|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:02 pm
"Definitely not both, no," Julien shook his head, even as he moved to some very plain white fabric and starting to unroll it. "We might not even have one done today. But I knew you'd want something to take home with you, so I had something planned out," he grinned, glancing up at Toulouse as he worked, measuring out the whole of the backing. "I have the quilt my egg was found in, and I thought you could take it as a loan... just until your quilt is done," he suggested, eyes warm. "What do you think?"
"They really are close, aren't they?" Mireille said with a smile, sipping her own coffee. "I remember being so certain that... here was this little boy in my house and I didn't know anyone who I could introduce him to. I guess he solved that problem on his own..."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:38 pm
“I think that’s really delightful, but are you sure? I mean, I don’t think I would feel right taking something that was so close to you. You know?” The idea of him taking Julien's personal blanket was nice but he was unsure of it. Could he take something like that? Toulouse watched Julien unroll the white fabric curiously. He had absolutely no clue as to what Jules was doing. Toulouse had never made anything but music before and he was unsure of how he could help out. He didn’t want to get in the way.
“Hey!” He said suddenly but then lowered his voice a bit. “How’s your healing abilities coming along?” Toulouse wasn’t quite sure why he said this part quietly. He just did.
“I like to think that they are.” Felicity nodded. “I had the exact same thoughts but more along the lines of wondering if I’d get caught dumping him on the side of the road. Mean huh? Toulouse was a regular wild child right out of the wilderness! I was frightened to be honest. Well, besides that, I’m glad that they are friends now.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:21 pm
"The reason I wanted to make a quilt with you," Julien said as he carefully unfolded and pieced the white fabric together until it was the size of the quilt they'd be making. He used pins to hold the wide strips together. "Is because wrapping up in a quilt is like getting a hug," he continued, talking around the pins sticking out of closed lips. It made him sound a bit odd, and look a little funny, but it helped him get the work done as he crawled around on all fours. He looked up at that point, eyes spearing Toulouse. "You need more hugs, and I can't always be there to give them to you," he told the teen bluntly. "This way, you'll have cloth hugs that we both created. And in the meantime, using my quilt is like getting a hug from me, too. So take it," he added, as the last pin was pulled from his lips.
"The healing is slow," he added, shaking his head a bit. "It's not like people get hurt around here all the time, and I don't want to be too blatant by doing something like waltzing into a hospital to try my hand at things." He paused, moving to get a thin piece of paper to pin to the white. "I haven't given up or anything," he added, not really looking at Toulouse as he worked. "It's just... slow. I keep thinking maybe I should get a job at the pound or something, where there aren't necessarily doctors around."
Mireille chuckled a little awkwardly, looking at Felicity. "The relationship you share with him seems so different from mine with Jules," she admitted, not sure of a more polite way to nudge at it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:34 pm
Toulouse thought about it for a moment as he watched Julien start working on the layout of the quilt. It was a nice thought, a quilt substituting as a hug, though Toulouse didn’t think that he agreed with the fact that he needed a hug all the time. He didn’t need hugs all the time. In fact, he didn’t think he needed them all that much. He never saw himself as a huggy kind of guy. “Alright then. If you insist.” Toulouse said easily not mentioning his misgivings on the matter. “My bed needs a substitute blanket for hugs anyways.”
“Yes, that’s very true. I didn’t think of that.” Toulouse slipped his shoes of his feet and drew his legs up underneath him, crossing them. He balanced his elbow on his knees and cupping his chin in his hands, still watching Julien work. “I wonder if you could heal plants too. There’s never a shortage of wilted ones and they can‘t really feel.” Toulouse leaned forward watching Julien stick the pins in the quilt pattern, curious. When he did, the small golden key around his neck spilled out the front of his shirt. He absently tucked it back out of sight. “You’d have to be very sneaky if you worked at the pound like that. It’s a noble cause though.”
Felicity felt a brush creep up her neck. “Er…well, that’s very true. It’s just that Toulouse started out pretty much all grown up, except for his body of course. There was really nothing that he needed me for. It was like living with a fully grown man but in a child’s body. You can’t really boss you teach a grown-up that you do a child, cause they don’t need that any more.” Felicity realized that she was babbling a bit and wondered if Mir understood.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:53 am
Julien blinked, looking up at Toulouse in surprise. "Plants?" he asked after after a moment, looking rather like a pale dog with the way his head cocked to one side, eyes thoughtful. "I'm not really sure my healing extends to plants. Do you think it would?" he asked, wondering how he would even check such a thing. Toulouse had told him previously it was because of his need to heal others that he'd even stumbled on the powers, but he'd never needed to heal any plants.
