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Post by marci3 on Jun 14, 2011 18:33:05 GMT -5
Tasha
After they had payed and set everything up for the car at Jiffy Lube, Jacob drove Nell back to his house. Though he very much wanted to, he did not speed. For one, there was a lady in the car. For another, he did not even want to think about what what Tasha would go through if he got in a wreck, whether he got hurt in it or not. But he was also getting a little antsy about leaving Tasha home alone for so long, and he desperately wanted to get back as soon as possible. Red lights had him almost bouncing in his seat, and he breathed an almighty sigh of relief when he finally pulled into his driveway, stopped the car, and got out.
Jacob was at Nell's door before she'd have a chance to open it herself. He opened it for her, giving her a distracted smile while he watched Tash from the corner of his eye—she was at the living room window, peering out at the curiously. He couldn't help but notice she looked rather...dirty. And she disappeared when her eyes met his. Oh no. What did she do this time? He closed the door behind Nell and lead the way into his house, this time forgetting to let her go in first as his nose picked up the scent of something burning. It was coming from the kitchen. ”Tash!”
The word was more concerned than anything, and he jogged into the kitchen to find her pulling something out of the oven, billowing smoke like one wouldn't believe. He opened his mouth to tell her to get away from the smoke, but started coughing instead. He waved her away from it, pointing toward the closest window in a way that he hoped would make her understand. But she didn't, just pranced about in panic, wide-eyed and presumable more than a little embarrassed. Jacob wanted to feel sorry for her, but he didn't have time too. Tash was still too close to the smoking...thing, for his liking.
He found his voice, ”Nell, could you open some windows?” Not even looking to see whether she was going to help out or not, he strode swiftly into the smokey kitchen, closing the oven as he passed and grabbing Tash in almost the same motion. She didn't struggle. Indeed, she looked extremely relieved that she no longer had to deal with this herself. Although there was a little shadow behind her eyes that told of tears if this wasn't handled delicately.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 14, 2011 19:51:32 GMT -5
Nell noticed Jacob’s impatience as he drove home, and she watched him from the corner of her eyes as she propped her elbow against the window. She wondered what the girl—Tasha was her name, she smiled as she thought of this—was like, but already knew she’d be adorable. All kids were, at least to her. Even the incorrigible ones who got into things they shouldn’t made her into a puddle of affectionate goo. At times, she found herself wishing she had a baby sister, or more dangerously, that Tilly was still alive. But these thoughts hurt her, and so she did what she was best at. When will it all come out? Hopefully not too soon—she needed to focus on the present before dealing with the past. There was too much stress to even begin to consider taking a moment to sit down and go over the events of her past. She had things to do, school to go to, books to study, work to accomplish. And now she had a car to worry about. She didn’t think she could properly express how thankful she was for Jacob’s assistance—it was the most help she’d ever received in her life.
While opening the door for her, she noticed where Jacob’s gaze was drawn to and saw a girl staring out the window. She guessed it was Tasha, and she looked a bit mussed up. Before Nell could even lift her hand in a wave, though, the girl disappeared. Poor girl, she must have been so lonely. She followed Jacob into the house, figuring that something was up. And she discovered that something as she entered and was met with the smell of something burning. The Earth student put two and two together, and guessed that Tasha got tired of waiting for dinner. That notion was further solidified when Jacob went into the kitchen after calling for his sister.
Nell had already begun unlocking when she heard Jacob, pushing them up, letting the frigid winter chill enter and the smoke leave. Nell was surprised the smoke alarm hadn’t gone off. She had trouble with her own when simply frying bacon, and needless to say her neighbors didn’t appreciate it. She was good enough with disabling it however. Coughing a bit as she entered the kitchen, she fanned a hand in front of her face and saw that Tasha was in Jacob’s arms. Do not squeal, do not squeal… She smiled genuinely when she said, ”So I see Tasha decided to make dinner.” Then, much more seriously and with concern, she asked the girl, ”You didn’t burn yourself, did you?”
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Post by marci3 on Jun 14, 2011 20:30:59 GMT -5
After embracing her for several moments, Jacob let Tasha go in order to deal with the still smoking mass of charred lasagna on top of the oven. He didn't want to let her go, much too relieved that she hadn't accidentally burned the house down. But he had enough self discipline to do this simple thing. The little girl scrambled back to the opposite wall, leaning against it and looking vastly uncomfortable as she watched Jacob grab two dish towels and used them to pick the container up. He levied the contents out the nearest window, knowing it would do hell to his yard but not really caring. He's deal with it later. It wasn't like he payed much attention to his yard, anyway.
He turned back to his sister, nerves making it impossible to bite back the first few words, ”Tasha, how many times have I told you--” But his anger melted away when he saw her sniffling against the wall, worry of a different kind washing over him as he realized that she was holding her hands firmly against her stomach as if they were hurt. She looked up at him, big tears threatening to drop from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Jacob stepped forward and kneeled down in front of her, holding both of his hands out. His eyes were soft and his voice gentle when he spoke. ”Will you let me see?”
