URI:
   DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       RPG AI
  HTML https://rpgai.createaforum.com
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       *****************************************************
   DIR Return to: The Village
       *****************************************************
       #Post#: 400--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: MissM Date: April 29, 2013, 7:03 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       They continued walking, but slower now. She wasn't sure if he
       fully understood what she was trying to say, but she hoped he
       did. He at least deserves a chance to live a life without a
       cloud over his past that he couldn't tell anyone without going
       to jail and potentially dying over.
       "And, if you were serious about your question earlier today,
       before Chevy and Phoenix and all off them showed up, 'If someone
       wants to really change how they've been before, what do you
       think is a good way to go about changing themselves?'  My advice
       would be to let the past be the past. Some things will always
       effect you, yes. But they shouldn't rule you." He smiled a
       little at that. "And of course it will take time. But if you're
       serious about wanting to change... you have to let go of the
       past. Especially if it is because of the past that you want to
       change."
       They finally reached her front door, and she opened it, stepping
       inside the door frame and then turning back around to Yukito. He
       was wearing a small, sad smile.
       "I understand what you're trying to say, Zinnia. And..thank
       you."
       She wasn't sure what to do, so she smiled back, a little morose
       herself at the thought of their imminent parting. "You're
       welcome."
       After a tiny but perceptible pause, Yukito reached out and
       touched her arm reassuringly, giving a small bow as the Japanese
       were wont to do. He said, "Well, goodnight," and wandered back
       toward his street without looking back.
       "Goodnight..." she finally managed to squeak out, but only after
       he was well out of earshot. She wished that there was someone to
       walk him home. He looked so lonely. She remembered what it felt
       like, to have nothing and no-one to depend on but the people who
       brought her food and water and kept her alive while she was
       captive. But she'd burst their bubble and run, so to speak. He
       still hadn't been able to even feel normal, let alone be free of
       his own personal demons.
       She walked into the house, shutting the door behind her, only to
       realize she still had Yukito's jacket on.
       Well, I guess it's a laundry night...
       She checked the pockets for bits of paper, money, etc., making
       sure that his stuff was in a neat pile before she checked the
       washing instructions...and then threw it in the pile with the
       rest of the clothes that needed washing, and started a load. She
       would have to give it back first thing tomorrow or she'd
       forget....
       Zinnia has left the Street Side.
       #Post#: 412--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: GGJ5 Date: April 30, 2013, 9:00 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       ooc: Planned interaction for Zinnia/Erin, set during Yukito's
       trip to New York (I believe. Correct if I am wrong!) BIC:
       Erin Spenser
       Erin was happy to have an opportunity to talk with Zinnia a bit
       more one-on-one. She had no problem with big groups, at all. It
       was just that Zinnia was so quiet, and Erin felt she could
       hardly get to know her inside big groups. And she also liked the
       idea of going to "check on" Mae-chan... though, really, Erin
       just wanted to play with the kitty. Though kitties need to be
       played with... so I guess it's kind of the same!
       There had been some talk somewhere about Zinnia taking care of
       Mae-chan, especially since Dr. Ramsey would never allow Yukito a
       pet. (He didn't even allow him human companions, practically...
       why would he allow a cute, furry ball of warmth? It would melt
       his icy form....) Really, Erin wanted to keep Mae-chan. Partly
       to help Yukito, and partly because she really wanted her own
       warm ball of fuzz. And the pictures of Mae-chan made her look so
       sweet!
       She wasn't going to get a pet, either, any time soon. It was
       kind of a huge bummer.
       But she also was walking around with millions of dollars' worth
       of Enhancement in her lungs, so really, she should be so fixed
       on those little things. But... I kinda am. I guess that makes me
       a spoiled brat.... Yay?
       Glancing around her impatiently, Erin's eyes fell on Zinnia and
       the negative thoughts fell aside for the moment. She raised her
       hand in an excited wave. "Hey!"
