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Post by Toad on Mar 27, 2024 6:39:59 GMT -5
Date: Wed morning, December 13, 2023 Words: 175 Tags: Mist/GolemTodd blinked as the snow from the latest little squall was already melting. He took another gulp of his coffee, hoping that it would wake him up just a little more and maybe confirm that the snow turning into slush (that he would probably have to shovel off the driveway -- ugh) was just his imagination.
"If ya need a ride to school," Todd called up the stairs to the two teenagers that he had yet to see that morning, "then hurry up. I'm leavin' in about twenty minutes."
Todd returned to the kitchen and leaned against the counter, finishing his coffee and munching on a piece of toast. He would leave the kids behind, too.
When he did see the kids, Todd glanced at the calendar on the refrigerator and said, "School vacation is comin' up. Olivia, you going back home to your mom for the holidays or you sticking around here with me an' Adam? Because if I have to take ya to the train station at some point, that'd be good to know."
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Post by Mist on May 28, 2024 6:55:56 GMT -5
"Ugh, I know, I hear you!" Olivia called down in response to Todd yelling up to her and Adam. She was glaring at her reflection in her vanity, Todd's call startling her enough to mess up one side of her eyeliner. She was practiced enough that she could wipe it off and reapply it quickly enough, but it was still an annoying start to the morning.
She made it down the stairs in about another five minutes to find Todd leaning against the counter and Adam standing by the refrigerator. Adam had started to lift the jug of orange juice to his lips before apparently remembering himself and reaching over for a glass.
Olivia snagged a mug to pour what was left of the coffee pot for herself, but she forgot to add in her usual cream when Todd mentioned something about Christmas break.
"I get a choice?" Olivia asked, but she barely gave Todd time to respond before she blurted out, "I want to stay here."
WORDS 167
NOTES None.
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Post by Toad on May 29, 2024 7:12:31 GMT -5
Words: 171 Tags: Mist/GolemTodd had watched in disinterest as Adam almost drank straight from the carton of orange juice, finding it too early to really give a damn about it. Still, Adam seemed to catch himself and reached for a cup just as Olivia joined them.
Olivia's quick response to Todd's question about where she was going to spend the holidays nearly made Todd forget that he was holding a mug of coffee. He raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Uh, yeah. You got a choice. I don't care where you go, just wanted to know."
Her reaction did make him curious enough to ask, "What was that about, though? Ya seemed jumpy just answering the question."
Recalling when Olivia had first joined the Brotherhood Boarding House under his care, Olivia hadn't seemed thrilled to be sent to Bayville in the first place. It had been about six months or so since then, so to hear her do a one-eighty in terms of attitude about being in Bayville was surprising, to say the least.
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Post by Mist on Jun 1, 2024 8:34:14 GMT -5
Her relief at how simple it was to chose to stay in Bayville for the holidays was short-lived considering how Todd called her out on her reaction.
"What do you mean?" Olivia asked in return, figuring she'd try to deflect.
"You answered very quickly," Adam said, and he took a long sip of his orange juice when Olivia turned to glare at him. Leave it to him to not have any filter or tact.
"I thought I didn't have a choice," Olivia settled on answering. "Despite my best intentions, Bayville has grown on me since I've gotten here... New York City is gorgeous for Christmas, of course, but I have more... connections here."
Which made her sound a hell of a lot more vulnerable than she would have liked, but considering she was stuck with these two, she figured may as well be honest. Quickly, she added, "That probably makes me sound a little sappy. It's livelier here than at my place in New York City."
Adam cleared his throat and asked, "What about your mother?" He didn't pry further when Olivia only shrugged, which she was thankful for. Adam then turned to Todd and asked, "What about you? Do you not have family close by?"
Olivia didn't even think of that. She assumed Todd would be around for the holidays, but she supposed Adam and she would make it work if they had the boarding house to themselves for Christmas.
WORDS 241
NOTES None.
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Post by Toad on Jun 3, 2024 18:15:58 GMT -5
Words: 189 Tags: Golem/Mist, open!Even Adam thought Olivia's quick response was strange, and he didn't really respond to much unless he felt the need to. Despite initially trying to deflect from Todd's question -- and all he needed to do was point to Adam when the other teen responded to Olivia for him -- Olivia did give an honest answer.
Todd listened, finding her response a bit surprising, but he supposed he couldn't fault her for it. "Yeah, sappy is a good word for it," Todd agreed, "but... I get it."
Todd probably understood more than Olivia and Adam realized. Even when Adam turned the question on Todd, asking about his family, Todd only gave his head a small shake.
"Nah, don't have any nearby," Todd said, and left it at that. Even if he did have family around, what would he do about it? Invite them to the Brotherhood Boarding House? Ditch the teens at the house alone while he visits his own folks? It would be best to just deal with the kids.
He glanced towards the living room and suddenly asked, "You two ain't expecting presents or a Christmas tree, are ya?"
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Post by Mist on Jun 4, 2024 6:11:41 GMT -5
Olivia felt a small flush on her cheeks as Todd agreed that, yes, her words had been sappy. Her brows did furrow in curiosity as Todd mentioned that he understood, though.
