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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2014 14:15:23 GMT -5
The museum was busy today. It was mostly school groups taking tours, which was a usual occurrence, but it just seemed to bustle more than usual. He had already seen every exhibit several times, but even if it was only his imagination playing tricks on him, he seemed to discover something new every time he visited. The quirky man had even started to take a notebook, writing down the new things he discovered.
By the time he had reached the Milstein Hall of Ocean life, he was already two pages in on his brand new notebook. He made his way back to the Fossil Halls, which is where he felt most at home, and he sat down, deciding to take a break. He closed his notebook, and he leaned back, looking at the remains of the most magnificent beasts that ever walked the earth. How he would have loved to go back in time to see what they looked like covered in muscle and flesh. He imagined it would be terrifying, but beautiful at the same time.
Usually he had his assistant in tow with him, but he had given the girl the day off. She was a hard worker, not to mention, she had studies to tend to as well. Sure, Angelina was smart, but she still needed to refresh herself on school studies from time to time. Last he knew of, she had gone to the University's library, so he guessed she would be there for quite some time.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2014 19:55:34 GMT -5
Behaving well at the dentist meant that Juliet treated her daughter to a trip in the city. The last time it had been Madame Tussauds, but this time Mariella wanted to show her mommy all the fun things she had seen on her latest field trip, which had been to the Natural History Museum. These treats were becoming a little more frequent as Mariella received more visits from the Tooth Fairy and her permanent teeth began growing through. From the looks of things, the eight year old was fated to inherit her mother's overbite and crooked incisors, but Juliet was proof of how braces would fix that easily enough. They were things they could worry about in a few more years. Right now Jules just wanted Mariella to enjoy her childhood and do the things that made the little girl happy. If that meant taking an afternoon off work and running around a museum with her then so be it.
Jules had put her dreams on the back burner a long time ago when she had split from Tyler, but that was something she knew she could turn back to one day. She wasn't like some teenage mothers; Juliet had the support from her boyfriend and her family. With that she had been able to go ahead and attend culinary school, earn her qualifications and set up a home for herself just a short drive from Hoboken where she had spent her own childhood. Sure, boasting that she was the general manager of a Starbucks branch was hardly an impressive feat, but it paid the bills, kept food on the table and it was enough. Mariella saw her father when it was arranged and he gave money to support the pair. They might not be in love anymore, but Tyler and Jules were still friends, even if it was just for the sake of their daughter. They looked out for each other just like they always had done.
Juliet hadn't been in the museum in a long time. Days out were luxuries saved for when Mariella deserved them, not when Jules just felt a bit nostalgic about her school days. Back then, those school days and her final trip here, she had been sporting a small baby bump beneath her sweater, still trying to conceal the truth from teachers and classmates. It felt like a lifetime ago now and she was caught up in memories of her own past as Mariella tugged at her hand and dragged her around the exhibits. The little girl was talking at hyper-speed about the fossils the man had told them about on the school trip and Jules listened to what she could, nodding along and asking simple questions to keep Mariella thinking about her class work. Her daughter was clever, but had a habit of daydreaming or losing focus so it was something she was working to try and rectify for this school year. Mariella skipped off to look at the other things in the room as Jules read one of the mounted plaques with interest. Brown eyes glanced the room and she saw her daughter climbing up onto a bench next to a stranger. There were times when Juliet was certain she had given birth to the friendliest and most hyperactive little pixie this side of the river. Her mother just told Jules that she was exactly the same at Mariella's age, only Mariella didn't rough house. “Mariella! What have I told you? Don't disturb people.” The little girl was at her mother's side in seconds, mumbling apologies to both the stranger and her mother. Then Juliet turned to the stranger with an apologetic smile in place. “Sorry; she gets a little carried away sometimes.”
