Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
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@nocte-perpetua
ooc: Hey, guys! Just real quick, I'm putting myself on a semi-hiatus. I was swamped last week, and I'm looking at a lot of work this week too with a lot of things going on outside of that. But by next week, all should be well again, and I should be back.
I'll still pop on to do temp. mod duties, but RPing probably won't be happening unless I get a slow night. Sorry! I'll be back full-time again pretty soon. :)
ooc: Ahem. So, Noctis over here is obviously a bit of a liar (not on purpose)! Because I said I would do replies and then fell off the face of the earth again. See, I was pretty much attacked by papers and novels over the weekend, all of which are due on Wednesday. So, I have a lot I need to finish up, but it should slow down again after that. If I get the chance to actually do the replies, respond to some starters, RP a while, etc. tonight or tomorrow night, I will! But if not, then you will definitely see me Wednesday night. I'll try super duper hard. :( I'm sorry, guys!
ooc: Hey, guys, sorry I've been totally MIA. :( The semester just started back up again, so it's been a little busy. I told myself I was going to do replies (that are long overdue, sorry!) tonight, but I'm exhausted. So, those will be happening tomorrow, I promise!
a picnic ;; open
— | ♚ |
The Armani-clad teen made his way towards the park. An unusual sight for most; a rich boy, carrying a rugged basket. Draped over his other arm, there was an old red and white checkered blanket. It was kind of old and ‘dusty’, so to speak, but the old-time favorite would fulfill it’s purpose one last time.
As he spread out the blanket, he couldn’t help but glance at the other students, who seemed to be having a good time. He would’ve joined, if it weren’t for his pride and shyness. Deep down, he was pretty nervous about talking to anyone else. Why not be standoffish, than try to get close to others?
A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he began to spread out the food. He was completely nervous at this point, but he would never admit to that.
Then again, I don’t really have anyone to share this with…
Staring at the food he prepared, he felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead. A terrible day to wear a suit. No, scratch that. A terrible day, period.
Noctis, from a distance, immediately could pick Denzel out of the crowd. The suit, the sour expressions, the extremely anti-social "don't even look at me" vibe--oh, yeah, it was definitely him. He seemed to keep to himself, though, not really trying to mix in with the other classmates. Noctis wasn't all that surprised either, but he noticed that he might've looked a little uncomfortable. Though, he could've easily been confusing that with a general bad mood.
Waiting, Noctis debated with himself about whether or not to talk to him. Afterall, it would be about the same as willingly trying to approach a crocodile. But all the empty space around Denzel did make him feel a little sorry for him. A little.
Deciding against his better judgement, Noctis walked over, stopping just at the edge of the blanket Denzel had set out. "I'm surprised you showed up," Noctis said.
[Noctis and Vanille]
The picnic was just starting and everything was set up, something Noctis was happy to finally see. Not because he was losing sleep with excitement or because it was anything he particularly looked forward to, but he was glad to see all the hard work coming together. Out on the field near the school, there were plenty of blankets set out, along with the tables to the far right with sandwich platters, bags of unopened chips, and veggie trays. Underneath all the food, the tables wore red and white checkered tablecloths—a touch Noctis’s childhood self would’ve been proud of. (Afterall, his younger self would’ve insisted picnics had to have something with a red and white checkered pattern, or else it just wasn’t right.)
He’d been partially left in charge to put it all together, given little more than a checklist and a few basic guidelines. He had to help make sure at least some food was ordered, the music was right, the times were scheduled, the place was ready, and his fellow students attended. It was more than he had been prepared for, and while, on the outside, he looked calm and collected, he felt frustrated and worn out on the inside. If his hair wasn’t already styled to stick up in strange places, he was pretty sure all of the planning and pressure would’ve done it naturally.
But seeing it all in motion, finally, he felt relieved. One less thing to worry about. He waited for people to start showing up, and in the back of his mind, he tried to think of what to tell Miku and Gumi in case no one actually showed. He’d done the best he could with what he had. For that, he didn’t think he did too bad of a job.
