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Post by Fateful on Aug 11, 2011 0:09:14 GMT -5
Soothing music drifted through the concert hall; evoking hidden emotions that were forgotten by some, and repressed by others. The transitions were seamless, each stanza of notes bring a new feeling, subtle at first, but grew into something greater. A bow dances across a floating violin; gliding across the strings to create the heavenly sound; a faceless player with long hair drifted across the stage. Her body almost opaque as it moved, the focus off her dark, unseen face, and to the glowing wooden instrument in her hand. Before the song ended, the audience started to stand, clapping and cheering, drowned out by the finale of the song. Slowly however, a strange sound started to overpower the sound of the chords, yet it was unheard by the audience, as the well-dressed aristocracy continued to clap and cheer for the performer (or, perhaps for the violin). The girl looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound that only she could hear, moving across the stage hastily, her unseen eyes scanned and looked, finding nothing. Something wet and long drifted across her hand, causing her to bolt upright.
Panting from the surprise of such a wakeup call, Naomi turned off her blaring alarm and rubbed the top of Themis’s head, a black German Shepard. His tail was wagging profusely, as he did every morning, ready for his breakfast. Sliding out of bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she reached over to her bedside table, grabbing her phone. Taking the charger from it, she dropped it over the side of the table and pressed the on button before tapping the screen. She looked at the screen, checking the weather. September 7th, Sunny, 80% Chance of thundershowers around 10 pm., high of 71, low of 52. Yawning, Naomi went to her closet, pulling off her night clothes before tossing them aside. The baggy T-shirt slid across the top of the hamper, hanging off the opposite side. The pants missed all together and fell a foot or so in front of it, discarded laundry that mixed in with her other clothes that had missed the hamper.
Naomi pulled on a plain light blue T shirt and a light jacket; she pulled on matching capris that went a few inches past her knees. Spreading her legs to be the same distance as her shoulders, she bent forward, whipping her hair to the top of her head, before gathering it together and brushing it with her fingertips. Putting in a hair elastic, she tied it in a messy high ponytail before pushing open her bedroom door and walking into the kitchen silently. Once there, she fed both the dogs, using one light, rather than both, and started to make breakfast. Deciding on a light breakfast before the run, she made some egg whites with left over grilled chicken from the night before, and made some pancakes with apricots, strawberries and avocado slices. While she cooked, she made sure to drink 12 ounces of water. After eating a little of each, she put the left overs (except the eggs, because they tasted awful reheated) in the microwave and put the timer for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
While drinking a small cup of orange juice, she looked through the cabinet for some coffee, settling on a Moroccan blend, putting it in the coffee pot and turning on the timer, so it would start to brew around 9 am, when she expected Alex to wake up. Naomi opened the front door, allowing Themis to run downstairs. Going to her room, she grabbed a pair of running socks and then her Rebook easy tone sneakers. Pulling them on, Naomi moved back into the kitchen. Normally, she took her shoes off before entering the house, and never walked around in them, but no one was there to see her lapse in custom.
She grabbed two tin bottles of water and filled them with the Brita water that was in the fridge before grabbing a small harness. By the time she was done, Themis had returned with two newspapers in his mouth. Bending down Naomi rubbed the top of his head affectionately, taking the papers and giving him a treat. She put the bottles on something that attached to his body and then clicked on his reflective orange leash. He didn’t need one, but it was the law that he wears one. Turning off the light in the kitchen, she tossed one newspaper onto the kitchen table to read when she returned, and then brought the other downstairs. An elderly man named Frank and his wife Victoria lived below them, and they didn’t like to go downstairs to get the paper every day, so Naomi saved them the trouble and brought it to them. Well, technically, she trained Themis to do it, but it was the thought that counts!
Moving down the stairs with her excited K-9, she went outside, waving to the doorman who was already on duty. The sun wasn’t going to rise for another 20 minutes, and Naomi took in a deep breath, loving being awake to greet the city. Themis remained at her side as they walked down the street, his nose on the ground, sniffing around. He found a tree to pee on before their pace increased from a walk to a jog. As they rounded the block, moving through the almost desolate streets of Boston, their pace increased to a run.
Usually, when most people ran, they listened to music on an iPod, Mp3 player, or their phones, but Naomi wasn’t one of those people. Boston was a city that had music on its own; there were plenty of things to hear and to see, as long as you were looking. Moving through the city, she made it to the beach to see the sunrise, and ran along the shore, before moving toward the park. She stopped, to let Themis drink, and to take one herself. Then, once she leaned up, they started to run once more. They went through the park and around one of the local colleges and into the busy part of Boston.
At another rest point, where she finished her water, she checked her pulse. Normal, for this part of the morning, letting out a heavy sigh, trying to relieve her deep breathing, she relaxed. It was around She’d run about five miles, but knew she could run another and make today a twelve mile run, rather than just ten. Starting up her run again, she backtracked to the park, and went along the runner’s path which took her up to another mile up and around, before the started to head back to the apartment. She glanced at the local coffee shop called the Green Bean and made a mental note to grab coffee there tomorrow morning, along with some breakfast for her and Alex. They loved that place and hadn’t eaten there since before Alex’s family trip to France over the summer.
The twelve mile run took about an hour and twenty minutes, which wasn’t her best time, but she wasn’t competing. Once back home, she went by Frank’s apartment, waving to him when she saw him getting his morning paper. He almost always woke when she returned from her runs. It was about 7:40 by the time she returned. After entering the apartment, she tossed her keys in the bin by the table, took the leash of Themis, and gave him fresh water. After that, Naomi went to her room, grabbed a change of clothes and took a shower.
Once she was out, she dressed in a loose fitting white shirt that came to her elbows, and had silver feathers printed on the front, with a pair of jean shorts with stars printed on the pockets (a matching pair that both her and Alex had made the previous year). Moving through her closet, she looked to find a pair of shoes that matched. Her first instinct was to grab heels or wedges, but she passed on it, and decided to do her hair first. Moving into her room, she blow dried her hair and started to curl it. It took longer than she expected because her hair was being stubborn that morning. Finally finished, Naomi twirled in the mirror, looking at her hair, pleased to see the even distribution of banana curls, she grabbed her blue, white, and pale yellow nail polishes before she went into the bathroom and grabbed some nail polish remover.
As she finished her right hand, she heard Alex’s alarm go off for the third time and she laughed. The coffee was brewing and she made herself a cup and took out Alex’s. Hearing her waking around her room, Naomi chuckled, and took a sip of her coffee, returning to her nails. “Morning.” She greeted when her roommate came out, looking like the dead. “I have to meet with my buddy today.” She told her, moving to painting her toe nails.
Once the blue coat was evenly distributed, she started to mimic a night sky that she had seen online a few days before and wanted to try. After a few failed attempts, she got the hang of it and managed to dot stars on her nails with toothpicks. Blowing on her hands, she chuckled, watching Alex lazily eat her breakfast. “How’s the painting?” She heard Alex working on it when she went to bed around midnight, so she was amused by her exhaustion. After finishing her pedicure, she put what she had used in its respective places (the trash, the bathroom, and in her room) before sitting back to let them dry completely. Working on her second cup of coffee, she was debating wearing sandals or flats. Due to the weather, they would be a better choice, but then no one would see her pedicure. “Hey, Alex, what do you think…?” She asked, looking down at her toes. “White gladiators or my navy blue flats with the white bows?”
Since freshman year, Alex and Naomi had been enrolled in a private school called East Boston Academy. EBA, as it was called by the students, was world renowned for its impressive music, business, and law programs. It trained students (from several countries, thanks to a diverse exchange program) in these arts, balancing education styles from multiple countries in order to provide the best education possible. Due to the natural mix of students, the scores were off the charts, and they only accepted the smartest and most talented in the areas of the arts, business and law. When overseas students came, they offered them the ability to rent apartments (based on income and test scores), and of course, there was occasionally a lacking in understanding English. Therefore, each foreign student was given someone who spoke the same language they did as a "buddy" in case they needed help. The day before classes started, September 7, the groups were assigned a place to meet their buddy on campus in order to give them a tour, exchange information, and make friends.
EBA knew that given students the ability to make a friend their first time in a new country was an important step; and they had nothing to lose by enhancing their students happiness and overall quality of language skills. Naomi was meeting with her buddy in about half an hour, at 10 on the main campus near the library. Checking her email on her phone, the girl’s name was Haruhi Fujioka, and she had attended Ouran Academy in Japan. Being half American and half Japanese, and spoke both languages fluently, Naomi was the perfect choice to be her partner. Rising from the table and grabbing the shoes her roommate had suggested; along with her purse, car keys, and phone. Before leaving, she rubbed the top of her exhausted dog’s head before washing her hands and going to the door. Putting her shoes on, she waved to her roommate, wishing her luck on her painting, before heading to the garage. Clicking the remote on her keys, her doors unlocked and the car started. Getting inside her cozy dark green 2009 Mustang GT convertible, she backed out of the parking garage and drove to campus.
After she parked in one of the student lots, she got out and jogged across campus to wait at the designated spot near the library. Leaning against the marble building, she smiled up at the ornate windows. This had always been one of the most beautiful buildings on campus. Sighing, she pulled her phone out of her purse, checking the time. It seemed that her buddy was a few minutes late. Oh well, it was expected if she didn’t know the campus, and there was no hurry.
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Aug 12, 2011 20:58:11 GMT -5
Yellow flowered wallpaper. Three weeks of wallpaper, stagnant air, and dingy carpeting. Alexandria fell back onto the folding cot with an exasperated sigh. It creaked under her weight, metal springs dug into her back. Alex sighed and swung her arm across her eyes. They’d arrived in Paris three weeks ago, much to the joy of her aunt Vivian. Vivian was selfish, stingy, foul-mouthed, and worst of all envious. For as long as Alexandria could remember she had an ever brewing jealousy of her mother, Yvette. Even as children, Vivian constantly strived to be better than Yvette. Her mother had always longed to get along better with her younger sister and tried everything in her power to renew their relationship. Alex could call this the grand fiasco of trying. She mentally rolled her eyes, hearing her aunt’s excuses over and over. ‘Don’t you want to see your nieces?’ ‘You’ve been away for so long! It’s so good to have you close by!’ etc. etc. Her aunt was so transparent. How could her mother not see through her? How could she continue to waste their time together here in Paris on such an awful woman and her snotty kids? Alexandria groaned in exasperation while staring at the stained ceiling tiles above her makeshift bed. She blew a long strand of honey brown hair from her forehead and sat up slowly. She turned her head to look out the small window. Her room was at the top of the house, technically the attic, and was supposed to have a ‘lovely’ view according to her aunt. Why, yes it is a lovely view…of the plumber’s ass across the street, Alex thought. She turned away in disgust barely containing a cry of exasperation. She glanced over at the canvas on the side of her room, covered by a paint splattered tarp. An urge hit her but she ignored it. She wanted to feel these emotions. She wanted to feel her heart beat fast and her thoughts race. It surprised her. Mostly, Alex painted out her emotions; various scenes, colors, styles, were used in her paintings, anything to remove a feeling from her consciousness. She always felt so full. When she went long periods without painting she felt as if she would burst. She did feel like bursting now but she wasn’t afraid of it. This surprised her too. She’d always held back, always restrained herself. Her mother was fragile, her father often told her. She must be respectful and cautious with words all the time. Alexandria sighed; she hated feeling out of control of herself. A door suddenly slammed somewhere in the house, startling Alex out of her reverie. She listened intently to the footsteps ascending the stairs to her room. Alex recognized the soft tread and the spacing. Alex stood and quickly crossed her room to the mirror near the threshold. She smoothed down her hair and stared at her reflection. Okay, control. Alex let out a long slow breath as her mother crossed the threshold and stood beside her. “Feel alright, my little fairy?” Her mother, Yvette, said as she brushed her fingers through her daughter’s hair. Alex managed a small smile for her and nodded, eyes flicking away from her reflection. Her mother smiled too and tilted her head, curiosity mingled in her expression of concern. Alex moved to the cot again, grabbing her phone and pretending to be busy checking her e-mail or perhaps a message from Naomi. Yvette didn’t buy it. She walked to the bedside and sat. She patted next to year, smiling gently. “Come now, little one, I know that not even you can keep yourself locked up for so long.” Alex puffed out her cheeks with a held breath and let it out slowly, gathering her thoughts. She glanced at her mother’s face, struggling to form the words to express her emotion. “I just don’t understand why we’re here, wasting time.” Alex said slowly. Yvette raised her eyebrows, a look of annoyance entering her eyes. “Alex.” She began. “No, ma, I mean really!” Alex said cutting off the lecture. “Vivian is just using you! Making you watch her kids while she gets to have all the fun!” “She invited you to go along with her on every shopping trip and I enjoy spending time with my nieces.” Yvette said as she stood. She walked away from Alex. Alexandria stared at her mother’s back, disbelief on her face. Her mother turned suddenly. “You might too if you decided to come down.” Yvette left promptly and Alex stewed in contempt. She’d only been up here because her aunt was so evil. Alex paused, frowning. She supposed she was just going to have to prove to her mother that Vivian was as selfish as she knew she was and capable of using her ‘dearest’ sister.
