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 Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:09 am
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With the aurora gone and the hectic disasters of the holidays over, Lovi felt a little more like herself again. She could relax, she could go play, she could do what she wanted without feeling like she accidentally forgot someone or did something wrong. And the rest of the city started its recovery, too — bad attitudes brought on from the holidays finally subsided, and the streets cleared out enough that she could spin in circles for a few steps without bumping into anyone. All in all, a huge improvement!
But she still had a couple unfinished tasks left over from all the winter festivities. She definitely hadn't forgotten that she rainchecked Xi-Wang on hearing about his boyfriend, and she wasn't about to let the shy boy off the hook from that one. She even sent him a simple text that demanded, rather than asked, for his presence at the coffee shop nearest Romano's. He knew the one, of course — it was the same one they used to study at after school, back before he graduated.
Which, she still couldn't believe he left her like that. Bam, school year over, off to college. She sighed into her sweater; what a drag!
"Anything I can get for you, dear?"
The elderly voice roused Lovina from her cell phone shenanigans, and the girl giggled up at the matronly waitress. "Huh? Oh, no, I'm good! I'm just waiting for my friend. He's supposed to get here pretty soon. Oh! Hey, actually, if I remember right, he really liked um… What was it… It was like a green tea smoothie you guys used to make? Do you think I could get one of those? I wanna surprise him when he drops by!"
Nodding, the woman walked away with the order mentally noted. Lovi spread her arms out on the old walnut table then, stretching the cold from her fingers, and kicked booted feet at the mismatched chair opposite her. It was fifteen to the hour now, and she sent the text about ten minutes ago. About how long did it take to get from his boyfriend's house to here?
sleet tempest snape hope this works! her drink pick can be totally wrong, it's a long way back to remember
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Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:40 pm
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Unfortunately it took awhile but public transportation in the city wasn't bad, they had a fairly good subway system that tended to run on time or at least really close to it. While normally Xi-Wang had no problem with meeting with Lovina, they were friends, he was worried about this meeting. He knew her, and well, and he had a feeling she hadn't forgotten that he was dating someone. That meant this was likely where she was going to interrogate him about Caleb, and he really wasn't sure what he thought about this.
He'd seriously hoped she had forgotten, or would let it slide, but he knew it wasn't her nature. Taking a deep breath, as he stood outside the cafe, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. A long sleeved white sweater was worn, the sleeves long enough to make sweater paws, and black jeans covered the long black legs that gave him his height. Honestly he seemed more leg than anything, but he was proportioned well, it just seemed like he had more leg than actual body.
"Lovina?" Spotting her, with ease, he wondered why she was spread across the table as she was. "You're ok?" Asking softly, his fingers nearly swallowed up by the sleeves of his sweater, making his approach slowly. Ducking his head a bit as he watched her, wondering if she really was ok.
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Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:46 am
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"Heeeey, Xi-Wang!" Lovi sprang up at once and approached her friend with arms wide open. She was going to abscond with a hug whether he wanted to give one up or not, and her look of determination confirmed it. As she drew back, she looked up at him with a smile. "You feeling any better? I dunno about you, but that fruitcake totally floored me for like, two days. It was awful. I'm never having that stuff again." Sticking her tongue out, she returned to her spot at the table.
And shortly thereafter, the waitress returned with the ordered green tea smoothie, setting it before the empty seat. A quick smile was bade to both of them before she departed for a separate table, orders already in hand.
"Thanks Myra!" Lovi gave a quick wave at the woman's back. She sighed then, and slumped back in her seat.
"Whew. Okay, so. Guess who hadn't forgotten the raincheck." Lovi looked left, then right, then left again before she pointed a pair of sweater-ensconced thumbs at herself. "This girl. That's right, you still gotta tell me all about Caleb, and how you guys got together, and how sweet he is, and what it's like living with him. I mean the whole story. Start to finish.
