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Post by Your Mom~ on Jul 15, 2012 5:28:42 GMT -8
Olesya was in a bind. A day ago she had simply been a young woman who scavenged and traded to make a living, a broken vessel who was in the process of healing. They were all broken here, but Olesya had come from the rock bottom slums of LA, completely drugged out and out of her mind, saved by the mental institution and unorthodox treatments of one Dr. Francois Twist, who had once been an employee of the madman Sean Barker. He knew the chemicals that coursed through her veins, eating away at her mind, and knew how to treat them. He knew how to treat the madness that took her sanity from her. He brought her back, damaged, but whole.
Today, she was the warden of four hungry, orphaned little girls.
Olesya went through the cupboards of her kitchen, pulling out what she thought was a decent breakfast. She set the girls up with some canned peaches, a slice of homemade bread, and a glass of water each. It wasn't much, but compared to what they were scrounging whens he found them, the little girls eyed the food with watering mouths, digging in like that hadn't eaten in a week, which, they might not have.
Leaving them to their breakfast, she went back to the center of town in search of a specific person. After asking a few people, and pointed in the right direction, she wound up in front of a door that would hopefullly provide her with some answers, or at least some sound advice. The woman who had escorted Olesya into the Crows' territory when she returned to Long Beach. A woman who, Olesya knew, was the mother to a child.
She raised her hand to knock on the door.
"Delilah?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Jul 17, 2012 15:06:03 GMT -8
The door opened almost reluctantly not moments after the courteous knock. In the doorway stood Delilah, looking harried and covered head to toe in what appeared to be flour. She brightened upon seeing who was on the other side of her door, lighting up as if she didn't even realize that she was a litre of water away from becoming dough. “Olesya!” she beamed, swinging the door wide to usher her in. “Come in, come in. It's good to see you.”
The normally painfully clean area that served as Delilah's living room looked like a bomb of pure white had exploded, covering everything. Birch and Oliver knelt at the makeshift coffee table, giggling and talking in silly voices as they packed the fine powder tightly into little plastic bubbles. A sizable pile of these sat between them, filled almost to bursting.
As the door swung shut, the flour covered man and child looked up at the new, spotless visitor. The child, whose hair was already as white as the flour, looked up at her curiously with his one obsidian eye and his one blue eye. Birch, however, already knew this young woman, and he flashed her a charming smile that was accompanied by a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, causing the flour to sift down from his face.
“Olesya, this is my son, Oliver. You remember Birch?” as she uttered his name, she gave him a stern glare that only broadened his grin.
“Oh, I remember~,” he purred, wiggling his fingers in hello at Olesya. His eyes began to wander... “Lovely to see you again, dear. Lovely indeed...”
Delilah rolled her eyes in exasperation, pulled a pinch of flour out of her hair and threw it at him. “That's enough, you.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Olesya!” Oliver chirped, grinning up at the white haired woman. He liked her already, and it wasn't just cuz Mama seemed to think she was okay. She had white hair like him and mismatched eyes like him. He took a fistful of flour from the destroyed bag on the floor and threw it in the air. “We're making bombs!!!”
“No, love, we're making smoke pellets. I'm not teaching you to make bombs until you're much older,” she turned to Olesya, smiling, but looking her over quickly. Was something troubling the white haired woman? She seemed to be doing better, and she certainly looked healthier than when she last saw her, but there was an air about her that spoke of anxiety. Hmmm....
“I'll take you to the mess hall to grab something to eat. Birch--”
“No need to worry, m'lady, I'll hold down the fort and continue building munitions with the young prince while you feed your guest.” he tipped an imaginary hat at them and winked.
“Thank you. I'll be back in a little while, okay, Oliver?”
The young boy didn't seem to hear her, so taken was he in a new game of “Who knows the fanciest words” with Birch. She chuckled and beckoned to Olesya, leading her out of her rooms and down the hallway towards the eating area for the Crows.
“So...what brings you here today?” She asked as they walked. She was genuinely happy to see the former 259'er, but she had a feeling there was more to her visit than just saying 'hi'.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Jul 18, 2012 13:58:57 GMT -8
Needless to say Olesya was a little shocked to see Delilah covered in flour when she opened the door. A quick peek inside showed that just about every surface was dusted in the stuff. Her mismatched gaze fell to the figures at the table, stuffing flour into little bubbles. Even under the white powedery facade, she recognized the flirty guy from her trip into town...she forgot his name though until Delilah repeated it. At the re-introduction she nodded, the corners of her mouth tilting upward in what she figured was a 'nice to see you' sort of gesture. She was still getting used to social interaction, but she was definitely making improvement. She stood less stiffly and adapted to situations a little better than when they first saw her on the outskirts of Long Beach.
