Melanie Collins (untamed_beauty) wrote in mysteria_rpg, @ 2009-03-07 16:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | irene, melanie |
Southern girl with a scarlet drawl
Who: Melanie & Irene
When: Afternoon
Where: The Last Round
What: Mel stops by to visit her cousin.
Melanie had spent the earlier part of the day getting herself tortured. Now her ribs were properly wrapped and she had been given some better pain medicine than the over the counter stuff she had been taking. It didn't hurt too bad now. Well, as long as she didn't more the wrong way anyway. Which went she was going to have to have Justin help unwrap and wrap her back up when she wanted a bath. Feeling some what human again, she decided it was best to stop by and see Irene. She didn't want Justin to have to keep lying to Irene for her. She'd see Irene and then she'd stop by the lake to do something she had been meaning to do. Checking herself in the mirror one last time to make sure she looked okay, Mel got out of the car this time. The bar read closed but the front door was open so Melanie went on in. Finding it empty, she wandered around until she found the stairs in the back. Not sure where they lead, instead of going up them, she settled for calling out instead. "Hello? Irene?" Damn but it always took a lot of work to say her name without her accent. Irene was curled up on the couch, reading the book she'd bought aloud, though softly so as not to tip off Gideon or Bridgette. She still felt a little silly talking to the baby, but it was said to be useful. She'd paused to turn the page when she heard someone calling her name. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Standing, she walked toward the stairs, then started down them, book in hand. "Hello?" She called back. "Irene," Melanie called out again as she heard someone coming down the stairs. When her cousin got within sight, Mel offered up a smile. "Surprise." And a surprise it was. Irene dropped the book, and it preceded her down the stairs noisily. "Melanie?! Ah can't believe you're here!" When she was safely at the bottom she threw her arms around her cousin, beaming. So much for the ribs not hurting, Melanie thought as Irene hugged her but she never made a sound nor winced. After a moment she wrapped her arms around Irene and hugged her back. Irene was one of the few people she could stand to have touch her. "Irene, you hug me any tighter and I'm not going to be able to breath." "Right, right, sorry," Irene backed off with a smile. "What are you doin' here?!" Just cause she didn't want Justin lying to Irene didn't mean that Melanie wasn't going to herself. She didn't want to darken her cousin's world with her reality. "I was just drifting around again and when Mom told me you had moved up here I thought I'd come check it out. I got to say though that this town gives me a strange feeling." In fact the bar itself was making the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. "Ah'm findin' a little hard to swallow that all these people from home are comin' up here," Irene teased. "Did you know Justin is here too? It's lahke a high school reunion." "Yeaaah," Melanie said, reaching up and rubbing the back of her neck and then wishing she hadn't though it never showed. "I ran into Justin last night. In fact, I'm staying with him." She was going to find out sooner or later so it was best to just get that part out in the open. Irene nodded, it made sense to her. "When did you get here? Jus' last night? Where have you been?" Irene picked up the book then led Melanie to the bar stools to sit. Damn. Sliding up on the bar stool was not going to be comfortable but Mel did it anyway. "Yeah. I had been on the road for a few days so I wanted to get some rest before I came and saw you. Where I been? Santa Fe, Phoenix, Chicago even. Just recently? I was here and there in California. The people there are fucking insane." "Oh, it sounds excitin'," Irene gushed. "You mus' have all kind of thrillin' stories. Ah don't know that Mysteria will be half as excitin'." Of course, that was only because Mel had no idea about the crazy things that happened if you were aware of the supernatural side of things... "I think I can live without some excitement in my life for once," Mel said then paused to study Irene. "Justin's right. You are glowing. This new boyfriend must be pretty damn special." Irene blushed, ducking her head as she nodded. "He is... He's amazin'. Ah love him a lot." She had thought that about Henry too but Justin had seemed to like this one and she certainly hadn't looked like this with Henry so maybe this was the real deal. "Good. You deserve to be happy," Melanie said. "An' Ah am," Irene said, unconsciously resting her hand over her stomach. "Very, very happy. An' you deserve it, too." Melanie didn't notice where Irene's hand had went cause she was busy looking down at her hands. "Yeah, well some things aren't meant to be." Looking back at her cousin she forced a smile. "So you teaching again?" "Juniors an' seniors at the local high school." Irene nodded. "An' it's not too late so don't you start in on that nonsense." Melanie laid her head down on the bar. "I fucking swear. Sometimes talking to you and Justin is like talking to the same person. How you two never ended up together still amazes me." "Me an' Justin? Together? That would be silly, he's mah best friend. Bein' with him would be like bein' with my brother, if Ah had one." Irene almost laughed at the idea. Melanie couldn't help but laugh. Irene never had caught on. Turning her head on the bar she looked at Irene. "You're so damn cute you know that?" Irene gave Melanie a bemused