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 Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 1:35 am
Who: Ian and Zeke
When: September 19th, 2015; around 2pm
Where: Lab 305
Weather: Clear skies and warm
He had been surprised to receive the phone call from Ian, one of the two Guardians who had been sent his Fel Essence and Soul Glass not but one month ago. Zeke had been chipper on the phone, greeted the other man's self-identification with the same warmth he would use with his oldest and closest friends, and asked what he could do for him this fine day.
Lo and behold, Ian had caught a soul. Surprising but wonderful news, surely, although the cause for celebration was punctuated by nervousness from the newest Lab member as he expressed his concerns about returning the Essence and Soul via the carrier service. Zeke, although he could more than praise their service for their speed and care of the packages they handled, was more than happy to suggest Ian come to the Lab to drop his pair off in person. It had been a while since such a thing had happened and why not? He had gotten most of his work out of the way already, setting the second half of his shift up to be a boring one indeed.
"Hey no sweat, " he had said, "I'm here till seven today so stop by whenever you can!"
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 1:32 pm
A few days after meeting with Henry and Ethiriel, Ian had finally made his decision. He felt ready, his guilt and sadness overpowered by the excitement of the Raevan's eventual arrival. However, he soon encountered another problem. The letter he'd received with the briefcase had said that he could use their courier service, that it would go straight back to the Lab, but... That didn't feel right. Not that he doubted their competency at all, it was just something Ian felt he needed to do himself. He wanted to be there to see Antheia off, just as he would be there to welcome the Raevan she would help create.
He he'd called Zeke, doing his best to explain his silly thought process about the situation. The man seemed perfectly happy to accommodate him, but Ian still had his reservations. Perhaps that was just nerves in general. This was a big step, after all.
Later that day after giving control of the shop over to Bethany for the day, Ian made his way over to Gambino. It wasn't that long of a drive, but it was certainly long enough for his anxiety to stew and make him even more unsure about the whole thing. His brain told him that everything would be fine, but his heart wasn't convinced in the slightest. What if he'd done something wrong? What if he was going to do something wrong?
No. He couldn't focus on that. He had to focus on now, on turning in the briefcase and saying goodbye. He pushed open the door to the Lab with a quiet sigh, trying to steel himself for what might be a difficult task. But... wait, where was Zeke? Should he text him? Should he peek into the closed-off hallway? He finally settled on sending a quick text just to let Zeke know he was here.
To: Zeke Farris
From: Ian Flynn
Hi Zeke, I'm here!
No rush, I'll just be in the main room.
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:05 pm
Zeke had taken to passing the brief time between Ian's phone call and now by tidying up his office. Although he kept it as impeccable as one could, he was allowed to nitpick and rearrange as a way to pass the time. At any rate it beat pacing about the lobby as he usually did and he had to admit that his photos of Anya and Brad looked quite nice on the opposite side of his desk. He was just about to start on the bookcase that had come with the room when his phone chimed. Zeke set the rag he had been using to dust things down and scooped up the iPhone, reading the text that had just come in. When he saw the message and just who sent it, he grinned.
The vet's office had two doors - one that led to the hallway and that could be considered the 'main' entrance and a second that opened into the lobby itself, right into the secretary's area. Supposing Ian would expect him from the former, Zeke naturally opted to use the latter.
"You're right on time!" The chosen door flew open with a loud bang as the knob hit the door stopper on the wall. Zeke darted out with every bit of eagerness that had been displaced onto cleaning; a whirlwind of color from the top of his head to the toes of his shoes. When he spotted Ian he bounded from behind the desk he usually awaited people at to clear the space between them and stick out his right hand.
"Nice to finally meet you in person, Ian!"
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Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:00 am
To say that Ian was startled by Zeke's sudden appearance would be a bit of an understatement. Not only did he nearly jump a foot off the floor when the door was thrown open so violently, but he watched Zeke with a mixture of confusion and silent alarm on his face. The man was very clearly much more energetic than himself, and certainly more eccentric in general. Wild, unnaturally colored hair topped off a pierced and primped billboard of a man that practically screamed, "Look at me!" But something about Zeke's warm, bright smile put Ian at ease despite his mild heart attack.