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TAGGED! Daniel! <3 WORDS! 670! OUTFIT! Sweet Thing! LYRICS! A Comet Appears - - The Shins NOTES! <3 <3 <3
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2014 9:33:39 GMT -5
Daniel had been looking over his notes like he was going to edit and publish them or something. He was really in to what he was doing. So much so, that he hardly noticed that there was a little girl standing beside him. When the little girl started speaking to him, he lifted his eyes from the notebook and he quirked a brow. "Hi there," He said in a calm sort of voice. One that you'd speak to an adult with. That's what children were to him, after all. Itty bitty versions of people. He heard a woman's voice, and saw her coming in to view. Mariella, he concluded, was the little girl's name. It sparked a familiar twinge in his heart. Ella, was what he would have hoped to have named his child, should she have been a girl. He smiled at the woman, and closed his notebook. "Don't worry, she wasn't bothering me." He gave the woman a small smile, shoving the small notebook in to his back pocket after standing up. He was slightly socially awkward at times, so he quite honestly didn't know if this young girl was the woman's little sister, or daughter. He hoped he wasn't about to get slapped. "Your..daughter? Seems curious about the world. It's a commendable trait to have at such a young age." He knelt down beside Mariella, and he lifted a hand to a fossil that was hanging from the ceiling. "Do you know what this dinosaur was called?" He was referring to a pterodactyl. He then realized that he still hadn't introduced himself, and normally, in society, that's what people did when carrying on conversations with each other. "Forgive me," He spoke with a rather charming smile as he lifted his gaze to the woman. "My name is Daniel. Daniel Crane." He'd leave out the 'Doctor' part for now. It was an accomplishment, not something to gloat about. The woman was quite lovely. He had surprised himself by his ability to not be completely clumsy and inarticulate while speaking to her. Tagged: Juliet! Words: 344 Notes: I spelled pterodactyl without using spell check! <3
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2014 18:40:39 GMT -5
At school Juliet had probably been somewhere in the middle of the average grade kids. Her talents blossomed in the kitchen and there was so much more that she was capable of than working a cappuccino machine. Raising Mariella took up most of her time though and with only the odd catering event here and there allowing her to really showcase her culinary skills, Juliet was stuck with the green apron for the time being. It wasn't something she resented in the slightest. However, Juliet was too stubborn to ask for help and the thought of leaving her daughter with her parents or Tyler more than she already did was too much for her. She liked being a mom, even if she didn't look the part. When disgruntled customers wound her up at Starbucks, Jules just reminded herself that one day she would get the chance she had been waiting for and then all this would have been worth it.
Meeting new people was something Juliet rarely got a chance for. More often than not she was running around with errands or collecting Mariella from dance class or friend's houses. Juliet had grown up fast when she had seen the positive pregnancy test between her fingers when she was only seventeen, but that was life sometimes. She had made the best out of it and had very few complaints. The things she sacrificed she sacrificed for her daughter and in Juliet's eyes, her daughter was worth the world. Smiling at the man, the young Italian blooded woman nodded her head. “Yeah. She wants to know everything about anything. She's eight going on forty-eight.” Jules joked lightly. Mariella could be a handful at times, but she was innocently curious about the world around her and meant no one any harm. The red head just wished that other people could be as understanding as this man about it.
Juliet remained silent while Mariella tried to read the name plate and pronounce the name. The young mother knew her daughter would know the name upon hearing it, but reading such long words was probably a year or two away for the little girl. “It's one that flies, Mariella, so which kind flies?” She trailed off, watching the little girl's expression frown for a second before lighting up again. “Pterodactyl!” She shouted gleefully, only just pronouncing the word correctly. Smiling first at Mariella and then at the man by her side, Juliet nodded just once. “Then that would make me Juliet Franchini. And this wild thing is Mariella.” The little girl had her mother's last name. It was something that would have changed if Juliet had gone ahead and married Tyler, but their romance fizzled out long before she even stepped foot into a bridal boutique.
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TAGGED! Daniel! <3 WORDS! 469! OUTFIT! Sweet Thing! LYRICS! A Comet Appears - - The Shins NOTES! Haha! It's my favourite of the dinosaurs! <3 <3 <3
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2014 16:17:26 GMT -5
Daniel was quite impressed by Mariella's ability to distinguish fossils as well as pronounce the names of the majestic beasts. "Well done, Mariella!" He grinned, clapping a little for the girl. "I think wanting to know everything about everything is a wonderful way to live. Curiosity is important, Mariella. Never lose it." Once more, his attention went back to Juliet. "I was like her when I was that age, myself. All I wanted to do was ask questions, and if someone didn't know the answer, it would drive me to wanting to know even more." Daniel -still- wanted to know everything about the world. There was still so much that he didn't know.. And seeing the child's curiosity made him remember why he was now a professor.
There were others, her age and older, who wanted, and needed to know things that only Daniel could teach them A smile crossed his lips, as he gazed first at Mariella once more, and then Juliet. He wanted to say so much more.. but if Angel was there, she'd probably advise him to just shut up and run away while he was ahead.. However! Angel wasn't there! "Juliet, would you like to maybe get a coffee sometime? Er.. um. We could take Mariella! And that way she can ask as many questions about dinosaurs and the like." He wasn't sure if he had just tried to ask Juliet out on a possible date, or if he just shoved his foot in his mouth. Sure, he had asked women out before.. and he was once able to talk to them quite easily.. however, after he had met Sherri, all of that completely went out the window, and he basically forgot.
