Obliviously, Yours.

[Zachary Brahmen]

Generally, on a Saturday afternoon, Zachary Brahmen closed the surgery down, and took the time to vacumn the place. By 2pm, he'd cleaned out the basement cages and checked bandages. By 3, the reception and examination rooms were mopped and tidied. By 4, the stables had been mucked out and the barn kennels were clean and tidy. With very grubby looking sleeves and a light sheen of sweat on his brow, the Vet hadn't even started on his living quarters. He also needed to mow the lawn, wash the car and start making a casserole, all before 6.

Of course, by 5:30, he'd done most of the tasks on his list, but the Jeep was still covered in a sheen of mud, and the casserole was woefully unprepared. This bothered the lanky man, as he stepped in the shower to clean up and make sure he didn't smell of animal before his two expected guests showed up. Scratching his chin, by 5:45, the man was back in the kitchen and browning off chunks of lamb. The sizzling sound of the meat and the gentle, faint noise of the animals downstairs were comforting to Zach, everything had become home to him since he'd moved here those few years ago.

Luckily enough, the local bus often stopped very close to his house, probably to pick up the school children who went to the normal high school nearby. He knew Akira would catch the bus, then walk up the drive past the yellow farmhouse and the blue and white one, then let himself in with the house key and traipse up the stairs. But this time, Akira was bringing his room mate with him, and, despite Zach telling his nephew to remember to sign them both out for the weekend, he was very excited. Zach enjoyed company almost as much as the little Sugar Glider, Epsi, did.

As the casserole came together, Zach scooped the little creature out of his cage and set him on his shoulder. "We've got guests, Epsi, best behaviour please." He chuckled and put the lid on the pot, setting the table, then glancing down at his jeep. "Would it be child labour to get them to help me wash that tomorrow?"

Epsi twitched his nose thoughtfully.

"I thought not."

[Akira Faulkner]

While Zach was busy with cleaning the surgery and the house, Akira was slugging his way through his last classes of the day. He’d had training with Chase that morning. His trainer had brought in his cat, Milo, to work with. He was actually a lot more cooperative than more of the cats he’d tried talking to, but it also showed him he’d gotten a good hold on the talking aspect. He hadn’t even lost his voice for very long afterwards. But he couldn’t make Milo do the things he wanted. Though the cat was friendly, they all had this “make me” aspect to them. So he’d been frustrated there.

At least his final classes were academic. They were easy. He’d turned in the math homework Toru had helped him with the other night, and he’d done well, to his surprise. Then again, Toru was a good teacher. He spent most of the class doodling in his notebook, Moxie curled up in his hoodie pocket, as usual. She knew class time was quiet time. Every so often, he’d reach in and stroke her, smiling when she shifted against his touch.

When classes were finally over, Akira bolted to his room and dropped his things off. He had a paper to work on, but other than that, no homework. He was excited. While he’d miss Toru like crazy, he was happy to be going to his Uncle Zach’s place for the weekend. He was even bringing a friend. Ever since Benji had moved into Akira’s room, he’d befriended the healer. They got along well. They were both quiet (of course, Benji had to be), and they both liked animals. Akira was more than happy to let Moxie play with Benji, because, well, she liked him as much as he liked her.

When he’d let it slip that his uncle had a veterinary surgery in Pilot Ridge, he’d seen Benji just light up. A quick phone call to Uncle Zach had confirmed it. Benji had an official invitation to join Akira on the weekend. They took the bus, and it wasn’t long before they were dropped off close to the surgery. He’d already told his Uncle that Benji couldn’t speak, but he was quite capable of communication. As the house came into view, Akira pointed, smiling happily at Benji. “See it?” He resisted the urge to run to the house, the way he usually did, instead keeping pace with Benji, until they were at the door. He then pulled out the key Zach had given him and let himself and Benji in. “Uncle Zach? We’re here!”