Giggles erupted from behind the marbled white counter, little hands covered with flour traced along the edge. Yvette laughed as the girls burst into view, squealing with delight. Determined to be the victors of the flour monster match, they chased after Alex with all the speed their little legs could muster. A breathless laugh escaped Alex as she rounded the corner into the hallway. She made a sharp right turn and quietly closed the door to a small study. She listened to her cousins footsteps, counted to ten, and opened the door when she guessed they would have already raced into the living room and started to look for her. She tip-toed back into the kitchen and quietly removed the block holding the swinging door. Her mother smiled at her as she rolled the leftover dough into a ball on the counter. Her sandy hair was frizzy and she had flour spread in a streak across her forehead but she was smiling. Alex never took her mother for a homemaker but she seemed happy. Alex returned the smile, feeling an odd twist of anxiety course through her. “Cute, huh?” Her mother asked, turning to remove the cookies from the oven. Alex made a noise of agreement, staring out the kitchen window. Her aunt’s house was beautiful, a large white colonial in the country, far from any roads. Sheep grazed in the backyard on rolling hills of green. Alex sighed it was gorgeous. Her mother appeared beside her, glancing out. “What do you see?” “Mmm.” Alex said, not fully concentrating on her mother. Instead she was picturing the shades of white to be used to make the sheep’s fleece coat. She smiled absently, committing the picture to memory. The kitchen door swung open wildly and two small flour caked bodies ran into the room. Alex grinned as Thalia and Gwen noticed her. Gwen pointed to her and they charged. “No!” The girls toppled in a mess of flour and laughter.
A knock sounded once more against Alexandria’s bedroom door. Alex muffled a reply against her pillow, burrowing her head under the covers and cowered from the sunlight streaming through the blinds. Too early, way too early. Vivian called through the door, “I’m not taking no for an answer. Get up!” Alex’s eyes squinted against the bright light. She stared at the clock. Seven am. Evil woman, evil, selfish, conspiring woman! Alex groaned and slumped out of bed. She pulled on a floral skirt that lay beside her bed. She pulled her large makeshift t-shirt nightgown over her head and pulled on a fitted tee. She glanced around her, finding a brown leather belt and tucked her shirt into her skirt. She cinched the belt to her waist. She brushed out her long wavy brown hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She scrubbed her tired face, staring at herself in the mirror. She glared, dropping her hands to the side. She rolled her eyes. I give up. I am not meant to be a morning bird. Clearly, beauty sleep is not just a saying. Vivian met her at the bottom of the staircase, in the foyer of the house. She smirked lightly, arching her perfect eyebrows. “About time.” Vivian said. Alex grumbled something incoherent and walked out the front door. She crossed her arms and crossed the front lawn to the sleek black car. She heard a beep and opened her door. Her aunt climbed in the driver’s side. Alex rolled her eyes. She had to spend a whole day with this, vixen. She can’t believe she promised her mother something so ostentatious. They drove in silence until they hit the turn pike. Her aunt switched off the radio and looked at her pointedly. “Alex, I’m not some evil stepmother determined to keep your mother locked in the house and never letting her go to the ball.” Alex gaped. How could her mother tell her. She felt betrayed. Alex shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. She heard Vivian sigh. “I don’t know why you don’t like me. I’ve done everything I could do to make you feel welcome and at home.” Vivian said as she switched lanes. Alex saw the skyline overhead and felt herself smiling. “We’re going to Paris?” Alex asked, feeling her excitement rise. Paris! The city of lights, love, and bread! Alex grinned as Vivian noted and smiled at her. “I thought we’d hit a few stores. You know, have some girl bonding time in without j'ai deux enfants.” “Oh…” Alex said. She glanced at Vivian pointedly. Was she trying to buy out her support? After seeing the first boutique, buying her first outfit, and eating a freshly made croissant on the Eiffel tower she didn’t care anymore. France. This was France. Alex smiled. She looked out around her from atop the tower, shiny pink bag crocked in her elbow. She never wanted to leave. That sound again, where is it coming from? Alex thought, eyes peeking open. Groaning she slammed her hand down on her alarm. She uncurled her long legs and stretched. She glanced at the clock and sighed. Why do schools demand such unreasonable hours? Alex lay with her eyes closed for a time, picturing the scenes from France anew. She sat up slowly, stretching, and stared at the canvas directly across from her bed. Pinks, blues, grays, all the colors and in between and it still didn’t match her memory. Alex frowned. She felt a prick of frustration and shook her hair from her face. She shuffled out of bed, slipping on light blue slippers. She walked slowly into the kitchen. She squinted as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She held a finger as Naomi asked for her opinion. Too early, can’t think. She admired Naomi’s nails, approving. She sipped the coffee and contemplated about her day’s coming events. She needed new pastels and Hannah was supposed to have new matte board trims. She kissed Naomi good bye on the cheek, wishing her luck before continuing to her room. She stood before her painting, sipping the last of her coffee. A few more hours couldn’t hurt, right? She picked up her pallete and angled her brush to the canvas.
Haruhi blinked in the morning gloom. Nerves fluttered in her belly, immediately quenching any thought of eating. Of course, she would still have to make breakfast. Tamaki would either become extremely worried or just plain wouldn’t eat the whole day. Haruhi considered neither option acceptable. She got up and dressed quickly. She’d showered the night before, eliminating any chance of her falling behind schedule. She strode confidentially into the kitchen and stopped dead. In front of her lay a whole buffet of food. Tamaki stood off to one side proudly, an apron dawned and a look of childish excitement emanating from his eyes. How did he always manage to surprise her? Tamaki strode quickly over to her, gently leading her by the shoulders into the room. Haruhi, still dazed and not fully aware of the situation, allowed herself to be lead. “H-How did you do this?” She asked hesitantly, mouth watering at the array of food and delicious aromas. Tamaki laughed. “Anything for my Haruhi!” He exclaimed and pulled out a seat by the table for her. Haruhi sat, staring at the food. A thought suddenly hit her. Irritation caused her eyebrow to start twitching. She tried to hold in her annoyance. She couldn’t. “How did you get in here?!” She yelled. Tamaki’s face fell and he guiltily glanced to the door, seemingly planning an escape route if she got violent. Haruhi stood quickly, chair falling backwards with a bang. “H-haruhi.” Tamaki began, hand extended in front of him. “Let’s be serious..” Haruhi growled and advanced towards him, hands balled into fists. “You really couldn’t expect me to keep such an outrageous promise!” He declared, his eyes full of earnest belief in what he was saying. Haruhi’s face flushed. What was he talking about? “I mean we’re practically newlyweds!” He gushed, coming forward to crush him against his chest. Haruhi’s face flushed a vibrant red. She pushed away from him. “We are NOT newlyweds!” Tamaki’s face fell in confusion. He stared at her for a few moments. “You don’t mean that do you?” Haruhi’s stomach flipped. He looked so sad and crestfallen. “Well I— “I knew it!” Tamaki gushed, once again crushing her to him. He snuggled his face into her neck and laughed. “Now you must eat and get going soon or you’ll be late!” “Late?” Haruhi asked, not quite feeling herself this close to him. Her head seemed strangely fuzzy. “For your meeting with your buddy!” He exclaimed as he pushed her into her chair once more. He set a plate full of eggs in front of her. “Now eat up.” Haruhi obliged and scoffed down her food. She took a steaming cup of instant coffee with her as she raced out the door. Noises assaulted her the minute she exited their apartment building. The city was so loud and so different. Construction workers on the corner of one of the blocked off streets shouted to one another, trucks and cars whirled by on the nearby highway, and sirens whirled some blocks away. Haruhi gulped. She was so nervous but she was excited. She smiled at the various memories of the host club, she’s had so many new experiences with them. What was this to learning how to ski? She was meeting someone who spoke as she did, or was used to, and acted probably much the same way or was at least familiar enough with it. She dashed off to the nearby subway rail. She checked her watch, hopefully she’d arrive on time.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 12, 2011 21:50:08 GMT -5
For one reason or another, Naomi was always amused by Alex's morning rants, tirades, and irritation. She was used to morning people (like herself) or those who at least pretended to be happy. To see someone in a state like this was for the most part making them vulnerable; and for someone to trust you enough to show you that vulnerability truly meant something. It didn't surprise Naomi all that much that Alex didn't seem to have a preference for footwear, considering she wasn't going out this morning. Naomi was sure that she was going to hang around and paint something from the flight.
School was beautiful, as always. The gardens and grounds were impeccably kept and they had apparently added a new garden on the east side of the library; the flowers were there, struggling to climb up the side of the building, as if by being on top of it they could touch the sun. Herb green eyes drifted across the campus, catching sight of a brunette running toward her. From the shortness of the hair, and the way they were dressed, it almost looked like they were a boy. But Naomi knew better. Though the preference was for Asian women with long hair, a lot of them cut their hair, and many American women also cropped their hair in a short pixie cut. When the girl stopped in front of her, panting, Naomi laughed softly. "I take it that means you're Haruhi, huh?" She asked, offering the girl her hand. Once the girl had taken it, they shook hands, and waited while Haruhi regained her breathing. Chuckling, Naomi started to lead her around campus. She showed her all of the buildings, explained how the numbers worked and handed her a map of all the buildings, which would help her tomorrow.
Haruhi had the forethought to bring her schedule, so Naomi showed her where all of her classes where, one after another, in the order they appeared, so that she might remember how to get there. This took up much more time when Naomi expected. Apparently Haruhi's weakness in English was her casual conversation, so she spent a lot of time explaining simple things to her, like common American phrases "shut up" and "get out of here" being a few examples.
Then she started to explain how classes were taught. Some professors allowed students to take notes on laptops (which Haruhi didn't have), other allowed no technology at all, and that they taught most of their classes as if they were in University. They didn't have breaks like college students, but there were occasional free periods between classes, especially for art and law students (who could have 2 or 3 hour classes). Depending on major gave you certain places where you were allowed to park your car, which related to academic building. In other words, you parked next to the buildings you belonged to. This then rose the problem of Haruhi not having a car, so Naomi asked her were she lived and offered to bring both the new student and her boyfriend to school the next day (and as long as they needed it). Haruhi tried to object, but it was on the way, and Naomi literally had to drive right by their house to get to school anyway, so it was no trouble. The conversation slipped from there to asking about where she lived in Japan and what Ouran was like. "A school for the super rich and beautiful." Was Haruhi's answer, in the words of her boyfriend, which made Naomi sigh. Fantastic. More rich assholes.
