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 Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:24 pm
x x x WHO: Alex, Anastacia, Zeke & Zul
x x x WHEN: Morning
x x x WHERE: Zeke's clinic; Lab 305
x x x WEATHER: Clear, crisp skies, but oddly cool
She'd received the phone call just as she'd parked in the lot in front of the Lab.
Zul had barely gotten out of the vehicle before it was tearing out of Gambino at breakneck speeds, kicking up dust as it hit the path to Durem. Hapless pedestrians were put in grave danger if they put so much as a toe off the sidewalk, the old dirty streets of the city barely having time to reflect off the clean vehicle's windows and forest-green paint before the dual-cab truck was out of sight and on to the next mess of intersections and crosswalks. Tires slid to a sudden halt at an odd angle by the curb, the cab lurching as the engine was put into park and the door swung open over a grassy knoll. The woman's feet hit the ground and the door never even managed to shut, truck still running, as the Italian bolted into the veterinarian's clinic.
"Where's Zeke?" Alex asked breathlessly, her green eyes wide and wild, her expression one of urgency. Her dark hair was surprisingly well kept in its twist-and-tail, but then again, the day hadn't had time to run its fingers through to tussle it yet. She wore a light storm-grey hoodie zipped to her navel, a dark tank top beneath and black jeans; all in all, she looked like the storm that she was billowing through the front desk. "Is he even here yet? It's an emergency! I need him to come with me!"
Giving a short sound of gratitude as she was directed with a baffled look from the receptionists, the lithe woman rounded the front counter and barreled down the hallway beyond the waiting rooms, ignoring the surprised looks she earned from the doctors that she weaved around effortlessly. Her goal was in the offices just coming into sight, a mingled sense of relief, gripping fear and thready excitement grappling in her chest, green eyes with adrenaline-heavy dilated pupils scanning the name plates until she found the one she wanted: Farris. Forgive me, Zeke-- She yanked the door open without so much as a knock, trembling with the wave of emotion that was taking over her.
Images played in her mind: the way he had looked at her over the table as she talked to him. His uncertainty, his fear, but most of all, his dedication to what was right and fair. The way he stole glances down the hallway when they worked together. The memories jumped backwards, and she remembered the way he looked at her when he had walked in to the house he'd shared with her brother, the surprise there. The immediate bonding that happened thereafter, the sibling comradery that had fused within seconds and how inseparable they'd been since. Seeing her brother smile with all his heart when he looked at Zeke...and the way Zeke loved them both, so wholly and without pretense.
Please forgive me.
"Zeke," the woman breathed, eyes settling on the startled looking man. Her eyebrows knitted over her pupil-swallowed eyes, her bottom lip sucked between her teeth and bitten before the expression changed. Her lips curved into an excited grin, her posture tense and singing with anxiety. Alex wanted to tell him that she'd received the call, that she hadn't even gone into the Lab. She wanted to tell him to grab his stuff and come with her. She wanted to tell him he wouldn't be back to work today, but instead, all that fell from her grinning lips was this:
"She's here."
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Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:25 pm
How could he have known today would be so life changing? He really couldn't have, even for a man who earnestly believed in the old 'expect the unexpected' phrase and even though he had pretty much prepared for this to happen. Still, one moment he was sitting placidly behind his desk; filling out the last bits of paperwork for a new patient's file then in the next he had physically thrown himself back against his rolling chair's back rest - eyes widening enough that they seemed to pop and right hand thrown over his heart as though he was preventing it from bursting out of his chest. Alex had scared the bejeesus out of him and it was only growing as she looked at him like that. Her tone, her posture...Then it all changed. His shoulders relaxed though his eyes remained wide, his own caramel colored ones flicking over her face as it changed from something near-feral and crazed to barely contained excitement and joyful anxiety.
"She's here."
His lips parted to say something about her sudden burst into his office as well as her appearance and the words were on the tip of his tongue but then...That. That came out. Two words (though it could have been three) hung in the air and graced his multi-pierced ears. They sunk in, entered his brain, and caused the faintest twitch of his head as a sign they had reached that special part reserved for information comprehension. With no words coming from him, Zeke's mouth was agape and slowly that formed into the proper look of surprise Alex would be looking for. His body tensed like hers but unlike the Italian woman's his own didn't tremble. He remained blown away. Slowly his jaw began to rise and drop to form words while his left hand gripped the arm rest hard enough his knuckles turned white. The room was hazy but Alex was in such sharp focus she almost stung. Expect the unexpected? So soon? Her gender...HER...Here. Not here but...Now. God. Oh God.
He finally took a breath.
His jaw stopped movement, brain giving up on full, coherent sentences for now. Instead, slowly, his lips curved into a small, but perfectly visible smile. It began to grow from there though his body still didn't relax, stopping when it was at a regular size but giving him that appearance of stunned disbelief. Had time stopped? He couldn't hear the clock with how fast the blood was pumping in his ears, not that he didn't want to. If he saw it, he'd realize how much time he was wasting just sitting there, floored. His brain was trying to get him to move, to go to her but with all that was before him his impulses were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. 'Blown away' was an understatement. He sucked in another breath and finally something pushed past and over his lips.
"Alex..." It was almost a mewl.
He'd definitely need help to get his a** in gear. Right now the muscles of that part of him seemed to have melded with the upholstery of the seat. She was here...There...In the now. After those three months of waiting, of seeing two Raevans off to new homes and feeling that inner pang of longing, the excitement despite the possible danger of what came before her...She would be coming home.
That word was something she neither knew about nor knew existed. Zeke did not exist. No one else but her did here. Right now her world was before her and there was only a couple short feet there before it descended into a blur. There was no movement in this small world of hers besides her own and even then it wasn't just her minute up-down motions of floating. No, besides that, her wings - long, spindly and with a delicate web between two of the three parts of it - flicked slowly as she adjusted. The near crown on her lavender-haired head of smaller, web-less versions of said wings rose up and settled back down slowly, one at a time for ten times. She was new, fresh from the tank after the water she had been kept in was drained and she was then dried. She should feel awake, but instead she felt like a person does when they didn't get enough sleep and were trying to adjust to the sudden release from their subconscious. One set of eyes blinked, the two other sets above did not. Instead, they tried to focus in the bright light that fell from both the blurry ceiling and the far off windows.
It hurt to look for too long. Even when blurred the light burned and stung her eyes.
