LizzyMoo
Zuniga apparently had been flapping his gums at Mom. Ellie didn't have any proof of such an accusation, but when her Mom had decided to start scolding the blonde about her lack of attention to the doctor's advice, the girl couldn't help but think sourly about her bro.
Her mom's scolding really didn't yield much of a result though. Instead of staying in her bed like she was supposed to, she was down in her garage, trying to keep herself occupied. Of course, many of the tasks she wanted to do were not working out for her. They required two hands, and Ellie most definitely was not able to use the left one very well at the moment. She could move her fingers, but the arm itself made it near impossible to try to work seriously. As a result, she had shifted to doing something she could manage with one good arm.
Cleaning.
With her motorcycle out in the driveway, the girl seemed to be awkwardly shuffling her way about the vehicle, polishing up the metal areas so that they shined like they were brand new. At least this way she wouldn't go crazy.
Her mom's scolding really didn't yield much of a result though. Instead of staying in her bed like she was supposed to, she was down in her garage, trying to keep herself occupied. Of course, many of the tasks she wanted to do were not working out for her. They required two hands, and Ellie most definitely was not able to use the left one very well at the moment. She could move her fingers, but the arm itself made it near impossible to try to work seriously. As a result, she had shifted to doing something she could manage with one good arm.
Cleaning.
With her motorcycle out in the driveway, the girl seemed to be awkwardly shuffling her way about the vehicle, polishing up the metal areas so that they shined like they were brand new. At least this way she wouldn't go crazy.
DivineSaturn
When Lydia had heard what happened, she was ready to go to the hospital right then. It was late, and Ellie wouldn't even have been awake, but she wanted to go anyway. She didn't, of course. Her parents hadn't let her visit hew own cousin, and once they heard about her plan to visit a random older friend, they made sure she was too busy to go at all.
By the time she finally got around to paying a call on her captain, she was calmer. Calm enough to resist the urge to bring Mariposa, deciding it would be too much for both Ellie and her dog. Calm enough to carefully consider each item she put into her care package, instead of trying to buy up half the town. She didn't skip up the street, but walked like a young lady of good breeding, if young ladies of good breeding carried overstuffed backpacks.
She had expected Ellie to be inside, but it wasn't too surprising to see her at work. Lydia hesitated at the end of the driveway, then adjusted her grip on the plastic bag she was carrying and approached. "Always hard at work, I see," she called out. Under other circumstances, she might have been impressed. Now, she was just trying not to let Ellie's injury bother her, and doing a very bad job of it.
LizzyMoo
Something on the sidewalk seemed out of place. Ellie didn't live in the worst part of town, but she also didn't live in the best part of town either. Heck, her house was middle class and had features which reeked of a place that didn't get too much care. Woodchips, gravel, and a lack of a lawn always read "we don't have time to take care of our home."
So when something nice seemed to come along, it just didn't seem to fit into place. Things such as an obvious Crystal Academy student walking down the sidewalk. Lydia didn't need to wear her uniform for Ellie to be able to tell which school she went to. The girl just acted too proper. Hell, the blonde could almost imagine placing a book on the top of Lydia's head and her being able to walk along without dropping it.
Backing up slightly so she didn't accidentally topple her vehicle over by ramming it with her bulky cast, she stood up, placing her only useable arm at her side. In a teasing manner, the blonde clucked out "What's a nice girl like ya doin' in a place like this?" The fact her teammate's backpack was stuffed in such a manner made it pretty obvious what the point of this trip was, but Ellie wasn't the sort to acknowledge her limitations. She'd pretend she wasn't inconvenienced by her injury.
So when something nice seemed to come along, it just didn't seem to fit into place. Things such as an obvious Crystal Academy student walking down the sidewalk. Lydia didn't need to wear her uniform for Ellie to be able to tell which school she went to. The girl just acted too proper. Hell, the blonde could almost imagine placing a book on the top of Lydia's head and her being able to walk along without dropping it.
Backing up slightly so she didn't accidentally topple her vehicle over by ramming it with her bulky cast, she stood up, placing her only useable arm at her side. In a teasing manner, the blonde clucked out "What's a nice girl like ya doin' in a place like this?" The fact her teammate's backpack was stuffed in such a manner made it pretty obvious what the point of this trip was, but Ellie wasn't the sort to acknowledge her limitations. She'd pretend she wasn't inconvenienced by her injury.
