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 Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:28 pm
Who: Anastacia, Claire, and Zeke
When: August 9th, 2014; 4pm
Where: Claire's house
Weather: Sunny and warm, though rain is on the horizon
It was hours after Zeke had gotten to the Lab that he had realized he had forgotten his phone at home. Luckily the second recipient of a bottle and vial was someone he was keen to do a special something for, so the vet used it as an opportunity to head home before heading out to deliver the good news. Of course once he got there, he had to sit down for lunch on Brad's insistence (and his own desire to, who was he trying to fool? ) but after that was all said and done he was out the door - or about to be, until Anya came in from her afternoon walk around the block. Zeke being Zeke, he had to invite her along. To his pleasant surprise, she agreed, and they were off as soon as they reached the car.
The drive back to Gambino was relatively smooth, with Zeke taking the backways rather than the highway to avoid any after-work traffic. Anya preferred the so-called 'scenic' route, even if it did come with a few bumps and potholes along the way. She remained rather quiet during the trip, only asking questions about where they were going, who they were seeing, and if she could stay in the car when Zeke returned to the Lab to drop the woman's file and the briefcase back off. The affirmative to the latter query was the most pleasing answer to the Frei, especially when Zeke mentioned it wouldn't take him long to get in and out again.
"Here we are!" Zeke pulled up in front of a nice looking house and hastily checked the address he had copied down on a scrap of paper. "Ready to go, Anya?"
"Yes," was the Frei's reply, spoken on an even and calm tone of voice. She couldn't see the house properly from this far back, but she was ready to give her wings another stretch. As comfortable as Zeke's Aston Martin was, the day was too nice to spend strapped up inside it, especially with fall just around the proverbial corner.
As soon as she was out of the car the Widow Frei wasn't given too much time to linger. Zeke closed the door for her, locked it up with a button press, and started his merry way up the sidewalk. She was able to get her stretch in and caught up to her Guardian just as he reached the stairs.
"I think I told you about Claire before, yeah?" The pink and blue haired man was beaming, all 5'9" of jitters and excitement for what was about to unfold.
"I don't remember." Anastacia shrugged lightly and her crown scuttled about her sharp-featured face as she thought about it. She honestly couldn't remember if he had. "You might have?"
"Oh, well...I think you'll like her, Anya. She's very nice." He gave his Raevan another smile and turned away to ring the doorbell. As soon as the chime went off, the vet took a step back from the door and took the metal briefcase he had set down back in hand. "I didn't tell her we were coming though. Just wait till she sees us!"
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:44 pm
Claire sat cross-legged in the middle of her living room floor. She had the windows open, streaming in the last bits of warmth and sunlight before the forecasted rain was to fall. Another slow day had passed at the firm, and the defense attorney had let her go early, telling her to enjoy the day. As nice a sentiment as it was, such things were happening quite a bit recently, and Claire was beginning to miss the hustle of a busier office. The radio next to the couch had been turned down low but she could barely make out the song playing on the recent hits station - the new Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, and Jessie J team-up. Claire was finding it harder to pay attention to the task at hand or the phone call from her mother on speakerphone as her foot tapped beneath her.
"Claire, are you still there?" Ivy's tone shifted downward in concern that the call had dropped.
"Yeah, Ma, just organizing, sorry." Around Claire were at least five photo albums, all in disarray, photos scattered from their usual spots to more convenient reaching places. She had the backs of several picture frames open; since moving back to Gambino, Claire had avoided a few of the boxes in the guest room, having intended to repaint much of the house. Now that some time had passed, she came to love the soft blue color on the walls, and it was time to seal the deal by putting up pictures. That required a bit of reorganization though, as having the same pictures up all the time was a little boring, and needless to say it was very distracting work. Her mother had interrupted her own stream of conversation to make sure her daughter was still there.
