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 Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:28 pm
This chapter is now open.
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:05 pm
Oneiros smiled as he moved through the streets of the city. Finally after years of preparing he had been able to push through the barrier, an agonizing process which he had only gotten through by remembering that this was the order of his master. But already he could feel this world nibbling away at his stored faith as he moved through the streets, it was nothing that he had not expected which was why he had come here, to an area full of young humans. After all if he was going to spread the word of his master what better way to do it than with a nice young body that could do anything that might be necessary for him until he no longer had use for it.
He moved through the walls of a building and smiled again as he found a human asleep on the couch, obviously passed out from a night of drinking. He studied it for a moment nodding mentally as he passed his checklist, young, attractive, muscular. Even more important, asleep, which meant that his mental barriers were down and it meant that he could enter the person with ease. He sank into the body with another moment's deliberation, already starting to make all the changes that would allow him to easier do his master's bidding.
Kenneth jerked awake, eyes snapping open as he sat up, taking some time to stop shaking before he groaned and put his head in his hands. He had not thought that he had drunk enough to get a hangover, let alone one this bad.
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:24 pm
A pale hand slithered out from beneath a thick ivory-colored comforter, slamming down on a cellphone, whose lights went off as a music box-like ringtone went off. It played the Japanese folk song "Sakura, Sakura"...or the Music box version anyway. Someone was calling her again...early in the morning. Someone's head poked out of the comfortable looking sheets with eyes squinted slightly in the sunlight...Wait a minute... It wasn't even morning anymore, was it? Never in her life has she waken so late before. Viola Riley Yoshino shook her head of disheveled hair, and took up her phone, putting it to her ear. " 'lo?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She gave a cough to bring her voice back after a full night of sleep. "What...? No. No, I'm sorry. I think you've got the wrong number." She spoke with an apparent British accent. Viola sat up and scratched her cheek. Oi... This was the reason she disliked sleeping in at all: it made her even more tired and disgruntled. But in any case... she pulled her sheets off and slipped off of her bed, her ivory colored, silk pajamas standing out against the dark black of her long hair. Slipping her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers that matched her pajamas in color...and just about everything else in her room in that aspect, and made her way out of the room.
"There's no...There's not one man named Willard here. I don't know what you're talking about. Sorry." Viola said as she shuffled downstairs toward the living room of the large house she and her roommates were renting, tripping over a blank canvas on the way there. "N-No. No--Ma'am... Ma'am, No, you don't--" Viola caught herself before she fell flat onto the floor. She sighed in exasperation as she, after pushing a manequin off, sank into a couch amidst the clutter of canvases, easels, tubes of paint and newspapers... amongst a myriad of other such objects. There wasn't a Willard in this whole house...and probably not even in the entire building. ...Who still used the name Willard anyway? The first smile of the day bloomed upon the pale pink lips at the thought. "Yes, I'm sorry. Yes... Ok. It's not a problem at all, Ma'am. Ok. You as well... Bye." The phone clicked off.
Viola slipped the cell phone into her pajama top's pocket and sighed, looking around. Now what?...The apartment was rather messy... There were just instruments, paint brushes, loose canvas, wooden frames and empty paint tubes abound. The landlady was definitely not going to be happy at all with this mess. What with the busy week that had just passed and the weekend just beginning...Why, she had hardly had any time to clean at all. And where were the others? They couldn't possibly still be sleeping could they? Viola's lips pursed slightly in disfavor. Rising from the seat, she opted to take a shower to freshen up for the weekend, and then start by either... cleaning up, or starting brunch... It couldn't possibly be that late into the afternoon, could it?...Well, in any case she wasn't going to go check. Strong sunlight gave her migraines that had a tendency of lasting days and days, and she had no intention of suffering through one all weekend and especially not after a difficult week at the university. With that, Viola disappeared into the restroom.
