none of us were angels [raine]

[NELL DOE DALE]

Nell bounced her ball on the table. As usual, she had her hair tied up in a tight bun. She took a moment to wipe the back of her neck, so used to the tattoo she had back there she didn't even think about it. It was why she usually wore her hair down at work, though casinos seemed to be more lenient about it than say, her job at the daycare. She could say that her softee shorts and tanktop are equally unacceptable at any workplace, as she did have a uniform. A revealing uniform that made her uncomfortable half the time and made her wonder whether she'd prefer the unflattering vest over it. Nell really did not have much to complain about when it came to her new job, as a matter of fact, because one woman was nowhere near it -- Jane. Though, she supposed her aunt did spend a bit of time at the casino. It wouldn't be hard to believe, especially if she ever found out about her niece's place of employment. The thought sent shivers up her spine. It was becoming difficult to keep the woman at arm's length while trying to be civil with her. The lines blurred.

Better thoughts came to mind as her eyes found the rings on her finger, and unbeknownst to her a smile fluttered to her lips. She had always been a happy, smiley person. But ever since she spoke her vows, got back from her honeymoon, she had been on cloud nine. She was married to Josh now, and she didn't think there was anything better than that. She hadn't even predicted that she'd be this happy, but coming back to school and doing her makeup work, she had gladly titled her papers as Nell Dale. Even as she played with the rings on her finger and received her credit cards under the name, it sometimes seemed odd that she was married. Wasn't she a fugitive just yesterday, changing her name at a roadside diner while eating shepherd's pie? This was never something she had planned, even thought of. As a young girl, her thoughts went toward how each day would go, not if she would be married to the man she loved, a man who she now called her husband. She didn't worry about the fact that she was still in college, twenty-years-old with only three years of world experience. They weren't two yuppies who thought it would be fun to get married. They had been to hell and back with each other, and if that didn't prove nothing could tear them apart, she didn't know what could.

Though she loved travelling and Paris had been beautiful, along with a break from their usual hectic lives, she was glad to be home. She had quite a lot of work to make up, but nothing would ever compare to senior year of high school. Dropping in late had not put her in the most advantageous of positions, but she'd made it through and now she was almost through sophomore year. Her grasp on stone manipulation was growing stronger, and she had finally decided on her major. So she had to say this had been a very good year.

As happy as she was about her own life and how it was going, she was also interested in her friends. Raine, for instance. The girl stood on the other side of the table, waiting for her serve. She'd heard about the break up, of course, and it seemed a shame that her friend had to be dealing with that when Nell had so recently gotten happily hitched. It was rather ironic. "You ready for my extreme curve serve?" she asked with a grin, bouncing on her toes as she prepared herself. She wasn't too skilled at ping pong, but she didn't imagine that it could be a game one would become extremely pro at. Then again, some could say that about origami and she'd be able to prove them wrong. Though her old time favorite would always be cranes, she had a repertoire of incredible feats of paper folding.

She served it, putting spin on it so that it bounced near the corner of the table and made it difficult to serve back. One area she had gotten good at was sports, even table ones. She enjoyed them, especially since it meant cooperating with other people. Not to mention that it was a good way to work off all the food she consumed. She'd done quite a bit of it in Paris, because what better way to enjoy a vacation than to eat? And well, other things that did a good job of working off the calories. She didn't necessarily need any outlets -- she enjoyed everything she did, or at least made an effort to with optimistic thinking -- but sports were a good way to blow off steam. And hanging with her friends. She was glad to be with the Water girl now. Sometimes it felt like she didn't see her enough.

After the game ended, Nell held her hands up in a team. "We need a break from extreme ping pong," she told her before heading to her bag and leaning over to take out a water bottle. She unscrewed the top before brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I haven't asked you yet, what have you been up to in the past week? I mean, it must have been incredibly dull without me." As Nell was clearly not someone with an inflated ego, it made the joke clear. She was truly curious about the blond and how she'd been doing. It may have also been her roundabout way of questioning the break-up.

[RAINE SOPHIA ELLISON]

n o n e - o f - u s - w e r e - a n g e l s ! [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

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tag ! starkeh && mrs. dale ;; word count ! 840 ;; setting ! Maple Hollow Recreational Center ;; outfit ! sweatpants, pac man t-shirt, sneakers, ponytail ;; [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

“Oh, honey, I’m ready for that and every other bad rhyme you’re gonna throw at me.” Raine grinned at her, leaning forward a little as she’d seen basketball players do right before the game started. She passed the paddle from her left hand to her right to her left and back again. That little white ball couldn’t do any harm. It was too small, too lightweight to hurt either of them, to do any damage unless one of them happened to be drowning in millions of them. Ad then, it would probably be the pressure that hurt them. A million ping pong balls would probably suffocate them if they didn’t crush one of the girls. Crushing seemed more reasonable anyway. Both, as far as she knew, seemed like incredibly painful ways to die anyway. If there were other ways to die, she’d rather die painlessly. Maybe with a quick snap of the neck. No, she wasn’t suicidal. She wasn’t that bad about break-ups. This one bothered her more than it should, perhaps. Perhaps it bothered her exactly as much as it should or maybe even less. Maybe she was being ridiculously rational about it. She didn’t know. She’d been trying not to think about it. That was harder than she’d expected it to be. For the first time, she understood just a little why girls went crazy when someone broke up with them. Of course, she didn’t expect that most girls lost their boyfriend to a homosexual relationship with their best friend. She had nothing against them for being attracted to each other. She just sort of wished that it hadn’t happened while they were dating, of all things. Couldn’t Issy have timed it better? Wasn’t it usually considered a betrayal when you broke up with your significant other to date someone else right off the bat? God, just stop thinking about it. Of course, thinking about it just distracted and, though she lunged for it, she missed the ball with her paddle by just under an inch. She cursed softly, mostly to herself. Any further back-and-forth had a similar problem, with her missing the majority of Nell’s serves because her mind kept wandering. She was mostly proud of the balls she did manage to return. She half-expected Nell to ask if something was wrong, but ended up mostly grateful that the Earthie seemed to accept that this was extreme ping pong. Extreme ping pong was bound to be off her usual type. Maybe after their break, Raine would do better. She only hoped so. Hoping was all she could really do at this point. Hope and let time flow and see what happened on the way. She could have fun at the Halloween party. No, she would have fun at the party. She’d find a good costume and go home drunk enough to have a terrible hangover the following morning and it would be completely worth it. She flopped down beside Nell’s bag and let her head fall backwards against the wall, not caring for a minute that her ponytail created an uncomfortable bunch at the back of her head that did little to cushion her skull. She looked up at her friend, thinking for a moment. “What have I been up to?” She sighed and looked down at her lap. Honestly, part of her really didn’t want to talk about this. The more she talked about this, the more real would become. She didn’t want to face the reality quite yet. Technically, she already had. This would just drive the nails deeper into the coffin her relationship was buried in. “Holing up in my room mostly. Not like I can face Knox right now anyway. And you were out of the country. Consummating your marriage with your husband. I’m still amazed you guys got married. I mean, you’re obviously perfect for each other, but still. Marriage.” Maybe she was just reacting with a little bit of concern because marriage scared her on a personal level. It always had, from that age when she’d been able to grasp what it was, at least. It was a lifetime commitment to someone. It was a promise to be with someone even if things went to hell. Of course, few people actually followed through on that, One half of marriages ended in divorces or something like that. They were such horrible odds anyway. Of course, she really hoped that Nell and Josh’s union would last as long as they loved each other and hoped that their love would last long enough to make their lives incredibly happy. She wanted her friends to be happy. That was why she was saying nothing about what was going on with Issy and Knox. Well, what could possibly go on. Other than the kiss Issy had mentioned, she didn’t know what else might be going on. Neither of them had said anything. Nope. We’re straying away from there again. So, she grinned at Nell, winked, and asked, “How’s he in bed anyhoo?”