[Benjamin Park]

For as frightened as Benji was when he first came to Hammel, he's come a long way. It didn't take long for him to befriend his roommate Akira, who was perhaps one of the nicest people Benji had ever met. He'd helped him unpack when he first moved into the dorm and introduced him to Moxie, who Benji quickly grew to love. His mother was allergic to pet dander, so the only pets he'd had at home were his fish. They were nice and all, but you really can't pick up a fish and give it a cuddle. Fish aren't exactly the most snuggly animals out there. Akira hadn't teased him about inability to talk and Benji had filled up quite a few pages in his notebook in conversation with his new friend. He felt comfortable around 'Kira, he knew he could trust him, and he was so glad to have someone to rely on in such an unfamiliar environment. So when his roommate had extended him an invitation to visit his uncle, Benji had jumped at the chance.

Benjamin was excited for the weekend getaway, so much so that he zoned out for most of his classes, looking wistfully out the window or glaring at the clock for going so slow. When he was finally released from his last class of the day, he practically sprinted back to his dorm to meet Akira, a smile so bright on his face it was like he'd won the lottery. It wasn't long after that when Benji slipped an extra notebook into his bag and they were on their way to catch the bus. Akira had told him about some of his uncle's pets, but the one that Benji was most interested in with the sugar glider, Epsi. He'd never even heard of such a creature before his friend brought it up and shown him some pictures and now Benji was pretty sure that it was one of the cutest things he had ever seen.

As the piled out of the bus and Akira pointed to the house, Benji lit up with another smile. Shy as he was, it was so easy to relax around 'Kira that he didn't think twice about his actions. It was just natural. Nodding at the question, notebook clutched tightly to his chest, he trotted alongside his companion eagerly, throwing him the occasional sidelong glance. He was comforted by the fact that Akira seemed to be just as excited as he was about this visit. It felt like a normal thing to Benjamin, visiting with his friend, having a sleepover. His life had felt so abnormal and so surreal lately that it was a pleasant change to be able to do something that average kids did. Akira had told him that Zach was non-meta and that made things even better in Benji's eyes. Usually he was surrounded by people who could do astounding things and in some cases it was almost overwhelming, but this weekend it was just going to be him and Akira and Zach. He couldn't have been happier if he'd tried.

Standing outside the door while Akira unlocked it, Benji was overcome with a case of the fidgets, which was something he was rather prone to. Picking at his notebook (I can't even begin to tell you how many he's pulled the wire out of because of all his fidgetting) he bounced a little on his heels before Akira let them in. His eyes quickly darted around the little entrance way and he looked at Akira before quickly scribbling out a message to him. "Something smells good in here!" Showing the notebook to his friend, he smiled, still bouncing a little from his excitement.

[Zachary Brahmen]

Zach had spent the day with a variety of clients that he was pretty sure Akira was going to want to hear about. First, there was a mother rat who'd given birth to tiny little ones overnight, then a labrador who'd eaten a stick and had punctured his throat trying to swallow it. The operation had gone fine, and the little lab was back and wagging in a pen in the basement, on a strict "No more sticks" diet. Other than that, there were minor clients; the budgies with the feather parasite, a rabbit with a runny nose and a cat with a sore eye. The morning had certainly kept the young vet busy.

Bertha, from upstairs in the attic, made a shrill shriek as the two teens trudged up the road. Taking that as a signal his guests were very close, Zach pulled down his sleeves from baking and walked from the kitchen, sparing a glance at the casserole, taking the time to unlatch the upstairs door and walk down the stairs to greet his favourite nephew. Walking into reception, he opened his arms warmly and grinned.

"Akira!" The lanky brunette threw his arms out and pulled Akira into a warm hug. "It's wonderful to see you." Grinning, the man looked at the new visitor and headed over. Akira had told Zach on the phone about Benji and his notebook, so he smiled and waved. "Hi there, it's Benjamin, right? I'm Zachary, but you can call me Zach, Zachie, Old Man... etc." Chuckling, the man grabbed both the overnight bags and headed back upstairs. "I'll put your bags in your rooms. It's lamb casserole for dinner and one of the farmers I helped on friday gave me an apple pie, so we can have that for dessert."

As Zach reached the door of his actual home, Epsi reappeared out of his shirt pocket and climbed up onto his head, chittering and looking extremely curious at the new guests. "Oh, Epsi says hi." He added, rolling his eyes and walking through the sitting room. "There's some new visitors downstairs, 'Kira. And Archie's been at the apples again, that pony is going to be too fat to fit through the stable door at this rate." Plonking the bags in the two spare rooms, Zach clapped his hands together.

