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Post by Cres on Jul 31, 2005 14:10:46 GMT -5
Rowan watched out the car window, feeling both bored and excited at the same time. He was sort of excited to see their new home, but bored and tired of the long journey. The flight had felt like it would never end. On the back seat he heard his brothers arguing with his sister, who kept telling them she was sick of their childish games and she wanted them to be quiet for a while. Rowan rolled his eyes and glanced at his mother on the driver's seat. She smiled to him with one corner of her mouth and made a face. Rowan gulped back his laugher and grinned widely instead.
A loud barking from the back of the car startled Rowan, as that at once initiated a loud whining complaint from his sister.
"Mo-oom!" Muriel screamed, a sour look on her face, trying to wipe away for imaginary slobber from her hair. "Brute drooled o'er me again!"
"He did nae!" Rowan's six-year-old brother screamed back, trying to reach up to the dog, sitting in the tailgate space behind the backseats, his huge head sticking out from over the backrest. He was panting and his golden eyes staring eagerly at the house that was coming in view as the car closed in on the house that would become their new home.
Rowan reached over the seat to look back at his siblings.
"Brùideil!" he commanded the dog. "Down!"
The huge white head disappeared behind the seat. Rowan looked at his siblings on the backseat.
"Stop screaming, the three o' ye," he said. "Mom's going tae have a headache wi' ye."
Their mother smiled gently to her eldest son as she pulled the car in to the drive. The moving truck was already there with all their things.
"We're there," she announced as she parked the car.
"It was about tyme!" Muriel said sourly and opened the door. Their mother sighed, seeming very tired, and got out of the car as well.
"Could ye look after the boys, Rowan?" she asked her oldest son, who was also getting out of the car. "I'll gae see tae the moving men."
Rowan smiled and nodded to his mother.
"Aye, mom," he said and circled to the other side of the car. "Ye two," he told his younger brothers as they got out of the car, "stay there. I'll let Brùideil out."
Then he went to open the tailgate. As soon as he got the door open, the huge dog leaped out and down on the grass, and straight towards their neighbour's house, barking loudly. It pushed Rowan on his back as it pushed past him, and he yelled. He was on his feet as quick as he could, and running after the dog that was already on the other yard.
"Brùideil!" he shouted desperately. "Brùideil! Com' back 'ere! Bad dog!"
But Brute, who had smelled a spaniel's tracks on the other yard, didn't stop. He was going straight for the door of the house.
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Post by Kat on Aug 1, 2005 22:29:05 GMT -5
Princess and Tuneful walked side by side up Warden Road, discussing the classes they'd had and the classmates they were stuck with this year. Paying no attention to a car that drove past, they continued their discussion as they neared Princess' house.
When they reached her driveway they suddenly noticed a big dog bounding up her lawn to her front door. Princess stopped where she was, just a little fearful of the dog. It was big.
"Uh, dude who owns that dog? You've never mentioned a dog that big living around here!" Tuneful was even more afraid of the big dog than Princess, wasting no time in hiding behind her friend.
Tuneful's antics broke Princess out of her initial shock though, and she laughed as Tuneful grabbed her arm. Looking back at the dog she noticed a guy she'd never seen before running after it. Her curiousity was peeked when she saw that he wore a kilt. Tunefuly had also noticed the kilt-clad guy with the Scottish accent running up her friend's yard. Both girls simply stood there and watched, wondering if he would indeed be able to catch the dog.
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Post by Cres on Aug 3, 2005 2:04:28 GMT -5
Rowan did eventually manage to catch the dog. It was only at the door, however. The huge white animal stopped at the door of the house, sniffing around. Rowan got to him, out of breath, and grabbed his collar briskly.
"Bad dog!" he said, his thick Scottish accent even thicker than usual. "Ge'way from there!"
The dog sniffed. Rowan glanced around. When he spotted the two girls on the driveway, he grew a little red around the ears. Probably their new neighbours. Pretty, too. And here he was, trying to get his dumb-ass dog to listen. He turned back to the dog, his face more determined now.
"Brùideil!" he commanded sharply. "Heel!"
Brute, even if he was insolent and stubborn at times, had been trained well. He drew up his head from the ground and looked up at his owner, who was standing next to him, as if to say You know, you made me sit in a cage inside the aeroplane for hours. The least you could do is to let me sniff our new home a little. But he did follow nicely, when Rowan stepped away from the door and towards the girls.
"Ach-em..." he began as he stopped some few feet away from Princess and Tuneful. "I-eh... um... hi."
