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 Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:57 am
  "Ah, sorry," Elliot said as she turned back around. She had looked only for a moment, and really, she hadn't looked anywhere but the back of Zhi's head. Still, it wasn't good manners that she had turned in the first place, and she had made Zhi scream in the meantime. "...It was a mistake." Of course it was! Was Elliot ever fully conscious of what she was doing? She didn't even realize how blank and creepy she was all the time. But now she was feeling a little embarrassed, so she side-stepped (keeping her back firmly faced towards Zhi, of course) to pick up her own pajamas, and held them tightly in her arms. Without saying a word, she opened the door and slipped out, closing it softly behind her. Instead of darting straight to the bathroom, as she would have liked, she waited by the door. She could hear River's footsteps coming up the stairs, and she knew of her sister's bad habit. She was always throwing doors open without knocking! So she waited until River came into view. "Elliot? Whatcha doing?" River asked from over her bundle of fabric. "...Zhi's changing. I'm gonna go do that, too," Elliot replied before hurrying down the hall to the bathroom to change. River watched her sister disappear down the hall with a quizzical expression before she dropped the blankets and pillows into a heap on the floor. "Zhi, I brought you stuff! I'll leave it out here by the door," she called. What good timing~ She caught them just in time!
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Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:08 am
She tugged it down as far as it would go, a little above her ankles, and tugged that ribbon out of her hair to fold the set on top of her dress. She went to digging through her bag for her – ah! Make-up remover, face wash, nail polish remover, hair brush, and, of course, her body spray. She gathered them in her arms and looked at the door as River's voice came through. “Ah~! Thank you, River!!!” She called back as giddy, loving, and sweet as she could muster, giggling afterward as she squeezed the items to her chest. She scurried to the door and opened it, peeking outside at the woman with a smile, “You.. You know, you could sleep with us too, if you want..” She offered slowly, trying not to giggle in the presence of her true love~ Of course, they weren't married yet, but Zhi still wanted to see River's sleeping face!
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:52 am
River smiled at the door. She sounded so happy, for some reason. She must have been really excited about a sleepover! She had forgotten that this was supposed to be a study thing... But even if she had, she wouldn't have cared~ They could survive to slack off for one night! She dropped down into a crouch and attempted to fold the blankets, but she ended up just making a mess. Ahh, why was she so bad at these things...? She glanced up when the door was opened and looked Zhi over. What an interesting outfit she was wearing. River wondered if it was uncomfortable to sleep in. She always just slept in whatever she could find (she lived such a bachelor lifestyle), so she couldn't imagine sleeping in a long dress. Standing up, she gathered the linens and smiled back at Zhi. Her first reflex was to be excited. She was invited! She didn't have to invite herself to the sleepover anymore! Zhi wanted her to play, too, and that was exciting! She could feel her smile begin to widen, but then she stopped herself. She liked Zhi, and she considered Zhi to be her friend, but Zhi was Elliot's friend first. She didn't want to monopolize her sister's friend's attention. This was Elliot's sleepover, not hers. Maybe next time, she could join in, but... "Uhm, I have to get up early in the morning, and I don't want to disturb you guys," she replied apologetically, tucking her hair behind her ears. "So..." She wasn't a great liar, and she couldn't think of anything else beyond a little excuse.
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:24 am
Zhi's smile lowered some more – she hadn't earned it yet, that's why! That was what the whole idol thing was about! If Zhi couldn't do something simple like become an actress-singer-model, then how could she be worth the rest of River's life? She inwardly sighed – yeah, it looked like she would have to simply deal with not having 'accidental' River cuddling time. She nodded, “I see..” She said in disappointment, “Good night, River.” ..She guessed that meant no kiss goodnight either? ..Boo. She opened the door completely to step out, turned to River to wait for her to bade her night as well. She still had all the face wash and such in her arms, so obviously she was headed to the bathroom – but, she didn't seem very eager to leave the hallway just yet. Disappointment or not, she was still very happy to stand around with River~!
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 3:13 am
Aw. Now she felt bad. Zhi looked so disappointed! River wrestled back the pangs of guilt. No. Even if Zhi was sad, she couldn't get in the way of her sister's first sleepover! She had to be strong. Afterall, wasn't this what being an adult was all about? She couldn't be selfish. Elliot was allowed to be selfish, so was Zhi, but River was twenty-two years old! It was her job to be the one to stop something bad from happening! ...Then again, she couldn't imagine a scenario where she joining in on the sleepover would be bad, but... she was sure it would be bad! So bad! So, she had to stand her ground! "I'm sorry, Zhi," she offered once more with a smile. "Next time, okay?" she smiled apologetically. Nice one, River! You just ensured Elliot a second sleepover! She was pleased with herself, so she patted Zhi on the head before mussing up her hair slightly -- forgetting, of course, that most girls didn't like that. Hell, even she didn't like it! Still, she flashed her a bright smile before turning around to shuffle back down the hall. "Goodnight, Zhi! You too, Elliot," she added as she passed the short redhead, who gave Zhi a quizzical look.
