Shattered Planes Archives (Seasons 4 & 5)
Saeculum Galaxy => Tefillin => Topic started by: UnStellar on June 07, 2011, 07:50:45 PM
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I'm a mean, mean, son of guuun!
A girl was jamming in the streets. There was a hat on the ground before here. She was plucking the strings of her big ol' double bass, the thumping sound carrying over the sounds of traffic and bustling people. The hat was empty. She seemed at wit's end, there was a wild look in her eyes as she hollered over the voice, her voice refusing to cooperate. She looked down sadly, he vocal chords failing from too much strain. A single tear dripped from one of her green eyes before she madly swatted it away. She tossed back her brown hair and stomped the ground with her worn canvas sneakers, before plucking the bass with all her might, into a mad improv.
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A man, old even by Zarethian standards was walking by the street on his way to meet with a friend of his. His black trousers were rumpled but clean and his shirt was a dark green unpopular among most other Zarethians. He was wearing black dress shoes and glasses over his emerald eyes. His hair was cut short and black with tinges of silver running through it.
He was mostly just trying to get through, walking through the bustling streets as hover cars hummed by above him and cars rode past beside him. Then he heard the sound of a rumbling bass from his right. He saw a young girl playing the bass, her eyes wild with desperation as she strummed the chords. An empty hat lay at her feet.
The man felt a deep tinge of sympathy for the girl. He walked over to her and put a hundred in the hat.
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The girl backed off the bass a little and looked the man straight in the eyes. "Thank you..." She whispered. Her voice was too weak to do much more, but she gave a slight smile of true appreciation. She seemed a little young to be in the streets, and her clothes looked a little rumpled. She eased into a steadier beat with the bass, a little less chaotic, but it was clear she was very skilled with it.
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He nodded. "Are you alright?" He asked her kindly, concern in his eyes. The crowds of people around them still went about their business, hardly noticing the benevolent change of the music. A passing teenage passed by and put a five into the hat followed by an elderly woman with a twenty.
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Lustre approached, pulling out five credit chips each with 1000 creds on them and dropped them in a hat. He whispered to her. "There is more where that came from if you come work for me, and help with my campaign by providing the music if you want."
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She nodded unenthusiastically. "Losing my voice..." She whispered, sighing and continuing to crank out the beats. She smiled and thanks each person that came by, and stopped when Lustre dropped in the chips, recoiling when he whispered in her ear. She dips her hand in the hat and grabs one of the chips.
"How am I supposed to know how much money is in these? What kind of campaign that sounds... Sketchy." She throws the chips on the street. "Beat it! I'm a musician... Not some kind of whore!" She takes the money and sticks it in her pocket, putting the hat on her head and lugging the bass in her arms.
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The man looked at the other man who gave her money, surprised by the way he acted. He was even more surprised at her outburst when she threw the money at the ground and tried to go away. What the hell did that bastard say to her, he wondered as he rushed forward to help her with the bass. "Here, lemme help you with that." He offered.
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The girl kept her steady trot up even burdened with the bass.
"Easy homes, don't think I'm not suspicious of you either."
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He laughed, keeping up with her. "Of course you are. Were I in the same position I would've kicked a guy like me in the nuts and run."
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The girl slipped into an easy laugh, but held up her defiant shield. Her bass hit a passerby, and she bumped into another.
"Watch where you're moving bro! You could've broken my bass!" She clearly wasn't one to screw around. "People see a pretty girl on the streets busking for cash they think they can take advantage of her. Tell me, am I pretty?" She glanced back at him briefly.
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He apologized briefly to the passerby for her since she wasnt going to.
When she asked him if she was pretty he cocked his head to the side. "Now what kind of question is that for a beautiful young lady like you to be asking?" He asked, then he realized that she likely hasnt heard anything earnest about herself for a while and tells her. "Of course you're pretty." in a reassuring, earnest manner.
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"Now tell me Mr. Observant, was I just busking?" She asks, waiting at a street corner for a walk sign.
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"I honestly have no idea what that means." He shrugged, keeping up. "It looked like you were playing your bass for money."
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The girl laughs. "Based on this evidence, what can we conclude from my earlier statement Mr. Lack of vocabulary?" The light says walk and she does so, crossing the street.
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"That you are fairly poor and lacking for work?" He asked, following her across the street.
