[PRP] Open Invitation ( Quinn & Tsuji )

[alpha lyrae]

The sun was bright but the day had brought brisk winds, but Tsuji barely took any of that in as she held onto Huan Yi's hand and let her eyes wander over the tall buildings they passed between. Other people would come their way on the small path, boys and girls who looked only a few years older than Huan Yi, but they passed them by, too focused on their own agendas.

The fact of the matter was that Huan Yi was going to be out of high school soon, and it was time to consider colleges to attend. It was best to start close to home and then work from there, she had told the Ashe when waking her early this morning. Tsuji was happy to be getting out of the house and seeing somewhere she'd never been before, even if she had been bored sitting in the stuffy office that her guardian had taken her to, in order to talk to the advisers about what the college had to offer. The child's presence had probably helped her inquiries about a "flexible school schedule", despite the strange looks that they had received in return.

For the time being, they were free to wander while they waited the next few hours for the larger tour group they'd be joining to arrive. The bell rang the noon hour, and students were everywhere - chatting on their way to class, relaxing on the grass just off the path, eating lunch with friends. The relaxed atmosphere seemed so different from high school, Huan Yi noted, and she felt excited about applying here. The school was nice, the staff was helpful, and it was close to her home - all things she approved of.

"Can we get something to eat?" Tsuji's stomach rumbled and the child squeezed her mother figure's hand. As interested as she was in the change of scenery, her appetite had other plans. The girl nodded and led her closer towards the dining and outdoor common area. The muffled thump of bass greeted them as they rounded the corner and arrived at the common square, where large speakers pumped out music for the enjoyment of the students. A number of them were dancing (perhaps it was a club performance, or so Huan Yi figured), and for a moment Tsuji forgot her hunger and watched in wonder. Ever since her chance discovery of ballet on morning television, the sight of dance has enthralled her, and she devoured every move her gaze fell upon with relish.

What she wouldn't give to learn that!

And learn it, she most certainly intended to do. With a mumble at Huan Yi, she loosed her fingers from hers and struggled through the crowd to get a closer look. Her guardian cried out in surprise and tailed after her, mumbling "pardon me"s and "excuse me"s as she went.

"Tsuji -- sorry, sir -- mind your hat! Don't let it fall off!"  

[Syusaki]

The music repeatedly blasted into Miki’s ears. He easily counted the beats of eight in his head. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. One. Two. Three. Four. The numbers that were closest to his heart, the numbers that he knew by heart. It was a count that he had recited so many times to himself that it was natural now, no need to consciously count it himself. They simply appeared into his head at a steady rhythm, never once straying from the beat.

Work it harder make it better. Do it faster, makes us stronger. More than ever hour after. Our work is never over. He mouthed the lyrics, smiling at the crowd that grew as another and another person joined in to observe the spectacle.

He spun around and crouched to the ground, a knee brushing the wooden stage. The song ended and the common area erupted in applause, but was quickly hushed by the slow beating of drums. The group was going to dance again. Miki lifted and dropped his back, as if a puppeteer’s hand hovered over his back and pulled and fell back, willing the marionette Miki stand u---stand down. Stand u---stand down. Half a count. He jumped up and slowly strode across the stage, arms and legs popping to move him forward.

“I don’t understand your fascination with dance. Really.” Quinn’s voice was lost in the cheering and screaming of the crowd as she gazed at the performance with disinterest. Dancing was merely artistically moving to a song. That wasn’t worthy of drawing such a large audience, was it?

As she pressed herself to continue watching her guardian out of plain respect, the Ashe crossed her arms, attempting to patiently let the excited humans roughly push her around. The blonde’s arms crossed and she stared out at the stage, following the moving figure of Miki before someone’s head blocked her view.

“What?” she hissed. Her eyes narrowed, growing stormy. She clawed at her jacket and gritted her teeth. Punch him. She wanted to punch him. Push him. Do something to get back at him. But then Miki wouldn’t like that. It’d cause him trouble, right? Quinn bit down on her bottom lip, stubbornly paying no heed to the pain before turning away on the ball of her shoes. Dammit!

She wormed her small body through the crowd, squeezing past people that were ready to go hysterical. Quinn could only roll her eyes at them. Over-reacting, much?

“—your hat! Don’t le tit fall off!” She heard a girl cry and the child curiously turned toward the voice. Her gaze locked onto another child and a girl with long hair, struggling to keep up with the speedy kid. She grinned and slinked through the mass, reaching the pair in no time at all.

Her lips pursed as she fluidly reached up and grabbed the girl’s hat. No wrong in a little bit of mischief. She’d give it back somehow, honest!

[[ Describing dance moves are hard. rofl. >_<;; ]]  

[alpha lyrae]

The first thing Tsuji felt was the breeze brushing her hair from her face. Her steps halted quickly and brown fingers reached up to feel for the old baseball cap that had crowned Huan Yi's head in childhood - nope, not there. A quick spin showed her that it was not behind her, and her yellow eyes scanned the ground as she anxiously perused between legs for any sign of it. She was less concerned with people seeing the vibrant color of her hair or the marking on her face than with the possibility that this piece of her guardian's childhood was lost among the sea of strangers.

But notice they did. It wasn't much of a notice (a couple of stares in her direction before conversations resumed), but enough to get Huan Yi nice and anxious.

"T-Tsuji!" she cried, before promptly flushing. The yell would probably attract even more attention than she had wanted. Her exhilaration at the tour was now crashing. Oh, things were just going swimmingly. Her voice, as loud as it had seemed to her, didn't travel over the volume of the dance club's music or the chatter, and still the child remained, searching for the hat. No sign on the ground, nor in the grass.. but then her eyes met the burnt orange color she was looking for..

