|
Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 14, 2015 10:52:16 GMT -7
Claire gave him a smile, "I don't see it that way... it's more of an I-don't-know-what-my-next-meal-will-be. I think of it more as a challenge." She shrugged again and dropped her hand, still smiling, "I mean, I could always ask my parents to transfer some money in my account if I need to. Or my brothers, but I like the challenge of having to figure it out. And a lot of times I just stop into a dollar store, buy a few things, and see what I can create." She bit her lip, wondering if he could understand. Her family didn't. She'd tried to explain it to them... but they could never get it. Would Maddock be the same, "It's like I'm a lone gypsy, just seeing the world and having adventures."
Faye pouted, "Oh. I forgot about the stupid snow." She sighed, then cheered up a little when Mariah mentioned the possibility of a fire and s'mores in the library, "Oh! That sounds better!" She grinned at Mariah, "You're so smart. That's why I keep you around." She teased, reaching out to slid her hand into his. As they talked Tony went around and began washing dishes, rinsing out their hot chocolate mugs, cleaning them, and putting them away. Finally her curiosity won out and she snuck from the kitchen, trying to locate where Mark went to see if she can figure out what he was planning, but when that failed - she almost got lost again - she instead went to their room to pack. She'd recently bought a new outfit to wear for Mark and was planning to bring it out as a gag Christmas gift... but this felt like a better opportunity.
Edna bit her lip, then nodded, "Alright," She said softly, "And I want to be there when you tell Mark. I just... you wouldn't be covering for this if I didn't bring you to the orphanage... I just don't want you to feel like you have to. And," She said before he could say anything else, "I now you don't feel like that.... but I can't turn my guilt off. I should be helping to cover this and now that I have that stupid gala dress to pay off I can't." She sighed, trying to calm down a little since a bit of her anger at opening that bill had come through.
|
|
|
Post by Miki on Jul 14, 2015 10:52:26 GMT -7
Rather than answer the question, Ben frowned at Murel. She was acting strange... if he didn't know better, he would guess that she was actually trying to be nice to him, which wasn't something that she did. "Wait a minute. Before anything else, what's going on? If I had a pet, I'd ask if you killed it or something. There's got to be something wrong, because while you're nice, you're a secretly nice person. Not openly." He scratched his head as he tried to figure it out. "You didn't put a bomb on my car or something, did you? No, I think you would actually enjoy that..." he trailed off as he tried to think of what it was.
Well, then. Soul hadn't actually thought that she would get lucky with this place when she'd decided to try out this cafe, but she guessed that just went to show her. Life was full of surprises. She let herself be guided back to what seemed to be some sort of office as Max asked her several questions. When he finally paused, she tried to address the questions in order. "I do have a jar, I can start as soon as I can get my drums in here if that's what you want, and I could conceivably come in every day. As for dressing up, I suppose that would depend on what you want me to wear," she laughed. "I don't mind being sort of showy, but like everyone, I have my limitations. Also, thank you. There are some people who would've sat through the same performance and still not give me the time of day. It's nice to find someone who appreciates good music." And that was the truth.
|
|
|
Post by Aiko on Jul 14, 2015 11:40:54 GMT -7
Maddock grunted. "What about a home? You don't want one?" The thought bewildered him. Even Matt, who spent most of his life travelling for work, had a place to call home that he returned to regularly. Home was everything to Maddock. He had set down roots in Astoria and Portland and couldn't imagine leaving now that he finally had a place to call his. He supposed there was a certain allure to it for some person, but his childhood had ruined that for him. He never wanted to suffer through that upheaval and uncertainty again.
"I knew there had to be a reason," Mariah teased back, grinning. "Hell, I've got no other redeeming qualities, that's for sure!" Just then his cell phone rang. Not the personal one, but his work phone. He grimaced and pulled it out. "Hang on, gotta take this." Stepping into the next room, he answered snappishly, "Agent Maledire. What? Of course Jason. I got it, now stop calling me. The fuck do I care? Yes I'll be there. 9 A.M., I heard you the first five times you called. Goodbye!" He snapped the phone shut and grumbled under his breath. To say he was less than enthusiastic about going in to work tomorrow would be an understatement. It would be mandatory therapy and debriefing, plus desk duty for months. He supposed he should consider it a blessing to work regular hours, with the baby on the way, but he was a field agent. Paperwork was so boring.
