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 Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:38 pm
"Well," said Gale, as he pushed the key into the lock, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "If you ever wanted a place to stay that's not the creepy basement, you can always stay in my house. The lounge in the front room is free."
He pushed open the door to his house and gestured for Nora to come in, tossing his keys onto the little side table just beside the front door. Sliding his coat off, he hung it on the coat rack and kept walking in the direction of the kitchen.
"Twenty questions sounds fair to me," he said, with a small hint of amusement to his voice. "Though I have questions for you as well."
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 8:38 pm
"Brilliant." She had to admit, it was one thing to bum off her parents and quite another to be considering doing the same towards a younger cousin. Then again, considering Nora had found herself in a realm where weapons could talk inside heads and cannibalize what they used to be in the fight against actual, breathing nightmares, maybe that was the least strange thing in her life now.
Plus, he had a very nice pad. Nora eyed the couch as they passed into the kitchen, untucking her own scarf and letting it hang around her shoulders for the moment.
"Of course you do. Let's see, then." She leaned over the counter and propped herself up over crossed arms, letting him get their drinks. "Name, age, height, and weight."
She took the name "Twenty Questions" quite literally.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:15 pm
In the little yellow kitchen in the little yellow house, Gale went about making the tea, getting the bags down from the cabinet and pulling out the kettle and filling it with water before setting it on the tiny stove. He fiddled with the controls for a moment, avoiding Nora's prying questions for as long as he could.
Finally, when everything was set up, he had no choice. A small sigh escaped his throat, and Gale turned sideways to face his cousin, arms folded across his chest.
"Stormy Ortega," he said. "Nineteen. Uh. Shorter than me, but not much. Weight..." His face colored. "I don't ask her that."
A pause, and then he said, "Now my turn."
Another pause, this one longer, more prolonged. Gale fidgeted where he stood.
"Have...have you seen my parents?" he asked finally, his voice quiet.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:01 pm
She stole glances around, taking in her surroundings as much as she did Gale's obvious discomfort on the matter. It was always more entertaining when the interrogated squirmed~ Some things might be drastically different here, but a boy with a crush was the same no matter where you went. "Ortega," Nora repeated, failing to hide a grin as Gale blushed."Sounds exotic. What kind of name is 'Stormy', though?"
Her smile remained, even if it wasn't quite as brilliant. "Saw them around Christmas. Don't worry they're fine, before you ask. Everyone's fine. Uncle Ralph's mustache mutated into a full grown beard, though." She made a face, half because the sight was not fine at all, half to try and humor Gale.
It was Nora's turn to pause for a moment before she added more gently, "I think they've accepted you two being gone, really. Your mum smiles more at least. The whole thing sort of . . . Well, all of us kept in better contact after the funeral." It was back to that ugly mire of trying to be helpful while navigating around sensitive topics she never thought she'd have to address again. "I think it helped. Mum had us stop by when we could, help them through it little by little."
She idly traced a finger against the counter, listening to the water boil.
"How long you been with her?" Nora picked up hastily, almost nervous even about the silence. "Found out if she had any priors per chance, or do I get the privelege?" Pseudonyms had to mean something awful, no?
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:48 pm
"A good name," said Gale offhandedly, still busying himself with the tea, mostly so he could have something to do with his hands. There was a certain tension to his shoulders that eased slightly at Nora's answer, though he slumped forward, his back towards her, expression hidden behind his slightly too-long hair.
"Good," he said, fiddling with a sugar packet. "Good, that's...that's good."
He coughed, pushed the sugar into a drawer and then began opening cabinets, trying to remember where he'd stuck the strainer and the right teacups.
"Almost a year," said Gale. "Er, well, eight months or so, I guess if you want specifics. And no, she doesn't have any priors; blimey, I forgot you always did want to be one of the coppers, eh? Don't worry, I checked to make sure she wasn't a mass murderer or anything before I asked her out."
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:37 pm
Sounded more like a stage name, but even Nora was tactful enough to keep that to herself until she met the girl (and promptly get to say as much to "Stormy's" face once she had found the hidden, undesireable traits that would give her the right to give the girl a hard time). "Well, that's a load off," she snorted. "I'll go right ahead and mark it off the list, after 'cannibal' but before 'scientologist.'"