She also nodded at the little boy on the floor, Oliver. She knew from her conversation with Stu that he was his son as well, something that would have stung a lot back in the day, when she still had feelings for him, but now it only tugged slightly at her chest because it was the type of interaction with another person she figured she could never have, not after all the crap she'd been through. Olesya had trouble interacting in a simple social environment, much less letting someone close to her. SHe'd almost let David close to her, until her told her that he was...
Nevermind.
She watched the interaction take place, her mild smile settling on her lips. When Del offered to take her to get something to eat, she nodded, offering a half-wave to the boys and following her out the door.
"I've got myself a bit of a predicament I'm afraid."
She began, not entirely sure how to start off. How could you explain that your bachelorette pad now had four little girls bouncing around it? They made their way to the mess halls, Olesya grabbing a glass of water and an apple, not very hungry but thankful for the table and chairs they sat down at. It was a small hike into 'town,' Olesya preferring to stay within the territory but just outside the main populated area as she liked to keep to herself.
Setting her cup and apple on the table, she took a seat, slinging her backpack off her shoulder and onto the floor at her feet. She unzipped the pocket and pulled out four manilla folders, tossing them to the table between the two of them. The files would contain the adoption records for all four girls, as well as medical records and a polaroid picture paperclipped to it.
"I found these girls while I was out in Barker territory, down at the orphanage south of our...the highschool."
She sat back in the chair, bringing the cup of water to her lips and taking a big gulp.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Jul 18, 2012 16:18:03 GMT -8
"I've got myself a bit of a predicament I'm afraid."
Oh?[/i] Delilah's eyebrows went up, but she remained silent as Olesya picked up her food. Delilah snagged an orange and started unpeeling it as they walked. People gave them strange looks as the blanched women walked past, but otherwise let them alone.
Once they found their table near a back wall, away from the others, but not far enough that it should be suspicious. She wasn't sure what the seriousness of Olesya's predicament was, but thought that if it were dire that she would have requested a more private meeting room than the mess hall of the Crows' base.
She ate her orange wedges in silence as Olesya pulled manilla envelopes out of her pack. Delilah pulled one of these towards her with a raised eyebrow, looking at the cover and the picture of a little girl attached to it.[/size]
"I found these girls while I was out in Barker territory, down at the orphanage south of our...the highschool."
Delilah hummed as she studied the folders, looking intently at the photos of the young girls. Quite a predicament indeed. Four little orphan girls on their own. They were lucky it was Olesya that found them and not someone with less-than-honourable intentions.
"I'm surprised they've survived this long," she said frankly, picking up the file marked "Maddie" as she sucked on an orange wedge. "What do you need, 'Les?"
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Post by Your Mom~ on Jul 18, 2012 17:58:34 GMT -8
She took another sip of her water, leaving her apple untouched for now. Olesya didn't eat much, at least in the morning. She understood the merit of eating before a taxing day though, so she made sure to eat on mornings when she went scavenging. She looked down at Maddie's file when Delilah opened it, already knowing most of what it said. She had read each file thoroughly the night she came back to Crows territory with the girls.
"Maddie was the child Jo- Unfettered and I babysat for the family event back in high school, junior year. Imagine my surprise when she turned up again. They were still living in the orphanage when I found them, the Matron had buzzed off God-knows-where. I couldn't leave them out there."
She paused, frowning.
"The youngest, Beth, has a fever. Low grade, but she will probably need medical attention. They could probably each use a check up if possible. If Maddie want, she can stay with me...but I can't take care of four girls, Del. I'm not a parent."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Jul 19, 2012 15:32:40 GMT -8
Delilah listened intently while Olesya spoke, her eyes raking over the files. She hadn't participated in the family event back then, but had regretted not doing so in recent years: it may have given her a little more expertise in raising Oliver.
At the mention of Beth having a fever, Delilah's brow creased into a frown. She grabbed the file and looked over the medical records. Sickly from the get go, it would seem. That was problematic, especially in a world where medical supplies were hard to come by.
“If Maddie want, she can stay with me....but I can't take care of four girls, Del. I'm not a parent.”
She looked up from the file to fix Olesya with a curious stare. It was almost clear what Olesya was trying to say here, but Delilah refrained from any assumptions.
Finally, she blinked and cracked a small smile. “I'm afraid you didn't answer my question,” she ran a hand through her hair, shaking some of the white out of it, still sporting an amused look. “But if you're still deciding that, I'd like to see the girls, if you don't mind.”
