A Special Gift - Magic & Mushrooms

◈ WHO: Lazarus & Ryder (kyoupi & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Mid afternoon on June 25, 2017
◈ WHERE: The Beach
◈ WEATHER: Bright and sunny.

The sun was bright, shining down on the beach and Ryder was ready to go home. Being out was rough on the toadstool. He kept to himself most of the time, and even though he did have fun and he had kept his promise to Reuben, he was completely ready to call it quits for the day.

However, before he was able to leave, he was told to meet with Lazarus. Ryder was unsure what it was all about, but it was his final duty before he and his guardian could go home. All the little toadstool could think about was getting home, curling up in bed with a good book and having Alice read to him until he fell asleep.

Reuben was going to prepare the car and get it ready to go and Ryder made his way towards the pool where he was told to meet Lazarus. A very handsome man stood there with large horns. Oh how Ryder could imagine him being a badass superhero (or super villain) in a story he could muster.

"Hello. I'm Ryder. I was told to come meet you here before leaving? I assume you're Lazarus?" he questioned softly, almost intimidated by the looming figure. The frei grabbed his arm and pinched it; a sort of tick to keep him concentrated on the task at hand.

The BBQ grill had been turned off, the food table is almost empty, and his apron had been put away. The party is almost over, much to Lazarus's relief. He didn't get to chat with Xiu a whole lot during the party, since he was needed at the grill and Xiu had went to socialize elsewhere after he got his food. It was understandable though.

However, his work was not done yet as he waited for a certain Frei's arrival near the Chimera playpen.

"Hello Ryder." He waved as the young Frei approached. He was a dapper young blond fellow that he was unfamiliar with still. But he looked polite enough. "Yes my name is Lazarus. It is nice to meet you." The Valsaros put up his best friendly smile as he extended a hand. He could see that Ryder seems a little hesitant, maybe even intimidated, just like most people are when they first met him perhaps. What can he say, he was born this way. The horns, the red hairs and eyes. People often assume that he was angry or aggressive.

"And yes, I have something special for you. Someone told me you spent a lot of time at the Chimera playpen today." Lazarus smiled as he studied Ryder's face.

The toadstool smiled and nodded, but as the Valsaros held out his hand, Ryder shied away from it and clasped his hands out in front of him instead. Ryder decided to simply return the comment. "It's nice to meet you as well."

The frei furrowed his brows when Lazarus said he had something special. Ryder tried to look around him quickly to see what it could have been, though the Chimera playpen comment had the frei thinking to himself.

A smile grew upon his face when the thought crossed his mind. Was there a chance he'd be given a chimera? "Yes sir. I was there from the beginning. They seem like quite the interesting concoctions," he said, looking at the valsaros and now throwing his likeness into a story in his own mind, saving the damsel in distress. It was just that easy, since Lazarus seemed the type.

The frei's mind eased up and he wasn't so hesitant or intimidated the more this man spoke. He wasn't intimidating, he was kind and polite; and the fact that he was offering Ryder some special gift took the load off as well.

It was a little awkward when Ryder did not return the handshake. The Frei still looked a little nervous before him, perhaps he is just socially awkward since he is still young. It's something that Lazarus was not foreign with, since he himself was awkward as well when he was younger. The Valsaros just smiled as he lowered his hand.

However, he was glad to see Ryder's expression lighten up at the mention of the Chimera playpen and the special gift for him.

"Yes, they are quite interesting indeed." Turning around, Lazarus led Ryder back to the playpen, where a Foxfish is still splashing and looking up curiously at them. "This little guy is your's!" He announced. "Well only if you want him." Lazarus added with a chuckle.

Ryder's eyes lit up at the thought that he did actually have the opportunity to take a foxfish home after all.

"You're joking?" the frei stated, rather excitedly. His awkwardness turned to straight child-on-christmas as he looked down at his new little pet. As he initially laid eyes on him, he smiled. The creature was so strange, yet so very intriguing at the same time.

So many questions filled the young frei's mind as he looked down at his very own little pet, who looked back at him with wide eyes and what seemed to be longing and yearning for love.

"Does he need water all the time? What all does he eat?" Those seemed like the most pressing matters at this very moment. Taking care of a living creature was a responsibility that he knew he wanted to be ready for. After all, his imaginings weren't alive and didn't need actual sustenance for life.

