mixingbowl | Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah

[ Just the response she was hoping for -- at least about the hanging out part. The 'I'm fine' is always his go to answer, whether or not something is wrong or not. She takes a few moments to type up a quick text to the manager at the Wonder Bar, telling him that she's sick and needs the day off, before typing up one for Apollo and shooting it over. ]

Okay, I'm on my way! See you soon! :)

[ Once it's sent, she changes direction and starts heading towards People Park. It only takes a few minutes, and she finds herself taking a seat on a bench, awaiting Apollo's arrival. She can't help but feel somewhat nervous, though; something's a little off with him, but she just can't place what. She's about to find out, of course, and something about that thought has her shifting a little in place. This isn't like Apollo. ]

[His stomach feels like it's been twisted into knots by the time he spots the familiar shade of blue across the park. Tucking the folder more tightly against his side, Apollo reaches the bench in a few brisk strides. The uncertainty in his expression is only one sign of several that something's wrong, no matter how hard he's trying to be casual.]

Thanks for coming. [The relieved words escape him before he can reconsider. His brows furrow even more deeply as he considers the time on his phone, before slipping it back into his pocket.] If you haven't eaten yet, we can go somewhere after we...talk. [Wincing, Apollo tries not to think about how suspicious that had sounded.]

[ Trucy quickly looks up from her phone when she hears footsteps approaching, and smiles brightly at Apollo, even if his own expression is a little iffy. Her poker face game is strong, though, and so she keeps her smile in place, scooting over and patting the bench to offer him a seat next to her. ]

No problem, Polly! [ Oh, that didn't sound suspicious, no. It sounds worrisome, and so her smile finally falls just slightly because now she's not so sure. It slips just momentarily, however -- she's not going to start prematurely worrying just yet. Nothing good will come out of that. ] Sure, I'd like that! I haven't had time to eat at all today, I've been stuck with a lot of homework. And essays... and tests...

[ ...It's the end of the school year, and unlike poor Apollo she has been slammed with work almost constantly, even if it's not of the legal variety. Maybe that's what this is about, maybe her father has sent him to scold her for not trying hard enough. ]

You haven't eaten all day? [After a brief pause to check if he's financially in the clear for the rest of the month, Apollo offers:] My treat. As long as it's not noodles. [No offense to Eldoon, but his stomach can only take so much of the salty broth in a week. Besides, after the bomb he's about to drop on her (if what he suspects is true), Apollo figures he should try to make it up to her somehow.

Gingerly lowering himself onto the bench beside her, Apollo brings the folder forward. His hand lingers on the photo of Thalassa before he hands it over to Trucy without fanfare. Maybe it's because there's been too much excitement in their lives recently, but he'd prefer to keep this as simple as possible.]

Have you seen this picture before? [His brown eyes watch her carefully, even as they remain guarded themselves.]

Nope, haven't had a chance. Between homework and helping daddy pack for his trip to Europe, I just haven't had the time. [ She heaves an overly dramatic sigh, before blinking when he actually offers to pay. Okay, now she knows something is up. ] Thanks, Polly! Alright, alright, no noodles!

[ She giggles at the thought of her poor friend trying to gag down another bowl of delicious noodles, before she hums and takes the picture he's handed to her. She stares blankly down at it for a few moments, and while she's still smiling, her facial features soften. Oh, of course she knows who this is, even if her memories of her mother are a little fuzzy. ]

Mm, no, I don't think I've seen this particular picture... where did you find it? [ She clearly isn't looking at the bracelets, not yet at least. She's too busy trying to recall if she'd ever seen the photo before, or if she'd been around when it was taken. She's about to say something else, when her eye catches something at the bottom of the photo in question; golden and very familiar around the woman's wrists, they're bracelets.

The look on her face suddenly changes once again, and she looks up at Apollo for a brief moment, before back down at the picture. ]

...I don't understand. [ Her words come out very slowly and very quietly as she tries to make sense of this. She keeps scanning the picture over and over, before finally she looks up at Apollo again, and then down to his own bracelet. ] I don't... how?

[The recognition, he expects. It is her mother, after all. It's the shock that comes after that he's looking for. Apollo holds back his commentary for the moment. A few seconds later, he sees the exact moment that her expression shifts, knowing she's finally caught on.]

Honestly? I'm not sure, either. [As he exhales quietly, his gaze drops down to the picture again.] I found this file of the Misham case in the office when I was cleaning up. This picture was in there--along with this. [With a bit more reluctance, Apollo rifles through the papers until he finds Thalassa's profile, then hands that over to Trucy, too. The notes on her status as a Gramaye, her marriage to Zak, her fateful accident are all expected. The few lines about her first marriage and the possibility of another child are not.

