Tweak

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Tweak says, "I'm insane? Since when?"

Benji Vipond (earthtobenji) wrote in heureuxlake,
@ 2024-05-11 15:59:00

Entry tags:

Δ complete, Δ threads, → benji vipond, → emilia vipond, ∞ 2000: 05

RP: Catching Up
Who: Benji and Emilia
What: The twins catch up
When: Saturday, May 11, 2000
Where: The property Em is buying
Warnings: Likely none
Completion Status: In progress

The land was coming along nicely, if Benji said so himself. He'd worked out with Emilia where she would want things if it all went through, and they'd received permission from Dr. Elliott to work the land in the meantime, and so work he had. Finding the right spot for the farmland hadn't been difficult, even if the soil composition was quite different here than back home, and he'd spent quite a bit of time clearing debris and prepping the soil. So, when spring arrived in its full glory and he was confident they were past the last freeze of winter, he started planting. The early, quick growing plants were already starting to pop up and ripen, though some would take quite a bit longer.

He had already worked the farm this morning and showered in the outdoor shower he'd built his second week here, after confirming the water situation. He and Pepper were sitting around the fire pit when Emilia pulled in, and he lifted a hand to wave at her as she got out of her car. Although he was doing his best to keep in the present, his mind couldn't help drifting again to the conversation he'd had with his attorney yesterday. But no, he should be focused on his sister just then.

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earthtobenji
2024-05-13 08:22 pm UTC (link)

That definitely sounded like a plan, and he felt mildly guilty for not having thought to send flowers before now. But he knew their mother wouldn't be upset as long as they reached out and she knew they were doing well--or as well as he could under the circumstances.

Benji chuckled when she, rightly, guessed that Iris was one of those friends. "Yes, she's one of them, though I'm pretty sure she doesn't paint the same lines when it comes to those sorts of things that I do." Considering how nicely she'd propositioned him.

He'd known it was coming; he could have avoided it by coming up with some other news to tell her, if only he'd had other news. "Uh, well, Pepper and I met a wolf on one of our walks. A shifter named Heather," he told her. And he did like to think Heather was a friend, new as it may be.

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_emilia_
2024-05-14 07:55 pm UTC (link)

Emilia burst out in an amused laugh, when Benji nailed the description of Iris on the head. “I don’t think Iris even paints on the same canvas as you do,” she giggled. “The day I moved in, she invited me to the nightclub that night, and when I showed up… I’m pretty sure she tasted my tonsils, just to say ‘hi’.” Emilia hadn’t minded and had mostly found it amusing, but that was about as far as things had gone between her and Iris. Besides, she didn’t really have any designs on her landlord, but she wasn’t turned off by the idea, either. What she did, though, was consider her a friend, and that was it. “But she’s friendly, and she accepts boundaries, once you express them.”

Looking at her twin, she could see his discomfort in having to share who his new friend was. Part of her considered letting him off the hook and respect his discomfort, but the larger part of her wanted to support him in growing a group of, if not friends then, acquaintances here, so he wouldn’t felt confined to her only. He couldn’t keep sequestering himself from the world, and she felt it would be good for him to see, that there were still good people out there who wanted to be part of his life, in some way. What she hadn’t expected though, was for her to actually recognize the name and description of his new friend. “A shifter named Heather?” she asked him, though she knew very well, that that was exactly what he had said. “She wouldn’t happen to be a firefighter, too?”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-14 08:08 pm UTC (link)

Emilia was probably right about that, though Benji wouldn't begrudge Iris whatever canvas worked for her. As his sister then said, Iris respected expressed boundaries, and he trusted she would respect his, as she'd shown she would the night they'd met. "I'd said I'm lucky she didn't greet me the same way, but she did think I was there to woo you, so..." He cringed faintly at the reminder, though his lips were fighting back a grin. It had been an amusing, if awkward at times, conversation. "But yeah, she seems to respect boundaries. She's good people." Was it okay to refer to fae as people, or was that just a humans word? Perhaps he wouldn't be so rusty at this sort of thing if he hadn't lived such a secluded life as an adult, but it didn't seem worth asking out loud.

