40 min read
Daydreams in the Park
September 2, 2017
◈ WHO: Mark, Chittery, Ryder, & Reuben (HaiLaSin & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Mid afternoon on September 2, 2017
◈ WHERE: A park near Oakdale
◈ WEATHER: Sunny and comfortably warm.
◈ WHEN: Mid afternoon on September 2, 2017
◈ WHERE: A park near Oakdale
◈ WEATHER: Sunny and comfortably warm.
The park that Mark had decided to bring Chittery to today was one he frequented enough that he knew most of the soccer moms hanging out by the jungle gym on a first name basis -- or as close as first name basis Mark could get given his horrendous skills in remembering names. Which certainly didn’t hurt business either. Parents liked familiar faces, made them feel more comfortable leaving their kids in the care of a performer who they knew the name of. Kids liked it too, though that may just be because Mark walked around with a monkey on his shoulder and a friendly smile on his face every time they saw him.
Sadly, Mark had to skip his usual chats with the local moms today. Chittery still wasn’t in a good enough condition to be manhandled and there was no way Mark had it in him to deny those bright eyed faces anything. A brief wave to the few moms who happened to catch sight of him and an apologetic smile was the best he could offer them at the moment, though he stored their faces in his brain for later as his sped up his pace before the little ones caught sight of him. He’d give them a better explanation the next time he was here, he swore to himself, gaze flickering to the monkey currently settled on his shoulder. Right now, this was about giving Chittery a little time to just be Chittery.
Speaking of Chittery, the monkey was absolutely thrilled to finally be out of his or Chester’s apartment after a week and a half of limited space. The capuchin’s ability to move about weren’t limited by his injuries, which made it difficult when it came time to switch up the bandage currently covering his hand. The monkey didn’t want to stay still for even a moment, the energy building up in a way that had Mark scrambling about the apartment in desperate attempts to keep the animal from breaking various decor. Another week, he had told himself. Another week, and Chittery’s stitched would be healed up and he could come back to work. Until then, heavily monitored park trips were the only means of getting that energy out in a healthy, non-destructive manner.
Somewhere towards the north-east section of the park was a small fountain surrounded by several large, sturdy oaks and a pair of benches. Settled into plaques on the back of each bench were a pair of names, the lettering for each heavily worn down by a mixture of time and the elements.
‘In m__or_ _f __bi_s H_w____r a_d Ce___ia _o_____e_.’
Mark had long since memorized the pair of names and the location. He had been there when they had been placed and visited this spot more times than he could possibly count. There was a calm here, soft and serene, that made it easier for him to think. Or nap. Or just exist. Chittery loved climbing the oaks to, their branches more than sturdy enough to carry the monkey’s weight, and Mark released him to them the second he sat down.
A heavy sigh spilled from his lips, his head falling back so that his neck rested upon the smooth wood of the top most bar on the back of the bench, eyes cast skyward to watch the clouds float by. Behind him, a woman jogged past, the tune playing from her iPhone blasting even from her earbuds and Mark’s fingers idly sought out the harmonic resting in his pocket. He could play, pass his time with a tune or two as Chittery frolicked about in the trees before inevitably returning for the peanut reward in Mark’s pocket, but he didn’t particularly feel like putting in the effort. The clouds were large and fluffy today, and he had always been the creative type. He could watch them for an hour or so and still take some amusement out of it.
Sadly, Mark had to skip his usual chats with the local moms today. Chittery still wasn’t in a good enough condition to be manhandled and there was no way Mark had it in him to deny those bright eyed faces anything. A brief wave to the few moms who happened to catch sight of him and an apologetic smile was the best he could offer them at the moment, though he stored their faces in his brain for later as his sped up his pace before the little ones caught sight of him. He’d give them a better explanation the next time he was here, he swore to himself, gaze flickering to the monkey currently settled on his shoulder. Right now, this was about giving Chittery a little time to just be Chittery.
Speaking of Chittery, the monkey was absolutely thrilled to finally be out of his or Chester’s apartment after a week and a half of limited space. The capuchin’s ability to move about weren’t limited by his injuries, which made it difficult when it came time to switch up the bandage currently covering his hand. The monkey didn’t want to stay still for even a moment, the energy building up in a way that had Mark scrambling about the apartment in desperate attempts to keep the animal from breaking various decor. Another week, he had told himself. Another week, and Chittery’s stitched would be healed up and he could come back to work. Until then, heavily monitored park trips were the only means of getting that energy out in a healthy, non-destructive manner.
Somewhere towards the north-east section of the park was a small fountain surrounded by several large, sturdy oaks and a pair of benches. Settled into plaques on the back of each bench were a pair of names, the lettering for each heavily worn down by a mixture of time and the elements.
‘In m__or_ _f __bi_s H_w____r a_d Ce___ia _o_____e_.’
Mark had long since memorized the pair of names and the location. He had been there when they had been placed and visited this spot more times than he could possibly count. There was a calm here, soft and serene, that made it easier for him to think. Or nap. Or just exist. Chittery loved climbing the oaks to, their branches more than sturdy enough to carry the monkey’s weight, and Mark released him to them the second he sat down.
A heavy sigh spilled from his lips, his head falling back so that his neck rested upon the smooth wood of the top most bar on the back of the bench, eyes cast skyward to watch the clouds float by. Behind him, a woman jogged past, the tune playing from her iPhone blasting even from her earbuds and Mark’s fingers idly sought out the harmonic resting in his pocket. He could play, pass his time with a tune or two as Chittery frolicked about in the trees before inevitably returning for the peanut reward in Mark’s pocket, but he didn’t particularly feel like putting in the effort. The clouds were large and fluffy today, and he had always been the creative type. He could watch them for an hour or so and still take some amusement out of it.
"C'mon Ryder, lets get going!" Reuben's voice called from the living room as his eyes gazed down at the watch on his wrist. The second hand ticked away, every moment seemingly passing as a century.
Ryder cooped up in the bedroom, trying to evade the inevitable. The toadstool didn't really care for the outdoors, and lately his guardian had been pushing him to leave the house more, get out and go see the world. He knew it was true, that he should definitely give that a shot and do his best to appease his guardian; hell, it may even be good for him to get out of the house. But today, of all days, didn't seem like the day to do it.
The two had been rather lazy this Saturday. Reuben had a couple of appointments in the morning which gave Ryder full reign over the house. He had been practicing his imagination magic most of the morning and was rather worn out. But, the calls of his guardian never ceased.
Finally, the toadstool decided to give in, to leave the house. With that, the two made their way towards the local park, one of Reuben's favorite jogging places. This time, however, the two were just going to go for a light stroll to soak in what was left of the afternoon sun.
Reuben kept a bright smile on his face and a few paces ahead of his charge. Ryder oftentimes would just try and keep up as best he could before falling behind again or getting distracted by the most minute circumstance.
As the two entered the park, Reuben spoke. "I can't believe I haven't taken you out here yet! You're almost six months old and you've only been to bookstores and the forest. There are so many more things out here to experience."
Ryder hadn't paid any attention to what his guardian had to say. The frei was on his phone taking pictures of the scenery around him. Oh how he did love the one feature on his phone. Pictures and video were always great sources of imagination for the boy; and he took inspiration for places in his stories from such photos.
"Ryder, are you listening?" the guardian stated coldly, turning around and crossing his arms.
Ryder finally broke through the daze. "Hm? Oh. Yeah."
Reuben sighed. "I think it was a mistake to get you that phone."
"Why? It is a wonderful tool for me to gain so much more inspiration for my stories. The pictures I take, the things I can find online. It's all very useful!"
Reuben just simply shook his head before continuing to walk down the cement path that lined the park, Ryder following close behind enthralled with his iPhone.