       #Post#: 413--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: MissM Date: April 30, 2013, 10:09 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       She was waiting for Erin on the sidewalk, a little nervous. She
       hadn't had much one-on-one interaction with Erin, really. But
       she seemed to be a bubbly, bright person.
       Which was the complete opposite of herself, if she was going to
       be honest. She wondered how it would go...
       Finally she saw Erin waving at her, so she stood up and walked
       over.
       "Hey!" Erin called.
       "Hey yourself." she replied when they were a little closer,
       smiling, nervousness falling away for the moment. She let Erin's
       happiness envelop her and shoved all her negative thoughts in a
       back drawer in her mind. They could stay there for a while. She
       was determined not to be depressed. She'd already almost cried
       in front of Yukito, AND Reese...
       "How was your day at school?" It seemed like a safe topic to
       start with.
       #Post#: 427--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: GGJ5 Date: May 3, 2013, 10:18 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "Hey!" Erin called. Zinnia had apparently been waiting for her.
       She was probably the kind of person who always showed up a
       little early, Erin thought. That was okay, as long as she didn't
       mind Erin coming a bit late instead.
       "Hey yourself." Zinnia gave a little smile. She was so shy, but
       she seemed like she could be so confident and commanding if she
       wanted-- when she wanted. The contrast was kind of cute, though
       Erin knew Zinnia wouldn't appreciate that at all. She might not
       know her well yet, but Erin knew enough to be sure Zinnia did
       not want to be 'cute' in any way. In that way at least she was
       quite commanding.
       It didn't take Erin long to cross the few yards to meet Zinnia
       on the sidewalk. "How was your day at school?"  Zinnia asked as
       Erin slowed her pace to match Zinnia's.
       "Over, thank god," Erin quickly responded, making her face just
       a little overdramatic. Then she laughed. "Seriously, the only
       thing good about it is the people I get to be with. And I like
       it even better when I get to be with my people outside of
       school!" She skipped ahead a bit, then turned to look at Zinnia
       again. "And it's especially good when there's cute kitties
       involved, too! For real, add an animal to anything and it
       magically becomes, like, 80% more awesome."
       Full of too much energy to slow down much, Erin turned to
       walking backwards in front of Zinnia so she could walk and talk
       face-to-face at the same time. "Have you gotten to meet Mae-chan
       yet? I've just sene pictures, but she looks soooo sweet! It
       always makes me wish I could have a pet...or a whole bunch of
       them, like a farm! Ha, could you imagine me on a farm, though?
       'How do you get the milk out? I have to do WHAT?'" She laughed
       aloud at her own joke.
       #Post#: 433--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: MissM Date: May 4, 2013, 12:14 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       "Hey yourself." Zinnia gave a little smile as Erin crossed the
       distance between them. "How was your day at school?" Zinnia
       asked as Erin slowed her pace.
       "Over, thank god," Erin quickly responded, her face showing what
       Zinnia hoped was slightly exaggerated emotion. Then Erin
       laughed. "Seriously, the only thing good about it is the people
       I get to be with. And I like it even better when I get to be
       with my people outside of school!" She skipped ahead, then
       turned to look at Zinnia again. "And it's especially good when
       there's cute kitties involved, too! For real, add an animal to
       anything and it magically becomes, like, 80% more awesome."
       Zinnia gave a short laugh at that, smiling a little more. At
       least we share THAT in common... thank goodness... Erin had far
       too much energy for her liking, although since she didn't really
       have to take part it was fine with her.
       "I agree, animals make things more fun." She hoped that
       eventually Erin's bubbliness would affect her--happiness was
       hard to come by for her, and if she could at least feel more
       cheery by the end she would view their activity as a success.
       She tried to walk a little faster, knowing that Erin would be
       impatient if she was too slow, although she probably wouldn't
       show it.
       Erin switched to walking backwards in front of Zinnia clearly
       wanting to talk face-to-face even though they were walking.
