Cosimo Galluzzi
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
will byers stan first human second
if i look back, i am lost
d e v o n
đȘŒ
blake kathryn
RMH
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h
pixel skylines
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
styofa doing anything
todays bird
Monterey Bay Aquarium
$LAYYYTER
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Keni
Sweet Seals For You, Always
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@vanille-happierdays
The Picnic [Open]
As the afternoon carried on, more and more students arrived. Her old school never had an outdoor event like this, and they were missing out big time. Noctis had even thought to bring music. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Her friend's hard work and careful planning was paying off.
Vanille headed over to one of the coolers to grab a drink, passing a few familiar faces along the way.
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 tableclothsâa touch Noctisâs childhood self wouldâve been proud of. (Afterall, his younger self wouldâve insisted picnics had to have something with a red and white checkered pattern, or else it just wasnât right.)
Heâd 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 wasnât already styled to stick up in strange places, he was pretty sure all of the planning and pressure wouldâve 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. Heâd done the best he could with what he had. For that, he didnât 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.
The Walk Home [Noctis & Vanille]
"Yup, thatâs my name! Easy to remember, right? Whatâs yours?" Maybe she could stop calling him Frowny Face in her head. He was pretty quiet though. She wondered if he was mad that sheâd 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? âAre they an enemy you face often?â she giggled, hoping maybe if she was playful heâd feel more comfortable. Maybe he didnât like new people. Maybe he really did fight with lockers on a daily basis. Maybe he just didnât like talking. His answer about the car was pretty short.
Heâd started to walk away and she thought about following him but didnât want to push him too far. She would have to see him all year, after all, and she didnât want to make enemies on her first day. Still, her curiosity was overflowing now. Vanille turned the can over in her hands, thinking sheâd try talking to him again tomorrow. Maybe he was late for something.
"Iâll see you in class tomorrow," he said. "Maybe we can talk more then."
Tomorrow then. "Alright," Vanille said, hoping her disappointment didnât show through.
She just wasnât 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⊠Sheâd been called annoying before.
Before she could turn around to go back the way sheâd come, he spoke again. âSo, do you live this way?â he asked, motioning in the direction heâd been going.
Vanille smiled, trying to tone herself down. âNot quite.â She pointed to the side of her. âI live more in that direction, but we could walk together for a bit. I donât have to be home right away and Iâd rather be outside.â She walked up to him. âDo you live far?â
"My nameâs Noctis," he said, still unsure of this girl. Vanille seemed nice, but her benevolence was overwhelming. Heâd thought that the moment she admitted sheâd 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 âextremeâ 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 couldnât 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, heâd seen the disappointment flash across her face. It was that look, that disappointment, that ate at him and made him stop. He wasnât 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 girlâVanilleâfelt different. Sheâd gone out of her way to talk to him, and even if he wasnât fond of the idea, he also didnât have a heart of stone either. He didnât care what people thought of him, but he also couldnât 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 couldnât decide whether he was mildly annoyed or fascinated by her friendly attitude.
He did wonder, though, why she preferred to be outside. He didnât 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 didnât 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, âNah, not that far from here. My neighborhoodâs just up that street, to the right, and near the bottom of the hill.â Of course, he mightâve been speaking jibberish to her. He had no idea where she came from, how long sheâd been in the area, or if she even knew the places around. "Where, exactly, do you live?" he asked. Sheâd 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?"
open ;;
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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 theâŠ? Watch where the hell youâre going!"
Vanille had stopped abruptly in the hall after realizing she forgot something in her locker. Hoping she wouldn't be late, she whirled around to head back and collided with someone.
"Oh!"
She'd knocked someone over. He was a younger boy, yelling up at her for not looking where she was going. Rightfully so, Vanille thought, cursing her own carelessness.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said. She leaned down to grab his arm and pull him to his feet. "You alright?"
