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 Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:40 pm
x x x x x WHO: Alex, Ethan, Vyn & Zul
x x x x x WHEN: Midday
x x x x x WHERE: Lab 305
x x x x x WEATHER: Warm and dry
It still didn't seem real.
Alex looked around her hand-me-down office with the same look of disbelief and incredulity she'd had since the beginning of the week. Kyou had asked her to step in for Tsu while the Warlock's brother took leave with Zave. At first, the Italian had thought he was joking. When those golden eyes hadn't done so much as pinch with mirth, it occurred to her that he was serious, and that she was needed. Who else could try to fill Tsu's shoes? Not I, the woman thought to herself, looking around the office she'd only seen once in the two years she'd worked for Kyou. It's less like taking over and more like keeping his spot warm. Tsu would come back, after all. She was just helping out.
It didn't make the awe ebb out any quicker, irregardless. Tracing her fingers over the desk that was hers for the time being, Alex let her green eyes wander over her hard work. It had been no easy feat to get the smell of smoke out, but there wasn't a trace of it, the room instead infused with a scent that was akin to maple with a touch of vanilla; sweet and understated. Every inch of the room had been scrubbed, polished and dusted, not so that it looked new but so that it looked well cared for. Papers were sorted for filing, magazines and news articles dated and piled, dead plants removed and replaced. It wasn't much, but it was starting to shape up.
"I like the smell," Zul commented in lazy intrigue, tilting his head to the side with lidded eyes as he breathed in the lingering scent. "It makes me think of sweets. Something warm, like Spring." The demon had no qualms using his steadily growing vocabulary, opening his crystalline eyes and looking over the larger, cluttered office.
The woman smiled, patting the wooden desk and sliding her fingers over to rearrange an aluminum rack she had set up for sorting papers and holding files. Though she was overwhelmed, Alex was taking her new job as researcher seriously. "Glad you approve," she replied in easy amusement. "How does it look? Think we'll make it look like an honest work space yet?"
As if given an invitation, the demon floated around the office, slowly turning his eyes over the furniture and walls, giving himself a wide berth, wings spread. "Maybe," he finally settled on, earning laughter from his woman. "But why would you do all this when Tsu will just come back?" Zul turned his head to give her a quizzical look, gloved hand settling on the opposite side of the desk that Alex was.
A quiet smile curved her lips, strong shoulders lifting and dropping in a shrug. "Because you guys are worth it."
The demon smiled, pleased with the answer. "Then yes," he said, "I think it'll look better than before, just for that."
Alex hoped he was right.
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 12:57 pm
The blessed relief of the car’s interior was wonderful for the rose and the air conditioning pumping cool air over her skin was almost like a gift from the gods. Vyn had known that the sun was not good for her – she was a shadow after all and the bright light hurt her eyes after a while - but she had never been aware of some of the other dangers that the increased sunny weather could bring. In fact, nobody had even thought to mention to her that her pale skin would blister and crack if over exposed to the sun’s rays... Sun cream had never touched her porcelain skin and now, after spending a day in the heat, her face was lobster red and every bit of exposed skin itched with vengeful fury.
A little moan of pain issued from her mouth as she turned her head to look out of the window at the scenery outside. They were only travelling across town, but apparently the roads were busy as many Gaians flocked to the famous golden stretches of Gambino and they were crawling along at a snail’s pace. Their destination; Dr. Kyou’s LAB. After she had woken up this morning blistering uncomfortably Ethan had hastily phoned the LAB up to see if they could offer any advice, talking to Alex on the phone they had said that they could give Vyn a full check up, not only covering her sunburn but updating all their records and generally mapping her progress. To be honest, the shadow frei didn’t care about that all that much; she just wanted some form of relief from the itchiness.
Ethan leaned back and glanced at his daughter, a slightly concerned expression on his face. “Are you ok there?” He received a miserable looking nod in response. He knew that technically there wasn’t much to worry about – it was just sunburn after all. But he didn’t like to see her upset and he felt a little powerless. He couldn’t do anything to help her. Usually he would give a human plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, but Vyn didn’t have a stomach and therefore he wasn’t exactly sure if that would be wise. Therefore all he could do was ensure she was as comfortable as reasonably possible until Alex got a hold of her and prescribed the best course of action – even if it was just rest indoors, it would be best if he heard it from the Italian’s mouth. He trusted her opinion on anything to do with raevans.
