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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 28, 2011 4:07:18 GMT -5
Nell was glad to escape to her apartment. She could only hide in the Earth dorms for so long. And that’s all she’d been doing now. Hiding. First from the law, and now from the war. Was she a coward? She guessed so. She didn’t want to admit it, but Aunt Jane’s words were true: she was just like her father. And as she stood in her kitchen heating up dinner and the microwave, it was as if the man had read her mind from another country. Because just then, her phone rang and when she looked at it she did her usual groan when she saw the Spanish expletive. Wishing she were tech savvy enough to change the ringtones so they were different for certain contacts, she answered with an exhausted, ”Hey.”
This time, he didn’t lecture her on being surly. Instead, he went straight down to business: ”How was your day, mija?”
She let him get away with the word, because she didn’t feel like arguing. Nell was fatigued from the day’s events, and didn’t feel like explaining to her absentee father why. Still, she wanted to explain to him what he was getting into with her. ”Well, it started out with breakfast, where I was accused of murdering the Thunder leader. And then the Thunder and Fire leaders declared war on anyone who tried to say otherwise. The rest of the day was spent with me hiding out in the Earth dorms. How was your day, papa?” Of course, the last word was spoken with falsity since she didn’t call him anything anymore. She just wanted to know how he would respond to her being accused of killing one of his own. He was a rather powerful Thunder elemental from what his parents said, along with the rest of the family. Nell guessed she should have been expecting his reaction.
“Did you do it?”
Her entire body tensed and it almost felt like she was close to tears. Or something. She didn’t remember how it was like to cry, so she merely assumed. In any case, they would be angry tears. Calming herself before answering, it was hard to resist throwing the phone somewhere, preferably against one of the apartment’s walls. “No,” she practically hissed. “Why would you assume that?” She didn’t need to ask though, because she knew the answer. He was an asshole, clean and simple. It was just his personality. He didn’t get along well with others, and he certainly wasn’t good at being a father.
“Look at it this way,” came his reply, and she didn’t want to hear it. He should have realized that if he wanted to act like her father, he would take her side and soothe her. But it didn’t even matter. He lost his chance long ago. “The last time someone threatened you, you lost control, and you did kill her. I wouldn’t put it above you—“
She immediately hit end and pocketed her phone. Too exhausted for even anger now, she opened the microwave and took out her TV dinner, juggling it from hand to hand because she didn’t have a pot holder yet. Out in the only room of her apartment, she looked at her now somewhat-better furnished apartment. Thanks to Josh’s couch, especially. Of course, she’d paid him for it. And she was finally glad she didn’t have to sit on her futon anymore. Donning sweats and with her hair pulled up into a high bun, she turned on the television and tried to lose herself in the plot of Spongebob. Luckily, her mind had calmed down from its earlier panic and now it was just whirring with exhaustion.
(We can assume that Elaine knows where she lives. xD)
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Post by marci on Jun 28, 2011 11:07:37 GMT -5
Thoughts of what had happened that morning were still burning into Elaine's mind. She couldn't believe that Nell had hurt anyone even when she tried very hard. But she didn't want to think of Alex as a liar. But there was absolutely no way, no way that it was the truth. Anyone who knew Nell would be appalled to think she had slapped someone, much less murdered a person. Elaine had wandered back up to her dorms when she'd been able to move, saying nothing to Alex and even almost giving him a cold shoulder as she passed him. Then she'd sat on her bed and wracked her brains until she'd given herself a headache. No luck. There was no answer for this. She couldn't even figure out a scenario in which there was a misunderstanding.
She'd spent the entire day wandering the halls of the academy, moving toward the dungeons, changing her mind, and moving away, and then going back. She needed to talk to Alex. Or maybe to Nell. But what if someone else saw her, and figured she was on one side or another? That couldn't work, that wouldn't work. Elaine couldn't fight Nell when she knew she'd done nothing wrong, but neither could she turn against Alex. There was something in her that stopped her every time she wanted to tell Alex what she thought was the truth. What if he turned against her? What if he got angry and attacked her? Could she handle that?
Finally, after the dinner bell rang, she left the academy. She was wearing warm clothes, and had a slow moving current of air around her at all times, just to make sure. But no one attacked her or even came up to her as she walked through the grounds on an invisible paths she had walked often enough. Nell's apartment wasn't too far from the academy. Maybe an hour's walk. Elaine walked quickly, but didn't exert herself as she wandered fearlessly through the streets of downtown maple hollow, using her wind to detect people who might want trouble. Elaine wasn't well rested, but she had not used her power very much for several days now, and her energy stores were almost full. Anyone who tried to attack her would be sorry.
But no one did, and she eventually found herself walking up to a familiar door. Though she knew her way by memory, she still stepped up to the door, her hands moving forward to feel the wood and the simple design carved into it. Then she slid a hand to the side, seeking out the little metal number that categorized the apartment. Yes, there it was. She felt the cool metal and then pulled her hands back into her sleeves for a few seconds. Elaine never wore gloves—they blinded her.
This was Nell's apartment. So she took a deep breath, raised a fist, and rapped on the door a few times with her knuckles. It only took a couple of second for it to occur to her that Nell might be wary about people coming up to her apartment now, so she opened her mouth and called out. ”Nell? Nell, it's Elaine. I came to see if you were doing ok.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 29, 2011 1:28:40 GMT -5
Nell hadn’t been expecting anyone. Which is why she pulled on sweats and was now languishing in front of the television. She didn’t have work to worry about tonight, and she felt almost stupidly afraid to go out at night for fear that there would be thunder or fire students prowling the streets. Of course, there were other threats out there that she didn’t really think about before, so it was almost comical that she was so circumspect in going around downtown because of this war. But that’s what it was starting to do to her. Now she didn’t only have to worry about the law outside of the Academy, but of the politics within. And the fact that half the school was out for her blood. With these thoughts now lazily—almost mockingly—circling her head, she was a bit startled to hear the knock, fumbling with her almost empty plate before setting it down on the coffee table.
As she walked over to the door, she heard Elaine’s voice, and her mood buoyed considerably. Sliding the chain in the lock, she opened the door wide, very tempted to throw her arms around the Wind student. Because right now, she needed her friends. But…but Elaine and the Wind students were neutral. She didn’t know exactly what that meant, but she wondered if it was a bad idea for the blind girl to visit her during such a time. She was glad about the neutrality for one thing—it would keep Elaine out of harm’s way. If wind chose either side, it would be putting their students in unneeded danger. She already thought it bad enough that earth and water had sided with her and put themselves in the line of fire, though, she was secretly glad for her allies.
