Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Marguerite on 22-12-2008, 05:19:05</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 05:19:05</strong>
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				<em>Screams and items were thrown around. Blood spilled and bones were bruised and broken in the fight to survive. She did not want to die. Desperately, she wanted to live and see James and Nathan. Have a chance to have her first shot of tequila even though she was not a drinker, unlike the her parents. Maybe even have a child if she ever stopped thinking about how she might be a horrible mother like her own mom. <br><br>Growls and curses were met as he grabbed her around the waist and tried to subdue her to the ground. Earlier, the pepper spray had helped to distract Jace when he inhaled and the knife he tried to use on her ended up cutting her arm, the wound deep and bleeding heavily. When the Jace gasped and coughed, she ran for the front door but he grabbed her around the wrist pulling her back. She slipped and hit her left wrist against the wall, cursing as the pain shot up through her arm. <br><br>"You're not leaving the party, honey. We are getting to the best part," he bit out, as he tried to swipe her with the knife. Using the wrist he held in his grip, she threw her weight into him, the two slamming into the wall. <br><br>The knife slipped from his grasp, sliding against the fake mahogany floor, as both struggled to subdue the other. She threw her knees up, satisfaction rolling through her as she hit him where it was the most sensitive for a male. He fell to the side, grasping his crotch, her foot coming down to smash into his stomach. Before she made contact, he took hold of her leg, using it to vault her towards her couch. <br><br>After that the lights went out and only the sounds of sirens were in the distant. She wondered if the sirens were angels coming to take her away from this pain. </em> <br><br>Monitors beeped and nurses came in and out to check her pulse as she laid silently on the bed. The nurses could not believe the appearance of the patient in the hospital bed. After examination, doctors concluded she suffered a sprained right ankle, popped her right knee cap out, fractured left wrist, several bruised ribs, bruising around her throat and wrists, cut lower lip, black right eye, and several cuts and scrapes ranging in the need for five stitches to thirty stitches to close them up. For her knee cap, while under anesthesia, her knee cap was popped back in place, cast covered her left wrist and ankle wrapped in bandaged and packed with ice to bring down the swelling. <br><br>Marking off the necessary items, the doctor turned to the group of nurses. "It is a miracle she fought off the assailant with these injuries," the doctor commented as he left the necessary charts and instructions with the nurses. Before the good doctor left, one of the nurses commented it was not an assault from a stranger but from an ex-boyfriend who committed this awful act.<br><br>"Hopefully the bastard has been found," muttered one of the nurses as she hoped the immediate family the police officers had called when they managed to find the bloody wallet near the front door showed there was only two people to call on in case of emergencies. Two men by the name of Ethan and James. Hopefully these two men would be able to help the patient Anna Gray if and when she came out of her medication stupor who would need assitance to get home in a few days.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 05:41:57</strong>
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				<em>Ethan got the call in the middle of eating pizza with his family at Marty's.&nbsp; It had become a routine for the four of them to get together at least one night a week to keep up on everything, and stay close.&nbsp; Ethan had always been close to his family, truly loving his mom, dad, and younger sister.<br><br>But when the call came, and he explained Anna was in the hospital, everyone was quick to send him on his way to see her.&nbsp; They all knew how much Ethan loved Anna, and had since college, and even though they also thought it was a lost cause, they knew their son and brother had to attend to her.<br><br>So as he jumped on his Honda Nighthawk, he also pushed the auto dial on his cell and called James.&nbsp; James was as close to Ethan as Anna was...they were family...and Ethan knew James would want to know about Anna too.&nbsp; Bad news was he never did reach James, but to leave a message on his answer machine.<br><br>Once Ethan reached the hospital, and made a quick trip to the gift shop, he went upstairs to find Anna's room.&nbsp; The nurse at the visitor station checked a chart and found that the guy had clearance to visit, then gave him the room number.&nbsp; Knocking softly first, Ethan entered, bracing himself for what he hoped he wouldn't find on the other side.</em><br><br>"Oh shit Anna!"&nbsp; <em>His voice was soft, and tender, but backed with an anger he couldn't dismiss.&nbsp; The bastard had done it again, but this time it was really bad.<br><br>Holding out his hand he showed Anna the bouquet of daisies and roses, then set them on the nearby table before he moved closer so she could see him, and not strain herself moving about.</em><br><br>"Honey...you look like hell."<br><br><em>Ethan had heard the doctor say Anna would eventually heal, good as new, but she would probably require a short stay in the hospital.&nbsp; If for no other reason that she would be removed from that fucking ass Jace's contact, Ethan was glad she would be in the hospital.&nbsp; But he knew he could also tease her a bit, knowing her injuries weren't life threatening.</em><br><br>"Did you get the license number on that semi?"<br><br><em>He wasn't even sure she heard him, but he had to say something.&nbsp; His heart was breaking bad enough as it was, to think she had been so close to death.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 20:09:09</strong>
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				Walking through darkened hallways, James followed his flashlight’s illuminated path. In a distant room, sitting on his desk, a cell phone buzzed it’s way across a surface, falling into an empty trash bin.<br><br>“Ah, there you are you little shit!”, as his other hand swung from high above, smacking hard on the ground an ancient broom. In James mind, it was a sword. And the nasty little rat he was trying to kill was a mini dragon. With nobody else in the closed office, he acted and talked as if he was making his way through dark and treacherous caves.<br><br>“Vile creature, you have escaped your death this evening… and I shall consult the oracle to find new ways to destroy and evaporate your very existence!” As the blade which resembled mostly a cleaning tool was tossed into a nearby meeting room. Ok, back to work, he thought as he ran back down twists and turns to return to the task at hand. Two servers completely dismantled greeted him as he sat back in his seat, reaching instinctively towards his half empty cup of coffee.<br><br>Where is that pesky phone, James wondered. It was here when I left. As if his thoughts suddenly blasted awake a distant ‘Cellphone God’, the thing made it’s usual sounds. In the trash! I finally relent, he grinned as the ironic thought hit his head, getting a cell phone, and the next day it throws itself in the garbage! The smile faded fast as he listened to the message. No details apart from Anna being in the hospital, in critical care. Throwing on his jacket, mind not even thinking, he flew out of the dark building. I will kill him, he screamed in his head. Anna, please, please little angel… be ok. The world can’t, oh you sweet woman, can’t be without you. Not a violent person by any thought, he knew he’d kill that bastard, Jace, if it came to it.<br><br>As he raced down the freeway in his black Jeep, hands fumbled for both cigarettes and cell phone. Ethan, he was sure, would be there at the hospital. Calling to make sure, he got his voice mail. Good! Although a pang inside, knowing he should be there first, he was happy to know his pal was most likely already there. His two best friends. Anna, though, he was secretly in love with. Had been since he could remember. That asshole! Again he thought of Jace. Why Anna? Why don’t you listen to those that truly love you? His mind flashed back to just a week before when he and Ethan were bombarding her with reasons to dump that piece of crap.<br><br>Three cig’s and 20 minutes later, tires screeched to a halt as he ran inside the hospital. Within a couple minutes, he was walking into a quiet room. Exchanging glances and sad smiles with Ethan, James knelt by Anna’s side, taking her hand. The doctor had greeted him in the hallway, letting him know it wasn’t too serious and that she’d be perfect in&nbsp; no time. Still, it was heart-wrenching to see her like this. Kissing her hand, he reached out to touch her sleeping face. “You are through with him, whether you like it or not”, he whispered towards her serene face. Turning towards Ethan, he noticed his friend was as distraught.<br><br>Sitting in the chair next to Ethan, James softly let his clenched fist hit his knee. “We’ll take care of her and keep that psychotic dickhead from ever seeing her again.” Brave words yet he could feel his eyes welling up. Stuck in a trance, he simply watched the sleeping patient.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 20:59:16</strong>
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				While she laid in the bed, her body trying to heal itself from the injuries sustained tonight, her mind had other things to deal with. Constantly, it worried about many things. Worried how her parents were even though she knew the two of them could care less about her. Still, she cared for them no matter how hard of a life she had living under their roof. It was a blessing in disguise when she received a full scholarship to a nearby college and she opted to live in the doors than to commute from her parent's place. Much better for her sanity, her mind thought.<br><br>Though her sanity with her parents after moving away helped, it seemed her mind had been warring with itself to figure out what she wanted in a relationship. Anna always went for the bad boys no matter if she knew beforehand these bad boys would give her the greatest heartache. If she sat down and thought about it, really thought about it, it had to do with the need to be wild and free with someone. <br><br>In her household, Anna had to grow up faster than she would have liked. While her father could be considered a nancy boy and her mother a raging bitch, she always tried to find someone who was the opposite of her father. The myth about a female dating someone who had the personality of their own father was wrong in this instance. Anna did not want a man who lost his courage and let themselves be walked all over. That was her father. Her mother was a bipolar mess and frightened her as a youngster when she went into her manic espisodes. Dishes were thrown. Expletives were flung at everyone who came near her. Most of the time, Anna locked herself in her room and hid in the closer, the music player on blast to drown out the shouting and the fighting between her parents. <br><br>Anna wanted a man who was not going to hand over his cajones because he was afraid to deal with the consequences. Maybe that was why she kept finding herself in situations were she dated abusive bad boys. The bad boys at least told her what was going on in her head but it also left her with doubts of her own. She knew she was not a tall, blond beauty. Sure, she was blonde and pixielike but she had her own attributes too. Anna was kind, forgiving, caring, honest, had someone's back and even played nurse when someone got sick. Maybe those same attributes got her into trouble when it came to declining things her boyfriends asked of her. <br><br>At least her two best friends, James and Ethan never asked things of her she was uncomfortable with giving. Sure, it was awkward at first to befriend them because she rarely hung out with males but kept to herself or hung out with a few close female friends in college. Anna knew she seen them around when she was younger but because of her parents constant fighting, she was enrolled in home schooling because both her parents found it a nuisance to stop their petulant fighting to drive their own child half a mile to her school. Even now, she rarely spoke to her parents but every other week she received rushed calls from either her mother or father wanting her to help them to squeeze the other parent for more money. It had been hard when her parents finally divorced in her second year of college and thought her mother and father used her as a pawn in their divorce proceedings, Ethan and James were there to give her support and a shoulder to lean on. Funny how these two were more like family than her own biological one.