|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 9:52 am
Backdated to early MarchTalia was sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling through a bunch of instagram stories which were all…
All about food. The videos were making her mouth water more than she cared to admit, and she had bookmarked a few to try for later…namely all of the ones made from the croissants…it wasn’t an easy thing to bake but…she had been wanting to try it for a while regardless…and the one stuffed with all of the innards of a krab rangoon…that just sealed the deal and she sighed, stomach rumbling.
She heard footsteps and looked up, smiling brightly upon seeing Evan. “Hey you. Were you summoned by the gurgling of my stomach? Because that’s both very on brand for you, and a little worrisome…there’s not like…secret microphones you’ve put in everyone’s stomachs to know when they’re hungry, are there? Also, please look at this video and tell me any reason you can think for me to not try to make croissants? Because…I want this in my mouth.”
Talia held her phone out and grinned.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:56 am
Evan was exhausted. The weather hadn’t been agreeable for deep sleep, and even if it hadn’t been storming, he’d have still been worried about Riker. He’d entered the kitchen, relieved to see Talia, and sank down into the chair across from her, immediately crossing his arms so he could rest his chin atop of them.
He seemed a little more relaxed than normal. He wasn’t jittery or frantically powering up to go search again. He was stretching out in the chair and it seemed like he was finally able to relax a bit. “That looks so good,” he mused, eyes glued to her phone screen. “I can’t think of any reason for you not to make those, they look delicious. It shouldn’t be too hard, either? You’ve got the skill,” he mused.
“If it makes you feel any better, my stomach’s about to growl. I thought I wanted some mac and cheese but now that I’ve seen that, I don’t know if my go-to is gonna cut it.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 11:53 am
Talia reached over and patted the top of Evan’s head. “Can I make you something? I know you’ve been stressed to the point of breaking. I could put some cream cheese into a grilled cheese for us and we can pretend it’s this. I don’t have any imitation crab but…I can absolutely pick some up the next time I go shopping…”
She gently carded her fingers through her friend’s hair, drawing in a deep, steadying breath. “How are you holding up?”
Talia still hadn’t told anyone other than Zac about what had happened with the Lysithea Page. The fact that she hadn’t been able to protect them and Faustite…
No. Swiftly, Talia squashed those thoughts down and buried them again. Evan had more than enough on his own plate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:56 pm
Evan shrugged a bit dismissively and decided, “I’m fine.” He had a lot on his mind, and he was exhausted from running around and worrying about everything. But, he had good news, and was glad to report, “I found Riker, he’s upstairs with Julian right now. So that’s one thing off my shoulders.”
Talia knew he’d been worrying about him after he’d just disappeared after his birthday celebrations.
Bad things happened so easily in this town, it was easy to assume the worst.
“He’s having some problems at home so he’s going to stay here for a while. Maybe long term. So don’t be surprised if you see him around. He’ll probably stick to hiding, he’s shy. Do you want any help in the kitchen?”
He was asking to be polite, he looked comfortable where he was sitting and really didn’t want to get up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 1:59 pm
“Oh I’m so happy to hear that, Is he doing okay? Does he need anything?” Talia gave a small smile, her mind jumping as it always seemed to to more blankets. Nobody needed as many blankets as she thought they did, but there was nothing that was so cozy…and blankets just.
It was stupid, she knew, and she didn’t mention it out loud, though shook her head at Evan’s question. “I’m all good, everything in the kitchen is under control. I’m glad that Riker is going to be staying here, that’s a big weight off your shoulders I know…We’ll have to figure out how to get more space in here…it’s going to be really cramped with all of these people…”
There wasn’t an easy solution though, not one that could be easily done. For now they would simply be squished. It had worked so far.
“Are you really sure I can’t get anything for you? I’m happy to.” And she was. Always
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 5:49 pm
Evan folded his arms over the table and rested his cheek atop them as he watched Talia in the kitchen. “Is it cramped? I feel like I never see everyone around at the same time.” The house never felt lonely. He’d take a full house over an empty one any day. Even if he didn’t see them all the time, it was nice to know that there were thin walls separating him from everyone else. If he’d needed something, there was always someone to ask.