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:21 am
“Are you done?” She asked with a motion to the bathroom, looking the girl over. Pajamas? Zhi thought all girls wore nightgowns.. Or, well, her aunt did and so did her last girlfriend.. Oh, it didn't matter much when it came to Elliot. “Come with me.” She stated – rather, commanded as she headed into the bathroom. There wasn't much reason, outside of Zhi wanted someone to chat with while she washed and such. ..Didn't all girls take someone to the bathroom with them? She saw plenty of jokes about it on the television and she saw it happen enough at school. It seemed like a normal thing for them to do, at any rate, so she didn't bother to check on it while she waited for Elliot for a moment, setting the night-time routine materials on the counter before starting to wash her face.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:18 pm
 Oh, his favorite home!! He absolutely loved the Park family, even if one of his followers who lived here ended up moving away~ He didn't mind so long as the rest all stayed FOREVER! He came in through magic – does it really need to be explained? – and headed straight to River's room first! Once inside, he glanced at the sleeping blond and smiled happily – oh, he did love River!! Not in that creepy obsessive love that Lavender had with Orchid, which could be kinda hot at times, but most of the time just a little on the creepy side, but in the way that he would love his favorite follower!! ..Pointless sentences aside, Ilex dropped off a big bag of lollipops, jawbreakers, taffy, caramels, and, above all else, rock candy!! He slipped an orange envelope on top addressed to River Park..
“ Another year of good work! I really am starting to like you, River~! You're still so spirited and fun to watch – I'm sure everyone just gets wrapped up in that energy of yours for the good! I'm kind of disappointed that your brother (the shy one!) left, but, oh well, as long as YOU stay here, I'll be happy! You should get Alex out more often and away from working – you know that could be bad for his health?! He could end up having a heart attack from stress! Or, or, holding that in! Guys can't keep 'that' part of themselves pent up for long before it hurts them or – HE MIGHT EXPLODE! But, more on you – I think you did wonderful this year! It was fun watching you go out so much and I love how close you're getting with your friends~! Maybe a little too close on some, but, um, that doesn't matter! Anyways! You should go make more friends! LOTS of friends! Like Avery Lark! Oh, she's my trouble case~~! I really want her to get out, but there's only so much I can do! Maybe you can help me, River~? You're so good at getting people to open up – Just look at Elliot! I swore I saw her smile once~~!!! I know it was your influence! So, go get them, tiger! YOU CAN DO IT! (I don't know what 'it' is, but, DO IT!)”
Done! Ilex left his handiwork behind and went into Alex's room next, quiet as can be so none of those weird pets of theirs would wake up and alert the whole house – who knew what would happen then!! The Goddess would have to reset the whole day just because Ilex was being stupid~! So, he made sure to be extra careful because, really, after dying once that day because of some stupid monkey, he didn't feel like starting over again~ That really wasn't a pleasant feeling! So, he simply hurried into Alex's room, dropped a silver pocket watch on the nightstand, and set an orange note addressed to Alex Park beside it..
“ ALEX! What did I tell you last year, huh?! ...Oh, I can't remember, actually.. Um. Well, I know I must have said something about you going out more and befriending more people! You should, you know! I'm happy you're taking care of your sisters so well, but it's time you thought about getting a girl for more personal, fun stuff!! You've met.. Talna! Talna's – oh, wait, she's married.. Um.. You've met Zhi! ...No, wait, she wouldn't go for you.. FREJA! You know Freja?! You should ask her out! Go have fun – make babies – do all that stuff!! You know you want to, Alex, she's really cute and available! So is that other one – Romane! Though, Hyacinth told me not to recommend her~~ Keep this between us, okay~? ;D ..Oh, also, also, if neither of those two are for you, you should try Rachel! Usagi! Um, um, I wouldn't even mind if you decided to go for Crimson or River – unless you're into those types? It would explain so much! Well, whoever you're for, you should GO FOR IT! Good luck, Alex!”
