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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 27, 2011 13:50:28 GMT -5
Ace sighed as he pulled out the kickstand on his bike. Finally after half an hour of walking the road he had made it to the mall. Of course he didn't make it alone he had Dee for company of course. "Ahh finally no more pushing for now." He said with a happy whoop. He massaged his arms giving a sigh, "Geeze that was a little harder than I thought." He said rolling his stiff neck on his shoulders. He pulled a water bottle out from his bag and opened it quickly gulping down most of the contents. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Geeze I didn't think I was that thirsty." He offered the bottle to Dee beside him sure he drank from it but it was his only bottle. He didn't think he'd have to walk most of the way there.
He sighed, geeze he couldn' t believe he had to push his bike most of the way here. It wasn't as hard as pushing a car, but it was the middle of summer, he was wearing a leather jacket and pants, and it was a bit hot out right now. So Ace was really really hot right now. He shrugged off his jacket and shoved it into his bag. He was wearing a red shirt with the Flash symbol on the front. He checked his phone, it was one in the afternoon. They had a long long time to hang out at the mall and explore the town. He already promised her a day on the town so it meant he had a while left. School closed the gates at midnight and didn't really open till eight maybe, Ace never got there when they opened.
Ace had been locked out of the school a few times. He had been kept at a party for too long, or he was taking an extra shift at a job. Either way he had tried to get in but the gates were always locked. He ended up having to stay at one of the few hotels back in town. They were okay hotels, not something you might find in New York City. But they were okay. They didn't have bugs or anything. They were rather average hotels.
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Post by xmarci on Aug 27, 2011 19:00:37 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - So today had been odd, to say the least, and it only looked to become odder. Deirdra didn't know why she had thrown in her lot with this boy for a day, never having done such a thing before. There they were, having a semblance of a conversation and making some semblance of sense to each other, playing question games and getting stuck in the middle of the road with a bike and no fuel. Every once in awhile, she'd find herself glancing at him, wondering what it was a bout the way he approached her that made it easier to be around him. Perhaps it was the geniune smile, or the way he always seemed to know how to back off from a subject that made her upset. Maybe it was his patience. Most likely, it was the fact that he'd saved her from doing something stupid in the middle of an episode.
She did know: Whatever it was, it was knocking her off balance.
Two odd pair finally made it to the mall parking lot, and as Ace set up the kickstand, Deirdra took a few steps back and looked at the large, oddly-shaped building. ”I've never been in there before.” She admitted, though she didn't really have a purpose for doing so. It was just a fact. The girl had no more idea of what was going on in there than she knew what was going on in india. It had always seemed a very formidable place,. With many, many cars out in front. Which meant many, many people. Which meant she avoided it. Simple, really.
Deirdra accepted the bottle without thinking, gladly downing the last of the refreshment in one go. She evidently had no qualms with sharing other people's germs. With nothing else to do with it, she held the empty bottle back out to Ace. Her uncle had had to tell her long ago that it was a bad thing to simply discard the things you were done with. It hadn't made any sense to her back then, but things didn't have to make sense to her for her to mind them. After a few minutes, she turned her gaze back on Ace expectantly. ”Where do we go in?”
Her left hand moved to rub on the bandage on her other arm, a little gesture she'd gained recently that denoted anxiety. |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 27, 2011 19:28:57 GMT -5
Ace took the bottle and shoved it in his bag trying his best to push down the jacket that had taken up most of the room. Now his bag looked like a lumpy mess, but Ace didn't mind. He didn't really mind having to carry his jacket around. I was a little less roomy in the bag which meant he would have to use his arms and hands to carry some of the stuff he bought but he would need to wear the jacket when he rode his bike, so either way it worked out in the end. Ace looked at her curiously, she had never ever been in the mall before?
"Well it's a really cool place where they make monsters battle each other and if you bet on the winner Monster you get a giant block of cheese the size of a person." He said making up a story. "Nah I'm just joking. It's a place where there's a lot of cool stores and where people can go and buy stuff." He said with a laugh.
