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 Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:54 pm
When Talia woke up the following morning, she was cozy, with Evan on one side of her and Malcolm on the other, and at some point during the night Soleiyu had ended up on the pillows above her head. It…felt nice. To have these three around her, but…
Quietly and slowly she wriggled out of bed, sliding to the foot of it like a slug and bringing herself to the floor with as little noise as possible, until she straightened up when she was finally out of it.
She padded out of the room and glanced around the house, taking in more things since it was daytime now…and honestly, she hoped to see Ilse, since she had been told the other…former corrupt was here too. But while she found a room that had two other boys sleeping in it, she didn’t find anyone who could have been Ilse…so she sighed and sat in the kitchen, laying her head on the table, trying to remember anything about the place. Sadly…nothing came to mind. Nothing at all.
This place was as foreign now as it had been last night…but.
She stood up and looked around, chewing her lip in thought. Maybe…she could make cookies or something. She had made a lot before. She knew that, she had brought some to Axinite. Shared them with everyone so, hopefully she would remember how…
With a soft sigh, Talia began to root through the cupboards.
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 7:33 pm
Talia was alone for only a brief moment; as soon as she had slipped out of bed, Evan had awoken. He was a light sleeper most of the time, and even though he was exhausted, a part of him had been waiting for her to wake up.
He gave her a moment before he dragged himself to the kitchen.
Evan didn’t want to startle her so he cleared his throat quickly.
“Do you want help finding anything? I spend a lot of time in here, I can help you get reacquainted with it. Or stay out of your way if you’d rather do it alone. If you wouldn’t mind me getting some chocolate milk first, at least. I should put some coffee on, but I want to start my morning with something sweet.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 7:42 pm
Talia jumped and gave a soft yelp, closing the cabinet door on her fingers and wincing, drawing them against her chest and looking at Evan with wide eyes. “Oh um. N-no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I mean. I…I guess I made cookies a lot. When…Before, I mean. I always had cookies when I was powered it…was my thing I suppose so I just…I was looking to see if we had ingredients for cookies…I didn’t mean to root around.”
She blew on her now sore fingers and sighed, trying to get her heart rate to slow down to a more normal rhythm.
“...Chocolate milk does sound really good though…would it be too much to ask if I could have some?”
Her words sounded shy now. She had been caught, and it truly felt as though she were intruding. This..wasn’t her house, she was a stranger here, even if Evan didn’t think so…
“Ah…I’m so sorry…I don’t want to be a bother.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 8:28 pm
When she jumped, Evan did too. “You’re not a bother. This is your home, too,” he promised. “All of this is as much yours as it is mine. I’m a little possessive of the kitchen,” he admitted, “But all that means is that I get to organize it. But if you don’t like something, we can change. I’m just a creature of habit and, you know. The kitchen’s my safe space. Here,” he moved to the fridge and handed her an ice pack–with a cute little cat’s face.
It was obviously a cute mascot, with it’s fluffy white fur, and bright purple eyes, and the star on his forehead, and–
Yes, they had jelly-ice packs with Soleiyu’s face on them.
“What type of cookies do you want to make? We’ve got all the basic ingredients.” He started to pull them out, along with a jug of chocolate milk. “But you’re more than welcome to root around as much as you want. I mean it when I say this is your home.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 11:08 am
Talia hesitated and took the ice pack, staring at it and managing a small smile, though it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I don’t want to be a bother. I mean. I just…feel like I'm intruding. I have no…real ties to any of you. You and Malcolm are my friends! I’m not saying that…I just…” She swallowed. You know me far more than I know you…and…I have no family anymore.”
She had to bite back a wave of despair as she pressed the ice pack to her sore fingers. “My note said that I was dating Ilse? But I don’t remember dating her. I met her all of one time that I do remember. And she hinted that we were something…but I don’t remember. I just. I do remember Faustite being my…not brother. And I tried so hard to be a good sister but…”
The despair finally seemed to win and Talia began to cry quietly. “...But now I just. Don’t know what I am. I have no foundation to build on again and…my life just seems so…messed up…”
She didn’t know what kind of cookies she wanted to make. Didn’t know what kind any of them liked. Didn’t know them. Not really.
