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 Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 10:09 pm
Menthe had settled in pretty happily at the Aquarius outpost. As the furthest out of the outposts it seemed the least traveled. There were plenty of people who'd come to visit or had come to stay, but there weren't so many that she couldn't find herself some alone time if you wanted. And when she was bored there was plenty to work on. Aquarius seemed nice enough too, just as Leo had, which made her feel more comfortable then she'd originally imagine she would be in the strange surroundings.
After having spent hours trying to pile and stack books in the main room, and some time helping set up the pads and sleeping bags at base camp, she was finally doing something for herself. Attending to her hungry belly. The Leo outpost had the main kitchens, and she wasn't sure who to ask about food in Aquarius. She didn't really want to bother anyone or give them anymore trouble! So instead she'd set out on her own to try to walk back.
Little did she know just what a bad idea it was. The distance from the Aquarius outpost to any of the others by foot was daunting.. and the road was not always smooth or nice. Of course she had heels... it was just 'perfect' for traversing rubble. Ughh.
And lonely too. Her eyes kept darting out towards space, half expecting to see that large whale appear across the skyline. Why hadn't she asked for help? She could just.. trip off into space never to be seen. Or the whale... or anything really! And no one would even notice she was gone. Sigh....
Unfortunately she was pretty far now though... she couldn't see the outpost behind her anymore.
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 12:55 am
Fritz had started to grow very used to being in outer space, though he was still missing his home and his brother quite terribly. He and Tolliver were used to seeing each other every day; now they were both left to wonder what had happened to the other one.
And neither could even tell the other they were all right.
It was really quite maddening. So Fritz had taken to walking around to sort of blow off steam. And not wanting to leave any of the others with a bad impression of him, he tended to stray away from anyone when he was feeling particularly depressed, only returning when he was certain he could be cheerful again.
On one such morning he had gotten a little too bored. Fritz was starting to feel too cooped up in the outposts, too isolated, so he decided to just take a walk to Aquarius and back, since it was the farthest away and he could think while walking.
He'd only made it about halfway there when he found something quite unexpected.
"Menthe," Fritz said with some surprise, though he smiled at the young woman, nodding in hello, hands, as always, stuck in the pockets of his jeans. He hadn't seen the pale haired woman since their first arrival at Leo, and was pleased to see that she looked all right.
Though, upon further scrutinizing, she also seemed to look quite...uneasy? Fritz peered at her, slightly worried.
"Are you all right?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 5:31 am
Her eyes had been on the road in front of her, careful to step around some rubble and not twist her ankle but tripping or stepping on anything strange. So she hadn't noticed the familiar face until she heard her name, eyes lifting in surprise. And not bad surprise! There was probably not a time in her life that she was happier to see someone, and all the better that it was someone she knew vaguely. There was even a strange bit of relief and delight in her voice as she called back. "Fritz..?"
What was he doing out here? Really it didn't matter, she was too glad to have company (which in itself was a little funny considering how solitary she usually enjoyed being). It was funny how space could do that. Without much ado she made her way towards the approaching male, a soft smile on her features.
"I'm okay. A little... worried that something could come, but I'm otherwise fine." Her hand lifted, motioning gently out at the stars and beyond.
"What are you doing all the way out here?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 5:29 pm
Fritz was actually quite pleased to see Menthe. She was one of the few people that he actually knew - albeit, not particularly well, but he had spoken with her prior to their arrival at the zodiac outposts, which was something (at least in Fritz's mind). He had the feeling they would need as many friends as they could get while stuck in this place, which meant that he was going to take the opportunity to do just that.
He glanced around at the Surrounding. "It's a bit eerie, isn't it?" he responded lightly, though there was the faintest hint of apprehension in his voice. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, however, and Fritz gave Menthe a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure those zodiac people and the senshi are very capable of helping us out if we need it."
It was true, however, that they were now living in slight anxiety; even Fritz had heard of the attacks on a few of the civilians, rumors flying far and wide about just what had happened, who had been there, what there was to do now. It had made him feel slightly sick to his stomach, looking at the two comatose patients now ensconced away at Virgo's temple, but he tried not to dwell too much.