He feared he had blushed again. But he got nervous around pretty girls. Especially after making a fool of himself by letting the dog escape on him like that.
The three younger siblings of his were peering at them from behind the fence that separated the two houses. His sister appeared to be giggling.
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Post by Kat on Aug 4, 2005 11:23:06 GMT -5
Princess watched as the new guy got his dog under control finally, a playful smile on her lips ready and waiting for him when he finally looked her way. The smile grew as he walked closer and turned into a mischievous grin when he started fumbling his words. She made an obvious gesture of trailing her eyes over his entire body, wanting to make him squirm even more. This one was promising to be interesting.
"Nice legs." She winked at him, then glanced at his dog. It was pretty cute, now that it was under control. "Cute dog too. He probably smelled our dog, I guess. So, legs, what's your name? I'm Princess, and this wimp hiding behind me is my friend Tuneful." She held out her hand, wondering what type of grip he would have when shaking it.
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Post by Cres on Aug 4, 2005 14:59:21 GMT -5
Rowan felt himself overcome by beauty as Princess smiled to him wickedly. Her eyes on him made him feel he didn't know where to put his hands or how to stand. He swallowed and shifted his legs a little. But when she complimented them, he had to force himself to stand still, blushing again.
The dog lolled out its tongue and appeared to be laughing. That made Rowan gain some self assurance as Princess introduced herself and her friend and held out her hand. Now, he must be more like a man and less like jelly.
"Rowan," he introduced himself, taking her hand. His handshake wasn't quite as self-assured as he might have hoped - he feared he was once again making the "nice shy boy from next-door" impression on her, so he tried to shapen up and smile. "MacDamon. From next door. We're just movin' in." He paused to look for words and didn't realise he wasn't letting go of her hand. It was so soft and smooth, and he rather liked the way it felt like on his own, slightly work-worn skin.
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Post by Kat on Aug 5, 2005 7:46:39 GMT -5
Not all that surprised at his less-than-firm grip at first, she was pleased when he didn't seem ready to let her hand go. She ran her thumb over the back of his hand in a manner more suited to an affectionate couple than neighbours meeting for the first time. Glancing up at him through eyelashes tinted purple from her mascara, Princess wondered just what he was thinking. "Well then I suppose we'll have to have you and your family over for dinner, welcome you to the neighbourhood. It's just my uncle and I here, well and our cocker spaniel, Gloomy." She made a point of glancing down at their hands, then back up at him. "You know, you can let my hand go now. I promise I won't run away." She smiled slyly once more, totally enjoying this. She owed his dog big time.
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Post by Cres on Aug 7, 2005 11:51:19 GMT -5
Rowan couldnt help but grin even if he still felt his ears burning, when Princess looked at him through her eyelashes. He felt like the little skunk in Bambi, getting his first kiss from the lady-skunk. Or like the rabbit. Except that he didn't start drumming his other foot.
He couldn't figure out why he was thinking in animal metaphors. He had been watching too many animations with his sisters.
"You know, you can let my hand go now. I promise I won't run away."
Rowan looked at their hands and realised he was still holding her hand. He felt very embarrassed and took his hand away quickly, putting them both behind his back as he couldn't think of anything better to do with them. He had always felt he had rather big hands, and he next to never knew what to do with them when he talked to girls.
"'m sorry," he muttered.
"He means: we'd luv tae com' fer dinner," a young girl's voice said from nearby. Rowan's head turned, and he realised his sister and two little brothers were standing there. The boys were grinning, and though his sister was sporting a cordial smile, there was something wicked in her eyes as she looked at Princess. "H'llo," she said and extended her hand, rather more adult-like than one might have expected from a twelve-year-old, "I'm Muriel."
Rowan didn't know if he should have been thankful for his sister for interrupting them, or cursed her. On the one hand, he had not seemed to get anywhere, but on the other, he probably wouldn't get anywhere with the girls with her - and the boys - there, either.
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Post by Kat on Aug 9, 2005 17:51:36 GMT -5
Princess smiled even more devilishly at Rowan's muttered apology, noting just how easy he was to embarass. It was absolutely adorable and something she'd be sure to take advantage of. She noticed what must be his younger sister walking towards them, smiling at Muriel's greeting. She met the younger girl's eyes, amused at their expression.
"Lovely to meet you, Muriel. Nice to see that you're not quite as lost for words as your brother." She grinned and looked back at Rowan, winking at him to let him know she'd found it cute and not annoying. "Do you think you'd like to come for dinner tonight? Or are you guys too busy? My uncle won't mind, he's been wanting to cook lately."
