Participants:
| Scene Title | The Whole Mile |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Elaine stops in to see Dee and say a few things, but nothing too serious is able to really last. |
| Date | January 20, 2011 |
The Octagon: Else and Delilah's Apartment
The apartments of the Octagon are among some of the most prime pieces of rental real-estate in New York City. Bright, open, and clean, these apartments are all painted an eggshell white and feature floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a sweeping, unobstructed view of the East River and Manhattan skyline. Hardwood floors spread from wall to wall and through the spacious bedrooms and private laundry rooms complete with washer/dryer utilities.
The open-concept kitchen in the apartment features stainless steel appliances, polished granite countertops, cherry finished cabinets and ceramic floor tile with all the convenience of a modern kitchen. The bathrooms are finished with classic subway wall tile and porcelain floor tile in bathrooms with elegantly designed corner-set curved showers wproviding more spacious shower area along with porcelain pedestal sinks.
Each apartment comes in two or three bedroom designs, each with spacious walk-in closets with individually controlled heating and cooling. The apartment is also set up with free Cable TV and Internet hook-ups in multiple locations.
Bundled up in her coat, Elaine trekked her way to Delilah's apartment. She'd called, in advance, to make sure Dee was home and that she didn't mind a visitor, and she inquired if Sable was in. Given that the petite rocker was not, she continued with her plan and headed over to the other redhead's place. Tapping at the door, Elaine lets out a tired sigh as she calls, "Dee! It's Elaine!"
The idea that Elaine asked for Sable didn't strike Dee as odd, really; she'd bee expecting to hear from Elaine at some point or another. Inside, the usual events occur; a snuffling, wuffing dog knocking up to the door, the shuffle of feet, the scrape of a chair. "One second- Samson, shush up, will you?"
Well, a few seconds, before Delilah slips open the door for her. "Hey." It is a friendly greeting, though quiet, and it comes with a smile. Delilah's dark blue dress, belted and down past her knees, puts on an air of housewife. "Walter's asleep, he's a deep sleeper, but I try to not push my luck. Come in?" She opens the door in an offer for Elaine to walk right in.
The joys of having a dog! Elaine can't help but smile, pushing her way in and making sure not to get bowled over by Samson as she enters the apartment. "Ahh, yeah, I can imagine. Must be nice to have moments you can steal away like that. I bet it's difficult to find time with a baby. Anyways… thanks for letting me come over."
"If I absolutely need the time, my aunt likes to spoil him. My little cousins do too." Delilah likes to leave herself gentle reminders that she does have them, sometimes. They have been doing well without her, in the 'burbs. Samson, when Elaine comes in, spoils her hands with kisses and her shoes with the gale force winds of his nose. Tail wagging a million miles an hour. Which on Samson, is like waving a police baton around. Whump whump.
"It's no problem at all." Delilah shows her in, the apartment not terribly different since Else has been gone and Sable has semi-moved in. Mostly just Else's stereo being gone, replaced with that sharp antique. Artfully, Dee has tucked anything left by Sable away somewhere. "I was just finishing up some papers." The stack of them on the kitchen table amidst a binder and a laptop is attest to that.
"Well, it looks nice around here," Elaine says, pointing at the sword. "I see you've baby-proofed." There's a little tease there, a gentle pet to Samson's head as she tries not to be overwhelmed by the dog. Still, the attention is nice, even from the affectionate canine. "How have you been doing?"
"It was a gift." Delilah laughs a bit. Only adults can reach the thing, and there are no cords or likewise so it can be knocked down. As proofed as a sword can get, right? "Good enough, but I tell you what- I am done with winter already. We had too much of it last year, I'm just about fed up with all the snow and ice. If I don't have to go somewhere, I don't. I get by, thank goodness. Though I dread the day I need to move again."
On the plus side, she still has people to turn to if needed. She moves to shuffle some of the papers away into the folder, while Samson decides that he has to be right beside Elaine at all times. "How has your week been?"
"Ugh, yeah, I know. Winter just brings bad things for me. I'm ready to go to the beach or something and have to take off clothes, not pile more on." Elaine says, chuckling. She looks towards Samson, one hand staying on the dog's head to pet him. "Not really the best, to be honest, but I suppose that means things can only go uphill from here. At least, I like to pretend that's true. Makes me feel a little better."
