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 Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:38 pm
Who: Vivi and Zeke
When: Just after 3pm
Where: Vermillion Bakery; Isle de Gambino
Weather: Partly cloudy and moderate
"Zeke, this was left for you with a note to drop it off in Gambino of all places."
Mildly confused words spoken by one of the clinic's secretaries echoed lightly in Zeke's head as the young vet looked at the metallic case sitting on the passenger seat, street light before him still red. He had recognized it the moment he had laid eyes on it and was quite thankful he was working early shifts this week all the more. A quick bob of his head in thanks was given to the befuddled woman as he scooped the suitcase and a folded piece of paper off the reception desk, carrying the load back to his office to change from his professional attire into something more street-worthy before seeking out a coworker he was rather buddy-buddy with to borrow his car for a couple short hours. And here he was now, seated in a dark green Mazda, being jerked out of his staring by a horn blast from the car behind him.
"I'm goin', I'm goin'!" He switched his sneaker-clad foot from brake to gas, pulling the car out of its stop and down the street, right arm casting out to hold the case against the seat as it slid forward a little bit. He accelerated to the speed limit, eyes ticking between street signs as they came up to find the one where the now unfolded piece of paper directed him to go. He was excited for this not only because it was a job for the Lab (even if it was happening on a day he wasn't scheduled for) but because it was his first job for the Lab outside the pristine white building. He was going to meet a person that would soon become a part of the family he himself had only been brought into recently and even if it wasn't taking place on the turf he was used to, he was still being charged with the task alone. It was a bit nerve wracking, thinking of what to say to this...
"Paper..."
Vivette LaCelle, but Zeke had the feeling that when he met her, everything would go smoothly. He had already homed two newborns and taken Anita's filled bottle - which reminded him he had a lunch date with the girl tomorrow - so this shouldn't be any different. He hadn't looked into the case yet either, but knew the two precious instruments were in there to hand over. One part of the Raevan was ready to go, but the soul bottle inside would be empty and in need of the right opportunity. With a light chuckle as he turned onto the appropriate street Zeke told himself that he'd be sure to check for any spiders lurking about before he handed that one over, lest another one be captured after an over the top wig out dance.
"Vermillion Bakery," he said as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the proper address, double checking the paper just to be sure. Tucking the address into his pants pocket, Zeke nabbed the suitcase handle and let himself out of the vehicle, watching for cars first so the door wouldn't be taken off. The smell of breads and other tasty things littered the air and his stomach gave the appropriate response. Maybe, just maybe, after the drop off was done he'd nab himself a tasty treat or two to take back with him. The man with dual-colored hair and piercings strolled up the sidewalk after power-locking the car and let himself in, pausing after he crossed the threshold and the chimes on the door rang out cheerily. The smell of baked things was heavier and almost intoxicating in here, not watered down by the city just beyond the door, but he didn't let that distract him too much as he looked around the rather empty premises. "Hello? Is anyone here?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:23 pm
For a moment, all that met Zeke's salutation was the soft jingle of the bells on Vermillion's glass door and the sullen mechanical hum of the refrigerated displays. Still, the beat of silence might be a welcome for any newcomer to Vermillion, especially one unfamiliar with its owners or their taste in interior decorating. The inside of the bakery looked very much as though one had stepped through a teleporter and into the inside of a circus' big top -- the walls striped in red and beige, the countertops black and shiny like an unadorned stage. Tiny silly-looking birds made of scrap metal and painted wood fairly dripped from the bakery ceiling, hung from red silk thread at various heights so as not to compete with the chalkboard menu that hung behind the bakery counter.
And then there were the treats themselves! Bread of all varieties reposed in woven baskets; fat creme puffs lined with chocolate asserted themselves in glass cages. Friendly cupcakes with animal faces were lined up beside tiny towers of chocolate and spun sugar. Fruit tarts glistened beside stacked macaroons -- and, at the far end of the display, were four flavors of some manner of ice cream, although the flavors weren't particularly traditional-- Cloud read one flavor. Spring read another.
"Bonjour!" came a voice from the back of the shop. "Un moment, I will be right with you!"
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 2:03 pm
The questioning tone of his greeting echoed just a little around the elaborately decorated room, and for a brief moment a thought fluttered around Zeke's mind just hoping the newest addition to the Lab would linger wherever she was for a few extra minutes, just so he could get a good look around. The colors, the counters, the birds on the ceiling...Everything was just so cool! His own colors of sour apple green and deep plum purple clashed with the decor, but with everything else around him he doubt anyone coming into the bakery after him would care! And if they did, there was something wrong with them because everything was so grand, bright, and positively circus-y!
