lucky plant child

clover ☆ 18 ☆ isfp ☆ ♏

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Clover’s proposition elicited a loud laugh from Phi, but she simultaneously felt disappointed in not being able to live up to the expectation the other had for her. “Ah well, I believe trying to quantify ‘efficiency’ universally… our universe being limited to college students… and then trying to optimize grocery-carrying for that purpose would be, in short, hard.” Somehow she realized she wouldn’t mind trying to attempt a project like that, especially if Clover was the one supplying the ideas.

She stopped and considered setting up a business as Clover had suggested. “Phi’s Lifehacks? Well, I can’t say I hate the sound of that – it makes me sound omnipotent. But you know, I think most of my tips would be like… Based on the laws for angle of incidence and angle of reflection for plane mirrors, you only need a mirror half your height to see yourself in it fully.”

She looked over to Clover. “See what I mean? It’s completely useless because people buy products based on price. I doubt they care whether their mirror utilizes every square centimeter of reflective surface efficiently.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Oh yeah, guess I hadn't thought of that," Clover said quietly. "Well those people don't deserve your wisdom then." She stared at the ground as they continued walking, studying the weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk intently and cursing herself for not thinking closely enough before rambling on and on about something ridiculous. Mashing a buttery colored dandelion under the toe of her bow-adorned pink high heels, she searched her mind for another conversational dam to hold back the tide of silence.

"So when does Summer break start for you?" she suddenly blurted, looking up slightly from the pavement.

"What d'ya think you'll be up to then?" She hoped for a response like 'Oh nothing at all' that would provide a convenient place to include an invitation to meet again, but seeing as Phi seemed like a pretty busy person she really doubted it would come.

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Phi’s eyes widened as she witnessed Clover easily pick up the rest of the coffee cartons in a couple of seconds. She started to comment but the other was already headed for the door, and actually held it open for Phi as well. It was almost a terrifying sight, as if a circus troupe had abandoned one of their members on the street. She followed Clover silently, realizing a bit later that neither of them had actually said anything.

"So, uh, can you juggle too, or is the balancing act limited to coffee? Well, I mean, it’s already pretty impressive if you ask me. You should see me trying to carry groceries to my dorm. I usually drop half the bags by the time I get to the door and have to run around picking things up before someone gets all finders-keepers on it. Seriously, how…" Phi slowly trailed off as she imagined Clover juggling while carrying her groceries.

[4leavesofluck-blog]

Clover giggled, much more out of relief that the silence was broken than due to the fact that something humorous had been said. "Well it's a skill primarily used for food items, but I guess it could transfer somewhat to things like that. Never really thought about it."

"I would say I'd teach you how to do it, but you could probably figure out how to do it even more efficiently with your physics-y stuff." She was only half-joking. Continuing to let her thoughts flow aloud as they turned a street corner, she rambled: "Maybe you should do that. Use physics and stuff to find solutions to everyday campus problems. Find out how to make life easier for those people who are so focused on academics that they neglect important things outside of it because they're too hard or too time-consuming. You could make them pay you too. Like a paid service to send text updates on the Latest and Greatest Tips for College Life." She enunciated the title with the mock grandiose tone of a late-night infomercial. "Phi's Lifehacks!" she exclaimed.

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Clover’s enthusiastic offer to help was exactly what Phi hoped for. She didn’t really want to stay in the café any longer, but on the other hand, she didn’t feel like giving up time with Clover either. “Alright, great! And you know what we could do? Hand these out to the students on campus. I bet none of them actually want hot coffee, or lukewarm coffee at this point, but college students take anything they can get for free.”

Phi grabbed two of the larger traveler cartons, one in each hand, and continued, “We’ll say that it’s a treat from my professor, and that way I can’t be sued. I mean, I also do have a class full of witnesses that saw me receiving the account card from my professor.”                                       

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"True! This college student I met last year got nicknamed 'ramenfucker' by a 40 year old. One of the most universal truths seems to be that college students are super poor." She smiled sadly. "But that's still my dream in spite of that fact." She put her essential waitressing skills to use and managed to get a total of 6 coffee cartons.  "Welp, let's get going!" she smiled.

