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 Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:01 pm
Who: Doucette, Vivi, Shepard
Where: The Food Court at the Mall
When: Snack-time between lunch and dinner
Weather: Snowing slightly, great Christmas spirit!
Doucette felt like the Grinch. Not that she was looking particularly green or that she had any plans to ruin Christmas for a whole town of weird looking child-people, but she just felt grouchy from the tips of her toes to the end of each red curl. That's right, even her hair was feeling glum, what with it having to be shoved into a hairnet (right, that didn't work, the frizz just leaked out and made it look like she was sporting a white-girl-fro!) and the further insult of a hot dog hat to be worn at all times. It was becoming a Christmas miracle that the Irish woman hadn't burned the mall down just to avoid working another minute.
Alas, the pyro-possibilities were not explored since even if something were to happen to the hot dog stand, Liam would just force her to get another job somewhere else. The likelihood of it being more embarrassing than the current one was slim, but she wasn't sure she wanted to take her chances. This mall, at least, was one far from the main part of town and she had only seen one person she'd known in the past few months of working at the shop so far. Such odds boded well for Doe and so despite how much she hated it she was similarly reluctant to leave. Couple that with the fact very few of her old contacts wanted to work with her when she showed up reeking of smoke with cigarette burns in her clothes and she literally was at a dead-end. A mid-life crisis and she wasn't even going to be able to enjoy it with a fancy car or anything!
At the present moment, the woman was leaning against the counter, giving passers-by that sort of vacant 'don't-bother-me' stare without looking too openly hostile. Earlier she'd grown tired of leaning against the soda stand and was now flopped over the front of the counter next to the register, propping her chin in one hand and drumming her fingers in a slow, nearly silent tempo against her cheek, considerably less plump than it had been since her brother's arrival. Dull blue eyes watched everyone but saw nothing, just blurs of colors and shapes. Only one more hour...one more hour and she could trade the 4th circle of hell for the 5th.
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:17 pm
"Vivi."
A familiar Australian accent poked through the dull rumblings of the Christmas-shopping crowd. The Australian himself soon appeared in Doucette's line of vision, his hands completely full of shopping bags of various size and shape -- reds, greens, blues, whites, golds. Tissues sparkling in every shade crumpled against his arms as he moved. The expression on his face was one that Doucette might have commiserated with, both aggravated and resigned to his fate. Vivi walked beside him with one hand on his arm, urging him faster. She, on the other hand, held nothing.
"Vivi, we don't even celebrate this stupid holiday, for the last damn time."
The Frenchwoman smiled a relentless smile. "The Shepard, does he think we will be allowed to humbug all our friends? We have received gifts from so many, we must give in return."
Shepard shook one of his heavily-gifted arms at her. "This's not all gifts."
"No, but it is the things we need. We take advantage of the sales! Now you can perhaps not wear the threadbared shirts." Vivi laughed, taking a peek inside the wide blue bag hanging from Shepard's elbow. When she noticed that her companion had not laughed with her -- he only raised an eyebrow in response -- Vivi paused in the middle of the food court. "Ah, but he is serious now. Mm, perhaps not the shopping, but the stomach that bothers the Shepard?"
Shepard inclined his head. They had, after all, ploughed straight through lunch.
"Well, then. The food, it is not what the stomach loves, but it is good enough for a little late lunch, I think, non?" Vivi took a few bags from Shepard's right hand and waved him toward the many waiting restaurants. "Let us be adventurous! Choose whatever you like for us both. Perhaps a hamburger?"
Shepard cracked a grin at that. Vivi'd given him all possible revenge now, and if he had any sway, he'd foist the most ridiculous, mayo-slathered, ketchup-soaked, pickle-piled piece of American beef he could possibly find on her. With fries -- FRENCH fries, he'd tell her, so she had to eat them all. And where better to find such delicious, deep-fried goodies than here, at the Great Gaian Mall? Shepard gave Vivi the most devious look he could summon and turned his attention to the food court vendors.
But instead, as soon as he turned, all he saw was Doucette. Curly-haired, blue eyed, peach-skinned Doucette.
At a... hot dog stand?
All deviousness vanished. Shepard blinked.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:35 pm
The woman was oblivious. Actually, oblivious didn't even completely describe the total desensitization she'd imposed on herself to get through the day. Even the familiar sound of the French woman's dulcet tones and the rumble of Shepard's disgruntled voice didn't cause half-lidded gaze to waver. With her lips parted slightly, Doucette looked catatonic leaning up against the counter. At first her discovery went unnoticed. So unresponsive was she that nothing less than the request for hot dogs would bring her out of the state she was on.