It was a stark reminder that Olivia really didn't know much about her landlord and guardian other than the fact that he was a mutant and appreciated when Olivia transferred money from her mother's bank account to his when the rent was late. He grew up in a time when mutants were a secret. The topic was still a bit hushed nowadays, but it wasn't as bad as back then, as far as Olivia knew. Since Todd couldn't exactly hide his own mutation, she wondered what he had experienced...
Adam asked Todd if he had any family around, and Todd simply said that he didn't have any nearby. Adam glanced at Olivia, and she only shrugged. Neither of the guys seemed to care that Olivia didn't want to go back to her mother, so she wouldn't ask further about Todd's family.
For now, anyway.
Todd asked about a Christmas tree and presents, and Olivia lightly laughed. "I wasn't until you said something," she said. "We should at least get a tree. We can fit one in here, right?"
Adam, though, was frowning. "Why would we bring the tree inside? That would kill it."
"Generally, it's not as cold inside while decorating it, that's why," Olivia said, and Adam was thoughtfully quiet enough for her to add, "Have you ever decorated a Christmas tree?"
"I... I think when I was much younger," Adam confessed. "It's been a few years, though."
"Todd, we should get a Christmas tree," Olivia declared.
WORDS 279
NOTES None.
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Post by Toad on Jun 5, 2024 7:04:39 GMT -5
Words: 179 Tags: Mist/GolemApparently he opened up a can of worms.
"I'm telling ya right now not to expect anything," Todd said, his tone as dry as his remaining bite of toast.
The two teens started talking about Christmas trees and, honestly, Todd wasn't looking forward to dragging one into the house. He still wasn't the neatest person around, not by a long shot, but he was better nowadays with his day job. Thinking about cleaning up needles from a dried out tree wasn't appealing.
Pointing to Adam, Todd said, "He doesn't wanna kill a tree," as if that would be the end of the discussion.
Yet, at this point, Todd knew Olivia a little better and figured she wouldn't let that be the end of the argument. "If ya want, you can decorate one of the trees in the woods out back," he said, "or I can probably get one of those fake trees that already come with the lights and stuff. I'm sure you wouldn't volunteer to vacuum up pine needles and make sure a live tree is watered, right?"
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Post by Mist on Jun 7, 2024 6:58:26 GMT -5
"Spoilsport," Olivia murmured when Todd mentioned that they should not expect any presents.
Adam only shrugged and polished off what was left of his glass of orange juice. "Wasn't going to," he said, and Olivia wondered when the last time Adam actually got a Christmas present.
Olivia herself usually got whatever she wanted, mainly because she picked it out. Her mother used to ask for a list when she was much younger and just buy everything, but as Olivia got a little older, Dorothy just gave Olivia the credit card. If Olivia felt a little festive, she would have the mall or shop attendants that offered free gift wrapping to do just that so Olivia could open something with wrapping paper on Christmas Day.
She supposed she would be doing that again this year, but it would probably be in bad taste to flaunt new things when some of her housemates got nothing.
"The trees would already be cut," Olivia said when Todd tried to weasel out of having a Christmas tree because of Adam's more hippie-like nature. "We technically wouldn't be killing them."
Todd mentioned decorating one of the trees in the woods, and Olivia actually hummed thoughtfully. "That may actually be pretty," she said, "but I am also a-okay with a fake tree. I don't wanna vacuum or anything."
Adam actually cleared his throat. "Um, should we be going soon?"
"Shush, Adam, I was hoping we could keep Todd talking long enough to miss school."
"Can you actually talk that long?"
"Give me the right topics, and sure," Olivia said. Nevertheless, she finished her coffee cup and found her bag for school.
WORDS 274
NOTES Finish this up? Thank you!
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Post by Toad on Jun 14, 2024 7:28:26 GMT -5
Words: 223 Tags: Mist/Golem, to see Notes: That's a wrap! Thank you!Todd promptly ignored Olivia calling him a spoilsport and tried to ignore how casually Adam said he wasn't going to expect Christmas gifts anyway.
Which was good. Great, even. Todd really didn't want to spend any extra money on the people living under his roof.
Besides, even if he had wanted to, which he doesn't, what the hell would he get for the teenagers? He had no idea what they wanted. Needed, he could guess, especially in Adam's case, but most people wanted stupid things just for the sake of wanting them during Christmas time. If Todd really thought about it, he probably would need to go to Teach or one of his more mutant-tolerant coworkers like Ms. Perez for gift ideas for teenagers.
...Was he getting soft?
Adam actually piped up about them getting to school, and Todd dumped what was left of his mug in the sink. "Yeah, yeah, let's go," he said, rolling his eyes when Olivia mentioned that she had been trying to distract him enough to be late for school itself. Nevertheless, both of the teens moved to head out the door with their school stuff without any arguing.
As Todd started the car and glanced at the trees in the woods, he figured maybe he could get a fake Christmas tree. Even a little one. Something inexpensive...
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