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 Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:14 pm
The movie was over all too soon, and he was left with the moose sprawled in his lap, his elbows on it’s back as he was looking at the screen, absorbed in the story and glad that he had the good sense to look away at times when he knew the story would touch him too deeply and make him emotional. Ladon was still working on presenting an image to Tate that she would like, and her room seemed to say that she didn’t approve of boys who were wimpy and got teary-eyed over cartoon romances. Yet, the moose she gave him to hold suggested differently. At least she had been caring enough in that gesture. Did that mean he really was coming off as being squeamish? He hoped not, even if he was.
Movie over, he placed the moose back beside him, breathing out with satisfaction. While he didn’t know what else they could do, he didn’t want to go home either. He hardly felt tired at all. Well maybe a little.
“If you don’t mind how bad I am at playing games, then sure.” When Ladon meant bad, he meant really bad. He usually wouldn’t agree to playing video games at all, usually just a background watcher of more skilled players, but Tate was drawing him out and he wanted to spend more time with her. As much as he could today before he had to go home before his curfew.
“The movie was very good. I think I can enjoy anime. The stories are really interesting. Just like a old fairy tale, but with more detailed pictures.” Ladon loved fantasy stories. It was a nice escape from the world, and there was so much in life he wanted to escape from.
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:38 pm
Tate looked over at him warily, as if trying to determine if he really liked the movie or if he was just pretending to get emotional at all the right parts; then, unfolding herself from the couch, she crossed to her stacks of technology and turned the DVD player off. "Howl's Moving Castle is huger than xBox," she said, smiling. "I have all kinds of movies, if you want to borrow any. I promise to keep the scary ones out." And she would; it wasn't as interesting to watch scary movies when someone was shivering and shaking on the other end of the couch.
"Well, it's easier to keep track of time when you're playing games," she said, "so we'll play. Um... I just got a new one... Well, not new, but it's new to me, it came out in like 2007 but I just finished replaying the original and haven't even taken it out of the packaging yet..."
She paused in rummaging through the box of video games. "I mean, if you want to watch Kiki's Delivery Service, that would get us leaving around seven and by then my uncle should be home?"
With a shrug, she said lamely, "It's up to you."
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Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:02 pm
This was a chance to make a close friend, and he didn’t want to screw it up. Thus far, his plan had to be a well-behaved, let Tate show him around, and simply enjoy being in the presence of another human being that he didn’t hate and didn’t hate him. It was very relaxing, which was why he didn’t say anything when Tate said she wouldn’t give him scary movies. While he wasn’t in favor of them, he didn’t want her to get the impression he was a wimp either. So he moved away from a poster. Big deal! It wasn’t like it was a picture of a pony or anything. It was a bleeding girl! What sane person would feel cozy next to that?
Frowning, he also didn’t know what he wanted to pick. It was more his policy to just let Tate decide as he didn’t know anime or play games well enough. It seemed Tate was hard to talk to, and Ladon wasn’t the person skilled enough to lead a conversation.
And that comment was nagging at him.
He rose up and picked up the moose, heading to her bed. “You know, I can handle scary movies. It’s not like I’m a wimp or anything.” He set the moose on the bed, thinking it gave the wrong impression when it sat next to him. Turning, he went back to sit on the couch, this time closer to the poster (he just wouldn’t look at it). “Ax murderers. Zombies. Ghosts. I’ve seen all those types of movies.” Seen them and hadn’t slept for days afterwards. To this day, he still wished his mother would drive faster when he spotted a hitchhiker on the side of the road. Good thing Tate didn’t know that.
This begged the question as to WHY Tate had all this stuff. "You seem to really like it?" Steeling himself, he looked up at the poster. After you got past the horrible, seeping wounds, and distorted features, the little girl was actually wearing a very nice dress. That didn't mean she was someone he'd want to see at his bus stop as a kid.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:45 pm
A lot could be said for Tate's patience. Or reticence, as the case happened to be; she waited out his silence, didn't comment as he dropped the moose back on her bed. It amused her that he seemed to be doing his best to look unafraid--he might really not be scared by the posters and figurines but then again...
