In Your Wildest Imagination - Magic & Mushrooms

◈ WHO: Zeke, Reuben & Ryder (Ravina Loki & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Around 10AM on March 12, 2017
◈ WHERE: Lab 305
◈ WEATHER: A fair bit chilly, but sunny at least!

The weeks were slowly creeping toward spring and it was amazing just how active the Lab had been in the few months before it officially began! There had been a number of new Guardians, births, growths, and even a few injuries to tend to and it seemed as if the excitement train was not stopping for a rest quite yet. Third month of the year and here he was, making the call to announce to another Guardian some very delightful news:

"Hello, Reuben? This is Zeke from Lab 305! I hope you don't mind a phone call this early or this out of the blue but I've got something fantastic to tell you! Your Raevan is here and is ready to go home with you!!! Stop by any time today and we'll get you two acquainted and on your way!"

He hung the phone up shortly thereafter with a big grin already on his face. Sliding Reuben's file over to himself, the vet flipped the cover open to once again read the information contained within. Reuben's Raevan - which in itself was a fun thing to say - was a boy. As with just about every Frei, he passed his initial health checks with flying colors and as Zeke had said on the phone that meant all he needed was for his Guardian to show up and take him home. Zeke paused on the Frei's Essence and Soul, once more beginning the pleasant pondering what was wondering how each part in turn lent itself to the boy's appearance. A mushroom could make him anything from quaint to creepy and the Visible Imagination well...depending how it manifested, it could probably go either way as well. This one was a curious sort and Zeke couldn't wait to meet him!

Reuben sat at his coffee table, as it was a bit too chilly to go outside, doing a tarot reading for himself for the day. He brought some tea to the coffee table and sat down. He shuffled the deck and drew his cards. Today had been a lazy Sunday, unlike any other Sunday. He had decided to close the shop for the day. After being out in the wilderness for an entire weekend with Sam a few weekends prior, he realized that he needed to take some time off now and again to recoup. So, this weekend was his lax weekend.

As Reuben sat there, reviewing the cards that sat atop his coffee table, he was a little surprised coming to see that his reading really pointed him into a new direction. The Page of Cups, The Magician, and the Four of Wands. Offering up a pretty juicy reading which could be construed in many ways. The tarotist took the reading in stride as an emotional journey could begin that involved a surge of creativity, the end resulting in something to truly celebrate about. With that happy thought aside, he sipped his tea once more and heard his cell phone ring.

Answering it would be the best thing that happened to Reuben in all of 2017. "Hello?"

The next moment, Reuben's eyes widened to an extreme as his heart began to race. He grabbed his keys and ran out of his house to the car, speeding off to Lab 305, where his baby was finally born!

Reuben sped the entire way to the Lab, heart still racing just as it had been, a smile plastered on his face. His mind was everywhere. Was it a boy or a girl? What on earth would they look like? These and many other questions plagued his mind.

Finally arriving to the lab, Reuben tore out of his car and scurried into the building.

Out of breath, the man spoke, "Hello, my name is Reuben Rothmore, my raevan is here, I think?" He stood straight, huffing a bit trying to catch his breath. "I got here as soon as I could."

It didn't feel long after the phone call that the door to the Lab was bursting open and an out of breath man was dashing through. A touch of alarm crossed Zeke's features but it was quickly replaced with a laugh and renewed smile when the new arrival announced who he was and just what he was here for.

"Welcome, welcome!" Zeke got up from his desk and crossed over to Reuben, holding out a hand for a shake. "It's nice to finally meet you, Reuben! I'm Zeke and yes, your Raevan is here!"

He had a bounce in his step even just standing before the other man, gesturing to a glass door at the back of the lobby where the aforementioned Raevan was kept in a room just down the hall behind it.

"Although with how fast you came in here, I'm surprised you don't have a trail of flashing red and blue lights behind you, hah! Do you want to take a seat? Catch your breath? Maybe have a sip or two of water?"

He couldn't rightly have this man passing out cold on the floor before he was set to meet his Raevan, now could he?!

Reuben shook the man's hand, still out of breath. When Zeke introduced himself, Reuben didn't connect that this man was the man who had written the letter. He had envisioned him much older and proper. This man seemed so relaxed and easygoing already, just because of how he kept himself. Granted, he was an attractive man nevertheless, it just wasn't what Reuben was expecting.

