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 Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2016 4:04 pm
█║ WHO: Anastacia, Brad, Zeke, Zul
█║ WHEN: After the agreement to see the new place. (BACKLOG, GO!)
█║ WHERE: The new Farris-Lee home.
█║ WEATHER: Dismally hot, but temperate inside.
The dark SUV pulled up beyond the closed gates, the foliage that somewhat hid the house from view, but once up on that cobbled path, there was nothing to hide.
It was, upon first sight, large. Not that it was hard to do - Zeke had his place, Brad's had been a single floor loft and Alex's houses had only ever been two or three rooms and this one was five with almost as many bathrooms, brand new and modern. The colors were earthy and warm, windows just about everywhere, set more with wooden tones than anything else. It was two stories high, but a tall two stories, already boasting high ceilings without ever even having to step inside.
Brad got out of the vehicle and looked up, the faint smile on his lips telling of some small pride, but the tightness around his eyes speaking more so of concern. He had two very important individuals to impress, after all. Closing the door, he smoothed his shirt and stepped back to open Anastacia's door, turning his gaze to her and Zeke once the vet also got out of the vehicle. Swinging the keys to the place on his finger, hand stretched towards Zeke, he commented, "I'm going to hold on to saying 'welcome home,' I don't want to jinx it, but...welcome to my work for the past few months." He smiled then, still a touch tentative, but watching now - preparing to take the lead if they wanted it but mostly letting them do as they pleased. Their decision to make, their pace to explore.
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:05 am
She couldn't stop the little tremble of trepidation as the SUV came to a stop. From the front passenger seat, Zeke gave an audible gasp of delight which served well to send a jolt of adrenaline up her spine and make her shiver despite the high temperatures outside. Had she a stomach, it might have even done a flip or two.
"Are you serious?!"
Brad had not said anything to elicit such a question (especially one all but squealed as it was) and Anya looked at him with a moment of puzzlement which was returned by several brief showings of the vet's exuberant smile as he turned his attention between her, the man at his side, and the building that they had all piled into the car to come see. He barked a short laugh and as soon as the SUV was parked he was, naturally, out the door lickity-split.
Anastacia stayed put, hands folded together with her fingers laced tight, at least until Brad opened the door for her.
"Thank you," was spoken softly as she exited her seat and took to her usual height in the air. She looked toward the home Brad had promised was mostly ready for them, which was mercifully clear to her eyes thanks to the closeness of their parking. It was a good thing it was - to see it without having to near it further was a blessing as it served to awe the Frei appropriately. Her purple eyes widened, her crown expanded, and even her wings were held in a certain way that just seemed to define the word 'stunned'. The Widow had lived in the city long enough to have seen buildings far, far bigger than this one but the fact that this place could be her new home was what made it seem larger than anything she had ever seen before.
Brad spoke then and it jogged her out of her stupor in time to see her Guardian lock hands with the other man and stand on tiptoe to peck him on the cheek. Zeke was Zeke, all bright eyes and restrained (but clearly straining) energy, but she could see the nervousness in the big Italian that seemed to be holding on from their conversation earlier. So she wasn't alone in that feeling now that they were here. It was rather comforting in some odd, not fully understood sort of way.
"Thank you for bringing us!" Anya saw Zeke squeeze Brad's hand and rub his thumb over the architect's. "So are you gonna be our tour guide or are you gonna let us roam?" The way he said it made it sound like either option would be a-okay with him, but as soon as he said it he was turning his smile on her again, albeit it for longer than just a few seconds this time. "What do you say, Anya? Would you like Brad to show us around or would you rather explore it on your own?"
She hadn't expected to be put on the spot so suddenly and thus Anya faltered. It was just a moment, enough time to flick between both men's faces and that of the house, but it was a noticeable pause all the same. She opened her mouth to speak and lost her words with her gaze on the front door but found them again when she pulled away and shyly met Brad's dark eyes with her own light ones.
