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 Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 7:44 am
Who: Anastacia and Cesc
When: Sunday April 2nd, 2017; 10am
Where: Vermillion Bakery
Weather: Warm, sunny; one of the first real breaths of spring!
It was the quintessential perfect spring day and for that Anya was grateful. Sun shining, birds chirping, people going out and about in t-shirts and a few even in shorts; oh how she had missed this weather after a long, hard winter. Of course a day such as this was only made better by her destination and the person she was going to visit. A couple days prior her phone had gone off with the chime of a new text message and Anya, expecting Iorek or someone else entirely, had been shocked to see the name 'Cesc' pop up instead. From there it had been hours worth of back and forth that ultimately culminated in a day, a time, and a place.
Today was the day, around 10am was the time, and Vermillion the place. Zeke had been easy enough to convince to allow her to come along with him to Gambino that day and the man was as fine as ever with allowing her to go off on her own while he did his shift at the Lab. His only stipulation was that she say 'hi' to Cesc from him to which Anya agreed to before departing. A half hour or so later and here she was, hovering just a few feet away from Vermillion's front windows, eager but also a little nervous. Her heart thudded a little faster in her chest as she looked at the door that people were coming in and out of. She didn't want to make a scene but at the same time how could she not react to finally seeing her friend who up until recently had been gone with the wind? Beyond that it had been awhile since the two had properly hung out anyway. There was so much to say, so much to do, and here she was floating outside the building, wasting time. Enough of that.
The Widow gave her head a shake, took a steeling breath, and went for it. Overhead the door chime sounded off as she entered, holding the door for some business-type on his way out. She murmured an absentminded "You're welcome" to his thanks, not looking at him so much as through him at the interior of the bakery. There were people but it wasn't as packed as she had originally thought, scanning over heads for Cesc. She couldn't see the back of the bakery where he and his Guardians would normally be, but the pink of his hair would stand out for certain. After a moment she clucked her tongue, moving out of the way as the door behind her opened and someone came inside. She'd keep a look out from here. It wasn't like she was exactly hard to miss either what with her own outlandish hair color, spidery accents, and the sleeveless warm yellow sundress she had chosen to wear for this very occasion.
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Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 9:59 am
The reason Anya could not see Cesc immediately as she entered the cafe—and see him she would have, with his new bulk and stature, standing just under 6'3"—was for the simple reason that Cesc was not yet in the bakery proper. He was in the kitchen, talking with Shepard, until he happened to note the time and realize his meeting with Anya was on deck.
Cesc stood from the stainless steel stool he'd been sitting on and took a deep breath. These meetings, these first-meetings-after-the-storm meetings, were becoming easier for him to handle, but they would never be comfortable. He'd gone on his apology tour, he'd made amends with as many people as he could, but there were yet a few more stops to make.
Anya. He hadn't seen her in so long. How was she? Was she a Sigel by now? Was Zeke treating her well? Was she a knitting master (she had to be a knitting master by now.)
He crossed the few steps between the kitchen and the bakery proper, ducking slightly at the doorjamb, and looked around. It was indeed easy to spot her, lavender and yellow and spider crown, a portrait of all the parts of spring: blossoms and pollen and the return of the pollinators. Cesc relaxed immediately on seeing her. There was some anticipation in the delicate, regal lines of her face. She was yet a frei, from what he could tell, but just as queenly as ever she had been before, her hair still spider's silk in texture, the lines that made her still sweeping in grace.
He, he was not the same as when she had last seen him—he was broad now, long-legged, with rougher hands and four days worth of stubble, his curls tousled and air-dried. He'd put on jeans for her instead of his now-usual athletic shorts, and wore a raglan, three-button placket tee. But he was still Rhedefre, still the stag, still wore the same earnest smile she'd last seen.
"Anya!" he called, striding to her, lifting a hand in a wave.
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 4:04 pm
It was sort of strange how many people with pink hair there happened to be in here today. Some weren't even the right shade of pink but they still caught her eye and made her heart skip a beat before realizing the obvious. The lack of antlers, for one.
"Mmm..." She thought about getting into line just to make her presence known to Vivi or Shep and pass along the message that she was here, but then a familiar voice rang out and she turned and there he was. He had that same Cesc smile on that she remembered so fondly from their last meeting and had lifted his hand in a wave to catch her eye. She waved back and even though she hadn't gone to him yet her features noticeably softened at the Stag's presence. There you are.
"Cesc!" Her wave changed to a single finger - a 'wait there' gesture - and she made her way through the patrons over to him. The closer she got the better she could see him, noting the larger antlers he was sporting and did his wings get bigger? She amused herself with the phrase 'a trick of the light' in mind regarding that, not seeing him in full splendor until she slipped around a chatting pair and came out the other side.
She froze on the spot. Her lavender eyes widened alongside her crown in shock, gaze going from his face to his legs to his FEET and back up again. She did this twice, blinked and gave her head a shake, and when she reopened them again it was the same as the first look.
Her friend had grown again. Cesc had become a Valsaros.
Fittingly her hands flew to her mouth, covering her red lips and adding to the surprised expression she wore. Time stood still. The world had frozen on its axis.
Oh no.
"Oh...Oh my!" She dropped her hands and cleared the space between them, embracing the Stag outright. "Is...Is that really you Cesc?!"
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Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:25 pm
There was surprise in Anya's face, and if Cesc was honest, he could see that it was not the sort of delighted surprise that swept some faces when they saw him. There was not elation in her expression, a smile on her lips, joy in her eyes. Anya was surprised to see him, yes. He'd been gone and now he wasn't gone--but that wasn't what got her, what froze her, what made her glance up and down artlessly and shake her head and stare again. He'd never seen her without her composure this way, and a strange feeling crept through his veins like he had somehow disappointed her.
She was not made happy by the revelation of his growth.
He raked his fingers through his hair and his expression became apologetic, and he half-moved to apologize for--for what? He wasn't sure. But it was obvious that his growth hit Anya, it struck her right in the chest and through the back.
But then Anya added to the general surprise and embraced him, and now it was Rhedefre's turn to wear an expression of surprise, although it melted into a smile by the time she'd pulled away.
And it made sense to Cesc, why Anya might be upset, when he embraced her. Had she always been so small? She fit into his arms and he could have wrapped her up entirely in them, her shoulders fitting in the space of his collarbones. He could have covered he expanse of her back within his hands had she not had wings, could have enveloped her in the embrace had she wanted it. He was so much bigger than she was now.
"In the flesh!" Rhedefre said, shaking off the strangeness of that realization as he pulled away. "Look at you--it's good to see you. How have you been?"
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