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 Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:18 pm
Who: Luka, Cruz, Anita
Where: Gambino Electronics Store, Zap Circuits
When: Early afternoon, about 1PM on a Thursday
Weather: Chilly with some flurries. The skies are cloudy and dark.
____________________ A short gust of frigid air followed two colorful figures into the corner store of the island known as Gambino. All sorts of people were bundled up, huddled close to update their cell phone plans, get new phones or music players, collect batteries and stock up on whatever they needed.
His breath was instantly warmed by the heat of bodies and electric heating systems, as well as the friction of rubbing his arms and hands or forcing his guardian to touch her hands to his chilled face. In a few moments he was back to an acceptable temperature and she began tousling flecks of snow from his hair. Cruz shuddered, stretching his arms out and flexing his wings. Despite the cold blood flowing through his veins and the negative effects of prolonged time in the cold, he found the prospect of snow very pleasant. It was beautiful and fun to watch, and he liked the feel of it in his gloved hands, but too long amid the chilly air and its icy touch left him stiff, sore, and extremely tired.
"Neeta," he grumbled softly, a bit of a shiver still lingering in his voice, "Why here again?" She told him before they left, but he had been so excited about getting to spend some out door time with her before she had to go to work that he had forgotten entirely.
Giving a chuckle, Anita undid her scarf and tucked her gloves away in a pocket. She got hotter much faster than he did, not only because she was a human with warm blood but she was very sensitive to heat in general. "I've gotta get the screen on my thing fixed and I wanted to see if there was anything you wanted~" her voice chimed over the sound of her zipper and before long her coat was tucked over one arm, her free hand holding one of his.
He smiled curiously, beginning to look around as the invitation to get something was left open to him. What all was here, he had no idea. He knew about the television, computers, game consoles, in only the barest sense. He didn't even know what 'thing' she was alluding to needing repair but it didn't matter him much. Even if he didn't see anything worth buying he would get to look around and some new things.
"Just be careful if you want to touch anything. The stuff's very delicate."
"Yes," he purred knowingly, fingers itching to touch and explore the hard plastic surfaces of all the things set up for presentation.
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:34 pm
Unaware of the arrival of more members from the Lab family, Luka was busy perusing the camera section. His sun-drop eyes peering at the strange devices on display carefully. To him, they were all the same. Strange little boxes that could preserve images of the things he’d seen and experienced.
Ever since his visit with Elai to Leo’s apartment, the Satyr had been obsessed with photos. Certainly his guardian had shown him photos before, but the photos at Leo’s apartment were different. They didn’t just document the stages of a person’s life, but each one preserved the image of something unique or special. Leo had shown him photography as a form of preservation. It wasn’t that the photos Elai had shown him were terrible, he had just found them boring. They lacked the aesthetic beauty that Leo’s photos had, and it had stuck with the Frei. In the car ride home with Elai, Luka had questioned his guardian intensely regarding photos and how to take them.
After pestering his guardian quite a bit, Elai had even searched for his old camera. A futile effort given that even after a whole 3 days of searching, the acupuncturist still hadn’t found it. And that, was exactly why Luka was at Zap Circuits.
He was here to purchase a new camera, one that he could use. Of course, it would have to be shared with Elai, but the Satyr was willing to make sacrifices. After all, his guardian was the one paying for it. Reaching into his pocket, Luka pulled out the small plastic card his guardian had given him. A credit card, that magical rectangular piece of plastic that could be given to purchase anything. A type of magic so powerful that his guardian had told him to take extra care in into loosing it lest someone take advantage of its useful properties.
Reaching for a small canon digital camera on the lowest shelf of the display, Luka turned it on and took a few experimental photos. They were simple enough to operate, but simple operation did not mean beautiful photos. The ones Luka had taken were unfocused and blurred. Deleting them, he tried again. This time, with a steady hand and less movement. Flipping through the photos he'd taken, he turned off the camera and set it back on the display. His attention jerked away from the multitude of camera by a youth wearing a blue vest marked with a yellow oval on the left flap; the words Zap Circuits in bold black lettering printed in the oval.
"Can I help you sir?" He asked, his voice nasally.
Luka paused. "No. Just looking." As he watched the employee walk off, Luka gave himself a mental face palm. He needed someone's help but he felt too embarrassed to ask the man. Letting out a small huff, he paused as he caught sight of a young brunette and her partner. Setting down the camera in his hands, he floated ever so higher so he could make out their bodies over the shelves. A Raevan! A green one at that!
"Hi!" Luka greeted, waving at Anita and Cruz over the faux barricade. "Lab?" He asked, pointing at Cruz.
