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 Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 10:43 am
Who: Cesc, Phoenix, Zoe
Where: Vermillion Bakery
When: around 11:45 a.m., early January
Weather: Autumn chill, overcast skies, piles of leaves on the sidewalks
---
It was the new year, and Cesc felt fresh and rejuvinated. He couldn't quite say why, but the air was crisp and clean, snow was on the sidewalks, and he felt light in his heart. The New Year's Eve party had (mostly) gone splendidly, and everyone coming into the bakery seemed full of new cheer and resolution.
And in any case, Rhedefre was happy to be rid of the millions of holiday and winter decorations that Vermillion had had. Now, the bakery felt clean and clear, back to its usual tidy, pretty looks. He had the sense of clutter being cleared, the holiday orders all done and gone, and many specialty items now off the menu. Cesc arranged some fresh eclairs in the display case beside tiny gingerbread men and women, smiling and then sliding the case shut, taking in a deep breath of the heavenly sweet-spice aroma of the brewing hot cocoa behind him.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 6:24 pm
It was the smell that alerted Zoe to the little bakery. She and her dad and been walking to their car, which had been intentionally parked down the street so that they could enjoy walking past all the shops together. But now the small child stopped abruptly, her fingers slipping out of Phoenix's hand. "Can we go in?"
Phoenix had barely turned around to ask why she'd stopped, and at her request glanced up at the bakery. He made a short grunt as he thought to himself. He knew that if Zoe dragged him in, he'd have a hard time getting himself back out. Anywhere that made and sold their own food was like a trap to Phoenix that he couldn't escape. But he smiled, tousled Zoe's curly white locks despite her protests, and said, "Sure. But only one for each of us, okay?"
"I'm not hungry enough for two," Zoe said as she skipped ahead, leading to way to the door.
"It's not you I'm worried about," he mumbled, chuckling to himself, though Zoe was well out of ear shot. She had already pulled open the door -- with some difficulty-- and was standing just inside, gawking at the decor. Phoenix was greeted by a stronger burst of the delicious smells that had carried outside. He paused too, glancing over everything the room had to offer.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 6:41 pm
What the shop had to offer was its own cheerful circus-themed interior, the cream-colored countertops a balance for the faded red-and-cream striped walls. The neat chalk menu behind the displays listed breads and prices, and small baskets displayed those self-same breads: baguette, german rye, seven-grain, brioche... There was a small ice cream counter to the far left, the flavors strange-- New Year's Eve (champagne sorbet, gold leaf, grape), Snowball (sweet cream, coconut, caramel), Late Night (dark chocolate, hazelnut, sugar crunch), Fresh Start (Tahitian vanilla, sprinkles, salted caramel). Inside the display cases were macarons, gingerbread people, red velvet whoopie pies, marshmallow-topped malted cookies, small arts and eclairs.
And behind the counter, dressed in a blue and black raglan tee rolled to his elbows, a black apron, and wearing two-day's worth of stubble, was what was unmistakably a Sigel. Cesc smiled warmly at the door as he saw the pair enter and called out his greeting.
"Happy New Year!" he said. 'Welcome to Vermillion."
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:41 pm
Zoe noticed him first. In fact, Zoe had been openly staring at Cesc for a full fifteen seconds before the ever-observant Phoenix finally glanced up from the decor and delicious looking treats to see who had spoken. He had expected simply a friendly-faced employee, so his lips formed an 'O' when he came face to face with a young man with antlers.
"Woah." Before Phoenix could respond to the Sigel's greeting, Zoe let her awe be known. She marched straight up to the counter, looking up at Cesc with both wonder and a hint of something else, something like criticism almost.
"Happy New Year to you, too!" Phoenix cried enthusiastically, putting a large hand on Zoe's shoulder and smiling from ear to ear. "This is a lovely bakery," he added, his attention wavering back and forth from the food to the stag.
"I'm Zoe," the small child said suddenly, extending her hand upward to shake while her expression turned quite serious.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 7:46 pm
Rhedefre was used to his share of attention when people first came through the door. He was also used to answering a lot of questions: are those real, are you wearing a headband, can I touch your ears, and later, what happened to your legs and how do you float? He was wholly unembarrassed by Zoe's scrutiny, and he swiveled his ears toward her as she came forward, grinning down at her.