The spidery Frei turned her gaze from that spot and instead took in what was around her and near enough to have form. Things she didn't know had names and were alien. A desk with a chair was closest, so she moved near, delicate-looking hand extending to touch the cool surface. Her back was to the door but as she floated around the large metal object she was soon facing it for the first time since she had been left to fend for herself. There was nothing of interest - a cup of pens and pencils, a paperweight with paper clips sticking to it, some off-yellow folders someone had stacked neatly but didn't take with them. Nothing of interest...Until she saw herself staring back. Near the folders was a small oval mirror, turned as though whomever was in here last had accidentally pushed it with his or her hand to face out rather than in. The Frei reached for this odd, interesting object, cupping the glass between her palms and bringing it toward her face. She saw her crown move of her accord, her wings, the grasping front of her top, those lines of natural red eyeshadow that extended toward her temples, the color of her hair and how it fell over one shoulder, and - reflecting back at the edges of the mirror's surface - the cuffs of black and lace with more webbing curving up beneath. The barest flicker of a smile rose up on her dark lips as she watched herself and her small movements for the first time in that hard pool between her palms.
She was beautiful.
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Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:01 pm
"Zeke, by all that is holy and not in this land, I'm going to carry you if you don't get your bi-colored a** off that chair!" By the time the words were out of her mouth, she had let herself in to his office and had crossed the majority of the space between them, practically jogging over to him. Alex was all wide and glee-filled grinning, warm hands strengthening from their tremor to seize the younger man by his forearms, the fabric of his jacket somewhat dissatisfying in comparison to his skin. The Italian took a running leap backwards - fingers curled into that crisp and sterile jacket to secure her grip - and pulled him with her.
As the younger male was gracelessly removed of his seat, she quickly dropped his arms and instead wrapped her arms around his middle as he all but collided with her, her footing stubborn enough that she barely yielded to his weight. Instead, Alex grinned up at the barely-taller man, close enough to rub her cheek on his chin but it was hardly appropriate timing for that (and with these two, there was such a time!). "C'mon baby brother, I know you haven't been waiting all this time just to become one with the furniture. Zul's already there. I'm giving you a ride to the Lab and home - you're off on emergency now!"
She squeezed the pierced vet and released him to instead grab his hand, lacing their fingers together and turning to lead, tugging him along. "Keep up or you're getting carried!" she quipped cheerfully as she calmly exited the office - and then began her weaving jaunt through the hallway at increasing speed to keep up the appearance of an emergency. "Let's go!"
His hand remained on the door handle just as much as his blue eyes did, wholly unmoving. Now that he was faced with the prospect of meeting the manifestation of the time of his life he claimed to not remember, he wasn't sure how he felt. Zul imagined he should have felt frightened, or excited, anxious or angry even, but there was nothing. He felt completely at ease which was unusual in and of itself; he generally had an opinion for each Raevan to be delivered, and being that this one was Zeke's, it seemed like he should have felt the most for this one. As it were, he felt only a calm sort of acceptance, one that said that no matter what rested beyond the door, it was a Raevan. The rest of his opinion would form thereafter.
The demon finally lifted the hand that had remained limp at his side until then, rapping his bare knuckles on the door in his customary warning that he was going to enter. The last thing he'd want to do is surprise a Raevan made of virus and poisonous things that made his woman do silly dances. That made Zul grin a little as he opened the door, eyes averted as was also customary. Turning his back to the Frei, he closed the door, giving a few seconds before he turned and lifted his sky-blue eyes to rest upon the slender figure.
The first thing he noticed was her crown of broken horns - or so it appeared at first. Zul hadn't taken the time to study spiders that closely and couldn't quite pin just why her crown looked as it did. One fact remained: he was impressed. Her wings seemed to be made of the same substance as her mishappen limbs that curled around her periwinkle hair. Her eyes were the same color - reminiscent of lilac, but not nearly as soft or feminine when framed in smeared red-orange and set over those candy apple lips. She was everything he was not - pale of skin, light of assets - but she was dark by demeanor. This one oozed danger.
Zul floated forward a short ways, his eyes held with curiosity and a certain amount of expectation. "Welcome." The single word was filled with smoke, his greeting not the customary introduction. He supposed some things were worth compromising in this instance.
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:59 am
That tug helped. It helped a lot.
The moment he was pulled off his a** and onto his feet Zeke practically hit the ground running. Alex was a buffer as she stood close enough to rub against his beard but once she spoke her piece and snatched his hand he just barely missed nabbing his backpack that was stuffed with his after work change of clothes. As he swooped down to nab it (which he did) he stumbled, but Alex's lead had him before he fell. There wasn't even time to shut the door before he was halfway down the hall, limbs flailing before he was able to run just behind her left side.
"This is so...It's really real isn't it?" To say he was flabbergasted was an understatement. Flabbergasted but feeling that parental protection turning to exhilaration that would evenly match Alex's before streaking out ahead soon enough. Soon enough they crested the set of double doors between the hallway and the lobby that had been propped open for easier movements between the two areas. When Alex, followed closely by Zeke, broke free of one section and into the other, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to stare. The pierced man looked to the receptionist's area to his left, jaw once more flapping and making a number of odd sounds before they were soon at and out the front of the doors. Everyone - patient guardian, doctor, receptionist - turned to look out the wide spanse of window as Zeke was royally whipped 'round then shoved into the cab of the truck; the door barely shutting on his end before the truck's tires were squealing and peeling out of the parking lot.
"Alex I don't care what you see because you've probably seen it before elsewhere and I can't be dressed in this goddamn monkey suit!" The words came out in a single exhaled stream and it was the only warning the Italian woman could hope to get. As they came out Zeke started to rip his clothing off - tie, shirt, undershirt, and slacks - shoving them into the back of the truck without a care before wrenching his bag open and dressing himself in what was inside. It'd be a miracle if his shirt wasn't on backwards or even that and inside out, but right now the excitement was to a bursting point and he couldn't let such small details hold him back now!
"Drive drive drive!"
The Frei admired herself a little longer in the mirror. There was no flaw to her self-perceived perfection and, pleased, soon was able to lower the mirror and glance around. She hadn't heard anything yet, didn't know of Zul's presence beyond the door before her, so her mind was set on exploring the corners of her world. This whole place was hers, she best familiarize. With a soft click of the joints of her chitinous wings, she started to float from the front of the desk; mirror held against her bosom. She liked this object. She would keep it.