"It's true if you want it to be." Delilah says this with a careful tone, but there is something uplifting about it. She tosses the binder to one side of the table and clicks something on the laptop before closing it up. Elaine has her total attention, which is good. "I was a whale all summer, I kind of missed out, didn't I?"
"You were a gorgeous whale, Dee," Elaine insists, looking seriously at the other ginger. "Trust me, I'd love to look half as beautiful as you did pregnant. It was adorable. Plus you've got little Walter to make up for the whale-ness of the whole summer. So, all-in-all, I don't think you made out so bad. Things are looking up for you, I think."
Sable seemed to think so too, judging by the various times she made Dee fluff up for photographs. They are around somewhere. "It helps that I didn't gain too much weight- I know I did though, eating too much. I was already the right size, I think." In the couple months post, she still has that plush look around her hips and face. Delilah sounds a bit bashful about this, however, as now she is mostly watching Samson.
"I don't think I ever wanna be pregnant in summer again though, even if I looked okay. Waddling around in that kind of weather, it's easier to layer up than layer down from skin, right?" Better hope so!
"Oh, for sure. Being pregnant during the summer… ugh. Yeah. I can imagine that would be frustrating." Elaine murmurs, glancing down at Samson distractedly. "So, um, how are things with Sable?" She's not entirely sure how to bring up the topic in general, so this seems like the best course of action for her.
Dee was waiting for the small talk to hush up, honestly, but didn't want to push it. She tilts her head a little, considering the best way to file things. "Tentative, precarious… she knows she has to earn things back. Like everyone's trust, and what we think of her." Lilah pauses just enough to tack something on. "I'll be honest, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I don't know if giving her a chance to earn forgiveness was right or not, but I did. I never knew about- anything so complex going on. I mean, I know she's a hound, and I don't care about that, she knows I don't. Just, I hate so much that she hurt you how she did." Fooling around with people is different than fooling with people, in layman's terms.
"I didn't expect any of it, when I started out. I didn't mean to fall in love with her, it took me by surprise and it was so nice that I was okay with just…" Elaine sighs a little, though it's wistful more than sad. "It was like our own little world, when we were alone. Everything was okay and it didn't have to be complicated. It's my fault that it ended up the way it did… I just thought it meant more to her than it apparently did. She did hurt me, and I want you to know that if she decided on you she must care a whole lot about you—or she's a big fat liar. Kinda two extremes, but… I like to think better of her. But if she can't make it up to me, I at least hope that she'll treat you right and earn your love."
Delilah has made Sable change too much for the better, for it to be something half-hearted between the two of them. She is confident of that much, but it can't stop her from feeling the hurt in Elaine. "Sometimes she- just doesn't get it, unless you tell her to her face. I've learned that much, that she's terrible at guessing." Dee rubs at her neck a bit, glancing up past one shoulder and letting her fingers climb around the links of the plain gold chain on her neck. "I'm still sorry that you got hurt, for what it's worth." Hopefully something.
"Would you like to sit and have a drink? I don't wanna make you stand around like this." She edges towards the kitchen proper now, without physically pausing for the answer.
"That'd be nice," Elaine says, moving to find herself a seat. "I don't care what you have… I'll take whatever." She lets out another sigh. "I know how she is. And believe me, I was pretty blunt and honest about everything with her. She knew what I thought we had, she knew what I wanted, and she let me think that everything was okay. I don't think she was purposefully trying to hurt me, but she didn't do what she should have."
"Then it was all her, wasn't it?" Delilah can't defend that anymore, really. Sable is a slut, that sounds like the issue. "I have cider?" She knows Elaine said 'whatever', so that is what she brings out to the sofa to set in front of Elaine. Samson finds a spot to lie down past the end of the couch, a watchful eye out. "I told her that I'll introduce her as my slutty friend Sable, from now on."
Ahem. "I don't think she's ever had people like us in her life before. A stable support system, I think might be a good way to put it. Because we're all so stable, right?" Delilah even snickers for that one.
"We had a conversation after things were over with Magnes… she said she liked the idea of being with me, on an official level. We discussed it. I… I really don't know where things went wrong. I mean, I only left after I heard how things were going with her and you…" Elaine shakes her head. "She's the main reason I left… I mean, the trip was for me, so I could sort things out… but I wouldn't have gone on it if she hadn't made me feel like I do. I just… I don't want to blame her, I really don't, but I don't know what I did wrong. I thought I was doing okay…" Taking the cider in hand, Elaine sips from it with a little giggle. "Maybe she hasn't, but I don't know. I just… she messed up bad and she knows it. I just have to figure out what I'm doing next."