"Oh, and don't worry about time. I've got all day." Lovi settled smugly into her seat as she waited for Xi-Wang to address her laundry list of wants.
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Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:41 pm
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"A day and a half." And it had been somewhat hard to explain to Caleb, even though there were reports all over the news about it by the end of the day. He and Lovina hadn't been the only two to have a bad reaction to the delicious cake, many others in the city had reported the same problem. It was like they'd all gotten high. Nothing had been found though, which was the odd thing about it all. With the hug over with, and able to take his seat, Xi-Wang was happy to accepted the drink with a small smile to the waitress before taking the drink and having a sip.
"Thank you for ordering for me." And he meant it, it had been nice of her to do so.
"Raincheck?" Oh how he was hoping she wouldn't bring it up, so much hope, but he knew she was about to ask...he knew it - he knew her. And there was no way out of this either.
"You're asking a lot...I mean there isn't a lot to tell really." Fiddling with the cup in his hands, sipping from it slowly, he was trying to drag things out, even though he knew she really did mean it when she said she had all day. She would keep him here all day, or follow him about till he told her everything. "He's a student over at Horizons institute." That school which was big into the sciences and robotics and other such things, it was well known for certain things. "Caleb lives on his own...or well..ummm...he did." Till he'd moved in of course. But before than Caleb had lived on his own.
"We sort of walked into each other...when we first met - cliche I know." He spoke softly, the last three words he whispered almost as he ducked his head so he was looking at his drink.
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Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:51 pm
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"So like, he's totally good at science? Ooh, is he going to build you a robot someday? That'd be really romantic! Maybe he could, like, program one to give you a ring someday! That is totally lit, you scored an amazing boyfriend!" Especially since he scored a boyfriend that let him move in, since that was definitely a huge step in any relationship. While she wasn't in one herself, Lovi found it hard to imagine ever getting to that point with someone. High school date nights must be like the distant past for Xi-Wang now. All grown up already!
And Lovi was still freaking out about how to even finish high school, let alone get into college! The thought left her a little nervous, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"So tell me about when you two walked into each other! What were you doing? What was he doing? Did he go to Romero's too?" Lovi paused, then gasped. "Oh! Is he older than you? I bet he totally is. Going after the mature guys!" She kicked at his feet playfully under the table. "I knew you totally had eyes for the prize." She rested her chin on her palm and looked imperiously at him.
Totally got you figured out.
"Anyway, I think it's really awesome that you found someone to stay with while you're going to college. Especially since it's someone you like! I heard a lot of last year's seniors were complaining about their new dormmates and stuff. You get to skip all of that! Pretty good, if you ask me.
"I have to know, though. What's college like? Are you enjoying it okay?" Another pause, and her hands cupped over her mouth at once. "Ohmygosh! I don't even know what school you're going to now! I'm like, the worst friend!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 10:15 pm
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Build him a robot? He wasn't sure he found that romantic, but that was likely because robots weren't his thing. But as Lovina continued on he found his cheeks warming, and his head hitting the table as he hid his face. "Lovina...I think you are...umm...getting ahead of yourself...I don't think that'll happen..." At least he didn't think so, he could be wrong though. If that were to happen he wasn't sure how he'd react, it was too soon right now for sure, holding the secret he did was no good. He was even keeping his status as a dark mirror senshi a secret from his friend, and he did feel guilty over it.
"He was heading home and I wasn't paying attention - simple really..." There wasn't much to talk about when it came to their first meeting. It had been like something out of a movie, very cliche and easy to guess. He was honestly she was going to lose intrest in the first meeting they'd had, there was nothing special to it. He also wasn't sure about mentioning the offer for a hot drink, she was already off in fantasy land over them meeting and such.
"Mmm, no he was going to Horizons...still does. I'm a few months older actually..." Biting on his bottom lip gently, his dark eyes peeking up at Lovina. He didn't pick his head up yet though, not for several more seconds. When he did lift his head he went to sip from his drink. Moving his legs under the table, to avoid the gentle kicks of Lovina's feet, he shook his head a bit. He really can't imagine her dating someone...he had a feeling he'd know every detail though, including everything he didn't want to know and shouldn't know.