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The girl stopped suddenly and turned, caught a little off guard.
"Well. Uh. That too." She spun on her heels and started walking again, slinging the bass over her shoulder. "It also means people want to take advantage of me. Do you want to take advantage of me homes?"
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"If you mean somehow catching you off guard and then taking advantage of your apparent lack in strength from poor nourishment, then no I don't." He tells her firmly. He knew full well what it was like on the streets. No one gave without asking something in return.
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She stopped again, turning to him.
"Wait a minute, do I look hungry?"
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"Hungry, tired, lonely and mistrustful. Must I go on?" He asks mildly, stopping up short as she did.
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"Damn, man." She ruffles in her pocket and grabs the hundred, staring at it. "Well, luckily I got some cash today. Guess I can get myself a hot meal." She turns dramatically, hundred dollar bill raised triumphantly as she walks away bass tucked under elbow.
"You can stop following me, you know. You've done your part. I can eat for a week off this. If I stretch it."
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"I know. Doesnt make me want to stop helping." He said, shrugging. "Do have any shelter to eat those hot meals?" He asked.
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"None of your business homes. You want to help, you can stop following me. Nothings free but an anonymous bill in my Porkpie." She replies, tugging at the brim of her beat up old hat.
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He shrugged. He knew he couldnt force this. "I know its not... But... If you want to have a warm bed and a bath - God knows you could use one - I have a place that you can come. Its on here if you want to come." He said, taking out a card of his and putting it in the pocket she took the hundred out of. He turned around and walked back the way he was going originally.
"Oh, and so just so you know. Its supposed to rain hard all week." He said, turning his head slightly.
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She sniffed at her arm pits suspiciously. Good God, it had only been a week and she was already starting to smell funky. She didn't bother replying, jaywalking across the street bass in hand she glances at his card, which reads...
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'Alik's Home for the Unfortunate'
018 St Westboro rd, Knile, Tefillin
On the bottom it said in bold, black letters "Let me help you"
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"Well shit, why didn't he say so? Would've eased a little of the awkwardness had I known he was legit." She says to herself, setting her bass down and entering a cheap little diner.
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The waitress looked at her with a slight hint of disdain before disguising it with the normal smile. "I'll be with ya in a sec, hon." She says. She getting what the man she is currently serving on her electronic data pad.
Alik walked past where he met the curious young girl. He was a little bit late to meet the friend of his so he hurried his pace.
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The girl smiled briefly, returning to her apathetic look as she drummed her fingers on her bass.
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"Okay, hun. Heres the menu." The waitress says, giving her a holopad with the menu uploaded. "Choose what ya want to drink." She asks, waiting with her pen on the pad expectantly.
Akil finally got to his friend's place. He waited outside the large house as the servobot registered his DNA and appearance and let him in.
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"Just some tea." She said, her voice cracking. Talking to Alik on the street had strained her voice. Even talking was difficult. She set her bass across from her in her stall and sat some, relieved to have some rest.
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"Alright, comin right up." The waitress said, going to get it and serve a few others in the meantime. She came back five minutes later with the tea. "You got what you want, yet?" She asked, popping her some bubblegum.
Alik walked into the veritable mansion. It was a dark, gloomy place filled with low, artificial light from ornate chandeliers. He walked up the perfectly kept black wooded stairs which creaked with every move. He knocked on the door at the top and heard a spooky sounding voice call "Come in!"
He entered the room, which was small and was lit by candles.
"We've been here for what, 2 years now and you've already made the house look like a haunted house...." Alik sighs exasperatedly.
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The girl, whose name was Sierra, by the way, put her feet up on the table and nestled back, eyes shut. Upon being roused she recited, as if by memory...
"Yeah, get me a Reuben, extra sour krauet, thousand island on the side with a side of french fries. Please." She said quickly. A little embarrassed she settled back into her comfortable roost.
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"Alright but please take your feet off the table, hon." The waitress said, going to get the order and bringing it back in five minutes.
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Sierra threw her hat on the table and nestled into the corner, curling into a ball and power napping for the five minutes. The clanking of plates on the table woke her up, and she stretched her arms getting up.
"Thanks D..." She jumped, accidentally letting the name slip. Shit. Now the waitress, Diane, would know who she was.
