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 Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 10:45 am
Who: Aina, Duncan, and Zeke
When: September 18th, 2014; 11am
Where: Duncan's House and the Lab
Weather: Sunny and cool
Zeke had been on his way into the Lab when the call came in. The vet had laughed rather loudly over the phone and rushed his spontaneously thought up plans to Alex before thanking her and hanging up. At the next light, he took a left instead of a right.
He was at Duncan's house in no time even when obeying the speed limit the entire way there, save for a few stolen instances of his Aston Martin going three or four MPH over. Zeke didn't turn off his car when he pulled up in front. In his mind, why bother? Besides that, the vet was too excited. He was out the door as soon as humanly possible, darting up the sidewalk and clearing the porch steps in one large stretch of his legs.
Duncan had a doorbell but Zeke either forgot about it in the time since he had last been here or just did not bother. He knocked on the door rapid fire, alternating between bouncing on his heels and his toes as he waited.
Please be home!
The older man's car was parked off to the side, but the first time Zeke had met Duncan, the guy had walked to the Lab. He could be out. Carpooling was still a thing, but the last thing the vet wanted to do was spend time trying to track Duncan down. Today was not the day for that!
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:48 pm
Fortunately for Zeke, Duncan was definitely home. A majority of the morning was spent tending to the garden, and the rest of the day was to be used organizing his syllabi for the classes he was to teach that coming Monday. He expected a day without company, which seemed like a fine enough ordeal.
It came, then, at a great surprise when someone knocked at the door. Was it a package? No, postmen usually rang, and he hadn't ordered anything for delivery. Duncan glanced with confusion at his bedroom door before rising, standing, and making his way toward the foyer.
His expression changed from calm befuddlement to complete surprise when he opened the door and found one Zeke Farris there, ever-so giddy, and with a new change in hair color, which made the man seem all the more brighter. Duncan offered a smile and upturned his brows.
"Ah-- Zeke, hello. Did we have something scheduled? I'm afraid I can't remember." If they had, Duncan certainly would've remembered, but there was a chance that his son had picked up a phone call when he couldn't. He glanced curiously upstairs before returning his attentions to Zeke, then stepped aside for the man to enter. "Please, come in."
It was only then that he noticed Zeke's car parked and still near the front. Was there some sense of urgency, or had the boy simply forgotten to turn his car off? Carefully, Duncan smiled and offered politely: "Ah-- I'm sorry, but it looks like your car is still running-- are you in a hurry?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 12:33 pm
The door opened and there stood Duncan. Surprise was on the older man's face, but Zeke didn't really register it at this point in time. Duncan spoke. He greeted Zeke, invited him inside - which prompted the vet to start to shake his head - but then the car was noticed with its idling engine. It was asked about.
Zeke leaned forward, bending at the middle just slightly. He gripped Duncan's shoulders firmly but not in any way that would hurt the old man. Caramel brown eyes bored into gray ones. Zeke tried to keep a serious face - lips pressed together, face a slab of metal pierced stone - but Zeke's face was more shale than granite and a smile threatened to break everything apart. The corners of his eyes crinkled, his lips quivered at the corners, and the muscles of his face worked to contain the inevitable.
"Duncan," the smile broke like the sun through the clouds, "she's here."
He squeezed the shoulders in his long-fingered grasp and out came the joyous laughter.
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Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:43 am
Duncan studied the look on Zeke's features. He grew more perplexed until he hit a revelation, and as Zeke's face lit, so did his-- his brows creased up as his expectations grew. When, at last, the younger man broke into a peal of infectious laughter, so too did Duncan, his smile more genuine than it had been in months.
"It can't be," he replied, voice breathless with marvel; he allowed himself to laugh again, then covered his mouth and looked behind him briefly-- he had to collect his things, and quick! "I-- I'll be just a moment-- the house keys," he stammered; he pulled gently back from Zeke's grip to hurry back upstairs, as quickly as he could.