Of course, the tour of campus ended with Naomi bringing Haruhi to her car and treating her to lunch. it helped her to practice English with other English speaking people, especially when she had to order, and Naomi made her ask the waitress for a few things. Haruhi was sweet, but nervous, which Naomi could clearly see, and was trying to ease her. People here were really nice, and would almost always help someone if they needed it. True, there were those people that were jerks, but as long as she genuinely needed help no one would be rude to her. And to help calm Haruhi's nerves about grades, she informed her that they would be in the same English class, which was the school's measure to make sure that she would do well adn adjust to the new language. This went a long way, and food didn't seem to hurt either. Naomi quickly realized that the girl liked to eat; which worked out fantastic, because herself and Alex loved food, especially the eating it part.
Following lunch, Naomi started to drove to a parking lot, and started to walk her around the city, in an attempt for her to get used to walking around. She pointed out specific street signs, and other landmarks that she would easily recognize if she ever got lost, and places in which she could ask for help. There were a few shops that were owned by Japanese businessmen, and other smaller shops opened by those who had moved here. Naomi was familiar with them and introduced Haruhi to the owners of a few and the children of the owners of others. They knew her, and promised to help her if she ever got lost. As they walked, Naomi pointed out a corner grocery store, warning Haruhi to stay away from it, because it was the closest to both of their apartments. They had a habit of changing labels and expiration dates of their products, and were in and out of trouble for counterfeit scams and selling alcohol to minors. Then, she showed her another store that was much better and had the best produce in the city, though they didn't sell a lot of meat, but there was a deli that had the best deals and supplied meats to almost all the restaurants in the area. they were the best, hands down. And they were surprisingly affordable.
She made sure that haruhi knew were she was going, and the girl was a fast learner, she had won a few scholarships here, so it wasn't that surprising she managed to memorize the streets. And she had apparently been here for a few days. It was around dinnertime before Naomi walked Haruhi home and told her when to be ready for school the next day. The sun was setting and she brought her to her apartment, making sure she remembered which one it was before she waved and went back to her car. Knowing that Alex was likely to be absorbed in her work, she chuckled and got in her car, stopping by a Chinese restaurant, and picking them up some dinner. Once back home, she brought the dogs out, changed their water, and called Alex to eat. Then they talked about their days, as they did during their 'family meal's.
"I sorta like Haruhi." Naomi told her, pointing chopsticks at her as she paused in eating her noodles. It was a rule, whenever she ate Asian food, she had to use chopsticks. it was a habit she could never get over, considering she was born and raised in Japan in her younger life. "She's shy, but she's slowly getting used to things. She's smart and sweet, and she's trying hard. She wants to be a lawyer."
- le skipping of time -
Hikaru grabbed his phone was he was sure that Kyoya would be in bed and grinned, he sent him a text telling him to pick them up coffee and breakfast tomorrow and bring it to school. And that Honey and Mori would be there in the morning because they didn't have classes until noon on Wednesdays.
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Aug 15, 2011 6:15:32 GMT -5
Alexandria flicked her paintbrush with a flourish as she signed the last letter of her name. She swooped an artistic swirl under her signature and placed the brush down. Grinning, she looked over the painting. She could see areas she could improve upon but for the moment it was good enough. She precariously placed her pallete awkwardly on the edge of the easel. Rising from her stool, Alex stretched noting the position of the sun. It flowed directly down on her, like a spotlight, through a skylight. She lifted her face, feelings its warmth. Smiling, she turned, gently moving aside one of the many paper lanterns she had decorating her room. Alex's room was a mishmash, a stylish mess. Eclectic, vintage, there were many names for it but Alex just thought it represented her. The architecture of the room was an A frame. It had two doors at both ends, one leading to the rest of the house and the other to her closet. The room had tall ceilings, a skylight and two windows on opposing walls. It was a large room and far bigger than the one she'd occupied during her youth at her parents house. The two windows bulged outward awkwardly from the space and rather than waste it, Alex had installed window seats with bookshelves underneath. Perfect little reading nooks, complete with long curtains swooping off to the side. A black wrought iron chandelier hung in the center of the room.
Her closet was a small room and was perhaps originally part of her room but had been cut off during another tenet's renovations. It was five by six feet and provided ample room for her to store her wardrobe and storage solutions. The wardrobe contained a cedar inner and held her dresses and other fancy goodies. The rest of her closet was custom white cabinetry. Shoes littered the floor and purses hung haphazardly on wooden hangers. On either side of her door was a pair of racks. One held scarves, hats, belts, and a parasol. The other held necklaces and bracelets. The racks were not identical, the one holding the scarves was a large skeletal key with glass knobs, the one holding the jewelry was a repurposed window shutter. The knobs on the shutter were varied, ranging from pattered metal to acrylic flowers to stained brass. To the left (facing the closet) was sunken space, reached by a step with a wooden banister. Alex chose to place her vanity there, it sat right beside the window and created a nice little nook. The vanity itself was littered with odd ends and bits, several jewelry stands, and make up. It was a creamy vanilla color and she'd picked it up at one of Naomi's famous flea markets. It was modeled in a French Country design and she loved it. There were two posts that separated this nook from the rest of the room. She wound white lanterns on black wire around the posts. They gave off an incandescent glow in the evenings. To the right of the closet was a little sitting area, two chairs and a table. The chairs were wooden, French Country style and painted white. The table was a dark nameless wood and was made from pieces from a burned barn.
Alex's bed sat on the left wall, upon entering the room. The frame was wrought iron, bronze. The headboard was wrapped in cheerful little white Christmas lights. It had a muted pastel colored duvet, and her summer set of pillows. Her bed was always littered with several throw pillows ranging in all styles from beaded to crocheted to buttoned. These were often thrown about the room, placed here and there and were rarely all assembled on her bed. Her bed was rarely made and was normally strewn with mail, jewelry, her camera, pencils, watercolors, and half completed sketches. At the foot of her bed sat a large wooden trunk. It was so filled with pillows, comforters, and sheets from her other seasonal sets that the top barely shut. Alex often had to sit on it to close the latch. Off to the right side of her bed was a night table, white, and it held her clock, phone, and a notebook. To the left sat a comfy chair. Above her bed sat a quote, hand scrawled by a friend of hers that had graduated the year before. 'If you keep on believing the dreams that you wish will come true.'
Across from Alex's bed sat an office area. There was a large secretarial desk with a rolling chair, a fluffy white rug, and a large paper lantern floor lamp. On the desk sat her computer and desk organizers. However, the organizers were of little use. Alex was notorious for always having things in her workspace. Alex also had an unusable old 1940's dial-up phone on the desktop, just because. Above her desk sat a memory board and a group of photographs. Most of the photographs were of her and Naomi but there was one of her mother when she was young. The memory board contained anything from funny phrases to inspirational quotes to things people had made her. Alex had various paintings, art pieces, and photos throughout her room.
Between the small sitting area and her office space was an entire space dedicated to her easel and two filing cabinets of art supplies. The hardwood floor was covered by a tarp and a large skylight illuminated the room from above. Alex walked over to these cabinets now, placing her paints away and gathering up her dirty brushes. She lifted her smock to make a small hammock for them, carrying them out of her room, down the hall and into the bathroom to be unceremoniously dumped into the bathroom sink. Alex removed her smock and carefully placed into the wash on its on, not wishing to ruin either of their clothes. She returned to her room, gathering light brown hair into a messy ponytail. She smiled at her reflection in her mirror. After applying a cool green eyeshadow, liner and mascara she moved onto her skin. She applied sunscreen and lotion, making sure not to miss her nose, and a small amount of powder foundation. She finished off with a rosy peach blush and a tinted balm. Contented, Alexandria strode to her closet and pulled out a green floral print skirt, strapless white top that had button detailing down the center, and brown leather gladiator sandals. She topped it all off with a thin braided leather belt at her waist, wooden bangles with a porcelain flower bracelet, and a simple brown headband. She grabbed her brown leather purse and her phone before leaving the room. She trotted downstairs, grabbing an apple and water on her way through the kitchen. Laughing, when she saw Quincy's expression as she appeared in the living room Alex grabbed the leash set by the door. Quincy came promptly over and sat, tail wagging. Themis barely had the energy to raise his head and look at them. Alex shook her head, sometimes she doubted that Naomi knew how much she tired that dog out.
The Green Bean was busy, as was usual. It was just past two in the afternoon and Alex sat at the street side cafe perched under a white umbrella, novella in hand. Her coffee sat, sipped halfway, soaking the table with condensation in front of her. Quincy lay at her feet, napping. Alex raised her sunglasses as her reading light suddenly became nonexistent. She frowned and rotated in her seat to look behind her. A tall dark haired man with a young man, who couldn't be older than thirteen, stood behind where she sat in line. She'd never seen them before and they looked out of place. The boy held a small teddy bear and was eagerly looking at people who walked out of the cafe with sweets. She shrugged as the line moved up. Tourists. Alex chuckled, turning back to her novella. An hour later Alex sighed as her coffee emptied. She shook the cup idly and picked up Quincy's leash. She gathered her recently bought art supplies, book, and purse. She stretched and decided to call it an early day, possibly just to go home and nap before Naomi got home. She hoped her day had gone well.
Alex sat on the gray living room couch, cross legged across from Naomi. She had a fork, being completely unskilled and hopeless with chopsticks, and was eating fried rice from the container. She chewed thoughtfully, listening as Naomi recounted her day. She skimmed over the details of her buddy and focused on the girl's personality. Alex raised her eyebrows. “Wait. She looks like a boy?” Alex interrupted, feeling concerned for the thing. The girls, especially the drama junkies, would be ruthless. Alex was excited and nervous for the first day. She was especially curious about this new girl. She opted to clean up dinner and let Naomi rest after her busy day. She kissed her cheek, both sides, good night and climbed the stairs to her room.
Kyoya growled as a light penetrated through his dreams, piercing the night's peaceful dark. He stretched out his hand to find the source of such irritation. He rolled over onto his side as his hand grasped the object. Bleary eyes glared at the illumination. Kyoya blinked, grabbing his glasses from the bedside table with a frown. A text message from one of the twins. Kyoya nearly deleted it upon reading it was from Hikaru but fearing there was an emergency he read it. He ran a hand through his hair, dejected after reading the message. Breakfast huh? Elected. In a new city. Kyoya shook his head in amusement. Mommy on duty, he supposed. He rose slowly, gingerly. His head ached and he knew he'd have to eat soon. He pulled on black trousers and a white button up. He washed his face in the bathroom and combed his hair. It was still dark as he locked the door to his apartment. He'd already searched the nearest place for breakfast that would offer the wide array of food they would need. When he arrived there was already a line. Kyoya hadn't expected such a thing and glanced at his watch. He frowned upon reading the time.
After a rather long wait in line he finally got to the front register and ordered the drinks needed for his group. He was staring up in contemplation at the menu board when a jangling of bells announced the arrival of someone. Kyoya watched as the serving girl's face light up and she bantered idly with the girl. She'd just walked up to the counter. Didn't even ask. That girl was supposed to be serving me. Kyoya squelched his irritation and resumed reading the board. Her heard the girl order something even though he'd seen the cashier hand her a bag. Confusion registered across his face as the employee handed him a bag of food. “It's on her tab, don't worry. She said its fro you.” She glanced expectantly behind him. Kyoya stood for a few moments, stunned but then politely stepped aside to let the next person order. He gathered up the food and drinks. What a strange action for someone to do. It didn't make sense. Order without waiting but then place something on their tab for him. What a strange city this was.