But that slow tickle up her neck finally brought her to the realization that someone was staring at her. Seemingly impossible, the Irish woman froze yet further, the sudden realization that staring was not the usual response for the average hot dog connoisseur. Thick lashes slowly lifted after a moment and she pulled herself out of the slump, straightening without stretching and pushing a few of her unruly curls out of her face. It took a conscious effort for her not to remove the hot dog hat, stuff it into the trash and quit at that moment. It took even more of an effort not to wince at the thought of the reply Liam would have to such a reaction.
"Hey Vivi! Shepard!" Doucette gave a wide smile, but it was pained and didn't reach those baby blues at all, the color an even more watery version due to the tears she was holding back. "Doing a lot of shopping, hmm? Found all the good sales here, huh?" Behind the counter pale fingers twisted together or smoothed at the dingy apron she wore that never felt clean no matter how many times she washed it.
God. Why, of all people, did it have to be Vivi and Shepard here? Santa was going to have a lot to make up for!
"Did you want the, uhm, Jumbo Jumbo Dog or the Jumbo Deluxe Dog?" she managed at the glare her manager was giving her, cheeks flaming red as the ketchup pump next to the register.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:08 pm
"Doucette!" Vivi had been the second to spot Doucette but the first to react on seeing her, a wide smile blossoming over her features at the sight of her friend. The Frenchwoman immediately dashed over to the counter and beckoned the other forward for a greeting hug, throwing her arms around Doe's shoulders. It was all she could do to keep from pecking both of Doe's cheeks. She smiled a glorious, unapologetic smile at the manager as she forwent ordering any hotdogs and charged into speech: "Ma belle, it has been too long! It is the loveliest to see you! But you must tell me all -- how are you doing?"
Shepard followed a touch slower in Vivi's wake, taking advantage of Vivi's explosion of movement and language to quietly study Doucette for an extra few moments. She looked... unlike how Shepard remembered her, thinner and paler and... and something more than that. Was he misremembering?
There had been something to Doucette, an aura, a feeling she'd evoked every time Shepard had seen her. Something clean and innocent and right, something subtle -- something he couldn't pick out now. But it had been a while, and Doucette seemed a bit embarrassed to be found -- silly thing, Shepard thought, to think they'd care at all. Tears, he'd seen tears -- silly, silly girl.
"Oi," he nodded at Doucette unobtrusively from around Vivi, nudging the Frenchwoman gently. "So, it'll be... yer life story for the past few months with a side of two Jumbo Deluxes, then, yeh?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:53 am
Vivi's hug caused Doucette to tense slightly in her arms instead of relax, but the hug was returned all the same, giving her a little squeeze in gratitude before releasing. As she leaned back she brushed her fingers against those freckled cheeks, an automatic reaction and thankfully not coming away wet. "Oh, well, there isn't much to say," the woman breathed, bustling away to get to work on the hot dogs Shepard had ordered. The manager was still glaring after all. "Would you like to add onions on either of them Shepard?" Doucette asked, turning to look over her shoulder at the man, a genuine smile growing on her lips despite herself. But when she actually had him in her sights she hesitated with a little jerk and hastily turned back to the hot dog preparation, the smile gone.
"I mean, there isn't much to tell, honestly. The jobs kinda dried up and with more mouths to feed I needed the money." Doe's shoulder's lofted into a shrug as if it couldn't matter one way or another that she was stuck this dead end job before she shuffled the hot dogs over the counter towards Shepard with or without onions depending on his desire. Eyes drifted back to Vivi after telling him the total, her gaze not exactly meeting the French woman's. "And so what have you two been doing? Any plans for the holidays?" The lack of communication with what could easily be considered two of her best friends was concerning for her, but somehow she was sure the disconnect was her own fault.
"Oh!" she said suddenly, color flushing her cheeks and her eyes taking on a bit of interest, "Have you heard anything from the Lab?" Her own lack of communication with Alex or the other employees had her fretting within a hair of her sanity and Vivi might be the only life ring she could get her hands on. With all the trouble she'd had lately and the new job, what if that doctor had decided to simply take her future frei away from her?
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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:55 pm
"Sure, yeh, onio-- more mouths to feed...?" Shepard began, his eyebrow lifting just slightly. He and Vivi had been to Doe's house only the one time, but he didn't remember seeing any evidence of a roommate -- just the two pugs shuffling about underfoot. Maybe she'd adopted more pets? Doucette seemed to him to be the type of woman who might fall prey to Adopt-a-thons and shelter/ASPCA commercial emotional blackmailing. She could have a veritable zoo in her little beach house by now...
... the thought lifted the corner of Shepard's lips, but another thought immediately snapped the smile. A zoo would bring joy to Doe, he was sure of that. Not tears.
Unless she really was embarrassed at being found working here... maybe it was their fault?