Excitement bubbled up out of Vanille when she got to the school grounds. Red and white gingham print blankets, just like she’d seen in books and on TV, were laid out on the field for the picnic. She’d heard about the event from a flier on a board in the office, and again on the morning announcements at school, and this was almost exactly how she hoped it would look. Picture perfect, set up to succeed. There were tables of food and coolers with drinks and the school field was pretty nice too. As long as it didn’t get windy.
Not too many people were there yet, but she spotted a familiar face, less frowny than the first time she’d met him. Noctis, blue-black hair as spiky as ever, seemed to be greeting people as they arrived. Unfortunately without much of a crowd she couldn’t sneak up on him (would’ve been more fun), so she settled for a direct approach and went skipping right up to him instead. She stopped in front of him like a gymnast “sticking” a landing.
"Hey there! You the mastermind behind this masterpiece?" She threw her hands out and spun in a circle as a gesture to the picnic.
Seeing someone suddenly appear in front of him--with so much enthusiasm, no less--took him by surprise. He simply blinked at her at first, but he really shouldn't have been surprised at all. Of course it was Vanille, the one classmate out of them all who would be so likely to appear out of nowhere and then twirl immediately after.
"Vanille, hey," he said. "Uhh--yeah, yeah, I had a hand in it, anyway." He scratched the back of his head, glancing back out to the field. He hardly considered it a masterpiece himself. Honestly, it barely came together at the last minute at all, but much less nicely. But if she thought it was a masterpiece, there was no way he was going to correct her.
"I was wondering when you were going to, you know, pop up," he said. He even heard his voice go flat at the end of his sentence, like he was bored or unenthused that she appeared, which wasn't at all what he meant. He tried to fix it, hoping he wouldn't see the damage he'd done on her face. "But, hey, I'm glad to see that you made it." He just needed to get used to her jack-in-the-box style and fast.
[Denzel and Noctis]
Noctis was taken back by so much sass. At a glance, he didn’t expect him to be so hostile, but the scowl on his face should’ve been a red flag. At first, Noctis wasn’t sure how to react.
When he swatted his hand away, he took a step back, feeling almost offended. "I—wow, I was only trying to help," he muttered, letting the other boy get up on his own afterall. He was clearly independent, stubbornly so, and Noctis made a mental note not to interfere again. When the other boy held up his arm, he saw there was a scrape along his elbow, a wound that clearly stung.
The nurse’s office, though, was another story. Noctis hadn’t been that way himself, and he hadn’t even seen where it was. He figured it was near the main office, where they usually were, but the thought crossed his mind to let the kid find his way himself. Afterall, he was clearly capable of handling himself—or trying to, at least. But Noctis also figured that if he was the reason he fell in the first place, maybe it wouldn’t be right to back out of the picture.
He sighed, “Yeah, sure. Nurse’s office would be this way.” He gestured to the right, even though he wasn’t completely sure. In the back of his mind, he half-expected this school to be different, pull a curve ball on him, and have the nurse’s office be clear on the other side instead. As they started to walk, Noctis asked, “So, do you have a name to go with your attitude?”
— | ♚ |
He blinked incredulously, but followed anyways. He was quite upset— he wasn’t obligated to answer anyone if he so pleased.
… But the silent treatment could only go on for so long. Plus, this dude didn’t really do much; it was mostly his fault. Hah, like he’d ever admit to being at fault. He’d have to be drugged before he’d commit to taking the blame for anything.
"… Denzel." He replied in a huff, eyes and attention somewhere else. "I would ask for your name as well, but I don’t care enough to get to know it. Nor do I plan on getting to know you. We better be heading the right way.”
He wanted to make a jape, but wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. He wasn’t one for jokes. He was the least likely to get any sort of innuendo or teasing. He’d often correct someone on their stupidity, often in a “check yourself, before you wreck yourself” way.