Lazarus couldn't help but beam as Ryder's expression lit up before him. He knew he had made the correct choice in offering him the foxfish after all. Kyou made the chimeras to be given out at events like these, he thinks that having a pet to care for will help nurture the younger Freis. It was difficult to pick someone to give a chimera to sometimes though.

The questions posed pleased Lazarus, as this shows that Ryder really does care. Kneeling down, he petted the foxfish on the head in between the fin ears. "He is carnivorous. Imagine him as a seal, he eats fish, and raw meat as well. He doesn't eat a whole lot, like a fish or two a day shoud suffice. Like seals also, he doesn't need water all the time, he could come out of the water to sun, or play on dry land. He just moves better in water." He hoped that his explanation was sufficient, and easy enough to understand for Ryder.

The foxfish shuts his eyes and leans into Lazarus's petting, his tail swishing happily in the water. Obviously he is one that loves attention.

Ryder watched curiously as the foxfish leaned into the pet. He was loving, just like any other household pet. And the answers helped a lot. "R-Reuben is vegan. So we don't have fish in the house," the boy began sadly, "B-but I'll get him fish every day! And I know Reuben won't mind," he concluded, turning his head to see if he could view Reuben in the distance. He must have been working on getting the car packed up still, or maybe got involved in conversation with another raevan or guardian. That man had such a charisma, something that Ryder somewhat envied.

Ryder slowly floated even closer to the foxfish, offering his hand, but recoiling it quickly before he touched him. His face flushed a moment before turning towards Lazarus. "There's just one problem. My skin...it's...poisonous. It caused my aunt to act as if she was drunk and my guardian to become ill almost instantly. Wh-what can I do to pet him? Will he be okay to touch?" Ryder's face instantly turned downward toward the cute and happy little pet. His skin would be an issue for most anyone. Though, some raevan weren't affected, luckily. It was always somewhat random, as far as Ryder could tell, who it would affect and who it wouldn't. So, he oftentimes kept his hands to himself so he didn't have to deal with any sort of reaction whatsoever. He just hoped that this wouldn't be a problem for him and his newest pet.

Lazarus's brows furrowed as Ryder talked about his skin problems. That would indeed pose a problem. His troubled expression persisted as he looked at the foxfish still sitting in the pool. He thought in silence for a moment before looking back at Ryder.

"Your poisonous skin, only works if it's skin to skin direct contact right?" That's the impression he gets, knowing the powers that some of his fellow Raevan friends have. "Had you touched a dog or a cat before? Something with a layer of fur?" He touched the foxfish's head curiously, not so much lovingly but more for observation. There is a layer of pretty dense fur on top of it. He's not too sure about the fins though, those probably considered to be 'skin' perhaps. But the scaled parts of the foxfish's body and the parts with fur should probably be alright.

"You can try touching me on the top of my head, see if your power affects me." Lazarus offered as he looked back at Ryder. "Fur is like hair I suppose, on people." He chuckled in amusement at that description. "If it doesn't affect me, maybe you won't affect animals with fur or scale to protect their skin too."

Ryder took a moment to think. Was his poisonous skin only transferable via skin to skin contact? It was a curious thought, but the frei was quite unsure. He hadn't touched a dog or cat before, but ever since he had first made contact with Calista and Reuben, he was afraid to touch basically anyone or anything.

"I...I haven't, no," he said, hesitantly, still trying to remember any time in which he may have touched some sort of animal.

Upon receiving an okay to touch the valsaros, Ryder's smile returned. "Okay...but only if you're sure," he said, holding his hand out to touch the soft locks on Lazarus' head.

A few moments went by, and Ryder questioned. "Do you feel any different?" Hoping for the answer he so desperately wanted.

Lazarus waited patiently as Ryder touched the top of his head. To be sure that he is pressing his hand firmly against his hair too, and not touching any skin. The foxfish rubbed against his idle hand affectionately before swimming off when the Raevan wasn't returning his affections.

When he was prompted with the question, Lazarus dipped his eyelids slowly, his posture and his shoulder slumped slightly, just to fool with Ryder a little. Then he laughed as he shook his head. "No, I don't feel anything different at all!" He smiled good-naturedly, hoping that the Frei wouldn't mind his little joke.

Then looking back down at the pool, he beckoned the foxfish to swim back to him, which the little friendly critter did, hungry for attention. Or maybe just hungry?

"Why don't you try on him now? Just gently pet him on the top of his head! Try to avoid the fins, as I'm not sure if those are considered 'skin' areas." The foxfish is a surprisingly calm little critter, despite how loving he is. He would stay still for pets, unlike some other animals sometimes.

