21 min read
One Track Mind
June 9, 2017
◈ WHO: Dani, Ryder, & Reuben (derivitave & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Afternoon on June 9, 2017
◈ WHERE: Modesto, California
◈ WEATHER: Sunny and a little hot.
◈ WHEN: Afternoon on June 9, 2017
◈ WHERE: Modesto, California
◈ WEATHER: Sunny and a little hot.
Dani approached shopping like she did most things: with a brutal, ruthless efficiency that would have stripped the fun out of most experiences, but instead gave her a deep personal satisfaction. She was the kind of woman who went out with lists and crossed everything off as she came upon it, and almost never went over her budget -- impulse buys just weren't a thing for her, though that probably had more to do with growing up poor than anything else. Her friends liked to tease her that she'd squeeze a dollar until it screamed and begged for mercy, but Dani didn't mind.
After all, it meant she had enough for her bills and enough in savings that she could reasonably adopt a child and not have to worry too much about the costs. Oh, she knew it was going to be expensive, especially when she moved into her own place again (though who knew when that would be; her mother certainly couldn't afford to live in the house alone, and the idea of moving would probably be too much for Camila to bear) but for now, she felt confident and secure.
With her fel essence and soul off to the Lab and her part in getting things started finished, she's decided to focus on making sure that the house is as ready for a new addition as it can possibly be. The basics are already taken care of -- she'd converted the guest bedroom to a child's room, though the decorations remain sparse until she actually meets her Raevan and they can provide their own input.
Clothes, though. She has to have something for the kid to wear, at least a few tops, for the first few days while they settle in. Shopping for their individual tastes will come later.
She rounds a corner, bags swinging off her arms as she checks off the last item on her list, and sidesteps a couple walking the opposite direction. "And there we go, all finished."
Satisfied, she lifts her head and is ready to head back to her car when she sees an usual pair across the street. Her eyes widen -- that's unmistakably a Raevan, and she hasn't had the pleasure of meeting one yet -- and without thinking twice, she checks for traffic and jogs across the street, bags bouncing.
"Excuse me!" She lifts a hand a waves, hoping to catch their attention as she approaches. With a bright smile, she thrusts her hand out to the man she assumes is the Raevan's guardian, her eyes flicking between them with curiosity and not an ounce of embarrassment. "Dani Romero. I'm a guardian-to-be," she explains, smile bumping up a notch at the novelty and joy of the idea. "It's nice to meet you."
Yeah, that won't be wearing off anytime soon.
After all, it meant she had enough for her bills and enough in savings that she could reasonably adopt a child and not have to worry too much about the costs. Oh, she knew it was going to be expensive, especially when she moved into her own place again (though who knew when that would be; her mother certainly couldn't afford to live in the house alone, and the idea of moving would probably be too much for Camila to bear) but for now, she felt confident and secure.
With her fel essence and soul off to the Lab and her part in getting things started finished, she's decided to focus on making sure that the house is as ready for a new addition as it can possibly be. The basics are already taken care of -- she'd converted the guest bedroom to a child's room, though the decorations remain sparse until she actually meets her Raevan and they can provide their own input.
Clothes, though. She has to have something for the kid to wear, at least a few tops, for the first few days while they settle in. Shopping for their individual tastes will come later.
She rounds a corner, bags swinging off her arms as she checks off the last item on her list, and sidesteps a couple walking the opposite direction. "And there we go, all finished."
Satisfied, she lifts her head and is ready to head back to her car when she sees an usual pair across the street. Her eyes widen -- that's unmistakably a Raevan, and she hasn't had the pleasure of meeting one yet -- and without thinking twice, she checks for traffic and jogs across the street, bags bouncing.
"Excuse me!" She lifts a hand a waves, hoping to catch their attention as she approaches. With a bright smile, she thrusts her hand out to the man she assumes is the Raevan's guardian, her eyes flicking between them with curiosity and not an ounce of embarrassment. "Dani Romero. I'm a guardian-to-be," she explains, smile bumping up a notch at the novelty and joy of the idea. "It's nice to meet you."