"In a roundabout way, I should make you carry me. It would provide endless entertainment on my end, while a punishment for yours. You do know this is your fault, right? If I end up being too injured to participate in Blitzball… Well, I’d hate to be in your position."
More of less of a jape on his end. He would get the joke, right…? Hopefully, since he was a total lam-o when it came down to it. He’d be one of those idiots to read through a joke book, if he had the time or patience to read such… stupidity.
After a long pause, the kid finally answered. Denzel. It had a sharp sound to it anyway, so it seemed to fit him and his sharp tongue. At first, Noctis shrugged, not particularly caring if he wanted to know his name or not. He was fine with that. If he and Denzel simply parted ways without really ever knowing one another, he wasn't going to lose any sleep over it. In his mind, he'd always just be "the dramatic kid with the whiny attitude," which seemed accurate as far as he could tell. There was a chance he was having a bad day, but even on their worse days, he'd never met someone as outwardly combative as he was.
Noctis paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow at Denzel. He was already on his last nerve. Accidents happened, and at first, he was able to put up with a bad attitude, but it was like this kid was just looking to get on someone's bad side. Denzel didn't look like a scrapper--all talk, maybe--and there was no way Noctis would fight with someone his age, but a good shove wasn't out of the question. "Carry you?" he said. "Your legs don't look broken to me. If you're afraid of not being able to play Blitzball, keep it up, and maybe that can be arranged."
Noctis felt frustrated, and he never had appreciated people that blew things out of proportion. He was so upset about a simple scraped elbow that he couldn't imagine how he was going to react if Noctis was actually wrong about what end the nurse's office was on. Who did the kid think he was, anyway?
[Noctis and Noel]
He noticed someone off to the side, walking over and calling out to him, and Noctis looked over when he heard the voice. It was Noel, and he looked a bit confused.
When he asked what was up with everything out on the field, Noctis felt back on edge again. Since Noel was the first to appear, it didn’t ease his concerns that he wasn’t sure what was going on. He figured finally putting everything out and just waiting would guarantee all the work would be over.
"The, uh, the school picnic?" Noctis made a motion towards the field. "That’s what’s up with all the…stuff." His words trailed off, suddenly second-guessing if he’d actually remembered to tell the other students about it. It wouldn’t have surprised him if he somehow managed to forget that part. When it came to multi-step projects, he was better at focusing on one thing, one detail, at a time. Of course, getting everyone there had been the most important part. Yet, somehow, it could’ve been easy for him to accidentally overlook it.
"Didn’t you hear about it?" Noctis asked.
"School… picnic?" Noel muttered, glancing around. Well, it sure fit the definition, but… "Uh… I’m guessing it was on the… announcements… then, huh?" Noel frowned. "Yeah, I’m thinking I should start listening to those." Noel coughed, scratching his ear.
"Is it today?" Noel asked before he realized that was probably a stupid question. "Probably is, huh? Forget I asked. It’s not like an invitation-only thing, right? I can just chill here? Eat some picnic food?"
Noctis chuckled. "Well, that's the idea, anyway. If you go to Fantasy High, you're welcome to this."
"Though, about those announcements," he added, pausing, "they have good info some of the time. Otherwise, they can be pretty annoying." When it was early in the morning, Noctis couldn't care less about whatever the voices over the intercoms of the school had to say. Usually, when he was still waking up, he didn't care what anyone had to say, much less the babbling announcements.
He shrugged. "So, if you don't have anywhere to be, might as well stick around, right?" He gestured over to the tables. "Free food, at least, and who can pass that up?"
The Walk Home [Noctis & Vanille]
"Yup, that’s my name! Easy to remember, right? What’s yours?" Maybe she could stop calling him Frowny Face in her head. He was pretty quiet though. She wondered if he was mad that she’d followed him, or if this was just how he was and if that was related to his home life or not.
