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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Jan 7, 2007 23:35:38 GMT 1
It was a simple thing to have a cab waiting; a quick call on her new cell phone as she made her way, and she only had to wait a few minutes when she walked towards the parking lot. Scrounging through her purse, she withdrew a small slip of paper with an address printed on it. Tapping her foot along to a nonexistent beat, Kira's mind trailed off, the light tcktck tck tcktck of her foot against the pavement drawing her mind to music, which left her wondering whether she might have some time to find and play the school's piano, if in fact they did have one.
Spotting the cab amidst her musical musings, Kira started over, slipping into the back seat and giving the driver the address, fastening her seat belt. Leaning back against the seat with a small sigh, Kira was thankful she'd had something to nibble on before she went out. Even so, there was a nervous flutter, one she hadn't really been able to get rid of since that Hallowe'en night. She was, however, quickly becoming impatient with herself over it. Mentally snapping at herself, Kira gazed out the window, catching the reflection a little as her brow furrowed and then softened, the buildings flashing slowly by, even pausing as the cab stopped at lights. It didn't calm or stop that nervous flutter, though.
'New school that doesn't like us and the reversal is true...insulting the School Captain...finding out my new roommate just happens to be the School Captain...and I now have to go collect my things from a guy I can't help but feel nervous around since that one little incident. Ah, the next thing you know, the world will turn upside down and hell will freeze over. Can it get any worse than this?' She pondered as the cab stopped and she paid her fee.
Looking up at the building, Kira could only raise an eyebrow, the light catching in her eyes, causing them to glow slightly. Shaking her head, she moved up the stairs and into the building. "Just like him...if the penthouse back in Varron was any indication, sure as anything he'd have one here, too..." She muttered, sliding into the elevator and pressing the button.
Leaning back against the elevator's wall, the young woman absently blew her bangs away from her forehead. Those butterflies fluttered again, and she sighed. 'Will they ever stop?' she thought impatiently, her attention drawn to the flash of the floor numbers as she ascended. A soft chime signalled her arrival, and Kira pushed off the wall, slipping to the door as it opened, stepping into the hall.
The walk to one of the two doors was short, but not short enough. Raising her hand, Kira paused, her stomach doing flips a moment before she took a breath. "I could just go back and come another day...but, no, I can't. I need to get my things; there's no way I'm going to be wearing the same clothes day in and day out until I give myself a shove to get it done." The girl whispered to herself, her raised fist clenching lightly as she rapped on the door firmly, her gaze set and soft.
The man who opened the door had her blinking. And she swore that this was the right penthouse, glancing down at the paper in her hand almost sheepishly. Blinking up with her blue eyes, she quickly spoke before the man could get so much as a 'Hello.' out. She fought the urge to bow as she apologized, keeping her eyes fixed upon his - nearly like a deer caught in the headlights. "Oh...oh. I'm sorry for disturbing you, I must have the, er, wrong penthouse."
[( Squeep, sorry, I just couldn't help but have Rocco answer the door..? ^^;; )]
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Jan 8, 2007 5:54:01 GMT 1
Taptaptap
The knock on the door spun two heads as they sat at the breakfast bar, sipping bottles of beer and playing cards idly...Looking back at one another, the taller of the two, the Italian man, stepped up and shrugged before walking to the door...
"Remember, if it's for Kazuki, he's busy until the evening, Rocco..."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't look at my damned cards..." he chided back, smirking and flipping her off behind his back as he neared the main door, sliding the main deadbolt over and opening it before glancing at the girl who had approached. Questioningly, she looked almost as confused as he did. How did one get the wrong penthouse? A moment or two passed as he stood, a raised eyebrow and his arms folded over his chest, looking at her with patient interest before something clicked. The corner of his mouth raising, he unfolded his arms and took a step back from the young lady.
"I'm taking a stab in the dark that you're Kira....?"
"Y-yes....?"
"Come on in."
Nodding lightly, he turned and led her in the door, motioning with a flick of his wrist as he walked back, calling out to Rene as he approached the kitchen again...
"It's Kira, I figured there would be an exception there..."
The light shrug the woman gave him was enough, and turning back to Kira, Rocco pointed to the refigerator and smiled, "If you're thirsty, help yourself....Kazuki won't be long. Pull up a stool if you want to join in, the games Rummy."
'Yeah, and he's going to get one hell of a shock when he steps out...That'll teach him to hog the shower...' he thought, chuckling quietly to himself before picking up his cards again, settling himself on the stool and hooking one of the others back with his heel, freeing up the seat for Kira to join the two of them when she so chose. Seeing her for the first time, he had to admit he could understand why his friend had fallen for her. Even by a gay mans standards, she was beautiful, almost flawless. Glancing over at Rene, he gave an inward sigh and shook his head, plucking one of the cards from his hand and tossing it to a discard pile on the middle of the counter, taking one of the remaining stack to his left...
-Ten minutes later, Taikus perspective-
Stepping from the shower, a towel tied around his waist, he ruffled his hair with a smaller towel and padded through to his bedroom and shivered a moment at the chill in the room, glancing over at the open window and smiling...He would never get used to the view, but he absolutely loved it...Letting the towel for his hair hang loosely over his head, he dried off completely before pulling on some clothes for his lower half, slipping his feet into a pair of light shoes and fastening a belt before letting the towel slip down to his shoulders, hanging around his neck...He admitted that he had grown to like his hair shorter, especially since it was so much easier to deal with and dried a hell of a lot quicker, but even at this length there would be an icy trickle down his neck if he just left it be...
"Well, I'm not needed anywhere for a few hours, I'm sure I can finish getting dressed in a little while..." he mused quietly to himself as he opened the door and paced to the kitchen. From where he was, only Roccos back and the side of Renes head over his shoulder were visible to him when he looked up, and as he stepped into the kitchen he absent-mindedly strolled right past the two of them, not noticing Kira in his mid-daydream state and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a small carton and tossing the top off of it into a garbage can nearby, tilting his head back and taking a quick swig of the juice inside before sighing, setting the carton on the counter and wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb, turning to speak....
