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 Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:40 pm
Jude was almost feeling normal again - almost. There were twinges when he stared out the window toward the ocean or felt somehow deeply sad about something or just general fits of other emotions that overtook him but for the most part he was back to normal. Settling down in his new shell after discarding the old one that had become too cramped and closed in.
To celebrate the change within (and outside) of himself he decided now would be a good time to sit at the top of the stairs leading to the dorms and to crack open a book and just read. Sometimes he paused reading to listen for impending footsteps so he could calmly get up and let others by if they felt he was taking up too much room otherwise he just sat there reading with his face calm and neutral as ever.
He flipped the page of a book called 'Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies' seeming pretty interested in the contents of each page.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:04 pm
Sasha hadn't been as social as she'd have liked since bonding with her weapon. Most of her time had been spent getting to know Nona - and there was a lot that the Alkonost felt necessary to teach Sasha about. Trivial things, for the most part, but Sasha was far too polite to ever interrupt her partner. Since they'd spent so much time alone together, Sasha had taken to speaking aloud to the weapon as opposed to keeping it all inside like any other hunter might.
<Sasha. Sasha. Saaa~aaashaaaa!>
"Nona. I just want to go for a walk."
<I do love walks, my sweetling, but ah~ so chilly! Must we?>
"Nona, I don't think we can stay in the room all the time. We have responsibilities, and I don't think it would be horrible if we made some friends, right? I mean.. if I made some friends."
Nona fell silent.
Sasha exhaled loudly, set her jaw just like her papa had told her never to do because it was bad for her teeth, and just kept on walking. She didn't notice that the stairwell was already occupied until she was nearly on top of the other hunter.
"Oh!"
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:09 pm
He had heard the footsteps a bit too late as he started a bit outside of the realms within the book only to tilt his head back and up his reading glasses sliding back further onto his face as he stared up at the figure behind him.
...
...
...
Oh right.
"Sorry," he muttered quietly as he started to get up to his feet while holding his place in the book with a finger, "I usually try to be a bit more watchful," he said softly and shuffled a bit to the side so she could go on a head if she so desired.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:20 pm
<Ooh, Sasha.>
Nona, shhh!
<Fine, fine, my little bird. Nona will watch...
...
...I do so love his hair, though.>
Sasha's cheeks reddened as she smiled brightly at the young man, tucking a swathe of thick, black hair behind her ear.
"No, no. It's nothing to apologize for. I ah.. I'm Sasha." She held out her hand as if to offer a friendly handshake. "I'm new. Really new."
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:31 pm
Instead of moving onward she introduced herself. Jude kind of stared at her for a long moment before he wiped his hand on the front of his shirt as if he thought it was dirty and then placed his hand in hers for a shake, "Jude," he murmured quietly.
'Not going to welcome her?' Yom asked. She seemed to derive too much amusement from his discomfort around others especially if the other involved was a female.
"Oh, er...Welcome?" He wasn't sure what else he could say to her, "how...are you liking it here?"
'Now, give her a hug.' Yom giggled softly.
Jude ignored that command.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:38 pm
<Oooh, I like this one.>
Nona.
Nona gave a little trill of amusement before falling silent.
"I ah.. I like it. I've been sticking to my dorm for the most part." She smoothed her hands down the front of her coat. It was a nervous gesture, though Sasha had no idea why she should be feeling so awkward.
<Don't stand there like a little statue, Sasha. Talk to the boil. He's being friendly, is he not?>
"Nona thought it was important that we spend some time to get to know each other." She gestured with a weak flip of her hand. "It... takes some getting used to, doesn't it? The voices, I mean. N-not the voices. The weapons."
<Dear, you're rambling.>
Sasha just smiled as brightly as she could.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:45 pm
He nodded a little bit, "I...did that too when I first got here. It is part of the adjustment I guess at least for me," he offered a smile to Sasha as he said this as if to make her feel better about not being so social but it felt like he was being 'strange' with her.
..Why? Just why?
'Becaussse.' Yom said helpfully but had no further words for her Champion.
Jude blinked a bit at Sasha's words and observations, "Mhm, it is a bit weird at first but it becomes more natural as time goes on...Depends on...how good you and your weapon work together," he wasn't sure what to make of the smile.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:04 pm
<See? You are not so strange, Sasha.>
Sasha forced herself to ignore Nona for the time being. This was good practice, wasn't it? She had to focus on the conversation and the young man before her despite the fact that Nona insisted on talking to her at the same time.
Sasha kept smiling. Sometimes she felt like it was the only thing she could do.
"Nona and I have yet to work together. I was thinking about ah.. going to the fields to train or something, just so we could... you know, see how it goes."
<You're wringing your hands again, Sasha.>
So she was.
"I'm kind of nervous about it, though. Like.. you know, if it doesn't go well." She cleared her throat and lifted a slender hand to touch the barrette that rested snugly in her dark hair. Blinking a few times as she stared vacantly at a point above Jude's shoulder, Sasha cleared her throat and shook herself out of her thoughts.