As she listened to Princess talk with Rowan and his family, Tuneful found herself feeling a little annoyed. They'd had plans to do some writing, and here Princess was making dinner plans with the new neighbour? She looked at Muriel and the younger boys with a slightly annoyed expression, not too fond of younger kids. She had enough trouble with her sister, she didn't need more kids around.
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Post by Cres on Aug 10, 2005 2:57:12 GMT -5
Muriel giggled and looked at his brother. The younger boys stood behind their sister, still grinning. Rowan felt himself blush, but there was a little bit of anger involved. Though Princess's wink made it clear to him she was just teasing him, he still felt uncomfortable about his siblings there. He was fully able to talk for himself!
Or so he wanted to believe.
"We'd luv tae com'," he answered to Princess, before Muriel had the chance to talk again. Good heavens, a grown man - like he liked to think of himself - and couldn't talk to a girl? Ridiculous. He straightened his back. "I'm sure mum won't mind - she'll prob'ly be too tired tae cook, anyway, after all the movin' business."
He looked at Muriel pointedly.
"Why don't ye gae and ask 'er, Mury?"
She giggled again and winked to Princess, then shuffled away, shepherding the two little ones with her.
"Mo-om!" she shouted from farther away, and Rowan watched her go with satisfaction. Then he turned back to the two girls, suddenly realising that yes, there were actually two of them, and he had only greeted one.
"Nice to meet ye too," he said to Tuneful. He didn't want to be impolite, and the girl looked displeased, somehow, and he suspected it was his fault.
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Post by Kat on Aug 10, 2005 10:37:13 GMT -5
Princess winked back at Muries as she ran off, looking back at Rowan. "Your sister's cute, I think she and I will get along well." When Rowan address Tuneful, Princess grinned and turned around looking at her friend. "That's right Tunes, don't be rude, say hello. You know, the dinner invite is open to you as well."
Tuneful had a scowl on her face through it all, barely acknowledging Rowan before turning the glare on Princess. "You know, if I didn't need your voice to sing the songs that we're supposed tp be writing, I would so punch you right now."
Princess grinned even more mischievously now, putting an arm around Tuneful's shoulders and hugging her. "You're such a charmer, doll face. I appreciate the sacrifices you make for me. Listen though, make sure you have no shifts tomorrow and I promise I'll devote the whole night to you, okay?"
Tuneful rolled her eyes but hugged her back, cuffing her on the side of the head before promising she wouldn't volunteer to take someone's shift at the record store again tomorrow. Without saying goodbye to Rowan she turned and left, heading back in the direction from which they'd come.
Princess turned back to Rowan and smiled. "Don't mind her, she's a cranky person. Do you want to come in for a minute? I'm going to tell my uncle to cook something up." Not really giving him the chance, Princess took his hand again, pulling him along behind her as she started for the front door.
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Post by Cres on Aug 10, 2005 12:16:15 GMT -5
Rowan felt greatly uncomfortable at Tuneful's scowling attitude. He looked almost like a heart-broken puppy as the girl turned and left. He realised it was his fault that she was displeased. If the girls had been planning on doing something together, his appearance had certainly disturbed them.
He was about to say something to Princess, that she should by all means keep her appointment with Tuneful, when she unexpectedly took his hand and started to pull him towards the other house. He was so shocked he could hardly do anything but follow. Brúideil picked up his feet and started after them, his tail wagging and his tongue lolling out. He was certain the spaniel was inside, and wanted to greet it.
"Oh, err... sure," he answered, just so he didn't feel himself completely ridiculous. He glanced after the other girl, and only now realised what they had said. He looked at Princess, an awed look on his face. "Ye sing? Are ye, like in a band, or som'thin'?"
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Post by Kat on Aug 10, 2005 12:54:13 GMT -5
She looked back at him and smiled. "Well, it's a bit more like something else, right now. Just the two of us, we both play the guitar, though she plays bass and keyboards as well. So we've just been working on songs together this past summer, decided we want to start a band. We just need the rest of the band now." She winked before turning around and pulling out her key, unlocking the door and entering. "I sing in the school choir, actually. Everyone says I have the voice of an angel, but I don't think it's quite that nice. I mean, I do have a good voice, but there are a lot of people who sing better than I can." She held the door open for him, closing it once he and the dog were inside.