It took her all of half an hour to fully wake up after sleeping in so late, her usual natural alarm waking her normally around 7 or 8 in the morning. Viola reappeared wrapped in a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her hair. She wasn't quite awake...but it was close enough. Taking in a deep breath, Viola made her way into the kitchen and started brunch, which consisted of the things she normally had for breakfast. Orange Juice or Milk, an Omelet and toast. As to where all the others went...? Well...They manifest themselves sooner or later, she was sure...Especially if they haven't had a bite to eat. She wasn't the only one who stayed up late completing assignments, or stayed out late. Viola's soft, faint smile re-appeared on her pale pink lips. While her omelet was being cooked in the omelet cooker, she laid out her silverware, prepped a plate, and poured herself a glass of orange juice...all over her Disney's Eeyore place mat. Pausing to look at it, her smile grew a little wider. She had just purchased that recently to amuse herself. Sometimes, Viola wondered herself whether or not she was ready to be in College.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:38 am
The early morning had evaporated into the smog of a bustling Saturday. Where he once would have heard sparkling birdsong there was now only honking horns and sirens; Edward pushed these thoughts away, they were depressing. His footfalls echoed dully off the drab cement of the sidewalk. A steady rhythm, one not moved by the heartbeat of the city of Los Angeles, a rhythm all his own. Turning onto a main thoroughfare, he ran on through a sea of grey, blue and black suits, his green jacket standing out in stark contrast as all the businessmen in the district left their cubicles for lunch. It was the same everyday for them. Get up, work, lunch, work, go home. Nothing ever changed in this city, or so it seemed. He could set his watch by the floods of middle aged men and women leaving the towering buildings. A flashing red hand stopped him at a crosswalk, his breath coming out in quick puffs as his lungs tried to keep oxygen flowing to his muscles. He'd lived here for ten years now, half his life, he knew he was being pessimistic, that there were many good things in the city; but thinking about living here his whole life was repulsive to him, he still longed to return to his birthplace. He knew he couldn't work at a desk for thirty or forty years then move into a retirement village on the outskirts... the thought alone terrified him. It was just too... Stagnant. The flashing red hand disappeared, replaced by some sort of deformed green man, and Edward took off once more.
Like a drum, his steps kept steady as he entered the University campus. Here there was at least a mockery of nature, a few old trees tended by the mostly unseen caretakers of the grounds and a few fields. A slight twist of a smile came to his lips when he realised he wasn't so different from those poor businessmen; he kept a rather steady schedual afterall. Unlike many of his peers, Edward preferred to get up fairly early, and rarely stayed up past midnight. A few moments later he was opening the outer doors of his dormitory, sliding a passkey over the electronic lock that kept non-residents out of the building.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:56 pm
"Alright, Miss Wűlf, I've heard good things about you and your talent. I'm not the type who just takes the word of others over my own judgment. If I don't approve, you don't get in, understand?" The director asked as the woman, Sarah-Maude Wűlf sat down in the unfolded chair and placed her cello case beside her. She unpacked the instrument and positioned it between her legs and arms. This is why she loved the cello: She had to hug it with her whole being.
"I understand sir." She said softly as her bow touched the strings, letting out a low note that resonated below them and traveled up through their toes. The music told a story and at the moment it reflected her anger. A Giant was stomping through the countryside, looking for peasants to decimate.
She had woken up that morning to an usually messy house. Since the auditions this morning were early she only had to cook for herself, so she stared at the mess that was her living room, her eyebrow twitching as she did Tai Chi in her minds eye. And then she actually did her morning Tai Chi, but in the dinning room, looking at the mess that was preventing her from doing it in the living room, eyebrow still twitching. She wrote on a sticky note and stuck it to a piece of the mess that it 'better be gone by the time she came back or...' She left the rest to their imagination.
'Maybe they'll write a suggestion or two...' The Giant turned gleeful as he came upon a particular village....
Her eyes had been closed as she fed the cello her thoughts and feeling but she now opened them to look at the director and his producer beside him as she continued to play. An artist had to know when her work was being appreciated and while the producer seemed enthralled, the director was obviously not liking, or at least looking, for what he was hearing.
Her eyes closed as she searched for what he was looking for. Most people wanted sadness from cellos. She could do sadness.
The Giant had just finished destroying the village when he/she realized the full effect of her actions, as she heard the cries and screams of those below her.
Sarah poured herself into the bow, into the strings, into the notes that the two created as they touched, danced together. She gave it her fear, her anger, her sorrow-
"T-that's enough, Miss Wűlf." The Director seemed beside himself. Apparently she had left an impression. Always good.
She unfolded herself from the chair and rose, holding her bow and cello in one hand and shaking the hand of the director and producer in the other.
"Expect our call tomorrow, Miss Wűlf." The Producer smiled down at her. Both men were in their 50s and possibly related.
"Thank you, Mr. Laster and Mr. Laster." She said in her normally soft voice. She quickly packed up and passed by the next audition-er as she left the building.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:31 pm
Marina half opened one eye and groaned. She was not a morning person, but this just couldn't be avoided. She had to get up sooner or later. Pushing a chocobo-shaped pillow off of her face, she quite literally rolled out of bed. "Ouch!" she hissed, rubbing the hip she had landed on. It's gonna be one of those days, I can tell.
