wouldn't berate her young charge for her childish behavior, even though he should. Yet it was also a sigh at the normally easy going Raevan's sudden outburst. Her silver eyes gave a quick glance to the doors her Raevan had disappeared through just moments prior. Cordelia had never act so strongly and explosively towards anything before and this worried the Brit. It only served to remind her well of what lay dormant behind that sweet face. The soul of a basilisk.
Ebony listened to everything Zeke had to say closely and carefully, nodding her head in understanding as he continued to explain the situation in depth. So the doctor couldn't bear to just simply destroy the virus entirely, but was confident that he could seal it away within a Raevan. Zeke's Raevan. She couldn't help feeling remorse for the pierced man before her. Despite his looks, he seemed like such a nice and caring individual. So it left no real question as to why Alex had chosen him. But to have his own charge carry such a burden even before it was born?
Returning his previous gesture, Ebony placed a hand lightly upon his shoulder and looked up with a kind, confident smile. "If Kyou says he can do it, I have no doubts it will be with the utmost of care." After all, she had witnessed the good doctor use his magic once already. If he could easily subdue his own virus-crazed Sigel with merely a few strands of cloth and some chanting, then there was nothing to worry about.
"Now..." she lead the other to take a seat at a near by table, being extra careful not to accidentally knock something important over. They were in the main part of the lab still after all. "How are you doing? I can imagine how stressful and overwhelming this all must be for you."
Meanwhile, back out in the lobby, obsidian wings clicked sharply in frustration. Why couldn't they understand?! How could the lab allow for such an abomination to occur?! The virus didn't deserve their sympathy as far as she was concerned. It deserved to be wiped from the face of the planet! And yet, here she was, just beyond a hallway that lead to the very thing they were giving new life to. A life it would surly use only to bring about more misery and pain in its wake.
Worst of all, Cordelia's anger dipped slight into a state of depression, her guardian seemed to agree with their decision. Tears welled up and began to stream freely from her scaled eyes as the snake remembered how she'd left her woman. Ebony had never yelled at her like that before, with such coldness in her words. Sure the Brit might have screamed at Delia for doing something disapproving or dangerous, but there was always a small note of compassion there, even going as far as to wrapping the girl quickly in a hug despite her anger. Did her woman hate her now?
Ebby obviously not there to put the basilisk's worries at bay, Delia had to do with wrapping her own arms tightly around herself for comfort. With shaky breathes, the smoky femme tried to calm herself down, but couldn't help the feelings of anger bubbling up within her again. The virus Raevan wasn't even born yet and look at how much trouble it was already causing!
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:52 pm
Zeke was continually pleased that when he spoke of Dr. Kyou's plan his words were never broken apart by cries of outrage or other strong emotions. Granted, he had only spoken of the curse to four (now five) people, but the the fact that they all had the common courtesy to let the vet get through without hindrance was nice enough in and of itself. After he was done speaking Zeke took in and released a calming breath. Even after telling those few people about the curse and his Raevan, his heart still felt jumpy as he did so. The touch upon his shoulder and the smile the British woman gave him, however, made that flighty action seem so silly now.
"Thank you Ebony," he said, looking quite relieved at her reaction. When she led them both to a nearby table he went at her side without quarrel, plopping himself down on the lab stool with ease. When she asked how he was Zeke felt a small surge of affection for the woman. No one had asked how he felt in all of this, well, other than Alex when he took on the responsibility, but her concern came standard since they were practically siblings. The smile returned a little bit more and his hands brushed through his bangs and over the pulled-back sides of his dyed hair, a simple action to keep himself together.
"You...You're the first to ask me that." Zeke said that simply, his hands resting on the cool to the touch surface of the table. Then he had to pause. How did he feel? Well, he was taking this all in stride of course. Anything negative said about the growing Raevan would outwardly roll off his back, but inwardly he would feel that much more protective of the Frei. After that, even though he had read about, met a few Raevans, and seen the effects of the virus itself he felt both nervous and excited. Excitement took prevalence and the nervous was more for the fact he was going to be a parent to this being than what happened before it. He believed in the seal though he had never seen the magic Ebony or Alex had, and believed that despite how "evil" the virus was labeled, the person born from it and the spider still had a good chance to be good. The apple could fall far from the tree.
