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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 24, 2019 21:00:04 GMT -5
What in the world was going on here? Why did this grown man want to cuddle with his familiar? What happened to the shy, quiet man who didnโt want to come anywhere near them? This wasnโt making any sense at all.
Andromeda had quite a bit of explaining to do.
โUhโฆ No?โ Aries answered, uncertain for the first time in over a century. It wasnโt very often that he was left at such a loss of words, out of both confusion and a lack of understanding in terms of the current situation. It was impossible to tell exactly what was happening here or why. โNot to be rude, kid, but he doesnโt like to be petted. Or held. Like I said, heโs not a normal cat, and he doesnโt really like people. So, no offense to you, but the answer is no. Youโre not allowed to pet him.โ Maybe it would hurt Derekโs feelings โ that wasnโt the intention, but rather an unfortunate side effect โ and he would feel bad, but Gil wasnโt a pet. He was a person and, currently, an irritated person.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 25, 2019 11:21:05 GMT -5
"But you're holding him," Sam pointed out, yet the little argument he was clinging to didn't hold as much hope in it as it previously did. He had been really hoping to pet the kitty. Once more, he was not allowed to pet an animal. Was it really such a bad idea? All he wanted to was to make a friend. He liked animals, and he wasn't going to hurt them. Just cuddle them. There had been plenty of dogs and cats on the streets that belonged to no one, but Winter always told them that they might be mean. Even the friendly ones that had walked up to them with tails wagging. Sam just didn't understand why it was such a big issue.
"Is there any other kitties here?" Sam asked instead, brightening up a bit at the idea of there being more than one pet in the building. If he couldn't pet this one, then maybe there was another one he could. "I'll be really gentle with them and won't chase them, I promise!"
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 25, 2019 16:54:35 GMT -5
(( Hey, gonna be super busy this weekend, but Iโll try to reply when I can! ))
The last thing he wanted was to let this strange man hug his familiar to death, but the choice wasnโt Ariesโs to make. From his shoulder, Gil jumped down to the floor and landed softly with a thump. Cautiously, he approached Derek on steady, quiet paws, paused to sniff at him. Well, so much for ignoring the man until he tired himself out of this strange mood swing he seemed to be having. Evidently, Gil had his own plans as he, for all extent and purposes, acted like a cat. It was not only surprising, but left Aries perpetually confused.
โI guess you can hold him if you want to,โ the warlock mumbled and ran a hand through his hair, digging through his pocket for his phone. Finding it, he sent a text to Romi, demanding that she show up to deal with this growing problem. This was her friend, she didnโt inform him about any of this, and he just wanted to go to sleep because it was way too early for any of this strange business. โHe doesnโt bite.โ
Gil let out a single grumpy meow, pawed at Derekโs legs, and sat back down like any attention-seeking feline would.
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 25, 2019 23:51:34 GMT -5
(( I usually like to write during my breaks, so itโs no problem, Iโm just a little slower ))
โI suppose he is,โ Aries said with narrowed eyes, a little more uncertain than he would have liked to be. There was very little that caught him off guard these days, but this probably took the cake for the most bizarre situation he had witnessed this century. It beat the time he was forced to find a talking tree in the middle of the Romanian wilderness. โVery grumpy, but yes, I imagine he is also very soft. Just donโt hug him too tightly.โ Now he was starting to sound like Romi, fretting and worrying constantly. This was his familiar, though. Not many people understood exactly what the bond between a warlock or witch and their familiar was like.
Since Romi wouldnโt be here for a while, Aries waves his hand to turn on the coffee machine from where he stood and flopped down onto the couch. Periodically checking his phone and watching the man before him. Curiously, he asked, โWhatโs your name?โ
Something told him this wasnโt quiet, timid Derek anymore. An instinct or perhaps just a hunch.
Gil on the other hand was content to start purring, pushing his fluffy head against Samโs hand. Swiftly, he climbed into the boyโs lap and curled up, eyes narrowed but otherwise relaxed.
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 26, 2019 14:42:22 GMT -5
(( Thanks! C: ))
Sam. Winter. Derek.
Three people, yet they were all the same person, at least physically. It made very little sense to Aries, who might have been older and possessed more life experience, but still didnโt know everything about this world. This was evidently something new that he had yet to deal with. At any rate, he was glad that he wouldnโt have to watch after this manโSamโfor much longer. Not that Sam was troublesome or dangerous, Aries just didnโt know how to deal with him or most child-like people, for that matter.