"Weak spot?" she repeated. What would lockers be a weak spot to? “Are they an enemy you face often?” she giggled, hoping maybe if she was playful he’d feel more comfortable. Maybe he didn’t like new people. Maybe he really did fight with lockers on a daily basis. Maybe he just didn’t like talking. His answer about the car was pretty short.
He’d started to walk away and she thought about following him but didn’t want to push him too far. She would have to see him all year, after all, and she didn’t want to make enemies on her first day. Still, her curiosity was overflowing now. Vanille turned the can over in her hands, thinking she’d try talking to him again tomorrow. Maybe he was late for something.
"I’ll see you in class tomorrow," he said. "Maybe we can talk more then."
Tomorrow then. "Alright," Vanille said, hoping her disappointment didn’t show through.
She just wasn’t used to someone who was quiet. Shy, maybe, but that was easier to handle. If you were gentle and kind and patient, you could get them to engage. Usually, reaching out to someone shy caused them to reach back, even if they were cautious about it. But shyness still had an invitation buried inside, while this boy seemed just fine on his own, even a little annoyed by her presence. Oh… She’d been called annoying before.
Before she could turn around to go back the way she’d come, he spoke again. “So, do you live this way?” he asked, motioning in the direction he’d been going.
Vanille smiled, trying to tone herself down. “Not quite.” She pointed to the side of her. “I live more in that direction, but we could walk together for a bit. I don’t have to be home right away and I’d rather be outside.” She walked up to him. “Do you live far?”
"My name’s Noctis," he said, still unsure of this girl. Vanille seemed nice, but her benevolence was overwhelming. He’d thought that the moment she admitted she’d followed along behind him just to say hello. It felt like an extreme just to introduce herself. Maybe that was how she worked, though, on the “extreme” end of the spectrum. As odd as she seemed, he was still intrigued. She already stood out in the crowd of students, and her personality seemed to mirror it, with her bright orange-red hair, the brightly colored clothing, and the even brighter beads. Not to mention the strange furry half-skirt that he pretended not to wonder about.
"Are they an enemy you face often?" Noctis couldn’t help but smirk. She was clever, he had to give her that. "Oh, yeah, all the time," he said. "I try to get in that first strike, but they sometimes just beat me to it."
When he turned to walk away from her, he’d seen the disappointment flash across her face. It was that look, that disappointment, that ate at him and made him stop. He wasn’t much for pouring himself out to someone he barely knew, and he also found most small talk to be tedious, so he was content cutting conversations short and moving on his way. But this girl—Vanille—felt different. She’d gone out of her way to talk to him, and even if he wasn’t fond of the idea, he also didn’t have a heart of stone either. He didn’t care what people thought of him, but he also couldn’t bring himself to intentionally upset or disappoint people if he could help it.
She seemed to brighten up a little, though, when he did stop. She pointed in a different direction, saying she lived that way instead, but acted more than willing to tag along anyway. Noctis couldn’t decide whether he was mildly annoyed or fascinated by her friendly attitude.
He did wonder, though, why she preferred to be outside. He didn’t ask, at least not out loud, but it crossed his mind. So many other students seemed to like staying indoors with their technology or books or whatever it was inside their homes they preferred the company of. She didn’t seem to fit that cookie-cutter teenage mold, though. At least, it was what his first impression shouted.
Noctis pointed as they started walking, motioning straight ahead, “Nah, not that far from here. My neighborhood’s just up that street, to the right, and near the bottom of the hill.” Of course, he might’ve been speaking jibberish to her. He had no idea where she came from, how long she’d been in the area, or if she even knew the places around. "Where, exactly, do you live?" he asked. She’d pointed in the general direction, but he wanted to know, just to see exactly how far of a walk she was in for, especially if she went with him first. Plus, it never hurt to know where fellow students came from.
Vanille nodded. “Noctis. Good to meet you!” Noctis, Frowny Face… hmm. He’d have to smile more if he was going to shake that first impression.
He did smile a little bit at her joke about the locker though, and he even joked back. Seemed he had a playful side, which was a relief. Maybe, given some time, he’d loosen up. They could be friends.
