|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quicksilver the Archangel
|
 Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:10 pm
At this time last year, Penelope Seneca had not known anything about this war destiny had drawn her into. If someone had asked her about "Pasiphae," she would have vaguely remembered that she was the mother of the Minotaur, but not much beyond that. If someone had asked her, even after being awakened, what a "Jovian" was, she could have maybe guesssed that it was someone having something to do with Jupiter and little, or nothing, to do with her. But now, thanks to several individuals, she was somewhat more settled into being Sailor Pasiphae. She had a mission. She had a smaller team of people within the larger Senshi family that she worked well with, comprised of people who cared about her, fought with her, and helped her grow. And none of that would have been possible had two Senshi in particular--two people among the many that she now, however, shyly, considered friends--had not reached out to her. And it was those two people that Penelope had called and asked to meet her at the coffee shop.
She had already ordered herself a hot chocolate and sat at the table nearest the door. Two of the remaining three chairs were clearly marked as reserved; one was covered with her cream-colored coat, and the other had her purse nestled in its seat. Every now and then (see also: every time the door opened) she would lift her gaze from the swizzel stick she was using to stir her beverage and look to see if either Christa or Tallulah had walked in. Two wrapped presents sat on the table next to her removed scarf - one bright red with a simply white ribbon, one a rich blue with a large golden bow. Penelope had never gotten into the habit of giving gifts, outside of home made candy to a few other families, beyond her own mother and father. She had never had anyone to give anything to, really. But now... now she did, and she just waited for them to show up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:27 pm
It was unusual for her to be called when not henshin'd. Sometimes Christa thought that she wore the regalia of Kallichore too often and had nearly forgotten what it was like to be a regular teenage girl. Her breath caught in her throat when she received the call, the invitation, from Penelope. The gray haired teen sincerely hoped nothing was amiss and if something was, then she'd be the first to get to the bottom of it and pummel the snot out of the perpetrator.
That's simply what she did.
However much preparation she had undergone, Christa simply wasn't ready for something that had nothing to do with the war or battle or even the Jovians as a court. She had wrapped herself in a warm, brown suede jacket, peacoat style with a long cream colored scarf around her neck. She chuckled at the thought of another meeting in a coffee shop when not too long ago, she'd met Paris at one. She still thought fondly of that meeting.
Finding Penelope near the back, Christa greeted her with a short, but warm smile. She was still getting used to the idea that they were all Jovians through and through, even when not in fuku. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly, still fully expecting something terrible to have happened. Was it the Negaverse? The Dark Mirrors? Or something else equally as horrific? When brown eyes laid upon two lovingly wrapped gifts, gray eyebrows nearly touched in confusion. "Penelope...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:40 pm
Tallulah was perhaps less inclined than Christa to jump to worst case scenarios. Penelope had sounded cheerful on the phone, and that was enough to put her in happy spirits. It would be Christmas soon, and she was getting into the holiday spirit. The Cowden family was some odd variety of lapsed Anglican, but that didn't stand in her way when it came to picking out presents for her teammates. In some regards she was glad that Penelope had called, because she'd had a stack of small, wrapped gifts rattling around her bag for ages.
Cradling her double expresso drink, Tallulah made her way to the back table where her friend and teammate sat waiting. She was cheered further to see that she wasn't the only Jovian present. "Christa! Penelope!" cheered Tallulah, setting her drink down and sliding into the empty seat. Sweet deal! Two birds with one stone! She eyed the two wrapped boxes on the table and was quick to reach into her bag and pull out two of her own. After checking the tags, she set them on the table as well.
"This makes it three Christmases," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "I've survived three Christmases. Let's make it four."
She slid the boxes towards their intended recipients. Cyan ribbon for Christa, Mauve for Penelope. "Got these for you," said Tallulah with a smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:56 pm
Penelope had seen Christa enter and waved her to the back, clearing away her coat and purse so that she could pick whichever chair she chose from those remaining. Her own warm, though shy, smile faltered somewhat at the other girl's immediate concern. That, added with the confusion towards the gifts that rested on the table, told her that Christa had anticipated this being a more business oriented meeting. Her fear from early on in her gift-giving seemed to be becoming a reality--would the gray-haired girl now think her flippant, someone who would misuse their connection to one another? A dark blush immediately coated her face as she hastened to explain, "I... I'm fine, I just wanted... to give these to you and Tallulah..."