Ryder cooped up in the bedroom, trying to evade the inevitable. The toadstool didn't really care for the outdoors, and lately his guardian had been pushing him to leave the house more, get out and go see the world. He knew it was true, that he should definitely give that a shot and do his best to appease his guardian; hell, it may even be good for him to get out of the house. But today, of all days, didn't seem like the day to do it.
The two had been rather lazy this Saturday. Reuben had a couple of appointments in the morning which gave Ryder full reign over the house. He had been practicing his imagination magic most of the morning and was rather worn out. But, the calls of his guardian never ceased.
Finally, the toadstool decided to give in, to leave the house. With that, the two made their way towards the local park, one of Reuben's favorite jogging places. This time, however, the two were just going to go for a light stroll to soak in what was left of the afternoon sun.
Reuben kept a bright smile on his face and a few paces ahead of his charge. Ryder oftentimes would just try and keep up as best he could before falling behind again or getting distracted by the most minute circumstance.
As the two entered the park, Reuben spoke. "I can't believe I haven't taken you out here yet! You're almost six months old and you've only been to bookstores and the forest. There are so many more things out here to experience."
Ryder hadn't paid any attention to what his guardian had to say. The frei was on his phone taking pictures of the scenery around him. Oh how he did love the one feature on his phone. Pictures and video were always great sources of imagination for the boy; and he took inspiration for places in his stories from such photos.
"Ryder, are you listening?" the guardian stated coldly, turning around and crossing his arms.
Ryder finally broke through the daze. "Hm? Oh. Yeah."
Reuben sighed. "I think it was a mistake to get you that phone."
"Why? It is a wonderful tool for me to gain so much more inspiration for my stories. The pictures I take, the things I can find online. It's all very useful!"
Reuben just simply shook his head before continuing to walk down the cement path that lined the park, Ryder following close behind enthralled with his iPhone.
Time seemed to pass by in at a snail’s pace as Mark sat on that bench, eyes cast towards the sky and mind drifting in and out of a state of semi-awareness. His source of entertainment, the clouds that passed by overhead, were starting to grow less numerous in their numbers and more shapeless in their forms but Chittery was still happily swinging about on the branches of the nearby trees. When the last one of substance slid out of few he blinked, redirecting his gaze to the fountain as he slid back into a regular sitting position.
Well great. What was he supposed to do now? His guitar was still in the van, his harmonica stashed away in the pocket of his guitar case, and all other instruments were on their stands at home. No book to read either, and his phone had only enough batteries to sit idle in his pocket in case of a call or text.
It was as he was musing this question that voices reached his ears, brown eyes turning towards a pair of blond men who were traveling down the pathway behind the bench he was currently sitting on. The older looked familiar. A jogger he had seen several times before during his previous visits to the park and with whom he occasionally would crack a joke towards as he passed by, usually to less than stellar effects. The younger boy was a new face but there did seem to be some similarities there.
The lack of legs though, told him that the boy was not in fact, the biological son or sibling of the other. Just like Shoshana and Dair, the boy sported the signature ribbon, rune and wings of a Raevan. Which meant that jogger guy was apparently a Raevan guardian? “Huh. Small world.”
Not one to let the opportunity to meet another member of the Lab 305 pass him by -- literally, as Reuben and Ryder were about to pass him by, both too lost in their own worlds to notice his presence -- he called out. “Woah! Jogger guy! Wait up!” Pushing himself out of his seat in a burst of motion that nearly had him fumbling over, the newspaper-haired man gave a friendly wave and excited smile as he closed the distance between himself and the pair of blonde’s. “Sorry, for calling you out like that. I just got a bit excited. You never mentioned you were part of Lab 305.”
It was a bit forward, especially with a person that he wasn’t even on first names of, to call out to them in the middle of their jog but Mark let it slide in hopes of maybe the two would let it pass upon learning the reasoning why. “I literally just sent my Essence and Soul off today!” He shared, eyes looking between the Toadstool Frei and Reuben, before realizing something very important had not yet been shared. “Oh! Mark! I’m Mark. And… I assume your name isn’t Jogger Guy right? And you? What’s your name?”
The Frei was an interesting looking lad. Rainbow freckles and toadstool wings. It was hard to tell what his Fel Essence was on first glance but then again that seemed to be pretty common. Either way, he looked pretty pleased with the device that was currently sitting within his hands so the conversation might end up consisting more of Mark and Reuben's exchanges with the occasional one word acknowledgment if Mark's experience with distracted teenagers told him anything.
Well great. What was he supposed to do now? His guitar was still in the van, his harmonica stashed away in the pocket of his guitar case, and all other instruments were on their stands at home. No book to read either, and his phone had only enough batteries to sit idle in his pocket in case of a call or text.
It was as he was musing this question that voices reached his ears, brown eyes turning towards a pair of blond men who were traveling down the pathway behind the bench he was currently sitting on. The older looked familiar. A jogger he had seen several times before during his previous visits to the park and with whom he occasionally would crack a joke towards as he passed by, usually to less than stellar effects. The younger boy was a new face but there did seem to be some similarities there.
The lack of legs though, told him that the boy was not in fact, the biological son or sibling of the other. Just like Shoshana and Dair, the boy sported the signature ribbon, rune and wings of a Raevan. Which meant that jogger guy was apparently a Raevan guardian? “Huh. Small world.”
Not one to let the opportunity to meet another member of the Lab 305 pass him by -- literally, as Reuben and Ryder were about to pass him by, both too lost in their own worlds to notice his presence -- he called out. “Woah! Jogger guy! Wait up!” Pushing himself out of his seat in a burst of motion that nearly had him fumbling over, the newspaper-haired man gave a friendly wave and excited smile as he closed the distance between himself and the pair of blonde’s. “Sorry, for calling you out like that. I just got a bit excited. You never mentioned you were part of Lab 305.”
It was a bit forward, especially with a person that he wasn’t even on first names of, to call out to them in the middle of their jog but Mark let it slide in hopes of maybe the two would let it pass upon learning the reasoning why. “I literally just sent my Essence and Soul off today!” He shared, eyes looking between the Toadstool Frei and Reuben, before realizing something very important had not yet been shared. “Oh! Mark! I’m Mark. And… I assume your name isn’t Jogger Guy right? And you? What’s your name?”
The Frei was an interesting looking lad. Rainbow freckles and toadstool wings. It was hard to tell what his Fel Essence was on first glance but then again that seemed to be pretty common. Either way, he looked pretty pleased with the device that was currently sitting within his hands so the conversation might end up consisting more of Mark and Reuben's exchanges with the occasional one word acknowledgment if Mark's experience with distracted teenagers told him anything.
Reuben spun around quickly when he heard 'jogger guy', and chuckled. So the 'monkey man' was alive and well? "Hey there!" Reuben stated quickly as he held out his arm to stop the floating frei dead in his tracks.
Ryder was brought back to the real world with a quick tap on his shoulder. The frei turned his attention to the man who had hopped up to introduce himself. He slipped the phone in one of his shirt pockets and gave a crooked smile. Oh how he hated introductions, they were always so awkward.
As Reuben listened to the man, he smirked. "Oh yeah!? That's awesome! he began, "I'm Reuben, and this is my charge, Ryder. It's nice to officially meet the 'monkey man'," he stated with a chuckle.
"You know, the Lab program is actually a lot larger than I first anticipated it to be. Congratulations on sending in your essence and soul bottle! What was your essence and what did you pair it with?" he asked curiously.
If there was one thing Ryder envied about Reuben, it was his ability to speak to complete strangers about absolutely nothing. He could pick up a conversation wherever whenever and be completely fine. Making friends came so easy to his guardian. Ryder, however, was on the other side of the spectrum. Very reserved and shy -- especially at first. He floated behind his guardian anxiously awaiting this meeting to be over; but decided to pipe up to prove to Reuben he was working on his social skills. "It is nice to meet you," he said, crooked smile and all.