Alex sat in Naomi's car's passenger side, waiting as Naomi rang the bell for Haruhi's residence. After much contemplation and help from Naomi she'd decided to wear a tan sequined tank top with dark washed jeans. For shoes she wore brown ballet flats with sequins on the toes. For jewelry, she wore a set of metallic bangles, with a chain bracelet that was woven with soft pink ribbon, a gold banded ring with flower center piece and diamonds, a worded chain necklace that said believe with a heart charm, and chandelier diamond earrings. Her make up was a soft pink with tans and a dark brown at the crease, she lightened her inner corner with a sparkling gold. She'd taken her rucksack backpack with the love key chain and left her purse at home. Naomi had told her they'd be eating out for lunch, right after orientation and it was her turn to treat. She tapped the side of the car idly, staring expectantly at the front door. She had to admit she was curious.
OOC: rawr. definetly out of practice. I'll warm up soon I hope.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 15, 2011 17:22:22 GMT -5
Naomi nodded at her roommate, who she wished was her second sister. "Mhm." She stated, tapping her chopsticks on her plate out of habit. "Well, she looks like a girl, but she has short hair like a boy... It's hard to explain. She doesn't dress like us either, like..." She paused, trying to think of a way to explain to Alex what she meant. "Okay, for lack of a better explanation, she dresses sorta like a middle school girl who hasn't figured out what she likes, you know? Unlike Eba, all Japanese schools have dress codes, and fashion circles in the two countries are different. Maybe she just hasn't adjusted, you know? Either way, I think you'll like her. She's sweet and has these big beautiful brown eyes."
Grateful that Alex cleaned up, she brought both dogs outside before going to bed and then gathered her things for the shower for when she got home from her run in the morning. She plugged in her phone in the charger and debating picking out her clothes for the next day for school. Seeing the heels her sister had bought her that she had yet to wear, she pulled them out of her closet, and decided to make an outfit to match them after her shower. Changing into some more comfortable bed wear, a long nightgown and a pair of underwear, she crawled into her bed and turned on her alarm.
Naomi woke from a strange dream about herself and her sister being on a plane that had a pool, and a bunch of singing birds. Yeah, it was one of those dreams that was so clear, yet made so little sense. Rubbing her face, she yawned, and got up. Tossing off her night gown, she grabbed a bra, pulling it on quickly before taking out another pair of Capris, green this time, with a white lace shirt, and a green over shirt. Quietly opening her door, she went into her bathroom and washed her face, then brushed her teeth. Quickly putting up her hair, she wondered if she should make breakfast. However, she wanted the Green Bean later. In it's place, she went through the fridge and made a peanut butter sandwich on wheat. Then she ate an apple and yawned, letting Themis go get the paper while she pulled on her socks and running shoes. Jogging downstairs, she tossed the newspaper upstairs and locked the door. Then, she leashed Themis at the door, waving to the doorman, as she went out on her run.
Unlike yesterday, she couldn't run as long as she had, and her legs were a little sore from her 12 mile run in the morning, and day of walking around the city with Haruhi. She decided on a six mile run, which was just three miles along the beach, then back toward the house, but she was going to run the extra three blocks to Green Bean before running home. Alex would be up by now, or at least by the time she got home. Tying Themis' leash to the metal pole outside, she smiled and moved her fingers upward. "Sitz." Once inside, Naomi moved through the line, and smiled at Mika, who was behind the counter this morning.
"Mika!" She exclaimed, running over to her. It seemed that her and Alex's normal order was ready, along with their favorite breakfast muffins. "Thank you!"
Maki laughed softly. "You're welcome. Oh, and I need a favor! Remember the party you threw for Alex?"
Naomi nodded. "Yeah, what do you need?"
"The little pastries you made, can you bring the recipe for them? I'll let you have them for free!" She laughed, starting to ring up the order.
Laughing, Naomi covered her mouth. "I'll bring it to you, let's hope you don't go bankrupt. I'll run it by after school." Looking to the side, she heard people in the line complain. The only person who wasn't complaining was a rather tall teenager who was standing beside her. Green eyes drifted over the several coffees and spiced tea on the counter in front of him. A smile met her lip and she ordered several things off the menu. "Put it all on my tab." She told her. "They're for him." She added, picking up the coffees and the bag and running back toward the house.
Once inside, she put the coffee and bag on the table, gave both dogs water and their breakfast, and then ran into the bathroom, undressing as she went. Hopping in the shower, she washed her body and hair quickly, before getting out, and blow drying her hair. Once she finished, she went into her room. Seeing the shoes she picked out the night before, she sighed, moving into her walk in closet. The wedges her sister bought her were a light cream color, so she grabbed a ruffled skirt that reached a little above her knees, a strapless white shirt with a red, orange and yellow design on the front in no particular order, and pulled over an elbow length blue cover shirt with a knitted back. Once dressed, she moved out of her closet and to her vanity. Picking up her makeup, she put on a mixture of a light blue, dark blue, and gold on her eyes, applied cover up, then put on eyeliner and mascara. Grabbing a tube of lipstick, she applied the pink color quickly before tossing it in the small clutch she kept her makeup in and tossed it into her backpack.
Moving into the bathroom, she saw Alex, and smiled. "Morning Alex!" She tossed her shoes toward the door and started to curl her hair. "Can you check to see if my tea is still warm?" She asked, having a feeling that it wouldn't be at this rate. Apparently she slept a little to long this morning.
When the two were ready, they went to the car, and drove to the front of Haruhi's building. Having forgotten to get her number, she had to go ring the doorbell, rather than call. It was about 8:30, so they had plenty of time to get to school on time. Naomi returned to the car with a tall blonde teenager, and a short haired brunette. They got into the backseat.
Immediately, the blonde was observing the car. "Wow! This is your car?" He exclaimed, seeing how shiny and perfectly maintained it was.
"Yep." Naomi answered, putting her sunglasses on and driving toward school. She parked near the art's building and apologized she didn't park them closer to their buildings. They said it was fine, and that they were supposed to meet from friends in the courtyard of the arts building anyway.
Kaoru was grinning when Kyouya showed up. "Hey! You made it without getting lost!" He chuckled, standing up and taking his and Hikaru's coffee and handed one to his brother. Kaoru took a sip of his, grimaced, and then switched with his brother. Though they liked a lot of things the same, Hikaru had discovered espresso since they got here, and now wanted it in all of his drinks. Looking through the bag, he smirked. "Wow, this looks pretty good. Hikaru, come look at this."
The dark haired twin stood, and reached into the bag, picking up one of the muffins and took a bite. "They're good too." He offered a bite to his brother, which took a bite. "Good job Kyoya!" They told him in unison.
Buzzing sounded and Kaoru's hand slid into his pocket, pulling out his phone, reading his text message. "I gotta go." He waved. "Tell Boss I'm sorry I had to take off. My buddy or whatever wants to see me." Unlike Haruhi and Naomi, both he and his buddy were in the arts program. He grinned at his brother and took off across the grass.
Tamaki couldn't stop observing the campus, and ended up forgetting where they were going. Taking out his phone, he checked the text Hikaru had sent him, and started to walk toward where he thought it was, only for Naomi to tell him he was going the wrong way, sigh, and start leading them in the right direction.
[OC: I feel your pain. I feel like this post sucks xD]
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Aug 24, 2011 16:49:02 GMT -5
Alex leaned back in her seat and placed her feet on the back of the one in front of hers. The lights dimmed and projector flicked on. Their principle cleared his throat and announced the first of the day's speakers. Alex barely listened as the young man, in suit and tie, went over the current economy's job prospects and how EBA business alumni stood better when stacked against other high school students for standings in todays universities. He droned on about scholarships and various volunteer programs that were most beneficial to them. She hung her head back with a sigh, barely acknowledging his quiet announcement for the next speaker. Alex's head snapped back up when she heard the next instantly recognizable voice. It was Quinn. Alex felt a stupid droopy smile come over her face. Quinn was a junior in the same specialization as Alex, Art Illustration with an expressive in Digital Arts. He was also cute in that teenager way. He sang some nights at the local green bean and Alex had been to see him a few times. Okay so having a teeny tiny crush wasn't a bad thing. Besides he barely knew she existed. Alex justified all this and wiped the smile off of her face, intending to look very interested in what he was saying and not just the fact that he was speaking. As it turned out she actually was.
Apparently, he was there to announce a new peer-to-peer program, specifically targeted at the freshman and incoming exchange students. The program sounded almost like the EBA 'buddies' system but to help them more academically. However, you had to enter a portfolio with your previous years assignments before a date in order to qualify. If you qualified you had to spend less hours of community service. Alex cheered and clapped appreciatively when Quinn left the microphone. It wasn't that Alex was lazy she just had so much going on. It'd be nice to have to do less work. With a sudden buzz the project flicked to a colorful slide detailing the various schedules for certain groups of students. Alex stood with the rest of the student body as the bell chimed and lights returned. She hitched her backpack over one shoulder and marched off to her group. She smiled as she recognized senior Gina, a fellow art major and apparent buddy judging by the young German girl attached to her side. Gina had that way about her, bringing people under her motherly wing in such a genuine way. Gina led the group onto the grounds and to the art building, as was the day's prerogative. Alex's group started in their specialty rather than academics.
The way EBA worked was by eliminating language courses and other electives, like P.E and health, and replacing them with a specialty and an expressive. Your specialty was your major and your expressive was your minor. Your specialty was split into several intensive classes, chosen by an award winning group of professors, that spanned the week. You expressives were done during you core academics, in place of electives. Depending on how you placed on the exam and the courses chosen on your application form was how you were placed in the academy's ranking system. The ranking system chose the top valedictorian for each class, rather than an overall. The top ten percents were allowed other permissions that regular EBA students did not receive. Such as, being able to minor in another field or eliminate one club requirement. EBA did not eliminate sports entirely, most were offered as clubs and they all competed regularly. In addition, as mentioned previously, EBA students had to volunteer. The amount of hours differed according to certain specifics, mostly on how many clubs you were in, your work study requirements, and what station you applied for. Alex was currently enrolled in two sports, swimming and fencing. She just started fencing this year and was quite bad at it. However, she was one of the stop swimmers and had gotten two awards last year. She'd actually met Naomi freshman year at their first swimming practice.
Alex sighed as she slid into the brightly colored seats. She smiled at the random doodles littering the white board of Mr. Deleon's classroom. They were from last year. There were drawings of palm trees, ice cream cones, and many best summer wishes. He hadn't cleaned the board yet. Alex glanced around at the students recognizing all but on face. He was new, an exchange student. Alex stared as he slid coolly into his seat. She noticed that he was cute and dressed well. She blushed when he caught her staring and smiled sweetly. Her attention was diverted as Gina bumped her elbow. “Hey there, partner!” Gina said with a laugh, settling her bag down on the split table. Alex grinned in reply. Gina turned to her and Alex started off their handshake. Gina sat beside her. Alex admired the short blond hair glinting in the sunlight. Alex nodded, appreciating the new color. Gina's hair was naturally dark but she dyed it so many colors that Alex had had to ask what her natural color was. She remembered how hard Gina had laughed when Alex had incorrectly guessed blond. Germans thought strange things were funny. Didn't they hear the stereotypes?
The clock struck twelve and Alex was already itching to get out of her seat. She had so much to do! Her syllabus was full for the next two weeks, her supply list was astronomical, and her assignment for the day was based on time. Alex nearly growled when her illustration teacher instructed them to spend x amount of time on this drawing. Picking up her bag in a rush, she raced out the art building's back door and onto the green when the bell finally chimed. Thankfully, the first school day was always a half day and gave the students, most of whom weren't commuters and had no nearby family, time to prepare. Alexandria furrowed her brow and rushed across the lawn. She quickly texted Naomi that lunch was a no go and that they'd reschedule for family dinner tonight. She raced to the commuter bus. So much to do!