With a large sigh of relief, Reuben smiled and chuckled. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Zeke. Thanks again for the call. I was in the middle of a reading and you just caught me off guard. And you're right, I avoided major highways as best I could to get here undetected."

As the importance of why he was there set in, nerves instantly overtook the man. He was here to meet his new charge! With a final deep breath, he nodded. "Y-yeah. Maybe a cup of water would be nice."

Reuben took a seat for a moment with a couple of deep breaths. His heart was still racing from a combination of nerves and running. Sitting for a moment would be best.

The vet laughed, unable to help himself with Reuben saying he went out of his way to avoid detection by the authorities. Well now! He always did wonder how many Guardians came close to being pursued on their way here. It had been much the same for him when Anya had been born.

"Sorry about that, buddy. But Raevans aren't exactly known for announcing their births! One moment everyone's still in their tank and the next poof! They're here!" He motioned to the two chairs positioned in front of his desk, silently offering a seat to the other man who took him up on the drink of water. "Sure thing! Make yourself at home; I'll be right back!"

The vet dipped off and went through a separate door behind the desk and as he promised he was back within a moment's notice. A cup of water was placed in front of Reuben but while the other man took the offered seat, Zeke himself remained standing. He was far too excited to sit just yet!

"While you take that breather let me say again it's nice to finally meet you! Sorry we couldn't have met earlier but hey, bygones be bygones and we've got the future to look forward to now that your kiddo is here!" He was as bouncy as ever and beaming from ear to ear. "Once you're ready to go and see him I'll take you right to his room. There is some paperwork you'll have to sign for finality's sake but I ALWAYS prefer to save that for the end for the obvious reasons."

Reasons which included the fact they required a Raevan's name for one and for two that everyone involved was far too excited to worry about such things until that point. Reading legal documents took a certain amount of focus no Guardian seemed to possess when confronted with the actuality that they were about to meet their Frei for the first time and signing? Well he wouldn't be surprised if any Guardian said they had forgotten their own names in the heat of the moment!

Reuben chuckled and shook his head, "Don't worry about it at all. I was so surprised and happy, I couldn't help but to rush. But thank you."

The tarotist took a few deep breaths and a swig of his drink and waited for Zeke to return. Looking about the room, the office looked so ordinary for holding something so magnificent. After a few moments, Reuben felt calm and collected. His heart was still a bit quick with nerves, but other than that, he was ready.

As Zeke came back into the room, Reuben grinned. "Of course, it's very understandable. I hope we can definitely get to know each other more from here on out."

Reuben stood up and took a final deep breath. With a smile, he spoke. "Okay...I think I'm finally ready to meet my raevan."

The man couldn't help his nerves, but he stood, completely ready to meet his charge. Thoughts of what could be roamed in his mind. Then Zeke spoke.

"...ready to go and see him..."

Him? It was a boy?! Reuben shook with excitement. He couldn't wait, now. "Yes, of course, we'll finish the paperwork afterwards. I just want to meet my son."

A bookcase stood tall in the room. A finger dragged along the spines of each book. Curious, the toadstool hooked the top of the book on his finger and pulled, yanking it from it's place. Pulling it out with a curious look, it dropped to the floor. Floating down to see the words, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" plastered on the cover. It meant nothing to the frei; it was just a bunch of jumbled images that he couldn't understand. But one image caught his attention. The picture of a girl on the cover. She was beautiful, young, yet looked slightly scared.

"Can I help you read it?" A small, dainty voice spoke from behind the frei.

The toadstool zipped around in a circle quickly to view where the voice had come from. There she stood, a girl, tall and lanky, legs about three feet too high and an upper body two feet too short. With very long limbs and a dress that looked as though it came right off the cover of the storybook. Her eyes were wonky, and everything about her, from an outsiders opinion, would have screamed "get away from me!" She looked to be out of a nightmare. But to the frei, she felt like home.

The raevan understood her completely in that instant. He nodded quickly with a smile and he picked up the book. Floating over to a seat that was in the corner of the room, he sat down. The girl perched herself up on the back of the chair, much like a toad before jumping and looked over the shoulder of her newfound friend. As he turned the page to the first chapter, the girl over-his-shoulder began to read to him.