So when a knock finally came and he answered the door, he was grateful to find Romi there. Sleepy and pretty much dressed in warm pajamas, carrying along a massive teddy bear that he didnโt know she even owned. Smiling brightly as she stepped inside, her gaze landed on Sam, and Aries had never seen his sister look so gentle before. โHi there, sugar. I donโt think weโve met yet, but I know Winter and Derek,โ she said as she came to crouch down beside the man, holding the stuffed bear out. โMy nameโs Romi. I brought you a present. Do you like stuffed animals?โ
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 26, 2019 15:18:06 GMT -5
Sam seemed content where he sat. While most people might get tired or even used to having an animal on them, he was still just as happy and intent on the kitty as the minutes ticked by. He was just glad to have found a pet that he could actually pet! It took every amount of willpower the child possessed not to scoop him up and cuddle the cat, but he wanted to show the big man that he wasn't going to hurt the kitty. What if he got mad and told him to stop? He didn't want that, so he used all his control to be as gentle as possible.
When a knock sounded on the door, he lifted his gaze to see who it was. In walked a woman who looked around Derek and Winter's age, the same hair and eyes as the big man that has been watching him silently for a while. His face lit up, though, at the giant teddy bear she had with her. "You're Miss Romi!" Sam stated as she introduced herself. "Winter says I'm not supposed to talk to you, but Derek says you're really sweet."
"That's for me?" He asked, changing the subject as soon as she mentioned that she a present. He nodded quickly. "I love stuffed animals! My favorite one is Waddles. He's," the boy trailed off as he looked around the room, searching for their backpack. Spotting it by the couch, he pointed over in that direction, smiling. "He's in there. I would get him, but I don't want to disturb the kitty. Look! He's sleeping on my lap." Whether that was what the kitty was doing or not, that was what Sam believed he was doing.
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 26, 2019 18:00:34 GMT -5
โWinter is just a little bit grumpy, sweetheart. I still like him, though, even if he doesnโt like me,โ Romi answered with a smile, warmth radiating off her face with the brightness of a miniature sun. So this was Sam, the third alter she had heard so much about โ she was more than happy to finally meet him and not at all surprised by just how adorable he was. All big eyes and hopeful little smiles, like he couldnโt believe that someone was actually being nice to him. If she hadnโt been dead set on helping the other two before, she certainly was now. How could she abandon poor Sam to be with a monster? โYup, this bear is just for you. I brought it so that you can keep it.โ
At the mention of the kitty in his lap, she glanced down to see Gil snuggled up there, purring loudly and seemingly content to be held. The sight almost made her laugh โ he was a serious, stern man with no sense of humor, yet here he was being cuddled โ but she refrained from doing so. Barely. โAw, heโs cute. I think he likes you,โ she cooed, reaching out to brush her hand through Samโs hair. โAre you hungry, Sam? Iโm about to make breakfast. Anything special youโd like me to make for you?โ
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 26, 2019 19:05:05 GMT -5
Samโs excitement and happiness was all Romi needed to feel a strong sense of joy. Nothing was better than the pure giddiness that overcame the manโs face as he reached out to take the teddy bear. โYouโre welcome, sugar. Iโm glad you like it,โ she chuckled as she located the television remote and switched it on. Making sure the volume was down low enough, she turned the channel to some cartoon she didnโt know the name of about animals. She thought it would be nice to give Sam something to watch while she cooked.
Aries didnโt protest the addition of cartoons in his strange morning and let out a heavy sigh. He rose to his feet, shuffling back over to the bedroom. โIโm going back to bed. Try not to break anything while youโre here.โ
Romi tried her best not to roll her eyes and somehow succeeded. When she headed to the kitchen, she called to Sam, โPancakes sound great. Any kind youโd like? Blueberry? Chocolate chip?โ Peeking inside the refrigerator, she found a half full carton of orange juice and pulled it out along with the rest of the ingredients she needed. Good thing Gil did all the shopping, otherwise there wouldnโt be any food here at all.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 26, 2019 19:21:41 GMT -5
Sam didn't know why Winter didn't want him to be around Romi. So far, this had been the greatest morning he'd ever had. With a kitty in his lap, a new bear, and now cartoons playing on the TV, he was perfectly content and enjoying himself. For the moment at least. He was easily distracted. "Chocolate chip!" he replied. "Derek always makes chocolate chip pancakes on Saturday. I don't know what day it is, but can I still have them?"
