[PRP] Raevan Raising (FIN)

[radish]

Who: Nina (unohime); Raz and Solo (FallenSiren)
Where: A coffee shop called Spice & Coffee, Barton.
When: Saturday, early evening.
Weather: Mild.

+

It was a month into the school year, and Nina was already drained. Then again, it was an unfortunate side effect to working with children who could rip her other arm off (or grow her missing one back) in the blink of an eye. She had to tiptoe around their abilities while also maintaining herself as their educator, and half the time, Nina felt more like a mother than a teacher. Nevertheless, it was a fulfilling job, and provided a great foundation to when she'd be a guardian herself.

The wait was killing her, but in the time between she'd meet her Raevan and prepare for their arrival, Nina was putting her best foot forward and collecting all of the information she could on what to expect. A little notebook was kept on her person always, and the brunette would scribble in questions and answers to any thought that passed through her mind. Her various meetings with other guardians proved helpful, but still feeling she had a shaky foundation, Nina decided to venture forth with one more request of a chat. Her lucky choice today would be Raz; chosen randomly from the contact list that came with the package from the lab. Such a method never failed her before, so it hopefully won't here.

After sitting at her computer, backspacing an innumerable amount of times, Nina finally sent off a satisfactory email to the Raevan owner:

Quote:

Dear Raspberry Piper,

Hello, my name is Nina Swannekke. I am a new guardian to the lab, and have been imploring many others for their thoughts on what it is like to raise a Raevan. I would like a strong foundation for when I'd eventually meet mine, and found it was easiest to chat with them in-person with their Raevan. If it isn't too much to ask, would you be willing to chat and answer any inquiries I may have? I understand if your time is limited, and you may disregard this email if you're unable to!

However, if you are able to make it, I will be at a small coffee shop called Spice and Coffee in central Barton at four in the evening this coming Saturday. If you're unsure of the location, I've also attached directions to the establishment to this email. Thanks for taking the time to read this email, and hoping to see you soon!

Regards,
Nina

On the allotted day, Nina would be seated at a table adjacent to the entrance of the coffee shop. She'd been there multiple times before, and felt comfortable in the warm atmosphere that smelled of brewed coffee and curry. Even the waitstaff was familiar with her; one giving her a nod in greeting as she awaited the arrival of Raz. Despite the familiarity, she couldn't help the jump in her leg. It was always an antsy feeling to be meeting someone new, after all.  

[FallenSiren]

The email reached the Raevan and Guardian pair just as they reached home from their everyday jog. Raz glanced at her vibrating phone with a look of puzzlement that was mirrored by Solo before unlocking it to see what had requested her attention. It only took a glance for the two to decide on what their activity for Saturday would be.

The confirmation of Raz and Solo’s appearance came in the sound of a roaring engine coming to a stop as she parked her bike. With a lift of her shades, she double checked that she was at the right place and at the time – 5 minutes to spare.

Perfect.

Shoving her shades into her leather jacket, Raz dismounted her bike with Solo floating off with a stretch. “This' the place?” he asked with a slight squint at the store’s name – Spice and Coffee. Now why the hell would you want spice with coffee? He had to wonder, but kept it to himself as they had something more important to do – such as meeting with a new guardian who wanted to ask some questions! Raz was more than glad to offer any help in answering questions Nina might have, though Solo was already proving to be problematic with wondering what the person was like. If anything, the Raevan seemed a little uppity but Raz is pretty sure it’s just because Nina is a stranger to him. Nothing a good introduction couldn’t fix!

“Spice and Coffee at 4pm, Saturday. I’m pretty sure we’re at the right place and at the right time, Solo.” Raz waved off the question with a grin, “Loosen up. It’s a new person and a new friend. I doubt Nina’s going to threaten you in any manner, so calm yourself and drop that aggressive floating thing you do. I know you’re being uppity.”

There might have been a pout from the monochrome Raevan as he dropped his ‘aggressive floating’ a bit and entered the store as Raz opened the door. The pink haired guardian only snickered at Solo’s stiffness to the situation before entering and closing the door behind them. A sigh escaped her as the fresh scent of coffee and curry, though it turned into a fit of giggles when she spotted Solo’s face. It was a look of having finally figured out why the place was named what it was, and the slight embarrassment was quick to appear and fade.