"Hi, Zoe," said the stag in his low, warm voice. With his Castilian accent, the letter 'z' was not in Cesc's power to make--it was substituted by a soft 'th' in his pronunciation, instead. He leaned down and took her hand, shaking it gently in his. "I'm Rhedefre. You can call me Cesc, if you want. I like your hair!"
He turned his golden eyes up at Phoenix then, and offered: "If you need any help deciding, just let me know, ah?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:34 pm
"Cesc," Zoe repeated back at him, trying out the name on her tongue. Seeming satisfied with this, she returned both of her hands to her coat pockets. She appeared to have completely forgotten about buying a treat. She looked up at her dad with a smug expression. "Now I don't feel bad."
Phoenix burst out in a hearty laugh. Just days ago he had been given the news that his application to the Lab had been chosen. The man who had delivered the news had brought company in the form of Anya. When he'd told Zoe the news that night, once her excitement had subsided enough for her to register the rest of the story, Zoe had voiced her discontent at Phoenix having met a Raevan before her. It was her idea, after all.
"Did you thank him for the compliment?" Phoenix said finally when he'd stopped laughing. He passed Cesc a 'you know how kids are' look, smiling.
Zoe paused for a moment, thinking, then turned back to Cesc. "Thank you," she said, studying him again. "I like your hair, too. And your ears."
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2016 10:11 pm
With a smile, Cesc inclined his head at Zoe, charmed. What, he thought, a precocious and sweet child. He was lost at their conversation, but it was no matter--kids very rarely clued in everyone around them before speaking, and it was less cryptic than some of the things he'd heard around the bakery. He waited until Phoenix finished laughing and then waggled his ears at Zoe.
"Ah, merci, merci. Did you feel bad? We have a few treats that usually help get rid of that, if you still need it," he said. "If you want to tell me your favorite flavors, I can help you out." He looked up at Phoenix, his expression good-humored. "That extends to your father as well!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:35 am
Zoe laughed at the ear waggle and seemed exceptionally pleased at the offer of a little assistance in picking out a treat. Truth be told, at this point she couldn't care much less about a snack, and more wanted a reason to keep talking to the stag. She promptly listed her favorite flavors as being chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry.
"She doesn't usually do this," Phoenix mused out loud, crossing his arms and looking down at Zoe. The girl looked up at him, blinking seriously. He laughed. "You must really like him, huh?"
Zoe shrugged. It was true, and they were both painfully aware of it. If she chose to speak to people, she spoke too much and mostly it was criticism or some topic that other kids her age didn't usually take to. Otherwise she kept quiet. It pleased Phoenix greatly that she was speaking so kindly with someone, even if it was just for the few minutes they were in the bakery.
Zoe turned back to face Cesc, rocking back and forth from her toes to her heels. "He likes dark chocolate," she said with a look of mild distaste. "And caramel."
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:12 pm
As she told him her preferences, Cesc set about looking for some possibilities, moving from his station behind the counter to the display case. Chocolate, white chocolate or raspberry, hmm...
"Doesn't usually do what?" inquired the stag with a smile, flicking his gaze up over the case at Phoenix. His smile grew as he opened the case and the child shrugged, amused at her forthrightness and lack of self-consciousness. She was a special thing, wasn't she?
"Well, if I have found some favor, I'd very much like to keep it," said the stag, pulling away from the case with a cookie and a tart resting on paper in his hands. "I have here for you two choices, mademoiselle, you may tell me which one strikes your fancy, if either. The first one is a chocolate and white-chocolate chip cookie with a little bit of sea salt--I think, if you want, that I have a little raspberry sauce in the back from a something else. I can dip it in there, and you can have all three! Or, here, I have a little chocolate-raspberry tart." He showed her the confection, a small chocolate tart with a chocolate crust and creamy filling, and ten raspberries neatly lined along the top. "This would give you fresher fruit, but no white chocolate, I am afraid."
As she decided, he turned his attention to Phoenix. "Dark chocolate and caramel is easy. Would you prefer ice cream, cocoa, or a confection? We have to narrow this down somehow."
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:32 am
The small child's lips pursed as she looked over the two treats, weighing her two options carefully. She wasn't like a lot of other kids. A lot of the kids in her class fussed over sweets and probably would have asked for both. Zoe didn't care for sugar any more than she did other types of food. In fact, either treat would probably be nibbled at over the next couple of days to savor it. She, like Phoenix, liked food in general, especially pretty food.