"Elaine," she sighed, her tone fatigued but genuinely happy. Nell moved aside, and said, ”Come on in. I just got new furniture, though, so be careful." She knew that Elaine could see through her wind, but she also knew that change in geography was hard to adjust to. And she didn’t want the girl stubbing her toe on the new end table or anything. Of course, her apartment was very basic—a couch, a futon, a coffee table, and a television set all in one room. There was also her cardboard box of paper cranes and more filled with clothes.
"I was just eating dinner. You want something? A drink?" Before she went into the kitchen, however, she remembered what Elaine had said at the door, the reason she came over. ”And…I'm doing all right. I hid out in the Earth dorms most of the day. But other than that...I'm good” She didn’t say just how worried she was about this entire thing, that there was this feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Nell was more concerned about her friend. ”How are you doing? I heard that the male wind leader stepped down to keep your neutrality.” And she was very glad for that. If that Vladimir guy had remained as leader, then he would have compromised his element’s neutrality and brought them to Nell’s side. And she didn’t want to get more people involved than there already were.
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Post by marci on Jun 29, 2011 10:00:46 GMT -5
Elaine smiled a bit when she heard the door open, her senses telling her that Nell was standing just in front of her, not worrying about some sort of an attack. Many students got overly paranoid during wars, mistrusting allies and enemies both. Elaine had once been temporarily ostracized from friends on both sides of the war, merely because she had not picked a side, and was thus unpredictable in their eyes. But she did that out of loyalty to her friends, not the other way around. She was glad Nell could see that.
Her smiled widened when Nell spoke, and she let her wind die down as she stepped into the room. She reached out a hand and found the door, closing it behind her a little bit more quickly than she usually did. Maybe she was getting paranoid, too. ”Thank you.” She said, nodding in gratitude when Nell warned her about the new furniture. She waved a hand in front of her, sending a breeze through the room to get the layout, and then let it dissipate. That would be enough for the blind girl. She had developed a very good spatial memory out of necessity, so there was very little chance that she would bump into anything now.
She sighed a little when she got into the apartment, nodding again when Nell asked her the question, ”I'm actually a little hungry, if that's not a problem. Skipped dinner to make it here.” She hadn't wanted to take the time to eat and then get here after dark. While she had absolutely no concept of relative light and dark, Elaine knew enough about how much more risky it was to walk alone in the downtown area at night. She supposed it was already getting dark outside, but the earlier the better, so the point still stood.
She laughed quietly when Nell said she'd been hiding out in the dorms, shaking her head at herself. ”I'd convinced myself you weren't down there for some reason, though I almost went to check several times.” She knew wind students were not allowed in other element's dorms, but sometimes one could knock on the door and request a word or two with someone outside. Not that the dungeons would be a fitting place to have a conversation with Nell. ”I suppose it's just as well. Things are getting rather hectic in the halls now.” And the didn't suppose it would die down anytime soon.
Elaine stepped carefully, her measured steps carrying her toward the couch. Once she sat, she stroke one of the cushions in admiration, very glad that Nell had this to sit on rather than just the futon. Which was old, and not great. She shrugged a bit when Nell asked her if she was alright, the same thought that had been tearing at her all day popping back into her head. While Elaine usually didn't share her problems with others, she trusted Nell enough to show that respect. But she didn't immediately, instead addressing the matter of her leader. ”It a whole lot different for us winds. I didn't really have any interaction with him, though he seemed to be doing an ok job. Cohesion is lacking for us, so usually the individual students go their own way during wars.”
”Although, the leaders do have a bigger effect on it. If they were to do anything but stay neutral, is would make every other element treat all the winds differently, I guess. If our leaders stay neutral, we still have a choice.” She was silent for awhile, thinking hard to herself after all those words. Nell would know that Elaine didn't tend to speak so much, so she figured she would know that Elaine was bothered by a heck of a lot right now. She listened to her friend's movements for several moments, then the emotion was too much. ”Nell, I'm so sorry I can't help you. I know you didn't do anything wrong, but I can't.... I can't fight him.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 29, 2011 19:23:34 GMT -5
She wondered if Elaine was aware of how thankful Nell was for her company. It had been shaping up to be a depressing night for the Earth student, with her difficulty in controlling where her thoughts wandered to. When left alone, her mind did terrible things to her. And so right then, she didn’t care whether or not Elaine was on her side or not. She didn’t view the Wind student as the type to attack her, especially if she’d chosen neutrality. Which—despite some selfish feeling in her—Nell hoped she did. For the girl’s on safety, she wanted Elaine to not get swept up in this ridiculous ‘war’.
There was never a time that Elaine’s powers didn’t astound her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was the paragon of innovation with her wind—she managed to come up with a way to make up for her blindness. Though it wasn’t the same as actually seeing, it was some kind of incredible. Nell knew the girl to be strong—probably much stronger than her. Of course, pretty much everyone in her grade was stronger than her. She’d been self-taught and had a major flaw in that she lacked control when her emotions got too much to handle for her. Which made it worse that this war was going on. Not only was she a pacifist being attacked, but a very weak one at that. But she had to remind herself that she had people alongside her now. Including Josh, who she actually felt like she could trust.
When Elaine told her that she was in fact hungry, Nell was bouncing and at the ready. ”Sure thing,” she chirped, heading into her kitchenette. The arrival of her friend improved her mood considerably. The exhaustion caused by the day’s events was forced away by the company. Then she recalled something Elaine had said, and turned. ”You didn’t walk all the way here alone, did you?” She asked, concern working its way into her voice. Sure, it was still light out, but downtown was still dangerous. Especially for a tiny blind girl walking alone. Of course, Nell was being quite hypocritical since she often walked to and from work alone, but usually not when pulling a graveyard shift. Shaking her head a little, Nell went to check her fridge, which was disappointingly near-bare. ”How does leftover Chinese sound? Or, even better, I can order out pizza.” True, she had almost finished her TV dinner, but Nell’s appetite was quite large. She exited out into the main area, making sure to make some noise so as not to surprise Elaine. She was always careful in case she made the girl jump out of her skin, and she sat down next to her on the couch and propped her legs up on the coffee table.