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notes ! I got something done and that makes me happy. oh, in case you were unable to tell, I figured this would be before the halloween party ;;

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[NELL DOE DALE]

Nell noticed how distracted Raine seemed, the serves she missed where she would usually hit it back expertly. Had the break-up really affected her that bad? She was usually such a bright and cheerful girl, and she still gave that off but there was something weird about it. As empathetic as she was, Nell felt a strong connection with everyone, and slight changes were like disturbances in the force. While she might have been riding the high of having just been hitched, she couldn't be very happy when her friends were suffering. It was like her own pain, and she wanted to stop the game and talk it out. Somehow, she knew that Raine would have an answer, a reply for that which cleverly evaded the subject. And if she wanted to talk about it, she probably would have brought it up already, she supposed. Or so she hoped. She wished that people shared their problems with her, because she wanted to be a problem solver, a helper. In life, she strove to be someone who other people viewed as a good source of support.

So when they took their break, she slid down next to Raine, her arms resting against her legs. After taking her drink, she looked to see the side of the Water girl's cheerful face. The sigh was definitely not a good sign, and she waited patiently, not wanting to push her for anything else. The response troubled her -- apparently Raine had holed herself up in her room, which definitely did not sound like something someone who was feeling good would do. She might have blushed at the use of consummating had Raine not went on. For a moment, Nell did feel bad that she hadn't been around for her friend. "The big M," she resounded. "It feels great, though. I mean, I get where people are coming from when they think we're too young, but we've been together for so long. Might as well put a ring on it." And from that point she had Single Ladies stuck in her head. But it was true -- for as much as she didn't talk about her personal life, she could say she was very happy with it. This wasn't a ball and chain. Or maybe it was, but it was one she was ecstatic about.

However, that wasn't the main issue at hand right now. She did feel bad about not being around for Raine. "But I'm back now, and you can talk to me about anything, you know." She leaned in and elbowed the blond lightly, smiling brightly. That's what she was around for. She liked listening to people's problems, even if she couldn't find a way to help them. But usually, she tried her best to assist other people. "My door is always open and I usually have ice cream in the freezer. Or some kind of food." She felt like a witch from a fairy tale, luring in her friend with the promise of frozen goods. But it was with good intentions. Even if she just wanted to hang out, she was always around. Or, well, she tried to be. She couldn't pretend that her schedule wasn't as full as it was, because then she would be letting down a lot of people. Any free time she had was spent with her friends, so she didn't know anymore what it meant to be alone. Nell liked that. She absolutely hated being alone, even if it meant sitting by herself for a short period of time. She wondered if that made her needy.

Nell had taken another gulp of her water, and when Raine asked her question she proceeded to choke on it. Holding up her finger as if to ask her friend for a moment to recover, she coughed into her arm. Tears pricked at her eyes as she took a few gulps of air and then tried to drink the water again to soothe her throat. After wiping the tears away from the corners of her eyes, she looked wide-eyed at Raine. "I'm sorry, what?" she said, cheeks heated red. "I mean, I heard what you said...but...what." She may not have been a prude, but she had definitely not gotten a question like this. But then again, this was Raine -- could she be too surprised? She always will, I bet. It was a fond thought. "D-do people usually talk about that kind of stuff?" Once again, her naivete got the better of her. She hadn't any friends that actually asked about it, though she hoped that Raine was joking. Was she? Nell didn't know how to react, simply rubbed at her neck. Probably shouldn't drink around her. Whether Raine was making her laugh or blush, she expected that a spit take would happen.

[RAINE SOPHIA ELLISON]

n o n e - o f - u s - w e r e - a n g e l s ! [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

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tag ! starkeh && mrs. dale ;; word count ! 1 117 ;; setting ! Maple Hollow Recreational Center ;; outfit ! sweatpants, pac man t-shirt, sneakers, ponytail ;; [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

