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Post by Keith Evans on Jan 8, 2014 20:43:58 GMT -5
"Lyric will be out soon," Keith said between long drinks of coffee. "Then we can figure things out. Sorry for leaving you guys." It wasn't fair, but most of this wasn't fair. He and Lyric had needed the little bit of time they'd had to figure things out and make decisions. Now hopefully clear heads could think about the situation.
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Post by Rhys Moreau on Jan 8, 2014 20:45:46 GMT -5
"It's a stressful situation," Rhys said. He'd turned away a cup of coffee, but didn't feel too left out because of it. I don't blame you for needing a few minutes." It was hard to even attempt to imagine what the couple was going through with this sudden addition. To be honest, they were handling it relatively well.
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Post by Trent Frey on Jan 9, 2014 12:44:36 GMT -5
Lyric came back with his hair down and a what are you going to do about it? look on his face. It was infinitely better than the old shame would have been, and he gravitated toward Keith and the coffee pot without hesitation. He could use a drink.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jan 9, 2014 12:47:29 GMT -5
"Can't say I've never needed time with Michael to work things out," Dare was saying. And it looked like something had been worked out, because that distance and tension that had been in the room before was gone. He didn't say anything about Lyric's hair, but it was a hell of a change from the usual, and it made the man look softer, more approachable somehow. "I just offered to take one of you guys to the store, pick up some stuff for Reprise," he said.
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Post by Trent Frey on Jan 9, 2014 12:52:04 GMT -5
Lyric could feel the way Dare was looking at him, and ignored it. It didn't feel judgmental, just close. And suddenly he could hear Reprise squeaking. She'd apparently noticed his hair, too. He hadn't been about to waste time putting it back up after a quick shower, but he'd thrown on some eyeliner at least.
He looked at the child, who was staring open-mouthed and had nearly dropped her toy. She had a hand stretched out, fingers flexing in a silent demand for him to come to her. "If you want me, you can get up," he told her. She appeared to debate doing just that.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jan 9, 2014 19:00:14 GMT -5
If the girl did manage to get up and get closer to Lyric, Keith wondered if it would be better for him to go with Dare and let the father and daughter try to bond a little. Or maybe it was the opposite, and he should stay since Lyric would be spending so much more time with her. "You'll have to get up," he said over his cup of coffee. "I doubt he'll give up." He wondered how long it would take for the girl to act somewhat normal.
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Post by Trent Frey on Jan 9, 2014 19:13:57 GMT -5
The child's eyes didn't so much as flicker toward Keith, but after a bit more debate, she slid off the side of the kitchen chair and approached. Slowly. When she neared, she stared up at Lyric, but one hand reached out for Keith, who'd sat beside her cabinet and talked so patiently to her.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Jan 9, 2014 19:25:33 GMT -5
Dare's brows arched slightly, and he gave Keith a meaningful look before turning his gaze to Lyric. Squat down, he mouthed. He didn't know about Lyric's issues with being touched, but he did know that getting on a child's level—anyone's level, really—put them at ease.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jan 9, 2014 19:33:08 GMT -5
Keith hadn't expected that turn of events, but didn't back away from her. Instead, he dropped a hand for Reprise. He didn't speak, thinking that maybe for now it would be better to let the focus be on Lyric. When had a little kid ever reached out for him instead of who they were actually supposed to be interested in?
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Post by Trent Frey on Jan 9, 2014 20:04:47 GMT -5
Lyric didn't want to squat down, and didn't want the kid touching him, even if it had been cleaned up. Still, he saw Keith's hand drop, saw the child lean slightly into it. He set his coffee mug on the counter, then slowly moved into a squat, his face more or less level with hers when he did so.
Reprise stared for just a moment, then squeaked and ran off to the bag Lyric had forgotten. It was pushed off to the side of the room near the trash can, which she thankfully ignored. She came out of the bag with a crinkled page torn from a magazine, one that Lyric recognized at a glance. He'd taken that picture and submitted it to Cauldron himself.
Reprise came back at a trot, seemingly oblivious to all the eyes on her, and held up the picture beside Lyric's face. She looked between the two with wide eyes. With his hair down and air-drying, he matched the picture much more closely than he had before. She squealed and shook the paper excitedly.
"Yeah, that's me," Lyric said, glad she hadn't touched him. Then she threw her arms around his neck and he gasped in shock.
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Post by Keith Evans on Jan 9, 2014 20:11:42 GMT -5
Keith grinned at the exchange and let a hand rest against Lyric's shoulder in an attempt to keep him calm. "I hope you can get used to him with his hair up, he rather likes it that way," he said. It was the most sound he'd heard come from the girl, and her enthusiastic response was definitely a good thing. This also meant that Lyric would have to get used to contact with someone other than Keith himself, which should be interesting to see.
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Post by Trent Frey on Jan 9, 2014 20:44:41 GMT -5
Lyric twitched at the extra pressure on his shoulder before he realized that it was Keith. He felt smothered and a little violated, and after a moment that seemed far too long, he reached up to pry tiny hands from the back of his neck. "Hug your toy," he advised. He picked the thing up from where it had fallen and offered it to Reprise. The child wrapped its arms tightly around Guy, but didn't look quite satisfied.
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