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 Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:44 pm
Canaan, clad only in fitted jeans, a tank top, and some flip-flops, strode down the hall of the science building, obviously on a mission. The boy had gotten directions to Alex's office, and though he had stopped by previously, the woman hadn't been in. Rather than just leave the note at her door, he was following his instructions exactly. The note had to be delivered directly to her hands.
Stopping just outside the threshold, the short, strong teen knocked quietly at the door, the note safely tucked into his back pocket. What kind of person was Kenth sending a private memo to? The man either couldn't be bothered to drop it off himself, or, more strangely, didn't want to do so in person. That was of interest.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:54 pm
"Yeah," came the answer behind the door, "come in."
The woman in question was half bent over her desk from the side, palms flat on the surface, holding an unfurled map in place by the corners. The bottom was held by a calculator and a heap of pens, a fine red pencil clasped between her teeth. She wore her standard cargo pants, although perhaps not so standardly, they fit her better and weren't so loose as before, the result of a hemming at the mall once upon a whim. Her olive tank top clung to her strong and ample upper body familiarly, long and wavy black hair gathered into a peacock-esque tail at the crown of her head. Bright green eyes flit over to see who was at her door, surprise lighting her sharp features at the sight of a new student.
The map snapped back to the bottom corners by her legs as she stood upright, withdrawing the pencil from her mouth and rolling the parchment with a light smile. "Hey, there's a new face," she chuckled, banding the roll in her hands and tossing it to a far corner, where several more parchments were rolled. "I'm Alex-" she tried not to grimace at the next part that had to follow, "-Head of the Offensive Division, blah blah, all that jazz."
Titles. Bloody hell, but they were stuffy.
She extended a worn and slightly scarred hand to Cane, praying to whatever god that watched over them that he wasn't a self-righteous brat like Scyeth, or a raging lunatic like Nathaniel. She could use some nice, normal kids for a change.
Pah! As if anything had ever been normal for the battered Italian.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:17 pm
It was definitely a pleasant surprise for Canaan to find his own callused palm clasped by another. His first handshake that involved someone else who did real, hands-on work. Scyeth worked out, sure, but those sorts of muscles looked different from someone who earned them by doing daily chores, supplemented by work out.
And she was beautiful. Then again, the native had noticed that most people here seemed to be attractive. One had to wonder if that was an unspoken requirement at this school.
A firm handshake was returned, and he nodded his head respectfully. So, this was someone in charge of him [albeit indirectly, since he was going into defense]. "Cane, prospective Guardian. It's nice to meet you." He didn't think he needed to give his full or last name [she hadn't] considering the woman probably had a file on him somewhere.
Now a quick, handsome grin flashed onto his face before his features settled into their usual nonexpression, and he reached into his back pocket. "I have a note for you." Canaan was pretty straight-forward. No dilly-dallying.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:28 pm
Alex smiled widely. "Cane," she repeated, "pleasure to meet you."
Praise whomever had listened, and she might just do a rain dance, but it seemed there was at least one decent, well-meaning kid in the school!
Okay, so maybe that was a bit much, but she felt good that there was no preamble with this one. She could respect that; the handshake told her he was familiar with work of some sort, be it a craft of in labor, and that already gave him super brownie points. Polite, striking kid, and he even--
--had a note for her?
The Italian blinked in surprise. "A note?" she echoed his words, her voice lilting in question. "All right. I'm telling you now I don't do retrievals or love letters, so if I toss it aside, no harm done. I don't chew on the messenger." She offered a wide grin, hooking one of her thumbs in the belt loops of her cargos, the other hand at ease by her side to receive the item in question.
Of course, she was assuming the letter wasn't from Cane, as they'd just met. She figured it was from the Headmaster (she had, admittedly, been hard to reach recently) or one of the students asking for help. Alex was by no means a push-over when it came to teaching, perhaps even venemous about making sure the others understood the gravity of what she was teaching them for.
She was, to put it simply, intense, and knew she wasn't the easiest person to approach. Notes weren't unusual, just a curious form of communication.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:49 pm
Cane could appreciate that. His answering grin was wolfish, though his tone was noncommital, calm. "One should always report their feelings in person." Love letters were a little cowardly, in his opinion. However, this was not one of those. "It is from Doctor Kenth." The note was delivered into her hand, as instructed.
The native american was done here, wasn't he? Still, he didn't walk out. She hadn't dismissed him [in case she wanted to send a reply], and he was actually enjoying their meeting.