<My sweet bird. You're just so socially repugnant, and I say that with nothing but adoration for you.>
"Sorry. I um.. I get lost up here sometimes," she waved a hand in the general direction of her temple.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:11 pm
Jude quietly nodded a bit at Sasha's words, "The only solution as far as training goes is to just keep trying until it does work. If you don't train then you can't get better and you become a liability," he said softly. It worked best to be blunt when it came to topics about training.
He cleared his throat, "I am sure you'll do fine, though. Just don't become discouraged at failure that is all."
If one listened to the higher ups all they ever were are failures so it was best to try and rise above it instead of wallowing, right?
The fact that she was staring past him wasn't lost on him but he kindly didn't get upset, "That's fine, it happens." At least he seemed accepting of most quirks. He quietly moved and tucked his book into an inner pocket of his coat. "..Would you like to go to the cafeteria with me?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:54 pm
<Darling, stop picking at your hair.>
I can't help it. I'm nervous, Nona.
<If you pick at your hair each time you are nervous you will be bald soon enough. I cannot bear to think of how -->
Sasha let go of the long strands of silky hair she'd been fussing with, letting out a slightly annoyed noise.
<That's better.>
"I hope whoever I spar with first takes it easy on me... I've never been much of a fighter. I want to do the best I can, and I don't want to let anyone down. I just..."
She fell silent for a brief moment, as if realizing that she'd been rambling like a silly fool. Either that or Nona was at it again.
"I would love to go to the cafeteria. I am kind of thirsty..."
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:00 pm
"That...would depend on who you spar with," he shrugged a little as he quietly shifted toward her pausing before he offered her an arm to hold onto as they walked.
'Always such a gentleboil~.' Yom cooed happily.
Jude continued to ignore Yom. She wasn't being useful in this situation at all. "The coffee around here is alright - that is if you like coffee," he said on the topic of drinks. "The rest of the stuff is pretty alright too. I guess it depends on what you prefer."
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:13 pm
<Oh, my Sasha, look at this boil. I do hope that the others are as courtly as he. >
Sasha's experience with men had, until quite recently, been limited to the companionship of her father. When they took walks in the park he'd always given her his arm and she'd loved walking alongside him with her head on his shoulder, just listening to him speak in that soft, rumbling cadence that was his alone.
When Jude offered his arm to her, Sasha took it almost instinctively. She hadn't really realized what she'd done until they'd started talking, thankfully catching herself before she rested her dark head on his shoulder.
<Ahhh, this makes your Nona happy, sweet bird.>
Nona, please.
<Now, there is nothing wrong in finding comfort in companionship!> Nona sounded quite offended.
God help me.
<Such a nice boil. You could have come across worse, Sasha.>
"I don't drink coffee. Just.. water. Or orange juice." She walked along silently for a few long moments before posing her next question.
"Is there anywhere to find music here? I.. I don't know, classical music? Instruments? It was a hobby of mine... and painting. It relaxes me, more than anything."
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:34 pm
"Ahh, that is a shame," he said quietly as he helped guide them down the stairs and eventually out the door. "I enjoy coffee, but I guess that is the only thing my father and I ever shared," he said with a shrug of a single shoulder.
'The passst isss passst. Do not get too resentful.' Yom said cautiously as if trying to make sure he didn't wander off into a tangent.
Jude let out a deep sigh and then glanced at Sasha when her question came around, "Mmm, my friend Jerry is trying to pull together a choir or band of sorts other than that the other musically inclined person I know is my friend Molly, she plays the fiddle. I don't think there are any instruments around just for grabs, though. What kind of stuff do you paint?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:09 pm
"I do landscapes," Sasha replied with a sideways smile, "and portraits, but I'm only passable at those. Landscapes are what I like to do the most. You can lose yourself in them. Make your own little world, you know?" She shrugged and slid her free hand into the pocket of her coat.
"I sing sometimes, but I don't know if I would join a choir. I've only ah.. I've never done any kind of public singing."
<Oh, nonsense. You have quite a pretty voice, though not anywhere near as beautiful as mine.">
Sasha rolled her eyes.
"Aside from painting, papa taught me to play the flute." She cleared her throat briefly. "I wasn't thinking clearly before I left home, and unfortunately I didn't think to bring it with me. It was a Pearl," Sasha finished wistfully.
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:05 pm
He nodded a little bit, "That sounds interesting enough, maybe when you get materials you could show me some things?" Jude said quietly, it wasn't like he was against art or anything. In fact he liked going to the odd art museum or two when he wasn't a Hunter. At her observation about her singing he just tilted his head a little, "Mmm, I am sure you sound just fine. I don't think anyone would throw rotten fruit at you either way. You're probably way better than me."
The last time he sang he got the rousing critique of them admitting it didn't make them want to claw their ears off.
'You sssing just fine, Jude. I have heard worssse.' Yom observed with something that sounded like a small yawn.
'...From where?' Jude mentally quipped back at her but got no reply on the matter.
Jude was suddenly drawn back into the conversation with Sasha, "Ahh, yeah? That's a shame that you couldn't bring it with you. I am sure with enough time you'll get a replacement."
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