The Library [Open RP]
shadow-hunter-noel:
Noel leaned against the shelf. âUh, I dunno, I donât read a whole lotâŠâ he muttered uncertainly, not wanting to offend the girl. âBut hey, no problem!â
"Iâve lived a lot of places, but I wonât really call it âtraveling,â" he replied. "Iâve gone to a lot of questionable schools,â Noel added with a small chuckle. âAs for lunch, yeah, a lot of kids go out and eat in the courtyard and stuffâthereâs some nice trees out for shade and everything. Thatâs where I eat.â
"Ugh, Calc II," Noel groaned sympathetically. "Iâm sorry. But the science stuff is pretty weird, like, I think you and I will have Bio in the same class but thatâll be the second halfâweâll have gone to our first halfâŠ" he trailed off. "Uh, that was probably confusing. But I think we go from our first to our second during the same period but in different classrooms? Hmm. Not totally sure."
"Fencing is the best," he inserted. "Not gonna lie, I think Iâm pretty good at it myself. Iâm sure youâll love it." He couldnât help smirk a bit at her unrestrained enthusiasm. Vanille sure liked to talk. "I, er, guess I could give you a few pointers?"
And weâre back to this topic, Noel thought, wondering how many times it had come up recently. âWell, I went to a different schoolâit was kinda small and pretty ghetto in general⊠Wait whoa, slow down,â Noel interjected, not being able to keep up with Vanille. âYou had a whole forest near your house? Where did you live? Not near a city?âÂ
Quirking a brow at her moment of hesitation before she continued, Noel wondered what else she had to say about her past. âThe last place I lived? Tiny little town, hardly anyone nearby. Random suburban area, I guess,â he shrugged. âDidnât care much for it, to be honest.â
"Well, if you ever need any suggestions, just say the word! I've got plenty."
Questionable schools," he'd said.
"That doesn't sound safe. I hope you were alright." It didn't sound like they'd be the kinds of places where everyone got along nicely. She figured Noel could take care of himself, but still, it made her a little worried, even if they were in the same grade.
"We should eat lunch together then! Is that after fourth period?"
"That's alright, I think I got it. Between Bio and English, we'll have two classes together, and with the Fencing practice---we'll see quite a bit of each other," she grinned. "It sounds like I'm in good hands! So, do you not like math?"
"Nope, not near a city! Like I said, long commute," Vanille laughed. "My parents had bought a house out there, and that was where I grew up. The trees were huge, bigger than most of the ones here at least."
"So, I know the school is good, but do you like the area here? I haven't seen too much of it."
[Vanille and Snow]
Snow sat up slowly, slightly surprised at the forwardness of the girl, Vanille. She seemed very friendly. âIâm Snow. You didnât wake me though, donât worry.â Although I was about to go to sleep. He thought. Maybe it was better to have someone to talk to instead; at least he wouldnât miss class that way.
He raised his arms out into the air and stretched. Some bones made popping noises as he strained his muscles. Then he let them drop, and glanced at Vanille, who had sat next to him. Her face was lit with a smile, and her fiery hair seemed to catch the sunlight in a certain way, making it seem as though it was actually fire. All together, she was very pretty, but Snow didnât think that he would try anything with any of the girls here at the school, himself being four years older than the oldest of them.
"Yeah, Iâve been here for quite some time, actually." He laughed. "Iâve lived in the area all my life, and been to this school forâŠ" Snow trailed off. He hadnât realized that he had already said more than he wanted to, even though he had barely said anything about himself. Maybe it was the look on Vanilleâs face; one of wonder and happiness. He had to continue now though, it wouldnât be nice to end it there. The tone of his voice lowered slightly. "âŠFor six years. I failed 9th and 10th grade, once each because I got tired of the subjects I had, and then after 11th grade I skipped school for two years. Now Iâm finishing it." That was good enough, but if his impression of Vanille was correct, heâd have to explain more in depth than that.
"What about you? Whereâd you live before you went to this school?" He asked, drawing the conversation to her instead of himself.
"Snow," Vanille echoed. She wondered if his parents had named him for his light hair and fair skin. "I like that name."