Ryder was brought back to the real world with a quick tap on his shoulder. The frei turned his attention to the man who had hopped up to introduce himself. He slipped the phone in one of his shirt pockets and gave a crooked smile. Oh how he hated introductions, they were always so awkward.
As Reuben listened to the man, he smirked. "Oh yeah!? That's awesome! he began, "I'm Reuben, and this is my charge, Ryder. It's nice to officially meet the 'monkey man'," he stated with a chuckle.
"You know, the Lab program is actually a lot larger than I first anticipated it to be. Congratulations on sending in your essence and soul bottle! What was your essence and what did you pair it with?" he asked curiously.
If there was one thing Ryder envied about Reuben, it was his ability to speak to complete strangers about absolutely nothing. He could pick up a conversation wherever whenever and be completely fine. Making friends came so easy to his guardian. Ryder, however, was on the other side of the spectrum. Very reserved and shy -- especially at first. He floated behind his guardian anxiously awaiting this meeting to be over; but decided to pipe up to prove to Reuben he was working on his social skills. "It is nice to meet you," he said, crooked smile and all.
The contrast between Frei and Guardian couldn’t have been more apparent. Where Reuben greeted him with an open air of friendliness his charge almost seemed to shrink in on himself in an attempt to escape the exchange. Ryder’s behavior was unique among the Frei that Mark had met as well, both Shoshana and Dair being openly curious, even if Dair had initially started out a bit withdrawn. The diversity of Raevan personalities was a good thing he supposed.
Ryder putting his phone away was actually a small shock, but he met the boys crooked smile with a friendly one of his own before his gaze redirected back towards the more talkative Reuben. The names shared were unfamiliar, no doubt going to be partially forgotten due to Mark’s less than stellar ability to recall them, but he would remember the faces for sure. Associate them with Guardian and charge within his mind, and by extension associate them with Lab 305.
“Seriously man! I feel like we’ve been acquaintances for a while but the fact we never exchanged names feels super odd. Especially since I know most of the soccer moms by name. Heh! I like monkey man though! Good to see I’m not the only one who fills in the blanks with makeshift names!” His smile was bright, excited and unguarded as he continued to alternate between the Guardian and the Raevan. A part of him wanted to include Ryder in on the conversation but the boy was obviously shy. It would be better to let him inch his way in on his own.
Reuben’s comment about the Lab’s reach was a sentiment Mark certainly shared, his head nodding in agreement. “It really is. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like once I was made aware of it, Lab 305 seems to be popping up wherever I go nowadays. I think it might be one of those things where the magic of it all just kind of draws those involved towards each other.” He shared, before shrugging his shoulders. “That’s just a theory though! I’m not a scientist or anything so don’t hold me to it.”
Ryder’s greeting cut in before Mark could answer the other man’s question and immediately the man’s eyes sparkled merrily at the Frei’s small attempt. “No, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Encouraging the boy was important, the man playing up his response to the young Raevan just a little bit to make Ryder’s effort to socialize feel a bit more important. “It’s always really nice to meet new Raevan’s! It helps me learn what to expect from my own when he or she arrives.”
There was a brief pause, then Mark remembered Reuben’s earlier question. “Oh! Their Essence and Soul! Right!” Laughing, he shifted his body a little so that he was addressing both Ryder and Reuben. “The Essence was a nifty one. The Mabinogi Branch was the name. It told and sung these epic stories and if you held it the Branch filled your head with visions of them. Of course, it did all of it in, like, really old Celtic so I didn’t understand any of what it was actually saying but you got the feeling it was definitely telling epic stories.” It was hard to contain himself as he spoke about his Essence, hands moving about and face displaying his delight over what had been chosen for him. It wasn’t until it came time for him to discuss the soul that his movements slowed. “As for the Soul, I got a stoat. Or an ermine. They’re the same thing. Ermine is just the term used to describe the stoat when it’s fur is in it’s winter stage. Hold on, I’ll show you.”
The man fumbled about in his pocket until his hands pulled out the large, goofy looking doughnut phone case that surrounded his cell. The case itself no doubt causing a raised eyebrow as he typed out his pass-code and turned the phone around to show the pair a picture of the animal that he had set as his background. “This is what it looks like as an Ermine. Cute right? And this,” turning his phone around, Mark quickly pressed a few more buttons to pull open his saved photos and presenting them with the summer version of the creature, “-is what it looks like during the summer.”
He let the pair drink in the image before pulling his phone back, flipping through the photos before sharing one last image. “I took a picture of the filled soul bottle and essence together before I sent them off, in case you wanted to see what they looked like too.”
[[ Mark’s phone case -- { x }, The Ermine Photo -- { x }, The Stoat Photo -- { x } ]]
Ryder putting his phone away was actually a small shock, but he met the boys crooked smile with a friendly one of his own before his gaze redirected back towards the more talkative Reuben. The names shared were unfamiliar, no doubt going to be partially forgotten due to Mark’s less than stellar ability to recall them, but he would remember the faces for sure. Associate them with Guardian and charge within his mind, and by extension associate them with Lab 305.
“Seriously man! I feel like we’ve been acquaintances for a while but the fact we never exchanged names feels super odd. Especially since I know most of the soccer moms by name. Heh! I like monkey man though! Good to see I’m not the only one who fills in the blanks with makeshift names!” His smile was bright, excited and unguarded as he continued to alternate between the Guardian and the Raevan. A part of him wanted to include Ryder in on the conversation but the boy was obviously shy. It would be better to let him inch his way in on his own.
Reuben’s comment about the Lab’s reach was a sentiment Mark certainly shared, his head nodding in agreement. “It really is. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like once I was made aware of it, Lab 305 seems to be popping up wherever I go nowadays. I think it might be one of those things where the magic of it all just kind of draws those involved towards each other.” He shared, before shrugging his shoulders. “That’s just a theory though! I’m not a scientist or anything so don’t hold me to it.”
Ryder’s greeting cut in before Mark could answer the other man’s question and immediately the man’s eyes sparkled merrily at the Frei’s small attempt. “No, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Encouraging the boy was important, the man playing up his response to the young Raevan just a little bit to make Ryder’s effort to socialize feel a bit more important. “It’s always really nice to meet new Raevan’s! It helps me learn what to expect from my own when he or she arrives.”
There was a brief pause, then Mark remembered Reuben’s earlier question. “Oh! Their Essence and Soul! Right!” Laughing, he shifted his body a little so that he was addressing both Ryder and Reuben. “The Essence was a nifty one. The Mabinogi Branch was the name. It told and sung these epic stories and if you held it the Branch filled your head with visions of them. Of course, it did all of it in, like, really old Celtic so I didn’t understand any of what it was actually saying but you got the feeling it was definitely telling epic stories.” It was hard to contain himself as he spoke about his Essence, hands moving about and face displaying his delight over what had been chosen for him. It wasn’t until it came time for him to discuss the soul that his movements slowed. “As for the Soul, I got a stoat. Or an ermine. They’re the same thing. Ermine is just the term used to describe the stoat when it’s fur is in it’s winter stage. Hold on, I’ll show you.”
The man fumbled about in his pocket until his hands pulled out the large, goofy looking doughnut phone case that surrounded his cell. The case itself no doubt causing a raised eyebrow as he typed out his pass-code and turned the phone around to show the pair a picture of the animal that he had set as his background. “This is what it looks like as an Ermine. Cute right? And this,” turning his phone around, Mark quickly pressed a few more buttons to pull open his saved photos and presenting them with the summer version of the creature, “-is what it looks like during the summer.”
He let the pair drink in the image before pulling his phone back, flipping through the photos before sharing one last image. “I took a picture of the filled soul bottle and essence together before I sent them off, in case you wanted to see what they looked like too.”
