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Post by Aiko on Jul 11, 2015 10:46:28 GMT -7
He led her up the stairs to his apartment, thinking about what she'd said. He'd definitely be talking to Matt when he got back to town. That playboy wouldn't think twice about flirting with her unless talked to and Maddock really didn't want to have to bash his head in. He was a gentle man by nature, but he was still a Maledire. "Wouldn't be too sure about that. He's coming to Portland in a few weeks." He said nonchalantly as possible, pulling out his key to unlock the door. He stepped aside to let her in. "If you stick around, you might be able to get tickets." Of course the show was already sold out, but he had connections.
Mariah smiled up at her, leaning into the touch. "He will. And no problem." He rose, pulling her into a hug. "Did you know you're sexy after barfing?" He teased, ducking down to kiss her. "Now, you feeling up to heading back to the kitchen? You never got to eat your chili, I'd hate to waste it after all that fuss."
Mark frowned and got out the pot to heat the milk. He didn't like how discouraged she was getting about her cooking. He'd have to do something about this. "Tony, give me a hand?" He asked, then gave her the instructions. She was going to make the hot cocoa, and it was going to be delicious.
"Can't have frozen pizza, now, can we?" Maverick opened up the backseat and urged Angel into the truck, shaking his head at her mournful look. "I know, I know, but Edna gets the front seat so you deal." He had to lift her front paws into the truck before she finally heaved an enormous sigh and hopped in, watching him pitifully as they loaded up. "She's gotten so used to being spoiled int just a few weeks, you'd never even know she was a stray, would you?"
Murel was so worked up over his earlier comment that she almost missed the mention of the date-that-never-was. "Huh? Oh, yeah, we should," she said, sitting next to him and trying to distract herself with her dinner. "Did you have anything in mind?" She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. She'd missed him so much, and wanted nothing more than to snuggle up, but she was worried. Was he mad at her?
Max blinked as he took in her words. So Zach was gay? He wasn't sure how to feel about that. He did know a good portion of Portland's gay men. Not nearly all, of course, but a good many. But even if he didn't know him, what would he be like? Would he be cute? Would he- Suddenly, he realized she was waiting for an answer. "I do hope you realize that as a crossdresser, I don't have much room to talk," he said, going for sardonic. "Plus, Maverick's bi, and I'm-about half my employees are gay too. You don't have to worry about me." He bit his tongue at the near slip, hoping she'd just put it off as sleepiness.
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Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 11, 2015 11:34:54 GMT -7
Claire grinned as she carried the box, "Really? I could never afford a ticket of his, but it's nice to know we may be in the same city." She sighed, "It really a depends on how the goes with Faye. Her family is worried about her..." Claire glanced at Maddock, "You swear she's ok? That nothing has happened?" She could still see her theory play out in her head, the one of Faye being a drug Lord's sex slave, "Because I feel bad that I'm so close.... And still not there to help her."
Faye scrunched up her nose at his comment about her looks. She couldn't understand why he thought that way... But appreciated it all the same. She returned his kiss, then nodded, placing a hand over her abdomen, "Yup. Staving now that my stomach is empty. I hope it's not cold though....." She took his hand and walked back to the kitchen with him, leaning against his side most of the way just cause she could.
Tony bit her lip in trepedition, then walked over to Mark. She doubted that her help would do good... But she wanted to try. So she did as Mark instructed, then stood there and stated at the mugs, "So," she said, still staring, "Who's brave enough to take the first sip?" She asked Mark and Adam.
Edna laughed, "Sorry Angel. I didn't mean to kick you out of your seat," she got in and buckled up, balancing the pizza on her lap. She smiled at Maverick as he got in his seat, "I am glad you showed up. The kids keep asking about you when your not there." She grinned this time, "I'm pretty sure most of the girls there have a crush on you."
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Post by Aiko on Jul 11, 2015 13:51:56 GMT -7
"She's fine," Maddock nodded, taking the box of kittens from her and letting the little ones out and into the play pen set up in the corner. In the last day or so they had begun to start trying to climb out, though they weren't quite up to the task just yet. "A lot's happened, she'll have to tell you about it all if she wants to." It was not his place to explain what had happened. Besides, he didn't even know her all that well. He didn't know how much she wanted to-or was allowed to-tell.
Mariah tucked her under his arm and snugged her to him. He liked how well she fit there, like she was made to. He walked back to the kitchen with her to find Mark and Tony serving up more cocoa. "Why don't you wait out here and I'll get your chili?" He said, turning her away. He didn't want her to have to make another bathroom run.