It was at that moment, that he decided to perhaps start taking cue cards with him everywhere he went, just in case no one was around to tell him how to speak to a woman.. or to make him stay quiet while he still could, at least. Tagged: Juliet! Outfit: Socially Awkward Penguin Notes: <3
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2014 17:00:06 GMT -5
Between the encouragement Mariella received at home and the fact that she was the eldest of the Franchini grandchildren, knowing her lessons from school were important. Juliet would remind her how she had to be a good influence on her younger cousins as they grew up and with her brothers having sons, dinosaurs were a pretty common thing around the old Hoboken house on Sunday family dinners or sports days. The adults retreated to watch the game and the kids were usually battling it out with detailed models of the extinct creatures. “I think curiosity is a family trait.” Jules said quietly, more to herself than to either of the two standing by her. She could remember it all so well. Curiosity about birds had been how Juliet had broken her left arm when she was nine and climbing an apple tree in their backyard. “People say Mariella is just like me when I was her age. Obviously I like to think Mariella is better than I was; even if my only argument for it is that she doesn't have four older brothers to torment her.” Juliet's brothers were as close to her as they could be. She knew she could call them and they'd be there in a heartbeat for her. However, they had their scraps as most siblings did, and when they were all children it wasn't uncommon for one to pull her hair or tease her about something girly. They also taught her to fight back though and countless times their father had separated the lot of them while shouting in his native tongue at them.
It wasn't often that Juliet got to go out anywhere with adult company that weren't related to her. She worked and then her free time was committed to family. Even on the weekends when Tyler had their daughter, Jules would be running around with her mother or sister-in-laws. There wasn't much time for anything else in her life. So when Daniel asked about coffee, a smile broke out across Juliet's glossed lips and she took a moment before she answered. “Yeah. That would be great.” She answered on behalf of herself before lightly nudging her daughter. “What do you think, piccola principessa?” Jules already had her daughter semi-fluent in Italian, but it was her own habits that had her returning to the language for nicknames and the occasional sentence. “Yes!” Mariella said excitedly, jumping up onto her toes happily. Juliet laughed and then turned her attention back to Daniel. “Once she starts asking questions she'll have you there all day.” Juliet warned, still wearing that warm smile.
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TAGGED! Daniel! <3 WORDS! 447! OUTFIT! Sweet Thing! LYRICS! A Comet Appears - - The Shins NOTES! <3 <3 <3
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 12:15:10 GMT -5
He had psyched himself up to take the blow when she denied him the pleasure of her company for a coffee, so when she actually agreed, he was a little surprised. Pleasantly, of course. Maybe he didn't need someone to tell him how to talk to women after all! Okay.. so maybe he was getting a little cocky about it. A smile crossed his lips, and he nodded. "Wonderful. There's a little cafe in the Grand Gallery on the first floor if you're up for it now?" He asked the two of them - but mostly Juliet, of course. "I don't mind being here all day answering questions. Actually,it's sort of my job." A grin touched his lips. "I'm a professor at NYU." Sure, there were plenty of other things that he did during his free time, but being a teacher was his favorite part of it. Yes, the digs were fun, and even the lectures were, but helping other people learn was what he lived for. Which was why he was so excited about answering all of Mariella's questions. "Even I still ask questions. That's what's great about the world..it's impossible to know everything, so one has to learn as much as they can while they're living here. Right, Mariella?" He chuckled. "Oh! I apologize. Just one moment." He rushed to pull his phone from his pocket. He sent a text to Angelina, telling her to take the entire day off, because he had made plans with someone. This wasn't common for Daniel to do.. he never made plans, unless it was to go off on a journey to a different country to drop in on one of his archaeologist friends or something. So, for that very reason, he sent a follow up text saying that he promised he was perfectly fine.. he just met someone interesting. He left out the part that it was a beautiful woman.
After putting the phone in his pocket, he looked between them. "Or, maybe instead of coffee, we could go to the food court and get a brontosaurus burger? Those things are probably the best burgers in New York City. But then again, I could just be biased because I really like the brontosaurus." He smiled a rather charming smile. It was good that his smile was so nice.. because sometimes he really should just stop talking.
Tagged: Juliet! <3 Words: 396! Outfit: Socially Awkward Penguin Notes: <3!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 17:38:12 GMT -5
People might think Juliet would be sick of coffee since she worked in a Starbucks, but then she often joked that sly cups there were what got her through the day. Plus, Starbucks was only a temporary stop that she hoped to say her goodbyes to in another year or so when Mariella was just a little older and her own foothole in catering began to get her places. At least that was her optimistic way of thinking about things. “Yeah; now is good for us.” Juliet didn't have anywhere else to be and it was still early enough that she didn't have to worry about chasing Mariella around their home to try and get the little girl into a bath and then to bed. “Oh, wow. That's interesting. My brothers are trying to influence Mariella into going to Ole Miss.” It was their favourite college, and the alma mater for two of them. They meant it as more of a joke, but that didn't stop them giving Mariella hints even if the little girl was only eight.