Tasha shook her head, immediately looking up at Nell and swallowing hard. ”Who's she, Ty?”
[/color] Jacob's attention was called back to Nell, and he gave her a long look before smiling at the the young woman and mouthing 'thank you'. Then he looked back at Tasha and pulled her hands, gently but firmly, out into the open. Tasha winced, but let him. They were red, not badly burnt but still likely to pain her for the next day or so. ”This is Nell,” He said as he examined the hands more closely, ”She's a student at the Academy, just like Jos and I.” Tasha's face immediately brightened up, her pain temporarily forgotten as she pulled away from Jacob and approached Nell. An eager look was plastered all over her face as she started spewing out questions like nothing Jacob had ever seen. ”You're Nell? What element are you? What grade are you? Are you in college, like Ty? How old are you? You're very pretty—are you Ty's girlfriend? I'd like that. Then you'd come over and I wouldn't be stuck here alone all the time.” Jacob looked horrified when his sister asked if Nell was his girlfriend, but it was offset by the curiosity he felt when he realized he still didn't know what Nell's element was. He'd already figured it wasn't thunder or fire, judging by the fact that she'd remained perfectly friendly when she'd learned he was a water student. But he didn't want to seen too suspicious or bother Nell with more than Tasha had already piled on top of her. ”Don't touch anything, Tash.” He said, busying himself by getting a large bowl from one of the cabinets. ”I'll get some ice water for you to soak your hands in.”[/blockquote][/center][/size]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 15, 2011 14:19:15 GMT -5
Tasha had pressed herself against the wall, and Nell looked on with affectionate eyes. When Tasha asked who Nell was—the Earth student assumed Ty was an affectionate nickname for her big brother—Jacob turned to her and she gave a smile in return to his silent words. Nell saw the red marks on Tasha's hands as he inspected then, and her eyes grew warm with worry and sympathy. She wondered if the young girl did things like this often, and it was a bit concerning. But she couldn’t blame the cutie pie.
Jacob took the liberty of introducing her as a student of the Academy, which changed the girl's demeanor completely. She approached Nell with eagerness, and Nell was surprised by her own self-control. Resist the urge. She had to physically restrain herself from hugging the poor girl by keeping her hands in her pockets. If only she had some kind of candy on her or something… Great, now she was in the process of practically melting before the little girl. Self-control, self-control…
Nell blinked a few times at the rapid speed questions, but she giggled right after and tapped her finger against her chin as if deep in thought. “Well, I'm a seventeen-year-old senior in high school and I belong to the Earth Affiliation," she said, counting on her fingers as she joined the girls first questions into one answer. Don't do it Nell...but she's too damn cute! Ah, this was so hard. Nearly impossible. But if she was capable of anything, Nell was capable of controlling herself. "Thank you, but I'm not his girlfriend. I could come over as much as you’d like so you wouldn’t be lonely, though. ” Nell mostly said it for the girl's benefit, but she sent Jacob a questioning look with her eyebrow raised, wondering if that would be appropriate.
As Jacob rifled in the cabinets, Nell kept her hands in her pockets, must not hug... Maybe she was just too touchy-feely or something, but it was truly hard to keep her hands to herself and not just pick up the girl and coo and ask to take her home. Instead, she leaned over and asked, "How old are you, Tasha?" Nell remembered Jacob telling her that his younger sister was eleven, but she still asked because she found it was a question children liked to talk about and respond to. And hopefully she could keep the girl's mind off of the burns.
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Post by marci3 on Jun 15, 2011 15:00:55 GMT -5
Jacob was impressed. Nell seemed to truly adore children, he could tell by watching her expression and body language while he tried to find a bowl big enough to fit both of Tasha's hands. A sentimental smile found it's way onto his face without his knowledge as he watched the two, Tasha watching Nell eagerly and Nell talking to her as comfortably as anyone ever had. He turned away for a half a second to pull down a suitable bowl, but when he set it on the counter he got distracted again. His gaze grew a little soft, a little sad at he watched Nell and Tasha, remembering when he'd watch his mother speaking to Em in the same sort of way.
He pulled himself out of the reverie, smiling and speaking to Nell while Tasha pouted about the fact that she was not, in fact, Jacob's girlfriend. ”Earth, huh? If you don't mind me asking, why haven't I met you before. I have quite a wide circle of friends in both earth and water, I would've thought I'd have noticed you before now.” It occurred to him that he might be new to the academy this year, but that was very rarely the case. The academy missed very few young elementals when they emerged, he was pretty sure.
Tasha smile, just as excited as before. ”Will you? That'd be so great. You could show me stuff with your powers! Could you now? Just a little thing? Please?”