Today seemed to be a bit busy since it was the weekend, not many people would stay away from the mall on a weekend, it was like sacrilegious. "Keep close by me alright? It's easy to get lost." He said with a nod. Since this was her first time he didn't want her getting lost. It was a rather big mall and there were enough turns in the place to call it a maze.
Ace looked towards the doors. "Over there c'mon." He said walking towards the doors. He avoided looking at the couple kissing and tried not to breath in when he passed the smokers.
When he made it in he turned around to make sure that she had followed him. Then when he made sure she was by him he moved towards one of the lit up map stand. He looked for the section that said entertainment and found his shop 'Jester's jokes.' It was a small shop he hadn't seen any back in America and he couldn't say for sure if there were more spread across the country.
Taking his fingers he traced an invisible path from where the 'You are here' sign was he figured out they would have to pass by Victoria's Secret and then Roots and Gap. They could window shop and look at the stuff at Home improvement, thinking about the massage chair that would be fun to sit in. Maybe look in at the Disney store.
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Post by xmarci on Aug 27, 2011 20:03:10 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Now Deirdra was naïve, but she wasn't that naïve. The girl was well aware that there were no such things as monsters, and that there were no places where people pit them against each other. Or against people. Still, she recognized what Ace said as a joke, and not as a lie, so she was able to take it the right way. A subtle light in her eyes denoted amusement as she looked at him, and then she nodded when he gave the real description. ”I do know what a mall is.” She said, her voice hinting at some humor. Only a little bit though. And there was no smile. She just found it a little funny that he was starting to assume she didn't know things.
Close by him? Some worry for her was apparent when he spoke, though it didn't seem to be the same as previous concern he had felt. Suddenly, she felt unfairly like a little kid who he didn't want to wander off in the wrong direction. Still, she didn't let it bother her that much. A brief nod was her only response, then she turned her eyes ahead as they began to walk toward the front of the mall. At first, it seemed fine. She kept rubbing her hand, up and down the bandage, up and down. But she wasn't unduely nervous.
Then they passed the couple who was kissing, and she looked with mingled interest and disgust. And she was so distracted by that, that when they passed the smokers she inhaled a great cloud of smoke through her mouth, and started hacking, coughing and tearing up. Only once she'd escaped the cloud and leaned over with her hands on her knees did she manage to catch her breath. Damn. A bit of a frown set between her eyes. Somehow she didn't think she'd like it here. After another few seconds, though, the girl raised her eyes to search for her companion, located him, and caught up with him. Glancing back at the people they'd just passed, she asked him, ”Why do they do that?”
They came upon the map, and immediately her interest was piqued. She left off staring around herself at the very large building she was standing in in order to stare at the glowing thing, looking at the lines and the words with wide eyes. After a few seconds, she raised a hand to briefly touch the point labeled 'you are here'. ”This....is a map of this building?” She said quietly, not really a question for him. Just something that she hadn't filtered. Soon, she dropped her hand and frowned in concentration, stepping back and looking at the map as a whole. One, two, three, four, five.
Looking at Ace, she said, ”I've memorized it. Where are we going?” |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 27, 2011 20:53:51 GMT -5
Ace smiled at her. "Alright, I'm glad that you know." He said with a grin. Well looks like she knew what a mall was. And it didn't seem like she was lying. Maybe he should stop trying to treat her like she didn't know a lot. Though he couldn't help but try and tease her sometimes. Well maybe he could try and bring her to places she hadn't been too before. But he didn't know where that would be. "Where haven't you been before?" He asked her as they crossed the street.
Ace didn't want it to seem like he was treating her like a kid. But he did know he almost got lost once in that mall, first year he came here. If it weren't for the maps that they had on those big sign things well he'd be pretty lost. He hated asking for directions. Maybe it was a guy thing. It was definitely pride though that made him not ask for directions. It was a simple thing directions, and he didn't want to bother anyone by asking for them. No he hated to bother anyone with something like directions. He would be able to find his way out by himself.