Raine honestly didn’t know whether she wanted to talk about the break-up. She felt like she’d complained enough already, but she also felt like a girl’s perspective would be insanely helpful. A girl’s perspective would make her feel a little less like she was insane, hopefully. She didn’t know what she was supposed to feel. Her boyfriend had broken up with her because he had feelings for her best friend. That was usually enough to inflame any girl in books or on TV. The thing was, he’d dropped her for her best friend, but her best friend was a boy. Maybe that was why she was a bit shell-shocked. She honestly hadn’t seen it coming. She didn’t have a clue. Was that normal? Probably not. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that, especially not with such a good guy. Issy was a good guy. He hadn’t done anything bad. He’d been honest with her and he’d broken up with her to save her heart so she wouldn’t stay in a one-sided relationship. She wasn’t mad at him. But she was mad. She just didn’t know with whom. In fact, she was incredibly mad. She wanted to throw things. Was she mad at herself? Angry because she hadn’t seen anything? Because she hadn’t known that Issy wanted to be with someone else, and not her? That was a bit ridiculous. He’d admitted himself that he hadn’t known he ’wanted to be with Knox until she’d arranged the tutoring session. Maybe she was mad at herself for that—she’d somehow managed to blindly engineer the demise of her relationship. It was her own fault that Issy and Knox had reconnected. Maybe they would have otherwise, but maybe she and Issy would have been no more by then. She couldn’t know. She would never know if, had she not suggested that tutoring session, she and Issy would still be together. If Issy would still be reminded of those feelings. And yet it bothered her. She wished she could know, because she felt as if that would some how, magically, give her closure to this… whatever it was. She didn’t even know what sort of situation she was in, only that it sort of sucked to be her. Of course, she had a great life. She had good friends. She had rich parents, though they were far from understanding and rather controlling. She had siblings with whom she got along. She made fairly good grades, and she was graduating in just a month or so. She was graduating. God. Talk about milestones. She wanted to bang her head against something. Maybe that would make her forget and be happy. She envied people with amnesia, though she otherwise wouldn’t. It was a sad condition, but sometimes it really was better to forget the horrors of life. She was being melodramatic, too, and being selfish because she wasn’t even thinking about how Nell was dealing with her marriage. The earth’s following words answered that question fairly quickly however. Nell was happy. She was happy with her man. From what Raine had observed, though little it was, Josh was good to her, too. Otherwise, she would have done the stupid thing and attempted to kick his ass, probably getting hers kicked in the process. It was just stupid overall. She was being stupid. A broken heart made you just as stupid as love did. Maybe one should just never experience either. Relationships made people stupid, whether they were ending or going on or just barely beginning. Each stage had its stupidity. If only love could be eradicated. If only relationships could be outlawed. Even if they were, people would have them. People were always breaking the law, like when she had a drink even though she wasn’t nineteen yet, or when people drove 5 miles over the speed limit so they could get past the annoying person blocking their way. Most people weren’t being malicious when they broke the law. They were just trying to make their lives a little bit easier. “You know, there are people who live together for upwards of ten years and never ‘put a ring on it,’ Nell,” she replied thoughtfully. Her tone betrayed nothing but a statement of fact. She wasn’t trying to look down on the relationship, to criticize the marriage or her friend’s happiness. She was just commentating on something else that happened somewhere else on the planet because… well, they were on the planet, too. And she had nothing else to say on the matter without the guilt that she might punch and poke at the bliss of the newlywed life her friend was probably enjoying. She didn’t want to end that. She wasn’t malicious either. She didn’t want to tear down Nell’s mood to match her own—quite the opposite, actually. She wanted to sue Nell’s mood to elevate her own because that was just masses easier. Or so she was hoping it would go. She failed to turn her head when Nell’s elbow brushed her ribcage, just barely finding the brunette out of the corner of her high, watching her face. Her expression was solemn, when the infectious smile would normally make her grin. A heavy heart was turning her entire spirit to lead. Of course Nell had noticed. Of course Nell would offer. Of course Nell would have heard, even when she was gone. She looked back at her shoes, wiggling her toes inside them and watching the fabric move as she did so. “Who told you?” she wondered, squeezing her knees and not looking up. She felt like she was talking to her legs, but hopefully Nell would get the message. Nell was smart. “More importantly, what did they tell you? I should probably try to squish as many rumors as I can.” It was a poor attempted at a joke, but at least she was attempting one. At least she was still aware that jokes existed, and that she was usually capable of making them. That was, after all, why she had asked about Josh’s abilities in bed. She lifted an eyebrow at the blushing earth girl, finally finding a grin on her face. Messing with her friend was not the best way to lift her mood, but she was a desperate woman. A beggar shouldn’t choose. “Teenagers do, far as I know. Why not? I just want to know if my friend is being satisfied sexually. I mean, the guy can’t be good at everything. Is he just as much a firecracker? Pun intended.” The grin was threatening to fade. It felt forced, plastered onto her lips with peeling glue and tape that wasn’t adhesive anymore.

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notes ! (twenty-two) one down, three to go; and, seriously, don’t worry about matching—Raine went off on a bit of a tangent ;;

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[NELL DOE DALE]

Guilt claimed her as she realized that she was happy with her relationship when Raine had just broken up. She knew she shouldn't, that her relationship was not connected in any way to Raine's and wasn't the cause or the reason she had a break up, but she couldn't help it, not at all. It hurt her when her friends suffered, and it didn't feel right that she got to be happy with Josh when Raine had just lost someone she loved. Or did she love her boyfriend? She figured, because why else get into a relationship? With her limited experience on the matter, all she had to work off of was hers with Josh. He'd been her first everything, so he was the only example she had. Of course, her other friends had relationships, and she saw everything secondhand. But she couldn't actually know what went on behind everything that she saw on the outside, the true inner workings between two people dating each other. So she really hadn't a clue if there were any signs earlier with Israel and Raine, or what had happened with that. Usually, unless there was a lot of verbosity, no one knew what really happened in the crumbling of a relationship. Maybe it was amicable? That didn't mean it hadn't hurt. She didn't want to imagine breaking up with Josh, it wasn't even a possibility in her mind. They had just gotten married, and she had loved him for three years -- nothing would ever stop her from loving him, either.

It had only been the logical step to get married. Isn't that what everyone did, if they were happy with the one they loved? Her parents had done it, and even though that had crumbled, she knew they were doing it for the right reasons. Just like her mother, Nell had married the one she loved in spite of what her family thought. They weren't her family, anyway. It didn't matter to her that Josh was Fire and her Water aunt hated his guts, or even her father. The man had actually walked her down the aisle, even though she knew that he didn't necessarily approve. "Really?" she asked, innocence shining through. Because honestly, she had no clue about what other people did in relationships, at least long-terms ones outside of high school. She had married young, but it was her prerogative. She wanted to be Mrs. Dale, it gave her an immense amount of pride, and so any judgement on being too young or anything like that didn't bother her. "I'm glad I got married. I mean, it wasn't because I felt like I had too, you know. I love Josh, and it's nice to be able to share in his life." That's what marriage was to her. Not just the ring on her finger, or the promises, but it was a connection that made it obvious to people that the two were in a union, that they were partners. And they knew everything that a marriage entailed, it wasn't just some decision they had made overnight and decided to roll with.