"Chapter One - Down the Rabbit-Hole. Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversation?'"

"Oh we will don't you worry!"

It seemed Reuben was quick to bounce back from his excitement-induced fatigue and was ready to get the party started. Excellent! Zeke nodded and waved the man over to another door at the back of the lobby. This one was glass and through it Reuben would be able to see a door-lined hallway.

"If you'll just follow me through here," he opened the door and allowed his guest to go through first, taking up stride just a step ahead of Reuben once the other was on the other side. "He's in a room just down the hall here. While we walk, let me tell you about our little tradition here at the Lab. Now except for the good doctor I haven't seen your Raevan since before he came out of his tank. After they're born Dr. Kyou runs a couple short exams to make sure each Frei is healthy and fully developed and before I go any further let me say your kiddo is one hundred percent healthy and strong."

Last thing Zeke wanted was to put any unease into this new Guardian's mind on what was supposed to be a happy day. The Mushroom Frei had passed the physical and check up with flying colors so the only thing to do now was get him and his Guardian introduced and sent on their way.

"We do this so that other than Kyou - if they're awake after being born that is - the first person a Frei sees is their Guardian. Outside of certain circumstances that's the norm and it's so that you two can get introduced without any worry that by seeing someone else first they might get attached to that staff member."

Suddenly the vet dipped out in front of Reuben and stopped in front of a door, tipping his hand toward it to signal that this was their destination. As such, when he continued to explain his voice lowered. Didn't want to ruin the surprise on the other end either!

"So what I'm going to do is this. I'm going to knock on the door to let him know that we're here and then open the door. Once it opens wide enough, you can head on in and say hello. I'll wait out here for a few minutes and then make my own way inside to introduce myself. Until then however, it's just you and him. Sound good?"

He bounced on his toes, giddy all over again.

"If you're ready, I'll knock on the count of three, so last chance to stop me now because once I start there's no stopping!"

Reuben listened to Zeke speak as the two made their way down the hall. The biggest problem was, however, that Reuben wasn't truly paying much attention. He heard that his frei was strong and healthy, and that the guardian, aside from Kyou, would be the first one to meet with the newborn Raevan. That much was great.