Ace didn't bother looking at the two, he didn't want to intrude on their privacy, but by the way the two were going at it they probably wouldn't have noticed two more staring eyes. Ace shook his head at them and quickly passed through the cloud of smoke. Turning towards his companion and her question he shrugged. "Their addicted to the drug that they breath in." He said, he used to be addicted to smokes once upon a time. But it was only for a year. He was able to quit and it was a bit difficult but nothing he couldn't overcome so that he might live another day and breath a little better. "Or where you talking about the couple?"
"Yep. Pretty big isn't it?" He said looking back at the map. It was a large map, but it showed the two floors that the mall had. There were a lot of stores here, and a pretty big food court too. Maybe they would stop by there and get some food to eat. "Y-You memorized it?" He asked impressed. "Wow that's pretty awesome." He said complimenting her. "We're heading to Jester's Jokes but we can stop at some of the other stores and look at stuff if you want." He said with a shrug. "Shall we be off?"
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Post by xmarci on Aug 30, 2011 10:11:11 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Where hadn't she been before? Deirdra looked at him briefly, wondering what exactly he expected as an answer. Should she list every place in the world she'd never been? That would take awhile. Or should she just pick one place she hadn't been and let him go off of that. That was a very difficult question for a mind like herself to answer, and so she was lost in silence for several moments as she followed the boy, her left hand starting to grip her injured arm even tighter as they entered the mall. The compulsive movement was completely off her radar, however—it was only when she started feeling an agonizing twinge of pain that she realized what she was doing and loosened her hold.
It seemed the pain snapped her out of her complacency. ”I haven't been to a lot of places.” She finally answered, rather softly. Though she wasn't sure that was the right answer, the girl was starting to get over her fear that Ace would react badly to her mistakes. He seemed to take everything in stride, one way or another. After her little attack of the coughs, the girl stood straight again and listened to Ace's words. For a few seconds, her level, green gaze swept of the smokers again, not really caring it she made eye contact or not. Addicted to a drug? That didn't sound worth it for a mouthful of smoke. She was just about to ask a question about it when he spoke again.
The girl ducked her head. ”No, I know what they're doing.” Very obvious to the world was her discomfort at the subject. It took a great amount of restraint to keep herself from gripping her injury again. Instead, she let her hand lightly rub up and down the fabric of the bandage. At this rate, she would need fresh bandages soon just because she wouldn't stop messing with them. But she couldn't help it. All thoughts of her curiosity flown from her mind, the girl let her attention be drawn to the map of the mall.
Deirdra noted the surprise in his voice when she said she'd memorized the map. ”Yes.” She said simply, looking at him like he was very odd. ”Yes, it wasn't very hard.” She glanced briefly at the picture of the mall, then looked back at Ace. Though she was aware of the fact that her memory was better than most people's, the earth girl had not yet realized by how much. Wouldn't Ace be able to figure his way around here after a few seconds of looking at the map? She asked, ”You don't have it memorized?”
Ace mentioned them heading toward Jester's Jokes, and Deirdra immediately knew the way to go, she turned in the proper direction, took a step forward, then hesitated. There were a lot of people in this place. They were everywhere, walking around and talking and being silly or being overly serious. The girl took all this in for a few moments and then was completely overwhelmed, turning her back on the crowd. Which, incidentally, had her looking at Ace again. Eyes on the floor, she tried very hard to make him understand what was bothering her. ”Too many people....” |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 30, 2011 12:02:57 GMT -5
Ace nodded and took the answer without shock. He hadn't been to a lot of places either. He wanted to travel the world one day, see everything there is to see. "Neither have I." He commented. "I want to go to England one day." He said with a shrug. "But while where out do you want to go anywhere here in Maple Hollow?" He asked adding the specification to the question. He had practically been to most of the places here, but he didn't really remember how to get there. He sort of wandered around.
"Oh good." He said with a breath of relief. He didn't have to explain that. It was just rather, a little embarrassing to just lay out. It was something someone got through context clues and not through a definition. Each person made a different definition to what those two were doing and what they were feeling. It was simply someone's different interpretation of the feeling one felt when they had a loved one. He couldn't really put words too it. Dee probably has her own definition for that. So he turned his attention back to the map tracing a path.