The gala dress. There was an opening. Maverick saw the distraction and seized it. "Why'd you get such an expensive dress? Why not get something else you can afford?" She'd honestly never struck him as the fashionista type, but maybe this gallery was different? But she'd always spoken so disdainfully before. But then, Chrissie had been known to do the same thing, of course. He would never understand women.
"I can't be nice?" Murel snapped, her patience wearing thin with this nonsense. "Do you think so low of me that trying to show some common courtesy is so crazy that it deserves the third degree? I may be mean but I'm trying, dammit. You don't want to shower first then fine, I'll go!" Murel turned and stormed off to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She was trying to show him she wasn't an abusive person, but it was so hard! And her imp wasn't helping much, either, snapping at her goading her on. She was fighting a war on two fronts, and history showed how well that usually worked out.
"Oh, nothing too extreme!" Max said. He personally wasn't dressed up today, instead wearing cooking attire since he was in the kitchen today, and really he wasn't feeling the need for the boost. "Just something like Sierra's outfit. I can give you a list of places you can find that kind of thing at, though as a musician, you don't need to go the whole nine yards." He fussed around, getting out the paperwork she'd need to fill out and looking at his calendar. "It looks like I need a performer on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Saturday. Is that okay? I can't take you on full time, as I do have other entertainers, but if customers like you, maybe we can shuffle things around. Also, anyone who doesn't like that performance is tone deaf. You're better than some of the drummers my brother's had, and that's saying something." He nodded to the photo on the wall of the office. It showed the whole Maledire clan posing in front of the cafe to celebrate the grand reopening after he'd taken over. Matt was showing off of course, with Murel riding piggyback. She'd been so cute when she was little. Why did that have to change?
|
|
|
Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 14, 2015 11:50:25 GMT -7
"I know I have one with my family." Claire said soflty, "I visit.... At times and then there's Faye, who I know - when she hasn't been abducted by drug lords - will always take me in. I have everything I need, right here," she pressed her palm to her heart, "Home, for me, isn't a place... It's a feeling." She gave him a little smile as she lowered her hand, "It's ok if you don't understand. Even my family doesn't, but I have their support and love. I may not be a perfect daughter for my mom, but she loves me despite my faults," here her smile turned into a grin, "Or so she's told me many times."
Faye watched Mariah walk out, a frown on her face. He hadn't seemed happy when the phone rang... But for the life of her she couldn't think of why. Shrugging she turned back to Adam, "So, how's your hot chocolate?"
Edna sighed, "I tried, but after the Thanksgiving dress debacle my mom demanded I dress appropriately. So she forced me to the boutique, told me not to worry. I assumed that meant she'd cover the dress cost... I should have known better." She rubbed her hands over her face, "That was the letter I was holding when you and Angel walked up. I'd just gotten the bill." It was obscene... And she had two weeks to pay it off.
|
|
|
Post by Miki on Jul 14, 2015 12:04:10 GMT -7
She was trying to be nice... jut for the sake of being nice to him? But Murel wasn't like that. Hadn't she said to him at some point that she didn't want anything to do with someone who wouldn't deal with her being herself? Or something of that nature at least. Ben groaned, rubbing his face. What the heck was going on with her? Had something happened while he'd been gone that he wasn't aware of?
Soul considered. "Nah, I should be able to put something together on my own. Thanks for the offer though. And yup, that schedule sounds perfect to me." Wow, this guy was chatty. She supposed she should have guessed from the greeting, but she hadn't really realized... But she guessed some people were just like that. She personally liked to think she was neither too quiet nor too talkative, but self analysis wasn't the most reliable. "Your brother's in a band?" she asked curiously, and as he continued looking for paperwork and such about the office, she studied the picture. There were 7 people total of close ages, six boys and a girl, and they all looked more or less the same. "Please tell me there are cousins or something in that picture." Because otherwise, she guessed that meant he had six siblings, and she just could not imagine.
|
|
|
Post by Aiko on Jul 14, 2015 15:44:45 GMT -7
Maddock grimaced. He was putting her off. "Different backgrounds, I guess." He said, trying to find something to interest her. "I grew up travelling, guess I've had my fill." He wasn't exactly proud of his past, but the mobility was something they had in common. He took a swig of his beer and glanced over at the kittens. Murel's kitten was beating up her sister, and they were making a racket. He stood and walked over. The apartment walls weren't exactly soundproof, and if they got much louder his neighbors might hear. "Knock it off, you two."
