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 Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 9:57 pm
Getting dressed for the day took longer than Rory thought it would with her going through the various dresses in her closet trying to pick the perfect outfit. In the end she had settled on a white dress she had found at the thrift store and altered to fit her smaller frame and the jacket she'd found in a rare stroke of luck at goodwill where she didn't have to fix any of it. Lacing her favorite pair of boots, Rory had spent an extra amount of time on her hair, taming the thick turquoise locks into soft curls that fell across her back and shoulder.
"This is silly right?" She mumbled to the large cat lounging on her bed as she looked at herself in the full length mirror attached to her closet door. "I'm so worked up over this."
But, Akio had surprised her at her graduation and she wanted to do the same for him, especially since her boyfriend hadn't seemed so keen on even bothering with his own. Still, Rory had stopped by Miss Poppie's and arranged for a lei that she could bring for him. It was less feminine than a bouquet would have been and still something he could keep if he chose to for memories.
This time, the bag she chose was simpler, a small gray purse that she strung cross body as was her preference. Rory had managed to score a few babysitting gigs atop the actual job she had applied and secured a few days before. Plus, there's been a cleaning job that someone from her building that helped bring in what she thought was a decent amount to take Akio out for his big day.
"Okay, I'll be back later." She informed her furry friend, making sure to pat him on the head and kiss the top of it before she made to leave her house and head towards the DCU's graduation ceremony. Managing to arrive at least ten minutes early, Rory snagged a spot at the end of a row where she would have a good view of him but he was unlikely to see her, at least if she wasn't standng.
Nerves fluttered about her belly as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt that fell just above the tops of her knees. Part of her was worried that Akio would be upset that she'd shown up at his graduation, but the other half of her was convinced that he would be delighted just as she was.
When she saw him walk across stage, she stood, cheering bright and loud like the good, supportive girlfriend she aimed to be.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 10:49 pm
He had been so close to not showing up. If it hadn't been for the fact that he'd already paid to walk across the stage and he'd been forced to swear in front of his mother three separate times that he would send her the picture that the school took when handing him his diploma, he'd have skipped out entirely. Even sleeping in sounded better than going through the inane motions of pretending to give two craps about the ceremony. He'd done his time, he'd passed his courses. What he didn't want was to think about the ominous knowledge that now, without school, he was going to be expected to find a career to suffer through for the rest of his years on Earth. And all they talked about at these graduation things was about their future and how they were going to go out into the world and do great things. All Akio wanted to do was survive today - thinking about tomorrow could come with tomorrow did, for all he cared. But he sat through the eternally long ceremony, he'd gotten his diploma and he'd had the obligatory picture taken. Flipping the gold tassel to one side, he remained seated as all of the other students rose at the ceremony's ending to vacate towards their friends and loved ones. Akio, on the other hand, propped one leg on top of the other and leaned back in his chair. The longer he gave the others to leave, the less traffic he'd have to fight his way through to get out the door and on with his life. Sigh.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 7:34 am
It was easy for Rory to get lost in the crowd as the audience stood and departed this way and that. Nervous, and certainly second-guessing herself, the teen stayed planted in the seat she'd claimed, only shifting so that her legs didn't block the aisle for the people trying to get past her. In her lap sat the plastic box that held his lei, Rory's small fingers pressing into the plastic and threatening to split the lip.
As things began to calm down, more and more people exiting, she spotted the boy she was looking for still seated and looking rather unhappy.