Staggering, she went to her closet and grabbed the first outfit she could find, which would up consisting of a black t-shirt and black capris - not her normal attire, but she wasn't feeling picky. Grabbing her toothbrush, she headed to the bathroom to attempt to make herself presentable.
Ten minutes and a full sink of cold water splashed onto her face, Marina emerged from the bathroom and headed downstairs, only stopping to deposit her toothbrush in her room. As she headed into th ekitchen, she noticed one of the other girls who lived there. What was her name again? Shaking her head, she greeting the girl. "Good morning," she said, trying not to make it sound gloomier than it had to. Even though she wanted nothing more than to just get food and get out, if the girl lived here, she'd have to get somewhat friendly with her, otherwise things could get akward really fast. And Marina hated feeling akward.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:48 pm
Ken looked up at the sounds of somebody in the kitchen and shook himself. Getting up he dragged himself in and waved to the two others in there. Completely oblivious to the fact that he looked like something that had been dragged in and left to die on the floor. He passed them and looked in the fridge, getting himself a glass of orange juice before sitting at the table, putting it in front of him and then putting his head onto the table wrapping his arms around it.
"If there was truly a god he would strike me down now in his mercy." He stopped to look up for a moment then took a drank.
"You two ever had a nightmare that seemed almost like reality then wake up and can't figure out what it was?" he asked after a moment, wondering if he could find some aspirin around here, he was sure he had not drunk enough last night to feel this bad today.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:57 pm
Edward had just plopped back onto his bed to rest when his cellphone went off. Still staring at the tile ceiling he pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open. "Yeah? Uh-huh..." He paused, listening to the slightly annoying but familiar voice on the other end. "Yea, I'll be right down." He snapped the phone closed with a finger and shoved it back into his pants pocket before rocking into a normal sitting position. He was tired from his earlier run, but work was work, and you had to do what you could. Edward worked at a small restaurant in town, but as he didn't get enough hours he moonlighted as a courier. It was fine though, the courier calls were infrequent and paid decently. Grabbing his keys and messenger bag, he stuffed his feet into his shoes and took off once more. That was one thing he loved about loafers and mocassins -- you didn't have to slow down to tie any laces. A few moments later he was outside, running towards the Student Centre that held the delivery service he worked for.
Sliding in behind someone just exiting, he nearly ran into the counter. The clerk's disproving look only eliciting a slight apologetic shrug. He wrote the address on his hand in black ink then grabbed the package, "No no, the other one!" the Clerk snapped, pointing to a slightly smaller one. With an indifferent roll of the eyes he replaced the package he had taken and grabbed and reached for the other one. His hands nearly dropped it. It might have been smaller, but it had to have weighed three times as much as the other package, a surprised grunt escaped his lips. Placing it in his bag he whirled and started running.
After twenty minutes of running he slowed for a bit of a rest. 'What the heck is this thing...' he wondered, pulling it out of his messenger bag and looking at it from all angles. It was a rectangular box... so it could really be anything... With a shrug he put it back in his bag and started trotting again, the heavy parcel bumping into his hip until he adjusted the positioning of his bag.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:59 pm
Viola was just about to sit down to breakfast when a voice caused her to look up and glance around. Oh boy...It was certainly too late in the afternoon to still be hearing voices... She blinked her eyes several times and looked over to the door after perusing the entire room. "Oh, hello... You..You're Marina, right? I think Sarah said something about a new tenant moving into the house." Viola said after a short pause. "Um...I'm sorry. I only made breakfast for one. I thought that by this time of afternoon, everyone must have been out and about by now--um..I could prepare something for you if you'd like." Viola's eyes glanced around the room, not sure exactly what the new girl liked to have for breakfast. She smiled and got up from her seat; she may as well help make the new young women feel welcomed. Viola busied herself around the kitchen, setting another place at the small table that was really meant for small, quick snacking bits in between busy hours of the day. However, seeing as almost no one was home anyway, she decided that it would have been alright to use as a brunch table...for now. Shrugging, Viola went back to searching for apple juice. The cool air from the fridge felt cold even through her tights. Viola frowned. She ought to still be used to cold weather... It wasn't like her to be bothered by cold from the fridge... It wasn't as if she wasn't used to dealing with frozen things back when she was still in Britain as a highschool student...
