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Post by NELL DOE DALE on May 15, 2012 14:10:24 GMT -5
Nell didn’t like coming over to her father’s mansion, but she was compelled to do so. Even though she could feel the tension in her veins simply approaching the place. Her life was out of control thanks to two en who lived there. She tightened the sash on her jacket as she walked up to the front steps and stopped, noticing an unfamiliar car in the driveway. Then another one, a shiny Range Rover, the sun reflecting off the black paint and making it glint. She gritted her teeth, getting herself under control before entering. It wouldn’t do to blow up at her brother. He’d proven what he was willing to do, and Nell was no masochist. Sheu nlocked the door, stripping off her jacket and hanging it in the hallway closet. A couple of voices caught her attention, but she spared a few moments to pick off lint from her shirt and cat hair off her jeans before taking the few steps and turning a corner to the sitting room where she’d heard the voices coming from. She froze, hand against the wall of the archway, but got over the shock quickly enough. She had expected Rafael, of course, eating his goddamn cereal, but she hadn’t expected Emmett. It made sense, she guessed. They were the same age, Thunders to boot. It rather unsettled her that Rafael even had friends, however. Even more because she felt territorial, before the guilt kicked in to remind her that it was her own fault that Rafael was even her.
Rafael noticed her and gave a small wave, smiling. ”Yo, mana,” he said. ”We were just talking about you.” She tilted her head and gave her own smile. ”Rafael, Emmett,” she said pleasantly, putting her car keys in her pocket. ”Fancy seeing you here,” she told the latter, wondering if she dare move out of the archway and into the thick of things. ”How are you today?” Enemies, she reminded herself, but her true enemy was not the Thunder boy she was tutoring. It was her flesh and blood, the poison in her life. ”Emmett was telling me how you tutor him.” Rafael leaned against an opposite wall, at least having manners not to sit at a table or anything while he ate. Even had his shoes off. That gave her only little reassurance, because she knew everything else about this situation was absolute shit. ”That what you were talking about?” she said facetiously, almost genuine. She had no idea what Rafael had told the boy, about the fact that she ran away from America to hide out here, that she was dragged back to the states to stand trial for murdering her mother. That is, until Rafael opened his mouth. ”Your illustrious history,” he commented, raising his eyebrows. ”Thought I should fill him in on who he was dealing with. Right?” Rafael aimed the question to the Thunder, teeth gleaming white as he smiled. She knew what he was doing, he only smiled when he was being a jackass.
Nell sat down in a chair, dropping the bag. She was going to stand her ground. ”Really now,” she said, aiming her gaze toward Emmett. What do you know? Should it actually matter? They weren’t anything to each other. However, he was friends with Rafael. That changed things. ”Hope you don’t think any less of me.” She arched her eyebrows at the boy in question. What had Rafael told him? She knew she shouldn’t have been as upset about this as she was, everyone knew her history whether she liked it or not, but this was her brother. He had no right barging into her life and making a mess of it like he had. It made her stomach twist as she thought about how much more he could destroy her reputation. Well, more than it already had been destroyed by the American press. What do you care about reputation? A lot more than she actually thought she would. It was rather disheartening to remember the stigma that would always be attached to her. ”So what, you guys were just sitting around doing nothing?” she asked, folding her hands on her stomach, in a way trying to show Rafael that he wouldn’t be able to get to her no matter what he said to his friends. But she knew that he wouldn’t stop, he would keep going, he was intrepid. The freaking Energizer bunny. ”Yeah, Papa went out, in case you were wondering,” Rafael told her, and Nell’s lips twitched into a frown. That’s why she’d come over in the first place, to take care of the ailing man. What was he doing up and about? She would need to call him, that was for certain. But now, she would just deal with her brother.
Rafael swirled his spoon around in the milk, and she knew that she’d be getting him more cereal today. She just loved being his little errand girl. Then he spoke, and she watched the gauges in his ears with a dead expression. Nell tried not to think of how she’d like to rip them out. ”We were just coming up with something to do.” She’d need to wait it out, it seemed. Her father should be returning eventually, right? That was when she could chew him out for thinking that he was in good shape to be wandering around, doing god knows what in god knows were. She was truly fearing for the man. He had lost noticeable weight, his skin was pale, and he still wouldn’t see a doctor. Stubborn as ever, she wished it was something he hadn’t passed down to her. ”How about cards?” Nell suggested. And oddly enough, right now Emmett was the better of the two for her, so she asked him, ”You know any games?” She liked games, games were safe. And if she was going to stay in the mansion where she couldn’t avoid Rafael, might as well stick it out. She was strong, she had to remind herself. Besides, Emmett was here. How bad could her brother get with him around? Apparently bad enough. Both of them had keys to her past that she’d rather they did not even have a clue about.