Alright! Accomplished! Ilex left the room behind and went into his last stop of the household – Elliot's bedroom! He looked at the sleeping girl for a moment to make sure she really was asleep before he went to set a cuckoo – … The little guy stopped as he had a sudden bout of dejavu. ..Oh, no! He had given Elliot a cuckoo clock before, had he?! He did! He gave it to her last year! He hurriedly shoved the big old cuckoo clock back into his sack and pulled out, instead, a big grandfather clock! How did that happen? ..Again, magic, no need to explain! He set it down quietly on the floor and then went to drop an envelope addressed to Elliot Park on the sleeping girl. There, everything was fixed!
“ Elliot! Hey! You're still doing really good! But, it's just the same as last year, so I brought you another clock! I mean, I don't mind you sticking with only one or two friends, but it feels like you could be doing so much more!! I mean, have you even tried to hang out with someone else? There's nothing wrong with Zhi, but it's gotta get boring watching her swoon over your sister all year long! Oh, unless you're hoping for something more? If so, then GO FOR IT! I want you to be just as happy as your big sister is and that means accomplishing your dreams! Making friends! Having sex! There's tons of stuff you still need to get done – your almost an adult, aren't you? Don't feel too stressed out by all of that – I'm sure you'll do really good! Just make sure to follow River's footsteps and don't get wrapped up in your work like Alex does – oh! Also! Have you thought of getting a girlfriend? Maybe you should look at Gwen! She could have a lesbian moment! Oh, oh, two redheads would be so cute too~~ Or whoever else you want! I'm rooting for you!!”
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:53 pm
Now, what was odd was that she had found her feet leading her back here. She squinted her eyes at the house, manicured hands gracing her chin as she studied it while her other hand went to rest on her hip. It looked sooo familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on just where this was.. It wasn't Mao's house, she knew – she couldn't forget that piece of junk home – and it couldn't be that blind woman's home either.. She had passed by that on the way over.. It looked pretty average, nothing peculiar about it, but so.. very.. important.. She huffed and rolled her eyes at herself – standing there wasn't solving anything! She dropped her hands and clacked her way down the little sidewalk leading up the front door, still proudly wearing heels like she always did~ She paused when she was at the doorstep, leaning to one side to try to look inside the home through a window, but, even if she could spy parts of the interior, nothing came to mind. She muttered something irritatedly in Chinese before ringing the door bell. She hated having something at the tip of her tongue like this! So annoying!
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:11 pm
It had been a quiet day in the Park household. With Alex and River out working at the same place, it meant that there was quite a bit of overlap in their schedules. Alex was gone all day, though that wasn't much of a difference. River was at work more, too, if only because the restaurant had been severely understaffed and Alex threatened to kick her out unless she stayed around to work. It wasn't bad, though on days when Elliot didn't have work, it was unusually quiet. When she was in school, usually River would be around, and the two would spend the afternoon together. But now she had found herself with a good deal of time on her hands.
This particular day, Elliot sat on the couch in the living room, reading a book on franchise management (a seemingly random topic, yes, but the cover had grabbed her interest) and petting the back of her pig, Kazak. She had been sad when Bokonon first passed away, but the little piglet had turned out to be a wonderful pet. And Jaeja was slightly less likely to eat him.
So she was reading and playing with her pig when the doorbell rang. Elliot looked up in surprise, wondering mildly who it could be, since they rarely got visitors, especially when it was known that the two older siblings were out at work. After a moment of thought, she set aside her book and patted Kazak on the head, telling him to stay, before hurrying to open the door.
"...Yes?" she looked at the girl curiously. It took her a moment to recognize Zhi. She had cut her hair, afterall, and her face had matured slightly. Most people didn't grow into their jaw until their late teens, anyway, so it made sense that there would be a difference. But after a moment of staring at Zhi blankly, Elliot realized who she was, and continued to stare at her blankly, but a different kind of blankly. An inquisitive blankness, if you will.
...Zhi... You're back. What are you doing here?" she asked, a hint of surprise showing on her usually so emotionless face.
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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:40 am
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:48 pm
Frankly, Elliot was startled by Zhi's excitement. She wasn't sure why, after a second thought, she decided that it was probably a reasonable reaction when seeing a friend for the first time in a long time. Another thought, and she figured that it was just the general overwhelming feeling of seeing such a drastic change in Zhi. It took her long enough to adjust to her own change in appearance. Especially the hair. The moment she took down those pigtails, she was always scaring herself in the mirror.