“You saw nothing.”

“I saw nothing.” She chuckled, before looking around to spot Nina.

 

[radish]

Nina's eyes were downcast, concentrated steely on the palm-sized, leather-bound notebook splayed on the table in front of her. Her one hand was at work—writing a sentence here, scribbling away something there—as she seemed to relinquish the world to her own mind. It would be a beat or two until the brunette finally separated herself from her work, and when she did, she came upon the undeniable sight of a floating half-a-person Raevan and likely their guardian.

As per the norm, their looks far exceeded her expectations. They looked... cool? Yea, really cool! The only type of person the glasses-wearing plain jane could hope to look like. Maybe she should invest in a leather jacket in the future? Or... maybe not. It wouldn't be very intimidating with one sleeve flapping in the wind. Maybe spiky shoulder pads?

Rising from her seat, Nina smiled and waved the two attentions over to her. "Hiya, hey, over here, I'm Nina," she said. "I hope you two had no trouble finding the place and it wasn't out of the way? I only chose this place out of convenience since I live in Barton, but if it would've been easier to meet somewhere else..." Her lips curled into a small frown. Honestly, she should've considered Raz and Solo's circumstances... "T-thanks, anyway, for coming. Have a seat, I'm sure a server'll be here—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a bored-looking waiter approached the table. "Can I, uh, take your orders, man?" he asked, glancing between the trio with disinterest.  

[FallenSiren]

Solo was the first to catch sight of the waving and, immediately, his aggressive flare died down to barely a kindle. The lady that was calling for their attention was anything but what he had in mind. There was nothing visual that was putting him on the edge, excluding a call for curiosity since she was obviously missing something. Raz, on the other hand, took a second longer to notice Nina before dragging herself and Solo towards the other. In comparison to her Raevan’s opinion, the guardian couldn’t help but think Nina’s adorable.

“Nice to meet you, love. Name’s Raz, and this is Solo.” Raz introduced with a blinding grin while attempting to reassure the other, “And no problem at all! Always did love going to new places, and honestly it’s no bother. Gives me the perfect excuse to run around with my bike.” And while the two took a seat, the guardian couldn’t help but notice the staring Solo had been directing at Nina for a good moment. She has more than a good inkling as to why he might be staring, but it was still rude and he was going to behave himself…or at least attempt to be polite while doing so.

All was halted when the waiter appeared…

“Ah. Would you happen to have any recommendations, Nina?”

“What’d your arm go?”

…Or so Raz thought. Trust Solo to stick to his guns and ask the question without even thinking, and regardless of the situation at hand. She knew she was forward, but Solo was perhaps a little more than just that. Absolutely no regret or any sort of emotion shy of curiously was on his face as he stared at Nina with all the attention he could give.

“Bad time, Solo. Bad time. Sorry about that, Nina.”

“Hey, I’m curious!”

Oh boy.

 

[radish]

The coalesced tension in the brunette's form released from her with unfettered restraint come Raz's smile. Nina wasn't the antsy sort, by no means she was, but there was so much reassurance in the expression alone she couldn't help herself. Her shoulders dropped, and her body followed, sagging into the chair she was once seated in. The least she wanted to do was give this woman trouble, especially since they were both making time out of their busy schedules to meet.

Nina hummed out a note, considering the menu from her previous perusals, before her thoughts stymied on a very, very familiar question. Yet, the restraint she would've initially reacted with didn't return. Instead, she flashed Solo the knowing smile of her teacher persona.

"Well, aren't you curious? It's fine! I work with curious students and have been asked the same question many times. It doesn't bother me in the least," she said. Then, turning to Solo, she added, "A dragon bit it off with one big, ripping chomp." The widening of her elucidated smile seemed to hide some untapped confidence or strength, as if she had a long, grand tale to tell of its loss. After a beat, however, she couldn't hold her laugh any longer, and gave a small, joking snort. "No, no, I'm not that fantastic. I lost it in a car accident with I was a teen. Though..."