Vivi's smile was unencumbered by such thoughts. All she felt was joy at seeing her friend after so long, a joy she felt sure she could share with Doe, whatever her problems might be. If Doe wanted to share those problems, Vivi would be a listening ear, a help in any way she knew to be. But until that time, she would gladly share her smile and goodwill.
"The holidays -- we are to be swamped! The orders for the cakes, the pastry, you know, they are several kilometers in length. We cannot but make them fast enough! The days when we are closed -- oof!" The Frenchwoman made a sweeping motion. "-- we sleep like the tomorrow is not coming. But it is quite joyous, non? It gives you energy."
Shepard added to this speech by snorting and nodding his head.
"As for the Lab," Vivi continued, "you have not heard a thing yet, also? I am surprised -- but surprised! I cannot know what they are up to! I hope that the Big Freeze they had some months ago did not injure our little ones, mm? Perhaps it has taken some time for things to get to rights."
She lifted her hands in a show of confusion. There had been no contact -- no official contact -- with the Lab of late, although Vivi was sure they'd be notified of any changes. Zeke, certainly, would not have left them in the dark!
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:10 am
Doucette's eyes drifted about with little consistency, landing here and there before moving on. Like dust motes caught in the most whimsical of breezes. The red head was reluctant to let her gaze linger too long upon either of theirs for fear the windows to the soul might be just a bit too clear for the emotional warfare she was experiencing at the moment. A zoo at this point would have compounded the distress of the woman a hundred fold. Fear for her two pugs was only finally ebbing as she found the more she gave in to Liam the less likely he was to complain. As those complaints were usually expressed by physical means, Doe contented herself with being Liam's slave for the time being.
Another small smile graced small lips at the infectious enthusiasm of the French woman, Doucette feeling all the more dour and pathetic standing next to such a wonderful pillar of emotional well-being.
"Big freeze?" For a moment the Irish woman's nervous energy seeped away with her confusion. She had noticed nothing unusual. It had been cold recently, a little unbearable a while back, but nothing that had caused her concern. When the lake had frozen over (a first!) Doe had been more upset about being stuck with Liam than what had happened to cause such an anomaly in nature.
Doe twisted her hands together, the nervous energy back and the smile gone. "Yes, perhaps you're right. Surely that's all that's happened. Nothing...nothing to be concerned about."
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:28 pm
"Absolutely not, I am sure of it," said Vivi, perhaps with more conviction than she felt. She had no idea how long the gestational period for a Raevan was, and without updates from the Lab, she could only assume that things were status quo. Now and then, Shepard would become annoyed with the wait, or she would find herself so impatient it was all she could do from going to the Lab's buildings and knocking on her Raevan's tank. But it was all nothing. All she -- all they could do was wait.
She opened her mouth to speak again as she took her hotdog from Doucette, pressing the payment for the meal into her friend's hand in return. Her words seemed to be stolen by the sight of what a Jumbo Deluxe really was, and she looked up at Shepard with an expression of some wonder.
Just then, though, her phone rang, giving her speechlessness a sudden rattle. She held up a finger and excused herself, talking quietly into the cell and stepping away from the group.
Shepard, for his part, could only grin as he watched Vivi's perplexed reaction to the hot dog, and bit into his own with relish, clearing a good third of the dog in one bite. Onion and mustard and ketchup clung to his scruff and mouth as he pulled away, and his grinning expression as he chewed was that of a big kid. He waggled his eyebrows at Doe, completely aware of the ridiculousness of his appearance, before grabbing a flimsy napkin and cleaning himself up.
"You make a mean hot dog," he said with a faint grin, nodding as he looked down at the girl. "I might have to eat Vivi's, but I'm really pretty good with that."
He paused, his expression mellowing slightly. "Good to see you again, Doe."
"Merde," Vivi returned just then, shaking her head and laughing through an expression of annoyance, snapping her little phone case closed. "I must leave my good friend here after I have not seen here in so long! That was the bakery, and we must return earlier than we had expected."
"What, seriously?" Shepard took another big bite out of his hot dog.
"Yes, it is unfortunate!" Vivi turned to Doucette. "But we must not let so much time pass again. You must come by the bakery, or we must come again to see you! When our little ones come along, they must be the best of friends, I insist upon it."
Shepard nodded along with his chewing. "Mm," he said.
Vivi leaned over the counter to give her friend another hug, pressing her cheek to Doucette's before pulling away. She gathered up her hot dog as Shepard finished his, dropping the remnants into a nearby trash can and wiping off his hands. She shook her head at him with amusement, and this time helped him with the many bags they had set on the floor to wait.
Vivi waved behind her as the two made for the door, smiling brightly at her friend. "Call me instantly! I miss your beautiful face already."
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