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Post by Marian "Xenneth" Hikari on Dec 18, 2013 12:02:05 GMT -5
Still...I know that you love me, They try to take you away from me. __________________________________ The air was soothing; fragrant with the smell of nearby Jasmine, fresh brewed tea piping with steam, and the sound of gentle soothing music would lift a finger as if you were the director of a million angelic voices. The air was crisp, the day seemed bright for a winter, and there was a promising forecast for today’s weather on the muted volume of the living room television.
Then why on Earth was the only seated individual so nervous?!
If anyone knew this person like the back of their hand, they would know that Marian “Xenneth” Hikari’s bones in his body were as use to tension and stress as the moon was to night. He was constantly on edge, and today was a reason to be so more than others, regardless of his nature. Duel Academy had taught him a few favorable things. The eighteen year-old felt he could handle his first day of college...well, at least when he was signing the paper application with ink fresh from the pen. When it was all said and done, and he could see his signature next to the “X” on the line. It was enough to shatter his nerves!
“My tummy hurts...”
What grown man would mumble such a thing to himself?! Even if no one heard it (Lord knows Rosetta would be pouting if she saw her brother cowering) he knew very well that excuse would not fly tomorrow. For all he knew, it would just mean that he would have to clock off from his shift today, go upstairs, lie in bed, and wait for the inevitable bus trip to Domino College to start sooner than he would expect. Between sleep and terror, time flew in a more funny way than usual.
However, cowardice and fear of a five-year old girl lost in a shopping mall aside, Xenneth had sat behind the counter, forehead down, and his shame apparent as his mother stepping out of the shop leaving him alone gave him more than enough ample time to have his little panic and uncertainty. He went to an Academy and learned lessons while surviving like it was a crazy High School, so why could he not simply go to college and do the same? Was it the rumors and fear circulating around a simple card game lately? Was it that grim expression of worry his mother hand when she gave him her cherished deck?
...or maybe it was his usual paranoia and fear getting to him? Well...it was most likely that.
Still, standing behind the counter, arms in a fold, and leaning on the shelf next to the register; Xenneth had started to doze off into a calming day dream about yesterday and days before where he got up and went to bed safely, trying not to worry about tomorrow. He could feel the cider carved counter under his long sleeves, he could smell the fragrant flowers surrounding him, and still taste his own share of Tea Cakes from his last break...but he most likely would miss the chime of the bell hanging over the door of the residence if anyone were to step foot into his humble business home. __________________________________Only over my dead body.Quote: [Drake - Over My Dead Body]
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Post by Raven Moonfire on Dec 19, 2013 0:06:12 GMT -5
At the door, there was the chiming of the bell as a young woman stepped inside, her black stiletto boots clicking softly with her steps as she moved. Her face was a blank mask as she stood just inside the door after it had swung closed. The woman wasn't all that old, but most of the time people easily mistook her for being a teenager because of her appearance. Her long black hair was hanging down straight aside from the two messy buns that she had pulled up and she was chewing on a piece of gum, absently popping bubbles as her eyes darted around the shop.
Raven had on black jeans with a frilly white camisole see through top with the black tank top underneath it. Over top of her normal clothing, she had on a black leather jacket that was open and not at all buttoned, making one assume that she should be cold considering the weather outside. Her whole attitude seemed to be entirely carefree and uninterested in anything that was around her. Then again, her eyes were just naturally narrow adding to that look for her. She let out a sigh and It wasn't unusual for her to leave the Academy from time to time... after all it was only a half hour away and she always kept on top of things or figured out a way to give the work to someone else. Today she had come into town because she was still setting up her Condo, she had ordered furniture the week before and it was suppose to arrive tomorrow so she had decided to come a day early to make room for what would be arriving. On her way to the Condo she passed by a shop that she didn't remember seeing before... of course, that was possible since Raven often ignored things around her.
Her eye caught on some red flowers that she didn't know the name of. The looked interesting, but then so did some other flowers in here as well. Of course it didn't show on her face at all, it was a neutral mask that gave away no hints as to what she was feeling or thinking. So it was a flower shop, that could be something, maybe she could have something for the condo or perhaps even at the University. Either was a possibility really.