"It's yummy. Sorry you can't have some." Adam took another sip, then looked at her solemnly. "When you have your baby, you aren't gonna stop playing with me, are you?" Mariah walked back in then, a grumpy scowl on his face as he grumbled under his breath. He felt like he needed to go a few rounds in the gym. At least. The urge to break something was strong, his demon had decided it detested Jason and Mariah was inclined to agree. Talking to him? Not a good idea.
"Can you return it?" Maverick asked, trying to think of a way to help her out. She wouldn't let him pay for it, so he didn't even bother to ask, especially not right after he'd stepped up for Alice. Take it back, get a refund and buy something cheaper? It might upset your mom but at least you won't freeze."
Murel was feeling not exactly calmer, but more herself when she exited the shower. She had on a pair of jeans and a Vikings sweater, and her wet hair was trying to curl despite its length. "Your turn," she said, rubbing her hair to make in spike. She hated having curly hair, it was too thick and annoying. She had no idea how Matt and Maddock could stand it. Well, Maddock tolerated just about anything, and Matt's long hair was one of his selling points so he couldn't cut it even if it did make him look like a poodle.
"Nope, all siblings." Max grinned as he walked over to hand her the paperwork. "The picture's about four years old, so you may not recognize him, but that's my brother Matt," Max tapped the goofy grin on his brother's face. He always looked like a little boy who had been caught doing something naughty and was proud of it. "And yeah, I guess you could say he's in a band." He wouldn't tell her outright, but if she could connect the dots, she could know the truth. After all, it wasn't that hard to figure out. Maledire wasn't exactly a common name.
|
|
|
Post by Miki on Jul 14, 2015 16:16:47 GMT -7
By the time Murel exited the shower, Ben had quit trying to figure out what was going on with Murel. In fact, he'd decided that he was going to try and fix it. She didn't know it, but they were going out after breakfast, and he thought he had the perfect place in mind. "Okay," he said as he got up and headed for her bedroom, since the bathroom was connected to it. He almost started to just search drawers for his clothes, but ended up deciding that wouldn't be a good idea, so instead he backtracked into the living room. "Ah, could you show me where you put my clothes?"
It didn't click immediately, but then Soul remembered Max introducing himself as 'Max Maledire'. And if his brother's name was Matt, that would make the guy Matt Maledire, the rock star. "Which means your brother is Matt Maledire," she said as she considered this. "I listened to a couple of his songs once. I personally didn't like them, but hey, he seems to be everyone else's cup of tea," she said as she accepted the paperwork and grinned at Max. "Does being his brother make it easier or harder for you to get girls?" she asked curiously.
|
|
|
Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 14, 2015 18:25:28 GMT -7
Claire watched Maddox move away and to the kittens. He was a quiet one, she though, and only a bit awkward... Ok, a lot. But there was something about him. Something that made her want to learn more... Maybe the kittens elwere an in. She smiled and jumped from the counter, walking to him, "So... What's their story?" She asked, "They look pretty young."
Faye blinked in surprise, then smiled and shook her head, "Oh, honey, no. Of course I'm still going to play with you. And you'll be a great cousin to my little one. You can teach him or her Lots of cool things." Just then Mariah entered. Faye could see that he was upset... But why? She reached out and took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers together, "Isn't that right?" She asked Mariah, "Adam will make a great older cousin.
Edna sighed, shaking her head, " No. It's not worth the argument. I'll figure it out. Or ask mom to help out since it was her idea." She lifted her gaze and met his, "You ready to go?" She asked, since the kids were all inside anyway, "Was there anything else you wanted to do today?"
|
|
|
Post by Aiko on Jul 14, 2015 22:39:41 GMT -7
Murel looked up, blinking. "In the bottom half of the dresser." She'd tried to fit both of their dressers in, but with the bigger bed it was just too cramped. It really was a one person apartment. When her lease was up next month, she'd have to look into getting a bigger one. Which was a shame, she'd really enjoyed living here the past two years. But she was cohabiting now, whether he liked it or not. That meant she needed more space.