Car doors opened and shut outside, and Claire glanced towards the door at the noise. Aaron would be due home soon, but not this soon. There was muffled conversation at the door and then the doorbell's ring reverberated through the house. The frames and photo albums scattered around her created quite a chaotic scene and she hurriedly picked them up. A glance through the door-side window showed her a bit of the back of a head with pink and blue hair.
"Everything okay?" came Ivy's concerned voice from the speakerphone. Setting the albums and frames as quickly as possible into the boxes, she scrambled for the phone.
"Let me call you back, Ma. Someone at the door." With a cursory glance around the relatively tidy living room (with exception of the boxes in the middle of the floor), she stood up properly and headed towards the door.
"Don't worry about it, I'll see you at seven." Claire nodded at the phone without really thinking about it, and when her mother had hung up she did the same and returned the phone to the base by the entryway. She smoothed her blouse and skirt and opened the door, the face before her was more familiar than the back of their head had been. Immediately she broke into a smile.
"Zeke! Wow, hey! It's been too long. I didn't recognize you with the new colors!" Her gaze slid from Zeke's cheerful face to one just behind him, and with a start she recognized her vaguely from the picture he had shown her upon her first visit to the Lab. She was as beautiful as the picture showed, although this real life Anya looked a little more distracted currently than annoyed, or so Claire thought. Getting a house call from the Lab assistant and his rather stunning Raevan had definitely surprised her. It had been almost eight months since she had last spoken to Zeke and submitted her Lab application; he had been green and purple back then. But she recovered quickly, her smile only widening.
"Please, come in, make yourselves comfortable on the couch over there. Please don't mind the boxes." She stepped aside so the two could enter. "May I get you something to drink? There's water, sun tea, coffee.."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:16 pm
"Hey Claire!" It didn't take long for the door to be opened and a woman to come into view. When she did, Zeke's smile brightened and that air of excitement about him only seemed to grow. The comment on his hair made laughter come easily, bubbling over his pierced lips as he reached up to brush back some of his crisply dyed bangs. "Looks great, right?"
The blonde-haired woman was quick to let them in. Zeke stepped in first and Anastacia right after, the spider queen quiet in contrast to her exhuberant man. When Claire first appeared the Frei had surveyed her - a hair taller than she, blonde hair, pale skin much like herself, and a simple but nicely put together outfit - and this ever-present first instinct continued to Claire's home. There were indeed boxes as the blonde had said but the walls of the living room were a pleasantly soft blue, sparsely decorated, but the room was furnished for the most part. Even in the slight chaos of moving the place felt cozy. It was nice.
"Oh no, thank you! I'm good for now," Anastacia focused on her Guardian and the soon-to-be-surprised woman, finding the former peering at her and gesturing to the latter. "But lemme introduce you two! Claire, this is Anastacia. Anya, Claire."
Anastacia straightened as the introduction was made, her crown of legs scuttling about her face and revealing she hadn't been keeping up with the proceedings. It had been a long while since she had done this, but the Virus Raevan found it wasn't as hard to remember the steps. Looking now at Claire and Claire alone, Anya bowed her head once in a nod and extended her greeting.
"Good afternoon." Her voice was smooth and even with only the softest lilt to it. Her words were spoken mildly and although her face betrayed no secrets, she was earnest in her statement. So far this Claire seemed to be a favorable sort and she meshed well into an already favorable day.
"Claire offered up a drink, Anya. D'you want anything?"
It wasn't a hard question in truth, but Anastacia could feel her nerves instantly fray when posed, especially in the presence of another. She frowned slightly as though thinking but her crown and eyes betrayed her inner worry with a brief flurry of movements and constriction of her human pupils respectively. The Widow still wasn't one for human food or drink but she was still peckish. All the same, she felt as if she would be rude to ask for something and would have done without if it hadn't been for Zeke. After long months of seeing the signs, he caught her crown's movements and thus her struggle easily.
"It's okay," he said quietly out of the corner of his mouth, just loud enough for his Frei to hear. His expression had softened when Anastacia looked at him and when her eyes met his he winked. 'She offered, sweetheart. You can take it up if you want to.' is what his face seemed to say. Slowly, quietly, she released the breath she had been holding, clasping her hands together in front of her rune.