<br><br><em>"Honey...you look like hell."</em><br><br>Well, she felt more like hell than look it, she thought as she stirred a bit in the hospital bed. Her body ached in places she knew should not be aching. Her lips tingled in pain as if someone spread habenero sauce on open cuts and no one thought to give her a glass of milk to assauge the terrible pain. Though one eye felt as if it was not going to open worth a lick of salt, the other eye glanced who was in the room with her beneath Anna's lashes. Aww, her two favorite men in the whole wide world were here for her. Though it seemed the two were more ill than she was. Each looked drawn out and she hoped the two had not fretted too much about her. This happened all the time but she managed. These two knew if she could take care of herself even though her heart knew her better. <br><br><em>"You are through with him whether you like it or not."</em><br><br>She was her own woman. Granted a stupid female because she had let Jace into her life but how was she to know he would fly off the handle like he did tonight? Clearing her throat to bring their attentions to her form, she tried to give them a smile. Though it was hard to do so when her lips felt they might fall off if she spread her lips even an milimeter more than it should at the moment. "Jace might have left...," she faltered as she coughed but continued on, "but I doubt he will come back after what he did." Hopefully, her words would put these two at east. What she hated the most was worrying them but afterall, James and Ethan were her best friends.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 21:48:32</strong>
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				<em>Smiling at his friend, Ethan was glad James found out and got to the hospital quickly.&nbsp; A small part of him wondered what might have happened otherwise, but he didn't dwell on that.&nbsp; Anna had never shown herself to cater to one guy over the other, nor had either guy exhibited more than friendship to her, even if the feelings existed.<br><br>Thrilled to hear her speak, Ethan bent close to Anna, and kissed her forehead, rubbing a finger across her cheek too.</em><br><br>"Don't you worry about him coming back...if the asshole shows his face, we'll take care of him."<br><br><em>Looking at James, Ethan had no doubts that between the two of them they could mess Jace up pretty good, and convince him he was through with Anna.&nbsp; The problem Ethan saw in that was that Anna would probably only turn around and find another Jace, and then she&nbsp; might not be as lucky the next time.<br><br>They really had to convince her to change her taste in guys, whatever it took to do so.</em><br><br>"Can I get you anything?&nbsp; Ice water?&nbsp; Do you hurt?"<br><br><em>He felt a little helpless, but wanted to give her whatever she might need to ease her discomfort.&nbsp; It then occurred to him that he had brought her flowers, and he reached over to the table to grab them.</em><br><br>"These are from me and James."<br><br><em>Thinking James hadn't had time to stop along the way, but surely would have if he had thought about it, Ethan didn't mind adding his name to the card.</em><br><br>"Shall I give them to a nurse to put in water?"<br><br><em>Cringing at his ineptitude, Ethan just left the room to find the nurse with a vase.&nbsp; Hopefully when he returned he'd be in better shape to offer Anna the support she needed.</em><br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 22:57:08</strong>
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				James thanked Ethan for adding him to the flowers. Caffeined out of his mind, he never even thought of stopping somewhere for flowers. That was one big difference between him and his life-long friend. Ethan was always thinking 'ahead'. Where I, James thought sarcastically, am a manic nut.<br><br>Dude, you are not only a nut, he realized many times, you are a mess. Everything in his life seemed to be one messy situation after another. The only times he felt calm was when he was with Anna or Ethan. His best memories were always when with these two best friends of his.<br><br>Looking down at Anna, he grinned. "We got the staff here to agree. You have to sign legal documents to ensure that you will not ever see Jace again." Placing his hand over Ethan's and Anna's, he shook his head. "Sorry, little stubborn one, they have agreed. In fact, they confirmed they wouldn't fix your knee until you agreed."<br><br>Sharing eye contact with Ethan, it was silently understood. If the shit even makes any sort of appearance, they would deal with him. It was always a sore subject with Anna. She hated being told or guided in what to do. But my God, James thought, this is her life we are talking about.<br><br>As Ethan stepped out to get water for the flowers, James gave her a serious look. "Oh Anna, indulge a greedy request from a dear friend. There are two people in this world who I care most about. One, just walked out. And you, lovely one, you are the other." Squeezing her hand, "I'll be right back."<br><br>Walking out, he caught Ethan before he walked back in. "Thanks man... about the flowers." Knowing him since first grade, being best friends nearly that entire time, he knew nobody more. "I... wow I just freaked and couldn't think at all."<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 23:11:24</strong>
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				<em>Ethan had just put the flowers and water into a vase and was heading back to the room when James came out.</em><br><br>"Don't worry bro.&nbsp; I was having dinner with the family and...I dunno, the idea just hit me.&nbsp; Guess that's what happens when you have a little sister, and a mom who pounds those things into your brain all your life."<br><br><em>Sometimes Ethan hated being so sensitive to things, wanting to be more 'devil-may-care' like James.&nbsp; Girls always said they wanted relationships with sensitive guys, but rarely really did.&nbsp; Anna was a good example of that.&nbsp; Ethan didn't doubt if push came to shove that she would want James over him.&nbsp; <br><br>But he didn't let those things get him down.&nbsp; As they still stood, they were all the closest of friends, and Ethan wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that.</em><br><br>"What say we get back in there with these, and see if she's more with it.&nbsp; I can't tell you how scared I was when I first saw her...really...glad you're here too."<br><br><em>He tossed a friendly arm around his friend's shoulders and gave him a brotherly squeeze, before going through the door.</em><br><br>"Here you go love, anywhere in particular?"<br><br><em>As he often did, Ethan tossed out his words covered in an English accent.&nbsp; He was a wiz at dialects and often used them to hide behind when things were getting to him.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>22-12-2008, 23:22:11</strong>
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				Smiling at Ethan's kiss to her forehead, she let the only eye which seemed to be working properly open itself up to take in the scene. Her vision was blurry for a few seconds but a few blinks and staring intently at her friends helped to clear the fogginess. The room was bright and already she could tell she was in the hospital. That and the constant beaping going around her from the various IV's and wires stuck in or on her body. "I got some punches in too, you know. I am not merely a helpless little babe," she whispered before she went into another fit of coughs. Her throat burned like no other but her memory helped her in finding out why it felt this way. Jace had tried to pin her against the wall earlier and managed to squeeze enough to make her throat ache even now. <br><br>Licking her parched lips, she nodded to everything. "Water," she croaked as she cleared her voice over and over. She hated not talking. Talking was a good thing in her opinion. By talking, one got to know other people and see if interests could be found in conversations. Well, it seemed for her talking was out of the question until her throat was in better shape to do so. She tried to push herself up to get a better look at Ethan and James but found by doing so it only made the aches in her body intensify. Damn, how she hated her body doing this to her. She was much stronger than this, granted she knew men had more muscle and testosterone in their bodies to give them an edge but she learned some defense moves in college. Maybe she needed to polish her moves by taking a few more classes once she was released from the hospital. For now, she thanked her two best friends for being here in her time of need.<br><br>"Aww, you two shouldn't have," she answered, a small smile forming on her busted lips as she eyed the beautiful bouquet of flowers. These two knew her favorite type of flowers unlike most of her ex-boyfriends. Alcatraz, tulips and of course roses but all mixed together to let their wonderful fragrances take over. Nodding at his question, she&nbsp; glanced over to James, smiling at him. He looked haggard and he even smelled a bit of cigarette. Even from her seat across the room, she knew he had a habit of smoking cigarette's. Not her favorite thing but it was his life and she was not his wife or mother to tell him what to do. Certainly, she did not ask him to run her own life as well though at this moment, she would be happy to let Nathan and him lead her for now. Hmm, it must be the morphine talking she told herself regarding letting her two good friends lead her life for her.<br><br>With anyone else, she would have asked them to leave her in peace. She hated to have someone tell her how she should feel or even think. One of the downsides of having a mother who thought she knew what was in the best interest for everyone. Even now, her mother thought her daughter was wasting good money on college when she should be using it on taking her mother for a mother/daughter vacation. Sure, she would be glad to take her mother on a vacation when hell froze over. However, when she was in the vicinity of her mother, Anna felt she was in hell herself. With her father on the other hand, Anna might have wanted to kill herself, her father was depressive enough to suck the life out of anything around him. Visiting him was a chore but she owed it to her father to at least see him every other month for her own piece of mind.<br><br>Shaking her head in amusement at James words to sign documents. He was not her legal guardian but she had placed these two as her medical proxy which means they might have gotten the staff to agree to it. "Oh, fine, just make sure they give me a pretty cast," she answered, smiling as she laid back in bed. Her boys, well, she considered them in the sense they were her boys to go to if she needed someone to talk to. For the past four years and more after the three of them graduated college, she found comfort in the friendship she had with them. More and more, she was glad to have met them and more for having them in her life. Without them, she guessed she would have ended up like her mother or even a recluse in her own apartment. Though know, more than ever she wanted to change apartments. To go back to where Jace had violated her trust and hurt her was more than she could bear. <br><br>Putting on a smile as her good friends came back, she tried hard not to think about what happened. "Near me, please," she answered, asking them what they were up to before coming here. For her, her love life would be pushed to the side for now. Besides, if things did not work out for her in dating, she was content to be a spinster for the rest of her life. At least she would have Ethan and James with her by her side to grow old with. Even if those two married, she felt all of them would still be there for one another until Death came to take their dying forms together. No doubt about it, they were the three musketeers.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 01:54:13</strong>
