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High-functioning Marshmallow
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 Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 6:57 am
Once she was done, though, she found that Elliot was asking her a question. Not singing? ..Well, duh, she wasn't. That's why she was here, otherwise she would have worked her name to be much bigger before leaving back to Nirvani. In fact, that was part of the reason she wasn't sure on seeing River just yet. What if the woman hadn't heard of her?! ..Of course, if River didn't keep up on foreign idols, she probably wouldn't have, but.. It was still enough to make the woman worried! But, as for how she personally felt on it – “No, I'm not.” She shrugged. She didn't really care, in the end. “It was so exhausting and some fans can get pretty creepy..” She added idly in memory of a blog she found on herself. Could people really get that obsessive? Zhi knew she was pretty, but she didn't think it was worth some weird stalker! (Nevermind that Zhi was just as bad over River for, like, ever.) “Anyway, I don't know yet. I have enough money to get by for now, but I suppose I should get a job.. Oh.” She looked at Elliot seriously, holding a finger up to bring attention solely to herself, “If you see Alanis, don't tell her I'm in town.” Like hell she would want that scary blond bugging her again! Not too soon, anyway.
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 6:29 pm
Elliot was a little startled when Zhi began to laugh. It caught her by surprise, since she didn't have many memories of Zhi laughing. Did it have something to do with her mentioning her job? How strange, River and Alex both laughed, too, when she told them that she had gotten a job. She didn't understand what was so funny, but she decided not to question it. River said it was because it was perfect for her, but that didn't help her figure out the joke. So she barely smiled and waited for Zhi to finish laughing.
Ahh, so Zhi had stopped. "That's too bad, I liked it," she commented softly. But she imagined that being a celebrity would be hard work, so she didn't blame her friend for leaving. In fact, she was kind of glad, because life had been surprisingly quiet with her gone. Even with the circus people to play with. "Alanis? I won't tell," she shook her head, not bothering to mention that she actually saw Alanis very little since she graduated. She was quiet for a moment as she went over Zhi's words in her head, as she usually did. Then, something occurred to her. "You know, Zhi, there's an opening at the restaurant. I could talk to Alex about it for you." Well, a waitress wasn't really a glamorous job, but if Zhi needed to find work, it was a start.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 9:33 pm
She shook her head and focused her attention on the offer Elliot just made. A job~? At the restaurant? She didn't like the idea of working with Alex, considering just how much of a jerk he could be, but.. Didn't Elliot say that River was working there now? Then she could watch her to make sure that she didn't get hit on by anyone else! She could be with her during her work and home life~! ..Oh, no, that reminded her! She took on a look of panic and set her hands together anxiously, “How is River? Has she been doing anything?” Or anyone? She hadn't thought of someone trying to whisk her true love away like that, but considering how wonderful River was, she wouldn't be surprised!
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Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 9:52 pm
Ahhh, the clothes. Elliot wasn't one for fashion, as could be seen in her largely gray wardrobe, but she had taken a note of Zhi's clothes. You wouldn't believe it, but she had followed her career pretty closely. Not obsessively, not even close, but when she had free time, she'd google Zhi's stage name. There were a few fansites, it looked like, and a number of online newspapers who reported on her. From what she saw, the clothes suited her. They were a little flashy for her tastes, but Zhi wore them well.
Even though Elliot didn't work at the restaurant, she would like it if Zhi did. She enjoyed the girl's company, and to have her closer to the family would be nice. And over the years, she had come to terms with her friend's feelings for her sister, and she wouldn't mind if they got closer too. "River? She's been helping Alex with his restaurant." She had been helping out a lot, actually. It was surprising how helpful she had been the past few seasons. "She said she has been having lunch with Una a lot. I think she said they were having lunch today, too." River was always in a good mood when she was spending time with friends. "She talks about you, too. She said she wanted to save up and go to Japan again, to see you in concert. I hope you don't mind I told her?" she added after a hesitant moment. Was it a secret? She wasn't sure if it was, but just in case...