"Un moment, I will be right with you!"
"Okay!" Came the reply which was offhanded at best, Zeke's head now tilted back to gaze at the constructed birds in still flight above his mohawked head. He moved away from the door at a slow pace, his attention diverted enough he could just walk right into a spindly table or one of the glass cases. "Wow," he breathed with his face set in captivated awe rather than a smile, finally peeling his eyes from the metal and wood birds, letting his free left hand reach out to touch the two-colored wall as he walked toward the counter. "What would Brad think of this place?"
He kept taking in his surroundings that the suitcase in his right hand accidentally tapped against a wooden display structure - the sound of wood meeting metal making more than just a slight clatter. He hoisted the contraption up, holding it against his chest in both arms and not trusting himself to prevent that from happening again otherwise. Finally he reached the glass cases that separated the shop from the bakery kitchen and 'staff-only' section, caramel brown eyes taking in the soft-looking treats that were protected from more than prying eyes. His stomach growled again even though he had had a full lunch only hours ago, the sight and smell of the pastries, breads, and other goodies working at him. Oh yes, he thought as he lowered the case down to his side again, he'd be leaving with more than just an empty case when this was through.
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 2:30 pm
Vivi just barely heard Zeke's affirmative from her spot in the back, where she was collecting cookies into a striped cardboard to-go box. She slapped an emblazoned sticker over the box's lip to seal it, and then quickly brushed the remaining sugar and crumbs off of her hands as she made her way to the front of the store.
" 'allo, welcome! " Vivi greeted Zeke in her low, heavily accented voice as she came into view, the brightly-colored box under one arm. She was dressed in a dark red dress with tiny white polka-dots and a black ruffled apron, her black hair swinging in a ponytail behind her. Dark eyes surreptitiously swept over Zeke, quickly showing a spark of thinly-veiled delight.
"Ah -- your piercings! The eyebrow -- does it hurt? Long have I wanted one." The baker made a pinching motion over her eyebrow, and then offered Zeke a friendly tilted smile. "So sorry, first business. What can I do for you?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:55 pm
" 'allo, welcome! "
Zeke's bi-colored head lifted from the glass that he was lightly fogging with his slow breaths at the chipper greeting, light brown gaze settling on the woman that came into view. Her accent was thick but no less pleasant and - thanks to the lack of professional setting and attire - the twenty-five year old gave her a bright, winning smile that would have been saturated if he were in the listed setting and garments. He took her in as much as she did him, but his gaze was quick and light before settling on her face. His pierced lips began to part to give her a greeting of his own, but that look on her face at him was quite the surprise and what she said next made him laugh.
"What a lovely accent." He first said intelligently, always the one to adore the lilt or rumble of other cultures in a person's voice. Zeke then realized what he had said and gave a soft chuckle, quickly stepping into the question the woman had posed. "Hurt? Nah, but then again I've got a decent pain tolerance and more than just this little one!" Zeke gestured to the ring in his lip and the stud centered below it before the same hand lifted his choppy, side-swept bangs to show he had more than just the one in his brows. All in all Zeke had one ring on the left brow and three on the right with, in his hopes, more coming for either as well as the rest of his lean muscled body. At her apology he shook his head, the action to say that she needn't say the words. He tilted to the side to rest the metal suitcase on the ground, hand reaching into his pocket to retrieve the paper.
"Well, I'm looking for Miss..." He unfolded the sheet and eyed the name again, the writing on the paper neat but his mind unable to grasp such a name in one go. "Vivette LaCelle? Do you know if she's working today?" He shifted the paper into his left hand, mannerisms dictating that he hold out his right one over the glass-top to offer it to the dark-haired woman before him. "Sorry, where are my manners? My name's Zeke Farris and I'm here to see Miss LaCelle. Well...I think 'welcome' her would be the better word to use actually." And he left it at that, playing it cryptically with his smile turning into a mischievous grin until the woman he was sent here to meet was before him. If this one wanted to hang around and see what lay behind the mystery, all the power to her! Becoming a member of Lab wasn't something that happened every day and it wasn't something you'd want to keep under wraps for very long!
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:24 pm
Vivi's smile broadened as Zeke indicated his other piercings, and her lips moved to form a reply -- that is, until the lean man continued. As he spoke, curiosity slowly inched its way over Vivi's pale visage, her eyes narrowing slightly in interest.