She pushed the shop door open with her back and held it open for Phi with a foot, never losing the balance of the coffee. Shortly, they were on their way, and she regretted not having shorter pants and sleeves. This walk so far wasn't nearly as talkative as being in the shop. Clover frowned, wracking her brain for some kind of conversational segway, but thinking of none. She wondered if this was intentional or if they were both just blanking out on this.

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Practice

[2nakeeye2-blog]

"…Clover?"

His fingers still, and every muscle in his body follows as he hears the sobs strain her voice. Whatever reaction he’d been expecting, it hadn’t been… this. Frozen in shock, he feels guilt building in his chest and rising to his throat, taking his voice away and threatening to choke him, at the thought that he’d made his sister cry.

How foolish of me. That’s the thought burning most fervently in his mind as he helplessly listens to Clover break down. How foolish to think that allowing her even a glance at his inner turmoil, his immense anger and remorse and fear, would yield positive results. He is the older sibling, the guardian - the pain and trauma they’ve endured together two times too many is his responsibility, his burden to carry.

She doesn’t deserve to carry one bit of it.

Swallowing, he attempts to regain his voice. “Clover… Please, don’t cry. It’s alright.” Realizing he is able to move again, he stands and moves toward her, reaching out and pulling her into a hug.

"There, now. Please don’t worry about me, I’m quite alright." Briefly he considers telling her everything - every ounce of meaning he poured into the song - but he can’t quite find the words, so he provides her instead with a half-truth that he hopes will suffice: "I only wished to write something a bit more… emotional. I…" He lets out a soft chuckle, more of an attempt to cheer her up than an expression of genuine amusement. "I suppose I might’ve gone a little overboard, if you’re in such a state."

[4leavesofluck-blog]

She clutched at the seams of his jacket, holding as tightly as she could and never wanting to let go. He was the most important thing in the world to her, and always would be, no matter what other kinds of people or things came into her life. The two of them had been through so much together, and even the worst had only brought them closer. She let the river of her tears run its course, and finally regained the ability to voice her thoughts.

"How can you be 'quite alright' with emotions like that? It isn't bad music it just... it makes me worry alright! I don't have much left in the world but even on the bleakest days I always have you! And I get so worried to think that someone I can't imagine life without is going through that kind of trouble!" "I just..." she trailed off, burying her face in his jacket once more. "I just want you to be okay."

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Phi squinted. Nine? Cradle? She racked her brain but didn’t particularly come up with anything noteworthy. However, Clover had expected her to know what she was talking about, so she decided she would look into it. Maybe she had been right about those demons after all, but that wasn’t really important for now.

“I know you can do it. Honestly, you could set up a donations jar to “help kids go to school” and it would be nowhere near a lie, except maybe for the fact that you’re a teenager and also you’re going to college. Close enough, right?”

Phi leaned around the counter and saw the stack of drinks and traveler boxes. “Wow… all of that in less than an hour. You guys could make a slogan about it, like one of those annoying Domino’s commercials. I doubt I can carry this back myself though.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"That's a good idea!" Clover chimed. "As long as I don't put any false specifics to gain excess sympathy like its for starving kids in a foreign country it was earned honestly, right?" Once again Phi's ingenuity made her happy and a little more hopeful for the future.

Clover looked down at the masses of coffee splayed across the counter next to her. Silently, she cursed the barista. They had no one else coming in. They could've milked this for so long, gotten free hours for working really slowly. And... I could've talked more with Phi... Her ears perked at Phi's response and instinctively blurted "I'll come with you!" before anyone else could have the smallest chance at volunteering. "I'll help you carry it! We have a one time only delivery service, free of charge!" She beamed.

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Phi eyed the barista warily. Despite enjoying Clover’s insults of the café, she didn’t want to be responsible for making someone lose their job. The barista however, was minding their own business, probably still furious from the earlier tirade. Who put a stick up his ass? Oh wait, us two, probably.