Alex slipped her bag off with a grown, stretching her sore shoulders. Her bag was laden with supplies. She slumped onto the couch when a muffled yawn. “Naomi?” She called, thinking maybe she'd have time for a nap before Naomi got back. She listened as Naomi descended the stairs, talking to someone. Alex perked up. Naomi walked into the kitchen and smiled at Alex, continuing her conversation. She said goodbye and Alex pounced on her. “Was that your buddy!?” Naomi nodded and brought dinner over to the table, yummy Greek cuisine. Alex sat quickly, eying her feta cheese. Through a mouthful of food Alex asked what she needed, even if she'd probably guessed. Yup, Alex was right. Haruhi needed suits. She barely had enough and and wasn't expecting such high fashion standards. EBA was almost notorious for having the highest standards in fashion, not actually set by the dress code but just by the highly competitive nature of the students. They all dressed smartly, stylishly, and without flaw. Certain specifics had certain fashion 'zones' and each zone could be identified by the way they dressed. Or at least it was that way, for some reason their junior class merged fashion together. The seniors tended to frown upon it but Alex thought it was awesome. Alex had teetered for some time before the application form was sent to her about which specific and minor she wanted. Fashion sounded amazingly fun but she just loved illustration and the fine arts too much.
Culture wasn't abnormal where they lived. Their apartment was right near the hub of artistic and industrial center. In fact, some of the warehouses had been renovated last year, by a group of EBA alumni, to apartments and art galleries. The fact that alumni frequently revisited or even lived in the area wasn't surprising. Many of the shops, night spots, and cultural centers were owned by EBA graduates or their families. The EBA id card got you far in this part of the city. Alex secretly loved the savings she got, not that it mattered. Her family had long since upgraded out of needing coupons.
Alex finished her meal with a smile. She felt much better after venting her frustrations and listening to Naomi's rational sense, and her own problems, over dinner. She loved their family meals. They lounged around for hours after dinner just talking and remembering their past years at EBA.
OOC: argh... I couldn't keep you waiting any longer! I just posted what I'd written. I just include what I wanted to write in the post after this one.
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Post by Fateful on Aug 24, 2011 20:28:59 GMT -5
The meeting in the state of the art auditorium was rather boring. It was the same year after year, but the administration was smart enough to put a lot of attractive male and female student speakers on stage to draw the interest of the new student body. As required, Naomi was sitting with Haruhi. A few times, she had to translate a few things, but Haruhi seemed to have a decent grasp on English and didn't require a lot of things to be translated. Overall however, Naomi thought that Haruhi would do well, assuming that she did as well with people as she did with the collection of friends she brought with her.
Since freshman year, Naomi had wanted to experience as much as she could in this high school: because it had everything. Literally. Her freshman year, she had decided to take swimming and dance as her sports, and she joined the Theatre club to abide by her requirements. And she loved it. She had done it last year as well, and at the end of last year, she was elected as the Communications Chair, which dealt with submitting information on club events to Alumni Office staff liaison for publicity and advertising, which included mailings. Another thing she had to do was write articles for the student newspaper about the club and upcoming shows. This position also had a secondary position attached to it which was Publicity Officer, which involved making posters, and overall promoting of others to come and see the show outside of the school. She was proud of this position, and couldn't wait for club activities to start. The first thing they had to do was get the auditions set up for this year.
The thoughts of audition organization dominated her mind during the presentation, so she was glad Haruhi was rather self reliant. However, she stood and brought Haruhi to their first class: English, which they shared. She talked to the teacher for her, and once they were given their syllabus, Naomi went through it with her and explained what they had to do. By the end of the week, they had to read a British Novel called Jane Eyre, and write a paper on it, due Friday. The assignment would be given to them tomorrow, so they had to focus on reading for now. Naomi and Haruhi had a chance to talk during the downtime of the class. During the meeting, they had been told about the policy's regarding attire for their specialty classes. Haruhi did have clothes appropriate for school, but she didn't have anything for her Specifics. She didn't have anything to wear in a court room, and wasn't sure where to get it here.
Naomi told her not to worry, because they had all week. They could go later in the week and worry about it then. Once class was over, she walked Haruhi to her next class and talked to the teacher, which she had last year, and made sure that Haruhi would be all set. Then she ran to her next class, which was on the opposite side of the academic building. She went into her Physics III class and noticed the same boy she had seen that morning. He had dark hair and glasses, and his vision was focused; seemingly ignoring the people around him. It was strange for her, seeing someone else from Japan in her classes. Due to Haruhi coming here, they had gotten a lot of Japanese in the school this year, more then they had before. Not that she minded, because she loved having people she could speak to in her first language, but she noticed that Japanese students tended to have a hard time adjusting to their school. It was very different from Japan, as was their customs, requirements, and various other things.
No doubt that he'd find America's customs strange, as she did when she first came here.
Feeling arms around her, she blinked and looked up, standing and hugging her friend Jackie. Laughing, she immediately started to talk to her about their summers, and about the new year. Apparently Jackie had a summer romance that ended well, and they were going steady for two months. Noami was happy for her, Jackie had a rather abusive boyfriend last year, and due to the absence of her parents, hadn't had anyone to be there for her besides Naomi. When the shit hit the fan during second semester last year, Jackie had lived in her spare room for about two months. But they got close, and it had been a fun time with the two of them together. Her sister started college last year, and her parents said they didn't want her to have a roommate. The Jackie incident lead her mother to convince her father to allow Alex to stay with her this year. So, now she had her number one sister with her. And Alex had slept over all the time, so it was like they were roommates.
They had a list of work that they had to do, and even though it was the first day, they took notes and had homework for the next day. It was only 30 problems, which was reasonable for this teacher. Naomi had him last year, and he usually assigned them 50-70 problems a night, depending on the lesson, so she assumed he wanted to see what they remembered and make sure it was up to par with what he was going to teach.
German wasn't much better; they had a reading assignment that spanned 3 chapters of one of their books.
She offered to bring Haruhi and Tamaki home, considering how they weren't familiar with the city. Tamaki declined, stating that the was going somewhere with Kyoya for something in one of their business classes. So, she ended up driving Haruhi past her house, because she wanted to learn her way between their houses. So, they went together upstairs, talking about the clothes that she would need, and how Naomi could help her with her wardrobe to make her look fashionable so she wouldn't look out of place in the school. After that, Haruhi waved off, saying that she had to start dinner for herself and Tamaki and left.
The two of them started t eat dinner, laughing about their days, and talking about what happened. Of course there was things that annoyed them, like the mound of homework they already had. Not long after dinner, the two separated to get their assignments done for the next day, and to prepare for the following day.
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Hikaru was woken up rather suddenly when something hit him over the back forcefully. Sitting up, he found himself on the edge of Kaoru's bed, confused. Looking to the side, he saw his own bed, pressed against his brothers, messy and abandoned.
"I hate it when you do that." The younger twin mumbled, throwing the pillow he'd struck the older with on the bed.
Yawning and rubbing his face, Hikaru smiled apologetically at him. "I told you we should put my bed on the other side, but no, you wanted to sleep on my left."
Kaoru pulled off his shirt and tossed it in a pile of laundry the two had been ignoring for over a week. "Whatever. We'll just switch beds then, and I better not wake up on the floor." He mumbled, moving to their double closet and pulling clothes out of it.
"Aw, is Kaoru upset about--Ow!" The darker haired twin grumbled when he was struck in the neck by a lying garment on a hanger. "Brat."
"Learned from the best." Kaoru mumbled, after pulling on an outfit he had picked the night before and looking around for his deodorant, which seemed to have a mind of it's own considering he had found it in the freezer the morning before. It was like Tamaki had broken in and moved it just for shits and giggles; and knowing the boss, he probably had. "Are we getting commoners coffee this morning?" He questioned, finally the deodorant where he had left it the morning before. After swiping it on, hr tossed it to his brother, who was dressing himself.
Adjusting to living here was strange. They no longer had maids or servants to do everything for them, which was perhaps why neither one of them had done laundry. Kaoru had a feeling that he had been elected to do it, because Hikaru would just wait until they had no more clean clothes and buy more to make up for their lacking clothes. How hard could it be? Their apartment had a washer and dryer, so he would just have to have Haruhi come over and show him how before they ran out of clothes. Then again, that would take at least another month, but he didn't want to risk it happening.
"I asked Kyoya-sempai to get us coffee yesterday." Hikaru said, walking out of their bedroom into the attached bathroom, running his fingers through his unbrushed hair. "He seems okay with getting it for us most mornings, and I gave him the money to pick it up, not that he asked." They both laughed, knowing how manipulative Kyoya was whenever money was involved. "How much time do we have to get to school?"
Kaoru walked into the bathroom with his brother. "'Bout half an hour." He stated before starting to brush his teeth.
The rest of the morning passed mostly uneventful, except for Kaoru's occasional complaining about his back hurting from being pushed out of bed and sleeping for 'who knows how many hours' on the floor.
Hikaru apologized twice before letting it go and deciding he'd just get him coffee before he whined even more. As they went toward the garage attached to their apartment to get their car, Kaoru tossed him keys, stating that he didn't feel like driving this morning. When in Japan, they had a personal driver, so they had to learn before coming here, but Hikaru took to American traffic laws better than Kaoru's (who didn't like driving to begin with). So the older normally drove them around the city. A city were they were, for the first time, completely responsible for themselves. It had taken a lot of adjustment, and they ended up eating with Tamaki and Haruhi more than they cared to admit, but they were starting to get used to a life without servants and pampering.
Not that they liked it, but it was the way American's lived. Or, at least it was how commoner American's that were in school lived. They'd mentioned wanting to bring a few servants with them, most notably the identical twin maids they'd had, but their parents thought this would be a means for both of them to grow and experience the world in a different way. It went unsaid that their parents were concerned that with servants to do everything for them, they would choose to slack off, or manipulate others into doing things for them. This way, they actually had to grow up and take responsibility for themselves.
Both the twins wanted to grow up and apart from the other, and become their own person, rather than being seen as the same person. Maybe their parents knew that and knew that this would help them become different people; especially if they had to learn basic skills that people with their status rarely held. Not that they were happy about it, or were willing to waste their time learning countless domestic skills when they were going to hire someone to do it for them later in life. But they might as well try some new things while they were in this country.
Much like Hikaru's current enjoyment of a special ingredient in commoners coffee called espresso. There was such a thing in Japan, but Hikaru had never tried it, and it kept him able to focus for much longer than normal coffee. That and the taste was awesome. Kaoru didn't seem too found of it, so it seemed they finally found food that they didn't agree on, which left Hikaru feeling slightly conflicted. It meant they weren't exactly the same - which was a good thing - but it also meant that they were starting to drift apart. They shared a bedroom, and their beds were pressed together, (they had a hard time sleeping without being near the other) but they were making progress. Now they could go about two or three hours apart without missing one another or being worried, and the fact that they had different classes certainly helped.
It was just different, and a little strange. Hikaru liked being independent, but at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what Kaoru was feeling, and if he found these Americans as dumb as he did. Granted, some of them were smart, but a boy in one of his classes asked him which country he was from, and when Hikaru answered Japan, he asked a bunch of rather strange off the wall questions that he couldn't quite understand. Just because Japan made anime, didn't meant that the average citizen knew everything about it. What was in those shows wasn't normal Japanese customs. He had managed not to insult the kid, and just mentioned that he thought he needed to look up more on Japanese customs, rather than watch television and take it as true.