"It's great that you're finishing school! After having a rough couple of years early on, not many people would've kept going." She admired that he'd come back, thinking something might have happened during that two year break to make him return. "Did you do some soul searching while you were gone?"
"I used to live pretty far from here. My parents owned a house surrounded by a forest. That was my backyard growing up," she laughed. "It was kind of like this," she said, looking around the courtyard, "but much more wild and. . . bigger. I miss it. I've never spent so much time in a city until now. Do you like it here?"
The Library [Open RP]
Vanille arrived at the school early, hoping to get a good look around before the bell rang. Mostly it was all hallways and classroomsâ-no surprise, but not exactly interesting. At least the building had windows and skylights. I wonder what the rules are for going outside during lunch.
After finding a few of her classes, Vanille came across the library. It was bigger than the one at her old school. Roaming the isles, she placed a hand on some of the books in the fiction section. She had a love/hate relationship with books. They came from trees after all, something living had to be cut down to make every page, and yet the stories they held had helped pass the time, fight off the loneliness.
Spotting a favorite on one of the higher shelves, she reached for it and sent five others tumbling to the floor in the process of getting it down. "Uh oh!â
Her cheek puffed from her hand being propped against the soft flesh as she mindlessly flipped over another page. Biology wasnât her favorite subject to read upon but never less it interested her enough to keep her eyes glued to the inked notes.Â
She had made it a task to slip into the library once she had gotten a break and read up on the homework assignment given to them. Upon entering the building found a desk close to the book shelves she once filed through to fish out that biology book now laid on the wooden desk along with her pen and purple covered note pad, her hair pulled back into a ponytail with a pink scrunchie she pulled out from her new bag- leaving her fringe hanging down.
A shriek followed by a small sound thud interrupted her study, violet hues snapped to where she assumed the sound came from and moved away from her area, leaving her booked spilled out worried in the thought that someone could of been seriously injured.Â
Through the linear path she spotted another red-head, much lighter than her shade and a book laying on the floor gave the idea that it fell from itâs place on the shelf. In process she wandered over and picked it up from the binder, handing it over to the other. âAre you okay? Iâm Kairi, by the way.â
Almost immediately, someone was there handing her one of the books she had dropped. A girl with bright red hair asked if Vanille was alright and introduced herself as Kairi. Vanille put the book back on its shelf and grinned at her.
"Yup, I'm alright. Thanks, Kairi! I'm Vanille, pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand for a handshake. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I guess that was kind of loud for a library."
"Thanks again for helping me. I'll have to be more careful next time. Studying before class starts? What year are you?" Vanille reached into her bag and pulled out the paper from her counselor. "I have my schedule with me. Let's compare classes!"
[Vanille and Snow]
Snow lay upon the grass in a courtyard in the middle of the school. There wasnât many students around, so it was very serene and quiet. School had yet to begin, so that would explain the lack of students, as there was still a long time before class was even going to start.
He peered upward at the morning azure sky, watching the clouds go past. He was feeling especially lazy at school today, and had decided to take a small nap in one of the courtyards. The smell of the grass around him made him drowsy, and he was slowly slipping off into a different realm.
However, just as his eyes closed, he spotted a very bright something looking down at him. Snow opened his eyes once more, and rose a hand to his face to block the the light of the sunâs rays. A red-headed girl, head tilted, was looking down at him; curiously, it seemed. Snow cleared his throat and asked, âYou, uhâŠyou need anything?â
Vanille had gotten to school early again, and having explored the last few corners she felt that she knew the grounds well enough. She headed to the courtyard at the center of the school. It was already her favorite place in the building, a green garden with fresh air and a view of the sky. Despite the high surrounding walls and the well-manicured look, it was beautiful. Even the birds and insects felt comfortable enough to visit.
Once in the courtyard, Vanille closed her eyes and tilted her head back, taking in the morning sun. It was so much better here than at her old school. She looked around and was a little surprised to see another person---someone was sprawled out on the grass looking up at the sky. Given the hour she didn't expect to see anyone, but she didn't mind.