DivineSaturn
Ellie's neighborhood and Lydia's felt about as different as two neighborhoods could be. She was used to large, sprawling houses, well-manicured lawns sporting gardens and neatly-trimmed hedges, and a total lack of potholes. Here, she tripped a little on the uneven ground, and coughed at the dust that nested between the gravel and the woodchips. If she wasn't careful, she'd have an allergy attack.
Still, this was important. She looked at Ellie squarely, trying not to stare at the large cast that seemed to dominate her left side. "I'm sure a clever girl like you can figure it out," she said sweetly. With one fluid movement she pulled off her backpack and set it down on the ground next to the bike. "Are you going to invite me in, or would you rather have a picnic?"
LizzyMoo
Pointing a finger at the girl casually, the blonde pointed out "I ain't clever." She picked up her rags and her cleaner, ambling her way to the garage to drop off these things onto the washing machine before awkwardly making her way back to the vehicle. The girl already had her backpack off, which almost seemed to feel like she was assuming she needed to get ready outside.
"...well... yer gonna have t'bear with me... gotta get this f*cker back in the garage... though... ya might prefer outside... but we're bringin' this inside." Shrugging her one good shoulder, she then reached to hold the vehicle by the handle bars. Unfortunately, the kickstand was on the other side of the vehicle.
"...if ya wanna help me out... can ya get th'kickstand? Just nick it up so it doesn't drag while I bring this back inta' the garage."
"...well... yer gonna have t'bear with me... gotta get this f*cker back in the garage... though... ya might prefer outside... but we're bringin' this inside." Shrugging her one good shoulder, she then reached to hold the vehicle by the handle bars. Unfortunately, the kickstand was on the other side of the vehicle.
"...if ya wanna help me out... can ya get th'kickstand? Just nick it up so it doesn't drag while I bring this back inta' the garage."
DivineSaturn
"You're a lot more clever than you give yourself credit for." Which made the present situation all the more baffling. Lydia had no doubt that Ellie was smart, so why did she insist on acting like she wasn't? Part of it- like her lazy speech- was probably either a choice or a rebellion. The rest? She had thought about it for days and was no closer to an answer than when she started.
She was about to unzip her backpack when Ellie started to move her things. Obediently, Lydia looked at the indicated area. Even though it was called a kickstand, she wasn't comfortable kicking it. What if she knocked the whole bike over? Ellie couldn't have too firm a grip on it with just one hand. Instead, she knelt down and propped it up with her hands, flashed a thumbs-up, and shouldered her backpack again, indicating she was ready to follow.
LizzyMoo
Figures Miss "Prim and Proper" wouldn't kick a kickstand of all things! Shaking her head after the task had been taken care of, Ellie began to push the vehicle into the garage. Lydia might have underestimated how well her blonde companion was holding onto the handle, but that wasn't really all that important.
It did seem like a slight strain, and in all honesty, it was. Yet eventually the vehicle was in the garage in the stand towards the back of the garage. Rather than swing back around to the front door, she signaled with her right hand for Lydia to cut through the garage. Turning herself sideways so her right hand was facing the door, she turned the knob and let herself in by shuffling in almost like a crab.
The inside of the house looked about as well kept as the outside, which was not much of a compliment. Once they got out of the hallway, the living room came into view, showing that the tables had piles of crap on them. DVDs, old magazines, newspapers, video game packages, and occasionally some sort of food packaging could be seen. There was a taller table nearby that looked like a dining room table, but it also had stacks of papers on it with the occasional yellow sticky note amidst the piles.
"...well... make yerself at home I guess... ya want anythin' t'drink?"
It did seem like a slight strain, and in all honesty, it was. Yet eventually the vehicle was in the garage in the stand towards the back of the garage. Rather than swing back around to the front door, she signaled with her right hand for Lydia to cut through the garage. Turning herself sideways so her right hand was facing the door, she turned the knob and let herself in by shuffling in almost like a crab.
