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 Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:44 am
Julien watched him thoughtfully for a few minutes, his expression wholly serious and unsmiling as he evaluated that look in Toulouse's eyes, and then he set his jaw, squeezing Toulouse's hand a little more. "Maybe... you need to," he said, his voice soft, meant only for Toulouse's ears. "Maybe it's something you have to face, in order to live properly again." Oh, that serious, so-adult tone in a child's voice... "Besides," Julien added after a moment, and finally his nearly-constant smile returned, gentle and tender as he softened his words. "I'll be right there to protect you the whole time."
Mireille watched Julien, stunned at what she was hearing. It wasn't the words, though she certainly hadn't expected anything like wisdom out of a child's mouth. It was the tone... so perfectly Julien and yet so perfectly not... that threw her.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:41 am
“Ironic,” Toulouse sighed. “how you make me feel the child. I’m not sure what the proper way is anymore.” Toulouse looked up at the clear blue sky, running his fingers through his hair. “Des cendres a cendres…the world still continues moving even though I am standing still.” His voice was an almost inaudible whisper as he absently kissed the back of Julien’s hands, more for comforts sake then anything else as Toulouse remember better, warmer days. “You make me a fool and that’s why I think I like you so much. I won’t be a liar Julien. I can’t promise you anything.” Toulouse looked at Julien sadly with the air of someone who has given up. “I can only try.”
Felicity watched the conversation between Julien and Toulouse unfold. She felt like she was on the outside of things again. Julien was a strange as Toulouse with the things he said.
Felicity wanted so much to reach out to Toulouse and help him. She always wanted to help him when he had the depressing aura about him. He would never take her help though. Felicity drew her hands in close to her stomach. She would just watch as usual. At least Toulouse seemed to have agreed for the lessons.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:50 am
"Trying is all I ask," Julien said gently, his eyes soft and sympathetic as he watched Toulouse. "There is no shame in not being able to do something, if you've honestly tried," he added, moving a bit forward, his hands still held but his body leaning forward just enough to give a semblance of a hug. "And like I said," he added, his voice as gentle as he could make it, as his hands squeezed Toulouse's fingers. "I'll be there to protect you."
Mireille glanced over at Felicity, then reached out, touching the woman's shoulder and waiting for only a moment before shifting to sit next to Felicity silently.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:23 am
“My aren’t we just serious.” Toulouse laughed loudly, once again flicking the brim of Julien’s hat in an attempt to change the subject. “I’m hungry, are you?”
“Totally!” Felicity cried awkwardly while clapping her hands together. She was glad that the serious atmosphere was starting to dissipate. Things were starting to get a little too intense. “I’ve brought sandwiches and things. I hope you’re hungry too Mir cause I’m famished!”
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:53 am
Julien chuckled, nodding as he let Toulouse change the subject, though his eyes were still a little too sharply watching the other boy, the only hint that while the others were content to let the intense atmosphere slide, Julien himself was not. "Definitely hungry," he said, though, his tone cheerful and carefree.
Mireille laughed, stretching a bit where she sat on the ground. "Can I help with anything, Felicity?" she asked, shifting onto her knees.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:14 pm
“Excellent.” Toulouse crowed. “Felicity brought these little things called cupcakes. I’m still not quite sure what they are, but they did smell delicious.” Toulouse breathed a sigh of relief, happy that Jules had let the subject drop. It was much easier for the blond to pretend he really was a child and not some freak of nature in which fate had played a cruel trick on. Toulouse didn’t like remembering and he definitely didn’t like to air his dirty laundry in front of Felicity. She was innocent and didn’t need to know things.
Toulouse still wasn’t sure how much his trust in Jules went. There was just some things that he felt were better left unsaid, some things that needed to be left in the dark.
“Nope, I’m good.” Felicity replied digging into her overly stuffed backpack. “I just gotta dump all the food out.” This was promptly done, successfully scattering individual wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a container of the illusive cupcakes that Toulouse had spoken of. A few juice packs and bottles of water completed the pile.
“There.” Felicity said satisfied, beaming at the food. “I don’t know if you brought anything Mir, but there should be enough here to feed everyone if you didn’t. Tuck in I guess.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 4:14 pm
Julien's smile shifted, his eyes gentling as he watched Toulouse's evident enjoyment of the thought. He moved to sit down on the other side of the food from the adults, reaching out to help organize things even as Mireille twisted around to get their own hamper of food and the canvas bag she'd brought with her. "I've got some things in here," she grinned, pulling out a paper plate piled with finger sandwiches and wrapped in clingwrap, a sandwich bag of pickles, some potato chips, a tub of potato salad, and some plastic silverware and paper plates. "I only brought water for us to drink, though," she added as she handed each of them a plate. "And the sandwiches are ham and cheese, pimento cheese, and plain ham."
Immediately, Julien reached for the pickles, opening the bag and fishing one out before holding it out to Toulouse with a grin. "Try these," he encouraged, eyes sparkling. "They're really sour."
