RP: Jaunt by the bookstore

[elliot_winters]

Date: September 11, 2011
Characters: Elliot Winters, OPEN
Location: bookstore
Status: Public
Summary: Elliot does some shopping for his favorite people.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[nereida_dances]

She closed her 'phone with a sigh, leaning her elbow against the car door and dropping her head into her hand for a brief moment. Of course Jaime had forgotten to ask Paula to take him to pick up the book he needed for a new assignment -- the boy would forget his head if it weren't attached when it came to school reading. Not for the first time, she thought a bit longingly of how life had been before cell 'phones, but on the other hand, she admitted to herself as she turned the key in the ignition and started out of the parking lot, she didn't regret the time she'd spent being stand-in mother for them while Paula had been sick. She and they were a lot closer, and she wouldn't trade that...even if it meant Tía Re was the one they came to on the sly when they didn't want to confess something to their mother.

Like needing a book for tomorrow, when he'd been told a week ago he would need to get it, on a night when Paula was going to have to work late and couldn't take him to the store.

Well, at least she hadn't bought any groceries that had to go into the fridge -- she wasn't sure how long it would take her to find the book in question. She'd poke an employee for help, just in case. Letting herself out of the car and hurrying into the store, she made her way up to the customer service desk, smiling brightly and repeating the title to herself in her head. With a silent sigh of relief, she followed the woman to the children's section, to a display of school-reading books, and thanked her profusely as the last copy landed safely in her hands. Nereida looked at her watch, insanely grateful that the detour had been so quick and that she might just still make it home in time to head off the boys off from gnawing their arms off for dinner. Heading back up to the front towards the registers, she stopped about halfway, head turning as she wondered if she had seen the face she thought she had.

"Capitan Winters," she said with a genuine smile. "I haven't seen you in forever; how've you been?"

[elliot_winters]

Elliot strolled through the journal section, it having caught his eye as he was heading up to the register to check out with the books he'd found. Maybe Belle would like one, he thought idly. He wasn't sure if she was the sort to want to write things down, but it was worth a try. He remembered when he was little, after his mother died, one of his grandparents had given him a notebook. He'd always been terrified someone would read what he wrote, though, so he'd either flushed or burned anything he'd ever written in it shortly after he'd done so.

But still, in a way it had helped, so it was something he could offer her. If he could choose which one to get her, that was.

He looked up when he heard his name and smiled at the familiar woman. "La Reina de la Baile, Nereida," he greeted her warmly. "I'm doing fine, thanks. How are you doing? Things going well?"

[nereida_dances]

Smiling more broadly at the charming greeting, she turned to move closer to him. "I'm on an errand of mercy, actually." She lifted the book to show him. "My cousin's eldest forgot he needed a book for school until tonight, which is - of course - the night before he needs it. So he called me in a bit of a panic, because his mother works late tonight, and if his tía can get it so he doesn't have to confess to Mom about it..." Her voice trailed off as she chuckled. "He's lucky I wasn't home from the grocery store yet, otherwise he'd have had to wait until dinner was over, and by then, she'd be home, and she'd knoooow." Nereida snorted a bit, half knowingly, half in amusement. "His memory is suddenly full of holes when it comes to reading assignments. Though if you ask him about the local sports teams..."

She looked at the display shelves around them, idly curious what he was trying to find. "What brings you here, then?"

[elliot_winters]

Elliot rolled his eyes slightly. "But of course, can't have Mom knowing about it, right?" Elliot said wryly. "That's kids for you, isn't it, though. Especially with a helpful tía around to save his butt from motherly lectures and dismay." He grinned. He'd never been the sort to forget an assignment, rather, he'd been the child who had it done ahead of time--and his brother's things bought early enough to get him to do his as well. "Needs a little work on his focus, sounds like."

Elliot held up the books he had already picked out. "Random shopping for the family," he said. "Books for my brother and his significant other, trying to find something for my little sister." Anything that might make her smile for a little while, and maybe help her in the long run. "I was considering a journal, maybe. Don't know if she'd like it or not though."

[nereida_dances]

"Isn't it, though?" She shook her head as even she smiled. "I know my cousin's been wracking her brain to try and figure out how to help him focus better, but so far, nothing's really worked." At least it hadn't totally snowballed yet -- she knew Paula was doing her best to try and head it off at the pass before things got really bad. "He's a good kid; he just doesn't really get this need grown-ups have of keeping him indoors and reading when he could be out and doing stuff with his hands." She smirked a little. "But I suppose that's a young boy thing."

"Doesn't everyone need a place for their secrets?" She asked it non-committally, not sure if the very slight tightening around the corners of his mouth was because of the long day or because of the sister in question. Probably the day, if he was getting her a present. Tilting her head to look at the ones on the shelf, she smiled faintly. "But they have a pretty good selection, at least."