Mark coached her through making the cocoa. "It looks good to me," he finally announced, grabbing a mug. He gave Adam a quelling look before he could say anything and took a sip. "It's perfect. See, Tony, you can cook. It just takes practice and a bit of help at first. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be cooking like a pro." Adam took his sippy mug and looked at the contents dubiously. He'd learned quickly that Tony wasn't a chef by any stretch of the imagination. But when Mark didn't automatically fall over dead, he decided to give it a try. He took a sip and nodded. "It's good!" He announced, trying to imitate Mark's casual attitude.
Maverick gave her a small uncertain grin. "Oh, I don't know about that," he said. "I bring them pizza. That's all they care about. And now I'm bringing a glitzed up dog. I'm just the bringer of good things. You're the really amazing one." He honestly thought he was disposable. He could stop coming and the kids wouldn't care. Edna, on the other hand, if she stopped showing up the kids would be heartbroken.
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Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 11, 2015 14:25:52 GMT -7
Claire watched the kittens for a few minutes before turning back to Maddock, "Well, that'll help me sleep a little tonight. And you promise that we're going out tomorrow? That you'll take me?" This was something she'd never done before. Not once had she accepted an offer to stay the whole night... She was always gone after the other party went to bed. So it was strange, knowing she'd still be here when he woke.
Faye bit her lip, then nodded. She hated this, but she remembered how the cocoa had tasted fine... It just hadn't settled fine, "Ok. You think it's going to be cold? Oh! She exclaimed, " And can you get me some lemonade? From the fridge? The strawberry one." One of the biggest things she craved was lemonade. So she always kept it in stock.
Tony took another dubious look at the drink before taking a sip. Mark and Adam were right, it was good, but she still worried. It was then she noticed Mariah and Faye at the doorway, "Hey... Sorry to make you sick..."
Faye looked over and shook her head, "It wasn't you..... Apparently the baby doesn't want me ingesting any chocolate."
Edna laughed, shaking her head, "You're in for a big surprise then. Alice? The little girl you first met?" The same one who had thought she and Maverick were dating, but Edna wasn't about to open that can of worms, "She asks for you every time. She'll be very happy you'll be there."
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Post by Aiko on Jul 11, 2015 15:03:45 GMT -7
After securing the kittens and setting out food for them, Maddock headed to the kitchen. "I promise," he said, rooting through the fridge. "Was gonna head up there anyways, might as well give you a lift." It was a lie, of course, he'd been planning to spend the day running errands, but he could take care of that in Portland as easily as he could here. Pulling out some leftover pasta from the night before, he looked over at her. "Hungry?"
"I gotcha," Mariah waved her off and headed to the kitchen to get her food. He glanced longingly at his discarded mug of cocoa before he headed for the fridge, ruffling Adam's hair as he passed. Faye's chili had gone cold so he nuked it while he poured her lemonade. "You have fun in the snow, runt?" He asked his nephew.
Mark slipped an arm around Tony's waist as he watch uncle and nephew chat. It was surprising how quickly they'd taken to each other. Mariah was going to make an excellent father as long as he held his temper in check. Pressing a kiss to Tony's cheek, he whispered, "You really aren't as bad at this as you think you are. Have some confidence. Where's the woman who likes to drive me crazy by moving my pictures? Speaking of, where's the family portrait from the mantle?"
Maverick gave her a disbelieving look. He remembered the girl in question, as well as what had happened. That had been embarrassing. He'd improved to the point where he doubted he'd have another meltdown like that, but still. Embarrassing. He drove the short distance to the orphanage and parked, glancing at the building. "You think you've got all the pizzas, or do you need me to take some?"
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Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 11, 2015 15:48:08 GMT -7
Claire was about to say yes to the food when her stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. She grinned, put a hand over her abdomen, and laughed, "Man. That was just like in the movies. I never thought it could be so loud. Yes. Thank you, I'd love something to eat. Do you need any help with anything?" And walked over to stand by him, "I really am a good cook, despite my lack of a stationary kitchen. Or maybe because of it."
Faye waited for a few minutes where Mariah had left her. But she couldn't sit for long. So she walked in and stood next to Adam, "Is it really cold outside?" She could imagine the cold... And she didn't like it. She hated being cold so much that just the thought of it made her shiver.
Tony smiled, chuckling a little as she leaned into Mark and tilted her head back to grin at him, "I guess you'll just have to find out...." Honestly it wasn't very far. All Mark would have to do is open the top cabinet about two feet to his right and he'd see his family staring back at him, "But thanks. I keep telling myself that it's ok to be bad at something... But I wish I could make you a traditional dinner... Something that I know you'll love...." She sighed and shrugged, "Oh well."