"Well...If you still want to be the guide, Brad, I would like a tour." He had said he would give her one. "I think I would get lost if I went in by myself."
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:40 am
A gentle kiss was pressed to Zeke's cheek in return, offering the man a fond smile. "I'd be a prize a** if I offered a home and didn't actually bring you to it," he joked lightly, taking the hand that held his and tucking it around behind his back, holding it against his opposite side with his free hand. "I can do either. You're free to run wild if you choose," Brad looked at his beloved with that statement, a glint in his eye before he shifted his gaze to Anya, "or I can give a mediated tour with limited babbling. I promise."
The Italian laughed softly under his breath, inclining his head to the Raevan. "Absolutely. It would be my pleasure. Will you join us or will I need to find you later?" His off-colored eyes turned to Zeke, a smile forming easily in the face of the man's excitement, the hand holding the vet's against his side squeezing gently.Ravina Loki hello i'm a wanker and i love you
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:07 pm
Zeke gave Brad a certain look at his words, the kind Anya could tell said something to the older man that was wholly between the two of them. Personal, private, and presumably funny given the way the vet's brow was lofted - his eyes all but glittering - and the soft peal of laughter that came following the gently pressed movement of his hand to the architect's opposite side. Brad was squeezed fondly from there, Zeke nestling quite happily into his place at his side.
"Those are dangerous words and you know it," he commented with a playful lilt, looking back to the condo again. Anya followed his gaze for the briefest of moments, quickly brought back to present company at Brad's words.
"Thank you." She bobbed her head at his agreement then looked to her other Guardian as he was questioned. Zeke had the look of a man who was stuck, perhaps between the age old 'rock and a hard place'. Clearly he was weighing his options but being as fired up as he was she was surprised that he actually came to a timely decision.
"I thiiiink I'll let you two go on ahead. I'm sure Anya has a lot of questions only you can answer and "limited babbling" really isn't within my ability at the moment." Talking with his hands, Zeke looked between the pair and then nodded himself. "Yeah that sounds good. I'll be around and who knows, maybe I'll find a thing or two to surprise you guys with!"
The Widow cocked her head at him, rather surprised by that. She started to say something, but before she could get the first syllable out Zeke had pecked his loved one on the cheek again and had zipped off like a shot. It seemed he was making good on the whole 'letting them go on ahead' thing - instead of entering the building proper he let himself into the backyard via the gate nearby. One click of said gate later and he was very much quite scarce.
"I don't know how you do it," the words came out with a slow shake of her head but otherwise without a stop, at least until she realized she had spoken them. Reflexively she straightened and froze there, looking at the big Italian out of the corner of her eyes as if waiting for something...well she wasn't quite sure just what. Quiet and a little awed as her words were they could be considered rather the faux pas, she knew that much. Anya let a moment go before then clearing her throat.
"Sh-Shall we? Ah...You can babble if you want to, limited or not. I'll listen." She turned to face him, hands clasped in front of her as though the student to this man's teacher. When it came to this place, this 'could be home', she did want to know everything about it. Who better than to give such information than the man behind the building himself? No one other or better than Brad.
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:24 pm
Oh, he knew. Brad managed a half grin at the look, but when Zeke folded against him, he comfortably squeezed him closer still. "I'm aware," was all he said to the accusation, thumb rubbing over the vet's arm. He, too, watched Zeke for an answer, and wasn't in the least bit surprised at the route that was picked. He was, in hindsight, surprised that he didn't take Anya with him, perhaps a tour 'later,' and turning to look at the Raevan, he suspected she was also somewhat taken aback. A kiss, and Zeke was gone before either of them could respond.
The words the widow spoke made his eyebrows shoot up in surprise - they got along, but that was candid - earning a round of soft laughter from the large man. "Love makes allowances," he responded simply, though it was mostly in jest. Zeke's energy was always something Brad marveled at, but that was harder to explain.