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:08 pm
Toulouse wrinkled his noise at the long, green thing that Jules was hold out to him. It smelt kind of fishy and looked to have generous warts spread over the outside. Toulouse didn’t know what to make of it. “What is that?” Toulouse queried, his face shocked in obvious horror. “I’m not supposed to eat this am I? There‘s no sugar.” He said this even while reaching for the funny knobby thing so that he could get a closer look at it.
“You’re selection is much more healthy.” Felicity laughed glad for the change. Toulouse ate way too much sugar. “I’m glad that you brought plates and utensils though, because I didn’t even think about it. To Toulouse, the word fork is taboo.”
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing. Why use a fork and knife when I have two perfectly good hands?” Toulouse asked, still woefully eying the thing in his hand.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:16 pm
"It's a pickle," Julien grinned, offering the bag again. "And you do eat it. See?" He bit his own with a loud, wet crunch, closing his mouth a moment before his face screwed up at the sour taste and he shivered violently. But he ate the bite, grinning widely when the involuntary reaction finished.
"I'm not that sure about more healthy," Mireille shrugged, smiling wryly. "I promised Jules some ice cream on the way home. And the utensils are mostly for the potato salad. It gets really messy with hands," she laughed.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:46 pm
“That sour eh?” Toulouse looked at the thing called a pickle in his hand. It didn’t look very filling. Slowly, with utmost caution, he stuck his little pink tongue out and licked one side of the pickle. “Bleck.” It really didn’t really taste like anything, still he supposed he would actually have to bite into the noxious little thing to get the complete taste.
As slow as the first time, Toulouse bit a off one end of the pickle. It was sour!
“It burns!” Toulouse whined, his lips puckering up in reaction. “Why would you want to subject yourself to this work of evil?” Toulouse cried shaking the offending pickl menacingly. “Still, very interesting taste to say the least.”
“Oh, that would be so gross!” Felicity squealed at the though of her hands squishing around the potato salad. “That be as scary as-as swimming in a pool of noodles! Ew! Can I try some of your infamous salad Mir?” It may squish funny, but potato salad did taste good.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:34 am
Julien was too busy laughing at Toulouse's reaction to pay much attention to Mireille or Felicity. Indeed, he was clutching his clean hand against his waist, eyes bright as he watched his friend. "It's not evil," he gasped out after a moment, forcing himself to catch his breath. "It's just food." He managed to calm down for several minutes before his eyes slipped down to the pickle still in Toulouse's hand, and then he was off again, giggling wildly.
"I don't know about... infamous...," Mireille started, pausing with the spoon halfway out of the bowl of salad as she stared at Julien. For several moments, there was only confusion on her face before his giggles infected her, and she snickered as she finished dishing a portion onto a plate for Felicity. "Here... here you go," she managed, handing it over and wondering what had gotten into the boy!
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:38 pm
“Well, that’s that.” Toulouse huffed seriously, dropping the yucky pickle. However, Jules’ laughing made him smile at how ridiculous it all was. Toulouse then found himself laughing too.
“Okay, now it’s my turn Jules. I ate your pickle and now you have to eat my cupcake.” Toulouse managed to choke out between fits of laughter. “Okay?” He was already hauling the small Tupperware of deliciousness into his lap., a smile still playing on his lips.
Felicity chuckled. She couldn’t believe Toulouse was laughing, actually laughing! She didn’t think she had ever seen the kid smile, let along laugh. She nodded to herself. Yes, Julien was definitely a good influence on him. She foresaw more get-togethers in the future. Julien made Toulouse totally loosen up. Felicity liked seeing him happy. What a wonderful day!
“Thanks.” Felicity smiled at Mir, taking her helping of potato salad. She grabbed a fork and managed to popped a mouthful in around her giggling. “This is super yummy Mir!”
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:58 pm
"Let me finish my pickle first," Julien protested, chomping away at his own pickle with large bites, the juice running down his chin. He was rushing, but he was curious about the cupcakes, too, and he did owe it to Toulouse, after all.
Mireille just watched the boys for a moment before nodding to Felicity and reaching for a sandwich. "Thank you. I'll get you the recipe, if you like? It's not all that hard to make, really." She glanced back at the boys, then at Felicity again. "I'm glad they get along so well!"
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:11 pm
“Hurry faster.” Toulouse demanded imperiously with a laugh. “Your sugar high awaits! These little beauties are covered in chocolate and filled with chocolate. I love chocolate.” Toulouse said this as he set a cupcake in front of Julian while cramming his own into his mouth in nearly a single bite. “Yummy.” Toulouse purred melting into the bliss that was sugar.
“I know, me too. Toulouse hardly ever gets along with anybody. I’m glad he has someone he can laugh with. He rarely ever does. Oh! I totally want this recipe. This salad tastes waaay better than the one I make at home.” Felicity replied happily, watching Toulouse delve cutely into his cupcake. She smiled remembering how he had nearly ripped the batter covered bowl from her hands earlier that morning.
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