"So...Where are you from? Did you just move in? I've been out a lot lately...classes keep me busy from day til night, usually, so I apologize if I wasn't there the first day you arrived." Viola said, now taking a glass out of a cupboard and placing it on the table. She then proceeded to dig through the fridge for any other drink besides the milk and the orange juice. She sighed and brushed her hair, which had a right part and kept falling into her eye, hind her ears and continued to search the fridge for drinks. "Well...It looks like Sarah hasn't gone to the market yet...I'm afraid you'll have to survive on either milk, orange juice or water." Viola wasn't always good with people, which explained why she talked so much at first... It was her anxiety. It made her ramble sometimes. She took a breath and straightened, smoothing her clothes as she walked back over to Marina, who stood at the door. She had forgotten to introduce herself...beautimous.
Viola extended her hand and smiled. "I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Viola Yoshino. I've been living here for about two years now, I think." she said, hoping that she sounded amiable at the very least. "Um...I go to USC, but I think most everyone around this area of town does. The UCLA students normally don't come renting spaces around this area. Our campuses are big rivals in and out of football season."
Viola's steely green eyes (they looked a little like steely silver with a tint of green) moved over toward the fridge as something smelling a bit like alcohol, and looking like a hot mess moved passed her and Marina. "...Kenneth?" she muttered, a small crinkle forming at the bridge of her nose. "What...What happened to you? You look rather...Well...Well, you look like you've had drinks enough to fill old Ben, and then rode the Tower of Terror until you've just about emptied all of your stomach's contents at all Disneyland's customers..." How she could still have the appetite to eat after this was a miracle, but she didn't seem to be bothered. She merely paused to think about what Kenneth has just said, and shook her face, her already pouty, pinkish lips forming a small pout as she fell deeper into thought. "I'm afraid I haven't, Kenneth, I'm sorry. I did wake up to some lady looking for a chap named Willard...I think that counts. She didn't get the fact that there wasn't anyone here by that name."
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:15 pm
She let out a tired breath of air as her eyes drifted to a pair of children. Her eyes observed them as they looked up at a book that was too high for them to reach. Seeing as she was in the same section, only two feet away from her, she decided to help them out. Pushing back the legs of her chair away from the table, she made a motion to get up, but only to be beaten by one of the librarians. The smiles of the children brightened the area as they got their book and scuttled away to a nearby sitting area. Said librarian smiled, but not in comparison to the children, and began making her way over to Mel upon seeing her presence.
“You’ve never done that before, have you?” At the confused expression, the lady librarian gestured to the book Mel had in front of her. A small tinge of pink spread across her cheeks, barely noticeable, while shaking her head in reply. She was given a few simple suggestions before the lady went back to work. Mel had been spotted doing her studies in an area of the children’s section one weekend morning a year ago, but the workers never worried about it since she was always situated at the corner tables. No one she knew would look for her there, it was her small sanctuary.
Her eyes glided over to the display of her mobile, comprehending the time of day it was. “Hm...” She tapped her fingertips on the page before closing it and placing it atop the pile of books she had taken off the shelves. She had left early in the morning like she did every weekend, usually at eight in the morning, when nobody really bothered to get up that early on a day off. It was nearing one o’clock. Normally she would have stayed longer until the public library closed, but some things needed to be done.
“It’s a fifteen minute walk home and,” Mel waved casually to the head librarian as she exited, “I should probably check in to see if they’ve done anything.” Although she wasn’t expecting much since it was a Saturday. Without hesitation, she began to dial the house’s telephone with ease, wondering if anyone was awake to answer. As she hears the first ring, she’s simultaneously avoiding running into people while her right hand is holding the phone to her ear and the left holding onto the strap of her sling backpack.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:30 pm
Marina had expected the girl to say hello, but the information overload she received just about fried her brain. It took her a second to catch up. "Yes, I'm Marina," she replied, suddenly self-conscious. "Don't worry about me, I'll just have some toast. I'm not much of a morning person."
The next round of questions really threw her off. "Um, I'm from Indiana. I stayed home and worked for a few years so that I could afford to come here after I used up my scholarship, so yeah, I just moved here not too long ago." She looked at her as she went to the fridge. "Dont' worry, I'll survive," she said, with a small chuckle.
Marina shook hands with Viola when she offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I go to USC as well." She winced as someone who smelled liek a day-old bar and looked like a dead rat walked though. "God Lord, Ken, are you going to be alright?" she asked. "You look terrible." She briefly wondered if she had any asprin, but didn't think she did.