The recognition was clear on her face, and he wondered how she might have met his new shifter friend. He'd say it was a small world, but that was kind of redundant here, wasn't it? This was one of those communities by design. "Uh, yeah, she is," he confirmed. He was still rather impressed by that; he certainly couldn't have handled the stresses of that job. "You've met her, then?"

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_emilia_
2024-05-14 09:30 pm UTC (link)

”She really thought that?” Emilia said, not bothering to hide the cringe that thought brought along. “She definitely didn’t tell me that part.” It was awkward, yes, but it was also just plain… no, that was just awkward. Period. “But blunder aside and all that, yeah, she’s good people.” Whether or not Fae could be called people, Emilia didn’t know, but she didn’t know what else to call them and had no other words for expressing that particular sentiment.

When Benji confirmed that his new friend, Heather, indeed was the Heather, she thought it might be, Emilia just chuckled softly. “No, I haven’t met her yet,” she admitted, looking down as thoughts of the reason why she at some point most likely would meet her, brought a rather goofy smile to her lips and made her cheeks feel a bit warmer. “I’ve been…” was dating the right word to use for what she and Robert had started? Almost as if to distract herself, she buried her fingers in Pepper’s soft fur, finding herself grounded and calmed by the feel and the steady rhythm of the dog’s breathing. “…dating? I don’t know if that’s the right word,” then again, they had gone on a date, complete with an actual phone call and all, “her best friend for a couple of weeks.” Biting her lips to keep her grin from spreading too widely she glanced up at Benji, acknowledging that she had just shared her second piece of news for the day. “Heather and Robert grew up together here. I’ve only heard good things about her.”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-15 12:15 pm UTC (link)

At her question, Benji nodded to confirm. "Oh yeah, she said something about it being weird I wasn't offering to cook for you at my own place for a romantic night in. Trust me, I was quick to correct the assumption," he admitted with a short laugh. Thankfully, they'd gotten that assumption cleared up fairly early on in their interaction, even if it had opened the door for Iris to hit on him. She'd accepted his disinterest so breezily, though, that he couldn't even be bothered she'd tried. "But what part did she tell you?" he asked, raising a brow at his sister.

Aha, there it was. He'd been wondering when he'd hear about Robert from Emilia, choosing to keep the knowledge Iris had shared with him about the man in a box for the time being. "Ahh," he murmured in understanding when she got to the connection. "Well, it is a pretty small town for as close to the city as it is." He greatly appreciated that quality of this place, though. "She definitely seems like good people, too. Pepper liked her right away." Which, naturally, put him more at ease right away. I invited her over, but she hasn't had a chance to make it out yet," he admitted.

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_emilia_
2024-05-15 07:20 pm UTC (link)

Emilia chuckled behind her hands, slowly shaking her head, though she was very grateful that Benji had corrected that assumption sooner rather than later. “Ah, she just told me that my, and I quote ‘hot brother’ had stopped by and that she hoped he would be by to tend her garden soon?” She glanced at her brother. I don’t want to know what she meant by that, right?” Then again, with Iris it could be both as tawdry and as innocent as the sentence sounded.

Looking up from where she was ruffling Pepper’s fur, Emilia saw the look in Benji’s eyes, and she was convinced that he already knew. How he could have known, she didn’t know, though it probably had to do with Iris, even though that didn’t add up timeline-wise or maybe Heather had told him? Either way, she doubted she had just told him any actual news, though she chose to leave it at that, because she and Robert were still figuring things out. Eventually they might even make it out in public as a couple. “Pepper has good taste in people,” she smiled at him, as another way of saying that she was supportive of his burgeoning friendship with Heather. “And I think firefighters’ schedule might be just as insane as a doctor’s, so that could easily be why.”

Sending off Pepper to take a round of the property, she laced her fingers and stretched her arms out in front of her. “I can’t wait for this place to be done,” she mused and looked around them. “I feel like I miss it already, and I can’t wait to have a few people over, you know? Good food, wine on the deck, just…” With a shrug, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You have any plans for the summer?”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-15 07:43 pm UTC (link)

At that little quote, Benji blanched, scoffing softly. "She would say that, wouldn't she?" he said rhetorically, shaking his head. "Though she did assure me I was welcome to come harvest herbs and such from her actual garden, as long as I didn't take too much. Hopefully, that's just what she meant." The fae was gorgeous, sure, but she wasn't his type, inasmuch as he had a type.