About a quarter of an hour later the cab pulled up outside the building. Getting out of the car Ethan moved to open Vyn’s door, allowing her to float out into the (no doubt) uncomfortably hot summer air. She lingered however as she was about to exit, fumbling with the new item he had given to her. Moments later she had erected the parasol and was relatively shaded by the gothic looking frilly object. It did not prevent her from squinting at the change of light from the darker interior of the vehicle to the harsh glare of the sun, but it did stop most of the rays from striking her delicate skin.
Moving fairly speedily to the entrance they slipped into the LAB and were greeted by the cool air. Vyn sighed, pleased to have only had to suffer without air conditioning for a short while, putting the parasol down again and leaning on the desk in reception. Ethan smiled at her reassuringly before pressing a button on the reception desktop which would call for attention. He presumed Alex was somewhere else in the building – perhaps preparing for the checkup – and she would be ready for when they arrived.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 3:13 pm
The amused stare the two shared was cut short by the soft ping of the bell that sounded in the office. Zul raised a brow, to which Alex only responded with a knowing smile, tilting her head for him to follow her as she pushed herself off the desk and made her way out the door. The Italian padded out of the hallway, grinning ear to ear as her eyes fell upon the two in the reception area, uttering a happy sound as she approached the older business man. In her most unprofessional manner possible, she wrapped Ethan up in a hug, her smile warm and audible in her voice. "Ethan! How nice to see you again! I'm just sorry it's under...oh my."
Green eyes had moved from Ethan, who she finally parted from, to his charge. Her expression softened, her smile a bit knowing; the burn on her porcelain skin looked positively uncomfortable! "Oh Vyn. Are you okay?" Alex lifted a hand, fingers curled to indicate the redness that crawled over her exposed skin. "Other than the obvious." Though the Italian was speaking pleasantly enough, her eyes were moving with pointed direction, making mental notes as she went; the Rose didn't seem to be in too much pain, just a general stiff posture that was associated with sunburns. Her skin wasn't mottled or showing signs of distress as it had with the virus, her crown seemed intact and...well, she looked good. That gave her pause for thought. Did it have to do with her condition, or something else? Maybe...it was because she wasn't as withdrawn as their first real meeting? Maybe she was happy with Ethan now?
"Mister Blake," the demon's smooth, smoky voice joined in the conversation, the Frei floating behind his woman and to the side to bow his head to the man he was greeting. "Vy--uh." No sooner had Zul turned his tri-horned head towards the shadowy femme did the red jump out at him, making his blue eyes a touch wider and his smile fall off his face in surprise. "Vyn? What happened?" Floating between the man and his Raevan to get around behind her and to rest at her side, he could...he could feel the heat radiating off of her. It both surprised him and made him feel a thread of worry, as one who didn't feel temperature often, he couldn't determine if this was a good or bad thing.
Settling on the idea that she was unwell - thus her reason for being at the Lab - but well enough that the humans didn't look overly concerned, he lifted his eyes to her black-sun own and smiled, the temperature of his body dropping a few notches so that it matched the room. "You look well." Like Alex, Zul could pick up that something was a bit more at ease about the Rose, almost as if the darkness of his first meeting with her had finally been cut by the light of something greater.
Alex watched the two for a moment before she pointed her thumbs towards the hall, beaming at Ethan. "C'mon. We'll go to the check up office - I have somethings for Vyn there that'll hopefully help a bit." Flicking her gaze towards the female Frei, she allowed a bit of a grin to form, adding, "It's a bit cooler in there." It couldn't hurt to try and appeal to Vyn for a resolution, could it?
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Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:43 pm
The suited businessman smiled warmly at the sight of the Italian and was only too happy to engage in the warm and friendly greeting, echoing her salutation of “It’s good to see you.” He stepped aside however when the tanned woman focused her attention of the rose. Both the LAB worker and her raevan seemed taken aback by the damage caused by the sun and he felt a little niggle of guilt. Perhaps he should have informed her about using sun cream to guard against the sun’s damaging rays? The thought had never occurred to him and now it was too late. Fortunately, beyond Vyn’s obvious discomfort the degree of burn was not too severe and he was certain Alex could sort her out.
