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 Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:38 pm
Caution: Fragile
WHO: Cesc (Atmadja), Duncan, and Aina (Rookeries)
WHEN: Mid October, 2014
WHERE: Durem Historical Museum.
WEATHER: It's chilly and gloomy; an average autumn day in Durem.
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 3:53 pm
Duncan had finally had an opportunity to show Aina to Durem Historical Museum, the place he disappeared to at odd parts of the week. Since Aina's birth, he had precious few moments to spend with Aina alone, but his supervisor had given him his blessings to bring the Frei over for small visit with the staff during work hours. And, while admission was free, a tour was not, and though it was offered as a gift, Duncan declined. Aina, as it were, was not keen on paying attention to anyone for too long.
The halls of the Durem Historical Museum were long and winding, its ceilings glass and high-reaching. There was a cornucopia of art to admire, and despite her quiet, Aina was intent on studying and admiring every piece, curious blue eyes intent on seeing everything. Then, as they reached the very foot of the museum, Aina tugged at the bottom of Duncan's sleeve.
"Hungry," she said.
"Oh, goodness," Duncan murmured.
Duncan wasn't used to Aina's feeding habits, and, as it were, had left her lunchbox at the staff lounge, in the front of the museum. And, while Duncan knzw the Durem Historical Museum was no Smithsonian, no Metropolitan Museum of Art, he also understood that this was going to be a long and arduous trip back indeed.
He held Aina's hand very tightly, so as not to lose her, and begun their journey.
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 6:00 pm
On the opposite side of the museum, Rhedefre stood with his wings neatly folded against his back, his gaze on a pamphlet in his hands. He was hovering beside a collection of ancient coins and pottery, his eyes ticking from the paper to the artifacts.
He was far from Vermillion's home base in Gambino and waiting for the evening. He'd been sent out to deliver -- really, babysit -- a cake that was ordered by the most particular bride he (and Vivi, and Shepard) had ever met. On her orders, Cesc delivered the cake some hours early for the wedding, and was now on retainer to stay in the area throughout the wedding, lest any cake-emergencies occur.
Being in Durem used to mean an extended visit with Michel and Jamie.
Cesc's jaw tightened.
Ah, well. Those days passed. And this way, he was expanding his mind, anyway.
The coins in this case range in date from 68 - 72 A.D. Note the wheat stamp and lettering, most visible in the coin in the top right corner...
Cesc tilted forward, trying to get a better look.
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:58 pm
While travelling back to the front of the museum didn't take as long as Duncan predicted, Aina herself motivated to carry on faster with her looming hunger, the true fussing began at the home stretch. As they neared the exhibit Cesc was in, Aina hardly paid any mind to the fellow Raevan nearby as she slowed to a snail's pace. And, though Duncan caught a glimpse of glowing pink at the corner of his eye, his attention was returned to the small Frei with a tug of his sleeve.
"Duncan," she whined-- she rubbed at her eyes as she hung her head. "I don't wanna move..." The Frei had already grown so accustomed to being carried wherever she went, in due part because of Mordekai, but Duncan rarely held so much endurance. Still, Duncan looked down at the Frei with a gentle frown.
"Oh, Aina," Duncan gently knelt down and wrapped his arms around the Frei, and carefully, he lifted her up. She was always surprisingly more heavy than she looked, and Duncan gave a huff as he rested the Frei's back carefully around his arm, so as not to touch her wings. "We're almost there. You'll get to eat soon."
Aina quieted as she rested her head against Duncan's shoulders-- that was enough to tide her over, for now, and the knotting feeling in her gut began to ease.
And, calmly, strangely, the coins Cesc was observing glinted as they lifted just slightly in the glass stand. Though other passersby gave pause at the peculiarity, they simply wrote it off as a trick of the eye and continued on.
Then, timidly, they continued to float upward.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:18 am
Cesc was looking intently at his pamphlet when the shuddering motion from the coins caused him to glance upward. His eyes were already beginning to travel back down when his brain caught up with the situation and snapped his gaze back upward in alarm. The contents of the display case were floating.
Stunned, the stag jutted his head forward, toward the case, his hands shooting out but hovering over the glass (don't touch don't touch don't touch!). His ears perked forward. FLOATING. Floating coins?!
