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 Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:54 pm
Going through the pictures with Bjorn was oddly normal though they had just met - there was something calming and just...open-making about the larger boy. Of course, being so close gave him the chance to study thick blond lashes and really defined cheekbones without being 'caught' looking. The dancer took the time to explain a few of the odder costumes in detail but mostly kept up a light stream of commentary until the end.
"Probably...I'll have her send some of it - maybe just e-mail a copy, then it won't matter." He smiled at Bjorn and thanked him, "Like you, huh? You must be good at being...a strongman? Is that it? You certainly look strong enough to me!"
Bjorn's laughter was infection and soon Colin was joining him, holding his sides and swaying in his shorts across the soft duvet (brought from home, of course). "Nothing pornographic about this poster." And, "Maybe. Or maybe they're just jerks."
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:37 am
"I am trying to be a strongman. It may be harder without some dispensation from the school, unless they have the facilities here, but it didn't look it. It would be beneficial for the school though. I am happy to wear their colour and represent them in competition. It can bring a lot of money with sponsorship and medals. Either Strongman competitions or just power-lifting."
"I met a boy a few days back, he suggested lumberjack competitions. It would take some extra work, and research. I don't think they have them so far south maybe. But who knows." He shrugged.
"Speaking of jerks...there were some faces as we walked the hall. They didn't look friendly. " Björn furrowed his brow, his mouth almost frowning, "Are they trouble? Will they be trouble? My uncle warned that maybe boys with trouble would try to test themselves against me, get into fights. I don't want more trouble, it is what got me here. I don't want to cause problems for you either."
A clean room, a folio of work, a soft laugh - these were evidence enough for Björn. Colin was an Artist. Better yet, a Skald of motion instead of words. He needed patrons, time and space to breathe and to create. He was obviously dedicated and good.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 8:33 pm
Without any thought, Colin reached out to poke one of Bjorn's biceps "I don't think you'll have too much trouble. As far as I know, Hillworth has a pretty good weight-training program. Plenty of contact sports, track, football...basic stuff. I have to go off-campus to do my dancing though." Colin shrugged a little and pulled at his shirt a bit, fanning himself idly. "If you want to talk to to coach, I'd be happy to show you around...unless they actually gave you a tour before dumping you here."
"Don't worry about those guys too much, most of them aren't too friendly but they don't go out looking for trouble either. Some of the boys on the other floors and dorms do though; you'll be a big temptation." Here he paused to give his new roommate some thoughtful consideration; obviously Bjorn knew that someone as physically set as he was could be quite dangerous, even just on accident. Hearing that fighting had probably gotten the foreign boy in trouble didn't bother Colin, he was pretty sure this good-natured guy before him had done it accidentally. He seemed too careful.
Long legs pulled up, folding onto the duvet under the dancer's slight body. He was really interested hearing more from his new friend, being a nosey sort of guy...kind of like a big golden laborador puppy! "Where are you from Bjorn, you've got a nice accent."
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:57 pm
He arched a thick brow at his bicep being poked and flexed it for Colin's inspection. It brought back year-old memories of meeting his lab partner David and the awful joke about tickets to the 'gun show'. It made him look wistful, then a shadow of sadness and loss for a friend not likely to be found again. Distance and David's going to college would crowd out lesser things.
"I would love a tour. They gave one, but...I don't learn things in one try." Or two. Or three. It was going to take bit to learn his way around. Better it be with someone who knew where they were going or with a map. He wished they gave out campus maps.
"I am from the Tri-state area. North Hills District. But I visit family often in Norway and Sweden, and ...well I grew up speaking mostly Norsk and Svenska. My mother is from Norway, so it is all we speak together at home. "
He gave a sheepish grin, "My English has never been good. I know lots of people who grow up with languages have no accent. But..I am not so smart. I struggled with learning English at all in Elementary school. I was not so social, so I only spoke to my family. My mother had to take me to tutors and forcibly speak only English in fifth and sixth grade, I was so bad. "
"You should see my spelling." He rolled his eyes. "Maybe better that you don't."
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:19 pm
Truthfully, a joke about 'the gun show' wasn't too far back on Colin's tongue - he probably would have said something ridiculous like that too, if he hadn't yet been a bit horrified by that terrible storage room (and, of course, from excitement with his new 'partner'). He frowned a little bit at the quietly sad look that crossed Bjorn's face, but figured that was something the guy would either tell him later...or not at all.
Personal boundaries of the physical type Colin had issues with keeping, but the emotional ones he got.
"Yeah, the first one was bad. Mom and I had some guy in a starched shirt going "over there is this, over there is that" and just taking us through the main building. Took me two weeks to get everything pretty well. You'll be okay, I'll help you as much as I can." Maps...would have been very helpful during those first weeks at Hillworth...being thrust into such a militant environment like that was disorienting and scary as hell, no matter how big the boy was!