While she's reading, Apollo clears his throat and nervously turns his bracelet on his wrist.] Did I ever tell you how I got this bracelet?

[ She tears her gaze away from his bracelet to stare up at him once more, listening to him speak. She's more than a little shocked, to say the least. She very carefully takes the paper as he hands it over, allowing her eyes to drop and read over the lettering. She pours over each word, and reads the document again and again, trying to make some kind of sense of this. But there's really no sense to make of it... possibility of another child, no one had ever mentioned that to her before.

It's starting to come together, piece by piece. The bracelet, the odd powers they both possess... she'd even heard, at one point, someone on the street stating that they looked alike, but at the time she'd taken it simply as they were making the same expression. Now she's not so sure about that. ]

No, you didn't... how did you get it, Polly? [ Her voice is soft, and she's still reading the document repeatedly, along with looking at the picture on occasion. She shifts a little, settling both things down onto her lap finally so that she can properly pay attention to his story. ]

I was in a group home for as long as I remember. [Though his voice is softer than Trucy might be used to, his tone remains matter-of-fact. It's not pity he's looking for in telling her this, not when he's proud that he's able to make it on his own now.] They kept the bracelet for me until I was older, and said my mom had left it for me when she gave me up. I've worn it since then. [Apollo gives a small shrug, like he's embarrassed by the sentimentality.]

A-anyway, you know it helps me see when someone's lying. I don't think there's a lot of these things around.

[He catches her gaze now, curiosity and unease warring inside him.] Did your dad--er, Zak, not Mr. Wright--ever say anything? It can't be a coincidence that I have the same bracelet as your mom, and we have the same ability...right?

[On the one hand, he wouldn't mind having Trucy as family. On the other, he's been on his own for so long that he isn't sure how to feel about the whole thing.]

... [ She'd kind of figured, but just hearing it makes her heart hurt. That's the fate she would have faced, too, had Phoenix not stepped up. No one in her family had wanted her, and even after her mother's accident, no one had really been there for her much, not even Zak. Something about his story makes guilt well up inside her chest, but she hides it well. ] I see. I'm sorry you had to deal with that.

[ He may not be looking for sympathy, but she feels that an apology is necessary regardless. This is a subject she'd never dreamed of having to talk about with Apollo, and yet here they are, talking it out. ] No, something tells me there's... maybe just a few. Or two.

[ She gestures back to the picture of Thalassa and the one bracelet she's wearing, and then his. This is so surreal, this sudden possibility that both Apollo and the documents are hinting at, that it's making her head swim. When he looks her in the eye, she shakes her head. She's sincere and has absolutely no reason to lie about this, after all. ]

No... unless he said something to daddy the night Mr. Gavin killed him. But never to me. [ Her fingers, still wrapped around the papers in her lap, squeeze them unconsciously. She can't help the slight feeling of anxiety that's flowing through her. ] No, I don't think it's a coincidence at all... and I don't exactly think it's a coincidence that we met, either. Daddy's not a stupid man, I'm sure he's... had some kind of knowledge about this.

[ ...Why it was kept from them is whole new can of worms, though. Finally, she looks away from him and up at the sky. She's very quiet for a few moments as she focuses on the clouds and their shapes, trying to gather her thoughts and honestly the courage to say the next few words. ] We could always ask Detective Skye for a DNA test.

It's in the past. [Apollo tells her decisively, not wanting to linger on the darker points of his life when there's something else to focus on--Trucy, specifically..

It's funny that Trucy mentioned Mr. Wright in that context just now, he thinks. One thing's become clear to him since teaming up with her: she's much more perceptive than most people would give her credit for. She would have to be, to pinpoint exactly what bothered Apollo about the whole thing.] I don't know how much Mr. Wright knows, but I want to keep this between us for now...if you're okay with that. Going to Ema is a good idea, though.

[Part of him just wants to know the facts before they decide to confront him in the future. Apollo nudges at her shoulder, glancing over at her.] You okay? I know it's a lot to take in.

[ It's in the past, he says. But it doesn't stop the guilt, simply because if his theory is correct.... he didn't have to be alone. His past didn't have to be like that. She just can't imagine why this was never brought up, why hadn't her mother said anything? Or even Zak?

She pushes those thoughts from her mind after a few moments, nodding her head in agreement. ] I think it's best we keep it between ourselves, yeah. I'm definitely okay with that. I don't want to throw an accusation in his face if we don't have... evidence.