Yeah, that won't be wearing off anytime soon.
It had been a while since the two had gone to the bookstore. Ryder had completed his next set of books and wished to get some more. Reuben was more than happy to oblige, since this was about the only thing he could do to get Ryder out of the house. This time they took the trip and went to a little used bookstore. Ryder hadn't been to this one yet, and it had looked much different from the previous stores he had been to. So much more rustic and "homey" than the others.
Ryder gleamed with excitement as the two walked from the bookstore to the car, little cloth bag in hand full of used books. His collection was growing and growing and he couldn't wait to get home and read the new books he had just picked out.
Reuben clicked the fob to unlock his car and as he did, he heard a voice from behind him that somewhat startled him.
As the shorter woman walked up and introduced herself, Reuben just smiled. A guardian-to-be, eh? It was only a few months ago that he was in the same predicament. Then he was blessed with Ryder. It was always nice to meet new people from the lab. "Hey! It's very nice to meet you! I'm Reuben Rothmore and this is my charge, Ryder," he stated with a gesture to the frei that was on the other side of the car.
However, Ryder did not share in Reuben's enthusiasm. The mushroom's excitement vanished as she spoke, only because this meant it would take longer to leave and go home. He floated over softly to this new woman and gave a slight nod, hoping that the conversation would end quickly enough so he could go read.
"So, a guardian-to-be, that's awesome! I just got called about Ryder...say...almost three months ago now. Wow, how time flies," he said with a soft sigh and smile, glancing at his boy.
Ryder's eyes widened with slight embarrassment and annoyance, as a child would with an overly proud parent. He took a deep breath and stayed silent.
"So, what is your essence and soul?" Reuben questioned curiously, leaning against his Prius and crossing his arms with a smile on his face.
Ryder gleamed with excitement as the two walked from the bookstore to the car, little cloth bag in hand full of used books. His collection was growing and growing and he couldn't wait to get home and read the new books he had just picked out.
Reuben clicked the fob to unlock his car and as he did, he heard a voice from behind him that somewhat startled him.
As the shorter woman walked up and introduced herself, Reuben just smiled. A guardian-to-be, eh? It was only a few months ago that he was in the same predicament. Then he was blessed with Ryder. It was always nice to meet new people from the lab. "Hey! It's very nice to meet you! I'm Reuben Rothmore and this is my charge, Ryder," he stated with a gesture to the frei that was on the other side of the car.
However, Ryder did not share in Reuben's enthusiasm. The mushroom's excitement vanished as she spoke, only because this meant it would take longer to leave and go home. He floated over softly to this new woman and gave a slight nod, hoping that the conversation would end quickly enough so he could go read.
"So, a guardian-to-be, that's awesome! I just got called about Ryder...say...almost three months ago now. Wow, how time flies," he said with a soft sigh and smile, glancing at his boy.
Ryder's eyes widened with slight embarrassment and annoyance, as a child would with an overly proud parent. He took a deep breath and stayed silent.
"So, what is your essence and soul?" Reuben questioned curiously, leaning against his Prius and crossing his arms with a smile on his face.
Dani's smile brightens at the prospect of a conversation rather than a brush-off, though the fact that he crossed his arms rather than shook her hand was a little off-putting. Ah well; not everyone was big on physical contact, and that freed up her hands to hold onto her bags. If she'd stood there like that much longer, they would have begun to dig into her forearms, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.
"I have no idea when I'll get my call - I just sent back my soul bottle and essence. I have misted rust," she adds, and then, a little sheepishly, "and I'm not actually sure what the soul is."
Was that strange? She had no idea, and no frame of reference. Henry hadn't had to go through the soul capture process with his Raevan, and from what she understands of Yves', his was an accident. She'd at least been able to have a brief conversation with... whatever she captured, though she hadn't taken the time to ask it what it was.