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Post by Marian "Xenneth" Hikari on Dec 19, 2013 2:00:52 GMT -5
Still...I know that you love me, They try to take you away from me. __________________________________ Although the bell chimed, boots clicked with every step, a second chime with the closing of the door, and the hint of winter air that tickled the boy’s ear: it did not register that someone was in the shop besides himself. At this point, if a burglar was readying to hold him at gun point, his melancholy would mix with his absent mindedness would cause him to reach in the register and hand them all the cash and half-heartedly would he tell them to “Come again and have a nice day!” However, not even a finger lifted in the presence of the woman he was unaware of. His eyes were hidden from the world.
“Maybe if I just skip school altogether. There have been successful people that did not go to college.”
A silly thought that even he knew he would not go through with. His mind could picture how that could go wrong in millions of ways. From the most likely chewing from relative and mother most dear, and the least likely his stupidity causing Armageddon, he pictured each scenario with such stress in his face that he could paste his facial image into the cider wood carved counter. With his big blue orbs opening, eyes going to the presence before him, he had let his hands reach to his face and rub from forehead to cheek until he, literally, had a long face.
“Yeah! Right!” He thought out loud to himself...and then paused.
There was an awkward silence now after his words. His eyes had laid upon the young woman before him...or at least she seemed young? It was based on the same first impression image that people gave him similarly when they mistook him for a young cute girl, but there was NO DOUBT that before him was a woman! Regardless of his impression of her being young, she seemed to betray every part of that with her attire; where a young woman would wear sailor outfits or classical school uniforms, this woman seemed more mature in style. Her black clothing and stilettos screamed a maturity way beyond Xenneth’s comprehension, or even his world!
Where she was a grown woman in style and stature, he seemed like a little girl who was at average height, wore a slightly dingy red apron over his long sleeve green shirt for the festive holiday colors. His name tag was adorned with his real name that shined because of the gold plating. He stood behind the counter leaving his bell bottom khaki pants unrevealed along with his white sneakers nonetheless. His body was still as the Peach Rose in his hair, a symbol for modesty. Why he chose that color to slip his hair today? He knew not why as usual...it was an unconscious decision as any other.
The heart shaped tattoo on his right cheek stayed stretched as he remained stun. After almost a full quarter of a minute of silence, Xenneth’s big sapphire orbs were hidden a moment behind a blink of his eyes, and when they reappeared, it seemed so did life within as his voice escaped with a simplistic and sincere professional tone of voice.
“Uhhhh....welcome to....Tokyo Bloom.. Can I...uhhhh....help you?
Yes, he was the most professional Flower Shop cashier he could be.
__________________________________ Quote: [Drake - Over My Dead Body]
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Post by Raven Moonfire on Dec 19, 2013 23:27:37 GMT -5
Raven kept on staring at the flowers, her mind already drifting away to her thoughts even as she stood there. It was amazing how she was able to zone out in such little time, but it was a common thing for her because she somehow always managed to grow bored of her surroundings and her mind would begin to take over. Often it thought about little fantasies that were in her mind, but sometimes a rational part of her brain would cause her to think about her job or life... but that was also boring and in those cases her mind would often snap itself back to reality just to escape such thoughts.
She was just standing there and staring at the flowers, chewing on her gum and popping bubbles that she made, probably appearing lost to other people considering that she had no expression on her face and her eyes had that far away look about them. She probably could have remained that way for a while had it not been for a voice that pulled her out of her thoughts. Raven hadn't seen anyone in here, not that she was paying attention, but it only made since that someone would indeed be working here considering it was a shop... or so she put under her assumptions thus far. Her posture straightened slightly as her head turned slightly to the left, taking in the appearance of the one who had spoken with her. He looked to be a young man himself, interesting hair color with a tattoo on his face. Her eyebrow quirked upwards just slightly, but she said nothing and didn't seem to have anything to say on the matter.
"Well that depends doesn't it? I didn't know I would be in here looking for flowers, but this is where I found myself anyways. I didn't know the store was here before now and since I am here it seems like I should get something to take home with me. But I am not good at looking after things that need too much care."