"May I have a cup of hot water, please?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 9:47 pm
The nervous gestures did not escape Claire, who merely smiled and looked from Zeke to Anya, pretending not to notice. She was not well-acquainted enough with either of them to know why, but she understood what it was like to feel such pressure. Her gaze shifted briefly to the spider-legged crown on Anya's head as Zeke whispered something to her that Claire did not catch, and when the Raevan finally answered, she released a breath she did not know she was holding. The poor thing looked so uncertain, as though such a request were very imposing. She did not know Anya well enough to know whether or not touching her shoulder in reassurance was a correct move, so she nodded and held her smile.
"Of course, I'll bring that right out," she replied, and turned towards the kitchen. The Keurig that Ivy had gotten her and Aaron as a housewarming gift was great for things like this; she emptied the top container of Aaron's morning coffee choice, checked the water level, and let that run while she fished out some sun tea from the refrigerator. Once the water had run through with the last vestiges of coffee, she emptied the cup, placed a new one, and ran it through again. Satisfied with the outcome this time, she took the glass of tea and mug of hot water out to the living room and placed the mug on the coaster closest to the edge and plopped her own drink onto another on the coffee table.
"Here you are - careful, the mug's pretty hot." Claire nudged the coaster with the mug closer to Anastacia. "May I call you Anya, if that's alright? I hope you find it to your liking." Tucking her skirt underneath her as she sat in one of the arm chairs next to the sofa, she sat down, lacing her hands together in her lap and turning her attention towards the pink and blue-haired man. "So what brings you both here today, Zeke?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 11:10 pm
While Claire busied herself in the kitchen, Zeke gestured Anya to take the lead over to the couch. The Frei paused for a moment before proceeding, 'sitting' upon the couch so that the end of her ribbon touched the floor. When the woman had replied favorably to the request Anastacia had felt a wave of relief spread through her chest, which lingered and even cut down the presence of a small wave of internal chiding that followed shortly thereafter.
Zeke watched his ward calmly as she sat down, smiling again in that gentle way when she felt his stare and looked at him quizzically.
"What?" She did not return his smile. The corners of her bright red lips instead were pulled down into a small frown and once again her crown scuttled - this time in a confused array.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."
His words only served to confuse her more and again her crown showed that in the way the legs moved and pumped. Anya almost looked as if she was going to speak, but Claire's reappearance into the living room stopped her right then and there. The sturdy sound of ceramic meeting wood drew Anya's gaze to the steaming mug before she flicked her lavender eyes up to the woman now taking her own seat. Once again the Frei bobbed her head.
"Yes, you may." She had been used to the nickname for a long time now and saw no point in protesting anyone using it, especially when they asked nicely like Claire did. Reaching her hand over the cup so that the steam floated into her palm and the heat therein up her arm and beyond, the Virus Frei considered what her man had said on the porch. Perhaps Zeke had been right after all: even after the momentary hitch on her own part, this human was proving to be quite favorable indeed. "And it is to my liking. Thank you."
As Anya fell silent to feed Zeke turned his attention to Claire and with it came a renewed beam. Her question made him chuckle lightly, trying so hard to keep from blurting the big reveal too soon. It was terribly difficult to do, especially with Claire right there in front of him and the case right here next to his bouncing leg with its contents so snugly packed away inside. It had been several months since they had seen each other and, bless her, her world was about to be tilted on its axis and spun right around on its head too.
"Well, I could give you some sorta story about us being in the neighborhood and how I wanted to introduce you and Anya properly, but I'd be mostly lying, and I don't like to lie, especially to people I like." As he spoke his hands moved in a flurry; going this way and that, pausing briefly once or twice, before moving with his words once more. His movements were fluid but Zeke was not seated comfortably on the cushion of the couch. Instead he was perched on the edge and he looked almost like he was gearing up to spring forward, especially with how his feet tapped against the hardwood floor. "I'm in a funny predicament. See, this is half a social call, half a professional one and...Ah screw it I can't keep it to myself anymore!"