"Ah-hah, Mssr Farris, it is a pleasure," she said slowly in a pondering tone, leaning slightly forward to rest her elbows on the bakery counter. She propped her head up on one hand, peering contemplatively up at the other's roguish grin. Lately, whenever someone came in looking for her, it would be to order sweets or to schedule a tasting -- but the word 'welcome' and that smile threw all of that right out the window.
What could he want with her? Vivi's mind raced to remember appointments, but her calendar had been clear for today -- something to do with the circus, perhaps? A scout? She'd already had one of those come by since her move to Isle de Gambino... no, but Mr. Zeke Farris, he didn't look like most scouts she'd met before...
Oh, Vivette
The image of Granny Maplethorpe sighing over her breakfast tea that morning filtered suddenly into Vivi's brain. The old woman had flushed with pleasure as she'd studied her drained teacup in the midmorning light, and her voice had just barely shaken. I -- I do hope you'll dress nicely today, my dear. The tea leaves -- they indicate something very special is coming your way...
Something special? Bless the old woman, Vivi thought with wry amusement, must her tea leaves always be right?
Vivi straightened and curtsied in her best stage manner, flashing a glittering smile at the other. "Mademoiselle LaCelle is working today, yes -- she is as you see her."
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:30 pm
"Mister Farris is my father. Please, call me Zeke."
He flashed one of his radiant smiles and tossed a wink in for good measure, that natural playful and flirty streak in him coming to life as he adjusted to the difference in setting. When his hand wasn't taken to shake he dropped it back down to his side, hand joining the other to idly fold the paper with the address and name on it up again. Once the sheet was back into his pocket he caught Vivette's curtsy and chuckled once more. That was rather cute of the petite woman before him and Zeke had never been curtsied at ever, so his immediate thoughts were of surprise and heavy amusement. As the bakery woman before him told Zeke she was who he was looking for, his face turned to delight. Excellent, he could get started!
"Wonderful! It's a pleasure to meet you Miss LaCelle. Or would you prefer Vivette?" Zeke was the sort to want to be on a first name basis with everyone, regardless of superiority though he would use the proper starting terms when prompted or required. Still, this woman was being brought into the Lab family and if that didn't call for first names, he didn't know what would. Either way though, he had his task and it was best not to keep the Frenchwoman waiting. His right hand rested on his chest, a formal sort of introduction to why he was here rather than who he was. That had been stated after all.
"Well first I should say I'm a representative of Lab 305," he began, what he had just spoken coming out rather quickly though he was able to rein in a bit by the end to slow it down. The words were coming naturally after all! "And the reason I'm here is to tell you that your application to the Lab has been read and reviewed and my superiors think that you would be a perfect choice to take on the Lab's major project. This means you've been chosen to be a guardian to one of the Raevans and a member of the Lab 305 family." He stopped there to let it float in in the air and sink into the woman across from him, the news quite likely a shock to her. As he spoke his smile had not dimmed - only grown - and now he was full on beaming at her. Zeke had even started to bounce lightly on the balls of his feet, the tap of excitement in his belly turned on once more and lighting his brown eyes up into something of an almost-orange.
Calm down Zeke, he inwardly chided himself, you don't know how she'll take it just yet.
Hopefully for the positive. He'd already dealt with three truly Raevan-related tasks at work and while two out of three were good results, the most recent third one still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Vivette seemed like a very nice woman from the get-go however and he couldn't say that the pastries weren't working in her favor either...
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:09 pm
A guardian!
Had she heard right? At Zeke's words, Vivi practically bloomed with elation and excitement, her pleasure fairly radiating from her small form. With a sweet, ringing laugh, the acrobat leapt a little in place -- and then, placing her palms down on the counter, rolled in a quick smooth somersault over the counter to land easily beside her new acquaintance. Happy phrases in French, drenched in laughter, poured from her as she threw her arms around the other in a hug.
"Thank you, cheri! It is Vivi, of course, or whatever you like!" she said, pulling back and beaming at the bearer of good news. She laughed again, smoothing her apron conscientiously, her eyes dancing. "Mon Dieu, I am like the lunatic now who hugs strangers! But what good news!"
'Something special', indeed. Blast those tea leaves! This was more than special.