Maybe she should have. Hopefully, the Lab has ways to figure that out. If not, one of her e-mails to the many paranormal experts will hopefully turn back some leads.
"I was wandering a graveyard, looking for something already dead," she says conversationally, reaching up to scratch her cheek with one fuschia-colored nail. "I'm a nurse, so the idea of killing something just... didn't sit right with me. Anyway, this thing swooped down and I'm like, 90% sure it was going to eat me or something, but we had a talk and it decided to go into my soul bottle, so I'm trying to figure out what it was."
Though she's not speaking particularly quickly, she doesn't leave a whole lot of room for anyone else to get a word in edgewise until she pauses, significantly. "I have e-mails out to experts I googled. Here's hoping. I don't mean to keep you if you're busy, I just haven't had the chance to talk to many guardians. Maybe we could get together sometime? I have a binder. I'd love to add some notes about your experience, and how you and Ryder are managing things like school, socialization, everything --"
And then she laughs, exhaling. "Sorry. I'm really excited, so I just want to talk about everything at once."
"I have no idea when I'll get my call - I just sent back my soul bottle and essence. I have misted rust," she adds, and then, a little sheepishly, "and I'm not actually sure what the soul is."
Was that strange? She had no idea, and no frame of reference. Henry hadn't had to go through the soul capture process with his Raevan, and from what she understands of Yves', his was an accident. She'd at least been able to have a brief conversation with... whatever she captured, though she hadn't taken the time to ask it what it was.
Maybe she should have. Hopefully, the Lab has ways to figure that out. If not, one of her e-mails to the many paranormal experts will hopefully turn back some leads.
"I was wandering a graveyard, looking for something already dead," she says conversationally, reaching up to scratch her cheek with one fuschia-colored nail. "I'm a nurse, so the idea of killing something just... didn't sit right with me. Anyway, this thing swooped down and I'm like, 90% sure it was going to eat me or something, but we had a talk and it decided to go into my soul bottle, so I'm trying to figure out what it was."
Though she's not speaking particularly quickly, she doesn't leave a whole lot of room for anyone else to get a word in edgewise until she pauses, significantly. "I have e-mails out to experts I googled. Here's hoping. I don't mean to keep you if you're busy, I just haven't had the chance to talk to many guardians. Maybe we could get together sometime? I have a binder. I'd love to add some notes about your experience, and how you and Ryder are managing things like school, socialization, everything --"
And then she laughs, exhaling. "Sorry. I'm really excited, so I just want to talk about everything at once."
Reuben's face crinkled a bit at the fact that she wasn't entirely sure what her soul was. That was an interesting concept. After all, Ryder's soul capture was done completely by accident.
Listening to her story made everything click. He listened intently for a few moments and when her list of questions came out, he just stood up straight and chuckled. "I have to say, that's quite the interesting tale. If it's something already dead, I'd definitely say you need to meet Lorenzo Fisch if you haven't already. He's a necromancer. And Vesna, his charge, is a very interesting frei," he began. "I'm sure he'd be a wonderful person to help you figure out what exactly you caught."
Ryder just rolled his eyes and looked away. Had he had feet, they'd both be tapping on the ground in annoyance just waiting for the entire thing to end.
"And don't worry about it at all, we're not busy. We were just planning to go home. Trust me, I was the same way when I first found out I was going to be a guardian. Anyone and everyone I saw I'd want to talk to, figure things out. By all means, ask any questions you may have. We're all ears," Reuben stated, turning his attention to his charge and nudging him a bit. "Aren't we Ryder?"
Ryder rubbed his arm as it was nudged and gave his guardian a disgusted look and a heavy sigh. "I would really rather-" he began, only to be cut off by his guardian.
"Ryder, be nice!" he scolded in a hushed tone before turning his attention back to Dani.
Ryder simply rolled his eyes once more.