"I was just taking a walk to sorta, you know," He gave a mildly sheepish shrug. "Clear my head."
Stay calm. Stay focused. Stay positive.
It had become a mantra for him, a repeated phrase he was trying to keep within his head. It had mostly worked, but there were still times where even Fritz felt completely overwhelmed, isolated, cut off from the rest of the world.
Right now, however, he offered another smile to Menthe and held out his arm to her.
"I think we both could use the company," he said to her. "So would you care to join me back at the Virgo outpost for lunch? I'm certain we can find some simply delicious peanut butter and fluff sandwiches that I hear are divine."
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:46 pm
She nodded quickly in agreement, probably one of the most vigorous responses he'd seen in the usually quite refined and uptight woman. "Very much so. There is just.. so much everything. And so much that could be hiding in it." Glancing out into space again for a brief moment she found herself stepping nearer to him in apprehension. It was actually kind of strange how despite being so scary it could actually be a little beautiful. "I do like the quiet of it though... I can see why you would come out here to clear your head."
His arm was extended and an offer given, and Menthe stood for a moment, hesitant. He was a man... and they were technically all alone. Out here where no one could hear her scream.. and she didn't have her pepper spray.. her usual common sense would have had her declining.
But Fritz had so far proven to be nothing but kind and gentlemenly. And it seemed there were far more scary things to worry about. Especially with word that people were being attacked. Really she couldn't believe she'd even decided to come out on her own. Hunger did strange things.
Her fingers had hovered in uncertainty for a moment, but after a few seconds they timidly continued towards his arm, looping her arm around his. And once it was there... it was not long before she found herself clutched on pretty close. Safety in numbers. And comfort too.
"I was actually headed to Leo for food. But that sounds good too."
"I've never had that sort of sandwich" She confided with a soft smile. Menthe was more of a resturant and order in sort of girl. A food apprecciater, but not actually a cook.
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 8:31 pm
"So much everything," Fritz repeated, as if pondering Menthe's words. "You know, I do believe that is a perfect phrase for what's been going on around here. Too much of everything."
The Surrounding was, in and of itself, enormous, expanding for as far as the eye could see. Sometimes Fritz wondered what the other outposts were like - what about Taurus, of Aries, Pisces, the rest of the zodiacs? He could still hear the sadness in Virgo's voice when she had spoken of them; could still see the bittersweet memories fresh in her mind, of the people whom she did not know their whereabouts, or anything else. It made him long to be home, a near desperate desire to be back in his loft, with his brother and his cat and his family.
But that was not going to happen - at least, not for a long time. And he had to resign himself to that fact.
Fritz waited patiently while she deliberated on taking his arm, not bothered in the slightest by her hesitation. They did not know each other too well; it was only natural to be wary, but he was pleased when she accepted a moment later, her slender fingers tucked against the crook of his elbow.
"We can head to Leo if you like," he replied, smiling down at her. "I'm sure they have much better food, actually, since the kitchens are much more elaborate than Virgo's."
Green eyes widened slightly, and Fritz let out a mock gasp. "You've never had a peanut butter and fluff sandwich?" he repeated, pretending to be aghast. "I do believe that's a travesty. We have to to fix that immediately."
After a moment, he said "So, Menthe. Since we're going to be seeing each other around a bit while we're all stuck here, tell me a bit about yourself."
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Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:29 am
More than anything else the whole situation was just that, it was all so overwhelming. Some were taking it better with the others, Fritz was perhaps one of those. But even the most adjusted people had to have felt some trepidation from time to time. Menthe was just pretty happy that she'd kept herself busy enough to not be thinking about it constantly. It would be a lie to say she hadn't cried herself to sleep the first couple of nights. She was just one of those tender sort of people, and one not particularly accustomed or pleased with change.
"Anywhere with food is okay" She insisted, not wanting to make him go out of his way just for her. A barely audible growl from her stomach also insisted the sooner the better!
As he began to tease her, her fingers pressed a little tighter against his arm, yellow eyes softly widening. Menthe wasn't exactly well versed in joking and teasing and for a moment she actually wondered if he was serious, and suddenly felt very silly that she'd never had the supposed 'treat'. "I've never seen it on a menu before... But I like to try new things."