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				Back in the small room, James winced instantly at seeing every movement cause Anna pain. Moving closer at her request, he marveled at her good spirits in this state.<br><br>"I was... hunting a rodent." Seeing the looks on their faces, "Seriously! And no, it's not funny... so please don't laugh. That little shit has been for some reason attacking the servers at work. I don't know how but he gets himself inside the machines. I was hoping he'd end up frying his little brains out inside but then realized I'd have to clean up the mess."<br><br>Looking over at Ethan, "He was probably on a date. Man, you still haven't given me any names out of your little black book." James was always teasing Ethan. He always seemed to be lucky with women. "But then, maybe if I crawled out of my cafe more often, I know a little sun helps.<br><br>Sitting back with her hand in his, he smiled at his two best friends. Lucky wasn't the word for Anna, considering where they were all. And Ethan, he wasn't sure how his love life was. But James always seemed to be holding out. Sure, he dated... and was far from celibate. Yet his standards, he thought as he watched Anna talking, they seemed too high. That perfect combination, he wanted. She didn't have to be beautiful. But a sense of humor to match his own wackiness? Yes. Be able to talk for hours on end and be interesting? Yes. And... of course, an insatiable appetite in bed? Yes. Yes. Yes. As he focused on the adorable girl laying in pain, James sighed. You are those, he thought. And you have the added bonus of being sexy and adorable, also.<br><br>James wondered at times how Ethan felt about Anna. At certain moment, he thought he saw something in his expression which matched his own, towards her. But he wasn't sure. They didn't seem to talk much about Anna. Hmm, maybe that's for a reason. It did worry him, wondering how he felt and even more, what she thought. Although she always went for the bad-guy.<br><br>Standing, dying for a cigarette, James asked "Want some... real food? Not this hospital crap. I seem to remember a place very close to here that you adore. And yes, before I get a lecture, I will be having a smoke on the walk there." This was followed by a pretend squeeze of her blanket covered foot. "Oh, have to be careful, I don't know which one is the same one to touch." Grinning, hoping he didn't joke too far. "And you", turning towards Ethan, "Interrupted at dinner... did you have enough? I think all I had today was a pot of coffee and a kit-kat."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 02:38:55</strong>
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				<em>It was impossible to remain straight faced listening to James tell about the rat, but Ethan tried.&nbsp; He really wanted to focus on Anna, but knew James had the power to distract her with his funny stories.&nbsp; So he stood aside and listened, at least until James brought him back into the conversation.&nbsp; And then Ethan gave his friend a sly look, and just shook his head.</em><br><br>"Date? Yea, if you call going out to dinner with your family a date.&nbsp; I did ask my sister if she might have any available friends she could introduce me to, but thirteen is still a little young for me."<br><br><em>Ethan rolled his eyes at Anna, but grinned as well.</em><br><br>"And sun?&nbsp; It's overrated.&nbsp; Haven't you heard, vampires are totally in vogue these days."<br><br><em>To give Anna some breathing room, Ethan moved to the other side of the bed, and sat on the edge.&nbsp; &nbsp;There was only one chair in the room, and in case James wanted to take it back, Ethan elected to use the bed.&nbsp; Besides, it put him that much closer to Anna, and gave him the opportunity to hold her other hand, or the fingers of it, which he gently squeezed.&nbsp; He held the cup with water and a straw in it in his other hand, for her convenience.<br><br>While James and Anna talked, Ethan wondered, for about the fiftieth time if not more, how he managed to make friends with a girl like Anna.&nbsp; She was more than beautiful, and her beauty went all the way deep into her soul.&nbsp; She made Ethan happy just to be around, and he wished more than once why she couldn't see him as more than just a friend.&nbsp; And then he would remember James, and know he shouldn't be thinking like he was.&nbsp; He and James had never spoken about Anna, not in that way, but the way Ethan often caught James gazing at Anna...he knew.&nbsp; He was sure he knew how James felt, and that being the case, he also knew he would never be competition for his smart and witty friend.</em><br><br>"No, thanks, I had enough pizza to feed the Vatican, really, I'm good."<br><br><em>It occurred to Ethan then, that he should probably go get the food, and give James and Anna some alone time.&nbsp; Yet James had spoken of taking a cig break, and selfishly Ethan wanted some alone time with Anna too.<br><br>He would let her decide.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 03:33:17</strong>
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				Hunting a rodent? Well, that was her best friend, James. He had his own quirky traits and she could not fault him in his life. James was a good guy and she hoped some decent girl snatched him up to treat him right. Hopefully, he would stay forever young because how he was now, Anna would not change a thing. Yes, he became animated too much when it came to computers and the various codes which confused her to bit but she listened to him nonetheless. The way his eyes lit up when he spoke about programming a new system, it was as if he was a kid who received his tonka truck on Christmas day. A contagious excitement she managed to get whenever she was around him. Anna always left his side with a smile on her face and a new thing to learn about computers. <br><br>"I am not laughing, merely amused, James," she answered, cocking her head to the side as she watched him, squeezing with as much as she could in her hand to let him know she appreciated him. If someone made a comic strip James, he could definitely be a Clark Kent or a Spiderman because of his good old boy personality. He could be a geek next door but he was her geek next door. Her 'brother' and best friend most of all. To her other best friend, she merely mused at his body language. If he was on a date, he usually would have a knowing smile upon his lips though she had been caught up in her own drama not to see him for a while. Things with Jace had been good and she somehow managed to get herself in a hot and passionate romance with a bad boy which made her forget the time and at times forget her good friends. She always apologized of course but it always made her guilty to know she ignored them for the company of these men. <br><br>Maybe she had a problem with dating men. The last few relationships, alright all of the relationships she had gotten into usually ended up with a nasty fight and an even nastier recovery period. Before Jace, she had not dated or gone out of her way to date for a good four months. Anna managed to find Jace in the restaurant she worked in as a waitress. He was in the section where she waitressed and a few orders and a conversation later, he had taken her home on his Harley Davidson. That should have been a sign, he was not someone to stick around unless it was a good lay and a pack of beer but she had high hopes. Hope, that was something she had a lot of when it came to finding someone. Probably caused her much grief but she still hoped one day to find a good man, settle down with him and not have it come out like her own parents. Still, the thought of marriage to one person scared her to bits as her own experience with relationships and her parents came to mind. For now, she had her friends. Yes, her friends, she told herself. Her good friends and nothing more.<br><br>"You never know Ethan, might find yourself a Lolita to take home to the parentals," she teased though she knew Ethan had morals. He was a good fellow to have around. A true gentleman's gentleman. Startling contrast between James and Ethan. James was more the cool geek to ask about Ipods, head to the new arcade or the latest sci-fi flick. With Ethan, he reminded her more of the sweet guy who made a girl a favorite mixed cd and took her to the beach to splash around with him. Each one contrasted against one another and yet these two had been friends far longer than she had been with them. Oh, Anna knew them as a child but because she was out of school and later home schooled, she met them a total of three times before meeting them again in college. At twenty-five, she hoped and prayed with all her might, the three of them would still be the best of friends when each started to age and become seniors. <br><br>It would be a sight to be hold that was for sure. All three of them rocking in chair in a retirement home. James would be toying with his oxygen mask and smoking a cigarette, still. Ethan would be eating a few slices of pizza, not caring that it might pull out his dentures and once he said that his dentures would attach themselves to the crust of the pizza. Anna could see the little old version of herself reading the latest romance novel and asking one of them to pass her a cold glass of iced tea. Even complain to James to stop his smoking habits before it killed them all. These images played in her head until the question of food came out of James's mouth.<br><br>Once more, these two knew her eating habits. She practically ate just as much as them, not really caring about the stares she got as she inhaled her food. Why starve oneself over a mini salad when it can be enjoyed with a side of fries and mashed potatoes with gravy. "Yes, cheeseburger, fries and vanilla shake," she asked, needing something to soothe the ache in her throat. Luckily, Ethan was there to give her the straw to the cup of water he held in his hands. Greedily, she sipped through the straw, trying to get as much as she could. Lord, almighty, it felt good as the refreshing water slid down her parched throat. Thanking Ethan as she swallowed the water down, she was able to talk a bit more now.<br><br>"Vampires are always in, you should know that by now. Especially if they look like Gerard Butler, I mean, is he not the greatest actor to play a vampire?," she asked, wanting to have a nice banter with the two of them. Anything to get her mind on what she needed to face. She knew her body was broken in a few places, not all of it physical wise but for now, she wanted to ignore it. Push it to the back of her head while these two were here for her. It helped even more with James throwing her a lifeline by admitting he was going to have a smoke once he got outside. He knew her stance on smoking. She wanted him to be around as long as possible but it would take years off of his life if he kept at those sticks of death.<br><br>Clicking her tongue, she frowned at James. "You really need to stop smoking, James. If you caught cancer or started throwing up blood, I would go over and kick your butt but then I would help you afterwards," she commented. That was Anna. Kick butt and apologize later. Once more, she could not tell James how to live his life. She was not there with him 24/7 to keep him from lighting a cigarette but as long as he knew not to smoke it around her, Anna could not complain that much. "Just make sure to brush your teeth before you look in the fast food bag to make sure it is the right order," she teased. She would let him go on his smoke run but he needed to make up for it with the food she liked while she chatted with Ethan a bit. Anna asked Ethan if there was something he wanted, not knowing her words might hold a double meaning than merely asking if he wanted something to eat.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 04:45:14</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Ethan looked at Anna a little strangely, wanting desperately to let her know what he 'really wanted', but of course answered negatively.&nbsp; Why the fuck had he gone and let his guard down around her to the extent of caring beyond friendship?</em><br><br>"Nah, really...I couldn't eat another bi...well...ok, bring me back a chocolate shake."<br><br><em>He laughed at a sort of inside joke between the three of them.&nbsp; Though he was tall, he tended to be a pretty light weight, but it was through no fault of his own, since he ate like a garbage disposal.&nbsp; He just happened to have a ridiculous metabolism, and he liked to run.&nbsp; The combination meant he was eating practically all the time.</em><br><br>"Oh, and one of those little apple pies if they have them?"<br><br><em>He winked at Anna as he reached into his pocket and pulled a few bills from his wallet, about $10 too much.&nbsp; Handing it over to James, he hoped any excess change James would use for Anna or himself.&nbsp; Ethan could afford it, and was always happy to share with his family.</em><br><br>"And don't try eating it all along the way back, then try to tell us you got mugged."<br><br><em>Not that James would ever do such a thing, but Ethan liked to give him a bad time whenever he could.