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:05 pm
Jumps of jubilation were expected but an actual somersault - and over the counter top no less! - clearly was not! The shock and surprise on Zeke's face was readily apparent but once Vivi had her arms around him and was firing off the French he was brought back to earth and Zeke broke out into copious amounts of laughter. He returned the hug, squeezing the petite woman warmly but carefully, well aware of their physical differences and not wanting to harm her.
"No no, not a lunatic at all Vivi!" His words were laughed out, the sound airy and warm, Zeke very much comfortable and being his normal, unsaturated self. "We're not really strangers anymore now are we? I'm a guardian myself and you're a part of the Lab now. We're family! Plus I like hugs." He admitted that latter bit on an afterthought, giving the woman a pat on the back before releasing her himself, smile only trying to stretch farther across his pierced features. Well that reception was the best ever so far! Now that that was settled, on to the next part of the show! Zeke gently grasped Vivi's shoulders and moved her to the side nearest the counter. Once he let her go, he held up a finger in a 'wait one moment' sign, picking up the metal briefcase that had all but been forgotten. After Vivi's somersault off the counter the case had rattled from side to side from the force of impact (light as it may have been) near it. It was just coming to a rest before Zeke nabbed it by the handle, lifting it up with his left hand cradling the bottom, showing it to the woman at his side.
"In here," he started to say, "Are the 'tools of the trade'." The suitcase was laid to rest on the glass case's top, the two objects meeting for the first time making a soft 'click'. Zeke looked to Vivi as he unhooked the two metal clasps, the sound they made replacing his laughter though his shoulders and chest still moved with the feeling. He could see her excitement was as clear as day and his matched. He was still a newbie at this job - part time as it may be - but damn, he could say he had never been as stoked for any job task like he was right now! "And here we are..."
The case's top half was lifted up as far as it could extend, but the items inside didn't need the full monty to be seen. On the left hand side - closest to Vivi - was the soul bottle. It was as empty as the one Zeke had had before the spider incident and looked just the same except for the cloth. While Zeke's had been black with red markings on it, this one was a tawny tan-gold with branch-like markings in a darker shade of the same color on it. To the right was the Fel Essence and even though the protective foam it was in was dark as night, the Essence had a color and glow to it that made that blackness fade. Zeke was amazed, a soft gasp escaping him at the chips of color's simple beauty, but first thing first. He pulled out a small stack of forms with some instructions for himself on the top and set those off to the side. Likely dealing with the Essence as well as the legal stuff. That would come in a moment, but for now his hands reached for the fat bottomed bottle.
"This is what's called a 'soul bottle' or a 'soul glass'." The glass was pulled out of the foam and cradled in both of his nimble-fingered hands, holding it out to Vivi for her to see. "It's used to catch one of the two parts that make a Raevan. And...Hold on." He brought the bottle back to his chest, cradling it there and looking around. Counters were examined, the ceiling was looked at with a stern eye, and he even made sure to brush both his own and Vivi's shoulders. No spiders. They were good. "Sorry about that," he said with a sheepish look and chuckle. "Checking for spiders. My Raevan's soul is a spider and it was an accidental capture." He wouldn't go into detail right now though, holding the bottle out once more, though this time by the metal handle part.
"The brown cloth here," he tugged on it gently, grasping between his thumb and forefinger, "is called the 'soul cloth'. You'll only be able to capture a soul that is the same color as the cloth. Looks like it'll be brown or gold and here, you can hold this." Another smile was flashed as he passed it off to her, letting Vivi feel the slight weight the bottle had to offer. He took the time with her examining that to read the papers he had pulled out, the top sheet detailing the Essence. Gingerly he pulled the vial from it's appropriately shaped bed and held it in his hand. In that moment he felt a sense of calm and freshness wash over him, much like one felt when watching the sunrise in the early morning, when the dew was still on the grass and the sky was painted warm hues that replaced the blackness of night.
"Ah..." He sighed, shoulders relaxing though soon the hold wore off, still leaving him refreshed but bringing his mind out of a fantasy of a picturesque town with rolling knolls of emerald grass at dawn. Zeke cleared his throat and gave his head a toss, ponytail coming to rest over his right shoulder as he turned to Vivi again. His reaction must've seemed odd. "And this here, Vivi, is the Fel Essence." The vial was cupped in his hands, the glass warm from the chips within. His fingers and palms were soon aglow with the corresponding colors, making sure to keep his hands out of a stray sunbeam so the light in his hands could really be seen. Time to explain.