Ace blinked, "No." He said. Nobody he knew could have that memorized that fast. It would maybe take a few nights of studying the map to know where places were and at what turns they had to take. It was why the mall had multiple maps posted around the place to show people where they were and where they had to go. "Most people can't memorize it that quickly." He said with an amused smile. " I can't that's for sure." Ace was really impressed she could do that. It would have been useful for studying and such, like he would be able to read a page in his text book and memorize, he didn't need notes or anything. Ace wished he had it.
Ace saw her turn back on the crowd and stare at the floor. She mumbled about the crowd and Ace gave her an understanding smile. He took her hand, totally forgetting she didn't like to be touched, and he looked down at her with a comforting smile. "Don't worry I won't let any of them bother you." He promised her and then he started to walk, his hand holding hers loosely just in case she wanted to pull away from him she could.
As they passed Victoria's Secret's Ace turned away. He didn't like looking at the store. It made him feel like a pervert. But as they passed that store and right before Roots there was a small toy shop crammed between the two larger stores. As if it were only there to fill space, but in the window of the toy store they displayed a whole group of Beanie Babies. He paused and looked at the small toys, a large 'On sale' sign above them. He gave a little smirk, his sister used to have these things. Of course when he could get his hands on them they ended up becoming hostages for his bad guy toys, his good guy toys had to go and save them.
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Post by xmarci on Aug 30, 2011 13:56:33 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ”I can't....think of anywhere.” The girl said with a frown. Dealing with Ace for such a long time was starting to drain her. She hadn't been in the company of another person for so long in her life, other than her father and her uncle. One really good, one really, really bad. She still wasn't sure how she was supposed to act, or what she was supposed to say. Right now, she was trying too hard to keep herself calm and concentrate on Ace's words to let her mind wander through the streets of Maple Hollow. She wasn't particularly hungry, or anything. She didn't have any money to spend, so what was the use of going anywhere specific? ”No, I can't think of anywhere I want to go.” She repeated, as if to be sure.
See, that was weird. It dawned on Deirdra that no, what she could do was not normal. She was able to see something and then keep that image in her mind perfectly until the end of time. She could still remember the plots to books she hadn't read in years because she'd stared at them so long when she was younger. ”I have a, um.... A photographic memory.” That's what her uncle had called it. When he'd discovered her ability, he'd spent an entire day testing her out on different things, seeing if she could remember patterns and lists of words and things like that. He'd show her a great big picture of different dogs and ask her what color the collar of one of the smallest dogs was. She got it right every time.
Deirdra was a little off balance already. She wasn't shaking yet, but the thought of going into the main part of the crowds to get where they needed to go was daunting. Her eyes were on the ground at her feet, so she didn't catch Ace's movement toward her until it was too late—he had her hand in his grip. Instinct had her start to pull away as her eyes snapped up toward his face. But his gaze was so...gentle. It made her stop. The arm he had was twitching a bit, and very tense, but she didn't pull away anymore as she listened to his words. Her head tilted a bit as she considered his words. A little child's voice spoke in her mind, You promise?. What if he changed his mind?
Deirdra hung back for a little bit, pulling her hand away and letting him walk forward without her as she decided whether she wanted to trust him with this. By the time he'd got five steps away she was jogging to catch up with him. For a few seconds she walked next to him in silence, then their hands bumped. Without thinking, she slid her fingers into his. It was only after this was done that she realized yes, his touch was somehow comforting. Sometimes. If her were to turn toward her and put his hand on her shoulder, she had no doubt she would flee.
When they passed the victoria's secret store, Deirdra looked curiously. Yes, she knew what it was for. But she'd never seen a place which very obviously and without shame showed many pictures of women in their underwear. Then they came upon the toy store. Her eyes lit up with curiosity, which her mind grabbed hold of in order to keep the panic away. Too many people. Too many people. So she kept her mind on the little stuffed animals in the window. After a few seconds, they grabbed her interest enough for her to let go of Ace and move toward the store. She stopped by the window, frowning at the little things. One finger raised to point at them, and she looked at Ace. ”What are those?” |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 30, 2011 14:48:47 GMT -5
Ace took her answer in stride. "Well then, looks like we'll have to go everywhere!" He said with an enthusiastic smile. He'd take her all over the place, around the town anyways. Past that and he really didn't know his place really well. He knew the way to the airport, outside of the town and Academy borders of course, but that was really really far away. He could probably take her to Tim Hortons or some other cafe slash restaurant place that he could think of. He had money to spend he'd been saving up after buying his bike. It wasn't a lot but it was enough to maybe buy a few video games or something. Enough to spend a night at a hotel with extra left over. That was all he could think of comparing it too.