Then she heard it; two sharp knocks coming from behind her. She froze in her spot, swiveling around to face where it had come from. That spot of the room was just outside her line of otherwise pristine sight and was a mere blur of color that soon swung open. Behind that blur came another; but while the first was a dull grey this one popped with color. Dark oranges, soft browns, and a twinge of pulsing blue here and there. Zul was also outside her line of sight, but he was there and he was in her world now. She didn't understand where he had come from or what he could have shown her beyond the door had her eyesight been better, but what she did realize was that she felt something about him. He was different and not just by color alone. There was something...Something more to him than to herself. Something underneath but active, powerful. Something, she soon noted as she rose a little higher to feel her own movements, she lacked. But what?
Unable to know or realize - especially with that still waking feeling surrounding her mind - she didn't know what to make of this newcomer. What was he here for? Who was he? Had he been put in here with her by those who guided her in before? Without any discernible answers yet, she responded the first way she figured would work, especially when she couldn't see him. She kept her height and her slender form remained loose with face unsmiling but she made the crown on her head slowly unfurl until the leg-like appendages were held out to the sides and top. Her larger than average wings slowly followed suit, but in addition to that slow flare, they rose up and over her shoulders in the station of the first pair of a spider's legs. All sharp edges and points were out and her defensive display was active, but other than that she did not move from that spot and her body otherwise appeared relaxed. Her lavender eyes narrowed as the only other movement, the Frei squinting to try and get the picture before her to clear. As she did so though, Zul came into her circle of visibility and she saw him clear as day.
"Welcome...?" She repeated back on a question, unsure of his word and its meaning. Her voice was soft and despite her appearance sounded smooth as honey, though she didn't yet relax her wings or head display. The two points of her wings ticked slightly as she relaxed her purple-set of eyes, face otherwise unmoving as she then looked over his form. He was like her, though drastically different. He lacked any clothing, his wings were smaller and bony, his bust was flat which descended into a very smooth looking ribbon. To add to that, now that he was just that much closer to her she could feel that for-some-reason difference all the more. He was...Intriguing for a possible intruder. Despite her hazy mind, the word she had just parroted back to this other-different being seemed to have opened a tap for some words to come through; not many, but enough to feel like (when she would use them) she could figure out just why he had come into her little domain. However, she felt, he should be able to confirm this without her saying so. She waited for him to go on.
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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:42 am
"Real? No, not at all Cakes, I'm just here to perdere tempo." She smoothly transitioned into her mother-tongue as they crested the double-doors and found themselves in the midst of more people that she had already startled on her own. The last thing Alex needed to do was swear - even if it was in a joking manner - in front of all these perplexed people and their prim little pets. As they burst out of the building towards the still running vehicle that she was rather ready to shove him into with or without his consent, she giggled a little, "What, you don't frequently have half-wild women running in here looking for you? I'm--" a heave, a leap in, the door nearly catching her jacket as it shut - "--disappointed!" The word was nearly lost over the squeal of rubber protesting against asphalt, and the terrible twosome were gone.
The lights she had mostly adhered to on the drive over were skimmed, and if red, an alternate and just as quick route was found. The woman was in no mood to wait for anything at that moment in time and she was certain her pierced companion would agree. Alex laughed at the warning she was suddenly issued, shaking her head and grinning in a lop-sided manner. "Not a thing that wont bright my day a little! Get to it!" And she laughed again, wondering just how much her older brother would be seething at her if he knew and reveling in it just a little; she did so enjoy her smug moments with the younger male.
"Zeke, if you wanna jump out and push me in your little skivvies to make us go faster, you're welcome to, but believe me when I say I'm driving as fast as I can!" Durem began to recede out of her rear-view mirror, the long and scenic road to Gambino yawning out in all around them as her wheels tore down a less-traveled path. Living just north of Durem and working in Gambino had its perks, and her truck was no stranger to a little off-road abuse. Excitement and fear began to clamor in her chest again as she saw the first glint of water over the horizon. It was almost time.
The display was most curious to the demon Frei, the way her wings arched over her shoulders, the broken digits on her head wiggling in what he assumed was a threatening manner. He could not deny that there was a darkness, a miasma of warning that shrouded her pale skin, but he didn't quite understand the gestures other than being defensive in some capacity. Zul watched from where he floated, not moving forward but certainly not retreating either. A dark brow arched as she returned the word to him, suddenly filled with a sense that he'd been here before; he remembered the way his woman had greeted him when they first met and how he had understood, though it had taken him sometime to find the language comfortable in his mouth. Perhaps all powerful beings started this way.
"Welcome," he affirmed, crossing his arms over his chest. "We've been waiting for you." It did not occur to the male that he should be cautious or even careful with what he said to the Frei, assuming that she deserved the right to know the truth as much as he deemed the others did. "Your man will be here soon and you'll go home with him." For once, his smile was nowhere to be found, evaluating the Widow in a manner that was not as joyous or curious as the others. Then again, none of the other Raevans had been viewed as something evil before their conception.
The lavender-eyed femme was different. She was born of something abhorred and feared, a stigma she'd bear all her life. What made her different in the demon's eyes, however, was her immediate demeanor. She wasn't lost or confused; she wasn't in need of comfort, wasn't curious. Zul could see that the Frei was aware. She'd already developed a sense of self-preservation that rather impressed the demon. He had a feeling that even if the others spurned her, she would not care. This female was not a creature of hugs and tears. "I am Zul," he finally greeted her in a more proper fashion, uncrossing his arms to press his hand to his chest and bow, though his unblinking eyes did not leave her face. It seemed that courtesy - or perhaps common intrigue - would not allow for it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 6:00 pm
"No not...Not normally!" Zeke was down to his briefs and struggling to get his prepacked tank top on as Alex whipped around another corner. He was thanking that ingrained habit to fasten his seat belt, otherwise he'd be sliding out of his seat or into the window and dashboard. His mind wasn't focused on the road or the scenery that came as quickly as it went under Alex's lead foot. Instead it was on that white building all the way out in Gambino and the female who would be waiting for him with Zul. What would she look like? The murky water and dim lighting in the tank hid so much of her during all those weeks. Would she take to him like Alex had when the two first met or would she be more reserved? What would be the best name for her?
And then it hit him. In their haste Zeke hadn't grabbed the list of names off his door and now with his mind going at that fast rate he was drawing blanks as to what he had put up there. As the Italian woman's truck hit a series of mild potholes, it jostled the young vet around and he realized he wouldn't need it. The moment he saw her, a name would come to mind. One that would fit and compliment and not be one that was a branch of her soul or Essence. He nabbed his pants, grinning with determination mingling in now as he too saw the first sheen of water. Soon.
"I know, I know! But can you blame me?! You really can't sis, and you know it!" Chortling as the truck took another turn, Zeke pulled himself into those jeans of his. Gambino's city limit sign was nearing view and Zeke's heart skipped another beat. Nearly there, nearly there!
