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 Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:57 pm
Malodore sent a wave of amusement Riley's way at her description of its supposed terrible behavior... then drooped slightly at the mention of botany. "Ah. Yes. Most educational. Largely in jumping, falling, throwing things, and how to make plants regurgitate all over you. Truly fascinating. I did say it would be hands-on learning, yes?" Malodore said, wryly, though it opened its beak in a smile as it spoke.
"Our faculty are, ah... very good at that."
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:22 pm
The mention of Botany had Riley just a bit on edge. It was hard to tell from any physical reaction, but her voice sounded just a touch too even. Ah. Yes. Botany is a good class. I have decided to remove it from my curriculum for now, but there is much to be learned from Professor Cadmus. I am sure you will continue to find it to your liking.
She glanced away thoughtfully, as if considering all of the classes she'd taken so far to try to pick a favorite. If I have to be honest, I would say that I don't have a favorite at this time. I had assumed Human Studies would be my favorite, as it is the one subject that my people have the least knowledge about - but, ah, the teacher has not been as forthcoming as I would have hoped. Still, I do have hope for it - we are only in our first year, after all. I look forward to the future.
Her eyes returned to Hasuko, crinkling slightly. My only real suggestion, is to try everything, and find the ones you like through experience. That is the best way to do anything in life.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:31 pm
Hasuko nodded and gave a shy smile to Riley. The other ghoul was incredibly hard to read and had a strange sense of humor, but her advice this time was obviously well intentioned. It was reassuring; it had crossed Hasuko's mind more than a couple of times that her friendship with the Plague Doctor might cause some misunderstandings.
The last thing Hasuko wanted to do was make enemies at Amityville -- especially not with Riley. The Mindflayer was intimidating even when she was being pleasant, Hasuko didn't ever want to see her mad. The kappa marveled again, a little, at how Malodore came to be dating someone like Riley, but then she mentally shrugged. One had to look beyond surface differences; maybe they were tied by the red string of destiny. Must be nice, she thought wistfully.
Hasuko's thoughts were interrupted by Pochi scrabbling on the couch. She frowned and craned slightly to look closer at what her pet Ulppa was doing. It took her a moment to realize what she was looking at but then Hasuko shrieked as she realized that there was an orange stripped kitten tail hanging out of the Ulppa's mouth.
"Pochi! Dame!" she cried, dashing over to the Ulppa and trying to pry open his jaws. "Haiyaku hakidashite kudasai!!" Pochi grunted and furiously tried to squirm away from her but Hasuko's grip was strong. Eventually, she managed to get the Ulppa to give up his prize. Pochi stalked off in an affronted sulk.
Dolce was covered in spit but no worse for the experience -- at least, physically. Mentally, was another question. Ulppa had pouches in their throats, usually for holding fish, like a pelican or other aquatic bird, so Pochi technically had not eaten Dolce, though Hasuko doubted such a fine difference would matter to Malodore.
She handed the shivering kitten over to her friend, feeling mortified. "I'm so sorry." she said, unable to even look at either of them.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:37 pm
"Ah, Dolce," Malodore sighed as it gently took the kitten from Hasuko's hands. "It is not a problem - you rescued him, did you not? Grazie."
Dolce shivered again, looked up at Malodore, and...
PING!
In a burst of rainbow that made the windows rattle, the pastry-feline was gone. Malodore stumbled backwards in shock, claws raking through the afterimage of rainbow in the air. All that was left of Dolce was that rainbow trail, spreading out from the starting point like a radiating disc, and the echo of a high-pitched NYAAAAAAAA~
"Ah. Pardon me," Malodore stammered, pivoting on one foot. The rainbow-trail headed out the door and into the hallway. "I must attend to this... yes... but do not worry, Hasuko, please! It will be fine, va bene-"
And the plague doctor, too, was gone.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:49 pm
Riley watched the proceedings with a widened gaze, her hand twitching just slightly as she briefly considered following - but her eyes fell on Hasuko, and her mind changed immediately. Now that they had met, Riley had her exactly where she wanted her.
Her hand dropped to her side, and her eyes crinkled at their edges in a fond expression.