"Wooow...Is it cold? I hear it's very cold up that way. I've never been outside the 'States. I'd like to travel, someday I probably will if I keep dancing..." The blond pulled the headband holding back his curly hair and then shook his head at Bjorn's words. "Your English is just fine and I like the accent. Look, I couldn't tie my own shoes until I was in the fourth grade, if it makes you feel any better? I had to wear the velcro ones until then."
There. Swap awkward story for story. Colin didn't want to make the bigger boy feel bad or funny or anything; he didn't care if Bjorn couldn't spell for beans - it wasn't like he couldn't get thoughts across or whatever! "Just...let me help you with your English homework while you're here, okay?" Just in case!
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:13 pm
"It can be cold. But if you are dressed for the weather you hardly notice. There is a trunk at my cousin's house with sweaters and other clothes for when visitor's come who have not come prepared. If you are ever to go to Norway, you would be welcome. You'd only have to bring a couple stamps from here. She collects stamps from around the world."
"I won't turn away help, for certain. But I probably won't be spending too much time on it anyway. I don't worry about it so much. My practices are more important."
"And I wouldn't turn down another tour either. One slower and more from a point of view that will be like mine. Could we go now? That bag won't walk off. " He waved dismissively at the bag full of hand weights. Did the doors lock at all, or was vandalism a problem? He didn't know. He wasn't really worried. Nothing he'd brought was preciously irreplaceable.
What grade was Colin in, after all? "Are you...a sophomore? Junior?"
He hoped they wouldn't room him with a senior. It would be too sad to get to know someone for only one year and then lose them and have to start all over again.
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:36 pm
"That would be amazing! Does she? We could send her some, mom gets some really weird looking stamps sometimes from the talent agency people." He thought it was cute that someone would still collect stamps - it wasn't exactly something that many people did (in his mind) but it was one of those safe-seeming hobbies that wouldn't end up with someone suddenly going apeshit with an AK-47.
Hearing that Bjorn would rather do his practices than homework made Colin smile even more - he was the same way! "Me too, but if I drop my grades too much, mom gets mad and then she won't sign the papers so I can dance for shows and stuff." His love. His life. One Way Town dance studio - if he didn't get decent grades, he didn't go and he certainly didn't get to do anything else!
"Sure we can. Uh, I should change though...the weather's not bad, but this isn't something I walk around outside wearing, y'know?" The doors did infact lock, though the prefects and all of the school staff had keys that would open the rooms up; master keys.
Ahhh...once more his 'pretty' face and stature made him out to be younger than he really was - well, that was okay; Bjorn didn't mean anything bad by it, unlike some of the other boys. "I'm a junior this year. I know, I look younger than I am." Colin slipped out of his workout shorts and into a pair of jeans that did NOT show his underpants, a soft long-sleeved undershirt in dark blue and a brown t-shirt over it with a faded Star Trek logo (gold) on the front. Thick, clean socks went on his feet along with some tennis shoes (less clean) - hell, he'd even brush his hair before they left, since it would be "a hot mess" otherwise.
"Grab your wallet and let's get going. If you don't mind walking a bit more after the tour, we can go and get something to eat after?" Ah...young boys, always hungry!
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:33 pm
"That would be a hard situation. I don't have to worry too much of it, just qualifications to enter state matches. I think they require a 2.0 GPA to be able to enter. My mother knows not to expect much academically, she just encourages me to learn and do what I can." Grades wouldn't stand for much at a job site for contracting, or at a factory. Honesty, willingness to work, and dedication would put him in better stead.
Björn considered the dancer as he changed. So this was...lounge wear? He had assumed Colin just preferred wearing next to nothing when not required to be in uniform. Why else would you wear shorts that were like underwear? It wasn't offensive, just odd.
"That is good news. Do you think we may have a class together at all?" Colin might be an honors student, though. Still, there was a chance of having an elective together. Björn had placed straight average level classes, except for English which was remedial level.
He shifted and stood, grabbing his messenger bag from the small congregation of bags at the foot of his mattress. "Food after is a great idea. "
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:15 am
"I wish mom would give up on better grades, I could pull a 2.0 easy...as it is, I've got to fight to keep it around 3.5..." He sighed and shook his head; it wasn't that he was stupid - and he certainly didn't think that Bjorn was stupid either - but...there were other things in his mind, in his world that were just leagues more important to him than 'getting good grades' so he could 'go to college' (as if he even wanted to go!
"Probably more than one. I'm definitely not in the "gifted" classes, that's for sure." Except that he had some mathmatical apptitude and liked history, so he could pull up his GPA with that. "Probably atheletics...I don't know about math or science. History, maybe." Colin really couldn't say, it all depended on the classes they both ended up being forced into, but he was pretty sure they'd have 2 or 3.