Lump in her throat was prevalent by the time she finally made her way over to him. Each step was taken carefully and Rory was grateful she hadn't attempted to wear heels and that her footsteps were soft. Carefully, she slid between the rows of chairs and gently tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hi," she mumbled, sounding meeker than she wanted. "You're looking a little lonely, handsome." She winced from behind him, words feeling awkward and wrong in her mouth. Sighing, she pushed her hair back and pushed out the gift she'd brought him.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 10:06 am
Eyes were focused on the family gatherings in front of him, chestnut brown eyes drinking in all of the back slaps, the hugs, the tearful mothers and the proud fathers. Most of the drape-wearing members of these groups were bright eyed and smiles, the black gowns swallowed up by the hugs and embraces surrounding them. He idly debated fighting with his own gown to reach into his slacks and pull out his cell phone to aid him in passing the time. Most of the people he texted, however, were busy due to the fact that they were also graduating today, so... The cheap fabric made a soft sound as a small hand connected with his shoulder. "You're looking a little lonely, handsome."The words were almost lost in the cacophony of celebratory noise surrounding them, but thanks to the sudden brush against his shoulder, his attention was hers. Turning around, he blinked in surprise at the girl standing there in a short white dress and jacket, fingers clutching tightly onto a box. "Aurora?" Part of him was genuinely surprised to see her. Another part reasoned well, you crashed hers so why wouldn't she crash yours? The fact alone that she stood there, looking adorably anxious as she fussed with her hair, made his heart swell with happiness as he struggled to rise from his seat. What was it about this girl? His face lit up from merely seeing her. He couldn't explain his heart's reasoning and frankly, he didn't want to bother trying. Instead, he carelessly shoved aside the chair that was blocking them from each other and stepped forward, arms opening up to crush her and her box into a tight hug. His head rested atop hers for a moment as he couldn't help but grin. The surprise and delight was clear in his voice as he pulled away, beaming down at her. "You came."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 10:55 am
"Hi," she mumbled again, cheeks flushing pink easily on her pale skin as she wet her lips and smiled up at him. "I brought you - " Her words were muffled by his chest as he engulfed her in a strong hug. With her hands trapped between their bodies from her attempts to keep her gift from being crushed, Rory was unable to hug him back.
"Of course I did." She wrinkled her nose at him for thinking that she wouldn't. "But I wanted to surprise you." And she felt rewarded for her efforts. Plus, wasn't that what girlfriends did?
With some effort, Rory pressed her palm flat against his chest and coaxed him back. "We can do the hugs and what not later, I have something for you." Carefully she opened the plastic container and plucked the lei from the box, setting it down on one of the chairs around them and carefully sliding it over his head and across his shoulders. "Miss Poppie said it was more appropriate than a bouquet."
That woman had been in the flower business since before Rory could walk so she trusted the kind old woman's judgement about things like this. "I also want to take you to celebrate. Where ever you want." Pressing her tongue against her cheek in thought, she pushed onto her tip toes to kiss him.
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 11:58 am
Hands obediently departed from around her at her insistence, mindfully being a diligent significant other as she declared hug time would come later, because she had other things to address first. He wanted to lean over and kiss every wrinkle on her nose away, but he resisted the urge. As she drew out the lei from the box and moved to drape it over his gown, he lowered his shoulders and head to allow for better access around his cap. The tassel and earring swayed with the motion, his eyes never leaving her adorably determined looking expression as she announced that she wanted to take him out for a celebratory evening. Once she rose to kiss him, however, he considered his banishment from touching her absolved. Hands moved to cradle her face as he kissed her back, his smile pressing against her lips as he slowly drew himself back. "They're beautiful. A thoughtful present from the most thoughtful girlfriend." Fingers left her soft skin to gently entwine around the flowers as he studied them. He knew just the place for them to go in his apartment, a happy reminder that he was no longer alone - every event was made even more special because of a certain someone's presence. Akio had a feeling that his normally drab apartment would soon find itself devoid of drabness, the beige, empty walls and shelves replaced with color and happiness provided by none other than Aurora Willows herself. Now that her hands were freed, he took hold of both and pulled her close, bending down to press a kiss against her forehead and making a grimace as the edge of his cap made contact with her hair. Reaching up, he plucked the darn thing from off his head and moved to place it on top of her head, instead. Forgoing the kiss, he mused softly to himself as he debated her offer, a sly grin spreading across to add to his mischievous expression. Finally: "I think... I want pizza."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 1:20 pm
Looking at Akio filled her with pride because there he was, standing before dressed in his graduation gowns and wearing the lei she'd brought for him. The way he looked at her sent the butterflies aflutter in her belly and Rory bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to suppress the smile that was breaking out across her face. The action proved moot when he gathered up her face and kissed her back eagerly, smiling against her mouth in a way that made her heart stutter.
Eyes were slow to open while he drew away, the girl savoring the lingering pressure of his mouth against hers.