[/color] She added all the extra insistence because Em and Jacob had tired of exhibiting their abilities for her every day, and they'd long since started saying no almost every time. Rather, Em had wanted to continue, but when she'd burned the legs off one of the kitchen chairs, Jacob had outlawed all abilities in the house. He was about to open his mouth to tell Tasha no, it probably wasn't a good idea, but he closed it again. Earth was much less likely to destroy the house. He nodded affirmation to Nell's offer to visit more often, smiling and meeting her gaze in a way that told her yes, she could come whenever she liked. Then he turned away to fill the bowl with ice and water. Tasha took the moment to smile proudly at Nell, ”I'm eleven right now, but I'll be twelve in april. Do you think I'll get powers? I hope I get water, just like Ty.”[/color] ”Tash.” Jacob said softly. ”Come soak your hands.” Tasha reluctantly obeyed, pulling a stool from the corner to the counter, and using it to get a better angle on the bowl. She grimaced when she put her hands in the bowl, pain registering on her face for a couple seconds. Then Jacob was rewarded with a look of relief on his little sister's features as her hands stopped stinging so much. [/blockquote][/center][/size]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 15, 2011 18:44:12 GMT -5
Nell gave herself a mental pat on her back. She’d behaved herself well so far. She looks like she could use a cookie. Everyone loves cookies. Make sure to buy cookies. She shook her head to get these ridiculous thoughts out of her head. Children did dangerous things to her. Not like Nell usually was the most mature person—sure, she’d been forced to grow up quickly for the sake of her twin but she still had too much naiveté and corny humor to be considered that much of the adult. Life had quite literally ripped her from the umbilical cord, handed her a duffel bag, and said, “Good luck in Canada!” And now she was on her own. Still a little girl in certain ways, while handling things only an adult should be thinking of. But she turned her thoughts off of those things while she watched the adorable girl. No, it was hard to think of dark things with Tasha there before her. Maybe that’s another reason she loved children—they were filled with too much innocence to be touched by anything else. And Nell wanted to preserve this.
Jacob seemed to find it odd that he’d never seen her around before, and it was true. They probably would have met a while ago had she been in the Academy. ”I enrolled this year, actually,” she said, and she really didn’t want to elaborate from there. The Academy could have found her in America had her mother not kept her captive and her family had not cared about her wellbeing. Then a realization struck her with intense force: her family could definitely trace her here. Nell’s stomach twisted, but she kept up her smile, making sure to look at Tasha and her bright young innocence to keep her fear at bay. Her thoughts were frantic though—the Academy is the only place for elementals to learn and it would most likely be one of the first places for her family to look. Why hadn’t she thought of that?
Tasha’s smile was really making it difficult for Nell to contain herself. She laughed lightly as the girl requested a demonstration of her powers and the Earth student considered this. The cold was sure hampering her powers, but Josh had given a tip that was working out quite well for her and the temperature in the kitchen was much better than that of outside. With a mischievous smile, Nell rooted in her back pocket for a packet of seeds and tore it open. ”Well, I don’t know if I can right now…” she said as if she were really uncertain about it. But when she brought her hand in front of her, Nell held a small bouquet of pink tulips, which she found to be her favorite flower actually. ”Oh, would you look at that?” It wasn’t too impressive, more like a parlor trick, but as she was still a high schooler, it was about as much as she could do. And hey, if she couldn’t give food, she could at least give flowers.
She was glad that Jacob didn’t find it too forward of her, though she doubted visits would be often, no matter how much she adored the girl. Her life was filled to the brim, and nowadays she was working on fumes. Every time Tasha spoke, the urge to gather her up in Nell’s arms was renewed. ”April hmm? That means you’ll be showing signs if you’re getting your powers pretty soon,” Nell said encouragingly. ”Most show signs of manifesting their powers around thirteen. And I’m sure you’ll be Water just like your big brother.” Though she knew genetics had a lot to do with it, that’s not how it had worked for her. Father’s side was Thunder and mother’s side water—she was the black sheep in so many ways, and one of them is how she developed her bond with Earth. Nell wouldn’t have it any other way, actually.
When Tasha went to soak her hands, Nell ran her fingers through her hair and laughed a bit. ”Got a vase?” she asked Jacob, a bit sheepishly, looking at the tulips in her hands. Perhaps she should have thought of that before blooming them.
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Post by marci3 on Jun 15, 2011 20:22:39 GMT -5
”Ah.” Jacob nodded with a smile. So he'd been correct. He was tempted to ask her why she'd only gotten there that year, but she seemed a little bit fidgety about the subject. Usually when people wanted to speak about something, they would continue with it on their own, so Jacob figured that Nell's past was just as complicated as his. Who knew? Maybe more. He let a little curiosity enter his expression, but he didn't press anything. He'd seen Em scare off so many people by asking too many questions, and he didn't want to do that with Nell. ”That makes sense.”