The inside of the house looked about as well kept as the outside, which was not much of a compliment. Once they got out of the hallway, the living room came into view, showing that the tables had piles of crap on them. DVDs, old magazines, newspapers, video game packages, and occasionally some sort of food packaging could be seen. There was a taller table nearby that looked like a dining room table, but it also had stacks of papers on it with the occasional yellow sticky note amidst the piles.
"...well... make yerself at home I guess... ya want anythin' t'drink?"
DivineSaturn
Another Crystal girl might have turned her nose up at the thought of being in such a neighborhood, being made to help with a motorcycle (even in a small capacity) and the cut through the garage. To Lydia, it was just another opportunity to examine another culture. Granted, she and Ellie weren't all that different culturally, and middle-class America was not very interesting to her. But looking at it that way kept her from being bored, not to mention completely out of her element.
She followed close behind Ellie, glancing at the messy room with only a hint of disdain. Even though she was naturally tidy, a lot of the credit for her house's neatness went to a maid. If they didn't have that option, would her family's house look more like this one? There was no way to be certain.
There wasn't a good place on the table to put her things. Lydia wrinkled her nose at the dining room table before setting her plastic bag on a fairly short stack of papers. The backpack went on the floor next to a chair, and Lydia herself settled into the chair, keeping her back straight, her legs crossed at the ankles. "Some tea or juice would be lovely. Ah, but no apple, please. Or ginseng." She ran through the mental list of her allergies, decided that Ellie was unlikely to have anything containing any other problem foods, and nodded. "Oh, and a couple of plates would be nice. And utensils." She patted the plastic bag next to her with a secretive smile.
LizzyMoo
"...dang, ya got some fancy tastes, kiddo..." Ellie never was very good at hiding her opinion, almost constantly speaking her mind. Either way, she was able to make something out of the request. Soon enough she was in the kitchen grabbing the OJ her dad tended to drink before going to work. It took a bit longer to get things together, since she only had one arm effectively to do anything with, but soon enough the blonde had the glass of juice being walked out to the dining room. Being rather familiar with how her family organized things (aka they did not), she set the glass on top of a stack of papers that had a yellow sticky note on it.
"...so ya said plates and utensils too?" Gold eyes glanced at the plastic bag, then Lydia's face.
"...what'cha got there?" There was just something about the dark-haired girl's expression that demanded Ellie ask such a question.
"...so ya said plates and utensils too?" Gold eyes glanced at the plastic bag, then Lydia's face.
"...what'cha got there?" There was just something about the dark-haired girl's expression that demanded Ellie ask such a question.
DivineSaturn
Lydia raised her eyebrows, but bit her tongue before she could say something unkind. She hadn't thought her request particularly difficult. Didn't most homes have some kind of tea or juice? It wasn't like she'd asked for a chai latte or a mango lassi, two of her favorite drinks. And it was better to mention potential allergens than to risk a reaction.
She was confused and a little annoyed, but pushed those feelings aside. This was supposed to be a cheering-up visit, and she couldn't do that if she was upset herself. Instead, she stifled a giggle and started pulling things out of the plastic bag. A stack of aluminum containers with cardboard lids, each of which had a sticker bearing the logo of Maize Maizier.
"I wanted to make sure you were eating well. You have to keep up your energy so your body can heal." So instead of eating at the restaurant, she'd gotten take-out, and ordered a few things she thought Ellie would enjoy. "And while we dine, we can go through the other things I brought."
LizzyMoo
"...I'd like t'think I've still been eatin' like I always have... I just f*cked up my arm... not my stomach..." Rolling her good shoulder into a shrug, she then spun around to go to the kitchen to get the request items. Again, if she had both arms functioning properly, it would have been a quick task. Instead, she had to pull out the plates and utensils and stack them up before returning to the dining table. Since she had to go through the painfully slow task of bringing the items from the kitchen, she just set the stack of plates and utensils in front of Lydia to tend to as she saw fit.
With her good hand free, she picked up one of the containers to take a look for any sort of distinguishing marks. The stickers didn't really give her much in the way of information (save for the name of a place she never heard of). "So... what sorta food does this place serve? Is it like a corn-specialty place or somethin'?" Done with the container, she set it down before pulling out a chair and plopping her butt into it.