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"Is.. Is that you Seirra?" The waitress asked in a surprised, yet hushed whisper. "I havent seen you in ages... What happened to you?"She asked, stacking the plates.
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D could smell a lie and Sierra knew it. That's why she was hoping to avoid this conversation all together.
"I thought the reuben with fries order would have been a give away..." Sierra took a swig of her hot tea. "And the bass... My Dad come in here much any more?"
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"No, he stopped coming after you left. I think he preferred the liquor store across the street." She said sadly. "You look rough, kid."
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Ouch. That was a little below the belt. Sierra took a tentative bite of the sandwich and found it to her satisfaction.
"Mmm. Yummy as always... I feel a little rough. But it's worth it D!"
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"Worth it? How?" She asked, leaning on the table.
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"I'm free now, from them, from my crummy life. I'm living off my music! Like I always dreamed as a kid." She said, devouring more of the sandwich.
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'Youre still a kid. And living off the music hasnt helped you much. You've lost weight." D pointed out to her, poking her in the stomach.
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Sierra recoiled from the poke.
"Watch it D!" She now seemed focused on finishing her food quickly, finishing the first half of her sandwich and stuffing her mouth with fries. "I dn wn o go ba!" She said, her mouth full.
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"Slow down, child. If you die from Larry's food after being out on the streets so much its going to pretty messy in here." She says, her hands on her waist.
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Sierra swallows a mouth full and downs some more tea.
"I'm not a child any more D."
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"Right. And I'm not a waitress anymore." D rolls her eyes. "I have to go back to work,the managers givin me the evil eye. Finish the food slower, please. I wont be right here to remind you and do the Heimlich." She said, going to get another persons order.
Alik was sitting in a comfy chair in front of a desk clottered with Zalloween items. The time of year was a bit far away, but nonetheless the owner kept it around.
"So, what have you come for, Alik?" The owner asked, his chair back towards Alik.
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D could be a bitch sometimes... But Sierra knew everything she said and did was for her own good. She knew D loved her like a daughter, and deep down knew she was right. But dammit she didn't want to face this right now! She was sick of the whole thing. She was tired of thinking... She just wanted to finish her food and sleep. God, She needed some sleep...
The coldest heart can be brought to life, when it's thrown into the fire of good byes.
She finished her fries and pushed the plate away, finishing her tea which helped her vocal chords and warmed her stomach. She slapped the twenty on the table and tried to get out of the diner without D catching her.
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D was too busy handling a rowdy customer who had too much to drink and was getting feely.
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Sierra slipped out of the diner dragging her bass behind her... The sunshine was gone. She looked up just in time to get a rain drop on her face. Alik wasn't kidding... A storm was coming.
Rain on my hopes. Rain on my soul. Rain on everything that I know.
"Shit!" She screamed. Her bass was going to get soaked. She pulled off her hoodie and put it over the bass, and ran across the street. A car slammed it's brakes and stopped short, honking at her. She flipped it off and kept running.
It feels so ludicrous, the pursuit of this dream. We thought we'd be there long ago.
Where could she go dammit. Her apartment was a good twenty blocks away, and her landlord kicked her out a week ago... Sierra stopped dead in tracks, grimacing with her revelation. She remembered the address on the card. It was close, maybe three blocks away.
The second I try to pull away... I'm pulled back in line.
She sprinted towards it, her only remaining option.
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"Right. Good seeing you again." Alik said after a long and fruitful conversation. He walked out the door, humming a tune. He had assured the home for the unfortunate another years worth of supplies. He walked out of the gloomy house into the gloomy air. He was sensing a pattern developing. He wondered what happened with that girl...
Hopefully she made it somewhere safe before the storm started. He started to run as the storm got worse. He was almost at the house five minutes later, though he was soaked.
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His timing was miraculous, Sierra was running up to the building at the same time. Her clothes were soaked, including the hoodie that covered her bass. She was swearing under her breath, whimpering and crying. She looked up at him, and opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was shot.
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"Oh dear." He said sadly. "Come on." He said, putting his arm around her shoulders and guiding her into the house.
Inside it was warm, the walls painted a bland white in this room but the living room and kitchen could be seen beyond and were of different colors. They stood there soaked, flooding the little door mat as Alik closed the door behind them.