Her sweeping hand motioned to the two packages sitting beside her, but also right at that moment the other girl who came bounding to the table. How she had missed Tallulah's entrance she did not know, but she immediately went to work to correct the situation, to try and swallow the nervousness rising within her. This was no small feat, especially when a box with mauve ribbon slid across the table to her waiting hands. Her already red face darkened even more as she scrambled to follow suit and deliver the gifts she had called the others to recieve, jostling her hot chocolate in the process. This meant that she had to take the time to wipe the few drops of drink that spilt onto the table away with a napkin, and she stammered, "Oh... thank you, Tallulah... you didn't have to, but... thank you..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quicksilver the Archangel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:05 pm
Christa was floored.
Brown eyes blinked back sudden tears of shame as the teen realized this was purely meant for camaraderie and bonding and gift-giving, not some civilian meeting of the Jovians. She didn't even connect the holidays with this meeting and thus didn't bring anything to give to them. The gray haired teen bowed her head and kicked herself internally for being too uptight and focused on the war that she forgot her friends in the season meant for spending time with them. How would they react to that?
"I.... I'm so sorry," she started, swallowing a horrified lump in her throat. Tallulah's enthusiasm was infectious, but there was an overwhelming part of her that was utterly embarrassed at her blunder. "...I didn't even realize. I... I don't have anything to give to either of you. I just assumed the worst... I'm sorry."
Christa wasn't sure she could accept the gifts given to her without feeling terribly guilty about it. She bit her lip to keep from breaking down further, but surely she could make it up to them? "I really appreciate everything, you two. I really do. You didn't have to call me at all, much less give me anything. I wish I had something to give back to the two of you but... give me some time? I'll make it up to you?" She looked hopeful and mentally noted to remember the damned holidays - not everything was about the bloody war.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:54 pm
Tallulah shook her head at Christa, reached out and gave the other girl a reassuring pat on the back. "Don't worry about it," she assured her. This gift exchange was impromptu, despite what it may have looked like to their friend. "I didn't - it's nothing fancy, I just thought you'd like these."
"So both of you, please open your gifts, okay?" asked Tallulah, sipping more coffee. She was eager to see if they liked their gifts - the hair pins for Christa and the earrings for Penelope. She was breathing an inward sigh of relief to see that she'd remembered their piercing statuses correctly.
Carefully, Tallulah undid the ribbon on the box Penelope had given her. She was a meticulous present opener by nature, and slid a thumbnail delicately under the take and tried not to rip the paper at all.
"Please don't cry, Christa, it's no big deal," she emphasized, opening the lid of the box in front of her. Looking down, Tallulah gasped. "Oh, wow."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quicksilver the Archangel
|
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:23 pm
Tallulah's box had been the rich blue with a golden bow, and nestled inside a few layers of gold and white tissue paper was a blue and brown tartan scarf. Scarves had been a running theme of Penelope's shopping, as she knew no one who could not use them in the winter cold. Customizing them to each Jovian had been the larger challenge, but she thought she had done the best she could. Christa, however, did not have a scarf waiting for her inside of the red box. Instead, Penelope had gotten the other girl a red, leatherbound notebook with pocket flaps on the inside for her to record her thoughts in and store loose papers. She knew that Christa was always scribbling notes and wanted to give her something to assist in that endeavor.
Penelope, for her part, was trying to salvage the situation and did not immediately open the box Tallulah had gotten her. Christa's increasing distress only added to her own discomfort, and she physically rose to pull out a chair so that the gray-haired girl could have a seat. She wanted to wring her hands together but was certain it would not help anything go any better. So, she hastened to reassure her, "No, I'm sorry, I should've been more clear... I didn't even think that anyone else would have gifts, or want to get me anything, or... or anything like that. I should've been more clear, and you don't have to do anything... I didn't expect anything..."
She stopped in mid-babble, too afraid that she would somehow make the situation worse and just sat down to open her present. She quietly pulled on the mauve ribbon until it unraveled and opened the small box. Nestled inside were a pair of earrings, white and blue and... Wonder Woman. As much as the nickname embarassed her, the beauty and functionality of the earrings made Penelope smile despite her nervousness, and she pulled them out of the box so that Christa could see as well as she murmured, "Thank you, Tallulah... I guess I'm stuck being Wonder Woman..." Well, at least Sessreumnir would be pleased.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:49 pm
A couple of coughs later, Christa managed to stifle the intense rush of embarrassment and shame long enough to distract herself with the gifts she'd been gloriously given. She'd take time to find something perfect for them, for all of them, after this was meeting was done. But for now Christa told herself to simply enjoy Penelope and Tallulah's company and to remember that it was the season to getting together with friends and family simply to be. It was something she wasn't used to.