"A Fel Essence is something that doesn't ever occur in nature except for this one specimen here. They defy logic and nature by existing but here they are. Well...Here's one at least." He shifted the vial over to his left hand, holding it gently but securely as his right reached for the paper, eying the name once more. He regained his smile again though it was soft, almost like the colors in the glass vial. "This Essence is called 'Broken Dawn'. My paper here says that the chips in the vial are from an actual sunrise that broke from the sky a long, long time ago." The paper rested against the counter again and he held this vial out to the Frenchwoman as well, waiting for he to take it from him and experience its light and colors for herself firsthand.
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:08 pm
The giddy smile on Vivi's face did not diminish in its bright happiness while Zeke spoke, and it was not until the man -- a fellow guardian! -- clicked open the metal briefcase that Vivi's mind finally managed to quiet the whirling mess of excited thought streaming through her head. Celebrations could wait until after the instructions, she told herself sternly.
She listened to Zeke's explanations with bated breath, eyes ticking from the other's face to the metal case he had placed on the glass display. What possible treasures awaited inside? She rolled forward a little onto her toes to view the case better as the other unlocked it, keeping herself from fidgeting. What on earth had come over her? She hadn't felt such a surge of excitement since -- since -- since the circus, her mind thrummed under the happiness, since the first time she'd gone in front of an audience. It was the same: the glorious expectations, the desire to please, the eagerness to perform well. Whatever waited for her in this box, she pledged herself to.
She was recalled from her thoughts as Zeke extracted the soul bottle and then... what was he doing? Was he afraid of someone watching? She blinked at Zeke quizzically as he brushed off her shoulders, but as the explanation came, she let out an amused chortle.
"A spider!" Vivi murmured, nodding to herself. There had been a woman in the circus who had kept spiders, large fuzzy things. She remembered their slow, deliberate movements, their legs slowly and expertly threading around each other, like the tapping of human fingers. And then, their bursts of speed when frightened or predatory, so alarming in its suddenness. Such a cold, strange beauty they'd held. "What a creature of fascination it shall become..."
Vivi nodded as Zeke explained the soul bottle, studying the thing when he handed it to her. It was heavy for its size, and there was something strange about the feeling of the cool glass as she rolled it in her palm. She squinted at the soul cloth... brown things? Gold things? That meant she had to capture something...
... capture a soul...
... capturing would...
The thoughts clicked together almost audibly, and a rolling feeling of sickness swelled deep in her belly. Her face became momentarily still, her smile becoming suddenly plastic, until she pushed the thought quite forcibly away. She shook her head and placed the soul bottle very carefully on the counter as Zeke extracted the Fel Essence, and her eyes were on his face as his expressions changed. Peace, that was what she saw there, a brief flicker of restful peace. In that moment, just watching the effect the vial had on him made her feel calm and collected. Her eyes trailed down to the vial in his hands, and she regarded the little thing with wonder -- it was so small, but so soft and lovely and light. How could such a thing exist?
"ça c'est..." Vivi breathed as Zeke finished his explanation, gingerly taking the vial from him as though lifting a baby bird. Her eyes locked onto the splintered slivers of color and light, and all at once she could envision it -- the beauty and majesty of a slow sunrise quietly cracking open the sky, the raining pieces of those moments falling... and she felt that soft feeling of peace settle over her, the complete calm of watching a quiet world still sleeping. "Merveilleux. It is joyous."
She looked up at Zeke and shook her head in amazement, laughing lightly. "You are quite certain it is mine?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:39 am
He was pleased to see Vivi's enthusiasm and excitement didn't wane as he pulled each item out in turn, explained them, and slowly but surely handed them over to her. He kept his brown eyes on her but they'd occasionally tick over to the soul glass she had laid down on the counter, checking to make sure it hadn't moved in any direction but sure as sunshine it was lying quite still.
'Sure as sunshine', he chuckled, it fits!
"Yeah, a big spider too!" Zeke said as he came back around to her statement about the soul he had captured. He held up his left hand and separated his thumb and pointer finger about an inch apart. "It was that big, legs and all." Though he hadn't gotten a good look at it alive, the spider had remained the same size in death just...just a little plastered over the bottom of the bulbous bottle. The vet agreed with her there about the spider Raevan being a fascination, watching it steadily come into life weekend after weekend always held his attention, even if there hadn't been too much change week to week. He would sit down outside the tank and talk to it more this weekend, his own and Anita's since the crocodile Frei's head had already formed fully.