"So, how was school, both of you?"

[Akira Faulkner]

When Benji showed Akira the note, the teenager lit up with a smile. “Yeah. As long as it’s some kind of casserole, or pie, it’s safe to eat. Uncle Zach’s really good at those. Anything else... well... when my friend Toru comes to visit with me, he ends up doing a lot of cooking. Sometimes my uncle isn’t so safe in the kitchen.” But it least it did smell good. He turned from Benji when his heard his uncle on the stairs, and grinned up at him.

“Hi Uncle Zach!” He happily hugged him back, snuggling into his chest. Zach was one of his favourite relatives, hands down. And certainly his favourite uncle. “I missed you!” He did let go, however, to let him inspect Benji. He was glad that, of all his family members, it was Zach Benji was going to meet. Not that he had anything against his parents, because that wasn’t it. He loved his parents dearly. It was just... his brother. Seta would cause problems. He always did when Toru was around. While it was sometimes funny to watch them go round for round, Seta with his brainless swearing and crude comments, and Toru with his beautifully articulated, subtle insults, most of the time he’d rather his older brother stay out of his life. He’d probably terrify poor Benji. They’d already hit on the subject of siblings, and all Akira had really said about Seta was, simply, he was a pain in the ass.

Akira followed his uncle up the stairs, grinning when Epsi appeared on top of Zach’s head. “Hi, Epsi.” His chattering made him smile. As did Zach’s translation. “Uh, Uncle Zach? That’s not what he said...” He laughed softly. “He said he loves me, and he wants to know who Benji is. Epsi. This is Benji. He’s my roommate at school, and my friend. And no, he won’t eat you. Promise.” He turned to look at Benji, smiling. “That’s Epsi. Well, Epsilon. He’s really loud and obnoxious, if you can hear what he’s saying.” He rolled his eyes slightly.

The teenager perked a little at the mention of new visitors. He’d have to take Benji down to see them. And the Archie comment make him laugh. “Archie’s sort of Uncle Zach’s pony. He took him in. Long story. We keep trying to find him a home.” He shrugged glanced back at his uncle.

“School was okay. My teacher let me practice on his cat, but I couldn’t make him do anything. Just talk. And... I did really good on my math homework!” He resisted the urge to tack on that Toru had helped him. He was not going to open up the Toru door. He got enough teasing about his best friend, thanks.

[Benjamin Park]

Resisting the urge to tack "boy" in front of "friend Toru" will be very difficult, but I'll try my best to ignore it. I don't need Akira glaring at me the way he glares at Zach when he starts teasing him about Toru. Besides, Toru isn't even here and Benji is eager to meet Akira's uncle. He'd been told all sorts of stories about Zach, from the animals he'd rescued, to the fun things that he and Akira did together. Though Benji had a good relationship with his parents, he'd never had something like his friend had with his uncle. All of his uncles had lived halfway across the country and he only saw them once every couple years.

Benji offered up his best smile when Zach came down, scribbling down in his notebook as he hugged Akira. "It's nice to meet you!" He turned the notebook around for him to read, still looking a little shy and awkward, but nearly everything that the boy did left him looking out of place. His social awkwardness was something he honestly couldn't help and it was probably only enhanced by his inability to talk. Thankfully he wasn't here alone, he had his friend Akira who made him feel comfortable, even in unfamiliar situations. He looked at his friend and smiled again, then back at Zach. That rather dorky smile on his face was hard to be intimidated by and it relaxed Benji to see such a warm friendly face. There truly weren't enough of them in the world.

Heading up the stairs after Zach, Benji's eyes widened when Epsi appeared pretty much out of nowhere. If he could, he would have squealed at the cuteness. Then again, if this was a cheesy Shounen Ai Manga, Zach's smile would have sparkled and there would be magical flowers appearing around him. Unfortunately, neither of those things happened, so Benji is just left going mentally "D'awwww" over little Epsi. Sticking close to Akira, he laughed quietly at the mention of the pony. Yes, when he was a little boy, Benji wanted a pony, but he never got one. This means that he should be introduced to Archie because it will make him happy.