With a spring in her step, Vanille headed over to the other person. It wasn't until she was standing over him that she realized his eyes were closed, but he opened them right away. Not sleeping then, I hope, she thought to herself. He cleared his throat and asked if she needed anything.
"Nope, but thank you!" she said with the smile. "I hope I didn't wake you. You're here early! My name's Vanille. What's yours?"
She sat down next to him. "If you don't mind the company, I think I'll join you. I'm so glad the school has a place like this. I just moved here, and I was afraid it would be all stuffy and boring. Have you been here long?"
The Walk Home [Noctis & Vanille]
nocte-perpetua:
There was no way to just ignore the feeling of someone tagging along behind him anymore. Something made a sudden clanging sound behind him, the clattering of a crinkled tin can rolling into the gutter. When Noctis stopped and looked back over his shoulder, he saw a red-headed girl.
He remembered seeing her in Fencing class, someone else that was brand new to the school. He didnât have any chances to speak with her, but heâd noticed her from afar. With her hair tied back in two pigtails, her head-in-the-clouds attitude, and the dainty way she carried herself, he had wondered what teacher in their right mind would give her any kind of a sword. "Uh, hi," he said. His words were spaced out, as if even the âuhâ was a single sentence on its own. Why she was behind him, he wasnât sure, much less why she hadnât said anything. Unless she happened to live in the same neighborhood and was just a girl of few words, but he wasnât so sure. "Are youâŠfollowing me?" he asked.
Sure enough, Frowny Face had looked behind him. Vanille glared at the tin can. As if littering wasnât already a crime. She swiped it up off the ground, angry at the can, at the concrete, at stupid peopleâ-but then he started to speak. She swallowed her feelings and looked up at him, trying to think of something to say. Why was she here? Why was she picking up random trash? He looked at her like he was uncertain, but all heâd said was âhi.â
Vanille put on her best smile. âHiya!â
"Are you⊠following me?" he asked.
"Hmmmm. Maybe. I saw you in my Fencing class but I didnât get the chance to say hi. So now here we are, saying hi. Seems like you had a bit of trouble with your locker before you left!" She laughed. "Donât you drive? You canât tell me that a well dressed city guy like yourself doesnât have a sweet ride."
She wasnât like any of the other students he had met before. Her energy was just everywhere, even as she just stood there on the sidewalk, clutching a can in her hand and looking back at him. He thought about asking about it, along with the ten other questions that popped into his head. "Oh, well, arenât thereâ" He thought about saying there were easier ways to say hi, but he cut himself short instead. "Hi, then," he repeated. "Your nameâs Vanille, right?"
A part of him felt insulted, knowing sheâd seen his battle with the locker door. Of course, he knew others had seen, but he preferred to pretend no one had. But here she was, pointing it out to him. His pride felt a little wounded.
"Yeah, overstuffed lockers are a bit of a weak spot," he said, verbally trying to shove it aside. "Iâve got a car. I justâŠdonât always drive it." He turned, still looking at her over his shoulder, and shrugged. "I donât bother with it if I donât have to."
He started walking again, ready to continue on his way, and waved back at Vanille. âIâll see you in class tomorrow,â he said. âMaybe we can talk more then.â But after a couple steps, he turned around to face her again. He felt bad just leaving her behind, and she seemed eager to talk if she had followed him, even as strange as it was. He sighed. âSo, do you live this way?â he asked, motioning in the direction heâd been going.
"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?"
The Library [Open RP]
"They must not have," Vanille said, putting a couple books back. "Maybe they could use a TA after school."
"My book?" She beamed and held it out to him with two hands. "This one! An old favorite. I lost my copy and havenât had the chance to get a new one yet, so I might be checking it out. Ever read it?"
"Thatâs good then, have you been to many schools? This is only my second school district, so I donât have much to go off of."