Managing a lukewarm smile at the pair Vyn raised a hand, wincing slightly as the movement irritated the sore red skin. She felt like she was radiating heat like a furnace. It was horrible. One part of her was slightly concerned since the last time she had felt so constantly hot was during the infection period; however Ethan had informed her that it was nothing to worry about and the condition she had developed was simply sunburn – something anyone could get simply by being out in the sun too long. Of course, she was a little irked that she had not been forewarned of this problem occurring but she had not scolded her father. She could tell that he was genuinely trying to make her feel better; hence the phone call to the LAB. She could rarely fault Ethan when it came to making her as comfortable as possible.
“I don’t feel well.” Vyn responded to the demon, her black eyes trailing across his face, grateful none the less for his polite greeting. “It stings and feels red hot..” She said in a hushed tone, carefully lifting a hand and brushing her hair from her face. As she did so her fingers briefly touched the circlet tangled within her wine red locks. The plant was healthy enough, but was not at its full beauty. Dropping slightly, the edges of its petals were somewhat wilted and the leaves were dry to the touch – just like any potted rose which had not been watered in a while.
The mention by Alex of some things which could alleviate the sunburn made the shadowy girl motivated to move from her stationary position. Drifting slowly she followed Alex and her promise of a cooler climate. Anything to reduce her rage heat was good in Vyn’s opinion.
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Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:10 pm
Chatty as always, the woman thought with a certain fondness as she looked between Ethan and Vyn. Hooking her fingers in a 'follow me' motion, she turned with a squeal of her booted feet against the linoleum and leading the way towards the office just behind the receptionist room that she used to inhabit. Alex pushed open the door and waited with a smile on her face for the three to enter before she followed suit, starting to close it but pausing, thinking better of it for the moment. Turning to face the three, she rubbed her hands together as the chill of the room licked down her bare arms, grinning.
"Alright," she started off, chipper as can be, "first off, we're going to get something for those burns." Turning to Zul, she asked, "Can you go upstairs to the balcony in the work out area? Find the plant with the thick stalks and small spines, break off three for me, please?"
The demon was just lowering his temperature to match the room when his woman addressed him, giving him a small start of surprise. Listening, Zul gave her a perplexed expression but nodded, casting a glance to the man and Vyn before he exited the room. "Be back shortly."
Closing the door after her charge left, she turned to the two and resumed her smile. "I'm having him retrieve some fresh aloe vera from the plants we have. I'll use its juice to soothe your burns, but I want you to take what he brings back home and put it in the fridge. When you feel dry, peel off a layer of the leaf and put it on your skin, okay?" Alex had thought that option would be best for the Rose Frei, that she might have a better time absorbing treatment in a manner similar to her own make up. "I can give you a handful of chamomile too if you don't mind using a rag to apply it." The Italian bit her bottom lip, considering. "It has a tendency to make me sleepy in tea, I'm not really sure how it'd make you feel if you ingest it through your skin...but that's entirely up to you."
Alex crossed the sparse room - a desk to one side, furniture in front of it and a gurney bed on the other side with medical supplies on the table next to it - picking up a few sheets of paper from the middle of the desk. "The aloe will minimized the peeling and take away the burning sensation and inflammation; the chamomile would do the same, and wont smell as strongly." The woman had no idea if potent smells would bother the Rose, but best to be careful than find out the hard way. The poor dear had already suffered the indignity of pale skin, being the first to be sunburned. They were all learning, one day at a time!
Glancing towards the door, she guessed Zul would be back within a minute with the required items and probably not happy for her lack of warning of the goo. Chuckling to herself, Alex turned her mirthful eyes between Ethan and Vyn. "How did you get that burn, Vyn? We never thought to warn you before, and for that, I apologize. We're still learning."