</em><br><br>"Do not come back here with out our patient's dinner, or I may have to do to you what I wanted to do to Jace but wasn't able to."<br><br><em>And he also liked getting his point across whenever he could as well.&nbsp; One way or the other, he and James were going to convince Anna that Jace was no longer a part of her life.&nbsp; Never.&nbsp; Ever.&nbsp; And to emphasize that Ethan drew Anna's hand up to brush his lips across her knuckles before setting her hand back on the bed ever so gently.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>23-12-2008, 05:29:34</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Why was Ethan looking at her as if she grown two extra heads?, Anna thought to herself. She knew she must look like road kill and she felt like it too but was she that bad he eyed her strangely? At first she wanted to ask him what was up but it was too rude to call him out in front of James. Though she cared for them both like brothers, Anna did not want to belittle them in front of the other. It was not her thing nor would it ever be. Her mother had done that too much to her father while she was in the room and learned from her family's mistake. No arguing in front of people, wait until the person is alone and always talk to them in a calm voice. Not a high pitch banshee scream while throwing items at the other person's head but in a calm and safe environment. Oh how she learned well from the family.<br><br>"You could eat James and I under the table and still be hungry," she teased, shaking her head at him. This man could swallow the hospital food bulk and still keep going. The man could stuff it down and look good while doing it. Heck, he even looked good afterwards. She was jealous of his metabolism and once in a while she even asked him if he made a pact with the devil to be able to eat as much as he wanted and never gain a pound. For her, she was a soft plushie. Not too fat but not the skinny stick aliens who roamed the city the three of them inhabited. At least her men were pushing her to be herself and always managed to sabotage any time she tried to go on a diet. One whiff of them even smelling her trying to starve herself and bam! There they were at her side holding up bags of cookies, cheeseburgers, boxes of pizza and gallons of water to wash it all down with. Even the three of them knew water helped to make them feel less guilty about the food each consumed.<br><br>As if James could eat all of the food by himself. Though if Ethan had been the one to go, they would not see him until the fast food joint kicked him out under threat of jail time. "Make that two apple pies and if&nbsp; they have anymore brownies, bring half a dozen. I am starving." She was really starving after Jace managed to eat her out of her food for the last two weeks. Anna managed to pack herself a small lunch before she arrived back from work to the steroid crazy Jace who went off on her when she asked him to leave along with his dirty needles. She knew people used drugs, she was not a simpleton in that. It was merely how people could want to ruin their bodies by ingesting, smoking, snorting or any other way to take a certain drug into their bodies. With James, at least his drug was legal but it nevertheless bothered her.<br><br>Frowning though at Ethan words brought her attention over to him. Anna knew she made a mistake. She made many mistakes when it came to men. Once in a while she lost a television maybe a few bucks when the guy hit the road. Still, this was the only time one of her ex-boyfriends had gone whacko on her. It frightened her of course but she knew to pick herself up and head on her way. Well, she would if she was not stuck here in the hospital bed. From what she noticed and felt, her eye was shut closed. No doubt from the punch to the eye Jace gave to her when she spat in his face. Her left wrist ached and her right ankle as well as her knee cap. Lips of course, she knew were cut up and busted and bruises plus a few cuts were placed around her body. She put up a good fight though if she remembered correctly.<br><br>Right now, she felt more like strangling a cow for food more than anything. Distraction, however, took her as Ethan took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. A thoughtful gesture but it made her feel as if he was trying to send a silent message to her. Could have been the medication pumped into her system and she soon pushed it out of her head. Ethan was her best friend, her only good friend, other than James who she trusted with her life. No reason to think more than that and mess up a good thing.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>24-12-2008, 09:50:28</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				As he started to leave, James stopped. Turning, "Actually I think Kate Beckinsale is the best vampire." But they both knew blood freaked him out. Putting a smoke in his mouth, grinning, he promised his old vow of quitting. "If and when I find my true love, I will then quit smoking forever."<br><br>Yet I never smoke around Anna, he thought. Anybody else, yes. But not her. In fact, thinking, James realized anything that bothered her, he would always refrain from doing.<br><br>Walking down the sidewalk, he pulled out his cell. A few taps of keys, a few rings, and an even geekier computer guy was on the line. "You know that name I gave you a while back?.... Yes! Anna's boyfriend.... Hmm, how bad?... Do your worst! That piece of shit put her in the hospital.... Whatever you want in return.... No.... No!... Dude, no.. I promise you she will not agree to date you..... And this, this must remain secret.... She'd kill me if she knew I had a friend totally destroy her boyfriends credit.... More? You do more.. you really hurt this asshole.... man, I owe you big!"<br><br>Yes! In hours, Jace would start to realize his life was crumbling down fast around him. Anything for her. Even if she doesn't know, I know. Of course, he'd tell Ethan. Hell, it was Ethan who put the idea in his head, unintentionally. But Anna would kill him if she knew.<br><br>As he ordered the food, James wondered about Anna. What will it take to get her to stop dating jerks? When he first met her, years ago, he had a major crush on her. You still do, he thought. He hid it well. If nothing else, saving face was something very important to James. Never showing in any way he was interested, that Anna was a best friend, was how it had to be.<br><br>Soon he was heading back into the hospital lobby. Reaching inside the bag, he broke off a corner of Ethan's apple pie. Heh! That'll teach you, my friend. Suddenly he stopped. Not even one cigarette! His mind was too busy thinking. Sinking into a plush chair just a couple of corners from Anna's room, he realized why. It's her. All the joking, all the wishing and thinking 'what if', caught up to him. True love? What is true love? I have idea, he realized. But I do know, I'm in love with her. Thinking back, there wasn't a true moment when he wasn't. It was something deep down he always knew, yet acknowledging it mentally... that hit him hard. I'm completely, wildly, madly... in love with Anna. Shit! I have to stop. She'll laugh. After she punches me. She'll then probably throw up.<br><br>Entering the room, it seemed as thought the conversation ended abruptly. "Hey, don't quit on my account. I know what you were thinking... did he or didn't he eat a bite of the apple pie?" Handing it to Ethan, "Sorry dude. Wait! Ok, it's actually here in the bag." Handing Anna each item of food, James wondered if she could see how odd he suddenly felt. You have to go, he thought. But how? I can't just leave. Plus for some reason he hated leaving these two together. My best friend and.. what? She who I realize I'm crazily in love with? She's my best friend also. And sensitive, caring, always thoughtful Ethan... he will eat this up.<br><br>Sitting in the empty chair, he noticed how close Ethan was to Anna. He's moving in. Feeling sicker by the moment, James realized he needed to get away, yet knew he was trapped. I need to sleep. Empty these crazy ideas from my head. But as his eyes lifted, her saw her shift to eat. Why do you have to be so damn perfect, he wondered.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>24-12-2008, 17:51:08</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Watching James leave, Ethan was filled with some doubt.&nbsp; He was very glad to have this time with Anna alone together, but he felt bad that he let James go alone, knowing that.</em><br><br>"You know Anna, everything James said was spot on.&nbsp; We both love you, and we've both seen the anguish you put yourself through...and now...Anna you're much too good to let ANYONE treat you in anyway other than...well...Anna you should be treated like a...oh hell, a princess, okay!?"<br><br><em>He felt like such a goof now, calling her a princess.&nbsp; But in his eyes she always had been, even the first time he saw her in grade school.&nbsp; He had wanted then to get to know her, and strangely enough, even at that young age, he imagined the two of them at the prom.&nbsp; But before he could get to know her, or even meet her for that matter, she was gone.&nbsp; And being a silly elementary school boy, his attentions, and affections were soon planted elsewhere.<br><br>In the back of his mind though, Ethan never forgot Anna.<br><br>When they finally met up in college, Ethan was dating another girl,&nbsp; That relationship didn't last long at all, but as fate again was bound to keep he and Anna apart, she had already begun dating another boy as well.&nbsp; They truly didn't seem meant for each other.<br><br>And now.&nbsp; Ethan listened as Anna spoke of things, smiling at her, wanting nothing more than to gather her up in his arms and shield her from anything bad or harsh life might yet have in store for her.&nbsp; <br><br>And now...now Ethan was almost positive that James was in love with Anna too.&nbsp; After all the years they had spent together as best friends, how could Ethan not know that about him?&nbsp; So it appeared yet another wall had been put up between he, and his lady love.<br><br>So he remained mute on that subject, stayed by her side, stroked her hand, and prayed that she would get better fast.&nbsp; If she was now meant to be with James...if James could take care of her, and give her the life she deserved, Ethan wouldn't stand in their way.&nbsp; As heart wrenching as it would be, he would be there for both of them in complete support.</em><br><br>"Yea, sorry my ass."&nbsp; <em>He chuckled when James returned and boasted of his hunger taking part of Ethan's pie.&nbsp; Ethan didn't really care.&nbsp; He was hungry for sure, but he could deal with James' shenanigans, especially if it brought a smile to Anna's face.</em><br><br>"Give over bro...and no worries, we were finished talking about you anyway."<br><br><em>Leaning down, Ethan brushed his lips against Anna's temple, then stood away from the bed to eat his pie.&nbsp; He had made several revelations tonight, and while he would have desperately hoped for a different outcome.&nbsp; He would make the most of the friendships between he, Anna, and James.&nbsp; He would rather have her unrequited love, and retain her friendship, if that was what she wanted for happiness.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>24-12-2008, 18:40:51</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Snorting at his reference to Kate Beckinsale, she rolled her eyes in amusement. What was it with Kate that seemed to attract men because Ana wanted the formula to use on herself. That actress seemed to get the best of the bunch, especially married to the director of her the two Underworld movies she starred in. Though she kept eyeing Scott Speedman more than the rest of the actors plus the one who played Kraven. Mmm, he was delicious. <br><br>Shaking her head at James, she sighed. He was going to kill himself with those cigarettes. One of these days, the doctor was going to tell him he had cancer and it would make her want to cry, kick and scream for how he could have done this to himself. She scared about James and Ethan. Wanted these two to be around her for a long time. Already the friendship was hitting its sixth year and she planned on planning something special for the three of them. These two had no idea what she had up her sleeve when it came to appreciating their friendship. Though if James kept up his bad habit, she might not have him around for too long but she kept her worrisome thoughts to herself. James had a right to do things, he was not a little kid and she was not his mother. Even though at times she enjoyed caring and watching over her friends.