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:58 pm
Unbeknownst to both Raevans, they thought the same of the boxes, cameras and accessories on display. Unlike Luka, however, Cruz was eager to explore them and examine as much as he was allowed. He didn't have any idea what they were for but as he followed his guardian further in, he watched over people's shoulders as they played with the menus and touchpads of phones, laptops, tablets and more. Alongside the cameras, there was even a small handheld game section mostly consisting of hardware (though a few throwaway titles were stacked up on the side), as well as a section for music players and even small remote controlled cars.
"Let's see..." Anita clicked her tongue thoughtfully, crouching down and resting her elbows on her knees as she peered at some of the phone models displayed on boxes. If the price for fixing the screen was too much to warrant, she would just swap it for a new phone and keep the same number. Over her shoulder, Cruz hovered and leaned forward so he could peer at the boxes with her, though he didn't understand anything they said. Their strange logos were both distracting and interesting and up until a warm voice broke the low din of voices through out the store, the two were silent.
At the satyr's greeting, they both turned to look at him with wide, interested eyes. Below, Anita gripped her knees and slowly grew a wide smile as she leaned back until she landed on her bum. "Hi," she returned, grinning pleasantly. The horns and wings were an instant tip off, even if she couldn't see his bottom over the barricade, and if it weren't for that then the next word out of his mouth was more than enough information.
Above her, Cruz's arms hung limply and his fin-like wings shivered with delight. The frei before them's colors were so light and warm, perfectly matching the Winter season but with a vibrant glow of life that nearly made Cruz feel as though he weren't as chilled as he truly was. "Lab. Yes," he rumbled in response, adjusting his posture and hovering closer to get a better look at this young looking frei. Compared to him, the satyr looked so small, it was difficult for him to understand, but he was positively charmed by his appearance, voice and the subtle glow radiating from him. The horns drew his attention most and Cruz reached out a hand, wanting to touch them, but he paused and looked to Luka for permission. Of the few Raevans he had met thus far, not a one of them had horns to speak of. "You?" he purred curiously, inclining his head so the frei would not have to speak up so much over the other people in the building.
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 6:13 am
When the two turned to face him, Luka took his time committing their faces to memory. He had a feeling this encounter was one his Guardian would be very curious about. "Yes, you can touch them." Giving Cruz a reassuring smile, he tilted his head forward so that the crocodilian Frei could touch them better. He knew first hand what it was like, the desire to feel, smell, and see things closer. Not to mention, it was always a nice feeling getting once's horns rubbed. It was almost as good as getting the white little down feathers on the base of his wings scratched. And that, that was just heavenly. "My name is Luka. What about you and the Raevan?" He asked, staring at Anita. It was hard to see more than Cruz's torso from angling his head down.
From here, he could catch the young woman's features better. She was much younger than the other guardians he'd met so far. Perhaps in her early twenties? Nevertheless, her eyes had an intelligent gleam, and she must've been quite mature to be a guardian. He didn't know much about Lab, but of the guardians he'd met so far… They all had a nice pleasant atmosphere to them. At this young woman was no exception. "Is he new?" He asked, chewing on his lip trying to find the best way to elaborate. "Age! I mean his age. How is he?" He had a feeling that Cruz wasn't too old yet given the Raevan's inquisitive nature, but even the Sigel, Zul, had been eager to touch him when they'd met.
"Do you know my man? He is Jezabroux. Very tall, has long black hair with a white patch." The Frei explained, raising a hand over his head to indicate his guardian's height.
Raising his chin up, he took his time to observe the young lady's companion. The green frei that had been rubbing his horns. "He is green, like leaves and grass." The Satyr commented, finding Cruz very much to his favor. He found it hard to find displeasure in anything that reminded him of forests, and other green things. Green and brown, those colors had a way of making him feel safe, at home. Although it was faint, Luka could almost catch trace of a gentle pine smell coming off the Raevan. It was something like, an early spring rain mixed in with the smell of fresh pine needles. "What are you?" The Frei asked, eyeing Cruz's pointy teeth.
"How are you so green? And why do you smell like rain when it is snowing outside?" He asked, clearly enthralled with the stranger.
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:44 pm
At the white frei's assurance, Cruz grinned fondly and continued his reach, giving the tip of one a gentle tap with but a finger tip. It was a very tentative touch, easy and calm even as he allowed the length of his fingers to explore the small, twisting protrusions. "Good," he mumbled his approval, using 'good' as a universal term to express a favorable response instead of its typical usage. His attention drew back to the satyr's voice when he spoke but the words were not directed at him and so Cruz merely continued the exploration of Luka's horns, eventually reaching his other hand out to give both horns the same treatment.