He gingerly extended his own arm to shake Zeke's hand, chuckling softly. "You as well. Sorry if I'm interrupting any work," he murmured. Though Zeke had seemed perfectly willing to accommodate him in their messages, he was still worried that his visit might be an inconvenience. "I know there's a courier service, but um... I just couldn't bring myself to use it. I suppose I'm a worrywart that way." He adjusted his hand around the handle of the briefcase with another somewhat nervous laugh and swallowed thickly. With the nature of Antheia's passing and his soul capture, it didn't feel right to just send the case off with some stranger and hope it made it where she was supposed to go. Perhaps some part of him, also, wanted a last goodbye before Antheia became something -- someone else.
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Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 1:10 pm
Zeke's shake was firm and friendly but professionally brief. When he let go of Ian's hand the vet waved his own as if wafting the other's words about interrupting away.
"Not at all! Couldn't have come at a better time actually; I've taken care of all the paperwork I need to and my afternoon is free for anything and everything!" With his bombastic introduction out of the way Zeke let himself look over the nerve-wracked man before him. Ian was a hair taller than Zeke (if one discounted the man's two-color mohawk that is), freckled and green eyed under brown hair. He had a nice face, if not one marred with worry. Zeke hoped that he could have the man more relaxed and happy by the end of their appointment today.
"Not a bad thing! If anything, it gets your Raevan on the road to being born all the quicker!" Zeke beamed and gestured to the desk behind him. Two chairs were set in front for visitors while Zeke's own behind had swiveled crookedly to the side when he passed by it moments ago. "Please, take a seat and make yourself at home! Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:26 am
Zeke's reassurance put him somewhat at ease, but the anxiety of what he was about to do remained firmly coiled in his gut. Ian doubted it would ease at all until at least a few days from now, but it would likely only be replaced by the anticipation of his Raevan's arrival. He hoped he wouldn't develop an ulcer or something.
"Well, I'm glad I'm not being an inconvenience." Ian smiled and followed him over toward the desk with a soft sigh of apprehension. As he settled into the chair, he let the briefcase rest on its flat side and managed to remove his hand from its handle. Previously it had felt glued to the sturdy plastic, and his palm felt cold now without anything to curl around. He curled his hands into loose fists in his lap, taking a breath. "Oh um, no, I'm okay. Thank you, though."
"So, you probably know this already, but um... I had the cherry blossom essence. Parasitic, I think it was?" He reached to gently open the briefcase and reveal the pink branch still tightly sealed in its jar, along with the soul glass next to it. Inside the glass swirled a bit of smoke, colored vibrant green like its decorative cloth. "The soul is Anth-- I mean, um... a nymph." His chest tightened slightly when he almost said her name aloud. It was a tricky thing; was this swirling ball of a soul still Antheia? He supposed so, but it felt even harder to give her away if that were true.
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:53 am
"Never worry about being an inconvenience! You're a Guardian now; that makes us family!"
When Ian walked over to the desk to take his seat Zeke followed suit, shimmying between the desk and wall in order to do so. He remained standing until the other man gave his reply about a beverage to which the vet nodded and parked his rear in his seat. Ian may have been nervous but to Zeke it also seemed as though he was eager underneath all that, judging by the way he went right into revealing the biggest curiosity in the room.
"Oh wow!" Zeke remembered the Essence well thanks to having packed it himself so his eyes went immediately to the Soul Glass and lingered on the green swirl within it. Right thereafter the vet felt the all too familiar itch to handle the bulbous orb and he was not one who could easily resist temptation. Gently he took it up and turned it in hand, beaming across the table at the man who should have been doing the same right along with him, but wasn't. "A nymph? That's really neat! And with the Essence you have, they'll be beautiful for sure!"
He hadn't missed the way Ian caught himself before saying a name, but decided asking about it wouldn't be very polite right now. Instead, Zeke set the Soul Glass now and gestured to the manila folder he had kept out and to the side.
"Do you happen to have the paperwork we sent along with your Essence and the Soul Glass? I need to look it over and sign it but while I do that I'm more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have going forward from here!"
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:14 am
Zeke's surprise at his soul choice (though it hadn't exactly been a conscious choice) brought a smile to Ian's anxious face. The tightness in his neck seemed ease, and his shoulders dropped somewhat. He supposed he was relieved that he hadn't messed anything up. To be honest, he hadn't even thought about whether Antheia's soul would be green in the moment it happened; it was lucky it had been.
"Oh, I'm certain they would be regardless, but... I do hope Antheia can create a wonderful Raevan." His smile softened a bit and he didn't stop himself from saying her name this time. He had no doubt she would, but something in him wanted to do right by her, even if he had no control over it.