Phi laughed at Clover’s heartfelt comments – not in a patronizing manner, but she was simply overwhelmed. “Well, I’m really glad you trust me. I don’t often find meaning in what most people tell me either, but I definitely feel that I can trust you as well.”

The shower of compliments made her giggle, and pretty soon Phi was wearing a huge smile as well. “You sure do know how to stroke my ego, Clover,” she remarked once the other had stopped for a moment. “But your skill isn’t that bad either. You’re very… inspiring. Not like a motivational speaker or something else loud and flashy and garish, but like a painting in a museum that you could look at for hours on end. Hm, or a nice song that gets stuck in your head at the perfect time.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Most people never get to see any kind of positive side to me... they think all there is to me is the way I act around people I don't know or don't trust. So when someone gets to see it I... I'm really glad they were able to break through my shell and see me how I wish I could be to everyone." She looked intensely at the counter and spoke very softly. "I could have been like that to everyone but I was just screwed already when I was only 9! It's that damn Cradle guy's fault!"

Quickly she raised her head and her voice back to a normal volume. "Whoops, I shouldn't bring that up! A-anyway! Don't take credit away from yourself too. Today you inspired me! I have a rekindled desire to pursue the career I really belong in. I'm ready to go for it. I'm gonna work extra hours and try really hard for tips! As soon as the cold weather sets back in and we get our bigger numbers of customers back, I'm gonna use it to it's fullest!"

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Phi sat up with Clover and quietly ran her fingers through her hair. It seemed as though her offhand remarks about the situation had actually hit the nail on the head. She took another sip of the coffee while the other stopped a moment to collect her thoughts, needing something undemanding to occupy her hands as she considered what she was being told.

“The way I see it, misery is sort of like a… conserved quantity. You’re in a wretched state of affairs now, which probably means that there’s someone out there living a good life, benefiting from that. The good thing is that misery isn’t some sort of static substance. Things without a mass or a speed or any sort of determining quality don’t really exist. Like aether, there’s no point to them. So it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that your misery has a velocity, and it’s traveling away from you, and soon you’ll be the one benefiting from someone else’s misfortune.” Phi winked and gave her a tiny smile.

Despite just having met Clover, she felt as if they had known each other for a long time before this. It wasn’t an unpleasant or unnerving feeling since Phi truly liked Clover as well. She was worldly, yet somehow innocent at the same time – on the whole, she was absolutely engaging. Phi didn’t particularly care about what kind of demons she had buried away under her now-sunny exterior. In fact, she had some of her own secrets to hide, and wasn’t about to prove herself a hypocrite so soon. “You really are better than the rest. We’re all sheep if you think about it, but I think some of us still have the strength to be wolves on the inside.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

Clover drained the contents of her coffee cup, thinking over all those physics-y things the girl sitting across from her had just said. Phi really was super smart. She couldn't prevent a smile from spreading across her face in spite of the despair she'd been in only minutes ago.

"You're right... there's never a complete lack of the chance that I can be on the other side of it all. And...there's no way I'll ever get there if I don't try, right? All I can do for now is keep at it...keep working this silly job no mater how aimless it seems. Because it's not, right? It's working for something better!" Clover felt like she could almost add Phi to that list that basically only consisted of her brother at the moment, the one detailing the people who had the power to snap Clover out of it when she had one of those trademark mood swings. Not even Light had ever set such a time record on doing so. And it was still so hard for her to comprehend that this was a person whom she had only just met. "Phi... you're amazing. You've set a time record for gaining my trust, and that's the thing I probably value the most, y'know? I... don't really know how you've done it." She looked up from the table, right into the other girl's eyes. "You're going to do so well in school and in the future and everything! You're really smart... and you can make it through even things like food chemistry. Because you've got the skill of changing perspective! Anything can be in your favor then!" Suddenly, she was rambling, and probably sounding so ridiculous, but she just really needed to say all of that.