<br><br>Watching James leave it always made her anxious and anticipate the next time Ethan and him would come back again. Made herself sound like a puppy awaiting her Master's arrival but she could not help how she felt about them moreso than falling for the bad boys. Maybe she would stop with the bad boys, maybe she would not. Though she kept hoping and holding out for a bad boy who could be good for her. Even as Ethan tried to make her rethink the situation about dating the bad boys, "Bad boys are for me and I am not a Princess." Never had she heard that word come out of Ethan's mouth. She thought he hated any female refer to herself as a Princess because it showed classic signs of a diva and a bitch in waiting. <br><br>"Princesses are in books or those spoiled girls, you know I am not any of that," she admonished, shaking her head. Has she shown signs of being a Princess or a bitch? She was kind to everyone, tried to include those who were out of place in class and made sure to put some money towards charity, even volunteered her time to play one of Santa's helpers. "Though if you can make me a crown out of straws when James get back, I could try to play a Princess of the Hospital," she teased before she coughed again. Mmm, she was hungry and thirsty.<br><br>Just when she thought that James came back with the food. Even from where she laid, the food in the bag smelled heavenly. Better than the hospital food, she assumed. James and Ethan, those were like competitive siblings. Amused her to no end to see them play fight or argue, even eat the other's food. Men, she thought, smiling as she scooted up in bed. Anna managed to get herself to a half-way upright position but it worked for her. At least she would be able to drink her shake and not spill it on herself. <br><br>Accepting each food, she opened two napkins before placing it on the pull out tray situated in the bed. Pushed a few buttons and the tray popped out to let her put her burger, fries, shake, apple pie slice and the brownies. "Decisions, decisions," she whispered as she tried to rub her hands together in a gesture of glee but with the wires and her sprained wrist, she used her other one to rub her stomach. Her focus was on the food and if those two wanted to fight over the bitten apple, than as long as they did not spill her shake, let them go at it.<br><br>However a kiss on her temple brought her attention back up to Ethan. Strange, he always kissed her on the cheek because a kiss on the temple was a bit too much coming from a friend. "Time to eat," she said before she started to dig into her cheeseburger. Did he forget? Mentally, she shook herself of thinking the kiss on the temple was more than that. Merely, Ethan was being sweet and wanted her to feel at ease even with her condition. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>24-12-2008, 18:55:25</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>He could have kicked himself, and kicked himself hard, and in the nuts!&nbsp; What the hell was he doing calling her a princess?!&nbsp; He knew Anna hated that kind of talk, and he had to agree...she wasn't what most would think of when they thought of a princess.&nbsp; She wasn't spoiled, and she wasn't shallow.&nbsp; But in his eyes, even with her minor faults, he saw her as someone who should be treated as royalty.<br><br>And he also thought the kiss to the temple had been a little over the top.&nbsp; He was getting too intimate for a friend, and now feeling as he did, he would need to be very careful not to let that happen again.<br><br>But he was so glad she was okay, and had dropped his guard in his relief.<br><br>Ethan would step aside, and let James sweep Anna off her feet.&nbsp; He didn't think James would do as good a job of it as Ethan would have, but it was the end result now that Ethan focused on.&nbsp; Whether she believed it or not, Anna's days with bad boys was over.<br><br>...That was...hmmm...Ethan wondered.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>24-12-2008, 20:32:00</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				As James sat eating his own assortment of goodies, he glanced up occasionally, watching his two friends. Ethan looked slightly embarrassed as if he had recently said 'something'. Anna was her usual self. Yet something seemed different. I shouldn't have left them alone, he realized. She's vulnerable right now and who better than to swoop in than the always understanding and sensitive Ethan?<br><br>Sarcastic thought, yet James would truly do anything for his long-time friend. But what, he wondered, if it were a choice between keeping him as a friend and having Anna? That was the difficult thought. He knew in that strange option of choices, he'd choose the girl over the friend. It would kill him inside for Ethan was more than a friend or a brother... he was... well he was Ethan.<br><br>But Anna... was Anna. Even watching her eat, his heat melted. When she happened to glance his way, he would make a silly face. Better to let her think you are just a goofball than you have any other thoughts or feelings. Any other girl, no problem! Anna, and he seemed to lose his mind. So he kept those thoughts away. Save them for those lovely dreams that fill his sleep.<br><br>Other girls. The thought made James chuckle. Sure, he had no problem with women. Wherever he went, they looked and he looked back. Some would even ask him if he was 'Keifer Sutherland'. That always made him laugh. "He's my dad", he would usually say. Or "Yes, I grew about six inches", being six-foot-four compared to what he guessed was Keifer's five-foot-ten. No, no problem with other females. Yet they always eventually bored him. He would always, eventually, compare them to his favorite girl in the world. Anna.<br><br>"So, how long are you stuck in here? When you are released, I do have that spare bedroom all fixed up now. I can work from home most days to help you out for a while, if you want." As soon as these words escaped, he wondered how obvious he sounded. No, I didn't mean it that way, James yelled inside his head. It was innocent! I just want to take care of you.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>25-12-2008, 23:53:38</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Was something up with Ethan and James? She assumed the two of them were nervous because of how she looked and the fact Jace was still out there but these two looked ready to beat feet. Sniffing around herself she smelled nothing but the slight smell of dried blood but the nurses had washed her to clean her before the two arrived. Anna was glad the nurses were all females or she would have been much more embarassed even though she was in and out of consciousness at the time.<br><br>Nibbling on a fry, she tried to remember what one of the nurses had told her before asking her to count backwards from one hundred. Shrugging, she pointed towards the silver messageboard across the room where the nurses wrote notes on what medications were given, the time it was given, signature, etc. Towards the bottom of the message board it showed she was to be in the hospital for another surgery to make sure the ribs she bruised had not fractured any further as well as her knee cap. Since her knee cap had kept slipping in and out, the doctors saw it necessary to insert a few needles and a screw to keep the knee cap from slipping off the bone. <br><br>"Seems I am not going be out for another day, maybe two days," she guessed as she blinked her eyes a few time. She needed her glasses after the nurses took out her contacts. Without her contact solution to ask to have them put back in would only cause her eyes to become irritated or get pink eye if the contacts were taken out without gloves. Anna would ask one of the guys to go back to her apartment to pack her a few things to bring back, including her black reading glasses.<br><br>Her eyes glanced up when James mentioned the spare bedroom he had in his place for her to use if she wanted. That was strange, she thought. Anna did hang out at their places but never had she slept over. It was not her thing to sleep in a house with her friends and have them see her looking like a slob. Superficial, yes, but what guy would not run in the either direction of seeing her with a face mask, hair done in a pippy longstocking style, wearing baggy sleepwear, slippers and a night robe which dwarfed her pixie frame? Every time the two asked her to stay over when it got too late, she always declined. She never did give them a valid reason why she never stayed over other than the excuse of not being able to sleep properly if it was not her own bed.<br><br>This was strange for James to ask her this knowing her answer would be to decline his gracious offer. Was there something in the air for them to forget the usual quirks about her? Swallowing a bite of her cheeseburger and sucking it down with a bit of her milkshake, she broke the tension in the room. "What is going on? Are you two high?," she asked outright, glancing to each of her friends with narrowed eyes. Though James amused her with his funny faces, the body language told him another thing. Seemed more on guard than usual though the two might be considered where the three of them were. "You know my habit of sleeping at my place, granted it is a bit messy but you two should understand my need to sleep in my own bed." What was going on with these two?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>26-12-2008, 06:36:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Hearing James offer Anna a safe haven once she left the hospital, and Ethan took it as a sign.&nbsp; He did love Anna, and he would have loved taking care of her until she was healed, and then shown her how much better off she would have been with him, instead of a shithead like Jace.&nbsp; But James beat him to the punch, and Ethan realized it would be to everyone's best interests if he bowed out.&nbsp; If he couldn't give Anna what she really needed, maybe James could.&nbsp; Ethan could think of no one else, other than himself, he felt would be best for Anna.</em><br><br>"Anna, we're both just fucking scared!&nbsp; Pardon my French.&nbsp; We've never seen you as messed up before, as you are now...we don't want to lose you!"<br><br><em>He tried to make his words sound frantic, but noticed they had taken on a bit of an edge.&nbsp; The last thing Ethan wanted to do was to act like Jace, but hell's bells, nothing he nor James had said to her in the past had worked.&nbsp; Maybe it was time they got tough!</em><br><br>"I think you should reconsider James' invitation, even if its just for a couple days.&nbsp; Or, if you're so totally set on sleeping in your own bed...maybe James could stay at your place.&nbsp; At least you'd have someone handy to help out...and be there if that slimebag Jace tries to return."<br><br><em>The second part of his sentence came out barely above a whisper, but Ethan was sure James had heard him.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>26-12-2008, 07:16:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shaking her head, she was not going to put them out because of this. All she needed was a nice clean up of her apartment, new locks and everything would be fine. Besides, she would search the apartment ads to try and find a new apartment. There was no way she would keep herself that long in a place where Jace might try to come back and harm her. She might be a fool to not let them take her into their places but she was dead set against it. Anna did not want to intrude on their space and she had a habit of becoming antsy if someone messed her tidy apartment. Maybe that was why Jace went off because she asked him not to smash his cigarettes out on her coffee table or her carpet.<br><br>"I know you two are scared but I do not want you two to go out of your way for me. I do not want to be a nuisance, please," she whispered, trying to get them to see she did not want to encroach on their personal time. She cared about them way too much to move things around for her. Sure, they were her best friends but asking them to watch over her as if she was a little old lady and the two of them, young and handsome guys to give up their time was not right. James and Ethan had their things to do and she could manage fine without getting in their way. <br><br>Taking a few more bits of her cheeseburger, she started in on one the brownies, trying to keep her gaze averted. Anna did not want to give away how she felt about her injuries. Yes, she was scared Jace might come back but then he would not be foolish enough to come back to her place. He must be in Mexico by now, she told herself silently. James and Ethan were sweethearts to think of her safety but she let them know how she felt about it. "No, I do not need a bodyguard. All I need is food, friends and not bringing up the subject of Jace anymore," she stated. That was her plan and she was sticking to it. Though she wondered if these two would try to get her to let them move in with her. That was one of the plans the two of them had not thought up but maybe the pair were busy with their food and her answers. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>26-12-2008, 19:38:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The images flashing through his mind, of actually making that spare room 'livable', ceased. Almost happily. Oh yeah! Give her firsthand knowledge of how your life is such a mess. Sighing a sigh of relief, he smiled, hoping it was convincing. Also, he knew deep down she preferred to take care of herself. Yes, stubborn one, the question was madness but you answered in the right way. Phew!<br><br>Hearing Ethan's blurting out, James suddenly wondered if he stepped too far. He could hear something strained in his voice. "Um... or either of us at your place! I wasn't trying to monopolize you. Just a genuine, unbiased offer." Looking towards Ethan as Anna looked away, he shrugged mouthing 'what's up?'<br><br>"Although", he grinned as his eyebrows wiggled, "I was hoping to maybe catch you making naked dashes from bathroom to bedroom. Or for those wonderful little lapses in time when you might have forgotten to lock the bathroom door while taking a soak in the suds."<br><br>Hearing Ethan's words about Jace, new images filled Jame's mind. Them surprising him with a burlap sack over his head. Seeing the dark look flash across his buddies face, James wondered if a similar thought was inside him.<br><br>Nearing Anna, he sat gently on her free side, taking her hand between his, lower to kiss her forehead. "You can't be - Listen, angel... there is no way you can be a 'nuisance'. You walk into a room, the atmosphere changes simply by your wonderful presence. Even this hospital", he grinned, "the feeling of doom in the hallways, which all hospitals have, has faded throughout the last few hours. Your doing!"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 03:34:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Ethan just shook his head as Anna spoke.&nbsp; There was no way she was going to convince him that she should be left alone, or that she could ever be a nuisance.&nbsp; He was glad James backed up those thoughts,&nbsp; &nbsp;James could have punched him good though, when he joked about seeing Anna naked.&nbsp; It wasn't like Ethan never ha such thoughts...he had them more often than not, in fact.&nbsp; But he would never tell Anna about them, even jokingly.&nbsp; It was yet another indication on a growing list of why James was better suited for Anna.<br><br>When James mouthed his question to Ethan, all Ethan had time for was a dirty look in response.&nbsp; How could James make such a perfect offer, and then recant it?!</em><br><br>"It's not out of our way to care for you Anna, and there is no way you could ever be a nuisance.&nbsp; What would really be a nuisance would be to worry about you living alone, when you could be protected so easily."<br><br><em>His words were probably harsh, or at least harsher than he had ever spoken to her in the past.&nbsp; But fear did things like that.<br><br>When Jace took a seat near Anna, Ethan turned to look out the window.&nbsp; As he often did when the three of them were together, he felt again like a third wheel.<br><br>It was all in his mind, or so he thought, because neither Anna, nor James had ever said anything to make him feel that way.&nbsp; Obviously, probably as a self defense mechanism, Ethan built himself into the role.&nbsp; Unwilling to come between James and Anna, he had convinced himself that between the three of them they would be better suited.&nbsp; Now all he had to do was convince Anna of the same.<br><br>But that wouldn't be an easy task, and it was nothing he wanted to talk about with James in the room.<br><br>And then Jace's face was before him again, and he felt ever strongly that Anna could not live on her own.&nbsp; Still staring out the window, Ethan spoke.</em><br><br>"Anna, you need to be reasonable, if only for a short while.&nbsp; Your body can't withstand another beating like you just had, especially if it were to come on the heels of all these surgeries.&nbsp; You better make up you mind to agree so some kind of protection..."<br><br><em>He almost said 'or else', but caught himself in time.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>27-12-2008, 19:06:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Anna gasped at James's words and blushed. He never said a thing like that to her. Never and yet even in a joking matter, the thought of walking around him naked or caught while taking a bubble bath embarassed her to the core. James was her best friend and he had no right to even joke about that. He should know she did not joke about their genitals or wiggle her eye brows whenever one of them flashed a bit of skin. They were like her brothers and to see that made her feel a bit dirty. "Please do not joke about me walking around you two naked, sounds too incestous," she whispered, shaking her head at James. What was wrong with these two to be acting out of character. Even James kissed her on the forehead as she frowned wondering if these two were high on something. That must be it, she thought to herself.<br><br>Their friendship was sacred but yet it felt as if they could care less about her personal space. Anna never tried to invade their privacy nor force them to do things with her. She knew men had their own things to do and their reputations to protect if seen holding a female's purse while on a shopping trip. Maybe it was time to find some female friends to combat the icky feeling she had of these two seeing her naked. She was not sick at the thought per say moreso terrified of them seeing her body and snickering about it. Anna knew what she looked like and though she was not some high class model, she still tried to keep herself in somewhat of a shape. Now to hear them barreling over her need for privacy gnawed at her more than it should and she let them know about it.<br><br>"Please stop trying to guilt me into having some sort of bodyguard," she pleaded wanting to bite down on her lip in nervousness but remembering how her lip was she stopped herself. She wanted to be on her own even if she was a bit afraid Jace might come back but she did not want to have her life run over by other people. Her parents had tried that on her and when she found a friendship in James and Ethan, she was glad to see neither of time tried to push her to let them run her life. Now to hear them wanting to do so was a complete one eighty on how she thought their friendship was. They were suppose to support her and even be glad she was alive but the thought of encroaching on their space or them on her own bothered her more than usual. Once in a while the pair stayed over and slept in the living room but she kept her door closed and locked in case one of them were confused as to which door was the bathroom and take her own door for it.<br><br>"All I ask of you two is to be there for me and not bossing me around like my parents," she snapped, frowning and apologizing for her outburst. It pained her to feel like the little girl who was bossed into growing up faster than she wanted to be. By the time she was ten years old, she was off doing the shopping run while her parents went for another round of fighting. Most of the time she stayed in the supermarket long enough to feel as if it might be safe to go home with her bags of groceries. She could even remember one of the store managers, a female by the name of Sarah Wilkins, a nice old lady pushing a shopping cart of groceries with Anna to take back to her home. Sarah never said anything but she must have heard enough rumors about Anna's family to realize Anna was the product of a broken household who tried to make it seem as if nothing was wrong. She wondered if James and Ethan would realize their mistake in asking her to choose her personal freedom to have someone watch her every move until she was better and let it go. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 04:36:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Ethan gave up.&nbsp; It was no use.&nbsp; Anna had some irrational phobia about having either him or James protect her, even if it was only a couple days.&nbsp; She might not understand it, and might think the guys were trying to overpower her, but she was going to need time to heal, and that was all they were asking.<br><br>Apparently that was too much.&nbsp; Whatever.</em><br><br>"Fine then.&nbsp; You do it on your own.&nbsp; If Jace comes back and beats the shit out of you, you have no one to blame but yourself.&nbsp; If you can't see our only reason for offering you protection, is because we love you and don't want to lose you, fine.&nbsp; Whatever.&nbsp; I won't keep arguing with you, because I don't want to upset you anymore than you already are.&nbsp; But I can't just sit around and watch if something like this happens again.&nbsp; It...it just hurts too much.<br><br>I can't believe that if it were James or me lying in the bed, and still had a threat to our lives out there, that you wouldn't move heaven and earth to find a way to protect us...well, maybe I can."<br><br><em>It was obvious that both he and James had more than friendly feelings toward Anna, and equally as obvious that she would never see them as more than friends...brothers.&nbsp; He could deal with that, but he couldn't deal with another near death event like this one.<br><br>He marched over to Anna, and kissed her on the cheek.</em><br><br>"I gotta go, and you need sleep.&nbsp; I'm sorry if I upset you."&nbsp; <em>But he would not apologize for telling her how he felt.</em><br><br>"I'll call you tomorrow, and see if you're up for company."<br><br><em>And with that Ethan moved toward the door to leave.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 22:28:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hating to see this moment end like this, James jumped up. "Wait, Ethan... well... I don't want to speak for you, but what if..."<br><br>Mind scrambling, all sorts of resolutions which made no sense flashed until one seemed like maybe a good idea. She won't go for it, he thought, but it's worth suggesting. "What if we, Ethan and I, came to your place for a while?" Looking towards Ethan, hoping for nod or a smile or some sort of 'yes', James sat back, taking Anna's hand.<br><br>"Anna", shaking his head, "I know, we know... this is all weird and sudden. But you have to recover. Would you prefer to have everything as an ordeal? Getting a drink of water, excruciating pain? Or knowing a friend was in the next room, ready to jump up?" Head moving back and forth, looking for agreement from both or at least one side, James wondered if he was crazy. What's with these two? Maybe something was going on he wasn't aware of. Had these two... did they... have history?<br><br>Sighing, he realized he needed one of those cig's he had sworn off just minutes before. Standing, he walked towards Ethan. "I need a smoke. Come out with me?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 23:19:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Ethan looked at James in mild shock and annoyance.&nbsp; Hadn't he just suggested James stay with Anna for awhile?&nbsp; It seemed to him it would be a great deal more trouble for the two of them to move in with Anna, but if that was what it would take, he'd do it.<br><br>Images of Anna...just waking from sleep, getting ready for bed, coming out of the bath...inwardly Ethan cringed.&nbsp; How could he remain sane if he subjected himself to that twenty-four seven?<br><br>He nodded to James. He would go outside with his friend, and see what James had in store for him.&nbsp; He gave a last look at Anna, smiling at her and hoping she wouldn't be TOO mad at him for what he said, then let the door close softly behind him, and waited in the hall for James to join him.