With the declaration Zeke grabbed the handle of the big metal briefcase and launched himself to his feet, lofting the case high before setting it down rather hard in the center of the coffee table. The handle remained up even as Zeke let it go to throw his arms over his head with his fingers splayed wide as if he were about to go "SURPRISE!".
"Congratulations Claire! We're here to tell you that you've been chosen to become a Guardian for the Lab!"
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:15 am
Claire picked up her own glass and nursed it between her hands immediately after she posed the question to Zeke, and by the looks of the man, he seemed fit to burst with whatever he wanted to tell her. She took a sip as he began to speak, his foot tapping anxiously, and she felt an additional warming towards the man when he had said that he liked her, and therefore did not want to lie to her. Another sip finished off the glass (perhaps his energy had been making her thirsty, but that tea seemed to finish off rather quickly).
"I see, well I thank you for your honesty.. ?" Truthfully she was a bit confused about where this was going, and as Zeke excitedly barreled forward in his conversation, she nodded at the bits about "social call," "professional call," before he exclaimed loudly and jumped up, suitcase in hand. She started from the sudden movement and leaned back as he set it hard on the table, hands open as though presenting a grand prize. And then...
She had been picked.
Eyes wide, all she could do was stare from the suitcase to Zeke, to Anya, and back to Zeke with a look that mirrored a deer in the headlights. The sweating glass between her fingers was slippery, so she set it down in its designated coaster with a shaky hand, and then laced her fingers together in her lap to subside the shaking.
"Me?" she said quietly, her gaze falling on the silver suitcase. "I... oh my goodness..." Her heart began to pump normally again, then increased its pace, color flushing her cheeks. "I'm.. I'm honored... wow..." The shock had still not entirely worn off but she placed a hand to her cheek and felt the warmth gathered there. Mother. I'm going to be a mother of sorts. It's finally happening. The smile that was creeping in her lips bloomed fully; here it was, her chance, the chance that nature had denied her. She was going to be a parent - her child would have no lower body for a certain amount of time and apparently have magical powers, but it would be hers. Hers and Aaron's.
"Thank you, Zeke.. thank you for this opportunity. I'm so.. I don't know what to say." Her emotions were welling up inside and she struggled to keep them at bay. This was only step one, there was more to deal with first, emotions could come later, when Aaron came home. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath before looking Zeke in the face again, but the smile still remained. "I most definitely accept. What steps do I need to take next?" As calm as she tried to remain on the outside, internally she was cheering: I'm going to be a mother, I'm going to be a mother!
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 10:29 pm
Zeke stood up and Anastacia pulled her cup into her hands and away from the table just as the case came down with its heavy thunk. The spider queen shook her head slightly - same old Zeke when it came to these things - but stopped to catch Claire's eye when she felt the other woman's gaze briefly upon her.
"Congratulations Claire." Unlike her Guardian, the spider queen's voice remained soft as she spoke and while she didn't know what else to add she needn't have said anymore than that, judging by Claire's reaction. The new Guardian's cheeks pinkened and her words tripped outward, spilling into the air in a rushed tumble that had a noticeable wobble to it. Despite that wavering note the woman did not cry; instead a smile broke through and - in Anya's opinion - lightened Claire's features considerably.
If Zeke and Anya were anything alike, it was they were perceptive of the woman seated across from them. The vet had expected the deer in headlights look give the circumstance, the shaking hands too to some degree, but it was Claire's brief pause to collect herself and prevent anything but a smile from coming out that got him good. His smile waned and surprise touched his face before everything about the man softened toward the woman seated before him. He didn't so much as pause before he walked over to her and crouched down next to her at the arm of her chair.
"You're welcome." He reached out, covered her clasped hands with one of his own, and gave a fond squeeze; a hug being out of the question temporarily given how the chair and angles would factor in. "You don't need to say anything right now. Everything that comes next is on me, since I gotta explain everything." He chuckled and there was a certain spark in his eye that hinted at the showman that was about to be unleashed.