Tasha, however, was not nearly so scrupulous. She tilted her head a little, studying Nell for a second before asking, plain and clear, ”Why didn't you enter the Academy when you were a freshman?” Jacob sighed briefly, but figured it didn't do too much harm. Tasha was easy to distract with red herrings and shiny things, as it were. Jacob patted her shoulder briefly, told her to soak her hands for another couple of minutes and opened the door to the oven to inspect the damage. A little smoke billowed out, which started him coughing, but there wasn't much, and it dissipated quickly. There was a lot of charring in the grates and on the ceiling of the oven, but it wasn't too bad. Nothing a good scrubbing wouldn't clean out later.
Tasha looked very put out when Nell gave the preparatory negative to her request, which had Jacob chuckling. He'd used this trick very often with Tasha—she really was rather gullible, always assuming the person she was talking to was telling the truth, no matter what. He kept an eyes on the girl as he grabbed a rag and cleaned off the oven top, hoping that it would be as easy to clean as the oven. And sure enough, the eleven-year-old's face brightened to the scale of the sun when Nell pulled the tulips from behind her back. And she squealed a little. Jacob had to grin himself, allowing an impressed look to pass his features. He very often wished he had the skill to manipulate plants, rather than water. Despite this, he threw Tasha a mock-affronted look when she said her next.
”Forget water! I wanna be earth!” She said, briefly pulling her hands out of the water to reach for the flowers. But she caught Jacob's stern look, and quickly re-submerged them. But despite this momentary cooling, she brightened up again and started off just as rapidly as she had earlier. ”How do you do that? Is it hard? Did it take you a long time to be able to make flowers? Can you make anything else?”
[/color] ”Don't suffocate her, Tash.” Jacob warned, though he wore a smile. He nodded to the correct cabinet when Nell asked for a vase, then turned around and leaned against the oven. His gaze turned to Nell, an apology in his eyes, ”I'm afraid we don't have any more lasagna. And grocery day is tomorrow, so.... boxed Tortellini alright? It can be done soon, and I'm afraid we really don't have anything else.”[/blockquote][/center][/size]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 16, 2011 18:01:25 GMT -5
She was glad for Jacob’s tact. He seemed to understand that she was uncomfortable with the topic, and merely acknowledged it with a smile. His little sister, however, was not so tactful. But when the girl tilted her head, Nell couldn’t help but bend down and gather Tasha in her arms. Drawing back, she tapped her on the nose and said, ”That’s a secret!” And so she adeptly avoided the young girl’s question with a light giggle. She couldn’t blame Tasha—children were always so curious, and it was incredibly endearing. And she didn’t want to tarnish that innocence with any tales of her own childhood, whether or not she was willing to admit it. Nell could have given the abridged version that she was not allowed to go. But that might have given way to more questions. Then the Earth student would have to lie, and she hated lying even though it seemed to be what she did best nowadays. She was lying to pretty much everyone, but that was for self-preservation. You’re a terrible person, Nell.
Luckily, Jacob told her to continue soaking her hands and went to wipe off the stove, Nell’s gaze turned focused as she tried to pack away her concerns about the possibility her family could find her in the Academy. Most of them probably attended the school, though this was information she wasn’t privy to. No doubt they wouldn’t give up their search before at least checking the Academy, right? This made her stomach a bit upset, but she willed the bile down. She couldn’t be so paranoid, or she’d end up a wreck. So Nell convinced herself that she’d cross that bridge if she ever came to it. There was no use in fretting over possibilities that may never happen (even though her relatives were determined sons of bitches and the search for her back in the states had not yet ended).
Tasha would prove to be a terrific distraction. Seeing the girl’s face absolutely light up like that made Nell forget about anything else. It liked there was nothing wrong with the world, like it was filled with rainbows and unicorns and not vindictive families and broken down cars. When Tasha claimed she wanted to be Earth instead, she gave Jacob a triumphant grin to his feigned slighted expression. Nell didn’t mind questions at all, especially not when they were coming from Tasha. ”I’ve been growing flowers ever since I got my powers. As for how I do it…an Earth elemental never reveals her secrets.” Yes, more secrets, Nell was good with those kinds of things. Perhaps when she graduated, she’d be able grow flowers much the way she used to do when she was younger. ”If you turn out to be an Earth elemental, you’ll be able to do the same thing.” Nell was actually excited to see what the girl would turn out to be when her powers finally crop up.
Nell pulled out a vase from the cabinet Jacob indicated and filled it with water. Hopefully the tulips would last for a while, even with the chill outside. She placed the flowers on the counter and gave him a wide smile. ”That’s perfect!” Nell was far from picky, and since she was a guest, even if she had a problem with the food she wouldn’t say anything. She was nothing short of polite. ”Would you like me to help out with anything? I’m not an exceptionally good cook, but I’m not completely incompetent either.” Even though he may not have believed it, she’d love to help. It made her feel useful instead of just a useless, mooching guest.
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Post by marci3 on Jun 17, 2011 10:45:42 GMT -5
Jacob found himself nodding in approval for Nell's quick-witted defense against Tasha's nosey questions. Tasha gave a glorious pout to Nell, obviously very much wishing to be let in on the secret, because secrets were always so very fun. Jacob watched Nell closely after she spoke, though, and he saw something that made him concerned—fear. Nowhere but in her eyes, and very faint there, but there was something she was wary of that had to do with this whole ordeal. He caught sight of Tasha starting to open her mouth to press for more information, and very suddenly became determined to steer the conversation away from this. No need to scare away his guests.