"You haven't been gone that long, you got lost?" Elliot finally spoke as she lamely tried to return the hug. Of course, it failed. She had never been a good hugger. It was usually one-sided, but she figured she should make an effort during a reunion. "Well, I'm happy you're here," she added, though it wasn't convincing at all. But Zhi knew that her voice and her face didn't usually match her feelings. "...Do you want to come in? Alex and River are at work, though." Would Zhi ditch her because River wasn't there? She hoped not.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 9:05 am
She dropped the arms around the girl and backed off a step, still smiling as she looked from the girl's eyes.. straight to her chest. “Wow.” That probably summed it up pretty well! She went from looking like a little kid to a woman's body! She was just short of asking Elliot whether they were real, but she couldn't possibly see someone like her friend go get plastic surgery! She probably didn't even notice the change in body, which seemed such like an Elliot thing to do. Ah, Zhi was sure her lip would have quivered if she was less controlled~ She hardly had any friends the last two years! It was just horrible! She never cared much about them before, but now she could honestly appreciate them~ Namely, Elliot since Alanis wasn't much of a friend so much as a friendly boss..
“Yes, very much.” She answered as she took the chance to walk right by Elliot into the house – that hadn't changed at all. No River? Well, no problem! Not that she wasn't still planning on getting the woman, but she had just got back. She wasn't exactly prepared for River yet, so, the longer it was stalled, the better. She silently apologized to whatever fairy of love they had (was there a fairy of love?) for that, but, well, she didn't see it help her when she was first fell for River!
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 1:27 pm
Elliot's eyebrows twitched slightly as her surprise transitioned into confusion. Zhi was so excited, and she didn't understand. They had been writing each other letters all of this time, and to the young woman, that was practically the same as talking in person. Honestly, she hadn't really noticed much of a difference with Zhi gone, though that last season of school had been a little boring without someone to sit next to. Alex had been pleased to find out that both of his sisters had one less distraction, though she wouldn't tell Zhi that. She wouldn't like that, probably. "...Okay. If you say so," she finally conceded.
She watched her old friend walk past her and into the house and closed the door behind them. She watched Zhi look around the house (nothing had changed, though it was a little cleaner, since Elliot had more time to tidy up) for a moment. This was a strange feeling. An interesting juxtaposition. "When did you get back, Zhi?" she asked, walking further into the living room. "Did you move back into that blue house?" Probably not. She had walked past that house a few times, and it looked completely empty.
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 4:20 am
She stopped her thoughts veering off in less happy of a direction and pushed them back onto the fact she was finally here in Nirvani again! It was so weird to be in the same living room as before~! Seriously, today was turning out so much better than she pictured, whether she was tired earlier or not. “Ah?” She turned her head back to look at the redhead as she addressed her. Oh, she hadn't told her? ...That's right, she didn't even know she was moving when she sent her last letter out.. “I arrived today. No,” She shook her head and frowned as she recalled that silly blue house. Was it even still around here? She hoped not or, at the very least, that the residents had moved. That blind chick was a b***h and her boyfriend wasn't friendly either! “I have my own apartment – you should come by!” She offered, happy that she could possibly get some company~ Even if it was just Elliot. She made her way to the couch and plopped down on it, smiling again as she remembered sitting on the same piece of furniture before. Odd thing for her memories to stick to, but, well, it wasn't bad. “What have you been doing, Elliot?” She didn't remember very much from the letters – did she even have half of them..? Er, best not to bring it up. She wouldn't want to offend Elliot with the idea she could have accidentally thrown out some of them.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 2:02 pm
Elliot wandered into the living room after Zhi, absentmindedly wishing that she had cleaned up more. Her friend probably didn't care, but it was more of a matter of personal pride than consideration for her guest. She sat down in a chair across the coffee table from Zhi, folding her hands neatly on top of her knees. She was surprised, actually, to hear that Zhi had just arrived today! She must have been tired, but she still came by to see her! ...Well, she said she had just been wandering around, but it felt like she had come by just to see Elliot~ Or River. Probably River.
"An apartment?" the young woman blinked at her friend. Oh, how cool! Apartment's sounded so grown-up, especially to a girl who was still living (quite happily, though) with her older siblings. "That sounds nice. I'd like to go." The blue house was nice, and it even had a blind girl living in it, but it didn't seem like it suited Zhi very well. Zhi was an adult, she needed her own place!
When Zhi asked about what she had been doing, Elliot paused to think about it. How should she phrase it? "I got a job, at the circus," she explained with the faintest trace of a smile. "I play with animals." Well, that was one way of putting it. Technically, it was her job to make sure that the animals did what they were supposed to do, but they were all so obedient and well behaved, it was more like she played with them! "I could have worked at the restaurant with Alex and River, but I like animals." Besides, Elliot couldn't see herself working with people. She would probably just make the customers uncomfortable~ "What about you, Zhi? You're not singing anymore, right?" Was it a touchy subject? She didn't know, and so she had no qualms in asking.
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