"I think I'm doing rather good actually." A soft chuckle accompanied his words. "Even though the Raevans I've met are clearly against this one being born, I can't help but be excited for it. I understand their concerns, read about what they and their guardians went through, but...I dunno...I guess that's just my 'glass half full' outlook working for me." He considered what Ebony said about stress and being overwhelmed. Work and school-wise he did have quite a large amount on a small plate, but he was dealing with it alright. Even more so now than ever he was glad he opted to try that online semester. "A part time job here came with taking on this particular Raevan since Alex said it'll need to be monitored after it's born so I'm balancing that and my full time job as a vet," A pause to catch her expression at that grand reveal. "I'm also a grad student, so I've got that too, but I've got a decent balance going on. Lab on the weekends, work and class during the week...I've got accumulated vacation time too I think in case I need that, and before you and Cordelia arrived I was looking into getting a car to make things just that much easier."
When he said the basilisk's name his eyes flicked to the Lab door. The serpent Frei wouldn't have left the Lab completely and even though he couldn't or wouldn't jump through hoops to make her come over to his side, he hoped she was calming down a bit more and would listen to what he had told Ebony, whether it be from him or her. And if she wouldn't listen, well, she wouldn't be the first who was totally against it, that was for sure.
"But even with all that," he continued, "I guess I'm not feeling the stress just yet. I'm still a rookie here, so they don't have me doing much. I still get to relax though it can get a bit dull out front after awhile, so I still have that time to ease off the week's wears despite the extra job. Since it's so quiet around here, mostly I'll just come back to this part and talk to the tank." His tone implied he was lightly joking at the end there, looking over his shoulder at the two lit chambers. One was Anita's, so soon he'd be chatting with two rather than one, which was dandy in his books, even if the conversations were always one-sided. As he watched the virus Frei for another few moments before turning around he realized how he had gone on and on. Poor woman probably wasn't expecting a novella and that was rather impolite of him.
"Sorry about that Ebony. I tend to ramble sometimes."
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:43 pm
Ebony had been all set for comforting as best she could, but it seemed pointless now as Zeke rambled on. A warm and touched smile grew wider as the man explained his feelings. She couldn't help breaking her gaze from the man and looking back to the tank that housed his Raevan. It wasn't even born yet, but he obviously cared a great deal for the partially formed being. Did it know? Would it know how much Zeke loved it right from the get go despite it's origin?
The wisps of lavender that weren't held back from her hair tie swayed as she shook her head, a small chuckle leaving her lips. "It's quite all right. I suspected as much and figured you could use a good vent." Bringing her attention back to Zeke, she tried to keep her expression bright and cheerful which was hard since she wasn't use to being such normally. But the man was going through something no other guardian had yet that she knew of and he needed some sort of support. "Despite all that you're doing, I have to say you're taking this all in good form. I'm actually a bit jealous of you. If I'd allowed myself to just be happy and excited about Cordelia when she was developing...I would have saved myself a lot of stress and grief."
The woman moved slowly towards the tank and looked inside with curiosity. She'd never thought of coming to visit Cordelia when she was being created, too busy worrying about what terror she'd unleashed upon the world. Something Zeke was experiencing now, but was taking a higher road and not letting it get him down. "I'm actually a bit jealous of you. Not only do you get to bond with your Raevan at such an early stage, but...despite a dire time of uncertainty, you're not allowing it to dampen your excitement."