Nell felt bad for Raine. She wished she could control what people talked about, wished she could slow the roll of the gossip mill but that wasn't possible. Of course, she didn't encourage it. She only talked to her friends about other friends and their lives, and nothing malicious. That was how she had heard it, actually, nothing particularly juicy or distorted. She hoped that Raine didn't have to deal with that kind of gossip. Her eyes softened as she watched her friend look down at her legs. "You know, just heard it, really." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, placing her bottle between her knees and playing with the cap between her fingernails. "Nothing too twisted or anything. I mean, eventually it might get like that. You know how people are." Things tended to be warped when people didn't know the truth about something. Hell, even Nell didn't know the truth. She was friends with Israel, but he was a quiet guy and kept to himself. She respected everyone's privacy, and didn't pry in matters she knew didn't belong in. "As long as you know they're not true, right?" In first getting together with Josh, she had to deal with the rumor mill. She knew that he was not innocent, but that only bothered her when she had thought about how innocent she was herself. However, she knew not to believe in what other people said and not let it get to her. Hopefully Raine didn't have to deal with too much, though. She and Issy were such nice people, there was no reason for them to be victims like that.

Though not usually a blusher, she couldn't help it at this point. Talking about her sex life was foreign territory, and she didn't know how to respond to Raine. Sometimes she was envious in how much more mature than her that Water graduate seemed, even though Nell was older. Then again, wasn't everybody more mature than her? It felt that way half the time. "O-oh, okay..." she said, when Raine told her that she just wanted to make sure she was...satisfied. "I mean...I am! Very satisfied. Josh is very good in bed!" Perhaps she was just a little too enthusiastic in defending her husband, and she realized she had been gesturing with her hands so she just lowered them into her lap and tried to get the blush to retreat from her face. She barely noticed the fact that Raine wasn't smiling her usual smile through how flustered she was. "Okay, so uh... have you uhm..." She made a gesture with her hand, pushing her fist forward. "Done it?" Was that something appropriate to ask, or was she crossing some kind of line that she shouldn't and oh dear god, I made a mistake, didn't I? She took a breathe before telling Raine, "I mean like, because you know...just curious...how much you...know..." She trailed off at the end. Was she developing a skill in making every situation awkward here? Is that what was going on? Because it sure as hell felt like it. She shifted against the wall a little, fingers playing with the bottlecap again.

[RAINE SOPHIA ELLISON]

n o n e - o f - u s - w e r e - a n g e l s ! [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

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tag ! starkeh && mrs. dale ;; word count ! 1 140 ;; setting ! Maple Hollow Recreational Center ;; outfit ! sweatpants, pac man t-shirt, sneakers, ponytail ;; [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

If there were signs, Raine hadn’t seen them coming. She had been completely clueless until the day Israel had told her in that movie theater, the day he’d ended it with that explanation and she’d been left to wonder how long it had been there. He’d said seeing Knox again had brought on those feelings, reminded him of something he’d forgotten years ago. Was that honest? She hoped so. She hoped he’d had enough trust in her character not think he had to lie to her. The story he’d told had been odd enough that she was tempted to believe that truth honestly was stranger than fiction. She was still running through that story, trying to find an angle that didn’t seem strange in some aspect or other. She understood it, to a degree, but she didn’t necessarily think it was normal. No, it was far from normal, far from ordinary. If it were either, it would happen more frequently, wouldn’t it? And this was definitely the first time her boyfriend had left her for a crush on her male best friend. Oh, the curiosities of sexuality. Just as she found it curious how innocent Nell could be sometimes. They were far less alike than she sometimes convinced herself. They weren’t nearly opposites, of course. That was why they got along so well, she hypothesized. They were similar enough to be friends in the first place, and different enough that they wouldn’t be bored with one another. Or so she hoped. She thought Nell was plenty interesting at least. Did Nell think she was interesting? She could only hope as to that, too. Man, she really didn’t like this uncertainty. It was just frustrating. But sometimes, it could also be freeing, because of the lack of commitment. You didn’t have to worry about forgetting anything. You didn’t have to follow that schedule. Maybe that was why people lived together for years on end and never married. They didn’t want to have to commit. It was okay if they had a fight. They didn’t have to go through any legal proceedings to break up, or to get together. Marriage was a little binding in that sense—but it was also useful when it came to taxes, if she remembered correctly. She only nodded along absently to Nell’s confusion, thinking that, despite the taxes, she feared screwing up a marriage too much to want to enter into the contract. “Well, you can share his life even without being married. Now you just share his name, and you didn’t need to marry him for that either.” There were just so many ways to have the same effects of marriage while circumventing the commitment and such. Why would people want marriage when they didn’t need it? It baffled her. Like the rumor mill sometimes did. She always expected either one of two extremes—that the rumor mill knew nothing about the event, or that it knew of it and made up the details to ridiculous ends. In this case, it seemed to be nearly the former, though word ha gotten around that she was apparently single. She had to admit that she was curious as to whether Nell was telling her so little because there honestly wasn’t more, or because Nell was trying to protect her from rumors that might have been besmirching her character or something equally heinous. Teenagers. What won’t they think of next? She rolled her eyes at the thought. “I know how people are. I know how much they care about reputation. And I know that even a false rumor can ruin a reputation.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. It could always be worse. She had to keep that in mind. It could always be worse than it currently was. They could be saying that Israel had been gay all along and that he’d left her because he’d found out she wasn’t a transsexual but a normal girl. Maybe they’d made it sound like she left him because she’d found out he was interested in a guy a long time ago and was too bigoted to be interested. Did the rumors even include the thing with Knox? Lord, she hoped not. She was more worried about him than she was about herself. He would probably stop speaking altogether if things went there. She was strong enough to shake them off. Not that he was weak. He was just… weaker than she was. Yeah, it was time to stop thinking now. Better to pay more intent attention to Nell, who appeared to have found that tomatoes were quite attractive and should be imitated whenever possible. The image amused her more than it should, making the smile on her lips feel much more natural than it had been. She hoped Nell wouldn’t be irritated with her for asking about something usually considered immensely private, but she also needed a good laugh, and it wasn’t like Raine was about to spread the information she received. Which was, apparently, very little. She pouted at her earthy friend. “Only very good? Well, he must be doing something wrong,” she teased, “Sex is supposed to be mind-blowing and earth-shattering, after all. Or are you guys just barely learning about the kinks and details?” Pun intended all the way to the sun and back. As long as Nell didn’t faint from blood rushing to her cheeks, Raine had absolutely no complaints about teasing her. Some people weren’t comfortable talking about sex, and some people were. So when you stuck one of each in a room and made them discuss sex, things ought to get interesting. In a way, that was exactly what the blonde girl happened to be doing. And Nell technically hadn’t complained yet. Despite having begun the conversation, Raine had by no means expected the brunette to turn it around on her and ask about her experience. Nonetheless, she had just as few scruples about sharing. That wasn’t to say she was a slut. She didn’t sleep with just anyone, but she also didn’t see the point of saving herself for marriage, partially because of her rather adverse feelings towards the topic. “Yeah,” she said after a moment. “I’ve done it.” She hadn’t done it with Israel, no, they hadn’t quite gotten there before the unfortunate series of events had led to their break-up. She’d done it with others, though. It wasn’t a long list, but it was a mental list nonetheless, one she wasn’t willing to share. She might share a particularly good move, or a habit she enjoyed, but the names were not hers to give out without asking permission from the owners. She had at least that much integrity. “And I know more than my parents think I do.” But wasn’t that the case for everyone?

