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 Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:26 pm
Who: Ian, Eden, Cesc & Co.
Where: Vermillion Bakery
When: Early afternoon
Weather: Sunny, but with a definite winter chill in the air.
-----
Cars were certainly something strange, and Eden was completely baffled by how they worked. She'd ridden in one a few times now since she went home with Ian, of course, but... it was still a very unsettling experience. She was sitting still, yet moving very fast at the same time. Ian had done his best to explain, but there was no way he could completely understand why she was feeling. Eden leaned her head against the window and staring out through the glass, bright green gaze fixed on the passing scenery. At this angle it almost looked like she was flying along the street. Ian had shown her how the window buttons worked (and impressed upon her not to open the door or unlock it while they were moving); she carefully tapped the button and flinched a bit when wind hit her face. She closed her eyes and let her mind immerse itself in the fantasy. She'd flown by now of course, but never this fast. She wondered if she even could...
"Where are we going?" Those big round eyes locked on Ian and the florist balked, chuckling a little. He was still getting used to her somewhat direct, demanding tone. He figured he would let her get used to existing for a bit first before he tried to teach her more subtle manners. Eden, however, was being demanding on purpose. Though Ian had told her they were going on a trip, he had been too distracted earlier to completely answer her questions.
"We're going to visit a friend. He's a Raevan, like you. I think you'll really like him," he chimed. He really hoped so, at least. Cesc was the first Raevan he had really conversed with at length, and Ian considered him a good friend. What's more, he was the only other pink Raevan he could remember seeing or hearing about; surely Eden would like to meet him! "They're really close to the beach; maybe we can go there afterward."
Bold pink brows lifted slightly. "The beach? You mean with sand and water? But it's so cold out," she huffed, her nose wrinkling as she crossed her arms. Her ribbon coiled tightly as she sat in the passenger seat, rune glowing brightly against the tan leather. She'd chosen a simple, oversize cropped t-shirt today, pushed off one shoulder. There were different flowers scattered throughout her hair and wound around her head in a crown, along with a sprinkling of tiny white blooms along her bare shoulder. The fact that they were both different kinds and in different places than when he had first seen her, and compared to yesterday, still fascinated Ian.
Soon enough they were pulling into the parking lot in front of Vermillion Bakery. Ian had successfully quieted most of Eden's fervent questioning with a book, one he'd bought to help teach her to read. To be honest they were terribly easy now, their simple sentences making her want to fall asleep instead of keep reading. She'd taken to tossing them aside and browsing through the various magazines that Caroline had left for her instead; those had prettier pictures.
After helping her out of the car, Ian pushed open the door to the bakery and took a breath. A bakery? Bake... She knew people baked cookies and cakes, but why did they need a separate building for that? The soft jingle of a bell on the door drew Eden's attention and she brushed her fingers over the metal and the ribbon attached. But it wasn't long before the vibrant, beautiful pastries in the display cases drew her attention. She drifted over quickly, hovering low to the ground to get up close to the glass. "What are these?" The normally demanding tone to her voice was gone, replaced by one of pure curiosity. These were nothing like the cakes and cookies she'd seen on tv, or the ones in her picture books. These were much prettier, frosted with all sorts of colors and decorations. Ian could see a smile reflected in the shiny glass, and watched as Eden's moth-like wings fluttered against her back.
"Eden, don't touch the glass okay? You'll leave fingerprints." His warning was successful but only half-hearted, and he didn't have time to answer her question before he caught sight of a familiar face behind the counter. "Hello, Vivi!" He rubbed his palms against his pants; why was he so nervous?
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 8:16 pm
The bakery had just emptied after its post-lunch dessert rush, with a few stragglers still finishing up coffees and half-eaten pastries sitting at the bakery's few tables. Still, there was no line up to the counter, and when the bell jingled to herald the duo's arrival, Vivi looked up immediately.
She did not, however, speak immediately. As she recognized Ian, she opened her mouth to do so, but nothing came out. Her eyes widened, her smile widened, her palms met each other in a silent, reverent clap of joy.
What a pink wonder she was beholding. What a delightful pink child! What a rosy, pink beauty!
As the frei bent to look at the offerings in the display case--opera cake, mini-tartlets, various eclairs, two kinds of mousse, and the return of strawberry diamond pastries-- Vivi finally managed to find her voice again.
"Why, cheri, they are for the tasting," she said prettily, her smile warming. She then looked up at Ian, giving the distinct impression that had she had Rhedefre's powers, she might have been sparkling. "Ian." Her voice was breathless. Cynnybun Sorry for the delay! Hopefully RL will be cool soon.