At Elaine’s laugh, the Earth student couldn’t help but laugh too, even though it had been a rather difficult day. She was sure it had been tough on everyone in the Academy. ”Good thing you didn’t, considering they’re guarding all the dorms like Fort Knox.” She shook her head a bit. ”They probably would have given you the third degree. I’m really glad you came now, though.” And she really was, considering Nell was being a coward and not taking a step outside the dorms all day. She figured that today might have either been the calm before the storm, or the floodgates opening. Either way, she felt safer among all the flowers and other Earth students who also considered the dorms as their kind of sanctuary. Then the Wind student mentioned the halls being quite an ordeal, and Nell sighed. ”So it’s started already huh.” She really wished all this would just blow over. That people could return to finding out who really killed Cynthia and mourning over the tragedy. Then she wondered…Did Elaine think she did it? The fear that she had the stamp of ‘murderer’ on her forehead would be one of her greatest concerns during the course of this war. She worried that some guilt may show up on her face when another one of her Earth friends commented on how she couldn’t be a killer, and that it may be mistaken for guilt about Cynthia. Which she had no guilt for, only sympathy. Why couldn’t the Thunders see that?
She was rather surprised that Elaine was so talkative. Nell had a feeling that this war was having a big impact on her, and her gut twisted. Even the neutral Winds were affected in a very big way, and god how she wished it weren’t so. The girl had enough problems with bullies who for some reason mocked her blindness—she didn’t need a war to worry about, too. ”I have to remember that Wind is much more individualistic than everyone else,” the Earth girl remarked. ”The other affiliations have this pack mentality. I guess that’s something nice about Wind—you guys can have your own opinions without interfering with others.” Except when it came to the leader. That also meant Phil, who was her friend. She’d hope the heiress would keep her neutrality so that—as Elaine had said—her affiliation could make the choice for her own.
She didn’t mind the silence, especially since it felt as if Elaine had something to say. In her mind, she mulled over what it could be. Nell had the feeling her friend was staying neutral, something she prayed for. And when she said it, the Earth girl smiled wide, wishing Elaine could see her. ”I’m glad that you believe I didn’t do it, but… I’d rather you be neutral than getting yourself involved in this whole mess. It’s completely ludicrous and immature how the leaders went about it, so I’m glad that you made the smart decision to stay away from it.” Then she stopped short, realizing something. ”Who’s ‘him’?”
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Post by marci on Jul 1, 2011 13:42:32 GMT -5
Elaine actually got a bit of a sheepish grin on her face when Nell asked her this, tilting her head a bit with a 'well, yes, and I know I shouldn't have' expression. She could hear the concern in her friend's tone, so she tried her best to put some reassuring humor into her own. ”Well, I didn't drive a car, if that's what you're asking.” She laughed quietly, shrugging a little and deigning to give Nell a more serious answer. ”I'm alright, Nell. I kept my wind sight about me the entire time. Any thugs out there would be unpleasantly surprised if they tried to hurt me.” Albeit, Elaine sounded much more confident than she was. But the fact was that she was a very good fighter, despite what most people thought of her.
Elaine frowned the slightest bit and sniffed the air again, ”You've got a half-eaten meal here. You wanna spend money on a whole pizza for me?” Although, she also didn't want to take away from Nell's meager supply of food, so it was rather a moot point. If she got pizza, she'd have two days worth of leftovers in there, not just one. Elaine secretly enjoyed chinese food better than any other—except for cookie dough—but she wasn't the type to say so under this situation. Not even with a very good friend like Nell. The earth student made a good amount of noise, coming from the small kitchen into the main room, and Elaine had to duck her head to hide a smile. She had good enough hearing to tell when Nell was coming even if she was trying to sneak up on her. But she kept this to herself, not wanting to make her friend feel stupid.
”I'm glad.” Elaine smiled, ”I know I don't like to be alone when I have bad things to think about.” She supposed that it was the same with Nell. Even though Nell was the much more sociable of the two, both were the type of people to seek out their friends when they had too much on their minds. Elaine didn't like crumbling, and she had her guard up much higher when other people were there to witness it. When Nell sighed and asked if it had already started, Elaine lost most of her smile. She took a deep breath, and nodded a bit, ”They aren't all the way riled up yet, but I can hear most of what they're saying anyway. I'm sorry, Nell—things are going to get difficult soon.”
Elaine shrugged when Nell spoke about wind. ”Yes, but it did take me over a year to make any real friends. Oddly enough, the first person who managed to make me think of him that way was Joshua Dale.” That thought was enough to make a smile find her lips again. So many people had either given her a hard time or just run away from her when she'd said that that young man was a friend of hers. Not that she shouted it to the rooftops, but he was one of the ones that she heard trash talked most often. And, in her own quiet way, she had to intercede on his behalf.
Though Nell was trying to make her feel better, Elaine still felt that guilt in her gut that came from thinking she was betraying a friend. However, she managed to smile a little bit as she leaned to the side, touching her shoulder lightly against Nell's own. Though it was unlikely Nell would fully understand this, affectionate touch meant a heck of a lot coming from Elaine. She didn't let people touch her very often, so this was a big gesture from her. She didn't answer the words about her making the 'smart' decision--but is it the right decision?--but she did falter a little bit when Nell asked the question.
”Um...” She looked down, a blush entering her cheeks. Dangit, couldn't she have explained that some way without mentioning that it was a him she didn't want to hurt? Yes, she could have said she couldn't fight 'them', being the fires and thunders. Like a group of friends or something. But there was no helping it, and while Elaine's instincts were to push this farther inside herself, she felt she owed Nell some sort of an explanation. ”Alex. Alex Blackthorn, the....fire leader.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 2, 2011 18:57:18 GMT -5
Elaine actually looked embarrassed at her question, and the Earth girl sighed. Oh, Elaine… Nell had to laugh at her friend’s reply, though. She was about to say ‘you know what I mean’, when she continued on seriously. ”I guess there’s nothing I can do about it now…” she said resignedly. She really felt like a mother hen, but she couldn’t help but worry about the girl. ”I’m sure you can take care of yourself, but still…” But still that doesn’t make Nell worry any less. Sure, Elaine is a big girl and is more-than-capable of handling herself. That didn’t make the streets any less dangerous.
Even though she argued with Nell that her leftover would be okay, the girl waved her hand. “Because you deserve a full pizza pie. Besides—between the two of us—I’m sure we can finish it off.” Yes, the Earth girl would be able to finish off more than half of the pie, and therefore it was had been decided. She took out her phone and hit her speed dial (because everyone should have at least one pizza place on their speed dial) and ordered one pizza pie—half cheese, half pepperoni—and a two liter of coke. Hanging up, she said, ”There. Now all we do is play the waiting game and hope the delivery guy gets pulled over or something so we get the pizza for free.” Thirty minutes or less, that’s what it was.