[[ Mark’s phone case -- { x }, The Ermine Photo -- { x }, The Stoat Photo -- { x } ]]
Reuben chuckled at the man's sentiment about makeshift names. "Sometimes it's just something you have to do. I'm glad we were able to finally become better acquainted. At least on a first name basis," the guardian spoke, turning his attention to Ryder just as Mark had. Sure, he wanted to include his charge in conversation, but the toadstool was never one to speak up on his own.
Mark's comment about magic couldn't go unnoticed, because it seemed to resonate with the tarotist as well. "You're most certainly right about magic bringing us all together. It is a powerful thing, and even to say it is a theory, I'm pretty certain you're right. Looking back at all of the encounters I've had, it seemed like one led to another and the Lab sort of just...consumed my life."
When Mark spoke directly to the frei, Reuben turned his attention to his charge. Ryder was definitely trying his best, and when Ryder finally spoke up, his guardian was rather taken aback. "Well, I can say one thing out of my own experiences. Expect the unexpected when it comes to different raevan," the toadstool stated abruptly, turning his attention to Reuben. "Right, Reuben?"
The guardian chuckled. It wasn't like Ryder to actually participate in conversation, but he was glad to see him breaking out of his shell. "That I can attest to."
Reuben became curious as Mark began to speak about his soul and essence, and it wasn't until Mark said anything about "telling epic stories" that Ryder even began to pay attention. The two were now invested in what the man had to say, and Ryder even floated up and above his guardian to oversee what the man was rambling about when he showed them the phone. Reuben nodded and Ryder chuckled at the photos shown, thinking that they were cute.
"So, the branch told stories in old Celtic? That's strange. Do you know anyone who speaks the language to translate? I certainly hope that your frei doesn't come out speaking a different language," Reuben said with a laugh. "Not to scare you or anything, but it would definitely come in handy if the raevan does have some sort of language barrier."
Ryder was also focused more on the essence than the soul choice. Sure, he thought the ermine was cute, but the storytelling aspect was definitely more intriguing. "I want to be a writer when I'm older," Ryder stated, intrigued by the storytelling aspect.
Reuben's brow furrowed as he turned his attention to his charge. Of course, he knew his frei had always liked the aspect of storytelling and writing, coming up with things to satiate his imagination, but to hear him say he'd like to become a writer was definitely news to him. "You've never told me that before. When did you decide that?" Reuben asked curiously.
Ryder shrugged. "I've always loved reading and world building, as you know. To be able to also tell a story through words is definitely something I hope to do someday for a living just as you're living your dream as a shop owner. I'm sorry, was I supposed to share that information?" The frei was genuinely confused, his tone didn't indicate any sort of attitude or anything of the sort, but he wanted to know if expressing his want to be a writer was something he should have done earlier or not.
Reuben smiled. "A writer is a wonderful profession. I'm glad you have that drive to do something. But we can always talk about anything, and we'll talk more about that when we get home, okay?" Reuben stated, not wanting to deviate from the topic at hand with Mark.
Turning the attention back to the soon-to-be guardian, Reuben spoke."The combination sounds promising for sure. I'm glad you found such an interesting soul for your future frei. Did you have a hard time choosing? And hey, where is your little friend anyway? I just realized I've called you the monkey man for who knows how long and today he's not here? Or am I just blind?"
Mark's comment about magic couldn't go unnoticed, because it seemed to resonate with the tarotist as well. "You're most certainly right about magic bringing us all together. It is a powerful thing, and even to say it is a theory, I'm pretty certain you're right. Looking back at all of the encounters I've had, it seemed like one led to another and the Lab sort of just...consumed my life."
When Mark spoke directly to the frei, Reuben turned his attention to his charge. Ryder was definitely trying his best, and when Ryder finally spoke up, his guardian was rather taken aback. "Well, I can say one thing out of my own experiences. Expect the unexpected when it comes to different raevan," the toadstool stated abruptly, turning his attention to Reuben. "Right, Reuben?"
The guardian chuckled. It wasn't like Ryder to actually participate in conversation, but he was glad to see him breaking out of his shell. "That I can attest to."
Reuben became curious as Mark began to speak about his soul and essence, and it wasn't until Mark said anything about "telling epic stories" that Ryder even began to pay attention. The two were now invested in what the man had to say, and Ryder even floated up and above his guardian to oversee what the man was rambling about when he showed them the phone. Reuben nodded and Ryder chuckled at the photos shown, thinking that they were cute.
"So, the branch told stories in old Celtic? That's strange. Do you know anyone who speaks the language to translate? I certainly hope that your frei doesn't come out speaking a different language," Reuben said with a laugh. "Not to scare you or anything, but it would definitely come in handy if the raevan does have some sort of language barrier."
Ryder was also focused more on the essence than the soul choice. Sure, he thought the ermine was cute, but the storytelling aspect was definitely more intriguing. "I want to be a writer when I'm older," Ryder stated, intrigued by the storytelling aspect.
Reuben's brow furrowed as he turned his attention to his charge. Of course, he knew his frei had always liked the aspect of storytelling and writing, coming up with things to satiate his imagination, but to hear him say he'd like to become a writer was definitely news to him. "You've never told me that before. When did you decide that?" Reuben asked curiously.
Ryder shrugged. "I've always loved reading and world building, as you know. To be able to also tell a story through words is definitely something I hope to do someday for a living just as you're living your dream as a shop owner. I'm sorry, was I supposed to share that information?" The frei was genuinely confused, his tone didn't indicate any sort of attitude or anything of the sort, but he wanted to know if expressing his want to be a writer was something he should have done earlier or not.
Reuben smiled. "A writer is a wonderful profession. I'm glad you have that drive to do something. But we can always talk about anything, and we'll talk more about that when we get home, okay?" Reuben stated, not wanting to deviate from the topic at hand with Mark.
Turning the attention back to the soon-to-be guardian, Reuben spoke."The combination sounds promising for sure. I'm glad you found such an interesting soul for your future frei. Did you have a hard time choosing? And hey, where is your little friend anyway? I just realized I've called you the monkey man for who knows how long and today he's not here? Or am I just blind?"
It really was good. Reuben seemed like a nice guy and certainly the type of person who Mark got along with well enough. Even without the added bonus of being a fellow member of the Lab 305 community it really had been inevitable that at least one of the two would have extended the proverbial hand of friendship eventually. Ryder’s presence just seemed to have pushed that step forward a little bit. “It’s always good to strengthen relationships.” He echoed, though the sentiment might have been aimed a bit more towards the Frei than his guardian. Another subtle encouragement towards more social behavior, or at least a continued attempt to make the boy feel included.
Now, Mark wasn’t a particularly magical person himself. His ability to pick up new skills quickly was the closest thing to magic -- if you didn’t count the sounds he could produce from a piano when so inclined, which he really didn’t -- that the man possessed. Sure, he had some ability to sense it. Most people had some semblance of awareness of its existence after all. But actually harnessing and understanding magic was beyond him. Reuben on the other hand, seemed to be far more in touch with the universe's energies apparently.
“That’s…” Mark paused, a bit unsure how to respond to Reuben’s very assured response to his little theory. His hand moved to the back of his head, idly scratching the hairs that hadn’t been pulled into the low hanging ponytail as he let out a somewhat embarrassed chuckle. “Guess I’m more in tune to this stuff then I thought.” Or maybe it was just the magic of Lab yet again. Mark wasn’t sure and he certainly didn’t have the know how to go searching for the answers. He’d leave that to guys like Zeke and Reuben.
Mark’s awkwardness shifted away as Ryder spoke up, his mouth twitching upwards into an amused smile at the way the blonde guardian’s eyes seemed to pop in his surprise. Clearly, he wasn’t used to his son being so open in his communications. Good! He was glad to be able to help! “Gotcha! The only thing to expect is the unexpected. Fair enough.” It might not have seemed like useful information on surface level but in a way it was. Just like you could always expect a dishonest person to be dishonest, always expect the unexpected from a Raevan.