”Tasha, tell Nell about the camp you're going to this spring.” He said, cutting her off just as she was forming the first word. She was completely transformed, the eagerness about Nell changing to excitement about this looming delight. She started prattling away about the camp to Nell, saying that she was going as soon as break started for her school, and staying away for two weeks, and that it was a horse-riding camp where she'd be assigned a horse and an adult helper and be in charge of feeding and grooming and tacking and exercising the horse. Jacob, who had heard her talk about this day and night for weeks on end, tuned it out as he finished cleaning the stove.
Tasha laughed when Nell stated an earth elemental never revealed her secrets, no doubt feeling much differently about this secret because she was now determined to become an earth elemental just like Nell. Her big brother shot her a rather fond smile—which she didn't see—just as he was pulling out the Tortellini. There really was nothing that could make him happy so well as Tasha in a good mood. He gave Nell a playful challenging look in return for her triumphant smile, but soon was distracted by his task of getting a pot, a lid, something to stir with, and making sure the over-excited little girl beside him kept her hands in the ice water.
”You can control the ground too, right?” Tasha asked, though she knew the answer. ”Would you show me some of that?”
”After dinner.” Jacob said, one hundred percent sure that if Tasha went outside with Nell before dinner, she'd end up messing with the dirt herself. Tasha was a mystery. He glanced at Nell, ”And only if she wants to show you. Nell, the backyard has a privacy fence, so if you want to, you can use your power out there without being seen.” He smiled at the vase she set up on the counter, rather glad that Tasha had some flowers to admire for awhile. It struck him that he never got Tasha flowers, and that immediately went on his shopping list.
Jacob laughed a little when Nell talked about her cooking skills, ”Boxed pasta doesn't take much skill.” He said, filling the pot and setting on the stove. After he turned on the oven, he turned completely toward Nell and gave her a humorous grin, jerking his head toward Tasha, ”You can help me make sure this little bounder doesn't take her hands out of the water.” At this cue, the young girl sent him a smile dripping with innocence and sweetness.
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 18, 2011 16:05:24 GMT -5
Nell wished that she could tell Tasha the truth just to take the disappointed look off her face. But children shouldn’t be exposed to the kinds of things Nell had been exposed to. They shouldn’t know fear and tragedy. But she remembered what Jacob had said—they lost their parents three years ago. This girl had already known too much sadness, more than one girl should have to deal with. And Nell wondered why the world had to be like this. In her eyes, no one should have to suffer. But people did so every day. Children lost their parents and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The Earth student at least wanted to make this girl smile, and take her mind away from her dark secrets.
Jacob must have noticed something, and Tasha was immediately off telling her about this summer camp. Nell smiled, looking as if this girl was telling her the truth of the universe or something as equally captivating. She sounded so excited, it was all Nell could do not to bend over and hug her again. Truthfully, since she had never been to camp before, all the information the girl was pouring out now was completely new to her—the cheery expression wasn’t just for Tasha’s benefit. Nell truly loved to hear the girl talking about such things. ”That sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve never been to camp before, so you’ll have to tell me what it was like.”
She caught Jacob’s smile as his little sister laughed and her heart could have melted at that. This family…what have they been through, she wondered? She hadn’t even met the other girl, Em was her name, wasn’t it? Nell understood that she would not ever know, she understood how families fell apart. And even though their parents’ deaths was years ago, that sort of wound doesn’t heal quickly. She had put a band-aid on her own after killing her mother, and that was how she dealt—running away, ignoring it. At least Tasha had her big brother to hold her hand, that was all one could ask for.
Nell chuckled at the girl’s request, which Jacob postponed. ”I can show you anything you want. But big brother is right. You must be starving, right? We can wait after dinner.” She turned to Jacob then, and said, ”Wouldn’t want to destroy your yard though.” At least actual earth fared better even in horrible conditions. The real problem were the plants that couldn’t handle the snow and cold. But there were things Nell could do that didn’t involve turning the backyard into ground zero.
”You’d be surprised,” she replied. ”I’m not quite on Tasha’s level, but I’m sure my neighbors don’t appreciate the smoke alarm going off at one in the morning because I’m attempting to make stir fry. Microwaves also give me a bit of trouble.” She’d never cooked for herself before, and so her attempts were mostly less-than-stellar. Which is why she spent a lot of time eating fast food, despite her trying to stay healthy. She watched as he put the pot on the stove, and at his mention of keeping Tasha’s hands in the water, she turned her gaze to the girl with a huge grin. ”Ah, I’m sure Tasha can behave herself. She’s very mature for her age.” As usual, Nell complimented with the truth, but it would also—hopefully—encourage the girl to stay submerged until dinner was ready.