Picking up the cup of soda she already had, Nell listened to Elaine with a smile. She had to be the most empathetic person she’d ever met. No, she absolutely did not want to be alone. She’d been alone for so long, she believed now would be a good time to surround herself with her friends. Even though they were going to get hurt. Stupid war… But still, she needed the support of the ones she loved if she was ever going to make it through. So much so she wondered what had kept her going all those years. Plain and simple hope, she figured. It was all she truly had. When she saw Elaine’s smile drop, she could tell what was coming. ”I think…I’m ready for it. Even still, it’s going to be bad whether I’m ready for it or not. But I can handle it.” Nell didn’t know exactly what it would be like at school the next day, but she was pretty sure she’d been through worse. It was nearly impossible to break her after what her mother did to her.
Nell was a bit surprised about Elaine being friends with Josh, him being the first person she’d considered a friend. When thinking ‘friend material’, Josh was not the first person who came to mind. But now that she thought of it… At first he was quite a bit of a dick Well, but now he was on her side even when he didn’t have concrete proof that she wasn’t a murderer. That earned major points in the friendship department. ”Josh…is a pretty decent guy,” she admitted, seeing Elaine smile. Never mind that their first meeting had been less-than-friendly. He was on her side now—and that was all that mattered to her. It was very easy to get put in Nell’s friend book, after all. Even though he may not view her as such, the fact that he immediately knew without even hearing her side that she was innocent was more than enough for her to consider him a friend. ”Not too friendly at all, but not a complete jerk.” She laughed at that part, taking another sip from her cup.
Another surprised came when she felt Elaine lean against her, and the brightest smile she’d had since the war had been declared found its way onto her face. The blind wasn’t a very touchy-feely person unless it was for assistance. A bit of the opposite of Nell who was very physical with her affection. But she also knew how to respect others’ boundaries. She hoped the girl realized that every single one of her words were true. It would be nice to have Elaine on her side, but it was safer and smarter for her to be neutral on out of harm’s way. You know that neutrality doesn’t immediately main safety. It was true. She feared that everyone would be swept up in the carnage of war and that not even the Wind students who chose neutrality would be safe. If anything happened to Elaine… No, she couldn’t even think about that. Because thoughts of her friends being hurt made her equal parts angry and frightened. Nell may have had a tough, unbreakable skin for most everything else, but fucking with her friends was a good way to make her snap.
She looked on curiously as Elaine blushed, but just before she swallowed down her soda, she said a name that the Earth girl really hadn’t expected, even more-so than Josh’s. She spit her soda back into the cup, sputtering a bit in shock. That was the first time she ever pulled a spit-take but there it was. Alex Blackthorn? She was friends with him? The Fire leader was the one to back up the Thunder leaders’ decision, and so she felt quite a bit of bitterness at that. Placing the cup on the table she tried to regain her dignity, coughing a bit. ”It amazes me that you manage to make friends in the most unfriendly group,” Nell said with a soft smile. ”Even though my first impression of him didn’t paint too nice a picture, I’ll respect your choice.” And she really would. First impressions weren’t everything (hello, Josh), and so Elaine must have had a different first impression of the Fire leader. After all, he hadn’t started a war on her. And Nell knew her resentment toward him was just the bitterness, and she was more-than-capable of pushing past that. “So you two are…friends?” She turned her head down a bit out of habit to hide her wolfish grin, even though it was unnecessary. “Or…something else?” she continued mischievously. By Elaine’s reaction, it kind of seemed that way.
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Post by marci on Jul 6, 2011 9:15:31 GMT -5
Her smile grew softer as she detected the concern in Nell's voice. The earth student was really a fascinating young woman, caring and worrying for others even when she was in such a stressful spot. Elaine wished she could be so open to others when she was hurting, but she normally ended up snapping at them when she was having a very hard time. She knew she would have told off a friend who had walked alone through downtown Maple Hollow to see her. Even if they had come to comfort her. She tilted her head a little, smiling at the wall in front of her, ”If you invited me to stay here for the night, you could drive me to the academy in the morning. That way I won't have to walk again.”
Admittedly, the blind girl had ulterior motives for wishing to stay with her friend. She'd sensed a whole lot of deep, intense anger among the thunders and fires that day, both in the mess and walking the through the halls and classrooms. She wouldn't have put it past some of the more reckless people to try and seek out Nell's home, and Elaine was very much aware that Nell was not much of a fighter. She was too sweet to have ever gotten any fighting experience, and as a late enroller, she wasn't as powerful with her element as most her grade. Granted, Elaine was a grade lower, but she'd feel better if she was there to help.
Elaine laughed a little. ”You don't want to save any leftovers? Even after you've basically finished a dinner already?” She waved her hand in the general direction of the plate was was still on the table. Her nose and the brief look with her wind sight had told her that there was still just a little bit of food on it, which hopefully meant it had not been there for a very long time. Then she giggled a bit when Nell mentioned that she hoped the man would be pulled over. Keeping a lighthearted tone, she turned her face further toward her friend's and said, ”If you want, I can pay for this one.”
Elaine didn't speak when Nell said she could handle it. Nell hadn't even been through a war at the academy before, had she? People died in wars. This place could be majorly savage and uncivilized when things like this broke out. Luckily, Elaine had been able to stay unnoticed for most of it, often being injured during wars but never majorly or more than a few times. But Nell was the one they were all going for. Elaine's head drooped the slightest bit as she wondered what the chances were of the war ending without Nell getting hurt.
Elaine gave Nell a surprised smile, noting the odd tone Nell used when she spoke of Josh. ”You know him? I'm almost afraid to ask how.” She laughed a bit at this. Her own meeting with the guy had been quite tame, and quite brief, with few words spoken and a general uneasiness in the air. But over the course of the last two years, Elaine had grown very fond of him, trusting him more than she did almost anyone else and enjoying his quiet company immensely. Nell said that he wasn't too friendly, and Elaine dipped her head briefly in the affirmative. Yet she corrected, ”He has good times and bad times, I suppose. But of all people I've met, he'd probably be the best to have as friend.”
Then the debacle about Alex. As soon as Elaine said his name, Nell did a spit-take, making her wince a little and gain a stony expression out of habit. The defensive blind girl didn't know what to expect when she told Nell that she felt a loyalty to the leader of one of the elements that were trying to kill her, so she naturally threw up an instinctive wall. The words, however, were not biting as she had expected. There was a bit of a strain in Nell's tone, but a grand patience and acceptance. Slowly, Elaine pulled herself out of her internal shell and leaned slightly toward Nell again.