[elliot_winters]

Elliot nodded. "I think it is, in part, but perhaps a little attention problems in general. Or maybe the way he learns," Elliot suggested, not saying ADD as some people really reacted to that badly. "I always learned better by doing, but then, I can also teach myself, so I never had problems in school." In fact he'd been a very driven child, trying to attain perfection in everything. "Have you tried books on tape? I have a friend whose son was like that, and being read to helped him process everything better. Sadly, unless you can find a craft to go along with the reading, a hands on thing isn't as possible with reading."

He nodded again. "They do, yes," he agreed quietly. He had, once, and he supposed maybe he still did, but he still had a paranoia of writing anything down--perhaps a fallback from his father. "I am leaning toward the penguins." He pointed to a selection of several penguin journals. "She seems to have a fascination with them these days. Might make her smile."

[nereida_dances]

Tilting her head, she bit her lip as she considered that. "I had wondered if maybe I couldn't try to find ways to help him learn that were more hands-on, but the truth is, his mother and I both work a lot, and while his father would help when they're over there if we asked, he's also busy." She put the side of her knuckle to her lips, brain trying to stay in sync with her mouth. "And there are some subjects that are more difficult to make tactile, like more advanced things in mathematics. But I could suggest she talk to his teacher; maybe we can find him a tutor or just a study-helper of sorts, who can gear things towards him when they review." Looking back up at him, eyes a little unfocused, she nodded. "No, but if he likes having attention, it might help if he read to me. I'll have to talk to Paula. And his teachers; they'll know better than I will how to gear academic assignments, rather than dance."

"Penguins are good for a smile," she agreed. "They're cute, and don't most girls like cute things?" Taking one down from the shelf, she stroked her fingers over the cover and flipped it open. "Smile when she sees it, no matter what she's writing."

[elliot_winters]

Elliot ahhed and nodded his head. "That's one thing about life these days, being so busy," he sympathized. "His teacher and maybe a tutor, or at least someone who has the time to go over it more thoroughly." He tilted his head and thought, nodding. "That could help. Reading aloud will make him think about it more."

He smiled faintly. "They do, if I remember right," he said. "And the smile is what I'm aiming for. Want to cheer her up." He didn't know what to do to help his little sister, other than what he was already doing. He tried hard, but she didn't want to open up and he didn't want to force her. But if he gave her something to write in, maybe she'd at least be able to sort her brain out, and that would help. And maybe smile when she saw it, and remember he was there for her.

[nereida_dances]

She gave him a bright, knowing grin. "All the hype about being a grown-up falls flat sometimes when you realize how much there is to do just to keep afloat." Twining her purse-strap in her fingers, she shrugged a bit mischievously. "Capitan Winters, child advisor on the side. You should have a card made up."

Though she was mildly curious what was troubling his sister, that he mentioned it despite seeming much more the private type, she nodded non-committally as she replaced the journal on the shelf. "Speaking as someone who used to be a teenage girl, I think you probably can't go wrong with them." She looked down at her watch and grimaced. "And speaking of kids...I have three hungry ones waiting for me, who may chew each other's arms off if I don't get some dinner into them soon..."

[elliot_winters]

"Don't I know it," he said somewhat dryly. He had certainly been quite busy lately. He snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Just had enough to do with my sibs... and some of my fellows have kids." He smiled. Mostly, though, he remembered managing everything for Fisher until Marta had pulled all that away from him eventually, though he'd still be the homework Nazi.

He picked up a journal that had a bunch of drawn penguins on it, looking it over and smiling faintly. "Thank you for your help then, Nereida. I appreciate it. Don't want you to get your arm chewed off now, though, so I will urge you on your way."

[nereida_dances]

"You're very welcome." She waggled her eyebrows at him. "If you hear screaming in about a half-hour or so, it's me, send help because it'll mean all three of them pounced me before I could get the plates on the table." She paused for a moment, then got up on tiptoe and wound her arms around his neck in a quick hug. The impression she got was that he was a lot less outgoing than she was, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he needed one. And she'd learned not to ignore those. With a quick squeeze, she dropped back on her feet and beamed up at him. "Everyone could do with more hugs," she teased lightly, then waved over her shoulder as she headed up to the register. "Say hi to Carrie for me!"

[elliot_winters]

Elliot chuckled quietly. He blinked in surprise as she suddenly hugged him, and he barely had time to raise an arm to automatically squeeze in return when she was gone. It baffled him slightly and left him still blinking, but he couldn't say he hadn't needed a hug, even from someone he didn't know very well. "My thanks," he murmured. "I will, thank you. Have a wonderful day." He smiled faintly after her before going back to journal searching.