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notes ! She’s all over the place tonight -shrugs- I WONDER WHY? -has no idea why she felt the need to put that in caps- ;;

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[NELL DOE DALE]

All things considered, Nell should have been more like Raine. She'd always feared the future. It was something vast and looming, something she had no clue about. The present, this moment now, is what she preferred thinking about. So when Josh proposed, in that moment, it was what made her consider everything she had been thinking about. Most importantly the fact that she had wanted to save herself the hurt if he had ever left her. She hadn't doubted him, no. She had doubted herself, and her talent in destroying relationships. It had been her fault her father left for the second time -- and she would always blame herself in some way for his first abandonment -- and so she had convinced herself that Josh wouldn't stay with her. But he did. Through everything that most people would have given up in, the murder confession and the trial and the depression. He had gotten down on one knee and made the promise that though she had lost one family, she wouldn't lose him. She would always remember the words, and they comforted her through anything.

This was all very personal, of course. She didn't speak of her feelings much, though she made it clear that she loved her husband very much. She didn't tell anyone that she had been considering leaving because even thinking that she was about to betray him like that stung. Nell heard what Raine was saying. "It was something we both wanted. I like the promise that we'll be together forever." Then she tilted her head and thought about it. "Plus, if you're already in a committed relationship, marriage shouldn't do anything but strengthen that commitment. It makes it so that it's not just a fleeting thing. No matter what happens, you'll go through it together. Sickness and health and everything else." Not that she wouldn't have believed Josh wouldn't stick around her. But a girl like her, she needed reassurance. She needed a guarantee. And she loved saying that Josh was her husband, not just a boyfriend. "But I suppose it's not for everyone. You have a choice in it and all." No one forced anyone to get married. That would make the appeal wear off. But she had wanted it. Besides what she said, she wanted a family. She wanted Josh and the fact that she could be something more than just a misplaced person, a last name without an origin. He had brought up children before, and sometimes she realized how much she wanted a family with him even though sometimes she felt afraid.

The Earth graduate really wished she could help her friend more. While she did have experience in the whole reputation deal, she couldn't say anything about it. "Hey, Raine, I know a thing about rumors because I killed my mother and people still think that it was coldblooded. Now almost everyone in America knows my name and its attached to the death of a woman who abused and imprisoned me for seventeen years." It wouldn't happen. She had trouble admitting those things to herself, why would she say it out loud? "You know what, they'll get over it. Or I'll have a word with them." It was amusing to think of her getting serious about anything with anyone, but she did like to protect her friends. She would tell the truth to anyone that went smearing Raine's reputation. "Anything that's said will die down. Once they realize there's no juicy scandal, they'll move on and you'll be Raine, super awesome fantastic person." She didn't see how anyone can view the girl as anything else but the lovely and friendly Water elemental. It was ludicrous.

Nell had known right off that Josh was more experienced than her...in well, a lot of things, but especially matters of sex. Which was why she felt glad that he'd never pushed matters of intimacy early in their relationship. Not that she wouldn't have slept with him -- as pathetic as it might have been, she would have given him anything -- but because she would have been nervous and unsure and that wasn't a very good way to move a relationship forward. That was in the past, though she realized that she should have been a virgin when she got married, white dress and all its implications. Oops. "It is! I m-mean...definitely." Okay, so she hadn't ever been with anyone else but Josh and she had no one to compare to. But that just made it better for her, she supposed. She blushed even more, knowing she shouldn't have been having such thoughts in public with her friend. "We've had time to learn!" She realized what she implied then. She was going to melt, wasn't she? Just positively leak and fall apart in a mess of shyness. "I really love Josh so that just makes it all the more better." Then she nodded as if that would be her final say. She believed it wouldn't even matter were he not good in bed -- she loved in, that's what made intimacy better.

She felt much better talking with Raine and well, her love life. It gave her a moment to collect herself. When Raine mentioned her parents, she really did not want to think about her own father and how overprotective he'd once been that the thought of her with Josh intimately would have made his head explode. "I bet you know a lot, right? About guys...and what they like..." The embarrassment was working its way up her throat again and she tried to swallow it back. This was very important business here. "So...what do they like?" She managed to get it out, but she sounded breathy like she had taken a long run and was just trying to get her heart rate back to normal. She didn't want to say that Josh had been her first -- it would have made her seem so immature next to Raine -- but she didn't have very much experience. "I don't really know much so you know..." She leaned in close like it was a secret, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing something, you know?" She didn't enjoy revealing stuff like that, but if it would help her in the long run... It was just all terribly embarrassing.

[oh raine I AM IN SUCH LOVE. CAPS LOCK LOVE.]

