InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "do you trust me?"

Leonora Hollins (noramd) wrote in darkdividerpg,
@ 2014-08-10 20:26:00

Entry tags:

character: april hollins, character: eli lasko, date: 08.04.14, type: group scene

Who: Nora, April, and Eli
What: Nora meets the roommate
When: Monday, August 4, evening
Where: April and Eli's place
Warning: Questions. Lots of questions.

It was a little later than Nora had liked, but she'd been caught up at work. Nora didn't like to leave anything incomplete, an so she often spent time at the hospital filling in what she couldn't get done on her shift, and that led to late nights and little free time. Nora didn't need much free time, though, so it only became an issue when she actually did have somewhere else to be. There was no real urgency needed in meeting April's roommate, but Nora couldn't wait any longer. It had been driving her nuts since the day April told her about him. He was a combination that was hard to ignore, a man living with her baby sister, and a man that could do things with his brain that others could not. The fact that Nora had waited this long was a testament to her relationship with April. She had done her best to respect her sister's privacy for as long as she could. Time was up, though.

She had dressed nicely for the occasion. It wasn't unusual for her to dress nicely, in fact, it was more unusual for her to appear casual than it was for her to dress up, butt she really tried to put on a good appearance today. She had on a coral colored dress over a pair of sandy colored high heels, accessorized with a pair of off white earrings and a matching necklace. She was presentable, and she came bearing a present. Housewarming gifts were always a nice gesture. Since she had come here straight from the hospital, and she knew nothing about him, Nora carried a tiny potted cactus to present to him as a gift. She knocked on the door, hoping that she might get a few moments alone with April's housemate, wanting to be able to question him without commentary and eye rolling from her sister.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

	off_pointe 2014-08-11 03:54 am UTC (link)
	April rolled her eyes with an exasperated (and exaggerated) sigh. "For fuck's sake, Nora- I did tell you about him. I just didn't give you his life story, tax records, or social security number. And you can stop talking about me in the third person when I'm standing right in front of you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

followthevision
2014-08-11 03:58 am UTC (link)

Elias bit back the urge to roll his eyes. April did it for him, though, so there was that. Apparently he wasn't the only one getting a little exasperated. "She might be your baby sister, but she's not a baby," he pointed out. "She's a grown woman that went through all the details with me before I even saw the apartment. She's not dumb. She got the answers she felt she needed. You don't really have the right to ask me anything, but I respected the fact that you were her sister and she asked me to meet you. I'm her roommate, not yours." His voice was calm, but he didn't really care for the third degree he was getting from Nora. He could understand if he was a teenage boy coming to ask out a teenage girl, but they were all adults here.

"I take you plenty seriously. I wanted to lighten the mood because it felt a little like an interrogation." He supposed maybe that was just the way Nora was, which wasn't her fault, but still. "Would this really be any different if I didn't have a dick? I somehow think that no matter who I was, you'd be questioning me like I'd done something wrong."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noramd
2014-08-11 04:08 am UTC (link)

"No, she's not a baby, which is why I waited until she said it was okay to meet you. I've never thought my sister was dumb, stupid, or incapable. Being her roommate makes you a big part of her life, and that matters to me. You become a part of the family, in a way, and I feel I should be able to ask you for some information so I know for myself who you are, and how willing you are to respect that I worry and care about my sister, even if she doesn't always appreciate it. I know she doesn't, in fact, but I can't help it. I love her, and I would do anything to make sure she was safe and happy. If that means making you uncomfortable for a few minutes, then that's what it means, but I'm not going to settle for just anyone having easy access to my sister or my family via my sister."

She stood up,brushing her hands down her skirt to smooth imaginary wrinkles. She was extremely uncomfortable herself, now, and didn't think the evening needed to continue. "No, it wouldn't be any different no matter what your genitalia was. But because you're a man, and I see plenty of victims of what men do when they get angry at women, I felt slightly more concerned. As my concern holds little value to either of you, I will take my leave and allow you to mock me in private."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

off_pointe
2014-08-11 04:25 am UTC (link)

"Jesus Christ, Nora-" April's lighthearted flush was gone. Nora had completely ignored her, which grated on her more than anything else. She did not like being brushed off, especially when the conversation revolved around her. After sending Eli a quick 'excuse us for a goddamn minute', April irritably ushered her sister to the kitchen, where the smell of south-west spices and the warm oven air provided the only sound barrier between them and the rest of the apartment. Except for maybe the bathroom. It was a tiny place.

But at least they were somewhat alone.