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Post by EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA on May 17, 2012 23:43:37 GMT -5
When Rafael invited Emmett over, he didn't think too much of it. They'd hang out, talk, whatever friends did--and Emmett would return to his dorm at the Academy with a peaceful and ignorant mind. He was not prepared, however, for the things he would learn that day.
Sure, he'd heard rumors/gossip about it, but Emmett never thought it'd actually be true. Nell was tutoring him, and although it was annoying and completely embarrassing, considering she was the enemy, Emmett couldn't imagine her as a murderer. Her mother, of all people! Granted, his mother abandoned him when he was eight years old and hadn't heard from her since--but he just couldn't wrap his head around harming his mother. His eyebrows knitted together and he pulled his knees up to his chest. Emmett was completely in his own world right now, very faintly hearing Rafael's voice, even though he was right next to him. A few nods here and there, before he snapped out of it abruptly, suddenly in a bad mood. Emmett had always been judgemental and vindictive--and this was no exception. However through this, his whole idea of Nell warped in his mind until it was just a big blur. It sent chills down his spine, the way she could smile innocently and act like a saint while her hands were stained in blood.
Emmett turned his head when Rafael suddenly greeted someone. His eyes then downcasted, glaring at her feet. Speaking of the devil. He merely nodded as she greeted him and he let out a quick, quiet laugh, Emmett's eyes humorless. "Wish I could say the same thing." Keep yourself calm, Emmett. It'll only makes thing worse, Emmett. You don't know the whole story, Emmett...the little angel in his mind nagged him, the tone disappointed. He rarely ever listened to it because its rationale never fit Emmett's state of mind/emotion. He was impulsive, to say the least. One thought would pop up and it would seep through his lips, dripping in sarcasm, before he could process anything. You could say he had more than one devil that would shut up his angel for a while. Emmett opened his mouth slightly to answer her question, something along the likes of 'oh! wonderful' or 'same as always, teach' in his usual sarcastic voice. He didn't feel like antagonizing Nell, at least not yet anyways, because Rafael seemed to do the job just fine. Emmett glanced back and forth between them and he sensed a sibling rivalry, but it wasn't like the normal ones. It was one with rage--he could feel it. He shifted uncomfortably, suddenly fixated on his fingers. "What?" Emmett was caught off guard, watching Rafael smile. He felt his own lips tug into one and he glanced at Nell, his eyebrows raised expectantly. "'Course. Nothing wrong with a background check, right, teach?"
Emmett kept his gaze steady, her eyes questioning him. He sent her a brief smirk, as if telling her he knew enough. He then quickly adverted his gaze elsewhere, but a faint trace of his smirk still lingered. "I don't think it could get worse," Emmett said, looking at her at the corner of his eyes. So this was what blackmailing felt like. It gave him an upperhand, but he couldn't help but feel dirty. Especially after he warned her about humanity playing unfairly.
As Rafael and Nell talked, Emmett closed his eyes. He wasn't tired, but more like...overwhelmed. Why, of all days, did he and Nell have to meet? It would take a several days for him to calm down slightly and process everything, before he slipped back into his regular routine without making it obvious that he knew something. Emmett was surprised he didn't learn about it earlier, but he guessed that telling Rafael that his sister was his tutor was some sort of catalyst for conversation. Because, boy, it was something he'll definitely never forget. "Eh. Never really learned any games." He sat up, pushing his hair out of his eyes. A sudden mischievous smirk arrived on his face, and he suggested, "There's always truth or dare." Emmett exchanged a look with Rafael, then added, "But dares are childish. How about just truth? I'm sure we all have something to share. " He looked straight at Nell, his eyes expectant. "Don't you agree, Nell?"
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on May 19, 2012 12:23:15 GMT -5
Nell kept her eyes on Emmett. It was probably the safest place for them to rest, since she could only look at Raf otherwise. What did Emmett think? Nell just knew what Rafael told him, especially with his little smirk on his face and that meant she was to him exactly what the world saw her as now—a murderer. Plain and simple, black and white. Did it even matter with him? She couldn’t help that sick feeling whenever anyone found out about her past, enemy or not. She was sure that many a murderer felt that way. Well, the many that didn’t take pride in it. She wasn’t a sociopath despite what some may like to claim. She didn’t want to acknowledge that those kinds of views were out there about her. ”No, I guess not,” she said about the background check, because if she were to let herself think about it, she knew it was a true statement. She tried not to think of everything that she had lost because of that one mistake. Not only a mother, not only her home or any sense of security she may have had, but the chance of living like a normal person. Of moving to another place without fear of ostracization. There was no chance of that, not anymore. She didn’t know whether or not she’d come to terms with it. A lot of things had been left untouched by her, sitting festering in her mind.