"That's really really cool." He said admiration shining in his eyes. Oh the things he could do with a photographic memory. He really did want one. But it wasn't really something you could just learn now was it. It was more than likely something that you were born with instead of being able to learn it."Man I wish I had memory like yours." He said a little enviously. He wanted to be able to just remember everything that he could. Like a beautiful scene on the edge of the world. That would be something. But what he really would have remembered, well he would have remembered Ray. The way she smiled and her laugh. Just something like that. Pictures couldn't do her justice, but they were the closest thing he could get too.
Ace saw her look up at him and relax a little. Her arm was still seemed to be tense. She considered his words and he gave her a nod as if to make sure on his promise. He kept his promises, he always did his best to keep them. Why not they were things that were made to be kept. People trusted you, relied on you, to keep the promises that you make. It was trust put on the line when you made a promise, he did his best to keep that trust there. He promised her that he wouldn't let the people bother her, and he was intent on keeping that promise.
He walked forward his hand slipping out of hers, but he didn't turn back, he had a feeling that she would follow him. And he was right, she caught up to him. Their hands bumped once and she slipped her fingers into his. He smiled a little, and held on to her hand. they walked passed the embarrassing underwear shop and Dee let go of his hand as she saw the beanie babies. She pointed at them and Ace blinked. "Their little stuffed animals. Toys and decoration." He said blinking at her, had she never had one before? Ace thought for a second, the store was rather empty except for maybe a few people and it was better than standing and looking at one through glass. So he walked in, turned and motioned for Dee to follow him. "C'mon I'll show you one." He said walking to a small bucket full of the toys.
Ace looked at the small sign beside them. They sold for six bucks usually but now they were out for only three. Not bad, he mused. Then he looked up at his companion. "Pick the one you like the most." He said with a grin, intent on buying her one
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Post by xmarci on Aug 30, 2011 17:35:34 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ”You don't.” She said, a bit too quickly. Then she ducked her head a bit, looking uncomfortable. Her eyes plastered firmly on the floor, she spoke in rushed, hushed tones, ”I remember bad things just as much as good things. You don't want that. Trust me.” Ironic. Deirdra, the one who was completely unable to trust people, asking others to trust her. Well, she knew she wasn't the poster girl for who was always honest and good. But in this, in this she was right. Fourteen years of images that she couldn't get out of her mind. No matter what, the girl would never forget. That was a true curse.
When they reached the toy store, Deirdra was sufficiently distracted. To most people, these places were ordinary. But she, she had never gone into a place like that. She had never seen all these little trinkets and plushies and toys. Most of them, she couldn't figure out what they would be used for. They'd have large, crazy made-up words on the boxes. But she didn't linger over those for long. The girl followed her companion into the store, skirting everything else for the beanie babies on display in the window. They were old things, she could tell. Simpler than some other things she'd seen around. But they were better, she thought. Without thinking, Deirdra reached a hand out and picked up one of a black cat with green eyes. Actually, the eyes were almost the same color as her own.
Ace spoke to her, and she held out the one she was holding. ”I like this one.” She said simply, though she didn't quite know why he wanted to know. It wasn't like it mattered to him, did it? Or maybe it was like one of those random personality quizzes that people would ask each other. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you? Deirdra didn't understand the purpose of that question. She would have to say.... A boat, a sail, and a sailor. Perfect way to not be stranded on a desert island. But one time she'd answered it that way and she'd been told she was cheating.
Deirdra didn't much like those sorts of games.