"Hey Roc, any calls for m-"
He froze when he saw her, blinking a moment as her eyes paused on him, his meeting hers and his voice freezing suddenly...Kira? Glancing over at the other male, he allowed a moments scowl to emerge on his face before being reposted with a momentary, smug smirk...
Clearing his throat, he stammered the first few words, pacing away from the kitchen slowly and away from sight of the young woman...He was not uncomfortable around the others with his scar-ridden torso, but Kira...The only times she would have seen him like this would have been Hallowe'en, and at that, his body had been laced with paling make-up to match the rest of his body, in turn masking the scars and giving his skin more of a normal look to it....
"I-I'll be, ah, I'll just be a minute......"
'Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!!' he thought at blinding speed, his feet quickening in pace as he stepped into his room and pushed the door over as he leaned back against it, his palms flat against the polished wood, his head tilted back against it as a slow sigh escaped his lips...Shaking his head, he approached the wardrobe and slid open one of the doors, pulling a light grey shirt from it and pulling it on over his head, shaking it from side to side afterward to muss his hair back. Glancing over his shoulder at the door, he felt the muscles in his stomach tighten suddenly once again, but as he exhaled slowly the twinge subsided, fading to a dull tremor...
"Best get it over with...." he muttered quietly, stepping over to his bedside drawers, sliding the top one open and pulling out a small bunch of keys before turning to the door and heading out of his room, pushing the door over again and heading back to the kitchen, the nerves rising a little before he stopped at the alcove between the rooms, leaning against it and clearing his throat, aiming to gain the attention of the others and aiming his at Kira...
"Would you join me outside...?" he asked calmly, gesturing towards the patio door in the living room, leading out to the balcony as he took a few steps toward it before she answered, making the initial advance and glancing back over his shoulder at her, the expression in his eyes expecting her to follow him outside as he slid open the large glass door and stepped onto the large balcony....
'What the hell do I do now....?' he thought as he watched her approach, folding his arms over his chest as he gave her a weak smile...
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Jan 9, 2007 4:59:07 GMT 1
Uncomfortable, Kira could already feel herself inching away, intent on stuttering out another apology and making a mad dash for the elevator when the man in front of her spoke. "I'm taking a stab in the dark that you're Kira....?"
She stuttered out a soft yes, only to be gestured inside the penthouse. She skirted in, slightly bothered he knew who she was, glancing down at the note in her hand to make sure she had the right place. Lightly nudging the door closed as...whoever he was, walked in, she slid off her shoes, making her way after him as he walked off.
And breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she saw Rene.
Stepping lightly through the penthouse and looking quietly at the decor, Kira smiled slightly, pausing as he pointed out the refrigerator. Kira blinked a moment before smiling. "I'll keep it in mind..." And, after a pause. "...rummy?"
She could admit she wasn't the best person to call into a card game - not to mention she didn't know how to play this game - but Kira smiled, taking the offered stool and slinking down onto it. She glanced at the two of them a moment, just wondering. Was there anything there? Perhaps, but then, it wasn't her place to know, in any case. And then there was the fact that asking would only serve to make her look like a fool if she misinterpreted anything.
"I'll stick out and watch for now..." She murmured, quite content to watch, leaning lightly against her elbow, apparently calm. She was...sort of. Shaking off her unease five minutes later, Kira got up, and after finding a glass after being directed to the right cupboard, she brought back a glass of water, sipping at it for the remainder of the time.
It wasn't that long before she caught on to the game, but decided to stay out, still, instead peering at Rocco's hand, her eyes darting to Rene lightly. Settling back on her elbow, she shrugged, letting them continue to play. The appearance of the unaware Taiku caught her slightly. The towel draped over his shoulders partially hid some of the tattoos, and Kira blinked in fascination at the others, noting the designs. Her soft blue eyes quickly darted down to the scars, pale white against his skin.
Intrigued, she watched as he pulled the jug from the fridge, glancing back to the game a moment to at least take her eyes off him a moment or two. When she looked back, he'd staggered to a halt with his words, blinking with widening eyes at the sudden scowl. Was that to her? Well...could have been. She blinked as he moved back the way he'd appeared from, the sound of his rushed footfalls heard lightly.
Clearing her throat, the young woman couldn't help but chuckle softly before quieting, suddenly going silent and shaking her head, his scowl still bothering her. Still, she breathed a slow sigh as she turned back to the game, watching the other two go back to playing.
Her eyes darted back up as a throat was cleared, and darted back to Rocco and Rene a moment before she raised her shoulders helplessly. Slipping from the stool and setting the cup into the sink, Kira turned back, her thumb brushing against the strap of her purse in an act of slight nervousness. Stepping lightly and a bit quickly, she soon - after a pause, at least - stepped out onto the balcony, keeping her eyes averted as she slid the door shut slowly, keeping it open only a small crack.
With a short, inward breath, she glanced up, offering a slight smile in return before she rolled her shoulders, slipping her free hand into the pocket of her black jeans. She was, however, the first to speak. "Umm... Ka--Taiku, I'm sorry I hadn't, uh, called before coming over..." She smiled a little, wryly, if anything else. And again she berated herself for slipping up yet again; even after knowing his new name these past few months, she still fumbled at the odd time. "...didn't have a number to go with the address, though..."
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Jan 10, 2007 4:15:46 GMT 1
His discomfort at her previous exposure to the past wounds of his body still lingering, her smile was met, if somewhat fleetingly as he shrugged his shoulders at her remark...
"Call me what you wish, they all still call me Kazuki and I'm growing tired of people confusing the two, it matters only to whichever you prefer...." he began, waving off the slight of tongue on her part as she stumbled over his changed name with a light, slightly calmer smile. It was a forgivable slip, most people he knew still appeared to be most comfortable calling him Kazuki and he figured that legally, so long as he was not documented under the name, he could be called anything he damned well chose.