"That's one of my favorite things actually.. Going out to eat and trying new things."
The pressure under her fingers softened gently as he continued, a softly sheepish look touching her face. "I'm very boring really.. there isn't a whole lot to know."
"I'm 20... and an only child. I work as a secretary at a large law office. I've lived in Destiny City my whole life.. graduated from Meadowview highschool a few years ago. I live by myself in an apartment now... and I like to eat out a lot. And.. puzzles. I like to do crossword puzzles and word games." Her voice got softer as she spoke, becoming all the more self concious the longer she spoke. Menthe imagined she'd sounded as boring as she thought she was but it couldn't really be helped.
"What about you?" If he wanted to chatter the whole way well.. she wouldn't totally hate that.
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Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:11 pm
Fritz, for the most part, was putting on a good front. Outwardly he was quite capable of pretending himself to be a cheeky, laid back person, making the most of their awkward and unnerving situation. But as time went on, as the minutes stretched into hours, hours into days, he could feel his facade slipping a little more, just a little bit more with each word he spoke, each laugh he forced out. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to pretend that he didn't care, pretend that he was perfectly at ease out in space, surrounded by nothing and wondering about everything.
"Food is good, yes," Fritz replied easily, deliberately not mentioning that he had heard the low growl her stomach made. "But I have a feeling Leo has a better selection than Virgo, so we'll go there instead."
He slanted a gaze towards her. "Just kidding," he said gently, with a small smile. "And I think you won't have seen it on a menu before because this is a delicacy that cannot be replicated by even the greatest chefs."
This was all said very extravagantly, Fritz's adopted, overly grand nature almost forced, though he tried very hard for that fact to not be noticed. His head, which had felt better after spending time at Virgo, had started to ache again, his chest feeling tight, though it had nothing to do with external injuries.
"Nobody is boring," Fritz said breezily. "Everyone has a story to tell, even if it's perhaps not as outlandish as some."
He blinked down at her, tilting his head. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at puzzles," came the rueful answer, his eyes curious. "I'm too impatient, I suppose."
A laugh escaped his throat, this time genuine. "Me?" said Fritz, smiling. "Well, I'm nineteen. My parents are from Bristol, England, and they still live there. My twin brother and I moved to Destiny City a few years ago; we live together in a loft downtown. We both go to DCU, me as an art major, him as an English major. We write an online webcomic - Tolliver writes the storyline, I draw for it."
"Oh," he added, with false modesty. "And I'm pretty darn good at the yo-yo, if I do say so myself."
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:10 am
If she were more of a people person she might have noticed the facade and the slips, but she was just so unaccustomed. Maybe with time she would, but for now she was oblivious to his pain, and happy to absorb every ounce of optimism and collected calm from him.
He was grandeous, that was for certain. And if there had been a group like him she surely would have simply faded to the back, whether it be purposefully or not. As just one person though.. it wasn't quite so intimidating.
"What does it taste like?" She inquired thoughtfully, trying to imagine what in the world 'fluff' was. Was it a fruit? A meat of some sort? Sometimes she enjoyed a peanut butter and banana sandwich...
Fritz's reassurance drew a small smile to her, even a very soft little laugh as her free hand joined her other one looped around his arm. "I have nothing but time and patience."
His story was very interesting to her, and it was pretty obvious the way her eyes kept turning up towards him, and the fact that she was well.. talking. Albeit still in her naturally soft volume.
"England?" How very exciting and exotic.
"You have a twin? That must have been nice, always having something to play with." She'd often wished she had a sibling of some sort to play with when she was growing up. Perhaps she wouldn't be so timid now... or would atleast be a little more accustom to talking and sharing if she'd done more of it when she was younger. But no, no siblings, just one very overbearing mother. In fact... she could only wonder what her mother was thinking with her sudden dissapearance! Her daily phonecalls going completely unanswered. She tried to push the thought away for now, not really wanting to sore their trip with her own worrying.
She was growing more and more impressed with him the more he talked, silently assuring herself that 'See! He was a perfectly fine guy, and why had she been so worried in the first place'. He lived in a loft and went to college, and he was an accomplished artist at that!