With one thumb absently stroking the soft object in her hand, the earth student wandered about the rest of the store. There were a few puzzle games that intrigued her. But then she came upon the robix cube. A happy light entered her eyes—but she still didn't smile—as she said to no one in particular. ”I can do one of these in a little over a minute.” |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 30, 2011 18:10:21 GMT -5
Ace took in what she was saying.that was true wasn't it? You would remember all the bad things as well as the good. He would remember all the great amazing times he had with Ray, but then those happy times would make the bad times even worse. He didn't remember all that much about what happened after that loud beep sounded throughout that white room. He remembered crying, and he could feel the dull hurt throb whenever he tried to remember. But that dull throb was nothing compared to the one that caused it, the main one. His mind forgot that pain, that sadness. It forgot it so that he could move on, so he could continue living. Maybe it was better to not have that memory. "I will." He nodded a little sadly.
Ace watched her and saw how she wouldn't even look at the new trinkets the gizmos the little toys that interested little kids with their shine and their actions. She went to him with the bucket full of the soft bean filled toys. He gave her a smile as she picked out the small black cat. "It has your eyes." He joked. Though the two pairs of eyes did seem similar they were somewhat different. Ace was pulled out his wallet and took out four dollars, Canadian of course. He didn't have enough change for tax seeing as he only had American quarters, so he pulled out an extra dollar too.
Ace was about to ask her if he could go pay for it when she walked away. Ace shoved his wallet back in his pocket and put the four dollars in his pocket. He followed her looking at the little toys as he followed her. Ace whistled when she said she could do a Rubix cube in under a minute. "You could teach me and my friends the trick to that." Ace said dreaming. Then he looked around but didn't really spot anything he was really interested in. "Hey Dee C'mon I'll go buy it for you." He said motioning towards the counter. "When your ready just come by the counter and I'll pay for it." He said with a grin as he walked away.
A small girl came up to Dee and looked up at her. She was maybe around three or four years old. "Hi your pretty!" the little girl said, than she dug into the pocket of her tiny jeans and pulled out a lollipop "Here lady you can have this." The girl lifted her little hand and was trying to get the other girl to take it. When the taller girl accepted the smaller one's gift, the little girl ran over too the counter and looked at the cashier and Ace gave a little wave and ran out of the store to her mom. Ace gave the girl a small wave back as it seemed she was telling her mom what happened and she looked back into the store.
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Post by xmarci on Aug 30, 2011 19:30:30 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The corner of Deirdra's lips twitched a bit, a sign that she was somewhat closer to smiling than usual. She turned the cat to look at her for a few seconds, studying the color of it's eyes. It wasn't a real sort of green for eyes. It was too emerald. The earth girl's own eyes were green, but also had mixes of blue and yellow hues on the inside and outside of the iris. She thought they were pretty. It was so unfortunate that she couldn't look at a mirror without remembering what her father always, always said about the pallor of her skin. It was his own fault, the bastard. He'd been the one to keep her indoors all the time.
The girl didn't pay much attention to him rifling about with his wallet. She knew the thing in her hand wasn't hers, but right now she wasn't worrying about it. As long as she stayed in the store, no one would bother her about it, and she liked the way it felt. Soon it was limply clutched in her left hand as she meandered about with no real purpose, poking at things that said 'TRY ME' and looking a little surprised when they lit up or made noise. When she stopped at the rubix cube and spoke, she was a little surprised to hear Ace from behind her. Deirdra jumped a bit, but calmed herself quickly and glanced at the boy. ”Maybe just you.”
She didn't know his friends, or want to know his friends.
Deirdra wasn't like many other people. When other people were told unexpectedly that someone was going to buy something for them, they either got very excited or simply would not allow it. The earth girl, however, merely nodded, finally understanding why Ace had asked her to pick one out. She didn't have enough of her emotions tapped to feel the jubilation of a child. But she was also not the type of person to try to refuse something she recognized that she wanted. This little black cat in her hand, which her thumb absently and constantly stroked, would help her stay calm. A good distraction.