Somehow though, he thought he was going to enjoy today. By the time they had gotten to school, the two went to find Kyoya, picked up their coffee, and thanked him before heading to class. They had about ten extra minutes, so it wasn't as if they could waste their time chatting, considering they had met Kyoya in the business building and both needed to get to opposite sides of the Arts buildings. Hikaru said bye to his brother, but hugged him before they parted. It was a sign of affection that they couldn't break away from, especially considering the length of time they were going to be apart, in combination with only having one class together during their academic cycles. The school system here was strange. The students went to the teachers, rather than the other way around, and they had classes in all different places with all different people, rather than the same students.
America was a backwards country.
In art, it seemed their teacher had reviewed the asignment they filled out on strengths and weaknesses (which was writing and more drawing small pictures on the paper, and following instructions). They had been given almost the entire class period to do it. Based on their scores, the teacher had sorted them, and he started to read out their names, and rearranged their seats so they were sitting with their partners in clusters around the room. He was working with a boy named Alex, it seemed. He was more distracted by the way his name was said, which made him sigh. "My name is Hikaru." He corrected the professor, seeing a girl walked over to him; a blonde girl.
Alex was a girl's name? The teacher gave back their papers, and he noticed that the name written on the paper was Alexandra, but under nickname, she had written Alex. Makes sense... Hikaru thought, putting his hand on his pocket as he moved to the new seats they were supposed to take. The first thing he noticed about the girl was that he liked the way she dressed; she wasn't like the other girls he had seen in the city, and she looked better than decent. She had skill, he noted, which didn't impress him as much as it pleased him. At least he'd have something nice to look at. "I'm Hikaru." He stated, wanting her to be able to say his name correctly. They had been given ten minutes to get to know their partners and exchange information. When he said his name, it was the only word that made his accent obviously Japanese.
Now, he couldn't help but wonder how they butchered Kaoru's name if they couldn't say Hikaru... Yeah, this country's language barrier was going to take some getting used to.
Handing her the paper they were told to exchange, he noticed that his greatest weakness, which was painting, was her strength. Other weaknesses listed on his paper were abstract drawings, copying other images, proportions (in pictures, not in 3-D works) and specific or minor details on people. Truthfully, he hadn't had many art classes before this, and most of what he knew his mother had paid for privately and encouraged.
"Your works are really nice." He stated, not finding many problems with what she had drawn the day before, looking over the paper. She was a much more talented artist, but he preferred making three dimensional works, rather than two dimensional drawings. Unless it was plans for something mischevious.
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Aug 27, 2011 22:25:53 GMT -5
Alex awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She felt a sudden drop of weight somewhere by her feet. She lifted her drowsy head and say that Quincy had plopped himself down on the edge of the bed, nearest the fan. His tongue was lolling out and Alex figured he'd gone on the run this morning. She smiled, that relieved her of having to come home and toss the Frisbee around with him. She mentally thanked Naomi and swung her blankets back. She opened her closet with a look of concentration, head tilted and finger to one side of her pink lips. As she considered what to wear, she heard Naomi turn on the shower. Alexandra frowned, glancing at her clock. Her alarm hadn't even gone off yet. How odd. She shrugged and quickly pulled out the items she wanted to wear; light blue leather strapped sandals with two applique roses on the front, a white lace vintage skirt, a light blue tank top with lace detailing down the back, a light blue scarf (from the knobs beside the closet), and white lace cardigan. Rather low key and casual, she decided. She smiled as she faced her jewelry collection. Ah, her favorite part, the details. She smiled and idly plucked a pair of earrings, placing them beside her face for comparison as she stared into her vanity's mirror. Nope, too big, she decided. She pulled another pair and nodded. They'd work. Gunmetal chain and tourmaline chandelier drop earrings. Beautiful. A gift from one of her friends in fashion for her going away party. Alex ran her fingers over her make up brushes. It was so like painting. She smiled and carefully picked up a shadow, patting into onto her lid. After the eyes were finished, she moved onto the face and lips. Satisfied, Alex went to the bathroom and started to heat the curling iron. Naomi had finished bathing and was getting dressed. Alex grabbed a muffin from the counter, an apple, and a cup of hazelnut coffee with extra espresso. She figured she'd need it because she woke up earlier than usual. She returned to the bathroom, and curled her hair inbetween bites of muffin and sips of coffee. She smiled at Naomi as she passed by the bathroom. She finished and spritzed her hair with hairspray and took one last look in the mirror. She paused, looking back, brow furrowed. She looked like her mom. Alex huffed in annoyance, wanting to immediately change the make up or the hair. She tossed back her hair and raced to the kitchen to find Naomi. The matter settled and Alex's nerves at ease, she followed Naomi downstairs and into the parking bay beside the brownstone. Shouldering her brown bag, Alex entered the arts building feeling a sense of relief wash over her. The familiar paintings and sculptures she passed reminded her of the memories she had her. She wondered, briefly, what it would be like to move across the world like Haruhi did. How enthralling it would be but how awfully scary and nerve wracking. Alex had never traveled by herself and wondered if it was truly that different. She shrugged, entering her illustration class. She smiled at Gina and sat down in her usual place. She tossed her hair back, already annoyed with the loose curls. She'd tie it back when they started working for sure. She looked idly around the room, head on her hands, watching people talk. Gina was, as usual, texting her boyfriend and wouldn't converse with her as she furiously pounded the small keypad. Alex noted the new boy again and chanced to ask Gina who he was. “Who?” Gina asked, not really paying attention to the question asked. “Him.” Alex said, nudging her chin in his direction. Gina shrugged and rolled her eyes. They're fighting, Alex determined by the vexation in Gina's actions. She scrunched her nose, boys were so infuriating. Mr. Deleon entered the classroom as per usual, scrambling to take roll call before the bell rang for homeroom. Alex waited patiently as he passed out the papers, noting that the new boy looked deep in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about and noticed how cute he was, again. She smiled to herself and accepted her paper from Mr. Deleon. He winked at her and moved on. She grinned, nearly bouncing in her seat. Yes! She was chosen to be a tutor. To...Hikaru. She sounded it out, remembering Naomi's instructions. She smiled as he saw that he'd erased his name written in Kanji and had written it in English. He'd also drawn all the pictures from right to left. Mr. Deleon clapped his hands and told them to pair with their partners. Alexandra stood, slipping her bag over one shoulder and sweeping her hair behind the other. “I'm Hikaru.” He stated, staring at her like on would at a babbling monkey. He'd clearly met some of the less socially inclined and ignorant faction of the school. She grimaced lightly before smiling at him, almost apologetically. “Nice to meet you.” She said before awkwardly sitting down. “Alexandra, but I like to be called Alex.” He handed her his paper and she his. She noticed that he had talent but just needed to hone in on the skill. He just needed more training in the way he held his instruments and some minor proportion training. She got a far off look whenever she looked at art, as if visualizing it moving. She looked up at him as he complimented her. “Thank you.” She said thoughtfully. She turned back to his paper and then back to him. Her face furrowed with curiosity and confusion. “Have you taken classes before?” OOC: I wasn't sure if you wanted me to move beyond this. I didn;t think so. I can write about Kyoya and Naomi meeting in one of their classes (maybe physics) again and having to be paired to do an indepth study of inertia, velocity, and momentum. YAY for knowing about physics!
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Post by Fateful on Aug 27, 2011 23:51:12 GMT -5
Hikaru's eyes drifted over his outfit after he looked over her drawings. He noted that blue brought out the green in her eyes, making them light out when she smiled; which she did when complimented. The smile made him feel at ease, past the awkward barrier of him treating her like she was an idiot. Yet, he couldn't help but automatically assume that about everyone; despite what he and Kaoru promised one another.
"Remember..." The younger twin had told him sitting in shorts on their bed back in Japan, right after the Host Club had decided to follow Haruhi and the boss. "There's more then us and everyone else."
Hearing this, Hikaru had nodded, this time, he continued his brother's thought; already knowing where this was headed. "Our world can't exist with the rest of the world; we have to assimilate into their world, because it's impossible to bring them into ours."
The two brothers smiled at one another, Kaoru's hand resting over Hikaru's on the white sheets. "Do you think that it's a good idea to go there?" Hikaru asked, rather suddenly. "After all, if people irritate us here, imagine how much American's will annoy us. They're all idiots. Actually, they're the biggest idiots of the world."
"Maybe." Kaoru stated. "But if we can get passed that, then we can make friends with anyone right? And he school we're going to is one of the most balanced international schools. We won't be the only Asian students there, and we'll have the club there with us." The younger elaborated. "Besides, it'll give us a way to blossom out and try new things. America has a little bit of everything."
Hikaru sighed. "You have a point. Let's just hope we can adjust to living in a country unlike our own."
So... Hikaru was already blocking people out, and he had to take a breath and let it out, trying to will himself to be patient. He had to remind himself how hard he was to not only be with, but to work with. All his life he had an extension of himself that could almost read his mind and wanted everything he wanted. He could get through this, however. She wasn't focused on him in that moment, and her eyes seemed focused on the paper before her, as if the world around her was controlled by a remote that she'd just hit pause on to absorb his work. It made him shift in his seat, feeling strange about having someone access his work. Maybe he made a mistake wanting to go into art? He had never had school-classes in it before, and it made him feel strangely naked in front of someone he didn't know. Being judged by his peers was not something he was accustomed to. Did this country really believe in such teaching methods? And more importantly, did they even work?
And, while they were on the subject of America sucking; he wasn't too fond of American fashion trends. He had noted that in this country, men that put effort into their appearance were instantly labeled as gay. Excuse me for caring what I look like... He thought to himself. Luckily, his mother had a fashion line in America, and they had looked through a lot of what she'd designed as a means to adjust to the culture differences. It was still warm here, but he didn't want to wear shorts, having been cold yesterday. It was hotter in Japan during this time, and he wasn't enjoying getting used to the change in temperature. Therefore, he was wearing jeans today, settling for something outside of his mother's designs: slim fit boot cut Rocco jeans, a white and dark blue stripped shirt, and a black Camouflage Jacket.
Normally, he hated camouflage, because it was disgusting, and there was no excuse for it unless you had a gun in your hand and were trying to stay alive. However, this jacket wasn't opposite, and it didn't clash. It was black and had a few lighter areas that looked good. So, despite the way Kaoru had glared at him for buying it, he was comfortable in it. He'd rolled up the sleeves to his elbow to reveal his arms. It was cool, but it wasn't that cold. Around his waist was a leather belt with a square buckle. There was a second part of it that separated from the rest and dipped down around his left hip.
One thing he loved about American fashion was the shoes. He'd found a type of sneaker that he loved: Converse. He was wearing black and blue Star Player S II converses, and they were comfortable enough that he could sleep in them. Not that he would, Kaoru would probably be bruised and would hit him with much more than just a pillow in the morning.
Her emerald and sapphire eyes flickered to his. "You're welcome." He stated, watching the eyes flicker to his paper before returning to his face. Surprised by her question, he wondered if that meant he sucked at this; which he assumed was most likely the case. "No. Schools in Japan don't focus on art, as American schools do... I have taken classes in art when I was in junior high for about a month, until I got bored and quit."
There was a pause, in which he expected her to say something. For a moment, he assumed that he misspoke and hadn't said what he meant to; but she did eventually respond. Maybe his accent was worse than he thought. There was a look in her eyes as if she studied every word he'd said, rolling them over her pallet before digesting them and responding. He'd never experienced someone like that before. Hikaru was used to Kaoru who anticipated his thoughts; Haruhi who had this strange ability to read him like a book, the Boss who was just... crazy. It was going to take him a little longer to be able to read her.