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 5:26 pm
But, that wasn't the entire point – River knew and.. and she liked it! She wasn't speaking to River, of course, and this was only Elliot, but it didn't sound like River didn't disapprove – who would try to fly out to a different country if they didn't, right? “I don't mind! What does she say about me?” She went on eagerly, leaning forward from where she sat as if she could miss something if she didn't get as close as she could from her spot. She didn't know River actually talked about her! Almost two years apart and River still thought of her~! Zhi was just lucky she had practiced hiding her emotions or else she would be jumping around in a cheer~ It was just like being confessed to all over again! Nevermind that it was more like Zhi doing the confessing and.. River hadn't exactly – oh, that didn't matter! Not now anyway!
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2011 7:04 pm
If Elliot had been the type to smirk, she definitely would have -- she knew that Zhi would like it when she heard that River had been thinking of her. Yes, somehow, during their time apart, Elliot had taken the time to figure out Zhi's personality. She did strange things when she had time to spare. "What she says?" The young woman took a moment to think about it. She had a lot of conversations to root through, afterall. It wasn't as simple as it seemed, searching through her sister's words (and she had a lot of words) for something that would satisfy Zhi. "Ahh, just little things. She said it was boring when you left." That would make her happy, right? Zhi was most enjoyable to observe when she was happy. "She was excited when I told her about your job. It was all she talked about for a week." River had never known a famous person before~
That's when the sound of off key singing hit Elliot's sensitive ears. Speak of the devil. "Ahh, that's her," she identified River blandly. Soon there was the sound of a key being inserted into the front door knob, the knob itself jiggling, and then it unlocked, and River came tumbling through.
"Ellioooot~ I'm hooome~" River called as she closed the door behind her. She proceeded to dump her house keys onto the side table in the entryway, reaching up to untie her ponytail. "We met the funniest guy. He gave me a sunflower!" She kicked off her shoes before walking into the living room, waving a sunflower up over her head. ...That is, until she saw Zhi. Immediately, she dropped the sunflower and let out a surprised squeal, hurrying over to yank the girl up from the couch. "Zhi! You're back! Hello! Ahh, you've cut your haaair~!" She took Zhi's hand and spun her around to see her hair. "It's so cute! Hi!" And with that, she nearly tackled the girl, hugging her tightly. She wanted to hop up and down. It was Zhi! After two years! Zhi!
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 11:52 pm
At Elliot's first question, Zhi gave one nod in confirmation – yes, she wanted to know what she said about her! This was important! If she was to meet River later, then she had to know exactly what she felt about her~! Ah, it didn't take long for ideas to enter Zhi's mind on just what could be said – both good and bad! And then there was that odd middle ground in which River was jealous over Zhi, which would be such a cute change that Zhi wouldn't be able to not be happy over it, but the idea of upsetting River and not being here to console her was almost worse than anything she could think of! Oh, the conflict! She withheld a sigh just as Elliot decided to continue and answer her. She would have been mildly irate that the girl took so long (fifteen seconds) but what Elliot had to say was, of course, enough to brighten her! It was boring without her~?
Then.. that meant it was enjoyable with her and.. River liked having her around! Which meant River liked her! Adding on top that she was a hot topic for the woman for a week – it was just the frosting on the cake! “What did – ?” She started to question when Elliot spoke again, saying something she didn't expect and certainly couldn't decide what to feel on. River was.. here?! What? She wasn't ready! Oh, but she so wanted to see her after so long! But, no, she was all sweaty from the walk and she was tired, she bet her makeup was all messed up – oh, not to mention her hair..! But, it was River! She.. She..