Well. She held her hand out for Hasuko to take. Come, Hasuko. I've been hoping I'd have a chance to speak with you alone. I am sure that all of my curiousities would embarrass Malodore, should I ask them while it was present. Would you indulge me a bit, perhaps?
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:59 pm
Hasuko blinked and rubbed her eyes to clear the afterimage of the rainbow Dolce had left in his wake. "W-wait," Hasuko called, reaching out a webbed hand, "I'll come help you look..." but Malodore had already left.
Hasuko sighed and lowered her hand, feeling abashed. She glared at Pochi, now reclining lazily on a windowsill acting for all the world as if eating pastry kittens wasn't worth his time and effort.
She then looked over to Riley. The atmosphere seemed oppressively quiet and awkward without Malodore there acting as a buffer. "Um, sorry about that. Pochi tends to eat whatever he can cram into his mouth." she said weakly. "I keep trying to train him, but he's very stubborn."
Thankfully, Riley didn't seem too put out by Pochi's shockingly bad behavior. Hasuko tentatively took Riley's offered hand and sat down on the couch. "Of course, I'll try to answer any question you want to ask." she gave the other ghoul a small but friendly smile.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:22 pm
Riley's eyes crescented happily at the response. It was exactly what she wanted to hear.
She sat down beside Hasuko, legs crossing towards the ghoul in an effort to maintain a sense of confidence and connection. My questions are vague, actually. I suppose I want to know.. everything. We can start with the basics, however. How did you first manage to acquire Malodore as your penpal? Were you both small children when you began writing, or was this more of an adolescent experience?
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:19 pm
"Oh. Uh, well..." Hasuko started to say. Really, she shouldn't be surprised that Riley was curious about what she knew about Malodore's past. Of course Riley would be; she and Malodore were dating, after all.
Still, Hasuko couldn't help but feel a small prickling of anxiety -- perhaps the mindflayer was only interested in talking to her because of what she knew about Malodore's past? Hasuko so wanted to make friends here at Amityville, but what if she was simply a hanger on, interesting because of who she knew, not because of who she was.
Hasuko firmly pushed aside her insecure thoughts. She was worrying too much and she knew it. "I first started writing to Malodore through a penpal exchange program through my school." she said. "It was an extra-curricular program to: 'Promote Friendships and Better Understanding with Students Outside of the Local Community'." she quoted.
"I was ten when I first joined the program and was paired with Malodore." Hasuko smiled fondly, reminiscing. "The program was only meant to go a year but we kept corresponding for several years beyond that. Malodore became a very dear friend."
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Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 3:09 am
Riley was a selfish, greedy creature. If she knew that Hasuko's anxiety was heightened by her questions, she would have quelled them and taken a different turn. Unfortunately, all Riley knew for now was that the ghoul before her had shared as past with Malodore that had never been a possibility for herself.
A penpal exchange.. letter writing, am I correct? She looked thoughtfully to the side. So you went to school at that age. That is typical, is it not?An establishment such as this one, but for young children. Riley chuckled gently as her eyes returned to Hasuko. We did not have schools, you see. All of our information is implanted and readily available from the moment of rebirth. All that we are given is physical training.
Looking away again, she tapped her chin with a single finger. Then, Malodore also went to a school establishment? I would not have thought this the case..
She dropped her hand, and patted the ghoul's knee. Ah, but to have known the two of you as children.. Her eyes flitted to the side for one second, before returning.
Ah, scratch that. Probably better that I did not. But, had circumstances been different..
If she'd been anything but a mindflayer, was Riley's unspoken thought, that hung in the air.
What did the two of you talk about?
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:45 pm
"Implanted? Like directly into your brain?" Hasuko marveled at this bit of information for a moment. "Mindflayers sure are amazing." She smiled wryly for a moment. "I wish kappa could do stuff like that; it certainly sounds a lot easier than studying all the time."
"Er, not to say that I think you had it easy!" she quickly added. "I'm sure physical training was hard. It sounds erm, very intensive?" Hasuko pictured Riley's childhood being nothing but P.E. classes, every day, all the time. That didn't seem like it would be that pleasant. Personally, she hated running laps; kappas tended to waddle at the best of times and they never looked very dignified running.
