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Post by trinn on Oct 7, 2009 23:18:14 GMT -8
The first thing Etta did was clean the coffee mugs and put away all the dishes. Taking a handtowel, she wiped down the countertops, making sure everything was clean. After that, there wasn't much else to do. The rest of the apartment only needed a little tidying up. As for Sam's bedroom, she made the bed and folded her temperary PJs, thinking it possible she might need them again. When the house was done, she went over to the table and checked on the tulip. At her touch, the petals opened a little wider. "Quoi?" she murmured. "Tu as besoin de soleil." The little thing wasn't cold, but it needed some sunlight. However, she wasn't sure she wanted to open the windowshades. Who knew what nosy neighbors might try to peek inside. Taking up the tulip, she placed the pot down on Sam's bed, opening the curtain in that room enough to let the sunlight touch the tulip. She wouldn't be using the bedroom during the day, so there was little change anyone would spot her through that window. Sitting back down at the table, Etta went to the business of programming in Sam's number to her new phone. After a moments debate, she also added her parents and aunt. That done, she sat back in the chair, tapping the table top.
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Post by Max452 on Oct 7, 2009 23:37:54 GMT -8
Finally, for what seemed like forever, Sam's day at work was over. It mostly consisted of meetings about the new merge and the possibility of getting more funding if a new bill was passed in Congress. Of course, the whole thing was still hush hush, as some people would still consider what they were doing barbaric. Charles, the main guy in charge after Danko's death, said it was only a matter of time before they got the complete okay to start tagging and bagging the freaks...and perhaps even eliminating them...permanently.
Sam left the office around 5:30 and headed over to a local grocery shop. Not knowing which dye kit and hair straighter to get, Sam left those things last. Instead, he first went to buy some food and other maybe needed necessities. After getting those, he nearly stood in the hair product section for 20 minutes, trying to figure out which dye kit to get and what hair color that Henrietta would like. He was about to give up when he an employee noticed his difficulty.
"What color is her hair?" The woman asked as Sam explained that his girlfriend wanted to change her hairdo.
"Dark Brown, blackish, depending on the lighting."
"Hmm...skin tone?" The sales rep asked.
"Um...what?"
The woman laughed. "What color is her skin?"
"Oh. Um, normalish? You know, not too pale, but not too tanned." Sam felt awkward and embarrassed as the woman selected an appropriate kit for him. "Here, I think she might like this one. It appears to be the rage."
"Oh, okay." Sam had no clue what Summer Autumn was.
"It makes the hair look reddish brown." The woman explained after noting Sam's continued confusion.
"Oh...oh. thanks..." He smiled sheepishly.
"No problem. If you have any problems, let me know." the sales lady wandered off.
Staring at the box, Sam added it to his collection of things, along with the straightener she asked for. All the while, wondering why women things were so complicated.
At around 6:40, Sam returned back to his apartment with several bags of groceries. Juggling them, he managed to open the door. "I'm back." He announced as he went to put the bags onto the table.
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Post by trinn on Oct 7, 2009 23:47:47 GMT -8
Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, Etta looked at herself with calculating eyes. Every now and then she messed with her hair, putting it up, combing it out, trying a new look. Hearing the door open, she stiffened, unsure if it was Sam. Her breath came a little easier when she heard his voice. Taking leave of the bathroom, Etta came around to see him setting down his groceries on the table. Giving him a smile, she asked, "Good day at work?" while eyeing the bags. She was dying to know what color he had picked. The thought had been driving her insane all day.
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 0:02:09 GMT -8
"You can say that..." Sam said. He fumbled with the bags and pulled out her dye and straightener. "I hope this is okay...I wasn't quite sure what to get..." Sam said as he handed her, her things. He eyed the box nervously, wondering if she would approve. Not wanting to feel like a fumbling idiot, Sam began to put away the groceries. "Um, so I learned some good things and some bad things at work today." He said conversationally, "Good thing: they don't know where you are or who helped you. Bad thing: Congress seems to be secretly holding a vendetta against us."