[ This is a lot to take in. She's never considered the possibility of having any siblings, not blood related at least. When she's nudged, she tears her semi-startled gaze away from the papers in her lap, nodding once again. ] Y-yeah, I'm okay... what about you? If... if we're, you know... related, what happens next? I won't make you call me your sister or anything, I swear, and no one ever has to know if you don't want.

[ She's used to that, so when she says it it's rather calm. Not a single person in her family had stepped up to take responsibility after Zak fled, and they'd left her to [at the time] a total stranger. Which had been for the best, naturally, but it's the point of the matter. ]

I'm not going to hide it. [Apollo's face does nothing to hide his dismay at the suggestion. Sure, it's weird and surprising to gain a sibling after twenty-some years, but that doesn't mean he's going to bury his head in the sand and pretend their connection doesn't exist. Even if Trucy wasn't the sibling in question, it just isn't Apollo's style. Family, surprise or not, is important.]

Look... [Though the people around him would call him an open book, Apollo is becoming more and more aware of his struggles to open up to people like he's trying to do with Trucy now.] I know I'm probably not what you had in mind for a big brother. [He gestures between them now.] We're really different. But I want this to work. We can make this work. Somehow.

[This time he offers her a tentative smile.] Despite our differences, we've made a pretty great team so far, don't you think?

...I'm glad. [ She can't help but smile a little at that, honestly. She knows she can be more than a handful sometimes, and she also knows she's embarrassed him on more than one occasion. To hear he wouldn’t hide the fact, if it was true, is almost a relief.

It's his next words that have her eyes widening a fraction. She shakes her head quickly, nearly dropping the papers from her lap in her protest. ] What-- no, Polly! You're everything I could ever want in a big brother! You're super smart, and nice, and you always think things through! We might be really different, yeah, but that doesn't matter at all. You're definitely perfect big brother material!

[ Her nerves are calming somewhat now that the initial shock has worn off, and Trucy offers him a bright, genuine smile in return. ] We make an awesome team! You're absolutely right, we'll make this work and it's going to be great!

[ Her smile turns mischievous suddenly, and she leans on playfully. ] Besides, this would give you a reason to be my assistant in some of my shows!

Really? [Apollo can't help but feel a little skeptical, his brows drawing together just so. Dedication, passion, and focus are all things he has in spades. Friends...not so much.

Just hearing Trucy's reassurance loosens the knot of worry. Apollo's hand rubs at his neck, even as his smile gains an awkward, bashful sort of tinge.] Well...thanks.

[Then he freezes, visions of glitter and sequins filling him with horror.] About that--I'm not really a performing sort of guy.

Of course! You're pretty awesome, you know. [ Poor Apollo. They're opposites when it comes to friends -- she easily makes them wherever she goes. Even in school she's pretty popular. Close friends, however, are harder to come by, and she's been blessed to have Apollo as one of the few she can say she's closest to.

Giggling, she nudges him playfully. She would love to make him her assistant at least once, but she knows far too well that's an uphill battle she's not going to win. ] I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I understand, it's not for everyone... although I really think you'd be good at it! I guess it would be like you telling me to be an attorney. I think we both know that would end poorly for everyone.

[ She's glad for the more relaxed atmosphere, but, the original subject at hand needs to be addressed still. ] We should wait until daddy is back from his trip to talk to him... by then we should have DNA results and more answers, you know?

[ There's a very short pause as her eyes drift back down to the photo. ] ...Did you want to know more about her? I don't remember a whole lot about her, but I can tell you what I know.

Edited 2016-05-29 04:21 (UTC)

[Just as Apollo's about to point out how much Trucy's observations helped in his trials, he thinks better of it. If there's another way to tell Trucy she wouldn't make a half-bad lawyer without encouraging her about the whole assistant thing, Apollo can't recall it.

He clears his throat instead, silently letting go of the topic.] Yeah...I'd like to hear more about her.

[The idea hits him just then, and Apollo gently tugs the folder back with a thoughtful look.]

You don't have many pictures of her either, do you? We should make copies of this one before we talk to Mr. Wright. One copy for each of us.

[ She lets him tug the folder back with a hum, turning her eyes to the sky as she tries to recall anything and everything about her mother. It's been so long that some details are a little blurry, she finds. ] She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and was super dedicated to being part of Troupe Gramarye.

[ She was young when her mother died, but she does remember Thalassa's kindness and intelligence. It's been a while since she's had to dredge these memories up, but slowly they are returning. ]

She felt most at home on the stage in front of a crowd, and even though she was busy she always made sure to make time for me each day... she also knew whenever I was lying or if I'd done something bad... kind of like how we can tell when people are telling dumb lies. She was also very outgoing and passionate about everything she did.