She kept her eyes firm when he commented that it can’t get worse. But he seemed to be distracted, steering his eyes away. Was this situation making him uncomfortable? Nell didn’t know whether she wanted that or not. ”Well, that’s good at least,” she said, and her voice was almost sarcastic. But she resisted any real attitude. Calm and patience. For her, this was a high pressure situation, and she could deal with that well enough. She wouldn’t let herself be intimidated by these two. It wasn’t going to happen, and so she reclined in her seat, hand resting on the arm while the other stayed in her lap so she could play with the ring on her finger. But she tried not to think of what Emmett must have seen in her now. What did he care? What did it matter? Most importantly—why did it still hurt? She kept her face blank as he made his suggestion, but Rafael was of course right on the ball with that. ”Sounds like a fun game to me, Nells,” he said, before going into the kitchen for a moment to dispose of his bowl of cereal. The tenseness eased from her body for a moment, flooding out like air from a balloon before she was on alert again when he came back in.
Now was time to make her decision, wasn’t it? She didn’t like the look on Emmett’s face, what she saw there. Don’t let your weakness show. It was something her father had taught her. ”Just truth?” she said. Was she really going to play to this? She didn’t appreciate these kinds of games. She hid everything she was, she’d been, what she’d done—she couldn’t help the parts of her that were on view for everyone. And still, she felt naked to the world whenever she realized that she cannot take the information that was in the public forum away. She couldn’t do anything about it. ”We all have something to share…” she repeated, as if contemplating. ”Not too sure about that. But since you already know so much about me…” Now the last part was sarcastic, spoken with a small smile. ”Sure, I’m game. Let me go first.” She leaned forward, both arms balanced on her legs. ”What is the worst thing you’ve ever done. And remember, be honest.” She shouldn’t have been doing this, should she?
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Post by EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA on May 21, 2012 0:24:43 GMT -5
Emmett watched Nell, his eyes unmoving. He just needed confirmation, and that was it. He wouldn't know what he'd do when it was confirmed; maybe he already knew it was true in the back of his mind but he refused to believe it--because he refused to believe someone like Nell would murder someone, her mother. She was his enemy, but Nell was still Nell. Patient and a saint, the person that annoyed him to no end. There's no way a person could smile like she does without any trace of guilt or any sign that something was wrong. Emmett clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the tightness, before letting a deep breath out. He wouldn't lose his composure over this, but the idea of killing his mother sent shivers down his spine. His mother had abandoned him, but in no way did he hold any hostile feelings toward her. No matter what Nell's reason was, Emmett just couldn't think of a valid excuse. Push those useless thoughts away. Nell was the enemy. He didn't want anything to do with her, but it seemed like he's now tangled into the past he wished he was ignorant to.
"Just truth." He repeated, his voice firm and a smirk on his face. He himself had things he'd rather not reveal, and actually, he had no intentions of revealing them at all. Emmett glanced over at Rafael and faintly thought how a family was so easily torn apart. He'd experience this once before, too well, but it didn't waver his feelings toward them. But between Nell and Rafael, there was this underlying feeling of hostility and to bring the other down to their knees. It almost unsettled him and wondered if he was a pawn in all this. Not that he minded. He had to refrain himself from cringing every time he looked at Nell in the eyes. "Worst thing I've ever done, huh?" he murmured to himself. He scoffed and said, "That sure is a bold first question, especially for you."
He looked over at Rafael once again before turning his head. Emmett was honestly thinking hard about this, because he was sure that no matter what he said, it would be overshadowed by Nell's. The only bad thing Emmett did was electrocute a girl his age at his fourteenth birthday party, but that had been a mistake. After that he didn't really interact with anybody, so nothing really happened. Emmett then turned his head toward Nell, resting his chin in his hand. "I don't know, Nell. Since I suggested it, shouldn't you go first?" he asked, an innocent expression on his face. "You know, ladies first. Besides, with what Rafael told me, I'm a lot more interested in hearing the full story." Emmett blinked, his fully body now turned towards Nell. He could feel his insides clenching in anticipation, but Emmett kept a composed expression on his face. Was Nell really going to give in that easily?