"Will you please get off your cross for a minute so I can explain a few things to you?" April hissed, keeping her voice down yet still effectively conveying her annoyance. "We were joking with you to include you- but you're treating him like a criminal and me like a child. I appreciate your concern for me, Nora- I do- but if you want to make sure I'm happy, I would appreciate you not treating the person I live with like a potential wife-beater, okay? I want you to be friends with my friends, but you never let them get that far. So for Chrissake's, would you please chill the fuck out?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noramd
2014-08-11 04:36 am UTC (link)

She pulled herself away from April, refusing to take her scolding lightly. "There is a time and a place for joking, April, but that wasn't it. You weren't joking, he was. You weren't a part of that. I wanted to see if I could trust him, and he gave me nonsense. So I'm sorry you don't appreciate the way I do things, but I'm not going to just laugh it off when I don't know a damn thing about him, and I can't trust you to be the one to reassure me when I worry, because you think I don't think you're capable. I research what dad tells me, April. I check and I double check. It's what I do. You've known him how long now? And you know only what a piece of paper, and what he has told you. People lie, April. So excuse me for taking this seriously, when it's obviously a big joke to the two of you, but I don't find it funny, nor will I. You can tell me I'm wrong all you want, but for once it would just be nice to have you understand that this is the only way I know how to figure things out, and while it may frustrate the hell out of you, it frustrates the hell out of me that I can't get you to see that. You've known me a lot longer than you've known him, so I thought you'd know how this was going to go, and I thought you'd at least try to understand, but I can't get you to understand anything, you're too ready to take offense and be angry at me. So excuse me. Enjoy your dinner. I'll be going."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

off_pointe
2014-08-11 04:49 am UTC (link)

April's eyebrows shot up in angry disbelief, then promptly narrowed as she stepped in closer to her sister, her voice falling to an even tighter whisper. "No, Nora- I asked you not to drill him and you did that as soon as I left the room. You did that deliberately- so no, I'm not going to dumb down the social cues in my life so you can skate by without having to navigate them yourself. There is more to understanding people than a checklist of questions- and you need to understand that. So if you want to sulk your way out without giving it an honest try, be my guest- but if you really want to get to know him, take a damn breath and start over."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

followthevision
2014-08-11 05:01 am UTC (link)

While the sisters talked, Elias decided that it was time to stop playing games. He hadn't meant to bother Nora or make her feel like he didn't take her seriously. He was still annoyed that she was raging about the way he'd responded and thought the chick needed to lighten up, but he figured she just wanted some answers and he couldn't blame her for that. So he moved to collect the case that his gun was in, along with his permit for it, and headed into the kitchen.

He sat the gun case down on the table, then put the permit on top of it. "My name is Elias Andrew Lasko. I turned 28 on June 5th. I have a twin brother named Max. We're fraternal, but we could pass for identical if we really wanted to. I was born in Detroit. Max is the only family I have left save for his wife, Jayne. My parents and my older brother are dead. I got into a really bad motorcycle accident several years ago and ever since then, I've been having visions of the future. I haven't seen any doctors because I don't feel like there's much they can do about it. I've learned to control it better and I can at least predict when I'm going to have a vision. I can see things in choppy bits. Usually bad things. Like nightmarish things that are going to happen and most of the time there isn't anything I can do about those visions or what I see in them."

He took a breath and looked from April to Nora. "I own a gun, here it is and here's the permit for it. I know how shitty this city is and I told April about the gun before I ever brought it into her apartment. So there, that's all your questions answered seriously and all the things I think are pertinent to your knowledge. Is there anything else that you'd like to know?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noramd
2014-08-11 05:07 am UTC (link)

"And you stayed in the kitchen and you let me," she retorted. "I'm not asking you to dumb down, I'm asking for a little understanding in the fact that I do things differently from you. You never give me enough of a chance to see that though, do you?"

She whipped her head around when she heard another voice break into their argument. She held her head high while he rattled off the information she had hoped to get from him in the first place. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and shook her head when he was finished. "No. No I think that's enough for one night. Thank you, though," she said lightly, forcing a weak smile. "I just want to make sure my sister is safe. You know that, right?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

off_pointe
2014-08-11 05:17 am UTC (link)

Let you?! April felt a small explosion go off in her brain, enough to squeeze her eyes shut hard, scrunching her face up in absolute disbelief that her smarter-than-rocket-scientists sister actually just implied that Nora intentionally going behind her back was her fault.

Any retort she would've had definitely edged on profane territory, and was thankfully cut off by Eli's matter-of-fact show of honesty. April's nostrils flared with a breath intended to vent her anger, watching the display with her back against the counter and her arms folded in annoyance- but at least she cooled down quickly.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

followthevision
2014-08-11 05:21 am UTC (link)

Elias nodded at Nora. "I know that," he told her. "So I apologize if my humor was misplaced or not well received. I know you worry about April, but she's a pretty strong willed woman," he shrugged. "I'm not going to hurt her. We share an apartment, we're starting to become friends, and I want that for you and I too," he told the woman. "So how about we start over again and just have a nice dinner?" He gave a tiny smile of his own in Nora's direction. He didn't want the woman to be worried for April or her safety or his own intentions towards the redhead. He liked her. He was getting to know her and was fairly certain they could be good friends.

"Maybe you can even convince me to let you map my brain," he said with a little smirk, hoping that maybe that would take her mind off of running away and set the whole thing back onto the right track.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noramd
2014-08-11 05:57 am UTC (link)

"I'm sorry as well. Since I started working in the ER, I've become hyper aware of how unsafe it is, and I worry. I mean, I've always worried, but it's gotten worse. It's not April I worry about, it's everyone else. That probably doesn't really make sense." She didn't know how to explain it otherwise.