Despite her display, this other did not move or back down from her presence. He might have been an intruder, but he wasn't alarmed nor amused by her stance and she had the presence of mind to know he wasn't a threat. Her lavender eyes were trained on his face, watching closely for any signs of bluffing before slowly - still cautious - she relaxed her defenses back to their intended positions. He was like her, though different, and she felt nor saw any hostility from him. In turn, Zul would feel none from her - not that he would have since coming in. She listened to him as he started to speak, though her attention wanted to waver and look around her foreseeable world again and start back on exploring it. Something that would grow to be called 'propriety' made her hold her gaze with his however, brow quirking at select words - 'we've', 'your man', and 'home' in particular - especially with the demonic Frei's lack of expression and the way he was looking at her. Was he expecting her to say something? React? Like with her gaze, she felt compelled to respond.
"Go home?" Again, a questioned reply. She would leave this place? It was hers, wasn't it, so why would this 'we' put her here if they were only going to move her elsewhere? This time she wouldn't wait for him to parrot her back once again before explaining. If she was being ousted from this room she hadn't even fully seen, she wanted to know where in the world outside of this one she was going. Her arms-only grip around the mirror tightened. This would go with her if she really did have to. "It is?"
Zul would have time to respond, but it would be short. Time was ticking by on the clock on the wall and soon "her man" would be here. Whether she liked it or not she would leave this room, Zul's tone told her that, and even with no knowledge of time and a still groggy brain, 'soon' didn't sound like very long at all to the spider femme. Tick tock, tick tock, the seconds passed but her placid expression didn't waver to one end or the other of any spectrum. If she was anything in those moments, she was patient, completely unaware of the madcap tag team barreling their way down toward this place as fast as they could get away with on back roads. The other Frei's lips parted again and her chin raised in a way that meant she expected an answer, but instead she got a bow and a name.
"Zul." She extended the 'u' in the name for a short three-count, though the bow was more the point of her intrigue. She was not annoyed she hadn't got an answer, the bow was a surprise and a decent segway from that. In fact that...Was something, like the mirror, she could like and even get used to. There was a quirk at the corners of her lips and the black widow floated just that much higher, looking down on the Frei with a tuft of pride that she had been (and truly was!) worthy of such an action. "Zul..."
The fact he had another something she didn't then occurred to her and she repeated his name again; short and wandering on thought. Unlike that first 'not there but there' thing she could actually give word to it and question. He was Zul, but who was she? Like her older companion a hand rested partly on her chest, partly on the mirror, but unlike the male she did not bow. Instead, her brows furrowed and she looked displeased, the expression tugging her lips down in a minor pout while all six eyes reflected her uncertainty and want to know no matter how dark the top two pairs were. What was her title?
"I am...?" The spider Frei trailed off while her gaze turned stern as she looked at the male. He knew about this 'home' and her having to leave, thus he would know who she was too. It only made sense and her wings flared in her new certainty of it. He was the know-all for this time; he would speak and give her something to match her beauty and underlying strength. A name that fit to a 'T'.
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:45 am
Alex extended one hand to push against Zeke's shoulder as the younger man began to get into his pants, acting as a means of support and amusedly patting herself on the back mentally for taking the path-less-traveled to avoid giving a passerby an eyeful of bare Zeke-chest. Anyone else might have been horrified by the display of the near-naked man getting dressed and her own disregard of his state of undress, but it was Zeke! To her, he was a facet of her own self, a part of her and her life that was easily accepted and simply was. It was going to take a lot more than a flash of skivvies and a bare chest to get this Italian's heart aflutter! She could easily gloss over her reaction when Aphi had been in the pool - she wrestled with Zeke, he was practically blood, but entirely closer.
Withdrawing her hand when she was certain he had mostly settled his weight in her peripheral, she joined the paved road into Gambino with a small hop of the truck and a slight fishtail. "I wouldn't know, Cakes, I mean - I was called in without warning, Zul was just there and Kyou was all, 'You get to take him home!'" Of course, that wasn't how it happened, but it seemed details didn't have time or space in the cab. "I didn't get this anticipation stuff, but damn, I've been feeling it vicariously through you, fratello più piccolo. I wouldn't have broken at least a dozen laws to get you up here if it was just another job!"
The buildings of Gambino began to pass them by; it wouldn't take long until they were in and out of the heart of the business district and into the area where the Lab was situated. It had to be the fastest drive in the history of Gaia, but it wasn't fast enough for the boundary-pushing female. Her green eyes ticked to the side as they were forced to a brief stop - leaning over the seats as far as her belt would allow, grabbing her younger brother's shirt and tugging him in to kiss his cheek, giggling a soft, "Hi, by the way," - and then it was their turn to go, and go they did.
Measured. That was the word he was looking for. Everything the femme fatale did was weighed and measured. While she looked at him with that judging stare, he realized that the orbs on her brow were, in fact, eyes. His own icy blues widened a touch, refraining from lifting his hand and ticking it back and forth just to see if they'd move. While the newborn seemed to deem him not a threat, or in the very least agreeable for the moment, he reappraised her appearance with the gnawing sense of curiosity finally piquing in his chest. What was she thinking? Did she have any idea of what she was, of what she was capable of?
Zul inclined his head at the posed questions, finally blinking a single time before resuming his stare. His greeting well received, he rested his arms at his side in a harmless gesture, watching her taste his name. Certainly, he had sounded names out in his time and still stumbled over some (Aphismet was one he would never understand), but he had the impression that she was actually rolling his name around between those red lips, giving it a bite and finding it acceptable. What a strange creature, to lend such an impression upon him.
When her expression became displeased and she posed another question to him, he gave a polite pause to observe her display. Ah, she was a proud one - reminding him forcibly of Rivener and Varun. They'd either get along wonderfully or not at all, he supposed. Tucking his bone wings against his back to remain 'small' and 'harmless,' he shook his head and ran a hand through his unruly locks. "Only you will know your name when you hear it," he said simply. It may have disappointed her to know he wasn't all-knowing, but he found it to be one of the more respectful things he could say. Names held a degree of power, after all. "Your man will say your name - only you will know if it's right. None other."
His gaze momentarily slipped down to the mirror in her arms - he recognized the frame - finding some measure of relief that she did have some newborn qualities after all. Trying to be friendly, he offered her a ghost of his charming smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes but was on the way there. "Would you like a smaller mirror? One you can carry with you?" Zul was certain Alex would neither notice nor care if he took the mirror he knew was in the desk, especially since she claimed not to want such a trivial and feminine object. Truthfully, she'd used it when checking her skin graft healing, but those days were gone and she had likely forgotten the mirror existed at all. If the Widow coveted her appearance and played to vanity, then perhaps he could use it to his advantage in being friends with the strange, ominous Frei.