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on May 21, 2012 21:13:50 GMT -5
Nell tilted her head, her elbow resting on the arm of the chair, propping up her chin. "Just wanna play your little game," she said when he told her it was a bold question. Blunt honesty, isn't this what it was about? She could do that. She was a part of the Fuentes family, the way they bottled things up, the way they took no prisoners with their words, the way they intimidated with a gaze alone. She could pull this off. There was no fear, there was just this moment, with Rafael standing against the wall with a straight face, even though his brown eyes danced with glee. She looked back to Emmett. "What, you don't want to answer it?" Especially for her. Yes, that was very true. The worst thing she'd ever done? Perhaps the crime against her mother was the most obvious, but some crimes were too subtle to punish. That's what she always reminded herself of. She'd committed a great many sin. Never purposely, but she had a poor track record of mistakes. She wouldn't be able to give a straight answer to that question--she'd done too many bad things.
A think smile flicked to her lips. He seemed to take a moment to think about it, but then he spoke again. "Backing out, are we? Huh." She wanted to goad him into answering first to save her from having to actually deal with this. She could always lie. But Rafael knew more about her than she was comfortable with, and he made it clear with Emmett that he had no boundaries. Nell tried to calm herself, ease the tension, let herself return to the usual amiable person she was. But this environment did not encourage such feelings. "I'm with Emmett," Rafael spoke up when Emmett said ladies first, that she should be the one answering this question. "Of course you are," she mumbled before saying, "All right. It's only fair. But if we are going by ladies first, that means Rafael." He snorted, scratching the back of his head. "Funny," he drawled. They were all so skilled with the art of sarcasm, weren't they? It did only make the situation worse, but at this point, it was too far to go back. She just hoped that her father came home soon. Like he can control Rafael. The guilt needed to leave her alone.
She looked back at Emmett, and once again it was that electricity. Tension. It couldn't be a cold war when there was just this strange heat. It wasn't hate, she didn't hate Emmett, she had no reason to. But she did hate Rafael, and he was the cause for all this. "The worst thing I've ever done? I know what you're thinking, but--" She held up her hands, smiling. "--It's actually when I smoked out an abandoned convenience store." It was with Devin, they had been arrested, and that had been pretty bad. She still felt guilty about getting the Earth boy in trouble. "Not the worst, Nell, Rafael said, and she shrugged. "That's relative, is it not? It's the worst to me." And she could honestly say that because a crime against anyone else was the worst crime to her. So what if she didn't discriminate? Just like she didn't choose favorites, she didn't choose least favorites. She tried to avoid extremes. "You like that story?" she asked Emmett. "Now you go. Before I get bored with this." Still acting tough, but it was one of the things she was best at. She was from New York, after all. They were all tough.
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Post by EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA on May 28, 2012 2:41:40 GMT -5
Emmett rolled his eyes, slumping into the couch. "Suit yourself. I have no responsibility for the potential damage you'll put to yourself," he said, but his voice was light and free of concern. If she wanted to spill her past secrets, then let her. Nell put it onto herself and Emmett will feel no shame or guilt. He didn't really feel anything for her at all anymore--just, numb. At least before it was dislike and annoyance. Anything involving family members, whether or not it was his or someone else's, was a touchy subject for him. Emmett narrowed his eyes. "Never said that." He stretched his arms over his head and laid down again, turning his head to face Nell after he got comfortable. "Just felt like asking. Impulse decisions call for second thoughts. Especially in situations like these."
Emmett knew Nell was trying to provoke him. And it nearly worked as he felt his pride being tickled by the static electricity running haywire in his veins, so he clenched his fist, hiding it in the cracks of the cushions on the sofa and unwillingly spoke. "Just felt like being a gentleman." He then shrugged, a smirk on his face as he looked up at the ceiling. He could tell that this current stuation would just be full of head games, pushing each other to see who would crack first. A battle of wits, he guessed, but it was probably void as it was two against one. Emmett sent Rafael a smirk as he agreed with him, a glint in his eyes. Things were so much sweeter when you had someone on your side, but he couldn't help but let out a small, choked up laughter at Nell's next comment. It was childish and didn't fit the current atmosphere, but he couldn't help but think aloud, "Sibling rivalries are so interesting."
He held his breath in anticipation, ready for Nell to speak the very words he heard out of Rafael's, but as she told her completely irrelevant story, he almost let out an exasperated sigh. Instead, he let out a harsh breath and rolled his eyes. He's been doing that a lot lately, he noticed. "Well aren't you the rebel," Emmett said sarcastically. In a way, he was kind of relieved. Who knows how he would've reacted if he heard Nell talk about her murdering her mother. "Oh, I loved it." He gave her quick, tight smile before his face succumbed into blankness. Emmett's eyes searched her's, as if he was trying to find the truth buried in her eyes. It was obvious Nell wasn't going to give in that easily. But why? After all, Emmett heard the gossip about her at school and only confirmed it now. If the whole school knew, why was she still trying to hide it?