[Zachary Brahmen]

Epsi continued to scurry back and forth as Zach took the two suitcases up the stairs, nudging the door open with his knee. The little sugar glider was chittering constantly, his large black eyes peering intensely at both Benji and Akira, claws holding onto Zach's messy hair. Eventually barging both suitcases into the seperate rooms, Zach smiled. "Well, this is your room, Benji, I hope you'll find it comfortable, I know a certain tall, dashing friend of Akira's does." Laughing warmly, Zach settled the suitcase onto the floor and stretched, scooping Epsi out of his hair and eying him suspiciously. "You should know humans don't eat sugar gliders, Epsilon." Stroking the little creature's head, he gently set him on Akira. "There, you can look after him while I carry on with the casserole."

Taking the stairs two at a time, Zach's gangly frame finally returned to the stove, and he finally added the finishing ingredients, turning the pot down to a low heat and rubbing his temple. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Benji." The vet said with a smile, moving across to flop across the sofa. "Please make yourself comfortable, my home is yours, at least, for the weekend." Zachary had been told before that his house, with the smell of animals, casseroles, apples and his own aftershave, had a relaxing, warming atmosphere. No one was ever made to feel unwelcome - except for Seta and his interesting friend - and the man had always made the effort to talk to everyone at their own level.

Thinking to himself, Zach suddenly grinned. "Oh, you two can go and see the animals after dinner, how about that? We've got some interesting guests, and Archie could always do with a pet." Indeed, the fat little shetland had managed to munch his way through the starts of a vegetable patch Zach had started a few weekends ago. Carrots everywhere, the little pony had managed to trot through Zach's garden, reminding the vet that yes, that stable door did need a new bolt across it. "He's been a real little terror recently, I swear I spend half my free time clearing that little bugger's mess up." Though Zach complained, he was fond of the little pony, his bags of character and his gentle nature made the vet smile. Why Archie hadn't found a proper home yet, Zach didn't know. Strange how the world works.

As the TV changed to a program about animals, Zach suddenly tuned in. "You'll love this, I read the TV listings and this week it's all about polecats and pine martins." Moving over so the boys had room on the sofa to sit with him, Zach was only faintly distracted by Bertha, letting out another shrill shriek in the loft.

[Akira Faulkner]

Akira talked about Zach a lot. Out of his various family relations, Zach was probably one of his favourites. Also up there was his older sister. Notice that Seta is nowhere on this tiny list. There are reasons for this. Namely, Seta is the biggest jerkface of an older brother that ever existed. But coming to his Uncle Zach’s place was always great. On days off school, Akira would often help him in the surgery, holding animals, talking to them so they knew what was happening, cleaning, that sort of thing. He liked helping, because while he helped, he could learn. And that was what he needed, because he wanted to learn the trade. He wanted to be a vet, just like Zach.

Epsi’s chirping, however, made Akira flush a dark red. Over and over again “Where’s your boyfriend Akira? Where is he? Is he coming? I like your boyfriend! Didn’t you bring him? Tell me tell me!” Great. Zach had the little animal trained to associate Toru with the word ‘boyfriend.’ Fabulous. And Zach was only making it worse, to the point that Akira actually cringed a bit and avoided looking at Benji. “Uncle Zaaaach! Don’t talk about him like that.” Zach was the resident expert on teasing his nephew on his relationship with Toru. Hell, half the time when Toru was over, he joined in. Which tended to result in a sulky Akira. As Zach set Epsi on his shoulder, Akira grasped the little animal in his hand. “Epsi. Toru. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend. Understand?” Once his point was across, he held out the little animal to Benji. “You can pet him. He won’t bite. He knows his house guest manners.”

He trailed after Zach as he headed down the stairs, and leaned against the wall, out of the way. The thought of introducing Benji to the animals made the teenager smile. Archie, in particular. The pony could be cantankerous, but he was friendly, and the biggest troublemaker Akira had ever encountered. He looked at Benji in excitement. “Archie’s cute, Benji. You’ll like him.” But Zach’s comments made him giggle. “Aww. I’ll talk to him, Uncle Zach. Maybe I can convince him to behave himself. At least for the weekend. Who else do we have here?” He was always curious about Zach’s patients. Funny how so many animals did better with treatment when they understood what was happening. It was why Akira talked to them so often, especially before and after surgeries.