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 0:30:42 GMT -8
Taking the box, Etta quickly read the color; Summer Autumn. The model on the front had a redish hue in her hair, redish brown. This would be good, not too drastic. Plus, she always liked red hair. Her pleasure in Sam's successful trip was dampened by his bad news. "That's ridiculous. How can they possibly have a vendetta?" Thoughts of hair didn't seem very important right then. "This isn't good, is it?" she asked, eyebrows knitted in worry.
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 0:43:34 GMT -8
"No. Its not." Sam said as he placed some orange juice into the fridge. "It means they know about us and want to get rid of us. I mean, I knew that some of them, particularly Senator Petrelli, knew about us, but I didn't know they wanted to get rid of us, not until today. It seems like they're trying to quietly convince people to pass a Bill that will allow the military to apprehend all the Gifted and round them up into concentration camps. After that, I don't know what they will do..." Sam expressed his concerns. "Anyways, its something to be concerned about...the bill won't be going in front of Congress for a few weeks. We still have some time to sort things out." He glanced over at her and the box in her hand. "Um, do you like that one? I couldn't think of what you wanted...a sales lady helped me pick that out..." He gave a sheepish smile.
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 1:01:50 GMT -8
Concentration camps? They wanted to exterminate everyone with abilities? Horrified, Etta could only stare at Sam as she processed his words. She didn't even process the next thing he said until a second later, "Oh, uh, yeah." Etta blinked, trying to clear her head of the implied horror of concentration camps. "I think it will look really nice." Managing a smile, she added, "You could call me Poison Ivy, like the Batman character." Her attempt at a joke even failed to make her laugh. "Ugh, sorry. I just can't stand the thought of hundreds of innocents killed for something they can't control." She shook her head slowly, unable to fathom it. "If all we have is a few weeks, I'm using this pronto," she said, waving the box of dye. "I'll be in the bathroom, if you need me." Still feeling a little stunned, Etta made her way to the bathroom. Inside, she read the instructions more carefully. They didn't seem too complicated...
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 1:09:26 GMT -8
Sam felt relieved when Etta said she liked the dye he chose. Feeling her somber mood, he tried to smile at her joke, but apparently it wasn't working, for either of them. He regretted letting her worry when there was still time to prepare things. "Yeah, I understand..." He muttered as her thoughts lingered on the concentration camps. He sighed when she went off to dye her hair. "Yeah...okay..." He replied, slightly unnerved about the idea of concentration camps after Etta discribed it. He wasn't thinking like that...more like having the gifted grouped together to live...he wasn't thinking of anything like genocide. That word made him queasy. Would his country really do that to people? To humans that were just as confused as they were? It wasn't there fault that some of them couldn't control themselves...it was just human nature...what was so wrong with them that they have to think of genocide?
Sam finished putting away the groceries. Feeling ill, he went to sit on his couch and stared at the tv, not really watching anything as he waited for Etta to dye her hair.
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 9:49:20 GMT -8
Having successfully parted her hair in four sections and applied the dye, Etta began wrapping foil around the slabs. Checking the box, she made sure that it was a half-hour she had to wait for the color to set in. Not really wanting to go out with her head in shambles, Etta fipped down the toilet seat and sat down. Holding her chin in her hands, she had a lot of time to think about things. Her boutique shop entered her mind often, along with her parents, her moms frantic voice on the radio. She thought again of the man the tree had struck, of the little rebel boy, Micah. Sam popped up alot too, and she was sad to think of his lonely life. What was it like to be in the army? Why didn't he want to talk about family? These thoughts easily carried her through the half hour wait, and soon she was gingerly removing the foil. Currently, her hair looked a little disgusting. But, that's what the shampoo was for, she thought, grabing the small bottle the dye had come with. Flipping on the bath, Etta went about washing her hair, using nearly all the shampoo in the tiny bottle. As she washed, she realized she didn't have a hair-dryer. Sighing at her stupidity, she was forced to towel dry her hair until the wetness was gone. Plugging in the straightner, she let it heat up while she was busy drying her hair. Because of its short length, towel-drying didn't take too long, and she was soon taking the straightner to her new "summer autumn" hair. The color was actually very pretty, and it looked naturual. Also, even though her eyebrows were dark, the color didn't make them stand out in an obvious way. All in all, Etta was very satisfied with the results. With her hair straight, it added an extra inch to the length.