"College is...different. It's more...free. I like it more." He really did especially since he could take Chinese class now, and Asian history classes to. Those he was excited for, lowkey of course. "I'm enjoying it...I really am." Smiling softly as he answered that. "I'm going to Destiny City uni...nothing special - I promise. But it's good."
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Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:25 pm
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"Oh, don't be such a negative Nancy! When did you learn to see the future?" Lovi was all smiles, however. "You never know! It could happen! You two live together now, right? That's another step closer to tying the knoooot~" She finished in a singsong voice.
"Okay okay, so he's a little bit younger. That should keep some spring in your step when you get older, right? He's not letting you turn into some old grouchy codger man," Lovi ended her phrase by screwing up her voice to be as low and gravelly as possible. Her normally buoyant voice didn't bend much, however. She giggled in hopes that her efforts were appreciated. Xi-Wang brought out a lot of her inner mischief — possibly because the young man was so shy, and often let her take the lead in their conversations. He was a sweetheart, though; she wouldn't trade him for the world.
"What're you taking at college?" Lovi sat back in her seat, for once both serious and interested. Her hands found her lap where she twiddled her thumbs a bit, and she only looked up occasionally to see if the waitress was circling back around. "I mean, I know you get to choose whatever you want, and it's a lot more free than Romano's, but I'm super curious. What'd you decide to study?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:57 pm
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It was, she was right, but he really didn't see that happening. That, like other things, seemed so far away...so impossible. There was a lot to come before then and a lot in the way of something like that even happening. He wasn't even sure if he liked the idea of being married. He was happy with how things were right now.
Staring, pouting, at Lovina he shook his head slowly. "I-I don't think I'm grouchy or ever will be." He was too calm and well tempered for that, wasn't he? Of course he would focus on that, rather than the earlier part of that sentence. A spring in his step...somehow he didn't want to think on that at all, and he wasn't that sure why. He just felt there was more to those words than what she was saying, something to read between the lines, but he could just be over thinking?
"Right now just the general things, so all subjects, for language I went with Chinese." Of course he had. He'd been trying to learn whenever and wherever he could since he was able to go out on his own, since his mother had deemed him old enough. If she wasn't going to speak Chinese anymore, and wasn't going to teach him, he'd ask the old grandmothers in China town while trying to not tell them why his own family had never taught him. He was comfortable enough in speaking it to take a class on it, and feel like he was above his classmates so it wasn't so hard on him right now. He was still learning things but less than his classmates at this stage.
"Do you know what you want to do in college?" When she got there, which would be soon. He had a feeling he'd be helping her, in classes as he had in high school, with finding classrooms and buildings. They'd be as they had been in high school.
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:59 pm
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"Chinese sounds so hard," Lovi admitted readily. She never considered taking another foreign language, especially since she sucked at English pretty well on her own, so for Xi-Wang to go for broke on Chinese sounded incredibly respectable. She was both happy for him, and a little jealous for herself. But anyone would be of a friend who got high marks like him, right? That's what she told herself, anyway.
Lovi rapped her knuckles daintily on the countertop while she hummed to herself. Her eyes roved toward the ceiling as if trying to pick out her thoughts from all the little pockmarks in the roof tiles. And when they didn't come at first, she bit her lip. "Weeeellllllll…" She bought herself as much time as she could, before she realized she actually had to answer.
"I guess I don't really know. I think it's kinda hard to think that far ahead? I know I should really get on that, but it's hard when there's so many things I want to do right now, you know? Like, there's no way I'd know what major to pick if I got into a university. Especially since I don't like, like a lot of the subjects I have. History is boring so I don't wanna do anything with that… And math is hard… And science kinda sucks… I dunno, maybe I'm better off not going to college. Or learning to teach. Teaching's not bad, right?" She asked aloud. Part of her wanted to refuse the idea. Teachers totally sucked! She had more than a few she didn't really like, and pretty much none that she enjoyed learning from.
