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 Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 1:58 pm
Who: Anita and Zeke
When: Lunchtime
Where: LeAnn's Restaurant; Durem
Weather: Sunny and warm
Wind rushed past Zeke's ears as he roller-bladed down the city sidewalks of Durem. Cars on the street paid the purple t-shirt clad man no mind as he wasn't near a corner crosswalk just yet, but Zeke was minding them anyway. Drivers on a main street couldn't be trusted, but luckily for him he was near his destination. Unluckily though, he was running about ten minutes late. His shift had run over a few minutes and that, coupled with the fact he was being held up by chatting colleagues meant Zeke had to rush to the restaurant where he planned to meet Anita after changing. Thank the powers that be he decided to bring his roller blades today! A text message had been sent to the young woman, apologizing in advance for the hold up and that he'd be there as fast as his legs could get him. And thus, here he was now.
Shitshitshitshit! The word repeated over and over in his head as he took the suddenly appearing corner a bit too fast. He didn't slide off the curb as he turned onto Cherry Street, but the thought that he almost had nearly spilled himself head over heels onto the street made his heart pump a little harder. The street was vacant of moving vehicles, this one was out of the way and off the main road, but cars of all makes, models, and colors lined the sides anyway. Zeke slowed down some as he skated, his heel brake making a short, black skid on the concrete. He was near his destination and he shouldn't arrive to lunch looking as though he had been doused in a bucket of sweat. The backpack hanging off his right shoulder was pulled off and opened, Zeke's caramel brown eyes flicking up as he rifled through the bag for a tissue, bandana - anything really - to wipe the beads of dampness off his brow and nape. An old bandana was pulled from the bag and used for just that, just as Zeke arrived in front of the restaurant.
It was a nice looking place, though as 'hole-in-the-wall' as Zeke has said via the text messages on Sunday. If a person passing by hadn't seen the sign hanging off the front and the chalk covered sandwich board propped up out front, they would likely pass by without another glance. Still, it was part of the charm. The building's face was gray stone (like the cobblestone streets of Durem but darker) with a windowed, wooden door painted a nice shade of teal-blue. The windows on the building's face were large with the frames painted the same color and from here Zeke could see curtains pulled over to the sides of the glass inside. Inside was more eye-grabbing. Every surface was wooden (save for the walls which were as stony as the outside) and there were more than a few decorations on the walls or on shelving. Mostly it was sports memorabilia but there was a good number of odds and ends that made someone new to the place go "oh look at that". Tables inside were close, but not too close, and the lighting was bright enough that you could see the people around you, but low enough to make it feel cozy and private. Inside, however, was not where Anita and Zeke would sit. On a day like today they'd be dining on the outside pavilion, an add-on that was tacked in a couple of years ago but still looked new. The wooden deck housed a number of small tables with umbrellas poking out of their centers and the railing was lined with flower boxes from end to end. It was the perfect place to spend the nice day and a meal, and as he worked his shoes on instead, Zeke was pleased to see there were still a few tables left outside.
"And...There." He said softly but with triumph as his right foot fit into his well-loved sneaker without much work. He put his transportation into the backpack, zipping that up before looking between the pavilion and the door. He couldn't see Anita from here, so maybe she was waiting inside. If she wasn't here yet, well, he'd wait in the building for her. Best to wait for his company and take her along on a shortish tour than leave her to flounder around confused. That was just good hosting after all and he did like the woman he had arranged to meet. He walked up the two short steps and entered, chimes ringing overhead and his eyes landing on the head hostess who was standing behind a wooden podium as they adjusted to the lighting change.
"Good afternoon!"
"Good afternoon." He gave her a smile, not phased by the eyes roaming his appearance, turning his head to survey the dining room and the patrons therein. Zeke didn't see Anita in the moderate crowd from his vantage point and soon turned back to the hostess, happy he hadn't truly been late yet.
"Table for one?"
"I'm meeting someone, actually. Would you mind if I just wait here for her? I don't think she's shown up yet and I'd like us to take a table together."
"Oh of course! Take your time."
"Thank you." He moved from the area in front of the door and instead moved off to the side, back against the cool stone wall. Remembering he should probably ask for his chosen seating arrangement to have it reserved. "Can I request being seated out on the deck though? It's too nice of a day to be inside." The hostess smiled lightly and nodded, confirming that he could.
"Certainly sir."
"Awesome. Thank you."
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:49 pm
As Zeke had predicted, the other guardian had not yet arrived. Due to a culmination of oversleeping, rushing to get to a bus stop and being scrunched into a seat between the window and a rather large man, Anita had missed the stop she had needed for Durem and instead was dropped at the opposite end of the city, just on its outskirts. Now, there she stood, in a section of town that was once familiar but no longer, holding tightly to her messenger bag and staring up at a street sign.