Max blinked, then chuckled. "Oh, he'll be heartbroken to hear that! But don't worry, Maddock, this one here, hates most of his stuff. He's a country boy at heart. As for picking up chicks, I don't need any help in that department. Besides, hate to break it to you, sweetie, but I'm already seeing someone. Nice try. And even if I wasn't, I don't date employees." He knew she wasn't flirting, but it was fun to play. Yet still, not his type! He wondered what Mehki was up to now. Probably still excited about Zach.
"Mom was a stray on the docks, got run over by a forklift a few days after they were born." Maddock tickled the silver tabby behind the ear. "I like the dock cats, better company than most of the men. Watched their mother grow up. It was her first litter. Felt like I owed it to her to watch out for them, I guess." He shrugged, a smile cracking his face as the tiny body rubbed against his hand. "The other two are going home for Christmas, but this one's still looking. She's a sweet one, too."
Mariah looked up, distracted as a sense of calm settled over him at her touch. "Huh? Oh, yeah! Just think, runt, you'll get to show him all kinds of stuff. Like camping and making forts in the library. I bet you two will be best friends." Adam frowned and stared at the counter. "That's what Momma said about Evelyn, but after she was born, it was always "go watch tv" or "quiet, you'll wake the baby". She promised I could hold her but I never did." He hated his sister. She took up all the attention. "That's why I'm here, cuz Momma likes Evelyn better than me!" He sniffled, suddenly on the verge of tears.
Maverick let it go, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was. She was a big girl, she could handle herself. After all, she'd done just fine before they'd met. He had no place sticking his nose in her business. He shrugged. "Not really. I was just going to head home after this. I think Angel could use a rest. Tough morning."
|
|
|
Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 14, 2015 22:57:05 GMT -7
"Aw," Claire said as she reached out to pet the kittens next to Maddock, "How old are they?" They really looked quite young, young enough for Claire to worry about them being without their mom, "It's a good thing you were there to take them in." She turned and grinned at him, "Why don't you keep this little one? you obviously love the kittens... I just think you'd be a good home for her." She'd had cats and dogs growing up, but not since she moved out. There wasn't any reality in it. She moved way too much for it to happen, but Maddock here was stationary and from his view point of her life, she figured that wouldn't change.
"Oh, baby, no," Faye said, releasing Mariah to wrap her arms around Adam, "No, that's not true at all. You're here because you need help with your demon... and because Mark wanted to know you so much. He loves you, just like you mom does, just like we do." She held Adam close and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "I love you. And so does Mariah." She leaned back to look at Adam, "Now, no crying.... otherwise I'm likely to join you and Mariah gets all awkward when I cry." She turned to Mariah, unsure what else she could do. If this was how the night was going to start... maybe Mark and Tony should stay home...
Edna nodded, "I want to check on Alice. Would you like to come?" She gave him and awkward smile, "I mean... if you want to." And now she felt awkward. She'd never expected Maverick to volunteer to pay Alice's bills, never expected him to be so... amazing. With every day Edna fell more and more in love with him... and that's when she realized her true feelings. Edna loved him. It wasn't fondness or a strong like that she felt... it was love. And Edna started to panic... because her love for him would never be returned in the same way.
Once done packing Tony looked around. They'd be gone for the night... why not mess with some things? So she went around and rearranaged the little knick-knacks in the room, then set off to find Mark, her surprise packed away nice and safe.
|
|
|
Post by Miki on Jul 14, 2015 22:59:51 GMT -7
Ben gave Murel two thumb's up and then headed back into the bedroom. He quickly located the clothes he wanted and took them with him into the bathroom--just in case. He got a quick shower, and after climbing out and drying off, pulled the clean clothes on, which consisted of a worn pair of jeans and an Iron Man t-shirt. When finally he exited, he felt somehow better. There was just a nice feeling you seemed to get by taking a shower. "Okay, we all ready for breakfast?" he asked, grabbing his winter jacket off his duffel bag where he'd dumped them both in the corner last night.