"I'd ask if ya were tryin' t'feed an army... but I know what th'answer is... Did th'cat tell ya that I'm a healthy eater or somethin'?" Healthy meaning that she just ate a lot.
With her good hand free, she picked up one of the containers to take a look for any sort of distinguishing marks. The stickers didn't really give her much in the way of information (save for the name of a place she never heard of). "So... what sorta food does this place serve? Is it like a corn-specialty place or somethin'?" Done with the container, she set it down before pulling out a chair and plopping her butt into it.
"I'd ask if ya were tryin' t'feed an army... but I know what th'answer is... Did th'cat tell ya that I'm a healthy eater or somethin'?" Healthy meaning that she just ate a lot.
DivineSaturn
"You idea of eating well is... well, you can't do much cooking with just one arm." Not that much cooking was required for heating frozen dinners, which Lydia feared were all that Ellie ate even when she was well. Considering the state of the house and the general area, she was starting to wonder when the last time her teammate had a homecooked meal was. Did everything come out of a box or a can in places like these?
What she lacked in knowledge she made up for in enthusiasm. "There's corn involved, but no, that's not all they do. And ********* may have let slip that you have a hearty appetite." It wasn't the only thing that the cat had mentioned, which became apparent as Lydia pried the lid off the topmost container. A small puff of steam escaped, laden with familiar scents. The soft corn tortilla was peeled back just enough to reveal a hearty filling, and underneath was a generous helping of yellow rice and black beans.
"Tacos de Asador con carne asada," Lydia announced proudly, "y arroz amarillo y frijoles negros." Of course, Ellie would be used to having Mexican cuisine (if frozen burritos and King Taco could be counted as cuisine), but nobody made food like Maize Maizier did. "And there's more too, for later. Or if you're still hungry." Placing the container in front of Ellie, she sat back in her chair looking quite pleased with herself.
LizzyMoo
"Nobody cooks 'ere... Dad doesn't do it. Mom burns everything. Gimme a microwave an' I eat good enough..." It was the honest truth, but Ellie didn't seem bothered by admitting such things. It was what she lived with all her life and it was just what she was used to.
Yet the moment Ellie got a whiff of what was in the containers, her tune seemed to change slightly.
"Ho. Lee. SH*T! That sh*t smells AMAZING!" She wished she had both arms available at the moment so she could TEAR INTO that delicious-ness. Instead, she had to settle in with sitting down and trying to get herself a plate ready. Of course, the whole ordeal was still so tedious considering how she probably wasn't going to be able to serve herself. Casually, she began to look through the packages in an effort to find some sort of hot sauce.
When she was having little success, she had to ask (in spanish) "Tienes algo picante?" Yes, Ellie had taken Spanish in high school. Yes, Ellie only knew a small amount of the language after taking 2 years of it.
Yet the moment Ellie got a whiff of what was in the containers, her tune seemed to change slightly.
"Ho. Lee. SH*T! That sh*t smells AMAZING!" She wished she had both arms available at the moment so she could TEAR INTO that delicious-ness. Instead, she had to settle in with sitting down and trying to get herself a plate ready. Of course, the whole ordeal was still so tedious considering how she probably wasn't going to be able to serve herself. Casually, she began to look through the packages in an effort to find some sort of hot sauce.
When she was having little success, she had to ask (in spanish) "Tienes algo picante?" Yes, Ellie had taken Spanish in high school. Yes, Ellie only knew a small amount of the language after taking 2 years of it.
DivineSaturn
Her worst fears confirmed, Lydia could only shake her head sadly. She wasn't really in a position to lecture Ellie on her questionable eating habits. Not everyone could afford quality ingredients and expert chefs, facts which saddened her greatly. It wasn't fair that only some people got to eat decent food on a regular basis.
Still, there were ways that she could help. Like now. Ellie's expression was well worth the effort it took to lug the bag of food all the way from Maize Maizier. She could have done without some of the cruder language, but on the whole she judged this part of her plan a success. Mostly. She glanced at the plates and shrugged. "We could always... skip the plates, if that's easier." It felt odd, to suggest such a thing, but judging from the state of the house she doubted it would be taken offensively.