”It's....he's very, very nice, actually. He just has a temper, and....a whole lot of prejudices. I don't have a built-in support group like you, Nell. If a person like me and I like them back, I can't afford not being their friend.” Oop, there she was, getting defensive again. Her tone was quiet and soft, but it was still a little guarded. Damn her distrustful nature. When it came to something so unsure as this, even Nell had to step carefully to keep Elaine open. She took a deep breath when Nell asked what the status of the relationship was, shrugging the slightest amount. ”Before the war, I was starting to suppose something more. But as long as he'd leading the effort to hurt you, there's no chance. Just friends.” In fact, she hadn't spoken to him since the start of the war. Granted, that had been that morning, but it was usual for them to chat some during the classes they shared, or the like.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 7, 2011 9:30:56 GMT -5
Nell definitely perked up at the idea of Elaine staying over. Not only did she like the girl, but she also liked the company. “You know you don’t have to be invited! You can crash whenever you like. Mi casa es su casa, as the saying goes.” One of the only phrases she uses without concern of making others uncomfortable. Which was one reason she did not speak Spanish a lot. In any case, her words were true. Elaine did not even have to announce her arrival, she could stop by whenever. Nell knew that some people had issue with that, though, so it wasn’t a practice she did with others. ”So we can have a sleep over!” Nell went on excitedly, clapping her hands. And then she stopped, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Hmmm...what do people usually do at sleep overs, anyway?" Nell had never slept over anyone's house before, and most certainly never had anyone sleep over hers.
Unfortunately, her inexperience with sleepovers was not the only way she was naïve. Nell hadn’t really considered the possibility of anyone attacking her at home. But was still thankful that if anyone did, she had Elaine to protect her with her admirable Wind powers. Her voice laced with a laugh, Nell said, “I’ll finish off this dinner here, heat up the Chinese, and help with the pizza. Just you see.” She picked up her plate and finished off her dinner, excusing herself when she went back into the kitchen to rinse off the dish and heat up the Chinese. There was no doubt in the girl’s mind that by tomorrow morning, there will be no leftovers to speak of. Walking back out to sit next to Elaine, she said at the girl’s light suggestion, "How about we split the cost, kay?" Compromise was something she was now working on because she now realized--especially when eating out with friends--how stubborn people could be in paying. And Nell was one of those people. ”Do you eat a lot, Elaine?” If so, then it might be an even easier task to make sure that nothing was left in her house.
The Earth girl hoped Elaine’s silence meant that she believed her when she had said she could handle it. Even though it was just another show of her naiveté. She’d handled a lot before and had built up a tough skin, but war…? Nell truly didn’t know about that. But still, it didn’t mean she couldn’t put up a tough front for the sake of her friend. And speaking of friends, finding such a one in common with Elaine was strange. Nell chuckled when the girl commented that she wasn’t sure she wanted to know how she knew him. The blind girl must have been amazingly perceptive because the truth would be that they met at the bar she worked for where he pulled his knife on her. But Nell chose to fast-forward to their slightly less uncomfortable—and more sober—second meeting. ”He’s kind of like my study buddy. Been helping me with supplementary classes.” An she didn’t even know why he bothered with her, but she was thankful with it. Stress levels were definitely high for her, being totally knew to the Academy at seventeen. Nell blinked as she nodded. ”Honestly,” she sighed, ]”I don’t know what to make of him. He’s the king of mixed signals. But the fact that he chose to support me speaks to his character.” And if Elaine trusted him, Nell felt like she should too.
But she also trusted Alexandre, so there was only so far that notion could go. Thankfully, Elaine didn’t retreat back inside herself after her shocked reaction, but there was a definite change in demeanor that made the Earth girl feel very guilty. Elaine was the kind of person to become withdrawn with the show of disapproval. But Nell didn’t disapprove of this, was simply…surprised. Mainly because he was a Fire student, and one who managed to rub her the wrong way. But she knew one thing. Everyone had different sides that others may not be able to see. There was a side of Nell that none of her friends would have to find out about, because it only came out for her family. And she was sure the same went for Elaine. There was probably a side of her only Alexandre got to see. “I don't know enough about him to pass judgment, so I won't,” she said softly, realizing that Elaine didn’t trust easily with her emotions and that this was a pretty big deal. ”If he’s good to you, and he makes you happy, then I see no problem with your friendship.” That’s all that mattered. ”I’m glad you have someone like him.” Her affiliation was definitely not close-knit, so going outside that and finding someone she really liked? Well, there was nothing wrong with that.
Elaine was even admitting that she had a crush on Alexandre, even though she shrugged it off. The next words made her chest hurt. God, Elaine was so nice. Nell felt like she didn’t deserve a friend as good as her. True, Elaine wasn’t actively taking her side, but being with her now was more than most had done for the Earth girl. It was ingrained pretty deep in Nell’s psyche that she didn’t deserve anything, let alone a friend that would visit her in her shithole downtown apartment when she needed it most. Thanks to Nell’s mother, she considered it to be fact that she didn’t deserve anything she had. “If you really like him…don’t let this war get in the way.” Nell got the feeling that Elaine really liked this guy, and honestly, it didn’t matter how the Earth girl felt about him. It was just how Elaine felt. ”Of course…things are going to be tough for anyone with inter-affiliation relationships.” And all Nell kept thinking of was how she didn’t deserve Elaine and her support.
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Post by marci on Jul 8, 2011 13:41:01 GMT -5
The blind girl allowed a bit of thankfulness for enter her expression as she grinned at her friend. She's feel better staying here, anyway. Her own dorm wasn't the nicest place to be right now, as it was split right down the middle, some students going for one side or the other, some trying to stay neutral. But that only ones who were not harassed about staying neutral where the leaders. They had to be neutral, because the would keep the element from being attacked as a whole. But it was all very confusing, anyway.
With a bit of a laugh, Elaine replied, ”Well, basically anything but sleep, from what I've heard. I think we're on the right track with all the food, though.” The blind girl obviously couldn't watch tv or anything like that, but she wondered whether Nell had anything that could play music. Though she much preferred playing it, music was a wonderful thing to listen to whenever she had the chance. Unfortunately, they didn't make MP3 players for blind people. And her dorm roommate had a decidedly different taste in music. Elaine settled back into the sofa, a contented smile blooming on her face. Finally, she felt a little bit relaxed.
Her brow shot up when Nell said she'd finish dinner, eat the chinese and eat part of the pizza. But instead of commenting on her tremendous appetite, the blind girl grinned in a similar spirit, ”Only if you let me eat some of the chinese as well. No need to let you have everything.” She nodded happily when Nell offered to split the cost, and then tilted her head a little bit when she asked her next question. She bit her lip in thought, then gave a smiling answer, ”Much more than people expect, I guess. I train a whole lot with my powers, bot the wind sight and for combat, so I get hungry a lot.”