"Iâm a Junior too! We should at least have English together, right? And that would be great because itâll be first period! We can walk together. What else did you take? Iâm from outside the city. My family owned a house in the woods, and I do miss it but it was so far from my school and where my friends lived⊠I think itâll be much easier to keep in touch with people living here. What about you?"
"Actually, I havenât read it⊠never heard of it, actually," Noel replied, putting the books back on its shelf.Â
"Yeah, I move around a lot, and let me tell youâthis school is really, really nice. Itâs got air conditioning and everything," he chuckled. "And the people here, from what Iâve seen, seem nice enough."
Noel looked away from the shelf to Vanille. âHey, cool! Glad to have a familiar face in something,â he grinned, pulling out his schedule.
As he handed it over, he shrugged. âOutside the city, huh? I⊠well, the last place I was at was kinda small. Really small, actually, hardly anyone lived there. It was⊠eh, far away,â he muttered. âItâs nicer here, at any rate,â he added, scratching the back of his head.Â
Vanille smiled. "That's alright, maybe if you get a chance you could check it out! Well, after I return it." She winked. "If you like reading about adventures, you might enjoy that one. Anyway, thanks a ton for your help!"
"You must've been to a lot of places then. Do you like traveling? I'm definitely grateful for the air conditioning. So, do you know if we're allowed to eat outside for lunch?"
Vanille pulled out her schedule, took his, and stood beside Noel so they could both see what classes they might have together.
"Um, how do the science classes work, exactly? After Chemistry, do I go to a separate classroom with all the Bio II students? Or will you have Biology with your Physics teacher and will I have it with my Chemistry teacher? My old school didn't have them in the same period like that. If anything maybe you could give me some pointers for Fencing! Since you're a level ahead of me. What d'ya say?"
"Really? Did you have a long commute to school then? Or were you home schooled? Where I lived, it was a long drive to get to school. The buses didn't even have a route I could take," she laughed. "I know how it is to live really far from everyone. Lonely, huh? I had a whole forest behind my house that I spent a lot of time in. Lots of trees and rivers and meadows. The city's different, you know? It's taking some getting used to. . . almost as if everywhere I go it's sidewalks and more buildings." Vanille trailed off for a moment, but she brightened up again and tapped Noel lightly on the chest. "And for you? What was it like where you lived? Forest? Desert? Tropical island?"
Hi guys! Nice to meet everyone!
ooc: Hey, welcome to FHS! Your ask box doesn't work for some reason but we should RP together sometime!
ooc: sorry for being absent, working on replies now!
The Library [Open RP]
"Yup, thatâs me!" Vanille said, smiling back. "Oops, guess youâve seen the mess I made," she giggled. "Not a great second impression. Help would be good, if itâs not too much trouble."
She set her favorite aside on a lower shelf and picked up a couple books from the floor, looking at the spines for the authorsâ last names. âLetâs see. Iâve got Padeken and Ruhnke. They must not be super organized I guessâŠâ
She looked back at him. âItâs good to see you again, Noel. Do you like it here? What grade are you?â
Noel bent over, picking up two others. âHereâs a âQâ and an âOâŠâ I donât think they even tried at all,â he chuckled. âSo what book were you trying to get before⊠these?â he asked, holding up the two he had in his hands.
"Well, I havenât been here too long, itâs great to see a familiar face every now and thenâIâm finally getting to know some people around here," he replied. "And, well, I like it here, itâs pretty much as good as schools get.â
"Iâm a Junior here, you? Maybe weâll have some classes, huh? Hey, and speaking of which, whereâre you from?"
"They must not have," Vanille said, putting a couple books back. "Maybe they could use a TA after school."
"My book?" She beamed and held it out to him with two hands. "This one! An old favorite. I lost my copy and haven't had the chance to get a new one yet, so I might be checking it out. Ever read it?"
"That's good then, have you been to many schools? This is only my second school district, so I don't have much to go off of."
"I'm a Junior too! We should at least have English together, right? And that would be great because it'll be first period! We can walk together. What else did you take? I'm from outside the city. My family owned a house in the woods, and I do miss it but it was so far from my school and where my friends lived. . . I think it'll be much easier to keep in touch with people living here. What about you?"