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

4leavesofluck

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

The sudden outburst shocked Phi, and she slipped a little off the barstool as she tried to balance the cup of coffee in her hand and the jumbled thoughts in her mind. She cringed involuntarily as Clover’s voice rose in volume but her expression quickly returned to concern by the time she finished. An uncomfortable silence began filling the air, strangely reminding her of the way yeast fermented in wine. I knew taking food chemistry was a bad idea.

Phi realized she had to say something, anything, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she just croaked unintelligibly. The barista was watching them curiously, so she waved her hand and responded hastily, “That was my fault. Uh, don’t worry about it… really, my fault entirely.” She could see that he was fuming, but went back to the order.

Carefully, she nudged Clover on the shoulder, expecting her to look up for at least a brief moment. “Hey… whoa… come on now. Seriously, you just helped me put a crabby asshole on the path to bankruptcy in less than the entire half hour I’ve known you for. I doubt most people can say that, or even attempt to do that,” she said, pausing briefly.

Phi took a chance, and laid her head down on the cold counter as well. “And, of course you’re going to mess up at things you don’t particularly like. People never make mistakes when they’re doing what they love, and I have a feeling you’ll find that soon. You’re not worthless, and your only fault is seeing this disgustingly horrendous system for what it is. They say ignorance is bliss, Clover, but wouldn’t you rather be perceptive and influential than oblivious and weak?”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

Clover could swear she heard the barista say quietly that her behavior was like this all the time and nothing new, but in spite of herself she ignored him. There were bigger things on her mind. She raised her head once more and returned to a slightly more upright position, chin in palm. The furrow in her brow was no less present, but she could feel her heart lighten a bit.

"You know, I like you. Which is a lot more than I can say about pretty much any person I've only known for 30 minutes. And more than I can say about most people in general." She paused to put her words together the right way before continuing. "You aren't the type to just say 'cheer up!' y'know? You know that's no real form of consolation. And I'm sure sometimes you can't think of anything that seems particularly meaningful, but you always choose something at least slightly more insightful than 'buck up!'." She frowned intensely thinking about all the times she'd gotten those kinds of meaningless words from someone.

"The way you put it makes it seem that the knowledge making me miserable in fact makes me superior to a lot of people." She took a long sip of coffee, counting how long her dramatic pause was in her head. "And you know what? I like that way of looking at it."

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

“Thanks for the reassurance then,” she replied cheerfully, but Clover’s countenance fell soon after. Phi agreed wholeheartedly with her opinion of the unfair selection process in what good-for-nothing adults called ‘the real world’. She didn’t particularly want to crush whatever little dreams the girl had left, but couldn’t think of anything in particular that could help. “Why don’t you try moving to a location that has more opportunities for show business then? Chicago is a huge city but I can think of better regions to work in.”

Phi took a slow sip of the coffee, distractedly swishing it around in her mouth as she thought over Clover’s words. She had never been particularly inclined towards involving other people in her life if they could do nothing for her. Listening to Clover’s pointedly melancholy explanation forced her to reflect on herself. Maybe being inconsiderate isn’t actually something I should continue doing… well, not as often, I guess.

“I know for a fact that it’ll get you somewhere. Getting invested, I mean. I make it sound bad, but there’s nothing wrong with putting others before yourself as long as you can still force a limit. You shouldn’t have to be everyone’s red carpet.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Yeah, I guess location is important too," Clover said in a flat tone, her hopes raised slightly but still overall feeling no less hopeless. "I'd have to ask my brother though. It's not like I can just leave him. And I don't know that he could handle another big move even if he wanted to." She took an absent sip of coffee, swallowing hard so as to bypass the lump forming in her throat that told her she was close to tears. "Besides, it's not like anything can change if we don't earn the extra money in the first place. None of my dreams even matter!" Suddenly she was yelling, and could see out of the corner of her eye though it was blurred with an unformed tear that one of the few customers lingering in the shop's easychairs was staring.

She shut her eyes hard and rested her face down on the cold stone counter. "See? Why shouldn't I let people step across me?! I'm so worthless I'm living such a pointless life I can't achieve anything I'm just stuck in this shitty system and I'll never be able to go anywhere I'll just be stuck here in these pointless jobs doing nothing but screwing up forever!" she screamed into the unresponding stone, barely stopping to take breaths in between thoughts.

