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 Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:15 am
It was one of those murky days that going outside just wasn’t worth it, and it seemed most of the dorm doors were closed at this time of night or just far too quite. While Remi could be the intrusive type, a hard concentration was something he rarely interrupted. That is, unless it REALLY caught his attention. Curiosity got the better of his head most of the time, so when he heard some rather bizarre noises coming from an open room, his attention was sparked.
Walking over, the messy blue-haired teenager stopped in the doorframe. The room was rather hectic, though far neater than Remi’s room. His eyes took in the various pictures of crop circles mostly shot from places like Arizona and Texas, alien script stamped into corn fields. Blurry images were tapped and pinned around, all of which could have been a flash of an alien, someone’s long dead cousin Pete, or maybe the smudged image of Sasquatch on his morning jog. Remi couldn’t tell from here. It had the general feel of an insane person who would collected paperclips and mutter conspiracy theories in their sleep. It warmed his heart.
Grinning, he let his eyes eat up the room in all it’s details, and as his eyes devoured more, he reached into the box of Nilla cookies he was walking with, popping the cookies one by one into his mouth. When he finally managed to pull away from the room to it’s occupant, he was surprised to see a girl. Most whack jobs by ratio were men, and not even good-looking men. The girl still had her hygiene. Her looks were not completely destroyed by lack of sleep and paranoia, and even had the time to put on makeup. She probably turned heads at the conventions, if she was the type to bother.
She was a character, even before he wiped his hand on his pants and waved. He knew it, and he could feel his fingers itch for a pen.
Swallowing down a mouthful of cookie (and wishing he had a cup of milk), he repeated his wave. “Yo.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:02 pm
If Tara had been able to read what was going on in Remi's mind, she probably would have laughed hysterically for a few moments. Until she saw the crucial insights in his thoughts, and tried to dissect his brain.
The room was fairly lived-in, considering Tara was in her third year at Barren Pines. Some of her snapshots were fading and falling off the walls, but she just taped more on top of them. Her supplies were only organized to the point that she could find them without tearing the room apart- mostly in shoe boxes, which weren't labelled with the contents, but Tara could tell them apart by the different brands. She had only really bothered to shower and look nice because she had cheerleading practice earlier- any other day and it would have been less likely, more subject to her whims. And she collected binder clips instead of paperclips. But otherwise, he was spot on.
She didn't notice her visitor, being too preoccupied with her weather instruments. There was a thermometer mounted on one side of her window, and Goethe barometer on the other. A small plank was mounted on the windowsill, extending outside, where a rain gauge and wind vane were nailed down. Usually the window was open and the plank weighed down by plants, but Tara was hurriedly taking them down, having already shut the window.
While she knew her window was open, she was so involved with her task that the casual greeting took her completely by surprise. A shiver ran down her spine, and the pot in her hands slipped through her fingers, shattering on the floor.
"Who- oh." Tara looked around, relaxing slightly when she saw the figure in the doorway. "You're... remind me what your name is?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:50 pm
He hadn’t thought he had been surprising, but when someone looked at you and then dropped a plant, you got self conscious. Anyone else and it might have been a compliment, but Remi wasn’t delusions enough to think he was ruggedly handsome. Charming, entertaining, with eyes that could melt you with a glance – maybe. Drop Dead Gorgeous – only if he bothered to put some effort in his appearance and he already had an image that required no maintenance.
Still, when pretty girls dropped plants, it was time to start wishing you were vain enough to keep a comb in your back pocket. Even more damaging to the ego was that she didn’t know his name. Horrifying AND unimpressive! What a way to start the day! it was probably best to admit that his impressive was not the best one, apologize, and return when he looked better and had a armful of red roses. Few girls were impressed with cookie crumbs on your pants.
“Name’s Remi. I live in room 24.” Which probably wasn’t a good idea to tell her if he wanted to show her his good sides. There was no need to add untidy to the list. “Here, let me help you with that.” Opening the box, he went over and shoved the plant and dirt into the bag, scooping up as much as he could before turning the box right. “Might not be the best soil, but I’m sure desert never hurt a plant.” He held the box out to her.
"Nice room you've got here."
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:16 pm
"Riiiight. I knew that." Really, once Remi reminded Tara of his name, she did remember. She just didn't have everyone's name on the tip of her tongue, especially when she was trying to remember the names of clouds. But you didn't go to the same school with someone for three years without learning a thing or two. "Remi the writer. What brings you to the second floor?"
Tara tried to be casual, even though inside she was brimming with excitement. Maybe he was interested in what she did. Maybe he wanted to help with her research. Or even better, maybe he needed her help with something. Tara was confident in her abilities and rarely worried about herself, but she really liked being able to help other people. Whatever the case was, she managed to restrain herself. She could always ambush him after she found out his motive, if it was necessary.