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Sierra tramped in, getting the carpet wet, and opened her mouth to speak, managing one word. "Bed." She said solemnly, frailly clinging to her bass.
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"No, not yet."He said gently. "Sarina!" He called. A girl with violently pink hair and eyes popped her head out questioningly. "Could you go fetch some clothes and two towels for our friend and myself, please?" He asked. She nodded and appeared moments later with the requested items.
"Here." Alik said, giving her the towel and clothes. "Get yourself into these before Sarina shows you to your room."
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Sierra groggily followed to Sarina to a place where she could change her clothes. She dried herself off with the towel and peeled off her wet clothes, changing into the dry ones provided.
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Serina silently took her up to an unoccupied room. It was a light tan color with a twin mattress and matching tan sheets. It was sparsely populated with wooden furniture. Sarina motioned towards the bed.
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Sierra nodded to her, pointing her to the door. When she left, she stripped off her fresh clothes and jumped happily onto the clean smooth sheets. She was out in minutes.
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Sarina found Alik and made a head on hands gesture.
"She's asleep?" He asked. She nodded. "Thank you Sarina. You can go back to watching tv but its almost bedtime, okay?" He said, reclining in his chair and getting a book from his desk and started reading. When she saw that he wasnt looking she made a mocking face as she was backing up. "I can see you, young lady." Alik said sternly. Serina's eyes widened as she disappeared off to watch her program. Alik smiled.
OOC: time skip?
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She was out for a good ten hours, and she awoke slowly, gracefully slipping out of rest and laying on the bed. She smiled and opened her eyes, the rain beating on her window. She slipped out of the bed and stretched to the chorus of the falling rain, yawning. A laugh escaped her lungs, it was so nice to have a good night's sleep. she looked around the bare room and put on her under clothes, and slipped on the sweat pants and baggy t-shirt the shelter gave her. Suddenly, she panicked. Where was her bass? She ran through the door looking for it.
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Alik was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping some hot tea and reading the newspaper. It was a bit soppy, but it would do. He saw her run down. "Hey, look whose up!" He said before he saw the look on her face. "Whats wrong?" he asked.
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"My bass! Where is it?" She asked, her eyes darting across the room, down the hall, trying to locate it.
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"Oooh" He said, comprehending her plight. "Its in here. It got pretty soaked last night and Cail is fixing it." He said, leading her to the living room.
The screens were closed and Serina was watching tv on the old couch as a young man about Sierra's age was sitting on the ground with the bass on his crossed legs. He was expertly plucking the various strings and checking for for anything he missed. He even calibrated it.
Cail looked up and saw the new figures.
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Sierra runs in and grabs it from Cail forcefully, checking it expertly and frantically like one might check an injured child. Finding nothing wrong with it she spins it, plucking the strings a couple of time to make sure everything is in order.
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Cail cocks his head to the side as he gets up. "I dried it off and made sure none of the water soaked into the wood. What water did get into the mechanisms I pulled out with some magic." Explained. "I even tuned it. I looked like they were bumped into. Oh, yeah. My names Cail." He said, holding out his hand to greet her.
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After a few plucks she found she was, in fact, in tune. A little stunned she looked down at Cail, embarassed.
"Um. I'm Sierra... Sorry for freaking out." She takes his hand and shakes it.
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"Its fine." He said, nonchalantly. "Nice to meet you, Seirra." He said before looking at Alik. "Hey, Dad, want me to get the other kids together?" he asked.
"That would be great, Cail." Alik said, nodding."Everything okay, Seirra?" He asked as Cail ran off.
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She stares at her bass for a little bit longer.
"Yeah. Everythings fine." She turns to face him. "Thank you Alik. I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you."
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"You were just acting the way you knew how to do with strangers." He shrugged. "Its not your fault."
Cail came back in leading seven kids around the age of eight. Two of them were singing "Kaylee and Simon sitting in a tree..." While a little girl with brown hair pounded after them and a boy with brown hair walked shyly into the room dragging his little sister, a girl with pale skin and black hair, with him. Her head was swinging to its own invisible tune as he dragged her.
"Mal, Jayne. Stop teasing." Alik told them. "Kaylee, no running in the house, remember?"