She eyed the Raevan, and found this a great time to segue into a topic of interest to her. "May I ask where... your lower half is? Actually, let me rephrase that: When it may "grow" in? I understand Raevans grow at a slower rate than humans, but is there a time frame?" Figuring she was diving into the nitty-gritty far too soon (they had just seated themselves, after all), Nina reeled herself back with an internal rebuke, and added, "Ah, as for a recommendation, this place serves a mean curry. Goes great with a mug of Blue Mountain. But if you aren't hungry or want something light, they have juice and sandwiches. Speaking of which..." Nina looked to the expectant waiter. "Just a glass of peach tea, please."  

[FallenSiren]

If anything, Nina was good at grabbing Solo’s attention. His eyes were almost childlike in wonder upon the initial mention of a dragon, but it immediately turned pouty upon the true reasoning for the other’s missing arm. Despite the short amount of time having spent alive, it’s these little things that remind Solo that humans are not indestructible. It’s not fair that such a thing had to happen, but it did and now he’s looking at it. He might not have met her when the incident happened, but he’s definitely mad it happened to such a nice lady.

“That sucks. Well, if you ever need me to punch a jerk, I’M HERE!” He confidently announced with a nod and a huff. Raz, on the other hand, let out a sleepish laugh at Solo’s attitude and ushered for him to settle down again. The guardian really couldn’t fault the Raevan’s reaction nor attitude towards most things since she really has no one else to blame but herself; but at least his heart’s in the right place.

Upon the question of his growth, Solo crossed his arms and had a look of deep thinking as he thought about it. The look of sophisticated thinking was easily destroyed with a shrug and noise of I-don’t-know. “I’ll grow when I’ll grow I guess? I’ve met others, but we never really talked about how long it takes to get stomachs or legs. Only thing I know is I can’t eat solid food since I’ve got no stomach. Doesn’t mean I can’t try a tiny bit though.” There might have been a cheeky, sneaky grin directed at Raz, who just playfully shoved the monochrome child in retort.

“And then you’ll be eating me out of a house and home, wouldn’t you.”

“Nah, I’ll always leave some for you.”

Raz only laughed, “You want to try some curry?”

“Maybe take out?”

“Sure.” She turned to the server to give her order before joining the conversation at hand, “I guess I’ll have a cup of Blue Mountain for now. But on the matter of food, Raevans in the Frei stage have a special diet from what I’ve seen. Solo’s made from Cleansing Petroleum, so his current food source is mainly Petro oil. Though, it’s not as niche as I make it sound. He could also snack on other kinds of oils, but Petro tends to fill him up the best. Your Raevan will probably have a special diet like that, but based on the essence it’s used I believe.

I…can’t really give any advice regarding anything prior to the Frei stage in the whole thing. When I was given the opportunity to become a guardian, I was actually called in to meet him. No bottle, no soul capturing. Just, physically meeting –“

“And knocking people over.”

A snort, “…and knocking him over because of how excited I was. I could only suggest asking Zeke for help on that notion for anything prior. But, if it’s to prepare yourself for this stage, then ask away.”

 

[radish]

Her smile turned up a little higher to see the childlike wonder on the Raevan's face. If anything, as a teacher, she was always struck with the spark of another. That intrigue was infectious, and she couldn't help her own curiosity growing from the sake of the Raevan's.

But when the machinations of thought subsumed to beating someone up, the brunette gave an entertained laugh, and shooed away the declaration before it flared up into something more. "Oh, it's okay, it's okay," Nina said. "It was an accident, so there's no one to blame! I really appreciate your concern, however."

As the server trotted away staring absently at his notepad, Nina seemed to reflect his action and stared at her own. She flipped through the note-covered pages, nodding her head to Raz as she explained the physiology of Solo. "So no time frame, gotcha..." Nina mumbled under her breath, pen at work as she crossed off, circled, and jotted items down again. "And special diet... Okay... So!"

She gave the duo her undivided attention again. "I'll have to be more accommodating, then. I went out and bought a bunch of exotic stuff... Stuff I didn't even know existed, even some edible artificial crud, but I guess I should... wait until the Raevan gets here, aha..." Her mind flashed to the innumerable boxes and packages she had stacked on her kitchen counter. She wanted to have a grand meal for her Raevan on the day they finally arrived, but, well, she wasn't even sure what to prepare for them. If they even needed food at all.

