surreality
Having decided that she needed a break from the usual scenery, Alba had bustled all of her homework and papers together, stuffed them in her ever-faithful and ever-present tote bag, and walked to Destiny's City public library for a little peace and quiet. She hoped that perhaps being in an all-access, non-descript building meant to be silent at all hours of the day and surrounded by books would keep crazy, jumper-cable-wielding people far, far away. If her plan failed, well, she did have her henshin pen with her.
Though hopefully, its only use for the day would be to simply be a pen, and nothing more.
She found a private little nook in the second story of the library by the non-fiction rows of shelves. The nook had a wide seating area next to a window, so she had plenty of natural light to read by and enough cushion to feel comfortable for a few hours. Leaning against the wall, she reached out and grabbed the first assignment to read. After thumbing through the pages to the right number, she suddenly found it difficult to concentrate on the first passage.
Had you compared the Alba today to the Alba a month ago, an Alba free of destiny and cosmos, you would have noticed an obvious decrease in weight and increase in scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Her injuries were minimal but enough to warrant concern from certain teachers, to whom she explained that she just got a little too carried away in the scene, it was all.
She sighed, and wondered how much longer her second life would continue alone. Alba was lucky enough to find Flora just a few nights before, but Atlas...? It had been two weeks since she made her offer, and it had been two weeks since she last saw the meek boy, quietly sipping on his hot cocoa.
"I wonder how he's doing..." She mumbled to herself, before attempting a second time to focus on the book she held with the aid of her lap.
Though hopefully, its only use for the day would be to simply be a pen, and nothing more.
She found a private little nook in the second story of the library by the non-fiction rows of shelves. The nook had a wide seating area next to a window, so she had plenty of natural light to read by and enough cushion to feel comfortable for a few hours. Leaning against the wall, she reached out and grabbed the first assignment to read. After thumbing through the pages to the right number, she suddenly found it difficult to concentrate on the first passage.
Had you compared the Alba today to the Alba a month ago, an Alba free of destiny and cosmos, you would have noticed an obvious decrease in weight and increase in scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Her injuries were minimal but enough to warrant concern from certain teachers, to whom she explained that she just got a little too carried away in the scene, it was all.
She sighed, and wondered how much longer her second life would continue alone. Alba was lucky enough to find Flora just a few nights before, but Atlas...? It had been two weeks since she made her offer, and it had been two weeks since she last saw the meek boy, quietly sipping on his hot cocoa.
"I wonder how he's doing..." She mumbled to herself, before attempting a second time to focus on the book she held with the aid of her lap.
Mouse Pachinkorelli
Bookstores and libraries were nice places. Simon visited them often, though not because he was much of a bookworm - sure, he enjoyed spending some quality time with a good story once in a while, but he valued them for their welcoming atmosphere, and their peace and quiet. He would often take refuge in them when he was a kid. This habit had continued on to his high school years, though he no longer felt the need to stay curled up in the sofas until a librarian politely informed him it was time to leave.
But he came there today for those same reasons: for the peace, and the quiet. The park hadn't worked out too well for relaxation, so he figured burying his attention into a book would be the next best thing to try. The whole senshi gig hadn't been very kind to his demeanor, either: it was typical of him to look worried, but now there was an added layer of strain piled on to that; he had clearly grown to expect a higher chance of something bad interrupting his daily life now that he knew of a genuine evil lurking the streets of Destiny City.
When he saw a familiar mass of wavy dark hair seated near the window, he felt a mixture of surprise and relief.
Quietly enough to make him the library's poster boy for good behavior, Simon approached her chair, timidly lifting a hand in a weak version of the standard attention-getting gesture.
"Alba...?"
Then he was close enough to get a second look at her-- and saw her injuries, her weariness... and had she lost some weight? His brow furrowed with concern, and fidgeting with one of the bracelets on his wrists, he quietly sat down next to her. "A-are you okay? God, you look..."
He trailed off. Telling her she looked terrible would have make for a very awkward reunion.
But he came there today for those same reasons: for the peace, and the quiet. The park hadn't worked out too well for relaxation, so he figured burying his attention into a book would be the next best thing to try. The whole senshi gig hadn't been very kind to his demeanor, either: it was typical of him to look worried, but now there was an added layer of strain piled on to that; he had clearly grown to expect a higher chance of something bad interrupting his daily life now that he knew of a genuine evil lurking the streets of Destiny City.
When he saw a familiar mass of wavy dark hair seated near the window, he felt a mixture of surprise and relief.
Quietly enough to make him the library's poster boy for good behavior, Simon approached her chair, timidly lifting a hand in a weak version of the standard attention-getting gesture.