At least, he hoped so! Colin would pick up his wallet and keys and lock the door once they were out of it; starting to tour by explaining the floor arrangements in this dorm before they exited it.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:38 am
"Such a high GPA~" He smiled down at his new roommate. Roommate. It was a good word with a pleasant idea. He'd never had a roommate, having no siblings and going to public schools. There was something more companionable about it than just friendship. Like a brotherhood almost. He hoped it would be just so, a close and lasting friendship. It was a good start so far. "I have landed on my feet for a good companion. I need someone with some brains around to make sure I stay in line. "
He let Colin tour him around then, faithfully following where the smaller boy led, trying to keep track of the turns. He managed about half the tour before he was starting to feel really confused. Which way was the dorm from here? The front entrance? He was turned around completely. Since their friendship was at best a handful of hours now, he wasn't sure if Colin would have a bead on his own lost or confused faces to be able to read them without need of comment. It was just as well.
The promise of food returned to mind, so he broke into a pause between explanations, "I think I may be at my limit, at least the one that comes if no further food is inserted to jump my brain into working again. Are you hungry yet?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:36 pm
Colin fidgeted just a little bit; he really did have to fight to keep his GPA and it didn't feel worth it to him save that in order to keep dancing he had to keep 'em up. Bleeh. Bjorn's admission just made him smile more - how could anyone not want to help such a nice guy?
The longer they were out 'touring', the more halting and bewildered the bigger boy seemed. He looked confused but also had that air that he himself got when a dance-step went too quickly for him to catch, or the routine was new but the instructor assumed everyone had 'gotten it'.
And then Bjorn mentioned his limit and food and the smaller blond broke into a big smile. "Always." Colin stretched his arms above his head to stretch a bit. "You'll find that I'm always hungry...I know I don't look it." Most people thought he must eat only a little bit...but really, Colin could put it away like no-one's business! "Are you a vegetarian or anything?" Because that sort of thing would totally change where they went.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:54 pm
"You *do* look like you are always hungry." It was gently, jokingly said. Colin was athletic, but to Björn he looked too thin. Most boys generally did.
What was a vegarian? He honestly had no idea.
"I...don't think I know what is one, so I don't think I am one. " It was a plain enough way to reason that out. Vegarian was either food, race, or religious, since that was always what followed when someone was asking you if you were or were not something. He and Colin were both plainly pale and blonde, which meant race was out. Since they were discussing eating, it must relate to food. He couldn't get further than that in his reasoning, though.
"Is it a problem that I am not?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:10 pm
With a bright laugh, Colin patted his stomach, "It's a bottomless pit. Pretty sure that my Mom's grocery bills have gone down by like, 70%." In the great scheme of things, the curly-haired boy's good humor was probably one of his best assets.
"A vegetarian is someone that doesn't eat meat. Usually. There are different levels to it, I guess...some don't eat anything from animals...some will eat eggs or dairy. It's really boring and complicated and you're definitely not a vegetarian." Colin chuckled again and reached out to pat Bjorn's arm. "Come on, let's go find something to eat." Local diner-style restaurant with booths and tables - kind of like a Denny's, but a step up in quality.
In other words, a place where a meat eater and a vegetable eater could find something delicious.
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:06 pm
"People who can eat eggs and meat..but don't?" This made no sense at all. If it wasn't a matter of being lactose intolerant, or a food allergy, why would you NOT eat a food? Sure, he didn't like green stuff, but pour enough garlic and butter or chili powder...or spices of any sort, on anything....and he would gladly eat it. Like those salted anise snacks his cousins liked. He didn't like anise much, but the salt on it was rather interesting.
"The food isn't bad for them? They might like it fine. They just don't eat meat?" Ridiculous. What odd people. They must have their reasons, but ....really? He really like meat. Especially seafood.
"Are you a vegarian, Colin?" That would make eating awkward if he were. Would he get grossed out by others eating meat and eggs and cheese....ohhhh cheese. He could not imagine life without cheese. How else would people make broccoli worth eating?
He followed the smaller boy gratefully, a pied-piper to food. He was curious too, to see how much Colin could pack away, meat or otherwise. "A friendly wager when we get there? Order something similar to each other and see who can eat more."
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Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 4:26 am
Colin chuckled at Bjorn's reaction to hearing about people that do not eat meat, eggs, and whatnot just because they didn't want to. The big guy was cute like that - hadn't he heard of vegetarians? Maybe not vegan, but at least non-meat eating people should have come into contact with his new friend, right?
"Mmm...yeah, I am. Not a strict one though - I'll eat eggs and cheeze and drink milk and stuff if the animals are free-range and treated humanely." He poked Bjorn's arm with a grin, "Don't worry, if you want a steak, order one. It doesn't bother me at all, my whole family is full of devout carnivores...and I used to be one too."
That wager - oh he was so there! "You've got a bet." Because Colin was skinny as hell, but he could pack it away like nobody's business. Eventually they'd end up at one of Destiny City's diner-style restaurants - good food at reasonable prices, definitely one of the student's favorite places...or maybe just his? Either way, the menu had plenty of things for any-vores that came in to get a meal.
No sign was up, so Colin started to pick a spot, but thought better of it - he was small but Bjorn...well, considering that the dorm bed hadn't fit his new friend, maybe he'd have a seating preference. "Booth or table?"
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