Elaine actually arched an eyebrow, angling her face toward Nell. Study buddy? How did Josh get so close to a person through studying that he would go against his entire element to protect her? But she didn't mention that, figuring that there was something else that Nell wasn't going to tell her. Something about what had happened, or what had been said, or something. Instead, she answered the next part of Nell's statement. ”Well, I have found that my way of seeing him is very much different than other people's. He's hard to understand, but I've never been confused or puzzled by him.” It helped that Elaine was the type to let people be as they were. She didn't ask a ton of questions about their past or about what they were feeling. That seemed to suit Josh just fine.
Elaine was very thankful that Nell didn't start asking her what the hell she was thinking or how the hell she saw so much in the dude who was instigating a man hunt for her. She would have completely understood had the earth student said any of those things, but Elaine knew that if she did it would take a long time for her to come out of her shell if someone started off on her like that. The blind girl was touchy about this subject, not really knowing herself what she believed. So she laid a small smile of gratefulness on her lips, tilting her head a bit. ”Thank you.”
But she lost the smile and shook her head when Nell urged her to go for it. ”No. I'm not going to risk being torn between a boyfriend and a best friend. Not in a situation like this. It's likely that I'll eventually have to fight him to protect you, and I might now be able to do that if we're together.” She was speaking hypothetically, thinking to herself as she said it that all of this was moot if he didn't think about her the same way. But she didn't think she should say that. So instead, casting about for a different subject, she turned her face completely toward Nell and asked, ”May I french braid your hair?”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 8, 2011 17:16:01 GMT -5
Nell laughed at the irony in the statement. No sleeping in sleepovers? ”You’ve never had a sleepover before either?” she asked then, realizing Elaine had said ‘from what she’d heard’. That was great, then! She didn’t feel so odd then, like she usually did when talking to others who had more ‘real world’ experience than her. It meant that she wasn’t completely odd in her naiveté. ”All I know is from movies with popcorn and makeover and all that chick flick fluff.” Was it also strange for her to be getting excited over something like this? Ah, who cared. She felt comfortable enough with Elaine that she didn’t even mind how strange she acted. Everyone was strange, it made the world go round.
Smiling a bit sheepishly at her friend’s expression, she nudged the plate of Chinese over to Elaine’s side of the coffee table and said, ”Dig in! I don’t want to be selfish or anything.” Okay, Nell was admittedly a glutton, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know how to share. She was quite big on the sharing deal. Thankfully Elaine didn’t point out how she was probably going to blow up with how much food she ate like her aunt would—of course any unpleasant thoughts were of that woman. The Earth girl didn’t even regret shooting back that would mean looking like her. ”Ooh, that’s right! Using your powers does make you pretty hungry, and you use it a lot.” It was something about the girl Nell admired, especially with her own lack of discipline with her own powers. She realized a while ago how hungry exertion made her, back when she only had about two meals a day. Sometimes, she’d be able to pilfer something from the kitchen, but they didn’t have a lot so anything missing was almost immediately noticed. ”I don’t feel like such a fatass anymore,” she said chuckling.
Elaine looked quite incredulous, and she knew what she must have been thinking. No, the two weren’t close at all, not like Elaine apparently was with him. Which is why Nell had a feeling Josh believed he owed her for the whole jumping ordeal. She didn’t want him to feel indebted, it wasn’t as if that was on her mind when he called her. She tilted her head as she listened to her friend. ”I guess I’m not as perceptive as you are.” It was true, Elaine was quite perceptive, and while Nell was empathetic toward others she still had a lot to learn what with her lack of social upbringing. She honestly didn’t mind Josh’s antisocial behavior—she didn’t come to him for easy conversation, after all, she came to him for assistance. It was when both of them tried to talk about anything other than their powers that it became awkward—of course, Nell could babble on about anything that didn’t involve her personal life or past. Josh just didn’t talk at all, really.
Nell let out a very soft laugh, more like a sigh than anything. No, she definitely didn’t deserve Elaine. In her eyes, the girl should have been with someone she cared about. But it was clear she cared about both of them, and that was the problem. If Alex didn’t return those feelings? His loss. He’d be missing out on someone as great as Elaine. ”Thank you, really,” she said, returning the Wind girl’s earlier words. ”It sucks…that you have to be caught between two sides.” It would definitely be tough for Elaine, and Nell fully realized how much now that she knew about Alexandre. He was one of Nell’s greatest enemies in a time like this—not an active sort of enemy, since she didn’t hate him and wouldn’t attack him. If he did something to her though? She wouldn’t retaliate anyway, and knowing that Elaine liked him…well, it gave her more reason to play the passive doormat. It always made her stomach twist thinking about how readily she accepted abuse all over again, like she hadn’t learned anything from her mother.
Elaine seemed to be wanting to grasp on something else, and Nell readily obliged. ”You can French braid?” she chirped. She shook her hair out of its bun, and was rather surprised at how long it’d gotten since it was always in an up-do. It now reached her chest, and she had been concerned that Elaine wouldn’t have enough to work with or something. ”So long as you let me paint your toenails,” she replied, and remember that she had a little crate of bottles, pulled it out from under the coffee table before pushing it across the carpeted floor, and sitting in front of Elaine on the floor. Shaking one of the nail polish bottles, she asked, ”How’d you learn it? I only know regular braiding, and even that ends up badly somehow.” It wasn't only because Elaine was blind that she wondered. Back in her mother’s saner moments, the early years, she’d braid her twin daughters’ hair but Nell could never really catch onto it. So she admired anyone who took a step up to French braiding.
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Post by marci on Jul 11, 2011 22:26:20 GMT -5
”Nope.” She shook her head with a small smile, ”Not a one. I didn't really have anyone to sleep over with.” Her aunt had always been too busy and her dad hadn't been the type of person to much her into that sort of thing. He didn't understand young girls, especially those who's lives were altered by such a huge disability. So he'd worked a lot and been very, very distant. He got her gifts, but as far as she rest of her life with, it was Celia who kept her company. The blind girl shoved all of these rueful thoughts into the back of her mind as she turned her face further toward Nell in order to show off a grin. ”If there are any rules, I say we throw them out the window. Whatever we find fun, I guess.”