"However, had you been able to call me before coming over I'd have given you some kind of medal, especially since I hadn't had phone lines connected nor have I, perhaps somewhat lazily on my own part, gone out of my way to pass you the number....", fishing into his side pocket, he handed her a small pen and gestured to the paper he knew she would still be holding, that which held the address they were at, "555-4829, for future reference. I've not gotten around to acquiring a new cellphone yet so I suppose you'll just have to wait for that number, hm?"
He gave her a lopsided smirk, the corner of his mouth curling just a moment in a slight, fleeting grin as the whites of his teeth bared before his mouth settled back down. With his other hand, he reached into his other pocket before bringing it back out with a small bunch of keys and holding them to her, shrugging with a somewhat idle expression....
"Shall we go and get your things then, or would you rather stand on my balcony feeling uncomfortable around me some more....?"
He would admit to himself, he knew the words were a little sharper than he intended, but the sad thing to him was he could sense it from her. She was still not entirely happy being around him, whether on a big level or a slight one was yet to be understood, but her body language, her mannerism around him, he felt she would rather be anywhere else but on this balcony standing in front of him. Had the opportunity to do so been possible, he would have been content to deal with all of this over a phonecall and arrange a driver to deliver everything to her.
Not quite a present luxury, however. Enjoying her company was an easy thing to do given his feelings, but from his perception, he felt out of sorts. What was he supposed to do in this position, when she seemed unwilling to relax around him....
Sighing, he shook his head to himself and stepped forward quickly, striding past her and tapping the side of her elbow with the pads of his fingers. Still holding her line of sight in his, he gestured with his head as he slid open the large glass door and stepped inside, walking from her with a light pace to allow her to keep up with him as he glanced over at the two still playing cards...
"A couple of hours, maybe less. Depends....."
Silent nods and an idle wave responded to him, and he continued through the room before scooping his arm down, fishing a long coat from the back of one of the doors and pulling it on with a flick of his wrist, the thick material cloaking his form with a smooth motion as he glanced over his shoulder, a light, brief smile escaping as he motioned with his arm for her to follow him, pausing to give her a moment to keep up, given he had moved rather quickly beforehand...
"I'll drive us, if we need to hire a truck to move some of it, they lease them there for a few hours, okay?"
Stepping out of the apartment with a calm swing of the door, halting the movement with the instep of his foot and stepping outside, he walked to the elevator and pushed the button, waiting calmly for the doors to open as she approached and stopped next to him.
"I.....I'm sorry......" he muttered quietly, his eyes turning very slightly to her as he spoke, a tight expression on his face when the doors opened and he stepped inside in silence, pushing the button for the parking lot downstairs and leaning lightly against the rear wall of the small box...Response from her or not, he would offer only silence for the moment as the doors once again opened up, and as he moved away from her with an oddly pained expression on his face, he approached the Mercedes and fished into his coat pocket, pulling out the fob and deactivating the alarm, opening the passengers door before pacing around to his own and stepping into the vehicle, sitting down and waiting quietly for her to settle and fasten her seatbelt....
ooc: Feel free to advance things a little from here, I know it doesn't leave you much to work with...
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Feb 19, 2007 6:57:45 GMT 1
If there was anything at all Kira could count on out on the balcony, it would be the lights of the city serving as a great, calming distraction. She trailed over to the edge of it, leaning lightly upon the balustrade with a slow, deep breath, working to unravel the tenseness in her shoulders. She glanced back at his acceptance of her slip-up, standing straight to lean lightly against the railing.
"But it also depends on what you prefer to be called... You'll always be Kazuki, but if you prefer Taiku, to leave the past behind, all you have to do is say..." She tilted her head slowly, blue eyes darker in the dim light, a small, nearly relaxed smile slinking across her lips, taking the pen and rustling about for the small slip of paper, jotting the number neatly down. "Makes sense, I suppose..."
She couldn't help the slight flinch that came with his sharp question. He knew how to dig things up quickly, she could give him that. Of course, she had been rather obvious about it. Straightening slightly, she raised her shoulders in a slight shrug, fingers flicking towards the glass door as her silent answer. He brushed passed quickly, and her flinch was more pronounced - yet still rather slight - this time, figuring that she probably done the wrong thing. She stilled with a soft sigh at the touch of his fingers against her elbow. Certainly even though she was wanting to get moving, he wasn't too upset... Shaking her head as she turned, Kira followed him back into the penthouse, slipping the piece of paper back into her purse, setting the pen on the counter as she had no other place to put it for the moment.
Saying her goodbyes with a quick smile, she tailed after Kazuki again, quickly slipping her shoes on at the door before slipping out, bringing the door closed behind herself. She returned his smile, unhesitating and calm within the small act. It was a quick walk down the hall to get to the elevator. Rolling her shoulders as she waited, she heard an unexpected murmur from Kazuki. Blue eyes darting to meet the smoky grey, those same orbs wide in surprise, she tilted her head. Stepping into the small box quickly after him, she leaned back against the wall, studying the man through her bangs.
"Sorry? Sorry for what..?" She questioned in a low voice, and yet received silence as her answer.
Sighing with a resigned shrug, she wriggled her toes beneath her shoes, blue gaze intently observing the small motions until the doors opened again. Gaze darting up, she glanced at Kazuki as he moved out, catching just a glimpse of his expression, a frown curling her lips downwards as she followed two steps behind him. Reaching up, the young woman massaged the back of her neck slowly, easing the gathered tension before stretching her shoulders with several rolls. The sound of the alarm deactivating made her look at the car, raising an eyebrow as she took the vehicle in a moment, sweeping from front to back and back again.
Sliding into the passenger's side, she fidgeted a moment before slipping on the belt, setting her purse lightly on her lap, darting her eyes to watch him silently a moment. 'It'd be so much easier to get through all of this if we'd just resolve all this... Yeah, okay, I've been on the edge around him...especially now, but, gah! Okay, right, it's my fault now...and if I don't say anything...well, chances are we'll just continue on like this, right? Judging from the lack of response I received earlier, anyway...'