They groaned and the teasing subsided and Kaylee came to a halt, glaring daggers at the two boys. Jayne, the bigger one, looked almost like a twelve year old. The second, Mal, looked down and scuffed his toe against the floor.
Another pair came into the room, a dark skinned girl with brown hair and a fierce demeanor was followed by a little blond boy. They were arguing.
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Sierra gave them all a quick smile, and bent over to talk to Kaylee.
"Those boys being mean to you?"
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"Yes.." She sniffled, crossing her arms.
"Were not!" Mal protested.
"Nuh uh!" Jayne added.
The little brown haired boy led his sister over to the couch where they sat down, him watching what was happening with big brown eyes and her staring off into space and listening to her own little tune.
The dark skinned girl and the blond boy were arguing about some television show. "Nuh uh! Ultratron would totally woop Master Chef's butt!" the girl said, turning to face the boy.
"No way!"He protested,saying it was the other way around.
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Sierra wrapped an arm around the girl, and began to whisper in her in an exaggerated manner, occasionally glancing at the boys and giggling.
"You know what I used to do to boys who made fun of me?"
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"What?" She said, rubbing her eyes.
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"I beat em' up!" She said out loud, lunging at the two boys in an even more exaggerated manner and tackling Jayne. She holds him in the crook of her elbow and gives him a noogie, laughing.
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Mal yelped and dodged out of the way while Kaylee let out a wet giggle. Simon smirked, Jayne screamed and called uncle, the dark skinned girl and the blonde boy stopped their argument for a second to laugh at Jayne's plight. "Looks like Jayne picked on someone his own size for once." The dark haired girl said, before going back to arguing about the tv or video game.
Cail smiled. "Shes been awake for ten minutes and she's already getting along with everybody." Alik nodded.
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Sierra stops noogying him but keeps him in the head lock giggling.
"So your name is Jayne huh? But that a gi-i-rls name! Jayne's a girl! Jayne's a girl!" Sierra sings in a sing song voice, pausing for giggle fits here and there.
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"Is.. Is no!" He said, trying to get free. "Lemme go you crazy!" he says.
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Sierra sucks on her index finger and sticks it in his ears, laughing hysterically before letting him go.
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Screaming about girl germs he runs around in circles while the others watched. Kaylee went up and hugged her around the leg saying a muffled thank you.
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Sierra leans over gives her a big hug.
"No problem girl. Just remember that for the the future. You got to stick up for yourself, okay?" She says seriously, breaking the hug and looking her in the eyes.
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"Okay..." She said quietly, wiping her eyes. "Wanna go play dolls?" She asked shyly, looking down.
Serina entered the room silently. She walked up behind Alik and looked over his shoulder at the scene of adorableness.
"Hold on, Kaylee. Let the others have a turn with our new friend too." Alik laughed. "Sierra, this is Kaylee, who you've already made friends with, Jayne, a new friend as well, Mal, Simon, River, Zoey, Washington -" "Wash, Dad." Wash interrupted. "Right, right, 'Wash'" He said, correcting himself. "Serina, who you met last night and my son, Cail." They all waved in turn.
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Sierra smiles to them all.
"It's nice to meet you all." She looks down at Kaylee. "Why don't you see if River will play dolls with you? I'll be over there in a little bit." She walks over to Alik and Serina, smiling at the kids who have gone back to their play. "This is quite the operation you got here Alik. Beautiful building for a homeless shelter." She peeks around his shoulder. "Hi, Serina. It's nice to meet you."
(OOC: I'm gonna go now.)
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"Okay." Kaylee says running over to get her dolls from the cabinet under the television. "Wanna play dolls, Simon?" She asked as Jayne and Mal snickered. She glared at them and they quickly subsided and started playing the Zentendo 64 game of Star Hampster 64.
"No, I'm fine." He said, getting out a picture book and pretending to read it. River walked over to Kaylee and started to play with the dolls.
"Yeah. It wasnt always this way, though, as you can imagine." He said, admiring the scene before him. He always liked taking the time to look when things were working properly and no fights were breaking out. It was rare indeed.
Serina silently waved at her, smiling and pointing at Kaylee then at her and making a little heart with her fingers.
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Sierra smiled and made the same sign with her fingers.
"You're a quiet one. I like that."