He appeared startled out of his thoughts when Zeke spoke again, mentioning paperwork this time. Yes, right, um..." He patted his chest and pockets down slightly in thought, then remembered he'd stashed it in the pocket of the briefcase. He reached for it with a sheepish laugh; surely he couldn't have kept it on him directly. He handed the folder to Zeke with a soft sigh. Um... I suppose my first concern, really, is... I mean, do Raevans generally react positively to their guardians? Adjustment is expected of course but..." he sort of trailed off. Truthfully, he was worried about being a "father." Would the Raevan see him as an authority figure? Some random stranger? He doubted his parenting skills considerably.
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:18 pm
Zeke took the paperwork as it was handed over and immediately got to work reading it over, checking for any missing signatures or dates, and signing where he needed to as a Lab official. Of course as one does, he paused in his work to look at Ian when the other man took him up on his offer of questions asking.
"From what I've seen that's a definite yes." He nodded as he spoke and his right hand moved along with the words. "There's always a little bit of awkwardness at first, but it only lasts for a few days. You have to get used to them, they have to get used to you, their new home, the world at large, that sort of thing. Some Guardians see themselves as a parent to their Raevan, others might say that their relationship is familial but not on a parent-child level while one or two might say they see their Raevan as more a student or a roommate, even. Every pairing is different and if you were to ask I'm sure you'd get a different answer from each and every one!" He gestured to himself with his pen-filled left hand and his expression softened. "As for me, I see my Raevan as my daughter. We've definitely had our bumps in the road, but no matter what she's a part of my family and I love her with all my heart. It's been that way for me ever since the moment I was asked to be a Guardian."
He let his words fade there for a moment, signing the last page of the first set of papers and tucking them into the folder he had made with Ian's name on it. It had been six-ish years now since Alex had asked him out for coffee and posed a series of very puzzling questions that had culminated with her asking him to be a Guardian for an enigmatic Frei who had not even had a soul paired with her Essence yet. Cut to now and that Frei was a blossoming young woman whom he felt he was on a better footing with now than he ever had been before. Funny how time changed things like that.
"It's okay to be nervous. We've all been where you're sitting now." Again he looked up from the paperwork he was proofing and signing to smile at Ian. "Just know that no matter what happens or who comes out of the tank, you're not alone in raising them. If you need help or advice or anything of the sort, you've got thirty plus people and an equal amount of Raevans just a phone call away who are more than happy to lend a hand or an ear."
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 1:28 pm
Ian nodded with interest as Zeke spoke about Guardian-Raevan relationships. He supposed it made sense for them to be varied; Raevans were not literally their Guardians' children, after all. Depending on the personality of the Raevan, and how they view their Guardian, the relationship would be different. He noticed the softness in Zeke's face as he spoke of his own Raevan, and hoped for something like that. He knew not to expect anything specific, but something like a child would be nice. But if they ended up on a sibling-like basis, he would be happy with that, as well. Anything, really, so long as his Raevan didn't dislike him. Ever since he'd even applied to become a Guardian, he'd felt a paternal connection to even the mere idea of being trusted with a Raevan. And now that the process was underway - truly, with his essence and soul ready to be combined - he was more excited and anxious than ever.
"That makes sense. I feel... I feel like this is what a parent must feel like before a baby is born." He laughed, pushing a hand through his curls. "Preparing for a baby is easier, I assume. You know what you'll need down to specific things. A crib, clothes, formula... Raevans are so different. They don't eat normal food. How are you supposed to know what they need?" He asked, but it was more hypothetical than anything. He knew that it would be something they would have to figure out together. The prospect of his Raevan starving in the process, however... Perhaps he would get lucky and it would be something easy to find. Or perhaps even the Raevan would just tell him outright.
He took a breath when Zeke mentioned the contact list. "Of course. I'm sure I'll at least be calling you a couple of times." He let out another laugh. "Hopefully people won't get tired of me." He glanced at the paperwork that Zeke was nearly done filling out. "And now it's just a waiting game, right? I mean, there's nothing else for me to do?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:59 pm
Zeke grinned at Ian's words about feeling like a parent before a baby is born.