Her eyes shifted back to the flowers before her... no she wasn't good with things that needed attention for any long period of time because she would get caught up in other things or just forget to bother with what needed her. It came from her years of being stuck in her sisters shadow and learning that you could really only depend on yourself so why bother with having too many other people or things near you to get in your way? Raven reached out and lightly touched the red flower in front of her, the soft petals under her fingers were soft and smooth to the touch. It was almost like she was touching velvet though she lifted her finger away after a moment her eyes morning again to the shop keeper behind his counter.
"I guess you could say that I'm not home very often... so perhaps you can't help me if there aren't any flowers that would be alright without needing an abundance of care."
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Post by Marian "Xenneth" Hikari on Dec 20, 2013 1:10:13 GMT -5
Still...I know that you love me, They try to take you away from me. __________________________________ That certainly was a mouthful. People did not say “Yes” or “No” these days when it came to a flower shop.
It was to be expected anyway. As far as Xenneth could see, people would only walk into a Flower Shop to find one thing: Roses. It would be unusual to find a die-hard fanatic of flowers in the line of business. Even then, as he looked the woman up and down the moment he noticed her he did not expect it of her in the least bit. She seemed as if she would be the type who would be secluded off in a little area, probably working in silence either listening to music or typing away on her phone. Usually, it was the type of girl he would see in school that was, as he pointed out earlier, trying to retain an air of maturity.
Unlike them however, she had shown it.
The woman made a “not-so odd” request. Why so? Xenneth had seen these types before. He would give himself that swirl of his eyes as if he was trying to recall a certain word lost in the dictionary that was his mind on flowers, his right hand would come to let a thumb and index curl around his chin while his left would come up to the computer. He knew what he wanted to say would start with a “P” and so it was the first key he pressed on the device to bring up the category system his mother had so delicately arranged. The next moment he would say, like now...
“Perennials,” he said as the glow on the computer screen shown in his sapphire eyes. They had gone up to the woman as he seemed to have a straight-face expression filled with passiveness, “I-I mean...T-They are called Perennials.”
Xenneth did not say anything more as he walked off to the side of the counter. The routine of this part was tiring in spirit as it was in hope in humanity. People were so busy to the point that the question popped up many times before. Who did not have time enough in their life to come home, douse their plant with a little water, or even apply an aqua globe for when they are gone on trips? He tried to retain his biases. After all, flowers and plants were his life compared to what other people had done. Where everyone knew about common since socializing, he knew only about plants and herbs. This was enough reason for him to routinely bend down, grabbing a potted flower with sky blue petals near the doorway with a strange stain glass bulb sticking up from a plant that seemed like an upturned soda pop bottle colored.
“Umm...like these,” Xenneth said as he pointed to the small baby blue flowers bundled together in a rounded bouquet. Collected together, they almost seemed like some elegant ball. “They’re called Myosotis. Ironically...they are called ‘Forget-Me-Not.’ They are a type of Perennial flower. U-umm...according to my grandmother, flowers like these race to overtake the weeds and often do when planted correctly. So, they can’t take the nutrients from the plant and they grow easily with only a little care and attention.” he explained.
He paused, looking towards the woman as if looking for approval from a bully he was bargaining with to not take his lunch money. It was a not so surprising face from someone with such low self-esteem like himself.
“I-Is this something you might be looking for? N-not that plant I mean,” he paused looking at the computer screen, “I-I mean there are more perennials. N-not just this one.”
__________________________________ Quote: [Drake - Over My Dead Body]
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Post by Raven Moonfire on Dec 21, 2013 21:19:54 GMT -5
"Perennials?" The word rolled off her tongue as she said the word out loud. Well she had never heard of them before but then she wasn't much of a flower person before now so what would she know about the subject? Raven followed his moments with her eyes, watching as he picked up the pretty little flowers and told her what their name was.
"Forget-Me-Not? As in you won't forget about watering them? Or perhaps it's okay to forget them sometimes and they will still be alright."
Her voice was a little more curious, as her eyes lifted away from the flowers and back to his face. He was strange, and she couldn't quite tell if he was shy or if he just had this naturally nervous habit around other people. Either way it made her curious so that she wasn't quite as bored anymore. Raven tilted her head, blowing another bubble with her gum and popping it before glancing back at the flower, she had a feeling that he might be the sort to get embarrassed by having someone else just staring at them like that.