Edna nodded, slipping from the truck, "As long as you've got Angel. I'm sure she'd love to get some of this pizza too." She laughed as she closed the door with her hip, then grinned as the children came running out. The older one helped her with the pizzas, but it wasn't long until all the kids were surrounding Maverick and Angel. It was then that she noticed missing. When Sister Mary walked up she asked the woman, then paled as she was Told Alice became very ill and was currently at the hospital. Edna had always felt close to Aloce, the girl reminding her so much of herself... She stumbled a little to the picnic table and sat, unable to cope with the news that Alice didn't have a strong chance of surviving... And that the orphanage couldn't afford her care, "I'll help. How ever I can." She didn't know how she could afford it... But she couldn't just let Alice down.
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Post by Miki on Jul 12, 2015 7:36:13 GMT -7
Ben frowned a bit at Murel's reply to his suggestion. He opened his eyes and looked over at her. "That wasn't very enthusiastic. Did you change your mind while I was gone?" He asked. It seemed plausible. They were both on the couch but she was keeping her distance, he noticed, which wasn't exactly her usual. "I guess it's fine if you did..." he scratched his head. "I did disappear for two weeks on pretty short notice." But he really hoped he was wrong. He hoped there was some other reason Murel was acting strange.
Mehki gave Max a somewhat sheepish smile. "I figured you would be fine, but you can never tell. People can and usually will surprise you." And she wasn't going to waste her time on a person who couldn't accept her best friend; it was that simple for her. "I'm-about half?" She questioned then with a small smile, feeling much better and rather elated by the Zach situation. He was coming home, Max knew about her roommate now, and everything seemed to be fine. "Were you trying to say something there?" She was pretty sure nothing he could say about himself at this point would surprise her.
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Post by Aiko on Jul 12, 2015 12:00:10 GMT -7
Maddock blinked at her and held up the pasta. "You mind leftovers?" He wasn't the world's greatest chef, but he could cook. Max had made sure of that. Maddock didn't know about her, but he wasn't picky when it can to food and would eat just about anything. So he was fine with leftovers, but if she wanted to cook, he wouldn't stop her.
"It's snowy!" Adam said, giving Faye a grin as he turned to look at her. He immediately drew her into the conversation, chatting up a storm as he told her everything they'd done and how white and cold it was. He hardly seemed to take a breath through it all. "Do you like the snow, Auntie Faye?" Mariah chuckled as he pulled the chili out of the microwave and passed it to her. "Auntie Faye gets cold really easily. She'd rather stay inside where it's warm." He'd noticed that about her in the last few days. The more the temperature dropped, the more time he was spending keeping her warm.
"I don't mind," Mark said. He really didn't, but he could tell it bothered her. "So you're not perfect. Neither am I. And you know what? I'm glad we aren't. Perfect is boring. And you, Tony, are anything but boring. Now, I have an idea. You and I haven't been out alone in quite a while. What do you say, tonight you and I go out for dinner? Faye and Mariah can watch Adam. We'll rent a hotel for the night, just the to of us." He purred in her ear. "No interruptions." Hopefully the prospect of a night out would distract her from her melancholy.
Maverick was distracted by the milling children when Edna suddenly sat, looking very pale. "Edna?" He asked, moving to sit beside her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" At his side, Angel whined and put her head in Edna's lap as she sensed her distress. Something was wrong here. He put an arm around her shoulders and looked at the crowd of faces as if they might have an answer.
Murel's head shot up and she blinked. "What? No, I'm just uh, tired. Long work day, and all." It wasn't exactly a lie, she'd been in demand with Mark not taking clients at the moment to focus on Adam. Not that it was an issue for her, but that red-eye to D.C. she'd taken a few days back hadn't been fun. She didn't mind flying the way Mark did, but being on a plane that late at night sucked for anyone. Murel grimaced at herself. Why was she being so evasive, so...pathetic. She wasn't this person! Was wanting Ben to like her really that important?
Dammit. She had caught it. Max tried to cover with a huge yawn, which he didn't even have to fake. "Huh? I dunno." He reached over and patted her hip. "Come on, I have to shower and get ready for work. Want to join me or are you going to try and get some more sleep. You don't have to be up for a while yet." He swung out of bed and stretched, groaning as he did so.
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Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 12, 2015 12:44:49 GMT -7
Claire smiled, "Not at all. And since you're sharing, ill ale breakfast for us in the morning." She walked forward, "I can make pretty much anything as long as it's simple." She opened his fridge, not afraid to go through his kitchen, and stared at her options. She contemplated for a little, then moved on to see what he had in his cabinets as well.