A look of surprise crossed her face in a flash, but settled on understanding. How lucky... Nina thought regarding her circumstances. She wished she could've just been given a Raevan, or at least had more in mind about them.

"My Raevan may need to eat plants? Or fruit? Her essence is Southern Moss, and her soul's a blackberry. I'll shoot Zeke an email later, if only to sate my curiosity."

Nina pinched her lips together. "How about sleep? Do you sleep on a bed? Like... err... horizontally? Considering you kind of... hover... in place, I'm guessing... no? Or do you obtain rest another way? Through food? Or do you, like, um"—she indicated the end of Solo's ribbon—"plug that end in to an outlet or something?"  

[FallenSiren]

“Just know I’m here if you need to chase anyone away!” Solo reaffirmed once more before setting down again by slumping against the table. And this time, despite Raz’s subtle urging, he just stayed that way and gave his attention by looking instead of sitting right up again. There was a hum of agreeing when Nina wrote down the special diet, though Raz decided to add more with the information she had provided prior. “There’s nothing wrong with being excited! It’s good to be prepared and ready, though there’s no helping that they have special diets. I would suggest getting some moss, but that’s all the help I can give right regarding that. Maybe you and your kid can try out those special foods over time? They might not stably consume food like we do at this point, but they can try them in small servings.”

Solo once again made an agreeing noise as he remembered the few foods he had shown interest in trying. Though, at this point in time, his favorite has proven to be grilled meat. One day…just one day, he will get to eat a meal of that. One day they’ll go eat all the barbeque foods. He didn’t perk up again until the question of how does he sleep popped up. There was a thoughtful noise coming from him before the Raevan sat back up again with a straight back, “I have a fin on my back so I sleep on my front or my side. I don’t know about the others though. Probably would be easier to do s**t if we just had to plug ourselves in, but we eat food and sleep like normal people…well, as normal as a Raevan can be.”

He sent Nina a cheeky grin, “Though, we’re pretty much like anyone else aside from the little things. I mean, if you’re used to magical stuff. I think some of us wake up knowing how to talk, but I know I definitely woke up knowing how.”

“Swearing and all.”

“Hey, you tackled me.”

“I knocked you over with a hug. I don’t know this tackling you’re talking about.” Raz teased with a chortle while Solo just squints at his guardian, “He said a certain word when I knocked him over. Zeke can confirm if you’re curious. My advice here is…ah, don’t do what I did. Don’t throw all your weight onto them despite how magical and floaty they are.”

A joke, truly, but perhaps a truth as well?

 

[radish]

The difficulty about one-armness was the inability to hide one's laugh behind a splayed palm while in the midst of something. It was reflexive for her to hide her snaggletooth, but not here. Nina wasn't one for toothy smiles (despite having a penchant for throwing her head back and honking out a laugh), but as she watched and listened to Raz and Solo, she couldn't deny it. She really liked them. They had a chemistry not unlike a pair of old friends who liked to snub each other at a moment's notice. It reminded her a bit of her and Remi, though their friendship was a little jaded at the moment.

"So... small portions... right," Nina affirmed. "I do have a sample of dried moss with the rest of the stuff I bought, but I guess I'll be sure to remind myself of something fresh as well..." A sentence trailed from her pen. "Oh, okay, so small servings are okay? Good, good, because I'd really like to give my Raevan the chance to experiment and find out what they like. By Gaia, this is is difficult..."

"Oh, good! I wasn't sure about buying a bed or not. I mean, I have an extra bed, but it is really cheap. I was thinking of buying them a new one, but I wasn't sure if Raevans slept just like humans. So... search for bed... right." Nina piqued at the mention of magical stuff, and smiled. "Yea, I'm used to it by now. Mostly. I work at a school that caters to magical kids, so I've seen my fair share of stuff and.... kids. I used to think their was nothing to it, raising a kid that wasn't human, but boy am I wrong. Kudos to those parents."