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Post by marci3 on Jun 19, 2011 22:28:59 GMT -5
Tasha's mouth became big enough to hold a watermelon—or so it looked to Jacob. He couldn't help but give her a very odd expression as she stared, aghast and open-mouthed, at their visitor. The dramatics were evident as she made a conscious effort to keep herself from pulling her hands out of the water to gesticulate. After several seconds of silence, she said in a wondering, disbelieving voice. ”You've never been to a camp before? None at all?” This was obviously an impossibility to Tasha, whose parents had sent her off to soccer—football—camps and horse riding camps and swimming camps every summer. They were a given in any way of life, at least that was how she saw it.
”I know! Maybe I can find a spot on the supervising adults for you! You could come and see what a comp's like. What do you think?” Wishing thinking of the poor girl, who tried to always think everything would turn out well and wonderful for everyone. Of all the three siblings, Tasha was the most naturally naïve. Which was why Jacob was so thankful she was so shy—a naïve and outgoing girl was a recipe for a girl who would get hurt sooner than later. Jacob opened his mouth for a second to tell Tasha that Nell didn't want to go to the camp, but closed it again. It always felt wrong, speaking for other people. His father had done it very often, telling people about what Jacob wanted or didn't want without letting him speak. So he just shook his head, shooting Nell an apologetic glance.
Tasha nodded when Nell asked if she was starving—it had been evident when they had arrived home to a smokey kitchen. Jacob shook his head again, waving his hand in dismissal as Nell spoke. ”No, don't worry about the yard. The only tending I do to it is keeping the grass cut. Although if it would make you feel better, you could use the patch that has already been ruined by charred lasagna.” Well, more likely than not, that spot would survive. But it hadn't been very caring of the proprietor to toss the mess into his yard, and it would not be the last time; Jacob was not worried about his yard, on top of everything else.
Jacob laughed at her cooking antics, but then gave her a bewildered look when she mentioned microwaves. ”What?” He was actually rather dumbfounded. He'd been able to properly use a microwave when he was six. They really were not very complex contraptions. ”Is it....possible to make a mistake with a microwave?” Maybe she'd just had run-ins with bad microwaves. Everyone once in awhile an old one would just destroy everything it had in it, and possibly a few things outside of it. But it really went over the young man's head, no knowing how to use a microwave. Tasha laughed, but a quick look from Jacob stayed her teasing tongue.
Nell called Tasha mature, and she brightened up in a different way. She spoke just as rapidly as ever, ”No, that's not right. I'm not any more mature than I ought to be. Momma says I'm--”
[/color] She stopped dead, looking a little stunned. Her gaze looked almost scared as she turned away from Nell and gazed at her big brother. She looked utterly lost. Jacob's heart did a painful twist, and his smile died away, leaving a pained expression in it's wake. Sometimes it was as if it had just happened, at least to Tasha. She'd had–outwardly at least—the hardest time getting over it. ”I'm....”A quiet sort of sadness came over her, making her press her lips firmly together and look at the floor with blank eyes. Jacob gave his sister a sad smile. ”You're just as you ought to be right now. And you'll grow in your own time.” He said softly. His mother had told them all this as they grew up, each wishing something different about how big they were, how strong they were, how pretty they were, and things like that. It made then feel better, each in their own way. Hearing his voice, Tasha tilted her head and gave a grudging smile. Then she stared at the pot of simmering water, letting out a long sigh. [/blockquote][/center][/size]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 20, 2011 23:52:56 GMT -5
Nell laughed whole-heartedly at the girl’s flabbergasted expression. Mouth agape, she looked like an adorable version of a dead fish. ”Nope, not one,” she said cheerfully. She tried not to think of the reason why, but her past was such a part of her there was no way to ignore it. Even if her mother had been good to her, there still was the issue of money that would prevent her from being sent to camp. It sounded like something she would have enjoyed, but then again she’d have enjoyed anything other than what her childhood had been like.
Tasha seemed to have an epiphany, and she smiled fondly at the girl, ruffling her hair a bit. Jacob let her answer for herself, even though she caught him about to say something, which she supposed would have been a denial for her. ”I wish I could come, Tash, but I’ll be pretty busy in spring. I have to work and take supplementary classes for school.” All school year she’d be swamped, mostly because of the fact she’d enrolled late. She had a lot to make up for, and not to mention she had a job she needed in order to keep providing for herself. ”But I’m sure you’ll have fun.” In any other situation, she would have loved to accompany her and act as a supervisor at a camp—it was something she’d actually be good at. But life wouldn’t allow it.
The matter of the yard was cleared up with a dismissal from Jacob. ”Oh right, it’s us Earth elementals who like to keep their lawn all nice and spiffy,” she joked. If she had a lawn, she’d definitely be out there planting flowers and other vegetation every day. As an Earth student, she had quite the green thumb. ”Burnt-lasagna-patch it is then.” She laughed. Nell didn’t want to ruin his lawn, no matter how well he tended it. It’d still be rude to create a fissure in the backyard, though the prospect sounded rather humorous.