He sat where he was for a few more minutes, listening to both the TV and the sounds of Romi moving around in the kitchen. As much as he hated to move, his curiosity got the better of him. Being careful, he stood up and picked up the kitty, cradling it much better than he would have had he actually had a child's body. Having a big body meant he could hold the kitty and all his fluff very easily. Then he limped into the kitchen. "Can I help? I sometimes get to co-host whenever Derek cooks, but I don't get to do a whole lot."
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 26, 2019 20:07:08 GMT -5
โItโs Wednesday, sugar, but you can have whatever you want,โ Romi answered from the kitchen as she set out a large bowl, a cardboard carton of eggs and dug around for a whisk that must be hidden somewhere. She found one in the drawer beneath the sink, made a face at how dusty it was, and set about washing it. โChocolate chip pancakes are a good breakfast for any day. I love them. My mom used to make them for me all the time before I left home.โ
Samโs offer to help was one that made Romi happy. It was nice to see the man so eager to socialize and help out. Truthfully, sheโd been afraid that Sam would be too shy or timid to talk to her much. After what heโd been through, she wouldnโt have blamed him, though she was glad to see that that wasnโt the case after all. โSure, sweetheart, but youโll have to put the kitty down and wash your hands. Iโm sure heโll stick around so you can hold him later.โ
Gil didnโt so much as budge a muscle when he was gently picked up and carried, limp and relaxed in the manโs arms to the point that he was almost like a rag doll. Romi figured that it was due to him not wanting to startle Sam, which was rather sweet.
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 26, 2019 21:45:30 GMT -5
โFirst, you can pour in the flour,โ Romi explained as she carefully measured out the correct amount into a cup and pushed it across the counter toward him. Since Sam wanted to help, she figured that she would let him put everything together into the bowl while she did all the careful measuring. Pouring a tablespoon of sugar, half of salt and a couple other ingredients into another cup, she let him have that as well. โAnd now comes one of the best parts. We get to crack a bunch of eggs!โ
Okay, so maybe it wasnโt the best part for most people, but Romi loved to cook. She was studying it and planned to do it for a living, after all.
โHere,โ she said as she handed him a single egg. โYou can crack it into the bowl and then weโll whisk it all together.โ
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 27, 2019 21:30:11 GMT -5
โYup,โ Romi answered, exaggerating the syllable with a barely contained smile. It was so nice to see Sam so happy, ready to help make breakfast and overall open up to her. All three boys were broken, but in dramatically different ways, and she had to be cautious when dealing with each individual alter. They all probably didnโt like the same things and from what she noticed, they each had separate habits along with their varied personalities. Winter was brash and kept to himself, Derek was kind-hearted but nervous about physical affection, while Sam was hopeful and very expressive. It was a lot of information to take in, after having known them for such a short time, but she did her best to categorize all of it. These details were too important to forget.
โHere, you do it like this.โ Taking an egg, she cracked it against the counter and split the shell apart over the bowl. It wasnโt the most elegant way to crack an egg โ Sam was essentially child-minded, though, and she doubted he would be able to follow a more elaborate technique. So long as there wasnโt any eggshells in the batter, she didnโt think it mattered how he did it. โAnd ta-da! One egg down. Now you try it.โ
While Sam was momentarily distracted, Gil took the opportunity to soundlessly hop down from the counter. He shifted while the boyโs back was turned, a shimmer of magic in the air, until he stood back to his full size. The look he gave the two was hard to read, a carefully constructed mask, as he turned on his heel and padded off into the bedroom.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 27, 2019 21:40:10 GMT -5
Sam watched as she demonstrated the way to crack an egg. He had seen Derek do it many times, and he even had the muscle memory needed for the task. That was one thing sharing a body did for him. While he might have been a child, he was able to do some things that were advanced for his age. Sam could read and write on a much better level than normal six year-olds, he knew how to mimic the actions of cooking from Derek and the proper way to hold and play instruments from Winter. That didn't mean he himself was good at any of these things, but the body had built up a collective of muscle memories that aided him in his own tasks.