       Zinnia admired her bravery, because walking backwards made her
       trip over her own feet. But Erin didn't seem to have that
       problem.
       "Have you gotten to meet Mae-chan yet? I've just sene pictures,
       but she looks soooo sweet! It always makes me wish I could have
       a pet...or a whole bunch of them, like a farm! Ha, could you
       imagine me on a farm, though? 'How do you get the milk out? I
       have to do WHAT?'" She laughed aloud at her own joke.
       "No, not in person. I've just seen the pictures, too. It makes
       me want to adopt my own pets, but my landlord won't let me..."
       She frowned, remembering the argument they had been through over
       that when she had rescued a bird with a broken wing. He'd been
       very vehement that the only pets she was allowed were fish. Not
       even a damn turtle. Fish. He'd left in a huff, and checked on
       the birds progress every day until she'd let it go back to the
       wild, and then told her that if it happened again he'd raise her
       rent indefinitely.
       "And I don't think I could imagine you on a farm... you have to
       wake up early, and its pretty lonely on a farm big enough
       because you have to be so far away from everything else, you
       know? And even if your house isn't, your chores would take you
       pretty far." She shrugged. "I could see you working in the city
       though." She smiled. Erin? Farming? The thought made her giggle
       a little. "I think you like having company too much for farming,
       it's a pretty lonely occupation."
       #Post#: 447--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: GGJ5 Date: May 5, 2013, 9:09 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "Have you gotten to meet Mae-chan yet? I've just sene pictures,
       but she looks soooo sweet! It always makes me wish I could have
       a pet...or a whole bunch of them, like a farm! Ha, could you
       imagine me on a farm, though? 'How do you get the milk out? I
       have to do WHAT?'"
       "No, not in person," Zinnia said, her calm response contrasting
       starkly against Erin's attitude. For a split second, the worry
       rose up again in her that she could turn Zinnia off from being
       friends with her by being so.... exuberant. "I've just seen the
       pictures, too. It makes me want to adopt my own pets, but my
       landlord won't let me..."
       Erin shared a frown with Zinnia. "I feel your pain. My parents
       have a whole list of reasons why we can't have animals. 'I have
       allergies, Erin! Hypoallergenic ones are too expensive! We're
       still paying on your Enhancement!'" She rolled her eyes. "Yeah,
       well, it's scientifically proven that pets improve your
       wellbeing and reduce stress, so maybe they could use a dog or
       cat, too!"
       "And I don't think I could imagine you on a farm... you have to
       wake up early, and its pretty lonely on a farm big enough
       because you have to be so far away from everything else, you
       know? And even if your house isn't, your chores would take you
       pretty far."
       Erin laughed. "I know! I'd have no idea what to do on a farm!
       But at least all the animals would be there... that'd be cool!"
       Zinnia shrugged. "I could see you working in the city though. I
       think you like having company too much for farming, it's a
       pretty lonely occupation."
       Nodding, Erin raised her eyebrows in emphasis. "Definitely not a
       fan of the lonely occupation. Like, I have a minor panic attack
       when I think I left my phone somewhere!" She turned on her heel
       to return to Zinnia's side. "But I bet you could be awesome on a
       farm. You don't have to have someone to talk to all the time,
       and I bet you work pretty hard for what you want, too. How about
       this--  you get the farm, and I will come over to play with the
       horses and chickens. Good deal?"
       She took a few more steps, then looked back at Zinnia. "Um...
       so, do you know how to get there? I wasn't really paying
       attention to directions or anything..."
       #Post#: 457--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: MissM Date: May 6, 2013, 12:25 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       "Have you gotten to meet Mae-chan yet? I've just sene pictures,
       but she looks soooo sweet! It always makes me wish I could have
       a pet...or a whole bunch of them, like a farm! Ha, could you
       imagine me on a farm, though? 'How do you get the milk out? I
       have to do WHAT?'"