"No, I like rock, but I'm more of an eighties rock person," Soul laughed. At the banter, she grinned wickedly. "No employees, eh? Well, good thing I'm not an employee yet, and I don't see anyone." Before he could say a word though, she waved her hand. "But in all seriousness, I was asking for the sake of satisfying curiosity. You're a little young for my taste, not to mention short." Of course, at less than five feet, she didn't have room to call anyone short. She'd actually met 12 year olds taller than herself before.
|
|
|
Post by Aiko on Jul 14, 2015 23:43:30 GMT -7
"Can't, no pets allowed," Maddock said bitterly. He was on his last strike. He'd been warned multiple times in the past for bringing cats home, one more incident and he'd be evicted. He couldn't have that. "They're a month old. Beginning of November." They'd been born the day after his birthday, in fact. November 3rd. Not that that was important. Just something to note.
Adam looked up at them, wanting to believe but just not sure. He hugged Caesar tight and leaned into Faye's hug. "I don't wanna get sent away again," he whispered. "No one's sending you anywhere," Mariah said firmly. "You're a Maledire, family. We would never do anything like that. Like it or not, kid, you're stuck with us. Now come on, let's go pick out a spot to build your fort." He wanted to get Adam out of the way as soon as he could. If Mark or Tony saw him in this kind of mood, they'd drop their plans, and they needed this night out. Besides, it wasn't as if it was wholly unexpected. Adam was only five, and with what he'd been through already...It didn't help that the solstice was just around the corner.
"Sure, I just...Angel." Maverick gestured at the dog. "She can't go into the hospital. I have to drop her off at home first. Maybe tell Mark about all this while I'm there. Then yeah, we can go." He wasn't looking forward to going into such a crowded place, but he'd made a commitment. He had to go to the hospital. If only to foot the bill.
Mark knocked on the bedroom door. "You ready to go?" He poked his head in the room, only to catch her rearranging things again. "Knock it off, Tony. Let's go. I'll let you pick the car."
Murel bounced up and grabbed her coat. "I'm starving!" She exclaimed, biting back the sting that would have normally followed. "So where are we going? I don't know about you, but I could eat a horse!" She was tired of microwave dinners. If she wasn't so lazy she'd teach herself to cook, but that was too much effort. And besides, when she wanted a fresh meal, she usually hit up Max. And now she had Ben. There was no reason to learn to cook.
"Oh, Matt loves the eighties. And seventies, and sixties. He grew up listening to our dad's records. That's how he got his start, before he started writing his own. Covering the hits. Not many make the radio, but he likes to do covers at his concerts now and then, and even put out a CD of them back when he first hit big." Max wasn't sure why he was talking about his brother so much. It must be because Mehki's news of Zach's return had him thinking about how Matt would be back soon too. Less than two weeks. Time flew by fast.
|
|
|
Post by jaguarsheart on Jul 14, 2015 23:56:30 GMT -7
"Oh," she said softly, looking back at the kittens, "I'm surprised, actually. I'd heard that a lot of places were starting to allow pets... couldn't you find a new place when the lease was up?" This was actually one of the reasons Claire didn't settle somewhere. She hated just the thought of another person having control of any aspect of her life. And to tell her what she can and can't have in a place she considered her home? It was ridiculous. Totally insane... yet Maddock seemed okay with it. She would never understand people's ability to just... settle for things they didn't want or like.
Faye nodded to Adam, "Definitely stuck with us." She grinned at Mariah brought up picking out a spot for their fort, "Oh, that sounds great!" She said, hoping up from her bench, "Come on! I'm sure Mark has a lot of extra blankets and pillows... maybe some empty boxes? Have you ever made a fort?" She asked him and she kept her hand in Mariah's while they walked, "I used to do them all the time when I was a kid... it was the best. There was the time I was a princess in a tower... the time we were defending our kingdom.... and some others that I can't think of right now...."
Tony jerked her head up with a grin, then nodded, "Ok! She grabbed her case and skipped to Mark, then stopped and frowned at his side, "Should I change?" She asked, looking down at the little sundress she was wearing. Faye was always in them and she'd wanted to try one herself. She kind of liked it.