With a roll of his own eyes, Reuben gave a soft sigh and smiled. "As you can see, the socialization aspect is still...being worked on. All the other raevan I've met have been so outgoing and incredibly friendly. Ryder here doesn't seem to want to make friends very easily."
"I can hear you. I'm not deaf. I just like to stay inside and read, is all. I have my friends. Alice is my friend."
Reuben laughed. "Alice is your imaginary friend. Anyway, as far as school goes-"
Suddenly, from behind the two appeared a very tall, lanky girl that seemed to materialize from nothing with a face that was from nightmares. "Excuse me? I am not an imaginary friend. I am just as real as anyone else, thank you very much!"
Reuben was "jump-scared" by the girls sudden appearance and his fear turned into straight annoyance right away. "Must you?" the man questioned, turning to the girl.
Alice walked her awkward walk towards Ryder and placed her hands on his shoulders, looking over his large mushroom hat with a creepy smile at the woman, not even letting eye contact dwindle.
"Please, ignore her," Reuben stated bluntly. "As I was saying..." a small pause to wait for Alice to either interrupt or keep her mouth shut (and as it stood, she kept quiet), "As far as school goes, I haven't really thought about any type of schooling yet. As much as I hate to admit it, Alice actually taught the boy how to read; which led to his quick grasp on language and understanding of obscure concepts. Even though there are some social things we are still working the kinks out of."
Ryder floated there, straight-faced most of the time, smiling only slightly when Alice was called upon to save him from the horrors that were awkward meetings with people. Oh how he loved being able to call her whenever he wished.
Listening to her story made everything click. He listened intently for a few moments and when her list of questions came out, he just stood up straight and chuckled. "I have to say, that's quite the interesting tale. If it's something already dead, I'd definitely say you need to meet Lorenzo Fisch if you haven't already. He's a necromancer. And Vesna, his charge, is a very interesting frei," he began. "I'm sure he'd be a wonderful person to help you figure out what exactly you caught."
Ryder just rolled his eyes and looked away. Had he had feet, they'd both be tapping on the ground in annoyance just waiting for the entire thing to end.
"And don't worry about it at all, we're not busy. We were just planning to go home. Trust me, I was the same way when I first found out I was going to be a guardian. Anyone and everyone I saw I'd want to talk to, figure things out. By all means, ask any questions you may have. We're all ears," Reuben stated, turning his attention to his charge and nudging him a bit. "Aren't we Ryder?"
Ryder rubbed his arm as it was nudged and gave his guardian a disgusted look and a heavy sigh. "I would really rather-" he began, only to be cut off by his guardian.
"Ryder, be nice!" he scolded in a hushed tone before turning his attention back to Dani.
Ryder simply rolled his eyes once more.
With a roll of his own eyes, Reuben gave a soft sigh and smiled. "As you can see, the socialization aspect is still...being worked on. All the other raevan I've met have been so outgoing and incredibly friendly. Ryder here doesn't seem to want to make friends very easily."
"I can hear you. I'm not deaf. I just like to stay inside and read, is all. I have my friends. Alice is my friend."
Reuben laughed. "Alice is your imaginary friend. Anyway, as far as school goes-"
Suddenly, from behind the two appeared a very tall, lanky girl that seemed to materialize from nothing with a face that was from nightmares. "Excuse me? I am not an imaginary friend. I am just as real as anyone else, thank you very much!"
Reuben was "jump-scared" by the girls sudden appearance and his fear turned into straight annoyance right away. "Must you?" the man questioned, turning to the girl.
Alice walked her awkward walk towards Ryder and placed her hands on his shoulders, looking over his large mushroom hat with a creepy smile at the woman, not even letting eye contact dwindle.
"Please, ignore her," Reuben stated bluntly. "As I was saying..." a small pause to wait for Alice to either interrupt or keep her mouth shut (and as it stood, she kept quiet), "As far as school goes, I haven't really thought about any type of schooling yet. As much as I hate to admit it, Alice actually taught the boy how to read; which led to his quick grasp on language and understanding of obscure concepts. Even though there are some social things we are still working the kinks out of."