But by the time Zeke had finished and they had arrived at the door, Reuben's heart was in his throat. He didn't have anything to say aside from, "I'm totally ready."

~~~

"’Off with her head!’ the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved. `Who cares for you?’ said Al-" the voice was cut off by the knocking at the door.

Both the frei and the nightmarish woman glanced up in unison towards the door. "Who's that, I wonder?" the girl asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I...don't know," responded the mushroom frei.

As the door opened, there he stood, a man with sandy-blond hair and glasses. The frei's eyes widened a bit for a moment as he eyed this new being in front of him.

Reuben's eyes widened as his first sight was the frei, with nothing but a ribbon and glowing rune, sitting hunched over in the chair across the room. Followed by a horrific look on his face as he glanced up at the image of a girl hovering over him. Nerves overtook him.

Before even entering the room, Reuben turned his face towards Zeke, keeping his eye on the girl who seemed to be staring into his very soul. "I thought we were supposed to be alone," Reuben whispered quietly, in a worried tone, to Zeke as he turned his face back towards the frei and his companion.

"Who-"

"-are you?"

The two voices synced as though the sentence was spoken from one person.

Reuben slowly made his way into the room, closing the door behind him. A nervous smile was all he could muster. "I-I'm Reuben...y-your...guardian. I'm here to...umm...take care of you and...umm...take you home with me." What had he gotten himself into? What was going on here? Definitely not something he was expecting.

The girl's eyes widened further than they had previously been, right before the tarotist's eyes. That did nothing but freak the man out a bit more. Her eyes looked mean and angered.

"Hm. I see," the frei spoke, closing the book and floating up into the air.

The girl didn't move anything but her head, cocking it to the other side, keeping her eyes glued onto Reuben.

Reuben couldn't breathe. His eyes glanced back and forth, a moment towards the frei and the other towards this strange girl. "Wh-who are you?" Reuben asked the girl.

The mushroom took the cue from Reuben's eyes to note that he as speaking to the girl. "She's Alice, my friend," he stated bluntly.

Reuben's head spun towards his frei. This was his...friend? Looking back at her, she had the creepiest, widest smile on her face.

"Friend."

With that, she began to fade away ever-so-slowly. Soon she was transparent, and she hadn't really moved from her perched spot on the back of the chair.

Finally, when she was gone, Reuben didn't understand what was going on whatsoever. His mind was spinning. Did all raevan come with a nightmarish companion?

"So, you're my...guardian?" the frei spoke.

Reuben nodded, unable to speak a moment. He swallowed what seemed to be a huge, nervous lump in his throat.

"Wonderful."

Reuben chuckled nervously and smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

The frei held tight to the book he had been reading with Alice and floated to the door. "Do we leave through here?"

Reuben walked over to the door with a smile, looking his frei in the face (since he floated at about his height). "Yes...we do." And he opened the door.

The door was opened and Reuben started on in...but stopped and looked at Zeke with wide, startled eyes. Zeke furrowed his brows and gave Reuben a confused look just before the other man continued on in. Although he was one to normally wait like a good boy, what had been said by the Guardian he was with concerned him and so the vet peeked into the room.

All he saw was Reuben - back to him of course - and the Frei he had come to meet. Pulling his eyes from the blond, scholarly-looking newborn, Zeke took a glance around the room. No, for sure, it was just the pair of them although with the light and shadows at work, maybe something just happened to look like another person? Either way, there was no other comment from Reuben and so Zeke pulled back out of view again, listening and waiting just to be safe.

Nothing else came, save for Reuben and his ward some few minutes later, which took Zeke by surprise.

"Oh!" He jumped up from the wall he had been leaning against, laughing in spite of himself at being caught off guard. "Coming out to see me? I would have been coming in shortly!"

Now that Reuben was back and his Raevan was with him it afforded the vet a solid look at the Frei. Book in hand, the kid looked every part of a mage in appearance and was striking with soft blond hair and light green eyes. Little touches of his soul could be seen in the details of his person - his wings like two toadstools sprouting from his back and his buttons and earrings so quaintly on the nose.

"Well look at you kiddo!" Zeke was bopping on his toes again, grin wide, hand outstretched. "It's nice to meet you! I'm Zeke!"

The frei floated through the door and as Zeke came into sight, he backed up, allowing Reuben to go first. All he could do was clench tighter to his book. Zeke looked different from Reuben, but at the same time, they looked so similar to the frei. What were they and why were they so vastly different?

"Oh, yeah, sorry, he wanted to go?" Reuben questioned, still unsure of the entire ordeal that had just occurred in the other room.

The mushroom just looked at Reuben as he spoke and then back to Zeke with a raised brow. When Zeke held out his hand, the frei didn't know how to react. He pulled back further a bit and waited for Reuben to speak.