As Nina flipped through her little notebook, the server brought their orders. She seemed to ignore his approaching, but reached a hand over to take a sip of her peach tea while forming her next question. "Okay, so considering your guys' essences and all, you can do magic, right? Or do you learn it over time? And are there abilities present in, like, all Raevans I should be aware of?"  

[FallenSiren]

“Well, you’re about to get to experience it firsthand. And it’s good you’re doing research before you jump into the fray. I just bolted in and dear god, I sent Zeke so many texts the first week. ” she laughed at the memory of her panicking over what types of food to feed Solo while getting that ride home, and then not knowing if a Raevan could sit on a motorcycle (they have figured out a system). “Though, when the kid’s here, you might want to explain to them basic stuff about the world. They might look like adults, but they’re literally babies with the ability to talk and get into everything. You’re going to have to figure out how to tell them to avoid strangers and such. ”

The basic stuff you tell preschoolers honestly.

Raz smiled in thanks to the server as they brought in the orders, and the guardian took a sip of her coffee. Not bad. She placed the cup near Solo who reached out and stole the cup from his guardian, there was the sound of curious drinking before the Ahklut made a face at the bitter content. He squinted at the drink as he swallowed, before turning that squint towards Raz who smirked. There was silence as the Raevan took another sip before handing the entire cup back.

“In terms of powers…Eh. It’s related to Fel Essence and soul, but mainly the essence. We all have powers, but they’re never the same since none of us have the same Fel Essence. It’s like with our food, it’s all dependent on what made us. I mean, I can hear stuff normal people can’t hear, but that’s because my soul’s an Ahklut.” There might have been a little puff of his chest in pride upon what he is as he said that, “Though most of my power comes from my fel essence, so it’s mainly oil stuff. Like this!”

As if to demonstrate, Solo held up his hand which splatted itself onto the table as it turned into oil.

“I can’t do it in large quantities yet, but I can do stuff like this. Dangerous as hell though since I’m literally oil.”

And with that, he returned his hand to normal and slouched onto the table again as Raz took another sip of her coffee. “Have you thought of a name for the kid yet?”

 

[radish]

Nina shoulders dropped a little. Ah, was the one sound she could manage, though it was only in her mind. To know she was starting from square one—as close to square one as possible—had unnerved her a bit. Sure, she worked with kids, but these were "middle school kids" (or whatever counted for middle school kids for beings that aged in months instead of a few years). They had some foundations to them, but she would have to warn them of strangers? Make sure they didn't wander off? Or start a fire? Or—worst of all—make a mess in her home?! Oh, the calamity!

Despite her internal war, Nina remained nonchalant in posture and expression, and took a sip of her tea to calm her nerves. She quirked her head a little when Solo took the coffee from his guardian, and restrained another laugh at the face he made. Okay, so maybe this won't be as bad as she makes it out to be. If her Raevan is going to make faces like that in the future, it'd be worth it. But her smile dissipated come the splat of the Raevan's hand.

Still, she was quite impressed. "Whoa," she said. "That's actually pretty impressive, especially the oil bit. I'm around nature kids all day; I get a lot of leaves, sticks, and so on stuck in my hair. Never get to see the more interesting powers out there, so that"—she pushed up her glasses a little—"is a memory for the books. Er, book." She seemed to write the state of Solo's hand in detail, even sketching a crude picture that generally was just a black blob. "Mind telling me how else you use your powers? Oh, and unrelated, but do you have any hobbies? I need some more ideas."

Nina hummed out a note, finger to her lip. "Well, sorta?" she replied to Raz's question. "I don't know what they're gonna be, so I've just jotted down some ideas in the back of this book." Despite saying this, and despite how she flipped through the pages, one could see scribbled out lists on all of those turned. She stopped at one that looked untouched, but soon after, she scribbled off the penultimate name, and gave it a look over. "I tried to go with names that were applicable to everyone, but some didn't fit. Others sounded generic. Some were just plain awful; I was never the creative type. But this... This may be my final list. I've always liked fairy tales as a kid, and wrote down a few from the ones I keep at home. Mary... Hansel... Holle... Elsie... Joringel... Ferdinand... Maleen... All of them are options, but I figured I'd let the Raevan decide. From this list, at least."  