The toys kept her attention for a few moments longer, then she turned to follow Ace. She had to stop short, however, as a little girl wandered toward her and told her she was pretty. Deirdra merely blinked at the girl, a little stunned. In all honesty, she'd never talked to a child before. She'd waved at them on the street, or seen them do one cute thing or another. But she'd never spoken to one before.”....Hi?” She said softly, very unsure. She was just about to say something else when the girl went through her pockets and pulled out a lollipop. Deirdra was in wide-eyed wonder as she mechanically accepted the treat and watched the girl skip away. ”....Thank you.”
For a few moments she just stood there, then a miraculous thing occurred. Her gaze moved to the candy in her hand, and her mouth curved upward. Her eyes grew soft, her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled at the gift. It was not a grin, or a hugely wide smile. But on a face like Deirdra's, starved of any sign of good humor, it was as radiant as the sun. Now she was not just pretty, she was beautiful. Just because of a smile. After a few seconds of this, it dimmed. By the time Deirdra walked up to Ace and handed him the cat he was to buy, she had barely a hint of the smile left on her face. But a hint there was. |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Aug 31, 2011 16:21:37 GMT -5
Ace gave her a warm smile "Nice to know that I'm the only one privy to the secret of the cube." He said wiggling his fingers to imply the mysteriousness. He probably looked like a goof but hey it was funny wasn't it? Ace gave her a grin before departing to the counter. He gave a few glances around looking, at the toys that lined the shelves, taking a look at the Lego and remembering that he used to have that, and how he would build so many things with them. He walked around and found some toy robots they had and he remembered having one that he would pretend was a giant mech that his toy action figures would have to fight.
He loved the toy store. It gave made him reminisce about when he was a kid, when he didn't have to worry about the future and he could just play around in the now. He would go out and catch fireflies and go swimming at the pool. Nothing to worry about, no heart break, no crushing back story to remember, no essay's to write. Nothing, just a kid with no worries, and whose only concern was if he was allowed to stay out a few hours longer. Ace was an outdoor kid during the summer, but during the winter he would stay inside and play with his toys.
As he grew up though, some of those toys were discarded, some broke and couldn't be fixed. Most of them collected dust in the attic, nothing else for them too do. He donated a few boxes to charity and the daycare down a few blocks away. He had a lot of memories with those toys and well, he got a little sentimental with them. He didn't really like giving them away, but hey he couldn't play with them why not let them be played with by someone else.
Ace waved to the girl and out of the corner of his eye he saw something, it was a peek of something amazing, something no words could really describe except for the word beautiful. It was like seeing the sun after years of rain and clouds, it was a peek into something better something amazing. He felt something gnaw at his chest as he caught the fleeting smile of his companion. What was that feeling, it felt weird, like he had something that tried to come up and out of him. He couldn't place the word for that feeling, but it was gone as quick as it came. He gave a grin and gently took the cat, and handed it to the girl behind the counter. He gave the appropriate amount of money and received the change and the small cat. He didn't think they would need a bag so he just handed Dee her toy. "C'mon Dee." He said as he stood at the entrance of the store, people passing by. He held out his hand a little to take hers in it if she wanted too. If not it wouldn't look so awkward when she ignored it.
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Post by xmarci on Sept 1, 2011 19:26:10 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] Deirdra Rosewood my soul is on fire, a shot in the dark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ”It's not all that hard.” She answered him, though what he'd said amused her. Something about the way he'd said it had been odd, but friendly. As if they were letting each other in on a secret. Deirdra didn't much know what to do about it, save what she'd always done, but at least she was beginning to feel a little more at ease with this strange boy. It also helped that there were not very many people in that store, a very nice change from the crowd outside. Even though so far the experience had not been traumatic, Deirdra was sure that she would never come back here of her own volition.
For some reason, Deirdra was beginning to believe she could like Ace. He was kind, and always happy, and though he did have a habit of touching a little too much, so far he hadn't done anything that would in any way have hurt her. Well, other than slapping her. But that was a special moment, there. It was worth it to be snapped out of the infernal episode. Those things scared the shit out of her. Besides, he had such kind eyes. Something about him told her that his entire purpose in life was to protect and mend, though that might not necessarily be her. It meant he wouldn't hurt her, and so far that was enough for her.