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:58 pm
A laugh of gratitude rang out in the cab as Alex took a hand off the wheel to keep her little brother propped up, and truly the action helped because soon the dark denim was zipped, buttoned, and Zeke was fishing his sneakers out. Like Alex, the younger man wasn't shy around the older woman - to Zeke, she and himself were thicker than thieves and practically attached at the hip. While he wouldn't strut around stark naked around her, he wasn't about to blush like a schoolgirl if she saw him in his knickers. Their camaraderie was that strong.
When the truck jumped onto the paved street and took that wild fishtail, Zeke was thanking his lucky stars breakfast had been light and that he wasn't one to get motion sick in a vehicle. One shoe was on when Alex started to speak again, for the first time learning of how the woman had come to have her own ward to take care of. In a way he envied her not having the anticipation - it had eaten away at him as the days went by and each time he saw that tank - but in another way it also was a bit saddening to hear. She didn't get to experience the excitement of knowing another day had come and gone and that it was one day closer to the day she could take her charge home with her. Then her words about living it through him reached his ears and Zeke laughed again.
"I think most people could feel it coming off of me, but I'm glad you got the full force of it sis!" He reached over and patted her on the arm. "And I know, but I appreciate that you have just for me!" He couldn't even begin to figure how he'd repay her for this or how much trouble he might just be in for being dragged out of work and effectively screwing up the day's appointments, but that would come around when it did and he'd face it with a grin. This was an emergency after all and his excuse was nearly within reach. As they came to that required stop he leaned into that kiss and did what he could to return the sentiment before Alex moved away, eyes bright and looking at the woman as though she were the goddess of everything awesome in the world incarnate.
"Hey Alex." He burst into laughter again as the car jerked into motion, reaching over to grab and squeeze his sibling's closest hand. Street signs ticked by and as they became somewhat familiar - a sign they were just about there - his heart lodged in his throat near painfully. This was happening, so very very soon, but it was happening. The questions began to pour into his mind again like someone had turned the tap on full volume and Zeke shivered suddenly as a shock of excitement blasted up his spine and into his nerves as that white building started to come into view. They'd be there in t-minus five...four...three...two...one...
As much as she was watching Zul she was aware she was being watched back. She didn't know how to feel about that. One one end there was a subtle like of being admired, but on the other end she could tell he wasn't looking at her in a way that meant he was doing just that, especially in the way his eyes widened just a touch. It was small, but she could tell something had dawned on him. Also there was that growing dislike of speaking, she didn't have nor really want the words to talk and would prefer to go about her own thing though she had the inkling his eyes would follow her hourglass-marked back if she did. That would be an uncomfortable, irritating sort of watch. Either way...She was being spoken to, and she couldn't rightly turn around and pretend he wasn't there anymore, even if she wanted to.
"My man..." So Zul wasn't as wise as she had up until that point made him out to be. Her mistake, but then again he had come across as such and thus led her astray. Her pout deepened and disappointment was the proper word to use in that moment in regards to the spider Frei. She was her, yes, but she didn't know who she was. Zul was Zul and she was...No one. And this man. Who was he? He would be the one to tell her who she was and take her 'home', but so far he was nothing more than a promise made by the demon. The clock ticked and yet the door to her left didn't open. If he was a part of this "we've" Zul spoke of, the ones who were waiting for her (though still, why would they stick her in here if that were the case? Slowly she was starting to believe this little room wasn't hers as she had thought.), why hadn't this man come in with the other male? She shook her head lightly. These "we've" people made no sense.
"Would you like a smaller mirror? One you can carry with you?"
Her gaze went down to her trinket, following Zul's until they rested on the mirror too. So this had a name that he knew about, but he didn't know hers. Hmph. No matter, she'd make sure her man gave her the title she was seeking. For now, she held her mirror closer to her, though she only truly succeeded in squeezing it against her bust. The mirror was already small, it wasn't the shape to fit easily into an average pocket, but in her mind this one was hers and thus she would keep it. The array on her head and her long, slender wings could serve as arms well enough. She would hold onto this one instead.
"Is mine." She said plainly and shook her head to his question of exchanging this one for another. She saw this one first and 'smaller' didn't sound like a plus to her senses. She pulled the mirror back to look into its depths again; that flicker of a smile rising for a lingering moment before fading again. Zul hadn't answered her previous questions before her name. She couldn't have that, especially if she would be led out of this place to go there. She looked up to the demon again and that stern look came back to her eyes once more. No other questions came to mind in that moment, save the one her cherry red lips parted to give voice to--
"'Home' is?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 2:09 am
The Lab came into sight. The vehicle pulled into the driveway, a tad more careful than the breakneck speeds they had been traveling at, though no less barreling towards her parking spot. The breaks were, thankfully, spot on, and with a final insane jerk of the metal body, the engine was killed and the woman's seatbelt couldn't be pulled off fast enough before she was out and the door was closed behind her.
Alex padded around to Zeke's side of her truck, taking his hands once he was out and giving him a most fond look. "Okay, Cakes, this is your move from here on out. You know the drill - you have to sign the paper before you go, but we go in at your speed. You know how this song and dance goes, and this one is just for you." The Italian paused for a moment, something flickering over her face that was close to distaste. "Nevermind. I did enough of a dance with her soul..." Her nose crinkled in playful disgust before her grin won out, still excited despite the prospect of an eight-legged freak wrapped around her charge by the time they got in there.
Taking a deep breath, she settled against his side and smiled at him, a slight tremor in her frame. Yeah, excitement was one word for it; fear, guilt, trepidation, uncertainty, those were good words too. Squeezing the hand in hers, she simply nodded and waited for his lead. This was his special moment, and in an odd, round-about way, it was hers all over again, too.
If Zul could have heard the female's thoughts, he might have been daunted. Such intricate webs of thought the Widow wove, and unfortunately, he could not correct them or even save face. All he saw was her impassive and mistrustful features staring blandly at him in the most apathetic reaction he'd received from a Frei, other than Basil. The demon felt his exposed spine tingle with the memory; that odd duck was not one he wanted to tie the Widow to by notion, but the opinion was already forming. He wondered how Zeke would feel to be stuck with a Raevan that wasn't nearly as charming as he was.