He was down in less than a minute with what he needed; his keys were in one hand, his coat was wrapped around one arm, and he was adjusting a hat onto his head, all while pacing down the stair. His smile was the same as it had been when Zeke had revealed the news, and quickly, he gestured toward the door.
"After you, Mr. Farris!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:22 pm
"Go go go! No time to waste!"
Duncan made mention of house keys and the vet released him, bouncing on his toes as the other man disappeared within the house. The older man wasn't gone long and even before Duncan crossed the threshold again, Zeke was down the steps and on the walk, making grand gestures to his waiting vehicle. They were going to carpool for this.
"Buckle up Duncan!" Zeke popped the passenger side door open before slipping around the front of the Aston Martin Rapide and into the driver's seat. The light-colored interior of the car was plush, sleek, and clean but not without touches of its owner within. An iPod was hooked up to the stereo system and pumping music, which Zeke turned down only slightly as he pulled away from the curb.
"Sorry for not calling, but this couldn't wait!" A titter of laughter left the vet as he gently nudged the other man seated beside him with his elbow. "I was heading to the Lab myself when I got called and figured...Why the hell not?!"
---
A short drive later - made slow by speedlimits, which Zeke only skimmed over by a couple of MPH's - the Lab pulled into view. As he did with Duncan's house, Zeke ignored the obvious parking spots in order to pull up along the curb in front of the building, coming to a stop directly in front of the doors. The engine's rumbling came to a stop with a turn and subsequent removal of the key, but Zeke didn't stuff it in his pocket just yet. Instead he looked over to the man next to him with a luminous grin, waggling his brows and nodding at the doors that waited just beyond the one on Duncan's side of the car.
"You ready for this?" Zeke so was. Already he was planning how things would go down. Paperwork would wait for the end. As soon as they were through the doors he'd snag Duncan's file and whisk the man down the hallway to the door that the Pomegranate Frei waited behind. Traditions would be upheld, naturally, but every second sitting here was a second wasted when it came to meeting the lady Duncan had long been waiting for!
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:55 pm
Duncan was more than enthused to follow Zeke to his car, and he was enthused even moreso to leave it. He kept calm throughout the car ride, but he felt more energy surge through him than he had in months, maybe seasons. Duncan smiled as he pushed the car door open and shut it closed, then followed with shoulders straight behind Zeke as the veterinarian led him to the familiar building that was Lab 305. It had been six months since he'd seen it last.
He was caught off-guard in his own thoughts when Zeke addressed him-- he turned to the man with raised brows, but upon comprehending what he asked, Duncan smiled. "Of course," he responded, voice clear and almost triumphant. Duncan looked ahead toward the direction of the Raevan facilities. As they walked onward, he could scarcely contain a bout of relieved laughter.
"This has all been quite an adventure," he commented, straightening out his jacket.
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:59 pm
Zeke opened the door to the Lab and let Duncan pass through first, slipping past the older man in order to get to his desk. Alex, being the greatest sister ever and of which he would remind her later on, had left procured Duncan's file and laid it out on his desk with a Post-It stuck to the front bearing a room number. Zeke scooped it up, tucked it beneath his arm, and threw his free one over the other's shoulders as he neared the desk.
"Duncan," he said merrily, giving the older man a firm squeeze to his side and steering him toward the door at the back of the lobby. "The adventure is just beginning!"
The vet barked a laugh - he knew how cliche that sounded, but ******** if he cared because it was true! - before releasing Duncan in time to pull the next door open. As before Zeke let his guest pass through the entryway first but quickly fell into step next to him once he crossed the threshold as well.
"So before we get to her room, lemme fill you in on a little tradition we have here at the Lab." Zeke waggled his pierced brows, his step bouncy but no less calm despite being in the Lab itself. "The tradition is...The Guardian sees their Raevan first. So what I'm gonna do is knock on her door so she knows we're here, count to three, and open the door. Once its wide enough for you to get in, you take the lead, mon ami. Sound good?"
