Welcome to Gaia! ::

Roux was the first to notice them arriving, stationed at his uasual place at the window he had seem them walking, and floating, up the street. He'd moved away, ragged wings pressed tightly against his body.

They were almost completely devoid of feathers now, only a few, ragged looking plumes clung tenaciously to the once proud wings. He took the labcoat Chloe had offered him earlier and slid it on with a sour expression... he hadn't wanted to resort to this.. and even though last time Rivener had seen him he'd told him over and over how beautiful Roux was he just.. couldn't bear thinking what he might say now that there wasn't any plummage left to even give the illusion of dignity.

When they entered he looked up, his usual expression of faint distaste there. He lifted a hand, fingers curling delicatly against his palm, in a only half-hearted attempt at a wave. Really he just moved his hand briefly through the air once before letting it back down to his side.


Chloe looked up from writing in a notebook, a large mass of sticky notes sat beside her - she'd been trying to transfer the notes that were still important into a neater and more accesable form. She saw Aphismet, freezing still and blinking for a moment before breaking into a shy smile, waving cheerfully to the other.

"O-Oh! Hello, Aphismet! C-Can I help you w-with anything?" Her expression changed to worry, eyebrows pulling together in dismay. "R-Rivener.. O-Or yourself.. you're both o-okay, r-right?"

Roux answered Rivener not with words but by lightly reaching forward to brush cool fingertips over the ridge of his cheek, tilting his own to the side, eyes lighting slightly with latent emotion. He gave a small sigh, shoulders rising and lowering as let his hand drop, motioning for Rivener to follow him over toward the couches and away from the humans.


"Oh, oh good. I-I don't mind!" She smiled, lightly sliding the notebook to the side and setting her pencil down. She glanced shyly down at the mound of sticky notes and back up at Aphismet, ducking her head sheepishly. "O-Oh no.. it's alright. I was j-just.. th-there's a lot of notes here." She lightly picked up one of them, looking at the faintly scribbled note : 'Buy ice cream'.

She set it down again, leaning lightly on the counter, hands held clasped in front of her. "H-How have you been?"

Roux 'sat' slightly beside and across from Rivener, his usual stoic and quiet self, he didn't really feel like answering questions right now - Rivener always seemed to be asking the same one.. Did you miss me?

He couldnt' really answer that.. when left to his own devises the Raeven was usually turned inward on himself, going over his own thoughts in his own private world. Sometimes he thought of Rivener, did that mean he missed him?

Roux gave a small shrug, turning to look lazily out the window. The snow was starting to melt.. it would be spring and then opressing summer soon. He hated the summer, it felt like it went on forever, but the other Raeven seemed to enjoy it.

"'Sol.."


Chloe eyes widened as she listened to Aphismet's good luck. A new house, a big one, at that, and a new job! Chloe brought her hands together, her expression lighting up with excitement for Aphismet. "O-Oh! Y-You're cooking m-more than p-p-pizza now! I-I'm so h-happy for you! A-And a car!"

Her expression dimmed only a little when he asked about her, looking down sheepishly. "I-I'm alright.."

She hoped he didn't sense the fib.

Roux was -quite- pleased that Rivener seemed to decide he'd be content just sitting with him. The Roc Frei leaned back lightly, shoulder brushing against Rivener's shoulder as he joined him to look outside.

From time to time he raise his hand and point with slender fingers to something or another outside. A bird flitting, a clump of snow falling from the boughs of a tree, and once a man on a moped (which was acompanied by a sour expression of distaste).


Chloe looked down at the counter, using her fingernail to lightly scratch at a piece of tape that had stuck to it. "O-Oh.. well." She gave a small sigh.. maybe it'd be good to let someone know... at least a little bit...

"I.. g-got evicted.. B-But it's okay now." She looked up urgently, not wanting to make Aphismet worry any further. "D-Dr. Kyou's letting me l-live at the lab, in o-one of the backrooms."

Chloe looked down at her hands on the counter in shame, so she didn't catch his blush and sudden interest in his shoes. "N-No.. Roux.. h-he caused a l-lot of w-water damage to the building... th-the apartment m-manager didn't really.. l-like that." She gave a small sigh, closing her eyes as she relived that horrible moment once more in her head.

"I.. It'll be alright.. I-I'm.. sure." She gave what she hoped was a positive smile, timidly looking up at him from beneath her bangs. "Th-Thank you.. for worrying about me. B-But please don't do it anymore.. Y-You shouldn't have to worry. S-Stress is no good."


Roux pointed once more to a bird, a rather large one this time, as it turned and spiraled on updrafts into the sky. Something inside of him stirred at that, pining for a moment for the rush of wind and clear blue sky, and then it was gone.

He sat very still for a moment, turned inward on his own thoughts, before he stirred slightly, looking over toward Rivener with those cool blue eyes full of something supressed.

"Riv'ner yes delicious up Roux yes."

Chloe smiled and nodded, looking around the lab. "Y-Yes, and I'm r-right here for work too!" She'd let the topic of her bad luck rest on that note, it made everything seem all the more positive.

"Oh.." She twisted her hands together shyly, shaking her head. "N-No.. I felt too guilty to roll often. I-I really liked them th-though.. I wish I could have won one!" She gave a small, shy laugh. "Th-They were wonderful, everyone enjoyed them." She looked up warmly at Aphismet. "Thank you so much for helping.."


Roux gave a soft sigh, finally tearing his eyes away from the blue and turning to peer at Rivener. It was pleasent when he wasn't trying to always touch and try and make him speak. Roux leaned forward and brushed his lips across the other Frei's cheek as a reward. One hand came up to once more stroke Rivener's long hair.

The doors to the lab opened, admitting another somewhat unexpected guest.

Alex walked slowly with her head bowed, gazing at something cradled in a shirt in her arms. She was dressed for work, sporting a green tank top and slightly dirtied khaki cargo pants over well worn hiking boots, her utility belt still fastened around her waist. Her hair was pulled up in a fashion similar to Chloe's, albeit somewhat tighter. Despite the cooler weather, Alex was extremely comfortable in the current temperature, enjoying it before the heat hit.

Lorenzo was perched on her shoulder, clinging to a small stuffed panda, looking at the doors they passed through with utter confusion. He'd never seen hissing doors before.

The woman looked up, her eyes a startling green with her thinly veiled excitement, her shirt making the color even more noticable. "Chloe, I hope you don't mind, I deci--oh!" She blinked at the young man whose back was turned to her, glancing to his right to note...Roux and Rivener snuggling? "Ah, I can come back if you're busy...?" Alex stopped in her tracks, halfway between the door and Chloe's desk.