Ryder floated there, straight-faced most of the time, smiling only slightly when Alice was called upon to save him from the horrors that were awkward meetings with people. Oh how he loved being able to call her whenever he wished.
Everyone she's met so far has been incredibly friendly and helpful in their own way, and Dani nods intently when Reuben mentions Lorenzo, immediately digging in her purse for her cell phone so that she can make a note. With as much as she always has going on, if she doesn't input something directly into her notes or her calendar, there's a very real chance that it'll get lost somewhere in the shuffle
She has no idea if she's already reached out to this man yet or not, but only because his name does sound familiar -- she just doesn't know if that's because it's from the list of guardians the Lab gave her, or because of her internet search.
She looks up just in time to see a tall, strangely-shaped girl poof into existence, and Dani jumps as well, her bags swinging on her arms as she takes an instinctive step back. There's something off-putting about the girl, and it's not just the way she refuses to break eye contact, but after the initial shock of seeing her, Dani decides to follow Reuben's advice and ignore her.
In her experience, people who go out of their way to get your attention like that simply hate to be ignored. She'd been bullied enough in school to have learned that lesson, and by the time she'd hit high school, she'd been a popular enough girl, so she must've been doing something right.
Focusing on Reuben again, she nods. "I'll definitely reach out to him! I want to know as much as I can about where my Raevan is coming from so that I can make the transition as smooth as possible. This is just last minute shopping for clothes," she adds, holding up her bags.
She has no idea if she'll be getting a boy or a girl, but either way, the clothes are gender neutral enough that it shouldn't matter too much. It'll keep them from being naked while they go do their first round of shopping together, and that's what's important.
"I've been trying to get recommendations for schools, but it seems like most people educate their Raevans at home. I could look into doing that," she adds, chewing her lip. "My work schedule can be busy, but I usually get enough days off that we would make it work. Do you know if there are any regular get togethers for guardians and Raevans? I don't think there are many children in my neighborhood, and I want to make sure that there's more than just me and my mother to stimulate and amuse them. Maybe we could set something up if there isn't!"
There's a gleam in her eye that could easily spell trouble: Dani with a project is a hurricane packed into a woman's body. It had served her well through nursing school, but sometime people found it a little off-putting.
Turning to Ryder again, she smiles. "You could meet new people who like to read books and share your thoughts on them. That should be fun!"
She has no idea if she's already reached out to this man yet or not, but only because his name does sound familiar -- she just doesn't know if that's because it's from the list of guardians the Lab gave her, or because of her internet search.
She looks up just in time to see a tall, strangely-shaped girl poof into existence, and Dani jumps as well, her bags swinging on her arms as she takes an instinctive step back. There's something off-putting about the girl, and it's not just the way she refuses to break eye contact, but after the initial shock of seeing her, Dani decides to follow Reuben's advice and ignore her.
In her experience, people who go out of their way to get your attention like that simply hate to be ignored. She'd been bullied enough in school to have learned that lesson, and by the time she'd hit high school, she'd been a popular enough girl, so she must've been doing something right.
Focusing on Reuben again, she nods. "I'll definitely reach out to him! I want to know as much as I can about where my Raevan is coming from so that I can make the transition as smooth as possible. This is just last minute shopping for clothes," she adds, holding up her bags.
She has no idea if she'll be getting a boy or a girl, but either way, the clothes are gender neutral enough that it shouldn't matter too much. It'll keep them from being naked while they go do their first round of shopping together, and that's what's important.
"I've been trying to get recommendations for schools, but it seems like most people educate their Raevans at home. I could look into doing that," she adds, chewing her lip. "My work schedule can be busy, but I usually get enough days off that we would make it work. Do you know if there are any regular get togethers for guardians and Raevans? I don't think there are many children in my neighborhood, and I want to make sure that there's more than just me and my mother to stimulate and amuse them. Maybe we could set something up if there isn't!"