“Julian said he was okay sharing his room so hopefully it won’t be too much trouble. Maybe Zac will feel like doing more renovating,” he laughed, but it was half-hearted. He didn’t want to ask more of Zac, who had gotten into the habit of grumbling and taking tasks upon himself before anyone could make a request.
“I don’t think I need anything right now,” he admitted. “Well–no, I am hungry.” But that wasn’t really what she was asking. “Riker needs…I don’t know. I think he’s okay for now. The things he needs will come in time. I hope.” He needed patience. Stability. Love. Compassion. Things you couldn’t buy.
“But I’ll let you know, thank you. I want to give him some time to decompress.” He wanted to say ‘you know what it’s like, being a teenager’ but he didn’t know if she did. She had so many of her memories stolen from her. He bit his tongue instead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 8:10 pm
“I’m glad that Julian’s okay with it…I just feel bad that we don’t have more space…” Talia privately thought that Julian would be okay with anything and that some boundaries wouldn’t be bad for him to start cultivating, but she wasn’t going to mention it. She knew she had her own issues with such things and it just wasn’t. Well. Hm.
A wry smile lit her face and she gave a soft sigh. “Beeing a teenager doesn’t seem very easy. Guess I’m glad I never was one.”
Dark humor, she could do dark humor. “Maybe if I had I’d be better at the whole…taking care of people thing. Right now my instinct is just…get soft blankets and try to make them comfortable. Which only works. A little bit. I’m glad that you have Riker, Evan. I’m so glad that you were able to help him out. Be there for him. You’re amazing, you know that?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 8:40 pm
Evan groaned, hardly good at receiving any sort of compliments. He let his head fall to the table again. “It’s nothing special,” he said, not because it was self-deprecating, and not because he was fishing for compliments. It’s what any of them would have done.
What they had done.
He rolled his head just slightly so he could still see her out of the corner of his eye, even as his hair fell in his face.
“You’re plenty good at taking care of people yourself, you know. I mean, I showed up and your first instinct was to take care of me,” he reminded. His stomach growled in agreement.
“And I can’t count the number of times you brought me blankets when I needed them.” When he was exhausted and curled up on the couch, or lost in his thoughts and sunken too deep to pull himself out. She might not remember the time he’d spent while in recovery from his stint in the Negaverse–if you could call it that–but he did. Clearly.
He remembered Talia, and every version of her she’d ever been, and she had always been good at taking care of people.
“If you want to relive your teenage years, we could always hit up the mall sometime. I can show you all my old haunts. I’ve probably got some of my old outfits in the back of my closet, too. It’s never too late to have a childhood, you know. We can make up for lost time.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 8:05 pm
“Yeah? Get bad food at the food court and regret it the next day?” Talia gave a little grin, liking the suggestion, it sounded stupid, but kind of fun. “It’s just. In my blood. I want everyone to be safe and happy. I know I come off as overbearing, and I’m trying not to but. I’m glad that you think I’m good at taking care of people. I want to. Desperately. I just. Sometimes think I’m doing something vastly wrong...and I don’t know how to make anything go the way…”
She broke off and shrugged, sighing. “I don’t know. Things in my head always go better in my head, but I suppose that’s the same for everyone everywhere so.” The stomach growl made her chuckle and finally she got up and went to the pantry, pulling out the bread. “Your stomach betrays you, Ev. I’m going to make those grilled cheeses I talked about, I think we could both use one, and one extravagant sandwich won’t kill either one of us. We’re stronger than that yeah?”
…The food court might though, she kind of wanted to test it, but at the same time…
Yikes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2025 5:54 pm
Evan tried not to make a face at the suggestion of the bad food of the mall, but his face settled into a dreadful grimace. She was teasing, he knew it, but he gave her a pitifully agreeable look anyway.
It might do Talia some good to do something unserious, with no obligations. No pressure.
He wondered how often she did things just because she wanted to and not because she thought it’s what was expected of her.
“Well, I’ve seen the things you cook,” he pointed out, smiling. “I can’t imagine you’d make a sandwich capable of killing someone unless you were intentionally poisoning them. So I don’t have anything to worry about here.”
Here, home.
Where it was always safe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