"Have you?" She smiled, settling herself against the table her TV rested on with her legs crossed under her. "That's good. I was worried we wouldn't have anything to talk about." With a sigh, she flicked a bit of fluff across her carpet; it went exactly two inches before stopping, caught in the long strands.
Tate shrugged, and opened her mouth to say something, then shook her head. "It's something to do," she said, and tossed him an Xbox controller. "It's Halo, multiplayer mode of course."
They'd been playing for a little bit (Tate was doing her best to help Ladon along, with questionable results) when they were interrupted by a knock on the door (shave and a haircut, two bits!). "Tatiana," said a male voice, "I'm home. Are you decent?"
Her face flushed red, and she paused the game. "Yeah, Uncle Ivan," she called back, and the door opened to a man who looked a great deal more like Tate than an uncle should. They had the same eyes; her nose, too strong for classical beauty, was an echo of his. Both of them were tall and slim, gangly as hell. His hair was blonde, but otherwise their coloring was exactly the same. Setting her controller aside, gesturing at Ladon, she introduced him: "This is Ladon Shepard, a friend from school."
"I figured," said Ivan in a long-suffering tone. "Considering you and Giselle weren't plotting world domination again. It's nice to meet you, Ladon, I'm Doctor Ivan Konstantin." He held out one hand--his hands were even like Tate's, slim with artistic finger's, pianist hands--for Ladon to shake.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:11 pm
Saying they were playing Halo had very little meaning to him, but he took the controller with an air of someone who’d been playing Halo all their life. This was proven wrong the moment he actually started playing. He kept changing his weapons when he didn’t want to, accidentally throwing bombs in random directs that never actually were in the direction of the enemy, and got lost several times trying to find Tate. As far as partners went in the game world, it would have been better to shoot Ladon’s player and dragged him around.
It was in the middle of gunfire where Tate was killing enemies one by one while Ladon tried to figure out how to use a scope that they heard a rapping at the door. When Ladon has tried to picture what her Uncle Ivan would have looked like, he had not come close to creating someone who shared so many similarities to Tate. He expected to search his face and features for hidden little clues that connected them, but these signs were out in the open for him to pick up. Like most men, Ladon picked part traits he envied. Height was one and the air of confidence that came with experienced.
Quick to be polite, he set the controller aside and stood up to greet her uncle. The handshake was warm and strong, but not crushing, showing a consideration for the other. Giving three shakes, he released. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Konstantin.” The doctor was the most impressive of all, and he tried to imagine the man before him bending over an operating table as a nurse dabbed his brow.
“We haven’t known each other long enough to plot world domination. I’m still trying to learn Halo.” Ladon joked, but wondered who Giselle was? Another friend?
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 4:12 pm
"Ah, the vagaries of Halo," said Ivan, picking up Tate--it was a close thing to her being too tall for him to do that--and depositing her three feet away from the couch so he could steal her spot. "Tate has tried many a time to show me the magic of the 'first person shooter', but you can't teach an old dog new tricks, now can you."
From her spot on the floor (she'd tried to halt her relocation to no avail) she said, "Not a dog as old as you, Uncle Ivan." She punched him in the knee and flopped onto her back, arms over her eyes.
Ivan smiled at Ladon. "Try to avoid the plotting, it'll suck you in." He ran a hand through his hair, poked Tate in the side with his toes. She grimaced and slapped at his leg again. "Your mother will be home soon," he said. "You'll want your friend out of here before then."
She sat up then, frowning. "She had a party tonight, didn't she?"
"She's not feeling well," said Ivan, and that seemed to be answer enough for both of them. Making a face, Tate slapped her head against the floor; it was soft, so there was no sound and it probably didn't hurt, either.
It was a long moment before she rolled up onto her feet. "Are you ready, Ladon? We don't have to, but Mariska's pretty nuts."