Nell’s face heated up as Jacob seemed totally confused by how things could go wrong with a microwave. Even Tasha seemed amused by this, laughed as Nell related the words, but didn’t say anything with a look from her big brother. She didn’t mind—she guessed it must have been a bit strange to have trouble with such a common household appliance. ”Uh…there was an incident with tinfoil…” Her cheeks heated up even more. ”I really didn’t know I couldn’t put that in there! And then there was also the time with the Chinese food…” She trailed off though, opting to titter and mess up the back of her hair. ”I don’t think microwaves and I are meant to get along.” No matter how much she liked to eat. Oh, irony… A girl who loved food without the skills to make such.
Nell expected Tasha to go on as she’d had so far when the Earth student commented on her maturity, but after speaking of her mother, she stopped short. It actually physically hurt Nell to see. She could feel her heart breaking as she looked at the little girl, gazing up at her brother as if he needed him to hold her hand right then. And she realized Tasha didn’t have her momma around to tell her that anymore. It must have been hard to accept for the girl, the fact that her mother was no longer there to guider her and love her. She tried to imagine how Tasha felt, since her mother was also dead, but it wasn’t the same.
Could she miss her mother? She felt like she should, because this is her mother, even though the woman had mercilessly beat her and treated her like less than a human all her life. But Nell refused to think about it, refused to acknowledge that she killed her own more, that there was a name for it. Matricide. Jacob finished what Tasha must have been saying, what their mother must have told them before. Nell bent down to hug the girl once more, but this one was so much more than her not being able to resist the cuteness. She said next to the girl's ear, ”She’s right—you don’t need to grow up too fast.” But here she was, dealing with the death of her parents which must have been a fresh wound, even though the event had passed long ago. She was pretty much forced to grow up too soon, even though her brother took care of her. Because the death of one’s parents is not something a child should have to deal with.
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Post by marci3 on Jun 23, 2011 14:36:45 GMT -5
”Yeah,” Jacob laughed, looking ruefully out the window that faced his backyard, ”I really don't pay much attention to the lawn. Honestly, I'm having enough trouble keeping the inside of the house clean.” It wasn't a big house—it had two stories, three bedrooms, two bathrooms. But it was still a lot for him to clean, eve if he only did it weekly. Tasha sometimes helped out, and indeed tried her best to, but there were things he didn't want her messing with. And there was the fact that she had homework, and he had homework, and did he really expect the tiny-even-for-her-age eleven-year-old to drive the big vacuum cleaner around the house? No. So he dealt with most of that.
Tasha seemed to be having a hard time jumping and clapping her hands when Nell said yes to showing her the earth moving, but she kept herself under control. She grinned at the older girl, tilting her head a bit and giving a her a 'thank you, you're the most awesome person ever' look. Kids were apt to give that look to people who did things like that, but Jacob was still impressed with Nell's ability to keep Tasha so excited. Happy Tasha meant happy everyone around Tasha. But sad Tasha or angry Tasha was just as contagious.
”Tin....foil....” Jacob couldn't help but give her a quiet stare. Who didn't know that tin foil didn't belong in a microwave. Tasha gave him a glance brimmed with defense for Nell, but he didn't give her a chance to speak. He shook his head with a breathy chuckle, holding out his hand to Nell, ”Let me give you my number. You can call me whenever you're not sure whether you can or can't do something with a microwave. Or any other cooking device, for that matter.” He gave her a bright, cheerful smile as he did this, wanting to vary much not to embarrass her too very much.
”You and microwaves can get along.”
[/color] Tash said, smiling seriously at Nell. Though Jacob could tell that Tasha was being humorous, he could see how her manner-of-fact sense of humor could confuse other people. ”You just have to be gentle, and microwaves have to be patient.”[/color] She nodded so sagely that Jacob had to rush a hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud. She really was a very odd girl, that Tash. But then came the thoughts of their mother, and the forlorn expression on his little sister's face. It killed him, but she always pulled away from him if he approached when she got like this. So he stood there with a soft expression on his face, wishing he could exude peace like he'd seen other people do. There was pain evident in his eyes, but the rest of him was a mask, an easy, gentle, casual mask. This was why he was so thankful when Nell bent down to hug the girl. And then he was even more thankful when Tasha did not even try to pull away—indeed, she pulled her wet hands out of the water and wrapped her arms around the young woman. Jacob stood there, really not knowing what to do. He was extremely glad that Tasha had accepted the comfort, but he also felt a twinge of pain in himself. Useless. Was the thought, the thing that lost him even the hint of the smile he'd had before. What was he here for if he couldn't even reach his little sister when she needed support? Either sister, for that matter. But he swallowed that thought, turning back to find the water boiling. He was stolidly silent as he poured the box of past into the water and turned the heat down ever so slightly. Didn't want to boil away all of the water. [/blockquote][/center][/size]
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Post by NELL DOE DALE on Jun 23, 2011 23:10:37 GMT -5
Jacob probably had much more to worry about than his lawn. He had two sisters to take care of, after all. But this house was pretty damn nice, better than anything she was accustomed too. Of course, she grew up in what could be considered a shack. Middle-class was a dream she couldn’t even imagine as a child. No, I’ve just recently escaped that place. It’s not even my childhood. But it was still her past, even though the abuse only ended a bit over a month ago. It’s to be put behind her, the years of growing up in the projects with her mother. One day, she would even own a house like this, perhaps even have a family. If I can think that far into the future. There was still the question of whether or not she will be found out, no matter how she tried not to think about it. It was always there in the back of her head however.