He looked upward, searching for some kind of air vent that might have gone awry and began to suction, but there was nothing of the sort. Besides, the coins didn't seem to be traveling toward something so much as just... being... suspended in the air. Rhedefre eyed the ~2,000 year old pottery in the back of the case. He didn't know what he was meant to do. What if the jugs began to float?! They survived nearly 2,000 years of history to fall victim to -- er -- to...
...to...
...... Cesc's brain gave him no finish to that sentence. He turned his head, trying to find a docent, a guard, something -- and his eyes fell upon something else slightly out-of-place. Was that a Raevan?
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Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 3:33 pm
A quiet day at a quiet little museum of no stunning importance meant neither docent nor guard was near to see what the Sigel had. The guard stationed at the threshold of the hall they were in was instead busy greeting what few bodies passed him, including the tired little Raevan and her guardian. In fact, amidst the chaos, the guard merely caught Rhedefre staring his way and offered a cordial nod.
If Aina didn't call attention to herself to Cesc already, she whined again, clinging to the fabric on Duncan's shoulders. "Duncan, hungry," she reassured, as if her guardian had forgotten; in an effort to reassure her, Duncan gave her a small pat on her back.
"Be brave, little one," he urged. He paused in his steps to readjust his hold on the Frei, bouncing her ever so slightly as he did. And, just like before, he noticed the glint of pink at the corner of his eye and glanced up. He brightened.
"Oh-- hello! Your name is Rhedefre, yes?"
And, just like Cesc had feared, the pottery began pulling away from its stands, tilting just slightly as it loomed toward the air; slowly, the world around the stag was becoming ajar. Unlike the idle guard, however, Duncan seemed to notice, his expression falling into immediate discern.
"...The pots..."
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 10:23 pm
It was like a scene from a movie.
Or maybe it wasn't.
At least, it wasn't a movie Cesc had seen -- but the scene was too strange for the stag to feel like it was real life. He stared. It WAS a Raevan, one so small and childlike, who was now being hefted up like a sleepy toddler, on the shoulder of a man Rhedefre recognized. And then he came toward him.
And then he spoke, even. Spoke while the 2,000 year old pots slowly fluttered off of terra firma. Cesc didn't answer. He gaped, somewhat undignified in expression, a pamphlet in his hands and his brows lifted high on his forehead.
Finally, Duncan seemed to realize the gravity -- no, not the gravity, the not-gravity -- of the situation. Cesc looked at the Raevan, then back at the pots.
He managed about half a sentence: "What on --"
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:11 pm
The pots were lifting so slowly at first, Duncan could do more than stand there, mouth agape as precious artifacts - ones he’d talked to curators about as they slaved precious hours away restoring them - began ascending into mid-air. He snapped back to reality only when he heard the soft giggling of the pomegranate Frei in his hands, the newborn girl reaching toward the displays so far away in absolute delight. When she saw the makings of another Raevan nearby, though, Aina brightened and reached forward, and the pots began moving upward with more speed.
This was absolutely, positively her doing - and when he realized the wear was fading from her eyes and her rune was pulsing with bright, pink light, he knew he had to move quickly.
”I’m so sorry, this is quite the first meeting,” he began - the museum guards posted nearby began to hesitantly reach for their radios as they lingered into the hallway, staring skeptically at the pottery.”I believe Aina’s more than eager to meet you, Rhedefre, ah -”
As the more confined artifacts reached the top of its casing, it crumbled ever-so-quietly into delicate, fragile pieces, and Duncan stared with horror. Aina, meanwhile, spoke out, whining softly, ”Mister Raevan…! Duncan, a Mister Raevan’s here…!”
”If you could take her for a moment,” Duncan held her out to Cesc and quickly reached for his phone; he paced out the hallway, ”And follow me - I’m afraid she’d like to meet your acquaintance?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 11:28 pm
Cesc hovered with uncertainty between following Duncan and staring at the pots, he lifted one hand to point at them with his mouth agape, but then his focus was drawn toward the little Raevan. Up close, he was struck by her. He'd never seen a childlike Frei before, and immediately his mind was overwhelmed by it. Her skin was so soft and smooth, like ivory, her eyes wide and bright and sweet. Precious was the word that came to his mind quite suddenly, and even though the entire pottery collection of this museum wing was under attack by her, Cesc felt a strange tugging at his heartstrings to just... let her do it.