"I'm sorry... I know with me being tense and nervous I've put you on the edge as well..." Kira murmured, watching as they exited the parking lot, her eyes then calmly fixing themselves on the road as they drove off. Taking a slow breath, Kira sank back against the seat, deciding to at least sit back and enjoy the rise; it wasn't often she got to ride in cars like this... The last time...was back in Varron, when Leon had picked her up from the flower shop, then again it was pouring rain then.
"It's been an interesting day..." She murmured to herself, eyes swerving idly to the side and back again.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Feb 19, 2007 8:43:47 GMT 1
ooc: My god, the story continues!!
ic:
His sombre demeanour stilled the air around him as she spoke up a short time later, his stifled apology receiving its response as he glanced away from the road a moment...The day was light and airy, mid-winter or not, and the weather was surprisingly warm, even in the Californian climate. People had clearly chosen to take to the streets on foot in greater numbers than had been the norm recently, and the noticably quiet roads gave heed to his observation...However, such a thing meant that he had little excuse not to answer her, let alone acknowledge her remark.
"I wouldn't say I was on edge, but I can understand what you're putting across. If it's alright with you, there's somewhere I'd like to stop off first. It's only a few minutes out of the way...."
Glancing over, the quiet nod she reciprocated with enough to turn his head away again and back to the road. After a few more minutes, uneventful little blips of time that seemed to melt away. Much as he could do little but keep his eyes forward, his hands were whiting at the knuckles at how firmly he gripped the wheel...Nerves, perhaps could account for a small portion of his current state of mind, but needless to say, her appeal to him had not dwindled in the time since past. She harboured the occasional dream of his as well, and he was particularly unsettled by this initially. No living person had ever been ingrained in his dreams, the bitter taste in his mouth as he noted the 'living' part of that statement he had made unto himself...His parents, people he had exacted his revenge against, an unborn child without name or face. Those haunted him in his sleep, and rarely did he enjoy a full night of peace.
Yet, despite the....provocative nature of some of his dreams, he never slept more soundly than when she was in his head. An enigma of sorts, he mused, that she could so unsettle him and comfort him all at once, both with no direct knowledge of the fact...
The car rolled to a smooth stop outside a small bistro, and as he glanced over again with a calm, though slightly forced smile, he opened his door and shifted to step out of the vehicle, his movement quick and graceful as he paused before closing over the door.
"I'll just be a minute...."
True enough to his word, no more than a full minute had passed when he stepped back outside from the building, two drinking cups in a holder he carried lightly in the crook of his fingers as he neared the car, slipping back in and fishing out one of the cups, setting it down in front of him in the aptly placed compartment before reaching for the second, holding it towards Kira with a light shrug...
"I hope your tastes haven't changed since the last time we shared a drink without liquor...." he cooly said as she took the cup from his hand, a faint raised eyebrow as his natural defence mechanism rose against her, inadvertantly of course, and turned to a far drier manner than he would normally like to share with her. Catching himself, he folded the cardboard of the holder and tucked it into the side of the seat beside the gearbox, keeping it out of the way for the time being. Allowing the two of them a moment to taste their drinks before he restarted the engine, he pulled out of the parking spot and cruised into the traffic that had taken a slight spike in activity, glancing at his watch he assumed it was just a common lunch hour for the offices in the surrounding area.
'Well, what the hell should I do now? A cup of tea isn't going to ease her anything much, and this isn't going to get any easier before it gets harder.....Damnit, if there's an answer out there, I could REALLY use one right about now....'
His thoughts busied his mind for the final few minutes as they left the busier section of the Marinas district and approached an industrial estate just on the citys outskirts, glancing over a few lot numbers he turned into one and idled the car next to a security booth....
"Can I help ya, buddy...?"
Nodding as he leaned over the lower frame of the window a moment, he spoke calmly and politely...The guy was by no means a friendly looking person, but security guards in these areas rarely were. He had no pride in the fact that he had simply chosen the first storage firm to have Kiras things left in, but he had gained assurance they were secure enough and had paid a comfortable insurance to see to it they kept a good eye on things...He hated to admit it, but money was a very persuasive language at times, worse still, he had grown very much accustomed to speaking the aforementioned language....
"I want to get a few things from one of the lots here, that alright?"
"Sure, what name is it under?"
"Taiku Akimoto, thanks..."
As the burly guard skimmed through a considerably worn book of names and numbers, his finger tracing across the page before halting, he reached over and pushed a button on the counter in front of him. Ahead of the two in the car, the heavy steel doors began to open with a grinding noise of unoiled metal joints as a tap on Taikus arm regained his attention.
"Straight ahead, it's the fourth row on your left, seven lots in and on the right side of the row. I'll be there in a minute to unlock it."
"Do you just have a key I could take to open it myself....?"
"No can do, I'm afraid. Security and all that, the key's a master key. Can't have you window shopping in other peoples lots, can we...?"
Sighing with a slow nod, he pressed down on the gas again and pulled in, finding the lot and waiting as the guard approached a minute later, glancing over to Kira with a slightly apologetic look...
"I'm sorry, had I known what the place was like I'd have found somewhere else..." he sighed, stepping out of the car as the guard fumbled with the lock, admittedly a surprisingly sturdy looking thing that took him the best part of a minute to unlock before he grabbed the heavy looking shutters and pushed them up with a grunt.
"How long do you want...?"
"Uh, probably around forty minutes to an hour, that alright?"
"No worries, I'll come back and check up then..." He said, already walking away and accenting his remark with a bored flick of his wrist in a short wave over his shoulder. Glancing away from him to Kira, shrugging his shoulders, he motioned to the belongings that littered the small room...
"Let's get this done then, shall we?" He said, his face devoid of discernable emotion at the moment as he stepped inside and leaned against a wall, lifting his coffee to his lips and taking a slow sip. Right now, he would just let her sift through what was there until she needed his help. Watching idly, he looked around with a raised eyebrow...He had never used one of these facilities before, but he was surprised at the space they had, even as full as this one was. He would have been lying to himself to say that his attention had not drifted elsewhere within moments of the thought leaving his head, however. So much so that he did not notice the almost inaudible creaking of the shutters as it inched its way down, after a moment dropping suddenly with a loud crash that spun both of their heads around, a very nearly incredulous look on Taikus face as he set his coffee down on the floor next to where he had been standing and inched his way through the blackness to the shutters, palming across the steel before finding a light switch and flicking it on...