"Well, these are pretty flowers, but what are the other types? I could have a couple at home and then others where I work... it might be nice to have different types in these area. Though I am at work a little more then I am at home so for there I might not need this same type of flower. I think I would remember to water something I'm looking at on a daily basis."
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Post by Marian "Xenneth" Hikari on Dec 23, 2013 2:01:59 GMT -5
Still...I know that you love me, They try to take you away from me. __________________________________ Xenneth’s head bobbed to the right as he seemed to let it hang slightly. His eyes dropped in a somber sadness that made the blue orbs seem like they were crying. It was not a bad question, but just the thought of looking at the flowers and knowing their meaning was enough to make him feel a gentle depression.”N-No,” he responded, “It means ‘forget-me-not’ as if to remember someone.”
His sympathetic side was showing along with unprofessionalism. Mostly, the business was personal seeing that he would take time to actually know about the flowers and their meaning. Not only that, but he would use them to decorate certain things within the house that had a symbolism with every color and fragrance. His mood was so much reflected in the roses in his hair, that when he was bright and cheery, they swore he bloom a yellow rose out of the violet flowing river of hair.
He snapped out of his daze so suddenly as the picture of his grandmother’s explanation of the flower faded.
“S-sorry,” he replied, “O-of course there are other flowers. I-I mean, if I could ask, what type are you looking for? Do you desire a certain shape? A certain color? Maybe something for your office and...”
He paused, not just noticing his biased assumption.
“I-I mean, if you work in an office. Not that you work in an office you because you’re a wo-“
He stopped. Crap! He did it again!
“I-I-I-MEAN...not that you can’t work in an office. It’s a free world and you are probably strong eno-“
No! Not again! He screamed in his mind. His cheeks burnt a bright red as hot as a kettle and his blue eyes were as wide and bright as a high-beamed light of a delivery truck on express.
“NO! I mean...” He stopped, “I mean...not what I meant, but...or dear...”
His face had fallen into his hands. He felt like he wrote his pink slip three times over.
__________________________________ Quote: [Drake - Over My Dead Body]
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Post by Raven Moonfire on Dec 30, 2013 11:27:21 GMT -5
"Well that makes more sense... most flowers tend to have deeper meanings don't they?"
Raven tilted her head slightly and tapped her finger against her lip lightly as she thought about it. While she wasn't well versed on flowers, she was fairly confident that they had a lot of meaning to them. At least they were suppose to have a lot of meaning to them, most people didn't know that, but Raven had a tendency to know about random topics from time to time. Well really she only knew about this particular topic because her sister did love flowers.... she had told Raven about them whenever she was still a little girl and had foolishly admired her sister back then. Thinking about that time, put a slight frown upon her face before she caught herself and her carefully neutral expression returned to her.
Though it wasn't long before that expression was also broken whenever the man before her began to ramble a bit... and not just ramble, but he seemed to be doing so out of trying to avoid making an assumption about her. He must really not like to offend people. And try as she might, Raven couldn't help the laugh that came over her suddenly as she smiled softly... it really wasn't an expression that you saw on her face very often, but the way he was carrying on just got to her.
"Um... well actually I'm the Dean and a professor over at the Domino University. So I'm not around an office office much at all. In fact I try to avoid the 'office' I have to be in as much as possible. But don't worry, I was thinking of getting the flowers for the main professors area so people are in and out all the time to keep an eye on them so they don't die."
It had been a while since someone had amused her this much... there was a professor at the university who also amused her but mostly because of how nervous they could get and their way of getting uncertain about things whenever she happened to toss what she deemed 'unnecessary' papers all over the floor to be thrown away after they had been organized by someone else. Raven got herself back under control, but there was still a light smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
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Post by Marian "Xenneth" Hikari on Jan 2, 2014 1:54:02 GMT -5
Still...I know that you love me, They try to take you away from me. __________________________________ “Uh, Domino...University?”
Forget flowers and purchases, the mention of the name of the school threw his mind for a loop! Although Xenneth expression and voice had spoken of obliviousness and ignorance, really, it was all about the fear. Here he had been panicking about going to such a school, than out of nowhere, this so called young woman happens to be the Dean of the School...or so she said. One awe struck gaze, as Xenneth had looked the young woman up and down with a simple glimpse of the blue irises made him cast a lot of doubt.