Mireille took a long, slow sip of her coffee as she considered Felicity's words before nodding. "That makes sense," she decided quietly. "Julien acted very much like a child. Precocious and frighteningly sure of himself, but he wasn't so very different from the children I've written books for."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:35 pm
“Well, I don’t know.” Toulouse shrugged sticking his tongue out to indicate the rogue comment he had just made. “It was just a thought really cause you can’t just follow people around waiting for them to trip or something like that. Oh well. I guess it’s good that you haven’t had much to practice one. I’ll make sure to keep my eye for more injured kittens.” He said with a laugh. “Should I be doing something?” He added. Julien seemed to be doing all the work and Toulouse felt a little bad for just sitting on the bed watching him.
“That’s lucky that. I kind of wish Toulouse had been a real child so that I could dote on him. He really doesn’t like to be coddled much.” Felicity sighed wistfully. “Ah, well. He’s nice the way he is.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:44 pm
Julien chucked softly, then nodded to the piles of cloth. "Pick out patterns that you want to go in this thing. Once I've figured out how big to make the squares, I'll put you to work cutting them," he added, pausing a moment to watch Toulouse thoughtfully. "I think I'd be happy never mastering these powers if it was because they weren't needed. But they are, really. I just have to figure out how to find the training I need. Not that you're not a good teacher, but I suspect at some point, I'm going to need a person who knows healing well." He sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to his craft. "Would you think it strange if I don't want to heal just bodies?"
"We sound like a couple of old women, sitting around the kitchen table going on about our sons. We should do something, you and I, one of these days," Mir nodded firmly. "The boys are big enough to look after themselves, after all... Julien's completely responsible. Maybe we could do a girl's day out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:24 pm
“Oh, don’t go trying to butter me up. I have very little knowledge in the area of healing and I readily admit it. Now, if you want help on glamour, charms, and levitation then I’m your man.” Toulouse replied thumbing to his chest. He added, “What do you mean by just bodies? Are talking about like saving the environment or something?”
Toulouse started to dig through the pile of fabric around him. All the colors were so vibrant that he didn’t know which ones to choose. “Maybe I should make them after…hmm” He mumbled to himself picking out colors of red and gold and white. He was thinking about having one color for each of his sisters…and his mother of course. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to think about them when looking at the quilt. He’d rather just think of Julien. That was more happy at least.
“Oh don’t even say that word, old!” Felicity gasped in mock horror. “We definitely need to do a girl’s day. I haven’t had one in so long that I can’t even recall how to even have one.” She laughed. “We could go shopping, eat out, see a movie…eat out…” She sighed happily over the thought of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:31 am
"No, not the environment," Julien shook his head, looking up at Toulouse. "Hearts. Minds. Souls, maybe. I don't just want to fix the shell. I want to make the core healthy, too. Does that make any sense?" Finishing pinning the paper in place, Julien took a marker and began to mark carefully along the paper, trying ot sort out how many rows and columns there would be. "Mireille doesn't show it often, but she's so... sad, sometimes. I pass by her door at night, and I can hear her crying, but when I went in, she hid it from me. And she's just one...."
"And the boys can have fun together doing... whatever it is teenage boys do together," Mireille laughed. "Julien would even cook for them. I swear, the only time he leaves the kitchen is to work on other projects. I think he's convinced I'd starve without him."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:01 pm
Toulouse looked at Julien oddly for a moment as if he had suddenly grown two heads. A thousand and one thoughts flitted through his mind as he registered what Julien had just said. Hearts and souls? That was unfathomable to him almost as much as forgiveness was for past deeds was.
“That’s…that’s not possible.” Toulouse replied gloomily his eyebrows furrowing. “Even with your amazing healing abilities, you still don’t have the power to banish the darkness from a person’s soul. You can ease it but you can’t make it magically disappear. You just can’t.” Toulouse stated firmly. He paused for a moment then continued. “If Miss Mireille is sad, then it’s good that she has you and maybe she just doesn’t want you to see her cry is all.”