"Gloomy, come meet a new friend!" She called out to her dog, wanting Rowan's large dog to not have to tear around the house looking for it. Luckily though the cocker spaniel was close by. Everyday at 3pm, Gloomy would come to the door and wait for Princess to get home. Even though the dog had been her uncle's it had attached itself to her the moment she moved in. It probably just realized that she had needed someone close to cheer her up when she'd first come, still distraught over her mother's death. A year later and though she was much better, the dog was still stuck to her. She laughed as she watched the two dogs sniff each other.
"You didn't bring home a stray did you?!" Her uncle's outcry from the kitchen eliciting another laugh, she motioned for Rowan to follow her.
"Well, no."
"Thank the gods."
"I brought home two." She stepped into the kitchen, a grin on her face as she saw his expression. But when Rowan came in after her, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought you were serious for a moment there." He walked over to the pair, wiping his hands on a dish towel before sticking one out to Rowan.
"This is my new friend, and our new neighbour, Rowan. He and his family are just in the process of moving in and I thought I would do my neighbourly duty and invite them for supper. There's five of them, right?" She looked back at Rowan, not having remembered seeing a father.
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Post by Cres on Aug 10, 2005 13:05:20 GMT -5
Rowan followed Princess, keeping a strict eye on Brúideil. You never knew of him. He was the most unpredictable dog he'd ever known, and he didn't want him to chop off half of the spaniel before anyone could notice. As the two sniffed, it appeared that Brúideil wasn't about to get aggressive, so he breathed a little more easily as he stepped in after Princess.
He was a little nervous at meeting her uncle, but hid it better than his nervousness for Princess. He smiled and met him with a straight back and without a sign of embarrassment. He took the man's hand and his handshake was this time a lot more confident and he even inclined his head briskly. Good manners were everything to him.
To Princess, he nodded.
"Aye," he answered with his broad Scottish accent. Had he had a claymore strapped on his back, he would have been like straight out of Braveheart. "Me little sister, me brothers an' me mum. Our da'... died fyve years ago." He wasn't sure why he said it. But he felt like he had to defend his mother against any suspicion that she might have been compromised. Back where he came from, that was a big issue.
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Post by Kat on Aug 11, 2005 11:54:14 GMT -5
Princess noted that Rowan had seemed to get over his shyness, probably because he was meeting her uncle. He was probably one of those types who would never show weakness to another man. She thought it was cute.
When he mentioned his father though, Princess frowned. Looks like they had something in common right away. "That sucks, mine died when I was nine, I was devastated. Then my mom died a little over a year ago, so now I'm here with my favourite uncle." She smiled at her uncle, a knowing look in her eyes. There still weren't that many people who knew the whole story behind her parents and she planned on keeping it that way. She knew it bothered her uncle that she lied about her mother, but he kept it a secret for her anyway.
"And aren't I the lucky one for it?" Roland smiled, pleased and impressed with Rowan. He seemed to be very polite and well brought-up with no trace of bad attitude. Definitely good for a neighbour. "So Rowan, anything in particular you think your family would enjoy? I'll cook anything." Even though he'd lived alone for years before taking Princess in, Roland had always enjoyed playing the host to groups of people. He was excited at the prospect of dinner with the new neighbours.
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Post by Cres on Aug 11, 2005 12:02:21 GMT -5
Rowan wasn't sure how he should have reacted to Princess's words about his parents being both dead. He was about to say he was sorry, but when Princess and her uncle turned the conversation elsewhere, he felt it wouldn't have been polite. Perhaps she didn't like talking about it. Heck, he could understand it well enough. He was a little touchy on his father's death himself.
He smiled to Roland, happy that he was getting along with the man so well. His mother would have been terribly upset with him had he made a bad impression on their new neighbour right away.
"Oh, we dun't 'ave nuthin' special in mynd," he answered, despite his efforts not able to tone down his accent. He felt a little self-conscious because of it. He had heard many remarks in the plane about sounding unintelligible, and was a little worried that he might not be understood here at all. "Just make what ye think's best, sir. We'll eat anythin'." He had to grin a little. "Especially me brothers. I just caught 'em from eatin' wyrms the other day."
Meanwhile, the big white shepherd dog had trotted deeper into the house and was making itself comfortable on the livingroom couch. He was used to getting on furniture at home, despite Rowan's efforts to tell him no. He had the habit of thinking himself at least the equal to his two-legged family members. Rowan was at the moment too busy trying not to get nervous about Princess's closeness to notice.
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