|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:15 pm
Most shops and restaurants were closed. They’d been closed ever since that weird epidemic hit a few weeks ago. It had truly set Sydney’s plans awry. Almost all of her usual places—or as usual as it could get, she liked to wander from one store to the next—were now dark and empty, devoid of life as the shop waited for its owner to return. It was so disheartening, especially since the redhead was now forced to aimlessly wander the city on her skateboard, eyeing the few open shops over and over. The titles weren’t particularly interesting. Shoes. Clothes. Art. Fo—
Food?!
She hopped off her board and scuttled across the street faster than someone could say “Dude what’s that?”. Given the current circumstances of the town, the restaurant was quite vacant, but there were a few diners. Since it was understaffed, there was a waiting queue of one other person. Sydney pounced over to them. “Just by yourself?” she inquired with a childish tilt of her head. “Why don’t we eat together then?” She grinned, inside she was hankering for some human interaction.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:18 pm
Escaping his sister had been a demanding task, that much was true, and it somehow brought along a thousand misfortunes; almost as if she had cursed him for fleeing home or something similar. Finding himself a place to stop and clear his head had been a difficult task seeing how most shops were closed and he didn't want to go anywhere people that knew of him might be. On the other hand the long walk he was forced to take somehow lifted his sour mood that was lingering there ever since the night before.
He had just entered the first open restaurant he found on his way and he had just finished giving his order -just some green salad since he didn't feel like his stomach could take much more than that- when suddenly a girl he didn't really know appeared practically out of nowhere and asked if he would like to eat together with her. He paused, unable to speak for a pair of seconds taken by surprise as he was. He surely was not expecting that, and to eat with some stranger was... well, wasn't it embarrassing? "Uhm, I- that's- you see..." he stuttered trying to win enough time to figure out a proper response to give. "W-Well, I suppose we can... I mean... why not?" Even though he wasn't entirely sure of his response, it sure wasn't polite to turn a girl down; not to mention it couldn't really hurt hanging out with someone for a change of pace, could it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:26 pm
Eyes wide, Sydney eagerly stared at the boy as she waited for his answer. Grinning widely, she bent down to his height. Realizing how low she had to bend, Sydney that this boy was short, a stark contrast compared to her tall five-foot-eleven stature. The revelation tickling the tomboy, she merely beamed wider, oblivious to the awkwardness that the lad was obviously exuding. Upon hearing his reluctant agreement she finally retreated, looking victorious and absolutely ecstatic. Someone to talk with!
“Awesome! Table for two then~” chirped the redhead, as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder with sudden closeness. The waitress warily eyed the pair, but quickly nodded her head and scurried off to show them their table.
Her arm drifting down to excitedly grasp his hand, Sydney tugged him along to the table before letting go to slide into her seat. After chirping out a brief thank you as the worker handed them menus, she happily flipped it open and scanned the items. “Oh yeah. I’m Sydney Martin, by the way! Nice to meet you,” she introduced, her head popping above the menu as she smiled like a child bursting with glee. “Sorry if that was sudden. It’s just that with so many of my friends gone and stuff, it’s been so lonely and I’ve been wanting to talk with someone my age for a while! Well, I guess I could talk with my older brother, but he’s never any fun,” she explained
She leaned back in her seat and slid down, revealing her mute green shirt. It was large and loose, obviously meant for the broader shoulders of a man rather than her smaller ones.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:37 am
Although hesitant, Ciel couldn't help but find himself smiling a little back at the girl. And how couldn't he when she was looking so sincerely happy with his answer? Truth be told he was rather weak when it came to everyone's but his own wishes; he was always so quick to give in and go along with them that he often wondered about it himself.
He didn't have time to respond any further when he found himself 'assaulted' by the other girl, who casually wrapped herself around him, her arm resting around his shoulders in a familiar manner as if she had known him for years. Strange enough, Ciel didn't feel as threatened by the invasion of his vital space -the girl appeared to be harmless enough- so he simply smiled awkwardly at the waitress who quickly headed off to show them to a table.
And just like that he was pulled along and was released only when they were there. He watched the girl take her seat and proceeded to quietly seat himself as well opposite of her. He took a moment to study the girl and her expressions as she quickly devoted herself to her copy of the restaurant's menu. She was overflowing with such abundant energy... Ciel thought it admirable; he wasn't good at that himself. He made haste to open his own menu and lower his eyes to skip through the various sections. He didn't feel like making himself even more awkward and he certainly would be if he was caught staring.
Staying silent didn't seem very polite so he was about to make an attempt at starting a topic when the girl got to him first by introducing herself. Introductions, now why hadn't he thought of that first? "I'm Ciel. Ciel Southworth. It is nice to meet you too." he spoke in return, trying to make sure he wasn't sounding like an idiot. Her speaking gave him just enough time to familiarize himself with her a little by looking at her. It was going to be alright.
"No, no... You don't have to apologize!" he exclaimed, with a negative shake of the head to underline his words. "Really, it's okay. I just... I'm not..." he sighed and paused. Blurting out so many words trying to decide what is the right thing to say wouldn't quite cut it. He had to stay calm and think before speaking. "What I want to say is... It's my fault for looking so helpless, isn't it?" he flashed an innocent smile rubbing the back of his neck with one hand at his attempt of making a joke of his situation.
"Yeah... I know how that feels..." he mumbled at the mention of her older brother. His own brother was about the same, that is, when he was actually around. Finding that one common point he suddenly felt comfortable enough to push forward a little; though it was probably just Sydney's outgoing manner that had started to rub off on him. "If I may ask... what happened to your friends? Did they get sick in the passing epidemic? I mean, a lot of people went down with it and everything. It must feel lonely all by yourself..."