Elaine eagerly accepted the offering of food, the first real excitement showing on her face as she leaned forward. Like every other expression she gained, it was a quiet intensity that gave it away, much more subtle than most people's looks. Part of it was her reserved nature, but part of it was also that she had never learned expressions from other people. They were mostly just things that she found herself doing when she felt some emotion or another. The blind girl found the side of the table with her hands, then moved them about searchingly until she'd found the utensil. After that, it was no great trail to dig in.
She actually had to catch herself in the middle of swallowing, stopping a quick giggle and letting the food pass before she grinned in the earth student's direction. ”I've seen you, Nell. You are anything but a fatass. You're smaller than me.” And that was a pretty big feat. Elaine was not a big or tall girl at all, and she knew it. It was only because of some helpful and odd circumstances that she was able to take care of herself the way she did. Sometimes she wondered incredulously how she'd learned to fight so well.
Elaine actually straightened up to give the wall across from her a knowing smile. ”Perception and perspective are two very different things. I doubt I know him any better than you do. I always felt comfortable around him, though. He never tried to make me talk about what it's like to be blind, or my past, or anything like that. And he's one of the only people in the entire academy who's actually aware of the fact that I can't normally tell when people are about to touch me.” It was one of her least favorite things in the world, being touched without warning. Sometimes she was more patient than other times, but she had been known to flip out when people had spooked her like that.
Elaine shrugged a bit when Nell thanked her. Hearing the genuine emotion in her friend's voice almost made her tongue tied. But she ducked her head a bit and her smile grew wider. ”You're welcome.” Was all she said. Then, when Nell asked her about french braiding, Elaine actually found her brow raising. ”Yes, why wouldn't I?”
The blind eyes actually followed Nell's progress as she moved off the couch and sat herself in front of Elaine. She was able to judge with her ears and the feeling of movement of the couch when Nell was, so it wasn't that hard. Laughing a little, Elaine said, ”Of course you can, if you want.” It was amusing that Nell would offer to do such a thing. She'd had other people almost offer, but then they must have thought that she would be offended because she couldn't see it. Sure, Elaine sorely felt the loss of a whole sense, but not all the time.
”My aunt taught me.” Elaine said, after a momentary hesitation. For some reason she didn't much like talking about her past. Even about Celia. ”She's a musician. Jazz, Classical, lots of higher society stuff. So she needed a helper who could get her nice and pretty.” It had taken awhile to explain to Elaine what was needed, but once it clicked she'd never had any trouble since. Several people had told her that she should become a hair stylist, her braiding was just perfect. The wind girl raised gentle hands to her friend's hair, and an involuntary smile alighted upon her lips. ”Your hair is very soft.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 11, 2011 23:27:51 GMT -5
Nell returned Elaine’s grin. Okay, they were both inexperienced, that didn’t matter. They would be rookie sleep over-goers together. ”All righty, a no holds barred sleep over!” She almost quoted her favorite movie in saying ‘First rule of sleep over…’ That would have been a bit embarrassing. But she reminded herself it was okay to be embarrassing in front of friends. It was how the whole thing worked. As Elaine must have been, Nell was just as inexperienced in the friendship department, not by her own choice. But she successfully steered her thoughts away from such things, because she knew she needed to remain in the present if she was going to be happy.
The girl seemed really enthused about the food, and Nell giggled. She wondered if she should have helped Elaine out more, but she always believed that those who had an impairment didn’t want to be treated like that. But she may have only been thinking of herself, and how she didn’t like people to feel they needed to help her. She didn’t like to be treated as a charity case, and since Elaine had a disability she was very good at overcoming, Nell believed she may have been the same way.
”Let’s give a big round of applause for metabolism,” Nell said, trying to hold back laughter. ”It’s because we know how to take care of ourselves.” They were both physically fit in spite of any eating habits. Nell believed a part of it had to do with how much Elaine practiced her powers. That must have kept her doing good. As for Nell, she was naturally small and made sure to be healthy. Even though her discovery of fast food was really not good. She reminded herself to put a limit on that, and also remembered the fact that a whole pizza pie was on the way.
Elaine was probably wise beyond her years, Nell realized as she blinked in the girl’s direction. She smiled softly as she listened to the words. ”You’re right,” she said, her voice more of a sigh than anything. ”I guess we all just want to be understood like that, huh?” It was entirely different for Elaine since the two girls were different people but the concept was the same—where Elaine liked the fact Alex knew what not to say and do around her, a lot of other people wanted the same. But Nell wondered what she wanted from other people—there was really nothing she could think of.
Nell was glad that it appeared her sincerity came through. She always worried that because she thanked people so much and expressed needless gratitude often that its meaning would become lost. But Elaine understood, and she smiled at her sheepishness. Then Nell had to blush, and felt bad for being glad that Elaine couldn’t see it. Knowing how to French braid must have been more common than she first thought. She scratched her head in embarrassment. ”I’m easily impressed, I guess. It’s something that goes over my head.” She was very nervous about her inexperience with everything shining through in certain things she didn’t know about. That someone will pick up how she’d been practically imprisoned for years, just like how they’d realize she was a murderer. Shyly, she asked as she dropped her hand, ”Do you think you could teach me?”
In a way, Nell sometimes forgotten about her friend’s impairment. But in the same way she believed Elaine didn’t want to be treated as a charity case because of it. If the girl asked, of course Nell would be right there to assist her, but she allowed mistakes just in case. It was mostly unconscious—she didn’t go about these things with that in mind. ”You’ll have the prettiest little piggies in all the Academy,” she assured Elaine. The Wind girl wouldn’t be able to see the color, but others would and Nell made sure she’d be able to show them off with pride. ”Of course, it’s better to be painting toenails in the summertime. But it’s starting to warm up now, thank God.” Which is her plants in the window were doing somewhat better. Even without her powers, they were blooming pretty well.
Elaine seemed wary to divulge information about her aunt, and Nell understand. The girl was a very personal person, as she’d come to know. She found herself admitting because she found it uncanny to have such a similarity, ”My aunt’s a musician too. Same high society stuff, and she plays the piano too.” But even thinking about the woman gave her a sour taste in her mouth, and she stopped. ”I’m sure she was glad to have you then,” Nell said, keeping her tone light but now regretting that she’d mentioned such an evil woman in a nice conversation. She tilted her head up a bit and grinned. “Thank you, Elaine. I like your hair better, though. I always wanted a darker color, but I got the short end of the gene pool.” Her and her sister’s hair color turned out lighter than their parents and relatives, surprisingly.