The phone rang, which startled her. Instinctively, she went and answered it. "Hello?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:46 pm
He shook his head for a moment, managing it without lifting it.
"Ken. Please. The only person who calls me Kenneth is Mr. Mikalos." And that was only because he was too intimidated by him to correct him. he looked up though at her description of what he looked at, blinking at her bleary eyed.
"I wish. I didn't think I drank enough to feel this bad though." He smiled at Marina, or at least tried to, the grimace that showed on his face appeared to be something between a scowl and a desperate plea to be shot.
"Well that's good. Because I don't want to give anybody the wrong impression." He looked around for a moment then asked.
"Where is everybody. And what time is it?" he had to baby-sit Stephan later on, and hang over or not he liked that kid. Plus Mr. Mikalos always promptly paid. Even if he was sure that he would rip off his head if he found a misplaced hair on his child.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:55 pm
”Hello?” A voice answered on the other end and she paused as she tried to register the voice with a face. Just in case, she quickly looked at the call display to make sure she dialled the right number. It must have been the new person they were told about awhile ago. This would be the first she had made contact with anyone, other than Sarah, in quite a while.
Clearing her throat, she finally spoke. “Hi, this is Mel, a resident there.” Not knowing how else to respond, she went straight to the point of why she called in the first place. “I’m calling to remind everyone again that it’s Sarah’s birthday today and we should be getting it ready by now.” She had a feeling that some had just gotten up not too long before she called. They may not have also seen the reminder note she posted up on the board; where Sarah’s note to clean up the mess was left moments before hers. She didn’t think many people paid attention to the board often, which inclined her to call in the first place.
Now that she thought about it, there was a pretty big mess in that one room alone. For her, it’d be a little awkward to be in one room with all the residences of the home all of a sudden...but it was for Sarah and she owed her more than she could put into words. “So, um, make sure everyone knows...” Her uneasiness began to creep into her voice, stopping to stare at a poster advertising ‘Axe’.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:03 pm
A head covered with hair the color of autumn leaves poked out of the pile of bedding. Andrea White sat on her bed blinking away sleep. She had gone to sleep earlier then usual night before, and had woke up before the alarm. Andi placed her feet on the floor, and stretched her hands over her head, enjoying the rush of endorphins replaced as she stretched. She stood and walked over to the alarm clock and turned it off before it could start beeping annoyingly. Andi grabbed some clean cloths and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. After the shower she pulled of the navy cargo pants and fitted green t-shirt, before turning her attention to her other toiletries.
Andi bared her teeth in the mirror briefly, checking for any remaining plaque, satisfied the her pearly whites were indeed with she smiled at he reflection, and then opened the medicine cabinet and put away her tooth brush. That task finished she turned her attention to the birds nest on her head. She was tempted to cut it all off, but she had promised daddy that she wanted, he liked to think that she had at least one feminine aspect. Andi pulled a face and then set to work with a brush, in an attempt to tame the unruly tresses. After some semblance of order was returned she pushed the bangs back with annoyance, and deftly tied a red bandanna around her head effectively reining in her hair.
"You up Dad?" she asked as she walked into the living room, her father had fallen asleep in his favorite arm chair once again. Her father smiled at her sleepily "Morning Andi" She grinned at him before swinging into the tiny kitchen and pulling milk and fruit loops out of the fridge. She poured her self a bowl and sat at the counter eating the colorful cereal.
---
After eating she nodded to her father and headed down stairs to the garage. The entire bottom floor was taken up with two large work rooms, small office and a bath room for customers. It wasn't exactly clean and it smelled of oil, but to Andi it was heaven. She flipped on the lights, and went over to her latest project. A 1970's Mustang whose engine had been close to shot when the owner brought it in. it was going to cost a mint for the owner, Andi practically had to rebuild the entire workings of the car. She grabbed a wrench and set to work on the dismantled engine.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:28 pm
Edward looked once more at the, now horribly smeared, address written on his hand. Looking up at the building he quirked an eyebrow. He wasn't even sure if the place would be open on a saturday. He tried to pull the front door but it was locked. Slightly irritated, he knocked loudly and waited a few moments to no avail. Grumbling, he moved around to the large old-style garage doors. Giving the slightly dusty glass a wipe with his sleeve, he peeked inside, sheltering his eyes from the glare with both hands. He saw a young woman hunched over an old mustang. "Hey!" he called through the door, hoping she'd hear him. He rattled the old window in the garage door gently with the bottom of a half curled fist.
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