Noctis said he didn’t live far and gave some general directions. She wasn’t familiar with the area yet and, somehow, she was having a harder time orienting herself in the city than she did back home. “I think I’d have to see it myself,” she said, “otherwise I’d pass it. You could show me? Unless that’s weird,” she grinned at him. “I’ll show you where I live! How’s that?”
"It’s not far either, don’t worry. We’ll take a left here, farther on it’ll be a right, and another left. It’s close to a rec center, I think—-there’s a pool—-if you know where that is. What d’ya think? Come with me and I’ll go with you?"
He knew about the rec center. When he had the free time, he'd wander that way and use the pool or the gym, and there was the time he tried climbing the rock wall but wasn't very good at it--embarrassingly so. He'd seen plenty of people taking art classes there too, though he'd never tried one. Of course, there was the track and stairs on the outside too, which he'd drag his dog along for from time to time and force him to exhaust himself as well. That way, when he was taking a break in the grass, he could blame the need for a break on the panting dog. Plus, Rogue could use the exercise anyway. "Oh, yeah, I think I know where the rec center's at," he said. When Vanille smiled back at him, he tilted his head a little, feeling like she was something he needed to figure out. She definitely threw herself into situations that simply forced her to make friends. But she was nice about it, if not maybe a little too outgoing, and even though he liked to consider himself a lone wolf most of the time, he couldn't bring himself to dislike her either. He just wasn't sure about her.
He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder and shrugged. "Sure, I've got some time to kill," he said. "So, where to first?"
Picnic Gatherings | Open
It was a perfect day for such an event, the sun shone brightly as wind picked up brushing the grass and trees. The red-head came with basket in tow, clothed in a floral dress, white vest and sandals the young student headed to a convenient location tucking a loose strand behind her ear.
It was only a small packed basket to put some juice and sandwiches in, but her thoughts were turned to the rest of the area. An awkward feeling rested on her shoulders standing gawkily on her own, her eyes traveling from one guest to the other with a studying gaze. Her mind was whiling with uncertainty, her form hesitant to test out new waters or maybe wait til someone came along.
It was embarrassing to say that she had never once went on a picnic, never understanding the concept of outside gatherings- most tended to stay indoors to eat.
She held her basket in front of her, slowly walking to where the rest were gathered in hopes to find someone she knew, or maybe someone she didn’t; perfect opportunities to meet the rest of the school division.
From the corner of his eye, Noctis noticed a new face slowly joining the crowd. She was one of the lower classmen, the red-headed girl he'd seen around before, and he thought maybe she was in his Fencing class too. He'd just never had the chance to say anything to her. She seemed nervous from where he stood, looking from face to face on the field. He felt bad for her. Breaking the ice wasn't always easy, and it wasn't something he himself was fond of.
At first, he tried to ignore her presence, ignoring the fact that she looked maybe shy or uncomfortable. Everyone had to deal with that, afterall. Everyone had to put up with jumping into the crowd and the awkwardness that came with the meet-and-greet of new faces. But after a few moments, he started walking towards her. I'll have to break the ice with her sooner or later anyway, he thought.
"Hey, it's...Kairi, right?" he asked. "Glad to see you could make it afterall."
[Noctis and Noel]
The picnic was just starting and everything was set up, something Noctis was happy to finally see. Not because he was losing sleep with excitement or because it was anything he particularly looked forward to, but he was glad to see all the hard work coming together. Out on the field near the school, there were plenty of blankets set out, along with the tables to the far right with sandwich platters, bags of unopened chips, and veggie trays. Underneath all the food, the tables wore red and white checkered tablecloths—a touch Noctis’s childhood self would’ve been proud of. (Afterall, his younger self would’ve insisted picnics had to have something with a red and white checkered pattern, or else it just wasn’t right.)