Directions to LeAnn's hole in the wall restaurant that Zeke had suggested were procured from the internet, scribbled down on a napkin due to her lack of a printer, but those were written if the person was coming from the complete opposite direction. Sighing, there wasn't much she could do now except pocket the directions and walk. Here and there she would see someone stopped on the sidewalk that appeared to not be doing anything in particular who she would ask, "Excuse me, do you know where LeAnn's restaurant is?" and usually the response was a point of a finger and "just down there", but when she arrived at scenic "just down there", no LeAnn's could be found. Once she even managed to ask someone who told her not to forget to feed the cat--it was only as she had begun walking away that she embarrassingly realized the man had been talking into his cell phone headset.
Flipping her cellphone open to check the time, Anita cringed, taking a seat on a set of stairs just out of the way from the door and beginning to sort through her contacts for Zeke's number. He would need to direct her, if this was the case, and who better since he lived here and was who she was intending to meet anyway? Still, it felt rather mortifying that this entire thing had been set up and she still needed help and she could feel her face reddening, hoping this wouldn't be taken as an example of her somehow being unfit to parent a Raevan. As she put the phone to her ear, someone walked up the steps beside her and opened the door, where they were greeted with "Welcome to LeAnn's!" Her expression became blank and stony, her hand quickly closing the flip phone and shoving it into her bag. Yes, she was quite the idiot, how unobservant of her to take a seat on the steps of the place she wanted to go and then call to ask for help in finding it.
Taking a moment to regain her normal composure, Anita sighed and moved her bangs away from her eyes, stepping into the restaurant and being greeted with the same phrase. "Hi. Um, did someone with green and purple hair come in here already?"
The hostess behind the counter smiled and nodded, "Yes, he's waiting out on the deck for you." Anita's eyes lit up with excitement while her mouth turned into a frown; how long had he been waiting for her if he had been here already?
"Thank you!" Anita chirped and began walking at a brisk pace, navigating her way between tables and aisles until she spotted the deck through a window, and there Zeke was. Another sigh, she adjusted her bag and stepped outside, offering him an apologetic smile as she pulled her chair out and sat, resting her messenger bag between her legs on the wood floor. "Hi, sorry," she laughed, though slightly forced, and began fiddling with one of her braid's ends, "Haven't kept you waiting long, have I?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:28 pm
Minutes passed at a slow pace as Zeke waited at his spot near the door of the restaurant. His only company was the chimes over the door jingling as people came and went from the premises as well as the low, rumbled talk of the patrons in the dining area and the voices of the waitstaff as they moved about. The vet turned his eyes to the clock on the welcoming podium, wondering with a slight frown if Anita had gotten lost. She had said that she had lived in Durem for awhile, but depending on how long 'awhile' was, it was possible the girl didn't have a recollection of what was where. That was fine with him. He had lived in Aekea for a couple years, but quiz him on where a certain place is now and the man would flounder as he strained to think then leave the person asking with a 'dunno' expression. He'd wait as long as it took, but after the trek here Zeke wouldn't mind sitting down. Also, the chime overhead was ringing people coming in, rather than leaving the place and from here it seemed they were heading out onto the patio than the seats a few feet away.
"Ah, excuse me?" He tapped the podium lightly as the head waitress came back. Her gray eyes turned to him, smile polite but inquisitive as to what the raver wanted. "Could I maybe take my seat out on the deck now? I'm sure my friend wouldn't have a hard time finding me once she arrives." He wasn't that hard to spot after all.
"Of course!" Was the chipper reply, the woman plucking two menus from the holder on the wall behind her and gesturing for Zeke to follow. The walk was quick and soon Zeke was out on the patio, following the apron-ed woman through a weave of tables and chairs that were both pulled out and occupied. The table she stopped at was closest to the wooden banister with its rows of outward hanging flowerpots. It had four chairs and a glass surface with a blue umbrella poking through its center and the two menus were placed at opposite sides. Zeke took his seat with his back to the building, smiling at the woman as she procured her notepad and pen.
"May I take your drink order now?"
"Ah...Is it okay if I wait for my companion?"
"Of course." With that and a dip of the head she departed back through the tables and chairs, leaving Zeke alone and soaking in the slight breeze that ruffled the umbrella's canvas. All in all he had been waiting for only seven and a half minutes and now that he was out here he didn't have to wait any longer either. The scrape of chair against the wood caused his eyes to open (having closed them after the waitress left and as he tilted his head back), smile back on his face as he saw Anita had arrived.
"No no, not at all!" Zeke said with a grin, tugging his chair to the left slightly to get a better view of the pigtailed woman. "I was afraid I kept you waiting! I sent you a text apologizing if I was late," his hand gestured to his right pocket where the flip phone was being kept. Anita's call to him hadn't gone through thanks to her closing it so quickly so Zeke had not heard it ring at all, "but anyway...You're here now, I'm here, we're gonna have lunch!" Zeke tapped the menu under his hand, chipper as ever now that his friend was here but still polite and not opening the laminated paper until Anita did. Until then though, they hadn't talked since Sunday's texting spree, so best to have some conversation for both that and to have Anita know there was no need to think she had kept him waiting for hours.
