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 Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 7:51 am
Cordelia's parents were gone for the day, and as far as she was concerned they couldn't have had better timing. She had sprung it on them last minute that she had invited friends over with the usual "No, Mother. They aren't all boys.". Although her mother had then frowned that she wouldn't be here to finally meet her daughter's new friends, she was glad that she was at least inviting them over.
Once her parents had left she had gone about making sure that everything was set up, dragging out the plate of cookies that she had baked the night before so that she could set it on the counter along with the veggie tray and the variety of take-out menus. She figured that pizza would probably be the best option for a meeting like this, but she wanted to at least give her guests a little bit of variety.
The stools were then nudged around the counter as a last minute fidget before she began pacing around the kitchen, wondering if there wasn't something she had forgotten.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:11 am
It may have been just as well that Cordy's mother wasn't scheduled to be present, since Oddy Corlione was one of the first to arrive, toting a paper bag in which his mother had packed her own contribution to the party. About a dozen ' lobster tail' pastries, an bouquet of some kind of flowers he'd picked up at his mothers behest. Mostly some kind of daisy so bright and widely ranged in color that he thought they actually looked like lawn ornaments. Gerber or Gerboa daisy's or something they were called. At least they weren't the roses his mother had been hinting at, it wasn't that kind of gathering.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:28 am
Carrying her secret close and carefully, Gabbie hurried down the sidewalk, laughing with relief as her healed leg held up under the brisk pace she was setting. The cast had only been off for a couple of days and technically, Gabbie still should have been using the crutches, but she'd been far too impatient and had simply started pacing her house until she felt certain that her leg could still support her weight.
Well, she thought, at least I didn't scrub the skin off getting all that dead skin washed away. Chuckling again, she turned and held out an empty hand to her partner and best friend.
"C'mon, Khalla! We're almost there."
She wasn't entirely certain what Cordy or Oddy would think of her including Khalla, but she'd decided that she didnt' care. Besides, the bag of lo mein and friend rice she carried would be enought o start buying a little forgiveness. Especially once she revealed her secret.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:38 am
It wasn't that Khalla didn't want to meet these other two teenagers that were leading the same double lives as she and Gabbie, but poor Khalla had a lot on her mind recently. She wasn't walking quite as quickly as her counterpart, instead trudging behind her and worrying at her lip slightly. All attempts to slow Gabbie down and have a conversation before they got to Cordelia's house had been shot down.
"Gabbie, slow down, I really need to talk to you about something before we get there," she said, her mouth set into a frown. Regardless, she caught up to Gabbie and placed her hand into her partner's. Her words were just falling on deaf ears as they had been doing for most of the walk over.
In all of this, she had a brief pang of guilt that she hadn't made anything for the occasion. Khalla liked to bake but her mind had been so preoccupied with.. everything. Oh, she'd just have to make it up to them next time.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 11:02 am
The ring on the doorbell had her scrambling down the hall as though she were rushing against someone else to be the first to get it. As her fuzzy socks skidded to a halt she paused to recollect herself. There were no parents to beat to the door. There was no butler, no maid, no housekeeper. She was the only one here.
"Chill out, Cordy." She muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she reached for the door to gently tug it open, smiling brightly as she greeted the first to arrive. "Oddy! Come on in... My parents are gone for the day and you're the first one here." She stepped back, giving him room to come inside.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 2:11 pm
"Hey!" Oddy noted brightly, offering her the tissue paper wrapped bundle of flowers. "I brought you some lawn ornaments masquerading as a bouquet. And somewhat more fun, some of my mom's baking." He indicated this by rustling the bag in his other hand. He beamed at this.
"There's probably enough sugar in here to stun a humming bird. Ooh. Fuzzy socks. Fun!"
He observed finally, with another of his dazzling grins.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 3:03 pm
As happy as Gabbie was to be without crutches, she still caught the uncomfortable tone of Khalla's voice and gave the hand that grabbed her own a comforting squeeze. Khalla was probably just feeling shy. Gabbie decided that she'd make it up to her friend later. Sundaes, maybe.