       "No, not in person," Zinnia said, hoping her calm didn't bring
       down Erin's uppity-ness. She needed to be infected by happiness.
       It might help with the nightmares, and she needed a night that
       she didn't wake up sweating in fear. "I've just seen the
       pictures, too. It makes me want to adopt my own pets, but my
       landlord won't let me..." She frowned, remembering past problems
       she'd had with the landlord. The poor bird.... It hurt to think
       about that incident. She'd come across a bird struggling in the
       river, cawing, clearly in pain. It had struck at her when she
       had tried to help it out, but as it was her enhanced arm no
       damage had been done. She took hold of it's broken wing in one
       hand, and lifted it up, her other hand supporting the body. The
       bird had calmed down after that. She had been feeding it, later,
       and putting it in a small fashioned cage when the landlord had
       dropped by unexpectedly, and had had it out with her. She'd
       almost been evicted, but had convinced the landlord it wouldn't
       happen again. He'd left, muttering, obviously annoyed. And she'd
       almost shot him, but knew it would only complicate things. She'd
       complained to everyone she could think of, but the landlord had
       said the same thing to all his other rentors. It had been a bad
       day for Zinnia when she'd let the bird go, because the landlord
       took the cage with him and tossed it in the fire in her hearth
       before she could stop him.
       Erin shared the frown. "I feel your pain. My parents have a
       whole list of reasons why we can't have animals. 'I have
       allergies, Erin! Hypoallergenic ones are too expensive! We're
       still paying on your Enhancement!'" She rolled her eyes. "Yeah,
       well, it's scientifically proven that pets improve your
       wellbeing and reduce stress, so maybe they could use a dog or
       cat, too!"
       "And I don't think I could imagine you on a farm... you have to
       wake up early, and its pretty lonely on a farm big enough
       because you have to be so far away from everything else, you
       know? And even if your house isn't, your chores would take you
       pretty far." Zinnia grinned a little at the end, trying to
       imagine Erin on a farm, and failing.
       Erin laughed. "I know! I'd have no idea what to do on a farm!
       But at least all the animals would be there... that'd be cool!"
       At that, Zinnia giggled a little bit. Erin had no idea about the
       pure mess that animals made... but she shrugged. "I could see
       you working in the city though. I think you like having company
       too much for farming, it's a pretty lonely occupation."
       Erin nodded vehemently. "Definitely not a fan of the lonely
       occupation. Like, I have a minor panic attack when I think I
       left my phone somewhere!"  Zinnia knew she would. Erin was a
       very social person, and having lots of friends was definitely
       something that made her happy. She turned on her heel and
       returned to Zinnia's side. "But I bet you could be awesome on a
       farm. You don't have to have someone to talk to all the time,
       and I bet you work pretty hard for what you want, too. How about
       this--  you get the farm, and I will come over to play with the
       horses and chickens. Good deal?"
       "Sure, Erin. You'll have to keep me up to date with all the
       goings on of our friends, too." She smiled, thinking that might
       actually be worth pursuing.... Erin, the cheeriest of them all,
       bringing her friends and their group over every so often, Zinnia
       -and maybe someone else- working the farm... The idea made her
       smile, but she knew that even if she wanted to farm, it probably
       wouldn't work out the way she was thinking. For one, they all
       had Enhancements, and the farm area would probably wreak havoc
       on some of the more sensitive ones. Farms weren't exactly the
       cleanest places, either... she wrinkled her nose at a sudden
       memory of the smell... Gross.
       Erin took a few more steps, then looked at Zinnia. "Um... so, do
       you know how to get there? I wasn't really paying attention to
       directions or anything..."
       “Of course I know how to get there... We just... go down a
       number of blocks, go left a few, and down one more block and
       around the corner. I think. It's that general direction,
       anyway.”
       Her mind was brought back to the night he had walked her home.