As he questioned the professor, Zeke took a two-step lead, stopped, and pivoted on his toes to face Duncan. They had arrived at their destination - a door that did not stand out from the hall of others lining this and the opposite side. A shiny metal number 3 had been tacked upon its face some years back, but other than that it was hardly different from its fellows. Even as he stood there, Zeke continued to bounce.
"Ready?" His voice was a tease - playful and harmless - and brimming with excitement. He gave Duncan a wink to go along with the tone his word took on, reached out, and rapped upon the door's face. The sound in the otherwise quite hallway was echoed, reverberating off the walls until it died somewhere down one of the ends.
"One," Zeke began, breathing the word rather than openly speaking it.
"Two," He let his hand fall from the area where he had laid his fist, dropping it so it rested on the handle before he encircled his digits around it.
"Three." The handle went down and the latch clicked as it retreated inside the door, which was promptly pushed inward with a surprisingly slow lean from Zeke. As it started its arc, the raver swaggered back out of view of the interior of the room, grinning from ear to ear. "After you." He held his arm out so his hand gestured toward the room. "Go ahead and say 'hello' to your girl!"
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 4:47 pm
Though the sudden physical contact was a bit disorienting, Duncan laughed awkwardly and saw it in himself to appreciate the gesture anyway. He walked as briskly as he always inside of the heart of Lab 305, his heart welling with anticipation the clearer he could see the doors up ahead. He was amused by Zeke's response, but said nothing-- it was becoming rather difficult to say much at all, now.
What could he even say to the newborn?
They stopped walking. Zeke let him go, and Duncan found himself looking between the vet and the placard on the door. He nodded firmly along as Zeke explained the tradition. His smile was muted, but it was present.
"Ready?" Duncan nodded.
"One." Duncan's smile was fading into a frown-- one of anxiousness, uncertainty.
"Two." Anxiety be damned-- Duncan took off his hat and held it with both hands. He straightened his back some.
"Three." He cleared his throat and raised his head, just a bit, as the light from Room 3 peered through to him. Though he didn't need Zeke's instruction to go in, he glanced back just briefly before walking in. He suddenly became aware of how still and quiet it all was.
He gripped his hat tightly. In the room was a Frei who looked no older than a child, frowning, blue eyes staring straight at him. The Frei remained quiet, her wings fluttering just slightly as she floated back against the seat she was on.
Duncan upturned his brows, remaining quiet. He chose to remain very, very still. He did, however, smile.
And she smiled just a little back.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:49 pm
Duncan stepped into the room and Zeke held back, simply gesturing when the older man passed one last look to him before taking his plunge. He would have waited in his spot longer had there been...anything, really. A 'hello' from either party, a soft noise from Duncan, movement from the Raevan just out of sight. There was no such thing from any category and it caused the vet a little worry. Slowly he stepped from his spot to the side, pressing a hand against the door frame as he peered into the room and over Duncan's shoulder in the process.
His gaze rested upon the Frei floating there and his grin was instantaneous. He stepped into the room proper, once more clasping Duncan on the shoulder as he fell in line beside him.
"Hey there," he said to the little female as he gave her Guardian a squeeze in hopes it would kickstart the old man into action. "Welcome to the world, miss!"
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Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 3:12 pm
Duncan startled slightly as Zeke broke the silence, the veterinarian's careful hand on his shoulder. He was glad that Zeke's greeting to the girl came so easily, and as Zeke approached the Frei with enthuse, Duncan lifted his glasses off and carefully wiped his eyes with his sleeve. How ridiculous he felt, tearing up within the Raevan's first few moments of life.
The Lab had given his family another little girl to cherish. Despite his silence, he could not have been happier. "Hello, little one," he called out, not shortly after Zeke.