Penelope's gift stunned her - she would have seen that Christa was always writing, always jotting down notes and lists for future needs. This booklet was amazing - its texture and scent was pure leather heaven. Its pages were crisp and pristine and just begging for more notes. This book would be much more stylish than the yellow Steno pad she'd been accustomed to carrying around. "Thank you so much, Penelope. It's... it's simply amazing." came a breathless reply. Truly it wasn't something she was expecting in the slightest.
Tallulah's gift of hairpins was no less spectacular. Likewise, Tallulah of course noticed how Christa never wore her hair down, and these pins looked to be made of glass. Hurriedly, with a childlike glee she only flashed in short bursts, the teen pinned a few in her hair buns. "Tallulah, you shouldn't have! How... how do they look?" These pins were no small gift - they looked extravagant against everything Christa owned. She never wore jewelry, but these pins shone in her gray hair like diamonds.
"...when did I get to deserve such amazing people as friends?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:28 pm
Tallulah beamed across the table at Penelope as she lifted the scarf from her box. "Oh," she enthused, "It's beautiful!" And it was. She ran the soft material back and forth between her hands, admiring the fine lines of color in the fabric. She wrapped the scarf deftly around her neck, modeling it for the benefit of the other two girls at the table.
"How do I look?" asked Tallulah excitedly, hoping it complimented her coloration. She anticipated that it ought to - blue usually brought out the teal tones in her dark hair nicely.
"You look marvelous!" she added quickly, admiring the way Christa's present looked when worn. She'd made a good choice there - the glass-topped bobby pins were perfect for the gray-haired girl, just a bit of sparkle in her stormy curls. It was the kind of gift that just seemed right, she reflected.
Tallulah's expression softened. She reached over and wrapped an arm encouragingly around Christa's shoulder. "You have amazing friends because you're an amazing person!" she assured her. "The two go together. You deserve all the happiness in the world. We all do, especially this time of year." It was the holidays, after all! No one was allowed to be sad on the holidays!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:34 am
Penelope sat quietly at her end of the table, carefully placing the new earrings Tallulah had given her in place. She could not see for herself how well they hung from her ears, but the weight felt nice and balanced and they were comfortable to wear. She self-conciously brushed some of her hair behind her ears to better show off that she was in fact trying on the gift given to her. Other than that, however, she simply enjoyed watching the reactions of her friends to the gifts she had given them. Both of them seemed... happy, happier than she had thought they would be. The girl had put a great deal of time and anxious thought into which gifts to get for her teammmates but had worried, up until the moment that the wrapped packages were opened, that she had made a mistake, that she had gotten the wrong thing. She had wanted to show her appreciation, her affection, for those who had started out as allies and had quickly evolved into friends. Seeing their happiness--not just Christa and Tallulah, but all of the Jovians she had met-- showed that she had succeeded. For a moment, if only a moment... Penelope could honestly say that she was happy.
Happiness, however, did not change everything about her, so her replies to her friends were soft as she spoke between sips of cocoa, "I'm glad... that you both like them. I thought... um... well, that they were pretty but also useful, so... they wouldn't just gather dust. And I think... I think they suit you both well..." She sputtered slightly over her cocoa at Christa's question, placing the cup on the table before she spilt anymore of it. She didn't reach out to the other girl only because Tallulah beat her too it, and a blush burned hot and fast on her face. "You and Tallulah... you're both amazing, and you deserve to know, to be thanked, to be appreciated. I'm glad to be..." Here she broke off, nervously brushing the hair from in front of her ear again. It was presumptious. But it was also true, and she clung to that truth as she finished, "your friend."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quicksilver the Archangel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:55 pm
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to sound so..."
The word tasted sour in her mouth, but it was appropriate.
"...emo."
A curious and slightly embarrassed look crossed Christa's face, exaggerated by the tint of pink that bled across the bridge of her nose. Now she found herself itching for a pen good enough to put to the paper Penelope was kind enough to give her. Perhaps now with Tallulah's lovely hairpins, Christa would spend more time on how she looked if only to show them off. These were things the teen had never found herself thinking about before. Was this the magic the Jovians held?