'Just fucking fantastic, at least the light isn't dead...' he thought as he glanced at the shutters and stepped over, looking at them much more intently than he had done before to no avail. There was no internal handles on the metal, the tight hinges too narrow for anything thicker than a fingernail to hook onto, and with a bitter sense of irony, set almost perfectly against the concrete underfoot.
Groaning quietly, he turned and picked up his coffee again, slumping against the wall and sliding down to a sitting position....
"Perfect, this is the last thing we need....." he muttered somewhat acidly, his eyes not noticing the expression on Kiras face as he tapped his toes against the concrete...
"Just...Fucking...Perfect.", he growled as he leaned his head back against the concrete wall, "Is this what you could call karma, Kira....?" he said slightly sourly as he looked over at her. His displeasure was not at her by any means, but with the tensity between them at the moment, how could he not be unimpressed at this situation...?
"And to think I'd almost figured out how to say it..." he sighed, the words a little louder than he had liked but not noticing as he sipped the cup again....
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Mar 7, 2007 8:42:34 GMT 1
Silence. While most women happened to use it as a weapon at times...Kira wasn't in that frame of mind...well, not really. It might have been used just a pinch, but the real use was that it was for reflection and thought. She heard his answer and remained motionless, only nodding her head in answer to his question of stopping off somewhere. True to his word, once they had stopped, he was no longer than a minute. Shifting slightly in the seat in order to take the offered cup, Kira quickly sank back against it once more, bringing the cup just below her nose, taking a slow breath. It smelled...familiar. Taking a slow sip had her relaxing against the seat. 'Definitely familiar.' And it was, it just happened to be the same sort of tea Rene had brought her after her first drinking spell with Taiku. It brought back a few memories, but Kira put them out of her mind. Right now, she wanted to just think of some way to get up over this awkward lump with her driver, who'd just taken his first sip of the - judging by the smell - coffee he'd bought for himself.
She couldn't help but tense a little at the tone of voice he'd used, yet the warmth of the tea helped to ease the tension...somewhat. The rest was up to her. With a muffled sigh, she shifted, crossing a leg which caused her to look more out the side window than the front. She couldn't really complain...it was a new view, after all.
The trip to the storage facility was pretty much uneventful as things went. Neither had said a word, and when it was broken, it was by the security guard at the front gates. Kira took the opportunity to glance around from the car, mentally shrugging off the appearance. As long as her things were fine and well, who cared what the place looked like? After all, she wasn't particularly picky about such things.
Pulling in had Kira sinking back once again, slowly twisting the cup around in a slow circle, the warmth a pleasant sensation on her hands still. Blinking as Taiku started to speak; she turned her eyes to him, an eyebrow itching to be raised. Slipping out of the seatbelt and out of the car, she shrugged her shoulders visibly this time.
"As long as my things are fine, I'm happy. Besides, it's not as though I'm leaving it here... What I have is coming with us today." Kira murmured to him, moving over to the door, cup of tea in hand. Slipping beneath the overhead door as it was moved up, she started to sift through the boxes, opening one and slowly rummaging through to make sure everything was well and intact. She did, however, catch the last of the snippets of conversation.
"One step ahead of ya, cap'n." She responded, glancing up with a rather smug grin. Smug, yet still teasing, making it apparent she was at least trying to lighten the mood. Time passed, and Kira managed to get through the first box. Slipping the flaps closed, she was startled with the crash of the door as it slammed down upon the concrete. Jumping up in shock, her gaze and head flashing to the side where the light had once been glaring in to the small space, Kira found herself enveloped in darkness, and as she soon found, tumbling backwards due to her momentum and loss of sight.
There was that moment when she landed, the jolt of pain, and the sound of a box being scuttled a few inches across the cool floor. A moment of sitting there in a daze passed before the light was flicked on by Taiku. Blinking a few times, she tilted her head, quickly shuffling into a kneeling position, breathing out a sigh and brushing her fingers through her hair. Watching him for a few moments, it became apparent that they weren't going to be able to get out of the storage space themselves, she tried the next best thing.
Shuffling her purse onto the floor, she quickly grabbed her cell phone, flipping it open. What she saw had her tilting her head. She had the batteries, and the signal...and yet, she flipped the phone closed, shaking her head as she spoke a blatant lie: "No signal."
It was, essentially, the perfect set-up. She had taken note that while he hadn't responded in the elevator, having a quick escape route a few moments after, he had in the car. So, with that in mind, she purposefully kept it from him that she did indeed have a signal. What better way to get him to talk than when he had no choice. Well...unless he wanted to deal with question upon question, and a resulting angry and frustrated Kira if he kept silent... Even so, she'd at least make her attempt.
"Karma..? Eesh, I suppose so. Don't see how I could call it anything else at the moment." She responded, slipping her cell back into her purse and shifting slowly to her feet, quickly brushing her hands across her jeans to rid them of any bits of dust. Satisfied there wasn't anything broken in the first box, she picked it up and walked to put it by the door.
Turning back, she started going through the second. Midway through the third box, she decided it was now or never. At least she'd waited this long, instead of asking immediately...it wouldn't have done any good for him to actually think she'd purposefully said she had no signal... "You know... I've wondered over the past few months as to why...well, I suppose, why me that night..? I mean, out of any other 'perfect stranger', surely there could have been someone else you could have mock-seduced as your vampire self..."
She raised her shoulders, sitting back a moment to take another swallow of her tea, which had cooled off to a point that it was comfortable to drink without attempting to scald her tongue. She glanced up at him with an expectant look, tilting her head almost pointedly before setting the cup down and continuing her quest to make sure none of her belongings were missing or broken.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Mar 8, 2007 23:12:28 GMT 1
As she reached for her cellphone, he turned to watch the action with an intent look. It would certainly make things far more convenient for them both to get out of this little steel box, that was obvious enough, but the moment it flipped back down in her hand he simply sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall. His arms folded loosely against his knees.