"Yeah, I figured it was something like that. I'm not bothered," he said with a small shrug. He wasn't seeking anything but friendship with the wolf, and he wasn't one to put a lot of demands on his friendships. He hadn't managed to message her much, either, so it wasn't as though the lack of further interaction was all on her.

Benji grinned over at his sister. "Just working around here," he answered. And then he remembered the call yesterday, and his grin slipped a bit. "My lawyer called yesterday to let me know they're still waiting on Laney to sign the final papers. I..." He hesitated, slouching a bit in his camper chair as he scrubbed his hands over his hair. "I keep almost calling her, but..." Yeah, but. He blew out a breath, shaking his head.

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_emilia_
2024-05-16 07:15 pm UTC (link)

Though she had hoped it to be so, Emilia was relieved to hear Benji’s version of it, which… honestly sounded more like him. “I’m sure she meant it that way, too,” she assured him with a chuckle. Of course, it had been left open-ended, but that might just be Iris wanting to make sure Benji had an opportunity to change his mind.

"Well, bothered or not, I’d like to meet her at some point, because she sounds like someone I’d like to meet,” she mused aloud. If it wasn’t because it would look like a set-up, she would have suggested that they have either a picnic here or dinner somewhere, just to spend some time together and get to know each other. Not just so she could meet her brother’s new friend and Robert’s old friend, but also so Benji could meet Robert, who had come to mean a lot to her since they last talked about him.

“Ah yeah, you’re my underpaid handyman for the summer,” she grinned at him, though as his grin slipped, hers sobered, too. Obviously, Benji had reached a point where he had remembered something that didn’t fit with his smile, but she didn’t know what. What she did know was, that if he was ready, he would share it, and then she would see if all she needed to do was listen, simply be there, or offer up a solution. At the mention of Laney, she drew in a deep breath; she knew that Benji still missed his – well, apparently not ex, just yet – wife, but she was surprised at how much she herself missed her as well. That didn’t matter right now: Benji did. Reaching over, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Do you want me to call her?” she offered, knowing that it would be easier for her to detach herself than for him, and that if coming off as cold and distanced could help him in any way, that was something she wouldn’t hesitate to do for him.

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earthtobenji
2024-05-17 02:37 am UTC (link)

Benji wasn't so sure, but it wasn't worth going in circles about. Iris would be Iris, something he'd realized quite quickly once he'd met her.

He hadn't meant to sound flippant about it, and his lips twitched as he held back a grin at his sister's insistence that she wanted to meet Heather. "We'll plan something soon, then. Even if it's just a barbeque on the lake kind of deal," he assured her. Maybe he would reach out to Heather sometime this week and invite her over, see if she thought it might be a good idea. She definitely knew Robert better than he did, even if he knew more than he thought he should, thanks to Iris.

Nothing in his life had made him feel more unmoored than things had been since that work trip away had somehow changed his wife. Even moving three thousand miles away, she still had a hold over him, his heart feeling shattered still if he let himself think on it. Even if he'd not told any of that to his twin directly, he knew that she knew. Emilia knew him well enough to know how difficult this all was for him. He turned his hand over to give hers a small squeeze back, though he shook his head at her question. "I'm not sure it would do any good," he answered. "She's spent all this time not opening up; I can't imagine that changing with either of us calling to ask why she's not signed the papers yet." A part of him just wanted it done, while the greater part of him just wanted his Laney back.

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_emilia_
2024-05-17 06:26 pm UTC (link)

Emilia grinned back. “A barbecue would be great,” she smiled, already picturing it in her mind. “How about we do that when I get my board certification? That’s only two or three weeks from now, so…”

When it came to magic, Emilia’s element was water. She could manipulate it; she was stronger when it came to spells or potions related to water. Sometimes, she could even sense magic in others, though that was only if they were really strong emitters. But she was not an Empath, not outside the normal range of empathy that came with working with people on a daily basis. And then there was Benji.