“I never could figure out what they do.” Felicity replied. “It’s sad. I don’t think Toulouse has ever gotten a descent meal. I can’t cook worth a darn. I guess the only thing to do is to clone Julien and take him home with me!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:20 pm
Julien frowned at Toulouse, moving to sit and watch the other teen directly, the project forgotten for the moment. "I never said it had to be magical healing," he pointed out, shaking his head. "There's no help in that way of doing things. Not for hearts and minds. Healing for hearts and minds is slower, more delicate work than that. It takes patience and love to succeed... and I want to learn how." There was a determined, stubborn cast to his eyes as he stared steadily at Toulouse. "For Mireille, to help her stop crying. ...And for you," he added firmly, brows furrowed and lips a thin line. "There's a wound inside you that I can't heal yet, but I will. I love you too much to leave you hurting."
Mireille laughed brightly at the cloning suggestion. "If I could, I'd bottle up his cooking skills for myself!" she agreed, leaning back in her chair. "I think if you asked, he'd come cook for you one day. He loves to get out and cook for others. Robin takes advantage of it all the time."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:12 pm
Toulouse stood up abruptly, scattering the colored fabrics to the floor. He gave Julien a hard look. It was a look that said he didn’t need help and only needed revenge for things to be better. His fists clenched and unclenched at his side, beginning to sweat slightly. “No. No, you don’t understand. How could you? Nothing bad has ever happened to you. You’ve never loved and lost, otherwise you would understand that something like this could never be washed away.” Toulouse strode to the window, careful not to upset the quilt pattern that Julien had so meticulously plotted out.
Toulouse stared out the window looking at the scenery below, turning his back to Julien. He didn’t want the other boy to see the gruesome smirk that twisted his lips into an ugly grimace. “I will carry this wound, as you call it, for the rest of eternity. There is nothing to be done for it, nothing that could ever make it go away…unless you can bring people back from the dead.” He yanked at his golden hair, twisting a lock of it viciously around his finger. He didn't want Julien to love him to much in any way. Toulouse didn't want to like Julien back either. All the people that he had ever loved had died. He didn't trust love in any form.
Felicity didn’t know who this man Robin was, so she asked. “Who is Robin? I don’t think I’ve ever met him before. Is he your boyfriend or something?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:22 pm
Julien stared at Toulouse's back for several seconds, then pushed himself to his feet, stalking over to stand just behind the teen and reach out to grab his wrist. His grip was gentle but firm as he tried to keep Toulouse from tugging on his hair. "Quit being an a*****e," he told Toulouse, jaw set and eyes reflecting hurt. "I don't deserve it from you, and we both know that."
Mireille's cheerful smile faded, taking on an almost forced feel as she shook her head. "Oh, no. Robin's my agent. He's a good friend," she murmured, looking away as she lifted the mug to her lips again, using the excuse of a long drink to keep from looking at Felicity as she gathered her control again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:55 pm
Toulouse nearly jumped ten feet when he felt Julien grab him by the wrist while saying something in his ear. There was no excuse for what he did next except for bad memories and years of fast reflexes. Without stopping to even think, Toulouse deftly twisted free his wrist while simultaneously spinning his body around Julien’s so that he had successfully switched places with the other boy. Toulouse now had Julien pressed against the window with his body, with both Julien’s wrists gripped in each of his own hands.
Toulouse’s glassy eyes cleared as he looked at Julien with a lost expression on his face. What had he just done? He was shaking so badly that Julien’s hands were shaking along with his. He had heard what Julien had said but it only had just registered. Toulouse gave a choking kind of gasp as he rested his forehead on Julien’s shoulder for a second, a silent apology, before he pushed himself away with a hard force.
He had intended to walk from the room but instead he tripped, having forgotten the quilt on the floor. His momentum from his push had tangled his feet in fabric and sent him sprawling on his butt. Toulouse reached his hand back to catch himself, only to feel a sharp stinging pain. It barely registered in his frantic mind. What had he just done? What would Julien think of him now?
“Really?” Felicity asked interested, completely oblivious to Mir’s discomfort. “I want to take a wild guess and say that it’s for your books right? I have still yet to read one. I bet they are just lovely!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:01 am
Julien blinked as he was pinned, surprised instead of angry at the action. he stared after Toulouse as the blond shoved him away, caught off-guard by the actions as his own anger was derailed, but when Toulouse fell, Julien was immediately moving after him, anger replaced with worry as he reached out. "Are you okay?" came the immediate question, Julien kneeling beside Toulouse with little regard for the remains of the torn paper beneath him, or the two stretches of white fabric now half-unpinned again. "Did you hurt yourself?" There was no anger beneath the worry, no hurt banked in his eyes.
"Thank you. I hope you like them when you do read one. They're meant for young adults," Mireille said, relaxing as Felicity didn't push the 'boyfriend' angle at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