"Si, al fondo de la bolsa," Lydia replied, taking another container out. This one she kept in front of herself, taking off the lid to reveal a hearty rice dish studded with seafood and vegetables. "Here, let me help!" Underneath the last container were the paper napkins and sauce packets the restaurant provided for all takeout orders. Once everything was out of the way, Lydia grabbed a couple of packets and held them out. "Is it safe to assume that I got it right?" she asked, taking one of the paper napkins and settling it in her lap.
LizzyMoo
The moment Lydia suggested ignoring the plates, Ellie was ALL OVER THAT. However, the moment the younger girl started to get all "helpful Mommy" on the blonde, she seemed to swat away the packets of hot sauce away.
"I can take care of myself, kiddo."
It was a bit ironic coming from someone wearing a shoulder spica cast.
With a casual glance, she added "I got some better sauce in the pantry..."
"I can take care of myself, kiddo."
It was a bit ironic coming from someone wearing a shoulder spica cast.
With a casual glance, she added "I got some better sauce in the pantry..."
DivineSaturn
She did right, sure... for all of about five minutes. Lydia dropped the hot sauce back into the bag and withdrew, scrunching the napkin in her lap. "Oh," she said, trying to sound cheerful. "Of course you can." She wasn't going to mention the obvious- that Ellie had taken care of herself right off a building. Surely other people had told her how stupid that was. And even if she tried to say anything, she would probably be ignored. Ellie was the leader, the most experienced of all of them. Why did she have to listen to anybody else?
Because that was what leaders did. Except when they didn't, and got in over their heads. Suddenly Lydia was tired of nodding and pretending she was okay with this. She wasn't, and if she hid that, she'd be guilty of the same things that Ellie was.
"No." Her napkin tore sharply in half. "It's not okay, actually. You might be okay with what happened to you- though I doubt it- but I'm not. Do you have any idea how thoughtless that was?"
Lydia stared at her napkin, trying not to let Ellie see just how upset she was. She didn't want to be taken less seriously just because she was emotional. Then again, Ellie listening to her at all would be a step in the right direction.
LizzyMoo
Before the girl had chirped out her opinion, the elder of the girls had stood up to get ready to head to the pantry. Then Lydia spoke up.
Stopping in place, Ellie kept looking away in the direction of the kitchen. The blonde could handle confrontation, but usually it was on her own terms. It wasn't on someone else's terms. This confrontation was Lydia's, and Lydia's alone. "Yeah... I'm thoughtless 'bout hot sauce..."
With that, she exited the room, only to return a moment later with a bottle of extra spicy sauce. The blonde came across the room and back to the chair she had been seated in, a tense silence filling the air. Clunking the bottom of the bottle against the table, she looked at Lydia who was looking at a napkin.
"I ain't okay with it. Just like how I wasn't okay with bein' Captain." Ellie had voted for Metis, a fact that the blonde would never get over. Yet, too many people had shown faith in her. Hell, even the cat had told the young adult how highly she had thought of her.
"...I ain't okay with a lotta things... so tell me 'bout what ya aren't okay with."
Stopping in place, Ellie kept looking away in the direction of the kitchen. The blonde could handle confrontation, but usually it was on her own terms. It wasn't on someone else's terms. This confrontation was Lydia's, and Lydia's alone. "Yeah... I'm thoughtless 'bout hot sauce..."
With that, she exited the room, only to return a moment later with a bottle of extra spicy sauce. The blonde came across the room and back to the chair she had been seated in, a tense silence filling the air. Clunking the bottom of the bottle against the table, she looked at Lydia who was looking at a napkin.
"I ain't okay with it. Just like how I wasn't okay with bein' Captain." Ellie had voted for Metis, a fact that the blonde would never get over. Yet, too many people had shown faith in her. Hell, even the cat had told the young adult how highly she had thought of her.
"...I ain't okay with a lotta things... so tell me 'bout what ya aren't okay with."
DivineSaturn
"It's not about the hot sauce!" Lydia blurted, but it was too late- Ellie had left, and she was left alone with a few shreds of paper in her lap. "Not really," she muttered to herself. "It's just the hot sauce on top of everything else. Hot sauce doesn't belong on everything." Wait, that wasn't what the problem was. When left alone, she could only go in circles, as if chasing her tail. She needed someone to offer up resistance.