[4leavesofluck-blog]

{{ hello ive returned from 2 weeks of preparation for and then actual finals

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Practice

[2nakeeye2-blog]

His smile only grows at her words. “Thank you, Clover. That’s very kind of you to say.” In truth, he already pretty much knows how she feels about his music, but hearing her say it aloud is quite comforting.

"Alright, alright, I’ll start, then." Without further ado, he plays a few bars of his newest song. Compared to the steady serenity of his usual tunes, this one’s quite a bit more dynamic, changing from slow and somber to somewhat more rapid and intense (as much as one can get with a harp, anyway) at a pace Light hopes is quick, but reasonable.

There’s a reason for this, of course. Never the best at getting his feelings across in words, Light hopes to express the tumultuous emotions he’s been feeling after being trapped in not one, but two games of life-and-death with his sister. The sorrow and guilt he experienced the many times he felt helpless to protect Clover - what matters most to him in the world - are easy to convey in slow, long notes. But other emotions - anger, anxiety, fear - are not so simple to express through the harp, and he wonders whether this is a good idea at all.

"As you can probably tell," he says once he’s stopped playing, "it’s not quite finished. But what did you think of what I have so far? I’m a bit worried about the pacing and dynamics, personally."

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Hmm..." Clover frowned.

She continued to merely make low, incoherent sounds until finally the words came to express her thoughts. "It...it doesn't sound soothing anymore..." Her throat was to dry to continue, and she had to force a hard swallow. "It's more...to use your word, dynamic, and that's what's nice about it but..." She stared intently at the floor, becoming very aware of the deep arch in her brow and inexplicable sensation of teardrops forming behind her eyelids.

As her vision blurred, she blinked hard and sorted out her thoughts enough to voice them. "It doesn't...it doesn't sound like you. It doesn't sound like home, and that's what you are to me. It sounds like an emotion that I've never seen you have, or even imagined you having."

She felt a few of the tears slip over the brink of her eyelid and down her cheek, quickly brushing them away with her sleeve. She couldn't imagine what could've made him feel this way. What on earth had prompted this? Her mind reeled and she began to lose grip on her composure. I...I can't stand the thought of him feeling like this!

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Practice

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Still smiling, Light shakes his head, chiding himself inwardly. He should know by now that when it comes to his inner feelings, nothing gets past Clover, no matter how hard he tries to hide them.

"Wonderful," he says brightly in response to Clover’s answer. "I really do appreciate your help, Clover. And as for why I became lost in thought, well…"

"…I was just thinking about the song I was playing," he explains. "I’m not sure if you remember, but the first time I heard it was at that music festival we attended a while ago." He lets out a deep, somewhat melancholic sigh before continuing: "It left quite the impression on me, but… Since I never learned the name of the song, I had to learn it from memory, and I can never be entirely sure if I’m playing it exactly right. I quite like the song as I play it, so I don’t typically let this bother me, but… Sometimes it gets me down, I suppose."

His smile returns to his face as soon as he notices its absence. “But enough about that. I said I was going to play something new for you, yes?” A mock sternness comes into his tone as he continues: “Now, I want your honest opinion, Clover - no sugarcoating. If there’s anything you think I could improve, please let me know.” He knows she’ll be honest with him anyway, but by now it’s practically a ritual to give her that tirade before he plays something new for her.

"Just let me know when you’re ready."

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Well to me it sounds perfect as it is!" Clover insisted. "Maybe it's just because I get attached to sensory things that bring back good memories, and it reminds me of all the times you've played it for me when it really mattered...but even if that's the reason it's not like it's bad music! I'm not making excuses for enjoying some terrible racket. Believe me, I would let you know immediately if my ears were bleeding."

"Aaanyway," she said, drawing out the vowel in her signature tone of impatience.

"Impress me."