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:23 am
As Alex had promised, the room that they had moved into was deliciously cool and Vyn instantly felt relieved as the air conditioning played over her red skin like a benevolent frosty sprite. She was about to turn to Zul to inquire if this was Alex’s new office – if she recalled correctly, when she had been rehomed Alex had resided in a different room – but before she could ask Alex was giving him instructions, ordering him to fetch some sort of plant that could help with the burns on her delicate exterior. She was fairly interested in this remedy that Alex was suggesting. She was part plant and using another plant to sooth the irritation seemed very natural and suited her nicely, therefore when Alex looked at her for confirmation that she would carry out the instructions the rose nodded politely.
The notion of rubbing something else into her skin also breeze over her and although the name of the remedy Alex was suggesting sounded slightly familiar Vyn was unsure what exactly camomile was. “What is that?” She inquired, tilting her head and furrowing her brows slightly. However, rather than receiving a response from the Italian woman that she had directed the question at, her guardian chipped in with an explanation and a reassuring smile.
“Camomile is a type of flower. It’s used in herbal teas as an ingredient sometimes.” Mentally thinking about the situation for a moment he looked between the two women before suggesting; “Perhaps we can apply the camomile in the early evening at first and see if it does have a sleep inducing effect? If it does make you drowsy we’ll know that we can rely on aloe vera during the day and just use camomile in the evenings when you won’t mind being sleepy?” To this idea Vyn nodded her approval. She wasn’t all that bothered about the scent of the remedy – so long as it wasn’t grimace inducing she could put up with it, it would be helping her to recover from the burn and that was a good enough motivation to put up with slight nasal discomfort.
To Alex’s question the shadowy frei glanced at Ethan and then back to the Italian. They had both apologised now for their error in not informing her of the dangers of the sun and although she had been surprised and a little distressed by discovering she had walked straight into the situation where she could’ve burnt she wasn’t exactly harbouring ill will to either of them. “I was out in the park with Thorn for the whole of yesterday..” She bowed her head, a little smile showing to reassure the humans that she was not altogether upset by the result of the day’s results, “at least he had a good time.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:22 pm
Alex remained silent as the man explained to his charge what it was she spoke of, wearing a smile and watching. It may have been polite to just stand and let the two discuss things, but as it were, she was also weighing the air between the man and his Raevan. It was almost two years ago that she'd brought the Rose to Ethan; Vyn had been withdrawn and pensive, the man more nervous and hopeful. Looking at them now, seeing how beautifully the Frei had blossomed under the businessman's tender care, it was evident that they had both grown as individuals. Ethan had a daughter now, and Vyn had all the love in the world.
The woman's expression softened when Vyn glanced to her, the Rose's smile making her own warm further still. It struck her as odd, suddenly, that the Shadow Frei was without any suitors; she was by far one of the most beautiful beings the Italian had ever laid eyes on. For all the 'love' issues she had endured with some of the other Raevans, Vyn's dark beauty and gentle demeanor was a breath of fresh air. Well. No accounting for the taste of others, she supposed. "Thorn is doing well then?" she asked idly, remembering that the last she'd heard about the pug was the desire to take him to a vet - when she'd redirected them to Zeke. Funny, now that he was working here...
"You are an evil woman," the demon claimed dryly as he floated back into the room, cupping the leaves in his hands. His gloves and digits were coated with an opaque green gel, and though he was dismayed at the surprise he had earned from snapping the leaves, he wasn't really irritated. The stuff felt cool and had a sort of soothing, earthy smell that made his head feel a bit like he'd breathed in too deeply. Zul lifted his hands to his Guardian, offering a mock-scowl. "Get it off?"
The woman simply laughed, moving to the Frei and gingerly taking the leaves by the tips, stacking them between her fingers. "Rather than waste it - Vyn, would you mind if Zul put the aloe on you this time? His hands are cooler than mine." Alex wouldn't mind putting it on her - it was her job, after all - but she always had the distinct feeling that the Rose was more receptive to her own kind than the humans. She didn't know if Zul and Vyn got along at all outside of their adventure to the masquerade, but the demon had nothing but good things to say about the dark femme ever since.