As for Malodore's schooling, "Um, I think Malodore was home-schooled. It used to talk a little, about Its aunts and uncles teaching It various medical techniques and stuff." Hasuko slumped a little, "Though actually... It didn't write much about Its personal life. I kind of got this sense that it was a sore subject." She looked down at her webbed feet. "And I didn't want to upset It by prying."
Hasuko looked up at Riley. "Sorry." She said, "I know you were hoping for a lot of interesting stories about Malodore. I'm sorry I'm not really able to give you much."
"We talked mostly about me." Hasuko blushed, "Er, but not in any way that you may be thinking! Mostly, about my life at home, my classes, my silly little troubles, things like that." Hasuko's blush deepened a little. "I... didn't have many friends when I was little, so in a lot of ways, Malodore was my best friend for a long time."
Hasuko idly picked at a bit of thread fraying off her couch, "Weird huh? To not know so much about one's friend? But Malodore was always very kind in Its letters; always willing to listen to whatever problems I had and give me advice." Hasuko stilled, "It was nice, having someone to talk to."
She looked up at Riley and smiled. "I'm glad to have a chance to get to know It better now. I always felt a little bad, that things were so one-sided."
"So, um, may I ask you a question? How did you and Malodore meet? When did you two start dating?" She asked eagerly. Hasuko didn't have had any experience with romance beyond reading shoujo manga but she was still so curious.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:01 am
There was an automatic, and almost imperceptible nod, when Hasuko complimented mindflayers. After all, they were taught to believe they were the highest life form. Riley responded to the comments as second nature would have her do, with knowing affirmation. Intensive is an excellent word for it. Our lives are quite.. intensive. She left it at that, much more interested in the topic of Malodore.
And yet, sadly, it seemed Hasuko had been deprived of more than Riley had thought. That little flare of anger that always sparked at the mention of Malodore's sheltered childhood burned bright and quick, but it never showed in her expression. If anything, her cheeks quirked in lieu of a smile when Hasuko described Malodore as her best childhood friend. It was touching, and if there was one bright thought to the dreary past, it was that Malodore had a cheerful friend to keep it's mind on the lighter side. Hasuko might have even been one of the main reasons Malodore did not grow up a bitter, harsher being.
She had much to thank the Kappa for, if that was indeed the case.
The sudden twist in the line of questioning had Riley instinctively pulling up the memory that had been requested, and she watched it replay in her mind with a fondness even she didn't realize she was radiating. Well, when I first came to Amityville, before I had even managed to enroll in a class, there was a field trip. To Christmastown, if you would believe that. It was a harrowing experience, but - on the train there, I was fortunate enough to become acquaintances with both Malodore, and my now best friend, Jericho.
She chuckled softly. Malodore and I seemed to have shared a common interest in dissection, as we had both done some impromptu surgery on the frogs they gave us for dinner that day. Of course, our reasons were expressly different, but it was still a valid talking point that led to an eventual friendship.
The details of the trip, itself, were easily left out of the conversation. Far too embarrassing of a tale, in her opinion.
I suppose, once I became better acquainted with Malodore, there was no real chance for me. It has one of the most brilliant, captivating minds I have ever touched. To ask me not to fall in love with it would have been like to ask me to stop thinking. Or breathing. Or eating brains.
One could almost hear the romantic moment deflate like a balloon, at that last comment.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 4:18 am
Hasuko gazed at Riley starry-eyed. "Like you were destined for each other, connected by a red string of fate!" She clasped her hands and sighed wistfully. "Oh, that is so beautiful, like out of a manga."
The kappa abruptly blushed and ducked her head slightly. "Erm, sorry." she said. She straightened and recomposed herself. "I-I've never had a boilfriend or ghoulfriend or any sort of 'friend' thing like that." Hasuko sighed the sigh of socially awkward nerds everywhere. "I hope someday I might meet my own special creature and just know, like you did with Maldore."
Hasuko chuckled slightly, "Though studying comes first, of course. My mother would have a fit anyway." She added briskly.
"Some of the other students have also mentioned that the past two field trips have been horrid." Hasuko said, changing the subject, "But no one really wanted to talk much about it. Were they really that bad? Should I be worried?"
Hasuko wasn't sure if she really wanted to know all the terrible details but it was rather worrying how all the other students would just groan and steadfastly refuse to talk further whenever the topic came up. She wanted some reassurance.