He offered her a smile, one-sided as it often was with him, but kind. "I'm not keen on babbling, it's one of my nervous habits." Brad rolled his broad shoulders in a shrug, offering his arm if she wanted it, otherwise gesturing with his other hand towards the house and starting towards it. "I very much want you to be happy, Ana." He was certain she gathered that much from their previous conversation, but some things were worth repeating out loud. Affirming someone's value in his life seemed more than worthwhile.
At the front door, he unlocked it and pushed it open, stepping in to hold it and allowing her to take a look at the foyer. There was no furniture, of course, and finishing touches still in progress, making it more spacious than it usually would be. Wood floors stretched in a seemingly endless directions, down the hallways to the left and right, opening to what looked like a living room straight ahead. "It's -- it's a lot of wood finish," Brad mused, looking from the flooring up to the high ceilings that were uncrowded, inset with their lights. "But if it's too cold in appearance, it's nothing a rug or runner can't warm up. I just thought -- with the kids and Nel, carpet may not be so welcome."
He cast an apologetic smile - oops, almost babbled - and shut the door behind her.
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Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:51 pm
"Love makes allowances," She supposed that was true. She had no experience with such things but Brad never seemed bothered by Zeke's endless supply of exuberance in all the time she had known him. Regardless, she had let the words slip and he had replied warmly in turn, which relaxed her enough to keep pace with him as he led the way to the front. She did not take his arm however, keeping just enough distance as was polite to her line of thinking.
"Is it? I couldn't tell." That came in light of their conversation before they had all set off to this place and for all her nerves and uncertainty, she still managed to say it rather lightly in spite of herself. Anya could not once recall a time where she had seen the Italian man ever be nervous before then. It had been strange to see. She had seen him laugh before to be sure and knew he could smile, but babbling as he had...Odd but oddly calming too. Certainly it had served to soften the image of man who so often came across as intimidating to others in her eyes.
"I know, Brad," she had gleaned that much from before as well, but even still, hearing him say it did make a bubble of something like warmth rise in her chest. It felt good, even if she had heard it before.
He pushed the door inward and let her pass through first. She felt the trepidation again but pushed it down as she had before, floating over the threshold and into the could-be home. It still smelled of fresh paint and there was a lot of light, allowing her to see what she could of the place all the better. She floated there awestruck as she took in what she could, her eyes going from the floor upwards to the ceiling that was just a wee bit out of her range. She could tell it was wood finishing though even without the architect's comment which upon being spoken made her turn to gape at him.
"No it's..." She paused, looking back at the uncluttered openness that was this foyer and the room it led into. "It's nice. It's...It's big."
She winced a little as she said it. Of course it was big. It was big on the outside and a place for a family of their size to live in it had to be big on the inside by default.
"I mean, it's open. I guess I figured it'd have all the furnishings already, somehow." She was able to backpedal that time and in doing so wheeled away from him just a little to get a better picture of the living room ahead and the hallways to her left and right. He commented about the lack of carpet and she nodded her head.
"That's for the best I think." Zeke's apartment had wood floors and tile in the bathroom, so she could scarcely imagine what havoc their pets would wreak upon carpet. Better to avoid such potential problems altogether and cut out the chance for them. "I'm sure Zeke will want a welcome mat though; he's like that."
He had one back at current-home just inside the front door. It even said 'Welcome!' on it. It was one of the things she hadn't really considered before, but it was something that - somehow - made that apartment feel like home to her. Maybe here, with a similar mat in a similar spot, this place could feel like that too.
"So...Where to, Brad?" No going back now. She had to see everything it had to offer and what's more she wanted to, too.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:42 am
He cast her a wry glance at her gentle teasing - or what he perceived to be as such - but let it pass, holding onto his small smile and clasping his hands behind his back. "It'll be homier once there's furniture, I know it can be a bit much when it's all open space." Brad watched Anya take in the sights, looking over the areas she was inspecting and finding some measure of peace that she wasn't immediately dissatisfied. In his profession, he learned to read body language to appease customers but this one had minimal body and wouldn't give away more than she wanted to. He could, however, count on her to be honest.