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Post by marci on Jul 14, 2011 20:09:57 GMT -5
Elaine angled her face just enough to smile at Nell when she spoke of their metabolisms. There was a quiet, humorous smile on her face as she said, ”Well, I was never much good at stealing from the cookie jar when I was younger. Just got a taste for the food I was given.” Well, for a blind girl, she'd been rather amazing at finding her way to treats. But compared to the antics of a little kid with sight, tiny Elaine had been nothing. Her aunt had given her healthy food for the most part, teaching Elaine how to keep herself in good shape so that she only had to deal with one physical disability. But every parent/caretaker sometimes had a weak moment and ordered out for pizza.
There was a rather sentimental smile on Elaine's lips as Nell conceded to her point. There was also a bit of heat in her cheeks, and she was resisting the urge to duck her head in her usual embarrassed gesture. She hadn't meant to say all that, but somehow Alex just sort of got her mind racing. And Nell got her to relax. It was really amazing how genuinely empathetic the earth girl was. Elaine wished she could be like that. ”I really don't know.” She said, honest and matter-of-fact, ”I don't understand any of it. That boy has me confused.”
Elaine caught the embarrassment in her friend's voice as she spoke about the french braiding. She almost smiled, despite the fact that she felt bad for making Nell uncomfortable in any way. But, tilting her head, she said, ”Apparently it's very hard for some people to do, but I've always found it much easier than normal braiding. There's more texture, so I can see if I'm doing it right a whole lot easier.” She could braid normally just fine—it wasn't hard at all. It had just taken a little longer for her to pick up in the beginning. Celia had actually started her off on that until she'd realized the problem.
When Nell asked to be taught, Elaine's expression faltered. She made a little uncertain noise, and hesitated. Then a few moments later she realized that her silence might be interpreted badly, so she hastily spoke: ”Well, I'm not sure if I'd be able. I'll try, but it's very hard to explain to someone who can see with their eyes how to see with anything else. My aunt could also feel with her fingers, though not as well as me, so she was able to show me. But I really have no idea what vision's like, so...” She trailed off, actually looking a little out of her element and hoping she was making any sense at all. The blind girl had never been asked anything like that before. ”But I'll still try, if you want.”
Nell's comment about her toes had Elaine laughing. A lot, actually. It was probably just a rush of relief from the crazy day, but she actually came close to tears. She'd never heard anything so awesomely ridiculous in her entire life. When she was done, she wished she could give Nell an apologetic look. But she was still grinning when she said, ”Do I now? Well, I can't wait for summer, then.” Which was actually a moot point. Elaine trying to wear closed-toed shoes all the time, just in case her wind sight missed something she could ram her foot into.
Elaine had very keen ears. It was not hard for her to pick up the distant bitterness that entered Nell's tone as she spoke of her own aunt. Where normally this would have been another conversation sparker, intuition told Elaine to leave it be. This was not a happy subject for Nell, for some reason. So she wiped the newly rising frown off of her face and gained a small smile as she nodded to the rest of what Nell said. She smiled about the hair comment. ”I had no idea your hair was lighter than mine.” She said honestly. ”Beauty to me is texture and shape.” As she said this last bit, her hands where starting to work skillfully with her friend's hair, gently and firmly pulling locks of hair into the beginnings of a french braid. ”I wonder if I can get this done before the pizza arrives.”
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jul 15, 2011 0:57:36 GMT -5
Nell though Elaine was so cute when her face heated up. Oh, what it’s like to be young and in love, she thought as if she were an old man. But there was also the fact that testosterone wasn’t something girls like them easily understood. With a stern face, she declared, “Let’s face it, boys are just confusing.” They really were, from Nell’s experience with them. Which is a part of the reason she never really considered a relationship with anyone. She’d flirt, but when it came to actually being with someone like that? It scared her a bit. Nell didn’t understand anything about it, really. She guessed she was cliché in thinking that when the right one came along, she’d know. Did Elaine know, she wondered? How did she feel with Alex being with him? What was it like? Ack, the entire thing was totally strange.
Even though Nell felt greatly ignorant to many things, it was more than worth it to have the experience of learning. Especially from Elaine, who was so different from her. Sometimes the Earth student wondered what it would be like to walk in her shoes. After taking another sip of her soda, Nell said, ”You know, I never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense.” There were a lot of things she never saw ‘that way’ with Elaine, but when the girl told her she completely understood the whole texture thing. It just went to show that she wasn’t actually ‘impaired’—she could do something easily that others with sight might have had trouble doing. But of course, there was vice-versa, and it worked both ways.
It must have been really hard for Elaine to explain. But Nell liked the fact she was actually telling her what it was like. She loved learning things like that, and learning in general. Clearly, it’d be difficult for Elaine to teach someone with sight. There was a sort of…communication gap. But the Earth girl would be damned if she let that get in the way. “Maybe if I close my eyes and you can teach me the same way your aunt taught you?” Of course, Nell wasn’t used to being blind like Elaine was, so it would be different. Her voice was hopeful, though, like a child asking for a new toy.
Nell couldn’t help but laugh along when Elaine practically broke out into hysterics. God, it felt good to be laughing like this. Like whatever problems they had were distant in comparison to this moment. And it was. And she just like to see her friend happy. ”Definitely.” She sighed wistfully, smiling to match the Wind girl’s own grin as she said, ”Then we can lay out on the beach like a couple of bums sipping tropical drinks. Oh, and I can learn to swim!” Wow, that was something she didn’t expect to say. But a lot of people didn’t know how to swim, right? Maybe even Elaine, if her blindness caused a problem for it. Right now, however, Nell couldn’t care less about how immature or naïve she sounded. She was too damn happy.
Right. Blindness. Sometimes Nell went off onto spiels and forgot that this girl couldn’t see. She’d never talked to Elaine about it because she respected personal boundaries like that, so she didn’t know if she had been born blind or if something had caused her to be that way. There was a lot she didn’t know about the Wind girl’s private life, and she thought it just fine. She liked Elaine regardless. ”I bet your hair feels just as soft,” she said, nodding, because she’d never actually went to go touch the girl’s hair. Not only did Elaine dislike such surprise gestures, it’d be odd for Nell to just walk up and start feeling on her hair.
Nell looked at the cable box and said, ”Guy’s got fifteen minutes. Let’s see if you can race against the clock!” She laughed, and when the giggles faded added, ”Unless he gets pulled over. Cross your fingers.” Not one to actually wish such a thing on anyone, she was merely joking around. Shaking another bottle of nailpolish, one she thought would go great against Elaine’s skin tone, she had an epiphany. ”You know what? After your done the French braid, I can give you a full-on pedicure! I just got some soapy stuff and a foot thingymajigger…” Instead of going on about things she didn’t even know the names of, she said, ”You’ll feel like a whole new woman.”
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