"I'm only half as thoughtful as you," she attempted to argue, shaking her head and attempting to withhold her giggling when his hat found it's way atop her head. Truthfully, she was merely mimicking his thoughtfulness from the week before. Her grin however, fell when he chose pizza of all things for his graduation dinner. Pouting at him, Rory crossed her arms over her chest instead of around his waist like she'd meant to.
"I'm serious Akio, you don't need to pick something mundane because you think I'll be worried about it." She had worked and saved specifically for this, she was prepared!
Sighing, she shook her head, mindful of the cap on her head, and laced her fingers in his so she could lead him out of the row of chairs and towards an exit. "But if you really want pizza we can do that, whatever you want. Okay?"
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 4:02 pm
He took his time to shed himself of the oversized gown while she stood there and pouted. It gave his fingers something to do as a distraction, as all they really wanted to do was cup her face and kiss away the pout until she couldn't resist smiling again. There would be time for that later. His folding left a lot to be desired, but as he had no intention of ever wearing such a hideous looking thing again, he opted to spend his attention on his sulking girlfriend and not the gown. Her dress was far more appealing to stare at, the length alone causing him to close his eyes for a moment and recall exactly why they lingered on figurative first base when it came to dating. He would behave. He would be a good boyfriend. Aurora eventually reached out and took his hand, guiding him out of the large auditorium. Akio happily followed after her like a lovesick puppy, longer legs taking shorter strides as to not overpower her smaller steps. "I think pizza sounds wonderful. We can even get a veggie one, if you'd like." His free hand moved up to adjust the lei, which gently bounced atop his white button-up shirt. It seemed out of place without the graduation gown but he didn't care - he would wear it for the rest of the day, unless she managed to remove it herself. Pausing, he glanced up at the back of her head as he toyed with a thought. Would she...? "We can eat at my place. If... you're okay with hanging out at my apartment?"
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 8:38 pm
Akio's gown was off before Rory could protest and she clamped her mouth shut, swallowing down her words. Just because he wasn't wearing his robes didn't mean they couldn't get a picture of them together. Her boyfriend seemed pretty eager to get out of the building and onto whatever they were headed to do. Maybe she could slow him down once they were outside and there were more people she could quickly ask for a picture that Rory could put beside the one from her graduation.
"Doesn't have to be, as long as part of it is just like cheese then it's fine. I don't eat much, so you don't need to worry." Rory's appetite had always been relatively small, which made her diet easier, ultimately. Despite what a certain tomcat though, the teen had a functional diet and ate enough. Being petite had always been a facet of her appearance and she found it unlikely to change.
Having assumed they would probably pick a place they could stay and eat at, his proposition surprised her and she turned, blinking slowly at him. He wanted to hang out at his apartment. That - that was no big deal, right? Akio respected her boundaries and she didn't think that he was up to no good but...
There was always a lingering but, wasn't there?
"On one condition." She declared, coming to a stop and glancing over her shoulder at him. "You put that robe back on long enough for a picture."
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 9:58 pm
"Worried? Pft. Pizza makes for the best leftovers, anyways." He felt himself exhale as she agreed to joining him - they were taking baby steps, after all. Once she felt comfortable visiting his apartment, there was a greater chance that he could convince her to hang out in it, in the future - which meant sans Terrifying Pop and Scary Oversized Cat. He'd still visit her apartment, of course. Just... it was nice to have other options than living in a constant state of concern. "Compromise: I'll wear the cap and hold up the blank piece of paper." He shook the rolled up parchment for emphasis, giving her as good of a pout as he could muster. His other hand left hers to pull at his shirt, showing how much nicer it looked than the dreary gown did. "I've already got a picture wearing the ugly thing - isn't one enough?"
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 10:53 pm
The prospect of going to Akio's apartment for the first time had nerves threatening to get the better of her, but she forced herself to breath and shake her head at him. "No, you need the robe because it's not a picture of you." Her lips pressed together in a poor attempt to suppress the smile spreading the corners of her mouth from cheek to cheek. "It's of us."
She had an idea, but she wasn't going to tell him lest it take away from the excitement and hints of spontaneity she was trying to possess.
While Rory was quite capable of going with the flow, she wasn't good at just jumping head first into things without someone holding her hand. "Please, Akio. For me?" His girlfriend pouted and had the decency to at least look sad and like the idea was important to her. "Don't you want to share this moment with me?"