The words she spoke to him baffled him for a moment, letting it show on his face, his small smile melting into a rather confused one. He didn't...he wasn't going to take that one away from her! Zul then had an inkling, a notion of all that was going on behind those violet and sapphire eyes, along with the realization that he would not be able to keep up. Just like him, her way of thinking was different. There was no way he could soothe any concerns when all he was grasping at was less than straws. "All right," he said instead, feeling minutely on edge. Maybe his vocabulary was failing again? Maybe he wasn't being clear...
When the word was enunciated, his small, impersonal smile returned along with a slight nod of his tri-horned head. "Home is where you live. It's many rooms, with many things, for many purposes...this is one room." A gloved hand lifted to indicate the four walls they floated within, his blue eyes turning to observe the white-washed walls and professional flooring. "There's bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, offices, which is what this is -" What was the word? Ah yes. "- foyers, patios...there's a lot to a house. But it's yours." Of course, he meant it would belong to Zeke and her, but he could only imagine how his slip would be misunderstood.
Zul extended his fingers to indicate the mirror in her grasp. "They have those too." Maybe she'd be happy if she knew she'd have more of what she desired? Materialistic, so early on! Already, the demon and the Widow were at odds, or at the very least, at the opposite sides of the spectrum of what they considered their ownership. He tried to remember where Zeke lived, recalling the first time he'd met the bi-colored haired man; a long walk with a flower. "Durem," he mused out loud, "he lives in Durem. I work there." The demon was not good at small talk, but it was his job to give her a brief taste of the world she was about to be thrust into - by words, by knowledge, by meeting one of her own, however it may be - before her Guardian took her home.
Good luck, Zeke, he thought quietly. It didn't matter to him that she was the prodigy child of the fel virus; despite his previous hopes of friendship, there was an invisible wall between them that he had no intention of broaching on his own.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 11:42 am
The jerk of the truck sent Zeke forward, but thanks to his seat belt he didn't go headfirst into the windshield. Instead the vinyl strap locked in place and the vet slammed up against the chest portion, feeling some of the wind escape him as he slipped back down into his seat. Despite that though, the fact they were finally here and his Raevan was just a few short steps away had him automatically fumbling for the latch of both the belt and the door, finally managing to free himself completely and spill out from the cab. Once he was out his hands were immediately taken again though the fact Alex wasn't yanking him toward the door like she had before gave Zeke a moment to calm his rapid fire heartbeat.
"I know sis," he said with a shaky but no less calming exhale, "just need a moment. My legs seemed to have turned to jelly." That moment was cleared when Alex's nose crinkled and she spoke of that goofy dance she did, earning the woman a round of laughter that signaled Zeke had not yet forgotten nor likely ever will. Before she could pick on him or get playfully (or realistically) mean, he leaned in and kissed the older woman on the brow.
"Okay," he said, lifting his eyes to look at that stark white building, "I'm ready." Zeke squeezed his sibling's hand back, doing his best to keep her close to his side as he swung his leg out to take his first steps. It was new all over again for him, but the excitement felt the same from all those months ago when Alex had taken him to Lab to show him everything his new part time workplace would offer him. This time, though, he could honestly say he had the shakes and the nearer he and Alex got to the door the more they seemed to increase. Zeke squeezed the Italian woman's hand all the more as his free, normally steady hand reached out and took the door handle.
One...Two...Three...
The door was pulled open and Zeke let himself and Alex in. Looking around the lobby, it was the same as it was every day - every weekend he was here - but he blinked around the neat room as though seeing it for the first time. He took in and released another breath before looking to his older sister, eyes bright with everything he was feeling, waiting for her to direct him to the papers.
"I'm ready."
When Zul gave his word he wouldn't be taking her mirror from her, the Frei's arms relaxed around the object. Her focus now wavered to her small question being answered, and all her eyes were on the older Frei, watching, not realizing how his smile wasn't the sort he gave to every Frei he had come across and welcomed into this world. She could tell, however, that it didn't reach his eyes. Maybe he was too blindsided by her. He started to speak and her head raised slightly, telling him in that moment he had regained her full attention as he informed her. So a 'home' was more. There were many things there that this little world had not. She couldn't begin to imagine what a 'bathroom' or a 'foyer' was, but the idea that this single room was hers and hers alone was being cast aside in favor of more. More space would be hard for her to see, yes, but there'd be more to do, more to cover, more more more. This room was now a halfway house to the Frei and she was growing weary of remaining. 'Home' would be hers, as well as her man's she figured, but hers nonetheless.
"They have those too."
More of these viewing mirrors? Even with that in mind she still stuck her claim in this particular one, but the idea she would be in the presence of another few of these sheets of reflective glass pleased the spider queen all the same. The word 'Durem', made her head tilt. What was 'Durem'? ...Where her man lived; where she would live in home, where he would give her that name. She thought of the light pouring in from across the room and despite it hurting her in the beginning she still looked toward the windows. Home would be out there, somewhere, wherever Durem was. Her eyes narrowed at the light and, after looking to Zul to see what he was doing, she started to float toward that window. Fuzzy objects and shapes took definite form as she went and the closer the Frei got, the less painful the whiteness got. In fact, it faded until she could see out the window though she wasn't against it, catching sight of new spring greenery and some blue sky above. It was definitely more interesting than in here. Her mind was made up.
"I go." With an assured nod the Raevan turned on her ribbon's end and reapproached Zul. She kept a space between them as she passed, not wanting him to stop her decision, and kept on going until she reached the door. Then the conundrum set in; how to get it open. Her hand reached for the protruding latch and - without pulling it either up or down - started to tug on it. Home, her man, and a name. She'd get those, no matter what order, and the rest of "we've" would be hiding around out there somewhere too. If they really were waiting, their time to do so was now going to be over.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 10:37 am
A quiet giggle followed them into the front reception area, squeezing the hand she still held in her scarred grasp. "Gee Cakes, sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than answer me~" Alex grinned cheekily at her little brother - even if she did have to look up a hair - leaning in to bump shoulders with him affectionately. "You need to sit? I don't want your jelly-legs to give out on me. I will carry you in there!" Her threat, while spoken in a cheerful manner as she bounced into the front area and towards the desk, was full of promise. There was nothing that was going to stop this moment from happening, not even her fear of eight-legged spindlies.