Giving her hands another squeeze, the vet rose back up and returned to his spot, hands going for the sides of the case to lower it down flat before he rested them on the clasps.
"First thing's first: I have to show you what's in the case!" There was a twin snap of metal on metal as the vet popped the locks and behind him Anastacia flinched. Pulling the top half up from its other half was a cinch from there and in one flex of the vet's arms the briefcase's contents were presented to the legal assistant and the light. "Say 'hello' to your Fel Essence and Soul Glass, Claire!"
Tucked into fitted slots cut into dark grey foam, the two items glittered in the afternoon sunlight. On Claire's left was the Soul Glass; a bulbous orb fitted into a conical metal doodad. The bottom half of the item was transparent in its emptiness while the upper was a metallic grey that was leagues lighter than the foam that cradled it. In between the two was a swath of green cloth, a largely dark shade offset by a lighter hue of the same color spattered across its face. The design was reminiscent of leaves, petals, or even raindrops, which were clustered together at the cloth's longest point and had several strays floating away from there.
To the right of the Soul Glass was the Essence. Unlike it's counterpart, the vial was innocuous and almost plain in comparison - a standard laboratory science vial stopped up at the top with an equally standard looking cork. However what drew the eye and made the vial the special thing it was in truth was the liquid inside which, thanks to its present home, looked darker than it actually was. When either of the humans pulled it free the light would reveal it for its true color - a splendid gold with the lightest touches of amber, clear and pure but also thick and rich in substance.
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:22 pm
Claire was doing her best to keep the tears back, but when Zeke left his place opposite of her and knelt down at her side, squeezing both of her hands and smiling very kindly, she was surprised to feel a few tears trickle down her cheek. As soon as the man got up to return to his seat, she silently swiped them away with the back of her hand and turned her attention to the main attraction - the silver suitcase, or rather its contents.
Her hands moved quicker than her still-sluggish brain as they reached for the small vial first. She plucked it gently from the foam and held it up to the sunlight filtering in through the window. The golden liquid inside moved slowly as she tilted the vial, the tassel brushing the back of her hand as she did so. The consistency was familiar to her - she and her mother lived on tea, almost, of course she would know this.
"This is honey, isn't it?" She smiled at Zeke and cradled it in the safety of both palms. This was going to be part of her young one, her Raevan - she needed to be careful. "Although if I remember correctly, you said the Essence would be something in nature that was not quite right.. at least this looks like honey.. am I on the right track?" Claire laughed softly at her own musings and returned her gaze to the vial, silently wondering what set this apart. She was tempted to reach for the empty bottle, eager as she was, but there was time enough for that.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 7:15 pm
Zeke didn't miss the tears or the wiping motion Claire did after he parted from her. When this was all said and done, the woman was getting a hug, sure as sunshine.
Both he and Anya watched Claire pluck the Essence from the case first. The Frei leaned forward slightly to better see the golden liquid before looking to Zeke for its identity much the same as the blonde. It was pretty, no doubt about that. She remembered the vial that had been given to Doucette. Unlike that one, Claire's was a bit more mundane, but it wasn't without charm. Anya found she rather liked the color.
Zeke felt his Raevan's eyes and - giving her a grin as much as the other woman - raised a finger in order to buy a moment. In that short few seconds, the vet bent over and pulled the foam in the top half of the case loose and procured Claire's file. Like Justin's had been earlier in the day the manila folder bore Claire's name on the tab that jutted out from the top along with a back-slash before an empty space. One day that slot would be filled, but for now it was just Claire and Claire alone.
"You are correct! Point to you." Zeke knew what the Essence was - he had looked at both files when he had come across them on his desk - but he still opened the file so that Claire could see the name for herself on a line near the top of the paperwork therein. "Yours is called 'Bitter Honey'. You can probably guess how we found out about this one."