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She looked down for a second, eyes a little sad. Alik looked at her. "She doesn't have much of a choice." He informed Seirra. "She was born with an extremely rare genetic defect. She was born without vocal chords. Any attempt to insert some would lead to disastrous results." He said sadly.
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There was beat of awkward silence, Sierra looked at her feet for a second.
"Um. I'm sorry, I had no idea." She looked up at Serina earnestly.
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She shrugged and made the Zarethian sign of something along the lines of 'how could you know?'. Alik read the sign then repeated it to Seirra.
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"I wish I could sign. I had a couple of friends who did it back in high school. I only picked up a couple things." Sierra proceeds to say "Awkward Turtle, Bacon, Bear, Shrimp, and Cook" in sign language.
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Serina looked at her then looked at Alik. They both burst out laughing, Alik's was loud and deep and Serina's was completely silent.
The kids looked at the two, or more particularly, Alik like they were crazy before going back to playing their various games.
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Sierra laughs with them.
"At least I can tell her to cook stuff for me... Or warn her of impending bear attack!"
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"Riiiight." Alik said, still smiling.
"Sierraaaa come and plaaaay!" Kaylee called, sitting on the opposite side of a doll house of River.
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"Just a second hun!" Sierra shouts back, turning to the adults.
"Well, I'm being summoned. Thanks for letting me stay here Alik. Oh, and Serina, you look like a total doll girl. Lets play!" Sierra grabs Serina's arm and takes her over to the doll house.
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"Have fun you two." Alik said as Sierra dragged Serina over to the doll house. As she was being dragged, Serina gave Alik a look that could only be described as the most pitiable puppy dog eyes face every imagined. Alik simply smiled.
"Yay!" Kaylee said, giving them an array of dolls to chose from.
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"Oooh, look! There's Serina!" Sierra grabs a naked pink haired doll and hands it to Serina. "Serina'd better put some clothes on dontcha thing?" She says to the girls, and they giggle. Sierra smiles and Serina, and grabs her own doll. "I'll be the mommy!" She triumphantly declares.
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Serina looked at them both like they were crazy. She pointed at the doll and looked Kaylee as if to say 'This... is me?' Kaylee smiled back and points to the dresser in the house. "Theres clothes in there!" She told her, happy to have someone to play with.
Serina looked at her again and opened the minute chest and struggled to put the clothes on her doll avatar.
"So, Seirra wheredya come from?" Kaylee asked, brushing her dolls hair.
Alik left the room to prepare lunch and Cail started playing with Mal and Jayne in Star Hampster.
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"Well dear, I hail from the great 12th street before Nerentry became a city. I was raised in space, you're so lucky to grow up on an actual planet." Sierra said, her eyes betraying a brief look of sadness as her mind trails off.
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"What was it like?" Kaylee asked. "Did you live with your momma and papa?" She asked. Serina froze at those words at stopped trying her doll into the dress. She looked cautiously at Sierra, measuring her reaction.
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Sierra smiled at her innocence, patting her head.
"I think we both know about growing up without mommy love. It was just me and Dad..." Sierra said quietly. She knew where the conversation was going, she didn't want to make the little girls sad, or Serina for that matter. So she picked up her doll, imitating a high pitched voice. "Hey you two! Go clean your room!"
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Serina looked at her for a second longer then played her doll nodding and cleaning up the rooms. Kaylee was about to ask something but then Alik called. "Lunch everybody!"
There was a scramble as everyone ran into the dining room. A huge table with twelve chairs sat with loads of sandwiches and wraps on it.
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Sierra grunts as the girls run over her back, and she jumps to her feet chasing them down.
"Good Lord! This isn't lunch, this is a feast. Lemme guess, half of it is for Jayne?" She says, laughing and finding a chair next to Serina.
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"Why, yes it is." Jayne said, swaggering to the table.
"Quiet Jayne." Mal said. Jayne gave him an annoyed look as he sat down.
Kaylee sat next to Sierra. Zoey and Wash sat next to one another. Mal and Jayne sat next to Simon and River. Cail sat on Serina's other side and Akil sat at the head of the table.
They all started to dig in.
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Sierra dug in too, trying to not appear too hungry.
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"So Kaylee, have fun with Seirra and Serina?" Alik asked. Kaylee nodded and glanced at Seirra and Serina. "We had lots of fun!"