[RAINE SOPHIA ELLISON]

n o n e - o f - u s - w e r e - a n g e l s ! [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

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tag ! starkeh && mrs. dale ;; word count ! 1 072 ;; setting ! Maple Hollow Recreational Center ;; outfit ! sweatpants, pac man t-shirt, sneakers, ponytail ;; [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

Half of all marriages end in divorce. She didn’t think the statistic was real, but she knew that a lot of marriages did end in such a manner. She also knew that she didn’t want her friend to end up as another statistic. She didn’t think Nell was likely to, but then, she also knew that Nell didn’t tell her everything. Despite what she said about the relationship, there would always be more. There would always be hesitance. There would always be that side to Nell’s life that Raine wasn’t privy to, and not knowing made her worry a little that Josh actually didn’t know just how valuable the gem he had was. Maybe it was because she’d recently exited a relationship, but she was cynical, and she didn’t think that Nell’s husband deserved her. He was lucky to have such a sweetheart. If not for the hunch that Nell would immediately disagree with any such claim, Raine would gladly have told her friend so, too. If not for the assumption that Josh would immediately agree and that it wouldn’t mean much if he did, she would have told him, too, just to remind him of what was going on. Instead, she leaned against Nell silently, closing her eyes and leaving her cheek on the Earth girl’s shoulder. Silent affection was sometimes best. “Well, if you’re in a committed relationship, it’s not really a fleeting thing anyway,” she teased, smiling at the girl and nudging her lightly. “Besides, marriage can be fleeting. There was this one celebrity who got married and had it annulled less than a week later. Crazy, if you ask me. Why get married ‘just for fun?’ That’s what playing house is for.” Maybe that’s what irked her about the marriage thing—people didn’t take it nearly as seriously as it really was. When people did take marriage seriously, they took the wrong part so: the ceremony. How on Earth was that ceremony important? It cost way more money than it should. It was like Valentine’s Day—way overpriced, taken over by consumerism and capitalism so people could make a buck off someone else’s misery. Wow this break-p was really getting to her, wasn’t it? Jesus Christ, she needed to get away from those thoughts before she drove herself insane. “And you can go through everything without having to put a legal tie on it,” she added, matter-of-fact. And that was true. Best friends could go to hell and back together, but they weren’t legally linked in any way or form. So why did two people with a romantic relationship have to do such a thing? In fact, the only difference between best friendship and romantic relationship was the sex, and some romantic relationships didn’t even have that. Why did romance take precedence over friendship? Friends were with you through fucked up romances. Boyfriends and girlfriends rarely made it in a similar matter. People were just stupid like that. And everything made sense now. It was insane and it was stupid, but it was true. People were stupid. That was why they got married and that was why they got divorced and that was why there was war and why the economy liked to go down the toilet every few decades. Their choices were what fucked things up. [color=99ccff[pb[“You know, sometimes I think everything would be smarter and just work better if we didn’t have to make choices. That way, you can’t make a wrong or bad choice. And nothing would ever get done,”

[/b][/color] she conceded after a moment, shrugging it off. She was dwelling, and she really didn’t need to. Similarly, she didn’t need to dwell over the trouble with rumors and gossip, so she wouldn’t. She said nothing in response to Nell, though she appreciated the compliment. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze.

The amusement returned upon Nell’s all-too-quick insistence. Oh, she definitely had something to tease the earth girl about now. Teasing was fun. She wouldn’t even begrudge Nell if she happened to get some sort of revenge. They’d get into a cycle of pranks and that would probably end up being fun. Just like this conversation currently was. She grinned over at the girl as she defended her lover. “Oh, sex isn’t always good just because you love someone,” she returned easily. In fact, she’d heard that some of the best sex could be had with a complete stranger. A complete stranger let you be free. They weren’t likely to judge odd habits or lack or presence of skill. Even if they did judge you, chances were you would never run into them ever again, so it didn’t really matter as long as you had fun during that act. So she didn’t think anyone would complain. Besides, even a married couple who loved each other could get bored of sex. Love didn’t make sex fantastic. It was supposed to make sex easier, however—easier in that you were supposed to be less shy and more comfortable with your partner, that you could be yourself. Which amused her, because it was the same case with strangers. Each side had its positives, of course. Each side had its negatives, too. Would make quite a debate.

She lifted an eyebrow at the girl when Nell assumed at her experience and what she knew, a half-smile still on her lips. Could you really know anything about guys in general? She supposed it was more of an individual skill. You had to learn what one particular person liked and take advantage of it. And yet, there was the other thing, in that some factors blanketed the what appeared to be pretty much the entire population. And that was what she could tell Nell. “Well, if you don’t already know, your tongue makes quite the good tool,” she began, trying to be implicit and clear at the same time. She winked at the girl, leaning back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling so far above them. “What do you think you’re missing? At least give me somewhere to start.” And hey, if worse came to worst, she could always just buy Nell a copy of the Kama Sutra for Christmas or her birthday, whichever was more convenient at the time. Hell, she was going to do that anyway. She couldn’t wait to see Nell’s face.[/div][/color][/size][/font][bg=000000][atrb=align,justify][atrb=border,0,true][/td][/tr] [tr][td]

notes ! GUTTER RAINE, ACTIVATE ! The end. ;;

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[NELL DOE DALE]

Naivete played a huge role in Nell's life. She didn't know a lot of things when it came to real life experiences. Only recently had she begun to conceptualize the inner-workings of a society she had only been introduced to three years ago. But she knew some things. Like that she loved Josh, and nothing would ever change that. Nothing would ever make her not want to be with him. She'd proven it countless times over that she would stick by him no matter what, and he'd done the same to her. Marriage didn't change anything about that -- it didn't make the chance of them breaking up more likely. That had never been an option in her mind, because he had been the first (and only) person she'd ever opened up to. There had never been anyone else but him, and she didn't think about the years to come. She didn't wonder if there would be other people she would fall in love with, or if they would actually make it, because in this moment now she loved him. She'd loved him for a long time. And she couldn't imagine being with anyone else but him. Who else would have accepted her like he had, for all the things she viewed were wrong with her. The fact she had blood on her hands, her childhood, her triggers and the fissures in her psyche -- all of the reasons that a lot of people bail out of relationships.

They told each other everything, and so what did she have to worry about when it came to divorce? There would be no secret past to unveil, nothing at all like that. In a way, though, she could understand where the other girl came from. When Raine finished, Nell looked more amused than anything. A little smile on her face, pushing her cheeks up and crinkling her eyes as blond hair fell over her shoulder and the weight had her leaning in a bit. She liked listening to other people's points of view, that was for sure, so she was glad that Raine had made her opinion on the matter know about marriage. "You really don't like the whole marriage deal, huh?" She'd made that much clear, had an answer for everything. Why was that? She seemed to adamant against the institution, like there would never be any leeway. She wondered if Raine had ever been in love before. Truly, irrevocably in love with the knowledge that there would be no detaching. Everyone had private worlds that she would never see, and in the end she only knew what Raine told her. She hoped that whatever happened, she was happy with her life. Nell didn't think falling in love was necessary for happiness, but when she thought of her husband and how much he meant to her, she knew she wouldn't be happy if he ever disappeared. He wouldn't willingly, she knew that much. He'd made that promise to her multiple times.