Chuckling, he set the folder down facing Claire. He had more to show and tell, but he was happy with taking it slow for this one. Claire could set the pace and if she wanted to linger with studying her new Essence, by all means.
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:37 pm
"Oooooh, yeah I bet that.. wasn't a pleasant taste." Claire's face scrunched into a slight grimace and she clutched the vial between both hands. Her eye was redirected to the manila folder and its contents when Zeke slid it forward and tapped the name of her Essence. Leaning forward, she glanced down at the typeset name, then looked at the vial once more. "Lucky for me that they discovered it, though, I have to say." She smiled and tucked the vial back into the foam, this time turning towards the empty bottle. She plucked it from its safe confines, cradling this one with as much care as she did the vial before it.
"This is for the soul?" she asked Zeke, holding the bottle up. The tassel on this one was shorter, but the bottle held the more interesting design of the two containers. Her fingers traced the fabric decorating the top of the bottle, wondering as to its purpose. The pattern was very natural, leafy almost. But the main thing that caught her attention was that the bottle was empty. She could not recall from their meeting back in December much discussion about the Soul or obtaining one, but it seemed clear to her that it was something not just given to her, she would have to obtain it somehow. "I take it that will be something I have to get through other means than you giving me one." She laughed. "What are the specifics on that? I don't know if we covered it fully when I last came to the Lab."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 1:54 pm
"Even if we hadn't found this one, I'm sure you would have gotten one at some point."
Zeke gave Claire a wink. He was the one who had given her the application and subsequently taken it back from her, so that had allowed him to look it over before he turned it in to the pool of candidates. Claire was a perfect fit for a Guardian in his humble opinion. Calm, sweet, and level-headed she was, with a job that would allow her plenty of time to raise a growing Raevan and - as it was certainly made clear - a lovely home with plenty of room for whomever came from the Honey and the Soul Glass. She was the first new Guardian to ever shed tears over receiving the opportunity and it only endeared her to the vet. She wanted this. That was crystal clear.
When the blonde exchanged the vial for the metal and glass contraption and questioned it, Zeke nodded. He thought of Justin earlier in the day and how the guy had reacted to the news of what the bulbous bottle did. They had worked out a happy medium - stones and metal were most certainly an option, and Zeke was certain Justin would look into that method - but all the same, there had been a brief moment where Zeke thought he would be regaining a bottle and vial for the first time ever. Looking at Claire, he wasn't about to throw confetti in her face and jovially decree she have to kill something to make her Raevan, but he wasn't going to be blasé with it either. He tried to recall the finer details of their first meeting over the winter. He couldn't recall if he told her about Souls and their capture or not.
"You're right about that." He laughed along with her, easy and free. "And yeah, for the life of me I can't remember if I did or not! I think we mostly just went over what Raevans are, what being a Guardian means and then had you fill out the paperwork." The vet rubbed the back of his neck, still grinning despite the flub. Usually he was so good with remembering, but then again it HAD been a long, long time in between.
"Anyway...That's the Soul Glass. I'm sure I told you a Raevan is made up of two things and that the Essence and the Soul Glass are needed for that." He needn't go into specifics, he was sure he gave her a rundown on this part. Plus, Anya was in the room. Last thing he wanted was for her to ask about herself only to be broadsided with the whole story in a relative stranger's home with said relative stranger sitting across from her. That would be for a time at home in the future.
"The Soul Glass is, as you already know, for a soul. Now...I'm gonna be honest with you, this part is kind of heavy and I understand if you'd prefer to give me those back after all is said and done." He looked a little sheepish then. "See souls come from...well...everything really. I've got one, you've got one, your dog has one, etcetera. Now in order to make a Raevan, you need to capture one in that bulb-y part at the base there. And in order to do that...The thing you want captured has to either be freshly dead, dying, or..."
He trailed off, his smile strained and his expression a little nervous. She would get the picture without him having to say what the last option was in regards to a living thing. It wasn't the best situation, it never was and never would be for Zeke, but it was the necessary evil in this whole shebang.