If it was resistance she was looking for, she'd come to the right place.
"I thought that you would be good at leading. It seemed to come so naturally to you when we met. I figured you were just thinking about it too much. But not thinking isn't the answer either! Not thinking about the consequences, or the bad guys, or..."
Lydia looked up, barely managing to hold back tears. "Or about us. Did you even think about the rest of us that night? Did we even enter your mind?"
LizzyMoo
Ellie's mouth was a long flat line. If anything, she somewhat resembled a frog at the moment. Part of the problem was the fact this girl was now getting all teary eyed. She wasn't the sort to really react to crying. In fact, it tended to infuriate her.
"Look me in th'eyes kid. You wanna tell someone off, ya gotta look'em in the eyes!" With her one good hand, she reached out and planted it on the girl's shoulder.
When Lydia asked that last question though, Ellie's lips formed a dry looking smile. "Fun fact. I'm f*ckin' terrified of heights." There was a pause before she added "Yeah... I thought of ya all... right before I thought I was gonna splatter on th'ground." Her hand pulled back before she turned to the food that Lydia had somewhat opened up thus far. She grabbed for a fork so she could start to peck at the rice. "...t'be honest.. ain't surprised ya guys are actin' like this."
Obviously Lydia wasn't the only one to confront Ellie about this subject at hand.
"Look me in th'eyes kid. You wanna tell someone off, ya gotta look'em in the eyes!" With her one good hand, she reached out and planted it on the girl's shoulder.
When Lydia asked that last question though, Ellie's lips formed a dry looking smile. "Fun fact. I'm f*ckin' terrified of heights." There was a pause before she added "Yeah... I thought of ya all... right before I thought I was gonna splatter on th'ground." Her hand pulled back before she turned to the food that Lydia had somewhat opened up thus far. She grabbed for a fork so she could start to peck at the rice. "...t'be honest.. ain't surprised ya guys are actin' like this."
Obviously Lydia wasn't the only one to confront Ellie about this subject at hand.
DivineSaturn
Ellie wanted to be told off? Fine. Lydia dabbed her eyes with her shredded napkin and balled up the rest in her hands. "I would say 'better late than never,' but it's not true. By the time you were up there, it was too late to be thinking about anybody else. Why were you out there alone? Why didn't you call someone? Not me, necessarily, but someone!"
It was hardly surprising to hear that other people had tried this line of conversation. Lydia had been trying to avoid it, but Ellie's attitude made it impossible for her. "If you saw this coming, then why didn't you do something about it? You're not lazy, so don't try that on me. Are you throwing a tantrum over being the leader? Trying to prove how tough you are? Or do you have so little faith in anyone's abilities but your own that you can't trust me in a fight?"
There was a beat, where Lydia realized what she just said. "Us," she corrected weakly. "Our abilities." But her momentum was gone, the damage to her argument done.
LizzyMoo
Ellie chewed on the rice, which was odd in itself considering how she normally inhaled anything with a hint of Mexican in it. Yet once she had cleared her mouth by swallowing the rice-goo, she gave her own opinion on the matter.
"I take it ya would have been able t'predict when some jackass was gonna sucker teleport ya onta th'top of a buildin'?" That was one thing that people had misunderstood about the whole situation. There had been no choice in the matter of her being on that building. The fight had started in the street level.
Tightening up a fist, she then answered another question. "Ya wanna know why? Because I was f*ckin' tryin' t'protect yer asses." Her fist pounded down against the table at the curse word, as if to accentuate the curse itself. It was as if the blonde was confirming what the darker haired girl had said, but not quite.
Her hand loosened up slightly and went up to rub at a temple as best as she could. Unfortunately, she couldn't be both sides, thanks to the cast immobilizing her other arm. "I'd rather be th'one in this cast than it be any of you... I can handle it..."
"I take it ya would have been able t'predict when some jackass was gonna sucker teleport ya onta th'top of a buildin'?" That was one thing that people had misunderstood about the whole situation. There had been no choice in the matter of her being on that building. The fight had started in the street level.