"Done." Mal said, finishing his fourth sandwich. "Put your plate in the washer." Alik told him. He groaned and put the plate in the machine then hurried off to play games. Jayne looked at Mal's fleeing back and his eighth sandwich and hurriedly stuffed it in his mouth. "Daone" He said, his mouth full as he put his dish in the washer and went to play with Mal. The rest of the kids hurried and finished their dinners.
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"You know kid, one of these days you're going to choke... And I'm not going to Heimlich maneuver you!" She scolded finishing her third sandwich and pushing it away, thanking them for lunch.
"Are my clothes dry yet?"
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Jayne stuck his tongue out at her, or tried... He couldnt do it properly without spilling his sandwich.
Alik finished quietly, wiping his mouth. "Yes, your clothes should be in the washer room. Serina?" He said. She had finished already and stood up and motioned for Sierra to come with her.
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She follows behind Sirena, whistling gently.
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Serina looked back at her with a look that said "What are you doing?" As she led her through the kitchen and into the wash room, which was small, slightly dark and had a white washer/drier machine in the corner.
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Sierra raises her hands in the air.
"What? I'm just whistling."
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Serina made the same motions with her lips as she saw Seirra do. She let out a small whistle. Her eyes lit up in surprise. It was one of the only noises she could actually made of her free will. She tried it again and made a louder whistle.
Alik called from the kitchen. "Is that you Seirra?"
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(OOC: D'AAAAAW (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments?from=Main.CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming))
Sierra's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and she jumps in glee.
"Alik! Come hear this!"
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Alik came rushed into the room. "Hey what is-" He stood speechless as Serina was practicing whistling to herself. She saw him and smiled then went back to whistling. Alik smiled back. "Thats... amazing.." he said quietly.
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"I swear I'm gonna get diabetes if I stay around here... Ya'll are just too sweet!" She laughs, smiling brightly at Sirena and whistling in harmony with her.
-
Serina's eyes twinkled happily. She turned around, opened the dryer and then threw Sierra's clothes at her. Alik sniggered and walked out. Serina turned around and winked at her.
-
Sierra smiles at her, collecting her warm clothes from the ground and closing the door firmly behind her, changing quickly.
-
Serina began to whistle again, happily, making a small tune from what she had heard on the radio. She waited outside, in the kitchen for her newest friend to come out.
"You like her, dont you?" A voice from behind her said. It was Cail. Serina cocked her head to the side her face reddening slightly then nodded, smiling.
"Yeah.. She's something it seems." He said, quietly going back to play with his little 'brothers'. Serina looked at him oddly as he went.
-
Sierra pulled on her shirt, smoothing the wrinkles the faded green fabric clung to her body, she loved it. It was her favorite shirt, it always felt right. She threw on her hoodie and rushed through the door.
-
She ran right into Serina who was waiting for her. Kaylee was with her. "Hey! You taught Serina to whistle! I wanna whistle!" She says, making feeble attempts that looked more like blowing or sticking her tongue out than whistling.
-
"Hey, watch it you!" Sierra laughs at Kaylee's attempts to whistle. "Kaylee! It's all in the lips! Pucker up, like you're about to kiss someone." Sierra does just that, demonstrating.
-
Serina took a glance at Seirra and then glanced away, cheeks pinkening. "Ewww...." Kaylee complained before doing as she was told.
-
Sierra steals a glance at Sirena, eyebrows cocked confused, before to turning to Kaylee.
"Kay, now you gotta blow. Softly."
-
At first she blew too hard so that it was more like a raspberry. The second time she blew too soft and it made no sound. Growling in frustration she tried a third time and let out a long, solid note. She smiled proudly and looked at Sierra and Serina for approval. Serina smiled lightly and nodded.
-
Sierra claps for her.
"Yay! Everyone can whistle! Now go annoy the boys with your new found talent!" She says happily, turning Kaylee towards them.
-
Serina followed, whistling silently to herself as Kaylee rushed forward into the living room and letting out a long, loud whistle.
The boys covered their ears in pain and surprise. General shouts of annoyance soon followed. Kaylee smiled and did it again.
"Whoever is whistling, stop it now, please. Or turn it down." Alik says from upstairs.
-
Sierra giggles, turning to Sirena.
"We've created a monster."