"It's okay. You shake his hand, like this." the tarotist stated with a smile, offering his hand to the vet and shaking it firmly. "It's how a lot of people greet each other. A handshake and a smile."

The frei's mouth downturned and brows raised in a sudden 'interesting'-esque fashion. The mushroom simply ignored the gesturing, moreso because he wasn't comfortable touching others, not yet. He hadn't touched a whole lot, but he wasn't about to go around touching everything. He simply took the information in and curled his arms around himself before speaking, "It's...nice to meet you," the imaginative mushroom repeated similarly as Zeke.

Reuben nodded with a smile as he watched the scene unfold. But all he could think about was Alice. He definitely wanted to speak with Zeke privately about what he had just witnessed before he took this little raevan home.

There was a laugh from Zeke at Reuben's questioning words about what the Mushroom Frei had wanted to do in exiting the room. Oh that was endearing!

"Well we can definitely hold the proceedings in the lobby if he doesn't want to stay cooped up," Zeke was easy like that. Whatever worked for the Raevan and their Guardian worked for him too. "And oh! Yeah!" Reuben explained a handshake and Zeke shook the hand that had been placed into his with a little gusto. It didn't seem the Frei shared the same enthusiasm for such contact though.

"It's okay, kiddo. You don't have to shake my hand. You do whatever you feel is comfortable." He spoke with the earnest wording of a man with experience in this particular matter. "And if you're comfortable with leaving that room there, how about we all go down to the lobby and we'll get you squared away to go home with Reuben? I'm sure you're eager to see the outdoors for yourself and I'm EXTRA sure you're gonna be wanting a name before that!"

He winked at both Guardian and Raevan, completely oblivious still to what Reuben had witnessed and now fretted so much over.

The frei nodded simply, agreeing to go into the lobby. He didn't necessarily know what 'outdoors' meant, but he was curious to find out. Without a second look, he just floated there in the doorway, waiting for the two adults to move along so he could follow behind. Nothing else to say, really. He was a quiet one, that much was certain.

Reuben's eyes widened at the mention of a name. He hadn't even thought about it! As the three made their way into the lobby, Reuben's mind swirled with many potential names over the previous months, but all had left his mind. He couldn't think of a single name he had thought about so many times. His mind, blank.

"M-may I suggest something," the guardian spoke up. "I, honestly, haven't been able to pin down a name yet, Zeke. Do I need to do that now, or can I just call you later and update you when we...umm...decide on one?" he questioned. First, he did want to spend a little time with the guy in order to sort of get to know him. Secondly, he wanted his input since it was his name. This wasn't like getting an animal or even a baby. This was a fully fledged, intelligent being. He couldn't just throw any name at him whatsoever.

"Or..." he paused a moment, eyes narrowing in thought. "You could choose your own name once you figure out what you'd like to be called. Do you like that idea?" Reuben turned to his charge.

The toadstool's eyes narrowed. That was a very good idea indeed. He liked it. He figured he was good at coming up with names. After all, he named Alice. What was stopping him from naming himself? He nodded. "Yes, I do."

Reuben's face lit up with a smile. "Alright then, that's settled, as long as we're able to do that?" He inquired, turning to face Zeke.

A quiet Frei this one was, but born with enough knowledge of words to pick and choose when to speak. This alone brought little waves of nostalgia in Zeke and on the walk back to the lobby he harkened back to the day and days following when he had brought Anya home. How new and uncertain everything had been. How nervous he had been! And how inquisitive she had been even in her imperious, silent demeanor.

Oh how the years had passed by so quickly. He smiled at Reuben. The other man would learn soon enough how fast time could fly.

"Hmm..." The question was posed and Zeke took a moment to play with Reuben in his own way, sucking on his lip ring as he 'thought' about what was being asked. "Typically we have Guardians who know right off the bat or figure it out in the time between meeting the Frei and now so this is a BIT unorthodox..."

He let that hang for a second before raising the back of his hand to cover his mouth somewhat as if imparting a secret.

"But I'm the kind of guy who lives for the unorthodox plus in the past I've had the same asked of me and it's totally cool." He winked and burst out into a big grin, dropping his hand from the side of his face. "It's alright with me!" He declared.

"But that doesn't mean you can just get outta Dodge without signing first regardless. I can bend on some things but not others, yanno!"

He set the file down on his desk and opened it to the last forms Reuben would have to sign. Procuring a pen, Zeke tapped each place that would need the other's signature in turn before handing it off to him.

"Print where it says print and signature where it says signature, please. I've already filled out the date where necessary. Once you're done, I'll put down my signature and then you'll both be free to go! Sound good? I'll also be happy to answer anymore questions you might have in the meantime, and that means you too, kiddo!"

He looked at the newborn and beamed. Quiet as he may be, he was sure alert enough to be curious at the very least.