"So how have you been Anita?" He said as he pulled his phone out and set it on silent. If he was needed, it could wait for later. Right now was Anita and Zeke time at lunch. "I've been looking forward to lunch with you all week."
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:02 pm
Anita flashed him a hearty smile after he mentioned that he had thought he was late; what a predicament the both of them had gotten into. It really said a lot about them both, but Anita merely read it as similarity and laughed it off. More things to bond over, really. At the mention of a text, she frowned and pulled out her phone to see there was, in fact, a notice: 1 New Message but she hadn't felt it vibrate or hear it beep. With a check of the volume, she jutted her jaw out in annoyance at the phone: silent.
"Man, must've hit the volume button in my pocket or something, I didn't even hear it. Oh well, you're right, we're both here and it's lunch time~" she puffed out her cheeks with a smirk, as though her mouth was stuffed with food as she returned her phone to her pocket. Hearing Zeke's finger tap on his menu prompted Anita to open hers up, first looking at the drinks and deciding some nice ice water would be best at first, then probably a lemon-lime soda afterward. Refreshing, then crisp.
The pigtailed woman couldn't help but laugh; it was really quite adorable of Zeke to have been so excited, especially when they hardly knew each other, but the fact of the matter was that she had been looking forward to it the entire week as well. In fact, the previous day she had nearly thought it was the day of their lunch date and had gotten all ready to go in her casual clothes only to remember that she needed to be in her work uniform. "Pretty dang good," she chuckled, flipping a page of the menu. For now, she was just eying the pictures so as not to ignore conversation, "Me too, I almost thought today was yesterday. Fiasco~" she chimed jovially, hoping he wouldn't think anything went wrong because of it. No, she had managed to get to work just barely on time and the rest of the day was smooth sailing.
Another flip of the menu page and her eyes landed on a nice half rack of baby backs, slow roasted and covered in a tangy looking dry rub. Her mouth nearly watered then and there, "Any ideas of what you might want?" As waiters moved in and out from the doors of the building, the smell of food was wafting with them; teas, pastas, meats, salads, anything and everything they had was culminating in a delicious scent and making Anita hungrier than a starved dog. How had she not realized she was so hungry before? It didn't help that all she had for breakfast was a piece of garlic toast which, while totally delicious, was hardly filling. "What have you been up to the past couple days?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 11:42 am
"Ah, butt dialing strikes again!" He said with another grin after Anita explained what possibly caused her not to hear the message she had received. Once his companion had opened her menu he followed suit; eyes automatically resting on the appetizers though he felt he wasn't peckish enough for a full course of appetizer, entree, and dessert. He pulled his gaze away when Anita started to speak again, attentive and curious to what she had to say.
"I'm glad to hear it," he commented when she said her past few days had been good. The latter part made him laugh though it really was no true matter for it, shaking his head and understanding perfectly. He'd done the same at times though in his case it was usually the opposite - it'd be his day off and he'd find himself half into his slacks before he realized it wasn't actually Thursday anymore. "Oh jeez. I hope your bosses weren't upset with you Anita. It happens to us all, but sometimes superiors can't seem to realize that." Again his eyes went to the menu as she questioned him, flipping a laminated page over to the entrees of sandwich and soup combos as well as the burgers, pastas, and chickens. His tongue piercing clucked against the roof of his mouth as he read what select entrees had to offer, well aware of the grumble his stomach gave. Work had really made him hungry.
"Haven't the foggiest so far," he chuckled, "but I think I'll have a Dr Pepper to drink. How about you? Anything catch your eye? I've had a few things on the menu here time after time, and they were all delicious. Made to your order too!" Like Anita, the scent of wafting cooked things worked at his growing hunger and saliva glands. He was narrowing down his options by smell too; pastas were a no-go for him. The authentic Italian food Brad and Alex would make had pretty much spoiled him for that and American-style pizza. Fish was an option though thanks to his allergy he couldn't have anything with shellfish involved (not that there was much past a clam chowder), and he wasn't feeling the desire for chicken. He flipped to the meats, a list of pork, beef, and lamb dishes. Steak tips, perhaps.
"What have you been up to the past couple days?" He looked up.
"Work, mostly. Lab on Sunday as you know, then Monday and Tuesday was my regular job." He worked a lot, but these early in, early out hours this week were suiting him just fine. He loved the free afternoons. "On Tuesday after work though I did some Lab-related business." He winked, hoping to make it sound like some secret job. In essence it kind of was; only himself, Kyou, and likely Alex knew about it so far, as well as Vivi since she had received the bottle. It was exciting and he had left the bakery with both a delicious cake as well as the thought that he had a new friend. Zeke smiled at the pigtailed woman. They were both apart of Lab and still quite the 'newbies' of the owners as well. He could let her in on it!