“Couldn’t be!” he thought, “She is lying! No woman this age can run a school!”
Then again, who was he to judge? She looked fairly beautiful, not to mention she seemed to carry this conversation with him a lot better than he could carry a bucket of water with a single droplet at the body. His inferior complex screamed to him so loudly, his ear drums could have shattered into tiny bits and spilled from his noggin like they were flying remnants from a blender. Surely, this woman could not be so much smarter and skilled that she would run an entire school at her age while Xen was kept at a part-time job at a simple flower shop while going to school.
“My tummy...it hurts again!” he thought.
Raven was still going on about flowers even after he mentioned lowly to himself the school’s name. He slumped slightly, placing his folded elbows on the desk and putting a sad expression upon his face as he drooped in thought. His violet hair had seemed to almost curtain his face, but instead just cascaded like waterfall upon his arms and flowed on the desk as he placed his head on his folded arms.
For some reason, he had his doubts about making it in such a school. Academy graduate or not, what did he have on a bunch of natural born duelists and some hot professor who taught and ran an entire faculty at the same time! There was just no winning.
“Sounds fun...” He said in a dispirited tone of voice.
__________________________________ Quote: [Drake - Over My Dead Body]
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Post by Raven Moonfire on Jan 4, 2014 12:00:42 GMT -5
Raven had her full attention on this young man before her and she couldn't help but to notice the sudden change in his behavior after she had mentioned where she worked. It almost seems like after she said that, he stopped listening to her at all and was going through some type of panic that she couldn't really put her finger upon. "Sounds fun?"
It was impossible to help the way her eyebrow quirked up slightly at his words, not entirely sure what would be fun about that. She thought that with her mentioning not being at home or work all the time that he would be worried about the flowers dying, but apparently something about her work had probably pushed those worries right out of his mind. Raven tilted her head slightly, crossing her arms over her chest lightly before taking her right hand and resting it against her chin, her eyes appearing to be very curious as they watched him and studied his features. The school might had hired her because of them wanting her sister to come after her and aid with her knowledge, but that didn't mean that Raven wasn't fully qualified in her knowledge of dueling and about the Realms and especially about people.
"Is there something wrong with me working there? Perhaps I don't look like I'm old enough.... do you think I'm just a little kid making up a lie?"
Her voice was serious, and her eyes gave away nothing as she was well practiced in hiding her true emotions, but she was only messing with him since she had a feeling that perhaps he didn't believe her because of her height and looks. Often she used her looks to her advantage at work because she could pass for a student and keep an eye on things in secret. Outside of work though, it hit her as something of a sore spot in that people didn't take her seriously because when she said she was in her 20's they often didn't believe her. Raven watched him closely, wondering if he was one of these people who would make fun of her as well and treat her like she was just a child making up a story.
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Post by Marian "Xenneth" Hikari on Jan 14, 2014 1:09:18 GMT -5
Still...I know that you love me, They try to take you away from me. __________________________________ The young lady's words were partially unheard, mostly because Xenneth was too busy tossing himself into a grief that could be compared to a drunkard who lost at all. Mourning was apart of it, and there lied his feelings of inadequacy to Raven, and he was only lucky that she had a blind eye to it. He only perked up his brow and let out a small pique of his voice that shown he had finally snapped out of his world filled with self pity and endless loathing.
"Oh..." he piped, "N-no! N-no not at all! It's not like that at all!"
What was more appropriate here? The pitiful truth or a more terrible lie? Xenneth was not sure what to say as his eyes went back to the young woman's, and then downward towards the cider built wooden desk. It was not any better since he could still see the form of the young woman; one he was jealous of but not in the literal sense. She seemed like one of those "accomplished" people that he could never dream of being as all.
"It's just...you do a lot."
It was all he could think of to say, but then again, what was need more to be said? Herself compared to him, it was like comparing a simple bud to a fully bloomed rose! She stuck out more than any individual he had seen in his school. Forget honor roll! How many young women, or men, could say they ran a college?
He just hated it. Xenneth truly hated his own inadequacy.
__________________________________ Quote: [Drake - Over My Dead Body]
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