The reason for that being two-fold: Delilah was of the impression that Olesya wasn't quite sure what she wanted out of this yet (and if she was sure, to give her time to think it over again), and second, to be able to assess what the situation with the girls was. The situation was completely circumstantial and that left too many possibilities for Delilah’s liking. It would be nice to narrow it down to a few.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Jul 23, 2012 12:50:34 GMT -8
“I'm afraid you didn't answer my question,”Olesya frowned at this, scratching her head. She didn't know what it was she was asking for, or how exactly to go about doing it. Social interaction wasn't her greatest skill anymore, but it seemed like she was being thrust into more and more almost, intimate and vulnerable situations that she was forced to face. First everything with David, now this. It was difficult for her. “But if you're still deciding that, I'd like to see the girls, if you don't mind.”She nodded, trying to hide the look of relief on her face. That was one thing she liked about Delilah, in some strange way, she understood what it was Olesya was trying to do, even when she was having trouble going about it. It was one of the reasons she turned to her in the first place. She gathered up the folders, sliding them back into her backpack, zipping it up and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll show you."If Delilah followed her lead, Olesya would lead her out of the cafeteria (grabbing a couple more apples on the way for the girls), and out toward her house. It was just outside of the main encampment...Olesya liked her privacy. She had selected an old stone house that was slightly misshapen from the blasts of the bombs, but overall was still stable to live in. There were a couple potted plants on the balconies potted in random objects: an old coffee can, a chipped crock pot, and other various pot-like items she had scavenged. Overall it had three stories, and was rather quaint. "Come in."She gestured to Delilah, pushing open the heavy wooden door. She dropped her backpack by the doorway, just as a chorus of excited squeals and herd of little sets of feet resounded in their direction. First one, then two and three, and lastly four little girls rocketed down the stair to meet Olesya and her guest. The last one, Beth-ann, was a little bit slower due to being sick, and was scootching down the stairs instead of running. "Hey, careful! What did I tell you about those stairs?"Olesya sighed, shaking her head. Approaching the stairway, she picked up the youngest, mocha skinned child so she wouldn't get trampled by the other three in their excitement. "Girls, I'd like you to meet my friend, Delilah. Del, this is Maddie,"She gestured to the eldest, who sported a fair complexion, auburn hair and hazel eyes. "Zooey,"A bit younger, with blonde hair and wide blue eyes. "Kit,"The second eldest with an olive complexion, almond shaped brown eyes, and disheveled brown-black bob of hair that looked like she'd tried cutting it herself. "And Beth-ann."She gestured to the girl in her arms, her curly black hair pulled back into two small pony tails. The girl sniffled, wiping her nose with the length of her arm. Olesya cringed, which was a sight to see as she had faced blood and broken bones and bruises without so much as a flinch. But this psuedo-parenting thing was a whole 'nother monster. "These are the girls."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Jul 24, 2012 17:05:50 GMT -8
“I'll show you.”
Delilah nodded and got to her feet to follow Olesya out of the 'Nest, slapping the flour out of her clothes and hair as much as she could while they walked. She checked her pockets to ensure she was carrying her various knives and a radio for communication.
It wasn't long before they reached Olesya's little residence, an old stone house she had probably passed on multiple occasions when she had been out on Crow's business. It was battered, but still sturdy which was a good thing, especially in these unpredictable times. It almost looked homey. You know, for something in the post-apocalyptic era.
She pursed her lips a little as the thought came to mind: as worthy as this house was for living or even defending, it was far too little for one person with four dependents to defend on her own. One had to decide between privacy and the safety of a larger group, and that was not a situation that was fit for four practically defenseless little girls.
“Come in.”
OH RIGHT, THE TASK AT HAND. Delilah smiled her thanks and walked in after Olesya, tilting her head to the side as the light patter of feet and squeals of excitement closed in on them. It reminded her of Oliver, and she smiled.
“Hey, careful! What did I tell you about those stairs?”
Delilah suppressed a light laugh as she watched Olesya interact with the girls, warmed by the sight of thriving youth even after so much hardship. She looked each one over as Olesya introduced the girls, her smile as friendly as possible. She grinned at Olesya's expression as Beth-Ann wiped her nose on her arm. Unable to help herself, Delilah pulled a rag out of her pocket, shook the flour from it, and dabbed it on the little girls nose. “You're not feeling well, huh pretty girl?” she cooed, still smiling as she lightly pressed the back of her hand to the girl's head. Warm, far too warm, but not much more than a low grade fever at the moment, as Olesya had said.
She turned to the other, older girls and looked them over. “It's nice to meet you all. Olesya has told me a lot about you.”
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 7, 2012 8:21:49 GMT -8
Olesya watched at the woman took to mothering the youngest who was still rather sniffly. Beth Ann sniffled, but smiled at the Nice Lady. She wasn't used to such motherly affection, so it was no wonder that the girls took to Olesya as they did, and they warmed up the Nice Lady as well. Kit straightened her dress, and Zooey tugged on her blonde locks as they looked up at them with wide eyes.
"Weally?" Asked Zooey, sounding surprised.