.. Grasped in the hands of a small blonde child. She wasn't that small, but still a touch shorter than her. Given Tsuji's recent growth spurts, this was to be expected. The Ashe's lips formed a pensive line as they followed with her eyes the hat to the hand, then the hand to the face. What to do, what to do?

"That's mine," she said simply. "Although I don't really wanna put it on again, I should probably get it back." She thought she might put a bit of a personal note in there, since really, she had no interest in wearing it again. It was warm and itchy under that hat.  

[Syusaki]

Quinn picked the hat as easy as picking cherries from a tree, and it made her want to laugh. As she soundlessly lifted the cap off of the child’s head and disappeared into the crowd, her stormy eyes sparkled with delight and mischief. What would the stranger do next? She wondered. It was a given that they would notice the lack of their hat, but the question remained whether they had the eyes to notice small Quinn as she continuously snaked through the fanatical college students.

I hope you show me something interesting. She cheerfully thought.

A high voice echoed above the yelling made Quinn stop in her tracks. Her gaze trailed to the side, angling her head to catch a glimpse of the girl behind her. The inkling of a smile tugged on her lips as she casually lifted the hat in her grasp. “Oh, you mean this little thing?” she answered in a low voice. “You’re absolutely sure about that?” Her tone became playful as she turned, stepping around to completely face the girl. “Since, you know, I don’t think you’re the only one here who wears such an annoying shade of orange.” Quinn added with a chuckle.

Quinn soaked in the details of the other child, especially taking note of the odd coloring of her hair. She smirked; at least she wasn’t the one earning second glances from bystanders.

Applause roared through the air and approving whistles pierced the noise as the music faded. Mildly curious, Quinn looked toward the stage, where the dancers were lined up in neat rows and took their final bows. “Huh. Looks like Miki’s done with his performance,” she muttered, briefly locking gazes with her guardian.

Noticing the splash of orange in her hands, Miki furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head, throwing the blond a questioning look. You better not be brewing trouble. He mouthed the words as he impatiently waited for the cheering to stop.

She only grinned.  

[alpha lyrae]

Tsuji's stomach growled softly, reminding her of the need for food that had been put off by the distraction of the dancers. She looked to the stage where the dancers had just finished their performance, and felt a little annoyed that she didn't catch the whole thing from the beginning. The cat-like eyes then turned back to the other child, who held the hat borrowed from Huan Yi carelessly in her hands. The words spoken were baiting, playful.. Tsuji recognized the tone, since it was one she employed quite regularly herself.

Well, two could play at this game.

"I dunno," she shrugged. "That annoying shade of orange seems right up your alley too. Why don't you try it on? I'm sure Huan Yi wouldn't mind. It would look lovely on you." Her tiny arms crossed over her chest and she flashed a smirk back at the other child. But just as she had made mention of her guardian, the Chinese girl broke through the throng of college students behind them, putting her hands to her knees as her breaths came in pants from the exertion. The mischievous light in Tsuji's eyes dimmed and donned a look of worry instead.

"Oh.. w.. who's this?" Her guardian added between pants, but then her eyes widened at the sight of the ancient orange baseball cap in the newcomer's fingers. "Oh, my hat.. !" If she had had any desire to carry on that thought, it was batted away when Tsuji waved her hand and patted the girl on the arm as though to say that she could handle it. However another low rumble from her insides made her look down and her cheeks color, and she pressed a small browned hand to the front of her windbreaker, appearing momentarily conflicted.

".. Look, I'd like to play more, but I haven't eaten in forever. Let's go eat first then we can continue?" There was some impatience in her tone, but her eyes were imploring. This stranger was interesting. There was that same mischievous spark she had recognized in Chath, and it made her feel they had something in common, something still to be fully discovered. Huan Yi heaved a sigh, relieved that the atmosphere she had taken as possibly hostile had been dissolved so easily. The crowd had turned their attention away from the stage and the children as the show dispersed, and moved away, continuing with their daily regime.

Crisis averted, for the time being.  

[Syusaki]

[[ Sorry this took so long. Didn't notice your tag until a couple weeks ago. ;;; ]]

She stared at the other, head arrogantly cocked to the side as she impatiently waited for an answer. Quinn flicked her wrist, idly spinning the cap around as she narrowed her eyes. That was not the reply she expected. Her gaze remained pensive, digesting the other girl’s words.

Lips quirked into a small grin; eyes burned with intense amusement. The other girl’s words would, on the other hand, evidently proof to be more entertaining than the usual reaction. What kind of conversation would the pair strike up? Would it become heated, with retorts flying back and forth as one attempted to outdo the other? One could only imagine. Quinn stretched her smirk wider, popping a curious eyebrow at her.

“Thank you for the compliment! You flatter me so, since not everyone can make something ugly appear stylish,” she coolly retorted, biting on the inside of her lips to prevent herself from clawing that smirk off the other’s face.

A taller girl wormed through the crowd and towards the two children. Curiously, Quinn took in her appearance and the apparently close relationship with the other girl. It was like the game was ending before it started! Only not quite so. She scowled and shrugged, not bothering to mask the displeasure in her voice as she conceded, “Yeah, fine. I could go for some food too.”

The crowd thinned, revealing a sprinting Miki. Noticing the foreign object in her hands and he worriedly pursed his lips. Placing himself at Quinn’s side he placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling apologetically. “I apologize in advance if Quinn has caused any trouble for you two.”

Frowning, she grasped Miki’s hand and carelessly tossed the hat back. “I wasn’t making any trouble. Not yet,” grumbled the blond. “By the way, this is Miki.” She stared at them with expectant eyes, waiting for them to introduce themselves. It was only fair, right? It was only polite, right?