Cane hadn't met much of the staff, only by reputation, but he had met quite a few students, and many of them were... Very odd, to say the least [what could be expected from a school of geniuses?], and it was refreshing to deal with someone who was like him. In a conversational, no-nonsense style, anyway.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:00 pm
She was so busy turning her wheels over who it could have been from that she was almost positive she'd misheard him. Bright green eyes blinked, wavering uncertainly at the name. "Doctor Kenth?" she asked in a strange tone of voice, sounding hollow even in her own ears. Damn, how long had it been? Close to half a year again? Her hand flexed unconsciously, feeling the tight scars on the web between her thumb and forefinger, a souvenir from the fire. It'd...been a while, since she'd reacted to that name.
Alex looked at the item in her hand, dubious, as if the thing should catch fire at any given second. Her gaze flicked between the plain, crisp item and the teen who had delivered it. "Strange," she finally intoned after a long period of silence, moving both her hands to unfold the item. She cursed herself inwardly that the name could make her stop, and that a freaking note from the aloof man made her nervous.
The paper unfolded, displayed in front of her uncertain visage, eyes flicking over the contents.
What...the hell?
"Oh Kenth," she muttered softly under her breath, "you never change." Scarred fingers drew over the neat writing, shaking her head with a tight, bemused expression. Vitamins, medicine, recommendations...things she hadn't asked for. Things he was offering up for ailments she never spoke of. The b*****d was still paying attention after almost two years.
A quiet sigh left her, attention returning to Cane. "Thanks," she said in a soft voice, "for delivering it. Much obliged." She paused, looking at the note again before giving Cane a quizzical expression. "Did he say anything to you? Why he asked you to do this?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:13 pm
"You are welcome, it was not a problem." A nod.
"No, ma'am." Cane's voice was matter-of-fact, but once he got the basic information out of the way, he felt, from her response to the note, that he was free to share his observations. "Doctor Kenth chose me, I believe, because he saw me on my first day in the hospital wing. Noting that I was a new student, he must have known that I would have more free time than the advanced students, no real social ties, as well as no prior knowledge of school's workings. The perfect messenger, as I'm sure he wanted you to recieve it quickly." A pause. "I was informed that I may be reporting to him again, soon. So I can make the conclusion that he has more correspondence for you, and would not like that fact spread around between multiple errand-boys."
It was the most words he'd used all day. His thoughts that'd been gathered over the past week. He, of course, had been given much more time to consider Kenth's motives than Alex had.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:31 pm
The woman nearly blanched and forgot about the note all together. Ma'am?! How old did she look?! She maintained a neutral expression and listened, deciding Cane had given entirely too much thought to it; all she wanted to know is if the white-coat wearing brickhead had said anything. She was, however, impressed with his analytical skills. "Shame you're going into Defensive," she murmured thoughtfully. Alex didn't just compliment anyone, but hey, it was always a good note in her book if the student had half a clue before entering her class.
Turning back to her desk, she idly put the note upon it, contents face-up. There was no secret to them, not to her, and quite frankly, she knew more than half the school was aware of her affections for the man. Cane was new so he wouldn't know immediately, but it would take only a few askances of what one knew of Alex or Kenth and their bizarro relationship would come up. Almost two years since they'd met. Where'd the time go...?
Everywhere, she answered herself, feeling the the curve of her spine as she bent over the desk with a pad of paper and a pen. Her back still ached on the colder days, a memory of a fight with a demon to spare the ones she loved.
She didn't know what to write, if anything. With a sigh, she dropped the pen on her desk and opened one of her drawers, pulling out an oblong tin and popping open the top, revealing a selection of archaic pencils with super fine tips. "If you go back to him, or talk to him again, I don't really have a reply." Her lips tugged into a rueful smile. "I'm sure you've found by now he doesn't really leave much room for opinion or response. Brilliant man. A bit dense in the social department."
Amongst other things.
"I, uh..." she threw up one of her hands in a 'what can I do?' fashion, "...suppose I'll leave him a note when I stop by tonight." A pause. "As I do every night." Another pause. "When I drop off his dinner." Her fingers tapped over the desk before giving it a hard knock. "So dense!" Why wouldn't he just talk to her when she came by?! True, he'd made it a habit of not being there around the time she dropped it off, but she'd checked the trash; he was eating it, or at least receiving it. Coy b*****d.