"Yes really." Olesya smirked, ruffling the girl's hair. "Alright girls, go back upstairs to play. Miss Delilah and I have grown up things to talk about. Okay?" She gently set Beth-Ann back on the floor among a chorus of 'okay!'s, and she ushered them back upstairs with a wave of her hand.
Once she heard them up in their room, Olesya turned back to Delilah. "Best not have them around while we talk about...er...let's talk in the kitchen." She finished awkwardly, glancing up the stairs. Olesya had never been a mother-figure before, she never had to look out for someone other than her sister Gabri, but Gabri had been a two years younger than her so it wasn't all that difficult.
Olesya led Delilah to the kitchen. Much like the rest of the house it was a little worn down. The tiles were cracked in some places and the cupboards were a little askew. One of the windows had broken and was boarded over. She took a seat at the table, looking up to Delilah.
"So what do I do?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 7, 2012 19:02:18 GMT -8
“Weally?”
“Yes really. Alright girls, go back upstairs to play. Miss Delilah and I have grown up things to talk about. Okay?”
Delilah watched as the girls ran back up the stairs, listening until they were somewhere above them. She turned back to Olesya with a raised eyebrow.
“Best not to have them around while we talk about...er...let's talk in the kitchen.”
She remained silent, but her eyebrow lifted ever higher as Olesya lead her into the kitchen. She had a quick glance around at the slightly worn surroundings. The room looked washed out to Delilah's eye, like a photo that's lost its colour after years of weathering.
Delilah took a seat at the table across from Olesya, keeping one ear open for prying skulking eavesdroppers. Her own son was an accomplished at this, and she knew that children who did what they had to in order to survive had developed these skills out of necessity. It pained her to think that experience was a better teacher than years of safe instruction, though she knew it was true.
Pushing this depressing thought out of her mind, she kept her eyes focused on Olesya.
“So what do I do?”
Delilah's lips pressed into a thin smile that was more of a grimace and moved her gaze down to the surface of the table as she thought on that for a moment. After a few minutes, she lifted her gaze to look at the white haired, ocularly mismatched woman.
“You're already doing what you need to,” she said honestly. “These girls trust you implicitly and you are caring and providing for them. You're already being a mother, whether you realize it or not.
“That said, though, let's have a look at your position. You're living alone with four young girls who can walk and think and have minds of their own, at the edge of Crows territory, scavenging for food and supplies just to get by. Just by being here, you're putting yourself – and them – at risk. They are in danger whenever you leave the house, and I'm sure you know that. I know you need privacy right now, 'Les. You're still healing and maybe you feel like you're not ready for this level of responsibility.
“That's fine too.” she offered her a kind smile. “A good mother knows her limits and God knows we all have 'em. The war has left lots of kids orphaned and abandoned. The Crows have been taking them in wherever we can find them. It's not an orphanage by any means, but we have people looking after these kids, keeping them safe. Finding homes for them isn't a priority, but it's been known to happen, and even if they don't find actual parents, we make sure they're cared for.
“But never mind that for a moment. The real question is what do you want?”
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 16, 2012 15:18:27 GMT -8
Olesya took a minute to think about it, the silence between them only being punctuated by the occasional happy squeal upstairs. A small frown crossed her face, her brown furrowing slightly. It was a good question...what DID she want?
...She wanted things to be back to the way they were before Barker. Before his experiments fucked up her life and lost her family and ruined the world. But, that wasn't the question Delilah was asking.
Now she had four little girls running around the house. That was a handful for a regular family, Olesya knew. She had three siblings, and they were more than a handful for her mother and father. Olesya couldn't handle all four girls on her own, especially in these times.
"I can't handle them all by myself. They should live closer to the main civ anyway since it's safer there."
Main civ, that was what Olesya called it. Main civilization. It wasn't entirely a town more than it was a conglomerate of survivors and soldiers and vendors and children and activity...far too much for Olesya to handle more than few hours at a time. The kids would love it though, as she knew there were other kids around, even Delilah's own son Oliver.
"I'll ask Maddie what she wants to do. If she wants to stay with the girls or if she wants to stay with me."
It would be selfish to assume that Maddie would want to stay, the girl was old enough to make her own decisions. She would understand if she wanted to stay with her orphaned 'sisters,' but there was something oddly rejuvenating about having Maddie around. It took her away from all of her thoughts, gave her something to wake up in the morning to, something to live for. Maddie was her saving grace.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 16, 2012 22:55:00 GMT -8
Delilah smiled back calmly at Olesya as she came to this conclusion. She was of the opinion that the white haired woman needed companionship, something normal to bring her mind-set back into being able to socialize with other people. Delilah knew that she and a few select others were exceptions to this rule already, but Olesya had so many walls built up around her psyche that it was hard for anyone to get close.
She reached across the table and put a hand over hers, "I think that's the best decision. Follow your instincts, 'Les. They won't steer you wrong.
"Have you heard from anyone other than myself, lately?"
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