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:27 pm
The moment he saw Vivi's reaction, Ian let out a stumbling chuckle and rubbed at his neck. A swell of pride and joy overtook him again for a moment, like it had been happening quite often since he'd brought Eden home, and he took a breath. He hung back a little but offered a smile, wondering how Eden would react to the woman.
Grass-green eyes snapped up to the source of the lilting voice and Eden straightened, plump lips stretching into a smile as well. "Vivi? That's a pretty name. You're so pretty!" She floated a bit closer but managed to keep her hands off of the glass like Ian had warned.
"Ah-" Ian cleared his throat, "Vivi, this is Eden." The florist stepped closer to the counter and practically glowed as he looked between the nymph and Vivi. He hadn't expected to be this nervous just introducing her to someone; then again, he was almost chronically nervous.
Meanwhile Eden was back to inspecting the baked goods inside the glass, her wings fluttering against her back as she hovered a bit lower. "Did you make all these? They look so good!" Then suddenly, she remembered something. "Wait- Ian said you had a raevan too?" A few tiny snowdrops bloomed in her hair as she spoke, brows raising in hopeful curiosity. She had yet to meet another raevan in person; Ian had only shown her a picture or two of ones he had met in the past.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:27 pm
Vivi seemed to blossom with the compliment, her smile warming and her dark eyes twinkling at Eden. "Ah, cheri, you are too kind!" she purred, tossing back her hair. "You are quite a captivating young beauty yourself, little bloom--more beautiful than all your flowers, even!" She turned her smile to Ian. "Eden? What a very fitting name."
She was halfway to explaining how the treats in the display case were made when Eden's line of questioning shifted. Immediately, she abandoned the professional responses, and she laughed with pleasure. "Oh, but yes," she said. "I do not have one, but one does live with me, he does. A moment, and I will bring him."
With a tittering laugh, Vivi glided away, calling out ahead of her: "Rhedefre~!" as she went.
There were a few moments of silence, then of murmured words in the back of the bakery, and then she came out again. Behind her was a tall, broad-shouldered Sigel, his appearance an immediate link between the Frei and himself. He was built broadly, certainly, and he looked a fair amount older than she--but he, too, was pink: the waves of his hair that crested over his forehead and toward his pink-stubbled jaw, his half-tangible wings that propelled him forward. It was a different pink, with more red than her sweet bubblegum, but pink nonetheless.
"Ian!" Rhedefre called. He wore a plain black apron and his heather grey tee was pushed up to his elbows, his hands and forearms still spotted with flour. He was wiping his hands--rough from work--on a towel, but as he realized that there was someone else in the bakery with his friend, he fell silent.
Of course, the first thing he noticed was her color. It was surprising how vibrant the color was--how living, how it popped to the eye. But a lifetime of seeing the color on himself made him even happier to see it on someone else. With all the Raevans he'd met, he'd never met another pink one, and it was strangely gladdening to see.
The second thing he noticed was her youth. Then her grace, the sweeping lines that made her, and the blooms that adorned her. A young Raevan, full of freshness and springtime. He smiled slowly, like honey falling.
"Wow, hello," he said, and his voice was warm.
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:19 pm
Eden hovered close to the counter as Vivi disappeared, eager to see this raevan that she was going to bring out. What would they be like? Ian had said he was his friend, so they had to have met before... She wondered if perhaps she had met this raevan before as well, while she was still separated into her essence and soul. She wouldn't remember, of course, but it was an interesting thought nonetheless.
Vivi returned shortly, looking just a bright and giddy as before - but she wasn't alone. What she noticed immediately about the man trailing behind her was that he was pink, too, and that brought a bright smile to her face. Her green eyes widened and a swath of rosy pink stargazer lilies bloomed along her crown, mimicking the color of his hair and wings. But those eyes, she'd never seen anything so golden and warm! This time she did lay her hands on the counter, her velvet wings flared wide and fluttering. In the coils of her ribbon her rune could be seen pulsing brightly.
The nymph's smile was bright and wide as she looked the other raevan over, noting that he had a lot more of a torso than she did - but no matter. "You're pink like me!" She glanced at Ian for verification, and the florist just chuckled. Somehow he'd known she would like Cesc immediately. Who didn't, though?