The sense of disconnection almost seemed to radiate off him, though Emilia didn’t think it had anything to do with magic, rather it most likely had to do with the fact, that she had literally known him her entire life. “You’re probably right,” she agreed with a sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. She wished she knew how to comfort him better, like when they were little and couldn’t sleep unless the other was sleeping next to each other. “But I will do just about anything, you know that, right?”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-17 08:06 pm UTC (link)

Wow, time really flew, didn't it? Benji could hardly believe that was only two or three weeks away, so he could only imagine how much crazier it was to his sister. "Yeah, let's do that. Pick a day and we'll come up with a list of people to invite," he suggested. His list was pathetically short, he knew, but maybe Heather, Robert, and Iris would have more suggestions of people to invite. Then again, he had a feeling that letting Iris touch the guest list would blow the whole thing much bigger than either he or Emilia intended.

At the feel of her head against his shoulder, Benji tilted his own against hers, sighing softly. "Yeah, I know." He paused for a long moment, his eyes tracking Pepper as she darted across the yard. Probably after a rabbit or a squirrel, he though. "I just miss her, you know? Or, well, who she used to be. It still kills me that I don't know what happened, that she wouldn't let me in," he admitted. He was steady and strong and reliable, and he just couldn't understand what was so terrible that she couldn't let him shoulder some of it with her. "It makes it hard to know what all of this is supposed to be for me," he added, his voice softer now, waving one hand out to indicate the whole project that was this land and being here with his sister. He was supposed to be starting over, but he couldn't quite settle that in his head or his heart.

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_emilia_
2024-05-18 06:28 pm UTC (link)

“Well, the final exam is on the 23rd, so it won’t be until after that.” Time really had flown, and in less than a month, she would have two full months off before she started her fellowship, which was at the same time both daunting and exciting. She couldn’t remember if she had ever had that much time to herself over the summer since the summer before her senior year in high school. But this year, there were just so many things she needed to do, people she wanted to spend time with, and she was building a house.

Emilia nodded as she listened to Benji. Of course, he missed Laney, she did, too, and it had to be horrible not knowing what had happened. If only Laney had cheated on him, that she figured would have been easier to accept than the radio silence he had been met with. “Maybe someday she will,” she mused, “maybe not. I wish I could give you some certainty there.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, though as she thought about it, there was some certainty she could give him. “All of this,” she said, making the same gesture with her hand as he had, “is whatever you need and want it to be, for as long as you need and want it. As long as I can have my house right there.” She pointed to the spot she knew her house would be perfect in. “If you want to farm it, farm it. If you want a house, we’ll build a house for you. And if we build a house and you change your mind, then I’ll just have a guest house for whenever you come by to visit me.”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-19 02:20 am UTC (link)

That did give them a bit of time to plan it. "Hmm, are you thinking Memorial weekend or after?" He had to figure a lot of people would probably already have plans for Memorial weekend, and it wasn't like either of them would have a long guest list, so it might be better to wait for a non-holiday weekend.

Benji wished she could, too, but unfortunately, that wasn't how either of their magic worked. He needed closure from the situation, but since there was a chance he might never get it, it might be better if he simply learned to be okay with not having it. "Wow, thank Em," he said softly, touched by the generous offer. He knew he'd been at the risk of overstaying his welcome if she wasn't inclined to keep him around, so hearing her say it so directly meant a lot to him. "I'll start thinking about a house. Nothing major--you know me." He didn't need a lot of space, but it would be nice to have a place that was functional and had enough room that he and Pepper could move around it without tripping on each other.

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_emilia_
2024-05-19 12:32 pm UTC (link)

“After.” Emilia was sure of that. “I’ve got a couple of shifts over Memorial weekend, so I don’t want to risk everything getting cancelled or moved because I’m stuck hours past end of shift, but how about early June, instead?” She looked at him. “My last day at the hospital is May 31st, and then I have the summer off until I start my fellowship in August.”