Watching as his woman moved back to the desk to put the leaves in a container that would hold them upright to hold the gel inside, he turned his blue eyes to Vyn's black-sunsets, lifting a dark brow in question. "I do not mind," Zul told her lightly, extending his hands so she could see the gel coating them, "one way or another." He wouldn't be offended if Vyn chose his woman to do it, either. The whole situation was fairly humorous and hardly worth personal insult.
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:24 am
“Thorn is doing fine... thank you.” The latter portion came out as a sigh from the rose’s mouth. She was acclimatizing to the cool freshness of the air conditioning and as a draft of air was sent her way as Zul entered the room through the door she was given and eddy of relief. She paused in her recounting of how Thorn was getting on to allow the demon to speak to his guardian. He seemed most displeased by the gloopy liquid which had oozed onto his hands, however Alex diffused any irritation within his face as she took the peculiar plant out of his hands.
Vyn was actually fairly curious as to what the plant looked like and how it produced the opaque gel that had coated Zul’s fingers. From what she could see Alex was holding thick leaves and the snapped bottoms of them were the source of the majority of the gunge. She blinked and frowned momentarily when Alex suggested that, rather than waste what was on Zul’s palms, he should spread it over her. The shadow was still uneasy with close contact. Hugs were uncomfortable still and only rarely given out, she hardly ever held hands with people and usually she floated a polite distance apart from others. The idea of having someone smearing gel all over the stinging parts of her body (nearly everywhere) unarguably made her cringe.
However, Alex had a fair point. Someone had to do it and Vyn felt that she would be equally awkward even if it was the other female applying the aloe vera juices. Thus, Zul with his cold hands would be the best candidate for her. Removing the temporary displeasure from her face Vyn nodded at the boy holding out his hands. “Ok...” He could do her arms first, she decided, and floating over to him she offered her right arm. As delicately as she could manage in her sore state she suspended it in the air in front of him.
Something about the scene seemed to look as though Vyn was some sort of high class lady, offering her hand to be kissed by a suitor and the on looking Ethan’s lips curved somewhat. The rose and Alex’s boy always fitted into such old fashioned stereotypes. Ethan just couldn’t help seeing Zul as the unorthodox (considering his permanently bare chest and lack of a silver flowing tongue) yet somehow perfectly charming gentleman of the past.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:40 pm
Like Ethan, Zul was struck by the notion that Vyn had stepped out of some black and white movie he'd seen in passing; she needed black satin gloves and a round, lacy hat at a jaunty angle on her red hair to really look the part, but something about the dark and elegant Frei demanded the acknowledgement that she was rather classy. He was certainly not going to deny her aloof but striking appeal. Putting most of the goop against one palm, he curled the fingers of the hand mostly absent of the juices beneath her extended digits, so that her hand rested against his knuckles. The demon was always the one to be in the bubble of comfort zone when it came to most others - oddly, that had never been the case with the shadow-rose.
Dropping his temperature enough that the gel was cool against his gloved hand, he bent his fingers to dab the tips in the aloe before carefully drawing them over Vyn's elbow. It was odd to see her absent of her usual garments, but it was understandable, given how red the rest of her was. When the juice began to absorb into the angry red skin, he flicked his blue eyes to her black-hole-sun gaze, a silent way of telling her he was progressing. Zul advanced his delicate, flighty touch over her bicep, only moving on when it seemed the skin was evenly slick with the leaf's vitae.
The woman also retained her silence, watching with a sort of stricken wonder. Her charge was careful with the other Raevans in a guiding, protective manner, but rarely was he so...well, delicate. Alex shook her head abruptly, finishing with putting the leaves away securely, moving to a sink in the opposite corner of the room to wash her hands. "How does it feel, Vyn? Does the smell bother you?" She herself had always enjoyed the scent of fresh aloe vera, but it came from a comfort of a memory of time passed. Patting her damp hands on a towel, she turned to face the three, leaning against the sink and watching each with consideration.
"By the way, Vyn," she straightened, the proverbial light bulb popping over her head, "thank you for the letter! How did you enjoy Japan? It's one place I'd certainly like to go!" The Italian admired that Ethan wanted to do such nice things for Vyn; her own experience with possibly taking Zul on a plane had died before she'd given it thought, fearing adverse affects without being able to properly speak with Kyou about it. "Are things going well?" She posed the last question mostly towards Ethan, finding that the businessman looked much more...well, at ease, maybe even comfortable as his station as father. Alex smiled to herself, the expression more in her eyes than anything. Putting Vyn in his care was the best decision the Lab had made, in her opinion.
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:35 am
The deft touches of the demon applying the soothing gel were almost sleep inducing. The cold spread of his hands tempted her lids into a gentle decent and simultaneously a gush of relief sighed from her half open lips. “Thank you Zul...” Her head lolled back slightly as she allowed him to continue to release her from the heat of her own skin... She hadn’t thought that the gel would work so instantaneously, it was after all just a goopy sticky gel ooze to the eyes, but now the rose had no doubt that the Italian had given her some sort of miracle cure. No doubt the other frei’s chilled hands were adding to part of the healing sensation and Vyn hoped that at some point she could repay the favour... He was being so considerate and mild mannered that she barely minded as he traced over her arms upwards towards her shoulders.
Her sore shoulders seemed to be itching for his cooling caress and as Alex spoke to her, inquiring about her trip she splayed them slightly, eagerly anticipating the cure. “It was really good, thank you.” She spoke in response, opening her honeyed eyes. “We did lots of very interesting things. Japan has so much culture.” She sat up in a slightly more attentive manner as she got into the swing of recounting what they had done, though she checked that her movements wouldn’t disturb the Baphomet’s progress first. “We went to a few temples, they were beautiful.. I wrote to Xiu about those.. And we went to a hot spa and there were some brilliant views of the mountains. Ethan took some photos, if you ever come round he can show you them. I made some friends in Tokyo too – lots of them shared my fashion sense... Gothic Lolita... I think that was what they called it.” She smiled, obviously taking pleasure in remembering the trip. “If you ever get the chance you should go.”
Alex’s attention seemed to shift then onto Ethan and the rose was more than happy to let the guardians talk... After all whilst they did that she could converse with her cool handed saviour. With most of her arms and upper shoulders now tinted green by the boy’s diligent work it seemed about time to offer him her back. “It’s really soothing..” She breathed, smiling gently at the other... The amount that she had relaxed just over the course of this short period astounded the rose. Alex and Zul always proved to be so reliable for situations like this. “Could you... would you mind doing my back now?” There was a slight waver of hesitation in her voice but there seemed to be little point in being shy about it...
“Things hae certainly been going well thank you Alex my dear.. When I think of the troubles I’ve been faced with over my time as Vyn’s father... these past few months have been a dream.” A true expression of heart filled happiness was displayed on his face as he conversed with the woman. “How have you and Zul been keeping? You both look very well.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 2:35 pm
"Any time," Zul replied quietly, a faint smile curving the edge of his lips. The demon listened to Vyn speak, his blue eyes resting on her flushed skin as his fingers traced over it, observing the thick substance as it became less viscous and was soaked up. The Frei was pleased that the Rose seemed to be taking well both to his touch and the treatment, feeling a twinge of pride that she was trusting him to apply her relief. He felt like the odds they had started out at were beginning to diminish, and if they could just meet in the center...they could be friends.
The conversation moved on and Vyn was talking to him again, prompting his blue eyes to return to her face attentively. At the request, he inclined his tri-horned head, withdrawing his hand and immediately warming it until the aloe dried on his exposed skin. Zul floated behind Vyn then, lifting the now aloe-less hand to very lightly brush her hair over her shoulder, looking over the redness on her back and feeling the heat radiating off of it despite the cool room and his aloe spreading on her arms. "I'm going to start," he warned her politely as he dipped his fingers into the gloved palm that still contained the bulk of the cool vitae. Letting his temperature drop again, he pressed his fingers over the red skin, his expression as serene and detached as ever.
The woman had also listened attentively, imagining the Frei in her mind's eye, mingling with the populace without criticism or prejudice. The temples, the mountains...things that most humans couldn't appreciate. It made Alex adore Vyn all the more, smiling with a gentle type of fondness at how happy the Rose sounded. It was a good trip for her, and it was all thanks to the quiet businessman observing the going-on's.
The Italian pushed herself off the sink, plucking the preserved leaves in their container up as she went, pulling up one of the other chairs in the room to sit next to Ethan. Handing the leaves to him, she smiled just as warmly to him as he did to her. "You're a godsend, Ethan," she told him plainly, reaching out to pat his hand. "You've been so good to Vyn, to all of us." Her smile softened as she leaned on her knees, watching the two Frei's with polite interest. "We're...managing. I don't know how, but we always do. It's always something, you know?" Alex lifted a hand to rub her index finger over her bottom lip for a moment. "Maybe we should go on a vacation, once this part of the job is done..."
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:30 am
“Vacation?” Ethan quirked a brow at the tone of the woman’s voice - It seemed as though she and Zul were going through some sort of rough patch. Just managing wasn’t a satisfactory answer to the businessman who wanted to ensure that his friends were in the best situation possible. “Where were you thinking?” He knew that the Italian was fiercely independent... But at the same time he itched to offer whatever help he could. Whether or not Alex would be open to the idea of a relaxing weekend away was debatable though and thus he kept his lips pursed, hoping that the other would elaborate on whatever issues may be haunting her. She was one of the strongest women he’d met though, so he was sure that regardless of what life threw at her she would soldier on unhindered.
Another sigh of relief slipped from Vyn’s lips as Zul’s broad hands massaged the aloe in with concise firm movements. Compared to the burning ache beforehand this was absolutely divine. The cooling sensation alongside the pressure that Zul was exerting on her skin made every fibre of her being relax. A curve of a dreamy smile Vyn muttered; “this is actually nice..” Later on when she would have to apply the salve herself she wouldn’t have Zul’s cooling touch... She mentioned this to the demon with a soft pine of upset. The stinging would come back... But at least this would speed up the healing process.
“How’s everyone in the Deleran household? You moved in with Aphismet, yes?” It had been a long while since he’d spoken to either Aphismet or Rivener and even longer since he’d seen the ghostly sigel and his grumpy guardian. But through the grapevine he’d come to be aware that the animal loving woman had began to call the spacious home of the cook her own alongside the growing family. “Everyone keeping well I hope?”
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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:12 am
The woman chuckled a little under her breath as the word was repeated to her. It sounded nice, in theory, but Alex had never taken a vacation in her life. While she knew she should for Zul's sake - to get precious time together that they missed with each passing day - they lead their own lives now. It was rough. "Yeah, but...with my work, Zul's work - he's working now, helping out a friend of the family," she added, "and having to plan a vacation for two men, two Sigels and all the baggage that comes with it..." The Italian sighed, scratching the bridge of her nose. It was more of a hassle than a means to get away, or so it seemed. She'd like to just do something with herself and her charge, but she had a whole household to consider. It was no longer just her and her ward. "Guess that means...no place in particular." Laughing under her breath, she felt a lot more tired than she had a few minutes ago.
"It will pass," he murmured softly to her quiet revelation, giving her as reassuring of a smile as he could muster. "If you need the help, you know we aren't far from you..." Zul wasn't always at the Lab, working and being tutored as he was, but he would do his best to help the Rose were he able. The feeling of being needed - or useful, even - was a welcome one, especially to the Shadow femme who was once so reclusive and introverted. "You make red look nice," he added in a joking tone of voice, finally finishing with that spot and moving to the opposite arm.
"Ah, the family," she said with fondness with a small mix of tiredness. "Yeah, I moved in on Christmas, but I think I've seen less of Aphi living with him than I did when we were just dating." Alex smiled in a quietly rueful manner, as it wasn't the chef's fault in the least. With Alex trying to balance two jobs and all the paperwork inbetween, it was a drain on any available time they might have had. Giving Ethan a winning smile, she nodded at the last question, rolling her tan shoulders easily. "We're all too stubborn to do any less than well, I think." A grin followed her words. "We all keep busy. I'm tired, but...I'm happy, doing my best to make a difference here."
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Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 2:09 pm
Zul’s rather witty remark brought a tickle of a grin to the rose’s face, melting through the soft smile of relaxation. “If I am honest...” She murmured as he moved from one portion to the next, “I would prefer the red to remain quite firmly on my head.” Which this she raised one hand (the one upon the arm already treated with the cooling plant fluids) and twined a finger into her red locks to prove the point. Closing her eyes again to enjoy the sensation of coolness being massaged into her arm she nodded slowly in response to his offer of help. “Perhaps I shall accept that offer; though I would not want to be a hindrance. I am sure you’re very busy.” This was of course an assumption – she was in no way aware of the type of life that the demon led... But if it was anything like the impression that she got off the work worn Alex and the wealth of experiences that the pair of them seemed to excrete she was sure that very few of his days were spent in idle wandering; unlike her.
A sigh of understanding left the businessman’s lips. That so often seemed to be the case. In a casual relationship living apart ever moment spent together was enjoyable and made all the more precious because of the divide between meetings in-between. However, when placed in close proximity it could quickly seem like an age since a couple had any pleasurable free time to spend on themselves alone. He had heard it so many times from friends, business acquaintances... and even in his own life – though it had been many many years since he had been romantically involved with anyone.
“I wouldn’t expect any less from you. You’re all such wonderfully strong individuals that I am sure you’re soldiering on. Give my regards to Aphismet when you see him. It would be lovely to catch up with him and I am sure Vyn is missing Rivener’s company too...” He looked to the rose and her momentary bliss amongst the plant’s life sap and Zul’s frosty hands was disturbed as she gave her reply of; “yes... Very much so.” Continuing Ethan looked around the LAB office. With work apparently eating up all of her time he was highly curious as to what Alex’s job at Dr Kyou’s establishment actually entailed.
“I suppose the Doctor keeps you on your toes... What exactly do you do, besides little checkups like this I mean. Generally keeping up with the raevan’s and their guardians? You’re superbly suited to the role if that is the case!”
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:50 pm
A quiet chuckle trickled from his lips, casting his blue eyes to the vibrant red of the Rose's hair with quiet admiration. "It is rather fetching there," he agreed with good humor, "and your flowers when they bloom." Zul had a brief image play before his eyes - Vyn upon her throne of thorns, thriving in the darkness of Ethan's loft, her skin peeling with the petals of her flowers - and it was gone. The memory was enough to sober some of his teasing, continuing his gentle massage with attentiveness. "I am never too busy for a friend, Vyn." His response was easy and automatic, expression pleasantly neutral other than his standard light smile. "Alix and Neil would understand."
He took a moment to listen to the humans as the companionable silence fell between them, always finding some form of bewildered amusement in the 'tired' response that his woman gave. The Frei himself never slept, and the idea that everyone else required it was baffling, making him wonder if he was missing something. The bit about missing Rivener made his dark brows lift, surprise - and perhaps a touch of pleasure - curving his lips upwards. "You know Rivener well?" Zul questioned with that surprise audible in his tone, curiosity quickly tacking onto the end. He'd be finished with the application shortly, though he couldn't help but ask and want to speak with the Shadow Rose further.
Alex smiled a little to Ethan, rolling her shoulders and laughing softly under her breath. "Soldiering on," she repeated the words with a tilt of her head, tasting the phrase, "seems very apropos." The Italian dipped her head in a nod to the businessman, lifting one of her hands to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I will do that. You should come by sometime, Ethan - Vyn, both of you. I know he'd be happy to have your company and would love an excuse to cook for more people!" She laughed again, a fond, doting sound that immediately made her hiccup and quiet it down with mild embarrassment. Sure, Alex was wild about the chef, but she still didn't want to just gush! Especially at work!
Her cheeks darkened further at Ethan's kind words, lifting her hands and pressing her palms against her cheeks, the cool lingering smell of aloe assaulting her senses. "Goodness!" Alex grinned in a cheeky manner before shaking her head and returning her cool digits to her lap. "The check ups are actually just a...well, like a side effect of the main job, which is research." Shifting in her seat to better face the businessman, she sat up a touch more straight, her posture at ease but sustained with pride. "I help him with researching the Raevans and all they experience, how their make up contributes to their appearances, demeanors and powers--basically it's what I did as a zoologist, but for them." The last bit of her statement was said with a gentle type of reverence, glancing again to the Frei's warmly. They were her life now, and she had never quite felt so at home as she did in their presence.
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