Zoe looked up at Phoenix after some time of consideration. "Can I have the tart?" When Phoenix nodded his approval, Zoe turned back to Cesc decisively. "The tart, please," she confirmed.
"A cocoa will be fine, please," Phoenix added, before addressing the Raevan's prior question. "She's not usually this friendly and open." Zoe was wandering now, politely browsing the rest of the small bakery, already in her own little world. He chuckled at her. "Maybe she's projecting her excitement. She's going to have a brother or sister like you soon."
Phoenix was beaming by this point. He looked as though he had been stopping to tell anyone he could the news, which wasn't that far from the truth. Most of the regulars at Ambrosia probably knew by now, and it hadn't even been two weeks since he himself had found out. But he was making sure to let everyone who would listen know, short of stopping strangers on the street.
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 9:30 pm
"I must say, I feel quite special, in that case--and this is a dark chocolate cocoa for you and a tart for mademoiselle," confirmed Cesc as he turned toward the display case to fetch the tart. In the next moment, though, as he processed Phoenix's words, he straightened quite suddenly, his expression brightening into a smile.
"Wait--" he said, half-laughing. "Truly like me, do you mean? A Raevan?"
He looked over at Zoe, ears upright, his smile genuine. "This is definitely cause for celebration!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 9:04 am
Phoenix nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "We just got the news," he said, feeling the excitement bubble over again.
Zoe, surprisingly, frowned. "Yeah, and I wasn't there when Dad found out," she said sternly, giving Phoenix a look. Truthfully she wasn't that upset, but she had voiced her displeasure at having been asleep at home when the news was delivered.
"But it's okay, because I'm going too when he goes to the Lab." Zoe looked proud then. While her dad fished in his pocket for his wallet, she continued. "Dad said Raevans eat different than we do. What do you eat, Cesc?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:04 pm
Cesc grinned as he listened to the exchange. Siblings! He'd never really thought of young siblings to Raevans--how familial so many other Raevan relationships seemed to be. When it came right down to it, he didn't consider Vivi or Shepard to be his siblings or parents; family, certainly, but a strange, stitched-together family of choice rather than anything else. But if he had had a young daughter in the house like this, if someone had been a father...
"You'll be there for all the other important moments," said Cesc soothingly to Zoe as he rung up the two, adding a discount as he did so. Lab family and all that. "And we do eat differently. I didn't eat much of anything that you consider food until I got a stomach. Most of the time, I get a lot of my nourishment from the dawn." He leaned forward on the counter, looking down at her. His eyes were bright, warm. "That's what I'm made of, you know--dawn."
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 12:21 pm
Zoe's mouth slowly opened into an expression of awe as Cesc explained. She understood that Raevans were not made of the same things that she or her dad were, that much she knew. But it was still beyond the small child's comprehension how someone could literally be made of the dawn. Even at her young age though, she found it beautiful, and she warmed a bit at the idea.
Phoenix himself was just as intrigued by the concept, though maybe not as shocked. He had met Anya once before, and had that night been introduced to the fact that Raevans all "ate" different things. Secretly he was glad to hear that Cesc got his nourishment from something so pleasant.
"Honey Bear," he said then, pocketing his change and passing the fair-haired child her tart. He smiled at her, then looked back at Cesc. "It was wonderful meeting you, Cesc. We'd love to stop in again and say hello, if that's okay! But we really should be getting out of your hair."
Followed by a sad sigh, Zoe's lips pushed into a small pout. She wouldn't argue, but she was certainly sad to have to go so soon. But she was quick to wipe the frown away and jumped to her tip toes to reach over the counter to shake Cesc's hand again. "And thank you for the food!" She added, looking back up at her dad as if to remind him.
Phoenix laughed heartily. "Yes, thank you for the wonderful service. I can't wait to drink this," he said, nodding his head to the cocoa in his hand.
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 11:57 am
Cesc straightened with a smile, a little disappointed that the charming duo would leave so soon--but then again, they had a lot to explore, and, he was sure, a lot to discuss as well. He waved at Zoe: "It was a pleasure to meet you!" and then looked up at Phoenix, nodding.
"Come back in any time," he said. "And our number is on the Lab contact list--feel free to call if you ever need anything, any advice or to talk with us about anything. We're happy to help! And welcome to the family."
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