With a quiet huff, Anita pushed back on her feet and stood, adjusting the trim of her hoody so it wasn't bunched up over her rear. "I'm Anita," she grinned, pointing a finger towards her charge whose hands had moved on to the gentle fluff of Luka's hair, "And that's Cruz."
"Loo-kah," he purred pleasantly, enjoying the soft feeling of the other's hair against his palms.
"It's nice to meet you, Luka." At his next question, she chuckled and tucked her hands into her pockets, walking closer. "Four months," she nodded. Though she didn't know how old that was in Raevan time, she was fairly certain anything below a year was still considered quite young in their terms, regardless of how quickly they matured. This one, too, was just a frei and he looked so small compared to the others she had met. To think that Luka was new too seemed out of place, though; his speech, while a little clumsy, was far more diverse and practiced than Cruz's. When Luka mentioned his guardian, Anita glanced around with a curious frown. The name and description didn't ring any bells but she also couldn't seem to spot him in the crowd. "Mm, no, I don't think we've met. Is he here?" It would seem strange to her if a frei was out and about on their own, but even with Luka's appearance he seemed older than anyone would think. Raevans had a magical knack for self defense as well, so it was probably much less dangerous for one of them to be wandering by themselves than a young human.
Cruz let out a pleasant, throaty grumble at Luka's description of his coloration. He glanced back curiously at Anita at the mention of leaves. Being born in the Autumn just a few months ago, he had never seen the proper green of leaves, only the lush oranges and reds. When would he get to see a world covered in green, he wondered. "Green, good." Another rumble, and then Luka spotted the curves of his teeth, drawing the croc's attention back with a slight tilt to his head. "Am Krooz..." this was not the end to Luka's questions, and Cruz's eyes lit up, chest puffing slightly at the description of his scent. He parroted the word, testing it out, "Rain," but his tone was perplexed and he looked to Anita for answers.
"He's so green the same way you're so white," she chuckled, unsure what all Luka knew about the creation process and uncertain if Cruz was ready to hear that sort of information. Resting her arms on the counter, she leaned over so she was eye level with Luka, smiling but with a quiet caution behind her eyes. "You know why that is, right?" her voice was low, nearly a whisper. Before she imparted any "secrets" she had to be sure the other frei was prepared for them.
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:31 pm
The Stayr couldn't help but let out a small purr of pleasure as Cruz rubbed his horns. A sound that quickly stopped as soon as the crocodile moved onto his hair. Although he wasn't partial to people touching his hair, he made an exception for the minty Frei.
"A pleasure to meet you, Anita and Cruz." Luka gave a gentle nod towards guardian and charge as names were finally known. "Four months is not quite young but not quite old. I am over a year old." Luka replied, giving Anita a loose idea of his cognitive development thus far. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched her do a quick scan of the shop. He really should've brought his guardian with him today. Elai would've liked to meet both Cruz and Anita. "He is not here. He is at home. I asked him not to come but maybe that was a bad thing to say." He gave Anita an apologetic look.
Luka paused as he caught the question in Cruz's tone. "Water falling from the skies. Have you seen rain before Cruz? It is like snow, but wetter. Snow and rain are siblings." He explained, trying to give the Frei a good mental image of the natural phenomena. "It is very common. Sometimes, when it is not cold enough, it will rain instead of snowing." That had been one of the things Jez had taught him. Although both were natural, Luka found both to be unpleasant for the most part. Too cold, too wet. He was a creature of warmth and dryness. "Do you like the cold Cruz?" Luka asked, his liquid sunshine orbs flickering gently.
At Anita's comment, Luka let out a small pout. "Not by choice, Anita. I was born this way." Despite his words, the Frei didn't seemed to be too bothered by his two toned coloring. When Anita suddenly lowered her voice and gave a wary look towards Cruz before speaking, Luka stared for a moment before chuckling. "Yes, yes Anita. How else could I be this white if not for light?" The Frei teased her ever so gently. He wanted her to wonder, to guess what his combination was. It was always a fun game to play. People came up with the most creative combinations. None of them were ever correct though. "It is not a bad thing to know, Anita. We are different. We will always be different. Nothing will change that." The latter was said more softly, only for the ears of the young brunette.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:08 am
When the sound the smaller frei made shifted, Cruz wasted little time in moving his hands away from Luka's hair and back to his horns. It was subtleties as that which he picked up on quickly and easily, body language and sound instead of mere words. Words could be made up, words could be used incorrectly, but how a person carried themselves, looked at things, truly felt, those could not be easily falsified and the croc was one to rely on them greatly.