Eight months, though, hrm. Nora was starting to feel, aside from the uniform, that Deus was just a blown up university with weapons thrown in the mix, rather than an actual military base of opersations. For the sake of being a nosey family member, she'd have to look into this soon; someone had to watch the kid.
"So, you really fancy her then?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:07 pm
"She's not a cannibal either, I checked," Gale said delicately, setting out the saucers. "Though Scientology, well...."
He trailed off deliberately, and set a teacup down on each saucer. Spoons were next, set carefully beside the cup, and then he was looking in the cabinets again, trying to figure out where he'd put the sugar he'd had not five minutes ago. Finally finding it in one of the upper cabinets, Gale said, "I do fancy her heaps."
His cheeks were still pink as he set a packet of sugar (cube sugar was much harder to come by) beside each cup, opposite to the spoon.
"Enough about me," said Gale hastily. "What about you? What have you been up to since...since I, er, left?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:42 pm
Nora gave him a look. "You can't be serious. Good thing I stopped by, then. Can't have my last available relative traipsing about with someone as bonkers as that, sorry."
What's a Scientology, Norrie?
A desperate excuse to go tax-free.
Free? I like the sound of that~ We should try it!
"Let's not," Nora accidentally replied aloud, sighing as Gale prepared the tea and making a vague gesture. "Sorry, thing in my head. Anyways, me. Er." She had to think back as it had been a while.
"Errr. Well, let's see. You still remember Fay, my daughter? She'll be turning . . ." Nora tapped her fingers on the counter to count it out. ". . . six this year. Still has a knack for charming the cats long enough to give them new colorful stripes. Think they secretly like the attention at this point." Her tone warmed at the memory of the time it took to clean the cats as well as the walls Fay had streaked with her artistic license. "I got past my probational period a couple of years after college, thankfully. The money situation was tough; had to keep asking friends and the fam to help watch if West couldn't be there. Saw some of those shadow things while on the job, though; didn't make for easy sleep."
Her face darkened for a moment before she forged on.
"Wasn't the best place needless to say, but we were trying. I had a row with the chief over a few cases around the time the recruiter came by. Told them no at first--had a family and all, couldn't just up and leave. Mum and Dad kept the pressure up about other things, though." Nora shrugged, glossing over it quickly. "Eventually, saying yes was the better option."
She paused, fiddling with a scarf tail.
"It's funny. I left Fay with your parents before I left. West's good, but . . . not on his own, I imagine. Needs the help. And now here I am, watching you. Nice trade-off, eh?" she observed with a little smile.
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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:02 pm
"Kidding," said Gale delicately, "I was kidding. I'd never feed into that hogwash, you know that."
Fay, my daughter.
He'd forgotten that Nora had had a daughter; when last he'd seen her, she'd only been about two, maybe not even that - which meant that Nora had left her behind. Six years old, and would never see her mother again. The thought was strange, oddly disconcerting, and Gale fiddled with the controls to the stovetop, turning down the heat as the kettle gave a sharp whistle.
"So they get Fay and you get me," he said, and tipped the kettle, pouring boiling water into one teacup and then the other. "Though I would hardly call it watching me; I'm eighteen now, old enough to watch myself."
He dipped the tea bag into the water and then passed the saucer and cup to Nora, taking the other for himself.
"What do you think of Deus so far?" Gale asked, turning to lean against the counter, absently dipping his tea bag up and down.
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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:13 pm
"Dad always tried to enforce the rule of 'adulthood at twenty-five' on me. For you, I'm thinking . . . closer to thirty would be better," she mused aloud with that same little smile, nodding in thanks as she took her cup. "Just to be on the safe side." Nora didn't kid herself by thinking Gale was incompetent by any means, not after three years; but at this point it had to be her duty to ensure he continued living. She owed his family that much.
Being overbearing just made it more fun.
It was good to hold a cup of tea in a way she couldn't explain, and for a moment Nora let her eyes close as she inhaled the smell of their drinks as they steeped. "I've only been around a couple of days, so I'm not sure yet," she replied. "Bloke named Evan Roberts woke me up, and after he learned I had some restless leg syndrome, he tells me this is a paramilitary organization meant to save the world from all its fears, things of that nature. Sounds good on paper. Personally, though, I still think this is leaning towards a cult, what with the 'secretive' and 'armed' bits; nobody without regular authority watching them's going to stay good for long, if you want my honest opinion." She opened one eye to look at him. "Knowing they got kids here doesn't exactly help that impression."
Then she shrugged. "But what do I know, eh? I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I have a poodle sharing my headspace all the time now."
I AM TAKING MANY OFFENSES, NO-NO.
"Yup." She popped the 'p' and chuckled, opening both her eyes now to gaze at Gale. "Your turn. How's your tour been here so far?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 10:20 pm
"I'm still an adult at eighteen," Gale said, with a slight scowl at Nora. "I made full Hunter when I was still sixteen, and here that makes me an adult." He pointed a finger (rudely) in her direction. "I'm perfectly capable of making reasonable adult decisions.
Mostly.
Evan's name evoked a tiny smile from Gale. "Ahhh, yes, I know Evan," he said, taking a sip of his tea. "He's one of my girlfriend's...brothers, sort of. Haven't talked to him too much, to be honest, but I tend to stay clear of people who are overprotective of their siblings."
This was said very pointedly, a look at Nora, before he sighed.
"It's had it's ups and downs." Mostly downs, though he kept that part to himself. "I would tell you all the nitty gritty details, but I don't want to frighten you," Gale added loftily, taking another swallow of tea.
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 11:05 pm
Nora snorted. "Sorry? Couldn't hear you over all that hot air," she replied as she blew on her tea a little more before sipping. "Making as much noise as the kettle, you were, nice bleedin' eeeeeeeee in my ears." There was a touch of warmth behind her words, however, in hearing about his achievements. This manifested in the additional and just as affectionate, "Good to know you weren't sitting on your arse for three years."
It was also good to know Evan would be sympathetic to her cause if she brought it up. Comical as her overbearing attitude might seem, Nora had seen enough relationships gone sour both on and off the job and was quite serious about mapping out any relationship of Gale's--especially in this oddjob of a place.
"Humor me, O Ye of Little Height," she insisted, looking down her nose at him as she continued to drink. "I love a good ghost story before bedtime."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 8:58 am
In a burst of unprofessionalism and childish behavior, Gale stuck out his tongue at Nora, something he only would have done with Leslie normally, or maybe even Stormy, if he let his guard down. In spite of her proudness and her confidence, Nora was still family, and he knew she was just looking out for him.
And teasing him.
He slid a sideways scowl in Nora's direction but then sighed, taking a sip of his tea.
"People die here," Gale said finally, quietly. "It's not all fun and games here, which some people seem to forget. It's messy and tough and intense and sometimes when you leave for a mission you don't know whether you're going to be coming back."
He shrugged his shoulders. "But the people here are good (mostly). There are a few that I tend to steer clear of, but there are some good folk here."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 10:56 am
She barked a laugh and stuck her tongue out in return without batting an eye. Six year old. Eighteen year old. Some things just didn't change with age. "Ah well, that's the way it usually goes with things of this nature," Nora said with a verbal shrug as she drained her cup. "Nothing worth saving isn't without its risks. Not much different than being on the force really, supernatural elements aside. We'll be alright." She felt like she could fit right in. (Or else she'd shove herself in, at any rate.) "So, how's about you give me the report while we take a tour of your place," she suggested, setting the empty cup back on the saucer. "Knowing ahead of time who's more likely to go ax crazy on the job would just be fantastic."
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 10:44 pm
He smiled slightly. Efficient as ever, that was the Nora he remembered growing up. She'd always been the more confident one, the one that had always seemed so put together, so capable. He'd been the younger cousin always clinging to his mother's skirts.
And now she was here; the first family member he had that wasn't stuck in a pod. It was strange, really.
Gale shrugged, setting down his own teacup.
"There's not much," he said, pushing away from the counter and making his way into the living room. "This is the sitting area, where we sit. The kitchen you've already seen. Upstairs is my bedroom and the guest room, and the loo, and other than that..."
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