Then, something caught his attention. Her hair. Her long blonde hair that was straight, and he knew it was naturally straight because she hadn't curled it well enough this morning. When her hair was hot from the curling iron, it had been curly, but from the coolness of the building, running, brushing her hair, or who knows what, it had caused some of it to become unevenly curled. He had noticed that like most people (including himself) she was right handed. He could tell by the difference in the curling on the two sides of her head. Another thing he noted was that one of her blonde curls, that was rather excellently curled, was caught in one of her chandelier earrings. He tried to ignore it as she talked about his work, but his golden eyes continued to flicker to the blue trapped within a corn colored prison.
Without considering it would be inappropriate, it leaned toward her and separated her hair from the earring, tucking the curl behind her ear. Once free, the earring dangled down, brushing against her neck. He'd heard a girl behind and to the right of them make a sound, which drew his attention, but he tried to ignore it. "Sorry." He mumbled, realizing what he'd done; namely touching her. Withdrawing his hands and putting them on his thighs, he wondered if doing what he did was not a common American custom. Then again, he had no problems being close to other people, whether they wanted it or not. He was never one to ask or operate on normal social conventions. He was Hikaru, and Hikaru hadn't ever cared about anyone except himself and his brother until recently.
"Your hair was tangled in your earring..." He explained, sure that she had assessed that much, but he figured that he should at least explain. "And it's the only curl that's perfect." He teased, a smiling breaking out across his face, trying to make light of what happened.
[[ OOC: Sure. If you want to bring in Kyoya and Naomi, feel free. I just wanted to set up a baseline of two posts for Hikaru/Alex and have them talking before having them interact. It's sort of like getting one crawling a little ahead of the other. And Physics FTW! ]]
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Aug 28, 2011 21:25:06 GMT -5
i kinda can;t stand what i wrote... i'll write more later
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Jun 27, 2012 16:03:31 GMT -5
The smell of fresh baked bread wafted through the house, rousing a hungry Alex from a deep sleep. She blinked in the dim light, the parchment imitation shade did little to block the early morning sunlight from streaming into her small attic room. The faded yellow wallpaper greeted her cheerily, patchwork plaster poking through the spots it had peeled off. A humid heat pervaded the room and she longed for her air conditioned room at home. She kicked the comforter into a ball at her feet, placing her cooled forearm on her head. Her laziness at its peak, she groaned, and wished for telepathy or psychokinesis for the millionth time. She sat up and stared at her room with an irritated glare. She wished for temperature changing powers, closing her eyes tight and hoping. Nothing changed and Alex cursed that she was born into such a boring world. She wished the vibrant thoughts that often were displayed in her imaginative dreams could become reality.
Reminded of her lack of artistic expression she glanced guiltily at her painting shrouded in the corner of her room. It remained half clothed in the tarp she'd thrown over it the night before. She'd made little progress. Alex wondered if another medium might help. Shaking her head, she fell back to the mattress. Not much time was left before her vacation ended and they returned home, and she to school, in 'the states'. She felt like she hadn't done enough; hadn't emersed herself in the culture and had just played the tourist. Her stomach rumbled, protesting at her refusal to immediatly satisfy its demands. She absent-mindedly nibbled a nail, contemplating her plans for the day. If only she'd had someone her own age her to explore the city of lights with. Wishing for Naomi's company for the millionth time, Alex checked her phone. No response awaited her from her frequent texts. She could only guess the plethora of activites Naomi had assumed over the break. Alex mused at her own lack of self-improvement. Unable to not draw comparisons between herself and her over-achieving best friend, Alex was amused at their stances on best uses for summer. The contrast made her wonder why they fit together so well. After stretching, she sat up and heaved herself off the mattress. The cot creaked its defiance to the sudden shift in weight. Time to at least attempt to carpe diem. --- She slammed down the snooze button for the fourth time, murderously looking at the device desinged to awaken its keeper from the murky depths of sleep she so craved. It continued its ticking, reminding Alex that time travel was not possible and she was, according to the evil noise-making device, very late. She scrambeled to get dressed. She nimbly dodged the various objects and items strewn precariously about her floor. The logistic placement of such objects and the navigation of such a disaster was known only to their master. She was thankful that Naomi was not a particular neat freak and that she understood Alex's desire to not constrain herself in any way. She had a deadline to meet and the current artist block inhibiting her was constraining enough. Alex hastily got ready, flashbacks from the day before reminding her that she still had assignments due. Only the second day and she was already slacking. Instead of promoting her into some frenzy or desire to redeem her ashamed self Alex remained amused.
She paused in her mad scramble to shove herself into a pair of tight fitting skinny jeans to stare at a sheet of sketchy graphite drawings. She lifted it from her desk and focused on the images; the simplicity was appealing to her and she could feel the dam of creativity loosening. She instantly longed to feel it break and at the thought, groaned as it resealed itself. The artist was her newest classmate and current part-time pupil, Hikaru. He was talented but seemed aloof, almost uncaring in everyway. Alex wondered, in contrast, if she'd come off as a crazed and overtly passionate fool, often fading from the 'real' world and delving into her own world where color was emotion and image was life. She liked his cool mannerisms but suspected that was not his truest self. An annoying blaring beeping noise broke through her stream of thoughts. She was reminded, once again, that she was VERY late. She burst into her closet and plucked a band shirt from some summer concert she'd attended before her Paris trip. She hastily pulled her hair back into a wavy ponytail and applied the simplest bare faced make up. She wondered what he preferred breifly before considering why she cared.
Shrugging her bag onto her shoulder, she decended the staircase while musing over his cuteness once more. The day before had gone surprisingly well. Before their first class had ended they compared schedules and found they shared nearly every class and a devilish sense of humor. (After 'relentless' proding from Hikaru, Alex had delved out who the secret artist was that had imiatated their homeroom teacher, Mr.Deleon, in caricature form on the whiteboard the year before.) She smiled warmly at the memory. Giggling madly, Alex had attempted to hide her amusement from Mr.Deleon, caused by Hikaru's newest 'exhibit' of artistic expresssion. A ridiculously thin handle bar mustache now decorated their esteemed headmaster's portrait in her school issued handbook, along with other creative disparages. Sadly, their school day hadn't continued in such camaraderie, often remaining estranged due to Alex's excelled skill and advanced curriculum.
Art was the one subject she required herself to be of utmost dilligency. She knew she was lucky to attend this school and desired to learn all she could in her four years. But still, she felt as if she wanted to make an impression on Hikaru. To be liked by him. She found herself contemplating the reasons and emotions behind this for most of her first day, she normally didn't care what people thought of her. It felt strange to be drawn to someone so like and unlike herself. He was cool and inattentive when it came to her fellow classmates, and herself she noted after some examination, but passionate at learning the new skills offered. She was slightly saddened by the fact that he didn't find her more interesting. She also chided herself at her immaturity for just expecting him to immediatly like her but she couldn't help it. To be sure, her desire to be liked by him simutaneously infuriated and compelled her. She'd only ever felt such an immediate connection with Naomi before. She just didn't try to be liked by people, she normally just was.
Alex was not one to let her emotions go, and became determined by the school day's end that she would win him over. Thus, after spending an evening chatting with Naomi about her newest classmate she'd hatched herself a plan of action. She'd already fucked up the first thing on the list, wake up early to get coffee and bring it to him in class. She'd seen him holding a cup from 'The Green Bean' and noted the marked double expresso checkmark on the side. For once, Alex was proud of her overtly detailed sense of observation. Normally, it tended to overwhelm her and was classified by her mother as an attention deficient disorder. She completely missed Naomi's confused look as she rushed through the kitchen and out the front door. She shouted that she'd be back soon and just had to get coffee.
The happy tinkle of a bell overhead greeted a pink cheeked teenage girl. Slightly out of breath from her impromptu marathon to the coffee shop, Alex breathed deeply while waiting for her chance to order. In front of her, and obscuring her view of the day's special pastries, was a tall dark haired young man. His attire was a dark smattering of designer labels, known mostly for their suits and tended to delineate to just business wear. Alex tapped her foot impatiently as he ordered. Seven drinks, Alex mused in amazement wondering where he was headed. He stepped to the side, awaiting his complete order while sipping a specialty drink comprised of green tea and juice. She saw his eyes were a granite color and that he watched the serving girls with a bored but somehow keen interest. Alex's observation of said stranger was interrupted when Mika greeted her in her almost gratingly friendly tone.
Alex was not a morning person. She nearly gritted her teeth and barked out an answer before remembering her manners. Man, I really DO need my coffee. Alex sucked down a mouthful of chilled mocha coffee, double expresso, as she headed out of the coffee shop. She risked a glance back at the dark haired young man still waiting at the counter. He must have sensed that he was being looked at because he turned around as soon she focused on his head, standing at least a head above the predominantly female crowd. He smiled politely and Alex nodded her head, feeling awkward. She quickly turned around and pushed through the glass doors and onto the crowded street. Now for step two, bring Hikaru a set of her old drawing pencils. Alex smiled as she rounded the corner to their apartment. Today should go better.
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OOC: So yeah. I think this is good enough. Idk what you want to plan but I think a host club meeting would be good about now, considering they all just had their first two days of school. It'd be cool if you could write about how haruhi invites them to it... I'm tired xD. Also, this post wanted to be broken as fuck.
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Post by Fateful on Jun 27, 2012 22:58:13 GMT -5
This place was slowly starting to feel like home to the twins. Hikaru discovered that those in his class were not the idiots he believed them to be. At least, not all of them. The girls in his class all acted the same for the most part, watching him from the corner of their eye, whispering to one another about the expensive clothes he wore, yet, through some miracle blended in here. His English was improving more and more by the day. In japan, he'd assumed his accent was there, but not noticeable. He was wrong. It had faded in the past few days, and he tried to speak English to Kaoru, who both struggled with it. They had been together all their lives, and this was the first time they had ever conversed in English for something outside of a class.
Practice definitely helped. The duo had agreed on basic chores and things to do around the house so they didn't have to toss out their dirty clothes for new ones. Truthfully, Hikaru was glad that he got stuck with dishes and vacuuming. there was no way he could do laundry. When he came home from school, after meeting a rather interesting French girl, he found Haruhi teaching Kaoru how washing machines worked, and what could be washed in what way. He figured it'd be stupid to listen in when he had an art project assigned already. So, he just went to the second bedroom, which they'd turned into a study, and started to draw. He was knew, so the professor wasn't looking for a masterpiece of anything. Just something to show his skill.
Hikaru found his thoughts wandering, heart not in drawing, it seemed. He could paint, but that was too much effort. he could just draw something simple and make it look amazing. All he needed was something to draw. Something. Anything. He looked up at his ceiling, and found himself defeated by something he actually enjoyed. Whatever. He left his desk and convinced haruhi to make them something small for dinner, which she did, very quickly, before running off to meet up with Tamaki. The host club was going to meet up tomorrow at 5, at a place called the Green Bean. Tamaki wanted to see where their coffee came from, but Hikaru had the sneaky suspicion that Momma just wanted to go off duty and make them get their own coffees. So, he texted Kyoya, reminding him that he was on coffee duty tomorrow.
The night passed pretty uneventfully. He and Kaoru watched some tv, trying to assimilate into American television. he found that most channels were boring, but the ones that cost money (obviously) were better. HBO was his new favorite. Television was also a good way to get used to slang and American phrases. Too bad he had that damned art project to do. Kaoru had to do a female and male suit design, so the two of them agreed to get something done in terms of homework.
Hikaru made about twelve doodles, each one looking more and more like Alex. He couldn't help but think she'd find it creepy, but her facial features were just so soft and made it perfect to draw. Maybe it was stupid, for him to like drawing a real person that was someone he barely knew, but whatever. To make it less creepy, he did a final draft of a female with her eyes closed. He was about to sit down and color it when Koaru asked for help. So, he abandoned the drawing with nothing but white paper skin and deep red lips. [http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc477/MysticValentine/Hikaru/Art/tumblr_loahdxjgeO1qlqn4vo1_500_large.jpg]
Hikaru woke the two of them up in the morning and found that Kaoru had set out clothes for them. It made him laugh, seeing that his brother was now dressing him. Hikaru decided to rub it in, and put on his camouflage jacket. Take that!