       She felt like he hadn't really understood what she'd said, or
       that some of it had fallen on deaf ears... She hoped he was OK
       with Hal. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to stand
       staying in the same place as her captors, but her situation had
       been different from Yukito's. And he seemed to at least have
       some sort of idea about what he was doing. And he seemed to at
       least respect Hal.... She stopped thinking about it, knowing it
       would just make her morose for the rest of the trip.
       “It shouldn't take too long to get there, anyway. I'm not too
       worried. I think we'll be able to tell whose house it is once we
       get close enough.” She smiled. “So... How do you deal with your
       dad working for the school? Doesn't that get awkward after a
       while?”
       She didn't know how she would have reacted to that set-up. Hell,
       she didn't know how Yukito stood it, let alone Erin... Erin
       probably didn't think about it too much, but Zinnia would
       probably have changed her name by now, just out of sheer
       annoyance.
       #Post#: 478--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: GGJ5 Date: May 7, 2013, 9:55 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "Um... so, do you know how to get there? I wasn't really paying
       attention to directions or anything..."
       “Of course I know how to get there... We just... go down a
       number of blocks, go left a few, and down one more block and
       around the corner. I think. It's that general direction,
       anyway.”
       Erin shrugged, accepting the directions as gold. "All right.
       Sounds good, then."
       “It shouldn't take too long to get there, anyway. I'm not too
       worried. I think we'll be able to tell whose house it is once we
       get close enough.”
       "Oh, yeah, that's true. Fancy-Pants house, where the only normal
       part is Yukito's room..." Erin made a face, then laughed.
       "Seriously! It almost feels like a museum, or one of those
       houses that's, you know, on the market or whatever."
       “So... How do you deal with your dad working for the school?
       Doesn't that get awkward after a while?” Zinnia shifted the
       topic back to Erin, and to an awkward one at that. She loved her
       dad. She really did. But... he was already nosy. And being in
       charge of so many kids' personal crap.... being in the know and
       getting paid for it, it had to make people see her differently.
       Of course, her dad never, ever shared with her a single thing
       from the sessions and interviews. He was an absolutely stickler
       for things like that-- all about the code of ethics and all that
       jazz. But still, she knew he knew. And it was weird to know he
       knew so much about every one of her classmates... Who had a
       phobia of bridges... who struggled with anxiety... who was
       OCD... who might grow up to be a freaking serial killer....
       But Erin didn't share all that. She just shrugged. "Well, he
       sort of has this habit of following me to every school I ever
       attend, so I guess eventually you get used to it, you know?" She
       gave a little laugh. "I mean, don't get me wrong-- it can be
       totally awkward, because I know how he can be, all pushy and
       prying and probing and stuff. But at least I know he means
       well... Can't say the same for everyone." She wrinkled her face
       up, an image of Dr. Ramsey popping up in her head. He could be
       pushy, too, more than her dad, but... his was definitely not
       with the best intentions. Erin had given up thinking that was a
       possibility. Not after Yukito's secret. No way.
       #Post#: 487--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: MissM Date: May 9, 2013, 9:28 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Zinnia Natter
       “It shouldn't take too long to get there, anyway. I'm not too
       worried. I think we'll be able to tell whose house it is once we
       get close enough.”
       "Oh, yeah, that's true. Fancy-Pants house, where the only normal
       part is Yukito's room..." Erin laughed. "Seriously! It almost
       feels like a museum, or one of those houses that's, you know, on
       the market or whatever."
       Zinnia looked at Erin curiously. She hadn't mentioned having
       been there before... If she'd been there, why was she so worried
       about directions?
       "You've been to the house before?" she asked, genuinely curious
       about it. Was there something going on between Erin and Yukito
       that they hadn't shared with the public? She watched for Erin's
       reaction closely.
       “So... How do you deal with your dad working for the school?
       Doesn't that get awkward after a while?” Zinnia shifted the
       topic.