"My job was to deliver a new Essence and empty Soul Glass to a woman out in your neck of the woods." With that out, a waitress appeared, smiling at both Anita and Zeke with pen and pad at the ready. It was clear she had heard Zeke's statement but was trying to cover up her confused look.
"Welcome to LeAnn's. I'm Lynne, I'll be your waitress. May I start you off with something to drink?" Her attention turned to Anita as Zeke gestured to the girl.
"Ladies first." He waited for Anita to give her drink order. "And a Dr Pepper for me please."
"Ice water and Dr Pepper," the orders were jotted down and the brunette waitress gave a nod. "That'll be right out! I'll be back in a few for your meal orders!" She left then and Zeke watched her go before looking back to his fellow guardian.
"As I was saying; I did a drop off all by myself!" He puffed with pride, and his words near the end were rife with childish glee at that fact. "The guardian-to-be's a nice woman and she runs a bakery out in Gambino. She was really excited to see me once I told her I worked for Lab!" He thought back to that introduction and how Vivi had reacted to the news of her selection. Oh yes, her enthusiasm was great and in his opinion she'd be a great guardian to a Raevan. He looked forward to meeting her again and he even had an excuse for it - more cake.
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:35 am
With a quick shake of her head, her face scrunched up into a cute and comical smile, she waved away Zeke's concerns of her getting in trouble. She hadn't been late, the problem was averted before it even became a problem, and that was how she liked things of that nature to stay; easy to deal with. At his question of her food choice, Anita's eyes locked back onto the menu with the ravenous ferocity of a wolf and at first her face was blank but it soon turned into a wide grin, "Buffalo wings, mm~ I haven't had good ones in a while... I usually get them first from new places to test, because they're one of my favorites."
As she explained this, her finger traced the description of the wings; there was a boneless option--she would go with that--as well as a choice of three sauces, Mild, Hot and Inferno. Inferno was the way to go, but she would ask their waiter or waitress about just how hot each sauce was.
Sitting back with her hands on the edge of the seat, she gave Zeke her full attention as the purple and green haired man recounted her with a lovely story concerning their mutual "friend" the Lab. A new Essence and Soul Bottle, how lovely, and nearby her as well! Anita's hazel-green eyes lit up with excitement and wonder as her mind brimmed with so many questions; "What was the Essence? Does it do anything like the mistletoe?" and then the ones that couldn't be answered just yet, not by Zeke, not by the new family member, and not even by the Lab itself yet.
What soul would it be paired with?
What would its gender be?
Would the Raevan be friendly?
Surely via the proper channels and knowing what the items were and did would allow for someone to properly plan out a good pairing of soul to Essence. Anita had attempted it, but it was probably for the best; a crocodile with mistletoe would certainly turn out more interesting than a dog. It had probably been a bit of a selfish desire, and so fate intervened.
As the waitress came up and introduced herself, Anita bounced in her seat, giving the woman a cheeky smile that was more directed at Zeke's politeness--whether it was a joke or serious, it was cute--"I'll have some ice water to start with, please; no lemon slice, if you guys do that." Zeke ordered his Dr. Pepper and the pigtailed girl nodded to the woman before she scooted back inside to get their drinks filled. Once she was gone, it was back to conversation in no seconds flat and Anita nodded, all smiles. "That's really great! It seems like you did a good job. Also seems like they're trusting you more, giving you such an important job," that was always great news for part timers, it was how she ended up getting a full time job, by impressing the staff with her good work ethics.
"Haha, I guess she would be. So that's the usual way to get them? Are they... ordered, or is it more like an adoption?" Not-so-secretly, Anita hoped his answer would lean toward the latter; if people wrote up forms and handed them in for reference and were narrowed down that way, it was probably a bit more safe than just having someone call in and say "I would like to take care of a Raevan!" and be off with an Essence and bottle. She didn't have much doubt, though; the Lab seemed to have its s**t together and that was all she could really hope for.
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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 11:05 am
Her smile eased any worry that he had of Anita getting into trouble, and he was very glad she either hadn't been late or her bosses had taken it easy on her. He listened to her detail what she would have and then Zeke himself turned back to appetizers, sucking on his lip ring as he looked at what was offered. A small salad couldn't hurt and unlike chain restaurants the salads were actually small, not a garden on a plate.
"I haven't tried those before," he offered up, "but I hear they're really good here. Sometimes my coworkers and I come down here for lunch and it's always certain at least one of them gets the buffalo wings as an appetizer. I, on the other hand, usually get a soup or salad, but today feels like a salad day. Preferably..." He trailed off, finger gliding down the list of greens offered. "A standard garden salad." He chuckled at his choice. There were more on the list of course, but when looking at what each one contained they seemed to be a meal in itself. While he could down a decent sized meal in his own right, work had ground into his head that lunch was supposed to be light and thus too much in a small time would make sure he didn't eat much of the main course. He'd pace himself.