"My name's Eden, what's yours?" Her eyes darted this way and that as she took in his appearance, namely his wings and- antlers! Ears! Her own ears were pointed of course, but she had yet to see someone with an animal's ears! Her smile faltered just slightly in awe as she stared, then returned just as brightly as she moved her gaze back to his face. He looked slightly older than her, but not quite as old as Ian did. But they had a similar jawline, sprinkled with stubble. "You're so handsome," she mused aloud, apparently not embarrassed by her admission.
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 12:50 pm
Vivi had her hands gently clasped in anticipation, and she may have well blossomed herself from seeing the frei's reaction. For herself, she could not stop complimenting them both in turn: how lovely Rhedefre looked near another pink Raevan! How Eden's softness and springtime beauty complimented the stag's masculinity and he, her--they were complementary in feature but matching in color, and it was, oh! It was so, so very lovely.
Vivi only smiled at Eden's pronouncement, but Cesc let out a brief laugh of surprised, his ears perking and his eyebrows lifting.
"You're so beautiful," he said in return, his expression earnest. He had forgotten entirely to address Ian, so absorbed in meeting the nymph. "My name is Rhedefre--but you can call me Cesc, if that's a mouthful. Eden... that really does fit."
"Such is what I said!" laughed Vivi.
"Did you? Sorry to be unoriginal," Cesc's smile grew as he looked back over at the frei and he lifted his shoulders into a little shrug. "I guess it's just true."
Cynnybun wharrrgh the meta swallowed me and I'm so sorry!
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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:23 am
The stag's reaction to her compliment drew her eyes upward again -- his ears moved! How cute! The returned sentiment drew an even brighter smile onto the nymph's lips, her wings fluttering happily. Ian had called her beautiful before, of course, but this was different. Ian was her guardian, and though she appreciated the gesture it didn't carry quite the same weight as a stranger's thoughts.
"Thank you," she murmured softly. Her mouth quirked a bit as she tried his name. "Re..Reed-fray?" She laughed softly, an apologetic look flashing on her face. "Sorry, maybe Cesc is better for now. I'll practice though!" Everyone else she had met so far had fairly simple names, and not only was Cesc's more difficult, it also required accented syllables she had never tried before.
Meanwhile Ian had resigned himself to gleeful silence, watching the two interact. They really made quite the pair, pink and vibrant but in different ways. Where Eden was all blossoms and freshness, Cesc was a warm glow. But as the nymph started to float over the counter, he reached out to put a hand on her arm, laughing. "Eden, not over the counter," he chided gently.
The frei turned to her guardian with a soft pout. "But look, he has a...stomach?" Was that the word? "Why? Will I have one?" She asked, both to Ian and Cesc simultaneously. She glanced back at Cesc, eyes magnetically drawn to his. The pink lilies were joined by a few daffodils to mimic the warm gold color.Atmadja lmao i'm so slow sorry, school is eating me slowly
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 11:53 am
Cesc had seen flowers bloom on a Raevan before: Melisande, the muse, had special blooms in her hair, flowers he'd never seen before or anywhere else since. In her hair, blossoms would tighten or wilt or bloom with joy--but Eden, Eden seemed to have skill and mastery over every type of flower, in every sort of color. Was it conscious or unconscious? It was captivating, at least, and so the stag wasn't quite paying attention to her motions when Eden began to float over the counter.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, pulling himself out of his momentary reverie, his expression warming. "I'm sorry--I was just looking at all your flowers.That's really amazing, you know? You have a talent."
"She does, so~" cooed Vivi, her eyes all but sparkling.
"I do have a stomach, yes," said the stag, patting his middle. "It's how we grow, in increments, Eden. You're a Frei right now, but one day you'll grow all at once into a Sigel, like me. You'll get a stomach--and you'll be able to eat all sorts of things, like our cakes and pastries, if you want."
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:08 pm
The way Cesc's face lit up when he came back to himself made Eden's own smile grow as well--or perhaps it was the compliments. As if to further illustrate her 'talent' the blossoms shed their petals and shifted into different ones. The number in her hair dwindled, replaced by a swath of buds and tiny blooms along the curve of her neck and shoulder.
"Thank you," she cooed, pulling her hair over her shoulder. She had all but forgotten about Ian standing off to the side, consumed with the attention from these new people. She listened with rapt interest as Cesc explained their differences, eyes wide and darting down to his stomach again. She cast a quick glance to the goodies in the case again, wings fluttering. But she didn't move from her spot, hovering close to the counter.
"Really? They all look so yummy-" She turned to look at Ian over her shoulder, grinning brightly. "I want to eat these first when I grow! Right away." Ian could only balk in response, letting out a defeated chuckle. He'd quickly learned that saying no to that sweet face was very difficult, not to mention the self-assured tone she used with her demands.