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:36 pm
Claire nodded along at the small deluge of information, but her attention was caught when Zeke's mood downshifted just a bit as he launched into the details of soul capture. Her own smile fell just a bit, and there was a slight sinking feeling in her heart.
Oh.
That made sense. How else would one get a soul?
"I... that does make sense..." The lightness in her smile dimmed and she stared down at the glass thoughtfully. In order to make a Raevan, an Essence and Soul were needed. It did, of course, make sense to Claire, but the thought having to take life from something else was a very bitter pill to take. She had signed on so enthusiastically, so eager for a Raevan to raise as her own, that she had not thought about any consequences. But by the way the vet had trailed off, and the fact that his smile had waned but not entirely vanished, told her there was likely more to this than she was seeing.
"I.. don't necessarily need to kill something myself to get the soul... I mean.. if they're already.. dying.. right?" The words were a bit heavy, and she rested her chin in her cupped hand, brow drawn as she looked at the bottle. She thought of her mother's dog Misha, and a slight panic took her internally as she posed another question to Zeke, "It won't just take a soul indiscriminately, will it?" Her mind drifted to roadkill; it would be a mercy to put those animals out of their misery, but the thought of patrolling the road for dying animals curdled her stomach. Her second thought flew to Aaron, who went hunting with his father from time to time (his father was a hunting enthusiast, but luckily not a wasteful one). She had no guilt about the practice of hunting, even if she didn't particularly care to do it herself, but perhaps she could accompany Aaron and his father on one of the trips. It was an idea, and it braced her a little in terms of soul collection. Still, it would be good to know all the ins and outs.
"Are there any other possible ways? I'm very reluctant to walk away from such an opportunity, so.. it's best to know everything before making a decision. Thank you for being so open about it." She dipped her head slightly in gratitude, chin still braced in palm as her eyes focused on the bottle again. "You said everything has a soul so is it possible that other things would.. ?" She let the thought drift and flicked her gaze over to a small succulent sitting on the couch-side table. If plants were possible, she thought she could deal with killing a plant. But to kill an animal...
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 4:12 pm
Zeke watched her carefully as he had Justin, noting how her smile waned as his own did but that she stared at her Soul Glass contemplatively. When she posed a new question to him he started to shake his head - agreeing that she didn't need to kill something - but then nodded.
"Right, but there's something of a loophole that I think might...soften things a bit." Before he could explain, she worried over the bottle perhaps going hog wild and trying to suck up anything. That returned the brightness to his smile. "Well actually, that's what that cloth is for." Zeke reached over the coffee table in order to touch the green cloth. Like its brother from earlier today, the cloth appeared new, with vibrant hues and crisp designs.
"That's not just a fancy design we throw on for kicks. It's actually an inhibitor. See...Souls have colors. For example, a red flower has a red soul, while a blue flower has a blue one, see? This cloth is green so you're unable to capture anything that doesn't match." He talked with his hands, making gestures in the air as he gave the rundown. Green things came to mind - insects and reptiles first but in this instance he steered his thoughts to inanimate things. Plants would suit this to a T for sure but also stones like emerald and peridot. Those would have to be raw though...
"Going back to what I started to say...Plants are what I meant by a loophole. Same for stones and metals." He wasn't sure if there were any raw metals that were green. Bronze and copper turned green with age and exposure, but that was patina, not the metal itself. "Plants, stones, and metals all have souls. But for the latter two, they need to be raw. You can't just take a ring out of your jewelry box and use that. Things tampered with by people won't work."
He smiled wider, his energy and vibrancy renewed as he spoke. The vet saw the succulent sitting off to the side and hoped that the bottle wouldn't decide to demonstrate how it worked right now, even though the plant was safely out of reach. Shade didn't seem to matter so long as the color was that of the cloth.
"Of course...Raw emeralds are pretty hard to come by and pretty pricey to boot, so that'd be something to consider if you wanted to go that particular route."