He had started to reply to what Anita had asked about the Essence he had delivered, but the waitress came up and took their orders then. Once the woman had come, written, and gone, he smiled back at Anita. Yes, it was like they were, though he had a feeling it was standard for the receptionists. Alex technically was one as well, though she had obviously been there longer and was therefore higher on the food chain.
"The Essence was called 'Broken Dawn'," he said as he went back to her first questions again, "it was really pretty Anita, it was all shades of the morning sky! But actually, it sorta did. Not as...Extreme...As the mistletoe, but when I pulled it out of the case, I felt really refreshed and kind of had a little in-mind trip to some hilly village at dawn. It was trippy." Trippy but beautiful and Zeke couldn't help but sigh as he remembered how real it all felt. The experience hadn't lasted more than a few seconds but it left the veterinarian with a lasting conviction that only good things would come from that Raevan. Good, early morning fresh things.
"It's like an adoption process." He nodded as her question hit that point. He, too, was rather pleased to see it was like that and as a veterinarian whose clinic was also a pet adoption center the Lab's method was something he could get behind. "Alex said Dr. Kyou sometimes puts ads out in the newspapers and such, to draw attention to the Lab, but if you want to take on the project you have to apply and then run through a panel consisting of the staff." He wasn't one of them, but - save for Rong Wei - Zeke was certain those members who did look through and pick the lucky people had good heads on their shoulders. "But you probably already know about the application part, even if Zul did give you yours." He figured Anita must have applied before and thus the Frei knew that and decided on his own from there. Zeke, however, hadn't though he was thinking about it long and hard since Christmas until Alex surprised him with the fel virus and a part time job. She'd only choose him if he fit the bill after all! Talking about the Lab reminded Zeke of their texting spree on Sunday, and curiosity got the better of him.
"So tell me," he said, "how's name searching going for you? Did any of the tricks I gave you help?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:32 pm
"Yeah, buffalo wings are one of my favorites," Anita nearly hummed at the idea of having some. It had been a long time since she had eaten at a restaurant, much less with anybody, and even longer since she had tasted a really good sampling of buffalo wings. "If their sauce is good, I might ask if they sell it," a habit that spawned a few years ago from her ordering extra sauces from pizza places that served the wings and hoarding the remnants to use for later. Restaurants didn't quite work that way, but she had encountered some who sold their own sauce as a brand.
Anita shifted her weight comfortably in her seat, pulling up close and crossing one leg at the ankle over her knee. She leaned back, an arm on the chair's rest while the other dangled over the back side and she leaned back until she was perfectly content to listen to Zeke's adventure with a new Essence. How he described it, Broken Dawn, she had a picture in mind of a vial much like the one that housed her mistletoe but glass shards that looked like a sunrise. It almost seemed like something out of a fairytale, in particular Chicken Little. "The sky is falling," she chuckled when he had paused to take a breath. The effects, too, seemed very interesting and beautiful, and she tried to imagine a similar scene that Zeke had experienced. It just wouldn't work without the Essence, she supposed, but she still smiled and laughed, nodding along.
A contented sigh left her, Oh, that's good, as Zeke described the process. Ads in the newspaper to draw attention. It really was a pity she didn't read much of the ads section (almost exclusively the comics), or else she would have found out about Lab much sooner. At Zeke's next statement, she pouted a little; "Actually, I didn't apply at all. I'd met a few Raevans and Zul, but..." she laughed, still finding it extremely comical and quirky of the Raevan, "Zul actually shipped the Essence and bottle to my work as a gift for selling him good video games." How cheeky, really, for Zul to have done such a thing, but she still felt so warm in her chest every time she thought about it. It was almost lonely at home without the vial and bottle with her, regardless of the ill effects one brought.
She missed them.
Names. Anita jutted her lower lip out before scooting her chair out and bending down, fumbling with her bag. She pulled out a folded up piece of notebook paper and unfolded it, setting it on the table in front of herself. "I keep having second thoughts. I mean, there's a lot of names that sound great, but I can't... really pick one. I have my favorites of the ones I've looked at--Piper, Avery, Aiden, Kai--none of them sound right." It was a bit distressing, really. Nothing spoke to her or called out to her. There were many names she had found, liked, then later hated, only to find them once more and like them again. "It's such a weird combination, I guess... I can't imagine how the others came up with the names they did." She sighed, slipping the paper across to her companion and crossing her arms, resting her elbows against the table. The white paper was marred with scribbles, scratches, eraser marks, and all sorts of black areas. Names were sparse and drifted all across the page; in the margins, the top, the bottom, floating aimlessly around splotches. "How's your poll coming?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:51 am
"I'll keep that in mind should we ever meet up for lunch again," he winked at her, but was being truthful. If he ever invited someone out to eat he was the sort to cater to their tastes so long as said tastes didn't run to a strictly seafood menu. He liked fish-fish as much as the next guy but he wasn't rightly comfortable being around the other variety of fish commonly found at such places; the kind that would require an Epipen only a hand's reach away lest his allergies violently react and attempt to kill him. "I know of a few places with decent wings and one or two should sell their sauces. Le'Ann's might, I mean, they aren't giving the recipe away so there's that, plus it's a good way to make a bit extra money if you ask me." Not that he knew more than one or two things related to business mind you.