Tony grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Oh... You think they'll be ok with that?" The prospect of them having a night... Just the two of them.... "I think it would be great if we can do it. I miss our time together." She stood up on her toes and pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth, "Do you think Adam will be ok with it?"
Faye shivered involuntarily and shook her head, "Yeah.... I'm gonna have to answer no." She smiled at Mariah, loving how he seemed to understand her, "Your uncle Mariah is right." She dug into her chili cheese nachos, groaning in happiness, "Such greasy goodness. Anyone else want some?"
Edna idly reached out to pet Angel's head as Maverick sat next to her. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, not knowing where to start. Sister Mary stepped forward and answer Maverick quietly, not wanting to upset the children, "Alice came dow n with the flu about a month ago. She didn't get better... And the doctors ran some tests." "She has lymphoma. Cancer." Edna managed, still staring into nothing. Sister Mary nodded, "The hospital is doing everything they can but we... The orphanage can't keep this up." Edna lifted her head, "What hospital?" "St. Augustine's. It was the closest."
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Post by Miki on Jul 12, 2015 12:55:06 GMT -7
Ben gave a small shrug to Murel's response. "Maybe we should plan it another day then, when we've both had sleep," he yawned. He then stretched out a bit, though he had enough sense to be careful not to prop his feet in Murel's lap. "Usually you'd be all over me as soon as I made the couch. You wouldn't even give me enough time to stretch out properly. So I figured something was wrong." He peeked over at her and gave her a lopsided smile. "Have I said that I missed you while I was gone yet? It probably sounds stupid and/or lame, but its actually true."
Mehki pretended to weigh her options for a moment. "Well, considering I'm all awake and excited now, definitely shower. Besides, it's time for finals, and I could always use extra studying time. Even if it is the buttcrack of dawn when no decent human being should be awake." She hopped out of the bed and brushed by Max, as he was stretching, towards the bathroom. "I'll get the shower started!" She called over her shoulder, practically bouncing into the bathroom. Since she wasn't a morning person and didn't act nearly so happy on a normal day, it was obvious that she was in an extremely good mood.
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Post by Aiko on Jul 12, 2015 15:18:35 GMT -7
Maddock stepped aside to let Claire explore. His kitchenette wasn't really built for two people, so her being there made things a little cramped. But he didn't mind the close proximity for once. He liked being near her. Plus, this close to her he could smell more than the ripeness of being on a ship. Beneath the smells of salt and sweat, there was another smell that had absolutely nothing to do with the ocean. That scent was her.
"If they're not, they'll have to be," Mark said simply, as if there were no other option. And there wasn't. He was taking Tony out tonight, and that was all there was to it. He turned to the others. "Mariah, Tony and I are going out for the night tonight, do you mind watching Adam for the evening?"
"Huh? Sure," Mariah said, distracted from the conversation "You mind, Faye? What do you think, Adam? Wanna hang out with us tonight? Watch movies and get sick on popcorn?" He grinned at the pained look on Mark's face. His older brother was way too uptight sometimes. "And maybe, if Maverick says yes, Angel can sleep with you tonight!"
Maverick's eyes widened at the news. Cancer? That little girl? He remembered well how bright and happy she'd been the last time he'd seen her. What if... He made a quick decision. He couldn't let that little girl get sicker because the orphanage needed the money. He pulled out his wallet. "How much of a donation do you need for her medical bills? I can cover them." He'd have to let Mark know, of course, medical bills weren't cheap, but he wasn't going to let her go without a proper chance.
"You...did?" Murel asked, surprised. "Why? I'm a bitch." There was no point in denying it. She never had before, and wasn't going to start now. And apparently, she was abusive, too. "I thought..." She trailed off. If he'd missed her, why was he gone so long without communicating? That's why she'd taken his things. Sure, she'd missed him so much it had hurt, but that was partially her imp, and anyways, she'd die before admitting it, so...what?
Max grinned and shook his head. While he might not love her, he was certainly fond of her. She was such a bright and happy person. Just look at how happy she was to have her roommate returning. She was practically bouncing! Following at a more sedate pace, Max let her get there first. In the month that he'd known her, he'd gotten used to having her around. So while not exactly happy, he'd become...content with his lot. If he was to be stuck in a relationship he didn't want, there were certainly worse people to be stuck with. But there was still that niggling sense of guilt that followed him everywhere. Mehki was such a wonderful woman. She deserved to be with someone who could love her completely. Someone who wasn't him.