'Just one thing after another, isn't it....?'
Picking up his coffee, he swirled the cup slowly in his hand, stirring the sugar that had settled at the bottom lightly through the rest of the mix...The near-silence as she sifted through the boxes was surprisingly pleasant in a strange way, something he couldn't quite place, but the tension seemed to be slipping away at the moment. Nothing had been said, and her attitude to him had grown a little more relaxed, altogether a more comfortable environment for the pair in his eyes.
Clearly, however, such silence was not intent on remaining present. Whilst she had been seeing to her things, he had been paying little heed to much, glancing over once or twice and allowing himself a light smile at her, but regardless being quiet and out of the way, preferring to let her do what she needed without any interference. If she needed any assistance, he was mere feet away, hardly an impossible feat to ask for his help after all. When she spoke, however, she didn't ask for his help...Not with her things, anyway.
His head craning slightly at the questions beginning, he lifted the coffee to take another sip of the gradually cooling liquid, the rim halting at his lips when the purpose of her query becoming evident...Lowering it from his mouth, his lips curling a little to remove the drops of coffee that had reached them as he listened without response. Put on the spot, he could not be faulted for the delay in his response as he considered how to word it.
"You really want to know, Kira? Is it so important to have a reason why?", he began, shifting in his cross-legged position to lean against the wall, facing her slightly and setting his cup down as he spoke, "If you really need to know , then that's simple. You looked unbelievable. Add on to that the fact that I had built up a lot of courage to make such an advance, your own reaction, and you have your answer. Sure, I could have 'seduced', as you quite crudely put it, someone else. Would it be such a crime to admit that you were the one person in that crowd I would have wanted to, however?"
Raising an eyebrow pointedly at her, his response growing more blunt as he spoke, he found himself almost challenging her to push this conversation, to see what she would say to his words. He had said nothing genuinely provocative, nor had he been roundabout in his words. He had told her the simplest answer to her question, omitting certain truths in the process perhaps, but answering her nonetheless. As he unfolded his legs bringing one knee up to his chest as he leaned forward against it slightly, the other linked loosely under the propped leg, he picked up the coffee again, taking the sip he had paused on a few minutes ago...
Lowering the cup, he glanced over at her, curious to her own response but also to another thing.... "Considering that was almost six months ago now, why wait this long to ask me that? I would have told you anytime you asked, Kira. In that light, then, I suppose there's one question I would ask of you..."
Sighing slowly as he held the cup between his hands, he shrugged a moment and pressed on... "Given the chance, would you change the fact it happened?"
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Mar 15, 2007 6:55:24 GMT 1
After a moment of watching him in silence, Kira guessed his response would take a few moments in coming, and decided to continue sorting through her belongings. Turning her gaze down and flicking her hair back onto her back, Kira sighed, her hands returning to shifting items inside the boxes, quickly turning some over to see if they were whole. Closing the box up and sliding it to the side, she grabbed the next and opened it, discovering her sheets and comforter. Taking a quick check to make sure it was there, she slid that box over, her gaze slipping up as he started his reply.
Sliding the next box in front of herself, she sat back upon her feet a moment. His voice became...edgier as he continued. 'And for good reason,' Kira cringed mentally, 'The wording wasn't exactly the best, was it?' And even so, there was a slight tint of red upon her cheeks, both from his words, and her own slight embarrassment at her choice of words.
"No." She responded, just a few shades under his own blunt tone. It would be foolish to wish otherwise at this point, in any case. What's done is done, and Kira could admit now, even looking back on it, she had enjoyed herself. Perhaps even a little too much. Truth be told, she didn't know how she would have reacted had he chosen someone else that night; yet it more than likely wouldn't have bothered her too much...his choices were his own. She didn't exactly rise to his challenge, but only answered his direct question. Simple, really...it was only one word, after all.
She was satisfied with the answer.
Lowering her gaze as she figured he was finished, she opened the next box, raising an eyebrow slightly. Clothes. Rather, underwear, bras, all stacked on the top of said clothes. Blinking as he spoke again, she looked up, almost like a deer caught in the headlights. Slipping the box closed as she considered a moment, she shoved that one to the side. 'I thiiink I can do that one back at my room...'
Rocking back on her feet again, she tilted her head. "It takes time to build up courage... Especially to ask something you're not sure you should be asking in the first place. And, I didn't know you'd answer at any time...nor could I think of any suitable place to ask..."
She shrugged then, taking a slow inward breath to relax herself. And to his last question, she remained silent as she thought it over in those few moments she had given herself. Looking up and straight at him, she shook her head. She really had enjoyed it...truth be told. "No, I wouldn't change it. It might not have been so awkward if you hadn't...erm, rushed off after the last bit, but what's done is done, of course..."
Tilting her head, she shrugged once more before returned her gaze onto the box. "Given what I've said, would you have changed anything if you'd been given the chance...?"
Oh, she could turn questions right back onto him, maybe put him on the spot. Yawning slightly, she shook her head, glancing at the remaining boxes. There was definitely enough to keep her busy for a little while longer. All in all, all the belongings she was taking with her amounted to being packed into eight boxes, but maybe if she squeezed some into other boxes, she could reduce it to seven. He was driving a small car, after all.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Mar 15, 2007 9:41:37 GMT 1
'She wouldn't change anything....? How am I supposed to fuckin' take that? Oh, screw this, I'm just going to tell her...'
As the thought rushed through his head, a dozen different analysises of her somewhat straightforward remark batting around in his mind, he gave a knowing smile at what followed. Giving an accepting nod to the remark on his disappearing act that night, he lowered his head in a brief moment of embarrasment, his cheeks reddening a touch at the thought. It had been awkward, not to mention rude to her...
"For what it might be worth, after all this time, I'm sorry for just walking away from you like that...In regard to whether I'd change anything however, yes. If I could go back right now, I would change one very important thing..."