"I'm sure he'll have his mat - perhaps many, if he wants to put them on the back entrance too." The idea of it was amusing and sounded like something his significant other would do. Chuckling, Brad motioned to the left. "There's two rooms here we can take a look at, and this way," he motioned to the right, "is storage closets and what should have been a formal dining room with a view outside but which will probably be some sort of rec room or work space." Weighing the two, he turned to the left, assuming Anya would want to see the rooms so that she might pick one for herself and another to work in. That was the deal, after all.
He showed her another closet and bathroom en route, pausing between two doors opposite each other in the hallway. Opening them both, he gestured to the left again. "This one has a nice view of the front area, doesn't get as much sun with the trees and we'll have the windows treated and allowed for coverage soon." Even though it wasn't a master bedroom, it was spacious, surrounded on most sides by windows. The right was also motioned to. "This one has less window coverage but also has a door out to the backyard. It's against the living area but the wood should absorb most noises." The room, a smidge smaller than the other, had windows only on its left side and the aforementioned door across from them. It had a few spaces that could accommodate built-ins, probably originally planned to be a secondary entrance or kid's playroom.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:24 pm
"I believe you," she regarded him quietly for a moment as he watched her, nodding just enough for the action to be seen. "But you're right...it is very much." Maybe if there had been furniture it would have felt the same, she considered. Furniture could fill the space but no amount of chairs or tables or what have you could mask the high ceilings or the length of the hallways on either side of her. And then again, if it was furnished, maybe she would have felt trapped by it, as if it were a done deal she wouldn't have had a chance to agree to. Open was stunning, but 'open' also meant freedom of choice in the end.
Anya let her wings drop an inch or so; she relaxed a little.
"He will, especially if you say he can." She let her shoulders fall to a normal position in saying that. Brad's soft laughter and the amusement in his tone at this light banter was a comfort. If he really was nervous, he really wasn't showing it to her eyes.
He told her what lay down each hall before turning to lead her to the down the first one. Brad had unwittingly guessed right in regards to his thoughts. Knowing the 'what could be' in store for those two rooms regarding herself, Anya kept close, peering politely into the closet and bathroom he paused at en route.
"Even the closets are big here." Even though Anya had her things and Zeke had his, she doubted their respective wardrobes combined would come close to filling the space Brad showed her then. Then again, she had to remind herself, the architect's own attire would be added into the mix as well. Perhaps they were just the right size.
"You really wanted a lot of light to be let in, huh?" He explained each room and she visited the two of them, floating into each in turn to look around. It was still strange to be in the middle of a room so empty; she almost felt as if she needed something to hold on to. In the first room she opted for one of the window sills, peering out over what she could see if the front yard. In the second it was the door, unlatching it to open while letting in a momentary gust of heat in the process. Only momentary; the show-and-tell was sure to take a turn to the backyard at some point and far be it from her to want to rush ahead or spoil anything Brad had planned for her tour.
"I like it; these rooms, I mean." She returned to him, hands clasped and gaze turned up toward his face. She spoke in that same quiet voice but her tone was mild and, perhaps, a little hopeful. "There's ah...potential here. I think that's the right word for it."
Anastacia frowned, but only just. The crease between her brows was one of concentration rather than frustration. She shook her head after a moment. Not exactly right in the end, but it would have to do. Ah well.
"Does the door in this one mean that it would be a sitting room? Or ah...What is it called...? Mud room?" Zeke's parents had one at their home; a small sunny room that was part of the house and yet somehow not - a place that served as an entrance to the backyard from the kitchen while also being a spot to store shoes, coats, and even a few of Nancy's smaller gardening tools.
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