Finally finished, Etta switched off the straightner, then went to find Sam. He was sitting on his couch, staring blankly at the TV. Maybe he had had a tougher day at work than she thought. "You ok?" she asked.
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 12:54:37 GMT -8
"Hmm?" Sam responded as he turned around to look at Etta. He had enough sense to not drop his jaw, but his eyebrows did go up. "You look great." He said and then felt slightly abash for being so honest. "Yeah, I'm all right. Just thinking." He replied as he stared at her, gaping was probably more precise.
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 17:39:26 GMT -8
Glad that Sam approved, Etta gave a smile, unconsciously reaching up to touch her hair. "Thanks," she said, ducking her head. She nodded when Sam said he was thinking, understanding perfectly well. Growing self-conscious under Sam's stare, she said, "So, are you hungry?"
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 18:31:32 GMT -8
Feeling like he was caught staring, Sam cleared his throat and tried glancing away. "Uh, yeah, I guess." He said, his eyes seeming to find ways back to Etta despite his efforts. "Um," He got up from the couch, "I got some more food from the market..." He went over to the fridge to show her. "There's chicken, some vegetables, fruit, and there are some noodles, and rice too..." He scratched his head trying to figure out what to eat. "I also got some mac and cheese...old habit I suppose. I survived a whole month on that..." He gave a soft chuckle as he closed the fridge. "So, what are you feeling for?"
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 19:07:05 GMT -8
Peering over Sam's shoulder, Etta spotted each item he listed. At the Mac and Cheese comment, she laughed aloud, covering her mouth. "A whole month?" Still laughing, she poked his side, "How did you manage to stay in shape eating all that?" The thought of a tough soldier living off mac and cheese was hillarious to her. "Well, if you have a frying pan, I can fry up the chicken."
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 19:32:30 GMT -8
Sam's lip twitched as he tried to withhold a laugh. A grin formed on his side as she poked him. "Yes, a whole month..." He blinked, trying to keep a straight face, but failed at her next comment. "That's a good question..." He smiled. "I suppose it really is unhealthy...but it wasn't like my mom was going to..." He stopped short and his smile faltered, not wanting to talk about his mom. "Um, yeah, I got a pan." He pointed towards a side cupboard next to the stove.
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 21:16:00 GMT -8
The fact that Sam had smiled was a small victory for Etta. Smiling, being happy, was good, and he needed more of it. However, the light mood that had been brewing was suddenly dampened by his abrupt ending to his mother comment. Clearly, speaking about his mom, maybe even thinking about her, was uncomfortable for him. Not wishing to pry, Etta pretended not to notice as she went to get the pan. "Thanks. Dinner will be cooked up in no time." Grabbing the pan, she also grabbed a small pot to cook up some veggies. She prepared the chicken with ease, but the vegetables were a bit harder. There were some tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. Since the tomotaes and carrots would require slicing, she opted for the broccoli, which was already broken up. All she would have to do is drop it in the pan. Vegetables were plants, and unfortunately she could hear them as well as any flower. Normally, she avoided cooking them, but she wasn't going to hold out on Sam. In times like these, she tried to think of the vegetables as livestock. When the water in the pot was boiling, she took a deep breath, snatched out the broccoli, and gingerly dropped it into the pan. Sighing, Etta slumped against the counter, having only to wait for the food to cook.