Vivi's sudden frozen - plastic - smile was lost on Zeke; the younger man's excitement not making him quite so intuitive. Should she have frowned or showed any outward negative emotions then yes he would have caught them, but the smile stayed strong and thus he was not alerted. He did, however, watch with pride as she took the vial and examined it in her own hands, watching how she was not afraid to hold the glass. He had been different in his own Fel Essence's presence (he had only tapped the glass, not removed it) but then again his was a rather nasty virus that only looked innocent. The Broken Dawn, he knew, would be nice through and through and despite the waning calmness that had come over him, he liked this one quite readily. Pretty colors too.
"I'm quite sure Vivi." He laughed lightly, her amazement rather cute and earning her a gentler hug from the bi-color haired man. Some more explaining, he figured, then some paper signing and they should be all set. He could leave the woman to her celebrating and most likely deep thought on just what to capture in the metal tipped globe. "Okay," he pulled away from her and clasped her on the shoulder, "Just a bit more to say about the Soul Glass and then I should be out of your hair for awhile." He grinned, taking the bottle off the counter and holding it by the metal cone in one hand. He tapped the glass portion with a digit of his free hand, his nail making a faint 'ping ping' as it met the surface.
"The soul of whatever you capture is absorbed through this part here - the bottom. When it's full, there will be some smoke-like substance swirling around inside. That's the soul and it'll be the same color as the cloth." He sort of wished he had a full one to use as a visual aid, since he was sure explaining it was quite confusing or just plain hard to believe without actually seeing one. He did have an example from his past though! "For example...My bottle's cloth was black with some red on it. When the soul was captured, the smoke inside was black and red. Just like the cloth, just like the spi--" He cut himself off there, something finally dawning on him. He hadn't dwelled on it for two months, hadn't really seen it when the bottle had been filled outright because of the situation but now that he was going back and explaining it to someone, he now knew the kind of spider that was matched with the virus. How he had not seen it earlier? Black and red, red and black...Only the most famous combination of the spider world came in the form of a-
"Black widow spider."
Zeke paled a little in the face. He knew not all spiders were poisonous to humans, but Alex had inadvertently captured one of the more so. He hadn't seen the hourglass on the creature's abdomen; the body too crushed and then quickly sucked down the sink drain for him to realize what had been snagged. The virus would be under wraps, but he bet his nonexistent boots that poison wouldn't be! This called for even more precautionary measures. His eyes were on Vivi, looking at her but not seeing her until something in the back of his head kicked him hard enough to jostle him back to reality. Zeke shook his head again, looking so apologetic to the woman before him. It was the second time he had acted out of sorts in her midst.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I just realized...Never mind. This is about you, not me." A sheepish grin was given and again he tapped the glass bottom of the bottle, drawing eyes back to it rather than to himself. "Anyway where was I? ...Ah, right, soul capture. I'm not completely sure how it works myself, but if you leave the bottle near whatever it is you want, the soul will be absorbed into this." He had been told of this process by Alex long before he had been picked to be a guardian and even though he had nearly witnessed the actual capture of his own Raevan's soul, it still made him uncomfortable in theory. A life for a life, though his had already been dead long before its soul had been claimed. "And in case you're wondering, yes, the thing you take a soul from will die." He worked hard and didn't come off as somber, but his smile had faded into neutrality. It was a hard thing to say, but it was the truth and he wanted this nice woman to be prepared.
"Once the bottle is filled," he went on, not wanting to have that last part sinking in too far yet, "come by the Lab to drop it off or you can call and arrange to have someone drop by your home to come get it. I should have a business card here somewhere..." Zeke set the bottle down and looked through the briefcase. The small, neat printed slip of paper was found stuck between the foam and the side of the case, but he managed to get it out without a tear or wrinkle. The young man held it out to Vivi, pointing and listing off which number was which, as well as fax and email. "And the Lab's located right in Gambino, so you wouldn't have to worry about driving across Gaia to stop by." He handed that off to her and shut the case, pulling it off the counter and resting it on the floor once more.
"That should do it...Oh wait. Papers." He slid the forms across the glass surface and placed them before Vivi, patting his pants for a pen. "Ahh...Do you have a pen? These are just release forms for the Essence and the bottle, plus a thing or two for your name and address, that sort of stuff."
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 2:33 pm
"A pen? Yes, I have one." Vivi leaned across the counter without missing a beat, selecting a pen from beside the cash register. Excitement had yielded a little now to reality, and although her heart was still beating a happy song in her chest, she could still feel the mysterious weight of the waiting soul bottle bearing down upon it. "Right here. I must sign, yes?" And she took the forms from Zeke.