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:21 pm
Relief visibly washed over Claire's features at the news of other raw materials having souls. It was news in the first place that such things as rocks and metals had souls, and still hard to really believe given years of science classes, but if it worked within the rules of the Lab and she did not have to watch an animal die, then she was all for it. The tidbit in regards to the cloth filter on top of the bottle was also a relief, and she nodded as Zeke quipped about the raw emeralds. For the first time in the tense minutes that passed, Claire laughed lightly.
"Yeah I would like to bet that that would be a little harder to do, but I'm glad there are more options. More than glad, honestly." She sighed and placed the bottle back into its snug spot in the suitcase. The rain that had been threatening all afternoon made its first announcement with a chill gust of wind blowing in through the open window, and Claire hopped up and crossed the room to shut it. The clouds outside were stirring with a light summer rainstorm. Making her way back to her seat, she tucked her skirt beneath her and observed both bottle and vial again, before settling her gaze once again on Zeke and Anya. "Given the other options you've presented.. I'm still on board. Much relieved and on board." She smiled in her relief. "I think I will probably look into some green minerals or rocks.. probably nothing as ritzy as emeralds or anything," she added with a wave of her hand. "Perhaps some plants too..." She drifted off momentarily in her own musings; the Raevans she had spoken more than a few words to could be counted on one hand, and all had animal souls. How would a rock- or plant-based Raevan look?
Steering the conversation back around, Claire turned her attention back to the two in front of her. "Is there anything else I need to do or know?" Now that she had been invited, all that was left to do was follow through, finish getting the information she needed, and begin the project. Her eyes dropped to the mug before Anya, and she smiled gently at the spider Raevan. "Your mug has gone cold, may I get you some more hot water?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 1:21 pm
"Well I'm glad I could provide them for you." He winked at her, about to say more when that chilly gust from outside hit him, making the vet shiver. As Claire went to the window, his attention turned to his Frei, knowing full well what sudden chills did to her. "You okay?"
Zeke's body had acted as a buffer and so Anya did not get hit with the gust as fully as her Guardian did. The sudden decrease in temperature in the room was unavoidable, however. The Frei shivered and pulled her cup closer to her, soaking in the last bits of heat before the water and ceramic mug were spent. When Zeke questioned her, she nodded.
"I'm fine." She had been in worse situations and this was hardly something that would make her sick. Once the windows were closed by Claire, the room would surely warm back up. "My water is cold though."
"I'm sure Claire would be okay with refilling it for you if you ask, Anya."
Zeke smiled kindly. Anastacia shook her head. That would be asking too much and being a bother, certainly.
"It's fine I'm---"
Claire spoke directly to her as though she had heard what Zeke had just said. The Frei would have blanched if it were possible. Instead, she shook her head again - albeit a little harder than before - and set her mug down, pushing it away from the coffee table's edge into the center.
"I'm fine, thank you. The one cup was more than enough." Not entirely true. Heat was more a snack than anything and a single cup of hot water would last only an hour, two if she was lucky. Anya wasn't sure about her luck; the rain would cool things off outside and that would only shorten the heat's sustenance within her once she and Zeke left. She looked to her Guardian, his attention now back on the blonde woman. If she asked him, he would take her to the vet's office after they were done here. But that would be being a bother too, wouldn't it?
"I'm glad to hear that," Zeke looked every bit as pleased as his words sounded when Claire stated she was still interested in being a part of the project. "You have no idea how excited I was to see your name on that paperwork!"
She had made a very good impression on Zeke indeed. When Claire asked if there was anything else, Zeke nodded and tapped the open file he had laid out before her.
"I'm gonna have to have you read and sign these." He tapped three spots in particular where her name would go. "Legal mumbo jumbo you know. Just that you understand what you're undertaking, that you understand what's required of you, that sorta thing."
Zeke finally took his seat again. No need for showmanship when it came to signing documents.
"While you do that, feel free to ask any questions you have! If there's anything you want to know or feel you need to know, just fire away. I'll answer as best I can."
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