"Play-shore to meet," he repeated incorrectly, "Luka." Cruz's fingers moved very lightly, barely applying any pressure when they had been touching the satyr's hair and even as he resumed touching his horns. It was very novel, these strange protrusions, and as of yet he had not met another Raevan who had them.
Anita listened to Luka's voice, his words, and she smiled. He was a rather charming little frei, to be sure. When he looked apologetic, she offered him a sympathetic grin and rested a hand on her cheek. "Mm, it's good to be alone sometimes. It's not a big deal." He was a rather talkative young frei. Anita knew that Raevan development went much faster than that of a human's but she didn't know quite how much faster. Luka was a good example of this and as she watched him compare the finer points of rain and snow to Cruz, she found herself wondering if her charge too would be as articulate when he hit the big twelve months mark. "Over" a year old was vague, though Anita supposed if he was nearly two he would have specified that he was "almost two" instead. Probably just a few months past, in that case.
During his explanation, Cruz's hands retreated entirely and he touched them into the pockets of his coat. His gaze was attentive upon Luka's warm, honey colored eyes and a faint smile curled his lips enough to show off just the tips of his teeth. "Yes, know rain," he assured Luka with a bob of his head, "Not know Cruz smell like rain." The frei paused for a second before leaning down and attempting to sniff at his coat. It just smelled like fabric softener to him. At the satyr's other question, he picked his head up and seemed uncertain before his expression warmed into a fond and pleasant smile. "Cold is... not bad," he mimicked himself from his meeting with Zurine, uncertain of how else to put it, "Do not hate it."
When Autumn had been around and it rained fairly often, he did enjoy the wet feeling it brought though it was cold then too. Weather as a whole was a thing he was still attempting to understand and perhaps he would have a better grasp of it at large when all four of the seasons were experienced. Between Autumn and Winter, however, the cold and snow felt more at home if only because of the seasonal specific cheer and decorations.
At Luka's pout, Anita returned it. Had she said the wrong thing? It was hard to say with Raevans, where it was alright to tread. Truth be told, she had never really discussed this sort of thing with anyone that wasn't human save for Zul and it was very brief with him. Maybe there was a certain etiquette she wasn't aware of. Her eyes wandered in embarrassment at perhaps having offended the white frei, at least until he let out a chuckle. She grinned a little and gave a quiet sigh of relief.
"Light?" she parroted curiously, leaning closer to hear his quiet words. Maybe Cruz would understand more than she gave him credit for but the setting for that conversation, if things were ideal, was certainly not a random electronics store.
Interrupting the hushed conversation, Cruz flapped his small fin-wings and hovered over the counter, away from Anita and closer to Luka. "Is Luka to buy a thing?"
Anita leaned back at the question, having to think for a second before she laughed. "Phone. I meant phone." Covering her mouth sheepishly while she laughed, Anita leaned back against the counter and rested her elbows on it. "I'm here to get the screen on my phone replaced. It's all scratched up. How about you?"
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Posted: Sun May 19, 2013 9:36 pm
At Cruz's question Luka lit up immediately. "Yes! I am. I'm here to buy a new camera. Have you used a camera before Cruz?" Luka asked, immediately reaching for the nearest camera on display available. "If not, it's this thing that lets you take still images of what's going on around you. My guardian, Elai, has a family member who is a photographer, Leo. Leo takes the most beautiful photos with his camera." Luka smiled as he took a quick snapshot of Anita and Cruz together. "His photos are better, but I like it. The idea of preserving time spent with people with these paper images." Luka went on, pressing the preview button to see just how the photo of Anita and Cruz had turned out.
Not bad. Not bad at all. He handed the camera to Anita and Cruz, so that they could see the photo as well.
"I have a cell phone too. But, my screen is not broken." Luka explained as pulled out a rather simple flip phone. "I don't use it very often. I only use to to let Elai know where I'm going and when I'm coming back. Does Anita have a phone for Cruz too?" He asked, eyeing the green Frei with amusement.
"And yes, light. Elai says I am from light without a source. And, my powers allow me to do similar things." He said, speaking a little louder. The following demonstration wouldn't just be for Anita, but Cruz as well.
Bunching his hands into fists a couple times to get the blood flowing, Luka looked up at the store light above them. Reaching up with a hand, he beckoned for the light to come down, to separate from its source. And as the orb weaved its way down, the bulb above them dimmed ever so slightly.
Holding the orb in his hand, he smiled. "I can do more, but it's just easier to play with existing light." He opened his palm and the ball of light rubber banded back into its natural place, brightening the area back to it's natural level of light. "What can you do Cruz?" Luka asked, rather curious of the reptilian Frei's.... heritage one could say.
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