He’d been partially left in charge to put it all together, given little more than a checklist and a few basic guidelines. He had to help make sure at least some food was ordered, the music was right, the times were scheduled, the place was ready, and his fellow students attended. It was more than he had been prepared for, and while, on the outside, he looked calm and collected, he felt frustrated and worn out on the inside. If his hair wasn’t already styled to stick up in strange places, he was pretty sure all of the planning and pressure would’ve done it naturally.
But seeing it all in motion, finally, he felt relieved. One less thing to worry about. He waited for people to start showing up, and in the back of his mind, he tried to think of what to tell Miku and Gumi in case no one actually showed. He’d done the best he could with what he had. For that, he didn’t think he did too bad of a job.
Noel strolled out of the school building to the field, scrolling through his iPod. Taking a quick glance up to make sure he wouldn’t trip, he did a double take. Checkered patterns filled the sea of grass. What’s with the picnic stuff? There some event happening or what?
Winding up the earphones, he glanced around. It was definitely a set-up for a picnic—the tablecloths were, at any rate. Shoving his iPod into his pocket, he approached a lone figure amidst the supplies. Noel lifted his arm to shield the sun, squinting at the figure.
Getting closer, he realized he recognized the figure. “Hey, hey Noct! What’s up with the…” Noel shouted, gesturing around the field, “stuff?”
He noticed someone off to the side, walking over and calling out to him, and Noctis looked over when he heard the voice. It was Noel, and he looked a bit confused.
When he asked what was up with everything out on the field, Noctis felt back on edge again. Since Noel was the first to appear, it didn't ease his concerns that he wasn't sure what was going on. He figured finally putting everything out and just waiting would guarantee all the work would be over.
"The, uh, the school picnic?" Noctis made a motion towards the field. "That's what's up with all the...stuff." His words trailed off, suddenly second-guessing if he'd actually remembered to tell the other students about it. It wouldn't have surprised him if he somehow managed to forget that part. When it came to multi-step projects, he was better at focusing on one thing, one detail, at a time. Of course, getting everyone there had been the most important part. Yet, somehow, it could've been easy for him to accidentally overlook it.
"Didn't you hear about it?" Noctis asked.
[Denzel and Noctis]
When Noctis collided with someone else, it felt like just another day in the crowded halls. Afterall, bumping into people happened all the time when everyone was focused and in a hurry.
But it took only a couple seconds for him to realize it wasn’t just a casual bump. Whoever he was, he’d been knocked over completely. Noctis stopped and turned back to look at him, ready to reach out a hand to help him back up.
The boy on the ground looked like maybe he was a couple grades younger and judging by his expression alone, he seemed furious. The words that followed were just as angry, if not more so, coated in an explosive poison. He had a lot of rage, even if he didn’t look very threatening from Noctis’s point of view. "Whoa, take it easy," Noctis said, offering a hand to help him back up. "You okay?"
— | ♚ |
Swatting the hand away, the furious sophomore scrambled to his feet, trying to avoid touching the dirty ground with his open wound. It stung, and the rest of his body was sore. He bruised easily, which sucked for the most part on his end. He didn’t want scabby, bruised legs for Blitzball later in the day. The water would make it worse.
"I could be better, as you can see." Sharp-tongued as ever, it would seem. He wasn’t going to let go of his attitude any time soon. He held up his arm for the other to see, his eyes narrowing. "Since you’re here, why don’t you show me the way to the nurse’s office?”
He winced when he touched the wound, his face contorting with pain. Wow, it hurt like something fierce. He had to get it taken care of, before he ended up in tears. Childish on his part, but he could never really handle pain. Even when he was younger, the smallest bruise would send him into tears. He considered himself fragile.
"What? Are you going to stand there like an idiot or help me?"
Noctis was taken back by so much sass. At a glance, he didn't expect him to be so hostile, but the scowl on his face should've been a red flag. At first, Noctis wasn't sure how to react. When he swatted his hand away, he took a step back, feeling almost offended. "I--wow, I was only trying to help," he muttered, letting the other boy get up on his own afterall. He was clearly independent, stubbornly so, and Noctis made a mental note not to interfere again. When the other boy held up his arm, he saw there was a scrape along his elbow, a wound that clearly stung.