"Oh, ah--" he fumbled, unable to help himself from smiling at being called 'a Mister Raevan.' He held out his arms and gently took the child Frei, his heart softening. "Of course--Little Miss Aina, is it okay if I take you for a little bit?" he checked, starting after Duncan. Maybe if they left, the pots would slowly return to their original states?
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 6:50 pm
Aina’s rune and surrounding light returned to its usual soft blue while Duncan handed the Frei to Cesc. While only a month old, AIna could grasp at what Cesc was saying, and she nodded with absolute certainty - she nuzzled against Cesc’s shoulder once they were in contact, humming happily. Her wings fluttering, she leaned back to stare up at the stag, wide eyes taking in his features - with a happy giggle, she tapped her antlers, rustling its leaves and fruit, then reached out to touch his. When she noticed his ears were different from hers, too, she paused to gasp and cupped her own, full of wonder.
Duncan was quick in ushering the stag through the museum, and behind them were sounds of controlled and quietly confused chaos - the sounds of radios flickering with static as guards inquired on some protocol from their superiors. Duncan glanced back as they made decent headway on leaving the museum wing, and the sight was not pretty - Aina’s hunger was raising the artifacts they were trailing past above the air.
Aina, unaware, tugged at Cesc’s sleeve - ”Mister Raevan?” she began, tapping below her own ears, ”Diff’rent?”
And, from where the chaos had begun, Duncan heard a pot crash, and his eyes widened - he paused in his walking as soon as he could, and with a sharp turn of his heel, began returning to the ceramics as he heard the sounds of crashing continue. ”Oh, no, this is no good,” he murmured, hastily dialing some numbers into his phone then pressing it against his ear, hoping that someone would answer quickly.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 7:04 pm
There was a strange moment of mental disconnect, where Rhedefre was entirely of two minds. With a child on his shoulder, reaching up to explore his antlers and his ears, speaking to him with such innocent curiosity, he wanted nothing more than to stop, to sit somewhere, and to listen to her. She needed, demanded, and deserved his full and complete attention.
On the other hand.
There were some pots. Old pots. Pots that were old as balls. And they were starting to crash from the little Raevan's power.
What resulted was an odd scene. Cesc turned with the small Frei in his arms, casting about for what was--crash--being done with the --crunch--pots. The only thing he saw was alarmed people talking into their walkie-talkies about: "Sir, are vents on too high?" and "I'm not sure what is going on with gravity--"
Cesc whirled on his axis, away from Duncan and his wings opened and tilted, sending him dashing back the other direction. He shifted Aina's weight so that one of his hands was free, and he tried not to jostle her too much as his speed picked up. At the same time, in a gentle and soothing sort of voice, he spoke with the Frei in his arms.
"I am a-- little different-- yeah!" he said, and despite his tone, the effort made his words come out jerkily. He flew past one display, and he waved his hand in the air in an almost 'hurry up!' motion, and suddenly, beneath the floating pottery was a box. A transparent cube of light, holding the old-a** jar up where it was.
Uh.
It... it worked? Sometimes good enough was good enough, Cesc thought, going down the line, his boxes becoming more and more misshapen and unattractive as he tried to save as many displays as possible.
"I really like your antlers, though! he gasped as he went, pausing at each display for only a handful of seconds. "I've neverever seen any--like yours actually--when we get to the, ah--place, you can see my ears if you want to--"
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:27 am
“When will they arrive?” was the first sentence Duncan could comprehend from a passing museum guard, in all his panic. The reply was muffled, but he did not expect the time for any true help to arrive at the museum to be a pretty one - the Durem Historical Museum was loved but horribly understaffed, especially on a slow day like this one, and a majority of the staff at the premises were not privy to more than the most basic of magical abilities. If only Duncan was more than an avid scholar of such practices, he could be of more use during this - but then again, he hardly knew anything of the power that Raevans had, let alone his newborn’s.
There were no seconds to lament over the possible solutions, but just as Duncan turned to explain the situation to Rhedefre, he took a shocked step back while witnessing something miraculous. Cesc, with his wings extended, rushed past him back to their previous wing in a speed Duncan knew he could never match, but he began pacing in his direction as quickly as he could muster.
The pomegranate was nothing but elated as Cesc dashed through the museum, clinging to his shirt as a peal of laughter escaped her. She was unaware of the situation at hand, yes, but when Cesc encased an article of delicate pottery in a glowing box, the shock through Aina’s system at such a sight caused the other items to float at even faster of a speed. With a whine, she tugged at Cesc’s sleeves, calling attention to the boxes by pointing at them.