She didn't have much of a chance to decide for or against it. River had already dashed into the room the moment she saw her, dropping all her previous thoughts (and objects) in favor of Zhi. From being yanked off the couch, to spinning, and, finally, to being squeezed in River's arms, Zhi took a few moments to grasp just what was going on. But, oh, when she did! She had been twice – no, thrice – no, four times as excited then when she had first arrived at the house. It was River! Hugging! Her! Did she ever get hugged by River before? Maybe! But nothing as nice as this~ It had been way too long! She hesitated a second, but once she decided on it, she wrapped her arms around River as tight as she could, reveling in it~ Did she get taller? Prettier? Oh, so many changes that Zhi was almost angry she had missed, but, she could hardly hold onto such emotion when she was hugging River!
“River! Hi! It's been too long!!” She said in a mix of a whine and squeal at the older, “Oh, oh, I have – er,” She didn't pull back from the woman, but a hand had left River's back to search her own clothes – or however much of her clothing she could reach from that position. Where was it?! ..Oh, right, apartment – but! No! Not fair! “River, can you..” She turned her eyes back down to the woman, but the eye contact had her stilling completely as her eyes decided to skirt around her stage-mask and water on their own. Both arms came back to squeeze River against her again as she cried out, “River~!! Oh, I missed you so much!” Ahh, she was going to really start ruining her make up at this rate!
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 4:17 pm
Somehow, all of the hugging and cheering was making Elliot a little uncomfortable. She figured that this would be the case, since River was like a pet dog who couldn't contain her excitement upon someone's return, but still... Seeing it was something else. And so she quietly excused herself from the room to get them all something to drink and maybe pull out some old Pumpkin festival candy for a snack.
Meanwhile, River was busy frolicking through the rainbows and sunshine and booming flowers that appeared in her mind whenever she was excited. She got so involved in Happy Happy River Land that she almost forgot what she was doing in real life. Thankfully, as far as she could tell, Zhi didn't mind too much, because she returned the hug and hadn't let her arms go slack, an obvious indication that she was ready to move on. "Aww, I missed you too!" she replied as she started to make her descent back down from her own inner excitement. "I'm so glad to see you! OH!" She suddenly let go of Zhi as something occurred to her. "Stay here for a moment!" she patted Zhi on the head before taking off towards the second floor. She was like a whirlwind, running around frantically. She hurried up the stairs, into her room, and began to root through her bookshelf in search of -- Ah ha! Now she came hurtling down the stairs, stopping right in front of Zhi before thrusting out a copy of her CD and a sharpie at the girl. "Could I get you to sign this?" she asked with a wide grin before plopping down onto the couch. "When Elliot told me you had a CD and everything, I went and bought five!" she explained, as if it were perfectly natural to buy five copies of the same thing. "Alex said it was silly to buy that many, since shipping things from Japan is expensive! But I wanted to help, and when you became famous, I could tell people that I had a Zhi collection~" It was more of her own excitement at knowing a celebrity, even if that celebrity was only popular in Japan. But that was good enough for her! "Hahah, it's kind of embarrassing, saying it out loud," she admitted, scratching her cheek bashfully.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 3:08 am
She rose her brows and was just about to recognize River as that fuzzy, rushing blob when her vision was filled with another blurred image. She was starting to doubt her own eyesight as she leaned back and glanced behind the objects thrust into her face to see River back there. Before the woman had dropped back to the couch, Zhi had automatically taken what had been handed out to her, turning her eyes back down to those next. ..A sharpie and – wait! Was that–?! “Five?” She repeated numbly, still taking a second more to figure the situation out. Ah, she loved how River could take her thoughts away like that! It was so romantic~! ..Or was that breath? Oh, whatever! The point was that River had still bought five copies of her CDs and she wanted her to.. sign them?
“Yes! Sure! I would love to!!” She cried out once she had the capacity to do it, her excitement brimming in her tone if only to make up for the previous flat response. She popped the pen's lid off happily and got right to signing her name as perfectly as she could do for River~ She normally hated doing this sort of thing, but, if it was for River, she could handle it! “No, no! It helped a lot! Yes, I'm sure that the contribution gave me a whole few days!” Because five CDs bought online totally helped every small star! Well, it was the thought that counted and.. she was sure River was buying them with love~! She went to sit down on the couch.. and then stopped. Where – well, River and her were.. weren't they? Yes, this should have been enough! She sucked in her breath and capped the pen again, setting it down on the coffee table. Then, with a short hesitation, she sat down right next to River, handing the CD over to her with one hand, while the other went to sit firmly in her lap. Ahh, she was right next to her~!