Sitting up, Emmett took in a deep breath before he started. This was going to take a while anyways, why not go along with it? "My 14th birthday. The kids at my foster home--" he cleared his throat. Emmett meant to cut that part out, but as always, his word vomit got the best of him. he then continued as if it was nothing. "--threw me a party. It was an obligation, a chore, made by the owners, I guess you could say. I got angry and grabbed a girl next to me. Zzzt." He explained his story in a monotoned voice, imitating the sound of electricity at the end. It he didn't make it sound significant, they wouldn't think it was significant. At least he hoped. "Nearly shocked her to death." Emmett snuck a glance at Nell and Rafael before he straightened his composure. "Happy?" he asked, mostly to Nell.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on May 28, 2012 12:03:36 GMT -5
All Nell had to keep in mind was what Jane taught her. Was that a bad thing, the fact that she was taking lessons from the woman? Well, her aunt did know what she was doing and Nell took cues from her. Her smile curved her features, but didn't meet her eyes. "Sure," she agreed with him, making sure he heard the dubiousness. Emmett was lucky she really wasn't like her aunt, though. Otherwise by this point in the conversation she'd have figured out whether or not she wanted him to live. Or whether or not she was going to allow him to walk free. That kind of power sent shivers through Nell. She didn't want anything like that. She didn't want her aunt to have anything like that.
She looked on as he clenched a fist but found no discernible reaction other than that. "Oh, well thank you," she said insincerely. Gentleman, yeah right. Gentlemen complimented shoes and held open doors, they lit your cigarettes and kept an appropriate distance. Emmett was not a gentleman, and he knew that. Her eyes took on a steely hardness at his sibling rivalry comment, for a moment no hint of humor found in her gaze. "Wrong word for it," she said, and Rafael laughed, though there was no humor in it. He didn't show emotion like that unless he was being a dick. "Bro, it's not even rivalry. Rivalry means the other sibling's worth something." She rolled her eyes. No, not rivalry. Unadulterated hate.
She smiled pleasantly when the Thunder exhaled, tilting her head to the side. Her posture was open again as she rested her arms against the chair. "What, did I disappoint you?" she questioned him. She was playing by the rules, there was nothing he could say about that, now could he? "Got more where that came from." Because she was a steel fortress. She had many things to protect because there was so much that she had lost to the world, so much that she couldn't keep to herself anymore. The rest...well, the rest would stay hidden. There was only one person who knew anything else about her, anything that made her more human, and only one person was ever going to learn about her.
Nell gazed evenly at him as he went, wondering if this was a true story he'd be telling. No, of course it was, she told a true story. She was an honest person, after all. Foster home? Well, she learned something about him. Foster care, she knew too much about that. But she wouldn't use something like it against him, the astounding thing. He may know too much about her, but she wouldn't sink any lower. "Ecstatic," she told him. "Nice to know about you." She was still keeping it up, and she looked at Rafael. "How about you?" Electricity seemed to spark between them. "Just one thing?" She shrugged. "I have to say belly flopping into a pool." Nell rolled her eyes, and looked to Emmett. She wasn't going to respond to that. "Next question?"
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Post by EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA on Jun 8, 2012 1:28:11 GMT -5
Emmett cringed when he looked at Nell again. She was smiling, but the usual light he was so familiar with and despised did not reach her eyes. They were almost empty, void of emotion, and that unsettled Emmett. He shifted, only a slight movement, before sneering at the tone of Nell's voice, although he hid it by turning his face away from her. It was like it was her every intention to stop Emmett from what he was doing, and the little angel in the back of his mind was encouraging it--but he needed this. It wasn't any of Emmett's business but just the very thought of Nell now disturbed him, and if he was to even walk in the same hall as her, he needed the truth. Now. Or else he'd spontaneously combust into flames.
Emmett smirked, his eyes mocking. "Welcome," he said, his tone matching hers. It was like a game to Rafael and Emmett, waiting to see when and how Nell would crack. Emmett was never usually like this. Sure, he'd push a little to see a reaction so he'd be satisfied, but never to this extent. Emmett guessed it was Rafael's influence. Emmett really couldn't say that they were close friends, not like his friends Kai and Isabella, but they were...friends. Even in his mind, Emmett thought of it hesitantly. "Then what would you call it?" he asked after a moment's thought. Obviously they had hostile feelings for each other. About what, well...that was pretty obvious as well. But to have it come to this extent surprised Emmett. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and he didn't like the fact that he was in the middle of it. He then finally stood up, now standing next to Rafael and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Slightly amused by both Nell and Rafael's reactions, he asked to spite them, "Aww. What ever happened to family value, Rafael?"