She laid a tanned hand upon the tank and smiled softly, watching the Raevan twitch slight, though she was sure it wasn't because of her. "You see, when I caught Cordelia's soul, I was very worried about what she would become. I suppose I still am to an extent. But during the time she was being created, I fell into a downward spiral of despair, dreaming her up to be some vicious monster due only in fear of her soul." She rebounded back, swinging around and clasping her hands behind her back. "I know her attitude today will probably make it hard to believe, but she is usually very docile. I'm not sure why this is, maybe her essence perhaps, but I think it'll help you to know. To not let your fears outweigh the positive because we have no way to know how they'll turn out."
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:17 pm
"Yeah, I suppose I could've. Though that wasn't really a vent was it?" He chuckled as well at his own expense, not noticing that Ebony's expression was hard for the Brit to keep up. From his side of the table, the smile and bright demeanor was as natural as his own. His smile quirked more until it was readily apparent he was enjoying the conversation, listening with as much as silence as Ebony had offered him. "Thank you. I'm trying my best and will continue to do so. It's not really right of me to say this one is 'special' since, well, all Raevans are really, but it's already starting off on the wrong foot with the few I've talked to. Minus Zul, but he doesn't remember being infected." He thought back to when he had first stepped foot into the Lab for the first time and how Zul had all but bowled both himself and Alex over in his excitement. To the demonic Frei, this was likely just another Raevan to get along with. The mention of Ebony being jealous made him laugh, though the sound was shortlived as she went on.
"Stress and grief?" He repeated her last words as a question and shifted in his seat to watch Ebony's walk toward the tank. Despite her outward appearance and the way she spoke, Zeke couldn't help but feel some of that instilled protectiveness rise up as she neared. Not that he had anything to worry about really, the glass was half a foot thick on all sides and would take more than a simple beating before it would even crack. "I truly believe that even though the virus is within the Raevan and despite all the damage that it caused, the virus itself isn't evil. I mean...It got out by mistake and infected the Raevans, yes, but it was doing what all viruses do to survive. And with that being said, I believe that the Raevan won't be evil either, though I doubt many would believe me if I said so to them." He thought of Vyn's reaction when he had simply muttered a similar phrasing but gave a firm nod all the same to the violet-haired woman, believing his logic and convictions to be true. "I'm much too excited at the prospect of having a Raevan of my own to let that note get me down."
Zeke rose from his seat as Ebony's hand came down on the tank, listening and - since he knew what Cordelia's soul was right off the bat - could nod knowingly at her previous concerns. The only basilisk he had ever seen was CGI in a movie, but even though that one wasn't real he was sure the actual artifact was just as large and fierce. He and this woman could almost relate to each other then, though Zeke was still confident in that seal and his own convictions that he didn't worry in the slightest. He was glad to see that all the Brit's worries were deemed false. Despite the outburst and the way she had acted upon her arrival, he was sure Cordelia was quite the sweet Frei. When Ebony turned back to him, the vet shook his head, both to clear that and once again assure the woman her charge's actions wouldn't be held against her.
"I believe you. And I'm not afraid of it, as surprising as that must sound." He looked at that shadowy face and noticed that even though nothing below the collarbone had grown since last week, the scalp was starting to get more hair on it. "What I'm afraid of, Ebony, is it not being accepted because of something only a part of it did. It had no hand in the outbreak and the two Raevans I've talked to have - again, understandably - been against even the idea of meeting it. Even before it's aware that we're even standing before it chatting, it's the black sheep of the entire Lab." He had been ostracized before and while he was well aware he brought it on himself with his choices regarding his appearance, he was old enough not to care. A young Frei, however, would most likely be an entirely different story, especially if it came out having a sweeter, kinder personality that he was so sure it would despite everything in it.
"I'm hoping that once guardians and Raevans meet it and get to know it...I hate saying 'it' all the time, jeez...But my hope is that seeing the Frei and getting to know it will put aside those bad feelings." A soft laugh and another shake of his head followed, maybe he was just fooling himself. "That must be a long shot and wishful thinking though, but I'll be here for it, no matter what comes out of a combination of a spider and a virus."
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