A moment passed as the acrobat leafed through pages and then bent, swooshing her loopy signature along the proper lines. She wondered about Zeke's expression as he explained the soul cloth, the sudden change in his charming demeanor. The soul bottles were cruel things, she decided dryly; necessary and awesome things, but cruel nonetheless.
... but that was what death was, wasn't it? And the soul bottles, they took, but they also offered rebirth. So it was a trade, she supposed, but one not without anguish.
How did you choose? How could you choose such a thing?
"Your black widow..." Vivi began, hesitant, her eyes on her pen as she stroked through the final signature. "Forgive me, I must ask. You said that it was ... accidental? The dangerous beauty, perhaps it was... not the choice you would have made if alone? And yet the colors matched the cloth -- it was something of Fate then, non? Do you think?"
She paused.
"There is... no other way but to take a life?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:40 am
A simple nod was given as Vivi asked if the first blank line on the paper was the place to sign. There were a few more as the pages were flipped through, but the task would be done quickly enough, especially with the woman before him riding the excitement high. When he finished explaining everything that felt like the standard information, he waited quietly, trying to push the image of a bright red hourglass from his mind and failing. He knew his tasks while he still had the car - drop the case and papers back off at the Lab and then drive himself to the nearest bookstore or library to start nabbing every book on black widows he could get his hands on. Nature shows told him the basics of widows (females were larger than males, females were black with a red hourglass while males were brown with a tannish hourglass and were occasionally eaten by said female after copulation...), but he'd do his best to get to their core. Preparation was key.
"Hmm?" He wasn't aware she was done signing or even looking at him, his eyes going through Vivi and out the window in his musing. Zeke absorbed the info and nodded. "Yes, captures can be accidental. An acquaintance of mine, she accidentally captured the soul of a crocodile about a month or so ago. That soul will be used for her Raevan, despite it being an accident." Inwardly, he thanked Anita for being an example for him. He'd thank her in person tomorrow. The mention of Fate, however, made him stop to think. Yes, now that he thought about it, it did seem just perfect, just so really, that the colors of the bottle matched the female widow's. He shook his head.
"When my colleague...Well she's more like my sister actually," he chuckled, "was showing me the bottle, I was actually thinking about ladybugs. Same colors and they're pretty harmless to people. Ah..." Saying the word 'harmless' was probably something he should explain. Anita took it well enough so...Why not? "I wanted something not too dangerous to humans to capture, even though making the decision probably would take a long time for me. You see, the Essence that my Raevan is being born from is called the 'Self Replicating Virus'. A few months ago, the virus got out on accident and made more than a handful of Raevans sick. Only the Raevans for some reason, but still. I wanted something "nice"," he used the term loosely, not really sure how to phrase that, "to counteract the "evil" of the virus. I use "evil" very, very loosely because I don't think it really is evil in the sense of the word. It was just doing what all viruses do to survive, just a bit differently because it is an Essence." He looked a bit sour then, that protective, parental feeling that had developed in him raising its head. "I'm sure those who got sick wouldn't believe me when I say that." Vyn was a testament to it; even now her words stung him.
"I'm sorry...I totally derailed what you said." He gestured to the papers that were still in her possession, keen to take those back if she was done. "If you're done, I'll take those, but to answer your question - yes, that's the only way. Unless...Well it sort of happened with my capture but if the animal - for example - had recently died naturally, then maybe you'll have a chance at capturing its soul by putting the bottle near the body. For me, the black widow was crushed by the bottle and only after it had died did the soul get sucked in. It only took about two or three minutes really." A shrug there, he couldn't really remember how long the time was, but it was the duration of him taking a leak, that was for certain. Looking back, the thought made him quirk a smile again, thinking about how epic the captures for some of the other Raevans were and where their guardians had been during the process. Someone could have been fighting the creature, another feeling extreme guilt and Zeke? ...He could say he was taking a piss when it happened. Jeez, timing.
"It's probably hard to hear, I know, but ultimately...To capture a soul for the new life, you will have to take a life. Unless you capture a rock or something...Rocks have souls maybe...But I have no idea what will happen there." Zeke stepped toward Vivi and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a firm squeeze against his side. Harsh reality, but she shouldn't let that thing get her down right now. "You okay Vivi?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 6:48 pm
Vivi watched Zeke very carefully as he spoke, a small furrow appearing between her brows as he explained the virus to her. The paternal swell in his voice as he talked moved her, and she felt a quiet sort of hope deep down that all the pain the virus had caused would be behind them after the Raevan was born. And she hoped, more than anything, that the Frei would not be an outsider to those its essence had caused pain...