"It's not your fault that anything happened, remember that. I don't think she knew it was so wrong until after it came to a head. I have the feeling she's been around the block with other girls, same as this." Dee must have faith in herself if she is willing to give Sable a more stable chance at this. She takes a seat on the end of the sofa, knees crossing and sipping on her drink.
"I'm not you, and I'm not quite from the same cloth, I don't think- but- if it were me, I would just try to stay her friend. If that's that she needs, especially. I can tell you still care a great deal about her. It doesn't have to be intimate, to care deeply. You just have to be willing to let it have have time for you to forgive her. Nothing like that happens overnight."
"Yeah, I'm not just gonna ignore her. I can't do that, and I don't think she can do that either. It's just gonna be difficult. I think moving on is just gonna be the hardest part," Elaine murmurs, letting out a slow breath. "I'm glad things are okay for you, though… you always seem to take things in stride."
"It's because I've always had to." Delilah sometimes wishes that she didn't. "Lots of things a kid shouldn't have to handle, in a few short years. I had to learn to deal with things, or I'd be swallowed up by them." A small shrug comes, and she is suddenly not sure if Elaine knows her array of tales, regarding her childhood. Maybe for another day, unless she pushes harder. "I have a lot of good in my life now, though, and that's a blessing compared to just a couple of years ago."
Elaine smiles. "I know the feeling, though I have to say things only turned around more recently." She looks over towards Dee. "Kinda hard to find someone with a normal life, these days, or someone with something close to a normal life."
"Amen to that. Sob stories are pretty normal now." At least Delilah knows she isn't alone in it. She swallows a rather big mouthful of her cider before setting it down. "Sometimes though, I wonder where I'd be if I wasn't here. To be honest, I'd probably like, have become a hooker or something if I'd stayed in the trailer park." Dee starts a laugh, but it turns into a bewildered sort of noise. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't think about it.
"I would be with an abusive boyfriend." Elaine points out with a smile. "I think we're both much better off." She looks over at Dee as she sips her cider. "And now you've got Walter and you can give him a great life. I mean, just look at all the people you've got willing to help you with him. There's that whole thing about a village raising a child…"
"Yeah. Though at this rate he will grow up to be a black-ops guitar player with supreme baking skills." Delilah snorts to herself, and sinks a bit further into her cushion. "Our village is full of nutcases, remember? These kids we know- well- jeez. I am kind of curious as to what they'll pick up from us. And what they won't. Hopefully we'll make sure we turn out decent people."
"I think he'll worry too much about letting us down to be a bad person. You've got so many great people around you that I can't possibly see him going the opposite direction," Elaine laughs. "Makes me kind of wonder what life would be like, when I have a kid, you know? What kind of things they'd pick up… what I'd hope for them… that the real reason I like history. I like the personal stories of people, how people are linked back… it's why I liked Scotland. Researching my history and stuff… where and who the people were…"
"That and I'll be boxing him in the ears enough so hopefully he'd turn out alright. I've got plans. But I will probably parent like my parents." Delilah nods along to Elaine. "I guess we'll be giving them some good stories then, huh? 'This one time, at freedom fighter camp…'." She mimics the ageless anecdote. "We've got so many stories. Maybe someone should be writing this shit down, I dunno?"
Elaine grins a little. "Maybe we should. A book of tales for our future children. That way we can remember all the fun things to tell them." The redhead suddenly laughs. "Oh, and Walter's going to be older than my kids… which means he'll have to look out for them."
"He's gonna have to. And help some of the Lighthouse kids, if they stick around. Kasha's only as old as Junie, and if Abby adopts Kasha, goodness knows she'll be around too. We have more kids than we realize, don't we?" Dee shakes her head and smiles. "I just better be around to see this shit, or I'll be leaving my disappointment all through the ether. Are you hungry at all? I could fix something up." Hostess mode isn't totally gone, no.
"I can't imagine the Lighthouse Kids not sticking around. I mean, given all they've been through… I'm sure they will stick with the people they trust." Elaine glances to Delilah. "Oh, you don't have to fix anything, but if you feel the insatiable desire to feed me I could definitely eat." She looks to Dee intently. "I'm sure you'll be around. The damn lot of us better live to a ripe old age."