As Lazarus faked syncope, Ryder instantly pulled away, fearing the worst. His heart began to race in those few moments between what could have been a very bad situation to the jokes on the mushroom. With a heavy sigh of relief, tinged with annoyance, Ryder spoke, "That's a relief. M-maybe you're right...maybe I can pet him on the fur with no issues."

Ryder slowly floated to the small pool and watched as the foxfish swam quickly around it before popping out of the water near Ryder with what seemed to be a warm, friendly smile on his face, ready to accept any sort of love or affection the frei were to give.

The toadstool slowly, but surely, began to close in on the critter's head, patting it a second, and then slowly stroking the top of the head and down the neck just a smidge. A few quick pets and Ryder pulled away, a crooked smile on his face. "Did it work!? Is he okay!?"

The fish just plopped down into the water and burst back up, giving him more momentum to reach the top of the tank, insisting on more love. Ryder's smile widened. "I...think he's fine, right?" he said, slowly going for a second set of pettings.

When the few moments of bonding came to an end, Ryder turned to the man with a bright face, full of joy. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Fur and hair do protect you! That's wonderful!"

Lazarus watched with a smile as Ryder petted the foxfish's head. At least the foxfish flattens his ear fins when he's petted on the top of his head, like most animals do. So it would be easier for Ryder to avoid that when petting. He seems to be enjoying the Frei's petting though, he doesn't look like a picky one when it comes to attention.

"I'm glad." Lazarus beamed, seeing that the Frei is more relaxed and happy. He is also glad that he helped Ryder discover more about his abilities.

"Here try this." From a nearby ice box, Lazarus pulled out a small fish that's just a few inches long. It was frozen in the morning and brought along as the chimeras' snack, but of course it's no longer frozen now after a full day, although it was still a little bit cold. "Try feeding it to him." He held it out to Ryder by the fish's tail, encouraging him. This would help bond the Frei more with the chimera. "You can take the rest of these fishes back with you too. Just bring the ice box back to the Lab some time when you're free."

Ryder slowly grabbed the fish by the tail, trying to figure out exactly how the foxfish would eat such a thing. Didn't that mean it was eating it's own kind? It was like Ryder eating mushrooms...which he would never do. But no matter, the foxfish seemed to be excited when the fish dangled in front of him.

"Here you go, little buddy," he said with a smile, dropping the fish into the tank. Within a moment, the critter was grabbed in the jaws of the foxfish, who swam around to the other side of the tank quickly, chomping down on the fish as he made his way across the tank.

"Wow, he was hungry," the toadstool stated, though that may have been quite obvious.

Turning his attention back to the man, he nodded. "Of course I will. Thank you so much! And I'll take very good care of him."

Lazarus watched with a smile as Ryder interacts with the foxfish. His job here is almost done! Quietly he goes to prepare the rest of the things for the Frei to bring the new pet back. From a nearby storage area, he brought out a plastic pet carrier, lined with some newspaper at the bottom. Gently he splash some water into the carrier so the newspaper would be wet, it'll keep the area moist while the foxfish is in it during the trip, and the foxfish won't dry out, keeping him comfortable.

"Now here's a trick to get him in there." Lazarus said as he opened the carrier's door. Then he picked up another fish, waving it in front of the foxfish. He immediately took the bait, as the foxfish splashes excitedly in his little pool with his mouth open and his tongue dangling out. Dexterously the Valsaros tossed the fish into the carrier, then gets over and lifts the foxfish out of the pool and positions him in front of the open door. The foxfish obligingly went inside where the fish is, none the wiser. And then Lazarus closes and locks the carrier's door with the foxfish securely inside. The carrier has just enough room for the foxfish to turn around if he so wished.

"Easy isn't it?" He smiled as he got back up. "Now you can carry him home with ease. Keep the carrier too, it's fine."

Ryder watched as Lazarus coaxed the small foxfish into the carrier. It seemed so easy for him. The mushroom was ecstatic to be able to have a newfound friend, especially after today's hectic day at the beach. He hadn't really wanted to come out in the first place, but today ended much better than it started.

Ryder nodded as Lazarus spoke. "That seems quite easy. Thank you so much for this extravagant gift! I cannot wait to show Reuben."

With that, the toadstool stared into the carrier through the bars, watching as his newfound friend was chomping down on his fish. A smile slowly grew on the boy's face as he dropped the carrier to his side, looking up at the valsaros before turning to float away towards Reuben's car.