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 Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:37 pm
It had been supposed to be a 'girl's night out' at the Nest, with Hera taking charge, herding the other girls towards the movie theatre. Eri was (kind of) the oldest, so she was the one driving, but Hera, with the much more dominant personality, directed the endeavor. The drive itself progressed mostly uneventfully, except for the bickering over who would sit where, with it finally being decided that Kiku would sit in the back between Imelda's car-seat and Erianthe's demanded seat. Renjyo and Eleanor were pushed to the center of the van, with Hera taking shotgun as appointed navigator. It wasn't that bad, Hera reflected as they drove in mostly silence-- it had only taken them two hours to get into the car and settled. Not bad at all.
Surprisingly enough, the choice of movie hadn't been too difficult either. That was the part which truly surprised Hera, since she'd estimated another hour of bickering before they mutually agreed on the movie. Undoubtedly that was the doing of Kiku's dazed nature over the past few months, Erianthe and Imelda's near worship of Erimentha, and the fact that Renjyo and Eleanor were easily overruled in these cases.
"All right! So, Music and Lyrics it is!" Hera proclaimed, inwardly grimacing. This was one of those lovey-dovey movies that the girl would just gag over, but what choice did she have? The other kids had all agreed. Who was she to be the downer at this point?
Imelda whined as she clung to Eri, not liking the dark of the theatre as they entered. Too dark for the little orchid girl, she didn't like the dark... but there were pretty sounds and Eri's pearl earrings glowed in the dark. That made it a little better as they were led deeper into the theatre, to where they all sat in a nice row, a slight scuffle for who got to sit where taking up the bulk of the previews.
Was this what it was going to be like when she had her own little child? Eri wondered as she indulged Imelda, letting the baby sit on her lap. This kind of closeness, this way they all laughed, related so well to each other-- would this be what it was like? Would her child fit in with the cousins as well as they all fit together? What if she or he didn't? Would that-- no thinking now. Movie.
Erianthe smirked slightly to herself as they sat in the dark, her tail swooshing about in anticipation of what was coming. The lights were off and now they would watch and then they would play! Girl's night out had its wonderful moments. It was why Erianthe knew she could always count on her cousins to play with. They loved being tricked or at least responded well-- oooooh! MUSIC.
Quiet, Kiku watched the movie, not really paying attention. Too much had been happening recently. There had been a rush of pieces of information, Aunt Arch, who carried that strange sense like her Teacher, though the Lady claimed to not know Kiku... and then, of course, Eri, who seemed to be older, but she'd only just come into the family... Kiku didn't understand all of it. Perhaps she wasn't meant to. Either way, it seemed odd, and it kept her from considering things the way she normally would. She had to lose herself in the movie.
This movie really had been Renjyo's choice-- though she'd never admit that to Hera, since big mean older sister would probably have chosen a different one. She'd let Eri know which one she'd wanted to see and watched her cousin skillfully convince everyone to listen because everyone listened to Eri because she was the new one and the sweet one and didn't live with them, which made it easier on everyone. But Renjyo had heard the music and she wanted to hear more and more and more because that was the way that you learned about the music. It was different kind of music, pretty costumes than the rock from Japan Renjyo had consumed herself with recently, but not bad. Good, even... good to learn more about music.
Eleanor watched in silence, not really understanding. She'd only agreed to come along on this outing because... well, frankly, it was more interesting than staying at home with the adults and males. And besides, movies were interesting-- a way to observe that which was real which had become false which was being portrayed as something real. She could appreciate the irony in all of it, the way no one really did or said what they meant, all from a script someone had dreamed up to try to express something which didn't really exist.
After the movie, Eri took the girls to get ice cream, wondering when, really, they would be able to head back to the house. After all, things were happening now, and Eri was somewhat anxious to get back to her precious cabbage plant, even if it meant cutting short her time with her cousins. Ah well. Best to go with what was happening here, letting the girls have their fun, right? Besides, they were on their way soon enough, back to the house, back towards the rest of the family.
Something was different about Eri now, and Immy didn't like it. She didn't want her Eri to not pay attention, to be distracted enough to make it so Immy felt left out. Eri was the only one who really would play with Immy, and the fact that Eri wasn't being her usual self made the little Vale unhappy. It wasn't fair, wasn't right. Things weren't supposed to be done this way. It wasn't the way she was used to. It made Immy want to scream, but Eri had responded badly to screams in the past. Unhappily, the little girl shifted in Eri's arms, sucking on the spoonful of ice cream she'd been given.