Smiling almost weakly as he faltered in his words, he slowed as he pushed up from the wall and paced a little, not for any other reason than sitting on the hard concrete was making his back and legs ache slightly, he arched his spine slowly and stretched his arms out before coming back to a normal pose, he sat back down onto the concrete, leaning against one of Kiras boxes and propping his arm up on it to bear a little of his weight.
"I might be changing the subject a moment, but let's remember I'm driving a two-seater, it's got some trunk space, but we're going to have to put some of this stuff into other boxes, make use of the limited room it has.", skimming his eyes over them, his eyes flickering as he did the spatial math in his head, he brought them back down to meet hers, "Six of those, MAYBE seven at a push...if you have sheets or blankets in one of them you could set them on your lap if need be..."
Clearing his throat, he sighed slowly and chose his next words carefully, hoping that despite their impact, they wouldn't drop another cloud of anxiety over the mood. Things, despite the loaded nature of the conversation, were surprisingly lighter than they had been before, but the territory they were treading on was nothing they had not encountered together already, they were simply recovering old tracks with a certain sense of hindsight.
"Yeah....If I could rewind things, I'd have taken the chance to tell you something, even if it was only in that moment when I held you. I've needed to say this for a long time, Kira, but it's been nigh impossible for me to work out how to say it...Not to mention the fact I've been, uh, kinda worried about it."
Almost stammering his words as he spoke, he did not neglect to see the almost bitter irony that he, a person who had no discernable emotional weaknesses to most people around him, was stammering like....Like....
Like a young man whose heart beat for another, and nothing more.
'Give it up, you idiot. Trying to be aloof about this isn't going to work...'
His head lowered a little, the coffee clutched in his hands, he lingered long and hard on the expulsion of the next few words, some small part of his mind that didn't yet want to let go of things from long ago still prodding him...Unwilling, however, to throw away one of the last chances he would have to tell her, he closed his eyes in self-defiance. He would tell her. Was it so much that he just give her the truth, even if she didn't react in kind?
"I...I love you.....I've been in love with you for a long time, and if I don't tell you now, I don't think I'd ever be able to tell you." he said, his voice barely above a whisper as the words, leaden as they left his lips, finally came out. Simple, to the point, no nonsense. Why bother chewing up the words to make them more eloquent, when telling it as it is is far more honest....?
Frozen in that very moment, the resulting atmosphere aside, for that instant he felt as if every pound of weight he'd been carrying dropped off his shoulders, that after as long as it had been, since before he had....Pulled his disappearing act, to put it mildly, if nothing else she finally knew. Of course, the interesting part was just beginning.
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Mar 20, 2007 7:20:29 GMT 1
Nodding softly, Kira glanced up from her boxes as he stood, the movement catching her eyes. After merely watching him a few moments, she turned back to her task. Turns out there were two other boxes, both filled with clothing. Jam-packed, at that. With a sigh, she stood and dusted herself off, pausing as he spoke again, turning slightly to face him.
"Mmhmm... I've been thinking about that. I'll see what I can do for that, I should be able to narrow it down a little."
She nodded, picking up the third box that held her clothing and set it aside with the other two boxes. She sifted a moment before managing to find the box with her comforter and sheets inside. Flipping it open, she took the nearest box to it, one filled with books of all sorts; she started to stack them on top of the blankets. Glancing at him as she shifted upon her knees, she blinked at his hesitation and words. Taking a slow, deep breath, she continued to stack the books in, compressing the blankets beneath even further. 'There's pillows beneath all this, too. Guess it saves me having to buy more...' She thought, attempting to keep her thoughts distracted instead of racing ahead to think of what he was trying to get out.
Though, the situation seemed similar to two other times...
Letting her breath out slowly and quietly, she closed the flaps on the box, shoving the now full box over to join the ones with her clothing. Taking the nearest one to herself, she opened it up, pausing a moment to pick up her cup and take another sip of the tea as she deliberated over the best way to repack this one. 'I think these things will be okay under the books...' And with that thought, continued to pack the books into the next box, finally stopping as he seemed to shift again.
Taking her cue, she looked up just as he began to speak, blinking with widening eyes as he pulled out his feelings and laid them bare before her. They were whispered, and yet loud nonetheless. 'Well...wow... That's definitely not what I was intending to happen when I said I had no signal...but then again, you did want him to talk, didn't you, Kira?' She thought, almost bemused at the way her 'strategy' played out.
It was a rather heavy weight to catch gracefully, though. Kira sat there, for several long moments, the size of her eyes diminishing as she absorbed it. Slowly, her eyes flicked back and forth, darting quickly to Taiku and then back down as she started to set the remaining few books into the other box. At the moment, she couldn't think of anything to say...
Suddenly snapping her head back up, her eyes solemn as she realized just what her silence could mean to him, she took a breath before speaking. "Don't mistake my silence, Taiku... I suppose I'm still taking it in..."
And yet there was no mention of her feelings towards him, whether she felt the same or didn't...and yet, it wasn't such a bad thing, really. She was just uncertain, and now had to sort herself out over the revelation he'd made. Time would indeed be the best medicine here...just a bit, at least.
"Is there, uh, anything else we need to get out into the open...?" She questioned, turning her attention back onto her boxes, debating between the last two, what she could squeeze into the others. Maybe seven would fit. If anything, she could squeeze an extra box on the floor, as well as one on her lap, if need be...but they had seven now, at least.
'I guess it's about time I should drag my cell out...and let the cat out of the bag with that one, if he doesn't have anything more to say...'
She sighed, leaning to the side and stretching her arm out, snagging her purse when he didn't appear to have anything more to say. Sheepishly, she opened her purse and took out her cell. Flipping it open, the small musical notes announcing her action, she turned to Taiku.
"Mind giving me the number for this place..?"
The question was soft, hesitant, and definitely sheepish, and her eyes were downcast as she waited, quickly dialling the number once he had uttered it.
Placing it to her ear, she waited until someone picked up. "Hello, could I get someone to come down to one of the back lots, the one for Taiku Akimoto, please? The door shut on us, and I'm sure you know it's nearly impossible to get out... Yes, thank you."