”Look!” she piped up, pointing to the boxes; she was interested in his antlers and ears before, yes, but this shiny new magic was, to her, yet another thing that made him so amazing. ”I can do too?” she asked, motioning her hands in the air as he had, focusing her will onto the ceramics; her gesturing was more sporadic than the stag’s, just a few movements away from her practically flailing in his arms.
Unfortunately, her magic did the opposite of save. While other artifacts continued to float in the air, saved by Cesc, the ones he had yet to reach began plummeting down, seemingly heavier than lead and crashing to the ground. It was not at all what Aina wanted, and she shook her head.
”No!” she motioned to wave her hands up again, focused on some other objects. Duncan, in the far distance, paused in his horror.
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 6:45 pm
"OhmyGOD," gasped Cesc, his voice pinching and ragged with effort, his eyes wide as he saw the pots further down the line crashing downward. Aina was flailing about like a cat who'd decided they were finished being held, and he could only just amend his statement to include: "That's amazing! You're amazing!" in fear of hurting the little one's feelings.
Also, it was amazing.
There was barely enough time for him to dart forward, sending his free arm forward in a throwing motion, spilling a line of golden light through each of the remaining displays. It was akin to just shoving a board underneath whatever was falling--neither elegant nor totally efficient, and some things had fallen past the line before he'd managed to reach them. There was a loud crack with the motion, and for a moment, there was a splintering darkness in each of the displays, before the light regenerated itself.
He hovered there, stunned, eyes wide, waiting for something else to happen--the ceiling to crash down, or the lightbulbs to pop. Rhedefre looked down at Aina with an expression of wonder. "Where..." His tone was breathless. "Where did you learn to do that?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 12:01 pm
Despite the unending doom Duncan felt rattling his bones, Cesc’s help with saving the artifacts - though already so many were lost - allowed him some time to think of any wholesome and quick solutions to their problem. First, he thought of evacuating the premises entirely, but Duncan had no way to measure how much chaos Aina would unleash upon the city plaza, and there was no ceiling to keep anything grounded. His second thought, however, was a gambit but doable enough - Aina’s lunchbox was still sitting in his office, and her tantrum had begun when she was too hungry to bear.
If only they could quench her hunger, but Duncan knew his office was near the complete opposite side of the museum. It could mean potentially losing so many of their artifacts in so many wings, but Duncan saw no other way, and perhaps Cesc was quick enough and their fortune high enough. Duncan ran as quickly as his body allowed him to the Sigel.
“Rhedefre!” Duncan called out, as soon as the two Raevans were in earshot. “Over near the entrance - just down this very hall! If you recall the map, near the paper and prints collection, my office is just next to it - her lunchbox is there - I believe Aina is doing this because she’s hungry!” He made every effort to enunciate, then he gave pause to catch his breath, his hands at his knees. He glanced up and stepped to the side when some gravely confused patrons began glancing toward the more affected wings, though the guards began quickly ushering the gathering crowd away.
Aina understood the words Duncan was saying, but not all in one string, and she continued clapping toward what she considered the stag’s very great performance. Fortunately, Cesc’s question seemed to give her magic some pause, and she pouted curiously up at him, eyes wide. She drew her hands together, wings fluttering curiously, her rune thrumming calmly in a dull blue glow. “I learn?” Aina asked, nodding and looking back toward Cesc’s trails and boxes of light, not quite grasping his question. Yes, she very much hoped to learn how to make these with him!
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:09 pm
Bewildered and somewhat exhausted by the magic he'd just managed to expel, Cesc tried his hardest to focus on what Duncan was saying. Already there were some docents and guards hustling to the various display cases, and Cesc was already quite disposed to get the hell out of dodge when Duncan suggested it. His wings came alive and he was more than pleased Duncan had given him the exact location on the map.
If there was anything Cesc was good at, it was his recall of maps.
"Alright!" was what the Sigel had to say about that, and he didn't wait for the poor out-of-breath man before his wings came alive and propelled him rather quickly down the corridor and towards his office. He didn't stop to wait at any point, not wanting to see if any paintings or photographs were going to flutter off of the walls, figuring that distance (hopefully) dulled the young Frei's abilities.
"You want to learn more? But your magic is so cool already..." Cesc said to Aina as he went, smiling down at her. "Say, are you hungry? Is it time for us to have a snack?"
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