Nell blinked at the words, eyelashes fluttering lightly. Her stomach clenched, though she could not understand why. For a moment, she thought of a stranger's touch, someone she didn't know, and it disturbed her. Something about that would feel so empty -- it wouldn't feel like fun, it would feel like work. Though she didn't know for sure, since she didn't linger too long. "Really?" she asked, then quieter, "I couldn't imagine...doing it...with anyone else." It really was because she loved Josh that she could feel comfortable with physical intimacy. It equaled trust on her part. Her body had been damaged in the past, and though she was quick to believe in the best of others, she was slow to believe that she can trust them with herself. The word that had once been carved in her stomach labeling her a whore was enough reason to keep her clothes on at all times. Poor Josh had figured it out himself because she surely didn't give it up easy. Not only had she waited because of fear, but because she had never known how to broach the subject. "I don't know how people just you know...go with people randomly. It's kind of scary." Physical attraction wasn't enough for her, though it certainly did count. How would she be able to feel comfortable with a stranger?

She sighed, feeling the blush fade inch by inch from her cheeks. Aiding in this were the thoughts that she was an adult now, twenty-years-old, this shouldn't have turned her into a middle schooler looking at a health textbook! At least she'd never said she was mature. The tongue comment did not help in this, but she nodded, so that she wouldn't be falling over her words and stuttering. You can do this! But the question she had to think about, and it wasn't such a good thing because she was fairly sure she should not be having inappropriate thoughts about her husband at a time like this. "Well...I mean...see I don't know! I think that maybe..." She poked her forefingers together before turning and cupping a hand in front of Raine's ear, so she could whisper behind it, "Maybe I should be more adventurous. And...just saying...that he's the first person I'd ever been with romantically so I've never tried anything that I don't think I should." The last string of words came out mushed together, barely comprehensible as Nell pulled away. She wished she could be like Raine, so cool and controlled over this matter, like she'd been around the block and all that. Honestly, admitting that Nell had been a virgin before Josh took a lot of trust, so that was saying something. She honestly trusted the girl, especially when it came to not judging her.

She shook her head rapidly, her bangs fluttering around her face. "I'm sorry, I have to be crossing a lot of lines, I just don't have a lot of people I feel like I can talk about this kind of stuff to, you know. I mean, I love all my friends but I don't want to look like some kind of creep or something, it's kind of a weird thing..." Nell took a deep breath. Jesus Christ, she had quite the lung capacity. Hopefully after this she would at least get a little better with talking about the big shebang. The horizontal tango. The knocking of boots. The nasty.

[RAINE SOPHIA ELLISON]

n o n e - o f - u s - w e r e - a n g e l s ! [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

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tag ! starkeh && mrs. dale ;; word count ! 8 1 3 ;; setting ! Maple Hollow Recreational Center ;; outfit ! sweatpants, pac man t-shirt, sneakers, ponytail ;; [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

Raine couldn’t remember being honestly in love. She didn’t think it was really something that could be expected of someone who hadn’t even graduated high school. Love was something you could turn fifty without ever experiencing, though she hoped it wouldn’t be the case for her. Living that long without being in love… it really sounded like it would suck. Of course, Nell had age on her. The girl was at least two years older than her, if she remembered correctly. Nell had two years of experience and an actual love on her. While the blonde might have known more about sex, love and it weren’t truly comparable when it came to experience, so that didn’t matter. You could express love without sex. Of course, sex without love existed, too, as they were discussing, but… it really wasn’t the same. Love didn’t scare her as much as marriage did, but that institution still made her nervous. She supposed she was more afraid of the responsibilities and the failure of a marriage than she was of actually saying “I do.” Nonetheless, she replied, not explaining herself, “I don’t.” And that was that. Just like she wasn’t about to encourage Nell to go have sex with a complete stranger, Raine didn’t have any plans to do such a thing either. First of all, for Nell, at least, it would be cheating. Secondly, if the girl was so opposed to the idea as it was, Raine wasn’t going to try to get her that far out of her comfort zone. That was outright cruel of her, and she didn’t want to be cruel to her friend. She liked Nell. She didn’t want to be cruel to someone she liked. Besides, strangers weren’t the most… trustworthy people. Any person who could keep secrets could be trustworthy, of course, but while he was still a stranger to you, you couldn’t trust him. At least, that was how she considered the thing about strangers. And sex required some sort of trust. “The thing about sex is that the human race would end if it only happened when people loved each other,” she commented easily, trying to make a joke out of it that was probably in bad taste. Where would they be without unwanted pregnancy after all? Certainly not overpopulated. Yup, she was a horrible person. Nell, on the other hand, was something like a saint, which made her wonder about all the years she knew nothing about. Every sinner has a future, and every saint has a past. Why else would they become saints? Maybe she was just being extra cynical because of the break-up. It was entirely possible that Nell was just a wonderful person and that she had indeed never been bad. The way she was acting now sort of really supported that, if Raine believed her, and the water honestly did. She couldn’t picture Nell with anyone other than Josh, though she didn’t know how long they’d been together either. “Well, that doesn’t really help,” she pointed out bluntly, lifting an eyebrow at the brunette. “Does that mean you’ve done nothing but missionary? Or does that mean you guys have fooled around otherwise?” She shook herself, deciding to change pace. “Nell, I don’t think you really need to worry about adventurous. I mean, think to yourself what he might be comfortable with. Then buy a copy of the Kama Sutra and try some of the positions from that if you feel like it. I’ll even doggy ear the ones that seem more fun than the others, if you want.” She smiled at the other girl, trying to reassure her a little bit. To further that, she reached out and grabbed Nell’s hand, squeezing it gently before releasing it. “That boy is so in love with you, you probably couldn’t do anything wrong. And if you’re scared about screwing up, show him the doggy-eared pages and ask him if he’s interested.” Another smile. She understood how this could be nerve-wracking. It had been for her, too, when she’d been in Nell’s position. Well, that wasn’t true. She had never been in Nell’s position—that is, completely head-over-heels in love and wondering whether adventure would be appropriate. “If he says he isn’t, then he’s probably more than happy with what you guys are doing already.” See, she could be sort of sensitive, right? It wasn’t that hard. She could totally go for the reassurance thing. Besides, Nell deserved it. Nell was awesome. She didn’t need to be questioning how much she rocked, though Raine suspected Nell was clueless as to that, as well. “You don’t need to apologize to me, either. You aren’t crossing any lines. I don’t mind sharing, if it helps you at all.” A third smile tugged at her lips, gentle and sincere. “You can always talk to me.”