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>28-12-2008, 23:50:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Alright," she whispered to James's idea of having the two of them move in with her. That might get them to wonder how much pain medication was placed into her system and then ask for it for take out. Oddly enough, Anna was open to the idea of James and Ethan staying at her place. Once more, she blamed it on the medication coursing through her veins but to have them in the guest bedroom was better than having to encrouch on their own space. At least the apartment was big enough to house the three of them since she had used the guilt money her father had given to her to make the payments on the apartment. The guilt money was something her father did every other week to make up for how many years she spent in their household under their fighting and screaming matches. He felt sorry that he put his daughter through that and instead of trying to make amends, he did it by sending her cash. Money, the worst way to try and get back into her good graces but she accepted the money on account that he was trying in his own way to apologize. <br><br>She glanced from each of her friends to gauge their reaction. Anna was not super feminine in how she made up her apartment but it held a few posters of male actors and her cd collection of a lot of female artists. Still, she could listen to Seether or to Rob Zombie with them, she enjoyed Living Dead Girl, one of Zombie's classic. Anna even had a list of horror dvds for the guys to choose from and she could put her stereo in the guest room to let them listen to music while she rested. It might work though she wondered if these two were ready to want to be roommates with her. Especially a cripple for the time being. Sighing, she closed her eyes to try and rest, leaving them to chatter behind her back. Those two could have been born females what with the gossiping and the chattering those two held between one another but then her friendship would not have been as strong with them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 02:55:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Before they left the room, James heard Anna murmur 'Alright'. Good! Jeez finally that lovely stubborn mind was relenting a bit. As they walked out, his thoughts shifted away from the instant worries of being in such close proximity to that woman who filled his not only his heart as the loveliest, most beautiful friend but also his dreams. If she only knew what dreams and thoughts I have had about her.<br><br>Outside, instantly lighting a cigarette found in his glove compartment, James returned to Ethan near the sliding front doors of the hospital.<br><br>"Man, I feel much better now. If that dickhead decides to give Anna a visit, we'll be there to meet him." Not a violent person at all, James couldn't help freeing himself of brutal images of Jace on the ground as he grabbed him by the hair telling of all the sinister things that would happen to him.<br><br>Giving his oldest friend a dark look, "I hope he does show up. I'm just not sure if he'll ever been seen again." Shaking head, he knew he sounded slightly crazy. Yet as his mind drifted back to Anna, that lovely, wonderful, perfect angel... up there, bruised, in pain, incapacitated... the thoughts turned even darker.<br><br>"Sorry for volunteering us both... But I was certain you'd be ok with that."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 03:23:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Ethan watched with disgust as James got a cigarette.&nbsp; It was a habit he had never felt the slightest inkling for, but tried hard to ignore it for James.&nbsp; He guessed he could have tried, like Anna did, to get James to quit, but there were only so many battles he could handle at a time.&nbsp; Nagging James didn't seem to be one he would have any chance at.</em><br><br>"Yea, I hope he tries something too.&nbsp; I'd love to beat his face in and get him back for what he did to her."<br><br><em>He was feeling less than happy, and he didn't understand why.&nbsp; He had got what he wanted, hearing Anna agree to have them both move in.&nbsp; But then there was the living in close proximity, and Ethan really was afraid he wouldn't be able to deal with that.<br><br>Not to mention...</em><br><br>"I don't know dude...sharing a room with you?&nbsp; I think she just has the one double bed in her spare room...can't see how that's going to be comfortable.&nbsp; I don't know why you didn't just go for my first suggestion, and move in yourself."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 22:18:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shit, one bedroom. James totally forgot. "Well, I can sleep on the couch." Grinning, "It's the least I can do." Taking quick drag after drag, James could see on Ethan's face the disgust at the smoke. "I'll also make you a deal. No cig's. I quit earlier today but well... this night is kinda stressful, wouldn't you say?"<br><br>James did wonder why he didn't press for himself to go to Anna's. Perfect opportunity to get closer, with no interference. But even that thought made him feel guilty. As if he would be betraying Ethan. Why? Why do I feel that way? He's never made a move. Nor have I. We're just three friend.<br><br>And I love her. That is a difference. Sighing, he finished his cigarette. "Ok bud... are you doing home? If so, I'll chill in the room with her for a while. At least until she falls asleep." Then I will watch her and imagine what I have so many times... that I just woke up and see that angel near me in bed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>29-12-2008, 22:49:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Ethan would fight James for the couch later.&nbsp; The fact the James was going to quit smoking was almost in and of itself worth whatever 'hassles' he might face moving in with Anna.<br><br>If only he could be completely honest with James, and let him know how much he loved Anna, and wanted to be with her...alone.&nbsp; But it just wasn't an idea to be born.&nbsp; They were all friends, and Anna didn't care for Ethan that way.&nbsp; It would serve no purpose at all to stir up anything of that nature now.</em><br><br>"Yea, I guess I'll head home then.&nbsp; Tell the folks what happened, and get some stuff together so I'll be ready when she gets released.<br><br>But listen, if you can work it, maybe she'll give you a key early?&nbsp; Then we can not only move our stuff in, but make sure the place is ready when she does get released.&nbsp; I have no idea what kind of shape Jace might have put it in, but I'd rather her not go back to a mess of memories if possible."<br><br><em>Knowing Anna it was difficult to determine how she might feel about giving the guys access to her home before she was there to watch over it.&nbsp; It seemed worth a try though.</em><br><br>"Would you tell Anna I'll be by tomorrow to see her, and if she needs anything just have her call me on my cell?"<br><br><em>He'd let James have Anna to himself now, thinking, for whatever reason, that he might be happy about that.<br><br>And after the way he talked to Anna last, he thought she might enjoy the space as well.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>31-12-2008, 10:47:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Parting from his friend, James quickly arrived back to Anna's side. Hit by a wave of seriousness, he took her hand. "I know this is all very strange. And please don't think for a moment you are showing any weakness by letting Ethan and I look after you for a while. Hell, if it were me, I'd jump at the chance."<br><br>Grinning, "Hmm, yes, I can see you in a sexy nurses uniform." Instantly his hands went up, "I'm kidding!" No I'm not, he thought. I'd give anything to feel your hands undress me. Instantly feeling himself aroused, his mind shifted. "So", lifting the remote, "shall we see what's on the tube?"<br><br>Always joking when he tried to shield his serious thoughts, James sighed. Tell her. God man, get it over with. Tell her how you still remember that first day, so long ago, she smiled at you. How you told your dad that night you'd some day marry the new girl who moved in across the street. Tell her how every single time she touched you, your heart jumped, doubling in it's crazy speed. How when you talked on the phone with her, you pictured her every expression.<br><br>Yet, all that escaped his lips was, "Ahh, Seinfeld is on!"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>05-01-2009, 17:53:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Anna spent the time she was with herself to ponder over what she had committed herself to. Her best friends would be moving in with her. Not female friends but two male best friends moving into an apartment that housed a guest room that was only one door away from her private bedroom. It gave her a sense of relief to know James and Ethan would be near and making sure Jace did not come back for another round with her. However it made her feel dread and embarassment to know these two would see her in her own environment. Usually she rarely made herself up to go out when she was home alone. Tired from her shifts at the diner, she spent most of the time at home in her pajamas with her hair in pippy style braids and her usual reading glasses on.<br><br>Would her two good friends run away from her in fright knowing they would have to put up with a female for the time she was incapicitated? Or maybe find amusement in seeing her out of her usual attire? Either way, she was nervous but knew without their aid, she would be left to her own devices to get herself around. Especially once she went back to her broken apartment and had to clean up the mess Jace and her made in their attempts to fight one another. She was nervous about going back to a place that was broken and thrown about by the items in question in her defense to get Jace away from her. Those thoughts were relegated to the back of her mind upon James entering the room sans Ethan. Frowning, she wondered if Ethan had split because of her actions towards being pushed around. Anna hoped he was not hurt by her words and hoped to rectify them as soon as possible.<br><br>Jump at the chance? James was acting very strange to be that eager to be living with her for the moment. It made her wonder if he had a hidden agenda or something of the sort. Never had she asked much about his relationships but usually he would tell her if there was a female he had an eye on. Was he trying to pick up tips on how the female psyche work once he moved in with her and Ethan? Made her question and eye him a little more. "Ethan you are unnerving me a bit with the whole excitement about moving in and the nurse's uniform," she whispered, blushing at the image of her in some tarty uniform and showing it off to James and Ethan. God, that would make her wish the earth would open itself up and swallow her whole, never to be seen again.<br><br>Glancing away towards the door to her hospital room, she hoped Ethan would come back. "James can you call Ethan to come back, I don't want him thinking I am mad at him for what happened earlier. I merely was frustrated and took it out on him when you two were trying to help," she commented, glancing over to him. She wanted to get up and move around though with her leg in a temporary cast before she went in for her last surgery of the night it stopped her from going anywhere. Hopefully, Ethan would be back and make the setting in this mood less nerve wracking. The way James was talking to her even in a jesting way was off putting and it bothered her to feel nervous in his company alone.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>08-01-2009, 23:50:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>It occurred to Ethan that if he could get the key tonight, he could go over to Anna's apartment first thing in the morning, and make sure all evidence of the beating was removed, and everything else was cleaned up.&nbsp; Even if she never did agree to letting James or him stay with her, she really didn't need to go home to a huge mess, and have that to worry about on top of everything else.<br><br>In face, so intent on doing this for her, he vowed if she still refused to let him have a key, he'd just break in.&nbsp; He was pretty good with a screwdriver, and had broken into his own house any number of times, with his parents none the wiser.&nbsp; Of course it was never with anything nefarious in mind, but for stupid reasons like locking himself out and coming home late from a date.<br><br>Making a somewhat mad dash back to Anna's room, Ethan was a little out of breath by the time he arrived.&nbsp; He did slow down halfway down the hall though, after a nurse gave him a dirty look.<br><br>Peeking in he saw they were watching television, so he re-entered.</em><br><br>"Hey, sorry, forgot to ask you something."<br><br><em>He nodded at James, and gave him a slight shrug, then moved to stand next to Anna.</em><br><br>"Would you mind if I borrowed your key, so I can make sure everything is straightened up before you get home...take your trash out...water your plants ...that kind of thing?"