"'Mother'," corrected Ivan.
"Mariska. Anyway. It's up to you."
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:47 pm
When it came to parents, he usually thought it polite to meet them, but the tone in which Tate used her mother’s name told him that meeting Mariska would not be enjoyable for any of them. There was also the suggestion that being sick at a party usually meant alcohol, and while he didn’t say anything, he pretended to check his cellphone for the time and nodded. “I guess I should be heading back. It might be good if your mother could come home to not have people here.” He said it for the purpose of sounding nice, but he had a feeling either of them could care less what Mariska thought if she should find visitors.
Rising up, he turned and smiled to Dr. Konstantin. He liked the man for correcting Tate on trying to get her to use the word mother as family had been important to Ladon, and he felt easy in feeling that he had been right in thinking that Ivan was a kind man. A man that took care of his niece and held a respectable job, that even if he was tired afterwards, still came to check in. “I hope to see you again. It was nice meeting you.”
Heading back down the steps, Ladon yawned and looked back at Tate. It had been a nice visit. “He seems nice. I didn’t know he was a doctor. Must be tiring.” The man looked about ready to go to bed.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:05 pm
To his credit, Ivan managed a solemn nod. He get off Tate's couch, pulled his niece up to her feet, and patted her on the head. "I'm almost too tall for you to do that," said the brunette resentfully, batting his hand away; Dr. Konstantin smiled and meandered out of the room and along the hall.
"Take care, Ladon," he called over his shoulder as the two high schoolers went down the stairs.
She sat down in the entre-sol to put on her shoes. "So, that's my uncle." With a sigh, she pulled his shoes out and passed them over. Her expression had been pretty open when they had been playing Halo, warm when Ivan had come in, but now she looked like someone waiting for the gallows. "If it's tiring, he's never acted like it. My father's a doctor, too. Mariska doesn't work at all, which is frustrating."
Her shrug was wide, all-encompassing as she grabbed her keys, wallet and coat. "Let's head out before she gets in. You don't want to meet Mariska when she's been boozing."
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:44 pm
Throwing his shoes down, he leaned down and started to unlace them and put them on one by one. He never could bring himself to just shove them in like some people, and made sure they were good and tight before standing back up. There was a lot he could ask and say about what Tate jus said. He wondered if Tate’s mom married for money, if she ever had a job, and if she was using her father. Then again, he could ask about what the father thought of this, but neither parent were home and that pretty much summed up how good they were in the child-raising department.
“Yeah. ..well, I hope your mother comes home and just, goes to sleep.” He also had to wonder if she was driving! He hated that idea, and he instantly grew to dislike Mariska.
Stepping outside was enough to remind anyone it was winter, and he was glad he wore a soft sweater to keep out the chill. Heading to the car, he got through the passenger’s side that slowly started to warm up. Little puffs of their breath floated before them, but it wasn’t long till Tate turned on the heating. Leaning back, he put on his seat belt and looked back at the house. “Thanks for inviting me over.” It didn’t go bad at all, which surprised him.
It nagged at him why she even bothered to invite him over. They just met. He....he had to ask. "Can I ask something? Do you invite a lot of people over even after just meeting them once?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:10 pm
"I would that we were so lucky," said Tate; she picked her way down the front walk to her car, unlocked it and tumbled into the driver's side. "No, not really. Actually, usually it's just me and Giselle. I just... I dunno." Her comments on anything else were smothered by the sound of her car's engine starting. Since they were still in park, she pulled out her cell phone and went to the navigator, secured Ladon's address and got directions. "All right," she said, putting on her seatbelt; "Ten minutes."
Ladon must have been tired; he fell asleep practically right away, which didn't bother her too much. She didn't have anything to say, and besides that, it meant that the silence wasn't awkward. When they got to his house (the mailbox said Shepard, anyway) she nudged him awake, made sure he made it to the door all right. Then she sighed, put the car back in drive, and headed home.
[FIN]
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