Her eyes lit up at the idea of actually getting to see how his brain worked during one of his visions. "It wouldn't hurt, I really just want to take an MRI to see what part of your brain is activated during one of your visions. I promise it's nothing bad, I swear. I don't want to hurt anyone. It's just such an unexplored, or explored for the wrong reasons, area of science, it would be wonderful to understand. Have you ever thought about getting a dog? Dogs are good at being able to tell when seizures are coming on. I know you say it's not anything you're worried about, but it would be one more way to make sure you're safe?" It would be another safety measure for the apartment, too.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

off_pointe
2014-08-11 06:13 am UTC (link)

The tension in April's shoulders eased a bit as the tension in the air began to lighten- and it was all thanks to Eli's efforts. She didn't say anything yet, but shot him a small smirk of thanks (and approval) before pushing herself off the counter to grab the tostadas out of the oven before they turned black and started to smoke. They'd never get that smell out of the apartment if it got to that point.

In the meantime, April let the two of them converse- like she'd hoped they would before Nora let herself off her leash. Maybe a horrible analogy, but until April completely calmed down, she was sticking to it.

Food would help.

"Salsa and greek yogurt's in the fridge," she mentioned, setting the three servings on three plates, and sprinkled hers with a pinch of fresh green onion. The Greek yogurt, of course, was a no-fat substitute for sour cream.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

followthevision
2014-08-11 01:28 pm UTC (link)

Eli nodded. He was glad that things seemed to be calming down. "I can understand that," he told her. "That's part of why I moved back. I didn't like being so far from my brother. We're twins and this city is dangerous so I can understand what it's like to worry about a sibling. He's practically a piece of me in another body." He shrugged a little. Explaining his connection with Max would never really be an easy thing to do. They were more than brothers, really, but it was too difficult to put it in terms that others could even be able to catch the full gravity of.

"Wouldn't it be difficult to try and catch me in a vision at the hospital to even be able to scan my brain?," he asked her, arching a brow. He really hadn't figured out how to induce a vision yet, so that was out of the question. "I don't know, we'll just see what happens. Maybe you'll get to one day."

The suggestion of a dog made him smile a little. "I have thought about it," he admitted, nodding a little. "Not sure if April would be up for having a pet, though. I'll have to run it by her before I do anything drastic." A dog would be nice, but he wasn't going to just show up with one without at least running it by April before he did so.

When April commented about the salsa and greek yogurt, he moved to the fridge to pull both out for her. He sat those on the counter and smiled. "Smells good," he told her. He wasn't even having a hard time with the label reading that she did. He'd still eat pizza and drink beer, but when he was home, he could deal with eating what April ate. She wasn't shoving it on him, so he didn't really mind it.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

noramd
2014-08-12 01:41 am UTC (link)

She had studied the connection twins shared, so she had some understanding of what he meant. Without personal experience, she couldn't say she knew what it was like, but she had the data committed to memory.

"You just need to try and figure out how to control it. Have you tried keeping track of what was happening to you before you had one? Maybe recording the details would help you identify the trigger." So maybe she wouldn't get to do her big MRI study, there were other options. "A dog might be able to help you with that, too."

Plate in hand, Nora took a seat at the table. Things were still somewhat uncomfortable for her, as it was clearly two against one in this situation. It was going to take time for her to truly feel settled after the earlier incident. Nora would have to work on building up her trust regarding Eli, and April...well, April would always be fighting against her, no matter what Nora did or said. It wasn't a thought she found comforting, nor did she like people thinking she thought Nora was incapable, when she was showing the exact sort of care anyone else would give a loved one. She'd stay for dinner, then leave immediately afterwards. She doubted April wanted her to stick around much longer than that, anyways.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

off_pointe
2014-08-12 02:40 am UTC (link)

After putting a dab of Greek yogurt on her meal, April joined the rest of them at the table, using her fork to spread it around. She let out a noise at the thought of adding a dog to their tiny living space, a disbelieving, yet comical sideways smile was her contribution.

Now they were on to brain scans, and April just kept herself quiet by eating. She'd already said her piece to Nora, and as long as things continued to go on smoothly, she'd let her sister gain the satisfaction she needed.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

followthevision
2014-08-12 02:44 am UTC (link)

"I'm still working on that part of it," he told her with a little shrug. As for keeping track, he shook his head. "Usually there isn't any pattern to it. They come and they go as they please. I'm still writing them down but the only thing changing is the frequency. They happen more often now than they did at first, but they also are more easy to know when they're coming. I can just feel it coming on now instead of it just happening suddenly." Maybe a pattern would emerge eventually. He supposed only time would really tell. "I think I'd be on a waiting list longer than anything," he told her. "Maybe I'll get a dog that I can train myself. Might take less time." He shrugged and glanced at April. "It'd have to be something small, though."

He got his own plate and settled down with the girls at the table. Thankfully things seemed to have been ironed out, so he relaxed a great deal. They were actually talking instead of sniping at one another and Eli had to say that was a much better option.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -