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Post by felipe on Nov 3, 2009 4:39:53 GMT -5
"Rufio! Here! Felipe called out and the large Fila Brasileiro bounded over, tongue lolling comically out of one side of his mouth. Ana Izabel was off meeting a couple of her friends and so that left Felipe the only person available to walk the dog... Not that he minded in the slightest!
"Don't be long, Fel," his mom called out. "Supper in an hour and it looks like it might rain."
"Ok, mãe," he called back and with a rumbling overhead to match the one in the pit of his stomach Felipe had a feeling their walk would be brief at best. He crossed Ocean Avenue and headed for Pallisades Park...
It was still warm enough for people to be out sunbathing despite it being late afternoon. Joggers too. Even some people making the best of the weather to share a picnic. The ocean itself formed a backdrop that made for a very pleasant scene and atmosphere. Felipe led Rufio past all of that, though, and onto the walkway that framed the sea-front edge of the park. Already the sun was starting to set and bringing with it a glory of crimson sky. The wind had already started to pick up and threatening even more the onset of rain.
"Be quick," urged Felipe when they reached the area specially designated for dogs and he unclipped Rufio's leash. Rufio, for his part, looked in absolutely no rush what so ever and Felipe resigned himself to something of a wait...
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Post by pip on Nov 4, 2009 0:30:59 GMT -5
Ivy had wanted out of the house as things were unpacked and walking Darrell, her year old brother, was the perfect excuse. She made sure he was bundled up and put up the top to the stroller so he could see out the plastic window, but wouldn't get wet if it rained as it threatened to do. She looked more like his nanny than his sister, for she was half-Asian and he wasn't.
She had heard about Palisades Park and headed there, figuring it was a good way to start learning about her new home.
Looking around it seemed a lot of people were leaving, but she didn't want to go home yet, she hadn't seen anything yet. Spying the escarpment, she headed up the walkway glad that Darrell was in a good mood today. She stopped at the top and gasped at the beauty of the sunset. She hadn't seen anything like it since she was a very young child and still in Honolulu. "Isn't that beautiful?!" Ivy asked rhetorically, thinking she was alone.
Hearing a dog bark, Ivy realized that wasn't the case and she looked around. "Oh.... hello. I guess I'm not the only one brave enough to risk getting wet to see this magnificent sunset," she said to the very cute boy with a big dog. "I'm Ivy Walker and this is my little brother, Darrell."
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Post by felipe on Nov 4, 2009 1:43:55 GMT -5
"It is very beautiful," he replied with a smile. "It is an honour to meet you, Ivy," he added. Felipe dipped a slight bow to the toddler in the pushchair. "As it is you also, Darrell." He turned back to address Ivy. "I am Felipe Vila Nova... and this is Rufio. We have not long since moved here and so I am still getting to know the area but you are right in that the view is magnificent from here." That comment would have served better had he actually been looking at the sea but as he was still facing Ivy perhaps he hadn't been referring to the sunset.
"Rufio..." he said in a stern voice and the giant drew back from trying to climg into the stroller and play with Darrell's toys. "He is harmless but tends to... ah... I think the word is slobber." He threw Ivy a grin. "Rufio... sente-se para baixo," he added and, on cue, the large Fila Brasileiro dropped down to sit at the Brazilian boy's feet.
Felipe leaned onto the handrail and peered at the sunset. "Are they always this breath-taking?" he asked in a soft tone. "Or am I just fortunate this evening?"
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Post by Ivy Walker on Nov 4, 2009 9:14:15 GMT -5
Ivy laughed and shrugged. "I have only been here three days and this is the first time that I could escape unpacking. Which is why I am risking rain to enjoy this," she said, reaching down to pull Darrell into her arms as he was getting restless in the stroller. She peered over him at Felipe thinking she would go for walks every night if it meant she would meet such handsome boys.
Darrell fussed reaching for Rufio. Seeing how sweet the dog was she set him down, attaching a lead to his wrist and smiled as they immediately made friends in a rather sloppy way. "Do you go to high school or college?" she asked, thinking he must be around her age. "I just started at Gould High School today." She kept an eye on Darrell despite how fascinating Felipe was.
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Post by felipe on Nov 4, 2009 9:51:51 GMT -5
"Then I lay claim to having been in town the longest," he answered with a short laugh. "Even if it is only by a few days."
Felipe kept a close watch on Rufio, almost mirroring Ivy's actions regarding her little brother. Only a fool would assume a dog was 100% safe and Felipe was far from one of those. He trusted Rufio with his life but wasn't about to do the same with the toddler's.
"But I am at highschool," Felipe continued. "I was supposed to start at Silver," he told Ivy. "My first day we were transferred to Gould and the entire school was caught in the centre of a gang fight. People were hurt... Some died." He glanced down at his hands, clasped together over the edge of the handrail. "It wasn't a good day but I think people are starting to move on. I'm glad you weren't here to see it," he ended in a low voice. No one deserved that and if one person had been saved from the traumatic experience then that had to be a good thing.