Releasing Zeke's hand, the Italian loped towards the desk and jumped over its thinnest edge, landing on the other side neatly and turning to face the wooden furniture with a curious look. Humming, she riffed through a folder on her desk, the papers flipping beneath her trained green eyes, skimming the words until she found what she was looking for: "CONTRACT." She slowed her ruffling pace and with a crow of triumph that went well with her little hummed song, she withdrew the paper and beamed, plucking a clipboard out of a rack against the desk and procuring a pen from its surface. The paper was clipped in, turning it to the younger man with a lop-sided smile; his name, the essence and the soul was all there already, as was the date. It seemed Kyou had already done that leg work.
"You know the drill," she said softly. It was the last hurdle - the last step - the last barrier between him and his charge. She couldn't have said for certain, but Alex felt as if her trepidation and fear was greater than his excitement. Guilt still gnawed a nasty little hole in the back of her mind, though she'd not show so much as a glimpse towards her beloved friend.
Still, he watched. She didn't seem very verbose, though in this instance, he was beginning to think it was favorable. Her eyes spoke volumes to him, and he could only imagine that any words that she might speak would have lended to the distance between them. Zul remained the silent sentinel as the newborn looked out the window, feeling another impression of intelligence from her: she understood that what she was looking at was not in the room, that it wasn't a painting, but somewhere else.
Her assertive words were the second strike - pride he could understand, but he couldn't quite wrap his head around arrogance in Raevans nor humans. Zul remained where he was, his profile sharp over his shoulder as she passed. He had no intention of stopping her, quietly hoping that the two humans would get there quickly and figure out what to do with her, as he didn't know. She had no interest anything but herself, and quite frankly, without any substance, his interest was not with hers. The demon didn't hear the door open, and turning around, he noted she was struggling with the latch. A faint smile curved his lips again, enjoying the small details that marked her as a newborn. It was easy to forget this one simple fact when he'd been intimate with her fel essence.
Floating quietly behind her, he was close enough to her back that her wings might have a problem turning to stab him, or so he hoped. Blood being drawn would be an interesting twist but not one he was going to invite just yet. Leaning over her shoulder, he extended his hand, his abnormally warm fingers resting on hers in a delicate manner. A small flick of the wrist, and he showed her how to turn the handle; a tug, and the door opened. Zul released the female and instead gripped the edge of the door, opening it in full and holding it for her. If she wanted to wreak havoc on the Lab, he would simply blame it on the other two taking so long to get there...
"Wait." The demon tilted his head, hearing a voice down the hall. Ah, they were here after all? Zul nodded his head in their direction, blue eyes turning to the newborn. "Your man is down there." And that was all he had to say.
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 3:52 pm
Maybe convincing himself wasn't too far off from the truth. She was teasing but...He had planned for it, but now, was he honestly ready? He hadn't imagined it'd be so short a time from then to now and yet here it was; the dawn of the first steps into a new chapter of his life. It really knocked him off his axis and today had been just like any other until just awhile ago.
"I don't need to sit," he playfully puffed back at her. He had enough man-pride lingering in his body from the excitement to hold him to that at least! "But maybe I'll lean against the desk." He followed Alex with slow, trembling steps and reached the desk as the woman situated herself on the other side and got the papers. He did as he said and rested his weight on the one hip that was against the front of the secretary desk, watching as the forms and necessities were procured in front of him. A strange sense of awe and honor touched him then - bubbling from his churning gut and rising up to warm his heart - and Zeke knew he was finally experiencing what it was like to be on this side of the desk in lue of gaining a new member of his family. He secretly envied those new guardians when he was around to attend to their bonding and releasing a new Raevan onto the world, and now he was feeling it for himself. He had finally come full circle, survived the wait and now felt...Like a full fledged member of the family now. He recounted his promise from months before - as he was a member of the Lab family, so would this Raevan be, fel virus or not, and she would always be a part of his. Hell or high water.
"I know the drill," he parroted as he gave Alex a nod and picked up the pen. It quivered between the digits of his dominant hand as he held it, eyes flicking over the form. He'd read it before on a lazy afternoon that felt eons ago, but it was only right he read it on this side. The long words, the legal mumbo jumbo, his name written in another man's writing, the brackets and other odd punctuation...It only sealed it in more for him. This was real. This was happening. And despite the sudden jolt to his system he was ready. He put the pen tip to the line following 'Signature:'.
Ezekiel Nathan Farris... Signed, sealed, and delivered back to Alex with a small, nervous, but definitely excited little screw up of a grin...The girl in the room down that hallway nearby was his. "There." I did it.
She could feel Zul's presence draw closer to her as she tried to work the door, but her mind was set on getting out enough that she paid him no mind. That was until he put a hand on her. This was her first encounter with skin on skin contact and even though the heat from the demon's hand wasn't unfavorable, the touch was no matter how light. The feel of the curve of Zul's palm and fingers atop the back of her own hand caused a sour taste to dig its way into the back of her mouth. She almost felt caged, truthfully, as something from her yet-unknown past life lingered on in her. Two things came to her mind at that moment - one was the desire to strike and the other was the desire to be free.
"N--" Her crown flared out and her wings stretched back as she pulled her hand away from Zul's. The word 'no' was on her lips but didn't make it too far past before dying as the door swung open before her and revealed what was beyond. The want to be free took over the urge to strike and the Frei floated out with her eyes a touch wider than they'd been since she'd been locked up, but did flick them toward Zul once more. There wasn't mistrust there, surprisingly, but something more like recognition for what he had done for her as well as intrigue for what the demon was doing now. Holding it open so she could make her grand entrance? She kind of liked that.
"Wait; your man is down there."
The Raevan's head had been swiveling around from side to side, taking in what she could see of the hallways. Walls, length, and a few doors. Nothing else. A frown creased her cherry red lips as she floated in the middle of the expanse, quite unimpressed. The world outside what had been her "world" until now was quite boring and plain in appearance. She had begun to wonder where They were as well when Zul spoke, drawing her attention back to her warm-colored elder. Her eyes followed his gaze and made the female do a full turn in her attempt until she was facing the way he was. The end of this side was brighter than the other and that plus her eyesight in general made her squint.
"There?" She questioned with some incredulity, not seeing much of anything past white light and the walls descending into parallel blurs that also faded into that bright end. She strained to hear and picked up some voices as well, though not as clear as Zul, and thought of the window in the room she now considered nothing more than a halfway house. The closer she got, the more the white stinging brightness faded and revealed what was beyond it to her. That was the same for this. She needn't another word from the male at her side of certainty, confirmation, or otherwise and gave her large, spider webbed wings a brisk flicker to send her on her way. Everything was down this way, was it? It'd be hers soon enough.