The earth student readily accepted her toy when it was held out to her, and she was immediately holding it in both hands in front of her and stroking it's head with her thumbs. Her arms were limp, though, so it was subtle enough. She wondered whether it had been a part of Ace's plan to distract her from subconsciously messing with her bandages. If so, it had worked. The soft little toy in her hand was more than enough to keep her occupied for now. It was like a stupid like catharsis, something that made her feel less anxious for no good reason. It even made her hesitate when Ace held out his hand, as she didn't want to stop feeling the soft plush of the head.
Eventually, however, she reached out her hand tentatively and touched his. Again, their fingers comfortable intertwined, and Deirdra held her cat limply in her other hand as she allowed him to lead her through the crowds again. Once again, she started to feel claustrophobic, but she squeezed the little toy tightly, keeping her eyes on the floor ahead of them. A little pressure was added to Ace's hand, but she didn't realize she was doing it.
At one point, he started to take a wrong turn, and Deirdra quietly stopped walking and tugged back on his hand. ”Wrong way.” Her voice was soft, strained, as though she was working to keep herself calm. She was, but it had nothing to do with Ace's relatively bad memory. The young woman led him to the store, then pointed when the sign was visible. ”There, see? Jester's Jokes, right?” She stopped in front of the store, letting go of him and hugging a wall so that the people passing by wouldn't touch her. Then she peered into the store for a few seconds. Glancing at her companion, Deirdra asked, ”What are we going to do here?” |
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Post by AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE on Sept 1, 2011 20:41:13 GMT -5
Ace grinned, "Well after you teach me I'm sure I'll see it." He said happily. The whole place, was somewhat empty of people. It was obvious why there was a sale on a lot of items.He glanced outside and saw the crowd that walked the halls of the mall. Inside the little store there wasn't as much hustle and bustle. The place was only filled with a few kids. There were a few adults who looked like parents. He guessed they were probably out buying presents for their kids. They were the only two there age who were there.
She easily took the toy from him and he saw her stroke it's head. It was part or his plan, sort of, to stop her from rubbing at her bandages. He saw her do that a few times while they were having their little adventure. The bandages would have needed changing really quickly if she kept on rubbing them. It was part of his plan that he formulated when he saw her interest in the small bean filled toys. So far it seemed to be working, she was rubbing the toy's head instead of her bandages that were keeping her from rubbing away the bandages that helped keep infection away from her burns.
Ace smiled a little as she took his hand. Then they headed into the crowd of people. He tried his best to go through the way with the less people often dodging the big crowds of people. He was so busy trying to weave in and out of people that he didn't even know he was taking the wrong direction. He felt Dee stop moving and she pulled at his hand softly. He could barely hear what she said over the crowd of the people. But suddenly she took the lead and he followed her, eventually she led him to the store that they were heading too.
Ace gave Dee a thankful look. "Thanks Dee." He said happily, he probably would have gotten lost if it weren't for her. He headed in and motioned her to come in with him. It was also a little empty, though not as much as the toy store they were just at, compared to the halls outside. "Ace! My Favorite Customer!" A voice said from the back, "Oh no." Ace said with a sigh. Quickly he turned to Dee "What ever you do, don't touch any pens here, and don't take anything from this guy." He said as Kyle, the store's owner, came up from behind the cashiers desk. He had salt and pepper hair with a five-o-clock shadow beard. He was tall a little taller than Ace. His face was getting wrinkled from having a smile on a lot of the time. He was a happy guy, who lived to make people laugh, he tried to be a comedian but he didn't like to be on stage. The guy grinned, and held out his hand to Ace. Ace instead punched him in the arm jokingly. "I'm not falling for that twice." He said with a grin. "Oh and who is the pretty little flower? Kyle asked handing her a plastic flower holding the bottom of it in his hand. Ace stopped and put his hand over the head of the flower, water squirted out of his hand, "Not her Kyle." He said dead serious and the look he gave him certainly contained the same tone.
Then Kyle knew when he shouldn't cross the line, not with his best customer. "Alright Alright, but your fair game." He said winking at Ace. Ace rolled his eyes and walked around the store with Kyle heading back to the counter.
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