Mariella only nodded at his question, that little shy streak breaking out. It only ever appeared when she met Juliet's friends for the first time, so this was slightly unusual to see. However, Juliet just smiled at her daughter, knowing that somewhere in their those little cogs were turning and had Mariella wondering all kinds of things. She'd end up exploding with questions sooner or later; she always did. Juliet, on the other hand, was a little excited to be spending some more time away from the usual routine. It was hard to remember sometimes that the rest of the world did happen beyond her little day to day life. It was just so unusual for anything different to happen for her that when it did she felt that childish rush of butterflies and giddiness. “Food sounds perfect. I don't think I've eaten since breakfast.” Juliet had a habit of forgetting lunch hours even existed. She knew Mariella would have eaten at school before Juliet snatched her from Math class for her dentist appointment, but it would be approaching dinner time soon anyway. “Lead the way!” She encouraged, playfully skipping along with her giggling daughter who seemed to have snapped back out of her thoughts by now.
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TAGGED! Daniel! <3 WORDS! 393! OUTFIT! Sweet Thing! LYRICS! A Comet Appears - - The Shins NOTES! <3 <3 <3
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 8:44:24 GMT -5
"Well, you certainly can't deny a good vacation, wherever it may be.. then again, one day Mariella may just be an Ivy League lady and leave all of us silly old fogies in the dirt." He chuckled, leading the way toward the food court. He could get to the location of the food court blindfolded, starting from any part of the museum. He had been there so often, that the food court workers pretty much knew anything he wanted. He had a 'usual' at every vendor. After all, you have to have variety!
Once they reached the food court, and they made it to the restaurant within it that he spoke of, he ordered three brontosaurus burgers, two sodas and a chocolate milk for Mariella. After paying for the food, and retrieving it, he sat it at a table. "Alright, ladies. Eat up." He gave Juliet another genuine smile, and then he sat down as well, even though he hadn't touched his burger yet. He had thought he was hungry..but apparently he was just excited to answer the curious girl's questions, and maybe get to know Juliet better. "Alirght," He cleared his throat. "Here's a piece of trivia to start out with, Mariella. Ready?" He cleared his throat, then leaned in close as if he were telling the girl a secret. "Crocodiles were around even before dinosaurs.. did you know that?" He smiled. He had blown several minds with that one - and that was to kids in college.
"Even some trees out date dinosaurs. Including pine trees." He grabbed a french fry that had come with the burgers, and he chewed on it to give Mariella time to react. his attention turned to Juliet again, and he couldn't help but smile.
Tagged: Juliet! <3
Notes: <3!!
Words: 292
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 10:17:50 GMT -5
Chuckling, Juliet nodded. She herself had opted for culinary school over college, since her passion and her dreams had always laid with cooking. Whatever Mariella chose to pursue Juliet would support. If that meant dropping her daughter off at a college on the other side of the country and giving her a teary goodbye then she would do it. They still had about ten years before Juliet would find herself in that situation, but just the thought of seeing her daughter all grown up brought a lump to her throat and she had to shake her head to get rid of the thoughts. There was still a long time before that happened, but Juliet would still be young and her life would still have a lot in store for her too. Maybe that was a perk of falling pregnant in high school, despite all the stigma surrounding teenage pregnancies.
It was nice of Daniel to pay for the food and while he was waiting, Juliet hoisted Mariella up onto her back so the little girl was full of giggles and not questions straight away. Like most children, she didn't know when it was impolite to be nosy or when certain questions were off limits. Nothing bad had ever come of it since almost every child went through the same phase. Once seated, her daughter's attention turned to the food. She definitely had Italian blood in her with the appetite she had. Jules thanked Daniel for the food before she starting picking away at hers, listening to him speak and tell Mariella these little facts. Knowing her daughter as well as she did, anything Mariella did remember from Daniel would be repeated to everyone she saw over the next week. She looked at her mother as though she needed her mama's confirmation to the truth. “If that's what Daniel says. He knows more than I do, baby.” Once given that little bit of information, Mariella's eyes were wide as she listened to the trivia. It was nice to have someone else around, even if he was giving Mariella enough information to have her shouting out in class for the coming days.
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TAGGED! Daniel! <3 WORDS! 362 OUTFIT! Sweet Thing! LYRICS! A Comet Appears - - The Shins NOTES! <3 <3 <3
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