"The sky is falling," He laughed when she said that after he paused.
"Something like that, yeah." When he had been reading the virus files he was pretty sure one of them detailed one of the Raevans having a sky-related Essence already, but given he was with company he wasn't about to sit there with his brow furrowed, sucking on his lip ring while he attempted to remember. "I'm interested to see what Vivi captures. She was leery about the fact whatever is captured dies - then again, who isn't? - but despite that she was quite excited." He really did like the Frenchwoman and unlike another person he had homed a Raevan to, he had nothing but good feelings about the her. She'd do well with whatever sort of Raevan was born to her care.
As Anita explained that she hadn't applied, a goofy sort of grin crossed over Zeke's face. So they were both in the same boat and seated just that much closer together on one side eh? It was rather funny, but he was happy to have just that much similarity to someone else. Anita and he, so far, were both two new people to the Lab, had Raevans en utero as it were, and now they had both been chosen (by what Vivi would have called Fate, he was sure) on good merits without even having to apply. Though Zeke's situation was more dire than Anita's, both could say their opprotunity had been a gift, and that was swell in Zeke's books.
"Did he?" He said when Anita explained how she got hers. "He's a good kid and he's got a good head on his shoulders too. He picked you because he knew you'd be the best for it, even if it seems like it was just for the games I bet." Even with the Baphomet for a soul, Zeke couldn't pick a nicer Raevan out of a line up even if he had only met a small few now. Soon after he said that, Anita started for her paper, so Zeke took the opportunity to stretch a bit in his seat and adjust himself so his arms rested comfortably on the table top and supported his upper weight there. He leaned over a little farther to see the names, brown eyes ticking over a few before Anita listed off a few of the shorter ones.
"Don't stress Anita, I feel the same." He reached over and patted her shoulder gently. "Sometimes when I look at my poll, I see a name on there that makes me go 'maybe I should trash that one' but then when I pass by it later, that name is fine again but it's a different one that's giving me that feeling. I think I like Avery and Aiden out of those four though." 'Piper' didn't seem very crocodile to him and Kai...For some reason it felt too short. As his companion spoke of how she couldn't figure how other owners chose their Raevan's names, he could only shake his head.
"No idea," he said helpfully, "but it wouldn't surprise me if they had a whole roster lined up but then the moment they saw their Raevan all of those were just blown out of the window and some sort of light went on in their head." His smile was light, friendly, and most of all knowing what the girl was going through. Even without the name poll going on he was a bundle of nerves - getting the room ready, buying things that up until that point were simple and even mundane but now seemed imparitive to have. He took the paper as it came and surveyed the scrawl thereon, head tilting this way and that when he came to a spot where the names were hidden by black smears.
"My poll? It's kind of come to a--"
"Ice water and a Dr. Pepper." The waitress had returned, placing the drinks down before their appropriate owner. With a perky sort of grin she pulled out her notebook and the pencil again, looking between Zeke and Anita for a moment before speaking again. "So, are you guys ready to order or do you need a few more minutes to decide?"
"Ah..." Zeke looked to Anita, gesturing at her again like he had when the waitress asked about drinks. "Anita?"
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 9:26 pm
As Zeke described the new guardian's reaction to a soul capture, Anita felt a pang of nostalgia; had it already been so long after the crocodile soul had been caught? In the grand scheme, it wasn't long at all, but time seemed to be flying by and somehow, mysteriously, snailing along at the same time. She had felt very similar to this Vivi, even trying to come up with any soul under the sun that wouldn't constitute as murder or otherwise end in death, but nothing fit.
It really did seem to be fate, rather than anything else, that the crocodile seemingly chose to die of its own free will. It was the one to steal the bottle, after all, but of course it could very well have been a perfectly timed accident. Right? Right.
"I want to know, too," Anita sighed dreamily, picturing a genderless silhouette the colors of the morning sky. Whatever it turned out to be paired with, the result would be beautiful, that was for sure. She had to laugh, though; the purpose of this venture was to get to know one another on a more personal level, but here they were, jawjacking about the professional thing that had them meet in the first place. It was pretty hard to get off the subject, Anita felt, as it was all so mysterious and breathtaking, so magnificent but still real, tangible. The Lab was like a fantasy come to life.