The two seemed to drink in the information he shared to them about his Fel Essence, and while both seemed to find the stoat pictures to be cute it was clear that both of their attention was directed towards the Essence. Not that he blamed them. If he had chosen a more magical soul maybe he would have been a bit miffed they overlooked it but a stoat was just a common type of weasel found around these areas. Nothing incredibly fascinating there on the surface level. Not like the Branch, which seemed to resonate with both of them in different ways.
Putting his phone back into his pocket once the pair had finished looking through the photos, Mark nodded his head in response to Reuben’s first question, only to noticeably freeze. His eyes seemed to pop from his skull, face tinting a pale color as the realization of a potential language barrier took hold. Even despite Reuben’s weak attempt to keep him from getting scared it was already too late. “Fu-frick.” He quickly corrected himself as he glanced towards Ryder, not wanting to curse in front of the Frei. “I didn’t even consider that! It’s such old Celtic I doubt anybody even speaks it anymore.” There had to be somebody who knew how to speak it. If not, well, he’d need to look into somebody who could teach English as a second language as fast as possible.
Ryder’s comment about his desire to become a writer couldn’t have popped up at a better time. The boy’s words served as a good distraction from that budding sense of fear that had begun creeping into his chest and Mark’s face regained its earlier color and easy going smile. “A writer huh? I like it! Heck, if my kiddo ends up being anything like his Essence when it comes to spouting out stories I bet you two will get along great if that’s the case!” Laughing, Mark couldn’t help but feel a hint of excitement at the idea of finding another Raevan who might actually make a good friend for his own. Sure, it was hard to say if their personalities would mesh -- it was the same issue with Dair, actually, as while the Essence had been rather fond of the tree Raevan it was hard to say if the Branch’s would feel that strong a tug towards a kindred spirit once it had merged with the stoat soul -- but there was hope there. “Why don’t you give me your number? We can arrange a meet up once he or she is up to meeting people.”
Offering out his phone for a second time, he smiled at the boy, only to find himself suddenly in between a strange conversation between guardian and charge. The exchange between the pair of blonde’s was a bit too personal for Mark to cut into but there was an undeniable awkwardness to laying witness to it. They carried on as if they had completely forgotten he was there and it was only when Reuben realized that fact that he redirected his attention back to the still smiling, albeit slightly uncomfortable newspaper haired man.
“Oh, uh, thanks! I think it’s a pretty good combo.” He answered, phone still held out for Ryder to take and fill with his information. “I did actually. I spent hours on the internet looking up good ideas but nothing clicked. Then Chester, he’s my boss and landlord and kind of somewhat a father figure,” Mark ‘asked’, his voice pitching a bit higher and shoulders shrugging as if even he didn’t know what to label the other man, “mentioned the stoat and well, I just kind of went ‘Yup! That’s the one!’ The rest is history, I guess.”
The mention of Chittery drew Mark’s attention back to the reason he had come to the park in the first place. The monkey had spent the entirety of the conversation sitting up in the trees watching the three, observing them all as he debated crawling down to join them. When Mark turned back to look at the tree that he had last seen the animal in, he could even make out a pair of black eyes staring at him from within the foliage. “He’s up in the trees monkeying around. Hold on, I’ll call him over and introduce you guys.”
Hand sneaking into his pocket, Mark pulled out a small satchel filled with peanuts before turning to partially face the tree and held it up. “Hey Chit! You want a treat?!” He called, mouth turning into a large smile, as no sooner had the word treat left his mouth was the capuchin clambering down the trunk and through the grass to join them. The animal wasted no time at all climbing up Mark’s body to settle himself down on his shoulders, fingers poking and prodding even as Mark opened up the satchel and pulled a couple of peanuts out for him. “Reuben. Ryder. This is Chittery. My, or well, technically my boss’s, pet white-headed capuchin.”
Now, Mark wasn’t a particularly magical person himself. His ability to pick up new skills quickly was the closest thing to magic -- if you didn’t count the sounds he could produce from a piano when so inclined, which he really didn’t -- that the man possessed. Sure, he had some ability to sense it. Most people had some semblance of awareness of its existence after all. But actually harnessing and understanding magic was beyond him. Reuben on the other hand, seemed to be far more in touch with the universe's energies apparently.
“That’s…” Mark paused, a bit unsure how to respond to Reuben’s very assured response to his little theory. His hand moved to the back of his head, idly scratching the hairs that hadn’t been pulled into the low hanging ponytail as he let out a somewhat embarrassed chuckle. “Guess I’m more in tune to this stuff then I thought.” Or maybe it was just the magic of Lab yet again. Mark wasn’t sure and he certainly didn’t have the know how to go searching for the answers. He’d leave that to guys like Zeke and Reuben.
Mark’s awkwardness shifted away as Ryder spoke up, his mouth twitching upwards into an amused smile at the way the blonde guardian’s eyes seemed to pop in his surprise. Clearly, he wasn’t used to his son being so open in his communications. Good! He was glad to be able to help! “Gotcha! The only thing to expect is the unexpected. Fair enough.” It might not have seemed like useful information on surface level but in a way it was. Just like you could always expect a dishonest person to be dishonest, always expect the unexpected from a Raevan.
The two seemed to drink in the information he shared to them about his Fel Essence, and while both seemed to find the stoat pictures to be cute it was clear that both of their attention was directed towards the Essence. Not that he blamed them. If he had chosen a more magical soul maybe he would have been a bit miffed they overlooked it but a stoat was just a common type of weasel found around these areas. Nothing incredibly fascinating there on the surface level. Not like the Branch, which seemed to resonate with both of them in different ways.
Putting his phone back into his pocket once the pair had finished looking through the photos, Mark nodded his head in response to Reuben’s first question, only to noticeably freeze. His eyes seemed to pop from his skull, face tinting a pale color as the realization of a potential language barrier took hold. Even despite Reuben’s weak attempt to keep him from getting scared it was already too late. “Fu-frick.” He quickly corrected himself as he glanced towards Ryder, not wanting to curse in front of the Frei. “I didn’t even consider that! It’s such old Celtic I doubt anybody even speaks it anymore.” There had to be somebody who knew how to speak it. If not, well, he’d need to look into somebody who could teach English as a second language as fast as possible.
Ryder’s comment about his desire to become a writer couldn’t have popped up at a better time. The boy’s words served as a good distraction from that budding sense of fear that had begun creeping into his chest and Mark’s face regained its earlier color and easy going smile. “A writer huh? I like it! Heck, if my kiddo ends up being anything like his Essence when it comes to spouting out stories I bet you two will get along great if that’s the case!” Laughing, Mark couldn’t help but feel a hint of excitement at the idea of finding another Raevan who might actually make a good friend for his own. Sure, it was hard to say if their personalities would mesh -- it was the same issue with Dair, actually, as while the Essence had been rather fond of the tree Raevan it was hard to say if the Branch’s would feel that strong a tug towards a kindred spirit once it had merged with the stoat soul -- but there was hope there. “Why don’t you give me your number? We can arrange a meet up once he or she is up to meeting people.”
Offering out his phone for a second time, he smiled at the boy, only to find himself suddenly in between a strange conversation between guardian and charge. The exchange between the pair of blonde’s was a bit too personal for Mark to cut into but there was an undeniable awkwardness to laying witness to it. They carried on as if they had completely forgotten he was there and it was only when Reuben realized that fact that he redirected his attention back to the still smiling, albeit slightly uncomfortable newspaper haired man.