There's a gleam in her eye that could easily spell trouble: Dani with a project is a hurricane packed into a woman's body. It had served her well through nursing school, but sometime people found it a little off-putting.
Turning to Ryder again, she smiles. "You could meet new people who like to read books and share your thoughts on them. That should be fun!"
As the girl ignored her, Alice felt it. And that just made her more angry. Ryder knew what she was feeling and simply told her to keep calm. She moved away from the group and stood creepily in the background for the time being, never taking her eyes off of Dani.
Reuben smiled with a nod. "He's definitely very knowledgeable from what I gathered. And a smooth transition is a smart way to think about it. My best friend helped me set everything up for Ryder as soon as I was accepted as a guardian."
Listening to her concerns, he understood. Being a workaholic himself, it was a challenge to keep his personal life and work life balanced. "I totally agree. I mean, luckily my business is basically in my back yard," he began standing straight up with a slight stretch. "I'm not entirely sure. All I've done is met with people at random locations or had them come to my shop looking for something specific for a different problem."
Thinking a moment on her last question, it was something to think about. Having someone there to help set up some sort of get together would be great. "I don't know if you've heard about it or not, but I got an email from the Lab stating that later this month they're going to be hosting a beach party."
All Ryder could do the entire time was stay quiet. But as she turned her attention to him, telling him what all could be happening. Now he seemed a bit interested. Others who like to read books and share thoughts!? That seemed like a party the frei would attend!
"I...I would actually really like that," he said sheepishly, almost embarrassed about how he was acting previously. At this point, Alice began to fade into the background until she was completely gone.
Reuben smiled with a nod. "He's definitely very knowledgeable from what I gathered. And a smooth transition is a smart way to think about it. My best friend helped me set everything up for Ryder as soon as I was accepted as a guardian."
Listening to her concerns, he understood. Being a workaholic himself, it was a challenge to keep his personal life and work life balanced. "I totally agree. I mean, luckily my business is basically in my back yard," he began standing straight up with a slight stretch. "I'm not entirely sure. All I've done is met with people at random locations or had them come to my shop looking for something specific for a different problem."
Thinking a moment on her last question, it was something to think about. Having someone there to help set up some sort of get together would be great. "I don't know if you've heard about it or not, but I got an email from the Lab stating that later this month they're going to be hosting a beach party."
All Ryder could do the entire time was stay quiet. But as she turned her attention to him, telling him what all could be happening. Now he seemed a bit interested. Others who like to read books and share thoughts!? That seemed like a party the frei would attend!
"I...I would actually really like that," he said sheepishly, almost embarrassed about how he was acting previously. At this point, Alice began to fade into the background until she was completely gone.
Here was a gap she could fill, then. She loved to organize things and was all about teamwork and group activities; it wouldn't be too difficult to arrange a monthly get-together for guardians, guardians-to-be, and their Raevans, and it would benefit everyone to get to know each other and be able to spend a little time relaxing together on a regular basis. There weren't that many Raevans in the world, after all, and everyone needed a support group.
"I'll definitely have to arrange a book club then," she promised, nodding to Ryder with an encouraging smile. "So start thinking about what book you'd want to discuss!"
She had heard about the beach day, and frankly, was really looking forward to it. Sometimes she got tunnel vision and it didn't occur to her to take time to slow down and relax before she burned out; it was one of the perils of being such a high-energy, go-getter sort of person. It would also be a great opportunity to meet more guardians, since relying on chance to run into them hadn't been working out exceptionally well so far.
"I did get that e-mail, and I can't wait to go." One of the things in her bag was a brand new bikini, actually, because she'd wanted something fun and bright to celebrate the summer with. "It'll be a good place to bring up the idea of regular meetings, too. I think I'll try to set up something monthly, so that people can try to get together, and if you can't make it once or whatever, there's always going to be another one. I just think it's important that we have a real community, and if there isn't something like that in place already, I'll get it going."