The newborn Frei looked at them for a moment, initially irresponsible; hesitant, even, as she curled further inward against the chair while staring at the two. Being new to the world was tiring and not at all comfortable, after all, but she shyly chanced a greeting at them in turn. She glanced down toward the floor, recalling what Zeke had just said with a quiet, careful little voice.
"Welcome to the world, miss," she repeated. She glanced up at them both for affirmation. "Hello, little one..."
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:19 pm
The hand Zeke pressed to Duncan's shoulder was quickly drawn back and instead allowed to loop around the older man's shoulders, pulling him into the vet's side for a fond squeeze. He didn't miss how the other man wiped his eyes beneath his glasses and was not deaf to the emotion to be found in Duncan's words.
When the Frei parroted their words back at them, the vet had to laugh. Oh yes, she was definitely a newborn.
"Go ahead; I don't think she'll bite." He spoke softly, eyes on the Raevan. Releasing her Guardian, the vet extended his hand to him but now spoke once more to the Frei. "This is Duncan. He's going to be taking care of you!"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:53 pm
Duncan was appreciative of Zeke's support, but his eyes and the newborn's were both still locked on one another's. Though they spoke in words the Frei couldn't quite understand, the saccharine of Zeke's tone and the warmth of Duncan's expression allowed her to feel more at ease.
When Zeke let go of Duncan's shoulder, Duncan glanced back at the vet before taking a few more careful steps toward the Frei, so as not to scare her. "Yes, I'm going to be taking care of you," he extended his arm out toward the girl; he smiled, "We're going to take you home."
The Frei hesitated, but after a moment of scrutiny, she reached for Duncan's hand, her cold fingers wrapping around her palm. "Home," she repeated, smiling at the warmth tickling her hand; she nodded, "Home."
Duncan grinned. "Yes, in just a little bit," he looked back at Zeke, "I believe there's some paperwork we're to complete?"
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 11:09 am
The corners of the vet's eyes crinkled when the newborn finally smiled. From the tips of her horn-like branches to the end curl of her ribbon, she was a cutie. Even more so when she smiled, it seemed.
He let the two of them interact, hanging back until the new Guardian spoke a question only he could answer. Zeke pulled the file out from under his arm and nodded.
"That's right!" He laid the file out on a desk near him. Opening it wide, he procured the right documents from a file filled with ones Duncan had previously put his name to and pulled a pen from his pocket. He did not immediately slide both things toward the older man and instead held the tip of the pen over a line.
"First thing's first though; she needs a name!"
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:24 pm
While Aina's grip on his hand was a gentle one, she still refused to let go as Duncan moved closer to Zeke to look over the paperwork. Once he finished reading the documents, he glanced up at the veterinarian and offered to to take the pen and contracts-- ah, a name. Both Mordekai and he had thought many days and nights over the subject, for both a daughter and a son. Thankfully, they had reached some form of consensus over both.
Duncan nodded firmly. "Aina Sabine," he smiled down at the Frei, who was glancing up at the ceiling absentmindedly, "I believe that will be her name."
Aina blinked and looked up at Duncan, offering a dozey smile, her rune pulsing with a gentle light. "Mm...?"
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 9:37 am
"Aina Sabine," He slowly said each name in turn as he wrote it down on the proper line. "That's really pretty!"
He beamed at Duncan and turned the gaze over to the newly named girl. Aina had been staring up at the ceiling but now she was smiling softly at her Guardian, which only served to warm Zeke to his toes.
"Okay so I'm going to have you sign here, here, and there with the date on this line at the end here." He used the pen to point out each spot in turn after he turned the whole file toward Duncan. "The legalese pretty much comes to 'these are your obligations as a Guardian and what can be expected of you in the years to come'." That was in the most general and easiest way of putting it.
Letting Duncan get to that, Zeke once more turned his attention to Aina, smiling as sweetly as could be.
"Are you excited to go home, Aina? Won't be long now!"
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