look. "Thanks, Ah think?" "Don't think too hard on it," Mel said, smiling. "So this Gideon, he good to you?" "Very good. He takes care of me an' makes sure Ah eat my vegetables," Irene teased. "He's very good to me. Probably more than Ah deserve." "Nobody is too good for you, Irene. Not good enough but never too good," Melanie pointed out. "Though if he makes you eat your veggies I'd be rethinking about that good to you think." "You have to think that, you're family," Irene said playfully. "Truth be told, Ah couldn't have ordered anyone more perfect for me. He makes me happy. Ah'm jus' lucky he decided to keep me around." "You wouldn't happen to have another one like that lying around would you," Melanie teased. Irene grinned. "Ah'm pretty sure he broke the mold as soon as possible," she said with a wink. "But Ah'll keep mah ahs out." "Oh well. Last thing I need right now is another man anyway." Another loser to add to her string of losers. "Spend some tahme bein' single," Irene said with a nod. "Ah hear it's very good for you." Said she who had spent maybe a grand total of 3 months single her entire dating career. Lifting her head up off of the bar, Melanie nodded her head. Then she frowned. "How do manage to live above this place? It's giving me the wiggins." She didn't know it but she was picking up on the spells that had been laid over the bar to protect it. Irene frowned and looked around, then back at her cousin and shrugged. "Ah guess Ah'm jus' not feelin' it. Oh!" Maybe she had a solution to her problem, now that she was thinking about living situations. "Oh, no, nevermahnd. You said you'd moved in with Justin..." She deflated a bit. Irene saying it like that made Mel frown again. Mostly because of the way it made her feel. "If by living together you mean sharing the same hotel room, then yeah, sure, I guess." "Ah thought Ah might have a fix. See, Ah've still got my apartment, the one Ah had when Ah moved here. Ah signed a year-long lease... Ah was thinkin' you could take it, Ah can sign the lease over... It'd come furnished. Well, if you call a bed an' a couch furnished," Irene gave Mel a hopeful look. "An' Ah already paid til March..." "A couch is a step up from just the bed in the hotel room." And up until now she had had no idea what she was going to do if Justin found a place before she had managed to get a job and find one of her own. Until March did give her sometime to get a job and have money to pay rent. "Alright. I'll do it. Thank you, Irene." "Thank you," Irene insisted. "Ah was goin' crazy. Someone should get some use out of it, rahght? An' why not my cousin? Ah can show you where it is, jus' let me get mah coat." "Can't have you going crazy. Go get your coat. I'll be here." Usually, Irene would have taken the steps two at a time, but her balance had been wacky lately, and she was scared of falling. Still, she managed to get upstairs, grab her coat and call out that she'd be back in almost record time. Melanie was glad to get out of the bar. The moment she was back outside she started to feel better. Well, there was the usual feeling she had been getting around Irene ever since high school that she couldn't pin point but it was easily ignored. "Want to take my car? That way I can just swing by and drop you off on the way back to the hotel?" "Sounds perfect," Irene said happily from within her layers. Stupid Hellgate should have picked someplace warm. California would have been nice. Leading the way over to her crappy little car, Mel unlocked the doors. It had been a while since she had been in a small enough town that you didn't have to worry about locking your doors, even on a car as crappy as hers. At least it got her where she needed to go. She had to reach over and grab some fast food wrappers out of the passenger seat before Irene could get in. "I can't promise that there's nothing in here that won't bite." Irene laughed and climbed in. "It's fahne, you should have seen mah car after Ah got here. It was full of the road trip necessities lahke food wrappers." A little mess never hurt anyone, she reflected, pulling her coat tight as a familiar feeling settled in her stomach. Dammit. Melanie glanced over at Irene and frowned. "You okay," she asked as she started the car. "If now if a bad time we can wait until later." Irene pasted on a bright smile and shook her head. "No, we're good. Take a left out of here, then a right at the light." Mel nodded instead of pressing. After all didn't she tell people basically the same thing all the time? She followed Irene's directions, turning when she was supposed to. "Just tell me when to stop." Irene kept giving directions until they arrived, then almost jumped from the car, heading to the apartment and it's bathroom. Slower to get out of the car, Melanie went inside and leaned against the wall outside of the bathroom. "Other someone had some bad tacos or they have morning sickness," she called out. "Funny," Irene said when she'd finished and emerged. "So, the bathroom works." "I see that," Melanie said, watching her cousin. "So where the bad tacos come from so I can avoid the place?" "Ah don't think it was tacos," Irene said, taking Melanie's hand and leading her further into the apartment. "The bedroom's right through here..." "Considering it wasn't the tacos, I don't think I have to worry about finding any dirty used condoms in here," Melanie teased as they headed into the bedroom. "Ah'm cleaner than that," Irene protested. "An' we did, for the most part. Here is not where it happened..." Not by her count, anyway. "So I take it you haven't told anyone yet? Justin didn't even hint at such a thing last night," Mel