"That's exactly what I felt like the moment I got the news about becoming a Guardian. In a sense, there kind of is a baby on the way and the excitement grows the closer they are to being born." At the mention of food he gestured to the Essence sitting placidly in its jar. "Food isn't usually too much of a mystery. A Raevan feeds off of things pertaining to their Essence. For example: My Raevan Anastacia has an Essence called Self-Replicating Virus. Because of that, she feeds off of illness." And the irony that Anya healed others when the Essence she had been born from had wrecked so much havoc was not lost on him. "Another Guardian named Anita, her Raevan Cruz has an Essence called Forceful Mistletoe. He feeds off of kisses."
That should be enough for Ian to catch on. Then again, looking at the Essence he had and knowing what it could do...Perhaps they would feed on the prettier half of their Essence. Flowers, cherry blossoms in particular, that sort of thing. Otherwise Ian was possibly destined for an exhausting charge, literally.
He finished signing the second set and like the first tucked them into Ian's file. He would enter the necessary details after the other man was gone so for now he stashed his pen in with the rest of its brethren and focused once more on the other.
"Call me whenever you like! Text, email...if you need something or have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to drop me a line." When Ian laughed, Zeke did as well. For him laughter was akin to yawning - once one person started, he was quick to follow suit. Plus it was just nice to see from the previously nervous man. It seemed he was getting more and more comfortable with the idea that his Raevan was going to be underway. "That's right! Nothing more needed on your end until your boy or girl is born. Well...at least involving this building. You'll want to prepare for their arrival - set a room aside, buy the necessary amenities, that sort of thing. Unlike a human Raevans don't gestate on a set time frame. It's entirely possible your kiddo could be here a month from now!"
Possible, but perhaps a little on the unlikely side. All the same it wasn't outside that particular realm and Ian would be better off getting ready sooner rather than later. As he said that, a light bulb went off in Zeke's head. Of course Ian would have gotten a text about it later if he hadn't reminded himself just now about it.
"Although I'm happy to play Twenty Questions if you have anything more you want or need to know! Actually...lemme ask you something first. Would you like me to keep you informed on your Frei's development? I can text you any new info about their growth and even send you some pictures too if you'd like!"
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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 10:42 pm
Ian's brows raised when Zeke mentioned both his own Raevan and Cruz. "Oh, right, I know Cruz. I didn't know that was his essence, but that relationship makes sense." He nodded, filing that bit of information away for the future. He was still a bit worried about finding exactly what his Raevan would feed on, but knowing that it was related to their essence helped enough for now.
The topic of preparing for the Raevan to come home pulled a long sigh out of the florist. He smiled a little, but looked a bit anxious about the whole thing again. "Of course. Luckily Caroline, my sister, is already thinking of moving in with a few friends... That takes care of the bedroom problem." He took another breath and laughed softly. "To think that they could be here in a month - that's so soon!" He raked a hand through his curls again and his smile grew into a grin. He had a hard time keeping his excitement hidden at this point.
"Oh really? That... That would be great, actually. Thanks!" His mind instantly raced with possibilities, but he had a hard time finding them specifically. He could see how certain Raevans - Cruz, for example - came from their souls, but the specifics of what influenced what still eluded him. His own Raevan would likely be very flowery, given both the essence and soul, but what else? He had to focus on Zeke for now, or he'd be silent for quite some time just thinking of all the possible results.
He glanced toward the clock and smiled, standing up out of his chair. "Well, I don't want to keep you too long. This was just a quick drop-off appointment, after all. Thanks again for taking the time to meet with me." He offered his hand to Zeke again, but much less stiffly this time. Reassured by the man's excitement and niceness, Ian found himself relatively at ease about this whole situation. He was still anxious about what was to come, and wondered how long it would take for his Frei to arrive, but having a plan made it easier to handle.
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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 8:00 pm
"Well just keep in mind it's only a possibility. On average Raevans seem to take a few months before they're born." It would be surprising if Ian's boy or girl was born within that scant time frame, but again, not outside the realm of possibility.
When the other man agreed with his offer of keeping him posted, Zeke grinned and gave him two thumbs up.
"I already have your number saved in my phone and you of course have mine on the contact sheet you were given with your Soul Glass and Essence. I promise I'll try not to text you about every tiny thing but sometimes I get excited." It came with the territory.
"Not a problem!" When Ian stood Zeke followed suit and took the hand that was offered to him. When they released hands he gestured to the door before stepping out from his desk to walk the previously nervous man to the door. "I'm glad to have been a help! It was nice to meet you before your boy or girl is born, Ian. I'm sure we'll be in contact again real soon!"
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