The Library [Open RP]
Vanille arrived at the school early, hoping to get a good look around before the bell rang. Mostly it was all hallways and classroomsâ-no surprise, but not exactly interesting. At least the building had windows and skylights. I wonder what the rules are for going outside during lunch.
After finding a few of her classes, Vanille came across the library. It was bigger than the one at her old school. Roaming the isles, she placed a hand on some of the books in the fiction section. She had a love/hate relationship with books. They came from trees after all, something living had to be cut down to make every page, and yet the stories they held had helped pass the time, fight off the loneliness.
Spotting a favorite on one of the higher shelves, she reached for it and sent five others tumbling to the floor in the process of getting it down. "Uh oh!â
Startled by the loud noise, Noel peeked through the space between the books to see a girl, book in hand, and five others on the ground. He raised a brow, walking around the shelf.
He was greeted by a familiar face. âOh hey, Vanille, right? I met you earlier!â Noel said, smiling. He then gestured to the floor. âNeed some help?â
"Yup, that's me!" Vanille said, smiling back. "Oops, guess you've seen the mess I made," she giggled. "Not a great second impression. Help would be good, if it's not too much trouble."
She set her favorite aside on a lower shelf and picked up a couple books from the floor, looking at the spines for the authors' last names. "Let's see. I've got Padeken and Ruhnke. They must not be super organized I guess. . ."
She looked back at him. "It's good to see you again, Noel. Do you like it here? What grade are you?"
The Walk Home [Noctis & Vanille]
The first day of school had been a breeze. Well, not a literal breeze. Unfortunately the building didnât have much ventilation, and Vanille was going a little stir-crazy being inside so much. It didnât help that she was living in the city now, a concrete jungle, but maybe sheâd see everyone from school a bit more.
Sheâd stopped at her locker after her last class, and as she tried to sort out what she needed to take home and what could be left behind for the next day, someone slammed their locker shut just down the hall. It was a boy with blue-ish black hair wearing a frowny face staring at his locker. After a moment, Frowny Face headed down the hall to the main doors. Vanille thought she recognized him from her last class and shut her own locker, hoping to catch him.
Once outside the main doors, she scanned the parking lot. He had nice clothes so she figured heâd driven to school in something shiny. And fast. Probably loud too. Squinting through the sunlight, she spotted him and hurried around the groups of students. She got close enough that heâd be able to hear her pounding footsteps so she slowed to a walk and tried to be casual. Maybe sheâd sneak up on him!
To her surprise, Frowny Face left the parking lot on foot. Vanille followed, wondering if he parked on the street instead. He didnât stop at any of the cars though. No one would park this far out. He must just like walking. She smiled at the thought and kept with him, studying him from behind. His hair was pretty messy in the back, almost angry, even though she remembered it looking neat in the front. She wondered if it was like that on purpose. With all her attention focused on him, she didnât notice the can on the sidewalk and ended up kicking it on accident. The sound reminded her of the slamming locker in the hall, and though it probably wasnât quite that loud, it sure had blown her cover.
There was no way to just ignore the feeling of someone tagging along behind him anymore. Something made a sudden clanging sound behind him, the clattering of a crinkled tin can rolling into the gutter. When Noctis stopped and looked back over his shoulder, he saw a red-headed girl.
He remembered seeing her in Fencing class, someone else that was brand new to the school. He didnât have any chances to speak with her, but heâd noticed her from afar. With her hair tied back in two pigtails, her head-in-the-clouds attitude, and the dainty way she carried herself, he had wondered what teacher in their right mind would give her any kind of a sword. "Uh, hi," he said. His words were spaced out, as if even the âuh" was a single sentence on its own. Why she was behind him, he wasnât sure, much less why she hadnât said anything. Unless she happened to live in the same neighborhood and was just a girl of few words, but he wasnât so sure. "Are youâŠfollowing me?" he asked.
