Mouse (to Marlena): Mars, I need you to be on Gabriel duty this afternoon for a couple of hours. Your Dad has a faculty meeting & I'll be at work.
Marlena (to Mouse): Fine. Do you want me to pick him up from school?
Mouse (to Marlena): Yeah, that would be great. I'll be home around 6pm... Oh, and make sure to get your cousin up at some point. Thanks!
Marlena (to Mouse): Alright. Have a good day at work.
A couple hours later:
Victor (to Marlena): Oh! Good morning. I wasn't sure anyone else was home.
Marlena (to Victor): Yeah, I just got home from my morning classes. I'm trying to get my work done cuz I'm on Gabriel duty later. Want some coffee or breakfast? I think there's english muffins or bagels in here somewhere.
Victor (to Marlena): Oh. Yeah. My dad said to make sure I helped you with Gabe. Just coffee is fine thank you. I can help myself. What are you working on?
Marlena (to Victor): I've got a creative writing paper that I've got to work on for Professor Rathbone & I'm having problems getting started. I'm supposed to write a short story about something trivial like grocery shopping or making a phonecall.
Victor (to Marlena): Jacob Rathbone? Oh! I know him. Kind of. Well, not really, I guess. It was a long time ago for him. What's he like as a teacher?
Marlena (to Victor): He's a hard ass... Well, not really, but he gives me a hard time since he's known me since I was little.
Victor (to Marlena): Yikes. I'll bet he doesn't let you get away with anything. Does he still write? Is English your major? Um, sorry if I'm bombarding you. I really don't know what to do with myself.
Marlena (to Victor): Heh. Yes, he's an award winning author & he likes to remind us of it, at least, once a month. I haven't decided what my major is, yet, but I've been leaning towards art history with a minor in painting... Are you going to go to school here? I mean, are you visiting long enough or are you still sticking with tutoring? I know this has got to be weird for you. I mean, you haven't lived on this side for awhile.
Victor (to Marlena): Did you ever read those bodice rippers he wrote? I thought they were hilarious until my mom told me he based them on my dad. So. Very. Gross. I, um, I'm not sure. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be over here. It wasn't really discussed.
Marlena (to Victor): Heehee, I actually embarrassed the hell out of Professor Rathbone when I brought one of them for him to sign. He turned the brightest shade of red. I thought he was going to have a heartattack. God, those are based on your dad? heh. I will never be able to look at him the same way again.
Victor (to Marlena): Tell me about it. Mom was quick to insist they were fictions based on rumors about Dad, NOT actual stuff he did, but still... Gross.
Marlena (to Victor): Heh... Well, we have some time before I have to go pick up Goo, is there anything you want to do or see?
Victor (to Marlena): You call your brother Goo? Nothing is springing to mind. Like I said, I'm kind of at a loss for what to do with myself. Let's do something mundane. Maybe you'll get an idea for your story.
Marlena (to Victor): Yeah, I used to call him Goober when he was little & then, it got shortened to Goo. He seems to likes it... most of the time. Let's go walk towards his school. There's some shops along the way & then, we can go to the library. I think that's all pretty mundane and boring. Maybe, inspiration will strike or I'll get hit by a bus, which will get me out of class. :-P
Victor (to Marlena): God. Don't even joke. I'm in enough trouble as is. If I let you get hit by a bus, my parents will never want me back. I'll end up wandering the streets, destitute like the protagonist of some terrible morality play.
Marlena (to Victor): Boy, you got a bit of a martyr complex, don'tcha? You know, the whole thing with the airship wasn't your fault, right? We did it together. Yeah, you got us on to the ship, but I figured out how to unlock the engines. So, stop taking all the blame, okay?
Victor (to Marlena): I don't have a martyr complex. I have an over-developed sense of responsibility stemming from a pair of parents who insisted any wanton behavior on my part would result in my dissection on a laboratory table. Being an only child probably didn't help matters. I know I didn't do it alone. I'm boring left to my own devices.
Marlena (to Victor): Well, alright then, I'm glad you cleared that up for me... Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit overly dramatic?
Victor (to Marlena): I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be a jerk. Honestly. I wasn't being melodramatic. Not about the dissection part, at least.
Marlena (to Victor): Look, I get it. I understand being the odd one out. Really I do. Did you know that Mom & Dad were encouraged to put me in "special advanced classes" my whole life? I tried one once, it made me crazy. So, I played dumb & got sent back to regular classes, which bored me to death. So, Mom had a friend of hers come over & tutor me. She had apparently been considered a child prodigy, so she knew what I was going through. And now, I just try to act normal, which means being by myself a lot. So, yeah, I get it.
Victor (to Marlena): Heh. The morality play was a tad over the top. I do tend a bit towards the theatrical.
Marlena (to Victor): It's ok, I'm actually kind of used to it. Have you met my mom? She's the queen of theatrics, at least, when she's working. I used to think it was awesome, but now I tend to avoid the place. Everyone thinks she's so cool. It's just weird.
Victor (to Marlena): God, do I understand that. "The Dandy" has quite the fan club in some places. It's--not to overuse the word--it's so gross. Mom's just as bad. Aunt Mouse always seemed really low key to me. But, I may not have a good basis for comparison.
Marlena (to Victor): Heh, probably not. Thankfully Dad's pretty low key, except when he's in painting mode & that's more lock himself in the studio and forget to eat kind of mood. But, Mom can usually coax him out with making empanadas. He usually emerges to tell her she's doing it wrong & then takes over in the kitchen. She always winks at me & Goo when he does it. So, you know she did it just to get him out of his studio. It's kind of funny how he never seems to catch on or maybe he does. I don't know.
Victor (to Marlena): Heh. I was always kind of scared of your dad when I was little. He was so much taller than everyone, & always looked mad.
Marlena (to Victor): Heehee, don't let the scowl fool you. He's actually a big softie. It's my mom you've got to worry about, she's always quietly judging. And, she always seems to know what's going on... which I have no idea how she does it.