If only she could trade places with Xi-Wang for a day… Maybe then she'd know what it's like to be smart and loved. And maybe trade off her family problems.
"Besides, isn't the DCU campus like totally huge? I'd get lost for hours there. I'd end up in the math hall looking for my english class, like the time when I met you!" Which were good times, honestly.
Screw time for moving forward.
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Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:42 am
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"I won't lie...it can be. I grew up learning it though. But...it's not just words but tone as well that dictates meaning..." Chinese wasn't an easy language to learn, he knew that, but he'd been learning it since he was little. It had just...stopped for years. He'd had to go out of his own way to try and learn it again, to pick up where his mother had left off. Years behind and remembering little he'd searched for that piece of himself...of where his parents had come from...of who he was. He'd found it and clung to it...worked on it over the years. It was important to him.
"I can teach you...a few small words..." He offered after a few moments. It wasn't like he minded teaching a friend, he really didn't, but it wasn't easy and she had other things to really focus on...like her actual school work.
"I don't know...teaching might be ok...depending on the subject. If it's one you enjoy and are good at...it should be easy." At least he figured it would be. I mean aside from teaching classes you'd only be taking classes in the subject you planned to teach, right? So that would make it easier and something more enjoyable, at least it seemed that way to him.
"That's why you have me, right? I'd just show you where to go." He knew if she was going to attend DCU he'd show her around the campus, make her a map of some sort if he had to, he'd find a way to help her ahead of time so she wouldn't get lost. He knew if she got lost she'd wind up calling, or texting, him for help - to come find her and help her find her class....and he knew he'd help her.
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:33 pm
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"Oh! Is it kinda like in English how you can be super chipper and like, 'okay!' or totally down and like 'okay…' or is it different?" She wasn't sure how Chinese was supposed to work, and with the tone thing it sounded way more complicated. But they used tone all the time in English, so maybe it's not that bad? Or she got it way wrong and it was actually impossible for English speakers and Xi-Wang could make it look incredibly easy because he grew up with it. It was probably the last one and Lovi had no idea.
"Maybe learning words isn't such a good idea, huh?" Her brows shrank up with her sudden awareness of how dumb she probably sounded. Learning Chinese was way out of her league.
But she never took long to bounce back from that.
Especially around Xi-Wang. Not only did he support her, even when she was sorta taking shots in the dark on the whole future thing, but also in the simple stuff like helping her around campus. "You're so amazing, Xi! Your boyfriend is totally lucky to have you!" And she meant every word of it as she beamed exuberantly at him. "Oh my god, I was such a flake to be like, not keeping up with you! You gotta tell me when I'm being dumb like that, okay?" Her hand met the counter softly; reassurance was a little tough around someone shy like him, so she figured if she maybe didn't touch his hand, he wouldn't feel all pressured? Maybe? Okay it was totally a guess, but maybe it'd work.
"Okay so how about I'll apply to DCU, you won't teach me Chinese cuz I'll completely mess it up, and… Um… We could maybe meet next Thursday for this horrible history exam that's coming up? Does that work for you?"
sleet tempest snape i think gaia ate the notification >:[ we can probably head for a wrap here and discuss them finding out their powered lives?
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:49 pm
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"Mandarin, which is more common, has four tones. So the same word will have a different meaning depending on which of the four is used...so it can have four meanings...some might be similar in meaning while maybe not. So tone tells you what is said...almost more than the word." If that made sense. The word of course was important but the tone really told you what was being said exactly, very different from English. The word meant what it meant. You could change it to being playful, sarcastic, or just bored but that was putting more of a feeling, or emotion, behind it. Not changing the actual meaning and word itself.