The nurse's office, though, was another story. Noctis hadn't been that way himself, and he hadn't even seen where it was. He figured it was near the main office, where they usually were, but the thought crossed his mind to let the kid find his way himself. Afterall, he was clearly capable of handling himself--or trying to, at least. But Noctis also figured that if he was the reason he fell in the first place, maybe it wouldn't be right to back out of the picture.
He sighed, "Yeah, sure. Nurse's office would be this way." He gestured to the right, even though he wasn't completely sure. In the back of his mind, he half-expected this school to be different, pull a curve ball on him, and have the nurse's office be clear on the other side instead. As they started to walk, Noctis asked, "So, do you have a name to go with your attitude?"
ooc: Sorry I couldn't get to replies last night. I was so tired and writing anything was totally out of the question. So, getting to the replies I owe now!
Picnic Planning
The picnic was just starting and everything was set up, something Noctis was happy to finally see. Not because he was losing sleep with excitement or because it was anything he particularly looked forward to, but he was glad to see all the hard work coming together. Out on the field near the school, there were plenty of blankets set out, along with the tables to the far right with sandwich platters, bags of unopened chips, and veggie trays. Underneath all the food, the tables wore red and white checkered tablecloths--a touch Noctis's childhood self would've been proud of. (Afterall, his younger self would've insisted picnics had to have something with a red and white checkered pattern, or else it just wasn't right.)
He'd been partially left in charge to put it all together, given little more than a checklist and a few basic guidelines. He had to help make sure at least some food was ordered, the music was right, the times were scheduled, the place was ready, and his fellow students attended. It was more than he had been prepared for, and while, on the outside, he looked calm and collected, he felt frustrated and worn out on the inside. If his hair wasn't already styled to stick up in strange places, he was pretty sure all of the planning and pressure would've done it naturally.
But seeing it all in motion, finally, he felt relieved. One less thing to worry about. He waited for people to start showing up, and in the back of his mind, he tried to think of what to tell Miku and Gumi in case no one actually showed. He'd done the best he could with what he had. For that, he didn't think he did too bad of a job.
open ;;
— | ♚ |
A huff of frustration slid past his lips as he scuttled past several other students; some from his house, others from Valefor. It upset him, seeing so many unwanted people in one area. Then again, he was in one of his worst moods possible. He wanted everyone around him to disappear.
The uppity brat gnawed on his bottom lip, trying to make it for first period when he slammed into someone. Hard enough to make him fall down and scrape his elbow. He was going to blow a gasket at this rate.
"What the…? Watch where the hell you’re going!"
When Noctis collided with someone else, it felt like just another day in the crowded halls. Afterall, bumping into people happened all the time when everyone was focused and in a hurry. But it took only a couple seconds for him to realize it wasn't just a casual bump. Whoever he was, he'd been knocked over completely. Noctis stopped and turned back to look at him, ready to reach out a hand to help him back up.
The boy on the ground looked like maybe he was a couple grades younger and judging by his expression alone, he seemed furious. The words that followed were just as angry, if not more so, coated in an explosive poison. He had a lot of rage, even if he didn't look very threatening from Noctis's point of view. "Whoa, take it easy," Noctis said, offering a hand to help him back up. "You okay?"
The Walk Home [Noctis & Vanille]
"Yup, that’s my name! Easy to remember, right? What’s yours?" Maybe she could stop calling him Frowny Face in her head. He was pretty quiet though. She wondered if he was mad that she’d followed him, or if this was just how he was and if that was related to his home life or not.
"Weak spot?" she repeated. What would lockers be a weak spot to? “Are they an enemy you face often?” she giggled, hoping maybe if she was playful he’d feel more comfortable. Maybe he didn’t like new people. Maybe he really did fight with lockers on a daily basis. Maybe he just didn’t like talking. His answer about the car was pretty short.