"You could say that," he mumbled. It felt like someone knocked the back of his knees in, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as she smiled at him. "Great." He rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Even though he hated it, Emmett really couldn't call her out on that one. He really couldn't expect her to go all out on the first question. Even though he kinda hoped she would. It's not like she had anything to hide anymore--apparently it was all over the Academy and he had a feeling if he stepped one foot in America, the name 'Nell' would be plastered everywhere.
Emmett avoided any and all eye contact as he told his story. He wasn't a person to blatantly lie about something. He hated liars more than anything and he was not about to be a hypocrite.
Emmett couldn't help but roll his eyes at Rafael's story. If he was going to say something lame like that Emmett might as well had too. Geez, it was like he was the only one who was actually playing by the rules. "Hmm." Emmett thought for a second, his eyes suddenly looking straight at Nell. "Okay, when was the last time you ran away from something?" He kept his eyes on hers, almost as if he was searching the answer for himself. Emmett was determined.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 9, 2012 20:41:06 GMT -5
For a split second, Nell wondered if Emmett was afraid of her. That was strange and foreign. No one had ever been afraid of her before. She was five-foot-two and barely broke one hundred and ten pounds when wet. But he knew something that could quite possibly make her fearsome. Murderer was a stigma she couldn't get rid of, no matter what. She could become the world's greatest swimmer or find the cure for cancer, but she'd always be the girl who murdered her mother. It would linger in the backs of the minds of everyone who knew this information, it would be something that they'd acknowledge every time they think of her. Even those who knew, like Ashton and Devin, she could guarantee they thought of that tidbit often.
She did not appreciate Emmett whatsoever, not the look in his eyes or his questions. Nell raised her eyebrows at Rafael so he could answer that question, about what they would call it. What is it, Rafael? Instead of waiting for his answer, she decided to be an asshole and say, "Oh, all this is just sexual tension because he has a forbidden crush on me that I don't reciprocate." He rolled his eyes, the first show that he wasn't as happy as he pretended to be. And it was because of her. At least she could take pride in being a thorn in his side. "That's exactly it," he drawled. "It's more like how an elephant views an ant." She looked down, not out of shame, but so she didn't burst out laughing. He considered her an ant? Well then, watch as she runs away and cries.
Her brother snorted with Emmett's question of family values, and she instantly knew that he was going to say something that would make her want to punch him. And she was proven right when he opened his mouth. "Family? She's a fucking reject, not even our dad wanted her." Her eyes narrowed, and she could feel this alien thing called anger that seemed to rush to the surface with him. "You stop right there," she said in a quiet voice. This was something that Emmett did not need to hear, not on top of what he already knew. Rafael had too many claims in her past, he knew too much and it wasn't fair. "Make me," he said in a mockingly immature voice, and her back hit the chair a little hard, eyes glaring daggers at him. What made him think he had the fucking right to say anything?
She did enjoy having a little bit of the upper hand over Emmett. It made her feel somewhat better about the game, but not much. This truly was the worst game for her to play, and it was as if Emmett knew this and chose to play because of it. She wouldn't put it below him. Still, he wasn't as bad as Rafael. Her brother was the one to hand over the information he shouldn't have. He had a big mouth and no way to close it. It seemed that everyone was displeasing him, which was entertaining in its own right. She feared she was becoming a bit of a sadist, here. But Nell actually put some thought into his next question, her eyes moving to the right as he searched her own. "When a Fire attacked me. I hauled ass. Didn't want to deal with that." She had a feeling he wanted the fugitive story, but there had been many other times. She was just like her father, after all. Just kept running. "Let's turn that question on you." She felt much too self-satisfied.
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Post by EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA on Jun 12, 2012 0:40:13 GMT -5
Every now and then, as he watched Nell and Rafael go back and forth, Emmett would think about what Nell was capable of. First impression of her was typical; the too-friendly and cheerful earth who Emmett couldn't wait to stop seeing. But even then, he could barely see her touching fly, despite the rumors and as cheesy as it sounded. So when Rafael just dumped all the information right out on The table, Emmett was just--confused. Scared. Wondered what else Nell could do if she pushed the wrong way. Overall, it just wasn't something Emmett expected out of a girl he thought Nell was.
Emmett cringed at Nell's "sexual tension" comment. That was one mental image he didn't need to see; Rafael lusting over his sister? Oh dear God. "An ant, huh?" he mumbled to himself, tossing a pillow around in his hands. "Considering elephants have poor eyesight, you'd need a microscope, no?" he asked Rafael, smirking slightly. The analogy in itself was funny enough, so despite the current atmosphere Emmett felt the need to spite him a little bit. He was originally here for that, right? Hanging out with Rafael. The day all of a sudden turned into 'let's make Nell suffer.'