She gave Zeke her lopsided smile as he half-hugged her to his side, letting out a helpless laugh. She reached forward for the papers, stacking them neatly and holding them out for Zeke.
"I am fine, yes. It is not pretty to think about, is it? But I suppose it is not so much a death if the soul is still to be reborn. Just a -- a transfer of bodies, one could say. It is naive to think that such a splendid thing could be born with no sacrifice." She shook her head, trying to parcel that information away for when she'd need to fortify herself with it. For when she found a soul that was meant, meant by Fate to be reborn as her Raevan. A soul that matched dawn, and that sweet calmness, and her beautiful patterned soul cloth. Gold, or brown... at least it wasn't something difficult, like purple...
Then she laughed again, recalling the crocodile, and Zeke's mention of ladybugs. She could imagine the man scouting the undersides of leaves hopefully, soul bottle in hand. And yet, a black widow had found itself to him before he'd ever been able to begin the search! It had been sealed: a black widow paired with a virus. Vivi tried to envision the pair molded into one Raevan -- strong, beautiful, dark... (....but what do viruses even look like? she thought to herself with some amusement. Her mind clicked away without an answer, finally and failingly supplying her with something that looked rather like a koosh ball. A koosh ball spider. Hm.)
"It is too bad, however, non?" she said aloud, the rich amusement returning to her sonorous voice. "Is it not useless to be angry at things for acting as what they are? You can be unhappy when you are scratched by the cat, or stung by the wasp, or..." She paused, thinking. "Or... shocked by the jellyfish!" And she pinched Zeke's side illustratively, laughing again. "But surely you cannot forever blame the jellyfish? They will come around. Your Raevan, it will be born of sickness which is simply sickness, yes? You are correct -- there is no evil there! If I met The Flu, I would be quite curious to shake his hand!"
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Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:22 am
Judging by her lack of reaction to his words about the virus (even though he had left out the gritty details like the symptoms, harm to property and people, and other things the pathogen made the Raevans do) it seemed Vivi was taking this information as well as Anita. And, like that time with the pigtailed woman, he felt a weight come off his shoulders. He couldn't change the past, but the future was looking brighter already. When the papers were extended to him he took them from the Frenchwoman, holding them under his arm at the side that wasn't occupied with keeping a friendly gesture around the woman. Her assurance that she was fine made him happier, and he was pleased to see was the sort to take information in stride. Similar to himself actually.
"It's not, but what you're saying makes a lot of sense Vivi. I guess you could say it's a necessary sacrifice and sort of like..." he fumbled for the word but it did come to him. "Reincarnation? Sort of, but they won't remember the life they had before. They'll have abilities stemming from it, but won't remember." That had been explained to him by Alex and he already knew enough about the abilities. The widow Frei would only have spider-derived powers thanks to that seal he had also neglected to mention. Vivi seemed to already accept this unborn Raevan for what it was and looked past one part of it. She didn't seem to get the heebie-jeebies at the mention of a spider for a soul either, so bonus points for that. When she started speaking again, he was listening with rapt attention.
"Hey yeah!" Her words made perfect sense! And it was a great way to look at it, though he doubted he could change minds with it. At least Xiu had agreed to a meeting at some point, guardian around or not. But, he thought, like he had said months ago to himself, he would take care of this Raevan and give it a home. If others couldn't accept it, so be it, but it'd always have a home with him. The pinch to his side made him cry out softly in surprise, hand dropping from Vivi's shoulders to hold the spot as he laughed. "You've got a great outlook Vivi; I like you." He moved back to the case that was still on the floor, feeling their time together would come to an end soon enough. The required Raevan-making items were delivered, papers were signed, talks were had and the only thing that seemed left was questions and maybe getting something from behind the case or two.
"I'm sure once they meet him or her they will come around. That's my biggest hope at least." Zeke wouldn't say anything else to detract from the excited mood that had come up again, his smile was firmly back on his face and he wasn't about to lose it again today. "I think I'd shake his hand too Vivi. I think we're just about done though, unless you have any questions?" He had that one of his own, but he'd ask it once he was sure she was set first. It was only polite after all.
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