Okay, she knew that was a cheap shot, but she was also thinking about how she could hang identical but different pictures on the chord strung across her walls, pictures hung up by tiny clothespins. "But...I guess if you'd rather not..."
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 12:02 am
His hands rose in mock defeat, fingers waving gently as his palms remained extended. "Alright, alright - you win, you win. I give up." The gown was fluffed out from its makeshift ball (or fold??? whichever one wanted to call it???) and he gave it a few hard shakes in attempts to purge the new wrinkles from out of the material. He wasn't about to deny her whatever she was wanting - regardless of how badly he didn't care to revisit the ugly thing. The young man stared down his girlfriend the entire time he was putting the gown back on, hands popping out from the sleeves to quickly brush away any new wrinkles that might have been forming without permission. The lei was brought back out to rest on top of the dreary fabric and his hand had returned to clutching the fake piece of paper. "Okay. I'm in the gown." Remembering her cell phone and the issues she had with data, he was quick to fetch his own phone out, after taking a few moments to wrestle with the massive amount of black fabric in his way. Soon the phone was found and handed over to the fair Miss Willows. "All yours to do with as you please, beautiful."
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 7:53 am
Akio broke quickly and Rory found her brows arching in surprise as he tugged on the article of clothing he was quite ready to be without. "Thank you," she told him, fingers running down his arm, smoothing out of the white fabric. To her credit, the teen didn't shy away from what felt like an intense stare from her boyfriend, jade eyes meeting brown more easily than they had their first meeting.
But, things were easy with Akio, mostly, and Rory found that for all her uncertainty, she didn't mind the idea of the challenges being in a relationship were sure to present.
Accepting his phone, she slid it over to the camera and politely interrupted one of the recent graduates who was chattering away with friends or family. The girl seemed delighted to assist, either because she was riding her own wave of euphoria or because it was her classmate with a girl she's never seen before. The reasoning didn't matter and Rory tugged Akio towards her, fully expecting his arm to slide around her shoulders as he prepared to pose.
The first picture was snapped easily enough, with both of them looking happy and then, when the girl was taking a few extra just in case, Rory's head turned and her lips pressed against his cheek as she stretched onto her tiptoes. As she sunk back down, into his ear she said, "I'm really happy I get to share this with you."
To the girl, Rory offered a grateful smile. "Thank you."
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 8:39 am
He dutifully leaned down to allow for the picture to be taken, aligning his shoulders down to her level for easier posing. He gave the camera the best smile he could muster (considering the awful travesty of being seen in the oversized parachute of a dress) and although he should have probably seen it coming, found himself pleasantly surprised as he felt the soft lips of his girlfriend press against his cheek during the middle of the last snap of the camera. He was prepared to give her an impish smile of his own when she whispered in his ear, the words wrapping around his heart and squeezing tightly. "I'm happy that you're here, Aurora." And he was, he genuinely was. If his mother was still awake and pinging him messages back on his laptop, he would have to inform her of how this amazing young woman he'd met had not only shown up, but insisted on getting extra pictures taken. Talk about extra brownie points! Sliding his arm around her waist, he allowed her to keep the phone while he took his time stealing the lead as he guided both of them out of the auditorium. "Alright, beautiful. What say you and I grab some food and I can show you what a college kid's --- former college kid's --- apartment looks like?"
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 9:08 am
"I wouldn't have missed it," she assured him, thumbing through the pictures the nice girl had taken for them. Waving at her while she turned back to her friends, Rory instinctively snuggled against him. "What, not gonna tear off that robe again?" She couldn't help but tease, tugging on the exposed front hem.
With a happy sigh, she locked his phone and offered it back to him if he wanted to take it. The pictures were adorable and while Rory wasn't terribly keen on having too many pictures of herself, she knew that she wanted copies of all of the ones on his phone. These were the memories she wanted to remember as they embarked on this passage of their storybook.
"I say..." she purposely paused, chewing on her lip while her free hand toyed with the edges of her loosely curled hair. "Lead the way." Going to his apartment for the first time made her nervous, because it was new and new things were scary but she wanted it. "Just no funny business, okay?" She said, surprisingly dry before she was grinning at him. "I'm teasing," she added quickly, afraid he would take her too seriously.
"Pizza and a night in with you sounds wonderful, Akio."
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