Pochi waddled up to the couch and jumped up on the cushion next to Hasuko. The ulppa had apparently gotten over his sulk over being forced to spit out the nyan-cat, it seemed. Hasuko absently scritched him under the chin, shifting slightly when he clambered onto her lap.
She did, however, take notice when the ulppa bypassed her lap in favor for Riley's. "Dame yo, Pochi." She grabbed the ulppa by the tail and pulled, trying to keep him from climbing all over the mindflayer.
Pochi's skin was a rosy pink to show his smug contentment as he serenely continued what he was doing, utterly ignoring his owner. "Sorry!" Hasuko apologized to Riley. "Pochi has no respect sometimes," she sharply tugged the ulppa's tail but he didn't even seem to feel it, "all the time."
Hasuko sighed. "Sorry." she said again, rising from the couch. "I'll move him."
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Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:24 am
Riley seemed unaffected by Hasuko's sudden wistful state. I don't know if it was destiny or fate that brought us together. She answered honestly. I believe it to be more.. common sense. Inevitability. If I had attempted to stay away from Malodore, like I had considered doing, I would have failed. It's just.. the way it is.
She suddenly looked conflicted, as she tried to understand exactly why that was the case. I mean, it was just.. a logical.. But it wasn't logical, really, was it? Even as she tried to explain away her careless behaviors, she realized there was no actual explanation for them. She would have liked to believe that she had been using her head this entire time, in choosing Malodore, and intertwining her future with it's own.
But her head had been arguing against it all along. It had been her heart she'd followed.
She visibly shuddered.
Had she just known, as Hasuko so delicately emphasized? Or had it been a slow and carefully thought out decision, as she had wanted to believe all this time?
And as suddenly as she'd asked herself the disturbing question, the kappa was suddenly on a new topic, and she latched onto it instantly - anything to keep from thinking too hard about this.
The field trips I have been on have been horrid, wretched nightmares. I don't understand why the faculty feels it necessary to send us out on missions where we suffer so massively, it leaves scars in our hearts, but they do. I plan on rallying against such trips in the future, once I become president of the Student Council.
And then suddenly there was a creature climbing on her lap. Riley turned down to stare at it, her face cringing slightly at it's color. It's all right. I am not hindered by it's presence. If it wishes to sit here until I must move, I have no complaint.
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:06 pm
"If I let Pochi have his way just a little, he tries to take advantage of everything." Hasuko said grimly. She hefted the ulppa up, tugging sharply as he scrabbled and tried cling to Riley's dress. "Dame!" she said firmly.
Hasuko quickly hauled Pochi to her bedroom and shut the door. She had no illusions about it being an effective deterrent -- Pochi could break down the door if he was really determined to -- but hopefully it would discourage him long enough to give up and go take a nap in her clothes hamper instead.
"Gomen ne, Riley." Hasuko said sheepishly when she returned to the couch. "Er, I mean I'm sorry."
Hasuko paused for one flustered moment, trying to remember what it was they had been talking about before Pochi interrupted. She found that she couldn't quite remember, however.
"Um..." Hasuko desperately cast about for something else to talk about, "do you have any pets, Riley?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:57 pm
Riley didn't seem too unhappy about letting the pet go, though it seemed rather intent on staying with her. She patted her dress out of it's claws, and gave it a small, fingered wave.
You shouldn't apologize for your minipets behavior. I have a rather troublesome one, myself. If I had to apologize for everytime it ran off and performed some foul deed in someone else's room, I would be writing a lot of apology notes. She chuckled gently. I have a few pets, but I'm rather fond of my fishtank filled with cephalatos. They don't cause trouble, at least. I have a hunting dog, too. She's a fine beast, but she is very independent. Lives out on her own unless I call for her.
She paused for a moment, recollecting the words Hasuko had said, before tracing back to one of them. Gomen ne. Riley repeated, though with hardly any accent of her own. Japanese. Lovely language. I have not learned it yet, myself - and I don't like to cheat and use the collective, when it comes to languages. She tapped her forehead when she mentioned the collective. I like learning them myself. Malodore taught me Italian. The latin languages are so fluid. I love them all.
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