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 6:26 pm
A lump had suddenly grown in his throat and Evan felt selfish for the wave of emotions that washed over him. “I want to hug you,” he said, but didn’t, because she wasn’t Cambria, who would have known him and wanted it. She was Talia, who didn’t know him, but he knew her. Or, who she had been. Who she might be some version of again.
“It’ll be hard at first,” he said softly. “I never forgot anything before. I mean–bits and pieces, but they came back over time. My fiance left the Negaverse. And Zac–”
He faltered, because how was he even supposed to start talking about that?
“Well, what I mean is, if you need support they can probably help, too. But I promise that everyone wants you here. You’re not a bother, you’re not intruding. You’re–well, very wanted. You’re more than a guest, you’re family. I’m sorry, I know this is messed up, but. You’re not alone, Talia. I’ll help you find a foundation, build one. Tell me where you want to start. I can tell you all about me, if you want. I hate talking about myself, most of my life is pretty pathetic and it’s full of a lot of bad decisions, but I’m not going to keep secrets from you. You don’t have to be afraid to ask me for–or about–anything. I mean that, anything. I have–well, I make them for people who used to be youma, mostly, because when you’re a youma you lose track of things. Of all the things that make you human. But it’s got some things to help you settle in–there’s this video game that I played, it was the best. I could zone out a little bit, I could focus on something. You can make friends with all the people in the village, you can take care of a farm. It sounds goofy but it’s really good. If you need time to think about things and let things settle in, you can just take it easy. I can get you set up in the living room, or the bedroom. You can stay in comfy pajamas, tucked in bed. You can watch movies or listen to music I’ll feed you whatever you want to eat, you can play the games. You don’t have to think about anything big, you don’t have to figure out a whole life. And we’ll all be here to talk and support you when you do want to talk. Even if if it’s just a single question.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 6:50 pm
“I…still like hugs…they’re my favorite…you hugged me a lot on our picnics…” Talia was quiet, lowering her eyes to the floor and listening to him, swallowing slightly as he tried to reassure her, tried to help but..
“I just don’t know who I am, Evan. I have a first name. I picked Talia, I guess. The last me did, at least. But I have no last name. I have nothing. I’m just…Talia nobody. I guess I just. Don’t know what to do anymore. Malcolm said he’d help me pick a last name but…” She shrugged and drew in a deep breath. “I don’t just want to pick a last name. I want to…I don’t know. I want it to mean something. I want to be…I mean.”
She wanted ties to something. A family. Faustite had been smart…telling her she was his sister. It gave her security and a place to belong. Something she didn’t have right now. “Of course I want to know about you though…I don’t want to live in a house of strangers.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:36 am
She still liked hugs. They were her favorite. That was as much of an invitation as he thought he would get, so he crossed the kitchen and embraced her.
“I’m Evan Harper. You could be Talia Harper if you wanted. I can be a good brother. Malcolm’s last name is Everly.”
At least, he thought it was. Zack’s last name was Everly. He’d never asked. “Your last name used to be Dempsey. Ahri took it when he purified. Zac’s name is McKinney now. I really don’t know why he didn’t take Dempsey too, but. Oh, you haven’t met him yet.”
He was quiet, and didn’t mention that it bothered him that Zac hadn’t come home last night. Or, if he had, he hadn’t stopped in to say anything. He didn’t have any messages on his phone, but…
“Whatever you pick, you’re family. We won’t be strangers for long. We’ll do all those cheesy family things. Dinner together, family game night. I want all of it. I want you to know how much you mean to us. In the good times and the bad times. I didn’t have a really good family before all of this. I used to think that I was the problem. But then I met you, and I realized what a family could be. I want to give you that. Like how you gave it to me.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 2:57 pm
For a moment, Talia just stood there, and then she melted into the hug, returning it with gusto after she had got her bearings. “...I could be Talia Harper? You’d want me as a sister? I…I liked being Faustite’s older sister. It made me feel wanted. Important.” Loved. Needed.
She swallowed, burying her face in the crook of his neck. “...Okay. I want to be family…I don’t know Zac, but you mention him often enough, I guess he was important to the old me…” Giving a soft sniffle, Talia sighed. “...If things get too much…will you help me find an apartment? If it feels like I’m intruding, will you help me find a new place to live? Um…if that’s not okay…I understand.”