Tightening up a fist, she then answered another question. "Ya wanna know why? Because I was f*ckin' tryin' t'protect yer asses." Her fist pounded down against the table at the curse word, as if to accentuate the curse itself. It was as if the blonde was confirming what the darker haired girl had said, but not quite.
Her hand loosened up slightly and went up to rub at a temple as best as she could. Unfortunately, she couldn't be both sides, thanks to the cast immobilizing her other arm. "I'd rather be th'one in this cast than it be any of you... I can handle it..."
DivineSaturn
“Why were you patrolling alone in the first place? That’s what I don’t understand. You asked us all not to. No, you told us not to. And we listened, but you didn’t.” The accusatory tone was gone. Lydia was upset, near tears, and most of her energy went towards keeping herself from sobbing. She couldn’t imagine that someone as strong and amazing as Ellie was actually stupid, despite the way that she talked, so her refusal to listen had to be deliberate, and that hurt.
It didn’t matter that Ellie claimed she was doing it for their safety, not when Ellie ended up hurt. “Who said anyone had to end up in a cast? And why is that decision yours to make? There’s no rule that because you’re the leader you have to be tougher than everyone else. And that’s not why we chose you. At least, it’s not why I chose you.” It was true that Lydia admired Sailor Iris’ power, but there was more to it than that. Iris was confident and experienced and self-assured. With someone like that calling the shots, things would work out okay in the end, or so she’d thought.
Lydia took a piece of her shredded napkin and dabbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all of this on you when you’ve already been through so much. I just felt you had a right to know how I felt.” She took a sharp, shuddering breath, trying to calm down her rapidly beating heart. “I just need to deal with the fact that I’m not good enough to be counted on, that’s all.” And how she was going to do that, she had no idea.
LizzyMoo
The tomboy almost seemed to be staring the poor guest down. It was frustrating to get told about all of her faults in her face. She didn't have to look happy about being told how badly she f*cked up. She already KNEW she had done that. So her gaze was seemingly heated, completely aggravated with a mouth that stretched out wide like some giant fish.
However, the icing on this cake of emotional throw-up was the apology.
"Don't tell me all of that sh*t that ya wanted to get off yer chest... then f*ckin' apologize for it! If you want to tell me this stuff and take ya seriously, show some conviction!"
The blonde turned back to her food, seeming to try to obviously "ignore" that her guest was there. It was rude, but it was almost forced on Ellie's part. A part of her wanted to deny everything that this girl had just wept out to her.
However, in reality, the words stuck, and she didn't want to speak anymore, trying to think over what had been said. It was food for thought as she ate the food for her stomach.
However, the icing on this cake of emotional throw-up was the apology.
"Don't tell me all of that sh*t that ya wanted to get off yer chest... then f*ckin' apologize for it! If you want to tell me this stuff and take ya seriously, show some conviction!"
The blonde turned back to her food, seeming to try to obviously "ignore" that her guest was there. It was rude, but it was almost forced on Ellie's part. A part of her wanted to deny everything that this girl had just wept out to her.
However, in reality, the words stuck, and she didn't want to speak anymore, trying to think over what had been said. It was food for thought as she ate the food for her stomach.
DivineSaturn
The truth was supposed to be comforting. Lydia had grown up believing that lying hurt you, and the truth made you feel better. She had experienced that to some degree in other settings. This time, telling the truth just made her feel worse.
The look on Ellie's face made her want to run away, but she couldn't do that. Ellie was right: if she was going to say something like that, she couldn't back away from it later. Nobody would ever listen to her if she did that. It wasn't polite to ream her leader like that, but she had to stand by her decision to do it.
Lydia took another napkin piece and wiped the last of the wetness from around her eyes. Despite the fact that she had just been scolded, and felt terrible for it, she was smiling. Not a wholehearted smile, but a small, shy one. Things weren't quite as bad as she had thought, if she could still learn lessons like this. Even when she was being stupid, Ellie was still capable of being a great role model.
"I'll be more careful," she murmured, digging into her own meal. Now that she had said everything she had wanted to say, and then some, she wasn't up for conversation. Just as well, since it seemed Ellie wasn't either. For once, they could agree on something. A pity it wasn't under more pleasant circumstances.
The rest of the meal passed in silence.