He half turned to lean sideways against the railing, one elbow on its uppermost edge. "Where is it you come from?" he asked. "I'm nowhere close to being able to work out regions by accents as I struggle to tell one from the other." His comment came accompanied by a wry smile. "Hopefull given enough time here I will be able to remedy that, though!"
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Post by Ivy Walker on Nov 4, 2009 14:54:08 GMT -5
Ivy noted the care Felipe was taking for Darrell and that really impressed her, even more than his darkly handsome good looks. "Rufio is so well behaved, what kind of dog is he? I have never seen one like him before," she asked as she bent down to 'good dog' him and scratch behind his ears.
Something in her stomach dropped at his story. "That's terrible. I am glad you made it through safely," she said, her eyes sympathetic for it was obvious the experience touched him deeply. Ivy was glad her parents had not heard about it or they would have forced her back into the military school.
"I am not sure anyone could decipher my accent. I have lived too many places. My step-father is in the air force so we have moved almost every year since they married and I was very young when that happened. But I was born in Hawaii and the last place we lived was San Antonio, Texas," Ivy told him. "I didn't really like it there, but it gave us Darrell so there are some fond memories. He's a cowboy under all that fleece. And you? I would guess your accent isn't pure Californian." She grinned up at him, thinking he was nicer than the natives she had met so far too.
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Post by felipe on Nov 5, 2009 10:14:02 GMT -5
"He is a Fila Brasileiro... I think that's called a mastiff here. The breed is known for its loyalty and bravery. Rufio seems in particular devoted to me... no idea why! I probably feed and walk him more than anyone else at home," he said with a laugh. Felipe rabbed absently at the dog's left ear as he spoke and Rufio, in turn, panted up at the bo, doing his utmost to swipe his tongue around Felipe's wrist.
"But as for the gang stuff at school... It was bad, yes, but I was lucky in that I came out of it with noting more than a few bruises here." He touched his forehead as he spoke. "Others weren't so fortunate."
He listened closely as Ivy went on to tell him where she originated from, laughing again at her pure Californian joke. "You would be right in that," he replied. "I'm from Brazil. Sao Paolo to be exact. A huge and busy city that makes Santa Monica seem so quiet!" It probably wasn't but compared to Sao Paolo it was positively sleepy. At first Felipe hadn't thought he'd like it but it hadn't taken him long to change his mind. Even taking the trouble at school into account.
"Would you like to get a cup of coffee?" he suggested on impulse. "When the sun slips over the horizon as it's just done I usually start to feel the chill," he added by means of an explanation.
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Post by Ivy Walker on Nov 6, 2009 13:05:18 GMT -5
"Well Rufio seems to be a love. I have always wanted a dog, but because we move so much my parents don't think it is a good idea. They don't understand that some things are worth some inconvenience," Ivy said with a sigh.
Ivy smiled. "Santa Monica is kind of quiet. Its like and island of calm amidst all the other LA communities. I imagine that the people who live here can pay to have it quiet," she teased, knowing that it was also one of the more affluent areas.
Nodding at the invitation, Ivy bent to pick up Darrell. "I would love some coffee," she said knowing she could probably get her brother some milk or juice for his bottle as well. "They say it is going to rain too. The cool humidity makes it even chillier. It is hotter in San Antonio as well and a lot more arid." She secured the toddler in the stroller and bundled him up again.
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Post by felipe on Nov 6, 2009 13:48:06 GMT -5
Felipe could tell Ivy was concerned about her brother and - to be honest - that warmed his heart. Family was, after all, very important in his culture and to see it now made him feel very much at ease.
"We won't take long," he stated, looking pointedly at Darrell. "Rufio will start to complain if we do!" he added on a short laugh. It was easier to blame the dog than to say they would be quick for her brother's sake. Besides, that would hardly be fair.
"Do you have anything with you for Darrell?" he asked. A bottle or anything would see them able to take a little more time with their coffee. Felipe was enjoying his time with Ivy and hated the thought ofcutting it any shorter than he had to. That said, he fully understood her need for caution. She didn't know him and she was clearly responsible for the toddler. How could he fault her for using caution?
Felipe held up one hand, palm towards her. "I promise... The offer of a coffee has absolutely no strings attached to it." The proper way to put it in America? Of that he couldn't be sure but he hoped so!
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Post by Ivy Walker on Nov 6, 2009 14:32:36 GMT -5
"I have a bottle but he drank the juice from it on the way here," Ivy said with a grin. "I imagine they will have something where we get coffee even if it is just the milk they use for coffee. He likes hot chocolate too though," she said turning to get behind the stroller.
She really liked Felipe, he was not only absolutely gorgeous, but he seemed caring and intelligent as well. It was like he was the perfect male. There had to be faults, but she hadn't seen any yet. "So Felipe are you as perfect as you seem to be?" she asked before she could stop herself. She blushed lightly and giggled in embarrassment.
She mentally castigated herself and began walking down the path in hopes she would say nothing to further embarrass herself. She sometimes seemed to have a hard time restraining her mouth.
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