Some people might have been biting off more than they could chew, and true, she would have to juggle her schedule a bit to make it happen -- it would be more than just hosting, it would be planning and coordinating and all the pre-work involved, too -- but it was important. Dani was firmly of the belief that for the things that were important, you made time.
She could always cut back somewhere else if she needed to, because her Raevan was going to be priority one when they arrived.
"I'll definitely have to arrange a book club then," she promised, nodding to Ryder with an encouraging smile. "So start thinking about what book you'd want to discuss!"
She had heard about the beach day, and frankly, was really looking forward to it. Sometimes she got tunnel vision and it didn't occur to her to take time to slow down and relax before she burned out; it was one of the perils of being such a high-energy, go-getter sort of person. It would also be a great opportunity to meet more guardians, since relying on chance to run into them hadn't been working out exceptionally well so far.
"I did get that e-mail, and I can't wait to go." One of the things in her bag was a brand new bikini, actually, because she'd wanted something fun and bright to celebrate the summer with. "It'll be a good place to bring up the idea of regular meetings, too. I think I'll try to set up something monthly, so that people can try to get together, and if you can't make it once or whatever, there's always going to be another one. I just think it's important that we have a real community, and if there isn't something like that in place already, I'll get it going."
Some people might have been biting off more than they could chew, and true, she would have to juggle her schedule a bit to make it happen -- it would be more than just hosting, it would be planning and coordinating and all the pre-work involved, too -- but it was important. Dani was firmly of the belief that for the things that were important, you made time.
She could always cut back somewhere else if she needed to, because her Raevan was going to be priority one when they arrived.
Ryder began to instantaneously fill his head with multiple books and different novels he'd like to see in this so-called "book club". He'd never heard of such a thing, but it sounded like a delightful time. He kept quiet and nodded when she suggested to think about which books he'd like to see. He began to count the different books in his head. Which one would they start with? That was the biggest, most pressing question in his mind in that very moment.
Reuben smiled as Dani spoke, a guardian with such good intentions. "I'd love to see more people getting together and have that community. I'm excited for the beach, but ever since I'd been accepted as a guardian, I have yet to go to any sort of gathering. So, if I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous what else I'll see there. But I'm glad I'll see another friendly face while we're there!"
Ryder sort of interrupted towards the end. "The first book I had ever read was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, do you think that we could discuss that book? I have too many to count in my head, but this book would be a great start," he stated, curious to see the woman's reaction. When it came to books, Ryder opened up a lot more and was far more invested than any other time; that much was obvious.
Reuben smiled as Dani spoke, a guardian with such good intentions. "I'd love to see more people getting together and have that community. I'm excited for the beach, but ever since I'd been accepted as a guardian, I have yet to go to any sort of gathering. So, if I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous what else I'll see there. But I'm glad I'll see another friendly face while we're there!"
Ryder sort of interrupted towards the end. "The first book I had ever read was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, do you think that we could discuss that book? I have too many to count in my head, but this book would be a great start," he stated, curious to see the woman's reaction. When it came to books, Ryder opened up a lot more and was far more invested than any other time; that much was obvious.
"I'll have to introduce you to Yves, if you haven't met him yet," Dani said decisively, taking a moment to punch another reminder into her phone for herself. Without looking up, she added, "He's the one who told me about Lab to begin with, and he's my best friend. Whether he likes it or not, he'll be part of these get-togethers. I think you two would get along."
She had to work hard to smother a smile when Ryder interjected again, and regarded him thoughtfully before making another note in her phone. "I think that sounds great. I'm going to count on you to tell me about about it, since I've never read it! Actually, that's an idea."
Dani had never run a book club of any sort before, but Google was an excellent resource and she'd run plenty of study groups -- how hard could it be?
"What if we all bring a book we love and spend a few minutes talking about it? Then we can put the names of the books in a jar, draw one, and everybody can read it for the next time, until we get through all the books."