And perhaps the only thing that could distract her from these things was people like Tasha, and her energy and enthusiasm. Children made her want to do good, made her want to appear to be an amazing person in their eyes. The look Tasha was giving her only enhanced this feeling to unknown heights. Jacob still seemed astonished with her cooking skills. ”Uh, yeah,” she said awkwardly, adding on a titter. As she expected, the tin foil thing was well-known. And she guessed she should have realized that it would not mix well with a microwave. At least Tasha looked like she was going to stick up for Nell, which made the Earth student’s lips twitch up in amusement. He held out his hand, and seemed to seriously be suggest that she call him should she have doubts about what to put into her kitchen appliances.”Well…I’ve also been having trouble with my toaster,” she said mischievously. She smiled, pulled out her phone from her pocket and placed it in his outstretched so he could enter his number in her contacts. ”It’d be nice to have someone so wise in the ways of cookery to advise me...and to keep me from putting anymore tin foil in the microwave.”
She blinked at the gravity with which Tasha spoke, but couldn’t help the grin spreading across her face. And the girl was funny, too, could it get any better? Nell nodded thoughtfully. ”You know, I think you’re right, Tasha. It’ll just take some time, is all.” She could make friends well enough with others, why not household appliances? The sad thing was that Nell actually took her words seriously, to some extent, while still being aware of her joking attitude. The Earth student really just needed more real world experience. All she had to do was keep growing and learning, absorbing information like the sponge she hoped to be.
Nell didn’t know how her show of affection would be received. Especially since Jacob didn’t come forth to hug his sister. He just sat back, looking quite compose but the pain was still there. She knew how to look for those things in the eyes of others. She saw it in her own eyes when looking in the mirror at the hospital. So there was relief when Tasha returned the hug. Again, Nell thought of how she’d have liked this when she was in pain or having trouble. She would have liked some sort of reassurance, but that didn’t happen. The people who were supposed to console her, the family that was supposed to love her, merely wanted to see her in prison.
Sensing that she was an intruder to this family, she pulled back still wearing a gentle smile. ”How’s the tortellini coming along?” she asked Jacob, and if she wasn’t next to Tasha she’d be peering over his shoulder to observe his progress. ”I never really had it before, if truth be told. I grew up in a Spanish home, so there weren’t a lot of pasta dishes.” This was her way of changing the subject, and she patted herself on the back for both admitting a small detail about herself without getting uncomfortable and hopefully alleviating the atmosphere. ”Is pasta a popular British dish?” she asked with a huge grin, hoping talk of his home like this wouldn’t upset him. Her own heritage was something she found she could actually talk about without feeling incredibly awkward.
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Post by marci3 on Jun 24, 2011 18:26:10 GMT -5
Jacob had to try very hard not to stare at the two hugging while he continued to watch over the cooking pasta. But after what seemed like a very long time the two split, and Tasha wordlessly put her hands in the water again. Jacob could tell when he looked at her that she was no longer in any pain, which lead him to believe that the burn wasn't as bad as it had first seemed. As much as that relieved him, he was still feeling the heavy weight of grief unspoken.
He had to chuckle a bit when she started asking about the food. He knew it was to change the subject, but she was so...so genuinely naïve. The thing about boxed pasta was that you boiled water, you put it in the water for ten minutes, you drained it, you served it. But he answered with his normal good humor, muted as it was by the previous events. ”It's coming along fine. And I'm surprised, even if your family was spanish, that you'd have no pasta dishes. These days they pop up everywhere.” Tasha pulled her hands out of the bowl, dried them, and poured the water down the sink. Jacob gave her a look, but she just matched it and reached into a lower cabinet to get the salad bowl out.
He nodded. ”Ah, yes. Greens.” Smart of her to think of that. They'd been planning to have a bit of salad with the lasagna, so it was simple enough for her to get a bag of it out of the fridge and arrange it nicely in the bowl. By the time she'd set a pair of tongs in the bowl, Jacob was shrugging to answer Nell's question. ”Like I said, it pops up everywhere. Boxed pasta is both inexpensive and filling, so we had it pretty regularly.” He turned away from the pot briefly and smiled at Nell. ”When this is done, we can eat and you can show Tash some things in the backyard. Hopefully your car will be done by then, and I'll be able to drive you to the mechanic.”
((Fin.))
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