Reuben's face fell as the vet's words hung in the air. If he had to think of a name right here and now, he couldn't very well do it, especially since his charge had just agreed to give his input on his name.

"But-" the toadstool frei muttered before Zeke could finish, and as he did, the frei quieted down again, a quaint smile on his face. It was a good sign that he was going to be able to name himself.

Reuben let out a sigh of relief as he was told it was alright to take the little guy home first. A smile on his face, he nodded, listening to Zeke's words and watching the pen tap at each place to print and sign. When finished, the tarotist took the pen and began to scribble away.

Meanwhile, the toadstool looked around the room and out the window. His eyes widened at the thought that he was about to leave this little sanctuary. Nervous, yet curious, he floated over to the window and stared out of it. "I...do not believe I have any questions." his eyes still peering out the window into the openness of the front parking lot. The sun was bright and high in the sky. It was already fascinating, this...outdoors. He couldn't stop looking at the parking lot, it was as though it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. Now it excited him to leave this little place and find out what else this world had to offer.

When Reuben finished signing, he put the pen down and pushed the stack of papers over to Zeke. "There," he began, his mind going over the many, many questions he had for Zeke. The first, and foremost important, question that he knew he had to ask, was about the creepy woman who was hovering over his charge when he entered the room.

Reuben glanced over at his charge, who seemed to be perfectly content looking out the window. "I do have a one thing to ask. Wh-where do I start? Umm..." his eyes narrowed slightly and he looked off into the distance. How did he explain it? "Well, when I entered the room...there was...this woman?" he knew it was probably strange. "She...was there, hovering over him. And then just...faded away." His words were twinged with slight concern, maybe even a little fear. After all, she was strange looking...almost out of a nightmare. Her limbs being extremely long and her body small. Like a spider of sorts. He couldn't really get her image out of his mind. "Is that...normal? Like is she some sort of...umm...protector here at the Lab? He called her Alice." He knew how this all sounded. Crazy. But he had to ask regardless.

He watched the Frei move toward the window while his Guardian signed, smiling to himself. He was an interesting one, this newborn. His looks said 'wizard' but his demeanor was far from the stereotypical magic users Zeke was familiar with in books and movies. It could just be a side effect of being so new to the world, but Zeke knew the boy would come into his own soon enough. "That's okay if you don't. Reuben here will answer everything you come up with when you get home!"

He seemed inquisitive at least so even as a quiet sort he was sure to have one or two things to wonder about when the pair got outside and then got back home.

The gentle 'tap tap tap' of papers being shuffled brought Zeke's gaze back to Reuben as the other finished signing. The vet took the stack back with a gracious smile and leafed through each page to make sure nothing had been missed. When it was clear no spot had been left unmarked, Zeke flipped to the last page, set everything down, and scrawled his full name out on the appropriate lines.

"One thing? Sure, hit me!" He looked up when he was done signing, smile fading just a touch as Reuben looked a little uncertain of what he was going to ask. This wasn't a normal look for a Guardian about to take their ward home, that much was certain.

"A woman?" Zeke's faded smile turned into a small frown as he straightened up from the desk to puzzle over what the other man had just said. He considered the options for a moment then spoke.

"Not any protectors that I know of. Kyou has protective magic on the building - runes and stuff - but no guardians tied to it, no." He sucked his lip ring for a moment. "We do have another gentleman who has a room here; an aquaintance of the doctor who occasionally handles similar stuff to what Kyou does."

Jeremy, for all Zeke knew of him, occasionally helped out with soul captures and his line of work tended to border on the more extreme aspects of magic and the occult. For instance - it wasn't Alex who captured Zul's soul, but Jeremy. The man had gone toe to toe with a Baphomet and brought it back to help Dr. Kyou make the vet's nephew. Jeremy's doings were serious business.

"It could be something Jeremy brought back with him, which could be cause for alarm if so." As he said that Zeke held his hands up to Reuben, imparting that the man should not worry. "But again, Kyou has protective magic on the building so anything like that would have a hard time traveling to other rooms. There's seals and stuff and with Jeremy's line of work his room would be extra fortified. I'm just extrapolating a theory but it's one of the most unlikely of theories I have on what this woman could be. So barring that the only other option I can think of for this mystery woman," Zeke nodded at the Frei who was still entranced with the goings on outside the window, "would be that your kiddo here manifested her through his own power. It's not unheard of for Freis to have access to their inborn talents so early. I mean, it's not commonplace, but it does happen. Raevans are magical creatures and your boy does seem to hit the look of a strong magical sort right on the nose."