He placed both hands on his lap and bent a little forward feeling slightly more relaxed now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:38 pm
“Ciel? That sounds like a real pretty name. It’s French, right? No idea what it means though,” she replied thoughtfully, her shoes brushing against the floor as her stick legs rocked back and forth. Her head swinging left and right to an imaginary tune, Sydney idly skimmed the menu list. “My parents want me to take a language, but I dunno which one to take. It’s pretty much French or Spanish, but which one to pick?” If Ciel sounded like an idiot, she was an even bigger one for not noticing it. “Do you come here often? Truthfully, this is the first time I’ve been to this particular restaurant.” Her lips puckered as she attempted to pull out any interesting dishes from the set.
Looking up to questioningly listen to the boy’s response, her face was blank yet attentive. Sydney laughed, shaking her head. “Even if you didn’t look helpless I still would have asked, probably. Now, if you were with company, that would be a different matter,” she admitted. Eyes narrowed with soft amusement, she turned unusually quiet. Perhaps the sullen spell that had befallen the city had managed to worm its way into the perky tomboy at last.
She smiled ruefully at his question. “Uhhh. Yeah, a lot of them did. The rest aren’t here at the moment, whether they skipped town or are just too busy emoing.” Sydney sighed, placing down her menu. “Mm. I guess it’s lonely, but it’s not good to wallow in depression either, I think.” She smiled brightly. “I’m just gonna go with a plain ol’ hamburger with lots of fries. Nothing beats the American classic, right?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:52 am
Ciel quickly averted his gaze, blushing a little at the compliment. "I-It is... it means 'sky'. A-and thank you. M-my mother picked it. She's the French one in the family." he looked back at Sydney going through the menu thinking on her question regarding languages. "Well... it pretty much depends on whether you want to be lyrical or practical. Although both French and Spanish are good sounding languages, French was mostly used throughout the past century but is still associated with the arts and cultured people. There are more job opportunities for Spanish learners nowadays, however; seeing how Spain has been making advances in the industry. Of course, it's a little early to be thinking ahead to working at this point..." he stopped talking for a second. Was he speaking way too much? He was, wasn't he? He didn't mean to overwhelm the girl with unneeded knowledge. "But, ultimately, it's your decision to make since they let you choose." he finished not to say anything more.
He was almost taken by surprise when Sydney asked if he was coming there often. Often? No... that wasn't it. "N-not really..." he mumbled, allowing to that guilty feeling that had been lingering there ever since he left his home built up inside him. "I was running away, so I just wandered as far away as I could." he admitted, although it was mostly addressed to himself. "It's a first time for me as well... I usually cook at home." he smiled awkwardly.
He shifted a bit to the right, crossing his legs to make himself comfortable, even though he almost fell off his chair at Sydney's mention of 'company'. Company? What kind of company? Did she mean friends... or a date? Or- what could she possibly mean and why would it be different? No, he knew that already, it was pretty uncomfortable having to stay around lovestruck people if that was what she meant. On the other hand, from the first impression he got Sydney didn't seem like a person who would get awkward because of something like that. Then again, he had just met her so he couldn't possibly know, but... In the end, he didn't have the courage to ask her about it. Maybe if he knew her a little better he wouldn't hesitate as much.
"I guess everything's going weird as of lately." he mentioned casting a rueful glance away at the rest of the mostly empty restaurant. He wasn't sure why he said 'weird' either. It was just it seemed to sum his strange mood that day rather well, not to mention everything else. "But you're right." he found himself agreeing the next moment. "Being depressed isn't going to cut it, after all." although he knew that it was just one part of him that meant those words.
Just then the topic jumped back to food. He was thinking of going with a lot of green, but the mention of a hamburger made him rethink that. In the end, junk food wasn't that bad in a while. Ah, bad influences! But in that moment he couldn't care less. "Mmm..." just one more moment of indecision and hanging in between thoughts of doing it or not doing it. "I guess so." he nodded in the end. "Although I'm pretty sure that there are objections to the matter..." he added.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 1:16 pm
Watching him flush pink with embarrassment, Sydney giggled and beamed. “Sky, huh? Your mom must have fantastic naming skills. What are the names of your other sibling?” She paused. “Siblings, if you have more than one. I do.” Another lighthearted laugh before her head curiously dropped to the side, blankly watching the French lad explain the pros about both languages. Though her head mutely bobbed up and down, the void on her face clearly revealed that most of his explanation had flown over her head. She pursed her lips, mulling over her options. “Well, I dunno whether to pick French or Spanish. Maybe use something superficial. Like if my friends are taking French or not.” Sydney giggled.
She nodded sympathetically. “Oh, yeah. That makes total sense. I myself was wandering around—until I found a source of food, that is.” Sydney flashed a sheepish grin as she leaned back, grabbing her skateboard and briefly showed it to him. “My typical mode of transportation. It’s really fun, should try it sometime.”
If Ciel asked her straight out what Sydney meant by “company”, she would have flatly replied “any, particularly the romantic kind”. Although she herself had no problem with crashing in on a couple’s date, it would certainly earn her nasty glares and an awkward atmosphere (which she wouldn’t have minded, but still). It was merely less trouble to not barge in on those with others. Those who were alone, however . . .
Sliding forward her closed menu, Sydney eagerly watched Ciel slowly decide on his order. “So does that mean you want a hamburger and fries too?” she inquired, playfully drawling out the last word. “Either way, I think you should pick something quick! Since that waitress over there is strolling right along.” She half-nodded to the curly brunette that approached their table, pad and pencil in hand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