The television caught Akira’s attention, and he moved over to flop on the couch in his favourite spot, leaving a space between himself and Zach for Benji. Gently, he pulled Epsi from his shoulder and set him on Benji’s lap. “Be nice, Epsi.”

[Benjamin Park]

Benji had met Toru a couple time and at first, he'd been so intimidated by the older boy simply because he was so tall, but he quickly learned that he was harmless. Zach had earned a similar reaction. He was on the taller end of the spectrum like Toru, but that smile made Benji's initial fear go running off. It was hard to be afraid of a man who was just so... warm. He was excited for this weekend away from the school with his newfound friend. He was still getting used to his new life at Hammel and this was a much needed break. Teenagers are bad enough in regular high schools, but give them supernatural abilities and you were just begging for chaos.

Benjamin laughed silently as the teasing of his friend, hiding his smile behind his hand. He'd seen the way Toru and Akira looked at each other and the way they acted together and had thought the same thing. He'd even asked Akira about it and had earned a similar blushing reaction, but he still didn't quite understand their relationship. He had never been so touchy-feely with anyone, not even his best friend back home.

When Akira held Epsi out to him, Benji reached to pet him, giving the little critter a moment to smell him before gently running his fingers over his back. He smiled. Having always wanted a pet of his own, Benjamin was fascinated with animals. Zach's home, with all it's non-human occupants, was like a dream come true. Though he did feel out of place in that he couldn't chime into their conversation quite so easily, he was still extremely happy to be here. As if he just remembered his manners, he hastily scribbled down a message for Zach, "Thank you for letting me stay here for the weekend!" He looked a little embarrassed that he hadn't think the man earlier.

Taking the remaining spot on the couch, Benji brightened even more when Epsi was placed on his lap. He began petting him while he watched the TV, only to get a little start from the noise up above. "What was that sound?" He inquired via his notebook, holding it so both Zach and Akira could see the question. He had been told about Bertha by Akira, of course, but he'd never actually heard an owl before, so the connection wasn't made.

[Zachary Brahmen]

Zach was happy to have the house full again. Every weekend he looked forward to Akira's visit, it stopped the house feeling so empty, and, though the vet had his animals to talk to and fuss, nothing beat a little human conversation. Often, he'd sit with Akira up later than his "bedtime" and watch the animal shows, and talk to his nephew about his patients. Akira never seemed to get bored of the constant animal influence in his life, and somehow, Zach believed if he'd ever have a kid, he'd be something like Akira. But Zach had no time for a baby, his animals were his children, and he was happy with that.

As the TV flickered to an advert, the vet turned and smiled at Benji. "Really, it's my pleasure. Any friend of Akira's is a friend of mine." Glancing up to the barn, he laughed softly. "That's Bertha, my barn owl. She's mostly tame, but she'll give you a peck if you rough handle her." Running his fingers through his hair and adjusting his glasses, Zach smiled. Epsi seemed happy enough to be on Benji's lap, and tucked his little body close to the mute boy's chest, chittering away. "Rather Epsi is just a sucker for attention." The vet smiled, and then stifled a yawn, settling against the sofa.

"Anyone up for cleaning the jeep tomorrow?" He teased, eyebrows arched. "It's a filth swamp, and I just haven't got the time to do it myself." With the pot suddenly bubbling on the stove, Zach shot up and ran to tend to his casserole, stirring it again a few times. His eyes fell on the Jeep from his view of the front yard, and he sighed heavily. Technically, there was no point in cleaning the jeep; every time he did so, he'd get a call out to a farm with not so much a track as a mudswamp to cross. "In fact, don't worry." He sighed, setting three plates near the stove to warm them. Looking at the two boys on the sofa, Zach smiled. "We'll do something fun tomorrow. Ever tried horse riding, Benji?"

The farmer had kindly offered his horses up for riding shortly after Zach had made a payment plan for him, and treated one of his foals for free. The vet often took his niece out for riding, but he thought Akira and Benji could do with the fresh air and change of scene. "I'll have to do cage cleaning tomorrow though, so we'll do that before we go." The lanky brunette took another few checks of the casserole, then settled down again, perking up when an owl appeared on the TV show. "Wow, that's beautiful." He said softly, eyes warm. "What's your favourite animal, Benji?"