A deep breath, and she was calm again, smiling at Cane. "Sorry about that, Cane. He's a bit of an enigma in ShinKami. Will you be taking classes under him, you think, or uh...the lady doctor?" Sinew, Sinoa, something. Some burly red-head of creature. And that sweet-talker who had an aversion of looking at her chest. She hadn't met the new folk and wasn't as good with names as she was a visual to attach them too.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:44 pm
Cane calmly observed Alex, since most of her comments didn't need or beg a response, and let his bright blue eyes follow her around the room. He'd noticed her reaction to the use of 'ma'am' [Alex was too much of an authority to get a 'Miss', and his grandma would kill him if she discovered him not being polite], and almost smiled. Instead, he simply forced his nuetral expression to stay in place.
He was already drawing conclusions about the relationship between Alexis Falcone and Kenth Larine. It was interesting, being at this school. People's interactions were so different. He was used to raw honesty and emotion. Here, though, people were very guarded.
About Kenth, he shrugged smoothly. "I doubt I will see the doctor again unless he calls for me. I tend to avoid injuries, unlike some of the student body." A pause. "He is like some of the students, in that way. They all seem to be smart, but..." Another shrug. Alex would catch his drift.
As for his classes.
"I am close to completion of my basic class duties, and will soon be entering the science and technology school, however, I am unsure of who will be my instructors. I have yet to run into anyone pursuing the role of Guardian." He had not yet met the 'lady doctor'. A short, rueful smile. "You are the first woman I've met since I left my home."
Other than the mall girls, whom he hadn't spoken to, and the clerks, whom he hadn't spoken to.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:01 pm
Alex laughed shortly. "I'd say I'd hope I was the last woman you'd meet here, but alas, we are expanding," she intoned with good humor. "I used to be able to say they only had me here because I could knock out the old Head of Defense. Now, it's not so grand."
It was easier to focus on something other than the doctor. It irked her beyond reason that he could get under her skin with a simple note; hell, he probably relished watching her twitch beneath his mixed signals. She did laugh, however, at the comment relating him to students. "Now I'm really bummed you're going Defensive. I was feeling like the last float of sanity in a sea of crazy." A roguish grin curved her lips, amusement on her features. Oh yes, she liked this one. Speaking one's mind, being frank - these were values she had missed on the road.
Her affair with wanderlust was an entirely different story, and likely the cause for all her sleepless nights and strained muscles.
Alex spread her hands, smiling at Cane. "I'm not very good at patching things up - honestly, I dismantle more than anything - and I don't have half a clue what a Guardian is," she made a mental note to delve into that, "but if there's anything I can assist you with at all, don't hesitate to come by. I'm here or the gym usually."
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:16 pm
Officially his favorite staff member. She was physically and mentally capable, and had a sense of humor to top it off. Very nice to see. The school probably would be better off with more women. Cane was used to being around them, considering he'd been raised by his grandmother and her friends. "Thank you." He recognized a compliment when he heard one. "No one does, it seems, so perhaps I'll just have to pave the way." Another laugh. "I am a frequent visitor to the gym, so hopefully we will meet soon."
He reached out a hand to shake goodbye, obviously pleased with their encounter. "Thank you, a voice of guidance in this strange place is welcome."
Stepping back, he opened her door to exit, turning back before closing it to get a last look at her. "I wish you well, Alex." She seemed to respond best to her first name, rather than a title. That was fine with Cane.
The teen headed down the hall and back to his studies. He was excited to be heading toward his desired school so soon. Hard work always paid off, it seemed.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:24 pm
A cheeky grin returned his words. "I'll try to fix that too, well as I can. I don't like not knowing an aspect of the school." She brightened as he mentioned he visited the gym frequently, but didn't dare expand on it; she usually went after hours, because no one really wanted to watch a young woman beat the ever loving tar out of a punching bag.
"I look forward to that," she replied in gratitude for his positive words, regardless if they'd come to pass again or not. Extending her hand, Alex took his in another firm, friendly shake. "It's nice to meet someone with an open mind, Cane. I'll keep an eye out for you."
She watched him go, a quiet, considerate smile on her face. It was a relief that she'd actually met a student without a chip on his shoulder. Sure, Cane would have something to prove as they all did, but it didn't look like he was the type to use others or at least step on people along the way. Maybe the future would be in good hands, after all.
Her smile grew at his departing words. "I wish you the best, Cane."
It was perhaps the kindest thing she'd said to any of the students, her little brother included. After the door closed, she picked up the note and looked at it again. Cane, at least, she felt an understanding of, a mutual respect for one earning their keep. The man who sent the note, however...
That one she may never understand.
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