"I wish I could see your comic." She offered geniunely, wishing she could see the artistic talent he spoke of, not to mention a curiousity on just what kind of a story he'd write. Menthe had never been a huge fan of fiction, but it was a little different when you were face to face with the 'author'.
"If you are creative enough for that I think you would actually be very good at word games. If you can sit yourself still long enough that is." Menthe had heard of people asking for things to be brought back for them from home. And it would be a lie to say she hadn't wished deep down to be brought even one book of crosswords to help soothe her nerves. But she never wanted to be a burden for anyone... others had more important things they needed then that.. and she couldn't possibly waste someone's time for something so selfish.
Nonetheless.. the thought of curling up and doing some puzzles, perhaps even with the red head's help and company was tantalizing. Alas, it wasn't to be.
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:25 pm
If Fritz had thought Menthe noticed his little slip up, he would have been embarrassed, frustrated even, and perhaps would have made some excuse to leave, to get away as soon as possible in order to find somewhere that he could calm his mind and his heart, go back to being the calm and collected person he was on the outside. It was not that he had anything against people seeing that other side of him, but since they had gotten here he had grown used to being the one who kept his head when all else around him was falling down.
He did not want to be seen as weak.
"It tastes like childhood," was Fritz's answer as he beamed a wide smile down at Menthe, tilting his head to look at her. "And by that I mean it's what I used to have as a kid all the time, so to me that's what I think of when I eat it. Peanut butter and fluff is just peanut butter and marshmallow cream, and it's both delicious and fattening - an essential part to every diet, at least in my opinion."
Thinking of Tolliver would just make him depressed, so Fritz hastily moved on to the second subject, just giving a quick nod in agreement to her comment. A small snort of laughter escaped his throat.
"No, you really don't," he said, eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's a pretty terrible comic - all it's about are the 'adventures' Ollie and I have day to day; nothing too exciting, mind you, but it's fun and it does make the occasional dollar here and there.
"Do you really see me sitting still for very long?" Fritz deadpanned, then shook his head, laughing. "I suppose I could do some, but I prefer art, where I have control over the outcome. Some might argue with that, but I find art to be much more enjoyable."
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Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:02 am
"Oh!" She peeped, actually pretty loudly considering her usual soft tone, as he explained the sandwich to her. Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. They were two flavors she knew apart from each other, so she could guess what it would taste like together. "It sounds like a.. candy bar sandwich. Kind of like that... nutella.. chocolate hazelnut stuff." She laughed just a little as she thought about it. Really she loved food and flavors.
"You shouldn't undersell yourself" Menthe responded thoughtfully as he explained his comic. If his artistic skill was as colorful and flamboyant as his personality and speech then she couldn't imagine it not being entertaining. And if people paid money for it too!
Menthe was the sort of person to undersell herself on most fronts, but her work was the one thing she was very proud of. Sure she was 'just' a secretary and others might not think any of it. But she made sure all the phones were answered promptly and politely, that all messages were delivered in a timely fashion. Meticulous detail and organization kept meetings scheduled without overlap or back to back, supplies never got so low as to actually run out. She never left with a single sheet left in her inbox. Their work was one of the few things that people should be entirely proud of and should care completely about in her opinion.
"Perhaps not" She mused softly, before wobbling a little gripping his arm a little tighter as she tried to adjust and recover from the but of rubble beneath her heels that had set her off balance. Eyes on the ground, she quickly did recover however, and when her eyes returned to him, she offered a thoughtful smile. "Have you asked about someone bringing you some art supplies?"
"I heard that some of the.. magical people.. would gather things that people needed or wanted and bring them back." Menthe would never ask for anything herself, not wanting to be a bother but perhaps Fritz would?
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Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 12:37 am
Her surprised gasp - the loudest Fritz had ever heard her - made him raise his eyebrows in amusement, fighting back the urge to smile. She was almost like a child in some ways; unaware of certain things, studiously focused on her own world, but at the same time there was a maturity about her that was quite respectable. Menthe was someone with whom he could get along well, mainly because they rather balanced each other out, in a way.
"I know what Nutella is, yes," he responded, this time with a genuine laugh. "My parents used to eat that all the time. I'll have it every once in a while, when I'm feeling a particular need to eat something disgustingly unhealthy for me."