He patted Reuben on the shoulder after a moment.

"That being said I will speak to Dr. Kyou on your behalf about this, just to cover all the bases. And in the meantime, if she makes an appearance again, you be sure to let me know. It'd also be good to ask your Raevan too. If he can see Alice, maybe he can tell you where she came from."

In this situation, appearing from thin air in front of the Frei was one thing. Floating in through one of the office walls was entirely another. If it turned out to be the latter then Reuben's concern would be minimum - Alice would be bound to the Lab and confined within. She would become their problem, not his or his Frei's. If the former, and of the Mushroom's own doing, then Reuben and his boy would have to start learning about power control a little early was all.

Reuben listened well and hard to Zeke's words. He certainly hoped that she was some sort of apparition from the Lab, at least that way it wouldn't come home with him. But if, in fact, this Alice character was some sort of manifestation of his toadstool's power, that would be something of a different story.

Reuben took a deep breath and smiled. "Thank you for your help. I...think it'll be fine," he began, looking over his shoulder at his ward who still curiously floated at the window. "I mean, he does look just like a renaissance wizard, doesn't he?" a slight chuckle of amusement and pride escaped his lips. He was happy, very happy in fact, and he hoped that this would be the start of a fantastic relationship.

The frei turned around and floated over to the counter quietly, a quizzical look upon his face. "I...take my initial statement back. I do have a question," the frei began. "May I keep this?" he asked curiously, pulling forth from inside his massive overcoat a book. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Reuben's eyes widened. "N-no, I-" Reuben muttered instantaneously. He didn't know what to say. Already telling his frei no? Was that allowed? Was he going to get in trouble? "Where did you get that?"

"It was one of the books in the room I was placed in. I had to do something whilst in there. So...Alice and I read,"

"Alice..." he said under his breath. Then it hit him. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...and he was reading the book with Alice. The photo on the cover looked eerily similar to Alice from the room, if Alice had been crafted from a nightmare that is. "Alice from Wonderland...the woman I saw with him," he said quietly, turning to Zeke, concern quite apparent on his face.

Reuben looked to Zeke for guidance. What was he to do? It seemed as though his initial question was answered. His ward had definitely manifested something. And now he (and it) was coming home with him. This was something he now had to deal with, no matter what.

Zeke squeezed Reuben's shoulder.

"I'm sure it will be, but you know that the Lab and I are here for you if you ever need us. We're all totally down for making house calls if required." His smile returned at Reuben's statement about the Frei and he nodded eagerly.

"Man back in college I would have killed for a hat like his. It would have been awesome for my D and D sessions!"

As if on cue from the change in conversation the Frei turned and came back over, holding up the book he had been carrying since they had taken him back to the lobby. He asked if he could have it and before Zeke could answer one way or another Reuben interjected and there was a brief back and forth between the pair that ended with Reuben looking wide eyed at Zeke once more.

"Oh," the vet said softly as he took in what had been said. "Well I guess that mystery is solved." Although judging by Reuben's hesitation and concern, Zeke had to wonder what the Frei's Alice had looked like. Would the tarotist have worried as much if this Alice from Wonderland looked like the Disney version? Perhaps she looked more like American McGee's vision instead.

Then again, seeing an unknown woman floating and then disappearing before one's very eyes would cause someone concern no matter what she looked like, so Zeke supposed that was moot. But then again, she was a creation of the Frei's. That was the best possible outcome of the whole situation.

"One second, kiddo, if you please." The vet held up the index finger of his left hand as he looped his right arm around Reuben's shoulders and led him a short distance away from the Frei. Once they were out of earshot, he spoke.

"I can see you're concerned but this is actually not as bad as you might think. This kid's Alice is just a manifestation of his powers. Think like...an imaginary friend maybe. It fits with his Essence, don't you think? Visible Imagination...He can make things he reads or conceptualizes into his head tangible. Now, I know it's alarming right off the bat and it is a shock he's able to manifest a full figure so early, but remember that powers aren't infinite. If he manifests her again, she'll disappear after awhile since he is still just a baby. This just means you two will have to work on control of his powers a lot earlier than most Guardians and Raevans."

He gave Reuben a sympathetic smile.

"I also feel like even though she is visible to you and him, she's probably not tangible in the sense that she can do anything to you or your home or things if that's something you're concerned about. Luckily Raevans only get stronger over time and through use of their abilities, and at this point in his life..." Zeke looked at the Frei and gave him a little wave. "He's still too young and inexperienced to cause me to consider not sending him home with you today. You're probably gonna have to brace yourself for some unexpected scares around the house but hey, a little jump scare now and then is good for the heart, yeah?"