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 21:45:45 GMT -8
OOC: Lol your turn to cook! Now make me hungry! lol =p
Sam simply nodded, although he knew that he should be the one cooking. He had a feeling that Etta didn't understand him when he said she didn't have to earn her keep here. However, his mood was dampened by the memory of his mother. The whole Mac and Cheese incident was brought on by her when his mom was on one of her drinking fits, but this fit lasted a whole month. She refused to go out and buy food or even take care of any of the domestic stuff. His dad was off in the Middle East, and he was stuck at home, forced to fend for himself in terms of food and from the physical abuse he received. He sighed, wondering why he never fought back. She's my mom...that's why. His mind told him. Shaking off his brooding mood, he decided to focus on Henrietta, who was by far, a better person to focus on.
He gave Etta a half grin as they waited for the food. "You're doing it again. You don't need to work to stay here. I'm not inclined to kick you out." He went to the sink and washed his hands. "So, if its the same to you, put me to work." He told her as he finished drying his hands on a dish towel.
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 22:05:08 GMT -8
OOC: I'll try, lol. Although, as I'm not a good cook in real life, this might not be the most appetizing cooking scene. lol
When Sam re-entered the kitchen, Etta was happy to see he was in a good mood again. She checked the broccoli as he went to the sink, stirring the sprouts to make sure they each had a fair share of the butter she had dropped in with them. Of course, butter wasn't the healthiest thing, but everything tasted so much better with it. Why not indulge? The chicken breasts were turning out nicely too, browning with a thin crust. She had made a seasoning with whatever spices she had found. They should have a nice, grilled zest upon completion. And, if smell was anything to judge by, they were going to be delicious.
Turning to the side, Etta narrowed her eyes at Sam. "I don't consider this work. Consider it a favor. Besides, you saved my life, it's the least I can do to save you from sandwhiches." She smiled a little, shuffling the chicken breasts around so they wouldn't burn. "But, if you want, you could set the table. The food is almost done."
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 22:15:09 GMT -8
Sam laughed. "I suppose those sandwiches will kill me in the end." He grinned at her, wondering how she got him to laugh and smile so easily. "Well, I can't argue with that." He said as he went to go set the table. Bringing out two plates and two cups, he quickly set everything down in the proper place. He glanced at the tulip, which seemed to have made a home as the center piece for his table. He curiously wondered what it was thinking or feeling right now.
"Hey, Henrietta, I was wondering, what made you want to open a flower shop?" He asked her as he went to grab some milk from the fridge. "I mean, besides your ability, if you don't mind me asking?" He took a sit at the table, not wanting to hover around her like a nuisance.
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Post by trinn on Oct 8, 2009 22:37:22 GMT -8
Placing the finishing touches on the broccoli and chicken, Etta mulled over Sam's question. Her ability had been a major factor, probably the main one. But, excluding her ability, she figure out why a flower shop had appealed to her. "I like taking care of things. I love the fact that I can take a tiny, fragile seed, and raise it into something beautiful, something that can make others happy too. I opened up my shop because I knew I could nurture and take care of all those plants to my hearts content. And when they're ready to go, I'm glad someone else can enjoy them." Etta laughed and shrugged. "And, it's the one thing I'm good at." Food done, she turned off the stove. "Will you hand me the plates, so I can load 'em up?" she asked Sam with a smile.
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Post by Max452 on Oct 8, 2009 22:56:09 GMT -8
OOC: YUM!!! I love broccoli and chicken!!
Sam listened to Etta as she explained to him her passion. Wow. He thought, realizing he never really met anyone who was passionate about helping other people. Granted, he was in the Army and the SEALS, but none of the people he met ever really wanted to help people for the sake of making them happy. It was pretty much "go do this and this because we were ordered to". It was refreshing to be around her because she was genuine and innocent.
Etta's request snapped him out of his thoughts. "Oh, yeah, of course." He said and stood up. Grabbing the plates, he brought them over to Etta. "I wish the world was more like you, Henrietta." He said simply, with a hint of embarrassment. "It smells good." He commented on the food, hoping to mask his embarrassment.
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