[ At least, from what she can recall. Trucy pulls herself from her reverie at Apollo's words, looking back up at him with a smile. ] Agreed! I'll try to find more pictures of her, I've got maybe... two? At home. We can make copies of those, too, if you want!

[He listens intently, soaking in the sound of Trucy's voice. Her words paint a pretty picture of Thalassa, one that would have matched the mom he'd dreamt up while in the group home. It's almost out of habit when Apollo touches his bracelet thoughtfully.]

She did wear the bracelets in that picture. It's possible they worked for her like they do for me. [He muses, just loud enough to be heard. Even without the DNA test, Apollo can't ignore how all the evidence seems to be piling up. He sighs and presses his index finger to his forehead in his classic thinking pose. ] We really need to get a hold of Ema.

I'm sure they did. It makes me wonder, though... if she wore two, did that make her perception skills double strong? [ She can't help this question; she knows it probably doesn't really matter, but it isn't in Trucy's nature not to question things like this. Besides, knowing how well it works for Apollo with just one, whose to say that two didn't work even better?

Folding her arms, she nods her head sagely in agreement. It's still surprising, and yet, at the same time she finds herself very much wanting these results to match up. The thought of having a big brother, especially if it's Apollo, is more than a little exciting. ]

Let's just go down to the police station and tell her what's going on. She won't dare tell anyone else because we'll threaten sending Prosecutor Gavin down to the station to harass her!

[ Well, that's her plan, at least. She's not ashamed to blackmail the good detective if she has to. ]

If we had the other one, we could've tested it out. [Personally, Apollo figures it would just get the same results, only with both wrists instead of one. It would've been nice to test the theory, though.

Aaand then a snicker escapes him before he can help himself. While Apollo finds Gavin a bit of a diva, his general pings of annoyance are nothing compared to Ema's completely unsubtle distaste for the rockstar.] You're forgetting about those edible projectiles of hers. She'd just snackoo us into submission if we try to threaten her.

Yeah... wow, what a shame. I guess we'll never know! [ Which is slightly disappointing. She can almost envision Apollo wearing both bracelets and becoming super lawyer... not that, of course, he isn't already.

He's right, though. Those Snackoos of hers are a dangerous weapon to contend with. ] Well, either we can let her dump the whole bag on us, or... we can buy her some limited edition flavors and bribe her! I think I saw salted caramel flavored ones down at the store yesterday... or, maybe if we're lucky, she'll just keep her mouth shut about it? I mean, she's a detective... she's good at keeping quiet about stuff!

[ ...For the most part. Honestly, though, Trucy's leaning towards just buying multiple bags of limited edition Snackoos at this point, because bribing Ema seems less dangerous than just depending on her to keep her silence on the issue. [

[A moment of consideration, followed by raised eyebrows. He's pretty sure Trucy's come to the same conclusion that he has.]

I think I'll hedge my bets on the bribe. If anything, having snackoos puts her in a good mood like nothing else does.

...except science, of course. [He adds with a quirk of his lips, amused. Then he looks perplexed again.] Since when do they have limited edition snack flavors?

[ She grins at Apollo -- for once, he's agreeing to bribe someone, even if it's just Ema and Snackoos. Still, it's something she can mark off of her 'get Apollo to-do' list. ]

I don't think I've ever met anyone that's so happy to both eat and toss a snack at the same time! I suppose it makes for a good snack during trials, though!

...Maybe we can make her a bottle of homemade luminol! I'll bet they have videos on the internet! [ She's... pulling her phone out to see if she can't find a recipe for the chemical in question, when he questions her. She looks up again, tipping her head slightly. ] Polly, they've always had limited edition snack flavors, in almost anything you can buy! You... you didn't know?

Can't really say I spent a lot of time following these trends. [His voice is a tad dry as he replies.] Is it really that big of a deal?

[Trucy's foray into the internet has Apollo looking on with increasing alarm, though--that is definitely a big deal.]

Let's make sure we won't be doing something highly illegal before we even look up those videos. [Helpfully, he covers up the screen with his hand, suppressing a sigh.] What happened to bribing her with snackoos?

[He'd liked that plan! It sounded reasonable and definitely not as suspicious.]

Polly, you're missing out! They're delicious. I like the vanilla cream ones, personally, but those are only a winter flavor. Yes, they're kind of a big deal!

[ Not really. But to her they are. She blinks when he covers the phone screen, effectively cutting off her video on DoTube. ]

Aw, it's not illegal. I think they were using highlighter fluid-- oh, we're still doing that. I just thought some hand made luminol would be a nice gesture. Oh, maybe we can bake Snackoos,too, while we're at it!

[ She's got that overly determined look on her face... ]

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