Emmett flinched when Rafael spoke again. Reject. It was a word that hit too close to home, and he stayed silent for a moment. His own emotions began to flood over and he clenched his jaw to prevent himself from doing something he regretted. "Reject, huh?" Emmett mumbled quietly. He turned his head to look at Nell for a brief moment before lowering his head. Keep calm. It seemed that lately he's been learning that he was more like his enemies rather than those a part of his own alliance--and that unsettled him. And so Emmett smirked, letting out a quick, humorless laugh at Rafael's childish antics. He was playing dirty, but they were in this far too deep for Emmett to back out now. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Well hey, I can't blame your dad." He shook his head and smirked again, but all the while he found himself barely looking at Nell in the eyes.
Aaaaand of course. Once again Nell managed to dodge the question and this time Emmett wasn't so surprised. He learned to deal with disappointment. This time was no different. "The last time I ran away..." Emmett trailed off, thinking about the question honestly again. He didn't like running away from anything--it was cowardly and showed weakness. He scratched his head. "When a bunch of pigeons attacked me for my lunch." Emmett smirked, his eyes innocent. It was true--he was down by the lake when a flock of pigeons came and ambushed him. Looking back on it, it was pretty funny, but Emmett wished he shocked those birds into oblivion for taking his sandwich.
He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. This was dragging out longer than he wanted it to, and the electricity in the air (from both Rafael and himself) was driving him into frustration. He could sense it from the other thunder too, and he pushed against the wall and stood up straight. "Enough of this bullshit." His voice and composure was nonchalant, but the look in his eyes were cold, and they were directed straight at Nell. "Tell me the truth."
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 14, 2012 20:39:15 GMT -5
Nell turned her attention to her brother, listening to Emmett. "Guess so," he said about the microscope, apparently not in the mood to do much better than that. If Nell was the type, she would have had a snarky comment for that, maybe say his eyesight was poor because of all the masturbating he did. And then that would have escalated into something else entirely and spurred into a possibly physical fight. Which wouldn't bee the best idea when they had a guest. She didn't want to be causing any problems. And she certainly didn't want to air anymore dirty laundry. Her personal life was meant to be personal and to stay personal, she didn't understand people like Rafael who felt the need to put it on display for everyone. But she knew quite a few of his dirty little secrets.
She didn't know what to make of Emmett's expression when Rafael called her a reject. She preferred to think that he didn't have a personal life that she could learn of. He was just Emmett, a Thunder student. "A reject, yeah. Her family fucking hates her guts." You don't know anything, she wanted to seethe at him. Instead, she calmly stated, "You're talking out of your ass, Rafael." This was not even his business, this was between her and her family. She didn't know what to make of Emmett shaking his head, just snorted and glared at Raf before brushing a few strands out of her brown eyes. He made a comment that was just a little too low for her, a little too close to the heart. "Emmett, let me tell you one thing, you do not want to make an enemy out of me." It was a softly spoken warning, matched with calmness. He can play all the games he wanted, but she wasn't going to deal with this kind of bullshit.
Emmett could give as good as he got, and she admired that. But right now she was trying her best to keep a cap on the anger, to bottle it up. She lifted an eyebrow. "Sounds traumatic," Nell commented, before looking at her brother, still leaning against the wall. He shook his head. "I pass. I'm afraid I'm not that interesting." She shrugged her shoulders, not even caring. She knew as much about him as she needed. He was a horrible person, a douche bag, and she couldn't stand him. What else did she need to learn about him through Emmett's game?
She wanted to stand too, but she wouldn't know what to do with herself in that position. It was much easier to keep herself composed while sitting in the chair, hands folded in her lap. It all came to a head with the cold look in her direction, Emmett's words. In the next moment, she would prove that she did not lay down to bare her belly. "The truth? The truth is even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Yes, I killed my mother. What more do you need to know than that? Nothing I say will ever change the fact that in your mind, that is what you will always think of when you talk to me." Her gaze was pointed as she said this. Before, it had been an effort to even admit to murdering the woman who gave her life. Now she just did not want to think about it.
She stood up then. "Read a newspaper or two, then you will get your information." She was still very bitter about the trial, the thing that had caused her to fall so hard. It was supposed to be a good thing, she got off, but instead it destroyed her, brought her to the lowest point she'd ever been. Why would she tell Emmett about that? Her life was not private anyway, he could find out if he wanted with just a Google search. In moments like this she hated the way the world worked.