"Don't worry, partner o'mine," she chirruped as she paused long enough to drop a quick , reassuring kiss on top of Khalla's blonde head. "You'll really like them. There's no reason to feel shy or weird about this."
Then, with another happy chuckle, she squeezed Khalla's hand again and surged forward as she caught sight of the house she wanted. Pausing briefly at the door, she juggled her bags of food and other things and somehow managed to ring the bell.
"This'll be awesome. You'll see."
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 5:52 pm
Khalla really didn't have a choice at this point. Gabbie was propelling forward like she was on a mission and Khalla supposed in some way that she was. This was a mission to integrate Khalla into.. some kind of odd society.
"I'm sure that I'll like them, Gabbie," she tried to protest, her brows drawing down in frustration as Gabbie gave her that reassuring kiss. She didn't mind that kind of friendly intimacy, but she couldn't help but feel like Gabbie was trying to distract her from her concerns. She was doing a good job of it too because before she knew it, Gabbie had tugged her all the way up to the front door of an unknown house.
She saw Gabbie's finger press the bell somehow among her juggling of bags. Inwardly she kicked herself for being too preoccupied to offer a hand, but now it was a bit too late. She could hear muffled voices somewhere beyond the door and knew it would only be a matter of time before it was swung open to reveal the mysterious people Gabbie had met during her absence.
"I know, I trust you," she said with a small sigh. She supposed she'd just have to wait to talk to Gabbie about it later, or find an opening. Trying not to be a big downer, she forced a smile on her face and squeezed Gabbie's hand lightly. She actually hadn't even had time to be nervous about this with everything else on her mind.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 1:57 pm
"I... Flowers?" Her brow furrowed slightly as she eyed the bouquet; not because they were bright or because he had brought them, but because she didn't known in general how to act when a boy brought flowers to what was more 'work' than 'play'.
Luckily, the mention of more snacks was a wonderful distraction, as was the next ring at the doorbell. "I bet that's Gabbie... If you want you can take these," she handed the flowers back to him for a moment, "and the snacks into the kitchen and I'll get the door? There are cookies too, and veggies... And I can get drinks and..."
She could have (and likely would have) gone on forever had she not heard another ring. "Coming!" Cordelia called out as she bounded back down the door, smiling brightly once more as she saw Gabbie... And someone else? It took some quick thinking on her part to keep from fumbling her smile, holding her hands out to take something off of Gabrielle. "You're just in time. Oddy just got here... He's in the kitchen. Come in! Both of you!"
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:06 pm
"Sorry." Oddy ducked his head sheepishly, still grinning. "I tried explaining to my mom it wasn't that kind of a visit...." His grin brightened again and he lapsed into a chuckle at her agitation.
"Relax, Bats." He teased, winking as he took the flowers back. "I'll see what I can do to help." He added as he headed to the kitchen to find a vase, and someplace to put the pastry selection.
He had to admit it was kind of funny, one of the toughest Senshi he knew being reduced to a flutter by guests when a ball full of people smiling daggers at each other hadn't even made her do more than sigh in exasperation.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:25 pm
Gabbie kept tight hold of one of the bags as Cordy took the food. Grinning, she tucked an arm through Khalla's and stepped inside quickly.
"I come bearing delicious chinese food, a proposal and a Senshi of Guidance. Cordy, Oddy, this is Khalla," she spoke quickly. "Khalla, this is Cordy and Oddy. Khalla is Sailor Alkaid. And she doesn't like killing either."