Anita nodded to all of Zeke's questions and comments regarding Zul; she had to agree, he was a wonderful person with his heart in the right place, but when he mentioned that it was out of belief that she could do what was best for the unborn Raevan, she felt her chest tighten and nearly thought she was back behind the game store counter with Zul bursting in excitedly, Alex not far behind. All she could do in regard to Zeke's opinion there was smile silently and look at her feet before the names came up.
"Well, that's reassuring," she bounced in her seat a bit as he looked over the names. Avery and Aiden, as well, were her favorites of the A names. Piper was more out of necessity, she could take or leave that one. Kai, however, was one she had been fond of for years and had to tack it on just in case she had the opportunity to use it. "I've been to, like, eight sites, but then I found one that had thousands of names from all kinds of different countries, so I'm looking through that. Slowly."
Perhaps it would all turn out to be useless, as Zeke implied; after he brought it up, she had no doubt that any name she picked now, without knowing a thing about the resulting Raevan, would be chucked and something else would come to mind. Hell, maybe she would even take it home and list off names to it so it could find one it liked on its own. Though, there was the off chance it would pick something like "Frakenstein" or "Poop". Oh come on, why would I even list those?! She smirked to herself as the waitress returned with their drinks, and Zeke, ever the gentleman, gave her the go-ahead.
"Ah..." she started, glancing at the menu for a second as though she had forgotten what she was interested in getting, "I'll have some buffalo wings, boneless. How hot is the Inferno sauce?"
The waitress--Lynne--gave her a raised eyebrow look, one that said "are you serious?" before responding; "Pretty hot. It's made some people cry. I don't like hot food, though."
A sly grin snaked its way across Anita's features and she nodded, "With Inferno sauce, please," and she waved her hand in Zeke's direction.
Lynne looked surprised, writing down the order with widened eyes and a slightly frown before turning to Zeke and smiling. "And for you, sir?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 12:39 pm
Zeke watched with a silent, private smile as Anita told the waitress just what she wanted to eat. A pierced brow lofted as Lynne told of the horrors behind the particular sauce his companion was keen to try and it only went higher as Anita confirmed that was what she wanted. He knew spicy wings generally came with bread rolls to ease the pain that would be inflicted upon the tongue, but with the words "It's made some people cry" out in the open, he had to wonder if it'd be best to ask for a few extra when they came. He wasn't saying Anita didn't have a wrought iron stomach, but it never hurt to be prepared right?
"I'll stick with a garden salad for today. No onions, please." Zeke took his head off his hands as he was questioned, smile turning less private as he watched the waitress jot down the orders on her little pad.
"Dressing?"
"Italian, please," and he looked at Anita, beaming, "I like a bit of tang with my crunch." Zeke heard the pen scratching some more and then it came to a stop
"Okay! I'll be back when everything's ready!"
"Thank you!" The vet chirped and nodded as the woman departed once more. He took a moment to steal a swig off his soda, wetting his parched-feeling throat and taking that time to collect all his thoughts as well. Anita had posed a few questions and spoken many comments, and he didn't want to leave any hanging.
"I'm gonna bet that she's gonna be placing bets with the rest of the waitstaff to see how you fair against that Inferno sauce Anita." He chuckled at the very idea. "But what was I saying before?" He didn't mind coming off as absentminded or with his head in the clouds, but it was a good way to get their conversation back on track. "Ah! Right! My poll. As I was starting to say it's come to a bit of a halt. Most everyone in the clinic I work for has voted, so there's no new numbers coming in. Still, though, it's clear to see which names are popular and which aren't. I'm keeping your votes in mind too."
Zeke winked at Anita again and stretched back in his seat, relaxing fully and happily. It was a nice day, he was in good company with a good meal on its way...Yeah, this was just good comfort all around. He did mean what he said too, about Anita's vote being kept in mind. She had picked a name for each gender - both were names he had liked and were rather popular too - and as a fellow owner he trusted her opinion, even if she didn't have a Raevan of her own just yet. Anita and he were family in a sense, and you trust your family.
"I'm sure that site will eat up a good portion of your weekend," he chuckled as he thought of one site containing practically millions of names all in one place, finding it daunting more than silly. All those names. All those choices. And, as the Highlander once said, there can be only one. It was sort of scary to think about, come to think of it. He had to wonder how some parents did it when they weren't naming their kid after relatives as his own had done. Again...Daunting. "But don't worry over it, I know in the end you'll find or pick something completely suitable for him or her." He had to hope the same for himself.
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:51 pm
With their main course orders complete, it would be a few minutes before they would be getting their food and Anita settled lazily into her chair to sip at her drink, eyes closed and enjoying the slight breeze. She didn't usually eat outside when restaurants had the option but she might have to do this more often.