He’d started to walk away and she thought about following him but didn’t want to push him too far. She would have to see him all year, after all, and she didn’t want to make enemies on her first day. Still, her curiosity was overflowing now. Vanille turned the can over in her hands, thinking she’d try talking to him again tomorrow. Maybe he was late for something.
"I’ll see you in class tomorrow," he said. "Maybe we can talk more then."
Tomorrow then. "Alright," Vanille said, hoping her disappointment didn’t show through.
She just wasn’t used to someone who was quiet. Shy, maybe, but that was easier to handle. If you were gentle and kind and patient, you could get them to engage. Usually, reaching out to someone shy caused them to reach back, even if they were cautious about it. But shyness still had an invitation buried inside, while this boy seemed just fine on his own, even a little annoyed by her presence. Oh… She’d been called annoying before.
Before she could turn around to go back the way she’d come, he spoke again. “So, do you live this way?” he asked, motioning in the direction he’d been going.
Vanille smiled, trying to tone herself down. “Not quite.” She pointed to the side of her. “I live more in that direction, but we could walk together for a bit. I don’t have to be home right away and I’d rather be outside.” She walked up to him. “Do you live far?”
"My name's Noctis," he said, still unsure of this girl. Vanille seemed nice, but her benevolence was overwhelming. He'd thought that the moment she admitted she'd followed along behind him just to say hello. It felt like an extreme just to introduce herself. Maybe that was how she worked, though, on the "extreme" end of the spectrum. As odd as she seemed, he was still intrigued. She already stood out in the crowd of students, and her personality seemed to mirror it, with her bright orange-red hair, the brightly colored clothing, and the even brighter beads. Not to mention the strange furry half-skirt that he pretended not to wonder about.
"Are they an enemy you face often?" Noctis couldn't help but smirk. She was clever, he had to give her that. "Oh, yeah, all the time," he said. "I try to get in that first strike, but they sometimes just beat me to it."
When he turned to walk away from her, he'd seen the disappointment flash across her face. It was that look, that disappointment, that ate at him and made him stop. He wasn't much for pouring himself out to someone he barely knew, and he also found most small talk to be tedious, so he was content cutting conversations short and moving on his way. But this girl--Vanille--felt different. She'd gone out of her way to talk to him, and even if he wasn't fond of the idea, he also didn't have a heart of stone either. He didn't care what people thought of him, but he also couldn't bring himself to intentionally upset or disappoint people if he could help it.
She seemed to brighten up a little, though, when he did stop. She pointed in a different direction, saying she lived that way instead, but acted more than willing to tag along anyway. Noctis couldn't decide whether he was mildly annoyed or fascinated by her friendly attitude.
He did wonder, though, why she preferred to be outside. He didn't ask, at least not out loud, but it crossed his mind. So many other students seemed to like staying indoors with their technology or books or whatever it was inside their homes they preferred the company of. She didn't seem to fit that cookie-cutter teenage mold, though. At least, it was what his first impression shouted.
Noctis pointed as they started walking, motioning straight ahead, "Nah, not that far from here. My neighborhood's just up that street, to the right, and near the bottom of the hill." Of course, he might've been speaking jibberish to her. He had no idea where she came from, how long she'd been in the area, or if she even knew the places around. "Where, exactly, do you live?" he asked. She'd pointed in the general direction, but he wanted to know, just to see exactly how far of a walk she was in for, especially if she went with him first. Plus, it never hurt to know where fellow students came from.
Noctis whistled to himself, noting how dead the halls of the school were. Man, it’s empty around here.
"You happen to know where everyone ran off to?" Noel asked, frowning. "Haven’t seen anyone in forever, it feels like.”
Noctis shrugged, feeling just as left in the dark. Everyone seemed so lively, but it was as if overnight, the school had turned into a ghost town. "I can't say that I do," he said, "but it would be nice to know."
Noctis whistled to himself, noting how dead the halls of the school were.
Man, it's empty around here.