Sure enough, Frowny Face had looked behind him. Vanille glared at the tin can. As if littering wasn't already a crime. She swiped it up off the ground, angry at the can, at the concrete, at stupid people---but then he started to speak. She swallowed her feelings and looked up at him, trying to think of something to say. Why was she here? Why was she picking up random trash? He looked at her like he was uncertain, but all he'd said was "hi."
Vanille put on her best smile. "Hiya!"
"Are you. . . following me?" he asked.
"Hmmmm. Maybe. I saw you in my Fencing class but I didn't get the chance to say hi. So now here we are, saying hi. Seems like you had a bit of trouble with your locker before you left!" She laughed. "Don't you drive? You can't tell me that a well dressed city guy like yourself doesn't have a sweet ride."
The Walk Home [Noctis & Vanille]
Noctis slammed his locker shut, trying to make it close. Heâd been fighting with the door and the books that heâd crammed inside. A loose sheet of paper stuck out from the bottom, and he sighed. He made a mental note to try to straighten it up between classes the next day. After his last class was over, he didnât feel like sticking around long enough to do it right then. Though, he was afraid maybe heâd jammed it and was going to have a hard time opening it the next time anyway.
Tossing his backpack onto his shoulders, he turned down the hall and headed for the front doors. Everyone else was in such a hurry to get out of the school too; it looked almost like a cattle herding, except with more chatter. He kept to himself as he walked out, going down the steps of the school and heading in the direction of his house. He had a car, which he drove often, but while the weather was still nice, he preferred to walk. It wasnât too far of a distanceâhe didnât think so, at leastâand it made him feel a little better about not hitting the gym as often recently.
As he walked, he thought he felt someone behind him, but he kept his attention forward, assuming it was just a trick his mind was playing on him after a long day.
The first day of school had been a breeze. Well, not a literal breeze. Unfortunately the building didn't have much ventilation, and Vanille was going a little stir-crazy being inside so much. It didn't help that she was living in the city now, a concrete jungle, but maybe she'd see everyone from school a bit more.
She'd stopped at her locker after her last class, and as she tried to sort out what she needed to take home and what could be left behind for the next day, someone slammed their locker shut just down the hall. It was a boy with blue-ish black hair wearing a frowny face staring at his locker. After a moment, Frowny Face headed down the hall to the main doors. Vanille thought she recognized him from her last class and shut her own locker, hoping to catch him.
Once outside the main doors, she scanned the parking lot. He had nice clothes so she figured he'd driven to school in something shiny. And fast. Probably loud too. Squinting through the sunlight, she spotted him and hurried around the groups of students. She got close enough that he'd be able to hear her pounding footsteps so she slowed to a walk and tried to be casual. Maybe she'd sneak up on him!
To her surprise, Frowny Face left the parking lot on foot. Vanille followed, wondering if he parked on the street instead. He didn't stop at any of the cars though. No one would park this far out. He must just like walking. She smiled at the thought and kept with him, studying him from behind. His hair was pretty messy in the back, almost angry, even though she remembered it looking neat in the front. She wondered if it was like that on purpose. With all her attention focused on him, she didn't notice the can on the sidewalk and ended up kicking it on accident. The sound reminded her of the slamming locker in the hall, and though it probably wasn't quite that loud, it sure had blown her cover.
The Library [Open RP]
Vanille arrived at the school early, hoping to get a good look around before the bell rang. Mostly it was all hallways and classrooms---no surprise, but not exactly interesting. At least the building had windows and skylights. I wonder what the rules are for going outside during lunch.
After finding a few of her classes, Vanille came across the library. It was bigger than the one at her old school. Roaming the isles, she placed a hand on some of the books in the fiction section. She had a love/hate relationship with books. They came from trees after all, something living had to be cut down to make every page, and yet the stories they held had helped pass the time, fight off the loneliness.
Spotting a favorite on one of the higher shelves, she reached for it and sent five others tumbling to the floor in the process of getting it down. "Uh oh!"