[FallenSiren]

Solo had though he did something wrong with showing off his power…up until the questions started. He blinked a little before letting out another thoughtful hum…then promptly shrugged, “Powers are just…something I’ve had since I could remember. It just…sort of happens. I can’t really describe it, but I can only say just expect some powers relating to that fel essence of their’s. That’s where most of the magic came from to begin with I guess. Though if we must get to hobbies…” A proud grin smacked itself onto his face as a confident twinkle went through his eyes, “Movies. I ****ing love movies. Mo- Raz’s shown me a couple of old classics and they’re just so good. I mean, the black and white makes it so much more dramatic. It’s so cool! Though, movies are definitely not enough to keep me occupied all the time. There’s other stuff I like to do, but I like old movies.”

“You should have seen him watching musicals when we got around to it. He kept singing songs while trying to copy what he saw.”

“And I looked darn good doing it.”

Raz chuckled, “Yes, yes you did.” Then took a sip of her coffee as she listened to Nina’s reply to her question which resulted in a hum from the pink haired women, “At least you have some ideas, which is good. I ran into the whole thing without much…thought. So Solo’s name was literally a reactionary thing. Came out well though, and he liked it. But, for sure, let the kid chose. Something will just…stick. Like the perfect puzzle piece. Strange saying that, but it’s true.”

“I really don’t want to know what other names you could have thrown at me. After seeing you try to help your friend name that dog, I’m more then glad for my name.”

“What? Did you want to be call ‘Sir Fluffington the fourth’?”

“Hell. No.”

“Exactly, now shush you. Anyways, anything else we might be able to help you with hun?”

 

[radish]

If Nina had two hands, she would've clasped them together. Instead, she splayed her hand to her chest, and gave another laugh. They seemed to come out of her in an endless stream. Honestly, she'd have to meet up with Raz and Solo again sometime. Maybe when she was a little less busy and her Raevan was here. No, not a maybe, she definitely had to!

Their banter prompted a wider smile on the brunette's face, but it seemed to waver for just a moment. Ah, is this jealousy? she thought, projecting a little. It wasn't her own innate desire to be a mom, but a little of her own mother-daughter relationship with Cynthia-Maria. What she would give to have a relationship with her mom like Solo had with Raz.

To actually talk about things without being critical or criticized. Suddenly, Nina wanted to curl up in her bed and ruminate on the direction her life went in...

"By Gaia, there's so much I wanna introduce them to, too. Video games, movies, and don't get me started on all of the books I have for them." Despite saying this she penned in, "get some musicals," into her notebook after draining another mouthful from her glass.

"S-sir Fluffington the Fourth certainly has... a nice ring to it," Nina said, snorting back a laugh. Honestly, if she laughed one more time, she'd probably continue for hours. Giving it some thought, Nina then shook her head. "Actually, I think you've covered all I've needed to know. Thanks so much, Raz, Solo, for taking the time to meet with me. You've quelled..." Nina sighed. "By Gaia, probably 80% of my worries regarding my future Raevan, heh. I had a really fun time. When my schedule's a little clearer, and maybe when my Raevan gets here, we could meet up again? I'd love to have them meet you two!"  

[FallenSiren]

“Don’t worry about that, you’ll have a lot of time to do it. And I’m sure the Raevan will like it too.” Solo peeped up with a grin that could only match Raz’s in reassurance, “Everything’s fresh to us when we first start off, but I’m sure something will stick for the long run.”

The result of that was Raz ruffling Solo’s hair, and a strange failing motion from the monochrome raevan as he tried to fix his hair immediately. It only resulted in a chuckle from Raz as she laughed at the name, “Isn’t it? Especially for an over energetic Pomeranian that kept running around to claim the house? My friend wasn’t very amused, but we got a good laugh out of that.” Downing the remains of her coffee, she half consciously contemplated the curry she’d like to have for takeout since Solo seemed curious. Or perhaps she should make some from scratch? An idea to humor, but her attention was still focused mainly on Nina and just smiled, “Glad of to be service. And, if you need any extra help, we’ll be more then glad to offer our aid again. And that would be lovely!”

“Yeah! Just give us a call! And send us pictures when you meet your girl!”

“I hope your first meeting with your girl goes well.”