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Post by EMMETT HIKARU NAKAMURA on Jun 18, 2012 21:33:45 GMT -5
Emmett raised his eyebrows. The hostility in Rafael's voice shook him and he wondered how anyone could grow to hate a family member like that. Even if it was Nell--and killed someone. They still shared the same blood. Well, in this case half. Emmett stayed silent knowing this wasn't his problem (as if he hadn't butt into Nell's life already) and because he'd also say something that would both have them questioning him, and that just didn't seem too appealing to Emmett. Especially in this kind of hostile atmosphere. "Ha." Emmett laughed and shook his head before turning his head to look at her, his eyes cold. "Weren't we always enemies," he pointed out, as if it were more of a statement rather than a question. "The balance of nature; oh, how lovely it is." Earth and thunder clashed--it was a fact in its own. Even back then, when Nell insisted they were "acquaintances." They were always enemies; from day one.
For some reason, Emmett knew Rafael wouldn't answer. It was a silly game and honestly, this was just created to get Nell to confess and ff course, it wasn't working. Why would she want to admit to a crime that happened years before? And more importantly, why was it that Rafael told Emmett about her in the first place? Emmett was usually the kind to mind his own business. He felt like Rafael doing this wasn't for Emmett's own good (or knowledge, whatever), but for his own sick pleasure to see his sister squirm. Not that Emmett minded, in fact he rather enjoyed seeing an enemy squirm, but their tactic of getting the information out of her made Emmett feel...weird. Bitter. Like he was better than this.
Emmett was taken aback when Nell actually confessed. In all honesty he was expecting her to pull an "innocent" face and asked what he meant. He stayed silent but his eyes did not waver, knowing that if he did that meant he wasn't prepared. And he wasn't, but why would Emmett admit to such a thing? It was a weakness. Vulnerability. He didn't need that. "You're right." He said after a moment. "That is what I'll think when I see you. " Emmett paused again, searching for something to say. "But wouldn't that be easier? One less person to be fake around." He tilted his head, a a small smirk tugging at his lips. Emmett watched as she stood up, still unsure of what to feel at that moment. There was a feeling of dissatisfaction and disgust bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Shouldn't he be glad? ...but for what? For digging up a dark past that had nothing to do with him?
"You know how the media likes to exaggerate." Emmett said monotoned. "Besides, it's so much more satisfying hearing it from your mouth." He smirked at her, but was it really that satisfying? No. All he could really feel was the emptiness.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 21, 2012 13:25:52 GMT -5
She rested her chin in her hand, not moving her head to look at Emmett, simply gazing at him from the corner of her eye. She took a moment to speak. "I may not feel the same things about you that you do about me," she stated. He made it clear that he would like to think of her as an enemy and nothing else. That was all she would be to him, and she'd been fine with his opinion. "We're not the same people." That was why Nell kept her enemy count low. She did not get angry when other people did, she did not retaliate against aggressors. And people who liked her, she might not like them back. That's what had happened with her father, and she had good reason for that. She did not want to take him back. "Yeah. Nature. Balance." Nell rolled her eyes. The balance of nature, in her eyes was nature itself. And they were all a part of it.
Emmett's word were not news to her--she had just stated it herself. Then why did it still feel like a punch to the gut? She realized why. It would always be a punch to the gut. Her cloudy reputation would not ever leave her. She looked at him, nothing showing in her features. One less person to be fake around. Another jab to the gut, and why? It reminded her of how much she lied to all her friends, and how many of them still didn't know. She'd almost lost Ashton to her lies. He hadn't talked to her for months when he'd finally found out about her past, the fact she hadn't told him that she was in the country illegally and that she had killed her mother. Everything about her had been a lie, but now she was working on an identity that would be true. And legal, which was the most important thing. "Yes, you're right. I hope you'll always be there for me, so I can have someone I can speak to so candidly." The sarcasm was heavy in her voice, it didn't take much to hear it.
Nell knew the truth, that it could have been exaggerated much more than it had been. The papers at one time said that she killed her mother in cold blood, that she was a problem child. There were people who still believed that, even though there was the testimony from the doctor who treated her in the hospital who said that she'd been malnourished. Her own testimony, when she spilled as much of the truth as she could. But her aunt could have made it worse, told her she could have made it worse. She could have blown it up internationally. Her family had that power, but it didn't happen. And she thought she could keep all that in America, in the past she was reluctant to acknowledge. Rafael was just a part of the past that came back to bite her in the ass. "Then you're SOL," she told him, walking away to the kitchen. She was done with being masochistic. She'd stood her ground, now she needed a popsicle or something. She just hoped her father came home soon.
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