Benji’s thanks didn’t sit quite right with her. Of course, she was happy that he would accept her offer of this being his place, too, but it… it didn’t feel right. This wasn’t something he should be thanking her for, because doing this was the only thing that felt right for her. “It’s not like I’m building a mansion for myself, either,” she chuckled, her head still resting on his shoulder. “So there’s room for more, and then we’ll see what else we come up with, yeah?” Perhaps a larger, shared room, like an extra living- or dining room should either of them ever have more than just a few people over. There were plenty of things to consider there, and for a long moment she was quiet. “Benji?” she finally said quietly. “You don’t have to thank me for this.” Folding her arms on top of her knees, she rested her head against them and turned so she could look up at him. “When I found this place, I knew immediately that this was where I belong, and I don’t want to be in a place, with no room for you. I don’t need the land, I just don’t want you to feel like a guest here.”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-19 01:31 pm UTC (link)

"Early June," Benji agreed easily with a small nod. Hopefully Memorial weekend wouldn't be too hectic for her. He'd always heard stories about doctors and holidays, and he was prone to a small bit of worrying, even if he wouldn't project it onto her.

A soft, breathy chuckle slipped from his lips when she pointed that out. No, either of them were the extravagant mansion types. "Yeah, we'll see," he said with no difficulty. He wasn't materialistic and had enough funds to figure things out, even if he would probably need to do a bit of the work himself.

When she shifted away, curling over her knees like that, he turned in his chair toward her, furrowing his brow as his lips fell into a small frown. It relaxed when she got her thoughts out, and he smiled softly at her. "I know what you mean, Em. I promise, I'm making myself at home. It's your land, and maybe I've worried a bit that I was coming in and taking over, but I don't feel like a guest. Just be sure to let me know if I'm ever crowding things," he requested gently. He didn't think it would be an issue, but they'd not lived near one another in over a decade, so he'd not been entirely sure how things would go.

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_emilia_
2024-05-19 02:22 pm UTC (link)

Emilia smiled up at Benji, a genuinely warm smile. “Oh, I will let you know if you ever need to go somewhere else,” she assured him, and the memory of them as teenagers, when hormones and impulse control had still been issues they had tried to get a handle on, when tempers could flare at a moment’s notice, and a simple knock on her door could make her throw a tantrum to just have Benji Go away! Go AWAY! GO AWAY! and a couple of her hair brushed had been broken after they’d hit the wall next to the door. Their actual fights had been rare, but she knew that she, as a teenager, most likely had tested quite a few nerves in her closest family.

“I doubt you will, though. Overcrowd, I mean.”

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earthtobenji
2024-05-19 02:48 pm UTC (link)

At her assurance, Benji chuckled, having no trouble believing her or remembering the times she'd told him to go away when they were younger. He'd always been the calmer and steadier of the two of them, a reflection of his connection to Earth, he'd always thought, but even he had been influenced by teenage hormones and emotions. His outbursts had been rare, but they had the potential to be just as explosive.

"Good. And I can always make myself scarce if you want to have your paramour over," he said, schooling his expression to something serious even if a grin was dancing around the corners of his mouth. Robert wasn't some secret affair she was having, but the word choice amused him.

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_emilia_
2024-05-19 06:00 pm UTC (link)

Pushing out her lower jaw and pursing lips to keep from acknowledging Benji’s attempt at joking, she simply shook her head. “Paramour?” she asked him, when she finally managed to keep her lips from spreading in an amused smile. “What are you? 80? Besides, it’s not like I’m married or anything.” She was about to look back to the fireplace, when a thought had her turn and point at him. “And neither is he.” She just wanted to make sure, that she cut off any potential he would have for turning the joke back on her.

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earthtobenji
2024-05-19 06:18 pm UTC (link)

Benji's face took on a speculative expression, nodding slightly. "Yeah, basically," he said at basically being called an old man. He'd been about to ask if Robert was married, when she headed him off, and he couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. "Okay, okay, fine," he conceded, lifting his hands up in surrender. "He shall simply be dubbed your person until you tell me otherwise," he said, thinking it a fair compromise.

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_emilia_
2024-05-19 06:54 pm UTC (link)

“My person…” Emilia nodded slowly as she tasted the description. It’s wasn’t completely off the point, but it wasn’t exactly right, either. Because Robert was built like a brickhouse and had seen and experienced too much for him to be called a boy – besides, Emilia didn’t date boys – little less her boyfriend, lover was too pretentious and significant other? No! They were only dating! At least she thought they were… Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to call what they were doing either, but that wasn’t a discussion she was about to have with her brother. “I can go with that, for now.”

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