“Oh, uh, thanks! I think it’s a pretty good combo.” He answered, phone still held out for Ryder to take and fill with his information. “I did actually. I spent hours on the internet looking up good ideas but nothing clicked. Then Chester, he’s my boss and landlord and kind of somewhat a father figure,” Mark ‘asked’, his voice pitching a bit higher and shoulders shrugging as if even he didn’t know what to label the other man, “mentioned the stoat and well, I just kind of went ‘Yup! That’s the one!’ The rest is history, I guess.”
The mention of Chittery drew Mark’s attention back to the reason he had come to the park in the first place. The monkey had spent the entirety of the conversation sitting up in the trees watching the three, observing them all as he debated crawling down to join them. When Mark turned back to look at the tree that he had last seen the animal in, he could even make out a pair of black eyes staring at him from within the foliage. “He’s up in the trees monkeying around. Hold on, I’ll call him over and introduce you guys.”
Hand sneaking into his pocket, Mark pulled out a small satchel filled with peanuts before turning to partially face the tree and held it up. “Hey Chit! You want a treat?!” He called, mouth turning into a large smile, as no sooner had the word treat left his mouth was the capuchin clambering down the trunk and through the grass to join them. The animal wasted no time at all climbing up Mark’s body to settle himself down on his shoulders, fingers poking and prodding even as Mark opened up the satchel and pulled a couple of peanuts out for him. “Reuben. Ryder. This is Chittery. My, or well, technically my boss’s, pet white-headed capuchin.”
Reuben nodded in agreement with Mark when he spoke about strengthening relationship. The man knew that having a strong bond with friends, family, his frei, and even the universe would promote an optimistic life he could live. Ryder, on the other hand, didn't pay any close attention to the words the man spoke.
A smile crept upon the tarotist's face when the man chuckled. "I think, to an extent, we are all in tune with the universe and the magic of the world. But that's just me," he spoke, turning his attention to his frei, who he could tell was feeling a bit more uncomfortable yet again.
Reuben just continued on talking to his fellow guardian, especially when old Celtic was brought up. "W-well, I didn't mean to upset you or anything," the man began, nervous that he had given the man more to think about than he desired to. "I'm not entirely sure how language works with newborn frei. When I met Ryder, he was already pretty capable of speech, but that may be due to this essence being imaginations and the thoughts of others. His grasp was probably a bit easier than some. But I'm not sure. Just take it one day at a time, and if there is such a problem, we always have Google Translate!" the guardian chuckled, trying to lighten to mood he had no doubt put the fellow guardian in.
Ryder kept his attention on the two guardians, but he was silent. He had nodded in response to Reuben's wish to talk later, but he felt uncomfortable being talked to about a set of more personal matters in front of this stranger.
Though when Mark began to speak about his frei being a storyteller, Ryder perked up. "That would be wonderful. I do love stories. My number is-," Ryder began to spout off a couple of numbers before Reuben laughed and cut him off.
"Why don't I just give you my business card. Ever since I gave the kid his cell phone, he's been using it more often than I originally expected him to." Reuben pulled a card from his wallet and handed it to the man.
Ryder sighed, slightly miffed at the fact that his guardian cut him off, especially when he was trying his best to interact and be more social and outgoing and less awkward and-- Ryder's mind went on a rampage in that moment, and his sadness was apparent had anyone looked at his face. How come Reuben wanted him to try and be more outgoing with others, especially those from the lab, and yet always cut him off or told him to calm down when he finally found something to talk about? It was like he wasn't ever doing the right thing.
Reuben's face lit up when Chittery climbed up Mark's body to his shoulder. "Hey little guy! It's nice to meet you," he said, leaning in a bit closer with a smile on his face to get a better look at the monkey.
Ryder's mind was too preoccupied to truly care about the monkey. Sure, he gave a slight, uninterested smirk when he came clambering down the tree, but all the frei wanted now was to go home and work on the newest world he was trying to create in his mind. Maybe build a couple of characters, or even practice his magic. He didn't want to be out any longer, especially after how he felt pushed aside from his guardian.
The toadstool could hear Alice speaking to him in his mind, requesting to come play. She was always there to keep the boy occupied when he felt out of place; and although he would love for her to play, he pushed the thought of Alice away from his mind. He knew he'd be scolded by Reuben later, if not in the moment, had she been given the opportunity to reveal herself. So, he just kept quiet and watched his guardian with saddened eyes, waiting for this interaction to end.
A smile crept upon the tarotist's face when the man chuckled. "I think, to an extent, we are all in tune with the universe and the magic of the world. But that's just me," he spoke, turning his attention to his frei, who he could tell was feeling a bit more uncomfortable yet again.
Reuben just continued on talking to his fellow guardian, especially when old Celtic was brought up. "W-well, I didn't mean to upset you or anything," the man began, nervous that he had given the man more to think about than he desired to. "I'm not entirely sure how language works with newborn frei. When I met Ryder, he was already pretty capable of speech, but that may be due to this essence being imaginations and the thoughts of others. His grasp was probably a bit easier than some. But I'm not sure. Just take it one day at a time, and if there is such a problem, we always have Google Translate!" the guardian chuckled, trying to lighten to mood he had no doubt put the fellow guardian in.
Ryder kept his attention on the two guardians, but he was silent. He had nodded in response to Reuben's wish to talk later, but he felt uncomfortable being talked to about a set of more personal matters in front of this stranger.
Though when Mark began to speak about his frei being a storyteller, Ryder perked up. "That would be wonderful. I do love stories. My number is-," Ryder began to spout off a couple of numbers before Reuben laughed and cut him off.
"Why don't I just give you my business card. Ever since I gave the kid his cell phone, he's been using it more often than I originally expected him to." Reuben pulled a card from his wallet and handed it to the man.
Ryder sighed, slightly miffed at the fact that his guardian cut him off, especially when he was trying his best to interact and be more social and outgoing and less awkward and-- Ryder's mind went on a rampage in that moment, and his sadness was apparent had anyone looked at his face. How come Reuben wanted him to try and be more outgoing with others, especially those from the lab, and yet always cut him off or told him to calm down when he finally found something to talk about? It was like he wasn't ever doing the right thing.
Reuben's face lit up when Chittery climbed up Mark's body to his shoulder. "Hey little guy! It's nice to meet you," he said, leaning in a bit closer with a smile on his face to get a better look at the monkey.
Ryder's mind was too preoccupied to truly care about the monkey. Sure, he gave a slight, uninterested smirk when he came clambering down the tree, but all the frei wanted now was to go home and work on the newest world he was trying to create in his mind. Maybe build a couple of characters, or even practice his magic. He didn't want to be out any longer, especially after how he felt pushed aside from his guardian.
The toadstool could hear Alice speaking to him in his mind, requesting to come play. She was always there to keep the boy occupied when he felt out of place; and although he would love for her to play, he pushed the thought of Alice away from his mind. He knew he'd be scolded by Reuben later, if not in the moment, had she been given the opportunity to reveal herself. So, he just kept quiet and watched his guardian with saddened eyes, waiting for this interaction to end.
He couldn’t deny that it was a possibility. Magic might not have come to Mark as naturally as it did some others but that didn’t necessarily mean that he was completely without it. If he really wanted, there were people out there who could teach him all sorts of things. Unfortunately, he had more than enough on his plate, so whatever real magic lesson he could be learning would have to wait for a while. “Mhmm. I can dig that philosophy.” He added in agreement to Rueben’s words.
The other guardian carried on, his words placating a little of Mark’s nerves in regards to the potential language barrier of his newly born Frei. “I think, if Essence plays into it, my kid will probably be a pretty chatty one. The Branch was always telling some sort of story or another. The problem is as you said, the actual language itself. They could be born and be speaking fluent Ancient Welsh non-stop but I’d have no idea what he or she was saying.” His hand moved to scratch nervously at the back of his neck, the thumb of the other running over the sprinkle ridges of his phone case. “Google Translate doesn’t exactly have an ancient Celtic option. I looked…”
His words trailed off for a moment before he snapped out of it to look back at Ryder, the Frei’s burst of enthusiasm bringing a smile to his lips that was wiped when the poor Frei was cut off by his guardian. It was very rare that Mark felt genuine anger at someone but Reuben’s actions certainly sent a spark shooting through him. The man wanted his son to be more social yet he cut the boy off when he was trying to speak. Reigning back any visible sign of irritation, Mark took the business card with a polite smile, before reaching into his own pocket to grab one of his own to hand over to the blond man.
“Phones are really important for modern day communication. They allow children who have difficulty socializing in person meet others of like minded interests and with the internet it gives them access to a world of information. So long as you speak candidly with him about safe browsing and chatting I wouldn’t be too worried about phone usage.” Mark advised in a careful yet firm tone, his expression a little less casual than it had been before. “Not that I’m an expert on this matter, though. This is just coming from a guy who works with kids of all different sorts and has spoken to more than his fair share of parents.”
Chittery’s appearance seemed to clear the tension in the air, the monkey chewing at the peanuts that he had been given before directing his attention to the new human. When Reuben leaned forward, Chittery took it as an invitation to leap from Mark’s shoulder to the other man’s and immediately set up shop by running his tiny hands through the man’s hair and over his ears. Eventually, they came to pick at the glasses that sat upon the man’s nose, the monkey’s face pressing against the lenses as if mystified by them.
With Reuben briefly distracted by the curious monkey, Mark took that moment to offer his own phone to Ryder with a soft smile. “Why don’t you put your number in there yourself? You know how to do it right? I’ll text you back and you can save my contact information.” His voice was just as soft as his smile. Partly to keep Reuben’s attention away from the exchange and thus keep the man from preventing it once more and partly because he didn’t want to alert Chittery to Ryder. Something told him the toadstool wouldn’t handle the monkey as well as Shoshana had.
The other guardian carried on, his words placating a little of Mark’s nerves in regards to the potential language barrier of his newly born Frei. “I think, if Essence plays into it, my kid will probably be a pretty chatty one. The Branch was always telling some sort of story or another. The problem is as you said, the actual language itself. They could be born and be speaking fluent Ancient Welsh non-stop but I’d have no idea what he or she was saying.” His hand moved to scratch nervously at the back of his neck, the thumb of the other running over the sprinkle ridges of his phone case. “Google Translate doesn’t exactly have an ancient Celtic option. I looked…”
His words trailed off for a moment before he snapped out of it to look back at Ryder, the Frei’s burst of enthusiasm bringing a smile to his lips that was wiped when the poor Frei was cut off by his guardian. It was very rare that Mark felt genuine anger at someone but Reuben’s actions certainly sent a spark shooting through him. The man wanted his son to be more social yet he cut the boy off when he was trying to speak. Reigning back any visible sign of irritation, Mark took the business card with a polite smile, before reaching into his own pocket to grab one of his own to hand over to the blond man.
“Phones are really important for modern day communication. They allow children who have difficulty socializing in person meet others of like minded interests and with the internet it gives them access to a world of information. So long as you speak candidly with him about safe browsing and chatting I wouldn’t be too worried about phone usage.” Mark advised in a careful yet firm tone, his expression a little less casual than it had been before. “Not that I’m an expert on this matter, though. This is just coming from a guy who works with kids of all different sorts and has spoken to more than his fair share of parents.”
Chittery’s appearance seemed to clear the tension in the air, the monkey chewing at the peanuts that he had been given before directing his attention to the new human. When Reuben leaned forward, Chittery took it as an invitation to leap from Mark’s shoulder to the other man’s and immediately set up shop by running his tiny hands through the man’s hair and over his ears. Eventually, they came to pick at the glasses that sat upon the man’s nose, the monkey’s face pressing against the lenses as if mystified by them.
With Reuben briefly distracted by the curious monkey, Mark took that moment to offer his own phone to Ryder with a soft smile. “Why don’t you put your number in there yourself? You know how to do it right? I’ll text you back and you can save my contact information.” His voice was just as soft as his smile. Partly to keep Reuben’s attention away from the exchange and thus keep the man from preventing it once more and partly because he didn’t want to alert Chittery to Ryder. Something told him the toadstool wouldn’t handle the monkey as well as Shoshana had.
Reuben simply nodded at the future guardian's agreement. He liked people when they were open to learning, or at least open to the ideology that other's held, no matter if he accepted it as his own or not; open minds open hearts.
The guardian shook his head at the idea of Google Translate not having Ancient Celtic. With a sigh, he spoke, "Yeah, sorry, I didn't think of that being an issue. Let's just hope that your frei is born with an english mind, or at least an english setting." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
As Mark began his lesson about modern day communication, Reuben's brow raised. What did he know about it? He didn't know how often Ryder was really spending on his new phone, and he didn't know that, at home, Ryder would barely attempt to come out of his bedroom. Everything the toadstool had could be summed up within that one bedroom and he never wished to leave, especially since getting the phone. And Mark didn't really know what all Reuben had been through with Ryder; but how could he? They only just met today. The guardian almost felt a bit attacked on his parenting style. "Uh huh," he stated sharply, an obvious air of attitude growing.
All of that attitude, however, began to dissipate the moment Chittery hopped onto his shoulder. Laughter filled the air. Reuben couldn't even contain his happiness at that moment, the monkey squirming about, pressing up against his glasses, the whole bit. It was just magical in his mind.
Meanwhile, Ryder floated in the background, almost as if to float further and further away. He listened to Mark's initial comment about the phone and felt a bit defended by that statement, which made the frei feel a bit more at peace. After all, aside from trying to speak about his new phone number, the mushroom hadn't even taken his phone out of his pocket.
With Reuben distracted, Mark began to speak directly to Ryder. A grand smile grew upon the raevan's face as he took Mark's phone with a nod and began to type in his number. This was the first person he had ever shared his very own phone number with! That put a delightful grin on his face. As he handed the phone back to it's owner, Ryder just spoke softly. "Thank you," he said, pulling out his own phone and waiting for the quick text. Aside from Reuben and Calista, Ryder hadn't ever received a text from anyone; so the aspect of having a new number delighted him.
The guardian shook his head at the idea of Google Translate not having Ancient Celtic. With a sigh, he spoke, "Yeah, sorry, I didn't think of that being an issue. Let's just hope that your frei is born with an english mind, or at least an english setting." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
As Mark began his lesson about modern day communication, Reuben's brow raised. What did he know about it? He didn't know how often Ryder was really spending on his new phone, and he didn't know that, at home, Ryder would barely attempt to come out of his bedroom. Everything the toadstool had could be summed up within that one bedroom and he never wished to leave, especially since getting the phone. And Mark didn't really know what all Reuben had been through with Ryder; but how could he? They only just met today. The guardian almost felt a bit attacked on his parenting style. "Uh huh," he stated sharply, an obvious air of attitude growing.
All of that attitude, however, began to dissipate the moment Chittery hopped onto his shoulder. Laughter filled the air. Reuben couldn't even contain his happiness at that moment, the monkey squirming about, pressing up against his glasses, the whole bit. It was just magical in his mind.
Meanwhile, Ryder floated in the background, almost as if to float further and further away. He listened to Mark's initial comment about the phone and felt a bit defended by that statement, which made the frei feel a bit more at peace. After all, aside from trying to speak about his new phone number, the mushroom hadn't even taken his phone out of his pocket.
With Reuben distracted, Mark began to speak directly to Ryder. A grand smile grew upon the raevan's face as he took Mark's phone with a nod and began to type in his number. This was the first person he had ever shared his very own phone number with! That put a delightful grin on his face. As he handed the phone back to it's owner, Ryder just spoke softly. "Thank you," he said, pulling out his own phone and waiting for the quick text. Aside from Reuben and Calista, Ryder hadn't ever received a text from anyone; so the aspect of having a new number delighted him.