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Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 12, 2015 16:53:55 GMT -7
Once Claire was done she turned to Maddock with a smile, "What about omlettes? You've got eggs and veggies... Some meat." She lifted herself up and sat on the counter beside him. "I can whip up a mean omlete." It was odd, making plans for a breakfast with another person... But this oddly felt right.
Faye's eyes widened, "And ice cream! Though... Not chocolate. Vanilla. Vanilla sounds amazing." She sighed in bliss, then stuffed another chili cheese chip in her mouth, "So good," she groaned through her mouth full. Tony laughed, resting her head down on Mark's chest. Her eyes glanced to Adam. He was the only one they hadn't heard from. She didn't want to go if he objected. She already loved the boy as if he was her own, "Adam?"
Edna's eyes widened and her gaze jerked to Maverick's, "You don't..." But she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She knew that she couldn't afford it no matter how hard she tried. And Maverick... He was always trying to help financially. Did he really "Maverick..." As she stumbled Sister Mary was thanking him profusely. The Sisters here truly cared and hated to see the kids sick, "But you should know one last thing...." Sister Mary said, "The doctors don't have a good prognosis... So she could pass on the the Lord no matter what we do..."
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Post by Miki on Jul 12, 2015 17:33:48 GMT -7
Ben outrught laughed as Murel called herself a bitch, shaking his head. "Nah, that's just what you want everyone to believe. You can be extremely abrasive and verbally abusive even, but I honestly can't say that you're a bitch. Actually, you're pretty nice overall. You were the first person to welcome me when I got here, you let me stay in your apartment when mine was freezing, you helped me unpack... and I saw you go gooey over those kittens your brother had. Everyone has their different qualities, and it really isn't your fault that most people aren't willing to look a little deeper to find out how you really are." He said it all as simply as a person might have said 'I want to pee'. "So, I guess to summarize," he frowned at the realization of how long he'd been talking, "Of course I missed you."
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Post by Aiko on Jul 13, 2015 21:05:51 GMT -7
Maddock nodded. "Sounds good to me." He liked omelettes. When she hopped up onto the counter he shifted, getting out a plate so that he could heat up the spaghetti. He liked having her near like this, making plans. Dinner didn't take long to prepare, and once it was heated he pulled out another plate and separated half out. Normally he would eat the entire thing, but he had a guest, he could stand to share. He handed her her plate and utensils, then went to the fridge. "You want a beer?" He asked, pulling out two bottles of Tecate.
Adam stared in his drink for a moment. Ever since he'd come to live with them, either Tony or Mark or both had been around. He didn't like the thought of them leaving. "Do you have to?" He asked in a small voice. "Come on, Adam, don't be upset!" Mariah said, ruffling his hair. "Don't your mom and dad ever go out and leave you with a babysitter? Mark and Tony just want an evening by themselves. That's fair, right?" Adam sighed. "I guess so..." He didn't seem entirely convinced. Mark smiled at him. "Tell you what, if you start to miss us too much, just tell Uncle Mariah and he'll call me. We'll come right home, okay?"
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Maverick said, a stubborn tilt to his jaw. "You call the doctors and tell them to spare no expense, all of her bills will be paid in full." He shrugged. "I'd go down myself, but..." He nodded at Angel. "She's not certified for that yet." He couldn't leave her in the car, either, it was too cold out. She would freeze.
There was that word again. Abusive. Unable to hear anything else, Murel stood, setting her half-eaten dinner aside. "Whatever," she mumbled, and headed for her bedroom. Closing her door behind her, Murel flopped on the bed. She grabbed her seal and hugged it close. At least Trisha didn't hate her. She'd never cared before what people thought of her, but for some reason, each time Ben used that word it was like a knife to the gut. Why was it such a big deal that he think well of her? She scowled, hiding the expression in the toy's grey plush. Stupid Ben.
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Post by Miki on Jul 13, 2015 21:28:52 GMT -7
What did I do wrong? Ben wondered with a confused frown as Murel left. He scratched at his head as he tried to figure it out, thinking back on everything he'd said. He doubted she was upset that he'd missed her... he couldn't imagine anyone being upset about that. Maybe it was because he didn't think she was a bitch? That didn't make much sense either, but it was Murel, so he guessed it was a possibility. However, after several minutes of contemplation, he was no closer to an answer. He heaved a sigh, deciding he just wasn't cut out for communicating with people--of any sort, whatsoever. But at the same end, he didn't feel right about just leaving it alone either, so he got up and made his way over to the bedroom. Ben rapped his knuckles gently against the door and then poked his head in a heartbeat later. "Hey, uhh... I just wanted to apologize for upsetting you. I didn't mean to, and I'm sorry about it."
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