Turning to Cesc and Vivi again Eden toyed with the cropped hem of her tee. "Did you make all of these?" She eyed the small remnants of white flour on Cesc's hands and apron, then returned her gaze up to his face through her lashes with a coy smile. "Is there anything I could have now, or do I have to wait?" She knew Ian had told her before that she could only eat certain things with no true stomach, but she had never really minded until now.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 7:50 pm
Vivi said nothing, although her lips were parted in a dazzling smile and her palms were pressed together gently, her hands folded together in an expression of pleasure. She squeezed her shoulders more tightly in a girlish motion, amused, pleased, and glanced at Cesc in expectation.
"I did make some of them, yes!" said Rhedefre, one of his ears half-swiveled toward Vivi: he knew when she was all expectation and delight, her mind probably full of visions of kidnapping Eden forthwith. He couldn't particularly blame her this time; she was electrically charming. "It takes a lot of time, but I'd be happy to show you sometime if you'd like to learn--I actually use flowers in some of the goods, believe it or not!"
"Ah," Vivi interjected smoothly. "With those flavors, you may be able to taste, petite fleur,"
"That might be true," said Cesc. "At Frei, I was able to eat and enjoy simple flavors: sugar, whipped cream, berries, rosewater... anything light and freshly made or grown." He looked at Ian for permission before continuing, offering a half-formed. "I do have some of that in the back..."
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 1:19 pm
Eden's spring green eyes widened when Cesc offered to show her how to make the treats. "That would be awesome! I wanna learn to make all sorts of pretty things like these..." Not to mention it meant the possibility of seeing him again, which she would never turn down. Even after only knowing him for a few minutes at best, Eden knew she liked Cesc. It probably helped that he was the first Raevan she'd met other than herself, but she didn't care.
"Oh! Oh Ian, please? Can I?" She wanted to try all those things he'd mentioned, especially anything with flowers in it! The idea of actually eating flowers was a bit strange, but if it meant she could eat anything she'd do it.
When Eden pleaded with him, flitting from her spot at the counter to wrap her hands around his arm and tug on it, Ian just laughed. He thought for a moment and glanced between Vivi and Cesc, sighing heavily as he succumbed yet again to his charge's wishes. "Alright, alright. But not too much, okay?" He smiled sheepishly at Cesc and tilted his head to the side. "Although you'd probably know more about what you guys can and can't eat, huh?" He smiled down at Eden again. "Go have fun."
"Yay! Thank you Ian!" She spun back around and in one fluid motion, like a leaf on the wind, she had flown back toward and over the counter to join Cesc on the other side. She hovered a little bit lower than his height, the flowers in her hair and her eyes open wide in eager excitement as she latched gently onto his arm. "So do you use the whole flower, or do you like... cook it?" Her brows quirked a little; she wasn't sure how it all worked.
Meanwhile Ian just ran a hand through his hair and let out another sigh, this one shaken by a laugh as he stood near Vivi. "I'm still getting used to her energy."
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Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2016 10:57 am
Cesc and Vivi exchanged glances as Eden brokered a deal with Ian to be allowed to have her way. Vivi was still sparkling, the young Frei's gumption and assertiveness clearly to her liking--while Cesc wondered if he should have exercised restraint in his own offerings to her. He certainly didn't want to make Eden feel sick trying food...
Well. He'd been fine growing up in the bakery. He wouldn't let her try too much, and especially nothing that he himself hadn't tried at her age.
"Come on back," he said, and within a moment, she was there beside him, her hand on his arm. Cesc grinned down at her and guided her into the back kitchen, where there was bread rising in towel-covered vats and cookies currently baking in the ovens.
"Well, right now we don't have a lot of floral things, since it's still pretty cold out," he said. "But generally, well, it depends. I've put some cherry blossoms into water to infuse the water with their flavor and then used that. Here, actually--"
He gently detached himself from her and went into the large pantry, returning momentarily with a small bottle. Cesc unwound the top and handed it to Eden. "Rosewater. Put your finger on the top and taste a little."
Outside, Vivi looked after the duo, drumming her fingers on the table in staccato disappointment at not being able to follow--but immediately after, the feeling dissipated in a laugh and bright smile she threw to Ian.
"Oh! I imagine that will take quite a long time to get used to. She seems quite determined to follow her own will." It was said with a note of approval.