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Practice

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Quick footsteps echo from the floor above him in a familiar rhythm, stopping, Light judges, near the doorway at the top of the stairwell. Clover doesn’t know it, but Light could recognize the sound of her footsteps anywhere, even at such a distance. Still, he humors her; knowing his sister takes great comfort in his music, he continues to play, focusing even more than usual on making sure every note comes out perfectly.

The particular melody he’s playing now is a long-time favorite of his - of both of theirs. To this day, he doesn’t know the name of it - he learned to play it strictly from memory - but hearing it played at a music festival was what had first sparked his interest in the harp. From time to time, the fact that he can never be sure if he’s playing it exactly right weighs on him. But Clover seems to like the tune exactly as he plays it, and that’s good enough for him.

Lost in thought, Light doesn’t even notice that he’s stopped playing until he hears Clover’s footsteps descending the stairwell, heading straight for him. His pleasant smile only grows when she embraces him, and he wraps his arms around her in return. Typically, he’s not one for hugs, but he can make an exception for his sister.

"Thank you, Clover," he says. Her praise could be taken as superficial, from one family member to another, but Light knows that she means it genuinely, and that warms his heart.

He chuckles lightly in response to her question. “To be honest, I hadn’t even noticed I’d stopped. I suppose I was just lost in thought.” He prays she won’t question him any further than that. Disclosing his personal thoughts aloud has never been something he’s particularly good at.

After a while he releases her, wishing to continue playing. But before he does, something occurs to him, and he scratches his chin in thought. “Say, Clover,” he begins, “would you mind listening to something I’ve been working on? I can’t tell if it’s all flowing together well enough, and I could use a second pair of ears to judge, if you’re not terribly busy.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Hm?" she looked up at him with a furrowed brow. "What were you thinking about? You always seem really focused when you're playing...maybe not after all." She studied his face, searching it for something he wasn't telling her.

"But sure, of course I'll listen. Why wouldn't I? Silly." You always ask me to do things when you should know you don't need to, she mused silently. She sat on the floor in front of the stool, legs crossed, arms folded in her lap, and looked attentively towards the musician in the imaginary spotlight.

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Phi chimed in with the other’s laughter. There was no way in hell that the professor would let her around their financial assets again, but it seemed like a good plan if they were ridiculous enough to do so. Phi doubted she would even receive a passing grade for the course after this incident, but she would take it up with the dean if it came to that.

“At least your choice is infinitely more interesting than mine. It’s like finding a job on Wall Street, though. It doesn’t matter how talented you are; everyone just cares about your connections. I mean, that’s nice for the people that fall into the category, but oftentimes real talent is overlooked.”

She listened to Clover, thinking that she seemed to be directing her words to the air instead of her. “Hey… you’re not bad. I mean, we’re all pretty bad individually, but “crappy” and “old” are the last two adjectives I’d use to describe you. It’s true that it would be nice though – being able to be someone else when you need a break.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Well maybe more interesting for me, but I'm no good at math or science. You seem to excel at those. So, yours is more suited for you! There aren't many jobs that are universally boring or universally interesting, it matters a lot who's the one doing them, I guess." She smiled slightly, but it quickly faded.

"You're right though, there's so little emphasis on talent these days. I don't have that much hope. I only have one acquaintance who has connections in high places, and even so she's nowhere near the theater industry. I'll probably have to work little jobs like this that are merely for sustaining myself for the rest of my life."

She exhaled deeply and looked back to Phi. "Thank you though. Self-confidence has never been something I've had the privilege of gaining. I suppose I've always found the most comfort in seeing myself in other things. This name was so great because I could just pretend I was a little plant. Pretend I had these great values attached to me. Hope, love, faith and luck, or something like that." She laughed quietly but no less derisively. "The only good that's come from that is being able to focus more on other people that I care about like my brother, instead of some obsession with myself. The only real hope I have for seeing value in myself is if I can allow others to see it in themselves."