Taking the egg, Sam lightly tapped it against the counter. When nothing happened, he tried a little harder. Small cracks appeared on the shell, but it wasn't enough for him to tear open. So he tried it a third time, forgetting that he was stronger than he actually should be. The egg cracked open onto the counter, egg white going everywhere. Not all of the egg spilled out, which was good, but there was a mess. "Uh oh," Sam muttered, his smile fading as he held the broken egg in his hands and trying not to make the mess worse. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that would happen."
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 27, 2019 22:39:51 GMT -5
Romiโs first reaction to the messy spill of egg whites across the counter was to smile and let out a soft breath of laughter. โWhoops. Oh well,โ she breezily waved off the mistake, grabbed a nearby dish towel and wiped away the slight mess. โWhatโs the point in cooking if you donโt get a little messy, am I right? Thatโs like the best part.โ She gently guided Samโs broken egg to the bowl and tipped what was left of it into the mixture, then grabbed another from the carton and held it out to him. Bearing the way his smile had faded so fast was difficult when she knew the reason why: he didnโt want to mess up. No doubt he was used to being yelled at for little mistakes. His stupid father was the only one to blame and she had to take a moment to not let her anger get out of control. Being protective now couldnโt change the past โ she could only help him to reach a better future.
Once everything was together, she handed Sam the whisk to let him do it. โDonโt worry about making a mess, sugar. Iโll clean it up after weโre finished.โ Her eye was caught by movement at the kitchen entrance and she looked up to find both Aries and Gil standing side by side, identical grim expressions on their faces. Frowning, she squeezed Samโs shoulder with her clean hand. โWhy donโt you stir that while Gil helps you for a minute? He loves pancakes, just like you do. I know heโs tall, but heโs very nice. He wonโt get angry at you over anything.โ
Gil, for the first time that Romi could remember, gave Sam a tiny smile as he approached. He traded places with Romi, who stepped away to speak to Aries, and reached for a pan. โI never had pancakes as a child,โ he said softly, glancing at Sam. โWe ate a lot of fish.โ
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 28, 2019 11:59:39 GMT -5
Sam just sort of stood there as Romi cleaned up the spilled egg and then took what was left of it from him, putting it into the mixture. He was waiting to see what would happen, if she would yell and get mad because he had messed up. Yet she didn't. The woman had simply laughed and handed him another. This time around, he was very careful and was able to crack the new egg into the bowl without much problems. Even if he hadn't gotten in trouble, the boy had been knocked down a peg or two, not acting quite so hyper as before. Upon being handed the whisk, he nodded and began to stir the batter together, forcing himself to keep to a careful pace.
He looked up from his work when she mentioned someone else coming over to help him. He noticed for the first time that the man from before had joined them in the kitchen, along with another, equally tall and intimidating man. Now that he didn't have a distraction of a cat and was already a little on edge from his previous mistake, Sam eyed the newcomer warily, turning shy all of the sudden. "Fish?" he asked. "Why fish? Fish doesn't sound like a good thing to eat all the time."
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 30, 2019 17:47:26 GMT -5
(( Hi! I should be able to get a post up tomorrow, Iโve had a really busy week. ))
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Oct 31, 2019 23:02:10 GMT -5
โI grew up in Hawaii,โ Gil answered with a half smile that made his eyes crinkle up at the corners. For a man so large, he was quite gentle, and he spoke softly. Not once did he raise his voice or show anything negative in his tone. โSurrounded by the ocean. Most of what my family ate was all fish. My father and older brothers were all fishermen. Sometimes, in the spring, we would make lots of pastries using the freshly grown fruit from our own backyard.โ
He took a ladle and spooned a bit of the mixed batter into the pan, careful not to overfill it, and watched Sam with an expression that might have been full of warmth. โMaybe one day I will make you some of my familyโs recipes.โ
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Nov 2, 2019 21:24:05 GMT -5
(( Itโs cool! Should we skip a bit? ))
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Nov 2, 2019 21:42:26 GMT -5
(( Maybe to a few days later, after Aries helps ward Romiโs dorm and Derek moves in? ))
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Post by ๐๐ธ๐ท๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ on Nov 2, 2019 21:54:42 GMT -5
(( I can, no problem! ))
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