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Naomi found that her morning schedule was so much easier to get into when she was here then when she was with her father. Something about her father just made it so she wanted to run as far as she could, and never come back. But, she found herself fighting to gain his attention and approval. Nothing she did seemed to interest him. She had been put in charge of two concerts in the last school year, and over the summer, she preformed live. Yet, her father did not have time to come see her, although he sent her a gift, flowers and such, to congratulate her. It made her glad she had Alex, even though Alex had been in France for teh concert. Naomi wasn't upset, she understood family obligations more than anything else. And France, Hello!?Who wouldn't want to be there?
All the same, running was so much easier today than it had been before. She only ran about five miles, and made a large breakfast, as if to sulk. As she was cooking, she got a phone call from haruhi, who wanted Naomi to meet her friends. Of course! Was Naomi's answer. At five, at the Green Bean, the little coffee shop on the corner of Helms. Naomi knew where it was, and now, had something to look forward to.
School passed normally. Her German professor hassled them about deadlines for assignments, nothing being passed in late, and collected an assignment he assigned the day before. Blah blah blah. It was all the same really. She wished she was on her specialty cycle. Academics were always so boring. She had tons of friends in her classes, who she talked to before, after, and sometimes during class, when they were given a little bit of free time. She met up with Haruhi in English, talking about the requirements for the law classes. Haruhi was nervous about presenting a case in front of a "live jury" which was made up of teachers at this school, college law professors, and at least one standing judge. It was their end of the semester project, but they were already working on it. They were expected to research in and out of class, and bring in their findings. Naomi knew a law student that had this project last year, so she offered to have him coach Haruhi about what was expected in this assignment. And, for the first time, Naomi found that Haruhi smiled in a way that she never had. She seemed not only excited, but grateful. They took their lunch together, ignoring Tamaki, and went their separate ways for the remainder of the day.
Naomi texted Alex, asking her if she wanted to meet haruhi with her that night at the green bean. Which, of course Alex was up for. Any mention of sweets and coffee and she was there. The Green Bean was the preferred hang out for their school, and Alex always had at least an idea or two after being there for a little while.
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Hikaru found that the picture he drew the night before was rather lacking compared to the other students. Or, he thought so until his teacher saw it, praising him for his sparce use of color. He celebrated the piece, that it should be framed. He went on about the passions of women, and the subtle use of reds, using it as a symbol of the heart. Hikaru didn't have the heart to break the man's solo performance of his art's magnificence, so he played along. When they were put into groups, he offered to to Alex, slightly bored by the time they were broken up. He watched her study the piece and found that he cared to know her opinion more than the others in the class. Was that stupid? or selfish? He'd cared about Kaoru's opinion that morning, but he found that he wanted her to like it, especially since, despite his editing, the eyes, even closed, resembled hers.
Then, he blinked, a little surprised. "Why do you have two coffees?" He asked, as if noticing for the first time the two hot beverages she had at her elbow.
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Jun 28, 2012 20:50:46 GMT -5
» Alex waved cheerfully over her shoulder to the departing Naomi, her grim and bored expression gave Alex pause. Since when does she get bored this early in the year? Alex's brow furrowed, still staring over her shoulder. She stopped waving, staring at her friend's shrinking form. Concern etched in her features as she realized maybe Naomi wasn't as content here as Alex was. Fear and anxiety gripped her for a moment as the terrible thought of Naomi not being by her side through all this craziness came to mind. Alex turned around, brushing a stray lock of hair behind an ear. Shaking her head, Alex retrieved the coffee she'd placed on the table beside her. She slid her bag back onto her shoulder and started for the art building's front doors. They were easily recongisble, in fact the art building itself was the only building that was clearly distinct. It had many modifications from current and past students alike. The doors themselves were crafted by a now famous architect, the planting beds were filled with many part-time flourists, and the walls themselves a mural of canvases. The fashion kids leaned on the stairwell leading to the double doors, arms draped over one another; clearly a close knit community. They were friendly once they knew you were cool but it took them time. Alex was friends with a few of them and they greeted her as she passed by. One leapt up to grab the door for her loaded arms and she smiled, grateful. Alex made it to her homeroom and slipped into her seat with a little less grace than usual. She leaned over her bag and pulled out her sketchbook, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Alex thought it would be a good idea to show Hikaru some of her earlier sketches, before she entered this program. She hoped that maybe it'd make him feel more comfortable. Alex watched Hikaru slip into class just before class started, noting the jacket that seemed to clash with the rest of his outfit first. His hair was a little disheveled but he seemed nonchalant, as if he'd planned on the weather making him look that way. She envied his confidence. Surprisingly, as soon as class started Mr. Deleon asked that they hand in their sketches. She was a little hesitant about handing her's in, feeling dishonest. It was a final sketch of a draft she'd done during the summer, and it felt like cheating. Thankfully, her work was overshadowed by Hikaru's and Alex gave an appraisingly look over the piece. The girl was beautiful and her lips were certainly a place for 'passion'. She giggled at her train of thought, feeling stupidly prudish. It was nice and Alex felt drawn to his simplistic style. Most art students overcompensated, often making everything into something beautiful rather than just let it be itself. Alex was a firm believer in art imitating life. Alex promptly handed Hikaru his coffee, eager to see if he'd enjoy it. "This is..." Alex paused, not quite sure how to not come off as offensive. "A starter ego boost kit." She let out a breath and grimaced, and shook her head. She brushed her hair back behind her ears and looked Hikaru in the eye. "That sounds awful... What I mean to say is: Not everyone starts out with amazing work and some good supplies go a long way."Alex pushed the notebook over to his side and moved her stool closer. "These are a few of my sketches when I first started." She smiled softly at the memory of earnestly stroking her watercolor pencils up and down the page. She so desperately wanted to attend EBA and these images were her portfolio. She'd spent the whole summer outside, her skin freckled and tanned for months after. They shared a whimsical look that favored her when she was younger. They'd loved it and accepted her on a full scholarship. Alex remembered crying after she'd read the letter. She raised her head, and met his eyes shyly. » i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc477/MysticValentine/Alex/Sketchbook/c468ef370000.jpgi1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc477/MysticValentine/Alex/Sketchbook/2.jpgi1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc477/MysticValentine/Alex/Sketchbook/1.jpgi1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc477/MysticValentine/Alex/Sketchbook/bd68a3e9f660.jpg
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Post by Fateful on Jun 28, 2012 21:55:12 GMT -5
Hikaru took off his jacket as soon as he sat down, hanging it on the back of his chair. Okay... So, while sticking it to Kaoru was fun and all, he was hot. It was hotter here then he'd expected it to be, but it was still cooler than it was in Japan. Oh well. He took out his things, and felt rather proud of the praise issued to him. Alex, on the other hand, made his day by bringing him the exact same coffee he had finished before entering the classroom. He smiled at her, picking up the cup he sipped it. "it's perfect." He said, smiling at her. For the first time, he genuinely appreciated something someone had done for him, even though he barely knew the person who had done it. Was... was this what like having friends was like? To have someone who knew his name and didn't confuse him with someone else? It was so strange to feel so relaxed somewhere, away from Kaoru and away from home. He wondered why they hadn't tried this sooner. Why he had them stay such a distance from others. Their world, that lasted until the end of middle school, seemed so empty and foolish now. It had seemed like such a good idea, but the opposite seemed true of it now. He could never imagine going back to that place, and he winced inwardly at even imagining being alone in that world. He did love Kaoru, but not enough to be in a category with no one but his brother. As they looked over her sketches, a warm smile came to his face. "These are nothing like the work you do now." He commented, but the joy on his face made it obvious he liked them. "I like water color paintings. It's how my mother does all her designs." He explained, glad to see such a familiar and humble piece of work. They were simple, but elegant in their own right. he found himself captivated by them and wondered how she had drawn something like this. Did she make it up? Was she looking at something? He'd never wanted to understand the mind of someone else like this before. Even when he was interested in Haruhi, it had been purely selfish, never about what she wanted and all about him. "Do you still watercolor?" He asked. After he'd finished his coffee, as he listened to her speak, he took out a few colored sharpies from his bag, doodling on the cup. It was more out of boredom, since he wasn't doing much with his hands, but it was something, right? When he finished the drawing, he offered her the cup. "Here. What do you think?" he asked with a cocky grin. i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc477/MysticValentine/Hikaru/Art/opct_403a8b544c99648c9f1f6ec69dac1304381b77a5.jpg
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pho3nix
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Post by pho3nix on Jul 5, 2012 21:38:31 GMT -5
Alex had started an art project over the summer, a sculpture, that was to be part of an exhibition for her friend ‘ ‘ ‘s gallery in September. She’d wondered why she’d been offered to be featured and still considered herself quite the amateur, but had come to the conclusion that maybe her artistic talent wasn’t limited to just paint and canvas. She’d been inspired by photos of the trebuchet fountain in Rome and decided to depict the birth of Aphrodite. She planned on modeling her portfolio for her junior year around this piece, even planning to paint a series of historic mythological moments after Aphrodite’s birth. It was currently being stored in a room in the southern exposure of the art building, primarily used for carpentry or side elective classes that art students may or may not take during academics. She was suddenly reminded of the piece while gazing at her earliest pieces. Alexandra had come a long way and was sincerely embarrassed by her work and remembered how long she’d slaved over them. The formal training had taught her techniques and had helped her hone in on her skills. Alex had only recently begun to branch into other forms of media and was enjoying the freedom immensely after the last two years of strictly painting. While she may never find another medium that she loved as much, she realized how draining it had been to her, emotionally, and was happy to be a tutor to the newly transferred Hikaru. She really wanted him to feel welcome. “I’m glad.” She replied, as he sipped at the hot coffee. She gave him a cheerful grin, one side lifting just a little higher than the other and sipped at her own. She loved the feel of coffee warming her even though it was still quite warm outside. The taste was not too shabby either. She set down her cardboard and foam mug and lifted her notebook from the page, fingering the creases in the binding. Alex was nervous but excited about her newest venture and continued to be distracted by it while talking to Hikaru. It wasn’t something that could be helped and she hoped he took no offense, but doubted he would. It didn’t seem like he needed her full attention nor wanted it anyways. She wasn’t a pro at reading people by any means, a by- product of living in her own colorful world for so long, but she noted he did seem more open today. She wondered at the side effects of caffeine for a moment. Mocha was good. Alex nodded along with his assessment of her improvement. It was true but that was the point of showing him this, so he wouldn’t get discouraged before he even began. When he asked if she still painted a sly smile came to her face. She tilted back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “And who do you think painted the mural with the mermaid outside?” She laughed and relaxed her pose and nodded at the various works around the room. The decorations were of students a few were her’s. Alex decided that now may be a good time to give him the rundown of all the things that he’d need and some pointers on how to accomplish some of the deadlines given to you at EBA. She was about to launch into a lecture about the different paintbrushes and how to tell if one has a good texture and quality but was distracted by his sharpie created koi fish. She loved koi, their bright color and individuality was very cool. She gave a surprised laugh and softly applauded his work. Maybe she shouldn’t have so much coffee. She was a little too bubbly. She took her cup gratefully and examined it more closely. It really was quite fun and not something she probably would have doodled on a cup. She enjoyed his company and was glad of it. Being stuck tutoring someone she hated would really be a drag. She lifted her bag onto her shoulder as the bell rang, reading her schedule. She gave Hikaru a curious glance. “Do you have painting next?”
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