<br><br><em>He'd also check her fridge and make sure she had decent food waiting for her as well.&nbsp; It was the least he could do as a friend...or a guy in love with her.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>12-01-2009, 01:40:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Looking up to see Ethan had returned, Anna smiled. She was glad he was here and hoped to make her case to him. Anna was really sorry and felt like a horrible friend to say those awful things to him. He was trying to comfort her the best way she could and what did she do? She snapped and attacked him as if he were Jace. However Ethan was nothing like Jace. While Jace was the bad boy who turned out to be a bad guy for her, Ethan was sweet and caring. A bit of a Don Juan but what male was not? Still, he was only being a friend and she throwing his kindness back in her face when she should be accepting of it.<br><br>"Ethan, I am not mad at you at all. I am sorry that I upset or hurt your feelings," she whispered, looking down at her fingers before she stole a glance to see his reaction. "My key is in the bag of clothes I noticed in the cubby over by the bathroom door and James and you can start moving in your stuff as soon as you want to. Unless you changed your mind which I completely understand," she explained, nodding. <br><br>Anna was even glad to have him in the room and maybe help figure out what was going on with James. James was acting weird and it was starting to unedge her a bit. Was James starting to show signs of being weary of their friendship? She knew she relied on Ethan and James for things but if he was upset at how things were going he should have let her know. If she took him away from something he had tonight then she would not mind being left to her own devices. Besides she had the television and the surgery for tonight.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>12-01-2009, 02:35:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Change our mind? Are you kidding? I'm so looking forward to the day when you know James T Kirk is not Darth Vader's son... and now, I can hopefully finally subject you to many hours of seeing the legends of both Star Trek and Star Wars unfold!" He was hopeful but doubtful. Very few people on this earth, he knew, were more stubborn than the lovely Anna. Standing, James yawned and stretched. Turning to Ethan, "What time do you plan on being there tomorrow? I'll try to get my stuff packed as well, hopefully to meet you there."<br><br>Turning to Anna, "You don't mind if I bring all my furniture, do you? Just a few couches, a giant king-size bed, and wow... all that junk I have in my garage." Grinning as he finished, James was hoping she knew he was kidding. Deadpan, he could always sound. Yet letting the grin escape was always his downfall, when joking.<br><br>Noticing her constant strange looks his way, James furrowed his eyebrows, mouthing 'What?' with a shrug. Hoping she wasn't having second thoughts, or worried she was going to be an inconvenience, he pulled the chair close, grabbing her hand. "What we are doing is what any great friends would. Just as we are here, now, can you imagine us not trying our best to help you out?" Smiling, "Anyway, Ethan and I still have to pull straws to see who has the duty of sleeping in your room, to keep guard." Sticking out his tongue, James wondered if she had any clue how his mind then wandered. Oh yes, gorgeous, I'd practically give an am and a leg to sleep at your side. "How's your leg feeling, by the way?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>12-01-2009, 04:05:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Knowing he could never stay mad at the girl, Ethan graciously accepted her apology with a casual wave off.</em><br><br>"Don't lose any sleep over it...I know you've been through Hell.&nbsp; You should also know I can never stay angry with you either."&nbsp; <em>He might as well admit it, it wasn't a secret.<br><br>He found the bag she referred to and also found her keys just by digging around.</em>&nbsp; "You don't know but going into a woman's bag is scarier to me than it would ever be to live in the same house with you."&nbsp; <em>He teased.&nbsp; It was easier to tease.&nbsp; He could say things he really meant, but no one would ever suspect it was the truth.<br><br>He gave James a look and a smile but shook his head.</em><br><br>"I'll go ahead and bring my stuff over too, but I won't be taking up that much space."&nbsp; <em>A couple changes of clothing, stuff for the bathroom, and he lived close enough that if he needed anything else he could just run home and pick it up.&nbsp; He really wanted to be as unobtrusive under Anna's roof as he could be.&nbsp; He wanted to be there to help, not aggravate her further.<br><br>Still feeling like he was interrupting something, Ethan showed he had the keys, and started for the door.</em><br><br>"We'll pull straws tomorrow. I'll be there around seven, so don't wander in around noon."<br><br><em>He didn't expect his friend to get there quite as early as he was going to, but he also didn't want him to skate on his share of the cleaning either.&nbsp; But Ethan was smiling, so James would know whatever time he arrived would be fine, as long as he showed up at all.<br><br>Snapping his fingers he looked over at Anna, and crossed the small distance between them in seconds, bending down to kiss her on the cheek.&nbsp; There...back to 'good, old, friendly Ethan.'</em><br><br>"Please don't let this guy keep you up all night...you need sleep.&nbsp; And if you think of anything we can do while we're at your place, just call us...you have my cell."<br><br><em>He looked at her tenderly then, and almost fell into her beautiful eyes.&nbsp; As much as he wanted to help her, he knew he was facing several days of pain.&nbsp; But for Anna, it was worth it.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Mordred</strong> on <strong>12-01-2009, 09:32:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Seven... Seven? Seven? Seven as in five hours before noon... seven?" Quit joking, James implored inside. Yet it was hard. Even when they were little kids, he always joked when around Anna, which seemed to be the norm, now. If I didn't joke she'd truly wonder what was up, he knew. But at times he wondered if that was all that came across. A joking fool who was just always silly.<br><br>"I only have a backpack and a couple other bits to bring. Anna, you don't mind if I reconfigure your home network, do you? No.. questionable.. films or pictures on your computer?" Wiggling eyebrows, he grinned. "I'm just kidding. But.. I will bring my computer. As Karl Malden, or whatever his name is says... Can't leave home without it!"<br><br>"Ethan, I will be there. You might have to hit my chest a few times to get this heart truly pumping at that ungodly hour... but I will be there." Turning to Anna, "But.. that means... any mishaps we get up to", giving her his most wicked grin, "will have to end far before that... so I can clean up the.. umm... mess." Looking back and forth, feigning shock at their expressions. "Hello! I'm talking about when I have to feed.. YOU.. in the morning!" Lifting up her arm, quickly, James let it fall, gesturing to Ethan, "See, she is so weak, we must make sure she is fed."<br><br>Absolutely, suddenly, dying for a cigarette, James stood. "I have to get out of place for a moment. Work will need a small update on how my progress was tonight." Watching them both, he sighed. "Ohhh jeez! Ok, I'm going outside. Let your minds wander on the reason." And with that, James was out of the room, hurrying down the hallway. Most hours of most days, he didn't feel the need to inhale smoke. Put him in a room with Anna, and that resolve, that strength... left. Instantly weak, the need was there like an elephant crushing his neck. All she had to do was look in his direction and all his words, thoughts, intelligent reasoning... were all out the window. Loving her was hard. It was a feeling inside he could never let her know. Instead, he resorted to jokes. But then hearing her laugh was nearly worse. At those moments, the cynical, crazy, chaotic feeling inside he always felt was brushed aside. Soft, beautiful eyes... a sweet sound he imagined whispering between his lips... always filled his mind. Joined by those adorable hands in his, her hair brushing down on his skin as he held her above him, and that sweet, mesmerizing smile.<br><br>After a cig, he had another.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marguerite</strong> on <strong>20-01-2009, 21:48:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alrighty, James was going off the deep end and good thing he was doing it in a hospital. At least once she pressed the red button to call in a nurse, it would be easier to have the men in white suits and butterfly net take James away to the mental facility. The way he was joking was different but she attested it to her being in the hospital and he trying to cheer her up the best way he could. She shook her head at his asking to reconfigure her laptop and the home network. "Leave my laptop alone since it is in my bedroom and thank god, no fight went on in there. Merely the living room and kitchen is totaled," she replied, licking her parched lips. <br><br>Anna winced at having her arm pulled up and then dropped down. Though it was not the injured one it pulled on the right of her muscles in her body. "James, can you not do that again. I know you like to joke but what I need is pain medication and the surgery," she replied, wincing as she turned herself onto her good side. She really needed to ask Ethan if James was on any medication. The whole changing subjects and fast talking was starting to unnerver her. At times he would get into this manner but she had not expected him to go a hundred miles a minute in speech. Even made her head hurt to try and remember what he had said to her just now before he left the room. <br><br>Seeing Ethan about to leave the room, she called for him, smiling. "Ethan, I want to talk to you while James smokes another cigarette." She had no clue how to go about it. Well, she needed to let him know her concerns about James before her friend came back. "I'm worried about James, there is something about him that is starting to get under my skin. Not to say I hate him or anything, Ethan but he is starting to make me question his sanity," she commented, blushing at having said those words. James was the more eccentric one while Ethan was stoic and careful with his words. Both complete opposites yet their friendship lasted longer than the Beatles and most super rock groups. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Heart Is Blind, It Must Really Be [Cynical, Marguerite and Aysleen]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aysleen</strong> on <strong>20-01-2009, 22:31:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Stopping again in his tracks, Ethan turned and smiled at Anna, but spoke to James.</em><br><br>"Sounds like a good idea.&nbsp; I'll wait until you get back - be off!"<br><br><em>His friend was nearly a basket case and Ethan wasn't sure if it was just the cigarettes.&nbsp; Maybe he and James needed to have another talk about Anna, and soon.<br><br>When James had left, Ethan walked over to Anna's bedside, and gave her a look of real concern.</em><br><br>"Aw Anna...cut the guy some slack."&nbsp; <em>His voice was soft, and completely without reproach.&nbsp; Hell, he had known James forever, and while he understood the guys crazy ways, sometimes they even got to him.</em><br><br>"Yea, he's acting pretty goofy, but seriously...he's just over the moon with worry for you."<br><br><em>Finding it difficult to not touch her, but ever aware that he didn't want his touches to be misconstrued, this time Ethan only ran a knuckle along Anna's jawline.&nbsp; His hand then went into his pocket where he could keep it safe from further travels.</em><br><br>"I'll bet anything by the time you get home he'll be back to his 'NORMAL' crazy self."&nbsp; <em>Ethan chuckled, and hoped Anna wouldn't let herself become too worried about James.&nbsp; That would certainly been defeating the purpose of them shacking up together, so to speak.</em><br><br>"Want me to take him home with me...let you get some rest?"<br><br><em>It was the least he could do, and even insure less alone time between James and his Anna.&nbsp; God she was gorgeous, he mused while standing there looking down on her.</em><br><br>"Anything I can get you before I go?"<br><br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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