"As a matter of fact, I do." Maybe she thinks Elaine could be less willowy. Or vaguely hopes that some weight gain might decide to go to her chest. Just an idea, honest. "I have been trying to finish this chicken casserole I made, and it's delicious, but I made too much of it." Dee slips from the sofa and makes her way out to the open kitchen, looking back over her shoulder as she opens the fridge to find the dish.
"I bet I'll be the parent whose house all her kid's friends wants to come over too. I'll feed'em, and when they're older I'll wear low-cut blouses. I never understood how someone can be old and ripe. Doesn't being old make you rotten? I mean, if it's supposed to be a fruit allusion, right?"
"Yes, but I think it's more like… a fine wine? Some are meant to be drank when they're younger, they don't ripen well… but then some get better with age," Elaine giggles. "You'll be a MILF, Dee. I'm envious. The kids will run from me because I'll be like, 'Practice your French' and they'll be like 'Oh god she should shut up about languages!'
"'Christ, she's making us do our homework again' 'Lets go to Walter's house' 'We'll get cookies and tits'" Delilah offers this colorful commentary in between getting out the casserole and setting it to warm in the microwave. "I admit, I'm kinda looking forward to that part. Though I wonder if I'll be a social pariah with the moms for it. For being the young, hiptastic mom." She lets the dish warm up, in its spinning plate, while she wanders back to the sofa to pick her cider from the table.
"What would you want to name your kids, do you think?" Maybe it is good that they kind of got into another topic, at least for a few minutes.
"I'll probably hate you, but not for too long… it's hard to hate you too much," Elaine seems cheerful enough. Maybe it's better they moved on. Maybe. "I don't know. Probably something literary. Or historical. I wouldn't name my kid Hercules or something like that but… I don't know. I'm kind of fond of the name Sophia. I wouldn't know what for a boy's name, though. I'm sure I'd think of something."
Delilah plops back down onto the cushions, a smile on her lips. "Sophia is a great girl's name. My parents had boring names, but I always thought my grandfather's was distinguished. And very English. That's what Eileen said once, too. I think it tickled her, I couldn't tell. You know how she is with the lack of expression. Anyway, I liked it better than Daniel. If he woulda been a girl, would have been my gramma Vittoria. Incidentally, Italian. Liked it better than Janet. Running theme, I guess."
"Dan and Jan sounded like if they had wonder twin powers, right? I suppose I was the monkey."
"Well, yes, she is kind of like that." Elaine seems thoughtful. "Daniel's a very cute name… I wouldn't short it to Dan though… I like the longer name better. But you're right… Dan and Jan. Very Wonder Twins. I can see you as the monkey, though. I think you've got too much boobage to really be the monkey, though." She giggles, lifting her bottle of cider back to her lips.
"My grandpas called him Daniel too. Mom called him Danny. Everyone else called him Dan, cause he was some big masculine engineer. Dan's manly. He was fussy about it sometimes. Wished they'd choose one. I called him Danny-Boy once, and I thought he was going to punt me." Long story, really. Delilah laughs, thinking back. "I wonder if Walter will be the same way with Walt. Or Wally. God, that just makes me think of Leave it to Beaver."
"Oh no. Don't call him Wally. Walt, maybe, but Wally really does sound…" Elaine wrinkles her nose. "It sounds ridiculous. I don't know why I don't like it so much… I just don't, you know? I dunno. I guess I don't have to worry so much about this for years."
For the purposes of meta-ly avoiding giving Elaine a heart attack, Delilah declines to mention or ponder over whether someone might call Walter by his middle name. "The only thing I worry about is other kids. Cruel little fuckers, right?" She barks a bit of a laugh that time. "Not just his name though. I think I'll be more worried about his birthday. Maybe I should just have parties a week away." Her voice this time is a little more bitter sounding. A kid with a birthday on November 8th. Worse than September 11th or December 7th or any other number of foreboding dates.
"Ooh, yeah, maybe do it on the weekend before or after his birthday? That'd be pretty bad to celebrate it on the day. " Elaine points out, then heaves a sigh. "We'll just have to protect Walter from the cruel, cruel world."
"That might be a point of insult. Having your mum and your aunts fighting your fights. Even if I can take those bitch kids." Delilah would totally beat up some teenager, seriously. Ouch. "Teo's is November fifteenth, I think it might be better if we paired them up the first few years. I think he'd like that." Cause of the whole 'there in Abby's car' thing, maybe. Adds a big degree of thereness!