Something weird was happening with the family tonight. It wasn't the same as it usually was, with their rampant running about playing tag in the dark. Eri felt weird, Kiku was being a cloudhead the way she'd been since Aunty Arch showed up at the Nest for the first time with Eri in tow, Renjyo was being quiet for once, seeming to digest the movie, Eleanor was never any fun, Hera was being bossy like usual, and Immy was just a baby, so Erianthe felt more than a little frustrated. She wanted to go somewhere, do something. Break into the zoo and see all the animals, something heroic! Something that took courage! But no one else seemed to have that drive tonight, which was a disappointment. 'Anthe was still too young to do this sort of thing on her own. So she just sulked a little, eating her double chocolate chocolate mint ice cream with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate fudge sauce and wanting everythings to go back to the way they were supposed to be.
Maybe it was just that the movie had been strange, but Hera could feel the tension in her sisters and her cousin. Things weren't going well. "All right, time to head home, I think," Hera finally decided, the blue girl pushing a strand of hair back, annoyed that it had fallen free of her high ponytail. "Besides, it's getting cold, and since no one really thought to bring a jacket," a pointed look at Renjyo and Erianthe, the two who were beginning to shiver slightly, "we should get back before people get sick and Mom gets mad at us. All right?"
Hera was always so bossy! But Renjyo shrugged, finishing up her vanilla ice cream and tossing it away. She'd gotten all dressed up for tonight, and she wasn't even getting to show it off? Oh well. The movie had been fun, with songs about sweet people and strange loves and people who were saying things they didn't mean and doing things they didn't say. People people.
"You probably want to wash off your makeup before we get back," Eleanor murmured to Renjyo. None of the other girls had really noticed the child's attempt at makeup-- a half-decent attempt, in Renjyo's defense. "Mother won't be pleased to know you've been in her collection again.
Renjyo rolled her eyes as she wiped it off, part of her glad Eleanor remembered to remind her. Mother had already gotten angry at her once for that same thing-- Renjyo wasn't really ready to repeat that.
Standing as well, Kiku moved to the car, gently helping herd everyone else along. The night had been spoiled before it had even begun, hadn't it? Something strange was infecting the girls of this family, and Kiku had yet to discover what it was...
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:52 pm
Eleanor stared out at the sunset on the roof of the house, relaxing in the fading heat of the day. It was... pretty. Striking. At least, so she was told. She didn't really understand what they meant. It was nothing that didn't happen every night. And yet... she'd made a deal with Renjyo that between the two of them, they'd each try seeing it from the other's point of view for a week to try to get a better environment in the house, since everyone had been on edge, and the two younger girls wanted to fix that. And now... how could she admit to Renjyo that she'd been coming up here everyday, just as Renjyo did, and couldn't understand the 'wonder', Renjyo felt, the 'longing'?
Stepping onto the roof, Renjyo smiled slightly at the sight of Eleanor trying to relax and yet trying so hard to figure out what was out there that Renjyo adored. "Can't do it, can you?" Renjyo laughed quietly as she moved to sit next to Eleanor.
Turning to stare at the older girl who'd come out here to talk to her, Eleanor shrugged. "...it's... harder than I thought," she admitted after a long moment. "I thought that... I'd be able to understand this by now." And this was just the first part she'd wanted to try to understand about her sister to complete the trade. "...but it doesn't make any sense to me."
"I'm not surprised it doesn't make sense to you," Renjyo confessed, smiling slightly at the beauty of the sunset. "You have a hard time with the emotional stuff. Just like I have a hard time giving it up long enough to understand you. But... we still get along better than the rest of the family, right?" she suggested gently.
So... Renjyo was saying that it was okay if they didn't understand each other? When had the little girl gotten this sort of wisdom? It was uncharacteristic of her. Eleanor turned to look at Renjyo, considering her for a long moment, questioning with those dark eyes.
"...I've been talking a lot with Kiku. She says some interesting things about how we should deal with each other when she's not jumpy about everything," Renjyo shrugged, giving Eleanor a slight smile. "Does that make sense?" she offered as she turned back to the sun setting over the woods surrounding the house. "I want to try to be more like her. She's calmer."
Calmer... but still passionate. Eleanor understood the distinction, also knew that Renjyo didn't prefer one sister over the other. It was all right then. It was okay. They didn't have to understand each other, as long as they were all right with each other, as long as they could relax with one another, they didn't get upset with one another over everything. What were they, boys? They didn't need to focus on the differences and search to face them. "All right then."
Watching the sun set further behind the horizon, Renjyo leaned against her sister until the night fell, until the chill chased them both inside again. This crazy world...
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