At Zeke's comment, her eyes shot open and she nearly snorted into her drink. "You think?" she managed to sputter after a second, grinning widely at the colorful man. It was right back on track from there, Zeke barely missing a beat to segue into their previous conversation. Anita set her drink back down and rested her elbows on the table to lean in and give him her full, undivided attention. It was a pretty neat way to do things, make a poll for names, but she wasn't so sure it would go over with such success at her own place of business. When everyone working there was a bored teenager or young adult it lead to a lot of jokes and generally being dicks to one another. She could see it now, if she put up a list of girl and boy names someone would draw genitals on it, it was an accident waiting to happen.
The wink caused Anita to grin wider before she returned to her drink. "Oh I'm sure," she scoffed approvingly, "I've done it for a couple hours after work already, that'll be taking up a lot of my time too." She had a plan, as well, and most of it included preparing the apartment as if she were getting ready for a new baby; new sheets, some trinkets, a beginner's tooth brush and safe-to-swallow toothpaste, things of that ilk. Oh yes, she would be prepared for her new charge and she was going to take care of them as if they were her own flesh and blood.
"I'm sure the right name will hit me when I see them," she smiled fondly at the idea, attempting to picture the Raevan floating in the lobby of Lab 305 expectantly waiting for a name but all that turned out was a featureless, androgynous Frei that might as well have been a mannequin in terms of detail. "I wonder how some of the others came up with names... I guess LuLu got her name 'cause it's cute," she chuckled, but then her mind drifted to Zul. It was a strong name, intimidating, but all she could think of aside from its Raevan owner upon hearing it was the Ghost Busters theme.
After a while longer their food arrived. Conversation all but halted at first when they began to tuck in but once the ravenous desperation subsided and they instead ate slowly like civilized human beings it blossomed back. "These are hot," Anita managed to sound out with a full mouth, "But I think they exaggerated just how much. How's your salad?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:16 am
A wide grin and earnest nod spread across the vet's face when Anita sputtered out her exclamation, but he didn't reply to it - letting that expression speak for him. With the new topic brought up, there wasn't much else to say, although he would be keeping an eye on the door once their food arrived, just in case Lynne and her fellow waitresses were lurking off to the side. As the conversation was changed, Zeke too took a sip of his drink and watched his charming company with rapt attention as he spoke of his list and the long weekend he was sure Anita was in for during her search.
"Have you now? I guess that's where the names on your list came from?" Not that he was saying Anita couldn't have come up with them off the top of her head of course. He was just curious, even about something that would seem mundane to others. Then again...What others had to pick and plan and choose for the arrival of a being that would be a part of their life and soon?!
"I'm sure the right name will hit me when I see them,"
To this statement and Anita's fond expression, Zeke's nose crinkled as he smiled. That was the truth, but not for him as it was. Name after name he had compiled a list and even though some names were more appealing than others, he found himself staring at a plethora of 'right' names. Thinking about it now, there was no 'right' name as it stood right this moment. In fact, he had to muse that the true 'right name' wouldn't raise its head until his Raevan was born. Until then? He'd have to look and weigh and judge and second guess himself over several hundred times or until his head popped off his shoulders.
"Once you find that name, give me a call eh? I'd love to know what it is." He'd do the same if, by some chance, he found that right name for his Raevan. The vet saw no reason to leave his Lab sibling in the dark and was already hoping that their future family members would be as thick as thieves. Until then however, he continued to listen to Anita talk, shrugging lightly as she asked about how other Guardians came up with their Raevans' names before looking puzzled at the mention of LuLu.
"I've never met LuLu," he said, knowing he had read it before in the Virus Files and thinking back to the documents. He couldn't pick out specifics but that name rang a bell all the same. He let it go after a bit of brain searching with a shake of his head. None of that now. "It is a cute name, though." Speaking of another Raevan by name made him wonder... "How many Raevans have you met so far, Anita?"
As the question was posed the waitress had returned with her arms laden with their meals. The raver offered a grateful 'thank you' when his salad was set down, pleased to note there were exactly zero onions in his salad. As much as he enjoyed them cooked - French onion being his all time favorite soup in fact - there was just something unappetizing about the raw sort. He tucked into his meal happily after pouring on the Italian dressing provided, taking a few large bites before looking over at Anita. He had to ogle her when he saw her plate already had bones littered on it and he raised a brow before laughing as she told him her opinions on the apparently infamous Inferno sauce.
"You must have a mouth of lead or something," Zeke shook his head, raising a hand to wipe at his nose. He wasn't sniffling, but while Anita just blew the crazy hot sauce label out of the water, he could still smell the spice aerating off each wing. It did burn. "They really aren't that bad?" He stopped wiping his nose to take a drink. "Salad's good, thanks. No onions, so I'm a happy guy.
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:49 pm
((A note: Snoof and I have agreed to call the RP 'finished' on my last post. This RP has been going on for over two years now and Snoof has said she's had trouble replying in her own right. As such, we both agree that the RP is complete and will simply say that Anita and Zeke had a nice lunch and talk and went their separate ways after the former was through.))
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