Closing the phone and slipping it back into her purse, she picked up the cup, taking another slow sip--gulp, moreso. In any case, she was nearly done with it.
Linking her fingers after setting the cup down again, she slowly glanced up, eyes first, before her head followed. "Well...it's definitely been an interesting day. The new school isn't exactly keen on having some of the most notorious Varron students there...and I doubt I helped things by any means with Hikari, though technically, we merely had shown them our opinion on their school's welcome for us... And then I find out my roommate is none other than the school captain. Definitely, definitely, and interesting day..."
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Mar 21, 2007 3:25:54 GMT 1
Giving her a slight, polite nod as she spoke up, her own way of clearing any illusion her silence was to be assumed as anything he guessed, he shifted around lightly and leaned back against the boxes, sighing almost silently to himself as he tipped back the last few drops of his coffee, determined not to allow the beverage to go cold on him...
'Well, I said my piece, I guess that's all I'm able to do here....'
Tilting his head back as he let the thoughts linger in his head, he glanced over with a slow shake of his head when she spoke again...There was nothing else he needed to tell her, nothing that was merited for this current time, by any means. For the next few moments his mind drifted away, the idle daydream stealing his attention as she pottered around with the last of her things, and it was only a puzzling question from her that brought his mind back to the current state.
"...The number...? 555-5683, though I don't get why you-"
His words freezing as he spoke, he took in her mannerism, a raised eyebrow speaking volumes at her slightly coyed expression, watching her in a stoic silence as she dialled the number and raised the phone to her ear.....No signal, she'd said before. Now, this started off two things in his mind, firstly that she had deliberately trapped him into this divulgence, something that immediately made him oddly uncomfortable for a moment, the second being that in doing so, did she perhaps suspect something before and simply wanted to clear up the fact?
He waited until she closed the phone over before speaking, his arms folded over his chest as he looked forward at the wall in front of him, speaking a touch curtly at the moment...
"Suddenly got a signal back, then?"
Glancing to his side, his eyes sharper than they had been, though moreso than anything else he was simply a little irked at being lied to, especially considering the reasons behind it...Sighing, much more noticably than before, he gave her a calm smile and shrugged his shoulders.
"Got a bit of a sneaky side to you as well, I guess?"
He hoped to lighten the situation with the question, his eyebrows swapping as one lowered and the other rose, listening to her speak a moment or two later as she summarised the first day for the younger Varronites as they started out at Hircine. Apparently the place was nothing more than a well-controlled carbon copy of their former school. However, what narrowed his eyes a moment was the remark that, as well as having made things no easier for herself by effectively publicly insulting the figureheads, she was also roomed with one such figurehead, the schools captain...
'Damned if that isn't just a little inconvenient all around...'
"Despite my advice perhaps being somewhat ineffective considering I don't have the, ahem, luxury of seeing the school myself, for now it would probably be best for you and Hikari to keep your heads down. Don't draw too much attention to yourselves or the others yet, get a feel for this place...As for your room-mate, I guess if he was willing to be roomed with one of you, he's pretty ambivalent to the whole transfer issue. Besides, as the captain I'd imagine he's more level headed than some of the other students around here...."
Almost immediately after his words drifted off, the main door began to rattle quite harshly before a chink of light emerged at the bottom...Glancing over, he raised an eyebrow amusedly at the crowbar jammed under the door. The glimmer of sunlight quickly washed over the entire storage room as the shutter was thrust up and back into its lock, standing before them a rather embarrassed guard.
"Safe enough, huh....? At least if someone DID break in they'd not get too far...."
"Sorry about the trouble, I didn't know there was anything wrong with it. The catch must've given way or something..."
"Yeah, well I guess it's not too important, not like we were stuck in there for too long....."
"Is there anything else you need, or....?"
"No, we're done here, I'd imagine....?", glancing back over his shoulder, he waited for agreement from Kira as he stepped forward and into the sunlight, looking over to his car with a sigh. Fishing his keys from his pocket, he unlocked the vehicle and turned back to her with a half-smile....
"I'll grab the heavier ones, if you'd like?"
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Mar 27, 2007 6:51:51 GMT 1
"No..." She squeaked in response to his abrupt question, jerking lightly before halting herself and taking a slow breath. 'Alright...so he's angry. As he well has the right to be. I just...didn't think things would go that far...'With the appearance of the smile upon his lips, Kira relaxed a bit more. Lightly brushing a hand through her hair in embarrassment, she nodded. "I suppose I do...when I need one..." She merely nodded at his advice, figuring that would be exactly what she would be doing... Hikari was, well, Hikari...and would typically do what she wanted considering those things. Her attention was quickly turned to the door as it opened, the diminishing light outside causing her to blink a little, then smile. She said nothing as the guard spoke, merely nodding once again at Taiku's statements. Stepping forwards, she stacked two boxes containing her clothing on top of one another, she bent her knees and slipped her fingers beneath the edges, straightening slowly with an inwards breath. Keeping her arms low, she could see just over the top of the boxes, and nodded at Taiku. "Well... You can help...if you'd like?" She questioned in turn. She would have been alright by herself, but help was never something unwanted when it came to moving boxes. By the time the two of them were through, she breathed a sigh of relief, taking the seventh box to the passenger seat and sliding in with a "Thanks!" to the guard as he closed the door on the now vacant lot space. Settling in and clipping her seat-belt into place, Kira stretched slowly, easing a few of the muscles in her legs as she eased into a relaxed position. "So, mind if I could wrangle your help with getting the boxes into my dorm..?" She asked, glancing sideways. He remained silent a moment before nodding. A few more minutes passed in silence... Comfortable or not, Kira didn't quite know, but when he spoke, it was a question. "I was wondering if I could convince you to join me for dinner?" Kira swore her heart skipped a beat at that. Slowly, after a moment's thought, she nodded...voicing her agreement with a simple, "Yes." "Next Friday night, then..?" He retorted with a light smirk. =====End Thread=====
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