pointed out. "Ah've not told many people, it's still early. An' not Justin, not yet. We've got some thin's to talk about later on... that's one of them." "I won't say a word," Melanie promised. Then she offered Irene a smile. "You'll make a good mom." "Thanks," Irene blushed softly. "Ah hope so. Ah'm goin' to try." "You'll do fine," Mel reassured her. "A hell of a lot damn better job than I would do." "Thanks, Melanie," Irene said, squeezing her cousin's hand. "An' you don't know that for sure." "Well with the guys I've been going out with, let's hope I don't find out anytime soon," Melanie said, giving Irene a tight smile. "So anything else I should know about the apartment?" Irene looked around, thinking. "No, Ah don't think so. It's very nahce, Ah liked livin' here. The superintendent is very attentive. An' he lives upstairs." "So if the pipes explode I don't have far to go. Good to know." "Anythin' you want to know?" Irene asked her cousin. "Rent's around 350, but lahke Ah said, Ah already paid til March." Melanie shook her head. "No, everything sounds great. I can pay you back for the rent you already paid once I get on my feet." "Don't even think about it," Irene insisted, shaking her head. "You're family. An' you're doin' me a favor." "I think we're both doing each other a favor," Melanie pointed out. She glanced around the apartment again. It was actually a good thing it came with a bed and couch cause it's probably all she'd have in it for a while. Irene blushed when she saw Mel looking around. "Teachers don't make much... it was all Ah could really afford to furnish." "Actually I was just thinking it's probably all I'll have for a while with what I usually make. Waitresses usually make less than teachers and that's if I can find a job," Mel pointed out. "You'll find one," Irene said confidently, smiling at her cousin. "In fact, Ah can ask Gideon if he needs a waitress. Can you tend bar?" "Yeah. Not a problem." Melanie offered a soft smile in return. "Thanks Irene." "Family," Irene reminded Mel with a grin. "You'd do the same for me." Irene was right. She would. She couldn't say the same for the rest of her family but for Irene she would. "Just don't tell anyone. They'd think I'm soft." "Who would Ah tell?" Irene said teasingly. "An', more importantly, who would think you're soft?" "Damn straight," Melanie said, smiling at her cousin. "Come on, let's get you back to this boyfriend that makes you glow and knocked you up." Irene grinned and blushed a soft pink. "An' Ah'll talk with him about maybe hirin' you. Though, be prepared, he'll probably stare at your chest an' ass before he hires you." "Interesting boyfriend," Melanie pointed out. "No problem though. Not like they don't get stared at on a regular basis." Irene shrugged, smiling. "It's how he is. It's all harmless." "Until someone loses an eye," Melanie teased. "Alright, lets go little momma." Irene blushed again and rested her hand over her stomach lightly. "Oh, that sounds weird. Suppose Ah'll get used to it, though." "We'll get you one of those baby on board signs to hang on you. You'll especially need on once you start walking like a penguin." Mel grinned as she teased her cousin. "Once Ah start walkin' lahke a penguin, Ah don't think Ah'll need the sign," Irene grinned. "Maybe a wide load sign," Melanie teased, then booked out of the room before Irene could smack her for it. Irene's jaw dropped, and she chased after her cousin. "Melanie Collins, you get back here!" "Now why would I want to do that," Melanie called out. "Besides, we got to get your exercise in while you can still walk." "Ooh, Ah am gonna give you a whoopin' when Ah catch you!" Irene called, though she was already starting to get winded. She blamed the dehydration from all the vomiting, and her recent lack of sleep. She wasn't out of shape. Nope. "Which will be when? Next week?" Melanie didn't stop until she reached the car, grinning at Irene as she waited for her to catch up. Irene finally caught up to Mel, but all she wanted to do was sit. Sit and- Oh, crap. She pivoted and lost what was left of her lunch into the bushes. The grin faded as Irene threw up in the bushes. Going over, Melanie wrapped an arm around Irene and gently lead her back to the car. "Okay, is it normal to be vomiting that much?" "Ah don't know," Irene said softly, shaking as she took a seat in the car. She hated how her body reacted after these barf sessions. "The doctor doesn't seem to be worried." Of course, she didn't tell Hope how much, not really... "Maybe you should go see the doc again just to be on the safe side," Melanie suggested, softly closing the door and going around to the driver's side. "Thanks," Irene murmured tiredly, leaning against the door. "Ah'll think about it." "Let's get you home so you can lay down." Melanie looked over at Irene with a concerned look before starting the car and heading back to the bar. "Sounds lahke a good idea," Irene said, giving her cousin a smile. She reached over and squeezed Mel's hand. "Ah'm fahne, don't worry." "Isn't it my job to worry? Being family and all?" Still she looked over and returned the smile. "Ah suppose you're right," Irene said tiredly. "Of course I am. I can be right now and then," Melanie teased as she pulled back up in front of the bar. Getting out she hurried around so she could help Irene. "Ah'm fahne," Irene insisted as she climbed out of the car, already more steady. "Get back in the car." "Fine, but I'm waiting until your inside before I pull away. Just in case you fall on your face," Melanie said before getting back in the car. She did as she said, waiting for Irene to get inside before leaving. |