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notes ! Raine feels like I just dumped a gallon of sugar and molasses on her xD I really hope Nell doesn’t mind ;;

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[NELL DOE DALE]

People like Raine, they seemed so worldly that Nell felt like she used to when she had first come to Canada. When she'd been an underage bartender, scraping by to make rent, stressing out about the overload of work she had because of her supplementary classes. She felt seventeen again. Things had been different. She'd been a different person, someone who didn't know anything about anything. It still felt that way sometimes. She didn't have the experience with romance and lust and all the primal things that made animals and humans so similar.

Had there been any crushes before Josh? She can't remember because he had been the only one who'd mattered. And she would do anything for him, so marriage was such an easy choice, the matter of planning it had been difficult thanks to her mental blocks. But Raine wasn't like that. She knew more than Nell, knew more about lust and being with someone who her feelings for did not extend past a basic friendship. And Raine seemed so confident in it, Nell could believe whatever she said. She had her own views her opinions, but she put a lot of merit into what others told her.

She did snort at Raine's words about the population. It was a good thing she never really took much seriously, rarely had a serious bone in her body. "That's actually kinda weird to think about," she mused. All the people who were born from a loveless relationship, a one night encounter, a passion-filled night that ended up in the destruction of a relationship. her half-brother had been born of an affair, and Nell's father said he'd never loved that woman. He'd only loved the woman he abandoned. And that's where love got complicated for Nell, how her father could say he'd always loved her mother after abandoning her without a second thought. And because of this, she could see why Raine didn't believe in the sanctity of marriage.

Nell clapped her hands against her cheeks when Raine pointed out how ambiguous she'd been. "Jeez, Rainita." Half of her was embarrassed, the other half making jokes that would have been really hilarious were she still twelve-years-old. She knew Raine wouldn't just her, though. This was safe territory, and she had to remain that way. At least the Water girl made her feel absurdly comfortable. "We've done...things." Her hands dropped, but her eyebrows raised at the words. Karma Sutra. "That books supposed to be taken seriously?" she asked. She'd once told a friend to buy it as a joke. "How is that physically possible?" Her mind was sufficiently blown. Well, she was pretty flexible... Don't go there, Nell. She believed that people never really grew up, they just got older and still found penises really funny.

Raine could tell that Josh was in love with her? That was quite the heartwarming edition to a somewhat perverted conversation. Actually, it wasn't that perverted. Raine was actually helping her out a lot. "I will," Nell said determinedly, taking this very serious. "Thank you so much!" Her eyes were bright with the discovery that hey, she could do this. She may have had some self-esteem issues, ones that really were getting better and evolving into confidence, and she would use that to her advantage.

Nell nodded her head. Josh had never complained, and she felt like he would if he actually had a problem. Which meant she had to be doing things right. And she knew he wasn't cheating because that was a matter of trust and she trusted no one more than her husband. She scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, I apologize a lot." She blinked. "And that usually happens, and I can never catch myself beforehand." She laughed at herself before throwing her arms around Raine's shoulders like the affectionate little Earthie she was. "You really are sooooo smart, you know that?" She said it with that affectionate cooing, the way people did to be friendly annoying.

[RAINE SOPHIA ELLISON]

n o n e - o f - u s - w e r e - a n g e l s ! [cs=2][bg=060606][atrb=border,0,true,b]

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tag ! starkeh && mrs. dale ;; word count ! 6573 ;; setting ! Maple Hollow Recreational Center ;; outfit ! sweatpants, pac man t-shirt, sneakers, ponytail ;;

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Raine believed that marriage worked. Sometimes. When it worked, though, it wasn’t because there was something holy and magical about the institution. It worked because the people were committed to each other, and they didn’t need the actual marriage for that. If they did, the relationship wasn’t nearly as strong as some would like to think. But then, Raine wasn’t an expert. She wasn’t sure if her parents even loved each other anymore, if they ever had, but she knew they were trying to push her into a relationship and consequent marriage that wasn’t based off of love. They were trying to get her into a relationship with someone who couldn’t love her, at least not in the way they wanted, and with whom she’d never in a million years have children unless they used artificial insemination and she knew he’d faint if she just suggested it to him. It was cruel of them, and she was tired of it. She wanted to be an old maid just to spite them, but she didn’t think she’d hold out. She would fall in love eventually. But she doubted there would be marriage.

When it came to the Kama Sutra, she was never entirely sure if it was supposed to be taken seriously. She knew that some of the positions were quite extensive, as far as it came to sex (as the book was actually about courting and such as well, if she remembered correctly). For the most part, she supposed that it could be taken with a grain of salt, more to inspire than to be mimicked. Either way, she felt like explaining her thoughts would either make Nell faint because too much blood was rushing to her head, or because too much was rushing away from it. Neither option was particularly appealing, so instead she just shrugged with what she hoped was a neutral smile that didn’t really answer either question.

Instead, the smile widened when Nell thanked her, braking into a proper grin as it should. She patted the earth’s head playfully, not meaning much by it except to possibly tease her. “You’re always welcome.” She spoke sincerely. She would shower her friend sin compliments, if she was in a good or even a neutral mood, or if they were upset for one reason or another. If she happened to be in a bad mood, it left things wide open—and sometimes she blew them to be that way, what with her occasional outbursts of temper, even if those were frequently caused by her parents’ incessant… everything. She just grew way too tired of them way too quickly, whereas she rarely if ever grew tired of her friends, like Nell. “And you’re, of course, always welcome to help me out, too,” she joked, flopping onto the floor to lie on her belly and look up at the brunette. The floor wasn’t the most comfortable place on Earth, but it wasn’t that bad.

“I would swear there’s irony in apologizing for apologizing,” she added, pillowing her head with both her arms, and thus leaving her completely defenseless as Nell tackled her in what she guessed was supposed to be a well-meaning hug of some sort. She let out a breath and couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled forth. Nell was definitely the best medicine today. Nell, and the laughter she was so good at inducing. “I am not smart. I’m slow. If I were smart, I would know it. But then, I already know everything. What a paradox.” She rolled and hugged Nell back, squeezing her. “You know everything, too—or at least everything that’s important to you. You know how to do your job. You know who your friends are. And you know you and your husband love each other. What else do you need?” If you asked Raine, being so certain of everything that was important in life was enough to be happy with.

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notes ! lali just wants to get some posts out today >> ;;

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