[2nakeeye2-blog]

Practice

There’s a quiet room in the basement of his favorite music store. It’s cold, confined, smelling of dust and concrete - but it’s far more comforting for him than plush carpets or soft grass, than an expansive room or a wide-open field, could ever be. This way, he knows he’ll be able to hear the distinct sound of approaching footsteps on the hard flooring soon enough to prepare for…

Best not to let my thoughts go in that direction, he muses to himself. Now is a time for focusing on music, rather than on the not-so-distant past. Exhaling, he shifts his position on his stool - which, luckily, is much more comfortable than the concrete floor would be - and begins to play. Delicate fingers carefully dance across the strings of his harp, producing a tranquil, dreamlike melody. The sound is, quite literally, music to his ears, and a pleasant smile rests on his face as he plays.

He’s grateful that the store owners let him use this room, because just in a few weeks it’s become his favorite place to practice. The acoustics are surprisingly excellent, each note echoing softly off the walls - just enough so that he can hear it clearly without disturbing anyone else in the store. It’s also private, secluded; very few people come down here on a regular basis, so his chances of being interrupted are slim.

Of course, there are some who know of Light’s ideal practice room. But those are the people he doesn’t mind interruptions from quite as much.

[4leavesofluck-blog]

Clover glanced up at the white clock mounted on the red brick wall, the one she spent some days practically fixed upon just waiting for some time to go by. But today had flown by somehow, it was time to leave already, in fact she had been there 3 minutes overtime.  She ran to the back room, throwing off her apron and cap, slung her bag onto her shoulder, and quickly clocked out. She flew down the street as fast as her legs could carry her; she didn't want to miss it.

Shortly arriving at the nearby music store, she gave a quick wave to the worker behind the counter who surely knew her well enough by now to be aware of where she was going, and shot to the door of the stairwell. Breathless, she leaned her back against it, sliding down slightly, disregarding the strap of her bag as it slid down her shoulder. Trying to breathe quietly -- for she knew he could hear her if she gave into the heaving breaths her body needed to -- she closed her eyes and listened.

Drowning out all else, she could just barely hear it. That ethereal series of notes her brother produced, a tune she knew well, for it was one of his favorites. Those delicate notes had calmed her down many times before, there were instances when Clover was quite grateful that her brother played such a soothing instrument. After a small while it stopped, and she took that as her cue. She stood up, fought the way that the door always stuck a little, and quickly descended the stairwell.

She ran over to Light and embraced him tightly. "It sounded great as always!"  she said with a smile.

"Why did you stop, though...?" she asked quietly.

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

Expresso

[poejfkmn94rj4iruop3jrnfigone-de]

“You’re right about German. I mean, there’s a word for being addicted to puns; it can’t get any more interesting than that!”

She waited until Clover brought back the drinks, picking the one flavored hazelnut. “I’ll take this, if you don’t mind. And thanks for the free coffee offer. I’ll probably cash that in during exams.” She laughed, and clinked her cup against Clover’s as if they were in a fancy restaurant. Fancy enough for a college student like me.

“Physics, huh? I’m not really sure what I’ll do, to tell you the truth. I mean, I’m an exchange student from the EPFL – the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. I basically grew up near CERN, so I think I picked it as a major since I already knew so much about it. There’s really not much I can do except go into research though. Not that I’m disappointed. In fact, I wouldn’t mind that at all. Grappling with theory is pretty exciting.”

[4leavesofluck-blog]

"Sure, that's a good idea. Unless, that is, your food chemistry professor asks you to get coffee for them as supplies that will be used in the exam and gives you their money again. In that case, expend as much money on the most expensive coffee possible." Her laugh rang out and mingled with the sound of tapping plastic and sloshing ice as the two clinked cups.

"Yeah, I'm not really sure what I want to do," she said, chewing another bite of cookie thoughtfully. "Maybe I should have thought about that before I started working so hard towards higher education." She scoffed at her own lack of foresight. "Maybe performance art. It seems to be the most profitable branch of art without doing some boring desk type job, if you can make it far enough." She looked away, focusing her wistful gaze on the wall of windows far behind Phi. "Getting up on stage and being someone else for a living...never having to be my crappy old self...sounds great to me."