“No, no. It’s, uh, probably for the best you brought it up. Let’s me prepare myself in case the scenario really does pop up.” Mark reassured with an easy going smile. Reuben’s intentions had been good. It wasn’t his fault that Mark was a bit of a nervous wreck over this whole ordeal.
It was clear that perhaps Mark had spoken a bit out of turn the moment his little lecture about the benefits of the phone usage had slipped out of his mouth. He had tried to backpedal with the second half of the statement, conceding that he wasn’t an expert in the matter and not to take his words too seriously if Reuben didn’t wish to, but the damage had been done. The hint of hostility in his dismissive two word response was enough to tell Mark that the other man felt personally attacked. Which, Mark had to admit, perhaps he had been, which was certainly an error on Mark’s part. He had no business judging this guy’s parenting skills, even if what he had seen on display had ruffled his own feathers. The last thing he needed or wanted to be doing was making enemies.
So when Chittery appeared and completely altered the mood of the human man Mark had to resist the urge to kiss the little cretin. His lips formed into a wild, vibrant smile, his shoulders -- which had tensed during the previous exchange -- eased into their more relaxed, natural posture. Hand it to the monkey to be able to brighten up what was an otherwise very tense situation. Not to mention serve as a wonderful distraction.
The smile that Ryder gave him was special. It was bright and happy, erupting from the boys rainbow freckled features and filled with such utter delight that it warmed the man’s heart. It had been such a simple action, but Mark was happy to have brightened the frei’s day. “Not a problem buddy.” The casual response was soft, once more trying to prevent the monkey and human from paying too much attention to the exchange. Glancing towards Reuben and Chittery briefly to make sure they were still distracted with one another, he type out a quick little message for Ryder.
Satisfied with the brief message, Mark clicked the send button and returning his phone to his pocket, looking up just in time for Chittery to begin the wild search of Reuben’s clothing for peanuts. Realizing that this might lead to a bit of touching that the other human wasn’t okay with, Mark let out a small whistle to reclaim the creatures attention. “Hey now, what did I tell you about keeping your hands outside of people’s clothing?” The monkey let out a noise something akin to a groan, before abandoning his search and leaping once more to Mark’s shoulder.
From up close, the man could tell the primate’s breathing had become a bit labored, the tiny chest rising and falling in a way that told him it was about time they headed home so the creature could rest. “See now? You pooped yourself out for nothing.” Lips cracking into an affectionate smile, Mark’s fingers scratched at the capuchin’s fluffy head before his gaze drifted back to Reuben. “We should probably head out. Chittery is still recovering from an injury and any more excitement might cause him problems. It was really good finally meeting you officially. I’ll give you a call when my Raevan is born and we can arrange a hangout. Sound good?”
It was clear that perhaps Mark had spoken a bit out of turn the moment his little lecture about the benefits of the phone usage had slipped out of his mouth. He had tried to backpedal with the second half of the statement, conceding that he wasn’t an expert in the matter and not to take his words too seriously if Reuben didn’t wish to, but the damage had been done. The hint of hostility in his dismissive two word response was enough to tell Mark that the other man felt personally attacked. Which, Mark had to admit, perhaps he had been, which was certainly an error on Mark’s part. He had no business judging this guy’s parenting skills, even if what he had seen on display had ruffled his own feathers. The last thing he needed or wanted to be doing was making enemies.
So when Chittery appeared and completely altered the mood of the human man Mark had to resist the urge to kiss the little cretin. His lips formed into a wild, vibrant smile, his shoulders -- which had tensed during the previous exchange -- eased into their more relaxed, natural posture. Hand it to the monkey to be able to brighten up what was an otherwise very tense situation. Not to mention serve as a wonderful distraction.
The smile that Ryder gave him was special. It was bright and happy, erupting from the boys rainbow freckled features and filled with such utter delight that it warmed the man’s heart. It had been such a simple action, but Mark was happy to have brightened the frei’s day. “Not a problem buddy.” The casual response was soft, once more trying to prevent the monkey and human from paying too much attention to the exchange. Glancing towards Reuben and Chittery briefly to make sure they were still distracted with one another, he type out a quick little message for Ryder.
- Mark from Park
- Hey!!! Its Mark from the park!! Dont forget to save my number, kay? Ill text you when my Raevan is born but dont be afraid to text me or call! Same for your guardian!
Satisfied with the brief message, Mark clicked the send button and returning his phone to his pocket, looking up just in time for Chittery to begin the wild search of Reuben’s clothing for peanuts. Realizing that this might lead to a bit of touching that the other human wasn’t okay with, Mark let out a small whistle to reclaim the creatures attention. “Hey now, what did I tell you about keeping your hands outside of people’s clothing?” The monkey let out a noise something akin to a groan, before abandoning his search and leaping once more to Mark’s shoulder.
From up close, the man could tell the primate’s breathing had become a bit labored, the tiny chest rising and falling in a way that told him it was about time they headed home so the creature could rest. “See now? You pooped yourself out for nothing.” Lips cracking into an affectionate smile, Mark’s fingers scratched at the capuchin’s fluffy head before his gaze drifted back to Reuben. “We should probably head out. Chittery is still recovering from an injury and any more excitement might cause him problems. It was really good finally meeting you officially. I’ll give you a call when my Raevan is born and we can arrange a hangout. Sound good?”
As the monkey continued to play with the man's pockets, Reuben simply let out a quiet laugh. "What're you doing, buddy?" he said, watching as the monkey dug around in his shirt pocket, and then crawled down towards his pants pocket. Luckily, before anything went too far, Mark called the little monkey back. With a quiet chuckle, Reuben smiled. "Curious little fella, huh?"
Meanwhile, Ryder decided to pull out his cell phone when he felt the buzzing go off near his chest. A bright smile lit up the frei's face as he read it. He looked up at his newfound friend and nodded. Placing the phone back into his pocket he watched as the monkey leapt upon Mark's shoulder.
"Yeah, that's fine with me. I'm sorry to hear the little guy was hurt, but I'm glad to see he's still got a lot of spunk!" Reuben stated with a lighthearted smile, noting that it was probably time they get heading back as well. "Time flies when you're having fun, right? It was nice to meet you as well, and we look forward to meeting your future little raevan. Good luck when he arrives," Reuben said, a slight wave before he looked at his frei with a determined nod.
"Ready to get going home as well?" the guardian questioned, already knowing the answer full well.
"I thought you'd never ask," the frei said, giving Mark a final smile before turning around and floating off towards home.
With one last farewell wave, Reuben began his quick jog to Ryder's side. In the distance, one would be able to hear the two discussing Ryder's newfound passion for writing.
Meanwhile, Ryder decided to pull out his cell phone when he felt the buzzing go off near his chest. A bright smile lit up the frei's face as he read it. He looked up at his newfound friend and nodded. Placing the phone back into his pocket he watched as the monkey leapt upon Mark's shoulder.
"Yeah, that's fine with me. I'm sorry to hear the little guy was hurt, but I'm glad to see he's still got a lot of spunk!" Reuben stated with a lighthearted smile, noting that it was probably time they get heading back as well. "Time flies when you're having fun, right? It was nice to meet you as well, and we look forward to meeting your future little raevan. Good luck when he arrives," Reuben said, a slight wave before he looked at his frei with a determined nod.
"Ready to get going home as well?" the guardian questioned, already knowing the answer full well.
"I thought you'd never ask," the frei said, giving Mark a final smile before turning around and floating off towards home.
With one last farewell wave, Reuben began his quick jog to Ryder's side. In the distance, one would be able to hear the two discussing Ryder's newfound passion for writing.