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 12:48 am
River admired the marking on the CD case as Zhi handed it back, bring it up close and then moving it out again. Once she was done inspecting it, she leaned forward to gingerly set it down onto the table. "I'll take very good care of it," she reassured Zhi with a solemn look. She had never gotten anything autographed before, she would definitely take care of this! Once she was convinced that Zhi had understood, she settled into the couch with a satisfied smile. Such a good day~
"So, Zhi, tell me! What have you been up to lately? I mean, you moved back obviously, but I want to know all about it! Does everything seem different? Where are you living? Is it close? Ohh, did you get a job? Alex has his own restaurant now, did you know? Ohh, you should come by sometime! The food's really good, and I'm the head waitress there!" Well, that wasn't true, but as far as River knew, that was her official role. Alex had said so! Even if it was just to shut her up.
Elliot returned to the kitchen, setting down two cups of water in front of the two women on the couch. Then, she hurried back off to the kitchen to get her own water, and a bowl of popcorn that she brought back with her. "River, you should talk to Alex about a job," she said gently as she sat down in one of the chairs. River marveled at her sister. "What a great idea! Zhi, what do you think? It would be so much fun to work with you! Alex doesn't let me come into the kitchen, so it's boring by myself." She had been hoping Elliot would work there too, and it would be a business owned and ran by Park's, but she got a job at the circus instead.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 12:48 am
Zhi smiled in a mix of relief and joy as she gave a nod in agreement, “Head waitress is very cool – so in charge!” It did~ She could see River in a short skirt, a lollipop in her mouth, and a hand to her hip as she struck an oh so masculine pose with that deceptively delicate woman's body~! Barking orders at lesser, scrawny men, probably Alex, just as Zhi stepped in dressed as a princess and.. Oh, damn it!
“Thank you.. Elliot.” She said slowly as the redhead came back into the room, realizing a little too late that she had ruined her chance to say what she wanted to with her daydreaming. She withheld a sigh and took a sip of the water to conceal any exasperation she had with herself. It wasn't like she had it on her anyway.. She should probably just focus on catching up. “I wanted to get one there!” She confirmed as she set the cup down, smiling again before she continued, “I won't be able to live forever on savings and it would be fun to work with you.” Oh, very fun~ “Where is the restaurant?” Come to think of it, she didn't see any new restaurants on the map when she first came over.. Unless Alex was a jerk to the mapmakers, she couldn't see where it could be!
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 7:23 pm
River really needed to pay attention to letting other people speak. But she was so excited to see her friend after such a long time, she was having trouble sorting through her thoughts. Once she opened the door to her brain, it all sort of... poured out. She wasn't really conscious of half of what she was saying, but that still didn't mean that she wasn't disappointed that Zhi didn't answer all of her questions, all at once, in the same manner that she had asked them! Still, she couldn't help but beam when Zhi complimented her job. It wasn't some boring bakery waitress like before! She actually had authority! Well, not really, but Alex hadn't bothered to tell her that yet.