"I think...with time it can be learned. I mean...I'm still learning." He had a ways to go to. His mother had stopped teaching him a long time ago and he had no one to learn from for years. That had, thankfully, in time changed but it put him behind where people his age would be....very far behind. At least he had a grasp on tones and knew them, still remembered them from being a child. He would, in an effort to hold onto the bits and pieces of happiness from his youth, speak in Chinese to himself or even his pillow or plushies so he wouldn't forget...and as a thing of comfort. It was something he had from better times with his mother. So he had managed to not forget things...he just never learned more.
As the subject changed, he didn't like it when she felt so down about herself and her abilities, he let it change and followed with it. "I thought you were busy...with school. I didn't want to interrupt you if you were busy." Came the soft spoken answer as he took a sip of his drink and turned his dark eyes down to the table. Was Caleb really lucky? Sometimes he did wonder. He knew he was lucky but was Caleb? It seemed sometimes that the other gave him the cold shoulder, as if he'd done something wrong. He just..wasn't sure how to talk to the other about it. He didn't like the feeling though...it was cold.
"I'll tell you next time though...I promise." And he would...though he hoped it wouldn't be at a time where he was interrupting her or anything.
Smiling a bit more, slender eyes turning into near crescents, he nodded his head. "That works for me...and maybe in time I will teach you Chinese. I'm sure you can do it...it just takes longer." At least he thought it would. He had grown up with the basics, and had retained them after all. "Trust me. I'll help you fill out the paperwork for DCU. Just let me know when and I'll help." He would do his best to support, and help, his friend. She deserved it.
Strickenized Gaia does like to eat them. I guess they taste good? And yes, I think we can finish with your post or mine. And yes we can discuss that.
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Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:21 am
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"See, I told you you were amazing!" Were, are, same thing. Nobody else she knew wouold agree to help her out with getting her butt into college and teaching her Chinese. And Chinese sounded way cool, too; who'd have thought she could or would learn any of that?
"Okay." Lovi stood, her hands flat on the table. "I'm gonna go pay for some stuff, and then you're gonna slid your skinny butt out of that booth so I can give you a hug, mmkay?" She didn't wait for him to resppond, or even tell her no — Lovi scampered off for the cashier's register to pay for his smoothie at once. The whole process lasted maybe half a minute without a line, and she was back trotting toward the table with the receipt still finding its way into her purse. She didn't want to give Xi time to escape; getting back to the table as soon as possible was top priority.
When she returned, she opened her arms wide. "Okay. Hugs!" Maybe it was a little more of an expectation, but Lovi stood pretty close to his one escape from the booth, so he didn't have much choice.
"And then I should probably go home and do my homework…" Lovi sighed with slouching shoulders. She was okay at math, but she thought it was super boring. People like Xi-Wang just breezed through it without a care and she didn't understand why; it felt like she spent ten whole minutes just to get through one problem, double-check it and then rewrite it because one tiny thing was missed. But by now, Xi-Wang was facing much more complicated homework problems than linear algebra, and probably needed a whole lot more time to get them done. At least, that's what Lovi heard when it came down to college.
And she wanted to go to that. Crazy.
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Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:43 pm
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He knew better than to try and escape his friend, he knew he'd fail. He might have the longer legs but still he knew escaping her was not something he could or would manage, it was just the nature of the friendship. So he did as told, slid out of the booth and stood watching as she paid. His mostly finished drink in hand as he sipped on it as he waited for her to return, as he knew she would.
When she did return, as he knew she would, he expected her wide open arms and he drew her in for a hug. "You should...and if you need help text or call. I'll try and help." At least as much as a person could over the phone, if he had to he'd spend some time with her in order to help, though he had his own work to do. He did want to help her, get her into college and such. He knew she could do it, she just needed help and a good friend.
"I don't want you stressing out over homework. So call." Or text. He just hoped she would...
"We'll spend more time together soon." And he pushed her towards the door, his gentle way of telling her to go, they'd hang out again soon.
Strickenized I think we can call this one done.
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