Zeke chuckled.

"All the same, I'd like for you to keep a record of his powers and submit any new occurrences to the Lab. When they showed up, what they were, how your kiddo was at the time since power shows commonly erupt when a Frei is under some kind of emotional duress, what he was doing, that sort of thing. Is that alright by you?"

The frei nodded to Zeke, clutching his book closer and tighter to his chest now than ever. Even though he had just been told no, and somehow understood the meaning of that, he wasn't going to just let that hesitant 'no' from his guardian change his mind. At this point, he was now determined to keep this book, regardless of what his guardian said.

As Zeke wrapped his arm around him and walked him away, Reuben felt the man's sympathy and could tell that he was quite intrigued, yet not weary of his frei's so-called power. Reuben quietly listened to Zeke speak, just as he had been doing all day. He was trying to absorb as much information as he could, without becoming overwhelmed. But maybe Zeke was right? Maybe this manifestation was just something that was temporary? His charge seemed fine, though, no signs of tiring out, just quiet. His affinity for magic was already off the charts, but what went up, must come down, right? Reuben took that knowledge and definitely agreed that keeping a record would be handy. The tarotist chuckled with a nod at Zeke's 'jump scare' joke, even if it was bound to become a daily, weekly, or monthly experience for the man over time for the rest of his life.

"Of course. I'll do my very best. I'll email you with my first impressions, as well as his name as soon as we come to terms on that. I'll also keep note of anything else that comes up in the meantime and get back to you," he said, making a mental note of what he was to do. He turned back to see his charge, who had floated back over to the window and was staring out of it, book to his chest.

Reuben sighed. "Is it alright for him to keep the book?" he said, a snicker escaping his lips just a moment after.

Reuben seemed to take all the information Zeke threw at him in stride and was agreeable to everything that had been said. That was a good sign, especially for Reuben and his Raevan going forward. The new Guardian would have to be open and flexible now more than ever, early active powers or not.

"I'm sure you will." He patted Reuben on the back. "And good! I look forward to knowing his name! And feel free to email me anything that comes up but if it's something that makes you question 'should I just call him?' please call." His job would be so much easier if people bit the bullet and called him up. He always extended the offer to everyone but he was sure people felt like they could be bothering him for things that might not seem important. However, to Zeke, everything regarding the Raevans was important and he'd rather be grasping for the phone in the dark than hearing about something potentially alarming the next morning via email.

"As for the book...It's not a first edition so I'm not scrambling to get it back, but probably not a good idea to say 'hey you can keep anything you lay your hands on anywhere you go' right?"

Zeke chuckled again.

"But I'm willing to compromise." He winked and moved toward the Mushroom Frei.

"Hey kiddo! I see you've taken a liking to that book!" Zeke was all smiles as he stopped a foot or so away from the Raevan, hands on his hips. "I'm a big reader myself so I totally get not wanting to be pulled away while you're in the middle of a really great part. So how about this? You can borrow that book for awhile, but when you finish, you bring it back to me. Sound good?"

Reuben smiled, nodding at every word Zeke shared. "Thank you again, so much. Already this has been an exciting experience, and it is just beginning. I'll be sure to email or call you with any further updates to this predicament," he said, taking a deep breath as he continued, "Of course, of course. You're right. I'll get it back to you as soon as I can. Maybe I'll head to the bookstore to pick up a copy for him."

The tarotist concluded and the two began to walk back to the frei who continued to float a few meters away, staring out the window, rather curious to find out what it was like out there past the glass, imagining it to be a world just like Wonderland.

As the humans approached, the raevan's attention was brought back to reality by Zeke's voice. His head snapped back and a smile grew upon his countenance as he registered the words 'you can borrow that book'. "Yes, of course! Thank you!" he called out, clutching the book in a loving way. He couldn't wait to finish it now!

Reuben joined back with a smile, still curious to know what exactly that creature was with his newborn frei in the room. If it was a power of his, he definitely had his work cut out for him. "So, I guess we're all set to head out." Reuben stated with a smile as he headed towards the door, patting his charge on the back, ushering him out to the car.

As the two made their way out to the car, Reuben opened the door for his frei and turned back to Zeke. "Thanks again, and I'll definitely give you a call if I have any questions whatsoever and when we figure out his name."

Reuben made sure every bit of his charge was inside the vehicle before closing the door and turned around, taking a deep breath, his heart racing. He was now, officially, a father.