Elaine nods enthusiastically. "I bet he'll like celebrating it with his dad." The redhead pauses. "So… as far as Teo goes… is he being kinda active in Walter's life? I dunno how things are with you and him."
"We were close friends before, and always will be. He might be a fruitloop, but I still love him. Remember what I was saying about a running theme? My grandma was a beard, I had two grandfathers too. Cept it didn't skip another generation. My dad was basically where Walter will be." It makes Delilah giggle as she sips at her drink though, as various other things occur to her. "Anyway, he's been really good with it so far. Sometimes I think he's not sure what to do, with the baby thing. The puking part gets him every time."
"I could be a beard. That wouldn't be too bad a lot in life, though these days it's not quite as necessary." Elaine takes another sip, then giggles. "I feel like guys have less of a tolerance for baby-messes. I think they forget that's what they were like once upon a time."
"When he's old enough, I'll remind Walter all the time I wiped his ass. He can't get off easy." Delilah waggles her brows. "Boys always stay messy, too. Except if they're gay. Then reasonably clean, cause someone has to clean when a woman's not around. Sue me for being sexist, whatever." She has only faith in women to clean things. Really. The beepbeepbeep of the microwave goes off, but she doesn't get up to see to it yet.
"There hasn't been any major mess incidents yet. I am dreading the day when someone changes Walter's diaper and he pisses on them."
"That always happens with boys, though. Baby boys always pee on someone." Elaine giggles. "Have you made Magnes change his diaper yet? I bet he'd pee on Magnes." She snickers, glancing back towards the microwave.
Delilah takes a moment to get up and check on the dish now, taking her drink with her. "Magnes has. He still has no idea what to do though, he keeps thinking he'll break the baby or something. At least Magnes can't drop the baby. Gosh, I wonder how long it will take for people to use abilities on my kid." She can be seen going through the microwave now, testing the dish with a fork. "This is heated up, how hungry are you?"
"Just give me, uh, a medium sized portion?" Elaine suggests, looking back towards Dee. "I don't think Magnes' mind can wrap around the concept of babies. He's okay with the Lighthouse kids, but mostly because he can relate, I think, acting like a kid and stuff sometimes. Although I suppose it would depend on the ability, if people would end up using it on Walter. I mean, I'm sure Magnes would have fun floating Walter around…"
"When Walter is old enough to at least keep his noggin straight, I wouldn't mind it. If he's gonna learn about all the weird people, best start early, right?" Delilah gets out a couple of plates and forks, doling out a sliiightly bigger piece for Elaine's than her own. "I won't mind if you speak French to him, for the record." She comes back with the plates, passing one to Elaine. "If you're watching him, or if we're all together, it's supposedly good to speak languages with babies. So they're used to it, maybe."
"Well, I'll just start talking in other languages to him, see what he picks up. The good thing is, 'Mama' is the same in most languages anyways…" Elaine snickers. "So at least I won't ruin his first words." She smiles towards Dee as she takes another sip of her cider. "Anyways, I'm sure things will go well for him. He'll have a lot of people surrounding him… lets hope he's not shy."
"I dunno, if his first words were 'ciao, bella' it would make one hilarious tale." Delilah scoffs at the mention of shyness. "No son of mine is gonna be shy. Or take shit. Sicilian and Irish blood? No way is he gonna be quiet. He's gonna be a rabblerouser, I know it." It runs in the family! "I can't wait for his first bail posting." She lifts a hand to her eye and gives a very fake sniff.
"Oh my goodness. I'd love it if those were his favorite words." Elaine can't help but giggle further. "His first bail posting? Oh, lordy, please don't encourage his law-breaking."
"I won't! But hell if it won't happen. I give it til thirteen, for his first citation." Delilah is being half serious about this. Knowing her, she won't be too shocked. "If I were a boy, that would have been me. But I'm a cute girl, so disorderly conduct turns out to just be a cat-fight." She motions at the food on Elaine's plate before she takes a bite of her own. It is quite delicious. Enough that Elaine can understand not being able to down it all in a timely manner/ Too much of a good thing.
"Eat up. I've got pie in there too, no kidding."
Taking a bite, Elaine smiles. It is good. "Yeah, and he'll be fat too, with all this cooking. This and pie? Goodness." She takes another sip of her cider. "Well, I don't know about his first citation. But I'm not gonna take a bet out against you. Whatever Walter does… I'm sure it'll be surprising. And probably big. If he's anything like you… if he's gonna do something, he's gonna go the whole mile."