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Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:05 pm
Eden followed Cesc eagerly and looked around the kitchen almost immediately upon entering it. She let go of his arm just moments before he moved away, drifting around the kitchen to inspect everything she could see without opening any doors or cabinets. She wanted to snoop, but she didn't want to invade their privacy, after all. The smells of freshly baked treats and the yeast of the rising bread made her head spin and she couldn't help the wide grin that stretched her lips. But she didn't have much time to snoop - Cesc was back with something for her to try before she knew it.
"Oh?" She took the bottle from him delicately, not wanting to drop it, and looked at the slightly pink liquid inside. It smelled like roses, definitely, but just enough to be noticeable. Did people really drink this? Maybe not drink... But to think, eating something that would taste like a rose! She covered the opening of the bottle with her thumb and turned it upside down quickly, just enough to get a drop or two on her finger. Hesitantly she glanced at Cesc to make sure she'd done it right, then licked the rosewater from her thumb.
The flavor was light and soft, just like a rose petal, and she grinned brightly from ear to ear. "It's good! You really put that in things and it tastes like roses?" She glanced around, hair whipping about her shoulders with the motion. "This is great! What else can I try?"
Meanwhile Ian was letting out another heavy sigh and he shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, she's got quite the initiative. It's... really hard to tell her no, actually." He laughed, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Was Cesc like that when he was a newborn? He doesn't seem that way, but I bet he was really curious in a bakery of all places."
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 11:31 am
"Mmm..." Vivi leaned against the counter, looking up at the ceiling for a long moment. She tapped her fingers to her bottom lip, then let out a breath of a laugh.
"My goodness! How the time, it flies. I have to remember. Rhedefre, he was like the stranger in the strange land when I met him first." She spoke with an easy, languid fondness. "He spoke little and with difficulty, and was eager to try new things. He enjoyed being helpful. I suppose it is that he was more pliant then, in such youth! I--all of us, when I think--we were all blessed by his easy temper."
Her expression became devious. "But it does not last! He is not so pliant now, although he is still of easy temper. With such a firecracker as you have, ah! I would not be surprised if she only grows in tempestuousness as she grows and is to know herself the more."
--
"I love using roses and flowers," said Cesc with a smile. He paused only momentarily to see her reaction to the rosewater--it was no surprise to him that her expressions were the same as her blooms, and that she could blossom just as surely as they did. He began to look around the kitchen for other things that would be good for her to taste, to keep her exploration alive. He threw his mind back, remembering his own simple favorites as a Frei.
Strawberries! Yes--they had some imported, even though Vivi was never fond of using off-season ingredients. They weren't for the bakery, but for the household--he knew where a carton was, and he dipped to retrieve it from a side refrigerator, taking two berries out in one hand.
"I like making things taste a little floral. It adds a depth of flavor to things so that they're not just sweet. Makes things lighter, too." He paused as a thought struck him, straightening, his brow furrowing. "Wait. Is it weird for me to give you floral things, since you're so floral?" He looked over at her with an expectant expression, half-smiling sheepishly.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 9:55 pm
Ian chuckled softly as Vivi described a much younger Cesc. He hadn't know him that long ago, but he certainly did seem much more grown-up lately. Not boring or stuffy, but simply more mature. He supposed that happened to everyone eventually. And given that he'd grown to Sigel during that time and that generally came with quite the life development.
When Vivi predicted Eden's headstrong personality would only grow with age, Ian let out another laugh but this one was tinged with gentle panic. "Well, I definitely hope she gets to know herself. But I'm not sure I can handle any more free will than she already has!" He cleared his throat and fussed with his hoodie strings, glancing back toward where Cesc and Eden had disappeared.
-----
Eden remained in her spot by the counter, hovering to the side slightly as if she were leaning against it. She watched Cesc move about the kitchen before her gaze wandered again and she toyed with some of the utensils in a crock nearby.
But soon enough Cesc was back, holding berries in his hand. She could smell them, bright and fresh and sweet, and her face brightened as she glanced at them. "Hm?" Cesc's question made her pause as well, her hand halfway outstretched to pluck a berry from his fingers. "Ummm..." she frowned softly, "I don't think so? I mean- I'm not actually eating the flower, it's... It's like just the flavor? Does that make sense?" She let out a soft giggle and tilted her head to the side as she gave him a quizzical look, wrinkling her nose just slightly. "I hadn't really thought about that!"
She perked up again and dropped her gaze from Cesc's eyes to the berries in his hand again. "But those look amazing- Strawberries, right?" She remembered seeing them in Ian's fridge at home during one of her many bouts of exploration in her new home.
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