Edna smiled at him, "Okay. You've got the truck anyway. It's a bit cold out now to walk to your place." She teased, trying to get them back on a friend level. She shoved down her feelings for Maverick into a secret room in her mind and locked the door. They didn't do any good at all, just damage. She looked down and smiled at Angel, "You ready to go home?" She asked the fashionista dog, "I bet your ready to take off those shoes and that sweater. And I bet Maverick is ready to take them off of you too."
|
|
|
Post by Miki on Jul 14, 2015 23:57:49 GMT -7
Ben chuckled. "Well, I don't think we're going to find any horses nearby for you to eat. And I actually don't have anywhere in mind, but if you do, feel free to share. I was just going to drive around until we found something that looked good," he admitted as he slung on his jacket. "Ladies first," he then offered as he opened the door and stepped aside to let her out of the apartment first.
Soul gave a small shrug. "Like I said, I've heard a couple of songs... they just weren't my thing." She paused then, her head inclining. "It's sweet to hear you talk about him though. I've met plenty of people who were hard-pressed to say anything resembling the word 'nice' about their siblings." Actually, it seemed to be pretty common. Siblings just didn't seem to usually get along, as far as she could tell. "Anyway, do you want me to fill out all this paperwork right now, or is it a homework type deal?"
|
|
|
Post by Aiko on Jul 15, 2015 11:50:20 GMT -7
Maddock shook his head. Sure, he supposed he could move, but he'd lived here for eight years. It was comfortable, home. It was a short commute to the job he'd held since he was fifteen, eleven years ago. He liked the stability. No, it wasn't perfect. Perfect didn't exist. Any place he went would have some sort of downside, no pets just happened to be this one's. And as far as downsides went, it wasn't a big deal. "I work long hours, wouldn't be fair to her."
Mariah listened to the two of them chatter away, occasionally giving input here and there. "You just pick where you want your tent, and I'll help you put it up. I'm a pro tent pitcher. Mark's better at it than me, cuz he's been doing it longer, but I'll help you build the best fort ever." He grinned at Faye over Adam's head, wondering if she'd caught the double entedre. He doubted it, she didn't often, but the look when she figured it out was always priceless.
Mark tilted his head, smiling as he appreciated the look. "You're gorgeous. But I think you might be a little cold, wearing that in the middle of winter, don't you think?" He walked over and pulled her against him, drawing her into a deep kiss. Looking like that, we might not even get out of the house," he purred. "Which would be a shame, I had some great plans."
"Yes I am," Maverick agreed, leading the way back to the truck. He loaded the pouting Angel then turned the vehicle towards home. "Hard to believe it's already December," he murmured, looking at the snow-covered city. Solstice was just around the corner. His imp was starting to act up, though as of yet it hadn't been anything he couldn't handle. He'd have to start distancing himself from Edna for the next few weeks, which of course wouldn't be fun at all. Things were only going to go downhill from here on out. He and his siblings would get worse and worse until the day of the ritual. Then they'd be downright miserable to each other. He wondered briefly if Mark and Mariah had made arrangements yet for Tony and Faye. They couldn't stay at the house. Maybe one of them would take Angel until it was over. He'd hate for anything to happen to her.
Murel breezed past him and out the door, then waited so she could lock the door. She'd meant to get him a copy of her key, but she kept forgetting. There was always something else that was more pressing. Like binge watching Game of Thrones. That was a fun show. Lots of blood and gore to entertain her. "driving around sounds fine, as long as we don't take too long!" She said, heading to Lucy. "Hey, you bucket of bolts!" She said, patting the hood with her mittened hand. "Don't die on me, okay?" She grinned at Ben. "If we can't find anything, there's always Max's, I haven't pissed him off in a while."
"That's sad," Max shook his head. "My siblings are all very close. Do you have any brothers or sisters? And unfortunately, it all has to be done here. Here," he offered her a pen. "You can come sit down anywhere out front while you work on that, I have to get back to the kitchen. I've left them too long as is." He showed her out back to the main part of the restaurant and left her to it. It was shaping up to be a busy morning and he was needed doing what he did best: making the food.
|
|