       "Well, he sort of has this habit of following me to every school
       I ever attend, so I guess eventually you get used to it, you
       know?" She gave a little laugh. "I mean, don't get me wrong-- it
       can be totally awkward, because I know how he can be, all pushy
       and prying and probing and stuff. But at least I know he means
       well... Can't say the same for everyone."
       "I couldn't imagine anyone I knew really well working at my
       school as a teacher..." Zinnia muttered. "That'd be... awkward,
       I guess. But PE isn't such a bad subject..." She trailed off
       before she gave anything else about Dox away. As happy and nice
       as Erin was, Zinnia just didn't feel so open with her. Not that
       she'd have even told Reese much before changing the subject, at
       least not about Dox. "At least you and your dad seemed to have
       worked out things pretty well."
       And if she had to take PE from Dox, she'd give herself away
       within the first minutes of the class. She didn't exactly play
       sports, but Dox had got her fencing, at least a little bit. She
       rubbed her arm, remembering the catastrophe that it had ended
       in, and sighed.
       "What's the best part of your enhancement? I mean, I know you
       can breathe underwater, but... surely it has other benefits.
       Right?" They'd only gotten about halfway there, so Zinnia picked
       up her pace a little bit. It was hard to be around Erin's bubbly
       nature for so long, even though she'd wanted to get to know her
       better.
       #Post#: 544--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Street Side
       By: GGJ5 Date: May 25, 2013, 9:21 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "You've been to the house before?"
       Erin gave a shrug. "Yeah, but it was rainy and dark and I didn't
       really pay attention to how we got there," she answered quickly.
       "Also I think I came from the opposite way, anyway." At the
       time, there had been a lot of other things to think about
       besides keeping note of directions. Recognizing the house
       wouldn't be hard, though. It might as well have had "HAL'S EVIL
       LAIR" stamped on it now, in Erin's opinion.
       She wasn't going to let go of her anger against him very easily.
       “So... How do you deal with your dad working for the school?
       Doesn't that get awkward after a while?”
       "Well, he sort of has this habit of following me to every school
       I ever attend, so I guess eventually you get used to it, you
       know? I mean, don't get me wrong-- it can be totally awkward,
       because I know how he can be, all pushy and prying and probing
       and stuff. But at least I know he means well... Can't say the
       same for everyone."
       "I couldn't imagine anyone I knew really well working at my
       school as a teacher..." Zinnia muttered. Erin gave a laugh.
       "That'd be... awkward, I guess. But PE isn't such a bad
       subject..."
       "It is pretty awkward, but you just kinda learn to deal with
       awkward after a while. Sometimes he can bring me lunch, though,
       and that's pretty nice... I'm a sucker for a good deli lunch."
       Erin giggled, knowing that her comment probably sounded really
       pathetic, but it was funny since it was true... Deli lunches
       were perfection. "Who do you know that would teach PE?"
       "At least you and your dad seemed to have worked out things
       pretty well."
       Erin shrugged. "Well... sorta-kinda-not really. I kinda just
       learned to tolerate it. Like when you tolerate the heat when
       your AC breaks. Who do you know who would teach PE, though?" she
       asked again, curiosity piqued. She figured Zinnia just didn't
       hear her the first time.
       "What's the best part of your enhancement? I mean, I know you
       can breathe underwater, but... surely it has other benefits.
       Right?"
       "Well," Erin started, "It also really helps with breath support.
       Since my whole respiratory system is enhanced, it's like I have
       automatically enhanced breath support, too, which is the most
       perfect thing for singing, and if I ever wanna pick up a brass
       or woodwind instrument! Like, bringing ska back, guys...." She
       mimed playing a trumpet, making jazzy sound effects to go with
       it. "That also makes my voice carry farther and I don't have to
       strain it to be heard. Breath support also helps you reach your
       ful vocal range, so my higher notes are clearer and my lower
       ones are stronger. so, yeah, besides the obvious mermaid
       abilities, that's what it can do!"
       *****************************************************
   DIR Previous Page
   DIR Next Page