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:20 am
"Yeah, yeah, just remember to breathe, Zekey. I will carry you down there and to the hospital, don't even try me." Alex watched her self-claimed little brother as he went through all the jitters of becoming a father. The Italian felt momentarily wistful as he looked over the contract, her green eyes keenly aware of each emotion that played over his face. She had never personally experienced the thrill of waiting, watching and knowing. Her acquisition of Zul had been entirely a surprise to both her and her charge, and not once in their year together had she thought of him as a son. Yes, she was taking care of him, but he was always...an equal, to her. A partner. Closer then family ties. It wasn't something she could explain in theory anymore than she could explain why their relationship existed the way it did rather than in a maternal capacity. It just was, and that was good enough for her.
She accepted the contract with a distant nod, giving it the once over and putting it on their desk. It could be filed later, as they had something infinitely more important to tend to just then. Alex smiled warmly at the young man, reaching over and taking his hand in her scarred one, giving it a tight squeeze. "Alright," she breathed, the war between trepidation and gratitude beginning anew in her chest, "you're up, Zeke. Go get her." He knew the drill. It was him first - and she'd sneak a peek later, if she could stomach it.
Again with the doubt and disdain. Zul decided instantly that he did not like this Raevan, and it had nothing to do with what made her up. The others may hold a grudge against her for what her essence had made them do, but he would simply avoid her for lack of common courtesy. And once again she was doubting him? "Yes," he replied flatly, his excitement for meeting the newborn he'd spoken with in her tube far and over with. Extending a tanned arm in the direction of the reception area, he flicked his wrist to indicate she should move. Away. "There." His blue eyes flicked towards the area, confirming the two forms at the end of the hallway, the light a bit jarring compared to the darkness of the hall, but at least they had a back light behind them. Surely the two would see them once they turned their attention down the hall!
And the sooner, the better, as far as he was concerned. Relaxing his arm and folding them both across his chest, he waited for the Widow to make her move. Zul would remain behind her to ensure she was going the right way and to make sure she wouldn't double back. If the newborn was this unruly and ungrateful now, he could only imagine the unpleasant terror she'd grow into if Zeke didn't teach her some form of manners and respect. The demon was vaguely grateful towards his woman for her teachings and making him as aware of the situation as he was - making a mental note to thank her later on, even if she didn't understand why.
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:48 am
"I'm breathin', I'm breathin'!" He had no doubt in his mind Alex would keep her word and he knew if she was plenty strong enough to take on her older brother in a tussle, he'd be nothing more than a sack of potatoes to the woman. Hell, she might even sling him over her shoulder like one to boot!
With the contract now signed and passed back over, Zeke seemed to have a momentary blank about what came next. He'd done it a few times, but nerves took over memory at the present and he stood there jittering. When Alex's warm and worn hand came around and took his own, a light went on in his head and he nodded almost automatically to his companion. It was time. It had always been time but...Now it was time. He turned to her, feeling much the same she was at that moment, and leaned in to peck her on the brow. A smile passed over his lips as he pulled away and he gave his sister's hand a firm, but noticeably trembling squeeze before he let it go. He'd lead the march.
And he did, but his eyes kept flicking back to see where Alex was. He couldn't help it, the feelings were churning in him enough that he almost felt a bit sick despite there being no sign of green in his face. His heart was steadily climbing into his throat and even though he was breathing somewhat regularly, his lungs ached. Sweaty palms, a flip-flopping stomach, nervous tingles over most every stretch of his skin...He was a walking near-breakdown! But he kept moving ahead toward the door that he had gone through more times than he could count.
One step at a time, he told himself, easy does it. She's right behind you...But she's before you too... That latter statement was truer than the veterinarian anticipated.
Zul was out of mind the closer she got to the door. She knew he was there, but her sights were set ahead and that's where the things that were important to her lay. Them and her man. The nearer she got, the more the white became clarity and the louder the voices seemed to get against her ears. The land beyond this one, she could tell, was still bright, and though her eyes did start to hurt again she still pressed forward. She picked up a bit of speed as a matter of fact, and it appeared she would likely end up crashing headlong into the clear glass door like a wayward insect trying to escape.
That didn't happen of course.
As she neared that glass entrapment, Zeke's body moved into the space, reaching for the door. His form and appearance sent Anastacia to both quickly break and try to move away to avoid collision and touch. Her partial form keeled backwards while her wings flipped forward to help reverse her motion, and in the fervor their spear-like ends touched the glass.
Tap tap.
Zeke had been looking over his shoulder again at Alex and his hand had been instinctively reaching for the handle of the otherwise solid glass door. Movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him, but the tapping - soft, like a bird beak on a window pane - hit home and his head was quickly turned to face forward. He didn't pull anything in his neck, but his eyes did widen a touch more than they had already. Realization just drove its spike deeper into him and sent another flurry of electric shocks shivering up his spine.
She floated there, trying to right herself after that startle and take in what caused her to. He stood there, agape with wonder and surprise.
Both took in the other and soon eyes met eyes. Placidity met shock. Raevan met guardian and guardian met Raevan for the first time.
"I think," Zeke said after a long minute of impersonating a fish out of water, gawking at the spindly creature that was eying him from behind a thin sheet of glass before slowly but surely his lips curved into a smile, "I think she got me."
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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 8:02 pm
Just like that, the younger man in front of her had stopped. Alex had to hit the breaks pretty hard to stop herself, doing a hop and a skip with her booted feet against the tile, arms momentarily pinwheeling before her palms hit the wall on either side of the door frame. The motion put her face nearly into Zeke's ponytail, though she could think of many other places to land that wouldn't be nearly as pleasant, uttering an abashed chuckle into the bi-colored hair. At his words, it took her a moment of confused wheel-turning before she realized he was talking about his Raevan. The Virus Frei.
The damn spider.
The Italian pushed herself back and rocked gingerly on her heels so it wouldn't appear she was vaulting herself away from the prospect of the female arachnid, even if there was some truth to it. Crossing her arms and pursing her lips, Alex tapped her foot in the hallway, staring at the back of Zeke's head. "And standing in the doorway gaping isn't going to do either of you any favors Cakes. C'mon, move ya lug!"
Relief. It was all Zul felt at the sight of the jovial Zeke, even though the younger man didn't even know he existed in that moment. Floating to the side as the younger Frei floated back, he rounded her side and approached Zeke, indicating the door and his stubborn desire to be through it and away from the female. "Your man," he informed the femme without turning, waving a flippant hand towards the young man. "Zeke, meet your handful." The demon didn't think he needed to use any other words to show his dislike of the newborn, something that had never happened in all his time on Gaia. There was a first for everything, he supposed.
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