This last was spoken almost belligerently, as if Gabbie was preparing for a fight if anyone tried to deny her the right to drag Khalla into this planning session. The dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights and her posture was clearly defensive. Sure, she was happy and glad to be with friends, but she wanted to make sure it was all of her friends.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:46 pm
Khalla let herself be half-tugged into the house as Gabbie looped their arms together, and she did actually manage to let her tension go for a moment at the thought of how that must have looked. Then it all came crashing back on top of her as Gabbie made introductions and Khalla knew she had to butt in before they got the wrong impression - not that it was anyone's fault but her own, Gabbie didn't even know yet.
"Uhm," Khalla started, then stopped, throwing a nervous glance in Gabbie's direction and using one hand to squeeze her arm gently in a silent apology. She didn't want to tell her this way, but she didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with these new Senshi either. What if they thought Gabbie had lied to them, or was hiding something on purpose? "Super Senshi of Guidance, actually," she forced her best smile on her face, but she couldn't keep the guilt from swarming over her, "it's a pleasure to meet you both."
She had wanted to tell Gabbie alone, let the two of them figure it out together, but this would just have to do. At least she hadn't let her guilt and nerves overwhelm her too terribly - she was still a smiling face beneath a wave of blond dreads. Besides, she really was excited over the idea of meeting new Senshi, maybe forming a bigger team, especially if it made her partner happier and more confident in what they were doing. It was just a bit of bad timing at the moment.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 2:57 pm
If anything, years of being a social butterfly had made Cordelia a professional when it came to recognizing awkward situations. This? The first meeting between the group of three, now four, was definitely awkward and had every sign of potentially being more so if someone didn't act. Fast.
Taking a deep breath (and possibly holding it, if she released it she was more than certain that no one would have noticed), she put on her brightest of smiles as she offered her arm to Khalla so that she could guide the other girl into her home. Hopefully this action would lower Gabbie's defenses just a tad, and maybe give the other girl an escape... Or a chance to breathe of her own.
"Before you rang I was just telling Oddy that there were snacks in the kitchen, set up on the counter with enough stools for everyone, of course... And we were about to discuss drinks. There's sprite, coke, diet coke, freshly brewed iced tea... And I know my grandmother always insisted on keeping an assortment of tea bags in the house for company as well. We'll get everyone settled first... And then we'll talk about everything else."
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 5:55 pm
"My mom made Lobster Tails." Oddy noted, offering out the paper bag to Gabbie and Khalla. He still looked cheerful as he noted, impressed, to the Senshi of Guidance. "You got me beat. Congrats!"
He shrugged then, waiting to see if anyone was interested in a pastry now or later. He was debating making a move on the Iced Tea.
Even the energetic Oddy Corlione was actually not entirely unaffected by the exhausting nightmares, but it took a closer look to see the slightly dulled gleam in his eyes. He was trying hard, for everyone's sake. He also then again, always seemed to feed on being social.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 7:12 am
Staring blankly at her partner for a moment, Gabbie processed this new information and then smiled brightly, hugging Khalla with one arm.
"You are? Really? Very cool," she replied, clearly pleased by this bit of news. If it helped Khalla stay alive, Gabbie was all for it.
Still smiling, she snagged one of the offered lobster tails, holding it in her teeth as she poured herself a glass of iced tea. Then, sitting down, she nearly inhaled the pastry, eating with a speed that suggested that she hadn't eaten all day.
"Your mom's a good cook, man," she murmured as she finished off the lobster tail and sighed contentedly. She reached idly for the little paper bag that she'd kept hold of, before pulling out four puka shell necklaces and a small, covered terrcotta pot.
"I.. ah... didn't really sleep last night, so I thought I would make some stuff for you guys," she said softly, blushing. "I hope you like them. I tried to match the colors up with our uniforms. And these," she gently uncovered the pot and spilled the contents into her hand revealing four glass slider beads and a seed, "you just slip these onto the necklaces."
The seed she left sitting near her hand. She'd wait to talk to them about that.
(( necklace and slider links: cordy bead, cordy necklace, khalla bead, khalla necklace, oddy bead, oddy necklace, gabbie bead, gabbie necklace ))
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