This she addressed to Reuben and Ryder both, already carried away (as she often was) with a plan and going full steam ahead without waiting for everyone else to catch up. "Sound fun?"
She had to work hard to smother a smile when Ryder interjected again, and regarded him thoughtfully before making another note in her phone. "I think that sounds great. I'm going to count on you to tell me about about it, since I've never read it! Actually, that's an idea."
Dani had never run a book club of any sort before, but Google was an excellent resource and she'd run plenty of study groups -- how hard could it be?
"What if we all bring a book we love and spend a few minutes talking about it? Then we can put the names of the books in a jar, draw one, and everybody can read it for the next time, until we get through all the books."
This she addressed to Reuben and Ryder both, already carried away (as she often was) with a plan and going full steam ahead without waiting for everyone else to catch up. "Sound fun?"
"Ah, I haven't met him yet; but I know the name because of the guardian's list.," he said with a smile. "I sure hope so," Reuben chuckled before continuing. "I look forward to meeting him one day!"
Ryder beamed with excitement when she began to explain her ideas for a good book club. At this point, Ryder was far more interested in the conversation than Reuben was and it was easy to tell. His entire demeanor changed. From the way he was speaking, to the way he was floating, he couldn't wait to see others with the same passion for books and reading! "It sounds awesome! I think that's great! When can we start it?! When!?"
Reuben shook his head and chuckled, almost embarrassed by the boy's sudden excitement. "Ryder, it'll be alright. We will keep in contact with her, okay? Actually, here's my card," Reuben stated, pulling a card from his wallet and holding it out for her. "As you can probably tell, we're completely on board with getting together more often with others from Lab."
Ryder beamed with excitement when she began to explain her ideas for a good book club. At this point, Ryder was far more interested in the conversation than Reuben was and it was easy to tell. His entire demeanor changed. From the way he was speaking, to the way he was floating, he couldn't wait to see others with the same passion for books and reading! "It sounds awesome! I think that's great! When can we start it?! When!?"
Reuben shook his head and chuckled, almost embarrassed by the boy's sudden excitement. "Ryder, it'll be alright. We will keep in contact with her, okay? Actually, here's my card," Reuben stated, pulling a card from his wallet and holding it out for her. "As you can probably tell, we're completely on board with getting together more often with others from Lab."
Dani laughed, too, and pushed her hair back from her face as she glanced between guardian and Raevan. She felt better and better about her decision to become a guardian - and the prospect of her actually being a decent parent when her own Raevan came along - with each new person she met. They were all different, and so were their charges. That was to be expected, but it was still refreshing and encouraging.
She accepted the card with a smile, juggling her bags so that she could tuck it into her purse in a safe pocket. "I'll put that in my phone as soon as I sit down, and send you a text with my details so that we can keep in touch. I should probably let you both go," she added, smile going sheepish. "But it really was great to meet you both. Ryder, I'll definitely look into getting a book club set up. I could probably host it at my house, even. Reuben, thanks for the chat."
There were a few more errands for her to run, and plenty still for her to get ready before her Raevan arrived. On top of that, she had a book club to start getting together, apparently, but while the prospect of so much to do might be overwhelming for some, it just excited Dani. She liked having a purpose and a clearly-defined goal to work toward.
"See you around," she said cheerfully, addressing them both.
She accepted the card with a smile, juggling her bags so that she could tuck it into her purse in a safe pocket. "I'll put that in my phone as soon as I sit down, and send you a text with my details so that we can keep in touch. I should probably let you both go," she added, smile going sheepish. "But it really was great to meet you both. Ryder, I'll definitely look into getting a book club set up. I could probably host it at my house, even. Reuben, thanks for the chat."
There were a few more errands for her to run, and plenty still for her to get ready before her Raevan arrived. On top of that, she had a book club to start getting together, apparently, but while the prospect of so much to do might be overwhelming for some, it just excited Dani. She liked having a purpose and a clearly-defined goal to work toward.
"See you around," she said cheerfully, addressing them both.