That was a gross understatement; there were about six jars of the hazelnut spread back in his cabinet at home, but Fritz was not about to admit that guilty little pleasure. Since he did not eat meat, a good portion of his meals consisted of having at least some sort of fruit that he could dip into Nutella.
He shook his head, smiling. "I'm not, believe me; it's just a comic drawn by two brothers who have nothing better to do with their time, so they make up silly things about their lives. Cheesy, ridiculous, silly, yet simultaneously entertaining, at least to me and our few viewers."
They were almost to the Leo outpost now. Fritz carefully stepped over a pile of rubble, his hand gripping Menthe's elbow to help the young woman across before settling back into their normal walking positions.
"Needed, yes," he responded, then added good-naturedly "However, I have a feeling if I asked for something just so I could doodle, they'd find me silly. I have a feeling that I keep getting in the way of those 'magical people.'"
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Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:17 pm
There was book smarts and there was street smarts and experience. It did not take someone very long with Menthe to figure out which of the two she lacked. Not that she minded too much, it was just the sheltered way she'd grown up.
She listened to him with soft interest, offering another grateful and gentle smile as he helped her over the rubble. While others had changed clothing to things more clean and more.. sensible Menthe had once again worried that taking clothing other people might need was unkind. So she just had to make due with her heels.
His similar opinion on 'needs' versus 'wants' matched her, and she nodded a little. After a moment though she squeezed his arm just a little, offering lightly. "Maybe... if you'd like I mean.. If I see any loose paper and pencils while I'm working in Aquarius I could bring some to you? I don't think anyone would miss them or mind." Seriously.. stuff was just scattered everywhere! Blank paper would hardly be missed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 10:56 pm
Where Menthe struggled with street smarts and excelled at book smarts, Fritz found he was, more often than naught, quite the opposite. He did well with his reading and maths, struggled a bit with his sciences, but for the most part it was not anything spectacular - merely a mildly above average, ordinary score. However, what he lacked in that area was made up in his artistic side, which Fritz was quite satisfied with.
"You know, heels aren't quite what I imagined to be particularly good 'space wear,'" he said, a gentle teasing note to his voice. "However, I'm impressed that you've managed to make do with them all this while. I've never understood how you ladies can walk in them without falling flat on your face."
Fritz slowed to a sudden stop, turning to face Menthe with an uncharacteristically serious look in his face. For a few seconds he remained silent, then said "...thank you. I know it doesn't seem like much, but you're quite kind for offering to do that for me."
He resumed his walking, squeezing her hand gently, then said ruefully. "You know, that's probably the nicest thing someone's done for me while here. Than you for that - oh look, here's the outpost."
The Leo outpost had loomed abruptly in front of them, expansive, elegant, and splendid in all of its golden radiance. Fritz tilted his head, giving Menthe a genial smile.
"Shall we have lunch, then?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:50 am
"It just takes a lot of practice" She mused softly. Really hers weren't so bad, only a couple inches tall and a fairly thick heel. It wasn't like those very showy ones.. the ones that were half a foot tall and the size of a pencil. Menthe probably would have fallen on her face if she were wearing some of THOSE.
His sudden stop and shift in disposition surprised her, her eyes widening immediately, before her expression slowly softened, a flush taking over her cheeks. He was giving her too much credit, she hadn't offered anything worth the extreme thanks. It must have been very important to him though..
"Really it would be my pleasure. I'm always happy to help and.... Then maybe you can show me your art..?" Why she wanted to help him so much though... She supposed it could have been just simple human kindness but... maybe she was just so thankful for the few moments of calm Fritz seemed to bring her when he was around.
It had been a few days since she'd last seen the outpost she'd first arrived to, and it looked all the more beautiful then she recalled from that stressful first day. Admiring the grandeous architecture for a long moment, the soft scent of food was subtle on the air. Apparently food was already setting out or being made. And her stomach was loudly protesting the fact that it didn't have said food yet.
Another sheepish, embarrased smile and she nodded, letting him lead the way towards their final destination. "Thanks so much for the escort, and for the lunch too Fritz."
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