It seemed, however, that he seemed intent on helping her. "You don't need to worry about it," she tried to assure him. "I was just distracted. It happens a lot." Tara went through science supplies as quickly as she went through cans of frosting. She wore contacts because she had broken three pairs of glasses and lost five. But she hadn't spoken quickly enough, and he was already brushing the plant and dirt into a nearby box. "Thanks," she murmured, picking up the shards of broken pot and depositing them in an empty potato chip bag, which she dropped in the garbage.
"Thanks," Tara repeated, meaning both "thanks for the help" and "thanks for the compliment." Since the latter was more interesting, she tilted her head and bit her lip. "What do you like about it? Oh, and is there something I can do for you?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:29 pm
Experience had taught him that telling a girl that you were looking for someone to make you a sandwich usually got you slapped. He asked that from girls before, and he never got his grilled ham and cheese. Telling Tara that he was on a search for food while eating cookies made it seem just as bad. So he had a high metabolism and no cooking skills, but looking like a glutton wasn’t a charming aspect. “The boy’s bathroom is getting low on toilet paper, so I’m up here to grab some.” A kind heart on a important mission. That always impressed.
“I guess I like the whole free flow of thoughts and ideas you have plastered up on the wall. It’s like you were suddenly taken into one of those moments where you were connecting the dots and tearing out pages from magazines to post on the wall before it slipped your mind. Very chaotic and just ‘Pow’. I like that.” Now in the room, he could take in a better view of things. Little scientific instruments mixed with a few girl touches. A cosmetic case next to a glass beaker really was the best part of the entire room. It spoke volumes, and Remi wanted to write them.
“Aside from that, I’m not doing much of anything. Just making my way around the floors. It’s never a bad time to meet someone new.” He hoped this girl was someone new and not just another case of him forgetting a name. “Sorry, but I really don’t remember your name. I’m guessing you’re a scientist?”
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:32 pm
If Remi had asked for a sandwich, Tara would have tried to make one. It was probably lucky that he didn't though, since her attempts would only produce a burnt scrap of cheesy bread and an angry Fallon. She was duly unimpressed by his supposedly charitable mission, and disappointed as well. It was only by chance that he talked to her. Pity.
Still, that was no reason to give up on a potential listener. Tara opened her mouth... and continued to keep it open, gaping, as she listened. Most people who looked in her room turned their noses up at the mess, or the volume of shoeboxes (none of which actually contained shoes), or the sheer randomness of the contents. But not this guy. Somehow, he got her, just by looking at the room.
"You're awesome, you know that?" Compliments were usually the way to bend an ear her way, and even if Remi understood without one, it never hurt to lay them on thick. "You totally get it! Brilliance isn't a neat and controlled thing. It happens in flashes, and if you don't take advantage of it, you lose it. Science isn't tidy, you know, it's really messy. Just look at Albert Einstein!"
Wow, now he was asking her name? Tara smiled; clearly her reputation hadn't preceded her in this case. Which was probably good. "Tara Kavanaugh. I'd add my room number, but it's kind of obvious." She waved him in, shoving a pile of old magazines off the bed. As they fell, titles as varied as National Geographic and Cosmo Girl were visible. "If you have some time, want to stay a bit? I could show you a little about what I do here."
She paused, smirking. "If you think they boy's bathroom can hold out, anyway," she added teasingly.
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:02 pm
“If I don’t do the mission, someone else will.” Remi happily took a set on the bed, feeing strangely comfortable at a place he wasn’t familiar with at all. It was the mess, the general destruction of order, and the feeling of just being in the middle of a great idea that was still in the process of being complete. It didn’t help that he was complimented either. Sugar was better than vinegar after all.
“You flatter me, but don’t stop. If being messy is a sign of being intelligent, than my room makes me a genius.” Not that he wasn’t one already. “I haven’t seen my floor in ages, and my desk just manages to be recognizable at this point. I just can’t work any other way than having it all out there to take in. You should come down sometime.” He was sure that someone like Tara would understand where his room was coming from. Never had he gotten a complement on the fact that there was never a place to sit or that his clustered floor was a fire hazard, especially not from a girl. It was usually girls that turned their nose when passing by his open door, and a few times he had the floor supervisor come by and tell him to do something about it. It wasn’t like it was a big deal. At no point did his room reek of BO or some molding food stuff. Even his nose was sensitive. The room, like Remi, was a free thinker that was breaking boundaries. His room being a bit more literal on that as it often spilled into the hallways.
“I’d love to hang around. What are you working on anyways?”
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