"Alba...?"
Then he was close enough to get a second look at her-- and saw her injuries, her weariness... and had she lost some weight? His brow furrowed with concern, and fidgeting with one of the bracelets on his wrists, he quietly sat down next to her. "A-are you okay? God, you look..."
He trailed off. Telling her she looked terrible would have make for a very awkward reunion.
surreality
What a library was to Alba could easily be described in the same strain as what a faithful person would find inside a cathedral: a sense of sanctuary. So it was to no surprise that she had let her guard a few notches down once she finally found enough motivation to begin to read, and the coughs, the shuffling pages, and the creaking wooden steps beneath the newly renovated carpet blocks were pulled back as fizzling background noise. It worked just as well as a lullaby.
The call of her name, however quiet it might have been, caused her to jump in her seat and fumble clumsily with her book. She managed to catch it before it fell, a cascade of thick brown hair washing over her face before she had a chance to look at her inquirerer. By then, though, it wasn't necessary to see; the voice sparked something in her recent memory.
"Simon...?" She questioned as she used her free hand to part her mass of hair from the front of her face and bunched messily behind an ear. Her expression could only be described as an embodiment of warmth and relief to see her friend alive and safe. "It's good to see you!"
Though the smile didn't last for long. Simon didn't have to finish the sentence for Alba to know what he meant, and with that, her mood changed to something a little more somber. "....like hell. Yeah. I know. ....though if I may inquire, you aren't looking so good either. Everything okay with you? ...anymore instances?"
The call of her name, however quiet it might have been, caused her to jump in her seat and fumble clumsily with her book. She managed to catch it before it fell, a cascade of thick brown hair washing over her face before she had a chance to look at her inquirerer. By then, though, it wasn't necessary to see; the voice sparked something in her recent memory.
"Simon...?" She questioned as she used her free hand to part her mass of hair from the front of her face and bunched messily behind an ear. Her expression could only be described as an embodiment of warmth and relief to see her friend alive and safe. "It's good to see you!"
Though the smile didn't last for long. Simon didn't have to finish the sentence for Alba to know what he meant, and with that, her mood changed to something a little more somber. "....like hell. Yeah. I know. ....though if I may inquire, you aren't looking so good either. Everything okay with you? ...anymore instances?"
Mouse Pachinkorelli
When Alba smiled at him, Simon couldn't help but smile back, just a tiny bit. Despite the circumstances of their first meeting, and how little contact they had had with each other since then, the Crystal girl was quickly becoming a much-needed "safe" individual in his corner of the world. She didn't judge, she didn't push, she didn't put him down or expect too much of him... she was just... nice.
"Good to see you, too..."
His own hair was just as much of a mess, but seemed to stop short of his bangs falling down over his eyes. Which was typical of Simon, really; he had the classical case of untamable boy hair that would only stick out in different places when he ran his fingers over it.
Idly wringing his hands in his lap, he responded, "Just one... at the park, there was someone else there..."
He bit his lip, hesitating.
"And... I... k-kindofwreckedabridge..."
"Good to see you, too..."
His own hair was just as much of a mess, but seemed to stop short of his bangs falling down over his eyes. Which was typical of Simon, really; he had the classical case of untamable boy hair that would only stick out in different places when he ran his fingers over it.
Idly wringing his hands in his lap, he responded, "Just one... at the park, there was someone else there..."
He bit his lip, hesitating.
"And... I... k-kindofwreckedabridge..."
surreality
She had been concerned over his more-than-usual apprehensive demeanor when she first laid eyes on the lanky hillworth boy. While it was true that she hadn't known Simon for more than a few hours collected over a span of two or three days, she felt very drawn to him; which didn't happen often, in Alba's case. However long they knew each other didn't matter in the long run, as what she saw inside Simon's glass-framed eyes were the same fears and exhaustion as her own.
Nobody ever said being a senshi was an easy task.
At the end of his story, though, she couldn't help but crack a smile and suppress a stream of giggles. 'Kind of wrecked a bridge?' That's Simon, alright.
"You.." Her hand reached out to muffle her laughter, "wrecked a bridge? In the park?" She didn't bother to wait for him to confirm an answer as her body began to quiver from keeping as quiet as possible. "Oh, Simon...!"
Nobody ever said being a senshi was an easy task.
At the end of his story, though, she couldn't help but crack a smile and suppress a stream of giggles. 'Kind of wrecked a bridge?' That's Simon, alright.
"You.." Her hand reached out to muffle her laughter, "wrecked a bridge? In the park?" She didn't bother to wait for him to confirm an answer as her body began to quiver from keeping as quiet as possible. "Oh, Simon...!"