She bowed her head slightly in reverence. "I'm very thankful to have met you. Both of you and the rest of the team too. Without you, I don't know where I'd be. Thank you." Truthfully, Christa had a damned good idea of where she would be, but she didn't want to ruin the moment by thinking about it. Without them, she knew she'd be careening psychotically out there somewhere, but the Jovians, her friends, kept her firmly grounded. Coughing to keep herself from thinking too far into the future, Christa tried to smile. "I know both of you have been very good this year. Did Santa bring you all something special?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:01 pm
Tallulah cracked a smile at Christa's admission to sounding emo. She honestly hadn't heard the word in ages - it hadn't even occurred to her. "I started off the year in a kind of rough place," she admitted. Just out of a long relationship, her team broken up - she hadn't seen a way that things could have gotten worse, and then they had. "And, I know we've had a lot of difficulty, and we've struggled - but things are looking up. We have each other, our whole group. It's great. And next year's going to be even better."
Laughing, Tallulah blushed down into her coffee. "No, Santa didn't bring me anything specific. I got a new first-aid kit with enough liquid stitches and gauze to take care of an army. And he paid for my textbooks for next semester." When you were a pre-veterinary major, that was all you could ask for, really. Nellie had wondered what Tallulah could possibly want with a military-grade first-aid kit, but Angus gave his daughter a knowing wink.
It was kind of cool to have a dad who encouraged superheroics.
"What did you get?" she asked, eyes flicking towards Penelope to admire how the earrings suited the dark-haired girl. This Wonder Woman thing was going to stick, whether Penelope knew it yet or not. The tribe had spoken.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quicksilver the Archangel
|
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:38 pm
Penelope bit her lip as she listened to her friends conversing, feeling happy but, as always, a little insecure. She didn't have an inspiring story to tell... other than, of course, being awakened and learning to deal with the responsibility given to her. But Tallulah and Christa had already undergone that transition, had been fighting for... years, forever. Far longer than she had. She was glad to have met the Jovians, to be considered one of them... and had already said as much. Was that enough? Did they need to be reassured more? If she said it too often, would it seem like she didn't think it was true? That she was trying to overcompensate? She already couldn't understand why anyone would want her on their side, when she had so little to offer... but she swallowed back those thoughts with a swig of her cocoa. It didn't matter if she had little to offer. It didn't matter if she wasn't good enough. Tallulah and Christa liked her anyway. Harper and Chris liked her anyway. Even Ganymede... and maybe Sessrumnir. Other Senshi too, too many to name. She didn't have to understand it; she just had to cling onto it.
Tallulash's question caught her with a mouthful of chocolate, and she swallowed it down in order to respond, "Oh... I got some books, some comics, and some clothes... and the He-man DVD boxsets. I was pretty happy. And... I'm sure you both were, too?" In her eyes, they deserved everything they wanted (within reason), given all that they gave up. But even she knew that wasn't really a proper sentiment to verbalize.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 4:52 pm
Christa smiled openly then. "I got A Game of Thrones... the books, I mean. I'd like to read them before getting into the series. A couple of notebooks and stationary, but none as nice as this one, Penelope." She traced one of the designs on the front with her finger in admiration. "...and a hoodie too but... I'm not sure I'm brave enough yet to wear it out of the house." The last bit fell to a mumble. There weren't many things Christa wasn't brave enough to do, but bold fashion statements happened to be one of them.
The war was forgotten for now and she was more than thankful for the reprieve, however momentary. The gray haired teen turned to Tallulah. "Enough liquid stitches to take care of an army? Goodness, what does he think you're up to, Tallulah? Unless you come home with more scrapes than we think?" Europa knew what she was doing, so there must've been a good reason. Ah, didn't she say once she was pre-vet at DCU? That made sense. Practicing on people was better than trying to find an injured animal, she supposed. Christa didn't know how that major worked.
"Next year will be even better. I completely agree." She'd already set some goals for herself for the coming year. "Do either of you have New Years resolutions yet, or is it too early for that sort of thing?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:44 pm
Tallulah sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm chief medical officer for the Justice League, actually," she said innocently enough. She'd always explained her superheroics to Angus in terms of the Justice League, Spider-Man... mainstream comics, really. It kept him in the loop without feeding him too much information - if her father had ever heard the word Senshi, she doubted it was from her lips.
"My dad's known for a while," she added quietly. "Not my mom - just my dad. He's a good connection to have, he works for a medical supply company. I had to tell him when I had to stay in town for college. It was that or he'd probably go kill my boyfriend. Presently ex."
In retrospect, maybe she should have just let Angus loose on the poor fellow. It would have saved her plenty of drama down the road.
"As for New Years resolutions... already made them and broke them. Said I was going to cut back on caffeine." Tallulah indicated the cup in front of her. "Clearly not happening. What about you guys?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