"Right?!" River's smile only grew as Zhi stated that she was interested in a job. Oh, how exciting! She could see it now, all of them playing in the front of the restaurant. Ohh, she couldn't wait! "It's in the same place it was before, by the inn," she answered, pausing to take a drink from her water. "I don't know how Alex got it, but it's his, even though it's in the same place. It's kinda confusing. One moment he was like 'Oh, River, stop being stupid, I'm not going to open my own restaurant!'" She crossed her arms, pulled her face into a deep frown, and lowered her voice as she mimicked grumpy Alex. "And then the next, he said he was buying the place! I don't get it," she let out a sigh as she relaxed, slumping over sideways.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 5:17 pm
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 11:25 pm
Elliot, the silent observer in situations like this, had settled down in her seat and had affixed her large, brown eyes on the two young women sitting across from her. Even in her socially disconnected state, she had to marvel at Zhi's perseverance. She really was determined when it came to River and being on the girl's good side. Even if that meant she was complimenting a playful impersonation that really bore no significant resemblance to the subject. Sure, River's impersonations of their family members were entertaining, but Alex didn't sound like that at all. Oh well, if it made Zhi happy, she saw nothing wrong in trying hard. But even Elliot had to admit, she was surprised to hear what came next. She was asking her out? She may not have known anything about relationships, but she had been exposed to more knowledgeable people, so she had figured out at least that much.
Across from Elliot, on the couch, a similar transition of emotions was progressing. River beamed at Zhi as she complimented her impersonation. "Is it? Thank you!" she cheered. She did like Alex, he was so easy to play with~ Even when he wasn't there! She was pleased by the compliment, and so when Zhi continued, her smile remained fixed to her expression. That is, until she realized what she had asked. "...Eh? Now?" she questioned, giving her a confused look. She paused to think about it. She had just gotten home from work, but... "Sure, why not? I have nothing to do! Elliot?" she turned to look at her sister with the same goofy smile.
Elliot hesitated. She knew Zhi wouldn't want a third wheel to be hanging around. And she always felt like she was getting in the way of her efforts. So it would be best to bow out now. "I have things to do. I should stay."
"Aw, really?" River asked, her expression saddening for a moment. Well, she was an adult now, and had other things to do! She couldn't let it get to her! "Well, then, it looks like it'd just be us two! Ahh, where do you want to go? Oh wait, I should change first." She glanced down at her clothes, the same simple uniform she wore at work. "You stay here! I'll go put on normal clothes, and then you can think about where you want to go!" Quickly, the woman rose from the couch before hurrying up the stairs, unbuttoning her blouse as she went. She really had no shame.
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High-functioning Marshmallow
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 12:18 am
Oh, that didn't matter~! She still got a yes – er? Elliot? Come too? Her brows creased and she looked at the girl to see her response, relief flooding her features when she decided to sit it out. She didn't think the girl actually had things to do, which only made her grateful towards the redhead. It sounded like River hadn't caught on that this wasn't just an.. outing, but, er, well, Zhi could handle that fact. She just needed to get the woman to look at her in that way first! “Oh, I was – ” She started to say when the woman asked, but was broken off by both River's continued chatter and the woman's blouse suddenly.. unbuttoning.. there.. If anything made her lose her composure, it was certainly that! Her heart seemed to jump into her throat as she slowly went on while the woman rushed upstairs, “..Yes, I.. Er..” She swallowed and shook her head – no! Concentrate! River's bra or not, Zhi had a date to plan and fast.
She crossed her legs and looked at the ceiling in deep thought as she tried to plan it out – or, rather, pick which plan would work best. She had thought of many scenarios with River, of course, so it wasn't like she had to come up with a whole new route; just figure which one fit into the scenario best! She looked at the clock – it wasn't so late yet, but.. it was still enough to cut out part of Plan A, so maybe she should switch to Plan B? ..No, that would have to be done on a sunnier day.. Plan C? It wasn't snowing! Plan D? Oh.. Oh, no, no, no! She giggled and blushed to herself - that was way too early. Something innocent.. Well, she could tailor Plan A around a bit, couldn't she? Of course! She clapped her hands together in success and looked at Elliot, “You don't really have anything to do, right?” She confirmed with a small wave of her hand; no, of course not! “Watch your cell phone. I may need to ask you to help me – you will, right? We're friends and you want me to be happy, don't you?” She asked in a way that so heavily insinuated that there wasn't going to be any other way for Zhi to be happy if this date went wrong. No forgiveness! She would be a sad little blob at home if Elliot didn't help!
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