But the idea of living in a house of strangers who all knew her…made her want to throw up, a little. What he said about family though…that sounded nice. She did like the idea. “...I’m glad that I was able to give you a new family, Evan…I’m glad that you found happiness…”
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:19 pm
Evan rubbed her back and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to imagine what it would be like to live without her forever. Before, he’d been able to tell himself ‘just a little longer’, but if she wanted to be away from them…
His stomach flopped and he felt the sad pull of reality again.
“Of course,” he promised, glad that his voice was already a little muffled just from being tucked so close to her. “You’re gonna find happiness, too. If it’s too much to be here, I’ll help. You can work with me at the food truck if you want, but you don’t have to if you want to try something else, too. Soleiyu might be a little harder to convince, but if you give him the chance, I know he’d want to leave with you. I’d miss you, and him. But I’d understand. I mean, if you’re my sister, we have to see each other often. But–if you want to try living somewhere quieter without totally moving out, I know Malcolm–well, he still lives with his parents. But if he asked, I know they’d be willing to help out. They’re good people. But I’d help you find a place and help you settle in. I’ve got some money squirreled away, I’ll make sure you can support yourself.”
Also his fiance was rich and could probably be convinced to share a little.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 4:17 pm
Oh..so he did want to be her brother. That was nice. Made her feel nice. “I mean…I’ll give staying here a try first…but if it’s too…awkward…I’m glad that you’ll help me. I want to work on your food truck…did…I do that before? For some reason, the idea seems almost natural like…it’s my job or something…”
Not that she could remember it, but in thinking of the food truck, she could almost smell the food, and hear laughter. The feel of money in her hands…
Very vague, but still there.
“I’d bring him with me if I did go off on my own…and I’d have to see you often, yeah. Especially if I work with you, and I’d want to see Malcolm all the time too…I like the three of you. I know the three of you but…it’s so awkward…there’s other people here and I don’t know them at all. A bunch of strangers who will know me I…I don’t enjoy having expectations on me, Evan…It’s scary.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:10 pm
Evan still hadn’t released her from the hug, but he seemed to be happy to have the opportunity to hold her.
“You worked with me on the truck just the other day. And before that. You came back to me even before you knew you were looking for me. I mean, I think of it like that. I’m sorry if that sounds sappy. I just–I like to think that even though we didn’t know each other, we knew we were meant to be in each other’s lives. We knew each other in our past lives, too.”
Even if he didn’t remember much of that–yet–he hoped that she could remember things. He hoped that she would be able to rebuild something of her history.
“The only expectation anyone has is that you’re going to be okay, Talia. Don’t worry about anything else. If it helps, just think of this as me helping my sister. You have to stay with me and all of my weird friends. And maybe they’ve heard of you through the stories I’ve told, but they haven’t met you yet, and now they’re all really excited to. But I promise–Talia.”
He sounded a little serious, but his voice was so full of love. “The amount of people who were officers in the Negaverse outnumbers the amount of people who weren’t. In this house, at least. And even though I wasn’t an officer, Ahri and I were youma. Um. I guess that means Malcolm and Soleiyu are the only ones who weren’t in the Negaverse in any capacity. It is scary. But you’re not alone. And if you want help, I guarantee that you’ll have it. And if you don’t, we’ll be here just in case. I love you. You’re family. You’ve always been, and you’re always going to be.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:47 pm
“I love you too…” Talia swallowed and finally pulled away, wiping her eyes. “I’ll take that chocolate milk now…and then we can hug some more, if you want to…I’m…I’m proud to be Talia Harper…and I’ll do my best to be a good big sister for you. I’ll take care of you, I promise. I’ll work hard at your truck…and we’ll be okay…I just. I just have to get used to things…that’s all…I’m sure I will…I hope that you'll be patient with me. And thank you for all of your help. And your kindness.”
She wiped at her eyes and moved to grab two glasses, filling them both with milk and handing one to Evan. “...Merry breakfast. Here’s to…our new beginnings…yeah?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 8:05 pm
Evan wasn’t sure that he was ready to be done with hugging her, but it made sense that they could go back to it after breakfast. He accepted his chocolate milk and smiled. He lifted it to gently bump against her glass. “To new beginnings.”
Hopefully it was the last beginning she’d ever have to have.
But, he’d be with her for this one, for all of them.
He had all the patience in the world for her. She’d been family long before today.
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