-
Serina cocked her head to the side and looked at her as if to say "We? It was aaaaaall you, this time." And then stuck her tongue out at her playfully.
-
Sierra laughs at her.
"Your tongue matches your hair!"
-
Serina recoiled and tucked her tongue back inside her mouth, her face pinkening to match her hair. She laughed at her... she thought, eyes glancing down.
She began to play with her her shirt absentmindedly, twisting the bottom up, then letting it unroll, then twisting it up again.
-
Sierra smirks at her uneasiness, giving her a playful punch to the shoulder.
"Come on! You need to be your confident then that. You're pretty enough to not have to take anyone's shit. Besides, I think your hair is cute. Let's go find you Dad, I want to talk to him." She says with a reassuring smile, digging her hands into her hoodie pocket and trudging back to the kitchen.
-
Serina makes a small smile, pleased and no longer tugging at her shirt. Her face blushed slightly as she followed Sierra into the kitchen.
Alik is in the kitchen, cleaning up the room with small amount of magic. The dishes flew into the dishes washer, the washer turned on and began its cycle and the left overs flew into their respective places.
-
"So you going to tell me your story or have me figure it out in multiple choice questions?" Sierra asks, sarcastically leaning against the door way.
-
Alik looked at her and grinned slightly. "Well, I always liked the multiple choice questions on tests...." He began. "Well, lets see... I was born a looooong time ago even before the invasion. My parents were fairly poor but we lived well because they had some magical ability. I wandered around for a long time, doing odd jobs, finding work in the military and stuff like that. I was a cargo worker when the invasion happened. The invasion left a loooot of lonely, forgotten kids around. I felt bad, I had to do something. I let some kids into my home and then it became Alik's Home for the Less Fortunate." He shrugged. "What about you?"
Serina listened to Alik, interested, she never heard him talk his past before.
-
Sierra nodded knowingly.
"Oh, ya know. Grew up back when this place was in space. Mom died when I was really little, Dad didn't make much but uh... He tried hard." She said quietly, unsure if she wanted to continue as she stared at the floor.
-
Serina cocked her head to her side curiously from behind Sierra.
Alik nodded. "You dont have to get into the detail of it if you dont want to. I know a lot of people dont." He shrugged.
-
She stares blankly at the floor for a few more second, coughing and regaining eye contact.
"How do you get the cash to keep this place going?"
-
"This place is funded by a variety of friends of mine. I have a particular, eccentric friend who pays for most of it." Alik explained.
Serina was a bit disapointed by the lack of information but she understood Sierra's unwillingness to elaborate.
-
Sierra's eyebrows shift with curiosity.
"Eccentric?" She asks mischievously.
-
"To put it simply, his house is a haunted house for Zalloween all year long." Alik told her, shrugging.
-
Sierra stared at him for a second, blinking.
"Wait, seriously?"
-
Alik nodded. "Yep. He's a nice guy though, he just likes the undead and that kind of stuff."
-
Sierra nods nonchalantly. "That's totally normal."
-
Alik chuckled. "No. No its not. But like I said, he's not a bad guy. " The rain outside was starting to die down now and Jayne, Mal, Zoey, Wash and Cale were going outside to play ball.
Serina poked Seirra in the sides.
-
Sierra stifles a giggle and jumps away from Sirena, pointing to her accusingly and backing away.
"Uh uh! No tickling. I'm not ticklish, don't even try." She says defensively, backing toward Alik.
-
Serina giggled and winked at her playfully.
"You'll get no help here." Alik warned poking her in the sides as she backed up.
-
Sierra shrieked, jumping away from Alik. She knew she was trapped.
"No! Stop!" She pleaded, not entirely serious. Sierra couldn't help but look back to her Dad chasing her around, holding her dad and exploiting her many ticklish spots. No, no! She couldn't think about that, she blocked him out of her mind, not wanting memories to flood back, and dove past Serina in an attempt to escape.
-
Alik chuckled as she jumped away from him. Serina stuck out her arm to catch Seirra but ended up being knocked down by her leap. Alik burst out laughing at the site and clapped. "Bravo, bravo." He chuckled.
-
Sierra pointed down at Serina sternly.
"I'm not helping you up! I'm not responsible for your injuries should you try to tickle me." She said quite firmly.
-
Serina made a puppy dog face and mouthed 'please'.